Francis Scarpaleggia

[Business of Supply, February 7th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, the policies the government implemented over the last two years did not cause the price of food to go up. They put food on the table for Canadians.

John Maynard Keynes's words of wisdom still ring true today in times of crisis. John Maynard Keynes said that the economy will adjust over the long term. An economy will always adjust if there is massive unemployment, as unemployment will be absorbed over the long term, but he said, “In the long run, we are all dead”. That is a quote from John Maynard Keynes, and it means we should not wait for the long term. If there is a crisis today, we should take the measures that are going to alleviate the crisis and alleviate human suffering today.

[Business of Supply, February 7th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I will say at the outset that I will be splitting my time with the member for St. Catharines.

Canadians are hurting. That is obvious. We see it every day on the news, and we hear about it in the House. While employment is strong, and this is not an insignificant positive, inflation is at its worst in 40 years. We have always had inflation. Every year there is inflation. Two per cent is inflation, but this inflation is obviously the worst we have seen in 40 years. That is a fact that is indisputable. We also have the first war in Europe in 78 years, and we have the most volatile climate ever.

I will start my speech with a quote, if I may. It is a quote from a Canadian farmer by the name of David Coburn, who is helping put food on the tables of families across this great country. This is from a CBC article from November, just a couple of months ago. Mr. Coburn said, “This is going to drive inflation.... All of our food goes on our truck at some point in time so this is not gonna help the inflationary figures.”

What was Mr. Coburn talking about? He was talking about the price of diesel, the fuel that keeps the global economy moving. Here again, I quote from the article from the CBC website, which says:

Drivers may wince when the price of gasoline goes up, or decide not to drive if they can. But the trains, trucks, boats, and barges that keep the economy moving run on diesel — and they don't have that option.

The article, from back in November, goes on to say:

The average retail price of diesel in Canada has topped $2.40 a litre at various points this month, a previously unimaginable level that has many businesses scrambling to keep up.

There are many reasons why it is happening, but the impact boils down to one basic thing: it's driving up the price of everything, and making inflation worse.

What has been driving up the price of diesel? We know that shutdowns of refineries for maintenance have an impact on supply and the price of diesel in a market that is driven by demand and supply. For example, the Irving Oil refinery in Saint John saw a shutdown for maintenance recently in the fall, taking 300,000 barrels a day of supply off the market. Refinery shutdowns for maintenance happen all the time, but when they happen in a very tight market, then we can see very wide swings in the price of diesel and the price of gasoline because barrels that might otherwise be available to meet local needs are just not there. In this case, in November, in New Brunswick, and therefore in Canada, barrels that might otherwise be available to meet local needs were being diverted to the other side of the ocean.

Again, I quote from the article, which is quoting a gentleman by the name of Patrick De Haan, a Chicago-based analyst with a website called GasBuddy.com. He says:

Europe is trying to move away from Russian oil products like diesel fuel, and as a result of that, much of the product that could be imported into the Northeast or eastern coast of Canada, as well as the Northeastern U.S. is being pulled over there.

Europe was essentially building stockpiles for the winter ahead, and that meant that, when the Irving Refinery shut down for maintenance, the market was very tight, and the price went up drastically.

Another factor that has increased demand for oil and gas is the rebound in airplane travel. I will quote another analyst, Paul Pasco, who is with a firm called Kalibrate. He says in the article, “air travel getting back to pre-COVID levels isn't helping either.” He then said, “Diesel, kerosene or jet fuel, they're basically all the exact same part of the barrel, they're all what's known as the distillate barrels”. Therefore, we have lots of factors that are contributing, or have been contributing, to the very high price of diesel.

The opposition will have us believe that all of these huge forces at play internationally are not really what is causing prices to go up. They contend that it is the price on carbon, but all experts will say, and I will quote a professor of economics at the University of Calgary, that the overwhelming dominant reason why prices are higher now compared to a couple of months ago is there are factors other than the price on carbon.

Professor Trevor Tombe said that the federal carbon price adds 11¢ to the cost of each litre of gasoline, and added that the notion that the carbon tax is what is behind high gas prices is a misconception. He said, “While, you know, 11 cents a litre is a meaningful level overall, they don't drive the recent increases that we're seeing.... It's really about global oil prices, and that's really driven by things far beyond the government of Canada's control.”

I do not know what they are talking about on the other side. I do not know what their researchers are telling them or why they are telling them what they are telling them, but they are invoking all the wrong factors to explain what is going on in the economy, and that is quite concerning for a party that claims it wants to govern the country. If Conservatives do not understand basic economics, how could they make big decisions?

We know that the Leader of the Opposition holds Milton Friedman in very high esteem. One could say that he worships at the altar of Milton Friedman, and we know that he carries around under his arm a copy of Milton Friedman's A Monetary History of the United States. Let us see what Milton Friedman would say about this whole issue.

The University of Chicago school of economics, where Milton Friedman was the top economist for many years, held a forum a few years ago called, “What Would Milton Friedman Do About Climate Change?” Former U.S. representative Bob Inglis, a Republican from South Carolina, opened the discussion by playing a 1979 clip of Milton Friedman appearing on The Phil Donahue Show. Phil Donahue asked Milton Friedman, “Is there a case for the government to do something about pollution?” Friedman replied, “Yes, there's a case for the government to do something. There's always a case for the government to do something about it.”

He was basically saying that the market had broken down and was not operating efficiently, so something had to be done. What did he mean by saying the market was not operating efficiently? He said, referring to the cost of pollution:

those costs are real, and they're not being reflected in the costs of that electricity or the tank of gas. Emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere does allow you to produce electricity more cheaply, but there's a whole other set of people who are being punished or penalized. It's a poor idea of economics.

I do not know if the Leader of the Opposition read that quote by Mr. Friedman. He went on to say:

What we need is an adjustment mechanism that will enable us to adapt to what happens as it develops. Everybody in this room knows there is such a system, namely the price mechanism. If we have a problem today, in the air, with pollution, it is solely in my opinion because that system has not been allowed to work.

Then someone else—

[West Island Italian Association, February 7th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, I will be attending the annual Saint Valentine's Gala of Montreal's West Island Italian Association, a marquee event that is among the highlights of the West Island social and cultural calendar. This year's gala is particularly special. The association is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Founded in 1992, the West Island Italian Association gives people of Italian origin the opportunity to gather on a regular basis to celebrate their beautiful language and wonderful culture.

I would like to pay tribute to Egidio Vincelli, now in his 16th year as president of the association, as well as to past presidents Marino Discepola, Femiria Nanni, Rocco La Giorgia and Victor Romani. Congratulations to the West Island Italian Association on three decades of fostering the friendships that make for a strong and vibrant community.

[Member spoke in Italian]

[Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act, January 31st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her speech. Her words are always well-thought-out.

I would like to take a moment to address the official opposition’s opposition to this bill. It says that it cannot support the bill because the system or framework being created does not meet all child care needs. What we are creating is a system, a base to which we can add more flexibility later on.

At the time the elementary and secondary school system was being created, had the government used the argument that it could not create large schools and a Quebec public school system—since that is under provincial jurisdiction—we might not have an elementary and secondary school system today.

What does the hon. member think about that?

[Telecommunications Act, December 1st, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I would also like to thank the member for taking part in a panel in front of about 40 students from the Max Bell School of Public Policy this morning. It was wonderful to have her perspective as a westerner, and as a parliamentarian generally.

I would imagine that, when we are dealing with matters of national security in cybersecurity and systems that are key to our well-being, there might be a need in certain cases to be a little more circumspect. I would hope, believe and expect, because every bill that is introduced to the House has to go through a charter analysis, that any such measure the member refers to would pass the test of the charter.

[Telecommunications Act, December 1st, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I dare to believe and hope that a publicly owned corporation as big as Hydro-Québec has the resources to protect itself properly. Obviously, it provides a critical service. I think I said that in my speech. We hope that this bill will also serve as a model for other levels of government.

I think that, just like protecting the environment, cybersecurity is a team effort. We have to work with partners in other governments to come up with a solution that is watertight, well aligned and effective.

[Telecommunications Act, December 1st, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I know that the Huawei case has been studied extensively with the involvement of our security agencies. I would like to think that the government and security agencies have learned a great deal. They have learned lessons that they can apply in the future to better protect Canadian businesses and critical infrastructure.

In terms of catching up, yes, technology moves so fast that often governments and society have to react, but it is better to react than to do nothing.

[Telecommunications Act, December 1st, 2022]

Madam Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise at second reading stage of Bill C-26, an act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts.

When we consider the opportunities and challenges before us in this area, we see that the theme of collaboration underpins all that we do. Take, for example, the prevalence of cybercrime in an increasingly online world, improving cyber-defence posture in an unstable global environment, deep thinking about what the future holds in a world where innovation and change are exponential, a critical look at whether our policies and laws are up to the task, and the protection of content and intellectual property as data becomes one of the world's most precious resources.

In Canada, being online and connected is essential. Now more than ever, Canadians rely on the Internet for their daily lives. It is about more than just conducting business and paying bills. It is also about staying connected with loved ones across the country and around the world. We should be able to do all these activities safely and securely.

I would like to offer a few words about what we are doing here in Canada to get that balance right. I would like to reinforce the importance of our commitment to protecting the cyber systems that underpin our critical infrastructure.

The emergence of new technologies such as 5G is one clear reason we need to redouble our efforts. Think about our increased reliance on technology in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Think about international tensions amidst Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, with threats ranging from supply chain disruptions to state and non-state malicious cyber-activity.

Through all of these remarkable events, the government has been working tirelessly to keep Canadians safe. We recognize that, now more than ever before, secure and reliable connectivity is a necessity for our daily lives and our collective safety and security. It underpins the delivery of critical services, such as energy production, financial transactions, safe transportation and emergency communications.

As part of his mandate, bestowed by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Public Safety is seized with the opportunity and the challenge of developing a renewed national cybersecurity strategy. We need to make sure we articulate Canada's long-term plan to protect our national security and economy, deter cyber-threat actors, and promote norms-based international behaviour in cyberspace.

The Government of Canada is working to enhance the cybersecurity of the country's critical infrastructure. The work to identify cyber-threats and vulnerabilities, and to respond to cyber-incidents, is ongoing. Unfortunately, we have seen that malicious actors continue to attempt to take advantage of the current environment to exploit certain sectors.

However, we are not starting from scratch in our fight against this threat. Since 2018, the Government of Canada has invested a total of approximately $2.6 billion in cybersecurity. Through the national cyber security strategy, the Government of Canada is taking decisive action to strengthen Canada's defence, preparedness and enforcement against cyber-threats.

The strategy was paired with the largest investment in cybersecurity ever made by the Government of Canada, totalling nearly $800 million in the 2018 and 2019 federal budgets. In the 2021 budget, the government allocated an additional $791 million to improve and defend cyber-networks, enhance data collection and protect taxpayer information.

In the 2022 budget, another $852.9 million was committed to enhance the Communications Security Establishment, or CSE, and its ability to conduct cyber-operations, make critical government systems more resilient, and prevent and respond to cyber-incidents on critical infrastructure.

Under the strategy, two flagship organizations were established. One is the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, under CSE, and the other is the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre, or NC3, under the RCMP.

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security is a single, unified team of government cybersecurity technical experts. The centre is the definitive source of technical advice, guidance, services, messaging and support on cybersecurity operational matters for government, critical infrastructure owners and operators, the private sector and the Canadian public.

The NC3 coordinates Canadian police operations against cybercriminals and established a national mechanism for Canadians and businesses to report cybercrime to police.

Public Safety Canada's Canadian cybersecurity tool also helps owners and operators of Canada's critical infrastructure to evaluate their cyber-maturity against established benchmarks and by peer comparison. It offers concrete guidance on how they can become more cyber-resilient.

Public Safety Canada also coordinates and delivers cybersecurity exercises for the critical infrastructure community to test and develop capabilities to respond to and recover from malicious cyber-activities. More broadly, the department, as the federal lead on cybersecurity policy, promotes communication and collaboration to raise awareness of cyber-threats and risks, including with our international partners.

Public Safety Canada works closely with CSE's Canadian Centre for Cyber Security to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure in Canada. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security shares valuable cyber-threat information with Canadian critical infrastructure owners and operators, in addition to providing public advisories.

Today, I am very proud to say that we can start debating a new bill to further strengthen what we have built. Today we are starting the debate on Bill C‑26, an act respecting cyber security. The objective of this bill is twofold.

First, it would amend the Telecommunications Act to add security as a policy objective, bringing the telecommunications sector in line with other critical infrastructure sectors. This would allow the government, if necessary, to mandate any action necessary to secure Canada's telecommunications system, including its 5G networks. This includes authority to prohibit Canadian telecommunications service providers from using products and services from high-risk suppliers.

Second, it introduces the new critical cyber systems protection act. This new act will require designated operators in the federally regulated sectors of finance, telecommunications, energy and transportation to take specific actions to protect their critical cyber systems, and it will also support organizations' ability to prevent and recover from a wide range of malicious cyber-activities, including electronic espionage and ransomware. Cyber-incidents involving a certain threshold will be required to be reported.

The bill will also give the government a new tool allowing it to take action in response to threats and vulnerabilities with respect to—

[McGill Public Policy Students, November 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, progress depends on sound public policy. Public policy is both a science and an art. It relies on rigorous analysis and an acute sense of the possible.

Today, graduate students from McGill's Max Bell School of Public Policy are on Parliament Hill to build on their study and exploration of the issues facing our country. They are here to learn first-hand about government decision-making in a Westminster parliamentary system.

They are accompanied by the program's founding director, Professor Chris Ragan, one of Canada's top economists. Professor Ragan has succeeded in bringing together academics and practitioners in myriad subject areas to create one of the country's leading faculties dedicated to excellence in public administration.

I ask members of the House to join me in welcoming our Max Bell visiting students to the nation's capital today. We look forward to these bright young minds returning soon, to take up roles and responsibilities that will guide our ship of state into a promising future.

[Health, November 25th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, as we recover from the pandemic, we must address existing challenges that were made worse for many people in Canada over the past two years.

This week, I was happy to learn that the Minister of Health and the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions announced an agreement with Quebec that will continue to support improved access to home care as well as mental health and addiction services.

Can the minister tell us more about this agreement?