Hon. Amina Gerba: I’d like to start by congratulating you on how active you have been here in the Senate because I think you’re one of the most active senators in our cohort that was sworn in on November 22 and I have lost track of how many bills you’ve sponsored in this chamber. Congratulations. My question has to do with businesses that are taking some action or that have clean work methods. Are there specific incentives for those businesses that invest a lot, mainly at the industrial level, to make their machinery less polluting?

[English]

Senator Yussuff: Thank you. That is a very important question. I’m not sure I’m the most active senator here. Perception and reality are not one and the same. I know one thing: I’m not sleeping on the job.

I appreciate the opportunity to participate in the broader discussion regarding legislation. I’m very passionate. I spent a lifetime defending workers, so for anything to do with workers I’ll stand up and be counted. I’m honoured to do that. I think it’s fair to say that the Canadian industry in general has been going through transformative changes. I’ll talk about two with which I’m familiar.

The steel industry in this country has been very productive, generating many good jobs, and it continues to be an important part of the economy. As I speak to you, our steel industry is going through an incredible change. They used to use coal as an important part of making steel. Many of them are now switching to our way of making steel, and I think that’s a good thing. We’ll still need steel in this country, but they will require some help to get there.

As you know, during the period of the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA — now called the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, or CUSMA — our American friends levelled tariffs on our country, some of which have been used to transform the steel industry. The government has used some of that money here. Equally, I think many industries will go through similar changes as they are required to reduce their emissions while ensuring that they’re sustainable and profitable going forward. I think the federal government is working with industry — as are the provinces and territories — to ensure they can meet the challenges of the future.

I know one thing: If workers do not have the ability to renew and improve their skills, we will not have the successful country we’ve had in the past. I know this for a fact. The coal industry in this country made us rich. It’s no accident. Let’s remember how this country was developed. Workers mined that coal, transported it to communities and used it to heat their houses. In some areas in Cape Breton Island, they’re still using it to heat their homes. As we change and learn from the environmental challenges we face, those workers will no longer be needed for mining coal. What can we have them do? They have incredible skills. How can we transition them to a future that gives them the opportunity to have a good job, raise a family and build strong communities?

I don’t have all the answers to that, but I think this bill is one part of that going forward.