Finance Committee on Nov. 20th, 2023

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

—Bismarck was the one who initiated the first—

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

MP Kurek, I know you're going to do your best to tie it back to the motion—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Bismarck would not have allowed—

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

—and the amendment.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

—previously independent parts of the recently unified German empire to have their own—

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Go ahead, Mr. Kurek.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I do find it somewhat ironic that....

First, let me apologize to my colleague from Yellowhead. I didn't mean to insinuate anything about his age. I have no doubt there is significant wisdom with it.

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

[Inaudible—Editor]

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Look, what I do find very concerning is this. I've been quite clear—I would be happy to go into more detail, but I think, for the sake of brevity, I will not—as to why this is all so very relevant to the conversation at hand. That's specifically to the amendment, but also to the larger motion, where we see that this Prime Minister, under his Liberal government.... The parliamentary secretary has moved this motion, which is interesting to begin with, because that's very different from how Justin Trudeau promised he would run things in Parliament when he was first elected. I'll get into more detail on his understanding of, or his politicalization of, the way in which Parliament works. I'll certainly get into that a little bit later.

Mr. Chair, I think the reason to be concerned is this. When I was talking about the history and about the conversation we are having about this motion...which is not unprecedented. It's something that we have seen built up over time. Specifically, we are talking about the son of a former prime minister.

I was talking about my late grandfather Kurek, because there's a very, very clear connection to the issue at hand. In the late 1960s, he had the opportunity to be part of the construction. Later, for most of his life, he worked for a number of different gas companies. It was one of the first large-scale natural gas production facilities in that area of the province, although not the first natural gas facility. I would highlight that Viking, Alberta, claims to have one of the first. It's quite fascinating. There's a beautiful mural, actually, on a wall there. I'd encourage members, if they're ever going through Viking, home of the Sutter family, to stop and take a look at some of that history.

The reason it's so relevant to the issue at hand is that we started to see the responsible development of Alberta resources, which I am proud my family was part of. I talk often about the farming history I have in my family. I won't get into the specifics here as to why I'm so proud of that, because we're talking about resource development. My family's story is like that of those of so many other Albertans—getting to see the building of an industry that has led to an unprecedented level of prosperity not only for Albertans and a few families but also truly for our country. We should be proud of that prosperity.

Quite frankly, I find it incredibly disappointing that the Liberals would be somehow ashamed of the context this provides to the country that we have here today. I attempted to briefly articulate the history related to the division of different levels of government and the tension—I use the word “tension” specifically—that is meant to exist between different levels of government. It doesn't mean there needs to be agreement, but it means there needs to be that understanding that in the midst of disagreement, there can be the ability to work together.

Take the example of my family, which is like that of so many others. My late grandfather Kurek worked his entire life as a gas operator and was very, very proud of that. It led to my father having a pretty good life. It was a regular middle-class life.

I would just note something that I think is very, very interesting. When we saw the introduction of natural gas to the community of Consort, we saw a radical change take place.

This is especially relevant because it speaks to how, as natural resources were developed, we saw the ability to transition from things like coal to more energy-efficient, safer types of energy. Consort, because of its proximity to what is the Gooseberry Lake gas plant, which my late grandfather Kurek helped build and then operated there for much of his life, speaks to that connection to history.

Now, as we see that there are these connections to the resource sector, we saw that the elder Trudeau, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, inflicted a level of division on this country that we are still reeling from.

That is often summed up—as I've mentioned before, if you go to a coffee shop in Battle River—Crowfoot—in a palatable frustration that exists about how Alberta was disregarded, ignored and intentionally targeted by its government in Ottawa, and that's not just for individuals who are born significantly before me who experienced it and lived through it.

It was in the form of the national energy program. You saw the beginning stages of just an amazing level of prosperity that Alberta was starting to see, and the potential and the entrepreneurial spirit that defined so much of why I am so proud to be from the province of Alberta, and you saw that shut down, stamped out by a heavy-handed government in the nation's capital.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We're suspended until Thursday.

[The meeting was suspended at 8:32 p.m., Monday, November 20, 2023]

[The meeting resumed at 11:02 a.m., Thursday, November 23, 2023]

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Welcome back to meeting number 121 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.

The committee is considering matters related to committee business, specifically the motion by PS Rachel Bendayan and the amendment by MP Lawrence.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to Standing Order 15.1. Members are attending in person in the room, and remotely using the Zoom application.

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I remind members that all comments should be addressed through the chair. For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The clerk and I will manage the speaking order as best we can, and we appreciate your patience and understanding in this regard.

On that, we last left off where MP Kurek had the floor and was speaking to the amendment. We had a speaking order of MP Blaikie, MP Genuis, MP Lawrence, MP Majumdar, and MP Soroka.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Can I please be added to the speaking list, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Okay.

MP Kurek.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Thanks very much, Chair.

It's good to be back before the finance committee to talk about an issue that is so important to many of my constituents, many Albertans and, of course, many Canadians.

Specifically, I'm glad to have the chance to continue to talk about how this amendment in particular, and some of the foundations surrounding the motion that Ms. Bendayan brought forward, is continuing a trend that endeavours to divide this country for the narrow political interests of a Prime Minister who seems to care about nothing more than his electoral success. He has built a political infrastructure and political movement around almost a cult of his personality that is bent on dividing our country.

Mr. Chair, if you recall, when I had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Lawrence's very common sense amendment where the intent was very clear, we were endeavouring to take out the politics of the motion to bring a resemblance of something that should be, I believe, the responsibility of so many Canadians.

Chair, if I could, I left off talking about my late grandfather Kurek, who.... It seemed to offend the Liberal members of this committee that I would dare talk about a member of my family who was the son of Polish immigrants, and left in the late 1930s a difficult situation in Poland. He was seeking opportunity and what we would say now—what many would define as—is the Canadian dream.

I talked a bit about my grandfather's involvement in the oil and gas industry, and, specifically, the construction of the Gooseberry Lake gas plant. At some point maybe—probably not before the finance committee, although we'll see what circumstances lead to—I'd be happy to talk at length about the value of Canada's energy industry. It has actually a very direct correlation with the livelihoods and pensions of Canadians, and especially a very big connection to the division perpetrated upon our country by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberals.

Chair, the reason why I specifically brought up that story.... It's puzzling to me that it would offend the Liberals to talk about what I shared a bit—very briefly and succinctly—because, of course, Canada, and the diversity of our history is immense. However, when I started talking about the story of my late grandfather, the Liberals became almost unhinged in the offence taken—

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, what the heck does this have to do with the motion? Honestly.

[Some hon. members]

That's debate.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

My parents came from another country as well.

[An hon. member]

That's not a point of order.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

What does it have to do with the motion? I'd like to know the relevance, please.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I would ask that we be respectful of each other.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

It's on relevance, Mr. Chair.

I don't want to hear your story, Mr. Kurek. Let's talk about the motion, please.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

MP Dzerowicz, please, let's not have crosstalk over that.

MP Kurek, please be mindful of relevance in sticking to the motion and the proposed amendment.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Absolutely, Mr. Chair.

Again, it's almost predictable that the Liberals would be so offended by how the story of our country has been stitched together by stories like mine. I'm sure Liberal members and my colleagues have stories that make up what is the Canadian story. I'm very proud of that.

It's unbelievable that this would be so offensive to Liberal members, and specifically as it relates directly to this motion. It is—

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Ms. Dzerowicz, is this a point of order on relevance?

MP Kurek, could you please focus on the amendment to the motion?