The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance met to study the 2026 spring economic update and Bill C-30, an act to implement certain provisions of that update. Witnesses included representatives from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Intentional Community Consortium, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Labourers International Union of North America, the Montreal Economic Institute, and the Université du Québec à Montréal.
Jasmin Guénette of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business welcomed the reduction in CPP premiums, the permanent employee ownership trusts tax exemption, and strengthened apprenticeship supports, but argued these are insufficient to reverse an "entrepreneurial drought" where more businesses are closing than opening in many sectors. He recommended reducing the small business tax rate from 9% to 6%, increasing the small business deduction threshold from $500,000 to $700,000, cutting red tape, and introducing a timeline to balance the overall budget.
Gary Gladstone of the Intentional Community Consortium said that for people with developmental disabilities, the housing crisis means years-long wait-lists and inappropriate institutional placements, and that fewer than 900 of the 2,400 promised housing units have been delivered. He recommended that people with developmental disabilities remain an explicit priority in the national housing strategy, a dedicated federal investment of at least $1 billion over five years for 3,000 additional homes, and support for portfolio-based delivery models.
Steven Schumann of the International Union of Operating Engineers strongly supported the spring economic update's measures on skilled trades, calling it the most significant federal investment in a generation. He praised the expansion of the union training and innovation program, the apprenticeship training grant, the $5,000 completion bonus, and the modernization of the Red Seal program, and suggested the federal government take a leadership role in creating more Red Seal trades to improve labour mobility.
Stéphanie Levasseur of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture welcomed proposed amendments to the Pest Control Products Act and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act that recognize economic and food security, but cautioned that implementation must not add bureaucracy or delay approvals. She advocated for a risk-based regulatory approach and sufficient resources for regulators, noting that Canada ranks 32nd out of 43 countries in regulatory burden.
Eric Olsen of the Labourers International Union of North America applauded the changes to the labour mobility tax credit in the spring economic update, saying they support building trades members who travel for major projects. He emphasized that union training centres are critical for developing skilled labour and that project labour agreements with built-in standards for apprentices and underrepresented groups would help meet future workforce demands.
Renaud Brossard of the Montreal Economic Institute expressed concern about Canada's fiscal path, noting each of the last 10 fiscal years ended in a deficit and projecting the deficit could reach $117 billion by 2035. He criticized the proposed Canada Strong Fund as a debt-financed fund managed by public servants, arguing it is not a sovereign wealth fund like Norway's and that the government should instead focus on reducing bureaucracy, conducting a program review, and creating an environment conducive to growth.
Mehran Ebrahimi of the Université du Québec à Montréal argued that Canada lacks a strategy for its airports, which are currently viewed primarily as revenue generators rather than drivers of economic development. He warned against privatizing airports without first defining their mission, noting that the three best-ranked airports globally are public and that privatization in other countries has led to service deterioration in regions.
Brodie Berrigan of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture added that the legislative changes in divisions 7 and 8 of Bill C-30, which recognize economic and food security interests in the mandates of the pesticide regulatory directorate and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, will go a long way if implemented properly. He hoped the regulators would be open to further consultation with industry on operationalizing the new mandate.
The committee also heard from the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and the Minister of Transport. The Minister of Finance defended the spring economic update, highlighting measures such as the temporary suspension of the federal excise tax on gasoline and diesel, extended excise duty relief for brewers, and an extended grace period for home buyers' plan withdrawals. The Minister of Transport discussed a measure in Bill C-30 that would allow the minister to require airport owners and operators to provide information, which he said would support evidence-based decision-making and help identify potential adjustments to the airport governance model.
The committee debated and voted on a motion from Mr. Hallan to schedule a monthly meeting with the Minister of Finance as long as the Canadian economy remains in a recession, and a motion from Mr. Kelly to undertake a study of Bill C-31 was put on notice.
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