44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 3, 2023 10:00AM
Madam Speaker, my colleague and I work very well together. I am happy to talk about telecoms this morning. I think the member and Canadians watching at home know that the principle I have applied since I became Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry is to make sure that we reduce prices for Canadians. The way to do that in Canada is to have more competition and at the same time to have innovation. We want a fourth national player because we have found that in our market this is the best way to make sure we bring prices down for Canadians.
Going back to Bill C-34, I hope the member supports it, because what the bill is asking for is to get to the modern economy. A colleague like him who understands so much about innovation will understand that a lot of it is about intangible assets. This law would give better tools, not only for me but for future ministers who will have to protect Canada's national security.
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- Feb/3/23 11:57:01 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would love to restart my answer because it gives me a second opportunity to talk about how we have lowered taxes for middle-class Canadians twice. We have lowered taxes for small businesses twice.
When it comes to global inflation, it is, in fact, global. It is too high in Canada, at 6.3%, but it is higher for our economic peers. It is 6.5% in the United States. It is over 9% in Europe. It is over 10% in the OECD. We should be encouraged that inflation is actually coming down in Canada. We have a strong fiscal framework that allows us to invest in affordability, in good, clean jobs and in making sure that we build an economy that works for everyone.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Simcoe North, a rising star in the Conservative Party. I am always interested in seeing his progress.
What is happening with China is worrisome. We know that China controls 80% of the lithium market.
If we want a strong domestic economy, since globalization is basically over, we have to be able to protect our domestic economy and ensure that our companies have the supplies they need, especially chips for building electric vehicles. We have to put ourselves and Quebec first.
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Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Windsor West for a speech full of good examples of things that have happened in the past. I would also reflect on the fact that, by a hair's breadth, we nearly lost Aecon Construction to the People's Republic of China. Again, that would never have had a security review if we had not started mentioning it in this place. This is progress.
I want to reflect and ask the hon. member for Windsor West if we do not want to also have a lens on. I know this is still in the philosophical framework of Bill C-34. It is still in the frame that we are better off when everything is traded all around the world and we have a massive globalized economy. Clearly, we are always going to have a globalized economy. However, in the wake of COVID, would it not be better to have many supply chains within Canada, to rebuild Canada's manufacturing capacity, to have the jobs here at home and to have food grown at home for Canadians?
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Madam Speaker, a couple of things come to mind right away, which also relate to the previous question and the so-called free-market economy. I do not know where this exists. There are a couple of points. First of all, trade always existed. We just created boundaries. My area was settled for 300 years, but prior to that, it was indigenous; in terms of its trading area, trade always happened. There is no doubt that we are always going to be trading. However, countries protect certain industries. When we look at the United States, which is always held up as the model of capitalism, they have the Jones act and the Buy American Act. They have different pieces of legislation related to procurement for the arms industry and the supply and manufacturing industry, all those things that are national and strategic. I want a national policy on manufacturing to be developed. We have done some of those things in the past, but we should at least match our competition in the world and be careful about how we have investments come in. We should also be careful about vulnerability with regard to where we invest public money and then have it actually go across a board.
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Madam Speaker, we in the Bloc Québécois are still reeling from the sale of Rona to the American company Lowe's and all the negative consequences that followed.
In my hon. colleague's opinion, if Bill C-34 passes as is, will the interests of our economy be better protected with respect to potential transactions?
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