Andrew Leslie

[International Trade, February 4th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we are standing up for Canadian companies facing illegal U.S. tariffs. Our tariffs on $16.6 billion worth of U.S. imports are working. Just last week, senior Republicans called on the U.S. administration to lift the U.S. tariffs because of the impact of our retaliatory measures. Meanwhile, the Conservatives want to surrender.

Instead of trying to score cheap political points on the backs of our workers, Doug Ford and his Conservative friends on the other side of the aisle should join us and stand up for Canadians.

[International Trade, February 4th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, when the U.S. imposed its illegal tariffs on our steel and aluminum, we acted quickly. We have already provided $624 million in support to companies and workers, and we quickly imposed counter-tariffs, perfectly matched, to protect our workers.

Meanwhile, Doug Ford's Conservatives are calling for us to unilaterally surrender to the Americans by unconditionally removing our tariffs. While our government is fighting for our workers, all the Conservatives can do is surrender.

[Government of Canada, January 28th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, for the fourth year in a row Canada has been named the number one country in the world for quality of life. Canada ranked highest for political stability and a strong job market. Unemployment is at historic lows, the economy is strong and more Canadians than ever before are hard at work.

In the context of small business, our government has been working hard to make it easier to do business here in Canada by lowering the small business tax rate from 11% to 9%.

We have many reasons to appreciate living in Canada, but we still have a lot of work to do. Let us keep working hard to ensure that all Canadians have a real and fair chance to succeed.

[House of Commons, December 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, with the time in this magnificent place counting down from months to weeks to days and now hours, I want to take this moment to thank the residents of Orléans for entrusting me to be their voice on the Hill. I also most especially want to thank those who serve our country, both in and out of uniform, and your staff, Mr. Speaker, the clerks, the pages, the translators, the RCMP, the Parliamentary Protective Service, the people who work in the restaurant, and those who make our lives so much easier and focused on getting the job done.

Let us continue to reflect the values that define Canadians and to be generous and kind to our fellow citizens and to visitors from around the world.

With that, I wish my friends on both sides of the aisle a merry Christmas and best wishes for a great new year.

[Foreign Affairs, December 12th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the following treaty.

It is entitled “Protocol Replacing the North America Free Trade Agreement with the Agreement between Canada, the United States of America and the United Mexican States”, done at Buenos Aires on November 30, 2018.

[Foreign Affairs, December 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, a treaty entitled “Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Canada for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy”, done at Ottawa on November 2, 2018.

[Human Rights, December 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned by the human rights situation faced by Muslim Uighurs and other minorities in China. We continue to raise this issue at every opportunity, including in Beijing and at international conferences.

We call on the Chinese government to ensure the human rights of its citizens are fully respected. The Prime Minister expressed our concerns with the Chinese premier last week, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs has also discussed it with China's foreign minister at every available opportunity.

Freedom of religion and freedom of expression must be respected.

[International Trade, December 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Niagara Centre for his hard work.

Our government has fought and always will fight for Canadian workers. As I have said several times today already, the new NAFTA preserves crucial cross-border supply chains and has significantly improved wages and labour rights for Canadian workers.

Last week the automobile section 232 side letter was signed. This now gives Canadians new protections against the threat of U.S. automotive tariffs.

[International Trade, December 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, a few days ago, the Prime Minister signed the section 232 side letter on autos, which provides Canada with significant protection against the U.S. tariffs my colleague just mentioned. The new agreement maintains crucial supply chains in the auto sector and improves workers' pay and rights. This agreement is good for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians working in the auto industry and for all Canadian workers.

This is very good news.

[International Trade, December 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we are very focused on eliminating the unjustified and illegal tariffs imposed by the United States on Canadian steel and aluminum.

This is an absolute priority for our government. We have put in place strong responsive measures to protect the workers. We have also recently signed the auto section 232 side letter, which is of vital importance to automobile workers, because it gives Canada important protections against the threat of U.S. automotive tariffs in the future that would hurt hundreds of thousands of workers, their jobs and the factories that employ them.

This is a good thing.