Debates of June 10th, 2025

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member has the floor.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question on fertilizer and tariffs, specifically cases when fertilizer is available only from nations with which Canada does not have a great relationship. How does the Government of Canada determine the percentage of tariffs imposed on such countries as it relates specifically to fertilizer?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the question is a very important one. When we are talking about fertilizer and export markets, it is very important to note, as I have been talking to colleagues and trade ministers across the globe, that people are looking towards our fertilizer industry, at potash specifically and how they can get that into their markets.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for the products being imported to Canada by a farmer or a business and not available anywhere else except in a country with which Canada has a difficult relationship, is there a process by which the farmer or business owner can retrieve the import tariff imposed by Canada?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that we will continue supporting our agriculture sector. Just today I met with leaders in the sector to talk about diversifying trade and also to support them locally here. The agriculture minister and I sat down to talk about some of the government supports today.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what are the precise criteria that the government uses to place an import tariff on agriculture products?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I would be more than happy to refer my colleague to the press release of April 15. He will find a lot of good information there, and he can direct his constituents to apply—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member has the floor.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in terms of countertariffs on the U.S., what is the government's solution and approach to the doubling of the U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum? I ask him to be specific so my constituents are informed.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I always want to inform the member's constituents. We are going to fight. That is something Canadians understand; they know how to fight. That is why we said, “elbows up”. I think it has galvanized Canadians across the nation.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, will the government continue to increase countertariffs on U.S. products coming into Canada? This is a very important question that comes up all the time when I am speaking to businesses and farmers in my riding.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we always do what is appropriate to defend our industry and our workers. I would hope that our Conservative friends would join us in the fight. This is an existential fight for Canada, and I know that in their heart they would want to be part of this generational opportunity to fight along with us.

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

Mr. Speaker, tonight the Liberals have talked a lot about equalization. The minister said, “We are increasing fiscal equalization by nearly $970 million.” I have spent about seven hours this week so far in committee of the whole, and I am wondering whether Liberal ministers or members are allowed to use the word “oil” in these debates.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, members are free to speak. This is the House of Commons. This is the House of the people. Everyone is free to speak their mind, and I would invite every member to do so. I have been here for a decade, and I have always spoken my mind.

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

Mr. Speaker, in August 2017, the National Energy Board issued a decision. It said, “the NEB will consider upstream and downstream greenhouse gas emissions...in determining whether these projects are in the public interest.” That effectively killed energy east or any east-west pipeline.

Does the minister agree that upstream and downstream GHG emissions should be considered before oil and gas projects are allowed in Canada?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I believe my colleague should be very happy. There is a lot for him to be happy about, because now we are talking about projects of national interest. Just recently we had all the premiers get together with the Prime Minister to build Canada strong. We want to build an energy corridor. We want to build this country. I can see in his eyes that he is happy as well because we are going to build Canada strong.

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

Mr. Speaker, according to the Canadian Energy Regulator, in 2023, Canada imported 19.5 billion dollars' worth of crude oil. This included 2.5 billion dollars' worth of oil imported into Canada from Nigeria.

How important would that $2.5 billion of revenue be to the Canadian government's efforts to fund things like health care and education in Canada?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it will not be a surprise that as a finance minister, I like revenue. Revenue allows us to provide services to Canadians, to make financial transfers to provinces and territories for Canadians, and to maintain the social fabric of our country. It will not be a big surprise that a finance minister always likes revenue.

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

Mr. Speaker, that 2.5 billion dollars' worth of oil coming from Nigeria and $2.1 billion coming from Saudi Arabia, $4.6 billion, is not subject to the same rigorous reporting on upstream and downstream emissions as oil coming from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Does the minister think that is fair?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what I think is fair is that we join together in building this country. I am speaking with premiers in western Canada. They are very happy to work with this new government so that we can build Canada strong.

I know that Conservatives, in their hearts, want to build this Canada. They want to join us. That is why they voted for the first ways and means motion we presented.

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

Mr. Speaker, in addition to the oil coming from Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, we brought in 403 million dollars' worth of oil from Colombia and 202 million dollars' worth of oil from Ecuador. None of that oil was subject to the same rigorous reporting on upstream and downstream emissions as oil coming from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Does the Minister of International Trade see that as fair?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, since Ecuador came up, it gives me an opportunity to talk about that important relationship. I was just in Ecuador a couple of weeks ago to finalize the conclusion of negotiations of an Ecuador free trade agreement with Canada. That is going to be a trade agreement that opens up a market to close to 20 million people. We already have Canadian companies doing over $4 billion of business in Ecuador, and we need to continue growing that.

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

Mr. Speaker, the top producing countries for oil in the world are the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Russia. Russia is number three, just ahead of Canada.

Do either of the ministers, or anybody in the government, realize that when we refuse to sell Canadian oil and gas to the world, countries are forced to buy that oil from Russia? Therefore, the Canadian government's energy policy is a pro-Russia energy policy. Does that seem reasonable to either minister?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I just wish the member had been in Saskatoon recently. He would have seen that there is unity in this country like we have never seen before. People want to build. They want to make sure our resources go to market. That should have been a moment celebrated by all Conservatives. I know many of the western premiers, who text me quite often. They want to make sure that we build things together, and we are quite happy to build with them.

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

Mr. Speaker, just one last time, I want to hear an answer to this question. Does either minister believe that oil coming from Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador or Colombia should be subject to the same rigorous emission standards as oil coming from Alberta, Saskatchewan or Newfoundland and Labrador?

Please answer the question.