Gaétan Malette
Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk, Ontario · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition initiated by the Bolger family in honour of their late father, Jim, who was tragically struck by a reckless driver in Timmins back in September.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my deepest condolences to the Bali family, whose son, Ontario Provincial Police constable Tarun Bali, was killed in the line of duty yesterday in northern Ontario. Constable Bali had served on the force for two years, dedicating his life to the safety and protection of others.”
“Mr. Speaker, today I rise to table another handful of petitions, this time signed by people from Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario. They are continuing their calls to action for the government to designate the Trans‑Canada Highway as a project of national interest.”
“Madam Speaker, today I am proud to recognize a rising young leader from northeastern Ontario, Alexandra Gauthier from Shillington, near Matheson, who is one of only 20 recipients across Canada of the TD scholarship for community leadership.”
“Mr. Speaker, today I rise with another handful of petitions, this time signed by the people of Cochrane. Every day in Cochrane, citizens, including workers at Canada's largest gold mine and the local saw mill, and farmers, as well as the tourists who visit the polar bear habitat, the only wildlife centre in the world dedicated to the care…”
“Mr. Speaker, today, I rise with more petitions from northern Ontario calling on the government to designate Trans-Canada Highway 11 as a project of national interest. This call is growing louder across our region.”
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“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition initiated by the Bolger family in honour of their late father, Jim, who was tragically struck by a reckless driver in Timmins back in September. The petition calls for a review of Criminal Code offences related to dangerous driving that cause death or bodily harm, stronger sentencing provisions and tougher penalties for repeat offenders. Jim's legacy will live on, not only in the hearts of those who loved him, but also in the lives that may one day be protected because of this effort.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my deepest condolences to the Bali family, whose son, Ontario Provincial Police constable Tarun Bali, was killed in the line of duty yesterday in northern Ontario. Constable Bali had served on the force for two years, dedicating his life to the safety and protection of others. He served his community with courage, pride and a deep sense of duty. He was a well-respected member of the police service and carried out his responsibilities each day with the utmost integrity. Constable Bali's courage and sacrifice will not be forgotten. His ultimate sacrifice in the service of protecting others will forever be honoured and appreciated by his community, his colleagues and all those whose lives he touched. Let us take this moment to recognize Constable Bali's legacy as one of courage, service and pride.”
“Mr. Speaker, today I rise to table another handful of petitions, this time signed by people from Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario. They are continuing their calls to action for the government to designate the Trans‑Canada Highway as a project of national interest. [ Translation ] Every day, hundreds of travellers put their lives at risk on Trans‑Canada Highway 11, a vital artery connecting communities in northern Ontario. [ English ] Smooth Rock Falls is just one of many communities supporting the petition, and this will be continuing, from village to village, until there is action.”
“Mr. Speaker, today I rise with another handful of petitions, this time signed by the people of Cochrane. Every day in Cochrane, citizens, including workers at Canada's largest gold mine and the local saw mill, and farmers, as well as the tourists who visit the polar bear habitat, the only wildlife centre in the world dedicated to the care of polar bears, are all concerned about the safety of the Trans-Canada Highway, Ontario Highway 11. Cochrane is the home of the great Toronto Maple Leaf hockey player Tim Horton. While in Cochrane, take a break and have a coffee.”
“Madam Speaker, today I am proud to recognize a rising young leader from northeastern Ontario, Alexandra Gauthier from Shillington, near Matheson, who is one of only 20 recipients across Canada of the TD scholarship for community leadership. It is one of the most desirable awards in the country, awarding recipients a full post-secondary scholarship and summer employment. Alexandra represented Ontario's two million students through the Ontario Student Trustees' Association. She went to school in Iroquois Falls and is one of only two recipients from Ontario. [ Translation ] Alexandra is an inspiring model of an exemplary leader driven by a desire to uplift her community. It fills me with pride and optimism to see young leaders like Alexandra Gauthier shaping their own futures.”
“Mr. Speaker, today, I rise with more petitions from northern Ontario calling on the government to designate Trans-Canada Highway 11 as a project of national interest. This call is growing louder across our region. Just yesterday, the Ontario Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth, George Pirie, met in Ottawa with the Canadian government alongside Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association president Rick Dumas, Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities president Dave Ploudre and Rural Ontario Municipal Association president Christa Lowry to discuss the urgent need to improve Trans-Canada highways 11 and 17. This is just one example of the collaborative effort from leaders across the province to continue pushing to further improve Trans-Canada highways 11 and 17 safety in northern Ontario.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight our continued efforts in northern Ontario to circulate a petition calling for Highway 11 to be designated as a project of national interest. [ Translation ] We encourage everyone to sign this petition as soon as it reaches their town or city. By working together, we can ensure that Trans-Canada Highway 11 is safe and, above all, reliable. [ English ] The work is just getting started. We will keep collecting signatures from communities across northern Ontario to make one thing clear: Safety must come first.”
“Mr. Speaker, the excise tax was removed for the people of northeastern Ontario, but they need more. The farmers of Matheson and Val Gagné need more help today. The gold miners of Kirkland Lake, Cochrane, Timmins and Chapleau need more help today. The loggers of every village in northeastern Ontario travelling hundreds, at times thousands, of kilometres per day need urgent help. Will the government use the extra, unbudgeted revenues from royalties and taxes to further lower gas and diesel prices to help people today?”
“Mr. Speaker, today I am presenting a petition that will be circulated throughout northern Ontario, calling for Trans-Canada Highway 11 to be designated as a critical project of national interest to support the economic stability and security of all Canadians. [ Translation ] I present this petition on behalf of Canadians living along Trans-Canada Highway 11 in order to designate it as a project of national interest and ensure the highway's safety and reliability for all Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, northern Ontario, once prosperous for young Canadians, has become the source of economic anxiety for over 60% of millennials. Chapleau, in my region, a logging, mining and rail town where young Canadians chased opportunity, now stands as an example of the affordability crisis facing our youth. Canada is now the only G7 economy moving backwards. When will the government let Canadians build, invest and grow again?”
“Mr. Speaker, today I am calling attention to one of the 46 communities in my riding: Hearst. Nestled in the boreal forest of northeastern Ontario, Hearst is a town whose main employers are two sawmills, a plywood plant and Villeneuve Construction, a civil engineering and road maintenance company. The town of Hearst was forged by generations of northern workers and families who built not only industries, but also strong communities and a sustainable future for their children. Its language and traditions make the region unique. In Hearst, French is not a secondary language; it is the language of work. The town's bilingual character is part of our daily lives, our economy and our future. Today, Hearst is an emblem of Franco-Canadian culture and the determination to never give up.”
“Mr. Speaker, northern Ontarians keep asking me when we will finally unlock our economic potential. I reply that it will be when the government finally decides to cut regulations. A Canadian sovereignty act is a chance to do exactly that and repeal needless barriers. In northern Ontario, economic sovereignty leads to affordability. When we grow our industries, such as mining, sawmills, pulp mills, agriculture and manufacturing, incomes rise and unaffordability dies. Will the government work with us to deliver results for Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, as a Franco-Ontarian, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. With all due respect, I would like to mention that we, as French Canadians, live and survive in the French language. We have just celebrated the 50th anniversary of our flag. We have schools and our community health care centres. We live our lives in French. It is much the same across Canada. My daughter just moved to Thunder Bay. My grandson immediately started attending a French-language school. That is the reality, whether in Maillardville, British Columbia or St. Boniface. My question is this: How does my colleague's bill protect the French language outside Quebec?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Ring of Fire project in northern Ontario would be a game-changer for our region at a time when we desperately need it, yet the Prime Minister continues to delay by refusing to move forward with the project, which would create thousands of jobs and has billions of dollars in investments. The project did not make the cut on the Liberals' project list, and the work will not even start until 2028. When will the Liberals get shovels in the ground and finally get the Ring of Fire project approved and under way?”
“Mr. Speaker, people in northern Ontario and Canada urgently need the government to address the impact of U.S. lumber tariffs. The Liberal government is failing sawmill workers, and the situation is only getting worse. The Prime Minister promised to negotiate a deal with the Americans, yet forestry and sawmill workers in Calstock, Hearst, Cochrane, Chapleau, Kirkland Lake and all across Canada are facing the real prospect of losing their jobs. What is in place does not work. Why is the Prime Minister selling out our sawmill workers in northern Ontario and—”
“Mr. Speaker, September 25 is a special day for Franco-Ontarians. On this date 50 years ago, we unveiled the very first Franco-Ontarian flag. I will borrow a few words from Maurice Duplessis to celebrate our flag: A flag is an emblem; a flag is a rallying sign; a flag is a manifestation of [pride]. It reflects a desire to live and survive...A flag says that we are someone, that we are descended from someone, that we want to live our lives and survive in a way that respects everyone's rights, demanding full respect for our prerogatives, our rights and our freedoms. That is our Franco-Ontarian flag.”
“Mr. Speaker, for more than 45 years, communities in northern Ontario have endured the devastating impact of U.S. tariffs on their forestry sector. In Kapuskasing, Kap Paper is a vital link for five sawmills, and if that link breaks, more will be challenged. That is thousands of jobs on the line. While the federal government has committed to over $1.2 billion to support the industry, it has failed to follow through. When will it help the workers at Kap Paper?”
“Mr. Speaker, the only answer I have is that the problem was created by the Liberals. The intent of my speech today was to give Canadians confidence that we have a great country, with all the resources we need to survive and to be independent. I am speaking to them.”
“Mr. Speaker, agriculture all but disappeared in my region during colonization, in the 1920s and 1930s and in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, but it is now making a comeback. The wonderful thing about this is that we are feeding ourselves. We have everything we need in my region. The most important thing is the great clay belt. Agricultural experts are saying that this will be the next big agricultural region in Canada. That is great news for people in my riding. Along with the rest of Canada, we are able to feed our people.”
“Mr. Speaker, first, I spoke about the situation in my riding, where French is a living language and 50% of the population works in both official languages. Second, it is much more difficult to survive in our language outside of Quebec. What we have accomplished is extraordinary.”
“Mr. Speaker, I did indeed explain how Canada developed. That is the approach we must take in the future. No matter the project, the important thing is how we build our country. We did it once, but we need to build it again because right now, things are not going well.”
“I am excited that these social and economic developments will benefit not only our riding but also every Canadian. I am committed to rising to this challenge for the benefit of my constituents and all of Canada.”
“I hope I have conveyed the scale of the economic treasure box our region represents. However, realizing its full potential requires collaboration with our 11 first nations, by working together on infrastructure, roads, energy and railroads. We can unlock jobs, attract skilled workers and revitalize the 46 communities of the riding. Let us make Canada's north a beacon of opportunity for all by not forgetting that 95% of our greatest resource is us, Canadians. Our corner of Canada is one of the most linguistically and culturally distinct regions in the country. While the francophone identity runs deep, nearly half the population has knowledge of both official languages. This dual linguistic character is an asset for the future and should be supported by federal policy.”
“Our forests have long been properly and sustainably managed, with an average annual harvest of 4.5 million cubic metres from 12 operating sawmills. Modern practices and improved tree species could potentially double this harvest, aligning with Canada's climate goal and growing demand for recyclable products. For example, replacing plastic bags with paper could revive pulp production and put another line of pulp at Kap Paper in Kapuskasing. Agriculture is also thriving, to the tune of $140 million per year, with grain, hay, livestock and cash crops well established in the great clay belt of northeastern Ontario, with access to transportation infrastructure, which provides enormous opportunities for agribusiness. Indeed, university scholars have said that the great clay belt will become Canada's next agricultural breadbasket.”
“Mines in our riding have produced over 110 million ounces of gold, 215 million ounces of silver, six million tonnes of zinc, four million tonnes of copper, 330,000 tonnes of lead, 50,000 tonnes of nickel and 200,000 tonnes of talc, with an economic value of $580 billion in today's money, and they will continue to produce. Exploration continues to this day. Current projects have identified over five billion tonnes of nickel, precious metals and critical mineral ore reserves worth over $1 trillion, with a further 12 billion tonnes of reserves under review, positioning our region as a cornerstone for Canada's future manufacturing needs. These developments, with extraction using cutting-edge carbon capture techniques, will contribute to reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide well into the next century.”
“Over the years, our region has hosted more than 50 mines and two of the largest staking rushes in world history, helping to build the Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver stock exchanges. The wealth generated supported major national projects, such as the financing of the construction of the Maple Leaf Gardens, and produced NHL greats who became household names. Indeed, titans of the industry of the day, including the Thomson, Eaton, Bronfman, Massey and Brookfield empires, can trace their fortunes to our region, along with the capital that spurred oil exploration across Canada. The mining sector alone has been extraordinary.”
“[ Translation ] A short time later, with the government's visionary support, the Trans-Canada Highway project extended this infrastructure across the riding. Although launched in the 1950s, this national construction project remains to be completed and modernized to allow a smoother and safer flow of traffic. That said, the Trans-Canada Highway corridor, known back home as Highway 11, has already encouraged other innovations to develop along its path, whether in energy transportation, pipelines, communications or supply chain logistics. [ English ] These achievements were possible thanks to the guidance of the first nations, the vision of risk-taking entrepreneurs, the dedication of multinational Canadians and the support of responsive governments.”
“Soon it became clear that the riding's five major river basins could thunderously generate over four gigawatts of sustainable hydroelectric power. Approximately 850 megawatts of that power has supported forestry, mining, industry and local communities. Most importantly, these basins continue to provide renewable, pollution-free energy. As the railroads advanced, farms and communities developed along the lines, supplying and servicing an industrious population. Prospectors followed, discovering an extraordinary wealth of minerals. Three major paper mills supplied U.S. markets, including The New York Times, with newsprint, and even America's first kleenex, which was produced in Kapuskasing.”
“(1600) [ English ] Our modest population of approximately 95,000 people is diverse and multinational. For 125 years, our people have lived and worked, producing astounding economic outputs that I will outline shortly. First, it is important to appreciate some of the history of this great riding. Visionaries defined corridors into our region, followed by the main building project we know today as the Canadian National Railway, joined by the Ontario Northland railway, with connections to the Canadian Pacific Railway via the Algoma Central Railway. In building this infrastructure, our forebears discovered the sheer vastness of the riding, stretching from the Atlantic to the Arctic watershed, blessed with healthy boreal forest.”
“[ Translation ] The riding of Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk is a land of endurance, pride, and solidarity. It has been shaped by generations of workers and families from the north, who have built not just industries, but also strong communities and a sustainable future for their children. It is a unique region where languages, traditions, and identities come together every day. Here, French is not a secondary language, but rather a living language, a working language, and a language of the heart. Our bilingualism is an integral part of our daily lives, our economy, and our future. It must be protected and recognized as a strength for our region, for Ontario, and for Canada. Our riding has never been relegated to the background. For decades, it was central to the country's economy, and it will continue to play a vital role in the future.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about a region that is often overlooked in national conversation, but is, in truth, central to the future of Ontario and Canada. The history of the Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk riding, one of the largest in Canada, is a story of resilience, hard work and vibrant cultural heritage forged by people who built not just industries but lives, families and futures in the north. The riding is not simply a geographic expanse in northern Ontario. It is a living and working landscape that tells the story of Canada's development. It is its natural wealth, linguistic diversity, an enduring relationship with its resources. This is not a region on the margins. It is a region that has long delivered for the country and stands ready to lead again.”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague talked about the Liberal culture of delay. In my experience, it takes a long time to change a culture. It takes time. It takes more than words, spoken or written. Culture changes through action. What action are you going to take? It takes time.”
“Mr. Speaker, homebuilding must nearly double over the next decade to restore affordability. Up to 4.8 million new homes are needed to close the supply gap that has led to higher home prices. Now, 480,000 new housing units are needed this year to close the supply gap. The Liberals' own housing agency says Canada needs to double construction to restore affordability. Housing starts have continued to drop: Guelph is down 78%; London, 72%; Toronto, 58%; and Hamilton, 50%. These are alarming numbers, even after these five communities received $774 million from the housing accelerator fund. Where is the accountability?”
“Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the debate all day, and for Canadians who are listening, part of this must be very confusing. I would like to have something clarified. If a Canadian woman has a child in a country outside Canada, with a man from that country, the child is raised in the other country, and then the Canadian woman comes back to Canada, but 30 years from now the child decides to come to Canada, would that child be a Canadian, under Bill C-3 ?”
“Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that our forestry industry used to be a world leader. [ English ] During the trade wars that started in the eighties, which are still going on after 45 years, there were sawmills and pulp and paper mills in every single province. In Ontario, where I worked, there were 21 pulp and paper mills when I started; there are three left. Let us make sure this does not happen to the rest of our industries. It is easier to fix than to rebuild. It will take us 20 years to rebuild the forestry industry. We have huge, healthy forests, and we need to process them. If not, they will burn down.”
“Mr. Speaker, I listen to the news on Radio-Canada every day. What I believe I am hearing from the people of Quebec and their premier is that they are open to serious negotiations for a pipeline in Quebec.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, there are 28 projects right now, in nuclear, uranium, mining, oil and gas, hydro, roads and critical minerals, and they are stuck in the process. These would be great ones to start with, and the laws would not need to be changed.”
“[ English ] Conservatives want Canada to compete and to achieve true economic and energy security. That means shovel-ready economic zones and scrapping the cap on Canadian oil and gas. Canadians need affordable, reliable power and fuel so Canada can be self-reliant and achieve real economic independence from the United States. The way we handle our resources lays the ground for the future of our country, a country that is self-reliant and independent, and restores the Canadian promise that anyone who works hard gets a good life in our great Canada.”
“The Liberal government needs to get with the times. If it really wants to make Canada truly self-reliant and competitive with the U.S., we need to actually compete. The world is becoming only more chaotic and fast-paced. We need realistic times to deliver our projects, or we risk staying left behind. Canada has what the world needs. We need to give it to them when they need it. (2120) [ Translation ] The Prime Minister says this is an exceptional crisis. If that is true, why do we need to agree to a two-year wait time? In a real crisis, leadership calls for urgent action. Two years is simply too long. Canada is dependent on and vulnerable to the United States. The Liberals' proposal will continue to hold Canada back and leave its resources unused in the ground.”
“[ English ] Canada has 28 projects stuck in federal review, in nuclear, uranium, mining, oil and gas, hydro and roads to unlock critical minerals. Those are real projects with real proponents. By the Liberals' own argument, the obvious place to start, which would not even require legislation, would be to fast-track those assessments and approvals. Look at what is already being done south of the border in the United States. The U.S. approves major energy projects, such as oil, gas, critical minerals and uranium, on federal lands in as few as 28 days. The Liberals now promise a two-year timeline, where Conservatives proposed a one-year maximum wait time for approvals, with a target of six months for projects of national importance, and to also uphold the duty to consult and actually get projects built.”
“It does not provide for a public list of priority projects and it lacks clarity, and yet these key elements are essential to ensuring speed, accountability and public trust in the process. Without those safeguards, the bill cannot achieve its objectives or live up to Canadians' expectations. [ English ] The Liberals' own laws are barriers to development, and this bill is an admission to that. There is a way to fast-track unleashing Canadian resources. It is to remove the Liberal antidevelopment laws that block projects in first place, such as Bill C-69 , Bill C-48 , the oil and gas cap, and the industrial carbon tax. [ Translation ] This bill, like many of the Liberal government's bills, reflects a limited approach and reinforces the idea that maintaining its restrictive legislation is hampering much-needed economic growth.”
“[ English ] For those listening at home, Bill C-5 is split into two parts. The first part is about free trade and labour exchange across Canada. The second part is about projects deemed to be in the national interest, which will have their approval process streamlined by reporting to one point of contact. It includes provisions for the federal government to determine whether a major project is in the national interest based on consultation with provinces, territories and indigenous people. Despite its ambitions, Bill C-5 falls incredibly short of delivering true free trade and getting major projects built quickly. There are simply too many fault points in Bill C-5 for us to accept the bill in its current state. [ Translation ] Bill C-5 does not present any concrete timelines.”
“In my professional experience as a forestry executive and through my 45 years of work in the forestry and mining sectors across northeastern Ontario, I have seen first-hand the barriers that stand in the way of productivity, investment and opportunity. Bill C-5 , in its current form, fails to meaningfully address or eliminate such barriers. It is not the economic breakthrough the Liberal government wants Canadians to believe it is. Rather, it is a minor baby step and a missed opportunity to reach independence and self-reliance. (2115) [ Translation ] Bill C‑5 does not actually address the structural issues that are holding back Canada's economic development. Although the bill does not propose anything that slows down free trade or infrastructure projects, it lacks a practical vision for adapting to our current situation.”
“We have become more dependent on the United States, and the buying power of our workers' paycheques has declined because Liberal laws have blocked resource development. Despite having the most resources per capita of any country on earth, we continue to fall short of our economic potential. The recent tariffs from the United States have turned this problem into a full-fledged crisis, one that underscores the urgent need to rebuild economic prosperity for all Canadians. The Prime Minister has recently introduced Bill C-5 . A very small number of interprovincial barriers would be eliminated by this bill, which is better than nothing, but tens of billions of dollars of obstacles at the provincial level would remain untouched.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is with great humility that I rise today for my first speech in the House of Commons. I would like to use this opportunity to thank my constituents of Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk for electing me to represent them here. I am honoured to have earned their trust and to serve as their voice in our nation's Parliament. I would also like to thank my team for their dedication throughout my campaign and my family for their unwavering support in this new chapter. The riding is a vast and diverse region, rich in natural resources, strong culture heritage and resilient communities, and I am committed to ensuring their voices are heard and their priorities are upheld. Over the last Liberal decade, our economy has experienced the worst economic growth in the G7.”
“Mr. Speaker, I asked a question previously on the ArriveCAN file, which went from $80,000 to $60 million. I got answers. We ended up in the billions of dollars. I would like to go back to that. How did we go from $80,000 to $60 million? What went wrong? If the government is going to correct it, it must be able to tell us what went wrong.”
“Mr. Speaker, would the member have supported our amendment? It called for the motion to be amended by deleting the words "without conditions" and "estimated at $814 million" and, in the last paragraph, by replacing the word "Quebec" with "Quebeckers and British Columbians" and adding the following: "when the Government of Quebec ends its cap-and-trade system to compensate Quebeckers who have paid for and are still paying for that system".”
“Mr. Speaker, Parliament is demanding a budget from the Liberal government, which sought, for example, to cap spending at 2%, but the Liberals increased it by 8%. Rather than cut spending on consultants, they increased it by 35% to a record-smashing $26 billion. Last night, a Conservative motion was passed calling on the Prime Minister to issue a budget this spring. The Liberals are asking Parliament to approve half a billion dollars in Liberal spending without a budget. Will the minority Liberal government listen to the majority of Parliament and issue the budget immediately?”