House of Commons Hansard #142 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was project.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Building Canada Strong Act Second reading of Bill C-39. The bill seeks to enhance economic competitiveness by streamlining infrastructure approvals and modernizing trade corridors. Liberals argue these changes strengthen supply chains and improve efficiency. Conversely, the Conservatives claim the proposal is all talk, no results, creating bureaucracy without delivering tangible projects. The Bloc Québécois opposes the legislation, characterizing it as an ecological betrayal that undermines environmental assessments and weakens workers' rights through expanded ministerial powers. 18900 words, 2 hours.
Criminal Code Second reading of Bill C-218. The bill, C-218, aims to indefinitely exclude patients with mental disorders from eligibility for medical assistance in dying. Conservatives argue the legislation is essential to prevent suicide and prioritize recovery, while the Bloc Québécois criticizes the exclusion as discriminatory. Liberals emphasize the legal complexity and personal nature of end-of-life decisions, while proponents urge Parliament to restore hope and care. 6900 words, 1 hour.
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC
Mr. Speaker, we in the Conservative Party want to help Canadian taxpayers save money, but the Liberals are coming up with new ways to get money out of people's pockets.
In an interview on CTV on the weekend, the Minister of Transport, the one who wants to privatize four airports, said he cannot guarantee that passenger fares will not increase once the airports are privatized.
Could the Minister of Transport be clear? Will passenger fares go up or not?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, as part of the ongoing process, we have discovered that there are indeed fees in the current system, including funds for airport infrastructure improvements, that are recouped through airfares, prices and flat rates. This is not currently regulated. We fully intend to subject these types of fees to regulation.
Fares Al Soud Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canada is home to some of the greatest filmmakers, actors and producers the world has to offer, and just last week, we saw exactly that at the Toronto International Film Festival with innovation hubs showcasing new ways of storytelling, content creators proving that Canadian talent belongs on the world's biggest screens and a reminder that our country continues to attract global attention.
Could the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages tell us about the work Canada is doing to foster these international friendships so that our audiovisual sector can continue to thrive both at home and around the world?
Canadian Identity and CultureOral Questions
Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs Québec
Liberal
Marc Miller LiberalMinister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, it was a real pleasure to be at TIFF over the last week and connect with creators from Canada and around the world. I had the opportunity to sign two co-production agreements: one with the United Kingdom and the other with Spain. This is part of a network of 60 agreements that we have around the world that generate about $500 million in our economy. They need the support of the Canadian government, but at the same time, it reinforces our cultural sovereignty, which we need to do now more than ever.
Shuv Majumdar Conservative Calgary Heritage, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister spent months redefining his relationship with the United States. He said that President Trump was “transformational”, and then he was the source of global rupture. He said that integration was subordination. Then came fortress North America and a pledge in New York for Canada to make America great again. After declaring an economic war, the Prime Minister now proposes a potash bloc.
Forgive us, but can we just get some objective consistency from the Prime Minister, or is the pain of our people and the stagnation of our economy just politics?
Tim Hodgson LiberalMinister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, Canadian potash keeps food affordable all around the world for all of our allies, including the Americans. Maybe the member opposite could understand that we are in a complicated geopolitical situation, and Canada can be the solution for the world. We can provide the potash that keeps food affordable for the world. Maybe the Conservatives can figure that out.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Seniors for Climate Action members who came across Canada on the Seniors Climate Witness caravan and raised the issue of the climate crisis, just as scientists are raising it. The Prime Minister, on the floor of the House, committed on October 17, 2025, to meet the Paris targets. Ever since then, he has been galloping in a different direction.
My question is simple: Before committing to spending tens of billions of dollars to build a climate-killing pipeline, will the government at least present to the House a cost-benefit analysis, a pretense, even, of a business case that this has any place in our strategy?
Julie Dabrusin LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, we are absolutely committed to continuing to fight climate change and to take action toward moving toward a low-carbon economy.
If we want to talk about news over the summer, I would like to highlight Churchill Falls. That is 14,000 megawatts of power that could heat and cool every home in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver through clean electricity. That is what we are doing. We are focused on building clean energy options for our country so that we can switch to decarbonization. That is what we are going to do.
The House resumed from September 21 consideration of the motion that Bill C-266, An Act to establish a national framework respecting skilled trades and labour mobility, be read the second time and referred to a committee.
Bill C-266 National Framework on Skilled Trades and Labour Mobility ActPrivate Members' Business
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
It being 3:10 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-266, under Private Members' Business.
Call in the members.
Bill C-266 National Framework on Skilled Trades and Labour Mobility ActPrivate Members' Business
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.
(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)
Bill C-266 National Framework on Skilled Trades and Labour Mobility ActPrivate Members' Business
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
I wish to inform the House that because of the deferred recorded divisions, the time provided for Government Orders will be extended by 12 minutes.
Shannon Miedema Liberal Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development in relation to Bill C-244, an act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, and the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act.
The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.
Arielle Kayabaga Liberal London West, ON
moved for leave to introduce An Act to establish a National Day of the Canadian Athlete.
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to introduce an act to establish a national day of the Canadian athlete.
(Motion deemed adopted)
Mr. Speaker, while I am on my feet, I move:
That the House do now proceed to orders of the day.
National Day of the Canadian Athlete ActRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
The question is on the motion.
If a member participating in person wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division, or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, we request it be carried on division, please.
National Day of the Canadian Athlete ActRoutine Proceedings
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
moved that Bill C-39, An Act respecting certain measures to strengthen the economy, be read the second time and referred to a committee.
Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise in the House today to speak to this important bill, the most important piece of economic legislation in decades.
Canada's prosperity has always depended on our ability to transport goods over long distances. It is in our DNA, an inherent part of who we are, because of the very nature of our geography.
Today, our ability to move goods at the speed and scale necessary for prosperity is being tested. Global supply chains are shifting. Competition is intensifying. Long-standing trade relationships can, unfortunately, no longer be taken for granted. For Canada, that means something fundamental. As an open economy, we must respond. We must become more resilient, more diversified, more globally competitive and more capable of standing on our own.
We must respond by strengthening our economic sovereignty, while continuing to be a strong and reliable partner to countries around the world. In this new environment, the old ways of thinking, the old ways of doing business and the old ways of looking at the world are no longer enough. They are not fast enough, big enough, resilient enough or reliable enough. In fact, they must be reimagined sometimes in their entirety.
As Canadians, we must take control of our own destiny and build the capacity to stand on our own, while strengthening the partnerships that matter most. We succeed as a country, one and all, today and tomorrow, by building the supply chains of the future. Ports; railways; roads; airports; trade corridors; the way we work, make decisions and process our information; and the speed at which we build will all have to change.
Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to travel across our country and speak with Canadians from coast to coast to coast. I have also met with chambers of commerce, councils and businesses. I have spoken with workers at length about the challenges we are facing. We came up with some proposals together, and, most importantly, I took the time to listen carefully to what people across Canada had to say.
Earlier this year, Transport Canada released two discussion papers that outlined proposals, and we listened once again. Bill C‑39 is the result of all that work, a whole-of-government effort involving numerous discussion papers across various departments.
This bill is one of the most important economic pieces of legislation in a generation. It is the result of a number of departments coming together, and it explains exactly how we are going to turn those advantages into opportunities.
Let us get into the specifics of the bill. I would like to begin with what we call trade corridors. We are an export nation. Canada's transportation system is the backbone of our export nation, enabling the safe, secure and efficient movement of goods. It gets key products onto shelves at home and abroad and others to ports for overseas shipping, and it directly impacts affordability for Canadians.
Over the past few years, our government has worked hard to improve that infrastructure. Through the national trade corridors fund, we have invested more than $4 billion in over 200 projects across the country. Our goal in doing all of this has been simple: to scale up and improve capacity so that there is less waiting, smoother flow and faster results. This important work has continued with the trade diversification corridors fund and the Arctic infrastructure fund, as well as the new Canada strong fund, which will be used to make commercial equity investments in major nation-building Canadian projects and companies, alongside private sector investors.
With Bill C-39, we are going further, with the ability to designate specific geographic areas or important routes as national trade corridors and then set clear performance goals. The overall goal would shift from increasing capacity to improving efficiency and reliability. In other words, we would be helping different parts of the system, such as ports, railways, airports, trucking and warehouses, work together better and then track how well things are running. A national corridor council would also be created to find problem areas that cause delays and suggest ways to improve the system, improve efficiency and help different players make more coordinated decisions.
Overall, these changes would move goods faster from where they are made to ports, reduce delays at these busy points and make shipping more reliable for exporters. That reliability is about more than efficiency. It is about giving Canadian businesses options.
Last year, the Prime Minister set an ambitious goal for Canada to double its non-U.S. exports within a decade. That goal has inspired this piece of legislation. It is no small feat, but it is absolutely necessary if we are to make our economy more resilient and less vulnerable to the risks that come with relying too much on a single market or country.
Canada has what the world is looking for. While that is true, we also need to take action. We need to make our country so accessible and predictable that other countries want to expand their trade with us.
That means that trade hubs, especially ports, must operate at the speed of business. They need to be able to make decisions and raise capital more flexibly. They need to work together better, move goods faster and track them better to reduce bottlenecks and cut costs, making Canada a much more attractive economic partner.
Here is how we are going to do that. The proposed legislative amendments would strengthen the governance of port authorities by requiring regular assessments and third-party assessments that would be submitted to the minister. Other provisions would require regular updates to land use plans and business plans and would modernize the way fees are fixed for ports owned and operated by Transport Canada. Ports would benefit from greater financial flexibility and new revenue-generating opportunities.
This would, of course, be accompanied by increased oversight and the creation of a regulatory authority that could require operators to provide data so that we can more accurately gauge the performance of our supply chains.
However, it is not enough for one port or port authority to act alone. These changes must be coordinated, and port authorities must strengthen their collaboration along trade corridors to scale Canada's trade gateways up enough to compete internationally and to strengthen our domestic supply chains.
I want to be very clear. Canada is not privatizing its ports. Canada owns the land. Our port authorities are independent, self-funded bodies that have been given the responsibility for managing these lands on behalf of the Government of Canada. They basically act as landlords who then lease plots of land to private terminal operators. These operators build and operate the essential infrastructure on which our Canadian farmers, producers and manufacturers depend.
What this bill does is increase the flexibility that our port authorities have to pursue new trade opportunities and to adapt to the changing landscape of international trade. Our ports must be agile, reliable and efficient. They must have the resources they need to meet our goal of doubling our trade with partners other than the United States over the next 10 years.
We are therefore proposing to establish a national trade corridors council, which will be responsible for consulting with indigenous peoples, provinces, territories, municipalities and other stakeholders and for making recommendations to strengthen collaboration among ports within each designated trade corridor.
Roughly 80% of Canada's trade by volume with countries other than the U.S. moves by sea. This measure would help ports expand, plan for the long term and meet growing global demand.
We also want to talk about regulatory certainty and red tape reduction. A clear and simple regulatory system will bring a consistent foundation to support businesses to invest, grow and stay competitive while keeping strong safety and environmental standards.
This bill proposes legislative changes to improve efficiency, cut time-consuming administrative burdens, reduce costs to businesses and support a more competitive transportation system. The proposed changes would simplify rules and approvals while maintaining Canada's world-leading standards. For example, we would remove many duplicate reviews where other processes already apply. We call it a “one project, one review” approach, with a streamlined process, parallel assessments and clearer timelines.
We would also align more quickly with international standards, speed up approvals for lower-risk projects, reduce some unnecessary reporting requirements and provide flexibility during emergencies.
Finally, to complement efforts being led by the Major Projects Office, Transport Canada would establish a transportation project office within the department to strengthen federal permitting, coordination and Crown consultation for some transportation projects.
Taken together, these measures aim to support competitive and resilient supply chains, improve system flexibility and help move key goods more efficiently at a reduced cost to businesses and Canadians.
Next, I want to address our plan to improve the digitization of trade. This is one of the greatest opportunities available to us. Many Canadian exporters still rely on paper-based systems, which is slowing the movement of goods and increasing costs. Customs forms, bills of lading and certificates of origin are often processed sequentially by several different authorities. That is an outdated way of doing things.
In some cases, red tape can add days to the customs clearance process. Meanwhile, our competitors, including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands and New Zealand, have embraced the future and already have end-to-end digitized trade systems. A 2025 report by Access Partnership estimates that paperless trade in Canada could reduce trade costs for businesses by up to 4.2%. Documents are sent just once and are passed along simultaneously. Goods clear customs in a matter of hours, rather than days.
The bill would change that. Its measures would support trade digitization. In many cases, this would enable companies to provide information only once and share it securely across multiple federal departments and agencies, in accordance with the “tell us once” principle. The legislation would also clarify the legal validity of transferable electronic documents, such as bills of lading, to encourage their use in international trade processes.
These digitized trade processes would allow goods to move faster, providing businesses with greater predictability and strengthening Canada's competitiveness and reputation. The shift to digital would reduce documentation errors and administrative delays while promoting more efficient supply chain management. Crucially, this kind of efficiency could help unlock up to $100 billion in economic potential.
Perhaps nowhere is that potential more evident than in the Major Projects Office, which must accelerate and streamline the federal approval process for high-priority infrastructure projects and nation-building projects. By creating a single entry point for all these projects, we would reduce the timeline for federal review and decision-making to no more than one year. Other changes would allow us to have a single project authority and a single project decision. The associated regulatory environment would become streamlined and efficient.
I have already pointed out that transportation and our supply chains are the backbone of our country's economy, but without a stable and skilled workforce, supply chains cannot function. Dozens of work stoppages in recent years, including major rail shutdowns, have shown how quickly instability can ripple across the economy. That affects workers, that affects businesses and that affects Canada's reputation as a reliable trading partner. When these shutdowns occur, hundreds of thousands of unionized jobs in manufacturing locations, in factories, in coal mines and in energy projects are all put at risk as well. That is why we would strengthen labour stability to keep supply chains moving, with well-paid workers with solid collective agreements.
Practical solutions within this bill would offer things like better dispute resolution, improved labour mobility, skills training and workforce development. We need long-term solutions for recruitment, retention and resilience, because building and operating modern supply chains require people with world-leading skills, like Canadians have, and require those people to be deployed in the right places. We need to be building that workforce now.
I reject the criticism that this bill would not contribute to stability in our supply chains. This government is investing and putting in place measures to support workers, to support employers and to reach agreements where they are best reached, which is at the table. We will continue to invest in processes and regulations that allow getting collective agreements and getting the people we need. The best people in the world work in our national supply chains in many of Canada's leading labour unions, and we should help them stay on the job. They want to be on the job, and they are proud to do the jobs that they do.
The changes we are proposing will help establish a more modern and responsive transportation network that can withstand economic pressures, improve the performance of our trade corridors and unlock new capabilities.
As the Prime Minister said, the world will not go back to the way it was. The old order is not coming back. We need to respond, adapt and move forward.
As I was saying, we need to build the country and the systems that are behind the best country in the world, including supply chains. We need to build the supply chains and systems of the future. We need to build a Canada that is more connected to the world, more competitive, safer, less vulnerable to a single market and better able to stand on its own. We must act. We must act now as we move toward this new horizon.
In conclusion, this bill is an important piece of economic legislation. It gets at the very foundation of our economic system, which is our transportation networks, which is the way we deal with investment proposals and projects of all sizes, from one end of the country to the other. It streamlines processes but does not lower standards. It helps labour and employers reach collective agreements and does not look to labour conflict. It helps to make our transportation systems more efficient and more effective and to reduce costs for businesses, for exporters and, especially, for Canadians on the grocery shelves and everywhere.
I am so proud to recommend to this House Bill C-39, the building Canada strong act, and I look forward to the debate we will have in this chamber.
Steven Bonk Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Mr. Speaker, the government announced a supply chain office in 2023, with no results. Then last year we passed Bill C-5, which gave the Liberals extraordinary powers, with no results. Then they started a special projects office, but so far, there are no results. Now they want to build on more bureaucracy.
When will the government finally get something done? There are 500 projects in the wings waiting to be approved, and so far, the government has done nothing. We have had enough of announcements. When will the Liberals actually get to work for Canadians?
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, this is a legislative body, and we intend to legislate. Let me challenge virtually everything the hon. member said. First of all, we will be reducing bureaucracy, not creating it. We will be streamlining processes, not expanding them. As for Bill C-5, a bill we are very proud of, it created the Major Projects Office, which today is actively examining 27 nation-building projects. The model and the success of the Major Projects Office need to be replicated across the Government of Canada.
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette—Manawan, QC
Mr. Speaker, does the minister agree that the Canada Energy Regulator is effectively run by the oil companies?
The lead commissioner is the former senior legal counsel at TC Energy, previously known as TransCanada Corporation, the owner of the TransCanada pipeline, which changed its name following the energy east fiasco. The deputy lead commissioner is a former executive at Royal Dutch Shell. Another commissioner is a former legal adviser to Pembina Pipeline Corporation and Shell Canada Limited. Another one comes from Imperial Oil and Canadian Oil Sands Limited. Then there is one from Cenovus Energy, an oil sands company.
Does my colleague agree that the Canada Energy Regulator is effectively run by oil companies and that Bill C-39 sidelines scientists and replaces them with lawyers from this industry?
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Canada Energy Regulator is a world leader in this area and has access to the best expertise and all the science. It operates independently.
We think that those responsible for regulating energy should regulate energy, nuclear should regulate nuclear, and so on. We want projects to be approved or rejected faster so that investors can feel confident, regardless of whether the project is happening in Quebec, in renewable energy, elsewhere in the country or in another sector.
We will take action, and we will do so quickly.
Élisabeth Brière Liberal Sherbrooke, QC
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister of Transport for his speech on Bill C‑39. I would like to ask him the following question: What reassurance can the government offer to people who have concerns about the right to strike, and how can it explain to them that this bill actually aims to make it easier for unions and workers to reach agreements?
Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Sherbrooke, who is also calling for a more secure future for local businesses and entrepreneurs in her riding.
Canadian workers have a constitutional right to strike. In that context, we have proposed measures, such as appointing a special mediator. This process is tailored to particularly challenging cases. We know that 95% of disputes are settled, but for the remaining 5%, we think there should be a special mediator to help both parties come to an agreement without—