“Two months is not enough time for consultation. I also do not trust most news or social media reports, because there is so much false information out there.”

“Mr. Speaker, I just have to say to the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley that I was used to seeing someone else when the riding of Skeena—Bulkley Valley was mentioned, so it is nice to see the new member there. Two months is not sufficient. I also do not believe three-quarters to 90% of what I read in newspapers or on social media, because there is so much disinformation and wrong information that unless I know something 100%, I just dismiss it.”

“The port of Thunder Bay and the Great Lakes shipping routes are not being used nearly enough. Would improving these trade routes help both Alberta and Ontario?”

“Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, I was at the port of Thunder Bay and saw these giant windmill blades that were on their way to Alberta through the port of Thunder Bay. However, the port of Thunder Bay is underutilized and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway is functioning at only 50% capacity. Alberta grain has long gone through Thunder Bay, but there is basically no container traffic on the Great Lakes. Does the member think some attention to the national trade corridors would be to the benefit of Alberta and the people of Thunder Bay in Ontario?”

“We both want to get projects built faster and cut delays. This bill helps by letting departments review projects at the same time and stop repeating each other's work. Does the member agree this helps Canadian businesses? If he thinks the deadlines will not work, what changes does he want?”

“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague’s public service and I appreciated our constructive discussions on lawful access last year. We share the goals of getting projects done fast, building Canada strong and reducing unnecessary delays. Bill C-5 established a framework for designated national interest projects, while Bill C-39 would also improve coordination across the broader federal review and permitting systems. Setting aside our differences on other policies, does the member agree that running reviews concurrently and reducing duplication between departments would benefit Canadian businesses? If he doubts the process timelines, what specific changes would he recommend to make them achievable?”

“I want the House to pass this bill. It cuts red tape so major projects can be built faster, while still protecting the environment and workers' rights. It also helps our ports and supply chains move Canadian goods to new markets around the world.”

“Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to stand in the House to represent my residents of Brampton South and speak to Bill C-39, the building Canada strong act, introduced by my colleague, the member for Gatineau. Canada has what the world wants. We are a global leader in both clean and conventional energy, with minerals and natural resources. We are among the world’s most trade-connected economies, with free trade agreements providing access to approximately 1.5 billion consumers. Canada now has the lowest marginal effective tax rate on new business investment among the G7 countries. Across the world, we are seeing changes in supply chains, trade disruptions, geopolitical tensions and tariff pressures. We must use this time to build on our strengths and ensure that we have the infrastructure, transportation network and workers to support growth. In the past year, we have already taken action to build Canada strong. Last month, we acquired nearly $500 billion in new investment commitments to Canada to support pension funds, financing for Canadian businesses and capital to grow Canadian sectors. In light of recent unjustified U.S. tariffs, we are taking action to support families, workers and industries. To date, we have provided nearly $32.5 billion in tariff relief support to industries across Canada, including a $7.5-billion relief package this past August. Last week, I joined the hon. Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the FedDev Ontario to announce $26 million in funding to support 31 GTA businesses in expanding production and diversifying into new markets. In Brampton, Daybar Industries received support, along with other companies, to expand production capacity, strengthen competitiveness and diversify into new markets. Building Canada strong means investing in our communities, supporting Canadian businesses and creating the right conditions for our communities to succeed. Bill C-39 builds on this work through three important pillars: building Canada strong, keeping Canada moving and making Canada strong for all. This bill is about strengthening our trade corridors and ports, getting infrastructure projects built faster and supporting workers and fair workplaces. It would create a more integrated process for Canada to deliver on major initiatives, including a clearer timeline for federal reviews and decisions. This greater certainty for businesses and organizations would make sure that they spend more time investing in our communities and creating good jobs, instead of worrying about regulatory burdens and unnecessary red tape. These measures would make Canada a more attractive place to invest while still maintaining our strong standard for environmental protection and sustainability. The bill is about making sure that we can continue to build at the pace our economy and communities need us to in order to thrive. It would also reduce duplication between federal departments and agencies in reviews and approving permits. The second pillar, keeping Canada moving, focuses on ensuring that our transportation network can remain the backbone of our country. We are a trading nation. Our roads, railways, ports, airports and other trade networks are critical infrastructure that all Canadians rely on for work and to get the goods they need every day. This bill would ensure that our transportation systems remain reliable and can move goods efficiently from coast to coast to coast while still delivering our trade. My community of Brampton is one example of the scale of our transportation sector. Over 2,000 trucks move through Brampton every single day. We have more than 11,000 transportation employers that support approximately 24,000 jobs. In Canada as a whole, this sector contributes around $2 billion to our GDP. The bill would ensure that Canadian farmers, manufacturers, workers, employers and industries can continue to rely on the transportation networks that connect every region of our country and build a more reliable supply chain. The bill would also heavily support our trade diversification efforts. Around 85% of Canada’s non-U.S. trade moves through our marine ports. The bill would ensure that our ports have the support and infrastructure needed to continue helping businesses and industries access new markets around the world. To support these efforts, we also need to ensure that we continue to modernize our trade system. Many businesses still rely on manual processes and legacy systems, which may very well be the cause of shipment slowdowns and added costs and which create further challenges for Canadian businesses to compete in global markets. Bill C-39 would move forward with measures intended to modernize these systems and move them toward digitization. These changes would ensure that there is better coordination between industries and the federal government so that Canadian businesses can get their products to global markets quickly. In the face of these global uncertainties, we must ensure that our nation is prepared to respond by strengthening our domestic economy, supporting Canadian businesses, building new trade relationships and ensuring that our transportation networks are ready as we continue to grow. Lastly, the third pillar of the bill, “Canada Strong For All”, focuses on making sure that all Canadians have the opportunity to benefit from growth. As we build new infrastructure and strengthen our economy, we must also make sure that we support Canadian workers, protect their rights and create fair and safe workplaces. Canada’s economy relies on the people who build, transport, manufacture and deliver the goods that Canadians rely on every day. In Brampton, manufacturing is nearly one-quarter of our workforce. These are good, stable jobs that support thousands of families, individuals and livelihoods. Across Canada, over one million workers are covered by the federal labour framework, including workers in transportation, rail, air and telecommunications. That is why the bill includes new measures to strengthen Canada’s labour framework and would give both employers and unions more tools to resolve disputes and agreements. These measures would bring federal mediators into difficult bargaining relationships earlier, would extend the conciliation period from 60 to 90 days to give both sides more time to reach a fair agreement and would create a special mediator process for more complex issues at the bargaining table. Bill C-39 would also ensure that workers maintain their protected right to strike. These changes are intended to support more stable labour relations and more reliable supply chains while still protecting workers’ rights. “Canada Strong For All” also means making sure that we continue protecting the environment and indigenous self-determination as we grow our economy. With the bill, Canada would also continue to uphold our responsibility to indigenous communities, invest in sustainability efforts and maintain the high standards that Canadians expect from major federal investments. These measures would make sure that Canada is prepared to respond to opportunities and challenges in the future. We cannot wait for these challenges to arrive. We must prepare now and build for the future. It is about building the infrastructure that Canadians need, keeping our supply chains moving effectively and efficiently, supporting our workers and making sure that all communities across the nation benefit from Canada’s growth. From the financing commitments secured at the Canada investment summit to increased tariff relief support for workers and businesses, we have already taken significant action to build a more resilient economy. Bill C-39 builds on this work. For communities like mine and for every community across Canada, this improved coordination matters. It means stronger infrastructure to support major construction projects, more resilient supply chains to support Canadian industry, greater opportunities for businesses to enter different markets, and good jobs for Canadians to grow.”

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“Our government is focused on what we can control in a changing world. We want to attract investment faster, act quickly, and grow trade with reliable partners. We also want to support workers so our communities can thrive.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his passion. It is an important question. The world is changing rapidly, as we all know. That is why this government is focused on what it can control. There are three themes to building Canada now: creating a more efficient and predictable coordination framework to attract more investment without delay, moving with speed, and expanding our trading relationship with reliable partners. We are not just paying attention to trade. We are also centred on workers and how we can move Canada forward for all collectively so we can thrive within our communities.”

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“I support this bill. It helps us build projects faster by cutting repeated work and working better together. It does not remove any environmental rules or protections, and decisions will still be based on science.”

“Mr. Speaker, the environment sector is very important in Bill C-39. It is about building faster, but the bill would not remove any environmental assessment permits or protections. Environmental health and social impacts would continue to be reviewed, and the scientific evidence would continue to guide decisions, but new processes would reduce duplication and improve coordination so that projects can move forward more efficiently. There is more transparency in that too.”

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“Investing in technology helps Canadian manufacturers compete globally, but they also need reliable ways to ship their goods. I want the member to explain how this bill's port and trade corridor plans will help manufacturers grow their exports and create good jobs.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for highlighting the support to help Brampton businesses expand their production and reach new markets. With my background in industrial automation and robotics, I know how investing in technology can improve productivity and help Canadian manufacturers compete on the global stage. Those gains go further when businesses can move their goods efficiently and reliably. Could the member explain how the measures in Bill C-39 to strengthen trade corridors and modernize our ports would complement these business investments and help manufacturers like Daybar turn greater production capacity into export growth and good Canadian jobs?”

“I support this bill. Canadian businesses need reliable transportation and digital tools to get their goods to buyers without delays. This bill helps them do that and creates good jobs.”

“Mr. Speaker, to my friend and colleague from Oakville West, thank you for your passion about industries. I worked in the nuclear caucus with you and I know how passionate you are. I was at Daybar last week with the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and colleagues. When Canadian manufacturers expand production, they need to know they have a transportation-reliable sector and a reliable method of digitalization, which I mentioned in my speech, so that they know their products are getting to consumers. This is very important for any business or manufacturer. Giving access to digitalization and sustainability to manufacturers strengthens trade corridors and reduces delays, and this bill would do exactly that. It would also create good jobs in my—”

“Our government has brought in historic amounts of money for major projects to help the economy. The Conservatives should stop complaining, admit this is working, and support this bill.”

“Mr. Speaker, the member says “bold and decisive”. That is exactly what we have seen since the last federal election, when Canadians elected a new Prime Minister and 70-plus new Liberal members of Parliament. All one needs to do is take a look at what has transpired. The Conservatives like to be critical of the Major Projects Office: 24-plus projects and half a trillion dollars. What about the investment summit hosted by the Prime Minister? Again, we are talking about half a trillion dollars. We are talking about historic amounts of money to support a stronger and healthier Canadian economy. The only division in the House of Commons is within the Conservative Party. When will the Conservative Party recognize a good thing and get behind Bill C-39?”

“The Conservatives did not build a single pipeline to the Pacific coast in ten years in power. Our Prime Minister has done more for major energy projects and investment in the last 18 months than Stephen Harper did in a decade.”

“Mr. Speaker, that is a lot of fast talk and no doubt a lot of words. I will pick up on some of the things the member was commenting on. The member talked about getting oil to the Pacific Ocean. Stephen Harper was 10 years in government, and not one inch of pipeline was built directly to the Pacific or the coastline. Now, we can talk about TMX. We can talk about LNG. Let us talk about the time since the last federal election. A newly elected Prime Minister has done more in 18 months than Stephen Harper did in 10 years, quite frankly, when it comes to economic development and the creation of literally close to a trillion dollars of potential investment. That is what has taken place in the last 18 months. We can talk about the Pacific link. We can talk about LNG phase two. What is the member talking about—”