Vance Badawey

[Committees of the House, April 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities entitled “Main Estimates 2021-22”. The committee has considered the estimates referred by the House and reports the same.

[The Budget, April 21st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, we are in the midst of this third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadians need support now, and they need reassurance that the economy will be strong and jobs will be created once we are through this pandemic.

Could the Prime Minister update the House on how budget 2021 will support all Canadians?

[The Great Lakes, March 12th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, last week was Great Lakes Week. To mark the occasion, legislators and advocates from Canada and the United States met to plan for the future.

In Canada, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Group, which I have the honour to co-chair, held the binational, multipartisan meeting with 75 members of Congress, Canadian MPs, senators and binational groups such as the Great Lakes Commission, the IJC and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. At the core of our discussion were the benefits of binational co-operation. For example, 2022 marks 50 years since our Prime Minister's father signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with our U.S. neighbours, an example of binational co-operation truly at work. Despite this example of success, there is much yet to do.

The lakes are an economic engine and a binational treasure that need our help. I look forward to the next budget and to Canada's strengthened Great Lakes commitment.

[The Great Lakes, February 3rd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, last month, as the incoming Minister of Foreign Affairs assumed his new responsibilities, he declared that no bilateral relationship is more important than that of Canada and the U.S.

As a Great Lakes-St. Lawrence MP with the Welland Canal in my riding, I agree with and applaud the minister’s statement. In fact, it is exactly the kind of approach most Great Lakes advocates are seeking.

The Great Lakes are a binational economic and ecological treasure that need to be given greater attention and prominence by Canada’s local, provincial and federal legislators. Canada must be a willing and engaged partner if our shoreline communities are to reap the advantages of the Great Lakes. These cross-lake relationships are critical in dealing with climate change, lakes-based job creation, environmental solutions and additional binational issues.

I thank the minister for suggesting this priority approach. I look forward to the Great Lakes emerging as a priority issue for the minister and I stand ready to assist in strengthening our binational relationship.

[COVID-19 Emergency Response, November 23rd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister told Canadians that the number of COVID-19 cases in the second wave is surging and that now is the time to redouble our efforts to fight the virus. He also promised that the federal government would always be there to support Canadians and their livelihoods.

Can the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance please give us a brief update on the Canadian economy and tell us what the government plans to do next?

[Canada Pharmacare Act, November 18th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be here this evening to speak about universal pharmacare.

I want to start by congratulating the member for New Westminster—Burnaby for beginning the conversation with all 338 members of the House of Commons on this very important issue. I say that because it is going to be up to all of us, not one party, not some parties or others throughout the different levels of government, but all of us working together in the House of Commons and at all levels of government, provincial and territorial, who are going to be part of the process of putting this in place. We want to ensure that we in fact get this right and strengthen the universal medicare program that Tommy Douglas championed many decades ago.

As was said earlier, no Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescriptions, putting food on the table, putting their children through school and living the life that every Canadian should live. That is why we, as a government, have done more than any government in a generation to lower drug prices, and have included new rules on patented drugs that will save Canadians over $13 billion annually.

I want to emphasize two points. First, this is an important program to move forward with. Second, all of us at all levels of government, in the House of Commons and provinces and territories, can and will work together to ensure that we bring universal pharmacare to this great nation.

[Louis Riel Day, November 16th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, November 16, today, is Louis Riel Day. We pay tribute to the Métis leader and founder of Manitoba. We recognize his tireless advocacy for Métis rights and celebrate Métis culture across this nation. Louis Riel was a father of Confederation, bringing Manitoba into Canada. His contributions have not only benefited the Métis nation but our entire country.

Today, Canada and the Métis nation are committed to working together on a renewed government-to-government relationship. We have made historic investments to support a Métis nation-led post-secondary education strategy, recognize the contributions of Métis veterans during the Second World War and address the housing needs of Métis communities.

We will continue to work with the Métis nation to make a real difference in the lives of Métis. Today, I invite all Canadians to celebrate this day by learning about Métis history and culture as we walk the path of reconciliation together.

[Great Lakes Fishery Commission, October 28th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, October marks 65 years since Canada and the United States exchanged formal instruments of ratification for the Convention on the Great Lakes Fishery, creating the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

This treaty solidified a binational partnership that focused on perpetuating Great Lake science, cross-border relationships and the control of the invasive sea lamprey parasite basin-wide. This partnership has yielded numerous benefits worth billions of dollars and thousands of jobs annually.

In fact, ending divided governance by ensuring that federal, state and provincial agencies and fishery management professionals work toward a collective benefit is one of the treaty's greatest achievements. It turned back a trend established prior to the treaty where an “everyone for themselves” mentality ensured an ecological race to the bottom.

I congratulate the GLFC on 65 years of success. I look forward to working together to further strengthen the Canada-U.S. partnership in the years ahead.

[Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Group, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the Great Lakes are a binational treasure and annually pump billions of dollars into our economy, create thousands of jobs, provide clean water to millions and support an ecosystem that is vital for thousands of unique plants, animals and aquatic species. They are a resource that Canada has not always fully supported; that is, until now.

Aside from the throne speech commitments to bolster the blue economy, our government's promise to establish the Canada water agency will turn the tide in favour of the Great Lakes' health and sustainability.

I am also pleased to share that the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group recently established the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Group with a mandate to focus on a triple bottom line: economic, environmental and social issues attached to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence.

Canada is at the table, and as co-chair of this group, I can confirm that we are eager to work with all colleagues here, in the Senate and with our U.S. counterparts. I look forward to working to help keep the Great Lakes great, and I thank this government and the IPG for helping to lead the charge in this positive direction.

[Niagara Ports Trade Corridor, October 8th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, Canada has always been a trading nation, and as the throne speech stressed, the value of the multi-trillion dollar blue economy is not to be underestimated. In fact, the maritime chamber of commerce confirms that inland and coastal shipping are key drivers in both the Canadian and U.S. economies. I am pleased to see this government take advantage of existing resources in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery effort.

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River navigation system, including the Welland Canal located in my riding, is an efficient marine superhighway that connects our businesses to limitless opportunities and global markets. I am pleased to see this government harness the blue economy by supporting initiatives like local strategic trade corridors.

In Niagara, we are advancing the development of three multimodal hubs along the Welland Canal. To the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority and the cities of Port Colborne, Welland and Thorold, I say congratulations and thanks for moving forward on establishing the Niagara Ports multimodal trade corridor.

I thank this government for showing foresight and innovation by supporting and fostering all the blue economy has to offer.