Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am really proud of the investments the government is making in defence. This is important for our men and women in uniform. It is also part of a defence industrial policy to create good jobs across the country. When I think about Nova Scotia, I think about IMP Aerospace. I know the member is well familiar as there are many constituents in his riding who work at that facility. We hav…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, pardon us if we find it a bit rich that the Conservative Party is going to stand up and talk about youth, when its members consistently vote against the measures the government has introduced that actually matter to young Canadians in this country. They voted against budget measures that actually support young skilled trades workers. They voted against the Canada child benefit. They v…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like my hon. colleague to give us his perspective on our fiscal situation and the fact that Canada has the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7 and the lowest deficit in the G7. I would like him to explain to Canadians what that means in practical terms. Of course, we must address the reality of our fiscal situation, but it is also true that Canada is in a stable position.
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Mr. Speaker, the member talked about some of the challenges that exist in the country. The government by no means suggests that it is perfect out there. The government is working within the realities, trying to meet Canadians where they are at and ensure that we have programs. That is why we have reduced taxes for 22 million Canadians. We have removed the GST for first-time homebuyers, for the 30-…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the Canadian public at home that Canada has the lowest deficit in the G7 and the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. However, the government recognizes that there is really important work to do to make tough choices. That is why our budget is going to be coming out November 4. The member mentioned that the government is not trying to be transparent. It is ac…
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Mr. Speaker, I would tell her the reality is that we need to continue to put investments on the table to drive and catalyze private sector investments. That is where we have to go. We also have the lowest deficit in the G7. We would never hear that from the opposition benches in terms of our position. I think it is important that the government actually addresses operational spending. It is coming…
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Mr. Speaker, I hear some of the Conservative members yelling and jostling across the aisle. They would love to think the Prime Minister we have now is the same as the last prime minister, and they are trying to paint that picture in the House, but Canadians know that is not the case. I will highlight in my speech the differentiation between how the government is keeping policies we think are extre…
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Mr. Speaker, Conservatives again are yelling. The member for Yorkton—Melville is suggesting that she supported it. No, she did not. I am happy to go on the record to say that they voted against that policy. Is it a failed policy? I think not. The Canada child benefit is one of the best policies the government has put forward. There is the old age security and the guaranteed income supplement. Ther…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always a privilege to rise in this place and to bring the perspective of the good people of Kings—Hants to the day's debate. Of course, today's debate is on an opposition day motion. My Conservative colleagues will know that I always enjoy the opportunity to engage with the text of the motion they put before the House. The text of today's motion tries to suggest that Canada's ne…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened when colleagues spoke, although I certainly disagreed with a lot of different measures. The net debt-to-GDP ratio is the size of the Canadian economy versus the debt that exists. My measure for Canadians at home then is to say that Canada's debt position is actually sustainable. We have to be able to look at the cost. That is exactly what the government is doing. It is inte…
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Mr. Speaker, I can certainly tell the hon. member that I know what a deficit is, and Canada has the lowest one in the G7. On debt, we have the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. There is still more work to do. The government is serious about making sure that we can tackle this and that we are going to have a fiscal track that will be sustainable over time. Frankly, that is going to mean some …
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Mr. Speaker, the natural resource sector, in all of Canada, helps to drive the revenues that matter for public spending for provincial and territorial governments across the country. The hon. member knows that Quebec is a recipient under the equalization formula. Frankly, we have natural resources, whether it is in western Canada or Newfoundland's offshore. This matters for the whole country, and …
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Mr. Speaker, the Canada child benefit is perhaps one of the strongest legacies of the last government. It is a policy that will make a difference for generations to come. As the chief government whip highlighted, the difference is that the Canada child benefit is actually income tailored, so there is a cut-off. Individuals who are making millions of dollars do not need $100 a month from the govern…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Vancouver Granville, and I would like to wish him a happy belated birthday. He is looking pretty good for just one year shy of 50, and I think the whole House would agree with that. I really appreciated the fact that the parliamentary secretary acknowledged that the government is focused and working on a budget for November 4. Also, he said that we are goin…
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Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding that we can all agree as parliamentarians that there are better ways we can find efficiency within the civil service, when I talk to indigenous communities across this country, they noticed a marked difference from the Liberal government about how we approach the issues and how we have invested in these solutions versus where the Conservative Party was 10 years ago whe…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to agree with my hon. colleague that Nova Scotia is a beautiful province. The hon. member for Acadie—Annapolis is an honourable gentleman, and we are great neighbours in Nova Scotia. There are challenges across the country. No one stands here in Parliament and suggests that everything is perfect. We have a government that is trying to tackle the situation that is before u…
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Mr. Speaker, issues related to our seniors are, of course, very important in my riding. I imagine it is the same thing in my colleague's riding. When it comes to seniors between the ages of 65 and 74, we promised to increase the guaranteed income supplement. We understand the importance of this program, particularly for low-income seniors in this category. I agree it is important that we support o…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is truly a champion for farmers and producers, both in the House of Commons and in her riding. The government has put a concrete measure in place by enhancing risk management programs. The compensation rate for the AgriStability program has been increased from 80% to 90%. Other reference margin limits have also been eliminated. We have a concrete plan and we have implemen…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to take part in this afternoon's debate. Today is an opposition day, and I am always pleased to have the opportunity to discuss issues with my Conservative colleagues and address some of the points in their motion. Today's opposition motion focuses on food and the cost of living, which includes the issue of agriculture. Kings—Hants has a very rich agricultural heritag…
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Mr. Speaker, I would also like to wish my colleague's constituent a happy birthday. Our government is focused on two priorities: advancing projects in the best interests of the country while ensuring that we continue to fight climate change—
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Mr. Speaker, I would say to Belinda that this is exactly why we introduced a middle-income tax cut in the last session of Parliament to help support 22 million Canadians. That is why we have removed GST on purpose-built homes in the country. That is why we are advancing major national projects that we think are going to stimulate the economy. I will correct the hon. member. I was always proud to r…
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Mr. Speaker, I am deeply proud of the men and women who work in Canada's offshore energy sector in Newfoundland and Labrador and, of course, all across this country. I will remind the hon. member that under the Harper government, it was a 900-day process to actually get a regulatory review and approval. The Liberal government moved it to 90 days. I am happy to actually put on the record here in th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. Our government's position is crystal clear: We will continue to take economic interests and the importance of climate competitiveness into consideration. Our Prime Minister thoroughly understands the importance of addressing the challenges raised by climate change and the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. That said, the world …
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Mr. Speaker, our government believes that there is an important role for foreign direct investment in this country. We want to deploy Canadian capital for projects, and we want to support Canadian companies. However, there is capital that is global that wants to invest in Canada, support Canadian workers and provide Canadian energy to the world. I would remind the hon. member that when we look at …
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Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to join today's opposition day debate. This is a really important topic about how we can drive national projects of importance forward while also maintaining a climate competitiveness lens to what we do. I look forward to getting into that, but I know you will permit me about 60 seconds to mention something. Members will notice that today I am wearing an Acadia Unive…
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Mr. Speaker, I would agree with the member for Winnipeg North. The Prime Minister has said this himself. He is a pragmatic individual. He is putting forward a pragmatic government that is looking to balance those two really important metrics. I highlighted, and I think I have made the case to the House and to my hon. colleagues, that there is now an economic imperative. There always is, but it is …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome the hon. member for Battle River—Crowfoot back to this place. The member started his speech by talking about the importance of agriculture and the ranching community in Alberta and across the Prairies. To him, I say that he has an ally here in me and this government in supporting agriculture. I am glad to hear that he will be a champion for agriculture in the H…
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Mr. Speaker, it is great to be here this morning and to have the opportunity to engage with respect to today's opposition day motion.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member mentioned that the member for Oxford will be introducing Conservative legislation with respect to criminal law reform. The motion today references the “three strikes and you're out” policy of the Conservative Party, which is being put forward by the member for Battle River—Crowfoot. Why is it that this provision does not exist in the legislation from the member for Oxford? …
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Mr. Speaker, I will say a few things. First, I would push back on the idea that there is no judicial independence in this country. Yes, prime ministers and, ultimately, ministers of justice make appointment decisions, and it is a political representative who makes those decisions. However, this is not a politicized process in Canada. This is something we should take deeply personally. It is someth…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to start by reminding both the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Winnipeg North that I have the floor. I will be splitting my time today with the hon. member for Pickering—Brooklin. I want to pick up on the exchange that I just had with the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Battle River—Crowfoot. It was interesting to ask the question on agriculture, because he…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize that this is a new government under the leadership of a new Prime Minister. This was a strong platform commitment that the Liberal Party committed to tackling. Our Prime Minister has said before that he is a pragmatic leader. If he identifies issues in society in Canada, we are going to be able to go out and tackle them. This has clearly become an issue th…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important that, yes, we bring the emotion of our constituents to this place. We have to be able to tell stories about the experiences on the ground, but we also have to stay rooted in statistics and facts. If we get beyond that, where do we go? Where does the debate go? It becomes tribalism. In our province, and my position is very clear, our government is going to be introducin…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is great to see you again. I hope you had a great summer. Today I rise on behalf of petitioners across the country, including petitioners from the riding of Kings—Hants, who are asking members of Parliament and ultimately the Government of Canada to consider revisiting federal assistance on the Atlantic Loop as part of a federal grant for the HVDC transmission line corridor between…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre can wait for her turn in this place, when she can happily ask the question. My position, and the position of the government, is that we need to be able to move projects of national interest that include indigenous equity in this country. There are indigenous communities that want to move on national projects—
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Mr. Speaker, this legislation is crucial. We are in an economic crisis. This legislation would move forward with the ability to move on interprovincial trade and the reduction of barriers and allow major national projects to get built. The government is absolutely committed to advancing indigenous participation in major national projects. Projects would not be listed if there were not adequate con…
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Mr. Speaker, we know the value of the Canadian seafood industry, particularly in our home region of Atlantic Canada. The Prime Minister has been very clear. He had a very constructive conversation with the premier of China. We are going to be regularizing communication with the Chinese government. However, the member needs to also understand the geopolitics involved because the seafood industry al…
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Mr. Speaker, I chair the Prime Minister's economic growth caucus. We had the opportunity to welcome chief economists from the major national banks who were supportive of the type of legislation that allows big projects to get built. I do not want to speak for the banks in this country, but I would say that this is the type of legislation that is about building economic resilience in the country. I…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to join today's debate on Bill C-5, the one Canadian economy legislation. Before I get started, I want to recognize that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Mississauga East—Cooksville this afternoon. We are living in a very uncertain world. As I speak right now, there are missiles being exchanged between Israel and Iran. There is great tension in the …
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Mr. Speaker, there is a member from the NDP heckling me here on today's point. What she does not understand is that this represents an absolutely tremendous opportunity for indigenous people in this country. She wants to, I guess, perhaps, limit the economic opportunities available to indigenous people in this country. We have increased the loan equity in this—
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Mr Speaker, this is a new government, but for the members who have been involved over the last 10 years, and the hon. member will hopefully agree, reconciliation was an absolute cornerstone of former prime minister Justin Trudeau's tenure here in his service to Canada. We have consistently invested in and put in equity for indigenous partners to be involved in major projects. The government has ac…
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Mr. Speaker, I see it as absolutely on topic, because we are talking about the way the Conservative Party today is litigating its argument on the opposition day, and it is suggesting things that the government should do that do not follow judicial process. I make the natural step to say I have seen over the last two or three years a slipping of that foundational principle by Conservative members o…
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Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate for the people who are sitting in the public gallery or who may be watching at home, because the opposition clearly has not delineated the facts on a few things, and one is that there is a process. The motion before us talks about 100 days. My question to the hon. member is this: Does he suggest that there should not be a court process, that if GC Strategies or its a…
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Mr. Speaker, the chief government whip is correct to highlight that fact. As I said throughout my entire remarks, this was a serious issue, a breach of the way in which the federal public service handled procurement. This was a problematic issue. However, the problem is that when we hear the Conservatives speak, they make it sound as though the elected officials who were in these ministerial portf…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the member for Winnipeg North really got to the essence of what I was talking about. The issue around procurement and improving processes is an important one, but the opposition day motion today blurs the lines in terms of the way the Conservatives have litigated this argument, which does not show any level of nuance. It does not recognize that the government has taken steps. …
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member picked up on a few things. Yes, the government agrees that this was an absolute abuse of the procurement process and that the federal civil servants who were responsible for this did not do their due diligence on behalf of the country. When this became abundantly clear to this government, per the Auditor General's reports, we worked on every single recommendation. We h…
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Mr. Speaker, is the hon. member suggesting that the Prime Minister of this country should not be engaging with the President of the United States? Obviously we take issue with the illegal and unjustified tariffs that have been put on Canadian industry. The Canadian people just elected the Prime Minister. It was a referendum on which party and which leader is best to handle the nuance and the diffi…
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Mr. Speaker, the 8% increase in government spending is due to the measures proposed in the motion that we studied and that the hon. member voted in favour of. This motion includes a tax cut, a GST rebate for first-time homebuyers and spending related to the removal of the carbon tax. We will be tabling a budget in the fall, and it will show the effectiveness of government spending.
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Mr. Speaker, I understand I have about 16 minutes left in my remarks, which is a great opportunity to be able to litigate the opposition day motion that has been put before this House. A lot of Conservative members have stayed around, and I look forward to engaging with them in my round of questions. It is always fun to barb back and forth and to engage in this House. I think this is important. Ev…
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Mr. Speaker, of course they are going to heckle from the other side, but they are playing into a dangerous game. They should say that they take notice and are upset about the way the procurement process happened and that they want the government to take more action, but to suggest in any way that the elected officials of this government were involved in this is an absolute problem.
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