Debates of Jan. 25th, 2016

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am quite relieved to hear that there will be money for affordable housing, because the last federal co-op was built in my riding in 1992, and by 1993, the Liberal government of the day had completely killed the program. One can understand why I am encouraged, because right now, in my riding, there is a 10-year delay, a waiting list of 10 years, for persons living with disabilities, for seniors, and for people living in poverty, for affordable housing. One can understand why I am very anxious to know when this program will begin.

When will we start to see affordable housing in my riding, after 25 years of a lack?

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our investment in infrastructure will be available as we begin. Our finance minister has been travelling through Canada consulting with Canadians on their needs and priorities, and they will be coming up in the next budget.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you on your reappointment to the chair.

I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock.

As this is my first full speech in the House since the election, I want to take this opportunity to thank the people of Foothills for once again electing me as their member of Parliament. It is truly an honour to have earned the confidence of the hard-working people of southern Alberta, and in turn, I will work hard each and every day to represent them honourably, passionately, and ethically.

Most of all, I want to ensure that Canada remains the best place to live, work, and raise a family. To that end, I was incredibly disappointed listening to the Speech from the Throne in December. The Speech from the Throne should bring forward enthusiasm, optimism, and hope for all Canadians. In this regard, the government's Speech from the Throne failed. The government neglected to address key issues that are at the heart of what matters most to Canadians: jobs, growth, and the economy.

Over the past several weeks, I have spent time touring my riding speaking to community leaders, municipal councils, families, and business owners. For the first time in a very long time, the mood in Alberta is not one of enthusiasm, optimism, and hope. It is one instead of anxiety and fear.

The government's Speech from the Throne did nothing to alleviate those concerns. It did not even mention two key pillars of Canada's economic foundation: agriculture and our energy sector. As a rural Albertan, I was shocked to see that the government did not set out any plans or priorities to grow and support these important resource sectors, resource sectors that employ many Canadians, many Albertans, especially in my riding of Foothills.

For example, more than 2.2 million Canadians work in the agriculture and agri-food sector. That means that one in every eight Canadian jobs relies on this industry, and more importantly, I would argue, the vitality of almost every rural community in Canada does as well.

If a government's priorities include growing the economy, creating jobs, and strengthening the middle class, does it not make sense that Canada's agriculture industry must be a priority of the government?

Canada is the fifth largest agricultural exporter in the world. Our agriculture industry contributes more than $100 billion to our GDP each and every year, and that number continues to grow. Exports in 2013 reached $46 billion, a 6% increase from 2012. Statistics Canada predicts that the average net worth of the family farm is expected to reach an all-time high this year of $2.1 million. and total family farm income has steadily increased and is predicted to reach $135,000 in 2015.

Why, then, is the government not doing everything it possibly can to facilitate further growth in this industry? It could do so, for example, by supporting the trans-Pacific partnership trade agreement, which is among the largest trade agreements in the world's history. This landmark agreement would preserve Canada's privileged access to our largest trading partner, the United States, and would strengthen our partnership within NAFTA.

Canada is a significant global supplier of high-quality agricultural products, the best in the world, I would argue. Through the trans-Pacific partnership, Alberta's farmers and ranchers would have access to 800 million new customers, unprecedented market access that would give them wonderful opportunities in existing and emerging markets.

Our farm and ranch families are successful because they are well educated. They are innovators, inventors, conservationists, and entrepreneurs. Most of all, they are hard working. They expect to have a government that is working just as tirelessly to provide them with the regulatory framework that would allow them to compete on the world stage.

With more than 200,000 operating farms in Canada, it is clear that the family farm remains a critical foundation of Canada's economy. Instead of ignoring Canada's agricultural industry, the government should be creating new economic opportunities for Canadian farmers by opening and expanding our markets around the world.

The Liberals should be aggressively pursuing new markets for our producers while protecting supply management. They should be investing in cutting-edge agriculture and agri-food industry technology. They should be ensuring that an effective and efficient transportation system is in place, and they should be keeping our taxes lows. By increasing trade and ensuring that producers have access to a global market, we would be creating more jobs, more growth, and more prosperity for all Canadians.

However, the fact remains that in the Speech from the Throne, there were exactly zero words dedicated to agriculture and zero words explaining the government's plan for an agreement on the trans-Pacific partnership trade agreement.

We probably know why that is the case. It is because agriculture is a lucrative resource; and the Prime Minister made it quite clear in his remarks in Davos what he thinks of Canada's resources and the innovative, world-renowned people who work in those industries.

Perhaps that is also why the Speech from the Throne did not include any plans to complete critical infrastructure projects in our energy sector, projects such as the energy east pipeline. The government remains frighteningly silent on its position on energy east, a project that would create well-paying and vital jobs for the Canadian economy.

For example, last week, when Montreal area mayors spoke out against the energy east pipeline before the project was even tabled, the Prime Minister had an outstanding opportunity to stand up and state emphatically how vital this project is, not only to Alberta's economy but to Canada's.

The Liberal government has trivialized the importance of the natural resource sector, even though it makes up 20% of Canada's nominal GDP, equalling more than $160 billion annually. However, there is nothing trivial about the thousands of people who have lost their jobs in Alberta. There is nothing trivial about the families who are losing their homes, their businesses, and their dignity.

I met with a business owner in High River recently. He was nearly in tears as he struggled to finds ways to save his small welding business. He has kept his staff on for as long as he could, despite not having any work in the oilfield. He met his payroll by using his line of credit, but once that maxed out, he had to lay off his entire staff including 10 welders. That is 10 families in a small rural community who are looking for work. That has a vital impact and a profound impact on our small rural communities.

This is just one of a dozen stories I am sure many of my colleagues have heard from around Alberta, where the mood is one of abandonment and fear. If the Liberal government remains silent, this is only going to get worse.

Groups are predicting another 185,000 job losses in Canada's energy sector in 2016, 125,000 of those in Alberta alone. The government might not like to admit it, but this is a crisis. The Liberal government needs to face reality and get involved. We cannot control oil prices, and I am not making that argument, but we can take steps to mitigate the damage.

We can avoid policies such as a federal carbon tax, which would further harm the oil and gas sector. We can renew investor confidence by supporting projects such as the energy east pipeline, which would give Canadian producers access to new markets. Again, this would not only benefit Alberta. It is estimated that construction on the energy east pipeline alone would create 1,200 full-time jobs in Alberta, but it would create another 14,000 across Canada.

The energy east pipeline is an opportunity to get Canadian products to tidewater and increase our market access in an environmentally safe and sustainable way. Pipelines are not greenhouse gas intensive and are the safest way to transport oil, with a 99.99% safety rating.

It is under the former Conservative government's leadership that the Pipeline Safety Act was introduced, ensuring a world-class pipeline safety regime.

Energy east can replace the need to import foreign crude oil into Quebec and Atlantic Canada with a secure source of Canadian crude oil. Currently 630,000 barrels a day are imported to Quebec and Atlantic Canada from places like the Middle East and West Africa, places that are not exactly world renowned for their environmental stewardship.

In contrast, energy east would transport Canadian oil, extracted under Canadian standards, creating Canadian jobs and raising revenue for essential Canadian social projects and infrastructure.

However, the Liberal government does not bat an eye at foreign oil tankers in the St. Lawrence or eight billion litres of raw sewage being dumped into our seaway, but it turns up its nose at Canada's own natural resources. The Conservative record on supporting the natural resource sector is strong, and will continue to be.

Whether it is extracting bitumen from the oil sands, mining coal in the rugged Rocky Mountains, or growing canola on the harsh Prairies, our tenacity, ingenuity, and unmatched work ethic has led to incredible achievements in technology, innovation, and environmental stewardship right here in Canada.

Hopefully, the Liberal government will come to realize that we, as Canadians, are already very proud of what is beneath our feet, and we are already well known around the world for what is between our ears. I hope it will also stand up, shoulder to shoulder with our resource sector, and show just how proud it is as well.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I found the member's comments quite interesting in the sense that, if we take a look at how important the natural resources industry is for Canadians, no one would question the value. We are very much dependent on natural resources. The thing is that the Liberal Party has also recognized the importance of our environment and having that social contract with the different stakeholders.

The previous government did not do much development of that social contract in terms of protecting Canada's environment. However, when it comes to the issue of pipelines, the member is challenging the Liberal government to move forward on the pipelines. I should remind the member that the Conservative government did not build one mile, let alone one yard, of pipeline during its term in office, yet those in western Canada, in particular, but also those from coast to coast to coast, are very dependent on the future of world markets, and so forth.

My question to the member is this. Does he believe that the Conservative government lost opportunities for the development of our natural resources because of its negligence in dealing with the importance of pipelines with respect to the environment and so forth?

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting that the member says the Liberal government is in support of natural resources and understands how important they are to Canada's economy. That is certainly not the message that was received from the Prime Minister when he was in Davos last week. If anything, it was quite the opposite. His words were that the previous government made Canada world renowned for its resources, because the Conservatives supported them and were there to back them, whereas the new government wants Canada to be known for its resourcefulness; we do not want to be known for what is beneath our feet but what is between our ears, totally overlooking the incredible technological advancements in environmental stewardship, pipeline safety, and all these kinds of innovations that were done right here in Canada by Canadians and that have made our natural resource sector such an integral part of our economy. The difference between the two is that the Conservatives stood firmly behind the resource sector, whereas the Liberals would rather ignore it and hope it goes away.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the hon. member for Foothills.

I want to press the point that the shared mania, unfortunately, between the official opposition and the current government and the phrase “getting bitumen to tidewater” misses entirely the economic opportunity for processing bitumen in Canada, particularly for upgrading it in Alberta. The opposition to bitumen and diluent in pipelines will continue in my province of British Columbia and the province of Quebec. It simply poses risks with no benefits to either British Columbia or Quebec, or to Canada.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is great to see the hon. member in the House.

Talking about energy east, for example, this is a pipeline that already exists, is already in the ground. The vast majority of this infrastructure is already there. It is already used for natural gas; this is not something new.

In terms of refining bitumen here in Canada, that is something that I think the private sector would do, if there were a market for it. Anytime the government gets involved in funding something like that, it never works out well. This is something on which the private sector should take the initiative. If a company does ever step forward and say it is going to take the next 20 years to build a $20 billion refinery, then I am sure it would look at working in that regulatory process as well, but that just has not happened.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for the very thought-provoking and articulate speech. He did, quite frankly, notice in the government's Speech from the Throne a lack of mention of the agricultural sector and natural resources; and of course, we sort of focused down in terms of pipelines.

The one thing that the Speech from the Throne does talk about is the need for deficit spending.

I would like to ask my colleague what the economic impact would be, if a pipeline goes through, on government spending compared to private-sector spending and what difference it would make for his province of Alberta.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member asked that question. I had the opportunity to meet with several business leaders from the oil and gas sector last week in Calgary. It was interesting. We talked about the Prime Minister's pledge to give $1 billion to Alberta to help in this time of need, which is really just a drop in the bucket.

They met with the finance minister as well, and their response to the finance minister was that they do not need that $1 billion. They said to get them energy east and get behind them and support them, and they will raise those dollars on their own. They said they do not need a government handout; they just need its support. That was a very clear message, and it is something we should get behind.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Foothills for his informative speech.

Let me begin by congratulating you, Mr. Speaker, on your election in Simcoe North, next door to my riding, and also to your position as Deputy Speaker. I look forward to working with you.

I would also like to thank my constituents from Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock for placing their trust in me to represent them here. I would like to thank my campaign manager, my campaign team, the volunteers who came out, day in and day out, and knocked on doors, put up signs, and gave out literature. My provincial colleague, Laurie Scott, was there as well. Also, I offer a special thanks to John and Brenda Hymus. They are good friends of mine who were with me each and every day of this campaign, and that was something special to have.

Many members will know my predecessor, Barry Devolin. I had the opportunity to work with Barry for the past 11 years, and I would be remiss if I did not mention him. He was a mentor to me, and a role model, and I also consider him a very good friend. I would like to thank him for his ongoing support and advice.

For all of us here, it is a very humbling experience to speak in this chamber. This job has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and I think I speak for everyone when I say it feels good to be here. I am honoured to do so. I am proud to report that just two weeks after the election, my constituency office was up and running. We were taking phone calls, helping constituents with everything from citizenship applications to Canada pension and Canada Revenue Agency issues and of course passports and everything in between. I want to thank my staff for working very hard and tirelessly, getting that office up as quickly as possibly, and getting back to serving the constituents of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock.

I should point out that this past week I was able to hold what I hope will be the first of many passport clinics in this riding. I was able to meet hundreds of my constituents as they came out to talk about not only passports but also the various issues that affect them.

Who are the people of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock? The people there are as strong as my riding is beautiful. We put our hands to hard work, our voices to causes, and our hearts and minds to the challenges we face. We take care of our neighbours. We teach our children how to learn good things, grow crops, make good choices, and respect those who have done these things as a good deal, and to continue to put themselves forward in their community. We are a polite group. We roll up our sleeves for the good of our towns, and we of course take our weekends seriously. We hear loons and frogs when we sleep and, if we are in favour of a louder scene, we are just a quick drive from Toronto. We are farmers, machinists, protectors, environmentalists, gardeners, artists, doctors, tradespeople, and store owners. We pitch in. We take pride in our old buildings, our stretches of natural lands, and common sense. We have history, morals, and intention. We know how to enjoy life.

It is those exact people who are concerned about the direction in which the current Liberal government is taking our great nation. How many more promises will be broken as we continue this mandate? I am going to talk about some of the issues I heard while back in my riding.

Canada, under our previous Conservative government was a major player in the fight against terror across the world. The Liberal Speech from the Throne promised, “The Government will strengthen its relationship with allies, especially with our closest friend and partner, the United States”.

Despite this, the Liberal government's pledge to withdraw from the battle against ISIS has severely hurt our relations with our allies, specifically the United States. Only six months ago, then foreign affairs minister Rob Nicholson hosted an international meeting in Quebec City to discuss the military and political aspects of the mission against ISIS. Today, we are not even welcome to have a seat at that table.

The current government also claimed it “will continue to work with its allies in the fight against terrorism”. How can the Liberals claim to be strengthening our relationships and working with our allies in this fight against terrorism when they have single-handedly isolated Canada from its allies and withdrawn our forces at the exact same time our allies are stepping up their efforts? Canada has gone from a nation that, in my opinion, punched above its weight each and every time to a nation now willing to stand on the sidelines while our allies fight against terrorism.

The Liberals have proclaimed that Canada is back on the world stage. In reality, in my opinion, we are being forced to sit back while our allies battle to defend our shared values. All of this has taken place in four short months, and I fear it will continue to happen for the rest of this mandate.

On the issue of democratic reform, I have spoken to my constituents. They are concerned about the Liberal electoral reform. In the Speech from the Throne, the Liberals stated, “2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system”. The government's same minister has indicated there will be no electoral referendum. How does the Liberal government plan on restoring the trust of Canadians in public institutions when it has already indicated that it will not give Canadians a chance to be heard through a national referendum?

Not giving Canadians a chance to be heard directly goes completely against the promise of the Liberals to restore the trust of Canadians. It is just another of the promises that the Liberals will continue to break. A committee comprised of a select number of parliamentarians studying electoral reform is not, and in my opinion never will be, a substitute for all Canadians having their voices heard directly. The Liberal committee is simply a vehicle for which they can impose their own predetermined agenda without any meaningful way to restrain them.

I will now speak to agriculture and natural resources, as did my friend from Foothills. As he mentioned quite eloquently, the Prime Minister was in Switzerland representing Canada at the World Economic Forum. He was given a chance to promote Canada to the world. Instead he left out some of the most important of our industries: natural resources and agriculture. Do not misunderstand me. Our resourcefulness innovation is an important part, and continues to be, of our prosperity in Canada. However, instead of promoting the many desirable industries and businesses that our great nation has to offer, the Prime Minister spoke just about confidence, and he was positive.

Canada is a rich nation and has a rich resource-based economy. The Prime Minister had the opportunity to promote this to the world, and instead failed to do so.

In Canada, one in five jobs are based on trade, and our Conservative government sought increased opportunities for Canadians by signing free trade agreements across the globe. We stood side by side with Canadians to promote and protect jobs.

Despite overlooking natural resources, there is no mention of Canada's world-class food supply. We are well known all over this world for the quality and security of our food production system. Many in this place will know the name Kawartha Dairy in my riding. Many people line up for long periods of time for that great ice cream. We are now seeing innovators like Mariposa Dairy in the process of completing a $2 million expansion with its award-winning goat cheese. Grass Hill Farms in my home town of Bobcaygeon is a world leader in quality goat milk and genetic research. Its goat products are in demand all across this globe, and we need to ensure that it has access to these markets.

Let us look where we stand currently. We are in the winter. It will soon be spring. The government will be tabling its budget. What is projected for 2016 and how will be its projections create jobs? My friend from Foothills talked about the oil supply. The value of our Canadian dollar continues to drop to the weakest it has been since 2003. The Liberal government promised deficits of $10 billion per year, necessary spending to jump-start the economy. That figure is now projected to be more like $13 billion to $14 billion. Why is that?

In my opinion, the Liberals said in the election campaign that tax hikes to be imposed on the richest 1% would pay for the middle-class tax cut. However, as it turns out, after some big number crunching, tax cuts for the middle class will actually not be recovered by those high-income earners. Instead, it will cost Ottawa $1.2 billion a year. It basically means that we will have increased taxes later or spending cuts, maybe both. Future generations, my children, my grandchildren will have to pay for this.

This ideology has been known to wreck economies of many countries. It has wrecked some of the economies of our provinces. I see a big tax hike on the horizon, and I am scared about that. Since 2008, with infrastructure spending, we have seen $200 million in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock be invested. That has seen new arenas built, libraries, renovation, and the list goes on, all creating infrastructure and jobs. We need to continue that.

We need to work on expanding high speed Internet. We have made a great start hitting that, going all across eastern Ontario and the country, but there are gaps. In Haliburton county there are gaps, and we need to fix those gaps. If we are not connected to the Internet, we are not connected to the world, we cannot have economic activity. We need that to succeed.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Before we go to questions and comments, a general reminder for all hon. members that in the course of their speeches and discussions to avoid using the given names or family names of other hon. members.

Questions and comments, the hon. member for Hastings—Lennox and Addington.

[Mike Bossio, Liberal, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the hon. member on his election.

The member spoke about infrastructure, deficits, and that at some point we have to invest in our communities. I have had a number of community meetings over the last few months, and every one of them has talked about the massive infrastructure deficit that we face as a country and the need for these investments, particularly digital infrastructure. I come from a rural riding, and there are huge gaps in that investment.

Would the member comment on where he thinks the money will come from in order to make these infrastructure investments and not go into any deficit, given the economic climate that exists today?

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my hon. colleague on his election as well. I look forward to working with him in the House.

Basically, the money comes from creating jobs and economic growth. As the government, in my opinion, our job is to have and create an environment that enables private sector growth to build, succeed, create wealth, create jobs and create a tax base, and that is how we come up with that money.

We cannot magically find this money by borrowing, because we know how that worked out for the province of Ontario. The third biggest line item on its budget is interest on provincial debt. How does one get ahead when one continues to pay high interest rates? It does not work for a government. It does not work for a household. It does not work for a business.

I look forward to working with the member in expanding high speed Internet to rural parts of Ontario and in the country. Also, my encouragement, my advice, would be to create that environment that would allow private sector growth to succeed.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the last two speakers on this side of the House for talking about agriculture. Agriculture is not talked about in the throne speech, but the effect in the country is now being felt. Just 10 days ago, the largest potash company in the world laid-off over 400 workers in New Brunswick.

I recently attended the Saskatoon Crop Production show at Prairieland Park. It was the biggest show in Saskatchewan. A lot of Americans come here because of the dollar, but Canadian agriculture producers are very concerned because there is no mention of agriculture in the throne speech.

Agriculture in Alberta and Ontario, as we have seen on this side of the House, has been very important. Therefore, I thank my two colleagues for bringing it up. In the last 10 days, PotashCorp of Saskatchewan has sent a message that we all have not liked the 400-plus lay-offs in New Brunswick.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague's words could not be more true. In my riding, agriculture is a major part of the economy. If it is unable to flourish, I think we are in trouble. We are trouble with agriculture as a whole if, as a nation, we are not able to feed ourselves.

However, in my opinion, we continue to have the best food supply in the world. It is great quality and we see emerging nations, as they have more disposable income, wanting our product, which is a good thing. This allows younger people who want to start a farm or take over their family farm the opportunity to make some money and produce good quality food.

I encourage the government to continue to focus on agriculture. I encourage it to help the people of my riding have the markets and allow them to get their product out. That way we can all succeed.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform you that I will be sharing my time with the member of Parliament for Peterborough—Kawartha.

I would like to begin by congratulating you, Mr. Speaker, on your appointment as Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. I would also like to offer my sincere congratulations to my colleagues on their election.

It is a great honour and privilege for me to take the floor of the House of Commons for the first time to represent the riding of Nickel Belt. I thank the constituents of Nickel Belt and greater Sudbury for their support. I would like to acknowledge the unconditional support that I have received from my wife, my children, my parents, my family, my friends, and the many volunteers who supported me.

Born and raised in Nickel Belt, I understand the challenges and opportunities of small rural communities, and I believe in the people of Nickel Belt, Northern Ontario. I come from a family of public servants. My father and my uncle both served as MPs in this distinguished House. As a business person and community advocate for people with disabilities, I have a passion for enhancing the quality of life in all my surroundings.

Since I was elected, I have had the opportunity to travel the roads of the big, beautiful riding of Nickel Belt, which covers 30,000 km. I am proud of the priorities announced by my government in the throne speech.

As chair of the Northern Ontario Liberal caucus, I look forward to working with my colleagues to address priorities and issues all over northern Ontario. My caucus will have an active role in supporting and advocating the government's agenda on many fronts.

It has been a pleasure to have already met with the 6 mayors and over 20 councillors, as well as first nations chiefs, and many community and business leaders all across my riding. A few of the priorities have been identified.

Infrastructure investment is much-needed in northern Ontario to attract private sector investment in the future. Small municipalities like West Nipissing, French River, Markstay-Warren, Killarney, and organized townships like Gogama and Cartier struggle with funding, engineering reports, and development proposals.

The Greater Sudbury municipality has shovel-ready projects like the Maley Drive extension, with provincial and municipal funding. Widening to four lanes is important on Municipal Road 35 from Azilda and Chelmsford. I look forward to advocating for these projects.

In addition, we need to look at widening Highway 144 to Timmins to four lanes. We also need to look at the Trans-Canada Highway between North Bay and Thunder Bay.

Regarding some of the priorities on social housing investment, I have already met with several community and business partners that have shovel-ready projects and are ready today to invest millions in our economy to create seniors, affordable, and social housing complexes in partnership with our local municipalities. These projects are in Chelmsford, Valley East, Capreol and West Nipissing, and are ready to meet the needs of an aging population.

On broadband Internet, we need to ensure that most Canadians have access to quality high speed Internet. Rural municipalities across Canada and northern Ontario need to be part of an expanded fibre optic network. The survival of rural Canada depends on infrastructure investment in high speed fibre optics.

I will work closely with the dedicated staff of FedNor and local development agencies. I was part of 12 chambers of commerce across Ontario in my previous employment. We need to strengthen investments already made in northern Ontario by FedNor. We need to look at expanding FedNor's role in broadband, innovation, and research investment in order to position northern Ontario and Canada as a world leader in the mining and supply services sector.

The Canadian mining industry is a major employer. Approximately 380,000 people across Canada work in mining. Mining is the largest private sector employer of aboriginal people in Canada on a proportional basis. Canada has one of the largest mining supply sectors globally, with more than 3,400 companies. It enjoys the highest wages in all industrial sectors in Canada, with average annual pay exceeding $110,000.

As an economic engine, according to statistics from 2013, mining contributed $54 billion to Canada's gross domestic product. The industry accounts for nearly 20% of the value of Canadian goods and exports. Canada's value of mineral production is nearly $43 billion.

My colleague, the member of Parliament for Sudbury, and I visited the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation or CEMI, the Vale Living with Lakes Centre, NORCAT, MIRARCO, and Laurentian University, Collège Boréal, and Cambrian College, which are prime examples of the endless possibilities when investing in research and innovative technologies. I have also visited the Blue Sky Agency with my colleague from Nipissing—Timiskaming to look at the possibility of having more broadband across our ridings in northern Ontario.

We are committed to restoring the dialogue with our first nation communities. This is an important matter that I intend to be devoted to as a proud citizen of the Mattawa/North Bay Algonquin First Nation community, where Parliament is located. In the riding of Nickel Belt, I am developing a strong relationship with our first nation chiefs in Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, Mattagami, and Wahnapitae first nations.

I have also had the privilege of welcoming families of Syrian refugees in the Greater Sudbury Airport. The community support is incredible. Our Prime Minister has provided leadership. The families are sponsored by St. Andrew's church and the Catholic Capreol-Valley Refugee Sponsorship Group. The efforts of many other groups, such as West Nipissing's Neighbours Without Borders, continue in the hopes of welcoming more Syrian families.

We also need to reinstate a federal immigration office in Sudbury. I assure members that northern Ontario will embrace more immigration to support our communities and meet the staffing needs of the local business community.

Let us not forget our veterans, which our government has committed to take care of, and offer the services they deserve. I am proud to have 11 Royal Canadian Legion branches in Nickel Belt and Greater Sudbury. We urgently need to invest in our veterans and utilize this opportunity to ensure that we deliver PTSD services that are world class.

What sets the riding of Nickel Belt and Greater Sudbury apart is that it is made up of many small but unique communities, most of them rural, each with its own beauty and charm. The riding is also home to over 300 lakes. It is really something.

I have met people from every community, and they shared their concerns and priorities with me. They have been heard, and I intend to focus my attention on issues that are close to my heart, such as the mining industry, science and technology, improved Internet access in the community, and infrastructure needs.

Our government intends to support CBC/Radio-Canada, which plays a key role in the development and growth of our communities. In 1970, my father presented a petition, here in House, signed by 20,000 people, to establish a CBC/Radio-Canada television station in Sudbury, northern Ontario. We need to continue our efforts and encourage the promotion and use of Canada's official languages. Linguistic duality is an asset for all Canadians.

I am proud of the great work that is being done by many cultural organizations, such as the Café-Heritage in Chelmsford and the Ontario Arts Council, as well as many others, particularly when it comes to the 400th anniversary celebrations of the French presence in Ontario. This reminds us that it is our responsibility to build a safe society in which all artists can flourish and develop their diversity, knowledge and determination.

I am a team player. Therefore, I understand the importance of knowing the needs, the dreams, aspirations, and expectations of my colleagues and the constituents of Nickle Belt and Greater Sudbury. I am thankful for this opportunity and I look forward to working with all members.

[Bob Bratina, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague from Nickle Belt.

As the mayor of Hamilton, I dealt a lot with off-reserve aboriginal questions, including housing and poverty. I am wondering if there is a significant off-reserve component in Nickle Belt that needs to be addressed by the infrastructure program and so on.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, in Nickel Belt, greater Sudbury, we have, as I mentioned, three first nation communities, but we have invested, and also have Cambrian College, Collège Boréal, and Laurentian University, which have attracted many of our aboriginal students for higher education.

We have also looked at encouraging the private sector to build upon the hiring of aboriginal peoples, as I mentioned, in the mining sector.

I continue to work with the government and our local partners to enhance the quality of life and the education of off-reserve aboriginal people.

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the hon. member for Nickel Belt's speech. I know that employment is always a big concern in his riding.

I wonder what his reaction is to his Minister of International Trade because the minister and his party expressed a lot of reservations about the Trans-Pacific Partnership during the election campaign. Now, the minister is saying that the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a done deal and will be endorsed by the government without any changes.

I know that people in my riding are certainly very concerned about its employment impacts, and also the loss of food security and the potential attacks on supply management.

I wonder what the hon. member thinks about this apparent change in the attitude of his government on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this government and I have worked for many years with the private sector. I have had my own business and have worked with chambers of commerce. That is very important in Nickel Belt, in northern Ontario, a large exporter of goods and services all over the world. We are committed to looking at expanding the supply and mining sector to export more products and expertise across the world.

This is something that we are committed to doing and we will work toward bringing this forward and working with the House to make it better for the private sector.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I listened intently to my colleague's speech. He talked eloquently about the value that mining jobs bring to his constituency. As the chair of Alberta caucus, which would be equivalent to what he is purporting to be for the Liberal caucus in northern Ontario, I wonder if he would agree that mining, in all of its forms, whether it is surface mining for oil sands or bitumen in northern Alberta, is every bit as economically valuable and important to all Canadians, not just first nation Canadians, such as the Fort McKay Band, which is one of the wealthiest first nations in this country because its proximity to that fantastic development.

Also, is he not a little concerned that there is not a single mention of the Ring of Fire in the 15-minute Speech from the Throne, which could, and might, have been written by someone in a Grade 8 social class? Given that he is caucus chair for northern Ontario, is he not concerned that neither it nor its economic opportunities were mentioned once?

Can I count upon him to be just as supportive for mining in my province of Alberta as I will be, as a Conservative, for all of these projects right across Canada, no matter where they happen to take place?

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, when we look at the resource base, natural resources are very important. I assure the member that my colleagues in the caucus of northern Ontario are working hard, looking at the priorities of the mining industry in northern Ontario. I am looking forward to working with my colleague from Alberta to develop more of a partnership and to expand the private sector role, and am looking at expediting that process.

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Nickel Belt for sharing his time with me. I really appreciate it.

It is with a great deal of pride and humility that I stand for the first time on debate in the House of Commons on this traditional territory of the Algonquin peoples. It is a moment that will be forever marked in my memory.

I would like to begin by thanking the people of Peterborough--Kawartha for the trust and support they have shown me. I intend to honour that trust with hard work, a commitment to listening to all perspectives, and a determination to act on the needs of the people of my riding.

I came to this place after a long journey. I was born on the other side of the world in a place rather different from Canada. It was a place at war, where human rights were not respected, where educating women was not allowed, and where the concept of a 31-year-old parliamentarian and cabinet minister was unthinkable.

I embarked on this journey with the most courageous person I know, my mother, who along with my two sisters gave us everything she knew and loved and set out on a journey with the sole purpose of seeking a better life for her daughters. Our journey brought us to Peterborough, Ontario, where I found myself, an 11-year-old girl, in a strange land, with no language, with no understanding of the culture I was to live in, and with no friends. It was a journey that was made possible by the kindness of the people of Peterborough--Kawartha who sheltered us, who helped us enrol in school, who invited us to special events, who eased our loneliness, and nurtured us. I stand here a proud product of everything Peterborough does best, and I am committed to repaying that kindness through service to my community.

The list of those who have helped me arrive at this place is long, but I would like to thank my family, especially my mother and my sisters, my brother-in-law, and my six-year-old niece, Leila, the love of my life.

I would also like to thank my campaign family, a team of hundreds of women and men, young at heart, political veterans, and first-timers to the process, who worked tirelessly to make today possible.

I am also here because the Prime Minister presented a coherent plan for real change and provided Canadians with a positive alternative to the politics of division. The Speech from the Throne enunciates a clear path for achieving these objectives. As Minister for Democratic Institutions, I intend to seek change that would create a more open and transparent government. In that role I look forward to working with all members of the House to strengthen and modernize our democratic institutions.

In approaching this task I intend to be guided by a number or key principles: first, that the reforms we eventually choose must be designed to address the interests of all Canadians and go far beyond simply addressing the interests of the political parties we represent; second, that our reforms encourage participation among those who have felt marginalized in the past, including young people, people economically disadvantaged, minorities, and so many others; and third, that reform needs to address people who feel that their voice does not matter, people who feel that their concerns are ignored and that their hopes and aspirations do not matter. Democratic reform must include these people and it must work to ensure that in the not too distant future the membership of the House of Commons better reflects the makeup of Canadian society.

Finally, I wish to address the nature of debate in the House. It does need to represent partisan opinion but with an aim to reach a nonpartisan consensus that reflects the interests of Canadians, and not political parties. The discussion needs to be inclusive, with equal voice given to organized groups and individuals, with opportunities to engage settlers and indigenous peoples, urban and rural Canada, French and English Canada, with input from experts and academics and individuals and their lived stories, with participation from those who know this place well and Canadians for whom political participation may be new.

It is very important that the debate needs to be civil. It is imperative that we disagree without being disagreeable, that we seek not to drown out the voices of those who oppose us, but to engage in meaningful and respectful discussion. This principle is not just about the debates on democratic reform, but must be applied to all political debate in the House.

It is why I wholeheartedly support the Speaker's determination to stop heckling. When I witness it, I am troubled. I am taken back and reminded of the devastating impacts of taunting and bullying in our schools and the anti-bullying initiatives implemented across the country. Bullying is bullying, whether in the schoolyard or in the House. I intend to take a personal pledge not to participate in heckling and urge other members to join me. Our time here is a gift. We must use it responsibly, productively, and respectfully.

In closing, I wish to repeat a commitment that I made to the people of Peterborough—Kawartha and now would like to make to Canadians generally, that I will work hard, that I will be their voice in Parliament, that I will listen and always be open to reasoned arguments and respectful dialogue.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I wish you and the minister a happy new year and congratulations to her. She has been up already, but this is her maiden speech and it was very well done. I think her whip should have given her the full time.

The minister speaks of respect. My sense is that she very much wants to be respectful and have a respectful dialogue here and with Canadians. Surely there is no greater respect to Canadians than to give us the chance to vote on whatever proposal for a new electoral system is being put forward by the government. Surely it is not respectful to say to Canadians that they gave Liberals a mandate in the election, but they do not get to have a say as whether or not what Liberals are putting forward for the next election is acceptable. When she thinks about that and when she sees the tsunami of editorial opinion that supports a referendum, she must be changing her mind from the one she held in 2015.

Surely now, she must want to have a referendum on whatever proposal the government puts forward before the next election.

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Mr. Speaker, here we are in the new year with somewhat the same question from the member.

What I have heard clearly from Canadians is that there is a range of differing opinions. We intend to respect the intelligence of Canadians by engaging in a thorough and meaningful conversation across the country.