Question Period Notes
About this information
In accordance with the Access to Information Act, the government proactively publishes the package of question period notes that were prepared by a government institution for the minister and that were in use on the last sitting day in June and December.
The question period notes may be partially or fully redacted in accordance with the legislation; for example, if the notes contain information related to national security or personal information. (Learn more about exemptions and exclusions.)
If you find a question period note of interest, you may make an access to information request in order to obtain it.
As part of the 2025 intake for the Parents and Grandparents Program, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited potential sponsors from the remaining 2020 pool, with the goal of accepting 10,000 complete applications. Details on the next intake will be shared when they are available.
Canada-Québec Accord and immigration-related issues
PrairiesCan’s 2026-27 Departmental Plan was recently tabled. The plan details the department’s priorities, plans, and associated costs for the upcoming three fiscal years.
The 2026-27 Main Estimates include $334.7 million in total budgetary authorities for PrairiesCan.
On March 13, 2026, the 2026 to 2027 Departmental Plan for Public Services and Procurement Canada was tabled in the House of Commons by the President of the Treasury Board.
Release of the 2025 Survey on Early Learning and Child Care Arrangements (SELCCA): Children aged 6 to 12 . In 2025, more than 1 million children in Canada aged 6 to 12 used child care, compared to 1.27 million children aged 0 to 5. This represents 35% of children aged 6 to 12 compared to 58% of children aged 0 to 5.
In 2025, 30% of school aged children reported difficulty finding child care compared to 50% of children aged 0 to 5.
Among school aged children using child care arrangements, 52% reported their main arrangement was a before/after school care program (up from 49% in 2022) and 38% reported using care by a relative other than a parent or guardian (same as in 2022).
PrairiesCan's Accomplishments and Supports for Government Priorities
The Benefits Delivery Modernisation (BDM) Programme is the largest digital transformation initiative ever undertaken by the Government of Canada. Through a phased approach with an expected completion date of 2030-31, the Programme is modernizing how the federal government delivers Old Age Security (OAS), Employment Insurance (EI) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefits, by replacing old systems with technology fit for the digital age.
At its core, the BDM Programme is replacing outdated systems that deliver over $160 billion annually in OAS, EI, and CPP benefits to Canadians. With an estimated cost of $6.6 billion over the 10-year life of BDM, the total investment represents approximately 0.5% of the projected $1.6 trillion in benefit payouts— highlighting the programme’s critical role in ensuring reliable and accurate service delivery.
Through this new foundational system, BDM will scale technology solutions and help address critical risks, while also leveraging technological advancements to improve the client experience, drive productivity, and increase policy agility.
As outlined in the Prime Minister’s Mandate Letter, the government is committed to “[building] the strongest economy in the G7” by “spending less on government operations”, “[becoming] more productive by deploying [artificial intelligence] at scale”, and “removing barriers” to growth. Through strategic innovation and smarter service delivery, BDM ensures the long-term “sustainability of [Canada’s] social programs” while driving a commitment to a more efficient, responsive government that delivers real results and efficiencies for Canadians.
The migration of OAS to the new system (Curam) was completed in March 2025.
Since GoLive in March 2025, the new Cúram system has issued 74.5 million OAS payments, with a total value now exceeding $67 billion, as of January 2026. We are advancing new capabilities on the platform to further modernize service delivery and support a better client experience.
Alongside OAS, progress continues across EI, call centres, Identity Services and Access Management Solution (iSAMS), Knowledge Management (KM), and other priority areas.
Notably, in November 2025, the first EI benefit, Compassionate Care for the Self‑Employed, was successfully onboarded to the platform.
Update on how IRCC supports settlement services for immigrants.