Sitting 40 — October 21, 2025

The sitting opened with the tabling of the Auditor General's report on the Canada Revenue Agency, which found that the CRA answered only 33% of its 32 million calls, met its own service standards only 18% of the time, and had seen complaints rise 145% over three years while operating costs grew 70%. The report dominated exchanges throughout the day, with opposition members contrasting the CRA's declining performance with the government's increased spending on the agency. The Minister of Finance and National Revenue responded that a 100-day improvement plan had already been initiated and that the Auditor General's sample of 167 calls was not representative of the 100,000 calls the CRA handled daily.

The day's legislative focus was second reading debate on Bill C-12, the strengthening Canada's immigration system and borders act. Government members defended the bill as necessary to modernize border controls and reduce pressure on the asylum system, while opposition members from the Conservatives raised concerns about the bill's effectiveness given what they described as the government's poor record on immigration management. The automotive sector featured heavily in question period following the announcement that 1,200 workers at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll were being laid off indefinitely, with the Industry Minister committing to fight for those jobs and noting that the government was working with GM and Unifor to bring a new production line to the facility. The Prime Minister's campaign promise to negotiate a trade deal with the United States by July 21 was repeatedly invoked by opposition members.

Private members' business featured Bill C-228, a Bloc Québécois bill to require parliamentary review of treaties before ratification, with the sponsor arguing that Canada lagged behind other democracies including the United States and European countries in providing legislative oversight of international agreements. The debate saw constructive engagement from multiple parties, though the parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs indicated the government had reservations about the bill's practical implications. Adjournment proceedings covered youth employment, with the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan arguing the government had no credible plan to address youth unemployment that had reached historic levels; health, specifically the use of Canadian-donated blood plasma by foreign pharmaceutical companies; and public safety, where members continued to press for the introduction of bail reform legislation.