House of Commons Hansard #7 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pandemic.

Topics

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11 a.m.

Conservative

Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Mr. Speaker, my colleague talked about climate change. As Canada is only 1.8% of the global problem with emissions, if we were to remove Canada's emissions, China would replace our emissions in a matter of weeks.

I wonder if she would commit to the fact that we need to take the fight global, but with Canadian energy and solutions, and not vilify what we do in Canada.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11 a.m.

Liberal

Kate Young Liberal London West, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is so important for people who are in provinces with energy and natural resources, and they all do but some more than others, to know that we are on their side and are there for them, to work with them to look for a cleaner, greener Canada. That is what is in the best interest of all of us. We know that we can do more. We need to continue working with the provinces and with the oil and gas sector to find new ways to make our country greener and better for all.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11 a.m.

Bloc

Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech.

She spoke about the health crisis, of course, and also about the climate crisis. We must connect the dots: the health crisis is the result of the climate crisis.

We will be celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, but what about our targets?

I would like to point out that more than a third of economic recovery measures in Germany, France and the European Union are focused on a green recovery.

Before the throne speech, the government announced that it would announce ambitious plans for a green recovery. There really isn't much in the throne speech in that regard. During the lockdown, and since March, Canada has made disproportionate investments in fossil fuels.

I would like to understand the logic of her speech. We must avoid a climate disaster. How will Canada help prevent this disaster?

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Kate Young Liberal London West, ON

Mr. Speaker, speaking about how climate and health are so connected, I spoke with some pediatricians in London just this week about their concerns on the well-being and health of children and how it is affected by climate change. We have to remember that it very much affects our young people. We cannot look back. As a government, we are doing many things to help improve what is already being done to ensure we meet and exceed the targets we have set for 2030 and 2050.

Together we will achieve great things.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:05 a.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Mr. Speaker, I, like many members of Parliament, have been in regular contact with the chambers of commerce in my riding. The two biggest fixed costs for small businesses are labour and rent.

I am glad to see that the emergency wage subsidy will be extended, as outlined in the throne speech. However, commercial rental assistance was not mentioned. I am thinking of small businesses in my riding like V2V Black Hops Brewing or Sports Traders Duncan, both of which are facing financial ruin because they have uncooperative landlords.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development is in a position of authority to answer this question. What is her government going to do to fix this delinquent program to ensure that people who are facing troubles with their commercial rent can access this program and are not dependent on uncooperative landlords?

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Kate Young Liberal London West, ON

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague's question is an important one. As MPs, we know this has been a concern. The rent subsidy program has helped many, over 120,000 Canadian small businesses, representing over a million jobs. We know that some people are doing well because of this program.

Can we do better? Yes. We need to continue working with the provinces, as rent is under their control, to ensure they understand how important it is to encourage people who rent buildings, commercial tenants, and to give them a break. They need to continue that throughout the COVID crisis. It is not going to end soon and these people need our support.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure to appear before the House today to speak to our government's Speech from the Throne and why I believe it presents the best plan possible for Canadians who need support during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Our government's plan will ensure not only that our economy can rebound once COVID has been beaten, but that we come back as a stronger, greener, more inclusive Canada.

I am proud of the great solidarity and resilience that the people of Châteauguay—Lacolle have demonstrated during this difficult time. From the beginning of the lockdown, many volunteers and community groups stepped up to help those who were most affected by the health crisis. Terrific organizations such as Sourire sans Fin in Saint-Rémi and the Centre d'action bénévole du grand Châteauguay provided services, such as much needed food to local families, and the coordination of personal outreach calls to seniors confined to their homes. I was very pleased to see our government sent supplemental funds out to these and other groups in our regions that were providing emergency relief.

I also want to take this opportunity in the House to thank the front-line health and essential services workers in our region who worked tirelessly to ensure our health and safety and for their continued dedication to the public good.

With the sudden lockdown, many people found themselves, through no fault of their own, without work or the possibility of finding work. Providing income replacement to the unemployed, self-employed and gig workers was our top priority in March 2020.

With the rapid rollout of the emergency relief benefit, Canadians could breathe a sigh of relief. Many in my riding called and wrote me to tell me how much the CERB helped them and their families cope with the financial insecurity of this crisis. It helped them to do what they needed to do to keep themselves and their families safe during the first six months of this crisis.

I do not have to tell members that the COVID-19 lockdown was a huge shock for businesses. In my region, my team and I worked with farmers, manufacturers, restaurants and retailers who had to adapt to the COVID reality. Very quickly we were able to collaborate with our regional development agencies, whether municipal, provincial or federal, as well as our chambers of commerce to identify needs and facilitate access to programs, such as the Canada emergency business account and the Canada emergency wage subsidy. These and other programs were greatly appreciated in my riding, and our government's commitment to extending these programs is welcomed.

We have weathered the first wave of this pandemic and we are now beginning the second. We know this will not be easy, but with the plan that our government has outlined in the Speech from the Throne, we have a pathway forward to take bold action on health, the economy, social equality and the environment to build a more resilient and sustainable Canada for everyone.

The throne speech presents the four foundations of our action plan presented to Canadians to respond to COVID-19 and recover from the consequences of this pandemic.

The first foundation is to fight COVID-19 and save lives by doing everything in our power to protect Canadians, especially the most vulnerable. We need to work together to ensure the health and safety of our citizens and to beat this virus. We will do so by guaranteeing Canadians that they can be vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is ready. We will also support our provincial partners and ensure that we have adequate supplies of protective equipment and testing materials.

The second foundation of our plan is supporting people and businesses through this crisis as long as it lasts, whatever it takes. Contrary to what some say, this is not the time for austerity. The strength of our actions now will determine the quality of the world we will leave our children and grandchildren. The best thing we can do is to support Canadians during this health crisis.

Why did our government take extraordinary, but necessary, measures during the first wave of the pandemic? Canadians should not have to choose between their health and their job, just like Canadians should not have to take on debt that their government can better shoulder.

This will be our guiding principle from here on out.

I thank members from all parties for their unanimous support of the measures in Bill C-4, which passed in the House the other night. These important measures, including a more flexible EI program, paid sick leave and a caregiver benefit, will allow us to continue helping Canadians and their families.

By extending the Canada emergency wage subsidy and the Canada emergency business account, we will help companies stay in business, create jobs, support women in the economy and ensure our financial sustainability.

The third foundation in our government's plan is to build back better to create a stronger, more resilient Canada. One thing we have seen is that this pandemic has laid bare unacceptable inequalities in our society. We need to do something and bridge the gaps in our social systems, invest in health care and strengthen our workforce.

Today is the International Day of Older Persons, and I want to say that our government remains committed to increasing old age security once a senior turns 75 and to boosting the Canada pension plan survivor’s benefit.

The fourth pillar of the plan is standing up for our Canadian identity and values. Canadians take care of one another, as we have seen from coast to coast to coast in recent months.

I am proud of the solidarity the people of Châteauguay—Lacolle have demonstrated. For example, a group of girls organized a Black Lives Matter rally with help from our Kahnawake Mohawk neighbours. Since then, a number of initiatives have sprung up in my riding to raise our community's awareness of racism and to support people demanding an end to violence and discrimination.

I would like to take a moment to note the tragic death of Joyce Echaquan, which occurred under deplorable circumstances, and to express my deepest condolences to her family.

We must keep working together to gain ground in the fight against systemic racism and achieve gender equality and reconciliation.

We are proud to champion the values that define our country. This pandemic is the worst public health crisis Canada has ever experienced. The past six months have exposed fundamental flaws in our society and around the world.

We must tackle today's problems and prepare for tomorrow's. Now is the time to remember who we are as Canadians. Now is the time to seize the opportunity to contain the global crisis and rebuild better together.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Mr. Speaker, we are hearing a lot about a green recovery and the green economy. The government made a commitment to plant two billion trees and yet the total number of trees planted so far is zero. I am wondering how outraged she is at this fact as we go forward. Liberals keep talking about green energy, but her government has done nothing on its commitment.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC

Mr. Speaker, he may have noticed that we are in a pandemic and that has delayed certain ambitious projects that we had when we came into government last fall. That being said, we remain committed to planting the two billion trees and I am hoping that he will join me in planting a few in his riding.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:15 a.m.

Bloc

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by congratulating my colleague for her speech in the House.

For me, it prompted many questions about the Speech from the Throne, which she vigorously defended. I feel that there are a lot of concerns to be raised.

If members recall, before the Speech from the Throne was announced, the government decided to shut down Parliament. The Prime Minister also decided to deliver a throne speech. We figured it was going to be something big, because Parliament had been shut down and they were going to address the nation. It was going to be revolutionary and change everything.

We did not know what to expect, but the government had created certain expectations. We thought there might be money for Quebec's aerospace sector, which has been struggling since the pandemic, or the transportation sector. We were hoping for health transfers. We know that Quebec is struggling with health care, the system has been hard hit. We thought there might be money for our seniors, who are isolated and have suffered a great deal.

As it turns out, it was a dud. There was nothing new. All we saw were old recycled Liberal promises. The only thing new we saw—

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton

We need to leave more time for answers to the questions.

The hon. member for Châteauguay—Lacolle.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, who asked a number of questions.

I absolutely agree that some sectors and industries have been impacted more directly by COVID-19. We expect to have measures in place to support them soon.

With respect to health, we just gave the provinces $19 billion, which will help them do the important work of protecting the public and delivering health care.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:20 a.m.

NDP

Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC

Mr. Speaker, throughout this pandemic, the Liberal government has left out Canadians with disabilities. Only after months of the NDP pushing did it promise a one-time $600 payment. However, knowing the flaws in the DTC program, the Liberals designed a program that left the majority of people with disabilities out. Even people who qualify still have not received their $600 payment.

I have heard from so many people in my riding who continue to be left out. How does the member defend a government that continues to leave Canadians with disabilities behind?

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:20 a.m.

Liberal

Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC

Mr. Speaker, the throne speech talks about the issue that has been too long neglected, and that is the whole way we address disabilities pensions and the way they are done.

We have made the commitment to revise and modernize the disability pension, so that it would resemble the guaranteed income supplement. That is going to be an important change for people with disabilities in this country.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:20 a.m.

Green

Jenica Atwin Green Fredericton, NB

Mr. Speaker, the member mentioned greening the future and this opportunity that we have. However, I could not help but notice that nuclear was mentioned in the throne speech, and there was an announcement by our natural resources minister just days after.

I am wondering what the member thinks about further investments in nuclear. We have already dumped $20 billion into it, federally, since 1950. The nuclear industry failed to deliver on its promise to provide cheap, safe energy. Globally, the industry is in decline.

I wonder what the minister thinks about this instead of supporting Canadian gas as we move to renewables.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:20 a.m.

Liberal

Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly not an expert on energy and the different options that we have before us as we move forward to a greener future.

I will say, as a member from Quebec and a proud owner of a fully electric vehicle, in Quebec we are using electric and it is working very well. I certainly welcome more research and innovation into alternative forms of green energy.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:20 a.m.

Conservative

Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time today with the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.

I would like to start my remarks today by commending people of the Kelowna—Lake Country community. Their resiliency in the face of this pandemic has been truly remarkable. I would also like to thank my team in our constituency office and in Ottawa, who work as one cohesive group as we triage daily issues, for their hard work in ensuring that our constituents have been responded to quickly and given information or assistance as needed during a very challenging time with daily announcements and also with Service Canada office closures.

It is also important to recognize the many essential workers who have gone above and beyond over the last six months, ensuring food is on our table, mail is in our mailboxes, medicines are in our cabinets, and transportation is available through transit and taxi; and, of course, our law enforcement, medical workers and first responders, who are always on the front line every day in our community and in communities across the country.

Our hearts also go out to those who have lost loved ones during this time.

This pandemic has created uncertainty for so many. Individuals, families, not-for-profits and businesses are having to make tough decisions and, at times, heartbreaking ones. During the course of this pandemic, I heard from countless constituents and business owners in my riding that the programs the government was implementing simply were not working for them. Families have been separated and many still have limited access to each other. People have passed away, either from COVID-19 or other ailments, including in my family, and it has been tough for everyone in different ways.

The last time Parliament sat with its full functions and usual powers was on Friday, March 13, 2020. I took a picture on that day, which I posted on my social media last week, of the calendar right here after we voted to adjourn in response to the spread of COVID-19. I had a feeling it was going to be an important date in our Canadian history and was compelled to capture it as we were filtering out of the House of Commons. Little did I know at the time how significant it would actually be and what the next many months would bring us, or that the next time we would be back at regular sittings with all functions and powers of Parliament would not be until six months later, on September 23.

Some committees, but not all, sat virtually since March. Important committees such as natural resources, justice and human rights, and national defence have not sat once since March, and many other meetings sat infrequently.

It is unbelievable that the government had the international trade committee sit only once since March. I have been honoured with this as my new shadow cabinet ministerial portfolio. There have been important issues we should have been discussing, causing great concern to Canadian businesses. China still has agricultural products embargoed. Canada's trade agreement with the European Union, CETA, will no longer apply to the United Kingdom as of December 31. We received shipments of defective PPE from China. The U.S. put tariffs on aluminum. There were to be four committee meetings to discuss the trade dispute with Australia over excise taxes, which Canadian wineries and cideries will have to start paying on domestically grown product. This will mean, for example, a new $30,000 a year tax bill to small farm-gate wineries.

It is said that someone's true character shows during times of extreme, stressful situations; we saw the true character of the Liberals come out during this time. They just could not help themselves. Their desire for ultimate control, dislike of governance and the parliamentary process, and helping their elitist friends will be their legacy during this pandemic.

Just a few examples include trying to pass legislation giving the finance minister ultimate power to tax, spend and borrow for almost two years, without debate or parliamentary process; not allowing all committees to be sitting virtually and regularly to discuss important issues to Canadians; an order in council in the middle of the pandemic on gun legislation that had no input from stakeholders at a committee so that all voices and facts could be heard.

We saw another example of the dislike for parliamentary oversight in a process here a couple of nights ago where some of us were in this place until after 3 a.m. Instead of properly bringing forth a bill weeks ago, a bill worth over $50 billion in taxpayer spending, for a wholesome analysis and debate and for study at committee to hear from everyday Canadians and stakeholders who would have brought their voices forth with ideas and suggestions, the Liberals allowed for only four and a half hours of debate and forced a confidence vote.

The Liberals have given sole-source contracts with no public request for proposals. There was extensive lobbying with a non-registered lobbyist, of course I am referring to WE Charity; and they were planning on giving an almost-billion-dollar government program to active Liberal campaigners and supporters, again WE Charity, who showed clearly they did not have the financial or operational capacity to fulfill the program.

I was here in Ottawa on August 12, one of only four times we were scheduled to sit this summer, and I had the opportunity to question the former finance minister. Little did I know at the time that I would be the last member of Parliament to question him prior to his resignation during all the conflict and ethics investigations over the WE Charity scandal.

We are here today debating a new throne speech, because on August 18, the Prime Minister announced the prorogation of Parliament, triggering the second throne speech in under a year. He stated that he did so because we need a plan to help families, businesses and individuals and to relaunch the economy. This cancelled all sittings and scheduled committee meetings. This was a real shame, because I sit on the industry committee and we were slated to hear from businesses and industry associations regarding their challenges and recommendations as we work together to recover. I had submitted several names from my riding of Kelowna—Lake Country to bring their voices and ideas forth.

Where is the big economic recovery plan?

Where is this big relaunch plan that we were expecting in the throne speech? We have been anticipating it for five weeks.

Much of the throne speech looks like it was cut and pasted from the last throne speech, which was 10 months ago. When we add that to statements made by the government over the last few months, there was nothing really new that we have not heard before.

We have a Prime Minister who prefers to give speeches from podiums rather than to govern. This was shown a few days ago. When the Governor General had barely finished reading the throne speech, the Prime Minister went on national television to address the nation, basically paraphrasing what the Governor General had just read but in a partisan, election way. It was hardly a unifying and inspirational speech one would expect from the leader of a country.

Unity and sovereignty are not mentioned in the throne speech. These are core values of our country and have been put in jeopardy by the government. The only time unity is mentioned in the throne speech is when it is part of another word, like “immunity”.

There is a large backlog in the processing of disability benefits for veterans. I received an email late last night from a veteran in my community who had been waiting for years for back payments for benefits. He was shortchanged because of an accounting error. The Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs has not met once since March, and we have learned that Legions across the country are in jeopardy of closing. They have been networking with their veterans. The service of veterans was only mentioned briefly, in a roundabout way, in the throne speech, with no acknowledgement of key issues to veterans.

The government is vague in the throne speech when it talks about things it is not passionate about, yet it is very specific on others. One example is further restricting responsible gun owners.

First responders are dealing with overdoses continually, every day, and the government said that it will “continue to address the opioid epidemic tearing through communities”. What does this mean? There are no actions or policy ideas.

Planting two billion trees was in the last throne speech, and planting two billion trees is in this throne speech. What a lost opportunity this summer. People who were looking for work could have been outdoors planting trees. There were volunteer opportunities.

Businesses, particular small businesses, were mentioned, but there was nothing new or hopeful to grasp on to. There was no inspirational relaunching of the economy. There was only a listing of existing programs.

Our important manufacturing, natural resource and energy sectors are mentioned briefly, but only in relation to climate change. They should be strong economic engines of our recovery. Businesses in all of these sectors are on hold, and not because of COVID-19 but because of uncertainty, thanks to the policies and ideologies of this government.

The throne speech talks about creating one million jobs. Two million jobs were lost and one million have been recouped, but a lot of people are still out of work. If new jobs are to be created, we should be talking about the high-paying jobs that have been lost over the last couple of years.

The official opposition has made many recommendations to the government, which it has implemented as part of its program. I will continue to stand up for what is important to my constituents in Kelowna—Lake Country.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:30 a.m.

Vaughan—Woodbridge Ontario

Liberal

Francesco Sorbara LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, in the throne speech we speak about building back better and putting in place a number of programs to help our economy continue to grow, and grow like it was pre-COVID, when we had the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years, created over a million jobs and lifted hundreds of thousands of individuals out of poverty. In the throne speech we talk about assisting the hardest-hit sectors and getting women back into the labour force, because COVID has very much impacted women to a greater extent than men.

I am wondering what constructive measures the member would recommend to the government for the economy. We put in place the CEWS, the CECRA and the CEBA. There are a number of programs, and we continue to do the good work. Where are the constructive ideas of the member opposite?

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:30 a.m.

Conservative

Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC

Mr. Speaker, we have to remember that we have the highest unemployment rate right now in the G7, and part of that is because of the uncertainty.

A number of programs are still not working for people. We have the commercial rent assistance program, but a lot of businesses are not eligible for it. I heard about this a lot in my riding, and it has really affected small business owners. One business owner's revenue loss was only 68%, not 70%, and that made him ineligible for the program.

The Conservatives made multiple recommendations to allow small business owners who do not have a commercial bank account and are using a personal bank account exclusively for business to apply for some of the funding. That has fallen on deaf ears for months.

Those are two very specific examples, and changes there would be very helpful to business owners.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:35 a.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Kelowna—Lake Country, a fellow British Columbian, for the part of her speech that centred on the opioid epidemic, which has affected our province the most out of any province in all of Canada. I agree with her that there was only a passing reference in the throne speech to it despite the scope of this epidemic.

The NDP has been saying for a number of years that the federal government should declare this a national health emergency. Recently, multiple health experts from across the country and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police called for decriminalization.

I wonder what the member's views are on the two policy ideas of declaring a national health emergency and decriminalizing possession of small amounts. Does she agree with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police that this is something we should employ to try to get a handle on this epidemic and save the carnage of lives being lost every day?

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:35 a.m.

Conservative

Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC

Mr. Speaker, with regard to addiction and the opioid crisis, in many communities more people have unfortunately lost their lives in this way than to COVID-19. This is something we absolutely need to address.

A lot of what I hear in my community is that the focus is solely on harm reduction. This is absolutely a part of dealing with the situation, but there are so many other ways that we could be dealing with this. We could do it through recovery and treatment facilities, for example, but this is not being focused on at all. It was actually in the last Conservative election platform.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:35 a.m.

Bloc

Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech.

She talked about her work at the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology. We are currently into the second wave of the pandemic, and we know that many businesses in our ridings could face difficulties or even lose the fight altogether and go bankrupt. The House was prorogued.

My colleague talked about a recovery plan. I wonder if she could comment on the need for this recovery plan to be green. We need to emphasize the importance of green technologies. The recovery will have to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint and our dependence on oil. What are my colleague's thoughts on this energy transition?

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:35 a.m.

Conservative

Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC

Mr. Speaker, in the province the member is from, there is a very large aluminum industry, which is touted as green aluminum. A lot of these manufacturing sectors are going to be the economic engines.

We have heard that a lot of investment has been cancelled across the country. It is worth billions of—

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:35 a.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton

One moment, please. I think the interpretation is not working.

Is the English interpretation also working?

I will ask the hon. member to finish her thought and then we will wrap up.

The hon. member for Kelowna—Lake Country.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

11:35 a.m.

Conservative

Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC

Mr. Speaker, we know that a lot of investment across the country is on hold right now, waiting for government policies. We know there are organizations that want to produce more PPE, but that includes being able to get the raw materials. They come from the oil and gas sector. We also know there are businesses in Alberta that are looking to invest billions of dollars in other types of manufacturing facilities. This is all on hold right now. We need policies that will encourage our manufacturing sector and the use of the natural resources we have here.