Debates of April 24th, 2018

Public Services and Procurement

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I concur with my colleague that we honour and share the grief of the people of Toronto and especially that we acknowledge the work of first responders.

There is nothing new in her response. I would have liked something more tangible. She need not give me a history lesson about Davie; I know it well, I was there. What I can tell her is that, to date, Davie was awarded contracts because it was the most qualified. This represents 1% of all contracts awarded by the federal government. They are not asking for charity, they simply want the Prime Minister to keep his word and meet an urgent need, especially since we have learned that the Coast Guard has a $7 billion reserve.

The money is there and the shipyard is ready to start working. What is the government waiting for to put the shipyard workers to work?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that the employees at Chantier Davie have the expertise and skills in shipbuilding, refit, and repair. The process is ongoing with Chantier Davie. We continue to pursue these negotiations in good faith with Chantier Davie. That said, we will not negotiate on the floor of the House of Commons.

Our government is committed to the national shipbuilding strategy and equipping the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard with the ships they need to do their job, while creating jobs for middle-class Canadians across our country. We are working extremely closely with Canada's marine industry to maximize the benefits of the strategy. The member can rest assured our government has engaged and will continue to engage with Chantier Davie and other businesses in the shipbuilding sector on future needs and opportunities.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted.

Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:07 p.m.)