Tim Hodgson
Markham—Thornhill, Ontario · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, while I know the Leader of the Opposition is not interested in working with the Prime Minister , here is who is: the Premier of Alberta, the Premier of Saskatchewan, the Premier of Ontario and the Premier of Nova Scotia. They are all conservatives, and they all want to work with us.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance is not the only person with good news. The Prime Minister today announced $5 billion of new investment in this country from Japan, Italy, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Portugal. We are focused on bringing capital to this country and investment into this country to create jobs.”
“Mr. Speaker, while I know the member across does not want to help us build Canada, let us talk about who does want to help us build Canada. Today, we announced $5 billion in new investment from Japan, Italy, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Portugal. They want to help us build. Why do the Conservatives not try and help build?”
“Mr. Speaker, the hon. member talks about critical minerals. I have good news. Today we found 13 new projects to invest in critical minerals, with $5 billion invested in Canada and in critical minerals from seven different allied countries. Maybe they should watch the news sometime.”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the Minister of Finance , is not the only person who has good news today. I want to let members know that the 2,000 workers at Woodfibre LNG are working hard, and they will be producing new LNG in 2027. By the way, the 1,000 workers at Cedar LNG are also working hard, and they will be producing new LNG in 2028.”
“Mr. Speaker, I know they want to go back six years and re-fight an election from six years ago. Unfortunately, it is today, which is good for Canada. What we hear is the Premier of Alberta saying she has never been as optimistic about the country. We hear that from all of the premiers. They want to build with the government.”
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“Mr. Speaker, let me help my friend on the other side of the aisle. We have cut taxes by 28¢ a litre since this new government came into office. We have cut income taxes. We have cut GST. We have cut the cost of a home in Markham—Thornhill, my riding, by $200,000 in total. That is what affordability looks like.”
“Mr. Speaker, unlike the opposition members, who do not have a plan, we have a plan. We have reduced the price of gasoline by 28¢ a litre since we became the government. We are reducing taxes for Canadians. We are reducing GST for Canadians. We are reducing development charges on homes, which, in my riding, is saving $200,000 a home. That is how one deals with affordability.”
“Mr. Speaker, I was beside the Premier of Alberta earlier this week in the United States. She was applauding the work of this government. She believed the work of this Major Projects Office has brought over $126 billion of investment to Canada in the last six months.”
“Mr. Speaker, I was just in Houston, where I was with Secretary Wright and Secretary Burgum, and they were applauding Canada for its record oil production and record natural gas production, which are keeping prices affordable in North America.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is three times with gusto, I guess. It does not change the answer. There is no conspiracy here. The Conservative Premier of Nova Scotia says this is one of the best projects he has ever seen. This is good for the people of Nova Scotia, and it is good for the people of Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, this is a large megawatt wind farm that is producing thousands of jobs in Nova Scotia and giving the opportunity to people in Nova Scotia to buy renewable power. This is good for Nova Scotia. That is why the Premier of Nova Scotia stood beside it and said it was a great project.”
“Mr. Speaker, I know the member opposite likes to think about cabals and conspiracies. Maybe he should talk to the Conservative Premier of Nova Scotia, who stood beside us and said that this was one of the best projects he had ever seen.”
“Mr. Speaker, apparently the Conservatives do not agree with the premier of Alberta that now is the time to build. The new Liberal government signed and will deliver the promise of the Canada MOU. We will build strong with indigenous peoples. That is why Canadians elected the new Prime Minister , because the new Prime Minister knows how to work with the premiers and knows how to work with indigenous peoples to build things. Unfortunately the Leader of the Opposition does not.”
“Mr. Speaker, this is what Canadians understand. There is a major international war raging. Canadians understand that our allies' supply of energy and their national security are being threatened. Canadians also understand that our actions are limiting those shortages and reducing the impact on prices. Oil production is at an all-time high. Natural gas pipelines are full. Exports on the TMX pipeline are up 100% in the last year. Our LNG facility, the second-largest in the world, is now shipping at capacity. We are doing what we need to do.”
“Mr. Speaker, do members know who is tired of the conspiracy theories? The Conservative Premier of Nova Scotia is. The Conservative Premier of Nova Scotia stood beside us and said this is a great project. This is a project that creates jobs in Nova Scotia. This is a project that brings new energy to Nova Scotia. The Conservatives should get on board.”
“Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives built nothing, here is what we did. LNG Canada phase one is shipping today. Cedar LNG is under development. Woodfibre LNG is under construction. Tilbury is expanding. LNG Canada is ready to go. Ksi Lisims is ready to go. We could keep going. We are building. They do nothing.”
“Mr. Speaker, I assume the member opposite is, then, suggesting that the Premier of Alberta get out of the way. I guess she is suggesting that Minister Jean get out of the way. I guess she is suggesting that Minister Neudorf get out of the way. They are all working with us to build Canada. Maybe the Conservatives should try that too.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what they have been doing, but we have been working with the Government of Alberta. We have been working with the Government of Alberta to see the Pathways project built. We have been working with the Government of Alberta to look at options to the west coast. We have been looking, with the Government of Alberta, for new nuclear and for new renewables. They should get on board too.”
“Mr. Speaker, let us talk about what we can control: building Cedar LNG, building Woodfibre LNG, expanding Tilbury LNG, approving LNG Canada phase two, approving Ksi Lisims and approving the PRGT pipeline to the west coast.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her strong support of the mining sector. At PDAC last week, our government showed that Canada is leading our allies to secure critical mineral supply chains. We announced investments in 22 new projects to help connect mines to markets. Through the critical minerals production alliance, Canada has secured 30 new deals with 12 different allies to bring $18 billion of new investment to the Canadian critical minerals sector.”
“Mr. Speaker, hopefully the Conservatives will be supportive of our putting the Ksi Lisims project to the Major Projects Office. Maybe they would be supportive of our putting LNG Canada 2 to the Major Projects Office. Maybe they would be supportive of the TMX optimization. Maybe they would be supportive of the Taylor to Gordondale expansion. Maybe they would be supportive of the sunrise expansion. We are building Canada. They should get on board.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are working with the Alberta government, and Canadian oil production reached a record high last year. We are helping with the TMX optimization. We are helping with the Taylor to Gordondale pipeline. We are helping with the sunrise expansion. Why do the Conservatives not get on board?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Province of Alberta officials are really excited about working with us. They are working with us on the MOU and they have said that by the summer they will be coming forward with a proposal for a new pipeline. It would be great if the Conservatives got on board and started working with the Government of Alberta and the federal government to build Canada strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is Monday, so there is good news. We recently approved the Taylor to Gordondale pipeline. More good news is that we announced the sunrise pipeline expansion project. TMX just announced the first of three optimization projects to grow our energy exports.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canada is an energy superpower. Last year, Canadian oil production reached a record high. No one can predict the future of energy markets, but our allies are looking for stable, reliable energy supplies in an increasingly uncertain world. That is why we are fast-tracking projects like the Taylor to Gordondale pipeline. That is why we are fast-tracking projects like the Sunrise expansion. That is why the TMX optimization is moving forward. We are helping solve the world's affordability problem.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Hamilton Centre for the great work he is doing in his riding. That is exactly what today's announcement is about. We are investing more than $97 million in 155 clean transportation projects across Canada, including $84 million to install 8,000 EV chargers, helping Canadians choose to drive electric with confidence. This builds on our progress today and supports our auto strategy by strengthening Canada's charging network, attracting private investment and keeping good jobs from coast to coast to coast.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member opposite that while the Conservatives are obstructing our progress, we have proposed $2.5 billion in support from the government to go to the forestry sector. Workers and businesses know that American tariffs are what are causing the problem. Do these folks understand that it is the tariffs we need to be fighting, not each other?”
“Mr. Speaker, we are standing shoulder to shoulder with workers and businesses facing the impacts of unfair and unjustified U.S. tariffs, with targeted support to help businesses adapt, retool and stay competitive. That includes $1 billion through the regional tariff relief initiative, which is helping businesses protect jobs and diversify to new markets. We are not just helping businesses weather this moment; we are building Canada strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, let me reassure the member across the aisle that our government is working closely with the Government of British Columbia to build an affordable, reliable and clean electricity grid that meets the significant surge in demand that we are expecting in the years to come. As the member opposite said, this matter is currently before the Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator, which makes its decisions independent of the federal government in the best interests of Canada's ability to meet its domestic energy needs.”
“Mr. Speaker, as the former premier of Alberta said, “you can't deal with the reality of the [tariff] threat by pretending it is not there”, but the Conservatives would rather obstruct. We have $2.5 billion allocated in budget 2025 to attack this problem. I ask members to please support the budget.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have good news for my friend. Today, Trans Mountain said it will be increasing the amount of oil it transports by 10% on the first of three optimization projects. That is how we build Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, let me talk about some good news. The CER just announced that the Taylor to Gordondale pipeline is being built. The CER just announced support for the Sunrise pipeline. The pipe mill in Regina is opening to build pipe again. We are building Canada strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is easy to dream up conspiracies about everything when one has never built anything. We should be proud that good, hard-working people from the business community want to come to this government and work to build this country strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, a future pipeline means diversifying our trade and greater competitiveness on a global scale. We need to put cards in our hand to fight this trade war, but there are things we need to do to get there, things in the memorandum of understanding that we can get united behind, like the carbon price. The Conservative motion conveniently ignores strengthening industrial carbon pricing. The leader opposes something that the Premier of Alberta agrees with. We support the entire MOU. We hope they will.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a news flash: We are in a trade war. We need to work together. The Government of Alberta supports the MOU in its entirety. The citizens of Alberta gave our Prime Minister two standing ovations in Calgary for the MOU. The only people divided on this are the Conservatives. They should get on board and build Canada.”
“Madam Speaker, a functioning industrial carbon price has attracted over $80 billion of clean tech to Canada over the last several years. Further strengthening the industrial carbon price will allow the Pathways project to proceed. The Pathways project will be the largest, single carbon capture, utilization and storage project in the history of the world. It will be done with Canadian technology, which will be exported all over the world, creating wonderful jobs and long-term careers for Canadians. That is why industrial carbon pricing is important.”
“Madam Speaker, Alberta has said that it wants to be the proponent. It said that it will attract a private sector proponent. It is up to Alberta to do that. My understanding is that it is working with several private sector proponents. If and when that private sector proponent comes forward, we will evaluate the proposal.”
“Madam Speaker, I know members opposite wish it were still 10 years ago, but that is not the government we are in today. This government is committed to work constructively with the Conservative Government of Alberta on a total MOU to develop and build Canada strong. That is what we will do.”
“The memorandum makes clear that an adjustment to the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act will only be considered if necessary and only in the context of an approved project. In other words, we are not going to turn the moratorium into a political football for the sake of a cynical headline. We will develop an appropriate adjustment, if required, based on evidence and a real proposal, not a desire to be on television. (1055) At its core, this Conservative motion is not about building; it is about dividing. It tries to pit regions against each other while ignoring the collaborative nature of the very agreement that Canada and Alberta signed to create a path forward. We are in a trade war, and Canada needs a team Canada approach. That means—”
“The TMX is an essential piece of infrastructure that fundamentally changed Canada's ability to be a resilient energy superpower. Unfortunately, Conservatives often try to exclude it from conversations because it does not fit their political narrative. That is because Liberals can and did actually build pipelines. One very important thing we can learn from the TMX is the importance of having a private proponent. There is significant work needed to be done with Alberta to attract that proponent, and that work is being done. We will not let the federal Conservatives pretend that an opposition day motion can substitute for a real project proposal, real financing and a real review. I also want to address the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act because Conservatives have cherry-picked this measure for this debate. Our approach to this is straightforward.”
“It is a responsibility that begins at the beginning of the process. It is about economic partnership. Many indigenous communities want to be owners and investors in major projects, not spectators. In fact, we have already heard from treaty nations interested in possible co-ownership, a desire completely left out of the Conservative motion. Legitimacy also means working with British Columbia in good faith. It requires serious engagement with the province, coastal communities and indigenous peoples whose lands and waters would be affected. The MOU we signed recognizes that reality. The Conservative motion tries to skip it. The third reality is that we must accept that there are lessons we should take note of from the Trans Mountain expansion.”
“First, on the role of industrial carbon pricing, I will continue to challenge Conservatives to make clear whether they agree with Premier Smith that industrial carbon pricing is an essential part of diversifying Canada's energy exports beyond the United States. The Leader of the Opposition has spent years attacking industrial carbon pricing and undermining certainty for investments. Premier Smith is signing an agreement that strengthens industrial carbon pricing. Canadians deserve to know which side Conservatives are on. It does not appear to be the side of Canadians. The second reality that Conservatives must accept is that the endeavour upon which we are embarking must be legitimate. In Canada, legitimacy starts with respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and the duty to consult. This is not a box to check at the end.”
“How do we work with British Columbia and indigenous partners on an approach that supports team Canada rather than divides us? The Prime Minister and the government know what it takes to build nation-building projects, and so do our provincial partners, whether they are in Alberta, British Columbia or beyond. If they do not want to collaborate with us, perhaps my Conservative colleagues across the aisle should take cues from them. Therefore, the government will not support this motion. We must vote against it because it is incomplete by design and undermines the practical pathway set out in the memorandum that Canada and Alberta have agreed to. If Conservatives actually want a pipeline built, I would suggest there are three realities they need to accept.”
“They omitted a joint commitment by Canada and Alberta to strengthen the industrial carbon price through Alberta's tier system, including a minimum effective credit price of $130 per tonne. They omitted that a phase one Pathways project must be approved and under way before a pipeline proceeds. They omitted the requirement to engage British Columbians through friendly dialogue. They omitted that any adjustment to the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act would only be considered if necessary. Those are not footnotes; they are conditions for success. (1050) They are also the part of the memorandum that actually answers Canadians' practical questions: Who pays for the project? How do we earn public trust and social licence? How do we reduce emissions in a way that attracts investment and protects our planet?”
“Just look at what the TMX did for our economy in the first year alone. However, that is not the same as supporting a motion that is designed to only play divisive games rather than build consensus. I appreciate the Conservatives are taking some inspiration from the deal we negotiated with Alberta, which includes diversifying exports beyond a single customer, increasing resilience to market shocks and supporting good jobs and investment in Canada. I suggest they read the entire MOU a bit more closely. Unfortunately, what they left out of today's motion is what would make a real project possible. They omitted that any pipeline must be constructed and financed by the private sector.”
“In fact, by ignoring the importance of engagement with British Columbia, the possibility of indigenous co-ownership, the role of the private sector and the crucial decarbonization efforts inherent in a possible pipeline, such as the Pathways project and a strong carbon market, it risks pushing it farther away. Not only does it not reflect the deal that was actually signed. It also does not represent the full plan Alberta has laid out. Perhaps that is no surprise, since the leader of the official opposition has never made a deal in his life. He only parachuted into Alberta this year. Does he understand what Albertans want? Let me be clear about this. I support the idea that Canada should diversify its trade and expand access to global markets. I support the idea that a pipeline could be a key part of this, if built right.”
“Canadians expect more from the House, and we will deliver it for Canadians. That is why the government supports the full memorandum of understanding signed between Canada and the Conservative Government of Alberta. I say the full text of the MOU, because the whole agreement matters. The accomplishment of the full text is that it sets out the conditions needed to make the progress Canada and Alberta agree on. It is a framework and a path for prosperity, nation building and reduced emissions, things Canadians elected us to deliver. This Conservative motion before us does the opposite. It cherry-picks one outcome and ignores the framework that would make that outcome possible. In an attempt to score cheap political points, the motion is dripping with cynicism. Endorsing that approach does not bring a pipeline closer.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. Minister of the Environment . I appreciate the opportunity to take part in this debate. I want to begin by acknowledging the people who have the most at stake in this discussion, Canada's first nations, Métis and Inuit people and their rights, which our government has committed to uphold consistently, including in the MOU referenced in this motion. I would also like to thank the workers and communities who power Canada's energy sector, the governments and citizens of Alberta as well as British Columbia. Canada is in a trade war, one we did not ask for but one we must win. In a moment like this, we need unity and execution. We need to focus on building real things that will stand the test of time, not Conservative partisan theatre intended for social media clips.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would invite the member opposite to read the entire MOU. Then maybe he could join the premier of his province and support the MOU like all of us and all of the other premiers. Why does he not get on board and build Canada strong?”
“Mr. Speaker, it is really sad that the Conservatives are divided, because the Premier of Alberta supports the entire MOU, the Premier of Saskatchewan supports the entire MOU and the Premier of Ontario supports the entire MOU. Canadians can see through the Conservatives' cynical ploy to pick and choose. Why do the Conservatives not come on board with all of us and all the provinces, and vote for building Canada?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Premier of Alberta supports the entire MOU. The Premier of Saskatchewan supports the entire MOU. The Premier of Ontario supports the entire MOU. It would be great if the Conservatives would join us in supporting the entire MOU and building this country strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of Christmas, I would invite the Leader of the Opposition not to cherry-pick parts of the MOU but to support the entire MOU, which is what all of the Conservative premiers across this country are doing, which is what this side is doing. It is how we will build. Stop being cynical, and build this country with us.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a sad day because the Conservatives are divided. The Conservative premiers across this country support this MOU in its entirety. The Leader of the Opposition is seeking to divide this country, and we can see through that cynical tactic. The MOU is about building a strong country. It is about doing it in an environmentally responsible way, in partnership with indigenous peoples. It would be great if the opposition joined all the other Conservatives and all of us in building this country strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, the member opposite should speak with the Premier of Alberta, who seems very hopeful that we can work together. Rather than putting Canada down, we can work together to build this country in an environmentally responsible way in partnership with indigenous peoples. That is how we build Canada strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, as we said, we are in a trade war. It is hurting the people of Crofton, and it is hurting the entire forestry industry. That is why we were on the phone with company officials, talking about how to retool the factory, and that is why we were on the phone with the Minister of Forests in B.C., looking at fibre solutions. The Conservatives complain; we do the work. We are standing with the forestry sector.”