The sitting was dominated by debate on the Build Canada Homes Act, the central piece of Government Orders business, and by a sustained Conservative attack on the government’s economic record, focused on the claim that Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. Oral Questions repeatedly returned to that theme, with the government countering with the morning’s jobs report.
The Build Canada Homes Act (Bill C-20, though the transcript also refers to it as Bill C-16 and Bill C-20 interchangeably; the linked bills list shows C-16 and C-20, but the transcript text uses “Bill C-20” and “Bill C-16” for the same bill) would transform the existing Build Canada Homes special operating agency into a Crown corporation tasked with building and expanding affordable housing. Liberal speakers argued it would streamline federal efforts, work collaboratively with provinces and Indigenous communities, and speed up construction, citing a partnership with Quebec for 865 units. The Bloc Québécois supported the bill, noting the housing crisis and the agreement with Quebec, but expressed concerns about federal overreach and the creation of a new bureaucracy alongside the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The Conservatives opposed the bill, arguing it adds another layer of bureaucracy without building homes; they cited a Parliamentary Budget Officer estimate of only 5,000 homes per year and noted the government’s lack of housing targets. The NDP and Green Party criticized the bill for lacking affordability targets, accountability measures, and a named responsible minister, with the NDP calling for one million public homes over five years. The bill was agreed to on division at the end of the first Government Orders segment.
Oral Questions was dominated by a single recurring theme: the Conservative assertion that Canada is the only G20 country in a recession, citing three of four quarters of negative growth and a Parliamentary Budget Officer report giving less than a 1% chance the government would meet its fiscal anchor. Conservative members repeatedly asked the government to admit Canada is in a recession. The government’s answer, delivered by multiple ministers, was to point to that morning’s Statistics Canada report showing 88,000 net new jobs in May, a drop in unemployment, and strong job creation in construction and manufacturing. Ministers also highlighted the first payments of the “groceries and essentials benefit” going out that day. A secondary theme, raised by the Bloc Québécois, accused the government of capitulating to U.S. pressure by cancelling a levy increase on streaming platforms, undermining cultural funding; the government replied by citing its $600 million investment in the cultural sector.
In Routine Proceedings, the government tabled responses to five petitions. Members presented petitions on twinning the Trans-Canada Highway through northwestern Ontario, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the Alto high-speed rail project (with over 20,000 signatures opposing it), energy sector development, medical assistance in dying, persecution of Falun Gong, and online safety for youth. The House also agreed to a motion to print the Governor General’s speech and the Prime Minister’s address of welcome as an appendix to the Debates. Private Members’ Business saw debate on Bill C-263, the Silver Alert National Framework Act, which would create a national system for alerts when vulnerable seniors go missing. The Bloc Québécois opposed it, arguing it encroaches on provincial jurisdiction and that Quebec already has a functioning silver alert system. The Conservatives and the government expressed support, with the government indicating it could support the bill with amendments to include clear thresholds and avoid duplication.