Taylor Bachrach

[Committees of the House, February 22nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, tourism is certainly an important industry in northwest B.C. I have talked to so many tourism operators who have been harmed by the pandemic and are looking at potentially another lost tourism season, as we have already heard. I am curious about his comments on looking for certainty, though, because there is so much that is not known about the future of the pandemic. So many factors are outside of our control.

Does the member not agree that our focus should be on supporting those businesses in the face of travel restrictions, rather than pushing for a reopening of the travel industry, which may be premature in the face of the new variants of the virus, which are so concerning to health experts?

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

Madam Speaker, there is much in the hon. member's speech that I agree with. She spoke to the needs of tourism operators in her region and the fact that the current support programs have not necessarily met their unique needs.

This speaks very closely to the situation in northwest B.C., where so many tourism operators in places like Haida Gwaii have lost an entire tourism business season and stand to lose another one. The current programs have not met their needs.

Perhaps the member could speak to how she sees the programs being improved so that small tourism operators could make it through this pandemic in one piece and look forward to prosperous days ahead.

[Air Transportation, February 19th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, Air Canada says there will be no passenger refunds without a bailout. The government says there will be no bailout without refunds. We are a year into this pandemic, and somehow the government has allowed billions of dollars of air passengers' own money to become a bargaining chip in negotiations. The U.S., the U.K. and the EU all found ways to mandate refunds; why are other countries so much better at protecting passenger rights than Canada's government is?

[United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, February 17th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I listened closely to my hon. colleague's remarks. I have a lot of questions, and I know I only have a short time to ask them.

The member spent a lot of time speaking about this conflation between the concept of consent and the concept of a veto, which has been spoken to at length by legal experts and dozens of witnesses at committee. It is clear that there is a distinction between these two concepts, so it is unfortunate that he continue to conflate them.

Part way through his speech, he said something along the lines of supporting the goals and aspirations of UNDRIP. However, I listened carefully, and 90% of his speech was speaking negatively about the risks he feels it poses. I am curious what parts of it he supports and feels are worthy of his support.

In his question for the minister, he indicated that he supports treaty rights. Does he support section 35 rights of indigenous people in the Constitution of Canada?

[Broadcasting Act, February 5th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I have been trying to follow this debate closely and it seems there is broad agreement that amendments to our Broadcasting Act are necessary after such a long period of time and that a level playing field should be created so that web giants like Netflix are not exerting undue influence and monopolizing our media and cultural markets. It seems like there is a lack of clarity.

The member used the word “ambiguous” and noted that perhaps too much discretion is placed with the CRTC. The previous speaker felt that the current definition of “Canadian content” was overly restrictive.

I am wondering if the member could expand on what specific amendments she would like to see if the bill makes it to committee.

[Airline Industry, February 3rd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the government asked Canadian airlines to cancel flights to vacation spots, but American airlines can still fly to the same destinations. While other countries acted swiftly to help their air sectors, we are now a year into the pandemic and the Liberals continue to leave Canadian workers behind. What is the result? Thousands have lost their jobs and more layoffs are on the way.

For months we have been calling for targeted support tied to keeping workers employed and restarting regional routes like Prince Rupert. We keep hearing talks are happening.

Will the Prime Minister act before it is too late and there are no jobs left for workers to return to?

[Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, February 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, for nearly 50 years, communities along B.C.’s north coast have been working together to keep oil tankers out of our coastal waters. An oil spill here would damage our coastal economy and the world-renowned ecosystem of the Great Bear Rainforest. For first nations that have called the coast home for thousands of years, such a disaster is unthinkable.

In 1972, on a motion tabled by former Skeena MP Frank Howard, the House unanimously agreed that oil tankers on B.C.'s north coast were “inimical to Canadian interests, especially those of an environmental nature.” That remains as true today as it was then. Tomorrow, we will again vote on this important question.

Since Bill C-229, which would repeal the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, was first tabled, I have heard from community leaders and residents across our region. In a matter of weeks, our petition received hundreds of signatures. On behalf of the people of northwest B.C., I ask that the House support a vibrant, sustainable future for our coast.

[Health, February 1st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been asking the government to act on travel, especially with new strains of the virus threatening efforts to bring the pandemic under control, but while the government stalled, thousands of international flights landed in Canada. With the latest announcement, we again see the government saying the right things but introducing half measures that will not keep Canada safe.

Why are flights from known hot spots for new strains not being suspended? Why are even popular sun destinations like Florida missing from the list? When will the government get serious about travel?

[Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020, January 25th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I certainly agree with my hon. colleague's assertion that we need to be thinking about how we are going to stimulate our economy in the recovery from this pandemic. I am not sure that I agree with all of his prescriptions for doing that, and I wonder if my colleague is familiar with the recent study out of the London School of Economics that examined 50 years of corporate tax cuts in 18 different jurisdictions and found that they had very little impact on either employment or job growth. That is my first question.

My second question is that I did not hear him mention the need for us to fulfill our climate commitments. I wonder if my colleague would agree that that is going to be a very important component of the economic recovery from COVID-19.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 25th, 2021]

With regard to the Boeing 737 MAX 8: (a) during communication with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) on or after October 29, 2018, including in the emergency Airworthiness Directive issued by the FAA, what information was received by Transport Canada, including (i) the findings of any FAA risk analysis into the airworthiness of the 737 MAX 8 and likelihood of fatal crashes during its service, (ii) any information concerning the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) software and its role in the crash of Lion Air flight 610, (iii) any information about the risks of an angle-of-attack sensor failure, (iv) data indicating the cause of the crash of Lion Air flight 610, including black box recordings, (v) any explanation of the cause of the crash of Lion Air flight 610, including any description of the runaway stabilizer trim; (b) was this information communicated to the Minister of Transport or the Director General of Civil Administration, and, if so, when; (c) were any concerns with the absence of information regarding the crash of Lion Air flight 610 conveyed to the FAA, and, if so, what was the substance of these concerns; (d) did Transport Canada consider any order grounding the 737 MAX 8 between October 29, 2018, and March 10, 2019, and, if so, why was this option rejected; (e) at any time before March 10, 2019, did Transport Canada receive any concerns about the 737 MAX 8 from airlines or pilot associations and, if so, what were these concerns and who issued them; (f) after October 29, 2018, did Transport Canada consider undertaking its own risk analysis of the 737 MAX 8, and, if so, why was this option rejected; and (g) prior to March 10, 2019, did Transport Canada communicate the causes of the Lion Air crash, including an explanation of the runaway stabilizer trim, with any airlines or pilot associations?