Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, Marcia Brown Martel was taken from her indigenous birth parents, declared dead, and handed over to be adopted by non-indigenous parents. The removal of children to eliminate their race is an act of genocide. Over 20,000 survivors of the Sixties Scoop are now seeking justice. The minister has declared that her government will be adversaries no more. Well, if so, when will her government stop fighting them in court and make reparations for these despicable historic wrongs?
Mr. Speaker, since the start of the new year, whenever the Prime Minister has talked about his Christmas vacation, he says whatever he can to try to justify his lapse in judgment.However, despite his verbal somersaults, he knows very well that he violated section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act by travelling on a private helicopter during his Christmas vacation. Where I come from, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like duck, it must be a duck. Instead of hiding behind the Ethics Commissioner, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he broke the law?
I hope the new minister does not want to redecorate, Mr. Speaker. We could buy four condos in Ottawa for the same price the minster spent furnishing her new office. While seniors cannot pay their hydro bills and veterans go homeless, the Liberals keep wasting Canadian money. Will the Prime Minister put a stop to this entitled, ridiculous, lavish spending and start focusing on the needs of real Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I have another question for the Prime Minister. One of his Liberal members, the member for BeachesEast York, thinks that the Prime Minister is not going far enough when it comes to legalizing marijuana. He wants the Prime Minister to decriminalize all drugs. There is a good reason that all drugs are not legal, and that is because they ruin the lives of our loved ones. Will the Prime Minister unequivocally denounce the comments that his Liberal colleague made and immediately commit to Canadian families that he will not put our youth at risk in legalizing tough, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine?
Cyber-attacks? What about attacks on truth, Mr. Speaker?The Prime Minister is always bemoaning the fact that cynicism is the biggest problem in politics today. Promising democratic reform to get elected and then breaking that promise once in office is crass cynicism.Is he not ashamed of himself?
Mr. Speaker, words matter. A person's word matters.This is a betrayal. The Prime Minister has finally killed off what remained of our hopes for democratic renewal. The Prime Minister made a promise, a promise echoed by his candidates, his throne speech, his mandate letters, and the parliamentary committee. Now, he thumbs his nose at the hundreds of thousands of people who really believed him. They lied to us. They lied to the people.What is the Prime Minister's word worth?
Mr. Speaker, I was recently approached in relation to the inadequate level of mental health support for soldiers at Garrison Petawawa. The Liberals have let the number of mental health providers drop so low that the soldiers at Garrison Petawawa are forced into group sessions instead of one-on-one therapy.What is it going to take for the Prime Minister to restore the levels of mental health support for the soldiers and the people who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces so that they once again have patient-centred treatment?
Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadian workers will be forced to pay the Liberals' new tax on health and dental benefits. Many will lose their coverage and find themselves paying out of pocket for important expenses like life-saving medicines, mental health counselling, and their children's braces. It is not fair that the Prime Minister racks up billions of dollars in spending on his priorities and now Canadians have to pay for it with a $1,000 new tax on their health and dental benefits.Why would the Prime Minister even consider doing this?
Mr. Speaker, front-line workers are decrying the lack of action from the Liberal government to end violence against women. They are calling the government's progress to date a massive disappointment.There needs to be an immediate increase in funding for shelter operations. No woman or child should ever be turned away when fleeing domestic violence. When will the Liberals create a national action plan to end violence against women as promised to the United Nations?
Mr. Speaker, last month, a disabled grandmother told the Prime Minister, as she broke into tears, that she did not know how she was going to continue to pay her hydro bill, which was over $1,000 a month. A new carbon tax now will make it more expensive for her to heat her home.Yesterday, the Minister of Finance confirmed that he did not know what the middle class was. His budget says that the median income, though, is $50,000 a year in Canada. The Liberal Party promised it would not raise taxes on the middle class or those working to join it.Can the Liberals confirm today that no one earning less than $50,000 a year will be asked to pay the Liberal carbon tax?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has abandoned his commitment. He has betrayed Canadians. A political party promises something in order to get elected and to appear progressive, but then, once elected, it shamelessly breaks that promise. I would call that a massive political deception. What does the Prime Minister call it?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have never been so badly served as they are by this Prime Minister, who thinks he is totally above the law.He is undermining Canadians' confidence in our democracy, and we are all outraged by the investigations into ethical issues, because the common thread in them all is that the Liberal Party of Canada put its own interests first. When will the Prime Minister finally admit his lapse in judgment in using the Aga Khan's helicopter, and get to work for the benefit of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, how sad it was to watch the minister, who admitted that the Liberals had won a false majority. Yet, she was the very one the Liberals sent out to break the very promise that would fix the problem. The Prime Minister promised to be different. He promised to bring more people into the democratic process. He promised to make every vote count, and he promised millions of Canadians that 2015 would be the last election under the outdated and unfair voting system. Will any Liberal from Vancouver, Edmonton, or Winnipeg find the integrity to stand up to this blatant betrayal of Canadians that the Prime Minister has made?
Mr. Speaker, once again, facts really matter. The situation is clear.We introduced the Canada child benefit to make sure that 9 out of 10 Canadian families with children have more money in their pockets, an average of $2,300 after taxes. That is the truth. A family with less money or a single woman with a child who earns $30,000 per year will get, on average, $6,400 more. Canadian families really are better off with our government.
Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, the Liberals are inventing new ways to waste taxpayer money.Canadians were astounded when the Minister of Infrastructure spent $835,000 redoing his offices, but they were flabbergasted that the former Minister of Status of Women spent $1.1 million to furnish a new office. Having visited her previous office, which was perfectly adequate, I want to know why hard-earned taxpayer dollars were wasted on this unnecessary extravagance?
Mr. Speaker, when 90% of people are in favour of a more proportional system, I think we can begin to call that a consensus.The Prime Minister made this promise hundreds of times during the election. He wrote it in his party's platform. He put it in his very first throne speech. The government promised it 1,813 times since it got elected. That is the real number.How can Canadians trust anything the Prime Minister has to say after he has so blatantly and intentionally betrayed his own word?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said a lot of things to get elected, and now young Canadians are realizing that he does not have their backs. His decisions have made it harder for them to buy a first-time home and are creating a lot of anxiety over finding their first jobs, but, worst of all, the money his government is borrowing means that a Canadian who turns 18 today will not see the budget balanced until he or she is 56 years old. That means an entire working life of higher taxes.Why is the Prime Minister making the youth of our country pay for his bad decisions?
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to serve as the Minister of Status of Women with a government that has put gender equality at the heart of its priorities, and with a Prime Minister who is a feminist in words and in actions. Previous to the Prime Minister's leadership, there was no full ministry of status of women. The staff needed a place to work. I am so proud that the public service as well as the ministerial team are on the same floor. This was a responsible use of dollars, and we will continue to deliver on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, Constable David Wynn was shot and killed in the line of duty by a career criminal out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. Now there is a bill before the House that would close the bail loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life. The Prime Minister's cabinet would obviously have discussed it. Therefore, it was disturbing when the Prime Minister said at a town hall that he did not know anything about this bill. Now that he has had time to catch up with his work, will he instruct his caucus to support Wynn's law?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal green energy act in Ontario has transferred $170 billion over 26 years from middle and working class people to the wealthiest 1%. It is probably the biggest wealth transfer in the history of this country. We now have a carbon tax that will similarly land heaviest on the shoulders of those with the least. We also know that money will trickle down to well-connected Liberal so-called green insiders. It is not fair to tax people with these extra burdens who earn less than $50,000 a year.Can the finance minister do the right thing today and confirm that he will not impose his carbon tax on those earning less than the median income?
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to say that we are adversaries no more and that negotiation rather than litigation is our government's preferred route to settle these differences and right historical wrongs. This is why our government today is launching negotiations toward a national resolution to the Sixties Scoop litigation. Several parties have already expressed interest in these discussions, and I hope all parties will participate.The Sixties Scoop is a dark and painful chapter in our history. Resolving these cases is an important step in our journey of reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
Mr. Speaker, I would like the Prime Minister to translate that back for me.This is a very simple change in the Criminal Code. This career criminal was out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. It is very simple. It is a small loophole that can be closed if this bill is passed. I appreciate the Prime Minister's words. They mean a lot to the family, I am sure, but what would mean even more is if he passes this bill. Will he say yes or no? Will he instruct his caucus to pass this bill?
Mr. Speaker, we know that this reckless spending will not stop. When we oppose a budget, it is because we are looking at the big picture. The government is forcing deficits on future generations. It talked about a $10 billion deficit during the campaign, but it will be higher. We heard him answer in English, but we are going to ask him the question in French. It will be interesting.We believe that, to cover these costs, the government will bring in a new tax on health and dental benefits. He just said something in English, but I would like to hear it again in French.Will there be a new tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, it is a new year and a new minister, but employees of the Vegreville immigration case processing centre are still reeling. In response to my Order Paper question, the department said that closing the centre involved extensive consultation with another government department, but of course, not with the employees, the town, or local businesses. In fact, there was zero consultation with anyone who will actually be impacted.Will the new minister do what his predecessor refused to do, reverse this heartless decision and save these rural jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister obviously never read the report. The MyDemocracy.ca charade did not even ask Canadians if they wanted to change the voting system. However, do members know that at almost every single one of the Prime Minister's town halls, someone asked him about democratic reform?As the Prime Minister now fabricates evidence to claim Canadians did not want what he got elected on, what expression from Canadians would have been sufficient to get the Prime Minister to respect his own promise?
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to let the member opposite know that I spoke to the mayor of Vegreville a few weeks ago. That is an example of outreach. That is an example of me letting the mayor tell me the concerns of the community. We are aware of the impacts on staff and families of this relocation. I want to assure the member opposite that all current employees in the Vegreville case processing centre will have their jobs in the new location.
Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising the Liberal government has so many ethical problems, it does not even recognize an ethics question when it gets one.Canada 2020 received $15,000 of taxpayer money from the Liberal government, the same Canada 2020 that hosted exclusive events in Washington when the Prime Minister was there, the same Canada 2020 whose president is married to the Liberal Party president, and the same Canada 2020 that boasted on Twitter earlier this week about new offices opening in the parliamentary precinct. There is a pattern developing here. The conflict of interest is self-evident. Will the Prime Minister commit today that no more taxpayer money will be given to Liberal think tank Canada 2020?
Mr. Speaker, anything a prime minister or a government must do must be in the interests of Canada and of all Canadians, particularly when it comes to transforming our electoral system. I understand the passion and intensity with which the member opposite believes in this, and many Canadians mirror that passion and intensity, but there is no consensus. There is no sense of how best to do this and, quite frankly, a divisive referendum at this time, an augmentation of extremist voices in the House, is not what is in the best interests of Canada.
To the contrary, Mr. Speaker. We spent a year listening to Canadians, talking with them, hearing from a broad range of youth, seeing the firmly-held views that a number of people feel on that, and understanding that there is no clear path forward. There is no consensus. A referendum would be a bad idea. Moving forward on a divisive policy would be a bad idea.The fact of the matter is that I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform. That is not the kind of prime minister I will be.
Mr. Speaker, if they did not lie, they laughed in our faces.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that I have been wanting to reform our electoral system for a long time. The reality is that there is no consensus and no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible to hold a referendum without a clear question.The reality is that we are going to improve our democratic system in a number of different ways, but it will not be by changing the voting system. I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform.
Mr. Speaker, I would echo the words of the Prime Minister extending our deepest sympathies to the family of Constable Wynn. We are committed to conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including bail reform. That is why I continue to engage with my counterparts in the provinces and territories to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the justice system, ensuring we keep public safety top of our mind. Certainly, we agree with the objective of this legislation in terms of ensuring that information is made available to make necessary decisions.
Mr. Speaker, we want to be clear. We know that engaging with our neighbours to the south is critically important for our economy. We will do that while protecting the interests of Canadians.We will focus on how we can grow our own economy, so that Canadians can have good jobs. We will focus on making sure that middle-class Canadians have tax rates that are lower than they were during the term of the previous government, so that they can have enough money to pay for the needs of their children.We are focused on an economy that will be strong for Canada, and will deal with global situations as they arise.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals seem to have their collective heads in the sand. In order for Canada to remain competitive with the United States, we need lower taxes across the board, and a regulatory process aligned with our neighbours. By refusing to deal with this new reality, and instead adding more taxes to families and businesses, the Liberals are costing Canadian jobs.Can the Minister of Finance tell us if there is any element of his fiscal policy that he is willing to change in order to respond to the new reality in the U.S. policy?
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of neglect by the previous government, we are finally making progress to ensure that people of all genders have equal opportunity to thrive. The decision to have both ministerial staff and the public service on the same level was important. It is important to reduce silos across all sectors, including our own. We will continue to deliver positive results on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family of Constable David Wynn and especially to his widow, Shelly MacInnis-Wynn.We are committed to ensuring an effective and efficient bail system. The Minister of Justice will continue to collaborate with the provinces and territories and consult stakeholders that use these important Criminal Code provisions every day.
Mr. Speaker, Canada can be proud of its tradition of being an open society that welcomes refugees. We have tripled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We have engaged with our American counterparts to make sure that the implications of the executive order are closely monitored. We continue to inform Canadians as we get updated daily. We will continue to be a country that opens its hearts and its doors to those fleeing war and persecution.
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to evidence-based policy, unlike the previous government. That is why we support safe consumption sites and want to do everything we can to protect Canadians from the ongoing opioid crisis. We have committed to legalizing marijuana, but we are not planning on legalizing anything else at this time.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals said last year that LGBT refugees would be a priority among Syrian refugees as among the most at risk. Then they did exactly nothing. Now Trump's ban has placed LGBT refugees from seven Muslim majority countries at extreme risk. In all seven, being gay means living in fear of being put to death.I want to ask the minister the same question which he ignored in last night's emergency debate. Will the minister take swift and specific action to facilitate asylum in Canada for LGBT citizens of the seven countries who are now excluded from the United States and who risk death if sent home?
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. Canadians expect us to take action to reduce emissions but also to grow our economy. I am very proud with the climate plan that we were able to achieve with the provinces, the territories, and indigenous peoples with respect to putting a price on pollution, which Canadians support. It is up to the provinces to determine which way to do it, and what to do with the revenues. They can return the revenues through a revenue neutral price on carbon. We are going to continue working with the provinces to grow our economy and reduce emissions.
Mr. Speaker, with our Canada child benefit, we are lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty across this country, reducing child poverty by 40%. For post-secondary education, we are guaranteeing they do not have to pay back any student debts until they are making $25,000 a year, and we are increasing by 50% Canada student grants for low-income and middle-income families. We are also investing in infrastructure, in research, in innovation, and in post-secondary institutions to ensure that we have good jobs for these young people now and into the future. This is what building a strong country looks like and we will stay focused on that.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes in the importance of independent, non-partisan scientific advice. Unlike the previous government, we will not politicize scientific research.As I have mentioned, the organization is an arm's-length independent body and has the ability to issue contracts up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear. There is no consensus among Canadians on how, or even whether, to reform our electoral system, and to change the mode of the election system. That is why we are going to focus on strengthening our resistance and resilience to cyber-attacks from foreign intervenors, why we are going to be continuing to repeal the unfair provisions in the so-called fair elections act, and why we are moving forward with greater transparency and accountability on the strong rules we already have on federal fundraising.We are moving forward in a way that will focus on the things that matter to Canadians. That is what Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister truly believed that his new year's getaway did not present ethical problems, he would not have tried so hard to hide it. No one believes the Prime Minister was not advised his actions would lead to a clear breach of the ethics law. The act is clear, as clear as the Prime Minister's decision was to ignore it. Is it not true that the Prime Minister kept this a secret because he knew the Ethics Commissioner would have told him it violated the act? Why does the Prime Minister think he is above the law?
Mr. Speaker, we got elected on a commitment to invest in the middle class, to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We are committed to protecting the middle class from increased taxes and that is why we will not be raising the taxes the member opposite proposes we will do.
Mr. Speaker, what the middle class is worried about is being consistently overtaxed by the Prime Minister's spending. We now have a situation where young people looking to their future, people turning 18 today, will see higher taxes until they are 56 years old.Why would the Prime Minister continue down this path of massive deficits and massive debt, and burden the next generation?
Mr. Speaker, just as soon as we were contacted by the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Canada acted promptly on each and every request.
Mr. Speaker, a week ago today, New Brunswick was hammered by an ice storm.Nearly 13,000 homes remain without electricity or heat in the month of February. Warming centres and shelters in Miscou, Shippagan, and Lamèque are still overflowing.On Monday, I asked the Minister of National Defence why it took three days after the request from the Province before the troops arrived. No response.My question is for the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. The federal government responded swiftly to the fires in Fort McMurray and the floods in Calgary and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Why the radio silence for New Brunswick?
Mr. Speaker, the facts are very important.After 10 years, we started out with a very low growth rate. We started out with more debt because of the previous government. That is the truth.We are now making investments in our future in order to improve our economic growth. We have cut taxes for the middle class. That is our program for improving our situation and the future of our country.
Mr. Speaker, the minister was in Laval on January 16 for a major joint announcement with the Province of Quebec about a $400-million investment in social housing.Would the minister tell the House how this investment in social housing will help vulnerable people across Quebec, including children living in poverty, seniors, and victims of domestic violence, while stimulating the economy?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, we consulted with hundreds of thousands of Canadians to hear their views on transforming our electoral system. It is very clear. As people in this House know, I have long preferred a preferential ballot. The members opposite wanted a proportional representation. The official opposition wanted a referendum. There is no consensus. There is no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible for us to do something that harms Canada's stability when, in fact, what we need is to move forward on growth for the middle class and support.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was clearly not prepared for the new U.S. administration, nor was he prepared for how new policies in the United States would affect our economy.Now that our largest trading partner is committed to lower taxes and fewer regulations, the Liberal government needs to show Canadians that it is able to adapt to the new U.S. reality. When will the Liberals acknowledge that their tax and spend policy is making Canada sorely uncompetitive, and putting Canadian jobs at huge risk of heading to the United States?
Mr. Speaker, more topics have been discussed and there has been more heated debate with the provinces in the one year that this government has been in office than there were in 10 years under the previous government.Today, ministers from Quebec are asking the government to get its ducks in a row and start doing its job on the softwood lumber issue.Will the government be able to work with the provinces as promised? More importantly, will it be able to sign a softwood lumber deal for our 300,000 forestry workers?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her commitment to this work. As a fellow Trent University alumna, I am looking forward to working on this file together. I am happy to say that our government is fully committed to addressing gender-based violence so that women and girls can live free of violence. That is why we are developing a strategy to address this. Our government is engaged with experts, academics, civil society, and with those with lived experiences. Our investments in shelters and transitional housing will allow women to live safe and free from violence. Unlike the previous government, we are working to create the conditions to ensure that Canada is a place
Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to talk about the situation of middle-class Canadians and those families who are struggling to get into the middle class because we know that we have helped them in many ways since we have come into office by lowering their taxes: an individual, out of those nine million, has saved $330 on average; a family has saved $540 on average. More importantly, we have helped them in other ways. We have helped students, as the Prime Minister mentioned, to have a better situation. When they have debt, students can wait until they have $25,000 to pay it off. We have helped seniors by increasing the guaranteed income supplement. We know Canadians are better off today than they
We made a commitment, Mr. Speaker, to invest in young people, to invest in our future. That is why historic investments in infrastructure, whether it be public transit, whether it be green infrastructure, whether it be social infrastructure like housing and child care, these are things that are going to make our country better and stronger and create more opportunities for young people in the future.To add to the list of things that we are doing to help young people, the transforming, the strengthening of the Canada pension plan is going to leave young people better off down the line so they have money to retire, something the members opposite have always been against.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for South ShoreSt. Margarets for her hard work. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 32 outstanding MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership. It is because of their leadership we launched the Atlantic growth strategy last summer. Just last week in Nova Scotia, we announced progress on the immigration pilot project, which will increase levels by 50%. I would like to thank the Minister of Immigration for his leadership. We also targeted high-growth firms, which will create jobs for small businesses. We also put forward an agreement to double the trade and investment strategy by $20 million.We are delivering for Atlantic Canada. We are growing the economy. We are creating good quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, safe third countries can be designated under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in an effort to share responsibility for refugee claims. However, only countries that respect human rights and provide a high degree of protection to asylum seekers can be designated as safe third countries. Does the Prime Minister honestly believe that this applies to the United States with its anti-Muslim decree currently in effect?
Mr. Speaker, on December 5, I rose for the first time in the House to ask the Liberal government to not move forward with the Liberal tax on health and dental benefits. It took about a dozen questions, which he never answered, for him to finally see the light.Other problems remain. When we left office, we left the house in order and a surplus of about $2.9 billion, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who we should respect. However, if nothing changes, the Minister of Finance is talking about balancing the budget in 2055.What is the government's serious plan to avoid this disaster?
Mr. Speaker, we came into office with a plan to focus on growing the economy for middle-class Canadians, for people who are feeling truly anxious about the prospects for themselves and their children.We have moved forward on that plan by reducing taxes, and by making investments in the long-term future of our country. We are going to maintain our plan to grow our economy. We are going to continue to engage with our partners in the United States to make sure that we have a strong and effective relationship with the Americans as we move forward on executing our plan for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the member should be reminded that the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As the member should also know, and as has been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister thinks the rules do not apply to people like him. One of the Prime Minister's vacation guests was Tom Pitfield, president of Liberal think tank Canada 2020. Tom also happens to be married to the president of the Liberal Party of Canada, who coincidentally was also on the same vacation. The problem is that Canada 2020 receives taxpayer dollars from the Liberal Prime Minister.Why do the Prime Minister's friends at Canada 2020 get privileged access to him and also taxpayer money?
Mr. Speaker, our electoral system is the foundation of our democracy. We respect the views of Canadians, and consulted extensively with them on this important issue. We listened to Canadians, and Canadians are proud of our democracy.We have always been clear. Major reforms to the electoral system should not be made if they lack the broad support of Canadians. As my mandate letter states, a clear preference for a new electoral system, let alone a consensus, has not emerged. Changing the electoral system is not in my mandate.
Mr. Speaker, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims to connect research with Canadians and therefore supports conferences and initiatives that promote the social sciences. The organization is an arm's-length body and has the authority to issue contracts of up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, the truth is that we left the house in order with a $2.9-billion surplus. The truth is that the current government did away with quite a few tax credits that helped families directly, such as the tax credits for sports, the arts, textbooks, and post-secondary education.With the new budget just weeks away, can the Minister of Finance tell us whether he is done with taking tax credits away from Canadian families?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Alfred-Pellan on his excellent question and on the important work he is doing on behalf of his constituents.Our government is proud to have signed an agreement allocating nearly $300 million more for affordable housing in Quebec. Quebec will be able to spend that money on its own priority projects to support vulnerable families in its communities.We are very excited to continue working hard for the middle class and those working very hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, as all members of the House know very well, we made a commitment to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. We have lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%. It was never our intention to raise taxes, as the member opposite suggested.
Mr. Speaker, Atlantic Canada faces a number of unique challenges in growing our economy and getting businesses to innovate and export. It needs a targeted approach from all levels of governments to address these issues. I understand the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development was recently in the Atlantic region promoting an Atlantic-specific approach. Could he please update the House on this initiative?
Mr. Speaker, our government is working for all Canadians, and as we have already indicated, the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-time friend. As we have also said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, I got carried away because of my passion and frustration, and I used some unparliamentary language. I apologize and would like to officially withdraw my remarks.
Mr. Speaker, our government values science and unlike the previous government we will not politicize research. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims
Mr. Speaker, that is good news for the middle class then, but what the middle class is struggling with
Mr. Speaker, section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act states that no minister shall accept travel on private aircraft except in exceptional circumstances. The Prime Minister's trip was not a last-minute travel deal on Expedia.ca. There is plenty of planning involved when any minister travels. A significant number of people in the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office would have been briefed on the travel plans. Was the Prime Minister ever advised by anyone in the PMO or PCO that travelling by private helicopter would break section 12 of the act?
Mr. Speaker, as we have said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, Within 18 months of forming government, we will introduce legislation to enact electoral reform. That is from the Liberal platform. It is very clear, and it was repeated with clarity in the Speech from the Throne, and the mandate to us as members of the special committee said we were replacing first past the post.If it was an essential precondition to follow on this promise that there be some sort of nationally proven majority, that there be some consensus discerned through vague surveys, why was that never mentioned in any promise or any mandate?
Mr. Speaker, the care and welfare and especially the mental health of our troops are extremely important given what we ask them to do. We are looking at all of the aspects of lessons from the past and what is happening now. As part of the defence policy review that we undertook last year, this is a very big component. I can assure the member that we are moving forward. Resources have been put in place now, and into the future, we will definitely be making sure that all of our troops have the mental health resources for them.
Mr. Speaker, as has been previously stated, the Prime Minister was on a personal family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As has also been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, last summer 148 young people in my riding of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin took advantage of the Canada summer jobs program.Could the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour tell the House about the details of the program for 2017?
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we, on this side of the House, have met with the provincial governments on numerous occasions to talk about many different issues. We strengthened the Canada pension plan and we created a pan-Canadian framework on climate change. We signed landmark agreements with the provinces and we are working closely with them on the softwood lumber issue in order to resolve this situation with the Americans.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's refugee system is recognized as being one of the most compassionate and generous systems in the world. The safe third country agreement with the United States enables both countries to better handle asylum claims made within both countries. Asylum seekers in Canada have access to a fair hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board, and all cases are assessed based on their merits.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin for his question.I am pleased to inform the House that employers have until Friday to submit their hiring requests for student employment this summer. This is an excellent opportunity to provide dynamic and enthusiastic students with valuable work experience, and to help grow our economy.
Mr. Speaker, Marcia Brown Martel was taken from her indigenous birth parents, declared dead, and handed over to be adopted by non-indigenous parents. The removal of children to eliminate their race is an act of genocide. Over 20,000 survivors of the Sixties Scoop are now seeking justice. The minister has declared that her government will be adversaries no more. Well, if so, when will her government stop fighting them in court and make reparations for these despicable historic wrongs?
Mr. Speaker, since the start of the new year, whenever the Prime Minister has talked about his Christmas vacation, he says whatever he can to try to justify his lapse in judgment.However, despite his verbal somersaults, he knows very well that he violated section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act by travelling on a private helicopter during his Christmas vacation. Where I come from, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like duck, it must be a duck. Instead of hiding behind the Ethics Commissioner, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he broke the law?
I hope the new minister does not want to redecorate, Mr. Speaker. We could buy four condos in Ottawa for the same price the minster spent furnishing her new office. While seniors cannot pay their hydro bills and veterans go homeless, the Liberals keep wasting Canadian money. Will the Prime Minister put a stop to this entitled, ridiculous, lavish spending and start focusing on the needs of real Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I have another question for the Prime Minister. One of his Liberal members, the member for BeachesEast York, thinks that the Prime Minister is not going far enough when it comes to legalizing marijuana. He wants the Prime Minister to decriminalize all drugs. There is a good reason that all drugs are not legal, and that is because they ruin the lives of our loved ones. Will the Prime Minister unequivocally denounce the comments that his Liberal colleague made and immediately commit to Canadian families that he will not put our youth at risk in legalizing tough, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine?
Cyber-attacks? What about attacks on truth, Mr. Speaker?The Prime Minister is always bemoaning the fact that cynicism is the biggest problem in politics today. Promising democratic reform to get elected and then breaking that promise once in office is crass cynicism.Is he not ashamed of himself?
Mr. Speaker, words matter. A person's word matters.This is a betrayal. The Prime Minister has finally killed off what remained of our hopes for democratic renewal. The Prime Minister made a promise, a promise echoed by his candidates, his throne speech, his mandate letters, and the parliamentary committee. Now, he thumbs his nose at the hundreds of thousands of people who really believed him. They lied to us. They lied to the people.What is the Prime Minister's word worth?
Mr. Speaker, I was recently approached in relation to the inadequate level of mental health support for soldiers at Garrison Petawawa. The Liberals have let the number of mental health providers drop so low that the soldiers at Garrison Petawawa are forced into group sessions instead of one-on-one therapy.What is it going to take for the Prime Minister to restore the levels of mental health support for the soldiers and the people who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces so that they once again have patient-centred treatment?
Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadian workers will be forced to pay the Liberals' new tax on health and dental benefits. Many will lose their coverage and find themselves paying out of pocket for important expenses like life-saving medicines, mental health counselling, and their children's braces. It is not fair that the Prime Minister racks up billions of dollars in spending on his priorities and now Canadians have to pay for it with a $1,000 new tax on their health and dental benefits.Why would the Prime Minister even consider doing this?
Mr. Speaker, front-line workers are decrying the lack of action from the Liberal government to end violence against women. They are calling the government's progress to date a massive disappointment.There needs to be an immediate increase in funding for shelter operations. No woman or child should ever be turned away when fleeing domestic violence. When will the Liberals create a national action plan to end violence against women as promised to the United Nations?
Mr. Speaker, last month, a disabled grandmother told the Prime Minister, as she broke into tears, that she did not know how she was going to continue to pay her hydro bill, which was over $1,000 a month. A new carbon tax now will make it more expensive for her to heat her home.Yesterday, the Minister of Finance confirmed that he did not know what the middle class was. His budget says that the median income, though, is $50,000 a year in Canada. The Liberal Party promised it would not raise taxes on the middle class or those working to join it.Can the Liberals confirm today that no one earning less than $50,000 a year will be asked to pay the Liberal carbon tax?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has abandoned his commitment. He has betrayed Canadians. A political party promises something in order to get elected and to appear progressive, but then, once elected, it shamelessly breaks that promise. I would call that a massive political deception. What does the Prime Minister call it?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have never been so badly served as they are by this Prime Minister, who thinks he is totally above the law.He is undermining Canadians' confidence in our democracy, and we are all outraged by the investigations into ethical issues, because the common thread in them all is that the Liberal Party of Canada put its own interests first. When will the Prime Minister finally admit his lapse in judgment in using the Aga Khan's helicopter, and get to work for the benefit of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, how sad it was to watch the minister, who admitted that the Liberals had won a false majority. Yet, she was the very one the Liberals sent out to break the very promise that would fix the problem. The Prime Minister promised to be different. He promised to bring more people into the democratic process. He promised to make every vote count, and he promised millions of Canadians that 2015 would be the last election under the outdated and unfair voting system. Will any Liberal from Vancouver, Edmonton, or Winnipeg find the integrity to stand up to this blatant betrayal of Canadians that the Prime Minister has made?
Mr. Speaker, once again, facts really matter. The situation is clear.We introduced the Canada child benefit to make sure that 9 out of 10 Canadian families with children have more money in their pockets, an average of $2,300 after taxes. That is the truth. A family with less money or a single woman with a child who earns $30,000 per year will get, on average, $6,400 more. Canadian families really are better off with our government.
Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, the Liberals are inventing new ways to waste taxpayer money.Canadians were astounded when the Minister of Infrastructure spent $835,000 redoing his offices, but they were flabbergasted that the former Minister of Status of Women spent $1.1 million to furnish a new office. Having visited her previous office, which was perfectly adequate, I want to know why hard-earned taxpayer dollars were wasted on this unnecessary extravagance?
Mr. Speaker, when 90% of people are in favour of a more proportional system, I think we can begin to call that a consensus.The Prime Minister made this promise hundreds of times during the election. He wrote it in his party's platform. He put it in his very first throne speech. The government promised it 1,813 times since it got elected. That is the real number.How can Canadians trust anything the Prime Minister has to say after he has so blatantly and intentionally betrayed his own word?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said a lot of things to get elected, and now young Canadians are realizing that he does not have their backs. His decisions have made it harder for them to buy a first-time home and are creating a lot of anxiety over finding their first jobs, but, worst of all, the money his government is borrowing means that a Canadian who turns 18 today will not see the budget balanced until he or she is 56 years old. That means an entire working life of higher taxes.Why is the Prime Minister making the youth of our country pay for his bad decisions?
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to serve as the Minister of Status of Women with a government that has put gender equality at the heart of its priorities, and with a Prime Minister who is a feminist in words and in actions. Previous to the Prime Minister's leadership, there was no full ministry of status of women. The staff needed a place to work. I am so proud that the public service as well as the ministerial team are on the same floor. This was a responsible use of dollars, and we will continue to deliver on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, Constable David Wynn was shot and killed in the line of duty by a career criminal out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. Now there is a bill before the House that would close the bail loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life. The Prime Minister's cabinet would obviously have discussed it. Therefore, it was disturbing when the Prime Minister said at a town hall that he did not know anything about this bill. Now that he has had time to catch up with his work, will he instruct his caucus to support Wynn's law?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal green energy act in Ontario has transferred $170 billion over 26 years from middle and working class people to the wealthiest 1%. It is probably the biggest wealth transfer in the history of this country. We now have a carbon tax that will similarly land heaviest on the shoulders of those with the least. We also know that money will trickle down to well-connected Liberal so-called green insiders. It is not fair to tax people with these extra burdens who earn less than $50,000 a year.Can the finance minister do the right thing today and confirm that he will not impose his carbon tax on those earning less than the median income?
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to say that we are adversaries no more and that negotiation rather than litigation is our government's preferred route to settle these differences and right historical wrongs. This is why our government today is launching negotiations toward a national resolution to the Sixties Scoop litigation. Several parties have already expressed interest in these discussions, and I hope all parties will participate.The Sixties Scoop is a dark and painful chapter in our history. Resolving these cases is an important step in our journey of reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
Mr. Speaker, I would like the Prime Minister to translate that back for me.This is a very simple change in the Criminal Code. This career criminal was out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. It is very simple. It is a small loophole that can be closed if this bill is passed. I appreciate the Prime Minister's words. They mean a lot to the family, I am sure, but what would mean even more is if he passes this bill. Will he say yes or no? Will he instruct his caucus to pass this bill?
Mr. Speaker, we know that this reckless spending will not stop. When we oppose a budget, it is because we are looking at the big picture. The government is forcing deficits on future generations. It talked about a $10 billion deficit during the campaign, but it will be higher. We heard him answer in English, but we are going to ask him the question in French. It will be interesting.We believe that, to cover these costs, the government will bring in a new tax on health and dental benefits. He just said something in English, but I would like to hear it again in French.Will there be a new tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, it is a new year and a new minister, but employees of the Vegreville immigration case processing centre are still reeling. In response to my Order Paper question, the department said that closing the centre involved extensive consultation with another government department, but of course, not with the employees, the town, or local businesses. In fact, there was zero consultation with anyone who will actually be impacted.Will the new minister do what his predecessor refused to do, reverse this heartless decision and save these rural jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister obviously never read the report. The MyDemocracy.ca charade did not even ask Canadians if they wanted to change the voting system. However, do members know that at almost every single one of the Prime Minister's town halls, someone asked him about democratic reform?As the Prime Minister now fabricates evidence to claim Canadians did not want what he got elected on, what expression from Canadians would have been sufficient to get the Prime Minister to respect his own promise?
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to let the member opposite know that I spoke to the mayor of Vegreville a few weeks ago. That is an example of outreach. That is an example of me letting the mayor tell me the concerns of the community. We are aware of the impacts on staff and families of this relocation. I want to assure the member opposite that all current employees in the Vegreville case processing centre will have their jobs in the new location.
Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising the Liberal government has so many ethical problems, it does not even recognize an ethics question when it gets one.Canada 2020 received $15,000 of taxpayer money from the Liberal government, the same Canada 2020 that hosted exclusive events in Washington when the Prime Minister was there, the same Canada 2020 whose president is married to the Liberal Party president, and the same Canada 2020 that boasted on Twitter earlier this week about new offices opening in the parliamentary precinct. There is a pattern developing here. The conflict of interest is self-evident. Will the Prime Minister commit today that no more taxpayer money will be given to Liberal think tank Canada 2020?
Mr. Speaker, anything a prime minister or a government must do must be in the interests of Canada and of all Canadians, particularly when it comes to transforming our electoral system. I understand the passion and intensity with which the member opposite believes in this, and many Canadians mirror that passion and intensity, but there is no consensus. There is no sense of how best to do this and, quite frankly, a divisive referendum at this time, an augmentation of extremist voices in the House, is not what is in the best interests of Canada.
To the contrary, Mr. Speaker. We spent a year listening to Canadians, talking with them, hearing from a broad range of youth, seeing the firmly-held views that a number of people feel on that, and understanding that there is no clear path forward. There is no consensus. A referendum would be a bad idea. Moving forward on a divisive policy would be a bad idea.The fact of the matter is that I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform. That is not the kind of prime minister I will be.
Mr. Speaker, if they did not lie, they laughed in our faces.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that I have been wanting to reform our electoral system for a long time. The reality is that there is no consensus and no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible to hold a referendum without a clear question.The reality is that we are going to improve our democratic system in a number of different ways, but it will not be by changing the voting system. I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform.
Mr. Speaker, I would echo the words of the Prime Minister extending our deepest sympathies to the family of Constable Wynn. We are committed to conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including bail reform. That is why I continue to engage with my counterparts in the provinces and territories to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the justice system, ensuring we keep public safety top of our mind. Certainly, we agree with the objective of this legislation in terms of ensuring that information is made available to make necessary decisions.
Mr. Speaker, we want to be clear. We know that engaging with our neighbours to the south is critically important for our economy. We will do that while protecting the interests of Canadians.We will focus on how we can grow our own economy, so that Canadians can have good jobs. We will focus on making sure that middle-class Canadians have tax rates that are lower than they were during the term of the previous government, so that they can have enough money to pay for the needs of their children.We are focused on an economy that will be strong for Canada, and will deal with global situations as they arise.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals seem to have their collective heads in the sand. In order for Canada to remain competitive with the United States, we need lower taxes across the board, and a regulatory process aligned with our neighbours. By refusing to deal with this new reality, and instead adding more taxes to families and businesses, the Liberals are costing Canadian jobs.Can the Minister of Finance tell us if there is any element of his fiscal policy that he is willing to change in order to respond to the new reality in the U.S. policy?
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of neglect by the previous government, we are finally making progress to ensure that people of all genders have equal opportunity to thrive. The decision to have both ministerial staff and the public service on the same level was important. It is important to reduce silos across all sectors, including our own. We will continue to deliver positive results on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family of Constable David Wynn and especially to his widow, Shelly MacInnis-Wynn.We are committed to ensuring an effective and efficient bail system. The Minister of Justice will continue to collaborate with the provinces and territories and consult stakeholders that use these important Criminal Code provisions every day.
Mr. Speaker, Canada can be proud of its tradition of being an open society that welcomes refugees. We have tripled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We have engaged with our American counterparts to make sure that the implications of the executive order are closely monitored. We continue to inform Canadians as we get updated daily. We will continue to be a country that opens its hearts and its doors to those fleeing war and persecution.
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to evidence-based policy, unlike the previous government. That is why we support safe consumption sites and want to do everything we can to protect Canadians from the ongoing opioid crisis. We have committed to legalizing marijuana, but we are not planning on legalizing anything else at this time.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals said last year that LGBT refugees would be a priority among Syrian refugees as among the most at risk. Then they did exactly nothing. Now Trump's ban has placed LGBT refugees from seven Muslim majority countries at extreme risk. In all seven, being gay means living in fear of being put to death.I want to ask the minister the same question which he ignored in last night's emergency debate. Will the minister take swift and specific action to facilitate asylum in Canada for LGBT citizens of the seven countries who are now excluded from the United States and who risk death if sent home?
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. Canadians expect us to take action to reduce emissions but also to grow our economy. I am very proud with the climate plan that we were able to achieve with the provinces, the territories, and indigenous peoples with respect to putting a price on pollution, which Canadians support. It is up to the provinces to determine which way to do it, and what to do with the revenues. They can return the revenues through a revenue neutral price on carbon. We are going to continue working with the provinces to grow our economy and reduce emissions.
Mr. Speaker, with our Canada child benefit, we are lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty across this country, reducing child poverty by 40%. For post-secondary education, we are guaranteeing they do not have to pay back any student debts until they are making $25,000 a year, and we are increasing by 50% Canada student grants for low-income and middle-income families. We are also investing in infrastructure, in research, in innovation, and in post-secondary institutions to ensure that we have good jobs for these young people now and into the future. This is what building a strong country looks like and we will stay focused on that.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes in the importance of independent, non-partisan scientific advice. Unlike the previous government, we will not politicize scientific research.As I have mentioned, the organization is an arm's-length independent body and has the ability to issue contracts up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear. There is no consensus among Canadians on how, or even whether, to reform our electoral system, and to change the mode of the election system. That is why we are going to focus on strengthening our resistance and resilience to cyber-attacks from foreign intervenors, why we are going to be continuing to repeal the unfair provisions in the so-called fair elections act, and why we are moving forward with greater transparency and accountability on the strong rules we already have on federal fundraising.We are moving forward in a way that will focus on the things that matter to Canadians. That is what Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister truly believed that his new year's getaway did not present ethical problems, he would not have tried so hard to hide it. No one believes the Prime Minister was not advised his actions would lead to a clear breach of the ethics law. The act is clear, as clear as the Prime Minister's decision was to ignore it. Is it not true that the Prime Minister kept this a secret because he knew the Ethics Commissioner would have told him it violated the act? Why does the Prime Minister think he is above the law?
Mr. Speaker, we got elected on a commitment to invest in the middle class, to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We are committed to protecting the middle class from increased taxes and that is why we will not be raising the taxes the member opposite proposes we will do.
Mr. Speaker, what the middle class is worried about is being consistently overtaxed by the Prime Minister's spending. We now have a situation where young people looking to their future, people turning 18 today, will see higher taxes until they are 56 years old.Why would the Prime Minister continue down this path of massive deficits and massive debt, and burden the next generation?
Mr. Speaker, just as soon as we were contacted by the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Canada acted promptly on each and every request.
Mr. Speaker, a week ago today, New Brunswick was hammered by an ice storm.Nearly 13,000 homes remain without electricity or heat in the month of February. Warming centres and shelters in Miscou, Shippagan, and Lamèque are still overflowing.On Monday, I asked the Minister of National Defence why it took three days after the request from the Province before the troops arrived. No response.My question is for the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. The federal government responded swiftly to the fires in Fort McMurray and the floods in Calgary and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Why the radio silence for New Brunswick?
Mr. Speaker, the facts are very important.After 10 years, we started out with a very low growth rate. We started out with more debt because of the previous government. That is the truth.We are now making investments in our future in order to improve our economic growth. We have cut taxes for the middle class. That is our program for improving our situation and the future of our country.
Mr. Speaker, the minister was in Laval on January 16 for a major joint announcement with the Province of Quebec about a $400-million investment in social housing.Would the minister tell the House how this investment in social housing will help vulnerable people across Quebec, including children living in poverty, seniors, and victims of domestic violence, while stimulating the economy?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, we consulted with hundreds of thousands of Canadians to hear their views on transforming our electoral system. It is very clear. As people in this House know, I have long preferred a preferential ballot. The members opposite wanted a proportional representation. The official opposition wanted a referendum. There is no consensus. There is no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible for us to do something that harms Canada's stability when, in fact, what we need is to move forward on growth for the middle class and support.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was clearly not prepared for the new U.S. administration, nor was he prepared for how new policies in the United States would affect our economy.Now that our largest trading partner is committed to lower taxes and fewer regulations, the Liberal government needs to show Canadians that it is able to adapt to the new U.S. reality. When will the Liberals acknowledge that their tax and spend policy is making Canada sorely uncompetitive, and putting Canadian jobs at huge risk of heading to the United States?
Mr. Speaker, more topics have been discussed and there has been more heated debate with the provinces in the one year that this government has been in office than there were in 10 years under the previous government.Today, ministers from Quebec are asking the government to get its ducks in a row and start doing its job on the softwood lumber issue.Will the government be able to work with the provinces as promised? More importantly, will it be able to sign a softwood lumber deal for our 300,000 forestry workers?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her commitment to this work. As a fellow Trent University alumna, I am looking forward to working on this file together. I am happy to say that our government is fully committed to addressing gender-based violence so that women and girls can live free of violence. That is why we are developing a strategy to address this. Our government is engaged with experts, academics, civil society, and with those with lived experiences. Our investments in shelters and transitional housing will allow women to live safe and free from violence. Unlike the previous government, we are working to create the conditions to ensure that Canada is a place
Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to talk about the situation of middle-class Canadians and those families who are struggling to get into the middle class because we know that we have helped them in many ways since we have come into office by lowering their taxes: an individual, out of those nine million, has saved $330 on average; a family has saved $540 on average. More importantly, we have helped them in other ways. We have helped students, as the Prime Minister mentioned, to have a better situation. When they have debt, students can wait until they have $25,000 to pay it off. We have helped seniors by increasing the guaranteed income supplement. We know Canadians are better off today than they
We made a commitment, Mr. Speaker, to invest in young people, to invest in our future. That is why historic investments in infrastructure, whether it be public transit, whether it be green infrastructure, whether it be social infrastructure like housing and child care, these are things that are going to make our country better and stronger and create more opportunities for young people in the future.To add to the list of things that we are doing to help young people, the transforming, the strengthening of the Canada pension plan is going to leave young people better off down the line so they have money to retire, something the members opposite have always been against.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for South ShoreSt. Margarets for her hard work. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 32 outstanding MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership. It is because of their leadership we launched the Atlantic growth strategy last summer. Just last week in Nova Scotia, we announced progress on the immigration pilot project, which will increase levels by 50%. I would like to thank the Minister of Immigration for his leadership. We also targeted high-growth firms, which will create jobs for small businesses. We also put forward an agreement to double the trade and investment strategy by $20 million.We are delivering for Atlantic Canada. We are growing the economy. We are creating good quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, safe third countries can be designated under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in an effort to share responsibility for refugee claims. However, only countries that respect human rights and provide a high degree of protection to asylum seekers can be designated as safe third countries. Does the Prime Minister honestly believe that this applies to the United States with its anti-Muslim decree currently in effect?
Mr. Speaker, on December 5, I rose for the first time in the House to ask the Liberal government to not move forward with the Liberal tax on health and dental benefits. It took about a dozen questions, which he never answered, for him to finally see the light.Other problems remain. When we left office, we left the house in order and a surplus of about $2.9 billion, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who we should respect. However, if nothing changes, the Minister of Finance is talking about balancing the budget in 2055.What is the government's serious plan to avoid this disaster?
Mr. Speaker, we came into office with a plan to focus on growing the economy for middle-class Canadians, for people who are feeling truly anxious about the prospects for themselves and their children.We have moved forward on that plan by reducing taxes, and by making investments in the long-term future of our country. We are going to maintain our plan to grow our economy. We are going to continue to engage with our partners in the United States to make sure that we have a strong and effective relationship with the Americans as we move forward on executing our plan for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the member should be reminded that the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As the member should also know, and as has been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister thinks the rules do not apply to people like him. One of the Prime Minister's vacation guests was Tom Pitfield, president of Liberal think tank Canada 2020. Tom also happens to be married to the president of the Liberal Party of Canada, who coincidentally was also on the same vacation. The problem is that Canada 2020 receives taxpayer dollars from the Liberal Prime Minister.Why do the Prime Minister's friends at Canada 2020 get privileged access to him and also taxpayer money?
Mr. Speaker, our electoral system is the foundation of our democracy. We respect the views of Canadians, and consulted extensively with them on this important issue. We listened to Canadians, and Canadians are proud of our democracy.We have always been clear. Major reforms to the electoral system should not be made if they lack the broad support of Canadians. As my mandate letter states, a clear preference for a new electoral system, let alone a consensus, has not emerged. Changing the electoral system is not in my mandate.
Mr. Speaker, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims to connect research with Canadians and therefore supports conferences and initiatives that promote the social sciences. The organization is an arm's-length body and has the authority to issue contracts of up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, the truth is that we left the house in order with a $2.9-billion surplus. The truth is that the current government did away with quite a few tax credits that helped families directly, such as the tax credits for sports, the arts, textbooks, and post-secondary education.With the new budget just weeks away, can the Minister of Finance tell us whether he is done with taking tax credits away from Canadian families?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Alfred-Pellan on his excellent question and on the important work he is doing on behalf of his constituents.Our government is proud to have signed an agreement allocating nearly $300 million more for affordable housing in Quebec. Quebec will be able to spend that money on its own priority projects to support vulnerable families in its communities.We are very excited to continue working hard for the middle class and those working very hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, as all members of the House know very well, we made a commitment to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. We have lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%. It was never our intention to raise taxes, as the member opposite suggested.
Mr. Speaker, Atlantic Canada faces a number of unique challenges in growing our economy and getting businesses to innovate and export. It needs a targeted approach from all levels of governments to address these issues. I understand the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development was recently in the Atlantic region promoting an Atlantic-specific approach. Could he please update the House on this initiative?
Mr. Speaker, our government is working for all Canadians, and as we have already indicated, the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-time friend. As we have also said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, I got carried away because of my passion and frustration, and I used some unparliamentary language. I apologize and would like to officially withdraw my remarks.
Mr. Speaker, our government values science and unlike the previous government we will not politicize research. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims
Mr. Speaker, that is good news for the middle class then, but what the middle class is struggling with
Mr. Speaker, section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act states that no minister shall accept travel on private aircraft except in exceptional circumstances. The Prime Minister's trip was not a last-minute travel deal on Expedia.ca. There is plenty of planning involved when any minister travels. A significant number of people in the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office would have been briefed on the travel plans. Was the Prime Minister ever advised by anyone in the PMO or PCO that travelling by private helicopter would break section 12 of the act?
Mr. Speaker, as we have said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, Within 18 months of forming government, we will introduce legislation to enact electoral reform. That is from the Liberal platform. It is very clear, and it was repeated with clarity in the Speech from the Throne, and the mandate to us as members of the special committee said we were replacing first past the post.If it was an essential precondition to follow on this promise that there be some sort of nationally proven majority, that there be some consensus discerned through vague surveys, why was that never mentioned in any promise or any mandate?
Mr. Speaker, the care and welfare and especially the mental health of our troops are extremely important given what we ask them to do. We are looking at all of the aspects of lessons from the past and what is happening now. As part of the defence policy review that we undertook last year, this is a very big component. I can assure the member that we are moving forward. Resources have been put in place now, and into the future, we will definitely be making sure that all of our troops have the mental health resources for them.
Mr. Speaker, as has been previously stated, the Prime Minister was on a personal family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As has also been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, last summer 148 young people in my riding of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin took advantage of the Canada summer jobs program.Could the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour tell the House about the details of the program for 2017?
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we, on this side of the House, have met with the provincial governments on numerous occasions to talk about many different issues. We strengthened the Canada pension plan and we created a pan-Canadian framework on climate change. We signed landmark agreements with the provinces and we are working closely with them on the softwood lumber issue in order to resolve this situation with the Americans.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's refugee system is recognized as being one of the most compassionate and generous systems in the world. The safe third country agreement with the United States enables both countries to better handle asylum claims made within both countries. Asylum seekers in Canada have access to a fair hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board, and all cases are assessed based on their merits.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin for his question.I am pleased to inform the House that employers have until Friday to submit their hiring requests for student employment this summer. This is an excellent opportunity to provide dynamic and enthusiastic students with valuable work experience, and to help grow our economy.
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, Constable David Wynn was shot and killed in the line of duty by a career criminal out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. Now there is a bill before the House that would close the bail loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life. The Prime Minister's cabinet would obviously have discussed it. Therefore, it was disturbing when the Prime Minister said at a town hall that he did not know anything about this bill. Now that he has had time to catch up with his work, will he instruct his caucus to support Wynn's law?
To the contrary, Mr. Speaker. We spent a year listening to Canadians, talking with them, hearing from a broad range of youth, seeing the firmly-held views that a number of people feel on that, and understanding that there is no clear path forward. There is no consensus. A referendum would be a bad idea. Moving forward on a divisive policy would be a bad idea.The fact of the matter is that I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform. That is not the kind of prime minister I will be.
Mr. Speaker, Marcia Brown Martel was taken from her indigenous birth parents, declared dead, and handed over to be adopted by non-indigenous parents. The removal of children to eliminate their race is an act of genocide. Over 20,000 survivors of the Sixties Scoop are now seeking justice. The minister has declared that her government will be adversaries no more. Well, if so, when will her government stop fighting them in court and make reparations for these despicable historic wrongs?
Mr. Speaker, how sad it was to watch the minister, who admitted that the Liberals had won a false majority. Yet, she was the very one the Liberals sent out to break the very promise that would fix the problem. The Prime Minister promised to be different. He promised to bring more people into the democratic process. He promised to make every vote count, and he promised millions of Canadians that 2015 would be the last election under the outdated and unfair voting system. Will any Liberal from Vancouver, Edmonton, or Winnipeg find the integrity to stand up to this blatant betrayal of Canadians that the Prime Minister has made?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said a lot of things to get elected, and now young Canadians are realizing that he does not have their backs. His decisions have made it harder for them to buy a first-time home and are creating a lot of anxiety over finding their first jobs, but, worst of all, the money his government is borrowing means that a Canadian who turns 18 today will not see the budget balanced until he or she is 56 years old. That means an entire working life of higher taxes.Why is the Prime Minister making the youth of our country pay for his bad decisions?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal green energy act in Ontario has transferred $170 billion over 26 years from middle and working class people to the wealthiest 1%. It is probably the biggest wealth transfer in the history of this country. We now have a carbon tax that will similarly land heaviest on the shoulders of those with the least. We also know that money will trickle down to well-connected Liberal so-called green insiders. It is not fair to tax people with these extra burdens who earn less than $50,000 a year.Can the finance minister do the right thing today and confirm that he will not impose his carbon tax on those earning less than the median income?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have never been so badly served as they are by this Prime Minister, who thinks he is totally above the law.He is undermining Canadians' confidence in our democracy, and we are all outraged by the investigations into ethical issues, because the common thread in them all is that the Liberal Party of Canada put its own interests first. When will the Prime Minister finally admit his lapse in judgment in using the Aga Khan's helicopter, and get to work for the benefit of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I was recently approached in relation to the inadequate level of mental health support for soldiers at Garrison Petawawa. The Liberals have let the number of mental health providers drop so low that the soldiers at Garrison Petawawa are forced into group sessions instead of one-on-one therapy.What is it going to take for the Prime Minister to restore the levels of mental health support for the soldiers and the people who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces so that they once again have patient-centred treatment?
Mr. Speaker, I would like the Prime Minister to translate that back for me.This is a very simple change in the Criminal Code. This career criminal was out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. It is very simple. It is a small loophole that can be closed if this bill is passed. I appreciate the Prime Minister's words. They mean a lot to the family, I am sure, but what would mean even more is if he passes this bill. Will he say yes or no? Will he instruct his caucus to pass this bill?
Mr. Speaker, the minister was in Laval on January 16 for a major joint announcement with the Province of Quebec about a $400-million investment in social housing.Would the minister tell the House how this investment in social housing will help vulnerable people across Quebec, including children living in poverty, seniors, and victims of domestic violence, while stimulating the economy?
Mr. Speaker, as has been previously stated, the Prime Minister was on a personal family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As has also been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, our government values science and unlike the previous government we will not politicize research. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims
Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, the Liberals are inventing new ways to waste taxpayer money.Canadians were astounded when the Minister of Infrastructure spent $835,000 redoing his offices, but they were flabbergasted that the former Minister of Status of Women spent $1.1 million to furnish a new office. Having visited her previous office, which was perfectly adequate, I want to know why hard-earned taxpayer dollars were wasted on this unnecessary extravagance?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that I have been wanting to reform our electoral system for a long time. The reality is that there is no consensus and no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible to hold a referendum without a clear question.The reality is that we are going to improve our democratic system in a number of different ways, but it will not be by changing the voting system. I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the member should be reminded that the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As the member should also know, and as has been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes in the importance of independent, non-partisan scientific advice. Unlike the previous government, we will not politicize scientific research.As I have mentioned, the organization is an arm's-length independent body and has the ability to issue contracts up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, we consulted with hundreds of thousands of Canadians to hear their views on transforming our electoral system. It is very clear. As people in this House know, I have long preferred a preferential ballot. The members opposite wanted a proportional representation. The official opposition wanted a referendum. There is no consensus. There is no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible for us to do something that harms Canada's stability when, in fact, what we need is to move forward on growth for the middle class and support.
Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister truly believed that his new year's getaway did not present ethical problems, he would not have tried so hard to hide it. No one believes the Prime Minister was not advised his actions would lead to a clear breach of the ethics law. The act is clear, as clear as the Prime Minister's decision was to ignore it. Is it not true that the Prime Minister kept this a secret because he knew the Ethics Commissioner would have told him it violated the act? Why does the Prime Minister think he is above the law?
Mr. Speaker, as all members of the House know very well, we made a commitment to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. We have lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%. It was never our intention to raise taxes, as the member opposite suggested.
Mr. Speaker, the truth is that we left the house in order with a $2.9-billion surplus. The truth is that the current government did away with quite a few tax credits that helped families directly, such as the tax credits for sports, the arts, textbooks, and post-secondary education.With the new budget just weeks away, can the Minister of Finance tell us whether he is done with taking tax credits away from Canadian families?
Mr. Speaker, since the start of the new year, whenever the Prime Minister has talked about his Christmas vacation, he says whatever he can to try to justify his lapse in judgment.However, despite his verbal somersaults, he knows very well that he violated section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act by travelling on a private helicopter during his Christmas vacation. Where I come from, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like duck, it must be a duck. Instead of hiding behind the Ethics Commissioner, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he broke the law?
Mr. Speaker, Within 18 months of forming government, we will introduce legislation to enact electoral reform. That is from the Liberal platform. It is very clear, and it was repeated with clarity in the Speech from the Throne, and the mandate to us as members of the special committee said we were replacing first past the post.If it was an essential precondition to follow on this promise that there be some sort of nationally proven majority, that there be some consensus discerned through vague surveys, why was that never mentioned in any promise or any mandate?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has abandoned his commitment. He has betrayed Canadians. A political party promises something in order to get elected and to appear progressive, but then, once elected, it shamelessly breaks that promise. I would call that a massive political deception. What does the Prime Minister call it?
Mr. Speaker, our government is working for all Canadians, and as we have already indicated, the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-time friend. As we have also said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, as we have said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, I got carried away because of my passion and frustration, and I used some unparliamentary language. I apologize and would like to officially withdraw my remarks.
Mr. Speaker, we got elected on a commitment to invest in the middle class, to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We are committed to protecting the middle class from increased taxes and that is why we will not be raising the taxes the member opposite proposes we will do.
I hope the new minister does not want to redecorate, Mr. Speaker. We could buy four condos in Ottawa for the same price the minster spent furnishing her new office. While seniors cannot pay their hydro bills and veterans go homeless, the Liberals keep wasting Canadian money. Will the Prime Minister put a stop to this entitled, ridiculous, lavish spending and start focusing on the needs of real Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, last month, a disabled grandmother told the Prime Minister, as she broke into tears, that she did not know how she was going to continue to pay her hydro bill, which was over $1,000 a month. A new carbon tax now will make it more expensive for her to heat her home.Yesterday, the Minister of Finance confirmed that he did not know what the middle class was. His budget says that the median income, though, is $50,000 a year in Canada. The Liberal Party promised it would not raise taxes on the middle class or those working to join it.Can the Liberals confirm today that no one earning less than $50,000 a year will be asked to pay the Liberal carbon tax?
Mr. Speaker, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims to connect research with Canadians and therefore supports conferences and initiatives that promote the social sciences. The organization is an arm's-length body and has the authority to issue contracts of up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, the care and welfare and especially the mental health of our troops are extremely important given what we ask them to do. We are looking at all of the aspects of lessons from the past and what is happening now. As part of the defence policy review that we undertook last year, this is a very big component. I can assure the member that we are moving forward. Resources have been put in place now, and into the future, we will definitely be making sure that all of our troops have the mental health resources for them.
Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising the Liberal government has so many ethical problems, it does not even recognize an ethics question when it gets one.Canada 2020 received $15,000 of taxpayer money from the Liberal government, the same Canada 2020 that hosted exclusive events in Washington when the Prime Minister was there, the same Canada 2020 whose president is married to the Liberal Party president, and the same Canada 2020 that boasted on Twitter earlier this week about new offices opening in the parliamentary precinct. There is a pattern developing here. The conflict of interest is self-evident. Will the Prime Minister commit today that no more taxpayer money will be given to Liberal think tank Canada 2020?
Mr. Speaker, what the middle class is worried about is being consistently overtaxed by the Prime Minister's spending. We now have a situation where young people looking to their future, people turning 18 today, will see higher taxes until they are 56 years old.Why would the Prime Minister continue down this path of massive deficits and massive debt, and burden the next generation?
Mr. Speaker, front-line workers are decrying the lack of action from the Liberal government to end violence against women. They are calling the government's progress to date a massive disappointment.There needs to be an immediate increase in funding for shelter operations. No woman or child should ever be turned away when fleeing domestic violence. When will the Liberals create a national action plan to end violence against women as promised to the United Nations?
Mr. Speaker, last summer 148 young people in my riding of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin took advantage of the Canada summer jobs program.Could the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour tell the House about the details of the program for 2017?
Mr. Speaker, it is a new year and a new minister, but employees of the Vegreville immigration case processing centre are still reeling. In response to my Order Paper question, the department said that closing the centre involved extensive consultation with another government department, but of course, not with the employees, the town, or local businesses. In fact, there was zero consultation with anyone who will actually be impacted.Will the new minister do what his predecessor refused to do, reverse this heartless decision and save these rural jobs?
Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadian workers will be forced to pay the Liberals' new tax on health and dental benefits. Many will lose their coverage and find themselves paying out of pocket for important expenses like life-saving medicines, mental health counselling, and their children's braces. It is not fair that the Prime Minister racks up billions of dollars in spending on his priorities and now Canadians have to pay for it with a $1,000 new tax on their health and dental benefits.Why would the Prime Minister even consider doing this?
Mr. Speaker, we know that this reckless spending will not stop. When we oppose a budget, it is because we are looking at the big picture. The government is forcing deficits on future generations. It talked about a $10 billion deficit during the campaign, but it will be higher. We heard him answer in English, but we are going to ask him the question in French. It will be interesting.We believe that, to cover these costs, the government will bring in a new tax on health and dental benefits. He just said something in English, but I would like to hear it again in French.Will there be a new tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to say that we are adversaries no more and that negotiation rather than litigation is our government's preferred route to settle these differences and right historical wrongs. This is why our government today is launching negotiations toward a national resolution to the Sixties Scoop litigation. Several parties have already expressed interest in these discussions, and I hope all parties will participate.The Sixties Scoop is a dark and painful chapter in our history. Resolving these cases is an important step in our journey of reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
Mr. Speaker, on December 5, I rose for the first time in the House to ask the Liberal government to not move forward with the Liberal tax on health and dental benefits. It took about a dozen questions, which he never answered, for him to finally see the light.Other problems remain. When we left office, we left the house in order and a surplus of about $2.9 billion, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who we should respect. However, if nothing changes, the Minister of Finance is talking about balancing the budget in 2055.What is the government's serious plan to avoid this disaster?
Mr. Speaker, a week ago today, New Brunswick was hammered by an ice storm.Nearly 13,000 homes remain without electricity or heat in the month of February. Warming centres and shelters in Miscou, Shippagan, and Lamèque are still overflowing.On Monday, I asked the Minister of National Defence why it took three days after the request from the Province before the troops arrived. No response.My question is for the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. The federal government responded swiftly to the fires in Fort McMurray and the floods in Calgary and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Why the radio silence for New Brunswick?
Mr. Speaker, the facts are very important.After 10 years, we started out with a very low growth rate. We started out with more debt because of the previous government. That is the truth.We are now making investments in our future in order to improve our economic growth. We have cut taxes for the middle class. That is our program for improving our situation and the future of our country.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for South ShoreSt. Margarets for her hard work. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 32 outstanding MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership. It is because of their leadership we launched the Atlantic growth strategy last summer. Just last week in Nova Scotia, we announced progress on the immigration pilot project, which will increase levels by 50%. I would like to thank the Minister of Immigration for his leadership. We also targeted high-growth firms, which will create jobs for small businesses. We also put forward an agreement to double the trade and investment strategy by $20 million.We are delivering for Atlantic Canada. We are growing the economy. We are creating good quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, words matter. A person's word matters.This is a betrayal. The Prime Minister has finally killed off what remained of our hopes for democratic renewal. The Prime Minister made a promise, a promise echoed by his candidates, his throne speech, his mandate letters, and the parliamentary committee. Now, he thumbs his nose at the hundreds of thousands of people who really believed him. They lied to us. They lied to the people.What is the Prime Minister's word worth?
Mr. Speaker, I would echo the words of the Prime Minister extending our deepest sympathies to the family of Constable Wynn. We are committed to conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including bail reform. That is why I continue to engage with my counterparts in the provinces and territories to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the justice system, ensuring we keep public safety top of our mind. Certainly, we agree with the objective of this legislation in terms of ensuring that information is made available to make necessary decisions.
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to serve as the Minister of Status of Women with a government that has put gender equality at the heart of its priorities, and with a Prime Minister who is a feminist in words and in actions. Previous to the Prime Minister's leadership, there was no full ministry of status of women. The staff needed a place to work. I am so proud that the public service as well as the ministerial team are on the same floor. This was a responsible use of dollars, and we will continue to deliver on behalf of all Canadians.
We made a commitment, Mr. Speaker, to invest in young people, to invest in our future. That is why historic investments in infrastructure, whether it be public transit, whether it be green infrastructure, whether it be social infrastructure like housing and child care, these are things that are going to make our country better and stronger and create more opportunities for young people in the future.To add to the list of things that we are doing to help young people, the transforming, the strengthening of the Canada pension plan is going to leave young people better off down the line so they have money to retire, something the members opposite have always been against.
Mr. Speaker, I have another question for the Prime Minister. One of his Liberal members, the member for BeachesEast York, thinks that the Prime Minister is not going far enough when it comes to legalizing marijuana. He wants the Prime Minister to decriminalize all drugs. There is a good reason that all drugs are not legal, and that is because they ruin the lives of our loved ones. Will the Prime Minister unequivocally denounce the comments that his Liberal colleague made and immediately commit to Canadian families that he will not put our youth at risk in legalizing tough, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine?
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister thinks the rules do not apply to people like him. One of the Prime Minister's vacation guests was Tom Pitfield, president of Liberal think tank Canada 2020. Tom also happens to be married to the president of the Liberal Party of Canada, who coincidentally was also on the same vacation. The problem is that Canada 2020 receives taxpayer dollars from the Liberal Prime Minister.Why do the Prime Minister's friends at Canada 2020 get privileged access to him and also taxpayer money?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals said last year that LGBT refugees would be a priority among Syrian refugees as among the most at risk. Then they did exactly nothing. Now Trump's ban has placed LGBT refugees from seven Muslim majority countries at extreme risk. In all seven, being gay means living in fear of being put to death.I want to ask the minister the same question which he ignored in last night's emergency debate. Will the minister take swift and specific action to facilitate asylum in Canada for LGBT citizens of the seven countries who are now excluded from the United States and who risk death if sent home?
Mr. Speaker, just as soon as we were contacted by the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Canada acted promptly on each and every request.
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of neglect by the previous government, we are finally making progress to ensure that people of all genders have equal opportunity to thrive. The decision to have both ministerial staff and the public service on the same level was important. It is important to reduce silos across all sectors, including our own. We will continue to deliver positive results on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we, on this side of the House, have met with the provincial governments on numerous occasions to talk about many different issues. We strengthened the Canada pension plan and we created a pan-Canadian framework on climate change. We signed landmark agreements with the provinces and we are working closely with them on the softwood lumber issue in order to resolve this situation with the Americans.
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to evidence-based policy, unlike the previous government. That is why we support safe consumption sites and want to do everything we can to protect Canadians from the ongoing opioid crisis. We have committed to legalizing marijuana, but we are not planning on legalizing anything else at this time.
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to let the member opposite know that I spoke to the mayor of Vegreville a few weeks ago. That is an example of outreach. That is an example of me letting the mayor tell me the concerns of the community. We are aware of the impacts on staff and families of this relocation. I want to assure the member opposite that all current employees in the Vegreville case processing centre will have their jobs in the new location.
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family of Constable David Wynn and especially to his widow, Shelly MacInnis-Wynn.We are committed to ensuring an effective and efficient bail system. The Minister of Justice will continue to collaborate with the provinces and territories and consult stakeholders that use these important Criminal Code provisions every day.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister obviously never read the report. The MyDemocracy.ca charade did not even ask Canadians if they wanted to change the voting system. However, do members know that at almost every single one of the Prime Minister's town halls, someone asked him about democratic reform?As the Prime Minister now fabricates evidence to claim Canadians did not want what he got elected on, what expression from Canadians would have been sufficient to get the Prime Minister to respect his own promise?
Mr. Speaker, once again, facts really matter. The situation is clear.We introduced the Canada child benefit to make sure that 9 out of 10 Canadian families with children have more money in their pockets, an average of $2,300 after taxes. That is the truth. A family with less money or a single woman with a child who earns $30,000 per year will get, on average, $6,400 more. Canadian families really are better off with our government.
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear. There is no consensus among Canadians on how, or even whether, to reform our electoral system, and to change the mode of the election system. That is why we are going to focus on strengthening our resistance and resilience to cyber-attacks from foreign intervenors, why we are going to be continuing to repeal the unfair provisions in the so-called fair elections act, and why we are moving forward with greater transparency and accountability on the strong rules we already have on federal fundraising.We are moving forward in a way that will focus on the things that matter to Canadians. That is what Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, Atlantic Canada faces a number of unique challenges in growing our economy and getting businesses to innovate and export. It needs a targeted approach from all levels of governments to address these issues. I understand the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development was recently in the Atlantic region promoting an Atlantic-specific approach. Could he please update the House on this initiative?
Mr. Speaker, safe third countries can be designated under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in an effort to share responsibility for refugee claims. However, only countries that respect human rights and provide a high degree of protection to asylum seekers can be designated as safe third countries. Does the Prime Minister honestly believe that this applies to the United States with its anti-Muslim decree currently in effect?
Cyber-attacks? What about attacks on truth, Mr. Speaker?The Prime Minister is always bemoaning the fact that cynicism is the biggest problem in politics today. Promising democratic reform to get elected and then breaking that promise once in office is crass cynicism.Is he not ashamed of himself?
Mr. Speaker, our electoral system is the foundation of our democracy. We respect the views of Canadians, and consulted extensively with them on this important issue. We listened to Canadians, and Canadians are proud of our democracy.We have always been clear. Major reforms to the electoral system should not be made if they lack the broad support of Canadians. As my mandate letter states, a clear preference for a new electoral system, let alone a consensus, has not emerged. Changing the electoral system is not in my mandate.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was clearly not prepared for the new U.S. administration, nor was he prepared for how new policies in the United States would affect our economy.Now that our largest trading partner is committed to lower taxes and fewer regulations, the Liberal government needs to show Canadians that it is able to adapt to the new U.S. reality. When will the Liberals acknowledge that their tax and spend policy is making Canada sorely uncompetitive, and putting Canadian jobs at huge risk of heading to the United States?
Mr. Speaker, Canada can be proud of its tradition of being an open society that welcomes refugees. We have tripled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We have engaged with our American counterparts to make sure that the implications of the executive order are closely monitored. We continue to inform Canadians as we get updated daily. We will continue to be a country that opens its hearts and its doors to those fleeing war and persecution.
Mr. Speaker, when 90% of people are in favour of a more proportional system, I think we can begin to call that a consensus.The Prime Minister made this promise hundreds of times during the election. He wrote it in his party's platform. He put it in his very first throne speech. The government promised it 1,813 times since it got elected. That is the real number.How can Canadians trust anything the Prime Minister has to say after he has so blatantly and intentionally betrayed his own word?
Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to talk about the situation of middle-class Canadians and those families who are struggling to get into the middle class because we know that we have helped them in many ways since we have come into office by lowering their taxes: an individual, out of those nine million, has saved $330 on average; a family has saved $540 on average. More importantly, we have helped them in other ways. We have helped students, as the Prime Minister mentioned, to have a better situation. When they have debt, students can wait until they have $25,000 to pay it off. We have helped seniors by increasing the guaranteed income supplement. We know Canadians are better off today than they
Mr. Speaker, that is good news for the middle class then, but what the middle class is struggling with
Mr. Speaker, with our Canada child benefit, we are lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty across this country, reducing child poverty by 40%. For post-secondary education, we are guaranteeing they do not have to pay back any student debts until they are making $25,000 a year, and we are increasing by 50% Canada student grants for low-income and middle-income families. We are also investing in infrastructure, in research, in innovation, and in post-secondary institutions to ensure that we have good jobs for these young people now and into the future. This is what building a strong country looks like and we will stay focused on that.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals seem to have their collective heads in the sand. In order for Canada to remain competitive with the United States, we need lower taxes across the board, and a regulatory process aligned with our neighbours. By refusing to deal with this new reality, and instead adding more taxes to families and businesses, the Liberals are costing Canadian jobs.Can the Minister of Finance tell us if there is any element of his fiscal policy that he is willing to change in order to respond to the new reality in the U.S. policy?
Mr. Speaker, we came into office with a plan to focus on growing the economy for middle-class Canadians, for people who are feeling truly anxious about the prospects for themselves and their children.We have moved forward on that plan by reducing taxes, and by making investments in the long-term future of our country. We are going to maintain our plan to grow our economy. We are going to continue to engage with our partners in the United States to make sure that we have a strong and effective relationship with the Americans as we move forward on executing our plan for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act states that no minister shall accept travel on private aircraft except in exceptional circumstances. The Prime Minister's trip was not a last-minute travel deal on Expedia.ca. There is plenty of planning involved when any minister travels. A significant number of people in the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office would have been briefed on the travel plans. Was the Prime Minister ever advised by anyone in the PMO or PCO that travelling by private helicopter would break section 12 of the act?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Alfred-Pellan on his excellent question and on the important work he is doing on behalf of his constituents.Our government is proud to have signed an agreement allocating nearly $300 million more for affordable housing in Quebec. Quebec will be able to spend that money on its own priority projects to support vulnerable families in its communities.We are very excited to continue working hard for the middle class and those working very hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, we want to be clear. We know that engaging with our neighbours to the south is critically important for our economy. We will do that while protecting the interests of Canadians.We will focus on how we can grow our own economy, so that Canadians can have good jobs. We will focus on making sure that middle-class Canadians have tax rates that are lower than they were during the term of the previous government, so that they can have enough money to pay for the needs of their children.We are focused on an economy that will be strong for Canada, and will deal with global situations as they arise.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her commitment to this work. As a fellow Trent University alumna, I am looking forward to working on this file together. I am happy to say that our government is fully committed to addressing gender-based violence so that women and girls can live free of violence. That is why we are developing a strategy to address this. Our government is engaged with experts, academics, civil society, and with those with lived experiences. Our investments in shelters and transitional housing will allow women to live safe and free from violence. Unlike the previous government, we are working to create the conditions to ensure that Canada is a place
Mr. Speaker, more topics have been discussed and there has been more heated debate with the provinces in the one year that this government has been in office than there were in 10 years under the previous government.Today, ministers from Quebec are asking the government to get its ducks in a row and start doing its job on the softwood lumber issue.Will the government be able to work with the provinces as promised? More importantly, will it be able to sign a softwood lumber deal for our 300,000 forestry workers?
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. Canadians expect us to take action to reduce emissions but also to grow our economy. I am very proud with the climate plan that we were able to achieve with the provinces, the territories, and indigenous peoples with respect to putting a price on pollution, which Canadians support. It is up to the provinces to determine which way to do it, and what to do with the revenues. They can return the revenues through a revenue neutral price on carbon. We are going to continue working with the provinces to grow our economy and reduce emissions.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's refugee system is recognized as being one of the most compassionate and generous systems in the world. The safe third country agreement with the United States enables both countries to better handle asylum claims made within both countries. Asylum seekers in Canada have access to a fair hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board, and all cases are assessed based on their merits.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin for his question.I am pleased to inform the House that employers have until Friday to submit their hiring requests for student employment this summer. This is an excellent opportunity to provide dynamic and enthusiastic students with valuable work experience, and to help grow our economy.
Mr. Speaker, anything a prime minister or a government must do must be in the interests of Canada and of all Canadians, particularly when it comes to transforming our electoral system. I understand the passion and intensity with which the member opposite believes in this, and many Canadians mirror that passion and intensity, but there is no consensus. There is no sense of how best to do this and, quite frankly, a divisive referendum at this time, an augmentation of extremist voices in the House, is not what is in the best interests of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, if they did not lie, they laughed in our faces.
Mr. Speaker, Constable David Wynn was shot and killed in the line of duty by a career criminal out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. Now there is a bill before the House that would close the bail loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life. The Prime Minister's cabinet would obviously have discussed it. Therefore, it was disturbing when the Prime Minister said at a town hall that he did not know anything about this bill. Now that he has had time to catch up with his work, will he instruct his caucus to support Wynn's law?
To the contrary, Mr. Speaker. We spent a year listening to Canadians, talking with them, hearing from a broad range of youth, seeing the firmly-held views that a number of people feel on that, and understanding that there is no clear path forward. There is no consensus. A referendum would be a bad idea. Moving forward on a divisive policy would be a bad idea.The fact of the matter is that I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform. That is not the kind of prime minister I will be.
Mr. Speaker, Marcia Brown Martel was taken from her indigenous birth parents, declared dead, and handed over to be adopted by non-indigenous parents. The removal of children to eliminate their race is an act of genocide. Over 20,000 survivors of the Sixties Scoop are now seeking justice. The minister has declared that her government will be adversaries no more. Well, if so, when will her government stop fighting them in court and make reparations for these despicable historic wrongs?
Mr. Speaker, how sad it was to watch the minister, who admitted that the Liberals had won a false majority. Yet, she was the very one the Liberals sent out to break the very promise that would fix the problem. The Prime Minister promised to be different. He promised to bring more people into the democratic process. He promised to make every vote count, and he promised millions of Canadians that 2015 would be the last election under the outdated and unfair voting system. Will any Liberal from Vancouver, Edmonton, or Winnipeg find the integrity to stand up to this blatant betrayal of Canadians that the Prime Minister has made?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said a lot of things to get elected, and now young Canadians are realizing that he does not have their backs. His decisions have made it harder for them to buy a first-time home and are creating a lot of anxiety over finding their first jobs, but, worst of all, the money his government is borrowing means that a Canadian who turns 18 today will not see the budget balanced until he or she is 56 years old. That means an entire working life of higher taxes.Why is the Prime Minister making the youth of our country pay for his bad decisions?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal green energy act in Ontario has transferred $170 billion over 26 years from middle and working class people to the wealthiest 1%. It is probably the biggest wealth transfer in the history of this country. We now have a carbon tax that will similarly land heaviest on the shoulders of those with the least. We also know that money will trickle down to well-connected Liberal so-called green insiders. It is not fair to tax people with these extra burdens who earn less than $50,000 a year.Can the finance minister do the right thing today and confirm that he will not impose his carbon tax on those earning less than the median income?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have never been so badly served as they are by this Prime Minister, who thinks he is totally above the law.He is undermining Canadians' confidence in our democracy, and we are all outraged by the investigations into ethical issues, because the common thread in them all is that the Liberal Party of Canada put its own interests first. When will the Prime Minister finally admit his lapse in judgment in using the Aga Khan's helicopter, and get to work for the benefit of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I was recently approached in relation to the inadequate level of mental health support for soldiers at Garrison Petawawa. The Liberals have let the number of mental health providers drop so low that the soldiers at Garrison Petawawa are forced into group sessions instead of one-on-one therapy.What is it going to take for the Prime Minister to restore the levels of mental health support for the soldiers and the people who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces so that they once again have patient-centred treatment?
Mr. Speaker, I would like the Prime Minister to translate that back for me.This is a very simple change in the Criminal Code. This career criminal was out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. It is very simple. It is a small loophole that can be closed if this bill is passed. I appreciate the Prime Minister's words. They mean a lot to the family, I am sure, but what would mean even more is if he passes this bill. Will he say yes or no? Will he instruct his caucus to pass this bill?
Mr. Speaker, the minister was in Laval on January 16 for a major joint announcement with the Province of Quebec about a $400-million investment in social housing.Would the minister tell the House how this investment in social housing will help vulnerable people across Quebec, including children living in poverty, seniors, and victims of domestic violence, while stimulating the economy?
Mr. Speaker, as has been previously stated, the Prime Minister was on a personal family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As has also been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, our government values science and unlike the previous government we will not politicize research. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims
Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, the Liberals are inventing new ways to waste taxpayer money.Canadians were astounded when the Minister of Infrastructure spent $835,000 redoing his offices, but they were flabbergasted that the former Minister of Status of Women spent $1.1 million to furnish a new office. Having visited her previous office, which was perfectly adequate, I want to know why hard-earned taxpayer dollars were wasted on this unnecessary extravagance?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that I have been wanting to reform our electoral system for a long time. The reality is that there is no consensus and no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible to hold a referendum without a clear question.The reality is that we are going to improve our democratic system in a number of different ways, but it will not be by changing the voting system. I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the member should be reminded that the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As the member should also know, and as has been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes in the importance of independent, non-partisan scientific advice. Unlike the previous government, we will not politicize scientific research.As I have mentioned, the organization is an arm's-length independent body and has the ability to issue contracts up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, we consulted with hundreds of thousands of Canadians to hear their views on transforming our electoral system. It is very clear. As people in this House know, I have long preferred a preferential ballot. The members opposite wanted a proportional representation. The official opposition wanted a referendum. There is no consensus. There is no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible for us to do something that harms Canada's stability when, in fact, what we need is to move forward on growth for the middle class and support.
Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister truly believed that his new year's getaway did not present ethical problems, he would not have tried so hard to hide it. No one believes the Prime Minister was not advised his actions would lead to a clear breach of the ethics law. The act is clear, as clear as the Prime Minister's decision was to ignore it. Is it not true that the Prime Minister kept this a secret because he knew the Ethics Commissioner would have told him it violated the act? Why does the Prime Minister think he is above the law?
Mr. Speaker, as all members of the House know very well, we made a commitment to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. We have lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%. It was never our intention to raise taxes, as the member opposite suggested.
Mr. Speaker, the truth is that we left the house in order with a $2.9-billion surplus. The truth is that the current government did away with quite a few tax credits that helped families directly, such as the tax credits for sports, the arts, textbooks, and post-secondary education.With the new budget just weeks away, can the Minister of Finance tell us whether he is done with taking tax credits away from Canadian families?
Mr. Speaker, since the start of the new year, whenever the Prime Minister has talked about his Christmas vacation, he says whatever he can to try to justify his lapse in judgment.However, despite his verbal somersaults, he knows very well that he violated section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act by travelling on a private helicopter during his Christmas vacation. Where I come from, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like duck, it must be a duck. Instead of hiding behind the Ethics Commissioner, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he broke the law?
Mr. Speaker, Within 18 months of forming government, we will introduce legislation to enact electoral reform. That is from the Liberal platform. It is very clear, and it was repeated with clarity in the Speech from the Throne, and the mandate to us as members of the special committee said we were replacing first past the post.If it was an essential precondition to follow on this promise that there be some sort of nationally proven majority, that there be some consensus discerned through vague surveys, why was that never mentioned in any promise or any mandate?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has abandoned his commitment. He has betrayed Canadians. A political party promises something in order to get elected and to appear progressive, but then, once elected, it shamelessly breaks that promise. I would call that a massive political deception. What does the Prime Minister call it?
Mr. Speaker, our government is working for all Canadians, and as we have already indicated, the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-time friend. As we have also said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, as we have said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, I got carried away because of my passion and frustration, and I used some unparliamentary language. I apologize and would like to officially withdraw my remarks.
Mr. Speaker, we got elected on a commitment to invest in the middle class, to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We are committed to protecting the middle class from increased taxes and that is why we will not be raising the taxes the member opposite proposes we will do.
I hope the new minister does not want to redecorate, Mr. Speaker. We could buy four condos in Ottawa for the same price the minster spent furnishing her new office. While seniors cannot pay their hydro bills and veterans go homeless, the Liberals keep wasting Canadian money. Will the Prime Minister put a stop to this entitled, ridiculous, lavish spending and start focusing on the needs of real Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, last month, a disabled grandmother told the Prime Minister, as she broke into tears, that she did not know how she was going to continue to pay her hydro bill, which was over $1,000 a month. A new carbon tax now will make it more expensive for her to heat her home.Yesterday, the Minister of Finance confirmed that he did not know what the middle class was. His budget says that the median income, though, is $50,000 a year in Canada. The Liberal Party promised it would not raise taxes on the middle class or those working to join it.Can the Liberals confirm today that no one earning less than $50,000 a year will be asked to pay the Liberal carbon tax?
Mr. Speaker, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims to connect research with Canadians and therefore supports conferences and initiatives that promote the social sciences. The organization is an arm's-length body and has the authority to issue contracts of up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, the care and welfare and especially the mental health of our troops are extremely important given what we ask them to do. We are looking at all of the aspects of lessons from the past and what is happening now. As part of the defence policy review that we undertook last year, this is a very big component. I can assure the member that we are moving forward. Resources have been put in place now, and into the future, we will definitely be making sure that all of our troops have the mental health resources for them.
Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising the Liberal government has so many ethical problems, it does not even recognize an ethics question when it gets one.Canada 2020 received $15,000 of taxpayer money from the Liberal government, the same Canada 2020 that hosted exclusive events in Washington when the Prime Minister was there, the same Canada 2020 whose president is married to the Liberal Party president, and the same Canada 2020 that boasted on Twitter earlier this week about new offices opening in the parliamentary precinct. There is a pattern developing here. The conflict of interest is self-evident. Will the Prime Minister commit today that no more taxpayer money will be given to Liberal think tank Canada 2020?
Mr. Speaker, what the middle class is worried about is being consistently overtaxed by the Prime Minister's spending. We now have a situation where young people looking to their future, people turning 18 today, will see higher taxes until they are 56 years old.Why would the Prime Minister continue down this path of massive deficits and massive debt, and burden the next generation?
Mr. Speaker, front-line workers are decrying the lack of action from the Liberal government to end violence against women. They are calling the government's progress to date a massive disappointment.There needs to be an immediate increase in funding for shelter operations. No woman or child should ever be turned away when fleeing domestic violence. When will the Liberals create a national action plan to end violence against women as promised to the United Nations?
Mr. Speaker, last summer 148 young people in my riding of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin took advantage of the Canada summer jobs program.Could the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour tell the House about the details of the program for 2017?
Mr. Speaker, it is a new year and a new minister, but employees of the Vegreville immigration case processing centre are still reeling. In response to my Order Paper question, the department said that closing the centre involved extensive consultation with another government department, but of course, not with the employees, the town, or local businesses. In fact, there was zero consultation with anyone who will actually be impacted.Will the new minister do what his predecessor refused to do, reverse this heartless decision and save these rural jobs?
Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadian workers will be forced to pay the Liberals' new tax on health and dental benefits. Many will lose their coverage and find themselves paying out of pocket for important expenses like life-saving medicines, mental health counselling, and their children's braces. It is not fair that the Prime Minister racks up billions of dollars in spending on his priorities and now Canadians have to pay for it with a $1,000 new tax on their health and dental benefits.Why would the Prime Minister even consider doing this?
Mr. Speaker, we know that this reckless spending will not stop. When we oppose a budget, it is because we are looking at the big picture. The government is forcing deficits on future generations. It talked about a $10 billion deficit during the campaign, but it will be higher. We heard him answer in English, but we are going to ask him the question in French. It will be interesting.We believe that, to cover these costs, the government will bring in a new tax on health and dental benefits. He just said something in English, but I would like to hear it again in French.Will there be a new tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to say that we are adversaries no more and that negotiation rather than litigation is our government's preferred route to settle these differences and right historical wrongs. This is why our government today is launching negotiations toward a national resolution to the Sixties Scoop litigation. Several parties have already expressed interest in these discussions, and I hope all parties will participate.The Sixties Scoop is a dark and painful chapter in our history. Resolving these cases is an important step in our journey of reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
Mr. Speaker, on December 5, I rose for the first time in the House to ask the Liberal government to not move forward with the Liberal tax on health and dental benefits. It took about a dozen questions, which he never answered, for him to finally see the light.Other problems remain. When we left office, we left the house in order and a surplus of about $2.9 billion, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who we should respect. However, if nothing changes, the Minister of Finance is talking about balancing the budget in 2055.What is the government's serious plan to avoid this disaster?
Mr. Speaker, a week ago today, New Brunswick was hammered by an ice storm.Nearly 13,000 homes remain without electricity or heat in the month of February. Warming centres and shelters in Miscou, Shippagan, and Lamèque are still overflowing.On Monday, I asked the Minister of National Defence why it took three days after the request from the Province before the troops arrived. No response.My question is for the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. The federal government responded swiftly to the fires in Fort McMurray and the floods in Calgary and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Why the radio silence for New Brunswick?
Mr. Speaker, the facts are very important.After 10 years, we started out with a very low growth rate. We started out with more debt because of the previous government. That is the truth.We are now making investments in our future in order to improve our economic growth. We have cut taxes for the middle class. That is our program for improving our situation and the future of our country.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for South ShoreSt. Margarets for her hard work. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 32 outstanding MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership. It is because of their leadership we launched the Atlantic growth strategy last summer. Just last week in Nova Scotia, we announced progress on the immigration pilot project, which will increase levels by 50%. I would like to thank the Minister of Immigration for his leadership. We also targeted high-growth firms, which will create jobs for small businesses. We also put forward an agreement to double the trade and investment strategy by $20 million.We are delivering for Atlantic Canada. We are growing the economy. We are creating good quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, words matter. A person's word matters.This is a betrayal. The Prime Minister has finally killed off what remained of our hopes for democratic renewal. The Prime Minister made a promise, a promise echoed by his candidates, his throne speech, his mandate letters, and the parliamentary committee. Now, he thumbs his nose at the hundreds of thousands of people who really believed him. They lied to us. They lied to the people.What is the Prime Minister's word worth?
Mr. Speaker, I would echo the words of the Prime Minister extending our deepest sympathies to the family of Constable Wynn. We are committed to conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including bail reform. That is why I continue to engage with my counterparts in the provinces and territories to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the justice system, ensuring we keep public safety top of our mind. Certainly, we agree with the objective of this legislation in terms of ensuring that information is made available to make necessary decisions.
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to serve as the Minister of Status of Women with a government that has put gender equality at the heart of its priorities, and with a Prime Minister who is a feminist in words and in actions. Previous to the Prime Minister's leadership, there was no full ministry of status of women. The staff needed a place to work. I am so proud that the public service as well as the ministerial team are on the same floor. This was a responsible use of dollars, and we will continue to deliver on behalf of all Canadians.
We made a commitment, Mr. Speaker, to invest in young people, to invest in our future. That is why historic investments in infrastructure, whether it be public transit, whether it be green infrastructure, whether it be social infrastructure like housing and child care, these are things that are going to make our country better and stronger and create more opportunities for young people in the future.To add to the list of things that we are doing to help young people, the transforming, the strengthening of the Canada pension plan is going to leave young people better off down the line so they have money to retire, something the members opposite have always been against.
Mr. Speaker, I have another question for the Prime Minister. One of his Liberal members, the member for BeachesEast York, thinks that the Prime Minister is not going far enough when it comes to legalizing marijuana. He wants the Prime Minister to decriminalize all drugs. There is a good reason that all drugs are not legal, and that is because they ruin the lives of our loved ones. Will the Prime Minister unequivocally denounce the comments that his Liberal colleague made and immediately commit to Canadian families that he will not put our youth at risk in legalizing tough, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine?
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister thinks the rules do not apply to people like him. One of the Prime Minister's vacation guests was Tom Pitfield, president of Liberal think tank Canada 2020. Tom also happens to be married to the president of the Liberal Party of Canada, who coincidentally was also on the same vacation. The problem is that Canada 2020 receives taxpayer dollars from the Liberal Prime Minister.Why do the Prime Minister's friends at Canada 2020 get privileged access to him and also taxpayer money?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals said last year that LGBT refugees would be a priority among Syrian refugees as among the most at risk. Then they did exactly nothing. Now Trump's ban has placed LGBT refugees from seven Muslim majority countries at extreme risk. In all seven, being gay means living in fear of being put to death.I want to ask the minister the same question which he ignored in last night's emergency debate. Will the minister take swift and specific action to facilitate asylum in Canada for LGBT citizens of the seven countries who are now excluded from the United States and who risk death if sent home?
Mr. Speaker, just as soon as we were contacted by the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Canada acted promptly on each and every request.
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of neglect by the previous government, we are finally making progress to ensure that people of all genders have equal opportunity to thrive. The decision to have both ministerial staff and the public service on the same level was important. It is important to reduce silos across all sectors, including our own. We will continue to deliver positive results on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we, on this side of the House, have met with the provincial governments on numerous occasions to talk about many different issues. We strengthened the Canada pension plan and we created a pan-Canadian framework on climate change. We signed landmark agreements with the provinces and we are working closely with them on the softwood lumber issue in order to resolve this situation with the Americans.
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to evidence-based policy, unlike the previous government. That is why we support safe consumption sites and want to do everything we can to protect Canadians from the ongoing opioid crisis. We have committed to legalizing marijuana, but we are not planning on legalizing anything else at this time.
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to let the member opposite know that I spoke to the mayor of Vegreville a few weeks ago. That is an example of outreach. That is an example of me letting the mayor tell me the concerns of the community. We are aware of the impacts on staff and families of this relocation. I want to assure the member opposite that all current employees in the Vegreville case processing centre will have their jobs in the new location.
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family of Constable David Wynn and especially to his widow, Shelly MacInnis-Wynn.We are committed to ensuring an effective and efficient bail system. The Minister of Justice will continue to collaborate with the provinces and territories and consult stakeholders that use these important Criminal Code provisions every day.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister obviously never read the report. The MyDemocracy.ca charade did not even ask Canadians if they wanted to change the voting system. However, do members know that at almost every single one of the Prime Minister's town halls, someone asked him about democratic reform?As the Prime Minister now fabricates evidence to claim Canadians did not want what he got elected on, what expression from Canadians would have been sufficient to get the Prime Minister to respect his own promise?
Mr. Speaker, once again, facts really matter. The situation is clear.We introduced the Canada child benefit to make sure that 9 out of 10 Canadian families with children have more money in their pockets, an average of $2,300 after taxes. That is the truth. A family with less money or a single woman with a child who earns $30,000 per year will get, on average, $6,400 more. Canadian families really are better off with our government.
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear. There is no consensus among Canadians on how, or even whether, to reform our electoral system, and to change the mode of the election system. That is why we are going to focus on strengthening our resistance and resilience to cyber-attacks from foreign intervenors, why we are going to be continuing to repeal the unfair provisions in the so-called fair elections act, and why we are moving forward with greater transparency and accountability on the strong rules we already have on federal fundraising.We are moving forward in a way that will focus on the things that matter to Canadians. That is what Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, Atlantic Canada faces a number of unique challenges in growing our economy and getting businesses to innovate and export. It needs a targeted approach from all levels of governments to address these issues. I understand the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development was recently in the Atlantic region promoting an Atlantic-specific approach. Could he please update the House on this initiative?
Mr. Speaker, safe third countries can be designated under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in an effort to share responsibility for refugee claims. However, only countries that respect human rights and provide a high degree of protection to asylum seekers can be designated as safe third countries. Does the Prime Minister honestly believe that this applies to the United States with its anti-Muslim decree currently in effect?
Cyber-attacks? What about attacks on truth, Mr. Speaker?The Prime Minister is always bemoaning the fact that cynicism is the biggest problem in politics today. Promising democratic reform to get elected and then breaking that promise once in office is crass cynicism.Is he not ashamed of himself?
Mr. Speaker, our electoral system is the foundation of our democracy. We respect the views of Canadians, and consulted extensively with them on this important issue. We listened to Canadians, and Canadians are proud of our democracy.We have always been clear. Major reforms to the electoral system should not be made if they lack the broad support of Canadians. As my mandate letter states, a clear preference for a new electoral system, let alone a consensus, has not emerged. Changing the electoral system is not in my mandate.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was clearly not prepared for the new U.S. administration, nor was he prepared for how new policies in the United States would affect our economy.Now that our largest trading partner is committed to lower taxes and fewer regulations, the Liberal government needs to show Canadians that it is able to adapt to the new U.S. reality. When will the Liberals acknowledge that their tax and spend policy is making Canada sorely uncompetitive, and putting Canadian jobs at huge risk of heading to the United States?
Mr. Speaker, Canada can be proud of its tradition of being an open society that welcomes refugees. We have tripled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We have engaged with our American counterparts to make sure that the implications of the executive order are closely monitored. We continue to inform Canadians as we get updated daily. We will continue to be a country that opens its hearts and its doors to those fleeing war and persecution.
Mr. Speaker, when 90% of people are in favour of a more proportional system, I think we can begin to call that a consensus.The Prime Minister made this promise hundreds of times during the election. He wrote it in his party's platform. He put it in his very first throne speech. The government promised it 1,813 times since it got elected. That is the real number.How can Canadians trust anything the Prime Minister has to say after he has so blatantly and intentionally betrayed his own word?
Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to talk about the situation of middle-class Canadians and those families who are struggling to get into the middle class because we know that we have helped them in many ways since we have come into office by lowering their taxes: an individual, out of those nine million, has saved $330 on average; a family has saved $540 on average. More importantly, we have helped them in other ways. We have helped students, as the Prime Minister mentioned, to have a better situation. When they have debt, students can wait until they have $25,000 to pay it off. We have helped seniors by increasing the guaranteed income supplement. We know Canadians are better off today than they
Mr. Speaker, that is good news for the middle class then, but what the middle class is struggling with
Mr. Speaker, with our Canada child benefit, we are lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty across this country, reducing child poverty by 40%. For post-secondary education, we are guaranteeing they do not have to pay back any student debts until they are making $25,000 a year, and we are increasing by 50% Canada student grants for low-income and middle-income families. We are also investing in infrastructure, in research, in innovation, and in post-secondary institutions to ensure that we have good jobs for these young people now and into the future. This is what building a strong country looks like and we will stay focused on that.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals seem to have their collective heads in the sand. In order for Canada to remain competitive with the United States, we need lower taxes across the board, and a regulatory process aligned with our neighbours. By refusing to deal with this new reality, and instead adding more taxes to families and businesses, the Liberals are costing Canadian jobs.Can the Minister of Finance tell us if there is any element of his fiscal policy that he is willing to change in order to respond to the new reality in the U.S. policy?
Mr. Speaker, we came into office with a plan to focus on growing the economy for middle-class Canadians, for people who are feeling truly anxious about the prospects for themselves and their children.We have moved forward on that plan by reducing taxes, and by making investments in the long-term future of our country. We are going to maintain our plan to grow our economy. We are going to continue to engage with our partners in the United States to make sure that we have a strong and effective relationship with the Americans as we move forward on executing our plan for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act states that no minister shall accept travel on private aircraft except in exceptional circumstances. The Prime Minister's trip was not a last-minute travel deal on Expedia.ca. There is plenty of planning involved when any minister travels. A significant number of people in the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office would have been briefed on the travel plans. Was the Prime Minister ever advised by anyone in the PMO or PCO that travelling by private helicopter would break section 12 of the act?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Alfred-Pellan on his excellent question and on the important work he is doing on behalf of his constituents.Our government is proud to have signed an agreement allocating nearly $300 million more for affordable housing in Quebec. Quebec will be able to spend that money on its own priority projects to support vulnerable families in its communities.We are very excited to continue working hard for the middle class and those working very hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, we want to be clear. We know that engaging with our neighbours to the south is critically important for our economy. We will do that while protecting the interests of Canadians.We will focus on how we can grow our own economy, so that Canadians can have good jobs. We will focus on making sure that middle-class Canadians have tax rates that are lower than they were during the term of the previous government, so that they can have enough money to pay for the needs of their children.We are focused on an economy that will be strong for Canada, and will deal with global situations as they arise.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her commitment to this work. As a fellow Trent University alumna, I am looking forward to working on this file together. I am happy to say that our government is fully committed to addressing gender-based violence so that women and girls can live free of violence. That is why we are developing a strategy to address this. Our government is engaged with experts, academics, civil society, and with those with lived experiences. Our investments in shelters and transitional housing will allow women to live safe and free from violence. Unlike the previous government, we are working to create the conditions to ensure that Canada is a place
Mr. Speaker, more topics have been discussed and there has been more heated debate with the provinces in the one year that this government has been in office than there were in 10 years under the previous government.Today, ministers from Quebec are asking the government to get its ducks in a row and start doing its job on the softwood lumber issue.Will the government be able to work with the provinces as promised? More importantly, will it be able to sign a softwood lumber deal for our 300,000 forestry workers?
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. Canadians expect us to take action to reduce emissions but also to grow our economy. I am very proud with the climate plan that we were able to achieve with the provinces, the territories, and indigenous peoples with respect to putting a price on pollution, which Canadians support. It is up to the provinces to determine which way to do it, and what to do with the revenues. They can return the revenues through a revenue neutral price on carbon. We are going to continue working with the provinces to grow our economy and reduce emissions.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's refugee system is recognized as being one of the most compassionate and generous systems in the world. The safe third country agreement with the United States enables both countries to better handle asylum claims made within both countries. Asylum seekers in Canada have access to a fair hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board, and all cases are assessed based on their merits.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin for his question.I am pleased to inform the House that employers have until Friday to submit their hiring requests for student employment this summer. This is an excellent opportunity to provide dynamic and enthusiastic students with valuable work experience, and to help grow our economy.
Mr. Speaker, anything a prime minister or a government must do must be in the interests of Canada and of all Canadians, particularly when it comes to transforming our electoral system. I understand the passion and intensity with which the member opposite believes in this, and many Canadians mirror that passion and intensity, but there is no consensus. There is no sense of how best to do this and, quite frankly, a divisive referendum at this time, an augmentation of extremist voices in the House, is not what is in the best interests of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, if they did not lie, they laughed in our faces.
Most positive speeches
Mr. Speaker, if they did not lie, they laughed in our faces.
Mr. Speaker, anything a prime minister or a government must do must be in the interests of Canada and of all Canadians, particularly when it comes to transforming our electoral system. I understand the passion and intensity with which the member opposite believes in this, and many Canadians mirror that passion and intensity, but there is no consensus. There is no sense of how best to do this and, quite frankly, a divisive referendum at this time, an augmentation of extremist voices in the House, is not what is in the best interests of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin for his question.I am pleased to inform the House that employers have until Friday to submit their hiring requests for student employment this summer. This is an excellent opportunity to provide dynamic and enthusiastic students with valuable work experience, and to help grow our economy.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's refugee system is recognized as being one of the most compassionate and generous systems in the world. The safe third country agreement with the United States enables both countries to better handle asylum claims made within both countries. Asylum seekers in Canada have access to a fair hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board, and all cases are assessed based on their merits.
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. Canadians expect us to take action to reduce emissions but also to grow our economy. I am very proud with the climate plan that we were able to achieve with the provinces, the territories, and indigenous peoples with respect to putting a price on pollution, which Canadians support. It is up to the provinces to determine which way to do it, and what to do with the revenues. They can return the revenues through a revenue neutral price on carbon. We are going to continue working with the provinces to grow our economy and reduce emissions.
Mr. Speaker, more topics have been discussed and there has been more heated debate with the provinces in the one year that this government has been in office than there were in 10 years under the previous government.Today, ministers from Quebec are asking the government to get its ducks in a row and start doing its job on the softwood lumber issue.Will the government be able to work with the provinces as promised? More importantly, will it be able to sign a softwood lumber deal for our 300,000 forestry workers?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her commitment to this work. As a fellow Trent University alumna, I am looking forward to working on this file together. I am happy to say that our government is fully committed to addressing gender-based violence so that women and girls can live free of violence. That is why we are developing a strategy to address this. Our government is engaged with experts, academics, civil society, and with those with lived experiences. Our investments in shelters and transitional housing will allow women to live safe and free from violence. Unlike the previous government, we are working to create the conditions to ensure that Canada is a place
Mr. Speaker, we want to be clear. We know that engaging with our neighbours to the south is critically important for our economy. We will do that while protecting the interests of Canadians.We will focus on how we can grow our own economy, so that Canadians can have good jobs. We will focus on making sure that middle-class Canadians have tax rates that are lower than they were during the term of the previous government, so that they can have enough money to pay for the needs of their children.We are focused on an economy that will be strong for Canada, and will deal with global situations as they arise.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Alfred-Pellan on his excellent question and on the important work he is doing on behalf of his constituents.Our government is proud to have signed an agreement allocating nearly $300 million more for affordable housing in Quebec. Quebec will be able to spend that money on its own priority projects to support vulnerable families in its communities.We are very excited to continue working hard for the middle class and those working very hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act states that no minister shall accept travel on private aircraft except in exceptional circumstances. The Prime Minister's trip was not a last-minute travel deal on Expedia.ca. There is plenty of planning involved when any minister travels. A significant number of people in the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office would have been briefed on the travel plans. Was the Prime Minister ever advised by anyone in the PMO or PCO that travelling by private helicopter would break section 12 of the act?
Mr. Speaker, we came into office with a plan to focus on growing the economy for middle-class Canadians, for people who are feeling truly anxious about the prospects for themselves and their children.We have moved forward on that plan by reducing taxes, and by making investments in the long-term future of our country. We are going to maintain our plan to grow our economy. We are going to continue to engage with our partners in the United States to make sure that we have a strong and effective relationship with the Americans as we move forward on executing our plan for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals seem to have their collective heads in the sand. In order for Canada to remain competitive with the United States, we need lower taxes across the board, and a regulatory process aligned with our neighbours. By refusing to deal with this new reality, and instead adding more taxes to families and businesses, the Liberals are costing Canadian jobs.Can the Minister of Finance tell us if there is any element of his fiscal policy that he is willing to change in order to respond to the new reality in the U.S. policy?
Mr. Speaker, with our Canada child benefit, we are lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty across this country, reducing child poverty by 40%. For post-secondary education, we are guaranteeing they do not have to pay back any student debts until they are making $25,000 a year, and we are increasing by 50% Canada student grants for low-income and middle-income families. We are also investing in infrastructure, in research, in innovation, and in post-secondary institutions to ensure that we have good jobs for these young people now and into the future. This is what building a strong country looks like and we will stay focused on that.
Mr. Speaker, that is good news for the middle class then, but what the middle class is struggling with
Mr. Speaker, when 90% of people are in favour of a more proportional system, I think we can begin to call that a consensus.The Prime Minister made this promise hundreds of times during the election. He wrote it in his party's platform. He put it in his very first throne speech. The government promised it 1,813 times since it got elected. That is the real number.How can Canadians trust anything the Prime Minister has to say after he has so blatantly and intentionally betrayed his own word?
Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to talk about the situation of middle-class Canadians and those families who are struggling to get into the middle class because we know that we have helped them in many ways since we have come into office by lowering their taxes: an individual, out of those nine million, has saved $330 on average; a family has saved $540 on average. More importantly, we have helped them in other ways. We have helped students, as the Prime Minister mentioned, to have a better situation. When they have debt, students can wait until they have $25,000 to pay it off. We have helped seniors by increasing the guaranteed income supplement. We know Canadians are better off today than they
Mr. Speaker, Canada can be proud of its tradition of being an open society that welcomes refugees. We have tripled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We have engaged with our American counterparts to make sure that the implications of the executive order are closely monitored. We continue to inform Canadians as we get updated daily. We will continue to be a country that opens its hearts and its doors to those fleeing war and persecution.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was clearly not prepared for the new U.S. administration, nor was he prepared for how new policies in the United States would affect our economy.Now that our largest trading partner is committed to lower taxes and fewer regulations, the Liberal government needs to show Canadians that it is able to adapt to the new U.S. reality. When will the Liberals acknowledge that their tax and spend policy is making Canada sorely uncompetitive, and putting Canadian jobs at huge risk of heading to the United States?
Mr. Speaker, our electoral system is the foundation of our democracy. We respect the views of Canadians, and consulted extensively with them on this important issue. We listened to Canadians, and Canadians are proud of our democracy.We have always been clear. Major reforms to the electoral system should not be made if they lack the broad support of Canadians. As my mandate letter states, a clear preference for a new electoral system, let alone a consensus, has not emerged. Changing the electoral system is not in my mandate.
Cyber-attacks? What about attacks on truth, Mr. Speaker?The Prime Minister is always bemoaning the fact that cynicism is the biggest problem in politics today. Promising democratic reform to get elected and then breaking that promise once in office is crass cynicism.Is he not ashamed of himself?
Mr. Speaker, safe third countries can be designated under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in an effort to share responsibility for refugee claims. However, only countries that respect human rights and provide a high degree of protection to asylum seekers can be designated as safe third countries. Does the Prime Minister honestly believe that this applies to the United States with its anti-Muslim decree currently in effect?
Mr. Speaker, Atlantic Canada faces a number of unique challenges in growing our economy and getting businesses to innovate and export. It needs a targeted approach from all levels of governments to address these issues. I understand the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development was recently in the Atlantic region promoting an Atlantic-specific approach. Could he please update the House on this initiative?
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear. There is no consensus among Canadians on how, or even whether, to reform our electoral system, and to change the mode of the election system. That is why we are going to focus on strengthening our resistance and resilience to cyber-attacks from foreign intervenors, why we are going to be continuing to repeal the unfair provisions in the so-called fair elections act, and why we are moving forward with greater transparency and accountability on the strong rules we already have on federal fundraising.We are moving forward in a way that will focus on the things that matter to Canadians. That is what Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, once again, facts really matter. The situation is clear.We introduced the Canada child benefit to make sure that 9 out of 10 Canadian families with children have more money in their pockets, an average of $2,300 after taxes. That is the truth. A family with less money or a single woman with a child who earns $30,000 per year will get, on average, $6,400 more. Canadian families really are better off with our government.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister obviously never read the report. The MyDemocracy.ca charade did not even ask Canadians if they wanted to change the voting system. However, do members know that at almost every single one of the Prime Minister's town halls, someone asked him about democratic reform?As the Prime Minister now fabricates evidence to claim Canadians did not want what he got elected on, what expression from Canadians would have been sufficient to get the Prime Minister to respect his own promise?
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family of Constable David Wynn and especially to his widow, Shelly MacInnis-Wynn.We are committed to ensuring an effective and efficient bail system. The Minister of Justice will continue to collaborate with the provinces and territories and consult stakeholders that use these important Criminal Code provisions every day.
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to let the member opposite know that I spoke to the mayor of Vegreville a few weeks ago. That is an example of outreach. That is an example of me letting the mayor tell me the concerns of the community. We are aware of the impacts on staff and families of this relocation. I want to assure the member opposite that all current employees in the Vegreville case processing centre will have their jobs in the new location.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we, on this side of the House, have met with the provincial governments on numerous occasions to talk about many different issues. We strengthened the Canada pension plan and we created a pan-Canadian framework on climate change. We signed landmark agreements with the provinces and we are working closely with them on the softwood lumber issue in order to resolve this situation with the Americans.
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to evidence-based policy, unlike the previous government. That is why we support safe consumption sites and want to do everything we can to protect Canadians from the ongoing opioid crisis. We have committed to legalizing marijuana, but we are not planning on legalizing anything else at this time.
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of neglect by the previous government, we are finally making progress to ensure that people of all genders have equal opportunity to thrive. The decision to have both ministerial staff and the public service on the same level was important. It is important to reduce silos across all sectors, including our own. We will continue to deliver positive results on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, just as soon as we were contacted by the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Canada acted promptly on each and every request.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals said last year that LGBT refugees would be a priority among Syrian refugees as among the most at risk. Then they did exactly nothing. Now Trump's ban has placed LGBT refugees from seven Muslim majority countries at extreme risk. In all seven, being gay means living in fear of being put to death.I want to ask the minister the same question which he ignored in last night's emergency debate. Will the minister take swift and specific action to facilitate asylum in Canada for LGBT citizens of the seven countries who are now excluded from the United States and who risk death if sent home?
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister thinks the rules do not apply to people like him. One of the Prime Minister's vacation guests was Tom Pitfield, president of Liberal think tank Canada 2020. Tom also happens to be married to the president of the Liberal Party of Canada, who coincidentally was also on the same vacation. The problem is that Canada 2020 receives taxpayer dollars from the Liberal Prime Minister.Why do the Prime Minister's friends at Canada 2020 get privileged access to him and also taxpayer money?
Mr. Speaker, I have another question for the Prime Minister. One of his Liberal members, the member for BeachesEast York, thinks that the Prime Minister is not going far enough when it comes to legalizing marijuana. He wants the Prime Minister to decriminalize all drugs. There is a good reason that all drugs are not legal, and that is because they ruin the lives of our loved ones. Will the Prime Minister unequivocally denounce the comments that his Liberal colleague made and immediately commit to Canadian families that he will not put our youth at risk in legalizing tough, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine?
We made a commitment, Mr. Speaker, to invest in young people, to invest in our future. That is why historic investments in infrastructure, whether it be public transit, whether it be green infrastructure, whether it be social infrastructure like housing and child care, these are things that are going to make our country better and stronger and create more opportunities for young people in the future.To add to the list of things that we are doing to help young people, the transforming, the strengthening of the Canada pension plan is going to leave young people better off down the line so they have money to retire, something the members opposite have always been against.
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to serve as the Minister of Status of Women with a government that has put gender equality at the heart of its priorities, and with a Prime Minister who is a feminist in words and in actions. Previous to the Prime Minister's leadership, there was no full ministry of status of women. The staff needed a place to work. I am so proud that the public service as well as the ministerial team are on the same floor. This was a responsible use of dollars, and we will continue to deliver on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I would echo the words of the Prime Minister extending our deepest sympathies to the family of Constable Wynn. We are committed to conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including bail reform. That is why I continue to engage with my counterparts in the provinces and territories to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the justice system, ensuring we keep public safety top of our mind. Certainly, we agree with the objective of this legislation in terms of ensuring that information is made available to make necessary decisions.
Mr. Speaker, words matter. A person's word matters.This is a betrayal. The Prime Minister has finally killed off what remained of our hopes for democratic renewal. The Prime Minister made a promise, a promise echoed by his candidates, his throne speech, his mandate letters, and the parliamentary committee. Now, he thumbs his nose at the hundreds of thousands of people who really believed him. They lied to us. They lied to the people.What is the Prime Minister's word worth?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for South ShoreSt. Margarets for her hard work. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 32 outstanding MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership. It is because of their leadership we launched the Atlantic growth strategy last summer. Just last week in Nova Scotia, we announced progress on the immigration pilot project, which will increase levels by 50%. I would like to thank the Minister of Immigration for his leadership. We also targeted high-growth firms, which will create jobs for small businesses. We also put forward an agreement to double the trade and investment strategy by $20 million.We are delivering for Atlantic Canada. We are growing the economy. We are creating good quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, the facts are very important.After 10 years, we started out with a very low growth rate. We started out with more debt because of the previous government. That is the truth.We are now making investments in our future in order to improve our economic growth. We have cut taxes for the middle class. That is our program for improving our situation and the future of our country.
Mr. Speaker, a week ago today, New Brunswick was hammered by an ice storm.Nearly 13,000 homes remain without electricity or heat in the month of February. Warming centres and shelters in Miscou, Shippagan, and Lamèque are still overflowing.On Monday, I asked the Minister of National Defence why it took three days after the request from the Province before the troops arrived. No response.My question is for the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. The federal government responded swiftly to the fires in Fort McMurray and the floods in Calgary and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Why the radio silence for New Brunswick?
Mr. Speaker, on December 5, I rose for the first time in the House to ask the Liberal government to not move forward with the Liberal tax on health and dental benefits. It took about a dozen questions, which he never answered, for him to finally see the light.Other problems remain. When we left office, we left the house in order and a surplus of about $2.9 billion, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who we should respect. However, if nothing changes, the Minister of Finance is talking about balancing the budget in 2055.What is the government's serious plan to avoid this disaster?
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to say that we are adversaries no more and that negotiation rather than litigation is our government's preferred route to settle these differences and right historical wrongs. This is why our government today is launching negotiations toward a national resolution to the Sixties Scoop litigation. Several parties have already expressed interest in these discussions, and I hope all parties will participate.The Sixties Scoop is a dark and painful chapter in our history. Resolving these cases is an important step in our journey of reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
Mr. Speaker, we know that this reckless spending will not stop. When we oppose a budget, it is because we are looking at the big picture. The government is forcing deficits on future generations. It talked about a $10 billion deficit during the campaign, but it will be higher. We heard him answer in English, but we are going to ask him the question in French. It will be interesting.We believe that, to cover these costs, the government will bring in a new tax on health and dental benefits. He just said something in English, but I would like to hear it again in French.Will there be a new tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadian workers will be forced to pay the Liberals' new tax on health and dental benefits. Many will lose their coverage and find themselves paying out of pocket for important expenses like life-saving medicines, mental health counselling, and their children's braces. It is not fair that the Prime Minister racks up billions of dollars in spending on his priorities and now Canadians have to pay for it with a $1,000 new tax on their health and dental benefits.Why would the Prime Minister even consider doing this?
Mr. Speaker, it is a new year and a new minister, but employees of the Vegreville immigration case processing centre are still reeling. In response to my Order Paper question, the department said that closing the centre involved extensive consultation with another government department, but of course, not with the employees, the town, or local businesses. In fact, there was zero consultation with anyone who will actually be impacted.Will the new minister do what his predecessor refused to do, reverse this heartless decision and save these rural jobs?
Mr. Speaker, front-line workers are decrying the lack of action from the Liberal government to end violence against women. They are calling the government's progress to date a massive disappointment.There needs to be an immediate increase in funding for shelter operations. No woman or child should ever be turned away when fleeing domestic violence. When will the Liberals create a national action plan to end violence against women as promised to the United Nations?
Mr. Speaker, last summer 148 young people in my riding of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin took advantage of the Canada summer jobs program.Could the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour tell the House about the details of the program for 2017?
Mr. Speaker, what the middle class is worried about is being consistently overtaxed by the Prime Minister's spending. We now have a situation where young people looking to their future, people turning 18 today, will see higher taxes until they are 56 years old.Why would the Prime Minister continue down this path of massive deficits and massive debt, and burden the next generation?
Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising the Liberal government has so many ethical problems, it does not even recognize an ethics question when it gets one.Canada 2020 received $15,000 of taxpayer money from the Liberal government, the same Canada 2020 that hosted exclusive events in Washington when the Prime Minister was there, the same Canada 2020 whose president is married to the Liberal Party president, and the same Canada 2020 that boasted on Twitter earlier this week about new offices opening in the parliamentary precinct. There is a pattern developing here. The conflict of interest is self-evident. Will the Prime Minister commit today that no more taxpayer money will be given to Liberal think tank Canada 2020?
Mr. Speaker, the care and welfare and especially the mental health of our troops are extremely important given what we ask them to do. We are looking at all of the aspects of lessons from the past and what is happening now. As part of the defence policy review that we undertook last year, this is a very big component. I can assure the member that we are moving forward. Resources have been put in place now, and into the future, we will definitely be making sure that all of our troops have the mental health resources for them.
Mr. Speaker, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims to connect research with Canadians and therefore supports conferences and initiatives that promote the social sciences. The organization is an arm's-length body and has the authority to issue contracts of up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, last month, a disabled grandmother told the Prime Minister, as she broke into tears, that she did not know how she was going to continue to pay her hydro bill, which was over $1,000 a month. A new carbon tax now will make it more expensive for her to heat her home.Yesterday, the Minister of Finance confirmed that he did not know what the middle class was. His budget says that the median income, though, is $50,000 a year in Canada. The Liberal Party promised it would not raise taxes on the middle class or those working to join it.Can the Liberals confirm today that no one earning less than $50,000 a year will be asked to pay the Liberal carbon tax?
I hope the new minister does not want to redecorate, Mr. Speaker. We could buy four condos in Ottawa for the same price the minster spent furnishing her new office. While seniors cannot pay their hydro bills and veterans go homeless, the Liberals keep wasting Canadian money. Will the Prime Minister put a stop to this entitled, ridiculous, lavish spending and start focusing on the needs of real Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, we got elected on a commitment to invest in the middle class, to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We are committed to protecting the middle class from increased taxes and that is why we will not be raising the taxes the member opposite proposes we will do.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has abandoned his commitment. He has betrayed Canadians. A political party promises something in order to get elected and to appear progressive, but then, once elected, it shamelessly breaks that promise. I would call that a massive political deception. What does the Prime Minister call it?
Mr. Speaker, our government is working for all Canadians, and as we have already indicated, the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-time friend. As we have also said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, as we have said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, I got carried away because of my passion and frustration, and I used some unparliamentary language. I apologize and would like to officially withdraw my remarks.
Mr. Speaker, Within 18 months of forming government, we will introduce legislation to enact electoral reform. That is from the Liberal platform. It is very clear, and it was repeated with clarity in the Speech from the Throne, and the mandate to us as members of the special committee said we were replacing first past the post.If it was an essential precondition to follow on this promise that there be some sort of nationally proven majority, that there be some consensus discerned through vague surveys, why was that never mentioned in any promise or any mandate?
Mr. Speaker, the truth is that we left the house in order with a $2.9-billion surplus. The truth is that the current government did away with quite a few tax credits that helped families directly, such as the tax credits for sports, the arts, textbooks, and post-secondary education.With the new budget just weeks away, can the Minister of Finance tell us whether he is done with taking tax credits away from Canadian families?
Mr. Speaker, since the start of the new year, whenever the Prime Minister has talked about his Christmas vacation, he says whatever he can to try to justify his lapse in judgment.However, despite his verbal somersaults, he knows very well that he violated section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act by travelling on a private helicopter during his Christmas vacation. Where I come from, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like duck, it must be a duck. Instead of hiding behind the Ethics Commissioner, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he broke the law?
Mr. Speaker, as all members of the House know very well, we made a commitment to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. We have lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%. It was never our intention to raise taxes, as the member opposite suggested.
Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister truly believed that his new year's getaway did not present ethical problems, he would not have tried so hard to hide it. No one believes the Prime Minister was not advised his actions would lead to a clear breach of the ethics law. The act is clear, as clear as the Prime Minister's decision was to ignore it. Is it not true that the Prime Minister kept this a secret because he knew the Ethics Commissioner would have told him it violated the act? Why does the Prime Minister think he is above the law?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, we consulted with hundreds of thousands of Canadians to hear their views on transforming our electoral system. It is very clear. As people in this House know, I have long preferred a preferential ballot. The members opposite wanted a proportional representation. The official opposition wanted a referendum. There is no consensus. There is no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible for us to do something that harms Canada's stability when, in fact, what we need is to move forward on growth for the middle class and support.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes in the importance of independent, non-partisan scientific advice. Unlike the previous government, we will not politicize scientific research.As I have mentioned, the organization is an arm's-length independent body and has the ability to issue contracts up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that I have been wanting to reform our electoral system for a long time. The reality is that there is no consensus and no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible to hold a referendum without a clear question.The reality is that we are going to improve our democratic system in a number of different ways, but it will not be by changing the voting system. I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the member should be reminded that the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As the member should also know, and as has been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, the Liberals are inventing new ways to waste taxpayer money.Canadians were astounded when the Minister of Infrastructure spent $835,000 redoing his offices, but they were flabbergasted that the former Minister of Status of Women spent $1.1 million to furnish a new office. Having visited her previous office, which was perfectly adequate, I want to know why hard-earned taxpayer dollars were wasted on this unnecessary extravagance?
Mr. Speaker, our government values science and unlike the previous government we will not politicize research. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims
Mr. Speaker, as has been previously stated, the Prime Minister was on a personal family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As has also been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, the minister was in Laval on January 16 for a major joint announcement with the Province of Quebec about a $400-million investment in social housing.Would the minister tell the House how this investment in social housing will help vulnerable people across Quebec, including children living in poverty, seniors, and victims of domestic violence, while stimulating the economy?
Mr. Speaker, I would like the Prime Minister to translate that back for me.This is a very simple change in the Criminal Code. This career criminal was out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. It is very simple. It is a small loophole that can be closed if this bill is passed. I appreciate the Prime Minister's words. They mean a lot to the family, I am sure, but what would mean even more is if he passes this bill. Will he say yes or no? Will he instruct his caucus to pass this bill?
Mr. Speaker, I was recently approached in relation to the inadequate level of mental health support for soldiers at Garrison Petawawa. The Liberals have let the number of mental health providers drop so low that the soldiers at Garrison Petawawa are forced into group sessions instead of one-on-one therapy.What is it going to take for the Prime Minister to restore the levels of mental health support for the soldiers and the people who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces so that they once again have patient-centred treatment?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have never been so badly served as they are by this Prime Minister, who thinks he is totally above the law.He is undermining Canadians' confidence in our democracy, and we are all outraged by the investigations into ethical issues, because the common thread in them all is that the Liberal Party of Canada put its own interests first. When will the Prime Minister finally admit his lapse in judgment in using the Aga Khan's helicopter, and get to work for the benefit of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal green energy act in Ontario has transferred $170 billion over 26 years from middle and working class people to the wealthiest 1%. It is probably the biggest wealth transfer in the history of this country. We now have a carbon tax that will similarly land heaviest on the shoulders of those with the least. We also know that money will trickle down to well-connected Liberal so-called green insiders. It is not fair to tax people with these extra burdens who earn less than $50,000 a year.Can the finance minister do the right thing today and confirm that he will not impose his carbon tax on those earning less than the median income?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said a lot of things to get elected, and now young Canadians are realizing that he does not have their backs. His decisions have made it harder for them to buy a first-time home and are creating a lot of anxiety over finding their first jobs, but, worst of all, the money his government is borrowing means that a Canadian who turns 18 today will not see the budget balanced until he or she is 56 years old. That means an entire working life of higher taxes.Why is the Prime Minister making the youth of our country pay for his bad decisions?
Mr. Speaker, how sad it was to watch the minister, who admitted that the Liberals had won a false majority. Yet, she was the very one the Liberals sent out to break the very promise that would fix the problem. The Prime Minister promised to be different. He promised to bring more people into the democratic process. He promised to make every vote count, and he promised millions of Canadians that 2015 would be the last election under the outdated and unfair voting system. Will any Liberal from Vancouver, Edmonton, or Winnipeg find the integrity to stand up to this blatant betrayal of Canadians that the Prime Minister has made?
Mr. Speaker, Marcia Brown Martel was taken from her indigenous birth parents, declared dead, and handed over to be adopted by non-indigenous parents. The removal of children to eliminate their race is an act of genocide. Over 20,000 survivors of the Sixties Scoop are now seeking justice. The minister has declared that her government will be adversaries no more. Well, if so, when will her government stop fighting them in court and make reparations for these despicable historic wrongs?
To the contrary, Mr. Speaker. We spent a year listening to Canadians, talking with them, hearing from a broad range of youth, seeing the firmly-held views that a number of people feel on that, and understanding that there is no clear path forward. There is no consensus. A referendum would be a bad idea. Moving forward on a divisive policy would be a bad idea.The fact of the matter is that I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform. That is not the kind of prime minister I will be.
Mr. Speaker, Constable David Wynn was shot and killed in the line of duty by a career criminal out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. Now there is a bill before the House that would close the bail loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life. The Prime Minister's cabinet would obviously have discussed it. Therefore, it was disturbing when the Prime Minister said at a town hall that he did not know anything about this bill. Now that he has had time to catch up with his work, will he instruct his caucus to support Wynn's law?
Mr. Speaker, if they did not lie, they laughed in our faces.
Mr. Speaker, anything a prime minister or a government must do must be in the interests of Canada and of all Canadians, particularly when it comes to transforming our electoral system. I understand the passion and intensity with which the member opposite believes in this, and many Canadians mirror that passion and intensity, but there is no consensus. There is no sense of how best to do this and, quite frankly, a divisive referendum at this time, an augmentation of extremist voices in the House, is not what is in the best interests of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin for his question.I am pleased to inform the House that employers have until Friday to submit their hiring requests for student employment this summer. This is an excellent opportunity to provide dynamic and enthusiastic students with valuable work experience, and to help grow our economy.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's refugee system is recognized as being one of the most compassionate and generous systems in the world. The safe third country agreement with the United States enables both countries to better handle asylum claims made within both countries. Asylum seekers in Canada have access to a fair hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board, and all cases are assessed based on their merits.
Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. Canadians expect us to take action to reduce emissions but also to grow our economy. I am very proud with the climate plan that we were able to achieve with the provinces, the territories, and indigenous peoples with respect to putting a price on pollution, which Canadians support. It is up to the provinces to determine which way to do it, and what to do with the revenues. They can return the revenues through a revenue neutral price on carbon. We are going to continue working with the provinces to grow our economy and reduce emissions.
Mr. Speaker, more topics have been discussed and there has been more heated debate with the provinces in the one year that this government has been in office than there were in 10 years under the previous government.Today, ministers from Quebec are asking the government to get its ducks in a row and start doing its job on the softwood lumber issue.Will the government be able to work with the provinces as promised? More importantly, will it be able to sign a softwood lumber deal for our 300,000 forestry workers?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her commitment to this work. As a fellow Trent University alumna, I am looking forward to working on this file together. I am happy to say that our government is fully committed to addressing gender-based violence so that women and girls can live free of violence. That is why we are developing a strategy to address this. Our government is engaged with experts, academics, civil society, and with those with lived experiences. Our investments in shelters and transitional housing will allow women to live safe and free from violence. Unlike the previous government, we are working to create the conditions to ensure that Canada is a place
Mr. Speaker, we want to be clear. We know that engaging with our neighbours to the south is critically important for our economy. We will do that while protecting the interests of Canadians.We will focus on how we can grow our own economy, so that Canadians can have good jobs. We will focus on making sure that middle-class Canadians have tax rates that are lower than they were during the term of the previous government, so that they can have enough money to pay for the needs of their children.We are focused on an economy that will be strong for Canada, and will deal with global situations as they arise.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Alfred-Pellan on his excellent question and on the important work he is doing on behalf of his constituents.Our government is proud to have signed an agreement allocating nearly $300 million more for affordable housing in Quebec. Quebec will be able to spend that money on its own priority projects to support vulnerable families in its communities.We are very excited to continue working hard for the middle class and those working very hard to join it.
Mr. Speaker, section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act states that no minister shall accept travel on private aircraft except in exceptional circumstances. The Prime Minister's trip was not a last-minute travel deal on Expedia.ca. There is plenty of planning involved when any minister travels. A significant number of people in the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office would have been briefed on the travel plans. Was the Prime Minister ever advised by anyone in the PMO or PCO that travelling by private helicopter would break section 12 of the act?
Mr. Speaker, we came into office with a plan to focus on growing the economy for middle-class Canadians, for people who are feeling truly anxious about the prospects for themselves and their children.We have moved forward on that plan by reducing taxes, and by making investments in the long-term future of our country. We are going to maintain our plan to grow our economy. We are going to continue to engage with our partners in the United States to make sure that we have a strong and effective relationship with the Americans as we move forward on executing our plan for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals seem to have their collective heads in the sand. In order for Canada to remain competitive with the United States, we need lower taxes across the board, and a regulatory process aligned with our neighbours. By refusing to deal with this new reality, and instead adding more taxes to families and businesses, the Liberals are costing Canadian jobs.Can the Minister of Finance tell us if there is any element of his fiscal policy that he is willing to change in order to respond to the new reality in the U.S. policy?
Mr. Speaker, with our Canada child benefit, we are lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty across this country, reducing child poverty by 40%. For post-secondary education, we are guaranteeing they do not have to pay back any student debts until they are making $25,000 a year, and we are increasing by 50% Canada student grants for low-income and middle-income families. We are also investing in infrastructure, in research, in innovation, and in post-secondary institutions to ensure that we have good jobs for these young people now and into the future. This is what building a strong country looks like and we will stay focused on that.
Mr. Speaker, that is good news for the middle class then, but what the middle class is struggling with
Mr. Speaker, when 90% of people are in favour of a more proportional system, I think we can begin to call that a consensus.The Prime Minister made this promise hundreds of times during the election. He wrote it in his party's platform. He put it in his very first throne speech. The government promised it 1,813 times since it got elected. That is the real number.How can Canadians trust anything the Prime Minister has to say after he has so blatantly and intentionally betrayed his own word?
Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to talk about the situation of middle-class Canadians and those families who are struggling to get into the middle class because we know that we have helped them in many ways since we have come into office by lowering their taxes: an individual, out of those nine million, has saved $330 on average; a family has saved $540 on average. More importantly, we have helped them in other ways. We have helped students, as the Prime Minister mentioned, to have a better situation. When they have debt, students can wait until they have $25,000 to pay it off. We have helped seniors by increasing the guaranteed income supplement. We know Canadians are better off today than they
Mr. Speaker, Canada can be proud of its tradition of being an open society that welcomes refugees. We have tripled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We have engaged with our American counterparts to make sure that the implications of the executive order are closely monitored. We continue to inform Canadians as we get updated daily. We will continue to be a country that opens its hearts and its doors to those fleeing war and persecution.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was clearly not prepared for the new U.S. administration, nor was he prepared for how new policies in the United States would affect our economy.Now that our largest trading partner is committed to lower taxes and fewer regulations, the Liberal government needs to show Canadians that it is able to adapt to the new U.S. reality. When will the Liberals acknowledge that their tax and spend policy is making Canada sorely uncompetitive, and putting Canadian jobs at huge risk of heading to the United States?
Mr. Speaker, our electoral system is the foundation of our democracy. We respect the views of Canadians, and consulted extensively with them on this important issue. We listened to Canadians, and Canadians are proud of our democracy.We have always been clear. Major reforms to the electoral system should not be made if they lack the broad support of Canadians. As my mandate letter states, a clear preference for a new electoral system, let alone a consensus, has not emerged. Changing the electoral system is not in my mandate.
Cyber-attacks? What about attacks on truth, Mr. Speaker?The Prime Minister is always bemoaning the fact that cynicism is the biggest problem in politics today. Promising democratic reform to get elected and then breaking that promise once in office is crass cynicism.Is he not ashamed of himself?
Mr. Speaker, safe third countries can be designated under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in an effort to share responsibility for refugee claims. However, only countries that respect human rights and provide a high degree of protection to asylum seekers can be designated as safe third countries. Does the Prime Minister honestly believe that this applies to the United States with its anti-Muslim decree currently in effect?
Mr. Speaker, Atlantic Canada faces a number of unique challenges in growing our economy and getting businesses to innovate and export. It needs a targeted approach from all levels of governments to address these issues. I understand the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development was recently in the Atlantic region promoting an Atlantic-specific approach. Could he please update the House on this initiative?
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear. There is no consensus among Canadians on how, or even whether, to reform our electoral system, and to change the mode of the election system. That is why we are going to focus on strengthening our resistance and resilience to cyber-attacks from foreign intervenors, why we are going to be continuing to repeal the unfair provisions in the so-called fair elections act, and why we are moving forward with greater transparency and accountability on the strong rules we already have on federal fundraising.We are moving forward in a way that will focus on the things that matter to Canadians. That is what Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, once again, facts really matter. The situation is clear.We introduced the Canada child benefit to make sure that 9 out of 10 Canadian families with children have more money in their pockets, an average of $2,300 after taxes. That is the truth. A family with less money or a single woman with a child who earns $30,000 per year will get, on average, $6,400 more. Canadian families really are better off with our government.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister obviously never read the report. The MyDemocracy.ca charade did not even ask Canadians if they wanted to change the voting system. However, do members know that at almost every single one of the Prime Minister's town halls, someone asked him about democratic reform?As the Prime Minister now fabricates evidence to claim Canadians did not want what he got elected on, what expression from Canadians would have been sufficient to get the Prime Minister to respect his own promise?
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family of Constable David Wynn and especially to his widow, Shelly MacInnis-Wynn.We are committed to ensuring an effective and efficient bail system. The Minister of Justice will continue to collaborate with the provinces and territories and consult stakeholders that use these important Criminal Code provisions every day.
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to let the member opposite know that I spoke to the mayor of Vegreville a few weeks ago. That is an example of outreach. That is an example of me letting the mayor tell me the concerns of the community. We are aware of the impacts on staff and families of this relocation. I want to assure the member opposite that all current employees in the Vegreville case processing centre will have their jobs in the new location.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we, on this side of the House, have met with the provincial governments on numerous occasions to talk about many different issues. We strengthened the Canada pension plan and we created a pan-Canadian framework on climate change. We signed landmark agreements with the provinces and we are working closely with them on the softwood lumber issue in order to resolve this situation with the Americans.
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to evidence-based policy, unlike the previous government. That is why we support safe consumption sites and want to do everything we can to protect Canadians from the ongoing opioid crisis. We have committed to legalizing marijuana, but we are not planning on legalizing anything else at this time.
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of neglect by the previous government, we are finally making progress to ensure that people of all genders have equal opportunity to thrive. The decision to have both ministerial staff and the public service on the same level was important. It is important to reduce silos across all sectors, including our own. We will continue to deliver positive results on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, just as soon as we were contacted by the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Canada acted promptly on each and every request.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals said last year that LGBT refugees would be a priority among Syrian refugees as among the most at risk. Then they did exactly nothing. Now Trump's ban has placed LGBT refugees from seven Muslim majority countries at extreme risk. In all seven, being gay means living in fear of being put to death.I want to ask the minister the same question which he ignored in last night's emergency debate. Will the minister take swift and specific action to facilitate asylum in Canada for LGBT citizens of the seven countries who are now excluded from the United States and who risk death if sent home?
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister thinks the rules do not apply to people like him. One of the Prime Minister's vacation guests was Tom Pitfield, president of Liberal think tank Canada 2020. Tom also happens to be married to the president of the Liberal Party of Canada, who coincidentally was also on the same vacation. The problem is that Canada 2020 receives taxpayer dollars from the Liberal Prime Minister.Why do the Prime Minister's friends at Canada 2020 get privileged access to him and also taxpayer money?
Mr. Speaker, I have another question for the Prime Minister. One of his Liberal members, the member for BeachesEast York, thinks that the Prime Minister is not going far enough when it comes to legalizing marijuana. He wants the Prime Minister to decriminalize all drugs. There is a good reason that all drugs are not legal, and that is because they ruin the lives of our loved ones. Will the Prime Minister unequivocally denounce the comments that his Liberal colleague made and immediately commit to Canadian families that he will not put our youth at risk in legalizing tough, hard drugs like heroin and cocaine?
We made a commitment, Mr. Speaker, to invest in young people, to invest in our future. That is why historic investments in infrastructure, whether it be public transit, whether it be green infrastructure, whether it be social infrastructure like housing and child care, these are things that are going to make our country better and stronger and create more opportunities for young people in the future.To add to the list of things that we are doing to help young people, the transforming, the strengthening of the Canada pension plan is going to leave young people better off down the line so they have money to retire, something the members opposite have always been against.
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to serve as the Minister of Status of Women with a government that has put gender equality at the heart of its priorities, and with a Prime Minister who is a feminist in words and in actions. Previous to the Prime Minister's leadership, there was no full ministry of status of women. The staff needed a place to work. I am so proud that the public service as well as the ministerial team are on the same floor. This was a responsible use of dollars, and we will continue to deliver on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I would echo the words of the Prime Minister extending our deepest sympathies to the family of Constable Wynn. We are committed to conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including bail reform. That is why I continue to engage with my counterparts in the provinces and territories to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the justice system, ensuring we keep public safety top of our mind. Certainly, we agree with the objective of this legislation in terms of ensuring that information is made available to make necessary decisions.
Mr. Speaker, words matter. A person's word matters.This is a betrayal. The Prime Minister has finally killed off what remained of our hopes for democratic renewal. The Prime Minister made a promise, a promise echoed by his candidates, his throne speech, his mandate letters, and the parliamentary committee. Now, he thumbs his nose at the hundreds of thousands of people who really believed him. They lied to us. They lied to the people.What is the Prime Minister's word worth?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for South ShoreSt. Margarets for her hard work. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 32 outstanding MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership. It is because of their leadership we launched the Atlantic growth strategy last summer. Just last week in Nova Scotia, we announced progress on the immigration pilot project, which will increase levels by 50%. I would like to thank the Minister of Immigration for his leadership. We also targeted high-growth firms, which will create jobs for small businesses. We also put forward an agreement to double the trade and investment strategy by $20 million.We are delivering for Atlantic Canada. We are growing the economy. We are creating good quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, the facts are very important.After 10 years, we started out with a very low growth rate. We started out with more debt because of the previous government. That is the truth.We are now making investments in our future in order to improve our economic growth. We have cut taxes for the middle class. That is our program for improving our situation and the future of our country.
Mr. Speaker, a week ago today, New Brunswick was hammered by an ice storm.Nearly 13,000 homes remain without electricity or heat in the month of February. Warming centres and shelters in Miscou, Shippagan, and Lamèque are still overflowing.On Monday, I asked the Minister of National Defence why it took three days after the request from the Province before the troops arrived. No response.My question is for the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. The federal government responded swiftly to the fires in Fort McMurray and the floods in Calgary and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Why the radio silence for New Brunswick?
Mr. Speaker, on December 5, I rose for the first time in the House to ask the Liberal government to not move forward with the Liberal tax on health and dental benefits. It took about a dozen questions, which he never answered, for him to finally see the light.Other problems remain. When we left office, we left the house in order and a surplus of about $2.9 billion, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who we should respect. However, if nothing changes, the Minister of Finance is talking about balancing the budget in 2055.What is the government's serious plan to avoid this disaster?
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to say that we are adversaries no more and that negotiation rather than litigation is our government's preferred route to settle these differences and right historical wrongs. This is why our government today is launching negotiations toward a national resolution to the Sixties Scoop litigation. Several parties have already expressed interest in these discussions, and I hope all parties will participate.The Sixties Scoop is a dark and painful chapter in our history. Resolving these cases is an important step in our journey of reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
Mr. Speaker, we know that this reckless spending will not stop. When we oppose a budget, it is because we are looking at the big picture. The government is forcing deficits on future generations. It talked about a $10 billion deficit during the campaign, but it will be higher. We heard him answer in English, but we are going to ask him the question in French. It will be interesting.We believe that, to cover these costs, the government will bring in a new tax on health and dental benefits. He just said something in English, but I would like to hear it again in French.Will there be a new tax on health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadian workers will be forced to pay the Liberals' new tax on health and dental benefits. Many will lose their coverage and find themselves paying out of pocket for important expenses like life-saving medicines, mental health counselling, and their children's braces. It is not fair that the Prime Minister racks up billions of dollars in spending on his priorities and now Canadians have to pay for it with a $1,000 new tax on their health and dental benefits.Why would the Prime Minister even consider doing this?
Mr. Speaker, it is a new year and a new minister, but employees of the Vegreville immigration case processing centre are still reeling. In response to my Order Paper question, the department said that closing the centre involved extensive consultation with another government department, but of course, not with the employees, the town, or local businesses. In fact, there was zero consultation with anyone who will actually be impacted.Will the new minister do what his predecessor refused to do, reverse this heartless decision and save these rural jobs?
Mr. Speaker, front-line workers are decrying the lack of action from the Liberal government to end violence against women. They are calling the government's progress to date a massive disappointment.There needs to be an immediate increase in funding for shelter operations. No woman or child should ever be turned away when fleeing domestic violence. When will the Liberals create a national action plan to end violence against women as promised to the United Nations?
Mr. Speaker, last summer 148 young people in my riding of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin took advantage of the Canada summer jobs program.Could the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour tell the House about the details of the program for 2017?
Mr. Speaker, what the middle class is worried about is being consistently overtaxed by the Prime Minister's spending. We now have a situation where young people looking to their future, people turning 18 today, will see higher taxes until they are 56 years old.Why would the Prime Minister continue down this path of massive deficits and massive debt, and burden the next generation?
Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising the Liberal government has so many ethical problems, it does not even recognize an ethics question when it gets one.Canada 2020 received $15,000 of taxpayer money from the Liberal government, the same Canada 2020 that hosted exclusive events in Washington when the Prime Minister was there, the same Canada 2020 whose president is married to the Liberal Party president, and the same Canada 2020 that boasted on Twitter earlier this week about new offices opening in the parliamentary precinct. There is a pattern developing here. The conflict of interest is self-evident. Will the Prime Minister commit today that no more taxpayer money will be given to Liberal think tank Canada 2020?
Mr. Speaker, the care and welfare and especially the mental health of our troops are extremely important given what we ask them to do. We are looking at all of the aspects of lessons from the past and what is happening now. As part of the defence policy review that we undertook last year, this is a very big component. I can assure the member that we are moving forward. Resources have been put in place now, and into the future, we will definitely be making sure that all of our troops have the mental health resources for them.
Mr. Speaker, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims to connect research with Canadians and therefore supports conferences and initiatives that promote the social sciences. The organization is an arm's-length body and has the authority to issue contracts of up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, last month, a disabled grandmother told the Prime Minister, as she broke into tears, that she did not know how she was going to continue to pay her hydro bill, which was over $1,000 a month. A new carbon tax now will make it more expensive for her to heat her home.Yesterday, the Minister of Finance confirmed that he did not know what the middle class was. His budget says that the median income, though, is $50,000 a year in Canada. The Liberal Party promised it would not raise taxes on the middle class or those working to join it.Can the Liberals confirm today that no one earning less than $50,000 a year will be asked to pay the Liberal carbon tax?
I hope the new minister does not want to redecorate, Mr. Speaker. We could buy four condos in Ottawa for the same price the minster spent furnishing her new office. While seniors cannot pay their hydro bills and veterans go homeless, the Liberals keep wasting Canadian money. Will the Prime Minister put a stop to this entitled, ridiculous, lavish spending and start focusing on the needs of real Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, we got elected on a commitment to invest in the middle class, to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We are committed to protecting the middle class from increased taxes and that is why we will not be raising the taxes the member opposite proposes we will do.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has abandoned his commitment. He has betrayed Canadians. A political party promises something in order to get elected and to appear progressive, but then, once elected, it shamelessly breaks that promise. I would call that a massive political deception. What does the Prime Minister call it?
Mr. Speaker, our government is working for all Canadians, and as we have already indicated, the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-time friend. As we have also said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, as we have said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.
Mr. Speaker, I got carried away because of my passion and frustration, and I used some unparliamentary language. I apologize and would like to officially withdraw my remarks.
Mr. Speaker, Within 18 months of forming government, we will introduce legislation to enact electoral reform. That is from the Liberal platform. It is very clear, and it was repeated with clarity in the Speech from the Throne, and the mandate to us as members of the special committee said we were replacing first past the post.If it was an essential precondition to follow on this promise that there be some sort of nationally proven majority, that there be some consensus discerned through vague surveys, why was that never mentioned in any promise or any mandate?
Mr. Speaker, the truth is that we left the house in order with a $2.9-billion surplus. The truth is that the current government did away with quite a few tax credits that helped families directly, such as the tax credits for sports, the arts, textbooks, and post-secondary education.With the new budget just weeks away, can the Minister of Finance tell us whether he is done with taking tax credits away from Canadian families?
Mr. Speaker, since the start of the new year, whenever the Prime Minister has talked about his Christmas vacation, he says whatever he can to try to justify his lapse in judgment.However, despite his verbal somersaults, he knows very well that he violated section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act by travelling on a private helicopter during his Christmas vacation. Where I come from, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like duck, it must be a duck. Instead of hiding behind the Ethics Commissioner, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he broke the law?
Mr. Speaker, as all members of the House know very well, we made a commitment to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. We have lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%. It was never our intention to raise taxes, as the member opposite suggested.
Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister truly believed that his new year's getaway did not present ethical problems, he would not have tried so hard to hide it. No one believes the Prime Minister was not advised his actions would lead to a clear breach of the ethics law. The act is clear, as clear as the Prime Minister's decision was to ignore it. Is it not true that the Prime Minister kept this a secret because he knew the Ethics Commissioner would have told him it violated the act? Why does the Prime Minister think he is above the law?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, we consulted with hundreds of thousands of Canadians to hear their views on transforming our electoral system. It is very clear. As people in this House know, I have long preferred a preferential ballot. The members opposite wanted a proportional representation. The official opposition wanted a referendum. There is no consensus. There is no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible for us to do something that harms Canada's stability when, in fact, what we need is to move forward on growth for the middle class and support.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes in the importance of independent, non-partisan scientific advice. Unlike the previous government, we will not politicize scientific research.As I have mentioned, the organization is an arm's-length independent body and has the ability to issue contracts up to $25,000. As this contract falls below that threshold, the decision was made entirely by the organization.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that I have been wanting to reform our electoral system for a long time. The reality is that there is no consensus and no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible to hold a referendum without a clear question.The reality is that we are going to improve our democratic system in a number of different ways, but it will not be by changing the voting system. I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the member should be reminded that the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As the member should also know, and as has been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, the Liberals are inventing new ways to waste taxpayer money.Canadians were astounded when the Minister of Infrastructure spent $835,000 redoing his offices, but they were flabbergasted that the former Minister of Status of Women spent $1.1 million to furnish a new office. Having visited her previous office, which was perfectly adequate, I want to know why hard-earned taxpayer dollars were wasted on this unnecessary extravagance?
Mr. Speaker, our government values science and unlike the previous government we will not politicize research. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims
Mr. Speaker, as has been previously stated, the Prime Minister was on a personal family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As has also been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.
Mr. Speaker, the minister was in Laval on January 16 for a major joint announcement with the Province of Quebec about a $400-million investment in social housing.Would the minister tell the House how this investment in social housing will help vulnerable people across Quebec, including children living in poverty, seniors, and victims of domestic violence, while stimulating the economy?
Mr. Speaker, I would like the Prime Minister to translate that back for me.This is a very simple change in the Criminal Code. This career criminal was out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. It is very simple. It is a small loophole that can be closed if this bill is passed. I appreciate the Prime Minister's words. They mean a lot to the family, I am sure, but what would mean even more is if he passes this bill. Will he say yes or no? Will he instruct his caucus to pass this bill?
Mr. Speaker, I was recently approached in relation to the inadequate level of mental health support for soldiers at Garrison Petawawa. The Liberals have let the number of mental health providers drop so low that the soldiers at Garrison Petawawa are forced into group sessions instead of one-on-one therapy.What is it going to take for the Prime Minister to restore the levels of mental health support for the soldiers and the people who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces so that they once again have patient-centred treatment?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have never been so badly served as they are by this Prime Minister, who thinks he is totally above the law.He is undermining Canadians' confidence in our democracy, and we are all outraged by the investigations into ethical issues, because the common thread in them all is that the Liberal Party of Canada put its own interests first. When will the Prime Minister finally admit his lapse in judgment in using the Aga Khan's helicopter, and get to work for the benefit of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal green energy act in Ontario has transferred $170 billion over 26 years from middle and working class people to the wealthiest 1%. It is probably the biggest wealth transfer in the history of this country. We now have a carbon tax that will similarly land heaviest on the shoulders of those with the least. We also know that money will trickle down to well-connected Liberal so-called green insiders. It is not fair to tax people with these extra burdens who earn less than $50,000 a year.Can the finance minister do the right thing today and confirm that he will not impose his carbon tax on those earning less than the median income?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said a lot of things to get elected, and now young Canadians are realizing that he does not have their backs. His decisions have made it harder for them to buy a first-time home and are creating a lot of anxiety over finding their first jobs, but, worst of all, the money his government is borrowing means that a Canadian who turns 18 today will not see the budget balanced until he or she is 56 years old. That means an entire working life of higher taxes.Why is the Prime Minister making the youth of our country pay for his bad decisions?
Mr. Speaker, how sad it was to watch the minister, who admitted that the Liberals had won a false majority. Yet, she was the very one the Liberals sent out to break the very promise that would fix the problem. The Prime Minister promised to be different. He promised to bring more people into the democratic process. He promised to make every vote count, and he promised millions of Canadians that 2015 would be the last election under the outdated and unfair voting system. Will any Liberal from Vancouver, Edmonton, or Winnipeg find the integrity to stand up to this blatant betrayal of Canadians that the Prime Minister has made?
Mr. Speaker, Marcia Brown Martel was taken from her indigenous birth parents, declared dead, and handed over to be adopted by non-indigenous parents. The removal of children to eliminate their race is an act of genocide. Over 20,000 survivors of the Sixties Scoop are now seeking justice. The minister has declared that her government will be adversaries no more. Well, if so, when will her government stop fighting them in court and make reparations for these despicable historic wrongs?
To the contrary, Mr. Speaker. We spent a year listening to Canadians, talking with them, hearing from a broad range of youth, seeing the firmly-held views that a number of people feel on that, and understanding that there is no clear path forward. There is no consensus. A referendum would be a bad idea. Moving forward on a divisive policy would be a bad idea.The fact of the matter is that I am not going to do something that is wrong for Canadians just to tick off a box on an electoral platform. That is not the kind of prime minister I will be.
Mr. Speaker, Constable David Wynn was shot and killed in the line of duty by a career criminal out on bail, because his criminal record was never presented at the bail hearing. Now there is a bill before the House that would close the bail loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life. The Prime Minister's cabinet would obviously have discussed it. Therefore, it was disturbing when the Prime Minister said at a town hall that he did not know anything about this bill. Now that he has had time to catch up with his work, will he instruct his caucus to support Wynn's law?