hazylavender/hi huggingface dataset:
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay: yes, it is somewhat incomprehensible. Honestly, I, too, am trying to find the logic in that. My colleague's interpretation makes sense. It is quite possible that this was indeed meant to make it up to the Americans, but that is ridiculous. Many countries do not even accept competitive bidding processes because defence is considered too sensitive a sector for that. Since it is such a strategic sector, national companies are automatically given priority, and bidding processes are not even launched. I emphasize the word "automatically". Here, we have the opposite situation, in other words, no bidding process, but with the aim of prioritizing an American company, to give it a free pass. It is absolutely incomprehensible.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Ms. Sylvie Berube: I thank my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe--Bagot for his very positive and important speech. We know that the needs are great in the aerospace industry. Very often, airlines do not manage to serve the markets all the time. I want to underscore the importance of supporting all our airports. I am speaking in particular of the Val-d'Or airport, which needs lighting and funding. We always have to ask the minister to provide funding with no conditions. It is often also a question of life or death for the indigenous communities of northern Quebec. How can the committee take into consideration the needs and the reality of our regions?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay: I work with my colleague who sits on the committee. Clearly, these demands will not be ignored. Of course, this also concerns the regions, as was mentioned a little earlier. The aerospace industry is not just in Montreal. It is also present in many places, in many areas. Small suppliers and small businesses are found all over. A member said earlier that it is a constellation, a cluster. I want to emphasize that point because I believe that people are not fully aware of it. Quebec is one of the three places in the world where a plane can be fully assembled. Think about it. This means that all the parts can be manufactured and assembled in Quebec. This area is sustained by this important industry. The luxury tax is a threat to at least 2,000 jobs, and some of them are definitely in the regions.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: we need to recognize that the aerospace industry is worldwide. At the end of the day, many manufacturers, both small and large, in Canada benefit by contract. For example, many would acknowledge that the F-35 is one of the top-rated aircraft in the world. Those F-35 wings are manufactured in the city of Winnipeg, at Magellan. Magellan has the expertise and skill sets that have an impact in the aerospace industry. When the member says that Canada should be purchasing Canada only, in part, he does a disservice to the expertise we have in towns across Canada. Many of those skill sets can provide for the aerospace industry worldwide. Could he provide his perspective on the importance of Canadian skills being able to capitalize on worldwide tendering projects?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Alexandre Boulerice: I apologize if I was misunderstood. I did not say that the government should be purchasing Canada only. What I said was that I do not understand why it would award a contract directly to an American company without opening a tendering process to Canadian companies that could have submitted a bid. That is the key difference. Why give a gift to Boeing when we have companies here that can make better-quality surveillance aircraft than the P-8? It is not the same thing. For the F-35s, for example, I agree that there can be positive economic spinoffs for companies, including the one in Winnipeg. An aircraft can be built from start to finish here, but that does not mean that a company will do all its work in one country. We know that. I had the opportunity to visit a Bombardier plant in Mirabel that was building the C Series at the time, before it was sold to Airbus for the A220. Some parts for the C Series were made in Ireland. It was the wings, if my memory serves me. Those parts were then brought here. I think that is part of the global model, where aircraft parts are made in different parts of the world based on each place's expertise. That is how it should be.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Sebastien Lemire: my colleague has clearly done his homework on several aspects of the report of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. I would like to take this moment to acknowledge the excellent working relationship I had with his colleague, the member for Windsor West , on the issue of the aerospace industry, in particular. The committee's report contains seven recommendations that touch on important themes: the idea of a centre of excellence, research and development, basic research, greener aircraft, energy transition, the circular economy, recycling, maintenance, innovation and procurement. The member will no doubt appreciate recommendation 7 of the report, which reads as follows: That the Government of Canada collaborate with provinces and territories to fund post-secondary training across all sectors of the aerospace industry, adequately accessible all over Canada. I believe that is one of the things the member brought up. I would also like to talk about recommendation 5, which he touched on quickly: That the Government of Canada, following consultation with industrial partners and labour representatives, develop a national strategy for its aerospace sector. That is fundamental to a vision for the future. Is the NDP ready to work with the Bloc Quebecois to put pressure on the government to implement this strategy and a vision for the future of Quebec's economy for the next 20, 30 or 50 years?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Alexandre Boulerice: the answer to that question is yes. We are prepared to work with all of the parties in the House on a national aerospace and aviation strategy. I am very honoured to have been part of the all-party caucus on the aerospace industry for the past few years. We have had a lot of discussions in that regard, and there were many panels on the subject during election campaign debates. Everyone seems to be working in good faith in order to have a comprehensive strategy and an overall vision so that we can bring all of the partners to the table, partners from the industry, the unions and the education and job training communities. We want to help the industry get ahead. Unfortunately, the Liberal government is dragging its feet. The last budget was a disappointment in this regard. Let us be clear. All this industry of excellence got in the budget was a hastily offered pittance, and yet the demand is clear. There seemed to be some signs of interest on the part of the Liberals. We need to once again take up the torch for the aerospace industry. It is high time we had a comprehensive strategy.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Alexandre Boulerice: regardless of our political stripes, I think that we all felt proud when we learned the name of the Canadian astronaut who would be part of the next mission around the moon. I want to emphasize the importance of the Canadian Space Agency within the aerospace and aviation ecosystem. The space aspect should not be overlooked. I am proud to see we are able to continue that tradition. Even if we are not a world superpower, we still have some input. We are a part of that great human adventure. I want to congratulate the astronaut on his appointment. We will be following his adventures and his journey with great interest.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Denis Trudel: the aviation and aerospace industry is really important in Longueuil. We have an airport, there is Heroux-Devtek and Pratt & Whitney. I even visited Pratt & Whitney, which is working on a hybrid electric engine. I saw it, from a distance. The company does not reveal its secrets to just anyone, but I know that it is working on it and it is important. This is an issue my colleague raised. He talked about the fight against climate change in relation to the aerospace industry. He seemed to suggest that it was not very significant, but he did highlight the fact that the industry is responsible for 3.5% of greenhouse gas emissions. If the industry were a country, it would be the 11th biggest emitter. That is actually significant. I would like my colleague to tell us more about the importance of working on this. The most radical environmentalists are telling us that no one should fly anymore. I do not think that that will happen overnight. We need to help the industry gradually migrate to hydrogen-powered electric engines, and time will tell. It is really important for us to invest in this area. I would like him to tell us more about that.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
M. Alexandre Boulerice: I would not ask my colleague to reveal Pratt & Whitney's industrial secrets, but I am pleased to hear that the company is working on this. I hope it will come up with a solution that allows the aerospace and civil aviation industries to improve their carbon footprint. I was not trying to minimize the sector's importance. I was saying that 3% is not the same as 40%, although it is important. We have to do better. Every time I take an airplane, I make a donation to a Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi program so trees will be planted to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from my flight. However, this is not a long-term solution. The industry will eventually have to improve its carbon footprint. The auto industry is currently making the transition. The inter-city bus sector is currently making the transition. Yes, we need to do more and the federal government needs to do more to support the sector and innovation for research and development to reduce the carbon record of the air transport sector, which, by the way, is not going anywhere either. I think that everyone will want to get together, meet up and visit other countries. I do not think this is ever going to stop. We can reduce, be more discerning about how often we fly. We need to encourage the industry to have a much more acceptable carbon record.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: I appreciate the member's reference to the automobile industry. It is important for us to recognize that often in different regions of the country we will find certain industries that have excelled. When we think of the automobile industry, we have to think of the province of Ontario. When we think of our aviation and aerospace industry, which is very strong and healthy, we think of the province of Quebec. We also have significant industries in Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia and even in other areas, and it all feeds into the bigger picture of Canada's aerospace industry. I say that because it is important that we recognize that there are many ways, both direct and indirect, that the government has been supporting the aerospace industry. Could my colleague provide his thoughts in terms of the worldwide impact on the aerospace industry which has been hit hard by the pandemic, leading to less demand as a direct result of the pandemic?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Bernard Genereux: I understand my colleague's question, that the pandemic had a global impact on the industry. The impact in Canada is even greater. The Canadian industry is so developed that we are not only supplying aircraft to Canadian companies such as Air Canada, WestJet and others, but we are selling aircraft, and aircraft engines and parts around the world. Obviously there was an impact. My colleague's question is interesting because he talked about the automobile sector. He said that this had repercussions across Canada, which seems obvious to me. In my riding, there is a company called Liberty Spring. It supplies half the shocks of all the vehicles built around the world. We can be extremely proud of that kind of business. Its headquarters are in Montmagny, in my riding. I am a business owner myself. We can be proud of what business owners have done to develop this industry for over a century now in Quebec and Canada. The same goes for the auto industry. These industries are not in competition, and we should not frame them as such. We all have to work together in this country.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Sebastien Lemire: I thank my generous colleague from Montmagny--L'Islet--Kamouraska--Riviere-du-Loup for his presentation today and for his collaboration. He is an important ally at the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, and I would like to point that out. There is someone else I would like to acknowledge for their leadership in preparing this study. Members know how the topic of a study is chosen. I had negotiations and interesting discussions with the other vice-chair at the time, the member for Carleton , who is now the leader of the official opposition. In view of all the points he made, the member for Montmagny--L'Islet--Kamouraska--Riviere-du-Loup spoke with the eloquence of a possible future innovation, science and industry minister. Will he pledge to support the report's fifth recommendation and ensure that it is in the next election platform of the Conservative government in waiting? Will the Conservative Party have a national aerospace policy, which would obviously be developed after consulting union representatives and industry partners? Will the Conservative Party have a formal recommendation in its next election platform? Specifically, will the leader of the official opposition support and advance that strategy?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Bernard Genereux: I must lower the member's expectations. I am far from being appointed minister. We are far from that. Actually, only one person can do that in a government, and that is the Prime Minister himself. The member is right to say that the Prime Minister is waiting. We hope he will not be waiting too long. The future Prime Minister of Canada is sitting on this side of the House. He was once a member of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. One thing is certain, we will make sure that the aerospace industry as a whole can continue to grow as robustly as possible, not only in Quebec, but right across the country.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mrs. Rechie Valdez: my hon. colleague asked our government to do more. Located in both my riding of Mississauga--Streetsville and the riding of Milton, Cyclone Manufacturing is a Canadian company that competes in the aerospace sector. Our government launched the aerospace regional recovery initiative to help companies such as Cyclone compete on the global stage and adopt clean technologies. FedDev provided Cyclone a repayable investment to develop and manufacture new complex, green aerospace parts, which will result in Cyclone commercializing up to 1,500 new greener parts. Could my hon. colleague give his thoughts on the importance of the green innovative solutions needed for the future of the aerospace industry?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Brad Vis: as I mentioned in my remarks, the Canadian aerospace regulations still fall behind those of countries such as the United States. I know that many companies in the aerospace sector have one thing in mind, and that is making a profit. How are they going to make a profit? They are going to make a profit if their planes are efficient and well maintained. That is how they are going to be greener in the Canadian context. We have to make sure that our regulations are up to date to account for even battery technology in airplanes, which is being researched effectively by scientists at NRCan here in our nation's capital. Until we get our regulations up to date, we are not going to see anything other than government announcements about it giving one company a dollar amount. We are not going to see an overall improvement to making our planes more efficient and environmentally friendly until our regulations are updated.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Sebastien Lemire: I thank my colleague from Mission--Matsqui--Fraser Canyon for his speech and, I would go so far as to say, his rigour. He is my ally when it comes to any rural issues relating to our economic development. Also, I always appreciate him making an effort to speak French. He talked about a number of recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. There is one that we have not really focused on yet, and I would like to hear his thoughts on it. It is recommendation 1: That the Government of Canada ensure that a Center of Excellence on Aeronautics 4.0 be created and that it can bring together university- and college-level expertise in this field, and that this Center increase research capabilities and development in this sector. This leads me to reflect on the whole issue of the importance of clusters. In his response, the minister stated that Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada had established five advanced manufacturing clusters in February 2018, including Scale AI on artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and the digital technologies that support the aerospace industry. However, there is no cluster or supercluster that directly involves the aerospace industry. Should such a cluster be created and is my colleague moving in that direction? I would like to hear his comments on that.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Brad Vis: I thank my colleague from the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology for his question today. It was a very long question. Perhaps I can answer the first part. It relates to the first recommendation in the report. I would like to know whether the Bloc Quebecois would support a centre of excellence for the aerospace sector in British Columbia. Will the Bloc Quebecois support the creation of good jobs in British Columbia in the aerospace sector?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Ms. Bonita Zarrillo: I want to thank the member for bringing up the reality of the flooding in the Fraser Valley and how there was a lack of access to supply chains for food, medication, and essential goods and services. I think this is a conversation we need to have about how aerospace is going to be used differently with climate change. With that in mind, does the member believe that the Liberal government understands the impacts of changing our behaviour or how climate change is affecting supply chains in this country?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Brad Vis: when the floods happened, it was really frustrating for some people on the ground in the Fraser Valley that the Royal Canadian Air Force had to ship equipment from the province of Quebec to serve the needs of British Columbia. A national aerospace strategy needs to look strategically at the capabilities of the Canadian military at large to respond to climate-related natural disasters in the province of British Columbia to ensure that we have sufficient equipment and resources to respond in the most immediate terms possible.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: I know the member from Scarborough is a strong advocate for her constituents. I referenced somewhat in my comments the importance of education and bringing that to the table. The member has recognized that there are so many opportunities for young people today to enter into a career by taking advantage of and looking at those opportunities. Whether it be in an engineering capacity or a welding capacity, all kinds of opportunities are available. We rely very much on our secondary and post-secondary facilities to support such a critical industry.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Kelly McCauley: my colleague from Winnipeg North certainly has a rather dysfunctional relationship with the truth. In fact, what he had to say matched reality about as well as his tie matches his jacket, which is not at all. The reality is that decisions made during the Louis St-Laurent government led to the forced cancellation of the Avro. I found it quite ironic that the member talked so much about Magellan and the F-35, when he and his party campaigned repeatedly on the fact that they would kill the F-35, which would cost many jobs in his riding and across Canada. The member talks a lot about supporting the aviation industry. I wonder if he could comment on his government's plan to sole-source the maritime surveillance craft to the U.S. for the P-8, instead of allowing Canadian companies such as Bombardier or PAL in Newfoundland to bid on the project. Why are the Liberals sending the jobs offshore without even allowing an opportunity for great Canadian companies to bid on the work?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: we cannot rewrite history, and history is very clear. For anyone who wants a clear indication of a lost opportunity, a simple search of Dr. Google will quickly tell them that the Avro Arrow, a leading interceptor that was ahead of its time in the late 1950s, was cancelled in 1959. If we do a Google search, we will also find that the prime minister at the time went out of his way to say that we were cancelling the program. Hundreds of jobs were lost. The member does not have to believe me; he can read the history books. We can choose what to believe, but we cannot rewrite history. Canada is looked up to, around the world, because of our procurements and tendering. We recognize that our aerospace industry is a worldwide issue. That means that, at times, when we go abroad, there are all sorts of other aerospace industry SME benefits that would be taken into consideration. It is a fairly complicated issue. The member is more than welcome to sit down with some of the departmental staff, who, I am sure, would be happy to explain the benefits of the program that the federal government provides with respect to procurement.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay: our colleague across the aisle spent a lot of his time complaining about the issues the Bloc Quebecois has chosen to address. Today, it is the report of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. He reminded the House that we devoted some opposition days to the issues of prayer and the monarchy, reminding us these were not real issues in his mind, that there were more important issues. Today we are raising the issue of aerospace. We might have expected him to applaud our choice and say that it was a good idea, that it finally allows us to talk about something that affects people, but instead he tells us that we should have talked about Bill C-27 . The question we in the Bloc are asking is quite simple. Despite the agreement between the parties to drop the debate on Bill C-27, is the member finally inviting us to discuss it and to add speakers to the debate? The Liberal position is not clear.