hazylavender/hi huggingface dataset:
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: I do not fully understand the question. If we had had, for example, an opposition day motion that gave some specific direction to the government as to what the Bloc was hoping to achieve that would ultimately have been voted on, it probably would have been more productive than bringing forward a three-hour concurrence motion and debate. I love the opportunity to talk about the aerospace industry and its strength in Quebec, Manitoba, Ontario and B.C., as well as in other regions, as I do not want to say it is in just those four jurisdictions. I believe that would have been more valuable on an opposition day than talking about a constitutional change or a change to the Standing Orders. I do think that, at times, the Bloc's priorities might be a bit mixed up.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Sebastien Lemire: I would like to conclude this debate by saying that the industry is united. The world is short some 6,000 aircraft and so far, the government's response has been timid, in the industry's words. Allow me to draw attention to the contributions of various people. We heard from 33 witnesses, including representatives from Aero Montreal. I want to thank its president and chief executive officer. We also heard from Mike Mueller of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, along with the representatives of MDA, Airbus Canada, Airbus Helicopters Canada, STELIA Aerospace St-Laurent, Telesat and Unifor. I also want to thank Renaud Gagne of Unifor Quebec. We also heard from representatives of Boeing Canada, the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace, Hexagon's Autonomy & Positioning Division, Rheinmetall Canada Inc., Boeing, Heroux-Devtek, NAV Canada, Bell Textron, and more. Consultations with industry partners and union representatives have generated a broad consensus within the industry in support of a national aerospace strategy backed by the billions of dollars needed for the industry to develop. Is the government of Canada headed in this direction?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: I recognize the incredible efforts that went into presenting the report being talked about today. Members who have provided comments thus far have been relatively encouraging in recognizing how important the industry is to the country. The inputs we have had from trade unions, from the bigger companies to the smaller companies, have been incredibly positive. The Government of Canada takes the issue very seriously, and that is one of the reasons we are investing in enhancing skills in post-secondary facilities. It is one of the reasons we continue to work with the stakeholders to ensure we continue not only to support the industry but also to see growth in the coming years. We always need to put it in the perspective of the pandemic--
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Ms. Leah Gazan: I am really proud to say that Red River College is in my riding of Winnipeg Centre. We know we could recruit a lot more students if the government were more clear about its supports for students, which are very lacking. I am wondering if my colleague would agree with me that we need to have more supports for students and greater investments in education, including moving toward free tuition for individuals wanting to enter the trades, including the aerospace industry.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: that is one of the reasons why we have seen, for the first time, the elimination of federal student loan interest. This has saved literally hundreds of dollars for students across the country and recognizes the important role that learning facilities, such as Tech-Voc or Red River College in the member's riding, play in ensuring the future prosperity of the industry as a whole. The federal government does have a role. It has been living up to that role and will continue to work with the different stakeholders to ensure we maximize the benefits of that particular industry.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Denis Trudel: I thank my colleague for her speech. I also thank my colleague from Abitibi--Temiscamingue , who led this debate this morning. It is really very important. There are many leading aerospace industries in Longueuil, including Heroux-Devtek and Pratt & Whitney, not to mention the Ecole nationale d'aerotechnique. Heroux-Devtek manufactures landing gear, and we like to say that Longueuil set foot on the moon before Neil Armstrong, since the Apollo 11 landing gear was made in Longueuil. That is very, very important to us. We have an airport back home. In recent years, I held a public consultation on the development of the Saint-Hubert airport. Development is important. We spoke about it at length this morning. Having said that, it is important that any development respect the people living there and have social licence. The industry creates a lot of air and noise pollution, especially for small regional airports. An innovation hub is being set up in Longueuil. We are also establishing a cutting-edge industry focusing on the development of electric motors, in particular electric batteries. The Government of Quebec will probably invest in it. I would like to know if my colleague could support this project to ensure that the federal government contributes financially, which would make our little airport a leading-edge airport and a really strategic airport--
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Ms. Lena Metlege Diab: I really appreciate my colleague from Longueuil--Saint-Hubert. We worked together in the area of francophone affairs. I am very proud to be in the House with him this morning and to answer his question. I know that he is a proud Quebecker. The Government of Canada looks forward very much to working with all colleagues from Quebec and those from all the other provinces in the House of Commons.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Tony Baldinelli: like my hon. colleague, I have aerospace companies in my riding. I have Airbus Helicopters. Throughout the country, Airbus employs 4,000 people, including 250 in my riding alone. Airbus Helicopters has been in my community for almost 40 years. Dwayne Charette, the president and COO of Airbus Helicopters, spoke during committee hearings on this specific issue. He identified the disconnect between post-secondary educational offerings and the type of advanced manufacturing skills required in the aerospace sector. Could the member talk about the need for the government to create a program or to respond to the gap that exists between educational institutions and advanced manufacturing companies in the aerospace sector?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Ms. Lena Metlege Diab: I thank my colleague for the very important question. He is definitely correct that education is key. It is key for our younger people, and quite frankly, for anybody of any age. These industries are specialized, and we need to create a lot more opportunities to take advantage of the great colleges, universities and programs that we have across Canada. The Government of Canada very much looks forward to working with our provincial partners and educational institutions to do exactly that.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Blake Desjarlais: I have a question that directly relates to recommendation 3 of the committee's report. It is no secret that Canadian aerospace has benefited workers right across the country, but there is certainly an economy that exists within aerospace beyond just the navigation of these flights; for example, there is the actual maintenance of the equipment. It is important that we support, invest and actually find ways to have local, domestic manufacturers produce some of these parts. Does the member agree that recommendation 3 has aspects of what we need to see?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Kelly McCauley: I used to be on the board of the Alberta Aviation Museum, so I invite my colleague to come to Edmonton to see probably one of the very best aviation museums. We actually have a Super Sabre there, which I believe is the first physical plane to break the sound barrier in Canada. Getting back to the maritime surveillance aircraft that Canada is looking to procure and sole-source, does the member believe that the government should be going to an open competition, perhaps to see if there are Canadian companies or more jobs created in Canada for that, rather than simply sole-sourcing it to the U.S.?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia: I hope to some day have the opportunity to visit that museum; I am sure it is quite impressive. In terms of the surveillance plane, my understanding is that a decision has not been made. It is not a file that I follow as closely as perhaps my colleague and others do. What I am hoping for and what I believe will happen is that the government will put together an approach to make sure that wherever the plane is manufactured, there are economic benefits for Canada. I trust and hope that will be the case.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Sebastien Lemire: I thank the member for Lac-Saint-Louis for his speech. I would like to know whether he is prepared to get personally involved and pressure his party and the Liberal government to put in place a truly national aerospace strategy. Would he support recommendation 1 to create a centre for excellence on aeronautics 4.0, along with college and university centres of expertise in the field, so it can increase our research and development capacity and Montreal's small and medium-sized ecosystem as a whole? I think that Montreal would be quite willing to house such a centre. Can I count on my colleague's support?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia: as a member from the Montreal area, I support any investment that strengthens the region's economy. I do not follow this file as closely as my colleague does, but I believe the government issued a report last summer on the state of the Canadian aerospace industry. I assume this report provided an overview of the industry's economic impact. I expect the report will be used as a basis for a future strategic approach to this industrial sector.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Blake Desjarlais: I want to speak specifically about recommendation 5, in relation to a national strategy. It is no secret that it is needed right across the country. Canadians deserve an aerospace sector that actually delivers not just for consumers and for our country, but also for the workers within it. Especially with the economic conditions of the country right now, where we are seeing signals of a recession, we need to actually see management and labour come together in better ways so there will be a benefit for everyone. We know the government sometimes struggles with ensuring that labour and management co-operate. We are seeing that right now; we just need to look outside, not too far. What are the member's thoughts on ensuring that we actually see a national strategy that brings all these partners together in a fair and consistent way?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia: this is a good question, but it presumes that the government has not been making strategic investments all these years in the industry, and it has. It is part of an evolving approach that becomes a strategy over time. In terms of labour-management relations, I am not familiar with problems in that relationship, but I am sure industry and labour work pretty closely together, and I hope they continue to work closely together to promote the industry and make it stronger in Canada.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: I could not help but notice that the member made reference to Elon Musk and the fact that his SpaceX company's rocket blew up, which he says is good news, because that means more research and technology. The member seems to be a big fan of the private sector. Now, I am thinking, and I am sure my colleague, the member for Abbotsford , is thinking too just wait a minute. John Diefenbaker, on the Avro Arrow, destroyed the program, which was not good news. All this science and technology and advances have been lost as a result of a bad decision by a former prime minister. Does the member not recognize that maybe the government does have a role to play in terms of research and technology, something that we have been doing and supporting in the aerospace industry for the last number of years as a government, or does he believe that the private sector, people like Elon Musk, is better off to advance the aerospace industry?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Ryan Williams: Elon Musk is doing great things. I wish the member had listened to a bit more of my speech. The government has a role. The problem is the government has not been playing the role it needs to with the industry. The industry has spoken to our committee, and the industry has stated that it wants the government's role to be more in R&D and target specific, and that government should announce aerospace is a growing, specific, major sector for Canadian industrial policy. Then it should play the role it needs to. At first-stage innovation, government should put money into growing companies, and then let the private sector commercialize the IP of those companies and make all the money they can, so they provide paycheques to Canadians.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Ms. Niki Ashton: I also want to share my surprise at the defence of Elon Musk and the SpaceX rocket that just blew up. While there was some reference to that being problematic, we need to cycle back and recognize that Elon Musk and anyone seeking to profit off space or space exploration is very problematic. We need to be talking about what is in the interest of the public good. Speaking about Elon Musk, I also want to acknowledge, besides aerospace, this is somebody who is making major profits off communities, particularly in our riding, when it comes to the service delivery of Internet. That is because the federal government has abdicated its responsibility. Both Conservative and Liberal governments have failed to deliver accessible, affordable, quality Internet to so many communities in our region. It is time for the federal government to step up on aerospace and on Internet provision. Will the member recognize that we should not be here defending Elon Musk, and instead we should be defending Canada's role in seeking the public good when it comes to space?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Ryan Williams: we could get into debate about whether socialism is really something that provides wealth to its citizens or just takes away from its citizens. On this side of the House we really believe in private capital and a capitalist society that has been beneficial to Canadians. Its powerful paycheques could provide wealth to Canadians, instead of having the government run deficit after deficit until Canadians are broke. Certainly this country is broken. We really believe in the private sector, and that Canadians can and will create good jobs, great ideas and provide powerful paycheques for their own citizens, for the people here in Canada. Conservatives will always stand on the side of those citizens.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mrs. Julie Vignola: my colleague on the other side mentioned the Avro Arrow project several times. The project was scrapped by Mr. Diefenbaker, but the initial push to sideline it began under St. Laurent's Liberal government. The current Liberal government has also ignored an airline that wanted to develop the aviation sector further by supplying aircraft. Instead, the government turned to a U.S. company that played a role in the demise of the Avro Arrow. What are my colleague's thoughts on the matter?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Ryan Williams: I agree. The whole point is we need to look at Canadian companies and Canada's role in contributing to the aerospace sector, not only in Canada but in North America. We have a lot of great companies that already contribute to some of the procurement projects that are happening in the U.S. Let us face it, there are a lot of procurement projects coming from the U.S. that we can contribute to, that we should be playing a greater role in, not just a small role but a bigger role. The government's role is to ensure that we have the research and development, and to ensure that we have the funding for first-stage innovation. Then, it is the private sector's role to develop and commercialize that next sector, so they could carry it on. That is what we want to happen. That is what we are going to have under a Conservative government.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: that is not true. Through procurements, contracts and the enhancement of skills and during the pandemic, we have seen direct and indirect supports to Canada's aerospace industry. The government has consistently, from day one, recognized the importance of the industry and invested appropriately and accordingly. What surprises me to a certain degree is what the Conservative member is saying about having a luxury tax applied to the wealthiest. Many Canadians believe in paying taxes but say that it should be fair. It is just like when we brought in a tax increase for Canada's wealthiest 1%, which the Conservatives voted against. What does the Conservative Party of Canada have against Canada's wealthiest 1% having to pay a fair share of taxes?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Rick Perkins: what the Conservative Party is against is taxes that kill jobs and kill industry, which is the habit of the government. I just went through a speech saying that over 750 jobs had already been lost in the aerospace and jet-manufacturing industries because of the government. If that is support for an industry, I do not want support for anything I do in the future.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Sebastien Lemire: I thank my colleague and fellow vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology for his powerful speech today. I would like to know whether he would agree, as per recommendation 2, that the government put in place significant financial incentives for basic research, to develop a greener aircraft and expertise in the energy transition of this industry through green technologies. I would add to that the importance of having predictable funding. Predictability is absolutely essential for this industry. There needs to be a national aerospace policy that will allow us to ensure sustainable funding for the next 15 or 20 years, because that is how many years of R and D it takes to build an aircraft.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Rick Perkins: I enjoy sitting on the industry committee with the member. We are doing good, collegial work together on it. On that particular issue, I absolutely agree. Part of the challenge of what happened when the government created the strategic investment fund, or SIF, program is that it collapsed other tax credits for specific industries to help with the very issue the member is talking about. That issue is that the government lost the sectoral focus in how to support the aerospace industry on issues like greening the engines and the fuel usage of aircraft in Canada. This is another thing the government has done to hurt the aerospace industry.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Blake Desjarlais: in this place, I find it is often our goal to disagree without being disagreeable. I believe this member often does that in an extraordinary way, and I respect him for that. However, I do have comments directed to the many lengthy speeches the Conservatives have made today and the great appetite they have for the companies that are seeking federal funds. They often talk in this place about how evil socialism is or how evil it is to help regular, everyday people in this country. However, when companies come to the table asking for money, whether it is big oil companies, big banks, or in this case, aerospace mega-companies, all of a sudden, they are for it. Whether in tax breaks or other means of revenue generation, it is like coming to the government trough. How does the member reconcile the fact that his party is so willing to support massive corporations but does not allow that same opportunity for single moms, persons with disabilities or those who need the government's support most?
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Rick Perkins: I will first answer the part about why we do not support socialism. It is because it has failed everywhere and reduced economies to totalitarian regimes. Everywhere socialism has been tried as a government entity, we have seen less freedom. That is why we do not support it. We think freedom creates opportunity, and the capitalist system produces the opportunity and the profit incentive that moves--
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
The Assistant Deputy Speaker: I appreciate the point of order. I also mentioned yesterday that it is very important for members who are speaking or asking questions to make sure that they put their phones on silent or somewhere other than their lecterns, because the microphones definitely pick up sound. This is hard on interpreters, and we want to make sure they can work safely. The hon. member has 30 seconds to finish his response.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Date: 2023_04_20
Chamber: HOUSE OF COMMONS
Mr. Rick Perkins: I think I dealt with the socialism part well. On the capitalist side, the profit incentive creates invention, which is what moves society forward. That is why the member has an iPhone or Samsung phone in his pocket that he uses to help him do his job. That is why he has a Microsoft Surface laptop from the House of Commons, a nice thin computer, to do his job. Those things are all inventions created by a capitalism profit motive.