Robert Gordon Kitchen

[Public Services and Procurement, April 23rd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, rural Canadians are being put at a greater risk of getting COVID because of the government's inability to get vaccines in a timely manner. Recently, the drive-through vaccination centre in Weyburn, Saskatchewan had to close because there were simply not enough injections available to keep it running. In many cases, rural Canadians are now having to drive 200-plus kilometres into locked-down communities to get a vaccine, risking higher exposure.

Does the minister realize her failure to get vaccines to the provinces is disproportionately affecting the health of rural Canadians?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 21st, 2021]

With regard to the acquisition of freezers required to transport and store the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine: (a) how many freezers were purchased; (b) what is the total cost of purchasing the freezers; (c) what is the cost per unit of freezers purchased, broken down by type of unit; (d) how many of each type of unit were purchased; (e) how many of each type of unit purchased are in each (i) province or territory, (ii) local health unit district; (f) how many of each type of unit were purchased for the purpose of transporting the vaccine; (g) how many freezers were rented; (h) what is the total cost of renting the freezers; (i) what is cost per unit of freezers rented, broken down by type of unit; (j) what are the estimated costs of (i) transporting, (ii) maintaining the freezers, broken down by type of expense; and (k) what are the details of all contracts over $1,000 related to the purchase, acquisition, maintenance, or transportation of the freezers including, (i) the vendor, (ii) the amount, (iii) the description of goods or services, including the quantity, (iv) whether the contract was sole-sourced or awarded through a competitive biding process?

[The Economy, March 26th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, after over two years without a federal budget, Canadians are looking for some security and certainty for the future, especially when it comes to jobs. The Prime Minister seems to think that he and his government somehow know what is best for the people of my home province of Saskatchewan and all Canadians across the country. His Ottawa-knows-best approach to his economic reset will do absolutely nothing to help hard-working Canadians who just want to pay their bills and put food on the table. Canadians want a hand up, not a handout. Thankfully, there are other options.

We Conservatives have put forward Canada's recovery plan, which would enact a comprehensive strategy to put Canadians back to work across the country. We will secure jobs, secure accountability, secure mental health, secure the country and secure our economy. Unlike the Liberals, we will focus on the hardest-hit sectors, such as small business. We will work to ensure that Canada provides the necessary incentives needed to create an environment that encourages investment, rather than hinders it, in all industries for all Canadians.

[Business of Supply, March 23rd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.

He touched on many things in his speech. I know he is very cognizant of my riding, which is a very rural riding. We have had a lot of issues, in particular our small businesses and the huge impact that COVID-19 has had on them. Many of our constituents have health issues. They are talking about a 60% drop in cancer surgeries. There is a huge increase in mental health issues. Also, Canadians right on the border are coming back to Canada and going to rural areas. When they take the required COVID test, they are supposed to call Purolator. However, Purolator will not come to rural areas to pick those tests up.

I wonder if the member could tell the House how this plan would help these people in ensuring they can move forward with their lives.

[Natural Resources, March 22nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, since the minister had no clue about the numbers when asked today at committee, I will fill him in. Enbridge's Line 5 safely moves 540,000 barrels of oil to Sarnia each day to service Ontario and Quebec. If cancelled, replacing it will require nine extra 110-car unit trains or five barges, moving 118,000 barrels of oil each through the Mackinac straits and the Great Lakes every day.

Aside from spouting platitudes and scripted talking points, what concrete results has the minister received to ensure the continuation of Line 5?

[Business of Supply, March 9th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments from my friend from Courtenay—Alberni. In his speech he talked a lot about many aspects of small business and tourism. I am sure he is well aware of the Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors. Some women's dependence on their career has been depleted by the demise of the tourism industry. It has had a big impact on them. What a lot of people do not understand is that these independent business people depend on their commission fees to cover their income. There has been a huge impact on them, and they are obviously suffering a great deal.

The member mentioned a couple of things in this regard, but I would appreciate hearing some comments about this particular area.

[Committees of the House, February 25th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates entitled, “Request for Government Response to the 9th Report from the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session.” Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

I would also like to thank the clerk, the analysts and all committee staff who worked hard to facilitate the production of this report and who were instrumental in its execution, so much so that we are presenting it here again today. I would also like to thank all the MPs who participated in the initial study that led to the report back in June 2017, including those who were permanent members of the committee and those who may have only contributed to one or two meetings.

[Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020, February 22nd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, that certainly is correct. As someone who has been involved in coaching hockey my entire life, the one thing we learned is that when we talk about team work, we talk about working with the team.

That would be someone who is actually working with the team, and the Liberal government has not made any effort to work with the team. It is purely acting as a coach who does not talk to—

[Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020, February 22nd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, the member makes a very good point, and that is the fact that the present Liberal government has done no planning whatsoever for the last five years.

A prime example is right here, on investments and getting people and businesses going in this country, but it is also evident in how the government has been doing with the rollout of vaccines and PPE. There was no planning. The government made a statement on a Friday, before the weekend, and then all of a sudden, without hearing any responses or having any idea of what is out there, it rolled it out without any type of plan for its impacts.

The government has not talked with the Conservatives at all on this aspect. It rolls things out on its own. Planning and being a team coach means talking to players. It means hearing from each and every one of them; then taking parts of what they say to help improve what is being done. It is not just running out helter-skelter without having an official plan and procedures. It is not A, Z, B, D; it is A, B, C, D.

[Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020, February 22nd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, the hon. member is right. Ultimately, we are seeing investment dollars leaving this country, left, right and centre. The money is leaving from the western part of the country, heading south or to other parts, because investors are seeking better places to invest. Why would they not?

If we want to talk about what is going on in Bill C-14, I would like to point to the Borrowing Authority Act that the bill is going to amend. The government seems very quiet about the fact the bill is going to increase the amount it can borrow to $1,831,000,000,000. That is sort of like when someone gets their Visa bill and they have to pay their limit, and all of a sudden they see at the top that Visa has increased the amount, without telling them.

I do not hear the government speaking at all about this amount, so that Canadians could truly see how much the government is actually trying to increase its spending.