Sitting 23 — September 17, 2025

This sitting was marked by tributes to three recently deceased parliamentarians—Ken Dryden, John McCallum, and Gail Shea—with all parties rising to honour their contributions to Canadian public life. The Prime Minister led tributes to Dryden, calling him a national hero and personal idol, while opposition members and the Bloc Québécois added personal memories. These tributes, consuming an extended portion of question period, set a collegial tone for the day before the House returned to vigorous partisan debate.

Government orders focused on Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act, with Liberal member Angelo Iacono leading off debate by characterizing it as a major legislative initiative to strengthen the asylum system and secure borders. Bloc Québécois members, including Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, challenged the bill's provisions, arguing that groups working with asylum seekers had deep concerns about the legislation's impact. The debate touched on safe third country provisions, the treatment of asylum claimants, and the balance between border security and humanitarian obligations.

Question period, when it turned to partisan matters, focused heavily on the deficit and the delayed budget. Pierre Poilievre opened with a direct question about the size of the deficit, which the Prime Minister declined to specify, instead pointing to the November 4 budget date. Conservative members including Kelly Block and Luc Berthold pressed on the PBO's confirmation that the deficit would be significantly higher than projected, with reports suggesting it could approach $100 billion. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne defended the government's record, arguing that the budget would be a generational investment in Canada's future. Justice questions returned to the Bill 21 file and to the controversial judicial appointment of Robert Leckey to the Quebec Superior Court—the Bloc arguing that his seven years of practice fell short of the statutory 10-year requirement. Housing, immigration, and public safety filled out the remaining exchanges.