Debates of June 5th, 2025

Main Estimates, 2025-26

[The Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington—Tyendinaga, ON]

Madam Chair, were any victim rights organizations consulted, yes or no?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Madam Chair, many organizations were consulted as part of different—

[The Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

We are done.

The hon. Minister of Transport has the floor.

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

Madam Chair, hon. colleagues, before I begin, as a transport minister and a former minister of foreign affairs, I think it is appropriate to pay tribute to a great Canadian, our friend Marc Garneau. He was a colleague, he was a friend, and he was a true national hero.

I met Marc when I joined the small but mighty Liberal caucus in 2013. He was already a national legend: an astronaut, a distinguished public servant as president of the Canadian Space Agency, and a committed Liberal who stepped up to run for our party in 2008 when we were on the opposition side of the House.

It was with great pride and respect that all of us watched Marc take on the roles of minister of transport and minister of foreign affairs. He led these portfolios with the grace, dignity and discipline that had defined his historic role as the first Canadian in space. Beyond these titles and accomplishments, Marc was simply a wonderful human being. He loved his wife, Pam, and his children with devotion and delight. Those of us lucky enough to know him personally will remember his kindness, his wisdom and yes, his charming cooking videos. I offer my very sincere condolences to Pam and to the entire Garneau family.

I will be accompanied today by Arun Thangaraj, the deputy minister of transport, and later on by Chris Fox, the deputy clerk and deputy minister for intergovernmental affairs and internal trade.

At a time when Canada is facing growing uncertainty abroad, a rise in global protectionism, a shift in trade alliances and the unjustified and illegal imposition of tariffs on our products, it is more important than ever before to strengthen our transportation system, economy and internal trade.

This means reducing internal trade barriers and building Canada. It means making it easier and faster to move goods and people across the country and exports to our partners around the world. This is how we will build the strongest economy in the G7. This is why I am so honoured to serve as both Minister of Internal Trade and Minister of Transport.

We all know Canada is in a critical moment. U.S. tariffs are battering our country and threatening to push the world economy into a recession, hard-working Canadians are losing their jobs, businesses are losing their customers and investors are holding back. This is why it is so essential for us to press ahead with a project that costs nothing and can be accomplished at the stroke of a pen, delivering truly free trade in Canada.

Economists estimate that truly free trade within our country, making it as easy to do business between, say, British Columbia and Nova Scotia as it is within one province itself, would add as much as $200 billion to our economy. At this time of crisis, that is a boost we definitely need. Free trade in our own country makes sense. Now that the LCBO is not stocking American wine, it makes more sense than ever to be sure that Nova Scotia and B.C. wines can be found on its shelves.

A registered nurse qualified in Saskatchewan should be able to get right to work if her family moves to Newfoundland to be close to aging relatives; a plumbing firm in Winnipeg should be able to expand to do jobs in Kenora as easily as it can in Brandon, and a trucker should be able to drive from Halifax harbour to the port of Vancouver without buying permits to cross between provinces and wasting precious time making technical adjustments after he rolls across each provincial line.

Essentially, the decision to build a single Canadian economy out of 13 is a decision to trust one other. It means deciding that the delicious steak being eaten in Calgary is surely good enough to serve in Charlottetown and that the dental hygienist loved by all her patients in Moncton can be trusted to do the same excellent job when she moves to Montreal.

Australia, a country with which we have so much in common, made the decision to build a single continental economy 30 years ago. Australians decided to trust each other and, over the last three decades, that has enriched each Australian and reinforced the ties uniting that beautiful country.

Now is the time for Canada to do likewise.

The wave of patriotism that has swept across our great country over the past few months has really been inspiring and invigorating. Let us seize the moment to turn that love of Canada into action by trusting each other and creating one single Canadian economy from coast to coast to coast. What a delicious irony it will be for us to respond to tariffs imposed on us from abroad by finally tearing down the tariff and trade barriers we have imposed on each other. Let us get this done once and for all.

That is why we will introduce legislation to eliminate domestic trade barriers and build a unified Canadian economy. For far too long, senseless barriers have curbed trade. It is time to mutually recognize provincial and territorial regulations to facilitate trade by Canadian companies throughout the country and allow skilled workers to seize opportunities, wherever they may be. Experts estimate that eliminating barriers could add up to $200 billion to our national GDP. It is an incredible opportunity to build our country.

Momentum is growing across the country. Nova Scotia and Manitoba have already passed legislation to remove barriers to internal trade. B.C. introduced the economic stabilization act, and several other provinces, including Ontario, P.E.I., New Brunswick and Quebec, are advancing their own legislation.

Memoranda of understanding between Ontario and other provinces, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I., Manitoba and Saskatchewan, as well as powerful regional agreements like the pioneering New West Partnership Trade Agreement, signal new levels of co-operation between provinces and a commitment to bring down barriers to internal trade.

I really do want to salute the premiers of the provinces and territories for their work on this. Their action shows what we can accomplish when we work together as one Canadian economy.

At the national level, through the committee on internal trade, we are accelerating efforts to eliminate remaining exceptions to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, advance mutual recognition in sectors such as trucking and consumer goods, and facilitate housing construction by addressing interprovincial material and labour barriers. Progress is also being made on credential recognition and direct-to-consumer alcohol sales.

Let us choose to trust each other. If a truck can travel from Windsor to Cambridge, it should be able to travel from Winnipeg to Kenora. If a steak is certified in Alberta, we should be confident it is also safe to eat in Saskatchewan. If someone earns a professional credential in Quebec, they should be able to work anywhere in the country. It is time to remove these barriers.

I encourage all members of the House to support this work to strengthen transportation and trade infrastructure and deliver on the promise of a truly unified economy. To unlock our full economic potential, we must not only remove barriers but also build. That is why we also want to move forward with national infrastructure projects.

These projects are investments in Canada. They strengthen our economy and create good jobs. They become symbols of national pride and of our country itself. From our railways to our waterways to our airports, investing in these projects shapes who we are as a people and as a country. I see I am running out of time, so let me just say the following.

All of these measures are aimed at making life more affordable, growing our economy and giving Canadians more freedom to live and work where opportunities present themselves.

These are not partisan goals. These are nation-building priorities that benefit every region, every business and every Canadian. Let us get this work done, together.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Chair, I appreciate the comments, especially the opening remarks from my colleague and friend regarding Marc Garneau. I too would just like to express my personal condolences to his family and friends, and to recognize the many lives that he touched, including mine, in a very meaningful way.

Having said that, when I reflect on the last federal election and the many doors that not only I but also members of Parliament from across this country knocked on, there is absolutely no doubt that the people of Canada are genuinely concerned about Donald Trump, the whole issue of tariffs and the issue of trade.

I think it bodes well for us to have the Minister of Transport taking on such an important file, in terms of trying to bring Canada together, given her background, especially dealing with trade agreements with Europe, the United States and so forth, and how she understands the importance of building the one economy here in Canada. I wonder whether the minister could provide further thoughts on just how important the potential $200 billion is to Canadians as a whole, in every region of our country.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Madam Chair, of course the member for Winnipeg North, too, was a member of the small but mighty Liberal caucus that I joined in 2013, and he was a true friend of Marc Garneau's, so I am grateful to him for joining me in the tribute.

The member is right that at a time when we are being faced by punitive, illegal and unjustified tariffs from abroad, one of the best things we can do to help ourselves is eliminate the barriers we have imposed on ourselves. A study done for the IMF estimates that internal barriers to trade in Canada amount to a 7% tariff that we put on each other. One of the things that fills me with so much hope is that Canadians get it. This has been an issue that for many years economists and policy wonks have understood. Changing it and getting rid of the barriers would help our whole country.

It is not a partisan issue. Jason Kenney, a former member of the House and a former premier of Alberta, has been a long-time, vocal and effective champion of internal trade in Canada, so I really do hope that, while we will disagree about many things in the House, one issue that all members of the House will be able to agree on is that by trading with each other, by trusting each other, we can make Canada stronger.

Conservative premiers support it, like Premier Ford and Premier Houston. NDP premiers support it, like Premier Kinew and Premier Eby. Liberal premiers support it, like Premier Holt. Therefore, I really hope that this will be an issue that not only unites Canadians and the Canadian economy but also, and I have a fragile hope here, maybe even unites the members of the House.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Chair, I was encouraged, and I am sure the minister was too, this morning. We had a high sense of working together when every member of the House of Commons voted in favour of the ways and means motion. The minister talked about unifying Canadians and the chamber. One of the things that we could also do is get behind Bill C-2 and the initiative of building a stronger Canada.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Madam Chair, I absolutely agree with my colleague, and I do want to point out to the members opposite that for all of us, our job is to be partisan, but that there are times when we can work together. One of the things I was very proud of was that when Canada finally concluded CETA, our trade deal with Europe, I was able, in the House, to thank the wonderful Ed Fast, and we were able, together, to celebrate an agreement that was initiated by a Conservative government and concluded by a Liberal government to the benefit of all Canadians, and it is more valuable today than ever. Therefore, perhaps we will be able to look at free trade in Canada and the “one Canadian economy” effort in a similar non-partisan way.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Madam Chair, according to the Customs and Immigration Union, the Canada Border Services Agency needs an additional 2,000 to 3,000 border officers to carry out its duties. The Canada Border Services Agency training centre can only train 600 officers per year, which is in line with current attrition rates. During the most recent election, the Liberal Party talked about hiring 1,000 additional CBSA officers. However, I was surprised to see that this promise does not appear in the throne speech.

Does the government intend to hire 1,000 additional border services officers?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Chair, day in and day out, approximately 8,600 Canada Border Services Agency frontline personnel play a crucial role protecting communities. We committed in the campaign, which I have reiterated a number of times, to hiring 1,000 new CBSA officers. I had a chance to meet some of them, and they do a phenomenal job in protecting our borders.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Madam Chair, the government intends to hire 1,000 additional officers, but only 600 border services officers can be trained each year because of a lack of training centres.

Does the government intend to create another training centre for border services officers?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Madam Chair, the number of border service officer graduates from the Canada Border Services Agency has continuously increased over the years since 2016, with the exception of 2020 due to COVID. We look forward to hiring and training the 1,000 CBSA officers over the next couple of years.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Madam Chair, I will ask the minister to be more specific.

Given that some officers are retiring, does the minister believe that training 600 officers per year will be enough to meet current and future requirements following the passage of Bill C‑2?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Madam Chair, whether it is with respect to people retiring or people going into other careers, we often do replenish them within the CBSA. A thousand additional officers will be hired and trained. I do not have a specific plan right now, but I look forward to presenting that to the member.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Madam Chair, to improve border security, the Customs and Immigration Union has proposed that officers be allowed to patrol outside their border crossings to intercept migrants who may be crossing the border illegally. We support this proposal to establish co‑operation between the RCMP and border services officers.

Does the minister support the idea of giving patrol officers the authority to monitor the borders? This could be done through regulations and not necessarily through legislation.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Madam Chair, I had a chance to meet with the CBSA union. I had a really good conversation with its members. There are about 10,000 frontline officers who currently secure our border, including the RCMP and the CBSA. Our commitment is to add 1,000 RCMP and 1,000 CBSA officers so that our border could be strengthened with those resources.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Madam Chair, the government promised to hire 1,000 new RCMP officers.

Can the minister tell us when those officers will be hired and when they will begin their duties?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Madam Chair, that will be an ongoing process. The RCMP officers will be hired, trained and able to support the protection of our border.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Madam Chair, does the minister have a chart to keep track of the hiring process and the start dates of these new RCMP officers? We know that recruitment is challenging and that training takes time.

I would like him to explain to me how he intends to go about hiring 1,000 RCMP officers in a short period of time.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Madam Chair, we have committed to hiring, training and deploying 1,000 new RCMP officers. The plan has not been fully fleshed out yet. I look forward to sharing that plan, once it is available, with my colleague opposite.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Madam Chair, I am concerned about illegal border crossings in both directions because I represent a border region. Some farmers have even paid out of their own pockets, using their own money, to install barriers, to place rocks or vehicles, to prevent vehicles from illegally crossing their farmland.

Will the government invest funds to install more physical barriers to prevent smugglers from using private land?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Madam Chair, we are investing $1.3 billion to strengthen our border. That includes armed personnel who will be deployed. We also are now using Black Hawk helicopters. There are three of them deployed across Canada. I have had a chance to visit the border in a Black Hawk helicopter to see the impact they are having on border crossings.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Madam Chair, people in my riding are very aware of the presence of helicopters.

We are talking about farmers. We are talking about people whose land is being used by smugglers' vehicles and illegal migrants. People feel as though they have to set up barriers themselves.

Does the minister intend to support people who are constantly grappling with this phenomenon and help them cover the cost of installing barriers?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Madam Chair, the best way to support Canadians is deterrence. One of the things Bill C-2 incorporates is deterrence of those who may be crossing through irregular ports of entry. We believe that other measures contained in the bill would support deterrence of those who are crossing the border irregularly.