Business leaders in Belleville had the chance to listen to Bay of Quinte MP Chris Malette address the state of the economy and the government’s ideas to improve things moving forward on Wednesday.
Here is a copy of his address delivered to a breakfast meeting of the Belleville Chamber of Commerce at Sans Souci in downtown Belleville.
SPEAKING NOTES – Chris Malette
Good morning all you smiling, beautiful chamber members and the morbidly curious who want to know if Malette knows how to spell Parliament yet?
For the record, I do, I did and I always have.
My former sign painter? Not so much.
I come here today oddly, but honestly admitting, as a news reporter back in the day, I used to despise these long, tedious events when politicians of all stripes would stand before a crowd lured from their cozy beds on a fall morning only by a promise of scrambled eggs, passable coffee, extra helpings of bacon and a warmed-over version of the government or council of the day’s happy news.
That’s not what I’m here for, but I can assure you Greg Sheridan never serves up a bad breakfast.
I’m here to hopefully put some meat on the bones of what you may or may not have come to understand as our new government’s Canada Strong plan to build the strongest, most resilient economy in the G7 and in the developed world. Strong, confident workforce Canadian workers have always been the backbone of this country. But over the past few months, many have felt the impact of U.S. tariffs more acutely than anyone. Our government hears you, and we are acting.
Today, I’m proud to share how Canada’s new government is investing in our workers — ensuring they have the tools, training, and opportunities they need to drive Canada’s economic transformation and build a stronger, more confident future.
Reskilling and Training the Workforce First, we are launching a new re-skilling package to train 50,000 workers. Through Labour Market Development Agreements with provinces and territories, we will invest an additional $450 million over three years to retrain and upskill workers across the country.
This will mean new skills, new opportunities, and new hope — especially for mid-career and long-tenured workers affected by tariffs, as well as underrepresented groups such as women, Indigenous Peoples, and persons with disabilities.
Working hand in hand with employers, we’ll ensure that Canadians can train for the jobs of today and tomorrow — and continue contributing to a strong, growing economy.
Digital Tools for Job Seekers We also know that finding the right job or training opportunity shouldn’t be a struggle. That’s why we’re investing $50 million over five years to modernize Canada’s online job tools — using artificial intelligence to match job seekers to opportunities that fit their skills.
We’re launching a national online training platform so adults can find short, flexible courses across Canada. And we’re partnering with innovators like Indeed, Jobillico, Career Beacon, eCampus Ontario, and the Skills Council of Canada to make it happen.
By the end of November, job seekers will see even more improvements:
· Personalized referrals to local employment organizations.
· Feedback from employers on skill gaps within 30 days of applying.
· Full salary information and transparency on the use of AI in hiring.
· And a new Worker Dashboard to help connect local employers with skilled talent.
Workforce Alliances and Innovation Fund We are also launching Workforce Alliances — partnerships between employers, unions, and industry groups — supported by $382 million over five years. These alliances will tackle urgent labour market challenges and help businesses recruit and retain the workers they need.
We’ll focus on key sectors — from auto parts and steel to energy, critical minerals, and advanced manufacturing — areas where Canada must remain strong and competitive.
To complement this, a new $50 million Workforce Innovation Fund will support local projects that help employers attract and keep skilled workers, including in rural and remote regions.
Support for Long-Tenured Workers We also recognize that some workers need more time to get back on their feet. That’s why, starting October 12, 2025, we began providing 20 extra weeks of Employment Insurance benefits — up to a total of 65 weeks — for long-tenured workers. This $1.6 billion investment will support about 190,000 workers, giving them the time and training they need to find the right job, not just the next job.
Strategic Response Fund As businesses adapt to a changing economy, they need time and support to pivot and grow.
Our new $5 billion Strategic Response Fund will help companies facing trade pressures to retool, innovate, and expand into new markets.
This fund will prioritize projects in highly trade-exposed sectors — maintaining Canada’s industrial capacity and protecting good jobs. It will support large-scale projects, encourage provincial and territorial co-investment, and ensure that Canadian industries stay strong and competitive at home and abroad.
Together with our Workforce Alliances and other initiatives, this fund replaces and strengthens the Strategic Innovation Fund — ensuring that innovation continues and workers are never left behind.
A New Buy Canadian Policy But we’re not stopping there. We are launching a new Buy Canadian Policy — to ensure that when the federal government spends money, it supports Canadian workers and Canadian materials.
By November 2025, new rules will require that Canadian suppliers are prioritized in all federal procurement. At first, this will focus on key materials like Canadian steel and softwood lumber, with more to follow.
When Canadian suppliers aren’t available, we’ll still require local content and trusted partnerships, ensuring federal spending continues to benefit Canadians.
This approach will extend to infrastructure projects, grants, loans, and contributions — reaching an additional $70 billion in spending.
We’ll also streamline federal procurement, making it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to compete and succeed. And for the first time, federal agencies and Crown corporations will be required to follow Buy Canadian principles too.
Immediate Liquidity Relief Finally, we’re providing immediate relief for businesses under pressure. We’re increasing the Business Development Bank of Canada’s maximum loan size from $2 million to $5 million, lowering interest rates, and extending loan terms for large enterprises.
We’re also granting flexibility to the automotive sector, including adjustments to the Electric Vehicle Availability Standards in 2026.
As a member of our government’s automotive caucus – by dint of the fact we have major automotive parts and component manufacturers here in Bay of Quinte including Magna and Hanon – I have sat on panels with Canadian automotive manufacturing representatives, parts manufacturers and representatives of the electric vehicle industry, both manufacturers and the innovators who are building the infrastructure to support the EV transition.
Do NOT believe the misinformation you have been reading online from groups and bot factories that would have you opposed to EV evolution. The rest of the world is quickly leaving North America in the dust on the transition to electric vehicles and innovation and technology on battery capacity, durability, safety and innovation is moving faster than most in Canada can imagine.
It is happening and we either keep wielding our buggy whips and wistful thinking that our diesel F150 is the only solution to having to make a long drive in winter, or we begin to think how we can make the transition in a positive and measured fashion.
The Government is announcing an intent to make targeted regulatory adjustments to help the automotive sector stay competitive during a period of transition. The automotive sector is essential to Canada’s economy, supporting jobs, trade, innovation and the green transition. To support the sector as it navigates the immediate challenges from U.S. trade actions while preparing for a zero-emissions future, the Government of Canada will remove the 2026 target from the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard (EVAS) and is launching a 60-day review of the overall regulation. I can tell you, from the deliberations we’ve had in the previous mentioned caucus sessions, the auto industry is asking for a longer pause on those regulations. We’re considering those requests as we speak.
The EVA standard currently requires that at least 20% of new light-duty vehicle sales in Canada be zero emissions by 2026, rising to 60% by 2030 and reaching 100% by 2035. The EVA standard will be amended to remove the target for the 2026 model year vehicles to help reduce the economic pressure due to tariffs.
At the same time, the Government is launching an immediate review of the EVAS to ensure it continues to reflect market realities, remains effective for Canadians, and does not place undue burden on automakers. The review will consider potential amendments to the annual sales targets, including the 2035 goal, and will explore possible additional flexibilities.
Increasingly, countries around the world are transitioning to Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV), including electric vehicles. Up to 1 in 4 vehicles sold in the world today is an electric vehicle. Shifting toward ZEVs (including electric vehicles) will offer long-term savings for drivers, reduced carbon emissions and improved health outcomes and reduced health care costs by ensuring cleaner air for communities. The global shift to electrification is also creating significant opportunities for the Canadian economy, including new manufacturing jobs and expansions in Canada’s critical minerals mining and processing, which will benefit rural communities.
While the transition to zero emission vehicles is crucial for addressing climate change, it is unfolding amid significant short-term economic uncertainty. Since these regulations were introduced, U.S. tariffs have had a major impact on the auto industry. Additionally, Canada must carefully consider how recent U.S. policy uncertainty could affect the affordability and availability of ZEVs in the integrated North American market. That’s why we are taking a measured approach – supporting our industries today, while keeping a clear focus on a sustainable future.
In addition to regulatory adjustments, the Government will also explore options to bring more affordable electric vehicles to Canadians.
These changes are part of the Government of Canada’s broader strategy to support key sectors impacted by global trade dynamics, while ensuring a clean and competitive economy for the future.
Canadians are currently facing a significant housing crisis. In response, the new government is introducing a bold strategy aimed at increasing the housing supply and making homes more affordable for everyone.
Introducing Build Canada Homes
To tackle this challenge, the government is launching Build Canada Homes, a new federal agency dedicated to transforming the housing sector. This agency will help create a modern housing industry designed to double the rate of housing construction over the next ten years.
Key Strategies and Objectives
· Accelerate Large-Scale Projects: Build Canada Homes will help initiate large housing developments, ensuring that projects move forward efficiently and quickly.
· Attract Private Investment: The agency aims to draw private capital into the affordable homebuilding sector, increasing resources available for new housing initiatives.
· Support Innovation and Expansion: By enabling modern manufacturers and home builders to invest in new factories, expand their capacity, and innovate, Build Canada Homes will help drive advancements in housing construction.
Commitment to Fast, Smart, and Sustainable Building
Build Canada Homes is committed to building quickly, intelligently, and sustainably. This approach will help reduce risks, streamline project approvals, and empower builders to deliver new housing efficiently and responsibly.
But I recognize there is still work to be done. The housing market is changing, and we need continued collaboration between all levels of government and the agencies and organizations, such as Quinte Homebuilders, to ensure that our community is not left behind.
Our region’s strategic location, combined with the presence of CFB Trenton, has long made Bay of Quinte a critical area for national defence. I’m proud to say that we have made great progress on this front and I am proud, too, of my key role as a member on the National Defence Committee, where we fashion policy and study the best strategies and proposals for the future of our armed forces.
In recent months, our government has significantly invested in National Defence, including a salary increase for all of our men and women in uniform, the modernization of military infrastructure and the expansion of critical military capabilities. For us here in Bay of Quinte, that means ongoing investment in CFB Trenton
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced the creation of the Defence Investment Agency, aimed at transforming Canada’s defence procurement system. The agency will:
1. Streamline Procurement: Centralize and simplify processes to eliminate red tape and accelerate defence acquisitions.
2. Boost Domestic Industry: Align procurement with Canadian industrial benefits, fostering careers and innovation in aerospace, shipbuilding, and advanced manufacturing.
3. Enhance Collaboration: Promote early engagement between the Canadian Armed Forces and defence industry to better anticipate needs and improve planning.
4. Strengthen Global Partnerships: Align Canada with allies like the UK, Australia, and France, and support the EU’s Readiness 2030 plan for defence supply chain resilience.
The agency will also help Canada meet its NATO defence spending targets—2% of GDP in 2025 and 5% by 2035.
The initiative reflects Canada’s commitment to modernizing its defence capabilities and reinforcing its role in global security.
These efforts aren’t just about strengthening our national security—they are also about honoring the incredible contributions our local military families make, and ensuring that CFB Trenton remains a key part of Canada’s defense strategy.
To bring this to a close and you to your desks for the prescribed time of, what, 9 a.m., I believe, let me close with a few thoughts.
We are in no less turbulent times and the currents of change and consequence wrought by the obstructionist and disruptive whims of one Donald J Trump are still very real. None of that was a concoction to instill fear in the electorate, as our friends in Opposition would have you believe. It is a real, ongoing, everyday threat that is being manifested by plant closures, uncertainty in markets across the globe and a serious, strategic rethinking of how we conduct business in this world going forward. None of this is meant to scare, or pull the wool over anyone’s eyes – negotiations between our government and the United States and new, co-operative trading partners are serious. As serious as a heart attack, I can assure you, and we’re working monstrously hard to not put a foot wrong when we know the whole bargaining table can, at any one time, be upended by the tantrum of one man sitting in the Oval Office today.
But, knowing some of the projects, plans and strategies that I have become engrossed in on your behalf, the future of Bay of Quinte is bright, and the work we’re doing now will lay the foundation for long-term prosperity. But we need to keep pushing forward. We need to continue investing in our people, in our industries, and in our communities to ensure that every person in this riding has the opportunity to thrive. There are plans coming together in a cohesive, meaningful fashion on housing, infrastructure and environmental fronts that are immeasurably encouraging.
But, these serious developments don’t happen with the snap of a finger or the wave of a bureaucratic wand. I’m not stalling here, I’m being honest. I ask that you understand that this government – a new government under a new prime minister with a new and bold direction – has been in power all of 170 days. Yet, the talking heads on political TV panels and the braying of the benches across the aisle in Parliament will say we’ve not delivered enough, soon enough, fast enough.
I won’t delve into this topic too deeply, for fear of enflaming passions and creating indigestion after another of Greg’s wonderful breakfasts, but there is incivility and an air of chaos in the People’s House right now that is appalling and, frankly, an affront to the people who expect good governance from their elected officials.
There is a noticeable change – and not for the better – in the tenor of the current session of the House of Commons since the fall sitting began. I don’t think I need to remind what or who the common denominator of that dramatic change in tenor is, but suffice to say it’s disruptive, disrespectful and demeaning of the place in which we serve and to the people who sent us there
Some people think the Opposition Leader’s job is to shout, smear, and say “no” to everything. That’s not leadership – that’s performative theatre for social media clips and clicks and it’s unfortunately what has become of even the important business of parliamentary committee sessions. Real leadership means offering ideas that lift people up and strengthen Canada, not tearing it down for applause and gotcha moments.
What we in your new government are taking are deliberate, measured and careful steps in what is nothing less than a geopolitical minefield, fraught with tariffs and literal war in a very uncertain world.
But, I want you to understand this very real and undying promise from where I now sit – there are MPs who go to Ottawa on your behalf who become what are known as Ottawa MPs, the men and women hell bent on creating a name and a cabinet post for themselves.
And there are others who are died-in-the-wool constituency MPs, working almost round the clock on behalf of the projects, plans, dreams and needs of the people who elected him or her.
I am that second MP – the one who is rock-ribbed standing up for the Bay of Quinte and, while serving my duties as a Parliamentarian in Ottawa, always, always on the job for the people who elected me as THEIR representative in Ottawa.
Together, we’ve made progress—but there is more to do. And I remain committed to working on your behalf, alongside our provincial and municipal partners, to ensure that Bay of Quinte remains a place where people can afford to live, where our families and businesses can thrive, and where we continue to be proud of our contributions to our country’s defense and prosperity.
Some years ago, I stood before this group or one like it over scrambled eggs and bacon at the Ramada when I was first running for elected office on Belleville City Council. I said this then and I mean it all the more now.
I was not born and raised in Belleville or the Quinte Region. As many know, I’m a southwestern Ontario kid, born in Windsor and a guy who came here as a cub reporter at The Intelligencer all those many years ago when a daily newspaper was an important part of the fabric of this community.
What I said those years ago to this group was this: While I am not from here, I am OF here. This place, over the past 47 years that I have called Belleville my home, is a place I love and a place and a people I will always fight for.
As your Member of Parliament, I thank you for your trust in me and I am humbled every day by the knowledge I represent you all in the business of the nation’s capital as it affects your every day life back here home in the Bay of Quinte and here in Belleville.
If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for how we can further improve our community, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. Your feedback is invaluable, and I’m always here to listen.
Thank you.
(PAUL MARTIN)
