Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to speak in this House about one of the first bills of this new government, which is foundational for our vision and ambition, groundbreaking in scope and unifying in its promise. I refer to the one Canadian economy act. Today, I want to share a bold vision with members, a vision for unity, for growth, for a Canada that does not sit on the sidelines or take our destiny for granted.

Today, the world's economies are changing. Global relationships are being tested. Our biggest trading partner, the United States, is taking a new, more unpredictable course. However, the unjustified tariffs issued by the U.S. administration have also presented Canada with an opportunity. History has shown us what these moments of challenge can become when a nation discovers its true strength. It is in times like these that we must stand together as one Canada, work together and move forward.

I will share the two key federal barriers that the one Canadian economy act is proposing to knock down. First, the bill would help remove federal obstacles that hold back the movement of goods and services within our country. It would also allow us to address federal licensing barriers that make it harder for Canadian workers to work wherever opportunity takes them. The free movement of goods, services and labour is essential if we are to meet this moment. Second, the one Canadian economy act offers us a path forward to growth and prosperity, so that projects of national interest, projects that build this nation and benefit Canadians, could move swiftly from the drawing board to the real world, where they would have the power to make a difference in the lives of all Canadians. I will speak to each of these elements further.

I will start by addressing the need to eliminate federal trade barriers, beginning with an example of how current national regulations make it challenging for Canadian business owners to sell a simple item outside of their province or territory. For example, an organic tomato farmer in Ontario can call their tomatoes “organic” and sell them at farmers' markets across Ontario because they were certified under Ontario's system. However, they may want to sell those organic tomatoes in Quebec, a province that has its own organic system.

A responsible grower, even when they have been doing everything right in Ontario, cannot legally call their tomatoes “organic” in Quebec unless they obtain federal certification and go through the extra paperwork and extra expenses. Rather than just putting those tomatoes on a truck and getting them to shelves in Montreal, they face extra steps, because provincial organic certifications are not automatically accepted by the federal government. Our farmers are doing things right; it is the system that puts up barriers where there ought to be bridges. Under this bill, if a good is produced, used or sold under a province's rules, it can move across the country without needing to meet federal standards if it serves the same purpose.

I would like to highlight the work the provinces and territories are already doing to make it easier to sell goods and services to each other, addressing provincial barriers. We need to continue to work together at all levels of government and above partisan politics. The one Canadian economy act builds on that co-operation. It is not about encroaching on responsibilities or regulations of provinces or territories. This is the government's effort to do its part to make trade smoother at the federal level.

This legislation would allow the Government of Canada to lend a hand in taking down roadblocks, because when every order of government works together, there is no limit to what Canada can achieve. Under this bill, if goods are produced, used or distributed according to the rules set out by a province or territory, those goods could be recognized as meeting comparable federal standards on interprovincial trade. We are also proposing to do the same thing with federal trade barriers on selling Canadian services across our provinces and territories. Under this bill, if a service is provided following provincial or territorial rules, that service would be considered in line with the federal rules on interprovincial trade.

The second key element of this bill's barrier-reduction strategy is labour mobility. This is a commitment to ensuring that every Canadian can put their talents to work anywhere in Canada without being weighed down by complicated, costly barriers. This government is working closely with provinces and territories to allow skilled Canadians, including nurses in St. John's, engineers in Edmonton, carpenters in Wellesley and teachers and paramedics from Trois-Rivières to Whitehorse, to move freely, taking their skills, credentials and ambitions with them wherever opportunity calls. The one Canadian economy act is about unlocking the true potential of Canadian workers so that whether a person is a home builder in Kelowna or a health care worker in Cape Breton, this country stands behind them, values their training and welcomes their contribution.

When goods, services and Canadian workers can move freely across our country, so do ideas, skills and opportunities. That is what unity looks like, not just in words but in action. That is what this bill is designed to deliver. When we break down barriers and open new doors, we set the stage for something bigger: for projects of national interest that will move this country forward.

We need to get projects approved faster and change our mindset from whether to build to how to build. That is why we are proposing that Canada adopt a new approach to projects that will advance our national goals, projects that shape the future of our country, build our resilience in an uncertain world and strengthen our autonomy and security. We need to do all of these things in a way that still respects indigenous rights and protects our economy.

The one Canadian economy act is about more than increasing our GDP; it is about investing in people. Let us rise to meet this moment with clarity, with courage and with the conviction that the next chapter of Canada's story will be written by those bold enough to build it.

Tim Louis

$534,348.00