Finance Committee on Nov. 20th, 2023

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Did you sign it?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Certainly, I was part of the approval and formal signature of it. You will see that, because as you know, Mr. Perkins, the contract will be made available, in camera, at the INDU committee, and I think you're going to be part of that committee.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Can you tell me what the clause in the contract says about hiring Canadian workers only?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

As you would think, our job—it's not just my job—is to maximize opportunities for Canadians. I'll think you'll be pleased to read in the contract the number of sections and provisions that maximize benefits for Canadians.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

It differs then from the Volkswagen contract, which, I can tell people, doesn't have a clause that requires Canadian employees.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Respectfully—I have very deep respect for you, sir—the Volkswagen contract maximizes opportunities for Canadians on all sides to make sure that—

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

You won't confirm that it actually has a clause that requires Canadians to be hired.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Sir, as I said many times, you'll have the opportunity to read it for yourself. You don't need to take it from me. You'll have the contract in front of you.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I have read the Volkswagen contract, so I am familiar. Apparently, this mirrors the Volkswagen contract.

I would like to ask you why the government and the company seem so confused as to what's going on with the—

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

This is simply a point of order on relevance. As Conservative members reminded us earlier, we are on Bill C-56. I believe the member opposite is asking about an entirely unrelated issue.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We are on Bill C-56.

MP Perkins, I stopped the time. The floor is yours.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

This goes to the whole issue of accountability and innovation. The minister mentioned innovation and competition. It's hard to have competition if you're bringing in a great majority of the workers from outside of the country for this, as has been reported by the South Korean ambassador in discussions in Windsor.

Therefore, I'd like to understand. The company has said 1,600 are coming in, and it's said 900 are coming in. Which is it?

You had a minister who said that there's only one. You said there's only a few. The company apparently has a very different view than the government has of how many foreign workers they're allowed to bring in.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Perkins, I would say, with respect, that you seem to be the only one who is confused about that.

I spoke to the leader of Unifor, the Building Trades Unions and the CEO of Stellantis. Everyone understands clearly that, when you have a new plant coming, you need to have transfer of knowledge, technology and expertise. It's true in the United States, and it's true in Europe.

Actually, we had Canadian workers training Americans and Americans who trained Canadians when we had Ford or GM coming into our country. For anyone who understands these big investments, that is historic and—

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I understand that, Minister, but at the launch of this contract—

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Stellantis is investing $3.4 billion in building the plant, so I would say—

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Minister, I have limited time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Minister and MP Perkins. I'll stop the time.

All I'm asking for is no crosstalk. It does interfere heavily with the interpreters. We talked about their health and safety.

Please, members and Minister, let's have no crosstalk.

We're back on.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

The company has put out three different figures in the last week. Your government has put out three different figures in the last week, none of which compare to what the company is saying publicly.

Now the company that's involved in Northvolt in Quebec is saying that it's bringing in temporary foreign workers—or foreign workers, I should say. They're not temporary. They're foreign replacement workers. We're getting a different story.

Can you tell me, if it isn't confused, why you need to ask for a meeting with the company to clarify for how many jobs they're bringing in workers from South Korea rather than filling with Canadians?

If it's clear in the contract, you shouldn't need to do that.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Like I said, sir, no one is confused. I can tell you that Unifor is not confused, nor is the Building Trades Unions. I'm not confused. The CEO of the company is not confused. You and your leader have tried to confuse Canadians.

You asked me a question, so I will answer.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I did, but—

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

You are confusing Canadians. You failed to say that the company is investing $3.4 billion of their money to build one of the largest plants in Canada.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

That's not the issue. I didn't say how much—

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

You failed to say, sir, that the company has stated that there will be 2,500 workers at the plant. You failed to state to Canadians that there will be up to 2,300 people building that plant, sir.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I agree that there will be 2,500 workers at the plant—

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

You should not confuse Canadians when you have an investment of that magnitude.