Dan Muys

Mr. Speaker, Greeting · 21 wordsit is always an honour to rise in the House and speak on behalf of the great people of Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North.Greeting Positioning · 40 wordsThere are some subjects that still have the power to inspire wonder, and certainly space is one of them. For generations, it has sparked curiosity, discovery and the belief that the next great breakthrough may still be ahead of us.Positioning Reasoning · 19 wordsIt reminds us that progress is not automatic but must be chosen, must be built and must be earned.Partly on point Claims · 143 wordsCanada has long had the talent, the ingenuity and the industrial capacity to contribute to the space economy. Our laws have not kept pace with the opportunities before us. Canada is not a stranger to excellence in space, far from it. We gave the world the Canadarm.¹ We became leaders in robotics, satellite technology, remote sensing, communications and advanced aerospace engineering. Canadian innovators have helped shape missions that reached orbit, the International Space Station, Mars and beyond. Our workers, engineers, technicians, researchers and manufacturers have earned global respect, and just recently, Canadians had another reason to feel proud: Commander Jeremy Hansen from southwestern Ontario, a Canadian astronaut, recently returned home as part of the Artemis II mission.² That mission carried humans to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years and farther from earth than any people in human history.³Partly on point Procedure · 3 wordsThink about that.Procedure Positioning · 29 wordsA Canadian helping lead humanity’s return to deep space exploration is not only symbolic. It is a reminder that Canadian talent belongs at the front edge of great endeavours.Positioning Procedure · 6 wordsThe question before us is simple: ProcedurePositioning · 40 wordsWill our laws, policies and economic climate allow Canada to participate fully in the next era of space development, or will we once again watch opportunity leave our shores, as has happened too often after 10 years of the Liberals?Positioning Claims · 152 wordsThe global space economy is no longer theoretical. It is real, and it is growing rapidly. It includes launch services, satellite deployment, communications, earth observation, defence applications, navigation, research, manufacturing, data services and technologies that we have not yet even imagined. The global space economy is expected to contribute in excess of a trillion dollars in just a few years and $1.8 trillion within a decade.⁴ It is an industry growing at nearly 10% a year.⁵ Countries around the world understand this, and they are competing for this investment. They are building launch capacity, they are creating clear regulatory pathways and they are moving with urgency. Canada also possesses natural advantages that many other countries do not. We are a vast nation with northern geography; we have access to remote corridors, coastal opportunities, strong aerospace clusters and world‑class research institutions such as universities that have been mentioned in the debate thus far; Positioning · 23 wordsand we have the ingredients many countries would envy. The question is whether we have the policy environment to make use of them.Positioning Procedure · 6 wordsCanada must understand this as well.Procedure Claims · 33 wordsWhen investors face uncertainty, as my colleague from Northumberland—Clarke just talked about, they go elsewhere. When approvals take too long, they go elsewhere. If governments confuse announcements with outcomes, they also go elsewhere. Reasoning · 6 wordsThat is why regulatory certainty matters, Claims · 34 wordsand that is why it is puzzling that Bill C-28 would give the Liberal minister all the power to make decisions on what goes into space from behind closed doors. This would undermine transparency, Positioning · 8 wordsand Parliament has every reason to be concerned.Positioning Claims · 20 wordsHowever, there are certainly positive elements in Bill C-28. It recognizes that launch and re-entry activities require a dedicated framework.⁶ The ask · 13 wordsWhat we are asking for is a draft of those details around that. Claims · 11 wordsThe bill would address safety, liability, site certification and emergency powers, ⁷Reasoning · 6 wordsbut legislation is only a beginning, Claims · 8 wordsand that is where there are gaping holes. Reasoning · 5 wordsThe true test is execution, Claims · 18 wordsand that is a concern when the legislation would give all the power to one individual, the minister. Positioning · 32 wordsWhere is the regulatory framework? Can Canada approve projects in a timely manner? Can we attract private capital? Can we ensure public confidence? Can Canada build a reputation for competence and reliability?Positioning Claims · 7 wordsThose questions remain unanswered by the legislation. Reasoning · 44 wordsAnother principle that must guide us from the beginning is transparency. Whenever governments are involved in strategically emerging sectors, and whenever public funds, public lands or public approvals are at stake, Canadians must know that decisions are being made fairly, openly and on merit. Claims · 35 wordsThat principle matters all the more when recent contracts and infrastructure decisions have raised legitimate concerns, and when political connections and insider proximity to power seem to have trumped a framework brought about by professionals. Positioning · 27 wordsCanadians are ambitious people. They support private sector growth, they support innovation and they do not want favouritism. A new industry must not become an old story.Positioning Reasoning · 26 wordsIf Canada is serious about building leadership in the space economy, then procurement must be clean, selection processes must be credible and accountability must be absolute. Positioning · 32 wordsConservatives are in favour of enhancing Canada’s sovereignty and space capabilities, but we are not in favour of any framework that could become a blank cheque for Liberal insiders or foreign agents.Positioning Claims · 80 wordsCanadians have recently seen major public decisions raise legitimate questions. In Nova Scotia, the government announced a $200‑million agreement tied to the planned spaceport project, ⁸but it should be noted that the project’s proponent has publicly listed former Nova Scotia Liberal premier Stephen McNeil on its advisory board.⁹ At the transport committee, we also examined the Canada Infrastructure Bank loan connected to the Mersey River wind project and the concerns surrounding that process and its uneasy connection to Liberal insiders.¹⁰Off point Reasoning · 35 wordsThese examples are exactly why emerging strategic sectors must begin the right way. Canadians should be confident that contracts are awarded on merit, public money is protected and proximity to power never outweighs public interest. Procedure · 12 wordsThis debate is also about something larger. It is about national confidence.Procedure Positioning · 26 wordsToo often, Canada has grown comfortable thinking small. We should be a country that builds major projects, and certainly notwithstanding the record of the Liberal government, PositioningPartly on pointThe ask · 31 wordsso let us not allow Bill C-28 to become a missed opportunity because it is too dependent on political will and not proper regulatory processes, administrative tribunals and the needed oversights. Positioning · 49 wordsWe should be a country that has the tax regulatory climate to set up a healthy private sector that invests in advanced industries. We should be a country that rewards innovators, engineers, tradespeople, entrepreneurs and workers who turn ideas into reality. We should be a country that looks forward.Positioning Claims · 25 wordsIn communities like mine, we know what advanced industry looks like. We know the value of steel, precision manufacturing, logistics, defence, engineering and skilled trades. Reasoning · 17 wordsThose same capabilities can and should help power Canada’s next growth sectors, including aerospace and space technologies.Partly on point Claims · 21 wordsThat applies to ports, transportation corridors, energy and manufacturing as well.Off point Bill C-28 now comes before Parliament with its gaping holes. The ask · 9 wordsIt deserves careful study and thoughtful consideration at committee, Reasoning · 6 wordsbecause it needs much more detail. The ask · 54 wordsIt deserves witness testimony from industry, regulators, legal experts, security experts, provincial partners and innovators on the ground. We should examine competitiveness. We should examine liability exposure. We should examine timelines. We should examine transparency safeguards. We should ensure that the final product would help Canada succeed in practice, not merely in press releases. Claims · 22 wordsCanada has the people, Canada has the talent, Canada has the geography, Canada has the industrial base and Canada has the history. Positioning · 10 wordsWhat we need now is the seriousness to match it.Positioning Promise · 26 wordsI look forward to seeing the bill studied at committee, strengthened and judged by whether it helps Canada compete, build and lead in the years ahead.