Billy Morin
Edmonton Northwest, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of presenting my first petition, petition e-6909, which has approximately 13,000 signatures. The petitioners call on the government to protect the records and testimony of residential school survivors. I know there is some ambiguity with respect to these records.”
“There is some great work that has been done by the truth and reconciliation centre out of Winnipeg, but this ambiguity needs to be addressed by the House of Commons so that it can be a forthright and respectful conversation going forward with Canadians, and we can all, Canadians and indigenous peoples, move forward in a country that is fo…”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has been good at announcing programs, dollars and funds, but it is really blank on the details. I am wondering if the minister knows what codes are on the first nations themselves and if he is going to invest from the public purse into first nation homes.”
“Mr. Speaker, the AFN exposed that the last decade of Liberal housing strategy has left first nations 157,000 homes short. Given that Build Canada Homes plans to build only 5,000 homes annually, by what year will the Liberals build 157,000 homes needed for first nations? I would like to know just the year.”
“Mr. Speaker, in 2020, the Liberals told chiefs they would make first nations policing an essential service, with new legislation and expanded service and number of communities served.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Older, Bolder, Better event, Alberta's largest Seniors' Week event, was recently hosted by the WE Seniors at my home of Enoch Cree Nation's River Cree Resort.”
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“The $742 million wasted on the program could have funded 5,000 police officers or 37,000 treatment beds, but instead, Canadians are feeling less safe, and indigenous peoples have our rights threatened. The public safety minister is failing. He and the Prime Minister must be held accountable. Canadians deserve real safety, not Liberal games. Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and replace the public safety minister ?”
“Mr. Speaker, for indigenous people, the gun grab program threatens our aboriginal inherent and treaty rights to live off the land. Our hunting rifles are not the Prime Minister 's political props; they are part of our way of life and tradition, passed down through generations and rooted in a responsibility to feed our families. Confiscating lawful guns while smugglers pour illegal guns across the border shows how badly the Liberals have lost their way. How can judges, police officers and others involved in law enforcement and justice trust the public safety minister when he says one thing behind closed doors and another thing in the chamber?”
“I acknowledge two teachers of mine: Okimaw Notha Willie Littlechild from Maskwacis, a former Conservative member of Parliament, our international chief, and truth and reconciliation commissioner; and Victor Houle from Onihcikiskwapowin, a public servant with decades of experience with Indigenous Services Canada. It is often those humble, hard-working public servants who make the difference in the mission toward honouring treaty, Victor being one of them. From this side of the House, we wish all those trailblazers and all peoples a good Saturday this Saturday, National Indigenous Peoples Day.”
“[ Member spoke in Cree and provided the following text: ] Neegan Ninaskomon Nohtwiynan kise manitou Kiya neegan kanigan nistamun oma waskigan Tansi Kitamskahtinawaw Kakiyaw Niwahkamahkanak Nahtohkitopi ekwa Wapikihew Nitsikason Maskekosihk ekwa Amiskwaciy waskihigan Ochi anoch Kinoteh kaskomtikohk Opaskahhopism nistano peyaksap kahkimeh Nehiway kisikaw [ Member provided the following translation: ] First I acknowledge our father, our kind creator. Mr. Speaker, the leader of this House, hello greetings, all my relatives. My name is Sacred Rider White Eagle. I am from the Enoch Cree Nation and Edmonton. I acknowledge June 21 as National Indigenous Peoples Day. [ English ] National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day of celebration for many things, including leaders who have built bridges between Canadians and first peoples.”
“Mr. Speaker, I share those same concerns. Last week in committee of the whole, the Minister of Energy said he has over 180 consultations with first nations over the next two weeks. How could he actually think that 180 over 14 days is meaningful consultation? The government is not a government that takes things seriously. There are proven ways of getting things done with first nations. In my own private sector experience working with first nations in Treaty 6, 68 nations out of 72 signed up to buy a pipeline. That was driven by the first nations in the sector themselves, not with government interference from incompetence and with rhetorical talking points. There is a way, but I am not sure this is the way for Bill C-5 .”
“Mr. Speaker, I agree that environmental protection has to be done, but I am not exactly confident that the Liberals are the right government to lead that protection. Again, they say they are for the consumer carbon tax, and now that is conveniently gone. I share that same concern about this. One day they say they are for the environment, and then they do things like this. I would say, going forward when it comes to marine biology and protection, that I want to see ports get built and I want to see the tanker ban removed, but I also want to see more legitimacy in the government to get those things done and to hold the Liberals accountable to the bigger picture rather than just the usual talking points.”
“Mr. Speaker, again, it is too cute by half to try to separate out the bigger picture with the smaller picture in Bill C-5 and what it attempts to do. The Liberals cannot get this economy built by saying one thing today and then, in two to five years, taking it back, which Bill C-5 attempts to do. Repealing Bill C-69 , Bill C-48 and the industrial carbon tax, those are the real answers that last beyond two to five years, when the Liberal government may take the convenient action of just pulling Bill C-5 and having us back in uncertainty.”
“We believe in engaging indigenous nations effectively, rather than the same old talking points through third-party institutions. We believe in creating investment certainty for Canadian risk-takers. We as a country have done it in the past, and we can do it again with the repeal of Bill C-69 and those other laws.”
“Every day that goes by, the Prime Minister and government are proving to be more of the same as the last Trudeau government, all about the photo op and not the result. On this side of the House, we support building projects and unleashing the economy, and we will hold the Liberal government to account in that regard. On this side of the House, we believe in energy workers, and we believe in less red tape. We believe in legislation that would last beyond two to five years. We believe in government action that would last generations. We believe in energy security and going beyond photo ops. Canadians need affordable, reliable power and fuel so Canada can be self-reliant and achieve real economic independence from the U.S. We believe in building things across this country for that mission. We believe in enhancing our ports for this cause.”
“The answer needed to make Canada an economic superpower is to repeal Bill C-69 , the no new pipeline law; repeal Bill C-48 , the tanker ban; repeal the cap on Canadian energy; repeal the industrial carbon tax; repeal those things rather than being too cute by half with Bill C-5. On this side of the House, we believe in building projects, as was proven and done in the past. What we do not believe in is more government rhetoric. We do not believe in playing politics of convenience with our national economy. On this side of the House, we do not agree with raising expectations of Canadians, the provinces, first nations and investors only to pull the rug out from under them, with excuses down the road from existing legislation.”
“Cedar LNG has raised the bar to 51% indigenous ownership on new projects, and this $5 billion that is supposed to highlight the new level of indigenous participation in this economy will certainly not meet that bar set by Cedar for the number of projects needed to make this country a superpower in energy. All of this uncertainty only undermines indigenous participation in the economy, sends mixed messages and sounds more like the usual reconciliation rhetoric. Uncertainty in indigenous spaces only means more uncertainty for Canadian investors and risk-takers to build the projects needed yesterday to make our country stronger internally and internationally. Under this Liberal Bill C-5 , the government will again have its own laws to make an excuse not to get things built. That is where the real answer lies.”
“They may tout Trans Mountain as a success, but the project, under them, went from a $5-billion investment to a $30-billion mismanaged project. (1850) Is this the same level of excellence we should expect under Bill C-5 out of their new special projects office? The Liberals will also tout new investment of $5 billion into the national indigenous loan guarantee program, but I can tell members that $5 billion on a $30-billion mismanaged Liberal project would not cut it on Trans Mountain, and this same level of incompetence will not cut it on future projects.”
“Our country has the capacity, the manpower and the ability to do right by our energy sectors. We have no shortage of experience as a country to get large projects done. Take, for example, the TransCanada natural gas pipeline. Back in the 1950s, Trans-Canada Pipe Lines Ltd. built 3,500 kilometres of pipeline from Alberta to Montreal in just three short years. Still to this day, that Canadian, Albertan resource is heating homes in the east. We proved as a country then that we can bypass the United States and build projects of national significance, proving that through natural resources, we are a strong, sovereign country. We can get things done. However, the ability to get things done has only worsened under the Liberals.”
“Bill C-5 has all the usual talking points, and that is what this has proven to be. It is the same strategy of safe talking points and rhetoric. What are the measures of success beyond just the rhetoric of Bill C-5 and the legislation? What is the number of projects? How many of these would cross provincial boundaries? What is the investment number? What is the growth in GDP? What are the timelines? How much of that half-trillion dollars would come back to Canada from the United States? Is this tough talk against the States just that, just talk? Sure, we hear the current government wants to get things built within two years, but it does not put that two-year timeline in its own legislation. I believe we can build at the speed of business. There is evidence.”
“Albertans took the risk and made the prudent decision to invest in Canadian energy across provincial boundaries, such as in Hydro-Québec, the New Brunswick Electric Power Commission, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, Nova Scotia Power and the Prince Rupert Grain Terminal. Still today, multiple generations of Newfoundlanders come to Alberta to build the energy engine of Canada in Fort McMurray. These investments showed we can work together in energy development. Albertans took the risk on other provinces, their resources and their people because we believed in Canada, and it was worth investing in. We believed it would make us a stronger country, and it did. Contrast that with today. When we ask Canadians what they think of Albertan resources and investing in each other, I do not think we get the same response.”
“The response was abysmal: maybe 5%, on average, with no outlook for growth. Half a trillion dollars of investment has poured out of this country and into the United States over the last decade. This is due to Liberal anti-energy laws; the sowing of division in our country, pitting regions and provinces against each other; ignoring Alberta and the west in particular; and the villainization of our energy sector for all of Canada. It was not always this way, though. There was a time when provinces took the risk to invest in each other. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund invested hundreds of millions of dollars into other provinces.”
“As Conservatives, we want to unleash the power of our natural resource sector in partnership with all stakeholders, investors, indigenous peoples and all partnerships for the win-win benefit of all Canadians. Unleashing the economy needs to be measured and strategically done, rather than driven strictly by ideology. One way of measuring success is by investment. Do the risk-takers feel comfortable enough to take that risk and make billions of dollars in investment? Well, it has been many years since investors felt safe to build large infrastructure in Canada. I personally was in a room hosted by British Columbia Investment Management Corporation just two short years ago, where a question was asked of those Canadian capital and investment bankers: What percentage of their portfolio was invested into Canadian infrastructure?”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Foothills . It is a privilege to rise in the House today on behalf of Edmonton Northwest, a constituency that borders the industrial heartland of Alberta, a constituency with some of Edmonton's largest industrial zoning, where men and women work on behalf of the energy sector. Over the last 10 years of the lost Liberal decade, we have seen so much uncertainty. So much of our potential as a country continues to be held back. In a country with the highest amount of natural resources per capita in the world, Canada should not be in the position that we are in: the weakest economic growth among the G7; sending our allies, like Germany and Japan, to non-allied countries for energy; and sowing division amongst provinces, people and regions.”
“Mr. Speaker, under this new government, under this new Prime Minister , consultant spending is up to $26 billion. It is up 37% or about $1,400 for each Canadian family. I am wondering if the member opposite can tell Canadians that he thinks it is value for money, while it is rising, and that spending $1,400 on consultants is good value for their money, especially those who are in line at food banks.”
“Mr. Chair, between 2015 and 2020 alone, Canada cancelled 16 major energy projects, resulting in a $176-billion hit to our economy. What is the dollar amount needed to make Canada an energy superpower in the next two years?”
“Mr. Chair, on behalf of first nations, I think the Liberal government has continued to show it is all about reconciliation rhetoric and not about actual change and taking first nations seriously. What does the minister believe consensus is on a major project?”
“Mr. Chair, now more than ever, working together to build major projects is critical, including with first nations. The minister has said that the government has reached out to first nations to consult on major project legislation. What indigenous peoples, coalitions or entities has the government consulted with?”
“Mr. Chair, green energy producers say the oil and gas cap deters investment and undermines employment. If the government keeps the cap, is the minister saying that Canada's largest energy investors are wrong?”
“Mr. Chair, the Liberal government talks tough about standing up to the United States and defending our sovereignty as a country. Does an oil and gas cap strengthen the Canadian economy, sovereignty, resilience and security?”
“Mr. Speaker, I take great pride in being here, and I mentioned how much my family and friends have contributed to my success, constituents as well. Sitting in this House as an indigenous leader is something to behold and to be proud of. It is not always the story in Canada that first nations feel included. From that particular point of view, I am very happy to stand here to uphold the best definition of treaty, which is that it is a higher calling, not a division in Canadian law, that Canadians work hard together in partnership. That is what I reflect upon, to the member's question.”
“Mr. Speaker, as mentioned, on this side of the House, we are always for tax breaks, but is this really a serious tax break? Can we go further with it? The amount that has been quoted by the Liberals and some other studies, which is a lower amount, in my opinion is not enough. I talk to my constituents, and they have less for a coffee run or can only fill a quarter of their tank. That is not enough for Canadians. I would look to that side of the House to do more than just a small tax break.”
“Mr. Speaker, as a first nations person, I know that sovereignty and where we stand in Confederation are always coming into question, so I do empathize with the notion of nationhood and finding a balance in Canada. As for the vote that happened today, that has already been explained in this House a number of times. Quebec does enjoy a level of nationhood, and sometimes those distinctions mean differences in how things are voted on in this House. When it comes to consensus on building things in this country, I believe in things getting done and built. The economy has suffered for quite some time now, and I think the members opposite, as much as they have put forward some initiatives lately, have to prove that it is not just rhetoric and that there is going to be action for Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we agree that home buying and making it more affordable, especially for young families, are very important. I believe that might have been an idea from this side of the House, but we do not mind when our good ideas are taken from that side of the House. With this bill, the number quoted is roughly $800 per year. If we talk to the average family and really do the math, is a weekly stop at Timmy's or Starbucks going to make a difference in their lives? I think most Canadian families, especially those in my riding, are going to say no. I would like to see more breaks for families and affordability taken more seriously.”
“Madam Speaker, I heard from my constituents directly that buying a home, raising a family and contributing to community are still the most Edmonton thing they can do. This is worth standing up for. Hai hai . Kinana'skomitina'wa'w .”
“For thousands of years, my ancestors knew there was something special about the land. They knew there was something special about the water. They knew about the air and about the home that is Edmonton and Edmonton Northwest. Before coming to this House, I was given the task by my elders to continue to build bridges between all peoples. I was asked to share these values and to think win-win with all peoples on behalf of Edmonton Northwest. This revolves around the conversations and words spoken in this House today and during this Parliament about affordability. I am here to work on behalf of the people who put me here and to honour our past by investing in our future today, because I heard from them directly that buying a home, raising a family and contributing to community are the most Edmonton thing they can do—”
“We know despite the federal government's attacks on the west, the best is yet to come. We will always fight for the entrepreneurship of our home and the energy culture of the industrial heartland of Alberta, Canada and Edmonton. We will build upon educational institutions. Newcomers quickly learn, with the help of their fellow Edmontonians, how to handle the tough times in the cold and feeling left out. Edmonton still has the best potential for any city in this country. It can still be the freest city in the world. It can be a small town community with unity. Edmonton is still the city of champions, which is not just about sports success, but about how Edmontonians know how to work hard, know how to give back and know that they will always fight for safe communities and affordable homes.”
“Today, I have heard and empathize with Canadians who came here a generation ago wanting that same feeling of pride, knowing that if they followed the rules, worked hard and learned what it meant to be a Canadian, they too could live in that potential and hope. However, over the last decade, in what some have described as this country being a postnational state, somewhere pride among Canadians has waned. The government has made the mosaic of Canada a divider, not a unifier. It has pitted Canadian against Canadian. It has attacked the basic affordable family fundamentals for which everyone strives. Despite these attacks on the people in Edmonton and Edmonton Northwest, people still come. Why? It is because those who come to call that place home are resilient people. In my language we say âhkamêyimok , or “never give up”.”
“Despite powering this country for decades, our energy sector is villainized. The industrial heartland of Alberta and Canada is in my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. Health care equality is systematically getting worse. Crime is out of control. The number of people struggling with addictions and mental health issues is worsening. Jobs for young people are getting scarce. As much as I acknowledge people coming to make a home in the traditional territory of my people in Edmonton Northwest, mismanaged immigration by the federal government is putting stress on all systems. (1725) I grew up a proud Canadian. I grew up singing the national anthem in my school on Enoch Cree Nation. I grew up knowing this country has the best potential in the world.”
“However, this is under attack, and a root cause of this attack is the federal government's negligence. Homes are becoming increasingly more unaffordable, and this is not just a campaign talking point. I ran into many young people who, with humility, took time out of their day to tell me they could not afford a home. They said they had no way to have a family or grow their family. The number of young Canadians who see home ownership and starting a family as unaffordable and unattainable is growing in my riding. Grocery prices are rising, lineups at food banks are getting longer and energy to move a family around is becoming more expensive. High taxes for seniors are pricing them out of their own homes, the spaces that are intended for them to spend time with their grandkids.”
“Today, we have a huge population from the Middle East, the Philippines, eastern Asia, India, eastern Europe, Hispanic America, Africa, South America and more. People still come today in droves, with 60,000 per year over the last three years on average. Why do they come? Why have they been coming for hundreds of years? Why do they stay? Simply put, they come for affordability, opportunity, jobs, energy and safety. Edmonton's identity is built around this. All the big Canadian cities have their identities. I have been in conversations where some struggle to identify what Edmonton means and what Edmonton's identity is. To me, the most Edmonton thing that someone can do is work hard, buy a home, raise a family and become a part of the community. Having small-town roots in the big city is still a thing in Edmonton.”
“Right down the middle of my riding is the Anthony Henday highway. Anthony Henday is acknowledged as one of the first explorers to come to Edmonton. Over the next centuries since Anthony Henday, they still came. Many came from Europe to start, and in those early days, our collective ancestors made treaties nation to nation, which are upheld by the Canadian Constitution. These agreements are the basis for all peoples and Canadians to live in harmony for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the rivers flow, as written in treaty. In those early days, many came driven by hunger and hope. Those fleeing from persecution came. Those looking for a place they could build in came. Those looking for a place where hard work pays off came. Those looking for a place to build an income, a family and a living came. They came from all continents.”
“I thank my roots in the Blackfoot territory, Kainai territory, Treaty 7 territory and southern Alberta and my Métis family. I thank my wife Felecia and our children, William, Wilton, Walker and Ashtrid, and my many grandparents, nimosumak and nokumak . Of course, I thank the good people of Edmonton Northwest, notably our grassroots campaign team. Edmonton Northwest is a place where people come. Since time immemorial, first peoples have gathered in Edmonton Northwest to live in Amiskwaciwâskahikan, or Beaver Hills House, the Cree name for the region. It was a place of peace; conflict and conflict resolution through treaty making; traditional ceremony; sustenance; and community. It was a place where the North Saskatchewan River flowed mightily and the buffalo and the game were plentiful.”
“Madam Speaker, [ Member spoke in indigenous language and provided the following text: ] Neegan ninaskomon Nohtwaynan anoch, Tansi Niwakakakanak, Maskekosihk Ochi Okimaw Natokipoi nitseekason. Representative Amiskwaciy waskigan Keewatinok paksimotahk. [ Member provided the following translation: ] First I acknowledge our creator and bring greetings to all my relations. My name is Sacred Rider Chief Billy Morin from Enoch Cree Nation, now the MP for Edmonton Northwest. [ English ] I have risen in this House before in short moments, so in this extended time allocation, please allow me to acknowledge those who helped me get here: my family, nikâwiy Charlene, nohtâwiy William, and all my extended family and community from the Enoch Cree Nation.”
“Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge the minister's words and share her concerns. Like the rest of our hon. colleagues, my heart goes out to her riding and the specific people in northern Manitoba whom she represents. Lately we have been hearing concerns about the current emergency situation, and I share her concerns about the long-term value of engaging indigenous nations for long-term solutions. Given this emergency debate on the crisis, we are hearing some concerns on housing, particularly in terms of hotels in Manitoba and specific indigenous people from the north not having a place to stay. Can the minister address some of the services and supports for housing in Winnipeg that indigenous Canadians from Manitoba are looking for?”
“Despite this, indigenous peoples have persevered over fires since time immemorial through controlled burns and forest management. Can the member discuss how indigenous peoples' knowledge and skills of forest management are critical to the long-term combatting of forest fires? Is this knowledge being utilized by the Liberal government?”
“Mr. Speaker, it is not enough that we all lend our voices to this cause, so allow me to just take a moment to thank the fire crews, the military, the Red Cross, the first responders and the community organizers across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta for their sacrifices. Just tonight, my extended family from Chateh, Treaty 8, northern Alberta, was given an evacuation order and is well represented by the member who just spoke. Wildfires are not a material loss to first nations and indigenous communities; they are a cultural and spiritual wound. Ceremonies, seasonal gatherings and activities are cancelled. Cultural sites are destroyed. Traplines and hunting cabins are burned. Land-based learning camps are disrupted. Moose habitats are lost. Sustainability is disrupted.”
“Mr. Speaker, we hear a lot of rhetoric from the Liberal government about making Canada an energy superpower, but its commitment to job-killing anti-Canadian energy legislation holds back our potential as a nation. The actions needed today are to repeal the no new pipeline bill, Bill C-69 ; repeal the shipping ban bill, Bill C-48 ; repeal the job-killing oil and gas production cap; and repeal the industrial carbon tax. Will the Liberal government take action today, the action needed, to repeal its anti-energy agenda?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is meeting with the provinces in Saskatoon today. The consensus is clear, as the call to build pipelines and energy infrastructure becomes louder and louder: The only one standing in the way is the federal Liberal government. Building energy projects means a stronger Canadian economy, less dependence on the United States and powerful paycheques for Canadian workers. Will the Liberal government approve a pipeline at the meeting in Saskatchewan today?”
“We must repeal Bill C-69 , the no new pipelines act, which blocks energy infrastructure; Bill C-48 , the oil tanker ban, which landlocks our energy; and the oil and gas production cap, which will gut $20 billion from the Canadian economy and kill 54,000 jobs, many of them in my own riding. The energy minister failed to do it, so here is the chance for the Prime Minister to unequivocally commit to undoing the Liberal anti-energy laws. Will the Prime Minister repeal the no new pipelines law, the oil tanker ban and the oil and gas production cap so that Canada can build energy infrastructure and get our resources to market?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals put forward a plan that includes a section on Canadian unity but does not mention the west once. The Liberals offer empty words on making Canada an energy superpower but provide absolutely no concrete action to spur investment and growth in our energy sector. This is what the Prime Minister 's energy minister offered in Calgary last week: empty words, void of tangible commitments. Let us be clear: The job losses and cancelled projects in our energy sector are the direct result of Liberal laws and policies. Making Canada an energy superpower begins with repealing the Liberal anti-energy laws.”