Earl Dreeshen

[Natural Resources, June 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, last night Canadians witnessed the spectacle of the Liberal government choosing to support competing oil-producing nations over Canadian resource developers. The Liberals ignored the pleas of nine provincial premiers, first nations and territorial leaders and millions of Canadians by shutting down debate on Bill C-69.

How many hospitals will be built in Canada through our purchases of Saudi oil? How many social programs will be financed by our friends in Nigeria? How many environmental causes and human rights efforts Canadians hold dear will be jeopardized by these Liberals shutting in the resource expertise of the world's most responsible energy producers?

By following the misguided dogma of the Prime Minister, the Liberals will be following him into the political abyss. The only way to truly protect our environment, to give certainty to job creators and to ensure Canada's strong social fabric is to make this divisive Liberal leader a single-use prime minister. On October 21, Canadians will make that choice.

[Oceans Act, May 13th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP member spoke about ecological integrity and how that is one of the mainstays as far as his party is concerned.

I have always had this question, which comes from two parts.

British Columbia and Alberta produce a lot of coal, and it goes through the same ports that we could perhaps be moving our oil through. There is coal that comes up from the U.S. that is then transported out of those same ports, because the eco-warriors that are on the west coast of the U.S. are a bit more determined to keep that product out. That is one concern. I am sure the member would like to maintain the great industry that coal producers have in both British Columbia and Alberta.

Second, it has always been confusing to me that we speak about the integrity of our waterways, when there are municipalities that dump their sewage straight into either rivers or oceans. We can speak a lot about how it is dealt with, but everyone is looking at this great integrity until it affects them and their communities.

Can the member see why there are a lot of people in landlocked provinces, such as Alberta, who look at this with a bit of a jaundiced eye when those are the two positions that are put to us.

[Oceans Act, May 13th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, the member talked about the bluing of the blue planet, and we are getting a good start here in Canada at the provincial level at this point in time. We are starting to see some changes. However, we are also looking at those changes because of some of the attitudes of the current government. Although Liberal members are discussing some of the changes, they are not actually looking at what is happening on the ground.

In northern Alberta we have the tailing ponds, and we are are looking at how we have been able to manage those. We look at all those environmental aspects. When there was money in the oil and gas business, we were able to invest in all those types of new research programs, which was what we could sell around the planet. We also talked about the planet and what we were doing.

As we bring in oil and gas from other places in the world to replace what we have, and try to shut it down from a Canadian perspective, I wonder if the member perhaps understands why Canada is starting to be blue on its own.

[Petitions, May 13th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to present a petition signed by 220 people from my riding of Red Deer—Mountain View. The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to support Bill S-214 and to ban the sale and/or the manufacture of animal-tested cosmetics and their ingredients in Canada.

[International Trade, May 13th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, a loan guarantee is no substitute for weak trade policy.

The Conservative leader has outlined three concrete steps to stand up for canola farmers: appoint an ambassador to China, launch a WTO trade complaint against China, and pull funds from the Chinese-run Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Instead of taking our advice, the Prime Minister sent the agriculture minister to the G20, where she could not even be bothered to raise this issue once with the Chinese.

Will the Liberals ever stand up to China and take action?

[International Trade, May 9th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's agriculture and agri-food industry contributes over $110 billion annually to the Canadian economy, yet the Liberal government seems perfectly content to let countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Vietnam and now China get away with taking unwarranted trade actions against this vital sector of our economy. Canola farmers are the most recent victims of the Liberal government's bungling with our global partners. When will the Prime Minister resolve the canola issue with China?

[Petitions, May 7th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to present today that has been signed by nearly 70 people who want to make sure we are all aware of the scourge of international trafficking in human organs, which are removed from victims without their consent. Bill S-240, which is in the Senate, would place a legal prohibition on Canadians travelling abroad in order to acquire or receive such organs. It is incumbent upon all of us to make sure we recognize that.

With that in mind, I am proud to present this petition today.

[International Trade, May 2nd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned that China is now refusing shipments of pork from the plant in Red Deer, a plant that employs more than 1,600 people. The same company has another plant in Canada. It has also had its export permit for pork suspended.

Canadians can no longer afford to pay the high price of the total Liberal incompetence and bungling on the world stage. When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for Canadian farmers and their families by putting an end to these politically motivated trade actions?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1, April 11th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, having glanced over the budget implementation act in trying to find something for agriculture, the one thing I did find were the effects of bankruptcy. That was the only thing that pertained to agriculture, as it looks at specific farming and fishing income and tries to somehow work that into the tax bills. Unfortunately, that is what it is coming to with the way in which the current government is looking at our agricultural community. I wonder if the member could talk about some of the concerns, especially the concerns that the canola producers have with what has been happening in these last couple of months.

[International Trade, April 11th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian producers need assurances that the Liberals will support them and our world-class canola as the crisis with China gets worse. Farmers know that this is a political issue and one that needs to be resolved immediately. The Liberals' lack of action demonstrates their contempt for western Canadian farmers and the importance of the canola sector to the Canadian economy.

When will the Prime Minister demonstrate leadership and take action to stand up for canola farmers?