SoVote

Mar/3/22 12:45:31 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, what is absolutely worse is that member's climate crusade without taking into account today's motion or the fact that energy policy is often used as a foreign policy tool. That member should be ashamed of his comment in terms of this motion. We have stood here and said to the government that we agree and we have asked for more. The fact that the member opposite is using this conversation to paint us as something other than supportive of Ukraine is absolutely shameful.

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Mr. Arif Virani (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Mar/3/22 12:46:22 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Winnipeg North. Slava Ukraini. Heroyam slava. Those words mean “glory to Ukraine” and “glory to the heroes.” I start with these words, because never have they been more appropriate. A valiant, courageous stand has been taken by Ukrainian leaders, soldiers and everyday Ukrainian citizens in defending their country. They are refusing to leave and refusing to capitulate to the unlawful, illegal aggressor Vladimir Putin. We have seen babas, grandmothers, taking up arms, we have seen young men and women doing night patrols in cities around Ukraine, and we have seen average residents learning to make Molotov cocktails, all in defiance of an enemy army that wants to take control over Ukraine's territory and Ukraine's ability to govern itself. That is the scene unfolding in Ukraine day after day. It is a scene that has captured the spirit of democracies and democracy lovers around the planet. Nowhere was this sentiment more defiantly represented than when President Zelensky, when offered the chance of an evacuation by American military personnel, said quite famously, “I need ammunition, not a ride”. This is the defiance of a leader who is prepared to stand and fight rather than flee. I represent thousands of Ukrainian Canadians in this Parliament as the representative of Parkdale—High Park. In better times, we celebrate Ukrainian heritage at things such as the Bloor West Village Toronto Ukrainian Festival, which takes place every September in my community. Now, my communications with those constituents are very different. They are imploring me to call out Russia and to advocate. Let me be clear. Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. Russia unlawfully and illegally invaded the Donbass in 2014, and it is Russia again, entirely unprovoked, that has commenced this horrific, deadly and illegal war of aggression in a further invasion of Ukraine in the hopes of restoring some lost sense of empire for Vladimir Putin. With respect to the motion before us, I stand unequivocally to condemn Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation for this further illegal invasion of Ukraine. I unequivocally stand with my constituents, and I believe with all Canadians, in solidarity with Ukraine, with Ukrainian Canadians and with Ukrainians who want to live freely, peacefully and with the ability to make decisions about their nation alone and free from outside influence and interference. This is, in fact, the promise of the UN charter crafted in 1945 that has been broken in these past eight days by Vladimir Putin. For weeks, I and my colleagues have been advocating for a strong response from Canada to this military buildup and, seven days ago, this second unlawful invasion of Ukraine. Those pleas have been responded to. In these past weeks, Canada has been unequivocal in its denunciation of the invasion of the Donbass and its rejection of the annexation of Crimea. We have been very clear that Russia's second invasion, which commenced a week ago, is illegal, unlawful and must end immediately. We have trained over 33,000 Ukrainian soldiers through Operation Unifier, which I personally was able to observe at their Independence Day on the Maidan in Kyiv in 2018. We have provided the Ukrainian military with defensive equipment worth as much as $35 million and lethal weaponry worth $7.8 million, which was announced over a week ago. On February 28, 100 anti-armour weapon systems and 2,000 rockets were being delivered. Just today, the Minister of National Defence announced a further supply of lethal weaponry: 4,500 M72 rocket launchers and 7,500 hand grenades. We have expanded Operation Reassurance and have put 3,400 Canadian soldiers on standby for mobilization in the NATO response force. We are also providing cybersecurity support to Ukraine's military. We are suffocating the Russian economy in concert with our allies. We have imposed massive sanctions: 440 of them on individuals and entities including Putin himself, his security council and the oligarchs who surround him. This is extended to Belarusian leaders who are facilitating this illegal invasion. We have removed several Russian banks from SWIFT, putting them back in the dark ages of financial transactions. We are, at the same time, working to boost the Ukrainian economy with $620 million in sovereign loans and humanitarian aid that now totals $150 million. In conjunction with this, we have provided a matching donation program that has been very well received by the Ukrainian Canadians I represent and those around the country. It is matching up to $10 million in donations that Canadians are offering themselves. We are assisting those fleeing Ukraine. We have processed 4,000 applications thus far. What I would say on this point, and this is fundamental, is that all those who are fleeing Ukraine for their own lives and safety must be treated equally. I am very troubled by reports of racism and discrimination against Africans and Indians attempting to flee western Ukraine for Poland. I applaud foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, who announced just yesterday the establishment of an emergency hotline for African, Asian and other students who wish to leave Ukraine. I applaud him for this humanitarian decision that helps ensure international students, regardless of the colour of their skin, do not become the victims of Putin's war. Just today, as has come up in this debate, we have announced a new immigration stream with Ukraine to eliminate most of the visa requirements, making travel fast and effective, and to provide things such as single-journey travel documents for those who left at such a pace that they did not even have proper documentation. We are assisting those who are in Canada to stay in Canada. They can work in Canada and remain here. We have prohibited flights in our airspace. We have banned the importation of Russian crude oil. Bell and Rogers have removed Russia Today. These are important steps. What I also want to add to this debate is the injection of international humanitarian law. I was very pleased to see the head prosecutor of the ICC, Mr. Karim Khan, indicate that he has opened an investigation into the situation in Ukraine to determine if war crimes, crimes against humanity or both are occurring. We have seen reports of cluster bombs and vacuum bombs that are very troubling. There are reports of civilians being targeted, and of civilian infrastructure being targeted, such as hospitals. On their face, these would seen to trigger article 8.2, subsection b of the Rome Statute that created the ICC, which says that targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure can be considered a war crime under international law. This is why the chief prosecutor stated in his announcement, “I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine”. Having prosecuted, prior to politics, the Rwandan genocide on behalf of the United Nations, I know that this is critical. It is critical to bring the perpetrators to justice, but it is also critical that we understand that the evidentiary burden is high and it is vital to gather evidence now: not in the weeks, months or years following this conflict. It is critical to amass that evidence to marshal a prosecution. I applaud the ICC prosecutor for taking this step now and not many months from now. My personal commitment is directly to my constituents, to Ukrainian Canadians and to all Canadians who are horrified by what they are witnessing daily in Ukraine. I commit to working to ensure that our government is assisting in that evidence-gathering exercise that is so critical to marshalling a successful prosecution of the commission of potential war crimes or crimes against humanity. I further commit to working with our government to close loopholes so that the removal of Russian banks and the Russian economy from the SWIFT interaction system is comprehensive. We do not need Russians evading the SWIFT system or these sanctions via loopholes. I also commit to advocating for a complete economic embargo of Russia by Canada. This is a necessary step and will further suffocate the Russian economy. Finally, I commit to working to ensure that our military aid is maintained. Today's announcement is the right and proper one, but where Canada does not have the inventory to supply further anti-aircraft or anti-tank weaponry, I commit to working to help procure that on behalf of Ukrainians from other sources, including other nations and the private sector. I am going to return to where I began. Slava Ukraini. Heroyam slava. Glory to Ukraine in its defence against this illegal aggression, and glory to the heroes who have stood by so valiantly to defend their homeland and defend democracy, literally, for all of us.

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Mr. Ted Falk (Provencher, CPC)

Mar/3/22 12:56:02 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank the parliamentary secretary for his speech and for the work he is doing in providing support and assistance to the people of Ukraine. As Conservatives, we have stood in solidarity with the government in providing short-term and immediate help to the people of Ukraine, and I want to acknowledge that. However, I also want to encourage him to look at expediting the movement of people, especially the orphans in Ukraine. We know there are many orphanages in Ukraine, but we want to especially expedite assisting those people and getting them out of the conflict areas, and perhaps expedite their emigrating here to Canada where we know it is safe. Would he not agree that in addition to addressing immediate and short-term needs for the people of Ukraine and for Europe, we should also be looking at long-term solutions? Would he not also agree that creating an avenue for them not to be so resource-dependent on Russia would be a good thing to do?

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Mr. Arif Virani

Mar/3/22 12:57:04 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, first of all, orphans are an unfortunate by-product of violent conflict. Absolutely, we need to be extending a hand to any vulnerable Ukrainians, particularly vulnerable children who are orphaned in this conflict. Vis-à-vis this issue about energy security, it is a pressing issue. There is no doubt about it. We know about Russia's influence on the European continent by virtue of its natural gas resources and the fact that it has created dependency. What I am very keen to do is also embrace where the world is heading, which is toward addressing climate change through greener and more environmentally sustainable solutions. I know much of continental Europe shares that objective, including Germany. At times, when I was in Katowice, Poland at COP24, I met with German officials who explained to me that their concerns for the environment were equal to, if not greater than, those of Canada. We need to work together on this, but in a way that works toward a cleaner future for Germans, for Canadians and for the entire planet.

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Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, BQ)

Mar/3/22 12:58:10 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have a question for the parliamentary secretary. Why does his government refuse to impose immediate, concrete sanctions on the Russian oligarchs who have interests, who have direct or indirect stakes in the development, production and transportation of Canadian oil? Is it for lack of courage?

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Mr. Arif Virani

Mar/3/22 12:58:38 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member for Joliette, and I can assure him that we have already imposed sanctions on over 400 individuals. That is the first thing. Second, our sanctions are aimed at Putin himself, as well as the people, leaders and politicians around him, but they are also aimed at the oligarchs. It is not true to say that we have not targeted the oligarchs. We have done just that. I fully agree that the assets of Russian oligarchs must be targeted here in Canada. We need to do it in a comprehensive way in order to cripple and effectively suffocate the Russian economy.

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Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)

Mar/3/22 12:59:26 p.m.
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. Firstly, I am finding it fascinating how the Conservative agenda is touting the protection of global interests to a transition to non-emitting sources of energy in its motion. While I agree that we all need to address the climate crisis, this is not one of the ways to do it. Secondly, I agree to some extent with the Conservatives that Ukraine is not the only nation facing aggression. Indeed, a charter plane carrying two Russian nationals was grounded in Yellowknife. They were on their way to Resolute, which is a community in my riding. I realize this case is on the fringe of this important issue of Russian aggression. Will the Liberals commit to both a just transition and defending all Canadians, including those in the north who are so often left behind?

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Mr. Arif Virani

Mar/3/22 1:00:27 p.m.
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Qujannamiik. The member raises an important perspective. We have been talking about Arctic sovereignty and the adjacent nature of the Russian threat to Canada. That is specifically vis-à-vis Canada's north and the very community that she represents. With regard to what we are doing with respect to this issue, we are speaking loudly about it. We are taking steps to ensure that the safety and security of Canadians are firm. With respect to the just transition, I would simply point out to the member that we have already entrenched that into policies we are implementing, specifically a just transition for workers in the coal sector, in particular, as we move Canadians off of coal. They were successfully moved off of coal in my province of Ontario, but we are also powering past coal on an international level. Coal is salient here because it is exactly coal that the Germans are now turning to, which is not an appropriate resolution to the current situation or to the Germans' need for energy.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Mar/3/22 1:01:27 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, on February 24 we saw the president of Russia invoke and provoke a war on the people of Ukraine. It was completely unprovoked and unjustified. Moments later, reactions from the world were almost unanimous, including that of the Prime Minister of Canada, in condemning it. There was a sense that people, whether they were those of Ukrainian heritage from around the world, their friends and allies, or people in general, understood that this was wrong. In Canada, there was a great feeling that we needed to come together to recognize just how important it is to speak with one voice in solidarity. I would suggest that a good part of the condemnation of what the Russian president had done to the people of Ukraine was here in Canada, from the people of Canada, particularly from the Prime Minister of Canada. On February 28, the member for Etobicoke Centre, who happens to be the chair of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, sought unanimous consent for a motion which detailed how the House, “Condemns this unjustified and unprovoked attack, which was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as a clear violation of international law, the UN Charter, and the rights of Ukraine to sovereignty, territorial integrity, freedom and democracy” and “Stands unwavering and united in our solidarity with the people of Ukraine.” We have seen other members in the House, myself included, by way of Standing Order 31, talk about the importance of solidarity and how important it is that we let Ukraine know in a very clear fashion that it has a friend in Canada. Members will recall that we had take-note debates, which were supported by members on all sides of the House. We had not one but two. Earlier today, we had a member stand in this place and ask for unanimous consent to recommend to the city of Ottawa that the street the Russian embassy happens to be on should be renamed after the President of Ukraine. I hope to see that happen. Maybe other urban and municipal areas across Canada will take note of recognizing that hero. I do not want to claim to really appreciate the degree of bravery the people of Ukraine have demonstrated to the world by standing up for Ukraine, democracy, freedoms and the many things that come with that. They are stepping up to the plate to the greatest degree. Lives are being lost. I hope we continue on in recognizing those heroes, and that we continue on in a unified front, as much as possible, to support solidarity. I raised this issue earlier today in a form of a question. The Conservative Party knows that the resolution they brought forward is not going to receive unanimous support. There is no way that it will get the unanimous support of the House. I will read what is in the motion itself. It is asking for the House to “(a) condemn President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation for their unprovoked, illegal attack and invasion of Ukraine; [and] (b) stand with Ukraine, the people of Ukraine and Canadians in the Ukrainian community”. It then goes on to—

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)

Mar/3/22 1:07:03 p.m.
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The government whip is rising on a point of order.

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Hon. Steven MacKinnon (chief government whip, Lib.)

Mar/3/22 1:07:12 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it has been brought to my attention that the hon. member for Humber River—Black Creek inadvertently voted yesterday and should not have done so under paragraph (i) of section (q) of the motion adopted by the House on November 25, 2021. I therefore ask that her vote be withdrawn.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)

Mar/3/22 1:07:28 p.m.
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I would like to thank the chief government whip. In accordance with the order of November 25, 2021, and in line with precedents of members inadvertently voting when they should not have, I am informing the House that a corrigendum will be published in today's Journals and that the results of division Nos. 33 and 34 in yesterday's Journals, as well as the other records, will thereafter be corrected by removing the member's votes.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Mar/3/22 1:07:58 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I suspect I will get a bonus two minutes for that. I look at the motion, of which I read parts (a) and (b). There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that every member of the House of Commons would support those two aspects of the motion. It is the (c) clause that is poison pill. If we vote for (a) and (b), then we have to agree to (c). For many members of the House, it is the (c) clause that is causing members to indicate that they are not going to support the motion. That is why I made the suggestion that the Conservative Party is really off base. This is not what I believe most of us, not only in the House of Commons but also most Canadians, would want us to be talking about regarding the issue of Ukraine and having one voice coming from the House of Commons. I do not have to talk about the horrific things many people have done in Ukraine. I thought maybe what I would do is talk about that special relationship that Canada has with Ukraine, because it is a very special relationship. Countries around the world are getting behind Ukraine, but I would argue that not only is Canada behind Ukraine, but that it also has a very special relationship with Ukraine. We have seen the federal government act in a number of ways to support Ukraine in this difficult time, in terms of humanitarian aid, and when I talk about humanitarian aid, it is not just the federal government providing it. We have seen provincial governments contribute. We have seen individual Canadians and residents of Canada contribute, whether through organizations that are well established, such as the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and others, or through the Red Cross, where the federal government, although indicating a limit of $10 million, will match contributions Canadians are making, all in the name of humanitarian aid. We have supplied lethal weapons. We recognize how important it is that the people of Ukraine, those brave men and women, have lethal weapons in order to protect themselves. We have also provided other financial support. We can talk a great deal about sanctions. Those are some of the things we are doing. The Prime Minister, and our ministers responsible for that file, because there are many, are open to all sorts of ideas of how we can continue to support Ukraine. For an understanding of the community, there are 1.3 million people of Ukrainian heritage across Canada, hundreds of thousands of which come from the prairies. Many would argue they were the pioneers, to a certain degree. Obviously, we recognize first nations being there first and foremost, and then there were the waves of immigrants that came. It was Ukrainian immigrants that helped build what we have today in our prairies. One only needs to take a look at Winnipeg North to see the beautiful cathedral and the many businesses of Ukrainian heritage that have operated for decades in the north end of Winnipeg. We go to the Ukraine-Kyiv Pavilion every year or every summer, or the Spirit of Ukraine Pavilion, and we get a sense of the deep-rooted heritage. That is why when things happen in Ukraine, the people in Canada care. It is not just the people of Ukrainian heritage. It is also the friends of the community and, in fact, all Canadians. I believe what they would want of the House of Commons today is for us to be in unison, as one, as we continue, as we have from day one, to criticize Russia and to have the backs of the people of Ukraine.

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Mr. Stephen Ellis (Cumberland—Colchester, CPC)

Mar/3/22 1:13:23 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Winnipeg North for his discourse, partly on Vladimir Putin. That being said, it really baffles my mind that we could go on about supporting the people of Ukraine and really loving them, while in short they are dependent on natural gas from their aggressor. If there is an opportunity in the longer term to change such things, why does the Liberal government want to continue to use short-sighted policies that would not help people in the longer term, understanding the security nature of using things such as energy as a weapon?

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Mar/3/22 1:14:10 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I was trying to articulate why it was important, as opposed to the Conservative Party trying to divide on an issue. The Conservatives know full well there are members in this House who would not support the motion. All the way up to this point when we brought forward motions and ideas, we have seen support coming from all sides of the House. Why has the Conservative Party chosen to bring forward what they know is a divisive motion and incorporate in that motion a love for supporting Ukraine at this time when we all want to support Ukraine? Why put in clause (c) as a poison pill, spoiling what (a) and (b) propose? I believe it is because this is more about Conservative politics. That is sad to see, given the very nature of what is taking place in Europe today.

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Mr. Maxime Blanchette-Joncas (Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, BQ)

Mar/3/22 1:15:18 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, as we know, things move quickly in politics, and that can cause confusion. A former Liberal leader wants to run in the Conservative leadership race. Now, we have learned that, according to the Liberals and the member for Winnipeg North, the Conservative motion is no good because it seeks to build a pipeline to export natural gas to Europe. Can my colleague from Winnipeg North explain to me why it is a bad idea to build a pipeline to export natural gas to Europe, but it is a good idea to build the Trans Mountain pipeline to export oil abroad?

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Mar/3/22 1:15:58 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I made a choice. That is why I did not even say what clause (c) was. At the end of the day, I am not hesitant or reluctant to debate issues, especially when it comes to natural resources. I could talk about responsible governments, whether they are the NDP in the province of British Columbia or the actions we have taken in regard to natural resources. For me, the issue is that we should be talking about Ukraine, remaining one and showing solidarity between Canadians and Ukrainians at a time when we need to be doing that. If the Conservative Party had not put forward clauses (a) and (b), and we were just focusing on natural resources, that would have been wonderful. I would have loved to have that debate. However, they should not try to mix the two in a way that I know there are going to be members of the chamber who would not vote in favour of it. The Conservative Party knows that too.

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Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP)

Mar/3/22 1:17:06 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the unfortunate timing of this debate is that it shows our allies not that some of the members in the Canadian Parliament have attacked them but that we are now potentially divided on this. I would like to ask the member about the oligarchs. Other countries are seizing private property and freezing assets. Canada has been very remiss on this. It goes even deeper, because it shows how we are a pariah internationally, known as a snow-washing state. Perhaps one of the things we could see unified coming out of this is getting at not only uncollected taxes as revenue but also the snow washing that takes place with international money. Could the member comment on that? When will Canada act on the oligarchs as other countries have?

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Mar/3/22 1:17:57 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, one of the things that should be highlighted is that the government, and in particular the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of National Defence and others within the cabinet and members of Parliament, at least from the Liberal caucus, are open to all sorts of ideas. It is really important for us to recognize that we have allies. We need to continue to work and support our allies in supporting the Ukraine. It is about solidarity. In many ways, Canada continues to lead and to ensure that we have that strong role with our allied countries.

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Mr. Larry Maguire (Brandon—Souris, CPC)

Mar/3/22 1:18:44 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Calgary Midnapore today. Before I begin my remarks, I want to thank the MPs in this chamber for coming together this past week as we all stand firmly behind Ukrainians and their valiant defence of their country. I want to thank the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the other organizations that are doing all they can to raise money and to provide support to those in need. I also want to specifically highlight Volodymyr Palagniuk and his wife Iiulia, who have been instrumental in organizing and rallying support here in Ottawa. Volodymyr works for the member for Brantford—Brant, and just this past year he and his wife became Canadian citizens. I am privileged to call him a friend. I know how difficult this past week has been for him as his parents and in-laws are currently in Ukraine. He is not alone. There are countless people whose loved ones are currently under attack and whose lives are at risk. Vladimir Putin's unprovoked war is a clear violation of international law, the UN Charter and the rights of Ukraine to its sovereignty and its territorial integrity. I applaud the Government of Canada's efforts in organizing and supplying everything from military equipment to humanitarian supplies. We are working in concert with our allies around the world that have done the same. That military equipment is helping stop the Russian tanks, the armoured carriers and the helicopters and is giving the Ukrainian army and citizens the ability to defend their own country. Canada and other countries have also implemented sanctions against the Putin regime. They are designed to cripple the money supply and the movement of those closely tied to the president and the Russian military. Canada is restricting exports to Russia by halting new export permit applications and cancelling valid export permits. The government has announced it will ban crude oil, which will also include the import of refined petroleum products, which should include jet fuel and gasoline. Just this Monday at the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, I moved a motion for the Department of Natural Resources to provide us with solid numbers on how much energy, minerals and other products we imported from Russia and Belarus over the last 10 years. We need a full understanding of what Canada imports from these two countries to get a better grasp on the size and scope of the natural resources that have come into our country. As other countries start to take similar steps to ban Russian energy, we must take note of the role Canadian natural gas can have in neutering potential threats. Not only can we support Ukraine in its time of need, but we must also ensure Russia does not have the financial means to terrorize sovereign nations. That takes me to the third clause of our opposition motion, which calls on the government to ensure Canadian natural gas can get to tidewater and displace Russian natural gas in Europe. Russian natural gas is flowing through the veins of Putin's war machine as we stand in the House today. As long as it continues to flow to Europe and the world, he will continue to build bombs, missiles and rockets destined to kill innocent Ukrainians. Let us never forget that. Every year, billions and billions of dollars flow into the Russian government's coffers from natural gas exports. Seventy-two per cent of Russia's natural gas exports go to the European Union. Canada has the capacity to reduce that number to zero. Since elected, I have supported ideas to grow the industry as we have the highest environmental and labour standards anywhere in the world. I have advocated for ways to get western Canada's energy to tidewater on both our coasts, and I have stood up for the sector because Canadian energy workers provide the natural gas that heats our homes. They provide the fuel that keeps our vehicles on the roads. They ensure we have the electricity to keep our economy moving. We must never forget the jobs the energy sector creates and the billions in taxes governments rely on to pay for our schools, health care and social services. The one argument I have never made in support of the industry is for defence and security reasons. On numerous occasions I have stated that Canadian natural gas should be exported to replace harmful and carbon-intensive products such as coal. I have also made the point that Canadian green technology should also be exported to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That could include advances in nuclear technology, carbon capture and other processes our great Canadian innovators have developed. The one thing I have never stated before, until today, is the necessity to get new natural gas pipelines built to permanently displace Russian natural gas in Europe. I am not saying this solely for domestic economic reasons, but to ensure that Europe can never be held hostage to the whims and intimidation tactics of the Putin regime. Displacing Russian natural gas would curb the dollars that have been used to pay for the very weapons currently being used against Ukrainian families and children. No one knows how long this horrible war will prolong. We also do not know how long Putin and his acolytes will remain in power. What we do know is that Europe must permanently make this energy pivot. The question we must ask ourselves is this. Do we wait to see what happens in the months or years ahead or do we take a decision now? I want to lay out my argument for why Parliament should send a clear signal to the government to make this a priority. First and foremost, the Putin regime must be isolated. This is already happening, but we should expedite this process in every way we can. There are always reports of Russian energy companies not being able to sell their products, even at discounted prices. As more countries start to implement similar bans, it will be more difficult for them to find customers. I would argue some of their existing customers, such as those in Europe, are in a very precarious position. Second, it will take time for new natural gas pipelines and projects to be planned, consulted on, approved and built. However, if we prioritize these projects, we can implement an assessment process that upholds best-in-class environmental standards and sets clear expectations and timelines for environmental reviews. We can set clear timelines so investors get a yes or no. We can create high-paying jobs across the provinces and work with indigenous communities to ensure they are partners in prosperity. We must harness the same level of co-operation we have shown in supporting the people of Ukraine. We can work together to severely and permanently impede the Putin regime's potential to wage war. If the government directed the necessary resources and immediately began to work with all levels of government, the private sector and indigenous communities, I believe it can be done. While in this place we may have many disagreements, I know if we work together we can create a plan to free our European allies from their reliance on Russia for their energy needs. If we agree on that end goal, then let us figure out a way to get there. Third, we know other governments are already talking about ramping up their own domestic natural gas production. For example, the Biden administration has been talking with countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia about stepping up natural gas production to Europe. My question for my hon. colleagues is this. Would it not be better to trust our Canadian environmental and labour standards rather than those of other countries filling that void? If we can expand Canadian natural gas exports, all MPs will be intimately involved and have direct oversight. In closing, I would like to appeal to my colleagues to support this motion. It is clear in its intent and I believe we all recognize the importance of freeing the EU from its reliance on Russian natural gas. I also recognize there is much more we can do above and beyond just expanding natural gas exports. I want to have those conversations in the coming days. However, let us seize this moment not only to help Ukraine but to put in motion a plan to deal a financial blow to limit the Putin regime's ability to wage war and threaten other nations.

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