Wade Grant
Vancouver Quadra, British Columbia · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, we cannot build a clean Canada if we are not working together. We are thinking differently and strategically to deliver results for Canadians. We have introduced new methane regulations. We have brought Alberta to the table. We have actually brought Canada's largest-emitting province to the table.”
“Mr. Speaker, on top of what I just said, we have also released the nature strategy. We are going to be protecting 30% of Canada's lands and waters by 2030. In fact, about two weeks ago, I went to Klemtu on the coast of British Columbia, where I was standing with the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change .”
“Mr. Speaker, we cannot build Canada strong and clean if we are not working together. That is why we are thinking differently, strategically, to deliver real results for Canadians. We have introduced new methane regulations and $90 billion in clean investment tax credits.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have memories of being in high school in the early 1990s when the B.C. treaty process was opened up because of the many title cases that my colleague has talked about. Fellow students asked, “Are you coming for our house?”
“Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleague, the member for Richmond East—Steveston, has been very involved with the issue. He is very concerned as well, because he does take this very seriously with his residents and his constituents.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have much respect for my colleague from the Nanaimo territory. She mentioned that the government failed to negotiate a treaty with the Cowichan Tribes. However, the Stz’uminus tribe, which is part of the Cowichan Tribes, dropped out of the treaty process in 2014, and who was in government at the time, in 2014?”
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“Mr. Speaker, I hearken back to about a month ago, when I was on social media and I would see a number of my friends and family posting things that were clearly deepfakes. They had the same sort of negative rhetoric and were believing what the other side was saying. I had to call them to assure them that these things were not true. Liberals are moving forward to ensure that we have a greener economy, but we are not outright banning gas-powered vehicles.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we are looking forward to continuing to work with the auto sector and continuing to work with workers to ensure that we bring them along, so we can ensure that we protect those jobs, protect the future and protect our environment.”
“Mr. Speaker, during the election, our platform stated that we were looking to reintroduce the $5,000 incentive for those purchases. We look forward to electric vehicle sales continuing to rise in the near future.”
“Mr. Speaker, the biggest threat to our economy right now is the American tariffs, not electric vehicles. We want to ensure that we grow our economy but also protect the environment for future generations. We need to do that with different approaches. There is not one panacea that is going to do that. We have to take different approaches, and this is just one, to ensure that my children, my grandchildren and seven generations ahead will inherit an earth that is better than it is today.”
“Mr. Speaker, obviously we want to make sure that we work with the industries. That is what we are doing, working with industry and the workers to ensure we move forward with an educated approach to this. We will not leave any worker behind. We are going to work for the workers, and that is what we will continue to do on this side of the House.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I walked door to door in Vancouver Quadra, a riding that is very clued into the environment, and as I went to my children's high school and talked to them, people told me that the number one thing that drives their anxiety for the future is climate change and what they are going to inherit. We want to ensure that we leave them with a planet where there is cleaner air and where they can go on the water to fish and do what they want. These are the things I committed to for my constituents.”
“Mr. Speaker, obviously, we want to make sure we make affordability a key component of this. That is why we are going to drive record investment into the EV industry and make sure we build them at home by Canadians and for Canadians, so we can ensure they become much more affordable more quickly.”
“Mr. Speaker, I hearken back to when I was in grades 6 and 7. My grade 6 and 7 teacher, Valerie Jerome, sister of Harry Jerome, was the person who first introduced me to what is happening with our climate. Moving forward, I always said that I would take a strong stand. I walked door to door, ensuring that I listened to my constituents, who said that the environment is the one key issue they want me to drive home. I will continue to do that. That is why I stand by this policy, and that is why I stand on this side: to fight climate change and to fight for my children and grandchildren.”
“Our children and our grandchildren deserve better than political theatre. They deserve a Parliament that looks to the future, not to the past. That is why I oppose this motion and stand for the Canada that builds the cars of tomorrow, supports the workers of today and ensures cleaner air and lower costs for future generations. When I was elected by my constituents in Vancouver Quadra, I promised them I would fight for the future, for the climate, for our children and for what they believe in, and today I am happy to do that. My constituents are deeply passionate about protecting our environment, and I am honoured to be here to speak on their behalf as their representative in the House, the first-ever representative of the Musqueam first nation to represent Vancouver Quadra.”
“It is our duty to conserve and protect it for today, for tomorrow and for seven generations ahead. One might think the Conservative Party would be more interested in doing that, but let us be honest about what we are debating today. The Conservative Party is using fear and misinformation to try to score political points, but while they shout about choice, they offer no plan for emissions, no plan for jobs, no plan for trade, no plan to protect manufacturing and no plan to help Canadians afford the future. On the other hand, the government is working with auto manufacturers, with unions, with provinces like Ontario, B.C. and Quebec and with Canadians from coast to coast to coast to build a modern, clean economy that works for everyone. Canadians deserve better than this motion.”
“We have many more major auto sector companies that are not only building these vehicles but also investing in Canada to have this EV supply chain right here. Canada is uniquely placed to be at the head of the pack. This is about climate leadership. This is about the future. This is about my children, my grandchildren, everybody's children, everybody's grandchildren. The regulations will contribute to Canada's climate change goals by preventing an estimated 362 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. (1050) That cumulative impact is real, measurable progress toward our international obligations. Transportation emissions have declined to levels not seen in decades, demonstrating that we can grow our economy while also fighting climate change. Canada has some of the most diverse and important natural habitats and wildlife in the world.”
“Every stage of creating ZEVs can be built right here at home by Canadians and for Canadians. Private sector partners and other levels of government also have important roles to play when achieving this goal. We are not banning vehicles that use gasoline. We are responding to the market. We are responding to Canadians. Canada has recognized the importance of building a complete end-to-end EV battery supply chain. Transformative investments are creating well-paying jobs and bringing prosperity to communities throughout Canada. A commitment to sustainable investment in the EV battery supply chain in Canada is part of the transition to long-term sustainability for the planet. Let us not forget that EVs and ZEVs are not some small market products. It is no longer just Tesla or nothing.”
“We have invested over $1.1 billion through the Canada Infrastructure Bank and the ZEV infrastructure program to expand Canada's EV charging network. We are largely seeing charging infrastructure keep pace with the number of EVs being purchased in Canada, and we are closing the gap in the number of chargers that we will need in the years to come. Let me be clear. The electric vehicle availability standard is only one part of our broader strategy. We are working across the entire ZEV value chain. That means critical minerals, battery manufacturing, vehicle assembly and recycling, driving private investments and protecting workers with smart industrial policy. It is not about one regulation; it is about a vision for Canada's economy. We have an opportunity to become a world leader in a manufacturing sector that is rapidly growing.”
“That is why we have taken steps to support affordability through our broader ZEV strategy. We have committed to consumer incentives, which have already helped take the adoption of ZEVs from 3% in 2019 to over 15% in 2024. During the last election, the Liberal Party committed to reintroducing a purchase incentive worth up to $5,000 for zero-emission vehicles, which supports Canadian workers and strengthens our domestic supply chains. Coupled with provincial rebates, such as the rebates offered in my home province of B.C., EVs have become even more affordable for the average Canadian. At the same time, we are helping Canadians power their vehicles where they live and work. Over 44,000 public chargers have already been built across Canada, with 33,900 more expected, thanks to compliance credits and clean fuel regulations.”
“We allow hybrid credits, and we offer credit banking. We are also working closely with the provinces and with industry. In 2024, the International Energy Agency reported that the global sale of electric cars rose by over 25%, surpassing 17 million units and accounting for one-fifth of all car sales, in line with the IEA's projections for 2024. The new federal government is particularly focused on protecting the jobs of auto workers and growing Canada's economy to be the strongest in the G7. This means supporting innovation. Investments in the electric vehicle supply chain are particularly important when it comes to making Canada the fastest-growing economy in the G7. This is a made-in-Canada approach that balances ambition with pragmatism. I know that many Canadians are rightly concerned about the cost of living.”
“We do not want to force Canadians to buy electric vehicles. We want to be able to compete with major international companies that are already manufacturing the kinds of EVs Canadians want. We want to ensure that we are saving our manufacturing industry when the United States administration is trying to attack it. The single biggest threat to Canada's auto sector is American tariffs, not electric vehicles. The Government of Canada is working closely with Canada's auto sector and provinces such as Ontario and my home province of British Columbia to ensure that our auto sector remains competitive. The truth is that this is not a path Canada is walking alone. More than 40% of the U.S. auto market, the European Union, the United Kingdom and China are all on the same path, but here is the difference: Canada's EV policy is much more flexible.”
“The question now is not whether people will drive ZEVs but whether those vehicles will be made in Canada or not. While Conservatives campaign against the very technologies that are reshaping the global auto industry, Liberals are working to bring the production home. Since 2020, Canada has secured over $34 billion in investment in the battery and automotive supply chain, and that is not where we are stopping. In our platform, we committed to moving forward with six major investment tax credits, including the clean-technology manufacturing ITC and the electric vehicle supply chain ITC. These are tools to attract investment, protect Canadian workers and ensure that our communities benefit from the jobs of the future. (1045) We want Canada to build the cars of tomorrow, not just watch others do it.”
“It would shift the burden away from the consumer and ensure that manufacturers are bringing affordable, zero-emission vehicles to the market, which would be a benefit to Canadian consumers, and it is backed by data, not by ideology and not by fear. Let us also remember that hybrid vehicles would count towards compliance, and for families looking for affordable, practical solutions, these vehicles are part of the bridge to a cleaner future. The regulation is designed to adjust over time, giving manufacturers and buyers the runway they need in order to succeed. Light-duty EV sales continue to grow in Canada. We know that demand for ZEVs is rising. That is not a political talking point; that is just a market reality. EVs are getting better and better, with longer ranges, faster charging and lower costs.”
“Let us set the record straight: The motion makes the claim that the government would be banning gas-powered vehicles, which is simply false. The electric vehicle availability standard would not ban vehicles from using gasoline; it would phase in targets for the availability of zero-emission vehicles with flexibilities that include plug-in hybrids. These are the kinds of actions on climate change that Canadians want. They want more options and want options made here in Canada, which is exactly what they asked for when they gave us the mandate to lead. The Conservatives also claimed that prices for vehicles would rise, even though the Parliamentary Budget Officer himself found that the policy would actually lower the relative cost of ZEVs by 22% by 2035, compared to what they would cost if we did nothing at all.”
“This would give them choices when it comes to driving cleaner, more affordable vehicles backed by a growing made-in-Canada supply chain. It is about expanding choice and creating jobs, something that members on the other side seem to have abandoned in their efforts to oppose any policy designed to fight climate change. The reality is that Canadians sent a message during the last election, rejecting the type of rhetoric that the Conservatives are putting forward. Clearly that has not sunk in yet, because Conservatives continue to import American-style rhetoric opposing zero-emission vehicles. They continue to attack policies that fight climate change, instead of focusing on a united, unified Canadian approach to fighting American tariffs, the tariffs that are the real and present danger to Canada's automotive sector.”
“It references a price tag that has no basis in reality, a number that does not come from any independent policy source or the manufacturing sector. It seemingly is found originating only from a certain member who used to sit in the House, which is how I know that the motion is not put forth in good faith for all Canadians. Let me be very clear from the outset: The regulation would not ban vehicles that use gasoline in 2035. In fact hybrid vehicles, of which there are many types, would count towards the targets, which is an important point to make clear right off the top. The motion is not based on facts. The truth is that the electric vehicle availability standard is about ensuring that a variety of affordable electric vehicles would be available for Canadians to purchase.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am glad to rise today to speak about the issue, which is very important to the residents of Vancouver Quadra and to the residents of the Musqueam first nation, where I come from, at the mouth of the Fraser River near the Salish Sea, whose habitat is no doubt being affected by climate change. I rise in the House today to respond to the motion before us, which calls on the government to abandon our commitment to the zero-emission vehicle supply chain, which is essential to the future of Canada's automotive sector. The motion repeats discredited talking points about costs, and it tries to paint Canadians into a false corner between affordability and ambition. It tries to scare away Canadians from common-sense, data-driven climate policy.”
“That is going to happen this weekend, June 13, 14 and 15, starting tonight. Everyone in the area is invited to come down and enjoy as they reconnect with their culture, share their culture with Canada and raise their hands to each and every one of them. Hay čxʷ q̓ə .”
“Mr. Speaker, there are many great places in Vancouver Quadra and none are more special to me than the mouth of the Fraser River. From its headwaters hundreds of kilometres north, to where it enters the Salish Sea, it has always been a special place for residents of Vancouver Quadra. Over the years, it was used as our highway, and now it is being used as a working river. Many years ago, the Musqueam people, where I come from, raced in what are called the war canoe races. They raced against other first nations from Coast Salish territory, Washington State, Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island. That went dormant for a number of years until Elder Dick Louis and Kelly Louis brought it back for the youth of the Musqueam people. We now host thousands of spectators and hundreds of people from across Coast Salish territory.”
“Madam Speaker, we are looking forward to moving forward with this. While I was outside of the House, I paid attention to what was going on, and it was the other side of the House that divided us on this issue. That is why we want to move forward for Canadians, families, children and seniors. We will continue to do that on this side of the House.”
“Madam Speaker, the first thing we did was the income tax cut, which is going to put over $800 in the pockets of families. We are going to eliminate the GST on new home builds, which would allow people to live in my riding for the first time in a number of years. Many more exciting things are coming down the pike.”
“Madam Speaker, this payment was not a new benefit. It was the final instalment of a rebate tied to past costs under the federal fuel charge. This is not unfair. It is just consistent with what has happened over the last number of years.”
“Madam Speaker, our government will continue to work together, looking for new and innovative ways to ensure that Canadians across this country, from coast to coast to coast, will have money put back into their pockets so they can live a very comfortable life, and so my first nation, the Musqueam first nation, lives a comfortable life.”
“Our government will continue to take serious, science-based and economically sound action on climate change, and we will do so in partnership with all Canadians, wherever they live, in Quebec or any part of this great country. That is how we will build a cleaner economy, that is how we will support Canadian families, and that is how we will meet this moment with ambition and unity.”
“Quebec did not pay federal carbon pricing, so it did not receive the federal rebate. This is just being consistent. (1045) However, now the Bloc wants people to receive a rebate for a program they opted out of and never paid into. The fact is that the final rebate honoured a commitment to families who paid the fuel charge. I would like to emphasize that, especially right now, Canadians and Quebecers expect the federal government to work together to build a stronger Canada that brings us together while growing our economy and fighting climate change. At a time when Canadians are looking for solutions and expecting actions, not slogans, we need to come together and focus on what works. That means respecting provincial leadership, standing by our commitments and investing in a cleaner, more competitive future for our country.”
“Not only did it not apply in jurisdictions like Quebec that have their own carbon pricing system, but where the federal system did apply, all revenues from consumer carbon pricing were returned to the jurisdiction in which they were collected. For example, in my home province of British Columbia, the carbon rebate system also did not apply, but in the provinces where it did, Canadians were paying the fuel charge right up until mere weeks before the final rebate was paid. They were rightly expecting to receive a final Canada carbon rebate payment in April, and for that reason, the final Canadian carbon rebate was issued as a transitional measure following the phase-out of the federal consumer fuel charge. This payment was not a new benefit; it was the final instalment of a rebate tied to past costs under the federal fuel charge.”
“It is why our government is targeting efforts on its approach to carbon pricing on industrial emissions. According to the independent estimates, industrial carbon pricing is the climate policy with the single largest contribution to achieving our climate targets. It is important to note that we are not doing this alone. Our government is 100% committed to engaging provinces, territories, indigenous communities and stakeholders on how to strengthen industrial carbon pricing and make it work better so that industrial pricing systems continue to maximize emissions reduction. Industrial pricing is needed to generate investment in clean technologies and create well-paying jobs. Getting back to the motion at hand, it is important to understand how carbon pricing works.”
“This is essential to both our efforts to fight climate change and our commitment to making Canada an energy superpower, because a credible industrial carbon pricing system is a precondition to unlocking access for Canadian products in jurisdictions where carbon border adjustments are being applied. This is especially important at a time when Canadians and Quebeckers agree that we need to diversify our trade to become less reliant on the United States. Countries around the world, including the European Union, are moving quickly to impose carbon border adjustment mechanisms. Without a credible industrial pricing system, Canadian exporters would face tariffs that make our products less competitive. That is not just an environmental risk; it is an economic one.”
“We on this side of the House respect and appreciate provinces and territories that have implemented their own climate policies that align with the common goal of fighting climate change. When the Prime Minister made his announcement on March 14, he made it abundantly clear at that time that Canadians in those provinces where the federal fuel charges applied would still receive a final rebate in April. We recognize that Canadians in these provinces would have been expecting that rebate. I would like to move forward on this issue and talk about the Government of Canada's renewed focus. There is no question that just as Canadians expected the removal of the consumer fuel charge, they also expect that large polluters must pay a price for the pollution they emit if we are ever going to meet our climate goals.”
“In 2013, Quebec established its own cap-and-trade system to implement a price on carbon pollution. It controls the design of this system and all of the proceeds, which is why the Canada carbon rebate has never applied to Quebec and why Quebec has never expected to receive the carbon rebate. Quebec's leadership in establishing a cap-and-trade system not only predates federal carbon pricing but has served as a model for jurisdictions across North America. Its linkages with California through the Western Climate Initiative is a testament to how provinces can lead in innovation and cross-border climate solutions. Our government will always support provinces like Quebec that demonstrate ambition, innovation and accountability in fighting climate change.”
“Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Whitby . It is a privilege to rise today to address today's motion put forward by the member for Saint-Jean . The motion deals with consumer carbon pricing and the significant changes we made on day one. Those changes were the result of listening to Canadians who wanted a climate policy that moved past political divisions. As the motion clearly states, the Prime Minister indeed eliminated the consumer fuel charge for Canadians in jurisdictions where the federal carbon pricing applied as of April 1, 2025. It was what Canadians expected and what our new government delivered. Notably, the elimination of the consumer fuel charge did not apply in some jurisdictions, such as Quebec. That is because Quebec has been a leader in addressing climate change.”
“Mr. Speaker, yesterday I rose to ask a question, and in the interest of time, I was not able to introduce myself. I am the proud member representing the people from Vancouver Quadra. I am the very first member of the Musqueam First Nation to hold a seat in this House. I want to thank my family. I want to thank my volunteers. I want to thank those who helped me on my campaign and especially my son Eli, my daughter Isla, my fiancée Marie and my predecessor, the Hon. Joyce Murray, for all the work she did in the House as well. I want to make sure I move forward. We have always welcomed people in Vancouver Quadra. We welcomed Captain Narvaez in the 1700s, we welcomed my grandfather Hong Tim Hing in the 1920s, and we continue to welcome people from around the world. I will continue to work for each and every one of them.”
“Mr. Speaker, last week my hometown of Vancouver hosted North America's first Web Summit, an event that highlighted Canada's vibrant tech sector and its potential on the global stage. This conference brought together leading innovators and investors from around the world, underscoring the significant opportunities for growth in our AI ecosystem. Will the Minister of Artificial Intelligence share with the House how the government plans to solidify Canada's position as a global leader in tech and attract more investment and talent to our country?”