The sitting was dominated by report-stage debate on Bill C-3, an act to amend the Citizenship Act, which responds to a court ruling that the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent is unconstitutional. The central political argument was whether the House should overturn amendments made in committee—supported by the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois—that added language, residency and knowledge-test requirements for second-generation children born abroad, or whether to restore the bill to its original form, as the NDP and government proposed.
On Bill C-3, the government and NDP moved a series of motions to delete or replace the committee’s amendments. The NDP’s Jenny Kwan argued the Conservative-era first-generation limit was punitive and unconstitutional, and that the committee’s changes created a new class of “lost Canadians” by imposing a consecutive-day residency test and other barriers. The Conservatives’ Michelle Rempel Garner countered that Canadian citizenship has value and that Parliament, not judges, should set rules; she defended the committee’s language and knowledge-test requirements as common-sense measures that mirror those for naturalized citizens. The Bloc Québécois’ Alexis Deschênes argued that the committee’s work should be respected and that the amendments—requiring 1,095 days of physical presence within five years, a language requirement and a citizenship test—were reasonable limits. The government’s Tatiana Auguste and Kevin Lamoureux supported the original bill, saying it fixes a court-identified Charter violation and that the substantial-connection test of 1,095 cumulative days is sufficient. No vote was taken during the sitting.
Oral Questions focused on the U.S. termination of trade negotiations, with the Conservatives and Bloc accusing the government of failing to secure a deal and pointing to thousands of auto and forestry job losses. The government replied that it cannot control U.S. trade policy, that it remains ready to resume talks, and that it is supporting affected sectors with a $5-billion strategic response fund and by diversifying trade. A second major theme was youth: the Conservatives repeatedly criticized the Prime Minister for telling students they “need to make sacrifices,” arguing that after ten years of Liberal policies young Canadians already cannot afford homes or find jobs. The government responded that it is making “generational investments” in housing, jobs and a national school food program, and accused the Conservatives of calling that program “garbage.”
In Routine Proceedings, several Conservative members presented petitions opposing a finance committee recommendation to revoke the charitable status of religious organizations. The Conservative MP Michael Barrett raised a question of privilege, alleging that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner had published new forms on his website without the House’s approval, as required by the Conflict of Interest Code. The government’s Kevin Lamoureux said he had just learned of the matter and would return with a response. No decision was taken on the privilege question. In Private Members’ Business, the House debated Bill C-222 (Evan’s Law), which would allow parents who lose a child while on Employment Insurance parental leave to continue receiving benefits without having to reapply or call Service Canada every two weeks. Speakers from all parties—including Terry Beech (Lib.), Dave Epp (CPC), Marilène Gill (BQ) and Karina Gould (Lib.)—spoke in strong support, with several sharing personal stories of infant loss. No vote was taken.