Patrick Weiler

Mr. Speaker, as summer comes to an end, I want to recognize the wildland firefighters who spent another season on the front lines protecting our communities. Unfortunately, this year, we saw devastation across the country, including in Summerland, where hundreds of homes and properties were lost, and near Thunder Bay, which became the largest wildfire ever recorded in Ontario's history. Closer to home, the Signal Hill wildfire was barely a kilometre away from the community of Pemberton and reminded us just how quickly a fire can grow and put lives, homes and entire communities at risk. For most of us, when we see a wildfire approaching a community, we watch in horror at the devastation it can leave behind. Wildland firefighters do the opposite. They run toward it. They work through extreme heat, smoke and dangerous terrain, often spending weeks away from their families, and the risks that they take can follow them long after they leave the fire line through the lasting health impacts of repeated exposure to smoke and other hazards. Today, I want to recognize every wildland firefighter who stepped forward this summer, and every summer, when communities needed them the most. I thank them for their courage and their sacrifice in protecting communities across our great country.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House on behalf of the people of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country to speak to Bill C-30, the spring economic update implementation act. At a time of global uncertainty, our government is focused on what we can control here at home: building a stronger, more resilient economy, making life more affordable and creating opportunities for the next generation. This is exactly what Bill C-30 would advance. Canada is already emerging as one of the world's most attractive destinations for investment. Foreign direct investment reached nearly $97 billion last year, which is the highest level in almost two decades. Surveys of global investors are showing that Canada is the most attractive place for infrastructure investment. We will need that investment, as our government understands that Canada cannot be overly dependent on one market. For decades, roughly 70% of our exports have gone to the United States. Bill C-30 is part of a broader effort to strengthen Canada's economic sovereignty by diversifying trade, supporting domestic industry and investing in Canadian productivity. Since last year alone, non-U.S. exports have increased by more than 40%, while exports to Europe continue to grow significantly. Importantly, this legislation recognizes that economic growth matters only if Canadians can actually feel it in their everyday lives. That begins with housing. Across my riding, housing affordability remains one of the defining issues that people raise with me. Young Canadians are wondering whether they will ever be able to buy a house in the communities they grew up in, while families are struggling with rising rents and housing shortages. The spring economic update responds by providing more than $7 billion in low-cost financing through the apartment construction loan program to accelerate the building of thousands of low-cost rental units across the country. Since 2019, this program has already financed over 300 below-market units in the Sea to Sky region alone. I have heard countless stories of how this has changed people's lives, from allowing people to live closer to work to allowing low-income workers to save money for their retirement for the first time. The homes and the infrastructure Canada needs do not build themselves. If Canada wants to build the housing, infrastructure, transportation and clean energy projects we talk about so often, we need skilled workers, and many more of them. This is why one of the most important components of the spring economic update is the investment in skilled trades and apprenticeships. The government is launching a nationwide effort to recruit, train and hire up to 100,000 new Red Seal skilled trades workers by 2031 through the team Canada strong program. This creates a direct pathway for young Canadians into rewarding, well-paying careers while helping address labour shortages that are delaying projects across the country. This will support Canadians through the entire process, from discovering the trades to apprenticeship opportunities, completing the technical training and ultimately achieving Red Seal certification. It is also about reducing barriers by simplifying and accelerating the certification pathway so more Canadians can enter this workforce faster. Bill C-30 would also improve labour mobility for tradespeople by increasing the labour mobility deduction from $4,000 to $10,000, lowering the threshold to access it and making it easier for workers to go where their skills are needed most. For workers who spend weeks away from home helping build critical infrastructure and housing, this matters. This legislation also contains targeted affordability measures that would make a meaningful difference for Canadians. Between mortgage payments, rising living costs and uncertainty about the future, many young Canadians are feeling stretched thin even after reaching the major milestone of buying a new home. Measures in Bill C-30 like extending the repayment grace period under the homebuyers' plan would provide relief to homeowners to ease pressure during those early critical years of home ownership. Bill C-30 would also reduce the CPP contribution rates beginning next year, helping workers and businesses keep more money in their pockets. While individually these changes may seem modest, in combination with recent measures like cutting Canadian income taxes, cutting the GST on new homes for first-time homebuyers and the groceries and essentials benefit, together they would help lower the pressure on Canadians who are already facing high costs. This legislation would also expand support for volunteer tax clinics that help vulnerable Canadians access the benefits they are entitled to. I want to give a special shout-out to Louis and the volunteers behind the local tax clinic on the Sunshine Coast, whose work helps over 3,000 residents each year access benefits and support they might otherwise miss. Their work is a powerful example of community service in action and demonstrates how local volunteers can make a difference in people's lives. At a time when global instability has contributed to rising fuel prices, Bill C-30 temporarily removes the federal excise tax on gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel until Labour Day. This is already saving Canadian drivers about 10¢ a litre and providing direct relief at the pump for the families and businesses already dealing with many pressures. In places like Sea to Sky and the Sunshine Coast, residents continue to face inexplicably high gas prices. At all times, but especially right now, the Competition Bureau should be keeping a very close eye on anti-competitive behaviour and potential price manipulation in regional fuel markets like this one, because Canadians deserve fairness, transparency and confidence that they are not paying artificially high fuel prices. Bill C-30 would support Canadian brewers by extending the 50% reduction on excise duty rates for the first 15,000 hectolitres of beer brewed in Canada. That is an amount that covers the full production for over 94% of breweries in our country. For small brewers in my riding, like Coast Mountain Brewing, the Persephone Brewing Company and Backcountry Brewing, this provides meaningful savings that can be reinvested into local jobs, equipment, expansion and community events. This legislation recognizes the importance of investing in coastal communities and marine infrastructure. Our government is investing nearly $1 billion in small craft harbours and critical infrastructure that supports fisheries, transportation, tourism and local economies. I have heard first-hand from many harbours, including the Gibsons Landing Harbour Authority, about the growing pressures facing them and the need for upgrades to support increased commercial fish harvesting and future transportation demands. At Gibsons Landing, this includes the planned electric passenger ferry service that could help provide much-needed relief for Sunshine Coast residents. At the same time, economic development must go hand in hand with environmental stewardship. Bill C-30 includes more than $160 million over five years to continue protecting Canada's whales and marine habitats on all three coasts. This would build on Canada's broader $3.8-billion nature strategy and the commitment to protect biodiversity and marine ecosystems for future generations. Last month's announcement of a new marine protected area in British Columbia the size of Prince Edward Island reinforces the importance of stewardship of our oceans while maintaining access to sustainable fish harvesting and tourism opportunities. My constituents understand that protecting marine ecosystems is not separate from economic prosperity, but essential to it, because healthy oceans support fisheries, tourism, recreation and coastal livelihoods. Food security is another key priority addressed in this legislation. As the Prime Minister said in Davos, food security is national security and, “A country that cannot feed itself, fuel itself, or defend itself has few options.” In an increasingly unstable world, shaped by supply chain disruptions, climate pressures and geopolitical instability, Canada must strengthen its domestic food production capacity. Bill C-30 and measures in the spring economic update would support that goal through supporting food production and distribution networks and, importantly, by providing immediate expensing of new greenhouse infrastructure. I have already seen how this is making a difference in my riding. The Líl̓wat Nation broke ground on a greenhouse at one end of it. On the Sunshine Coast, projects like Swiya Farms in Sechelt are focused on building large-scale, sustainable local food systems and supporting community-driven agriculture and long-term food resilience, including a large-scale greenhouse that is being planned. These are measures we are building on with last week's announcement of Canada's national food security strategy, which will increase competition to lower grocery prices, boost domestic production year-round and help local products get onto grocery shelves. I also want to highlight the investment in sports and recreation in the spring economic update. In my riding, we know first-hand the lasting impact sport can have on communities. The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games left a legacy that extends far beyond infrastructure. They inspired participation, strengthened community pride, supported tourism and created opportunities for young athletes right across the region. We have seen world-class athletes emerge from our communities, including Marielle Thompson and Trinity Ellis, but the true legacy of sports goes beyond medals. It inspires young people to get active, build confidence, develop teamwork and resilience and connect with their communities. That is why the spring economic update has a historic $755-million investment in Canadian sport that would strengthen communities and new sports programs to support national sports organizations and athletes, improve safe sport initiatives and help Canada host major sporting events. I can see my time is running short, so I will say Bill C-30 is ultimately about building a more resilient, affordable and self-reliant Canada. It would invest in housing, workers, infrastructure, affordability, coastal communities, food security and environmental stewardship. Together, we can build confidently, deliberately and together.

Mr. Speaker, oftentimes, we hear concerns from members on the other side about government spending. They seem to forget that many of the factors contributing to the affordability challenges in Canada have to do with external factors, like the trade war we are in right now. I can tell the member that our investments, including the investments in this spring economic update, like the apartment construction loan program, are making a meaningful difference. They are making life more affordable and they are tackling the main issue driving affordability challenges, which is housing.

Mr. Speaker, in my speech, I did indeed say a great deal about nature. I believe my riding is the most beautiful riding in the country. I spoke about the significant investments being made to protect whales and about the measures set out in the nature strategy. I know there are other points my colleague raised regarding pesticides, and I hope that, in committee, we will have the opportunity to investigate this properly to see if there are measures that can help mitigate the difficulties.

Mr. Speaker, certainly, the groceries and essentials benefit is going to be a major benefit for Canadians. It is up to $1,890 for a family of four. This is going to help with the high price of groceries right now, while we roll out our national food security strategy. This gets to some of the more underlining, foundational things we need to change, like more competition in the sector and giving more resources to the Competition Bureau to allow that, and making sure that we are building up our domestic supply chains to ensure that we can get more local products on the shelves.

Mr. Speaker, I will always support more funding going to our ferry system in British Columbia, but I think we need to remember that one is an interprovincial system and one is an intraprovincial system. There is federal jurisdiction to go in between provinces, and there have been significant investments in buying new ferries in the last couple of years. That works out to a benefit of over $700 million, which is actually more than Marine Atlantic is getting for its infrastructure. I think those things need to be kept in mind, but I will always support more money to make sure that we have a better ferry service in British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to celebrate the histories, cultures, languages and contributions of first nations, Inuit and Métis people across Canada. In my riding of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, we live on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Squamish, shíshálh, Líl̓wat and N'Quatqua nations. Archeological evidence from B.C. shows that indigenous peoples have lived on these lands for more than 14,000 years, representing one of the longest continuous human histories anywhere in the world. This month, communities across our region are coming together to celebrate indigenous history and culture. Whether attending syíyaya Days on the Sunshine Coast, joining National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre or learning about indigenous history from a guided Talaysay Tour in West Vancouver, there are many opportunities to learn from and celebrate the first peoples of these lands. I encourage all Canadians to take this opportunity to listen, learn and celebrate the rich indigenous heritage that continues to shape our communities and our country. [Member spoke in Ucwalmícwts]

Mr. Speaker, the spring economic update has some important new measures on the housing front: a $7-billion investment in the apartment construction loan program to build below-market rental units, and changes to the homebuyers plan. Just yesterday I met a couple: Jack, a civil engineer, and Sophie, a youth counsellor. They just bought a new home, and they are very realistic about the costs that they are facing right now with some affordability pressures. I was hoping that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister could speak a bit more about the measures in Bill C-30 and the spring economic update on housing, and how these are going to improve the outlook for young Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present petition 451-00927. The petitioners, including constituents of mine from the Sunshine Coast, want to draw attention to the fact that long COVID affects approximately 1.4 million Canadians, causing significant health and economic burdens. The amyloid microclot test is supported by global research. It can identify clots linked to long COVID, enabling targeted therapies. The test has not yet been approved by Health Canada, delaying access to critical diagnostics due to regulatory and validation barriers. The petitioners state that Canadians deserve equitable access to diagnostics to address long COVID's impact. The petitioners call upon Canada to prioritize the validation and approval of flow cytometry of amyloid microclots as a reference test, to consider funding a pilot program and to implement regulatory reforms to streamline the approval process for lab-developed tests addressing unmet medical needs like long COVID.

Mr. Speaker, Canada has what the world wants to experience: stunning coastlines, dramatic mountains and natural beauty on a massive scale. From coast to coast to coast, it is not just landscapes; it is food, culture and distinct local experiences in every region. But what truly sets Canada apart is the spirit of its people: kind, welcoming and easy to connect with. From Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, a strong tourism industry powers communities across our country. In West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, tourism is woven into the fabric of our life. Whistler's world-renowned mountains and the Sunshine Coast's stunning landscapes provide an unforgettable backdrop for visitors from across the globe. Tourism is about more than just welcoming visitors. The industry helps support one in 10 Canadian jobs and contributes over $44 billion a year to Canada's economy. Coming off the best tourism year in our history, we realize that there is more to do for tourism to reach its full potential, and that is work for all members of the House to do together. With that, I would like to wish all members a happy National Tourism Week.

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary, in his speech, talked about affordability and gave the real-world example of filling up his car just a week ago and how much that cost has increased. We have seen the price of a barrel of oil go up to almost $120. Given that Canada has what some describe as the least fuel-efficient fleet in the entire world, we are seeing that cost right now. As part of the motion from the Conservative Party, the Conservatives are talking about making sure that we align our tailpipe standards with those of the U.S. Looking at this right now, in B.C., the average price of gas is over two dollars a litre, and that is costing people over $18 to drive 100 kilometres. If we had the European standard, it would be below $10 for that same run, and if people were driving an EV, it would be two dollars. I was hoping the member could speak to why we should maybe not go down the route of aligning our tailpipe standards with those of the U.S.

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, three reports of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. First is the committee's fourth report, entitled “Marine and Coastal Protections”. The next is the fifth report, entitled “Equal Opportunities for Coastal Communities: Attribution of Redfish Quotas and Exploratory Lobster Fishing Licenses”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to the fifth report. Last but not least is the sixth report, entitled “Main Estimates 2026-27: Votes 1, 5 and 10 under Department of Fisheries and Oceans”.

Mr. Speaker, I also represent a rural region and my riding is also experiencing a labour shortage. I know that the Leader of the Opposition wants to put an end to the temporary foreign worker program. In my riding, it is really important to bring in people from different parts of the world to offset the labour shortage. My colleague spoke of a grandfather clause for people who are already here. I would support that. I want to know what my colleague would do to address the labour shortage in his riding through the measures set out in the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I think we are talking about two different things here. The member opposite mentioned the need to speed up housing writ large and to address a lot of the barriers that are at the municipal level. In fact, we have programs that are doing just that. One called the housing accelerator fund is helping municipalities speed up their permitting systems, and I have seen its impact across my riding. Today, we are talking about Build Canada Homes, which is an agency to build below-market units. We have a major need for this right across the country. I know the leader of the official opposition has called this Soviet-style housing, which he does not support, but this agency is meant for things like supportive or transitional housing for low-income folks. I am wondering if the member agrees that this is a need across the country and something that the federal government should be involved in supporting.

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to recognize the profound loss being felt by the community of Tumbler Ridge. All members of the House grieve with the families who are mourning. We stand with the students, staff and first responders who are carrying the weight of this unimaginable tragedy. In times like these, we are reminded that in sorrow, we are united as a nation. Canada will hold them in our hearts, not just today and in the years to come, but always. I want to thank all of the members who have participated in this debate on Bill C-244, the clean coasts act, for their local leadership and for sharing the all-too-familiar stories that I am hearing in my riding as well. This bill is grounded in a simple principle. Canada's marine environment is not a dumping ground, and coastal communities should not be left carrying the cost of pollution that others create. In coastal regions across the country, residents see the impacts first-hand: abandoned and derelict vessels leaking fuel into harbours and marine infrastructure left to decay, spreading plastic pollution and releasing toxins into sensitive ecosystems. These are not abstract concerns. They affect navigation safety, local economies, indigenous food security and the health of our oceans and waterways. Bill C-244 proposes two practical solutions to address these problems. First, it amends the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to clarify that marine dumping is a strict liability offence. Because of how this legislation has been interpreted to date, liability is limited to cases where the prosecution can prove that this dumping was intentional. That leaves a troubling loophole where pollution from reckless or negligent behaviour goes unaddressed. The clean coasts act addresses this gap. Second, the bill strengthens the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act by addressing a well-known tactic. Too often, owners avoid their disposal responsibilities by transferring an end-of-life vessel, typically for a nominal amount, to someone that they know cannot dispose of it properly. That is how vessels become hazards in our waterways. Some members have raised fair and important questions about how these measures would work in practice, and I would like to respond directly to those. One question has been about seller liability. Let me be clear: This bill is not about punishing good-faith sellers or ordinary Canadians making responsible transactions. The intent is narrow. Liability rises only where a vessel is transferred knowingly or recklessly to someone who lacks the ability or intention to manage it responsibly. Related to that is the question of how a seller can assess whether a buyer is fit. This bill does not require intrusive measures like interviews, credit checks or financial investigations. It requires reasonable care, not a guarantee of the future behaviour of an owner. The objective is to create clear, practical expectations that are not onerous for good-faith sellers while discouraging bad-faith transfers to avoid disposal costs. I just want to recognize that these were questions that came from the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound and the member for Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay. Members have also raised questions about enforcement and ownership tracking. We have good news. Since this debate started, Transport Canada has announced a modernization of the pleasure craft licensing system by introducing a five-year licence validity, a nominal fee for applications and renewals, and a requirement for owners to update their contact information within 30 days. However, the responsibility to report these transfers remains with the buyer. This has been a vulnerability that has been addressed by a number of members, including the member for Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, and it needs to be addressed. While these licensing changes are a step forward, we need to make sure that there are sustainable long-term resources to deal with abandoned and derelict vessels where we cannot identify the owner. For that, we need the long-awaited vessel remediation fund, which will have a small user fee and will finance the removal and proper disposal of abandoned and sunken vessels. I just want to note that the member for Courtenay—Alberni brought this up as a need. I look forward to working with him. There is also the member for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères. These vessels should never linger in these places for five years or more. Lastly, there was a concern brought forward by the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley about the wording of the new strict liability offence. I just want to confirm that this will not affect people that would observe marine dumping. This is only for those who would lead to that by their acts or omissions. I would just say that all legislation improves through study. If this legislation proceeds to committee, members will have the opportunity to hear from experts, examine the provisions carefully and propose amendments as they see fit, including any measures that are necessary to clarify some of the measures in this act. With that, I know this is a problem that all members know exists. I urge all members to support this legislation being sent to the next stage at committee.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Long Range Mountains for her speech and for supporting Bill C-19. The member opposite mentioned being honest about the impact of government policies. We have seen in the last year that gas prices have actually been reduced in Canada by about 17% to 20%. At the same time, we have seen grocery prices increase by about 5%. Does she really believe that by reducing the industrial carbon tax, it is going to have a significant impact on reducing the price of groceries in Canada? We have already seen that the price of gas going down in Canada has not had that effect.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the extraordinary life of Vi Roden, who recently passed away at the age of 102. A World War II veteran, mother, friend and tireless community activist, Vi believed that if we see injustice, we must act, and she lived by that principle. In 1978, after learning of abuses in the women's prison system, she famously phoned the Attorney General at home and made it clear that she would go to the press if action was not taken. He called back and listened, and a royal commission was launched, leading to meaningful reform. In 1980 Vi raised the funds to establish British Columbia's first counselling centre for sexually abused children. That initiative grew into Act 2 Child and Family Services, which is now a $25.5-million non-profit serving Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Even in her later years, Vi never slowed down. At the age of 101, she volunteered during the federal election campaign, as she had throughout her life, making hundreds of calls because she believed participation mattered. The world needs more people like Vi Roden. May we honour her life by carrying her compassion forward.

Madam Speaker, it is a real honour to rise today for the first time in the calendar year 2026 to speak on behalf of the constituents of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country. I wish all members of the House a very happy new year. I am looking forward to working in a spirit of collaboration as we get this year under way. I very much hope things will be different this year. Certainly things started off the right way. I heard the shift in tone from the Leader of the Opposition in response to the seminal speech from our Prime Minister at Davos. I heard the very gracious words that he shared and the commitments to pass some very important pieces of legislation for Canadians. When I heard that the Conservatives wanted to speak on a sovereignty act today, I was very excited to see if we could have a real debate about some of the major issues we have to grapple with to deal with the rupture in the global order and, frankly, the threat we have coming from south of the border, including among other things how that changes how we deal with our national security when we may not be able to rely on the United States. How can we unite our nation? How can we work with provinces? How can we work better with first nations in a spirit of partnership? How can we build our ports to access new markets? How can we buy more Canadian products? How can we have a clear-eyed plan to drive prosperity not only today but also deep into the future? However, much to my disappointment, when I actually read what was in the so-called sovereignty act, I saw that rather than dealing with these very important issues, we are getting a rehash of the same tired Conservative policy playbook that encompasses no more than a wish list of the oil and gas industry to gut Canada's environmental protections. Rather than making Canada more sovereign and looking into the future, what the Conservatives are proposing would actually further shackle us to the United States and a world that no longer exists. Rather than working to unite the nation, what has been proposed is to bully and steamroll all who disagree with them. We know that this plan has failed before and would fail again, but now is not the time to be going down that same road and playing these fruitless games. I think it would be helpful to go through a number of points within the proposed sovereignty act to really point out what it means. Among other things, the act proposes repealing the Impact Assessment Act, which, for those who do not know, is a piece of environmental assessment legislation that rationalizes the work that Canada needs to do to ensure that projects are going to mitigate the environmental impacts they have. It allows for better first nations consultation and in fact imposes strict timelines on government reviews of those projects. Frankly, since this legislation was brought in, the reviews of those projects have improved not only in quantity but also in efficiency. This is because what it replaced was the CEAA 2012 legislation, which was so poorly written that projects, after getting approved, would just find their way into the courts and be hung up for years and years. When the Conservatives call the bill the “no more pipelines act”, I think it is really telling. They do not want to talk about what would replace it. If we do not have any environmental assessment legislation, how would we even look at any different projects? Would everything just get approved no matter what? Notably they do not talk about any of the other major projects we have that could really grow our prosperity. There is no talk of things like a national electricity grid and what that could do to open up prosperity in many parts of the country, reduce electricity costs and open up new sectors. The next act the Conservatives propose repealing is the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act. This piece of legislation, which was enacted in 2018, just formalizes what has been a half-century-long agreement of Canadian government after Canadian government. It is in place to do something very important; it is about making sure we are protecting some of the most dangerous waters in our entire country. When the Conservatives talk about why it needs to be repealed, they always bring up the northern gateway project, as if the act were the piece of legislation that caused that project not to proceed. In fact that project was so poorly put together, and the consultation with first nations was so deficient, that nine first nations challenged it in court and had it overturned. When Conservatives say that just removing these pieces of legislation would open up our economy and drive it forward, what they are really hoping is that if we do not consider the environment at all and completely put aside very real concerns that indigenous rights holders have, we can move ahead with these projects. The next thing the Conservatives propose taking out is the federal industrial carbon tax. This has been in place in many different forms throughout our country. The first to bring it in was the Province of Alberta. It has led to tens of billions of dollars in investments in projects that have decarbonized our economy in really important growing sectors, as well as to finding ways to make our products less carbon-intensive, in many cases at the lowest possible cost. To think that taking the tax away would make our economy more sovereign could not be farther from the truth. By getting rid of this type of mechanism, the country would face limited market access to the European Union as it brings in a carbon border adjustment because it wants its industries to be able to compete around the world. It has this new mechanism it is bringing in starting this year, and it is not the only country. The U.K. is proposing to bring one in. Australia, Taiwan and other countries are looking to do the same. What this would tie us to are countries that do not want to take action on climate. The Conservatives also propose getting rid of the oil and gas emissions cap, but this is not even currently in place. Next they propose getting rid of the federal electric vehicle sales mandate. This is a mechanism that was put in place to ensure that Canadians can access electric vehicles. We see around the world that the adoption rate of electric vehicles is going through the roof. In Nepal it is 76%. In China it was 50% last year. The big barrier we have in Canada is that people cannot access the types of electric vehicles they want to buy. This mechanism is about ensuring that those cars are available, which also leads companies to invest in the charging infrastructure that makes it better for everybody who has adopted the technology. It is also about ensuring not only that can we buy those cars here but also that more and more of those cars are manufactured here. It is a key part. We know that a key ask of several of the United States automakers is to scrap this program, but that would be a big mistake and would reduce the choice that a lot of Canadians are looking for right now. Next I want to talk about how the act would remove the federal plastics manufacturing prohibitions. It is important to call this what it is: It is about getting rid of the ban on certain single-use plastic items that were found to be harmful to the environment and to humans. These are things like plastic bags that are finding their way into our waterways, oceans and environment. How does it make our country more sovereign to have more and more waste in our environment? Next the proposed act talks about removing the federal regulatory restrictions that impede communication and advocacy by Canadian energy companies. Again, it is important to call this what it is: It is about removing the so-called greenwashing provisions, measures that every member of the House voted in favour of just two years ago. These are measures to ensure that when a company makes a claim about itself, it has to be able to back it up with evidence. Essentially this is to deal with false and misleading advertising. Again, I do not see how our country would be more sovereign if we give the ability to companies to lie about the products and services they are putting out there. All it would do is make our country less competitive and give an unfair advantage to companies not taking the action they say they are taking. There are many things I would like to talk about, such as how we can make our country more sovereign, how we can improve our national defence, how we can make sure we buy more Canadian and how we can improve our infrastructure. I look forward to questions from my colleagues to that effect.

Madam Speaker, that gives me the opportunity to correct the record on a myth that has been put out there by many, including the Conservative Party. For over 50 years, there has been a moratorium in place on the travel of tankers through the Hecate Strait. It has been in place since 1972. There are no American tankers going through that area. They go around Vancouver Island. Getting rid of the oil tanker moratorium would not mean that we would have more American—