Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, there are 20,000 tweets mocking this minister's survey. The first rule of engagement the Liberals should learn is not to treat Canadians like they are stupid. Last week, the Minister of Democratic Institutions insulted our committee and the thousands of Canadians who participated with us in this process, because we were not specific enough for her. Yet today we see a pop-psych survey from this minister, and there is no mention of electoral systems whatsoever. Almost 90% of everyone who spoke to the committee recommended a proportional voting system. Yet the minister cannot even bring herself to put the word proportional in her survey.If the minister truly wants a clearer answer, why would she not simply ask the obvious questions?
Mr. Speaker, the problem is the Prime Minister's arrogance toward protesters.Let us talk about that arrogance. Last week, the Minister of Natural Resources suggested that the government would call in the armed forces and the police to deal with people protesting the Kinder Morgan pipeline. What a thing to say.This statement is clearly a threat against the right to peaceful protest guaranteed by the charter, and specifically against first nations activists. This comes after we have learned that the RCMP has previously spied on indigenous activists. Will the minister apologize and reassure this House that the government will protect the right to peaceful protest?
Mr. Speaker, the minister just forgot to say that following those rules is important too. Quite a few Canadians were under the impression that the advent of a Liberal government meant an end to criminal records for simple possession of marijuana. The Liberals have been in power for over a year now, and they are still handing out criminal records by the thousand, especially to young people. The Prime Minister just urged the police to continue enforcing these archaic laws. This is causing young Canadians a lot of problems, so why does the government not put an end to that by decriminalizing marijuana right away?
Mr. Speaker, I rise again to answer these allegations. To be clear, I have not seen the task force report. I will receive the task force report in the middle of December, along with my ministerial colleagues, along with every member of the House, along with the public. We will then review those recommendations and the government will put forward its legislation with respect to the legalization of marijuana.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are at it again. Apparently they do not think Canadians are paying enough taxes. Now they are introducing a health care tax.News reports have revealed that the Liberals are now looking to raise $2.9 billion by taxing Canadians' health care and dental plans. Do the Liberals not have any shame? They are now forcing Canadians to pay more for dental care and essential health care services.When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadian families and stop charging them more for essential health and dental care?
Mr. Speaker, the only plan that seems to work for the Liberals is the marijuana plant. The economic plan certainly is not working.Canada has lost 30,000 jobs. The Liberals will tell us over and over again that they lowered taxes. What they have done is create future debt, promise money that they do not have, and create illusions. The United States wants to lower corporate taxes. When are the Liberals going to wake up and realize that their plan is not working?
Mr. Speaker, if I were not laughing, I would be crying. The Minister of Democratic Institutions' new online questionnaire is extremely ridiculous and biased. This tool is so crude that nobody could possibly take it seriously.The Liberals managed to come up with a questionnaire on electoral reform that does not even mention the voting system. They ignored the issue. When they talk about diversity in Parliament, they try to scare people by playing up imaginary radical and extremist parties.Will the minister stand up and finally admit that the Liberals are not serious about this and will not change anything?
Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, the justice minister claimed her marijuana report had not been leaked, but two hours later, details of the leaked report were already appearing in the media. Both the National Post and The Globe and Mail quoted sources familiar with the report. The report has been leaked. Is the minister in on the deal or just incompetent?
Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, consumers whose credit card is stolen are liable for, at most, $50. That is the law. At the federal level, the credit card issuer can stipulate liability in the contract. If Bill C-29 passes, banks will have free rein to demand that clients pay back every penny spent by a credit card thief.Does the minister of high finance see the difference between being protected by the law and being at the mercy of the banks?
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister does not care one iota about his own ethical guidelines. They are a prop for him and a joke. Everyone knows that. The Prime Minister openly and blatantly takes donations for the Liberals and in return does favours for wealthy individuals so that they can make more money. Everybody gets some grease and the Liberal gravy train rolls on. What will it take for the Prime Minister to have any respect for any laws in this country that may curb his out-of-control behavioura knock on the door from the Ethics Commissioner or maybe the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister led many Canadians to believe that under a Liberal government, the recreational use of marijuana would no longer be a crime.He used to say very clearly that the current war on marijuana is not working. Well, a year after forming government, he has not only refused to decriminalize possession but he is now urging police to enforce all marijuana laws. He is urging police to crack down on recreational users.How did the guy who once thought the war on pot was not working become its most enthusiastic general?
Mr. Speaker, there is not a tax the Liberals do not like. What do they not understand? Taxing 13.5 million Canadians on their health benefits is yet another financial burden. The Liberals are attacking hardworking Canadian families. First, they took away the children's fitness tax credit, then they took the children's art tax credit, then the text book tax credit, and now they want to charge Canadian families and seniors another tax.The Liberals continue to exploit the middle class to solve their own financial problems. When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadians and stop their plans for this new health care tax?
Mr. Speaker, the minister's first legislation dealing with gender equality for first nations is seriously flawed, and the minister must go back to the drawing board. It has really been mishandled, quite frankly from the beginning. In drafting the bill, she did not talk to the litigants and she did not do proper consultation. She was forced to apologize, publicly admitting that she was embarrassed at how her staff handled the file.Will the minister end her paternalistic approach and withdraw this piece of legislation?
Mr. Speaker, I will give the Minister of National Defence a hand and set out the facts.On April 14, 2016, General Hood said that the air force had enough CF-18s to carry out its duties until 2025. On November 15, 2016, Chief of Defence Staff General Vance said that the supposed capability gap was a false deduction. However, that was before the Liberals changed the rules five minutes before confirming the acquisition of the outdated Super Hornets and withdrew a report that contradicted their rationale. That is an outrage.When will the Liberals stop hiding the truth from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak again about our commitment to legalize marijuana with strict access and strict regulation.I am looking forward to receiving the report from the task force, which will contain recommendations about how we can move forward on this, understanding that it is our government that will decide.The ultimate objective of legalization of marijuana, restricting access via regulations, is to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals.
Mr. Speaker, last week, the justice minister denied there had been a leak of the marijuana report to Liberal friends, but after Rosy Mondin, a Liberal cannabis crony, donated the maximum allowed by law, she tweeted, Task-force report being presented to gov't today. Report won't be made public (yet) but hope to hear snippets.Is the Liberal Party selling insider information to people willing to pay cash for access?
Mr. Speaker, on November 5, a private fishing vessel sank off the dock in Steveston Harbour in my riding of StevestonRichmond East. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard please tell the House about the response from the Coast Guard to limit pollution and remove the vessel from the water?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are well aware that, if any government is known for creating new taxes, it is the Liberal government.This government dreamed up the Liberal carbon tax and the new Canada pension plan payroll taxes, and now it is inventing a new tax on health and dental benefits. That is completely unacceptable.Can someone in this government rise and clearly tell Canadians that there will not be a tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has now lost 30,500 full-time jobs since the Prime Minister took office, and it is about to get a lot worse. While the Prime Minister continues to hike taxes and drive up the cost of doing business in Canada, the U.S. is going in the other direction. It is committed to cutting corporate taxes in half and lowering the price of energy.How many more Canadian jobs need to be lost before the Prime Minister wakes up to this new reality?
Mr. Speaker, they are very different. There was no Prime Minister Harper talking business to Chinese communists at Conservative fundraisers.The Prime Minister today may already be breaching sections 17 and 16, which the House leader may want to familiarize herself with, of the Conflict of Interest Act. The host of this fundraiser said that he did discuss government business with the Prime Minister and he told the Prime Minister what he wanted. Again, is the Prime Minister waiting for the RCMP to come knocking on his door before he stops this unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have heard this government loud and clear. It refuses to say whether or not it plans to tax health and dental benefits. Some 13.5 million Canadians will be affected by this bad Liberal measure. The Liberals are about to take another $3 billion out of the pockets of Canadian taxpayers.Once again, I ask the government, is there anyone in this House who can stand up and tell us clearly whether or not there will be a Liberal tax on these two things that will directly affect 13 million Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Wynn's law would require prosecutors to disclose the criminal history of bail applicants, closing a loophole that cost Constable David Wynn his life. The Minister of Justice opposes this common sense legislation.Will the minister tell Shelley Wynn, the widow of Constable Wynn, why she thinks it is okay for individuals to be let out on bail without their criminal history being disclosed? Why is the minister opposed to closing the loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life?
Mr. Speaker, the more we learn about the Prime Minister's cash for access fundraising practices, the worse it gets. We were all shocked when the Prime Minister first confessed that he was discussing business at these fundraisers. That is not only unethical, it is illegal. The Prime Minister discussed various issues at his events with Chinese billionaires, including changing Canadian investment rules to directly benefit them. The Prime Minister's job is to defend Canadians' interests, not to put them up for sale. When is he going to realize that this wrong?
Mr. Speaker, the procurement minister should talk to the Royal Canadian Air Force before she talks to Boeing.The Liberal government has relentlessly undermined our military leadership. This weekend, the procurement minister continued to contradict the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force. She attacked General Hood and torqued up the Liberals' rhetoric on the fake capability gap. As a matter of fact, reports and experts agree that a capability gap would only occur if the Liberals try to extend the life of our CF-18s past 2025.Instead of playing politics, why will the procurement minister not listen to the Royal Canadian Air Force? It is the expert.
Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement indicated that she did not intend to provide Canadians with the financial details of the contract to purchase Super Hornet fighter jets. She said that she wanted to talk to Boeing and the American government about it first.The minister suggested that her government has not yet entered into discussions with Boeing, which is rather unbelievable. What is worse, Canadians are being treated like a second-class third party in this transaction, even though the minister is accountable to Canadians and Canadians only.When will she rectify this situation and tell Canadians the unit price of the Super Hornets?
Mr. Speaker, to reiterate, our government is committed to legalization, strict regulation, and restricting access to marijuana to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals. As the member opposite actually once said, it would be a mistake to simply decriminalize. We are entering into, and are going to undertake, a comprehensive review, taking recommendations from the task force in order to introduce legislation in the spring of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, I guess he does not wish to correct those false statements. That is reassuring.We have a government that makes the rules and then cheerfully breaks them, that claims to set new standards and then justifies its actions on the grounds that it did not technically do anything wrong, and that tells Parliament that attendees at these exclusive dinners do not discuss government business.By accusing the event host of lying, is the minister signalling plans to investigate? Or did someone else lie?
Mr. Speaker, being on MyDemocracy.ca does not feel like a values-based approach. It feels like being on a dating website designed by Fidel Castro. No matter how hard one tries to be against the Prime Minister's preferred electoral system, the survey tells people that they really do support it. It is like magic. With this website, the government has finally found a way to resolve the problem of Canadians continuing to give Liberals the answers they do not want. Just do not ask those questions. For example, the questionnaire does not ask whether Canadians want a referendum. I wonder why that might be. Would it be because the Liberals do not want to know the answer to that particular question?
Mr. Speaker, issues of registration, membership, and citizenship go to the heart of identity in community. Bill S-3 will correct known sex-based discrimination in Indian registration. We know that a real conversation needs to happen on these issues. That is why I have committed to launching a formal consultation on registration, membership, and citizenship early next year to deal with the other issues that are not in this bill. I look forward to hearing from communities from coast to coast to coast. I am committed to finding a real reform forward, but right now 35,000 people can get their rights if this bill goes through, and
Mr. Speaker, I am pretty sure that the member opposite is not implying that the Prime Minister would be breaking the law, and if the member is saying it, there is a better place, which would be outside this chamber, to make such an accusation.When it comes to the fundraising rules
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General exposed that the government spent nearly $1 billion on its border programs, with no known results. Meanwhile, at the Blue Water Bridge, the government will not even come to the table after creating the first significant labour dispute in nearly 80 years of operation. Now, it is even hiring scabs and replacement workers, cracking down on families in Sarnia: a job well done. The result is that traffic is redirected, the roads are less safe, and there is lost revenue to a private American billionaire.Why is the government stiff-arming workers and families, putting public safety at risk, and increasing border conflict, instead of getting back to the table for the workers and their families?
Mr. Speaker, they are working so hard, that is for sure. In the most recent budget, the Liberals cut tax breaks for small businesses and for families. Afterward, they announced Canada Pension Plan increases and the introduction of a carbon tax, which will cost families thousands of dollars each year. Now they want to tax drug and dental plans.Can the Prime Minister tell Canadians what he intends to tax more to pay for his out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, I think we recognize that every member in this House can always do better. I listened to what the member opposite has shared. We are all here to follow the rules. We know that last week we had the opposition House leader rip up a piece of paper. I think we can all raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that the only government that stood up for the middle class is this government. The people on the other side voted against every measure we presented to defend the middle class in our country. They voted against cutting taxes for the middle class. They voted against the Canada child benefit. They voted against the CPP enhancement in this country. They voted against the GIS top-up for seniors. They voted against our measures for students in this country.Canadians know who is working for them. It is the government on this side of the House.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly recognize the tragic circumstances with respect to Constable Wynn, and sympathies go out to the family. In terms of what we are doing, we are doing a review of the criminal justice system. We are working in a comprehensive and concerted way with the provinces and territories. I am familiar with the private member's bill, but by having discussions with the provinces and territories, we are proceeding in a way that recognizes that we need to work and coordinate together. That is what we are committed to doing. The measures that are articulated in this bill are measures that are in place at this time.
Mr. Speaker, I guess Toronto banks are keen to see Bill C-29 passed considering the minister of high finance is imposing closure. He is anxious to legalize hidden fees in Quebec, authorize misleading advertising, allow banks to change our contracts without our consent, and eliminate our recourse or any sanctions.How far is this government of banks prepared to go to quash consumer rights in Quebec to the benefit of high finance in Toronto?The day that Quebeckers no longer have rights, will they have to cut a cheque to the government, like the Chinese billionaires did?
Mr. Speaker, I do talk to my chief military adviser General Vance. I do talk to the air force as well.Our government has commitments to NORAD and to NATO and to satisfy these commitments we cannot do this simultaneously. That is the capability gap that we talk about.The previous government knew about this gap but it never told Canadians about it and it did nothing about it. This is something we intend to fix.
Mr. Speaker, by approving these pipelines, Canada took a step forward in supporting thousands of good, middle-class, good-paying jobs. Unlike the previous government, which failed to get any real action over the past decade, we are protecting oceans and we are pricing carbon pollution, all while finding new markets for our resources. The party opposite has taken almost every possible position, indeed in both official languages, on pipelines.
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the member that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes on the middle class, and the people on the other side voted against it.Finance Canada is in the process of reviewing our tax system as a whole, specifically a tax expenditure to ensure tax fairness for the middle class and simplification of the tax code. We are not looking at any tax expenditure measures in isolation. We are looking at the tax system as a whole to ensure fairness, simplicity, and efficiency across the board. No decision has been made, since we are still very much in the midst of the process and are still consulting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we are not dreaming, we are taking action. Canadians across the country know that. Why? It is because we reduced taxes for 9 million Canadians. We are doing tangible things to help Canadians.We introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families. We have improved the lives of Canada's seniors, first nations, and youth. Canadians know that the people on this side of the House are working for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise a point of order about a breach in the rules of the House. We recognize, Mr. Speaker, that you have a challenging job, and it is made particularly challenging when a member breaks the rules of the House in a way that is designed to play to the camera and escape the Speaker's notice. This is something that I do not think came to the attention of members until it appeared in the news.The rules of the House clearly forbid the use of props. In fact, the Speaker recently reminded members specifically of this rule. However, what happened within the House last week is that a minister of the government, during questions, was holding up her notes as if pretending to use her notes. However, by all indications intentionally, on the backside of those notes was a very large icon. The minister was positioned such that the icon was clearly visible to the cameras, even though it was not visible to the Speaker. We know that this is a flagrant violation of the rules of the House. It involves the use of props. This was taken by the Minister of Democratic Institutions, who is supposed to be defending our institutions. In fact, it was done in a way designed to escape notice, showing a complete disregard for them. I do not know if this was her idea or something she was asked to do by the Prime Minister's Office, but this is clearly unacceptable, clearly a violation of the rules of the House, and the member needs to be brought to order.
Mr. Speaker, we are making Canada's tax system fairer and more progressive. We have raised taxes on the top 1% so that we could cut taxes for the middle class, and beyond that, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which will mean that the average family will receive $2,300 more tax free. That will raise 300,000 Canadian kids out of poverty.We, as a government, are acting to make Canada's system fairer and more progressive and to help Canada's middle class and those working so hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, our government has made significant changes to make our tax system more progressive for the middle class. We are going to keep making important decisions to improve conditions for the middle class.We are doing that because we understand that we cannot have a strong economy without a strong middle class. The previous government did not get that. For 10 years, Canada's middle class fell behind. We are standing with them to build an economy that grows.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House many times, when it comes to fundraising, Canada has some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer stated that Canada's political financing laws are the most advanced and constrained and transparent in the world. This government has undertaken unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We will continue to engage with Canadians to do the good work they expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development knows full well that the measure that people look at is the number of full-time jobs created. We have lost 30,500 full-time jobs, and the government, the parliamentary secretary, and the Prime Minister have not created one additional full-time job since coming into office. Now we hear he also wants to tax the health and dental benefits provided by employers, which will mean working Canadians will have to pay even more income tax. Can the Prime Minister now promise in the House that he is not going to tax the health and dental benefits that 13.5 million Canadians rely on?
Mr. Speaker, on October 19 in the House, someone said: What we did was form a committee that is going to make thoughtful, responsible recommendations, and we are going to pay very close attention to what comes out of the work done by that committee... Who said that? The Prime Minister himself. The experts, the people, and the committee, which was very clear in its report, agree: if the government wishes to change the voting system, it must hold a referendum. When will the minister get it? Will she hold a referendum on the voting system, or will she just do as she herself sees fit?
Mr. Speaker, let me read a statement dated November 24, just two weeks ago, from the minister for fishy fundraisers: ...at events like this, government business is not discussed He was talking about a cash for access event involving the Prime Minister. We are now told that the Prime Minister did indeed discuss government business. How do we know this? It is because the host of the fundraiser himself said it was discussed.Does the minister wish to correct the record with regard to his November 24 statement, which we now know to be false?
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict laws across this country. Even the Chief Electoral Officer has said that they are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world. This government will continue to follow the laws, and we will continue to do the good work Canadians expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. The committee tabled the report in the House on December 1. We are going to reflect on the report, and the government will respond.However, we all agree in the House that not enough Canadians are engaged in this conversation. There is an opportunity here for every Canadian. Fifteen million households have received an invitation in the mail asking them to be part of this historic conversation. We are counting on all members of the House to encourage their constituents to take part.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Scarborough North for all his hard work and for hosting a conversation with his constituents, as well as all of the members of this House who did the same.Today we launched mydemocracy.ca. It will empower all Canadians to take part in a values-based conversation about their democracy, about the way they would like to be governed. The online engagement tool will complement the work of MPs, like the hon. member, as well as the members of the special committee. We encourage all Canadians to spend time this December taking part in the survey.
Mr. Speaker, we may have some of the strictest fundraising rules in Canada, but the Prime Minister is breaking them every time he holds one of these events when he is talking about government business. He is actually selling access to himself, the most powerful person in government. Discussing government business to fill Liberal Party coffers is wrong, it is unethical, and it is actually illegal.When will the Prime Minister come to his senses and end this cash for access fundraising?
Mr. Speaker, I imagine the hon. member has taken the survey. I encourage all Canadians to participate in the survey. I thank all members of the House who have been participating and who have been sharing it on social media.An issue as important as electoral reform deserves to include all Canadians from all walks of life. That is why Canadians cannot only fill the questionnaire out online, but for those in rural and remote regions, for seniors, and for those who are not comfortable online, they are invited to take part by using the telephone.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister always follows the rules and the member knows very well when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. The member knows very well that the rules clearly state that only Canadians can donate to a Canadian political party.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise on this traditional Algonquin territory to talk about a new initiative we launched this morning. Mydemocracy.ca is a new, engaging initiative that will allow all Canadians to have an opportunity to have a say in this conversation. As of just a few hours ago, over 8,000 unique users have participated in this conversation about the values they find most dear to them. We look forward to hearing from many more over the course of this month.
Mr. Speaker, Chinese Anbang Insurance Group is trying to buy up the biggest retirement home chain in B.C. This deal will have to be approved by the Prime Minister and the cabinet. The Prime Minister has been caught being lobbied to approve this type of deal at, guess what, $1,500 cash for access fundraisers attended by wealthy Chinese investors. The Prime Minister can no longer stand behind his tired rhetoric of following the rules, when it is clear to everyone that every rule has been broken. When will the Prime Minister start following the rules?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that the softwood lumber agreement expired under the former government and that the latter did nothing to reopen negotiations with our American partners.Canada is prepared for any eventuality and we will vigorously defend the interests of Canadian workers and producers. In the past, the courts have always ruled in our favour and we are convinced that they will continue to do so.The minister continued negotiating with Ambassador Froman on the weekend and we are looking for a good agreement for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across this country.This government will continue to follow the laws so that we can continue to do the good work we are doing for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from StevestonRichmond East for his important work in promoting the safe use of Steveston Harbour and the investments he announced on behalf of our government last summer.I can confirm to the member that events like this often represent a significant environmental threat to local communities. When the Coast Guard staff received the report of this sunken vessel, it took immediate action to protect the marine environment from pollution. The vessel's owner was identified, but could not respond to the incident. Therefore, the Coast Guard assumed command, and within 24 hours the ship was safely out of the water.
Mr. Speaker, as I have told the House several times, we have the strictest fundraising rules in the country. The Chief Electoral Officer also states that Canadian election financing laws are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the close attention he pays to the rules. I can assure him that I am going to work very hard on my sunny ways, and I will promise to do better.
Mr. Speaker, this week marks the sixth anniversary of the unanimous vote in the House of Commons in favour of a nuclear weapons convention. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, the Liberal government changed its position and voted against negotiations for such a convention.The United Nations is soon going to vote on this issue again. Will the Liberal government work with the international community and vote in favour of negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention?
Mr. Speaker, our government is working very hard for Canadians. We have undertaken an unprecedented level of public consultation in order to respond to the real challenges Canadians are facing. As the hon. member knows, when it comes to fundraising we have some of the strictest rules in Canada. Our party is following the rules.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that he is talking to another little guy from Shawinigan.I speak for the people from the regions and Quebeckers, as do the 40 members who come from Quebec. In Marcotte we were asked to clarify the provisions in effect in order to protect Canadian consumers across the country. That is precisely what we did, but we also took the opportunity to modernize and simplify the legislation in the interest of consumers in Quebec and across the country.I invite the hon. member to read the bill. He might learn something.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate once again the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind all members of Parliament and Canadians that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer said this to Canadians when he stated very clearly that when it comes to fundraising, they are the most strict, constrained and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said he wanted to create good jobs for young people, but in 2016, he is siding with his Minister of Finance, who said that young people will have to get used to job churn. In 2015, he told young people that the Kinder Morgan environmental assessment process needed to be reviewed, but in 2016, he approved the pipeline with Mr. Harper's dismantled environmental assessment process. Then the Prime Minister is surprised to see young people protesting in Toronto or Ottawa. Instead of being so condescending, when will the Minister of Youth listen to young people and keep his own promises?
Mr. Speaker, by her reaction to the special committees report, the Minister of Democratic Institutions has made it quite clear that Liberal interests matter more than democratic interests. It is Liberal interests that also matter more with respect to political party financing, with $1,500 cocktails to gain exclusive access to the Prime Minister. Instead of playing the same worn out old record and feeding cynicism, will the minister restore public funding for political parties based on the votes received or not?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform, and I can assure him that our government is working hard to strengthen the fairness and the openness of our democratic institutions.To this end, we recently introduced legislation in this House to engage more Canadians in the voting process and to enhance the integrity of our system. Our ultimate goal with reform is to foster a more inclusive and engaged Canada. We are looking forward to addressing all the recommendations that the Chief Electoral Officer shared with us and with the committee. We will be introducing legislation in this House soon.
Mr. Speaker, we will speak on behalf of consumers.For my hon. colleague's sake, I would like to review the consumer protection principles underlying Bill C-29. I am sure he will agree with me. The first principle states that basic banking services should be accessible to all; disclosure of information should enable an institution's customers and members of the public to make informed financial decisions; an institution's customers and members of the public should be treated fairly; and complaints processes should be impartial, transparent, and dynamic. That is what it means to protect Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, he should say that to the people in Quebec's regions who keep contacting our offices because they do not know who to talk to in the government, now that there is no longer a Quebec lieutenant or a minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.Let us come back to softwood lumber. Again last week, it was confirmed that in 2006, it was thanks to the leadership of former prime minister Harper that the matter was resolved. It was our American partners who said that.We are not seeing that leadership now. In fact, this issue was not even mentioned in the mandate letter of the Minister of International Trade. There is not a peep about it, but it is important to us.Will they be able to resolve the issue?
Mr. Speaker, as I just said a moment ago, we are in the process of reviewing the Income Tax Act in its entirety, to make it more acceptable from a fiscal standpoint and ensure fairness for all Canadians.My colleague even mentioned the millions of Canadians we have helped. I would remind the member that he voted against a measure that helped 9 million Canadians when we lowered taxes for the middle class. He voted against the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of ten families. He voted against measures that we introduced to support students in this country. He voted against measures for seniors. Canadians know that the only
Mr. Speaker, our goal is to convince those countries that have nuclear weapons to be at the table as part of disarmament discussions. We did that when we recently led a UN resolution supported by 177 states. Our resolution has a goal to stop the production of materials used to make nuclear weapons and rally nuclear and non-nuclear states alike toward the realization of a fissile material cut-off treaty. This is the realistic, pragmatic approach to nuclear disarmament and a major accomplishment.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for the opportunity to talk about Bill C-33, but also about the passion I have for making sure that more persons with disabilities and exceptionalities have an opportunity to participate in their democratic processes. The Chief Electoral Officer in his report following the 2015 election made excellent recommendations. I met with his advisory body on persons with disabilities with our own Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities and I connected with advocates across the country. I am committed to making sure that we address this and I look forward to working with the committee members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to address this too.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the truth here. The NORAD commitments and the NATO commitments were commitments made as a nation and every government that comes into power is obligated to meet those expectations. We are not willing to risk manage the gap. We are not willing to risk manage both our NORAD and NATO commitments simultaneously. We are going to make sure that we have aircraft available for any unforeseen situations. If anybody thinks we cannot have any unforeseen situations, 9/11 was that time. We are going to make sure we fix this gap.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. This government will continue to follow the rules. When we work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and we follow the rules, no conflict of interest can exist. The member knows that very well. What is clear is that the methods the previous government took and the ones that we are taking are very different because we follow the rules.
Mr. Speaker, we are going to do what is in the best interests of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We are going to have an interim fleet that is going to make sure that our men and women have the equipment they need to do the job expected of them so that we can fill the capability gap. When we are in position to talk about the cost, we will do that. We have an idea what the cost is going to be but nobody shows their hand before negotiations actually are completed.
Mr. Speaker, an attendee of the Liberal Party fundraiser on November 7 said that he spoke directly to the Prime Minister about government business for the price of a $1,500 contribution. However, Liberal Party ethics rules state that Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and their staff should not discuss departmental business at any fundraising event, and should refer any person who wishes to discuss departmental business to make an appointment.Can the Prime Minister confirm that he never discussed government business during that fundraiser?
Mr. Speaker, the right to peaceful protest is a foundation of our rights and freedoms in Canada. As a government, we respect that right. We confirmed that in our election platform.As the Prime Minister has said, we would not have approved these projects if they did not meet the highest standards of environmental protection and did not carry the support of Canadians. Our goal right now is to make sure that the projects move forward in order to create jobs and build a cleaner, brighter future for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that traffic is moving on the Blue Water Bridge, and I can also inform the member, of course, that the Blue Water Bridge is under the responsibility of the Federal Bridge Corporation. It is responsible for the operation of the bridge, and that also includes labour relations.We are certainly following the situation very carefully. What we want to ensure is that traffic continues to move safely, which is the case at the moment.
Mr. Speaker, again, this gives me an opportunity to rise to recognize that the task force submitted the report on November 30. That report is being translated. I have not seen the report, nor has anyone else among my ministerial colleagues. The report will be presented in the middle of December. I am very thankful for the work of the task force which, in a concentrated manner, over the course of over six months, has put together the report that will provide recommendations that will assist us in moving forward with legislation.
Mr. Speaker, the government recently put into legislation Bill C-33, which the Minister of Democratic Institutions said would break down barriers to voting. This is extremely important, but the legislation left out important aspects for people living with disabilities. They still face significant barriers when it comes to participating in elections, including access to qualified assistance during the act of voting itself. Will the minister keep her word to people living with disabilities and commit to addressing these issues?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the special committee on electoral reform.Research around the world shows, as does the report from the committee, that the best way to have an inclusive and accessible conversation about electoral reform with the citizenry is through a values-based approach. Should there be more diversity in this House? Should there be smaller parties representing a diverse range of voices, or should we have larger parties representing a broad set of perspectives? Should voting be mandatory and online? These are the questions
Mr. Speaker, since we formed government, along with industry we have helped create 183,200 jobs from coast to coast to coast. For example, GM Canada is investing in up to 1,000 new engineering and high-tech software positions. Do members know what the GM executive VP of global product development said? He said, We selected Canada for this expansion because of its clear capacity for innovation, proven talent and strong ecosystem of great universities, startups and innovative suppliers. That is why companies are investing in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of sincerity that I repeat what I said in this House on Friday. On Thursday, I used words that I did not intend to use. Also, the member addresses a valid point. I apologize, and I can promise that for as long as I can remember, I will be sure to do better every day in this House.
Mr. Speaker, in October I had the pleasure of engaging with constituents in my riding of Scarborough North on the topic of electoral reform, building on the work of MPs who led town halls, the cross-country tour of the minister and her parliamentary secretary, and the work of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions please inform this House on the way forward for our national conversation on electoral reform?
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team that includes about 40 members from across Quebec who are working hard for their constituents.Let us talk about action our government is taking in Quebec. We invested over $290 million in CED, and we are helping over 384 businesses and organizations grow through CED. Our government is committed to promoting innovation, fostering the growth of businesses, and developing a clean economy that benefits everyone.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share with the House that last Friday I had the pleasure of announcing over $13 million for the Fundy Trail connector roads, a transformational tourism project in my riding, which I have been championing since being elected.Could the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities please explain why projects like the Fundy Trail are so important to New Brunswick and to Atlantic Canada?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Fundy Royal for her ongoing efforts on this project.Our government is proud to support projects that connect communities, promote tourism, and support economic growth. Along with this project, we also announced 47 water projects and five transit projects in New Brunswick.We will continue to work with communities from coast to coast to coast to ensure that our new infrastructure meets their needs.
Mr. Speaker, there are 20,000 tweets mocking this minister's survey. The first rule of engagement the Liberals should learn is not to treat Canadians like they are stupid. Last week, the Minister of Democratic Institutions insulted our committee and the thousands of Canadians who participated with us in this process, because we were not specific enough for her. Yet today we see a pop-psych survey from this minister, and there is no mention of electoral systems whatsoever. Almost 90% of everyone who spoke to the committee recommended a proportional voting system. Yet the minister cannot even bring herself to put the word proportional in her survey.If the minister truly wants a clearer answer, why would she not simply ask the obvious questions?
Mr. Speaker, the problem is the Prime Minister's arrogance toward protesters.Let us talk about that arrogance. Last week, the Minister of Natural Resources suggested that the government would call in the armed forces and the police to deal with people protesting the Kinder Morgan pipeline. What a thing to say.This statement is clearly a threat against the right to peaceful protest guaranteed by the charter, and specifically against first nations activists. This comes after we have learned that the RCMP has previously spied on indigenous activists. Will the minister apologize and reassure this House that the government will protect the right to peaceful protest?
Mr. Speaker, the minister just forgot to say that following those rules is important too. Quite a few Canadians were under the impression that the advent of a Liberal government meant an end to criminal records for simple possession of marijuana. The Liberals have been in power for over a year now, and they are still handing out criminal records by the thousand, especially to young people. The Prime Minister just urged the police to continue enforcing these archaic laws. This is causing young Canadians a lot of problems, so why does the government not put an end to that by decriminalizing marijuana right away?
Mr. Speaker, I rise again to answer these allegations. To be clear, I have not seen the task force report. I will receive the task force report in the middle of December, along with my ministerial colleagues, along with every member of the House, along with the public. We will then review those recommendations and the government will put forward its legislation with respect to the legalization of marijuana.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are at it again. Apparently they do not think Canadians are paying enough taxes. Now they are introducing a health care tax.News reports have revealed that the Liberals are now looking to raise $2.9 billion by taxing Canadians' health care and dental plans. Do the Liberals not have any shame? They are now forcing Canadians to pay more for dental care and essential health care services.When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadian families and stop charging them more for essential health and dental care?
Mr. Speaker, the only plan that seems to work for the Liberals is the marijuana plant. The economic plan certainly is not working.Canada has lost 30,000 jobs. The Liberals will tell us over and over again that they lowered taxes. What they have done is create future debt, promise money that they do not have, and create illusions. The United States wants to lower corporate taxes. When are the Liberals going to wake up and realize that their plan is not working?
Mr. Speaker, if I were not laughing, I would be crying. The Minister of Democratic Institutions' new online questionnaire is extremely ridiculous and biased. This tool is so crude that nobody could possibly take it seriously.The Liberals managed to come up with a questionnaire on electoral reform that does not even mention the voting system. They ignored the issue. When they talk about diversity in Parliament, they try to scare people by playing up imaginary radical and extremist parties.Will the minister stand up and finally admit that the Liberals are not serious about this and will not change anything?
Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, the justice minister claimed her marijuana report had not been leaked, but two hours later, details of the leaked report were already appearing in the media. Both the National Post and The Globe and Mail quoted sources familiar with the report. The report has been leaked. Is the minister in on the deal or just incompetent?
Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, consumers whose credit card is stolen are liable for, at most, $50. That is the law. At the federal level, the credit card issuer can stipulate liability in the contract. If Bill C-29 passes, banks will have free rein to demand that clients pay back every penny spent by a credit card thief.Does the minister of high finance see the difference between being protected by the law and being at the mercy of the banks?
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister does not care one iota about his own ethical guidelines. They are a prop for him and a joke. Everyone knows that. The Prime Minister openly and blatantly takes donations for the Liberals and in return does favours for wealthy individuals so that they can make more money. Everybody gets some grease and the Liberal gravy train rolls on. What will it take for the Prime Minister to have any respect for any laws in this country that may curb his out-of-control behavioura knock on the door from the Ethics Commissioner or maybe the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister led many Canadians to believe that under a Liberal government, the recreational use of marijuana would no longer be a crime.He used to say very clearly that the current war on marijuana is not working. Well, a year after forming government, he has not only refused to decriminalize possession but he is now urging police to enforce all marijuana laws. He is urging police to crack down on recreational users.How did the guy who once thought the war on pot was not working become its most enthusiastic general?
Mr. Speaker, there is not a tax the Liberals do not like. What do they not understand? Taxing 13.5 million Canadians on their health benefits is yet another financial burden. The Liberals are attacking hardworking Canadian families. First, they took away the children's fitness tax credit, then they took the children's art tax credit, then the text book tax credit, and now they want to charge Canadian families and seniors another tax.The Liberals continue to exploit the middle class to solve their own financial problems. When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadians and stop their plans for this new health care tax?
Mr. Speaker, the minister's first legislation dealing with gender equality for first nations is seriously flawed, and the minister must go back to the drawing board. It has really been mishandled, quite frankly from the beginning. In drafting the bill, she did not talk to the litigants and she did not do proper consultation. She was forced to apologize, publicly admitting that she was embarrassed at how her staff handled the file.Will the minister end her paternalistic approach and withdraw this piece of legislation?
Mr. Speaker, I will give the Minister of National Defence a hand and set out the facts.On April 14, 2016, General Hood said that the air force had enough CF-18s to carry out its duties until 2025. On November 15, 2016, Chief of Defence Staff General Vance said that the supposed capability gap was a false deduction. However, that was before the Liberals changed the rules five minutes before confirming the acquisition of the outdated Super Hornets and withdrew a report that contradicted their rationale. That is an outrage.When will the Liberals stop hiding the truth from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak again about our commitment to legalize marijuana with strict access and strict regulation.I am looking forward to receiving the report from the task force, which will contain recommendations about how we can move forward on this, understanding that it is our government that will decide.The ultimate objective of legalization of marijuana, restricting access via regulations, is to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals.
Mr. Speaker, last week, the justice minister denied there had been a leak of the marijuana report to Liberal friends, but after Rosy Mondin, a Liberal cannabis crony, donated the maximum allowed by law, she tweeted, Task-force report being presented to gov't today. Report won't be made public (yet) but hope to hear snippets.Is the Liberal Party selling insider information to people willing to pay cash for access?
Mr. Speaker, on November 5, a private fishing vessel sank off the dock in Steveston Harbour in my riding of StevestonRichmond East. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard please tell the House about the response from the Coast Guard to limit pollution and remove the vessel from the water?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are well aware that, if any government is known for creating new taxes, it is the Liberal government.This government dreamed up the Liberal carbon tax and the new Canada pension plan payroll taxes, and now it is inventing a new tax on health and dental benefits. That is completely unacceptable.Can someone in this government rise and clearly tell Canadians that there will not be a tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has now lost 30,500 full-time jobs since the Prime Minister took office, and it is about to get a lot worse. While the Prime Minister continues to hike taxes and drive up the cost of doing business in Canada, the U.S. is going in the other direction. It is committed to cutting corporate taxes in half and lowering the price of energy.How many more Canadian jobs need to be lost before the Prime Minister wakes up to this new reality?
Mr. Speaker, they are very different. There was no Prime Minister Harper talking business to Chinese communists at Conservative fundraisers.The Prime Minister today may already be breaching sections 17 and 16, which the House leader may want to familiarize herself with, of the Conflict of Interest Act. The host of this fundraiser said that he did discuss government business with the Prime Minister and he told the Prime Minister what he wanted. Again, is the Prime Minister waiting for the RCMP to come knocking on his door before he stops this unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have heard this government loud and clear. It refuses to say whether or not it plans to tax health and dental benefits. Some 13.5 million Canadians will be affected by this bad Liberal measure. The Liberals are about to take another $3 billion out of the pockets of Canadian taxpayers.Once again, I ask the government, is there anyone in this House who can stand up and tell us clearly whether or not there will be a Liberal tax on these two things that will directly affect 13 million Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Wynn's law would require prosecutors to disclose the criminal history of bail applicants, closing a loophole that cost Constable David Wynn his life. The Minister of Justice opposes this common sense legislation.Will the minister tell Shelley Wynn, the widow of Constable Wynn, why she thinks it is okay for individuals to be let out on bail without their criminal history being disclosed? Why is the minister opposed to closing the loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life?
Mr. Speaker, the more we learn about the Prime Minister's cash for access fundraising practices, the worse it gets. We were all shocked when the Prime Minister first confessed that he was discussing business at these fundraisers. That is not only unethical, it is illegal. The Prime Minister discussed various issues at his events with Chinese billionaires, including changing Canadian investment rules to directly benefit them. The Prime Minister's job is to defend Canadians' interests, not to put them up for sale. When is he going to realize that this wrong?
Mr. Speaker, the procurement minister should talk to the Royal Canadian Air Force before she talks to Boeing.The Liberal government has relentlessly undermined our military leadership. This weekend, the procurement minister continued to contradict the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force. She attacked General Hood and torqued up the Liberals' rhetoric on the fake capability gap. As a matter of fact, reports and experts agree that a capability gap would only occur if the Liberals try to extend the life of our CF-18s past 2025.Instead of playing politics, why will the procurement minister not listen to the Royal Canadian Air Force? It is the expert.
Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement indicated that she did not intend to provide Canadians with the financial details of the contract to purchase Super Hornet fighter jets. She said that she wanted to talk to Boeing and the American government about it first.The minister suggested that her government has not yet entered into discussions with Boeing, which is rather unbelievable. What is worse, Canadians are being treated like a second-class third party in this transaction, even though the minister is accountable to Canadians and Canadians only.When will she rectify this situation and tell Canadians the unit price of the Super Hornets?
Mr. Speaker, to reiterate, our government is committed to legalization, strict regulation, and restricting access to marijuana to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals. As the member opposite actually once said, it would be a mistake to simply decriminalize. We are entering into, and are going to undertake, a comprehensive review, taking recommendations from the task force in order to introduce legislation in the spring of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, I guess he does not wish to correct those false statements. That is reassuring.We have a government that makes the rules and then cheerfully breaks them, that claims to set new standards and then justifies its actions on the grounds that it did not technically do anything wrong, and that tells Parliament that attendees at these exclusive dinners do not discuss government business.By accusing the event host of lying, is the minister signalling plans to investigate? Or did someone else lie?
Mr. Speaker, being on MyDemocracy.ca does not feel like a values-based approach. It feels like being on a dating website designed by Fidel Castro. No matter how hard one tries to be against the Prime Minister's preferred electoral system, the survey tells people that they really do support it. It is like magic. With this website, the government has finally found a way to resolve the problem of Canadians continuing to give Liberals the answers they do not want. Just do not ask those questions. For example, the questionnaire does not ask whether Canadians want a referendum. I wonder why that might be. Would it be because the Liberals do not want to know the answer to that particular question?
Mr. Speaker, issues of registration, membership, and citizenship go to the heart of identity in community. Bill S-3 will correct known sex-based discrimination in Indian registration. We know that a real conversation needs to happen on these issues. That is why I have committed to launching a formal consultation on registration, membership, and citizenship early next year to deal with the other issues that are not in this bill. I look forward to hearing from communities from coast to coast to coast. I am committed to finding a real reform forward, but right now 35,000 people can get their rights if this bill goes through, and
Mr. Speaker, I am pretty sure that the member opposite is not implying that the Prime Minister would be breaking the law, and if the member is saying it, there is a better place, which would be outside this chamber, to make such an accusation.When it comes to the fundraising rules
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General exposed that the government spent nearly $1 billion on its border programs, with no known results. Meanwhile, at the Blue Water Bridge, the government will not even come to the table after creating the first significant labour dispute in nearly 80 years of operation. Now, it is even hiring scabs and replacement workers, cracking down on families in Sarnia: a job well done. The result is that traffic is redirected, the roads are less safe, and there is lost revenue to a private American billionaire.Why is the government stiff-arming workers and families, putting public safety at risk, and increasing border conflict, instead of getting back to the table for the workers and their families?
Mr. Speaker, they are working so hard, that is for sure. In the most recent budget, the Liberals cut tax breaks for small businesses and for families. Afterward, they announced Canada Pension Plan increases and the introduction of a carbon tax, which will cost families thousands of dollars each year. Now they want to tax drug and dental plans.Can the Prime Minister tell Canadians what he intends to tax more to pay for his out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, I think we recognize that every member in this House can always do better. I listened to what the member opposite has shared. We are all here to follow the rules. We know that last week we had the opposition House leader rip up a piece of paper. I think we can all raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that the only government that stood up for the middle class is this government. The people on the other side voted against every measure we presented to defend the middle class in our country. They voted against cutting taxes for the middle class. They voted against the Canada child benefit. They voted against the CPP enhancement in this country. They voted against the GIS top-up for seniors. They voted against our measures for students in this country.Canadians know who is working for them. It is the government on this side of the House.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly recognize the tragic circumstances with respect to Constable Wynn, and sympathies go out to the family. In terms of what we are doing, we are doing a review of the criminal justice system. We are working in a comprehensive and concerted way with the provinces and territories. I am familiar with the private member's bill, but by having discussions with the provinces and territories, we are proceeding in a way that recognizes that we need to work and coordinate together. That is what we are committed to doing. The measures that are articulated in this bill are measures that are in place at this time.
Mr. Speaker, I guess Toronto banks are keen to see Bill C-29 passed considering the minister of high finance is imposing closure. He is anxious to legalize hidden fees in Quebec, authorize misleading advertising, allow banks to change our contracts without our consent, and eliminate our recourse or any sanctions.How far is this government of banks prepared to go to quash consumer rights in Quebec to the benefit of high finance in Toronto?The day that Quebeckers no longer have rights, will they have to cut a cheque to the government, like the Chinese billionaires did?
Mr. Speaker, I do talk to my chief military adviser General Vance. I do talk to the air force as well.Our government has commitments to NORAD and to NATO and to satisfy these commitments we cannot do this simultaneously. That is the capability gap that we talk about.The previous government knew about this gap but it never told Canadians about it and it did nothing about it. This is something we intend to fix.
Mr. Speaker, by approving these pipelines, Canada took a step forward in supporting thousands of good, middle-class, good-paying jobs. Unlike the previous government, which failed to get any real action over the past decade, we are protecting oceans and we are pricing carbon pollution, all while finding new markets for our resources. The party opposite has taken almost every possible position, indeed in both official languages, on pipelines.
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the member that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes on the middle class, and the people on the other side voted against it.Finance Canada is in the process of reviewing our tax system as a whole, specifically a tax expenditure to ensure tax fairness for the middle class and simplification of the tax code. We are not looking at any tax expenditure measures in isolation. We are looking at the tax system as a whole to ensure fairness, simplicity, and efficiency across the board. No decision has been made, since we are still very much in the midst of the process and are still consulting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we are not dreaming, we are taking action. Canadians across the country know that. Why? It is because we reduced taxes for 9 million Canadians. We are doing tangible things to help Canadians.We introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families. We have improved the lives of Canada's seniors, first nations, and youth. Canadians know that the people on this side of the House are working for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise a point of order about a breach in the rules of the House. We recognize, Mr. Speaker, that you have a challenging job, and it is made particularly challenging when a member breaks the rules of the House in a way that is designed to play to the camera and escape the Speaker's notice. This is something that I do not think came to the attention of members until it appeared in the news.The rules of the House clearly forbid the use of props. In fact, the Speaker recently reminded members specifically of this rule. However, what happened within the House last week is that a minister of the government, during questions, was holding up her notes as if pretending to use her notes. However, by all indications intentionally, on the backside of those notes was a very large icon. The minister was positioned such that the icon was clearly visible to the cameras, even though it was not visible to the Speaker. We know that this is a flagrant violation of the rules of the House. It involves the use of props. This was taken by the Minister of Democratic Institutions, who is supposed to be defending our institutions. In fact, it was done in a way designed to escape notice, showing a complete disregard for them. I do not know if this was her idea or something she was asked to do by the Prime Minister's Office, but this is clearly unacceptable, clearly a violation of the rules of the House, and the member needs to be brought to order.
Mr. Speaker, we are making Canada's tax system fairer and more progressive. We have raised taxes on the top 1% so that we could cut taxes for the middle class, and beyond that, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which will mean that the average family will receive $2,300 more tax free. That will raise 300,000 Canadian kids out of poverty.We, as a government, are acting to make Canada's system fairer and more progressive and to help Canada's middle class and those working so hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, our government has made significant changes to make our tax system more progressive for the middle class. We are going to keep making important decisions to improve conditions for the middle class.We are doing that because we understand that we cannot have a strong economy without a strong middle class. The previous government did not get that. For 10 years, Canada's middle class fell behind. We are standing with them to build an economy that grows.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House many times, when it comes to fundraising, Canada has some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer stated that Canada's political financing laws are the most advanced and constrained and transparent in the world. This government has undertaken unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We will continue to engage with Canadians to do the good work they expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development knows full well that the measure that people look at is the number of full-time jobs created. We have lost 30,500 full-time jobs, and the government, the parliamentary secretary, and the Prime Minister have not created one additional full-time job since coming into office. Now we hear he also wants to tax the health and dental benefits provided by employers, which will mean working Canadians will have to pay even more income tax. Can the Prime Minister now promise in the House that he is not going to tax the health and dental benefits that 13.5 million Canadians rely on?
Mr. Speaker, on October 19 in the House, someone said: What we did was form a committee that is going to make thoughtful, responsible recommendations, and we are going to pay very close attention to what comes out of the work done by that committee... Who said that? The Prime Minister himself. The experts, the people, and the committee, which was very clear in its report, agree: if the government wishes to change the voting system, it must hold a referendum. When will the minister get it? Will she hold a referendum on the voting system, or will she just do as she herself sees fit?
Mr. Speaker, let me read a statement dated November 24, just two weeks ago, from the minister for fishy fundraisers: ...at events like this, government business is not discussed He was talking about a cash for access event involving the Prime Minister. We are now told that the Prime Minister did indeed discuss government business. How do we know this? It is because the host of the fundraiser himself said it was discussed.Does the minister wish to correct the record with regard to his November 24 statement, which we now know to be false?
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict laws across this country. Even the Chief Electoral Officer has said that they are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world. This government will continue to follow the laws, and we will continue to do the good work Canadians expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. The committee tabled the report in the House on December 1. We are going to reflect on the report, and the government will respond.However, we all agree in the House that not enough Canadians are engaged in this conversation. There is an opportunity here for every Canadian. Fifteen million households have received an invitation in the mail asking them to be part of this historic conversation. We are counting on all members of the House to encourage their constituents to take part.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Scarborough North for all his hard work and for hosting a conversation with his constituents, as well as all of the members of this House who did the same.Today we launched mydemocracy.ca. It will empower all Canadians to take part in a values-based conversation about their democracy, about the way they would like to be governed. The online engagement tool will complement the work of MPs, like the hon. member, as well as the members of the special committee. We encourage all Canadians to spend time this December taking part in the survey.
Mr. Speaker, we may have some of the strictest fundraising rules in Canada, but the Prime Minister is breaking them every time he holds one of these events when he is talking about government business. He is actually selling access to himself, the most powerful person in government. Discussing government business to fill Liberal Party coffers is wrong, it is unethical, and it is actually illegal.When will the Prime Minister come to his senses and end this cash for access fundraising?
Mr. Speaker, I imagine the hon. member has taken the survey. I encourage all Canadians to participate in the survey. I thank all members of the House who have been participating and who have been sharing it on social media.An issue as important as electoral reform deserves to include all Canadians from all walks of life. That is why Canadians cannot only fill the questionnaire out online, but for those in rural and remote regions, for seniors, and for those who are not comfortable online, they are invited to take part by using the telephone.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister always follows the rules and the member knows very well when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. The member knows very well that the rules clearly state that only Canadians can donate to a Canadian political party.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise on this traditional Algonquin territory to talk about a new initiative we launched this morning. Mydemocracy.ca is a new, engaging initiative that will allow all Canadians to have an opportunity to have a say in this conversation. As of just a few hours ago, over 8,000 unique users have participated in this conversation about the values they find most dear to them. We look forward to hearing from many more over the course of this month.
Mr. Speaker, Chinese Anbang Insurance Group is trying to buy up the biggest retirement home chain in B.C. This deal will have to be approved by the Prime Minister and the cabinet. The Prime Minister has been caught being lobbied to approve this type of deal at, guess what, $1,500 cash for access fundraisers attended by wealthy Chinese investors. The Prime Minister can no longer stand behind his tired rhetoric of following the rules, when it is clear to everyone that every rule has been broken. When will the Prime Minister start following the rules?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that the softwood lumber agreement expired under the former government and that the latter did nothing to reopen negotiations with our American partners.Canada is prepared for any eventuality and we will vigorously defend the interests of Canadian workers and producers. In the past, the courts have always ruled in our favour and we are convinced that they will continue to do so.The minister continued negotiating with Ambassador Froman on the weekend and we are looking for a good agreement for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across this country.This government will continue to follow the laws so that we can continue to do the good work we are doing for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from StevestonRichmond East for his important work in promoting the safe use of Steveston Harbour and the investments he announced on behalf of our government last summer.I can confirm to the member that events like this often represent a significant environmental threat to local communities. When the Coast Guard staff received the report of this sunken vessel, it took immediate action to protect the marine environment from pollution. The vessel's owner was identified, but could not respond to the incident. Therefore, the Coast Guard assumed command, and within 24 hours the ship was safely out of the water.
Mr. Speaker, as I have told the House several times, we have the strictest fundraising rules in the country. The Chief Electoral Officer also states that Canadian election financing laws are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the close attention he pays to the rules. I can assure him that I am going to work very hard on my sunny ways, and I will promise to do better.
Mr. Speaker, this week marks the sixth anniversary of the unanimous vote in the House of Commons in favour of a nuclear weapons convention. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, the Liberal government changed its position and voted against negotiations for such a convention.The United Nations is soon going to vote on this issue again. Will the Liberal government work with the international community and vote in favour of negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention?
Mr. Speaker, our government is working very hard for Canadians. We have undertaken an unprecedented level of public consultation in order to respond to the real challenges Canadians are facing. As the hon. member knows, when it comes to fundraising we have some of the strictest rules in Canada. Our party is following the rules.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that he is talking to another little guy from Shawinigan.I speak for the people from the regions and Quebeckers, as do the 40 members who come from Quebec. In Marcotte we were asked to clarify the provisions in effect in order to protect Canadian consumers across the country. That is precisely what we did, but we also took the opportunity to modernize and simplify the legislation in the interest of consumers in Quebec and across the country.I invite the hon. member to read the bill. He might learn something.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate once again the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind all members of Parliament and Canadians that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer said this to Canadians when he stated very clearly that when it comes to fundraising, they are the most strict, constrained and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said he wanted to create good jobs for young people, but in 2016, he is siding with his Minister of Finance, who said that young people will have to get used to job churn. In 2015, he told young people that the Kinder Morgan environmental assessment process needed to be reviewed, but in 2016, he approved the pipeline with Mr. Harper's dismantled environmental assessment process. Then the Prime Minister is surprised to see young people protesting in Toronto or Ottawa. Instead of being so condescending, when will the Minister of Youth listen to young people and keep his own promises?
Mr. Speaker, by her reaction to the special committees report, the Minister of Democratic Institutions has made it quite clear that Liberal interests matter more than democratic interests. It is Liberal interests that also matter more with respect to political party financing, with $1,500 cocktails to gain exclusive access to the Prime Minister. Instead of playing the same worn out old record and feeding cynicism, will the minister restore public funding for political parties based on the votes received or not?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform, and I can assure him that our government is working hard to strengthen the fairness and the openness of our democratic institutions.To this end, we recently introduced legislation in this House to engage more Canadians in the voting process and to enhance the integrity of our system. Our ultimate goal with reform is to foster a more inclusive and engaged Canada. We are looking forward to addressing all the recommendations that the Chief Electoral Officer shared with us and with the committee. We will be introducing legislation in this House soon.
Mr. Speaker, we will speak on behalf of consumers.For my hon. colleague's sake, I would like to review the consumer protection principles underlying Bill C-29. I am sure he will agree with me. The first principle states that basic banking services should be accessible to all; disclosure of information should enable an institution's customers and members of the public to make informed financial decisions; an institution's customers and members of the public should be treated fairly; and complaints processes should be impartial, transparent, and dynamic. That is what it means to protect Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, he should say that to the people in Quebec's regions who keep contacting our offices because they do not know who to talk to in the government, now that there is no longer a Quebec lieutenant or a minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.Let us come back to softwood lumber. Again last week, it was confirmed that in 2006, it was thanks to the leadership of former prime minister Harper that the matter was resolved. It was our American partners who said that.We are not seeing that leadership now. In fact, this issue was not even mentioned in the mandate letter of the Minister of International Trade. There is not a peep about it, but it is important to us.Will they be able to resolve the issue?
Mr. Speaker, as I just said a moment ago, we are in the process of reviewing the Income Tax Act in its entirety, to make it more acceptable from a fiscal standpoint and ensure fairness for all Canadians.My colleague even mentioned the millions of Canadians we have helped. I would remind the member that he voted against a measure that helped 9 million Canadians when we lowered taxes for the middle class. He voted against the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of ten families. He voted against measures that we introduced to support students in this country. He voted against measures for seniors. Canadians know that the only
Mr. Speaker, our goal is to convince those countries that have nuclear weapons to be at the table as part of disarmament discussions. We did that when we recently led a UN resolution supported by 177 states. Our resolution has a goal to stop the production of materials used to make nuclear weapons and rally nuclear and non-nuclear states alike toward the realization of a fissile material cut-off treaty. This is the realistic, pragmatic approach to nuclear disarmament and a major accomplishment.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for the opportunity to talk about Bill C-33, but also about the passion I have for making sure that more persons with disabilities and exceptionalities have an opportunity to participate in their democratic processes. The Chief Electoral Officer in his report following the 2015 election made excellent recommendations. I met with his advisory body on persons with disabilities with our own Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities and I connected with advocates across the country. I am committed to making sure that we address this and I look forward to working with the committee members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to address this too.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the truth here. The NORAD commitments and the NATO commitments were commitments made as a nation and every government that comes into power is obligated to meet those expectations. We are not willing to risk manage the gap. We are not willing to risk manage both our NORAD and NATO commitments simultaneously. We are going to make sure that we have aircraft available for any unforeseen situations. If anybody thinks we cannot have any unforeseen situations, 9/11 was that time. We are going to make sure we fix this gap.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. This government will continue to follow the rules. When we work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and we follow the rules, no conflict of interest can exist. The member knows that very well. What is clear is that the methods the previous government took and the ones that we are taking are very different because we follow the rules.
Mr. Speaker, we are going to do what is in the best interests of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We are going to have an interim fleet that is going to make sure that our men and women have the equipment they need to do the job expected of them so that we can fill the capability gap. When we are in position to talk about the cost, we will do that. We have an idea what the cost is going to be but nobody shows their hand before negotiations actually are completed.
Mr. Speaker, an attendee of the Liberal Party fundraiser on November 7 said that he spoke directly to the Prime Minister about government business for the price of a $1,500 contribution. However, Liberal Party ethics rules state that Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and their staff should not discuss departmental business at any fundraising event, and should refer any person who wishes to discuss departmental business to make an appointment.Can the Prime Minister confirm that he never discussed government business during that fundraiser?
Mr. Speaker, the right to peaceful protest is a foundation of our rights and freedoms in Canada. As a government, we respect that right. We confirmed that in our election platform.As the Prime Minister has said, we would not have approved these projects if they did not meet the highest standards of environmental protection and did not carry the support of Canadians. Our goal right now is to make sure that the projects move forward in order to create jobs and build a cleaner, brighter future for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that traffic is moving on the Blue Water Bridge, and I can also inform the member, of course, that the Blue Water Bridge is under the responsibility of the Federal Bridge Corporation. It is responsible for the operation of the bridge, and that also includes labour relations.We are certainly following the situation very carefully. What we want to ensure is that traffic continues to move safely, which is the case at the moment.
Mr. Speaker, again, this gives me an opportunity to rise to recognize that the task force submitted the report on November 30. That report is being translated. I have not seen the report, nor has anyone else among my ministerial colleagues. The report will be presented in the middle of December. I am very thankful for the work of the task force which, in a concentrated manner, over the course of over six months, has put together the report that will provide recommendations that will assist us in moving forward with legislation.
Mr. Speaker, the government recently put into legislation Bill C-33, which the Minister of Democratic Institutions said would break down barriers to voting. This is extremely important, but the legislation left out important aspects for people living with disabilities. They still face significant barriers when it comes to participating in elections, including access to qualified assistance during the act of voting itself. Will the minister keep her word to people living with disabilities and commit to addressing these issues?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the special committee on electoral reform.Research around the world shows, as does the report from the committee, that the best way to have an inclusive and accessible conversation about electoral reform with the citizenry is through a values-based approach. Should there be more diversity in this House? Should there be smaller parties representing a diverse range of voices, or should we have larger parties representing a broad set of perspectives? Should voting be mandatory and online? These are the questions
Mr. Speaker, since we formed government, along with industry we have helped create 183,200 jobs from coast to coast to coast. For example, GM Canada is investing in up to 1,000 new engineering and high-tech software positions. Do members know what the GM executive VP of global product development said? He said, We selected Canada for this expansion because of its clear capacity for innovation, proven talent and strong ecosystem of great universities, startups and innovative suppliers. That is why companies are investing in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of sincerity that I repeat what I said in this House on Friday. On Thursday, I used words that I did not intend to use. Also, the member addresses a valid point. I apologize, and I can promise that for as long as I can remember, I will be sure to do better every day in this House.
Mr. Speaker, in October I had the pleasure of engaging with constituents in my riding of Scarborough North on the topic of electoral reform, building on the work of MPs who led town halls, the cross-country tour of the minister and her parliamentary secretary, and the work of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions please inform this House on the way forward for our national conversation on electoral reform?
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team that includes about 40 members from across Quebec who are working hard for their constituents.Let us talk about action our government is taking in Quebec. We invested over $290 million in CED, and we are helping over 384 businesses and organizations grow through CED. Our government is committed to promoting innovation, fostering the growth of businesses, and developing a clean economy that benefits everyone.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share with the House that last Friday I had the pleasure of announcing over $13 million for the Fundy Trail connector roads, a transformational tourism project in my riding, which I have been championing since being elected.Could the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities please explain why projects like the Fundy Trail are so important to New Brunswick and to Atlantic Canada?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Fundy Royal for her ongoing efforts on this project.Our government is proud to support projects that connect communities, promote tourism, and support economic growth. Along with this project, we also announced 47 water projects and five transit projects in New Brunswick.We will continue to work with communities from coast to coast to coast to ensure that our new infrastructure meets their needs.
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, let me read a statement dated November 24, just two weeks ago, from the minister for fishy fundraisers: ...at events like this, government business is not discussed He was talking about a cash for access event involving the Prime Minister. We are now told that the Prime Minister did indeed discuss government business. How do we know this? It is because the host of the fundraiser himself said it was discussed.Does the minister wish to correct the record with regard to his November 24 statement, which we now know to be false?
Mr. Speaker, the procurement minister should talk to the Royal Canadian Air Force before she talks to Boeing.The Liberal government has relentlessly undermined our military leadership. This weekend, the procurement minister continued to contradict the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force. She attacked General Hood and torqued up the Liberals' rhetoric on the fake capability gap. As a matter of fact, reports and experts agree that a capability gap would only occur if the Liberals try to extend the life of our CF-18s past 2025.Instead of playing politics, why will the procurement minister not listen to the Royal Canadian Air Force? It is the expert.
Mr. Speaker, Wynn's law would require prosecutors to disclose the criminal history of bail applicants, closing a loophole that cost Constable David Wynn his life. The Minister of Justice opposes this common sense legislation.Will the minister tell Shelley Wynn, the widow of Constable Wynn, why she thinks it is okay for individuals to be let out on bail without their criminal history being disclosed? Why is the minister opposed to closing the loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life?
Mr. Speaker, if I were not laughing, I would be crying. The Minister of Democratic Institutions' new online questionnaire is extremely ridiculous and biased. This tool is so crude that nobody could possibly take it seriously.The Liberals managed to come up with a questionnaire on electoral reform that does not even mention the voting system. They ignored the issue. When they talk about diversity in Parliament, they try to scare people by playing up imaginary radical and extremist parties.Will the minister stand up and finally admit that the Liberals are not serious about this and will not change anything?
Mr. Speaker, the more we learn about the Prime Minister's cash for access fundraising practices, the worse it gets. We were all shocked when the Prime Minister first confessed that he was discussing business at these fundraisers. That is not only unethical, it is illegal. The Prime Minister discussed various issues at his events with Chinese billionaires, including changing Canadian investment rules to directly benefit them. The Prime Minister's job is to defend Canadians' interests, not to put them up for sale. When is he going to realize that this wrong?
Mr. Speaker, I certainly recognize the tragic circumstances with respect to Constable Wynn, and sympathies go out to the family. In terms of what we are doing, we are doing a review of the criminal justice system. We are working in a comprehensive and concerted way with the provinces and territories. I am familiar with the private member's bill, but by having discussions with the provinces and territories, we are proceeding in a way that recognizes that we need to work and coordinate together. That is what we are committed to doing. The measures that are articulated in this bill are measures that are in place at this time.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that the only government that stood up for the middle class is this government. The people on the other side voted against every measure we presented to defend the middle class in our country. They voted against cutting taxes for the middle class. They voted against the Canada child benefit. They voted against the CPP enhancement in this country. They voted against the GIS top-up for seniors. They voted against our measures for students in this country.Canadians know who is working for them. It is the government on this side of the House.
Mr. Speaker, I guess he does not wish to correct those false statements. That is reassuring.We have a government that makes the rules and then cheerfully breaks them, that claims to set new standards and then justifies its actions on the grounds that it did not technically do anything wrong, and that tells Parliament that attendees at these exclusive dinners do not discuss government business.By accusing the event host of lying, is the minister signalling plans to investigate? Or did someone else lie?
Mr. Speaker, I do talk to my chief military adviser General Vance. I do talk to the air force as well.Our government has commitments to NORAD and to NATO and to satisfy these commitments we cannot do this simultaneously. That is the capability gap that we talk about.The previous government knew about this gap but it never told Canadians about it and it did nothing about it. This is something we intend to fix.
Mr. Speaker, Chinese Anbang Insurance Group is trying to buy up the biggest retirement home chain in B.C. This deal will have to be approved by the Prime Minister and the cabinet. The Prime Minister has been caught being lobbied to approve this type of deal at, guess what, $1,500 cash for access fundraisers attended by wealthy Chinese investors. The Prime Minister can no longer stand behind his tired rhetoric of following the rules, when it is clear to everyone that every rule has been broken. When will the Prime Minister start following the rules?
Mr. Speaker, this week marks the sixth anniversary of the unanimous vote in the House of Commons in favour of a nuclear weapons convention. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, the Liberal government changed its position and voted against negotiations for such a convention.The United Nations is soon going to vote on this issue again. Will the Liberal government work with the international community and vote in favour of negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention?
Mr. Speaker, I will give the Minister of National Defence a hand and set out the facts.On April 14, 2016, General Hood said that the air force had enough CF-18s to carry out its duties until 2025. On November 15, 2016, Chief of Defence Staff General Vance said that the supposed capability gap was a false deduction. However, that was before the Liberals changed the rules five minutes before confirming the acquisition of the outdated Super Hornets and withdrew a report that contradicted their rationale. That is an outrage.When will the Liberals stop hiding the truth from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have heard this government loud and clear. It refuses to say whether or not it plans to tax health and dental benefits. Some 13.5 million Canadians will be affected by this bad Liberal measure. The Liberals are about to take another $3 billion out of the pockets of Canadian taxpayers.Once again, I ask the government, is there anyone in this House who can stand up and tell us clearly whether or not there will be a Liberal tax on these two things that will directly affect 13 million Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, there are 20,000 tweets mocking this minister's survey. The first rule of engagement the Liberals should learn is not to treat Canadians like they are stupid. Last week, the Minister of Democratic Institutions insulted our committee and the thousands of Canadians who participated with us in this process, because we were not specific enough for her. Yet today we see a pop-psych survey from this minister, and there is no mention of electoral systems whatsoever. Almost 90% of everyone who spoke to the committee recommended a proportional voting system. Yet the minister cannot even bring herself to put the word proportional in her survey.If the minister truly wants a clearer answer, why would she not simply ask the obvious questions?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has now lost 30,500 full-time jobs since the Prime Minister took office, and it is about to get a lot worse. While the Prime Minister continues to hike taxes and drive up the cost of doing business in Canada, the U.S. is going in the other direction. It is committed to cutting corporate taxes in half and lowering the price of energy.How many more Canadian jobs need to be lost before the Prime Minister wakes up to this new reality?
Mr. Speaker, the minister's first legislation dealing with gender equality for first nations is seriously flawed, and the minister must go back to the drawing board. It has really been mishandled, quite frankly from the beginning. In drafting the bill, she did not talk to the litigants and she did not do proper consultation. She was forced to apologize, publicly admitting that she was embarrassed at how her staff handled the file.Will the minister end her paternalistic approach and withdraw this piece of legislation?
Mr. Speaker, the minister just forgot to say that following those rules is important too. Quite a few Canadians were under the impression that the advent of a Liberal government meant an end to criminal records for simple possession of marijuana. The Liberals have been in power for over a year now, and they are still handing out criminal records by the thousand, especially to young people. The Prime Minister just urged the police to continue enforcing these archaic laws. This is causing young Canadians a lot of problems, so why does the government not put an end to that by decriminalizing marijuana right away?
Mr. Speaker, to reiterate, our government is committed to legalization, strict regulation, and restricting access to marijuana to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals. As the member opposite actually once said, it would be a mistake to simply decriminalize. We are entering into, and are going to undertake, a comprehensive review, taking recommendations from the task force in order to introduce legislation in the spring of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak again about our commitment to legalize marijuana with strict access and strict regulation.I am looking forward to receiving the report from the task force, which will contain recommendations about how we can move forward on this, understanding that it is our government that will decide.The ultimate objective of legalization of marijuana, restricting access via regulations, is to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals.
Mr. Speaker, they are very different. There was no Prime Minister Harper talking business to Chinese communists at Conservative fundraisers.The Prime Minister today may already be breaching sections 17 and 16, which the House leader may want to familiarize herself with, of the Conflict of Interest Act. The host of this fundraiser said that he did discuss government business with the Prime Minister and he told the Prime Minister what he wanted. Again, is the Prime Minister waiting for the RCMP to come knocking on his door before he stops this unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, on November 5, a private fishing vessel sank off the dock in Steveston Harbour in my riding of StevestonRichmond East. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard please tell the House about the response from the Coast Guard to limit pollution and remove the vessel from the water?
Mr. Speaker, I guess Toronto banks are keen to see Bill C-29 passed considering the minister of high finance is imposing closure. He is anxious to legalize hidden fees in Quebec, authorize misleading advertising, allow banks to change our contracts without our consent, and eliminate our recourse or any sanctions.How far is this government of banks prepared to go to quash consumer rights in Quebec to the benefit of high finance in Toronto?The day that Quebeckers no longer have rights, will they have to cut a cheque to the government, like the Chinese billionaires did?
Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement indicated that she did not intend to provide Canadians with the financial details of the contract to purchase Super Hornet fighter jets. She said that she wanted to talk to Boeing and the American government about it first.The minister suggested that her government has not yet entered into discussions with Boeing, which is rather unbelievable. What is worse, Canadians are being treated like a second-class third party in this transaction, even though the minister is accountable to Canadians and Canadians only.When will she rectify this situation and tell Canadians the unit price of the Super Hornets?
Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, the justice minister claimed her marijuana report had not been leaked, but two hours later, details of the leaked report were already appearing in the media. Both the National Post and The Globe and Mail quoted sources familiar with the report. The report has been leaked. Is the minister in on the deal or just incompetent?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. The committee tabled the report in the House on December 1. We are going to reflect on the report, and the government will respond.However, we all agree in the House that not enough Canadians are engaged in this conversation. There is an opportunity here for every Canadian. Fifteen million households have received an invitation in the mail asking them to be part of this historic conversation. We are counting on all members of the House to encourage their constituents to take part.
Mr. Speaker, I imagine the hon. member has taken the survey. I encourage all Canadians to participate in the survey. I thank all members of the House who have been participating and who have been sharing it on social media.An issue as important as electoral reform deserves to include all Canadians from all walks of life. That is why Canadians cannot only fill the questionnaire out online, but for those in rural and remote regions, for seniors, and for those who are not comfortable online, they are invited to take part by using the telephone.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Scarborough North for all his hard work and for hosting a conversation with his constituents, as well as all of the members of this House who did the same.Today we launched mydemocracy.ca. It will empower all Canadians to take part in a values-based conversation about their democracy, about the way they would like to be governed. The online engagement tool will complement the work of MPs, like the hon. member, as well as the members of the special committee. We encourage all Canadians to spend time this December taking part in the survey.
Mr. Speaker, I rise again to answer these allegations. To be clear, I have not seen the task force report. I will receive the task force report in the middle of December, along with my ministerial colleagues, along with every member of the House, along with the public. We will then review those recommendations and the government will put forward its legislation with respect to the legalization of marijuana.
Mr. Speaker, by approving these pipelines, Canada took a step forward in supporting thousands of good, middle-class, good-paying jobs. Unlike the previous government, which failed to get any real action over the past decade, we are protecting oceans and we are pricing carbon pollution, all while finding new markets for our resources. The party opposite has taken almost every possible position, indeed in both official languages, on pipelines.
Mr. Speaker, the only plan that seems to work for the Liberals is the marijuana plant. The economic plan certainly is not working.Canada has lost 30,000 jobs. The Liberals will tell us over and over again that they lowered taxes. What they have done is create future debt, promise money that they do not have, and create illusions. The United States wants to lower corporate taxes. When are the Liberals going to wake up and realize that their plan is not working?
Mr. Speaker, we may have some of the strictest fundraising rules in Canada, but the Prime Minister is breaking them every time he holds one of these events when he is talking about government business. He is actually selling access to himself, the most powerful person in government. Discussing government business to fill Liberal Party coffers is wrong, it is unethical, and it is actually illegal.When will the Prime Minister come to his senses and end this cash for access fundraising?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the close attention he pays to the rules. I can assure him that I am going to work very hard on my sunny ways, and I will promise to do better.
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General exposed that the government spent nearly $1 billion on its border programs, with no known results. Meanwhile, at the Blue Water Bridge, the government will not even come to the table after creating the first significant labour dispute in nearly 80 years of operation. Now, it is even hiring scabs and replacement workers, cracking down on families in Sarnia: a job well done. The result is that traffic is redirected, the roads are less safe, and there is lost revenue to a private American billionaire.Why is the government stiff-arming workers and families, putting public safety at risk, and increasing border conflict, instead of getting back to the table for the workers and their families?
Mr. Speaker, our goal is to convince those countries that have nuclear weapons to be at the table as part of disarmament discussions. We did that when we recently led a UN resolution supported by 177 states. Our resolution has a goal to stop the production of materials used to make nuclear weapons and rally nuclear and non-nuclear states alike toward the realization of a fissile material cut-off treaty. This is the realistic, pragmatic approach to nuclear disarmament and a major accomplishment.
Mr. Speaker, being on MyDemocracy.ca does not feel like a values-based approach. It feels like being on a dating website designed by Fidel Castro. No matter how hard one tries to be against the Prime Minister's preferred electoral system, the survey tells people that they really do support it. It is like magic. With this website, the government has finally found a way to resolve the problem of Canadians continuing to give Liberals the answers they do not want. Just do not ask those questions. For example, the questionnaire does not ask whether Canadians want a referendum. I wonder why that might be. Would it be because the Liberals do not want to know the answer to that particular question?
Mr. Speaker, last week, the justice minister denied there had been a leak of the marijuana report to Liberal friends, but after Rosy Mondin, a Liberal cannabis crony, donated the maximum allowed by law, she tweeted, Task-force report being presented to gov't today. Report won't be made public (yet) but hope to hear snippets.Is the Liberal Party selling insider information to people willing to pay cash for access?
Mr. Speaker, our government is working very hard for Canadians. We have undertaken an unprecedented level of public consultation in order to respond to the real challenges Canadians are facing. As the hon. member knows, when it comes to fundraising we have some of the strictest rules in Canada. Our party is following the rules.
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we are not dreaming, we are taking action. Canadians across the country know that. Why? It is because we reduced taxes for 9 million Canadians. We are doing tangible things to help Canadians.We introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families. We have improved the lives of Canada's seniors, first nations, and youth. Canadians know that the people on this side of the House are working for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that the softwood lumber agreement expired under the former government and that the latter did nothing to reopen negotiations with our American partners.Canada is prepared for any eventuality and we will vigorously defend the interests of Canadian workers and producers. In the past, the courts have always ruled in our favour and we are convinced that they will continue to do so.The minister continued negotiating with Ambassador Froman on the weekend and we are looking for a good agreement for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that traffic is moving on the Blue Water Bridge, and I can also inform the member, of course, that the Blue Water Bridge is under the responsibility of the Federal Bridge Corporation. It is responsible for the operation of the bridge, and that also includes labour relations.We are certainly following the situation very carefully. What we want to ensure is that traffic continues to move safely, which is the case at the moment.
Mr. Speaker, again, this gives me an opportunity to rise to recognize that the task force submitted the report on November 30. That report is being translated. I have not seen the report, nor has anyone else among my ministerial colleagues. The report will be presented in the middle of December. I am very thankful for the work of the task force which, in a concentrated manner, over the course of over six months, has put together the report that will provide recommendations that will assist us in moving forward with legislation.
Mr. Speaker, an attendee of the Liberal Party fundraiser on November 7 said that he spoke directly to the Prime Minister about government business for the price of a $1,500 contribution. However, Liberal Party ethics rules state that Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and their staff should not discuss departmental business at any fundraising event, and should refer any person who wishes to discuss departmental business to make an appointment.Can the Prime Minister confirm that he never discussed government business during that fundraiser?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that he is talking to another little guy from Shawinigan.I speak for the people from the regions and Quebeckers, as do the 40 members who come from Quebec. In Marcotte we were asked to clarify the provisions in effect in order to protect Canadian consumers across the country. That is precisely what we did, but we also took the opportunity to modernize and simplify the legislation in the interest of consumers in Quebec and across the country.I invite the hon. member to read the bill. He might learn something.
Mr. Speaker, issues of registration, membership, and citizenship go to the heart of identity in community. Bill S-3 will correct known sex-based discrimination in Indian registration. We know that a real conversation needs to happen on these issues. That is why I have committed to launching a formal consultation on registration, membership, and citizenship early next year to deal with the other issues that are not in this bill. I look forward to hearing from communities from coast to coast to coast. I am committed to finding a real reform forward, but right now 35,000 people can get their rights if this bill goes through, and
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the member that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes on the middle class, and the people on the other side voted against it.Finance Canada is in the process of reviewing our tax system as a whole, specifically a tax expenditure to ensure tax fairness for the middle class and simplification of the tax code. We are not looking at any tax expenditure measures in isolation. We are looking at the tax system as a whole to ensure fairness, simplicity, and efficiency across the board. No decision has been made, since we are still very much in the midst of the process and are still consulting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. This government will continue to follow the rules. When we work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and we follow the rules, no conflict of interest can exist. The member knows that very well. What is clear is that the methods the previous government took and the ones that we are taking are very different because we follow the rules.
Mr. Speaker, our government has made significant changes to make our tax system more progressive for the middle class. We are going to keep making important decisions to improve conditions for the middle class.We are doing that because we understand that we cannot have a strong economy without a strong middle class. The previous government did not get that. For 10 years, Canada's middle class fell behind. We are standing with them to build an economy that grows.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are well aware that, if any government is known for creating new taxes, it is the Liberal government.This government dreamed up the Liberal carbon tax and the new Canada pension plan payroll taxes, and now it is inventing a new tax on health and dental benefits. That is completely unacceptable.Can someone in this government rise and clearly tell Canadians that there will not be a tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, consumers whose credit card is stolen are liable for, at most, $50. That is the law. At the federal level, the credit card issuer can stipulate liability in the contract. If Bill C-29 passes, banks will have free rein to demand that clients pay back every penny spent by a credit card thief.Does the minister of high finance see the difference between being protected by the law and being at the mercy of the banks?
Mr. Speaker, we are making Canada's tax system fairer and more progressive. We have raised taxes on the top 1% so that we could cut taxes for the middle class, and beyond that, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which will mean that the average family will receive $2,300 more tax free. That will raise 300,000 Canadian kids out of poverty.We, as a government, are acting to make Canada's system fairer and more progressive and to help Canada's middle class and those working so hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, the problem is the Prime Minister's arrogance toward protesters.Let us talk about that arrogance. Last week, the Minister of Natural Resources suggested that the government would call in the armed forces and the police to deal with people protesting the Kinder Morgan pipeline. What a thing to say.This statement is clearly a threat against the right to peaceful protest guaranteed by the charter, and specifically against first nations activists. This comes after we have learned that the RCMP has previously spied on indigenous activists. Will the minister apologize and reassure this House that the government will protect the right to peaceful protest?
Mr. Speaker, they are working so hard, that is for sure. In the most recent budget, the Liberals cut tax breaks for small businesses and for families. Afterward, they announced Canada Pension Plan increases and the introduction of a carbon tax, which will cost families thousands of dollars each year. Now they want to tax drug and dental plans.Can the Prime Minister tell Canadians what he intends to tax more to pay for his out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise a point of order about a breach in the rules of the House. We recognize, Mr. Speaker, that you have a challenging job, and it is made particularly challenging when a member breaks the rules of the House in a way that is designed to play to the camera and escape the Speaker's notice. This is something that I do not think came to the attention of members until it appeared in the news.The rules of the House clearly forbid the use of props. In fact, the Speaker recently reminded members specifically of this rule. However, what happened within the House last week is that a minister of the government, during questions, was holding up her notes as if pretending to use her notes. However, by all indications intentionally, on the backside of those notes was a very large icon. The minister was positioned such that the icon was clearly visible to the cameras, even though it was not visible to the Speaker. We know that this is a flagrant violation of the rules of the House. It involves the use of props. This was taken by the Minister of Democratic Institutions, who is supposed to be defending our institutions. In fact, it was done in a way designed to escape notice, showing a complete disregard for them. I do not know if this was her idea or something she was asked to do by the Prime Minister's Office, but this is clearly unacceptable, clearly a violation of the rules of the House, and the member needs to be brought to order.
Mr. Speaker, there is not a tax the Liberals do not like. What do they not understand? Taxing 13.5 million Canadians on their health benefits is yet another financial burden. The Liberals are attacking hardworking Canadian families. First, they took away the children's fitness tax credit, then they took the children's art tax credit, then the text book tax credit, and now they want to charge Canadian families and seniors another tax.The Liberals continue to exploit the middle class to solve their own financial problems. When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadians and stop their plans for this new health care tax?
Mr. Speaker, as I just said a moment ago, we are in the process of reviewing the Income Tax Act in its entirety, to make it more acceptable from a fiscal standpoint and ensure fairness for all Canadians.My colleague even mentioned the millions of Canadians we have helped. I would remind the member that he voted against a measure that helped 9 million Canadians when we lowered taxes for the middle class. He voted against the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of ten families. He voted against measures that we introduced to support students in this country. He voted against measures for seniors. Canadians know that the only
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister always follows the rules and the member knows very well when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. The member knows very well that the rules clearly state that only Canadians can donate to a Canadian political party.
Mr. Speaker, I think we recognize that every member in this House can always do better. I listened to what the member opposite has shared. We are all here to follow the rules. We know that last week we had the opposition House leader rip up a piece of paper. I think we can all raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, the government recently put into legislation Bill C-33, which the Minister of Democratic Institutions said would break down barriers to voting. This is extremely important, but the legislation left out important aspects for people living with disabilities. They still face significant barriers when it comes to participating in elections, including access to qualified assistance during the act of voting itself. Will the minister keep her word to people living with disabilities and commit to addressing these issues?
Mr. Speaker, he should say that to the people in Quebec's regions who keep contacting our offices because they do not know who to talk to in the government, now that there is no longer a Quebec lieutenant or a minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.Let us come back to softwood lumber. Again last week, it was confirmed that in 2006, it was thanks to the leadership of former prime minister Harper that the matter was resolved. It was our American partners who said that.We are not seeing that leadership now. In fact, this issue was not even mentioned in the mandate letter of the Minister of International Trade. There is not a peep about it, but it is important to us.Will they be able to resolve the issue?
Mr. Speaker, by her reaction to the special committees report, the Minister of Democratic Institutions has made it quite clear that Liberal interests matter more than democratic interests. It is Liberal interests that also matter more with respect to political party financing, with $1,500 cocktails to gain exclusive access to the Prime Minister. Instead of playing the same worn out old record and feeding cynicism, will the minister restore public funding for political parties based on the votes received or not?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are at it again. Apparently they do not think Canadians are paying enough taxes. Now they are introducing a health care tax.News reports have revealed that the Liberals are now looking to raise $2.9 billion by taxing Canadians' health care and dental plans. Do the Liberals not have any shame? They are now forcing Canadians to pay more for dental care and essential health care services.When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadian families and stop charging them more for essential health and dental care?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform, and I can assure him that our government is working hard to strengthen the fairness and the openness of our democratic institutions.To this end, we recently introduced legislation in this House to engage more Canadians in the voting process and to enhance the integrity of our system. Our ultimate goal with reform is to foster a more inclusive and engaged Canada. We are looking forward to addressing all the recommendations that the Chief Electoral Officer shared with us and with the committee. We will be introducing legislation in this House soon.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development knows full well that the measure that people look at is the number of full-time jobs created. We have lost 30,500 full-time jobs, and the government, the parliamentary secretary, and the Prime Minister have not created one additional full-time job since coming into office. Now we hear he also wants to tax the health and dental benefits provided by employers, which will mean working Canadians will have to pay even more income tax. Can the Prime Minister now promise in the House that he is not going to tax the health and dental benefits that 13.5 million Canadians rely on?
Mr. Speaker, we will speak on behalf of consumers.For my hon. colleague's sake, I would like to review the consumer protection principles underlying Bill C-29. I am sure he will agree with me. The first principle states that basic banking services should be accessible to all; disclosure of information should enable an institution's customers and members of the public to make informed financial decisions; an institution's customers and members of the public should be treated fairly; and complaints processes should be impartial, transparent, and dynamic. That is what it means to protect Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister led many Canadians to believe that under a Liberal government, the recreational use of marijuana would no longer be a crime.He used to say very clearly that the current war on marijuana is not working. Well, a year after forming government, he has not only refused to decriminalize possession but he is now urging police to enforce all marijuana laws. He is urging police to crack down on recreational users.How did the guy who once thought the war on pot was not working become its most enthusiastic general?
Mr. Speaker, I am pretty sure that the member opposite is not implying that the Prime Minister would be breaking the law, and if the member is saying it, there is a better place, which would be outside this chamber, to make such an accusation.When it comes to the fundraising rules
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister does not care one iota about his own ethical guidelines. They are a prop for him and a joke. Everyone knows that. The Prime Minister openly and blatantly takes donations for the Liberals and in return does favours for wealthy individuals so that they can make more money. Everybody gets some grease and the Liberal gravy train rolls on. What will it take for the Prime Minister to have any respect for any laws in this country that may curb his out-of-control behavioura knock on the door from the Ethics Commissioner or maybe the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the truth here. The NORAD commitments and the NATO commitments were commitments made as a nation and every government that comes into power is obligated to meet those expectations. We are not willing to risk manage the gap. We are not willing to risk manage both our NORAD and NATO commitments simultaneously. We are going to make sure that we have aircraft available for any unforeseen situations. If anybody thinks we cannot have any unforeseen situations, 9/11 was that time. We are going to make sure we fix this gap.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said he wanted to create good jobs for young people, but in 2016, he is siding with his Minister of Finance, who said that young people will have to get used to job churn. In 2015, he told young people that the Kinder Morgan environmental assessment process needed to be reviewed, but in 2016, he approved the pipeline with Mr. Harper's dismantled environmental assessment process. Then the Prime Minister is surprised to see young people protesting in Toronto or Ottawa. Instead of being so condescending, when will the Minister of Youth listen to young people and keep his own promises?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the special committee on electoral reform.Research around the world shows, as does the report from the committee, that the best way to have an inclusive and accessible conversation about electoral reform with the citizenry is through a values-based approach. Should there be more diversity in this House? Should there be smaller parties representing a diverse range of voices, or should we have larger parties representing a broad set of perspectives? Should voting be mandatory and online? These are the questions
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise on this traditional Algonquin territory to talk about a new initiative we launched this morning. Mydemocracy.ca is a new, engaging initiative that will allow all Canadians to have an opportunity to have a say in this conversation. As of just a few hours ago, over 8,000 unique users have participated in this conversation about the values they find most dear to them. We look forward to hearing from many more over the course of this month.
Mr. Speaker, on October 19 in the House, someone said: What we did was form a committee that is going to make thoughtful, responsible recommendations, and we are going to pay very close attention to what comes out of the work done by that committee... Who said that? The Prime Minister himself. The experts, the people, and the committee, which was very clear in its report, agree: if the government wishes to change the voting system, it must hold a referendum. When will the minister get it? Will she hold a referendum on the voting system, or will she just do as she herself sees fit?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from StevestonRichmond East for his important work in promoting the safe use of Steveston Harbour and the investments he announced on behalf of our government last summer.I can confirm to the member that events like this often represent a significant environmental threat to local communities. When the Coast Guard staff received the report of this sunken vessel, it took immediate action to protect the marine environment from pollution. The vessel's owner was identified, but could not respond to the incident. Therefore, the Coast Guard assumed command, and within 24 hours the ship was safely out of the water.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team that includes about 40 members from across Quebec who are working hard for their constituents.Let us talk about action our government is taking in Quebec. We invested over $290 million in CED, and we are helping over 384 businesses and organizations grow through CED. Our government is committed to promoting innovation, fostering the growth of businesses, and developing a clean economy that benefits everyone.
Mr. Speaker, the right to peaceful protest is a foundation of our rights and freedoms in Canada. As a government, we respect that right. We confirmed that in our election platform.As the Prime Minister has said, we would not have approved these projects if they did not meet the highest standards of environmental protection and did not carry the support of Canadians. Our goal right now is to make sure that the projects move forward in order to create jobs and build a cleaner, brighter future for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I have told the House several times, we have the strictest fundraising rules in the country. The Chief Electoral Officer also states that Canadian election financing laws are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Fundy Royal for her ongoing efforts on this project.Our government is proud to support projects that connect communities, promote tourism, and support economic growth. Along with this project, we also announced 47 water projects and five transit projects in New Brunswick.We will continue to work with communities from coast to coast to coast to ensure that our new infrastructure meets their needs.
Mr. Speaker, since we formed government, along with industry we have helped create 183,200 jobs from coast to coast to coast. For example, GM Canada is investing in up to 1,000 new engineering and high-tech software positions. Do members know what the GM executive VP of global product development said? He said, We selected Canada for this expansion because of its clear capacity for innovation, proven talent and strong ecosystem of great universities, startups and innovative suppliers. That is why companies are investing in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share with the House that last Friday I had the pleasure of announcing over $13 million for the Fundy Trail connector roads, a transformational tourism project in my riding, which I have been championing since being elected.Could the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities please explain why projects like the Fundy Trail are so important to New Brunswick and to Atlantic Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we are going to do what is in the best interests of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We are going to have an interim fleet that is going to make sure that our men and women have the equipment they need to do the job expected of them so that we can fill the capability gap. When we are in position to talk about the cost, we will do that. We have an idea what the cost is going to be but nobody shows their hand before negotiations actually are completed.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate once again the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind all members of Parliament and Canadians that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer said this to Canadians when he stated very clearly that when it comes to fundraising, they are the most strict, constrained and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, in October I had the pleasure of engaging with constituents in my riding of Scarborough North on the topic of electoral reform, building on the work of MPs who led town halls, the cross-country tour of the minister and her parliamentary secretary, and the work of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions please inform this House on the way forward for our national conversation on electoral reform?
Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of sincerity that I repeat what I said in this House on Friday. On Thursday, I used words that I did not intend to use. Also, the member addresses a valid point. I apologize, and I can promise that for as long as I can remember, I will be sure to do better every day in this House.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House many times, when it comes to fundraising, Canada has some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer stated that Canada's political financing laws are the most advanced and constrained and transparent in the world. This government has undertaken unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We will continue to engage with Canadians to do the good work they expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict laws across this country. Even the Chief Electoral Officer has said that they are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world. This government will continue to follow the laws, and we will continue to do the good work Canadians expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across this country.This government will continue to follow the laws so that we can continue to do the good work we are doing for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for the opportunity to talk about Bill C-33, but also about the passion I have for making sure that more persons with disabilities and exceptionalities have an opportunity to participate in their democratic processes. The Chief Electoral Officer in his report following the 2015 election made excellent recommendations. I met with his advisory body on persons with disabilities with our own Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities and I connected with advocates across the country. I am committed to making sure that we address this and I look forward to working with the committee members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to address this too.
Mr. Speaker, let me read a statement dated November 24, just two weeks ago, from the minister for fishy fundraisers: ...at events like this, government business is not discussed He was talking about a cash for access event involving the Prime Minister. We are now told that the Prime Minister did indeed discuss government business. How do we know this? It is because the host of the fundraiser himself said it was discussed.Does the minister wish to correct the record with regard to his November 24 statement, which we now know to be false?
Mr. Speaker, the procurement minister should talk to the Royal Canadian Air Force before she talks to Boeing.The Liberal government has relentlessly undermined our military leadership. This weekend, the procurement minister continued to contradict the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force. She attacked General Hood and torqued up the Liberals' rhetoric on the fake capability gap. As a matter of fact, reports and experts agree that a capability gap would only occur if the Liberals try to extend the life of our CF-18s past 2025.Instead of playing politics, why will the procurement minister not listen to the Royal Canadian Air Force? It is the expert.
Mr. Speaker, Wynn's law would require prosecutors to disclose the criminal history of bail applicants, closing a loophole that cost Constable David Wynn his life. The Minister of Justice opposes this common sense legislation.Will the minister tell Shelley Wynn, the widow of Constable Wynn, why she thinks it is okay for individuals to be let out on bail without their criminal history being disclosed? Why is the minister opposed to closing the loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life?
Mr. Speaker, if I were not laughing, I would be crying. The Minister of Democratic Institutions' new online questionnaire is extremely ridiculous and biased. This tool is so crude that nobody could possibly take it seriously.The Liberals managed to come up with a questionnaire on electoral reform that does not even mention the voting system. They ignored the issue. When they talk about diversity in Parliament, they try to scare people by playing up imaginary radical and extremist parties.Will the minister stand up and finally admit that the Liberals are not serious about this and will not change anything?
Mr. Speaker, the more we learn about the Prime Minister's cash for access fundraising practices, the worse it gets. We were all shocked when the Prime Minister first confessed that he was discussing business at these fundraisers. That is not only unethical, it is illegal. The Prime Minister discussed various issues at his events with Chinese billionaires, including changing Canadian investment rules to directly benefit them. The Prime Minister's job is to defend Canadians' interests, not to put them up for sale. When is he going to realize that this wrong?
Mr. Speaker, I certainly recognize the tragic circumstances with respect to Constable Wynn, and sympathies go out to the family. In terms of what we are doing, we are doing a review of the criminal justice system. We are working in a comprehensive and concerted way with the provinces and territories. I am familiar with the private member's bill, but by having discussions with the provinces and territories, we are proceeding in a way that recognizes that we need to work and coordinate together. That is what we are committed to doing. The measures that are articulated in this bill are measures that are in place at this time.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that the only government that stood up for the middle class is this government. The people on the other side voted against every measure we presented to defend the middle class in our country. They voted against cutting taxes for the middle class. They voted against the Canada child benefit. They voted against the CPP enhancement in this country. They voted against the GIS top-up for seniors. They voted against our measures for students in this country.Canadians know who is working for them. It is the government on this side of the House.
Mr. Speaker, I guess he does not wish to correct those false statements. That is reassuring.We have a government that makes the rules and then cheerfully breaks them, that claims to set new standards and then justifies its actions on the grounds that it did not technically do anything wrong, and that tells Parliament that attendees at these exclusive dinners do not discuss government business.By accusing the event host of lying, is the minister signalling plans to investigate? Or did someone else lie?
Mr. Speaker, I do talk to my chief military adviser General Vance. I do talk to the air force as well.Our government has commitments to NORAD and to NATO and to satisfy these commitments we cannot do this simultaneously. That is the capability gap that we talk about.The previous government knew about this gap but it never told Canadians about it and it did nothing about it. This is something we intend to fix.
Mr. Speaker, Chinese Anbang Insurance Group is trying to buy up the biggest retirement home chain in B.C. This deal will have to be approved by the Prime Minister and the cabinet. The Prime Minister has been caught being lobbied to approve this type of deal at, guess what, $1,500 cash for access fundraisers attended by wealthy Chinese investors. The Prime Minister can no longer stand behind his tired rhetoric of following the rules, when it is clear to everyone that every rule has been broken. When will the Prime Minister start following the rules?
Mr. Speaker, this week marks the sixth anniversary of the unanimous vote in the House of Commons in favour of a nuclear weapons convention. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, the Liberal government changed its position and voted against negotiations for such a convention.The United Nations is soon going to vote on this issue again. Will the Liberal government work with the international community and vote in favour of negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention?
Mr. Speaker, I will give the Minister of National Defence a hand and set out the facts.On April 14, 2016, General Hood said that the air force had enough CF-18s to carry out its duties until 2025. On November 15, 2016, Chief of Defence Staff General Vance said that the supposed capability gap was a false deduction. However, that was before the Liberals changed the rules five minutes before confirming the acquisition of the outdated Super Hornets and withdrew a report that contradicted their rationale. That is an outrage.When will the Liberals stop hiding the truth from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have heard this government loud and clear. It refuses to say whether or not it plans to tax health and dental benefits. Some 13.5 million Canadians will be affected by this bad Liberal measure. The Liberals are about to take another $3 billion out of the pockets of Canadian taxpayers.Once again, I ask the government, is there anyone in this House who can stand up and tell us clearly whether or not there will be a Liberal tax on these two things that will directly affect 13 million Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, there are 20,000 tweets mocking this minister's survey. The first rule of engagement the Liberals should learn is not to treat Canadians like they are stupid. Last week, the Minister of Democratic Institutions insulted our committee and the thousands of Canadians who participated with us in this process, because we were not specific enough for her. Yet today we see a pop-psych survey from this minister, and there is no mention of electoral systems whatsoever. Almost 90% of everyone who spoke to the committee recommended a proportional voting system. Yet the minister cannot even bring herself to put the word proportional in her survey.If the minister truly wants a clearer answer, why would she not simply ask the obvious questions?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has now lost 30,500 full-time jobs since the Prime Minister took office, and it is about to get a lot worse. While the Prime Minister continues to hike taxes and drive up the cost of doing business in Canada, the U.S. is going in the other direction. It is committed to cutting corporate taxes in half and lowering the price of energy.How many more Canadian jobs need to be lost before the Prime Minister wakes up to this new reality?
Mr. Speaker, the minister's first legislation dealing with gender equality for first nations is seriously flawed, and the minister must go back to the drawing board. It has really been mishandled, quite frankly from the beginning. In drafting the bill, she did not talk to the litigants and she did not do proper consultation. She was forced to apologize, publicly admitting that she was embarrassed at how her staff handled the file.Will the minister end her paternalistic approach and withdraw this piece of legislation?
Mr. Speaker, the minister just forgot to say that following those rules is important too. Quite a few Canadians were under the impression that the advent of a Liberal government meant an end to criminal records for simple possession of marijuana. The Liberals have been in power for over a year now, and they are still handing out criminal records by the thousand, especially to young people. The Prime Minister just urged the police to continue enforcing these archaic laws. This is causing young Canadians a lot of problems, so why does the government not put an end to that by decriminalizing marijuana right away?
Mr. Speaker, to reiterate, our government is committed to legalization, strict regulation, and restricting access to marijuana to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals. As the member opposite actually once said, it would be a mistake to simply decriminalize. We are entering into, and are going to undertake, a comprehensive review, taking recommendations from the task force in order to introduce legislation in the spring of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak again about our commitment to legalize marijuana with strict access and strict regulation.I am looking forward to receiving the report from the task force, which will contain recommendations about how we can move forward on this, understanding that it is our government that will decide.The ultimate objective of legalization of marijuana, restricting access via regulations, is to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals.
Mr. Speaker, they are very different. There was no Prime Minister Harper talking business to Chinese communists at Conservative fundraisers.The Prime Minister today may already be breaching sections 17 and 16, which the House leader may want to familiarize herself with, of the Conflict of Interest Act. The host of this fundraiser said that he did discuss government business with the Prime Minister and he told the Prime Minister what he wanted. Again, is the Prime Minister waiting for the RCMP to come knocking on his door before he stops this unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, on November 5, a private fishing vessel sank off the dock in Steveston Harbour in my riding of StevestonRichmond East. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard please tell the House about the response from the Coast Guard to limit pollution and remove the vessel from the water?
Mr. Speaker, I guess Toronto banks are keen to see Bill C-29 passed considering the minister of high finance is imposing closure. He is anxious to legalize hidden fees in Quebec, authorize misleading advertising, allow banks to change our contracts without our consent, and eliminate our recourse or any sanctions.How far is this government of banks prepared to go to quash consumer rights in Quebec to the benefit of high finance in Toronto?The day that Quebeckers no longer have rights, will they have to cut a cheque to the government, like the Chinese billionaires did?
Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement indicated that she did not intend to provide Canadians with the financial details of the contract to purchase Super Hornet fighter jets. She said that she wanted to talk to Boeing and the American government about it first.The minister suggested that her government has not yet entered into discussions with Boeing, which is rather unbelievable. What is worse, Canadians are being treated like a second-class third party in this transaction, even though the minister is accountable to Canadians and Canadians only.When will she rectify this situation and tell Canadians the unit price of the Super Hornets?
Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, the justice minister claimed her marijuana report had not been leaked, but two hours later, details of the leaked report were already appearing in the media. Both the National Post and The Globe and Mail quoted sources familiar with the report. The report has been leaked. Is the minister in on the deal or just incompetent?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. The committee tabled the report in the House on December 1. We are going to reflect on the report, and the government will respond.However, we all agree in the House that not enough Canadians are engaged in this conversation. There is an opportunity here for every Canadian. Fifteen million households have received an invitation in the mail asking them to be part of this historic conversation. We are counting on all members of the House to encourage their constituents to take part.
Mr. Speaker, I imagine the hon. member has taken the survey. I encourage all Canadians to participate in the survey. I thank all members of the House who have been participating and who have been sharing it on social media.An issue as important as electoral reform deserves to include all Canadians from all walks of life. That is why Canadians cannot only fill the questionnaire out online, but for those in rural and remote regions, for seniors, and for those who are not comfortable online, they are invited to take part by using the telephone.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Scarborough North for all his hard work and for hosting a conversation with his constituents, as well as all of the members of this House who did the same.Today we launched mydemocracy.ca. It will empower all Canadians to take part in a values-based conversation about their democracy, about the way they would like to be governed. The online engagement tool will complement the work of MPs, like the hon. member, as well as the members of the special committee. We encourage all Canadians to spend time this December taking part in the survey.
Mr. Speaker, I rise again to answer these allegations. To be clear, I have not seen the task force report. I will receive the task force report in the middle of December, along with my ministerial colleagues, along with every member of the House, along with the public. We will then review those recommendations and the government will put forward its legislation with respect to the legalization of marijuana.
Mr. Speaker, by approving these pipelines, Canada took a step forward in supporting thousands of good, middle-class, good-paying jobs. Unlike the previous government, which failed to get any real action over the past decade, we are protecting oceans and we are pricing carbon pollution, all while finding new markets for our resources. The party opposite has taken almost every possible position, indeed in both official languages, on pipelines.
Mr. Speaker, the only plan that seems to work for the Liberals is the marijuana plant. The economic plan certainly is not working.Canada has lost 30,000 jobs. The Liberals will tell us over and over again that they lowered taxes. What they have done is create future debt, promise money that they do not have, and create illusions. The United States wants to lower corporate taxes. When are the Liberals going to wake up and realize that their plan is not working?
Mr. Speaker, we may have some of the strictest fundraising rules in Canada, but the Prime Minister is breaking them every time he holds one of these events when he is talking about government business. He is actually selling access to himself, the most powerful person in government. Discussing government business to fill Liberal Party coffers is wrong, it is unethical, and it is actually illegal.When will the Prime Minister come to his senses and end this cash for access fundraising?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the close attention he pays to the rules. I can assure him that I am going to work very hard on my sunny ways, and I will promise to do better.
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General exposed that the government spent nearly $1 billion on its border programs, with no known results. Meanwhile, at the Blue Water Bridge, the government will not even come to the table after creating the first significant labour dispute in nearly 80 years of operation. Now, it is even hiring scabs and replacement workers, cracking down on families in Sarnia: a job well done. The result is that traffic is redirected, the roads are less safe, and there is lost revenue to a private American billionaire.Why is the government stiff-arming workers and families, putting public safety at risk, and increasing border conflict, instead of getting back to the table for the workers and their families?
Mr. Speaker, our goal is to convince those countries that have nuclear weapons to be at the table as part of disarmament discussions. We did that when we recently led a UN resolution supported by 177 states. Our resolution has a goal to stop the production of materials used to make nuclear weapons and rally nuclear and non-nuclear states alike toward the realization of a fissile material cut-off treaty. This is the realistic, pragmatic approach to nuclear disarmament and a major accomplishment.
Mr. Speaker, being on MyDemocracy.ca does not feel like a values-based approach. It feels like being on a dating website designed by Fidel Castro. No matter how hard one tries to be against the Prime Minister's preferred electoral system, the survey tells people that they really do support it. It is like magic. With this website, the government has finally found a way to resolve the problem of Canadians continuing to give Liberals the answers they do not want. Just do not ask those questions. For example, the questionnaire does not ask whether Canadians want a referendum. I wonder why that might be. Would it be because the Liberals do not want to know the answer to that particular question?
Mr. Speaker, last week, the justice minister denied there had been a leak of the marijuana report to Liberal friends, but after Rosy Mondin, a Liberal cannabis crony, donated the maximum allowed by law, she tweeted, Task-force report being presented to gov't today. Report won't be made public (yet) but hope to hear snippets.Is the Liberal Party selling insider information to people willing to pay cash for access?
Mr. Speaker, our government is working very hard for Canadians. We have undertaken an unprecedented level of public consultation in order to respond to the real challenges Canadians are facing. As the hon. member knows, when it comes to fundraising we have some of the strictest rules in Canada. Our party is following the rules.
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we are not dreaming, we are taking action. Canadians across the country know that. Why? It is because we reduced taxes for 9 million Canadians. We are doing tangible things to help Canadians.We introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families. We have improved the lives of Canada's seniors, first nations, and youth. Canadians know that the people on this side of the House are working for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that the softwood lumber agreement expired under the former government and that the latter did nothing to reopen negotiations with our American partners.Canada is prepared for any eventuality and we will vigorously defend the interests of Canadian workers and producers. In the past, the courts have always ruled in our favour and we are convinced that they will continue to do so.The minister continued negotiating with Ambassador Froman on the weekend and we are looking for a good agreement for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that traffic is moving on the Blue Water Bridge, and I can also inform the member, of course, that the Blue Water Bridge is under the responsibility of the Federal Bridge Corporation. It is responsible for the operation of the bridge, and that also includes labour relations.We are certainly following the situation very carefully. What we want to ensure is that traffic continues to move safely, which is the case at the moment.
Mr. Speaker, again, this gives me an opportunity to rise to recognize that the task force submitted the report on November 30. That report is being translated. I have not seen the report, nor has anyone else among my ministerial colleagues. The report will be presented in the middle of December. I am very thankful for the work of the task force which, in a concentrated manner, over the course of over six months, has put together the report that will provide recommendations that will assist us in moving forward with legislation.
Mr. Speaker, an attendee of the Liberal Party fundraiser on November 7 said that he spoke directly to the Prime Minister about government business for the price of a $1,500 contribution. However, Liberal Party ethics rules state that Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and their staff should not discuss departmental business at any fundraising event, and should refer any person who wishes to discuss departmental business to make an appointment.Can the Prime Minister confirm that he never discussed government business during that fundraiser?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that he is talking to another little guy from Shawinigan.I speak for the people from the regions and Quebeckers, as do the 40 members who come from Quebec. In Marcotte we were asked to clarify the provisions in effect in order to protect Canadian consumers across the country. That is precisely what we did, but we also took the opportunity to modernize and simplify the legislation in the interest of consumers in Quebec and across the country.I invite the hon. member to read the bill. He might learn something.
Mr. Speaker, issues of registration, membership, and citizenship go to the heart of identity in community. Bill S-3 will correct known sex-based discrimination in Indian registration. We know that a real conversation needs to happen on these issues. That is why I have committed to launching a formal consultation on registration, membership, and citizenship early next year to deal with the other issues that are not in this bill. I look forward to hearing from communities from coast to coast to coast. I am committed to finding a real reform forward, but right now 35,000 people can get their rights if this bill goes through, and
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the member that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes on the middle class, and the people on the other side voted against it.Finance Canada is in the process of reviewing our tax system as a whole, specifically a tax expenditure to ensure tax fairness for the middle class and simplification of the tax code. We are not looking at any tax expenditure measures in isolation. We are looking at the tax system as a whole to ensure fairness, simplicity, and efficiency across the board. No decision has been made, since we are still very much in the midst of the process and are still consulting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. This government will continue to follow the rules. When we work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and we follow the rules, no conflict of interest can exist. The member knows that very well. What is clear is that the methods the previous government took and the ones that we are taking are very different because we follow the rules.
Mr. Speaker, our government has made significant changes to make our tax system more progressive for the middle class. We are going to keep making important decisions to improve conditions for the middle class.We are doing that because we understand that we cannot have a strong economy without a strong middle class. The previous government did not get that. For 10 years, Canada's middle class fell behind. We are standing with them to build an economy that grows.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are well aware that, if any government is known for creating new taxes, it is the Liberal government.This government dreamed up the Liberal carbon tax and the new Canada pension plan payroll taxes, and now it is inventing a new tax on health and dental benefits. That is completely unacceptable.Can someone in this government rise and clearly tell Canadians that there will not be a tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, consumers whose credit card is stolen are liable for, at most, $50. That is the law. At the federal level, the credit card issuer can stipulate liability in the contract. If Bill C-29 passes, banks will have free rein to demand that clients pay back every penny spent by a credit card thief.Does the minister of high finance see the difference between being protected by the law and being at the mercy of the banks?
Mr. Speaker, we are making Canada's tax system fairer and more progressive. We have raised taxes on the top 1% so that we could cut taxes for the middle class, and beyond that, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which will mean that the average family will receive $2,300 more tax free. That will raise 300,000 Canadian kids out of poverty.We, as a government, are acting to make Canada's system fairer and more progressive and to help Canada's middle class and those working so hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, the problem is the Prime Minister's arrogance toward protesters.Let us talk about that arrogance. Last week, the Minister of Natural Resources suggested that the government would call in the armed forces and the police to deal with people protesting the Kinder Morgan pipeline. What a thing to say.This statement is clearly a threat against the right to peaceful protest guaranteed by the charter, and specifically against first nations activists. This comes after we have learned that the RCMP has previously spied on indigenous activists. Will the minister apologize and reassure this House that the government will protect the right to peaceful protest?
Mr. Speaker, they are working so hard, that is for sure. In the most recent budget, the Liberals cut tax breaks for small businesses and for families. Afterward, they announced Canada Pension Plan increases and the introduction of a carbon tax, which will cost families thousands of dollars each year. Now they want to tax drug and dental plans.Can the Prime Minister tell Canadians what he intends to tax more to pay for his out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise a point of order about a breach in the rules of the House. We recognize, Mr. Speaker, that you have a challenging job, and it is made particularly challenging when a member breaks the rules of the House in a way that is designed to play to the camera and escape the Speaker's notice. This is something that I do not think came to the attention of members until it appeared in the news.The rules of the House clearly forbid the use of props. In fact, the Speaker recently reminded members specifically of this rule. However, what happened within the House last week is that a minister of the government, during questions, was holding up her notes as if pretending to use her notes. However, by all indications intentionally, on the backside of those notes was a very large icon. The minister was positioned such that the icon was clearly visible to the cameras, even though it was not visible to the Speaker. We know that this is a flagrant violation of the rules of the House. It involves the use of props. This was taken by the Minister of Democratic Institutions, who is supposed to be defending our institutions. In fact, it was done in a way designed to escape notice, showing a complete disregard for them. I do not know if this was her idea or something she was asked to do by the Prime Minister's Office, but this is clearly unacceptable, clearly a violation of the rules of the House, and the member needs to be brought to order.
Mr. Speaker, there is not a tax the Liberals do not like. What do they not understand? Taxing 13.5 million Canadians on their health benefits is yet another financial burden. The Liberals are attacking hardworking Canadian families. First, they took away the children's fitness tax credit, then they took the children's art tax credit, then the text book tax credit, and now they want to charge Canadian families and seniors another tax.The Liberals continue to exploit the middle class to solve their own financial problems. When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadians and stop their plans for this new health care tax?
Mr. Speaker, as I just said a moment ago, we are in the process of reviewing the Income Tax Act in its entirety, to make it more acceptable from a fiscal standpoint and ensure fairness for all Canadians.My colleague even mentioned the millions of Canadians we have helped. I would remind the member that he voted against a measure that helped 9 million Canadians when we lowered taxes for the middle class. He voted against the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of ten families. He voted against measures that we introduced to support students in this country. He voted against measures for seniors. Canadians know that the only
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister always follows the rules and the member knows very well when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. The member knows very well that the rules clearly state that only Canadians can donate to a Canadian political party.
Mr. Speaker, I think we recognize that every member in this House can always do better. I listened to what the member opposite has shared. We are all here to follow the rules. We know that last week we had the opposition House leader rip up a piece of paper. I think we can all raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, the government recently put into legislation Bill C-33, which the Minister of Democratic Institutions said would break down barriers to voting. This is extremely important, but the legislation left out important aspects for people living with disabilities. They still face significant barriers when it comes to participating in elections, including access to qualified assistance during the act of voting itself. Will the minister keep her word to people living with disabilities and commit to addressing these issues?
Mr. Speaker, he should say that to the people in Quebec's regions who keep contacting our offices because they do not know who to talk to in the government, now that there is no longer a Quebec lieutenant or a minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.Let us come back to softwood lumber. Again last week, it was confirmed that in 2006, it was thanks to the leadership of former prime minister Harper that the matter was resolved. It was our American partners who said that.We are not seeing that leadership now. In fact, this issue was not even mentioned in the mandate letter of the Minister of International Trade. There is not a peep about it, but it is important to us.Will they be able to resolve the issue?
Mr. Speaker, by her reaction to the special committees report, the Minister of Democratic Institutions has made it quite clear that Liberal interests matter more than democratic interests. It is Liberal interests that also matter more with respect to political party financing, with $1,500 cocktails to gain exclusive access to the Prime Minister. Instead of playing the same worn out old record and feeding cynicism, will the minister restore public funding for political parties based on the votes received or not?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are at it again. Apparently they do not think Canadians are paying enough taxes. Now they are introducing a health care tax.News reports have revealed that the Liberals are now looking to raise $2.9 billion by taxing Canadians' health care and dental plans. Do the Liberals not have any shame? They are now forcing Canadians to pay more for dental care and essential health care services.When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadian families and stop charging them more for essential health and dental care?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform, and I can assure him that our government is working hard to strengthen the fairness and the openness of our democratic institutions.To this end, we recently introduced legislation in this House to engage more Canadians in the voting process and to enhance the integrity of our system. Our ultimate goal with reform is to foster a more inclusive and engaged Canada. We are looking forward to addressing all the recommendations that the Chief Electoral Officer shared with us and with the committee. We will be introducing legislation in this House soon.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development knows full well that the measure that people look at is the number of full-time jobs created. We have lost 30,500 full-time jobs, and the government, the parliamentary secretary, and the Prime Minister have not created one additional full-time job since coming into office. Now we hear he also wants to tax the health and dental benefits provided by employers, which will mean working Canadians will have to pay even more income tax. Can the Prime Minister now promise in the House that he is not going to tax the health and dental benefits that 13.5 million Canadians rely on?
Mr. Speaker, we will speak on behalf of consumers.For my hon. colleague's sake, I would like to review the consumer protection principles underlying Bill C-29. I am sure he will agree with me. The first principle states that basic banking services should be accessible to all; disclosure of information should enable an institution's customers and members of the public to make informed financial decisions; an institution's customers and members of the public should be treated fairly; and complaints processes should be impartial, transparent, and dynamic. That is what it means to protect Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister led many Canadians to believe that under a Liberal government, the recreational use of marijuana would no longer be a crime.He used to say very clearly that the current war on marijuana is not working. Well, a year after forming government, he has not only refused to decriminalize possession but he is now urging police to enforce all marijuana laws. He is urging police to crack down on recreational users.How did the guy who once thought the war on pot was not working become its most enthusiastic general?
Mr. Speaker, I am pretty sure that the member opposite is not implying that the Prime Minister would be breaking the law, and if the member is saying it, there is a better place, which would be outside this chamber, to make such an accusation.When it comes to the fundraising rules
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister does not care one iota about his own ethical guidelines. They are a prop for him and a joke. Everyone knows that. The Prime Minister openly and blatantly takes donations for the Liberals and in return does favours for wealthy individuals so that they can make more money. Everybody gets some grease and the Liberal gravy train rolls on. What will it take for the Prime Minister to have any respect for any laws in this country that may curb his out-of-control behavioura knock on the door from the Ethics Commissioner or maybe the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the truth here. The NORAD commitments and the NATO commitments were commitments made as a nation and every government that comes into power is obligated to meet those expectations. We are not willing to risk manage the gap. We are not willing to risk manage both our NORAD and NATO commitments simultaneously. We are going to make sure that we have aircraft available for any unforeseen situations. If anybody thinks we cannot have any unforeseen situations, 9/11 was that time. We are going to make sure we fix this gap.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said he wanted to create good jobs for young people, but in 2016, he is siding with his Minister of Finance, who said that young people will have to get used to job churn. In 2015, he told young people that the Kinder Morgan environmental assessment process needed to be reviewed, but in 2016, he approved the pipeline with Mr. Harper's dismantled environmental assessment process. Then the Prime Minister is surprised to see young people protesting in Toronto or Ottawa. Instead of being so condescending, when will the Minister of Youth listen to young people and keep his own promises?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the special committee on electoral reform.Research around the world shows, as does the report from the committee, that the best way to have an inclusive and accessible conversation about electoral reform with the citizenry is through a values-based approach. Should there be more diversity in this House? Should there be smaller parties representing a diverse range of voices, or should we have larger parties representing a broad set of perspectives? Should voting be mandatory and online? These are the questions
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise on this traditional Algonquin territory to talk about a new initiative we launched this morning. Mydemocracy.ca is a new, engaging initiative that will allow all Canadians to have an opportunity to have a say in this conversation. As of just a few hours ago, over 8,000 unique users have participated in this conversation about the values they find most dear to them. We look forward to hearing from many more over the course of this month.
Mr. Speaker, on October 19 in the House, someone said: What we did was form a committee that is going to make thoughtful, responsible recommendations, and we are going to pay very close attention to what comes out of the work done by that committee... Who said that? The Prime Minister himself. The experts, the people, and the committee, which was very clear in its report, agree: if the government wishes to change the voting system, it must hold a referendum. When will the minister get it? Will she hold a referendum on the voting system, or will she just do as she herself sees fit?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from StevestonRichmond East for his important work in promoting the safe use of Steveston Harbour and the investments he announced on behalf of our government last summer.I can confirm to the member that events like this often represent a significant environmental threat to local communities. When the Coast Guard staff received the report of this sunken vessel, it took immediate action to protect the marine environment from pollution. The vessel's owner was identified, but could not respond to the incident. Therefore, the Coast Guard assumed command, and within 24 hours the ship was safely out of the water.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team that includes about 40 members from across Quebec who are working hard for their constituents.Let us talk about action our government is taking in Quebec. We invested over $290 million in CED, and we are helping over 384 businesses and organizations grow through CED. Our government is committed to promoting innovation, fostering the growth of businesses, and developing a clean economy that benefits everyone.
Mr. Speaker, the right to peaceful protest is a foundation of our rights and freedoms in Canada. As a government, we respect that right. We confirmed that in our election platform.As the Prime Minister has said, we would not have approved these projects if they did not meet the highest standards of environmental protection and did not carry the support of Canadians. Our goal right now is to make sure that the projects move forward in order to create jobs and build a cleaner, brighter future for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I have told the House several times, we have the strictest fundraising rules in the country. The Chief Electoral Officer also states that Canadian election financing laws are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Fundy Royal for her ongoing efforts on this project.Our government is proud to support projects that connect communities, promote tourism, and support economic growth. Along with this project, we also announced 47 water projects and five transit projects in New Brunswick.We will continue to work with communities from coast to coast to coast to ensure that our new infrastructure meets their needs.
Mr. Speaker, since we formed government, along with industry we have helped create 183,200 jobs from coast to coast to coast. For example, GM Canada is investing in up to 1,000 new engineering and high-tech software positions. Do members know what the GM executive VP of global product development said? He said, We selected Canada for this expansion because of its clear capacity for innovation, proven talent and strong ecosystem of great universities, startups and innovative suppliers. That is why companies are investing in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share with the House that last Friday I had the pleasure of announcing over $13 million for the Fundy Trail connector roads, a transformational tourism project in my riding, which I have been championing since being elected.Could the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities please explain why projects like the Fundy Trail are so important to New Brunswick and to Atlantic Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we are going to do what is in the best interests of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We are going to have an interim fleet that is going to make sure that our men and women have the equipment they need to do the job expected of them so that we can fill the capability gap. When we are in position to talk about the cost, we will do that. We have an idea what the cost is going to be but nobody shows their hand before negotiations actually are completed.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate once again the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind all members of Parliament and Canadians that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer said this to Canadians when he stated very clearly that when it comes to fundraising, they are the most strict, constrained and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, in October I had the pleasure of engaging with constituents in my riding of Scarborough North on the topic of electoral reform, building on the work of MPs who led town halls, the cross-country tour of the minister and her parliamentary secretary, and the work of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions please inform this House on the way forward for our national conversation on electoral reform?
Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of sincerity that I repeat what I said in this House on Friday. On Thursday, I used words that I did not intend to use. Also, the member addresses a valid point. I apologize, and I can promise that for as long as I can remember, I will be sure to do better every day in this House.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House many times, when it comes to fundraising, Canada has some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer stated that Canada's political financing laws are the most advanced and constrained and transparent in the world. This government has undertaken unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We will continue to engage with Canadians to do the good work they expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict laws across this country. Even the Chief Electoral Officer has said that they are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world. This government will continue to follow the laws, and we will continue to do the good work Canadians expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across this country.This government will continue to follow the laws so that we can continue to do the good work we are doing for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for the opportunity to talk about Bill C-33, but also about the passion I have for making sure that more persons with disabilities and exceptionalities have an opportunity to participate in their democratic processes. The Chief Electoral Officer in his report following the 2015 election made excellent recommendations. I met with his advisory body on persons with disabilities with our own Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities and I connected with advocates across the country. I am committed to making sure that we address this and I look forward to working with the committee members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to address this too.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for the opportunity to talk about Bill C-33, but also about the passion I have for making sure that more persons with disabilities and exceptionalities have an opportunity to participate in their democratic processes. The Chief Electoral Officer in his report following the 2015 election made excellent recommendations. I met with his advisory body on persons with disabilities with our own Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities and I connected with advocates across the country. I am committed to making sure that we address this and I look forward to working with the committee members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to address this too.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across this country.This government will continue to follow the laws so that we can continue to do the good work we are doing for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict laws across this country. Even the Chief Electoral Officer has said that they are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world. This government will continue to follow the laws, and we will continue to do the good work Canadians expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House many times, when it comes to fundraising, Canada has some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer stated that Canada's political financing laws are the most advanced and constrained and transparent in the world. This government has undertaken unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We will continue to engage with Canadians to do the good work they expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of sincerity that I repeat what I said in this House on Friday. On Thursday, I used words that I did not intend to use. Also, the member addresses a valid point. I apologize, and I can promise that for as long as I can remember, I will be sure to do better every day in this House.
Mr. Speaker, in October I had the pleasure of engaging with constituents in my riding of Scarborough North on the topic of electoral reform, building on the work of MPs who led town halls, the cross-country tour of the minister and her parliamentary secretary, and the work of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions please inform this House on the way forward for our national conversation on electoral reform?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate once again the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind all members of Parliament and Canadians that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer said this to Canadians when he stated very clearly that when it comes to fundraising, they are the most strict, constrained and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, we are going to do what is in the best interests of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We are going to have an interim fleet that is going to make sure that our men and women have the equipment they need to do the job expected of them so that we can fill the capability gap. When we are in position to talk about the cost, we will do that. We have an idea what the cost is going to be but nobody shows their hand before negotiations actually are completed.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share with the House that last Friday I had the pleasure of announcing over $13 million for the Fundy Trail connector roads, a transformational tourism project in my riding, which I have been championing since being elected.Could the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities please explain why projects like the Fundy Trail are so important to New Brunswick and to Atlantic Canada?
Mr. Speaker, since we formed government, along with industry we have helped create 183,200 jobs from coast to coast to coast. For example, GM Canada is investing in up to 1,000 new engineering and high-tech software positions. Do members know what the GM executive VP of global product development said? He said, We selected Canada for this expansion because of its clear capacity for innovation, proven talent and strong ecosystem of great universities, startups and innovative suppliers. That is why companies are investing in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Fundy Royal for her ongoing efforts on this project.Our government is proud to support projects that connect communities, promote tourism, and support economic growth. Along with this project, we also announced 47 water projects and five transit projects in New Brunswick.We will continue to work with communities from coast to coast to coast to ensure that our new infrastructure meets their needs.
Mr. Speaker, as I have told the House several times, we have the strictest fundraising rules in the country. The Chief Electoral Officer also states that Canadian election financing laws are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, the right to peaceful protest is a foundation of our rights and freedoms in Canada. As a government, we respect that right. We confirmed that in our election platform.As the Prime Minister has said, we would not have approved these projects if they did not meet the highest standards of environmental protection and did not carry the support of Canadians. Our goal right now is to make sure that the projects move forward in order to create jobs and build a cleaner, brighter future for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team that includes about 40 members from across Quebec who are working hard for their constituents.Let us talk about action our government is taking in Quebec. We invested over $290 million in CED, and we are helping over 384 businesses and organizations grow through CED. Our government is committed to promoting innovation, fostering the growth of businesses, and developing a clean economy that benefits everyone.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from StevestonRichmond East for his important work in promoting the safe use of Steveston Harbour and the investments he announced on behalf of our government last summer.I can confirm to the member that events like this often represent a significant environmental threat to local communities. When the Coast Guard staff received the report of this sunken vessel, it took immediate action to protect the marine environment from pollution. The vessel's owner was identified, but could not respond to the incident. Therefore, the Coast Guard assumed command, and within 24 hours the ship was safely out of the water.
Mr. Speaker, on October 19 in the House, someone said: What we did was form a committee that is going to make thoughtful, responsible recommendations, and we are going to pay very close attention to what comes out of the work done by that committee... Who said that? The Prime Minister himself. The experts, the people, and the committee, which was very clear in its report, agree: if the government wishes to change the voting system, it must hold a referendum. When will the minister get it? Will she hold a referendum on the voting system, or will she just do as she herself sees fit?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise on this traditional Algonquin territory to talk about a new initiative we launched this morning. Mydemocracy.ca is a new, engaging initiative that will allow all Canadians to have an opportunity to have a say in this conversation. As of just a few hours ago, over 8,000 unique users have participated in this conversation about the values they find most dear to them. We look forward to hearing from many more over the course of this month.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the special committee on electoral reform.Research around the world shows, as does the report from the committee, that the best way to have an inclusive and accessible conversation about electoral reform with the citizenry is through a values-based approach. Should there be more diversity in this House? Should there be smaller parties representing a diverse range of voices, or should we have larger parties representing a broad set of perspectives? Should voting be mandatory and online? These are the questions
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said he wanted to create good jobs for young people, but in 2016, he is siding with his Minister of Finance, who said that young people will have to get used to job churn. In 2015, he told young people that the Kinder Morgan environmental assessment process needed to be reviewed, but in 2016, he approved the pipeline with Mr. Harper's dismantled environmental assessment process. Then the Prime Minister is surprised to see young people protesting in Toronto or Ottawa. Instead of being so condescending, when will the Minister of Youth listen to young people and keep his own promises?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the truth here. The NORAD commitments and the NATO commitments were commitments made as a nation and every government that comes into power is obligated to meet those expectations. We are not willing to risk manage the gap. We are not willing to risk manage both our NORAD and NATO commitments simultaneously. We are going to make sure that we have aircraft available for any unforeseen situations. If anybody thinks we cannot have any unforeseen situations, 9/11 was that time. We are going to make sure we fix this gap.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister does not care one iota about his own ethical guidelines. They are a prop for him and a joke. Everyone knows that. The Prime Minister openly and blatantly takes donations for the Liberals and in return does favours for wealthy individuals so that they can make more money. Everybody gets some grease and the Liberal gravy train rolls on. What will it take for the Prime Minister to have any respect for any laws in this country that may curb his out-of-control behavioura knock on the door from the Ethics Commissioner or maybe the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, I am pretty sure that the member opposite is not implying that the Prime Minister would be breaking the law, and if the member is saying it, there is a better place, which would be outside this chamber, to make such an accusation.When it comes to the fundraising rules
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister led many Canadians to believe that under a Liberal government, the recreational use of marijuana would no longer be a crime.He used to say very clearly that the current war on marijuana is not working. Well, a year after forming government, he has not only refused to decriminalize possession but he is now urging police to enforce all marijuana laws. He is urging police to crack down on recreational users.How did the guy who once thought the war on pot was not working become its most enthusiastic general?
Mr. Speaker, we will speak on behalf of consumers.For my hon. colleague's sake, I would like to review the consumer protection principles underlying Bill C-29. I am sure he will agree with me. The first principle states that basic banking services should be accessible to all; disclosure of information should enable an institution's customers and members of the public to make informed financial decisions; an institution's customers and members of the public should be treated fairly; and complaints processes should be impartial, transparent, and dynamic. That is what it means to protect Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development knows full well that the measure that people look at is the number of full-time jobs created. We have lost 30,500 full-time jobs, and the government, the parliamentary secretary, and the Prime Minister have not created one additional full-time job since coming into office. Now we hear he also wants to tax the health and dental benefits provided by employers, which will mean working Canadians will have to pay even more income tax. Can the Prime Minister now promise in the House that he is not going to tax the health and dental benefits that 13.5 million Canadians rely on?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform, and I can assure him that our government is working hard to strengthen the fairness and the openness of our democratic institutions.To this end, we recently introduced legislation in this House to engage more Canadians in the voting process and to enhance the integrity of our system. Our ultimate goal with reform is to foster a more inclusive and engaged Canada. We are looking forward to addressing all the recommendations that the Chief Electoral Officer shared with us and with the committee. We will be introducing legislation in this House soon.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are at it again. Apparently they do not think Canadians are paying enough taxes. Now they are introducing a health care tax.News reports have revealed that the Liberals are now looking to raise $2.9 billion by taxing Canadians' health care and dental plans. Do the Liberals not have any shame? They are now forcing Canadians to pay more for dental care and essential health care services.When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadian families and stop charging them more for essential health and dental care?
Mr. Speaker, by her reaction to the special committees report, the Minister of Democratic Institutions has made it quite clear that Liberal interests matter more than democratic interests. It is Liberal interests that also matter more with respect to political party financing, with $1,500 cocktails to gain exclusive access to the Prime Minister. Instead of playing the same worn out old record and feeding cynicism, will the minister restore public funding for political parties based on the votes received or not?
Mr. Speaker, he should say that to the people in Quebec's regions who keep contacting our offices because they do not know who to talk to in the government, now that there is no longer a Quebec lieutenant or a minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.Let us come back to softwood lumber. Again last week, it was confirmed that in 2006, it was thanks to the leadership of former prime minister Harper that the matter was resolved. It was our American partners who said that.We are not seeing that leadership now. In fact, this issue was not even mentioned in the mandate letter of the Minister of International Trade. There is not a peep about it, but it is important to us.Will they be able to resolve the issue?
Mr. Speaker, the government recently put into legislation Bill C-33, which the Minister of Democratic Institutions said would break down barriers to voting. This is extremely important, but the legislation left out important aspects for people living with disabilities. They still face significant barriers when it comes to participating in elections, including access to qualified assistance during the act of voting itself. Will the minister keep her word to people living with disabilities and commit to addressing these issues?
Mr. Speaker, as I just said a moment ago, we are in the process of reviewing the Income Tax Act in its entirety, to make it more acceptable from a fiscal standpoint and ensure fairness for all Canadians.My colleague even mentioned the millions of Canadians we have helped. I would remind the member that he voted against a measure that helped 9 million Canadians when we lowered taxes for the middle class. He voted against the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of ten families. He voted against measures that we introduced to support students in this country. He voted against measures for seniors. Canadians know that the only
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister always follows the rules and the member knows very well when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. The member knows very well that the rules clearly state that only Canadians can donate to a Canadian political party.
Mr. Speaker, I think we recognize that every member in this House can always do better. I listened to what the member opposite has shared. We are all here to follow the rules. We know that last week we had the opposition House leader rip up a piece of paper. I think we can all raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, there is not a tax the Liberals do not like. What do they not understand? Taxing 13.5 million Canadians on their health benefits is yet another financial burden. The Liberals are attacking hardworking Canadian families. First, they took away the children's fitness tax credit, then they took the children's art tax credit, then the text book tax credit, and now they want to charge Canadian families and seniors another tax.The Liberals continue to exploit the middle class to solve their own financial problems. When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadians and stop their plans for this new health care tax?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise a point of order about a breach in the rules of the House. We recognize, Mr. Speaker, that you have a challenging job, and it is made particularly challenging when a member breaks the rules of the House in a way that is designed to play to the camera and escape the Speaker's notice. This is something that I do not think came to the attention of members until it appeared in the news.The rules of the House clearly forbid the use of props. In fact, the Speaker recently reminded members specifically of this rule. However, what happened within the House last week is that a minister of the government, during questions, was holding up her notes as if pretending to use her notes. However, by all indications intentionally, on the backside of those notes was a very large icon. The minister was positioned such that the icon was clearly visible to the cameras, even though it was not visible to the Speaker. We know that this is a flagrant violation of the rules of the House. It involves the use of props. This was taken by the Minister of Democratic Institutions, who is supposed to be defending our institutions. In fact, it was done in a way designed to escape notice, showing a complete disregard for them. I do not know if this was her idea or something she was asked to do by the Prime Minister's Office, but this is clearly unacceptable, clearly a violation of the rules of the House, and the member needs to be brought to order.
Mr. Speaker, they are working so hard, that is for sure. In the most recent budget, the Liberals cut tax breaks for small businesses and for families. Afterward, they announced Canada Pension Plan increases and the introduction of a carbon tax, which will cost families thousands of dollars each year. Now they want to tax drug and dental plans.Can the Prime Minister tell Canadians what he intends to tax more to pay for his out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, the problem is the Prime Minister's arrogance toward protesters.Let us talk about that arrogance. Last week, the Minister of Natural Resources suggested that the government would call in the armed forces and the police to deal with people protesting the Kinder Morgan pipeline. What a thing to say.This statement is clearly a threat against the right to peaceful protest guaranteed by the charter, and specifically against first nations activists. This comes after we have learned that the RCMP has previously spied on indigenous activists. Will the minister apologize and reassure this House that the government will protect the right to peaceful protest?
Mr. Speaker, we are making Canada's tax system fairer and more progressive. We have raised taxes on the top 1% so that we could cut taxes for the middle class, and beyond that, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which will mean that the average family will receive $2,300 more tax free. That will raise 300,000 Canadian kids out of poverty.We, as a government, are acting to make Canada's system fairer and more progressive and to help Canada's middle class and those working so hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, consumers whose credit card is stolen are liable for, at most, $50. That is the law. At the federal level, the credit card issuer can stipulate liability in the contract. If Bill C-29 passes, banks will have free rein to demand that clients pay back every penny spent by a credit card thief.Does the minister of high finance see the difference between being protected by the law and being at the mercy of the banks?
Mr. Speaker, our government has made significant changes to make our tax system more progressive for the middle class. We are going to keep making important decisions to improve conditions for the middle class.We are doing that because we understand that we cannot have a strong economy without a strong middle class. The previous government did not get that. For 10 years, Canada's middle class fell behind. We are standing with them to build an economy that grows.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are well aware that, if any government is known for creating new taxes, it is the Liberal government.This government dreamed up the Liberal carbon tax and the new Canada pension plan payroll taxes, and now it is inventing a new tax on health and dental benefits. That is completely unacceptable.Can someone in this government rise and clearly tell Canadians that there will not be a tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. This government will continue to follow the rules. When we work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and we follow the rules, no conflict of interest can exist. The member knows that very well. What is clear is that the methods the previous government took and the ones that we are taking are very different because we follow the rules.
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the member that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes on the middle class, and the people on the other side voted against it.Finance Canada is in the process of reviewing our tax system as a whole, specifically a tax expenditure to ensure tax fairness for the middle class and simplification of the tax code. We are not looking at any tax expenditure measures in isolation. We are looking at the tax system as a whole to ensure fairness, simplicity, and efficiency across the board. No decision has been made, since we are still very much in the midst of the process and are still consulting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, issues of registration, membership, and citizenship go to the heart of identity in community. Bill S-3 will correct known sex-based discrimination in Indian registration. We know that a real conversation needs to happen on these issues. That is why I have committed to launching a formal consultation on registration, membership, and citizenship early next year to deal with the other issues that are not in this bill. I look forward to hearing from communities from coast to coast to coast. I am committed to finding a real reform forward, but right now 35,000 people can get their rights if this bill goes through, and
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that he is talking to another little guy from Shawinigan.I speak for the people from the regions and Quebeckers, as do the 40 members who come from Quebec. In Marcotte we were asked to clarify the provisions in effect in order to protect Canadian consumers across the country. That is precisely what we did, but we also took the opportunity to modernize and simplify the legislation in the interest of consumers in Quebec and across the country.I invite the hon. member to read the bill. He might learn something.
Mr. Speaker, again, this gives me an opportunity to rise to recognize that the task force submitted the report on November 30. That report is being translated. I have not seen the report, nor has anyone else among my ministerial colleagues. The report will be presented in the middle of December. I am very thankful for the work of the task force which, in a concentrated manner, over the course of over six months, has put together the report that will provide recommendations that will assist us in moving forward with legislation.
Mr. Speaker, an attendee of the Liberal Party fundraiser on November 7 said that he spoke directly to the Prime Minister about government business for the price of a $1,500 contribution. However, Liberal Party ethics rules state that Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and their staff should not discuss departmental business at any fundraising event, and should refer any person who wishes to discuss departmental business to make an appointment.Can the Prime Minister confirm that he never discussed government business during that fundraiser?
Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that traffic is moving on the Blue Water Bridge, and I can also inform the member, of course, that the Blue Water Bridge is under the responsibility of the Federal Bridge Corporation. It is responsible for the operation of the bridge, and that also includes labour relations.We are certainly following the situation very carefully. What we want to ensure is that traffic continues to move safely, which is the case at the moment.
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that the softwood lumber agreement expired under the former government and that the latter did nothing to reopen negotiations with our American partners.Canada is prepared for any eventuality and we will vigorously defend the interests of Canadian workers and producers. In the past, the courts have always ruled in our favour and we are convinced that they will continue to do so.The minister continued negotiating with Ambassador Froman on the weekend and we are looking for a good agreement for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we are not dreaming, we are taking action. Canadians across the country know that. Why? It is because we reduced taxes for 9 million Canadians. We are doing tangible things to help Canadians.We introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families. We have improved the lives of Canada's seniors, first nations, and youth. Canadians know that the people on this side of the House are working for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, our government is working very hard for Canadians. We have undertaken an unprecedented level of public consultation in order to respond to the real challenges Canadians are facing. As the hon. member knows, when it comes to fundraising we have some of the strictest rules in Canada. Our party is following the rules.
Mr. Speaker, last week, the justice minister denied there had been a leak of the marijuana report to Liberal friends, but after Rosy Mondin, a Liberal cannabis crony, donated the maximum allowed by law, she tweeted, Task-force report being presented to gov't today. Report won't be made public (yet) but hope to hear snippets.Is the Liberal Party selling insider information to people willing to pay cash for access?
Mr. Speaker, being on MyDemocracy.ca does not feel like a values-based approach. It feels like being on a dating website designed by Fidel Castro. No matter how hard one tries to be against the Prime Minister's preferred electoral system, the survey tells people that they really do support it. It is like magic. With this website, the government has finally found a way to resolve the problem of Canadians continuing to give Liberals the answers they do not want. Just do not ask those questions. For example, the questionnaire does not ask whether Canadians want a referendum. I wonder why that might be. Would it be because the Liberals do not want to know the answer to that particular question?
Mr. Speaker, our goal is to convince those countries that have nuclear weapons to be at the table as part of disarmament discussions. We did that when we recently led a UN resolution supported by 177 states. Our resolution has a goal to stop the production of materials used to make nuclear weapons and rally nuclear and non-nuclear states alike toward the realization of a fissile material cut-off treaty. This is the realistic, pragmatic approach to nuclear disarmament and a major accomplishment.
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General exposed that the government spent nearly $1 billion on its border programs, with no known results. Meanwhile, at the Blue Water Bridge, the government will not even come to the table after creating the first significant labour dispute in nearly 80 years of operation. Now, it is even hiring scabs and replacement workers, cracking down on families in Sarnia: a job well done. The result is that traffic is redirected, the roads are less safe, and there is lost revenue to a private American billionaire.Why is the government stiff-arming workers and families, putting public safety at risk, and increasing border conflict, instead of getting back to the table for the workers and their families?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the close attention he pays to the rules. I can assure him that I am going to work very hard on my sunny ways, and I will promise to do better.
Mr. Speaker, we may have some of the strictest fundraising rules in Canada, but the Prime Minister is breaking them every time he holds one of these events when he is talking about government business. He is actually selling access to himself, the most powerful person in government. Discussing government business to fill Liberal Party coffers is wrong, it is unethical, and it is actually illegal.When will the Prime Minister come to his senses and end this cash for access fundraising?
Mr. Speaker, the only plan that seems to work for the Liberals is the marijuana plant. The economic plan certainly is not working.Canada has lost 30,000 jobs. The Liberals will tell us over and over again that they lowered taxes. What they have done is create future debt, promise money that they do not have, and create illusions. The United States wants to lower corporate taxes. When are the Liberals going to wake up and realize that their plan is not working?
Mr. Speaker, by approving these pipelines, Canada took a step forward in supporting thousands of good, middle-class, good-paying jobs. Unlike the previous government, which failed to get any real action over the past decade, we are protecting oceans and we are pricing carbon pollution, all while finding new markets for our resources. The party opposite has taken almost every possible position, indeed in both official languages, on pipelines.
Mr. Speaker, I rise again to answer these allegations. To be clear, I have not seen the task force report. I will receive the task force report in the middle of December, along with my ministerial colleagues, along with every member of the House, along with the public. We will then review those recommendations and the government will put forward its legislation with respect to the legalization of marijuana.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Scarborough North for all his hard work and for hosting a conversation with his constituents, as well as all of the members of this House who did the same.Today we launched mydemocracy.ca. It will empower all Canadians to take part in a values-based conversation about their democracy, about the way they would like to be governed. The online engagement tool will complement the work of MPs, like the hon. member, as well as the members of the special committee. We encourage all Canadians to spend time this December taking part in the survey.
Mr. Speaker, I imagine the hon. member has taken the survey. I encourage all Canadians to participate in the survey. I thank all members of the House who have been participating and who have been sharing it on social media.An issue as important as electoral reform deserves to include all Canadians from all walks of life. That is why Canadians cannot only fill the questionnaire out online, but for those in rural and remote regions, for seniors, and for those who are not comfortable online, they are invited to take part by using the telephone.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. The committee tabled the report in the House on December 1. We are going to reflect on the report, and the government will respond.However, we all agree in the House that not enough Canadians are engaged in this conversation. There is an opportunity here for every Canadian. Fifteen million households have received an invitation in the mail asking them to be part of this historic conversation. We are counting on all members of the House to encourage their constituents to take part.
Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, the justice minister claimed her marijuana report had not been leaked, but two hours later, details of the leaked report were already appearing in the media. Both the National Post and The Globe and Mail quoted sources familiar with the report. The report has been leaked. Is the minister in on the deal or just incompetent?
Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement indicated that she did not intend to provide Canadians with the financial details of the contract to purchase Super Hornet fighter jets. She said that she wanted to talk to Boeing and the American government about it first.The minister suggested that her government has not yet entered into discussions with Boeing, which is rather unbelievable. What is worse, Canadians are being treated like a second-class third party in this transaction, even though the minister is accountable to Canadians and Canadians only.When will she rectify this situation and tell Canadians the unit price of the Super Hornets?
Mr. Speaker, I guess Toronto banks are keen to see Bill C-29 passed considering the minister of high finance is imposing closure. He is anxious to legalize hidden fees in Quebec, authorize misleading advertising, allow banks to change our contracts without our consent, and eliminate our recourse or any sanctions.How far is this government of banks prepared to go to quash consumer rights in Quebec to the benefit of high finance in Toronto?The day that Quebeckers no longer have rights, will they have to cut a cheque to the government, like the Chinese billionaires did?
Mr. Speaker, to reiterate, our government is committed to legalization, strict regulation, and restricting access to marijuana to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals. As the member opposite actually once said, it would be a mistake to simply decriminalize. We are entering into, and are going to undertake, a comprehensive review, taking recommendations from the task force in order to introduce legislation in the spring of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak again about our commitment to legalize marijuana with strict access and strict regulation.I am looking forward to receiving the report from the task force, which will contain recommendations about how we can move forward on this, understanding that it is our government that will decide.The ultimate objective of legalization of marijuana, restricting access via regulations, is to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals.
Mr. Speaker, they are very different. There was no Prime Minister Harper talking business to Chinese communists at Conservative fundraisers.The Prime Minister today may already be breaching sections 17 and 16, which the House leader may want to familiarize herself with, of the Conflict of Interest Act. The host of this fundraiser said that he did discuss government business with the Prime Minister and he told the Prime Minister what he wanted. Again, is the Prime Minister waiting for the RCMP to come knocking on his door before he stops this unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, on November 5, a private fishing vessel sank off the dock in Steveston Harbour in my riding of StevestonRichmond East. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard please tell the House about the response from the Coast Guard to limit pollution and remove the vessel from the water?
Mr. Speaker, the minister just forgot to say that following those rules is important too. Quite a few Canadians were under the impression that the advent of a Liberal government meant an end to criminal records for simple possession of marijuana. The Liberals have been in power for over a year now, and they are still handing out criminal records by the thousand, especially to young people. The Prime Minister just urged the police to continue enforcing these archaic laws. This is causing young Canadians a lot of problems, so why does the government not put an end to that by decriminalizing marijuana right away?
Mr. Speaker, the minister's first legislation dealing with gender equality for first nations is seriously flawed, and the minister must go back to the drawing board. It has really been mishandled, quite frankly from the beginning. In drafting the bill, she did not talk to the litigants and she did not do proper consultation. She was forced to apologize, publicly admitting that she was embarrassed at how her staff handled the file.Will the minister end her paternalistic approach and withdraw this piece of legislation?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has now lost 30,500 full-time jobs since the Prime Minister took office, and it is about to get a lot worse. While the Prime Minister continues to hike taxes and drive up the cost of doing business in Canada, the U.S. is going in the other direction. It is committed to cutting corporate taxes in half and lowering the price of energy.How many more Canadian jobs need to be lost before the Prime Minister wakes up to this new reality?
Mr. Speaker, there are 20,000 tweets mocking this minister's survey. The first rule of engagement the Liberals should learn is not to treat Canadians like they are stupid. Last week, the Minister of Democratic Institutions insulted our committee and the thousands of Canadians who participated with us in this process, because we were not specific enough for her. Yet today we see a pop-psych survey from this minister, and there is no mention of electoral systems whatsoever. Almost 90% of everyone who spoke to the committee recommended a proportional voting system. Yet the minister cannot even bring herself to put the word proportional in her survey.If the minister truly wants a clearer answer, why would she not simply ask the obvious questions?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have heard this government loud and clear. It refuses to say whether or not it plans to tax health and dental benefits. Some 13.5 million Canadians will be affected by this bad Liberal measure. The Liberals are about to take another $3 billion out of the pockets of Canadian taxpayers.Once again, I ask the government, is there anyone in this House who can stand up and tell us clearly whether or not there will be a Liberal tax on these two things that will directly affect 13 million Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I will give the Minister of National Defence a hand and set out the facts.On April 14, 2016, General Hood said that the air force had enough CF-18s to carry out its duties until 2025. On November 15, 2016, Chief of Defence Staff General Vance said that the supposed capability gap was a false deduction. However, that was before the Liberals changed the rules five minutes before confirming the acquisition of the outdated Super Hornets and withdrew a report that contradicted their rationale. That is an outrage.When will the Liberals stop hiding the truth from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Chinese Anbang Insurance Group is trying to buy up the biggest retirement home chain in B.C. This deal will have to be approved by the Prime Minister and the cabinet. The Prime Minister has been caught being lobbied to approve this type of deal at, guess what, $1,500 cash for access fundraisers attended by wealthy Chinese investors. The Prime Minister can no longer stand behind his tired rhetoric of following the rules, when it is clear to everyone that every rule has been broken. When will the Prime Minister start following the rules?
Mr. Speaker, this week marks the sixth anniversary of the unanimous vote in the House of Commons in favour of a nuclear weapons convention. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, the Liberal government changed its position and voted against negotiations for such a convention.The United Nations is soon going to vote on this issue again. Will the Liberal government work with the international community and vote in favour of negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention?
Mr. Speaker, I do talk to my chief military adviser General Vance. I do talk to the air force as well.Our government has commitments to NORAD and to NATO and to satisfy these commitments we cannot do this simultaneously. That is the capability gap that we talk about.The previous government knew about this gap but it never told Canadians about it and it did nothing about it. This is something we intend to fix.
Mr. Speaker, I guess he does not wish to correct those false statements. That is reassuring.We have a government that makes the rules and then cheerfully breaks them, that claims to set new standards and then justifies its actions on the grounds that it did not technically do anything wrong, and that tells Parliament that attendees at these exclusive dinners do not discuss government business.By accusing the event host of lying, is the minister signalling plans to investigate? Or did someone else lie?
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that the only government that stood up for the middle class is this government. The people on the other side voted against every measure we presented to defend the middle class in our country. They voted against cutting taxes for the middle class. They voted against the Canada child benefit. They voted against the CPP enhancement in this country. They voted against the GIS top-up for seniors. They voted against our measures for students in this country.Canadians know who is working for them. It is the government on this side of the House.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly recognize the tragic circumstances with respect to Constable Wynn, and sympathies go out to the family. In terms of what we are doing, we are doing a review of the criminal justice system. We are working in a comprehensive and concerted way with the provinces and territories. I am familiar with the private member's bill, but by having discussions with the provinces and territories, we are proceeding in a way that recognizes that we need to work and coordinate together. That is what we are committed to doing. The measures that are articulated in this bill are measures that are in place at this time.
Mr. Speaker, the more we learn about the Prime Minister's cash for access fundraising practices, the worse it gets. We were all shocked when the Prime Minister first confessed that he was discussing business at these fundraisers. That is not only unethical, it is illegal. The Prime Minister discussed various issues at his events with Chinese billionaires, including changing Canadian investment rules to directly benefit them. The Prime Minister's job is to defend Canadians' interests, not to put them up for sale. When is he going to realize that this wrong?
Mr. Speaker, if I were not laughing, I would be crying. The Minister of Democratic Institutions' new online questionnaire is extremely ridiculous and biased. This tool is so crude that nobody could possibly take it seriously.The Liberals managed to come up with a questionnaire on electoral reform that does not even mention the voting system. They ignored the issue. When they talk about diversity in Parliament, they try to scare people by playing up imaginary radical and extremist parties.Will the minister stand up and finally admit that the Liberals are not serious about this and will not change anything?
Mr. Speaker, Wynn's law would require prosecutors to disclose the criminal history of bail applicants, closing a loophole that cost Constable David Wynn his life. The Minister of Justice opposes this common sense legislation.Will the minister tell Shelley Wynn, the widow of Constable Wynn, why she thinks it is okay for individuals to be let out on bail without their criminal history being disclosed? Why is the minister opposed to closing the loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life?
Mr. Speaker, the procurement minister should talk to the Royal Canadian Air Force before she talks to Boeing.The Liberal government has relentlessly undermined our military leadership. This weekend, the procurement minister continued to contradict the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force. She attacked General Hood and torqued up the Liberals' rhetoric on the fake capability gap. As a matter of fact, reports and experts agree that a capability gap would only occur if the Liberals try to extend the life of our CF-18s past 2025.Instead of playing politics, why will the procurement minister not listen to the Royal Canadian Air Force? It is the expert.
Mr. Speaker, let me read a statement dated November 24, just two weeks ago, from the minister for fishy fundraisers: ...at events like this, government business is not discussed He was talking about a cash for access event involving the Prime Minister. We are now told that the Prime Minister did indeed discuss government business. How do we know this? It is because the host of the fundraiser himself said it was discussed.Does the minister wish to correct the record with regard to his November 24 statement, which we now know to be false?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for the opportunity to talk about Bill C-33, but also about the passion I have for making sure that more persons with disabilities and exceptionalities have an opportunity to participate in their democratic processes. The Chief Electoral Officer in his report following the 2015 election made excellent recommendations. I met with his advisory body on persons with disabilities with our own Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities and I connected with advocates across the country. I am committed to making sure that we address this and I look forward to working with the committee members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to address this too.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across this country.This government will continue to follow the laws so that we can continue to do the good work we are doing for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict laws across this country. Even the Chief Electoral Officer has said that they are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world. This government will continue to follow the laws, and we will continue to do the good work Canadians expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House many times, when it comes to fundraising, Canada has some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer stated that Canada's political financing laws are the most advanced and constrained and transparent in the world. This government has undertaken unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We will continue to engage with Canadians to do the good work they expect us to do.
Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of sincerity that I repeat what I said in this House on Friday. On Thursday, I used words that I did not intend to use. Also, the member addresses a valid point. I apologize, and I can promise that for as long as I can remember, I will be sure to do better every day in this House.
Mr. Speaker, in October I had the pleasure of engaging with constituents in my riding of Scarborough North on the topic of electoral reform, building on the work of MPs who led town halls, the cross-country tour of the minister and her parliamentary secretary, and the work of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions please inform this House on the way forward for our national conversation on electoral reform?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate once again the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind all members of Parliament and Canadians that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer said this to Canadians when he stated very clearly that when it comes to fundraising, they are the most strict, constrained and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, we are going to do what is in the best interests of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We are going to have an interim fleet that is going to make sure that our men and women have the equipment they need to do the job expected of them so that we can fill the capability gap. When we are in position to talk about the cost, we will do that. We have an idea what the cost is going to be but nobody shows their hand before negotiations actually are completed.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share with the House that last Friday I had the pleasure of announcing over $13 million for the Fundy Trail connector roads, a transformational tourism project in my riding, which I have been championing since being elected.Could the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities please explain why projects like the Fundy Trail are so important to New Brunswick and to Atlantic Canada?
Mr. Speaker, since we formed government, along with industry we have helped create 183,200 jobs from coast to coast to coast. For example, GM Canada is investing in up to 1,000 new engineering and high-tech software positions. Do members know what the GM executive VP of global product development said? He said, We selected Canada for this expansion because of its clear capacity for innovation, proven talent and strong ecosystem of great universities, startups and innovative suppliers. That is why companies are investing in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Fundy Royal for her ongoing efforts on this project.Our government is proud to support projects that connect communities, promote tourism, and support economic growth. Along with this project, we also announced 47 water projects and five transit projects in New Brunswick.We will continue to work with communities from coast to coast to coast to ensure that our new infrastructure meets their needs.
Mr. Speaker, as I have told the House several times, we have the strictest fundraising rules in the country. The Chief Electoral Officer also states that Canadian election financing laws are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world.
Mr. Speaker, the right to peaceful protest is a foundation of our rights and freedoms in Canada. As a government, we respect that right. We confirmed that in our election platform.As the Prime Minister has said, we would not have approved these projects if they did not meet the highest standards of environmental protection and did not carry the support of Canadians. Our goal right now is to make sure that the projects move forward in order to create jobs and build a cleaner, brighter future for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team that includes about 40 members from across Quebec who are working hard for their constituents.Let us talk about action our government is taking in Quebec. We invested over $290 million in CED, and we are helping over 384 businesses and organizations grow through CED. Our government is committed to promoting innovation, fostering the growth of businesses, and developing a clean economy that benefits everyone.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from StevestonRichmond East for his important work in promoting the safe use of Steveston Harbour and the investments he announced on behalf of our government last summer.I can confirm to the member that events like this often represent a significant environmental threat to local communities. When the Coast Guard staff received the report of this sunken vessel, it took immediate action to protect the marine environment from pollution. The vessel's owner was identified, but could not respond to the incident. Therefore, the Coast Guard assumed command, and within 24 hours the ship was safely out of the water.
Mr. Speaker, on October 19 in the House, someone said: What we did was form a committee that is going to make thoughtful, responsible recommendations, and we are going to pay very close attention to what comes out of the work done by that committee... Who said that? The Prime Minister himself. The experts, the people, and the committee, which was very clear in its report, agree: if the government wishes to change the voting system, it must hold a referendum. When will the minister get it? Will she hold a referendum on the voting system, or will she just do as she herself sees fit?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise on this traditional Algonquin territory to talk about a new initiative we launched this morning. Mydemocracy.ca is a new, engaging initiative that will allow all Canadians to have an opportunity to have a say in this conversation. As of just a few hours ago, over 8,000 unique users have participated in this conversation about the values they find most dear to them. We look forward to hearing from many more over the course of this month.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the special committee on electoral reform.Research around the world shows, as does the report from the committee, that the best way to have an inclusive and accessible conversation about electoral reform with the citizenry is through a values-based approach. Should there be more diversity in this House? Should there be smaller parties representing a diverse range of voices, or should we have larger parties representing a broad set of perspectives? Should voting be mandatory and online? These are the questions
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said he wanted to create good jobs for young people, but in 2016, he is siding with his Minister of Finance, who said that young people will have to get used to job churn. In 2015, he told young people that the Kinder Morgan environmental assessment process needed to be reviewed, but in 2016, he approved the pipeline with Mr. Harper's dismantled environmental assessment process. Then the Prime Minister is surprised to see young people protesting in Toronto or Ottawa. Instead of being so condescending, when will the Minister of Youth listen to young people and keep his own promises?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the truth here. The NORAD commitments and the NATO commitments were commitments made as a nation and every government that comes into power is obligated to meet those expectations. We are not willing to risk manage the gap. We are not willing to risk manage both our NORAD and NATO commitments simultaneously. We are going to make sure that we have aircraft available for any unforeseen situations. If anybody thinks we cannot have any unforeseen situations, 9/11 was that time. We are going to make sure we fix this gap.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister does not care one iota about his own ethical guidelines. They are a prop for him and a joke. Everyone knows that. The Prime Minister openly and blatantly takes donations for the Liberals and in return does favours for wealthy individuals so that they can make more money. Everybody gets some grease and the Liberal gravy train rolls on. What will it take for the Prime Minister to have any respect for any laws in this country that may curb his out-of-control behavioura knock on the door from the Ethics Commissioner or maybe the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, I am pretty sure that the member opposite is not implying that the Prime Minister would be breaking the law, and if the member is saying it, there is a better place, which would be outside this chamber, to make such an accusation.When it comes to the fundraising rules
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister led many Canadians to believe that under a Liberal government, the recreational use of marijuana would no longer be a crime.He used to say very clearly that the current war on marijuana is not working. Well, a year after forming government, he has not only refused to decriminalize possession but he is now urging police to enforce all marijuana laws. He is urging police to crack down on recreational users.How did the guy who once thought the war on pot was not working become its most enthusiastic general?
Mr. Speaker, we will speak on behalf of consumers.For my hon. colleague's sake, I would like to review the consumer protection principles underlying Bill C-29. I am sure he will agree with me. The first principle states that basic banking services should be accessible to all; disclosure of information should enable an institution's customers and members of the public to make informed financial decisions; an institution's customers and members of the public should be treated fairly; and complaints processes should be impartial, transparent, and dynamic. That is what it means to protect Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development knows full well that the measure that people look at is the number of full-time jobs created. We have lost 30,500 full-time jobs, and the government, the parliamentary secretary, and the Prime Minister have not created one additional full-time job since coming into office. Now we hear he also wants to tax the health and dental benefits provided by employers, which will mean working Canadians will have to pay even more income tax. Can the Prime Minister now promise in the House that he is not going to tax the health and dental benefits that 13.5 million Canadians rely on?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform, and I can assure him that our government is working hard to strengthen the fairness and the openness of our democratic institutions.To this end, we recently introduced legislation in this House to engage more Canadians in the voting process and to enhance the integrity of our system. Our ultimate goal with reform is to foster a more inclusive and engaged Canada. We are looking forward to addressing all the recommendations that the Chief Electoral Officer shared with us and with the committee. We will be introducing legislation in this House soon.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are at it again. Apparently they do not think Canadians are paying enough taxes. Now they are introducing a health care tax.News reports have revealed that the Liberals are now looking to raise $2.9 billion by taxing Canadians' health care and dental plans. Do the Liberals not have any shame? They are now forcing Canadians to pay more for dental care and essential health care services.When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadian families and stop charging them more for essential health and dental care?
Mr. Speaker, by her reaction to the special committees report, the Minister of Democratic Institutions has made it quite clear that Liberal interests matter more than democratic interests. It is Liberal interests that also matter more with respect to political party financing, with $1,500 cocktails to gain exclusive access to the Prime Minister. Instead of playing the same worn out old record and feeding cynicism, will the minister restore public funding for political parties based on the votes received or not?
Mr. Speaker, he should say that to the people in Quebec's regions who keep contacting our offices because they do not know who to talk to in the government, now that there is no longer a Quebec lieutenant or a minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.Let us come back to softwood lumber. Again last week, it was confirmed that in 2006, it was thanks to the leadership of former prime minister Harper that the matter was resolved. It was our American partners who said that.We are not seeing that leadership now. In fact, this issue was not even mentioned in the mandate letter of the Minister of International Trade. There is not a peep about it, but it is important to us.Will they be able to resolve the issue?
Mr. Speaker, the government recently put into legislation Bill C-33, which the Minister of Democratic Institutions said would break down barriers to voting. This is extremely important, but the legislation left out important aspects for people living with disabilities. They still face significant barriers when it comes to participating in elections, including access to qualified assistance during the act of voting itself. Will the minister keep her word to people living with disabilities and commit to addressing these issues?
Mr. Speaker, as I just said a moment ago, we are in the process of reviewing the Income Tax Act in its entirety, to make it more acceptable from a fiscal standpoint and ensure fairness for all Canadians.My colleague even mentioned the millions of Canadians we have helped. I would remind the member that he voted against a measure that helped 9 million Canadians when we lowered taxes for the middle class. He voted against the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of ten families. He voted against measures that we introduced to support students in this country. He voted against measures for seniors. Canadians know that the only
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister always follows the rules and the member knows very well when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. The member knows very well that the rules clearly state that only Canadians can donate to a Canadian political party.
Mr. Speaker, I think we recognize that every member in this House can always do better. I listened to what the member opposite has shared. We are all here to follow the rules. We know that last week we had the opposition House leader rip up a piece of paper. I think we can all raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, there is not a tax the Liberals do not like. What do they not understand? Taxing 13.5 million Canadians on their health benefits is yet another financial burden. The Liberals are attacking hardworking Canadian families. First, they took away the children's fitness tax credit, then they took the children's art tax credit, then the text book tax credit, and now they want to charge Canadian families and seniors another tax.The Liberals continue to exploit the middle class to solve their own financial problems. When will the Liberals stop attacking hardworking Canadians and stop their plans for this new health care tax?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise a point of order about a breach in the rules of the House. We recognize, Mr. Speaker, that you have a challenging job, and it is made particularly challenging when a member breaks the rules of the House in a way that is designed to play to the camera and escape the Speaker's notice. This is something that I do not think came to the attention of members until it appeared in the news.The rules of the House clearly forbid the use of props. In fact, the Speaker recently reminded members specifically of this rule. However, what happened within the House last week is that a minister of the government, during questions, was holding up her notes as if pretending to use her notes. However, by all indications intentionally, on the backside of those notes was a very large icon. The minister was positioned such that the icon was clearly visible to the cameras, even though it was not visible to the Speaker. We know that this is a flagrant violation of the rules of the House. It involves the use of props. This was taken by the Minister of Democratic Institutions, who is supposed to be defending our institutions. In fact, it was done in a way designed to escape notice, showing a complete disregard for them. I do not know if this was her idea or something she was asked to do by the Prime Minister's Office, but this is clearly unacceptable, clearly a violation of the rules of the House, and the member needs to be brought to order.
Mr. Speaker, they are working so hard, that is for sure. In the most recent budget, the Liberals cut tax breaks for small businesses and for families. Afterward, they announced Canada Pension Plan increases and the introduction of a carbon tax, which will cost families thousands of dollars each year. Now they want to tax drug and dental plans.Can the Prime Minister tell Canadians what he intends to tax more to pay for his out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, the problem is the Prime Minister's arrogance toward protesters.Let us talk about that arrogance. Last week, the Minister of Natural Resources suggested that the government would call in the armed forces and the police to deal with people protesting the Kinder Morgan pipeline. What a thing to say.This statement is clearly a threat against the right to peaceful protest guaranteed by the charter, and specifically against first nations activists. This comes after we have learned that the RCMP has previously spied on indigenous activists. Will the minister apologize and reassure this House that the government will protect the right to peaceful protest?
Mr. Speaker, we are making Canada's tax system fairer and more progressive. We have raised taxes on the top 1% so that we could cut taxes for the middle class, and beyond that, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which will mean that the average family will receive $2,300 more tax free. That will raise 300,000 Canadian kids out of poverty.We, as a government, are acting to make Canada's system fairer and more progressive and to help Canada's middle class and those working so hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, consumers whose credit card is stolen are liable for, at most, $50. That is the law. At the federal level, the credit card issuer can stipulate liability in the contract. If Bill C-29 passes, banks will have free rein to demand that clients pay back every penny spent by a credit card thief.Does the minister of high finance see the difference between being protected by the law and being at the mercy of the banks?
Mr. Speaker, our government has made significant changes to make our tax system more progressive for the middle class. We are going to keep making important decisions to improve conditions for the middle class.We are doing that because we understand that we cannot have a strong economy without a strong middle class. The previous government did not get that. For 10 years, Canada's middle class fell behind. We are standing with them to build an economy that grows.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are well aware that, if any government is known for creating new taxes, it is the Liberal government.This government dreamed up the Liberal carbon tax and the new Canada pension plan payroll taxes, and now it is inventing a new tax on health and dental benefits. That is completely unacceptable.Can someone in this government rise and clearly tell Canadians that there will not be a tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across the country. This government will continue to follow the rules. When we work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and we follow the rules, no conflict of interest can exist. The member knows that very well. What is clear is that the methods the previous government took and the ones that we are taking are very different because we follow the rules.
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the member that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes on the middle class, and the people on the other side voted against it.Finance Canada is in the process of reviewing our tax system as a whole, specifically a tax expenditure to ensure tax fairness for the middle class and simplification of the tax code. We are not looking at any tax expenditure measures in isolation. We are looking at the tax system as a whole to ensure fairness, simplicity, and efficiency across the board. No decision has been made, since we are still very much in the midst of the process and are still consulting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, issues of registration, membership, and citizenship go to the heart of identity in community. Bill S-3 will correct known sex-based discrimination in Indian registration. We know that a real conversation needs to happen on these issues. That is why I have committed to launching a formal consultation on registration, membership, and citizenship early next year to deal with the other issues that are not in this bill. I look forward to hearing from communities from coast to coast to coast. I am committed to finding a real reform forward, but right now 35,000 people can get their rights if this bill goes through, and
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that he is talking to another little guy from Shawinigan.I speak for the people from the regions and Quebeckers, as do the 40 members who come from Quebec. In Marcotte we were asked to clarify the provisions in effect in order to protect Canadian consumers across the country. That is precisely what we did, but we also took the opportunity to modernize and simplify the legislation in the interest of consumers in Quebec and across the country.I invite the hon. member to read the bill. He might learn something.
Mr. Speaker, again, this gives me an opportunity to rise to recognize that the task force submitted the report on November 30. That report is being translated. I have not seen the report, nor has anyone else among my ministerial colleagues. The report will be presented in the middle of December. I am very thankful for the work of the task force which, in a concentrated manner, over the course of over six months, has put together the report that will provide recommendations that will assist us in moving forward with legislation.
Mr. Speaker, an attendee of the Liberal Party fundraiser on November 7 said that he spoke directly to the Prime Minister about government business for the price of a $1,500 contribution. However, Liberal Party ethics rules state that Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and their staff should not discuss departmental business at any fundraising event, and should refer any person who wishes to discuss departmental business to make an appointment.Can the Prime Minister confirm that he never discussed government business during that fundraiser?
Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that traffic is moving on the Blue Water Bridge, and I can also inform the member, of course, that the Blue Water Bridge is under the responsibility of the Federal Bridge Corporation. It is responsible for the operation of the bridge, and that also includes labour relations.We are certainly following the situation very carefully. What we want to ensure is that traffic continues to move safely, which is the case at the moment.
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that the softwood lumber agreement expired under the former government and that the latter did nothing to reopen negotiations with our American partners.Canada is prepared for any eventuality and we will vigorously defend the interests of Canadian workers and producers. In the past, the courts have always ruled in our favour and we are convinced that they will continue to do so.The minister continued negotiating with Ambassador Froman on the weekend and we are looking for a good agreement for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we are not dreaming, we are taking action. Canadians across the country know that. Why? It is because we reduced taxes for 9 million Canadians. We are doing tangible things to help Canadians.We introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families. We have improved the lives of Canada's seniors, first nations, and youth. Canadians know that the people on this side of the House are working for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, our government is working very hard for Canadians. We have undertaken an unprecedented level of public consultation in order to respond to the real challenges Canadians are facing. As the hon. member knows, when it comes to fundraising we have some of the strictest rules in Canada. Our party is following the rules.
Mr. Speaker, last week, the justice minister denied there had been a leak of the marijuana report to Liberal friends, but after Rosy Mondin, a Liberal cannabis crony, donated the maximum allowed by law, she tweeted, Task-force report being presented to gov't today. Report won't be made public (yet) but hope to hear snippets.Is the Liberal Party selling insider information to people willing to pay cash for access?
Mr. Speaker, being on MyDemocracy.ca does not feel like a values-based approach. It feels like being on a dating website designed by Fidel Castro. No matter how hard one tries to be against the Prime Minister's preferred electoral system, the survey tells people that they really do support it. It is like magic. With this website, the government has finally found a way to resolve the problem of Canadians continuing to give Liberals the answers they do not want. Just do not ask those questions. For example, the questionnaire does not ask whether Canadians want a referendum. I wonder why that might be. Would it be because the Liberals do not want to know the answer to that particular question?
Mr. Speaker, our goal is to convince those countries that have nuclear weapons to be at the table as part of disarmament discussions. We did that when we recently led a UN resolution supported by 177 states. Our resolution has a goal to stop the production of materials used to make nuclear weapons and rally nuclear and non-nuclear states alike toward the realization of a fissile material cut-off treaty. This is the realistic, pragmatic approach to nuclear disarmament and a major accomplishment.
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General exposed that the government spent nearly $1 billion on its border programs, with no known results. Meanwhile, at the Blue Water Bridge, the government will not even come to the table after creating the first significant labour dispute in nearly 80 years of operation. Now, it is even hiring scabs and replacement workers, cracking down on families in Sarnia: a job well done. The result is that traffic is redirected, the roads are less safe, and there is lost revenue to a private American billionaire.Why is the government stiff-arming workers and families, putting public safety at risk, and increasing border conflict, instead of getting back to the table for the workers and their families?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the close attention he pays to the rules. I can assure him that I am going to work very hard on my sunny ways, and I will promise to do better.
Mr. Speaker, we may have some of the strictest fundraising rules in Canada, but the Prime Minister is breaking them every time he holds one of these events when he is talking about government business. He is actually selling access to himself, the most powerful person in government. Discussing government business to fill Liberal Party coffers is wrong, it is unethical, and it is actually illegal.When will the Prime Minister come to his senses and end this cash for access fundraising?
Mr. Speaker, the only plan that seems to work for the Liberals is the marijuana plant. The economic plan certainly is not working.Canada has lost 30,000 jobs. The Liberals will tell us over and over again that they lowered taxes. What they have done is create future debt, promise money that they do not have, and create illusions. The United States wants to lower corporate taxes. When are the Liberals going to wake up and realize that their plan is not working?
Mr. Speaker, by approving these pipelines, Canada took a step forward in supporting thousands of good, middle-class, good-paying jobs. Unlike the previous government, which failed to get any real action over the past decade, we are protecting oceans and we are pricing carbon pollution, all while finding new markets for our resources. The party opposite has taken almost every possible position, indeed in both official languages, on pipelines.
Mr. Speaker, I rise again to answer these allegations. To be clear, I have not seen the task force report. I will receive the task force report in the middle of December, along with my ministerial colleagues, along with every member of the House, along with the public. We will then review those recommendations and the government will put forward its legislation with respect to the legalization of marijuana.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Scarborough North for all his hard work and for hosting a conversation with his constituents, as well as all of the members of this House who did the same.Today we launched mydemocracy.ca. It will empower all Canadians to take part in a values-based conversation about their democracy, about the way they would like to be governed. The online engagement tool will complement the work of MPs, like the hon. member, as well as the members of the special committee. We encourage all Canadians to spend time this December taking part in the survey.
Mr. Speaker, I imagine the hon. member has taken the survey. I encourage all Canadians to participate in the survey. I thank all members of the House who have been participating and who have been sharing it on social media.An issue as important as electoral reform deserves to include all Canadians from all walks of life. That is why Canadians cannot only fill the questionnaire out online, but for those in rural and remote regions, for seniors, and for those who are not comfortable online, they are invited to take part by using the telephone.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his hard work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. The committee tabled the report in the House on December 1. We are going to reflect on the report, and the government will respond.However, we all agree in the House that not enough Canadians are engaged in this conversation. There is an opportunity here for every Canadian. Fifteen million households have received an invitation in the mail asking them to be part of this historic conversation. We are counting on all members of the House to encourage their constituents to take part.
Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, the justice minister claimed her marijuana report had not been leaked, but two hours later, details of the leaked report were already appearing in the media. Both the National Post and The Globe and Mail quoted sources familiar with the report. The report has been leaked. Is the minister in on the deal or just incompetent?
Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement indicated that she did not intend to provide Canadians with the financial details of the contract to purchase Super Hornet fighter jets. She said that she wanted to talk to Boeing and the American government about it first.The minister suggested that her government has not yet entered into discussions with Boeing, which is rather unbelievable. What is worse, Canadians are being treated like a second-class third party in this transaction, even though the minister is accountable to Canadians and Canadians only.When will she rectify this situation and tell Canadians the unit price of the Super Hornets?
Mr. Speaker, I guess Toronto banks are keen to see Bill C-29 passed considering the minister of high finance is imposing closure. He is anxious to legalize hidden fees in Quebec, authorize misleading advertising, allow banks to change our contracts without our consent, and eliminate our recourse or any sanctions.How far is this government of banks prepared to go to quash consumer rights in Quebec to the benefit of high finance in Toronto?The day that Quebeckers no longer have rights, will they have to cut a cheque to the government, like the Chinese billionaires did?
Mr. Speaker, to reiterate, our government is committed to legalization, strict regulation, and restricting access to marijuana to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals. As the member opposite actually once said, it would be a mistake to simply decriminalize. We are entering into, and are going to undertake, a comprehensive review, taking recommendations from the task force in order to introduce legislation in the spring of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak again about our commitment to legalize marijuana with strict access and strict regulation.I am looking forward to receiving the report from the task force, which will contain recommendations about how we can move forward on this, understanding that it is our government that will decide.The ultimate objective of legalization of marijuana, restricting access via regulations, is to keep it out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals.
Mr. Speaker, they are very different. There was no Prime Minister Harper talking business to Chinese communists at Conservative fundraisers.The Prime Minister today may already be breaching sections 17 and 16, which the House leader may want to familiarize herself with, of the Conflict of Interest Act. The host of this fundraiser said that he did discuss government business with the Prime Minister and he told the Prime Minister what he wanted. Again, is the Prime Minister waiting for the RCMP to come knocking on his door before he stops this unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, on November 5, a private fishing vessel sank off the dock in Steveston Harbour in my riding of StevestonRichmond East. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard please tell the House about the response from the Coast Guard to limit pollution and remove the vessel from the water?
Mr. Speaker, the minister just forgot to say that following those rules is important too. Quite a few Canadians were under the impression that the advent of a Liberal government meant an end to criminal records for simple possession of marijuana. The Liberals have been in power for over a year now, and they are still handing out criminal records by the thousand, especially to young people. The Prime Minister just urged the police to continue enforcing these archaic laws. This is causing young Canadians a lot of problems, so why does the government not put an end to that by decriminalizing marijuana right away?
Mr. Speaker, the minister's first legislation dealing with gender equality for first nations is seriously flawed, and the minister must go back to the drawing board. It has really been mishandled, quite frankly from the beginning. In drafting the bill, she did not talk to the litigants and she did not do proper consultation. She was forced to apologize, publicly admitting that she was embarrassed at how her staff handled the file.Will the minister end her paternalistic approach and withdraw this piece of legislation?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has now lost 30,500 full-time jobs since the Prime Minister took office, and it is about to get a lot worse. While the Prime Minister continues to hike taxes and drive up the cost of doing business in Canada, the U.S. is going in the other direction. It is committed to cutting corporate taxes in half and lowering the price of energy.How many more Canadian jobs need to be lost before the Prime Minister wakes up to this new reality?
Mr. Speaker, there are 20,000 tweets mocking this minister's survey. The first rule of engagement the Liberals should learn is not to treat Canadians like they are stupid. Last week, the Minister of Democratic Institutions insulted our committee and the thousands of Canadians who participated with us in this process, because we were not specific enough for her. Yet today we see a pop-psych survey from this minister, and there is no mention of electoral systems whatsoever. Almost 90% of everyone who spoke to the committee recommended a proportional voting system. Yet the minister cannot even bring herself to put the word proportional in her survey.If the minister truly wants a clearer answer, why would she not simply ask the obvious questions?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have heard this government loud and clear. It refuses to say whether or not it plans to tax health and dental benefits. Some 13.5 million Canadians will be affected by this bad Liberal measure. The Liberals are about to take another $3 billion out of the pockets of Canadian taxpayers.Once again, I ask the government, is there anyone in this House who can stand up and tell us clearly whether or not there will be a Liberal tax on these two things that will directly affect 13 million Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I will give the Minister of National Defence a hand and set out the facts.On April 14, 2016, General Hood said that the air force had enough CF-18s to carry out its duties until 2025. On November 15, 2016, Chief of Defence Staff General Vance said that the supposed capability gap was a false deduction. However, that was before the Liberals changed the rules five minutes before confirming the acquisition of the outdated Super Hornets and withdrew a report that contradicted their rationale. That is an outrage.When will the Liberals stop hiding the truth from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Chinese Anbang Insurance Group is trying to buy up the biggest retirement home chain in B.C. This deal will have to be approved by the Prime Minister and the cabinet. The Prime Minister has been caught being lobbied to approve this type of deal at, guess what, $1,500 cash for access fundraisers attended by wealthy Chinese investors. The Prime Minister can no longer stand behind his tired rhetoric of following the rules, when it is clear to everyone that every rule has been broken. When will the Prime Minister start following the rules?
Mr. Speaker, this week marks the sixth anniversary of the unanimous vote in the House of Commons in favour of a nuclear weapons convention. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, the Liberal government changed its position and voted against negotiations for such a convention.The United Nations is soon going to vote on this issue again. Will the Liberal government work with the international community and vote in favour of negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention?
Mr. Speaker, I do talk to my chief military adviser General Vance. I do talk to the air force as well.Our government has commitments to NORAD and to NATO and to satisfy these commitments we cannot do this simultaneously. That is the capability gap that we talk about.The previous government knew about this gap but it never told Canadians about it and it did nothing about it. This is something we intend to fix.
Mr. Speaker, I guess he does not wish to correct those false statements. That is reassuring.We have a government that makes the rules and then cheerfully breaks them, that claims to set new standards and then justifies its actions on the grounds that it did not technically do anything wrong, and that tells Parliament that attendees at these exclusive dinners do not discuss government business.By accusing the event host of lying, is the minister signalling plans to investigate? Or did someone else lie?
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that the only government that stood up for the middle class is this government. The people on the other side voted against every measure we presented to defend the middle class in our country. They voted against cutting taxes for the middle class. They voted against the Canada child benefit. They voted against the CPP enhancement in this country. They voted against the GIS top-up for seniors. They voted against our measures for students in this country.Canadians know who is working for them. It is the government on this side of the House.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly recognize the tragic circumstances with respect to Constable Wynn, and sympathies go out to the family. In terms of what we are doing, we are doing a review of the criminal justice system. We are working in a comprehensive and concerted way with the provinces and territories. I am familiar with the private member's bill, but by having discussions with the provinces and territories, we are proceeding in a way that recognizes that we need to work and coordinate together. That is what we are committed to doing. The measures that are articulated in this bill are measures that are in place at this time.
Mr. Speaker, the more we learn about the Prime Minister's cash for access fundraising practices, the worse it gets. We were all shocked when the Prime Minister first confessed that he was discussing business at these fundraisers. That is not only unethical, it is illegal. The Prime Minister discussed various issues at his events with Chinese billionaires, including changing Canadian investment rules to directly benefit them. The Prime Minister's job is to defend Canadians' interests, not to put them up for sale. When is he going to realize that this wrong?
Mr. Speaker, if I were not laughing, I would be crying. The Minister of Democratic Institutions' new online questionnaire is extremely ridiculous and biased. This tool is so crude that nobody could possibly take it seriously.The Liberals managed to come up with a questionnaire on electoral reform that does not even mention the voting system. They ignored the issue. When they talk about diversity in Parliament, they try to scare people by playing up imaginary radical and extremist parties.Will the minister stand up and finally admit that the Liberals are not serious about this and will not change anything?
Mr. Speaker, Wynn's law would require prosecutors to disclose the criminal history of bail applicants, closing a loophole that cost Constable David Wynn his life. The Minister of Justice opposes this common sense legislation.Will the minister tell Shelley Wynn, the widow of Constable Wynn, why she thinks it is okay for individuals to be let out on bail without their criminal history being disclosed? Why is the minister opposed to closing the loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life?
Mr. Speaker, the procurement minister should talk to the Royal Canadian Air Force before she talks to Boeing.The Liberal government has relentlessly undermined our military leadership. This weekend, the procurement minister continued to contradict the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force. She attacked General Hood and torqued up the Liberals' rhetoric on the fake capability gap. As a matter of fact, reports and experts agree that a capability gap would only occur if the Liberals try to extend the life of our CF-18s past 2025.Instead of playing politics, why will the procurement minister not listen to the Royal Canadian Air Force? It is the expert.
Mr. Speaker, let me read a statement dated November 24, just two weeks ago, from the minister for fishy fundraisers: ...at events like this, government business is not discussed He was talking about a cash for access event involving the Prime Minister. We are now told that the Prime Minister did indeed discuss government business. How do we know this? It is because the host of the fundraiser himself said it was discussed.Does the minister wish to correct the record with regard to his November 24 statement, which we now know to be false?