Liberals shut down debate on $6.6-billion project

Opposition MPs say the Liberals used their new power as a majority government today to shelve debate on demands the government provide documents about a $6.6 billion IT project that has gone far over budget.

While the project to modernize the systems the government uses to deliver benefits to Canadians, such as old age security, launched in 2017 with a $1.7 billion budget, the cost is now more than three times that sum.

Last week, the House of Commons human resources committee debated a Bloc Québécois motion to have the government produce documents about the project.

When the committee convened today, the Liberals instead pushed forward with clause by clause consideration of an unrelated bill, without providing any notice to the rest of the committee of that plan.

Conservative MP Garnett Genuis says he’s disappointed the Liberals used their new majority to end that debate and move on to another topic entirely.

The Liberals officially became a majority government on Monday and have been criticized multiple times since for forcing debate at committees behind closed doors.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2026.

— With files from Sarah Ritchie