Sitting 89 — February 25, 2026

The sitting was dominated by sustained Conservative attacks on the government's management of the immigration system, with particular focus on the rising cost of the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) and the performance of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Opposition members cited the Parliamentary Budget Officer's projection that IFHP costs will reach $1.5 billion annually, noted that 86 per cent of rejected asylum claimants remain in Canada, and pointed to CBC reporting that Liberal MPs themselves had expressed concerns about the minister's handling of the portfolio. Government ministers defended the immigration record by pointing to a one-third reduction in asylum claims and the passage of Bill C-12, while Conservative members pressed for immediate reforms including the expulsion of non-citizens convicted of serious crimes. The Cúram software cost overruns—from an initial $1.6 billion to $6.6 billion—also drew sharp criticism, with the Bloc Québécois joining the Conservatives in demanding answers about 85,000 seniors experiencing pension payment disruptions.

Debate then moved to report stage consideration of Bill C-15, the Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1, where the NDP, Bloc Québécois, and Conservatives each moved dozens of amendments. NDP amendments targeted clauses related to the digital services tax, which the member for Vancouver Kingsway argued the government had abandoned under pressure from the United States. The Bloc Québécois similarly moved to delete numerous clauses. The House also considered an opposition motion on the IFHP and conducted a recorded division on the matter. In private members' business, the Fisheries Act amendment and the Sergei Magnitsky International Anti-Corruption and Human Rights Act were debated. Routine proceedings included the presentation of a committee report on compensation disparities between public and private sector workers, and several petitions on issues ranging from arms exports to religious freedom and climate action.