Chrystia Freeland

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, I am delighted that the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk has reminded members of our dear colleague from Central Okanagan's unforgettable slogan, “free the beer”. When I was preparing for tonight, I was planning to find an opportunity to salute him for having undertaken that important initiative. I am very grateful for the work that Conservatives like Jason Kenney did on that important initiative.

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, I have with me a binder of independent analyses done on this, including a study done for the IMF. Truly and sincerely as a human, not a jouster, it is an issue—

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, on interprovincial trade, we are absolutely already making progress, and the progress, I have to say, is—

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, I believe in succeeding or failing based on my own strengths, merits and hard work. I think I will leave it there.

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, it is a really good point, and I want to be clear. I am going to stop the ritualized jousting and be a normal human. I convened a round table of economists really shortly after being sworn in as minister. We had divergent views. Some said that if we lift all barriers, we get 4% of GDP; others said 1%. Reasonable people can differ, but there is unanimity that this is going to make our economy stronger—

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, Canadians are really smart. Canadians know we need one economy, not 13. Canadians know we need free trade in Canada as soon as we can get it. If we all work really hard, and we are going to have to do it together, across the country, provinces, territories, the federal government, the opposition—

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, as I said, we are a minority in this House, as we were reminded earlier this week. It is my commitment as a minister to do everything in my power, in the federal government's power, to remove federal barriers—

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, I actually did not hear an answer to whether the Conservatives will be supporting our bill. I really hope they will.

Federal barriers are a small portion of the barriers, but in saying that, I want to lean on what great work the provinces are doing.

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, that is an excellent question, and I hope that means the members opposite are going to vote for and support our one Canadian—

[Business of Supply, June 5th, 2025]

Mr. Chair, my commitment is that I am going to do everything in my power to get there as fast as I can.