International Trade Committee on Feb. 27th, 2024

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Terry, your government has cut from—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Let him finish his point. Then we're back to you.

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

This is a fact. All of the funding for this year that was supporting tourism, since it's finally growing again, was voted against by the Conservative party. We're getting into debate. I'm making a point. We should vote on this and discuss it further.

They also voted against FedDev. That's the tourism funding for southern Ontario. They voted against FedNor funding for northern Ontario.

I worked in the tourism industry, and I was speaking to them last week. It's growing again, but they need the funding that was voted against by the Conservative party, so we're getting into debate—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Is the committee ready to vote on this motion?

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

No, Madam Chair. I have not ceded the floor.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Okay, then. It's back to you. Have a good time.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

To my colleague's point, let's look at the government funding.

In 2021, the government provided $500 million in funding over two years for the tourism sector. What is it providing now? It's $108 million over three years. It provided $50 million to Destination Canada.

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

In 2021, you voted against $500 million for the tourism relief fund and $108 million for the tourism growth fund for 2023.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Can I finish?

You cut funding from tourism.

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

You called me out.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

You provided $50 million over three years to Destination Canada.

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

You voted consistently against tourism funding.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Destination Canada's budget has gone from a high of $157 million down to $111 million.

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

You've consistently voted against tourism funding. You can't have it both ways.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Let's try to be accurate.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

It's Liberal math, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

No, it's not Liberal math. We have the books to—

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Again, it's the treatment of the tourism community, which suffers because of this Liberal math.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Let's not have disinformation. Let's try to be accurate.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

It is accurate, Madam Chair. Those figures are—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

In your mind, maybe....

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

This feels like a filibuster. We should get to the point and vote on it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

You're going to do it the whole afternoon. Keep going now. We'll vote now, or we'll vote later. Keep on going.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

We'll vote sooner without ridiculous interruptions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Well, the misinformation is the point Mr. Sheehan is raising.