Dan Albas

[Business of Supply, March 23rd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, before I address directly the motion before us today, I will first relay a story.

Back in 2017, the Prime Minister had an idea. His idea was to use an omnibus budget bill to create a new excise tax escalator on alcohol sold in Canada. This meant that the tax on most wine, beer and spirits sold in Canada would, by default, be increased every year without having to come to the House for debate. As opposition, we opposed this.

I warned the Liberal government what would happen if Canadian wines produced with 100% Canadian-grown grapes received an excise exemption. According to Wine Growers Canada, this excise exemption “resulted in more than 400 new wineries and 40 million litres of new wine sales....The annual economic impact of this growth is $4.4 billion annually.”

As I warned the Liberal government, the problem with the excise tax escalator was that it would make wine produced elsewhere but sold in Canada more expensive against Canadian wines that used 100% Canadian-grown grapes and that there would be a trade challenge on this. To make a long story short, there was. The same Liberal government capitulated and agreed to remove the excise exemption previously enjoyed by Canadian grape growers. In turn, the Liberal government promised a plan to offset the economic damage it created in this industry, but here we are in 2021 and there is still no plan.

I do not share this story today to say “I told you so”. I share this story with everyone as a reminder that when governments do not think ahead of their actions, they can make mistakes with serious consequences. Now more than ever, we need to be vigilant and plan; we need to plan for our future today.

Canada has fallen massively behind other countries in how we have dealt with this pandemic. We were slow to close the borders, we were behind on things like PPE and rapid tests and now we are behind on vaccines. We have spent the most for a country of our size, but we all know we have not gotten the results we desperately need. I do not say that as a finger-pointing exercise. No prime minister would want to willingly be in this situation. COVID-19 is certainly not his fault, but, as the highest office in the country with the most resources to do something, he is responsible.

How has the Prime Minister responded? Indeed, as many released documents under production orders are illustrating, the Prime Minister's Office has often tried to manipulate, hide, deceive or distract from these ongoing failures. Now, here we are. We as parliamentarians must do our jobs to do everything we can do to help with this recovery. If members are in doubt of that, I will share a few thoughts and observations that, if some members have not been thinking about, we need to start thinking about collectively.

Let us will start with employment insurance. We know that with the phase-out of the CERB, many have transitioned to EI. People who would not normally be eligible are now receiving record amounts from EI. The challenge is that EI, by law, is required to be a sustainable program. While the Liberal government refuses to disclose the current status of the EI account, we know that the Parliamentary Budget Officer has forecast that the EI operating account is on track for a cumulative deficit of $52 billion by the end of 2024, and that is just an estimate. For every day of delay that we cannot deliver a plan to get our own economy back on track, the EI expenses will continue to exceed revenue.

This is not partisan politics. That is not some isolated situation. This is occurring in every region of our country today. Again, EI must be sustainable. The EI account will not balance itself; it will require a serious plan. If employers are not hiring or are continuing to bleed staff, that will result in more weight on our EI system. That means higher EI premiums to make up the shortfall on those employers and fewer and fewer employees, yet the Prime Minister and his ministers continue to ignore this reality. I believe we all know, collectively, that Canada ignores problems like this at our peril. That is just one example of a need for an economic recovery plan.

I will give another from my riding.

The Okanagan, like other regions of Canada, relies heavily on tourism. American citizens who have been fully inoculated, 200 million-plus more every day, are calling to make reservations for upcoming summer and winter vacations. If we do not start signalling the science-based metrics we will abide by as well as who and under what conditions these tourists can come, they simply will go to other places and spend their dollars somewhere else, not here in Canada, where many of our small-scale accommodation providers and those small businesses that have been absolutely decimated by this pandemic are living off credit. They are having tens of thousands of dollars of bookings being thrown at them and they have no idea what to do. Why? Because the Prime Minister has been totally silent in announcing any kind of recovery plan.

While a lot of tourism is road traffic, let us not forget that many travel to my home province of B.C. by airplane. For those in the aviation sector, it has been just devastating. Here we are, one year into the pandemic and there is no plan, not even an assistance package for this critical industry. What will be the long-term impacts for Canadians be if our aviation sector cannot survive? What of our tourism sector?

Here is something I thought I would never see in my region. Kelowna International Airport is a major artery for economic development of the Okanagan, yet due to its ownership under the City of Kelowna, it has not received a dime in support from the federal government's wage subsidy.

In 2019, YLW was booming and had large and ambitious expansion plans. Major parts of that plan have had to be put on hold because of the pandemic. Without any strong COVID recovery plan, like the Leader of the Opposition has called for, the failure of the Prime Minister to act means less opportunity for jobs and investments both at the airport and around our region that rely on YLW.

The director of Kelowna International Airport, Sam Samaddar, has said that without immediate changes, our country could see Canadians driving to the U.S. to catch cheaper flights from American airports when things return to normal in the future, because of Ottawa's low level of assistance now.

In the Kelowna Daily Courier last week, Sam Samaddar said:

The Canadian government’s investment in the aviation industry, it’s been appalling to be honest with you....And here we are a year into the pandemic and I can’t believe we still do not have automatic contact tracing.

We are behind on contact tracing and on stockpiling PPE, rapid testing and vaccines. Speaking of vaccines, the Prime Minister has suggested that everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be so by the end of September. The problem is that losing another summer for tourism is a price that many can no longer afford.

I am certain I am not alone in seeing a growing number of “For lease” signs going up in many downtowns throughout my riding. Many of these small businesses that are closing have been around for many years. Most that I have heard from are either closing because they can no longer afford to keep the doors open or, in some cases, they do not see any clarity, they do not see any point and would rather cut their losses now.

Again, there is no plan from the Prime Minister. What we have heard is things like “build back better”. What does that even mean? People cannot build anything without a budget. The Prime Minister has refused to table a budget for over two years. To build back better without a plan, nothing can be built. Essentially “build back better” is just another series of buzzwords.

When we look around our communities, nothing is being built by the government right now. A revised mandate letter was sent out earlier this year, in which the Prime Minister instructed his finance minister not to commit to any new permanent spending. Only months later, the same Prime Minister promised to permanently increase transit spending, most of it five years down the road. That is the problem.

The Prime Minister literally makes it up day by day. First, we are not increasing permanent spending, until we are. Most of it is five years down the road. We have no budget to show how that promise will actually get paid for. What could go wrong here? I think we all know that is not good governance.

In the absence of a plan, that is what we get: made-up promises as we go along. Five years from today, that massive EI deficit in the billions is going to need to somehow be paid for. How? By whom? Will workers premiums be further increased? If so, that leaves less net take-home pay at a time when inflation may be undermining our dollar. Is that what building back better looks like? If so, many would dispute that this is a better outcome.

One thing we do know is that these problems will not solve themselves. We all know that this current level of spending is not sustainable. I expect that when the Prime Minister first told his finance minister not to create any new permanent spending announcements, he did so with good reason. We also know that an election is coming at some point on the horizon and that the Prime Minister will only announce more spending. It is what he does.

The challenge is that we need a plan today, one that is scrutinized in this minority Parliament, one that is data-driven, that gives people hope and certainty. We need a plan that will help serve as our road map for how we deal with other countries that are ahead of us in dealing with the pandemic. We critically need to help small business. Let us not forget—

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, March 10th, 2021]

With regard to the spending the federal government has done since 2016, related to mitigating or addressing climate change, including, but not limited to, infrastructure, tax rebates, subsidies both for businesses and individuals, research and development, loans, grants and contributions, and transfers of any kind: (a) what is the total amount spent; (b) what is the total amount spent per province on an absolute basis; (c) what is the total amount spent per province on a basis relative to population; (d) what is the total amount spent on any entity outside of Canada, including foreign states; (e) what is the breakdown per foreign state for any amount spent outside of Canada; (f) what is the total amount spent on any international or multi-lateral organization; and (g) what is the breakdown of where any organization in (f) spent the funds?

[Small Business, February 26th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, last week I asked about a small business being hurt, not helped, by the government. The response was that the government ignored the question, as it is ignoring many businesses with such leases right across the country. That business is being told by Parks Canada that it will not get the rent support it needs because the Department of Finance believes seasonal leases are annual leases.

Would the minister like us to drop off some calendars to her department so the staff can see for themselves the difference between six months and a year?

[COVID-19 Emergency Response, February 19th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, a small business right here in Ottawa is being told by Parks Canada that it is not eligible for the 75% rent support because its six-month lease is considered an annual lease. As the minister is no doubt aware, six months and a year are two very different things. The government loves to pat itself on the back, but then it actually ignores helping the people who need it.

Why is Parks Canada taking the absurd step of counting a six-month lease as an annual one?

[Business of Supply, February 18th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I would simply say that if the member wants to support this motion for whatever reason, because I believe it is the right thing morally for us to do as a country, that is good. I would not tie this to anything other than its being the right thing to do. This member can raise economic concerns and other matters—

[Business of Supply, February 18th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I came to the chamber today prepared to try to persuade all members to vote in favour of this motion calling out the Communist Chinese government on genocide. Whatever reasons an individual member may have, such as the member for Vancouver East, I hope that they will vote in favour of this. I believe that is the big thing. We all will have a reason, but the best reason is to protect our values and to call out China and not allow a normalization of the current path that, if we do not intercede as a country, may continue to happen.

[Business of Supply, February 18th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, we must do our own work here and support this motion. We need to take a stand so we can communicate that the highest political institution in the land, this place, this Parliament, has come out clearly and succinctly to call out the Communist Chinese government for committing genocide. We must do that first. If we take that moral leadership, I believe others will as well.

My own leader has said that the games should be moved, and I believe that our resolution around this, with all parties united, would be a powerful message to both the committee and to the world.

[Business of Supply, February 18th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise virtually in the chamber on behalf of the good people of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola.

I will be sharing my time with the member for Port Moody—Coquitlam.

Earlier today, the member for Wellington—Halton Hills shared with us chilling and horrific accounts of the atrocities Uighurs are facing in China. The details and evidence are well documented and are very disturbing. Let there be no doubt that this is genocide.

I will even go a step further to suggest that this is literally a textbook example of the horror that is a genocide. Let us make no mistake about that. Deep down, I do not believe there is a member in this place that is in doubt of that fact. Indeed, we have heard current and former members of the Liberal caucus publicly voice that view.

I mention that today because, ultimately, I believe what we are really here today to debate is this question: Why does the Prime Minister refuse to stand up for some of the world's most vulnerable people, the Uighurs, and rightfully call out and condemn this as genocide?

I believe all of us know part of the answer. It is not because the Prime Minister is afraid to use the term “genocide”. Indeed, he has stated that a genocide has occurred here in Canada. Therefore, why is there a refusal to call it a genocide against the Uighurs? We all know the answer. It is because the Prime Minister, for whatever reason, refuses to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party government.

We do not know why that is. It has gotten so bad that even the Liberal member for Malpeque has had to stand up and tell the Prime Minister to “wake up and smell the roses” when it comes to China.

I highly doubt that any member of the House would disagree with the advice the member for Malpeque gave the Prime Minister.

I applaud the member for Malpeque for calling his leader on his bad behaviour, especially since he knows what happened to former Liberal member Jane Philpott, who dared to speak her mind and challenge the Prime Minister on his bad behaviour. When a Liberal member dares to criticize their boss's bad behaviour, that can spell the end of their career. That is exactly what the member for Malpeque did. This motion is our opportunity to send a strong message to the Prime Minister.

Let us never forget that, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Canadians gather to pay tribute to the many courageous Canadians who made so many sacrifices for our country. They left their homes, their loved ones and their families not only to serve Canada but also to resist tyranny and oppression and fight for the most vulnerable. That is how Canada operated back in the day.

I am deeply concerned about the fact that this has changed under the current Prime Minister. If we allow the Prime Minister to ignore the atrocities and the genocide being perpetrated on the Uighur people in China, his failure will be Canada's failure. We cannot allow that to happen. That is not the Canada I believe in.

I am wondering if that is the Canada the government believes in, a Canada that looks the other way, that does nothing about genocide. This all stems from the fact that we have a Prime Minister who is completely incapable of standing up to the Chinese Communist government.

I would like to share a quote from Irwin Cotler. He said, “Indifference in such mass atrocities, let alone genocide, always means coming down on the side of the victimizer and not on the side of the victims.” This is the path that the Prime Minister is trying to put us on, the side of the victimizer. Again, I ask why. It is because, when it comes to the Chinese Communist government, the Prime Minister refuses to stand up and show leadership.

Let me read that quote again from Irwin Cotler. He said, “Indifference in such mass atrocities, let alone genocide, always means coming down on the side of the victimizer and not on the side of the victims.”

I ask a simple question. Who will members stand with? Will they sit with the Prime Minister in silence and come down on the side of the victimizer, or will they take a stand on behalf of the Uighur people and support this motion?

Let us be clear what this motion is asking us to do. Leaving out all the preamble today, we, as members of Parliament, are being asked to support recognizing that a genocide is currently being carried out by the People's Republic of China against Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims, and to call on the government to officially adopt this position. This is precisely what Mr. Cotler and a great many others are asking Canada to do. Today, one can take that stand, or one can continue to sit in silence.

Before concluding my remarks, I would like to ask everyone a simple question.

Ultimately, our time here is limited. When we look back and think about the time we spent here, we will all undoubtedly have good memories. Let us hope that we will not have many regrets.

Let us ask ourselves this question: If each one of us decided to sit in silence today and to join the Prime Minister in opposing this motion, would this be one of our best memories?

Today, we have an opportunity as members to stand up and send a powerful message. In doing so, we continue Canada's long-standing and proud history of standing up for human rights and defending the most vulnerable. I believe this is the Canadian way. As members of this place, and as Canadians, let us stand united. We need to adopt this motion.

[Business of Supply, February 18th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I certainly miss the conversations I had with the member at the Canada-China relations committee.

These issues are complex, but ultimately this motion has to come to a deliberative end. We are a country that believes in the rule of law. If we see human rights abuses happening to Uighurs in China, as the member has said he clearly does, does that not compel us as a people to put the rule of law into action through the international obligations and conventions we have signed?

Does the member acknowledge that the government has an obligation to stand up for Canadian values and the rule of law on behalf of those who are—

[Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020, February 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the words of the member and miss the opportunity to sit with her on the HUMA committee.

The fall economic update by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance presented a lot of eye-popping numbers with very little detail. It is my hope that we start discussing. This is why I suggested carving out this section, because I think many members on the Liberal side would agree that there were not enough details as to what $100 billion would do for stimulus.

Doing that over three years, when we do not have a good grasp on where we are at or where we will be based on some of the variants and various issues, is dangerous. This is one of the reasons we should be carving out the section so we can be asking questions.

Anything that brings value for money is important, but some of my constituents have asked why there has been more money set aside for WE Charity than for domestic vaccination production. We an announcement by the government today that it would be far later than what other countries presented. We need to start asking, “What if we are wrong?” What kind of prepare for the worst but hope for the best thinking can we find collectively? This chamber is built for that kind of thinking and consensus building.