The sitting was dominated by the resumption of the debate on the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne, with the central political argument revolving around the Liberal government’s refusal to table a spring budget. The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois repeatedly demanded a budget, citing a motion passed the previous day, while the government argued it needed time to consult and would deliver a budget in the fall. No major bills were debated as Government Orders business; the main estimates were tabled but not debated as a bill.
The Speech from the Throne debate continued for most of the sitting, with dozens of members delivering maiden speeches. The government’s plan, as outlined in the throne speech, includes cutting the lowest personal income tax rate from 15% to 14%, eliminating the GST on new homes under $1 million for first-time buyers, launching a “build Canada homes” initiative to double homebuilding, and breaking down interprovincial trade barriers. Liberal members praised these measures as bold and necessary to address affordability and economic sovereignty. Conservative members criticized the throne speech as lacking detail, pointing to the absence of a budget, the omission of the opioid crisis, and the government’s failure to repeal what they called anti-energy laws such as Bill C-69 and Bill C-48. The NDP and Bloc Québécois raised concerns about the lack of climate action, the fast-tracking of energy projects without proper environmental assessments, and the absence of measures to address violence against women and homelessness. The Green Party member highlighted the failure to implement recommendations from the inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
Oral Questions was dominated by the Conservative demand for a spring budget, following a motion passed the previous day calling for one. The Conservatives accused the government of planning to spend $486 billion without a budget, breaking a promise to cap spending growth at 2% by instead increasing it by 8%, and spending a record $26 billion on consultants. The Prime Minister and ministers responded by noting the first ministers’ meeting in Saskatoon, where all premiers agreed on a plan to build a single Canadian economy and fast-track major projects, and by arguing that the main estimates support essential programs like health care, child care, and dental care. Other recurring themes included U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, with the government promising to support affected workers and use Canadian steel and aluminum in infrastructure projects; the need to repeal anti-energy laws; rising crime and the government’s soft-on-crime record; immigration levels and border security; and housing affordability. The government introduced the strong borders act and highlighted the rollout of the Canadian dental care plan.