John Barlow
Foothills, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, the president of Grain Farmers of Ontario warned that we cannot have affordable food if farmers cannot afford to farm. Fertilizer prices are crippling, and suppliers are now telling farmers they may not even have enough supply for next season. Canada is the only G7 country that has a tariff on fertilizer imports.”
“We have not had an opportunity to even talk about that and why it is exempt from their Canadian free trade agreement, when they are closing down seven critical research centres and experimental farms, which again will impact food affordability and food production here in Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, Foothills families are shaken. A local man was charged with more than 500,000 pieces of child exploitation material, and he was released. Ten-year-old Grace asked me why this man was not in jail. She does not feel safe playing outside with her friends, and that is not right.”
“Madam Speaker, it is great to see you back in the chair today. It is a sight for sore eyes. In my colleague's comments, he was talking about trade, not just north and south but east and west, even though our trading partner to the south of us is the most important trading partner for our economy, and the Liberals are turning their backs o…”
“Mr. Speaker, well, that is no answer from the minister. We have 30 more of those. I sure hope they upped their game with the answers. The CEO of Farm Credit Canada last year, Justine Hendricks, spent more than $213,000 just on travel. She spent another $53,000 on hospitality, including one meal for more than $6,500.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is clear they are not taking any lessons from the business leaders in this industry. The CEO of Cenovus was crystal clear that building a new pipeline and expanding oil production to fill it is “unfinanceable”.”
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“Mr. Speaker, my colleague covered a lot of great topics, but one I want to ask him about is how the Liberals continue to talk about imaginary taxes and the impact they are having on Canadians, whether that is at the grocery store shelf or in their ability to grow their businesses. If this tax is so imaginary, why does their own budget have comments about increasing and strengthening the industrial carbon tax? As he is from a rural riding that has energy, agriculture and a number of small businesses, I would like to ask my colleague what impact the industrial carbon tax is having on the businesses in his riding.”
“Mr. Speaker, the fact is that food prices are rising because the Liberal government is the most expensive in Canadian history. Every time the Prime Minister sticks his hand in the pockets of Canadians, he drives up the price of everything. We are seeing that the Liberals' own imaginary taxes, such as the fuel tax and an increase to the industrial carbon tax, are making everything more expensive and driving up the cost to grow the food, move the food and buy the food. This is at a time when food inflation in Canada is 40% higher than it is in the United States. Why is the Prime Minister so intent on forcing Canadians to food banks by increasing his taxes on food and fuel?”
“Mr. Speaker, three years ago, the finance minister promised Canadians he would stabilize food prices by Thanksgiving. Three pumpkin pies have come and gone, and food inflation is 50% higher than target. What could possibly have gone wrong when the finance minister promised that tools, such as the grocery code of conduct, would lower grocery prices? Every single expert at the agriculture committee, including the president of the grocery code, said that it was never designed to lower food prices, so will the Minister of Finance please stand to explain to Canadians why he promised the code would lower food prices when he knew it would do no such thing?”
“Mr. Speaker, what this budget does is put intergenerational debt on Canadian families. Here is a fact the minister just ignored entirely: Food inflation is rising 40% faster in Canada than it is in the United States. Canada is the only G7 country where food inflation has actually increased for four straight months. We have a record-shattering 2.2 million Canadians forced to go to a food bank in a single month. Why is the Prime Minister breaking his promise to Canadians, increasing the industrial carbon tax and increasing food costs for Canadians who already cannot afford to put food on the table?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is the most expensive in Canadian history, and every dollar the Prime Minister spends comes out of the pockets of hard-working Canadians, driving up the costs of everything. Food prices are 50% higher than the target rate, and experts have warned the Liberals that the industrial carbon tax is driving up the cost of fertilizer, farm equipment and food. The Liberals like to say this tax is imaginary, but they are increasing their own imaginary tax in the budget. Is what they tell parents of the 700,000 kids lined up at food banks that they are imagining things? Why is the Prime Minister increasing the industrial carbon tax when food is already unaffordable?”
“Their daughters, Linda and Nancy, are carrying on that family legacy, a legacy that is unforgettable as we cheered on Eric Lamaze and Hickstead, Captain Canada Ian Millar and Big Ben, and Erynn Ballard, who became Olympians and Canadian legends. To the Southern family and the volunteers, staff, athletes and fans who poured their hearts into this journey, I thank Spruce Meadows for welcoming the world to Foothills for 50 years.”
“Mr. Speaker, with breathtaking colours more vibrant than one can imagine, sounds and smells tantalizing the senses, and the cheering on of world-class athletes, the two- and four-legged variety, as they achieve the unimaginable, this is what it means to experience Spruce Meadows, Canada's premier show-jumping facility, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. As the bold vision of Ron and Margaret Southern, Spruce Meadows is a world-renowned institution recognized for equestrian excellence and cherished for honouring the traditions and values of southern Alberta. The Southerns' hard work, prairie hospitality and deep community roots built something truly remarkable.”
“Mr. Speaker, well, Deloitte and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois have already confirmed what Canadians know: The taxes are not imaginary. Canadians are struggling to pay these taxes every single day at the grocery store. The food professor said that as a result of the industrial carbon tax and taxes on food packaging, Canada is the only G7 country where food inflation has increased for four straight months and that it is only going to get worse, which is scary, when 2.2 million Canadians are being forced to use a food bank. Will the Prime Minister scrap his taxes on food so Canadians can afford to feed themselves?”
“Mr. Speaker, food inflation is up another 4% because of the Liberals' hidden industrial carbon tax and tax on food packaging. The Liberals would like to say that these are just imaginary taxes, but experts at the agriculture committee yesterday confirmed that not only are these taxes not imaginary but that they are also in fact driving up the price of groceries. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois said that wholesale food prices have increased, and that one of the factors driving this is the carbon tax. He said that he is very concerned and that he expects food inflation to be a problem moving forward. Will the Prime Minister stop his inflationary budget and scrap his taxes on food so Canadians can afford to feed their families?”
“Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Liberal trade failures, now 80% of Canada's pea markets are facing tariffs. That is a fact. Every time the Prime Minister travels, it is Canadian farmers who are suffering the consequences. Let us look at the Liberal scoreboard. In China, there are 100% tariffs on Canadian peas and canola and 25% on pork and seafood, and Canadian beef has been blocked since 2021. The United Kingdom does not take Canadian beef and pork. Meanwhile, imports from the United Kingdom of beef have skyrocketed. Now India has slapped a 30% tariff on Canadian peas and 10% on lentils. Will the Prime Minister stop the photo ops and get tariff relief for Canadian farmers, who are just trying to feed Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, the facade has been exposed. The Prime Minister 's claim of being a master negotiator is pure fiction. Every time the Prime Minister meets with foreign leaders, it is Canadian farmers who suffer the consequences. India has slapped a 30% tariff on Canadian yellow peas. This is when farmers are already suffering from crippling tariffs from China on peas, canola, beef, seafood, pork and other commodities. Now India has taken another step. Every time the Prime Minister travels, it is farmers who feel the pain. Why is it that Canadian farmers are the ones paying the price for the Prime Minister 's vanity tour?”
“Mr. Speaker, we have just learned that India has placed a 30% tariff on Canadian peas. This is on top of the 100% tariffs already in place from China. As a result, 80% of Canada's pea markets now face tariffs worldwide. This is putting Canadian farmers at risk, as prices have dropped more than 40%. The Prime Minister and his team were just in India, and now they are in China. Every time they go somewhere, it gets worse. What is the government going to do to ensure that our farmers get the tariff relief they need to ensure that they can stay in business?”
“Mr. Speaker, they should be supporting Canadian producers by getting those markets back. When the tariffs were put on Canadian canola, the Prime Minister promised that he would have high-level engagement. It has been eight months with no engagement, and the tariffs from China have actually increased. It is not just canola. Peas, pork and seafood are all facing Chinese tariffs. Canadian beef has been blocked from China since 2021. Farm families are literally paying for Liberal inaction. Farmers deserve to be a priority. When the Prime Minister meets with the Chinese president, will he get reductions on these tariffs, or will he come home empty-handed yet again?”
“Mr. Speaker, Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola are punishing farmers and driving up food costs for Canadians. Almost six million tonnes of canola are being blocked from China, yet the Prime Minister and the agriculture minister have not met with their Chinese counterparts. In fact, at committee, the agriculture minister admitted that he has not even discussed the tariffs with his Beijing counterpart. While farmers are being punished by these tariffs, the Liberals are standing on the sidelines. Will the Prime Minister , when he meets with his Chinese counterpart this week, fight for farmers and get tariff reductions, or will he come back empty-handed yet again?”
“Mr. Speaker, it was the Liberals who voted against scrapping their hidden taxes on food, and now one in four Canadians does not know where their next meal is coming from. Bans of plastic food packaging and front-of-pack labelling will increase the costs of fresh produce 34%. The Liberals were warned that these policies would increase costs for consumers, and those warnings were not heeded. Four million Canadians are going to be forced to use a food bank this year, which is up 345% from 2015. Will the Prime Minister scrap his hidden taxes on food so Canadians can afford to feed their families?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister 's broken promises are costing Canadians. The Prime Minister said that he would lower grocery costs for Canadians, but in fact, food prices are rising twice as quickly now as they did under Trudeau, and it is because of the Liberal hidden taxes on food. It is not imaginary; the Liberal government's own analysis said its food packaging tax increased costs for Canadians by $1 billion. A Deloitte study said that it would increase fresh produce costs by 34%. Will the Prime Minister scrap his hidden taxes on food, or will he break another promise to Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to give the Prime Minister some facts. The fact is that food prices have increased nearly 40% since the Liberals were elected 10 years ago. I saw it at the grocery store this weekend. Pork shoulder is up 37%, and my coffee was up 25%. A little package of lunch meat was almost $10. The Prime Minister said that he would be judged by food prices. Food Banks Canada has now said that a quarter of Canadians are struggling to put food on the table. That should never be the reality in this country. Will the Prime Minister do the right thing, support the Conservative motion and scrap his taxes on farmers and the food Canadians rely on?”
“Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister was doing a classic Liberal bait and switch when he told Canadians he cancelled the carbon tax. I want to quote the food professor, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, who put it perfectly: “The carbon tax was not eliminated. “Only the consumer portion was reduced to zero. The industrial carbon tax remains fully in place—and has actually increased since April 1. We have argued numerous times that the carbon tax across the supply chain is undermining the competitiveness of our agri-food sector.” Why is the Prime Minister pulling a bait and switch and taxing farmers and the food Canadians rely on?”
“Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister was misleading Canadians when he cancelled the carbon tax. I want to quote the food professor, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, who stated it perfectly: “The carbon tax—” Some hon. members: Oh, oh!”
“Mr. Speaker, that is a great question. The “let them eat cake” attitude from the Liberals is what is frustrating Canadians. They say that the debt-to-GDP ratio is at 47% and that Canadians should be thrilled with that. The fact is that 60% of Canadians are food insecure. Of Canadian families, 60% do not know where their next meal is coming from. There are four million Canadians around the greater Toronto area alone who are going to food banks. They are being forced to feed their families at the food bank. Those are the facts. These are the things Conservatives are focused on, not the massive deficit spending the Liberal government is focused on to enrich its friends.”
“Mr. Speaker, I too certainly respect my colleague from the Bloc and his passion for Canadian agriculture. Food prices have not come down because the Liberals have not eliminated all the taxes they put on food production. Yes, they eliminated the consumer carbon tax. Canadians are very welcome for the work we did to force the Liberal government to do that. There is no way it would have eliminated that tax if not for the pressure put on it by the Conservatives. I would say this to my Bloc colleague: The Liberals have not removed the industrial carbon tax. They are moving ahead with the P2 plastics ban. They are moving ahead with front-of-pack labelling. They have maintained the tariff on fertilizer imported into Canada. All of these things are having an impact on the price of food, from the farm gate to the grocery store shelf.”
“Mr. Speaker, I like it when the Liberals try to protect themselves with numbers they can fudge at any time. They are trying to lecture Canadians by telling them that they have never had it so good and that their fiscal position is great. I would ask the Liberal member to go to the grocery stores in his constituency and see what the response is if he tells Canadians and his constituents that they have never had it so good, that they should not be worried about beef going up 33%, apples going up 24% and coffee going up 22%.”
“He himself has caught 250 pounds of stolen goods on a number of occasions, with families coming to the orchard just trying to feed themselves. I am sure today we will hear a number of excuses from the Liberals about why this is not their fault, despite policies that they have implemented, such as a tariff on fertilizer that is having an impact on Canadian farmers, an industrial carbon tax, and taxes on manufacturing and food production. All of these things are having an impact. In fact, net income for farmers fell by $3.3 billion in 2024, the largest net decrease in income for Canadian farmers since 2018. Yesterday, the Minister of Jobs and Families said the past predicts the future, and that is exactly what we are seeing. The Prime Minister promised Canadians he would be judged by prices at the grocery store. Judgment has been rendered.”
“As a result of the affordability crisis caused by Liberal fiscal mismanagement, four million Canadians are using food banks, and that is only in the Daily Bread Food Bank in the Toronto area. That does not include food banks across this country. B.C. food banks reported that they will be seeing more than 225,000 monthly visits, up 15% since 2023. About one-third of B.C. food bank users are children, which accounts for more than 70,000 visits. Today, Canadians simply cannot afford food, and they are now resorting to breaking the law. As we saw yesterday in a CTV News report, a Waterloo region farmer has now raised the alarm about the incredible increase of thefts from his apple orchard. He said that 500 pounds of apples from his orchard have been stolen.”
“For those making $75,000 or under, 57% of their income is now being spent on essentials, such as groceries, utilities and transportation. According to the food bank report, 25% of households are struggling to afford food, which is up from 18% in 2023. The poverty rate rose for the third consecutive year, and the official poverty rate was 10%, increasing 38% since 2023. About 40% of Canadians are feeling worse off this year than they did the year before. Neil Hetherington, the CEO of one of Canada's largest food banks, said the Toronto-based Daily Bread Food Bank will see four million visitors in 2025. That is double the visitors the food bank served two years ago. We should let that sink in.”
“Food prices are up nearly 40% since the Liberal government was elected 10 years ago. That is the record the Prime Minister has to abide by. The new food price index report will come out in a month or two, and we will see exactly what is going on, but already, “Canada's Food Price Report 2025” predicted that we will see food prices increase this year by 5%. We are right on track for that type of increase. As a result of that, Canadians spent $800 more on groceries this year than they did the previous year. Those numbers could go up again next year. Again, there are very real consequences to mismanagement and fiscal ineptitude. According to Food Banks Canada, in a new report that came out earlier this summer, more than a quarter of Canadians are now experiencing food insecurity. It gave the Liberal government an F grade.”
“Maybe the deficit is that much worse, and once again she cannot stand beside it. Among households with an income of under $50,000, 73% are worried they will not be able to afford groceries if this trend of higher food prices continues. (1010) Food prices are higher. Between March and June, beef went up 33%, canned soup went up 26%, canned tuna went up 19%, potatoes went up 16%, oranges went up 12% and whole chickens went up 11%. These are very real consequences of bad Liberal policies and broken promises. When taxes continue to be added on for those who produce the food, those who truck the food and those who process, manufacture and sell the food, what is going to happen? Canadians are the ones who will pay those higher prices, and that is exactly what is happening.”
“They do not know if they will be able to feed their families the next day or at the next meal. As a result of that, they are making very difficult choices, not only at the grocery store shelf but when they are doing their household budgets. Households do budgets, something the Liberal government has never quite gotten around to doing. It has been more than 18 months, and still there has been no budget. Hon. Kevin Lamoureux: Coming soon. John Barlow: Mr. Speaker, the budget is coming soon. He says it like he is proud of it. The Liberals will have perhaps a $100-billion deficit, as much as three times higher than that of the last Liberal government, when the then finance minister made a big scene and quit because she could not handle these types of deficits. Ironically, she is quitting again.”
“The Prime Minister cannot blame retaliatory tariffs for the higher costs of produce and food in Canada, because he is elbows down. He quietly removed the retaliatory tariffs during the election and then removed additional ones earlier in the summer. This international businessman who is going to get deals done with elbows up and who is going to fight for Canadians has quickly and quietly been elbows down, and in the meantime, Canadians are the ones paying the price. When we talk about these numbers, there are very real consequences that real Canadians are feeling. We talk about food inflation and higher costs, but what this comes down to is that 61% of Canadians are feeling food insecure. That means more than half of Canadian families do not know where their next meal is coming from.”
“Families across Canada are being squeezed at the grocery store, in housing costs, in rent and when they try to heat and house themselves. Just as they did in the previous Liberal government, all that the Liberals in the current Liberal government can do is give excuses, saying there is a global recession, that this is out of their control and that this is happening everywhere else around the world. That is simply not true. When the last Liberal prime minister made the same promise only a couple of years ago, at that time food inflation in Canada was rising 37% higher than it was in the United States. In fact, it is now worse. Under the new Prime Minister , food inflation in Canada is 50% higher than it is in the United States.”
“He said, “I have secured initial commitments from the top five grocers to take concrete actions to stabilize food prices in Canada” and that we would see that by Thanksgiving. None of those things happened. In fact, since that proclamation and the proclamation of the new Prime Minister , food prices are up more than 6%. In August, food inflation surpassed overall inflation by 84%. Since August, food prices are up 3.5%. It is the same old Liberals, the same old promises, the same old broken promises. It is another bait and switch by the Liberals. Canadians have gotten exactly what they voted for. Canadians are now facing a crisis, a crisis that hits them where it hurts them the most: in their ability to feed their families.”
“It is important that we have an opportunity to rise today to speak about a very important issue that I know all of us are hearing about from our constituents: affordability and the affordability crisis, which is no more acute than with food. The Prime Minister proclaimed to Canadians, almost on his first day after the election, that Canadians should judge him by the price of food at the grocery store shelves. These were his words, his promise. Therefore, it is his failure. They are the same old Liberals. In fact, his predecessor Justin Trudeau, in October 2023, also made a very similar proclamation. He said that he would stabilize food prices by Thanksgiving. In fact, the current finance minister said the exact same thing.”
“moved: Motion That, given that the Prime Minister said Canadians would judge him by the cost at the grocery store, and that, (i) food inflation is 70% above the Bank of Canada's target, (ii) food prices are up 40% since the Liberals took power, (iii) Daily Bread Food Bank expects 4 million visits to its food banks in 2025, (iv) food bank use in Canada is up by 142% since 2015, the House call on the Liberal Prime Minister to stop taxing food by eliminating: (a) the industrial carbon tax on fertilizer and farm equipment; (b) the inflation tax (money-printing deficits); (c) carbon tax two (the so-called clean fuel standard); and (d) the food packaging tax (plastic ban and packaging requirements). He said: Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Middlesex—London .”
“Mr. Speaker, let us look at the past record. Justin Trudeau promised Canadians that he would lower food prices by Thanksgiving 2023. It never happened. The current Prime Minister told Canadians that he should be judged by the cost of food at the grocery store. Well, judgment has been rendered. Beef is up 33%, grapes are up 22%, coffee is up 24% and now we have apple farmers raising the alarm about a sharp increase in theft of their product because Canadians cannot afford the grocery store. How many people and how many families are going to be forced to the food bank before the Prime Minister admits to Canadians that he broke his promise?”
“Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal mismanagement, Canadians cannot afford to put food on the table. In August, food inflation outpaced overall inflation by 84%, and food prices have gone up another 3.5%. It was the Prime Minister who told Canadians he would be judged by the cost of food. It is now Canadians who are paying the price for 10 years of Liberal photo ops, higher inflation and broken Canadian promises. Is this the Canadian dream the Prime Minister promised, a country where Canadians cannot feed their families?”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his incredible speech. He is certainly advocating for his constituents and first nations across the country. The Liberal government is showing it is much of the same as the previous Liberal government. We had some of our most important allies come to Canada and request access to Canadian LNG, like Germany, Japan, Italy and Greece. The Liberal government said we did not have a business case scenario, but now we see that Japan has signed an LNG contract with the United States for 20 years. It is worth billions of dollars. What does my colleague think the economic benefit is to first nations in his constituency and across Canada? What would have been the financial benefit to first nations had Canada been able to sign those agreements instead of the United States?”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians cannot afford to put food on the table, let alone pay for the Liberals' bureaucracy when it comes to housing. Let us be clear: This was the Prime Minister 's promise. These were the Prime Minister's words. This is the Prime Minister's failure. Food prices are going to go up $700 per Canadian family this year. Canned soup is up 26%. Apples are up 14%. Tuna is up 19%. The daily essentials have become unaffordable. Is sticker shock at the grocery store the experience that the Prime Minister promised Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, it is the same Liberal promises and the same Liberal results. Canadians are paying the price for another Liberal Prime Minister 's broken promises. The Prime Minister said that Canadians are going to be judged by prices at the grocery store. The results are in: The Prime Minister has failed. Food prices have surged 40% since the last Liberal prime minister broke that same promise the last time. Should the Prime Minister 's promise to Canadians be judged not by food prices at the grocery store but by the number of families being forced to food banks?”
“Canada's Conservatives are committed to finding real solutions to this crisis, but Canadian farm families know they have a real champion in Canada's Conservatives, led by the hon. member for Battle River—Crowfoot .”
“Mr. Speaker, right now, Foothills farmers are in the middle of what looks to be a bumper canola crop. However, instead of celebrating what looks to be one of the best harvests they have had in years, they are being crushed by canola tariffs of 75% or more from Communist China, blocking them from their second-largest market. The Prime Minister said he was a master negotiator who would be there when Canadians needed him most. Instead of results, Beijing has added more tariffs and higher ones on canola farmers. Now our pea, canola, pork, seafood and beef producers are all being blocked from a critical market. The Liberals' response to this is higher loans for farmers, but canola growers are adamant that they cannot borrow themselves out of this crisis.”
“They want them to come, but they are putting on some impossible things for them to achieve knowing they will not be able to do it. That is what Bill C-5 is doing.”
“Madam Speaker, I could not agree more. As we saw multiple times before the campaign and after the campaign, the Prime Minister took his fake little red book and signed it like he had some sort of presidential executive powers, which he simply does not. He is trying to jam this bill through as fast as he can. If he had really wanted to do it quickly, the fastest way to do it would have been to repeal Bill C-69 , repeal Bill C-48 , repeal Bill C-50 and remove the industrial carbon tax and the cap on energy production. That would have been the easiest thing to do. That would have opened the door to investment and to Canadians. It would have shown them that we are open for business. However, the Liberals did not want to do that, much like Cinderella's stepmother. They want to bring people to the ball.”
“Madam Speaker, that element of the bill almost seems like a doubling down on Bill C-69 . One element of that bill that is so frustrating to private investors and applicants is the loop it puts them through to get any decision on whether their project will be approved. It ultimately comes down to cabinet and the government to make the decision, regardless of input, consultation and science. This bill kind of reminds me of that. Once again, the government will be approving or picking the winners and losers. These things should come down to what is best for Canada as a result of consultation and science with all Canadians, not just a select few friends and elected officials within the Liberal government.”
“Madam Speaker, my colleague says he wants to be bold. I am waiting to see that. This legislation is not bold. If anything, it is underwhelming. The Liberals are over-promising and will under-deliver for Canadians. Absolutely, I think we have shown today that we are more than willing to work with the government to try to make this work because we want energy projects built. We want interprovincial barriers torn down, but this bill does not do it. Once again, if the member is truly committed to working together on this, I would encourage him to listen to the proposals and amendments that are brought forward by the opposition to improve Bill C-5 to ensure it actually achieves what the Liberals are claiming it will.”
“We are saying that it is not time to take baby steps, which Bill C-5 would be doing; it is time to be bold. It is time to be disruptive. It is time to grab the opportunity that President Trump has given us. At no time in my life as a legislator, as an elected official, have I seen Canada united, with 75% of Quebecers wanting an east-west pipeline. Canadians across this country want interprovincial trade barriers removed, and at one time they probably did not even realize what we were talking about, but they understand the impact and the potential that Canada has if we just grab it. We cannot just dance around it; we have to be bold. Bill C-5 needs to be improved, and hopefully the Liberals will listen to the opposition and take the steps that are needed to unleash Canada's potential.”
“In agriculture, it will be about 292,000 workers; in energy, about 202,000 workers; in manufacturing, about 193,000 workers; in buildings and construction, 1.4 million workers; and transportation sectors, about 642,000 workers. That adds up to 13.5% of Canada's total workforce in all parts of the country. Can members imagine a piece of legislation that is going to impact 13.5% of Canada's workforce and perhaps put another 2.7 million Canadians out of work? In contrast, the Americans are creating tens of thousands of jobs by unleashing their energy sector while we stand by and watch. In fact last fall, the Bank of Canada stated that we all see those signs that say, “In case of emergency, break glass”, and it is time for Canada to break the glass.”
“For example, the just transition bill, Bill C-50 , will cost about 200,000 jobs in the energy sector, 290,000 jobs in agriculture and 1.4 million jobs in construction and building. In total, the just transition bill, Bill C-50, will cost Canada 2.7 million jobs. The member for Winnipeg North asked me where I got that information from when I mentioned it last week. Well, a memo to the Minister of Natural Resources from his own department said, “The transition to a low-carbon economy will have an uneven impact across sectors, occupations and regions, and create significant labour...disruptions. We expect that larger-scale transformations will take place”.”
“Japan signed an agreement with the United States, our biggest competitor when it comes to energy, and the value of that agreement is a 20-year LNG agreement with the United States valued at $200 billion annually, supporting 50,000 American jobs. Those jobs should have been here in Canada, and that is just one LNG agreement. That $200 billion a year should have been building schools and hospitals here in Canada. The revenue from that one LNG agreement should have been helping pay down our debt and lower taxes for Canadians here in Canada, but instead that $200 billion is going to the United States. While the Americans are creating jobs in the energy sector, the Liberals' ideological policies, by contrast, are killing jobs here at home.”
“(1900) Meanwhile, some of our most trusted allies, Japan, Germany, Ukraine, Poland and South Korea, came to Canada asking for LNG. They want Canadian energy that is clean, affordable and sustainable, but nonsensical policies and a decision by the Liberal government forced those countries, our important allies, to go somewhere else for their energy. In fact it was one of the few times that I was embarrassed to be Canadian, when our allies, in their time of need, came to Canada for something that we could supply, that we desperately wanted to supply, and we turned our back on them. However, those decisions by the previous Liberal government, from which most of the ministers are still on the front bench, have consequences. Germany even signed an agreement with Qatar.”
“We also cannot put the same regulatory burdens on energy imported to Canada. That is why it is so important to clear the deck. Repeal Bill C-69 , repeal Bill C-48 and repeal Bill C-50 . Send a clear message to the private sector and foreign investment that Canada is truly open for business and that we are serious about getting these projects built. The Supreme Court, as my colleague from Alberta said earlier, said that Bill C-69 is unconstitutional, yet the Liberals refuse to repeal it. As a result of Bill C-69, 16 major energy projects have been abandoned, worth more than $600 billion. Of the 18 LNG projects proposed by 2015, only one remains viable, LNG Canada, and that project is proceeding only because it was granted exemptions, by the Liberal government, to Bill C-69 and the carbon tax.”