The sitting was dominated by debate on Bill C-3, the government’s bill to amend the Citizenship Act, with the central political argument turning on whether the bill would restore fairness to “lost Canadians” or instead devalue citizenship by allowing it to be passed down indefinitely with only a weak connection to Canada. Oral Questions focused heavily on the government’s tax-cut promise, public safety and the government’s legislative agenda.
Government Orders was given over entirely to second-reading debate on Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025). The bill would restore citizenship to people who lost it under old “age 28” retention rules and would create a new framework for citizenship by descent beyond the first generation: a child born abroad to a Canadian parent who was also born abroad would be a citizen if that parent had spent at least 1,095 cumulative days in Canada before the child’s birth. The Liberal minister argued the bill was needed to comply with an Ontario Superior Court ruling that struck down the first-generation limit as unconstitutional. The Bloc Québécois supported the bill in principle, saying it corrected a historic injustice and should be sent quickly to committee. The New Democratic Party also supported it, arguing it would finally make the Citizenship Act charter-compliant. The Conservatives opposed the bill in its current form. They argued that the 1,095-day test was too weak because the days need not be consecutive, that there was no security-vetting requirement for new citizens, and that the Parliamentary Budget Officer had estimated the bill could grant citizenship to over 100,000 people in five years, with the government unable to provide a precise figure. Conservative members said they would propose amendments at committee to require consecutive residency and criminal background checks. The government indicated openness to amendments.
Oral Questions returned repeatedly to the government’s tax-cut promise. Conservatives cited a Parliamentary Budget Officer report to argue that the average Canadian would save only about $90 this year, not the $825 the Prime Minister had promised during the election; the government replied that the maximum saving for a two-earner family was $840 and that 22 million taxpayers would benefit. A second major theme was public safety, with Conservatives citing rising violent crime, extortion and repeat offenders released on bail, and demanding the government repeal its “soft-on-crime” laws. The government responded that it would introduce bail reforms for home invasions, auto theft and organized crime in the fall, and that provinces needed to ensure courtrooms and detention spaces were adequate. Other questions covered the government’s spending on consultants, the housing crisis, Bill C-5’s impact on energy projects, and the government’s relationship with indigenous peoples. The government House leader announced that debate on Bill C-3 would continue and that Bill C-5 would be taken up at report stage and third reading the following day.