The sitting was dominated by the Speech from the Throne debate, with the central political argument revolving around the government’s refusal to table a budget. The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois repeatedly demanded a budget, accusing the Liberals of inflationary spending without a plan, while the government defended its agenda by pointing to proposed tax cuts and nation-building projects.
The main Government Orders business was the resumption of debate on the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne. The throne speech, delivered by the King, outlined the government’s plan to build a stronger Canadian economy by eliminating interprovincial trade barriers, investing in nation-building infrastructure projects, and doubling the rate of homebuilding. The government argued this would create one Canadian economy out of 13 and make Canada the strongest economy in the G7. The Conservatives opposed the speech, arguing it contained no concrete plan and that the government was failing to table a budget, which they said was needed to address inflation, housing, and the cost of food. The Bloc Québécois criticized the speech for lacking details on support for the steel and aluminum sectors hit by U.S. tariffs and for what they saw as a centralizing agenda that would override provincial jurisdiction. The NDP expressed disappointment that the speech did not address below-market housing, health care, or workers’ needs. The Green Party supported the need for economic transformation but criticized the absence of a commitment to the Paris Agreement and climate action. The debate included many maiden speeches from new members. At the end of the day, the House adopted a motion to engross and forward the address to the King.
Oral Questions were dominated by the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, which had been raised to 50%. The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois repeatedly accused the Prime Minister of failing to deliver on his campaign promise to stand up to President Trump, noting that the tariffs had doubled and that the government had quietly dropped retaliatory tariffs during the campaign. They demanded a budget and immediate support for affected workers and businesses. The government responded by saying the tariffs were illegal and unjustified, that it was in intensive negotiations with the U.S., and that it was preparing reprisals. Ministers stated that $1.7 billion had been collected from countertariffs and would be reinvested in workers and industry. Other recurring themes included the cost of food and housing, with the Conservatives citing rising prices and food bank use, and the government pointing to its proposed tax cut for 22 million Canadians and the GST cut on new homes. Questions on public safety and the opioid crisis saw the government tout its new border security bill, while the Conservatives called for repealing Liberal bail and sentencing laws.