Steven Blaney

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 12th, 2021]

With regard to the Victoria Class Submarines, since 2008 and, broken down by year, except for (f), (g), (l), (m), and (o): (a) how much has the government spent to maintain the fleet; (b) what are the details of each contract amended, including the (i) vendor, (ii) date, (iii) value of each amendment, (iv) reason for amendment; (c) what costs have been incurred by the Royal Canadian Navy to run the project office; (d) what was the cost to conduct independent reviews of the program; (e) what are the total number of sea days for each boat, broken down by vessel; (f) what are all risks identified by the government in relation to the upcoming contract tender and the possible award to another company; (g) what are all benefits and risks identified in relation to extending the current contract by more than one day; (h) what is the total number of Canadians who have been trained to maintain the submarines under the contract, broken by contractor; (i) how much was spent on transporting submarines from the east coast to the west coast and back; (j) how much was spent on submarine spares, broken down by vendor; (k) how many Canadian suppliers have been created to support the VISSC program, broken down by region and name; (l) what percentage of the current supply base is outside of Canada; (m) what are the risks related to accessing support and spares for the Victoria Class Submarines (i) presently, (ii) between 2023 and 2040, and proposed mitigation step for each by the builder and by Canada; (n) what is the total value of subcontracts awarded to Seaspan and Victoria Shipyards, broken down by the number of workers; and (o) who maintains the IP for the Victoria Class Submarines and what are the risks related to Intellectual Property for this orphan class submarine?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 12th, 2021]

With regard to the government’s planned upgrades to the Esquimalt Graving Docks (EDG) in Victoria, British Columbia: (a) what is the timeline for the proposed upgrades; (b) what are the total committed or project investments, expenses and revenue related to the EGD for (i) 2016, (ii) 2017, (iii) 2018, (iv) 2019, (v) 2020, (vi) 2021, (vii) 2022, (viii) 2023, (ix) 2024, (x) 2025, (xi) 2026; (c) what are the uses of the facility by percentage of space utilized and period reserved from 2016 to 2026, broken down by year; (d) what is the summary of the impact and benefits of planned upgrades; (e) what is the date that any and all upgrades were approved by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and the date that funding will be released between 2019 and 2026; and (f) is there any known or unknown impact of these expansions on private shipyards in Canada and private businesses, including (i) Seaspan, (ii) Chantier Davie Canada Inc., (ii) Irving Shipbuilding, (iv) BC Shipyards?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 12th, 2021]

With regard to the National Shipbuilding Strategy and the Umbrella Agreement: (a) what are the total amount of contracts awarded or committed to (i) Seaspan, (ii) Irving Shipbuilding, (iii) Chantier Davie Canada Inc.; (b) what is the total backstop committed to each shipyard in (a); (c) what are the conditions which must be met to utilize the backstop provision under the umbrella agreement; (d) how many vessels are committed to each shipyard under their umbrella agreement and what are those vessels; (e) for each of the following programs, the AOPS program, the Off-shore Oceanographic Science Vessel, the Off-Shore Science Fisheries Vessels, the Canadian Surface Combatants, the Polar Icebreaker, the Program Icebreakers, and the Medium Patrol Vessels, what are the (i) projected costs (including taxes), (ii) expected delivery dates, (iii) costs for engineering and design, (iv) risks as identified by third party advisors around costs, budget and schedule; (f) what is the total number of AORs required to service a fleet of 15 surface combatants and the planned rotation schedule for each; and (g) on what date will the JSS 1 and JSS 2 (i) achieve full operational capacity, (ii) be outfitted or finished, and are there mitigating plans to provide resupply to the Royal Canadian Navy should these vessels not achieve Full Operational Capacity on the dates expected?

[Public Services and Procurement, March 26th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, once again, the Liberals are dragging their feet.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer released a scathing report, the costs and delays associated with the national shipbuilding strategy are ballooning and the Auditor General's report is sounding the alarm.

We urgently need a polar icebreaker now because the race to the Arctic for its natural resources and navigation is on.

When will the Liberals award the construction contract for the Diefenbaker icebreaker instead of putting it off indefinitely?

[The Economy, March 12th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, on this fine Friday, I have one little question for the Liberals: Who will pay the federal debt?

All the Liberals have done since coming to power is drive Canadians deeper into debt and line the pockets of their Liberal pals. This is unprecedented. While the Liberals throw money at their friends, the debt is skyrocketing. What comes next?

Canadians will have to pay the Liberal debt because debts must be paid, along with hefty interest.

When will the Liberals release their reopening plan and economic recovery measures to protect future generations?

[The Economy, March 9th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, “Canada is back” under the Liberals. Yes, Canada is back with deficits, a debt of over $1 trillion and the highest rate of unemployment.

We just saw it. The Liberals are bragging about what they have done, but they are lagging behind because they dragged their feet on vaccines.

We, the Conservatives, are proposing a recovery plan to support workers who have been affected by the pandemic and to help businesses.

When will the Liberals present a real economic recovery plan to get Canada back on track?

[National Engineering Month, March 8th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, this month we are celebrating National Engineering Month across the country. It is an opportunity for young Canadians to learn about the exciting, fun and rewarding world of careers in engineering.

I graduated from the Université de Sherbrooke and am proud of the years I spent in environmental engineering and urban infrastructure before getting into politics.

I thank Engineers Canada for bestowing on me the designation of “Fellow”.

With its immense natural resources, Canada is a country under construction, a land of opportunity for engineers. On this March 8, I especially want to acknowledge the women who have chosen to become engineers. With their accomplishments and determination, these women are building a better and more egalitarian Canada.

This week, we have a great opportunity to showcase the achievements of women and men in engineering and to share their successes and accomplishments.

Let us celebrate National Engineering Month across the country.

[Maurice Tanguay, February 26th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, today Lévis is mourning the loss of one of its most illustrious citizens, Maurice Tanguay.

Originally from Saint-Philémon, in Bellechasse, Mr. Tanguay's passion for hockey grew during his time at Collège de Lévis. It was in Lévis in 1961 that he opened the first store under the banner that would become so well known: Ameublements Tanguay.

In 1995, he founded the Rimouski Océanic Hockey Club, fuelling Quebec's passion for major junior hockey. He also became an architect of the Rouge et Or at Université Laval, a prestigious part of Quebec football.

However, his true passion was helping children who were underprivileged, sick or living with disabilities. Thirty years ago he founded the Fondation Maurice Tanguay and was honoured many times for his compassion for human suffering. He and his family created a true dynasty of generosity.

For his exceptional involvement and his human values, we thank Maurice Tanguay and offer our condolences to his loving and devoted wife Madeleine, their children Jacques, Hélène and France, and the entire extended Tanguay family.

[Seniors, January 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, we have learned that the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is refusing to finance seniors' residences with 50 units or fewer in our communities. That is completely unfair.

These residences in Lévis, Bellechasse, Les Etchemins and across the country are seriously affected by this discriminatory policy. They look after our seniors, especially during a pandemic. Will the minister immediately reverse this unfair policy and end this systemic discrimination against our seniors in rural areas?

[Public Services and Procurement, January 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, taxpayers should not be paying billions to subsidize cruise ship repairs.

The Liberals are saddling the country with debt, and now they want to spend $3 billion supporting a private shipyard. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Canada's entire shipbuilding industry have rightly expressed outrage over this unfair competition.

Are the Liberals borrowing money in an attempt to buy votes? Why are they sabotaging the national shipbuilding strategy?