Gord Johns

Madam Speaker, British Columbians rallied last month demanding fair federal ferry funding. First nations, local governments, the B.C. Chamber of Commerce, unions and residents delivered the same message. Ottawa covers 43% of East Coast Ferries' operating costs and invests hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure, which we support, but B.C. gets just 3% and loans that ferry users must repay. With fares facing 30% increases, will the government finally modernize B.C.'s 50-year-old agreement and fairly fund B.C.'s marine highway?

Madam Speaker, I have a petition from Vancouver Islanders. They highlight that indigenous and affordable housing providers, including M’akola Housing Society in British Columbia, are facing the expiration of long-standing federal operating agreements. The expiration of these agreements threatens the affordability of 528 indigenous homes across British Columbia, affecting approximately 1,775 people, including families, elders and persons with disabilities, including 42 homes in Port Alberni. Without continued federal support, these households could face rents that double or triple, putting residents at risk of housing insecurity and displacement. Provinces and territories have been calling on the federal government to renew bilateral agreements under the national housing strategy, provide long-term funding certainty and preserve existing indigenous social and affordable housing, as it is essential to addressing Canada's housing crisis and advancing reconciliation. Petitioners are calling on the government to commit to renewing and adequately funding national housing strategy bilateral agreements before existing agreements expire to ensure that indigenous housing providers and their tenants are protected from unaffordable rent increases resulting from the expiration of federal operating agreements. Lastly, they call on the government to work with indigenous housing providers, provinces and territories to establish a long-term funding framework that preserves existing affordable indigenous housing and provides housing security for current and future tenants.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table two petitions. First, I am pleased to table e-petition 7465, signed by over 700 Canadians who are concerned about cuts to Environment and Climate Change Canada's weather and climate services. The petitioners remind us that reliable forecasting, weather observation and public warning systems are essential to public safety, particularly in rural, remote and indigenous communities. This impacts lighthouse keepers and how they do their job. Petitioners call on the government to reverse cuts affecting weather forecasting and climate science, restore and maintain weather radio, protect weather observation stations, ensure adequate staffing and long-term funding, and recognize weather forecasting and climate monitoring as essential public safety infrastructure.

Madam Speaker, it is also my privilege to table e-petition 7134, sponsored by former MP Peter Julian, who is a champion of protecting coastal B.C. The petition is on behalf of Canadians concerned about proposals for a new pipeline and crude oil tanker route to British Columbia's northern coast. The petitioners point to the long-standing opposition of coastal communities and coastal first nations to crude oil tanker traffic and the importance of protecting the region's environment and conservation-based economy. Finally, they call on the government to cancel the Canada-Alberta memorandum, uphold the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act and work with coastal communities and first nations to grow a sustainable and diverse economy and ensure their full participation in future coastal project negotiations.

Madam Speaker, the motion before us cites that the Liberals have been in power for 11 years and that Canada is in an affordability crisis. Well, of course we support the motion, but the opposition's role is to hold government to account and also to be propositional. Opposition days are precious. They are an opportunity for the opposition to bring forward good proposals and force Parliament to vote on them. Right now, we have a mental health crisis and a housing crisis. We have six million people who are not attached to a doctor. The Conservatives talk about treatment and recovery. We support that, but they have no proposal on how to fix it. Why are the Conservatives tying up the House all day without bringing forward a propositional solution to solve the problems that they outlined? I appreciate them outlining the problems, but—