HANSARD: Will government support a jobs guarantee for the workers in the energy sector and in other energy infrastructure development in Canada?
House of Commons Hansard #220 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session.
Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act
Government Orders
September 19th, 2023 / 12:35 p.m.
Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC
NDP
Government Orders
September 19th, 2023 / 12:35 p.m.
Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC
NDP
Mr. Speaker, as indicated by many in this House, we are faced with a climate crisis. In my community in British Columbia we are seeing forest fires. We are seeing catastrophe happening right before our eyes. We know that this has impacted the Atlantic provinces as well, so we are not spared, and this is the reality we are faced with.
One of the questions I keep on wondering about is in terms of the action from the government. For the workers who are in the energy sector, the assurance that needs to be given to them is a pathway to an alternative energy and to different infrastructure building. Will the government support a jobs guarantee for the workers in the energy sector and in other energy infrastructure development in Canada?
That way, we could transition people smoothly into the sector and ensure that the good-paying union jobs are secured for them and their families.
Andy Fillmore Halifax, NS
Liberal
Mr. Speaker, I share the member's interest in making sure that our highly talented and skilled workforce of today can transition and be just as productive in the low-carbon economy of tomorrow. The process of re-skilling and upskilling these already extremely talented people from across the country is one that the government is focused on. The offshore renewables sector alone, never mind all the other renewable energy frontiers we are working on, will require an unimaginable number of workers. There will be jobs for all who are interested in all manner of turbines. I will not go into all the details, but there are a great many jobs that will be available, and we will work together in this House to make sure that those jobs are transitioned.
