House of Commons Debates VOLUME 148 Ï NUMBER 220 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 42nd PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday, October 23, 2017 Speaker: The Honourable Geoff Regan CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 14363 HOUSE OF COMMONS Monday, October 23, 2017 The House met at 11 a.m. society, to make sure that what we are investing in is going to reach our social objectives as well. Prayer An excellent example of empowering marginalized communities has already been raised by my hon. colleague from Sault Ste. Marie. Highway 17 was being constructed in his riding, and it was going through the Garden River First Nation. They requested that there be PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS a stronger community benefit in this investment. They listed a Ï (1100) number of initiatives, such as including employment for the Garden River people, training, the use of local aggregates, and subcontract- [English] ing to local businesses. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES ACT Another example, the Waneta expansion project, was highlighted The House resumed from June 19, 2017 consideration of the by the now Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. This motion that Bill C-344, An Act to amend the Department of Public project has the Columbia Power Corporation signed on with Works and Government Services Act (community benefit), be read community benefits, through an agreement it has with the Ktunaxa the second time and referred to a committee. Nation council for the Waneta expansion project in British Columbia. Provisions of assistance to the community in this small The Speaker: The hon. member for Guelph has six minutes hydro development included green projects, such as the Waneta remaining in his speech. power project, but it also looked at how it impacts the local The hon. member for Guelph. community in terms of the triple bottom line approach, including Mr. Lloyd Longfield (Guelph, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, it has been a education and social benefits for the community. while since I began this speech, so we will pick up where we left off. It is great to stand to speak in support of Bill C-344, a bill that looks Another benefit that would arise form Bill C-344 is that it would at the connection between social benefit and economic benefit. ensure the whole community would benefit from the publicly funded When we look at the triple bottom line, we like to connect social, initiatives. The bill would make sure that the proposed procurement environmental, and economic benefits. This bill addresses the social initiatives would be of the most use to the community they are in, part of that equation, connecting to the economic benefits. Therefore, and would have the most lasting benefit for the people who live in in cases where construction projects are being procured by the those communities. Moreover, this bill would increase transparency government, we want to look at how that project would benefit the and accountability in the procurement process, helping to prevent the community in which it is located. use of public monies to cater to special interests. It is common-sense legislation, such as Bill C-344, that Canadians elected us to work on In 2015, we campaigned on significant investments on infra- when we were elected in 2015. structure across the country. Now is a good time to look at how that investment would benefit communities socially, as well as create the jobs for which we are targeting those investments. It is an excellent We had an example in my community in Guelph. It was a cool opportunity to also look at the scope of supply that includes social highlighting of how projects have multiple benefits within a innovation with SMEs. A lot of our construction firms already take community. The Parkwood Gardens Community Church applied this into account when they are working on projects, creating schools for and received some funding after its community benefit in neighbourhoods, creating infrastructure through roads. However, assessment was done. It was determined that the church members it is not the standard practice across the country. Therefore, through provide an estimated $2.1 million to our community in charitable this bill, we want to encourage our contractors and other people who donations and volunteer hours, resulting from a $50,000 Canada 150 are applying for government funds to consider the direct and indirect grant to improve accessibility to the community space. Even smaller impact they have on communities through the projects they are organizations like community churches that provide space for use by putting through. The government plays a significant role in Brownies, Cub Scouts, and other community organizations show a providing opportunities for these firms. The bill looks at the huge impact on the community in terms of investment in kind opportunity the government wants to create in terms of a better through volunteer time, and other benefits to their community. 14364 COMMONS DEBATES October 23, 2017 Private Members' Business Ï (1105) government supports small and medium enterprises, local busi- nesses, and local people, it is how a community benefits. It is the We need to look at the process that procurement provides, and the grassroots organizations that give back to their communities. It is the opportunities for us to reflect the values of Canadians. Alongside small and medium-sized businesses that support local charities, transparency and accountability, procurement can also fulfill sponsor community soccer teams, and ensure there are labour and economic, social, and environmental goals. Procurement can engage resources to help upgrade or renovate community parks. municipalities and community groups to understand what projects have the greatest impact and benefit to communities. It can hire local That leads me to my next point. What additionally concerns me business and community members in need of an opportunity to get are the arbitrary and undemocratic powers that this bill would give to into the workforce. Procurement projects can also encourage social the minister. This enactment would amend the Department of Public innovation, and even reconciliation with our indigenous peoples. Works and Government Services Act to provide the minister with the This bill is a great opportunity for us to get the most out of our tax authority to require an assessment of the benefits that a community dollars and benefit our communities in ways that go well beyond derives from a construction, maintenance, or repair report. Based on economic benefit. I am pleased to support this bill. the way this bill is written, it would be the minister who gets to decide how the community would benefit from a specific project. I Mr. John Barlow (Foothills, CPC): Madam Speaker, I rise in the can say that within my own constituency of Foothills, each House today to speak to Bill C-344, an act to amend the Department community and municipality is unique in its own way. The people, of Public Works and Government Services Act. the resources, and the things they need to benefit their communities I appreciate the intervention from my colleague, but I want to raise are unique and very distinctive. some very substantial concerns regarding this bill. It seems that this bill follows in lockstep with the Liberals' trend to make business in Over the years, I have had the opportunity to get to know my Canada much harder for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well riding of Foothills extremely well. I spend time there, live there, raise as small rural communities, to access government funding and my family there, work there, and shop in the businesses there. I assistance. To me, that is simply not acceptable. know the people and the area. Who else knows the people and the area? It is the owners of the small and medium-sized enterprises who An assessment of the benefits of a community would derive from work there every single day. It is the municipal councillors who have a federal contract being awarded to an enterprise, and its incredible the passion for and dedication to their communities and know intentions should not be harder to access, but easier. However, how intricately what goes on day to day. For me, it is those people we this bill is written would impose further red tape and burdensome should be listening to when it comes to assessing the benefits to a bureaucratic work, causing undue hardship on small and medium- community of a construction project. Is a minister here in Ottawa sized enterprises and small rural communities. This would certainly truly claiming that he or she knows every community across Canada deter smaller enterprises that may not have the substantial staffing or better than the constituents, small business owners, and municipal budget to know the right legal jargon for otherwise doing business councillors who live there each and every day? It is those people we with the Liberal government. should be listening to when we ask about the benefits of a community project. Adding onerous layers to the paperwork process would exclude many small and medium-sized enterprises from being able to participate in the process. It would further promote an attitude where Large and powerful enterprises may have the best resources to fill the Liberal government is emboldened to large and powerful out a report, the best vocabulary to make it sound compelling to the businesses and enterprises, giving them a clear advantage to access minister, and certainly have the lobbyists in Ottawa trying to woo the government funding. This bill would essentially help the wealthiest minister to grant procurement projects to their companies. However, 1%, support powerful corporations, and put a greater disadvantage what I believe is most important is listening to the local groups who on small and medium enterprises, as well as small towns, cities, and have the pulse of their neighbourhood.