Madam Chair, hon. colleagues, before I begin, as a transport minister and a former minister of foreign affairs, I think it is appropriate to pay tribute to a great Canadian, our friend Marc Garneau. He was a colleague, he was a friend, and he was a true national hero.

I met Marc when I joined the small but mighty Liberal caucus in 2013. He was already a national legend: an astronaut, a distinguished public servant as president of the Canadian Space Agency, and a committed Liberal who stepped up to run for our party in 2008 when we were on the opposition side of the House.

It was with great pride and respect that all of us watched Marc take on the roles of minister of transport and minister of foreign affairs. He led these portfolios with the grace, dignity and discipline that had defined his historic role as the first Canadian in space. Beyond these titles and accomplishments, Marc was simply a wonderful human being. He loved his wife, Pam, and his children with devotion and delight. Those of us lucky enough to know him personally will remember his kindness, his wisdom and yes, his charming cooking videos. I offer my very sincere condolences to Pam and to the entire Garneau family.

I will be accompanied today by Arun Thangaraj, the deputy minister of transport, and later on by Chris Fox, the deputy clerk and deputy minister for intergovernmental affairs and internal trade.

At a time when Canada is facing growing uncertainty abroad, a rise in global protectionism, a shift in trade alliances and the unjustified and illegal imposition of tariffs on our products, it is more important than ever before to strengthen our transportation system, economy and internal trade.

This means reducing internal trade barriers and building Canada. It means making it easier and faster to move goods and people across the country and exports to our partners around the world. This is how we will build the strongest economy in the G7. This is why I am so honoured to serve as both Minister of Internal Trade and Minister of Transport.

We all know Canada is in a critical moment. U.S. tariffs are battering our country and threatening to push the world economy into a recession, hard-working Canadians are losing their jobs, businesses are losing their customers and investors are holding back. This is why it is so essential for us to press ahead with a project that costs nothing and can be accomplished at the stroke of a pen, delivering truly free trade in Canada.

Economists estimate that truly free trade within our country, making it as easy to do business between, say, British Columbia and Nova Scotia as it is within one province itself, would add as much as $200 billion to our economy. At this time of crisis, that is a boost we definitely need. Free trade in our own country makes sense. Now that the LCBO is not stocking American wine, it makes more sense than ever to be sure that Nova Scotia and B.C. wines can be found on its shelves.

A registered nurse qualified in Saskatchewan should be able to get right to work if her family moves to Newfoundland to be close to aging relatives; a plumbing firm in Winnipeg should be able to expand to do jobs in Kenora as easily as it can in Brandon, and a trucker should be able to drive from Halifax harbour to the port of Vancouver without buying permits to cross between provinces and wasting precious time making technical adjustments after he rolls across each provincial line.

Essentially, the decision to build a single Canadian economy out of 13 is a decision to trust one other. It means deciding that the delicious steak being eaten in Calgary is surely good enough to serve in Charlottetown and that the dental hygienist loved by all her patients in Moncton can be trusted to do the same excellent job when she moves to Montreal.

Australia, a country with which we have so much in common, made the decision to build a single continental economy 30 years ago. Australians decided to trust each other and, over the last three decades, that has enriched each Australian and reinforced the ties uniting that beautiful country.

Now is the time for Canada to do likewise.

The wave of patriotism that has swept across our great country over the past few months has really been inspiring and invigorating. Let us seize the moment to turn that love of Canada into action by trusting each other and creating one single Canadian economy from coast to coast to coast. What a delicious irony it will be for us to respond to tariffs imposed on us from abroad by finally tearing down the tariff and trade barriers we have imposed on each other. Let us get this done once and for all.

That is why we will introduce legislation to eliminate domestic trade barriers and build a unified Canadian economy. For far too long, senseless barriers have curbed trade. It is time to mutually recognize provincial and territorial regulations to facilitate trade by Canadian companies throughout the country and allow skilled workers to seize opportunities, wherever they may be. Experts estimate that eliminating barriers could add up to $200 billion to our national GDP. It is an incredible opportunity to build our country.

Momentum is growing across the country. Nova Scotia and Manitoba have already passed legislation to remove barriers to internal trade. B.C. introduced the economic stabilization act, and several other provinces, including Ontario, P.E.I., New Brunswick and Quebec, are advancing their own legislation.

Memoranda of understanding between Ontario and other provinces, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I., Manitoba and Saskatchewan, as well as powerful regional agreements like the pioneering New West Partnership Trade Agreement, signal new levels of co-operation between provinces and a commitment to bring down barriers to internal trade.

I really do want to salute the premiers of the provinces and territories for their work on this. Their action shows what we can accomplish when we work together as one Canadian economy.

At the national level, through the committee on internal trade, we are accelerating efforts to eliminate remaining exceptions to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, advance mutual recognition in sectors such as trucking and consumer goods, and facilitate housing construction by addressing interprovincial material and labour barriers. Progress is also being made on credential recognition and direct-to-consumer alcohol sales.

Let us choose to trust each other. If a truck can travel from Windsor to Cambridge, it should be able to travel from Winnipeg to Kenora. If a steak is certified in Alberta, we should be confident it is also safe to eat in Saskatchewan. If someone earns a professional credential in Quebec, they should be able to work anywhere in the country. It is time to remove these barriers.

I encourage all members of the House to support this work to strengthen transportation and trade infrastructure and deliver on the promise of a truly unified economy. To unlock our full economic potential, we must not only remove barriers but also build. That is why we also want to move forward with national infrastructure projects.

These projects are investments in Canada. They strengthen our economy and create good jobs. They become symbols of national pride and of our country itself. From our railways to our waterways to our airports, investing in these projects shapes who we are as a people and as a country. I see I am running out of time, so let me just say the following.

All of these measures are aimed at making life more affordable, growing our economy and giving Canadians more freedom to live and work where opportunities present themselves.

These are not partisan goals. These are nation-building priorities that benefit every region, every business and every Canadian. Let us get this work done, together.

Chrystia Freeland

$435,302.00