Paul Lefebvre

[Host of Jeopardy, June 10th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about an individual who was born and raised in my riding and who has, shall I say, been questioned for the past 35 years. This person is none other than Alex Trebek, the host of the award-winning trivia game show, Jeopardy!

His father was a Ukranian immigrant and his mother a Franco-Ontarian. Alex grew up in Sudbury and attended École Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague.

He then went to Sudbury Secondary School.

After reporting for a decade for CBC, he eventually found his way into game-show hosting and later landed his role on Jeopardy! in 1984. During his many decades of hosting the beloved TV show, he was made an officer of the Order of Canada and given a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

A few months ago, Mr. Trebek was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I want Alex to know that Sudbury, this House and all Canadians are with him in his battle with this cancer. We are looking forward to watching Alex host the upcoming 36th season of Jeopardy!

[Natural Resources, May 31st, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that Conservatives have no respect for courts and no concern for our constitutional duty to consult with indigenous communities. The Conservative have continued to put politics ahead of the process.

Canadians are depending on us to get this process right, to meet our duty to consult and to respond to what we have heard from indigenous groups. With advice from federal representative, Justice Iacobucci, we communicated to indigenous communities that a decision on TMX could be made by June 18. Our goal is to make sur the process is right to help all Canadians across Canada.

[Young Entrepreneur, May 31st, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to speak about an incredibly inspiring person from my riding.

Ryan Benoit is a young entrepreneur from Sudbury who has lived with cerebral palsy his entire life. Because of his condition, he was unable to participate in sports growing up, but this never curbed his passion for athletics.

While a student at Laurentian University studying sports administration, he created his own clothing brand, The Positive Inception, where he was able to combine his love of sports and fashion. Through this line of apparel, Ryan aims to send a message of positivity to everyone from all walks of life. He hopes to inspire people to reach for their dreams, no matter how big or out of reach they may seem. He said, “The world is infinite, and anyone can do anything they put their mind to. Life is full of endless opportunities”.

Recently, Ryan won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce.

Ryan's determination to change things and his message of possibility and inclusion are what make him and his story so inspiring not just for Sudbury, but for all of Canada.

I thank Ryan.

[Natural Resources, May 30th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, Canadians understand that for good projects to move ahead and grow our economy, we must protect our environment and respect the rights of indigenous peoples. Our government has been hard at work consulting with indigenous communities on the Manitoba-Minnesota transmission project in order to fulfill our duty to meaningfully consult. Our focus remains on getting it right.

Our government has extended the timeline for a decision on this project until June 14, 2019. We have issued the short extension to ensure that the Crown has sufficient time to fulfill its legal duty to consult and come to the right decision.

[Forestry Industry, May 30th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, we are taking action to ensure that our forestry sector remains a source of good, middle-class jobs across the country and is prepared to compete globally.

The programs, loans and loan guarantees made available through the $867-million softwood lumber action plan are actively supporting workers and communities.

This past fall, we also announced $100 million for forestry through the strategic innovation fund. Building on our work to date, budget 2019 includes an additional investment of over $250 million, which will help the sector to innovate, diversify and grow.

[Natural Resources, May 28th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, to meet our duty to consult and to respond to what we have heard from indigenous groups, with advice from the federal representative Justice Iacobucci, we communicated to indigenous communities that a decision on TMX could be made by June 18. Our goal is to make a decision toward the end of this period.

[Natural Resources, May 28th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we are honouring our economic and environmental commitments. We are investing in clean technologies and renewable energy. We are supporting our traditional resource industries as they become more sustainable, and we are encouraging innovation. We are helping more Canadians get into zero-emission vehicles, and we are reducing the dependence on diesel in our rural, remote and indigenous communities.

We are the only party that has a credible plan to fight climate change and reduce pollution while growing the economy. That is exactly what we will continue to offer.

[Natural Resources, May 28th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, that question is hardly appropriate, since there is no energy east project currently before us. Until there is a project proposed to us, we cannot give our opinion or take a position.

What I can say is that we take our responsibility to the environment very seriously. We are making sure that good projects move forward, while safeguarding good jobs in Canada. That is our priority. We are moving forward in the right way with all projects in Canada.

[Natural Resources, May 27th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we take our responsibility to the environment and to indigenous peoples very seriously. For every project proposed, we put rules in place to ensure that all factors are taken into account before moving forward.

As for those comments, we are investing heavily in clean energy and renewable energy. We are making historic investments in clean technologies. Although there is still a lot to do, we are very proud of the work we have done and we will continue that work.

[Natural Resources, May 27th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

With regard to pipelines, especially pipelines that cross provincial borders, it is up to the federal government to do the work.

We take that responsibility very seriously. We believe it is vital to engage with indigenous peoples and ensure that the environment is fully protected. We speak with everyone, including local communities, the provinces and indigenous peoples.

When it comes to major projects for Canada, we take everything into consideration.