The sitting was dominated by debate on the government’s flagship Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act, and by Conservative attacks on the government’s fiscal record, particularly the size of the deficit and the rising cost of groceries. The central political argument pitted the government’s claim that it is making generational investments to build the economy against the opposition’s charge that out-of-control Liberal spending is driving inflation and crime.
Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act, was debated at second reading for most of the afternoon. The bill would amend over a dozen statutes to tighten border security, combat fentanyl trafficking and money laundering, and overhaul the asylum system by imposing new time limits on claims and giving the minister broader powers to suspend visas. The Liberal government argued the bill gives police and border officers modern tools to fight organized crime and is a key election commitment. The Conservatives supported sending the bill to committee but raised serious concerns about provisions they said would violate privacy, including allowing Canada Post to open mail without a warrant and permitting police to access subscriber data without judicial authorization; they also criticized the bill for omitting bail reform and mandatory sentences for fentanyl traffickers. The Bloc Québécois voted to send the bill to committee for study but warned it contains potentially unconstitutional clauses and that the government has not hired enough border officers. The NDP opposed the bill outright, arguing it is an unconstitutional power grab that violates charter rights, criminalizes migrants and lacks a gender-based analysis. Two private members’ bills were introduced: Bill C-220, from Conservative Michelle Rempel Garner, which would bar judges from considering immigration status as a mitigating factor in sentencing, and Bill C-221, from Conservative Mel Arnold, which would require corrections officials to give victims timely information about parole eligibility dates and offender transfers; both were read the first time.
Oral Questions focused overwhelmingly on the economy and public safety. The Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, pressed the Prime Minister repeatedly to disclose the size of the current deficit, citing the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s testimony that the government has no identifiable fiscal anchors and that the deficit “will absolutely be higher.” The government replied that a full budget will be tabled on November 4, that it will contain the largest investment in a generation, and that the Bank of Canada’s rate cut to 2.5% proves its plan is working. A second major theme was violent crime: Conservatives demanded the government adopt a “three strikes and you’re out” law and repeal Liberal bills they say have weakened bail and sentencing, citing cases of repeat offenders released to commit murder and sexual assault. The government responded that bail reform legislation is coming in the coming weeks and that Bill C-2 already strengthens border enforcement. The Bloc Québécois pressed the Prime Minister on whether he would respect Quebec’s use of the notwithstanding clause, to which the Prime Minister replied that the Supreme Court will rule on its appropriate use.