Debates of May 19th, 2022

Public Works and Government Services—Main Estimates, 2022-23

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, let me be very clear. I categorically do not agree with the premise of that member's question, and I am very disappointed he has asked it in that way.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Madam Chair, she may be disappointed, but those are the facts.

Does the minister agree her government's neglect is sabotaging the House's constitutional duty to hold the government to account?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, this is a skills set shortage. To indicate that this is concocted is absolutely ridiculous.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Madam Chair, can the minister confirm that there has been a 25% decline in the number of staff interpreters employed by the translation bureau since 2019?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, I gave the numbers that we have who are employed with the translation bureau, and we are working hard to increase those numbers. It is a question of getting the skill set that is available.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Madam Chair, she has not in the previous question, but can she confirm in this question that there has been nearly a 40% decline in the number of freelance interpreters retained by the bureau since 2019?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, I am going to raise myself to a higher level here, which I always call myself to do, and I am going to disregard the allegations. I am going to talk about what we have done for interpreters. We have actually increased—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Madam Chair, they are not allegations; they are actual facts.

Does the minister acknowledge that hybrid Parliament has led to a ninefold increase in workplace injuries for our parliamentary interpreters?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, the interpretation bureau employed 65 staff interpreters and 56 freelance interpreters in 2019 to 2020.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Madam Chair, that was no answer.

Knowing the role hybrid Parliament has had in skyrocketing workplace injury reports among the ever-dwindling ranks of interpreters, which are, again, facts, has the minister informed the government House leader that the single biggest step we can take to avert this looming catastrophe would be the end of hybrid Parliament and the return to regular parliamentary business?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, I would like to point out and thank the interpreters for the amazing work they are doing. There has been a huge workload increase, and COVID has descended upon us. They have been absolutely fantastic. We have implemented measures like the headsets with sound limiters, reducing the length of their assignments and implementing rigorous COVID-19 safety measures. I thank our amazing interpreters.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment]

Madam Chair, we have heard today about the important work of Public Services and Procurement Canada. As the government's central purchaser and real property manager, the department is in a unique position to help reach important goals, and that includes our commitment to fighting climate change. Canadians deserve a clean, safe and sustainable environment now and into the future. The science on this front is clear. Human activities are driving unprecedented changes in the earth's climate, which pose significant risks to human health, security and economic growth.

In Canada and around the world, the serious effects of climate change are so evident: coastal erosion, thawing permafrost, increases in heat waves, droughts and flooding, ecosystem changes, and risks to critical infrastructure, among other threats. That is why we have been hard at work implementing forward-thinking policies that will protect our environment now and leave the next generation with a cleaner planet.

I can say what we have is a solid plan to reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions through investments and support for green industries as we transition toward a low-carbon future. Part of that means we need to get our own house in order and green our government operations, and that is precisely what we are doing with our greening government strategy.

The greening government strategy is our plan to attain net-zero emissions by 2050. The strategy supports Canada's sustainability goals already set out under the Paris Agreement on climate change and in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. We are on track to deliver the largest emissions reduction in our country's history.

We have an opportunity here to be a global leader in government operations that are low-carbon, resilient and green. Public Services and Procurement Canada plays an important role in this regard. The department manages more than 20 billion dollars' worth of goods and services annually from thousands of suppliers. As the single largest purchaser of goods and services in this country, the impact the department can make is incredibly significant.

Our government is committed to being a first purchaser to support the growth of new, clean and renewable power sources as they become available. Our policy on green procurement sets out exactly how we incorporate environmental considerations into our core business practices and drives our work in all of these areas.

This is about using the federal buying power to generate social and economic benefits, and key among those is protecting our environment. As one example of procurement of goods and services with a high environmental impact, we are incorporating elements that address carbon reduction, sustainability and broader environmental benefits. This means we consider things like reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, improved energy and water efficiency, and reduced waste in the procurements that we undertake.

It also means that we support the use of renewable resources, reduce hazardous waste and reduce toxic and hazardous substances when we make purchases. As we show environmental leadership, we can influence industry and Canadians to choose environmentally preferable and climate-resilient goods and services.

We are doubling down on this front in our latest budget, tapping into Public Services and Procurement Canada to develop new tools, guidelines and targets. That means eventually more support for the adoption of green procurement across the federal government.

Greening the federal fleet is another important piece of our plan. Our goal is that the government's light duty fleet will be comprised of 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2030. The federal fleet of the future will differ greatly from the existing one. It will be made up of a variety of low-carbon technologies. Its vehicles will operate efficiently and cost-effectively, and it will have much lower emissions and energy use.

Through the energy services acquisition program, we have already cut greenhouse gas emissions by 57% from the baseline year of 2005, and we are on track to meet our goal of net-zero emissions by 2030. In addition to procurement, the department is also responsible for managing the Government of Canada's real property portfolio, and it is leading the charge to green our federal buildings, a commitment made under the greening government strategy.

I would note that in Canada, building operations and construction materials account for 38% of our greenhouse gas emissions. We know we must make them more environmentally friendly, and the government must lead by example.

We have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our buildings by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030 at the latest. I can say that we are making good progress. We are doing it through green building practices by using sustainable materials, optimizing our space usage and lowering energy consumption.

We are also focused on achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, also known as LEED, and Green Globe standards, which recognize the use of green products and materials. I am proud to say we have several LEED gold- or platinum-certified buildings across the country.

Every step counts, and some of the most basic changes we are making, such as converting all lighting in our buildings to more efficient LED lighting, will have a major impact on our efforts. More and more, we are using smart buildings technology, which means we save energy by monitoring and controlling the mechanical, heating, cooling and lighting systems in federal buildings. These systems allow us to make a real impact by using innovative technologies and identifying opportunities for energy savings. It is improving how we manage the energy performance of our buildings.

In 2017, Public Services and Procurement Canada set an important precedent by creating a carbon-neutral portfolio planned to achieve carbon neutrality across our real property portfolio by 2050, with an aspirational target of 2030, and zero carbon for its portfolio, which includes 360 buildings across the country. To that end, Public Services and Procurement Canada implemented a broad investment strategy to rehabilitate our federal buildings across the country. These are major retrofits that will contribute to low-carbon operations.

The Arthur Meighen Building in Toronto is a great example. Here in the national capital region, work is under way on modernizing Les Terrasses de la Chaudière and the Place de Portage office complexes. Redesigned office spaces in these buildings will offer much more natural light, allowing us to cut costs and reduce dependence on artificial lighting.

The government continues to do more to equip buildings with green fixtures and features, such as installing solar panels and green habitats on roofs, as well rainwater capture systems to reduce the buildings' demand on the city's water infrastructure. These steps transform our buildings, and this change in how we think about the way we work will usher in a new era of sustainable green government.

In another major greening project, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, we are modernizing the network of plants that heats and cools over 80 federal buildings in Ottawa. The department manages five central plants that heat and cool more than 80 public and privately owned buildings in the national capital region, including the Parliament buildings.

Modernization will increase safety, efficiency, reliability and environmental performance, and result in a reduction of operating costs and an estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 33%. Future activities will move toward deeper greening by replacing natural gas with carbon-neutral fuels for baseload operation. This is a move that has the potential to reduce total emissions by 90% by 2030.

These are just a few examples of the important work happening at Public Services and Procurement Canada to fight climate change. Our government has a solid plan in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so we can leave a healthier, cleaner planet for our kids and our grandkids. Public Services and Procurement Canada is an important part of that plan, and I am proud of the work the department continues to do for all Canadians.

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I just wanted to let the parliamentary secretary know the five minutes are up.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Madam Chair, can the minister please detail the measures this government has taken with regard to greening government in order to help meet its international commitments and ensure a healthy environment for Canadians, for both today and tomorrow?

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

Madam Chair, to begin, I would like to confirm that we are committed to real action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our buildings, as is outlined in my mandate letter. We have opportunities here, and we want to seize these opportunities and demonstrate leadership.

This past year alone, we reported a 57.6% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from our buildings, as compared to the baseline laid out in 2005 and 2006. This is a result of important actions to improve buildings' energy efficiency, electricity grid improvements and the procurement of renewable energy credits. A decrease of 19% of the remaining emissions is expected by 2025 through the procurement of clean electricity. That is the national clean electricity initiative.

A decrease of 40% of the remaining emissions is expected by 2025, by modernizing the heating and cooling systems for up to 80 buildings in the national capital region. This is referred to as the energy services acquisition program. Additional greenhouse gas emissions reductions are expected as we continue to modernize buildings.

These ongoing actions, in conjunction with achievements to date, will lead us towards achieving over 82% of greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2025 and put us in a very good position to achieve net-zero carbon by 2030 in our buildings portfolio.

We also have the Buy Clean strategy. As outlined in my mandate letter, we are committed to reducing the carbon footprint and encouraging green procurement strategies. This includes strengthening federal procurement practices to prioritize reusable and recyclable products in support of our goal of zero plastic waste.

We will also work with our colleagues to introduce a new Buy Clean strategy to support and prioritize the use of made-in-Canada low-carbon products. Protecting our planet is a top priority for our government, and we will continue to do our part in promoting ecofriendly practices.

We also have made efforts on the electric vehicle front. We are committed to greening government at all levels of procurement. As the manager of the government fleet, we have standing offers for light-duty vehicles that include electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

In the past three years, we have procured 1,187 zero-emission and hybrid vehicles. We will continue working with industry to ensure we are finding new ways to support green procurement opportunities.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Madam Chair, in my hometown we build the award-winning, world-class Chrysler Pacifica minivan. It is the first and only hybrid minivan produced here in Canada, and something we are extremely proud of in my hometown of Windsor.

I just wanted to ask the minister whether the greening government strategy will have a positive impact, as I foresee it will, on communities such as mine that build electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles.

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, I am absolutely delighted to hear of that announcement. That important investment is absolutely going to be a game-changer, in terms of the production of electric vehicles. Of course we want to increase that and make it easy and convenient for people to purchase and drive electric vehicles.

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

There are 13 seconds left.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Madam Chair, I just wanted to really acknowledge the minister for answering questions all this evening. She is just an absolute superstar. I just wanted to acknowledge that in the form of a question.

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

There is no time left.

Resuming debate, the hon. member for South Surrey—White Rock.

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

Madam Chair, the government has named the F-35 the successful bidder for the future fighter requirement. The minister, on CTV's Question Period on Sunday, April 3, 2022, said, “At the end of the day, when this contract is signed, there will be guaranteed industrial benefits.” Does the minister still say that this is correct?

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

Madam Chair, I am happy to say that in this strong procurement process, which was rigorous and competitive, we gave the highest weighting to economic benefits, and we are very pleased that we were able to do that, because we want to ensure that Canadians, of course, are benefiting from this.

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

Madam Chair, Bagotville and Cold Lake cannot prepare for the F-35, because there has been no contract signed. When will the F-35 contract be signed?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Madam Chair, I am very pleased to say that we are in the finalization stage, and we expect the contract to be signed before the end of this year.