2018-10-25

Mr. Speaker, “talking through one's hat” is a figure of speech. “Taking someone for a fool” is a figure of speech. However, the $1-billion price tag for cancelling a contract to sell arms to Saudi Arabia is not a figure of speech.Does the Prime Minister take us for fools, or is he talking through his hat when he invents numbers to get out of cancelling deals with Saudi Arabia?

Mr. Speaker, do you know what Peter Van Loan would say today? He would say that it is scandalous that the Liberals are secretly preventing a shipyard from getting contracts. He would ask what the President of the Treasury Board was doing with Irving, which has plenty of money, when the biggest shipyard in Quebec has no contracts or just crumbs. Irving racked up more than $60 billion in contracts. He would say, “You should be ashamed. What do you have to hide?”

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that the Prime Minister wants to keep selling arms. Raif Badawi's flogging sentence will not stop Canada from doing business, nor will the jailing of women who stand up for their rights, the killing of civilians in Yemen or the assassination of a journalist in a consulate.What more does this government need to stop selling arms to this vile country? Maybe what it really needs is a spine.

Mr. Speaker, for our allies, like Germany, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi was the tipping point. Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to stop exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia because it was the right thing to do. We have been calling for years for the Canadian government to do the same. Everyone knows the kingdom is one of the worst human rights offenders in the world. This alone should be enough. What are the Liberals waiting for?

Mr. Speaker, we just had a report from the United Nations a couple of weeks ago. Do my colleagues know what they talked about? They talked about the cost of inaction on climate change in the trillions of dollars. Canadians across the country are paying the cost right now. For those living in Saskatchewan or Manitoba, there have been extreme floods and droughts. For those living in Ontario or Quebec, there has been extreme heat that has literally killed people. There have been forest fires in B.C. Climate change is real. We need to take action. We need to do it in a way that makes life affordable, that grows the economy. We are doing both. The Conservatives have no plan.

Mr. Speaker, freedom, equality, justice and peace are Canadian values. We have a deal with the Saudis that enables them to wage war, silence dissidents and harm innocent civilians, a deal signed by the Conservatives and upheld by the Liberals. Canadians do not want to be complicit with Saudi Arabia's war crimes.The government has a responsibility to fundamental human rights and an absolute obligation to stand up for Canadian workers. What is the Liberal plan for protecting workers and their families in light of this mess?

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, we are actively reviewing the situation with respect to our contract with Saudi Arabia.We have frozen exports before when we suspected that these arms would be used to violate human rights.We will not hesitate to use the same procedure in future if we are convinced that these arms will be used to violate human rights.

Mr. Speaker, in Calgary, Alberta, there is no trust in the current government.Bill C-69 is the greatest threat to Canada's energy industry since the NEP. The energy industry is responsible for more than 500,000 jobs across Canada. However, thanks to the Prime Minister's no-more-pipelines bill, there will be no more major energy infrastructure projects built in Canada. Companies say that if the bill passes, they will stop investing in Canada.When will the Prime Minister stop driving energy investment away and killing Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, why will the Conservatives not admit that climate change is real and that there is a cost that Canadians are paying right now, that it should not be free to pollute and that Canadians deserve to see a plan? If they have a plan, they should make it transparent and show us how they are going to do what they voted for.The Conservatives voted for the Paris Agreement. They voted to support our international obligations, but we have seen nothing. They have no plan for the environment. They have no plan for the economy.

Mr. Speaker, as the old saying goes, a good marriage is one made between a blind person and a deaf one. The Liberals and Conservatives are a match made in heaven when it comes to all this pipeline business.On the one hand, we have a Prime Minister who refuses to listen to IPCC scientists. On the other, we have a Leader of the Opposition who refuses to see that the future of our planet is at stake. One swears he will resurrect energy east, and the other is leaving the door wide open to that, but neither one has any plans to protect the environment.Are the 40 Liberal MPs from Quebec ready to promise they will never resurrect energy east, or are they refusing—

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. gentleman has an allegation of wrongdoing or of criminal behaviour, he should provide that information to the RCMP. He should also have the courage to make the allegation outside the House.

Mr. Speaker, again, I advise the hon. gentleman that his allegation is absurd.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is refusing to turn over the evidence for the court case of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. The Liberals are refusing to answer the simple questions on who are they trying to protect and what are they hiding.Why are the Liberals refusing to turn over the documents? Have they already destroyed all the evidence?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians from coast to coast support my bill to expunge criminal records for now-legal cannabis possession, and editorials in magazines and newspapers across the country prove it. Everyone knows that the government's pardon proposal just will not fix the problem. A pardon for a pot conviction will not help when someone fills out a rental form or a job application, but an expungement means that someone may truthfully say, “I have never been convicted of a criminal offence.” A pardon will not do that.Will the government work with me to erase these records and let these thousands of Canadians get on with their lives?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to feel safe and secure when they use their smart phones. However, the government has refused to ban Communist Chinese government-built technology from our 5G network. The 5G rollout will bring faster speeds, but it will also bring less security unless the government listens to our allies and bans Huawei.When will the government say “No way” to Huawei?

Mr. Speaker, when agriculture manufacturers like Honeybee Manufacturing in my own hometown keep their companies in rural areas, they face extra costs to be there, especially around transportation.These plants are the heart of our communities. They allow young families and local businesses to prosper. The Liberals are dumping a tax on them that raises the price of everything, of fuel, transportation, heating and groceries. The cost of the Liberal carbon tax will be the death of small rural communities. Will the Prime Minister finally give small companies like Honeybee the same exemption he is giving to large corporate emitters?

Mr. Speaker, such an assertion is absolutely absurd. The fact is that there are legal procedures and processes that we have established in this country under our court system to pursue prosecutions and the defence of prosecutions. That is the forum in which these matters are dealt with. In the House of Commons, while the debate can get hot and furious at times, the fact is that matters that are sub judice must be left to the courts to deal with.

Mr. Speaker, there goes the minister quoting the lobbyists for the multi-millionaire CEOs. Of course they support this carbon tax. It is not a big expense for them when they have chauffeured limousines paid for by the company, especially if they are one of the companies that has the 90% exemption the Liberal government has provided to the large industrial corporations. The reality is that small businesses have no similar exemption. Why will small businesses, like a local corner store, pay more while large corporations, with their well-paid CEOs, get off?

Mr. Speaker, four pipelines. That is what the former Conservative government did, unlike those guys on that side of the House.Bill C-69, the carbon tax, the tanker traffic bans are all unmistakable signs of a government that is hostile to the future growth of the energy sector. There is no doubt that the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, is a direct attack on Albertans.The provincial NDP and the Prime Minister have punished hard-working Albertans enough.When will the Minister of Natural Resources, who is from Edmonton, finally intervene and kill the bill?

Mr. Speaker, is that seriously all they have to say?After turning a deaf ear to appeals from Germany and our allies to at least suspend the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister clearly stated on Tuesday that cancelling this contract would cost $1 billion.Where does this figure come from? From his imagination, apparently, because the next day, his office said that it was just a figure of speech. A figure of speech means saying something like “this is not rocket science” or “this is not brain surgery”. It does not mean snatching a number out of thin air in response to a question that called for a specific figure.Why is the Prime Minister inventing numbers like this? Is he trying to avoid having to cancel the contract?

Mr. Speaker, Unifor journalists and media workers are in Ottawa this week with a clear message. The Liberals' inaction is why newspapers and media outlets are closing and why journalists are losing their jobs.What do Canadian media workers want? Stop giving tax deductions for ad buys on Facebook and Google; end the free rides for Netflix, Apple and Spotify and make them support Canadian content; force those who profit from the system to contribute to the system. We have been saying this to the Liberals for three years. We cannot wait any longer.What will it take for the government to act now?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has told Canadians more than once that he plans to phase out the energy sector, and Bill C-69 is exactly how he will do it. The no-more-pipelines bill means more regulations and longer application times. It means reduced transparency and less investment. It means increased uncertainty and further job losses. Hundreds of thousands of Canadian families and the workers in the energy sector depend on the resource sector. They are calling it the final nail in the coffin. When will the government kill the no-more-pipelines bill and save the Canadian resource sector?

Mr. Speaker, “Government and its information should be open by default.” Those were the Prime Minister's exact words in his mandate letter to the Minister of Heritage.Secret, closed-door consultations on an anti-racism plan leaves Canadians and the organizations working every day to combat systemic racism in the dark.The minister should know by now about the value of openness and public accountability. After all, thanks to question period, he learned that systemic racism actually does exist in Canada.Will the minister do the right thing and open up the process?

Here we go again, Mr. Speaker. The Liberals have a separate deal for special interests that have powerful lobbyists. It says right here in their own background document there will be a separate pricing system for industrial facilities. They will get a 90% exemption from this Liberal carbon tax, while small businesses, soccer moms and suburban commuters will have to pay the tax on 100% of the energy they consume. Why is it that with this Liberal high-tax hypocrisy, those that emit the most pay the least?

Mr. Speaker, legal proceedings are conducted in courts of law. In the particular case referred to, the prosecution is very ably represented by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. The defence counsel is obviously very adroit and a very accomplished professional. They have the rules of court. They have the laws of evidence. They have the normal procedures to follow. It is in a court of law, not on the floor of the House of Commons, that these matters should be prosecuted.I would note that hon. members opposite do not have any mandate from either side in the issue to raise the issue here.

Mr. Speaker, farmers are upset that this government has brought on another tax that their international competitors do not have. While the member for Regina—Wascana claims that farmers will be exempt, the reality is their costs on fertilizer, fuel, parts and transportation will increase due to the carbon tax. The reality is they are being taxed and deceived by the Liberal government.Why will the minister or the Liberal government not admit that this is not an environment plan but just another tax?

Mr. Speaker, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association is saying that beef producers will have to absorb the cost of this Liberal carbon tax. They export their products and must compete on international pricing. The impact of the Prime Minister's carbon tax will cut into ranchers' bottom lines and these additional costs will eat into the livelihoods of hard-working farm families. Why is the Prime Minister so set on punishing beef producers with higher costs for inputs, such as feed and animal transportation?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal high-tax hypocrisy is back. We all remember when the finance minister brought in massive new tax increases on small businesses but exempted the Prime Minister's multi-million dollar trust fund inheritance and his own billion dollar family business from any increases. We all remember when they raised taxes on the middle class by $800 a family but collected less from the wealthiest 1%. Why is it with the carbon tax, it is once again more high-tax hypocrisy from the Liberal government?

Mr. Speaker, the Champlain Bridge project is facing further delays. There is no way the new bridge will be open by December 21. The Canadian government refuses to guarantee a date. All projects have deadlines.How is it that the Canadian government could impose a deadline on Quebec and the municipalities to legalize pot, yet it is incapable of setting a deadline to open the Champlain Bridge?

Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Norman is a man of honour and integrity. He always did his best for the Royal Canadian Navy. He needs evidence to defend himself. Obviously, the government is covering up an extremely embarrassing situation.Could the government not have taken other measures to keep James Cudmore quiet?Can the government assure us that no evidence has been destroyed in an attempt to cover up its real political motives?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's new carbon tax that the Liberals are calling a plan is nothing more than a complicated shell game. However, their games are not just affecting employers like Moore Packaging in Barrie. They are affecting the 300 employees and their families that will be hit with this tax.The Liberals are telling these people when they take their money, somehow they will get more back. We know this is nothing more than a new way to pay for reckless spending. When will the Liberals admit that this tax is a tax?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal carbon tax is going to have a direct impact on the price of everything Canadians need to buy.Of course the Liberals are couching this in lofty principles, saying that polluters must pay. The problem is that not all polluters are being treated equally. Small business owners will have to pay the full price, while major polluters will get a 90% discount. The little guys will have to pay more than the big guys.Why the double standard?

Mr. Speaker, there will be no free rides in five years.Fourteen past presidents of the ADISQ sent a very clear message this week. Our music industry is in crisis. Our Quebec artists continue to create, but the problem is that the platforms are not covered by our laws.We have been asking for the same thing for three years now. Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, Google and whatever other services are out there need to respect our culture and contribute to it in order to keep it strong. As the ADISQ has said, that takes political courage. The Liberals have been trying to muster up their courage for three years now.Will the minister give us something other than the tired speaking points we heard from his predecessor, please? Come on.

Mr. Speaker, the number of illegal border crossings continues to rise. Our border services officers estimate that there will be a wave of up to 200,000 Salvadoran asylum seekers who are currently in the United States and whose special status will be revoked. What is worse, the system is already broken and the minister has no plan. The Prime Minister has to make a decision. Will he let the whole world continue to make a mockery of our borders or will he have the courage to enforce and strengthen Canadian laws?Will he deal with the safe third country agreement?

Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns the horrible murder of Jamal Khashoggi and is deeply concerned by reports on the participation of Saudi officials. Our government is working with our allies to consider a number of options. We are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia. We strongly expect that Canadian exports be used in a way that is in line with our foreign affairs policy, and, of course, that fully respects human rights.We have frozen export permits in the past, when we had reason to do so, and we will certainly consider that in the future.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister tried to explain why he made so many concessions to the Americans on supply management. He said, and I quote, “The changes to market access in this agreement are similar to those in the TPP”.In other words, the Prime Minister is saying that we did it once, so we can do it again. Wow, what a skilful negotiator. The Prime Minister needs to understand that concessions plus concessions means twice as many concessions. The Liberals do not know how to count—or how to negotiate.Why are dairy, egg and poultry farmers always the ones paying twice for the Liberals' failures?

Mr. Speaker, when the Harper Conservatives formed government in 2006, 99% of Alberta's oil was shipped to the United States. When it got kicked out of office in 2015, 99% of Alberta's oil was still shipped to the United States. That is their failed decade, their decade of inaction in protecting Alberta's interests.We are working hard to ensure that we get it right to build the pipelines, by looking after the environment and, at the same time, making sure that we are consulting with indigenous communities in a meaningful way. That is the right path forward.

Mr. Speaker, Canada is an open and diverse country, but there are still real challenges for many people in this country.Throughout our history and even today, there are many people and communities who experience systemic racism, oppression and discrimination, preventing them from fully participating in our society.These experiences are still felt by many Canadians, and now we can and must do better. That is why we are engaging communities across the country and people with lived experiences to modernize our approach and to develop concrete solutions to these problems. That is why we are undertaking these consultations. As we speak right now, our Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism is in one of those sessions.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister was asked nine times whether or not small businesses would get the same exemption as large industrial corporations do under this Liberal carbon tax. Nine times he refused to answer. We know that this will cost more in fuel, heating and transportation for those small businesses. They are the lifeblood of our economy and they are already paying higher taxes as a result of the Prime Minister's tax increases. A direct question: Will small businesses get the same exemption as the large industrial corporations, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, in a Tuesday interview with the CBC, the Prime Minister said, “I do not want to leave Canadians holding a billion dollar bill”. However, yesterday, the Prime Minister's Office backtracked on that number and said this supposed $1-billion penalty for cancelling the Saudi arms deal was an “expression”. I am not kidding. He said it was an “expression”. Canadians know this deal must be cancelled and have the right to know why the Prime Minister is using this as an excuse. Why is the Prime Minister making up numbers? Is it so that he does not have to cancel the arms deal with Saudi Arabia?

Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn the horrible murder of Jamal Khashoggi and are deeply concerned by reports on the participation of Saudi officials. We strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports are used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system and to the Arms Trade Treaty, which contrasts completely with the members opposite.As the Prime Minister has said today, we are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Pontiac for his question and for everything he has done to protect the environment and to fight climate change in the past ten years.Canadians know that pollution comes at a cost. We are seeing its impact across the country, including in the riding of Pontiac. We have a plan. We said that we would put a price on what we do not want, meaning pollution, to get what we do want. We want cleaner air and less greenhouse gas emissions. We want a healthy planet for our children and grandchildren.The Conservative Party has no plan. We will continue—

Mr. Speaker, I do not know if the minister could hear my question over all the noise of the paper shredding machines up in the Prime Minister's Office right now.If the government has nothing to hide, why is it refusing to answer the questions? We are not asking the Liberals to comment on the court case; we are asking them to turn over the evidence that serving vice-admiral can use to defend himself. Why the cover-up? Have they already destroyed the evidence? Are they trying to protect someone?

Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting that the member on the opposite side was the same member who supported Patrick Brown and Patrick Brown supported putting a price on pollution. Let us be clear. We know that we need to take action on climate change. We need to make life more affordable. We are giving families more money that they will pay—

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with farmers, we will continue to work with small businesses and we will continue to work with cities. We are working with everyone because we know that climate change has a real cost right now and we owe it to Canadians.We owe it to the next generation to take serious action while making life more affordable for Canadians. We can do both, but what is the Conservative plan?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's carbon tax will cost the average Canadian family way more than the Liberals are letting on. As gas and electricity prices rise, small businesses will have to increase their prices to pay their bills, making it even more difficult to survive. This is not just a tax on carbon. It is a tax on everything: gasoline, home heating, groceries and transportation, and this tax does nothing to reduce emissions. With Halloween just around the corner, would the minister now agree that her carbon tax swindle is a trick not a treat?

Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised to see the member across the aisle opposing all the parties in Quebec. Those parties want us to take action on climate change and put a price on pollution. They know that pollution is not free. The question is, what is the Conservative plan?There is no Conservative plan. They want pollution to be free. They do not want to do anything to tackle climate change. Canadians are paying the price for pollution now. The Conservatives should come up with a plan and start taking the issue seriously.

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to raise this point of order earlier. I did not mean to interrupt the Thursday question.The level of heckling in this place, and I have mentioned this before, has become unbearable. I am not able to hear the Minister of Environment's answers, even though I have an earpiece. I have a lot of criticisms of aspects of the government's climate plan too, but I would ask my friends on the Conservative benches to please show some restraint so we can hear the answers in this place.

Mr. Speaker, I was so pleased to be with the Prime Minister to announce that polluting will no longer be free in Canada.We are standing with the people of Quebec, who know that we have to tackle climate change, that we have to put a price on pollution, and that we can grow our economy. We will keep working with them.I was very pleased to get a call from my Quebec counterpart today. We talked about how we are going to keep working together to fight climate change and create good jobs for Quebeckers.

Mr. Speaker, we are allowed to know when CBC journalist James Cudmore was hired. We can say it here: he was hired on January 12. However, when we ask when he was offered the job, that remains a secret.What do the Liberals have to hide?Shipyard workers want to know why the other Canadian shipyards have billions of dollars and Davie has nothing.What are the Liberals hiding?

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Champlain Bridge cannot be paved in the winter, but taxpayers have been waiting for years and they will have to wait even longer.The minister said that these were excusable delays, but this just shows us that P3s are not actually more effective.Speaking of the private sector, I have to wonder whether the Liberals will make sure they recover every single cent we are owed in late penalties.How much will these excusable delays cost us?

Mr. Speaker, the explanations coming out of Riyadh concerning the murder of Jamal Khashoggi are inconsistent and contradictory.Today, for the first time, the Attorney General of Saudi Arabia spoke of a premeditated act. With the treatment of women, dissidents and religious minorities, not to mention the war in Yemen, and now this murder, we have reached the tipping point. We have been calling on the government to take action for years.When will we stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia?

Mr. Speaker, I am extremely pleased to stand up in this House and say that polluting will no longer be free. We know there is a cost to pollution. We are seeing extreme weather events across this country, from forest fires in British Columbia to droughts and floods across the Prairies to people literally dying of extreme heat. We need to take action on climate change, and we are going to do it in a way that makes sense. A family of four in Ontario will receive $307 back for climate action expenses. That is more than they will pay. We have a plan to grow the economy. We have a plan to tackle the environment. We have a plan to tackle—

Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi and is deeply concerned by reports on the participation of Saudi officials. We strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports be used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system and, of course, to the Arms Trade Treaty, in which we have been actively involved the entire time of the term of this government. As the Prime Minister said today, we are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Speaker, the tornadoes that recently struck the national capital region, including my riding of Pontiac, caused more than $295 million in insured damage to homes, businesses and vehicles.The Insurance Bureau of Canada says that “severe weather across Canada continues to highlight the financial costs of climate change to consumers and taxpayers.”Clearly, the costs of climate change are being paid by every Canadian through rising insurance premiums.Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change tell the House how our government intends to support Canadian taxpayers?

Mr. Speaker, we have already said that there is going to be a price on pollution, and everyone is going to pay the price on pollution, whether one is a big industrial emitter or a small business. We are also going to help small businesses save money. When one is more energy efficient, one actually saves money.However, let us talk about Stephen Harper's former director of policy who said, “We think the federal government is doing the right thing in putting a price on carbon in those provinces that have not done so, and in returning the money directly to households. This will...encourage lower emissions, while also ensuring that Canadian families will not be negatively affected.”

Mr. Speaker, Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, said, “You need a price on carbon, a price on pollution.... Canada, as of today, can have both.... [It will] unlock...investment decisions which will make...more low-carbon economy.” Dale Beugin, the executive director of Ecofiscal Commission, said, “Bigger households get bigger cheques” and “most households” will see rebates that are “larger than their carbon pricing costs. Households will see net gains.” The David Suzuki Foundation has stated that carbon pricing is essential to effectively fight—

Mr. Speaker, we are always very happy to work with members of the opposition in constructive legislative endeavours, but I would also invite the hon. gentleman to look at the other side of the question as well, and he will find that a pardon can be a very effective tool. It is cheaper, it is faster, there is no fee, there is no wait time, the record is sealed and segregated. It can be reopened only in extraordinary circumstances, such as the person reoffending and committing another offence, and the effect of a pardon is protected by the Canadian Human Right Act.

Mr. Speaker, I think it pretty much stands there. The member opposite will flip-flop depending on the issue. However, we cannot flip-flop on climate change. We have to be serious. We have a plan: tackle climate change and grow our economy.

Mr. Speaker, let us be perfectly clear. There is a cost to pollution, and everyone will pay the price for pollution. That includes large industry. On the other side, large industry will pay nothing, because the Conservatives do not believe there is a cost to pollution. They think polluting should be free. The system we are following for trade-exposed industry is the same followed in Quebec, in British Columbia, in California and in Europe. It creates the incentive for industry to reduce emissions but to stay competitive and keep good jobs in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, not only did former Minister Van Loan cite that particular rule on the occasion I referred to, on May 11, 2015, but in fact the sub judice principle was raised in the House by the former Conservative government, not once, not twice but over 300 times, when it was serving as the Government of Canada, and it was probably viewed rather favourably by the Speaker of the day.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to protecting the interests of the energy sector and the people who work in it, we take no lessons from the Harper Conservatives, because they failed to diversify our non-U.S. global market and failed to build a single pipeline in 10 years to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. We are working hard and will continue to work hard to ensure that our resources get to the global market.

Mr. Speaker, we will deliver on our commitment to build a new toll-free Champlain Bridge. We are proud to be building a bridge that will last 125 years and will improve the quality of life of families in the Montreal region. The structure will be finished by the end of December, but some of the finishing touches, including paving, will have to be put off until next spring. We look forward to opening the bridge to traffic in June 2019 at the latest.

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, we strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports are used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system. As the Prime Minister said today, we are actively reviewing Saudi Arabia's existing export permits.

Mr. Speaker, yes, in all those jurisdictions the minister just mentioned, the government wins and taxpayers lose. That has been the experience in every jurisdiction where there is a carbon tax. People pay more so governments can spend more, and that is the case with this same plan. According to the government's own briefing documents, the current government will collect more in taxes than it gives back in rebates, which means it is impossible for taxpayers to be made whole. Why is it targeting soccer moms, suburban commuters and seniors with this high-tax grab?

Mr. Speaker, our government is working with our allies to consider a number of options going forward. We are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia. We strongly expect that Canadian exports are used in a way that is consistent with Canada's foreign policy objectives and that fully respects human rights. We have frozen arms export permits before when we have had concerns about their potential misuse, and we will not hesitate to do so again.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, I asked the Minister of National Defence on what date James Cudmore was offered a job in his office and the minister told me he would get back to me. His office called mine the next day and told me what date James Cudmore started in his office. That was not the question I asked, so I will ask it again. I know now that he does know the answer and I know he can speak about it because he already has.On what date was the former CBC reporter offered a job as the director of policy in the office of the Minister of National Defence?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member once again is pursuing a line of questioning that relates very directly to a matter that is outstanding before the courts.As has been explained repeatedly in the House, when there is a matter such as that which is sub judice, it is not only inappropriate for ministers to respond, but it is inappropriate for the question to be placed, which could impinge upon an outstanding court proceeding.

Mr. Speaker, we hope you are going to defend human rights seriously.

Mr. Speaker, we know that farmers understand the impacts of climate change. Droughts and floods are having severe impacts and we know that in the future that will continue to happen. That is why we are working with farmers. Our plan exempts farm fuels and diesels used for on-farm use. We are also supporting—

Mr. Speaker, of course, we strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports are used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system under the Arms Trade Treaty.As the Prime Minister said yesterday, we are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Speaker, we understand that climate change is real. We understand that there is a cost right now, and Canadians are paying it. Unlike the party opposite, which thinks polluting should be free, which has no plan to tackle pollution, we have a plan.Let us talk about what people are saying about our plan. The president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada said: We support the price mechanism because it provides the economic incentive for consumers to change their behaviour and for businesses to invest in technologies that progressively reduce their emissions over time. Tracy Snoddon, from C.D. Howe, stated, “carbon pricing continues to be the most cost-effective option for achieving emissions reductions—”

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of taxation, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have been entirely clear, but we also know that the Broadcasting Act has not been reviewed since before the Internet was in our homes.The Conservatives did nothing for 10 long years, so we took action. We have appointed a panel of experts to help us modernize this act. Our starting point is clear. All players that participate in a system must contribute to the system, and there will be no free rides.

Mr. Speaker, small businesses also care about tackling climate change, they also care about the environment and they understand the cost of inaction. We are supporting small businesses. We will be providing $1 billion through our climate plan in Ontario that will help support small businesses to be more energy efficient to save money.Let us talk about who else is talking about our plan: the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. This is good news for human health and the planet. This is how we protect people from the harmful impacts of heat waves, drought, wildfires, floods and hurricanes that are becoming more frequent and more intense—

Mr. Speaker, it is that government that has said that James Cudmore's hiring is related to Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's court case and it is the Minister of National Defence who has already spoken about this.On November 20, Cudmore was a CBC reporter writing about shipbuilding contracts. By January 12, 2016, he was a Liberal employee working for the Liberal Minister of National Defence. He did not just get there on January 12 by accident. He was offered the job prior to that date.The minister knows the answer. He has already spoken about it. Therefore, will the Minister of National Defence keep his word to me and tell me what date Mr. James Cudmore was offered a job?

For Kathleen Wynne too.

Mr. Speaker, we understand the importance of the resource sector to Canada's economy. We also understand that to get resources to market, Canadians need to have trust in the system. We have worked very hard to develop a bill with businesses. We have been listening to the resource sector, listening to environmentalists, and listening to indigenous peoples to bring people together around a bill that would not only reduce timelines and ensure that we are making decisions on good science, but also that good projects go ahead. However, we need to make sure that we are rebuilding trust, we need to make sure we are listening to indigenous peoples and we need to ensure that we are making decisions—

Mr. Speaker, we are going to see to it that the new toll-free Champlain Bridge is completed. Our priority remains the health and safety of those working on the new bridge and of the users of the current bridge.I would like to reassure the people in the Montreal area that the Champlain Bridge is safe and that we are taking all necessary measures to ensure that it continues to be safe. We look forward to opening the new bridge by June 2019 at the latest.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the opposition House leader, I am honoured to stand today and ask the government House leader the Thursday question about the business of the House that is expected.

Mr. Speaker, since 2015, we have kept our promise to Canadians to invest in the middle class and grow our economy.As a result, where are we today? Our economy is among the strongest in the G7. Our unemployment rates are at near 40-year lows. Canadians have created more than half a million new jobs in the last three years.I am pleased to say that on November 21 we will introduce our fall economic statement so we can update Canadians on further actions we will take to keep our economy growing, to keep people investing in our country and creating jobs.

Mr. Speaker, in September, the government released a report, saying that Canada's economy was strong and growing and that by this time next year, the typical middle-class Canadian family would be $2,000 better off as a result of our plan.Nevertheless, there is still work to be done to stay on the path toward growth for our families and workers.Could the Minister of Finance give us a brief update on the Canadian economy and tell us what the government plans to do next?

Mr. Speaker, our government is open to global investment because it creates middle-class jobs. It helps grow our economy.When it comes to telecommunications, we know that Canadians would like to see improvements in coverage and price, and we are committed to that. The 5G network is an emerging technology that has the potential to meet the explosion in consumer and industrial demand.As regards the participation of any participant in our 5G networks, we will listen to the advice of our national security advisers. We will never, ever compromise our national security.

Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. gentleman is a very good friend of the much beloved Peter Van Loan. Mr. Van Loan would advise him, in the very words he used in the House, “It is deemed improper for a Member, in posing a question, or a Minister in responding to a question, to comment on any matter that is sub judice.” Those are the words of Peter Van Loan, on May 11, 2015, and they apply equally well today.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague, and I am sure he is also fully aware, that we are the party that implemented supply management and we are the government that protected it. My hon. colleague is also aware that when the negotiations started, the American government indicated quite clearly that it was going to end supply management, but we as a government protected it. We understand there has been an impact on our farmers and we will make sure they are fully and fairly compensated for their loss. We have supported, and will continue to support, our agricultural sector.

Mr. Speaker, for the remainder of the week and next week, our focus will be on report stage and third reading stage of Bill C-76, the Elections Modernization Act. On Monday of next week, we will commence second reading debate of Bill C-84, concerning animal cruelty, and Bill C-85, concerning the Canada-Israel free trade agreement.

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by simply saying that the member opposite's assertion that the numbers are going up is simply wrong. We have seen a significant reduction of those numbers just over the past few weeks. In the past several months, we have seen as much as a 70% reduction over what we experienced last year. There is a firm plan in place to deal with this issue and we are monitoring the situation in other countries, including the United States, very carefully. Our senior officials are working hard. They are prepared and they are managing the situation quite ably.

Mr. Speaker, our funding for UNRWA is vital for the humanitarian needs in the region, and it is the same amount we have provided over the last two years. UNRWA has refocused its neutrality-related activities, like inspection and teacher training, which would not be done without Canada's re-engagement.In the West Bank, I met with the Palestinian prime minister and the minister of education, and made our concerns clear about inappropriate content in PA textbooks. Our commitment to neutrality and due diligence is an essential condition of Canada's support to UNRWA.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, the government announced that it was maintaining its financial contributions to UNRWA for the next two years. This organization has been beset by issues of neutrality with respect to its educational programs in the West Bank and Gaza, which is deeply concerning to many of my constituents in York Centre and many others who have contacted me.Can the Minister of International Development update the House on the status of this contribution and what steps the government is taking to ensure UNRWA's neutrality and accountability?

Mr. Speaker, we will always support our culture, our artists and our creators, and that is why we doubled funding to the Canada Council for the Arts, increased Telefilm funding by $22 million and $13.5 million for the National Film Board. We restored and increased funding to CBC/Radio-Canada, with a $675-million investment. We also launched a new $125-million creative industries export fund.After the Harper Conservatives gutted support to cultural industries during their lost decade, we have taken action to support this sector.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), I wish to table a notice of a ways and means motion to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 27, 2018, and other measures.Pursuant to Standing Order 83(2), I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration of the motion.

Mr. Speaker, again, I advise the hon. gentleman that his allegation is absurd.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to protecting the interests of the energy sector and the people who work in it, we take no lessons from the Harper Conservatives, because they failed to diversify our non-U.S. global market and failed to build a single pipeline in 10 years to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. We are working hard and will continue to work hard to ensure that our resources get to the global market.

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. gentleman has an allegation of wrongdoing or of criminal behaviour, he should provide that information to the RCMP. He should also have the courage to make the allegation outside the House.

Mr. Speaker, we hope you are going to defend human rights seriously.

Mr. Speaker, for our allies, like Germany, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi was the tipping point. Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to stop exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia because it was the right thing to do. We have been calling for years for the Canadian government to do the same. Everyone knows the kingdom is one of the worst human rights offenders in the world. This alone should be enough. What are the Liberals waiting for?

Mr. Speaker, we are allowed to know when CBC journalist James Cudmore was hired. We can say it here: he was hired on January 12. However, when we ask when he was offered the job, that remains a secret.What do the Liberals have to hide?Shipyard workers want to know why the other Canadian shipyards have billions of dollars and Davie has nothing.What are the Liberals hiding?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians from coast to coast support my bill to expunge criminal records for now-legal cannabis possession, and editorials in magazines and newspapers across the country prove it. Everyone knows that the government's pardon proposal just will not fix the problem. A pardon for a pot conviction will not help when someone fills out a rental form or a job application, but an expungement means that someone may truthfully say, “I have never been convicted of a criminal offence.” A pardon will not do that.Will the government work with me to erase these records and let these thousands of Canadians get on with their lives?

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the opposition House leader, I am honoured to stand today and ask the government House leader the Thursday question about the business of the House that is expected.

Mr. Speaker, is that seriously all they have to say?After turning a deaf ear to appeals from Germany and our allies to at least suspend the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister clearly stated on Tuesday that cancelling this contract would cost $1 billion.Where does this figure come from? From his imagination, apparently, because the next day, his office said that it was just a figure of speech. A figure of speech means saying something like “this is not rocket science” or “this is not brain surgery”. It does not mean snatching a number out of thin air in response to a question that called for a specific figure.Why is the Prime Minister inventing numbers like this? Is he trying to avoid having to cancel the contract?

Mr. Speaker, farmers are upset that this government has brought on another tax that their international competitors do not have. While the member for Regina—Wascana claims that farmers will be exempt, the reality is their costs on fertilizer, fuel, parts and transportation will increase due to the carbon tax. The reality is they are being taxed and deceived by the Liberal government.Why will the minister or the Liberal government not admit that this is not an environment plan but just another tax?

Mr. Speaker, there will be no free rides in five years.Fourteen past presidents of the ADISQ sent a very clear message this week. Our music industry is in crisis. Our Quebec artists continue to create, but the problem is that the platforms are not covered by our laws.We have been asking for the same thing for three years now. Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, Google and whatever other services are out there need to respect our culture and contribute to it in order to keep it strong. As the ADISQ has said, that takes political courage. The Liberals have been trying to muster up their courage for three years now.Will the minister give us something other than the tired speaking points we heard from his predecessor, please? Come on.

Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns the horrible murder of Jamal Khashoggi and is deeply concerned by reports on the participation of Saudi officials. Our government is working with our allies to consider a number of options. We are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia. We strongly expect that Canadian exports be used in a way that is in line with our foreign affairs policy, and, of course, that fully respects human rights.We have frozen export permits in the past, when we had reason to do so, and we will certainly consider that in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to raise this point of order earlier. I did not mean to interrupt the Thursday question.The level of heckling in this place, and I have mentioned this before, has become unbearable. I am not able to hear the Minister of Environment's answers, even though I have an earpiece. I have a lot of criticisms of aspects of the government's climate plan too, but I would ask my friends on the Conservative benches to please show some restraint so we can hear the answers in this place.

Mr. Speaker, the number of illegal border crossings continues to rise. Our border services officers estimate that there will be a wave of up to 200,000 Salvadoran asylum seekers who are currently in the United States and whose special status will be revoked. What is worse, the system is already broken and the minister has no plan. The Prime Minister has to make a decision. Will he let the whole world continue to make a mockery of our borders or will he have the courage to enforce and strengthen Canadian laws?Will he deal with the safe third country agreement?

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, we are actively reviewing the situation with respect to our contract with Saudi Arabia.We have frozen exports before when we suspected that these arms would be used to violate human rights.We will not hesitate to use the same procedure in future if we are convinced that these arms will be used to violate human rights.

Mr. Speaker, such an assertion is absolutely absurd. The fact is that there are legal procedures and processes that we have established in this country under our court system to pursue prosecutions and the defence of prosecutions. That is the forum in which these matters are dealt with. In the House of Commons, while the debate can get hot and furious at times, the fact is that matters that are sub judice must be left to the courts to deal with.

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by simply saying that the member opposite's assertion that the numbers are going up is simply wrong. We have seen a significant reduction of those numbers just over the past few weeks. In the past several months, we have seen as much as a 70% reduction over what we experienced last year. There is a firm plan in place to deal with this issue and we are monitoring the situation in other countries, including the United States, very carefully. Our senior officials are working hard. They are prepared and they are managing the situation quite ably.

For Kathleen Wynne too.

Mr. Speaker, we know that farmers understand the impacts of climate change. Droughts and floods are having severe impacts and we know that in the future that will continue to happen. That is why we are working with farmers. Our plan exempts farm fuels and diesels used for on-farm use. We are also supporting—

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, I asked the Minister of National Defence on what date James Cudmore was offered a job in his office and the minister told me he would get back to me. His office called mine the next day and told me what date James Cudmore started in his office. That was not the question I asked, so I will ask it again. I know now that he does know the answer and I know he can speak about it because he already has.On what date was the former CBC reporter offered a job as the director of policy in the office of the Minister of National Defence?

Mr. Speaker, it is that government that has said that James Cudmore's hiring is related to Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's court case and it is the Minister of National Defence who has already spoken about this.On November 20, Cudmore was a CBC reporter writing about shipbuilding contracts. By January 12, 2016, he was a Liberal employee working for the Liberal Minister of National Defence. He did not just get there on January 12 by accident. He was offered the job prior to that date.The minister knows the answer. He has already spoken about it. Therefore, will the Minister of National Defence keep his word to me and tell me what date Mr. James Cudmore was offered a job?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is refusing to turn over the evidence for the court case of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. The Liberals are refusing to answer the simple questions on who are they trying to protect and what are they hiding.Why are the Liberals refusing to turn over the documents? Have they already destroyed all the evidence?

Mr. Speaker, our government is open to global investment because it creates middle-class jobs. It helps grow our economy.When it comes to telecommunications, we know that Canadians would like to see improvements in coverage and price, and we are committed to that. The 5G network is an emerging technology that has the potential to meet the explosion in consumer and industrial demand.As regards the participation of any participant in our 5G networks, we will listen to the advice of our national security advisers. We will never, ever compromise our national security.

Mr. Speaker, “talking through one's hat” is a figure of speech. “Taking someone for a fool” is a figure of speech. However, the $1-billion price tag for cancelling a contract to sell arms to Saudi Arabia is not a figure of speech.Does the Prime Minister take us for fools, or is he talking through his hat when he invents numbers to get out of cancelling deals with Saudi Arabia?

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of taxation, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have been entirely clear, but we also know that the Broadcasting Act has not been reviewed since before the Internet was in our homes.The Conservatives did nothing for 10 long years, so we took action. We have appointed a panel of experts to help us modernize this act. Our starting point is clear. All players that participate in a system must contribute to the system, and there will be no free rides.

Mr. Speaker, we have already said that there is going to be a price on pollution, and everyone is going to pay the price on pollution, whether one is a big industrial emitter or a small business. We are also going to help small businesses save money. When one is more energy efficient, one actually saves money.However, let us talk about Stephen Harper's former director of policy who said, “We think the federal government is doing the right thing in putting a price on carbon in those provinces that have not done so, and in returning the money directly to households. This will...encourage lower emissions, while also ensuring that Canadian families will not be negatively affected.”

Mr. Speaker, our funding for UNRWA is vital for the humanitarian needs in the region, and it is the same amount we have provided over the last two years. UNRWA has refocused its neutrality-related activities, like inspection and teacher training, which would not be done without Canada's re-engagement.In the West Bank, I met with the Palestinian prime minister and the minister of education, and made our concerns clear about inappropriate content in PA textbooks. Our commitment to neutrality and due diligence is an essential condition of Canada's support to UNRWA.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Champlain Bridge cannot be paved in the winter, but taxpayers have been waiting for years and they will have to wait even longer.The minister said that these were excusable delays, but this just shows us that P3s are not actually more effective.Speaking of the private sector, I have to wonder whether the Liberals will make sure they recover every single cent we are owed in late penalties.How much will these excusable delays cost us?

Mr. Speaker, as the old saying goes, a good marriage is one made between a blind person and a deaf one. The Liberals and Conservatives are a match made in heaven when it comes to all this pipeline business.On the one hand, we have a Prime Minister who refuses to listen to IPCC scientists. On the other, we have a Leader of the Opposition who refuses to see that the future of our planet is at stake. One swears he will resurrect energy east, and the other is leaving the door wide open to that, but neither one has any plans to protect the environment.Are the 40 Liberal MPs from Quebec ready to promise they will never resurrect energy east, or are they refusing—

Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised to see the member across the aisle opposing all the parties in Quebec. Those parties want us to take action on climate change and put a price on pollution. They know that pollution is not free. The question is, what is the Conservative plan?There is no Conservative plan. They want pollution to be free. They do not want to do anything to tackle climate change. Canadians are paying the price for pollution now. The Conservatives should come up with a plan and start taking the issue seriously.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's carbon tax will cost the average Canadian family way more than the Liberals are letting on. As gas and electricity prices rise, small businesses will have to increase their prices to pay their bills, making it even more difficult to survive. This is not just a tax on carbon. It is a tax on everything: gasoline, home heating, groceries and transportation, and this tax does nothing to reduce emissions. With Halloween just around the corner, would the minister now agree that her carbon tax swindle is a trick not a treat?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Pontiac for his question and for everything he has done to protect the environment and to fight climate change in the past ten years.Canadians know that pollution comes at a cost. We are seeing its impact across the country, including in the riding of Pontiac. We have a plan. We said that we would put a price on what we do not want, meaning pollution, to get what we do want. We want cleaner air and less greenhouse gas emissions. We want a healthy planet for our children and grandchildren.The Conservative Party has no plan. We will continue—

Mr. Speaker, we just had a report from the United Nations a couple of weeks ago. Do my colleagues know what they talked about? They talked about the cost of inaction on climate change in the trillions of dollars. Canadians across the country are paying the cost right now. For those living in Saskatchewan or Manitoba, there have been extreme floods and droughts. For those living in Ontario or Quebec, there has been extreme heat that has literally killed people. There have been forest fires in B.C. Climate change is real. We need to take action. We need to do it in a way that makes life affordable, that grows the economy. We are doing both. The Conservatives have no plan.

Mr. Speaker, I think it pretty much stands there. The member opposite will flip-flop depending on the issue. However, we cannot flip-flop on climate change. We have to be serious. We have a plan: tackle climate change and grow our economy.

Mr. Speaker, when agriculture manufacturers like Honeybee Manufacturing in my own hometown keep their companies in rural areas, they face extra costs to be there, especially around transportation.These plants are the heart of our communities. They allow young families and local businesses to prosper. The Liberals are dumping a tax on them that raises the price of everything, of fuel, transportation, heating and groceries. The cost of the Liberal carbon tax will be the death of small rural communities. Will the Prime Minister finally give small companies like Honeybee the same exemption he is giving to large corporate emitters?

Mr. Speaker, the Champlain Bridge project is facing further delays. There is no way the new bridge will be open by December 21. The Canadian government refuses to guarantee a date. All projects have deadlines.How is it that the Canadian government could impose a deadline on Quebec and the municipalities to legalize pot, yet it is incapable of setting a deadline to open the Champlain Bridge?

Mr. Speaker, four pipelines. That is what the former Conservative government did, unlike those guys on that side of the House.Bill C-69, the carbon tax, the tanker traffic bans are all unmistakable signs of a government that is hostile to the future growth of the energy sector. There is no doubt that the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, is a direct attack on Albertans.The provincial NDP and the Prime Minister have punished hard-working Albertans enough.When will the Minister of Natural Resources, who is from Edmonton, finally intervene and kill the bill?

Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn the horrible murder of Jamal Khashoggi and are deeply concerned by reports on the participation of Saudi officials. We strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports are used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system and to the Arms Trade Treaty, which contrasts completely with the members opposite.As the Prime Minister has said today, we are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Speaker, not only did former Minister Van Loan cite that particular rule on the occasion I referred to, on May 11, 2015, but in fact the sub judice principle was raised in the House by the former Conservative government, not once, not twice but over 300 times, when it was serving as the Government of Canada, and it was probably viewed rather favourably by the Speaker of the day.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), I wish to table a notice of a ways and means motion to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 27, 2018, and other measures.Pursuant to Standing Order 83(2), I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration of the motion.

Mr. Speaker, there goes the minister quoting the lobbyists for the multi-millionaire CEOs. Of course they support this carbon tax. It is not a big expense for them when they have chauffeured limousines paid for by the company, especially if they are one of the companies that has the 90% exemption the Liberal government has provided to the large industrial corporations. The reality is that small businesses have no similar exemption. Why will small businesses, like a local corner store, pay more while large corporations, with their well-paid CEOs, get off?

Mr. Speaker, do you know what Peter Van Loan would say today? He would say that it is scandalous that the Liberals are secretly preventing a shipyard from getting contracts. He would ask what the President of the Treasury Board was doing with Irving, which has plenty of money, when the biggest shipyard in Quebec has no contracts or just crumbs. Irving racked up more than $60 billion in contracts. He would say, “You should be ashamed. What do you have to hide?”

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal carbon tax is going to have a direct impact on the price of everything Canadians need to buy.Of course the Liberals are couching this in lofty principles, saying that polluters must pay. The problem is that not all polluters are being treated equally. Small business owners will have to pay the full price, while major polluters will get a 90% discount. The little guys will have to pay more than the big guys.Why the double standard?

Mr. Speaker, our government is working with our allies to consider a number of options going forward. We are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia. We strongly expect that Canadian exports are used in a way that is consistent with Canada's foreign policy objectives and that fully respects human rights. We have frozen arms export permits before when we have had concerns about their potential misuse, and we will not hesitate to do so again.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with farmers, we will continue to work with small businesses and we will continue to work with cities. We are working with everyone because we know that climate change has a real cost right now and we owe it to Canadians.We owe it to the next generation to take serious action while making life more affordable for Canadians. We can do both, but what is the Conservative plan?

Mr. Speaker, for the remainder of the week and next week, our focus will be on report stage and third reading stage of Bill C-76, the Elections Modernization Act. On Monday of next week, we will commence second reading debate of Bill C-84, concerning animal cruelty, and Bill C-85, concerning the Canada-Israel free trade agreement.

Mr. Speaker, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association is saying that beef producers will have to absorb the cost of this Liberal carbon tax. They export their products and must compete on international pricing. The impact of the Prime Minister's carbon tax will cut into ranchers' bottom lines and these additional costs will eat into the livelihoods of hard-working farm families. Why is the Prime Minister so set on punishing beef producers with higher costs for inputs, such as feed and animal transportation?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister was asked nine times whether or not small businesses would get the same exemption as large industrial corporations do under this Liberal carbon tax. Nine times he refused to answer. We know that this will cost more in fuel, heating and transportation for those small businesses. They are the lifeblood of our economy and they are already paying higher taxes as a result of the Prime Minister's tax increases. A direct question: Will small businesses get the same exemption as the large industrial corporations, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, the explanations coming out of Riyadh concerning the murder of Jamal Khashoggi are inconsistent and contradictory.Today, for the first time, the Attorney General of Saudi Arabia spoke of a premeditated act. With the treatment of women, dissidents and religious minorities, not to mention the war in Yemen, and now this murder, we have reached the tipping point. We have been calling on the government to take action for years.When will we stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal high-tax hypocrisy is back. We all remember when the finance minister brought in massive new tax increases on small businesses but exempted the Prime Minister's multi-million dollar trust fund inheritance and his own billion dollar family business from any increases. We all remember when they raised taxes on the middle class by $800 a family but collected less from the wealthiest 1%. Why is it with the carbon tax, it is once again more high-tax hypocrisy from the Liberal government?

Mr. Speaker, “Government and its information should be open by default.” Those were the Prime Minister's exact words in his mandate letter to the Minister of Heritage.Secret, closed-door consultations on an anti-racism plan leaves Canadians and the organizations working every day to combat systemic racism in the dark.The minister should know by now about the value of openness and public accountability. After all, thanks to question period, he learned that systemic racism actually does exist in Canada.Will the minister do the right thing and open up the process?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's new carbon tax that the Liberals are calling a plan is nothing more than a complicated shell game. However, their games are not just affecting employers like Moore Packaging in Barrie. They are affecting the 300 employees and their families that will be hit with this tax.The Liberals are telling these people when they take their money, somehow they will get more back. We know this is nothing more than a new way to pay for reckless spending. When will the Liberals admit that this tax is a tax?

Mr. Speaker, when the Harper Conservatives formed government in 2006, 99% of Alberta's oil was shipped to the United States. When it got kicked out of office in 2015, 99% of Alberta's oil was still shipped to the United States. That is their failed decade, their decade of inaction in protecting Alberta's interests.We are working hard to ensure that we get it right to build the pipelines, by looking after the environment and, at the same time, making sure that we are consulting with indigenous communities in a meaningful way. That is the right path forward.

Mr. Speaker, in a Tuesday interview with the CBC, the Prime Minister said, “I do not want to leave Canadians holding a billion dollar bill”. However, yesterday, the Prime Minister's Office backtracked on that number and said this supposed $1-billion penalty for cancelling the Saudi arms deal was an “expression”. I am not kidding. He said it was an “expression”. Canadians know this deal must be cancelled and have the right to know why the Prime Minister is using this as an excuse. Why is the Prime Minister making up numbers? Is it so that he does not have to cancel the arms deal with Saudi Arabia?

Mr. Speaker, in September, the government released a report, saying that Canada's economy was strong and growing and that by this time next year, the typical middle-class Canadian family would be $2,000 better off as a result of our plan.Nevertheless, there is still work to be done to stay on the path toward growth for our families and workers.Could the Minister of Finance give us a brief update on the Canadian economy and tell us what the government plans to do next?

Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi and is deeply concerned by reports on the participation of Saudi officials. We strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports be used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system and, of course, to the Arms Trade Treaty, in which we have been actively involved the entire time of the term of this government. As the Prime Minister said today, we are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Speaker, since 2015, we have kept our promise to Canadians to invest in the middle class and grow our economy.As a result, where are we today? Our economy is among the strongest in the G7. Our unemployment rates are at near 40-year lows. Canadians have created more than half a million new jobs in the last three years.I am pleased to say that on November 21 we will introduce our fall economic statement so we can update Canadians on further actions we will take to keep our economy growing, to keep people investing in our country and creating jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I am extremely pleased to stand up in this House and say that polluting will no longer be free. We know there is a cost to pollution. We are seeing extreme weather events across this country, from forest fires in British Columbia to droughts and floods across the Prairies to people literally dying of extreme heat. We need to take action on climate change, and we are going to do it in a way that makes sense. A family of four in Ontario will receive $307 back for climate action expenses. That is more than they will pay. We have a plan to grow the economy. We have a plan to tackle the environment. We have a plan to tackle—

Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Norman is a man of honour and integrity. He always did his best for the Royal Canadian Navy. He needs evidence to defend himself. Obviously, the government is covering up an extremely embarrassing situation.Could the government not have taken other measures to keep James Cudmore quiet?Can the government assure us that no evidence has been destroyed in an attempt to cover up its real political motives?

Mr. Speaker, the tornadoes that recently struck the national capital region, including my riding of Pontiac, caused more than $295 million in insured damage to homes, businesses and vehicles.The Insurance Bureau of Canada says that “severe weather across Canada continues to highlight the financial costs of climate change to consumers and taxpayers.”Clearly, the costs of climate change are being paid by every Canadian through rising insurance premiums.Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change tell the House how our government intends to support Canadian taxpayers?

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, the government announced that it was maintaining its financial contributions to UNRWA for the next two years. This organization has been beset by issues of neutrality with respect to its educational programs in the West Bank and Gaza, which is deeply concerning to many of my constituents in York Centre and many others who have contacted me.Can the Minister of International Development update the House on the status of this contribution and what steps the government is taking to ensure UNRWA's neutrality and accountability?

Mr. Speaker, Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, said, “You need a price on carbon, a price on pollution.... Canada, as of today, can have both.... [It will] unlock...investment decisions which will make...more low-carbon economy.” Dale Beugin, the executive director of Ecofiscal Commission, said, “Bigger households get bigger cheques” and “most households” will see rebates that are “larger than their carbon pricing costs. Households will see net gains.” The David Suzuki Foundation has stated that carbon pricing is essential to effectively fight—

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, we strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports are used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system. As the Prime Minister said today, we are actively reviewing Saudi Arabia's existing export permits.

Mr. Speaker, let us be perfectly clear. There is a cost to pollution, and everyone will pay the price for pollution. That includes large industry. On the other side, large industry will pay nothing, because the Conservatives do not believe there is a cost to pollution. They think polluting should be free. The system we are following for trade-exposed industry is the same followed in Quebec, in British Columbia, in California and in Europe. It creates the incentive for industry to reduce emissions but to stay competitive and keep good jobs in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, yes, in all those jurisdictions the minister just mentioned, the government wins and taxpayers lose. That has been the experience in every jurisdiction where there is a carbon tax. People pay more so governments can spend more, and that is the case with this same plan. According to the government's own briefing documents, the current government will collect more in taxes than it gives back in rebates, which means it is impossible for taxpayers to be made whole. Why is it targeting soccer moms, suburban commuters and seniors with this high-tax grab?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has told Canadians more than once that he plans to phase out the energy sector, and Bill C-69 is exactly how he will do it. The no-more-pipelines bill means more regulations and longer application times. It means reduced transparency and less investment. It means increased uncertainty and further job losses. Hundreds of thousands of Canadian families and the workers in the energy sector depend on the resource sector. They are calling it the final nail in the coffin. When will the government kill the no-more-pipelines bill and save the Canadian resource sector?

Mr. Speaker, freedom, equality, justice and peace are Canadian values. We have a deal with the Saudis that enables them to wage war, silence dissidents and harm innocent civilians, a deal signed by the Conservatives and upheld by the Liberals. Canadians do not want to be complicit with Saudi Arabia's war crimes.The government has a responsibility to fundamental human rights and an absolute obligation to stand up for Canadian workers. What is the Liberal plan for protecting workers and their families in light of this mess?

Here we go again, Mr. Speaker. The Liberals have a separate deal for special interests that have powerful lobbyists. It says right here in their own background document there will be a separate pricing system for industrial facilities. They will get a 90% exemption from this Liberal carbon tax, while small businesses, soccer moms and suburban commuters will have to pay the tax on 100% of the energy they consume. Why is it that with this Liberal high-tax hypocrisy, those that emit the most pay the least?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to feel safe and secure when they use their smart phones. However, the government has refused to ban Communist Chinese government-built technology from our 5G network. The 5G rollout will bring faster speeds, but it will also bring less security unless the government listens to our allies and bans Huawei.When will the government say “No way” to Huawei?

Mr. Speaker, legal proceedings are conducted in courts of law. In the particular case referred to, the prosecution is very ably represented by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. The defence counsel is obviously very adroit and a very accomplished professional. They have the rules of court. They have the laws of evidence. They have the normal procedures to follow. It is in a court of law, not on the floor of the House of Commons, that these matters should be prosecuted.I would note that hon. members opposite do not have any mandate from either side in the issue to raise the issue here.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister tried to explain why he made so many concessions to the Americans on supply management. He said, and I quote, “The changes to market access in this agreement are similar to those in the TPP”.In other words, the Prime Minister is saying that we did it once, so we can do it again. Wow, what a skilful negotiator. The Prime Minister needs to understand that concessions plus concessions means twice as many concessions. The Liberals do not know how to count—or how to negotiate.Why are dairy, egg and poultry farmers always the ones paying twice for the Liberals' failures?

Mr. Speaker, of course, we strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports are used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system under the Arms Trade Treaty.As the Prime Minister said yesterday, we are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Speaker, small businesses also care about tackling climate change, they also care about the environment and they understand the cost of inaction. We are supporting small businesses. We will be providing $1 billion through our climate plan in Ontario that will help support small businesses to be more energy efficient to save money.Let us talk about who else is talking about our plan: the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. This is good news for human health and the planet. This is how we protect people from the harmful impacts of heat waves, drought, wildfires, floods and hurricanes that are becoming more frequent and more intense—

Mr. Speaker, we will always support our culture, our artists and our creators, and that is why we doubled funding to the Canada Council for the Arts, increased Telefilm funding by $22 million and $13.5 million for the National Film Board. We restored and increased funding to CBC/Radio-Canada, with a $675-million investment. We also launched a new $125-million creative industries export fund.After the Harper Conservatives gutted support to cultural industries during their lost decade, we have taken action to support this sector.

Mr. Speaker, why will the Conservatives not admit that climate change is real and that there is a cost that Canadians are paying right now, that it should not be free to pollute and that Canadians deserve to see a plan? If they have a plan, they should make it transparent and show us how they are going to do what they voted for.The Conservatives voted for the Paris Agreement. They voted to support our international obligations, but we have seen nothing. They have no plan for the environment. They have no plan for the economy.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member once again is pursuing a line of questioning that relates very directly to a matter that is outstanding before the courts.As has been explained repeatedly in the House, when there is a matter such as that which is sub judice, it is not only inappropriate for ministers to respond, but it is inappropriate for the question to be placed, which could impinge upon an outstanding court proceeding.

Mr. Speaker, we are going to see to it that the new toll-free Champlain Bridge is completed. Our priority remains the health and safety of those working on the new bridge and of the users of the current bridge.I would like to reassure the people in the Montreal area that the Champlain Bridge is safe and that we are taking all necessary measures to ensure that it continues to be safe. We look forward to opening the new bridge by June 2019 at the latest.

Mr. Speaker, in Calgary, Alberta, there is no trust in the current government.Bill C-69 is the greatest threat to Canada's energy industry since the NEP. The energy industry is responsible for more than 500,000 jobs across Canada. However, thanks to the Prime Minister's no-more-pipelines bill, there will be no more major energy infrastructure projects built in Canada. Companies say that if the bill passes, they will stop investing in Canada.When will the Prime Minister stop driving energy investment away and killing Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, Unifor journalists and media workers are in Ottawa this week with a clear message. The Liberals' inaction is why newspapers and media outlets are closing and why journalists are losing their jobs.What do Canadian media workers want? Stop giving tax deductions for ad buys on Facebook and Google; end the free rides for Netflix, Apple and Spotify and make them support Canadian content; force those who profit from the system to contribute to the system. We have been saying this to the Liberals for three years. We cannot wait any longer.What will it take for the government to act now?

Mr. Speaker, we understand that climate change is real. We understand that there is a cost right now, and Canadians are paying it. Unlike the party opposite, which thinks polluting should be free, which has no plan to tackle pollution, we have a plan.Let us talk about what people are saying about our plan. The president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada said: We support the price mechanism because it provides the economic incentive for consumers to change their behaviour and for businesses to invest in technologies that progressively reduce their emissions over time. Tracy Snoddon, from C.D. Howe, stated, “carbon pricing continues to be the most cost-effective option for achieving emissions reductions—”

Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting that the member on the opposite side was the same member who supported Patrick Brown and Patrick Brown supported putting a price on pollution. Let us be clear. We know that we need to take action on climate change. We need to make life more affordable. We are giving families more money that they will pay—

Mr. Speaker, we are always very happy to work with members of the opposition in constructive legislative endeavours, but I would also invite the hon. gentleman to look at the other side of the question as well, and he will find that a pardon can be a very effective tool. It is cheaper, it is faster, there is no fee, there is no wait time, the record is sealed and segregated. It can be reopened only in extraordinary circumstances, such as the person reoffending and committing another offence, and the effect of a pardon is protected by the Canadian Human Right Act.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know if the minister could hear my question over all the noise of the paper shredding machines up in the Prime Minister's Office right now.If the government has nothing to hide, why is it refusing to answer the questions? We are not asking the Liberals to comment on the court case; we are asking them to turn over the evidence that serving vice-admiral can use to defend himself. Why the cover-up? Have they already destroyed the evidence? Are they trying to protect someone?

Mr. Speaker, we will deliver on our commitment to build a new toll-free Champlain Bridge. We are proud to be building a bridge that will last 125 years and will improve the quality of life of families in the Montreal region. The structure will be finished by the end of December, but some of the finishing touches, including paving, will have to be put off until next spring. We look forward to opening the bridge to traffic in June 2019 at the latest.

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that the Prime Minister wants to keep selling arms. Raif Badawi's flogging sentence will not stop Canada from doing business, nor will the jailing of women who stand up for their rights, the killing of civilians in Yemen or the assassination of a journalist in a consulate.What more does this government need to stop selling arms to this vile country? Maybe what it really needs is a spine.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague, and I am sure he is also fully aware, that we are the party that implemented supply management and we are the government that protected it. My hon. colleague is also aware that when the negotiations started, the American government indicated quite clearly that it was going to end supply management, but we as a government protected it. We understand there has been an impact on our farmers and we will make sure they are fully and fairly compensated for their loss. We have supported, and will continue to support, our agricultural sector.

Mr. Speaker, we understand the importance of the resource sector to Canada's economy. We also understand that to get resources to market, Canadians need to have trust in the system. We have worked very hard to develop a bill with businesses. We have been listening to the resource sector, listening to environmentalists, and listening to indigenous peoples to bring people together around a bill that would not only reduce timelines and ensure that we are making decisions on good science, but also that good projects go ahead. However, we need to make sure that we are rebuilding trust, we need to make sure we are listening to indigenous peoples and we need to ensure that we are making decisions—

Mr. Speaker, Canada is an open and diverse country, but there are still real challenges for many people in this country.Throughout our history and even today, there are many people and communities who experience systemic racism, oppression and discrimination, preventing them from fully participating in our society.These experiences are still felt by many Canadians, and now we can and must do better. That is why we are engaging communities across the country and people with lived experiences to modernize our approach and to develop concrete solutions to these problems. That is why we are undertaking these consultations. As we speak right now, our Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism is in one of those sessions.

Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. gentleman is a very good friend of the much beloved Peter Van Loan. Mr. Van Loan would advise him, in the very words he used in the House, “It is deemed improper for a Member, in posing a question, or a Minister in responding to a question, to comment on any matter that is sub judice.” Those are the words of Peter Van Loan, on May 11, 2015, and they apply equally well today.

Mr. Speaker, I was so pleased to be with the Prime Minister to announce that polluting will no longer be free in Canada.We are standing with the people of Quebec, who know that we have to tackle climate change, that we have to put a price on pollution, and that we can grow our economy. We will keep working with them.I was very pleased to get a call from my Quebec counterpart today. We talked about how we are going to keep working together to fight climate change and create good jobs for Quebeckers.

Mr. Speaker, I was so pleased to be with the Prime Minister to announce that polluting will no longer be free in Canada.We are standing with the people of Quebec, who know that we have to tackle climate change, that we have to put a price on pollution, and that we can grow our economy. We will keep working with them.I was very pleased to get a call from my Quebec counterpart today. We talked about how we are going to keep working together to fight climate change and create good jobs for Quebeckers.

Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. gentleman is a very good friend of the much beloved Peter Van Loan. Mr. Van Loan would advise him, in the very words he used in the House, “It is deemed improper for a Member, in posing a question, or a Minister in responding to a question, to comment on any matter that is sub judice.” Those are the words of Peter Van Loan, on May 11, 2015, and they apply equally well today.

Mr. Speaker, Canada is an open and diverse country, but there are still real challenges for many people in this country.Throughout our history and even today, there are many people and communities who experience systemic racism, oppression and discrimination, preventing them from fully participating in our society.These experiences are still felt by many Canadians, and now we can and must do better. That is why we are engaging communities across the country and people with lived experiences to modernize our approach and to develop concrete solutions to these problems. That is why we are undertaking these consultations. As we speak right now, our Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism is in one of those sessions.

Mr. Speaker, we understand the importance of the resource sector to Canada's economy. We also understand that to get resources to market, Canadians need to have trust in the system. We have worked very hard to develop a bill with businesses. We have been listening to the resource sector, listening to environmentalists, and listening to indigenous peoples to bring people together around a bill that would not only reduce timelines and ensure that we are making decisions on good science, but also that good projects go ahead. However, we need to make sure that we are rebuilding trust, we need to make sure we are listening to indigenous peoples and we need to ensure that we are making decisions—

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague, and I am sure he is also fully aware, that we are the party that implemented supply management and we are the government that protected it. My hon. colleague is also aware that when the negotiations started, the American government indicated quite clearly that it was going to end supply management, but we as a government protected it. We understand there has been an impact on our farmers and we will make sure they are fully and fairly compensated for their loss. We have supported, and will continue to support, our agricultural sector.

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that the Prime Minister wants to keep selling arms. Raif Badawi's flogging sentence will not stop Canada from doing business, nor will the jailing of women who stand up for their rights, the killing of civilians in Yemen or the assassination of a journalist in a consulate.What more does this government need to stop selling arms to this vile country? Maybe what it really needs is a spine.

Mr. Speaker, we will deliver on our commitment to build a new toll-free Champlain Bridge. We are proud to be building a bridge that will last 125 years and will improve the quality of life of families in the Montreal region. The structure will be finished by the end of December, but some of the finishing touches, including paving, will have to be put off until next spring. We look forward to opening the bridge to traffic in June 2019 at the latest.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know if the minister could hear my question over all the noise of the paper shredding machines up in the Prime Minister's Office right now.If the government has nothing to hide, why is it refusing to answer the questions? We are not asking the Liberals to comment on the court case; we are asking them to turn over the evidence that serving vice-admiral can use to defend himself. Why the cover-up? Have they already destroyed the evidence? Are they trying to protect someone?

Mr. Speaker, we are always very happy to work with members of the opposition in constructive legislative endeavours, but I would also invite the hon. gentleman to look at the other side of the question as well, and he will find that a pardon can be a very effective tool. It is cheaper, it is faster, there is no fee, there is no wait time, the record is sealed and segregated. It can be reopened only in extraordinary circumstances, such as the person reoffending and committing another offence, and the effect of a pardon is protected by the Canadian Human Right Act.

Mr. Speaker, we understand that climate change is real. We understand that there is a cost right now, and Canadians are paying it. Unlike the party opposite, which thinks polluting should be free, which has no plan to tackle pollution, we have a plan.Let us talk about what people are saying about our plan. The president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada said: We support the price mechanism because it provides the economic incentive for consumers to change their behaviour and for businesses to invest in technologies that progressively reduce their emissions over time. Tracy Snoddon, from C.D. Howe, stated, “carbon pricing continues to be the most cost-effective option for achieving emissions reductions—”

Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting that the member on the opposite side was the same member who supported Patrick Brown and Patrick Brown supported putting a price on pollution. Let us be clear. We know that we need to take action on climate change. We need to make life more affordable. We are giving families more money that they will pay—

Mr. Speaker, Unifor journalists and media workers are in Ottawa this week with a clear message. The Liberals' inaction is why newspapers and media outlets are closing and why journalists are losing their jobs.What do Canadian media workers want? Stop giving tax deductions for ad buys on Facebook and Google; end the free rides for Netflix, Apple and Spotify and make them support Canadian content; force those who profit from the system to contribute to the system. We have been saying this to the Liberals for three years. We cannot wait any longer.What will it take for the government to act now?

Mr. Speaker, in Calgary, Alberta, there is no trust in the current government.Bill C-69 is the greatest threat to Canada's energy industry since the NEP. The energy industry is responsible for more than 500,000 jobs across Canada. However, thanks to the Prime Minister's no-more-pipelines bill, there will be no more major energy infrastructure projects built in Canada. Companies say that if the bill passes, they will stop investing in Canada.When will the Prime Minister stop driving energy investment away and killing Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, we are going to see to it that the new toll-free Champlain Bridge is completed. Our priority remains the health and safety of those working on the new bridge and of the users of the current bridge.I would like to reassure the people in the Montreal area that the Champlain Bridge is safe and that we are taking all necessary measures to ensure that it continues to be safe. We look forward to opening the new bridge by June 2019 at the latest.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member once again is pursuing a line of questioning that relates very directly to a matter that is outstanding before the courts.As has been explained repeatedly in the House, when there is a matter such as that which is sub judice, it is not only inappropriate for ministers to respond, but it is inappropriate for the question to be placed, which could impinge upon an outstanding court proceeding.

Mr. Speaker, why will the Conservatives not admit that climate change is real and that there is a cost that Canadians are paying right now, that it should not be free to pollute and that Canadians deserve to see a plan? If they have a plan, they should make it transparent and show us how they are going to do what they voted for.The Conservatives voted for the Paris Agreement. They voted to support our international obligations, but we have seen nothing. They have no plan for the environment. They have no plan for the economy.

Mr. Speaker, we will always support our culture, our artists and our creators, and that is why we doubled funding to the Canada Council for the Arts, increased Telefilm funding by $22 million and $13.5 million for the National Film Board. We restored and increased funding to CBC/Radio-Canada, with a $675-million investment. We also launched a new $125-million creative industries export fund.After the Harper Conservatives gutted support to cultural industries during their lost decade, we have taken action to support this sector.

Mr. Speaker, small businesses also care about tackling climate change, they also care about the environment and they understand the cost of inaction. We are supporting small businesses. We will be providing $1 billion through our climate plan in Ontario that will help support small businesses to be more energy efficient to save money.Let us talk about who else is talking about our plan: the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. This is good news for human health and the planet. This is how we protect people from the harmful impacts of heat waves, drought, wildfires, floods and hurricanes that are becoming more frequent and more intense—

Mr. Speaker, of course, we strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports are used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system under the Arms Trade Treaty.As the Prime Minister said yesterday, we are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister tried to explain why he made so many concessions to the Americans on supply management. He said, and I quote, “The changes to market access in this agreement are similar to those in the TPP”.In other words, the Prime Minister is saying that we did it once, so we can do it again. Wow, what a skilful negotiator. The Prime Minister needs to understand that concessions plus concessions means twice as many concessions. The Liberals do not know how to count—or how to negotiate.Why are dairy, egg and poultry farmers always the ones paying twice for the Liberals' failures?

Mr. Speaker, legal proceedings are conducted in courts of law. In the particular case referred to, the prosecution is very ably represented by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. The defence counsel is obviously very adroit and a very accomplished professional. They have the rules of court. They have the laws of evidence. They have the normal procedures to follow. It is in a court of law, not on the floor of the House of Commons, that these matters should be prosecuted.I would note that hon. members opposite do not have any mandate from either side in the issue to raise the issue here.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to feel safe and secure when they use their smart phones. However, the government has refused to ban Communist Chinese government-built technology from our 5G network. The 5G rollout will bring faster speeds, but it will also bring less security unless the government listens to our allies and bans Huawei.When will the government say “No way” to Huawei?

Here we go again, Mr. Speaker. The Liberals have a separate deal for special interests that have powerful lobbyists. It says right here in their own background document there will be a separate pricing system for industrial facilities. They will get a 90% exemption from this Liberal carbon tax, while small businesses, soccer moms and suburban commuters will have to pay the tax on 100% of the energy they consume. Why is it that with this Liberal high-tax hypocrisy, those that emit the most pay the least?

Mr. Speaker, freedom, equality, justice and peace are Canadian values. We have a deal with the Saudis that enables them to wage war, silence dissidents and harm innocent civilians, a deal signed by the Conservatives and upheld by the Liberals. Canadians do not want to be complicit with Saudi Arabia's war crimes.The government has a responsibility to fundamental human rights and an absolute obligation to stand up for Canadian workers. What is the Liberal plan for protecting workers and their families in light of this mess?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has told Canadians more than once that he plans to phase out the energy sector, and Bill C-69 is exactly how he will do it. The no-more-pipelines bill means more regulations and longer application times. It means reduced transparency and less investment. It means increased uncertainty and further job losses. Hundreds of thousands of Canadian families and the workers in the energy sector depend on the resource sector. They are calling it the final nail in the coffin. When will the government kill the no-more-pipelines bill and save the Canadian resource sector?

Mr. Speaker, yes, in all those jurisdictions the minister just mentioned, the government wins and taxpayers lose. That has been the experience in every jurisdiction where there is a carbon tax. People pay more so governments can spend more, and that is the case with this same plan. According to the government's own briefing documents, the current government will collect more in taxes than it gives back in rebates, which means it is impossible for taxpayers to be made whole. Why is it targeting soccer moms, suburban commuters and seniors with this high-tax grab?

Mr. Speaker, let us be perfectly clear. There is a cost to pollution, and everyone will pay the price for pollution. That includes large industry. On the other side, large industry will pay nothing, because the Conservatives do not believe there is a cost to pollution. They think polluting should be free. The system we are following for trade-exposed industry is the same followed in Quebec, in British Columbia, in California and in Europe. It creates the incentive for industry to reduce emissions but to stay competitive and keep good jobs in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, we strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports are used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system. As the Prime Minister said today, we are actively reviewing Saudi Arabia's existing export permits.

Mr. Speaker, Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, said, “You need a price on carbon, a price on pollution.... Canada, as of today, can have both.... [It will] unlock...investment decisions which will make...more low-carbon economy.” Dale Beugin, the executive director of Ecofiscal Commission, said, “Bigger households get bigger cheques” and “most households” will see rebates that are “larger than their carbon pricing costs. Households will see net gains.” The David Suzuki Foundation has stated that carbon pricing is essential to effectively fight—

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, the government announced that it was maintaining its financial contributions to UNRWA for the next two years. This organization has been beset by issues of neutrality with respect to its educational programs in the West Bank and Gaza, which is deeply concerning to many of my constituents in York Centre and many others who have contacted me.Can the Minister of International Development update the House on the status of this contribution and what steps the government is taking to ensure UNRWA's neutrality and accountability?

Mr. Speaker, I am extremely pleased to stand up in this House and say that polluting will no longer be free. We know there is a cost to pollution. We are seeing extreme weather events across this country, from forest fires in British Columbia to droughts and floods across the Prairies to people literally dying of extreme heat. We need to take action on climate change, and we are going to do it in a way that makes sense. A family of four in Ontario will receive $307 back for climate action expenses. That is more than they will pay. We have a plan to grow the economy. We have a plan to tackle the environment. We have a plan to tackle—

Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Norman is a man of honour and integrity. He always did his best for the Royal Canadian Navy. He needs evidence to defend himself. Obviously, the government is covering up an extremely embarrassing situation.Could the government not have taken other measures to keep James Cudmore quiet?Can the government assure us that no evidence has been destroyed in an attempt to cover up its real political motives?

Mr. Speaker, the tornadoes that recently struck the national capital region, including my riding of Pontiac, caused more than $295 million in insured damage to homes, businesses and vehicles.The Insurance Bureau of Canada says that “severe weather across Canada continues to highlight the financial costs of climate change to consumers and taxpayers.”Clearly, the costs of climate change are being paid by every Canadian through rising insurance premiums.Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change tell the House how our government intends to support Canadian taxpayers?

Mr. Speaker, since 2015, we have kept our promise to Canadians to invest in the middle class and grow our economy.As a result, where are we today? Our economy is among the strongest in the G7. Our unemployment rates are at near 40-year lows. Canadians have created more than half a million new jobs in the last three years.I am pleased to say that on November 21 we will introduce our fall economic statement so we can update Canadians on further actions we will take to keep our economy growing, to keep people investing in our country and creating jobs.

Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi and is deeply concerned by reports on the participation of Saudi officials. We strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports be used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system and, of course, to the Arms Trade Treaty, in which we have been actively involved the entire time of the term of this government. As the Prime Minister said today, we are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Speaker, in September, the government released a report, saying that Canada's economy was strong and growing and that by this time next year, the typical middle-class Canadian family would be $2,000 better off as a result of our plan.Nevertheless, there is still work to be done to stay on the path toward growth for our families and workers.Could the Minister of Finance give us a brief update on the Canadian economy and tell us what the government plans to do next?

Mr. Speaker, in a Tuesday interview with the CBC, the Prime Minister said, “I do not want to leave Canadians holding a billion dollar bill”. However, yesterday, the Prime Minister's Office backtracked on that number and said this supposed $1-billion penalty for cancelling the Saudi arms deal was an “expression”. I am not kidding. He said it was an “expression”. Canadians know this deal must be cancelled and have the right to know why the Prime Minister is using this as an excuse. Why is the Prime Minister making up numbers? Is it so that he does not have to cancel the arms deal with Saudi Arabia?

Mr. Speaker, when the Harper Conservatives formed government in 2006, 99% of Alberta's oil was shipped to the United States. When it got kicked out of office in 2015, 99% of Alberta's oil was still shipped to the United States. That is their failed decade, their decade of inaction in protecting Alberta's interests.We are working hard to ensure that we get it right to build the pipelines, by looking after the environment and, at the same time, making sure that we are consulting with indigenous communities in a meaningful way. That is the right path forward.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's new carbon tax that the Liberals are calling a plan is nothing more than a complicated shell game. However, their games are not just affecting employers like Moore Packaging in Barrie. They are affecting the 300 employees and their families that will be hit with this tax.The Liberals are telling these people when they take their money, somehow they will get more back. We know this is nothing more than a new way to pay for reckless spending. When will the Liberals admit that this tax is a tax?

Mr. Speaker, “Government and its information should be open by default.” Those were the Prime Minister's exact words in his mandate letter to the Minister of Heritage.Secret, closed-door consultations on an anti-racism plan leaves Canadians and the organizations working every day to combat systemic racism in the dark.The minister should know by now about the value of openness and public accountability. After all, thanks to question period, he learned that systemic racism actually does exist in Canada.Will the minister do the right thing and open up the process?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal high-tax hypocrisy is back. We all remember when the finance minister brought in massive new tax increases on small businesses but exempted the Prime Minister's multi-million dollar trust fund inheritance and his own billion dollar family business from any increases. We all remember when they raised taxes on the middle class by $800 a family but collected less from the wealthiest 1%. Why is it with the carbon tax, it is once again more high-tax hypocrisy from the Liberal government?

Mr. Speaker, the explanations coming out of Riyadh concerning the murder of Jamal Khashoggi are inconsistent and contradictory.Today, for the first time, the Attorney General of Saudi Arabia spoke of a premeditated act. With the treatment of women, dissidents and religious minorities, not to mention the war in Yemen, and now this murder, we have reached the tipping point. We have been calling on the government to take action for years.When will we stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister was asked nine times whether or not small businesses would get the same exemption as large industrial corporations do under this Liberal carbon tax. Nine times he refused to answer. We know that this will cost more in fuel, heating and transportation for those small businesses. They are the lifeblood of our economy and they are already paying higher taxes as a result of the Prime Minister's tax increases. A direct question: Will small businesses get the same exemption as the large industrial corporations, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association is saying that beef producers will have to absorb the cost of this Liberal carbon tax. They export their products and must compete on international pricing. The impact of the Prime Minister's carbon tax will cut into ranchers' bottom lines and these additional costs will eat into the livelihoods of hard-working farm families. Why is the Prime Minister so set on punishing beef producers with higher costs for inputs, such as feed and animal transportation?

Mr. Speaker, for the remainder of the week and next week, our focus will be on report stage and third reading stage of Bill C-76, the Elections Modernization Act. On Monday of next week, we will commence second reading debate of Bill C-84, concerning animal cruelty, and Bill C-85, concerning the Canada-Israel free trade agreement.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with farmers, we will continue to work with small businesses and we will continue to work with cities. We are working with everyone because we know that climate change has a real cost right now and we owe it to Canadians.We owe it to the next generation to take serious action while making life more affordable for Canadians. We can do both, but what is the Conservative plan?

Mr. Speaker, our government is working with our allies to consider a number of options going forward. We are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia. We strongly expect that Canadian exports are used in a way that is consistent with Canada's foreign policy objectives and that fully respects human rights. We have frozen arms export permits before when we have had concerns about their potential misuse, and we will not hesitate to do so again.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal carbon tax is going to have a direct impact on the price of everything Canadians need to buy.Of course the Liberals are couching this in lofty principles, saying that polluters must pay. The problem is that not all polluters are being treated equally. Small business owners will have to pay the full price, while major polluters will get a 90% discount. The little guys will have to pay more than the big guys.Why the double standard?

Mr. Speaker, do you know what Peter Van Loan would say today? He would say that it is scandalous that the Liberals are secretly preventing a shipyard from getting contracts. He would ask what the President of the Treasury Board was doing with Irving, which has plenty of money, when the biggest shipyard in Quebec has no contracts or just crumbs. Irving racked up more than $60 billion in contracts. He would say, “You should be ashamed. What do you have to hide?”

Mr. Speaker, there goes the minister quoting the lobbyists for the multi-millionaire CEOs. Of course they support this carbon tax. It is not a big expense for them when they have chauffeured limousines paid for by the company, especially if they are one of the companies that has the 90% exemption the Liberal government has provided to the large industrial corporations. The reality is that small businesses have no similar exemption. Why will small businesses, like a local corner store, pay more while large corporations, with their well-paid CEOs, get off?

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), I wish to table a notice of a ways and means motion to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 27, 2018, and other measures.Pursuant to Standing Order 83(2), I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration of the motion.

Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn the horrible murder of Jamal Khashoggi and are deeply concerned by reports on the participation of Saudi officials. We strongly demand and expect that Canadian arms exports are used in a way that fully respects human rights. That is why our government is committed to a stronger and more rigorous arms export system and to the Arms Trade Treaty, which contrasts completely with the members opposite.As the Prime Minister has said today, we are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Speaker, not only did former Minister Van Loan cite that particular rule on the occasion I referred to, on May 11, 2015, but in fact the sub judice principle was raised in the House by the former Conservative government, not once, not twice but over 300 times, when it was serving as the Government of Canada, and it was probably viewed rather favourably by the Speaker of the day.

Mr. Speaker, four pipelines. That is what the former Conservative government did, unlike those guys on that side of the House.Bill C-69, the carbon tax, the tanker traffic bans are all unmistakable signs of a government that is hostile to the future growth of the energy sector. There is no doubt that the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, is a direct attack on Albertans.The provincial NDP and the Prime Minister have punished hard-working Albertans enough.When will the Minister of Natural Resources, who is from Edmonton, finally intervene and kill the bill?

Mr. Speaker, the Champlain Bridge project is facing further delays. There is no way the new bridge will be open by December 21. The Canadian government refuses to guarantee a date. All projects have deadlines.How is it that the Canadian government could impose a deadline on Quebec and the municipalities to legalize pot, yet it is incapable of setting a deadline to open the Champlain Bridge?

Mr. Speaker, when agriculture manufacturers like Honeybee Manufacturing in my own hometown keep their companies in rural areas, they face extra costs to be there, especially around transportation.These plants are the heart of our communities. They allow young families and local businesses to prosper. The Liberals are dumping a tax on them that raises the price of everything, of fuel, transportation, heating and groceries. The cost of the Liberal carbon tax will be the death of small rural communities. Will the Prime Minister finally give small companies like Honeybee the same exemption he is giving to large corporate emitters?

Mr. Speaker, I think it pretty much stands there. The member opposite will flip-flop depending on the issue. However, we cannot flip-flop on climate change. We have to be serious. We have a plan: tackle climate change and grow our economy.

Mr. Speaker, we just had a report from the United Nations a couple of weeks ago. Do my colleagues know what they talked about? They talked about the cost of inaction on climate change in the trillions of dollars. Canadians across the country are paying the cost right now. For those living in Saskatchewan or Manitoba, there have been extreme floods and droughts. For those living in Ontario or Quebec, there has been extreme heat that has literally killed people. There have been forest fires in B.C. Climate change is real. We need to take action. We need to do it in a way that makes life affordable, that grows the economy. We are doing both. The Conservatives have no plan.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Pontiac for his question and for everything he has done to protect the environment and to fight climate change in the past ten years.Canadians know that pollution comes at a cost. We are seeing its impact across the country, including in the riding of Pontiac. We have a plan. We said that we would put a price on what we do not want, meaning pollution, to get what we do want. We want cleaner air and less greenhouse gas emissions. We want a healthy planet for our children and grandchildren.The Conservative Party has no plan. We will continue—

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's carbon tax will cost the average Canadian family way more than the Liberals are letting on. As gas and electricity prices rise, small businesses will have to increase their prices to pay their bills, making it even more difficult to survive. This is not just a tax on carbon. It is a tax on everything: gasoline, home heating, groceries and transportation, and this tax does nothing to reduce emissions. With Halloween just around the corner, would the minister now agree that her carbon tax swindle is a trick not a treat?

Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised to see the member across the aisle opposing all the parties in Quebec. Those parties want us to take action on climate change and put a price on pollution. They know that pollution is not free. The question is, what is the Conservative plan?There is no Conservative plan. They want pollution to be free. They do not want to do anything to tackle climate change. Canadians are paying the price for pollution now. The Conservatives should come up with a plan and start taking the issue seriously.

Mr. Speaker, as the old saying goes, a good marriage is one made between a blind person and a deaf one. The Liberals and Conservatives are a match made in heaven when it comes to all this pipeline business.On the one hand, we have a Prime Minister who refuses to listen to IPCC scientists. On the other, we have a Leader of the Opposition who refuses to see that the future of our planet is at stake. One swears he will resurrect energy east, and the other is leaving the door wide open to that, but neither one has any plans to protect the environment.Are the 40 Liberal MPs from Quebec ready to promise they will never resurrect energy east, or are they refusing—

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Champlain Bridge cannot be paved in the winter, but taxpayers have been waiting for years and they will have to wait even longer.The minister said that these were excusable delays, but this just shows us that P3s are not actually more effective.Speaking of the private sector, I have to wonder whether the Liberals will make sure they recover every single cent we are owed in late penalties.How much will these excusable delays cost us?

Mr. Speaker, our funding for UNRWA is vital for the humanitarian needs in the region, and it is the same amount we have provided over the last two years. UNRWA has refocused its neutrality-related activities, like inspection and teacher training, which would not be done without Canada's re-engagement.In the West Bank, I met with the Palestinian prime minister and the minister of education, and made our concerns clear about inappropriate content in PA textbooks. Our commitment to neutrality and due diligence is an essential condition of Canada's support to UNRWA.

Mr. Speaker, we have already said that there is going to be a price on pollution, and everyone is going to pay the price on pollution, whether one is a big industrial emitter or a small business. We are also going to help small businesses save money. When one is more energy efficient, one actually saves money.However, let us talk about Stephen Harper's former director of policy who said, “We think the federal government is doing the right thing in putting a price on carbon in those provinces that have not done so, and in returning the money directly to households. This will...encourage lower emissions, while also ensuring that Canadian families will not be negatively affected.”

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of taxation, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have been entirely clear, but we also know that the Broadcasting Act has not been reviewed since before the Internet was in our homes.The Conservatives did nothing for 10 long years, so we took action. We have appointed a panel of experts to help us modernize this act. Our starting point is clear. All players that participate in a system must contribute to the system, and there will be no free rides.

For Kathleen Wynne too.

Mr. Speaker, we know that farmers understand the impacts of climate change. Droughts and floods are having severe impacts and we know that in the future that will continue to happen. That is why we are working with farmers. Our plan exempts farm fuels and diesels used for on-farm use. We are also supporting—

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, I asked the Minister of National Defence on what date James Cudmore was offered a job in his office and the minister told me he would get back to me. His office called mine the next day and told me what date James Cudmore started in his office. That was not the question I asked, so I will ask it again. I know now that he does know the answer and I know he can speak about it because he already has.On what date was the former CBC reporter offered a job as the director of policy in the office of the Minister of National Defence?

Mr. Speaker, it is that government that has said that James Cudmore's hiring is related to Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's court case and it is the Minister of National Defence who has already spoken about this.On November 20, Cudmore was a CBC reporter writing about shipbuilding contracts. By January 12, 2016, he was a Liberal employee working for the Liberal Minister of National Defence. He did not just get there on January 12 by accident. He was offered the job prior to that date.The minister knows the answer. He has already spoken about it. Therefore, will the Minister of National Defence keep his word to me and tell me what date Mr. James Cudmore was offered a job?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is refusing to turn over the evidence for the court case of Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. The Liberals are refusing to answer the simple questions on who are they trying to protect and what are they hiding.Why are the Liberals refusing to turn over the documents? Have they already destroyed all the evidence?

Mr. Speaker, our government is open to global investment because it creates middle-class jobs. It helps grow our economy.When it comes to telecommunications, we know that Canadians would like to see improvements in coverage and price, and we are committed to that. The 5G network is an emerging technology that has the potential to meet the explosion in consumer and industrial demand.As regards the participation of any participant in our 5G networks, we will listen to the advice of our national security advisers. We will never, ever compromise our national security.

Mr. Speaker, “talking through one's hat” is a figure of speech. “Taking someone for a fool” is a figure of speech. However, the $1-billion price tag for cancelling a contract to sell arms to Saudi Arabia is not a figure of speech.Does the Prime Minister take us for fools, or is he talking through his hat when he invents numbers to get out of cancelling deals with Saudi Arabia?

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by simply saying that the member opposite's assertion that the numbers are going up is simply wrong. We have seen a significant reduction of those numbers just over the past few weeks. In the past several months, we have seen as much as a 70% reduction over what we experienced last year. There is a firm plan in place to deal with this issue and we are monitoring the situation in other countries, including the United States, very carefully. Our senior officials are working hard. They are prepared and they are managing the situation quite ably.

Mr. Speaker, such an assertion is absolutely absurd. The fact is that there are legal procedures and processes that we have established in this country under our court system to pursue prosecutions and the defence of prosecutions. That is the forum in which these matters are dealt with. In the House of Commons, while the debate can get hot and furious at times, the fact is that matters that are sub judice must be left to the courts to deal with.

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, we are actively reviewing the situation with respect to our contract with Saudi Arabia.We have frozen exports before when we suspected that these arms would be used to violate human rights.We will not hesitate to use the same procedure in future if we are convinced that these arms will be used to violate human rights.

Mr. Speaker, the number of illegal border crossings continues to rise. Our border services officers estimate that there will be a wave of up to 200,000 Salvadoran asylum seekers who are currently in the United States and whose special status will be revoked. What is worse, the system is already broken and the minister has no plan. The Prime Minister has to make a decision. Will he let the whole world continue to make a mockery of our borders or will he have the courage to enforce and strengthen Canadian laws?Will he deal with the safe third country agreement?

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to raise this point of order earlier. I did not mean to interrupt the Thursday question.The level of heckling in this place, and I have mentioned this before, has become unbearable. I am not able to hear the Minister of Environment's answers, even though I have an earpiece. I have a lot of criticisms of aspects of the government's climate plan too, but I would ask my friends on the Conservative benches to please show some restraint so we can hear the answers in this place.

Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns the horrible murder of Jamal Khashoggi and is deeply concerned by reports on the participation of Saudi officials. Our government is working with our allies to consider a number of options. We are actively reviewing existing export permits to Saudi Arabia. We strongly expect that Canadian exports be used in a way that is in line with our foreign affairs policy, and, of course, that fully respects human rights.We have frozen export permits in the past, when we had reason to do so, and we will certainly consider that in the future.

Mr. Speaker, there will be no free rides in five years.Fourteen past presidents of the ADISQ sent a very clear message this week. Our music industry is in crisis. Our Quebec artists continue to create, but the problem is that the platforms are not covered by our laws.We have been asking for the same thing for three years now. Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, Google and whatever other services are out there need to respect our culture and contribute to it in order to keep it strong. As the ADISQ has said, that takes political courage. The Liberals have been trying to muster up their courage for three years now.Will the minister give us something other than the tired speaking points we heard from his predecessor, please? Come on.

Mr. Speaker, farmers are upset that this government has brought on another tax that their international competitors do not have. While the member for Regina—Wascana claims that farmers will be exempt, the reality is their costs on fertilizer, fuel, parts and transportation will increase due to the carbon tax. The reality is they are being taxed and deceived by the Liberal government.Why will the minister or the Liberal government not admit that this is not an environment plan but just another tax?

Mr. Speaker, is that seriously all they have to say?After turning a deaf ear to appeals from Germany and our allies to at least suspend the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister clearly stated on Tuesday that cancelling this contract would cost $1 billion.Where does this figure come from? From his imagination, apparently, because the next day, his office said that it was just a figure of speech. A figure of speech means saying something like “this is not rocket science” or “this is not brain surgery”. It does not mean snatching a number out of thin air in response to a question that called for a specific figure.Why is the Prime Minister inventing numbers like this? Is he trying to avoid having to cancel the contract?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians from coast to coast support my bill to expunge criminal records for now-legal cannabis possession, and editorials in magazines and newspapers across the country prove it. Everyone knows that the government's pardon proposal just will not fix the problem. A pardon for a pot conviction will not help when someone fills out a rental form or a job application, but an expungement means that someone may truthfully say, “I have never been convicted of a criminal offence.” A pardon will not do that.Will the government work with me to erase these records and let these thousands of Canadians get on with their lives?

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the opposition House leader, I am honoured to stand today and ask the government House leader the Thursday question about the business of the House that is expected.

Mr. Speaker, we are allowed to know when CBC journalist James Cudmore was hired. We can say it here: he was hired on January 12. However, when we ask when he was offered the job, that remains a secret.What do the Liberals have to hide?Shipyard workers want to know why the other Canadian shipyards have billions of dollars and Davie has nothing.What are the Liberals hiding?

Mr. Speaker, for our allies, like Germany, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi was the tipping point. Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to stop exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia because it was the right thing to do. We have been calling for years for the Canadian government to do the same. Everyone knows the kingdom is one of the worst human rights offenders in the world. This alone should be enough. What are the Liberals waiting for?

Mr. Speaker, we hope you are going to defend human rights seriously.

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. gentleman has an allegation of wrongdoing or of criminal behaviour, he should provide that information to the RCMP. He should also have the courage to make the allegation outside the House.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to protecting the interests of the energy sector and the people who work in it, we take no lessons from the Harper Conservatives, because they failed to diversify our non-U.S. global market and failed to build a single pipeline in 10 years to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. We are working hard and will continue to work hard to ensure that our resources get to the global market.

Mr. Speaker, again, I advise the hon. gentleman that his allegation is absurd.