Official Hansard
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Bill C-39, the building Canada strong act, and to explain why to the residents of Nipissing—Timiskaming. Canadians elected this government to protect what matters to them while defending and growing our economy. For me, those responsibilities belong together. I want children to have affordable day care and healthy meals at schools, families to find homes they can afford, and seniors to receive the benefits and services they depend on. Canada must also have the means to defend our sovereignty, protect our freedom and contribute to peace, all while leaving the next generation a strong financial future. That takes a strong economy with good jobs, growing businesses and revenues to sustain our commitments. Day care, housing and retirement security may seem far removed from a railway, a pipeline or a port, but they are connected. The prosperity we help create today pays for the promises we intend to keep in the future. As a proud Canadian, I like to believe that Canada is among the world’s best in so many categories, yet research confirms that we have room to improve when it comes to how quickly we build infrastructure. Certainly, we have long distances, a scattered population and harsh weather to contend with here in Canada, and in northern Ontario, we know all three. Those are the realities that push us to build smarter. Furthermore, we can learn from other democracies and examine overlapping approvals, repeated reviews and unclear responsibilities that have made it harder and slower to get projects built. Business owners planning a project should know who makes the decision, what information is needed and when to expect an answer. When departments need the same information, they should speak to one another. Canadians have mastered the group chat. Governments should be able to manage one too. As the Prime Minister has said, “high standards do not require slow decisions.” Every unnecessary delay holds back a job, a business expansion or infrastructure that a community needs. Bill C-39 would tackle all of these challenges. The first part of the bill, “Build Canada Now”, would make federal reviews more coordinated and predictable: one project, one decision, one year. The proposed one-year timeline would begin once a proponent provides all the information required for federal reviews and decisions: a good application and a thorough assessment that works. Once the information is there, government should have a clear responsibility to reach a decision, so the bill would put a federal assessor in charge of coordinating reviews and bring decisions and permits together where the legislation allows. Our Prime Minister has explained that it is about moving from sequential to parallel decision-making. Through all of that, environmental protection must remain central. In Nipissing—Timiskaming, our lakes, forests and waterways support jobs, recreation and our quality of life. We take our lakes seriously, and protecting them is important. Better planning can help us eliminate environmental impacts earlier and decide where projects belong and what conditions they must meet. Indigenous rights and participation deserve absolutely the same care. The bill’s proposed Crown consultation hub would help coordinate federal consultation. Indigenous partners must be involved early, with the resources to assess proposals, raise concerns and help shape decisions. This would include opportunities for indigenous jobs, businesses and ownership. Trust takes time and work. Government must organize itself to help build it. The second part of the bill, “Keep Canada Moving”, matters greatly to northern Ontario. Our manufacturers, farmers, forestry operations and mining businesses need dependable transportation. An excellent product still has to reach the customer. Unreliable highways, limited rail capacity, inadequate air carrier networks and crowded ports mean delays and higher costs. Canada must plan the whole journey from where a product is made to where it is sold. That is why I support the proposed national trade corridor framework and the authority to establish a national trade corridors council. For northern Ontario, this would be an opportunity to bring railways, highways, connections, air service, access to ports and community needs into one plan. It would mean working with the Province of Ontario, indigenous partners and municipalities toward safer, more dependable connections along highways 11 and 17. We would also examine expanding fibre optic infrastructure alongside transportation investments. Businesses need reliable connections for their goods and their information. The truck, and the email announcing its arrival, should both arrive at the same time. The strategy to tell us once and tell us digitally, which is included in the bill, also makes sense. Businesses should submit information once and have it securely shared across government where it is authorized. Filling out the same form five times is certainly an activity, but I think we can all agree that it is not a growth strategy. Less paperwork leaves more time for customers, employees and investment. This work must accompany efforts to reduce trade barriers within Canada. Our roads should connect our regions, and our rules should help Canadians do business across them. The third part, “Canada strong for all”, recognizes the workers who make this economy possible. I support the measures tackling wage theft and the misclassification of employees as contractors, improving safety and helping workers recover wages when an employer becomes insolvent. At airports, preserving union representation and collective agreements when service contracts change would give workers greater stability. The government is also committed to adding 100 health and safety workers and 26 staff at the Canada Industrial Relations Board. Protections need people to enforce them, and complaints need timely answers. The bill would encourage earlier bargaining in difficult labour relationships, provide more time for conciliation and expand access to additional mediation tools. We all know the best agreements are those that workers and employers negotiate themselves. Changes to section 107 deserve careful attention, as the bill would introduce guardrails that encourage early engagement. Before intervening under the proposed framework, the minister would have to consider a special mediator’s report and conclude that a strike or lockout would have a significant adverse national impact. These are serious powers. Their use must be transparent, carefully justified and respectful of freedom of association, including the protected right to strike, and that is what the bill would deliver. These changes require all of us to make an effort. The government must coordinate its work more effectively and be accountable. Businesses must treat their employees fairly and honour their commitments to their communities. We must all ask ourselves whether our current approaches still meet the needs of Canadians. I understand that change can be unsettling. Workers have fought for their protections. Indigenous peoples have fought for the recognition and respect of their rights. Generations of people have worked to protect the environment and build our social programs. These hard-won achievements must guide our future. It is often said that compromise is everything. This may be the most controversial point in my speech, but the meaning is simple. Everyone needs to come one step closer, listen, and seek common ground. We can improve the way we work together while honouring our commitments. That is essentially what Bill C-39 is all about. I support this bill, because a stronger economy helps sustain affordable day care, school meals, housing and security for seniors. The bill would help young people find careers worth staying or coming home for. It would give Canada the means to defend its sovereignty, build a strong economy and build a strong future. Northern Ontario and Nipissing—Timiskaming have much to contribute. Let us measure success in projects completed responsibly, workers coming home safely, businesses reaching new customers and communities gaining opportunities. Let us build this future together.
