Yvonne Jones

[High-Speed Internet, April 6th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, for rural communities, including many in Labrador, the pandemic has magnified how essential access to reliable Internet really is. Our government understands that, which is why, in 2020, we launched the universal broadband fund, a $2.75-billion investment that will help connect every Canadian to high-speed Internet by 2030.

Today, I want to share the great news that the Government of Canada will invest over $23 million to connect more than 1,500 households in rural areas across Labrador to high-speed Internet. Funding will be allocated to the Nunatsiavut Government for a project benefiting the Inuit communities of Rigolet, Postville, Makkovik, Nain, Hopedale and the first nation community of Natuashish. There is also a separate contract of big-land networks to connect the residents of North West River and the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation.

These investments ensure that rural communities here are no longer limited in opportunity or service because of a lack of broadband connectivity. We are listening and we are responding to the needs of Canadians.

[The Economy, April 4th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, we are the government that supports Canadians. We are the government that supports the very fibre of social programs that help families thrive in this country, programs that create new opportunities for them and for their children.

I want to say that the member opposite knows that Canadian families are being impacted by high inflation. He understands that we have to pay more for goods such as groceries and gasoline and that the contributing factors are those that are happening abroad with a war and without coming out of COVID-19. It has nothing to do with the fact that we as a government have supported Canadians through some of the toughest times in their lives.

I want to make it clear that I make no apologies for the investments that we make in Canadians. Whether they are seniors, whether they are people with disabilities or children or new immigrants, all Canadians deserve to have an affordable way to live, and we will continue to work with them to make that happen.

[The Economy, April 4th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to respond to my hon. colleague from Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa this evening. I thank him for raising this important question on inflation and affordability, because all Canadians, at this point in their lives, are feeling the pain of inflation. All of us are feeling the pinch of affordability. No matter what riding we represent in Canada, we are dealing with individuals, day in and day out, who are seeing the difference.

I want to remind my hon. colleague that the current price increases for many of these goods, including gasoline and groceries, are the result of a global phenomenon driven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the unprecedented challenge of restarting the world's economy following the COVID-19 pandemic. My colleague knows that. Other members of the opposition know that as well.

Quite simply, the idea here is that the price of goods quite often depends on events that are out of our control, thousands of miles away from where we live in our communities and in Canada. The member understands that. He understands this reality. Our government is focusing on targeted support measures here at home in our own country to help those families who need help to make ends meet. We have been doing it since the beginning of COVID-19, and we continue to do it. We will not turn our backs on Canadians, regardless of how many times the member opposite stands in the House and tries to blame the government for things that are out of our control and no matter how many times he stands in the House and complains because we give increased benefits to seniors, to people with disabilities, to people on low incomes and to families with children.

We have increased the child tax benefit. For the first time in 15 years, our government provided an increase to the northern tax deduction to help people who live in the north, who suffer the most significant problems with affordability and cost of living. We continue to fund programs through Nutrition North and through other subsidy programs that help bring down the cost of living. We have negotiated a $10-a-day community-based early learning and child care program with every province and territory in Canada. We have cut taxes for middle-class families. We have brought in incentives for homebuyers, and we have increased payments to families in regions all across the country. For example, in Ontario, that increase was $745. In Manitoba, it was $832. In Saskatchewan, it was over $1,000. Are these the investments we have made as a government that he wants to see cancelled, that he does not want to reach the families who need them?

We cannot have it both ways. We cannot talk about the need to support families at a time when the cost of living is going up and inflation is contributing to that, along with COVID and along with a war that is going on around the world, and then, the next day, talk about the fact that the government is spending money on Canadians. We do not get to have it both ways.

What I will say is that, when their government was in power, they did not add money to the Canada pension plan. They did not increase old age security or the guaranteed income supplement or goods and services tax rebates to the municipalities or northern tax deductions. Absolutely not, in fact, they did the opposite. They were looking for ways to pick money out of people's pockets by making seniors have to be 67 years of age—

[Natural Resources, April 4th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands for raising this matter many times in the House of Commons. I also want to acknowledge and thank her for her lifelong, strong environmental advocacy on many issues that have affected Canadians and our planet. I know that, in her experience, she will recognize that the Government of Canada is known around the world for having one of the most comprehensive and ambitious climate plans right now. It is a plan that will reduce emissions by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

I want to mention some of the things that are in our emissions reduction plan because they worth highlighting. One is how our government will work with the oil and gas sector to cut methane emissions by at least 75% by 2030—

[Natural Resources, April 4th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, as the member knows, just last week we released our 2030 emissions reduction plan. It is one that sets out a very ambitious and achievable sector-by-sector approach to get us there. The plan builds on actions that have already been taken by many to reduce our carbon footprint, including by indigenous peoples, businesses, provincial and territorial governments, municipalities, civil society and many Canadians across the country.

I want to point out to the member that, as she already knows, our emissions reduction plan builds on existing initiatives. It includes a robust price on carbon pollution, a ban on unabated domestic coal-fired electricity by 2030 and an upcoming clean fuel standard. Last week's plan includes more than $9 billion in new investments to cut pollution and grow our economy. Among them are measures to make it easier for Canadians to switch to electric vehicles, to green our homes and buildings, and to help industries adopt the clean tech solutions to make our energy grid even cleaner. There are also many other initiatives.

I believe the member opposite knows that the global clean energy transition cannot happen overnight, but neither should Canadians or people around the globe drag our heels on this. We cannot just end oil and gas production with a snap of our fingers without risking energy security, here and around the world. We also recognize that the energy sector has the know-how, the skills and the financial clout to bring about clean technology through breakthroughs that we have been able to see thus far. Many others have already been targeted.

That is why we need to maximize the value of our resources, which is one of the reasons we remain committed to the Trans Mountain expansion project. TMX is creating thousands of good-paying jobs right now. Once operational, it will unlock new global markets. This will generate billions of dollars in new revenues to fund clean energy solutions, which is a goal we all want to get to. It is also creating additional investments and job opportunities for many indigenous people and many companies within Canada; therefore, it is advancing our government's commitment to reconciliation as well. I want to stress that TMX will not undermine our climate change efforts or our ability to reach the targets that we have set and committed to.

As the member acknowledged in her speech, the project's price has risen. This is the result of project enhancements, safety and security requirements, construction delays that were caused by COVID-19 and B.C.'s extreme weather events last summer, as well as new financial costs. It is not just one thing that has contributed to this; it is a whole gamut of factors that have led to this increase.

The project is now half-built. Trans Mountain Corporation will seek third-party funding if it needs further funds to complete the project. I know the member understands this. I share her passion and desire to see things move more rapidly on climate change, but there is a process to get there so that Canadians can all be a part of that exciting change in a way that we can manage sustainability within our country.

[Natural Resources, March 23rd, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I think the member needs to know that we are about doing things that are real and that are sustainable, and that are not about playing politics with this issue.

I want to urge the member opposite to consider this highly credible agency's advice and remember that, just a few months ago, British Columbia was the latest province to experience the devastating and deadly consequences of climate change. Even today, in Paris, I want to quote what the U.S. energy secretary said. She said, “Even as we seek to stabilize fossil energy through to market, we have to act upon the urgent signals that the world is sending us, that Mother Nature is sending us: a big, flashing 'Code Red' on humanity.”

That is exactly what our government is doing. We are responding to the crisis that we are currently in, but we are also responding to the climate crisis. What has been happening in Europe and in the United States just reinforces the predicament that we are in as a country and that we need to transition—

[Natural Resources, March 23rd, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan for raising this very timely issue, one that obviously relates to the Putin regime's unprovoked assault on its neighbour.

I do not think words can capture the tragedy that has befallen Ukraine or the treachery of the perpetrators. What really matters is what we do and not what we say. As the member knows, our government has worked shoulder to shoulder with allies to punish Russia with crippling sanctions. That includes banning Russian oil and gas imports. We also joined others in supplying lethal and non-lethal military equipment to help Ukraine's heroes fight off this invader. We are part of the response to a humanitarian disaster that has caused millions of people and families to flee their homeland. That effort includes opening our doors to any Ukrainian who wants to settle temporarily or permanently in Canada.

The member opposite wants to focus on an important aspect of this conflict. I am referring to how it has shaken global energy markets, sending prices skyward and causing stress for Canadians going about their daily business. This crisis has also exposed the danger facing European nations. They have depended very heavily on gas from a manipulative and bullying supplier, so I agree with the member that Canada, as the world's fourth-largest oil and gas producer, has an opportunity and an important role to play.

The member knows that the International Energy Agency has released a 10-point plan to sharply reduce Europe's dependency on Russian gas before next winter. That includes encouraging Europe to seek alternative conventional energy sources, and steps have been taken to boost supplies from existing suppliers like Norway, Algeria and Azerbaijan.

Members know that the vast majority of our oil and gas exports go south of the border. Our pipeline and rail infrastructure is set up to help fuel the world's most successful bilateral economic relationship. Our government supports private sector initiatives to expand opportunities overseas. We only have to consider our role in supporting the TMX expansion and the LNG Canada project. Both are aimed at serving Asian markets. As we know, there are no LNG project proposals on the Atlantic coast that are mature enough to offer practical solutions in the near term, but we never rule out options. We are always open to be there to support Canadians and to support our allies.

However, our government has spoken to producers and provinces about ways to expand oil and gas exports to the United States. This will help America, now the world's largest LNG exporter and the biggest destination for Canadian crude oil exports. This will also help alleviate some of the pressure that we have seen in Europe and the pressures that will come to bear on Europe.

The International Energy Agency's 10-point plan also urges Europe to move more aggressively to alternate energy sources like solar, like wind, like bioenergy, which all are things that our government has been promoting as well. We agree with and we strongly support the European Union's plan to quadruple hydrogen use by 2030 and we believe that Canada could eventually be an important hydrogen—

[Natural Resources, March 23rd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the current situation in Ukraine underscores the importance of energy security of our allies in Europe and around the world. Our country is in a secure position in terms of energy supply, and as Europe works to address the geopolitical and social economic challenges presented by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are considering all measures to preserve energy supply chains in Canada, and where possible, worldwide.

[Natural Resources, March 23rd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, we have announced that the Government of Canada will ban crude oil imports from Russia until further notice. She also knows that according to the Canada Energy Regulator, over the last couple of years Canada has imported very little crude oil from Russia.

We also realize the impact this is having around the world. We are working with our counterparts. We will do what we need to do to ensure that Canadians are protected and that we support the people of Ukraine.

[Arctic Sovereignty, March 3rd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, as we stand united against Russia's invasion and attack on Ukraine and its people, we must continue to work across all party lines and with our international counterparts to stop this seamless attack on democracy and innocent lives.

Russia's threat to Ukraine is a threat to all of us who promote democracy, independence and a free, just society. We will stand up to President Putin's attacks by expanding our ability to protect the sovereignty of our Arctic nation. Canada is conducting joint exercises with other Arctic nations, investing in more defence equipment and enhancing our Arctic surveillance and intelligence capability.

We have announced major investments in the north warning system. Canada and the United States continue to work together to ensure that NORAD is modernized to meet both existing and emerging threats to our continent. We will continue to unite against Russia's affront on Ukraine and stand with all of those who are fighting against this tyranny.

Nakurmiik.