Mike Morrice

[Points of Order, March 22nd, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order, I think this is a question of the quality of our democracy. If, in the House of Commons, we were to switch to speeches back and forth, as opposed to debate with questions and answers, I think the level of accountability on all sides would be reduced. I ask you to rule on this very fair point of order.

[Climate Change, March 20th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I do not dispute for a second some of the investments that the federal government is making.

However, the reality is that by giving the oil and gas industry, for example, upwards of $20 billion a year, those investments work at cross-purposes with what the parliamentary secretary just spoke about. They feed the lines of the opposition when they attack the carbon price. More importantly, the investments are insufficient to respond to the climate crisis in the closing window of opportunity we have.

Again, will the parliamentary secretary stand up to end the subsidies to oil and gas? If we want a truly renewable grid, according to the Green Budget Coalition, it would take about $17 billion to do it, which is less than we currently give the oil and gas industry every single year.

[Climate Change, March 20th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the chance to come back to the question I asked, after I returned from the most recent UN climate negotiations, on the fact that a credible climate plan must include plans to phase out oil and gas while supporting affected workers.

Today feels particularly appropriate to do so, given that international climate scientists have shared their most recent report, one that speaks to this being our last chance before the climate crisis becomes irreversible, and this being their last report before the goal to limit warming to 1.5°C is out of reach.

Here is the crux of it for Canada: If we want even a 50% chance of staying under 1.5°C in global average temperature rise, and if we were to do our fair share, then 86% of Canada’s proven fossil fuel reserves need to remain unextracted.

It is a tall challenge, particularly for a country that has chosen to be so dependent on oil, but we can and should rise to it.

While the federal government is not turning a blind eye to this crisis, as carbon pricing is an example of an important measure that it has moved ahead with, in the words of Bill McKibben on climate, “Winning slowly is the same as losing”.

For every positive measure, like putting a price on pollution, the government also continues to placate the oil and gas industry as if the science did not apply to it. It has been busy approving oil exploration permits off the coast of Newfoundland, looking for more oil, when we know that we need to leave the majority of our proven reserves untouched if we want a shot at rising to this crisis.

The government also brags about billions of dollars of investment in climate action, and we will no doubt hear this in the parliamentary secretary’s remarks tonight, I expect, but so much of this so-called investment is in fact more subsidies to the very sector most responsible for the crisis, for example, in the form of a tax credit for a failed climate solution, so-called carbon capture and storage.

In my original question, I asked if this government was going to continue to hide behind the greed of the oil and gas industry. In the months since, it has only gotten worse.

While it continues to push the federal government to give them billions, and last year’s budget, for example, set aside $8.6 billion of our money for the fairy tale known as carbon capture, the oil and gas industry continues to rake in record profits. The sixth-largest oil and gas company operating in Canada booked pure profit of more than $35 billion dollars last year. These are the same companies that lied to us for decades about the climate crisis they helped cause.

In recent weeks, these companies have been telling Canadians and their MPs that they need more of our money to increase the carbon capture tax credit, money that could be invested in workers’ livelihoods. If we are going to be honest, we do not need more of that.

What we need is a federal government willing to be clear with Canadians about this crisis and the urgent action required to address it. We could unite Canadians around this, investing in workers’ livelihoods, in deeply affordable public transit and high-speed rail, in a zero-emissions electricity grid and in deep energy retrofits of buildings across the country, which would create well-paid, high-skill jobs and would return to public coffers $2 to $5 for every dollar spent.

My question for the parliamentary secretary, who I appreciate is here with us this evening, is this: Will she advocate in her caucus for these transformational investments, in place of more subsidies to the oil and gas industry, while the window of opportunity is still open?

[Transportation, March 20th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, public transit is in crisis. Municipalities like mine are being forced to raise fares while in some cases simultaneously cutting service due to a lack of investment from higher orders of government. Groups across the country, from Environmental Defence to the Canadian Urban Transit Association, are sounding the alarm, warning that transit systems are at risk of falling into a death spiral without critical operational support.

Will the minister ensure not only capital funding in budget 2023, but also the critical operating support being called for across the country?

[Taxation, March 9th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, at committee yesterday, grocery store giants like Loblaws claimed they pay their fair share of taxes, but we know that is not true. While regular Canadians struggle with the rising cost of living, the wealthiest corporations in the country are busy avoiding $30 billion in corporate taxes, as they report much higher book profits, which is what they report to shareholders, than they pay in taxable income after exploiting loopholes.

The U.S. already has a minimum tax on these higher book profits. Will the governing party follow suit in budget 2023?

[Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022, March 7th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, as it stands now, federal laws do not require federal political parties to follow the same privacy laws that apply to others across the country. This is an issue that could have been identified and addressed in Bill C-27, but it has not been. I wonder if the member for Edmonton Manning has a position on this and would he like to comment on it.

[Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022, March 7th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I appreciated hearing the member for Hamilton Centre's speech on Bill C-27. I would like to hear more from him, in particular on subclause 18(3). This section talks about a legitimate interest for an organization to collect a person's private information without consent.

There have been concerns shared here with respect to how open-ended this legitimate interest could be. I wonder if the member would reflect and share more about his concerns, if any, with the way the bill is currently written.

[Telecommunications Act, March 6th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I want to continue the line of questioning of other members on balancing the need to address cybersecurity and privacy at the same time.

One group that has shared some concerns is the Citizen Lab. It has put together a report called “Cybersecurity Will Not Thrive in Darkness” and has offered 30 recommendations for the governing party to consider at committee.

I wonder if the member has seen this report and if there are any recommendations in the report that he sees worthy of going ahead with. He may not see them all as worthy of going ahead with, but are there some recommendations that he thinks we should pursue?

[Telecommunications Act, March 6th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford shared some concerns in his speech. I am sure he saw the open letter from eight groups, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the National Council of Canadian Muslims and OpenMedia. One of their concerns is power without accountability for the CSE, or Communications Security Establishment, our cybersecurity agency.

Can he share more about what could be done to address this concern in Bill C-26?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, February 17th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, this week, I met with Syrian community members in Waterloo Region who are reeling from the loss of loved ones in last week's earthquake. Those who survived this disaster are without access to hospitals, medicine, food, heating, electricity or clean water.

Syrian and Turkish Canadians are desperate to bring their loved ones to safety, but they need Canada's help today. They are calling on the government to expedite existing immigration files and make it easier to sponsor their family members.

When will the Minister of Immigration make this happen?