Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2024-05-27 23:45:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Tako Van Popta (Langley\u2014Aldergrove, CPC)",
        "fr": "M. Tako Van Popta (Langley\u2014Aldergrove, PCC)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"8424737\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Mr. Speaker, tonight we are talking about Bill <a data-HoCid=\"12458211\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-49/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada\u2014Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-49</a>, an act to amend the Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord. I am a member of Parliament from the other end of the country, the Pacific Coast, and it is a real honour for me to be joining in the debate about something that is so important to Canada. It goes to show that Canada really is a nation from sea to sea. I am from the other ocean, but it is wonderful to be here with my colleagues who are very knowledgeable about what happens on the Atlantic Coast. Listening to the speeches tonight, I have learned a lot about that part of my country.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424738\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Bill <a data-HoCid=\"12458211\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-49/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada\u2014Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-49</a> would impose, unfortunately, many of the Liberals' failed environmental assessment initiatives that have been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada for infringing on provincial jurisdiction. It was a real surprise for me, as I delved into this bill, to see that the Liberals would take the risk of incorporating a lot of the failed clauses of Bill <a data-HoCid=\"9630600\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-69/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-69</a>, which we call the \u201cno more pipelines\u201d bill, into this very important legislation about improving the economy of the Atlantic Coast, and I wonder why they would do that. The last thing that investment dollars and investment entrepreneurs want is risk. It has been pointed out before that this bill poses a political risk that is going to drive away investment. Here is a proof point that I think is really clear. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424739\" data-originallang=\"en\">In 2022, there were five offshore land bids in Newfoundland and Labrador at a value of $238 million. If we move forward five months to May 30, 2023, about a year ago, when Bill <a data-HoCid=\"12458211\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-49/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada\u2014Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-49</a> was first introduced, which is not law yet. Business people read it and said that they did not want to take that risk, and in 2023, there were zero bids. That is just a really clear example of what happens when the government introduces legislation that does nothing more than introduce a lot of uncertainty into the mix. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424740\" data-originallang=\"en\">If we take a look at what happened with the TMX pipeline, Kinder Morgan, which is a risk-taking company with very deep pockets, was willing to take on the challenge of twinning the pipeline, which had been in existence for 70 years with very little environmental risks involved. It started the project to twin that pipeline, which seemed like a very common-sense project to undertake, and it was, until the federal government started imposing environmental regulatory red tape that really did not do anything but slow down the project. Finally, Kinder Morgan said that it was out of there because it did not want that risk anymore. It is a business that wants to make money, and it could see that there was way too much risk there, so it pulled out. It was willing to walk away from its multi-billion dollar investment at that point. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424741\" data-originallang=\"en\">However, the Liberal federal government said that it needed that pipeline and that it could not let it go unfinished. It picked up the project for $5 billion, which was going to cost $7 billion altogether to complete it. In fact, the project is now finished, finally, but at a cost of $35 billion. The federal government is now saying it is for sale, but who is going to buy it? Certainly, no one would buy it for $35 billion. That is what happens when government gets into business. It should just stay out of business and let private enterprise do what it does best, which is to undertake projects that have a very good opportunity for earning a profit. I know \u201cprofit\u201d is a bad word with the NDP-Liberal government, but let me assure members that private enterprise runs on profit. Profit drives innovation, competition and investment and creates wealth. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424742\" data-originallang=\"en\">This is very important to Canada, because our productivity numbers are lagging compared to our trading nations, and this has been pointed out on many occasions. It was recognized by the former Liberal minister of finance, Mr. Bill Morneau, in the book he wrote after he left government, after he was released from the Liberal Party's talking points. He said he had pointed out to the current <a data-HoCid=\"214296\" href=\"/politicians/justin-trudeau/\" title=\"Justin Trudeau\">Prime Minister</a> that one of Canada's biggest economic challenges was its lagging productivity numbers.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424743\" data-originallang=\"en\">Here is a nice, neat example of what exactly that means when compared to the United States. For every American worker who pumps in $100 into their economy, their Canadian counterpart, doing exactly the same kind of work, pumps $70 into Canada's GDP. We are 70% as productive as the United States. Does that mean that we do not work as hard? No, of course not. We are very hard-working and industrious people.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424744\" data-originallang=\"en\">However, we do not have the tools, investment, creativity and tax fairness here in Canada. That is what is causing our productivity numbers to lag. That goes to the wealth of the nation. It goes to the wealth of individual people. This is what Mr. Morneau had pointed out to Mr. Trudeau on what he said were numerous occasions. He said\u2014</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"8424737\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, ce soir, nous d\u00e9battons du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"12458211\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-49/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada\u2014Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C\u201149</a>, qui modifie l'Accord atlantique de Terre\u2011Neuve\u2011et\u2011Labrador. Je suis un d\u00e9put\u00e9 de l'autre bout du pays, sur la c\u00f4te du Pacifique, et c'est un v\u00e9ritable honneur pour moi de participer au d\u00e9bat sur un dossier national aussi important. Le Canada est vraiment un pays qui va d'un oc\u00e9an \u00e0 l'autre. Je vis pr\u00e8s de l'autre oc\u00e9an, mais il est merveilleux d'\u00eatre ici avec mes coll\u00e8gues qui connaissent tr\u00e8s bien ce qui se passe sur la c\u00f4te de l'Atlantique. J'ai appris beaucoup sur cette r\u00e9gion en \u00e9coutant les discours de ce soir.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424738\" data-originallang=\"en\">Malheureusement, le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"12458211\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-49/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada\u2014Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C\u201149</a> imposerait bon nombre des d\u00e9sastreuses initiatives lib\u00e9rales en mati\u00e8re d'\u00e9valuation environnementale qui ont d\u00e9j\u00e0 \u00e9t\u00e9 jug\u00e9es inconstitutionnelles par la Cour supr\u00eame du Canada parce qu'elles empi\u00e9taient sur la comp\u00e9tence provinciale. En examinant de plus pr\u00e8s le projet de loi, j'ai \u00e9t\u00e9 tr\u00e8s surpris de constater que les lib\u00e9raux ont pris le risque d'y incorporer un grand nombre de vaines dispositions provenant du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"9630600\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-69/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C\u201169</a>, que nous qualifions de mesure anti-pipelines. Je me demande pourquoi ils l'ont fait. La mesure \u00e0 l'\u00e9tude actuellement est une mesure l\u00e9gislative cruciale qui vise \u00e0 am\u00e9liorer l'\u00e9conomie de la c\u00f4te atlantique. Or, quand on veut attirer les investissements et les investisseurs, la derni\u00e8re chose qu'il faut, c'est du risque. Comme certains l'ont d\u00e9j\u00e0 soulign\u00e9, ce projet de loi pr\u00e9sente un risque politique qui fera fuir les investisseurs. Voici un exemple qui le montre tr\u00e8s clairement, selon moi.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424739\" data-originallang=\"en\">En 2022, cinq offres portant sur des territoires extrac\u00f4tiers de Terre\u2011Neuve\u2011et\u2011Labrador ont \u00e9t\u00e9 pr\u00e9sent\u00e9es, pour une valeur de 238 millions de dollars. Cinq mois plus tard, le 30 mai 2023, il y a environ un an, le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"12458211\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-49/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada\u2014Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C\u201149</a> a \u00e9t\u00e9 d\u00e9pos\u00e9; rappelons d'ailleurs qu'il n'est toujours pas adopt\u00e9. Apr\u00e8s l'avoir lu, les gens d'affaires ont d\u00e9clar\u00e9 qu'ils n'\u00e9taient pas pr\u00eats \u00e0 prendre un tel risque. Par cons\u00e9quent, en 2023, il n'y a eu aucune offre. Cet exemple montre tr\u00e8s clairement ce qui se produit lorsque le gouvernement pr\u00e9sente un projet de loi qui ne fait que cr\u00e9er beaucoup d'incertitude.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424740\" data-originallang=\"en\">Pensons \u00e0 ce qui s'est pass\u00e9 avec l'ol\u00e9oduc TMX de Kinder Morgan, une entreprise qui prend des risques et qui a d'\u00e9normes ressources financi\u00e8res. Elle \u00e9tait pr\u00eate \u00e0 relever le d\u00e9fi de doubler le pipeline qui existait depuis 70 ans avec tr\u00e8s peu de risques environnementaux. Elle a commenc\u00e9 le projet de jumelage du pipeline, ce qui semblait \u00eatre un projet plein de bon sens \u2014 et il l'\u00e9tait \u2014, jusqu'\u00e0 ce que le gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral impose un fardeau administratif li\u00e9 \u00e0 la r\u00e9glementation environnementale qui n'a servi \u00e0 rien d'autre qu'\u00e0 ralentir le projet. Enfin, Kinder Morgan a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 qu'elle ne voulait plus courir ce risque. C'est une entreprise qui veut faire de l'argent, et elle a vu qu'il y avait beaucoup trop de risques, alors elle s'est retir\u00e9e. \u00c0 ce moment-l\u00e0, elle \u00e9tait pr\u00eate \u00e0 abandonner son investissement de plusieurs milliards de dollars.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424741\" data-originallang=\"en\">Cependant, le gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral lib\u00e9ral a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 qu'il avait besoin du pipeline et qu'il ne pouvait pas le laisser inachev\u00e9. Il l'a repris pour 5 milliards de dollars, et le chantier devait co\u00fbter 7 milliards de dollars au total. Le projet est maintenant termin\u00e9, enfin, mais il a en fait co\u00fbt\u00e9 35 milliards de dollars. Le gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral dit maintenant que le pipeline est \u00e0 vendre, mais qui va l'acheter? Ce ne sera certainement pas pour 35 milliards de dollars. Voil\u00e0 ce qui arrive lorsque le gouvernement se lance en affaires. Il devrait simplement ne pas se m\u00ealer d'affaires pour plut\u00f4t laisser les entreprises priv\u00e9es faire ce qu'elles font le mieux, c'est-\u00e0-dire entreprendre des projets qui ont de tr\u00e8s bonnes chances de g\u00e9n\u00e9rer du profit. Je sais que le mot \u00ab profit \u00bb est a une mauvaise connotation aupr\u00e8s du gouvernement n\u00e9o-d\u00e9mocrate\u2014lib\u00e9ral, mais je me permets d'indiquer aux d\u00e9put\u00e9s que l'entreprise priv\u00e9e fonctionne sur la base du profit. Le profit stimule l'innovation, la concurrence et l'investissement, et il cr\u00e9e de la richesse. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424742\" data-originallang=\"en\">C'est tr\u00e8s important pour le Canada parce que notre productivit\u00e9 est \u00e0 la tra\u00eene par rapport \u00e0 celle d'autres pays commer\u00e7ants, et on l'a soulign\u00e9 \u00e0 maintes reprises. L'ancien ministre lib\u00e9ral des Finances Bill Morneau l'a reconnu dans le livre qu'il a \u00e9crit apr\u00e8s avoir quitt\u00e9 le gouvernement et s'\u00eatre ainsi lib\u00e9r\u00e9 de l'obligation de s'en tenir aux discours pr\u00e9m\u00e2ch\u00e9s du Parti lib\u00e9ral. Il a dit qu'il avait signal\u00e9 \u00e0 l'actuel <a data-HoCid=\"214296\" href=\"/politicians/justin-trudeau/\" title=\"Justin Trudeau\">premier ministre</a> que l'un des plus grands probl\u00e8mes \u00e9conomiques du Canada r\u00e9side dans son faible taux de productivit\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424743\" data-originallang=\"en\">Voici un bon exemple qui montre tr\u00e8s bien l'\u00e9tat de la situation par rapport \u00e0 celle des \u00c9tats\u2011Unis. Pour chaque travailleur \u00e9tatsunien qui injecte 100 $ dans l'\u00e9conomie de son pays, un travailleur canadien qui fait exactement le m\u00eame genre de travail injecte 70 $ dans le PIB du Canada. Notre productivit\u00e9 \u00e9quivaut donc \u00e0 70 % de celle des \u00c9tats\u2011Unis. Est-ce parce que nous ne travaillons pas aussi dur? Bien s\u00fbr que non. Nous sommes des gens tr\u00e8s travaillants et industrieux.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8424744\" data-originallang=\"en\">Cependant, au Canada, nous n'avons pas les outils, les investissements, la cr\u00e9ativit\u00e9 et l'\u00e9quit\u00e9 fiscale n\u00e9cessaires. C'est ce qui fait que notre productivit\u00e9 tire de l'arri\u00e8re. La richesse du pays et de la population s'en ressent. C'est ce que M. Morneau aurait selon lui signal\u00e9 \u00e0 M. Trudeau \u00e0 de nombreuses occasions. Il a dit...</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2024/5/27/tako-van-popta-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/tako-van-popta/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4544/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "12765035",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": "Ordres \u00e9manant du gouvernement"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act",
        "fr": "La Loi de mise en \u0153uvre de l'Accord atlantique Canada\u2014Terre\u2011Neuve\u2011et\u2011Labrador"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2024/5/27/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2024%2F5%2F27%2F"
    }
}