Sitting 3 — May 28, 2025

The third sitting marked the first full question period of the 45th Parliament, with Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer using his inaugural exchange to challenge Prime Minister Mark Carney on fiscal transparency, accusing the government of breaking its spending cap promise within hours of the throne speech. The Prime Minister, in his first question period appearance, characterized the main estimates as a shift from operational to investment spending and noted that the former Conservative leader's 100-day plan had also not included a budget. The debate over the budget timeline intensified, with Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus noting the government would go more than a year without presenting a budget—the longest period since the 1960s outside of COVID. Finance Minister Champagne confirmed a budget would be presented in the early fall while emphasizing the immediate tax cut for 22 million Canadians.

Energy and natural resources dominated question period, with Conservative MPs pressing the government on its record of killing 16 major resource projects and $176 billion in investment over the previous decade. The new Energy and Natural Resources Minister, Tim Hodgson, stated that the government would support new pipelines where there was national consensus, while Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin defended carbon pricing as essential for maintaining Canada's competitiveness as an energy superpower. Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs called on the government to repeal Bill C-69 immediately, while newly elected MP Ellis Ross, a former chief of the Haisla Nation, argued that anti-energy laws had weakened Canada to the benefit of the United States. The government countered that it would fast-track projects, cut red tape, and guarantee decisions within two years.

Public safety, mental health, and ethics questions rounded out the sitting. Conservatives cited a 50% increase in violent crime and a 116% rise in gun violence since 2015, blaming Liberal bills C-5 and C-75 for creating a revolving-door justice system. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree noted the government's mandate to make streets safer and highlighted ongoing work with law enforcement. Ethics questions focused on the Prime Minister's former role at Brookfield Asset Management and the registration of $30 billion in offshore funds in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, with the government characterizing the questions as conspiracy theories. The sitting concluded with resumed throne speech debate, where Conservative leader Andrew Scheer delivered his formal reply, criticizing the speech as heavy on slogans but light on concrete action.