‘The recession is real’: Poilievre calls for emergency debate

Prime Minister Mark Carney (left) and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre (right).

In a Sunday morning letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for an emergency parliamentary debate to address the state of Canada’s economy.

“You promised you would deliver the fastest-growing economy in the G7. You delivered the only recession in the G7,” wrote the Official Opposition leader.

On Friday, a report from Statistics Canada showed the country’s economy contracted slightly for the second quarter in a row — meeting the technical definition of a recession.

Some economists have poured cold water on the recession talk, arguing that while Canada’s economy is soft, the declines are marginal and don’t indicate a widespread downturn.

Poilievre told reporters on Parliament Hill Friday that there’s nothing technical about it.

“The only way out of this Liberal recession is to reverse the policies that caused it in the first place. And that is why we are calling for the prime minister to get back in the House of Commons next week and introduce a bill to reverse all of the economic policies his party has introduced over the last decade,” Poilievre said.

In his letter to Carney, Poilievre outlines specific data he says points to a recession, arguing Carney and his government are to blame.

“The recession is real. It means moms with empty stomachs, grocery baskets and bank accounts. It means homeowners tossing and turning in bed at night, wondering how they will make the next mortgage payment,” wrote Poilievre.

In a statement Sunday responding to Poilievre’s letter, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne‘s office pointed to global economic pressures, including U.S. tariffs.

“The United States has fundamentally changed its approach to trade, raising its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression,” the statement said.

The minister’s office rejected Poilievre’s call for an emergency debate, saying “Canadians do not need political theatre right now” and are “looking for a plan.”

“That’s exactly what we are delivering — to diversify our trading relationships, supercharge major projects, invest in workers, and drive down costs,” the statement said.

Poilievre says the reason he’s calling for the debate in the House of Commons is “so that you (Carney) — and the Liberal government you lead — can tell Canadians what your plan is to reverse this recession and inflation you have caused. It will allow Conservatives to share plans for an economic turnaround."

— With files from The Canadian Press