Colin Carrie

[International Trade, March 12th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister himself stated that the revenues collected from these surtaxes would go to supporting affected industries, but a closer look at the PBO's report shows that is not the case. Out of the approximate $1.3 billion collected, only $894 million went back to the steel and aluminum industries. The rest was spent on administration and programs that could be accessed by any industry in Canada.

Why has the Liberal government not kept its word and sent every dollar back to the negatively affected aluminum and steel industries?

[Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act, March 10th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I always find the parliamentary secretary's speeches quite entertaining, but there were so many factual inaccuracies there I just do not know where to start. I am on the committee as well and have listened to the witnesses.

One of his comments was really concerning to me. He said that this is going to be a better deal for the auto industry. That is what the Prime Minister said and that is what the Deputy Prime Minister said during the election, but the government's own numbers on this agreement show that it is going to be a $1.5-billion hit to the auto industry, which will decrease production about 1.7%.

When the Liberals took office, there was an agreement called the trans-Pacific partnership that was ready to be signed. It was the new NAFTA, which was a plus $4.3-billion improvement to our GDP, and with this agreement, C.D. Howe Institute said there is going to be a negative $14-billion hit.

How can the member stand here and tell workers in Oshawa, where our plant just closed, that it was a good deal for auto workers, especially given the numbers that his own government took until the very last day to tell Canadians were valid on the economic impact studies? How is a $1.5-billion hit a good deal for automotive?

[Health, March 10th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister is playing on his cellphone, Canadians are concerned with the rapid spread of COVID-19. The CBC is reporting that a traveller from northern Italy landed in Toronto without being screened. David Gosine said, “Nobody did a temperature check.... There was nothing, really.”

Could the minister tell us why travellers from high-risk areas like Italy are being allowed to enter Canada without any screening?

[Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act, March 10th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague chairs the Standing Committee on International Trade and we were able to work together quite well on this agreement. The question I have for her is about something we found out that was quite disturbing, which was the transparency of the government on the economic impact implications of this trade agreement.

Before the election, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister were very clear that this was going to be a win-win-win for Canadians. We found out late in the game the government's own numbers. For example, for people in my community in the auto sector there was going to be a hit of $1.5 billion to the auto industry and a decrease of 1.7% in production.

My colleague did not know and we did not know. I believe the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister were aware of it because they were working on it since 2017.

In order for this not to happen again, what does she think has to be implemented for future trade agreements? This was extremely misleading and it may have caused people to vote differently in the election.

[Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act, March 10th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I listened to my colleague's speech intently and I want to thank him for his work on the international trade committee. He mentioned how Canadians are going to be paying the price for the Prime Minister's weak leadership. He talked about the aluminum industry, the dairy sector and the softwood lumber sector, all of these lost opportunities.

One point he brought up that is incredibly important to Canadians is the lack of transparency. The original TPP that was negotiated five years ago by the government had a positive effect of $4.3 billion on our GDP. The new agreement, according to C.D. Howe and as we heard in committee, is a $14-billion hit to our economy. The economic impact studies, as the member so carefully pointed out, were not even available to us until one day before the end of the agreement.

The Liberal government told Canadians before the election that this was a win-win-win, if members remember. It was a great deal for Canadians. Then we found out their own numbers. In my own community of Oshawa we have had a $1.5-billion hit to the auto industry and a decrease of 1.7% for production.

The member said that he is a watchdog and he is going to be a good watchdog working together on committee. I see myself in that form as well. There is so much misleading information and a lack of transparency.

How important is the implementation of this trade agreement and the oversight for that implementation, given the support for the negatively affected sectors? Also, because of the government's weak leadership and tendency to secrecy, how important are that implementation and oversight going to be?

[Business of Supply, March 9th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, my colleague talked about the Prime Minister's weak leadership. I want to come back to transparency.

I am on the international trade committee and we just finished with CUSMA. The Liberals knew back in 2017 that this was not a good deal, but they said it was a win-win-win. From their own numbers, this will be a $1.5-billion hit to the auto industry and will decrease production by 1.7%.

Why is it so important that we get the information from the government, especially now with the economic downturn?

[Business of Supply, March 9th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, what we are talking about today is a motion that the government release to the House, within 45 days, documents provided to it about any warnings that the government has been given about how it is managing the economy on any potential economic downturns.

I would like to talk to my colleague briefly about the new CUSMA. The government had economic impact studies that it started before 2017, and it did not give the economic impact studies to committee until one day before the end of the shutdown of the study. We all know that, before the election, the Liberal government said the new CUSMA was going to be a win-win-win, a great victory for Canada. It told auto workers it would be a win-win-win for them, but the Liberals' own studies are showing that this is going to be a $1.5-billion hit for the auto sector and decrease production by 1.7%, so the government really does not have a strong record on transparency.

I am wondering if the member will support the motion, because all we are asking for is documents the government has. Will it share them with Canadians, please?

[The Economy, February 28th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, manufacturers in southern Ontario are losing millions of dollars because of the Prime Minister's weak leadership.

Montreal Gateway Terminals will be charging fees to manufacturers who cannot move their product from ship to rail. Businesses in the GTA that rely on rail to deliver raw materials are having to pay huge fees for a problem the Prime Minister created.

Will the Prime Minister compensate businesses that are being held hostage, instead of appeasing radical protesters trying to derail cargo trains?

[OCHL Volunteer, February 28th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, given Oshawa's long hockey history, it is not surprising that many families in my riding spend their winter nights and early mornings at the arena, but as much fun as our kids have playing the game they love, no minor hockey team, game or league exists without the hard-working volunteers who make them possible.

Since he was 17 years old, Dave Glazier has spent much of this life giving back to the OCHL, one of the local house league associations in my riding. Like many others in Oshawa, Dave spent his days on the General Motors assembly line during his working career, but his nights and weekends have been spent at the rink. As a coach, a board member and a tournament convener at the annual Heritage Classic, Dave's love for hockey has shown no bounds, and his volunteer work has been his way of sharing that with young players.

Dave will be retiring from his volunteer work with the OCHL come the end of this season, and hockey in Oshawa will not be the same without him. I thank him for the tremendous work he has done for the past 50 years and wish him a happy retirement.

[The Economy, February 21st, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, Gerdau, a large steel producer near my riding of Oshawa, is being negatively affected by these illegal blockades and the Prime Minister's inability to end them.

The blockades are affecting the company's ability to transport goods and receive manufacturing supplies, and its steel-making operations are now under threat. Hundreds of manufacturing jobs in my community could be at risk, and so are thousands across Ontario.

If the Prime Minister never wants to end the illegal blockades, when can we expect to see his plan to support affected workers?