SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 268 - Dec/14/23

Dec/14/23 1:50:34 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, as I was saying, to understand the significance of the battery plant investment and to understand the importance of the partnership with labour and the importance of the bargaining table, we have to understand the road that my community has travelled these last 10 years. It was a hard road. Eight years ago, when the Conservatives were in power, Windsor had an unemployment rate of 11.2%. Unemployment for young people was in the high twenties. Families were leaving Windsor for Alberta to find work in the oil sands. Under the Conservatives, Canada lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs. Of course, our community was ground zero for that devastation. I remember those days. I remember the shuttered storefronts, the empty downtown, the “for sale” signs everywhere and the not-for-profits and charitable organizations struggling because they could not find volunteers because the donations had dried up. The Leader of the Opposition also remembers because he was the employment minister at the time, or as I like to call him, the minister of unemployment. The battery plant that our Liberal government delivered, together with unions, workers and industry, is the single most important investment in the history of our community, with 2,500 full-time jobs for workers, 2,500 Canadian, local, unionized workers. It is our future. It is our hope. It is powered by strong unions. It is powered by strong workers. It is powered by—

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/14/23 1:53:02 p.m.
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The hon. member for King—Vaughan has a point of order.

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Vaughan
King

Mrs. Anna Roberts

Dec/14/23 1:53:04 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member referred to our leader as “the minister of unemployment”. That is false. There is no such title. What is he talking about?

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/14/23 1:53:12 p.m.
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That is a point of debate. It is an interpretation. I understand what the hon. member is raising, and I want to remind members that it causes disorder in the House. I would ask the hon. member to not use that framing again. It does cause disorder in the House.

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Mr. Irek Kusmierczyk

Dec/14/23 1:53:38 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will rephrase that by saying there are members in my community who refer to the Leader of the Opposition as “the minister of unemployment”. That is what members of my community— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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Unemployment

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/14/23 1:53:51 p.m.
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I understand what the member is saying, but it is causing disorder in the House. This happens on both sides of the House, and I would ask members to please be respectful and judicious when they are speaking about other members. There is a standing order that specifically says we should not be speaking disrespectfully about members in the House. The hon. member for Northumberland—Peterborough South is rising on a point of order.

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Mr. Philip Lawrence

Dec/14/23 1:54:25 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, with respect to those comments, first, if you check Hansard, you will find that the Speaker did rule, in accordance with Standing Order 18, that there would be no false titles in this House. That is clear. Second, the member did directly what you told him not to do. That is grounds for being expelled.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/14/23 1:54:45 p.m.
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We are at the end of the session. I know it has been a long session and I know that everyone wants to go home and be cheerful. Let us finish this on a really good note. The hon. parliamentary secretary.

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Mr. Irek Kusmierczyk

Dec/14/23 1:55:16 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-58

Madam Speaker, investment in the battery plant in Windsor is just the start. There are international companies right on our doorstep right now looking to invest $3 billion and to create thousands of more jobs. They want to supply the battery plant here. This is why we are partnering with local unions to do everything we can to fight the Conservative campaign of disinformation. That campaign has one goal and one goal only, which is to erode public support for these investments and ultimately to pull the plug on the battery plant and pull the plug on the electric vehicle industry. The Conservatives do not believe in climate change. They do not believe in the transition to electric vehicles. They see electric vehicles as an existential threat. What is more, they call this federal Liberal investment “corporate welfare”. Dave Cassidy, the president of Unifor Local 444, was on Parliament Hill two weeks ago. He represents thousands of auto workers, and he will represent the 2,500 workers who will be building the batteries at our EV battery plant, these Canadian, local, unionized workers. He said on Parliament Hill that if it were up to the Conservatives, the battery plant would never have been built in the first place. Thank God it was not up to them. Liberals believe in climate change. We believe in the transition to electric vehicles. We believe in investing in workers and battery plants like ours. We believe in investing in manufacturing communities like mine. Most importantly, we believe in a true partnership with labour, with workers and with industry to attract game-changing investments that are creating a future for manufacturing communities like ours in Windsor—Tecumseh. However, it all begins by listening to workers, by making sure that workers are not just at the bargaining table but at every table to provide input on the policies that impact them. Our Liberal government listens to workers. It is why the first thing we did when we were elected was to scrap two Harper Conservative pieces of legislation whose sole purpose was to weaken unions: Bill C-377 and Bill C-575. We listened to workers when we introduced $10-a-day child care and 10 days of paid sick leave, and when we invested $1 billion in apprentices to train the next generation of skilled workers. We doubled the union training and innovation program, and we committed to the first-ever labour provisions for clean-tech tax credits, which will make federal investments conditional on companies paying a prevailing union wage, and to making sure that at least 10% of the work goes to apprentices. We listened to unions when we introduced the labour mobility tax credit for up to $4,000 in travel expenses for workers having to travel to a job site away from home. It is why last week we established the union-led advisory table to inform government decisions on all issues impacting workers. It is also why we introduced Bill C-58, something that workers in Canada and in my hometown of Windsor—Tecumseh have been asking for, have been fighting for, for generations. This is the right thing to do. Strong workers and strong unions are powering our prosperity. A strong government that is a strong partner stands with our unions, with our workers and with labour every step of the way.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/14/23 1:58:59 p.m.
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We have a point of order from the hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.

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Mr. Garnett Genuis

Dec/14/23 1:59:43 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-57

Madam Speaker, there were consultations among the parties about a motion to expedite the vote on Bill C-57 so that the House can pronounce—

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/14/23 1:59:53 p.m.
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That was ruled on already. This is the third or fourth time. Some hon. members: Oh, oh! The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes): Order. It is obvious that those who have been trying to move unanimous consent motions have not followed the proper procedure, which is going from party to party to gather unanimous consent. I would ask members to do that prior to bringing their unanimous consent motion to the House.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Dec/14/23 2:00:39 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada is investing in Volkswagen. The Government of Canada is investing in Stellantis. These two companies are going to literally create tens of thousands of jobs, both directly and indirectly. It is setting a new industry standard— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/14/23 2:01:00 p.m.
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I know the hon. member has a good voice, but I am not able to hear what he is saying. When members are doing statements, there is no opportunity for questions and comments. I would ask members to please be respectful. The hon. member for Winnipeg North.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.)

Dec/14/23 2:01:18 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada is supporting Stellantis. The Government of Canada is supporting Volkswagen and the battery plant. Think about that. This is going to be one of the largest manufacturing plants in North America. We are talking about the creation of tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. We know that the MAGA Conservatives across the way do not support government investment in industries, and this is a very important industry for all Canadians. It is going to provide good, solid middle-class jobs. My question for the Conservative Party is this: When are the Conservatives going to get behind Canadians and support good, solid middle-class jobs? Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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Industries

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Dec/14/23 2:02:09 p.m.
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The hon. member can ask questions, but there is no opportunity for questions and comments. I want to remind members that during statements, it is not time for debate. I would ask members to please be respectful and quiet while others have the floor. The hon. member for Lethbridge.

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Lethbridge

Mrs. Rachael Thomas (Lethbridge, CPC)

Dec/14/23 2:02:37 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-234

Madam Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal-NDP government, Canadians are arguably worse off than they have ever been before. In fact, the government would rather penalize a single mother for commuting to work to earn for her family than face the fact that its carbon tax is not working, not for the environment and certainly not for Canadians. The consequence of the Liberals failing to work with the facts is that the cost of everything is skyrocketing: the cost of gas, home heating and groceries. Everything is going through the roof. Farmers are being punished just for growing crops and feeding Canadians. Meanwhile, indigenous folks are taking the government to court, suing them because the carbon tax is incredibly punitive and discriminatory in nature. Our ask is simple. It is that we pass Bill C-234, unamended. This would serve Canadian families best. It would be for the sake of families, for the sake of first nations and for the sake of farmers. At the end of the day, we are asking that Bill C-234 be passed and that we axe the tax to get Canadians back on track.

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Ms. Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West, Lib.)

Dec/14/23 2:03:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice the concerns of constituents of Halifax West who have written to me about the heartbreaking humanitarian situation in the Middle East. Some of them have close family members, like parents, brothers, sisters and grandparents, who are trapped in Gaza. I have spoken about this with the Minister of Immigration, and I want to echo the voices of my constituents who say that we should expand the definition of immediate family in IRPA to give them eligibility for emergency evacuation so that family members with close ties to Canadian citizens can get out safely. Many of them are highly educated, financially independent and blessed to have familial support here, and to welcome them would be entirely consistent with our commitment to humanitarianism. This is the holiday season, a time we share with the families we love. I want to wish everyone here, in Halifax West, in Canada and in the entire world peace and love.

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Mrs. Marilène Gill (Manicouagan, BQ)

Dec/14/23 2:05:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 2023 was not at all restful at Parliament. However, we made it to the end thanks to the dedicated staff; our own, of course, in other words each of our own teams to whom we owe so much, but also the exceptional House of Commons staff. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to thank each of these individuals from the bottom of my heart. We thank the clerks, the law clerks, the analysts and the pages. We thank the interpreters, who put their health at risk to give francophones the representation they deserve in this Parliament. We thank the essential and quietly effective maintenance team. We thank the food services staff for their warm hospitality. We thank the computer technicians for their support, both here and on telework. We thank the Parliamentary Protective Service officers, who ensure our safety, in addition to being the first to greet us every time we come to work. All these people work day and night to serve democracy in their own way. We wish them all a Merry Christmas and a happy 2024.

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Ms. Anju Dhillon (Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, Lib.)

Dec/14/23 2:06:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the agriculture and agri-food sector is a powerful economic force in Canada. It is a growing industry that employs 2.3 million people and single-handedly generates approximately 7% of our GDP. Aliments Ouimet-Cordon Bleu is a Montreal-based company celebrating its 99th year in operation this year. The company uses its investments to support product development. Cordon Bleu's success hit new heights last spring when it was honoured as Quebec's SME of the year at the Les Mercuriades awards ceremony, sponsored by the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec. I congratulate and salute the Cordon Bleu executives who are here in Ottawa today, and I encourage all Canadians to keep supporting the vitality of our agri-food businesses.

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