Chrystia Freeland

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, I have already made myself very clear. This is a priority for me. I have already spoken with the mayor. We will do everything that—

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

We will do whatever it takes to resolve the situation in Lac‑Mégantic.

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, today, my responsibility is to answer questions in my capacity as Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, but I want to say that Lac‑Mégantic is a priority for me.

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, as the new Minister of Transport, I can make a very serious promise to the people of Lac-Mégantic. This issue is a priority. That is why I have already spoken with the mayor.

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, I have not made any promises yet because Minister of Transport is a new role for me, but I want to assure you—

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, I want to congratulate the member on his election. I look forward to working with him. I really appreciate the serious tone of his question. What happened in Lac‑Mégantic was a real tragedy, and I think he would agree with me that this is not an issue that should be politicized. I had a conversation this week with Julie Morin, the mayor—

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, I want to highlight one aspect that my colleague raised, and that is the importance of the north and the importance of Arctic sovereignty.

I had the privilege today of meeting with the Premier of the Northwest Territories and with two chiefs from the Northwest Territories. Their enthusiasm for building Canada, for building up our sovereignty in the north, was absolutely infectious. There is a lot of excitement right now around projects like the Arctic security corridor, including the Grays Bay road and port project. We need to all join together to get these projects built. I do hope all members of this House will share that enthusiasm that we can feel in the country for rolling up our sleeves and building Canada.

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, that is another great question. Our ports are quite literally our access to the world. They are so important.

Just a few weeks ago, I was so pleased to be in Halifax to meet with the great people who run that port and to hear about their ambitious plans to make a wonderful port even better. I was very pleased a few days ago to meet with the leadership of the Port of Vancouver. Their Roberts Bank terminal 2 project is a very important project for our country, and I am very excited, as minister, to be working with them and to be supporting them.

I also want to point again to the very important meeting the Prime Minister held with the premiers of the provinces and territories. An important subject of discussion was building Canada and putting forward major projects in the national interest, which included many projects to build up our ports, to build our roads, to build our trade corridors and to build our railways. This is a time for us to get to work. We need to work hard to make the Canadian economy the strongest economy in the G7 and to diversify at a time when we are facing a real threat from the United States.

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, I would like to start by congratulating my colleague from Halifax on her election. Halifax is a wonderful city with a wonderful MP, and I am always very happy to see women elected to this House.

It is so appropriate for the member to be talking about ports and trade corridors. As an MP for Halifax, she knows how important the port is to that fine city. I am really excited about the national trade diversification fund, the $5-billion fund we committed to in the platform. I am excited about the $1.5 billion we committed to for a first and last mile trade fund.

This is a moment to build Canada. Transport, transport corridors, ports, railway lines, airports and roads are all essential to that work. I am so excited about rolling up my sleeves, getting down to work and building our country.

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, the Conservatives seem confused in their questions. On one hand, they want to say that we are overstating the value of removing internal barriers to trade. On the other hand—