QUESTION PERIOD — Finance
Cost of Living
November 27, 2025
Senator Moreau, over the past few weeks, you have been painting a rosy picture of Canada — a version where Canadians are not struggling to afford food, where the housing crisis has been resolved, where jobs are plentiful and where the cost of living is manageable. In doing so, Senator Moreau, you ignore the voices of 25% of Canadians who are now relying on food banks for survival. You also signalled to the 41.3% of Conservative voters and the 13.8% who voted for other parties that their struggles and desires for real change do not matter. After all, in your Prime Minister’s words, “who cares?”
But beyond selective statistics and empty announcements, Canadians are facing double-digit inflation on basic essentials: staggering increases in mortgages, rent costs, milk and food. Leader, if your government cannot offer immediate solutions, can you at least acknowledge their voices, recognize their hardship and just offer some empathy?
The government offers sympathy, Senator Housakos, and recognizes that the situation has to be addressed. That’s exactly what the government is doing with the budget that has been tabled recently, because we want to create jobs, invest in infrastructure, bring back good earnings to Canadians and protect Canadians from the economic situation that, worldwide, is not that nice.
But here in Canada, inflation — you were referring to inflation — is down 2.2%. For almost two years, it’s been running within the Bank of Canada’s target. This is a good month. Unemployment is down again, and jobs are up again. Everything is not settled, but the government is committed to making our economy grow, offering good jobs to Canadians and protecting them from bad situations.
Government leader, I agree that inflation has been at a stable point, but thank you for recognizing that certain items like milk, food, meat and gas — essential elements — are still rising at an amazing pace, yet your government still focuses on appearances. The Prime Minister’s team even constructed a sham housing project site at a cost of $32,000 to taxpayers to simply stage the Build Canada Homes announcement. We need real things, government leader.
When will the government come up with tangible responses for working-class Canadians who are struggling?
In terms of action, the Build Canada Homes project is $13 billion. I think that’s action in capitalization to bolster the industry and other orders of government, as well as Indigenous communities, to build affordable housing while protecting existing affordable rental housing with a $1.5-billion investment in the Canada Rental Protection Fund. Build Canada Homes will also build transitional and supportive housing for people who are homeless or —
Thank you, Senator Moreau. Your time is up.
