2018-04-25

Mr. Speaker, we see that the Conservatives learned nothing in the last election campaign. They continue to try to invent and torque things, and to attack their opponents and demonize everyone as they try to make things happen. It did not work. It failed miserably. You underestimate Canadians' intelligence when you treat them like children and try to scare them into supporting you.Sorry, Mr. Speaker, not you, but them.We are going to take Canadians seriously.

Mr. Speaker, what we all remember from the years of the Harper government are the organizations that were de-funded because the government disagreed with them, whether it was KAIROS, whether it was a range of court challenge programs, or whether it was other organizations that were labelled as eco-terrorist. That Conservative Party is consistent in trying to shutdown anyone who dares to disagree with it. Know what? Canadians shut the Conservatives down by excluding them from government. We respect the rights of Canadians to hold a diversity of opinions. We will defend the charter.

Mr. Speaker, this is about trust. The Prime Minister claims he supports the Trans Mountain expansion and the thousands of jobs it will create, but he is funding anti-energy political activists who are being hired explicitly to stop the pipeline. The Prime Minister has already driven out over $80 billion of energy investment, and now he is using taxpayer dollars to block the Trans Mountain expansion. No wonder no one believes a word he says. Why is the Prime Minister using Canadian tax dollars to block Canadian pipelines and kill Canadian jobs?

As I said, Mr. Speaker, the previous Harper government also funded this organization, and on this side of the House, we will not brand Canadians as “eco-terrorists”. We will not remove funding from advocacy organizations because we as a government happen to disagree with them.We remember what that previous government did. Canadians do not want to go back to those terrible years.

Mr. Speaker, we have been in government for nearly two and a half years. In that time, this country has seen economic growth. Indeed, last year's growth was the fastest in the G7. The unemployment rate is at a historic low, and over 600,000 new jobs have been created. We know that we are creating a growing economy, one that respects and protects the environment. That is what Canadians want, especially after 10 years of the Conservatives' pathetic economic performance.

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear, I am not invoking or talking about fear. I am talking about an issue at our border where people are coming across the border illegally. Our borders matter, or do they not matter to the Prime Minister? The Prime Minister needs to answer to Canadians who are concerned. They are not racist. Canadians who are concerned are not racist. People who are trying to come to Canada legally are not racist. They have a legitimate concern.The Prime Minister, instead of laughing, needs to answer the question.

Mr. Speaker, there is no way he even believes that anymore. This whole fiasco of an approval process is looking more rigged than a Russian election. The Prime Minister promised the people of Alberta a credible process. He broke that promise. He promised the people of British Columbia meaningful consultation with first nations. He broke that promise too. Many people suspected the fix was in from the beginning, that the decision had already been made, and now we have the proof from leaked papers from his own administration. If the Prime Minister wants to regain a scintilla of trust that he once commanded in the country, will he reveal all the Kinder Morgan papers once and for all?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has, in his own words, told Canadians that he plans to phase out the energy sector, having already driven out $87 billion in investments, destroying investor confidence in Canada, and putting jobs and communities at risk. However, that was not enough. Could the Prime Minister explain to Canadians why he is using taxpayer money to fund professional protestors whose job description is to kill the Kinder Morgan pipeline?

Mr. Speaker, that spending is years away. We hear a lot of talk from the Prime Minister, but there is still so much to do on gender equality. This week, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women called out the government for its lack of action to end violence against women. Today, women from 20 countries called on G7 leaders to drop the feminist platitudes and take real action that would change the lives of women now.The feminists I know get stuff done, so when will the Prime Minister drop the fake feminism and take real action for women today in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, that is nonsense.The Prime Minister needs to stop sending contradictory messages to Canada's energy sector, which employs honest workers across the country. Doing so jeopardizes well-paying jobs and drives off investors. It is time our Prime Minister showed a little leadership.How can he defend the energy sector while using taxpayers' money to fund initiatives that undermine Kinder Morgan?

Mr. Speaker, deep down, the Prime Minister hates and despises Canadian oil. He said that he wants to phase it out as soon as possible, that that process is moving too slowly in his view. Things may be moving too slowly, but the Prime Minister's attitude is harming the economy. Investment has tumbled by $80 billion, 125,000 jobs have been lost, two pipeline projects have been scuttled, and another is in limbo.What is the Prime Minister doing to help? He is giving an organization a grant to hire someone, and that organization has posted a job offer for someone to help organize a network to stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline.Why is the Prime Minister helping those who want to destroy the Canadian economy?

Mr. Speaker, last year alone over 20,000 people crossed the border illegally, as the Prime Minister now acknowledges, and that problem is only getting worse. The people who are really suffering are those men, women, and their families that are trying to come to Canada legally, but are being put at the back of the line because of the Prime Minister's inaction.The Prime Minister has just acknowledged that the problem at the border is a problem of legality. He is the Prime Minister, after all. What is his answer to this ever-growing crisis?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister acknowledges that the immigration crisis he triggered at the border is illegal, but he is doing nothing. We are expecting between 300 and 400 illegal entries per day this year.Still the government does nothing, and that penalizes immigrants who come in legally and follow the process. We hear about people waiting up to 11 years. The Liberals' approach is unjust and inhumane.Why the double standard? Why do illegal migrants get to jump the queue while immigrants who follow this country's rules have to wait in line?

Mr. Speaker, breaking news: the Liberal Party of Canada has become the oil company party of Canada. While the Liberals were pretending to hold consultations, the CEO of Kinder Morgan was never concerned, because he knew full well that the decision had already been made. The consultations were a smokescreen. The Liberals laughed in face of the indigenous peoples, scientists, and the public.Can the Prime Minister be transparent? Can he commit to tabling all the documentation on the Kinder Morgan approval process?

Mr. Speaker, it is completely irresponsible of the Conservatives to arouse fears and concerns about our immigration system and refugees.We enforce every one of the laws and regulations relating to our immigration system. Canadians have nothing to worry about when it comes to security and our system. The reason for the delays is that the Harper Conservatives spent 10 years cutting our immigration services and getting rid of the employees who process applications. They did not do what Canadians expected of them. They did not manage our immigration system responsibly.

Mr. Speaker, Canada has always produced the most responsible oil in the world, and the Liberals' ongoing attacks are collapsing confidence in Canadian energy investment and in our country's reputation. The bottom line is this: The Liberals are paying people to “stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline”. Chief Ernie Crey of the Cheam First Nation said, “Our young people every day come to me and say, ‘I want to get trained. I want a job'” with the Trans Mountain pipeline. Why is the Prime Minister undermining Canada's national interest and funding anti-energy activists to kill indigenous aspirations, thousands of jobs, and the Trans Mountain expansion?

Mr. Speaker, as I said, that organization received funding from the Harper government.On this side of the House, we will not criticize or attack organizations that do not share our values. We will ensure that all rights and laws are upheld. We know that Canadians have a diversity of approaches and opinions and that it is important to listen to them, hear what they have to say, and work with everyone so that we do not cause division, like the members opposite want to do.

Mr. Speaker, I was thrilled to hear that the Prime Minister is open to considering my motion on a national strategy to combat plastics in our lakes and oceans. I extended an invitation to him to discuss this very important issue, and I look forward to hearing from him.However, I was also concerned that he failed to follow other countries, like the U.K., and take a simple step forward, such as banning plastic straws. I am pretty sure Shirley Temples would taste the same without plastic straws.Will the Prime Minister commit, today, to doing something simple, like moving toward banning plastic straws? It is simple.

Mr. Speaker, last spring, a number of farmers in my region of Berthier—Maskinongé experienced exceptional flooding that caused significant damage to their farmland.Despite repeated calls from the Union des producteurs agricoles, the federal government has not done anything. As a result, many farmers have lost more than $100,000 and half of their crops. I urge the government to take immediate action.Will the Prime Minister confirm today in the House that he will provide assistance to farmers in my region?

Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister just said will come as a great surprise to the member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame. There is nobody who believes that the Prime Minister is committed to free speech when he punishes all those in this country who do not agree with his personal point of view. What we are talking about here is not the principle of free speech. Yes, we all agree on that. We are talking about taking tax dollars from people who are out of work in the energy sector and giving it to people who are trying to block a project in the national interest. That is shameful and Conservatives will stop that.

Mr. Speaker, sadly, cancer continues to be the leading cause of death in Canada. In fact, nearly half of all Canadians will be affected in their lifetime. Cancer does not discriminate. It is just as likely to strike someone in Davenport, of whatever background and means, as it is anywhere else in Canada.April is also cancer awareness month.Can the Prime Minister update the House on the actions our government has taken on cancer research?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has already killed $87 billion of investment in our energy sector. Now we finally have confirmation that he is actively funding the protest against Kinder Morgan. Here is the posting for the job he is funding, “help our organizing network stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline and tanker project.”Why is the Prime Minister funding these campaigns against our energy industry?

Mr. Speaker, farmers know the truth. CETA, TPP, every deal the Liberals sign they are betraying supply management. Key environmental advocates in all three NAFTA countries have published a report warning that the current deal locks the whole continent into high carbon futures. This will absolutely prevent us from meeting our Paris agreement commitment. Two decades of aggressive energy proportionality provisions and it is clear what we must do to fight climate change.Would the Prime Minister assure Canadians that energy proportionality will be removed from NAFTA?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals refer to border crossings into Canada at points of entry that are not monitored by the CBSA as “irregular”. However, such crossings are considered a crime under the law. If the government does not enforce its own law, the message to the public is that the law is arbitrary.Yes or no, does the Prime Minister think that it is acceptable for people to break the law and cross the border illegally?

Mr. Speaker, I feel awful, because I can see that the Prime Minister is not reading from a sheet of paper on this issue.I would like to address a very serious concern, which is that the government's review of the Kinder Morgan pipeline project was rigged from the get-go. We are worried, because we know that Kinder Morgan lobbied the government more than 36 times in 2016 to try to get the green light on this project. Our leader, Jagmeet Singh, and I have asked the Prime Minister for full disclosure of all the documents related to the approval. Will he agree to be fully transparent and release those documents?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister misled many would-be migrants to illegally cross the border.In response to a problem of his own making, the Prime Minister is throwing Canadian tax dollars at a problem with no concrete plan. Yesterday, the Prime Minister refused to even commit to a plan.Can the Prime Minister tell the House if he believes it is wrong to illegally cross the border and jump the queue?

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order, and in a moment I am going to move a motion as well. We just heard in the question period exchange not only opposition members, including the Conservative House leader and other members, but the Prime Minister misrepresent to the House by suggesting that those who cross over at unofficial borders are doing this illegally. In fact, it states very clearly in section 133 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that it is not illegal for people to make crossings at unofficial border crossings. In fact, it is not a violation of the Criminal Code. Therefore, I would like to move a motion and call on the Prime Minister to apologize for using the term “illegal”.

Mr. Speaker, no one believes the Prime Minister is supportive of Canada's energy industry. Last week, when he was in France, he mourned the fact that he could not phase it out fast enough. Now we have documents that prove that the Prime Minister is using taxpayer dollars to fund professional protestors against the Kinder Morgan pipeline. When will the Prime Minister just admit that he is using taxpayer money to fund the protestors and to fund his plan to shutdown the Alberta energy sector?

Mr. Speaker, what we actually did in this process was add additional steps, a more rigorous process to a process we all recognize was terribly flawed under the previous Conservative government. We extended the consultation with indigenous peoples. I would ask the member opposite, outside of the House, to explain why he is ignoring the many indigenous communities that are in support of this pipeline, that are asking for these pipelines to be built, to ensure their future and their kids' futures. There are many indigenous Canadians that feel this is a good path forward. Why are those members ignoring them?

Mr. Speaker, the Waupoos Farm is a charity in my riding that provides free vacations to poor families that could not otherwise afford one. The Prime Minister cut its summer jobs funding this year because it refused to attest to supporting his ideology, and yet today he claims that an organization that seeks a summer student for the express purpose to “stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline” gets the money under the Prime Minister's defence of free speech. Why does free speech only apply to those trying to kill Canadian jobs and not to those trying to help the less fortunate?

Mr. Speaker, not only have I answered that question today, but I have answered it many times over the past months. Crossing a border between official border crossings is illegal.What the members opposite want us to do is step back from our international commitments—

Mr. Speaker, once again, Canadians know that protecting the environment and growing the economy must go together. The members opposite simply do not understand that. On one side of the House, they are thinking about the economy but not the environment, and that did nothing for the economy under Stephen Harper. The NDP is still wrapped up in forgetting about the economy and doing everything it can to try to protect the environment, which is not working. Canadians know we have to move forward in a thoughtful way that brings people together, instead of demonizing—

Mr. Speaker, now Canadians know the truth. We know that both the RCMP and the PMO knew about Mr. Atwal's invite, but it seems that the PMO did not share that information with the national security adviser. How can Canadians have confidence in the Prime Minister, when his office holds back information from security agencies and from his own national security adviser?Since the Prime Minister will not answer simple questions, will he commit to appointing an independent council to review the handling of the Atwal Indian affair so that Canadians can get to the bottom of this?

Mr. Speaker, since the election campaign, I have been saying that Canadians know that we need to protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. However, today, we see that there are still people who do not believe that.The Conservatives are attacking us because we are not doing as much as they would like to move Kinder Morgan's TMX project forward, and the NDP is angry that we are moving forward with the pipeline project at all.As usual, the Liberal Party remains focused on Canadians' concerns, and we are going to work for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, what we have been saying for months and indeed years now is that the integrity of Canada's immigration system is holding. We are ensuring that anyone who arrives in this country, whether it is regularly or irregularly, goes through security checks and a rigorous immigration system that Canadians can be reassured is being applied to the full extent of the laws and rules that Canadians expect.To suggest otherwise is simply irresponsible, polarizing politics.

Mr. Speaker, an organization that works against the natural resources industry is currently looking for an employee to help stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline. Why is that organization currently receiving a federal grant?Will the Prime Minister stop playing games with Canadians' money by subsidizing a group that is undermining our economy and the honest workers in the natural resources sector?

Mr. Speaker, can the Prime Minister assure the House and all Canadians that he is using every tool at his disposal to ensure public support for the Trans Mountain pipeline project?

Mr. Speaker, first, the answer is not to stoke fear among Canadians and new arrivals about what is actually happening. We have a strong and rigorous immigration system that is being applied to everyone who arrives in this country. If they arrive between border points, they are arrested. They go through a process whereby if they call for asylum, we have to respect our international conventions to analyze the request for asylum. That is what Canadians expect, and that is what we are bringing forward.

Mr. Speaker, not only has the government allocated insufficient funding to combat sexual assault on Canadian university campuses, but the UN has also criticized the government's general inaction on the issue of violence against women. According to a United Nations report, resources are seriously lacking and there are not enough shelters for victims. The problem is systemic, and the Liberals' piecemeal approach does nothing to solve it.Will the government stop simply talking about being a feminist government and actually take meaningful action to protect women who are victims of violence?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just confirmed what we have been saying for a year and a half: it is illegal to cross our border. I thank him for admitting that. Now, what does the Prime Minister plan to do to prevent people from illegally entering Canada?

Mr. Speaker, again, we remember the Stephen Harper years, of which so many of the members opposite were part, where anyone who dared disagree with official government position was persecuted, marginalized, had funding yanked, was shut down. That was the approach Canadians suffered under for 10 years. I can understand those members outrage that perhaps we encourage advocacy on a broad range of issues. However, Canada is a country strong not in spite of its differences but because of our differences. We will always support the right of Canadians to express themselves.

Mr. Speaker, I find it wonderful that the member of the opposition is asking this question, because indeed we recognize that part of the tools to get this pipeline built is a price on carbon pollution right across the country.Canadians know that protecting the environment and growing the economy must go together.For 10 years, Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party were unable to protect the environment and therefore unable to grow the economy the way they should have.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party of Canada is the party of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and we will always stand up to defend Canadians' charter rights. Organizations that cannot ensure that they will abide by the principles in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and that indeed will work to take away the charter rights of Canadians, will not get funding from this government.I know the members opposite do not like that, because it means standing up for women's rights and reproductive rights, but it also means we will be unequivocal in always standing up to defend the charter rights of all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP has corrected the information and has accepted full responsibility for the erroneous information that went out. However, the facts remain. There is no great conspiracy here that we are keeping from Canadians. The approach is one of concern that we have. We continue to deepen the friendships and the relationships with India, while ensuring that we are rigorous in our approach to defending Canadian values.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to continuing to have excellent conversations with the member about the oceans and their protection.Unfortunately for the NDP members, though, nothing is ever as simple as they would like it to be. We are committed and moving forward to protect the oceans, particularly from plastics, as part of our G7 leadership.We intend to look not just at macroplastics but also at microplastics and even nanoplastics. There are many issues facing our oceans, and we are going to get them right. That is what Canadians expect.

Mr. Speaker, how sad to see members opposite using fear to drive wedges.It is indeed illegal to cross the border between border crossings. However, we are also party to UN conventions that require us to analyze asylum claims using a rigorous process. We are currently defending our system, protecting Canadians, ensuring public safety, but also protecting the integrity of our immigration system.

Mr. Speaker, I thought my questions about the Prime Minister's scandalous trip to India had come to an end, but the government's story keeps changing. Yesterday, we learned that the RCMP knew about the invitation of Mr. Atwal at least a day before the national security adviser told the committee that he knew. Security forces and Mr. Jean were kept in the dark by the Prime Minister's Office. My question is simple. I just want a date. When did the Prime Minister learn that his friend Jas was on his invite list for the India state dinner?

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that under the previous government, the approach of not understanding how important it is to properly consult and engage in acquiring social licence needed to be fixed. That is why we actually added additional steps to make the process more rigorous. In fact, we extended the consultation process to ensure we were meeting and exceeding our responsibility to engage with and consult indigenous peoples. This is something Conservatives always failed to do.

Mr. Speaker, now that the Prime Minister has said that it is in fact illegal to cross the border, could he tell the House what the plan is and what he intends to do to stop illegal migration at the border?

Mr. Speaker, I very much understand where the member opposite is coming from. However, I would exhort her to remember that everyone can be allies as we move forward in the fight for more gender equality. That level of judgment is not something that is serving Canadians or the world. I was proud to sit down with leaders in the W7, just at lunch today, to talk about how we could do more, and we must do more, on gender-based violence, and on promoting true equality and equity around the world. There is much to do, and we are proud we are having this conversation, and leading in this conversation.

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are twisting and torquing the facts in any which way they can to try to make political hay out of an issue that is simply not one.The RCMP corrected the record, but nothing about the actual timeline has changed in terms of when the information became available and how we acted on it immediately. For the members opposite to simply suggest that there is some grand conspiracy here is simply irresponsible. I was pleased that the leader of the official opposition took that confidential briefing. I was pleased that members got—

Mr. Speaker, in the House we all know that the process put in place by Stephen Harper was not working. That is why we added steps to the process to ensure that consultations with indigenous peoples and the rigorous study of this project are carried out properly.We know that the only way to forge a consensus across the country, not unanimity but a consensus, is to engage and and listen to Canadians from all backgrounds. That is exactly what we did, and that is why we were able to approve this pipeline.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has signed off on a grant that will go specifically to hire an assistant who will “work directly with [a provincial organizer] and the field organizing team to help our network stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline....”Does he not realize that he is funding the very groups that are protesting against the project that is in the national interest?

Mr. Speaker, farmers in Quebec and Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean are troubled by the government's lack of clarity on NAFTA negotiations. The liberals cannot be trusted to prevent our supply management system from being further undermined. In addition to softwood lumber and aluminum, new sectors risk being hit. Will the government finally commit to fully protecting supply management and the jobs in our other agricultural sectors?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Davenport for her long-time advocacy on this important issue. All Canadians know just how devastating a cancer diagnosis can be for families and friends. That is why we are proud to promote partnerships such as the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, with funding of up to $50 million a year.It is through the strength of these partnerships that we can collectively reduce risk factors, support research, and ensure better treatments today, but also for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, no matter how the members opposite try to spin it, the Liberal Party and this government will always stand up for charter rights. This is something that is ingrained in what we feel a government's responsibility is. Under the Harper's Conservatives, we saw them regularly de-funding the court challenges program, put forward pieces of legislation that they knew was non-charter compliant. We are simply saying that if organizations want to move forward and get funding from the government, they need to demonstrate they are supporting the charter. I think that is a minimal thing we can expect of any organization we fund.

Once again, Mr. Speaker, we see the true colours of these Harper Conservatives shining through. The commitment that this government has made to stand up and defend reproductive rights and the rights of women at every single opportunity is one that sticks in their craw.We will not apologize for ensuring that women's rights are protected across this country.

Mr. Speaker, can the Prime Minister tell the House and all Canadians that he and his government will do everything in their power to make sure that the Trans Mountain pipeline gets built?

Mr. Speaker, what the members opposite seem to take issue with is actually the commitment Canada has made to the international community to respect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. If someone claims asylum because that person is fleeing persecution, war, or violence, we are required to analyze that request. We are a party to the international convention on refugees and therefore we will stay true to our obligations.

Mr. Speaker, all along, we have shown that we understand that protecting the environment and growing the economy go together.For 10 years under Stephen Harper, the Conservatives were unable to build one kilometre of pipeline to new markets. On this side, we are working to ensure that this pipeline gets built. However, our desire to build this pipeline includes wanting to put a price on carbon pollution and to protect our oceans. That all goes together. Canadians know that the environment and the economy go together.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether the member opposite is asking Canada to withdraw from international conventions on refugees, but that is what he seems to be doing.We are ensuring that our immigration system rigorously applies to all, and we are reassuring Canadians that they are safe, although there will always be challenges to our security. The members opposite are instilling fear and doubt among Canadians, while we are doing what Canadians expect of us: protecting our system, maintaining the integrity of our laws, and also—

Mr. Speaker, we just witnessed the Prime Minister accuse the Waupoos Farm of attacking the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This is an organization that provides low-income families with a rare recreational opportunity, the chance to have a vacation that they could not otherwise afford. It does not impose any values of any kind on those families. Waupoos Farm invites them and gives them an opportunity to recreate together and grow. Why is it that the Prime Minister is prepared to support funding for jobs for organizations that are taking away opportunities from Canadians, but not for those trying to help the less fortunate?

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to answer the member for Bourassa's question, especially since, as the member for Papineau, I am thrilled to see progress happening on the blue line. Two weeks ago, I got together with Premier Couillard and Mayor Plante to announce funding to prepare the business case and engineering studies for the extension of Montreal's blue line. The blue line project will improve metro access for residents of Montreal's east end, after a decade of Conservative inaction on Quebec infrastructure. I am proud to say we are going ahead with this project.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie has made it abundantly clear that he could never accept this pipeline regardless of the conditions that have been put in place.We approached Canadians in order to be sure to extend the consultations and establish a more rigorous process. Even the hon. member's leader said he would be open to supporting this pipeline. That is precisely the type of people we are bringing together, not those, like the member across the way, who still believe that we have to choose between the environment and the economy.

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of this particular advocacy group, it is important to highlight that it was also funded under the Harper government.

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister claims to be trying to build public support for this pipeline, perhaps he can explain to the House why his government gave a grant to an environmental lobby group that specifically used those funds to hire an activist to protest against the Trans Mountain pipeline.Does the Prime Minister not realize that paying groups to protest against these projects is exactly part of the problem?

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. In a speech delivered on April 7, the Minister of Indigenous Services acknowledged that Canada has failed to address the many social determinants that lead to poor health and poverty in indigenous communities. Many in my riding of Nunavut feel that Canada has failed them and continues to fail them. Funding for housing, education, infrastructure, and health services is lacking as a direct result of the per capita funding allocation. Will the Prime Minister commit his government to changing the per capita funding allocation to more of a needs-based approach?

Mr. Speaker, we all know very well the NDP's perspective on trade deals. We respectfully disagree with the NDP, which cannot seem to find trade deals of any good for Canadians. We know they help Canadian workers. We know they help Canadian small businesses. We know they help Canadian consumers. However, we recognize there is a need to be more progressive in our trade deals. That is why we are bringing in labour chapters, bringing in gender chapters, and making sure we are moving forward in a way that includes everyone in the benefits of trade. That is what Canadians elected when they elected a progressive government.

Mr. Speaker, for many years, Montreal residents have been calling for public transit to be improved. Our government offered help last year by pledging to invest in the Réseau électrique métropolitain project, which is going to transform the region. However, that is not enough. Residents want to know when the metro's blue line will be extended. Could the right hon. Prime Minister tell us what our government is doing to move this project forward?

Mr. Speaker, again we see that the Conservatives are only interested in playing politics. This is something I have been saying for a long time, and we have been talking about our plan for responding to this situation for a long time as well. We are working with all orders of government, ensuring the integrity of our immigration system as a whole, keeping Canadians safe, and investing in our border services and immigration systems so that we can process all these applications.

Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Prime Minister suggested that the opposition was inventing the controversy around the government funding protesters of the Kinder Morgan pipeline. I would like to seek the unanimous consent of the House to table the Dogwood Initiative job posting for an organizing assistant asking for someone to apply who will work directly with the Dogwood provincial organizer and the field organizing team to help the organizing network stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline. I would like unanimous consent to table that.

Mr. Speaker, unlike apparently the leader of the official opposition, we believe in free speech. We believe in advocacy on this side of the House.On this specific—

Mr. Speaker, part of the reason why the Conservatives under Stephen Harper, and they continue with the same approach, were not able to get a single kilometre of pipeline toward new markets built was because they did not understand that respecting a broad range of voices in the country, encouraging people to express their views and working with them instead of shutting them down is the way to ensure we can move forward as a united country that both gets that growing economy and protecting the environment must go together in the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Prime Minister does not realize just how serious the situation is.Once again, while his government was probably genuinely consulting first nations about the project, his senior officials were talking to the public service in an attempt to obtain a legal basis for saying “yes” and expedite the project's approval. Indigenous legal experts were troubled by these directives.Will the Prime Minister commit to releasing all the documentation, and I did say all of the pertinent documentation, associated with the assessment of the Kinder Morgan project, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, one of the things we wanted to do in improving access, transparency, and openness in government was align the estimates process with the budget process. In previous years, as parliamentarians who have been here for a while will know, voting on estimates, even though it might have happened after a budget, had no relation to the budget that a government had just put forward. We chose to create greater transparency and, even more, greater ability by opposition MPs to hold the government to account on spending, which as we well know is at the core of the functioning of this place.We are pleased with the movement we are making—

Mr. Speaker, normally budget items have to get Treasury Board approval before being included in the main estimates. That is why last year we all agreed to delay the tabling of the main estimates so that budget items could be approved by the Treasury Board and included in them. However, this year's estimates include seven billion dollars' worth of budget initiatives that have not gone through the Treasury Board process and should be brought forward in supplementary estimates. It is a big change in the way we approve government spending, and that is why I have asked the President of the Treasury Board to request a take note debate in the House so that we can learn more about this and pronounce on it. Will the Prime Minister support that request?

Mr. Speaker, it is quite something to watch these guys—

Mr. Speaker, we understand how important it is to tackle gender-based violence, which is why budget 2018 allocates $5.5 million to improve access to on-campus centres for the prevention of sexual harassment. We also committed $86 million to develop a broader strategy to prevent and tackle gender-based violence. We understand that we still have a lot more to do, but we are here to fight for gender equality and protect everyone from violence.

Mr. Speaker, as a government, we recognize just how important the agricultural industry is to our economy; it is even a source of economic growth.We were very happy to approve a protein industries supercluster, which will provide solutions across the country. We remain concerned about dairy producers and farmers in Berthier—Maskinongé. We will work with them, just like we will work to protect farmers across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital for his leadership.We recognize the importance of the Kapyong Barracks land to the Treaty No. 1 first nations, and we remain committed to working together in the spirit of reconciliation. Last week, we were proud to announce an agreement in principle with the Treaty No. 1 first nations for the Kapyong Barracks land. This agreement is a concrete step on the path to reconciliation and renewing the relationship with indigenous peoples. We will continue working with the Treaty No. 1 first nations to develop a final settlement agreement.

Mr. Speaker, during the last election campaign, our party committed to renewing our nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous peoples. In Manitoba, the Kapyong Barracks property was declared surplus by the Department of National Defence in 2001. The site comprises 40 buildings and over 65 hectares of land. Unlike the previous government, we are approaching reconciliation with a whole-of-government approach. Can the Prime Minister inform the House as to what role DND and our government are playing in reconciliation with first nations in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, once again we see—

Mr. Speaker, as we have always said, we will defend supply management. It was a Liberal government that established supply management more than 40 years ago. We know that it works very well, not just for dairy producers, but for our entire agricultural industry. That is why we successfully defended supply management in several international negotiations. We will continue to do so, particularly in our NAFTA negotiations.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to building a new relationship together with indigenous peoples based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership in a distinctions-based approach that recognizes the uniqueness of the Inuit-crown partnership.Through budget 2018, Nunavut will receive $1.6 billion in 2018-19 in major transfers, an increase of over $50 million from the previous year. We are also investing over $500 million to make progress in the areas identified through the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, such as health and wellness, skills and training, and housing.

As I said, Mr. Speaker, the previous Harper government also funded this organization, and on this side of the House, we will not brand Canadians as “eco-terrorists”. We will not remove funding from advocacy organizations because we as a government happen to disagree with them.We remember what that previous government did. Canadians do not want to go back to those terrible years.

Mr. Speaker, now that the Prime Minister has said that it is in fact illegal to cross the border, could he tell the House what the plan is and what he intends to do to stop illegal migration at the border?

Mr. Speaker, we see that the Conservatives learned nothing in the last election campaign. They continue to try to invent and torque things, and to attack their opponents and demonize everyone as they try to make things happen. It did not work. It failed miserably. You underestimate Canadians' intelligence when you treat them like children and try to scare them into supporting you.Sorry, Mr. Speaker, not you, but them.We are going to take Canadians seriously.

Mr. Speaker, sadly, cancer continues to be the leading cause of death in Canada. In fact, nearly half of all Canadians will be affected in their lifetime. Cancer does not discriminate. It is just as likely to strike someone in Davenport, of whatever background and means, as it is anywhere else in Canada.April is also cancer awareness month.Can the Prime Minister update the House on the actions our government has taken on cancer research?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister acknowledges that the immigration crisis he triggered at the border is illegal, but he is doing nothing. We are expecting between 300 and 400 illegal entries per day this year.Still the government does nothing, and that penalizes immigrants who come in legally and follow the process. We hear about people waiting up to 11 years. The Liberals' approach is unjust and inhumane.Why the double standard? Why do illegal migrants get to jump the queue while immigrants who follow this country's rules have to wait in line?

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP has corrected the information and has accepted full responsibility for the erroneous information that went out. However, the facts remain. There is no great conspiracy here that we are keeping from Canadians. The approach is one of concern that we have. We continue to deepen the friendships and the relationships with India, while ensuring that we are rigorous in our approach to defending Canadian values.

Mr. Speaker, all along, we have shown that we understand that protecting the environment and growing the economy go together.For 10 years under Stephen Harper, the Conservatives were unable to build one kilometre of pipeline to new markets. On this side, we are working to ensure that this pipeline gets built. However, our desire to build this pipeline includes wanting to put a price on carbon pollution and to protect our oceans. That all goes together. Canadians know that the environment and the economy go together.

Mr. Speaker, how sad to see members opposite using fear to drive wedges.It is indeed illegal to cross the border between border crossings. However, we are also party to UN conventions that require us to analyze asylum claims using a rigorous process. We are currently defending our system, protecting Canadians, ensuring public safety, but also protecting the integrity of our immigration system.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just confirmed what we have been saying for a year and a half: it is illegal to cross our border. I thank him for admitting that. Now, what does the Prime Minister plan to do to prevent people from illegally entering Canada?

Mr. Speaker, I thought my questions about the Prime Minister's scandalous trip to India had come to an end, but the government's story keeps changing. Yesterday, we learned that the RCMP knew about the invitation of Mr. Atwal at least a day before the national security adviser told the committee that he knew. Security forces and Mr. Jean were kept in the dark by the Prime Minister's Office. My question is simple. I just want a date. When did the Prime Minister learn that his friend Jas was on his invite list for the India state dinner?

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order, and in a moment I am going to move a motion as well. We just heard in the question period exchange not only opposition members, including the Conservative House leader and other members, but the Prime Minister misrepresent to the House by suggesting that those who cross over at unofficial borders are doing this illegally. In fact, it states very clearly in section 133 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that it is not illegal for people to make crossings at unofficial border crossings. In fact, it is not a violation of the Criminal Code. Therefore, I would like to move a motion and call on the Prime Minister to apologize for using the term “illegal”.

Mr. Speaker, since the election campaign, I have been saying that Canadians know that we need to protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. However, today, we see that there are still people who do not believe that.The Conservatives are attacking us because we are not doing as much as they would like to move Kinder Morgan's TMX project forward, and the NDP is angry that we are moving forward with the pipeline project at all.As usual, the Liberal Party remains focused on Canadians' concerns, and we are going to work for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has already killed $87 billion of investment in our energy sector. Now we finally have confirmation that he is actively funding the protest against Kinder Morgan. Here is the posting for the job he is funding, “help our organizing network stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline and tanker project.”Why is the Prime Minister funding these campaigns against our energy industry?

Mr. Speaker, deep down, the Prime Minister hates and despises Canadian oil. He said that he wants to phase it out as soon as possible, that that process is moving too slowly in his view. Things may be moving too slowly, but the Prime Minister's attitude is harming the economy. Investment has tumbled by $80 billion, 125,000 jobs have been lost, two pipeline projects have been scuttled, and another is in limbo.What is the Prime Minister doing to help? He is giving an organization a grant to hire someone, and that organization has posted a job offer for someone to help organize a network to stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline.Why is the Prime Minister helping those who want to destroy the Canadian economy?

Mr. Speaker, it is completely irresponsible of the Conservatives to arouse fears and concerns about our immigration system and refugees.We enforce every one of the laws and regulations relating to our immigration system. Canadians have nothing to worry about when it comes to security and our system. The reason for the delays is that the Harper Conservatives spent 10 years cutting our immigration services and getting rid of the employees who process applications. They did not do what Canadians expected of them. They did not manage our immigration system responsibly.

Mr. Speaker, farmers in Quebec and Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean are troubled by the government's lack of clarity on NAFTA negotiations. The liberals cannot be trusted to prevent our supply management system from being further undermined. In addition to softwood lumber and aluminum, new sectors risk being hit. Will the government finally commit to fully protecting supply management and the jobs in our other agricultural sectors?

Mr. Speaker, last year alone over 20,000 people crossed the border illegally, as the Prime Minister now acknowledges, and that problem is only getting worse. The people who are really suffering are those men, women, and their families that are trying to come to Canada legally, but are being put at the back of the line because of the Prime Minister's inaction.The Prime Minister has just acknowledged that the problem at the border is a problem of legality. He is the Prime Minister, after all. What is his answer to this ever-growing crisis?

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear, I am not invoking or talking about fear. I am talking about an issue at our border where people are coming across the border illegally. Our borders matter, or do they not matter to the Prime Minister? The Prime Minister needs to answer to Canadians who are concerned. They are not racist. Canadians who are concerned are not racist. People who are trying to come to Canada legally are not racist. They have a legitimate concern.The Prime Minister, instead of laughing, needs to answer the question.

Mr. Speaker, I feel awful, because I can see that the Prime Minister is not reading from a sheet of paper on this issue.I would like to address a very serious concern, which is that the government's review of the Kinder Morgan pipeline project was rigged from the get-go. We are worried, because we know that Kinder Morgan lobbied the government more than 36 times in 2016 to try to get the green light on this project. Our leader, Jagmeet Singh, and I have asked the Prime Minister for full disclosure of all the documents related to the approval. Will he agree to be fully transparent and release those documents?

Mr. Speaker, we have been in government for nearly two and a half years. In that time, this country has seen economic growth. Indeed, last year's growth was the fastest in the G7. The unemployment rate is at a historic low, and over 600,000 new jobs have been created. We know that we are creating a growing economy, one that respects and protects the environment. That is what Canadians want, especially after 10 years of the Conservatives' pathetic economic performance.

Mr. Speaker, part of the reason why the Conservatives under Stephen Harper, and they continue with the same approach, were not able to get a single kilometre of pipeline toward new markets built was because they did not understand that respecting a broad range of voices in the country, encouraging people to express their views and working with them instead of shutting them down is the way to ensure we can move forward as a united country that both gets that growing economy and protecting the environment must go together in the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. In a speech delivered on April 7, the Minister of Indigenous Services acknowledged that Canada has failed to address the many social determinants that lead to poor health and poverty in indigenous communities. Many in my riding of Nunavut feel that Canada has failed them and continues to fail them. Funding for housing, education, infrastructure, and health services is lacking as a direct result of the per capita funding allocation. Will the Prime Minister commit his government to changing the per capita funding allocation to more of a needs-based approach?

Mr. Speaker, what we all remember from the years of the Harper government are the organizations that were de-funded because the government disagreed with them, whether it was KAIROS, whether it was a range of court challenge programs, or whether it was other organizations that were labelled as eco-terrorist. That Conservative Party is consistent in trying to shutdown anyone who dares to disagree with it. Know what? Canadians shut the Conservatives down by excluding them from government. We respect the rights of Canadians to hold a diversity of opinions. We will defend the charter.

Mr. Speaker, can the Prime Minister assure the House and all Canadians that he is using every tool at his disposal to ensure public support for the Trans Mountain pipeline project?

Mr. Speaker, once again we see—

Mr. Speaker, this is about trust. The Prime Minister claims he supports the Trans Mountain expansion and the thousands of jobs it will create, but he is funding anti-energy political activists who are being hired explicitly to stop the pipeline. The Prime Minister has already driven out over $80 billion of energy investment, and now he is using taxpayer dollars to block the Trans Mountain expansion. No wonder no one believes a word he says. Why is the Prime Minister using Canadian tax dollars to block Canadian pipelines and kill Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, it is quite something to watch these guys—

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party of Canada is the party of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and we will always stand up to defend Canadians' charter rights. Organizations that cannot ensure that they will abide by the principles in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and that indeed will work to take away the charter rights of Canadians, will not get funding from this government.I know the members opposite do not like that, because it means standing up for women's rights and reproductive rights, but it also means we will be unequivocal in always standing up to defend the charter rights of all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to building a new relationship together with indigenous peoples based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership in a distinctions-based approach that recognizes the uniqueness of the Inuit-crown partnership.Through budget 2018, Nunavut will receive $1.6 billion in 2018-19 in major transfers, an increase of over $50 million from the previous year. We are also investing over $500 million to make progress in the areas identified through the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, such as health and wellness, skills and training, and housing.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals refer to border crossings into Canada at points of entry that are not monitored by the CBSA as “irregular”. However, such crossings are considered a crime under the law. If the government does not enforce its own law, the message to the public is that the law is arbitrary.Yes or no, does the Prime Minister think that it is acceptable for people to break the law and cross the border illegally?

Mr. Speaker, during the last election campaign, our party committed to renewing our nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous peoples. In Manitoba, the Kapyong Barracks property was declared surplus by the Department of National Defence in 2001. The site comprises 40 buildings and over 65 hectares of land. Unlike the previous government, we are approaching reconciliation with a whole-of-government approach. Can the Prime Minister inform the House as to what role DND and our government are playing in reconciliation with first nations in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, no matter how the members opposite try to spin it, the Liberal Party and this government will always stand up for charter rights. This is something that is ingrained in what we feel a government's responsibility is. Under the Harper's Conservatives, we saw them regularly de-funding the court challenges program, put forward pieces of legislation that they knew was non-charter compliant. We are simply saying that if organizations want to move forward and get funding from the government, they need to demonstrate they are supporting the charter. I think that is a minimal thing we can expect of any organization we fund.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Prime Minister does not realize just how serious the situation is.Once again, while his government was probably genuinely consulting first nations about the project, his senior officials were talking to the public service in an attempt to obtain a legal basis for saying “yes” and expedite the project's approval. Indigenous legal experts were troubled by these directives.Will the Prime Minister commit to releasing all the documentation, and I did say all of the pertinent documentation, associated with the assessment of the Kinder Morgan project, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, that spending is years away. We hear a lot of talk from the Prime Minister, but there is still so much to do on gender equality. This week, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women called out the government for its lack of action to end violence against women. Today, women from 20 countries called on G7 leaders to drop the feminist platitudes and take real action that would change the lives of women now.The feminists I know get stuff done, so when will the Prime Minister drop the fake feminism and take real action for women today in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, not only have I answered that question today, but I have answered it many times over the past months. Crossing a border between official border crossings is illegal.What the members opposite want us to do is step back from our international commitments—

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that under the previous government, the approach of not understanding how important it is to properly consult and engage in acquiring social licence needed to be fixed. That is why we actually added additional steps to make the process more rigorous. In fact, we extended the consultation process to ensure we were meeting and exceeding our responsibility to engage with and consult indigenous peoples. This is something Conservatives always failed to do.

Mr. Speaker, what the members opposite seem to take issue with is actually the commitment Canada has made to the international community to respect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. If someone claims asylum because that person is fleeing persecution, war, or violence, we are required to analyze that request. We are a party to the international convention on refugees and therefore we will stay true to our obligations.

Mr. Speaker, I find it wonderful that the member of the opposition is asking this question, because indeed we recognize that part of the tools to get this pipeline built is a price on carbon pollution right across the country.Canadians know that protecting the environment and growing the economy must go together.For 10 years, Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party were unable to protect the environment and therefore unable to grow the economy the way they should have.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital for his leadership.We recognize the importance of the Kapyong Barracks land to the Treaty No. 1 first nations, and we remain committed to working together in the spirit of reconciliation. Last week, we were proud to announce an agreement in principle with the Treaty No. 1 first nations for the Kapyong Barracks land. This agreement is a concrete step on the path to reconciliation and renewing the relationship with indigenous peoples. We will continue working with the Treaty No. 1 first nations to develop a final settlement agreement.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister misled many would-be migrants to illegally cross the border.In response to a problem of his own making, the Prime Minister is throwing Canadian tax dollars at a problem with no concrete plan. Yesterday, the Prime Minister refused to even commit to a plan.Can the Prime Minister tell the House if he believes it is wrong to illegally cross the border and jump the queue?

Mr. Speaker, not only has the government allocated insufficient funding to combat sexual assault on Canadian university campuses, but the UN has also criticized the government's general inaction on the issue of violence against women. According to a United Nations report, resources are seriously lacking and there are not enough shelters for victims. The problem is systemic, and the Liberals' piecemeal approach does nothing to solve it.Will the government stop simply talking about being a feminist government and actually take meaningful action to protect women who are victims of violence?

Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Prime Minister suggested that the opposition was inventing the controversy around the government funding protesters of the Kinder Morgan pipeline. I would like to seek the unanimous consent of the House to table the Dogwood Initiative job posting for an organizing assistant asking for someone to apply who will work directly with the Dogwood provincial organizer and the field organizing team to help the organizing network stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline. I would like unanimous consent to table that.

Mr. Speaker, I was thrilled to hear that the Prime Minister is open to considering my motion on a national strategy to combat plastics in our lakes and oceans. I extended an invitation to him to discuss this very important issue, and I look forward to hearing from him.However, I was also concerned that he failed to follow other countries, like the U.K., and take a simple step forward, such as banning plastic straws. I am pretty sure Shirley Temples would taste the same without plastic straws.Will the Prime Minister commit, today, to doing something simple, like moving toward banning plastic straws? It is simple.

Mr. Speaker, farmers know the truth. CETA, TPP, every deal the Liberals sign they are betraying supply management. Key environmental advocates in all three NAFTA countries have published a report warning that the current deal locks the whole continent into high carbon futures. This will absolutely prevent us from meeting our Paris agreement commitment. Two decades of aggressive energy proportionality provisions and it is clear what we must do to fight climate change.Would the Prime Minister assure Canadians that energy proportionality will be removed from NAFTA?

Mr. Speaker, what we have been saying for months and indeed years now is that the integrity of Canada's immigration system is holding. We are ensuring that anyone who arrives in this country, whether it is regularly or irregularly, goes through security checks and a rigorous immigration system that Canadians can be reassured is being applied to the full extent of the laws and rules that Canadians expect.To suggest otherwise is simply irresponsible, polarizing politics.

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister claims to be trying to build public support for this pipeline, perhaps he can explain to the House why his government gave a grant to an environmental lobby group that specifically used those funds to hire an activist to protest against the Trans Mountain pipeline.Does the Prime Minister not realize that paying groups to protest against these projects is exactly part of the problem?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has, in his own words, told Canadians that he plans to phase out the energy sector, having already driven out $87 billion in investments, destroying investor confidence in Canada, and putting jobs and communities at risk. However, that was not enough. Could the Prime Minister explain to Canadians why he is using taxpayer money to fund professional protestors whose job description is to kill the Kinder Morgan pipeline?

Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether the member opposite is asking Canada to withdraw from international conventions on refugees, but that is what he seems to be doing.We are ensuring that our immigration system rigorously applies to all, and we are reassuring Canadians that they are safe, although there will always be challenges to our security. The members opposite are instilling fear and doubt among Canadians, while we are doing what Canadians expect of us: protecting our system, maintaining the integrity of our laws, and also—

Mr. Speaker, for many years, Montreal residents have been calling for public transit to be improved. Our government offered help last year by pledging to invest in the Réseau électrique métropolitain project, which is going to transform the region. However, that is not enough. Residents want to know when the metro's blue line will be extended. Could the right hon. Prime Minister tell us what our government is doing to move this project forward?

Mr. Speaker, once again, Canadians know that protecting the environment and growing the economy must go together. The members opposite simply do not understand that. On one side of the House, they are thinking about the economy but not the environment, and that did nothing for the economy under Stephen Harper. The NDP is still wrapped up in forgetting about the economy and doing everything it can to try to protect the environment, which is not working. Canadians know we have to move forward in a thoughtful way that brings people together, instead of demonizing—

Once again, Mr. Speaker, we see the true colours of these Harper Conservatives shining through. The commitment that this government has made to stand up and defend reproductive rights and the rights of women at every single opportunity is one that sticks in their craw.We will not apologize for ensuring that women's rights are protected across this country.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Davenport for her long-time advocacy on this important issue. All Canadians know just how devastating a cancer diagnosis can be for families and friends. That is why we are proud to promote partnerships such as the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, with funding of up to $50 million a year.It is through the strength of these partnerships that we can collectively reduce risk factors, support research, and ensure better treatments today, but also for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, again we see that the Conservatives are only interested in playing politics. This is something I have been saying for a long time, and we have been talking about our plan for responding to this situation for a long time as well. We are working with all orders of government, ensuring the integrity of our immigration system as a whole, keeping Canadians safe, and investing in our border services and immigration systems so that we can process all these applications.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has signed off on a grant that will go specifically to hire an assistant who will “work directly with [a provincial organizer] and the field organizing team to help our network stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline....”Does he not realize that he is funding the very groups that are protesting against the project that is in the national interest?

Mr. Speaker, now Canadians know the truth. We know that both the RCMP and the PMO knew about Mr. Atwal's invite, but it seems that the PMO did not share that information with the national security adviser. How can Canadians have confidence in the Prime Minister, when his office holds back information from security agencies and from his own national security adviser?Since the Prime Minister will not answer simple questions, will he commit to appointing an independent council to review the handling of the Atwal Indian affair so that Canadians can get to the bottom of this?

Mr. Speaker, what we actually did in this process was add additional steps, a more rigorous process to a process we all recognize was terribly flawed under the previous Conservative government. We extended the consultation with indigenous peoples. I would ask the member opposite, outside of the House, to explain why he is ignoring the many indigenous communities that are in support of this pipeline, that are asking for these pipelines to be built, to ensure their future and their kids' futures. There are many indigenous Canadians that feel this is a good path forward. Why are those members ignoring them?

Mr. Speaker, an organization that works against the natural resources industry is currently looking for an employee to help stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline. Why is that organization currently receiving a federal grant?Will the Prime Minister stop playing games with Canadians' money by subsidizing a group that is undermining our economy and the honest workers in the natural resources sector?

Mr. Speaker, no one believes the Prime Minister is supportive of Canada's energy industry. Last week, when he was in France, he mourned the fact that he could not phase it out fast enough. Now we have documents that prove that the Prime Minister is using taxpayer dollars to fund professional protestors against the Kinder Morgan pipeline. When will the Prime Minister just admit that he is using taxpayer money to fund the protestors and to fund his plan to shutdown the Alberta energy sector?

Mr. Speaker, the Waupoos Farm is a charity in my riding that provides free vacations to poor families that could not otherwise afford one. The Prime Minister cut its summer jobs funding this year because it refused to attest to supporting his ideology, and yet today he claims that an organization that seeks a summer student for the express purpose to “stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline” gets the money under the Prime Minister's defence of free speech. Why does free speech only apply to those trying to kill Canadian jobs and not to those trying to help the less fortunate?

Mr. Speaker, first, the answer is not to stoke fear among Canadians and new arrivals about what is actually happening. We have a strong and rigorous immigration system that is being applied to everyone who arrives in this country. If they arrive between border points, they are arrested. They go through a process whereby if they call for asylum, we have to respect our international conventions to analyze the request for asylum. That is what Canadians expect, and that is what we are bringing forward.

Mr. Speaker, normally budget items have to get Treasury Board approval before being included in the main estimates. That is why last year we all agreed to delay the tabling of the main estimates so that budget items could be approved by the Treasury Board and included in them. However, this year's estimates include seven billion dollars' worth of budget initiatives that have not gone through the Treasury Board process and should be brought forward in supplementary estimates. It is a big change in the way we approve government spending, and that is why I have asked the President of the Treasury Board to request a take note debate in the House so that we can learn more about this and pronounce on it. Will the Prime Minister support that request?

Mr. Speaker, again, we remember the Stephen Harper years, of which so many of the members opposite were part, where anyone who dared disagree with official government position was persecuted, marginalized, had funding yanked, was shut down. That was the approach Canadians suffered under for 10 years. I can understand those members outrage that perhaps we encourage advocacy on a broad range of issues. However, Canada is a country strong not in spite of its differences but because of our differences. We will always support the right of Canadians to express themselves.

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are twisting and torquing the facts in any which way they can to try to make political hay out of an issue that is simply not one.The RCMP corrected the record, but nothing about the actual timeline has changed in terms of when the information became available and how we acted on it immediately. For the members opposite to simply suggest that there is some grand conspiracy here is simply irresponsible. I was pleased that the leader of the official opposition took that confidential briefing. I was pleased that members got—

Mr. Speaker, as I said, that organization received funding from the Harper government.On this side of the House, we will not criticize or attack organizations that do not share our values. We will ensure that all rights and laws are upheld. We know that Canadians have a diversity of approaches and opinions and that it is important to listen to them, hear what they have to say, and work with everyone so that we do not cause division, like the members opposite want to do.

Mr. Speaker, that is nonsense.The Prime Minister needs to stop sending contradictory messages to Canada's energy sector, which employs honest workers across the country. Doing so jeopardizes well-paying jobs and drives off investors. It is time our Prime Minister showed a little leadership.How can he defend the energy sector while using taxpayers' money to fund initiatives that undermine Kinder Morgan?

Mr. Speaker, unlike apparently the leader of the official opposition, we believe in free speech. We believe in advocacy on this side of the House.On this specific—

Mr. Speaker, as we have always said, we will defend supply management. It was a Liberal government that established supply management more than 40 years ago. We know that it works very well, not just for dairy producers, but for our entire agricultural industry. That is why we successfully defended supply management in several international negotiations. We will continue to do so, particularly in our NAFTA negotiations.

Mr. Speaker, in the House we all know that the process put in place by Stephen Harper was not working. That is why we added steps to the process to ensure that consultations with indigenous peoples and the rigorous study of this project are carried out properly.We know that the only way to forge a consensus across the country, not unanimity but a consensus, is to engage and and listen to Canadians from all backgrounds. That is exactly what we did, and that is why we were able to approve this pipeline.

Mr. Speaker, Canada has always produced the most responsible oil in the world, and the Liberals' ongoing attacks are collapsing confidence in Canadian energy investment and in our country's reputation. The bottom line is this: The Liberals are paying people to “stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline”. Chief Ernie Crey of the Cheam First Nation said, “Our young people every day come to me and say, ‘I want to get trained. I want a job'” with the Trans Mountain pipeline. Why is the Prime Minister undermining Canada's national interest and funding anti-energy activists to kill indigenous aspirations, thousands of jobs, and the Trans Mountain expansion?

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of this particular advocacy group, it is important to highlight that it was also funded under the Harper government.

Mr. Speaker, we just witnessed the Prime Minister accuse the Waupoos Farm of attacking the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This is an organization that provides low-income families with a rare recreational opportunity, the chance to have a vacation that they could not otherwise afford. It does not impose any values of any kind on those families. Waupoos Farm invites them and gives them an opportunity to recreate together and grow. Why is it that the Prime Minister is prepared to support funding for jobs for organizations that are taking away opportunities from Canadians, but not for those trying to help the less fortunate?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie has made it abundantly clear that he could never accept this pipeline regardless of the conditions that have been put in place.We approached Canadians in order to be sure to extend the consultations and establish a more rigorous process. Even the hon. member's leader said he would be open to supporting this pipeline. That is precisely the type of people we are bringing together, not those, like the member across the way, who still believe that we have to choose between the environment and the economy.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to answer the member for Bourassa's question, especially since, as the member for Papineau, I am thrilled to see progress happening on the blue line. Two weeks ago, I got together with Premier Couillard and Mayor Plante to announce funding to prepare the business case and engineering studies for the extension of Montreal's blue line. The blue line project will improve metro access for residents of Montreal's east end, after a decade of Conservative inaction on Quebec infrastructure. I am proud to say we are going ahead with this project.

Mr. Speaker, there is no way he even believes that anymore. This whole fiasco of an approval process is looking more rigged than a Russian election. The Prime Minister promised the people of Alberta a credible process. He broke that promise. He promised the people of British Columbia meaningful consultation with first nations. He broke that promise too. Many people suspected the fix was in from the beginning, that the decision had already been made, and now we have the proof from leaked papers from his own administration. If the Prime Minister wants to regain a scintilla of trust that he once commanded in the country, will he reveal all the Kinder Morgan papers once and for all?

Mr. Speaker, we all know very well the NDP's perspective on trade deals. We respectfully disagree with the NDP, which cannot seem to find trade deals of any good for Canadians. We know they help Canadian workers. We know they help Canadian small businesses. We know they help Canadian consumers. However, we recognize there is a need to be more progressive in our trade deals. That is why we are bringing in labour chapters, bringing in gender chapters, and making sure we are moving forward in a way that includes everyone in the benefits of trade. That is what Canadians elected when they elected a progressive government.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things we wanted to do in improving access, transparency, and openness in government was align the estimates process with the budget process. In previous years, as parliamentarians who have been here for a while will know, voting on estimates, even though it might have happened after a budget, had no relation to the budget that a government had just put forward. We chose to create greater transparency and, even more, greater ability by opposition MPs to hold the government to account on spending, which as we well know is at the core of the functioning of this place.We are pleased with the movement we are making—

Mr. Speaker, I very much understand where the member opposite is coming from. However, I would exhort her to remember that everyone can be allies as we move forward in the fight for more gender equality. That level of judgment is not something that is serving Canadians or the world. I was proud to sit down with leaders in the W7, just at lunch today, to talk about how we could do more, and we must do more, on gender-based violence, and on promoting true equality and equity around the world. There is much to do, and we are proud we are having this conversation, and leading in this conversation.

Mr. Speaker, last spring, a number of farmers in my region of Berthier—Maskinongé experienced exceptional flooding that caused significant damage to their farmland.Despite repeated calls from the Union des producteurs agricoles, the federal government has not done anything. As a result, many farmers have lost more than $100,000 and half of their crops. I urge the government to take immediate action.Will the Prime Minister confirm today in the House that he will provide assistance to farmers in my region?

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to continuing to have excellent conversations with the member about the oceans and their protection.Unfortunately for the NDP members, though, nothing is ever as simple as they would like it to be. We are committed and moving forward to protect the oceans, particularly from plastics, as part of our G7 leadership.We intend to look not just at macroplastics but also at microplastics and even nanoplastics. There are many issues facing our oceans, and we are going to get them right. That is what Canadians expect.

Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister just said will come as a great surprise to the member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame. There is nobody who believes that the Prime Minister is committed to free speech when he punishes all those in this country who do not agree with his personal point of view. What we are talking about here is not the principle of free speech. Yes, we all agree on that. We are talking about taking tax dollars from people who are out of work in the energy sector and giving it to people who are trying to block a project in the national interest. That is shameful and Conservatives will stop that.

Mr. Speaker, we understand how important it is to tackle gender-based violence, which is why budget 2018 allocates $5.5 million to improve access to on-campus centres for the prevention of sexual harassment. We also committed $86 million to develop a broader strategy to prevent and tackle gender-based violence. We understand that we still have a lot more to do, but we are here to fight for gender equality and protect everyone from violence.

Mr. Speaker, can the Prime Minister tell the House and all Canadians that he and his government will do everything in their power to make sure that the Trans Mountain pipeline gets built?

Mr. Speaker, breaking news: the Liberal Party of Canada has become the oil company party of Canada. While the Liberals were pretending to hold consultations, the CEO of Kinder Morgan was never concerned, because he knew full well that the decision had already been made. The consultations were a smokescreen. The Liberals laughed in face of the indigenous peoples, scientists, and the public.Can the Prime Minister be transparent? Can he commit to tabling all the documentation on the Kinder Morgan approval process?

Mr. Speaker, as a government, we recognize just how important the agricultural industry is to our economy; it is even a source of economic growth.We were very happy to approve a protein industries supercluster, which will provide solutions across the country. We remain concerned about dairy producers and farmers in Berthier—Maskinongé. We will work with them, just like we will work to protect farmers across the country.

Mr. Speaker, as a government, we recognize just how important the agricultural industry is to our economy; it is even a source of economic growth.We were very happy to approve a protein industries supercluster, which will provide solutions across the country. We remain concerned about dairy producers and farmers in Berthier—Maskinongé. We will work with them, just like we will work to protect farmers across the country.

Mr. Speaker, breaking news: the Liberal Party of Canada has become the oil company party of Canada. While the Liberals were pretending to hold consultations, the CEO of Kinder Morgan was never concerned, because he knew full well that the decision had already been made. The consultations were a smokescreen. The Liberals laughed in face of the indigenous peoples, scientists, and the public.Can the Prime Minister be transparent? Can he commit to tabling all the documentation on the Kinder Morgan approval process?

Mr. Speaker, can the Prime Minister tell the House and all Canadians that he and his government will do everything in their power to make sure that the Trans Mountain pipeline gets built?

Mr. Speaker, we understand how important it is to tackle gender-based violence, which is why budget 2018 allocates $5.5 million to improve access to on-campus centres for the prevention of sexual harassment. We also committed $86 million to develop a broader strategy to prevent and tackle gender-based violence. We understand that we still have a lot more to do, but we are here to fight for gender equality and protect everyone from violence.

Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister just said will come as a great surprise to the member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame. There is nobody who believes that the Prime Minister is committed to free speech when he punishes all those in this country who do not agree with his personal point of view. What we are talking about here is not the principle of free speech. Yes, we all agree on that. We are talking about taking tax dollars from people who are out of work in the energy sector and giving it to people who are trying to block a project in the national interest. That is shameful and Conservatives will stop that.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to continuing to have excellent conversations with the member about the oceans and their protection.Unfortunately for the NDP members, though, nothing is ever as simple as they would like it to be. We are committed and moving forward to protect the oceans, particularly from plastics, as part of our G7 leadership.We intend to look not just at macroplastics but also at microplastics and even nanoplastics. There are many issues facing our oceans, and we are going to get them right. That is what Canadians expect.

Mr. Speaker, last spring, a number of farmers in my region of Berthier—Maskinongé experienced exceptional flooding that caused significant damage to their farmland.Despite repeated calls from the Union des producteurs agricoles, the federal government has not done anything. As a result, many farmers have lost more than $100,000 and half of their crops. I urge the government to take immediate action.Will the Prime Minister confirm today in the House that he will provide assistance to farmers in my region?

Mr. Speaker, I very much understand where the member opposite is coming from. However, I would exhort her to remember that everyone can be allies as we move forward in the fight for more gender equality. That level of judgment is not something that is serving Canadians or the world. I was proud to sit down with leaders in the W7, just at lunch today, to talk about how we could do more, and we must do more, on gender-based violence, and on promoting true equality and equity around the world. There is much to do, and we are proud we are having this conversation, and leading in this conversation.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things we wanted to do in improving access, transparency, and openness in government was align the estimates process with the budget process. In previous years, as parliamentarians who have been here for a while will know, voting on estimates, even though it might have happened after a budget, had no relation to the budget that a government had just put forward. We chose to create greater transparency and, even more, greater ability by opposition MPs to hold the government to account on spending, which as we well know is at the core of the functioning of this place.We are pleased with the movement we are making—

Mr. Speaker, we all know very well the NDP's perspective on trade deals. We respectfully disagree with the NDP, which cannot seem to find trade deals of any good for Canadians. We know they help Canadian workers. We know they help Canadian small businesses. We know they help Canadian consumers. However, we recognize there is a need to be more progressive in our trade deals. That is why we are bringing in labour chapters, bringing in gender chapters, and making sure we are moving forward in a way that includes everyone in the benefits of trade. That is what Canadians elected when they elected a progressive government.

Mr. Speaker, there is no way he even believes that anymore. This whole fiasco of an approval process is looking more rigged than a Russian election. The Prime Minister promised the people of Alberta a credible process. He broke that promise. He promised the people of British Columbia meaningful consultation with first nations. He broke that promise too. Many people suspected the fix was in from the beginning, that the decision had already been made, and now we have the proof from leaked papers from his own administration. If the Prime Minister wants to regain a scintilla of trust that he once commanded in the country, will he reveal all the Kinder Morgan papers once and for all?

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to answer the member for Bourassa's question, especially since, as the member for Papineau, I am thrilled to see progress happening on the blue line. Two weeks ago, I got together with Premier Couillard and Mayor Plante to announce funding to prepare the business case and engineering studies for the extension of Montreal's blue line. The blue line project will improve metro access for residents of Montreal's east end, after a decade of Conservative inaction on Quebec infrastructure. I am proud to say we are going ahead with this project.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie has made it abundantly clear that he could never accept this pipeline regardless of the conditions that have been put in place.We approached Canadians in order to be sure to extend the consultations and establish a more rigorous process. Even the hon. member's leader said he would be open to supporting this pipeline. That is precisely the type of people we are bringing together, not those, like the member across the way, who still believe that we have to choose between the environment and the economy.

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of this particular advocacy group, it is important to highlight that it was also funded under the Harper government.

Mr. Speaker, we just witnessed the Prime Minister accuse the Waupoos Farm of attacking the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This is an organization that provides low-income families with a rare recreational opportunity, the chance to have a vacation that they could not otherwise afford. It does not impose any values of any kind on those families. Waupoos Farm invites them and gives them an opportunity to recreate together and grow. Why is it that the Prime Minister is prepared to support funding for jobs for organizations that are taking away opportunities from Canadians, but not for those trying to help the less fortunate?

Mr. Speaker, Canada has always produced the most responsible oil in the world, and the Liberals' ongoing attacks are collapsing confidence in Canadian energy investment and in our country's reputation. The bottom line is this: The Liberals are paying people to “stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline”. Chief Ernie Crey of the Cheam First Nation said, “Our young people every day come to me and say, ‘I want to get trained. I want a job'” with the Trans Mountain pipeline. Why is the Prime Minister undermining Canada's national interest and funding anti-energy activists to kill indigenous aspirations, thousands of jobs, and the Trans Mountain expansion?

Mr. Speaker, in the House we all know that the process put in place by Stephen Harper was not working. That is why we added steps to the process to ensure that consultations with indigenous peoples and the rigorous study of this project are carried out properly.We know that the only way to forge a consensus across the country, not unanimity but a consensus, is to engage and and listen to Canadians from all backgrounds. That is exactly what we did, and that is why we were able to approve this pipeline.

Mr. Speaker, as we have always said, we will defend supply management. It was a Liberal government that established supply management more than 40 years ago. We know that it works very well, not just for dairy producers, but for our entire agricultural industry. That is why we successfully defended supply management in several international negotiations. We will continue to do so, particularly in our NAFTA negotiations.

Mr. Speaker, unlike apparently the leader of the official opposition, we believe in free speech. We believe in advocacy on this side of the House.On this specific—

Mr. Speaker, that is nonsense.The Prime Minister needs to stop sending contradictory messages to Canada's energy sector, which employs honest workers across the country. Doing so jeopardizes well-paying jobs and drives off investors. It is time our Prime Minister showed a little leadership.How can he defend the energy sector while using taxpayers' money to fund initiatives that undermine Kinder Morgan?

Mr. Speaker, as I said, that organization received funding from the Harper government.On this side of the House, we will not criticize or attack organizations that do not share our values. We will ensure that all rights and laws are upheld. We know that Canadians have a diversity of approaches and opinions and that it is important to listen to them, hear what they have to say, and work with everyone so that we do not cause division, like the members opposite want to do.

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are twisting and torquing the facts in any which way they can to try to make political hay out of an issue that is simply not one.The RCMP corrected the record, but nothing about the actual timeline has changed in terms of when the information became available and how we acted on it immediately. For the members opposite to simply suggest that there is some grand conspiracy here is simply irresponsible. I was pleased that the leader of the official opposition took that confidential briefing. I was pleased that members got—

Mr. Speaker, again, we remember the Stephen Harper years, of which so many of the members opposite were part, where anyone who dared disagree with official government position was persecuted, marginalized, had funding yanked, was shut down. That was the approach Canadians suffered under for 10 years. I can understand those members outrage that perhaps we encourage advocacy on a broad range of issues. However, Canada is a country strong not in spite of its differences but because of our differences. We will always support the right of Canadians to express themselves.

Mr. Speaker, normally budget items have to get Treasury Board approval before being included in the main estimates. That is why last year we all agreed to delay the tabling of the main estimates so that budget items could be approved by the Treasury Board and included in them. However, this year's estimates include seven billion dollars' worth of budget initiatives that have not gone through the Treasury Board process and should be brought forward in supplementary estimates. It is a big change in the way we approve government spending, and that is why I have asked the President of the Treasury Board to request a take note debate in the House so that we can learn more about this and pronounce on it. Will the Prime Minister support that request?

Mr. Speaker, first, the answer is not to stoke fear among Canadians and new arrivals about what is actually happening. We have a strong and rigorous immigration system that is being applied to everyone who arrives in this country. If they arrive between border points, they are arrested. They go through a process whereby if they call for asylum, we have to respect our international conventions to analyze the request for asylum. That is what Canadians expect, and that is what we are bringing forward.

Mr. Speaker, the Waupoos Farm is a charity in my riding that provides free vacations to poor families that could not otherwise afford one. The Prime Minister cut its summer jobs funding this year because it refused to attest to supporting his ideology, and yet today he claims that an organization that seeks a summer student for the express purpose to “stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline” gets the money under the Prime Minister's defence of free speech. Why does free speech only apply to those trying to kill Canadian jobs and not to those trying to help the less fortunate?

Mr. Speaker, an organization that works against the natural resources industry is currently looking for an employee to help stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline. Why is that organization currently receiving a federal grant?Will the Prime Minister stop playing games with Canadians' money by subsidizing a group that is undermining our economy and the honest workers in the natural resources sector?

Mr. Speaker, no one believes the Prime Minister is supportive of Canada's energy industry. Last week, when he was in France, he mourned the fact that he could not phase it out fast enough. Now we have documents that prove that the Prime Minister is using taxpayer dollars to fund professional protestors against the Kinder Morgan pipeline. When will the Prime Minister just admit that he is using taxpayer money to fund the protestors and to fund his plan to shutdown the Alberta energy sector?

Mr. Speaker, what we actually did in this process was add additional steps, a more rigorous process to a process we all recognize was terribly flawed under the previous Conservative government. We extended the consultation with indigenous peoples. I would ask the member opposite, outside of the House, to explain why he is ignoring the many indigenous communities that are in support of this pipeline, that are asking for these pipelines to be built, to ensure their future and their kids' futures. There are many indigenous Canadians that feel this is a good path forward. Why are those members ignoring them?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has signed off on a grant that will go specifically to hire an assistant who will “work directly with [a provincial organizer] and the field organizing team to help our network stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline....”Does he not realize that he is funding the very groups that are protesting against the project that is in the national interest?

Mr. Speaker, now Canadians know the truth. We know that both the RCMP and the PMO knew about Mr. Atwal's invite, but it seems that the PMO did not share that information with the national security adviser. How can Canadians have confidence in the Prime Minister, when his office holds back information from security agencies and from his own national security adviser?Since the Prime Minister will not answer simple questions, will he commit to appointing an independent council to review the handling of the Atwal Indian affair so that Canadians can get to the bottom of this?

Mr. Speaker, again we see that the Conservatives are only interested in playing politics. This is something I have been saying for a long time, and we have been talking about our plan for responding to this situation for a long time as well. We are working with all orders of government, ensuring the integrity of our immigration system as a whole, keeping Canadians safe, and investing in our border services and immigration systems so that we can process all these applications.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Davenport for her long-time advocacy on this important issue. All Canadians know just how devastating a cancer diagnosis can be for families and friends. That is why we are proud to promote partnerships such as the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, with funding of up to $50 million a year.It is through the strength of these partnerships that we can collectively reduce risk factors, support research, and ensure better treatments today, but also for years to come.

Once again, Mr. Speaker, we see the true colours of these Harper Conservatives shining through. The commitment that this government has made to stand up and defend reproductive rights and the rights of women at every single opportunity is one that sticks in their craw.We will not apologize for ensuring that women's rights are protected across this country.

Mr. Speaker, once again, Canadians know that protecting the environment and growing the economy must go together. The members opposite simply do not understand that. On one side of the House, they are thinking about the economy but not the environment, and that did nothing for the economy under Stephen Harper. The NDP is still wrapped up in forgetting about the economy and doing everything it can to try to protect the environment, which is not working. Canadians know we have to move forward in a thoughtful way that brings people together, instead of demonizing—

Mr. Speaker, for many years, Montreal residents have been calling for public transit to be improved. Our government offered help last year by pledging to invest in the Réseau électrique métropolitain project, which is going to transform the region. However, that is not enough. Residents want to know when the metro's blue line will be extended. Could the right hon. Prime Minister tell us what our government is doing to move this project forward?

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister claims to be trying to build public support for this pipeline, perhaps he can explain to the House why his government gave a grant to an environmental lobby group that specifically used those funds to hire an activist to protest against the Trans Mountain pipeline.Does the Prime Minister not realize that paying groups to protest against these projects is exactly part of the problem?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has, in his own words, told Canadians that he plans to phase out the energy sector, having already driven out $87 billion in investments, destroying investor confidence in Canada, and putting jobs and communities at risk. However, that was not enough. Could the Prime Minister explain to Canadians why he is using taxpayer money to fund professional protestors whose job description is to kill the Kinder Morgan pipeline?

Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether the member opposite is asking Canada to withdraw from international conventions on refugees, but that is what he seems to be doing.We are ensuring that our immigration system rigorously applies to all, and we are reassuring Canadians that they are safe, although there will always be challenges to our security. The members opposite are instilling fear and doubt among Canadians, while we are doing what Canadians expect of us: protecting our system, maintaining the integrity of our laws, and also—

Mr. Speaker, what we have been saying for months and indeed years now is that the integrity of Canada's immigration system is holding. We are ensuring that anyone who arrives in this country, whether it is regularly or irregularly, goes through security checks and a rigorous immigration system that Canadians can be reassured is being applied to the full extent of the laws and rules that Canadians expect.To suggest otherwise is simply irresponsible, polarizing politics.

Mr. Speaker, farmers know the truth. CETA, TPP, every deal the Liberals sign they are betraying supply management. Key environmental advocates in all three NAFTA countries have published a report warning that the current deal locks the whole continent into high carbon futures. This will absolutely prevent us from meeting our Paris agreement commitment. Two decades of aggressive energy proportionality provisions and it is clear what we must do to fight climate change.Would the Prime Minister assure Canadians that energy proportionality will be removed from NAFTA?

Mr. Speaker, I was thrilled to hear that the Prime Minister is open to considering my motion on a national strategy to combat plastics in our lakes and oceans. I extended an invitation to him to discuss this very important issue, and I look forward to hearing from him.However, I was also concerned that he failed to follow other countries, like the U.K., and take a simple step forward, such as banning plastic straws. I am pretty sure Shirley Temples would taste the same without plastic straws.Will the Prime Minister commit, today, to doing something simple, like moving toward banning plastic straws? It is simple.

Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Prime Minister suggested that the opposition was inventing the controversy around the government funding protesters of the Kinder Morgan pipeline. I would like to seek the unanimous consent of the House to table the Dogwood Initiative job posting for an organizing assistant asking for someone to apply who will work directly with the Dogwood provincial organizer and the field organizing team to help the organizing network stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline. I would like unanimous consent to table that.

Mr. Speaker, not only has the government allocated insufficient funding to combat sexual assault on Canadian university campuses, but the UN has also criticized the government's general inaction on the issue of violence against women. According to a United Nations report, resources are seriously lacking and there are not enough shelters for victims. The problem is systemic, and the Liberals' piecemeal approach does nothing to solve it.Will the government stop simply talking about being a feminist government and actually take meaningful action to protect women who are victims of violence?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister misled many would-be migrants to illegally cross the border.In response to a problem of his own making, the Prime Minister is throwing Canadian tax dollars at a problem with no concrete plan. Yesterday, the Prime Minister refused to even commit to a plan.Can the Prime Minister tell the House if he believes it is wrong to illegally cross the border and jump the queue?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital for his leadership.We recognize the importance of the Kapyong Barracks land to the Treaty No. 1 first nations, and we remain committed to working together in the spirit of reconciliation. Last week, we were proud to announce an agreement in principle with the Treaty No. 1 first nations for the Kapyong Barracks land. This agreement is a concrete step on the path to reconciliation and renewing the relationship with indigenous peoples. We will continue working with the Treaty No. 1 first nations to develop a final settlement agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I find it wonderful that the member of the opposition is asking this question, because indeed we recognize that part of the tools to get this pipeline built is a price on carbon pollution right across the country.Canadians know that protecting the environment and growing the economy must go together.For 10 years, Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party were unable to protect the environment and therefore unable to grow the economy the way they should have.

Mr. Speaker, what the members opposite seem to take issue with is actually the commitment Canada has made to the international community to respect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. If someone claims asylum because that person is fleeing persecution, war, or violence, we are required to analyze that request. We are a party to the international convention on refugees and therefore we will stay true to our obligations.

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that under the previous government, the approach of not understanding how important it is to properly consult and engage in acquiring social licence needed to be fixed. That is why we actually added additional steps to make the process more rigorous. In fact, we extended the consultation process to ensure we were meeting and exceeding our responsibility to engage with and consult indigenous peoples. This is something Conservatives always failed to do.

Mr. Speaker, not only have I answered that question today, but I have answered it many times over the past months. Crossing a border between official border crossings is illegal.What the members opposite want us to do is step back from our international commitments—

Mr. Speaker, that spending is years away. We hear a lot of talk from the Prime Minister, but there is still so much to do on gender equality. This week, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women called out the government for its lack of action to end violence against women. Today, women from 20 countries called on G7 leaders to drop the feminist platitudes and take real action that would change the lives of women now.The feminists I know get stuff done, so when will the Prime Minister drop the fake feminism and take real action for women today in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Prime Minister does not realize just how serious the situation is.Once again, while his government was probably genuinely consulting first nations about the project, his senior officials were talking to the public service in an attempt to obtain a legal basis for saying “yes” and expedite the project's approval. Indigenous legal experts were troubled by these directives.Will the Prime Minister commit to releasing all the documentation, and I did say all of the pertinent documentation, associated with the assessment of the Kinder Morgan project, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, no matter how the members opposite try to spin it, the Liberal Party and this government will always stand up for charter rights. This is something that is ingrained in what we feel a government's responsibility is. Under the Harper's Conservatives, we saw them regularly de-funding the court challenges program, put forward pieces of legislation that they knew was non-charter compliant. We are simply saying that if organizations want to move forward and get funding from the government, they need to demonstrate they are supporting the charter. I think that is a minimal thing we can expect of any organization we fund.

Mr. Speaker, during the last election campaign, our party committed to renewing our nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous peoples. In Manitoba, the Kapyong Barracks property was declared surplus by the Department of National Defence in 2001. The site comprises 40 buildings and over 65 hectares of land. Unlike the previous government, we are approaching reconciliation with a whole-of-government approach. Can the Prime Minister inform the House as to what role DND and our government are playing in reconciliation with first nations in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals refer to border crossings into Canada at points of entry that are not monitored by the CBSA as “irregular”. However, such crossings are considered a crime under the law. If the government does not enforce its own law, the message to the public is that the law is arbitrary.Yes or no, does the Prime Minister think that it is acceptable for people to break the law and cross the border illegally?

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to building a new relationship together with indigenous peoples based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership in a distinctions-based approach that recognizes the uniqueness of the Inuit-crown partnership.Through budget 2018, Nunavut will receive $1.6 billion in 2018-19 in major transfers, an increase of over $50 million from the previous year. We are also investing over $500 million to make progress in the areas identified through the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, such as health and wellness, skills and training, and housing.

Mr. Speaker, can the Prime Minister assure the House and all Canadians that he is using every tool at his disposal to ensure public support for the Trans Mountain pipeline project?

Mr. Speaker, once again we see—

Mr. Speaker, this is about trust. The Prime Minister claims he supports the Trans Mountain expansion and the thousands of jobs it will create, but he is funding anti-energy political activists who are being hired explicitly to stop the pipeline. The Prime Minister has already driven out over $80 billion of energy investment, and now he is using taxpayer dollars to block the Trans Mountain expansion. No wonder no one believes a word he says. Why is the Prime Minister using Canadian tax dollars to block Canadian pipelines and kill Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, it is quite something to watch these guys—

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party of Canada is the party of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and we will always stand up to defend Canadians' charter rights. Organizations that cannot ensure that they will abide by the principles in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and that indeed will work to take away the charter rights of Canadians, will not get funding from this government.I know the members opposite do not like that, because it means standing up for women's rights and reproductive rights, but it also means we will be unequivocal in always standing up to defend the charter rights of all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, what we all remember from the years of the Harper government are the organizations that were de-funded because the government disagreed with them, whether it was KAIROS, whether it was a range of court challenge programs, or whether it was other organizations that were labelled as eco-terrorist. That Conservative Party is consistent in trying to shutdown anyone who dares to disagree with it. Know what? Canadians shut the Conservatives down by excluding them from government. We respect the rights of Canadians to hold a diversity of opinions. We will defend the charter.

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. In a speech delivered on April 7, the Minister of Indigenous Services acknowledged that Canada has failed to address the many social determinants that lead to poor health and poverty in indigenous communities. Many in my riding of Nunavut feel that Canada has failed them and continues to fail them. Funding for housing, education, infrastructure, and health services is lacking as a direct result of the per capita funding allocation. Will the Prime Minister commit his government to changing the per capita funding allocation to more of a needs-based approach?

Mr. Speaker, part of the reason why the Conservatives under Stephen Harper, and they continue with the same approach, were not able to get a single kilometre of pipeline toward new markets built was because they did not understand that respecting a broad range of voices in the country, encouraging people to express their views and working with them instead of shutting them down is the way to ensure we can move forward as a united country that both gets that growing economy and protecting the environment must go together in the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, we have been in government for nearly two and a half years. In that time, this country has seen economic growth. Indeed, last year's growth was the fastest in the G7. The unemployment rate is at a historic low, and over 600,000 new jobs have been created. We know that we are creating a growing economy, one that respects and protects the environment. That is what Canadians want, especially after 10 years of the Conservatives' pathetic economic performance.

Mr. Speaker, I feel awful, because I can see that the Prime Minister is not reading from a sheet of paper on this issue.I would like to address a very serious concern, which is that the government's review of the Kinder Morgan pipeline project was rigged from the get-go. We are worried, because we know that Kinder Morgan lobbied the government more than 36 times in 2016 to try to get the green light on this project. Our leader, Jagmeet Singh, and I have asked the Prime Minister for full disclosure of all the documents related to the approval. Will he agree to be fully transparent and release those documents?

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear, I am not invoking or talking about fear. I am talking about an issue at our border where people are coming across the border illegally. Our borders matter, or do they not matter to the Prime Minister? The Prime Minister needs to answer to Canadians who are concerned. They are not racist. Canadians who are concerned are not racist. People who are trying to come to Canada legally are not racist. They have a legitimate concern.The Prime Minister, instead of laughing, needs to answer the question.

Mr. Speaker, last year alone over 20,000 people crossed the border illegally, as the Prime Minister now acknowledges, and that problem is only getting worse. The people who are really suffering are those men, women, and their families that are trying to come to Canada legally, but are being put at the back of the line because of the Prime Minister's inaction.The Prime Minister has just acknowledged that the problem at the border is a problem of legality. He is the Prime Minister, after all. What is his answer to this ever-growing crisis?

Mr. Speaker, farmers in Quebec and Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean are troubled by the government's lack of clarity on NAFTA negotiations. The liberals cannot be trusted to prevent our supply management system from being further undermined. In addition to softwood lumber and aluminum, new sectors risk being hit. Will the government finally commit to fully protecting supply management and the jobs in our other agricultural sectors?

Mr. Speaker, it is completely irresponsible of the Conservatives to arouse fears and concerns about our immigration system and refugees.We enforce every one of the laws and regulations relating to our immigration system. Canadians have nothing to worry about when it comes to security and our system. The reason for the delays is that the Harper Conservatives spent 10 years cutting our immigration services and getting rid of the employees who process applications. They did not do what Canadians expected of them. They did not manage our immigration system responsibly.

Mr. Speaker, deep down, the Prime Minister hates and despises Canadian oil. He said that he wants to phase it out as soon as possible, that that process is moving too slowly in his view. Things may be moving too slowly, but the Prime Minister's attitude is harming the economy. Investment has tumbled by $80 billion, 125,000 jobs have been lost, two pipeline projects have been scuttled, and another is in limbo.What is the Prime Minister doing to help? He is giving an organization a grant to hire someone, and that organization has posted a job offer for someone to help organize a network to stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline.Why is the Prime Minister helping those who want to destroy the Canadian economy?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has already killed $87 billion of investment in our energy sector. Now we finally have confirmation that he is actively funding the protest against Kinder Morgan. Here is the posting for the job he is funding, “help our organizing network stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline and tanker project.”Why is the Prime Minister funding these campaigns against our energy industry?

Mr. Speaker, since the election campaign, I have been saying that Canadians know that we need to protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. However, today, we see that there are still people who do not believe that.The Conservatives are attacking us because we are not doing as much as they would like to move Kinder Morgan's TMX project forward, and the NDP is angry that we are moving forward with the pipeline project at all.As usual, the Liberal Party remains focused on Canadians' concerns, and we are going to work for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order, and in a moment I am going to move a motion as well. We just heard in the question period exchange not only opposition members, including the Conservative House leader and other members, but the Prime Minister misrepresent to the House by suggesting that those who cross over at unofficial borders are doing this illegally. In fact, it states very clearly in section 133 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that it is not illegal for people to make crossings at unofficial border crossings. In fact, it is not a violation of the Criminal Code. Therefore, I would like to move a motion and call on the Prime Minister to apologize for using the term “illegal”.

Mr. Speaker, I thought my questions about the Prime Minister's scandalous trip to India had come to an end, but the government's story keeps changing. Yesterday, we learned that the RCMP knew about the invitation of Mr. Atwal at least a day before the national security adviser told the committee that he knew. Security forces and Mr. Jean were kept in the dark by the Prime Minister's Office. My question is simple. I just want a date. When did the Prime Minister learn that his friend Jas was on his invite list for the India state dinner?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just confirmed what we have been saying for a year and a half: it is illegal to cross our border. I thank him for admitting that. Now, what does the Prime Minister plan to do to prevent people from illegally entering Canada?

Mr. Speaker, how sad to see members opposite using fear to drive wedges.It is indeed illegal to cross the border between border crossings. However, we are also party to UN conventions that require us to analyze asylum claims using a rigorous process. We are currently defending our system, protecting Canadians, ensuring public safety, but also protecting the integrity of our immigration system.

Mr. Speaker, all along, we have shown that we understand that protecting the environment and growing the economy go together.For 10 years under Stephen Harper, the Conservatives were unable to build one kilometre of pipeline to new markets. On this side, we are working to ensure that this pipeline gets built. However, our desire to build this pipeline includes wanting to put a price on carbon pollution and to protect our oceans. That all goes together. Canadians know that the environment and the economy go together.

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP has corrected the information and has accepted full responsibility for the erroneous information that went out. However, the facts remain. There is no great conspiracy here that we are keeping from Canadians. The approach is one of concern that we have. We continue to deepen the friendships and the relationships with India, while ensuring that we are rigorous in our approach to defending Canadian values.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister acknowledges that the immigration crisis he triggered at the border is illegal, but he is doing nothing. We are expecting between 300 and 400 illegal entries per day this year.Still the government does nothing, and that penalizes immigrants who come in legally and follow the process. We hear about people waiting up to 11 years. The Liberals' approach is unjust and inhumane.Why the double standard? Why do illegal migrants get to jump the queue while immigrants who follow this country's rules have to wait in line?

Mr. Speaker, sadly, cancer continues to be the leading cause of death in Canada. In fact, nearly half of all Canadians will be affected in their lifetime. Cancer does not discriminate. It is just as likely to strike someone in Davenport, of whatever background and means, as it is anywhere else in Canada.April is also cancer awareness month.Can the Prime Minister update the House on the actions our government has taken on cancer research?

Mr. Speaker, we see that the Conservatives learned nothing in the last election campaign. They continue to try to invent and torque things, and to attack their opponents and demonize everyone as they try to make things happen. It did not work. It failed miserably. You underestimate Canadians' intelligence when you treat them like children and try to scare them into supporting you.Sorry, Mr. Speaker, not you, but them.We are going to take Canadians seriously.

As I said, Mr. Speaker, the previous Harper government also funded this organization, and on this side of the House, we will not brand Canadians as “eco-terrorists”. We will not remove funding from advocacy organizations because we as a government happen to disagree with them.We remember what that previous government did. Canadians do not want to go back to those terrible years.

Mr. Speaker, now that the Prime Minister has said that it is in fact illegal to cross the border, could he tell the House what the plan is and what he intends to do to stop illegal migration at the border?