Tory leader takes aim at Liberals with call for emergency debate on the economy

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is stepping up his attack on Liberal policies with a call for an emergency parliamentary debate on the economy.

Statistics Canada said Friday the economy contracted slightly for the second quarter in a row to start the year — a benchmark that meets some definitions of a technical recession.

Some economists said the recession talk was premature, arguing that while Canada's economy is soft, the declines are marginal and do not meet the definition of a widespread downturn.

In an open letter to Mark Carney on Sunday, Poilievre said a debate would give the prime minister a chance to tell Canadians about his plan to improve things. 

Poilievre said it would also allow his party to share plans for an economic turnaround.

"You promised you would deliver the fastest-growing economy in the G7. You delivered the only recession in the G7," Poilievre wrote in the letter.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Friday he remains confident about the economy, noting the government plans to make generational investments in housing, infrastructure and innovation.

A spokesman for the minister, John Fragos, said in an emailed statement on Sunday that Canada is "experiencing the impacts of geopolitical events and tariffs in real time" due to the United States "raising its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression."

Fragos said the government is diversifying trade relationships, investing in workers and major projects and driving down costs, and that Canada's economic performance is expected to improve.

"Canadians do not need political theatre right now – they are looking for a plan. That’s exactly what we are delivering," Fragos said in the statement.

Poilievre, however, accused the prime minister of shirking the blame for the economy.

"Excuses about tariffs and the war in Iran do not work either. All the other G7 countries contend with tariffs and the war. None of them – not one – is in recession," the Opposition leader wrote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2026.

By The Canadian Press | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.