Mr. Speaker, it is critical that we plug economic leakages right now.
In 2010, the Conservatives scrapped the 25% tariff on foreign-built ferries, claiming Canadian shipyards could not compete. The Liberals made that mistake permanent in 2016. Since then, ferry contracts and good jobs have gone overseas while communities like Port Alberni on Vancouver Island lack the dry dock capacity for shipbuilding, maintenance, repair and recycling. Reinstating this tariff would level the playing field and generate revenue to build that capacity here at home.
Does my colleague agree that the government should reverse this mistake and reinstate the tariff to support Canadian workers and Canadian shipyards?