Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals still do not understand there is a difference between legitimate refugees, immigrants coming to this country, and people who have fought with ISIS. I do not blame the Prime Minister for not getting up off the mat. We know that he would rather be sitting there signing autographs. I have a suggestion for the government House leader. If the Prime Minister likes to sign his name so much, maybe he can take out his chequebook and sign a cheque paying back taxpayers the money he cost them.
Mr. Speaker, during the byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers that he would not make any concessions on supply management under the TPP. Three months later, the government failed to stand up for our dairy, egg, and cheese producers. Where I come from, we have a word for someone who tells people something to their face when he has something to gain and then turns around and does exactly the opposite.What does the Prime Minister call those sorts of people? Where I come from, we call them liars.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has to answer for her decision to eliminate the national wetland conservation fund. Since 2014, the fund has supported projects that protect and enhance thousands of hectares of wetlands. Wetlands are vital for sequestering carbon, improving water quality, creating fish and wildlife habitat, protecting endangered species, and managing watersheds.Conservation groups across Canada are outraged by what the minister did, and now know that these Liberals are phony environmentalists. Why would the government eliminate the national wetland conservation fund, which has delivered such important benefits for Canada's environment?
Mr. Speaker, today the dairy farmers of Canada are on the Hill to represent over 221,000 Canadians who depend on this sector for their livelihoods, and to clearly register their opposition to the TPP. Yesterday, the government responded to my question on threats to supply management with more platitudes about consultation. This government is speaking out of both sides of its mouth. When will the Liberals listen to our hard-working farmers and stop making concessions that put our dairy industry at risk?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are carrying out an ideological attack on Canadian agriculture, with warning labels on dairy and meat products, and a Canadian food guide that discourages people from eating healthy animal protein and dairy. Not one single farmer or processor was allowed to give any input on these decisions.The Liberals are devastating Canadian businesses and farm families on data that is based on bad science.Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stand up for our farmers and stop this attack on Canadian agriculture?
Mr. Speaker, last week, exactly one day before World Wetlands Day, the Liberals killed the national wetlands conservation fund. Meanwhile, the minister received $40 million to spend on policy, communication, and engagement. That is another example of Liberals talking the talk but not walking the walk. They claim to be champions of the environment, but then cut essential environmental programs to spend more money on photographers and press releases.Will the minister now reverse this terrible decision? Will she stand up for Canada's wetlands?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about tax fairness.Under the Liberal government, the CRA has come down hard on single moms, suspending their child tax benefits and forcing them to jump through hoops, but when KPMG was found to be running an international tax fraud scheme, whoa, the uber-rich got immediate amnesty. The Prime Minister went further. He appointed the top KPMG rep as the treasurer of the Liberal Party. Does the Prime Minister not understand the basic principle of conflict of interest? Why is he putting the interests of the big Liberal money machine ahead of ordinary Canadians who play by the rules, pay their fair share, listen, and work hard?
Mr. Speaker, once again, above the partisan attacks and the mudslinging, we have an Ethics Commissioner whose work we, on this side of the House, respect. The Ethics Commissioner made findings that we immediately accepted and I took responsibility for. She made recommendations and gave advice that we are following entirely and completely. The members opposite are trying to play personal attacks on top of that. However, Canadians can be assured that the Ethics Commissioner is the one who objectively looks at this above the partisan fray.
Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister is doing is looking them in the eye and saying no after having said yes to just about everybody else: yes, to Omar Khadr; yes, to somebody running a minister's Twitter account, $100,000; yes, to his pals when they want to take a vacation in the Caribbean. The Liberals are saying yes to everybody, but they are telling those who gave their country all they have that they are asking for too much. That is shameful. The Conservatives will hold them to account for that every time.
Mr. Speaker, it was not just veterans whom the Prime Minister insulted in his town hall. Many Italians and Greeks have come to Canada over many decades. They have been an integral part of our nation's character ever since. That is why it was so offensive that the Prime Minister compared legitimate refugees and immigrants who have built this country with those who have fought and committed genocidal acts with ISIS. Returning ISIS fighters are not refugees. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the difference?
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely shameful that the Prime Minister said that our veterans, my former brothers and sisters in arms, are asking too much. What bothers soldiers the most is when the government, or the country they were prepared to give their life to, lies to their face.The Prime Minister takes our veterans to court, even though he promised not to do so, and he reached a settlement with a terrorist.Why does the Prime Minister have so much contempt for our veterans?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Saint-Laurent, for her excellent work and for giving me an opportunity to highlight our government's commitments to helping people living with eating disorders.Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that come with serious medical complications. This is why our government invested more than $5 million in budget 2017 to provide better mental health support across the country. These investments will make a real difference in the lives of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, since the Liberals came to power, more than 193,000 public servants have been affected by the Trudeau governments inability to fix the Phoenix pay system. That is 73% of the total number of federal employees. This is not stopping the Liberals from shifting the blame onto the previous government. The Conservatives are not the ones who will be fixing the problem. When will the government take responsibility and stop this financial disaster?
Mr. Speaker, he does not get it. We are not talking about a new tax; we are talking about a tax that already exists and must be collected by Canadian competitors. He needs to follow the example of France, Australia, and many American states that have decided to make these web giants pay. Even here at home, the whole province of Quebec wants to do the same. Imposing on Bombardier a sales tax that is not required of Boeing would be unthinkable, so why do it in the online sector? Not only is the Prime Minister trying to justify these tax breaks, but he is going even further by making deals with those companies.When will the Liberals stop getting into bed with these web giants?
Accepting responsibility means accepting consequences, Mr. Speaker. We all know the Prime Minister loves taking luxury vacations in the Caribbean and does not mind sticking the cost to taxpayers. He constantly tells Canadians that they have to pick up the tab for his luxurious travel. When that travel is deemed to be illegal, he should pay Canadians back. When will he?
Mr. Speaker, the dairy industry knows that the government is selling them out.The cost of drugs in Canada is already the second-highest in the world. One in five Canadians say a member of their household cannot afford prescribed medications. We know big pharma is pushing for restrictive intellectual property rules, which will further skyrocket drug prices. Corporate lobbies want expanded investor-state provisions allowing them to sue our government for public policy that is good for our country. Will this Liberal government stand up for Canadians and refuse a revised NAFTA that prevents us from implementing a national pharmacare program?
Mr. Speaker, the first week of February is Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Between 2% to 3% of Canadians have an eating disorder.According to Statistics Canada, in 2016, millions of Canadians met the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. Furthermore, one in ten people with an eating disorder will die, which is the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses.Can the Minister of Health tell the House what the government is doing to support people with eating disorders and their families?
Mr. Speaker, it is really interesting to see the Conservative members suddenly standing up for supply management in the House today, considering that it was the previous Conservative government that began chipping away at our supply management system in both the comprehensive economic and trade agreement and the trans-Pacific partnership.The current Liberal government continues to threaten our supply management system. Our farmers do not deserve this hypocrisy. They deserve better. They deserve to know the truth.When will the government stand up and really fight for our supply management system and Canadian farmers?
Mr. Speaker, these are expenses incurred for an illegal trip that should never have taken place. I would like to read some comments I received just yesterday from one of my constituents. I would like the Prime Minister to listen carefully and you as well, Madam Leader: if he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years the Conservative government cut veterans services, cut front-line offices, shut down nine veterans service centres across the country, nickelled and dimed veterans while using them for photo ops, members wrapping themselves in the flag every chance they got. It was shameful.We have restored respect to veterans. We are investing in benefits. We are reopening closed offices. We are supporting their families. We are doing right what for 10 years the Conservatives did wrong.
Mr. Speaker, with the TPP comes unprecedented opportunity for Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector. However, unlike the Liberals, we think conversations with farmers should have happened before the agreement, not after.The minister has been out of the picture for 16 days now. He has not said a word about mitigation measures for dairy, egg, and poultry producers. The previous Conservative government offered up $4.3 billion. Dairy producers are in Ottawa today. What does the minister have to say to them?
Mr. Speaker, we have a duty here in the House to follow the Conflict of Interest Act. No one is above this legislation, not even the Prime Minister.In light of the scathing report of the former ethics commissioner, we can say in no uncertain terms that the Prime Minister deliberately tried to be exempt from a federal statute and he abused the system by getting Canadian taxpayers to pay for his family vacation.Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he will reimburse his family trip that was paid for out of Canadians' pockets?
Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. The oceans protection plan is a world-leading plan that will bring marine safety to levels in Canada that are not seen anywhere else in the world. Yes, we are committed to coastal communities. We are committed to abandoned vessel removal. We are committed to restoring the southern resident killer whales. We are committed to having a faster response in case of any problems along our coastal areas. This is a program that the people of B.C., the coastal people of B.C., are welcoming. This is something that has never been done in any other country.
Mr. Speaker, as soon as the Ethics Commissioner released her report, I accepted it, took full responsibility, and accepted all the commissioner's advice and recommendations. We are following all the recommendations and advice from the commissioner. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, it is simply not true. The Prime Minister made a campaign promise to Canada's veterans. Using veterans, including those in his caucus as a backdrop, the Prime Minister promised that he would immediately restore life-long pensions and that no veteran should have to fight their government in court. We now know that he used all of these veterans, including his caucus, simply as political pawns. While racking up billions in debt, giving billions to the UN, billions away outside Canada for his pet projects, and to Omar Khadr, how can he justify saying to our veterans that they are asking more than he can give them?
Mr. Speaker, here are some questions for the Prime Minister, or rather the government House leader, I should say. I think that will be better.Who travelled to a billionaire's private island? Who brought along the president of the Liberal Party and the Minister of Veterans Affairs to this notorious island? Who violated four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act? Who refuses to pay back the money he picked from taxpayers' pockets?Everyone knows the answers to those questions. It was the Prime Minister. What we do not know is why the Prime Minister does not want to reimburse Canadians.
I apologize, Mr. Speaker.Here is the question that I hope the members opposite will hear very clearly. If he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back the money. Canadians pay for their vacations with their hard-earned money, and being Prime Minister does not put him above the law.Here is what everyone wants to know: can he pay back the money he took from taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the House that as a Newfoundlander I have seen a lot of fog but the pea soup fog of amnesia over on that side of the House is so thick. Let me remind that side of the House of its record with our veterans in 10 years. Let me remind those members how they balanced their budgets on the backs of our veterans. Let me remind them how they closed offices, how they cut budgets, how they cut front-line staff. We have developed a pension for life that does right by our veterans.
That is so patently false, Mr. Speaker. It was the Conservative government that increased support for veterans by 35%. It was our last veterans minister who ended the court process and started settlement proceedings. The Prime Minister promised during the election campaign that they would never have to go back to court and then he looks a hero in the eye and tells him no. That is shameful and he has to answer
Mr. Speaker, really? Is he serious? Okay, so when the Liberals' top fundraiser, Stephen Bronfman, gets named in the paradise papers, the Prime Minister jumps in immediately and says, Hey, no investigation needed here. Why? Is it because he raised $250,000 for the party in two hours? Is it because it is a case of who you know in the PMO? Ordinary Canadians do not get the royal treatment. Just look at how the Prime Minister treated veteran Brock Blaszczyk who lost his leg in Afghanistan and is fighting for a pension. If only the Prime Minister treated veterans with the same level of deference that he does his billionaire crony pals, would it not be a better country?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal House leader, answering for the Prime Minister, says that he accepts the Ethics Commissioner's report. The Liberal House leader asks why the opposition does not accept the report. We fully accept the commissioner's findings that the Prime Minister broke the law. What we do not accept is that the Prime Minister is attempting to dodge the consequences.Other ministers have repaid taxpayers for their ethical lapses, why will he not?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the New Democrats are misleading Canadians. They are talking about making web giants pay their fair share. It is not the web giants they want to pay more in taxes; it is taxpayers. We made a commitment to taxpayers that they would not have to pay more for their online services. We on this side of the House plan to keep that promise.
Mr. Speaker, get this: a Canadian mining exploration company is operating in Mongolia, and it is reporting $2.1 billion in profit in a Luxembourg-based corporation with one part-time employee, all of this with the Canada Revenue Agencys blessing. It would seem, then, that the cat is out of the bag. The minister is facilitating these dubious tax schemes. In the fight against tax evasion, why is the minister part of the problem rather than the solution?
Mr. Speaker, our veterans have been blatantly betrayed by the Prime Minister breaking his word. Recently, he told our veterans they are asking for more than we can afford, yet he charged taxpayers $200,000 for his illegal vacation and the Minister of Veterans Affairs joined the Prime Minister on that illegal trip. It is a sad day when the minister tags along on the Prime Minister's illegal vacation, blowing $200,000 and later telling veterans who suffered injuries fighting for our country that they are asking too much.Does the minister not agree with our veterans that the $200,000 the PM used for his illegal vacation would have been better spent on
Mr. Speaker, come on, really? At his Nanaimo town hall, the Prime Minister said that he is holding B.C. hostage to the Kinder Morgan pipeline. He said the oceans protection plan, which he had been bragging will fix abandoned vessels, oil spills, and bulk commercial anchorages, will not proceed unless bitumen oil tankers do. However, yesterday in committee, the transport minister said the exact opposite, so who is right? When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for coastal communities instead of blackmailing them?
Mr. Speaker, once again, as the NDP has said, web giants must pay their fair share. It is not web giants that the NDP wants to charge, it is taxpayers. The New Democrats want to make taxpayers pay more taxes. They want Canadians, Quebec and Canadian taxpayers, to pay more taxes for their online services. We, on this side of the House, promised not to raise taxes for taxpayers, and we are going to stand by that promise. If the New Democrats want to raise taxes for Canadians, they should say so instead of hiding behind talk of big corporations.
Mr. Speaker, our government knows how proud Canadians are of our public health care system, and rightly so. This is something we always keep in mind, when sitting at the negotiating table. We also know that the affordability of and access to prescription drugs is an essential issue for Canadians. We are working closely with the provinces, territories, and our partners to provide lower drug prices and timely access to medicine. Public health care is a key Canadian issue in the NAFTA talks.
Mr. Speaker, this question is for the Minister of Veterans Affairs. The code of conduct says specifically that gifts or sponsored travel are to be publicly declared as publicly declarable information and placed on the public registry. Now I have taken a look at the registry and I can note for the House that the minister has not placed either of these things on the registry for his trip with the Prime Minister to the Caribbean. The accommodation clearly was subsidized and the code is very clear that subsidized accommodation must be reported. Why has the minister not reported it, or is he having some of that pea soup amnesia?
Mr. Speaker, UNICEF has observed an overall global decline in female genital mutilation, but not all countries have made progress, and decline has been uneven. UNICEF considers that while current progress is positive, the decline is not keeping up with increasing population growth. If trends continue, the number of girls and women undergoing FGM will rise significantly over the next 15 years. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie inform this House on how Canada is addressing this issue in developing countries?
Mr. Speaker, I understand the Prime Minister thinks that by breaking the fourth wall and trying to escape the tough questions that we are asking he will in some way be able to skate through this. However, Canadians see right through that. Yes, it is our job to ask the tough questions, and it is his habit to evade those questions and ask other ministers to defend his illegal activity.Here is a simple question. When other ministers were found to have broken the rules, they had to pay the money back. Why does he think he does not have to?
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the dairy farmers are here today. In fact, I have sat down with the dairy farmers, all of the supply sector, on numerous occasions.When this CPTPP has been signed, I will sit down and discuss the path forward, to make sure that our supply management that this party put in place, that this government will defend on a united front, I might add, and the agricultural sector, continue to thrive in this country.
Mr. Speaker, we have tremendous respect for our public service. In Canada, we have one of the best public services anywhere in the world. Their work is valuable.That is why they deserve to be paid on time and accurately. We recognize the challenges of the Phoenix pay system. We also recognize that the cause was the failure of the Conservative government to maintain the existing system until a new system was working. To achieve a little surplus on the eve of an election, Conservatives cut 700 pay advisers. That is costing the public service today.We are going to fix this.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his long-standing advocacy of conservation. Let me be 100% clear. We always will stand up for our environment, and we will always stand up for our watersheds. We have made significant investments, and we will continue to do so. We have other things we also need to do, which is making sure that we support indigenous community-based monitoring in the oil sands. We need to address species at risk, including the recovery of caribou. We need to support other conservation programs. I encourage those who have received support under this program to continue to look for other opportunities with our government to continue their good work.
Mr. Speaker, as many on this side of the House know, I relish the opportunity to compare the record of this government in two and a half years on our veterans with the 10 years by the previous government. To say that budgets were not cut, we know they were cut. Why? Because we restored them. To say that offices were not closed, we know they were closed. Why? Because we reopened them. To say that veterans were not ignored, we know they were ignored. Why? Because we listened to them. We have spent $10 billion of new money on our veterans in two and a half years.
Mr. Speaker, in this place, in our system, it is the role of the opposition to ask tough questions to challenge the government in place. That is what leads to a strong democracy. However, above the partisan attacks and the personal mudslinging, we have a system where an ethics commissioner objectively looks at behaviour, makes recommendations, and delivers consequences. In this case, above the partisan role that the opposition is importantly playing, we need to make sure we are following the Ethics Commissioner's advice. That is exactly what I am doing.
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner's report was released more than a month ago, and the Prime Minister refuses to face reality.However, it is simple; when someone does something illegal, that person must accept the consequences. In this case, the Prime Minister took taxpayers' money for illegal vacations. The consequence is simply that he must reimburse Canadian taxpayers. Everyone understands this except the Prime Minister.When will he do this?
Mr. Speaker, we have put more than $1 billion toward the CRA to go after tax avoidance and tax evasion, because we know it is important for everyone to pay their fair share. That is exactly what we are committed to, but more than that, we are actually committed to making our tax system fairer. That is why one of the first things we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Further, we continue to look at ways to help single mothers, to help low-income families with the Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families and is reducing child poverty by 40%.
Mr. Speaker, we are the party that delivered on providing protection to Yazidi women and girls in Canada. We are the party that has redoubled our efforts to make sure that we continue to provide a home for the vulnerable who are fleeing war and persecution. We are the party that has almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that restored refugee health care that was cut by the party opposite.
Mr. Speaker, everyone in this House is accountable to Canadians. Also, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner ensures that every member of this House, up to and including the Prime Minister, is aligned with the rules. When that is not the case, the Ethics Commissioner makes findings. In this case, we fully accepted responsibility. I took personal responsibility on the Ethics Commissioner's report, and will follow all of her recommendations and all of the advice she gave going forward.
Mr. Speaker, in November, the fisheries minister committed to meet with B.C. and first nation governments to discuss moving open-net salmon farms off the wild salmon migration route. Months later, they are still waiting. Last week, the Prime Minister unbelievably said no oceans protection plan unless the Kinder Morgan pipeline is built. This is unacceptable. This morning, the government committed to considering impacts on first nations under a revised Fisheries Act.How can the Liberals justify approving Kinder Morgan after using Harper's gutted assessment process, which failed to adequately consult first nations?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we fully respect the commissioner's report. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility. I encourage members opposite to also accept the fact that the ex-commissioner did state that these are costs that are incurred with the functions of the Prime Minister.
Mr. Speaker, there is still an obligation under the code of conduct to make reports available to the public. The Prime Minister did not do that either. The motion this morning is clear. We are asking for some holes to be plugged so that we do not have this possibility where the Prime Minister decides that he does not have to pay for his consequences. That is just simply wrong.I have a simple question. Will the Prime Minister person up, do the right thing, and pay these costs?
Mr. Speaker, I will take no lessons from members opposite on dealing with veterans. For 10 years that party wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Minister of Agriculture has been sidelined.Farmers have been labelled tax cheats, the makeshift dairy industry program left 80% of producers high and dry, the Standing Committee on Health refused to hear what producers and processors had to say about the future food guide, and the minister has had nothing to say about mitigation measures for 16 days. Will anyone on that side who represents an agricultural riding go over there, wake up the Minister of Agriculture, and get him to stand up for Canadian farmers for once?
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to the well-being of veterans and their families. We are delivering on a lifetime pension commitment which includes benefits and generous programs designed to help veterans live a full and productive life. This is in stark contrast to the previous Conservative government that for 10 years cut veterans offices, cut front-line services, and nickelled and dimed veterans while the Conservatives wrapped themselves in the flag. Even the member for BarrieInnisfil said that the previous Conservative government had become disconnected with veterans and had lost a lot of trust. It is a very fair criticism.We are not just going to criticize that government; we are going to do better than it did.
Mr. Speaker, the fact that it would take an ethics commissioner's report pointing out to the Prime Minister that it is inappropriate to take a gift from someone who conducts business with the government, that it is inappropriate to take a free flight from someone who is doing business with the government, and the fact that it took him a year to disclose these facts, shows that he is also guilty of a tremendous lapse in judgment.Our motion simply states that when members of Parliament or ministers are found to have imburdened the taxpayer with costs associated with illegal activities, they should reimburse the taxpayer. What part of that motion does he disagree with?
Mr. Speaker, demanding that a public official repay taxpayers for an illegal cost is not a partisan issue. It is a fundamental principle of accountability. Anyone else, in the real world, who was found breaking the rules would have to accept the consequences. Why does he think that he is different from everybody else?
Mr. Speaker, in his first few months in office, the Prime Minister spent $4.3 billion on projects outside of Canada. He spent $10 million on Omar Khadr. He spent millions of dollars moving his staff to Ottawa, promoting his tweets, building an ice rink, and even cardboard cut-outs of himself. Last week we learned that the Prime Minister will spare no expense on self-promotion, but he thinks that veterans are asking for too much.When will the Prime Minister apologize for making a promise to veterans he knew he would never keep?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the leader of the official opposition that we can tell the difference. We are a compassionate country and a compassionate government that cares deeply about refugees. We doubled the number of resettled refugees. We have almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that has
Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns female genital mutilation, FGM, and other forms of violence, which affects 200 million women and girls worldwide. I would like to thank my colleague from London North Centre for his question and his advocacy around a human rights issue.Today, in Benin, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie announced $3 million towards a project that will reduce FGM and other forms of gender-based violence. I want to emphasize that women's rights are human rights, and we will continue to support education and awareness that prevent FGM and support survivors.
Mr. Speaker, when we ask him why web giants like Netflix and Facebook do not have to charge sales tax even though their Canadian competitors do, the Prime Minister says that he promised not to raise taxes for the middle class. We are talking about a tax that already exists, sales tax. We want fairness in the industry. It is unacceptable that the Prime Minister does not have the courage to ask web giants to pay their fair share.When will the Prime Minister understand that and insist on fair treatment for the entire industry?
Answer the question.
Mr. Speaker, the former commissioner found that these expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. It is the opposition who called for an inquiry. As soon as the commissioner tabled her report, we accepted its findings. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He reimbursed the cost of the flight, as he should. As far as the other expenses are concerned, the former commissioner found that they were related to the Prime Minister's duties.
Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was tabled the Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He accepted the findings of the report. It was the opposition that demanded that the commissioner investigate. Now that the commissioner has investigated, the report has been tabled. The Conservative members refuse to accept its conclusions. The Conservatives were exactly the same when they were in government and undermining officers of Parliament. We committed to Canadians that we would do government differently, and that is exactly why we respect officers of Parliament. We respect the work they do, and that is why once the report was tabled, the Prime Minister made himself available to the media to ensure that he could answer all questions. He has also travelled the country, engaging directly with Canadians at public town halls.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance abroad to ensure that we have a system that is fair for all Canadians. This is a global issue, and that is why Canada is working closely with its international partners, including the OECD, to improve the exchange of information. As a result of the investments in the last two budgets, the agency is now in a position to carry out an annual assessment of the risks related to activities of major multinationals.As my colleague knows very well, I cannot comment on specific cases.
Mr. Speaker, in the middle of a byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean that the government would not make any concessions when it comes to supply management.Today, we know that he sacrificed 3.25% of the dairy sector and made concessions regarding eggs and poultry as part of the TPP.Did he decide to break his promise after the byelection or did he deliberately lie to farmers?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that whenever and wherever the Prime Minister travels, there are operational security costs that go with it. What I can repeat is that when the commissioner put forward her report, we fully assumed responsibility. I took personal responsibility and pledged to follow all the advice and all the recommendations laid out by the Ethics Commissioner. That is exactly what we were doing. Going forward, we will ensure that any personal vacation or family travel is worked through beforehand with the Ethics Commissioner. We will continue to follow all her advice and recommendations in these and all matters.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his strong support for the environment. I absolutely support standing up for wetlands and watersheds. That is why we are spending $70.5 million over five years to protect them. We have also invested in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, and the St. Lawrence watersheds. We understand that healthy watersheds are vital to the ecological, economic, and cultural well-being of our peoples, and wetlands are crucial to a healthy watershed. We are going to continue to work together with the communities to ensure the health of our watersheds.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, to best ensure the Prime Minister's safety, we always follow the advice of our security agencies. The former commissioner acknowledged that the spending was related to the Prime Minister's duties. The difference between the Conservatives and our government is that we respect the work of senior public servants. The Conservatives demanded the report, and now that they have it, they are rejecting its findings. We, in contrast, accept the findings and are grateful.
Mr. Speaker, again, I want to recognize the dairy farmers who are here. Today we are going to elevate the debate on this issue because I think that all members on this side of the House recognize the work of our farmers and appreciate our dairy farmers. That is why, two days after the TPP announcement, I met with these people in Montreal. We will continue that discussion. Together with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, we will continue to defend supply management. We know how important it is for Canadian industry.
Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting day, because today we are debating the opposition's motion. The leader of the official opposition is a former speaker of this place. He knows that it is question period, and yet we do not hear questions; rather, we hear statements from the member. If the member would like to hear a statement, I would like to remind Canadians that when it comes to the Prime Minister, whenever and wherever he travels, there are costs affiliated with his security. We respect the work of our security agencies. We will take their recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, they cut budgets, ignored voices, and closed offices.Let me tell the House about someone else. A retired major with 25 years of service, 20% disabled, which basically means they may have a loss of hearing or perhaps a bad knee or ankle, will now receive over $70,000 in pain and suffering benefits alone, not to mention education and training benefits to help them transition to a civilian life. That is not a prop; that is a real person affected by our new investments for our veterans.
As stated in Bosc and Gagnon, if the essence of Parliament is government accountability, then surely the essence of accountability is the question period in the Canadian House of Commons. Mr. Speaker, I am sure if you seek it, you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:I move that, in the opinion of the House, when he is present, the Prime Minister should respond to all oral questions from the opposition party, even the tough ones.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes healthy choices the easy choice. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. As part of the healthy eating strategy, work to update Canada's food guide is well under way, and we are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders from all across the country. The most recent public consultation of the new food guide concluded in late August, and the result of these will be published in the near future. I also look forward to meeting with the industry as well.
Mr. Speaker, we have provided $10 billion in new money for our veterans, for Veterans Affairs offices, for their budgets, for the lives of our veterans. There are so many examples that are given to me when I walk into the House, a retired major with 25 years of service with an 100% disability assessment who will now receive nearly $9,000 a month in both pain and suffering compensation and income replacement. That is not a betrayal. That is a commitment in action, finally, for our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, immediately after the report was tabled, the Prime Minister accepted responsibility and accepted its findings, as every leader should. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility and made himself available to answer any questions, unlike the previous government, then prime minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government, when they would undermine officers of Parliament. We will not take lessons from the Conservatives. On this side of the House we respect officers of Parliament, we respect the work they do, and we thank them for their hard work.
Mr. Speaker, in a moment I will be seek the unanimous consent of the House on a motion regarding oral question period, referred to in Standing Order 37 and in greater detail in chapter 11 in Bosc and Gagnon.Mr. Speaker, you will remember that even during the darkest days of the Mike Duffy scandal, when the leader of the official opposition, my friend from Outremont, was delivering devastating blow after blow to then prime minister Stephen Harper and his government, the prime minister at the time still answered the NDP leader's questions, even the tough ones. However, the current Prime Minister has started cherry picking which leader questions he is willing to answer in the House of Commons.Yesterday and today he even refused to answer
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the former commissioner recognized that these expenses were incurred as part of the Prime Minister's duties. I have repeated this answer several times and I encourage the member to listen to the answer. It is because the expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. The former commissioner also said that.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question. The fact of the matter is, as I have said many times in this House, we are the party that fought to implement supply management and we are the government that is going to defend it. We have done that with action, with the innovation program for the dairy sector. The CPTPP gives opportunity for all the agricultural sectors right across this country, which is a significant opportunity. With that, we fully understand how important supply management is for this country. We have and will continue to make sure that we fully support the supply management program.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for VaughanWoodbridge for his question. We have discussed on several occasions the importance of coding, digital skills, and digital literacy. Of course, it is hard work as well, as the member opposite just said. As we know, these are fundamental skills for the jobs of today and the future, from video game developers, to farming, to forestry, to mining. That is why we introduced and launched a $50 million CanCode initiative. This will help up to one million students and teachers across the country to learn how to code. We are investing in our number one resource, our people.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question because it gives me an opportunity to indicate in fact what we have done. We put a $350 million program in place and ordered that $250 million would be put to the dairy farmers in order to make sure they remain on the cutting edge. I can tell my hon. colleague and the House that $25 million of that has already been approved. What it is doing is making sure that the supply management sector in the dairy industry remains strong and on the cutting edge.
Mr. Speaker, our government supports a new vision for environmentally sustainable aquaculture, and we are working with the province and indigenous communities to consider all options to ensure that we protect our marine environment. While the industry generates $2 billion in economic activity, approximately $600 million in labour income, we understand a clean environment is the greatest economic driver. It is important that we get this right, because sustainable aquaculture provides year-round jobs paying thousands of Canadians, including those in more than 50 first nations, many of whom live in rural coastal communities.
Mr. Speaker, we made a promise to veterans. We made a promise to veterans that they had heard for a long time. In 2006, all sides of the House sat down with veterans and decided on a new veterans charter. They decided that it would be a living document, that it would be something that would provide for our veterans in the future. For 10 years, the previous government sat on that document. The Conservatives did nothing but cut budgets, cut offices, and ignore the voices of our veterans. We have invested $10 billion
Mr. Speaker, with a fast-growing and more knowledge-based digital economy, we need to make sure that our young people have the skills and knowledge they need to compete, to succeed, and also to innovate. Taking this initiative to instill that passion for learning is vital to our collective success. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please explain what steps the government is taking to ensure our young people are ready for the digital global economy of today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Mr. Speaker, this dairy agreement will give significant opportunity to our farmers and ranchers right across this country. The government fully understands the importance of the supply management system. In fact, this is the party that initiated supply management and this is the government that will defend supply management. That is why we are sitting down with the dairy industry across this country in order to work a plan forward, to make sure that the dairy industry and all our agricultural sectors remain strong in this country.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I would like to recognize the dairy farmers who are here with us and who I had an opportunity to meet with today.Our party has always defended supply management. Our prime ministers have always done so and so has our party. We understand farmers' concerns. That is why, two days after the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership was announced, I met with some thirty farmers in Montreal. We understand their concerns. We are going to continue to discuss the impact of this agreement with them. We are going to continue that discussion because it is an essential sector of the Canadian economy.
Mr. Speaker
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals still do not understand there is a difference between legitimate refugees, immigrants coming to this country, and people who have fought with ISIS. I do not blame the Prime Minister for not getting up off the mat. We know that he would rather be sitting there signing autographs. I have a suggestion for the government House leader. If the Prime Minister likes to sign his name so much, maybe he can take out his chequebook and sign a cheque paying back taxpayers the money he cost them.
Mr. Speaker, during the byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers that he would not make any concessions on supply management under the TPP. Three months later, the government failed to stand up for our dairy, egg, and cheese producers. Where I come from, we have a word for someone who tells people something to their face when he has something to gain and then turns around and does exactly the opposite.What does the Prime Minister call those sorts of people? Where I come from, we call them liars.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has to answer for her decision to eliminate the national wetland conservation fund. Since 2014, the fund has supported projects that protect and enhance thousands of hectares of wetlands. Wetlands are vital for sequestering carbon, improving water quality, creating fish and wildlife habitat, protecting endangered species, and managing watersheds.Conservation groups across Canada are outraged by what the minister did, and now know that these Liberals are phony environmentalists. Why would the government eliminate the national wetland conservation fund, which has delivered such important benefits for Canada's environment?
Mr. Speaker, today the dairy farmers of Canada are on the Hill to represent over 221,000 Canadians who depend on this sector for their livelihoods, and to clearly register their opposition to the TPP. Yesterday, the government responded to my question on threats to supply management with more platitudes about consultation. This government is speaking out of both sides of its mouth. When will the Liberals listen to our hard-working farmers and stop making concessions that put our dairy industry at risk?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are carrying out an ideological attack on Canadian agriculture, with warning labels on dairy and meat products, and a Canadian food guide that discourages people from eating healthy animal protein and dairy. Not one single farmer or processor was allowed to give any input on these decisions.The Liberals are devastating Canadian businesses and farm families on data that is based on bad science.Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stand up for our farmers and stop this attack on Canadian agriculture?
Mr. Speaker, last week, exactly one day before World Wetlands Day, the Liberals killed the national wetlands conservation fund. Meanwhile, the minister received $40 million to spend on policy, communication, and engagement. That is another example of Liberals talking the talk but not walking the walk. They claim to be champions of the environment, but then cut essential environmental programs to spend more money on photographers and press releases.Will the minister now reverse this terrible decision? Will she stand up for Canada's wetlands?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about tax fairness.Under the Liberal government, the CRA has come down hard on single moms, suspending their child tax benefits and forcing them to jump through hoops, but when KPMG was found to be running an international tax fraud scheme, whoa, the uber-rich got immediate amnesty. The Prime Minister went further. He appointed the top KPMG rep as the treasurer of the Liberal Party. Does the Prime Minister not understand the basic principle of conflict of interest? Why is he putting the interests of the big Liberal money machine ahead of ordinary Canadians who play by the rules, pay their fair share, listen, and work hard?
Mr. Speaker, once again, above the partisan attacks and the mudslinging, we have an Ethics Commissioner whose work we, on this side of the House, respect. The Ethics Commissioner made findings that we immediately accepted and I took responsibility for. She made recommendations and gave advice that we are following entirely and completely. The members opposite are trying to play personal attacks on top of that. However, Canadians can be assured that the Ethics Commissioner is the one who objectively looks at this above the partisan fray.
Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister is doing is looking them in the eye and saying no after having said yes to just about everybody else: yes, to Omar Khadr; yes, to somebody running a minister's Twitter account, $100,000; yes, to his pals when they want to take a vacation in the Caribbean. The Liberals are saying yes to everybody, but they are telling those who gave their country all they have that they are asking for too much. That is shameful. The Conservatives will hold them to account for that every time.
Mr. Speaker, it was not just veterans whom the Prime Minister insulted in his town hall. Many Italians and Greeks have come to Canada over many decades. They have been an integral part of our nation's character ever since. That is why it was so offensive that the Prime Minister compared legitimate refugees and immigrants who have built this country with those who have fought and committed genocidal acts with ISIS. Returning ISIS fighters are not refugees. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the difference?
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely shameful that the Prime Minister said that our veterans, my former brothers and sisters in arms, are asking too much. What bothers soldiers the most is when the government, or the country they were prepared to give their life to, lies to their face.The Prime Minister takes our veterans to court, even though he promised not to do so, and he reached a settlement with a terrorist.Why does the Prime Minister have so much contempt for our veterans?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Saint-Laurent, for her excellent work and for giving me an opportunity to highlight our government's commitments to helping people living with eating disorders.Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that come with serious medical complications. This is why our government invested more than $5 million in budget 2017 to provide better mental health support across the country. These investments will make a real difference in the lives of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, since the Liberals came to power, more than 193,000 public servants have been affected by the Trudeau governments inability to fix the Phoenix pay system. That is 73% of the total number of federal employees. This is not stopping the Liberals from shifting the blame onto the previous government. The Conservatives are not the ones who will be fixing the problem. When will the government take responsibility and stop this financial disaster?
Mr. Speaker, he does not get it. We are not talking about a new tax; we are talking about a tax that already exists and must be collected by Canadian competitors. He needs to follow the example of France, Australia, and many American states that have decided to make these web giants pay. Even here at home, the whole province of Quebec wants to do the same. Imposing on Bombardier a sales tax that is not required of Boeing would be unthinkable, so why do it in the online sector? Not only is the Prime Minister trying to justify these tax breaks, but he is going even further by making deals with those companies.When will the Liberals stop getting into bed with these web giants?
Accepting responsibility means accepting consequences, Mr. Speaker. We all know the Prime Minister loves taking luxury vacations in the Caribbean and does not mind sticking the cost to taxpayers. He constantly tells Canadians that they have to pick up the tab for his luxurious travel. When that travel is deemed to be illegal, he should pay Canadians back. When will he?
Mr. Speaker, the dairy industry knows that the government is selling them out.The cost of drugs in Canada is already the second-highest in the world. One in five Canadians say a member of their household cannot afford prescribed medications. We know big pharma is pushing for restrictive intellectual property rules, which will further skyrocket drug prices. Corporate lobbies want expanded investor-state provisions allowing them to sue our government for public policy that is good for our country. Will this Liberal government stand up for Canadians and refuse a revised NAFTA that prevents us from implementing a national pharmacare program?
Mr. Speaker, the first week of February is Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Between 2% to 3% of Canadians have an eating disorder.According to Statistics Canada, in 2016, millions of Canadians met the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. Furthermore, one in ten people with an eating disorder will die, which is the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses.Can the Minister of Health tell the House what the government is doing to support people with eating disorders and their families?
Mr. Speaker, it is really interesting to see the Conservative members suddenly standing up for supply management in the House today, considering that it was the previous Conservative government that began chipping away at our supply management system in both the comprehensive economic and trade agreement and the trans-Pacific partnership.The current Liberal government continues to threaten our supply management system. Our farmers do not deserve this hypocrisy. They deserve better. They deserve to know the truth.When will the government stand up and really fight for our supply management system and Canadian farmers?
Mr. Speaker, these are expenses incurred for an illegal trip that should never have taken place. I would like to read some comments I received just yesterday from one of my constituents. I would like the Prime Minister to listen carefully and you as well, Madam Leader: if he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years the Conservative government cut veterans services, cut front-line offices, shut down nine veterans service centres across the country, nickelled and dimed veterans while using them for photo ops, members wrapping themselves in the flag every chance they got. It was shameful.We have restored respect to veterans. We are investing in benefits. We are reopening closed offices. We are supporting their families. We are doing right what for 10 years the Conservatives did wrong.
Mr. Speaker, with the TPP comes unprecedented opportunity for Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector. However, unlike the Liberals, we think conversations with farmers should have happened before the agreement, not after.The minister has been out of the picture for 16 days now. He has not said a word about mitigation measures for dairy, egg, and poultry producers. The previous Conservative government offered up $4.3 billion. Dairy producers are in Ottawa today. What does the minister have to say to them?
Mr. Speaker, we have a duty here in the House to follow the Conflict of Interest Act. No one is above this legislation, not even the Prime Minister.In light of the scathing report of the former ethics commissioner, we can say in no uncertain terms that the Prime Minister deliberately tried to be exempt from a federal statute and he abused the system by getting Canadian taxpayers to pay for his family vacation.Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he will reimburse his family trip that was paid for out of Canadians' pockets?
Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. The oceans protection plan is a world-leading plan that will bring marine safety to levels in Canada that are not seen anywhere else in the world. Yes, we are committed to coastal communities. We are committed to abandoned vessel removal. We are committed to restoring the southern resident killer whales. We are committed to having a faster response in case of any problems along our coastal areas. This is a program that the people of B.C., the coastal people of B.C., are welcoming. This is something that has never been done in any other country.
Mr. Speaker, as soon as the Ethics Commissioner released her report, I accepted it, took full responsibility, and accepted all the commissioner's advice and recommendations. We are following all the recommendations and advice from the commissioner. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, it is simply not true. The Prime Minister made a campaign promise to Canada's veterans. Using veterans, including those in his caucus as a backdrop, the Prime Minister promised that he would immediately restore life-long pensions and that no veteran should have to fight their government in court. We now know that he used all of these veterans, including his caucus, simply as political pawns. While racking up billions in debt, giving billions to the UN, billions away outside Canada for his pet projects, and to Omar Khadr, how can he justify saying to our veterans that they are asking more than he can give them?
Mr. Speaker, here are some questions for the Prime Minister, or rather the government House leader, I should say. I think that will be better.Who travelled to a billionaire's private island? Who brought along the president of the Liberal Party and the Minister of Veterans Affairs to this notorious island? Who violated four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act? Who refuses to pay back the money he picked from taxpayers' pockets?Everyone knows the answers to those questions. It was the Prime Minister. What we do not know is why the Prime Minister does not want to reimburse Canadians.
I apologize, Mr. Speaker.Here is the question that I hope the members opposite will hear very clearly. If he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back the money. Canadians pay for their vacations with their hard-earned money, and being Prime Minister does not put him above the law.Here is what everyone wants to know: can he pay back the money he took from taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the House that as a Newfoundlander I have seen a lot of fog but the pea soup fog of amnesia over on that side of the House is so thick. Let me remind that side of the House of its record with our veterans in 10 years. Let me remind those members how they balanced their budgets on the backs of our veterans. Let me remind them how they closed offices, how they cut budgets, how they cut front-line staff. We have developed a pension for life that does right by our veterans.
That is so patently false, Mr. Speaker. It was the Conservative government that increased support for veterans by 35%. It was our last veterans minister who ended the court process and started settlement proceedings. The Prime Minister promised during the election campaign that they would never have to go back to court and then he looks a hero in the eye and tells him no. That is shameful and he has to answer
Mr. Speaker, really? Is he serious? Okay, so when the Liberals' top fundraiser, Stephen Bronfman, gets named in the paradise papers, the Prime Minister jumps in immediately and says, Hey, no investigation needed here. Why? Is it because he raised $250,000 for the party in two hours? Is it because it is a case of who you know in the PMO? Ordinary Canadians do not get the royal treatment. Just look at how the Prime Minister treated veteran Brock Blaszczyk who lost his leg in Afghanistan and is fighting for a pension. If only the Prime Minister treated veterans with the same level of deference that he does his billionaire crony pals, would it not be a better country?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal House leader, answering for the Prime Minister, says that he accepts the Ethics Commissioner's report. The Liberal House leader asks why the opposition does not accept the report. We fully accept the commissioner's findings that the Prime Minister broke the law. What we do not accept is that the Prime Minister is attempting to dodge the consequences.Other ministers have repaid taxpayers for their ethical lapses, why will he not?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the New Democrats are misleading Canadians. They are talking about making web giants pay their fair share. It is not the web giants they want to pay more in taxes; it is taxpayers. We made a commitment to taxpayers that they would not have to pay more for their online services. We on this side of the House plan to keep that promise.
Mr. Speaker, get this: a Canadian mining exploration company is operating in Mongolia, and it is reporting $2.1 billion in profit in a Luxembourg-based corporation with one part-time employee, all of this with the Canada Revenue Agencys blessing. It would seem, then, that the cat is out of the bag. The minister is facilitating these dubious tax schemes. In the fight against tax evasion, why is the minister part of the problem rather than the solution?
Mr. Speaker, our veterans have been blatantly betrayed by the Prime Minister breaking his word. Recently, he told our veterans they are asking for more than we can afford, yet he charged taxpayers $200,000 for his illegal vacation and the Minister of Veterans Affairs joined the Prime Minister on that illegal trip. It is a sad day when the minister tags along on the Prime Minister's illegal vacation, blowing $200,000 and later telling veterans who suffered injuries fighting for our country that they are asking too much.Does the minister not agree with our veterans that the $200,000 the PM used for his illegal vacation would have been better spent on
Mr. Speaker, come on, really? At his Nanaimo town hall, the Prime Minister said that he is holding B.C. hostage to the Kinder Morgan pipeline. He said the oceans protection plan, which he had been bragging will fix abandoned vessels, oil spills, and bulk commercial anchorages, will not proceed unless bitumen oil tankers do. However, yesterday in committee, the transport minister said the exact opposite, so who is right? When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for coastal communities instead of blackmailing them?
Mr. Speaker, once again, as the NDP has said, web giants must pay their fair share. It is not web giants that the NDP wants to charge, it is taxpayers. The New Democrats want to make taxpayers pay more taxes. They want Canadians, Quebec and Canadian taxpayers, to pay more taxes for their online services. We, on this side of the House, promised not to raise taxes for taxpayers, and we are going to stand by that promise. If the New Democrats want to raise taxes for Canadians, they should say so instead of hiding behind talk of big corporations.
Mr. Speaker, our government knows how proud Canadians are of our public health care system, and rightly so. This is something we always keep in mind, when sitting at the negotiating table. We also know that the affordability of and access to prescription drugs is an essential issue for Canadians. We are working closely with the provinces, territories, and our partners to provide lower drug prices and timely access to medicine. Public health care is a key Canadian issue in the NAFTA talks.
Mr. Speaker, this question is for the Minister of Veterans Affairs. The code of conduct says specifically that gifts or sponsored travel are to be publicly declared as publicly declarable information and placed on the public registry. Now I have taken a look at the registry and I can note for the House that the minister has not placed either of these things on the registry for his trip with the Prime Minister to the Caribbean. The accommodation clearly was subsidized and the code is very clear that subsidized accommodation must be reported. Why has the minister not reported it, or is he having some of that pea soup amnesia?
Mr. Speaker, UNICEF has observed an overall global decline in female genital mutilation, but not all countries have made progress, and decline has been uneven. UNICEF considers that while current progress is positive, the decline is not keeping up with increasing population growth. If trends continue, the number of girls and women undergoing FGM will rise significantly over the next 15 years. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie inform this House on how Canada is addressing this issue in developing countries?
Mr. Speaker, I understand the Prime Minister thinks that by breaking the fourth wall and trying to escape the tough questions that we are asking he will in some way be able to skate through this. However, Canadians see right through that. Yes, it is our job to ask the tough questions, and it is his habit to evade those questions and ask other ministers to defend his illegal activity.Here is a simple question. When other ministers were found to have broken the rules, they had to pay the money back. Why does he think he does not have to?
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the dairy farmers are here today. In fact, I have sat down with the dairy farmers, all of the supply sector, on numerous occasions.When this CPTPP has been signed, I will sit down and discuss the path forward, to make sure that our supply management that this party put in place, that this government will defend on a united front, I might add, and the agricultural sector, continue to thrive in this country.
Mr. Speaker, we have tremendous respect for our public service. In Canada, we have one of the best public services anywhere in the world. Their work is valuable.That is why they deserve to be paid on time and accurately. We recognize the challenges of the Phoenix pay system. We also recognize that the cause was the failure of the Conservative government to maintain the existing system until a new system was working. To achieve a little surplus on the eve of an election, Conservatives cut 700 pay advisers. That is costing the public service today.We are going to fix this.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his long-standing advocacy of conservation. Let me be 100% clear. We always will stand up for our environment, and we will always stand up for our watersheds. We have made significant investments, and we will continue to do so. We have other things we also need to do, which is making sure that we support indigenous community-based monitoring in the oil sands. We need to address species at risk, including the recovery of caribou. We need to support other conservation programs. I encourage those who have received support under this program to continue to look for other opportunities with our government to continue their good work.
Mr. Speaker, as many on this side of the House know, I relish the opportunity to compare the record of this government in two and a half years on our veterans with the 10 years by the previous government. To say that budgets were not cut, we know they were cut. Why? Because we restored them. To say that offices were not closed, we know they were closed. Why? Because we reopened them. To say that veterans were not ignored, we know they were ignored. Why? Because we listened to them. We have spent $10 billion of new money on our veterans in two and a half years.
Mr. Speaker, in this place, in our system, it is the role of the opposition to ask tough questions to challenge the government in place. That is what leads to a strong democracy. However, above the partisan attacks and the personal mudslinging, we have a system where an ethics commissioner objectively looks at behaviour, makes recommendations, and delivers consequences. In this case, above the partisan role that the opposition is importantly playing, we need to make sure we are following the Ethics Commissioner's advice. That is exactly what I am doing.
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner's report was released more than a month ago, and the Prime Minister refuses to face reality.However, it is simple; when someone does something illegal, that person must accept the consequences. In this case, the Prime Minister took taxpayers' money for illegal vacations. The consequence is simply that he must reimburse Canadian taxpayers. Everyone understands this except the Prime Minister.When will he do this?
Mr. Speaker, we have put more than $1 billion toward the CRA to go after tax avoidance and tax evasion, because we know it is important for everyone to pay their fair share. That is exactly what we are committed to, but more than that, we are actually committed to making our tax system fairer. That is why one of the first things we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Further, we continue to look at ways to help single mothers, to help low-income families with the Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families and is reducing child poverty by 40%.
Mr. Speaker, we are the party that delivered on providing protection to Yazidi women and girls in Canada. We are the party that has redoubled our efforts to make sure that we continue to provide a home for the vulnerable who are fleeing war and persecution. We are the party that has almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that restored refugee health care that was cut by the party opposite.
Mr. Speaker, everyone in this House is accountable to Canadians. Also, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner ensures that every member of this House, up to and including the Prime Minister, is aligned with the rules. When that is not the case, the Ethics Commissioner makes findings. In this case, we fully accepted responsibility. I took personal responsibility on the Ethics Commissioner's report, and will follow all of her recommendations and all of the advice she gave going forward.
Mr. Speaker, in November, the fisheries minister committed to meet with B.C. and first nation governments to discuss moving open-net salmon farms off the wild salmon migration route. Months later, they are still waiting. Last week, the Prime Minister unbelievably said no oceans protection plan unless the Kinder Morgan pipeline is built. This is unacceptable. This morning, the government committed to considering impacts on first nations under a revised Fisheries Act.How can the Liberals justify approving Kinder Morgan after using Harper's gutted assessment process, which failed to adequately consult first nations?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we fully respect the commissioner's report. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility. I encourage members opposite to also accept the fact that the ex-commissioner did state that these are costs that are incurred with the functions of the Prime Minister.
Mr. Speaker, there is still an obligation under the code of conduct to make reports available to the public. The Prime Minister did not do that either. The motion this morning is clear. We are asking for some holes to be plugged so that we do not have this possibility where the Prime Minister decides that he does not have to pay for his consequences. That is just simply wrong.I have a simple question. Will the Prime Minister person up, do the right thing, and pay these costs?
Mr. Speaker, I will take no lessons from members opposite on dealing with veterans. For 10 years that party wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Minister of Agriculture has been sidelined.Farmers have been labelled tax cheats, the makeshift dairy industry program left 80% of producers high and dry, the Standing Committee on Health refused to hear what producers and processors had to say about the future food guide, and the minister has had nothing to say about mitigation measures for 16 days. Will anyone on that side who represents an agricultural riding go over there, wake up the Minister of Agriculture, and get him to stand up for Canadian farmers for once?
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to the well-being of veterans and their families. We are delivering on a lifetime pension commitment which includes benefits and generous programs designed to help veterans live a full and productive life. This is in stark contrast to the previous Conservative government that for 10 years cut veterans offices, cut front-line services, and nickelled and dimed veterans while the Conservatives wrapped themselves in the flag. Even the member for BarrieInnisfil said that the previous Conservative government had become disconnected with veterans and had lost a lot of trust. It is a very fair criticism.We are not just going to criticize that government; we are going to do better than it did.
Mr. Speaker, the fact that it would take an ethics commissioner's report pointing out to the Prime Minister that it is inappropriate to take a gift from someone who conducts business with the government, that it is inappropriate to take a free flight from someone who is doing business with the government, and the fact that it took him a year to disclose these facts, shows that he is also guilty of a tremendous lapse in judgment.Our motion simply states that when members of Parliament or ministers are found to have imburdened the taxpayer with costs associated with illegal activities, they should reimburse the taxpayer. What part of that motion does he disagree with?
Mr. Speaker, demanding that a public official repay taxpayers for an illegal cost is not a partisan issue. It is a fundamental principle of accountability. Anyone else, in the real world, who was found breaking the rules would have to accept the consequences. Why does he think that he is different from everybody else?
Mr. Speaker, in his first few months in office, the Prime Minister spent $4.3 billion on projects outside of Canada. He spent $10 million on Omar Khadr. He spent millions of dollars moving his staff to Ottawa, promoting his tweets, building an ice rink, and even cardboard cut-outs of himself. Last week we learned that the Prime Minister will spare no expense on self-promotion, but he thinks that veterans are asking for too much.When will the Prime Minister apologize for making a promise to veterans he knew he would never keep?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the leader of the official opposition that we can tell the difference. We are a compassionate country and a compassionate government that cares deeply about refugees. We doubled the number of resettled refugees. We have almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that has
Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns female genital mutilation, FGM, and other forms of violence, which affects 200 million women and girls worldwide. I would like to thank my colleague from London North Centre for his question and his advocacy around a human rights issue.Today, in Benin, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie announced $3 million towards a project that will reduce FGM and other forms of gender-based violence. I want to emphasize that women's rights are human rights, and we will continue to support education and awareness that prevent FGM and support survivors.
Mr. Speaker, when we ask him why web giants like Netflix and Facebook do not have to charge sales tax even though their Canadian competitors do, the Prime Minister says that he promised not to raise taxes for the middle class. We are talking about a tax that already exists, sales tax. We want fairness in the industry. It is unacceptable that the Prime Minister does not have the courage to ask web giants to pay their fair share.When will the Prime Minister understand that and insist on fair treatment for the entire industry?
Answer the question.
Mr. Speaker, the former commissioner found that these expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. It is the opposition who called for an inquiry. As soon as the commissioner tabled her report, we accepted its findings. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He reimbursed the cost of the flight, as he should. As far as the other expenses are concerned, the former commissioner found that they were related to the Prime Minister's duties.
Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was tabled the Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He accepted the findings of the report. It was the opposition that demanded that the commissioner investigate. Now that the commissioner has investigated, the report has been tabled. The Conservative members refuse to accept its conclusions. The Conservatives were exactly the same when they were in government and undermining officers of Parliament. We committed to Canadians that we would do government differently, and that is exactly why we respect officers of Parliament. We respect the work they do, and that is why once the report was tabled, the Prime Minister made himself available to the media to ensure that he could answer all questions. He has also travelled the country, engaging directly with Canadians at public town halls.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance abroad to ensure that we have a system that is fair for all Canadians. This is a global issue, and that is why Canada is working closely with its international partners, including the OECD, to improve the exchange of information. As a result of the investments in the last two budgets, the agency is now in a position to carry out an annual assessment of the risks related to activities of major multinationals.As my colleague knows very well, I cannot comment on specific cases.
Mr. Speaker, in the middle of a byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean that the government would not make any concessions when it comes to supply management.Today, we know that he sacrificed 3.25% of the dairy sector and made concessions regarding eggs and poultry as part of the TPP.Did he decide to break his promise after the byelection or did he deliberately lie to farmers?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that whenever and wherever the Prime Minister travels, there are operational security costs that go with it. What I can repeat is that when the commissioner put forward her report, we fully assumed responsibility. I took personal responsibility and pledged to follow all the advice and all the recommendations laid out by the Ethics Commissioner. That is exactly what we were doing. Going forward, we will ensure that any personal vacation or family travel is worked through beforehand with the Ethics Commissioner. We will continue to follow all her advice and recommendations in these and all matters.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his strong support for the environment. I absolutely support standing up for wetlands and watersheds. That is why we are spending $70.5 million over five years to protect them. We have also invested in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, and the St. Lawrence watersheds. We understand that healthy watersheds are vital to the ecological, economic, and cultural well-being of our peoples, and wetlands are crucial to a healthy watershed. We are going to continue to work together with the communities to ensure the health of our watersheds.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, to best ensure the Prime Minister's safety, we always follow the advice of our security agencies. The former commissioner acknowledged that the spending was related to the Prime Minister's duties. The difference between the Conservatives and our government is that we respect the work of senior public servants. The Conservatives demanded the report, and now that they have it, they are rejecting its findings. We, in contrast, accept the findings and are grateful.
Mr. Speaker, again, I want to recognize the dairy farmers who are here. Today we are going to elevate the debate on this issue because I think that all members on this side of the House recognize the work of our farmers and appreciate our dairy farmers. That is why, two days after the TPP announcement, I met with these people in Montreal. We will continue that discussion. Together with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, we will continue to defend supply management. We know how important it is for Canadian industry.
Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting day, because today we are debating the opposition's motion. The leader of the official opposition is a former speaker of this place. He knows that it is question period, and yet we do not hear questions; rather, we hear statements from the member. If the member would like to hear a statement, I would like to remind Canadians that when it comes to the Prime Minister, whenever and wherever he travels, there are costs affiliated with his security. We respect the work of our security agencies. We will take their recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, they cut budgets, ignored voices, and closed offices.Let me tell the House about someone else. A retired major with 25 years of service, 20% disabled, which basically means they may have a loss of hearing or perhaps a bad knee or ankle, will now receive over $70,000 in pain and suffering benefits alone, not to mention education and training benefits to help them transition to a civilian life. That is not a prop; that is a real person affected by our new investments for our veterans.
As stated in Bosc and Gagnon, if the essence of Parliament is government accountability, then surely the essence of accountability is the question period in the Canadian House of Commons. Mr. Speaker, I am sure if you seek it, you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:I move that, in the opinion of the House, when he is present, the Prime Minister should respond to all oral questions from the opposition party, even the tough ones.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes healthy choices the easy choice. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. As part of the healthy eating strategy, work to update Canada's food guide is well under way, and we are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders from all across the country. The most recent public consultation of the new food guide concluded in late August, and the result of these will be published in the near future. I also look forward to meeting with the industry as well.
Mr. Speaker, we have provided $10 billion in new money for our veterans, for Veterans Affairs offices, for their budgets, for the lives of our veterans. There are so many examples that are given to me when I walk into the House, a retired major with 25 years of service with an 100% disability assessment who will now receive nearly $9,000 a month in both pain and suffering compensation and income replacement. That is not a betrayal. That is a commitment in action, finally, for our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, immediately after the report was tabled, the Prime Minister accepted responsibility and accepted its findings, as every leader should. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility and made himself available to answer any questions, unlike the previous government, then prime minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government, when they would undermine officers of Parliament. We will not take lessons from the Conservatives. On this side of the House we respect officers of Parliament, we respect the work they do, and we thank them for their hard work.
Mr. Speaker, in a moment I will be seek the unanimous consent of the House on a motion regarding oral question period, referred to in Standing Order 37 and in greater detail in chapter 11 in Bosc and Gagnon.Mr. Speaker, you will remember that even during the darkest days of the Mike Duffy scandal, when the leader of the official opposition, my friend from Outremont, was delivering devastating blow after blow to then prime minister Stephen Harper and his government, the prime minister at the time still answered the NDP leader's questions, even the tough ones. However, the current Prime Minister has started cherry picking which leader questions he is willing to answer in the House of Commons.Yesterday and today he even refused to answer
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the former commissioner recognized that these expenses were incurred as part of the Prime Minister's duties. I have repeated this answer several times and I encourage the member to listen to the answer. It is because the expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. The former commissioner also said that.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question. The fact of the matter is, as I have said many times in this House, we are the party that fought to implement supply management and we are the government that is going to defend it. We have done that with action, with the innovation program for the dairy sector. The CPTPP gives opportunity for all the agricultural sectors right across this country, which is a significant opportunity. With that, we fully understand how important supply management is for this country. We have and will continue to make sure that we fully support the supply management program.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for VaughanWoodbridge for his question. We have discussed on several occasions the importance of coding, digital skills, and digital literacy. Of course, it is hard work as well, as the member opposite just said. As we know, these are fundamental skills for the jobs of today and the future, from video game developers, to farming, to forestry, to mining. That is why we introduced and launched a $50 million CanCode initiative. This will help up to one million students and teachers across the country to learn how to code. We are investing in our number one resource, our people.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question because it gives me an opportunity to indicate in fact what we have done. We put a $350 million program in place and ordered that $250 million would be put to the dairy farmers in order to make sure they remain on the cutting edge. I can tell my hon. colleague and the House that $25 million of that has already been approved. What it is doing is making sure that the supply management sector in the dairy industry remains strong and on the cutting edge.
Mr. Speaker, our government supports a new vision for environmentally sustainable aquaculture, and we are working with the province and indigenous communities to consider all options to ensure that we protect our marine environment. While the industry generates $2 billion in economic activity, approximately $600 million in labour income, we understand a clean environment is the greatest economic driver. It is important that we get this right, because sustainable aquaculture provides year-round jobs paying thousands of Canadians, including those in more than 50 first nations, many of whom live in rural coastal communities.
Mr. Speaker, we made a promise to veterans. We made a promise to veterans that they had heard for a long time. In 2006, all sides of the House sat down with veterans and decided on a new veterans charter. They decided that it would be a living document, that it would be something that would provide for our veterans in the future. For 10 years, the previous government sat on that document. The Conservatives did nothing but cut budgets, cut offices, and ignore the voices of our veterans. We have invested $10 billion
Mr. Speaker, with a fast-growing and more knowledge-based digital economy, we need to make sure that our young people have the skills and knowledge they need to compete, to succeed, and also to innovate. Taking this initiative to instill that passion for learning is vital to our collective success. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please explain what steps the government is taking to ensure our young people are ready for the digital global economy of today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Mr. Speaker, this dairy agreement will give significant opportunity to our farmers and ranchers right across this country. The government fully understands the importance of the supply management system. In fact, this is the party that initiated supply management and this is the government that will defend supply management. That is why we are sitting down with the dairy industry across this country in order to work a plan forward, to make sure that the dairy industry and all our agricultural sectors remain strong in this country.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I would like to recognize the dairy farmers who are here with us and who I had an opportunity to meet with today.Our party has always defended supply management. Our prime ministers have always done so and so has our party. We understand farmers' concerns. That is why, two days after the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership was announced, I met with some thirty farmers in Montreal. We understand their concerns. We are going to continue to discuss the impact of this agreement with them. We are going to continue that discussion because it is an essential sector of the Canadian economy.
Mr. Speaker
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are carrying out an ideological attack on Canadian agriculture, with warning labels on dairy and meat products, and a Canadian food guide that discourages people from eating healthy animal protein and dairy. Not one single farmer or processor was allowed to give any input on these decisions.The Liberals are devastating Canadian businesses and farm families on data that is based on bad science.Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stand up for our farmers and stop this attack on Canadian agriculture?
Mr. Speaker, our veterans have been blatantly betrayed by the Prime Minister breaking his word. Recently, he told our veterans they are asking for more than we can afford, yet he charged taxpayers $200,000 for his illegal vacation and the Minister of Veterans Affairs joined the Prime Minister on that illegal trip. It is a sad day when the minister tags along on the Prime Minister's illegal vacation, blowing $200,000 and later telling veterans who suffered injuries fighting for our country that they are asking too much.Does the minister not agree with our veterans that the $200,000 the PM used for his illegal vacation would have been better spent on
Accepting responsibility means accepting consequences, Mr. Speaker. We all know the Prime Minister loves taking luxury vacations in the Caribbean and does not mind sticking the cost to taxpayers. He constantly tells Canadians that they have to pick up the tab for his luxurious travel. When that travel is deemed to be illegal, he should pay Canadians back. When will he?
That is so patently false, Mr. Speaker. It was the Conservative government that increased support for veterans by 35%. It was our last veterans minister who ended the court process and started settlement proceedings. The Prime Minister promised during the election campaign that they would never have to go back to court and then he looks a hero in the eye and tells him no. That is shameful and he has to answer
Mr. Speaker, these are expenses incurred for an illegal trip that should never have taken place. I would like to read some comments I received just yesterday from one of my constituents. I would like the Prime Minister to listen carefully and you as well, Madam Leader: if he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back
Mr. Speaker, in a moment I will be seek the unanimous consent of the House on a motion regarding oral question period, referred to in Standing Order 37 and in greater detail in chapter 11 in Bosc and Gagnon.Mr. Speaker, you will remember that even during the darkest days of the Mike Duffy scandal, when the leader of the official opposition, my friend from Outremont, was delivering devastating blow after blow to then prime minister Stephen Harper and his government, the prime minister at the time still answered the NDP leader's questions, even the tough ones. However, the current Prime Minister has started cherry picking which leader questions he is willing to answer in the House of Commons.Yesterday and today he even refused to answer
Mr. Speaker, I understand the Prime Minister thinks that by breaking the fourth wall and trying to escape the tough questions that we are asking he will in some way be able to skate through this. However, Canadians see right through that. Yes, it is our job to ask the tough questions, and it is his habit to evade those questions and ask other ministers to defend his illegal activity.Here is a simple question. When other ministers were found to have broken the rules, they had to pay the money back. Why does he think he does not have to?
Mr. Speaker, they cut budgets, ignored voices, and closed offices.Let me tell the House about someone else. A retired major with 25 years of service, 20% disabled, which basically means they may have a loss of hearing or perhaps a bad knee or ankle, will now receive over $70,000 in pain and suffering benefits alone, not to mention education and training benefits to help them transition to a civilian life. That is not a prop; that is a real person affected by our new investments for our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner's report was released more than a month ago, and the Prime Minister refuses to face reality.However, it is simple; when someone does something illegal, that person must accept the consequences. In this case, the Prime Minister took taxpayers' money for illegal vacations. The consequence is simply that he must reimburse Canadian taxpayers. Everyone understands this except the Prime Minister.When will he do this?
Mr. Speaker, the minister has to answer for her decision to eliminate the national wetland conservation fund. Since 2014, the fund has supported projects that protect and enhance thousands of hectares of wetlands. Wetlands are vital for sequestering carbon, improving water quality, creating fish and wildlife habitat, protecting endangered species, and managing watersheds.Conservation groups across Canada are outraged by what the minister did, and now know that these Liberals are phony environmentalists. Why would the government eliminate the national wetland conservation fund, which has delivered such important benefits for Canada's environment?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for VaughanWoodbridge for his question. We have discussed on several occasions the importance of coding, digital skills, and digital literacy. Of course, it is hard work as well, as the member opposite just said. As we know, these are fundamental skills for the jobs of today and the future, from video game developers, to farming, to forestry, to mining. That is why we introduced and launched a $50 million CanCode initiative. This will help up to one million students and teachers across the country to learn how to code. We are investing in our number one resource, our people.
Mr. Speaker, during the byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers that he would not make any concessions on supply management under the TPP. Three months later, the government failed to stand up for our dairy, egg, and cheese producers. Where I come from, we have a word for someone who tells people something to their face when he has something to gain and then turns around and does exactly the opposite.What does the Prime Minister call those sorts of people? Where I come from, we call them liars.
Mr. Speaker, demanding that a public official repay taxpayers for an illegal cost is not a partisan issue. It is a fundamental principle of accountability. Anyone else, in the real world, who was found breaking the rules would have to accept the consequences. Why does he think that he is different from everybody else?
Mr. Speaker, last week, exactly one day before World Wetlands Day, the Liberals killed the national wetlands conservation fund. Meanwhile, the minister received $40 million to spend on policy, communication, and engagement. That is another example of Liberals talking the talk but not walking the walk. They claim to be champions of the environment, but then cut essential environmental programs to spend more money on photographers and press releases.Will the minister now reverse this terrible decision? Will she stand up for Canada's wetlands?
Mr. Speaker, the fact that it would take an ethics commissioner's report pointing out to the Prime Minister that it is inappropriate to take a gift from someone who conducts business with the government, that it is inappropriate to take a free flight from someone who is doing business with the government, and the fact that it took him a year to disclose these facts, shows that he is also guilty of a tremendous lapse in judgment.Our motion simply states that when members of Parliament or ministers are found to have imburdened the taxpayer with costs associated with illegal activities, they should reimburse the taxpayer. What part of that motion does he disagree with?
Mr. Speaker, we have a duty here in the House to follow the Conflict of Interest Act. No one is above this legislation, not even the Prime Minister.In light of the scathing report of the former ethics commissioner, we can say in no uncertain terms that the Prime Minister deliberately tried to be exempt from a federal statute and he abused the system by getting Canadian taxpayers to pay for his family vacation.Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he will reimburse his family trip that was paid for out of Canadians' pockets?
Mr. Speaker, we made a promise to veterans. We made a promise to veterans that they had heard for a long time. In 2006, all sides of the House sat down with veterans and decided on a new veterans charter. They decided that it would be a living document, that it would be something that would provide for our veterans in the future. For 10 years, the previous government sat on that document. The Conservatives did nothing but cut budgets, cut offices, and ignore the voices of our veterans. We have invested $10 billion
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years the Conservative government cut veterans services, cut front-line offices, shut down nine veterans service centres across the country, nickelled and dimed veterans while using them for photo ops, members wrapping themselves in the flag every chance they got. It was shameful.We have restored respect to veterans. We are investing in benefits. We are reopening closed offices. We are supporting their families. We are doing right what for 10 years the Conservatives did wrong.
Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. The oceans protection plan is a world-leading plan that will bring marine safety to levels in Canada that are not seen anywhere else in the world. Yes, we are committed to coastal communities. We are committed to abandoned vessel removal. We are committed to restoring the southern resident killer whales. We are committed to having a faster response in case of any problems along our coastal areas. This is a program that the people of B.C., the coastal people of B.C., are welcoming. This is something that has never been done in any other country.
Mr. Speaker, in his first few months in office, the Prime Minister spent $4.3 billion on projects outside of Canada. He spent $10 million on Omar Khadr. He spent millions of dollars moving his staff to Ottawa, promoting his tweets, building an ice rink, and even cardboard cut-outs of himself. Last week we learned that the Prime Minister will spare no expense on self-promotion, but he thinks that veterans are asking for too much.When will the Prime Minister apologize for making a promise to veterans he knew he would never keep?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, immediately after the report was tabled, the Prime Minister accepted responsibility and accepted its findings, as every leader should. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility and made himself available to answer any questions, unlike the previous government, then prime minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government, when they would undermine officers of Parliament. We will not take lessons from the Conservatives. On this side of the House we respect officers of Parliament, we respect the work they do, and we thank them for their hard work.
Mr. Speaker, the former commissioner found that these expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. It is the opposition who called for an inquiry. As soon as the commissioner tabled her report, we accepted its findings. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He reimbursed the cost of the flight, as he should. As far as the other expenses are concerned, the former commissioner found that they were related to the Prime Minister's duties.
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the House that as a Newfoundlander I have seen a lot of fog but the pea soup fog of amnesia over on that side of the House is so thick. Let me remind that side of the House of its record with our veterans in 10 years. Let me remind those members how they balanced their budgets on the backs of our veterans. Let me remind them how they closed offices, how they cut budgets, how they cut front-line staff. We have developed a pension for life that does right by our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, as many on this side of the House know, I relish the opportunity to compare the record of this government in two and a half years on our veterans with the 10 years by the previous government. To say that budgets were not cut, we know they were cut. Why? Because we restored them. To say that offices were not closed, we know they were closed. Why? Because we reopened them. To say that veterans were not ignored, we know they were ignored. Why? Because we listened to them. We have spent $10 billion of new money on our veterans in two and a half years.
Mr. Speaker, everyone in this House is accountable to Canadians. Also, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner ensures that every member of this House, up to and including the Prime Minister, is aligned with the rules. When that is not the case, the Ethics Commissioner makes findings. In this case, we fully accepted responsibility. I took personal responsibility on the Ethics Commissioner's report, and will follow all of her recommendations and all of the advice she gave going forward.
Mr. Speaker, I will take no lessons from members opposite on dealing with veterans. For 10 years that party wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got
Answer the question.
Mr. Speaker
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the leader of the official opposition that we can tell the difference. We are a compassionate country and a compassionate government that cares deeply about refugees. We doubled the number of resettled refugees. We have almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that has
Mr. Speaker, we are the party that delivered on providing protection to Yazidi women and girls in Canada. We are the party that has redoubled our efforts to make sure that we continue to provide a home for the vulnerable who are fleeing war and persecution. We are the party that has almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that restored refugee health care that was cut by the party opposite.
Mr. Speaker, here are some questions for the Prime Minister, or rather the government House leader, I should say. I think that will be better.Who travelled to a billionaire's private island? Who brought along the president of the Liberal Party and the Minister of Veterans Affairs to this notorious island? Who violated four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act? Who refuses to pay back the money he picked from taxpayers' pockets?Everyone knows the answers to those questions. It was the Prime Minister. What we do not know is why the Prime Minister does not want to reimburse Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we fully respect the commissioner's report. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility. I encourage members opposite to also accept the fact that the ex-commissioner did state that these are costs that are incurred with the functions of the Prime Minister.
Mr. Speaker, get this: a Canadian mining exploration company is operating in Mongolia, and it is reporting $2.1 billion in profit in a Luxembourg-based corporation with one part-time employee, all of this with the Canada Revenue Agencys blessing. It would seem, then, that the cat is out of the bag. The minister is facilitating these dubious tax schemes. In the fight against tax evasion, why is the minister part of the problem rather than the solution?
Mr. Speaker, in the middle of a byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean that the government would not make any concessions when it comes to supply management.Today, we know that he sacrificed 3.25% of the dairy sector and made concessions regarding eggs and poultry as part of the TPP.Did he decide to break his promise after the byelection or did he deliberately lie to farmers?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I would like to recognize the dairy farmers who are here with us and who I had an opportunity to meet with today.Our party has always defended supply management. Our prime ministers have always done so and so has our party. We understand farmers' concerns. That is why, two days after the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership was announced, I met with some thirty farmers in Montreal. We understand their concerns. We are going to continue to discuss the impact of this agreement with them. We are going to continue that discussion because it is an essential sector of the Canadian economy.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about tax fairness.Under the Liberal government, the CRA has come down hard on single moms, suspending their child tax benefits and forcing them to jump through hoops, but when KPMG was found to be running an international tax fraud scheme, whoa, the uber-rich got immediate amnesty. The Prime Minister went further. He appointed the top KPMG rep as the treasurer of the Liberal Party. Does the Prime Minister not understand the basic principle of conflict of interest? Why is he putting the interests of the big Liberal money machine ahead of ordinary Canadians who play by the rules, pay their fair share, listen, and work hard?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Minister of Agriculture has been sidelined.Farmers have been labelled tax cheats, the makeshift dairy industry program left 80% of producers high and dry, the Standing Committee on Health refused to hear what producers and processors had to say about the future food guide, and the minister has had nothing to say about mitigation measures for 16 days. Will anyone on that side who represents an agricultural riding go over there, wake up the Minister of Agriculture, and get him to stand up for Canadian farmers for once?
Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns female genital mutilation, FGM, and other forms of violence, which affects 200 million women and girls worldwide. I would like to thank my colleague from London North Centre for his question and his advocacy around a human rights issue.Today, in Benin, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie announced $3 million towards a project that will reduce FGM and other forms of gender-based violence. I want to emphasize that women's rights are human rights, and we will continue to support education and awareness that prevent FGM and support survivors.
Mr. Speaker, UNICEF has observed an overall global decline in female genital mutilation, but not all countries have made progress, and decline has been uneven. UNICEF considers that while current progress is positive, the decline is not keeping up with increasing population growth. If trends continue, the number of girls and women undergoing FGM will rise significantly over the next 15 years. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie inform this House on how Canada is addressing this issue in developing countries?
Mr. Speaker, this question is for the Minister of Veterans Affairs. The code of conduct says specifically that gifts or sponsored travel are to be publicly declared as publicly declarable information and placed on the public registry. Now I have taken a look at the registry and I can note for the House that the minister has not placed either of these things on the registry for his trip with the Prime Minister to the Caribbean. The accommodation clearly was subsidized and the code is very clear that subsidized accommodation must be reported. Why has the minister not reported it, or is he having some of that pea soup amnesia?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question because it gives me an opportunity to indicate in fact what we have done. We put a $350 million program in place and ordered that $250 million would be put to the dairy farmers in order to make sure they remain on the cutting edge. I can tell my hon. colleague and the House that $25 million of that has already been approved. What it is doing is making sure that the supply management sector in the dairy industry remains strong and on the cutting edge.
Mr. Speaker, in November, the fisheries minister committed to meet with B.C. and first nation governments to discuss moving open-net salmon farms off the wild salmon migration route. Months later, they are still waiting. Last week, the Prime Minister unbelievably said no oceans protection plan unless the Kinder Morgan pipeline is built. This is unacceptable. This morning, the government committed to considering impacts on first nations under a revised Fisheries Act.How can the Liberals justify approving Kinder Morgan after using Harper's gutted assessment process, which failed to adequately consult first nations?
Mr. Speaker, the first week of February is Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Between 2% to 3% of Canadians have an eating disorder.According to Statistics Canada, in 2016, millions of Canadians met the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. Furthermore, one in ten people with an eating disorder will die, which is the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses.Can the Minister of Health tell the House what the government is doing to support people with eating disorders and their families?
Mr. Speaker, it is simply not true. The Prime Minister made a campaign promise to Canada's veterans. Using veterans, including those in his caucus as a backdrop, the Prime Minister promised that he would immediately restore life-long pensions and that no veteran should have to fight their government in court. We now know that he used all of these veterans, including his caucus, simply as political pawns. While racking up billions in debt, giving billions to the UN, billions away outside Canada for his pet projects, and to Omar Khadr, how can he justify saying to our veterans that they are asking more than he can give them?
Mr. Speaker, once again, above the partisan attacks and the mudslinging, we have an Ethics Commissioner whose work we, on this side of the House, respect. The Ethics Commissioner made findings that we immediately accepted and I took responsibility for. She made recommendations and gave advice that we are following entirely and completely. The members opposite are trying to play personal attacks on top of that. However, Canadians can be assured that the Ethics Commissioner is the one who objectively looks at this above the partisan fray.
I apologize, Mr. Speaker.Here is the question that I hope the members opposite will hear very clearly. If he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back the money. Canadians pay for their vacations with their hard-earned money, and being Prime Minister does not put him above the law.Here is what everyone wants to know: can he pay back the money he took from taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, since the Liberals came to power, more than 193,000 public servants have been affected by the Trudeau governments inability to fix the Phoenix pay system. That is 73% of the total number of federal employees. This is not stopping the Liberals from shifting the blame onto the previous government. The Conservatives are not the ones who will be fixing the problem. When will the government take responsibility and stop this financial disaster?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that whenever and wherever the Prime Minister travels, there are operational security costs that go with it. What I can repeat is that when the commissioner put forward her report, we fully assumed responsibility. I took personal responsibility and pledged to follow all the advice and all the recommendations laid out by the Ethics Commissioner. That is exactly what we were doing. Going forward, we will ensure that any personal vacation or family travel is worked through beforehand with the Ethics Commissioner. We will continue to follow all her advice and recommendations in these and all matters.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals still do not understand there is a difference between legitimate refugees, immigrants coming to this country, and people who have fought with ISIS. I do not blame the Prime Minister for not getting up off the mat. We know that he would rather be sitting there signing autographs. I have a suggestion for the government House leader. If the Prime Minister likes to sign his name so much, maybe he can take out his chequebook and sign a cheque paying back taxpayers the money he cost them.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the former commissioner recognized that these expenses were incurred as part of the Prime Minister's duties. I have repeated this answer several times and I encourage the member to listen to the answer. It is because the expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. The former commissioner also said that.
Mr. Speaker, he does not get it. We are not talking about a new tax; we are talking about a tax that already exists and must be collected by Canadian competitors. He needs to follow the example of France, Australia, and many American states that have decided to make these web giants pay. Even here at home, the whole province of Quebec wants to do the same. Imposing on Bombardier a sales tax that is not required of Boeing would be unthinkable, so why do it in the online sector? Not only is the Prime Minister trying to justify these tax breaks, but he is going even further by making deals with those companies.When will the Liberals stop getting into bed with these web giants?
Mr. Speaker, really? Is he serious? Okay, so when the Liberals' top fundraiser, Stephen Bronfman, gets named in the paradise papers, the Prime Minister jumps in immediately and says, Hey, no investigation needed here. Why? Is it because he raised $250,000 for the party in two hours? Is it because it is a case of who you know in the PMO? Ordinary Canadians do not get the royal treatment. Just look at how the Prime Minister treated veteran Brock Blaszczyk who lost his leg in Afghanistan and is fighting for a pension. If only the Prime Minister treated veterans with the same level of deference that he does his billionaire crony pals, would it not be a better country?
Mr. Speaker, in this place, in our system, it is the role of the opposition to ask tough questions to challenge the government in place. That is what leads to a strong democracy. However, above the partisan attacks and the personal mudslinging, we have a system where an ethics commissioner objectively looks at behaviour, makes recommendations, and delivers consequences. In this case, above the partisan role that the opposition is importantly playing, we need to make sure we are following the Ethics Commissioner's advice. That is exactly what I am doing.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance abroad to ensure that we have a system that is fair for all Canadians. This is a global issue, and that is why Canada is working closely with its international partners, including the OECD, to improve the exchange of information. As a result of the investments in the last two budgets, the agency is now in a position to carry out an annual assessment of the risks related to activities of major multinationals.As my colleague knows very well, I cannot comment on specific cases.
As stated in Bosc and Gagnon, if the essence of Parliament is government accountability, then surely the essence of accountability is the question period in the Canadian House of Commons. Mr. Speaker, I am sure if you seek it, you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:I move that, in the opinion of the House, when he is present, the Prime Minister should respond to all oral questions from the opposition party, even the tough ones.
Mr. Speaker, come on, really? At his Nanaimo town hall, the Prime Minister said that he is holding B.C. hostage to the Kinder Morgan pipeline. He said the oceans protection plan, which he had been bragging will fix abandoned vessels, oil spills, and bulk commercial anchorages, will not proceed unless bitumen oil tankers do. However, yesterday in committee, the transport minister said the exact opposite, so who is right? When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for coastal communities instead of blackmailing them?
Mr. Speaker, there is still an obligation under the code of conduct to make reports available to the public. The Prime Minister did not do that either. The motion this morning is clear. We are asking for some holes to be plugged so that we do not have this possibility where the Prime Minister decides that he does not have to pay for his consequences. That is just simply wrong.I have a simple question. Will the Prime Minister person up, do the right thing, and pay these costs?
Mr. Speaker, today the dairy farmers of Canada are on the Hill to represent over 221,000 Canadians who depend on this sector for their livelihoods, and to clearly register their opposition to the TPP. Yesterday, the government responded to my question on threats to supply management with more platitudes about consultation. This government is speaking out of both sides of its mouth. When will the Liberals listen to our hard-working farmers and stop making concessions that put our dairy industry at risk?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Saint-Laurent, for her excellent work and for giving me an opportunity to highlight our government's commitments to helping people living with eating disorders.Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that come with serious medical complications. This is why our government invested more than $5 million in budget 2017 to provide better mental health support across the country. These investments will make a real difference in the lives of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we have provided $10 billion in new money for our veterans, for Veterans Affairs offices, for their budgets, for the lives of our veterans. There are so many examples that are given to me when I walk into the House, a retired major with 25 years of service with an 100% disability assessment who will now receive nearly $9,000 a month in both pain and suffering compensation and income replacement. That is not a betrayal. That is a commitment in action, finally, for our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, we have tremendous respect for our public service. In Canada, we have one of the best public services anywhere in the world. Their work is valuable.That is why they deserve to be paid on time and accurately. We recognize the challenges of the Phoenix pay system. We also recognize that the cause was the failure of the Conservative government to maintain the existing system until a new system was working. To achieve a little surplus on the eve of an election, Conservatives cut 700 pay advisers. That is costing the public service today.We are going to fix this.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his long-standing advocacy of conservation. Let me be 100% clear. We always will stand up for our environment, and we will always stand up for our watersheds. We have made significant investments, and we will continue to do so. We have other things we also need to do, which is making sure that we support indigenous community-based monitoring in the oil sands. We need to address species at risk, including the recovery of caribou. We need to support other conservation programs. I encourage those who have received support under this program to continue to look for other opportunities with our government to continue their good work.
Mr. Speaker, the dairy industry knows that the government is selling them out.The cost of drugs in Canada is already the second-highest in the world. One in five Canadians say a member of their household cannot afford prescribed medications. We know big pharma is pushing for restrictive intellectual property rules, which will further skyrocket drug prices. Corporate lobbies want expanded investor-state provisions allowing them to sue our government for public policy that is good for our country. Will this Liberal government stand up for Canadians and refuse a revised NAFTA that prevents us from implementing a national pharmacare program?
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the dairy farmers are here today. In fact, I have sat down with the dairy farmers, all of the supply sector, on numerous occasions.When this CPTPP has been signed, I will sit down and discuss the path forward, to make sure that our supply management that this party put in place, that this government will defend on a united front, I might add, and the agricultural sector, continue to thrive in this country.
Mr. Speaker, as soon as the Ethics Commissioner released her report, I accepted it, took full responsibility, and accepted all the commissioner's advice and recommendations. We are following all the recommendations and advice from the commissioner. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was tabled the Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He accepted the findings of the report. It was the opposition that demanded that the commissioner investigate. Now that the commissioner has investigated, the report has been tabled. The Conservative members refuse to accept its conclusions. The Conservatives were exactly the same when they were in government and undermining officers of Parliament. We committed to Canadians that we would do government differently, and that is exactly why we respect officers of Parliament. We respect the work they do, and that is why once the report was tabled, the Prime Minister made himself available to the media to ensure that he could answer all questions. He has also travelled the country, engaging directly with Canadians at public town halls.
Mr. Speaker, it is really interesting to see the Conservative members suddenly standing up for supply management in the House today, considering that it was the previous Conservative government that began chipping away at our supply management system in both the comprehensive economic and trade agreement and the trans-Pacific partnership.The current Liberal government continues to threaten our supply management system. Our farmers do not deserve this hypocrisy. They deserve better. They deserve to know the truth.When will the government stand up and really fight for our supply management system and Canadian farmers?
Mr. Speaker, our government knows how proud Canadians are of our public health care system, and rightly so. This is something we always keep in mind, when sitting at the negotiating table. We also know that the affordability of and access to prescription drugs is an essential issue for Canadians. We are working closely with the provinces, territories, and our partners to provide lower drug prices and timely access to medicine. Public health care is a key Canadian issue in the NAFTA talks.
Mr. Speaker, with a fast-growing and more knowledge-based digital economy, we need to make sure that our young people have the skills and knowledge they need to compete, to succeed, and also to innovate. Taking this initiative to instill that passion for learning is vital to our collective success. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please explain what steps the government is taking to ensure our young people are ready for the digital global economy of today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to the well-being of veterans and their families. We are delivering on a lifetime pension commitment which includes benefits and generous programs designed to help veterans live a full and productive life. This is in stark contrast to the previous Conservative government that for 10 years cut veterans offices, cut front-line services, and nickelled and dimed veterans while the Conservatives wrapped themselves in the flag. Even the member for BarrieInnisfil said that the previous Conservative government had become disconnected with veterans and had lost a lot of trust. It is a very fair criticism.We are not just going to criticize that government; we are going to do better than it did.
Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister is doing is looking them in the eye and saying no after having said yes to just about everybody else: yes, to Omar Khadr; yes, to somebody running a minister's Twitter account, $100,000; yes, to his pals when they want to take a vacation in the Caribbean. The Liberals are saying yes to everybody, but they are telling those who gave their country all they have that they are asking for too much. That is shameful. The Conservatives will hold them to account for that every time.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal House leader, answering for the Prime Minister, says that he accepts the Ethics Commissioner's report. The Liberal House leader asks why the opposition does not accept the report. We fully accept the commissioner's findings that the Prime Minister broke the law. What we do not accept is that the Prime Minister is attempting to dodge the consequences.Other ministers have repaid taxpayers for their ethical lapses, why will he not?
Mr. Speaker, with the TPP comes unprecedented opportunity for Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector. However, unlike the Liberals, we think conversations with farmers should have happened before the agreement, not after.The minister has been out of the picture for 16 days now. He has not said a word about mitigation measures for dairy, egg, and poultry producers. The previous Conservative government offered up $4.3 billion. Dairy producers are in Ottawa today. What does the minister have to say to them?
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely shameful that the Prime Minister said that our veterans, my former brothers and sisters in arms, are asking too much. What bothers soldiers the most is when the government, or the country they were prepared to give their life to, lies to their face.The Prime Minister takes our veterans to court, even though he promised not to do so, and he reached a settlement with a terrorist.Why does the Prime Minister have so much contempt for our veterans?
Mr. Speaker, once again, as the NDP has said, web giants must pay their fair share. It is not web giants that the NDP wants to charge, it is taxpayers. The New Democrats want to make taxpayers pay more taxes. They want Canadians, Quebec and Canadian taxpayers, to pay more taxes for their online services. We, on this side of the House, promised not to raise taxes for taxpayers, and we are going to stand by that promise. If the New Democrats want to raise taxes for Canadians, they should say so instead of hiding behind talk of big corporations.
Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting day, because today we are debating the opposition's motion. The leader of the official opposition is a former speaker of this place. He knows that it is question period, and yet we do not hear questions; rather, we hear statements from the member. If the member would like to hear a statement, I would like to remind Canadians that when it comes to the Prime Minister, whenever and wherever he travels, there are costs affiliated with his security. We respect the work of our security agencies. We will take their recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, to best ensure the Prime Minister's safety, we always follow the advice of our security agencies. The former commissioner acknowledged that the spending was related to the Prime Minister's duties. The difference between the Conservatives and our government is that we respect the work of senior public servants. The Conservatives demanded the report, and now that they have it, they are rejecting its findings. We, in contrast, accept the findings and are grateful.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes healthy choices the easy choice. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. As part of the healthy eating strategy, work to update Canada's food guide is well under way, and we are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders from all across the country. The most recent public consultation of the new food guide concluded in late August, and the result of these will be published in the near future. I also look forward to meeting with the industry as well.
Mr. Speaker, we have put more than $1 billion toward the CRA to go after tax avoidance and tax evasion, because we know it is important for everyone to pay their fair share. That is exactly what we are committed to, but more than that, we are actually committed to making our tax system fairer. That is why one of the first things we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Further, we continue to look at ways to help single mothers, to help low-income families with the Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families and is reducing child poverty by 40%.
Mr. Speaker, our government supports a new vision for environmentally sustainable aquaculture, and we are working with the province and indigenous communities to consider all options to ensure that we protect our marine environment. While the industry generates $2 billion in economic activity, approximately $600 million in labour income, we understand a clean environment is the greatest economic driver. It is important that we get this right, because sustainable aquaculture provides year-round jobs paying thousands of Canadians, including those in more than 50 first nations, many of whom live in rural coastal communities.
Mr. Speaker, this dairy agreement will give significant opportunity to our farmers and ranchers right across this country. The government fully understands the importance of the supply management system. In fact, this is the party that initiated supply management and this is the government that will defend supply management. That is why we are sitting down with the dairy industry across this country in order to work a plan forward, to make sure that the dairy industry and all our agricultural sectors remain strong in this country.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his strong support for the environment. I absolutely support standing up for wetlands and watersheds. That is why we are spending $70.5 million over five years to protect them. We have also invested in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, and the St. Lawrence watersheds. We understand that healthy watersheds are vital to the ecological, economic, and cultural well-being of our peoples, and wetlands are crucial to a healthy watershed. We are going to continue to work together with the communities to ensure the health of our watersheds.
Mr. Speaker, when we ask him why web giants like Netflix and Facebook do not have to charge sales tax even though their Canadian competitors do, the Prime Minister says that he promised not to raise taxes for the middle class. We are talking about a tax that already exists, sales tax. We want fairness in the industry. It is unacceptable that the Prime Minister does not have the courage to ask web giants to pay their fair share.When will the Prime Minister understand that and insist on fair treatment for the entire industry?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question. The fact of the matter is, as I have said many times in this House, we are the party that fought to implement supply management and we are the government that is going to defend it. We have done that with action, with the innovation program for the dairy sector. The CPTPP gives opportunity for all the agricultural sectors right across this country, which is a significant opportunity. With that, we fully understand how important supply management is for this country. We have and will continue to make sure that we fully support the supply management program.
Mr. Speaker, again, I want to recognize the dairy farmers who are here. Today we are going to elevate the debate on this issue because I think that all members on this side of the House recognize the work of our farmers and appreciate our dairy farmers. That is why, two days after the TPP announcement, I met with these people in Montreal. We will continue that discussion. Together with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, we will continue to defend supply management. We know how important it is for Canadian industry.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the New Democrats are misleading Canadians. They are talking about making web giants pay their fair share. It is not the web giants they want to pay more in taxes; it is taxpayers. We made a commitment to taxpayers that they would not have to pay more for their online services. We on this side of the House plan to keep that promise.
Mr. Speaker, it was not just veterans whom the Prime Minister insulted in his town hall. Many Italians and Greeks have come to Canada over many decades. They have been an integral part of our nation's character ever since. That is why it was so offensive that the Prime Minister compared legitimate refugees and immigrants who have built this country with those who have fought and committed genocidal acts with ISIS. Returning ISIS fighters are not refugees. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the difference?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are carrying out an ideological attack on Canadian agriculture, with warning labels on dairy and meat products, and a Canadian food guide that discourages people from eating healthy animal protein and dairy. Not one single farmer or processor was allowed to give any input on these decisions.The Liberals are devastating Canadian businesses and farm families on data that is based on bad science.Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stand up for our farmers and stop this attack on Canadian agriculture?
Mr. Speaker, our veterans have been blatantly betrayed by the Prime Minister breaking his word. Recently, he told our veterans they are asking for more than we can afford, yet he charged taxpayers $200,000 for his illegal vacation and the Minister of Veterans Affairs joined the Prime Minister on that illegal trip. It is a sad day when the minister tags along on the Prime Minister's illegal vacation, blowing $200,000 and later telling veterans who suffered injuries fighting for our country that they are asking too much.Does the minister not agree with our veterans that the $200,000 the PM used for his illegal vacation would have been better spent on
Accepting responsibility means accepting consequences, Mr. Speaker. We all know the Prime Minister loves taking luxury vacations in the Caribbean and does not mind sticking the cost to taxpayers. He constantly tells Canadians that they have to pick up the tab for his luxurious travel. When that travel is deemed to be illegal, he should pay Canadians back. When will he?
That is so patently false, Mr. Speaker. It was the Conservative government that increased support for veterans by 35%. It was our last veterans minister who ended the court process and started settlement proceedings. The Prime Minister promised during the election campaign that they would never have to go back to court and then he looks a hero in the eye and tells him no. That is shameful and he has to answer
Mr. Speaker, these are expenses incurred for an illegal trip that should never have taken place. I would like to read some comments I received just yesterday from one of my constituents. I would like the Prime Minister to listen carefully and you as well, Madam Leader: if he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back
Mr. Speaker, in a moment I will be seek the unanimous consent of the House on a motion regarding oral question period, referred to in Standing Order 37 and in greater detail in chapter 11 in Bosc and Gagnon.Mr. Speaker, you will remember that even during the darkest days of the Mike Duffy scandal, when the leader of the official opposition, my friend from Outremont, was delivering devastating blow after blow to then prime minister Stephen Harper and his government, the prime minister at the time still answered the NDP leader's questions, even the tough ones. However, the current Prime Minister has started cherry picking which leader questions he is willing to answer in the House of Commons.Yesterday and today he even refused to answer
Mr. Speaker, I understand the Prime Minister thinks that by breaking the fourth wall and trying to escape the tough questions that we are asking he will in some way be able to skate through this. However, Canadians see right through that. Yes, it is our job to ask the tough questions, and it is his habit to evade those questions and ask other ministers to defend his illegal activity.Here is a simple question. When other ministers were found to have broken the rules, they had to pay the money back. Why does he think he does not have to?
Mr. Speaker, they cut budgets, ignored voices, and closed offices.Let me tell the House about someone else. A retired major with 25 years of service, 20% disabled, which basically means they may have a loss of hearing or perhaps a bad knee or ankle, will now receive over $70,000 in pain and suffering benefits alone, not to mention education and training benefits to help them transition to a civilian life. That is not a prop; that is a real person affected by our new investments for our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner's report was released more than a month ago, and the Prime Minister refuses to face reality.However, it is simple; when someone does something illegal, that person must accept the consequences. In this case, the Prime Minister took taxpayers' money for illegal vacations. The consequence is simply that he must reimburse Canadian taxpayers. Everyone understands this except the Prime Minister.When will he do this?
Mr. Speaker, the minister has to answer for her decision to eliminate the national wetland conservation fund. Since 2014, the fund has supported projects that protect and enhance thousands of hectares of wetlands. Wetlands are vital for sequestering carbon, improving water quality, creating fish and wildlife habitat, protecting endangered species, and managing watersheds.Conservation groups across Canada are outraged by what the minister did, and now know that these Liberals are phony environmentalists. Why would the government eliminate the national wetland conservation fund, which has delivered such important benefits for Canada's environment?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for VaughanWoodbridge for his question. We have discussed on several occasions the importance of coding, digital skills, and digital literacy. Of course, it is hard work as well, as the member opposite just said. As we know, these are fundamental skills for the jobs of today and the future, from video game developers, to farming, to forestry, to mining. That is why we introduced and launched a $50 million CanCode initiative. This will help up to one million students and teachers across the country to learn how to code. We are investing in our number one resource, our people.
Mr. Speaker, during the byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers that he would not make any concessions on supply management under the TPP. Three months later, the government failed to stand up for our dairy, egg, and cheese producers. Where I come from, we have a word for someone who tells people something to their face when he has something to gain and then turns around and does exactly the opposite.What does the Prime Minister call those sorts of people? Where I come from, we call them liars.
Mr. Speaker, demanding that a public official repay taxpayers for an illegal cost is not a partisan issue. It is a fundamental principle of accountability. Anyone else, in the real world, who was found breaking the rules would have to accept the consequences. Why does he think that he is different from everybody else?
Mr. Speaker, last week, exactly one day before World Wetlands Day, the Liberals killed the national wetlands conservation fund. Meanwhile, the minister received $40 million to spend on policy, communication, and engagement. That is another example of Liberals talking the talk but not walking the walk. They claim to be champions of the environment, but then cut essential environmental programs to spend more money on photographers and press releases.Will the minister now reverse this terrible decision? Will she stand up for Canada's wetlands?
Mr. Speaker, the fact that it would take an ethics commissioner's report pointing out to the Prime Minister that it is inappropriate to take a gift from someone who conducts business with the government, that it is inappropriate to take a free flight from someone who is doing business with the government, and the fact that it took him a year to disclose these facts, shows that he is also guilty of a tremendous lapse in judgment.Our motion simply states that when members of Parliament or ministers are found to have imburdened the taxpayer with costs associated with illegal activities, they should reimburse the taxpayer. What part of that motion does he disagree with?
Mr. Speaker, we have a duty here in the House to follow the Conflict of Interest Act. No one is above this legislation, not even the Prime Minister.In light of the scathing report of the former ethics commissioner, we can say in no uncertain terms that the Prime Minister deliberately tried to be exempt from a federal statute and he abused the system by getting Canadian taxpayers to pay for his family vacation.Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he will reimburse his family trip that was paid for out of Canadians' pockets?
Mr. Speaker, we made a promise to veterans. We made a promise to veterans that they had heard for a long time. In 2006, all sides of the House sat down with veterans and decided on a new veterans charter. They decided that it would be a living document, that it would be something that would provide for our veterans in the future. For 10 years, the previous government sat on that document. The Conservatives did nothing but cut budgets, cut offices, and ignore the voices of our veterans. We have invested $10 billion
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years the Conservative government cut veterans services, cut front-line offices, shut down nine veterans service centres across the country, nickelled and dimed veterans while using them for photo ops, members wrapping themselves in the flag every chance they got. It was shameful.We have restored respect to veterans. We are investing in benefits. We are reopening closed offices. We are supporting their families. We are doing right what for 10 years the Conservatives did wrong.
Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. The oceans protection plan is a world-leading plan that will bring marine safety to levels in Canada that are not seen anywhere else in the world. Yes, we are committed to coastal communities. We are committed to abandoned vessel removal. We are committed to restoring the southern resident killer whales. We are committed to having a faster response in case of any problems along our coastal areas. This is a program that the people of B.C., the coastal people of B.C., are welcoming. This is something that has never been done in any other country.
Mr. Speaker, in his first few months in office, the Prime Minister spent $4.3 billion on projects outside of Canada. He spent $10 million on Omar Khadr. He spent millions of dollars moving his staff to Ottawa, promoting his tweets, building an ice rink, and even cardboard cut-outs of himself. Last week we learned that the Prime Minister will spare no expense on self-promotion, but he thinks that veterans are asking for too much.When will the Prime Minister apologize for making a promise to veterans he knew he would never keep?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, immediately after the report was tabled, the Prime Minister accepted responsibility and accepted its findings, as every leader should. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility and made himself available to answer any questions, unlike the previous government, then prime minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government, when they would undermine officers of Parliament. We will not take lessons from the Conservatives. On this side of the House we respect officers of Parliament, we respect the work they do, and we thank them for their hard work.
Mr. Speaker, the former commissioner found that these expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. It is the opposition who called for an inquiry. As soon as the commissioner tabled her report, we accepted its findings. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He reimbursed the cost of the flight, as he should. As far as the other expenses are concerned, the former commissioner found that they were related to the Prime Minister's duties.
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the House that as a Newfoundlander I have seen a lot of fog but the pea soup fog of amnesia over on that side of the House is so thick. Let me remind that side of the House of its record with our veterans in 10 years. Let me remind those members how they balanced their budgets on the backs of our veterans. Let me remind them how they closed offices, how they cut budgets, how they cut front-line staff. We have developed a pension for life that does right by our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, as many on this side of the House know, I relish the opportunity to compare the record of this government in two and a half years on our veterans with the 10 years by the previous government. To say that budgets were not cut, we know they were cut. Why? Because we restored them. To say that offices were not closed, we know they were closed. Why? Because we reopened them. To say that veterans were not ignored, we know they were ignored. Why? Because we listened to them. We have spent $10 billion of new money on our veterans in two and a half years.
Mr. Speaker, everyone in this House is accountable to Canadians. Also, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner ensures that every member of this House, up to and including the Prime Minister, is aligned with the rules. When that is not the case, the Ethics Commissioner makes findings. In this case, we fully accepted responsibility. I took personal responsibility on the Ethics Commissioner's report, and will follow all of her recommendations and all of the advice she gave going forward.
Mr. Speaker, I will take no lessons from members opposite on dealing with veterans. For 10 years that party wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got
Answer the question.
Mr. Speaker
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the leader of the official opposition that we can tell the difference. We are a compassionate country and a compassionate government that cares deeply about refugees. We doubled the number of resettled refugees. We have almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that has
Mr. Speaker, we are the party that delivered on providing protection to Yazidi women and girls in Canada. We are the party that has redoubled our efforts to make sure that we continue to provide a home for the vulnerable who are fleeing war and persecution. We are the party that has almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that restored refugee health care that was cut by the party opposite.
Mr. Speaker, here are some questions for the Prime Minister, or rather the government House leader, I should say. I think that will be better.Who travelled to a billionaire's private island? Who brought along the president of the Liberal Party and the Minister of Veterans Affairs to this notorious island? Who violated four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act? Who refuses to pay back the money he picked from taxpayers' pockets?Everyone knows the answers to those questions. It was the Prime Minister. What we do not know is why the Prime Minister does not want to reimburse Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we fully respect the commissioner's report. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility. I encourage members opposite to also accept the fact that the ex-commissioner did state that these are costs that are incurred with the functions of the Prime Minister.
Mr. Speaker, get this: a Canadian mining exploration company is operating in Mongolia, and it is reporting $2.1 billion in profit in a Luxembourg-based corporation with one part-time employee, all of this with the Canada Revenue Agencys blessing. It would seem, then, that the cat is out of the bag. The minister is facilitating these dubious tax schemes. In the fight against tax evasion, why is the minister part of the problem rather than the solution?
Mr. Speaker, in the middle of a byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean that the government would not make any concessions when it comes to supply management.Today, we know that he sacrificed 3.25% of the dairy sector and made concessions regarding eggs and poultry as part of the TPP.Did he decide to break his promise after the byelection or did he deliberately lie to farmers?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I would like to recognize the dairy farmers who are here with us and who I had an opportunity to meet with today.Our party has always defended supply management. Our prime ministers have always done so and so has our party. We understand farmers' concerns. That is why, two days after the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership was announced, I met with some thirty farmers in Montreal. We understand their concerns. We are going to continue to discuss the impact of this agreement with them. We are going to continue that discussion because it is an essential sector of the Canadian economy.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about tax fairness.Under the Liberal government, the CRA has come down hard on single moms, suspending their child tax benefits and forcing them to jump through hoops, but when KPMG was found to be running an international tax fraud scheme, whoa, the uber-rich got immediate amnesty. The Prime Minister went further. He appointed the top KPMG rep as the treasurer of the Liberal Party. Does the Prime Minister not understand the basic principle of conflict of interest? Why is he putting the interests of the big Liberal money machine ahead of ordinary Canadians who play by the rules, pay their fair share, listen, and work hard?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Minister of Agriculture has been sidelined.Farmers have been labelled tax cheats, the makeshift dairy industry program left 80% of producers high and dry, the Standing Committee on Health refused to hear what producers and processors had to say about the future food guide, and the minister has had nothing to say about mitigation measures for 16 days. Will anyone on that side who represents an agricultural riding go over there, wake up the Minister of Agriculture, and get him to stand up for Canadian farmers for once?
Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns female genital mutilation, FGM, and other forms of violence, which affects 200 million women and girls worldwide. I would like to thank my colleague from London North Centre for his question and his advocacy around a human rights issue.Today, in Benin, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie announced $3 million towards a project that will reduce FGM and other forms of gender-based violence. I want to emphasize that women's rights are human rights, and we will continue to support education and awareness that prevent FGM and support survivors.
Mr. Speaker, UNICEF has observed an overall global decline in female genital mutilation, but not all countries have made progress, and decline has been uneven. UNICEF considers that while current progress is positive, the decline is not keeping up with increasing population growth. If trends continue, the number of girls and women undergoing FGM will rise significantly over the next 15 years. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie inform this House on how Canada is addressing this issue in developing countries?
Mr. Speaker, this question is for the Minister of Veterans Affairs. The code of conduct says specifically that gifts or sponsored travel are to be publicly declared as publicly declarable information and placed on the public registry. Now I have taken a look at the registry and I can note for the House that the minister has not placed either of these things on the registry for his trip with the Prime Minister to the Caribbean. The accommodation clearly was subsidized and the code is very clear that subsidized accommodation must be reported. Why has the minister not reported it, or is he having some of that pea soup amnesia?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question because it gives me an opportunity to indicate in fact what we have done. We put a $350 million program in place and ordered that $250 million would be put to the dairy farmers in order to make sure they remain on the cutting edge. I can tell my hon. colleague and the House that $25 million of that has already been approved. What it is doing is making sure that the supply management sector in the dairy industry remains strong and on the cutting edge.
Mr. Speaker, in November, the fisheries minister committed to meet with B.C. and first nation governments to discuss moving open-net salmon farms off the wild salmon migration route. Months later, they are still waiting. Last week, the Prime Minister unbelievably said no oceans protection plan unless the Kinder Morgan pipeline is built. This is unacceptable. This morning, the government committed to considering impacts on first nations under a revised Fisheries Act.How can the Liberals justify approving Kinder Morgan after using Harper's gutted assessment process, which failed to adequately consult first nations?
Mr. Speaker, the first week of February is Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Between 2% to 3% of Canadians have an eating disorder.According to Statistics Canada, in 2016, millions of Canadians met the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. Furthermore, one in ten people with an eating disorder will die, which is the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses.Can the Minister of Health tell the House what the government is doing to support people with eating disorders and their families?
Mr. Speaker, it is simply not true. The Prime Minister made a campaign promise to Canada's veterans. Using veterans, including those in his caucus as a backdrop, the Prime Minister promised that he would immediately restore life-long pensions and that no veteran should have to fight their government in court. We now know that he used all of these veterans, including his caucus, simply as political pawns. While racking up billions in debt, giving billions to the UN, billions away outside Canada for his pet projects, and to Omar Khadr, how can he justify saying to our veterans that they are asking more than he can give them?
Mr. Speaker, once again, above the partisan attacks and the mudslinging, we have an Ethics Commissioner whose work we, on this side of the House, respect. The Ethics Commissioner made findings that we immediately accepted and I took responsibility for. She made recommendations and gave advice that we are following entirely and completely. The members opposite are trying to play personal attacks on top of that. However, Canadians can be assured that the Ethics Commissioner is the one who objectively looks at this above the partisan fray.
I apologize, Mr. Speaker.Here is the question that I hope the members opposite will hear very clearly. If he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back the money. Canadians pay for their vacations with their hard-earned money, and being Prime Minister does not put him above the law.Here is what everyone wants to know: can he pay back the money he took from taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, since the Liberals came to power, more than 193,000 public servants have been affected by the Trudeau governments inability to fix the Phoenix pay system. That is 73% of the total number of federal employees. This is not stopping the Liberals from shifting the blame onto the previous government. The Conservatives are not the ones who will be fixing the problem. When will the government take responsibility and stop this financial disaster?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that whenever and wherever the Prime Minister travels, there are operational security costs that go with it. What I can repeat is that when the commissioner put forward her report, we fully assumed responsibility. I took personal responsibility and pledged to follow all the advice and all the recommendations laid out by the Ethics Commissioner. That is exactly what we were doing. Going forward, we will ensure that any personal vacation or family travel is worked through beforehand with the Ethics Commissioner. We will continue to follow all her advice and recommendations in these and all matters.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals still do not understand there is a difference between legitimate refugees, immigrants coming to this country, and people who have fought with ISIS. I do not blame the Prime Minister for not getting up off the mat. We know that he would rather be sitting there signing autographs. I have a suggestion for the government House leader. If the Prime Minister likes to sign his name so much, maybe he can take out his chequebook and sign a cheque paying back taxpayers the money he cost them.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the former commissioner recognized that these expenses were incurred as part of the Prime Minister's duties. I have repeated this answer several times and I encourage the member to listen to the answer. It is because the expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. The former commissioner also said that.
Mr. Speaker, he does not get it. We are not talking about a new tax; we are talking about a tax that already exists and must be collected by Canadian competitors. He needs to follow the example of France, Australia, and many American states that have decided to make these web giants pay. Even here at home, the whole province of Quebec wants to do the same. Imposing on Bombardier a sales tax that is not required of Boeing would be unthinkable, so why do it in the online sector? Not only is the Prime Minister trying to justify these tax breaks, but he is going even further by making deals with those companies.When will the Liberals stop getting into bed with these web giants?
Mr. Speaker, really? Is he serious? Okay, so when the Liberals' top fundraiser, Stephen Bronfman, gets named in the paradise papers, the Prime Minister jumps in immediately and says, Hey, no investigation needed here. Why? Is it because he raised $250,000 for the party in two hours? Is it because it is a case of who you know in the PMO? Ordinary Canadians do not get the royal treatment. Just look at how the Prime Minister treated veteran Brock Blaszczyk who lost his leg in Afghanistan and is fighting for a pension. If only the Prime Minister treated veterans with the same level of deference that he does his billionaire crony pals, would it not be a better country?
Mr. Speaker, in this place, in our system, it is the role of the opposition to ask tough questions to challenge the government in place. That is what leads to a strong democracy. However, above the partisan attacks and the personal mudslinging, we have a system where an ethics commissioner objectively looks at behaviour, makes recommendations, and delivers consequences. In this case, above the partisan role that the opposition is importantly playing, we need to make sure we are following the Ethics Commissioner's advice. That is exactly what I am doing.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance abroad to ensure that we have a system that is fair for all Canadians. This is a global issue, and that is why Canada is working closely with its international partners, including the OECD, to improve the exchange of information. As a result of the investments in the last two budgets, the agency is now in a position to carry out an annual assessment of the risks related to activities of major multinationals.As my colleague knows very well, I cannot comment on specific cases.
As stated in Bosc and Gagnon, if the essence of Parliament is government accountability, then surely the essence of accountability is the question period in the Canadian House of Commons. Mr. Speaker, I am sure if you seek it, you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:I move that, in the opinion of the House, when he is present, the Prime Minister should respond to all oral questions from the opposition party, even the tough ones.
Mr. Speaker, come on, really? At his Nanaimo town hall, the Prime Minister said that he is holding B.C. hostage to the Kinder Morgan pipeline. He said the oceans protection plan, which he had been bragging will fix abandoned vessels, oil spills, and bulk commercial anchorages, will not proceed unless bitumen oil tankers do. However, yesterday in committee, the transport minister said the exact opposite, so who is right? When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for coastal communities instead of blackmailing them?
Mr. Speaker, there is still an obligation under the code of conduct to make reports available to the public. The Prime Minister did not do that either. The motion this morning is clear. We are asking for some holes to be plugged so that we do not have this possibility where the Prime Minister decides that he does not have to pay for his consequences. That is just simply wrong.I have a simple question. Will the Prime Minister person up, do the right thing, and pay these costs?
Mr. Speaker, today the dairy farmers of Canada are on the Hill to represent over 221,000 Canadians who depend on this sector for their livelihoods, and to clearly register their opposition to the TPP. Yesterday, the government responded to my question on threats to supply management with more platitudes about consultation. This government is speaking out of both sides of its mouth. When will the Liberals listen to our hard-working farmers and stop making concessions that put our dairy industry at risk?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Saint-Laurent, for her excellent work and for giving me an opportunity to highlight our government's commitments to helping people living with eating disorders.Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that come with serious medical complications. This is why our government invested more than $5 million in budget 2017 to provide better mental health support across the country. These investments will make a real difference in the lives of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we have provided $10 billion in new money for our veterans, for Veterans Affairs offices, for their budgets, for the lives of our veterans. There are so many examples that are given to me when I walk into the House, a retired major with 25 years of service with an 100% disability assessment who will now receive nearly $9,000 a month in both pain and suffering compensation and income replacement. That is not a betrayal. That is a commitment in action, finally, for our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, we have tremendous respect for our public service. In Canada, we have one of the best public services anywhere in the world. Their work is valuable.That is why they deserve to be paid on time and accurately. We recognize the challenges of the Phoenix pay system. We also recognize that the cause was the failure of the Conservative government to maintain the existing system until a new system was working. To achieve a little surplus on the eve of an election, Conservatives cut 700 pay advisers. That is costing the public service today.We are going to fix this.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his long-standing advocacy of conservation. Let me be 100% clear. We always will stand up for our environment, and we will always stand up for our watersheds. We have made significant investments, and we will continue to do so. We have other things we also need to do, which is making sure that we support indigenous community-based monitoring in the oil sands. We need to address species at risk, including the recovery of caribou. We need to support other conservation programs. I encourage those who have received support under this program to continue to look for other opportunities with our government to continue their good work.
Mr. Speaker, the dairy industry knows that the government is selling them out.The cost of drugs in Canada is already the second-highest in the world. One in five Canadians say a member of their household cannot afford prescribed medications. We know big pharma is pushing for restrictive intellectual property rules, which will further skyrocket drug prices. Corporate lobbies want expanded investor-state provisions allowing them to sue our government for public policy that is good for our country. Will this Liberal government stand up for Canadians and refuse a revised NAFTA that prevents us from implementing a national pharmacare program?
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the dairy farmers are here today. In fact, I have sat down with the dairy farmers, all of the supply sector, on numerous occasions.When this CPTPP has been signed, I will sit down and discuss the path forward, to make sure that our supply management that this party put in place, that this government will defend on a united front, I might add, and the agricultural sector, continue to thrive in this country.
Mr. Speaker, as soon as the Ethics Commissioner released her report, I accepted it, took full responsibility, and accepted all the commissioner's advice and recommendations. We are following all the recommendations and advice from the commissioner. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was tabled the Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He accepted the findings of the report. It was the opposition that demanded that the commissioner investigate. Now that the commissioner has investigated, the report has been tabled. The Conservative members refuse to accept its conclusions. The Conservatives were exactly the same when they were in government and undermining officers of Parliament. We committed to Canadians that we would do government differently, and that is exactly why we respect officers of Parliament. We respect the work they do, and that is why once the report was tabled, the Prime Minister made himself available to the media to ensure that he could answer all questions. He has also travelled the country, engaging directly with Canadians at public town halls.
Mr. Speaker, it is really interesting to see the Conservative members suddenly standing up for supply management in the House today, considering that it was the previous Conservative government that began chipping away at our supply management system in both the comprehensive economic and trade agreement and the trans-Pacific partnership.The current Liberal government continues to threaten our supply management system. Our farmers do not deserve this hypocrisy. They deserve better. They deserve to know the truth.When will the government stand up and really fight for our supply management system and Canadian farmers?
Mr. Speaker, our government knows how proud Canadians are of our public health care system, and rightly so. This is something we always keep in mind, when sitting at the negotiating table. We also know that the affordability of and access to prescription drugs is an essential issue for Canadians. We are working closely with the provinces, territories, and our partners to provide lower drug prices and timely access to medicine. Public health care is a key Canadian issue in the NAFTA talks.
Mr. Speaker, with a fast-growing and more knowledge-based digital economy, we need to make sure that our young people have the skills and knowledge they need to compete, to succeed, and also to innovate. Taking this initiative to instill that passion for learning is vital to our collective success. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please explain what steps the government is taking to ensure our young people are ready for the digital global economy of today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to the well-being of veterans and their families. We are delivering on a lifetime pension commitment which includes benefits and generous programs designed to help veterans live a full and productive life. This is in stark contrast to the previous Conservative government that for 10 years cut veterans offices, cut front-line services, and nickelled and dimed veterans while the Conservatives wrapped themselves in the flag. Even the member for BarrieInnisfil said that the previous Conservative government had become disconnected with veterans and had lost a lot of trust. It is a very fair criticism.We are not just going to criticize that government; we are going to do better than it did.
Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister is doing is looking them in the eye and saying no after having said yes to just about everybody else: yes, to Omar Khadr; yes, to somebody running a minister's Twitter account, $100,000; yes, to his pals when they want to take a vacation in the Caribbean. The Liberals are saying yes to everybody, but they are telling those who gave their country all they have that they are asking for too much. That is shameful. The Conservatives will hold them to account for that every time.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal House leader, answering for the Prime Minister, says that he accepts the Ethics Commissioner's report. The Liberal House leader asks why the opposition does not accept the report. We fully accept the commissioner's findings that the Prime Minister broke the law. What we do not accept is that the Prime Minister is attempting to dodge the consequences.Other ministers have repaid taxpayers for their ethical lapses, why will he not?
Mr. Speaker, with the TPP comes unprecedented opportunity for Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector. However, unlike the Liberals, we think conversations with farmers should have happened before the agreement, not after.The minister has been out of the picture for 16 days now. He has not said a word about mitigation measures for dairy, egg, and poultry producers. The previous Conservative government offered up $4.3 billion. Dairy producers are in Ottawa today. What does the minister have to say to them?
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely shameful that the Prime Minister said that our veterans, my former brothers and sisters in arms, are asking too much. What bothers soldiers the most is when the government, or the country they were prepared to give their life to, lies to their face.The Prime Minister takes our veterans to court, even though he promised not to do so, and he reached a settlement with a terrorist.Why does the Prime Minister have so much contempt for our veterans?
Mr. Speaker, once again, as the NDP has said, web giants must pay their fair share. It is not web giants that the NDP wants to charge, it is taxpayers. The New Democrats want to make taxpayers pay more taxes. They want Canadians, Quebec and Canadian taxpayers, to pay more taxes for their online services. We, on this side of the House, promised not to raise taxes for taxpayers, and we are going to stand by that promise. If the New Democrats want to raise taxes for Canadians, they should say so instead of hiding behind talk of big corporations.
Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting day, because today we are debating the opposition's motion. The leader of the official opposition is a former speaker of this place. He knows that it is question period, and yet we do not hear questions; rather, we hear statements from the member. If the member would like to hear a statement, I would like to remind Canadians that when it comes to the Prime Minister, whenever and wherever he travels, there are costs affiliated with his security. We respect the work of our security agencies. We will take their recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, to best ensure the Prime Minister's safety, we always follow the advice of our security agencies. The former commissioner acknowledged that the spending was related to the Prime Minister's duties. The difference between the Conservatives and our government is that we respect the work of senior public servants. The Conservatives demanded the report, and now that they have it, they are rejecting its findings. We, in contrast, accept the findings and are grateful.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes healthy choices the easy choice. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. As part of the healthy eating strategy, work to update Canada's food guide is well under way, and we are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders from all across the country. The most recent public consultation of the new food guide concluded in late August, and the result of these will be published in the near future. I also look forward to meeting with the industry as well.
Mr. Speaker, we have put more than $1 billion toward the CRA to go after tax avoidance and tax evasion, because we know it is important for everyone to pay their fair share. That is exactly what we are committed to, but more than that, we are actually committed to making our tax system fairer. That is why one of the first things we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Further, we continue to look at ways to help single mothers, to help low-income families with the Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families and is reducing child poverty by 40%.
Mr. Speaker, our government supports a new vision for environmentally sustainable aquaculture, and we are working with the province and indigenous communities to consider all options to ensure that we protect our marine environment. While the industry generates $2 billion in economic activity, approximately $600 million in labour income, we understand a clean environment is the greatest economic driver. It is important that we get this right, because sustainable aquaculture provides year-round jobs paying thousands of Canadians, including those in more than 50 first nations, many of whom live in rural coastal communities.
Mr. Speaker, this dairy agreement will give significant opportunity to our farmers and ranchers right across this country. The government fully understands the importance of the supply management system. In fact, this is the party that initiated supply management and this is the government that will defend supply management. That is why we are sitting down with the dairy industry across this country in order to work a plan forward, to make sure that the dairy industry and all our agricultural sectors remain strong in this country.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his strong support for the environment. I absolutely support standing up for wetlands and watersheds. That is why we are spending $70.5 million over five years to protect them. We have also invested in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, and the St. Lawrence watersheds. We understand that healthy watersheds are vital to the ecological, economic, and cultural well-being of our peoples, and wetlands are crucial to a healthy watershed. We are going to continue to work together with the communities to ensure the health of our watersheds.
Mr. Speaker, when we ask him why web giants like Netflix and Facebook do not have to charge sales tax even though their Canadian competitors do, the Prime Minister says that he promised not to raise taxes for the middle class. We are talking about a tax that already exists, sales tax. We want fairness in the industry. It is unacceptable that the Prime Minister does not have the courage to ask web giants to pay their fair share.When will the Prime Minister understand that and insist on fair treatment for the entire industry?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question. The fact of the matter is, as I have said many times in this House, we are the party that fought to implement supply management and we are the government that is going to defend it. We have done that with action, with the innovation program for the dairy sector. The CPTPP gives opportunity for all the agricultural sectors right across this country, which is a significant opportunity. With that, we fully understand how important supply management is for this country. We have and will continue to make sure that we fully support the supply management program.
Mr. Speaker, again, I want to recognize the dairy farmers who are here. Today we are going to elevate the debate on this issue because I think that all members on this side of the House recognize the work of our farmers and appreciate our dairy farmers. That is why, two days after the TPP announcement, I met with these people in Montreal. We will continue that discussion. Together with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, we will continue to defend supply management. We know how important it is for Canadian industry.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the New Democrats are misleading Canadians. They are talking about making web giants pay their fair share. It is not the web giants they want to pay more in taxes; it is taxpayers. We made a commitment to taxpayers that they would not have to pay more for their online services. We on this side of the House plan to keep that promise.
Mr. Speaker, it was not just veterans whom the Prime Minister insulted in his town hall. Many Italians and Greeks have come to Canada over many decades. They have been an integral part of our nation's character ever since. That is why it was so offensive that the Prime Minister compared legitimate refugees and immigrants who have built this country with those who have fought and committed genocidal acts with ISIS. Returning ISIS fighters are not refugees. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the difference?
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Mr. Speaker, it was not just veterans whom the Prime Minister insulted in his town hall. Many Italians and Greeks have come to Canada over many decades. They have been an integral part of our nation's character ever since. That is why it was so offensive that the Prime Minister compared legitimate refugees and immigrants who have built this country with those who have fought and committed genocidal acts with ISIS. Returning ISIS fighters are not refugees. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the difference?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the New Democrats are misleading Canadians. They are talking about making web giants pay their fair share. It is not the web giants they want to pay more in taxes; it is taxpayers. We made a commitment to taxpayers that they would not have to pay more for their online services. We on this side of the House plan to keep that promise.
Mr. Speaker, again, I want to recognize the dairy farmers who are here. Today we are going to elevate the debate on this issue because I think that all members on this side of the House recognize the work of our farmers and appreciate our dairy farmers. That is why, two days after the TPP announcement, I met with these people in Montreal. We will continue that discussion. Together with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, we will continue to defend supply management. We know how important it is for Canadian industry.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question. The fact of the matter is, as I have said many times in this House, we are the party that fought to implement supply management and we are the government that is going to defend it. We have done that with action, with the innovation program for the dairy sector. The CPTPP gives opportunity for all the agricultural sectors right across this country, which is a significant opportunity. With that, we fully understand how important supply management is for this country. We have and will continue to make sure that we fully support the supply management program.
Mr. Speaker, when we ask him why web giants like Netflix and Facebook do not have to charge sales tax even though their Canadian competitors do, the Prime Minister says that he promised not to raise taxes for the middle class. We are talking about a tax that already exists, sales tax. We want fairness in the industry. It is unacceptable that the Prime Minister does not have the courage to ask web giants to pay their fair share.When will the Prime Minister understand that and insist on fair treatment for the entire industry?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his strong support for the environment. I absolutely support standing up for wetlands and watersheds. That is why we are spending $70.5 million over five years to protect them. We have also invested in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, and the St. Lawrence watersheds. We understand that healthy watersheds are vital to the ecological, economic, and cultural well-being of our peoples, and wetlands are crucial to a healthy watershed. We are going to continue to work together with the communities to ensure the health of our watersheds.
Mr. Speaker, this dairy agreement will give significant opportunity to our farmers and ranchers right across this country. The government fully understands the importance of the supply management system. In fact, this is the party that initiated supply management and this is the government that will defend supply management. That is why we are sitting down with the dairy industry across this country in order to work a plan forward, to make sure that the dairy industry and all our agricultural sectors remain strong in this country.
Mr. Speaker, our government supports a new vision for environmentally sustainable aquaculture, and we are working with the province and indigenous communities to consider all options to ensure that we protect our marine environment. While the industry generates $2 billion in economic activity, approximately $600 million in labour income, we understand a clean environment is the greatest economic driver. It is important that we get this right, because sustainable aquaculture provides year-round jobs paying thousands of Canadians, including those in more than 50 first nations, many of whom live in rural coastal communities.
Mr. Speaker, we have put more than $1 billion toward the CRA to go after tax avoidance and tax evasion, because we know it is important for everyone to pay their fair share. That is exactly what we are committed to, but more than that, we are actually committed to making our tax system fairer. That is why one of the first things we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Further, we continue to look at ways to help single mothers, to help low-income families with the Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families and is reducing child poverty by 40%.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes healthy choices the easy choice. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. As part of the healthy eating strategy, work to update Canada's food guide is well under way, and we are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders from all across the country. The most recent public consultation of the new food guide concluded in late August, and the result of these will be published in the near future. I also look forward to meeting with the industry as well.
Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting day, because today we are debating the opposition's motion. The leader of the official opposition is a former speaker of this place. He knows that it is question period, and yet we do not hear questions; rather, we hear statements from the member. If the member would like to hear a statement, I would like to remind Canadians that when it comes to the Prime Minister, whenever and wherever he travels, there are costs affiliated with his security. We respect the work of our security agencies. We will take their recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, to best ensure the Prime Minister's safety, we always follow the advice of our security agencies. The former commissioner acknowledged that the spending was related to the Prime Minister's duties. The difference between the Conservatives and our government is that we respect the work of senior public servants. The Conservatives demanded the report, and now that they have it, they are rejecting its findings. We, in contrast, accept the findings and are grateful.
Mr. Speaker, once again, as the NDP has said, web giants must pay their fair share. It is not web giants that the NDP wants to charge, it is taxpayers. The New Democrats want to make taxpayers pay more taxes. They want Canadians, Quebec and Canadian taxpayers, to pay more taxes for their online services. We, on this side of the House, promised not to raise taxes for taxpayers, and we are going to stand by that promise. If the New Democrats want to raise taxes for Canadians, they should say so instead of hiding behind talk of big corporations.
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely shameful that the Prime Minister said that our veterans, my former brothers and sisters in arms, are asking too much. What bothers soldiers the most is when the government, or the country they were prepared to give their life to, lies to their face.The Prime Minister takes our veterans to court, even though he promised not to do so, and he reached a settlement with a terrorist.Why does the Prime Minister have so much contempt for our veterans?
Mr. Speaker, with the TPP comes unprecedented opportunity for Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector. However, unlike the Liberals, we think conversations with farmers should have happened before the agreement, not after.The minister has been out of the picture for 16 days now. He has not said a word about mitigation measures for dairy, egg, and poultry producers. The previous Conservative government offered up $4.3 billion. Dairy producers are in Ottawa today. What does the minister have to say to them?
Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister is doing is looking them in the eye and saying no after having said yes to just about everybody else: yes, to Omar Khadr; yes, to somebody running a minister's Twitter account, $100,000; yes, to his pals when they want to take a vacation in the Caribbean. The Liberals are saying yes to everybody, but they are telling those who gave their country all they have that they are asking for too much. That is shameful. The Conservatives will hold them to account for that every time.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal House leader, answering for the Prime Minister, says that he accepts the Ethics Commissioner's report. The Liberal House leader asks why the opposition does not accept the report. We fully accept the commissioner's findings that the Prime Minister broke the law. What we do not accept is that the Prime Minister is attempting to dodge the consequences.Other ministers have repaid taxpayers for their ethical lapses, why will he not?
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to the well-being of veterans and their families. We are delivering on a lifetime pension commitment which includes benefits and generous programs designed to help veterans live a full and productive life. This is in stark contrast to the previous Conservative government that for 10 years cut veterans offices, cut front-line services, and nickelled and dimed veterans while the Conservatives wrapped themselves in the flag. Even the member for BarrieInnisfil said that the previous Conservative government had become disconnected with veterans and had lost a lot of trust. It is a very fair criticism.We are not just going to criticize that government; we are going to do better than it did.
Mr. Speaker, with a fast-growing and more knowledge-based digital economy, we need to make sure that our young people have the skills and knowledge they need to compete, to succeed, and also to innovate. Taking this initiative to instill that passion for learning is vital to our collective success. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please explain what steps the government is taking to ensure our young people are ready for the digital global economy of today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Mr. Speaker, our government knows how proud Canadians are of our public health care system, and rightly so. This is something we always keep in mind, when sitting at the negotiating table. We also know that the affordability of and access to prescription drugs is an essential issue for Canadians. We are working closely with the provinces, territories, and our partners to provide lower drug prices and timely access to medicine. Public health care is a key Canadian issue in the NAFTA talks.
Mr. Speaker, it is really interesting to see the Conservative members suddenly standing up for supply management in the House today, considering that it was the previous Conservative government that began chipping away at our supply management system in both the comprehensive economic and trade agreement and the trans-Pacific partnership.The current Liberal government continues to threaten our supply management system. Our farmers do not deserve this hypocrisy. They deserve better. They deserve to know the truth.When will the government stand up and really fight for our supply management system and Canadian farmers?
Mr. Speaker, as soon as the Ethics Commissioner released her report, I accepted it, took full responsibility, and accepted all the commissioner's advice and recommendations. We are following all the recommendations and advice from the commissioner. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was tabled the Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He accepted the findings of the report. It was the opposition that demanded that the commissioner investigate. Now that the commissioner has investigated, the report has been tabled. The Conservative members refuse to accept its conclusions. The Conservatives were exactly the same when they were in government and undermining officers of Parliament. We committed to Canadians that we would do government differently, and that is exactly why we respect officers of Parliament. We respect the work they do, and that is why once the report was tabled, the Prime Minister made himself available to the media to ensure that he could answer all questions. He has also travelled the country, engaging directly with Canadians at public town halls.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the dairy farmers are here today. In fact, I have sat down with the dairy farmers, all of the supply sector, on numerous occasions.When this CPTPP has been signed, I will sit down and discuss the path forward, to make sure that our supply management that this party put in place, that this government will defend on a united front, I might add, and the agricultural sector, continue to thrive in this country.
Mr. Speaker, the dairy industry knows that the government is selling them out.The cost of drugs in Canada is already the second-highest in the world. One in five Canadians say a member of their household cannot afford prescribed medications. We know big pharma is pushing for restrictive intellectual property rules, which will further skyrocket drug prices. Corporate lobbies want expanded investor-state provisions allowing them to sue our government for public policy that is good for our country. Will this Liberal government stand up for Canadians and refuse a revised NAFTA that prevents us from implementing a national pharmacare program?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his long-standing advocacy of conservation. Let me be 100% clear. We always will stand up for our environment, and we will always stand up for our watersheds. We have made significant investments, and we will continue to do so. We have other things we also need to do, which is making sure that we support indigenous community-based monitoring in the oil sands. We need to address species at risk, including the recovery of caribou. We need to support other conservation programs. I encourage those who have received support under this program to continue to look for other opportunities with our government to continue their good work.
Mr. Speaker, we have tremendous respect for our public service. In Canada, we have one of the best public services anywhere in the world. Their work is valuable.That is why they deserve to be paid on time and accurately. We recognize the challenges of the Phoenix pay system. We also recognize that the cause was the failure of the Conservative government to maintain the existing system until a new system was working. To achieve a little surplus on the eve of an election, Conservatives cut 700 pay advisers. That is costing the public service today.We are going to fix this.
Mr. Speaker, we have provided $10 billion in new money for our veterans, for Veterans Affairs offices, for their budgets, for the lives of our veterans. There are so many examples that are given to me when I walk into the House, a retired major with 25 years of service with an 100% disability assessment who will now receive nearly $9,000 a month in both pain and suffering compensation and income replacement. That is not a betrayal. That is a commitment in action, finally, for our veterans.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Saint-Laurent, for her excellent work and for giving me an opportunity to highlight our government's commitments to helping people living with eating disorders.Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that come with serious medical complications. This is why our government invested more than $5 million in budget 2017 to provide better mental health support across the country. These investments will make a real difference in the lives of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, today the dairy farmers of Canada are on the Hill to represent over 221,000 Canadians who depend on this sector for their livelihoods, and to clearly register their opposition to the TPP. Yesterday, the government responded to my question on threats to supply management with more platitudes about consultation. This government is speaking out of both sides of its mouth. When will the Liberals listen to our hard-working farmers and stop making concessions that put our dairy industry at risk?
Mr. Speaker, there is still an obligation under the code of conduct to make reports available to the public. The Prime Minister did not do that either. The motion this morning is clear. We are asking for some holes to be plugged so that we do not have this possibility where the Prime Minister decides that he does not have to pay for his consequences. That is just simply wrong.I have a simple question. Will the Prime Minister person up, do the right thing, and pay these costs?
Mr. Speaker, come on, really? At his Nanaimo town hall, the Prime Minister said that he is holding B.C. hostage to the Kinder Morgan pipeline. He said the oceans protection plan, which he had been bragging will fix abandoned vessels, oil spills, and bulk commercial anchorages, will not proceed unless bitumen oil tankers do. However, yesterday in committee, the transport minister said the exact opposite, so who is right? When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for coastal communities instead of blackmailing them?
As stated in Bosc and Gagnon, if the essence of Parliament is government accountability, then surely the essence of accountability is the question period in the Canadian House of Commons. Mr. Speaker, I am sure if you seek it, you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:I move that, in the opinion of the House, when he is present, the Prime Minister should respond to all oral questions from the opposition party, even the tough ones.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance abroad to ensure that we have a system that is fair for all Canadians. This is a global issue, and that is why Canada is working closely with its international partners, including the OECD, to improve the exchange of information. As a result of the investments in the last two budgets, the agency is now in a position to carry out an annual assessment of the risks related to activities of major multinationals.As my colleague knows very well, I cannot comment on specific cases.
Mr. Speaker, in this place, in our system, it is the role of the opposition to ask tough questions to challenge the government in place. That is what leads to a strong democracy. However, above the partisan attacks and the personal mudslinging, we have a system where an ethics commissioner objectively looks at behaviour, makes recommendations, and delivers consequences. In this case, above the partisan role that the opposition is importantly playing, we need to make sure we are following the Ethics Commissioner's advice. That is exactly what I am doing.
Mr. Speaker, really? Is he serious? Okay, so when the Liberals' top fundraiser, Stephen Bronfman, gets named in the paradise papers, the Prime Minister jumps in immediately and says, Hey, no investigation needed here. Why? Is it because he raised $250,000 for the party in two hours? Is it because it is a case of who you know in the PMO? Ordinary Canadians do not get the royal treatment. Just look at how the Prime Minister treated veteran Brock Blaszczyk who lost his leg in Afghanistan and is fighting for a pension. If only the Prime Minister treated veterans with the same level of deference that he does his billionaire crony pals, would it not be a better country?
Mr. Speaker, he does not get it. We are not talking about a new tax; we are talking about a tax that already exists and must be collected by Canadian competitors. He needs to follow the example of France, Australia, and many American states that have decided to make these web giants pay. Even here at home, the whole province of Quebec wants to do the same. Imposing on Bombardier a sales tax that is not required of Boeing would be unthinkable, so why do it in the online sector? Not only is the Prime Minister trying to justify these tax breaks, but he is going even further by making deals with those companies.When will the Liberals stop getting into bed with these web giants?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals still do not understand there is a difference between legitimate refugees, immigrants coming to this country, and people who have fought with ISIS. I do not blame the Prime Minister for not getting up off the mat. We know that he would rather be sitting there signing autographs. I have a suggestion for the government House leader. If the Prime Minister likes to sign his name so much, maybe he can take out his chequebook and sign a cheque paying back taxpayers the money he cost them.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the former commissioner recognized that these expenses were incurred as part of the Prime Minister's duties. I have repeated this answer several times and I encourage the member to listen to the answer. It is because the expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. The former commissioner also said that.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that whenever and wherever the Prime Minister travels, there are operational security costs that go with it. What I can repeat is that when the commissioner put forward her report, we fully assumed responsibility. I took personal responsibility and pledged to follow all the advice and all the recommendations laid out by the Ethics Commissioner. That is exactly what we were doing. Going forward, we will ensure that any personal vacation or family travel is worked through beforehand with the Ethics Commissioner. We will continue to follow all her advice and recommendations in these and all matters.
Mr. Speaker, once again, above the partisan attacks and the mudslinging, we have an Ethics Commissioner whose work we, on this side of the House, respect. The Ethics Commissioner made findings that we immediately accepted and I took responsibility for. She made recommendations and gave advice that we are following entirely and completely. The members opposite are trying to play personal attacks on top of that. However, Canadians can be assured that the Ethics Commissioner is the one who objectively looks at this above the partisan fray.
I apologize, Mr. Speaker.Here is the question that I hope the members opposite will hear very clearly. If he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back the money. Canadians pay for their vacations with their hard-earned money, and being Prime Minister does not put him above the law.Here is what everyone wants to know: can he pay back the money he took from taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, since the Liberals came to power, more than 193,000 public servants have been affected by the Trudeau governments inability to fix the Phoenix pay system. That is 73% of the total number of federal employees. This is not stopping the Liberals from shifting the blame onto the previous government. The Conservatives are not the ones who will be fixing the problem. When will the government take responsibility and stop this financial disaster?
Mr. Speaker, it is simply not true. The Prime Minister made a campaign promise to Canada's veterans. Using veterans, including those in his caucus as a backdrop, the Prime Minister promised that he would immediately restore life-long pensions and that no veteran should have to fight their government in court. We now know that he used all of these veterans, including his caucus, simply as political pawns. While racking up billions in debt, giving billions to the UN, billions away outside Canada for his pet projects, and to Omar Khadr, how can he justify saying to our veterans that they are asking more than he can give them?
Mr. Speaker, the first week of February is Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Between 2% to 3% of Canadians have an eating disorder.According to Statistics Canada, in 2016, millions of Canadians met the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. Furthermore, one in ten people with an eating disorder will die, which is the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses.Can the Minister of Health tell the House what the government is doing to support people with eating disorders and their families?
Mr. Speaker, in November, the fisheries minister committed to meet with B.C. and first nation governments to discuss moving open-net salmon farms off the wild salmon migration route. Months later, they are still waiting. Last week, the Prime Minister unbelievably said no oceans protection plan unless the Kinder Morgan pipeline is built. This is unacceptable. This morning, the government committed to considering impacts on first nations under a revised Fisheries Act.How can the Liberals justify approving Kinder Morgan after using Harper's gutted assessment process, which failed to adequately consult first nations?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question because it gives me an opportunity to indicate in fact what we have done. We put a $350 million program in place and ordered that $250 million would be put to the dairy farmers in order to make sure they remain on the cutting edge. I can tell my hon. colleague and the House that $25 million of that has already been approved. What it is doing is making sure that the supply management sector in the dairy industry remains strong and on the cutting edge.
Mr. Speaker, this question is for the Minister of Veterans Affairs. The code of conduct says specifically that gifts or sponsored travel are to be publicly declared as publicly declarable information and placed on the public registry. Now I have taken a look at the registry and I can note for the House that the minister has not placed either of these things on the registry for his trip with the Prime Minister to the Caribbean. The accommodation clearly was subsidized and the code is very clear that subsidized accommodation must be reported. Why has the minister not reported it, or is he having some of that pea soup amnesia?
Mr. Speaker, UNICEF has observed an overall global decline in female genital mutilation, but not all countries have made progress, and decline has been uneven. UNICEF considers that while current progress is positive, the decline is not keeping up with increasing population growth. If trends continue, the number of girls and women undergoing FGM will rise significantly over the next 15 years. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie inform this House on how Canada is addressing this issue in developing countries?
Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns female genital mutilation, FGM, and other forms of violence, which affects 200 million women and girls worldwide. I would like to thank my colleague from London North Centre for his question and his advocacy around a human rights issue.Today, in Benin, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie announced $3 million towards a project that will reduce FGM and other forms of gender-based violence. I want to emphasize that women's rights are human rights, and we will continue to support education and awareness that prevent FGM and support survivors.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Minister of Agriculture has been sidelined.Farmers have been labelled tax cheats, the makeshift dairy industry program left 80% of producers high and dry, the Standing Committee on Health refused to hear what producers and processors had to say about the future food guide, and the minister has had nothing to say about mitigation measures for 16 days. Will anyone on that side who represents an agricultural riding go over there, wake up the Minister of Agriculture, and get him to stand up for Canadian farmers for once?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about tax fairness.Under the Liberal government, the CRA has come down hard on single moms, suspending their child tax benefits and forcing them to jump through hoops, but when KPMG was found to be running an international tax fraud scheme, whoa, the uber-rich got immediate amnesty. The Prime Minister went further. He appointed the top KPMG rep as the treasurer of the Liberal Party. Does the Prime Minister not understand the basic principle of conflict of interest? Why is he putting the interests of the big Liberal money machine ahead of ordinary Canadians who play by the rules, pay their fair share, listen, and work hard?
Mr. Speaker, everyone in this House is accountable to Canadians. Also, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner ensures that every member of this House, up to and including the Prime Minister, is aligned with the rules. When that is not the case, the Ethics Commissioner makes findings. In this case, we fully accepted responsibility. I took personal responsibility on the Ethics Commissioner's report, and will follow all of her recommendations and all of the advice she gave going forward.
Mr. Speaker, I will take no lessons from members opposite on dealing with veterans. For 10 years that party wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got
Answer the question.
Mr. Speaker
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the leader of the official opposition that we can tell the difference. We are a compassionate country and a compassionate government that cares deeply about refugees. We doubled the number of resettled refugees. We have almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that has
Mr. Speaker, we are the party that delivered on providing protection to Yazidi women and girls in Canada. We are the party that has redoubled our efforts to make sure that we continue to provide a home for the vulnerable who are fleeing war and persecution. We are the party that has almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that restored refugee health care that was cut by the party opposite.
Mr. Speaker, here are some questions for the Prime Minister, or rather the government House leader, I should say. I think that will be better.Who travelled to a billionaire's private island? Who brought along the president of the Liberal Party and the Minister of Veterans Affairs to this notorious island? Who violated four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act? Who refuses to pay back the money he picked from taxpayers' pockets?Everyone knows the answers to those questions. It was the Prime Minister. What we do not know is why the Prime Minister does not want to reimburse Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we fully respect the commissioner's report. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility. I encourage members opposite to also accept the fact that the ex-commissioner did state that these are costs that are incurred with the functions of the Prime Minister.
Mr. Speaker, get this: a Canadian mining exploration company is operating in Mongolia, and it is reporting $2.1 billion in profit in a Luxembourg-based corporation with one part-time employee, all of this with the Canada Revenue Agencys blessing. It would seem, then, that the cat is out of the bag. The minister is facilitating these dubious tax schemes. In the fight against tax evasion, why is the minister part of the problem rather than the solution?
Mr. Speaker, in the middle of a byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean that the government would not make any concessions when it comes to supply management.Today, we know that he sacrificed 3.25% of the dairy sector and made concessions regarding eggs and poultry as part of the TPP.Did he decide to break his promise after the byelection or did he deliberately lie to farmers?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I would like to recognize the dairy farmers who are here with us and who I had an opportunity to meet with today.Our party has always defended supply management. Our prime ministers have always done so and so has our party. We understand farmers' concerns. That is why, two days after the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership was announced, I met with some thirty farmers in Montreal. We understand their concerns. We are going to continue to discuss the impact of this agreement with them. We are going to continue that discussion because it is an essential sector of the Canadian economy.
Mr. Speaker, as many on this side of the House know, I relish the opportunity to compare the record of this government in two and a half years on our veterans with the 10 years by the previous government. To say that budgets were not cut, we know they were cut. Why? Because we restored them. To say that offices were not closed, we know they were closed. Why? Because we reopened them. To say that veterans were not ignored, we know they were ignored. Why? Because we listened to them. We have spent $10 billion of new money on our veterans in two and a half years.
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the House that as a Newfoundlander I have seen a lot of fog but the pea soup fog of amnesia over on that side of the House is so thick. Let me remind that side of the House of its record with our veterans in 10 years. Let me remind those members how they balanced their budgets on the backs of our veterans. Let me remind them how they closed offices, how they cut budgets, how they cut front-line staff. We have developed a pension for life that does right by our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the former commissioner found that these expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. It is the opposition who called for an inquiry. As soon as the commissioner tabled her report, we accepted its findings. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He reimbursed the cost of the flight, as he should. As far as the other expenses are concerned, the former commissioner found that they were related to the Prime Minister's duties.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, immediately after the report was tabled, the Prime Minister accepted responsibility and accepted its findings, as every leader should. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility and made himself available to answer any questions, unlike the previous government, then prime minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government, when they would undermine officers of Parliament. We will not take lessons from the Conservatives. On this side of the House we respect officers of Parliament, we respect the work they do, and we thank them for their hard work.
Mr. Speaker, in his first few months in office, the Prime Minister spent $4.3 billion on projects outside of Canada. He spent $10 million on Omar Khadr. He spent millions of dollars moving his staff to Ottawa, promoting his tweets, building an ice rink, and even cardboard cut-outs of himself. Last week we learned that the Prime Minister will spare no expense on self-promotion, but he thinks that veterans are asking for too much.When will the Prime Minister apologize for making a promise to veterans he knew he would never keep?
Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. The oceans protection plan is a world-leading plan that will bring marine safety to levels in Canada that are not seen anywhere else in the world. Yes, we are committed to coastal communities. We are committed to abandoned vessel removal. We are committed to restoring the southern resident killer whales. We are committed to having a faster response in case of any problems along our coastal areas. This is a program that the people of B.C., the coastal people of B.C., are welcoming. This is something that has never been done in any other country.
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years the Conservative government cut veterans services, cut front-line offices, shut down nine veterans service centres across the country, nickelled and dimed veterans while using them for photo ops, members wrapping themselves in the flag every chance they got. It was shameful.We have restored respect to veterans. We are investing in benefits. We are reopening closed offices. We are supporting their families. We are doing right what for 10 years the Conservatives did wrong.
Mr. Speaker, we made a promise to veterans. We made a promise to veterans that they had heard for a long time. In 2006, all sides of the House sat down with veterans and decided on a new veterans charter. They decided that it would be a living document, that it would be something that would provide for our veterans in the future. For 10 years, the previous government sat on that document. The Conservatives did nothing but cut budgets, cut offices, and ignore the voices of our veterans. We have invested $10 billion
Mr. Speaker, we have a duty here in the House to follow the Conflict of Interest Act. No one is above this legislation, not even the Prime Minister.In light of the scathing report of the former ethics commissioner, we can say in no uncertain terms that the Prime Minister deliberately tried to be exempt from a federal statute and he abused the system by getting Canadian taxpayers to pay for his family vacation.Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he will reimburse his family trip that was paid for out of Canadians' pockets?
Mr. Speaker, the fact that it would take an ethics commissioner's report pointing out to the Prime Minister that it is inappropriate to take a gift from someone who conducts business with the government, that it is inappropriate to take a free flight from someone who is doing business with the government, and the fact that it took him a year to disclose these facts, shows that he is also guilty of a tremendous lapse in judgment.Our motion simply states that when members of Parliament or ministers are found to have imburdened the taxpayer with costs associated with illegal activities, they should reimburse the taxpayer. What part of that motion does he disagree with?
Mr. Speaker, demanding that a public official repay taxpayers for an illegal cost is not a partisan issue. It is a fundamental principle of accountability. Anyone else, in the real world, who was found breaking the rules would have to accept the consequences. Why does he think that he is different from everybody else?
Mr. Speaker, last week, exactly one day before World Wetlands Day, the Liberals killed the national wetlands conservation fund. Meanwhile, the minister received $40 million to spend on policy, communication, and engagement. That is another example of Liberals talking the talk but not walking the walk. They claim to be champions of the environment, but then cut essential environmental programs to spend more money on photographers and press releases.Will the minister now reverse this terrible decision? Will she stand up for Canada's wetlands?
Mr. Speaker, during the byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers that he would not make any concessions on supply management under the TPP. Three months later, the government failed to stand up for our dairy, egg, and cheese producers. Where I come from, we have a word for someone who tells people something to their face when he has something to gain and then turns around and does exactly the opposite.What does the Prime Minister call those sorts of people? Where I come from, we call them liars.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for VaughanWoodbridge for his question. We have discussed on several occasions the importance of coding, digital skills, and digital literacy. Of course, it is hard work as well, as the member opposite just said. As we know, these are fundamental skills for the jobs of today and the future, from video game developers, to farming, to forestry, to mining. That is why we introduced and launched a $50 million CanCode initiative. This will help up to one million students and teachers across the country to learn how to code. We are investing in our number one resource, our people.
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner's report was released more than a month ago, and the Prime Minister refuses to face reality.However, it is simple; when someone does something illegal, that person must accept the consequences. In this case, the Prime Minister took taxpayers' money for illegal vacations. The consequence is simply that he must reimburse Canadian taxpayers. Everyone understands this except the Prime Minister.When will he do this?
Mr. Speaker, the minister has to answer for her decision to eliminate the national wetland conservation fund. Since 2014, the fund has supported projects that protect and enhance thousands of hectares of wetlands. Wetlands are vital for sequestering carbon, improving water quality, creating fish and wildlife habitat, protecting endangered species, and managing watersheds.Conservation groups across Canada are outraged by what the minister did, and now know that these Liberals are phony environmentalists. Why would the government eliminate the national wetland conservation fund, which has delivered such important benefits for Canada's environment?
Mr. Speaker, they cut budgets, ignored voices, and closed offices.Let me tell the House about someone else. A retired major with 25 years of service, 20% disabled, which basically means they may have a loss of hearing or perhaps a bad knee or ankle, will now receive over $70,000 in pain and suffering benefits alone, not to mention education and training benefits to help them transition to a civilian life. That is not a prop; that is a real person affected by our new investments for our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I understand the Prime Minister thinks that by breaking the fourth wall and trying to escape the tough questions that we are asking he will in some way be able to skate through this. However, Canadians see right through that. Yes, it is our job to ask the tough questions, and it is his habit to evade those questions and ask other ministers to defend his illegal activity.Here is a simple question. When other ministers were found to have broken the rules, they had to pay the money back. Why does he think he does not have to?
Mr. Speaker, in a moment I will be seek the unanimous consent of the House on a motion regarding oral question period, referred to in Standing Order 37 and in greater detail in chapter 11 in Bosc and Gagnon.Mr. Speaker, you will remember that even during the darkest days of the Mike Duffy scandal, when the leader of the official opposition, my friend from Outremont, was delivering devastating blow after blow to then prime minister Stephen Harper and his government, the prime minister at the time still answered the NDP leader's questions, even the tough ones. However, the current Prime Minister has started cherry picking which leader questions he is willing to answer in the House of Commons.Yesterday and today he even refused to answer
That is so patently false, Mr. Speaker. It was the Conservative government that increased support for veterans by 35%. It was our last veterans minister who ended the court process and started settlement proceedings. The Prime Minister promised during the election campaign that they would never have to go back to court and then he looks a hero in the eye and tells him no. That is shameful and he has to answer
Mr. Speaker, these are expenses incurred for an illegal trip that should never have taken place. I would like to read some comments I received just yesterday from one of my constituents. I would like the Prime Minister to listen carefully and you as well, Madam Leader: if he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back
Accepting responsibility means accepting consequences, Mr. Speaker. We all know the Prime Minister loves taking luxury vacations in the Caribbean and does not mind sticking the cost to taxpayers. He constantly tells Canadians that they have to pick up the tab for his luxurious travel. When that travel is deemed to be illegal, he should pay Canadians back. When will he?
Mr. Speaker, our veterans have been blatantly betrayed by the Prime Minister breaking his word. Recently, he told our veterans they are asking for more than we can afford, yet he charged taxpayers $200,000 for his illegal vacation and the Minister of Veterans Affairs joined the Prime Minister on that illegal trip. It is a sad day when the minister tags along on the Prime Minister's illegal vacation, blowing $200,000 and later telling veterans who suffered injuries fighting for our country that they are asking too much.Does the minister not agree with our veterans that the $200,000 the PM used for his illegal vacation would have been better spent on
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are carrying out an ideological attack on Canadian agriculture, with warning labels on dairy and meat products, and a Canadian food guide that discourages people from eating healthy animal protein and dairy. Not one single farmer or processor was allowed to give any input on these decisions.The Liberals are devastating Canadian businesses and farm families on data that is based on bad science.Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stand up for our farmers and stop this attack on Canadian agriculture?
Mr. Speaker, it was not just veterans whom the Prime Minister insulted in his town hall. Many Italians and Greeks have come to Canada over many decades. They have been an integral part of our nation's character ever since. That is why it was so offensive that the Prime Minister compared legitimate refugees and immigrants who have built this country with those who have fought and committed genocidal acts with ISIS. Returning ISIS fighters are not refugees. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the difference?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the New Democrats are misleading Canadians. They are talking about making web giants pay their fair share. It is not the web giants they want to pay more in taxes; it is taxpayers. We made a commitment to taxpayers that they would not have to pay more for their online services. We on this side of the House plan to keep that promise.
Mr. Speaker, again, I want to recognize the dairy farmers who are here. Today we are going to elevate the debate on this issue because I think that all members on this side of the House recognize the work of our farmers and appreciate our dairy farmers. That is why, two days after the TPP announcement, I met with these people in Montreal. We will continue that discussion. Together with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, we will continue to defend supply management. We know how important it is for Canadian industry.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question. The fact of the matter is, as I have said many times in this House, we are the party that fought to implement supply management and we are the government that is going to defend it. We have done that with action, with the innovation program for the dairy sector. The CPTPP gives opportunity for all the agricultural sectors right across this country, which is a significant opportunity. With that, we fully understand how important supply management is for this country. We have and will continue to make sure that we fully support the supply management program.
Mr. Speaker, when we ask him why web giants like Netflix and Facebook do not have to charge sales tax even though their Canadian competitors do, the Prime Minister says that he promised not to raise taxes for the middle class. We are talking about a tax that already exists, sales tax. We want fairness in the industry. It is unacceptable that the Prime Minister does not have the courage to ask web giants to pay their fair share.When will the Prime Minister understand that and insist on fair treatment for the entire industry?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his strong support for the environment. I absolutely support standing up for wetlands and watersheds. That is why we are spending $70.5 million over five years to protect them. We have also invested in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, and the St. Lawrence watersheds. We understand that healthy watersheds are vital to the ecological, economic, and cultural well-being of our peoples, and wetlands are crucial to a healthy watershed. We are going to continue to work together with the communities to ensure the health of our watersheds.
Mr. Speaker, this dairy agreement will give significant opportunity to our farmers and ranchers right across this country. The government fully understands the importance of the supply management system. In fact, this is the party that initiated supply management and this is the government that will defend supply management. That is why we are sitting down with the dairy industry across this country in order to work a plan forward, to make sure that the dairy industry and all our agricultural sectors remain strong in this country.
Mr. Speaker, our government supports a new vision for environmentally sustainable aquaculture, and we are working with the province and indigenous communities to consider all options to ensure that we protect our marine environment. While the industry generates $2 billion in economic activity, approximately $600 million in labour income, we understand a clean environment is the greatest economic driver. It is important that we get this right, because sustainable aquaculture provides year-round jobs paying thousands of Canadians, including those in more than 50 first nations, many of whom live in rural coastal communities.
Mr. Speaker, we have put more than $1 billion toward the CRA to go after tax avoidance and tax evasion, because we know it is important for everyone to pay their fair share. That is exactly what we are committed to, but more than that, we are actually committed to making our tax system fairer. That is why one of the first things we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Further, we continue to look at ways to help single mothers, to help low-income families with the Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families and is reducing child poverty by 40%.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes healthy choices the easy choice. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. As part of the healthy eating strategy, work to update Canada's food guide is well under way, and we are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders from all across the country. The most recent public consultation of the new food guide concluded in late August, and the result of these will be published in the near future. I also look forward to meeting with the industry as well.
Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting day, because today we are debating the opposition's motion. The leader of the official opposition is a former speaker of this place. He knows that it is question period, and yet we do not hear questions; rather, we hear statements from the member. If the member would like to hear a statement, I would like to remind Canadians that when it comes to the Prime Minister, whenever and wherever he travels, there are costs affiliated with his security. We respect the work of our security agencies. We will take their recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, to best ensure the Prime Minister's safety, we always follow the advice of our security agencies. The former commissioner acknowledged that the spending was related to the Prime Minister's duties. The difference between the Conservatives and our government is that we respect the work of senior public servants. The Conservatives demanded the report, and now that they have it, they are rejecting its findings. We, in contrast, accept the findings and are grateful.
Mr. Speaker, once again, as the NDP has said, web giants must pay their fair share. It is not web giants that the NDP wants to charge, it is taxpayers. The New Democrats want to make taxpayers pay more taxes. They want Canadians, Quebec and Canadian taxpayers, to pay more taxes for their online services. We, on this side of the House, promised not to raise taxes for taxpayers, and we are going to stand by that promise. If the New Democrats want to raise taxes for Canadians, they should say so instead of hiding behind talk of big corporations.
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely shameful that the Prime Minister said that our veterans, my former brothers and sisters in arms, are asking too much. What bothers soldiers the most is when the government, or the country they were prepared to give their life to, lies to their face.The Prime Minister takes our veterans to court, even though he promised not to do so, and he reached a settlement with a terrorist.Why does the Prime Minister have so much contempt for our veterans?
Mr. Speaker, with the TPP comes unprecedented opportunity for Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector. However, unlike the Liberals, we think conversations with farmers should have happened before the agreement, not after.The minister has been out of the picture for 16 days now. He has not said a word about mitigation measures for dairy, egg, and poultry producers. The previous Conservative government offered up $4.3 billion. Dairy producers are in Ottawa today. What does the minister have to say to them?
Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister is doing is looking them in the eye and saying no after having said yes to just about everybody else: yes, to Omar Khadr; yes, to somebody running a minister's Twitter account, $100,000; yes, to his pals when they want to take a vacation in the Caribbean. The Liberals are saying yes to everybody, but they are telling those who gave their country all they have that they are asking for too much. That is shameful. The Conservatives will hold them to account for that every time.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal House leader, answering for the Prime Minister, says that he accepts the Ethics Commissioner's report. The Liberal House leader asks why the opposition does not accept the report. We fully accept the commissioner's findings that the Prime Minister broke the law. What we do not accept is that the Prime Minister is attempting to dodge the consequences.Other ministers have repaid taxpayers for their ethical lapses, why will he not?
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to the well-being of veterans and their families. We are delivering on a lifetime pension commitment which includes benefits and generous programs designed to help veterans live a full and productive life. This is in stark contrast to the previous Conservative government that for 10 years cut veterans offices, cut front-line services, and nickelled and dimed veterans while the Conservatives wrapped themselves in the flag. Even the member for BarrieInnisfil said that the previous Conservative government had become disconnected with veterans and had lost a lot of trust. It is a very fair criticism.We are not just going to criticize that government; we are going to do better than it did.
Mr. Speaker, with a fast-growing and more knowledge-based digital economy, we need to make sure that our young people have the skills and knowledge they need to compete, to succeed, and also to innovate. Taking this initiative to instill that passion for learning is vital to our collective success. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please explain what steps the government is taking to ensure our young people are ready for the digital global economy of today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Mr. Speaker, our government knows how proud Canadians are of our public health care system, and rightly so. This is something we always keep in mind, when sitting at the negotiating table. We also know that the affordability of and access to prescription drugs is an essential issue for Canadians. We are working closely with the provinces, territories, and our partners to provide lower drug prices and timely access to medicine. Public health care is a key Canadian issue in the NAFTA talks.
Mr. Speaker, it is really interesting to see the Conservative members suddenly standing up for supply management in the House today, considering that it was the previous Conservative government that began chipping away at our supply management system in both the comprehensive economic and trade agreement and the trans-Pacific partnership.The current Liberal government continues to threaten our supply management system. Our farmers do not deserve this hypocrisy. They deserve better. They deserve to know the truth.When will the government stand up and really fight for our supply management system and Canadian farmers?
Mr. Speaker, as soon as the Ethics Commissioner released her report, I accepted it, took full responsibility, and accepted all the commissioner's advice and recommendations. We are following all the recommendations and advice from the commissioner. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was tabled the Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He accepted the findings of the report. It was the opposition that demanded that the commissioner investigate. Now that the commissioner has investigated, the report has been tabled. The Conservative members refuse to accept its conclusions. The Conservatives were exactly the same when they were in government and undermining officers of Parliament. We committed to Canadians that we would do government differently, and that is exactly why we respect officers of Parliament. We respect the work they do, and that is why once the report was tabled, the Prime Minister made himself available to the media to ensure that he could answer all questions. He has also travelled the country, engaging directly with Canadians at public town halls.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the dairy farmers are here today. In fact, I have sat down with the dairy farmers, all of the supply sector, on numerous occasions.When this CPTPP has been signed, I will sit down and discuss the path forward, to make sure that our supply management that this party put in place, that this government will defend on a united front, I might add, and the agricultural sector, continue to thrive in this country.
Mr. Speaker, the dairy industry knows that the government is selling them out.The cost of drugs in Canada is already the second-highest in the world. One in five Canadians say a member of their household cannot afford prescribed medications. We know big pharma is pushing for restrictive intellectual property rules, which will further skyrocket drug prices. Corporate lobbies want expanded investor-state provisions allowing them to sue our government for public policy that is good for our country. Will this Liberal government stand up for Canadians and refuse a revised NAFTA that prevents us from implementing a national pharmacare program?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his long-standing advocacy of conservation. Let me be 100% clear. We always will stand up for our environment, and we will always stand up for our watersheds. We have made significant investments, and we will continue to do so. We have other things we also need to do, which is making sure that we support indigenous community-based monitoring in the oil sands. We need to address species at risk, including the recovery of caribou. We need to support other conservation programs. I encourage those who have received support under this program to continue to look for other opportunities with our government to continue their good work.
Mr. Speaker, we have tremendous respect for our public service. In Canada, we have one of the best public services anywhere in the world. Their work is valuable.That is why they deserve to be paid on time and accurately. We recognize the challenges of the Phoenix pay system. We also recognize that the cause was the failure of the Conservative government to maintain the existing system until a new system was working. To achieve a little surplus on the eve of an election, Conservatives cut 700 pay advisers. That is costing the public service today.We are going to fix this.
Mr. Speaker, we have provided $10 billion in new money for our veterans, for Veterans Affairs offices, for their budgets, for the lives of our veterans. There are so many examples that are given to me when I walk into the House, a retired major with 25 years of service with an 100% disability assessment who will now receive nearly $9,000 a month in both pain and suffering compensation and income replacement. That is not a betrayal. That is a commitment in action, finally, for our veterans.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Saint-Laurent, for her excellent work and for giving me an opportunity to highlight our government's commitments to helping people living with eating disorders.Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that come with serious medical complications. This is why our government invested more than $5 million in budget 2017 to provide better mental health support across the country. These investments will make a real difference in the lives of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, today the dairy farmers of Canada are on the Hill to represent over 221,000 Canadians who depend on this sector for their livelihoods, and to clearly register their opposition to the TPP. Yesterday, the government responded to my question on threats to supply management with more platitudes about consultation. This government is speaking out of both sides of its mouth. When will the Liberals listen to our hard-working farmers and stop making concessions that put our dairy industry at risk?
Mr. Speaker, there is still an obligation under the code of conduct to make reports available to the public. The Prime Minister did not do that either. The motion this morning is clear. We are asking for some holes to be plugged so that we do not have this possibility where the Prime Minister decides that he does not have to pay for his consequences. That is just simply wrong.I have a simple question. Will the Prime Minister person up, do the right thing, and pay these costs?
Mr. Speaker, come on, really? At his Nanaimo town hall, the Prime Minister said that he is holding B.C. hostage to the Kinder Morgan pipeline. He said the oceans protection plan, which he had been bragging will fix abandoned vessels, oil spills, and bulk commercial anchorages, will not proceed unless bitumen oil tankers do. However, yesterday in committee, the transport minister said the exact opposite, so who is right? When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for coastal communities instead of blackmailing them?
As stated in Bosc and Gagnon, if the essence of Parliament is government accountability, then surely the essence of accountability is the question period in the Canadian House of Commons. Mr. Speaker, I am sure if you seek it, you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:I move that, in the opinion of the House, when he is present, the Prime Minister should respond to all oral questions from the opposition party, even the tough ones.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance abroad to ensure that we have a system that is fair for all Canadians. This is a global issue, and that is why Canada is working closely with its international partners, including the OECD, to improve the exchange of information. As a result of the investments in the last two budgets, the agency is now in a position to carry out an annual assessment of the risks related to activities of major multinationals.As my colleague knows very well, I cannot comment on specific cases.
Mr. Speaker, in this place, in our system, it is the role of the opposition to ask tough questions to challenge the government in place. That is what leads to a strong democracy. However, above the partisan attacks and the personal mudslinging, we have a system where an ethics commissioner objectively looks at behaviour, makes recommendations, and delivers consequences. In this case, above the partisan role that the opposition is importantly playing, we need to make sure we are following the Ethics Commissioner's advice. That is exactly what I am doing.
Mr. Speaker, really? Is he serious? Okay, so when the Liberals' top fundraiser, Stephen Bronfman, gets named in the paradise papers, the Prime Minister jumps in immediately and says, Hey, no investigation needed here. Why? Is it because he raised $250,000 for the party in two hours? Is it because it is a case of who you know in the PMO? Ordinary Canadians do not get the royal treatment. Just look at how the Prime Minister treated veteran Brock Blaszczyk who lost his leg in Afghanistan and is fighting for a pension. If only the Prime Minister treated veterans with the same level of deference that he does his billionaire crony pals, would it not be a better country?
Mr. Speaker, he does not get it. We are not talking about a new tax; we are talking about a tax that already exists and must be collected by Canadian competitors. He needs to follow the example of France, Australia, and many American states that have decided to make these web giants pay. Even here at home, the whole province of Quebec wants to do the same. Imposing on Bombardier a sales tax that is not required of Boeing would be unthinkable, so why do it in the online sector? Not only is the Prime Minister trying to justify these tax breaks, but he is going even further by making deals with those companies.When will the Liberals stop getting into bed with these web giants?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals still do not understand there is a difference between legitimate refugees, immigrants coming to this country, and people who have fought with ISIS. I do not blame the Prime Minister for not getting up off the mat. We know that he would rather be sitting there signing autographs. I have a suggestion for the government House leader. If the Prime Minister likes to sign his name so much, maybe he can take out his chequebook and sign a cheque paying back taxpayers the money he cost them.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the former commissioner recognized that these expenses were incurred as part of the Prime Minister's duties. I have repeated this answer several times and I encourage the member to listen to the answer. It is because the expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. The former commissioner also said that.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that whenever and wherever the Prime Minister travels, there are operational security costs that go with it. What I can repeat is that when the commissioner put forward her report, we fully assumed responsibility. I took personal responsibility and pledged to follow all the advice and all the recommendations laid out by the Ethics Commissioner. That is exactly what we were doing. Going forward, we will ensure that any personal vacation or family travel is worked through beforehand with the Ethics Commissioner. We will continue to follow all her advice and recommendations in these and all matters.
Mr. Speaker, once again, above the partisan attacks and the mudslinging, we have an Ethics Commissioner whose work we, on this side of the House, respect. The Ethics Commissioner made findings that we immediately accepted and I took responsibility for. She made recommendations and gave advice that we are following entirely and completely. The members opposite are trying to play personal attacks on top of that. However, Canadians can be assured that the Ethics Commissioner is the one who objectively looks at this above the partisan fray.
I apologize, Mr. Speaker.Here is the question that I hope the members opposite will hear very clearly. If he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back the money. Canadians pay for their vacations with their hard-earned money, and being Prime Minister does not put him above the law.Here is what everyone wants to know: can he pay back the money he took from taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, since the Liberals came to power, more than 193,000 public servants have been affected by the Trudeau governments inability to fix the Phoenix pay system. That is 73% of the total number of federal employees. This is not stopping the Liberals from shifting the blame onto the previous government. The Conservatives are not the ones who will be fixing the problem. When will the government take responsibility and stop this financial disaster?
Mr. Speaker, it is simply not true. The Prime Minister made a campaign promise to Canada's veterans. Using veterans, including those in his caucus as a backdrop, the Prime Minister promised that he would immediately restore life-long pensions and that no veteran should have to fight their government in court. We now know that he used all of these veterans, including his caucus, simply as political pawns. While racking up billions in debt, giving billions to the UN, billions away outside Canada for his pet projects, and to Omar Khadr, how can he justify saying to our veterans that they are asking more than he can give them?
Mr. Speaker, the first week of February is Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Between 2% to 3% of Canadians have an eating disorder.According to Statistics Canada, in 2016, millions of Canadians met the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. Furthermore, one in ten people with an eating disorder will die, which is the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses.Can the Minister of Health tell the House what the government is doing to support people with eating disorders and their families?
Mr. Speaker, in November, the fisheries minister committed to meet with B.C. and first nation governments to discuss moving open-net salmon farms off the wild salmon migration route. Months later, they are still waiting. Last week, the Prime Minister unbelievably said no oceans protection plan unless the Kinder Morgan pipeline is built. This is unacceptable. This morning, the government committed to considering impacts on first nations under a revised Fisheries Act.How can the Liberals justify approving Kinder Morgan after using Harper's gutted assessment process, which failed to adequately consult first nations?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question because it gives me an opportunity to indicate in fact what we have done. We put a $350 million program in place and ordered that $250 million would be put to the dairy farmers in order to make sure they remain on the cutting edge. I can tell my hon. colleague and the House that $25 million of that has already been approved. What it is doing is making sure that the supply management sector in the dairy industry remains strong and on the cutting edge.
Mr. Speaker, this question is for the Minister of Veterans Affairs. The code of conduct says specifically that gifts or sponsored travel are to be publicly declared as publicly declarable information and placed on the public registry. Now I have taken a look at the registry and I can note for the House that the minister has not placed either of these things on the registry for his trip with the Prime Minister to the Caribbean. The accommodation clearly was subsidized and the code is very clear that subsidized accommodation must be reported. Why has the minister not reported it, or is he having some of that pea soup amnesia?
Mr. Speaker, UNICEF has observed an overall global decline in female genital mutilation, but not all countries have made progress, and decline has been uneven. UNICEF considers that while current progress is positive, the decline is not keeping up with increasing population growth. If trends continue, the number of girls and women undergoing FGM will rise significantly over the next 15 years. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie inform this House on how Canada is addressing this issue in developing countries?
Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns female genital mutilation, FGM, and other forms of violence, which affects 200 million women and girls worldwide. I would like to thank my colleague from London North Centre for his question and his advocacy around a human rights issue.Today, in Benin, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie announced $3 million towards a project that will reduce FGM and other forms of gender-based violence. I want to emphasize that women's rights are human rights, and we will continue to support education and awareness that prevent FGM and support survivors.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Minister of Agriculture has been sidelined.Farmers have been labelled tax cheats, the makeshift dairy industry program left 80% of producers high and dry, the Standing Committee on Health refused to hear what producers and processors had to say about the future food guide, and the minister has had nothing to say about mitigation measures for 16 days. Will anyone on that side who represents an agricultural riding go over there, wake up the Minister of Agriculture, and get him to stand up for Canadian farmers for once?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about tax fairness.Under the Liberal government, the CRA has come down hard on single moms, suspending their child tax benefits and forcing them to jump through hoops, but when KPMG was found to be running an international tax fraud scheme, whoa, the uber-rich got immediate amnesty. The Prime Minister went further. He appointed the top KPMG rep as the treasurer of the Liberal Party. Does the Prime Minister not understand the basic principle of conflict of interest? Why is he putting the interests of the big Liberal money machine ahead of ordinary Canadians who play by the rules, pay their fair share, listen, and work hard?
Mr. Speaker, everyone in this House is accountable to Canadians. Also, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner ensures that every member of this House, up to and including the Prime Minister, is aligned with the rules. When that is not the case, the Ethics Commissioner makes findings. In this case, we fully accepted responsibility. I took personal responsibility on the Ethics Commissioner's report, and will follow all of her recommendations and all of the advice she gave going forward.
Mr. Speaker, I will take no lessons from members opposite on dealing with veterans. For 10 years that party wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got
Answer the question.
Mr. Speaker
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the leader of the official opposition that we can tell the difference. We are a compassionate country and a compassionate government that cares deeply about refugees. We doubled the number of resettled refugees. We have almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that has
Mr. Speaker, we are the party that delivered on providing protection to Yazidi women and girls in Canada. We are the party that has redoubled our efforts to make sure that we continue to provide a home for the vulnerable who are fleeing war and persecution. We are the party that has almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We are the party that restored refugee health care that was cut by the party opposite.
Mr. Speaker, here are some questions for the Prime Minister, or rather the government House leader, I should say. I think that will be better.Who travelled to a billionaire's private island? Who brought along the president of the Liberal Party and the Minister of Veterans Affairs to this notorious island? Who violated four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act? Who refuses to pay back the money he picked from taxpayers' pockets?Everyone knows the answers to those questions. It was the Prime Minister. What we do not know is why the Prime Minister does not want to reimburse Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we fully respect the commissioner's report. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility. I encourage members opposite to also accept the fact that the ex-commissioner did state that these are costs that are incurred with the functions of the Prime Minister.
Mr. Speaker, get this: a Canadian mining exploration company is operating in Mongolia, and it is reporting $2.1 billion in profit in a Luxembourg-based corporation with one part-time employee, all of this with the Canada Revenue Agencys blessing. It would seem, then, that the cat is out of the bag. The minister is facilitating these dubious tax schemes. In the fight against tax evasion, why is the minister part of the problem rather than the solution?
Mr. Speaker, in the middle of a byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean that the government would not make any concessions when it comes to supply management.Today, we know that he sacrificed 3.25% of the dairy sector and made concessions regarding eggs and poultry as part of the TPP.Did he decide to break his promise after the byelection or did he deliberately lie to farmers?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I would like to recognize the dairy farmers who are here with us and who I had an opportunity to meet with today.Our party has always defended supply management. Our prime ministers have always done so and so has our party. We understand farmers' concerns. That is why, two days after the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership was announced, I met with some thirty farmers in Montreal. We understand their concerns. We are going to continue to discuss the impact of this agreement with them. We are going to continue that discussion because it is an essential sector of the Canadian economy.
Mr. Speaker, as many on this side of the House know, I relish the opportunity to compare the record of this government in two and a half years on our veterans with the 10 years by the previous government. To say that budgets were not cut, we know they were cut. Why? Because we restored them. To say that offices were not closed, we know they were closed. Why? Because we reopened them. To say that veterans were not ignored, we know they were ignored. Why? Because we listened to them. We have spent $10 billion of new money on our veterans in two and a half years.
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the House that as a Newfoundlander I have seen a lot of fog but the pea soup fog of amnesia over on that side of the House is so thick. Let me remind that side of the House of its record with our veterans in 10 years. Let me remind those members how they balanced their budgets on the backs of our veterans. Let me remind them how they closed offices, how they cut budgets, how they cut front-line staff. We have developed a pension for life that does right by our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the former commissioner found that these expenses were related to the Prime Minister's duties. It is the opposition who called for an inquiry. As soon as the commissioner tabled her report, we accepted its findings. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility. He reimbursed the cost of the flight, as he should. As far as the other expenses are concerned, the former commissioner found that they were related to the Prime Minister's duties.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, immediately after the report was tabled, the Prime Minister accepted responsibility and accepted its findings, as every leader should. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility and made himself available to answer any questions, unlike the previous government, then prime minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government, when they would undermine officers of Parliament. We will not take lessons from the Conservatives. On this side of the House we respect officers of Parliament, we respect the work they do, and we thank them for their hard work.
Mr. Speaker, in his first few months in office, the Prime Minister spent $4.3 billion on projects outside of Canada. He spent $10 million on Omar Khadr. He spent millions of dollars moving his staff to Ottawa, promoting his tweets, building an ice rink, and even cardboard cut-outs of himself. Last week we learned that the Prime Minister will spare no expense on self-promotion, but he thinks that veterans are asking for too much.When will the Prime Minister apologize for making a promise to veterans he knew he would never keep?
Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. The oceans protection plan is a world-leading plan that will bring marine safety to levels in Canada that are not seen anywhere else in the world. Yes, we are committed to coastal communities. We are committed to abandoned vessel removal. We are committed to restoring the southern resident killer whales. We are committed to having a faster response in case of any problems along our coastal areas. This is a program that the people of B.C., the coastal people of B.C., are welcoming. This is something that has never been done in any other country.
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years the Conservative government cut veterans services, cut front-line offices, shut down nine veterans service centres across the country, nickelled and dimed veterans while using them for photo ops, members wrapping themselves in the flag every chance they got. It was shameful.We have restored respect to veterans. We are investing in benefits. We are reopening closed offices. We are supporting their families. We are doing right what for 10 years the Conservatives did wrong.
Mr. Speaker, we made a promise to veterans. We made a promise to veterans that they had heard for a long time. In 2006, all sides of the House sat down with veterans and decided on a new veterans charter. They decided that it would be a living document, that it would be something that would provide for our veterans in the future. For 10 years, the previous government sat on that document. The Conservatives did nothing but cut budgets, cut offices, and ignore the voices of our veterans. We have invested $10 billion
Mr. Speaker, we have a duty here in the House to follow the Conflict of Interest Act. No one is above this legislation, not even the Prime Minister.In light of the scathing report of the former ethics commissioner, we can say in no uncertain terms that the Prime Minister deliberately tried to be exempt from a federal statute and he abused the system by getting Canadian taxpayers to pay for his family vacation.Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he will reimburse his family trip that was paid for out of Canadians' pockets?
Mr. Speaker, the fact that it would take an ethics commissioner's report pointing out to the Prime Minister that it is inappropriate to take a gift from someone who conducts business with the government, that it is inappropriate to take a free flight from someone who is doing business with the government, and the fact that it took him a year to disclose these facts, shows that he is also guilty of a tremendous lapse in judgment.Our motion simply states that when members of Parliament or ministers are found to have imburdened the taxpayer with costs associated with illegal activities, they should reimburse the taxpayer. What part of that motion does he disagree with?
Mr. Speaker, demanding that a public official repay taxpayers for an illegal cost is not a partisan issue. It is a fundamental principle of accountability. Anyone else, in the real world, who was found breaking the rules would have to accept the consequences. Why does he think that he is different from everybody else?
Mr. Speaker, last week, exactly one day before World Wetlands Day, the Liberals killed the national wetlands conservation fund. Meanwhile, the minister received $40 million to spend on policy, communication, and engagement. That is another example of Liberals talking the talk but not walking the walk. They claim to be champions of the environment, but then cut essential environmental programs to spend more money on photographers and press releases.Will the minister now reverse this terrible decision? Will she stand up for Canada's wetlands?
Mr. Speaker, during the byelection, the Prime Minister promised farmers that he would not make any concessions on supply management under the TPP. Three months later, the government failed to stand up for our dairy, egg, and cheese producers. Where I come from, we have a word for someone who tells people something to their face when he has something to gain and then turns around and does exactly the opposite.What does the Prime Minister call those sorts of people? Where I come from, we call them liars.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for VaughanWoodbridge for his question. We have discussed on several occasions the importance of coding, digital skills, and digital literacy. Of course, it is hard work as well, as the member opposite just said. As we know, these are fundamental skills for the jobs of today and the future, from video game developers, to farming, to forestry, to mining. That is why we introduced and launched a $50 million CanCode initiative. This will help up to one million students and teachers across the country to learn how to code. We are investing in our number one resource, our people.
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner's report was released more than a month ago, and the Prime Minister refuses to face reality.However, it is simple; when someone does something illegal, that person must accept the consequences. In this case, the Prime Minister took taxpayers' money for illegal vacations. The consequence is simply that he must reimburse Canadian taxpayers. Everyone understands this except the Prime Minister.When will he do this?
Mr. Speaker, the minister has to answer for her decision to eliminate the national wetland conservation fund. Since 2014, the fund has supported projects that protect and enhance thousands of hectares of wetlands. Wetlands are vital for sequestering carbon, improving water quality, creating fish and wildlife habitat, protecting endangered species, and managing watersheds.Conservation groups across Canada are outraged by what the minister did, and now know that these Liberals are phony environmentalists. Why would the government eliminate the national wetland conservation fund, which has delivered such important benefits for Canada's environment?
Mr. Speaker, they cut budgets, ignored voices, and closed offices.Let me tell the House about someone else. A retired major with 25 years of service, 20% disabled, which basically means they may have a loss of hearing or perhaps a bad knee or ankle, will now receive over $70,000 in pain and suffering benefits alone, not to mention education and training benefits to help them transition to a civilian life. That is not a prop; that is a real person affected by our new investments for our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I understand the Prime Minister thinks that by breaking the fourth wall and trying to escape the tough questions that we are asking he will in some way be able to skate through this. However, Canadians see right through that. Yes, it is our job to ask the tough questions, and it is his habit to evade those questions and ask other ministers to defend his illegal activity.Here is a simple question. When other ministers were found to have broken the rules, they had to pay the money back. Why does he think he does not have to?
Mr. Speaker, in a moment I will be seek the unanimous consent of the House on a motion regarding oral question period, referred to in Standing Order 37 and in greater detail in chapter 11 in Bosc and Gagnon.Mr. Speaker, you will remember that even during the darkest days of the Mike Duffy scandal, when the leader of the official opposition, my friend from Outremont, was delivering devastating blow after blow to then prime minister Stephen Harper and his government, the prime minister at the time still answered the NDP leader's questions, even the tough ones. However, the current Prime Minister has started cherry picking which leader questions he is willing to answer in the House of Commons.Yesterday and today he even refused to answer
That is so patently false, Mr. Speaker. It was the Conservative government that increased support for veterans by 35%. It was our last veterans minister who ended the court process and started settlement proceedings. The Prime Minister promised during the election campaign that they would never have to go back to court and then he looks a hero in the eye and tells him no. That is shameful and he has to answer
Mr. Speaker, these are expenses incurred for an illegal trip that should never have taken place. I would like to read some comments I received just yesterday from one of my constituents. I would like the Prime Minister to listen carefully and you as well, Madam Leader: if he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back
Accepting responsibility means accepting consequences, Mr. Speaker. We all know the Prime Minister loves taking luxury vacations in the Caribbean and does not mind sticking the cost to taxpayers. He constantly tells Canadians that they have to pick up the tab for his luxurious travel. When that travel is deemed to be illegal, he should pay Canadians back. When will he?
Mr. Speaker, our veterans have been blatantly betrayed by the Prime Minister breaking his word. Recently, he told our veterans they are asking for more than we can afford, yet he charged taxpayers $200,000 for his illegal vacation and the Minister of Veterans Affairs joined the Prime Minister on that illegal trip. It is a sad day when the minister tags along on the Prime Minister's illegal vacation, blowing $200,000 and later telling veterans who suffered injuries fighting for our country that they are asking too much.Does the minister not agree with our veterans that the $200,000 the PM used for his illegal vacation would have been better spent on
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are carrying out an ideological attack on Canadian agriculture, with warning labels on dairy and meat products, and a Canadian food guide that discourages people from eating healthy animal protein and dairy. Not one single farmer or processor was allowed to give any input on these decisions.The Liberals are devastating Canadian businesses and farm families on data that is based on bad science.Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stand up for our farmers and stop this attack on Canadian agriculture?