Official Hansard
Mr. Speaker, in terms of the opposition day motion, I thought it was really important for us to try to paint a different picture from what the Conservatives have been trying to tell Canadians, day in and day out. Canada as an economy, as a community, is actually doing quite well in comparison to other G20 countries. We continue to work every day on building a stronger and healthier economy. We often talk about how important it is to have a strong economy. In fact, we have had the Prime Minister clearly indicate that we are going to build the strongest economy in the G7. We are committed to doing that, to putting in the effort and the work necessary in order to achieve that goal. Canada has what the world wants in a very real and tangible way. I do not say that lightly because, at the end of the day, if we were to talk to the Prime Minister or any of the ministers who have been travelling abroad, in particular the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Industry or the Minister of Foreign Affairs, we would find that, wherever they go, they constantly hear about how others want to invest in and be a part of the Canadian economy or society, in some fashion or another. That should come as no surprise to members opposite. We were very aggressive in the last federal election just over a year ago when Canadians chose a new government and a new Prime Minister with a very clear mandate to build stronger relationships and look at ways to export our products beyond the Canada‑U.S.A. border. It is truly encouraging to see the degree to which, in that last 12 months, we have been very successful at reaching out and getting trade and defence agreements with a number of nations around the world. We have now had, for example, legislative measures here that have passed in Indonesia and the U.K., or England and Northern Ireland. It was really quite encouraging to see legislation and other aspects of trade being expanded. That is not failing to recognize the importance of U.S.‑Canada trade relations. In fact, what we have seen is a substantial increase in trade between Canada and the United States at the same time. I think it is worthy to note the degree to which we as a nation rely on trade. If people wonder why we have a government that is so focused on trying to expand opportunities, they should get an understanding and appreciation of the number of jobs that are very much dependent on trade. I have said this in the past. Canada makes up roughly 0.25% of the world population, yet we contribute far more in terms of trade. That should be in the back of our minds as we look at ways we can build that stronger and healthier economy. Exports and two-way trade matter. They mean literally hundreds of thousands of jobs, but that is not all that, as a government, we are acting on. We have a government that realizes that it is one thing to talk about improving and increasing exports and trade opportunities, but we also have to be able to invest in and build Canada's infrastructure. We have a government that is very much focused on building that infrastructure in major projects. When we have a Prime Minister who tells not only Canadians but the world that we want to be an energy superpower, it means that we have to be prepared to look internally within Canada to see how we will achieve this. Factor that into trade and how important it is that we work with other jurisdictions, and what we have seen is a team Canada approach at building a stronger and healthier economy. This is because when we talk about those major projects, what we are really talking about is working with stakeholders, provinces, territories and indigenous leaders and looking at projects that are going to help build that economy, whether it is in the energy area or dealing with exports of widgets, which is absolutely critically important. We can ultimately see those tangible results. We have relationships with those provincial entities, territories, indigenous leaders and other stakeholders and we have seen major projects in every region of our great nation. I can talk about wind energy from Atlantic Canada and other energy sources. In the past, I have highlighted the expansion of the port of Montreal. This is a major investment that is going to allow for a lot more in terms of Canada's ability to export. I can talk about nuclear energy in Ontario. A while back, I was in the Philippines as part of a government trade promotion mission, where I sat around the table with representatives from, I believe, the Ontario government, along with the federal government. Most importantly, there were representatives for nuclear energy potential in the Philippines. They were talking about how they were looking at Canada as a way to expand their nuclear energy supply, in particular, in Ontario, and that is why we see those federal investments. We can play a strong leadership role not only for Ontario or within Canada, but also abroad. Continuing to move from east to west, we can talk about Manitoba and the mining opportunities there through major projects. A personal favourite of mine, and I know the member for Churchill—Keewatinook Aski has been a very strong advocate for it, is the port of Churchill. We can talk about opportunities. Even the Premier of Manitoba is on board, promoting and encouraging opportunities with the port of Churchill. It would provide us, I believe, the opportunity to expand the port to be a year-round port, with the potential of exporting LNG and other types of minerals, scarce minerals, and other items. For the first time in generations, we have seen significant movement, and there is a sense of hope and optimism that we are moving in the right direction by working together and collaborating. We can move on to Saskatchewan, where we can talk about copper mines, canola and potash. The federal government is working well with the provincial government in recognizing the potential that Saskatchewan can materialize for the entire nation. With Alberta, we signed an MOU not that long ago. It was concerning, given the number of MPs from Alberta, that the Conservatives were not on board with that MOU. Now we have an implementation agreement, which is even a step further, because the Government of Canada, working in collaboration with the Province of Ontario, is in a great position to ultimately see more energy sources coming out of Alberta. Working collaboratively can make a difference. We can go to British Columbia. British Columbia leads the nation on things like LNG and mining. I am thinking of copper and other things. We can go into the north, where we are investing billions into northern economic sovereignty. There, we are seeing the promotion of energy can be a resource for actual sovereignty by promoting growth, in terms of our militarization in one form or another, in terms of the north and protecting sovereignty. The bottom line is that the federal government is demonstrating very clearly how, working collaboratively, we can build a stronger and healthier economy and society that all Canadians will be able to take part in. This is a wonderful opportunity. Political entities at different levels of government and municipalities of all different sizes are coming together and recognizing, based on the last national election, that it is time for collaboration. That is what we are witnessing, and there are tangible results there. We have seen other federal initiatives promoting investment, which is so warranted that we are fighting for it, such as the sovereign wealth fund, better known as the Canada Strong fund. The sovereign wealth fund has the potential to be there in a very real and tangible way for Canadians; it also affords Canadians the opportunity to be part of a wealth fund. I believe that the generation of this fund and having it as a resource in Calgary, where we have the Major Projects Office, can be a fantastic asset. We will be able to work in that collaborative fashion, making sure, where we can, that these major projects get off the ground and that they are sustained and highly successful. We have also seen a significant commitment to investments in Canada over the last year. We are not talking about millions of dollars; we are talking about billions of dollars in commitments. That is of great significance, because we recognize the times. We recognize that we need to think beyond the Canada‑U.S.A. border. At the same time, we are also looking, in terms of the United States, at ways we can enhance that relationship. There is a great deal of back-and-forth between American and Canadian politicians and the populations of the respective countries. There is a relationship that is exceptionally deep, between Canada and the United States, and we are going to continue to see that relationship well into the future. At the same time, it is important that we do not capitulate, that Canada stands strong and firm and ultimately achieves the best deal it can under the current administration. Contrary to what we might hear from across the aisle, if it takes time, we are prepared to put in the time. We are prepared to put in the resources. We have a cabinet and ministers who are providing the lead on this file and the capability to deliver for Canadians. That is what we will do on that particular file, recognizing that we exchange nearly $3.6 billion a day, I believe, between our two great nations. What is encouraging is that trade has actually increased year over year, so it is not fair to say or to imply that there is anything otherwise taking place with respect to international trade beyond Canada and the U.S. or between Canada and the U.S. The Prime Minister and the government are very much aware of how important that trade file is for both nations. We are very much aware of the importance of developing, promoting and materializing those major projects. It is something we are committed to doing. I have a quote I want to share with members. It is an important quote that I believe really says a lot, since the last national election just over a year ago. The International Monetary Fund, the IMF, is a fund that is, in essence, an organization that over 190 countries contribute to. It carries a great deal of influence around the world. Here is what it had to say about Canada and our approach: that we are “focus[ed] strategically on investment that [is] progrowth”. This organization is projecting that Canada will have the second-strongest growth in the G7 in 2026. When we put it in that perspective and look, from an economic point of view, at what we have been able to accomplish over the last year, it is leading to the types of results we need to see. As was pointed out on a number of occasions, in May alone, 88,000 jobs were created. Canada is in a great fiscal position to be able to do the things we need to do to support Canadians, such as the groceries and essentials benefit, which is providing support for Canadians. In fact, just last week, 11 million families benefited from that particular program. We reduced the tax on gasoline, the federal excise tax, by suspending it until Labour Day. The issue of affordability is important to this government. I realize I am running out of time. Hopefully, maybe in response to a question, I will be able to provide more details on the environment. However, whenever I talk about economic opportunities, advancements and major projects, I truly believe, as the government does, that sustainable development means the environment, with indigenous people being involved. It means including provinces and territories, working collaboratively, and together we can, in fact, build Canada strong—
View on ourcommons.ca ↗
