Sitting 128 — June 3, 2026

The sitting was dominated by a fierce political argument over whether Canada is in a recession, with the Conservatives repeatedly pressing the Prime Minister to admit the country is the only G20 economy in recession, while the government defended its economic record and pointed to trade-war headwinds. The main bills debated were the Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2, and the Protecting Victims Act (Bill C-16), with a private member’s bill on Old Age Security also receiving second-reading debate.

The Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2 proceeded through a series of recorded divisions in which the parties applied the results of earlier votes: the Liberals voted yes, the Conservatives voted no, the Bloc Québécois voted no, the New Democrats voted no, the Green Party voted no, and two independent members split their votes. No further debate on the bill’s substance occurred during these procedural votes.

The Protecting Victims Act (Bill C-16) was debated at report stage on three motions in amendment. NDP member Leah Gazan moved to delete clauses 28, 63 and 87, arguing the bill fails to address root causes of gender-based violence and that the government has not funded prevention programs or implemented the calls for justice from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls inquiry. Conservative member Larry Brock moved to delete clause 63, the so-called safety valve that would allow judges to bypass mandatory minimum penalties, arguing it would render them optional for serious offences including human trafficking and child sexual offences; he noted the government rejected all Conservative safeguards at committee. Liberal Secretary of State Ruby Sahota defended the bill, saying it would create a femicide offence, criminalize coercive control, modernize criminal harassment for digital stalking, and reinstate mandatory minimums with a charter-compliant safety valve. Bloc Québécois member Andréanne Larouche supported the bill but noted inconsistencies in peace-bond provisions and called for adequate federal transfers to Quebec. The government later gave notice of a time allocation motion to limit further debate on Bill C-16.

Oral Questions ran for over 90 exchanges, almost entirely on the economy. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre repeatedly asked the Prime Minister whether Canada is in a recession or a technical recession, citing two consecutive quarters of shrinking GDP, 112,000 jobs lost, and Canada being the only G20 country in recession. The Prime Minister and ministers replied that the government is building a stronger, more resilient economy, that the OECD projects Canada will have the second-fastest growth in the G7, and that business investment and wages are rising. A secondary theme was forced labour in Xinjiang, with Poilievre accusing the government of blocking only two shipments in five years versus thousands by the U.S.; ministers said Canada has rigorous forced-labour laws and is working to protect supply chains. Other questions covered the CRTC’s streaming levy (the Bloc accused the government of betraying Quebec culture), indigenous housing in Manawan, the PrescribeIT program, and infrastructure investments in Quebec.