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Wednesday, March 25, 2026 · sitting No. 99
Commons advances combatting hate bill amid economy clashes
The House spent the largest share of its sitting on government orders for Bill C-9, the combatting hate act. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice Patricia Lattanzio told members the legislation would close gaps in the Criminal Code while respecting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Conservative MP Jacob Mantle pressed her on remarks by the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture regarding sacred texts.
Question period focused on the economy. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Canada recorded the only shrinking economy in the G7 along with the second-highest unemployment and worst household debt. Prime Minister Mark Carney replied that wages are rising at twice the rate of inflation and that foreign direct investment stands at an 18-year high.
Further exchanges in question period covered immigration fraud cases and the separation of church and state under Bill 21.
Decided that day
- Bill C-9 passed third reading and adoption
From the Hansard record of the sitting. Full Hansard
Question Period – March 25, 2026. Video from CPAC. Watch on YouTube
Who held the floor · 2026-03-25
AI-rated The sitting score and the rating of each answer come from a language model reading Hansard. How the AI rates this
Other moments
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the Auditor General found 150000 suspected fraud cases on the international student file had gone uninvestigated under the former ministers now promoted. Prime Minister Mark Carney answered that asylum claims are down by a third and all fraud cases since the new government took office are under investigation.
Read the exchangeJustice
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet asked whether the Prime Minister supports state secularism and the separation of church and state after the government challenged Quebec's Bill 21. Prime Minister Mark Carney replied that the federal government has a duty to defend the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and that proceedings are before the Supreme Court.
Read the exchangePublic Services and Procurement
Conservative MP Eric Lefebvre asked the Prime Minister to take personal charge of the Cúram benefits payment system after billions in cost overruns. Liberal MP Joël Lightbound replied that the 50-year-old system was unsustainable and that 7.7 million seniors now receive benefits accurately and on time.
Read the exchangeHousing
Liberal MP Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault asked the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure for an update on New Brunswick projects. Minister Gregor Robertson said Build Canada Homes is advancing 1200 affordable units with potential to reach 1500.
Read the exchangeQuestion Period, exchange by exchange
AI-rated Each answer’s rating (answered, partly answered, deflected, answered something else) is a model’s reading of the exchange. How the AI rates this
- deflectedImmigration, Refugees and CitizenshipPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Mark Carney (Liberal). loaded question.The answer ignores the demand to fire ministers and instead lists unrelated positive statistics.
Canada's new government is regaining control of the immigration system.
- deflectedImmigration, Refugees and CitizenshipPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Mark Carney (Liberal). loaded question.The answer repeats government achievements without addressing the call to fire the ministers named.
We are investigating 100% of the fraud cases since the new government came to office.
- deflectedThe EconomyPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Mark Carney (Liberal). loaded question.The answer begins to compare with the US but cuts off without addressing Canada's G7 rankings or job losses.
The United States has lost 6,000—
- misdirectedThe EconomyPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Mark Carney (Liberal). loaded question.The answer shifts to unrelated strengths like debt and credit rating instead of unemployment or housing costs.
we have the lowest debt burden in the G7.
- partly answeredTaxationPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Mark Carney (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly states the consumer carbon tax was removed but does not address the clean fuel standard or price gap.
We got rid of the consumer carbon tax.
- deflectedTaxationPierre Poilievre (Conservative) asked Mark Carney (Liberal). loaded question.The answer lists broad economic projects without addressing the carbon tax or fuel prices raised in the question.
We are building unprecedented amounts of affordable housing.
- answeredJusticeYves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Mark Carney (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly affirms support for secularism and separation of church and state.
yes, yesterday, in the presence of the Leader of the Opposition , members of the NDP, the leader of the Green Party and even the Speaker of the House, I quoted the Bible and I also quoted Marcus Aurelius, like the Leader of the Opposition.
- answeredJusticeYves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Mark Carney (Liberal). substantive question.The answer directly explains the federal role in defending the Charter regarding the Quebec law.
The opposition member's question has to do with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- deflectedJusticeYves-François Blanchet (Bloc) asked Mark Carney (Liberal). loaded question.The answer labels the question a false dichotomy and pivots to attacking the Bloc's vote on Bill C-9 instead of addressing separation of church and state.
I am puzzled: Why did the opposition member support Bill C-9, which addresses this issue?
- deflectedTaxationMark Strahl (Conservative) asked Julie Dabrusin (Liberal). substantive question.The answer defends carbon pricing on food costs and touts other tax cuts without addressing removal of the fuel or carbon taxes.
Studies show that, but if they want to talk about what we can do to help Canadians, I hope that they will celebrate alongside me that our government cut taxes for Canadians.
- deflectedTaxationMark Strahl (Conservative) asked Wayne Long (Liberal). substantive question.The answer lists prior tax cuts and accuses the opposition of obstruction rather than addressing responsibility for fuel and carbon taxes.
It is time for that party, that leader and that member to stop the obstruction and stop the rhetoric.
- deflectedTaxationScot Davidson (Conservative) asked Ryan Turnbull (Liberal). substantive question.The answer acknowledges global factors then pivots to listing government benefits without addressing removal of the taxes on gas.
We cannot unblock the Strait of Hormuz, but we can control what we do here at home.
- deflectedTaxationScot Davidson (Conservative) asked Patty Hajdu (Liberal). substantive question.The answer highlights child care and student grants and criticizes Conservative votes instead of addressing the gas taxes.
Why do they not support Canadians?
- deflectedThe EconomyConnie Cody (Conservative) asked Evan Solomon (Liberal). substantive question.The answer accuses Conservatives of talking down the economy and lists other measures without justifying the taxes or policies.
Why do they not get on board and support real workers?
- deflectedThe EconomyJohn Barlow (Conservative) asked Julie Dabrusin (Liberal). substantive question.The answer claims clean fuel regulations help canola farmers and avoids naming which policy angers farmers or addressing the listed grievances.
It adds to the value of a bushel of canola.
- deflectedThe EconomyJohn Barlow (Conservative) asked Heath MacDonald (Liberal). substantive question.The answer defends the industrial carbon tax as negligible and responds with sarcasm about an F-150 instead of addressing cancellation of the taxes.
If the member goes out and buys an F-150 Ford tomorrow from the highest emissions contributor of steel and aluminum in this country, I can tell him that he can go back to the Leader of the Opposition and get his triple-triple, because it is cheaper than what it is costing us in GHG emissions.
- deflectedJusticeRhéal Éloi Fortin (Bloc) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer avoids the question by deferring to the court instead of addressing reopening the Constitution.
This is not the right place to have this debate since the matter is before the Supreme Court of Canada.
- deflectedThe EconomyGérard Deltell (Conservative) asked Joël Lightbound (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer shifts focus to external factors and government measures without addressing whether policies are failing.
it is important to understand that there are many factors affecting food prices, including international developments such as rising fertilizer prices.
- misdirectedThe EconomyGérard Deltell (Conservative) asked Joël Lightbound (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer attacks the member's voting record rather than responding to the economic data presented.
what is unacceptable is that at every turn, whenever the member opposite had the opportunity to truly support his constituents through measures like the Canada child benefit, the Canadian dental care plan, a tax cut or the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, he voted against them.
- misdirectedThe EconomyBernard Généreux (Conservative) asked Mélanie Joly (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer pivots to local job creation in the asker's riding and questions his refusal to acknowledge it.
I have a lot of respect for him and we work on a number of issues together, yet I fail to understand why he refuses to acknowledge that, as a result of this government's decisions that prioritize Canadian procurement, suddenly new jobs are being created in his riding in La Pocatière at Alstom.
- deflectedPublic Services and ProcurementEric Lefebvre (Conservative) asked Joël Lightbound (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer discusses the transition progress but does not address whether the Prime Minister will personally take over the file.
From what I am seeing, the transition is going well for 7.7 million seniors whose benefits are being delivered accurately and on time.
- deflectedPublic Services and ProcurementGabriel Hardy (Conservative) asked Joël Lightbound (Liberal). loaded question.The answer praises system modernization and ignores the specific allegations about cost overruns and connected firms.
It is good that we are moving toward a modern system that ensures that our seniors receive their benefits on time and in the correct amounts.
- misdirectedEmploymentGarnett Genuis (Conservative) asked Patty Hajdu (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer criticizes Conservatives' votes and questions their plan instead of addressing Liberal policy impacts on jobs.
I do not know what the Conservatives' jobs plan is, because they vote against every single thing, including the things that unions have said they need.
- deflectedGovernment AccountabilityGarnett Genuis (Conservative) asked David McGuinty (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer lists job numbers from projects but avoids the claims about unapproved projects and policy failures.
Joint support ships will provide 3,500 jobs.
- deflectedThe EconomyBrad Vis (Conservative) asked John Zerucelli (Liberal). loaded question.The answer promotes infrastructure spending and attacks the opposition instead of addressing the request to admit policy failure or explain the G7 ranking.
When will the Conservatives get on board?
- partly answeredThe EconomyBrad Vis (Conservative) asked Rechie Valdez (Liberal). substantive question.The answer cites rising small-business optimism and red-tape cuts but does not address the specific statistics on entrepreneur losses or business exits.
In fact, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reported very recently that small business optimism is at the highest level in two years.
- misdirectedGovernment AccountabilityLaila Goodridge (Conservative) asked Corey Hogan (Liberal). loaded question.The answer attacks the opposition's repetition and pivots to trade-war claims instead of addressing the request to reverse economic policies.
the opposition is picking up the same lines like a soon-to-be-gifted kettlebell, but these repetitions will not get them the gains they seek
- deflectedGovernment AccountabilityLaila Goodridge (Conservative) asked Corey Hogan (Liberal). loaded question.The answer lists project approvals and production records but does not engage with the claim that the government blocked pipelines or stalled energy projects.
oil and gas production in Canada is at record highs, up 34% in the last 10 years.
- misdirectedThe EconomyRichard Bragdon (Conservative) asked Wayne Long (Liberal). loaded question.The answer shifts to personal remarks about the opposition leader and lists projects outside the question's focus on rural and farm impacts.
the leader opposite is missing in action.
- deflectedThe EconomyColin Reynolds (Conservative) asked Rebecca Chartrand (Liberal). substantive question.The answer highlights affordability measures without explaining why Canada's G7 performance lags other countries facing the same pressures.
we are making life more affordable, not just in big cities but across northern and indigenous communities.
- deflectedThe EconomyMichael Guglielmin (Conservative) asked Evan Solomon (Liberal). loaded question.The answer accuses the opposition of fantasy and pivots to investment rhetoric instead of addressing the domestic-policy failure claim.
the opposition wants to close its eyes and have a fantasy that the trade war will go away and that the tariffs will go away.
- partly answeredJusticeAndrew Lawton (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). loaded question.The answer defends the bill's intent to protect religious freedoms but does not address the specific claim that it threatens imprisonment for sincerely held beliefs.
, the combatting hate act, is designed to protect religious freedoms, to ensure people of faith can practise within their community of faith without fear of intimidation or obstruction
- deflectedJusticeAndrew Lawton (Conservative) asked Sean Fraser (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks the opposition and promotes the bill's intent but ignores the appeal and dropping Bill C-9.
it seems the Conservative strategy when they lose an argument is to blame the media and throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.
- misdirectedPublic SafetyMarilyn Gladu (Conservative) asked Steven MacKinnon (Liberal). substantive question.The answer attacks Conservatives for supporting the convoy instead of addressing the appeal or taxpayer costs.
it seems that the Conservatives never tire of standing up for the people who illegally occupied the main street of our nation's capital
- partly answeredFisheries and OceansTamara Kronis (Conservative) asked Joanne Thompson (Liberal). substantive question.The answer notes ongoing consultation and no decision yet but does not commit to the requested priority for public fisheries.
With one year open, we will be working through what we heard.
- deflectedForeign AffairsDon Davies (NDP) asked Mona Fortier (Liberal). loaded question.The answer discusses the Strait of Hormuz and de-escalation but avoids the question about financial harm to Canadians or the premise of support for war.
Canada is deeply concerned by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is threatening global energy security and economic stability.
- misdirectedPresence in GalleryChristine Normandin (Bloc) asked Stéphane Lauzon (Liberal). rhetorical question.The answer is unrelated to the procedural complaint about bias and instead addresses an unrelated voting matter.
as a result of an error in the transmission of information from the House yesterday, I now believe there is unanimous consent among the parties to record my vote