Sitting 77 — February 2, 2026

The sitting was dominated by debate on two government bills: the Protecting Victims Act (Bill C-16) and the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Act (Bill C-19). The central political argument was over the causes of rising food prices and crime, with the Conservatives blaming Liberal policies—carbon taxes, inflationary deficits, and soft-on-crime laws—while the government defended its record and accused the Conservatives of obstruction.

The Protecting Victims Act (Bill C-16) would reinstate mandatory minimum penalties for certain firearms offences, strengthen bail provisions, and create new offences related to coercive control and deepfakes. Conservatives supported the bill’s aims but argued it was weakened by a “safety valve” allowing judges to depart from mandatory minimums if they deemed a sentence cruel and unusual; they called for the bill to be split so that stronger sentencing measures could pass separately. The Bloc Québécois noted that provinces bear the cost of administering justice and called for more federal transfers. The Green Party opposed mandatory minimums as ineffective and disproportionate. The government accused Conservatives of filibustering the bill and other crime legislation, a charge Conservatives denied, pointing out they had repeatedly asked to move bail reform (Bill C-14) ahead of other bills.

The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Act (Bill C-19) would replace the GST credit with a more generous benefit, increasing it by 25% for five years and adding a one-time 50% top-up this year, at a cost of $11.7 billion over six years. The government said it would help 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians with rising grocery costs. The Bloc Québécois supported the bill but argued for monthly instead of quarterly payments and questioned why the government could find money for this but not for increasing Old Age Security for seniors aged 65 to 74. The NDP supported the bill but called for an excess profits tax on grocery chains. Conservatives said they would not block the bill because families need relief, but they criticized it as a temporary band-aid that does not address the root causes of food inflation—which they attributed to the industrial carbon tax, the clean fuel standard, and regulatory costs on farmers and food processors. The government countered that basic groceries are already GST-free and that the bill is part of a broader strategy including a national food security strategy and support for greenhouses.

Oral Questions focused on the economy, housing, and taxation. Conservatives repeatedly argued that Canada has the highest food inflation in the G7, that Liberal taxes and deficits are driving up costs, and that the government’s grocery benefit is a recycled, inadequate response. They pressed for scrapping the industrial carbon tax and the fuel standard. The government replied that it has delivered tax cuts for 22 million Canadians, cancelled the consumer carbon price, and that the new benefit will provide meaningful relief; ministers cited job creation in the auto sector and housing investments as evidence of a strong economy. On housing, Conservatives cited falling home sales and builder layoffs, urging the government to cut red tape and taxes; the government pointed to its Build Canada Homes agency and first-time homebuyer incentives, accusing Conservatives of filibuster at committee. On pensions, the Bloc Québécois raised delays in Old Age Security payments due to the new Cúram software; the government acknowledged some issues but said 98% of applicants receive benefits promptly.