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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect and affection for my colleague, but I am sure that not even he believes what he is saying. The reality is that our government was able to create more than 80,000 jobs in the past six months. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy, which is 11 times bigger than ours, lost 6,000 jobs over the same time period. According to the Bank of Canada, inflation is under control. Sal…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is making a very serious allegation when he says that the government is no good at math. Sure, if he challenged the Prime Minister to a singing contest, then he might win, but if he challenged the Prime Minister to a math contest, then I am certain the Prime Minister would come out the winner.
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Mr. Speaker, there is something I can certainly explain to my colleague, whose friendship I rather enjoy, and that is the fact that the tariffs that are currently in place against the manufacturing sector are affecting our industrial base. This certainly has an impact on investment. In the meantime, the government has not just been sitting around twiddling its thumbs. What have we done? We have be…
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Mr. Speaker, I am listening to my colleague. I have a lot of respect for him and we work on a number of issues together, yet I fail to understand why he refuses to acknowledge that, as a result of this government's decisions that prioritize Canadian procurement, suddenly new jobs are being created in his riding in La Pocatière at Alstom. Why does he not ask us about that? I am sure that the people…
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk about facts. The proposal by the Conservatives is too little, too late. Why? They did not even consult workers when doing it. They have no measures for workers in their auto proposals, and actually, Unifor, which represents workers, is against it. Our auto proposal is actually supported by the Conservative Premier of Ontario. Premier—
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague referred to several cases related to sectors in Beauce that have been affected by U.S. tariffs. Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions will work with the member. That said, I would like him and his caucus to do more to condemn the U.S. tariffs, because the silence on that side speaks volumes.
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Mr. Speaker, everyone is in favour of our auto strategy: the Conservative Premier of Ontario, Premier Ford, industry, unions, consumers, everyone, so why do they not get with the program and get on our side?
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Mr. Speaker, I will also have the opportunity to meet the same people my colleague will be meeting later today. I had the opportunity to work with him last week. Why? It is because we want to help workers in the aluminum industry. We know they are being hit with unjustified tariffs from the Trump administration. We are here to protect them. We are also in talks with several businesses in the regio…
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Mr. Speaker, whatever that was, what the Conservatives forgot when thinking of our auto industry is actually 200,000 workers. Why? It is because they forgot about auto parts. Canada has been leading when it comes to auto parts. We have the three biggest companies in the world: Linamar, Martinrea and Magna. They forgot to protect the GM engine and transmission workers in Cambridge. They forgot the …
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Mr. Speaker, our government's plan is working. Our plan is to maintain control over immigration, with the knowledge that Canadians trust us to do so. We were able to reduce immigration levels. For the first time in nearly 50 years, we have managed to slow population growth in Canada. We will also ensure that we reach an understanding with the Government of Quebec. In fact, the lieutenant reached a…
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Mr. Speaker, the government has gone on every production line in the auto sector, and we have the support of workers. I know the Brampton facility is really important to my colleague, but what did the head of Unifor Canada, Lana Payne, say? She said the Conservatives' auto proposal is putting the Stellantis Brampton plant in jeopardy and also GM Ingersoll's future in jeopardy. Why are they against…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for Oshawa auto workers and my colleagues, but the reality is that she should talk to her colleague from Bowmanville—Oshawa North, who went to Washington and talked down Canadians, saying that we were having a “hissy fit” regarding the trade war and not defending the auto workers or the investment that this government is making in them. We have an auto plan. It…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct something my colleague said. It is not true that Algoma Steel is shutting down. That would be an insult to all the employees, the more than 2,000 employees who are still working at Algoma in Sault Ste. Marie. The member should do his homework. One thing is clear. We are going to bring jobs back to Algoma Steel. What I want to say to all Canadians watching us ri…
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Mr. Speaker, what they have is not even a plan. It is an auto pitch, because the reality is that they did not even consult Unifor, the very workers affected by the plant closures. Unifor has said that their ideas will permanently threaten the future of Brampton and Ingersoll plants, which does not make sense. There is good news in the auto sector. The investment by Toyota and the production at Toy…
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, it is a tough day for many families in Sault Ste. Marie and many workers at Algoma, but we will bring back these jobs. We are working on the plan to make sure that the workers get their jobs back. I have been to Sault Ste. Marie twice. I have met with the Algoma Steel CEO. I am meeting with him again. They have two interesting projects. The first one is on the defence front…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of time and respect for my colleague, but when he says we cannot blame anything happening in the world for what is happening at Algoma, I think he does not understand the 50% tariffs by Washington against Algoma workers, because that is the reality. We have been in solution mode. We have said that for the 1,000 workers at Algoma, we will be there to support them and help …
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Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that our thoughts are with the workers at Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie. I had the opportunity to meet with the workers and their union, as well as with Algoma Steel management. We are in problem-solving mode because we know that, contrary to what the Conservatives are saying, these job losses are due to the tariff war. Nevertheless, we are helping Algoma Ste…
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Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of things in there that do not make sense. First and foremost, every time we invest in the auto sector, the Conservatives talk about it and put it down. What I mean by that is that we have a new auto plan and they are too late. What I mean by that is that they think that we should basically wait for Washington to change its mind or go back to the 1960s with the auto pa…
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Mr. Speaker, of course, if the Conservatives knew a lot about the auto strategy, they would know that we are already supporting the Canadian-made auto sector and Canadian-made vehicles. That will be for the Dodge Charger and the Pacifica. We are convinced that there will be more because we will have more investment in the sector. The Conservatives have all been asking the same question. I guess th…
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Mr. Speaker, I know my colleague is fighting hard to change the narrative, but the auto strategy has already been out for a week and everybody is in favour of it, including, of course, Unifor workers who are working at GM in St. Catharines and Premier Ford, who we all know is a very strong Conservative, as well as the industry, auto parts workers, everyone. Why is that? It is because, fundamentall…
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Mr. Speaker, finally my colleague met with the Unifor workers. It took him months to do that. We have been in contact with Unifor since the get-go, even before U.S. tariffs were imposed. We have been in contact with them to make sure that we would be working together, as one team Canada, because it took months for the Conservatives to denounce the U.S. tariffs for our auto workers. We are there wi…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like, first and foremost, to extend my heartfelt prayers to the victims and families in Tumbler Ridge. I know the government is there to support those affected. I would like to remind my colleague that the money that is going to be supporting EV incentives is actually for Canadians at a time when we need to make sure that affordability is at the core of everything we do as a g…
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Mr. Speaker, what the Conservatives need to understand right now is that the industry needs predictability and clarity. At a time when there is a revision of the USMCA, we were able to provide that. By providing that, we are now having conversations with German automakers, Korean automakers and Chinese automakers that want to invest in Canada and create good jobs. Why are the Conservatives fundame…
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Mr. Speaker, of course we believe in affordability. We believe that Canadians can have access to EV incentives, such as up to $5,000 for a car that is up to $50,000, as well as those for Canadian EVs, because obviously, we believe that the future of the industry is electrification. Recently, there were more EV sales in Europe than those of gas combustion cars. At the same time, we know that in the…
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Mr. Speaker, what is a good idea is our auto strategy, which has been welcomed by the industry, unions and industry workers who want to make sure that they have a job today, tomorrow and 10 years from now. The global auto industry is moving toward electrification. When modernization occurs, we need to be there. That is why we will support electrification. Why are the Conservatives ideologically ag…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of time for my colleague and a lot of respect for her, but she knows that our auto industry is obviously facing important challenges. It took months for the Conservatives to denounce the U.S. tariffs on autos. We know that the entire sector is integrated within North America with Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Now, when she is talking about EVs made in the U.S., she has to …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Mont-Saint-Bruno—L'Acadie for his excellent work. He plays a very active role in our auto caucus. He asked me a question about our auto strategy. It is an excellent strategy focused on two objectives. The first is domestic production. The second is electrification, because we believe that this is where the industry is headed. We do not want to s…
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Mr. Speaker, we believe in affordability and we believe in electrification. We just do not understand why the Conservatives are so against electrification at a time when, in five years, 40% of all the cars sold worldwide will be EVs. We will not hold back our auto workers. We will invest in the future of the sector. We will make sure that we leapfrog what is going on in the United States, and we w…
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Mr. Speaker, we all know that auto workers are building the best cars in the world for the world, but we all know that the auto sector is completely integrated within North America. Is my colleague saying right now to call for a boycott against American EVs, which are made with Canadian parts by Canadian auto workers? Is that what she is suggesting?
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Mr. Speaker, after being in a tariff war for almost a year, it is surprising to finally hear the Conservatives denounce the tariffs imposed on the Canadian automotive sector. In the meantime, we have presented a plan, a plan supported by the entire industry, by the unions, by the Premier of Ontario, where the industry is really established, as well as by environmentalists. We agree that we need to…
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Mr. Speaker, we are already helping the automotive sector with $3 billion, and we will continue on that path. We will support the 500,000 people who work in the auto sector in Ontario, but also in the battery industry in Quebec. We agree that we need to invest more in the electrification of transportation because it also supports jobs in our beautiful province. My colleague also needs to understan…
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Mr. Speaker, we are here for Canadians, and we are here for the long term. The program is planned for a five-year period, which will help support families throughout this time of rising grocery prices. We are also here for Canadians through other programs such as the Canada child benefit and the national school food program. The good news is that the federal government and the Quebec government ha…
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Mr. Speaker, indeed, I have good news. Last week we announced our auto strategy based on two objectives. The first is making sure we support auto production here in Canada and support those who invest in us, basically the companies that produce cars in Canada. The second is making sure that we embrace where the industry is, which is electrification, and where it is going. Apart from the Conservati…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct my colleague. There is not only one EV made in Canada; there is the Dodge Charger, of course, but there is also the Pacifica, and more to come. We have two battery plants. One is an LG battery plant in Windsor, which the Conservatives are against, and we still do not understand why. There is one being built as we speak, by Volkswagen, which is good news; there …
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Mr. Speaker, do members know what we do on this side of the aisle? We look people in the eye and say we will defend their jobs, and that is exactly what this auto strategy is about. It is about supporting auto production in Canada. We are making sure that we are talking to Koreans, to Germans and to Chinese to create good jobs in this country. We will not just let our industry go bit by bit to the…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of time and respect for my colleague, but I must say I do not understand why no Conservatives will ever say that they oppose the U.S. tariffs on auto workers. I do not understand why they have not been vocal in defending the jobs in Brampton, and in Ingersoll at GM, saying that the U.S. tariffs on auto workers are unjustified and unjustifiable. Meanwhile, we will make sur…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's increasing his rhetoric does not actually make him right. What is right is that we have met the tariffs by the U.S. administration against our auto workers with countertariffs. Every time production reduced in Canada, what did we do? We made sure that we limited market access. We limited it to Stellantis by 50% and also to GM by 24.2%. We will invest in the companies th…
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Mr. Speaker, grocery prices are indeed rising; we know that, which is why we are in problem-solving mode. We have proposed a solution to Parliament—a clear solution that is also supported by the Conservative side—which aims to give $1,200 back to a family of four and $900 back to a single person. We are here to help Canadians in these times of food inflation.
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Mr. Speaker, we have good news today. In fact, the Conservatives are going to vote in favour of our plan to help ordinary people pay for their groceries. It is an important plan. It means that the most vulnerable families across the country are going to receive $1,800 each. We want to thank the Conservatives for finally seeing the light and realizing that our plan works.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague, but she is not referring to all the important data. The data shows there has been an increase in wages year over year of 3.4%, while inflation was at 2.4%. Basically, wages are increasing more than inflation. At the same time, in December, the Bank of Canada maintained its interest rate at 2.25%, and the governor mentioned that the economy was…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows full well that we have a plan and it is called the budget 2025 implementation act, no. 1. We have been seeing obstruction from the opposition, the Conservatives, for far too long. Unfortunately, in these tough times, where the geopolitical situation is very intense and families across the country are struggling to make ends meet, Canadians expect us to be able to wo…
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Mr. Speaker, since September we have created 189,000 jobs. This is great news for Canada. That is more jobs created in Canada than in the U.S. We have the second-fastest-growing economy. Let me give examples: Alstom, with 240 new jobs in Thunder Bay, 150 new jobs at Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville and 100 new jobs in La Pocatière; 330 new jobs at Bombardier; 300 new jobs at Vale-Glencore in Sudbury; at…
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Mr. Speaker, what is clear from the government is that, notwithstanding the U.S. tariffs, after 10 years, we were able to create 3,000 new jobs at the Windsor NextStar battery plant, which the Conservatives are against. Why are are they against 3,000 jobs in Windsor? We were also able to create 4,000 jobs in St. Thomas in a Conservative riding. Why are they against it? Why are we not all working t…
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Mr. Speaker, who will get Oshawa's auto workers' jobs back? My colleague is misleading the House, because what she is missing in the Trillium report she is referring to is that in 2016, Japanese automakers were responsible for 44% of auto production in Canada. At this point, it is now 77%. We will invest in those who invest in us, and we will support those who are making sure our auto workers are …
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Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague and, quite frankly, we are already doing many of the things he suggested, including cutting red tape. I find it fascinating that the Conservatives never, ever criticize any of the messaging that comes out of the White House. They will never say the tariffs are unjustifiable and unjustified. They will never say there is a trade war. They will never say the vi…
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Mr. Speaker, clearly the people who work in the lumber and forestry sector are affected by the tariff war. That is why we have introduced several important measures. My colleague, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, is working on a plan. In the meantime, we have measures through the Business Development Bank of Canada, or BDC, and through Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. I…
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Mr. Speaker, of course, our hearts and minds are with the auto workers, and we are there for them. Again, this morning, I was on the phone with Premier Ford and with Vic Fedeli, working on new opportunities to bring even more auto making to the country. That being said, what we never hear from the Conservatives is the fact that these auto workers are victims of the unjustifiable U.S. tariffs. Why …
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Mr. Speaker, across the country we have great news. There are new jobs in Thunder Bay at Alstom. There are new jobs in La Pocatière in Quebec. There are new jobs in St. Thomas with Volkswagen. There are new jobs at Vale and Glencore in Sudbury. There are new jobs at Bombardier in Montreal. There are new jobs at Hitachi in Varennes. There are new jobs at K+S Potash in Bethune, Saskatchewan. Also, t…
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Mr. Speaker, we are already cutting bureaucracy and taxes. We did so for 22 million Canadians a while ago. In fact, this was a bill that should have gotten more support from our colleagues. Not only are we the second economy in the G7 in terms of growth, but more jobs are being created in Canada than the United States. Since 2025, 189,000 jobs have been created.
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Mr. Speaker, I have been to Oshawa. I have met with the workers. I know how much they are frustrated and anxious. That is why we are standing side by side with them. That is why, also, I have been in contact with Unifor, their union. I have been in contact with GM itself. That is also why we are getting our money back from GM. That is also why we have restricted GM's access to the Canadian market.…
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