Sitting 54 — November 17, 2025

The sitting was dominated by debate on the 2025 federal budget, tabled on November 4, which the government framed as a generational investment plan and the Conservatives attacked as the largest deficit in Canadian history outside the pandemic. The central political argument was whether the government’s $78.3-billion deficit and $321 billion in projected new debt over five years constituted responsible nation-building or reckless overspending that would drive up inflation and burden future generations. A private member’s bill on natural health products also received extensive debate.

Bill C-224, introduced by Blaine Calkins (CPC), would amend the Food and Drugs Act to restore the traditional definition of natural health products, reversing changes made by the previous government’s Bill C-47 that regulated them like therapeutic drugs. Calkins argued the 2023 change was a “cash grab” by Health Canada that imposed costly red tape on small businesses without consultation. The Bloc Québécois supported the bill in principle but noted it did not include amendments from the previous Parliament that would have exempted nicotine products and preserved ministerial recall powers; Luc Thériault (BQ) said those amendments were needed to balance safety and industry survival. The Liberals opposed the bill, with Kevin Lamoureux arguing it would remove important Health Canada oversight and consumer protections, including the power to order recalls. The bill received second reading and was referred to committee.

The budget debate consumed the majority of the sitting. The government, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, defended the deficit as necessary for generational investments in infrastructure, housing, defence, and trade diversification, noting Canada has the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7 and that inflation is within the Bank of Canada’s target range. Conservatives, led by Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre and multiple shadow ministers, argued the budget doubles the deficit the Prime Minister promised in the election, abandons the debt-to-GDP fiscal anchor, and will drive up food and housing costs. They cited warnings from the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who said there is only a 7.5% chance the government will meet its own fiscal targets, and from Fitch Ratings, which warned of pressure on Canada’s credit rating. The Bloc Québécois criticized the budget for not indexing health transfers to 6% and for failing to end discrimination against seniors aged 65–74. The NDP raised concerns about insufficient investment in co-operative and social housing. The Green Party’s Elizabeth May pressed the Prime Minister on whether the budget respects Canada’s Paris climate commitments; Carney confirmed the government will meet them.