Question Period Note: 2025-26 Main Estimates

• Fisheries and Oceans 2025-26 Main Estimates present a total of $6.1 billion dollars in planned spending. This amount represents an increase of $1.367 billion dollars compared to the 2024-25 Main Estimates.
• This funding is critical for the Canadian Coast Guard to continue the renewal of its fleet to support coastal communities and ensure safe and secure waters.
• Further, this funding will enable the Department to continue enhancing our relationships with Indigenous peoples and will provide new funding toward the essential repair and maintenance of Canada’s small craft harbours.
• Overall, the funding will contribute to a wide range of activities geared at ensuring the security of our waters, the safety and accessibility of our harbours safe, and the advancement of our reconciliation efforts.

• The Main Estimates list the resources required by individual departments and agencies for the upcoming fiscal year in order to deliver the programs for which they are responsible. Main Estimates are used to seek Parliamentary authority for spending.
• Government was dissolved on March 23, 2025, for the purposes of a general election. With the Main Estimates not tabled and Interim Supply not secured, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat launched the Governor General Special Warrants process in order to ensure sufficient funding was available to maintain government operations during the election period and until a new Parliament formed.
o The first warrant period covered requirements for the first 45 days of the fiscal year, to May 15, 2025, and requested funding of $879.6M; and
o The second warrant period covers the subsequent 45 days, until June 29, 2025, and is the Department is requesting to secure additional funding of $809.9M.
• The Main Estimates were tabled on May 27, 2025. The remaining voted authorities, over and above what was requested through the Governor General Special Warrants, will be received once Royal Assent of Full Supply is received.
• These Main Estimates present a total increase of $1.367B, which is mainly attributed to:
o $790.3M for Canadian Coast Guard's fleet program;
o $462.1M for Qikiqtani Inuit Association and other Indigenous programs; and
o $155.9M to repair and maintain small craft harbours.
• This increase will be partially offset by the following reductions:
o $22.4M planned funding profile change for federal contaminated sites; and
o $56.0M planned funding profile change for the trans mountain expansion project.

If pressed on key changes from 2024-25 to 2025-26
• The increase in spending is primarily attributed to planned funding increases for the progression of existing initiatives, such as the Canadian Coast Guard fleet program and the repair and maintenance of small craft harbours. Other initiatives, such as the Qikiqtani Inuit Association’s Regional Conservation Approach, will benefit from the new funding.
• This increase will be partially offset by a small, planned decrease in the funding profile for the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan, as well as the Trans Mountain Expansion Project.