Debates of Dec. 10th, 2025

Arab Heritage Month Act

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise to offer my support for Bill S-227, the Arab heritage month act.

There are more than a million Canadians of Arab descent. They are found in every province and territory. Each one has a different story of how they or their ancestors came to this country. No matter where they came from originally, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, Jordan or any of a dozen other countries, one of the things we will find that Arab Canadians have in common is that they came seeking a better life. Another thing they have in common is their desire to give back to Canada.

I am one of these million Canadians of Arab descent. As so many have, I came to this country as an immigrant, escaping the dangers of war and economic upheaval. Here, I have made my home and raised a family, and I am proud now to be able to give back by serving all Canadians in the House. I am proud of my heritage, my Arab background, but I am prouder to be Canadian.

This means I will be pleased to celebrate April as Arab heritage month. I will celebrate the contributions of Arab culture and Arab people to Canadian society, but I will not allow myself to be defined by the hyphen that people use when they call me an Arab Canadian. When I became a Canadian citizen, I made a choice to become fully part of this country. I did not make a partial commitment; I went all in.

Like most Arabs, I love the land of my birth. Who I am has been shaped by that heritage, but my present and my future are found in Canada. As the late John Diefenbaker, the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, reminded us upon the passage of the Bill of Rights in 1960:

I am Canadian, a free Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship God in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, free to choose those who govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.

When one is a Canadian, no hyphen is needed. There are no second-class Canadians. It does not matter what their race or religious beliefs are. Their background does not define them; their character does. This is the Canadian ideal. As individuals and as a nation, we do not always live up to that, but when we fail, we try again. Always striving to do better, we learn from our mistakes.

Wanting to do better is one of the reasons the Arab people want to come here to be part of Canada. We come from a region where old rivalries, sometimes going back thousands of years, can hinder progress. Canada offers an opportunity for a fresh start, and Canadians' values are also Arab values. Looking at the Bill of Rights, upon which the later Charter of Rights and Freedoms is based, I see the values that founded Canadian society and that resonated with me as a new Canadian.

We read:

The Parliament of Canada [believes] that the Canadian nation is founded upon principles that acknowledge the supremacy of God, the dignity and worth of the human person and the position of the family in a society of free [people] and free institutions;

It goes on:

[and] also that [humans] and institutions remain free only when freedom is founded upon respect for moral and spiritual values and the rule of law....

As the Bill of Rights recognizes:

In Canada there have existed and shall continue to exist without discrimination by reason of race, national origin, colour, religion or sex, the following human rights and fundamental freedoms, namely,

(a) the right of the individual to life, liberty, security of the person and enjoyment of property, and the right not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law;

(b) the right of the individual to equality before the law and the protection of the law;

(c) freedom of religion;

(d) freedom of speech;

(e) freedom of assembly and association; and

(f) freedom of the press.

Sadly, in many places of the world, including some Arab countries, some of those rights are not available to the citizens. There are places where none of them are. It is no wonder that Canada has become the destination of choice for Arabs seeking a better life. The lack of freedom in parts of the Arab world is perhaps one of the reasons we need an Arab heritage month. Canadians need to be reminded that there is so much more to the history and culture of the Arab people than the negative portrayals found all too often in the news.

The current political activities in the region do not always reflect the values of the Arab people, just as the actions of the Government of Canada do not always reflect the values of Canadians. Arab heritage month would be an opportunity for those of us with Arab roots to share the richness of our culture in a more deliberate way than is the case now. We could introduce others to the richness of the language, the literature, the cinematography and the food of the Arab world. We do that already, but this would provide an opportunity to share on a wider scale.

As such, let us, as a House, join together to support this bill. Let us declare Arab heritage month and let us celebrate the contributions of Arab Canadians to this great country. In making Canada their home, they have enriched us in too many ways to count. Who are the people whom we celebrate with this bill? They are employers and employees, doctors and nurses, athletes, singers, actors and audiences. They come from all walks of life and from every area of society, united by their heritage and a common identity as Canadians.

I am proud of my Arab heritage, and I am happy to see the establishment of Arab heritage month. I am prouder still to be a Canadian. It is a great honour to have been chosen by my fellow Canadians from all different backgrounds to represent them in the House. Recognizing my heritage, they have asked me to serve all Canadians and to affirm, as the Bill of Rights says, “that the Canadian Nation is founded upon principles that acknowledge the supremacy of God, the dignity and worth of the human person and the position of the family in a society of free men and free institutions”.

Next April, and every April thereafter, let us celebrate Arab heritage month and the contributions of Arab Canadians to this great country. Since the 1880s, Arab Canadians have been enriching our nation, adding their ideas, energy and values to make this the best country in the world. As I have said before, Canada is an example of what a society can be when the people celebrate their heritage without forgetting what unites them in common purpose. Let us celebrate Arab heritage month, whoever we are and wherever we are from.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that the Bloc Québécois supports the principle of Bill S-227, which establishes Arab heritage month. Bill S-227 is a reincarnation of Bill C-232 from the 44th Parliament, which the Senate had not finished studying before dissolution in March 2025. Therefore, the House has already dealt with the bill's content at every stage of the legislative process between February 2022 and March 2023.

The Bloc Québécois participated in debating and studying this bill in committee and voted in favour of adopting it. We therefore reiterate our support for recognizing the cultural heritage of Quebeckers of Arab origin or who speak Arabic. The Bloc Québécois would like to highlight the outstanding contribution that Arab Quebeckers have made to Quebec society and Quebec culture. We would also like to remind members of the unique economic, political and cultural ties between Quebec and the countries of the Maghreb, as evidenced by the co-operation agreement on education and training between the Government of Quebec and the Government of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.

The success of immigrants admitted to Quebec in recent years from countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Syria—as evidenced by statistics—is a sign of the importance of French language proficiency in ensuring successful immigration to Quebec. The Bloc Québécois has not forgotten that Canadian laws discriminating against Asian populations, in force from 1910 to 1950, had a negative impact on Arab immigration. At that time, Syrians were lumped into the Asian category. We acknowledge the courage of citizens of Arab origin at the time, particularly those who took political action to change laws and attitudes and promote the successful integration of new citizens of Arab origin.

Ultimately, it is questionable whether Canadians of Arab origin and Quebeckers of Arab origin share the same history, particularly since the Quiet Revolution and the adoption of the Charter of the French Language. That difference is precisely because of the special bond that unites Quebeckers of all origins and that shapes our shared history, namely our shared French language and Quebec culture.

Nevertheless, Quebec's history from 1882, which is when Arab immigrants first began arriving in Montreal, to the present day is also part of Canada's history, and Arab Canadians outside Quebec also have their own history. The Bloc Québécois welcomes the House of Commons' recognition of Arab heritage and its cultural contribution to our respective nations, the Canadian nation and the Quebec nation.

In reference to Arab Canadians and Arab Muslim communities, the text of the bill paints a picture of Arab populations in Quebec and Canada that does not entirely reflect reality, suggesting that the Arab diaspora forms a uniform community across Canada. This approach is not surprising, since it is consistent with the Canadian multiculturalist vision, which portrays the population of Canada as a vast cultural mosaic that is not influenced by the existence of nations within Canada. However, the respective national realities of Quebec and Canada do in fact influence how successive waves of immigrants have been welcomed over the decades.

While Canadian immigration laws and policies were applied across the entire country and influenced the pace of Arab immigration during what could be called its golden age, Quebec's explicit desire to strengthen its ties with the Maghreb countries and promote French-speaking immigration, which it has expressed since the Quiet Revolution, has necessarily had an impact on the trajectory of Arab immigration to Quebec that distinguishes it from the rest of Canada. Above all, and this cannot be emphasized enough, linguistic and cultural factors alone are enough to make a definite distinction between the life experiences of Arab Quebeckers and those of Arab Canadians. In fact, they do not integrate into the same society. Immigrant populations settling in Canada outside Quebec integrate into Canadian society, in other words, the English-speaking majority. Immigrant populations settling in Quebec integrate into Quebec society, or the French-speaking majority.

Given the historical factors that explain why many Arab populations already share a francophone culture, it is normal for integration paths to differ depending on whether people settle in Quebec or Canada. It is entirely appropriate to recognize the cultural heritage of people of Arab origin in Quebec and Canada. That is why the Bloc Québécois intends to support the principle of Bill S‑227. I would simply like to point out that it is unnecessary to equate Quebeckers and Canadians as if they were part of a single community, “Arab Canadians” as the bill seems to mistakenly suggest.

We plan on supporting the bill while also fully emphasizing the unique contribution that Arab Quebeckers make to Quebec society and the crucial role the French language plays in their successful integration. I will conclude by inviting all members of the House to read Rachida Azdouz's highly enlightening book called Panser le passé, penser l'avenir: racisme et antiracismes. It is a fundamental contribution to cultural reconciliation that demonstrates the richness of both Arab and Québécois intellectual traditions.

[Karim Bardeesy, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak to the bill before us today, and to speak to the proud history of Arabs and Arab Canadians in Canada. I will try to contextualize how we can come to a moment at this time in 2025 when we have the prospect of an Arab heritage month but not yet an Arab heritage month for Canada.

My colleague for York South—Weston—Etobicoke described in some detail the history of the community in Canada, or more properly perhaps, the history of the communities in Canada. To our knowledge, the Arabs, or more specifically Syrian and Lebanese immigrants, began to arrive in Canada in small numbers beginning in the 1880s, but the real waves of immigration began in the 1950s and 1960s. As we know from the history of immigration in this country, there were certain groups in the pre-1960s era who were more welcome in Canada than others.

The case of Arab Canadians and Arabs in Canada is a special case. I self-identify as Arab and I know some members of the House on both sides of the aisle also do. Thinking of the Arab world requires a bit of a feat of imagination. The Arab world is a geographical area, but it is quite a sprawling geographical area that starts in the west part of north Africa and goes all the way through the Levant and the holy lands and a bit further east into what we sometimes call west Asia.

Arab Canadians and Arabs are often identified with the Arabic language, a very beautiful language that is spoken in a rich array of dialects. Some parts of the language are not necessarily mutually intelligible. As we know, in its classical form, it is the language of the holy Quran for Muslim and Islamic adherents, so we have people from around the world who have some capacity to speak Arabic, even if they are not Arabs themselves.

The Arab world is sometimes seen as a geographical construct. My family is originally from Egypt, which was actually in a political union with Syria for a period of time, a confederation that created something called the United Arab Republic. We are a geographical group. We are in part a linguistic group. We are in part an ethnic group, and we are a state of mind, Arabs and Arab Canadians. In the more modern sense, especially since the Second World War, it has been difficult for us not to think of Arabs and Arab Canadians in relation to geopolitical issues, especially in the Middle East.

With all this context, I think it is important to lift up Arabs and Arab Canadians with whatever self-conception they have of themselves. That is why this month is so important. It is important for people who have some background or connection to the Arab world to say, and to have Canadians say back to them, that we see them.

I remember growing up in northern New Brunswick in the 1970s and 1980s. I had a sense that I was maybe a bit different and I had some idea that there were other Arabs or Arab Canadians around. Anyone who was a Maritimer in the 1970s and in the 1980s would have had some awareness of Joe Ghiz, the former premier of Prince Edward Island. Later on, they was a connection to the Zed family in Saint John.

If someone dug a bit deeper, they would learn more of the very fascinating history of Arabs and Arab Canadians, not only in Saint John but in Nova Scotia, in particular in Cape Breton. There are very fascinating connections that happened decades past between Arabs, Jews and Christians in what might be considered unlikely corners of interfaith harmony in places like Sydney, Nova Scotia.

This history was not available to those of us who had some sort of connection to an Arab identity. It was even less available to someone if they had Arabic language in front of them. As we know, many new immigrant communities and many frontier immigrant groups who come to Canada do not have language instruction available to them. It is often the case, as it was in my family, that Arabic was not something that was going to be passed down from my father to his children.

I want to take a bit of a personal tour through this. As with so many immigrant groups, and there are so many immigrant groups represented here, whether it is more recently or more distantly, our relationship to our identity is complex and we only learn things in the telling or the retelling of that history.

In our family's case, my father, Makram Wissa Henein El-Bardeesy, was born in 1928. His family was from a region known as upper Egypt, which is the southern part of Egypt, the higher land mass along the Nile River. Again, just to the complexity of whether Arabs are an ethnic identity, a racial category, a state of mind or a nationality, we believe that his ancestors were some of the original peoples who were there in the Nile delta. In fact Egypt, in part, had an experience of colonization from people from the geographical area known as Arabia.

My father was one of four children. His father was a civil servant, and his mother was a housewife. They practised a Christian faith. Although Arabs are a majority in the Muslim world, there are of course Arab Christians, Jews of Arab background, and others. My father's family moved to Cairo, and as in so many immigrant stories and so many stories of the progress of economic wealth and societies after the Second World War, family members were able to get an education.

My father's brothers ended up in pharmacy, and my father became a physician. He went to a country that had a close association with Egypt in that era of the 1950s: Sudan. He served as a family doctor and was the only doctor in the community in Sudan where he was serving when Egypt and Sudan had a connection.

Circumstances around immigration and the political situation in Egypt at the time led my father to eventually go to Britain for further education, where he met my mother. After a series of moves they ended up in Egypt, where they remained until soon after the Yom Kippur War, the October War, of 1973, when, hopefully for the last time, happily, Egypt and Israel found themselves in armed conflict.

Like so many other immigrant groups, the Arab diaspora is a group whose members often are here because of the experience of war or the apprehension of war. That was definitely the case with my parents. They and my two older brothers left at an early age and were very fortunate to be able to settle in St. John's, Newfoundland, and eventually in Bathurst, New Brunswick.

The Arab identity and culture are strong, but they need to be lifted up, shown and showcased. We know that there are some historic prejudices and that popular media can help lift up the prejudices, especially against Arabs and Arab Canadians. We do not have to be too far away from the present to remember some of the especially damaging cultural portrayals of who an Arab was and was not that we saw in Hollywood movies in the 1980s, 1990s and especially in the 2000s after the grotesque September 11th attacks.

When I find another Arab or Arab Canadian, it takes a bit of an act of interpretation. I have to learn a bit more about the person, and then I eventually land on the fact that the person is an Arab or an Arab Canadian. There is that real finding of commonality. I know that in some communities in Canada it does not take much, because people are present in large enough numbers, whether it is Lebanese Canadians, Egyptian Canadians, Iraqis, Syrians or other Arab groups that have been able to come together and settle in sufficient numbers.

However, they too need to be lifted up and given affirmation that their culture, whatever they feel is their culture, is a strong one that deserves recognition. They need to be told that they are seen as Arab Canadian and that we see the rich history that, again, goes back to the 19th century and the passion with which they bring their culture to life in this country. That is why I am here to speak in favour of the legislation.

I want to thank my friend from York South—Weston—Etobicoke, who has his own very interesting family history of Arab connection, in his case to Yemen. I really want to thank him and thank all members for speaking to the issue in the House today.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour and a profound privilege to rise in the House as the member of Parliament for Windsor West, a community known for its generosity, its diversity and its deep sense of belonging. Representing the people of Windsor West is one of the greatest responsibilities of my lifetime, and I carry their stories, their hopes and their aspirations with me every time I stand here.

Today, I am proud to rise in support of the private member's bill, Bill S-227, sponsored in the other place by Senator Al Zaibak and here by my colleague from York South—Weston—Etobicoke, to designate April as Arab heritage month in Canada.

I would also like to thank the member for Edmonton Manning and the defence minister, who worked on similar legislation in the past.

The bill carries deep meaning. It recognizes a community that has shaped Canadian life for more than a century. It acknowledges contributions that continue to enrich our country every single day. As someone from the Sikh faith whose community also celebrates April, as Sikh Heritage Month, I understand the power of recognition. I know what it means for communities to feel they are seen and celebrated, so I welcome the opportunity to share this month with my friends from the Arab diaspora.

In Windsor, the Arab community has a long and storied history. Early Lebanese settlers arrived in the late 1800s and began laying the foundations of a community that grew, thrived and became an essential pillar of our region. In 1924, over 100 years ago, they built St. Peter’s church on Niagara Street, a place of faith, family and cultural identity. In 1960, the city welcomed its first mosque, built by Arab families who wanted a space where their children could learn, gather and pray. These institutions remain symbols of their courage, sacrifice and commitment to building a better life in their new homeland.

Over the generations, people of Arab heritage in Windsor have contributed to our region in extraordinary ways. We saw it in the leadership of former mayor Eddie Francis, the youngest mayor in Windsor's history, whose historic tenure helped modernize our city and position Windsor as a forward-looking community ready for growth and renewal. We see it in the dedicated service of health care professionals like Dr. Tayfour and Dr. Osman Tarabain, whose work and philanthropic efforts have benefited everyone in our region.

We especially honour the memory of the late Dr. Jasey, a remarkable man whose compassion and commitment to his patients touched countless families across Windsor-Essex. To his family, children and grandchildren, and to the many he cared for, his legacy will be a lasting source of pride and gratitude.

These are only a few names. Canadians of Arab heritage in Windsor include doctors who save lives, entrepreneurs like Tony Sleiman of Vengeance Power, Rabia Kirma of the WE CARE Association of Windsor, and many, many others who create jobs. There are educators who inspire and philanthropists who give generously without ever seeking recognition. There are police officers like Sergeant Oliver Jibrail of the LaSalle Police Service, who came here as a young lad from Iraq and is now serving the community.

These are families who built our neighbourhoods and local institutions and helped raise generations of engaged, compassionate citizens of a united country. Their values, devotion to faith, love of family, generosity, hard work and service to community are the very values that have built this country. They are values that resonate deeply with me personally and with many Conservative households across Windsor and, indeed, across Canada.

This is why Arab heritage month matters. It is not simply a symbolic gesture. It is an opportunity for Canadians to learn about and honour the diverse cultures, languages, traditions and histories that shape Arab communities from Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Yemen, Morocco and so many others. It is a time to acknowledge that the Arab Canadian story is not a story of one group but of many, be they Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Druze or people of various backgrounds, all of whom have shared values and a deep commitment to a unified Canada.

In Windsor, we know first-hand how much the Arab community contributes to our shared life. Walk through our neighbourhoods, visit our restaurants and shops, speak to our local business owners or visit our hospitals, and one will find this community serving, healing, building, teaching and leading. Their fingerprints are everywhere, in the best possible way.

I want to thank those in the Arab community of Windsor West and across Canada. I thank them for their leadership, their generosity, their resilience and their commitment to building a stronger Canada for all of us. Their story is part of Windsor's story and a part of Canada's story. Our country is better because of them.

As someone who celebrates April as Sikh Heritage Month, it is truly meaningful to stand here to say that I look forward to celebrating Arab heritage month alongside my Canadian friends of Arabic heritage. April can be a month of shared pride where our communities celebrate together, honour each other and look ahead to a future built on friendship and mutual respect under one Canadian flag.

I am proud to support this bill. Let us make April a time to celebrate the Arab community, which is a community that has given Canada so much and continues to inspire us every day.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, let me join my colleagues in supporting a wonderful piece of legislation. The member for York South—Weston—Etobicoke has done all of us a favour by working with the Senate to present this bill.

I think it is really important to recognize that, in Canada, when it comes to people of Arab heritage, we are probably talking about somewhere in the neighbourhood of just over a million people. In certain areas of Canada, the community has really grown. It has developed in a very strong and tangible way across the nation. I think of communities, such as those in southern Ontario and Edmonton. In the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, as well as Manitoba, there are strong Arab communities. That is why I genuinely appreciate the bill.

My friend and colleague made reference to Albert El Tassi. I have gotten to know Albert El Tassi over the years. He is someone who I always thought would have been a great lieutenant governor for the province of Manitoba. He is just an outstanding Canadian of Arab heritage. He was very happy to share that with me and many others.

Canada is so rich in diversity. We really and truly are. When I talk about the Arab community or other communities, I talk about how Canada is in a better position than virtually any other country in the world because of our diversity.

I think about how we could ultimately move forward. Although I disagree with how the United States handles multiculturalism, if I can put it that way. I am so proud of the way we deal with it. That is why, when I look at the celebration of a heritage month, I see a lot of good in that. It would provide opportunities for individuals from the Arab community, or of Arab heritage, who live in Canada and call Canada home today to celebrate a part of their identity, their ancestors and so forth. That is one way of looking at it.

There is also, I would suggest, even a bigger way of looking at a heritage month as an educational tool. Back in the late eighties and early nineties, I used to be quite involved in tourism in the province of Manitoba, as well as immigration and so forth. I saw the value of education when it came to combatting racism. The real value of education is there. It is tangible and real.

Thinking of the education taking place in our classrooms, if we were to pass this legislation, every April, every school in the country would have an opportunity to recognize Arab heritage month and do something with that. Whenever there is interest from someone who is on a parent council, a teacher, a child from Lebanon or their parents who were born in Lebanon and immigrated to Canada recently, or someone who has been here for generations, we could recognize how the people of Arab heritage could share their experiences and help educate others by providing a program, a celebration or whatever it might be in the school environment. I think that is good for all of us.

We also see events that could be planned in the workforce. There are many large companies with a workforce that appreciates the diversity that Canada has to offer. We have heard about numerous members, such as athletes, health care professionals and entrepreneurs. In every aspect of our society that we can name, we can find prominent Canadians of Arab heritage.

I would suggest that, at the end of the day, we all benefit, whether it is in a work environment, a community environment such as a community centre, or in our classrooms. When we have the opportunity to enhance knowledge and celebrate our heritage, I see that as a very positive thing.

Canada's heritage is evolving every day, and what gives us our strength is that we recognize first nations, indigenous people in general, people from France, people from England and people from all around the world. That is what ultimately creates and provides us with a sense of identity, and that identity is rooted in who we are as a nation and the values we have.

When I think of Canadian values, I think of things like human rights, whether it is recognizing what we need to improve here in Canada or with respect to human rights abroad. Because of our diversity, I would ultimately argue that we are in a great position to be able to lead the world, or be one of the leaders in the world, at the very least, with respect to providing and promoting things like peace, human rights and even things like trade.

The Prime Minister has travelled to the Middle East and has said that we want more trade. We have a natural asset in Winnipeg. Whether it is the introducer of the legislation's talking about connections on the continent of Africa, members who have strong connections in the Middle East, or the business leaders and entrepreneurs I referenced, we are using our diversity to enhance peace missions, trade missions and goodwill, and are providing a contribution to the bigger picture.

In Winnipeg we are blessed in the sense that, every summer, we have two weeks of Folklorama, a way we can celebrate the world by attending the many different pavilions at the festival. If members want to get an appreciation of our diversity, I would suggest that during the summer months they might consider coming to the city of Winnipeg to really get that world exposure and see just how diverse and wonderful Canada is.

There are a number of issues we have to overcome as a nation, and some of them are very sensitive. The member who spoke before me talked about Sikh Heritage Month. We, as a legislature, have deemed it in Canada's best interest to recognize certain days, weeks and, in cases like this, months, to be able to celebrate, and I would always add the word “educate”, as a way to deal with some of those sensitive issues. Whether we like it or not, there is racism out there. There are some aspects we need to work on with respect to the promotion of tolerance.

I have spoken about Sikh Heritage Month and about Filipino Heritage Month. I know that other members have brought other communities forward to talk about the importance of celebration. I believe in all those celebrations and in recognizing what people have to offer.

Where I kind of disagree with one of the members opposite is that it is okay for people to say they are a Canadian of Arab heritage. That does not offend me at all, just like it does not offend me when people say they are Canadians of Filipino or Indian heritage, whatever it might be. Having that sense of pride enables us to build on our diversity and education. This is something that, I believe, takes place when we have things like heritage month celebrations.

What I have noticed is that whenever we have motions or legislation of this nature, we always see substantial support from all sides of the House. That says a great deal about the type of society we have. I suspect that the member for York South—Weston—Etobicoke will be pleased when we see this hopefully pass with unanimous consent, as it did in the Senate.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The time provided for the consideration of Private Members' Business has now expired, and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order Paper.

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

Natural Resources

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago I asked the government, while it was waving around its MOU, whether it could actually offer Albertans a guarantee on a pipeline and when it would be built, not just another headline or announcement. I was told that this memorandum would set out a comprehensive economic path forward for Alberta. The only problem is that there is no guarantee with this plan. It is more of just a pinky promise. Anyone can make a plan to do anything. That is not the problem. The problem is following through on that plan.

The Prime Minister has the ability to get several pipelines under way today. In fact, that was something that I was worried about after we passed Bill C-5 through this House. He has the ability to provide investors with certainty, so that communities and families can rely on the energy sector in northern Alberta. If the Prime Minister was serious about turning Canada into an energy superpower, as he said he would, we would have had shovels in the ground back in April. He had the ability back then, but even then he would not. This is because the government is not serious about Canadian oil and gas.

Really, the Prime Minister does not actually need to do anything; he just needs to repeal Bill C-48 and Bill C-69, and Canadians would build Canada. Pipelines would be built here in Canada. These are the “no more pipelines” bills. What is interesting is that Bill C-48 is a bill that is a shipping ban. It is not a tanker ban; it is a shipping ban. It is illegal to take oil off the shore of Canada and put it on a boat. That is what is illegal with Bill C-48. It is not at all about tankers travelling through the inside passage or travelling along the Canadian west coast. It is about preventing Canadian oil and gas from getting on a tanker. That is why we call it a shipping ban.

We recently had a vote on this agreement. The Prime Minister cannot get his anti-energy, “keep it in the ground” caucus to agree to getting pipelines built, but Conservatives actually want to succeed. We want to give Canadian families and investors the chance to have certainty from our government, so just yesterday we put forward a motion calling on the government to vote on its plan and memorandum. We thought that this would be an effective way to make sure that the Prime Minister lived up to his words, so we used the text right out of this comprehensive plan and included amendments proposed by the government itself.

If the government was serious about energy and pipelines, or at least about its own promises, one would think that it would have no problem voting for its own words right here in this place, but that is not what happened. Even members from Alberta who sit in the Liberal caucus were not able to vote for this. I do not know why, but the Prime Minister convinced his entire caucus and would not let even members from Alberta vote for a pipeline right here in Canada.

When the government votes against its own energy agreement, it sends a clear message to Canadians that Canadian energy jobs are secondary to partisan considerations, and the Prime Minister cannot have it both ways. He cannot claim to support Alberta's economy and energy workers and at the same time block the infrastructure needed to make our economy thrive.

The hon. members for Calgary Confederation and Edmonton Centre will certainly have to explain to their constituents why they voted against Albertan jobs, the Alberta economy, Albertan growth and Albertan investment, and why they voted against Albertans.

The point of this is certainty, because when pipelines are delayed or uncertain, investment goes elsewhere. We have seen this over and over again, such as with the Carmon Creek project, which was cancelled in northern Alberta. Weeks later, the same company, Shell, announced a project in Kazakhstan. We have seen this time and time again. We saw the northern gateway pipeline cancelled, and they went out and built a pipeline in the United States.

Why does this government continually vote against Alberta?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is in a trade war, one we did not ask for, but one which we must win. In a moment like this, we need to be united and focused on building our country up. We should not be playing partisan Conservative games. Canadians expect more from the House, and we are delivering for Canadians. That is why the federal government and Premier Smith signed and support the full memorandum of understanding.

The Conservative motion yesterday cherry-picked parts of the MOU, ignoring crucial parts of the agreement in an attempt to score cheap political points. I encourage the Conservative member to read the entire MOU. The Conservatives excluded from their motion that Alberta signed up to increase its industrial carbon price from a current effective price of around $25 to a minimum of $130. A report from Clean Prosperity says this measure could unlock over $90 billion of investment in clean energy and clean technology.

The Conservatives also excluded the Pathways project from their motion, a crucial carbon capture and storage project representing over $16 billion of investment in Alberta's clean technology sector, which is expected to create over 18,000 jobs for Albertans. The Conservatives excluded from their motion the importance of trilateral discussions with the Government of British Columbia, and that the MOU requires close alignment between Alberta and British Columbia on shared benefits.

Endorsing the Conservative approach of omitting parts of the MOU does not bring a pipeline closer. In fact, by ignoring the importance of indigenous co-ownership, engagement with the British Columbia government, the need for a private sector proponent and decarbonization efforts, the Conservatives are showing that they do not support the MOU signed by Premier Smith. The Conservatives are playing a game of pretending their motion can substitute for a real project proposal, real financing and the work needed to get a project built.

If the Conservatives were serious, they would have moved a motion with the full text of the MOU, including industrial carbon pricing, interties, nuclear, AI, engagement with B.C., consultation with indigenous peoples and indigenous co-ownership. While the Premier of Alberta says that industrial carbon pricing is necessary to stimulate investment in the emissions reduction technology needed to make Canada an energy superpower, federal Conservatives say they disagree with Alberta and continue to undermine industrial carbon pricing.

By refusing to support all elements of this MOU, including industrial carbon pricing, Conservatives are demonstrating that they disagree with Premier Smith and that they oppose the policies needed to grow Canada's economy while fighting climate change.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would note that, right off the top, the member said that we are in a trade war with the United States. “I told them so” is not a great campaign promise, but the reality is that Stephen Harper told us that this was a great challenge and that we needed to move from being 100% or 90% reliant on the United States and get pipelines to tidewater. That is why he approved 14 LNG projects on the west coast. That is why he approved northern gateway, Trans Mountain and energy east. That is why we needed to do this.

Now, the Prime Minister and the Liberal Party are saying, “Oh, we are in a trade war.” We warned the Liberals for a decade that this was a reality. Besides all that, given the trade war that we are in right now, the Liberals had opportunities, time after time. They were two presidents. There was a bromance with Obama, and then Mr. Biden came to visit us. They had opportunities to fix this problem. Why did they not fix this problem when they had—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

[Claude Guay, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am not going to talk about history. I am going to talk about the here and now.

I would submit that the Conservative Party did not move a motion that supports the entire MOU, specifically because their caucus and even their leader, for that matter, do not support the MOU that Alberta signed, which includes strengthening industrial carbon pricing.

On this side of the House, the government is focused on outcomes. We will keep working with Alberta, British Columbia and indigenous people, so that we can deliver a better future for all Canadians and build Canada strong.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The hon. member for Calgary Crowfoot not being present to raise during Adjournment Proceedings the matter for which notice has been given, the notice is deemed withdrawn.

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 6:21 p.m.)