David Lametti

[Telecommunications, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, in this day and age, mobile communications and high-speed Internet are no longer luxuries, they are necessities. Our government recognizes that innovation is occurring everywhere in the regions, just as it is in major cities. That is why we want to ensure that all Canadians have access to the same technologies, no matter their postal code. It comes down to equal opportunity. Our connect to innovate program is addressing the digital divide and will enable our communities and businesses to seize opportunities provided by the global digital economy.

[Pensions, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as we have made clear, our heart goes out to those Sears workers. We are taking their advice. We are taking advice from all sides of the House to look into how we can better the situation of pensioners in this country. We made that promise. We will continue to work in that regard, and we will continue to examine any suggestion that comes with it.

[St. Patrick's Day, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I attended the St. Patrick's Day parade in Montreal. Although the parade route has had to be changed in recent years as a result of construction, revellers once again lined the route in joy and celebration.

Montreal has celebrated St. Patrick's Day since 1759. A parade has been held every year since 1824, which shows just how deeply Irish culture is entrenched in Montreal. To this day, Montreal's parade is still the largest of its kind in Canada.

St. Patrick's Day celebrations were brought to Canada by Irish immigrants. This year marks its 195th anniversary. On this special day, I want to take the time to recognize the structural role that the Irish community has played in the foundation of Canada and how much it has contributed to its values and heritage.

[Prime Minister's Trip to India, March 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I can tell the hon. member that the purpose of the trip was in fact to promote trade and strengthen our trade relationship with India.

What we achieved was $1 billion in investments between the two countries, and nearly 6,000 jobs for middle-class Canadians. Let me give some examples. Tech Mahindra, a leader in information technology, is going to invest $100 million in Canada to create a centre of excellence in artificial intelligence.

[International Trade, March 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, this was a trip that was focused on creating and enhancing our business relationship with India. We welcomed $1 billion in total investments between Canadian and Indian companies, which will lead to the creation of close to 6,000 good, well-paying middle-class jobs in Canada, such as with Tech Mahindra, a leader in tech IT services, which will be investing $100 million to establish a new centre of excellence for artificial intelligence in Canada; and the Jubilant Bhartia Group, which will be investing $100 million to expand its facilities in Kirkland.

[Pensions, February 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our heart goes out to all those affected by the closure of Sears. We note that we are monitoring the situation. The regulation of the Sears pension is governed by the Province of Ontario, and we are following that. We have done outreach with Sears employees across Canada.

We are open to listening to any good proposition that comes forward. We are working toward, hopefully, improving the situation for the pensioners in the future.

[Foreign Investment, February 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, while the opposition might engage in scare tactics and fearmongering, let us talk about the facts. The day-to-day operations of the seniors homes remain under the control of Cedar Tree. They continue to be managed by Retirement Concepts, the same management that was there before. The residences continue to be subject to the same provincial health regulations they have always been subject to. The residents and health care workers will continue to be protected under the same legislation and regulations as before.

As we have said before, we continue to actively monitor Cedar Tree and its compliance with its legal obligations.

[Foreign Investment, February 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as we do with all investments under the ICA, we are actively monitoring Cedar Tree, because it has made a number of commitments in its takeover of the seniors homes. We are monitoring those commitments. Our officials remain closely engaged with Cedar Tree, the Canadian operator of the homes, to verify that its investment continues to be made under the conditions under which it was allowed to do it.

Due to confidentiality provisions in the Investment Canada Act, I cannot comment further than that.

[The Economy, February 15th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the member for Pierrefonds—Dollard, for his question.

We committed to investing up to $950 million to grow our innovation sector, and we received some bold, ambitious strategies to revitalize our regional economies.

The five superclusters announced today include more than 300 SMEs, 60 post-secondary institutions, and 180 other participants in Canada's innovative sectors. They should generate more than 50,000 new middle-class jobs.

[Black History Month, February 14th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour Black History Month and recognize the legacy of black Canadians, past and present.

Today, I want to share the story of Fred Christie, a diehard Montreal Canadiens fan of African-American origin who worked hard to be able to buy season tickets in the 1930s. Like many people, Christie was a fan of Maurice “Rocket” Richard and went to the tavern in the Montreal Forum to cheer on his team.

Unfortunately, in 1936, he was a victim of discrimination when the tavern refused to serve him because of the colour of his skin. The police would not help him. He ended up suing the tavern, but sadly the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the tavern's right to refuse him service based on private law.

I know many in the black community who have suffered similar tragic stories.

This Black History Month let us reflect on our collective history and recognize not only the suffering the black community has endured, but also its massive contribution to Canadian society.