Discussion · Government Orders
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Québécois
“I support this space bill, but I worry about giving the minister too much control. Quebec has over 40,000 aerospace jobs and great expertise. I want to make sure the government supports real talent fairly, instead of just picking who gets the money.”
“Madam Speaker, to answer my colleague’s question, yes, as we said, we welcome Bill C‑28. In Quebec, the aerospace industry accounts for more than 40,000 jobs—nearly 42,000 according to 2023 data. A lot of people work in this sector. I do not think Manitoba has 42,000 jobs in this sector. I am not saying there are no skilled people or people working on interesting things in Manitoba, but I do think Quebec has significant expertise that we have to retain. We have to leverage that, not spread our efforts thin. That is why I am concerned about putting so much discretionary power in the minister’s hands. I want to make sure we have a fair system that rewards excellence, not whoever Ottawa chooses to reward.”
Official Hansard
Madam Speaker, to answer my colleague’s question, yes, as we said, we welcome Bill C‑28. In Quebec, the aerospace industry accounts for more than 40,000 jobs—nearly 42,000 according to 2023 data. A lot of people work in this sector. I do not think Manitoba has 42,000 jobs in this sector. I am not saying there are no skilled people or people working on interesting things in Manitoba, but I do think Quebec has significant expertise that we have to retain. We have to leverage that, not spread our efforts thin. That is why I am concerned about putting so much discretionary power in the minister’s hands. I want to make sure we have a fair system that rewards excellence, not whoever Ottawa chooses to reward.