Marc Garneau

[International Trade, October 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we are also fighting against the completely unjustified tariffs that were imposed by the United States on the basis of national security, which makes no sense. Canadians and Quebeckers in the aluminum industry know that we are currently fighting these tariffs. They know that we have imposed counter-tariffs of $16 billion on the United States. They know that we are there to protect them because we recognize the importance of our workers in the aluminum and steel industry.

[International Trade, October 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure Canadians that we continue to discuss the section 232 tariffs with the United States. Our position remains firm and clear. Those tariffs are unjustified. The new agreement is further proof that we are putting Canadian workers first. Incidentally, we imposed our own tariffs to the tune of $16 billion on the United States. Just as we fought for Canadians at the negotiating table, we will continue to challenge those tariffs on behalf of steel and aluminum workers.

[International Trade, October 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives. We have always been a sovereign country, we will always be a sovereign country and we will negotiate trade agreements with any country that it is in the interest of Canada to negotiate with. That is how we run things in this government, and that has always been the case.

In case the member does not know it, under NAFTA, any party to NAFTA is allowed, under the new arrangement, to leave with six months' notice.

[International Trade, October 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am mystified that the Conservatives are not congratulating us on the unbelievable deal that we signed on Sunday evening. It is not just any old agreement. It is an agreement that is good for Canada.

Everyone else in Canada knows it. Why do they not? This agreement is very important for the economy, stability and long-term access. We were successful. They should be commending us.

[International Trade, October 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, it is very important to diversify our trade in order to grow our economy. We are a nation of traders.

Within NAFTA, the parties always had the ability to leave the agreement, which is essential. Every country has the sovereign right to withdraw from a trade agreement. Nothing in this agreement infringes on Canada's sovereign right to develop a trade relationship with any country of its choosing.

[Marine Transportation, October 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we are very sensitive to the need to protect our coastal regions. That is why we have brought into being the oceans protection plan, something that is unprecedented in Canada's history.

At the moment, we are looking at the very specific issue of anchorages. There is a great deal of vessel traffic into the largest port in Canada, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. We are taking steps to try to find a solution to this large amount of traffic in order to respect the communities and indigenous peoples where temporary anchorages exist at the moment.

[Rail Transportation, September 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Transportation Safety Board has carefully examined the tragedy that took place in Lac-Mégantic and made many recommendations, which we are currently implementing. A number of them were implemented by the previous government, and we continue to further improve safety in order to protect Canadians who live near rail lines and those who take the train.

[Transport, September 20th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, no relationship is more important than our relationship with indigenous peoples. As members know, the port of Vancouver is an extremely busy port. We have a lot of ships coming through the port of Vancouver, and we have had to find temporary anchorage points. We are in a period of a one-year interim study to find a better solution. At the moment we have to find places for these ships to anchor; we are trying to do it by respecting indigenous and local communities.

[Rail Transportation, September 17th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Nickel Belt for his question and for all his hard work in his riding. He is the one who approached me regarding this grade crossing.

We recognize quite clearly that rail safety is important to small communities like Capreol, and we are very pleased to be making improvements to this grade crossing. It is important to do so to minimize the risk of collisions and to help traffic move faster. Rail safety is my first priority.

[The Environment, June 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear on the issue of oil spills.

Naturally, our government has a duty to do everything it can to get our products to international markets. This is good for the economy. At the same time, we are very clear on the issue of oil spills, and we have implemented the polluter pays principle. We are adamant on that point. All pipeline companies are responsible for cleaning up any damage caused by spills.