The sitting was dominated by debate on Bill C-15, the Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1, with the central political argument being whether the budget’s spending and tax measures would help or harm Canadian families. A significant portion of the day was also taken up by a concurrence debate on a Liaison Committee report, where opposition members accused Liberal committee chairs of systematically obstructing committee work, while the government accused the Conservatives of filibustering to block the budget bill and other legislation.
On Government Orders, the House debated Bill C-15, the budget implementation bill. The bill would enact tax cuts for 22 million Canadians, make the national school food program permanent, and invest in infrastructure, defence, and clean technology. Conservatives opposed the bill, arguing it would add $78 billion to the deficit, drive up food and housing costs through inflationary spending and hidden taxes such as the industrial carbon tax, and give ministers the power to exempt favoured companies from federal laws. They cited a food price report forecasting a $1,000 increase in annual grocery costs for a family of four. Liberals defended the bill as a balanced plan to grow the economy, create jobs, and support vulnerable Canadians through programs like the Canada child benefit and dental care. The Bloc Québécois criticized the bill for not including a 10% OAS increase for seniors aged 65-74 and for failing to impose a digital services tax on foreign platforms. The government designated December 9 as a supply day, and the House later voted on a procedural motion related to the debate.
Oral Questions focused overwhelmingly on the cost of living, with the Conservatives repeatedly citing the Prime Minister’s past remark that he should be judged by grocery prices. They pointed to a food price report forecasting a $1,000 increase in annual grocery costs for a family of four and to record food bank usage, including in ridings where city councils had declared food insecurity emergencies. The government responded by pointing to its tax cut for 22 million Canadians, the national school food program, and the Canada child benefit, arguing that global factors such as climate change and geopolitical conflicts were driving food prices. A second major theme was pipelines and the MOU with Alberta. The Conservatives pressed the government to commit to a pipeline to the Pacific and to override the tanker ban, accusing the Prime Minister of saying different things to different provinces. The government replied that it supports the entire MOU and will work with British Columbia, Alberta, and Indigenous groups to achieve consensus. On justice, the Bloc Québécois asked why the government was not proceeding with its amendment to remove the religious exemption from hate speech provisions in Bill C-9, accusing the Liberals of backtracking. The Minister of Justice said the decision would be made by the justice committee.