With regard to the National Shipbuilding Strategy since 2011: how much money has been invested by the federal government per year and per project at (i) Seaspan, (ii) Davie, (iii) Irving?
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2019, with 50% of the vote.
Questions Passed as Orders for Returns January 25th, 2021
With regard to the National Shipbuilding Strategy since 2011: how much money has been invested by the federal government per year and per project at (i) Seaspan, (ii) Davie, (iii) Irving?
Questions Passed as Orders for Returns January 25th, 2021
With regard to the government's Joint Support Ship program and the report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, dated November 17, 2020: (a) why did the government choose the more expensive option rather than purchase the vessels from Chantier Davie Canada Inc.; (b) why was the estimated savings of $3 billion with the Davie option not the deciding factor in the government's choice not to use Davie; (c) does the government accept the findings of the Parliamentary Budget Officer as accurate, and, if not, which specific findings does it not accept; and (d) has the government conducted an assessment of the capabilities of the Asterix and Obelix as commercial vessels converted for military purposes versus those of the built-for-purpose Joint Support Ship program, and, if so, what were the findings of the assessment, or, if not, why not?
Davie Shipyard December 8th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals like to strut around the Davie shipyard in Lévis and make fine promises. Once the photos have been taken, they slip away without doing anything for the shipyard's workers and suppliers.
However, the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy have urgent needs, and only Davie is able to build these ships here, in Canada, on schedule and on budget.
The Liberals claim that the Davie shipyard is now part of the national shipbuilding strategy, but they are ignoring and flouting this strategy by having ferries built abroad.
It is time for the Liberals to finally put words into action by offering a firm contract to Davie before Christmas and stop ignoring the largest shipyard in Canada and one we are very proud of.
Business of Supply December 3rd, 2020
Madam Speaker, I have a question for my colleague, but I would like to start by reminding him that the vaccines slated for distribution in the U.K. next week are being made in Belgium.
I think the people tuning in are wondering when Canada will take action and when the Liberal government will tell people at what point the country will finally get a vaccine. It is almost Christmas, and nothing is certain. Today, we learned that there will be no small gatherings in Quebec.
Would my colleague tell us how this delay in getting the vaccine will affect his community, the fight against the pandemic, and a future return to cruising speed once the country is back on track?
Public Services and Procurement December 3rd, 2020
Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely nothing for workers in the shipbuilding industry in the Liberals' economic statement, even though there is a need. The Royal Canadian Navy needs a modern icebreaker to ensure Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic Archipelago.
It is time for the Liberals to award the Diefenbaker contract to a Canadian shipyard. What are they waiting for?
They should stop hemming and hawing, take action before Christmas and award the Diefenbaker contract.
Business of Supply December 3rd, 2020
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague and his party for their support of the Conservative motion seeking to give Canadians the straight goods on the pandemic and the need to procure vaccines as soon as possible.
First, I would like to know whether it was a good idea for the Liberals to put all their eggs in one basket, a Chinese communist basket, which has now left us in the lurch.
My second question has to do with vaccination delays. My colleague gave a good explanation of how people who cannot work because of a lockdown actually cost the government money. Could he share his thoughts on what impact the vaccination delays will have on public finances, which are a complete mess because of the Liberals' mismanagement?
Official Languages December 1st, 2020
Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that, despite their claims, the Liberals care very little about the status of French in Quebec.
Yesterday at the Standing Committee on Government Operations, we obtained confirmation not only that the Treasury Board's rules were not respected in the contract with WE Charity, but also that no official languages impact analysis had been done. The Liberals claim to be the great defenders of French, but the fact is that they could not care less about it.
Why did the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth ignore Treasury Board rules when applying the scandalous WE Charity project in Quebec?
Business of Supply December 1st, 2020
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from British Columbia for his question. We are both members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, and it is a pleasure to have a francophile like him on the committee who is working to sustain the vitality of linguistic communities across the country.
His question is very simple. We are in the second half of a tunnel. The longer we go without a vaccine, the longer the tunnel becomes. The earlier that Canada has access to the vaccine, like all other countries in the world, the faster we will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and come out the other side. That is why we are calling on the government to give us a plan and tell us when we will get the vaccine in Canada.
Business of Supply December 1st, 2020
Madam Speaker, one vision that we have as Conservatives is that we do not like the approach of “Ottawa knows best”.
Actually, we believe that the expertise is in the provinces, just as it is in Quebec and Ontario or elsewhere in the country. We feel that provinces are best placed, since they have a Constitutional responsibility for taking care of health, and that they are there to support the system and they are facing many challenges. We believe that provinces need to be strongly supported by the federal government in order to be there for the first responders.
Business of Supply December 1st, 2020
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague. I see that he paid close attention to my speech, and I want to say to him that the Conservatives supported measures to help people during the pandemic.
However, the government put measures in place without consulting Parliament when it prorogued the House, and for that reason they were not productive.
I am certain that my colleague has in his riding, as I do, restaurants who had a hard time finding staff this summer because the government put in place poorly targeted measures that created an artificial labour shortage. Programs such as Canada summer jobs could have been enhanced to give young people the opportunity to work this summer. Unfortunately, the government did not put more money in this envelope.
I want to tell my colleague that the Liberal government has a responsibility. The money that was invested previously does not count; what counts is what happens from now on and how we look forward. There is money being injected into the health system, but there are also steps that could be taken to reduce the pressure on the system, and that requires a vaccine and rapid testing.