Bill C-241

An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (deduction of travel expenses for tradespersons)

This enactment amends the Income Tax Act to allow tradespersons and indentured apprentices to deduct from their income amounts expended for travelling where they were employed in a construction activity at a job site that is located at least 120 km away from their ordinary place of residence.

Opposition Motion—Confidence in the Prime Minister and the Government

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, indeed, I do agree. The NDP leader does not have his pension yet. He has to wait until next year.

Under the NDP's coalition with the Liberals, the working class has been betrayed. While the Liberals continue to sell out hard-working Canadians, the member for Burnaby South has abandoned his responsibility to stand up for them, choosing instead to focus on securing his own political survival. He is playing games with taxes, pensions and Canadians.

Let us not forget that the government's policies hurt the very people Conservatives are fighting for: the people who have been neglected by this failure. Let me highlight a prime example. My private member's bill, Bill C-241, would directly address the struggles of hard-working Canadians, particularly those who are essential to our country, our tradespeople: the welders, electricians, carpenters and plumbers who keep everything running smoothly.

Nonetheless, for all their hard work, tradespeople are often left behind, with their contributions barely recognized. These men and women are the backbone of our economy, yet they are often left behind, overlooked and undervalued. These workers are often required to leave their family, travel across the country and sacrifice precious time with their loved ones just to ensure that their kids have access to basic necessities like food and medicine.

However, as we see time and time again, New Democrats have quickly aligned themselves with the Liberals, leaving us wondering whether the NDP genuinely stands for working people or whether it is just another party caught up in the political game. By siding with the Liberals, it has allowed the status quo to continue, and working Canadians are the ones paying the price.

Therefore, who is truly fighting for hard-working Canadians? The answer is clear. It is not the Liberals and certainly not the NDP. It is the Conservatives who are committed to standing up for people who keep this country running, the workers who deserve more than just empty promises and political games. We can do better for tradespeople and hard-working families across the country.

The member for Burnaby South has completely forgotten the working class and the labour movement that once defined his party. He has abandoned hard-working Canadians in favour of a Liberal government that has disregarded their hardships in exchange for political survival. While the government raises taxes, the cost of living has increased dramatically. Housing is out of reach and food prices are still rising.

In spite of his pledge to defend workers, the member for Burnaby South has safeguarded his personal interests by obtaining a pension at the expense of people who are most in need of assistance. His backing of the Liberal government directly contributes to the escalating cost of living crisis and undercuts workers' rights.

In Windsor-Essex, the housing crisis is out of control. Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex has been forced to shift focus as families struggle to afford homes. While it has built or repaired 125 homes over 30 years, the need keeps growing. Families are spending 75% to 95% of their income on rent, far beyond what is affordable. The member for Burnaby South continues to prop up the government in its failure to address the crisis.

The NDP-Liberal coalition has only made things worse, with policies that drive up costs for Canadians. It is time to axe the carbon tax, build more affordable homes and bring the cost of living under control. The people of Windsor-Essex and all of Canada deserve better. It is time to stop supporting a government that caters to the wealthy, and to start putting working Canadians first. The member for Burnaby South has sold out his own supporters.

We need change: Conservatives who are ready to stand up for workers, cut taxes, fix the housing crisis and, finally, give every Canadian a fair shot at a decent life.

In closing, I would be remiss not to thank the hard-working men and women in the Windsor-Essex area, such as members of IBEW and of the carpenters' union, ironworkers, and members of LiUNA and Unifor, just to name a few. They build the homes, the infrastructure, the vehicles and the soon-to-be-completed Gordie Howe International Bridge. Their passion and dedication do not go unnoticed and are most appreciated.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you very much.

We know there is a lot of Conservative leadership for workers, and a couple of pieces of legislation through colleagues. We have Bill C-228, an act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985. That was through our colleague MP Gladu. We have Bill C-241, an act to amend the Income Tax Act with respect to the deduction of travel expenses for tradespersons through our colleague MP Lewis. We have Bill C-409, an act to amend the Canada Labour Code regarding hours of work of flight attendants. That's through our colleague MP Rood. Then we have Bill C-318, an act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code with regard to adoptive and intended parents. That's through our colleague here in the room, MP Falk.

Your legislation is another piece of legislation to help workers and make a difference for them.

I'm wondering if you can speak to your legislation and what impact harassment and violence in the workplace can have on individuals?

Reference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Madam Speaker, that is probably the greatest news I have heard all week. That was very well done by my colleague from Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound; I thank him so much. It puts a big smile on my face.

I also want to acknowledge my colleague, the member for Barrie—Innisfil, who just gave a very compassionate and passionate speech and did an excellent job. He stole a bunch of my thunder, so I guess I will be somewhat sticking to the reason we are really here today.

I am honoured to represent the people of Essex and to address the House today. I will discuss the ruling of the Speaker regarding the production of documents ordered by the House on the scandal involving Sustainable Development Technology Canada. The Liberal government refuses to comply with an order from the House to produce unredacted documents regarding the $400-million green slush fund scandal. This is truly a disheartening example of governance.

Again, I want to highlight the government's mishandling of the Sustainable Development Technology Canada fund, which is often called the green slush fund. The program was created in 2001 to support innovation and sustainable technologies, and it ran smoothly under both Liberal and Conservative governments until the current Prime Minister took office.

It is unacceptable that the Liberals refused to hand over all the documents related to the Prime Minister's green slush fund to the RCMP within the required 14 days. I, along with my colleagues, am frustrated by the lack of transparency, which only fuels distrust and frustration among Canadians.

The Prime Minister-appointed board began approving funding for companies where executives had clear conflicts of interest with SDTC members who were already receiving money from the board and were still appointed to it despite knowledge of the conflicts. This is truly unbelievable. Governance standards at the fund quickly collapsed under the leadership of the new chair, Annette Verschuren. Following whistle-blower allegations of financial mismanagement, the Auditor General and the Ethics Commissioner each launched separate investigations.

The government's sheer lack of attention to detail is staggering, leading to avoidable errors and costly oversights at every turn. The negligence not only wastes taxpayers' dollars but also undermines the public's trust in its ability to govern effectively.

After nine years of the NDP-Liberals, the situation is so bad that there are now 1,400 homeless encampments in Ontario alone. In my riding of Essex, I am constantly hearing about the struggles my constituents face regarding the cost of living. Last month, CBC reported on how homelessness is increasing in the Windsor—Essex area. According to Jeanie Diamond-Francis, manager of community services for County of Essex, the need for affordable housing in that county is “consistently” growing. The latest number of people experiencing homelessness in the region is over 900, and that is only capturing people who are experiencing such homelessness.

While many Canadians are struggling with rising housing and food costs, it is deeply disappointing that we are still talking about the Liberal government's $400-million slush fund scandal. The Liberals do not care about everyday Canadians; they care only about making their insider friends richer.

However, it is not just my constituents who are struggling; Canadians across the country are struggling more than ever. Food Banks Canada's 2024 poverty report card shows that almost 50% of Canadians feel financially worse off compared to last year, while 25% of Canadians are experiencing food insecurity. On top of this, Food Banks Canada reported that the cost of living has become so high that there has been a 50% increase in food bank visits since 2021. As a direct consequence of the Liberal government's inflationary spending and taxes, millions of Canadians are struggling to keep their head above water.

New research from the Salvation Army shows that nearly one-third of Canadians continue to feel pessimistic about the future of their personal finances, while 25% of Canadians continue to be extremely concerned about having enough income to cover their basic needs. The Salvation Army also reported that nearly 75% of Canadians face challenges managing limited financial resources, which has contributed to a wave of Canadians who, for financial reasons, continue to deprioritize seeking medical health. For this reason, Food Banks Canada downgraded the Liberal government's grade of B in 2023 to a D minus in 2024.

Whether it is the stress of an uncertain economy, increased living expenses or inflation, Canadians are in urgent need of assistance. Nevertheless, the Prime Minister appears more disconnected from the realities that ordinary Canadians face.

The Auditor General has made it clear that both the former and current Liberal industry ministers are responsible for this debacle as they failed to properly oversee contracts awarded to Liberal insiders. This lack of oversight has severely undermined public trust, particularly at a time when transparency and accountability are more important than ever.

A scandal involving the misappropriation and transfer of $400 million in public funds to political insiders has engulfed the Liberal government. The Liberals are focused on defending their own interests, while working Canadians bear the expense, rather than tackling these pressing challenges.

It is understandable that Canadians are beginning to recognize the NDP-Liberal administration for what it is: a government that rewards its allies while making life more difficult for families. Costs, taxes and corruption have all increased throughout the past nine years. In addition to mismanaging public funds and giving preference to their political supporters, the Liberals have burdened Canadians with policies like the carbon tax.

Canadians have to deal with the fact that they are paying more and receiving less. For example, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, the Canadian dream is lost. The dream of owning a home is slipping away from countless Canadians.

As I said earlier, I hear from my constituents every day about how they are grappling with the harsh reality of affording basic necessities. The Prime Minister promised to lower the price of housing, rents and mortgages, which have since then doubled. Middle-class Canadians are forced to live in tent encampments in nearly every city across Canada. Before the Liberal government in 2015, it took 25 years to pay off a mortgage. Now it takes 25 years just to save up for a down payment. Things have gotten so bad that some families have been forced into 90-year mortgages that they will never pay off.

A woman in my riding reached out to me in desperation this year. She had one very touching story. She is a mother who gets up, works, prepares dinner and then goes to bed, just to do the same thing all over again. She said there are a lot of bills, and she is having a hard time making ends meet. Despite her best efforts to shield her kids from the stress, she is forced to tell them that she cannot even keep the lights on because of the $2,000 monthly rent. She lives within her means, works hard and pays her taxes, yet the government that promised to support her is making things more difficult for her. She is not alone in feeling this way, and she is drowning. Many people in my riding and across Canada are having the same difficulties, and they are worthy of better.

The NDP-Liberal government's preference for rewarding its political allies over tackling the problems that ordinary Canadians face is becoming more and more obvious. Costs have increased, taxes have increased and corruption has spread unchecked over the last nine years.

The Liberals have not only mismanaged public funds, but also increased the cost of life for Canadians by enacting measures like the carbon tax. Canadians are getting less in exchange or paying more for everything including groceries, gas and heating. This is the unpleasant truth that many families, both in Essex and nationwide, must deal with.

A government that prioritizes the demands of its constituents before those of its wealthy friends is long overdue. The growing cost of living is a major issue for all Canadians, but things are just going to get worse. For already struggling families, the Prime Minister's proposal to double the carbon tax by 2030 will only make matters worse. Despite our repeated calls for a carbon tax election on this side of the House, we continue to be bogged down in document cover-ups rather than tackling the underlying problems. The idea that Canadians receive larger carbon refunds than they pay in taxes is one of the most common myths we encounter, and the carbon tax raises the cost of everything, particularly food.

In my riding of Essex, I have been deeply involved in the community for many years, even serving as a municipal councillor before coming here. Local government works because it operates with transparency by default. Every council meeting and committee session is open to the public, except in rare, exceptional cases. Everything else is accessible and transparent. Local governments would not survive long if they were as closed up as the Liberals have been with their green slush fund.

Trust in every political system, whether municipal, provincial or federal, is based on accountability and transparency. The people should not have to put up with being kept in the dark, particularly when taxpayer funds are being mismanaged. How harmful a lack of transparency can be is demonstrated by the Liberals' failure to be transparent about the $400-million slush fund scandal, which funnelled money to political insiders. In local politics, we are aware that leaders are promptly held responsible when the public loses faith in them. At the federal level, the same ought to hold true.

As I mentioned in my speech just over a week ago, the heart of the issue is the Auditor General's finding that Liberal appointees allocated $400 million in taxpayers' money to their own companies, resulting in 186 documented conflicts of interest. Transparency is desperately needed, and this is more than simply a scandal. It is a breach of the confidence that Canadians have in their government. This money could have gone back into the pockets of hard-working Canadians or toward beneficial programs that help our communities. This money could have been used to support neighbourhood projects, support the growth of small enterprises or lessen the financial strain on families dealing with growing expenses. It is a lost chance that may have had significant impact on the lives of regular people.

Again, we are talking about $400 million in taxpayer funds that may have been wasted or stolen while everyday Canadians struggle to afford food, heating and housing. This situation is unbearable, especially when so many are suffering due to the government's lack of accountability.

When discussing the Liberal green slush fund, in which $400 million from taxpayers has been spent, Conservatives focus on issues that actually affect Canadians. Rather than using taxpayers' dollars to enrich friends, my private member's bill, Bill C-241, focuses on hard-working Canadians, specifically tradespeople, and how they are struggling to make ends meet. The purpose of Bill C-241 is to amend Canada's Income Tax Act to permit eligible apprentices and tradespeople who travel to a job site 120 kilometres from their primary residence to claim a tax deduction for their temporary relocation and travel expenses.

Despite being the backbone of our economy, these men and women are expected to work all over the region, giving up valuable family time to ensure that their kids have access to necessities like food and medicine. What do they receive in exchange? They receive a meagre $4,000 tax deduction, which is insufficient to pay for living expenses and transportation when living far away from home. In comparison to the millions the government is wasting on questionable, unaccountable projects, it is an insult. This goes beyond oversight. It is about acknowledging the needs of Canadians who are putting in a lot of effort to grow our nation, while the Liberals are squandering funds on vanity projects that do not actually advance the common good.

Bill C-241 is more than simply a fair travelling tradesperson's bill. It is about justice for the workers who drive our economy, and I am honoured to support them, particularly in light of the green slush fund incident and other instances where our tax dollars are being misspent. My Conservative colleagues and I are aware of the true issues, and I am determined to see that they are addressed.

The NDP-Liberals must put an end to their cover-up and hand over the evidence to the police. Only then can Parliament get back to its critical work of serving the interests of Canadians. Their continued obstruction is unacceptable. The division between those in government and regular Canadians who must deal with the fallout from such carelessness is only widened by this incident.

If the Liberal government would only produce the records it has been required to release, Parliament could return to addressing the problems that are most important to Canadians, such as family and affordability. It is really that easy. The government could resume its task of addressing the growing cost of living that families in Essex and throughout the nation face if it put an end to this cover-up and turned over the proof to the authorities. Rather, the Liberals keep blocking progress, putting their personal interests ahead of the pressing needs of Canadians.

Helping Canadians make ends meet is what really matters. Therefore, it is time to end the secrecy. Why will NDP-Liberals not stop hiding behind the green slush fund and release the required documentation so Canadians can have the openness and accountability they deserve?

We hear from dozens of people every day, regular Canadians, who are having a hard time making ends meet. Whether they are workers in Canada dealing with the rapidly rising cost of living or families in the Essex neighbourhood, they are battling insane food costs, expensive housing and a government that appears to be losing touch with reality.

The Liberals, however, are still committed to supporting their political friends and allocating public funds to special interests and insiders, while abandoning regular Canadians to fend for themselves. It is now painfully obvious the government would rather enrich its own elite and the wealthy than deal with the problems hard-working Canadians face.

The people of Essex and in communities across this country deserve better than a government that only looks out for itself. For over a month, the Liberals have offered shifting excuses for not complying with the House's clear demand for documents, despite knowing the House has full authority to require the release.

Only our sensible Conservative colleagues will put an end to the turmoil and corruption, figure out what happened to the $400 million and provide some justice and clarity to the people of our nation. As we return to the privilege motion before us, it is not just about the production of documents. More importantly, it is about the message the government is sending to the entire country that corruption is acceptable and the mismanagement of public funds would be tolerated.

Lastly, I want to note this is not a partisan issue. Weeks ago, the Speaker ruled on a question of privilege raised by the House leader of the official opposition. His ruling confirmed what Conservatives have said all along, that the government violated the extensive powers of the House by failing to surrender crucial records related to SDTC.

In his ruling, the Speaker referenced page 985 of the House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, affirming, “No statute or practice diminishes the fullness of that power rooted in House privileges unless there is an explicit legal provision to that effect”. This clearly establishes that the House has the inherent authority to compel the production of the documents vital to our oversight functions. We must ensure the House retains the authority to demand accountability from the government.

Ultimately, the Speaker of the House, the highest authority in Parliament, ruled that the government, specifically the Prime Minister, was required to hand over the documents to Parliament. Even though the Speaker is a member of the Liberal Party, he upheld Parliament's authority. What action did the Prime Minister take? He acted as though he were above the law and Parliament. He disregarded the order and simply produced censored documents rather than following it.

As I close, I just want to echo the comments of so many of my colleagues today and thank every single veteran who has served and continues to serve. They have given me the opportunity to serve our great country of Canada. Without them, quite frankly, I would not be here and I would not have the opportunity to leave the world a better place than we found it.

Canada Labour Code

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague the member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis for introducing Bill C‑378. Well done.

The bill is an exceptional piece of legislation by another Conservative MP trying to enhance the rights of workers across the country. There has actually been a long history in the current Parliament, where the NDP-Liberal government has not acted to protect workers; in fact it has been Conservative MPs who have stood up to try to make sure that workers are protected.

A number of bills have been put forward by Conservative MPs to improve the lives of workers, in addition to this fantastic bill; for example, there is Bill C-228 by the member for Sarnia—Lambton, which would actually protect workers' pensions. It has been a long-standing problem in this country that a company would go bankrupt, workers' pensions would be unsecured creditors and their pensions would disappear. In nine years of an NDP-Liberal government, no action was taken on that. It took a Conservative member of Parliament to say we need to protect workers and this has to change.

There is also Bill C-241, brought forward by the member for Essex, which would allow tradespeople to deduct their travel costs for going to work. It is common sense. If a CEO can write off the cost of their private jet, then why can a worker not write off the cost of their travel as they go out to try to earn an income. Again, during nine years of a NDP-Liberal government, this is something that had no action. A Conservative member of Parliament stood up to make that change.

I also want to mention Bill C-409, brought forward by the member of Parliament for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex. We have heard a lot from the NDP, and silence from the Liberal government, about how flight attendants were ending up working, on average, 30 unpaid hours per month. The NDP-Liberal government did absolutely nothing. The New Democrats talked a bit about it and tabled petitions and other things.

However, it took a Conservative member of Parliament to put forward a bill that would change the Canada Labour Code to define what constitutes work for flight attendants so they would no longer be sitting on a plane waiting for it to back up or waiting for it to take off, and not get paid. We heard horror stories of flight attendants who would show up for work but the flight was delayed and they would be there, would time out for their shift and then go home and not be paid. It was outrageous, and the NDP-Liberal government just let that go on for the past number of years, with no action.

This brings me right back to the fantastic bill before us that has been put forward by my colleague. This is a very serious matter. People who are the victims of harassment or violence at work are victims. They have been traumatized. The Canada Labour Code was only allowing them three months after they left work to file a complaint. These are people who are vulnerable and probably are not in a position to make that decision. Once again, a Conservative member of Parliament had to step in to make that change.

The Liberal government tried to make some changes under Bill C-65, where the victim could apply to extend the three-month timeline. Imagine that: Victims would actually have to apply to extend the deadline. The burden would be on the employee to make the justification for a new deadline. They would have to file an application, explain the trauma and ask for an exemption. The Liberals thought this would well serve the victims of harassment or violence, but it actually would have done nothing of the sort. Imagine having to give deeply personal details to someone to see whether they would let them file a complaint after three months.

It was very thin gruel for the victims. Therefore I want to congratulate again my colleague for seeing the problem, coming up with the solution and making sure that people who suffer these outrageous acts would now have up to two years to file their complaint.

It is a pattern we have seen well established in Parliament, that the NDP-Liberal government talks a very good game about protecting the rights of workers, but they do not actually deliver the results that are required. Therefore it has taken a series of Conservative bills to actually make incredible differences in the lives of workers, including the bill before us here today.

I understand that there is support for the bill to pass, which is wonderful, but it always leaves me this question: After nine years of an NDP-Liberal government, why did it take so long for it to realize this was a problem? It is because the government is really not governing the country well on this and on a whole host of other issues. As opposition members, we have a limited ability to try to clean up the messes that are left by the government, and we have done that with a series of bills that actually are going to make substantial differences.

We hope that the bill before us is going to be fast-tracked through Parliament. Let us get it to committee, get it studied and get it passed. We do not have a huge amount of time in Parliament left for it to pass, so we want to make sure that the piece of legislation can go to the Senate and receive royal assent. I hope it is going to pass through committee very quickly.

I would also hope that when Bill C-409, the fairness for flight attendants act, comes up for second reading and a vote, it also goes to committee expeditiously, because it is an incredibly difficult circumstance that flight attendants have right now across the country, and labour has not really had the friendliest of governments.

There was recently a section 107 referral by the government with respect to the resolution of the rail dispute. The right to strike is constitutionally protected; the Supreme Court said that in 2015, and the NDP-Liberal government said it was going to make a referral and take away the workers' ability to go on strike. Once again we have an NDP-Liberal government that claims to be friendly for workers, but it has taken—

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this was one of the examples where somebody would not get a chocolate chip cookie from mom. I am just teasing.

I guess I will answer the question, and the question is really an easy one to answer. If the Liberal Party and the Prime Minister are so friendly with labour, why did only one Liberal in the entire caucus vote for Bill C-241? That is a really easy question, so I will answer a question with a question. Why do they not support skilled trades?

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as always, it is an honour to rise in the House to represent the amazing folks of Essex. I give all my thanks to God for giving me the opportunity.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I lost my momma. If the House would allow it, I would like to share a few words before I dive into Bill C-58.

Mom would text me during question period to say, “Christopher, you are not wearing a tie today, so you must not be speaking.” Mom would also text me to say, “Christopher, stop chewing gum”, “Smile”, or “Christopher, wake up.”

The little things in life get us through, and the real little things in life were mom's chocolate chip cookies. Mom was known on the Hill for her chocolate chip cookies. However, if a member did something bad, I would get a text saying that the member would not be getting a chocolate chip cookie that day.

She was a servant. She served beyond belief. She is the great reason I am where I am, and why I am who I am.

Although those texts have come to a very abrupt end, after she spent only 13 days in hospital battling cancer, her legacy lives on. If my dad and my brothers Jeff and Kim are watching, I want them to know that Helen, our momma, is in the House of Commons with us all here today. As I promised momma at her bedside, I will make her proud and live to serve. I love her. I thank the House for indulging me.

Bill C-58 has two main elements. First, it would ban the use of replacement workers in federally regulated workplaces, such as banks, airports and telecommunications, but not in the federal public service. It would replace an existing, albeit much more limited, prohibition on the use of replacement workers in the Canada Labour Code.

Second, Bill C-58 would amend the maintenance of activities process to encourage not only quicker agreement between employers and trade unions on what activities should be maintained in the case of a strike or a lockout, but also faster decision-making by the Canada Industrial Relations Board in this connection. The provisions of Bill C-58 would only apply to federally regulated workers. If enacted, the provisions of Bill C-58 would enter into force 18 months after royal assent has been received.

It brings forward a lot of questions and a lot of discussion. I would start by saying that I am very proud to be the shadow minister, the critic, for labour. I have travelled across this country, literally from coast to coast to coast, speaking with both unionized and non-unionized workers in places such as Halifax; St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; Vancouver, at the Port of Vancouver; and Montreal.

I have been across this country, meeting with both unionized and non-unionized workforces, their management teams, and the folks with their boots on the ground. What I hear all the time is them saying, “Just let me go to work. I want to go to work. I don't really want to be on strike. What I really want to do is have a good-paying job so I can ultimately feed my family, put diapers on my babies, fill their little mouths with pablum and afford to buy my wife some flowers. I can't do that when I'm on strike.”

At the end of the day, we have seen an unprecedented amount of strikes across this country over the last number of years. Every time I turn around, we are dealing with another strike. Why is that? One has to really wonder if it is the cost of living. Is it the cost of food, which our workers cannot afford? Is it the high interest rates? Is it the carbon tax on fuel and food? Is that the reason why? It always goes back to the same question: Why are we seeing an unprecedented amount of strikes? We have to believe that it is due to inflation. It is due to the cost of living, as well as uncertainty, no doubt.

I will speak quickly to the topic of the Stellantis battery plant in Windsor. One good thing about Air Canada is that it is almost always delayed, which allows me more time to speak to my constituents back home when I am at the airport.

Last night, I spoke to someone at IBEW, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who said what the problem is. We have an amazing workforce here in Canada of electrical workers. They are bringing them in from Manitoba and Alberta. They are there in Windsor. They are literally in Windsor to start to work. However, they are very concerned about all of the folks potentially being brought in from South Korea to do all work. In the past, those workers did all the work at tier 2 and tier 3. They have done all that work. He said he understood that 10, 20 or 30 people may need to be brought in to program the computers, but the rest of it they already know how to do.

Then I spoke to the carpenter's union, and they said the same thing. They have the whole workforce there. Why are folks being brought in from other places to do the work that they, quite frankly, are trained to do?

The part of this bill that is somewhat confusing to me is that it is only for federally regulated workers. It does not apply to federally regulated public sector workers. If the government is going to tell businesses that there will be no replacement workers, why would the government not do it for itself? It makes one wonder.

We have had amazing, amazing yields in southwestern Ontario this year from our farmers. Some of the highest bumper crops that we have see in a long time. About 90% to 92% of our grain is exported. If we cannot get the grain onto the ships and overseas, we have a major issue, and we have a major issue right now.

There was just an issue on the Great Lakes, which, by the way, got solved. It is like what was reported yesterday in the news about No Frills. The issue with workers at No Frills was solved yesterday, just like at the Port of Montreal and the Port of Vancouver. How were they solved? They were solved at the table through democracy. There is always a solution when we speak. There is always a solution when people come to the table to have good, fair, strong, respectful dialogue. That is how things get solved.

Because I sit on the transport committee, am a bona fide farmer and was a businessman, my concern is that this potential legislation could drive fewer jobs for the country. It is a matter of fact that this could drive potential Canadian business investment away from Canada, which would ultimately mean fewer jobs.

Ironically, at 9 a.m. tomorrow, I head to the Senate to do my darnedest to get Bill C-241, my private member's bill, through committee. Bill C-241 is a bill that would allow the writeoff of travel expenses for both unionized and non-unionized skilled trades workers. I do not know of anyone in the House who would disagree with me when I say that Canada is absolutely in a major housing crisis, and Bill C-241 would allow the mobility of our skilled trades, both unionized and non-unionized workers, to travel across the country.

I look at Stellantis and the entire project, the upwards of $50 billion for the three battery plants, and I know one thing for sure: We need skilled trade workers at those sites. However, I also know that we need to build homes from coast to coast to coast. Hopefully, tomorrow the Senate will give us the green light, so to speak, and Bill C-241 will get through the Senate to support our skilled trade workers.

For clarity, for anybody watching at home, and I am sure a lot are watching me, this is only for federally regulated workers. This does not dive into the provinces and their regulations.

This is going to sound goofy, but during the Port of Vancouver strike, a message was left at my office, and I called the gentleman back. He said he owns a coffee shop, but he cannot get any cups for the coffee, so he will have to shut his doors because he ordered the cups from overseas. It sounds small and insignificant, but that is one more business that shut its doors, is not paying taxes, that is not employing people or laying them off. It is one more business that Canada is, quite frankly, bleeding.

There is nothing more important than our labour force. My father always said it best. Someone can have the greatest widget in the world, but they cannot build it and they cannot sell it without people. There is not a business I know of that is not about the people, and they only ever will be.

The answer is very simple: Get to the table, get the folks at the table and have a conversation. Deliberations have worked in the past. That is where the answer lies.

In closing, I will just finish with the following. I come from the business world but I also was boots on the ground. In my role as shadow minister for labour, I met some pretty extraordinary folks. I think about the folks at the ILWU out in Vancouver, who treated me with so much respect when I visited them two or three times. I think about the folks out in Halifax and St. John's, Newfoundland. I think about the folks in my own backyard in Essex. Again, it is resounding that it is only about the people.

There is only one way that we are going to rebuild Canada, that Canada is going to be built, that we are going to have enough homes, that we are going to have the manufacturing and we are going to be on the front line in leading-edge technology, and that is with people. However, they need to be Canadian people. They cannot be folks from overseas who are taking away the jobs of Canadians.

I want to thank the Speaker for allowing me to celebrate my mother and allowing me to have a bit of freedom in my speech today. I am so darn passionate and compassionate when it comes to our labour force and it means the world to me.

Opposition Motion—Reducing Home Heating Costs

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-241, as I understand it, was an NDP bill before the member, thankfully, took it up and brought it forward again and it was passed. That is what we should be doing: supporting tradespeople across the country who have to travel. Any other business people can charge their travel expenses.

As the member mentioned, we will need more tradespeople to do all of this work. Not only do heat pumps have to be installed, but homes also need to be retrofitted to make sure they are properly insulated. That is one of the first things that need to be done. I just finished doing that in my house, and now I am going to turn my thoughts to the heat pump part. We will need tradespeople for that, and sometimes it is difficult to find enough tradespeople because they are doing a lot of work in this regard.

Yes, we should be training tradespeople to do that. There is a program for it at Okanagan College in Penticton. It is one of the leading sustainable building trades programs in the country. We have to support people going into those programs and then once they come out.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of discussion this morning about heat pumps. I have not yet heard anybody bring up the installation of heat pumps. There is a portion that goes outside the house and a portion that goes inside the house, and then there are pipes underground. Not that long ago, I introduced a private member's bill, Bill C-241, regarding a deduction of travel expenses for skilled trades. As we need heat pumps across the country, we will not have people to install them.

All but one Liberal member voted against Bill C-241. The NDP was good enough to vote for it. Would the member agree with me that, indeed, the Liberals should have voted for Bill C-241?

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Gordon.

What I heard you say is “remove the gatekeepers”. I have heard that before.

Ms. Rahmati, you spoke about natural disasters and having to pick up a workforce from Ontario, for example, and get them out to B.C. for wildfires or floods. Of course, my bill, Bill C-241, the mobility tax deduction, which has now passed the House of Commons and gone to the Senate, will help get people to these places.

Then there was talk about new training models, as well. I'm a big advocate that we need to start our training in the school systems in the early years, because the same children who play with Tonka trucks in a sandbox at three and four for some strange reason are told at five, six and seven that they need to be doctors, lawyers and—Lord forbid—politicians or they are nothing.

Are these new training models what you're talking about specifically? What, specifically, are you speaking to?

Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Madam Speaker, it is always an honour and a privilege to be able to rise in the House of Commons on behalf of the great people from southwest Saskatchewan. I would be remiss if I did not start off by congratulating all the ranchers who have just made it through another calving season, or are at the very end of the season.

I also mention our farmers, who are about to begin their spring plant, with the spring thaw that is going on. We have a bit more moisture this year than we have had in years past. I know a lot of folks are really excited about that and are also more than happy to wait a couple of days to start. I know everyone is anxious to get in the fields back home, so I want to wish everybody a safe and happy spring planting season.

Here we are talking about budget 2023. The budget is a great opportunity for the government to take a step back, have a little self-reflection and really hone in on the needs of Canadians. That is something that has been lacking for the last number of years. Instead, we are seeing a continued coalition with the NDP, who are keeping the Liberals in power and helping them repeat scandal after scandal.

We have seen the NDP bring up some of these scandals from time to time, but at the end of the day, it is still voting for them. We know the NDP will vote for this budget because it has to. We have heard some great comments from NDP members criticizing the government. At the end of the day, it is kind of useless and meaningless because they are just going to prop the Liberals up and vote for it anyway.

The Liberals are running a government that is quick to announce massive amounts of spending without figuring out where the money is going to come from to pay for it. Most recently, we saw the government massively subsidize Volkswagen in Canada. We still do not know the upper reaches of the total compensation of the package, but we do know that it is going to be in excess of $13 billion. We still do not have a lot of information, but that is a ton of money, and it is appropriate for us to be asking a lot of questions about it.

It gets even worse. Volkswagen is the only automaking company in Canada to be charged under CEPA for violations against the environment. There were 60 counts against it. What was its reward for that? It was $13 billion of taxpayers' money. This is from a government that says it prioritizes the environment. However, the only company to actually violate the Canadian Environmental Protection Act gets massive subsidization as a reward for its behaviour.

The Liberals will go out of their way to defend all this spending. They will say they have to spend a lot of money so that we can get a bit out of it. Let us be real. There is no plan to get a complete battery industry here in Canada. We have heard many times in this place, in committee or in meetings with stakeholders, that Canada has all the resources and minerals required to have a very robust battery supply chain. However, we simply do not have the extraction and refining capacity to do what is required. To make matters worse, there is way too much red tape and over-regulation of the sector, preventing private sector investment into our country. Again, we have the raw materials to work with, but they are literally stuck in the ground.

We would think that with all the abundance of natural resources that we have, private companies would be lining up at the door to invest their money in Canada. As it stands right now, if someone does not have massive government subsidies, there is nothing being built or done in this country.

The investments of these companies would bring jobs, service companies and spinoff industries, such as restaurants and service-and-repair shops, not to mention the royalty revenue that builds our communities and invests in our rural communities. It still makes rural Canada a viable place to live.

If it were not for rural Canada, urban Canada would not have all the luxuries it enjoys. If we think of the food that is eaten, it is all grown, harvested and produced in rural Canada. There is all the lumber and building materials required to build the housing that we talk about so much in this country. Where does it come from? It comes from rural Canada. We have to prioritize the rural areas. We are not seeing that from the government.

We should also mention the opportunities that exist for the first nations people of Canada to be able to partner with these private companies, make investments and sign these partnerships. This will bring about opportunities for jobs and education for their people as well. That is missing because of government inaction.

Natural Law Energy is a company from my riding. It tried to partner with TC Energy to invest in Keystone XL, and the government chased that off. That was an opportunity for six or seven partnering first nations to have jobs and opportunities, and the government said no. That is the terrible direction that we have been heading in.

However, it is always possible to change course and direction. Budget 2023 presented the government with such an opportunity, but the government has a shocking level of disrespect for how it is handling Canadians' money.

Here is a straightforward example: On page 223 of the budget book, the Liberals have a graph showing that we will not be on track to balance the budget until 2060. How can they possibly pretend that it is a responsible plan for the national finances to be left like this if it is going to be a few decades before they even have a plan to get it back into fiscal balance? It is a complete mockery of all the people who work hard and pay taxes in this country.

How are they choosing to spend this money, the millions or billions of dollars at a time? The Liberals continue to give massive subsidies, as I mentioned earlier, to such things as a battery plant for giant companies that, quite frankly, could afford to pay for and do this on their own. However, as I said, the Liberals will also decide to spend millions and billions of dollars without worrying where that money is coming from, which is from the taxpayers and ratepayers of this country.

The Liberals' policies are preventing us from developing our natural resources across the board, but they save their worst treatment for demonizing the oil and gas sector here in Canada. In the budget, it says that the government is forecasting the price of oil to be around $82 a barrel. That is actually not too bad. At that price, if the government could choose to support the idea, Canada could balance its budget within a couple of years and not a couple of decades. The Liberals would still be able to invest in all the social programs that Canadians have grown to like, enjoy and appreciate and be able to afford to do so by supporting natural resources development in this country.

We have even had a few countries come to Canada looking for LNG, but the Prime Minister said no, that there is no business case for it. However, other countries around the world continue to beg for our resources. Instead, we are driving them off to other countries, such as Qatar. Therefore, we miss out on those opportunities to grow as a country while making the world a better place because of the high standards that we have here in Canada for human rights and for environmental protection.

I proudly represent a rural riding where we have our own way of life, and the government does not understand it. Rural Canada is far from having the majority of our population, but as I was saying earlier, we produce all the things that people in urban Canada need to have the luxuries that people enjoy there. In return, too often, the Liberal government leaves us behind and forgets about us. Sometimes, the Liberals impose things on rural areas. They will make it harder, if not impossible, to continue to live there.

Has anyone heard of the carbon tax? That is one of the biggest issues that people talk about that is driving up the cost of living in urban Canada, but predominantly in rural Canada, the place hardest hit by the carbon tax.

For right now, the Liberals have been busy talking about a so-called just transition for oil and gas and for coal, even though they are still failing to make a just transition happen, whether they are located in the Prairies or the Maritimes. That is something that we also learned from a recent audit done by the Environment Commissioner. Since then, not much has been moving. We do not even see a budget item yet for the just transition for these communities. We are only seven years away from the end date for some of these coal mines and some of these coal power plants that the government is going to force off coal, and yet the government does not even have a plan or an allocation for how to deal with that. It is shameful.

For the Liberals, it is not on their radar. I asked the minister what he planned to do with the people from coal-producing communities like Coronach and Rockglen in my riding, as well as in the Souris—Moose Mountain riding. As much as the minister tried to sound as if he would support rural areas, his answer and his examples actually suggest that rather than staying in the communities and working where they are, people are going to end up moving to other places, such as Regina, northern Saskatchewan, Calgary, Edmonton or the east coast.

The Liberal minister might think that Regina is part of the rural area, even though it is the capital city of Saskatchewan. Regina is a great place. It is a fantastic place, but that is not where the people from Rockglen, Coronach, Willow Bunch or Assiniboia want to be. They want to stay in the places where they currently are, in their communities. The government is doing absolutely nothing to make sure that happens after it has mandated away the number one industry in their communities.

I will just quickly mention that there is one thing I definitely appreciate in this budget, and that is the tax credit for tradespeople when they purchase their tools. Again, we are talking about a housing crisis in this country. How are we going to get there? We have to build houses. We need more workers. We need to incentivize people to be able to go to trade school and to want to work in these industries. That tax credit is going to help a lot of people as they enter into the trades.

The Liberals also could have supported a Conservative private member's bill, Bill C-241. It has passed this place, but the government could have been proactive and provided that in the budget. However, it did not do that. The Liberals missed an opportunity there.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I think that Bill C-241 would have fit very neatly in Bill C-47, the budget implementation act. There are many sections in the over 429 pages of Bill C-47, but there is one that goes directly to the issue that the hon. member has put forward in his private member's bill, which is a tax discount on tradespeople's tools. I wonder if the member saw that section and if he sees it as encouragement that perhaps the Senate, like the House, will pass Bill C-241.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it has honestly been really good to work with the New Democratic Party on trades. Of course, NDP members did support Bill C-241, so they understand it, unlike all but one member of the Liberal Party.

I have been across Canada, from the east coast to the west coast and everywhere in between, and do I ever know that there is a major deficit of labour. I do not think that there is any one of the 338 members in the House who would disagree with me on that front. However, it is really unfortunate that when we have major hang-ups in the immigration system, all these skilled trades that are coming through are being backlogged, put into a file and not being dealt with to support our industries and businesses. It goes back to the government.

My question for the member would be this: If it is that detrimental, and if NDP members have all the answers, why do they continue to prop up the Liberals?

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as always, it is an honour to stand in this place to represent the great folks of Essex.

We are here this evening to speak to Bill C-47, the budget implementation act. We have heard a lot of discussion, and I have been listening keenly to both sides of the aisle, as to what truly is the direction for Canada and the path forward to sustainability and success. While I was drafting out my talking points today, I got thinking about local examples.

The first one I am going to start with is a young woman from Essex County who goes to school at St. Clair College. She has a part-time job and lives at home with her parents. She drives back and forth about 30 minutes to school. Her part-time job is at a veterinary clinic, and she wants to be a veterinarian. Her parents have paid into RESPs along the way.

I found out this morning from this young lady that she has to pay $942 this year in income tax. She makes under $15,000 in her part-time job to pay for some of her schooling. I guess the question is this: How is that even possible in Canada? We talk about affordable housing. We continue to talk about making things easier for Canadian families. How can a young woman who is 20 years old, who goes to school full time and has a part-time job, have to pay $942 in taxes and be expected to save any money at all for a home going forward?

Saturday morning I had breakfast with the mayor of Kingsville in a local greasy spoon that serves one of the greatest breakfasts in Essex County. We met the owners of the restaurant. The amazing woman told me that they have lost about 85% of their senior customers because they can no longer afford to eat out. Then she went on to cry as she told me that she was in a local Zehrs, which is a grocery store, and ran into a senior who was trying to figure out what she was going to eat that night because she was looking at Kraft Dinner.

Then we look at this budget, and we are supposed to celebrate a $234 one-time payment per person. Last night I went to the local grocery store here in Ottawa and bought half a bag of groceries for $36, that was just for myself, so this one-time payment might be great for one month, yet the government wants to celebrate it.

I want to speak about the 2023 federal budget submission of the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce. I will go through it quickly.

The first point it makes is with respect to the employment insurance rate freeze. It stated:

the bill for these emergency programs is being unfairly placed on businesses. Businesses have for years been concerned with the fact that employers pay an additional 40% on-top of matching the employee contributions. The $0.05 increase per $100 of earned income means that employers are paying even more. The additional $0.05 increase to take effect in 2024 and 2025 means that employers are going to be bearing the burden over years for programs not beneficiary to them.

It speaks about the capital cost allowance for vehicles, stating:

The current amount of $30,000 is well short of the current average vehicle price in Canada, which is approximately $54,000 for a new vehicle and $36,000 for a used vehicle. This low limit prevents businesses from properly being able to account for the depreciation of the asset, which is the primary goal of the CCA.

They talk about allowing international students to participate in the Canada summer jobs program. In my riding of Essex, we got about $720,000 less this year for the Canada summer jobs program. There are a lot of folks have benefited from that program who are not too sure if they are going to be able to keep their doors open, such as those at the Kiwanis camp down in my area.

They talk about the delay of the CEBA loan repayment over one year.

They talk about bringing in a new workforce and increasing the pace of immigration, which is something that Conservatives have been calling for and talking about for a very long time.

There are the non-Canadian housing purchasing ban, immigration with accreditation and covering transition costs. We hear an awful lot about housing in this House, ironically. For that young woman I was talking about, or perhaps a young man who is working full-time who cannot find a home, and if he can find a home, he cannot afford it, the government loves to pound the drum that it is doing so much for housing. The problem is that the government cannot even plant a tree, so maybe the problem is the lumber to not build the homes. Nine in 10 young people do not believe they will be able to afford a home, and that is unacceptable.

When I ran for this place in 2019, I said that I would do my darndest to ensure that I leave the world a better place than I found it. I am the eternal optimist, and today I stand here to say that I am a bit of a pessimist. Because of the failures of the government, it is certainly not in a better place in 2023 than it was in 2019.

With respect to skilled labour, the government has been, again, pounding the drum. With respect to the Volkswagen plant, it is fantastic. In housing, this is excellent and, quite frankly, a great investment. It is wonderful, as are the five and a half billion-dollar battery plant in Windsor and the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

However, there is something really interesting about this when we talk about all these investments. By the way, regarding the Volkswagen plant, they talk about 3,000 workers. The truth of the matter is, that it is probably closer to 1,000, but in the event that it is 3,000, that would be great.

Here is what is really ironic. Where are the skilled trades people going to come from? If the government truly cared about skilled trades, why did it not take my private member's bill, Bill C-241, and put it into this budget? It would have been done overnight, and then we would have people who are mobilized across Canada.

I want to talk really quickly about the doctor in Michigan. Dr. Amster lives in Michigan, and he has 1,200 patients at his family practice in Amherstburg, which is in my riding. His current C10 work permit expired on March 28, and nobody will give him a renewed work permit.

Tomorrow morning, I am very excited to host grade 11 and grade 12 students of Cardinal Carter, where I went to high school. What do I tell them? How do I explain to them that what we are doing here is fighting for their future when the budget, quite frankly, falls so short for them?

Canada National Parks Act

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise here today. I want to, first, thank all my colleagues who have spoken on this bill in the previous hour of debate and this hour of debate. I have much gratitude for them getting to know my area.

This area is the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of first nations, which includes the Ojibway, the Odawa and the Potawatomi. As appropriately put, this is part of reconciliation. This is a story that is very important because it shows that we can do better.

For my part, I am thankful for the timing of this taking place. One of my heroes is Chief Duckworth. I want to thank Walpole Island First Nation as well. Chief Duckworth from Caldwell First Nation was left out of the consultation for the Gordie Howe bridge. We got to know each other when I invited them to come down to the community benefits, where they did not receive any invitation. We crashed the event together; I would not go in without them. The council let them in. That was the start of a very good relationship with Caldwell First Nations. More needs to be done, but it is a good start.

It is also a great tribute to my past mentor, Senator Earl "Boots" Scofield, who was a Métis senator. He also flew 17 missions in World War II in the bubble of a Mosquito bomber.

I want to quickly thank Janet Sumner and Dave Pearce from the Wildlands League, who have also been partners from the start and amazing heroes of mine. I thank the City of Windsor Council, and Mayor Dilkens, Councillor McKenzie and Councillor Francis in particular. Mayor Dilkens has been instrumental in this. I am grateful for the work that we have done, because this has included our region. The city has been at the forefront, giving up land, and that has been important.

I want to thank Lisa Gretzky, in my provincial Parliament, my colleague for Windsor West, who has always been wonderful to work with. She has been very involved in this. I want to thank MPP Andrew Dowie and also Minister Piccini in the Province of Ontario, who authorized the transfer of land that is coming up.

Of course the Friends of the Rouge are important. The Unifor Environmental Committee with Mark Bartlett, Rick Labonte, Ric St. Denis, Dave Cassidy and others were huge with this.

There is Green Ummah, who have gotten young people involved. There is the Friends of Ojibway, Claire McAllister, Paul Pratt and Mike Fisher. There is Save Ojibway community group. There is Jonathan Choquette from the Wildlife Preservation Canada, and John Hartig, another hero of mine. He is an American who has a Canadian part of his heart.

There is Bill Rousel, Phil Roberts, Derek Coronado, Frank Butler and the Citizens Environmental Alliance. We also have the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup and Windsor Essex Bike Community.

I want to again talk about some of the MPs here. The member for Essex has been instrumental in this, which is very important because the land that he represents is very close to this. I want to thank him for this, and his Bill C-241. It has been fun working together. It is hard to say “fun” in this place sometimes, but it does happen.

I want to thank the member for Windsor—Tecumseh for coming on board. We will need his support in the Senate, as well as for the whole area and this House.

I want to thank numerous ministers that I have had discussions with, even though originally there was a difficulty in getting the government onside. I am glad it is, and look forward to the vote. As well, I thank the Conservatives, Bloc and Green and the two Liberals who voted for it earlier. It is very important.

I do want to say that there is one person who has been a custodian and who sometimes gets overlooked, Peter Berry at the Port Authority. He is a hero. He is actually a former service person from Canada's military, and served in Bosnia. He is very much a hero.

I want to thank Parks Canada staff. I cannot say who is watching right now, but I think people are watching, including my partner, Terry Chow, my good friend, Jeff Mussen, and of course my daughter and son, Alex and Wade.

I want to quickly note Mo Peer and Melanie, the lead in my office, as well as Darlene, Eva, Farah, Heather and Myrna.

I cannot get through everything, but I do want to conclude soon. I want to say that we have been consulting on this a long time. There are so many other people I wish I had time to recognize. Please forgive me if I did not say someone's name.

The reality is we have done consultations for thousands of people. There were public meetings, interactions and a whole number of different social events and other things that brought us to this point. I am looking forward to us working together further.

I am going to read a quick poem to close things out. It is from Marty Gervais, a historian in Windsor, who is very much part of the fabric of our history. There are also four other persons who helped collaborate on a book. It is called Pathway:

I don't know where this pathway leads as I walk alone.
Trees keep me company, offer shelter from wind, and there is sunlight enough to soften shadows, to warm me as I continue deeper into the mystery of this Ojibway day.

The reason I mention that is because tomorrow is Earth Day, and a new chapter starts for this with this vote on Wednesday.

I want to thank all of the members who have been supportive of this process as we went forward because it is not about us. It is about the next generation. That is what is amazing.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is certainly an honour to participate virtually in the House this afternoon.

The first thing I would like to do, with your indulgence, is to wish my lovely wife Allison happy birthday. She is incredibly sweet and young. I love her dearly and I want to celebrate that.

Second, I want to congratulate the member for Windsor West for getting the bill this far. The member and I have worked tirelessly on this together. It is a fantastic example of collaboration and how working across the aisles we can certainly get things done for our regions. I know how influential he was with respect to my private member's bill, Bill C-241, and it has been an honour to work with him on his private member's bill, Bill C-248, an act to amend the Canada National Parks Act, the Ojibway National Urban Park of Canada specifically.

This has been a fantastic example of collaboration from all levels of government, which is enormous. I know our constituents continually ask us to not always fight in the House and to try to get along and find common ground. It puts a big smile on my face on a Friday to know that really good, unique things can get done when we work together.

As an example, our provincial government has come to the table. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change has been amazing in making sure that this comes to fruition, along with MPP Andrew Dowie, from Windsor—Tecumseh, who has also been very influential in the conversation and bringing those folks together. I really want to celebrate and thank them.

I have had many conversations with Mayor Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, who is very much in support of this private member's bill, along with the mayor and councillors of LaSalle. It is a win-win for our community, so I thank them.

I want to thank our first nations: Chief Duckworth of the Caldwell First Nation, in collaboration with the Walpole Island First Nation.

Then of course there were amazing community consultations and a ton of outreach. People have literally been so vital in this conversation and I just want to thank them so much for that.

I will be very prudent and say that I am happy the Liberals changed their mind, because twice they voted against this. I am not sure what changed, but I am certainly happy they recognize that this is going to lead to huge opportunities for tourism, our economy and the health and mental health of people in our regions of Essex, Windsor—Tecumseh, Windsor West and Chatham-Kent—Leamington.

I have done my due diligence. I have spent countless hours in discussions with mayors, in community consultations, and with stakeholders. There were two things that were always top of mind. One is to make darn sure that our corridors and arteries, Matchette Road and Malden Road, remain open so that the folks who need to get back and forth to Windsor to work in our automotive sector and our new battery plant that is coming up do not encounter a big blockade that does not allow them to get back and forth to work early. They are putting in countless hours at these businesses and we should not have the major arteries, which are the major roads, blocked so they cannot get back and forth from their place of residence.

Equally, I have spoken many times on the importance of getting Canadians active. We have been basically stuck in our home for three and a half years due to COVID. It is time to get active, to get out on the trails, either a biking or hiking trail, or spend time with family and mother nature. This park has white-tailed deer, raccoons and the endangered eastern fox snake, which I really hope does not cross the path in front of me when I go out to this new park. We have the Gordie Howe International Bridge set to open up in 2025, which perhaps can connect with this urban national park. There is going to be a walking path on the bridge.

The tourism opportunities here for our region are absolutely vital. It is huge for the area, let alone the economy and what it is going to bring to our small businesses, hotels and restaurants, all those who are offering their services.

This is a really good, very well-thought-out private member's bill. Again, I am very happy to be supporting this.

Let me also say that this does not affect private lands. It will have zero effect on those lands that are surrounding it today. This bill uses existing federal-provincial lands that already exist. All it is doing is taking the existing green space and bringing it all together, which is enormous. It is protecting the environment.

Essex, Windsor West and Windsor—Tecumseh is a very small area. We are surrounded by three bodies of water, Lake Erie, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair. Property is at a premium, to say the least. When we can give opportunities for folks to get outdoors, to get active, to spend time with their families away from our televisions, then I think we need to enhance that. We need to celebrate it. We have to do everything possible to ensure that we are doing our due diligence on that.

Tomorrow is Earth Day. What a fitting day to be talking about a private member's bill that is actually protecting some 800 acres in Essex that would go a long way to ensuring that our feathered and furry friends are protected.

I understand this bill is to be voted on next Wednesday, and I really hope that it gets passed. Equally, I am hoping that we can somehow, in some way get it to the Senate as quickly as possible, to get their support. Would it not be remarkable if we could get it through the Senate and allow these folks to start taking advantage, again, of this urban national park?

The greedy side of me says, along with Bill C-248, I also hope the Senate talks about Bill C-241, which is my private member's bill. Maybe they could push that through at the same time.

Conservatives will be voting in favour of Bill C-248. Again, I want to celebrate and congratulate the member for Windsor West. It has been an honour to work alongside him. This is only positive for our region, specifically for Essex, Windsor West, Windsor—Tecumseh and Chatham-Kent—Leamington. It would enhance the lives and mental health of people going forward.