Sitting 106 — April 20, 2026

The sitting was dominated by debate on Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act, 2026, which the government argued is needed to modernize police investigative tools for the digital age, while opposition parties raised concerns about privacy, government overreach, and the bill’s scope. The central political argument was whether the bill strikes the right balance between public safety and civil liberties, with the government accusing the Conservatives of filibustering and the opposition insisting that careful scrutiny is necessary. Private Members’ Business also featured debate on Bill C-226, the National Framework for Food Price Transparency Act.

Bill C-22, the Lawful Access Act, would create new tools for law enforcement and CSIS to obtain basic subscriber information and require electronic service providers to maintain technical capabilities to comply with court orders, including retaining metadata for up to one year. The Liberal government argued it is essential to combat organized crime, child exploitation, extortion, and terrorism, and noted Canada is the only Five Eyes country without such a regime. The Conservatives, Bloc Québécois, NDP, and Green Party raised concerns about the bill’s breadth, including the definition of “electronic service provider,” the lowering of the threshold for information demands to “reasonable suspicion,” the potential for secret ministerial orders, and the lack of consultation with the Privacy Commissioner. The Bloc also noted cuts to the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency’s budget. The NDP’s Jenny Kwan called for the bill to be amended to include Privacy Commissioner input. The government indicated openness to amendments at committee stage, and the bill appeared likely to pass second reading.

Bill C-226, a private member’s bill from Liberal Gurbux Saini, would require the Minister of Industry to develop a national framework for grocery pricing transparency, including unit pricing and consumer education. The Liberals and NDP supported it as a modest step to help consumers compare prices and detect shrinkflation. The Conservatives argued it would not lower grocery prices, would add bureaucracy, and intrudes on provincial jurisdiction over consumer protection. The Bloc Québécois opposed it outright, arguing it would not reduce prices and would override Quebec’s existing unit-pricing regime. The NDP’s Jenny Kwan supported the bill but called for bolder action, including banning surveillance pricing. A recorded vote was requested.

Oral Questions focused on affordability, with the Conservatives repeatedly citing Canada’s worst-in-G7 food inflation and criticizing the government’s partial, temporary fuel tax cut (10 cents per litre on gasoline until Labour Day) as insufficient. The government defended its record, citing the new groceries and essentials benefit, the suspension of the fuel excise tax, and strong fiscal and growth figures from the IMF. A second major theme was the lack of a U.S. trade deal a year after the Prime Minister’s deadline, with the Conservatives accusing him of calling trade with America a “weakness” and failing to protect jobs in auto, steel, and aluminum. The government replied that it is fighting for a good deal and diversifying trade. Other recurring topics included Liberal filibustering at the ethics committee over the finance minister’s potential conflict of interest regarding the Alto project, and housing starts.