Debates of March 30th, 2022

Public Services and Procurement

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, this is a highly complex procurement. It represents the most significant investment in the RCAF in over 30 years. We did not go to sole source based on speculation. We entered into a competitive process based on evidence and facts. It is imperative that we get this right, and that is why we took the time we needed to make the best decisions for Canadians and for our air force. We have ensured from the beginning that the process was done in a responsible way.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the F-35 file clearly shows that the Prime Minister is not serious about Canada's defence and our commitments abroad.

In 2015, when he promised not to buy F-35s, he was putting his political ambitions and those of the Liberal Party ahead of the aspirations of the Canadian Armed Forces. When he wasted $360 million on Australia's old, rusted-out F-18s, it was to buy time. Even the experts say that the Liberals act based on ideology when it comes to military procurement.

Can the Prime Minister cut short all the talking and immediately settle the issue of the F-35s?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite that we are ensuring that our Canadian Armed Forces has the equipment it needs to protect Canadians.

On Monday, when we announced the procurement of the 88 fighter jets and the top-ranked bidder, this brought us one step closer to a new fleet of state-of-the-art fighter jets for our Royal Canadian Air Force. This is going to ensure that our pilots have the most effective tools they need to do their jobs, to defend our country, to defend our Arctic and to participate in NORAD and NATO.

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday the minister stated that costing is being further refined on the F-35 purchase.

After seven years and $2 billion spent on upgrades of old and used fighter jets, the minister knows that there is nothing to refine in terms of price. As a consortium member, the government has the right to buy the F-35 for the same price as the U.S. government during whatever fiscal year it opts into. The government waited another four months when it knew who won.

Now it is playing for time, saying the price must be refined. Why?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite again that we have ensured and we will continue to ensure that we are taking the steps needed to select the right fighter at the right price with the right benefits for the Canadian Armed Forces.

This is the most significant investment in the RCAF in 30 years. As we continue to move through this process, the details on costing will be further refined. As I have said, we will select the right aircraft at the right price for the RCAF.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, replacement fighter jets are delayed. Replacement pistols for the army are delayed. Polar icebreakers are delayed. Fixed-wing search and rescue are delayed. Arctic offshore patrol ships are delayed. Surface combatants are delayed. Joint supply ships are delayed. Rusted out, second-hand jets from Australia are on time.

When did the Liberals decide to go from strong, secure and engaged to delayed, weak and second-hand?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, this is somewhat humorous. Unlike the Conservatives who cut billions from defence, we are providing our CAF members with the equipment they need to keep Canadians safe. We are moving to finalize the 88 new fighter jets. We are delivering the first Canadian-built ship in 20 years. We are acquiring six Arctic offshore patrol vessels, two of which are in the water and one of which has circumnavigated the North American continent. We are delivering rifles for our rangers. When it comes to procurement, I would take our record over theirs any day.

Climate Change

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the greenhouse gas reduction plan presented yesterday is nothing but a half-measure, some wishful thinking.

The government is still talking about potential reductions instead of real objectives and it is characterizing its commitment to “exploring measures that help guarantee the price of pollution” as progress. Come on. That reeks of promoting oil over addressing the climate emergency.

Why is the government working so hard to hide Canada's oil problem instead of fixing it?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, it is disappointing to see the Bloc Québécois playing political games. The Bloc should understand the importance of working with Quebeckers to create new economic opportunities and sustainable jobs.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in his greenhouse gas reduction plan, the minister talks about reducing carbon intensity, which refers to the number of tonnes of greenhouse gases emitted in relation to the GDP. This is another attempt to avoid dealing with the climate emergency. We need to reduce actual emissions, and it is not fair for the government to be talking to us about green oil.

Will the government finally acknowledge that green oil is like a square circle, a philosopher's stone or a vegetarian vampire, in that it does not exist?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I want to relay to the hon. member that our government is working on many fronts to address oil and gas emissions. On top of the cap to reduce oil and gas sector emissions, we are implementing the clean fuel standard to accelerate the adoption of cleaner fuel. We are putting a price on carbon pollution, as I have mentioned many times in this House. Importantly, we are phasing out fossil fuel subsidies two years ahead of schedule.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it has only been one week since the NDP-Liberal marriage and already there is trouble in paradise. The Minister of Natural Resources wants to produce more oil and gas. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change wants less. Meanwhile, the NDP deputy prime minister is silent on the matter. Look folks, we cannot sit and stand at the same time.

On behalf of Canadians, who in this place is telling the truth?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know if the hon. member caught the emissions reduction plan we announced yesterday, but it is a road map for Canada to reach our ambitious climate targets. It is getting great reviews. I will just cite a couple of them.

The Cement Association of Canada said the emission reduction plan “provides the cement industry with predictability”. Oil Sands Pathways said, “ With positive industry and government collaboration, Canada has an incredible opportunity to help provide for global energy security while being a leader in producing clean energy.”

Natural Resources

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has the most environmentally and socially responsible oil and gas in the world. After almost seven years of the NDP-Liberals stopping pipelines and blocking exports, the natural resources minister now says Canada can boost production by 300,000 barrels per day to offset dictator oil. However, the environment minister's new plan risks 13,000 Alberta jobs and will cut production by 235,000 barrels per day.

The NDP-Liberal anti-energy agenda has already killed hundreds of thousands of jobs and cost Canada billions. Which one of these ministers should Canadians believe?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, the emissions reduction plan is ambitious, and it is achievable. It is a clear and robust plan that will get us to net zero by 2050. When we talk about oil imports, our oil imports have actually reduced. In fact, if the member is interested, the Canada Energy Regulator has said that we have imported the lowest amount of crude oil since 1988 and the majority of it comes from the United States.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I was talking about exports, but the reality is that Canadian energy producers have reduced emissions and increased production over the last 20 years, but the NDP-Liberals have done everything they can to shut them down. The Liberals now claim to support hiking production, but they also plan to cut it. The NDP deputy prime minister does not want any future oil and gas at all.

Uncertainty crushes jobs and investment. The only thing that is clear is that the left hand does not know what the other left hand is actually doing. I will try again. Who is actually in charge of killing Canadian jobs?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, what we have is, in fact, one of the most robust and detailed climate reduction plans in the world. It provides certainty to all Canadians and industry when we talk about the exports to support our European allies in this time of trouble.

They asked for short-term assistance, but they have also clearly said that in the mid-term and the long-term, they are working toward renewables. It is in the 10-point plan from the International Energy Agency. We are working with them to support them into the future and right now in their time of need.

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, like many Canadians, I am proud of our Canadian Armed Forces, and I want them to have the equipment they need to do the tough jobs we ask them to do. That is why I was pleased that our government announced its intention to begin the final negotiations for the purchase of 88 F-35 fighter jets.

Would the Minister of National Defence please tell the House what this investment means for Canadians?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint-Laurent for her question.

Canada is getting closer to the delivery of a new fleet of fighter jets that will help our Royal Canadian Air Force defend Canada and our allies. This will also create economic opportunities for Canadians, especially in Bagotville, where we are investing in modernizing infrastructure to house the new fleet.

This is good news for Canadians.

The Economy

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, inflation is roaring out of control. Families do not know how they are going to pay for groceries or tank up their cars to get their kids to school. The dream of home ownership is now over for millions of Canadians. Ever since the finance minister took charge, the cost of living in Canada has skyrocketed. Things are not getting better. They are actually getting worse.

When will the minister tell Canadians how she plans to fight inflation? Will her next NDP-Liberal budget include such a plan?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives continue to talk down the Canadian economy and spin economic fiction. Let us deal in facts. StatsCan showed that our GDP grew by 6.7% in Q4. Our economy is the second fastest growing in the G7 this year. We are poised to be the fastest growing economy in the G7 next year, and despite the challenges of omicron, our economy's GDP is back to prepandemic levels.

The other side can spin economic fiction. Those are the facts.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, inflation is raging across our country. That is a fact, and Canadians are being left behind. They cannot get groceries. They cannot afford gas to take their kids to hockey or music lessons. The cost of everything is through the roof. We know paycheques do not go as far as they used to. We know Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, yet the minister refuses to act.

This is her mess. She is Canada's finance minister. Will her budget include a plan to fight Canada's affordability crisis?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we will find out in due course what is in the budget. This last weekend, I was at the doors in my riding of Edmonton Centre. Moms and dads were thanking me and the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development for passing the child care agreement with Alberta, and just this week we have a deal in Ontario.

Every province and every territory is now covered, with thousands of dollars back in the pockets of everyday Canadians. That is leadership. That is affordability.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, do members know who benefits from inflation? It is the government. Next week the federal government is going to announce record revenues from higher taxes, higher oil prices and inflation.

Canadians want to know how the Liberal-NDP government is going to use this windfall. Will it provide relief to Canadians through tax holidays? Will it reduce the size of the deficit, or will it just spend more money, which everyone agrees is going to create more inflation?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, our record is clear when it comes to supporting the most vulnerable Canadians with the cost of living. We introduced the Canada child benefit, which is indexed to inflation, and lifted 300,000 children out of poverty. Our government increased the guaranteed income supplement, which is also indexed to inflation and has helped over 900,000 seniors. From 2015, when we formed government, to 2019, we raised 1.38 million Canadians out of poverty. That is leadership. That is focus on affordability.