Debates of May 30th, 2025

Oil and Gas Industry

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister has a plan, we would sure love to hear it here in Parliament.

On the eve of the election in which he was trying to get elected, the Prime Minister went on an Oilers radio show in Edmonton and was asked about oil. He said, “There's a massive opportunity...if you look at out east, [particularly in] Quebec, they import about 365,000 barrels a day.... Seventy per cent of that is coming from the U.S., so we've got an opportunity to displace there.”

The Prime Minister has a Quebec minister who is now looking at me in complete disagreement with those statements, but even the Prime Minister has said, “as much as half of oil reserves, proven oil reserves, need to stay in the ground”.

Which of the Prime Minister's positions should we believe?

[Tim Hodgson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, to win this trade war, we will build on Canada's terms to deliver the strongest, most resilient economy in the G7. Canada's new government will cut red tape, fast-track projects of national interest and guarantee decisions within two years. We are not building just for speed; we are building for purpose to have a strong negotiating hand that unlocks the next generation of Canadian prosperity. We will get projects built to make Canada an energy superpower.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister went on to say, “we've got this resource. At a minimum, we should be using it all the time ourselves, because we're going to use what I call conventional oil and gas for the rest of my life and beyond.” He said that in Edmonton when he was trying to get elected, but he has a history of saying that we should leave oil and gas in the ground.

When will the government finally repeal Bill C-69 to create the conditions that will actually allow us to take advantage of this massive opportunity so it is realized?

[Tim Hodgson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to give a shout-out to the Edmonton Oilers, who won last night.

My goal is to get things built where we have proponents. We will make Canada strong and protect ourselves from American tariffs. I encourage my Conservative colleagues to join us in building the strongest economy in the G7.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's energy sector and economy continue to be held back by Liberal anti-energy laws, like the industrial carbon tax and Bill C-69, which blocks all new energy infrastructure. This is compounded by Justin Trudeau's energy production cap, which will kill 54,000 jobs and gut $20 billion from the Canadian economy.

The new Prime Minister likes to market himself as the anti-Trudeau. Well, it is time for him to prove it. Will the Prime Minister repeal the industrial carbon tax, repeal Bill C-69 and repeal the oil and gas production cap, or is he just another Trudeau clone willing to let our energy sector die?

[Tim Hodgson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, today, Canadians are facing threats to our way of life from both climate change and American tariffs. We are tackling these problems head-on by building clean energy projects that will fight climate change and make Canada the strongest economy in the G7.

The industrial carbon price attracts new investment, creates jobs and grows our economy. With innovation in carbon capture, we will build a low-cost, low-risk and low-carbon superpower. I encourage my colleagues to join us in building a stronger Canada.

The Economy

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Sudbury, like Canada, has everything it takes to be an economic powerhouse: a skilled workforce, abundant natural resources and world-class research institutions.

Throughout the campaign, I heard from researchers, innovators and business leaders who wanted to know how the federal government could help them through this period of uncertainty.

Can the Minister of Industry tell the House how we will fight to protect and build a prosperous Canadian economy?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her hard work and congratulate her on her election in Sudbury.

She is right. The tariff war launched by the Americans is having a direct impact on our workers and creating a lot of uncertainty across the country. That is why we are going to invest heavily in creating jobs across the country, including in her riding of Sudbury and in northern Ontario.

We will attract investment from around the world. We will reduce our dependence on the Americans. Canada is not for sale. We are ready to do business.

The Environment

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Mr. Speaker, just hours before the May long weekend, Parks Canada blindsided my region by banning motorized boats on Clear Lake after confirming access a week earlier. There was no consultation or warning. Locals care deeply about the lake, which is why the agency's “one boat, one lake” policy had broad support. When asked what suddenly changed, Parks Canada refused to justify its damning decision, which caused whiplash in the region.

Will the minister reinstate the “one boat, one lake” policy that Parks Canada supported just weeks ago?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, in that lake and that region, we are facing a zebra mussel invasion on which we must intervene to control. Otherwise, it could spread in the region to other water basins around that area. That is why, with Parks Canada, with local partners and with indigenous partners who support what Parks Canada has been doing, we are trying to tackle this issue as rapidly as possible.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Mr. Speaker, that answer is unacceptable.

The mismanagement by Parks Canada of Riding Mountain National Park is not new, and neither is the minister's refusal to act. He has been warned time and again of Parks Canada's ongoing failures, with no communication, no engagement and no accountability. Every time Canadians raise the alarm, the minister insists things will improve, but nothing ever changes.

Will the minister finally take responsibility and replace the superintendent of Riding Mountain National Park to restore trust and confidence?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, what the member opposite is saying is simply not true. We have, in fact, been working with local authorities.

Parks Canada provided funding to compensate for some of the loss in revenues last year because of the closure as we are trying to tackle this very important crisis. It is totally irresponsible for the member to somehow suggest that we should just let the zebra mussels spread all around Manitoba. Imagine the impacts for local drinking water, for commerce and for businesses all across the province. This is totally irresponsible.

Emergency Preparedness

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as fires burn across the Prairies, I know I speak for everyone in the House when I say that our hearts are with all of those who have been impacted and those who are working tirelessly to protect our communities.

In the wake of the Jasper fire, we learned about the devastating consequences of the poor forest management that failed to clear swaths of dead forest. Experts are now sounding the alarm that communities in national parks like Banff will face similar threats this summer.

Can the government tell us what preparations, if any, have been undertaken by Parks Canada to protect communities from wildfire?

[Eleanor Olszewski, Liberal, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am monitoring the wildfire situation around the clock, and I am in close communication with my provincial counterparts.

The Canadian Armed Forces is evacuating first nations and others who are affected by the wildfires. Leaving a home under these circumstances is incredibly difficult, and our government will continue to support and protect all those who are affected by wildfires. There is nothing more important than keeping Canadians safe.

Housing

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, at the doors in Don Valley North, I heard from many constituents that access to affordable housing is one of their top concerns. I, like every member on this side, feel proud to stand with a government that has put forward the most ambitious housing plan this country has seen since the Second World War.

Can the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure tell my constituents what they can look forward to seeing from this plan?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the voters in Don Valley North for electing my colleague to this House.

We will get hundreds of thousands of new homes built, with more affordable homes across Canada, and double the share of non-market affordable housing in this country by starting up “build Canada homes”, a new entity that will build affordable homes at scale across Canada utilizing public land and even existing structures. We will be cutting municipal development charges, working with municipalities to bring down those costs as well, and much more.

Rail Transportation

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L’Érable—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on July 6, 2013, the town of Lac-Mégantic experienced the worst rail disaster in Canadian history, and 47 people lost their lives.

Four thousand, three hundred and forty-four days later, despite political commitments and several motions adopted unanimously in the House, the people of Lac-Mégantic are still waiting for the work to begin on the rail bypass to get trains out of the downtown core. “We are going to do it,” Justin Trudeau told the people of Lac-Mégantic on May 11, 2018.

When will the new and fifth Liberal transport minister come to Lac-Mégantic to tell people the truth and explain why trains are still passing through the downtown core?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. This is a very serious issue.

As the new Minister of Transport, I would first like to express my deepest condolences to the people of Lac-Mégantic, who have suffered so much.

This issue is truly a priority for our government. It must be a priority for our government, and I think it must be a priority for all members. We are going to do it.

Mental Health and Addictions

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I tabled the first private member's bill in this Parliament, Bill C-201, which aims to bring mental health, addictions and substance use services into our universal public health care system. The last Liberal government promised to ensure that mental health was treated as a full and equal part of Canada's public health care system, but it failed to deliver.

Untreated mental illness has enormous costs for families, communities and our economy. Will the new government recognize that investing in mental health is good for all Canadians and support my bill?

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the people of Papineau, who gave me the privilege of sitting in this House for the first time.

I would also like to thank the opposition member for his question. I can assure him that mental health is a priority for me. I want Canadians who need mental health services to know that their federal government will work closely with the provinces and territories to ensure that they can access these services.

Climate Change

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as Saskatchewan and Manitoba burn, there is precious little content in the Speech from the Throne on how the government plans to approach the climate crisis. There is not a single reference to the Paris Agreement and our legally binding targets to cut emissions by at least 40% by 2030. On November 2024, we were at only 7% below 2005 levels.

When will the government present a plan? So far all it has done is cut the one measure that was working.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, as the member mentioned, there are wildfires raging across our country. It brings to heart just how important climate change is and fighting climate change is for a strong, secure future for our country. I am absolutely committed to working with provinces, territories and indigenous peoples to make sure that we reduce our emissions, fight climate change and keep Canadians safe.

Foreign Affairs

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, although this petition is dated, it is timely. The petitioners say that they are personally moved by the heartbreaking violence that has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people in Gaza and Palestine due to the Israel-Hamas war between October 23 and December 24, 2024. They say that across Gaza, more than 40,000 souls were lost, with approximately 70% of those being women and children. In the same period, 1,706 Israelis were reported dead. They claim that the conflict has not spared the occupied West Bank either, where the war has claimed the lives of 479 Palestinians, including 116 children and nine Israelis.

We know these numbers are dated, but the petitioners ask that Canada take significant measures to, as it has in the past, impose a two-way embargo on arms between Canada and Israel; investigate whether Canadian weapons or weapon components have been used against Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories, including during the current war on Gaza; review all military and security co-operation between Canada and Israel; and, finally, close loopholes that allow the unregulated and unreported transfer of military goods to Israel through the United States.

Justice

[Alex Ruff, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising today to present a petition initiated by the parents of a young man who was unfortunately killed by a drunk driver. The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to amend the Jordan rule to address critical gaps that risk undermining the principles of justice and fairness for victims of crime.

The petitioners strongly ask that serious crimes, particularly those involving death, be excluded from the constraints of the Jordan rule. These are the most severe violations of human rights injustices in cases involving a loss of life, and they must not be compromised by arbitrary time limits. Furthermore, in particular, the petitioners ask for an amendment in cases where the accused is not being deprived of liberty by being in custody.

Climate Change

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present a petition from constituents as well as Canadians from coast to coast. It is certainly an issue that came up on the doorsteps when I was campaigning. The petitioners ask that the government takes seriously its commitments under the Paris Agreement to avoid the dangerous and even catastrophic levels of climate change and global warming that will occur if we exceed the 1.5°C global average temperature increase.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to take many steps. I will summarize them by saying that they want the government to cut emissions dramatically to ensure that we avoid the levels of climate crisis that will put human civilization itself in jeopardy.