The hon. member for Simcoe North.
House of Commons Hansard #74 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was conservatives.
House of Commons Hansard #74 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was conservatives.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Fair Representation Act First reading of Bill C-259. The bill amends the Canada Labour Code to protect workers' rights to organize freely and ensure representation by independent, democratic unions, addressing concerns about "company unions" and their accountability to members. 100 words.
Opposition Motion—Canadian Economic Sovereignty Members debate the Conservative's proposed Canada Sovereignty Act, which aims to restore economic sovereignty. It calls for repealing federal measures like the Impact Assessment Act, industrial carbon tax, and oil tanker moratorium to unblock resource development. While Conservatives argue this will spur jobs and make Canada more affordable, Liberals contend it's a rehash of a rejected platform, emphasizing their government's focus on trade diversification and major projects. Bloc MPs question if supporting foreign-owned oil companies truly enhances Canadian sovereignty. 49900 words, 6 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
National Framework for Food Price Transparency Act Second reading of Bill C-226. The bill aims to establish a national framework to improve food price transparency, including standardized unit pricing, to help Canadians compare grocery costs. Supporters say it promotes fairness and empowers consumers. Conservatives argue it adds bureaucracy and won't lower food prices. The Bloc Québécois views it as federal overreach into provincial jurisdiction given Quebec's existing regulations. 8100 words, 1 hour.
Opposition Motion—Canadian Economic SovereigntyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Opposition Motion—Canadian Economic SovereigntyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Adam Chambers Conservative Simcoe North, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would like to update the member on some developments. We are working with the government. In fact, we just had the Minister of International Trade at committee today to help the Liberals fast-track their bill on the U.K.'s accession to the CPTPP. We have also told them that we will help them get their Indonesian trade deal passed.
However, Canadians voted for a minority government. The only reason that the government and its MPs are trying to lure anybody from any other party to join theirs is so they do not have to collaborate with any other opposition party in this chamber.
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette—Manawan, QC
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very detailed speech. I would like him to elaborate on one point he raised.
If an innovation—
Opposition Motion—Canadian Economic SovereigntyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
The Assistant Deputy Speaker John Nater
Order. I will ask members to stop the back-and-forth, especially when it is going right between the line of the Speaker and the member speaking.
I will pause the time and invite the member to restart his question.
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette—Manawan, QC
Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that, if a company gets a grant to develop an innovation and then sells that innovation to foreign interests, the company has to pay back a portion of the grant.
I would like my colleague to elaborate on that. To his knowledge, which countries already apply the kind of measure he referred to in his speech?
Opposition Motion—Canadian Economic SovereigntyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Adam Chambers Conservative Simcoe North, ON
Mr. Speaker, in other countries, including Israel, if a company has been subsidized by the government for the research and development of its intellectual property, when that company is purported to be sold or the IP is transferred out of the country, the company is required to send a payment back to the government that is a multiple of the subsidy it received. That money then provides additional research and development dollars that can be reinvested in new research and development.
I think that is a model the government should consider. If it does not want to do the multiple, it should at least require that dollar for dollar be repaid to the Canadian taxpayer to be reinvested in research and development to develop intellectual property that remains in this country.
Opposition Motion—Canadian Economic SovereigntyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Carol Anstey Conservative Long Range Mountains, NL
Mr. Speaker, I wanted to respond to some comments made across the way with respect to the minority parliament and Newfoundland and Labrador, where gains were made for the Conservatives after decades of Liberal members.
One of the things that resonated with people back home is how Conservatives were addressing the urban and rural divide we often see in this country. I am curious if the member would like to expand on how the opposition day motion speaks to that and could help bring development into rural Canada instead of hand-picking projects as the Liberals seem to want to do.
Opposition Motion—Canadian Economic SovereigntyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Adam Chambers Conservative Simcoe North, ON
Mr. Speaker, that is a great question from a wonderful MP. It is the first time I have received a question from her in this chamber, and it definitely will not be the last.
Forty-one per cent of Canadians voted for the Conservative platform in the election. That is a substantial number of Canadians, and a record, in fact, in this modern age. I think the government would be well placed to take some of these ideas and recognize that they resonate in cities, of course, but they also resonate in areas in rural Canada, where people want and need more development but do not need to come cap in hand to ask the government to please put them on the list or to hire the right lobbyist to get them on the list.
I appreciate the opportunity to address these issues today.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, just to clarify my comments, I was not relying on the Prime Minister's verbal comments. They are still found on page 348 of the federal budget, as they did not use disappearing ink. It actually does say that there will not be investment tax credits available for enhanced oil recovery, and that was contradicted 10 days later in the MOU with Alberta.
Opposition Motion—Canadian Economic SovereigntyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Adam Chambers Conservative Simcoe North, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would like to just let the member's comment stand and correct the record. I appreciate that, but I do appreciate her judgment when she said that she has been misled by the government in what she has read and what its actions are.
Opposition Motion—Canadian Economic SovereigntyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Clarke, ON
Mr. Speaker, as always, it is an honour to rise in this House.
Over the past year, Canada has been subjected to unfair, hostile and even capricious economic actions by the current administration of the United States. Most Canadians are united in our resolve to stand up against these actions. Many would even call it bullying. What many are starting to realize, though, is that in order for Canada to stand up, our economy must stand on its own two feet.
In the face of these challenges, the Liberal government has conveniently discovered a new-found respect for economic growth, resource development, reducing taxes and even government efficiency, although, having expressed a desire to make Canada stronger, the record is clear. Over the last 10 years, we have actually seen the lowest GDP-per-capita growth across the G7; in fact, it is nearly zero. We have seen the worst economic record since the Great Depression. In the first year of this Prime Minister, it has not gotten any better. In fact, it has gotten worse.
The Liberal government has the opportunity, though, to act on its rhetoric, to actually engage in actions that promote economic growth, government efficiency and international trade and move away from the Liberals' socialist death spiral, which always starts the same way: They need more taxes to give more things away. The problem is, the more they tax, the more they impoverish citizens. Dollar for dollar, citizens get poorer and poorer, which then increases the need for additional social welfare programs, which then increases the debt, which increases taxes, which repeats the cycle, and before we know it, we have more poverty and more of the socialist poverty that we have seen in countries like Venezuela, the Soviet Union and Cuba.
Will the government finally put a line in the sand, go no further and in fact turn around and acknowledge that those policies of the last 10 years are a failure? We have seen, to the government's credit, a repudiation of many of the Trudeau-era policies. In fact, it is somewhat unbelievable sometimes when I hear these members brag about eliminating the carbon tax, when many members, including me, for more than a decade have been shouting that the carbon tax is not the right way to go. Now, somehow, the Liberals take credit for the elimination of the carbon tax and the benefits it has had. Will the government finally take that step in the right direction, away from socialism and toward prosperity? Will the UN's former climate czar really build a pipeline? I have my doubts.
As shadow minister for intergovernmental affairs and one Canadian economy and interprovincial trade, my speech will focus on interprovincial trade and some of the Liberal promises. Michael Jordan, the famous basketball player, once said, “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” Conservatives are here to be the ones who make it happen, and we can see on the other side that, at best, they will wish and dream of its happening.
There are many, many people who are favourably disposed to eliminating interprovincial trade barriers. In fact, nearly every economist and nearly every expert has opined on the importance of eliminating interprovincial trade barriers and the benefits that it would have on the economy. However, there are very few leaders who have demonstrated the will and the fortitude to get this done. The calculation of the benefits of interprovincial trade and the elimination of interprovincial trade barriers varies. Experts go anywhere from tens of billions of dollars to even hundreds of billions of dollars, but at the heart of it, everyone believes that it would have benefits and that it is only common sense to eliminate these barriers.
As an example, here are some of the things that just do not make sense. Why should a nurse in Manitoba require different accreditation from a nurse in Nova Scotia? Presumably, the human body is the same in Nova Scotia as it is in Manitoba. Why should beer being produced in Prince Edward Island not be available in Ontario? If it is delicious on the east coast, it will be delicious here in Ontario. Why should a construction site in Manitoba require a different type of portable toilet from a construction site in Ontario? These things do not make sense, and we all agree on it. The challenge, once again, is not just dreaming about it and not just wishing for it; it is about getting it done.
The Liberal government made a bold promise. It promised that by Canada Day, it would eliminate all interprovincial trade barriers. Canada Day has come and gone. No longer are we in the warmth of July. If anyone has been outside, it is pretty cold. We are well past July, yet the vast majority of interprovincial trade barriers are still in place. Many of the ministers and members on the other side promised there would be hundreds of billions of dollars. I have asked government officials, and they have not been able to quantify one single dollar from the elimination of interprovincial trade barriers. These billions of dollars that were supposed to help grow the Canadian economy, create jobs and strengthen our sovereignty are not here.
To be fair, the government did make some baby steps with the help of Conservative members, with Bill C-5, toward eliminating federal interprovincial trade barriers, but that was a mere drop in the bucket. Most trade barriers are provincially legislated and, therefore, require provincial legislative changes. Despite the many eloquent speeches and photo ops with premiers, the Liberal government has failed to eliminate these barriers.
While leadership has definitely been a problem, at the heart of it is also a framework. The reality is that some interprovincial trade barriers are simply there because of the division of powers in our Constitution. That is the way that the system has sort of evolved, but also, in many cases, those interprovincial trade barriers were put in place intentionally, to protect local industries, local economies and provincial industries in those areas against large national corporations or other things that would disturb and disrupt local economies.
If, in fact, we do not acknowledge this, we are asking provinces to act against their own self-interest. What Conservatives pledge to do and what a Canada sovereignty act would allow us to do would be to provide financial benefits and incentives. This would mean that instead of provinces being punished for doing the right things, which they are right now and which may be hurting their own industry to help the national cause to make us more sovereign and more autonomous, we would provide that financial benefit, which would help them instead of hurting them as the existing framework does.
We need to look forward in eliminating these barriers from coast to coast, but we need to make sure it happens in a way that helps all of our economy. The reality is that over the last 10 years, this economy has been weakened by socialist policies that have brought our GDP per capita to nearly zero. The first year under the Prime Minister has accelerated that decline. If we are going to be an independent country, we need to get our resources out of the ground and build Canadian energy and the Canadian economy. We simply will not do this by just adding more bureaucracy.
More government agents are not the answer here. The answer is not the Canadian government; it is the Canadian people. We need to embolden and unleash Canadians to do what they do best: create jobs, create wealth for our wonderful country and create prosperity from coast to coast. The sovereignty act would allow free trade throughout the provinces. It would allow our resources to get to market. We will build a stronger nation that is truly autonomous, and that will not happen because of some speech given in Davos. Our country will become stronger, more sovereign and more autonomous and be the best country in the world to live in, because we have the greatest people in the world in Canada.
That is why I call upon this government to do the right thing: Pass our motion, support us and make sure that Canada stays a sovereign, independent country, so that we have generations of success and prosperity, and we do not fall into the trap of the socialist death spiral.
Lori Idlout NDP Nunavut, NU
Uqaqtittiji, please join me in welcoming the new Government of Nunavut, Premier Main and his cabinet, to Ottawa this week.
Canada's Arctic security is particularly important. Liberals meeting with the Government of Nunavut can show that Arctic policy is more than language in a throne speech. Parliament must look beyond megaprojects in the south. Decades of chronic underinvestment means northerners are in overcrowded housing, with limited health services and aging infrastructure. This reality creates security threats. The Arctic cannot be secure if the people who live there are not.
During Qaummagiaq, a time of the return of the sun, Inuit start celebrating the passage of Tauvigjuaq, a time of great darkness. Canada, like the return of the sun, must bring hope that life will bustle again. Working with the new Government of Nunavut can ensure that investments are provided to help keep the Arctic secure.
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey Newton, BC
Mr. Speaker, small businesses in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and across Canada are being targeted by organized extortion. Businesses are receiving threats. Families are afraid, and communities are under real pressure from criminal groups that use fear and violence. This is happening in our neighbourhoods and on our streets, and it requires urgent action from Parliament.
Our government has introduced important public safety legislation, including Bill C-2, Bill C-12 and Bill C-14, to give law enforcement stronger tools to fight organized crime, strengthen Canada's bail system and toughen sentences for serious and violent crimes.
I call on the Conservatives to stop delaying and allow these bills to pass quickly, so law enforcement can confront organized extortion and better protect Canadians.
Michael Kram Conservative Regina—Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, last year I met with Holly Laird, executive director of the Regina Farmers' Market, whose organization had developed a program that was both inspiring and depressing.
The Regina Farmers' Market had partnered with the YWCA to hand out food coupons so that families could afford to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. While it is inspiring to see neighbours helping neighbours, it is depressing that we now live in a country where food banks and food coupons are increasingly becoming the norm.
Last year, the Prime Minister said that Canadians should judge him based on the prices at the grocery store. The best way to bring down grocery prices is to cancel the industrial carbon tax, the federal fuel standard and the burdensome labelling and packaging requirements that are driving up food costs in the first place. This would be much better than the Liberals' makeshift solution of temporary tax credits, which only serve to make people even more dependent on another government program.
Shannon Miedema Liberal Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my constituents in New Scotland, proudly wearing the Nova Scotia tartan thoughtfully given to me by my sister-in-law at Christmas, to recognize that this past Sunday, January 25, was Robbie Burns Day.
This tradition honours the bard, who was an 18th-century giant of poetry and literature. At a time when Scottish culture was on the decline, Robbie Burns reinvigorated Scottish pride. He is called the poet of the people because he wrote in common language for all readers, using his poetry to advocate for important causes like women's rights. Burns continues to be rightfully regarded as one of the greatest Scots.
I look forward to attending the annual Robbie Burns dinner on the Hill tonight, and I encourage my colleagues to attend. They should wear their plaid, get a plate of haggis and enjoy performances by pipers and Highland dancers.
Slàinte mhath.
Robbie Burns DayStatements by Members
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
We shall see the member there.
The hon. member for Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore.
Kathy Borrelli Conservative Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore, ON
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear about this new trade deal with China. All we see is that Canada gives and China gets.
The Prime Minister is calling this a strategic partnership, but for Windsor workers it looks like a raw deal. He is opening the door to nearly 50,000 Chinese electric vehicles and flooding our market while getting nothing concrete in return for our auto sector. There is no permanent tariff relief for Windsor and zero protection for Canadian auto jobs.
Windsor is the backbone of Canada's auto industry. Thousands of families depend on these jobs, yet this deal undercuts the very companies investing in Windsor. Even Canada's auto sector is warning us that this creates uncertainty and threatens long-term stability.
Canada deserves trade deals that protect our auto workers, not deals that sell them out.
Abdelhaq Sari Liberal Bourassa, QC
Mr. Speaker, today we remember the victims of the Islamophobic attack at the Quebec City mosque. I remember Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Aboubaker Thabti, Khaled Belkacemi, Azzedine Soufiane and Abdelkrim Hassane: six lives cut short in a place of peace, spirituality and reflection, and 17 children left fatherless.
I am also thinking of the survivors, including Aymen Derbali, whose life was forever changed. This tragedy reminds us of an essential truth: Hatred thrives on silence, prejudice and the trivialization of hate speech. Since racism can masquerade as respectable or reasonable speech, we have a collective responsibility to name this neo-racism, condemn it, fight it, and build a society grounded in dignity, a society bound by mutual respect and fellowship.
Beyond our differences, together we are one, and only one, human race. In the face of hate, silence is no longer an option.
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
Mr. Speaker, when I was growing up, I learned a core Canadian value: Canada succeeds when people are free to make choices for themselves. In Davos, the Prime Minister signalled different values. He believes markets should not follow people's choices but be set by regulators, banks and global institutions. He believes that individual choice should be replaced by imposed outcomes decided by a small group of elites. However, that philosophy rejects a core Canadian value: freedom.
Freedom is like the family in my riding who took a failing plastics factory, bought by their grandfather in the 1960s, and turned it into a world-class producer of anti-doping kits for the Olympics. Freedom is like the Ugly Potato Day at the Heppell's farm in Surrey, where thousands of kilos of wonky potatoes that grocery stores do not want are given away for free to families who absolutely do want them.
Those ideas do not come from Davos. They come from free Canadians solving real problems in the real world.
Now, that is a real Canadian value we can take straight to the bank.
Juanita Nathan Liberal Pickering—Brooklin, ON
Mr. Speaker, in January we celebrate Tamil Heritage Month. Earlier this month in India, I saw first-hand the global strength of the Tamil spirit when I spoke at the World Tamil Diaspora Day in Chennai.
Tamil is the oldest spoken classical language in existence and is spoken by over 75 million people globally. Canada is now home to the largest Tamil diaspora outside of Asia. It is a community that has flourished here for decades. Tamil Canadians live in every province and territory, strengthening our national fabric each day.
I invite all members to join me in celebrating this vibrant heritage with Tamils in their communities.
Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir. Every town is my hometown and everyone is my kin.
Kelly DeRidder Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I heard over and over again the new attempt at a temporary solution on inflation. How can this government justify being responsible for driving up inflation and then give a benefit because people cannot afford to buy groceries and essentials on their own? Think about what this message actually is. It says, here, let the Liberal government help people pay for groceries and basic necessities because of the Liberal policies making it more expensive.
When will the Liberals learn to stop trying to buy their way out of problems? Learn the lesson. Get rid of the taxes and the splash-the-cash spending driving inflation. Cut the fuel standards tax, the industrial carbon tax and the food packaging tax, and stop the billions of dollars in misspent money.
Fiscal responsibility keeps inflation in check. When will the Liberals take our advice and implement real solutions to the affordability problem in Canada?
Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC
Mr. Speaker, Quebec has lost a great explorer. Robert Grenier, a figurehead in the world of underwater archaeology, has passed away.
Robert Grenier was a world-renowned expert who had worked for Parks Canada since the 1960s. He was even featured on the cover of National Geographic. His greatest achievement was the discovery of the San Juan, a 16th-century whaling ship, off the coast of Labrador, proving that the Basques were present in the Americas even before the founding of New France. Mr. Grenier also initiated the searches that led to the discovery of the ships from John Franklin's ill-fated Arctic expedition.
A minister once compared Robert Grenier to Indiana Jones, and while he definitely had the same charisma and love for life, the difference is that he worked for UNESCO, fighting to protect sunken treasures from looters.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to extend my sincere condolences to his wife, Caroline, and his children, Pierre and Mathilde, who courageously supported him through illness until his soul set sail one last time.
Iqra Khalid Liberal Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honour Stephen Biss, a friend and a respected member of our Mississauga—Erin Mills community, who passed away suddenly and peacefully.
Stephen was a dedicated community builder who believed in public service. I loved our conversations about public health, the environment and so much more. He gave more than four decades of his life to the practice of criminal law. Even in retirement, he continued to mentor, advise and advocate, always standing up for others. I was fortunate to know Stephen as a friend, and I will always value his warmth, his insight and his genuine love for his community.
On behalf of Mississauga—Erin Mills, I extend my deepest condolences to his daughters Michèle and Renée, his wife Karen and the entire family. His legacy will live on forever.
Ellis Ross Conservative Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, Skeena—Bulkley Valley is ready to build. Conservatives worked with the government to pass Bill C-5 so that the Prime Minister could approve projects quickly while cutting red tape. However, after a year of speeches, no single project has been approved and no barriers have been removed.
Skeena—Bulkley Valley is already contributing and is asking for a chance to invest, build and work. The Stewart World Port expansion, the Telkwa coal project, the Endako mine and Terrace industrial lands are real projects that mean real jobs, stronger businesses and stable futures for families in our regions.
When we build and export, incomes rise and life becomes more affordable. That is why, today, we introduced a motion to pass a Canadian sovereignty act that would repeal federal measures that block and punish project development, would reward hard-working Canadians who build and invest, and would protect Canadian innovation and our economic sovereignty.
Marianne Dandurand Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC
Mr. Speaker, we know that the cost of food is a heavy strain on the budgets of Canadian families, including families in my riding. Our government has put forward concrete measures to ease that strain. This year, the new Canada groceries and essentials benefit will put up to $1,890 back in the pockets of families of four.
I also want to acknowledge the outstanding work of organizations in my riding that support food security, with assistance from the local food infrastructure fund, for one, which supports food banks, community kitchens, community gardens and more, and provides families back home with practical help.
I want to highlight the work of Moisson Haut-Saint-François, the Cuisines collectives du Haut-Saint-François, Terre libre, the Maison des jeunes de Coaticook and the Maison des jeunes de Stanstead, as well as the Sunnyside elementary school, which operate projects under this program that received $20 million in renewed investments.