Sitting 27 — September 23, 2025

A Bloc Québécois opposition day motion on the constitutional powers of Quebec and the provinces framed this sitting. The motion called on the government to withdraw from the Supreme Court challenge against Quebec's Act respecting the laicity of the State (Bill 21) and to affirm the legitimacy of the notwithstanding clause. Bloc members, led by Rhéal Éloi Fortin and Mario Simard, argued that the federal government's factum went far beyond secularism to challenge Quebec's ability to use the notwithstanding clause for any legislation—amounting to a constitutional power grab. Liberal members maintained that defending the Charter was a federal responsibility and that the case raised issues of national importance beyond any single province.

The sitting also marked the official launch of the assault-style firearms compensation program, with Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announcing the pilot in Cape Breton. This development intensified Conservative attacks over the previously leaked recording. Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, Andrew Scheer, Larry Brock, and Michael Cooper all seized on the dissonance between the minister's public defence of the program and his private comments, with Cooper characterizing the buyback as a boondoggle that would blow the budget while doing nothing for public safety. The minister repeatedly defended his record, noting that the government was on track to remove over 20,000 ineligible individuals from Canada and had invested $1.3 billion in border security. Questions also touched on the hiring of 1,000 new border officers, organized crime linked to international student visas, and wildfires across the country.

In members' statements, the recognition of Palestinian statehood continued to divide the House, with Liberal MP Salma Zahid praising the historic step while NDP MP Leah Gazan and Conservatives offered sharply contrasting perspectives. Army Day on the Hill, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Gender Equality Week, and the canola industry were among other subjects recognized. The adjournment proceedings addressed pipeline approvals, agriculture trade barriers, and natural resource development.