Sitting 73 — January 26, 2026

The first sitting of 2026 opened with debate on Bill C-228, a Bloc Québécois bill to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act to require parliamentary approval for treaty ratification—a proposal that gained relevance following the Prime Minister's speech at Davos emphasizing the importance of democratic oversight in foreign policy. The government then moved to second reading of Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, introduced by Justice Minister Sean Fraser. The bill, one of the largest Criminal Code updates in a generation, addresses child protection, gender-based violence including coercive control, deepfake intimate images, court delays, and mandatory minimum penalties. The minister framed it as delivering on an election commitment to make communities safer.

The day's major news was the government's announcement of the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, a new measure providing up to $1,900 annually for a family of four through enhanced GST credit payments. Finance Minister Champagne introduced the benefit as direct relief for 12 million Canadians facing food inflation. Question Period was dominated by exchanges on this announcement, with Opposition Leader Poilievre pointing out that food inflation had doubled since the Prime Minister took office and was by far the highest in the G7 at 6.2%. The government countered that the Conservatives had written a letter on January 24 asking for affordability measures and that the benefit was a direct response. Conservatives indicated they would not block the measure but argued it was a recycled Trudeau-era rebate that did not address underlying causes.

Several other issues received attention. The Bloc Québécois challenged the government over the Prime Minister's remarks at Davos characterizing the Plains of Abraham as the beginning of a great partnership, with members arguing this rewrote the history of English-French relations in Canada. Forestry mill closures on Vancouver Island prompted questions about federal support, while the extortion crisis in the Lower Mainland led to calls for faster action on bail reform. The government also faced questions on the industrial carbon tax and clean fuel regulations, which Conservatives argued were driving up food production costs. The sitting concluded with adjournment proceedings on youth employment, international trade (Canada-China relations), and natural resources.