The committee was studying pre-budget consultations for the 2026-27 federal budget, hearing from a wide range of witnesses including academics, business associations, unions, housing advocates, and industry representatives.
Frédéric Laurin, an economics professor, argued that many small and medium-sized businesses fail to use existing government programs for productivity, innovation, and exports not because of a lack of funding, but because they overestimate risk and lack information. He proposed a much more proactive, on-the-ground approach to visit companies far upstream, when a project is just an idea, and to organize collective projects and regional coordination, which he called "orgware," recommending greater flexibility in program funding for such structural initiatives.
Luc Godbout, a professor of taxation and public finance, made over a dozen recommendations, including improving transparency in the new fiscal framework for capital investments, establishing a debt anchor, and more transparently reporting defence spending. He advised against extending the fuel excise tax holiday, arguing it benefits higher-income households, and suggested converting residential buildings to non-market housing through measures like deferring capital gains for sales to non-profits, while also recommending the federal government reconsider a digital services tax.
Michelle LLambías Meunier, representing the Conseil du patronat du Québec, focused on strengthening the business environment amid the trade war, calling for simplified and faster project approval processes, reduced taxes on reinvested profits, and making the productivity super-deduction permanent. She also urged the government to use its purchasing power to favour local suppliers, invest in the St. Lawrence trade corridor, and support strategic sectors like telecommunications and life sciences.
Mathieu Lavigne and Hubert Rioux, from the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, prioritized strengthening business competitiveness by reducing the general corporate tax rate and making the super-deduction permanent, while also calling for expanded financial support for tariff-affected businesses and restoring automatic rebates on retaliatory tariffs for all manufacturing sectors. They also recommended a refundable tax credit for exploring new markets, restoring the temporary foreign worker program parameters, and supporting the forestry and critical minerals sectors.
Caroline Senneville, from the Confédération des syndicats nationaux, raised concerns about rising social inequality and called for a more progressive tax system, a reformed employment insurance system, and a strong industrial policy that supports the forestry sector and a green economy. She also emphasized the importance of protecting Canadian culture, including the francophone community, in trade negotiations.
Colin L'Ériger, from the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec, focused on supporting workers through the trade war, calling for an industrial policy to revitalize manufacturing, encourage buying local, and reform employment insurance by making temporary measures permanent. He also urged significant federal investment in social and community housing, a public and universal drug insurance plan, and a just transition framework for workers affected by climate change policies.
Brian Sauvé, from the National Police Federation, recommended establishing a public safety procurement secretariat to streamline equipment purchasing, citing multi-year delays and cost overruns. He also supported the government's commitment to add 1,000 sworn RCMP officers for federal policing and urged the creation of a public safety broadband network to improve first responder communications and Arctic sovereignty.
Lana Payne, from Unifor, argued for a "sell here and build here" policy, stronger buy-Canadian procurement rules, and strict conditions on federal funding to promote good union jobs. She recommended making temporary employment insurance measures permanent and urged the government not to amend the Canada Labour Code in ways that would undermine the right to strike, while also calling for measures to prevent the offshoring of Canadian jobs.
Isabelle Melançon, from the Institut de développement urbain du Québec, stated that the housing crisis cannot be solved without addressing the $42.5-billion water infrastructure deficit in Quebec, calling for heavy federal investment. She also urged that the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation remain active until Build Canada Homes is fully deployed, and that CMHC programs like MLI Select update their affordability thresholds to reflect current median incomes, rather than 2019 levels.
Chris Finkbiner, from Indwell Community Homes, argued that supportive housing is the most effective solution to homelessness and urged the federal government to substantially increase funding for Build Canada Homes, protect a dedicated capital stream for supportive housing, and ensure operating funding is attached to federal capital commitments. He emphasized that success should be measured by the depth of affordability achieved, not just the number of units built.
Angus Knowles, from Options for Homes, recommended that the federal government recognize workforce home ownership as a national housing priority, providing non-profits with low-cost construction financing and access to public land. He also asked for a policy direction that recognizes down payment support from non-profit housing providers as equity, not debt, to help essential workers like nurses and teachers afford homes in the communities they serve.
Éric Pineault, a professor of sociology and environmental sciences, proposed a temporary special tax on the excess profits of oil companies, which he estimated could be $100 billion to $120 billion due to the Iran-U.S. war. He argued that these windfall profits, which he said would largely go to American shareholders rather than be reinvested in Canada, should be redirected to support diversification of oil-dependent regional economies or investments in electrification and decarbonization.
Emily Holtby, from AIA Canada, focused on the right to repair, arguing that automakers' control over diagnostic data forces Canadians to use dealerships, increasing repair costs by up to 80%. She recommended federal legislation to mandate standardized access to vehicle data for independent repair shops, and also called for investment in training and a targeted labour mobility pathway to address the shortage of skilled automotive technicians.
Alan Arcand, from Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, highlighted that Canada has lost 57,200 factory jobs since January due to U.S. tariffs, and that manufacturing investment is far below U.S. levels. He recommended reducing red tape by legislating growth mandates for regulators, expanding the one-for-one rule, and strengthening tax competitiveness, including a comprehensive review of the tax system, to attract capital and talent.
Daniel Gleeson, from Canadian Phosphate Limited, asked for a single amendment to the Income Tax Act to explicitly include sedimentary phosphate in the definition of "mineral resource," making it eligible for flow-through share financing and the critical mineral exploration tax credit. He argued this would allow his company to build Canada's only domestic phosphate fertilizer production facility, reducing farmers' exposure to global price shocks and supporting food affordability.
The committee also heard questions from members on topics such as the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement negotiations, AI integration, municipal infrastructure, and the impact of tariffs on specific sectors, but no procedural debate, motions, or votes were recorded in the transcript.
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