Debates of April 22nd, 2021

Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to participate again in this process.

I want to thank all the members who were part of this effort, and not only this one but the previous one and even the one before that, which my comments will reflect on.

The former member for Windsor—Tecumseh, Joe Comartin, had a bill that went through this process and it got to the Senate. However, it languished there for a number of years and was never passed. With that lesson in mind, I am hoping that this process will go to the Senate, and the other chamber will be a little more expedient. I thank the government side for its support of this bill, Bill C-218, as well the Conservative Party, and I am hoping that the independent senators will connect and move this forward.

As has been noted, it is very important to acknowledge that things have changed a little, which is one of the reasons why I think the bill before us has more hope and opportunity than the previous ones. The NHL, NBA and other professional sports leagues have not just joined the process of getting this bill passed, but have changed to supporting it from being opposed to it in the past. That related to the fact that they had a monopoly and a system and structure that were based out of Nevada.

The situation with these restrictions today goes back to the United States and the syndicated crime that created Las Vegas. These were struck down by the court's ruling in New Jersey, which said the leagues should not have a monopoly on something that had been invented. They did not necessarily have a right to it. It had evolved over a number of different processes and was shattered, creating these differences.

We are different from other countries in that this type of regulation has come into effect through Europe and other place around the world. We can bet on our phones, we can bet on our computers and we can bet in a number of ways, but that is sending money to organized crime offshore and not helping the public purse. It is not helping people to deal with addictions or to identify strategies.

One of the most important things that we heard at committee was about the responsible gaming element and strategies to have people be registered through the process to get help, to redirect resources to it and to work with people to flag those problems before they get worse. This is as opposed to dealing with bookies in a backyard or over the phone with an offshore account who do everything they can to bait people into gambling more. What is recognized in this process is that we have a responsible, moral and ethical view in dealing with this, because if we do not, we leave vulnerable people in the hands of others.

I will wrap up my comments by reminding members that we have been here before. We had a bill pass in the House of Commons that was pretty much the same as this one and, later on, we had my private member's bill. We have to get this bill to the other chamber and have to get support there. I am working with members in the other chamber already, and I hope all members do.

If we are working on COVID-19, on policy and a whole series of things, one thing we can do right now is direct money away from organized crime and put it to the public good. We are all looking for, and debating, ways to help with the financial constraints during this pandemic. In this situation, more people have been using the online and offshore accounts than ever before.

Unfortunately, right now we cannot help some of the other good industries that are associated with this, like Casino Windsor and other places. However, the reality is that we would redirect traffic from organized crime. If we get this bill, Bill C-218, passed, it promises more resources and more support to make sure that people will be able to do this activity in a responsible, regulated manner.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Resuming debate.

The hon. member for Saint-Jean. It is lovely to see her.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill C-218.

I had the privilege of listening to my colleague from Saskatoon—Grasswood when the bill was introduced and during the first round of speeches. I found his remarks very informative. I am taking the opportunity to speak today, but I do not pretend in any way that I will be able to teach the House as much he did.

Bill C-218 is actually quite simple. It consists of three clauses: one for the title of the act, one for its coming into force and one that proposes to replace a Criminal Code paragraph that currently excludes, from the definition of lottery, “bookmaking, pool selling or the making or recording of bets, including bets made through the agency of a pool or pari-mutuel system, on any race or fight, or on a single sporting event or athletic contest”. This would in effect decriminalize what is known as single event betting, which usually involves sporting events.

This bill kind of reminds me of a cat, not because it winds up sleeping on a shelf like a cat, which is what sometimes happens to certain committee recommendations that certain governments shelve, but because it has had several lives, as some of my colleagues mentioned earlier.

During the 40th Parliament, NDP MP Joe Comartin's Bill C-267 was never called for debate, unfortunately. During the 41st Parliament, NDP MP Joe Comartin once again introduced the bill, this time as Bill C-290, and it progressed a little farther and was passed at third reading without a recorded division. Back then, the current member for Winnipeg North spoke on behalf of the Liberal Party. Bill C-290 then died in the Senate.

During the 42nd Parliament, the NDP member for Windsor West introduced the bill. Unfortunately, it was defeated at second reading by Liberal and Conservative votes. The Bloc Québécois, on the other hand, voted unanimously in favour of the bill.

At the time, one of the arguments for killing this bill was that decriminalizing single sports betting might lead to cheating. That is like saying that leaving sports betting in the hands of organized crime would ensure that cheating does not happen. It is a weak argument, to say the least. Criminalizing something does not make it disappear. It just drives it underground. That is why this bill seeks to take sports betting out of the hands of organized crime.

In the 43rd Parliament, that version of the bill was passed at second reading with only 15 votes against it. Given that the government has introduced Bill C-13, which is substantively similar to this bill, we can expect Bill C-218 to make it to the Senate this time.

There are several advantages to decriminalizing single sports betting. One is that it would protect gamblers. Allowing the mafia to control sports betting opens the door to things like loansharking.

I will echo my colleagues who mentioned the case of the young man in Laval who ended his life in December 2019. He was only 18. The coroner's inquest showed that the man's suicide was tied to an $80,000 debt that he racked up on the Internet, on a gambling site that was run by the Montreal mafia.

According to an article written at the time, the young man gambled online. To access the site, users entered their name and password on the homepage, at which point they could bet on the results of all sorts of professional sporting events, and even on the results of the U.S. presidential election.

According to our research, the name of the site is registered to a corporation in Panama. This site has been hosted on a server in Costa Rica since March 2015 but did not become active until a year later. Using network management tool MyIP.ms, we can see that the corporation that owns the server hosts roughly 75 other online gambling sites. The site ranks 58th in number of visitors with roughly 200 daily visitors. We learned that the Montreal mafia's sports betting was run by a manager and working under him is an assistant and some bookies, in other words, recruiters. The bookies are responsible for the gamblers they recruit. The interest rate for paying off debt climbs by 3% to 5% per week. We are talking about mafia control and loan sharking. In this case, we are talking about people who lost their home because of online sports betting. What is more, there is no way to protect minors, who can easily access these sites.

If the ownership of these sites could be publicly disclosed, particularly by Crown corporations like Loto-Québec, it would mean that we could also expect more money to be injected into the fight against pathological gambling. Crown corporations also contribute in other ways. They give back to society. For example, Loto-Québec sponsors many events, owns and acquires public assets, and funds cultural events. Society will therefore benefit if we take sports betting out of the hands of organized crime.

Another advantage is that we would be be taking money away from organized crime. During an investigation conducted in Quebec as part of Operation Colisée, an expert estimated that, between December 2004 and December 2005, the Rizzuto clan took in approximately $27 million a year from illegal sports betting. We can expect that amount to be even higher now. By taking this revenue away from organized crime, we would be preventing criminals from diversifying their operations. For example, after a major drug seizure, organized crime can turn to illegal betting to survive. By cutting off this source of income, we are hurting organized crime.

Another advantage that my colleagues have mentioned is that governments could see an increase in revenue from decriminalizing single sports betting. Deloitte has pointed out that within five years of decriminalization, Canada's revenues could go from $500 million to as much as $28 billion, which is a handsome sum.

In the U.S., the industry grew after our neighbours to the south legalized it in response to Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Assn. More than 25 U.S. states now allow sports betting.

Decriminalization could lead to competition. For example, the casinos in Detroit, Michigan, would be in direct competition with those in the riding of the member for Windsor West. Quebec would be no exception, since New York state has legalized sports betting. Gambling establishments in Plattsburgh, which is less than 90 minutes from the U.S. border, could end up competing with Loto-Québec once the border reopens.

In conclusion, beyond all these advantages, we must not forget the gamblers themselves. In talking with my colleagues, I realize that there is interest in sports betting. Many of my colleagues would very likely be happy to be able to make bets legally, if they could do so without contributing to companies that send their income to tax havens without paying tax. Lastly, they could place bets using French-language platforms.

For all these good reasons, the Bloc Québécois will be pleased to support Bill C-218. We hope that this time, the cat will not have to use up its nine lives.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Saskatoon—Grasswood has five minutes for right of reply.

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

Madam Speaker, the prohibition on single-event sports betting is one where we are all well behind the rest of the world, including our neighbours to the south. I believe, and others believe, it is time that we simply catch up with the rest of the world. Instead of strong regulations and consumer protections, right now we have a system run by criminals and offshore companies. Instead of profits going toward the public good, they are actually going to funding their criminality.

It is time for that to end in this country. There is a clear consensus across party lines that Canadians agree with that tonight. I am very hopeful that in a few moments, we will be able to formalize that consensus and get this legislation sent where it should be, the Senate.

As this will likely be my last opportunity for me to speak in the House on this legislation, I want to thank all the members of Parliament from all sides in this place who have supported Bill C-218 through the legislative process. In particular, though, I want to thank the member for Niagara Falls, the member for Essex and the member for Windsor West for their hard work and support on this file.

I also want to thank the many stakeholders who came forward to provide their expertise and insight to me directly, the justice committee, and all my colleagues for their conversation. Since I brought this bill forward last February, I have heard from provincial and municipal governments, industry organizations, mental health and responsible gambling advocacy groups, amateur and professional sports organizations, sports media and various other groups. All of them provided valuable information, which was so crucial to the development of this legislation.

This could prove to be a historic day for our country. The passage of Bill C-218 here in the House of Commons would be a clear indication that the elected representatives of the people of Canada believe that this change is in the best interest of all Canadians. I am hopeful that upon passage of this legislation, our colleagues in the Senate will take up this legislation with haste, so that this outdated prohibition can finally be removed from the Criminal Code in Canada. It is well past time that we do so again.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The question is on the motion.

If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes to request a recorded division or that the motion be adopted on division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

The hon. member for Niagara Falls.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Madam Speaker, I ask that this bill pass on division.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I, therefore, declare the motion carried on division.

(Motion agreed to, bill read the third time and passed)

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Indigenous Affairs

[Jenica Atwin, Green, Fredericton, NB]

Madam Speaker, this evening, on Earth Day, I am debating an issue I raised on February 19 during question period. The essence of my question was to highlight the inconsistency of the government between what it is saying and actually doing when the rights of indigenous peoples are concerned and in the fight against the climate crisis. While these issues may seem different, they are intricately connected.

First, I want to underline that no communities on this land are fighting more for the natural world than indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples are caretakers of mother earth and realize and respect her gifts and her power. They advocate that we must take only what we need, that we must use great care and be aware of how we take and how much, so that future generations will not be put in peril.

In 2015, during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Prime Minister recognized that “Indigenous peoples have known for thousands of years how to care for our planet. The rest of us have a lot to learn and no time to waste.” He said “no time to waste”. Two years later, using public funds, his government bought the Trans Mountain pipeline. The finance minister at the time cited that this project was in the national interest and, furthermore, an investment in Canada's future. This decision not only will devastate critical ecosystems, such as the home of resident killer whales, but it was also vehemently opposed by indigenous nations whose territory would be impacted.

This history repeats itself again and again. Today it is playing out in the land of the Inuit people. Funding the oil and mining industry, buying a pipeline and sponsoring nuclear energy that will have disastrous consequences on ecosystems tens of thousands of years from now are not the work of reparation or climate leaders. Disregarding the voice of elders and youth, hereditary and elected chiefs, and consulting after the fact are not consequential steps toward reconciliation. Inconsistencies, incertitude, even deception: This is the perspective of so many who live on this land known as Canada when it comes to the government's decisions pertaining to the climate crisis and reconciliation.

On this Earth Day, it is urgent that the government act with courage and compassion for the planet and all of the people who live on it. For the youth striking every Friday from school, desperate for a response they can believe in, what does the government say to them? Development and surplus will mean nothing when the last ancestral cedar tree is cut down, when the last herd of woodland caribou is extinguished or when every drop of our rivers is polluted. I can hear the inevitable groans from naysayers now, the ones who will dismiss the words of a tree hugger. How have we become so disconnected from the natural world to believe that we are separate and above it?

Honestly committing to respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and fighting the climate crisis is not something we can do intermediately or without conviction. Canadians need a government that will wilfully, without detour or compromise, commit to the future and the future of the generations to come, one where our children have a right and an understood responsibility to the natural world. We must listen, learn and implement the knowledge of the first people, who know the land, its rivers and forests and how to live in harmony and respect with all forms of life.

The government needs to lead this transition, this necessary culture shift, not in 10 years, but now.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Madam Speaker, I acknowledge that I am speaking from the unceded territory of the Algonquin people.

I wish the member and everyone a happy Earth Day, as it is a historic day in many ways in the issues she highlighted. First and foremost, the Government of Canada is renewing Canada's relationship with indigenous people based on the affirmation of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership. Since 2016, we have taken a range of important measures that contribute to a renewed, respectful Crown-indigenous relationship and that align both section 35 of our Constitution and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

As my friend knows, as she was part of the Bill C-15 deliberations today, we were able to pass this milestone legislation to committee and off to the other place. As of today, nine federal laws that refer to the declaration have been implemented with regard to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which is a very important document. As I indicated, this historical document will now become Canadian law within weeks.

This legislation represents a fundamental shift in the relationship with indigenous peoples by recognizing rights articulated through the declaration. We are committed to ongoing discussions to make progress together, advancing reconciliation, improving community well-being and renewing Crown-indigenous relationships. In a nutshell, Bill C-15 is about protecting and promoting indigenous rights, including the rights to self-determination and self-government, equality and non-discrimination on the basis of forging stronger relationships with first nations, Inuit and Métis.

The Government of Canada has developed or updated policies and guidance to be consistent with both the declaration and Canada's constitutional framework. These policies assist federal officials in their work when it involves indigenous peoples and helps contribute to the implementation of the declaration. We are at over 150 active negotiation tables with more than 500 communities representing over one million indigenous people to support their visions of self-determination. Our government has also co-developed a new, innovative recognition of rights policy framework with the B.C. government and the First Nations Summit to improve the treaty process and better advance self-determination in British Columbia.

Our government remains committed to a renewed and respectful relationship with indigenous people.

[Jenica Atwin, Green, Fredericton, NB]

Madam Speaker, my hope is that in advancing indigenous rights, we will also move toward addressing the climate crisis as well. We must think about what is truly at stake here, think about our children.

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change has mentioned his daughter many times in his speeches. He has even mentioned how she has urged him to do more. The youth are the ones who bring me hope when I feel defeated. They are the ones who give me the energy to use my voice to be part of the solution. They are the leaders of today because they understand the emergency. Grade three curriculum covers life cycles, biodiversity, endangered species. They get it. Why can our elected leaders not get it?

From young Anishinabe activist, Autumn Peltier, fighting for clean water for all, to the Loïck Thomas in New Brunswick, who by the age of four had personally collected 1,000 bags of litter, they remind me that this willingness to protect the environment and the curiosity about the world surrounding us is inherent in the human spirit.

The government needs to act in the best interests of the youth of our country, the ones who will have to find the solutions to the catastrophic problems our government is not courageous to face head-on now.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Madam Speaker, we share in the vision of the member opposite. Today, in Washington, the Prime Minister committed at the Earth Summit to reduce and to meet our targets set in Paris and exceed it by 2030, and also to meet our 2050 net-zero emission targets. This is a historical day in many ways.

I want to reiterate that our government passed key legislation to support indigenous languages, affirming indigenous jurisdictions over child welfare and introduced legislation to implement UNDRIP. It has progressed through the legislative process in the last several days.

While we have made a lot of progress together, we know that much more work needs to be done to build on the investments we made and to keep moving this important relationship and our country forward.

Health

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Madam Speaker, words that I am hearing from my riding are: frustration, anger, hopeless, discontent, confusion, despondency, depressed, isolated, weary. The words that we use now are: masks, front-line workers, no masks, family maybe, flu, COVID-19, variants, international travel, no travel, bubble, lockdown, no bubble, restrictions, health care workers, protection, quarantine, border closure, exemptions, hotel quarantine, tickets for being out, businesses open, no funerals, businesses permanently closed, schools open, vaccine passport, mandatory vaccines, shortage, distribution, safety concerns, too few, too many, on and on.

It is at the point that a lot of my constituents no longer trust mainstream media or they are so tired of the negativity that is in it. My constituents are looking for alternate media, looking for alternate things they can find out. They are looking in Google search. They are tired of this and they are weary. Have we lost our social skills because we are lost in Zoom?

Then we have the vaccines recently. I had the first shot, and now we are talking about a four-month delay when we have heard we need to have them in a month. South of the border, they get them in a month.

We talk about the U.S., the U.K., better one day, worse another. We talk about foreign sources. We talk about Canadian sources. We play a crazy numbers game such as we are ranked 42nd, or we are ranked third, or we are ranked fifth. It goes on and on. We talk about science and non-science.

Governments have and are creating the ultimate fear in our society and people are tired of it. They are losing faith in our government, which is charged with providing a safe and secure society. They are desperate for a different leadership to give them hope. This is not about writing and handing out cheques from taxpayer money, which will be paid in the future by our kids and our grandkids. Parliament has been dysfunctional for 13 months. They are looking for a government to provide leadership, a change. They are tired and weary and living in a world of fear. Canadians want positive direction and hope.

That goes along with Trikafta and cystic fibrosis. We have had drugs approved in a short time. This happens by other companies outside, getting drugs developed and all of a sudden they are in Canada and quickly approved. We have a group of people who are so susceptible to germs like COVID-19. There is a drug that has been approved and used in many other countries that is life-changing. However, what happens in Canada? We get stalled in the federal health bureaucracy of approvals. Then there is the step of working with provinces. However, with the vaccines, we seem to get them approved very quickly and for use in the provinces by their health units. Why can we not get this done with Trikafta. It is a life-saving drug and a really good one.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, let me start where my hon. colleague left off regarding the approval process and our regulators at Health Canada.

The member spoke about Canadians needing to trust, understand and feel hope. While I have a lot of respect for the member opposite as a parliamentarian and I know he has a role to play, I think the diatribe he just went through is quite detrimental to helping Canadians feel safe and secure about our institutions, and in particular about the independent regulators of Health Canada.

If his constituents mistrust the media, again, he has a very important role to play in providing them with resources based on science and fact. There are a lot of conspiracy theories out there. Frankly, there are a lot of conspiracy theories rampant within the Conservative Party and among members in the House. In fact, one of them was removed from the Conservative Party because he seemed to have gone too far. However, there are others in the party who seem to be okay with conspiracy theories.

It is incredibly important that as parliamentarians we demonstrate to Canadians the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and that we have trust in our health regulators. Health Canada is world-renown.

The member opposite spoke about the timing of the approvals of vaccines. That was not without significant investments into Health Canada and human resources. Health Canada officials worked around the clock to ensure that as vaccines were being developed, they were prepared to receive information and review it, given the global pandemic we are facing. In fact, all of the approved drugs in Canada went through a regular review process. We simply put in place measures to speed up that process given the pandemic.

If we look at hours to hours when it comes to the regulatory review process, they were comparable. Thank God we have the dedicated public servants we do. They put in the incredible work so that as soon as the pharmaceutical companies were ready with vaccines, they could come forward to our world-renown regulator and get the process going.

When it comes to Trikafta, we were waiting for the company to put forward an application, which it has now done. We are very happy for that. I know that many Canadians are looking forward to that process. Frankly, there are a number of things that the pandemic has demonstrated regarding how we can take some of the lessons learned moving forward to put in place even better systems.

When it comes to misinformation or disinformation from the Conservative Party, I hope the member opposite will convey to his constituents how safe and effective the vaccines are. They are going to be a major contributor to getting ourselves out of the pandemic so that Canadians can be safe and healthy again.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Madam Speaker, I was repeating the comments of my constituents. This is not from the Conservative Party. These are the words I hear from my constituents.

I am concerned about the health of another group in my constituency: our travel agents. Women make up 85% of these businesses. They are small businesses. They have lost their incomes for 13 months, and it will be a minimum of 13 months before they get money from incoming bookings. They are in a dreadful position.

The Air Canada deal does not protect them from past commissions. They are expressing stress, and they are really in trouble as far as business is concerned. We need to find a way to help travel agencies and address the health of travel agents in Canada.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for raising the concerns of travel agents. I too have heard these concerns, and they are precisely why the budget that was announced this week by the Minister of Finance focused on those who have been adversely affected or most affected during the pandemic, including women. In fact, our budget addressed this head-on.

There are a number of supports for affected sectors, as I said, including for women in particular, who we know have been hit hard. I encourage the member opposite to support this budget and support the funding and the recovery we are going to provide to his constituents and Canadians all across this country.

Natural Resources

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, energy is the fuel of life and thankfully we have been blessed with a great deal of it. We do not have to be dependent on other nations for fuel, which gives us the competitive edge if we have the common sense to utilize it. What I find extremely disconcerting, however, is the lengths to which the government will go in order to demonize the industry. Instead of celebrating the value it adds to our country by generating revenue, the Prime Minister is trying to phase it out. Why?

The export of our oil and gas brings revenue into Canada which helps pay for schools, hospitals, infrastructure and social programs. The industry provides a net good, not just for Alberta, not just for Western Canada, but for the entire country. Those are the indirect benefits. Now let us look at the direct benefits.

The direct benefits of hydrocarbons, which are the main component in crude oil, are responsible for transporting people, goods and food. They are what empower farmers to produce the things we eat and they are what support many of the medicines that extend human life. They are found in the products that we rely on each and every day, such as eyeglasses, health care equipment and vehicles.

The Liberals like to talk about a greener future, but they are completely misrepresenting the facts. If they want to get rid of hydrocarbons, then we will be living in a world without PPE, without vital medical equipment, without syringes and without sanitary packaging. Let that sink in for a moment. They dumb down the conversation to almost caveman-like language like “this good” or “that bad”. They paint our oil and gas sector with a broad stroke of black as if it is something to be ashamed of.

What they intentionally fail to highlight, however, are the innovations and the technological breakthroughs that reduce carbon emissions. They do not speak about our incredibly high environmental standards, our safety standards or our human rights standards. It is vitally important to take a comprehensive look at these factors, because if we do not improve and build up the energy sector in our own country, then we have to ask ourselves what the alternative is.

It is to increase energy production and exports from other countries, countries like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, where there are no environmental protections and horrific human rights atrocities that take place on a daily basis. That is not to mention the tremendous damage that is done to the environment by transporting barge after barge of oil across the ocean.

The world is going to need oil for a long time to come. In fact, demand is estimated to increase by 19% by 2040. This is because as developing countries rise out of poverty and their standards of living improve, their need for oil and gas goes up. Canada has an opportunity. If these countries are not going to get their gas and oil from us, then they will go elsewhere.

If the Prime Minister genuinely cares about reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, then the obvious action is to boost production in our own country where the industry works hard to reduce environmental impact and improve performance through constant innovation. Why the Prime Minister continues to annihilate this sector absolutely confounds me.

Canada has the opportunity to be a leader and a responsible resource supplier to countries around the globe. Boosting our oil and gas industry would not only help the rest of the world by supplying clean energy produced under the strictest environmental standards with safe working conditions, but it would also bring an incredible amount of wealth into our nation.

In Canada, we are very proud of our social safety net and our national health care system, but these big-ticket items cost a lot of money to run effectively. When the government works to cancel energy projects or kill pipelines and demonizes the energy industry, it effectively puts our welfare systems at risk. Canada deserves better.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, let me start off by saying that the member opposite is completely wrong. Our government actually pushed for and supported a different outcome when it came to the Keystone XL pipeline. We are working with the Biden administration to support our energy workers and our energy sector.

We also made clear to the Alberta government of the day that we would continue to be there to support affected workers, families and communities, just as we have had their backs through the shock of the last year, the global price war and on the heels of the pandemic. However, we now have a responsibility to these workers and to all Canadians to build on our relationship with Canada's number one energy customer.

It is important for us to focus on three areas. I will use the example of Canada and the U.S., where our interests are intertwined, to get to the point of the member's question, which is in regard to making sure that Canada is not left behind. First, both governments are determined to work together to, for example, defeat COVID and build our economies back. This will include working with the energy sector, ensuring it is part of the recovery and is prepared to play a role in the energy transformation.

The second area is climate. President Biden has declared this crisis a national security concern, and once again wants the United States to be our ally in this. We have already proven that with a robust climate policy in place in Canada, which is supported by Canadian industry, including many senior oil patch executives. We saw evidence today of the special bond Canada shares with the U.S. on climate policy.

Third is economic integration. The Canada-U.S. relationship goes far beyond single projects. In fact, we are one of the world's most productive and mutually beneficial bilateral relationships. Our entrepreneurs and innovators, as we fully acknowledge, already co-operate on finding clean tech breakthroughs in areas like carbon capture. Our auto industries have been deeply integrated for generations. Energy is at the epicentre of this partnership, supporting many thousands of jobs out west and across the country.

Canada happens to be the largest and most secure foreign source of energy for the United States. Those sources include crude oil, natural gas, hydroelectricity and uranium. Our experts matter to Americans. We can provide carbon-free and affordable hydroelectricity to millions of American homes.

It is not only this innovation, but also our acknowledgement of climate change, that will ensure that as Canadians, we will have energy sector workers' backs. We will be there to support them.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, Canada has the third largest crude oil reserve in the world, yet we import billions of dollars worth of oil from foreign suppliers. Currently, more than half of the oil used in Quebec and Atlantic Canada is imported from countries like the United States, Saudi Arabia, the Russian Federation, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast.

By restricting Canada's oil and gas industry through legislation and bulldozing pipeline projects, the Prime Minister is indirectly boosting production in other countries, where poor environmental regulations exist and massive human atrocities take place. The Prime Minister would rather boost the production of blood oil overseas than support the production of ethical oil right here in his own backyard.

Canadians do deserve better. Canadians deserve a Prime Minister who will secure a future in the energy sector.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Madam Speaker, once again, let us point out the facts.

Let us use the example of U.S. and Canada. We have more than 70 pipelines and 30-odd transmission lines that connect us. We are each other's top energy supplier in virtually every energy source, including oil, gas and hydroelectricity. In doing this, we are partners in energy security. As well, we are making sure that families on both sides of the border can heat and light their homes, and that we can power industries and keep workers employed.

We are absolutely committed to making sure that we can build our partnerships and create good jobs at home. At the same time, we are ensuring that we protect the environment and live up to our climate change commitments.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:08 p.m.)