Transport Committee on May 6th, 2021

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Mr. Rogers, from your end, do you have everything hooked up properly? Do you have your microphone on in terms of the bottom box? To me, you sound fine, so I'm not sure what the problem is. You're coming across loud and clear on my end, but apparently the interpreters can't hear. They're having some problems. I'm just making sure that the equipment on your side is all hooked up.

[Churence Rogers, Liberal, Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL]

Yes, it is, as it was previously. I'm not sure why the sound for some reason is not coming through.

[The Clerk]

It appears that they're not getting a great signal. It may be a connectivity issue on your cellular network. I guess it keeps dropping out a little bit, and it's just not quite good enough for them to provide interpretation at this time.

[Churence Rogers, Liberal, Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL]

Perhaps it's something to do with the fact that we had a major power outage today. I'm not too sure if that might have impacted the system here that's run by Bell Aliant.

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

It sounds like you could you use some investments in resilient infrastructure, Mr. Rogers.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Mr. Rogers, I'm going to go over to Mr. El-Khoury and he'll take up some time here. If you want to log off and log back on, I'll come back to you.

[Churence Rogers, Liberal, Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL]

I will. Thank you, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Thank you, Mr. Rogers and Mr. Clerk.

Mr. El-Khoury, you have the floor.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

This is quite a surprise to me. I come from the business world, and I can tell you that agreements on commercial projects always include a confidentiality clause.

Our Conservative colleagues are asking the Canada Infrastructure Bank not to comply with the confidentiality clause. They're sending a clear message to potential investors, both local and foreign, not to invest in Canada.

Let's consider the matter from all sides. First of all, what are Canadians' interests?

We've heard witnesses, including the mayor of Sept-Îles, tell us about desperate needs for infrastructure projects. We've heard about the suffering of small towns whose inhabitants move away and never come back. This kind of bank, which makes infrastructure projects possible, is essential in remote regions and small communities.

Our Conservative colleagues are saying no to that. I'd really like to hear what Mr. Barsalou-Duval and Mr. Bachrach have to say about that. Is it in Canadians' interest to obstruct the Canada Infrastructure Bank, which works in an environmentally friendly way by creating green infrastructure? The bank will also create jobs for Canadians across the country, from sea to sea.

It's hard to see where this is headed.

The toughest phase of infrastructure projects is getting funding. However, we're discouraging potential investors from investing in Canada, not encouraging them. We aren't trying to create jobs and grow Canada's economy.

I'm appealing here to Mr. Barsalou-Duval as a member from Quebec. You can't imagine how pleased and proud I was when the federal and provincial governments jointly announced an $800 million investment to connect all Quebeckers to high-speed Internet. The regions and rural areas need it, and they'll benefit from it.

What do you think about the Réseau express métropolitain, the REM? That's a project that can create thousands of jobs and stimulate our economy for Quebeckers. They need it after this unfortunate and disastrous pandemic.

This isn't the time to raise barriers, and partisanship has no place here. Everyone should encourage the Canada Infrastructure Bank to continue its work and implement projects because that's what Canadians want.

For all these reasons, I'm not prepared to support this motion, and I ask my colleagues not to support it either.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Thank you, Mr. El-Khoury. Well done.

It is 5:30, members, and I'm going to go on for the next 15 minutes. I'd like to go on as long as we can but, unfortunately, the heritage committee has the resources at 6:30. They're into clause-by-clause for C-10, so we're looking at a 5:45 shutdown. I just wanted to give everybody a heads-up on that.

I now have Mr. Iacono. You have the floor.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It's not surprising that this motion was introduced by the Conservatives. Long before the last election, they made it known that they wanted to make cuts to infrastructure, not to build. The 2019 Conservative election platform was based on a promise to save $18 billion in cuts to and delays of infrastructure projects across Canada.

Conservative politicians say they're for the people, but they're far from that, since they make cuts to programs and services Canadians rely on. However, that's not really surprising because it's what Conservatives do best.

The former Conservative leader and conservatives like Doug Ford have opposed our infrastructure investments at every stage. The Conservatives' empty promises have actually meant delays and cuts to infrastructure projects across Canada.

Let's be clear: the Conservatives won't tell Canadians what crucial water, electricity or broadband projects would be shelved so they can pay for the tax cuts they're proposing for the rich. You needn't take our word for it. Just look at what Doug Ford has done in Ontario. By the Ford government's own admission, they 've missed two construction seasons by putting slogans ahead of actual objectives and seeking political victories when they should have tried to start up projects.

The funding our government offered was available from day one. What the Conservatives proposed on infrastructure was nothing less than a repeat of our own commitment to build stronger communities. The Conservatives' cuts hurt. It's the families in my riding and Canadian communities who'll be affected by their plan. The former Conservative leader's platform is a failure. However, we believe that continuing infrastructure investments, not cuts, is essential to achieving the vision and ambition that we have for a more prosperous Canada.

We're putting this belief into practice by investing in various provincial projects. For example, funding for a project such as the REM will help many Quebeckers get to work sooner and do so in the knowledge that their choice is the right one for the environment. It's important to note exactly what those projects are.

A commitment of $1.28 billion has been announced for construction of the Réseau express métropolitain. The REM calls for construction of a new automated light rail system serving the greater Montreal area. The system will include 26 stations over 67 kilometers, practically doubling the length of the present 71-kilometer-long metro system. The REM is the largest public transit project undertaken in Quebec in the past 50 years. The system will gradually go into service between 2022 and 2023.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank's investment commitment includes the following items: an initial loan interest rate of 1%, increasing to 3% over a period of 15 years, with the loan commitment covering project startup and construction risks.

A project like the REM will benefit everyone. In addition to the number of jobs created, it will generate significant impact for Quebec businesses and workers. Nearly $2 billion will be paid out in salaries in Quebec and more than $4 billion in local content. That represents 65% of the value of the project.

Construction work on the REM will involve many specialized trades and professionals, including engineers, architects, automated site systems experts, cabinetmakers, steel fabricators and erectors, electricians, mechanics and so on.

My riding of Alfred—Pellan is full of talented workers. They'll be able to put their knowledge and experience to work on the construction of the REM.

In addition to increasing mobility in the greater Montreal area, the project will revitalize the region's local economy. Ultimately, the REM project, supported by the Canada Infrastructure Bank, will support hundreds of families in my riding. In addition to creating jobs and wealth, the REM will stimulate the creation of a centre of excellence and expertise in automated mass transit in Quebec. The repair and maintenance of a high-tech system will help guarantee permanent high-quality jobs and a new Quebec knowledge base.

However, we definitely must not overlook the project's environmental benefits. These investments will promote sustainable development and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Adjustments have also been made to the project to reduce its environmental impact.

Furthermore, in conjunction with the REM project, we should mention the plan to build a station at Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. This new station and the new rail link will thus be connected to the REM light rail system.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank's investment will be in addition to its previous $1.3 billion investment in the REM. It goes without saying that an accessible REM station will be a major public good, providing rapid and practical service to and from the airport. Whether it's local road traffic or the weather…

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Go ahead, Mr. Barsalou-Duval.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Chair, this speech is related to my colleague's remarks.

To my knowledge, when you discuss a motion in your speech, you must stay on topic. I didn't sense that a full description of the REM and the Montreal metro was actually related to the topic before us.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Chair, I was showing…

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Thank you, Mr. Barsalou-Duval.

I'll just ask all members to try to stay within the realm of the amendment to the motion. We all have to remember that we are discussing the amendment to the motion presented by Mr. Scheer.

Mr. Iacono, we'll go back to you.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I think it's important to show how this project will benefit Quebeckers. I'm sure this concerns my colleague since he's a member from Quebec.

As regards the Port of Montreal, my colleague is familiar with the connection between the REM and the Port of Montreal. So I won't talk about that since he says it isn't interesting.

The investments our government makes through the Canada Infrastructure Bank to support infrastructure will improve the lives of Canadian communities. These are projects that enhance both Canadians' mobility and Canada's reputation.

If our NDP and Bloc québecois colleagues choose to support this motion, they will be putting partisanship above the interests of Quebeckers and Canadians. They will cause definite harm to the economic recovery of our beautiful province, among other things.

Thanks to the investments of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the mayor of Quebec City, Mr. Régis Labeaume, can retire with the satisfaction that the REM will see the light of day. What satisfaction will our Bloc québecois colleagues derive from that if this kind of project falls through as a result of partisanship?

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Thank you, Mr. Iacono.

I'll now go back to Mr. Rogers.

Mr. Rogers, let's see how your mike is. Why don't we do a quick sound check?

[Churence Rogers, Liberal, Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL]

I can do a quick sound check here to see if that's any better for the interpreters.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Mr. Clerk, how does that sound for the interpreters?

[The Clerk]

I'm told that Mr. Rogers is still cutting in and out, but I guess they will try to work with it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

We're going to try to work with it, Mr. Rogers.

Mr. Clerk and interpreters, if it's a problem and we can't get interpretation, please let me know immediately. I don't want this to impede Mr. Barsalou-Duval or others who are expecting it to be in French. With all due respect to our members, please let me know right away.

Mr. Rogers, go ahead. You have the floor.

[Churence Rogers, Liberal, Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL]

Do you want me to restart my comments? Interpretation was a problem, so I can start from the beginning, if you wish.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Go ahead. We have three minutes left before I suspend.

[Churence Rogers, Liberal, Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL]

Okay.

As I was saying, what is being put at risk here by the opposition with this motion? What are the areas that the CIB is focused on? It's clear to us that the [Technical difficulty—Editor] ability to attract private and institutional investments to infrastructure projects. The opposition has complained about the CIB allegedly not succeeding so far in crowding in enough private capital, and now they want us to use this motion to make their criticism into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I want us to understand the areas that the CIB has targeted for getting more infrastructure built. These are areas where, if the opposition succeeds, we'll end up with less infrastructure in our country. Canadian institutions of capital like our pension funds will continue to build projects elsewhere. The benefits that would come to our country will now be somewhere else. Let's look at what the CIB is focusing on.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the Canada Infrastructure Bank's $10-billion plan to invest in major infrastructure initiatives to create jobs and strengthen economic growth. The growth plan developed by the CIB is expected to create 60,000 jobs across the country. Over the next 24 to 36 months, the CIB's plan will build new infrastructure that connects more households and more small businesses to high-speed Internet—