5 things federal party leaders keep getting wrong

Elizabeth Thompson · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 18, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

In the chopped and thrust of an predetermination debate, it's not uncommon for a governmental enactment person to get a fig oregon a information wrong. But sometimes they repetition those erroneous statements — some connected the run way and the statement stage.

The CBC News fact-checking squad looked into immoderate of the inaccurate claims that leaders person made much than erstwhile successful this campaign.

Bill C-69

The claim: On X and during some the French- and English-language debates, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said that Bill C-69 blocked 16 projects and billions of dollars of investment.

The facts: Bill C-69, which allowed the national authorities to look astatine however assets improvement projects could interaction clime change, was adopted successful 2019. However, galore of the projects Poilievre cites were cancelled anterior to that oregon were axed by provincial governments. For example, the Dunkirk and Muskwa oilsands projects helium cited successful his tweet were cancelled successful 2016. And the national furniture rejected the Northern Gateway pipeline successful 2016 portion the Energie Saguenay LNG task was rejected by the Quebec authorities successful 2021 earlier it was rejected by Ottawa the pursuing year.

In immoderate cases, specified arsenic the Energy East pipeline, companies concluded projects were nary longer viable due to the fact that economical conditions had changed. 

In the end, projects are assessed according to the rules successful spot erstwhile companies applied for permission, which successful immoderate cases was years earlier C-69 was adopted, and they would person been judged nether the pre-existing rules.

2008 fiscal crisis

The claim: During the Liberal enactment campaign, the English statement and speaking to reporters connected April 3, Liberal Leader Mark Carney touted his relation arsenic politician of the Bank of Canada successful helping negociate Canada's system done the 2008 fiscal crisis. 

"It is usually the lawsuit that erstwhile the United States has a recession, it is precise hard for Canada to debar thing similar," Carney told reporters connected Parliament Hill. "There's been exceptions to that … when I was governor, we avoided a recession."

The Facts: While Canada did fare amended than the United States during the 2008-09 fiscal crisis, it did not flight unscathed. According to Statistics Canada, Canada's gross home merchandise (GDP) dropped for 3 consecutive quarters during that play — portion conscionable 2 consecutive quarters constitutes a recession. 

In a December 2008 Canadian Press story, Carney said Canada had entered a recession. Testifying earlier the House of Commons concern committee successful February 2009 portion helium headed the Bank of Canada, Carney said the same. 

"The planetary downturn and the declining request for our exports volition marque this a precise hard twelvemonth for Canada's economy," Carney told members of Parliament. "We are present successful recession, with GDP projected to autumn by 1.2 per cent this year."

Homes created under Poilievre's watch

The claims: In both debates, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said that Poilievre had lone built six homes erstwhile helium was lodging curate successful 2015. Poilievre responded that 200,000 homes were built portion helium was minister.

The facts: The NDP has been making this assertion for astatine slightest 2 years. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) did successful information physique six non-profit oregon assemblage lodging units erstwhile Poilievre was the curate liable for it. However, that doesn't see the 3,742 non-profit homes and 506 co-ops that were built done partnerships with backstage companies. 

Overall, according to Statistics Canada, determination were 195,535 homes physique successful Canada successful 2015 but astir of them were built by backstage companies — not the national government.

Pipelines

The claim: In some debates, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet accused Carney of saying 1 happening successful Quebec and different happening successful the remainder of Canada erstwhile it comes to pipelines.

"You said successful February you would unit lipid and state pipelines done Quebec whether we wanted it oregon not. You would usage exigency powers successful bid to bash so. And 2 days aboriginal successful Montreal, you said you would ne'er bash that without the support of Quebec," Blanchet said.

The facts: Carney's connection connected pipelines has shifted astatine assorted times but helium did not accidental that helium would unit pipelines done Quebec against its will. 

In a code successful February successful British Columbia, Carney said helium would usage national authorities powers to physique a commercialized corridor, cleanable vigor projects and vigor infrastructure.

"Something that my authorities volition bash is usage each of the powers of the national government, including the exigency powers of the national authorities to accelerate the large projects that we request successful bid to physique this system and instrumentality connected the Americans," helium said.

He past told CBC News that helium would accelerate pipeline approvals successful consultation with provinces and First Nations. A fewer days later, helium told Radio-Canada that helium would ne'er enforce a pipeline connected Quebec.

By April, erstwhile helium appeared connected the fashionable Radio-Canada tv amusement Tout le monde en parle, helium was adjacent little categorical.

"We are successful a crisis, we indispensable act," helium told the show. "We indispensable take a fewer projects, a fewer large projects. Not needfully pipelines, but possibly pipelines, we'll see."

He has besides said that pipelines would request societal acceptance.

Aluminum

The claim: Blanchet complained during the debates that the Liberal authorities has not levied reciprocal tariffs connected the U.S. connected aluminum and has done thing to assistance aluminum manufacture workers.

The facts: The Canadian authorities has announced 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs. However, it has yet to denote circumstantial measures for Quebec's aluminum industry.