Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, the Senate expense scandal has been upsetting people for years. Canadians are angry that government cronies, who were inappropriately appointed, are treating taxpayers' money like an all-you-can-eat buffet. It is completely outrageous for a senator to be using his staff members, who are on the public payroll, to organize his home renovations and manage his tanning salon. When will the government rein in these fat cats and clean up these practices that simply do not make any sense?
Let us talk about messes they promised to clean up, Mr. Speaker.For more than three years, they promised to legalize marijuana, yet thousands and thousands of Canadians will have criminal records for the rest of their lives because they will not even decriminalize it, something that could have been done overnight. The simple question for the Prime Minister is this. His minister was in New York, of all places, instead of here today, announcing that maybe in 2017 they will be presenting legislation to finally do something about it. In the meantime, will the Prime Minister at least promise that there will be legislation to remove the criminal records?
Mr. Speaker, I am always curious to see what position the member for Outremont will have on marijuana any given time he stands up in the House.The fact of the matter is we have been clear. We believe in the legalization and regulation of marijuana because it protects our kids and keeps money out of the pockets of criminal organizations and street gangs. The fact of the matter is that decriminalization, as the member proposes, actually gives a legal stream of income to criminal organizations. That is not what anyone wants in this country.
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps digging itself a deeper hole on the issue of the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. The fact that the contract was a done deal and the very existence of cancellation penalties have apparently been contradicted. Yesterday, the Liberals voted against our proposal to create a subcommittee to study arms exports.Why are the Liberals refusing to let parliamentarians do their job? What are they afraid of?
Straight to his talking points, Mr. Speaker. Why are we not surprised?Here is the question. Master Corporal Paul Franklin lost both legs serving this country bravely in Afghanistan. Every year, like numerous other veterans, he is obliged to fill out a pile of forms to prove that he still has not gotten his legs back. He lost his wheelchair because he could not produce another doctor's note. The question to the Prime Minister was not what his talking notes are on veterans. The question to the Prime Minister was, what has he done to put an end to this intolerable situation for our veterans?
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that decriminalization, when done as the member for Outremont proposes, just gives a legal stream of income to criminals who sell drugs. The reality is that proper legalization protects our young people and keeps billions of dollars out of the pockets of criminal organizations, which is where the money is going now. Legalization is the only way to protect our young people and our communities, and that is what we are going to do, as promised.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the independent parliamentary budget officer confirmed what the finance department and leading economists have been saying, that in fact the Conservatives left the Liberals a surplus. However, instead of celebrating this achievement, the Liberals are playing politics and pretending like it did not even happen. Why does the Prime Minister continue to mislead Canadians on basic facts?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have already sunk the Department of National Defence into darkness. They have put off some crucial procurements until after the next election, but that is not the worst of it, as reported in the Ottawa Citizen. The Liberals are putting on hold procurement projects that are already under way, such as offshore patrol ships, Cyclone helicopters, and the CF-18 replacements.Will the minister show us what kind of weight he has in this government? Will he step up and ensure that these projects continue to move forward?
Mr. Speaker, the government can be incomprehensibly heartless in its dealings with veterans. Corporal Paul Franklin lost both of his legs in Afghanistan, but, like many other veterans, he has to fill in a pile of forms every year to prove that he is still missing both legs. Now that this and other cases have come to light, can the Prime Minister tell us what he has personally done to put an end to this intolerable situation?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to have confidence in a government. The Liberals inherited a surplus from us. That is what the PBO said. They manipulated private sector economists' projections for their own purpose. They padded deficit projections by the billions, and they have exaggerated how many jobs Canadians can expect out of the budget. That is what the parliamentary budget officer said. Does the minister realize, quite frankly, that his economic credibility is in tatters and that Canadians deserve to have somebody and some government that can actually manage their tax dollars responsibly?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been promising to legalize marijuana for the past three years. It was an important part of their election campaign. The NDP has had the same position for the past 40 years, namely, that it should be decriminalized and people should not be sent to prison or saddled with criminal records for personal use. I want to talk about their promise.Earlier, regarding the veterans issue, it was the Conservatives' fault. Earlier, it was the NDP that did not do enough. Let us talk about the Liberals. They wanted to be in power, and they made a promise. The only response they received was from the Toronto police chief.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal procurement process is failing our military. The decision to withhold funding for the Cyclone search and rescue helicopter reminds Canadians of the horrible Chrétien decision of the 1990s to cancel the EH 101 helicopters. Why is the Prime Minister so willing to put the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces at risk by cutting military funding?
Mr. Speaker, as we have said, we have at all times understood the importance of managing taxpayer money in an appropriate way. We have thought that at any point those who are responsible for abusing or misusing taxpayer money should be held to account, and the money should be reimbursed. That includes the money that the New Democratic Party took for its satellite offices.
Mr. Speaker, then that member should have read them, because we know that the hotel rooms were booked for her by Time Warner, which of course owns HBO.When she said that her department handled all of the arrangements for this trip, she misled Canadians. She claimed that this was a trade mission, but clearly it was not. Now she is trying to cover her tracks.Why was Time Warner booking her hotel rooms if this was all planned ahead of time by her department?
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board's own department directs ministers to post all travel expenses for the last quarter by March 31.He and the Minister of Finance traveled to Switzerland, the Minister of Transport travelled to Washington, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness went to Washington and London, yet their expenses have not been posted.It is clear that the Liberals are just paying lip service to openness and transparency. Why is the President of the Treasury Board violating his own rules by hiding his expenses?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none.The minister's role is to promote Canada around the world, be that through the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the BBC, or other European media outlets. She has to talk to the media from time to time to fulfill her mandate.
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness proposed outsourcing RCMP occupational health to provincial compensation boards in Bill C-7, he claimed that compensation would be reasonably consistent across the country. Yesterday in committee, we heard that in Lloydminster in his own province this could result in thousands less for one RCMP member depending on which detachment that officer came from, the Saskatchewan side or the Alberta side. When will the minister acknowledge our concerns about fair treatment and strike clauses 40 and 42 from Bill C-7?
Mr. Speaker, that is from a member of Parliament who was part of a government that made lapsing military funding an art form in order to get to a bogus balanced budget.There are no monies being cut from projects. Had the members opposite spent more time getting the fiscal and procurement cycles in order instead of climbing in and out of fake airplanes, and did the hard work that is needed to match those cycles, then just possibly, the men and women in uniform would be getting their
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Earlier today the House of Commons in the United Kingdom voted unanimously to recognize that Christians, Yazidis and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria were suffering genocide at the hands of ISIS. On March 15, U.S. House of Representatives also unanimously declared that genocide was taking place in Iraq and Syria by ISIS.In light of this and after discussions that have taken place among all parties, I hope you will find unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syrian and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the member opposite maybe did not understand what I said previously, so I will repeat it.What I said is that we are committed to making a decision within 90 days of getting the information required from the proponent. We will make decisions based on science, facts, and evidence. Because that is what Canadians expect, that is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, on the Saudi arms deal, Ottawa consulted no human rights groups but asked only the Department of National Defence. After signing the export permit in secret, the minister repeated that the Liberals would scrutinize any future arms deal. However, when we proposed a transparent subcommittee to look at our arms exports, the Liberals used their majority to vote it down.What are they afraid of? Where is the transparency they keep talking about? When will they start walking the talk?
Mr. Speaker, this week we are hearing of senators who are using their parliamentary staff to work in their private tanning facilities. We are hearing that they are using them to organize their home renovations. The Liberals congratulate themselves a lot in this House for talk about openness and transparency. However, we have recommended concrete action. We have talked about tightening the expense limits in the Senate, limiting taxpayer-funded travel, and strengthening the Senate ethics office. What we are asking for the government to do today is to stand in the House and join us in demanding the implementation of those rules by the Senate. Will it do it?
Mr. Speaker, the Comox coast guard centre is slated for closure on May 10. We have heard troubling testimony at committee around the technology failures, HR challenges, and even possible tsunami risks, yet the minister is showing a disregard for the committee, for Parliament, and for residents.Will the government protect our coastal communities and keep the Comox MCTS centre open, or will it just keep repeating the same excuses as the Conservatives used while it shuts down this important marine safety centre?
Mr. Speaker, quite a few ministers have not yet disclosed travel expenses they incurred before March 1, 2016, even though Treasury Board has clear rules about that. The ministers of transport, finance, public safety, and national revenue are all behind in their disclosures. Even the President of the Treasury Board is behind. He is breaking his own department's rules.Why are these ministers hiding their information? When will the Liberals follow the rules?
Mr. Speaker, it is passingly strange to get a question from the Conservatives about the fiscal mess left behind. There was a perpetual mismatch between the procurement cycle and the fiscal cycle, and the Minister of National Defence is now trying to rectify that. Accordingly, there are no funds that will be not applied to projects as they are needed.
Mr. Speaker, the surplus is real whether the Liberals want to admit it or not. Frankly, it should not take an expert in quantum computing to recognize that fact. The budget has been called the least transparent in 15 years and the Liberals' deficit and job creation numbers are way off the mark. If the Prime Minister will not acknowledge basic facts, how can Canadians have confidence that he will protect their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the current and former parliamentary budget officers have spoken out about the government's lack of transparency in its budget. In 15 years, there has never been as little information as there is now.We hear rhetoric, but we are not getting facts. Canadians are realizing that they cannot trust this government.Why is the Prime Minister refusing to give all the information to the parliamentary budget officer and set the record straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, to justify her trip to Hollywood at Canadian taxpayers' expense, the Minister of International Trade listed the names of the people she met with. Surprise, surprise. Two of those people, Senator King and the lieutenant governor, were invited to the same talk show as her.The minister should stop beating around the bush and confirm what we all know to be true: she went so she could be on HBO.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to ask for unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity of a genocidal nature against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syria and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation, including into possible genocide, and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, many of my constituents were worried that the previous government had increased the retirement age from 65 to 67. This poorly thought-out decision by the Conservatives caused a lot of anxiety for many residents of LaurentidesLabelle who wanted to plan for retirement.Can the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain how the budget will reverse this bad decision in order to benefit Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, maybe it is agenda, third party, and magic eight ball.The minister of environment rose yesterday and confirmed that LNG decisions will be made when and only when she feels like making them. She has just created another level of uncertainty.The justice minister is on record as saying that LNG remains a positive prospect for many first nations. The environment minister herself cannot deny that LNG could and would replace Chinese coal.Rather than creating more uncertainty by consulting her magic eight ball for answers, why does she not look at the actual facts and support the project?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals may not realize it but they are playing a very high-stakes poker game with the Government of Quebec. Bill 74 would allow the Government of Quebec to force federally regulated Internet service providers to act as censors, blocking Quebeckers' access to Internet gaming sites. This clearly raises concerns about Quebeckers' rights to the Internet and censorship.Will the Liberals show their hand and tell us what their position is on this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, the sun is shining and the sky is bright blue today in Manitoba after electing a strong, stable Conservative majority government last night.Unfortunately, here in Ottawa, our military is entering another era of darkness. The Liberals' $3.7-billion defence cut from the defence budget are not only for future procurements, but they are also cutting the budget for current projects like the Arctic offshore patrol ships and the Halifax-class frigate upgrades.Why will the Prime Minister not get the equipment for our troops now?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership in Paris and for attending the upcoming Earth Day signing at the United Nations. However, our current target does not reflect that leadership. Our current target does not meet the climate urgency and emergency situation we face. In fact, it is still the weakest target in the G7. It is still the target of the previous government. It is urgently required that we ratchet up our target.Will the Prime Minister please reassure Canadians that we plan to put in place a tougher target and soon? That would be leadership.
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, the party opposite could not get things done for the natural resources sector right across the country. The reason it could not and the reason the Conservatives still do not get it is they think that they have to make a choice between what is good for the environment and the economy. What Canadians said loudly and clearly last Fall was that they needed a government that did both of them together, that cared for the economy and the environment at the same time. That is exactly what we are doing on this side of the House.
Mr. Speaker, we hope that the people of Attawapiskat can start to look to the future after some very difficult years. We commend the minister's commitment to build a youth centre and allocate resources for cultural programs. However, the budget does not contain any new investments for mental health services for indigenous young people. Furthermore, Health Canada does not have enough staff to meet the needs.My question is simple. Will the minister commit to immediately increase funding for mental health services?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Trade would like us to believe that she was gallivanting around sunny California promoting Canada and meeting with trade partners, but Canadians know the real reason she was there. She was there to promote herself on a popular U.S. TV show. The minister has stated that it was she and her department alone that organized the trip to California. If this is really the case, can she tell us who booked her stay while she was in Hollywood?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I met with mayors from British Columbia who are struggling with high unemployment in their communities. These families want to get back to work. The B.C. LNG industry could create $175 billion in business investment and up to 100,000 new jobs, but these projects need to move forward. So far, all we have seen is uncertainty from the Liberals. Will the Prime Minister stand up and tell these families that he has their backs and he supports LNG?
Mr. Speaker, what is not in his talking points is that the Minister of International Trade dropped nearly $20,000 in taxpayers' money for a stop in LA to appear on Bill Maher's show.She claims she had a roundtable meeting with conservative writer Ben Domenech and Maine Senator Angus King. It turns out they were actually panellists on the very same program. The minister actually thinks that the green room is a round table.Was there anything real about the minister's time spent in Hollywood with Bill Maher?
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I put forward a mandate letter for our Minister of Veterans Affairs that asked him to respect the sacred obligation we have as a country toward those who serve. We have made sure that we have reopened the nine Veterans Affairs offices. We have increased the funding to the people who are actually helping our veterans. We are ensuring that we are cleaning up the mess left by 10 years of a government that wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got but let our veterans down every single day.
Mr. Speaker, last Fall, Canadians chose a vision that was going to invest in this country, invest in our communities, create jobs and opportunities, and put more money in the pockets of the middle class and those working hard to join the middle class. It would create the kind of growth that for 10 years, under the previous government, simply did not happen for Canadians. We committed to invest in our future and that is exactly what the Liberal Party is doing.
Mr. Speaker, six months ago, Canadians turned their backs on the former government. Even today, they cannot believe that the Conservative Party continues to claim it wants to talk about transparency and openness, since the Conservatives formed the most secretive government in Canadian history.That is why Canadians chose openness, transparency, discipline, and accountability. That is exactly what we offer as a government.
Mr. Speaker, this government supports and applauds the parliamentary budget officer for his excellent work. We continue to work with him to demonstrate the level of openness and transparency that all Canadians expect from this side of the House. The fact is we made commitments to invest in Canadians, to give a larger tax free child benefit to nine out of ten Canadian families, and that is exactly what we are doing with our investments today.
Mr. Speaker, let me try this again. Once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none. They did not really like the media, but we know that it is precisely the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada and its trade interests around the world. She also took the opportunity to defend and promote Canada's policy on Syrian refugees.Even the former prime minister in the previous government and the foreign affairs minister were covered by the American media. There are times when that is very important.
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board follows all the rules, as does every member of this cabinet. We are committed to an open and transparent government.May I say that in terms of the matter of the accusations made about our Minister of International Trade, she is a person of exceptional international reputation, somebody who came back to Canada to serve Canadians as an internationally recognized expert on the economy and issues of inequality. We are proud to have a minister of her stature who is able to claim
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her question and for her hard work on the environment, including with us in Paris.When we talked about and actually got to an agreement, the talks were about increasing ambition of targets for countries like Canada and countries around the world as we move forward.We are working with the provinces, municipalities, industry, business, and with individuals to make sure that we continue to build a strong economy while protecting the environment in a way that for 10 years the previous government was unable to do.
I would like to thank the minister for coming with me to meet with the youth in Attawapiskat and committing to build that youth centre. It is a profound moment.However, the larger issue of the crisis in mental health services in indigenous communities remains. For example, there is only $350,000 for the mental wellness framework for the entire country. How many children is that expected to save?My question is for the finance minister. He can respond to the crisis that has taken the lives of too many indigenous children across the country by putting those resource dollars into this budget now. He has the power to act. Will he do it?
Mr. Speaker, this budget is historic in investing in Canadians. We have reduced taxes for nine million Canadians already, which is helping our economy. We have the Canada child benefit, which is going to help nine families out of 10, lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty; and we are investing in our seniors, in youth, in clean tech, and in innovation. That is what Canadians want, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, for all intents and purposes the driverless car is quite literally at our doorstep. Technology in this area is advancing rapidly. In some countries, large amounts of money are being invested, and more and more driverless car projects are appearing. How does the government plan on supporting, regulating, and developing driverless cars in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, since the answer I gave in English will be translated into French in the Hansard, I will not repeat it because it is the same question.However, since the member is giving me the opportunity, I will repeat that the contract was signed by the previous government, not in part, but in full. We do not want to renege on the Government of Canada's signature. When the contract is deemed valid, the export licences arrive at the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who carefully and diligently examines them. That is what we did with full transparency.
Mr. Speaker, I am so happy for the question from the hon. member. Let me quote from the independent parliamentary budget officer talking about our budget: ...we believe that ultimately these measures will have a sizable impact on the Canadian economy. That is what the PBO said yesterday.Our budget is for Canadian families, for the Canadian middle class. That is helping the economy. That is what the PBO says. That is what we are going to continue to do.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer released his report on budget 2016. First, he confirmed that the government did indeed inherit a surplus from us. He also confirmed that the Liberals' plan will cost significantly more than the $10 billion that they promised Canadians. However, most importantly, he confirmed that their plan actually lacked incredibly important details.When will the minister face the facts that they talk a good game but they are really not delivering on an open and honest government?
Mr. Speaker, maybe they will understand the question better if I try again. One of this government's bad economic decisions was to reduce the age of retirement from 67 to 65. According to the parliamentary budget officer, this is going to cost an additional $11 billion. I am sorry, but we cannot afford that. What is more, that is what the current Minister of Finance said in his book The Real Retirement, and I quote , In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 or 67. I could not have put it better myself. Can the Prime Minister acknowledge that his Minister of Finance was right at the time?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we support the parliamentary budget officer. We continue to work with him to improve transparency for Canadians, something they did not see at all during the 10 years that today's opposition party was in power.The reality is that we are making massive strategic investments in Canadians' future to create growth, put more money in the pockets of the middle class, and ensure that all Canadians have a better future.
Mr. Speaker, according to the Emerson report, not only is the Canadian Coast Guard understaffed, but its fleet is one of the oldest in the world and is in urgent need of renewal.Nevertheless, we learned that the Liberals are not going to continue maintaining the only Canadian icebreaker, the Louis S. St-Laurent, even though the Diefenbaker will not be operational for about 10 years.With China and Russia planning to sail the Northwest Passage, how do the Liberals plan to meet the urgent needs of the Canadian Coast Guard?What is the plan?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign and in the years leading up to last fall's campaign, the Liberal Party always stood by veterans. It has always been there for them, fighting for their interests. Because of its political objectives and its approach to managing the public service, the previous government was unable to serve our veterans properly.That is why, in the latest budget, we made a commitment to our veterans backed by historic investments. That is why we are continually listening to them. We acknowledge our great and solemn obligation to our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand, and everyone in this House should understand, that in the last month of the fiscal year our expenses are going up and our revenues are going down. The Conservatives have left us a deficit. Let me say what the independent parliamentary budget officer said about the Conservatives. He said that the Canadians economy has remained below its level of potential GDP since 2008. Thanks to Canadians, we are going to grow this economy for Canadian families, for business, and for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that great care must be taken with government spending and the management of public funds, and that this government will not allow anyone, under any circumstances, to misuse taxpayers' money. The Senate has taken control of the situation. It has changed some of its rules. We encourage it to continue to work toward openness and transparency.
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned about the rash of tragic suicides in indigenous communities across Canada.Attawapiskat also desperately needs programs in the community.I was very happy to hear that First Nations and Inuit Health is prepared right now to begin the land-based programming that the youth have asked for. We know this is about getting back hope and what exactly the youth said to me: that they want their identity back.
Mr. Speaker, that is not good enough, because the minister first claimed that her decision would be based on science. Then the natural resources minister proudly contradicted her by saying that the decision would be political. Now the minister simply says she will make the decision whenever she feels like it. That is the ultimate uncertainty. Does the minister not realize that her inaction is risking a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we believe in net neutrality. We will be having ongoing discussions with our counterparts in Quebec regarding that question. I had the opportunity of meeting many stakeholders that have raised issues regarding that particular bill. It will be a pleasure to have further discussions on this subject.
Mr. Speaker, once again, had the former government, the party opposite, actually done its work, then the procurement cycle would have matched the fiscal cycle and accordingly, we possibly would have had some procurements met. The mess left behind on the procurement cycle by the party opposite means that we are having to realign all of our fiscal priorities. Accordingly, we are now funding matters as they become due.
Mr. Speaker, during question period yesterday, the Minister of Environment was specifically asked when she would make a decision on the Pacific NorthWest LNG project in British Columbia. Her answer shocked all of us. She flippantly said, We will make a decision when we are ready to make a decision.When will the minister realize that the uncertainty her government has created is causing investors to flee Canada and is jeopardizing a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, once again today the Conservatives are trying to make a story where none exists.It is the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada's trade interests around the world. Following the APEC summit in the Philippines, she was proud to visit California, one of our most important trading partners, where she did what she was supposed to do according to her mandate letter, which was to promote trade.The Conservative accusations about expenses are false. All the rules were followed. The costs were in line with travel by Conservative ministers in the previous government. The details were publicly posted months ago.
Mr. Speaker, our ministers, our government, and our Prime Minister are of course committed to openness and transparency. We will follow all the rules of the Treasury Board.I just want to say, in terms of the matter of our international trade minister, an exceptional public servant, that she actually became a parliamentarian after having garnered international attention for her work as a financial journalist and a writer who actually tackled some of the biggest issues facing the world, including that of inequality.She was asked, in fact, because she has international
Mr. Speaker, constituents in my riding celebrated the announcement by the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour to greatly increase the funding available through the Canada jobs program. Considering the reaction, I had no doubt that we would see more employers take advantage of this opportunity and help start to train the future workforce of our country.Would the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour please give the House an update on the current state of participation in regard to the Canada jobs program?
Mr. Speaker, before becoming a Liberal, the Minister of Finance endorsed the Conservative plan to change the age of eligibility for seniors. In his book The Real Retirement, the minister wrote, In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 to 67 instead of the current age of 62, but since then, the Prime Minister has told him to change his tune.When did the finance minister stop caring about the long-term financial security of Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer confirmed that the former Conservative government left the current government a budget surplus.The Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance are now the only ones who can acknowledge that fact. Earlier, the government said it trusts the parliamentary budget officer. Why, then, will the Prime Minister not admit that we left an operating surplus for the current year?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.I am very pleased to see his interest in seniors. I am sure that he, like me, recognizes the importance of budget 2016 in addressing this issue. We reduced the age of eligibility to 65 in order to prevent 100,000 seniors from slipping into poverty and to bring the poverty rate of seniors aged 65 and 66 down from 17% to 6%. We will continue to work in that direction.
Mr. Speaker, indeed, we take very seriously the review we are doing about the export permits. It is a very serious decision, and I assume my decision and the ones I do in the future, certainly, I will do very seriously.I am sure that the committee will work very seriously as well. The committee has a lot of work to do. We will ask the committee to look at the legislative changes that we will have to make to make sure Canada will be a member of the arms trade treaty. I look forward to working very positively with the committee.
Mr. Speaker, our government has indicated a new regard for the work of parliamentarians on parliamentary committees. The Prime Minister has made it clear that he wants to see the work of parliamentarians be adequately supported and invigorated. If the committee which is hearing all of the evidence with respect to this matter has suggestions to make about the shape of the legislation, the President of the Treasury Board and I would be more than happy to entertain that advice.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to closing the gap in health outcomes for first nations and Inuit Canadians. In budget 2016, we outlined our historic investment of $8.4 billion to improve the socio-economic conditions for indigenous peoples and their communities. Health Canada collaborated with the Assembly of First Nations, community mental health leaders, and our government departments to develop our first nations mental wellness continuum framework.
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat my answer. We will make decisions based on facts, science, and evidence. We understand the importance of getting resources to market. However, we need to be doing it in a sustainable way. That is what we are doing.I will quote from the proponent: Pacific NorthWest LNG will work to assess this latest information request and continue to work constructively with federal agencies through this rigorous process. We are working with it. When we are prepared, we will make a decision.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his interest and for this important question.The previous government unfortunately brought in this reform without conducting any serious economic and social studies. It would have plunged 100,000 seniors into poverty, lowered the income of 20% of the poorest seniors by 35%, and taken away $13,000 from the most vulnerable seniors. We have decided to reverse this decision and to invest in our seniors. I think the whole House should be pleased about that.
Mr. Speaker, as part of the Canadian Coast Guard's multi-year maintenance plan, PSPC issued an advance contract award notice to Davie shipyard to enter the Louis S. St-Laurent into dry dock for a retrofit and life-extension work.Due to lack of available space at the Davie shipyard, the contract has been deferred until next year. That will ensure that this iconic vessel of the Coast Guard will be able to participate in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea program taking place in the Arctic this summer.
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. The only way projects will go ahead is if they are done in a sustainable way.At the beginning of March, the proponent brought significant new information that raised concerns about impacts on salmon, human health, and indigenous peoples. We are committed to doing a review that is based on science and facts, and we have said that once we have the necessary information we will make a decision within 90 days. That is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, once again the Conservatives are trying to create a story where none exists.The purpose of the trip to Los Angeles was to promote Canadian interests with one of our most important trading jurisdictions. All the rules were followed. All the costs were publicly posted, and they were in line with the kinds of costs incurred for travel by former Conservative ministers. In fact, over the same November-to-March period in the last year, her Conservative predecessor incurred expenses more than $6,000 higher than hers.
Mr. Speaker, again I rise to respond to this question. As the member pointed out, the staff were notified late last month exactly when the closure would happen, although they were notified that the closure would happen in 2014. The modernization of the centre has been a long-standing project that began in 2007, and the closure of the Comox station is the last one to be done. We are moving forward with that plan.
Mr. Speaker, the member for Hamilton WestAncasterDundas is absolutely correct. Funding was doubled for Canada summer jobs this year, and we are on track to create 70,000 jobs for youth this summer. Applications are up 30% from the year before, with over 36,000 applications. It means more jobs and opportunity in Hamilton and each and every riding across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question, especially since I believe innovation in the transport sector is extremely important, so that we can improve safety on our roads and boost the Canadian economy. Connected and automated vehicles and the regulation of these vehicles are fundamental sectors of innovation.I am also pleased that the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications accepted my proposal to carry out comprehensive studies on these vehicles.
Mr. Speaker, the Senate expense scandal has been upsetting people for years. Canadians are angry that government cronies, who were inappropriately appointed, are treating taxpayers' money like an all-you-can-eat buffet. It is completely outrageous for a senator to be using his staff members, who are on the public payroll, to organize his home renovations and manage his tanning salon. When will the government rein in these fat cats and clean up these practices that simply do not make any sense?
Let us talk about messes they promised to clean up, Mr. Speaker.For more than three years, they promised to legalize marijuana, yet thousands and thousands of Canadians will have criminal records for the rest of their lives because they will not even decriminalize it, something that could have been done overnight. The simple question for the Prime Minister is this. His minister was in New York, of all places, instead of here today, announcing that maybe in 2017 they will be presenting legislation to finally do something about it. In the meantime, will the Prime Minister at least promise that there will be legislation to remove the criminal records?
Mr. Speaker, I am always curious to see what position the member for Outremont will have on marijuana any given time he stands up in the House.The fact of the matter is we have been clear. We believe in the legalization and regulation of marijuana because it protects our kids and keeps money out of the pockets of criminal organizations and street gangs. The fact of the matter is that decriminalization, as the member proposes, actually gives a legal stream of income to criminal organizations. That is not what anyone wants in this country.
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps digging itself a deeper hole on the issue of the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. The fact that the contract was a done deal and the very existence of cancellation penalties have apparently been contradicted. Yesterday, the Liberals voted against our proposal to create a subcommittee to study arms exports.Why are the Liberals refusing to let parliamentarians do their job? What are they afraid of?
Straight to his talking points, Mr. Speaker. Why are we not surprised?Here is the question. Master Corporal Paul Franklin lost both legs serving this country bravely in Afghanistan. Every year, like numerous other veterans, he is obliged to fill out a pile of forms to prove that he still has not gotten his legs back. He lost his wheelchair because he could not produce another doctor's note. The question to the Prime Minister was not what his talking notes are on veterans. The question to the Prime Minister was, what has he done to put an end to this intolerable situation for our veterans?
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that decriminalization, when done as the member for Outremont proposes, just gives a legal stream of income to criminals who sell drugs. The reality is that proper legalization protects our young people and keeps billions of dollars out of the pockets of criminal organizations, which is where the money is going now. Legalization is the only way to protect our young people and our communities, and that is what we are going to do, as promised.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the independent parliamentary budget officer confirmed what the finance department and leading economists have been saying, that in fact the Conservatives left the Liberals a surplus. However, instead of celebrating this achievement, the Liberals are playing politics and pretending like it did not even happen. Why does the Prime Minister continue to mislead Canadians on basic facts?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have already sunk the Department of National Defence into darkness. They have put off some crucial procurements until after the next election, but that is not the worst of it, as reported in the Ottawa Citizen. The Liberals are putting on hold procurement projects that are already under way, such as offshore patrol ships, Cyclone helicopters, and the CF-18 replacements.Will the minister show us what kind of weight he has in this government? Will he step up and ensure that these projects continue to move forward?
Mr. Speaker, the government can be incomprehensibly heartless in its dealings with veterans. Corporal Paul Franklin lost both of his legs in Afghanistan, but, like many other veterans, he has to fill in a pile of forms every year to prove that he is still missing both legs. Now that this and other cases have come to light, can the Prime Minister tell us what he has personally done to put an end to this intolerable situation?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to have confidence in a government. The Liberals inherited a surplus from us. That is what the PBO said. They manipulated private sector economists' projections for their own purpose. They padded deficit projections by the billions, and they have exaggerated how many jobs Canadians can expect out of the budget. That is what the parliamentary budget officer said. Does the minister realize, quite frankly, that his economic credibility is in tatters and that Canadians deserve to have somebody and some government that can actually manage their tax dollars responsibly?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been promising to legalize marijuana for the past three years. It was an important part of their election campaign. The NDP has had the same position for the past 40 years, namely, that it should be decriminalized and people should not be sent to prison or saddled with criminal records for personal use. I want to talk about their promise.Earlier, regarding the veterans issue, it was the Conservatives' fault. Earlier, it was the NDP that did not do enough. Let us talk about the Liberals. They wanted to be in power, and they made a promise. The only response they received was from the Toronto police chief.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal procurement process is failing our military. The decision to withhold funding for the Cyclone search and rescue helicopter reminds Canadians of the horrible Chrétien decision of the 1990s to cancel the EH 101 helicopters. Why is the Prime Minister so willing to put the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces at risk by cutting military funding?
Mr. Speaker, as we have said, we have at all times understood the importance of managing taxpayer money in an appropriate way. We have thought that at any point those who are responsible for abusing or misusing taxpayer money should be held to account, and the money should be reimbursed. That includes the money that the New Democratic Party took for its satellite offices.
Mr. Speaker, then that member should have read them, because we know that the hotel rooms were booked for her by Time Warner, which of course owns HBO.When she said that her department handled all of the arrangements for this trip, she misled Canadians. She claimed that this was a trade mission, but clearly it was not. Now she is trying to cover her tracks.Why was Time Warner booking her hotel rooms if this was all planned ahead of time by her department?
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board's own department directs ministers to post all travel expenses for the last quarter by March 31.He and the Minister of Finance traveled to Switzerland, the Minister of Transport travelled to Washington, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness went to Washington and London, yet their expenses have not been posted.It is clear that the Liberals are just paying lip service to openness and transparency. Why is the President of the Treasury Board violating his own rules by hiding his expenses?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none.The minister's role is to promote Canada around the world, be that through the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the BBC, or other European media outlets. She has to talk to the media from time to time to fulfill her mandate.
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness proposed outsourcing RCMP occupational health to provincial compensation boards in Bill C-7, he claimed that compensation would be reasonably consistent across the country. Yesterday in committee, we heard that in Lloydminster in his own province this could result in thousands less for one RCMP member depending on which detachment that officer came from, the Saskatchewan side or the Alberta side. When will the minister acknowledge our concerns about fair treatment and strike clauses 40 and 42 from Bill C-7?
Mr. Speaker, that is from a member of Parliament who was part of a government that made lapsing military funding an art form in order to get to a bogus balanced budget.There are no monies being cut from projects. Had the members opposite spent more time getting the fiscal and procurement cycles in order instead of climbing in and out of fake airplanes, and did the hard work that is needed to match those cycles, then just possibly, the men and women in uniform would be getting their
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Earlier today the House of Commons in the United Kingdom voted unanimously to recognize that Christians, Yazidis and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria were suffering genocide at the hands of ISIS. On March 15, U.S. House of Representatives also unanimously declared that genocide was taking place in Iraq and Syria by ISIS.In light of this and after discussions that have taken place among all parties, I hope you will find unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syrian and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the member opposite maybe did not understand what I said previously, so I will repeat it.What I said is that we are committed to making a decision within 90 days of getting the information required from the proponent. We will make decisions based on science, facts, and evidence. Because that is what Canadians expect, that is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, on the Saudi arms deal, Ottawa consulted no human rights groups but asked only the Department of National Defence. After signing the export permit in secret, the minister repeated that the Liberals would scrutinize any future arms deal. However, when we proposed a transparent subcommittee to look at our arms exports, the Liberals used their majority to vote it down.What are they afraid of? Where is the transparency they keep talking about? When will they start walking the talk?
Mr. Speaker, this week we are hearing of senators who are using their parliamentary staff to work in their private tanning facilities. We are hearing that they are using them to organize their home renovations. The Liberals congratulate themselves a lot in this House for talk about openness and transparency. However, we have recommended concrete action. We have talked about tightening the expense limits in the Senate, limiting taxpayer-funded travel, and strengthening the Senate ethics office. What we are asking for the government to do today is to stand in the House and join us in demanding the implementation of those rules by the Senate. Will it do it?
Mr. Speaker, the Comox coast guard centre is slated for closure on May 10. We have heard troubling testimony at committee around the technology failures, HR challenges, and even possible tsunami risks, yet the minister is showing a disregard for the committee, for Parliament, and for residents.Will the government protect our coastal communities and keep the Comox MCTS centre open, or will it just keep repeating the same excuses as the Conservatives used while it shuts down this important marine safety centre?
Mr. Speaker, quite a few ministers have not yet disclosed travel expenses they incurred before March 1, 2016, even though Treasury Board has clear rules about that. The ministers of transport, finance, public safety, and national revenue are all behind in their disclosures. Even the President of the Treasury Board is behind. He is breaking his own department's rules.Why are these ministers hiding their information? When will the Liberals follow the rules?
Mr. Speaker, it is passingly strange to get a question from the Conservatives about the fiscal mess left behind. There was a perpetual mismatch between the procurement cycle and the fiscal cycle, and the Minister of National Defence is now trying to rectify that. Accordingly, there are no funds that will be not applied to projects as they are needed.
Mr. Speaker, the surplus is real whether the Liberals want to admit it or not. Frankly, it should not take an expert in quantum computing to recognize that fact. The budget has been called the least transparent in 15 years and the Liberals' deficit and job creation numbers are way off the mark. If the Prime Minister will not acknowledge basic facts, how can Canadians have confidence that he will protect their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the current and former parliamentary budget officers have spoken out about the government's lack of transparency in its budget. In 15 years, there has never been as little information as there is now.We hear rhetoric, but we are not getting facts. Canadians are realizing that they cannot trust this government.Why is the Prime Minister refusing to give all the information to the parliamentary budget officer and set the record straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, to justify her trip to Hollywood at Canadian taxpayers' expense, the Minister of International Trade listed the names of the people she met with. Surprise, surprise. Two of those people, Senator King and the lieutenant governor, were invited to the same talk show as her.The minister should stop beating around the bush and confirm what we all know to be true: she went so she could be on HBO.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to ask for unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity of a genocidal nature against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syria and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation, including into possible genocide, and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, many of my constituents were worried that the previous government had increased the retirement age from 65 to 67. This poorly thought-out decision by the Conservatives caused a lot of anxiety for many residents of LaurentidesLabelle who wanted to plan for retirement.Can the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain how the budget will reverse this bad decision in order to benefit Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, maybe it is agenda, third party, and magic eight ball.The minister of environment rose yesterday and confirmed that LNG decisions will be made when and only when she feels like making them. She has just created another level of uncertainty.The justice minister is on record as saying that LNG remains a positive prospect for many first nations. The environment minister herself cannot deny that LNG could and would replace Chinese coal.Rather than creating more uncertainty by consulting her magic eight ball for answers, why does she not look at the actual facts and support the project?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals may not realize it but they are playing a very high-stakes poker game with the Government of Quebec. Bill 74 would allow the Government of Quebec to force federally regulated Internet service providers to act as censors, blocking Quebeckers' access to Internet gaming sites. This clearly raises concerns about Quebeckers' rights to the Internet and censorship.Will the Liberals show their hand and tell us what their position is on this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, the sun is shining and the sky is bright blue today in Manitoba after electing a strong, stable Conservative majority government last night.Unfortunately, here in Ottawa, our military is entering another era of darkness. The Liberals' $3.7-billion defence cut from the defence budget are not only for future procurements, but they are also cutting the budget for current projects like the Arctic offshore patrol ships and the Halifax-class frigate upgrades.Why will the Prime Minister not get the equipment for our troops now?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership in Paris and for attending the upcoming Earth Day signing at the United Nations. However, our current target does not reflect that leadership. Our current target does not meet the climate urgency and emergency situation we face. In fact, it is still the weakest target in the G7. It is still the target of the previous government. It is urgently required that we ratchet up our target.Will the Prime Minister please reassure Canadians that we plan to put in place a tougher target and soon? That would be leadership.
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, the party opposite could not get things done for the natural resources sector right across the country. The reason it could not and the reason the Conservatives still do not get it is they think that they have to make a choice between what is good for the environment and the economy. What Canadians said loudly and clearly last Fall was that they needed a government that did both of them together, that cared for the economy and the environment at the same time. That is exactly what we are doing on this side of the House.
Mr. Speaker, we hope that the people of Attawapiskat can start to look to the future after some very difficult years. We commend the minister's commitment to build a youth centre and allocate resources for cultural programs. However, the budget does not contain any new investments for mental health services for indigenous young people. Furthermore, Health Canada does not have enough staff to meet the needs.My question is simple. Will the minister commit to immediately increase funding for mental health services?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Trade would like us to believe that she was gallivanting around sunny California promoting Canada and meeting with trade partners, but Canadians know the real reason she was there. She was there to promote herself on a popular U.S. TV show. The minister has stated that it was she and her department alone that organized the trip to California. If this is really the case, can she tell us who booked her stay while she was in Hollywood?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I met with mayors from British Columbia who are struggling with high unemployment in their communities. These families want to get back to work. The B.C. LNG industry could create $175 billion in business investment and up to 100,000 new jobs, but these projects need to move forward. So far, all we have seen is uncertainty from the Liberals. Will the Prime Minister stand up and tell these families that he has their backs and he supports LNG?
Mr. Speaker, what is not in his talking points is that the Minister of International Trade dropped nearly $20,000 in taxpayers' money for a stop in LA to appear on Bill Maher's show.She claims she had a roundtable meeting with conservative writer Ben Domenech and Maine Senator Angus King. It turns out they were actually panellists on the very same program. The minister actually thinks that the green room is a round table.Was there anything real about the minister's time spent in Hollywood with Bill Maher?
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I put forward a mandate letter for our Minister of Veterans Affairs that asked him to respect the sacred obligation we have as a country toward those who serve. We have made sure that we have reopened the nine Veterans Affairs offices. We have increased the funding to the people who are actually helping our veterans. We are ensuring that we are cleaning up the mess left by 10 years of a government that wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got but let our veterans down every single day.
Mr. Speaker, last Fall, Canadians chose a vision that was going to invest in this country, invest in our communities, create jobs and opportunities, and put more money in the pockets of the middle class and those working hard to join the middle class. It would create the kind of growth that for 10 years, under the previous government, simply did not happen for Canadians. We committed to invest in our future and that is exactly what the Liberal Party is doing.
Mr. Speaker, six months ago, Canadians turned their backs on the former government. Even today, they cannot believe that the Conservative Party continues to claim it wants to talk about transparency and openness, since the Conservatives formed the most secretive government in Canadian history.That is why Canadians chose openness, transparency, discipline, and accountability. That is exactly what we offer as a government.
Mr. Speaker, this government supports and applauds the parliamentary budget officer for his excellent work. We continue to work with him to demonstrate the level of openness and transparency that all Canadians expect from this side of the House. The fact is we made commitments to invest in Canadians, to give a larger tax free child benefit to nine out of ten Canadian families, and that is exactly what we are doing with our investments today.
Mr. Speaker, let me try this again. Once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none. They did not really like the media, but we know that it is precisely the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada and its trade interests around the world. She also took the opportunity to defend and promote Canada's policy on Syrian refugees.Even the former prime minister in the previous government and the foreign affairs minister were covered by the American media. There are times when that is very important.
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board follows all the rules, as does every member of this cabinet. We are committed to an open and transparent government.May I say that in terms of the matter of the accusations made about our Minister of International Trade, she is a person of exceptional international reputation, somebody who came back to Canada to serve Canadians as an internationally recognized expert on the economy and issues of inequality. We are proud to have a minister of her stature who is able to claim
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her question and for her hard work on the environment, including with us in Paris.When we talked about and actually got to an agreement, the talks were about increasing ambition of targets for countries like Canada and countries around the world as we move forward.We are working with the provinces, municipalities, industry, business, and with individuals to make sure that we continue to build a strong economy while protecting the environment in a way that for 10 years the previous government was unable to do.
I would like to thank the minister for coming with me to meet with the youth in Attawapiskat and committing to build that youth centre. It is a profound moment.However, the larger issue of the crisis in mental health services in indigenous communities remains. For example, there is only $350,000 for the mental wellness framework for the entire country. How many children is that expected to save?My question is for the finance minister. He can respond to the crisis that has taken the lives of too many indigenous children across the country by putting those resource dollars into this budget now. He has the power to act. Will he do it?
Mr. Speaker, this budget is historic in investing in Canadians. We have reduced taxes for nine million Canadians already, which is helping our economy. We have the Canada child benefit, which is going to help nine families out of 10, lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty; and we are investing in our seniors, in youth, in clean tech, and in innovation. That is what Canadians want, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, for all intents and purposes the driverless car is quite literally at our doorstep. Technology in this area is advancing rapidly. In some countries, large amounts of money are being invested, and more and more driverless car projects are appearing. How does the government plan on supporting, regulating, and developing driverless cars in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, since the answer I gave in English will be translated into French in the Hansard, I will not repeat it because it is the same question.However, since the member is giving me the opportunity, I will repeat that the contract was signed by the previous government, not in part, but in full. We do not want to renege on the Government of Canada's signature. When the contract is deemed valid, the export licences arrive at the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who carefully and diligently examines them. That is what we did with full transparency.
Mr. Speaker, I am so happy for the question from the hon. member. Let me quote from the independent parliamentary budget officer talking about our budget: ...we believe that ultimately these measures will have a sizable impact on the Canadian economy. That is what the PBO said yesterday.Our budget is for Canadian families, for the Canadian middle class. That is helping the economy. That is what the PBO says. That is what we are going to continue to do.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer released his report on budget 2016. First, he confirmed that the government did indeed inherit a surplus from us. He also confirmed that the Liberals' plan will cost significantly more than the $10 billion that they promised Canadians. However, most importantly, he confirmed that their plan actually lacked incredibly important details.When will the minister face the facts that they talk a good game but they are really not delivering on an open and honest government?
Mr. Speaker, maybe they will understand the question better if I try again. One of this government's bad economic decisions was to reduce the age of retirement from 67 to 65. According to the parliamentary budget officer, this is going to cost an additional $11 billion. I am sorry, but we cannot afford that. What is more, that is what the current Minister of Finance said in his book The Real Retirement, and I quote , In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 or 67. I could not have put it better myself. Can the Prime Minister acknowledge that his Minister of Finance was right at the time?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we support the parliamentary budget officer. We continue to work with him to improve transparency for Canadians, something they did not see at all during the 10 years that today's opposition party was in power.The reality is that we are making massive strategic investments in Canadians' future to create growth, put more money in the pockets of the middle class, and ensure that all Canadians have a better future.
Mr. Speaker, according to the Emerson report, not only is the Canadian Coast Guard understaffed, but its fleet is one of the oldest in the world and is in urgent need of renewal.Nevertheless, we learned that the Liberals are not going to continue maintaining the only Canadian icebreaker, the Louis S. St-Laurent, even though the Diefenbaker will not be operational for about 10 years.With China and Russia planning to sail the Northwest Passage, how do the Liberals plan to meet the urgent needs of the Canadian Coast Guard?What is the plan?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign and in the years leading up to last fall's campaign, the Liberal Party always stood by veterans. It has always been there for them, fighting for their interests. Because of its political objectives and its approach to managing the public service, the previous government was unable to serve our veterans properly.That is why, in the latest budget, we made a commitment to our veterans backed by historic investments. That is why we are continually listening to them. We acknowledge our great and solemn obligation to our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand, and everyone in this House should understand, that in the last month of the fiscal year our expenses are going up and our revenues are going down. The Conservatives have left us a deficit. Let me say what the independent parliamentary budget officer said about the Conservatives. He said that the Canadians economy has remained below its level of potential GDP since 2008. Thanks to Canadians, we are going to grow this economy for Canadian families, for business, and for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that great care must be taken with government spending and the management of public funds, and that this government will not allow anyone, under any circumstances, to misuse taxpayers' money. The Senate has taken control of the situation. It has changed some of its rules. We encourage it to continue to work toward openness and transparency.
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned about the rash of tragic suicides in indigenous communities across Canada.Attawapiskat also desperately needs programs in the community.I was very happy to hear that First Nations and Inuit Health is prepared right now to begin the land-based programming that the youth have asked for. We know this is about getting back hope and what exactly the youth said to me: that they want their identity back.
Mr. Speaker, that is not good enough, because the minister first claimed that her decision would be based on science. Then the natural resources minister proudly contradicted her by saying that the decision would be political. Now the minister simply says she will make the decision whenever she feels like it. That is the ultimate uncertainty. Does the minister not realize that her inaction is risking a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we believe in net neutrality. We will be having ongoing discussions with our counterparts in Quebec regarding that question. I had the opportunity of meeting many stakeholders that have raised issues regarding that particular bill. It will be a pleasure to have further discussions on this subject.
Mr. Speaker, once again, had the former government, the party opposite, actually done its work, then the procurement cycle would have matched the fiscal cycle and accordingly, we possibly would have had some procurements met. The mess left behind on the procurement cycle by the party opposite means that we are having to realign all of our fiscal priorities. Accordingly, we are now funding matters as they become due.
Mr. Speaker, during question period yesterday, the Minister of Environment was specifically asked when she would make a decision on the Pacific NorthWest LNG project in British Columbia. Her answer shocked all of us. She flippantly said, We will make a decision when we are ready to make a decision.When will the minister realize that the uncertainty her government has created is causing investors to flee Canada and is jeopardizing a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, once again today the Conservatives are trying to make a story where none exists.It is the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada's trade interests around the world. Following the APEC summit in the Philippines, she was proud to visit California, one of our most important trading partners, where she did what she was supposed to do according to her mandate letter, which was to promote trade.The Conservative accusations about expenses are false. All the rules were followed. The costs were in line with travel by Conservative ministers in the previous government. The details were publicly posted months ago.
Mr. Speaker, our ministers, our government, and our Prime Minister are of course committed to openness and transparency. We will follow all the rules of the Treasury Board.I just want to say, in terms of the matter of our international trade minister, an exceptional public servant, that she actually became a parliamentarian after having garnered international attention for her work as a financial journalist and a writer who actually tackled some of the biggest issues facing the world, including that of inequality.She was asked, in fact, because she has international
Mr. Speaker, constituents in my riding celebrated the announcement by the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour to greatly increase the funding available through the Canada jobs program. Considering the reaction, I had no doubt that we would see more employers take advantage of this opportunity and help start to train the future workforce of our country.Would the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour please give the House an update on the current state of participation in regard to the Canada jobs program?
Mr. Speaker, before becoming a Liberal, the Minister of Finance endorsed the Conservative plan to change the age of eligibility for seniors. In his book The Real Retirement, the minister wrote, In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 to 67 instead of the current age of 62, but since then, the Prime Minister has told him to change his tune.When did the finance minister stop caring about the long-term financial security of Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer confirmed that the former Conservative government left the current government a budget surplus.The Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance are now the only ones who can acknowledge that fact. Earlier, the government said it trusts the parliamentary budget officer. Why, then, will the Prime Minister not admit that we left an operating surplus for the current year?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.I am very pleased to see his interest in seniors. I am sure that he, like me, recognizes the importance of budget 2016 in addressing this issue. We reduced the age of eligibility to 65 in order to prevent 100,000 seniors from slipping into poverty and to bring the poverty rate of seniors aged 65 and 66 down from 17% to 6%. We will continue to work in that direction.
Mr. Speaker, indeed, we take very seriously the review we are doing about the export permits. It is a very serious decision, and I assume my decision and the ones I do in the future, certainly, I will do very seriously.I am sure that the committee will work very seriously as well. The committee has a lot of work to do. We will ask the committee to look at the legislative changes that we will have to make to make sure Canada will be a member of the arms trade treaty. I look forward to working very positively with the committee.
Mr. Speaker, our government has indicated a new regard for the work of parliamentarians on parliamentary committees. The Prime Minister has made it clear that he wants to see the work of parliamentarians be adequately supported and invigorated. If the committee which is hearing all of the evidence with respect to this matter has suggestions to make about the shape of the legislation, the President of the Treasury Board and I would be more than happy to entertain that advice.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to closing the gap in health outcomes for first nations and Inuit Canadians. In budget 2016, we outlined our historic investment of $8.4 billion to improve the socio-economic conditions for indigenous peoples and their communities. Health Canada collaborated with the Assembly of First Nations, community mental health leaders, and our government departments to develop our first nations mental wellness continuum framework.
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat my answer. We will make decisions based on facts, science, and evidence. We understand the importance of getting resources to market. However, we need to be doing it in a sustainable way. That is what we are doing.I will quote from the proponent: Pacific NorthWest LNG will work to assess this latest information request and continue to work constructively with federal agencies through this rigorous process. We are working with it. When we are prepared, we will make a decision.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his interest and for this important question.The previous government unfortunately brought in this reform without conducting any serious economic and social studies. It would have plunged 100,000 seniors into poverty, lowered the income of 20% of the poorest seniors by 35%, and taken away $13,000 from the most vulnerable seniors. We have decided to reverse this decision and to invest in our seniors. I think the whole House should be pleased about that.
Mr. Speaker, as part of the Canadian Coast Guard's multi-year maintenance plan, PSPC issued an advance contract award notice to Davie shipyard to enter the Louis S. St-Laurent into dry dock for a retrofit and life-extension work.Due to lack of available space at the Davie shipyard, the contract has been deferred until next year. That will ensure that this iconic vessel of the Coast Guard will be able to participate in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea program taking place in the Arctic this summer.
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. The only way projects will go ahead is if they are done in a sustainable way.At the beginning of March, the proponent brought significant new information that raised concerns about impacts on salmon, human health, and indigenous peoples. We are committed to doing a review that is based on science and facts, and we have said that once we have the necessary information we will make a decision within 90 days. That is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, once again the Conservatives are trying to create a story where none exists.The purpose of the trip to Los Angeles was to promote Canadian interests with one of our most important trading jurisdictions. All the rules were followed. All the costs were publicly posted, and they were in line with the kinds of costs incurred for travel by former Conservative ministers. In fact, over the same November-to-March period in the last year, her Conservative predecessor incurred expenses more than $6,000 higher than hers.
Mr. Speaker, again I rise to respond to this question. As the member pointed out, the staff were notified late last month exactly when the closure would happen, although they were notified that the closure would happen in 2014. The modernization of the centre has been a long-standing project that began in 2007, and the closure of the Comox station is the last one to be done. We are moving forward with that plan.
Mr. Speaker, the member for Hamilton WestAncasterDundas is absolutely correct. Funding was doubled for Canada summer jobs this year, and we are on track to create 70,000 jobs for youth this summer. Applications are up 30% from the year before, with over 36,000 applications. It means more jobs and opportunity in Hamilton and each and every riding across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question, especially since I believe innovation in the transport sector is extremely important, so that we can improve safety on our roads and boost the Canadian economy. Connected and automated vehicles and the regulation of these vehicles are fundamental sectors of innovation.I am also pleased that the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications accepted my proposal to carry out comprehensive studies on these vehicles.
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal procurement process is failing our military. The decision to withhold funding for the Cyclone search and rescue helicopter reminds Canadians of the horrible Chrétien decision of the 1990s to cancel the EH 101 helicopters. Why is the Prime Minister so willing to put the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces at risk by cutting military funding?
Mr. Speaker, the Senate expense scandal has been upsetting people for years. Canadians are angry that government cronies, who were inappropriately appointed, are treating taxpayers' money like an all-you-can-eat buffet. It is completely outrageous for a senator to be using his staff members, who are on the public payroll, to organize his home renovations and manage his tanning salon. When will the government rein in these fat cats and clean up these practices that simply do not make any sense?
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the member opposite maybe did not understand what I said previously, so I will repeat it.What I said is that we are committed to making a decision within 90 days of getting the information required from the proponent. We will make decisions based on science, facts, and evidence. Because that is what Canadians expect, that is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, on the Saudi arms deal, Ottawa consulted no human rights groups but asked only the Department of National Defence. After signing the export permit in secret, the minister repeated that the Liberals would scrutinize any future arms deal. However, when we proposed a transparent subcommittee to look at our arms exports, the Liberals used their majority to vote it down.What are they afraid of? Where is the transparency they keep talking about? When will they start walking the talk?
Mr. Speaker, it is passingly strange to get a question from the Conservatives about the fiscal mess left behind. There was a perpetual mismatch between the procurement cycle and the fiscal cycle, and the Minister of National Defence is now trying to rectify that. Accordingly, there are no funds that will be not applied to projects as they are needed.
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps digging itself a deeper hole on the issue of the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. The fact that the contract was a done deal and the very existence of cancellation penalties have apparently been contradicted. Yesterday, the Liberals voted against our proposal to create a subcommittee to study arms exports.Why are the Liberals refusing to let parliamentarians do their job? What are they afraid of?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have already sunk the Department of National Defence into darkness. They have put off some crucial procurements until after the next election, but that is not the worst of it, as reported in the Ottawa Citizen. The Liberals are putting on hold procurement projects that are already under way, such as offshore patrol ships, Cyclone helicopters, and the CF-18 replacements.Will the minister show us what kind of weight he has in this government? Will he step up and ensure that these projects continue to move forward?
Mr. Speaker, once again, had the former government, the party opposite, actually done its work, then the procurement cycle would have matched the fiscal cycle and accordingly, we possibly would have had some procurements met. The mess left behind on the procurement cycle by the party opposite means that we are having to realign all of our fiscal priorities. Accordingly, we are now funding matters as they become due.
Mr. Speaker, that is from a member of Parliament who was part of a government that made lapsing military funding an art form in order to get to a bogus balanced budget.There are no monies being cut from projects. Had the members opposite spent more time getting the fiscal and procurement cycles in order instead of climbing in and out of fake airplanes, and did the hard work that is needed to match those cycles, then just possibly, the men and women in uniform would be getting their
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none.The minister's role is to promote Canada around the world, be that through the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the BBC, or other European media outlets. She has to talk to the media from time to time to fulfill her mandate.
Mr. Speaker, I am always curious to see what position the member for Outremont will have on marijuana any given time he stands up in the House.The fact of the matter is we have been clear. We believe in the legalization and regulation of marijuana because it protects our kids and keeps money out of the pockets of criminal organizations and street gangs. The fact of the matter is that decriminalization, as the member proposes, actually gives a legal stream of income to criminal organizations. That is not what anyone wants in this country.
Mr. Speaker, we hope that the people of Attawapiskat can start to look to the future after some very difficult years. We commend the minister's commitment to build a youth centre and allocate resources for cultural programs. However, the budget does not contain any new investments for mental health services for indigenous young people. Furthermore, Health Canada does not have enough staff to meet the needs.My question is simple. Will the minister commit to immediately increase funding for mental health services?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership in Paris and for attending the upcoming Earth Day signing at the United Nations. However, our current target does not reflect that leadership. Our current target does not meet the climate urgency and emergency situation we face. In fact, it is still the weakest target in the G7. It is still the target of the previous government. It is urgently required that we ratchet up our target.Will the Prime Minister please reassure Canadians that we plan to put in place a tougher target and soon? That would be leadership.
Mr. Speaker, quite a few ministers have not yet disclosed travel expenses they incurred before March 1, 2016, even though Treasury Board has clear rules about that. The ministers of transport, finance, public safety, and national revenue are all behind in their disclosures. Even the President of the Treasury Board is behind. He is breaking his own department's rules.Why are these ministers hiding their information? When will the Liberals follow the rules?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, many of my constituents were worried that the previous government had increased the retirement age from 65 to 67. This poorly thought-out decision by the Conservatives caused a lot of anxiety for many residents of LaurentidesLabelle who wanted to plan for retirement.Can the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain how the budget will reverse this bad decision in order to benefit Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the surplus is real whether the Liberals want to admit it or not. Frankly, it should not take an expert in quantum computing to recognize that fact. The budget has been called the least transparent in 15 years and the Liberals' deficit and job creation numbers are way off the mark. If the Prime Minister will not acknowledge basic facts, how can Canadians have confidence that he will protect their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals may not realize it but they are playing a very high-stakes poker game with the Government of Quebec. Bill 74 would allow the Government of Quebec to force federally regulated Internet service providers to act as censors, blocking Quebeckers' access to Internet gaming sites. This clearly raises concerns about Quebeckers' rights to the Internet and censorship.Will the Liberals show their hand and tell us what their position is on this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been promising to legalize marijuana for the past three years. It was an important part of their election campaign. The NDP has had the same position for the past 40 years, namely, that it should be decriminalized and people should not be sent to prison or saddled with criminal records for personal use. I want to talk about their promise.Earlier, regarding the veterans issue, it was the Conservatives' fault. Earlier, it was the NDP that did not do enough. Let us talk about the Liberals. They wanted to be in power, and they made a promise. The only response they received was from the Toronto police chief.
Mr. Speaker, during question period yesterday, the Minister of Environment was specifically asked when she would make a decision on the Pacific NorthWest LNG project in British Columbia. Her answer shocked all of us. She flippantly said, We will make a decision when we are ready to make a decision.When will the minister realize that the uncertainty her government has created is causing investors to flee Canada and is jeopardizing a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, what is not in his talking points is that the Minister of International Trade dropped nearly $20,000 in taxpayers' money for a stop in LA to appear on Bill Maher's show.She claims she had a roundtable meeting with conservative writer Ben Domenech and Maine Senator Angus King. It turns out they were actually panellists on the very same program. The minister actually thinks that the green room is a round table.Was there anything real about the minister's time spent in Hollywood with Bill Maher?
Mr. Speaker, again I rise to respond to this question. As the member pointed out, the staff were notified late last month exactly when the closure would happen, although they were notified that the closure would happen in 2014. The modernization of the centre has been a long-standing project that began in 2007, and the closure of the Comox station is the last one to be done. We are moving forward with that plan.
Let us talk about messes they promised to clean up, Mr. Speaker.For more than three years, they promised to legalize marijuana, yet thousands and thousands of Canadians will have criminal records for the rest of their lives because they will not even decriminalize it, something that could have been done overnight. The simple question for the Prime Minister is this. His minister was in New York, of all places, instead of here today, announcing that maybe in 2017 they will be presenting legislation to finally do something about it. In the meantime, will the Prime Minister at least promise that there will be legislation to remove the criminal records?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her question and for her hard work on the environment, including with us in Paris.When we talked about and actually got to an agreement, the talks were about increasing ambition of targets for countries like Canada and countries around the world as we move forward.We are working with the provinces, municipalities, industry, business, and with individuals to make sure that we continue to build a strong economy while protecting the environment in a way that for 10 years the previous government was unable to do.
Mr. Speaker, according to the Emerson report, not only is the Canadian Coast Guard understaffed, but its fleet is one of the oldest in the world and is in urgent need of renewal.Nevertheless, we learned that the Liberals are not going to continue maintaining the only Canadian icebreaker, the Louis S. St-Laurent, even though the Diefenbaker will not be operational for about 10 years.With China and Russia planning to sail the Northwest Passage, how do the Liberals plan to meet the urgent needs of the Canadian Coast Guard?What is the plan?
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that decriminalization, when done as the member for Outremont proposes, just gives a legal stream of income to criminals who sell drugs. The reality is that proper legalization protects our young people and keeps billions of dollars out of the pockets of criminal organizations, which is where the money is going now. Legalization is the only way to protect our young people and our communities, and that is what we are going to do, as promised.
Mr. Speaker, the current and former parliamentary budget officers have spoken out about the government's lack of transparency in its budget. In 15 years, there has never been as little information as there is now.We hear rhetoric, but we are not getting facts. Canadians are realizing that they cannot trust this government.Why is the Prime Minister refusing to give all the information to the parliamentary budget officer and set the record straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand, and everyone in this House should understand, that in the last month of the fiscal year our expenses are going up and our revenues are going down. The Conservatives have left us a deficit. Let me say what the independent parliamentary budget officer said about the Conservatives. He said that the Canadians economy has remained below its level of potential GDP since 2008. Thanks to Canadians, we are going to grow this economy for Canadian families, for business, and for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I put forward a mandate letter for our Minister of Veterans Affairs that asked him to respect the sacred obligation we have as a country toward those who serve. We have made sure that we have reopened the nine Veterans Affairs offices. We have increased the funding to the people who are actually helping our veterans. We are ensuring that we are cleaning up the mess left by 10 years of a government that wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got but let our veterans down every single day.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his interest and for this important question.The previous government unfortunately brought in this reform without conducting any serious economic and social studies. It would have plunged 100,000 seniors into poverty, lowered the income of 20% of the poorest seniors by 35%, and taken away $13,000 from the most vulnerable seniors. We have decided to reverse this decision and to invest in our seniors. I think the whole House should be pleased about that.
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned about the rash of tragic suicides in indigenous communities across Canada.Attawapiskat also desperately needs programs in the community.I was very happy to hear that First Nations and Inuit Health is prepared right now to begin the land-based programming that the youth have asked for. We know this is about getting back hope and what exactly the youth said to me: that they want their identity back.
Mr. Speaker, since the answer I gave in English will be translated into French in the Hansard, I will not repeat it because it is the same question.However, since the member is giving me the opportunity, I will repeat that the contract was signed by the previous government, not in part, but in full. We do not want to renege on the Government of Canada's signature. When the contract is deemed valid, the export licences arrive at the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who carefully and diligently examines them. That is what we did with full transparency.
Mr. Speaker, indeed, we take very seriously the review we are doing about the export permits. It is a very serious decision, and I assume my decision and the ones I do in the future, certainly, I will do very seriously.I am sure that the committee will work very seriously as well. The committee has a lot of work to do. We will ask the committee to look at the legislative changes that we will have to make to make sure Canada will be a member of the arms trade treaty. I look forward to working very positively with the committee.
Mr. Speaker, the sun is shining and the sky is bright blue today in Manitoba after electing a strong, stable Conservative majority government last night.Unfortunately, here in Ottawa, our military is entering another era of darkness. The Liberals' $3.7-billion defence cut from the defence budget are not only for future procurements, but they are also cutting the budget for current projects like the Arctic offshore patrol ships and the Halifax-class frigate upgrades.Why will the Prime Minister not get the equipment for our troops now?
Mr. Speaker, the Comox coast guard centre is slated for closure on May 10. We have heard troubling testimony at committee around the technology failures, HR challenges, and even possible tsunami risks, yet the minister is showing a disregard for the committee, for Parliament, and for residents.Will the government protect our coastal communities and keep the Comox MCTS centre open, or will it just keep repeating the same excuses as the Conservatives used while it shuts down this important marine safety centre?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer confirmed that the former Conservative government left the current government a budget surplus.The Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance are now the only ones who can acknowledge that fact. Earlier, the government said it trusts the parliamentary budget officer. Why, then, will the Prime Minister not admit that we left an operating surplus for the current year?
Mr. Speaker, let me try this again. Once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none. They did not really like the media, but we know that it is precisely the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada and its trade interests around the world. She also took the opportunity to defend and promote Canada's policy on Syrian refugees.Even the former prime minister in the previous government and the foreign affairs minister were covered by the American media. There are times when that is very important.
Mr. Speaker, the government can be incomprehensibly heartless in its dealings with veterans. Corporal Paul Franklin lost both of his legs in Afghanistan, but, like many other veterans, he has to fill in a pile of forms every year to prove that he is still missing both legs. Now that this and other cases have come to light, can the Prime Minister tell us what he has personally done to put an end to this intolerable situation?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign and in the years leading up to last fall's campaign, the Liberal Party always stood by veterans. It has always been there for them, fighting for their interests. Because of its political objectives and its approach to managing the public service, the previous government was unable to serve our veterans properly.That is why, in the latest budget, we made a commitment to our veterans backed by historic investments. That is why we are continually listening to them. We acknowledge our great and solemn obligation to our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I met with mayors from British Columbia who are struggling with high unemployment in their communities. These families want to get back to work. The B.C. LNG industry could create $175 billion in business investment and up to 100,000 new jobs, but these projects need to move forward. So far, all we have seen is uncertainty from the Liberals. Will the Prime Minister stand up and tell these families that he has their backs and he supports LNG?
Mr. Speaker, this week we are hearing of senators who are using their parliamentary staff to work in their private tanning facilities. We are hearing that they are using them to organize their home renovations. The Liberals congratulate themselves a lot in this House for talk about openness and transparency. However, we have recommended concrete action. We have talked about tightening the expense limits in the Senate, limiting taxpayer-funded travel, and strengthening the Senate ethics office. What we are asking for the government to do today is to stand in the House and join us in demanding the implementation of those rules by the Senate. Will it do it?
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. The only way projects will go ahead is if they are done in a sustainable way.At the beginning of March, the proponent brought significant new information that raised concerns about impacts on salmon, human health, and indigenous peoples. We are committed to doing a review that is based on science and facts, and we have said that once we have the necessary information we will make a decision within 90 days. That is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Earlier today the House of Commons in the United Kingdom voted unanimously to recognize that Christians, Yazidis and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria were suffering genocide at the hands of ISIS. On March 15, U.S. House of Representatives also unanimously declared that genocide was taking place in Iraq and Syria by ISIS.In light of this and after discussions that have taken place among all parties, I hope you will find unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syrian and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
I would like to thank the minister for coming with me to meet with the youth in Attawapiskat and committing to build that youth centre. It is a profound moment.However, the larger issue of the crisis in mental health services in indigenous communities remains. For example, there is only $350,000 for the mental wellness framework for the entire country. How many children is that expected to save?My question is for the finance minister. He can respond to the crisis that has taken the lives of too many indigenous children across the country by putting those resource dollars into this budget now. He has the power to act. Will he do it?
Mr. Speaker, last Fall, Canadians chose a vision that was going to invest in this country, invest in our communities, create jobs and opportunities, and put more money in the pockets of the middle class and those working hard to join the middle class. It would create the kind of growth that for 10 years, under the previous government, simply did not happen for Canadians. We committed to invest in our future and that is exactly what the Liberal Party is doing.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to closing the gap in health outcomes for first nations and Inuit Canadians. In budget 2016, we outlined our historic investment of $8.4 billion to improve the socio-economic conditions for indigenous peoples and their communities. Health Canada collaborated with the Assembly of First Nations, community mental health leaders, and our government departments to develop our first nations mental wellness continuum framework.
Mr. Speaker, our ministers, our government, and our Prime Minister are of course committed to openness and transparency. We will follow all the rules of the Treasury Board.I just want to say, in terms of the matter of our international trade minister, an exceptional public servant, that she actually became a parliamentarian after having garnered international attention for her work as a financial journalist and a writer who actually tackled some of the biggest issues facing the world, including that of inequality.She was asked, in fact, because she has international
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to ask for unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity of a genocidal nature against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syria and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation, including into possible genocide, and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the independent parliamentary budget officer confirmed what the finance department and leading economists have been saying, that in fact the Conservatives left the Liberals a surplus. However, instead of celebrating this achievement, the Liberals are playing politics and pretending like it did not even happen. Why does the Prime Minister continue to mislead Canadians on basic facts?
Mr. Speaker, then that member should have read them, because we know that the hotel rooms were booked for her by Time Warner, which of course owns HBO.When she said that her department handled all of the arrangements for this trip, she misled Canadians. She claimed that this was a trade mission, but clearly it was not. Now she is trying to cover her tracks.Why was Time Warner booking her hotel rooms if this was all planned ahead of time by her department?
Mr. Speaker, that is not good enough, because the minister first claimed that her decision would be based on science. Then the natural resources minister proudly contradicted her by saying that the decision would be political. Now the minister simply says she will make the decision whenever she feels like it. That is the ultimate uncertainty. Does the minister not realize that her inaction is risking a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we believe in net neutrality. We will be having ongoing discussions with our counterparts in Quebec regarding that question. I had the opportunity of meeting many stakeholders that have raised issues regarding that particular bill. It will be a pleasure to have further discussions on this subject.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, to justify her trip to Hollywood at Canadian taxpayers' expense, the Minister of International Trade listed the names of the people she met with. Surprise, surprise. Two of those people, Senator King and the lieutenant governor, were invited to the same talk show as her.The minister should stop beating around the bush and confirm what we all know to be true: she went so she could be on HBO.
Mr. Speaker, once again today the Conservatives are trying to make a story where none exists.It is the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada's trade interests around the world. Following the APEC summit in the Philippines, she was proud to visit California, one of our most important trading partners, where she did what she was supposed to do according to her mandate letter, which was to promote trade.The Conservative accusations about expenses are false. All the rules were followed. The costs were in line with travel by Conservative ministers in the previous government. The details were publicly posted months ago.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to have confidence in a government. The Liberals inherited a surplus from us. That is what the PBO said. They manipulated private sector economists' projections for their own purpose. They padded deficit projections by the billions, and they have exaggerated how many jobs Canadians can expect out of the budget. That is what the parliamentary budget officer said. Does the minister realize, quite frankly, that his economic credibility is in tatters and that Canadians deserve to have somebody and some government that can actually manage their tax dollars responsibly?
Mr. Speaker, maybe they will understand the question better if I try again. One of this government's bad economic decisions was to reduce the age of retirement from 67 to 65. According to the parliamentary budget officer, this is going to cost an additional $11 billion. I am sorry, but we cannot afford that. What is more, that is what the current Minister of Finance said in his book The Real Retirement, and I quote , In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 or 67. I could not have put it better myself. Can the Prime Minister acknowledge that his Minister of Finance was right at the time?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.I am very pleased to see his interest in seniors. I am sure that he, like me, recognizes the importance of budget 2016 in addressing this issue. We reduced the age of eligibility to 65 in order to prevent 100,000 seniors from slipping into poverty and to bring the poverty rate of seniors aged 65 and 66 down from 17% to 6%. We will continue to work in that direction.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we support the parliamentary budget officer. We continue to work with him to improve transparency for Canadians, something they did not see at all during the 10 years that today's opposition party was in power.The reality is that we are making massive strategic investments in Canadians' future to create growth, put more money in the pockets of the middle class, and ensure that all Canadians have a better future.
Straight to his talking points, Mr. Speaker. Why are we not surprised?Here is the question. Master Corporal Paul Franklin lost both legs serving this country bravely in Afghanistan. Every year, like numerous other veterans, he is obliged to fill out a pile of forms to prove that he still has not gotten his legs back. He lost his wheelchair because he could not produce another doctor's note. The question to the Prime Minister was not what his talking notes are on veterans. The question to the Prime Minister was, what has he done to put an end to this intolerable situation for our veterans?
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, the party opposite could not get things done for the natural resources sector right across the country. The reason it could not and the reason the Conservatives still do not get it is they think that they have to make a choice between what is good for the environment and the economy. What Canadians said loudly and clearly last Fall was that they needed a government that did both of them together, that cared for the economy and the environment at the same time. That is exactly what we are doing on this side of the House.
Mr. Speaker, this budget is historic in investing in Canadians. We have reduced taxes for nine million Canadians already, which is helping our economy. We have the Canada child benefit, which is going to help nine families out of 10, lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty; and we are investing in our seniors, in youth, in clean tech, and in innovation. That is what Canadians want, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, I am so happy for the question from the hon. member. Let me quote from the independent parliamentary budget officer talking about our budget: ...we believe that ultimately these measures will have a sizable impact on the Canadian economy. That is what the PBO said yesterday.Our budget is for Canadian families, for the Canadian middle class. That is helping the economy. That is what the PBO says. That is what we are going to continue to do.
Mr. Speaker, once again the Conservatives are trying to create a story where none exists.The purpose of the trip to Los Angeles was to promote Canadian interests with one of our most important trading jurisdictions. All the rules were followed. All the costs were publicly posted, and they were in line with the kinds of costs incurred for travel by former Conservative ministers. In fact, over the same November-to-March period in the last year, her Conservative predecessor incurred expenses more than $6,000 higher than hers.
Mr. Speaker, before becoming a Liberal, the Minister of Finance endorsed the Conservative plan to change the age of eligibility for seniors. In his book The Real Retirement, the minister wrote, In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 to 67 instead of the current age of 62, but since then, the Prime Minister has told him to change his tune.When did the finance minister stop caring about the long-term financial security of Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, six months ago, Canadians turned their backs on the former government. Even today, they cannot believe that the Conservative Party continues to claim it wants to talk about transparency and openness, since the Conservatives formed the most secretive government in Canadian history.That is why Canadians chose openness, transparency, discipline, and accountability. That is exactly what we offer as a government.
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board follows all the rules, as does every member of this cabinet. We are committed to an open and transparent government.May I say that in terms of the matter of the accusations made about our Minister of International Trade, she is a person of exceptional international reputation, somebody who came back to Canada to serve Canadians as an internationally recognized expert on the economy and issues of inequality. We are proud to have a minister of her stature who is able to claim
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Trade would like us to believe that she was gallivanting around sunny California promoting Canada and meeting with trade partners, but Canadians know the real reason she was there. She was there to promote herself on a popular U.S. TV show. The minister has stated that it was she and her department alone that organized the trip to California. If this is really the case, can she tell us who booked her stay while she was in Hollywood?
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board's own department directs ministers to post all travel expenses for the last quarter by March 31.He and the Minister of Finance traveled to Switzerland, the Minister of Transport travelled to Washington, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness went to Washington and London, yet their expenses have not been posted.It is clear that the Liberals are just paying lip service to openness and transparency. Why is the President of the Treasury Board violating his own rules by hiding his expenses?
Mr. Speaker, as part of the Canadian Coast Guard's multi-year maintenance plan, PSPC issued an advance contract award notice to Davie shipyard to enter the Louis S. St-Laurent into dry dock for a retrofit and life-extension work.Due to lack of available space at the Davie shipyard, the contract has been deferred until next year. That will ensure that this iconic vessel of the Coast Guard will be able to participate in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea program taking place in the Arctic this summer.
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness proposed outsourcing RCMP occupational health to provincial compensation boards in Bill C-7, he claimed that compensation would be reasonably consistent across the country. Yesterday in committee, we heard that in Lloydminster in his own province this could result in thousands less for one RCMP member depending on which detachment that officer came from, the Saskatchewan side or the Alberta side. When will the minister acknowledge our concerns about fair treatment and strike clauses 40 and 42 from Bill C-7?
Mr. Speaker, as we have said, we have at all times understood the importance of managing taxpayer money in an appropriate way. We have thought that at any point those who are responsible for abusing or misusing taxpayer money should be held to account, and the money should be reimbursed. That includes the money that the New Democratic Party took for its satellite offices.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer released his report on budget 2016. First, he confirmed that the government did indeed inherit a surplus from us. He also confirmed that the Liberals' plan will cost significantly more than the $10 billion that they promised Canadians. However, most importantly, he confirmed that their plan actually lacked incredibly important details.When will the minister face the facts that they talk a good game but they are really not delivering on an open and honest government?
Mr. Speaker, maybe it is agenda, third party, and magic eight ball.The minister of environment rose yesterday and confirmed that LNG decisions will be made when and only when she feels like making them. She has just created another level of uncertainty.The justice minister is on record as saying that LNG remains a positive prospect for many first nations. The environment minister herself cannot deny that LNG could and would replace Chinese coal.Rather than creating more uncertainty by consulting her magic eight ball for answers, why does she not look at the actual facts and support the project?
Mr. Speaker, this government supports and applauds the parliamentary budget officer for his excellent work. We continue to work with him to demonstrate the level of openness and transparency that all Canadians expect from this side of the House. The fact is we made commitments to invest in Canadians, to give a larger tax free child benefit to nine out of ten Canadian families, and that is exactly what we are doing with our investments today.
Mr. Speaker, constituents in my riding celebrated the announcement by the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour to greatly increase the funding available through the Canada jobs program. Considering the reaction, I had no doubt that we would see more employers take advantage of this opportunity and help start to train the future workforce of our country.Would the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour please give the House an update on the current state of participation in regard to the Canada jobs program?
Mr. Speaker, our government has indicated a new regard for the work of parliamentarians on parliamentary committees. The Prime Minister has made it clear that he wants to see the work of parliamentarians be adequately supported and invigorated. If the committee which is hearing all of the evidence with respect to this matter has suggestions to make about the shape of the legislation, the President of the Treasury Board and I would be more than happy to entertain that advice.
Mr. Speaker, the member for Hamilton WestAncasterDundas is absolutely correct. Funding was doubled for Canada summer jobs this year, and we are on track to create 70,000 jobs for youth this summer. Applications are up 30% from the year before, with over 36,000 applications. It means more jobs and opportunity in Hamilton and each and every riding across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, for all intents and purposes the driverless car is quite literally at our doorstep. Technology in this area is advancing rapidly. In some countries, large amounts of money are being invested, and more and more driverless car projects are appearing. How does the government plan on supporting, regulating, and developing driverless cars in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that great care must be taken with government spending and the management of public funds, and that this government will not allow anyone, under any circumstances, to misuse taxpayers' money. The Senate has taken control of the situation. It has changed some of its rules. We encourage it to continue to work toward openness and transparency.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question, especially since I believe innovation in the transport sector is extremely important, so that we can improve safety on our roads and boost the Canadian economy. Connected and automated vehicles and the regulation of these vehicles are fundamental sectors of innovation.I am also pleased that the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications accepted my proposal to carry out comprehensive studies on these vehicles.
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat my answer. We will make decisions based on facts, science, and evidence. We understand the importance of getting resources to market. However, we need to be doing it in a sustainable way. That is what we are doing.I will quote from the proponent: Pacific NorthWest LNG will work to assess this latest information request and continue to work constructively with federal agencies through this rigorous process. We are working with it. When we are prepared, we will make a decision.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal procurement process is failing our military. The decision to withhold funding for the Cyclone search and rescue helicopter reminds Canadians of the horrible Chrétien decision of the 1990s to cancel the EH 101 helicopters. Why is the Prime Minister so willing to put the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces at risk by cutting military funding?
Mr. Speaker, the Senate expense scandal has been upsetting people for years. Canadians are angry that government cronies, who were inappropriately appointed, are treating taxpayers' money like an all-you-can-eat buffet. It is completely outrageous for a senator to be using his staff members, who are on the public payroll, to organize his home renovations and manage his tanning salon. When will the government rein in these fat cats and clean up these practices that simply do not make any sense?
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the member opposite maybe did not understand what I said previously, so I will repeat it.What I said is that we are committed to making a decision within 90 days of getting the information required from the proponent. We will make decisions based on science, facts, and evidence. Because that is what Canadians expect, that is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, on the Saudi arms deal, Ottawa consulted no human rights groups but asked only the Department of National Defence. After signing the export permit in secret, the minister repeated that the Liberals would scrutinize any future arms deal. However, when we proposed a transparent subcommittee to look at our arms exports, the Liberals used their majority to vote it down.What are they afraid of? Where is the transparency they keep talking about? When will they start walking the talk?
Mr. Speaker, it is passingly strange to get a question from the Conservatives about the fiscal mess left behind. There was a perpetual mismatch between the procurement cycle and the fiscal cycle, and the Minister of National Defence is now trying to rectify that. Accordingly, there are no funds that will be not applied to projects as they are needed.
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps digging itself a deeper hole on the issue of the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. The fact that the contract was a done deal and the very existence of cancellation penalties have apparently been contradicted. Yesterday, the Liberals voted against our proposal to create a subcommittee to study arms exports.Why are the Liberals refusing to let parliamentarians do their job? What are they afraid of?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have already sunk the Department of National Defence into darkness. They have put off some crucial procurements until after the next election, but that is not the worst of it, as reported in the Ottawa Citizen. The Liberals are putting on hold procurement projects that are already under way, such as offshore patrol ships, Cyclone helicopters, and the CF-18 replacements.Will the minister show us what kind of weight he has in this government? Will he step up and ensure that these projects continue to move forward?
Mr. Speaker, once again, had the former government, the party opposite, actually done its work, then the procurement cycle would have matched the fiscal cycle and accordingly, we possibly would have had some procurements met. The mess left behind on the procurement cycle by the party opposite means that we are having to realign all of our fiscal priorities. Accordingly, we are now funding matters as they become due.
Mr. Speaker, that is from a member of Parliament who was part of a government that made lapsing military funding an art form in order to get to a bogus balanced budget.There are no monies being cut from projects. Had the members opposite spent more time getting the fiscal and procurement cycles in order instead of climbing in and out of fake airplanes, and did the hard work that is needed to match those cycles, then just possibly, the men and women in uniform would be getting their
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none.The minister's role is to promote Canada around the world, be that through the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the BBC, or other European media outlets. She has to talk to the media from time to time to fulfill her mandate.
Mr. Speaker, I am always curious to see what position the member for Outremont will have on marijuana any given time he stands up in the House.The fact of the matter is we have been clear. We believe in the legalization and regulation of marijuana because it protects our kids and keeps money out of the pockets of criminal organizations and street gangs. The fact of the matter is that decriminalization, as the member proposes, actually gives a legal stream of income to criminal organizations. That is not what anyone wants in this country.
Mr. Speaker, we hope that the people of Attawapiskat can start to look to the future after some very difficult years. We commend the minister's commitment to build a youth centre and allocate resources for cultural programs. However, the budget does not contain any new investments for mental health services for indigenous young people. Furthermore, Health Canada does not have enough staff to meet the needs.My question is simple. Will the minister commit to immediately increase funding for mental health services?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership in Paris and for attending the upcoming Earth Day signing at the United Nations. However, our current target does not reflect that leadership. Our current target does not meet the climate urgency and emergency situation we face. In fact, it is still the weakest target in the G7. It is still the target of the previous government. It is urgently required that we ratchet up our target.Will the Prime Minister please reassure Canadians that we plan to put in place a tougher target and soon? That would be leadership.
Mr. Speaker, quite a few ministers have not yet disclosed travel expenses they incurred before March 1, 2016, even though Treasury Board has clear rules about that. The ministers of transport, finance, public safety, and national revenue are all behind in their disclosures. Even the President of the Treasury Board is behind. He is breaking his own department's rules.Why are these ministers hiding their information? When will the Liberals follow the rules?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, many of my constituents were worried that the previous government had increased the retirement age from 65 to 67. This poorly thought-out decision by the Conservatives caused a lot of anxiety for many residents of LaurentidesLabelle who wanted to plan for retirement.Can the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain how the budget will reverse this bad decision in order to benefit Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the surplus is real whether the Liberals want to admit it or not. Frankly, it should not take an expert in quantum computing to recognize that fact. The budget has been called the least transparent in 15 years and the Liberals' deficit and job creation numbers are way off the mark. If the Prime Minister will not acknowledge basic facts, how can Canadians have confidence that he will protect their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals may not realize it but they are playing a very high-stakes poker game with the Government of Quebec. Bill 74 would allow the Government of Quebec to force federally regulated Internet service providers to act as censors, blocking Quebeckers' access to Internet gaming sites. This clearly raises concerns about Quebeckers' rights to the Internet and censorship.Will the Liberals show their hand and tell us what their position is on this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been promising to legalize marijuana for the past three years. It was an important part of their election campaign. The NDP has had the same position for the past 40 years, namely, that it should be decriminalized and people should not be sent to prison or saddled with criminal records for personal use. I want to talk about their promise.Earlier, regarding the veterans issue, it was the Conservatives' fault. Earlier, it was the NDP that did not do enough. Let us talk about the Liberals. They wanted to be in power, and they made a promise. The only response they received was from the Toronto police chief.
Mr. Speaker, during question period yesterday, the Minister of Environment was specifically asked when she would make a decision on the Pacific NorthWest LNG project in British Columbia. Her answer shocked all of us. She flippantly said, We will make a decision when we are ready to make a decision.When will the minister realize that the uncertainty her government has created is causing investors to flee Canada and is jeopardizing a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, what is not in his talking points is that the Minister of International Trade dropped nearly $20,000 in taxpayers' money for a stop in LA to appear on Bill Maher's show.She claims she had a roundtable meeting with conservative writer Ben Domenech and Maine Senator Angus King. It turns out they were actually panellists on the very same program. The minister actually thinks that the green room is a round table.Was there anything real about the minister's time spent in Hollywood with Bill Maher?
Mr. Speaker, again I rise to respond to this question. As the member pointed out, the staff were notified late last month exactly when the closure would happen, although they were notified that the closure would happen in 2014. The modernization of the centre has been a long-standing project that began in 2007, and the closure of the Comox station is the last one to be done. We are moving forward with that plan.
Let us talk about messes they promised to clean up, Mr. Speaker.For more than three years, they promised to legalize marijuana, yet thousands and thousands of Canadians will have criminal records for the rest of their lives because they will not even decriminalize it, something that could have been done overnight. The simple question for the Prime Minister is this. His minister was in New York, of all places, instead of here today, announcing that maybe in 2017 they will be presenting legislation to finally do something about it. In the meantime, will the Prime Minister at least promise that there will be legislation to remove the criminal records?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her question and for her hard work on the environment, including with us in Paris.When we talked about and actually got to an agreement, the talks were about increasing ambition of targets for countries like Canada and countries around the world as we move forward.We are working with the provinces, municipalities, industry, business, and with individuals to make sure that we continue to build a strong economy while protecting the environment in a way that for 10 years the previous government was unable to do.
Mr. Speaker, according to the Emerson report, not only is the Canadian Coast Guard understaffed, but its fleet is one of the oldest in the world and is in urgent need of renewal.Nevertheless, we learned that the Liberals are not going to continue maintaining the only Canadian icebreaker, the Louis S. St-Laurent, even though the Diefenbaker will not be operational for about 10 years.With China and Russia planning to sail the Northwest Passage, how do the Liberals plan to meet the urgent needs of the Canadian Coast Guard?What is the plan?
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that decriminalization, when done as the member for Outremont proposes, just gives a legal stream of income to criminals who sell drugs. The reality is that proper legalization protects our young people and keeps billions of dollars out of the pockets of criminal organizations, which is where the money is going now. Legalization is the only way to protect our young people and our communities, and that is what we are going to do, as promised.
Mr. Speaker, the current and former parliamentary budget officers have spoken out about the government's lack of transparency in its budget. In 15 years, there has never been as little information as there is now.We hear rhetoric, but we are not getting facts. Canadians are realizing that they cannot trust this government.Why is the Prime Minister refusing to give all the information to the parliamentary budget officer and set the record straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand, and everyone in this House should understand, that in the last month of the fiscal year our expenses are going up and our revenues are going down. The Conservatives have left us a deficit. Let me say what the independent parliamentary budget officer said about the Conservatives. He said that the Canadians economy has remained below its level of potential GDP since 2008. Thanks to Canadians, we are going to grow this economy for Canadian families, for business, and for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I put forward a mandate letter for our Minister of Veterans Affairs that asked him to respect the sacred obligation we have as a country toward those who serve. We have made sure that we have reopened the nine Veterans Affairs offices. We have increased the funding to the people who are actually helping our veterans. We are ensuring that we are cleaning up the mess left by 10 years of a government that wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got but let our veterans down every single day.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his interest and for this important question.The previous government unfortunately brought in this reform without conducting any serious economic and social studies. It would have plunged 100,000 seniors into poverty, lowered the income of 20% of the poorest seniors by 35%, and taken away $13,000 from the most vulnerable seniors. We have decided to reverse this decision and to invest in our seniors. I think the whole House should be pleased about that.
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned about the rash of tragic suicides in indigenous communities across Canada.Attawapiskat also desperately needs programs in the community.I was very happy to hear that First Nations and Inuit Health is prepared right now to begin the land-based programming that the youth have asked for. We know this is about getting back hope and what exactly the youth said to me: that they want their identity back.
Mr. Speaker, since the answer I gave in English will be translated into French in the Hansard, I will not repeat it because it is the same question.However, since the member is giving me the opportunity, I will repeat that the contract was signed by the previous government, not in part, but in full. We do not want to renege on the Government of Canada's signature. When the contract is deemed valid, the export licences arrive at the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who carefully and diligently examines them. That is what we did with full transparency.
Mr. Speaker, indeed, we take very seriously the review we are doing about the export permits. It is a very serious decision, and I assume my decision and the ones I do in the future, certainly, I will do very seriously.I am sure that the committee will work very seriously as well. The committee has a lot of work to do. We will ask the committee to look at the legislative changes that we will have to make to make sure Canada will be a member of the arms trade treaty. I look forward to working very positively with the committee.
Mr. Speaker, the sun is shining and the sky is bright blue today in Manitoba after electing a strong, stable Conservative majority government last night.Unfortunately, here in Ottawa, our military is entering another era of darkness. The Liberals' $3.7-billion defence cut from the defence budget are not only for future procurements, but they are also cutting the budget for current projects like the Arctic offshore patrol ships and the Halifax-class frigate upgrades.Why will the Prime Minister not get the equipment for our troops now?
Mr. Speaker, the Comox coast guard centre is slated for closure on May 10. We have heard troubling testimony at committee around the technology failures, HR challenges, and even possible tsunami risks, yet the minister is showing a disregard for the committee, for Parliament, and for residents.Will the government protect our coastal communities and keep the Comox MCTS centre open, or will it just keep repeating the same excuses as the Conservatives used while it shuts down this important marine safety centre?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer confirmed that the former Conservative government left the current government a budget surplus.The Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance are now the only ones who can acknowledge that fact. Earlier, the government said it trusts the parliamentary budget officer. Why, then, will the Prime Minister not admit that we left an operating surplus for the current year?
Mr. Speaker, let me try this again. Once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none. They did not really like the media, but we know that it is precisely the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada and its trade interests around the world. She also took the opportunity to defend and promote Canada's policy on Syrian refugees.Even the former prime minister in the previous government and the foreign affairs minister were covered by the American media. There are times when that is very important.
Mr. Speaker, the government can be incomprehensibly heartless in its dealings with veterans. Corporal Paul Franklin lost both of his legs in Afghanistan, but, like many other veterans, he has to fill in a pile of forms every year to prove that he is still missing both legs. Now that this and other cases have come to light, can the Prime Minister tell us what he has personally done to put an end to this intolerable situation?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign and in the years leading up to last fall's campaign, the Liberal Party always stood by veterans. It has always been there for them, fighting for their interests. Because of its political objectives and its approach to managing the public service, the previous government was unable to serve our veterans properly.That is why, in the latest budget, we made a commitment to our veterans backed by historic investments. That is why we are continually listening to them. We acknowledge our great and solemn obligation to our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I met with mayors from British Columbia who are struggling with high unemployment in their communities. These families want to get back to work. The B.C. LNG industry could create $175 billion in business investment and up to 100,000 new jobs, but these projects need to move forward. So far, all we have seen is uncertainty from the Liberals. Will the Prime Minister stand up and tell these families that he has their backs and he supports LNG?
Mr. Speaker, this week we are hearing of senators who are using their parliamentary staff to work in their private tanning facilities. We are hearing that they are using them to organize their home renovations. The Liberals congratulate themselves a lot in this House for talk about openness and transparency. However, we have recommended concrete action. We have talked about tightening the expense limits in the Senate, limiting taxpayer-funded travel, and strengthening the Senate ethics office. What we are asking for the government to do today is to stand in the House and join us in demanding the implementation of those rules by the Senate. Will it do it?
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. The only way projects will go ahead is if they are done in a sustainable way.At the beginning of March, the proponent brought significant new information that raised concerns about impacts on salmon, human health, and indigenous peoples. We are committed to doing a review that is based on science and facts, and we have said that once we have the necessary information we will make a decision within 90 days. That is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Earlier today the House of Commons in the United Kingdom voted unanimously to recognize that Christians, Yazidis and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria were suffering genocide at the hands of ISIS. On March 15, U.S. House of Representatives also unanimously declared that genocide was taking place in Iraq and Syria by ISIS.In light of this and after discussions that have taken place among all parties, I hope you will find unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syrian and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
I would like to thank the minister for coming with me to meet with the youth in Attawapiskat and committing to build that youth centre. It is a profound moment.However, the larger issue of the crisis in mental health services in indigenous communities remains. For example, there is only $350,000 for the mental wellness framework for the entire country. How many children is that expected to save?My question is for the finance minister. He can respond to the crisis that has taken the lives of too many indigenous children across the country by putting those resource dollars into this budget now. He has the power to act. Will he do it?
Mr. Speaker, last Fall, Canadians chose a vision that was going to invest in this country, invest in our communities, create jobs and opportunities, and put more money in the pockets of the middle class and those working hard to join the middle class. It would create the kind of growth that for 10 years, under the previous government, simply did not happen for Canadians. We committed to invest in our future and that is exactly what the Liberal Party is doing.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to closing the gap in health outcomes for first nations and Inuit Canadians. In budget 2016, we outlined our historic investment of $8.4 billion to improve the socio-economic conditions for indigenous peoples and their communities. Health Canada collaborated with the Assembly of First Nations, community mental health leaders, and our government departments to develop our first nations mental wellness continuum framework.
Mr. Speaker, our ministers, our government, and our Prime Minister are of course committed to openness and transparency. We will follow all the rules of the Treasury Board.I just want to say, in terms of the matter of our international trade minister, an exceptional public servant, that she actually became a parliamentarian after having garnered international attention for her work as a financial journalist and a writer who actually tackled some of the biggest issues facing the world, including that of inequality.She was asked, in fact, because she has international
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to ask for unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity of a genocidal nature against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syria and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation, including into possible genocide, and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the independent parliamentary budget officer confirmed what the finance department and leading economists have been saying, that in fact the Conservatives left the Liberals a surplus. However, instead of celebrating this achievement, the Liberals are playing politics and pretending like it did not even happen. Why does the Prime Minister continue to mislead Canadians on basic facts?
Mr. Speaker, then that member should have read them, because we know that the hotel rooms were booked for her by Time Warner, which of course owns HBO.When she said that her department handled all of the arrangements for this trip, she misled Canadians. She claimed that this was a trade mission, but clearly it was not. Now she is trying to cover her tracks.Why was Time Warner booking her hotel rooms if this was all planned ahead of time by her department?
Mr. Speaker, that is not good enough, because the minister first claimed that her decision would be based on science. Then the natural resources minister proudly contradicted her by saying that the decision would be political. Now the minister simply says she will make the decision whenever she feels like it. That is the ultimate uncertainty. Does the minister not realize that her inaction is risking a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we believe in net neutrality. We will be having ongoing discussions with our counterparts in Quebec regarding that question. I had the opportunity of meeting many stakeholders that have raised issues regarding that particular bill. It will be a pleasure to have further discussions on this subject.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, to justify her trip to Hollywood at Canadian taxpayers' expense, the Minister of International Trade listed the names of the people she met with. Surprise, surprise. Two of those people, Senator King and the lieutenant governor, were invited to the same talk show as her.The minister should stop beating around the bush and confirm what we all know to be true: she went so she could be on HBO.
Mr. Speaker, once again today the Conservatives are trying to make a story where none exists.It is the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada's trade interests around the world. Following the APEC summit in the Philippines, she was proud to visit California, one of our most important trading partners, where she did what she was supposed to do according to her mandate letter, which was to promote trade.The Conservative accusations about expenses are false. All the rules were followed. The costs were in line with travel by Conservative ministers in the previous government. The details were publicly posted months ago.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to have confidence in a government. The Liberals inherited a surplus from us. That is what the PBO said. They manipulated private sector economists' projections for their own purpose. They padded deficit projections by the billions, and they have exaggerated how many jobs Canadians can expect out of the budget. That is what the parliamentary budget officer said. Does the minister realize, quite frankly, that his economic credibility is in tatters and that Canadians deserve to have somebody and some government that can actually manage their tax dollars responsibly?
Mr. Speaker, maybe they will understand the question better if I try again. One of this government's bad economic decisions was to reduce the age of retirement from 67 to 65. According to the parliamentary budget officer, this is going to cost an additional $11 billion. I am sorry, but we cannot afford that. What is more, that is what the current Minister of Finance said in his book The Real Retirement, and I quote , In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 or 67. I could not have put it better myself. Can the Prime Minister acknowledge that his Minister of Finance was right at the time?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.I am very pleased to see his interest in seniors. I am sure that he, like me, recognizes the importance of budget 2016 in addressing this issue. We reduced the age of eligibility to 65 in order to prevent 100,000 seniors from slipping into poverty and to bring the poverty rate of seniors aged 65 and 66 down from 17% to 6%. We will continue to work in that direction.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we support the parliamentary budget officer. We continue to work with him to improve transparency for Canadians, something they did not see at all during the 10 years that today's opposition party was in power.The reality is that we are making massive strategic investments in Canadians' future to create growth, put more money in the pockets of the middle class, and ensure that all Canadians have a better future.
Straight to his talking points, Mr. Speaker. Why are we not surprised?Here is the question. Master Corporal Paul Franklin lost both legs serving this country bravely in Afghanistan. Every year, like numerous other veterans, he is obliged to fill out a pile of forms to prove that he still has not gotten his legs back. He lost his wheelchair because he could not produce another doctor's note. The question to the Prime Minister was not what his talking notes are on veterans. The question to the Prime Minister was, what has he done to put an end to this intolerable situation for our veterans?
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, the party opposite could not get things done for the natural resources sector right across the country. The reason it could not and the reason the Conservatives still do not get it is they think that they have to make a choice between what is good for the environment and the economy. What Canadians said loudly and clearly last Fall was that they needed a government that did both of them together, that cared for the economy and the environment at the same time. That is exactly what we are doing on this side of the House.
Mr. Speaker, this budget is historic in investing in Canadians. We have reduced taxes for nine million Canadians already, which is helping our economy. We have the Canada child benefit, which is going to help nine families out of 10, lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty; and we are investing in our seniors, in youth, in clean tech, and in innovation. That is what Canadians want, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, I am so happy for the question from the hon. member. Let me quote from the independent parliamentary budget officer talking about our budget: ...we believe that ultimately these measures will have a sizable impact on the Canadian economy. That is what the PBO said yesterday.Our budget is for Canadian families, for the Canadian middle class. That is helping the economy. That is what the PBO says. That is what we are going to continue to do.
Mr. Speaker, once again the Conservatives are trying to create a story where none exists.The purpose of the trip to Los Angeles was to promote Canadian interests with one of our most important trading jurisdictions. All the rules were followed. All the costs were publicly posted, and they were in line with the kinds of costs incurred for travel by former Conservative ministers. In fact, over the same November-to-March period in the last year, her Conservative predecessor incurred expenses more than $6,000 higher than hers.
Mr. Speaker, before becoming a Liberal, the Minister of Finance endorsed the Conservative plan to change the age of eligibility for seniors. In his book The Real Retirement, the minister wrote, In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 to 67 instead of the current age of 62, but since then, the Prime Minister has told him to change his tune.When did the finance minister stop caring about the long-term financial security of Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, six months ago, Canadians turned their backs on the former government. Even today, they cannot believe that the Conservative Party continues to claim it wants to talk about transparency and openness, since the Conservatives formed the most secretive government in Canadian history.That is why Canadians chose openness, transparency, discipline, and accountability. That is exactly what we offer as a government.
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board follows all the rules, as does every member of this cabinet. We are committed to an open and transparent government.May I say that in terms of the matter of the accusations made about our Minister of International Trade, she is a person of exceptional international reputation, somebody who came back to Canada to serve Canadians as an internationally recognized expert on the economy and issues of inequality. We are proud to have a minister of her stature who is able to claim
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Trade would like us to believe that she was gallivanting around sunny California promoting Canada and meeting with trade partners, but Canadians know the real reason she was there. She was there to promote herself on a popular U.S. TV show. The minister has stated that it was she and her department alone that organized the trip to California. If this is really the case, can she tell us who booked her stay while she was in Hollywood?
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board's own department directs ministers to post all travel expenses for the last quarter by March 31.He and the Minister of Finance traveled to Switzerland, the Minister of Transport travelled to Washington, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness went to Washington and London, yet their expenses have not been posted.It is clear that the Liberals are just paying lip service to openness and transparency. Why is the President of the Treasury Board violating his own rules by hiding his expenses?
Mr. Speaker, as part of the Canadian Coast Guard's multi-year maintenance plan, PSPC issued an advance contract award notice to Davie shipyard to enter the Louis S. St-Laurent into dry dock for a retrofit and life-extension work.Due to lack of available space at the Davie shipyard, the contract has been deferred until next year. That will ensure that this iconic vessel of the Coast Guard will be able to participate in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea program taking place in the Arctic this summer.
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness proposed outsourcing RCMP occupational health to provincial compensation boards in Bill C-7, he claimed that compensation would be reasonably consistent across the country. Yesterday in committee, we heard that in Lloydminster in his own province this could result in thousands less for one RCMP member depending on which detachment that officer came from, the Saskatchewan side or the Alberta side. When will the minister acknowledge our concerns about fair treatment and strike clauses 40 and 42 from Bill C-7?
Mr. Speaker, as we have said, we have at all times understood the importance of managing taxpayer money in an appropriate way. We have thought that at any point those who are responsible for abusing or misusing taxpayer money should be held to account, and the money should be reimbursed. That includes the money that the New Democratic Party took for its satellite offices.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer released his report on budget 2016. First, he confirmed that the government did indeed inherit a surplus from us. He also confirmed that the Liberals' plan will cost significantly more than the $10 billion that they promised Canadians. However, most importantly, he confirmed that their plan actually lacked incredibly important details.When will the minister face the facts that they talk a good game but they are really not delivering on an open and honest government?
Mr. Speaker, maybe it is agenda, third party, and magic eight ball.The minister of environment rose yesterday and confirmed that LNG decisions will be made when and only when she feels like making them. She has just created another level of uncertainty.The justice minister is on record as saying that LNG remains a positive prospect for many first nations. The environment minister herself cannot deny that LNG could and would replace Chinese coal.Rather than creating more uncertainty by consulting her magic eight ball for answers, why does she not look at the actual facts and support the project?
Mr. Speaker, this government supports and applauds the parliamentary budget officer for his excellent work. We continue to work with him to demonstrate the level of openness and transparency that all Canadians expect from this side of the House. The fact is we made commitments to invest in Canadians, to give a larger tax free child benefit to nine out of ten Canadian families, and that is exactly what we are doing with our investments today.
Mr. Speaker, constituents in my riding celebrated the announcement by the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour to greatly increase the funding available through the Canada jobs program. Considering the reaction, I had no doubt that we would see more employers take advantage of this opportunity and help start to train the future workforce of our country.Would the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour please give the House an update on the current state of participation in regard to the Canada jobs program?
Mr. Speaker, our government has indicated a new regard for the work of parliamentarians on parliamentary committees. The Prime Minister has made it clear that he wants to see the work of parliamentarians be adequately supported and invigorated. If the committee which is hearing all of the evidence with respect to this matter has suggestions to make about the shape of the legislation, the President of the Treasury Board and I would be more than happy to entertain that advice.
Mr. Speaker, the member for Hamilton WestAncasterDundas is absolutely correct. Funding was doubled for Canada summer jobs this year, and we are on track to create 70,000 jobs for youth this summer. Applications are up 30% from the year before, with over 36,000 applications. It means more jobs and opportunity in Hamilton and each and every riding across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, for all intents and purposes the driverless car is quite literally at our doorstep. Technology in this area is advancing rapidly. In some countries, large amounts of money are being invested, and more and more driverless car projects are appearing. How does the government plan on supporting, regulating, and developing driverless cars in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that great care must be taken with government spending and the management of public funds, and that this government will not allow anyone, under any circumstances, to misuse taxpayers' money. The Senate has taken control of the situation. It has changed some of its rules. We encourage it to continue to work toward openness and transparency.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question, especially since I believe innovation in the transport sector is extremely important, so that we can improve safety on our roads and boost the Canadian economy. Connected and automated vehicles and the regulation of these vehicles are fundamental sectors of innovation.I am also pleased that the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications accepted my proposal to carry out comprehensive studies on these vehicles.
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat my answer. We will make decisions based on facts, science, and evidence. We understand the importance of getting resources to market. However, we need to be doing it in a sustainable way. That is what we are doing.I will quote from the proponent: Pacific NorthWest LNG will work to assess this latest information request and continue to work constructively with federal agencies through this rigorous process. We are working with it. When we are prepared, we will make a decision.
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Mr. Speaker, I will repeat my answer. We will make decisions based on facts, science, and evidence. We understand the importance of getting resources to market. However, we need to be doing it in a sustainable way. That is what we are doing.I will quote from the proponent: Pacific NorthWest LNG will work to assess this latest information request and continue to work constructively with federal agencies through this rigorous process. We are working with it. When we are prepared, we will make a decision.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question, especially since I believe innovation in the transport sector is extremely important, so that we can improve safety on our roads and boost the Canadian economy. Connected and automated vehicles and the regulation of these vehicles are fundamental sectors of innovation.I am also pleased that the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications accepted my proposal to carry out comprehensive studies on these vehicles.
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that great care must be taken with government spending and the management of public funds, and that this government will not allow anyone, under any circumstances, to misuse taxpayers' money. The Senate has taken control of the situation. It has changed some of its rules. We encourage it to continue to work toward openness and transparency.
Mr. Speaker, for all intents and purposes the driverless car is quite literally at our doorstep. Technology in this area is advancing rapidly. In some countries, large amounts of money are being invested, and more and more driverless car projects are appearing. How does the government plan on supporting, regulating, and developing driverless cars in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the member for Hamilton WestAncasterDundas is absolutely correct. Funding was doubled for Canada summer jobs this year, and we are on track to create 70,000 jobs for youth this summer. Applications are up 30% from the year before, with over 36,000 applications. It means more jobs and opportunity in Hamilton and each and every riding across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, our government has indicated a new regard for the work of parliamentarians on parliamentary committees. The Prime Minister has made it clear that he wants to see the work of parliamentarians be adequately supported and invigorated. If the committee which is hearing all of the evidence with respect to this matter has suggestions to make about the shape of the legislation, the President of the Treasury Board and I would be more than happy to entertain that advice.
Mr. Speaker, constituents in my riding celebrated the announcement by the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour to greatly increase the funding available through the Canada jobs program. Considering the reaction, I had no doubt that we would see more employers take advantage of this opportunity and help start to train the future workforce of our country.Would the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour please give the House an update on the current state of participation in regard to the Canada jobs program?
Mr. Speaker, this government supports and applauds the parliamentary budget officer for his excellent work. We continue to work with him to demonstrate the level of openness and transparency that all Canadians expect from this side of the House. The fact is we made commitments to invest in Canadians, to give a larger tax free child benefit to nine out of ten Canadian families, and that is exactly what we are doing with our investments today.
Mr. Speaker, maybe it is agenda, third party, and magic eight ball.The minister of environment rose yesterday and confirmed that LNG decisions will be made when and only when she feels like making them. She has just created another level of uncertainty.The justice minister is on record as saying that LNG remains a positive prospect for many first nations. The environment minister herself cannot deny that LNG could and would replace Chinese coal.Rather than creating more uncertainty by consulting her magic eight ball for answers, why does she not look at the actual facts and support the project?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer released his report on budget 2016. First, he confirmed that the government did indeed inherit a surplus from us. He also confirmed that the Liberals' plan will cost significantly more than the $10 billion that they promised Canadians. However, most importantly, he confirmed that their plan actually lacked incredibly important details.When will the minister face the facts that they talk a good game but they are really not delivering on an open and honest government?
Mr. Speaker, as we have said, we have at all times understood the importance of managing taxpayer money in an appropriate way. We have thought that at any point those who are responsible for abusing or misusing taxpayer money should be held to account, and the money should be reimbursed. That includes the money that the New Democratic Party took for its satellite offices.
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness proposed outsourcing RCMP occupational health to provincial compensation boards in Bill C-7, he claimed that compensation would be reasonably consistent across the country. Yesterday in committee, we heard that in Lloydminster in his own province this could result in thousands less for one RCMP member depending on which detachment that officer came from, the Saskatchewan side or the Alberta side. When will the minister acknowledge our concerns about fair treatment and strike clauses 40 and 42 from Bill C-7?
Mr. Speaker, as part of the Canadian Coast Guard's multi-year maintenance plan, PSPC issued an advance contract award notice to Davie shipyard to enter the Louis S. St-Laurent into dry dock for a retrofit and life-extension work.Due to lack of available space at the Davie shipyard, the contract has been deferred until next year. That will ensure that this iconic vessel of the Coast Guard will be able to participate in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea program taking place in the Arctic this summer.
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board's own department directs ministers to post all travel expenses for the last quarter by March 31.He and the Minister of Finance traveled to Switzerland, the Minister of Transport travelled to Washington, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness went to Washington and London, yet their expenses have not been posted.It is clear that the Liberals are just paying lip service to openness and transparency. Why is the President of the Treasury Board violating his own rules by hiding his expenses?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Trade would like us to believe that she was gallivanting around sunny California promoting Canada and meeting with trade partners, but Canadians know the real reason she was there. She was there to promote herself on a popular U.S. TV show. The minister has stated that it was she and her department alone that organized the trip to California. If this is really the case, can she tell us who booked her stay while she was in Hollywood?
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board follows all the rules, as does every member of this cabinet. We are committed to an open and transparent government.May I say that in terms of the matter of the accusations made about our Minister of International Trade, she is a person of exceptional international reputation, somebody who came back to Canada to serve Canadians as an internationally recognized expert on the economy and issues of inequality. We are proud to have a minister of her stature who is able to claim
Mr. Speaker, six months ago, Canadians turned their backs on the former government. Even today, they cannot believe that the Conservative Party continues to claim it wants to talk about transparency and openness, since the Conservatives formed the most secretive government in Canadian history.That is why Canadians chose openness, transparency, discipline, and accountability. That is exactly what we offer as a government.
Mr. Speaker, before becoming a Liberal, the Minister of Finance endorsed the Conservative plan to change the age of eligibility for seniors. In his book The Real Retirement, the minister wrote, In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 to 67 instead of the current age of 62, but since then, the Prime Minister has told him to change his tune.When did the finance minister stop caring about the long-term financial security of Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, once again the Conservatives are trying to create a story where none exists.The purpose of the trip to Los Angeles was to promote Canadian interests with one of our most important trading jurisdictions. All the rules were followed. All the costs were publicly posted, and they were in line with the kinds of costs incurred for travel by former Conservative ministers. In fact, over the same November-to-March period in the last year, her Conservative predecessor incurred expenses more than $6,000 higher than hers.
Mr. Speaker, I am so happy for the question from the hon. member. Let me quote from the independent parliamentary budget officer talking about our budget: ...we believe that ultimately these measures will have a sizable impact on the Canadian economy. That is what the PBO said yesterday.Our budget is for Canadian families, for the Canadian middle class. That is helping the economy. That is what the PBO says. That is what we are going to continue to do.
Mr. Speaker, this budget is historic in investing in Canadians. We have reduced taxes for nine million Canadians already, which is helping our economy. We have the Canada child benefit, which is going to help nine families out of 10, lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty; and we are investing in our seniors, in youth, in clean tech, and in innovation. That is what Canadians want, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, the party opposite could not get things done for the natural resources sector right across the country. The reason it could not and the reason the Conservatives still do not get it is they think that they have to make a choice between what is good for the environment and the economy. What Canadians said loudly and clearly last Fall was that they needed a government that did both of them together, that cared for the economy and the environment at the same time. That is exactly what we are doing on this side of the House.
Straight to his talking points, Mr. Speaker. Why are we not surprised?Here is the question. Master Corporal Paul Franklin lost both legs serving this country bravely in Afghanistan. Every year, like numerous other veterans, he is obliged to fill out a pile of forms to prove that he still has not gotten his legs back. He lost his wheelchair because he could not produce another doctor's note. The question to the Prime Minister was not what his talking notes are on veterans. The question to the Prime Minister was, what has he done to put an end to this intolerable situation for our veterans?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we support the parliamentary budget officer. We continue to work with him to improve transparency for Canadians, something they did not see at all during the 10 years that today's opposition party was in power.The reality is that we are making massive strategic investments in Canadians' future to create growth, put more money in the pockets of the middle class, and ensure that all Canadians have a better future.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.I am very pleased to see his interest in seniors. I am sure that he, like me, recognizes the importance of budget 2016 in addressing this issue. We reduced the age of eligibility to 65 in order to prevent 100,000 seniors from slipping into poverty and to bring the poverty rate of seniors aged 65 and 66 down from 17% to 6%. We will continue to work in that direction.
Mr. Speaker, maybe they will understand the question better if I try again. One of this government's bad economic decisions was to reduce the age of retirement from 67 to 65. According to the parliamentary budget officer, this is going to cost an additional $11 billion. I am sorry, but we cannot afford that. What is more, that is what the current Minister of Finance said in his book The Real Retirement, and I quote , In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 or 67. I could not have put it better myself. Can the Prime Minister acknowledge that his Minister of Finance was right at the time?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to have confidence in a government. The Liberals inherited a surplus from us. That is what the PBO said. They manipulated private sector economists' projections for their own purpose. They padded deficit projections by the billions, and they have exaggerated how many jobs Canadians can expect out of the budget. That is what the parliamentary budget officer said. Does the minister realize, quite frankly, that his economic credibility is in tatters and that Canadians deserve to have somebody and some government that can actually manage their tax dollars responsibly?
Mr. Speaker, once again today the Conservatives are trying to make a story where none exists.It is the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada's trade interests around the world. Following the APEC summit in the Philippines, she was proud to visit California, one of our most important trading partners, where she did what she was supposed to do according to her mandate letter, which was to promote trade.The Conservative accusations about expenses are false. All the rules were followed. The costs were in line with travel by Conservative ministers in the previous government. The details were publicly posted months ago.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, to justify her trip to Hollywood at Canadian taxpayers' expense, the Minister of International Trade listed the names of the people she met with. Surprise, surprise. Two of those people, Senator King and the lieutenant governor, were invited to the same talk show as her.The minister should stop beating around the bush and confirm what we all know to be true: she went so she could be on HBO.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the independent parliamentary budget officer confirmed what the finance department and leading economists have been saying, that in fact the Conservatives left the Liberals a surplus. However, instead of celebrating this achievement, the Liberals are playing politics and pretending like it did not even happen. Why does the Prime Minister continue to mislead Canadians on basic facts?
Mr. Speaker, then that member should have read them, because we know that the hotel rooms were booked for her by Time Warner, which of course owns HBO.When she said that her department handled all of the arrangements for this trip, she misled Canadians. She claimed that this was a trade mission, but clearly it was not. Now she is trying to cover her tracks.Why was Time Warner booking her hotel rooms if this was all planned ahead of time by her department?
Mr. Speaker, that is not good enough, because the minister first claimed that her decision would be based on science. Then the natural resources minister proudly contradicted her by saying that the decision would be political. Now the minister simply says she will make the decision whenever she feels like it. That is the ultimate uncertainty. Does the minister not realize that her inaction is risking a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we believe in net neutrality. We will be having ongoing discussions with our counterparts in Quebec regarding that question. I had the opportunity of meeting many stakeholders that have raised issues regarding that particular bill. It will be a pleasure to have further discussions on this subject.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to ask for unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity of a genocidal nature against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syria and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation, including into possible genocide, and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Mr. Speaker, our ministers, our government, and our Prime Minister are of course committed to openness and transparency. We will follow all the rules of the Treasury Board.I just want to say, in terms of the matter of our international trade minister, an exceptional public servant, that she actually became a parliamentarian after having garnered international attention for her work as a financial journalist and a writer who actually tackled some of the biggest issues facing the world, including that of inequality.She was asked, in fact, because she has international
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to closing the gap in health outcomes for first nations and Inuit Canadians. In budget 2016, we outlined our historic investment of $8.4 billion to improve the socio-economic conditions for indigenous peoples and their communities. Health Canada collaborated with the Assembly of First Nations, community mental health leaders, and our government departments to develop our first nations mental wellness continuum framework.
Mr. Speaker, last Fall, Canadians chose a vision that was going to invest in this country, invest in our communities, create jobs and opportunities, and put more money in the pockets of the middle class and those working hard to join the middle class. It would create the kind of growth that for 10 years, under the previous government, simply did not happen for Canadians. We committed to invest in our future and that is exactly what the Liberal Party is doing.
I would like to thank the minister for coming with me to meet with the youth in Attawapiskat and committing to build that youth centre. It is a profound moment.However, the larger issue of the crisis in mental health services in indigenous communities remains. For example, there is only $350,000 for the mental wellness framework for the entire country. How many children is that expected to save?My question is for the finance minister. He can respond to the crisis that has taken the lives of too many indigenous children across the country by putting those resource dollars into this budget now. He has the power to act. Will he do it?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Earlier today the House of Commons in the United Kingdom voted unanimously to recognize that Christians, Yazidis and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria were suffering genocide at the hands of ISIS. On March 15, U.S. House of Representatives also unanimously declared that genocide was taking place in Iraq and Syria by ISIS.In light of this and after discussions that have taken place among all parties, I hope you will find unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syrian and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. The only way projects will go ahead is if they are done in a sustainable way.At the beginning of March, the proponent brought significant new information that raised concerns about impacts on salmon, human health, and indigenous peoples. We are committed to doing a review that is based on science and facts, and we have said that once we have the necessary information we will make a decision within 90 days. That is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, this week we are hearing of senators who are using their parliamentary staff to work in their private tanning facilities. We are hearing that they are using them to organize their home renovations. The Liberals congratulate themselves a lot in this House for talk about openness and transparency. However, we have recommended concrete action. We have talked about tightening the expense limits in the Senate, limiting taxpayer-funded travel, and strengthening the Senate ethics office. What we are asking for the government to do today is to stand in the House and join us in demanding the implementation of those rules by the Senate. Will it do it?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I met with mayors from British Columbia who are struggling with high unemployment in their communities. These families want to get back to work. The B.C. LNG industry could create $175 billion in business investment and up to 100,000 new jobs, but these projects need to move forward. So far, all we have seen is uncertainty from the Liberals. Will the Prime Minister stand up and tell these families that he has their backs and he supports LNG?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign and in the years leading up to last fall's campaign, the Liberal Party always stood by veterans. It has always been there for them, fighting for their interests. Because of its political objectives and its approach to managing the public service, the previous government was unable to serve our veterans properly.That is why, in the latest budget, we made a commitment to our veterans backed by historic investments. That is why we are continually listening to them. We acknowledge our great and solemn obligation to our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the government can be incomprehensibly heartless in its dealings with veterans. Corporal Paul Franklin lost both of his legs in Afghanistan, but, like many other veterans, he has to fill in a pile of forms every year to prove that he is still missing both legs. Now that this and other cases have come to light, can the Prime Minister tell us what he has personally done to put an end to this intolerable situation?
Mr. Speaker, let me try this again. Once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none. They did not really like the media, but we know that it is precisely the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada and its trade interests around the world. She also took the opportunity to defend and promote Canada's policy on Syrian refugees.Even the former prime minister in the previous government and the foreign affairs minister were covered by the American media. There are times when that is very important.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer confirmed that the former Conservative government left the current government a budget surplus.The Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance are now the only ones who can acknowledge that fact. Earlier, the government said it trusts the parliamentary budget officer. Why, then, will the Prime Minister not admit that we left an operating surplus for the current year?
Mr. Speaker, the Comox coast guard centre is slated for closure on May 10. We have heard troubling testimony at committee around the technology failures, HR challenges, and even possible tsunami risks, yet the minister is showing a disregard for the committee, for Parliament, and for residents.Will the government protect our coastal communities and keep the Comox MCTS centre open, or will it just keep repeating the same excuses as the Conservatives used while it shuts down this important marine safety centre?
Mr. Speaker, the sun is shining and the sky is bright blue today in Manitoba after electing a strong, stable Conservative majority government last night.Unfortunately, here in Ottawa, our military is entering another era of darkness. The Liberals' $3.7-billion defence cut from the defence budget are not only for future procurements, but they are also cutting the budget for current projects like the Arctic offshore patrol ships and the Halifax-class frigate upgrades.Why will the Prime Minister not get the equipment for our troops now?
Mr. Speaker, indeed, we take very seriously the review we are doing about the export permits. It is a very serious decision, and I assume my decision and the ones I do in the future, certainly, I will do very seriously.I am sure that the committee will work very seriously as well. The committee has a lot of work to do. We will ask the committee to look at the legislative changes that we will have to make to make sure Canada will be a member of the arms trade treaty. I look forward to working very positively with the committee.
Mr. Speaker, since the answer I gave in English will be translated into French in the Hansard, I will not repeat it because it is the same question.However, since the member is giving me the opportunity, I will repeat that the contract was signed by the previous government, not in part, but in full. We do not want to renege on the Government of Canada's signature. When the contract is deemed valid, the export licences arrive at the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who carefully and diligently examines them. That is what we did with full transparency.
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned about the rash of tragic suicides in indigenous communities across Canada.Attawapiskat also desperately needs programs in the community.I was very happy to hear that First Nations and Inuit Health is prepared right now to begin the land-based programming that the youth have asked for. We know this is about getting back hope and what exactly the youth said to me: that they want their identity back.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his interest and for this important question.The previous government unfortunately brought in this reform without conducting any serious economic and social studies. It would have plunged 100,000 seniors into poverty, lowered the income of 20% of the poorest seniors by 35%, and taken away $13,000 from the most vulnerable seniors. We have decided to reverse this decision and to invest in our seniors. I think the whole House should be pleased about that.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I put forward a mandate letter for our Minister of Veterans Affairs that asked him to respect the sacred obligation we have as a country toward those who serve. We have made sure that we have reopened the nine Veterans Affairs offices. We have increased the funding to the people who are actually helping our veterans. We are ensuring that we are cleaning up the mess left by 10 years of a government that wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got but let our veterans down every single day.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand, and everyone in this House should understand, that in the last month of the fiscal year our expenses are going up and our revenues are going down. The Conservatives have left us a deficit. Let me say what the independent parliamentary budget officer said about the Conservatives. He said that the Canadians economy has remained below its level of potential GDP since 2008. Thanks to Canadians, we are going to grow this economy for Canadian families, for business, and for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the current and former parliamentary budget officers have spoken out about the government's lack of transparency in its budget. In 15 years, there has never been as little information as there is now.We hear rhetoric, but we are not getting facts. Canadians are realizing that they cannot trust this government.Why is the Prime Minister refusing to give all the information to the parliamentary budget officer and set the record straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that decriminalization, when done as the member for Outremont proposes, just gives a legal stream of income to criminals who sell drugs. The reality is that proper legalization protects our young people and keeps billions of dollars out of the pockets of criminal organizations, which is where the money is going now. Legalization is the only way to protect our young people and our communities, and that is what we are going to do, as promised.
Mr. Speaker, according to the Emerson report, not only is the Canadian Coast Guard understaffed, but its fleet is one of the oldest in the world and is in urgent need of renewal.Nevertheless, we learned that the Liberals are not going to continue maintaining the only Canadian icebreaker, the Louis S. St-Laurent, even though the Diefenbaker will not be operational for about 10 years.With China and Russia planning to sail the Northwest Passage, how do the Liberals plan to meet the urgent needs of the Canadian Coast Guard?What is the plan?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her question and for her hard work on the environment, including with us in Paris.When we talked about and actually got to an agreement, the talks were about increasing ambition of targets for countries like Canada and countries around the world as we move forward.We are working with the provinces, municipalities, industry, business, and with individuals to make sure that we continue to build a strong economy while protecting the environment in a way that for 10 years the previous government was unable to do.
Let us talk about messes they promised to clean up, Mr. Speaker.For more than three years, they promised to legalize marijuana, yet thousands and thousands of Canadians will have criminal records for the rest of their lives because they will not even decriminalize it, something that could have been done overnight. The simple question for the Prime Minister is this. His minister was in New York, of all places, instead of here today, announcing that maybe in 2017 they will be presenting legislation to finally do something about it. In the meantime, will the Prime Minister at least promise that there will be legislation to remove the criminal records?
Mr. Speaker, again I rise to respond to this question. As the member pointed out, the staff were notified late last month exactly when the closure would happen, although they were notified that the closure would happen in 2014. The modernization of the centre has been a long-standing project that began in 2007, and the closure of the Comox station is the last one to be done. We are moving forward with that plan.
Mr. Speaker, what is not in his talking points is that the Minister of International Trade dropped nearly $20,000 in taxpayers' money for a stop in LA to appear on Bill Maher's show.She claims she had a roundtable meeting with conservative writer Ben Domenech and Maine Senator Angus King. It turns out they were actually panellists on the very same program. The minister actually thinks that the green room is a round table.Was there anything real about the minister's time spent in Hollywood with Bill Maher?
Mr. Speaker, during question period yesterday, the Minister of Environment was specifically asked when she would make a decision on the Pacific NorthWest LNG project in British Columbia. Her answer shocked all of us. She flippantly said, We will make a decision when we are ready to make a decision.When will the minister realize that the uncertainty her government has created is causing investors to flee Canada and is jeopardizing a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been promising to legalize marijuana for the past three years. It was an important part of their election campaign. The NDP has had the same position for the past 40 years, namely, that it should be decriminalized and people should not be sent to prison or saddled with criminal records for personal use. I want to talk about their promise.Earlier, regarding the veterans issue, it was the Conservatives' fault. Earlier, it was the NDP that did not do enough. Let us talk about the Liberals. They wanted to be in power, and they made a promise. The only response they received was from the Toronto police chief.
Mr. Speaker, the surplus is real whether the Liberals want to admit it or not. Frankly, it should not take an expert in quantum computing to recognize that fact. The budget has been called the least transparent in 15 years and the Liberals' deficit and job creation numbers are way off the mark. If the Prime Minister will not acknowledge basic facts, how can Canadians have confidence that he will protect their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals may not realize it but they are playing a very high-stakes poker game with the Government of Quebec. Bill 74 would allow the Government of Quebec to force federally regulated Internet service providers to act as censors, blocking Quebeckers' access to Internet gaming sites. This clearly raises concerns about Quebeckers' rights to the Internet and censorship.Will the Liberals show their hand and tell us what their position is on this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, many of my constituents were worried that the previous government had increased the retirement age from 65 to 67. This poorly thought-out decision by the Conservatives caused a lot of anxiety for many residents of LaurentidesLabelle who wanted to plan for retirement.Can the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain how the budget will reverse this bad decision in order to benefit Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, quite a few ministers have not yet disclosed travel expenses they incurred before March 1, 2016, even though Treasury Board has clear rules about that. The ministers of transport, finance, public safety, and national revenue are all behind in their disclosures. Even the President of the Treasury Board is behind. He is breaking his own department's rules.Why are these ministers hiding their information? When will the Liberals follow the rules?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership in Paris and for attending the upcoming Earth Day signing at the United Nations. However, our current target does not reflect that leadership. Our current target does not meet the climate urgency and emergency situation we face. In fact, it is still the weakest target in the G7. It is still the target of the previous government. It is urgently required that we ratchet up our target.Will the Prime Minister please reassure Canadians that we plan to put in place a tougher target and soon? That would be leadership.
Mr. Speaker, we hope that the people of Attawapiskat can start to look to the future after some very difficult years. We commend the minister's commitment to build a youth centre and allocate resources for cultural programs. However, the budget does not contain any new investments for mental health services for indigenous young people. Furthermore, Health Canada does not have enough staff to meet the needs.My question is simple. Will the minister commit to immediately increase funding for mental health services?
Mr. Speaker, I am always curious to see what position the member for Outremont will have on marijuana any given time he stands up in the House.The fact of the matter is we have been clear. We believe in the legalization and regulation of marijuana because it protects our kids and keeps money out of the pockets of criminal organizations and street gangs. The fact of the matter is that decriminalization, as the member proposes, actually gives a legal stream of income to criminal organizations. That is not what anyone wants in this country.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none.The minister's role is to promote Canada around the world, be that through the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the BBC, or other European media outlets. She has to talk to the media from time to time to fulfill her mandate.
Mr. Speaker, that is from a member of Parliament who was part of a government that made lapsing military funding an art form in order to get to a bogus balanced budget.There are no monies being cut from projects. Had the members opposite spent more time getting the fiscal and procurement cycles in order instead of climbing in and out of fake airplanes, and did the hard work that is needed to match those cycles, then just possibly, the men and women in uniform would be getting their
Mr. Speaker, once again, had the former government, the party opposite, actually done its work, then the procurement cycle would have matched the fiscal cycle and accordingly, we possibly would have had some procurements met. The mess left behind on the procurement cycle by the party opposite means that we are having to realign all of our fiscal priorities. Accordingly, we are now funding matters as they become due.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have already sunk the Department of National Defence into darkness. They have put off some crucial procurements until after the next election, but that is not the worst of it, as reported in the Ottawa Citizen. The Liberals are putting on hold procurement projects that are already under way, such as offshore patrol ships, Cyclone helicopters, and the CF-18 replacements.Will the minister show us what kind of weight he has in this government? Will he step up and ensure that these projects continue to move forward?
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps digging itself a deeper hole on the issue of the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. The fact that the contract was a done deal and the very existence of cancellation penalties have apparently been contradicted. Yesterday, the Liberals voted against our proposal to create a subcommittee to study arms exports.Why are the Liberals refusing to let parliamentarians do their job? What are they afraid of?
Mr. Speaker, it is passingly strange to get a question from the Conservatives about the fiscal mess left behind. There was a perpetual mismatch between the procurement cycle and the fiscal cycle, and the Minister of National Defence is now trying to rectify that. Accordingly, there are no funds that will be not applied to projects as they are needed.
Mr. Speaker, on the Saudi arms deal, Ottawa consulted no human rights groups but asked only the Department of National Defence. After signing the export permit in secret, the minister repeated that the Liberals would scrutinize any future arms deal. However, when we proposed a transparent subcommittee to look at our arms exports, the Liberals used their majority to vote it down.What are they afraid of? Where is the transparency they keep talking about? When will they start walking the talk?
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the member opposite maybe did not understand what I said previously, so I will repeat it.What I said is that we are committed to making a decision within 90 days of getting the information required from the proponent. We will make decisions based on science, facts, and evidence. Because that is what Canadians expect, that is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, the Senate expense scandal has been upsetting people for years. Canadians are angry that government cronies, who were inappropriately appointed, are treating taxpayers' money like an all-you-can-eat buffet. It is completely outrageous for a senator to be using his staff members, who are on the public payroll, to organize his home renovations and manage his tanning salon. When will the government rein in these fat cats and clean up these practices that simply do not make any sense?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal procurement process is failing our military. The decision to withhold funding for the Cyclone search and rescue helicopter reminds Canadians of the horrible Chrétien decision of the 1990s to cancel the EH 101 helicopters. Why is the Prime Minister so willing to put the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces at risk by cutting military funding?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat my answer. We will make decisions based on facts, science, and evidence. We understand the importance of getting resources to market. However, we need to be doing it in a sustainable way. That is what we are doing.I will quote from the proponent: Pacific NorthWest LNG will work to assess this latest information request and continue to work constructively with federal agencies through this rigorous process. We are working with it. When we are prepared, we will make a decision.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question, especially since I believe innovation in the transport sector is extremely important, so that we can improve safety on our roads and boost the Canadian economy. Connected and automated vehicles and the regulation of these vehicles are fundamental sectors of innovation.I am also pleased that the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications accepted my proposal to carry out comprehensive studies on these vehicles.
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that great care must be taken with government spending and the management of public funds, and that this government will not allow anyone, under any circumstances, to misuse taxpayers' money. The Senate has taken control of the situation. It has changed some of its rules. We encourage it to continue to work toward openness and transparency.
Mr. Speaker, for all intents and purposes the driverless car is quite literally at our doorstep. Technology in this area is advancing rapidly. In some countries, large amounts of money are being invested, and more and more driverless car projects are appearing. How does the government plan on supporting, regulating, and developing driverless cars in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the member for Hamilton WestAncasterDundas is absolutely correct. Funding was doubled for Canada summer jobs this year, and we are on track to create 70,000 jobs for youth this summer. Applications are up 30% from the year before, with over 36,000 applications. It means more jobs and opportunity in Hamilton and each and every riding across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, our government has indicated a new regard for the work of parliamentarians on parliamentary committees. The Prime Minister has made it clear that he wants to see the work of parliamentarians be adequately supported and invigorated. If the committee which is hearing all of the evidence with respect to this matter has suggestions to make about the shape of the legislation, the President of the Treasury Board and I would be more than happy to entertain that advice.
Mr. Speaker, constituents in my riding celebrated the announcement by the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour to greatly increase the funding available through the Canada jobs program. Considering the reaction, I had no doubt that we would see more employers take advantage of this opportunity and help start to train the future workforce of our country.Would the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour please give the House an update on the current state of participation in regard to the Canada jobs program?
Mr. Speaker, this government supports and applauds the parliamentary budget officer for his excellent work. We continue to work with him to demonstrate the level of openness and transparency that all Canadians expect from this side of the House. The fact is we made commitments to invest in Canadians, to give a larger tax free child benefit to nine out of ten Canadian families, and that is exactly what we are doing with our investments today.
Mr. Speaker, maybe it is agenda, third party, and magic eight ball.The minister of environment rose yesterday and confirmed that LNG decisions will be made when and only when she feels like making them. She has just created another level of uncertainty.The justice minister is on record as saying that LNG remains a positive prospect for many first nations. The environment minister herself cannot deny that LNG could and would replace Chinese coal.Rather than creating more uncertainty by consulting her magic eight ball for answers, why does she not look at the actual facts and support the project?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer released his report on budget 2016. First, he confirmed that the government did indeed inherit a surplus from us. He also confirmed that the Liberals' plan will cost significantly more than the $10 billion that they promised Canadians. However, most importantly, he confirmed that their plan actually lacked incredibly important details.When will the minister face the facts that they talk a good game but they are really not delivering on an open and honest government?
Mr. Speaker, as we have said, we have at all times understood the importance of managing taxpayer money in an appropriate way. We have thought that at any point those who are responsible for abusing or misusing taxpayer money should be held to account, and the money should be reimbursed. That includes the money that the New Democratic Party took for its satellite offices.
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness proposed outsourcing RCMP occupational health to provincial compensation boards in Bill C-7, he claimed that compensation would be reasonably consistent across the country. Yesterday in committee, we heard that in Lloydminster in his own province this could result in thousands less for one RCMP member depending on which detachment that officer came from, the Saskatchewan side or the Alberta side. When will the minister acknowledge our concerns about fair treatment and strike clauses 40 and 42 from Bill C-7?
Mr. Speaker, as part of the Canadian Coast Guard's multi-year maintenance plan, PSPC issued an advance contract award notice to Davie shipyard to enter the Louis S. St-Laurent into dry dock for a retrofit and life-extension work.Due to lack of available space at the Davie shipyard, the contract has been deferred until next year. That will ensure that this iconic vessel of the Coast Guard will be able to participate in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea program taking place in the Arctic this summer.
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board's own department directs ministers to post all travel expenses for the last quarter by March 31.He and the Minister of Finance traveled to Switzerland, the Minister of Transport travelled to Washington, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness went to Washington and London, yet their expenses have not been posted.It is clear that the Liberals are just paying lip service to openness and transparency. Why is the President of the Treasury Board violating his own rules by hiding his expenses?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Trade would like us to believe that she was gallivanting around sunny California promoting Canada and meeting with trade partners, but Canadians know the real reason she was there. She was there to promote herself on a popular U.S. TV show. The minister has stated that it was she and her department alone that organized the trip to California. If this is really the case, can she tell us who booked her stay while she was in Hollywood?
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board follows all the rules, as does every member of this cabinet. We are committed to an open and transparent government.May I say that in terms of the matter of the accusations made about our Minister of International Trade, she is a person of exceptional international reputation, somebody who came back to Canada to serve Canadians as an internationally recognized expert on the economy and issues of inequality. We are proud to have a minister of her stature who is able to claim
Mr. Speaker, six months ago, Canadians turned their backs on the former government. Even today, they cannot believe that the Conservative Party continues to claim it wants to talk about transparency and openness, since the Conservatives formed the most secretive government in Canadian history.That is why Canadians chose openness, transparency, discipline, and accountability. That is exactly what we offer as a government.
Mr. Speaker, before becoming a Liberal, the Minister of Finance endorsed the Conservative plan to change the age of eligibility for seniors. In his book The Real Retirement, the minister wrote, In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 to 67 instead of the current age of 62, but since then, the Prime Minister has told him to change his tune.When did the finance minister stop caring about the long-term financial security of Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, once again the Conservatives are trying to create a story where none exists.The purpose of the trip to Los Angeles was to promote Canadian interests with one of our most important trading jurisdictions. All the rules were followed. All the costs were publicly posted, and they were in line with the kinds of costs incurred for travel by former Conservative ministers. In fact, over the same November-to-March period in the last year, her Conservative predecessor incurred expenses more than $6,000 higher than hers.
Mr. Speaker, I am so happy for the question from the hon. member. Let me quote from the independent parliamentary budget officer talking about our budget: ...we believe that ultimately these measures will have a sizable impact on the Canadian economy. That is what the PBO said yesterday.Our budget is for Canadian families, for the Canadian middle class. That is helping the economy. That is what the PBO says. That is what we are going to continue to do.
Mr. Speaker, this budget is historic in investing in Canadians. We have reduced taxes for nine million Canadians already, which is helping our economy. We have the Canada child benefit, which is going to help nine families out of 10, lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty; and we are investing in our seniors, in youth, in clean tech, and in innovation. That is what Canadians want, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, the party opposite could not get things done for the natural resources sector right across the country. The reason it could not and the reason the Conservatives still do not get it is they think that they have to make a choice between what is good for the environment and the economy. What Canadians said loudly and clearly last Fall was that they needed a government that did both of them together, that cared for the economy and the environment at the same time. That is exactly what we are doing on this side of the House.
Straight to his talking points, Mr. Speaker. Why are we not surprised?Here is the question. Master Corporal Paul Franklin lost both legs serving this country bravely in Afghanistan. Every year, like numerous other veterans, he is obliged to fill out a pile of forms to prove that he still has not gotten his legs back. He lost his wheelchair because he could not produce another doctor's note. The question to the Prime Minister was not what his talking notes are on veterans. The question to the Prime Minister was, what has he done to put an end to this intolerable situation for our veterans?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we support the parliamentary budget officer. We continue to work with him to improve transparency for Canadians, something they did not see at all during the 10 years that today's opposition party was in power.The reality is that we are making massive strategic investments in Canadians' future to create growth, put more money in the pockets of the middle class, and ensure that all Canadians have a better future.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.I am very pleased to see his interest in seniors. I am sure that he, like me, recognizes the importance of budget 2016 in addressing this issue. We reduced the age of eligibility to 65 in order to prevent 100,000 seniors from slipping into poverty and to bring the poverty rate of seniors aged 65 and 66 down from 17% to 6%. We will continue to work in that direction.
Mr. Speaker, maybe they will understand the question better if I try again. One of this government's bad economic decisions was to reduce the age of retirement from 67 to 65. According to the parliamentary budget officer, this is going to cost an additional $11 billion. I am sorry, but we cannot afford that. What is more, that is what the current Minister of Finance said in his book The Real Retirement, and I quote , In 20 years' time, the economy will run better if we retire around age 66 or 67. I could not have put it better myself. Can the Prime Minister acknowledge that his Minister of Finance was right at the time?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to have confidence in a government. The Liberals inherited a surplus from us. That is what the PBO said. They manipulated private sector economists' projections for their own purpose. They padded deficit projections by the billions, and they have exaggerated how many jobs Canadians can expect out of the budget. That is what the parliamentary budget officer said. Does the minister realize, quite frankly, that his economic credibility is in tatters and that Canadians deserve to have somebody and some government that can actually manage their tax dollars responsibly?
Mr. Speaker, once again today the Conservatives are trying to make a story where none exists.It is the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada's trade interests around the world. Following the APEC summit in the Philippines, she was proud to visit California, one of our most important trading partners, where she did what she was supposed to do according to her mandate letter, which was to promote trade.The Conservative accusations about expenses are false. All the rules were followed. The costs were in line with travel by Conservative ministers in the previous government. The details were publicly posted months ago.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, to justify her trip to Hollywood at Canadian taxpayers' expense, the Minister of International Trade listed the names of the people she met with. Surprise, surprise. Two of those people, Senator King and the lieutenant governor, were invited to the same talk show as her.The minister should stop beating around the bush and confirm what we all know to be true: she went so she could be on HBO.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the independent parliamentary budget officer confirmed what the finance department and leading economists have been saying, that in fact the Conservatives left the Liberals a surplus. However, instead of celebrating this achievement, the Liberals are playing politics and pretending like it did not even happen. Why does the Prime Minister continue to mislead Canadians on basic facts?
Mr. Speaker, then that member should have read them, because we know that the hotel rooms were booked for her by Time Warner, which of course owns HBO.When she said that her department handled all of the arrangements for this trip, she misled Canadians. She claimed that this was a trade mission, but clearly it was not. Now she is trying to cover her tracks.Why was Time Warner booking her hotel rooms if this was all planned ahead of time by her department?
Mr. Speaker, that is not good enough, because the minister first claimed that her decision would be based on science. Then the natural resources minister proudly contradicted her by saying that the decision would be political. Now the minister simply says she will make the decision whenever she feels like it. That is the ultimate uncertainty. Does the minister not realize that her inaction is risking a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we believe in net neutrality. We will be having ongoing discussions with our counterparts in Quebec regarding that question. I had the opportunity of meeting many stakeholders that have raised issues regarding that particular bill. It will be a pleasure to have further discussions on this subject.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to ask for unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity of a genocidal nature against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syria and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation, including into possible genocide, and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Mr. Speaker, our ministers, our government, and our Prime Minister are of course committed to openness and transparency. We will follow all the rules of the Treasury Board.I just want to say, in terms of the matter of our international trade minister, an exceptional public servant, that she actually became a parliamentarian after having garnered international attention for her work as a financial journalist and a writer who actually tackled some of the biggest issues facing the world, including that of inequality.She was asked, in fact, because she has international
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to closing the gap in health outcomes for first nations and Inuit Canadians. In budget 2016, we outlined our historic investment of $8.4 billion to improve the socio-economic conditions for indigenous peoples and their communities. Health Canada collaborated with the Assembly of First Nations, community mental health leaders, and our government departments to develop our first nations mental wellness continuum framework.
Mr. Speaker, last Fall, Canadians chose a vision that was going to invest in this country, invest in our communities, create jobs and opportunities, and put more money in the pockets of the middle class and those working hard to join the middle class. It would create the kind of growth that for 10 years, under the previous government, simply did not happen for Canadians. We committed to invest in our future and that is exactly what the Liberal Party is doing.
I would like to thank the minister for coming with me to meet with the youth in Attawapiskat and committing to build that youth centre. It is a profound moment.However, the larger issue of the crisis in mental health services in indigenous communities remains. For example, there is only $350,000 for the mental wellness framework for the entire country. How many children is that expected to save?My question is for the finance minister. He can respond to the crisis that has taken the lives of too many indigenous children across the country by putting those resource dollars into this budget now. He has the power to act. Will he do it?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Earlier today the House of Commons in the United Kingdom voted unanimously to recognize that Christians, Yazidis and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria were suffering genocide at the hands of ISIS. On March 15, U.S. House of Representatives also unanimously declared that genocide was taking place in Iraq and Syria by ISIS.In light of this and after discussions that have taken place among all parties, I hope you will find unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, for the following motion: That the House declare that ISIL is responsible for atrocities such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, against ethnic and religious groups, namely, but not limited to, Christians, Yazidis and Shia Muslims in Syrian and Iraq, and that it strongly condemn these atrocities and call for an independent investigation and for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. The only way projects will go ahead is if they are done in a sustainable way.At the beginning of March, the proponent brought significant new information that raised concerns about impacts on salmon, human health, and indigenous peoples. We are committed to doing a review that is based on science and facts, and we have said that once we have the necessary information we will make a decision within 90 days. That is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, this week we are hearing of senators who are using their parliamentary staff to work in their private tanning facilities. We are hearing that they are using them to organize their home renovations. The Liberals congratulate themselves a lot in this House for talk about openness and transparency. However, we have recommended concrete action. We have talked about tightening the expense limits in the Senate, limiting taxpayer-funded travel, and strengthening the Senate ethics office. What we are asking for the government to do today is to stand in the House and join us in demanding the implementation of those rules by the Senate. Will it do it?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I met with mayors from British Columbia who are struggling with high unemployment in their communities. These families want to get back to work. The B.C. LNG industry could create $175 billion in business investment and up to 100,000 new jobs, but these projects need to move forward. So far, all we have seen is uncertainty from the Liberals. Will the Prime Minister stand up and tell these families that he has their backs and he supports LNG?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign and in the years leading up to last fall's campaign, the Liberal Party always stood by veterans. It has always been there for them, fighting for their interests. Because of its political objectives and its approach to managing the public service, the previous government was unable to serve our veterans properly.That is why, in the latest budget, we made a commitment to our veterans backed by historic investments. That is why we are continually listening to them. We acknowledge our great and solemn obligation to our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the government can be incomprehensibly heartless in its dealings with veterans. Corporal Paul Franklin lost both of his legs in Afghanistan, but, like many other veterans, he has to fill in a pile of forms every year to prove that he is still missing both legs. Now that this and other cases have come to light, can the Prime Minister tell us what he has personally done to put an end to this intolerable situation?
Mr. Speaker, let me try this again. Once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none. They did not really like the media, but we know that it is precisely the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada and its trade interests around the world. She also took the opportunity to defend and promote Canada's policy on Syrian refugees.Even the former prime minister in the previous government and the foreign affairs minister were covered by the American media. There are times when that is very important.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer confirmed that the former Conservative government left the current government a budget surplus.The Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance are now the only ones who can acknowledge that fact. Earlier, the government said it trusts the parliamentary budget officer. Why, then, will the Prime Minister not admit that we left an operating surplus for the current year?
Mr. Speaker, the Comox coast guard centre is slated for closure on May 10. We have heard troubling testimony at committee around the technology failures, HR challenges, and even possible tsunami risks, yet the minister is showing a disregard for the committee, for Parliament, and for residents.Will the government protect our coastal communities and keep the Comox MCTS centre open, or will it just keep repeating the same excuses as the Conservatives used while it shuts down this important marine safety centre?
Mr. Speaker, the sun is shining and the sky is bright blue today in Manitoba after electing a strong, stable Conservative majority government last night.Unfortunately, here in Ottawa, our military is entering another era of darkness. The Liberals' $3.7-billion defence cut from the defence budget are not only for future procurements, but they are also cutting the budget for current projects like the Arctic offshore patrol ships and the Halifax-class frigate upgrades.Why will the Prime Minister not get the equipment for our troops now?
Mr. Speaker, indeed, we take very seriously the review we are doing about the export permits. It is a very serious decision, and I assume my decision and the ones I do in the future, certainly, I will do very seriously.I am sure that the committee will work very seriously as well. The committee has a lot of work to do. We will ask the committee to look at the legislative changes that we will have to make to make sure Canada will be a member of the arms trade treaty. I look forward to working very positively with the committee.
Mr. Speaker, since the answer I gave in English will be translated into French in the Hansard, I will not repeat it because it is the same question.However, since the member is giving me the opportunity, I will repeat that the contract was signed by the previous government, not in part, but in full. We do not want to renege on the Government of Canada's signature. When the contract is deemed valid, the export licences arrive at the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who carefully and diligently examines them. That is what we did with full transparency.
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned about the rash of tragic suicides in indigenous communities across Canada.Attawapiskat also desperately needs programs in the community.I was very happy to hear that First Nations and Inuit Health is prepared right now to begin the land-based programming that the youth have asked for. We know this is about getting back hope and what exactly the youth said to me: that they want their identity back.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his interest and for this important question.The previous government unfortunately brought in this reform without conducting any serious economic and social studies. It would have plunged 100,000 seniors into poverty, lowered the income of 20% of the poorest seniors by 35%, and taken away $13,000 from the most vulnerable seniors. We have decided to reverse this decision and to invest in our seniors. I think the whole House should be pleased about that.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I put forward a mandate letter for our Minister of Veterans Affairs that asked him to respect the sacred obligation we have as a country toward those who serve. We have made sure that we have reopened the nine Veterans Affairs offices. We have increased the funding to the people who are actually helping our veterans. We are ensuring that we are cleaning up the mess left by 10 years of a government that wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got but let our veterans down every single day.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand, and everyone in this House should understand, that in the last month of the fiscal year our expenses are going up and our revenues are going down. The Conservatives have left us a deficit. Let me say what the independent parliamentary budget officer said about the Conservatives. He said that the Canadians economy has remained below its level of potential GDP since 2008. Thanks to Canadians, we are going to grow this economy for Canadian families, for business, and for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the current and former parliamentary budget officers have spoken out about the government's lack of transparency in its budget. In 15 years, there has never been as little information as there is now.We hear rhetoric, but we are not getting facts. Canadians are realizing that they cannot trust this government.Why is the Prime Minister refusing to give all the information to the parliamentary budget officer and set the record straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that decriminalization, when done as the member for Outremont proposes, just gives a legal stream of income to criminals who sell drugs. The reality is that proper legalization protects our young people and keeps billions of dollars out of the pockets of criminal organizations, which is where the money is going now. Legalization is the only way to protect our young people and our communities, and that is what we are going to do, as promised.
Mr. Speaker, according to the Emerson report, not only is the Canadian Coast Guard understaffed, but its fleet is one of the oldest in the world and is in urgent need of renewal.Nevertheless, we learned that the Liberals are not going to continue maintaining the only Canadian icebreaker, the Louis S. St-Laurent, even though the Diefenbaker will not be operational for about 10 years.With China and Russia planning to sail the Northwest Passage, how do the Liberals plan to meet the urgent needs of the Canadian Coast Guard?What is the plan?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her question and for her hard work on the environment, including with us in Paris.When we talked about and actually got to an agreement, the talks were about increasing ambition of targets for countries like Canada and countries around the world as we move forward.We are working with the provinces, municipalities, industry, business, and with individuals to make sure that we continue to build a strong economy while protecting the environment in a way that for 10 years the previous government was unable to do.
Let us talk about messes they promised to clean up, Mr. Speaker.For more than three years, they promised to legalize marijuana, yet thousands and thousands of Canadians will have criminal records for the rest of their lives because they will not even decriminalize it, something that could have been done overnight. The simple question for the Prime Minister is this. His minister was in New York, of all places, instead of here today, announcing that maybe in 2017 they will be presenting legislation to finally do something about it. In the meantime, will the Prime Minister at least promise that there will be legislation to remove the criminal records?
Mr. Speaker, again I rise to respond to this question. As the member pointed out, the staff were notified late last month exactly when the closure would happen, although they were notified that the closure would happen in 2014. The modernization of the centre has been a long-standing project that began in 2007, and the closure of the Comox station is the last one to be done. We are moving forward with that plan.
Mr. Speaker, what is not in his talking points is that the Minister of International Trade dropped nearly $20,000 in taxpayers' money for a stop in LA to appear on Bill Maher's show.She claims she had a roundtable meeting with conservative writer Ben Domenech and Maine Senator Angus King. It turns out they were actually panellists on the very same program. The minister actually thinks that the green room is a round table.Was there anything real about the minister's time spent in Hollywood with Bill Maher?
Mr. Speaker, during question period yesterday, the Minister of Environment was specifically asked when she would make a decision on the Pacific NorthWest LNG project in British Columbia. Her answer shocked all of us. She flippantly said, We will make a decision when we are ready to make a decision.When will the minister realize that the uncertainty her government has created is causing investors to flee Canada and is jeopardizing a $36 billion job-creating investment in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been promising to legalize marijuana for the past three years. It was an important part of their election campaign. The NDP has had the same position for the past 40 years, namely, that it should be decriminalized and people should not be sent to prison or saddled with criminal records for personal use. I want to talk about their promise.Earlier, regarding the veterans issue, it was the Conservatives' fault. Earlier, it was the NDP that did not do enough. Let us talk about the Liberals. They wanted to be in power, and they made a promise. The only response they received was from the Toronto police chief.
Mr. Speaker, the surplus is real whether the Liberals want to admit it or not. Frankly, it should not take an expert in quantum computing to recognize that fact. The budget has been called the least transparent in 15 years and the Liberals' deficit and job creation numbers are way off the mark. If the Prime Minister will not acknowledge basic facts, how can Canadians have confidence that he will protect their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals may not realize it but they are playing a very high-stakes poker game with the Government of Quebec. Bill 74 would allow the Government of Quebec to force federally regulated Internet service providers to act as censors, blocking Quebeckers' access to Internet gaming sites. This clearly raises concerns about Quebeckers' rights to the Internet and censorship.Will the Liberals show their hand and tell us what their position is on this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, many of my constituents were worried that the previous government had increased the retirement age from 65 to 67. This poorly thought-out decision by the Conservatives caused a lot of anxiety for many residents of LaurentidesLabelle who wanted to plan for retirement.Can the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain how the budget will reverse this bad decision in order to benefit Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, quite a few ministers have not yet disclosed travel expenses they incurred before March 1, 2016, even though Treasury Board has clear rules about that. The ministers of transport, finance, public safety, and national revenue are all behind in their disclosures. Even the President of the Treasury Board is behind. He is breaking his own department's rules.Why are these ministers hiding their information? When will the Liberals follow the rules?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership in Paris and for attending the upcoming Earth Day signing at the United Nations. However, our current target does not reflect that leadership. Our current target does not meet the climate urgency and emergency situation we face. In fact, it is still the weakest target in the G7. It is still the target of the previous government. It is urgently required that we ratchet up our target.Will the Prime Minister please reassure Canadians that we plan to put in place a tougher target and soon? That would be leadership.
Mr. Speaker, we hope that the people of Attawapiskat can start to look to the future after some very difficult years. We commend the minister's commitment to build a youth centre and allocate resources for cultural programs. However, the budget does not contain any new investments for mental health services for indigenous young people. Furthermore, Health Canada does not have enough staff to meet the needs.My question is simple. Will the minister commit to immediately increase funding for mental health services?
Mr. Speaker, I am always curious to see what position the member for Outremont will have on marijuana any given time he stands up in the House.The fact of the matter is we have been clear. We believe in the legalization and regulation of marijuana because it protects our kids and keeps money out of the pockets of criminal organizations and street gangs. The fact of the matter is that decriminalization, as the member proposes, actually gives a legal stream of income to criminal organizations. That is not what anyone wants in this country.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none.The minister's role is to promote Canada around the world, be that through the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the BBC, or other European media outlets. She has to talk to the media from time to time to fulfill her mandate.
Mr. Speaker, that is from a member of Parliament who was part of a government that made lapsing military funding an art form in order to get to a bogus balanced budget.There are no monies being cut from projects. Had the members opposite spent more time getting the fiscal and procurement cycles in order instead of climbing in and out of fake airplanes, and did the hard work that is needed to match those cycles, then just possibly, the men and women in uniform would be getting their
Mr. Speaker, once again, had the former government, the party opposite, actually done its work, then the procurement cycle would have matched the fiscal cycle and accordingly, we possibly would have had some procurements met. The mess left behind on the procurement cycle by the party opposite means that we are having to realign all of our fiscal priorities. Accordingly, we are now funding matters as they become due.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have already sunk the Department of National Defence into darkness. They have put off some crucial procurements until after the next election, but that is not the worst of it, as reported in the Ottawa Citizen. The Liberals are putting on hold procurement projects that are already under way, such as offshore patrol ships, Cyclone helicopters, and the CF-18 replacements.Will the minister show us what kind of weight he has in this government? Will he step up and ensure that these projects continue to move forward?
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps digging itself a deeper hole on the issue of the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. The fact that the contract was a done deal and the very existence of cancellation penalties have apparently been contradicted. Yesterday, the Liberals voted against our proposal to create a subcommittee to study arms exports.Why are the Liberals refusing to let parliamentarians do their job? What are they afraid of?
Mr. Speaker, it is passingly strange to get a question from the Conservatives about the fiscal mess left behind. There was a perpetual mismatch between the procurement cycle and the fiscal cycle, and the Minister of National Defence is now trying to rectify that. Accordingly, there are no funds that will be not applied to projects as they are needed.
Mr. Speaker, on the Saudi arms deal, Ottawa consulted no human rights groups but asked only the Department of National Defence. After signing the export permit in secret, the minister repeated that the Liberals would scrutinize any future arms deal. However, when we proposed a transparent subcommittee to look at our arms exports, the Liberals used their majority to vote it down.What are they afraid of? Where is the transparency they keep talking about? When will they start walking the talk?
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the member opposite maybe did not understand what I said previously, so I will repeat it.What I said is that we are committed to making a decision within 90 days of getting the information required from the proponent. We will make decisions based on science, facts, and evidence. Because that is what Canadians expect, that is what we will do.
Mr. Speaker, the Senate expense scandal has been upsetting people for years. Canadians are angry that government cronies, who were inappropriately appointed, are treating taxpayers' money like an all-you-can-eat buffet. It is completely outrageous for a senator to be using his staff members, who are on the public payroll, to organize his home renovations and manage his tanning salon. When will the government rein in these fat cats and clean up these practices that simply do not make any sense?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal procurement process is failing our military. The decision to withhold funding for the Cyclone search and rescue helicopter reminds Canadians of the horrible Chrétien decision of the 1990s to cancel the EH 101 helicopters. Why is the Prime Minister so willing to put the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces at risk by cutting military funding?