Kody Blois
Kings—Hants, Nova Scotia · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I will give the Conservatives credit. They are now talking about actual measures that could support affordability, but I would ask them where they have been for the last number of months and years.”
“Mr. Speaker, we recognize that there are challenges across the country. That is exactly why we cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. It is why we have put in the groceries and essentials rebate. It is why we have doubled down on social programs that matter for everyday Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, may I respectfully ask why that member votes against the measures that support the good people of Oshawa and the people across this country? As we said in the last answer, we are here fighting for Canadian industry and business. That member has voted against tax cuts for Canadians.”
“Madam Speaker, what I find quite remarkable is that in the Conservatives' questions there is never a recognition that the U.S. administration has imposed tariffs on some of our key sectors in this country. We are continuing to make the case to try to remove them.”
“Madam Speaker, we know the challenges for certain sectors in the Canadian economy on aluminum, on steel, on auto and forestry. Our Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade and our ambassador in Washington, Janice Charette, who has been appointed, are engaging with the U.S. administration. The member talked about jobs.”
“I give credit to the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Health , who have focused quite intensely on the ability to have an economic lens around the decisions of what was formerly called the Pest Management Regulatory Agency and also of the CFIA.”
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“They have not shown up in the House of Commons to actually introduce a piece of legislation. They have, on a piece of paper, put together a few thoughts, and I would argue a number of those thoughts are actually not comprehensive to the work that is expected not only of parliamentarians but of major political parties here in Canada. I want to start by recognizing that this is not legislation. We heard questions in the House today from opposition members who were talking about legislation they had put before the House. There is nothing of the like, so it is important that we start with that premise. The Conservatives do have a little bit of work to do to sharpen their pencils and show up in this place with actual legislation in place and not just half-baked ideas. Second, let us take a look at what they have put on paper.”
“Mr. Speaker, I know a lot of members are sticking around because they are excited for the speeches after question period. I look forward to engaging in today's opposition day motion, presented by the hon. member for Battle River—Crowfoot . I would like to recognize that I will splitting my time this afternoon with my hon. colleague from LaSalle—Émard—Verdun . He is an exceptional member, and I look forward to his remarks after mine. This is an opposition day motion that the Conservatives have put forward calling for legislation to be called the Canada sovereignty act, and then laying out a series of considerations they would like to see in that said act. It is important for Canadians to understand at home, though, that the Conservatives have not done their homework. They have not come to Parliament prepared.”
“We do not disagree that, of course, the United States will remain an important trading partner, but this government is looking to diversify. Does she really believe from her position in the Conservative Party that we should not have done this for Canadian farmers, that we should not have opened up markets with the second-largest economy in the world? Is that her position?”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to give my hon. colleague some good news. Some of the things she talked about, in terms of driving the economy forward, actually reside in Bill C-15 , which is still before Parliament. I would encourage the member and her Conservative colleagues to work collectively with the government to advance those measures. The question I have for the hon. member is this: She represents a rural riding. She has a lot of farmers in her riding. She talked quite negatively about the engagement of the trade arrangement that the government has established with China, which is removing tariffs from five billion dollars' worth of exports that are being tariffed right now. That matters for the prairie provinces; that matters in Atlantic Canada on seafood.”
“To everyone who contributed and supported this wonderful holiday tradition, my thanks for making Hants County and our communities across Kings—Hants an even greater place to call home, especially at this time around the Christmas season. I would like to take this opportunity to wish a merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone back home in Kings—Hants.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Hants County Christmas Angels is a long-standing tradition in Kings—Hants, dating back to 1977, that is truly the definition of community and Christmas spirit. Every year, this volunteer organization seeks to raise funds to support local families in need. This year was exceptional. Over the course of a day filled with local musicians and local performances, $93,108 was raised for families in need right in Hants County. I would like to congratulate hon. chair Lisa Bland, 2025 coordinator Lianne Perry and the entire volunteer board of directors for their contribution to this significant effort.”
“Madam Speaker, what elements of the MOU that Premier Danielle Smith and the government have committed to does the member not support? It is very clear, as he reads the MOU, that we are willing to support a pipeline to tidewater in the Pacific. We believe it has to be a private proponent, that we have to have indigenous co-operation and, obviously, buy-in and dialogue with British Columbia. What elements of the MOU does he not support? This is why the Conservative Party has not actually put this before the House today: The party cannot agree on certain elements. Which element does he not agree with in the MOU that Premier Danielle Smith signed on to herself?”
“Madam Speaker, yes, we do, with the conditions we have laid out in the MOU, which are working with indigenous communities across this country, working in good faith with the British Columbian government and also ensuring that Alberta commits to the elements that are in the MOU, which the Conservative party failed to put before the House verbatim.”
“Madam Speaker, the proposed agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta includes some very important measures for the environment. It includes, in particular, the Government of Alberta's commitment to increase industrial carbon pricing. That is a key element that will help us ensure that we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Other commitments include working with the Government of Canada on methane regulations as well as carbon capture, utilization and storage. These measures are absolutely crucial. The Government of Alberta must work with the Government of Canada on federal measures and initiatives. Our government must be able to work with the Government of Alberta to achieve our energy and environmental goals.”
“They do not support the MOU because of the talk about industrial carbon pricing and methane reductions. They do not have the support of their party to stand up and support the MOU in the House, which is why they cherry-pick. Quickly, on Newfoundland and Labrador, I was in St. John's to celebrate Cenovus's extension of West White Rose. We fully support the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore oil and gas sector. Our government is willing to work, as I have made very clear, and willing to have conversations with Premier Wakeham's government on Bay du Nord. We believe in the sector.”
“Madam Speaker, I may play the role of Santa and walk a Q-tip over to my hon. colleague to make sure that he can hear me and that there may not be an impediment with the speech I just gave. I made it very clear that if the Conservative Party had tabled the entire MOU before the House, we would be gladly supporting it. There is an interconnectivity to this. We do support oil and gas. I spoke very proudly about my own home province and the connection to my own riding, where I have a lot of workers who work in the natural resource sector. Whether it is in his home province or western Canada, we are proud as a government about this. The Conservatives come in, cherry-pick and do not allow the elements that support emissions reductions. That is the party that is fractured. They could never have supported the MOU.”
“I am of the belief that if we are going to completely decarbonize the process of establishing and developing bitumen in western Canada, we are going to have to use nuclear energy, but we are going to have to use energy interties, utilizing the hydroelectricity that exists in British Columbia for the benefit of the entirety of western Canada. None of this is mentioned in the Conservatives' MOU motion. It has none of the work on the methane reduction or the work on AI data centres and the work we can do together. I am going to leave it at that, but that is the problem and that is why we cannot support the MOU today. I look forward to questions from my hon. colleagues.”
“I am not saying there are not some individual members on that side who bring that level of nuance to the conversation, but, boy, it cannot be found in the leadership of that party. For the benefit of Canadians at home, all we have been hearing about is one aspect of the MOU. It is extremely important to note that we would be willing, as a government, to adjust, as necessary, a tanker ban on the Pacific coast. We would not implement emissions caps as long as Alberta is strengthening its industrial carbon price. Alberta is also committed to working on carbon capture, utilization and storage, a $25-billion to $30-billion industrial project that would be important in sequestering carbon emissions and helping to ensure that Canadian oil is some of the lowest-intensity oil in the world. It is also working on nuclear energy co-operation.”
“That is the type of politics that tries to cherry-pick, which we will see on social media tonight. We have already seen on social media these “gotcha” clips with no context, going out to people in 45 seconds. It would be a pretty ugly sight to see the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle come up on a screen today, screaming that the Liberals do not support pipelines. That is not what will happen, because we were the ones who supported the TMX pipeline being built and we were the ones who worked with former premier Rachel Notley to make sure that it happened. Our government has balance. We are trying to make sure that we develop our natural resources, while also having a thought about what we have to do for future generations to reduce emissions. That level of nuance is just not found on the opposition benches whatsoever.”
“That is why they will not put the entire MOU before the House of Commons. That is where the difference is. Make no mistake that this government supports the ability for a pipeline to be built by a private proponent, with the support of and consultation with the indigenous peoples who would be affected by a pipeline going through their territory and, of course, working in good faith with British Columbia. We are supportive of this. This is exactly why the Prime Minister has been working with Premier Smith in Alberta to develop this MOU. Something has been tabled before the House that cherry-picks an element the opposition wants to highlight, without giving the entire context of the other considerations in the MOU that are interrelated and connected.”
“If the MOU was in its entirety before this place, then yes, the government would be voting in support of it. It was too cute by half to see the leader of the official opposition move an amendment today to try to add a few more tidbits of the MOU. It was not the whole MOU, but the parts his party could support. My God, they would never put that entire MOU before the House, because they would never admit to the fact that Alberta is focused on working with us to help reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. They would never admit to or support the idea that we need to have a strong, robust industrial carbon price to make sure that we reduce emissions while also promoting conventional energy in this country. They do not want to admit that Premier Smith is supportive of that.”
“They seem to understand the balance between natural resource development and the responsibility to do the work to reduce emissions. We never hear that from the opposition benches here in the House of Commons. A different strain of Conservatism exists in the federal Conservative Party versus the red Tory or Progressive Conservative traditions. That is why, in my own riding, a lot of people in the last election told me they had been a Conservative most of their life, but they do not resemble the way the party is being represented by the leader of the official opposition . I want to get to the MOU, because that is what before the House. The Conservatives have stood up all day today, talking about the fact that the government should vote for the MOU that was put in place.”
“(1220) If we talk about the oil and gas sector, naturally, we think of Alberta and Saskatchewan. It exists elsewhere in the country, but those are the predominant areas. The benefits of the oil and gas sector are not just for those provinces; they are for the entire country because of how equalization works. Provinces that may not be blessed with the same natural endowments can benefit from the revenues that are collected to help pay for the public health care and infrastructure that matter in this country. We take great pride in that in Nova Scotia. It is important. We also know that work has to be done to reduce emissions at the same time. That is where I would differentiate the Liberal Party from the Conservative Party. I look at Conservative cousins at the provincial level in this country.”
“These are important projects that matter to the world, with the lowest-intensity barrel of oil in the world. That is something we should be proud of. While the world still needs this product, it ought to be Canadian and it had better be the lowest intensity we can find. We have that ingenuity and expertise. I think about my graduating class and the privilege of graduating at Hants East Rural High in 2009, home of the Tigers. A lot of the graduates, particularly on the male side of the equation, would have started their careers, particularly those in the trades, in western Canada. There is a recognition in my region of the importance of the natural resource sector across this country, but particularly in western Canada, and what it means to the entire federation.”
“I have long been a proponent in the House of the need and the role of nuclear energy if we are going to be serious about reaching our net-zero targets by 2050. This government has taken substantial steps toward promoting nuclear energy and building upon the Canadian ingenuity and success that we have in that domain. I want to take a brief moment to talk about Atlantic Canada's connection to the natural resource sector. We think about the Nova Scotia offshore. Premier Houston has highlighted Wind West and the opportunities that exist in that sector. We have an offshore energy sector that has existed for decades, including in Newfoundland and Labrador, where I had the opportunity to join Cenovus a week and a half ago to announce the extension of West White Rose.”
“I highlighted some of the key statistics, and we should take great pride in them, but on this side of the House, we believe the government we can do even more, and not only on energy and critical minerals; we also recognize the moral imperative to reduce GHG emissions and continue the fight on climate change, and that Canada has a responsibility, when it comes to conventional energy and the energy transition, to do both. That has been the focus of the government, the Minister of Energy , the Prime Minister and the entire cabinet. What can we do to help support the conventional energy development that is needed, ensuring that there is a lens on making the lowest-intensity barrel of oil or cubic foot of gas, or promoting renewable energy and nuclear energy?”
“We have the forestry products and critical minerals the world needs, and although it may not be directly tied to energy or natural resources, we have natural endowments, with arable land, in agriculture. We are an agricultural superpower. Canadians need to be proud of these realities. We are blessed with these natural endowments. I would argue that there is a moral and ethical imperative for us to produce these natural endowments for the benefit of the world, and Canada has a long tradition of doing just that. This government and this Prime Minister are focused on making Canada an energy superpower, above and beyond what we already are.”
“He is the global parliamentary pet. It is a little source of pride for Kings—Hants, Nova Scotia and, of course, Canada. We are proud of our beloved Bernese. More importantly, today is a really important opportunity to talk about Canada's natural resource sector writ large. I am going to use my time to talk about how this government and, frankly, all parliamentarians should be focused on helping to support a critical sector for our country. It bears repeating that Canada has what the world needs. Canada is the fourth-largest oil-producing country in the world. Some Canadians may not know that, but it should be a great source of pride. It is the fifth-largest producer of natural gas. We have the renewable energy the world needs. We are a leader in that, and we can do more.”
“Madam Speaker, it is always a great opportunity to stand up on opposition day motions, and today is no different. I will be splitting my time this afternoon with my hon. colleague from Vancouver Granville , who will have a lot to offer in the debate. I would encourage all of my hon. colleagues to listen to his words, as he resides in British Columbia and has a good handle on this particular issue before the House today. I would like to take just 30 seconds to recognize that my wife Kimberly and I are proud of our beloved Bernese mountain dog, Louis. If members have been watching, they may know that Louis was up for the global parliamentary pet of the year award, competing against entries from the European Parliament and the U.S. Capitol. I am proud to say that Louis represented team Canada well and he won.”
“Mr. Speaker, again, it is hard to take the member and that party seriously on questions. The member has a lot of farmers in his riding. They are the ones who contribute in this country. In the platform of April 2025, there was not a single platform commitment from the Conservative Party for farmers in this country. It is hard to take the member opposite seriously when he votes against the national school food program, which benefits 400,000 young children in this country. He votes against it. How about tax cuts? That used to be the party that stood for that. They are standing in the way of the House passing budget 2025, which is good for Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is hard to take the member and the Conservative Party seriously, frankly, because the budget actually contains a tax cut for 22 million Canadians. They stand in the way of progress of the bill's being advanced to help support Canadians. They vote against the national school food program. Talking about food, there was not one single thing in the Conservative platform for farmers in this country in April 2025. That is why we are on this side of the House. We are working for agriculture producers. We are working to help reduce taxes and to help support Canadians across this country.”
“member recognize that our government's plan, notwithstanding that we have more work to do, is actually adding jobs in Windsor-Essex?”
“Madam Speaker, it was heartening to hear the hon. member talk about youth nutrition in Canada, but it is disappointing that the member has been voting against the national school food program, which is contained in this budget, in Bill C-15 . I want to talk about local issues. I know there are challenges in southwestern Ontario, particularly in the auto sector, but the government and the country has added 181,000 jobs in the last three months. There has been 2.6% growth in GDP in the last quarter. In a news article, the CEO of Workforce WindsorEssex said, “We’re now at an all-time high when it comes to the number of people working in Windsor-Essex.... We set a new record, not just for all occupations or all sectors working. But even in manufacturing it’s a new all-time high”. Will the hon.”
“I like and support that there is a member talking about fiscal management, but the government is already doing that with a plan to balance the operational budget in three years and to make sure that we are investing in the capital projects that matter, such as defence. Whether it has to do with farmers, or why she is voting against child care and debt management, maybe the member could address that.”
“Madam Speaker, the member is from Saskatchewan. She mentioned farmers, and I am glad she is raising the needs of farmers in the House, but there was nothing in the Conservative platform in April for farmers. I would invite her to point to any substantial program the Conservatives have had on offer for business risk management programs, or any programs, to help support farmers at the farm gate level. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, in the platform. I am surprised the member did not mention the $1.6-billion child care agreement between Canada and Saskatchewan that was signed in her province and is helping support early education. Perhaps she could talk about the fact that Canada is spending around eight cents of every dollar in the federal budget on debt management. In 1990, under a Conservative government, that was 35¢.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I appreciate that hon. colleagues have the ability to try to weave in a lot of different elements, but this is in relation to the particular motion that is before the House. I hope that you can provide guidance to my hon. colleague to try to keep reasonably within the bounds. I know there is a lot of latitude, but it is starting to feel a bit far away from the motion at hand. That is just what I have observed from this side of the House.”
“I am wondering if the Minister of International Trade would talk about the work he is doing in the Indo-Pacific, what the government is doing to help create export markets, and maybe, explicitly, whether he and I could work together with those Nova Scotia fruit growers to create more markets in Vietnam and beyond in the Indo-Pacific.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify for the member for Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies that it was actually this government that established an MOU between CFIA and CBSA to tackle spent fowl. The minister may or may not know that, but that is work that we are doing. I will remind the Conservative Party that it had nothing in its electoral platform for farmers. Speaking of farmers, I have a large apple contingent in the Annapolis Valley. The Nova Scotia fruit growers have a tradition of over one hundred years of growing quality Honeycrisp apples. One of their growth markets is in Vietnam.”
“Will the member at least recognize that, notwithstanding that we both agree that there is more work that has to be done on the U.K. file as it relates to beef explicitly, there has been market access granted and the government is establishing markets in other jurisdictions that are high-growth, which will matter for Canadian farmers?”
“Madam Speaker, I do want to clarify for my hon. colleague that, as I said earlier in debate in the House, the Prime Minister has raised this with Prime Minister Starmer. It is something the government is pushing on. We do, as a government, share the member's concerns, particularly around the fact that the carcass wash from a North American standard is not being recognized by the United Kingdom, but we have not stopped, as it relates to creating more access. We believe in our Canadian beef farmers. That is exactly why the Minister of International Trade and the Prime Minister were able to secure access to Indonesia tariff-free. Also, the Minister of Agriculture has been doing great work on access to more Canadian beef in Mexico.”
“Yes, there are lots of good things to highlight and we should not get stuck on singular issues like this, but as it matters to beef farmers in this country, whether in Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan or across this beautiful country, we need to keep fighting for that. I know the Minister of Agriculture has been engaged on that. I have had personal conversations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs . I know she is going to be raising it as well, as has the Prime Minister . We need to stay on that.”
“Madam Speaker, I will return the compliment to the member on his beautiful vest. We like the tartans. I know he has heritage in the United Kingdom as well. I touched a bit in my speech on the imbalance on beef trade. The hon. member is right. I should have included pork as part of that. This is something the government needs to continue to focus on. I do think Parliament needs to ultimately move forward with the accession legislation for the United Kingdom to help support a friend and ally, but we need to continue to push the United Kingdom on access. There are significant beef and pork exports coming this way. We have not been able to realize the benefits of the trade the other way.”
“There is no good reason why we cannot get that bill to committee and get it back. I would invite my Conservative colleagues and all opposition members, and not only for Bill C-13 , to clear the deck before Christmas and show Canadians we are getting work done.”
“Madam Speaker, I would agree in the sense that, as I mentioned, the United Kingdom is one of our closest friends and allies. This is an important signal. We do not want to be talking about this bill deep into 2026. The House of Commons should debate this, get it to committee and, ultimately, to the Senate as soon as possible. Let me use this opportunity to also say that this is not the only piece of legislation before the House. We have significant criminal reform legislation, a multitude of different bills that matter to individuals in our community and matter for public safety. I have to assume, because I hear questions from the other side, that we need to do something to tackle violence in our communities with criminal reform. We need to move all of that legislation before Christmas.”
“Madam Speaker, I am not too proud to stand in the House and say that I was not aware of that particular circumstance. The member, obviously, is well steeped in that particular issue as it relates to Canada Goose, which is what I heard was the company. As I mentioned in my speech, 99% of the trade between Canada and the United Kingdom is tariff-free, and it comes down to destination originators and trademarking. If the hon. member would like to see me after this and have a conversation, I am happy to make sure that gets to the Minister of International Trade and the appropriate authorities so we can look into this issue to see what we can do to help support that great Canadian company.”
“At the end of World War II, every single apple that was sold in London came from the Annapolis Valley. It is a source of pride. We think there is more opportunity, whether with respect to wood pellets, apples or agriculture, to get goods into the United Kingdom. I see that I am at the end of my time. I look forward to taking questions from my hon. colleagues.”
“We have a lot of work we can do on those types of regulatory pieces around crop protection products, vaccines for animals, animal feeds and tools for our farmers. That is one area I think we can deepen. It does not have to be and of course it is not contained in Bill C-13 , but when we think about deepening that partnership, those are some areas I would like to see. Another is research between agencies like Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the CFIA and others. We can do a lot of that. I know there are existing partnerships, but they can be built upon, particularly in the circumstances we find ourselves in. With respect to tourism, a lot of us think about the United Kingdom. I think we have to make sure that the Brits are thinking about Canada, particularly Atlantic Canada. The last piece I am going to say is a quick stat for members.”
“We can do more on this. The next one is around regulatory harmonization. When I was briefly the minister of agriculture in the Prime Minister 's first cabinet, one of the things we thought about, and I know the current Minister of Agriculture shares this view, was being able to work with other trusted jurisdictions. When we think of the United Kingdom, when we think about its regulatory processes, notwithstanding what I said on beef, where we are perhaps not pleased about the carcass wash, we know there is a scientific rigour to the way in which it undertakes its regulatory processes and its approvals. If, for example, there is a sheep vaccine approved in the United Kingdom, I am confident it should be readily available for Canadian sheep farmers.”
“If there are British workers who want to come and serve Canadian companies, we should be finding pathways to do that more easily through our immigration programs. Likewise, there are many Canadians who have ties to the United Kingdom who may be able to contribute for a short period of time or may want to spend some time there. How can we look at more labour mobility? I think there is merit in that. There is certainly merit in looking at financial regulations and professional services. Of course, we speak two official languages here in Canada. (1620) [ Translation ] English-speaking Canadians enjoy particularly easy access to the U.K. labour market. It is straightforward to practise law, accounting and other similar professions there. [ English ] There are a lot of similarities with respect to regulation and harmonization of professions.”
“I am wearing today an Annapolis Valley tartan tie. My family's ties run through the United Kingdom. The first Blois to come to North America was Abraham. He served with the 84th Highlander regiment. Sarah was his wife. They settled after the war. They had a land grant in the Kennetcook valley. Blois is not that common a name here in Canada, but most of the Bloises we find originate out of the Maritimes, from the beautiful small community of Gore, Nova Scotia. My wife is a British dual citizen and a Canadian citizen at the same time. She has family in Scotland. When I think about the ways we can continue beyond the trading relationship and deepen the people-to-people ties that already exist, I see some opportunity in the days ahead for the two governments to look at labour mobility. We have skilled workforces on both sides of the pond.”
“Objectively, I think that may be the harder one to overcome. The second one is around carcass wash. There is a North American standard with respect to rinsing or carcass washing. There is no good reason, by the way, that the United Kingdom or the European Union should not be welcoming and trying to bring top Canadian beef to those markets. We have opened up and had opportunities for British beef in Canada. We certainly support our friends and farmers across the way. They should equally be opening up those markets. I know the Prime Minister had the opportunity to talk to Prime Minister Starmer about that. It may seem small, but it is important in this context. We should look at the broader relationship, but these are some of the irritants that we believe need to be removed to be able to move forward. For me, this is personal.”
“If he thinks he is so smart in the House, he can ask those questions. I look forward to it. Of Canada-U.K. trade, 99% is tariff-free. There are small irritants that exist, but I do think they are important. I represent a rural riding, an agricultural riding. I had the opportunity to talk to His Excellency High Commissioner Rob Tinline, who is the United Kingdom's high commissioner to Canada, about some of the market access issues that we have around beef products. There are two issues that relate to the exportation of beef from Canada to the United Kingdom. This is an issue with the European Union. I know our government benches are working on engaging on this to be able to find a solution forward. The first issue is hormones in beef. There is an industry standard in North America.”
“Nevertheless, we need to build economic resilience. We must therefore find other international markets to strengthen the resilience of our manufacturing sector and our economy as a whole. [ English ] The United Kingdom is out third-largest trading partner, and the government has been focused on the ways we can continue to increase and deepen that trade. I heard a question from the opposition benches in the first round of debate that suggested that Canada does not have an existing bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom. I am here to assure and to reassure that opposition member that we do have an existing agreement on the bilateral that is an extension of the United Kingdom's leaving the European Union. I think that is important to recognize, and that member will have a great opportunity to be able to ask questions.”
“That is why the Prime Minister is working so actively with our ministers to forge strong, meaningful relationships globally and to make sure that people in other countries wake up in the morning thinking of Canada. [ English ] It is easy to think that people maybe wake up in the morning and think about Canada. We should be very proud. As a G7 country, we have what the world wants. We have contributed on the global stage, but the world is a big place. The work the government is doing ensures that countries are increasingly thinking about Canada as a reliable trade partner. That is the work that is happening. [ Translation ] Our goal is to double our exports outside the U.S. market. Of course, the U.S. market is vital to our economy, as 75% of our goods and services are exported to the United States.”
“I want to use my time today to talk about a bit of the background on the CPTPP and about some of the trade-related opportunities and issues between Canada and the United Kingdom, but then also give a bit of a local perspective as the member of Parliament for Kings—Hants. I also want to talk about the issues and opportunities that I think both governments, whether in London or here in Ottawa, can use to continue to forge that very great partnership that has existed with our mother Parliament and ultimately with our constitutional monarchy through the United Kingdom. (1615) [ Translation ] One in five jobs in Canada depends on free trade. This means that the free trade and our partnerships around the world are absolutely critical.”