Dane Lloyd
Parkland, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“He is a very intelligent man who I think put forward some very reasonable amendments. We as Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois wanted to have him sit in on the meeting so he could provide his insight on the more technical nature of some of the amendments and the issues we were talking about.”
“However, ever since the government received its manufactured majority, it has not been interested in working with other parties. Now we see that it is using this programming motion to try to ram through the legislation so that we cannot scrutinize it further. I respect the members of our non-partisan public service.”
“It has been ruled unconstitutional in the European Union to mass-keep the data of people in the European Union, yet this is what the government is putting forward. Some people would say that it is not going to misuse the data and that it would have to get a warrant in this case.”
“It was over a short matter of weeks in two-hour meetings, where we had panels of very intelligent experts who had a lot to say about the legislation. Every day I was getting emails from the public safety committee clerk with new submissions and briefs.”
“Madam Speaker, the hon. member was indeed there. It was very concerning because we had the Privacy Commissioner come to committee, and I had received nothing from the Privacy Commissioner prior to the start of that meeting.”
“As such, part 1 of the legislation seeks to create a subscriber confirmation, and I think that this could be an effective way to have something that does not require a warrant and to ask electronic service providers and telecommunications companies a simple yes-or-no question: Do they provide services to an IP address, or do they provide…”
The complete record
Every one of 268 lines we hold for Dane Lloyd, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 6.
“Canada has the largest undefended border in the world, which is something we can all be very proud of as a country, but the lack of resources for the CBSA to fulfill its role has seen a rise in smuggling and human trafficking in this country and people coming to this country to pursue their criminal activities. It has skyrocketed over the past decade. The CBSA has been sounding the alarm, but the government has not been listening. There is plenty of evidence to substantiate these points, but I will pick one specific example. At the immigration committee, IRCC officials stated that they believe there are hundreds if not thousands of violent criminals who are here illegally, violent criminals who are not citizens or permanent residents. They are temporary residents who are violent people, and officials have no idea where they are.”
“I have heard from RCMP members in my riding, when I was out knocking on doors during the past election, for example, that they are arresting people and seeing them back out on the street mere hours after being arrested for drug offences. How demoralizing this is for our frontline officers. We have heard from Mark Weber of the Customs and Immigration Union, the union that represents CBSA workers, that morale at the CBSA is at the lowest level he has ever seen. This is after 10 years of the Liberal government. We now see that the government keeps recycling its promises to keep hiring more border services officers, but it is clear much more needs to be done to strengthen our border and our security service.”
“In the past, the government has removed visa requirements over the objections of law enforcement agencies, which stated that the removal of visas would increase the risk of organized crime's taking root in this country. The government moved forward with it anyway, and it is critical that the policies be reversed so we can once again make Canada the safest country in the world. I want to be clear that nothing I am saying today is a criticism of our brave frontline law enforcement officers in the RCMP and the CBSA. We know they are doing their absolute best. We have heard from police associations in Ontario.”
“(1340) That said, I think we can all agree that strengthening our border is critical, and that is why legislation is desperately needed in this area. After 10 years of reckless Liberal policies, our border is broken, and we need to fix it. The Liberals' soft-on-crime agenda has made Canada a destination for international organized criminals trafficking in drugs, weapons, people and stolen cars. Gangs are committing brutal crimes on our streets every day. The public safety committee has looked at the issues in depth, and we have repeatedly heard it is the broken bail system that has contributed to the crisis. Organized criminals have chosen to make Canada their home because of our weak laws. We also know the government's failed immigration policies have assisted in making Canada a destination for international organized crime.”
“We know that catch-and-release is alive and well for people who traffic in fentanyl and use illegal firearms, using our porous border to victimize more and more Canadian families. We know that the sentencing provisions that were passed by the Liberal government under Bill C-75 and Bill C-5 have made it so that there no mandatory prison times for the people who traffic fentanyl, and there are still no new mandatory prison times for gangsters who use illegal guns to commit crimes, despite the Liberal government's incessant campaign against law-abiding gun owners. We also know that house arrest is still being used extensively in cases relating to violent criminals. Once again, this is unacceptable.”
“It also seeks to make certain changes to the Sex Offender Information Registration Act to allow for increased reporting of the offender's description, as well as changes to the circumstances and frequency of reporting. It would also allow for information previously collected to be disclosed if it can reasonably be expected to assist in the prevention or investigation of a crime of a sexual nature. Once again, I think these things are long overdue. We probably need to go even further, but we are certainly not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater on this one. Even with the second attempt at the legislation, the Liberal bill still fails to address the key issue of bail reform.”
“Clearly this is not the reputation that a great country like Canada wants to have. Another part of the legislation seeks to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to eliminate the designated countries of origin regime, which has been identified as a loophole. It would give the minister the powers to specify that required documents are needed to support a refugee claim. It would require the suspension of certain refugee protection proceedings if the claimant is not present in Canada, something I think should be common sense; somebody should be present in Canada if they are claiming refugee status here. It seeks to change the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act to increase the maximum monetary penalties for those charged under these acts.”
“They include but are not limited to creating an expedited pathway for the Minister of Health to add precursors chemicals used in the production of deadly drugs such as fentanyl as controlled substances under the Criminal Code. Over the past few years, we have seen the devastation of the fentanyl overdose crisis in Canada. At the public safety committee, we have been hearing about some of the many gaps we have in this country, including testimony that has indicated that the non-resident import program is being used to smuggle precursor chemicals into Canada with less stringency at the border, which is creating a situation where Canada has become a major producer of fentanyl, which is being exported. We have heard recent stories of countries like New Zealand and Australia being the recipients of drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine.”
“Therefore, today we are debating Bill C-12 . Despite the sweeping powers the government proposed in Bill C-2 , the Liberal government did not even bother to consult with the Privacy Commissioner about the impacts that the legislation would have on the privacy rights of Canadians. It is only because of the accountability provided by members of the opposition in the House that we were able to push that legislation back so we could focus on legislation that would at least try to repair the damage of the last 10 years of the Liberal government by introducing changes on the border. The objectives of the bill, I will say for those constituents of mine who are watching at home, are several.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish the entire House a very happy Trafalgar Day, a day on which we remember the sacrifice and brave leadership of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who gave his life in defence against Bonapartist tyranny. In addition, I would be remiss if I did not mention that today the Royal Canadian Navy is celebrating Niobe Day; 115 years ago today marked the first day of a Canadian warship, the HMCS Niobe . It is a privilege to rise today to speak to Bill C-12 , the strengthening Canada's immigration system and borders act. We are discussing the bill here today instead of Liberal Bill C-2 , because Bill C-2 was met with considerable opposition from members of the House and from civil society groups that made it clear that the legislation would not be able to move forward without significant revisions.”
“Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe my ears. The minister just said we need to support legislation before the House, but they have yet to put forward a bail reform bill. We have put forward a bill today. It is time for them to support it. Sadly, there are too many countless examples of the deadly failures of the Liberals' criminal experiments. In July, a young mother was killed in broad daylight by her ex-husband with a hammer. This brutal attack happened mere hours after he was convicted of assaulting her. He was on bail. He was released after he was convicted. It is time for the Liberals to end these soft-on-crime experiments. It is time for them to put their blind partisanship aside, stand with us and pass the jail not bail bill.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals keep talking about the things they will do. They can do something today and vote for our motion for jail not bail. The Liberals' criminal experiments have unleashed a wave of violence on our streets. Police and victims agree Bill C-75 is the problem. The Prime Minister talks tough on crime, but he has had six months and he has done nothing. Conservatives are listening, and that is why we put our jail not bail bill up for vote today. This country is watching this vote. When will the Liberals finally get on board and stop giving the criminals a free pass?”
“Mr. Speaker, there has been some concern about some provisions of the bill that talk about when the minister has a reasonable belief that there is a threat to the telecommunications system. One, the word “system” might be an overly broad way of categorizing the telecommunications infrastructure and, two, when dealing with individuals, there could be some room for potential abuses. I was hoping the member could talk to us about his perspective on ways we could perhaps strengthen this legislation to ensure that individual Canadians with concerns are not being in any way targeted by this legislation.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals unleashed crime and chaos on our streets. Under Bill C-75 , courts are compelled to release criminals early and under the least restrictive conditions. A woman on house arrest for breaking into a home with a weapon went to our local beach, kidnapped a five-year-old girl and was found in a canoe holding the girl under the water. She has been charged with manslaughter. This dangerous person should never have been allowed to walk freely on our streets. The Prime Minister promised action, and for six months he has failed. When will the Liberals scrap their criminal experiment or let the Conservatives fix it for them?”
“Families have a right to give their loved ones a proper funeral, and those who would deny them this fundamental right must be held to account. We owe it to Lyle, Marie, Samuel and their families to pass Bill C-236 .”
“Mr. Speaker, Edmonton police have sadly announced that 14-year-old Samuel Bird from Paul First Nation is now presumed dead months after he was declared missing. This child was murdered and police believe his killers have hidden his remains west of Edmonton. My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time. Samuel's case is not an isolated one. In 2010, Lyle and Marie McCann were also murdered. Their killer has been brought to justice but has refused to reveal the location of his victims' remains. I introduced Bill C-236 in honour of Lyle and Marie. It would empower judges and parole boards to hold killers and their accomplices to account when they are known to have withheld information on the location of their victims' remains.”
“We need to ensure that the government is held accountable so the powers it would be giving itself would only be used in a justified and proportionate manner.”
“While this bill would be a step in securing our telecommunications systems and other federally regulated industries, it is not all-encompassing and there are some gaps. As Canadian society moves increasingly into a digital space, the government needs to remain vigilant and take proactive steps to ensure we are keeping up, because this landscape is always changing. In conclusion, our Conservative team is looking forward to seeing this bill come back to committee, where we can propose meaningful amendments and listen to key witnesses and the concerns of Canadians so that they are addressed. While this legislation is important, we need to ensure that we are not giving the government a blank cheque.”
“We need transparency requirements to mandate the disclosure of the secret orders after a reasonable period and consequences for failing to table those reports. In summary, given the growing geopolitical tensions around the world, we cannot afford to be naive on matters of cybersecurity. We have sensitive research being conducted at our universities. We need to assert our sovereignty in the Arctic. Canada is a target for hostile powers wanting to undermine our country's national interests and go after our citizens. We know that hostile states like North Korea, China, Russia and Iran have demonstrated the ability to hack into our critical infrastructure and will continue to take hostile action unless we take decisive steps to improve our cyber-defences.”
“The bill clearly fails to define what personal information is, which leaves the privacy of Canadians vulnerable. We need to ensure that the government is not allowed to keep these orders secret indefinitely without just cause, and we need to ensure there is no overreach of the powers it is giving itself. Conservatives want to ensure there are appropriate consultations with and involvement of the Privacy Commissioner, the Intelligence Commissioner and other stakeholders in civil society in improving this legislation. We need independent oversight to ensure strong judicial oversight in accessing personal information. We need strong privacy safeguards to ensure that incident reports involving personal information are shared with the Privacy Commissioner. We need limitations so this data is only used in cases of cybersecurity.”
“This is actually a standard practice in other areas of national security when sensitive information is brought forward. Therefore, we find this omission questionable. Basically, to explain that, part of the provision of the bill is to allow the government to conduct court hearings in secret. When we are dealing with top secret or sensitive information, we can see that there is a justification for that. We need to ensure that anyone who is caught up in that is getting the appropriate legal representation. That is a critically important factor. (1425) Conservatives want to ensure transparency and accountability. We need strong oversight measures, clear retention limits and restrictions on how data can be collected, used and shared, especially with our foreign intelligence partners. We need to define “personal information”.”
“Conservatives believe that trust needs to be earned. As a great Conservative politician once said, “Trust, but verify”. Considering the Liberal government's habit of limiting free speech in bills like Bill C-11 and Bill C-18 in the last Parliament, and the illegal use of the Emergencies Act, I believe that many of these concerns are valid and should be addressed. Conservatives need to be able to study the bill, so we can provide amendments and listen to further witness testimony to ensure that accountability and oversight mechanisms are effective and that they are improved. Another area of concern that was flagged by witnesses was the absence of a special national security-cleared lawyer to act on an applicant's behalf during a judicial review.”
“This was in the wake of the government's decision to finally, after tremendous political pressure, ban ZTE and Huawei from the Canadian 5G networks. This was long after decisive action had already been taken by all of our Five Eyes partners. I am pleased to say that I think Bill C-26 left committee in better condition than when it went in, but we have heard from many witnesses who are concerned about the over-centralization of powers that this is giving to cabinet ministers. There is also concern that the bill in its current form gives the government excess executive authority without full proper oversight and guardrails. In Bill C-8 , the government has continued to take a “trust us” approach to legislating Canada's cybersecurity, which is alarming to the many Canadians who are concerned that the government may overreach.”
“We know that the private sector is taking proactive measures to invest in cyber-defence. With hundreds of thousands of cyber-attacks, and that is not hyperbole, targeting Canada in the first six months of 2025, they have been forced to step up and the government has not. I hear from constituents on a regular basis that they are concerned that the government's own cybersecurity measures are not up to snuff, particularly in regard to the Canada Revenue Agency. As malicious criminals become more sophisticated, Canadians need to know that their data is being stored in a safe and secure way. Therefore, it is common sense that the Liberal government should hold itself to the same standards that it is holding the private sector to in the legislation. Bill C-26 was introduced way back in June 2022.”
“Canada has already faced concentrated cyber-attacks against its telecommunication companies since at least 2021, with the Communications Security Establishment saying that it is aware of malicious cyber-activities from People's Republic of China state-sponsored actors. Canada and our allies have already been the target of cyber-attacks carried out by hostile state-sponsored or aligned groups. In fact, the RCMP, FINTRAC and Global Affairs Canada, just to mention a few, have all been previously breached by cyber-attackers. The seriousness posed by these attacks on our nation's most sensitive information cannot be understated. We need to know that the government is taking action to secure its own systems, not just telling the private sector that it has to secure its systems.”
“The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre projects that losses from cybercrime will surpass over $1 billion annually by 2028. There are actual insurance products being created to protect people from cybercrime. That is not just money being lost to fraud. That is broken lives and ongoing mental health challenges that are devastating our citizens. We know that coordinated and strategic attacks on our national infrastructure by criminals or foreign adversaries have wreaked havoc, and will continue to wreak havoc, on our society. A cyber-attack on our power grid in the middle of winter would be devastating to hospitals with vulnerable patients or to pipeline infrastructure.”
“We found breakdowns in response, coordination, enforcement, tracking, and analysis between and across the organizations responsible for protecting Canadians from cybercrime. (1420) This raises an important point. We can have all of the laws we want that say all the right things, and we do have some laws on cybersecurity, but it is clear from the Auditor General's report that the government has not invested in the capacity, the resources or the tools to implement the current cybersecurity laws that we have. We need to be assured that, by bringing the legislation forward, the government is not only planning to grant itself these powers but also giving law enforcement the capability to do something with these powers. That is something that it has not really done. The trend continues to worsen.”
“It is important for Conservatives to point out that there are some serious weaknesses that remain in Canada's cybersecurity posture. In fact, we are the last G7 country without a robust regulatory framework for cybersecurity. Last summer, the Auditor General released a damning report on the government's capacity to combat cybercrime. I am going to quote her conclusions, because they were scathing: ...the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Communications Security Establishment Canada, and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) did not have the capacity and tools to effectively enforce laws intended to protect Canadians from cyberattacks and address the growing volume and sophistication of cybercrime.”
“First, it seeks to amend the Telecommunications Act, to give the government the power to secure the telecommunications systems. Basically, the government would have the power to tell the telecommunications companies and others to do things or to not do things, such as removing equipment provided by a hostile foreign power that is being used in our telecommunications systems. Second, it seeks to create the critical cyber systems protection act; in theory, this would allow the government to impose cybersecurity requirements on federally regulated industries. These industries could include the energy sector, pipelines, nuclear plants, the financial sector, banks, the health sector and other areas. I believe there are some positive steps towards enhancing public safety in the bill.”
“We heard repeatedly from the Liberals that cybersecurity has been a high priority and that this is critically important legislation, but here we are, three years later, in an entirely new Parliament, going over the same legislation again. These delays could have been prevented, but the Liberal government failed. It is unfortunate because we have heard repeatedly that Canada's cybersecurity has been neglected and remains a vulnerable and soft target. The bill proposes to give sweeping powers to the government, and Conservatives believe that we cannot give the government a blank cheque. We need to study the legislation to ensure that we are creating effective mechanisms for combatting cybercrime without creating unnecessary red tape, bureaucracy or charter rights implications. The bill has two key objectives.”
“More and more of our daily life is being spent online, and we are becoming dependent on services and infrastructure that are vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. The threats posed by malicious actors are touching every aspect of society. They are touching industry, hospitals, pipelines and individual households. As we know, with the government's implementation of soft-on-crime bail policies, criminals will always follow the path of least resistance. It is no different in the cybersecurity environment. When a country has poor cybersecurity legislation, it makes itself a target for these malicious actors and encourages that behaviour. The Liberal government originally introduced Bill C-26 in June 2022, over three years ago. We only started to study the bill two years after it was introduced.”
“In the government's own incompetence, it did not seem to realize that its foreign interference bill contained provisions that nullified the entire second part of Bill C-26. The Senate actually identified this problem. This caused such a delay to the bill that when the Liberal government decided to prorogue Parliament, despite the fact that it had not tested the confidence of the House, it actually resulted in the legislation being killed. The government has been saying, “The dog ate my homework.” The fact is that the Liberal government was the one that killed the legislation in the last Parliament. That is the reason we are back here today. Cybersecurity is an issue of critical importance. Cybersecurity has an impact on all aspects of our life.”
“Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise and speak to Bill C-8 today. For those watching at home, in the previous Parliament, Bill C-8 was Bill C-26 . I was pleased to sit on the public safety and national security committee, which went over that bill. I want to provide a quick overview, because part of the debate we are having in the House today is about why we are discussing the legislation again when it was discussed and advanced, pretty much to the finish line, in the last Parliament. Bill C-26 went through committee. There were numerous amendments made by all parties. It came out and went to the Senate. The government asked the House of Commons to fast-track a different bill on foreign interference.”
“Madam Speaker, I find it ironic that the member talked about Conservatives being obstructionist. It is precisely because the government begged us in the last Parliament to fast-track its foreign interference legislation that we are here today. Because that legislation was fast-tracked, it actually nullified provisions in Bill C-26 , which caused the unnecessary delays to the bill. That is the reason we are here debating it today. It is such a debacle that it leads me to ask, did the government kill Bill C-26 purposely, or are the Liberals just incompetent?”
“Madam Speaker, the government is not seizing any assault weapons because law-abiding Canadians do not own any. Ukrainian government officials were very excited to hear that the government was finally sending them some weapons of war, but they were very surprised to just receive the Cabela's Christmas catalogue. Not only are the Liberals incinerating billions of dollars to go after law-abiding hunters, they are also embarrassing us by trying to send gopher-hunting guns to Ukrainians who are risking their lives on the front lines. This is a fiasco. When will the Prime Minister make this minister resign?”
“Madam Speaker, the government is embarking on a billion-dollar scam to confiscate Canadian hunting firearms. In a recording, the Minister of Public Safety admitted that he cannot explain the logic behind this program and that police do not even have the resources to carry it out. Public safety is the minister's number one job. Meanwhile, violent crime remains at all-time highs. It is reckless to go after law-abiding hunters and not the criminals using smuggled firearms to terrorize our streets. When will the Prime Minister renounce his absurd scam and fire this minister?”
“It would extend parole ineligibility and ensure that co-operation in recovering victims' remains is a major factor in parole decisions. In Canada, killers can walk free without ever disclosing the location of their victims' remains. Families have a right to know where their loved ones are. They have a right to give them a proper funeral, and the people who would deny them these fundamental rights must be held to account. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)”
“Bill C-236. Introduction and first reading moved for leave to introduce Bill C-236, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Prisons and Reformatories Act . He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to reintroduce McCann's law in the House today. In 2010, Lyle and Marie McCann of St. Albert were tragically murdered, and to this day their remains have never been found. The individual responsible has refused to disclose where the remains are, compounding the pain the McCann family continues to endure to this day. Sadly, their case is not an isolated one. Missing and murdered indigenous women make up a disproportionate number of these tragic cases. McCann's law would empower judges, parole boards and correctional officers with the tools to hold offenders accountable.”
“Mr. Speaker, in the last four months, $54 billion in investment has fled Canada, and that is in addition to nearly half a trillion dollars lost in 10 years under the Liberal government. The Prime Minister promised strength, but all he has delivered is weakness. His oil and gas production cap is killing Canadian prosperity. Conservatives today are calling for the end of this production cap. Will the Liberals keep their boots on the neck of our energy sector, or will they vote with Conservatives to axe the cap?”
“Madam Speaker, the Liberal government's record is a clear failure. I spoke with an RCMP officer in Drayton Valley who told me that he had arrested a meth dealer only to see them back out on the street four hours later. The Liberals' catch-and-release bail policies have endangered our communities, as drug dealers and violent criminals are released back out onto our streets in record time. There is something seriously wrong in our country when a criminal can be arrested, processed and back out on the streets faster than a sick Canadian can see a doctor in an emergency room. Do the Liberals recognize that their catch-and-release bail policies have made our communities far more dangerous?”
“Madam Speaker, as wildfires force tens of thousands to evacuate their homes, criminals are taking advantage of the situation to loot homes and businesses and steal emergency equipment needed to fight the flames. In Redwater, a man was arrested for tampering with sprinkler equipment during the fire, and in Yellowhead County, emergency equipment was stolen. The RCMP is saying that this is the work of repeat offenders. This is happening across the country. When will the Liberals finally get serious about protecting our communities and crack down on these thugs?”
“Mr. Speaker, indigenous peoples are literally at the front lines of these wildfires, and with their traditional knowledge and their experience on the land, they are very well suited to support firefighting efforts across this country. Federal, provincial and municipal governments, all levels of government, need to work together to empower them and give them the training and the tools needed to do—”
“Mr. Speaker, that is one concern here. We need to make sure that all levels of government are working together to increase capacity. We cannot have one level of government step up and then have another level of government say, “Hey, this is our opportunity to pull back spending.” We need to have a coordinated effort to ensure that we are increasing our capacity to respond to all emergencies and natural disasters. That does not mean just taking money from one level of government and using it to supplement spending cuts from another level of government; it means we need to have a coordinated strategy that involves increasing the overall capacity across the country.”
“Mr. Speaker, I do recognize this reality. One of the best things that we can do as Canadians to lower global greenhouse gas emissions is displace coal in countries like China and India by shipping our clean natural gas to those countries. Actually, there have been reports that have shown that if we ship our natural gas overseas and displace more greenhouse gas-emitting fuel sources like coal or even wood in some countries, we can lower the entire greenhouse gas emission of Canada several times over. These are real solutions that can grow our economy but also lower global emissions.”
“Mr. Speaker, I think we have to hold the government up to its own standards, and those are the promises that were made in the 2021 federal election. The prime minister at the time went to British Columbia as they were undergoing a massive fire season and said, “We are going to spend $500 million by the next firefighting season. We are going to buy water bombers and helicopters, and we are going to train 1,000 new firefighters.” The Liberals did not do that by the next firefighting season. It has been four years since then, and they have not done it. Let us not hold them to the standard of what they have done; let us hold them to the standard of what they promised to do but did not do. They failed.”
“These are the kinds of innovative public-private partnerships and non-profit groups we need to be supporting as a federal government and as Canadians, because we need more civilians to get involved in taking control of their destiny in terms of firefighter management. We need a whole-of-government approach with the private sector, government and non-profits in order to defeat these wildfires and protect our communities. I am thankful for the opportunity to speak today.”
“Sadly, companies like Wall Genics have once again been victims of the federal government's excessive red tape. Their company treats lumber with copper borate solution, which repels termites. We can buy this treated lumber from the United States, but Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency, PMRA, will not let us manufacture it here in Canada. The reason I am bringing this up in the context of this debate is that copper borate-treated lumber is also a very good fire-retardant material. We cannot manufacture it here in Canada, yet we can import it from the United States. I also want to give a shout-out to organizations like Civil Protection Youth Canada, the Ontario Corps and the Nova Scotia Guard.”
“They are selling 15 million home firefighting kits to people in California, where they are actually spraying their homes with this product to protect their houses from wildfire. Sadly, we are not getting these products here in Canada, even though they are being made by Canadians. We also have companies out of Acheson, Alberta, in my riding, like Wall Genics, which has products that wrap power poles and expand when put in contact with fire, protecting critical infrastructure and saving communities millions in damage. I have seen first-hand the effectiveness of this technology in Jasper. They also have innovative technology like mythril mesh, which is being adopted for construction and can be retrofitted to residences to protect them from wildfire.”
“They equip both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft with firefighting capabilities, and they are the first company in the world to convert a commercial airliner, a Boeing 737, into a firefighting tanker. This is truly impressive. We have innovative companies at all levels, small and medium-sized enterprises, that hold tremendous promise for putting out fires. There are folks like Rick Solomon, with Firefox in my area, with his canola oil-based polymer. It is mixed 99% with water and can put out fires more effectively than traditional retardants. I have actually put this product on my bare hands and taken a blowtorch to my hand. It was quite a sight, but I did not feel a thing. It is truly fascinating technology. I spoke to Rick, and unfortunately he has had to move to Montana because of the red tape that has been created in this country.”
“Canada is a global leader in disaster management practices and technology. We need a federal government that will partner with the private sector to enhance our ability to respond. I name De Havilland, a well-known aircraft company that is now based outside of Calgary, Alberta. They are a world leader in aerial firefighting, the best in the business, and their water bombers are recognized around the world. Unfortunately, Canada is not buying any of these water bombers, and their orders are now backlogged. They are sending their orders to Europe and other countries instead. We need some of that production to come here, to Canada. There is Coulson Aviation, out of Port Alberni, British Columbia.”