Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Yes, this is my first time here. I encourage all my colleagues to use their little earpieces, because I will be speaking French.
I am very proud to represent the most beautiful riding in Canada, Orléans. I hope everyone is enjoying being back here in Ottawa. I hope all my colleagues here today are having a good summer, especially you, Mr. Chair.
I, too, would like to echo what my opposition colleagues have said about the exemplary work done and the contributions made by workers over many years to give us this bridge. I'm not an engineer by training, but the engineering that went into this bridge is extraordinary. My colleague talked about that. I also had the pleasure of visiting it last year, and I was proud to know that some of my colleagues, Mr. Gill and Mr. Lewis, were just there for the opening of the bridge.
It was really important to me to thank the workers. I know my colleague, speaking in English, referred to the statements made by the Ontario Trucking Association, by Eric Lombardi and by the Premier of Ontario on the bridge's opening.
What I'm not hearing from the opposition is how long they would have kept the bridge closed. I think that's also very important. I'm going to read the motion, because my colleagues seem rather sensitive to the idea that we might be deviating from the subject of this motion.
It talks about transparency, but this is transparent. The agreement was made public on July 22, I believe. It was made public to everyone. Taxpayers, Canadians and the people of Orléans can read this great agreement.
Another very important point, when we're talking about honesty and openness.... Once again, the bridge is open. That's a key point. I think we can all agree that this is important for the economy between Michigan and Ontario. As a proud Franco-Ontarian, trade is definitely extremely important to me. I'm also a former businesswoman. However, what's even more important in all this is that the agreement signed in 2012 by—I'll say it, because the Conservatives like to hear this name—Stephen Harper, the former prime minister of Canada, remains in effect. The 2012 agreement is still in place. Nothing has changed. A parallel agreement has been reached.
I know some of my colleagues have suggested or mentioned that the Prime Minister is in his element. I listened to a press conference on July 26, I believe, during which he spoke transparently and humbly, saying that he should have perhaps been more clear in his initial remarks. However, that's exactly what he did and what he communicated to all Canadians about the 2026 agreement that will be in effect for the next few years and that will also create a strategic economic investment fund for the regions in Michigan and Ontario. So we're talking about a fund that will help the local economy.
I'm looking through my notes. I don't want to focus too much on the numbers, because that's often not the most important aspect, but there are some members from Windsor here. Because I do like numbers, I think it's worth noting that it is estimated that the bridge will contribute about $1.3 billion to Windsor's gross domestic product. That's just for Windsor, all attributed to the bridge's opening. About 7,500 cars and trucks have already crossed in the first 12 hours.
So we are here to discuss a very important motion. I think everyone here recognizes the importance of our role in parliamentary committees. As you mentioned, Mr. Chair, this is my first time on this committee. I don't have any prepared notes, but I have a lot of information.
Another point that hasn't been mentioned so far about this bridge, which is now open, might interest the Conservatives. I visited the bridge last year. Another one of the reasons for building it, apart from supply chains and transport, is border security. I think that's something we all need to remember. The inspection facilities, which are now state‑of‑the‑art and equipped with the latest technology, will enhance the ability to detect illegal goods, contraband and unauthorized persons, while supporting the efficient and secure flow of legitimate trade and travellers.
I didn't hear any mention of how long the Conservatives would have kept the bridge closed. We've taken a practical and pragmatic approach. We signed a bilateral agreement between Canada and the United States that will create an economic fund for the region, which benefits our small businesses and people in those areas. Indeed, the fact that the bridge is open will benefit small businesses, as well as the auto and manufacturing sectors. Everyone will benefit.
So the bridge is open. That doesn't alter the fact that, for some, this bilateral agreement was made public after it was signed. I was a businesswoman, and I never negotiated in public. I would negotiate, and then the agreement would be made public. Unless the Conservatives have a different idea of how negotiations should happen, we negotiate at the table, and once the negotiations have concluded, the agreement is made public.
Projections are also being made in terms of what this will bring in. I was a businesswoman. When I was opening my retirement homes, my budget projections often assumed it would take three or four years before I could expect a return. So, yes, it's very important to be transparent, and that's why the agreement has been made public.
Once again, what I want to know is how long the Conservatives would have kept this bridge closed, to the detriment of an economy that is of great importance not only to Windsor and Ontario, but also to the rest of Canada.
I don't want to go on too long, but I wanted to make this point, because the security aspect is super important to me, and so is trade and the fact that this motion talks about these important matters. We're talking about transparency. Transparency means making an agreement public after it has been signed, and that's what we did. The bridge is open, and I know some of my colleagues were there. I would have liked to have been there, too, to witness the historic opening of this extraordinary bridge.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak, Mr. Chair, and I'll now let other colleagues speak not only to the motion, but also to the fact that the bridge is open.