44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 8, 2022 10:00AM
- Feb/8/22 4:30:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important motion. Before I get into the details of the motion, which is about whether we amend the Constitution to remove the tax exemption of the Canadian Pacific Railway that is contained in the Saskatchewan Act, I want to speak about the importance of railway in Canada and the role it has played in developing Canada and helping our business community and the economy.
Canada's history is somewhat tied to the railway because, when the Constitution was written and passed in 1867, part of that plan was to open up construction in the four major provinces at the time. It was going to be the new Confederation, the new Canada, which was Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec. I am so proud to be from Nova Scotia. I want to thank the legislature and the people at the time, because I know back then it was a very tough fight to join Nova Scotia with the other three provinces, but we did succeed. It was well worth it and we need to continue to support each other.
Part of the Constitution was the construction of the railway to expand or develop western Canada. What is really remarkable is that the engineers at the time were able to put that together. Not so long ago, I was watching a movie on the History channel that was talking about engineers and the role engineers played.
I apologize. I got so excited that I forgot to say I want to share my time with my colleague from Pickering—Uxbridge, who will follow my speech today. When the Speaker started bringing up some information from the Senate, it took some time out.
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- Feb/8/22 4:33:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the railway not only helped to build the country, it also played a major role with our businesses, communities, transportation and growth. It is hard to believe it, but there are 43,000 kilometres of rail across this great country. Just thinking about, it is unbelievable. Of course, the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, the CN and CP, have ownership of most of that ground, along with the responsibility. Last year alone, the rail industry shipped 324 million tonnes of goods right across the country and internationally, in connection with others.
Not only does the railway play a role on developing communities but also, as I said, in moving our natural resources, which is so important for the forestry, mining, chemical and petroleum sectors. There is also the farming sector and, of course, the automotive sector. We have auto transport right in my riding. It plays a very big role in the shipping and moving of automobiles right across the country. That plays a very important role in what we call supply management in that industry.
I remember when I was a kid with my dad. He was very upset because they were closing one of the train stops from Sydney to Halifax. It was not far from a small island of 3,500 people, 14 kilometres by 11 kilometres. He was a businessman, and this was going to be an interruption. It would also have additional costs for travel, etc. I remember that from way back when I was a kid, and the rail lines still play an important role today. I think we should keep that in mind.
Now, CP and CN did and continue to invest in the infrastructure of industry and services, but so did our government. Our government continues to do so through various investments, such as the national trade corridor fund to help reduce the bottlenecks that are created in certain areas. That is where investment is most focused because it allows for more efficiency.
Also, our government plays a role in legislation and the regulations around it. As an example, that is why we brought forward the Transportation Modernization Act in 2018, delivering a range of measures and various supports for transportation with strategies for their plan until 2030. It is a lower emission mode of transportation. It allows us to fight climate change as well. We have seen a move from coal to wood to steam to electric to diesel, etc.
Not only did the railway help to build the country, but Canadians helped build the railway and helped build the country as well, not just physically but through significant cash funds, land grants and, of course, exemptions, such as the one we are talking about today. That is why I feel so good about giving my thanks to Canadians who contributed in various ways to that.
Today we are discussing the passing of the constitutional amendments that would put an end to the exemption from CP. This is not the first time that we are talking about exemptions. Let us keep that in mind that, back in 1966, during the modernization of transportation, the Government of Canada and CP came to an agreement for that exemption would be removed. However, it was never formally done through the real avenue of amendments to the Constitution of Canada. That is what brings us today to this point.
CP has been a very profitable company. In 2019, for example, it had revenues of $5.8 billion, so do they really need a tax break? Is that fair to its competition? Is it a fair playing field? Those are important questions that we could ask ourselves.
Is it also fair to the people of Saskatchewan? Of course there are those who may not gain for having to pay more to make up for the loss of revenue. We understand that as a government, and we understand that this discussion is very important for Canadians as well.
Prompted by the court case and the unanimous motion in the legislature in Saskatchewan, the province is seeking to formally and finally remove the exemption from the Constitution of Canada, and we are revisiting that question today. I cannot predict the future or the end game of this debate, but any debate and sharing of various strategies to move forward is always very positive.
I know our government will work with parliamentarians to do the right thing, as our railway transportation system is a very important piece of our success and growth in Canada.
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- Feb/8/22 4:40:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I believe the member has been here two years now and has had the opportunity to see the strong climate plan we promised Canadians. We were quoted as having the best one in the country of all the parties, including the Green Party and the NDP, so we are staying focused on delivering for Canadians. In areas where Canadians are paying a price on pollution, there is a rebate that allows them to gain through that return of revenue. Our plan has been solid, but we are always open to working with all provinces and all members of Parliament.
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- Feb/8/22 4:41:16 p.m.
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There is no doubt that $5.8 billion is a huge amount of money in that sector.
With respect to the exemptions, the situation was not the same at the time because we needed to develop this means of transportation and to have companies that would invest. Since then, the situation on the ground has changed dramatically and we therefore need to make the changes required to ensure that the people living there and Canadians benefit more.
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- Feb/8/22 4:43:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what this bill would do and why members of Parliament from all parties in the House today give their support to having those discussions and improving the taxation and revenues for all Canadians, including of course for Saskatchewan.
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- Feb/8/22 4:43:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the good thing about federation is that we work closely with all provinces and territories to find ways of moving our products. There are various ways of doing that and lots of efficient ways to do it. There are a lot of ways to do that while respecting climate change, so the answer to the member's question is yes.
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