44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 3, 2023 10:00AM
- Feb/3/23 12:03:55 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, in a vast country such as ours, efficient air travel to all regions is essential, but after eight years of the Liberal government, mid-size airports like Regina's are bearing the brunt of airline cutbacks and lack of competition, leaving people in those regions feeling like second-class citizens.
Will the government help Canadians who use mid-size airports, or will the government continue to leave them stranded?
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- Feb/3/23 12:04:25 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, our government will continue to strengthen everything that Canadians require to have a smooth experience in travel. We continue to dialogue with our airports. The minister's office and the minister himself continue to meet with them and have that conversation.
We will always be there to listen to concerns and needs. We will deliver for all Canadians across the country.
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- Feb/3/23 12:04:54 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, now, more than ever, Canadians rely on access to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet. It keeps us connected with loved ones, but also allows us to learn online while improving access to essential services and creating opportunities for our businesses to grow.
Can the Minister of Rural Economic Development update this House on the progress our government is making on achieving our goal of connecting 98% of Canadians by 2026 and 100% of Canadians by 2030?
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- Feb/3/23 12:05:30 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Whitby for his strong, unwavering advocacy for rural issues.
We know that investments toward high-speed Internet are transformational for improving the lives of rural Canadians, whether they are working from home, accessing health care and education or, frankly, keeping in tough. Today, 93.5% of Canadians have access to high-speed affordable Internet. In 2014, just 79% of Canadians had access. As my colleague said, we are well under way to meeting our commitment of having everybody connected by 2030. When rural Canada succeeds, all of Canada succeeds.
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- Feb/3/23 12:06:12 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, deep seabed mining threatens ocean ecosystems. Rather than taking a stand on deep seabed mining like France, Germany, Spain and others, the Liberals prefer to support Canadian mining companies such as The Metals Company, creating industrial-scale mining sites on the deep seabed. Meanwhile, the lives and livelihoods of indigenous and coastal communities around the world that rely upon the health of the oceans may be threatened.
Will the government stand up today for the safety and protection of our oceans and demand a moratorium on international deep seabed mining?
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- Feb/3/23 12:06:49 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, Canada's position is that the seabed and the marine environment require effective protection through rigorous regulatory structures, applying a precautionary ecosystem-based approach, using science-based and transparent management and ensuring effective compliance.
As the situation evolves, our government will continue to work with scientists and will work with international partners. We all want to do what is right for Canada.
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- Feb/3/23 12:07:21 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the pandemic has been devastating for artists and the organizations that support them. Ticket sales for live orchestras, like the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, are still an unsustainable 33% lower than before the pandemic. The government ended pandemic relief funds for arts organizations, but they still need our help.
After months of advocacy, the minister said he would monitor the situation and that is not good enough. Can the KW Symphony count on the government's support in budget 2023?
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- Feb/3/23 12:07:59 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, we know that the performing arts were the first impacted by the pandemic and will be the last to recover. We are aware of the situation the hon. member has brought attention to, and I know he has met with the Minister of Canadian Heritage on the file. We will work with this organization to find a solution to the issues it has raised.
The government has been there for our culture sector since 2015 after cuts from the previous Conservative government. We have been there from the start of the pandemic. We are there for our arts and culture sector.
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- Feb/3/23 12:09:32 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, today I am pleased to rise and present petition e-4122, which has received a whopping 20,000-plus signatures from Canadians. That is a significant number of signatures.
The petition refers to the government's dog rescue importation ban. It asks the government to work with affected dog rescues and animal rights advocates to ensure that government policy on dog importation keeps Canadians safe without increasing the number of animals in shelters or on streets globally, and to have some compassion and allow dogs into this country that could be reunited with very generous Canadians.
I present this petition on behalf of those 20,000-plus people.
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- Feb/3/23 12:10:22 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise to present a petition from concerned Canadians who note that the Russian Federation's illegal invasion of Ukraine has heightened concerns around the world about the threat of nuclear war for the first time in a very long time.
The petitioners point out that we have made many efforts over the years in nuclear non-proliferation and that particularly recently, we had a historic treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons that entered into force in January 2021. The petitioners also note the Government of Canada is not participating in the treaty and has even failed to show up as an observer to the negotiations and the first meeting of the parties.
These citizens and residents of Canada call on the Government of Canada to show a leadership role and look at our historic role in that regard. They call on Canada to join our allies, such as Germany and Norway, in at least participating as observers to the ongoing work of the treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons.
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- Feb/3/23 12:11:42 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am tabling a petition today on behalf of residents in my community of Kelowna—Lake Country. Due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, they are asking for a number of actions. They are calling on the government to, first, extend open work permit time limits set through the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel measures; second, extend working visa and student visa time limits through the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel measures; and last, offer a simplified path to permanent residency for Ukrainians who wish to stay in Canada.
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Madam Speaker, I am tabling a petition on behalf of residents from Kelowna—Lake Country and the surrounding area in relation to the government bill, Bill C-21, on firearms. It is quite lengthy, but I will go right to the asks of the government. They are asking for the government to, first, stop targeting law-abiding hunters, sport shooters and farmers with gun legislation; second, immediately withdraw the amendments tabled on November 22, 2022, at the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security; and last, withdraw the existing bill, Bill C-21, and restart consultations with the firearms community, firearms owners and public safety experts.
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- Feb/3/23 12:13:35 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, if a revised response to Question No. 1113, originally tabled on January 30, could be made an order for return, this return would be tabled immediately.
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- Feb/3/23 12:13:55 p.m.
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Is that agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
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- Feb/3/23 12:13:55 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand at this time, please.
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- Feb/3/23 12:13:55 p.m.
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Question No. 1113—
Questioner: Dan Albas
With regard to contracts that were cancelled by the government since January 1, 2019, broken down by department, agency, Crown corporation or other government entity: (a) how many contracts have been cancelled; (b) what is the total amount paid out in cancellation fees or penalties; and (c) what are the details of all such cancellations, including, for each, the (i) date the contract was signed, (ii) date the contract was cancelled, (iii) vendor, (iv) value, (v) description of goods or services, (vi) reason for the cancellation, (vii) cancellation fee or other similar type of cost to the government?
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- Feb/3/23 12:13:55 p.m.
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Is that agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from South Shore—St. Margarets for his speech and for the work that he does on the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. His colleague from Calgary Nose Hill got us thinking about the Investment Canada Act two years ago. My colleague from Windsor West remembers it well.
One of the recommendations that was made, which was mainly ignored by the government, sought for more transparency from the minister when making decisions under the Investment Canada Act.
I would like him to tell us whether such transparency is necessary when it comes to this act. What are the conditions being imposed on businesses in terms of investments in particular?
I remember when Rona was sold to Lowe's. The minister never disclosed the conditions. Today, Lowe's is no longer around and we have not seen any investments. The government did not do anything to protect our head offices.
What can be done to protect our head offices other than hoping for more transparency from the minister about what he is doing? Is the member in favour of more transparency?
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his work over the years on the industry committee and that particular report. It is a very good report. I would encourage all members to read it. I support all of the recommendations in that report.
I think we can work together when Bill C-34 comes to the industry committee, to work on that transparency. Reasons why an acquisition is reviewed and reasons for accepting or rejecting it by the cabinet, the Governor in Council and the minister are things that should be published with the decision each time. That way, Canadians would be able to fully understand the rationale behind what sometimes look like very odd things, such as when we lose very important Canadian-headquartered businesses to other jurisdictions, particularly when they are, in the case of some acquisitions, countries not as aligned with our goals as we would like.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to follow up with my colleague from Abitibi—Témiscamingue, who did a really good job on the report at committee. I want to congratulate the member here. He has come onto the industry committee just recently and has done a great job. I am really pleased he has actually researched the report. I wish that the government had done that as well.
I really appreciate the fact that we are actually going to bring some of these recommendations forward.
The takeover of Rona, and now Lowe's having some questionable ownership in the United States, brings an important example. I just want to reflect further on that, because when we think about national security, it is also about competition and about product availability.
With the closures of stores, especially with regard to pricing and other things, from wood and lumber to other things we require, we need to look through a different lens about what this means for Canada, because now we have lost an iconic entity.
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