Richard Martel

[U.S. Tariffs on Canadian Products, November 26th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, what worries me about this government is our Prime Minister's credibility in relation to President-elect Trump. We are very concerned, and I think the credibility is not there.

The way our Prime Minister negotiates is another concern. It seems to me that he is always a step behind, always reacting to events. We saw that in many files. In fact, when CUSMA was negotiated, the Americans were already negotiating with Mexico. The Prime Minister was dragging his feet and then, all of a sudden, he jumped on the bandwagon. I think our leader knows where he is going. He knows how to make decisions and he shows tremendous leadership.

[U.S. Tariffs on Canadian Products, November 26th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I wish to inform you that I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Dufferin—Caledon.

I rise in the House today with great concern for the future of our economy, particularly in the key sectors of aluminum and softwood lumber, which are essential to the prosperity of Quebec and our regions. These industries support thousands of families and workers in Quebec. However, today, they are being threatened by a series of economic factors as a result of this Prime Minister's incompetence.

Quebec's aluminum industry produces roughly 30% of the world's aluminum, but it is vulnerable to unfair competition, mainly due to the infiltration of cheap Chinese aluminum. Our Quebec producers, who comply with strict environmental standards and invest in cleaner production, are being penalized by this unfair competition. Similarly, the softwood lumber industry, which contributes approximately $12 billion to the Canadian economy, is under constant pressure from countervailing duties imposed by the United States, which are making an already difficult situation for our producers even worse.

Yesterday, President-elect Trump announced that he plans to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian products. This decision will have a direct impact on the aluminum and softwood lumber sectors.

These new tariffs will only increase production costs for our companies, making them less competitive and potentially putting thousands of jobs on the line in Quebec. This announcement is a major blow to industries already facing difficulties, yet the Liberal government has still not implemented any concrete measures to protect our workers and producers.

What is even more shocking is that these threats were predictable. President-elect Trump has been talking about the possibility of 25% tariffs on Canadian products for years, even during his election campaign. However, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister were caught off guard. Just a few days ago, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance was asserting that Canada would be fine. Clearly, neither she nor the Prime Minister were following what the president-elect was saying. This government is clearly incapable of anticipating the economic threats we face. This government's inability to defend our economic interests has continually weakened our industries.

Clearly, what the Liberals are best at is weakening our economy and attacking our forestry industry. We saw that this summer with their threat to impose an order, supposedly to protect woodland caribou. In reality, experts cannot say for certain whether this order will protect caribou. One thing they can confirm, however, is that it will kill our forestry industry. The order that the Minister of Environment wants to impose on the region will jeopardize 1,400 forestry jobs in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean and on the north shore. Worse still, the mayor of Sacré-Coeur says that her municipality depends on logging and will turn into a ghost town if the order goes through. I should point out that the Bloc Québécois is complicit in all this. Bloc members voted twice to keep the current Prime Minister in place, leaving him free to impose an order that will be devastating for the region.

That is not all. We recently saw three sawmills close their doors in Quebec, including the one in Saint‑Ludger‑de‑Milot in my region, leaving 100 workers out on the street in a village with a population of 600. The closure was blamed on the high price of softwood lumber. All of this is due to the government's inability to negotiate an agreement on softwood lumber, to protect our forestry workers and to use a bit of common sense before presenting policies that are disconnected from the realities of Quebec's regions.

We have been under this government for nine years now. There have been three U.S. presidents, but there is still no agreement on softwood lumber. In contrast, the previous Conservative prime minister managed to get one signed 80 days after he was elected.

Another critically important sector in my region is aluminum. It is essential that we eliminate the carbon tax, which is overburdening producers by increasing their production costs and compromising their competitiveness. This tax must be eliminated to ensure that our businesses can remain competitive on the international market, especially in the face of competitors who are not subject to similar constraints. It is also imperative that we cancel all tax hikes for producers and workers. Our businesses are facing major challenges, and the additional tax burden is only making matters worse.

My riding is home to Rio Tinto and several other companies that supply the aluminum industry in the region. However, this sector is being threatened by Chinese products that are produced with no environmental standards and no protection for workers. Unlike the Prime Minister, my leader understands that aluminum is an economic driver in my region. In fact, he was in Saguenay this summer to talk about his proposals for protecting our Canadian aluminum.

A common-sense government will impose tariffs on Chinese aluminum to protect jobs in Saguenay and to protect the environment as well. As I said, my region produces the cleanest aluminum in the world. Every tonne of aluminum produced in Saguenay reduces greenhouse gas emissions. We produce two tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions for every tonne of aluminum. In China, it is 14 tonnes.

The tax hikes that Canadian companies are subject to make our producers less competitive and slow down innovation. We need to reduce the tax burden so that our industries can grow, hire staff and continue to produce in Canada. The role of government is to defend the interests of our workers and our industries. However, in the Liberal era, this government has consistently been reactive rather than proactive. Not only are we suffering the consequences of weak leadership, but we are also suffering the consequences of decisions that were made without any serious consultation with the sectors involved. Our key industries, such as aluminum and softwood lumber, deserve a government that anticipates challenges, faces them head-on and protects our jobs, our families and our economic future. In addition to these economic issues, it is clear that the Liberal government's weakness in managing our borders and our country's security contributed to Donald Trump's threat to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian products.

Conservatives have always advocated for concrete action to secure our borders and fight these threats while protecting our economy. Our vital industries like aluminum and lumber deserve a government that acts to protect the jobs and competitiveness of Canadian businesses. We must stand up for our workers, our companies and our economic future in the face of these external threats. The time has come to put an end to Liberal inaction and take concrete action to ensure Quebec and Canada are prosperous. Canada first. It is time for an election.

[Rouge et Or Football Team, November 25th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Université Laval's Rouge et Or football team on winning the 59th Vanier Cup. Once again, after taking home the prestigious Vanier Cup for the 12th time, this team has proven to be a powerhouse of Canadian university football.

The Rouge et Or has shown that success is a matter of strategy, teamwork, and unfailing resilience. Its performance was nothing short of jaw-dropping. To seize victory at the national finals with six field goals is one for the record books.

Every player, coach, and staff member should be proud of this accomplishment. The Rouge et Or's inspiring example reaches far beyond the football field. It is the pride of Université Laval, of Quebec and of everyone who believes in the power of hard work and team spirit.

May the Rouge et Or, a university sport dynasty, continue to aim higher and higher, to exceed expectations, and to embody the values of excellence. Congratulations to the entire team for its outstanding victory.

[Forestry Industry, November 20th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I really fear for our forestry workers, who are dedicated to their profession.

Many have already lost their jobs, and now another 1,400 forestry workers in Lac‑Saint‑Jean and on the north shore are directly threatened because of a federal decree that the Minister of Environment wants to impose. What is the member for Jonquière doing about this? Nothing. He has not asked a single question in the House to defend workers, nor has he taken any concrete action. All he has done is take part in round table discussions that lead nowhere. Worse still, he voted twice to keep this government in place, clearing the way for it to impose this destructive decree.

It is clear that the Bloc Québécois and the Liberals are forming a coalition against the regions and against the forestry sector. The Bloc Québécois is no longer a party of the regions. We must say no to this hypocrisy and bring back common sense.

It is time for an election.

[Committees of the House, November 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, again, we have to be very vigilant about forced labour in our Canadian supply chains. It is extremely important and I share my colleague's opinion. The fact remains that we are talking about China, which is sending us goods produced with forced labour. That is unfair to Canadian companies. We still wonder how our neighbours, the Americans, can already have intercepted thousands of shipments containing goods produced by forced labour, while we in Canada still have not done anything.

[Committees of the House, November 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is very important to be vigilant when it comes to forced labour in our Canadian supply chain. Again, we need to protect our market from products from China. This government has not done anything about that, even though there have been calls to take action since 2023. Unfair practices are being used, and they are undermining our Canadian market.

[Committees of the House, November 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I think we have to be very vigilant about forced labour. We have to ensure that our actions are ethical. I would like to remind my colleague of something. I doubt he wants to talk about his government's inaction, but I want to mention the unfair practices that are being used abroad, internationally. Absolutely nothing has been done since 2023, and we are not protecting our market.

I think it is important that a new government be put in place. Our party will keep a close eye on this issue.

[Committees of the House, November 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue that is increasingly pressing, not only in terms of human rights, but also for Canada's economic future: forced labour in our supply chains.

This scourge directly affects the goods that enter our market, specifically products from China, a country where forced labour practices are well documented but where efforts to end those practices remain inadequate. This is largely a result of the Liberal government's inaction. This situation is all the more concerning when we consider the economic and morally unacceptable consequences of these practices.

Beyond the low-price manufactured goods, entire industries are affected by this systemic exploitation of vulnerable workers. The impact is real and goes well beyond simple ethical considerations. It affects our supply chains, our economy and the labour conditions of our own citizens.

Take the electric vehicle battery industry as an example. The essential materials needed to produce these batteries, like polysilicon, largely come from the Xinjiang region of China, which is infamous for its use of forced Uyghur labour. For the most part, the polysilicon used to manufacture solar panels and batteries is produced by workers forced to labour under inhumane conditions.

These minerals and components find their way into our supply chains and are used in industries considered key to Canada's energy future, especially the transition to electric vehicles. Not only are these criminal practices a human rights issue, they also threaten the competitiveness of our businesses. By allowing these products to enter the Canadian market, the government is fostering unfair competition that forces Canadian companies, held to strict environmental standards and decent wage practices, to compete with products produced by exploited workers, obviously at a much lower cost.

It is vital to remember that China, despite its international commitments, continues to cover up and encourage forced labour practices in its factories. The Uyghurs, a Muslim minority, are persecuted and used for forced labour under conditions akin to modern-day slavery. Millions of these workers are forced to produce goods ranging from clothing and electronics to products used in the construction and renewable energy sectors.

The fact is, behind the cheap products on our shelves lies systematic and intentional exploitation. Our supply chains are contaminated by these unfair practices, and our government's response is inadequate. By allowing these products into our country, we are violating the ethical principles that we claim to uphold.

Almost two years ago, in March 2023, the Liberal government committed to legislating against the importation of products made with forced labour, but no law has been passed in the year since. There was even a unanimous motion adopted in November 2023 calling on the government to honour its commitments.

Once again, this government has failed to take any concrete action. Nothing has been done to effectively stop these goods from infiltrating our markets. This inaction is more than just a moral lapse. It is also a strategic error that will weaken our economy in the long term.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government has passed legislation, such as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which systematically prohibits the import of goods from that region of China. These measures have been a model of responsibility, offering American companies protection against unfair competition from products manufactured under absolutely unacceptable conditions. In the meantime, the Canadian government, with no equivalent legislation, is allowing products made under slave labour conditions to enter freely. In 2023, no products were stopped at the Canadian border because of forced labour. While the U.S. intercepted thousands of shipments, Canada stood back and did nothing.

The lack of concrete measures puts our Canadian businesses at a disadvantage. They face foreign competition that uses absolutely unacceptable practices while benefiting from subsidies, weaker environmental regulations and inhumane labour practices. Our local manufacturers are subject to labour standards that ensure the dignity and safety of our workers. However, that generates additional costs that they have to cover in order to comply with these ethical principles.

The injustice does not end there. Our businesses also have to pay carbon taxes and comply with strict regulations. Meanwhile, China is not subject to the same restrictions and continues to flood our markets with products manufactured in deplorable conditions. This distortion of competition directly compromises our ability to be competitive on international markets and jeopardizes not only our competitiveness but also the jobs of millions of Canadians. The Liberals have failed to deal with this direct threat against our economy and our principles.

In its March 2023 budget, the government announced its intention “to introduce legislation by 2024 to eradicate forced labour from Canadian supply chains to strengthen the import ban on goods produced using forced labour.” In its March 2024 budget, the government announced that it would implement a similar measure in 2024. To date, the government has not followed through on that commitment. It has not yet introduced any such legislation.

[The Environment, November 7th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax is going up, and greenhouse gas emissions are going up too. The Liberals have a tax plan, not an environmental plan.

Since they introduced the carbon tax, Canada has fallen to 62nd place out of 67 countries in the climate performance index. Meanwhile, the Minister of Environment is burning fuel to go and talk about climate change at COP. The Liberals care more about their image than they do about real results.

When will the election be called?

[International Trade, November 5th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years under this government and three U.S. presidents, we still do not have a softwood lumber agreement with the United States. The previous Conservative prime minister resolved this issue within 80 days of being elected. This shows incompetence and a lack of leadership on the Prime Minister's part. Three sawmills in Quebec have closed in the past few months, including the one in Saint‑Ludger‑de‑Milot in my region, where 100 workers were laid off.

Why do the Liberals keep abandoning forestry workers?