The sitting was dominated by debate on the government’s flagship border security bill, the Strong Borders Act, and by opposition attacks on the Liberal record on crime, housing, and the auto sector. The central political argument pitted the government’s claim that it was delivering on a new mandate for public safety against Conservative assertions that the same Liberal government had created the crises it now purported to fix.
Government Orders was consumed by debate at report stage of Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act. The bill would amend some 15 statutes to give law enforcement and border agencies new powers to combat fentanyl trafficking, auto theft, money laundering, and irregular migration, and would invest $1.3 billion in additional CBSA and RCMP personnel. The Liberal parliamentary secretary framed it as a holistic response to election concerns about border security and transnational crime, citing support from the Canadian Police Association. Conservatives argued the bill was an omnibus measure that did not address the root causes of crime—specifically, the Liberal repeal of mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl trafficking under Bill C-5 and catch-and-release bail policies—while simultaneously eroding civil liberties. Several Conservative members objected to provisions allowing Canada Post to open mail on reasonable suspicion without a warrant, to a ban on cash transactions over $10,000, and to warrantless access to Internet subscriber data. The Bloc Québécois said it would vote to send the bill to committee for study but expressed concern about lowered evidentiary thresholds for warrants and the breadth of new powers over immigration documents. The NDP criticized the bill for giving the RCMP and CSIS power to demand personal information from service providers without judicial review, arguing this had nothing to do with border security.
Oral Questions was dominated by the Liberal electric-vehicle mandate, which the Conservatives called a ban on gas-powered cars that would add $20,000 to vehicle prices and cost 90,000 auto-sector jobs. The government denied there was any ban, insisting Canadians retained choice and that the mandate ensured access to cheaper-to-operate EVs while supporting a growing industry under U.S. tariff threat. A second major theme was housing: Conservatives accused the housing minister of profiting from a $10-million real estate portfolio while telling young Canadians that prices need not fall, and cited falling housing starts in cities that received federal accelerator funds. The government replied that national housing starts were near record levels and that it was delivering on GST relief for first-time buyers. Justice and public safety questions focused on fentanyl traffickers receiving house arrest and on rising extortion and violent crime; the government promised forthcoming sentencing and bail reforms but defended its record. The Bloc Québécois pressed on the absence of a tariff deal with the U.S. and on Bill C-5, the internal trade bill, arguing it would not help workers. The NDP raised pharmacare, urging the government to commit to universal coverage.