Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'm very pleased to be able to speak in favour of the motion to carry out this very important study.
Lithium is a key input to the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles, and global demand for lithium and batteries is expected to grow dramatically over the next couple of decades. Therefore, Canada needs a reliable supply of lithium so that our manufacturers can produce the large-capacity batteries needed for electric vehicles built here in Canada.
In the not-too-distant future Canadian auto workers working on the assembly line will require a steady supply of large-capacity batteries in the same way they require a steady supply of bucket seats, transmissions, tires and all the other parts that make up a car. It should be apparent that large-scale lithium-ion battery factories will not be built in Canada without lithium.
Officials from the Liberal government, including the industry minister, need to appear before this committee. They need to explain why the Chinese government, which already controls a quarter of the global supply of lithium batteries, was allowed to buy a Canadian lithium producer through one of its state-owned enterprises without a national security review.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and I encourage all members of the committee to vote in favour of this motion.