Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester.
It is with great pleasure that I rise today to highlight the strategic importance of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, CPTPP, to illustrate why its expansion, with the United Kingdom's accession, offers a historic opportunity for Canada, for Quebec, and most importantly, for the very beautiful Lower Laurentians region which I have the honour to represent.
This agreement is not just a trade document. It is the symbol of a vision of a Canada that assumes its full responsibilities on the international stage, a Canada that diversifies its markets, a Canada that exports its skills and values, and a Canada that is building for future prosperity in collaboration with strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
The economic centre of gravity is moving towards Asia. Indo-Pacific countries now account for more than half of global economic growth. More than two billion new consumers will join the region's middle class over the next decade.
That is why the CPTPP is not an option. It is a necessity. It gives Canada preferential access to these growing markets and an opportunity to bring down tariff barriers that are hindering our businesses and to take an active part in defining the rules of international trade in the 21st century.
I also want to acknowledge the leadership of our Prime Minister, who is currently in Malaysia. I had the opportunity to visit Malaysia myself during a parliamentary mission in 2018. I was already a member of the Standing Committee on International Trade back then. The fact that Canada is there on the ground demonstrates our serious commitment to this strategic partnership.
One of the greatest privileges of serving on the Standing Committee on International Trade is the pleasure of meeting our partners over the years, listening to their priorities and getting a first-hand look at the opportunities available to our workers and businesses.
In 2018, I took part in a diplomatic economic mission to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I visited CAE, the same company that the Prime Minister just visited. CAE is a company that Quebec and Canada can be proud of. As a world leader in flight simulation technology, it exports not only products, but also know-how, engineering and intellectual property. These are not just jobs for today, but jobs for the future. My son Simon is a commercial pilot. He trains other pilots on CAE simulators in Saint‑Hubert. I am proud of him.
During that mission, I also visited Singapore and Bangkok, Thailand. Those are vibrant, young and ambitious economic hubs. Their growth is meteoric. One thing I have found in many of these Commonwealth countries is that we are not talking about ambassadors; we are talking about high commissioners. The difference is symbolic. In the Commonwealth, we are not mere partners; we are members of the same family of nations. When I was there, a number of those high commissioners were women. That is a testament to the growing presence of women's leadership in international diplomacy, a crucial element that our government actively supports.
Let us talk specifically about what this agreement means for my region and for Quebec. Quebec's aerospace sector accounts for more than 43,000 direct jobs and more than $20 billion in exports. Companies like Bombardier, Airbus and CAE are world leaders. Thanks to this agreement, they now have preferential access to fast-growing markets, without tariffs and with clear and stable rules.
In the Lower Laurentians, our manufacturing SMEs, our engineers, our skilled workers and our technology companies are turning more and more to exports. The United Kingdom's entry into the CPTPP strengthens those value chains. The United Kingdom is a natural partner for Canada, connected by history, by the Commonwealth and now by this trans-Pacific economic alliance.
This agreement enables us to diversify our markets beyond the United States and open doors for our businesses in agri-food, clean technology, engineering, digital technology and intellectual property—all areas where Quebec excels.
When we export software, an aircraft or a flight simulator, we are not exporting a simple product. We are exporting our knowledge, innovation and creativity.
Every time a company signs a contract in the Indo-Pacific, quality jobs are created and retained here at home in our communities, including in the Lower Laurentians.
If I speak with such conviction, it is because the benefits of the CPTPP directly affect the people, businesses and workers of Rivière‑des‑Mille‑Îles, the riding I have the honour of representing. Rivière‑des‑Mille‑Îles is an innovative and industrial riding that is expanding. It is home to high-tech companies, high-performance small and medium-sized manufacturers, and strategic suppliers in the aerospace, smart mobility, clean energy and advanced engineering sectors. These are businesses that create value, intellectual property and skilled jobs every day for families in the region.
The CPTPP eliminated 99% of tariffs, which makes it easier for these businesses to export to strategic markets like Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and now the United Kingdom. In practical terms, this means that there are fewer barriers, more opportunities and stronger supply chains.
These are not just abstract figures. These are local, well-paying jobs in emerging industries. In Rivière‑des‑Mille‑Îles, we export not only products but also know-how, engineering and patents. The CPTPP transforms that potential into real opportunities for our people.
The region benefits from spin-offs from the aerospace sector, which represents more than $22 billion in annual sales and 43,000 direct jobs, including at facilities operated by Airbus, Bombardier and CAE, which work with suppliers located in the Lower Laurentians.
When Canada signs an international trade agreement like the CPTPP, companies located in Rosemère, Saint‑Eustache, Deux‑Montagnes and Boisbriand, in my riding, benefit down the line. Our workers get contracts. Our young people find career opportunities here at home, without having to leave their region.
This agreement positions Rivière-des-Mille-Îles not on the sidelines of the global economy, but at the centre of an international network of innovation and trade that is clearing a path toward new investment, sustainable growth and the creation of high-quality jobs for families in our community.
To fully understand the strategic importance of this agreement, it is essential to look at the numbers. Today, the CPTPP represents an economic bloc of 580 million consumers, which is bigger than the European Union. All the member countries combined generate nearly 15% of global GDP, which puts Canada at the table with some of the world's most dynamic economies. Since it came into force, 99% of tariffs are expected to be eliminated.
I will share some figures. We are talking about 15% of global GDP, 580 million consumers, 99% of tariffs eliminated, $18 billion in Quebec aerospace exports and hundreds of thousands of jobs supported across the country.
These are more than just statistics. They represent jobs for the middle class, investments in our regions, contracts for our SMEs and tangible benefits for families in the Lower Laurentians region and for the entire Quebec economy.
To wrap up, the CPTPP is more than a trade agreement. It is a strategy for long-term prosperity. It is the response of a confident, innovative and outward-looking Canada to the economic and geopolitical challenges of the 21st century. With this agreement, we are finding new markets, strengthening our supply chains, creating high-quality jobs and exporting our most precious resources: our knowledge, our technology and our vision.
I am proud that Canada is showing leadership. I am proud that Quebec is playing a leadership role. I am especially proud that the Lower Laurentians region will be able to benefit from this outward-looking approach.
Canada's economic future depends on the Indo-Pacific, on innovation and on collaboration with our Commonwealth partners. This agreement puts us exactly where we need to be: at the table where the future of global trade is being decided.