Lisa Raitt

[Forestry Industry, November 27th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, as we indicated before, we have a comprehensive plan on dealing with this situation. We are very concerned. We understand the effect that closures of mills has on communities. That is why we are investing in innovation and we are expanding market opportunities. As well, we are cutting corporate taxes in order to make our mills more competitive.

John Allan, the president of the Council of Forest Industries, said that the deal in retrospect was a good thing and that anyone who pointed to the lumber agreement as part of their problems was—

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, November 27th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, we truly understand that workers and their families in the forestry community are facing challenging times. We know that when a mill closes, it affects every corner of the community.

In the Speech from the Throne we have committed to helping this industry by investing in innovation and creating market opportunities.

We understand the anxiety that communities are facing. However, our government has been ahead of the curve and we have a comprehensive plan to ensure the long-term success of the industry.

We are investing in innovation to make the mills more competitive. We are supporting the market development to create the opportunities for people to sell into other markets. We are reducing corporate taxes to keep the jobs in Canada.

We are also supporting the environmental leadership shown by Canadian companies in this industry and we are ensuring adequate credit remains available for Canadian business.

Finally, we have launched a rail review to ensure our products can get to the market.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, November 27th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, when we commenced on the election campaign at the beginning of September and when we went door-to-door, one thing Canadians told us, and very vocally, was the fact that they were concerned about oil and gas prices. The concern at the time, of course, was that the prices were so high and people wondered how they could afford to put gas in their cars.

As we went along in the election, it became clear that with the expected downturn, the economic global uncertainty and with gas prices going down, the volatility of the issue was of concern to Canadians.

Our government strongly believes we need to secure our energy future in order to ensure we have long-term economic growth. We take our responsibility as an emerging super-power in energy very seriously.

In the Speech from the Throne we laid out our intention to ensure that 90% of Canada's electricity would be produced by non-emitting sources such as hydro, nuclear, clean coal or wind power by 2020. We know we need to meet the challenges associated with climate change.

In the Speech from the Throne we also laid out our commitment to ensure that Canada's regulatory framework would be ready to respond should the provinces choose to advance new nuclear projects.

We are looking at the electricity situation. More specifically, we are also taking a look at ensuring our vast natural energy resources keep providing an important source of wealth and jobs for Canadians.

As well, it is important to note that protecting Canadian consumers is a top priority of the government.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, November 27th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time today with the member for Vancouver Island North.

It is a real honour to rise today to represent the people of Halton in this great place. I want to begin by thanking them for the profound trust and confidence that they have placed in me as a member of Parliament. It is a very humbling experience to know that so many friends and neighbours are counting on me to represent them here in Ottawa. They deserve strong representation in this House and I pledge to them that I will work tirelessly every day to deliver it.

I specifically want to thank the number of volunteers that I had during the election campaign who brought a lot of vigour and a lot of excitement to a hard-fought battle. Anyone who has stood in this place before knows that they would not be here but for the support of loved ones and family.

I am blessed to have grown up in Cape Breton Island, but I have chosen to make my home in Halton and that is where I raised my children. I would like to thank my family in Cape Breton and my former neighbours, teachers, employers and everyone who has extended their support and their congratulations, specifically, the Frasers, the Maccormacks, the Starzomskis, the McNeils and the Schmids.

In Halton, I have to thank my family. I thank my husband, Dave, for all his support. Without him I know I would not be here today serving the people of Halton and our great country. I thank my sons, John Colin and Billy, for being patient, for being good boys, and for watching this today.

It is really hard being away from family and loved ones, but our families and our communities are the reason why we choose to serve our country in this way. We want to ensure that our children have the same great opportunities that we had and that Canada tomorrow is stronger and more prosperous than it is today. Like all members of this House, I recognize the privilege and the responsibility we assume as members of Parliament, and that includes the responsibility to lead.

As it has been demonstrated again in the Speech from the Throne, this government understands responsibility. Thanks to the leadership and prudent management of this government, Canada can face today's global economic uncertainties from a position of strength.

Natural resources have always been an important part of Canada's economic equation and going forward they will be key drivers of growth. These vital industries employ some 900,000 Canadians, generate close to 13% of our gross domestic product and contributed $100 billion to Canada's trade surplus last year, yet in the face of this current economic downturn, simply having a wealth of natural resources is not enough.

We need to transform our resources into a more value-added product to keep high quality jobs here in Canada. We need to spark innovation and increase productivity. We need to do these in order to strengthen Canada's competitiveness.

Competitiveness goes hand in hand with securing a diverse and growing supply of energy and a balanced approach to tackling climate change. That is why positioning Canada as a clean energy superpower is important. We will therefore work with Canadians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industry in a balanced, sensible and achievable manner. We will work with Canadians to implement a North American cap and trade system with our partners. We will work with Canadians to encourage targeted investments in the most promising clean technologies, such as wind, solar, geothermal, small hydro, and carbon capture and storage.

We will work with Canadians to increase energy efficiency. We will work with Canadians to expand the production and use of renewable and alternative energy. We will create a clean electricity task force to help ensure that 90% of our electricity comes from non-emitting sources by 2020. Nuclear energy will play an important role in how we reconcile a growing demand for energy with the need to tackle climate change. Continued leadership on our nuclear priorities will further enhance Canada's energy security and help position Canada's nuclear industry for success at home and abroad.

At home, our government will ensure that our regulatory framework is ready to respond should the provinces choose to advance new nuclear projects.

Effective and efficient regulations for large resource projects are critical for Canada's competitiveness and environmental leadership. Through initiatives such as the Major Projects Management Office, or MPMO, we are improving Canada's regulatory system.

Ensuring a more effective approach for northern research projects, including pipelines, is a critical next step. This is all about promoting responsible development of the Arctic and asserting Canada's sovereignty. Our commitment to support Arctic research reinforces these objectives.

Sound regulation is also essential in our mining sector as it faces greater competition and lower commodity prices. Finding new resources and developing and implementing the technologies that will allow them to be extracted in ways that are both cost effective and environmentally effective will require significant effort.

Our government is committed to working with the mining sector to further enhance Canada's already strong investment climate. We are delivering on our commitment to provide $100 million over five years to the geomapping for energy and minerals program to seek out new resources. We are committed to extending the super flow-through share incentive for mining exploration.

Our government is equally committed to a healthy forest sector, which is so important to so many communities and Canadians across this country. From natural disasters such as the mountain pine beetle infestation in the west and a sharp downturn in the U.S. market, to a volatile currency and shifting market preferences, our forest industry is facing serious challenges. We will work with the industry as it goes through this period of restructuring.

We will continue to support its efforts to create new products, convert mills to biomass and expand our markets overseas. Our $1 billion community development trust is helping resource communities diversity their economic bases.

Canada's natural resources belong to all Canadians. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that Canadians gain the maximum benefits from these resources. This requires that attention be given to immediate pressures arising from the current economic downturn as well as longer term challenges posed by a highly competitive global marketplace.

That is precisely what the government is doing. We will continue to work with Canadians to ensure that our resource sectors are positioned to emerge from today's global downturn stronger, cleaner and more prosperous.

[Forestry Industry, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I have to admit this is the most I have been up and down in a long time and I am enjoying the exercise in the House today.

In terms of how the programs that the government introduced have been responded to and have been received, I can say that the mayor of Port Alberni in British Columbia had the following to say this October about funding available through the community development trust:

We are really pleased to be receiving these funds. This will put some of the laid-off forest industry workers in our community to work at a good wage--

This applies to all regions of Canada. This applies to all workers. These programs are there to help the people of Canada and we are delivering them.

[Forestry Industry, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times already in the House in the past week, our government understands that these are difficult times for forestry workers. We have invested in the past. We have invested in the short-term. We have addressed the matters that are going on with the mill closings. We understand that it is a very difficult time for people in this transition.

In the future, we look to how great this industry is and how resilient it is. We will invest in innovation. We will help to expand new market opportunities. We will continue to deliver those corporate tax cuts which will keep the mills competitive in this country.

[Forestry Industry, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I am informed that I have been invited to the area by the government House leader, since it is his constituency. So I thank the member very much for the invitation as well.

We are very concerned about the damage caused to our forestry industry by the mountain pine beetle. We know that this devastation is felt by families and communities. That is why we invested in it. We are responding and we are getting the job done.

[Forestry Industry, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, we have provided support in British Columbia with respect to the mountain pine beetle infestation to restore the long-term well-being of effective communities through the forest industry long-term competitive program. We are dealing with innovation. We are investing in innovation and we are expanding new market opportunities.

There is no question these are difficult times for the industries. I am speaking to my caucus colleagues about it and I am hearing it loud and clear from the members opposite, but what I want Canadians to understand is that the government understands it, knows it, and will fix this problem.

[Forestry Industry, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, we know how awful it is when a mill closes. Every family, every store, and every corner of the community is affected by it. That is why we have a comprehensive plan to address this. We are thinking about the future. We are investing in innovation. We are introducing new market opportunities. We are cutting corporate taxes to keep these mills open. We are dealing with this in the short-term and we are going to fix this in the long-term.

[Government Programs, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, our government is helping homeowners, small businesses and industry to make wise choices to save energy, money and help clean up our environment. We will continue to work with all parties to bring that about and put in sensible policies that consumers can use, and that will improve our environmental well-being. We will help Canadians become more energy efficient as well with amendments to the Energy Efficiency Act which will cover more products more effectively.