Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, Guelph is the home of the Ontario Agricultural College and the Ontario Veterinary College. The University of Guelph is Canada's food university. Guelph is the home of Farm & Food Care Ontario, the OFA, Ontario Pork, Ontario Beef and the Grain Farmers of Ontario. We are the home of Cargill and Maple Leaf, with whose representatives I met earlier this week. We know food in Guelph. My co…
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Mr. Speaker, every year, International Development Week is a time to recognize Canada's contribution to sustainable, inclusive development around the world. Tomorrow the University of Guelph will welcome the International Fund for Agricultural Development and Farm Radio International to advance linkages between Canada's farm competitiveness and global rural transformation. As we mark this year's I…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour a hero, William Joseph Seifried. Bill joined the army at 18 and trained as a gunner at Petawawa, but when he deployed to London, England, new recruits were made infantry. Bill became a Regina Rifle and, without training, was sent to the front in France. He fought through France, Belgium and the Netherlands and then served as a reconnaissance scout in Germany. By quick…
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Mr. Chair, I absolutely disagree with the premise, because we have seen investments in Canada by Volkswagen. There were investments by Honda. There are investments by Stellantis. There is absolutely a diversification taking place. There are absolutely highly skilled people and support for the auto sector.
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Mr. Chair, it is not the Government of Canada that broke the relationship with the Americans, a relationship that has been enduring since the auto pact, a relationship where there are contracts, agreements, the USMCA. There may have been trade winds, but there was certainly no indication that this was going to be an issue in this moment. The member opposite likes to talk about responding to the co…
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Mr. Chair, yes, there was a plan for transitioning to electric vehicles and measures were in place, not only for the number of vehicles to be sold, but also for charging stations and battery production in Canada. I believe that putting the mandate on hold is a responsible decision. Quebec and British Columbia are also doing the same thing, given the North American context. I believe it is a respon…
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Mr. Chair, my colleague from Oakville and I serve on the Liberal auto caucus together. We have visited auto plants together, which I know is really important to her riding and mine. The member mentioned CUSMA, and the member opposite asked about its pertinence. I would like the member to talk about the pertinence of CUSMA, the actual lifeline. Can she tell the House more about the government's res…
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Mr. Chair, I would first like to thank my colleague for her solidarity with the automobile sector, workers, and industries. She knows Sudbury very well. There are times of great success and there are times of contraction. I would like to give her the opportunity to talk about how important it is to have a government that has measures in place to support industries and workers. I would also like he…
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Mr. Chair, the facts matter here. I would like to be very clear that 2024 was actually a record in Canada for foreign direct investment: $85.5 billion in FDI inflows, 36% higher than 2023 and 50% above the 10-year average. Canada is attracting foreign direct investment. We will see more. Why would the member opposite not welcome that and talk Canada up so we can negotiate from a position of streng…
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Mr. Chair, while we intend to secure a deal with the United States, it has to be the right deal. It has to be a good deal. In the interim, would my colleague please tell us a little about what measures are in the budget to take action right now to support the industry and its workers?
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Mr. Chair, Canada certainly has a wealth of critical minerals that are an integral part of the supply chain for charging stations and batteries. I think we absolutely need to explore that. That is one of the projects of national interest. I think we are going to hear even more about this. Indeed, China is a big issue, not just for dumping critical minerals, but also for steel and potentially other…
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Mr. Chair, in Guelph we are leaders in auto parts manufacturing. Some of the largest in the world have operations in Guelph. We have highly skilled people. To date, the American trade war is creating mostly uncertainty in parts. I would say that the smaller suppliers have capacity. That is why some of these programs or incentives help them to diversify some of their operations to nuclear, to oil a…
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Mr. Chair, since my colleague is very familiar with this issue, I would like to know what he considers to be the most important and urgent measures to support the automotive sector and workers. I would also like him to tell us why it is so important to explore new avenues for the automotive industry of the future and to explore new markets. I would also like him to talk to us about support for SME…
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Mr. Chair, I sympathize and I empathize, because it must be extremely challenging for the workers in Brampton West and the workers across Canada who are impacted by tariffs. I would ask the member opposite this: Have the automakers in his riding benefited from the strategic response fund, from liquidity and from the regional tariff response initiative? Has he shared that with some of the parts man…
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Mr. Chair, my hon. colleague, who is the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Industry, is intimately familiar with a number of measures put in place in budget 2025 to help automakers and parts manufacturers innovate and support their workers. I am wondering if my colleague could tell the House more about that.
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Mr. Chair, I think this debate is critical because we need to be very clear that we stand with the auto sector of today, even through these challenging times, and we are building the auto sector of the future. We are in a trade war, a trade war that is designed to attack critical Canadian industries, including the auto sector. There are 125,000 jobs directly in assembly, with more than 500,000 in …
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Mr. Chair, we have a pause. There has been a consultation with the broader auto sector and with other stakeholders, such as the investors in charging infrastructure and the supply chain. I think what the government has done is to be completely responsible, look at the changing context and say that we are going to pause, that we are going to adjust and that we are going to come back. There are a nu…
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Mr. Speaker, in the time it takes to deliver this statement, another survivor of intimate partner violence will call for help. IPV is happening now, and 106 Ontario municipalities, including Guelph, have declared it an epidemic. It is pervasive, and we must end it. During the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, let us acknowledge our shared responsibility, work to change the norms t…
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Mr. Speaker, I would simply like to ask my colleague whether she believes that seniors' benefits remain the most important social program in the federal budget, ahead of the Canada health transfer and the Canada child benefit. This is an important part of Canada's transfer system and the benefit system for our seniors. Also, are seniors not happy to now have access to the Canadian dental care plan…
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Madam Speaker, the federal government has announced it is going to bring in automatic tax filing. It has programs for trades and significant investments for young people in trades. There is the Canada summer jobs program. We would lower the basic income tax level by 1%, and waive the GST for first-time homebuyers if we could get to the debate on Bill C-4. I wonder if my colleague wants to talk a b…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of residents of Guelph and Wellington County, Ontario. The petitioners are concerned that Canada may fall behind in the production of affordable, Canadian-made, battery-electric light-duty vehicles. They call upon the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy to designate the mass production of affordable, Canadian-made, batt…
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Madam Speaker, there is good news, because tomorrow, the federal budget will tell us more about investments in major projects in this country. The strategic response fund is helping to sustain important industries in Canada in the face of U.S. tariffs. We have ambitious trades and re-skilling funds, as well as the foreign credentials recognition fund. With respect to homes, I am looking forward to…
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Mr. Speaker, I would remind the House that we are here to celebrate the contribution of the provinces and the federal government. We are working together to ensure that the justice system serves communities and to improve the justice system in Canada and Quebec. I have confidence in the work of the members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. They will be able to call on a number…
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Mr. Speaker, I am a new MP here. I have been here about six months. I can tell members that the Guelph Police Service does an extraordinary job in the community and in its advocacy. What is the point, really, of looking back? Here we are today, having heard the feedback of a number of speakers who are experts in this field, who have provided 80 targeted measures. Here we are today. I am happy to h…
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Mr. Speaker, I am here today to speak to the bail and sentencing reform act, one of the most comprehensive updates to Canada's bail and sentencing laws in decades. I have the privilege of representing one of Canada's safest communities, with an overall crime severity index that is the sixth-lowest among Canadian cities. It is an improvement from our ranking as eighth-lowest in 2023 and a dramatic …
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Mr. Speaker, we have had these ongoing questions. I was a member of city council for six years before; crime in the community, as well as community safety more broadly, is clearly an issue. I quoted a member of the police association in my remarks. I do not want to take the chief out of context, but their police association welcomes the legislation.
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Mr. Speaker, clearly, the legislation came about through extensive consultation with the provinces. They will understand what the impacts of the legislation would be. They are responsible for the administration of justice, so I think that we, and all citizens, can expect investments in courthouses, not only in the physical structures but also the staffing, detention centres and mental health facil…
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Mr. Speaker, visiting Ottawa today are two remarkable individuals who founded the University of Guelph's serving scholars program: Dr. John Walsh and Lieutenant Darren Sargent of Guelph's 11th Field Artillery Regiment. For eight years, the serving scholars program has provided academic accommodations and experiential learning opportunities while fostering a campus culture that values military serv…
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Mr. Speaker, the fact is that there is absolutely food inflation, but what is driving some of this food inflation? There are supply chains, climate change and lobbyists for Loblaws, which was caught price fixing. We need to look at what is happening on a global scale. We need to tackle the issues we can tackle. We are doing that. We are investing in Canadians. We are investing in industry. I invit…
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Mr. Speaker, we have to look at Canada in a global context. Are there things that could be going better? Absolutely, but Canada has the second-largest foreign-investment-stock-to-GDP ratio among the G20 nations. In 2024, we had a record of foreign direct investment in Canada of $85.5 billion, which was up 36% from 2023. Are things rosy? No, but how about bringing back rent control in Ontario? How …
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Mr. Speaker, the city of Guelph is one of the most vulnerable to the U.S. tariffs that are hurting our industries. However, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has been telling us for several months that countertariffs are not necessarily the best way to protect our industries, which employ all these people in my city and in my colleague's city. We need to look at the bigger picture. We have an infla…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Berthier—Maskinongé. I am very pleased to participate in today's debate. Our government is well aware of the fact that many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. They have a lot of bills to play, housing is expensive and it costs a lot to buy groceries to feed their families. However, this is something that is happening around the wo…
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Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate my colleague's clarification. Let me be clear: The commissioner could do reviews, audits and briefings to see how government programs are working and share what they find with ministers, indigenous partners and Parliament, including members opposite. Earlier in this conversation, one of the members opposite said that we could do this in question period. How many qu…
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Mr. Speaker, we enshrined in Bill C‑5 respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and extensive consultations with first nations, who are the rights holders in these areas. The creation of this agent of Parliament position, which we are proposing today, also includes a review by indigenous peoples after five years and after seven years. This would help ensure that indigenous peoples are satisfied…
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Mr. Speaker, kwe kwe, ullukkut, taanishi. I acknowledge that we are gathered today on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people, whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial. I also acknowledge that I represent the riding of Guelph, which is located on the traditional territory of the Attiwonderonk and Haudenosaunee peoples and that the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation…
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Mr. Speaker, the language being used in this context, frankly, is offensive. What we are trying to do is show transparency and accountability on treaty obligations. It is long overdue. Indigenous partners have been asking for this for 20 years. The consultations have been extensive. We are going to meet our responsibilities to the United Nations and to all our treaty partners.
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Mr. Speaker, this summer I had the pleasure of meeting Guelph's own Navika Renganathan at the Royal City Masters chess tournament held at the University of Guelph. Navika has already accomplished what many dream of. She is the reigning Canadian youth chess champion and is already representing Canada on the international stage. Here is the remarkable part: Navika is eight years old. Her achievement…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his acknowledgement of the 50th anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian flag. I am a proud Franco-Ontarian, and I can tell my colleagues that we are celebrating today in Guelph and across Ontario. I really care about the French language and culture. As members know, Guelph is also a major agricultural centre. I invite my colleagues to come visit and see the eco-pac…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a question for my colleague, who is also the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry. I wonder if he wants to confirm that rising food prices are a global phenomenon driven by a number of factors like tariffs, the supply chain and especially climate change. Does it make any sense to remove environmental regulation that seeks to temper that climate change as a driver…
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Mr. Speaker, even with Canada's success in negotiating new trade deals around the world, efforts to secure a new agreement with the U.S., and the launch of major projects, the unjustified U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos are hurting businesses of all sizes, including manufacturing and agri-food in my riding of Guelph. Will the minister responsible for FedDev please outline which new progr…
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Mr. Speaker, on August 16, Guelph General Hospital celebrated 150 years of service to Guelph and Wellington County. What began with just 12 beds and three nurses has grown into a cornerstone of care for more than 200,000 people in our region. Through its expansions and innovations over the years, Guelph General Hospital has always shown an unwavering commitment to care for the patients and familie…
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Mr. Speaker, I would first congratulate the member for Huron—Bruce on his re-election. I love to hear Conservatives talk about how we get to yes, including recycling not just of electric vehicles but, hopefully, of all vehicles. I want to recognize that new hybrid models would still be available for sale after 2035, and the purchase of used gas-powered vehicles is not prohibited, so we are working…
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Mr. Speaker, last week, the government introduced the one Canadian economy legislation. The bill removes federal internal trade barriers and advances national interest projects, providing a framework to strengthen the Canadian economy. Can the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade share what she has heard from Canadians about this very important bill?
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