2017-11-08

Mr. Speaker, I have worked as a human rights lawyer. I absolutely agree. I am disgusted by the current regime in Syria, and the atrocities it is committing are completely inexcusable. A mistake was made. I take full responsibility as minister. We deleted the tweet within half an hour, and on my personal Twitter account, I said that it was unacceptable.We are going to continue working with the people of Syria. They deserve a life free from violence. Canada will continue to support the Syrian people in reaching this goal, and achieving a long-term political solution.

Mr. Speaker, I have constituents who are already receiving letters from the Canada Revenue Agency informing them that they no longer are eligible for the disability tax credit. That is bad, but it gets even worse. Now the minister is threatening to take money directly out of their bank accounts. She is clawing back $6,000 from one constituent already. We know that the minister knows this is happening and has okayed it. Why are the Liberals going after disabled Canadians and the middle-class families that look after them? When is this foolishness going to stop?

Mr. Speaker, the minister can keep repeating the same talking points, but Canadians are no fools.The Prime Minister's political interference on behalf of his close friend is a clear signal to investigators that there is one rule for Liberals and another one for every other Canadian who pays taxes. The Prime Minister has the nerve to tell us that he is satisfied with the assurances that he has received from his friend and top Liberal Party fundraiser, who wants to avoid paying taxes like every Canadian does.Is there a single member across the way who can look at us and have the courage to denounce this unacceptable situation?

Mr. Speaker, with great power comes great privilege for the Liberals.It seems that the Minister of National Revenue likes to go over the record of the past two years. Let me join in: vacation on a private island, a villa in France, profits in numbered companies, and the chief Liberal fundraiser who hides millions of dollars in the Cayman Islands.In the meantime, people with diabetes are being denied their tax credit for no reason and without warning. It is shameful. The Prime Minister is turning a blind eye to the tax avoidance in his own back yard and emptying the pockets of the most vulnerable.When will he give back the tax credit these people are entitled to?

Mr. Speaker, Syria is a country from which thousands of refugees have fled to Canada. President Assad has murdered countless of his citizens. Canada's Armed Forces are helping to fight this tyrannical regime. However, during this Remembrance Week, the Minister of Environment shocked Canadians by praising Syria for supposedly taking action on climate change.Instead of blaming her staff for the tweet, will the minister apologize to Canadians and to our Syrian refugees for legitimizing the murderous Assad regime?

Mr. Speaker, CBC has reported that public servants at the Miramichi pay centre are working in a toxic environment. These workers deal with understaffing, a lack of training, and little support. Hard-working, experienced public servants are crucial to solving the Liberals' pay system debacle. The Liberals do not seem to understand that workers need the proper tools to fix this fiasco. When will the government help these workers so that hard-working Canadians can get paid?

Mr. Speaker, according to a CBC/Radio-Canada report today, not only do public servants in Miramichi have to cope with the extra workload brought on by this government's Phoenix fiasco, but also, the working environment at the public service pay centre is just plain toxic. There is a lack of training, there is not enough support to answer employees' questions, and so on. Those workers are dealing with Phoenix problems while handling paycheques for two-thirds of all public servants. When will the Liberals give them the resources they need to do their jobs properly?

Mr. Speaker, we know that harassment and sexual violence are simply unacceptable. As we saw in the report that came out last week, many people experience harassment or sexual violence at work.Canadians deserve to feel safe at work. Can the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour please update the House on actions taken by our government to make workplaces safer for all Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, the NDP will ask the finance committee to investigate the paradise papers and to call on Stephen Bronfman and former Liberal Senator Leo Kolber to explain to Canadians why their names, their firms, and their trusts are linked to tax havens. We hope the Liberal majority will support us, because the Prime Minister might be satisfied with explanations but Canadians are not.The Prime Minister likes to say that sunshine is the best disinfectant. The Liberals will have a chance to show it. Will they support an investigation or will they block it like they have done for the last two years?

Mr. Speaker, we know that harassment and sexual violence are simply unacceptable. This week our government took the very first step toward making our workplaces and federally regulated industries and Parliament Hill free from harassment and sexual violence. No government, however, can eradicate harassment and sexual violence alone. We live in a culture, especially here, where power imbalances and gender norms create tolerance for these unacceptable behaviours. I look forward to working with everyone, here and throughout the federally regulated sectors, to ensure that all Canadians are safe at work.

Mr. Speaker, our government is well aware that billions of dollars are at stake. We have invested nearly $1 billion to combat tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. As Minister of National Revenue, I can assure everyone listening that no one is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, Canada announced $2.65 billion over five years to support efforts for the poorest and most vulnerable countries to adapt to climate change. While welcomed, this promise delivers just a portion of Canada's fair share. This week, leading into COP22, the OECD criticized Canada for failing to deliver on its meagre target to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Will the Liberals commit today to real action on our nation's promises to act on climate change?

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance.The hypocrisy of the members opposite is really quite astounding. Even a former Conservative revenue minister publicly stated that investigating tax havens was not a priority for his government.Neither I nor our government needs any lessons from the party opposite. Canadians expect to have a fair and equitable tax system, and that is what we are giving them.

Mr. Speaker, representatives of Diabetes Canada testified yesterday that they have been trying to get a meeting with the minister to discuss devastating changes to the disability tax credit that render 80% of applicants ineligible. The minister's own officials confirmed what we have been saying. The minister made a change to the process in May without consultation or notification of vulnerable Canadians. With Diabetes Canada here today, can the minister commit to meeting and hearing about their concerns directly, or will she continue her heartless attack on diabetics?

Mr. Speaker, what is it with Liberals and exotic islands? We remember Bell Island, where the Prime Minister took the Liberal Party president and insiders. The Ethics Commissioner is looking into that. There are the Cayman Islands, where the Liberal Party's bagman has an offshore trust. The CRA is looking into that. There are the Bahamas and Barbados, where the finance minister has family companies. The Ethics Commissioner is looking into that. So many characters are having island adventures that the Prime Minister's nickname should be Gilligan.When will this Prime Minister and his Skipper stop working for Liberal insiders and start working for Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, meanwhile, to come back to the finance minister's illegal and unethical activity, for two years, he hid behind an ethical screen controlled by his political staff. For two years, he hid tens of millions of dollars in Morneau Shepell stock in Alberta, profiting from decisions he was making. For two years, he hid his French corporation from the Ethics Commissioner, who found him guilty of non-disclosure. The minister still owns numbered companies, and what those assets are remains a mystery.Since apparently sunlight is the best disinfectant, will the finance minister pull the curtain back and let the sun shine in so Canadians can look inside what is in his other numbered companies?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance had a private interest in the motion on tax havens being defeated. As I was saying, according to House of Commons Procedure and Practice, I challenge the Minister of Finance's vote, as well as the vote of all those he could have influenced. I urge you to disqualify them. As indicated on page 214 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, “On being elected, Members of the House of Commons become trustees of public confidence. Members must place the public’s interests over their private interests and derive no personal benefit or gain from their decisions.”I know this because the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is responsible for enforcing the code of ethics and the Conflict of Interest Act. She does an amazing job. This is not about the ethics of a single member of Parliament. This is about the result of a vote and the integrity of the House of Commons as an institution presided over by the Speaker. We are here, at the heart of representative democracy, at the heart of the bonds of trust that need to exist between the public and its representatives and without which the House of Commons has no legitimacy. In light of the irregularities and the appearance of conflicts of interest that tainted the vote on Motion No. 42 on tax havens, I think that the vote should be overturned and taken again.

Mr. Speaker, that is what we promised Canadians during the campaign, and we keep our promises. That is exactly what we are doing. Over the past two years, historic amounts have been allocated to the Canada Revenue Agency to combat tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance because that was a priority for Canadians. This money has made it possible for the CRA to target four jurisdictions per year and for charges to be laid. It has made it possible for us to hire auditors, transfer cases to criminal investigation, tighten the rules governing the programs for—

Mr. Speaker, our government is firmly committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. Our investments over the past two years make that abundantly clear.I would also like to tell my colleague opposite about all of the things our government has done over the past two years. We enhanced the Canada child benefit for the families that needed it most. We lowered taxes on the middle class. We are working to lower small business taxes. We abolished the Harper reform, which attacked people receiving EI benefits.

Mr. Speaker, maybe the Minister of National Revenue did not hear the news that this morning the Prime Minister commented on this case. In fact, he declared Bronfman innocent of all wrongdoing. Just days after the minister announced an investigation, the Prime Minister shockingly said that his billionaire buddy and chief Liberal bagman was innocent and pure as the driven snow.It seems like the Minister of National Revenue recognizes that this is wrong. Does the Prime Minister recognize how irresponsible and reckless it is for him to unilaterally say that Stephen Bronfman is innocent?

Mr. Speaker, we can understand that the Liberals do not like these investigations into their ethics. The Minister of Finance has already been found guilty of breaking the ethics code by the Ethics Commissioner, and the Prime Minister is under investigation as well. Now the Prime Minister has undermined an active investigation into Liberal billionaire fundraiser, Stephen Bronfman. How can Canadians trust the Liberal government to conduct an impartial investigation when it is more interested in protecting its friends than finding the truth?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister knows all about investigations. After all, he is under investigation for having broken the rules on his private island getaway. However, that has not stopped him from interfering in the investigation of his billionaire fundraising friend, Stephen Bronfman, who has been implicated in the paradise papers.How can Canadians trust those Liberals to investigate their fundraising friends when the Prime Minister has already appointed himself judge and jury, and has issued the acquittal?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals talk about not breaking promises. Well, they broke their promise to veterans and took them back to court.Yesterday we learned that veterans are being forced to wait longer and longer to get the benefits they earned. The number of homeless veterans has risen by 62% since the Liberals took power.The Prime Minister is in Asia delivering on his priority, $500 million in infrastructure handouts to the world's wealthy.Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us why are veterans are getting less while the Prime Minister gives half a billion dollars to wealthy bankers in Asia?

Mr. Speaker, it is not that the minister's comments are uninteresting, but she is not answering my question at all.The Minister of National Revenue said that some cases were being investigated as a result of the paradise papers. One of the individuals implicated in those documents is the Liberal Party's chief fundraiser or bagman, Stephen Bronfman, who also happens to be a long-time close personal friend of the Canadian Prime Minister.Can the minister finally confirm to Canadians that Stephen Bronfman and all Canadians implicated in the paradise papers are being seriously investigated?

Mr. Speaker, on day two of my new job as Minister of Public Services and Procurement, I was in Miramichi with the Prime Minister to see just how hard public servants are working to fix the Phoenix problems. The well-being of those workers is of paramount importance to this government. We will leave nothing to chance as we work to solve this problem.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that my colleagues opposite like it when we repeat ourselves so that they can understand what we are saying and hear the good news that we have for Canadians.Fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance has been and always will be a priority for me, as Minister of National Revenue, for our government, and for the Prime Minister. We invested nearly $1 billion and we are getting a return on that investment. We are targeting four jurisdictions per year. We hired more than 100 auditors, 627 cases were transferred to criminal investigations, 268 search warrants have been executed—

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to rail passenger service for Canadians. We have always been committed to it. I am a regular rail user. Once a week I go between Montreal and Toronto. I have had the pleasure of going across the country from Halifax to Vancouver. In fact, I would encourage Canadians who have never taken the train to go out and try that mode of transport. I think they would find it a very pleasant way to move across and to enjoy this magnificent country.

Mr. Speaker, our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. The eligibility criteria for the disability tax credit for people with diabetes have not changed. It is important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. We are allowing low-income workers to keep more of their hard-earned money from every paycheque by further enhancing the working income tax benefit by an additional $500 million per year, starting in 2019. We are keeping the promises we made to the middle class and to those most in need.

Mr. Speaker, I imagine that the government is also fully committed to combatting climate change. However, Canada still has one of the worst records in the world on this matter. The UN says that member countries must take more, urgent action if we are to meet the Paris targets.The minister played world leader yesterday when she congratulated Nicaragua and Syria for signing the agreement even though her own government is failing to meet the targets it set for itself.Can the minister set aside her tired, old talking points and tell us what more she plans to do to meet the targets?

Mr. Speaker, today marks day 76 of the occupation of two open-net salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago. These coastal first nations never agreed to open-net salmon farms in their traditional territories. If the Liberals are serious about recognizing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, this is the time to show it. Will the minister meet with B.C. and first nations governments to discuss moving these farms off wild salmon migration routes? It is a simple question: yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, we are all in when it comes to climate action. We understand that we need to be taking action, that we have an economic opportunity to do this, and that we have an obligation to our children.I am very pleased that I will be in Bonn next week where I will be working with countries around the world. We know we need to be helping support the poorest countries that are fearing the impacts of climate change, and many countries will be under water should we not stay under 2°C. We will be supporting them and we will be working with them. I wish the party opposite would understand how important it is to listen and take action against climate change.

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and tax avoidance. The opposition knows very well that I cannot comment on specific cases as Minister of National Revenue.However, I can say that we have invested nearly $1 billion over the past two years, unlike the Conservative government, which did absolutely nothing for 10 years. Even Jean-Pierre Blackburn, a former minister of national revenue, publicly said that this was not a priority for the Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, what she is not saying is that only $40 million of that $1 billion has been invested so far.If I had any advice for the hon. member for Montarville and the hon. member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, it would be to ask their constituents whether they are happy about paying more taxes than Liberal insiders like Mr. Bronfman and Mr. Kolber.It might be legal, but it does not mean it is moral. It is legal only because generations of Liberal and Conservative governments have made the laws that have made it legal.We are the House of Commons and we can change laws. Will the government do it or will it block any initiative like it has done in the last two years?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue said something very interesting a few minutes ago.She said that, as minister, she cannot comment on specific cases. Is the minister aware that her boss, the Prime Minister, was more than willing to comment on the Stephen Bronfman case this morning? That is what is unacceptable.If the Prime Minister has no problem talking about Stephen Bronfman, can the Minister of National Revenue pick up the phone, call the Prime Minister, and tell him to mind his own business because that guy is currently being investigated?

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister protects his wealthy friends from paying taxes, we learned yesterday in the finance committee that the government continues to target people with diabetes with higher taxes. Diabetes Canada testified that the government knew four months ago that the tax department was stripping away the disability tax credit from type 1 diabetics, and to this day, it is not aware of a single person who has had this credit reinstated. Why is the government targeting hard-working Canadians and suffering diabetics with higher taxes while letting top Liberal fundraisers off scot-free?

Mr. Speaker, that answer had nothing to do with the question that was asked.Former senator Kolber and Stephen Bronfman, the chief fundraiser for the Liberal Party, have ties to a multi-million-dollar trust in the Cayman Islands. That is serious. Tax havens cost us billions of dollars every year and increase inequality.The paradise papers have revealed a great deal, but not everything. To get to the bottom of this, the NDP has moved a motion to invite these two individuals to answer our questions before the Standing Committee on Finance. Are the Liberals going to vote for our motion and show that they have nothing to hide?

Mr. Speaker, here is a quote: “Mr. Bronfman did nothing wrong. There is not a single wealthy Canadian who has not diversified their holdings through offshore tax havens”. Who said this? It was the Liberal member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel.Here is another quote: “There are people who use a legal system and then later confirm that they acted legally”. Who said this? It was the Liberal member for Montarville.The Prime Minister said that he is satisfied with Stephen Bronfman's explanations. Is this why the Liberals are not tackling tax havens? Is that because they think it is okay for their millionaire friends not to pay taxes?

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues opposite for giving me an opportunity to tell those watching us at home about everything our government has done in the past two years. We created the Canada child benefit for Canadian families who need support. We gave more money to our families. We worked with low-income workers to help them keep a larger portion of their hard-earned money by increasing the working income tax benefit by $500 million. We abolished the Harper EI reforms.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance.I have said it before and I will say it again: I am very proud of our leadership role on the international stage. I want to reiterate that, with the historic investments that have been made, the CRA has been targeting four jurisdictions per year and conducting criminal investigations. No one is above the law. In Canada, the laws apply to everyone, no matter who they are.

Mr. Speaker, let me warmly thank our colleague from Brampton Centre for his great work on behalf of his constituents.Our government believes that thousands of Canadians have not had access to affordable and adequate housing, and because of this we have invested historic amounts in the last two budgets. We will be launching, in a few weeks from now, the first-ever national housing strategy. That will set the stage for the most ambitious demonstration of federal housing leadership in over half a century. It will also set the stage for working with partners, many of whom have been waiting for us for a long time. We are back. We are here to stay.

Mr. Speaker, earlier today, the revenue minister said that it is inappropriate for ministers to comment on individual tax cases. She said she would not comment today, tomorrow, or later, because the credibility of CRA is at stake, yet her boss, the Prime Minister, did exactly that. He publicly exonerated Stephen Bronfman, his top fundraiser, who may be under CRA investigation as part of the leaked paradise papers. Can the hon. member assure us that CRA will ignore the Prime Minister's directive to acquit Mr. Bronfman?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Diabetes Canada said at the finance committee that the Canada Revenue Agency is refusing to release valuable information that would help determine the impact of the mass refusal of disability tax credits for diabetics. Now diabetics have to pry, pull, and rip the information out of the minister's hands just to prove their case. Why will the minister not release this information, or does she have something to hide?

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance, as the measures we have taken over the past two years clearly demonstrate. As for the committees, they are free to make their own choices, and I will respect their decision.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's reckless words and actions have placed the Minister of National Revenue in an untenable and impossible position. The minister stated that her department was investigating this matter. However, before the investigation could barely begin, the Prime Minister already had made his finding of innocence. This irresponsible behaviour is indefensible. Did anyone advise the Prime Minister of the legal implications of what he just did?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is currently in Hanoi for the APEC summit.There are more than 100 political prisoners in Vietnam, including human rights activists like Phan Kim Khanh, and the blogger known as Mother Mushroom, who is just 24 years old. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.The United States, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Canadian Youth for Human Rights in Vietnam, and Vietnamplify are all calling for immediate action.Will the Prime Minister call on the Vietnamese government to release them?

Mr. Speaker, the minister mentioned criminal investigations that are under way. Her department announced that it is doing a full review as to whether to pursue such investigations against 3,000 people named in the paradise papers, one of whom is the Liberal Party's top fundraiser, but the Prime Minister, the head of the entire government, has already exonerated him and signalled down to CRA that he did nothing wrong.I ask again. Will the minister direct CRA to ignore the Prime Minister's political interference in this case?

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives need to stop saying things that are just not accurate. Our government is committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the tax credits and benefits to which they are entitled.We are moving forward with a national disability act that will remove barriers by focusing on accessibility for all Canadians living with a disability. I would remind my colleagues opposite that I was a social worker for 25 years. I worked with people who had health problems and with the disadvantaged—

Mr. Speaker, our government's record is far more solid than that of the previous Conservative government.Canadian families in need are receiving the Canada child benefit, which is actually helping families. Low-income workers will get to keep more of their hard-earned money because we have increased the working income tax benefit by $500 million a year starting in 2019. We abolished the Harper employment insurance reform. We promised to lower the small business tax to 9% by 2019—

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Glengarry—Prescott—Russell for his question and great help on agricultural issues.This week I announced that the government will provide tax relief for farmers who had their herds destroyed because of bovine TB. We are also designating the region where farmers can qualify for a livestock tax deferral due to floods and drought. I have also announced that we will maintain the cash purchase tickets for grain farmers.This government has and will continue to make sure that agriculture thrives in this country.

Mr. Speaker, specificity does matter in this case. The minister promised an independent investigation. However, this morning the Prime Minister defended his good friend and top fundraiser, stating he was satisfied with the assurances he received from Mr. Bronfman. The Prime Minister's political interference on behalf of his close friend is a clear signal to investigators that there is one rule for Liberals and another one for everyone else. Could the minister confirm that the Prime Minister has pardoned Mr. Bronfman of any wrongdoing?

Mr. Speaker, the historic investments of nearly $1 billion we have made in the Canada Revenue Agency show how dedicated we are to fighting tax evasion and tax avoidance. This government has taken steps to help the agency crack down on wealthy individuals who are not paying their fair share and on tax professionals who facilitate non-compliance. The CRA has levied $44 million in penalties on tax advisors, and a number of criminal cases are under way.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, we learned that Stephen Bronfman, a close friend of the Prime Minister, was named in the paradise papers.The Minister of National Revenue promised an independent investigation of these documents. Today, the Prime Minister said that he was satisfied with the explanations from his friend and Liberal Party bagman.Could the Minister of National Revenue just tell us whether she agrees with her Prime Minister that his friend should not be investigated?

Mr. Speaker, I am working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and I will continue to work with her. That is very important. This way, we will be clear. That is the way to work for Canadians, which is our goal.We have very good news for Canadians. In the past two years, 500,000 new jobs have been created in our country. That is very important for our economy and for Canadian families. Our economy is humming along. This is all very good news.

Mr. Speaker, during the last election, our government made it very clear in our campaign platform that we were going to combat tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. Over the last two years, we have made historic investments, something that had not been done for the past 10 years. We made investments of nearly $1 billion, which have allowed us to target four administrations per year and to work on hiring 100 auditors. There have been a number of criminal charges and even 37 convictions, totalling more than 50 years of imprisonment.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that everyone receives the tax credits and benefits to which they are entitled. I repeat, the eligibility criteria for the tax credit have not changed.It is important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. That is why our government has always taken a compassionate approach and helped those in need. We are supporting families in need through the Canada child benefit. That is what we are doing.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. We are certainly committed to combatting climate change.I was so proud to see the Prime Minister announce our plan with the provincial premiers and territorial representatives. Under this plan, we will put a price on carbon, eliminate coal, and make historic investments in clean infrastructure and public transportation.I am very pleased to go to Bonn next week, where I will work with the whole world to combat climate change. We have a lot of work to do.

Mr. Speaker, after defending himself for weeks by claiming he had supposedly followed the rules of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, the Minister of Finance was found guilty of having hidden his French company. For two years, he also hid his assets in numbered companies, which allowed him to make millions in profit off industries that he, as a minister, is supposed to regulate in an entirely neutral fashion. These actions fall well short of meeting the highest standards of honesty and impartiality required of him in his mandate letter from the Prime Minister.Why do all the Liberals feel they are above the law?

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and tax avoidance, to make sure the tax system is fair and equitable for all Canadians.I can assure the House that I am very proud of the leadership role the CRA has taken on the international stage. Collaboration between tax administrations, including the exchange of tax information, is an essential tool to protect the integrity of Canada's tax base. That is why the agency conducted more than 990 audits and 42 criminal investigations focusing on offshore financial structures.

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. A year ago, on October 26, 2016, the House voted down my Motion No. 42 on tax havens.Specifically, my motion called on the government to amend section 5907 of the Income Tax Regulations in order to ensure that the income that a Canadian company brings back from its subsidiary in Barbados, or 22 other tax havens, will henceforth be taxed in Canada.In my view, the vote was full of irregularities and should be retaken. The code of conduct for members of Parliament is part of our Standing Orders, which clearly prohibit an elected member from furthering his or her private interests. We now know that the Minister of Finance has companies located in tax havens. His family's company, Morneau Shepell, promotes the use of tax havens through pension funds and insurance companies. Adopting Motion No. 42 would have had a major impact on the minister's finances. It would have seriously impeded his ability to carry on business as usual. In the Journals of October 26, 2016, we see that the Minister of Finance took part in the vote and voted against Motion No. 42. In fact, with the notable exception of the hon. member for Cambridge, every Liberal member voted against Motion No. 42 because they were strongly urged to vote along party lines. On pages 220 and 221 of the second edition of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, published in 2009, it says that members may not vote on questions in which they have a personal interest, and that any such vote may be challenged and disallowed.

Mr. Speaker, our government is firmly committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the tax credits and benefits they are entitled to. We are moving forward with a national disability act that will remove barriers and improve access for all Canadians living with disabilities. We have made tax credits more accessible. Benefits are now the highest Canadians have ever received. We have simplified the forms for tax credits. We have hired specialized nurse practitioners, who are allowed to fill out the forms—

Mr. Speaker, the past two budgets saw the government make unprecedented investments in housing. We know this is of the utmost importance and has a great impact on the lives of many Canadians. Would the minister responsible for housing provide us with an update as to what those investments have achieved so far?

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I cannot comment on any specific cases, nor will I be able to at any point in the future. The credibility of the Canada Revenue Agency is at stake, because confidentiality of information is a priority there.

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. The $1 billion that was allocated to the Canada Revenue Agency over five years comes from the public purse, from taxpayers.We are very careful about how we spend taxpayers' money in order to ensure that it is spent properly and we get results. For two years, we have been targeting four jurisdictions per year—

Mr. Speaker, the minister did confirm that a full investigation will be undertaken with regard to the people named. She has confirmed it right now. However, today the Prime Minister publicly interfered with this investigation, stating he would accept Mr. Bronfman's explanation, and considered the matter to be dealt with. Is this how it works now? A wealthy friend of the Prime Minister, who is hiding millions of dollars offshore, picks up the phone, gives him a call, and the issue goes away. Could the minister confirm that Stephen Bronfman is not under investigation by the Canada Revenue Agency?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that, as all members of this House do, I have disclosed all of my assets to the Ethics Commissioner and will continue to do so. That allows us to get on with the work we are doing. I am particularly pleased to tell this House that we have passed the 500,000 jobs created mark since we have come to office. I am also pleased to say that the growth we have experienced over the last year is the best growth in a decade and is making a real difference for Canadian families. They are doing better and putting more money into the economy, and we are all better.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's good friend and head of revenue for the Liberal Party, Stephen Bronfman, was named in the paradise papers. Earlier this week, the revenue minister promised a full investigation into those who were exposed in these documents. Could the minister confirm to this House that Liberal Party insider Stephen Bronfman is included in this, and is currently under investigation?

Mr. Speaker, on day two of my new job as public services and procurement minister, I was with the Prime Minister in Miramichi meeting the hard-working public servants who are leaving no stone unturned to make sure their colleagues get paid. We are doing everything to support them. Their health and well-being as they pursue this goal is of paramount importance to us, and we are doing everything we can to support them in that endeavour.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to supporting Canadian farmers by investing in the growth and innovation of Canada's agrifood sector. We have made considerable investments in Canadian farmers. The 2017 budget set a clear target to increase our agricultural exports. We know that we have always been and will continue to be there for Canadian farmers. Could the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell us about the steps we are taking this week to provide tax relief to our Canadian farmers?

Mr. Speaker, Rails to Relevance is an annual project of Claremont high school, bringing bright young kids from this great public high school to Ottawa by rail—by VIA Rail. The Canadian Transportation Act review by the Hon. David Emerson recommended that Canada cease to have a national passenger rail service. Can the Minister of Transport reassure this House that Canada is committed to national passenger rail, and will invest in and modernize a national VIA Rail service?

Mr. Speaker, we have a sacred obligation to our veterans that when they come back broken, we will see to it that they mend.We demonstrate our belief in this every day through the services and support we deliver to veterans and their families. We remain committed to a pension for life option, and will announce further details later this year.We will remember.

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, this government committed to advocating for human rights in all of our international commitments. Our Prime Minister and our Minister of Foreign Affairs are currently in Vietnam and had the opportunity to talk about human rights in the country. We talk about human rights every opportunity we get. This visit will certainly include conversations on this topic.

Mr. Speaker, in a letter that was sent to the Minister of Finance yesterday, the Government of Quebec states its intention to require that Netflix and other Internet giants pay their fair share of taxes, and it asks for the co-operation of the federal government. This is a matter of tax fairness for our business owners.All of the parties in Quebec agree on this. The Government of Quebec reminded the federal government that, technically, sales tax should already apply to these services. My question is not for the Minister of Canadian Heritage, who has abdicated her responsibility and has been refusing to answer the Government of Quebec for a month now. Rather, my question is for the Minister of Finance.Quebec stands with its businesses and will not back down. Will the Minister of Finance work with Quebec to ensure that Internet giants pay their fair share, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, the government understands that this is a multi-billion-dollar issue, and we have made historic investments over the past two years to tackle it. The Canada Revenue Agency now has the tools to review 100% of the tax returns filed by all large multinational corporations each year. This means it can properly identify large corporations and wealthy individuals that are likely to engage in tax schemes. No one is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to ensuring that people receive the tax credits and benefits they are entitled to. I would like to assure my colleague opposite that we are working with our partners on an ongoing basis. We are meeting with them regularly, along with staff from my office.I also want to emphasize that the eligibility criteria for the tax credit have not changed. The rules are the same and apply just as they always have. The law is the same. Nothing has changed.

Mr. Speaker, the simple answer is yes. Every time I am in British Columbia, and often in Ottawa, I meet with representatives of the provincial government and indigenous leaders together. We often talk about the importance of aquaculture, science, and investment in wild pacific salmon, and what we can do to implement the recommendations of the Cohen commission. Along with my colleagues in the Liberal caucus from British Columbia, we also talk about those important issues all the time. I want to tell the member that we understand and accept the concerns and are working with the British Columbia government.

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. In our first two budgets, we invested nearly $1 billion, and our plan is working. We are working on four jurisdictions per year and hiring 100 auditors. There have been 627 cases transferred to criminal investigation, 268 warrants, and 78 convictions. We have tightened the rules for the voluntary disclosures program. We have imposed $44 million in penalties on promoters and tax preparers—

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the finance committee learned that the wait time for a decision on the disability tax credit has recently gone from about three weeks to over 40 weeks and that since October 26, all applications have been frozen. We also heard that refunds are being delayed and that the application form was changed based on the minister's belief that most type 1 diabetics do not qualify. One simple question: When will the minister stop saying that nothing has changed?

Mr. Speaker, we made investments of nearly $1 billion in our first two budgets. We have a plan and it is working. We are targeting four jurisdictions per year, and we are working to finalize the hiring of 100 auditors. There were 627 cases transferred to criminal investigation, 268 search warrants executed, and 78 convictions.We tightened the rules governing the voluntary disclosures program, imposed $44 million in fines on proponents and tax advisers, and—

Mr. Speaker, in the last fiscal year alone, investigations by the Canada Revenue Agency led to 37 convictions, more than 50 years of jail time, and millions of dollars in court-imposed fines. Thanks to this government's actions, starting in 2018, Canada will be able to automatically exchange financial information with other countries, allowing it to identify taxpayers with foreign bank accounts. As I said, no one is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, I seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: that this House recognize the expertise of the Davie shipyard in Lévis, which represents 50% of the country's production capacity; and that it call on the government to adjust its national shipbuilding strategy to take into account the production capacity of the Davie shipyard.

Mr. Speaker, we understand the concerns of the francophone cultural sector. I want to reassure and remind the cultural community of the historic investments we have made to support francophone culture.We have made massive investments in arts and culture, over $2.2 billion to be precise. We have reinvested in the Canada media fund to support French-language television and committed $675 million to CBC/Radio-Canada. These investments have a tangible impact on our artists' lives.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister knows all about investigations. After all, he is under investigation for having broken the rules on his private island getaway. However, that has not stopped him from interfering in the investigation of his billionaire fundraising friend, Stephen Bronfman, who has been implicated in the paradise papers.How can Canadians trust those Liberals to investigate their fundraising friends when the Prime Minister has already appointed himself judge and jury, and has issued the acquittal?

Mr. Speaker, I have constituents who are already receiving letters from the Canada Revenue Agency informing them that they no longer are eligible for the disability tax credit. That is bad, but it gets even worse. Now the minister is threatening to take money directly out of their bank accounts. She is clawing back $6,000 from one constituent already. We know that the minister knows this is happening and has okayed it. Why are the Liberals going after disabled Canadians and the middle-class families that look after them? When is this foolishness going to stop?

Mr. Speaker, it is not that the minister's comments are uninteresting, but she is not answering my question at all.The Minister of National Revenue said that some cases were being investigated as a result of the paradise papers. One of the individuals implicated in those documents is the Liberal Party's chief fundraiser or bagman, Stephen Bronfman, who also happens to be a long-time close personal friend of the Canadian Prime Minister.Can the minister finally confirm to Canadians that Stephen Bronfman and all Canadians implicated in the paradise papers are being seriously investigated?

Mr. Speaker, Syria is a country from which thousands of refugees have fled to Canada. President Assad has murdered countless of his citizens. Canada's Armed Forces are helping to fight this tyrannical regime. However, during this Remembrance Week, the Minister of Environment shocked Canadians by praising Syria for supposedly taking action on climate change.Instead of blaming her staff for the tweet, will the minister apologize to Canadians and to our Syrian refugees for legitimizing the murderous Assad regime?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's reckless words and actions have placed the Minister of National Revenue in an untenable and impossible position. The minister stated that her department was investigating this matter. However, before the investigation could barely begin, the Prime Minister already had made his finding of innocence. This irresponsible behaviour is indefensible. Did anyone advise the Prime Minister of the legal implications of what he just did?

Mr. Speaker, after defending himself for weeks by claiming he had supposedly followed the rules of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, the Minister of Finance was found guilty of having hidden his French company. For two years, he also hid his assets in numbered companies, which allowed him to make millions in profit off industries that he, as a minister, is supposed to regulate in an entirely neutral fashion. These actions fall well short of meeting the highest standards of honesty and impartiality required of him in his mandate letter from the Prime Minister.Why do all the Liberals feel they are above the law?

Mr. Speaker, we have a sacred obligation to our veterans that when they come back broken, we will see to it that they mend.We demonstrate our belief in this every day through the services and support we deliver to veterans and their families. We remain committed to a pension for life option, and will announce further details later this year.We will remember.

Mr. Speaker, representatives of Diabetes Canada testified yesterday that they have been trying to get a meeting with the minister to discuss devastating changes to the disability tax credit that render 80% of applicants ineligible. The minister's own officials confirmed what we have been saying. The minister made a change to the process in May without consultation or notification of vulnerable Canadians. With Diabetes Canada here today, can the minister commit to meeting and hearing about their concerns directly, or will she continue her heartless attack on diabetics?

Mr. Speaker, that is what we promised Canadians during the campaign, and we keep our promises. That is exactly what we are doing. Over the past two years, historic amounts have been allocated to the Canada Revenue Agency to combat tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance because that was a priority for Canadians. This money has made it possible for the CRA to target four jurisdictions per year and for charges to be laid. It has made it possible for us to hire auditors, transfer cases to criminal investigation, tighten the rules governing the programs for—

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. The $1 billion that was allocated to the Canada Revenue Agency over five years comes from the public purse, from taxpayers.We are very careful about how we spend taxpayers' money in order to ensure that it is spent properly and we get results. For two years, we have been targeting four jurisdictions per year—

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives need to stop saying things that are just not accurate. Our government is committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the tax credits and benefits to which they are entitled.We are moving forward with a national disability act that will remove barriers by focusing on accessibility for all Canadians living with a disability. I would remind my colleagues opposite that I was a social worker for 25 years. I worked with people who had health problems and with the disadvantaged—

Mr. Speaker, maybe the Minister of National Revenue did not hear the news that this morning the Prime Minister commented on this case. In fact, he declared Bronfman innocent of all wrongdoing. Just days after the minister announced an investigation, the Prime Minister shockingly said that his billionaire buddy and chief Liberal bagman was innocent and pure as the driven snow.It seems like the Minister of National Revenue recognizes that this is wrong. Does the Prime Minister recognize how irresponsible and reckless it is for him to unilaterally say that Stephen Bronfman is innocent?

Mr. Speaker, on day two of my new job as Minister of Public Services and Procurement, I was in Miramichi with the Prime Minister to see just how hard public servants are working to fix the Phoenix problems. The well-being of those workers is of paramount importance to this government. We will leave nothing to chance as we work to solve this problem.

Mr. Speaker, according to a CBC/Radio-Canada report today, not only do public servants in Miramichi have to cope with the extra workload brought on by this government's Phoenix fiasco, but also, the working environment at the public service pay centre is just plain toxic. There is a lack of training, there is not enough support to answer employees' questions, and so on. Those workers are dealing with Phoenix problems while handling paycheques for two-thirds of all public servants. When will the Liberals give them the resources they need to do their jobs properly?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals talk about not breaking promises. Well, they broke their promise to veterans and took them back to court.Yesterday we learned that veterans are being forced to wait longer and longer to get the benefits they earned. The number of homeless veterans has risen by 62% since the Liberals took power.The Prime Minister is in Asia delivering on his priority, $500 million in infrastructure handouts to the world's wealthy.Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us why are veterans are getting less while the Prime Minister gives half a billion dollars to wealthy bankers in Asia?

Mr. Speaker, meanwhile, to come back to the finance minister's illegal and unethical activity, for two years, he hid behind an ethical screen controlled by his political staff. For two years, he hid tens of millions of dollars in Morneau Shepell stock in Alberta, profiting from decisions he was making. For two years, he hid his French corporation from the Ethics Commissioner, who found him guilty of non-disclosure. The minister still owns numbered companies, and what those assets are remains a mystery.Since apparently sunlight is the best disinfectant, will the finance minister pull the curtain back and let the sun shine in so Canadians can look inside what is in his other numbered companies?

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. In our first two budgets, we invested nearly $1 billion, and our plan is working. We are working on four jurisdictions per year and hiring 100 auditors. There have been 627 cases transferred to criminal investigation, 268 warrants, and 78 convictions. We have tightened the rules for the voluntary disclosures program. We have imposed $44 million in penalties on promoters and tax preparers—

Mr. Speaker, we made investments of nearly $1 billion in our first two budgets. We have a plan and it is working. We are targeting four jurisdictions per year, and we are working to finalize the hiring of 100 auditors. There were 627 cases transferred to criminal investigation, 268 search warrants executed, and 78 convictions.We tightened the rules governing the voluntary disclosures program, imposed $44 million in fines on proponents and tax advisers, and—

Mr. Speaker, I have worked as a human rights lawyer. I absolutely agree. I am disgusted by the current regime in Syria, and the atrocities it is committing are completely inexcusable. A mistake was made. I take full responsibility as minister. We deleted the tweet within half an hour, and on my personal Twitter account, I said that it was unacceptable.We are going to continue working with the people of Syria. They deserve a life free from violence. Canada will continue to support the Syrian people in reaching this goal, and achieving a long-term political solution.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Diabetes Canada said at the finance committee that the Canada Revenue Agency is refusing to release valuable information that would help determine the impact of the mass refusal of disability tax credits for diabetics. Now diabetics have to pry, pull, and rip the information out of the minister's hands just to prove their case. Why will the minister not release this information, or does she have something to hide?

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to ensuring that people receive the tax credits and benefits they are entitled to. I would like to assure my colleague opposite that we are working with our partners on an ongoing basis. We are meeting with them regularly, along with staff from my office.I also want to emphasize that the eligibility criteria for the tax credit have not changed. The rules are the same and apply just as they always have. The law is the same. Nothing has changed.

Mr. Speaker, I seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: that this House recognize the expertise of the Davie shipyard in Lévis, which represents 50% of the country's production capacity; and that it call on the government to adjust its national shipbuilding strategy to take into account the production capacity of the Davie shipyard.

Mr. Speaker, during the last election, our government made it very clear in our campaign platform that we were going to combat tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. Over the last two years, we have made historic investments, something that had not been done for the past 10 years. We made investments of nearly $1 billion, which have allowed us to target four administrations per year and to work on hiring 100 auditors. There have been a number of criminal charges and even 37 convictions, totalling more than 50 years of imprisonment.

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, this government committed to advocating for human rights in all of our international commitments. Our Prime Minister and our Minister of Foreign Affairs are currently in Vietnam and had the opportunity to talk about human rights in the country. We talk about human rights every opportunity we get. This visit will certainly include conversations on this topic.

Mr. Speaker, our government is firmly committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. Our investments over the past two years make that abundantly clear.I would also like to tell my colleague opposite about all of the things our government has done over the past two years. We enhanced the Canada child benefit for the families that needed it most. We lowered taxes on the middle class. We are working to lower small business taxes. We abolished the Harper reform, which attacked people receiving EI benefits.

Mr. Speaker, we can understand that the Liberals do not like these investigations into their ethics. The Minister of Finance has already been found guilty of breaking the ethics code by the Ethics Commissioner, and the Prime Minister is under investigation as well. Now the Prime Minister has undermined an active investigation into Liberal billionaire fundraiser, Stephen Bronfman. How can Canadians trust the Liberal government to conduct an impartial investigation when it is more interested in protecting its friends than finding the truth?

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and tax avoidance. The opposition knows very well that I cannot comment on specific cases as Minister of National Revenue.However, I can say that we have invested nearly $1 billion over the past two years, unlike the Conservative government, which did absolutely nothing for 10 years. Even Jean-Pierre Blackburn, a former minister of national revenue, publicly said that this was not a priority for the Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. A year ago, on October 26, 2016, the House voted down my Motion No. 42 on tax havens.Specifically, my motion called on the government to amend section 5907 of the Income Tax Regulations in order to ensure that the income that a Canadian company brings back from its subsidiary in Barbados, or 22 other tax havens, will henceforth be taxed in Canada.In my view, the vote was full of irregularities and should be retaken. The code of conduct for members of Parliament is part of our Standing Orders, which clearly prohibit an elected member from furthering his or her private interests. We now know that the Minister of Finance has companies located in tax havens. His family's company, Morneau Shepell, promotes the use of tax havens through pension funds and insurance companies. Adopting Motion No. 42 would have had a major impact on the minister's finances. It would have seriously impeded his ability to carry on business as usual. In the Journals of October 26, 2016, we see that the Minister of Finance took part in the vote and voted against Motion No. 42. In fact, with the notable exception of the hon. member for Cambridge, every Liberal member voted against Motion No. 42 because they were strongly urged to vote along party lines. On pages 220 and 221 of the second edition of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, published in 2009, it says that members may not vote on questions in which they have a personal interest, and that any such vote may be challenged and disallowed.

Mr. Speaker, today marks day 76 of the occupation of two open-net salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago. These coastal first nations never agreed to open-net salmon farms in their traditional territories. If the Liberals are serious about recognizing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, this is the time to show it. Will the minister meet with B.C. and first nations governments to discuss moving these farms off wild salmon migration routes? It is a simple question: yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, the minister mentioned criminal investigations that are under way. Her department announced that it is doing a full review as to whether to pursue such investigations against 3,000 people named in the paradise papers, one of whom is the Liberal Party's top fundraiser, but the Prime Minister, the head of the entire government, has already exonerated him and signalled down to CRA that he did nothing wrong.I ask again. Will the minister direct CRA to ignore the Prime Minister's political interference in this case?

Mr. Speaker, I imagine that the government is also fully committed to combatting climate change. However, Canada still has one of the worst records in the world on this matter. The UN says that member countries must take more, urgent action if we are to meet the Paris targets.The minister played world leader yesterday when she congratulated Nicaragua and Syria for signing the agreement even though her own government is failing to meet the targets it set for itself.Can the minister set aside her tired, old talking points and tell us what more she plans to do to meet the targets?

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues opposite for giving me an opportunity to tell those watching us at home about everything our government has done in the past two years. We created the Canada child benefit for Canadian families who need support. We gave more money to our families. We worked with low-income workers to help them keep a larger portion of their hard-earned money by increasing the working income tax benefit by $500 million. We abolished the Harper EI reforms.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is currently in Hanoi for the APEC summit.There are more than 100 political prisoners in Vietnam, including human rights activists like Phan Kim Khanh, and the blogger known as Mother Mushroom, who is just 24 years old. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.The United States, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Canadian Youth for Human Rights in Vietnam, and Vietnamplify are all calling for immediate action.Will the Prime Minister call on the Vietnamese government to release them?

Mr. Speaker, the simple answer is yes. Every time I am in British Columbia, and often in Ottawa, I meet with representatives of the provincial government and indigenous leaders together. We often talk about the importance of aquaculture, science, and investment in wild pacific salmon, and what we can do to implement the recommendations of the Cohen commission. Along with my colleagues in the Liberal caucus from British Columbia, we also talk about those important issues all the time. I want to tell the member that we understand and accept the concerns and are working with the British Columbia government.

Mr. Speaker, the government understands that this is a multi-billion-dollar issue, and we have made historic investments over the past two years to tackle it. The Canada Revenue Agency now has the tools to review 100% of the tax returns filed by all large multinational corporations each year. This means it can properly identify large corporations and wealthy individuals that are likely to engage in tax schemes. No one is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, in the last fiscal year alone, investigations by the Canada Revenue Agency led to 37 convictions, more than 50 years of jail time, and millions of dollars in court-imposed fines. Thanks to this government's actions, starting in 2018, Canada will be able to automatically exchange financial information with other countries, allowing it to identify taxpayers with foreign bank accounts. As I said, no one is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, our government's record is far more solid than that of the previous Conservative government.Canadian families in need are receiving the Canada child benefit, which is actually helping families. Low-income workers will get to keep more of their hard-earned money because we have increased the working income tax benefit by $500 million a year starting in 2019. We abolished the Harper employment insurance reform. We promised to lower the small business tax to 9% by 2019—

Mr. Speaker, CBC has reported that public servants at the Miramichi pay centre are working in a toxic environment. These workers deal with understaffing, a lack of training, and little support. Hard-working, experienced public servants are crucial to solving the Liberals' pay system debacle. The Liberals do not seem to understand that workers need the proper tools to fix this fiasco. When will the government help these workers so that hard-working Canadians can get paid?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance had a private interest in the motion on tax havens being defeated. As I was saying, according to House of Commons Procedure and Practice, I challenge the Minister of Finance's vote, as well as the vote of all those he could have influenced. I urge you to disqualify them. As indicated on page 214 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, “On being elected, Members of the House of Commons become trustees of public confidence. Members must place the public’s interests over their private interests and derive no personal benefit or gain from their decisions.”I know this because the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is responsible for enforcing the code of ethics and the Conflict of Interest Act. She does an amazing job. This is not about the ethics of a single member of Parliament. This is about the result of a vote and the integrity of the House of Commons as an institution presided over by the Speaker. We are here, at the heart of representative democracy, at the heart of the bonds of trust that need to exist between the public and its representatives and without which the House of Commons has no legitimacy. In light of the irregularities and the appearance of conflicts of interest that tainted the vote on Motion No. 42 on tax havens, I think that the vote should be overturned and taken again.

Mr. Speaker, our government is well aware that billions of dollars are at stake. We have invested nearly $1 billion to combat tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. As Minister of National Revenue, I can assure everyone listening that no one is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance.I have said it before and I will say it again: I am very proud of our leadership role on the international stage. I want to reiterate that, with the historic investments that have been made, the CRA has been targeting four jurisdictions per year and conducting criminal investigations. No one is above the law. In Canada, the laws apply to everyone, no matter who they are.

Mr. Speaker, we understand the concerns of the francophone cultural sector. I want to reassure and remind the cultural community of the historic investments we have made to support francophone culture.We have made massive investments in arts and culture, over $2.2 billion to be precise. We have reinvested in the Canada media fund to support French-language television and committed $675 million to CBC/Radio-Canada. These investments have a tangible impact on our artists' lives.

Mr. Speaker, the historic investments of nearly $1 billion we have made in the Canada Revenue Agency show how dedicated we are to fighting tax evasion and tax avoidance. This government has taken steps to help the agency crack down on wealthy individuals who are not paying their fair share and on tax professionals who facilitate non-compliance. The CRA has levied $44 million in penalties on tax advisors, and a number of criminal cases are under way.

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I cannot comment on any specific cases, nor will I be able to at any point in the future. The credibility of the Canada Revenue Agency is at stake, because confidentiality of information is a priority there.

Mr. Speaker, earlier today, the revenue minister said that it is inappropriate for ministers to comment on individual tax cases. She said she would not comment today, tomorrow, or later, because the credibility of CRA is at stake, yet her boss, the Prime Minister, did exactly that. He publicly exonerated Stephen Bronfman, his top fundraiser, who may be under CRA investigation as part of the leaked paradise papers. Can the hon. member assure us that CRA will ignore the Prime Minister's directive to acquit Mr. Bronfman?

Mr. Speaker, the minister can keep repeating the same talking points, but Canadians are no fools.The Prime Minister's political interference on behalf of his close friend is a clear signal to investigators that there is one rule for Liberals and another one for every other Canadian who pays taxes. The Prime Minister has the nerve to tell us that he is satisfied with the assurances that he has received from his friend and top Liberal Party fundraiser, who wants to avoid paying taxes like every Canadian does.Is there a single member across the way who can look at us and have the courage to denounce this unacceptable situation?

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to supporting Canadian farmers by investing in the growth and innovation of Canada's agrifood sector. We have made considerable investments in Canadian farmers. The 2017 budget set a clear target to increase our agricultural exports. We know that we have always been and will continue to be there for Canadian farmers. Could the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell us about the steps we are taking this week to provide tax relief to our Canadian farmers?

Mr. Speaker, on day two of my new job as public services and procurement minister, I was with the Prime Minister in Miramichi meeting the hard-working public servants who are leaving no stone unturned to make sure their colleagues get paid. We are doing everything to support them. Their health and well-being as they pursue this goal is of paramount importance to us, and we are doing everything we can to support them in that endeavour.

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and tax avoidance, to make sure the tax system is fair and equitable for all Canadians.I can assure the House that I am very proud of the leadership role the CRA has taken on the international stage. Collaboration between tax administrations, including the exchange of tax information, is an essential tool to protect the integrity of Canada's tax base. That is why the agency conducted more than 990 audits and 42 criminal investigations focusing on offshore financial structures.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the finance committee learned that the wait time for a decision on the disability tax credit has recently gone from about three weeks to over 40 weeks and that since October 26, all applications have been frozen. We also heard that refunds are being delayed and that the application form was changed based on the minister's belief that most type 1 diabetics do not qualify. One simple question: When will the minister stop saying that nothing has changed?

Mr. Speaker, here is a quote: “Mr. Bronfman did nothing wrong. There is not a single wealthy Canadian who has not diversified their holdings through offshore tax havens”. Who said this? It was the Liberal member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel.Here is another quote: “There are people who use a legal system and then later confirm that they acted legally”. Who said this? It was the Liberal member for Montarville.The Prime Minister said that he is satisfied with Stephen Bronfman's explanations. Is this why the Liberals are not tackling tax havens? Is that because they think it is okay for their millionaire friends not to pay taxes?

Mr. Speaker, I believe that my colleagues opposite like it when we repeat ourselves so that they can understand what we are saying and hear the good news that we have for Canadians.Fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance has been and always will be a priority for me, as Minister of National Revenue, for our government, and for the Prime Minister. We invested nearly $1 billion and we are getting a return on that investment. We are targeting four jurisdictions per year. We hired more than 100 auditors, 627 cases were transferred to criminal investigations, 268 search warrants have been executed—

Mr. Speaker, in a letter that was sent to the Minister of Finance yesterday, the Government of Quebec states its intention to require that Netflix and other Internet giants pay their fair share of taxes, and it asks for the co-operation of the federal government. This is a matter of tax fairness for our business owners.All of the parties in Quebec agree on this. The Government of Quebec reminded the federal government that, technically, sales tax should already apply to these services. My question is not for the Minister of Canadian Heritage, who has abdicated her responsibility and has been refusing to answer the Government of Quebec for a month now. Rather, my question is for the Minister of Finance.Quebec stands with its businesses and will not back down. Will the Minister of Finance work with Quebec to ensure that Internet giants pay their fair share, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, what she is not saying is that only $40 million of that $1 billion has been invested so far.If I had any advice for the hon. member for Montarville and the hon. member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, it would be to ask their constituents whether they are happy about paying more taxes than Liberal insiders like Mr. Bronfman and Mr. Kolber.It might be legal, but it does not mean it is moral. It is legal only because generations of Liberal and Conservative governments have made the laws that have made it legal.We are the House of Commons and we can change laws. Will the government do it or will it block any initiative like it has done in the last two years?

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance, as the measures we have taken over the past two years clearly demonstrate. As for the committees, they are free to make their own choices, and I will respect their decision.

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, Canada announced $2.65 billion over five years to support efforts for the poorest and most vulnerable countries to adapt to climate change. While welcomed, this promise delivers just a portion of Canada's fair share. This week, leading into COP22, the OECD criticized Canada for failing to deliver on its meagre target to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Will the Liberals commit today to real action on our nation's promises to act on climate change?

Mr. Speaker, let me warmly thank our colleague from Brampton Centre for his great work on behalf of his constituents.Our government believes that thousands of Canadians have not had access to affordable and adequate housing, and because of this we have invested historic amounts in the last two budgets. We will be launching, in a few weeks from now, the first-ever national housing strategy. That will set the stage for the most ambitious demonstration of federal housing leadership in over half a century. It will also set the stage for working with partners, many of whom have been waiting for us for a long time. We are back. We are here to stay.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance.The hypocrisy of the members opposite is really quite astounding. Even a former Conservative revenue minister publicly stated that investigating tax havens was not a priority for his government.Neither I nor our government needs any lessons from the party opposite. Canadians expect to have a fair and equitable tax system, and that is what we are giving them.

Mr. Speaker, with great power comes great privilege for the Liberals.It seems that the Minister of National Revenue likes to go over the record of the past two years. Let me join in: vacation on a private island, a villa in France, profits in numbered companies, and the chief Liberal fundraiser who hides millions of dollars in the Cayman Islands.In the meantime, people with diabetes are being denied their tax credit for no reason and without warning. It is shameful. The Prime Minister is turning a blind eye to the tax avoidance in his own back yard and emptying the pockets of the most vulnerable.When will he give back the tax credit these people are entitled to?

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister protects his wealthy friends from paying taxes, we learned yesterday in the finance committee that the government continues to target people with diabetes with higher taxes. Diabetes Canada testified that the government knew four months ago that the tax department was stripping away the disability tax credit from type 1 diabetics, and to this day, it is not aware of a single person who has had this credit reinstated. Why is the government targeting hard-working Canadians and suffering diabetics with higher taxes while letting top Liberal fundraisers off scot-free?

Mr. Speaker, our government is firmly committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the tax credits and benefits they are entitled to. We are moving forward with a national disability act that will remove barriers and improve access for all Canadians living with disabilities. We have made tax credits more accessible. Benefits are now the highest Canadians have ever received. We have simplified the forms for tax credits. We have hired specialized nurse practitioners, who are allowed to fill out the forms—

Mr. Speaker, we are all in when it comes to climate action. We understand that we need to be taking action, that we have an economic opportunity to do this, and that we have an obligation to our children.I am very pleased that I will be in Bonn next week where I will be working with countries around the world. We know we need to be helping support the poorest countries that are fearing the impacts of climate change, and many countries will be under water should we not stay under 2°C. We will be supporting them and we will be working with them. I wish the party opposite would understand how important it is to listen and take action against climate change.

Mr. Speaker, that answer had nothing to do with the question that was asked.Former senator Kolber and Stephen Bronfman, the chief fundraiser for the Liberal Party, have ties to a multi-million-dollar trust in the Cayman Islands. That is serious. Tax havens cost us billions of dollars every year and increase inequality.The paradise papers have revealed a great deal, but not everything. To get to the bottom of this, the NDP has moved a motion to invite these two individuals to answer our questions before the Standing Committee on Finance. Are the Liberals going to vote for our motion and show that they have nothing to hide?

Mr. Speaker, our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. The eligibility criteria for the disability tax credit for people with diabetes have not changed. It is important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. We are allowing low-income workers to keep more of their hard-earned money from every paycheque by further enhancing the working income tax benefit by an additional $500 million per year, starting in 2019. We are keeping the promises we made to the middle class and to those most in need.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, we learned that Stephen Bronfman, a close friend of the Prime Minister, was named in the paradise papers.The Minister of National Revenue promised an independent investigation of these documents. Today, the Prime Minister said that he was satisfied with the explanations from his friend and Liberal Party bagman.Could the Minister of National Revenue just tell us whether she agrees with her Prime Minister that his friend should not be investigated?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue said something very interesting a few minutes ago.She said that, as minister, she cannot comment on specific cases. Is the minister aware that her boss, the Prime Minister, was more than willing to comment on the Stephen Bronfman case this morning? That is what is unacceptable.If the Prime Minister has no problem talking about Stephen Bronfman, can the Minister of National Revenue pick up the phone, call the Prime Minister, and tell him to mind his own business because that guy is currently being investigated?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's good friend and head of revenue for the Liberal Party, Stephen Bronfman, was named in the paradise papers. Earlier this week, the revenue minister promised a full investigation into those who were exposed in these documents. Could the minister confirm to this House that Liberal Party insider Stephen Bronfman is included in this, and is currently under investigation?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. We are certainly committed to combatting climate change.I was so proud to see the Prime Minister announce our plan with the provincial premiers and territorial representatives. Under this plan, we will put a price on carbon, eliminate coal, and make historic investments in clean infrastructure and public transportation.I am very pleased to go to Bonn next week, where I will work with the whole world to combat climate change. We have a lot of work to do.

Mr. Speaker, specificity does matter in this case. The minister promised an independent investigation. However, this morning the Prime Minister defended his good friend and top fundraiser, stating he was satisfied with the assurances he received from Mr. Bronfman. The Prime Minister's political interference on behalf of his close friend is a clear signal to investigators that there is one rule for Liberals and another one for everyone else. Could the minister confirm that the Prime Minister has pardoned Mr. Bronfman of any wrongdoing?

Mr. Speaker, the minister did confirm that a full investigation will be undertaken with regard to the people named. She has confirmed it right now. However, today the Prime Minister publicly interfered with this investigation, stating he would accept Mr. Bronfman's explanation, and considered the matter to be dealt with. Is this how it works now? A wealthy friend of the Prime Minister, who is hiding millions of dollars offshore, picks up the phone, gives him a call, and the issue goes away. Could the minister confirm that Stephen Bronfman is not under investigation by the Canada Revenue Agency?

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that everyone receives the tax credits and benefits to which they are entitled. I repeat, the eligibility criteria for the tax credit have not changed.It is important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. That is why our government has always taken a compassionate approach and helped those in need. We are supporting families in need through the Canada child benefit. That is what we are doing.

Mr. Speaker, we know that harassment and sexual violence are simply unacceptable. This week our government took the very first step toward making our workplaces and federally regulated industries and Parliament Hill free from harassment and sexual violence. No government, however, can eradicate harassment and sexual violence alone. We live in a culture, especially here, where power imbalances and gender norms create tolerance for these unacceptable behaviours. I look forward to working with everyone, here and throughout the federally regulated sectors, to ensure that all Canadians are safe at work.

Mr. Speaker, Rails to Relevance is an annual project of Claremont high school, bringing bright young kids from this great public high school to Ottawa by rail—by VIA Rail. The Canadian Transportation Act review by the Hon. David Emerson recommended that Canada cease to have a national passenger rail service. Can the Minister of Transport reassure this House that Canada is committed to national passenger rail, and will invest in and modernize a national VIA Rail service?

Mr. Speaker, the past two budgets saw the government make unprecedented investments in housing. We know this is of the utmost importance and has a great impact on the lives of many Canadians. Would the minister responsible for housing provide us with an update as to what those investments have achieved so far?

Mr. Speaker, we know that harassment and sexual violence are simply unacceptable. As we saw in the report that came out last week, many people experience harassment or sexual violence at work.Canadians deserve to feel safe at work. Can the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour please update the House on actions taken by our government to make workplaces safer for all Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, the NDP will ask the finance committee to investigate the paradise papers and to call on Stephen Bronfman and former Liberal Senator Leo Kolber to explain to Canadians why their names, their firms, and their trusts are linked to tax havens. We hope the Liberal majority will support us, because the Prime Minister might be satisfied with explanations but Canadians are not.The Prime Minister likes to say that sunshine is the best disinfectant. The Liberals will have a chance to show it. Will they support an investigation or will they block it like they have done for the last two years?

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Glengarry—Prescott—Russell for his question and great help on agricultural issues.This week I announced that the government will provide tax relief for farmers who had their herds destroyed because of bovine TB. We are also designating the region where farmers can qualify for a livestock tax deferral due to floods and drought. I have also announced that we will maintain the cash purchase tickets for grain farmers.This government has and will continue to make sure that agriculture thrives in this country.

Mr. Speaker, I am working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and I will continue to work with her. That is very important. This way, we will be clear. That is the way to work for Canadians, which is our goal.We have very good news for Canadians. In the past two years, 500,000 new jobs have been created in our country. That is very important for our economy and for Canadian families. Our economy is humming along. This is all very good news.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that, as all members of this House do, I have disclosed all of my assets to the Ethics Commissioner and will continue to do so. That allows us to get on with the work we are doing. I am particularly pleased to tell this House that we have passed the 500,000 jobs created mark since we have come to office. I am also pleased to say that the growth we have experienced over the last year is the best growth in a decade and is making a real difference for Canadian families. They are doing better and putting more money into the economy, and we are all better.

Mr. Speaker, what is it with Liberals and exotic islands? We remember Bell Island, where the Prime Minister took the Liberal Party president and insiders. The Ethics Commissioner is looking into that. There are the Cayman Islands, where the Liberal Party's bagman has an offshore trust. The CRA is looking into that. There are the Bahamas and Barbados, where the finance minister has family companies. The Ethics Commissioner is looking into that. So many characters are having island adventures that the Prime Minister's nickname should be Gilligan.When will this Prime Minister and his Skipper stop working for Liberal insiders and start working for Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to rail passenger service for Canadians. We have always been committed to it. I am a regular rail user. Once a week I go between Montreal and Toronto. I have had the pleasure of going across the country from Halifax to Vancouver. In fact, I would encourage Canadians who have never taken the train to go out and try that mode of transport. I think they would find it a very pleasant way to move across and to enjoy this magnificent country.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to rail passenger service for Canadians. We have always been committed to it. I am a regular rail user. Once a week I go between Montreal and Toronto. I have had the pleasure of going across the country from Halifax to Vancouver. In fact, I would encourage Canadians who have never taken the train to go out and try that mode of transport. I think they would find it a very pleasant way to move across and to enjoy this magnificent country.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that, as all members of this House do, I have disclosed all of my assets to the Ethics Commissioner and will continue to do so. That allows us to get on with the work we are doing. I am particularly pleased to tell this House that we have passed the 500,000 jobs created mark since we have come to office. I am also pleased to say that the growth we have experienced over the last year is the best growth in a decade and is making a real difference for Canadian families. They are doing better and putting more money into the economy, and we are all better.

Mr. Speaker, what is it with Liberals and exotic islands? We remember Bell Island, where the Prime Minister took the Liberal Party president and insiders. The Ethics Commissioner is looking into that. There are the Cayman Islands, where the Liberal Party's bagman has an offshore trust. The CRA is looking into that. There are the Bahamas and Barbados, where the finance minister has family companies. The Ethics Commissioner is looking into that. So many characters are having island adventures that the Prime Minister's nickname should be Gilligan.When will this Prime Minister and his Skipper stop working for Liberal insiders and start working for Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, I am working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and I will continue to work with her. That is very important. This way, we will be clear. That is the way to work for Canadians, which is our goal.We have very good news for Canadians. In the past two years, 500,000 new jobs have been created in our country. That is very important for our economy and for Canadian families. Our economy is humming along. This is all very good news.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Glengarry—Prescott—Russell for his question and great help on agricultural issues.This week I announced that the government will provide tax relief for farmers who had their herds destroyed because of bovine TB. We are also designating the region where farmers can qualify for a livestock tax deferral due to floods and drought. I have also announced that we will maintain the cash purchase tickets for grain farmers.This government has and will continue to make sure that agriculture thrives in this country.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, the NDP will ask the finance committee to investigate the paradise papers and to call on Stephen Bronfman and former Liberal Senator Leo Kolber to explain to Canadians why their names, their firms, and their trusts are linked to tax havens. We hope the Liberal majority will support us, because the Prime Minister might be satisfied with explanations but Canadians are not.The Prime Minister likes to say that sunshine is the best disinfectant. The Liberals will have a chance to show it. Will they support an investigation or will they block it like they have done for the last two years?

Mr. Speaker, we know that harassment and sexual violence are simply unacceptable. As we saw in the report that came out last week, many people experience harassment or sexual violence at work.Canadians deserve to feel safe at work. Can the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour please update the House on actions taken by our government to make workplaces safer for all Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, the past two budgets saw the government make unprecedented investments in housing. We know this is of the utmost importance and has a great impact on the lives of many Canadians. Would the minister responsible for housing provide us with an update as to what those investments have achieved so far?

Mr. Speaker, Rails to Relevance is an annual project of Claremont high school, bringing bright young kids from this great public high school to Ottawa by rail—by VIA Rail. The Canadian Transportation Act review by the Hon. David Emerson recommended that Canada cease to have a national passenger rail service. Can the Minister of Transport reassure this House that Canada is committed to national passenger rail, and will invest in and modernize a national VIA Rail service?

Mr. Speaker, we know that harassment and sexual violence are simply unacceptable. This week our government took the very first step toward making our workplaces and federally regulated industries and Parliament Hill free from harassment and sexual violence. No government, however, can eradicate harassment and sexual violence alone. We live in a culture, especially here, where power imbalances and gender norms create tolerance for these unacceptable behaviours. I look forward to working with everyone, here and throughout the federally regulated sectors, to ensure that all Canadians are safe at work.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that everyone receives the tax credits and benefits to which they are entitled. I repeat, the eligibility criteria for the tax credit have not changed.It is important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. That is why our government has always taken a compassionate approach and helped those in need. We are supporting families in need through the Canada child benefit. That is what we are doing.

Mr. Speaker, the minister did confirm that a full investigation will be undertaken with regard to the people named. She has confirmed it right now. However, today the Prime Minister publicly interfered with this investigation, stating he would accept Mr. Bronfman's explanation, and considered the matter to be dealt with. Is this how it works now? A wealthy friend of the Prime Minister, who is hiding millions of dollars offshore, picks up the phone, gives him a call, and the issue goes away. Could the minister confirm that Stephen Bronfman is not under investigation by the Canada Revenue Agency?

Mr. Speaker, specificity does matter in this case. The minister promised an independent investigation. However, this morning the Prime Minister defended his good friend and top fundraiser, stating he was satisfied with the assurances he received from Mr. Bronfman. The Prime Minister's political interference on behalf of his close friend is a clear signal to investigators that there is one rule for Liberals and another one for everyone else. Could the minister confirm that the Prime Minister has pardoned Mr. Bronfman of any wrongdoing?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. We are certainly committed to combatting climate change.I was so proud to see the Prime Minister announce our plan with the provincial premiers and territorial representatives. Under this plan, we will put a price on carbon, eliminate coal, and make historic investments in clean infrastructure and public transportation.I am very pleased to go to Bonn next week, where I will work with the whole world to combat climate change. We have a lot of work to do.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's good friend and head of revenue for the Liberal Party, Stephen Bronfman, was named in the paradise papers. Earlier this week, the revenue minister promised a full investigation into those who were exposed in these documents. Could the minister confirm to this House that Liberal Party insider Stephen Bronfman is included in this, and is currently under investigation?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue said something very interesting a few minutes ago.She said that, as minister, she cannot comment on specific cases. Is the minister aware that her boss, the Prime Minister, was more than willing to comment on the Stephen Bronfman case this morning? That is what is unacceptable.If the Prime Minister has no problem talking about Stephen Bronfman, can the Minister of National Revenue pick up the phone, call the Prime Minister, and tell him to mind his own business because that guy is currently being investigated?

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, we learned that Stephen Bronfman, a close friend of the Prime Minister, was named in the paradise papers.The Minister of National Revenue promised an independent investigation of these documents. Today, the Prime Minister said that he was satisfied with the explanations from his friend and Liberal Party bagman.Could the Minister of National Revenue just tell us whether she agrees with her Prime Minister that his friend should not be investigated?

Mr. Speaker, our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. The eligibility criteria for the disability tax credit for people with diabetes have not changed. It is important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. We are allowing low-income workers to keep more of their hard-earned money from every paycheque by further enhancing the working income tax benefit by an additional $500 million per year, starting in 2019. We are keeping the promises we made to the middle class and to those most in need.

Mr. Speaker, that answer had nothing to do with the question that was asked.Former senator Kolber and Stephen Bronfman, the chief fundraiser for the Liberal Party, have ties to a multi-million-dollar trust in the Cayman Islands. That is serious. Tax havens cost us billions of dollars every year and increase inequality.The paradise papers have revealed a great deal, but not everything. To get to the bottom of this, the NDP has moved a motion to invite these two individuals to answer our questions before the Standing Committee on Finance. Are the Liberals going to vote for our motion and show that they have nothing to hide?

Mr. Speaker, we are all in when it comes to climate action. We understand that we need to be taking action, that we have an economic opportunity to do this, and that we have an obligation to our children.I am very pleased that I will be in Bonn next week where I will be working with countries around the world. We know we need to be helping support the poorest countries that are fearing the impacts of climate change, and many countries will be under water should we not stay under 2°C. We will be supporting them and we will be working with them. I wish the party opposite would understand how important it is to listen and take action against climate change.

Mr. Speaker, our government is firmly committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the tax credits and benefits they are entitled to. We are moving forward with a national disability act that will remove barriers and improve access for all Canadians living with disabilities. We have made tax credits more accessible. Benefits are now the highest Canadians have ever received. We have simplified the forms for tax credits. We have hired specialized nurse practitioners, who are allowed to fill out the forms—

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister protects his wealthy friends from paying taxes, we learned yesterday in the finance committee that the government continues to target people with diabetes with higher taxes. Diabetes Canada testified that the government knew four months ago that the tax department was stripping away the disability tax credit from type 1 diabetics, and to this day, it is not aware of a single person who has had this credit reinstated. Why is the government targeting hard-working Canadians and suffering diabetics with higher taxes while letting top Liberal fundraisers off scot-free?

Mr. Speaker, with great power comes great privilege for the Liberals.It seems that the Minister of National Revenue likes to go over the record of the past two years. Let me join in: vacation on a private island, a villa in France, profits in numbered companies, and the chief Liberal fundraiser who hides millions of dollars in the Cayman Islands.In the meantime, people with diabetes are being denied their tax credit for no reason and without warning. It is shameful. The Prime Minister is turning a blind eye to the tax avoidance in his own back yard and emptying the pockets of the most vulnerable.When will he give back the tax credit these people are entitled to?

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance.The hypocrisy of the members opposite is really quite astounding. Even a former Conservative revenue minister publicly stated that investigating tax havens was not a priority for his government.Neither I nor our government needs any lessons from the party opposite. Canadians expect to have a fair and equitable tax system, and that is what we are giving them.

Mr. Speaker, let me warmly thank our colleague from Brampton Centre for his great work on behalf of his constituents.Our government believes that thousands of Canadians have not had access to affordable and adequate housing, and because of this we have invested historic amounts in the last two budgets. We will be launching, in a few weeks from now, the first-ever national housing strategy. That will set the stage for the most ambitious demonstration of federal housing leadership in over half a century. It will also set the stage for working with partners, many of whom have been waiting for us for a long time. We are back. We are here to stay.

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance, as the measures we have taken over the past two years clearly demonstrate. As for the committees, they are free to make their own choices, and I will respect their decision.

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, Canada announced $2.65 billion over five years to support efforts for the poorest and most vulnerable countries to adapt to climate change. While welcomed, this promise delivers just a portion of Canada's fair share. This week, leading into COP22, the OECD criticized Canada for failing to deliver on its meagre target to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Will the Liberals commit today to real action on our nation's promises to act on climate change?

Mr. Speaker, what she is not saying is that only $40 million of that $1 billion has been invested so far.If I had any advice for the hon. member for Montarville and the hon. member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, it would be to ask their constituents whether they are happy about paying more taxes than Liberal insiders like Mr. Bronfman and Mr. Kolber.It might be legal, but it does not mean it is moral. It is legal only because generations of Liberal and Conservative governments have made the laws that have made it legal.We are the House of Commons and we can change laws. Will the government do it or will it block any initiative like it has done in the last two years?

Mr. Speaker, in a letter that was sent to the Minister of Finance yesterday, the Government of Quebec states its intention to require that Netflix and other Internet giants pay their fair share of taxes, and it asks for the co-operation of the federal government. This is a matter of tax fairness for our business owners.All of the parties in Quebec agree on this. The Government of Quebec reminded the federal government that, technically, sales tax should already apply to these services. My question is not for the Minister of Canadian Heritage, who has abdicated her responsibility and has been refusing to answer the Government of Quebec for a month now. Rather, my question is for the Minister of Finance.Quebec stands with its businesses and will not back down. Will the Minister of Finance work with Quebec to ensure that Internet giants pay their fair share, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, I believe that my colleagues opposite like it when we repeat ourselves so that they can understand what we are saying and hear the good news that we have for Canadians.Fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance has been and always will be a priority for me, as Minister of National Revenue, for our government, and for the Prime Minister. We invested nearly $1 billion and we are getting a return on that investment. We are targeting four jurisdictions per year. We hired more than 100 auditors, 627 cases were transferred to criminal investigations, 268 search warrants have been executed—

Mr. Speaker, here is a quote: “Mr. Bronfman did nothing wrong. There is not a single wealthy Canadian who has not diversified their holdings through offshore tax havens”. Who said this? It was the Liberal member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel.Here is another quote: “There are people who use a legal system and then later confirm that they acted legally”. Who said this? It was the Liberal member for Montarville.The Prime Minister said that he is satisfied with Stephen Bronfman's explanations. Is this why the Liberals are not tackling tax havens? Is that because they think it is okay for their millionaire friends not to pay taxes?

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and tax avoidance, to make sure the tax system is fair and equitable for all Canadians.I can assure the House that I am very proud of the leadership role the CRA has taken on the international stage. Collaboration between tax administrations, including the exchange of tax information, is an essential tool to protect the integrity of Canada's tax base. That is why the agency conducted more than 990 audits and 42 criminal investigations focusing on offshore financial structures.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the finance committee learned that the wait time for a decision on the disability tax credit has recently gone from about three weeks to over 40 weeks and that since October 26, all applications have been frozen. We also heard that refunds are being delayed and that the application form was changed based on the minister's belief that most type 1 diabetics do not qualify. One simple question: When will the minister stop saying that nothing has changed?

Mr. Speaker, on day two of my new job as public services and procurement minister, I was with the Prime Minister in Miramichi meeting the hard-working public servants who are leaving no stone unturned to make sure their colleagues get paid. We are doing everything to support them. Their health and well-being as they pursue this goal is of paramount importance to us, and we are doing everything we can to support them in that endeavour.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to supporting Canadian farmers by investing in the growth and innovation of Canada's agrifood sector. We have made considerable investments in Canadian farmers. The 2017 budget set a clear target to increase our agricultural exports. We know that we have always been and will continue to be there for Canadian farmers. Could the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell us about the steps we are taking this week to provide tax relief to our Canadian farmers?

Mr. Speaker, the minister can keep repeating the same talking points, but Canadians are no fools.The Prime Minister's political interference on behalf of his close friend is a clear signal to investigators that there is one rule for Liberals and another one for every other Canadian who pays taxes. The Prime Minister has the nerve to tell us that he is satisfied with the assurances that he has received from his friend and top Liberal Party fundraiser, who wants to avoid paying taxes like every Canadian does.Is there a single member across the way who can look at us and have the courage to denounce this unacceptable situation?

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I cannot comment on any specific cases, nor will I be able to at any point in the future. The credibility of the Canada Revenue Agency is at stake, because confidentiality of information is a priority there.

Mr. Speaker, earlier today, the revenue minister said that it is inappropriate for ministers to comment on individual tax cases. She said she would not comment today, tomorrow, or later, because the credibility of CRA is at stake, yet her boss, the Prime Minister, did exactly that. He publicly exonerated Stephen Bronfman, his top fundraiser, who may be under CRA investigation as part of the leaked paradise papers. Can the hon. member assure us that CRA will ignore the Prime Minister's directive to acquit Mr. Bronfman?

Mr. Speaker, the historic investments of nearly $1 billion we have made in the Canada Revenue Agency show how dedicated we are to fighting tax evasion and tax avoidance. This government has taken steps to help the agency crack down on wealthy individuals who are not paying their fair share and on tax professionals who facilitate non-compliance. The CRA has levied $44 million in penalties on tax advisors, and a number of criminal cases are under way.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance.I have said it before and I will say it again: I am very proud of our leadership role on the international stage. I want to reiterate that, with the historic investments that have been made, the CRA has been targeting four jurisdictions per year and conducting criminal investigations. No one is above the law. In Canada, the laws apply to everyone, no matter who they are.

Mr. Speaker, we understand the concerns of the francophone cultural sector. I want to reassure and remind the cultural community of the historic investments we have made to support francophone culture.We have made massive investments in arts and culture, over $2.2 billion to be precise. We have reinvested in the Canada media fund to support French-language television and committed $675 million to CBC/Radio-Canada. These investments have a tangible impact on our artists' lives.

Mr. Speaker, our government is well aware that billions of dollars are at stake. We have invested nearly $1 billion to combat tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. As Minister of National Revenue, I can assure everyone listening that no one is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance had a private interest in the motion on tax havens being defeated. As I was saying, according to House of Commons Procedure and Practice, I challenge the Minister of Finance's vote, as well as the vote of all those he could have influenced. I urge you to disqualify them. As indicated on page 214 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, “On being elected, Members of the House of Commons become trustees of public confidence. Members must place the public’s interests over their private interests and derive no personal benefit or gain from their decisions.”I know this because the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is responsible for enforcing the code of ethics and the Conflict of Interest Act. She does an amazing job. This is not about the ethics of a single member of Parliament. This is about the result of a vote and the integrity of the House of Commons as an institution presided over by the Speaker. We are here, at the heart of representative democracy, at the heart of the bonds of trust that need to exist between the public and its representatives and without which the House of Commons has no legitimacy. In light of the irregularities and the appearance of conflicts of interest that tainted the vote on Motion No. 42 on tax havens, I think that the vote should be overturned and taken again.

Mr. Speaker, CBC has reported that public servants at the Miramichi pay centre are working in a toxic environment. These workers deal with understaffing, a lack of training, and little support. Hard-working, experienced public servants are crucial to solving the Liberals' pay system debacle. The Liberals do not seem to understand that workers need the proper tools to fix this fiasco. When will the government help these workers so that hard-working Canadians can get paid?

Mr. Speaker, our government's record is far more solid than that of the previous Conservative government.Canadian families in need are receiving the Canada child benefit, which is actually helping families. Low-income workers will get to keep more of their hard-earned money because we have increased the working income tax benefit by $500 million a year starting in 2019. We abolished the Harper employment insurance reform. We promised to lower the small business tax to 9% by 2019—

Mr. Speaker, in the last fiscal year alone, investigations by the Canada Revenue Agency led to 37 convictions, more than 50 years of jail time, and millions of dollars in court-imposed fines. Thanks to this government's actions, starting in 2018, Canada will be able to automatically exchange financial information with other countries, allowing it to identify taxpayers with foreign bank accounts. As I said, no one is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, the government understands that this is a multi-billion-dollar issue, and we have made historic investments over the past two years to tackle it. The Canada Revenue Agency now has the tools to review 100% of the tax returns filed by all large multinational corporations each year. This means it can properly identify large corporations and wealthy individuals that are likely to engage in tax schemes. No one is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, the simple answer is yes. Every time I am in British Columbia, and often in Ottawa, I meet with representatives of the provincial government and indigenous leaders together. We often talk about the importance of aquaculture, science, and investment in wild pacific salmon, and what we can do to implement the recommendations of the Cohen commission. Along with my colleagues in the Liberal caucus from British Columbia, we also talk about those important issues all the time. I want to tell the member that we understand and accept the concerns and are working with the British Columbia government.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is currently in Hanoi for the APEC summit.There are more than 100 political prisoners in Vietnam, including human rights activists like Phan Kim Khanh, and the blogger known as Mother Mushroom, who is just 24 years old. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.The United States, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Canadian Youth for Human Rights in Vietnam, and Vietnamplify are all calling for immediate action.Will the Prime Minister call on the Vietnamese government to release them?

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues opposite for giving me an opportunity to tell those watching us at home about everything our government has done in the past two years. We created the Canada child benefit for Canadian families who need support. We gave more money to our families. We worked with low-income workers to help them keep a larger portion of their hard-earned money by increasing the working income tax benefit by $500 million. We abolished the Harper EI reforms.

Mr. Speaker, I imagine that the government is also fully committed to combatting climate change. However, Canada still has one of the worst records in the world on this matter. The UN says that member countries must take more, urgent action if we are to meet the Paris targets.The minister played world leader yesterday when she congratulated Nicaragua and Syria for signing the agreement even though her own government is failing to meet the targets it set for itself.Can the minister set aside her tired, old talking points and tell us what more she plans to do to meet the targets?

Mr. Speaker, the minister mentioned criminal investigations that are under way. Her department announced that it is doing a full review as to whether to pursue such investigations against 3,000 people named in the paradise papers, one of whom is the Liberal Party's top fundraiser, but the Prime Minister, the head of the entire government, has already exonerated him and signalled down to CRA that he did nothing wrong.I ask again. Will the minister direct CRA to ignore the Prime Minister's political interference in this case?

Mr. Speaker, today marks day 76 of the occupation of two open-net salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago. These coastal first nations never agreed to open-net salmon farms in their traditional territories. If the Liberals are serious about recognizing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, this is the time to show it. Will the minister meet with B.C. and first nations governments to discuss moving these farms off wild salmon migration routes? It is a simple question: yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. A year ago, on October 26, 2016, the House voted down my Motion No. 42 on tax havens.Specifically, my motion called on the government to amend section 5907 of the Income Tax Regulations in order to ensure that the income that a Canadian company brings back from its subsidiary in Barbados, or 22 other tax havens, will henceforth be taxed in Canada.In my view, the vote was full of irregularities and should be retaken. The code of conduct for members of Parliament is part of our Standing Orders, which clearly prohibit an elected member from furthering his or her private interests. We now know that the Minister of Finance has companies located in tax havens. His family's company, Morneau Shepell, promotes the use of tax havens through pension funds and insurance companies. Adopting Motion No. 42 would have had a major impact on the minister's finances. It would have seriously impeded his ability to carry on business as usual. In the Journals of October 26, 2016, we see that the Minister of Finance took part in the vote and voted against Motion No. 42. In fact, with the notable exception of the hon. member for Cambridge, every Liberal member voted against Motion No. 42 because they were strongly urged to vote along party lines. On pages 220 and 221 of the second edition of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, published in 2009, it says that members may not vote on questions in which they have a personal interest, and that any such vote may be challenged and disallowed.

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and tax avoidance. The opposition knows very well that I cannot comment on specific cases as Minister of National Revenue.However, I can say that we have invested nearly $1 billion over the past two years, unlike the Conservative government, which did absolutely nothing for 10 years. Even Jean-Pierre Blackburn, a former minister of national revenue, publicly said that this was not a priority for the Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, we can understand that the Liberals do not like these investigations into their ethics. The Minister of Finance has already been found guilty of breaking the ethics code by the Ethics Commissioner, and the Prime Minister is under investigation as well. Now the Prime Minister has undermined an active investigation into Liberal billionaire fundraiser, Stephen Bronfman. How can Canadians trust the Liberal government to conduct an impartial investigation when it is more interested in protecting its friends than finding the truth?

Mr. Speaker, our government is firmly committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. Our investments over the past two years make that abundantly clear.I would also like to tell my colleague opposite about all of the things our government has done over the past two years. We enhanced the Canada child benefit for the families that needed it most. We lowered taxes on the middle class. We are working to lower small business taxes. We abolished the Harper reform, which attacked people receiving EI benefits.

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, this government committed to advocating for human rights in all of our international commitments. Our Prime Minister and our Minister of Foreign Affairs are currently in Vietnam and had the opportunity to talk about human rights in the country. We talk about human rights every opportunity we get. This visit will certainly include conversations on this topic.

Mr. Speaker, during the last election, our government made it very clear in our campaign platform that we were going to combat tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. Over the last two years, we have made historic investments, something that had not been done for the past 10 years. We made investments of nearly $1 billion, which have allowed us to target four administrations per year and to work on hiring 100 auditors. There have been a number of criminal charges and even 37 convictions, totalling more than 50 years of imprisonment.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Diabetes Canada said at the finance committee that the Canada Revenue Agency is refusing to release valuable information that would help determine the impact of the mass refusal of disability tax credits for diabetics. Now diabetics have to pry, pull, and rip the information out of the minister's hands just to prove their case. Why will the minister not release this information, or does she have something to hide?

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to ensuring that people receive the tax credits and benefits they are entitled to. I would like to assure my colleague opposite that we are working with our partners on an ongoing basis. We are meeting with them regularly, along with staff from my office.I also want to emphasize that the eligibility criteria for the tax credit have not changed. The rules are the same and apply just as they always have. The law is the same. Nothing has changed.

Mr. Speaker, I seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: that this House recognize the expertise of the Davie shipyard in Lévis, which represents 50% of the country's production capacity; and that it call on the government to adjust its national shipbuilding strategy to take into account the production capacity of the Davie shipyard.

Mr. Speaker, I have worked as a human rights lawyer. I absolutely agree. I am disgusted by the current regime in Syria, and the atrocities it is committing are completely inexcusable. A mistake was made. I take full responsibility as minister. We deleted the tweet within half an hour, and on my personal Twitter account, I said that it was unacceptable.We are going to continue working with the people of Syria. They deserve a life free from violence. Canada will continue to support the Syrian people in reaching this goal, and achieving a long-term political solution.

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. In our first two budgets, we invested nearly $1 billion, and our plan is working. We are working on four jurisdictions per year and hiring 100 auditors. There have been 627 cases transferred to criminal investigation, 268 warrants, and 78 convictions. We have tightened the rules for the voluntary disclosures program. We have imposed $44 million in penalties on promoters and tax preparers—

Mr. Speaker, we made investments of nearly $1 billion in our first two budgets. We have a plan and it is working. We are targeting four jurisdictions per year, and we are working to finalize the hiring of 100 auditors. There were 627 cases transferred to criminal investigation, 268 search warrants executed, and 78 convictions.We tightened the rules governing the voluntary disclosures program, imposed $44 million in fines on proponents and tax advisers, and—

Mr. Speaker, meanwhile, to come back to the finance minister's illegal and unethical activity, for two years, he hid behind an ethical screen controlled by his political staff. For two years, he hid tens of millions of dollars in Morneau Shepell stock in Alberta, profiting from decisions he was making. For two years, he hid his French corporation from the Ethics Commissioner, who found him guilty of non-disclosure. The minister still owns numbered companies, and what those assets are remains a mystery.Since apparently sunlight is the best disinfectant, will the finance minister pull the curtain back and let the sun shine in so Canadians can look inside what is in his other numbered companies?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals talk about not breaking promises. Well, they broke their promise to veterans and took them back to court.Yesterday we learned that veterans are being forced to wait longer and longer to get the benefits they earned. The number of homeless veterans has risen by 62% since the Liberals took power.The Prime Minister is in Asia delivering on his priority, $500 million in infrastructure handouts to the world's wealthy.Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us why are veterans are getting less while the Prime Minister gives half a billion dollars to wealthy bankers in Asia?

Mr. Speaker, according to a CBC/Radio-Canada report today, not only do public servants in Miramichi have to cope with the extra workload brought on by this government's Phoenix fiasco, but also, the working environment at the public service pay centre is just plain toxic. There is a lack of training, there is not enough support to answer employees' questions, and so on. Those workers are dealing with Phoenix problems while handling paycheques for two-thirds of all public servants. When will the Liberals give them the resources they need to do their jobs properly?

Mr. Speaker, on day two of my new job as Minister of Public Services and Procurement, I was in Miramichi with the Prime Minister to see just how hard public servants are working to fix the Phoenix problems. The well-being of those workers is of paramount importance to this government. We will leave nothing to chance as we work to solve this problem.

Mr. Speaker, maybe the Minister of National Revenue did not hear the news that this morning the Prime Minister commented on this case. In fact, he declared Bronfman innocent of all wrongdoing. Just days after the minister announced an investigation, the Prime Minister shockingly said that his billionaire buddy and chief Liberal bagman was innocent and pure as the driven snow.It seems like the Minister of National Revenue recognizes that this is wrong. Does the Prime Minister recognize how irresponsible and reckless it is for him to unilaterally say that Stephen Bronfman is innocent?

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives need to stop saying things that are just not accurate. Our government is committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the tax credits and benefits to which they are entitled.We are moving forward with a national disability act that will remove barriers by focusing on accessibility for all Canadians living with a disability. I would remind my colleagues opposite that I was a social worker for 25 years. I worked with people who had health problems and with the disadvantaged—

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. The $1 billion that was allocated to the Canada Revenue Agency over five years comes from the public purse, from taxpayers.We are very careful about how we spend taxpayers' money in order to ensure that it is spent properly and we get results. For two years, we have been targeting four jurisdictions per year—

Mr. Speaker, that is what we promised Canadians during the campaign, and we keep our promises. That is exactly what we are doing. Over the past two years, historic amounts have been allocated to the Canada Revenue Agency to combat tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance because that was a priority for Canadians. This money has made it possible for the CRA to target four jurisdictions per year and for charges to be laid. It has made it possible for us to hire auditors, transfer cases to criminal investigation, tighten the rules governing the programs for—

Mr. Speaker, representatives of Diabetes Canada testified yesterday that they have been trying to get a meeting with the minister to discuss devastating changes to the disability tax credit that render 80% of applicants ineligible. The minister's own officials confirmed what we have been saying. The minister made a change to the process in May without consultation or notification of vulnerable Canadians. With Diabetes Canada here today, can the minister commit to meeting and hearing about their concerns directly, or will she continue her heartless attack on diabetics?

Mr. Speaker, we have a sacred obligation to our veterans that when they come back broken, we will see to it that they mend.We demonstrate our belief in this every day through the services and support we deliver to veterans and their families. We remain committed to a pension for life option, and will announce further details later this year.We will remember.

Mr. Speaker, after defending himself for weeks by claiming he had supposedly followed the rules of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, the Minister of Finance was found guilty of having hidden his French company. For two years, he also hid his assets in numbered companies, which allowed him to make millions in profit off industries that he, as a minister, is supposed to regulate in an entirely neutral fashion. These actions fall well short of meeting the highest standards of honesty and impartiality required of him in his mandate letter from the Prime Minister.Why do all the Liberals feel they are above the law?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's reckless words and actions have placed the Minister of National Revenue in an untenable and impossible position. The minister stated that her department was investigating this matter. However, before the investigation could barely begin, the Prime Minister already had made his finding of innocence. This irresponsible behaviour is indefensible. Did anyone advise the Prime Minister of the legal implications of what he just did?

Mr. Speaker, Syria is a country from which thousands of refugees have fled to Canada. President Assad has murdered countless of his citizens. Canada's Armed Forces are helping to fight this tyrannical regime. However, during this Remembrance Week, the Minister of Environment shocked Canadians by praising Syria for supposedly taking action on climate change.Instead of blaming her staff for the tweet, will the minister apologize to Canadians and to our Syrian refugees for legitimizing the murderous Assad regime?

Mr. Speaker, it is not that the minister's comments are uninteresting, but she is not answering my question at all.The Minister of National Revenue said that some cases were being investigated as a result of the paradise papers. One of the individuals implicated in those documents is the Liberal Party's chief fundraiser or bagman, Stephen Bronfman, who also happens to be a long-time close personal friend of the Canadian Prime Minister.Can the minister finally confirm to Canadians that Stephen Bronfman and all Canadians implicated in the paradise papers are being seriously investigated?

Mr. Speaker, I have constituents who are already receiving letters from the Canada Revenue Agency informing them that they no longer are eligible for the disability tax credit. That is bad, but it gets even worse. Now the minister is threatening to take money directly out of their bank accounts. She is clawing back $6,000 from one constituent already. We know that the minister knows this is happening and has okayed it. Why are the Liberals going after disabled Canadians and the middle-class families that look after them? When is this foolishness going to stop?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister knows all about investigations. After all, he is under investigation for having broken the rules on his private island getaway. However, that has not stopped him from interfering in the investigation of his billionaire fundraising friend, Stephen Bronfman, who has been implicated in the paradise papers.How can Canadians trust those Liberals to investigate their fundraising friends when the Prime Minister has already appointed himself judge and jury, and has issued the acquittal?