Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  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  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  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.

Business of Supply  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.

Public Services and Procurement  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.

Business of Supply  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.

Official Languages  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.

Business of Supply  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.

Business of Supply  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.

Business of Supply  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.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my colleague from British Columbia, the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. I would have liked to ask the Liberal minister a question. We are in the midst of a pandemic, and it is true that the environment we live in is disrupted.

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are using their white paper on official languages to buy time until the next election. Meanwhile, they are holding communities hostage. The Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne and the Quebec Community Groups Network want this. Will the Liberals stop playing politics and introduce a bill to modernize the Official Languages Act before Christmas?

Status of the French Language in Montreal  Madam Chair, I commend my colleague for his passion for the French language. I also commend my colleague from Acadia who reminded us that René Lévesque was born in his neck of the woods. Before I ask my question, I want to tell my colleague and the people watching us that I am pleased that this work is being done.

Status of the French Language in Montreal  Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for his speech. He mentioned the challenges facing the anglophone minority community in Montreal. Does my colleague agree with the organization that represents that community, the Quebec Community Groups Network? He is very familiar with organizations that defend minority communities in Quebec.

Status of the French Language in Montreal  Madam Chair, we support applying the Charter of the French Language to federal bodies and we also want people applying for citizenship in Quebec to have a knowledge of French. We have concrete measures that will modernize the Official Languages Act, and we will continue take concrete action to support the vitality of linguistic communities.