Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, that answer is an absolute insult to Canadians. It is no coincidence that the leak occurred on the eve of the release of damning evidence submitted by the former attorney general to the justice committee. It was a clear attempt to undermine the credibility of the former attorney general, and it demonstrates that the Prime Minister will go to no end to obstruct justice.Again, who leaked the information? Was it Gerry Butts?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to mislead Canadians. On February 7, he said that no one had ever raised concerns with him about his political interference aimed at helping the engineering firm avoid a criminal trial. Yesterday, however, he finally admitted to the House of Commons that he had in fact heard the concerns raised by the former attorney general. I am not allowed to call the Prime Minister a liar in the House, but Canadians may be thinking it.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, let us review the facts. The Prime Minister tried to politically interfere in a criminal prosecution. His former attorney general said no, so he fired her.The truth comes out and he denies everything. The Prime Minister then shuts down the investigation and refuses the full waiver. A tape proves that the former attorney general has been telling the truth. The Prime Minister is furious, so he kicks the two women out of his caucus and runs a smear campaign against both of them.It is time to end the cover-up. When will the Prime Minister tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals involved in the SNC scandal have retained lawyers at the public expense. I am informing taxpayers that they are paying for the Prime Minister, Gerry Butts, Katie Telford, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard, Elder Marques and the present justice minister. Do members know who is not having his legal fees covered in a politically sensitive matter? Admiral Mark Norman. Since the justice minister is in a conflict, my question is for the defence minister. Why do the Lav-scam Liberals get their fees covered, and a 30-year veteran is left out to dry?
Mr. Speaker, the government House leader seems very convinced that the Conservatives had arrived at a conclusion before the investigation began, but it is Liberal members who called it a witch hunt. It is Liberal members who called it a fishing expedition.Twice the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians. First, he said the story about political interference in SNC-Lavalin was false. Clearly, that is not true. Then he said that no one came forward to him with concerns about interference with SNC, but yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concerns raised by the former attorney general. He caught himself in his own trap. Why will
Mr. Speaker, I think if the current government members were actually focused on Canadians, they would be telling the truth and being transparent. We know that the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians twice. First, he told Canadians that the SNC-Lavalin story was false. That was not true. Yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concern raised by the former attorney general on September 17. Instead of fabricating more falsehoods or showing the door to anyone who dares to tell the truth, why will the Prime Minister not just tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, A&L Hammer is being investigated by the IRCC for human trafficking. The victim, Roger Demoto, is a key witness in this case. He was scheduled to give evidence to the IRCC yesterday, but instead, the CBSA detained him and wants to deport him. It is absurd that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. We must do everything we can to combat human trafficking. Urgent action is required. Will the Minister of Immigration work with public safety to stay the deportation to avert this travesty of justice?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's Office is running its daily smear and leak campaign against the two women cabinet ministers who stood up for the rule of law, but yesterday in the House women from across Canada turned their backs on the Prime Minister to show their repugnance with his behaviour. The member for MarkhamStouffville stated, I chose the truth. I chose to act on principles that are so important to the future of our country. That's more important than my political career.What did the Prime Minister choose? He chose a get out of jail card for corporate corruption. Does he not see how morally adrift he has become in this scandal?
Mr. Speaker, the evidence is clear that there was an attempt to obstruct justice by the Prime Minister and his operatives in the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Let us recap how we got here.After the Prime Minister initially called the allegations false, they were found to be true. They were so true, in fact, that they cost Gerald Butts his job, Michael Wernick his job and two former cabinet ministers their place in caucus. They left our great country with a government and a Prime Minister that cannot be redeemed but can only be replaced.How come every time Liberals form government, a culture of corruption and entitlement follows?
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated on numerous occasions, when it comes to respecting our institutions, when it comes to respecting the law, that is exactly what we will do. We are here to ensure that we do respect the rules, and that is why oftentimes it is the Conservatives who are being called out by the Speaker, because they always manage to find a way to break them.We know that not only has the rule of law been followed, we can always improve our institutions and strengthen our institutions. We know that is what Canadians expect, and that is what we will continue to fight hard for. The Conservatives will stay focused on rhetoric and shenanigans. We will stay focused on Canadians so that we can deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, last December, the foreign affairs minister stated: Were seeing a lot of countries around the world that are starting to play fast and loose with...rule of law. The minister promised: Canada is not going to be one of those countries. That promise came three months into the Prime Minister's incessant campaign to corrupt the rule of law to help a corrupt corporation avoid criminal justice. Does the Prime Minister not owe that minister, as well the former attorney general and all Canadians, an apology and a resignation?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been caught again, trying to deceive. On February 7, when he said the initial Globe and Mail story was false, he was not telling the truth.Now we know that when he said the former attorney general never raised her valid concerns with him, he was misleading Canadians. Just yesterday, he accidentally admitted that on September 17, the former attorney general told him very directly to back off. The Prime Minister cannot seem to keep his story straight. Is that because it is just not true?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages made it clear that our government is fulfilling all of its official language obligations.We have always protected French, and we will continue to do so. Francophones across the country know that we are investing more in our official languages than ever before.While the NDP busies itself with petty politics, we are busy modernizing our laws.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have demonstrated their complete contempt for the rule of law. In another shocking display, they have attacked the independence of the judiciary by leaking highly confidential information about a respected jurist and his application to sit on the Supreme Court, all part of a desperate effort to change the channel on the Prime Minister's corruption.Who leaked the information?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not need any more studies; they need action. Too many Canadians are struggling to afford their much-needed medicine. I spoke to one young person who was more worried about his parents' spending on his medication than his own health. Canadians are asking for help.The New Democrats' medication for all plan would put hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of families and ensure that affordable medication would be within reach of Canadians. Will the Prime Minister finally stand up to large drug and insurance companies and ensure that this program is enacted?
Mr. Speaker, all parents teach their children that they must always tell the truth or else sooner or later they will get tangled up in their lies. That is exactly what has happened to the Prime Minister over the past eight months.For eight months, the Prime Minister has not told Canadians the truth. In February, he said that no one had expressed concerns about interference in the SNC-Lavalin case. Then yesterday he finally acknowledged that the former attorney general had shared her concerns with him on September 17. When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, on February 15, the Prime Minister said that if anyone thought he was doing anything wrong, then it was their responsibility to come forward, but he said that no one did.Yesterday he admitted that this just was not true. The former attorney general warned him several times, including on September 17, not to politically interfere in the SNC prosecution, but he refused to listen. He fired her, and he continues to spread falsehoods.Why will the Prime Minister not simply tell the truth about his interference in a criminal prosecution?
Mr. Speaker, climate change is real and the cost of inaction is simply too great to ignore. I am beginning to get sick of politicians on the right side of the spectrum denying this truth. I see them stand up and say that CO2 is plant food and not pollution. It is time we take action. Our government is putting a price on pollution and investing in public transit, and 90% of our electricity will be generated from green resources by 2030.The member for Beauce is at least honest enough to say that his plan is to do nothing. I would invite the Conservatives to be similarly honest with themselves.
Mr. Speaker, these leaks had to come from somebody very close to the Prime Minister. The Liberal government's corrupt practices know no bounds. It did not hesitate to drag the good name of Manitoba's chief justice through the mud.The justice minister, in his own words, said, I am concerned by the publication of details of the most recent Supreme Court justice selection. The integrity of our process depends on confidentiality...in the administration of justice.If the justice minister believes his own words, why has he not started an investigation into these leaks?
Mr. Speaker, the member for MarkhamStouffville was very sincere this morning. She said that she had chosen the truth and the principles that are so important to the future of our country.She paid dearly for her choices. She was kicked out of the Liberal caucus by this Prime Minister because she did not agree with the political interference in our justice system. She chose integrity and truth instead of bowing to pressure from the Prime Minister.Why did the Prime Minister choose to punish a member of Parliament who truly did the right thing?
Mr. Speaker, in February, the Prime Minister went on TV and said that if only the former attorney general had told him that she was feeling undue pressure to intervene in ongoing criminal proceedings, he would have taken action. Yesterday, the Prime Minister admitted in the House that the former attorney general had in fact raised her concerns about his political interference with him, directly and in person.Why did the Prime Minister mislead Canadians about that meeting for weeks? Why does he always experience it differently when it comes to telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Leader of the Government's job is to say the same thing day after day, but solicitor-client privilege was limited, and the committee refused to call the witnesses that the opposition wanted to hear from. Nobody on that side of the House wanted to shed light on what happened and expose the truth.Yesterday, the Prime Minister himself said the former attorney general told the truth. Two upstanding ministers were fired in an attempt to protect the Prime Minister's image. Canadians know exactly what the government and the Prime Minister are up to.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, that was a great question, and I want to thank the member for Alfred-Pellan for doing such a terrific job for the people of Laval.Yes, we want to reduce greenhouse gases by making zero-emission vehicles more affordable and more readily available. That is why we are very proud to announce an incentive of up to $5,000 for vehicles with a retail price of less than $45,000. Unlike Stephen Harper's Conservatives, who have no plan for dealing with climate change and do not seem to care about their children and grandchildren, we actually do have a plan, and today's announcement is great news.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister fired the former attorney general to cover up his political interference over SNC, and he has hired powerful lawyers, at the taxpayers' expense, to protect himself, Katie Telford, Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard and Elder Marques in a potential RCMP investigation, yet the Prime Minister refuses to do the same for Admiral Mark Norman. Why will he not pay for the admiral's legal fees and ensure a fair defence? Why is there one set of rules for Liberals and another set of rules for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, the former president of the Treasury Board chose principles, truth and to do what is right for Canadians. The Prime Minister chose his rich friends and his own political interests.Will the Liberals commit to respecting the fundamental principle of not interfering in criminal prosecutions?
Mr. Speaker, but he has not fully waived confidentiality, and the Liberals have shut down two committee investigations and are withholding documents to a paper until after the next election. Top officials have resigned. Yesterday in question period, the Prime Minister finally admitted that she did raise concerns with him directly in September and told him to back off. In fact, she and her staff did that at least nine separate times over four months. She told the Privy Council clerk that it was inappropriate to interfere with prosecutorial independence 14 times on the December 19 call alone, and Wernick said four times that the Prime Minister was firm. The Prime Minister has caught himself in his own tangled web. He should tell the truth.
Mr. Speaker, that is why greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 2.2% under our government. That is the Conservative track record, and we are very proud of it. Respecting institutions mainly involves preventing partisan politics from interfering in the judicial process. That is exactly what these people did in the SNC-Lavalin case. The Conservatives need to be re-elected. Why? Because the Liberals are inserting partisan politics into the justice system.When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague already answered that question. Yesterday when these seats were filled by 338 young women from across the country, we were able to see what is possible when the federal government steps in and invests in creating spaces and opportunities for young women to take their rightful seats in positions of power and influence.I thank the Daughters of the Vote for their courage and effective advocacy. We will continue to engage with equal voice to ensure their efforts are sustainable, and maybe next time the NDP will support this initiative by voting in favour of it.
Mr. Speaker, the Netflix saga shows no sign of ending. First came the tax breaks, and now the Liberal government is giving in to Netflix's demands without even requiring the American giant to produce French-language content. This is an assault on the language rights of francophones across the country, an assault we must condemn. It may not be Netflix's job to promote official languages, but it is the government's duty to protect them. When will the government take its job seriously and demand that Netflix produce an appropriate amount of French content?
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note that Conservative members came to their conclusion prior to the justice committee even meeting. The Conservatives recognize that there is an ongoing investigation when it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Conservatives also know that there is an ongoing court case.What is clear to the rest of us in the House is that the member for Carleton is on his fourth day of the budget debate and nobody else can speak in the House if the Conservatives have the floor. They have been up multiple times and it is not appropriate if someone has the floor that they not be able to hear, yet when I have the floor they will always try to speak louder.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for the question and more importantly, his continued advocacy for climate change. In particular, I would like to thank the young people who march all across Canada and around the world to support climate action. At this time in our history, it is hard to imagine anything more important. I am pleased to share that last week we commenced a consultation with Canadians to identify inefficient non-tax fossil fuel subsidies that we can phase out. In addition, our plan includes over 50 measures that are going to help implement climate action in Canada, including putting a price on pollution, ensuring 90% of our electricity is generated from clean resources and a number of other measures. This is what real action looks like.
Mr. Speaker, it is a double standard. The legal fees incurred by the Prime Minister and his office for trying to interfere in a criminal case will be covered, while a senior officer, a vice-admiral who wanted to protect the Royal Canadian Navy and, by extension, jobs in Quebec, gets dragged through the mud by the Prime Minister. The vice-admiral's reputation has been tarnished and he will not get reimbursed one cent by the government for his defence.Why the double standard? Why not stand up for justice and those who stand up for it?
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to be able to hear it for themselves. That is why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.We know that members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights did their job. They decided to hear from witnesses. The witnesses came to testify. At every stage, the Conservatives said that these meetings would not happen, that the witnesses were not allowed to come, but that was not the case. Members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights called the witnesses. They did
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud of their publicly funded health care system, one that is based on need and not on their ability to pay. However, we certainly recognize that we can do better. That is why, last year, we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. Unlike the NDP, we choose to want to have a plan as we move forward with this very important initiative, which is very important for all Canadians. I received the council's interim report last month. I look forward to receiving its final report later on in June this year.
Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that Stephen Harper's Conservative government did was withdraw from the Kyoto protocol. Canadians are well aware of that.Today, the member will continue to talk. I listened to his question, but he will never listen to the answer. Now, he is going to talk about why Ontario has been so successful. Ontario achieved good environmental results because the Ontario provincial government made decisions. However, neither the federal nor the provincial Conservatives will do that.
Mr. Speaker, the judicial appointment process for the Supreme Court of Canada is very strict and, more importantly, confidential. People involved in the process adhere to very strict confidentiality agreements not to disclose any information about the process or the potential candidates. The reputation of eminent jurists in Canada is at stake. The leak of confidential information about the potential appointment of Justice Joyal is completely unacceptable.We want to know who disclosed the information.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been misleading the House for more than eight weeks now. On February 7, he said that claims in this interference scandal involving him and his office were false. He denied everything and then changed his story every week. Yesterday in the House his memory magically came back to him and he ended up admitting that the former attorney general's concerns had been brought to his attention.Can the Prime Minister tell us why he has such a hard time remembering the truth?
Mr. Speaker, women's organizations provide vital services, supporting women and girls to be financially secure, to be free from violence, and to be fully able to participate in the economy and society.In my riding and across Canada, there is increasing demand for their services, yet these organizations struggle to keep their doors open after a decade of neglect by the Harper Conservatives.Can the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please update this House on what the government has been doing to support these organizations and the women they serve?
Mr. Speaker, 12 years ago, Quebec was thinking about religious neutrality as part of the Bouchard-Taylor commission. Six years ago, Quebec was debating secularism following the introduction of the Quebec charter of values. Those passionate and necessary debates led to the introduction of Bill 21 on secularism last week. Today, Ottawa wants to prevent us from resolving that issue.Why is the government trying to prevent Quebeckers from setting guidelines to protect the religious neutrality of the Quebec state?
Mr. Speaker, if the party opposite had any respect for the Supreme Court of Canada, it would not have attacked a sitting Supreme Court justice and appointed a candidate who had been reversed by the court.
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question on numerous occasions. We know there were five weeks of meetings for the justice committee. We know the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is studying this matter and we know there is an ongoing court case. We know all information is public so that Canadians can decide.Let me share something else. For three and a half years now this government has been in office and we have seen almost 300,000 children lifted out of poverty. We have seen over 800,000 Canadians lifted out of poverty. We have the lowest unemployment rate in our lifetime. Canadians have created over 900,000 jobs. Conservatives could not do a fraction of that in 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, today, the member for MarkhamStouffville reminded us that this was about the fundamental principle of politicians interfering with the justice system. She said, I chose the truth. I chose...principles that are so important to the future of our country. Thats more important than my political career.Could the Minister of Justice assure the House that he will not overrule the decision of the public prosecutions for the sake of a wealthy corporation?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague has a habit of kicking in doors that are already open. We thank Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, who did excellent work for five years. He did a great job and I thanked him personally. Cynthia Garneau will now be replacing him, and I am sure that she will guide us into the future with her vision to replace VIA Rail trains and work on the high-frequency train.
Mr. Speaker, at every opportunity, every day in question period, Conservative members ask the same question, yet they do not understand why I give the same answer. If they ask me the same question, they are going to get the same answer because the truth is the truth. Ensuring that Canadians hear the truth is the very reason the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence. It is also clear that the Conservatives are still doing indirectly what they cannot do directly, and we must
Mr. Speaker, when the SNC-Lavalin story broke, the Prime Minister dismissed it as a fabrication, but we now know that it was the Prime Minister's story that he was unaware of the former attorney general's concerns about his political interference that was the fabrication. We know that because he admitted in the House yesterday that he had been warned in person by the former attorney general way back in September that his actions on this file were inappropriate. Fabricator, fabricator, pants on fire. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, students from Nelson recently participated in a climate change strike and Ktunaxa students in grades five and six from the ?aq'am reserve wrote me passionate letters warning about climate change.It is clear my constituents from KootenayColumbia and Canadians from across the country want immediate action, but the Liberal government is failing them. The Liberals' budget continues fossil fuel subsidies, which limit our ability to transition to a low-carbon economy before it is too late. We have fewer than 12 years to act.When will the government end fossil fuel subsidies and help workers transition to the green jobs of the future?
Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the House and reassure all Canadians that we believe that Canadians should be able to hear for themselves and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.What is clear is that the Conservatives will continue to focus on us, but we will continue to focus on Canadians. We will continue to have respect for our institutions. We know that the justice committee did important work. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter and we know that there is an ongoing court case.We on this side respect our institutions. We do not undermine them like the Conservatives do and did under 10 years under Stephen Harper.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians deserve to know the truth. The justice committee did its work. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth. Witnesses testified in committee for five weeks. All the facts are now public. We know that the Conservatives do not want to hear the facts, but the facts are on the table. Canadians can decide for themselves.
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers led the way when they created a hybrid public-private pharmacare plan, but the Liberals and the Conservatives abandoned the Quebec government. Due to Ottawa's failure to take action, 10% of Quebeckers do not buy their medications because they are too expensive.Will the Prime Minister undertake to help Quebec put in place a public and universal pharmacare plan?
Mr. Speaker, of course, it is unfair for parties to see their names and their information used as weapons in this kind of debate for political reasons. We have said that, and we have expressed our concern about this situation.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians receive the truth, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. Members who sit on the justice committee set parameters when it came to these allegations. To ensure that Canadians could hear for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. That is why the facts are all on the table. They are all now public. What is interesting is the Conservatives continue to ask for more information, but the information has become quite repetitive and they refuse to actually pay attention to it.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said, sunlight is the best disinfectant. In 2019, he is blocking the former attorney general from sharing all the facts about his interference in a criminal prosecution, including what was said and done when he removed her from that position. On February 7, he said that the claims that he, his staff and officials pressured her were false. On February 12, he said that no one, including her, raised any concerns. However, all the evidence shows otherwise.Why will the Prime Minister not end the cover-up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week gas prices went up in the four provinces where the government imposed its carbon tax. It was reported this morning that the environment minister is also preparing to release new regulations that will push up gas prices even more. Why does the minister falsely claim that she is making life more affordable for Canadians, when she keeps adding taxes and costly regulation?
Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that there is an ongoing court case on this matter. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter. We know that the justice committee spent over five weeks on this matter.We believe that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. It is important to note that this is an unprecedented waiver. It has never been done in the history of our country. The Prime Minister recognizes that Canadians deserve to know, and that is exactly why all facts are now public. They are on the table.
Mr. Speaker, the government is taking a different approach, where we actually believe that many members should be able to stand up and represent the voices of their constituents, regardless of their political stripe. However, we see that the Conservatives have continued their shenanigans of having one member speak over four days. Luckily, that is about to come to an end. This afternoon, we will continue hearing from the member for Carleton, as we have the final day on the budget, which confirms that they like repetition.Tomorrow, we will have the first allotted day of the current supply period.At noon on Monday, we will start the second reading debate on Bill C-93 concerning cannabis and record suspensions.In the afternoon, we will have the vote on the ways and means motion moved earlier this morning by the Minister of Finance.On Tuesday, we will resume consideration at second reading stage of Bill C-88, an act to amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.On Wednesday, we will begin debate at second reading stage of the 2019 budget implementation bill.
Mr. Speaker, the rules for the retention of counsel for members of Parliament and for other officers of the government are well known. I do know that Admiral Norman has very able legal representation, as is always the case for persons in the private sector.I can assure Canadians that the justice department is co-operating with all requests in this case for documentation.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that Canadians are proud of their health system, but that we can do better. That is why this past year we created the advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare. We asked the council to have a national conversation with Canadians. I received the interim report a month ago and I look forward to receiving the final report at the end of June.
Mr. Speaker, Veterans Affairs shortened its psychological questionnaire, which is filled out by mental health providers. The changes resulted in the removal of questions that allow health professionals to ensure a proper diagnosis of PTSD. Without it, veterans will not qualify for the support they are entitled to and desperately need. What is shocking is that the minister ignored his own mental health advisory panel that deals with these very issues. Will the minister listen to these health providers and ensure that veterans get the proper support they require?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. For Canadians watching, who might not recognize what kind of an essential step that was to having these documents be public, I would like to say that from the history of our country since Confederation, cabinet ministers are sworn by cabinet confidence, cabinet secrecy, so that whatever happens in cabinet stays in cabinet. To ensure that witnesses could appear and put this information into the public, the Prime Minister waived such measures. He waived cabinet confidence as well as solicitor-client privilege to make
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a secular country. That is reflected in all our institutions. Government employees have the right to display their faith, and no one should have to choose between a job and the right to wear a religious symbol. We all have a responsibility to protect fundamental rights. Any initiative that erodes those rights is unacceptable. Canada is open, inclusive and enriched by its diversity.
Mr. Speaker, to make sure that Canadians know, that is why the committee had meetings in public. That is also why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.The Conservatives know very well when it comes to misleading, because that is what they continue to do day after day in the House. It is important that they listen attentively to the words that are coming out of witness testimony. Witness testimony confirmed that the rule of law was followed, that the rule of law in Canada is intact and that it was followed at every step. We recognize that we can always improve and strengthen our institutions. We will continue to work
Mr. Speaker, I met with the chief justices of Canada this morning, and I assured them that our process for naming high-quality judges to the Supreme Court of Canada will continue.I have said that I am deeply troubled by the publication of these details, but our nomination process will remain merit-based and will consider Canada's finest jurists for this lofty position.
Mr. Speaker, our government has always defended the fundamental rights of Canadians, and it will continue to do so. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the rights of all citizens. We cannot choose which to protect and which to limit.Our position is clear. The state must not dictate what people can or cannot wear, regardless of their beliefs.
Mr. Speaker, in the last federal budget, the government promised to invest $300 million to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles.Given that the transportation sector accounts for 23% of our greenhouse gas emissions, could the minister tell us more about this new commitment?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians heard the truth for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.Parents also tell their children to respect the rules and institutions and to have a climate plant that will help future generations. The Conservatives have no respect and no plan.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth for themselves. Canadians can now see the facts, since they are now out in the open. The member himself said that the media asked a question and had received a response. He knows very well that they will receive the requested documents.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians simply want the truth.La Presse requested the Michael Wernick documents on November 1 and December 15. The department normally responds to these requests within 30 days. The newspaper was told that the documents would not be ready for 240 days. Coincidentally, that would be four weeks after the election. If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, will he release the documents to the media and to Canadians, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth for themselves is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. These meetings took place in public so that Canadians could hear and decide for themselves. For anyone who actually listened to the witness testimony, they would have heard that the rule of law in Canada was followed and that the rule of law is intact in Canada. However, we recognize that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why the Prime Minister has taken additional steps. The Prime Minister has also stated that he should have directly spoken with the minister.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member well knows that I cannot get into the specifics of an individual case. However, I commit to working with her on any issues of concern she has, on this or any other case, in her capacity to advocate on issues of concern to her. What I can say is this. Every case that comes before my department is looked at based on its merits, and no decision is made on removal, especially after exhausting numerous avenues of appeal. That is the law in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, throughout our national dialogue on the country's energy future, generation energy, Canadians have told us that inclusiveness is a foundational principle of success, and across this great country, stakeholders who have contributed have made it clear that the time to act is right now. Indeed, putting gender equality at the heart of a global transition to a clean energy future is the key to achieving success.Would the Minister of Natural Resources please update this House on the initiatives that have been taken to ensure that progress towards equality for women in the clean energy sector by 2030 is successful?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House on a number of occasions, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on the situation with respect to a deferred prosecution agreement. Anything that I might say might be interpreted and have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the usual Thursday question. I know that this has been quite a good week, where we have had some excellent comments and excellent debate, spearheaded by the hon. member for Carleton. We would very much enjoy that continuing because of the important discussions that have gone on. I would be interested in hearing from the government and I think my hon. colleague is about halfway through his speech. I wonder if the government can tell us what business we will be continuing on this week and next week when we return.
Mr. Speaker, I know that General Norman has excellent legal representation. I can assure the House that the Department of Justice is co-operating in this case and providing the necessary documents.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for South SurreyWhite Rock for his hard work. Yesterday, this chamber was full of bright young women from across our country. Whether it is Parliament or our natural resources sector, we all must do our part to close the gender gap. That is why we launched Equal by 30. Countries, companies and organizations around the world are joining us as we work toward equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunity for women in the world in the energy sector by 2030.
Mr. Speaker, the rules for counsel in all cases are set by the department and apply to all members of Parliament and other people who work in the departments.
Mr. Speaker, this morning, I met with chief justices from across Canada. I assured them that the judicial appointment process was of a very high standard.I am concerned by the release of this information. As Minister of Justice, I will ensure that this does not happen again. In future, we will continue to have an appointment process of the highest quality.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. All members of the House of Commons want the truth. Therefore, you will undoubtedly find the unanimous consent of the House for the tabling of a Natural Resources Canada document concerning greenhouse gas emissions, which indicates that, between 2005 and 2015, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector decreased 2.2% while GDP grew by 16.9%.
Mr. Speaker, the secularism of the Quebec state falls under the jurisdiction of Quebec and Quebec alone. It is not up to Ottawa, which is out of touch with Quebeckers' priorities, to decide what is good or bad for Quebec.The Minister of Justice refuses to give any assurances that he will not challenge Bill 21 before the courts. However, Quebeckers elected the current government, their government, because they wanted to resolve this issue once and for all.Will the Minister of Justice finally commit to respecting the will of Quebeckers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from MississaugaErin Mills for her strong and courageous leadership and for her important question.We know that the most effective way to advance gender equality is by investing in women's organizations. The Conservatives undermined, underestimated and underfunded women's organizations and muzzled them so they would not be able to advocate for women's rights.Our government has made the single largest investment in the sustainability of women's organizations so that over 250 of them could keep their doors open, keep their lights on, and continue to save and transform lives.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in this House on a number of occasions, in particular when answering the questions of my Bloc Québécois friends, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on this situation because it may have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, the integrity of the process demands confidentiality. Moving forward, we will continue to ensure that our nomination process for the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as for other courts, remains of the very highest quality to get the very best appointments.
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of our veterans is our number one priority, and our government is committed to moving forward on mental health. We have opened a centre of excellence on post-traumatic stress disorder, and Veterans Affairs Canada is working with more than 4,000 health professionals. It is also important to note that, thanks to the streamlined process we have put in place, the current approval rate is 97%. The opposition had 10 years to provide mental health support to veterans, but it was too busy axing essential services and trying to balance the budget at the expense of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, we learned on Friday that the Minister of Transport, who has a history of very quietly announcing questionable decisions, did not re-appoint Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano as head of VIA Rail. Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano had a strong record and set the stage for the high-frequency train, but the government thought that a change in leadership was the right thing to do. Furthermore, the Liberals' recent budget made no reference to the high-frequency train, even though an announcement by the minister was promised.Is the Minister of Transportation disavowing VIA Rail's vision of development?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to talk about the facts.Justice committee members, members from all recognized parties in the House who sit on the justice committee, came together and set parameters when it came to these allegations to ensure that Canadians could hear about those allegations directly from witnesses. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.Even though at every step of the way the Conservatives, the opposition frankly, believed that these meetings would not take place, that witnesses would not appear and that cabinet confidence would not be waived, actually the committee met, witnesses appeared and confidence was waived, so Canadians themselves could see and hear.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to hear the facts for themselves, which is exactly why the facts are now out in the open. This is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.I think it is important to respect our institutions. I will choose to respect our institutions. I have faith in our institutions, and I know that they work well.
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear from the beginning that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.The reason why the facts are all now on the table and why the public is able to see for itself is because the Prime Minister took that step. The committee confirmed through testimony that the rule of law was intact in Canada and that the rule of law was followed.The Prime Minister recognizes that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why he has taken additional measures.
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order arising from Question Period, in my question, which was directed specifically to the Minister of National Defence, related to a government policy in respect to covering legal fees for senior government officials, I specifically addressed the Minister of National Defence, following the fact that the Minister of Justice had indicated that each department is responsible for their own decisions on legal things.The minister answered that question, but he is also in a conflict. I would like
Mr. Speaker, that answer is an absolute insult to Canadians. It is no coincidence that the leak occurred on the eve of the release of damning evidence submitted by the former attorney general to the justice committee. It was a clear attempt to undermine the credibility of the former attorney general, and it demonstrates that the Prime Minister will go to no end to obstruct justice.Again, who leaked the information? Was it Gerry Butts?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to mislead Canadians. On February 7, he said that no one had ever raised concerns with him about his political interference aimed at helping the engineering firm avoid a criminal trial. Yesterday, however, he finally admitted to the House of Commons that he had in fact heard the concerns raised by the former attorney general. I am not allowed to call the Prime Minister a liar in the House, but Canadians may be thinking it.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, let us review the facts. The Prime Minister tried to politically interfere in a criminal prosecution. His former attorney general said no, so he fired her.The truth comes out and he denies everything. The Prime Minister then shuts down the investigation and refuses the full waiver. A tape proves that the former attorney general has been telling the truth. The Prime Minister is furious, so he kicks the two women out of his caucus and runs a smear campaign against both of them.It is time to end the cover-up. When will the Prime Minister tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals involved in the SNC scandal have retained lawyers at the public expense. I am informing taxpayers that they are paying for the Prime Minister, Gerry Butts, Katie Telford, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard, Elder Marques and the present justice minister. Do members know who is not having his legal fees covered in a politically sensitive matter? Admiral Mark Norman. Since the justice minister is in a conflict, my question is for the defence minister. Why do the Lav-scam Liberals get their fees covered, and a 30-year veteran is left out to dry?
Mr. Speaker, the government House leader seems very convinced that the Conservatives had arrived at a conclusion before the investigation began, but it is Liberal members who called it a witch hunt. It is Liberal members who called it a fishing expedition.Twice the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians. First, he said the story about political interference in SNC-Lavalin was false. Clearly, that is not true. Then he said that no one came forward to him with concerns about interference with SNC, but yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concerns raised by the former attorney general. He caught himself in his own trap. Why will
Mr. Speaker, I think if the current government members were actually focused on Canadians, they would be telling the truth and being transparent. We know that the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians twice. First, he told Canadians that the SNC-Lavalin story was false. That was not true. Yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concern raised by the former attorney general on September 17. Instead of fabricating more falsehoods or showing the door to anyone who dares to tell the truth, why will the Prime Minister not just tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, A&L Hammer is being investigated by the IRCC for human trafficking. The victim, Roger Demoto, is a key witness in this case. He was scheduled to give evidence to the IRCC yesterday, but instead, the CBSA detained him and wants to deport him. It is absurd that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. We must do everything we can to combat human trafficking. Urgent action is required. Will the Minister of Immigration work with public safety to stay the deportation to avert this travesty of justice?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's Office is running its daily smear and leak campaign against the two women cabinet ministers who stood up for the rule of law, but yesterday in the House women from across Canada turned their backs on the Prime Minister to show their repugnance with his behaviour. The member for MarkhamStouffville stated, I chose the truth. I chose to act on principles that are so important to the future of our country. That's more important than my political career.What did the Prime Minister choose? He chose a get out of jail card for corporate corruption. Does he not see how morally adrift he has become in this scandal?
Mr. Speaker, the evidence is clear that there was an attempt to obstruct justice by the Prime Minister and his operatives in the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Let us recap how we got here.After the Prime Minister initially called the allegations false, they were found to be true. They were so true, in fact, that they cost Gerald Butts his job, Michael Wernick his job and two former cabinet ministers their place in caucus. They left our great country with a government and a Prime Minister that cannot be redeemed but can only be replaced.How come every time Liberals form government, a culture of corruption and entitlement follows?
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated on numerous occasions, when it comes to respecting our institutions, when it comes to respecting the law, that is exactly what we will do. We are here to ensure that we do respect the rules, and that is why oftentimes it is the Conservatives who are being called out by the Speaker, because they always manage to find a way to break them.We know that not only has the rule of law been followed, we can always improve our institutions and strengthen our institutions. We know that is what Canadians expect, and that is what we will continue to fight hard for. The Conservatives will stay focused on rhetoric and shenanigans. We will stay focused on Canadians so that we can deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, last December, the foreign affairs minister stated: Were seeing a lot of countries around the world that are starting to play fast and loose with...rule of law. The minister promised: Canada is not going to be one of those countries. That promise came three months into the Prime Minister's incessant campaign to corrupt the rule of law to help a corrupt corporation avoid criminal justice. Does the Prime Minister not owe that minister, as well the former attorney general and all Canadians, an apology and a resignation?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been caught again, trying to deceive. On February 7, when he said the initial Globe and Mail story was false, he was not telling the truth.Now we know that when he said the former attorney general never raised her valid concerns with him, he was misleading Canadians. Just yesterday, he accidentally admitted that on September 17, the former attorney general told him very directly to back off. The Prime Minister cannot seem to keep his story straight. Is that because it is just not true?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages made it clear that our government is fulfilling all of its official language obligations.We have always protected French, and we will continue to do so. Francophones across the country know that we are investing more in our official languages than ever before.While the NDP busies itself with petty politics, we are busy modernizing our laws.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have demonstrated their complete contempt for the rule of law. In another shocking display, they have attacked the independence of the judiciary by leaking highly confidential information about a respected jurist and his application to sit on the Supreme Court, all part of a desperate effort to change the channel on the Prime Minister's corruption.Who leaked the information?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not need any more studies; they need action. Too many Canadians are struggling to afford their much-needed medicine. I spoke to one young person who was more worried about his parents' spending on his medication than his own health. Canadians are asking for help.The New Democrats' medication for all plan would put hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of families and ensure that affordable medication would be within reach of Canadians. Will the Prime Minister finally stand up to large drug and insurance companies and ensure that this program is enacted?
Mr. Speaker, all parents teach their children that they must always tell the truth or else sooner or later they will get tangled up in their lies. That is exactly what has happened to the Prime Minister over the past eight months.For eight months, the Prime Minister has not told Canadians the truth. In February, he said that no one had expressed concerns about interference in the SNC-Lavalin case. Then yesterday he finally acknowledged that the former attorney general had shared her concerns with him on September 17. When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, on February 15, the Prime Minister said that if anyone thought he was doing anything wrong, then it was their responsibility to come forward, but he said that no one did.Yesterday he admitted that this just was not true. The former attorney general warned him several times, including on September 17, not to politically interfere in the SNC prosecution, but he refused to listen. He fired her, and he continues to spread falsehoods.Why will the Prime Minister not simply tell the truth about his interference in a criminal prosecution?
Mr. Speaker, climate change is real and the cost of inaction is simply too great to ignore. I am beginning to get sick of politicians on the right side of the spectrum denying this truth. I see them stand up and say that CO2 is plant food and not pollution. It is time we take action. Our government is putting a price on pollution and investing in public transit, and 90% of our electricity will be generated from green resources by 2030.The member for Beauce is at least honest enough to say that his plan is to do nothing. I would invite the Conservatives to be similarly honest with themselves.
Mr. Speaker, these leaks had to come from somebody very close to the Prime Minister. The Liberal government's corrupt practices know no bounds. It did not hesitate to drag the good name of Manitoba's chief justice through the mud.The justice minister, in his own words, said, I am concerned by the publication of details of the most recent Supreme Court justice selection. The integrity of our process depends on confidentiality...in the administration of justice.If the justice minister believes his own words, why has he not started an investigation into these leaks?
Mr. Speaker, the member for MarkhamStouffville was very sincere this morning. She said that she had chosen the truth and the principles that are so important to the future of our country.She paid dearly for her choices. She was kicked out of the Liberal caucus by this Prime Minister because she did not agree with the political interference in our justice system. She chose integrity and truth instead of bowing to pressure from the Prime Minister.Why did the Prime Minister choose to punish a member of Parliament who truly did the right thing?
Mr. Speaker, in February, the Prime Minister went on TV and said that if only the former attorney general had told him that she was feeling undue pressure to intervene in ongoing criminal proceedings, he would have taken action. Yesterday, the Prime Minister admitted in the House that the former attorney general had in fact raised her concerns about his political interference with him, directly and in person.Why did the Prime Minister mislead Canadians about that meeting for weeks? Why does he always experience it differently when it comes to telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Leader of the Government's job is to say the same thing day after day, but solicitor-client privilege was limited, and the committee refused to call the witnesses that the opposition wanted to hear from. Nobody on that side of the House wanted to shed light on what happened and expose the truth.Yesterday, the Prime Minister himself said the former attorney general told the truth. Two upstanding ministers were fired in an attempt to protect the Prime Minister's image. Canadians know exactly what the government and the Prime Minister are up to.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, that was a great question, and I want to thank the member for Alfred-Pellan for doing such a terrific job for the people of Laval.Yes, we want to reduce greenhouse gases by making zero-emission vehicles more affordable and more readily available. That is why we are very proud to announce an incentive of up to $5,000 for vehicles with a retail price of less than $45,000. Unlike Stephen Harper's Conservatives, who have no plan for dealing with climate change and do not seem to care about their children and grandchildren, we actually do have a plan, and today's announcement is great news.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister fired the former attorney general to cover up his political interference over SNC, and he has hired powerful lawyers, at the taxpayers' expense, to protect himself, Katie Telford, Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard and Elder Marques in a potential RCMP investigation, yet the Prime Minister refuses to do the same for Admiral Mark Norman. Why will he not pay for the admiral's legal fees and ensure a fair defence? Why is there one set of rules for Liberals and another set of rules for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, the former president of the Treasury Board chose principles, truth and to do what is right for Canadians. The Prime Minister chose his rich friends and his own political interests.Will the Liberals commit to respecting the fundamental principle of not interfering in criminal prosecutions?
Mr. Speaker, but he has not fully waived confidentiality, and the Liberals have shut down two committee investigations and are withholding documents to a paper until after the next election. Top officials have resigned. Yesterday in question period, the Prime Minister finally admitted that she did raise concerns with him directly in September and told him to back off. In fact, she and her staff did that at least nine separate times over four months. She told the Privy Council clerk that it was inappropriate to interfere with prosecutorial independence 14 times on the December 19 call alone, and Wernick said four times that the Prime Minister was firm. The Prime Minister has caught himself in his own tangled web. He should tell the truth.
Mr. Speaker, that is why greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 2.2% under our government. That is the Conservative track record, and we are very proud of it. Respecting institutions mainly involves preventing partisan politics from interfering in the judicial process. That is exactly what these people did in the SNC-Lavalin case. The Conservatives need to be re-elected. Why? Because the Liberals are inserting partisan politics into the justice system.When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague already answered that question. Yesterday when these seats were filled by 338 young women from across the country, we were able to see what is possible when the federal government steps in and invests in creating spaces and opportunities for young women to take their rightful seats in positions of power and influence.I thank the Daughters of the Vote for their courage and effective advocacy. We will continue to engage with equal voice to ensure their efforts are sustainable, and maybe next time the NDP will support this initiative by voting in favour of it.
Mr. Speaker, the Netflix saga shows no sign of ending. First came the tax breaks, and now the Liberal government is giving in to Netflix's demands without even requiring the American giant to produce French-language content. This is an assault on the language rights of francophones across the country, an assault we must condemn. It may not be Netflix's job to promote official languages, but it is the government's duty to protect them. When will the government take its job seriously and demand that Netflix produce an appropriate amount of French content?
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note that Conservative members came to their conclusion prior to the justice committee even meeting. The Conservatives recognize that there is an ongoing investigation when it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Conservatives also know that there is an ongoing court case.What is clear to the rest of us in the House is that the member for Carleton is on his fourth day of the budget debate and nobody else can speak in the House if the Conservatives have the floor. They have been up multiple times and it is not appropriate if someone has the floor that they not be able to hear, yet when I have the floor they will always try to speak louder.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for the question and more importantly, his continued advocacy for climate change. In particular, I would like to thank the young people who march all across Canada and around the world to support climate action. At this time in our history, it is hard to imagine anything more important. I am pleased to share that last week we commenced a consultation with Canadians to identify inefficient non-tax fossil fuel subsidies that we can phase out. In addition, our plan includes over 50 measures that are going to help implement climate action in Canada, including putting a price on pollution, ensuring 90% of our electricity is generated from clean resources and a number of other measures. This is what real action looks like.
Mr. Speaker, it is a double standard. The legal fees incurred by the Prime Minister and his office for trying to interfere in a criminal case will be covered, while a senior officer, a vice-admiral who wanted to protect the Royal Canadian Navy and, by extension, jobs in Quebec, gets dragged through the mud by the Prime Minister. The vice-admiral's reputation has been tarnished and he will not get reimbursed one cent by the government for his defence.Why the double standard? Why not stand up for justice and those who stand up for it?
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to be able to hear it for themselves. That is why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.We know that members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights did their job. They decided to hear from witnesses. The witnesses came to testify. At every stage, the Conservatives said that these meetings would not happen, that the witnesses were not allowed to come, but that was not the case. Members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights called the witnesses. They did
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud of their publicly funded health care system, one that is based on need and not on their ability to pay. However, we certainly recognize that we can do better. That is why, last year, we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. Unlike the NDP, we choose to want to have a plan as we move forward with this very important initiative, which is very important for all Canadians. I received the council's interim report last month. I look forward to receiving its final report later on in June this year.
Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that Stephen Harper's Conservative government did was withdraw from the Kyoto protocol. Canadians are well aware of that.Today, the member will continue to talk. I listened to his question, but he will never listen to the answer. Now, he is going to talk about why Ontario has been so successful. Ontario achieved good environmental results because the Ontario provincial government made decisions. However, neither the federal nor the provincial Conservatives will do that.
Mr. Speaker, the judicial appointment process for the Supreme Court of Canada is very strict and, more importantly, confidential. People involved in the process adhere to very strict confidentiality agreements not to disclose any information about the process or the potential candidates. The reputation of eminent jurists in Canada is at stake. The leak of confidential information about the potential appointment of Justice Joyal is completely unacceptable.We want to know who disclosed the information.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been misleading the House for more than eight weeks now. On February 7, he said that claims in this interference scandal involving him and his office were false. He denied everything and then changed his story every week. Yesterday in the House his memory magically came back to him and he ended up admitting that the former attorney general's concerns had been brought to his attention.Can the Prime Minister tell us why he has such a hard time remembering the truth?
Mr. Speaker, women's organizations provide vital services, supporting women and girls to be financially secure, to be free from violence, and to be fully able to participate in the economy and society.In my riding and across Canada, there is increasing demand for their services, yet these organizations struggle to keep their doors open after a decade of neglect by the Harper Conservatives.Can the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please update this House on what the government has been doing to support these organizations and the women they serve?
Mr. Speaker, 12 years ago, Quebec was thinking about religious neutrality as part of the Bouchard-Taylor commission. Six years ago, Quebec was debating secularism following the introduction of the Quebec charter of values. Those passionate and necessary debates led to the introduction of Bill 21 on secularism last week. Today, Ottawa wants to prevent us from resolving that issue.Why is the government trying to prevent Quebeckers from setting guidelines to protect the religious neutrality of the Quebec state?
Mr. Speaker, if the party opposite had any respect for the Supreme Court of Canada, it would not have attacked a sitting Supreme Court justice and appointed a candidate who had been reversed by the court.
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question on numerous occasions. We know there were five weeks of meetings for the justice committee. We know the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is studying this matter and we know there is an ongoing court case. We know all information is public so that Canadians can decide.Let me share something else. For three and a half years now this government has been in office and we have seen almost 300,000 children lifted out of poverty. We have seen over 800,000 Canadians lifted out of poverty. We have the lowest unemployment rate in our lifetime. Canadians have created over 900,000 jobs. Conservatives could not do a fraction of that in 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, today, the member for MarkhamStouffville reminded us that this was about the fundamental principle of politicians interfering with the justice system. She said, I chose the truth. I chose...principles that are so important to the future of our country. Thats more important than my political career.Could the Minister of Justice assure the House that he will not overrule the decision of the public prosecutions for the sake of a wealthy corporation?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague has a habit of kicking in doors that are already open. We thank Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, who did excellent work for five years. He did a great job and I thanked him personally. Cynthia Garneau will now be replacing him, and I am sure that she will guide us into the future with her vision to replace VIA Rail trains and work on the high-frequency train.
Mr. Speaker, at every opportunity, every day in question period, Conservative members ask the same question, yet they do not understand why I give the same answer. If they ask me the same question, they are going to get the same answer because the truth is the truth. Ensuring that Canadians hear the truth is the very reason the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence. It is also clear that the Conservatives are still doing indirectly what they cannot do directly, and we must
Mr. Speaker, when the SNC-Lavalin story broke, the Prime Minister dismissed it as a fabrication, but we now know that it was the Prime Minister's story that he was unaware of the former attorney general's concerns about his political interference that was the fabrication. We know that because he admitted in the House yesterday that he had been warned in person by the former attorney general way back in September that his actions on this file were inappropriate. Fabricator, fabricator, pants on fire. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, students from Nelson recently participated in a climate change strike and Ktunaxa students in grades five and six from the ?aq'am reserve wrote me passionate letters warning about climate change.It is clear my constituents from KootenayColumbia and Canadians from across the country want immediate action, but the Liberal government is failing them. The Liberals' budget continues fossil fuel subsidies, which limit our ability to transition to a low-carbon economy before it is too late. We have fewer than 12 years to act.When will the government end fossil fuel subsidies and help workers transition to the green jobs of the future?
Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the House and reassure all Canadians that we believe that Canadians should be able to hear for themselves and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.What is clear is that the Conservatives will continue to focus on us, but we will continue to focus on Canadians. We will continue to have respect for our institutions. We know that the justice committee did important work. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter and we know that there is an ongoing court case.We on this side respect our institutions. We do not undermine them like the Conservatives do and did under 10 years under Stephen Harper.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians deserve to know the truth. The justice committee did its work. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth. Witnesses testified in committee for five weeks. All the facts are now public. We know that the Conservatives do not want to hear the facts, but the facts are on the table. Canadians can decide for themselves.
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers led the way when they created a hybrid public-private pharmacare plan, but the Liberals and the Conservatives abandoned the Quebec government. Due to Ottawa's failure to take action, 10% of Quebeckers do not buy their medications because they are too expensive.Will the Prime Minister undertake to help Quebec put in place a public and universal pharmacare plan?
Mr. Speaker, of course, it is unfair for parties to see their names and their information used as weapons in this kind of debate for political reasons. We have said that, and we have expressed our concern about this situation.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians receive the truth, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. Members who sit on the justice committee set parameters when it came to these allegations. To ensure that Canadians could hear for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. That is why the facts are all on the table. They are all now public. What is interesting is the Conservatives continue to ask for more information, but the information has become quite repetitive and they refuse to actually pay attention to it.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said, sunlight is the best disinfectant. In 2019, he is blocking the former attorney general from sharing all the facts about his interference in a criminal prosecution, including what was said and done when he removed her from that position. On February 7, he said that the claims that he, his staff and officials pressured her were false. On February 12, he said that no one, including her, raised any concerns. However, all the evidence shows otherwise.Why will the Prime Minister not end the cover-up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week gas prices went up in the four provinces where the government imposed its carbon tax. It was reported this morning that the environment minister is also preparing to release new regulations that will push up gas prices even more. Why does the minister falsely claim that she is making life more affordable for Canadians, when she keeps adding taxes and costly regulation?
Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that there is an ongoing court case on this matter. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter. We know that the justice committee spent over five weeks on this matter.We believe that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. It is important to note that this is an unprecedented waiver. It has never been done in the history of our country. The Prime Minister recognizes that Canadians deserve to know, and that is exactly why all facts are now public. They are on the table.
Mr. Speaker, the government is taking a different approach, where we actually believe that many members should be able to stand up and represent the voices of their constituents, regardless of their political stripe. However, we see that the Conservatives have continued their shenanigans of having one member speak over four days. Luckily, that is about to come to an end. This afternoon, we will continue hearing from the member for Carleton, as we have the final day on the budget, which confirms that they like repetition.Tomorrow, we will have the first allotted day of the current supply period.At noon on Monday, we will start the second reading debate on Bill C-93 concerning cannabis and record suspensions.In the afternoon, we will have the vote on the ways and means motion moved earlier this morning by the Minister of Finance.On Tuesday, we will resume consideration at second reading stage of Bill C-88, an act to amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.On Wednesday, we will begin debate at second reading stage of the 2019 budget implementation bill.
Mr. Speaker, the rules for the retention of counsel for members of Parliament and for other officers of the government are well known. I do know that Admiral Norman has very able legal representation, as is always the case for persons in the private sector.I can assure Canadians that the justice department is co-operating with all requests in this case for documentation.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that Canadians are proud of their health system, but that we can do better. That is why this past year we created the advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare. We asked the council to have a national conversation with Canadians. I received the interim report a month ago and I look forward to receiving the final report at the end of June.
Mr. Speaker, Veterans Affairs shortened its psychological questionnaire, which is filled out by mental health providers. The changes resulted in the removal of questions that allow health professionals to ensure a proper diagnosis of PTSD. Without it, veterans will not qualify for the support they are entitled to and desperately need. What is shocking is that the minister ignored his own mental health advisory panel that deals with these very issues. Will the minister listen to these health providers and ensure that veterans get the proper support they require?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. For Canadians watching, who might not recognize what kind of an essential step that was to having these documents be public, I would like to say that from the history of our country since Confederation, cabinet ministers are sworn by cabinet confidence, cabinet secrecy, so that whatever happens in cabinet stays in cabinet. To ensure that witnesses could appear and put this information into the public, the Prime Minister waived such measures. He waived cabinet confidence as well as solicitor-client privilege to make
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a secular country. That is reflected in all our institutions. Government employees have the right to display their faith, and no one should have to choose between a job and the right to wear a religious symbol. We all have a responsibility to protect fundamental rights. Any initiative that erodes those rights is unacceptable. Canada is open, inclusive and enriched by its diversity.
Mr. Speaker, to make sure that Canadians know, that is why the committee had meetings in public. That is also why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.The Conservatives know very well when it comes to misleading, because that is what they continue to do day after day in the House. It is important that they listen attentively to the words that are coming out of witness testimony. Witness testimony confirmed that the rule of law was followed, that the rule of law in Canada is intact and that it was followed at every step. We recognize that we can always improve and strengthen our institutions. We will continue to work
Mr. Speaker, I met with the chief justices of Canada this morning, and I assured them that our process for naming high-quality judges to the Supreme Court of Canada will continue.I have said that I am deeply troubled by the publication of these details, but our nomination process will remain merit-based and will consider Canada's finest jurists for this lofty position.
Mr. Speaker, our government has always defended the fundamental rights of Canadians, and it will continue to do so. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the rights of all citizens. We cannot choose which to protect and which to limit.Our position is clear. The state must not dictate what people can or cannot wear, regardless of their beliefs.
Mr. Speaker, in the last federal budget, the government promised to invest $300 million to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles.Given that the transportation sector accounts for 23% of our greenhouse gas emissions, could the minister tell us more about this new commitment?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians heard the truth for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.Parents also tell their children to respect the rules and institutions and to have a climate plant that will help future generations. The Conservatives have no respect and no plan.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth for themselves. Canadians can now see the facts, since they are now out in the open. The member himself said that the media asked a question and had received a response. He knows very well that they will receive the requested documents.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians simply want the truth.La Presse requested the Michael Wernick documents on November 1 and December 15. The department normally responds to these requests within 30 days. The newspaper was told that the documents would not be ready for 240 days. Coincidentally, that would be four weeks after the election. If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, will he release the documents to the media and to Canadians, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth for themselves is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. These meetings took place in public so that Canadians could hear and decide for themselves. For anyone who actually listened to the witness testimony, they would have heard that the rule of law in Canada was followed and that the rule of law is intact in Canada. However, we recognize that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why the Prime Minister has taken additional steps. The Prime Minister has also stated that he should have directly spoken with the minister.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member well knows that I cannot get into the specifics of an individual case. However, I commit to working with her on any issues of concern she has, on this or any other case, in her capacity to advocate on issues of concern to her. What I can say is this. Every case that comes before my department is looked at based on its merits, and no decision is made on removal, especially after exhausting numerous avenues of appeal. That is the law in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, throughout our national dialogue on the country's energy future, generation energy, Canadians have told us that inclusiveness is a foundational principle of success, and across this great country, stakeholders who have contributed have made it clear that the time to act is right now. Indeed, putting gender equality at the heart of a global transition to a clean energy future is the key to achieving success.Would the Minister of Natural Resources please update this House on the initiatives that have been taken to ensure that progress towards equality for women in the clean energy sector by 2030 is successful?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House on a number of occasions, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on the situation with respect to a deferred prosecution agreement. Anything that I might say might be interpreted and have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the usual Thursday question. I know that this has been quite a good week, where we have had some excellent comments and excellent debate, spearheaded by the hon. member for Carleton. We would very much enjoy that continuing because of the important discussions that have gone on. I would be interested in hearing from the government and I think my hon. colleague is about halfway through his speech. I wonder if the government can tell us what business we will be continuing on this week and next week when we return.
Mr. Speaker, I know that General Norman has excellent legal representation. I can assure the House that the Department of Justice is co-operating in this case and providing the necessary documents.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for South SurreyWhite Rock for his hard work. Yesterday, this chamber was full of bright young women from across our country. Whether it is Parliament or our natural resources sector, we all must do our part to close the gender gap. That is why we launched Equal by 30. Countries, companies and organizations around the world are joining us as we work toward equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunity for women in the world in the energy sector by 2030.
Mr. Speaker, the rules for counsel in all cases are set by the department and apply to all members of Parliament and other people who work in the departments.
Mr. Speaker, this morning, I met with chief justices from across Canada. I assured them that the judicial appointment process was of a very high standard.I am concerned by the release of this information. As Minister of Justice, I will ensure that this does not happen again. In future, we will continue to have an appointment process of the highest quality.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. All members of the House of Commons want the truth. Therefore, you will undoubtedly find the unanimous consent of the House for the tabling of a Natural Resources Canada document concerning greenhouse gas emissions, which indicates that, between 2005 and 2015, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector decreased 2.2% while GDP grew by 16.9%.
Mr. Speaker, the secularism of the Quebec state falls under the jurisdiction of Quebec and Quebec alone. It is not up to Ottawa, which is out of touch with Quebeckers' priorities, to decide what is good or bad for Quebec.The Minister of Justice refuses to give any assurances that he will not challenge Bill 21 before the courts. However, Quebeckers elected the current government, their government, because they wanted to resolve this issue once and for all.Will the Minister of Justice finally commit to respecting the will of Quebeckers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from MississaugaErin Mills for her strong and courageous leadership and for her important question.We know that the most effective way to advance gender equality is by investing in women's organizations. The Conservatives undermined, underestimated and underfunded women's organizations and muzzled them so they would not be able to advocate for women's rights.Our government has made the single largest investment in the sustainability of women's organizations so that over 250 of them could keep their doors open, keep their lights on, and continue to save and transform lives.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in this House on a number of occasions, in particular when answering the questions of my Bloc Québécois friends, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on this situation because it may have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, the integrity of the process demands confidentiality. Moving forward, we will continue to ensure that our nomination process for the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as for other courts, remains of the very highest quality to get the very best appointments.
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of our veterans is our number one priority, and our government is committed to moving forward on mental health. We have opened a centre of excellence on post-traumatic stress disorder, and Veterans Affairs Canada is working with more than 4,000 health professionals. It is also important to note that, thanks to the streamlined process we have put in place, the current approval rate is 97%. The opposition had 10 years to provide mental health support to veterans, but it was too busy axing essential services and trying to balance the budget at the expense of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, we learned on Friday that the Minister of Transport, who has a history of very quietly announcing questionable decisions, did not re-appoint Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano as head of VIA Rail. Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano had a strong record and set the stage for the high-frequency train, but the government thought that a change in leadership was the right thing to do. Furthermore, the Liberals' recent budget made no reference to the high-frequency train, even though an announcement by the minister was promised.Is the Minister of Transportation disavowing VIA Rail's vision of development?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to talk about the facts.Justice committee members, members from all recognized parties in the House who sit on the justice committee, came together and set parameters when it came to these allegations to ensure that Canadians could hear about those allegations directly from witnesses. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.Even though at every step of the way the Conservatives, the opposition frankly, believed that these meetings would not take place, that witnesses would not appear and that cabinet confidence would not be waived, actually the committee met, witnesses appeared and confidence was waived, so Canadians themselves could see and hear.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to hear the facts for themselves, which is exactly why the facts are now out in the open. This is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.I think it is important to respect our institutions. I will choose to respect our institutions. I have faith in our institutions, and I know that they work well.
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear from the beginning that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.The reason why the facts are all now on the table and why the public is able to see for itself is because the Prime Minister took that step. The committee confirmed through testimony that the rule of law was intact in Canada and that the rule of law was followed.The Prime Minister recognizes that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why he has taken additional measures.
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order arising from Question Period, in my question, which was directed specifically to the Minister of National Defence, related to a government policy in respect to covering legal fees for senior government officials, I specifically addressed the Minister of National Defence, following the fact that the Minister of Justice had indicated that each department is responsible for their own decisions on legal things.The minister answered that question, but he is also in a conflict. I would like
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Mr. Speaker, I met with the chief justices of Canada this morning, and I assured them that our process for naming high-quality judges to the Supreme Court of Canada will continue.I have said that I am deeply troubled by the publication of these details, but our nomination process will remain merit-based and will consider Canada's finest jurists for this lofty position.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have demonstrated their complete contempt for the rule of law. In another shocking display, they have attacked the independence of the judiciary by leaking highly confidential information about a respected jurist and his application to sit on the Supreme Court, all part of a desperate effort to change the channel on the Prime Minister's corruption.Who leaked the information?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. All members of the House of Commons want the truth. Therefore, you will undoubtedly find the unanimous consent of the House for the tabling of a Natural Resources Canada document concerning greenhouse gas emissions, which indicates that, between 2005 and 2015, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector decreased 2.2% while GDP grew by 16.9%.
Mr. Speaker, last December, the foreign affairs minister stated: Were seeing a lot of countries around the world that are starting to play fast and loose with...rule of law. The minister promised: Canada is not going to be one of those countries. That promise came three months into the Prime Minister's incessant campaign to corrupt the rule of law to help a corrupt corporation avoid criminal justice. Does the Prime Minister not owe that minister, as well the former attorney general and all Canadians, an apology and a resignation?
Mr. Speaker, on February 15, the Prime Minister said that if anyone thought he was doing anything wrong, then it was their responsibility to come forward, but he said that no one did.Yesterday he admitted that this just was not true. The former attorney general warned him several times, including on September 17, not to politically interfere in the SNC prosecution, but he refused to listen. He fired her, and he continues to spread falsehoods.Why will the Prime Minister not simply tell the truth about his interference in a criminal prosecution?
Mr. Speaker, the rules for counsel in all cases are set by the department and apply to all members of Parliament and other people who work in the departments.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member well knows that I cannot get into the specifics of an individual case. However, I commit to working with her on any issues of concern she has, on this or any other case, in her capacity to advocate on issues of concern to her. What I can say is this. Every case that comes before my department is looked at based on its merits, and no decision is made on removal, especially after exhausting numerous avenues of appeal. That is the law in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to mislead Canadians. On February 7, he said that no one had ever raised concerns with him about his political interference aimed at helping the engineering firm avoid a criminal trial. Yesterday, however, he finally admitted to the House of Commons that he had in fact heard the concerns raised by the former attorney general. I am not allowed to call the Prime Minister a liar in the House, but Canadians may be thinking it.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers led the way when they created a hybrid public-private pharmacare plan, but the Liberals and the Conservatives abandoned the Quebec government. Due to Ottawa's failure to take action, 10% of Quebeckers do not buy their medications because they are too expensive.Will the Prime Minister undertake to help Quebec put in place a public and universal pharmacare plan?
Mr. Speaker, Veterans Affairs shortened its psychological questionnaire, which is filled out by mental health providers. The changes resulted in the removal of questions that allow health professionals to ensure a proper diagnosis of PTSD. Without it, veterans will not qualify for the support they are entitled to and desperately need. What is shocking is that the minister ignored his own mental health advisory panel that deals with these very issues. Will the minister listen to these health providers and ensure that veterans get the proper support they require?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question on numerous occasions. We know there were five weeks of meetings for the justice committee. We know the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is studying this matter and we know there is an ongoing court case. We know all information is public so that Canadians can decide.Let me share something else. For three and a half years now this government has been in office and we have seen almost 300,000 children lifted out of poverty. We have seen over 800,000 Canadians lifted out of poverty. We have the lowest unemployment rate in our lifetime. Canadians have created over 900,000 jobs. Conservatives could not do a fraction of that in 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, students from Nelson recently participated in a climate change strike and Ktunaxa students in grades five and six from the ?aq'am reserve wrote me passionate letters warning about climate change.It is clear my constituents from KootenayColumbia and Canadians from across the country want immediate action, but the Liberal government is failing them. The Liberals' budget continues fossil fuel subsidies, which limit our ability to transition to a low-carbon economy before it is too late. We have fewer than 12 years to act.When will the government end fossil fuel subsidies and help workers transition to the green jobs of the future?
Mr. Speaker, it is a double standard. The legal fees incurred by the Prime Minister and his office for trying to interfere in a criminal case will be covered, while a senior officer, a vice-admiral who wanted to protect the Royal Canadian Navy and, by extension, jobs in Quebec, gets dragged through the mud by the Prime Minister. The vice-admiral's reputation has been tarnished and he will not get reimbursed one cent by the government for his defence.Why the double standard? Why not stand up for justice and those who stand up for it?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been caught again, trying to deceive. On February 7, when he said the initial Globe and Mail story was false, he was not telling the truth.Now we know that when he said the former attorney general never raised her valid concerns with him, he was misleading Canadians. Just yesterday, he accidentally admitted that on September 17, the former attorney general told him very directly to back off. The Prime Minister cannot seem to keep his story straight. Is that because it is just not true?
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated on numerous occasions, when it comes to respecting our institutions, when it comes to respecting the law, that is exactly what we will do. We are here to ensure that we do respect the rules, and that is why oftentimes it is the Conservatives who are being called out by the Speaker, because they always manage to find a way to break them.We know that not only has the rule of law been followed, we can always improve our institutions and strengthen our institutions. We know that is what Canadians expect, and that is what we will continue to fight hard for. The Conservatives will stay focused on rhetoric and shenanigans. We will stay focused on Canadians so that we can deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, in February, the Prime Minister went on TV and said that if only the former attorney general had told him that she was feeling undue pressure to intervene in ongoing criminal proceedings, he would have taken action. Yesterday, the Prime Minister admitted in the House that the former attorney general had in fact raised her concerns about his political interference with him, directly and in person.Why did the Prime Minister mislead Canadians about that meeting for weeks? Why does he always experience it differently when it comes to telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House on a number of occasions, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on the situation with respect to a deferred prosecution agreement. Anything that I might say might be interpreted and have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians deserve to know the truth. The justice committee did its work. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth. Witnesses testified in committee for five weeks. All the facts are now public. We know that the Conservatives do not want to hear the facts, but the facts are on the table. Canadians can decide for themselves.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians heard the truth for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.Parents also tell their children to respect the rules and institutions and to have a climate plant that will help future generations. The Conservatives have no respect and no plan.
Mr. Speaker, if the party opposite had any respect for the Supreme Court of Canada, it would not have attacked a sitting Supreme Court justice and appointed a candidate who had been reversed by the court.
Mr. Speaker, the secularism of the Quebec state falls under the jurisdiction of Quebec and Quebec alone. It is not up to Ottawa, which is out of touch with Quebeckers' priorities, to decide what is good or bad for Quebec.The Minister of Justice refuses to give any assurances that he will not challenge Bill 21 before the courts. However, Quebeckers elected the current government, their government, because they wanted to resolve this issue once and for all.Will the Minister of Justice finally commit to respecting the will of Quebeckers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, A&L Hammer is being investigated by the IRCC for human trafficking. The victim, Roger Demoto, is a key witness in this case. He was scheduled to give evidence to the IRCC yesterday, but instead, the CBSA detained him and wants to deport him. It is absurd that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. We must do everything we can to combat human trafficking. Urgent action is required. Will the Minister of Immigration work with public safety to stay the deportation to avert this travesty of justice?
Mr. Speaker, all parents teach their children that they must always tell the truth or else sooner or later they will get tangled up in their lies. That is exactly what has happened to the Prime Minister over the past eight months.For eight months, the Prime Minister has not told Canadians the truth. In February, he said that no one had expressed concerns about interference in the SNC-Lavalin case. Then yesterday he finally acknowledged that the former attorney general had shared her concerns with him on September 17. When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, when the SNC-Lavalin story broke, the Prime Minister dismissed it as a fabrication, but we now know that it was the Prime Minister's story that he was unaware of the former attorney general's concerns about his political interference that was the fabrication. We know that because he admitted in the House yesterday that he had been warned in person by the former attorney general way back in September that his actions on this file were inappropriate. Fabricator, fabricator, pants on fire. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, 12 years ago, Quebec was thinking about religious neutrality as part of the Bouchard-Taylor commission. Six years ago, Quebec was debating secularism following the introduction of the Quebec charter of values. Those passionate and necessary debates led to the introduction of Bill 21 on secularism last week. Today, Ottawa wants to prevent us from resolving that issue.Why is the government trying to prevent Quebeckers from setting guidelines to protect the religious neutrality of the Quebec state?
Mr. Speaker, let us review the facts. The Prime Minister tried to politically interfere in a criminal prosecution. His former attorney general said no, so he fired her.The truth comes out and he denies everything. The Prime Minister then shuts down the investigation and refuses the full waiver. A tape proves that the former attorney general has been telling the truth. The Prime Minister is furious, so he kicks the two women out of his caucus and runs a smear campaign against both of them.It is time to end the cover-up. When will the Prime Minister tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, I think if the current government members were actually focused on Canadians, they would be telling the truth and being transparent. We know that the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians twice. First, he told Canadians that the SNC-Lavalin story was false. That was not true. Yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concern raised by the former attorney general on September 17. Instead of fabricating more falsehoods or showing the door to anyone who dares to tell the truth, why will the Prime Minister not just tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, of course, it is unfair for parties to see their names and their information used as weapons in this kind of debate for political reasons. We have said that, and we have expressed our concern about this situation.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals involved in the SNC scandal have retained lawyers at the public expense. I am informing taxpayers that they are paying for the Prime Minister, Gerry Butts, Katie Telford, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard, Elder Marques and the present justice minister. Do members know who is not having his legal fees covered in a politically sensitive matter? Admiral Mark Norman. Since the justice minister is in a conflict, my question is for the defence minister. Why do the Lav-scam Liberals get their fees covered, and a 30-year veteran is left out to dry?
Mr. Speaker, we learned on Friday that the Minister of Transport, who has a history of very quietly announcing questionable decisions, did not re-appoint Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano as head of VIA Rail. Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano had a strong record and set the stage for the high-frequency train, but the government thought that a change in leadership was the right thing to do. Furthermore, the Liberals' recent budget made no reference to the high-frequency train, even though an announcement by the minister was promised.Is the Minister of Transportation disavowing VIA Rail's vision of development?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been misleading the House for more than eight weeks now. On February 7, he said that claims in this interference scandal involving him and his office were false. He denied everything and then changed his story every week. Yesterday in the House his memory magically came back to him and he ended up admitting that the former attorney general's concerns had been brought to his attention.Can the Prime Minister tell us why he has such a hard time remembering the truth?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to talk about the facts.Justice committee members, members from all recognized parties in the House who sit on the justice committee, came together and set parameters when it came to these allegations to ensure that Canadians could hear about those allegations directly from witnesses. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.Even though at every step of the way the Conservatives, the opposition frankly, believed that these meetings would not take place, that witnesses would not appear and that cabinet confidence would not be waived, actually the committee met, witnesses appeared and confidence was waived, so Canadians themselves could see and hear.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said, sunlight is the best disinfectant. In 2019, he is blocking the former attorney general from sharing all the facts about his interference in a criminal prosecution, including what was said and done when he removed her from that position. On February 7, he said that the claims that he, his staff and officials pressured her were false. On February 12, he said that no one, including her, raised any concerns. However, all the evidence shows otherwise.Why will the Prime Minister not end the cover-up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, at every opportunity, every day in question period, Conservative members ask the same question, yet they do not understand why I give the same answer. If they ask me the same question, they are going to get the same answer because the truth is the truth. Ensuring that Canadians hear the truth is the very reason the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence. It is also clear that the Conservatives are still doing indirectly what they cannot do directly, and we must
Mr. Speaker, but he has not fully waived confidentiality, and the Liberals have shut down two committee investigations and are withholding documents to a paper until after the next election. Top officials have resigned. Yesterday in question period, the Prime Minister finally admitted that she did raise concerns with him directly in September and told him to back off. In fact, she and her staff did that at least nine separate times over four months. She told the Privy Council clerk that it was inappropriate to interfere with prosecutorial independence 14 times on the December 19 call alone, and Wernick said four times that the Prime Minister was firm. The Prime Minister has caught himself in his own tangled web. He should tell the truth.
Mr. Speaker, that answer is an absolute insult to Canadians. It is no coincidence that the leak occurred on the eve of the release of damning evidence submitted by the former attorney general to the justice committee. It was a clear attempt to undermine the credibility of the former attorney general, and it demonstrates that the Prime Minister will go to no end to obstruct justice.Again, who leaked the information? Was it Gerry Butts?
Mr. Speaker, the government House leader seems very convinced that the Conservatives had arrived at a conclusion before the investigation began, but it is Liberal members who called it a witch hunt. It is Liberal members who called it a fishing expedition.Twice the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians. First, he said the story about political interference in SNC-Lavalin was false. Clearly, that is not true. Then he said that no one came forward to him with concerns about interference with SNC, but yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concerns raised by the former attorney general. He caught himself in his own trap. Why will
Mr. Speaker, the Netflix saga shows no sign of ending. First came the tax breaks, and now the Liberal government is giving in to Netflix's demands without even requiring the American giant to produce French-language content. This is an assault on the language rights of francophones across the country, an assault we must condemn. It may not be Netflix's job to promote official languages, but it is the government's duty to protect them. When will the government take its job seriously and demand that Netflix produce an appropriate amount of French content?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in this House on a number of occasions, in particular when answering the questions of my Bloc Québécois friends, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on this situation because it may have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth for themselves is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. These meetings took place in public so that Canadians could hear and decide for themselves. For anyone who actually listened to the witness testimony, they would have heard that the rule of law in Canada was followed and that the rule of law is intact in Canada. However, we recognize that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why the Prime Minister has taken additional steps. The Prime Minister has also stated that he should have directly spoken with the minister.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth for themselves. Canadians can now see the facts, since they are now out in the open. The member himself said that the media asked a question and had received a response. He knows very well that they will receive the requested documents.
Mr. Speaker, our government has always defended the fundamental rights of Canadians, and it will continue to do so. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the rights of all citizens. We cannot choose which to protect and which to limit.Our position is clear. The state must not dictate what people can or cannot wear, regardless of their beliefs.
Mr. Speaker, this morning, I met with chief justices from across Canada. I assured them that the judicial appointment process was of a very high standard.I am concerned by the release of this information. As Minister of Justice, I will ensure that this does not happen again. In future, we will continue to have an appointment process of the highest quality.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Leader of the Government's job is to say the same thing day after day, but solicitor-client privilege was limited, and the committee refused to call the witnesses that the opposition wanted to hear from. Nobody on that side of the House wanted to shed light on what happened and expose the truth.Yesterday, the Prime Minister himself said the former attorney general told the truth. Two upstanding ministers were fired in an attempt to protect the Prime Minister's image. Canadians know exactly what the government and the Prime Minister are up to.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for South SurreyWhite Rock for his hard work. Yesterday, this chamber was full of bright young women from across our country. Whether it is Parliament or our natural resources sector, we all must do our part to close the gender gap. That is why we launched Equal by 30. Countries, companies and organizations around the world are joining us as we work toward equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunity for women in the world in the energy sector by 2030.
Mr. Speaker, climate change is real and the cost of inaction is simply too great to ignore. I am beginning to get sick of politicians on the right side of the spectrum denying this truth. I see them stand up and say that CO2 is plant food and not pollution. It is time we take action. Our government is putting a price on pollution and investing in public transit, and 90% of our electricity will be generated from green resources by 2030.The member for Beauce is at least honest enough to say that his plan is to do nothing. I would invite the Conservatives to be similarly honest with themselves.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians simply want the truth.La Presse requested the Michael Wernick documents on November 1 and December 15. The department normally responds to these requests within 30 days. The newspaper was told that the documents would not be ready for 240 days. Coincidentally, that would be four weeks after the election. If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, will he release the documents to the media and to Canadians, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note that Conservative members came to their conclusion prior to the justice committee even meeting. The Conservatives recognize that there is an ongoing investigation when it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Conservatives also know that there is an ongoing court case.What is clear to the rest of us in the House is that the member for Carleton is on his fourth day of the budget debate and nobody else can speak in the House if the Conservatives have the floor. They have been up multiple times and it is not appropriate if someone has the floor that they not be able to hear, yet when I have the floor they will always try to speak louder.
Mr. Speaker, the government is taking a different approach, where we actually believe that many members should be able to stand up and represent the voices of their constituents, regardless of their political stripe. However, we see that the Conservatives have continued their shenanigans of having one member speak over four days. Luckily, that is about to come to an end. This afternoon, we will continue hearing from the member for Carleton, as we have the final day on the budget, which confirms that they like repetition.Tomorrow, we will have the first allotted day of the current supply period.At noon on Monday, we will start the second reading debate on Bill C-93 concerning cannabis and record suspensions.In the afternoon, we will have the vote on the ways and means motion moved earlier this morning by the Minister of Finance.On Tuesday, we will resume consideration at second reading stage of Bill C-88, an act to amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.On Wednesday, we will begin debate at second reading stage of the 2019 budget implementation bill.
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of our veterans is our number one priority, and our government is committed to moving forward on mental health. We have opened a centre of excellence on post-traumatic stress disorder, and Veterans Affairs Canada is working with more than 4,000 health professionals. It is also important to note that, thanks to the streamlined process we have put in place, the current approval rate is 97%. The opposition had 10 years to provide mental health support to veterans, but it was too busy axing essential services and trying to balance the budget at the expense of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's Office is running its daily smear and leak campaign against the two women cabinet ministers who stood up for the rule of law, but yesterday in the House women from across Canada turned their backs on the Prime Minister to show their repugnance with his behaviour. The member for MarkhamStouffville stated, I chose the truth. I chose to act on principles that are so important to the future of our country. That's more important than my political career.What did the Prime Minister choose? He chose a get out of jail card for corporate corruption. Does he not see how morally adrift he has become in this scandal?
Mr. Speaker, the evidence is clear that there was an attempt to obstruct justice by the Prime Minister and his operatives in the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Let us recap how we got here.After the Prime Minister initially called the allegations false, they were found to be true. They were so true, in fact, that they cost Gerald Butts his job, Michael Wernick his job and two former cabinet ministers their place in caucus. They left our great country with a government and a Prime Minister that cannot be redeemed but can only be replaced.How come every time Liberals form government, a culture of corruption and entitlement follows?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. For Canadians watching, who might not recognize what kind of an essential step that was to having these documents be public, I would like to say that from the history of our country since Confederation, cabinet ministers are sworn by cabinet confidence, cabinet secrecy, so that whatever happens in cabinet stays in cabinet. To ensure that witnesses could appear and put this information into the public, the Prime Minister waived such measures. He waived cabinet confidence as well as solicitor-client privilege to make
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a secular country. That is reflected in all our institutions. Government employees have the right to display their faith, and no one should have to choose between a job and the right to wear a religious symbol. We all have a responsibility to protect fundamental rights. Any initiative that erodes those rights is unacceptable. Canada is open, inclusive and enriched by its diversity.
Mr. Speaker, the former president of the Treasury Board chose principles, truth and to do what is right for Canadians. The Prime Minister chose his rich friends and his own political interests.Will the Liberals commit to respecting the fundamental principle of not interfering in criminal prosecutions?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week gas prices went up in the four provinces where the government imposed its carbon tax. It was reported this morning that the environment minister is also preparing to release new regulations that will push up gas prices even more. Why does the minister falsely claim that she is making life more affordable for Canadians, when she keeps adding taxes and costly regulation?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians receive the truth, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. Members who sit on the justice committee set parameters when it came to these allegations. To ensure that Canadians could hear for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. That is why the facts are all on the table. They are all now public. What is interesting is the Conservatives continue to ask for more information, but the information has become quite repetitive and they refuse to actually pay attention to it.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister fired the former attorney general to cover up his political interference over SNC, and he has hired powerful lawyers, at the taxpayers' expense, to protect himself, Katie Telford, Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard and Elder Marques in a potential RCMP investigation, yet the Prime Minister refuses to do the same for Admiral Mark Norman. Why will he not pay for the admiral's legal fees and ensure a fair defence? Why is there one set of rules for Liberals and another set of rules for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to be able to hear it for themselves. That is why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.We know that members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights did their job. They decided to hear from witnesses. The witnesses came to testify. At every stage, the Conservatives said that these meetings would not happen, that the witnesses were not allowed to come, but that was not the case. Members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights called the witnesses. They did
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages made it clear that our government is fulfilling all of its official language obligations.We have always protected French, and we will continue to do so. Francophones across the country know that we are investing more in our official languages than ever before.While the NDP busies itself with petty politics, we are busy modernizing our laws.
Mr. Speaker, the rules for the retention of counsel for members of Parliament and for other officers of the government are well known. I do know that Admiral Norman has very able legal representation, as is always the case for persons in the private sector.I can assure Canadians that the justice department is co-operating with all requests in this case for documentation.
Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that there is an ongoing court case on this matter. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter. We know that the justice committee spent over five weeks on this matter.We believe that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. It is important to note that this is an unprecedented waiver. It has never been done in the history of our country. The Prime Minister recognizes that Canadians deserve to know, and that is exactly why all facts are now public. They are on the table.
Mr. Speaker, the judicial appointment process for the Supreme Court of Canada is very strict and, more importantly, confidential. People involved in the process adhere to very strict confidentiality agreements not to disclose any information about the process or the potential candidates. The reputation of eminent jurists in Canada is at stake. The leak of confidential information about the potential appointment of Justice Joyal is completely unacceptable.We want to know who disclosed the information.
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order arising from Question Period, in my question, which was directed specifically to the Minister of National Defence, related to a government policy in respect to covering legal fees for senior government officials, I specifically addressed the Minister of National Defence, following the fact that the Minister of Justice had indicated that each department is responsible for their own decisions on legal things.The minister answered that question, but he is also in a conflict. I would like
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for the question and more importantly, his continued advocacy for climate change. In particular, I would like to thank the young people who march all across Canada and around the world to support climate action. At this time in our history, it is hard to imagine anything more important. I am pleased to share that last week we commenced a consultation with Canadians to identify inefficient non-tax fossil fuel subsidies that we can phase out. In addition, our plan includes over 50 measures that are going to help implement climate action in Canada, including putting a price on pollution, ensuring 90% of our electricity is generated from clean resources and a number of other measures. This is what real action looks like.
Mr. Speaker, in the last federal budget, the government promised to invest $300 million to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles.Given that the transportation sector accounts for 23% of our greenhouse gas emissions, could the minister tell us more about this new commitment?
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague already answered that question. Yesterday when these seats were filled by 338 young women from across the country, we were able to see what is possible when the federal government steps in and invests in creating spaces and opportunities for young women to take their rightful seats in positions of power and influence.I thank the Daughters of the Vote for their courage and effective advocacy. We will continue to engage with equal voice to ensure their efforts are sustainable, and maybe next time the NDP will support this initiative by voting in favour of it.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to hear the facts for themselves, which is exactly why the facts are now out in the open. This is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.I think it is important to respect our institutions. I will choose to respect our institutions. I have faith in our institutions, and I know that they work well.
Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the House and reassure all Canadians that we believe that Canadians should be able to hear for themselves and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.What is clear is that the Conservatives will continue to focus on us, but we will continue to focus on Canadians. We will continue to have respect for our institutions. We know that the justice committee did important work. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter and we know that there is an ongoing court case.We on this side respect our institutions. We do not undermine them like the Conservatives do and did under 10 years under Stephen Harper.
Mr. Speaker, these leaks had to come from somebody very close to the Prime Minister. The Liberal government's corrupt practices know no bounds. It did not hesitate to drag the good name of Manitoba's chief justice through the mud.The justice minister, in his own words, said, I am concerned by the publication of details of the most recent Supreme Court justice selection. The integrity of our process depends on confidentiality...in the administration of justice.If the justice minister believes his own words, why has he not started an investigation into these leaks?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud of their publicly funded health care system, one that is based on need and not on their ability to pay. However, we certainly recognize that we can do better. That is why, last year, we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. Unlike the NDP, we choose to want to have a plan as we move forward with this very important initiative, which is very important for all Canadians. I received the council's interim report last month. I look forward to receiving its final report later on in June this year.
Mr. Speaker, throughout our national dialogue on the country's energy future, generation energy, Canadians have told us that inclusiveness is a foundational principle of success, and across this great country, stakeholders who have contributed have made it clear that the time to act is right now. Indeed, putting gender equality at the heart of a global transition to a clean energy future is the key to achieving success.Would the Minister of Natural Resources please update this House on the initiatives that have been taken to ensure that progress towards equality for women in the clean energy sector by 2030 is successful?
Mr. Speaker, today, the member for MarkhamStouffville reminded us that this was about the fundamental principle of politicians interfering with the justice system. She said, I chose the truth. I chose...principles that are so important to the future of our country. Thats more important than my political career.Could the Minister of Justice assure the House that he will not overrule the decision of the public prosecutions for the sake of a wealthy corporation?
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that Canadians are proud of their health system, but that we can do better. That is why this past year we created the advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare. We asked the council to have a national conversation with Canadians. I received the interim report a month ago and I look forward to receiving the final report at the end of June.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not need any more studies; they need action. Too many Canadians are struggling to afford their much-needed medicine. I spoke to one young person who was more worried about his parents' spending on his medication than his own health. Canadians are asking for help.The New Democrats' medication for all plan would put hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of families and ensure that affordable medication would be within reach of Canadians. Will the Prime Minister finally stand up to large drug and insurance companies and ensure that this program is enacted?
Mr. Speaker, the member for MarkhamStouffville was very sincere this morning. She said that she had chosen the truth and the principles that are so important to the future of our country.She paid dearly for her choices. She was kicked out of the Liberal caucus by this Prime Minister because she did not agree with the political interference in our justice system. She chose integrity and truth instead of bowing to pressure from the Prime Minister.Why did the Prime Minister choose to punish a member of Parliament who truly did the right thing?
Mr. Speaker, women's organizations provide vital services, supporting women and girls to be financially secure, to be free from violence, and to be fully able to participate in the economy and society.In my riding and across Canada, there is increasing demand for their services, yet these organizations struggle to keep their doors open after a decade of neglect by the Harper Conservatives.Can the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please update this House on what the government has been doing to support these organizations and the women they serve?
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear from the beginning that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.The reason why the facts are all now on the table and why the public is able to see for itself is because the Prime Minister took that step. The committee confirmed through testimony that the rule of law was intact in Canada and that the rule of law was followed.The Prime Minister recognizes that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why he has taken additional measures.
Mr. Speaker, I know that General Norman has excellent legal representation. I can assure the House that the Department of Justice is co-operating in this case and providing the necessary documents.
Mr. Speaker, to make sure that Canadians know, that is why the committee had meetings in public. That is also why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.The Conservatives know very well when it comes to misleading, because that is what they continue to do day after day in the House. It is important that they listen attentively to the words that are coming out of witness testimony. Witness testimony confirmed that the rule of law was followed, that the rule of law in Canada is intact and that it was followed at every step. We recognize that we can always improve and strengthen our institutions. We will continue to work
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from MississaugaErin Mills for her strong and courageous leadership and for her important question.We know that the most effective way to advance gender equality is by investing in women's organizations. The Conservatives undermined, underestimated and underfunded women's organizations and muzzled them so they would not be able to advocate for women's rights.Our government has made the single largest investment in the sustainability of women's organizations so that over 250 of them could keep their doors open, keep their lights on, and continue to save and transform lives.
Mr. Speaker, the integrity of the process demands confidentiality. Moving forward, we will continue to ensure that our nomination process for the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as for other courts, remains of the very highest quality to get the very best appointments.
Mr. Speaker, that was a great question, and I want to thank the member for Alfred-Pellan for doing such a terrific job for the people of Laval.Yes, we want to reduce greenhouse gases by making zero-emission vehicles more affordable and more readily available. That is why we are very proud to announce an incentive of up to $5,000 for vehicles with a retail price of less than $45,000. Unlike Stephen Harper's Conservatives, who have no plan for dealing with climate change and do not seem to care about their children and grandchildren, we actually do have a plan, and today's announcement is great news.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague has a habit of kicking in doors that are already open. We thank Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, who did excellent work for five years. He did a great job and I thanked him personally. Cynthia Garneau will now be replacing him, and I am sure that she will guide us into the future with her vision to replace VIA Rail trains and work on the high-frequency train.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the usual Thursday question. I know that this has been quite a good week, where we have had some excellent comments and excellent debate, spearheaded by the hon. member for Carleton. We would very much enjoy that continuing because of the important discussions that have gone on. I would be interested in hearing from the government and I think my hon. colleague is about halfway through his speech. I wonder if the government can tell us what business we will be continuing on this week and next week when we return.
Mr. Speaker, that is why greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 2.2% under our government. That is the Conservative track record, and we are very proud of it. Respecting institutions mainly involves preventing partisan politics from interfering in the judicial process. That is exactly what these people did in the SNC-Lavalin case. The Conservatives need to be re-elected. Why? Because the Liberals are inserting partisan politics into the justice system.When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that Stephen Harper's Conservative government did was withdraw from the Kyoto protocol. Canadians are well aware of that.Today, the member will continue to talk. I listened to his question, but he will never listen to the answer. Now, he is going to talk about why Ontario has been so successful. Ontario achieved good environmental results because the Ontario provincial government made decisions. However, neither the federal nor the provincial Conservatives will do that.
Mr. Speaker, I met with the chief justices of Canada this morning, and I assured them that our process for naming high-quality judges to the Supreme Court of Canada will continue.I have said that I am deeply troubled by the publication of these details, but our nomination process will remain merit-based and will consider Canada's finest jurists for this lofty position.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have demonstrated their complete contempt for the rule of law. In another shocking display, they have attacked the independence of the judiciary by leaking highly confidential information about a respected jurist and his application to sit on the Supreme Court, all part of a desperate effort to change the channel on the Prime Minister's corruption.Who leaked the information?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. All members of the House of Commons want the truth. Therefore, you will undoubtedly find the unanimous consent of the House for the tabling of a Natural Resources Canada document concerning greenhouse gas emissions, which indicates that, between 2005 and 2015, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector decreased 2.2% while GDP grew by 16.9%.
Mr. Speaker, last December, the foreign affairs minister stated: Were seeing a lot of countries around the world that are starting to play fast and loose with...rule of law. The minister promised: Canada is not going to be one of those countries. That promise came three months into the Prime Minister's incessant campaign to corrupt the rule of law to help a corrupt corporation avoid criminal justice. Does the Prime Minister not owe that minister, as well the former attorney general and all Canadians, an apology and a resignation?
Mr. Speaker, on February 15, the Prime Minister said that if anyone thought he was doing anything wrong, then it was their responsibility to come forward, but he said that no one did.Yesterday he admitted that this just was not true. The former attorney general warned him several times, including on September 17, not to politically interfere in the SNC prosecution, but he refused to listen. He fired her, and he continues to spread falsehoods.Why will the Prime Minister not simply tell the truth about his interference in a criminal prosecution?
Mr. Speaker, the rules for counsel in all cases are set by the department and apply to all members of Parliament and other people who work in the departments.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member well knows that I cannot get into the specifics of an individual case. However, I commit to working with her on any issues of concern she has, on this or any other case, in her capacity to advocate on issues of concern to her. What I can say is this. Every case that comes before my department is looked at based on its merits, and no decision is made on removal, especially after exhausting numerous avenues of appeal. That is the law in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to mislead Canadians. On February 7, he said that no one had ever raised concerns with him about his political interference aimed at helping the engineering firm avoid a criminal trial. Yesterday, however, he finally admitted to the House of Commons that he had in fact heard the concerns raised by the former attorney general. I am not allowed to call the Prime Minister a liar in the House, but Canadians may be thinking it.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers led the way when they created a hybrid public-private pharmacare plan, but the Liberals and the Conservatives abandoned the Quebec government. Due to Ottawa's failure to take action, 10% of Quebeckers do not buy their medications because they are too expensive.Will the Prime Minister undertake to help Quebec put in place a public and universal pharmacare plan?
Mr. Speaker, Veterans Affairs shortened its psychological questionnaire, which is filled out by mental health providers. The changes resulted in the removal of questions that allow health professionals to ensure a proper diagnosis of PTSD. Without it, veterans will not qualify for the support they are entitled to and desperately need. What is shocking is that the minister ignored his own mental health advisory panel that deals with these very issues. Will the minister listen to these health providers and ensure that veterans get the proper support they require?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question on numerous occasions. We know there were five weeks of meetings for the justice committee. We know the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is studying this matter and we know there is an ongoing court case. We know all information is public so that Canadians can decide.Let me share something else. For three and a half years now this government has been in office and we have seen almost 300,000 children lifted out of poverty. We have seen over 800,000 Canadians lifted out of poverty. We have the lowest unemployment rate in our lifetime. Canadians have created over 900,000 jobs. Conservatives could not do a fraction of that in 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, students from Nelson recently participated in a climate change strike and Ktunaxa students in grades five and six from the ?aq'am reserve wrote me passionate letters warning about climate change.It is clear my constituents from KootenayColumbia and Canadians from across the country want immediate action, but the Liberal government is failing them. The Liberals' budget continues fossil fuel subsidies, which limit our ability to transition to a low-carbon economy before it is too late. We have fewer than 12 years to act.When will the government end fossil fuel subsidies and help workers transition to the green jobs of the future?
Mr. Speaker, it is a double standard. The legal fees incurred by the Prime Minister and his office for trying to interfere in a criminal case will be covered, while a senior officer, a vice-admiral who wanted to protect the Royal Canadian Navy and, by extension, jobs in Quebec, gets dragged through the mud by the Prime Minister. The vice-admiral's reputation has been tarnished and he will not get reimbursed one cent by the government for his defence.Why the double standard? Why not stand up for justice and those who stand up for it?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been caught again, trying to deceive. On February 7, when he said the initial Globe and Mail story was false, he was not telling the truth.Now we know that when he said the former attorney general never raised her valid concerns with him, he was misleading Canadians. Just yesterday, he accidentally admitted that on September 17, the former attorney general told him very directly to back off. The Prime Minister cannot seem to keep his story straight. Is that because it is just not true?
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated on numerous occasions, when it comes to respecting our institutions, when it comes to respecting the law, that is exactly what we will do. We are here to ensure that we do respect the rules, and that is why oftentimes it is the Conservatives who are being called out by the Speaker, because they always manage to find a way to break them.We know that not only has the rule of law been followed, we can always improve our institutions and strengthen our institutions. We know that is what Canadians expect, and that is what we will continue to fight hard for. The Conservatives will stay focused on rhetoric and shenanigans. We will stay focused on Canadians so that we can deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, in February, the Prime Minister went on TV and said that if only the former attorney general had told him that she was feeling undue pressure to intervene in ongoing criminal proceedings, he would have taken action. Yesterday, the Prime Minister admitted in the House that the former attorney general had in fact raised her concerns about his political interference with him, directly and in person.Why did the Prime Minister mislead Canadians about that meeting for weeks? Why does he always experience it differently when it comes to telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House on a number of occasions, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on the situation with respect to a deferred prosecution agreement. Anything that I might say might be interpreted and have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians deserve to know the truth. The justice committee did its work. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth. Witnesses testified in committee for five weeks. All the facts are now public. We know that the Conservatives do not want to hear the facts, but the facts are on the table. Canadians can decide for themselves.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians heard the truth for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.Parents also tell their children to respect the rules and institutions and to have a climate plant that will help future generations. The Conservatives have no respect and no plan.
Mr. Speaker, if the party opposite had any respect for the Supreme Court of Canada, it would not have attacked a sitting Supreme Court justice and appointed a candidate who had been reversed by the court.
Mr. Speaker, the secularism of the Quebec state falls under the jurisdiction of Quebec and Quebec alone. It is not up to Ottawa, which is out of touch with Quebeckers' priorities, to decide what is good or bad for Quebec.The Minister of Justice refuses to give any assurances that he will not challenge Bill 21 before the courts. However, Quebeckers elected the current government, their government, because they wanted to resolve this issue once and for all.Will the Minister of Justice finally commit to respecting the will of Quebeckers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, A&L Hammer is being investigated by the IRCC for human trafficking. The victim, Roger Demoto, is a key witness in this case. He was scheduled to give evidence to the IRCC yesterday, but instead, the CBSA detained him and wants to deport him. It is absurd that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. We must do everything we can to combat human trafficking. Urgent action is required. Will the Minister of Immigration work with public safety to stay the deportation to avert this travesty of justice?
Mr. Speaker, all parents teach their children that they must always tell the truth or else sooner or later they will get tangled up in their lies. That is exactly what has happened to the Prime Minister over the past eight months.For eight months, the Prime Minister has not told Canadians the truth. In February, he said that no one had expressed concerns about interference in the SNC-Lavalin case. Then yesterday he finally acknowledged that the former attorney general had shared her concerns with him on September 17. When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, when the SNC-Lavalin story broke, the Prime Minister dismissed it as a fabrication, but we now know that it was the Prime Minister's story that he was unaware of the former attorney general's concerns about his political interference that was the fabrication. We know that because he admitted in the House yesterday that he had been warned in person by the former attorney general way back in September that his actions on this file were inappropriate. Fabricator, fabricator, pants on fire. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, 12 years ago, Quebec was thinking about religious neutrality as part of the Bouchard-Taylor commission. Six years ago, Quebec was debating secularism following the introduction of the Quebec charter of values. Those passionate and necessary debates led to the introduction of Bill 21 on secularism last week. Today, Ottawa wants to prevent us from resolving that issue.Why is the government trying to prevent Quebeckers from setting guidelines to protect the religious neutrality of the Quebec state?
Mr. Speaker, let us review the facts. The Prime Minister tried to politically interfere in a criminal prosecution. His former attorney general said no, so he fired her.The truth comes out and he denies everything. The Prime Minister then shuts down the investigation and refuses the full waiver. A tape proves that the former attorney general has been telling the truth. The Prime Minister is furious, so he kicks the two women out of his caucus and runs a smear campaign against both of them.It is time to end the cover-up. When will the Prime Minister tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, I think if the current government members were actually focused on Canadians, they would be telling the truth and being transparent. We know that the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians twice. First, he told Canadians that the SNC-Lavalin story was false. That was not true. Yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concern raised by the former attorney general on September 17. Instead of fabricating more falsehoods or showing the door to anyone who dares to tell the truth, why will the Prime Minister not just tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, of course, it is unfair for parties to see their names and their information used as weapons in this kind of debate for political reasons. We have said that, and we have expressed our concern about this situation.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals involved in the SNC scandal have retained lawyers at the public expense. I am informing taxpayers that they are paying for the Prime Minister, Gerry Butts, Katie Telford, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard, Elder Marques and the present justice minister. Do members know who is not having his legal fees covered in a politically sensitive matter? Admiral Mark Norman. Since the justice minister is in a conflict, my question is for the defence minister. Why do the Lav-scam Liberals get their fees covered, and a 30-year veteran is left out to dry?
Mr. Speaker, we learned on Friday that the Minister of Transport, who has a history of very quietly announcing questionable decisions, did not re-appoint Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano as head of VIA Rail. Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano had a strong record and set the stage for the high-frequency train, but the government thought that a change in leadership was the right thing to do. Furthermore, the Liberals' recent budget made no reference to the high-frequency train, even though an announcement by the minister was promised.Is the Minister of Transportation disavowing VIA Rail's vision of development?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been misleading the House for more than eight weeks now. On February 7, he said that claims in this interference scandal involving him and his office were false. He denied everything and then changed his story every week. Yesterday in the House his memory magically came back to him and he ended up admitting that the former attorney general's concerns had been brought to his attention.Can the Prime Minister tell us why he has such a hard time remembering the truth?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to talk about the facts.Justice committee members, members from all recognized parties in the House who sit on the justice committee, came together and set parameters when it came to these allegations to ensure that Canadians could hear about those allegations directly from witnesses. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.Even though at every step of the way the Conservatives, the opposition frankly, believed that these meetings would not take place, that witnesses would not appear and that cabinet confidence would not be waived, actually the committee met, witnesses appeared and confidence was waived, so Canadians themselves could see and hear.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said, sunlight is the best disinfectant. In 2019, he is blocking the former attorney general from sharing all the facts about his interference in a criminal prosecution, including what was said and done when he removed her from that position. On February 7, he said that the claims that he, his staff and officials pressured her were false. On February 12, he said that no one, including her, raised any concerns. However, all the evidence shows otherwise.Why will the Prime Minister not end the cover-up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, at every opportunity, every day in question period, Conservative members ask the same question, yet they do not understand why I give the same answer. If they ask me the same question, they are going to get the same answer because the truth is the truth. Ensuring that Canadians hear the truth is the very reason the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence. It is also clear that the Conservatives are still doing indirectly what they cannot do directly, and we must
Mr. Speaker, but he has not fully waived confidentiality, and the Liberals have shut down two committee investigations and are withholding documents to a paper until after the next election. Top officials have resigned. Yesterday in question period, the Prime Minister finally admitted that she did raise concerns with him directly in September and told him to back off. In fact, she and her staff did that at least nine separate times over four months. She told the Privy Council clerk that it was inappropriate to interfere with prosecutorial independence 14 times on the December 19 call alone, and Wernick said four times that the Prime Minister was firm. The Prime Minister has caught himself in his own tangled web. He should tell the truth.
Mr. Speaker, that answer is an absolute insult to Canadians. It is no coincidence that the leak occurred on the eve of the release of damning evidence submitted by the former attorney general to the justice committee. It was a clear attempt to undermine the credibility of the former attorney general, and it demonstrates that the Prime Minister will go to no end to obstruct justice.Again, who leaked the information? Was it Gerry Butts?
Mr. Speaker, the government House leader seems very convinced that the Conservatives had arrived at a conclusion before the investigation began, but it is Liberal members who called it a witch hunt. It is Liberal members who called it a fishing expedition.Twice the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians. First, he said the story about political interference in SNC-Lavalin was false. Clearly, that is not true. Then he said that no one came forward to him with concerns about interference with SNC, but yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concerns raised by the former attorney general. He caught himself in his own trap. Why will
Mr. Speaker, the Netflix saga shows no sign of ending. First came the tax breaks, and now the Liberal government is giving in to Netflix's demands without even requiring the American giant to produce French-language content. This is an assault on the language rights of francophones across the country, an assault we must condemn. It may not be Netflix's job to promote official languages, but it is the government's duty to protect them. When will the government take its job seriously and demand that Netflix produce an appropriate amount of French content?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in this House on a number of occasions, in particular when answering the questions of my Bloc Québécois friends, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on this situation because it may have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth for themselves is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. These meetings took place in public so that Canadians could hear and decide for themselves. For anyone who actually listened to the witness testimony, they would have heard that the rule of law in Canada was followed and that the rule of law is intact in Canada. However, we recognize that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why the Prime Minister has taken additional steps. The Prime Minister has also stated that he should have directly spoken with the minister.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth for themselves. Canadians can now see the facts, since they are now out in the open. The member himself said that the media asked a question and had received a response. He knows very well that they will receive the requested documents.
Mr. Speaker, our government has always defended the fundamental rights of Canadians, and it will continue to do so. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the rights of all citizens. We cannot choose which to protect and which to limit.Our position is clear. The state must not dictate what people can or cannot wear, regardless of their beliefs.
Mr. Speaker, this morning, I met with chief justices from across Canada. I assured them that the judicial appointment process was of a very high standard.I am concerned by the release of this information. As Minister of Justice, I will ensure that this does not happen again. In future, we will continue to have an appointment process of the highest quality.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Leader of the Government's job is to say the same thing day after day, but solicitor-client privilege was limited, and the committee refused to call the witnesses that the opposition wanted to hear from. Nobody on that side of the House wanted to shed light on what happened and expose the truth.Yesterday, the Prime Minister himself said the former attorney general told the truth. Two upstanding ministers were fired in an attempt to protect the Prime Minister's image. Canadians know exactly what the government and the Prime Minister are up to.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for South SurreyWhite Rock for his hard work. Yesterday, this chamber was full of bright young women from across our country. Whether it is Parliament or our natural resources sector, we all must do our part to close the gender gap. That is why we launched Equal by 30. Countries, companies and organizations around the world are joining us as we work toward equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunity for women in the world in the energy sector by 2030.
Mr. Speaker, climate change is real and the cost of inaction is simply too great to ignore. I am beginning to get sick of politicians on the right side of the spectrum denying this truth. I see them stand up and say that CO2 is plant food and not pollution. It is time we take action. Our government is putting a price on pollution and investing in public transit, and 90% of our electricity will be generated from green resources by 2030.The member for Beauce is at least honest enough to say that his plan is to do nothing. I would invite the Conservatives to be similarly honest with themselves.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians simply want the truth.La Presse requested the Michael Wernick documents on November 1 and December 15. The department normally responds to these requests within 30 days. The newspaper was told that the documents would not be ready for 240 days. Coincidentally, that would be four weeks after the election. If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, will he release the documents to the media and to Canadians, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note that Conservative members came to their conclusion prior to the justice committee even meeting. The Conservatives recognize that there is an ongoing investigation when it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Conservatives also know that there is an ongoing court case.What is clear to the rest of us in the House is that the member for Carleton is on his fourth day of the budget debate and nobody else can speak in the House if the Conservatives have the floor. They have been up multiple times and it is not appropriate if someone has the floor that they not be able to hear, yet when I have the floor they will always try to speak louder.
Mr. Speaker, the government is taking a different approach, where we actually believe that many members should be able to stand up and represent the voices of their constituents, regardless of their political stripe. However, we see that the Conservatives have continued their shenanigans of having one member speak over four days. Luckily, that is about to come to an end. This afternoon, we will continue hearing from the member for Carleton, as we have the final day on the budget, which confirms that they like repetition.Tomorrow, we will have the first allotted day of the current supply period.At noon on Monday, we will start the second reading debate on Bill C-93 concerning cannabis and record suspensions.In the afternoon, we will have the vote on the ways and means motion moved earlier this morning by the Minister of Finance.On Tuesday, we will resume consideration at second reading stage of Bill C-88, an act to amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.On Wednesday, we will begin debate at second reading stage of the 2019 budget implementation bill.
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of our veterans is our number one priority, and our government is committed to moving forward on mental health. We have opened a centre of excellence on post-traumatic stress disorder, and Veterans Affairs Canada is working with more than 4,000 health professionals. It is also important to note that, thanks to the streamlined process we have put in place, the current approval rate is 97%. The opposition had 10 years to provide mental health support to veterans, but it was too busy axing essential services and trying to balance the budget at the expense of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's Office is running its daily smear and leak campaign against the two women cabinet ministers who stood up for the rule of law, but yesterday in the House women from across Canada turned their backs on the Prime Minister to show their repugnance with his behaviour. The member for MarkhamStouffville stated, I chose the truth. I chose to act on principles that are so important to the future of our country. That's more important than my political career.What did the Prime Minister choose? He chose a get out of jail card for corporate corruption. Does he not see how morally adrift he has become in this scandal?
Mr. Speaker, the evidence is clear that there was an attempt to obstruct justice by the Prime Minister and his operatives in the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Let us recap how we got here.After the Prime Minister initially called the allegations false, they were found to be true. They were so true, in fact, that they cost Gerald Butts his job, Michael Wernick his job and two former cabinet ministers their place in caucus. They left our great country with a government and a Prime Minister that cannot be redeemed but can only be replaced.How come every time Liberals form government, a culture of corruption and entitlement follows?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. For Canadians watching, who might not recognize what kind of an essential step that was to having these documents be public, I would like to say that from the history of our country since Confederation, cabinet ministers are sworn by cabinet confidence, cabinet secrecy, so that whatever happens in cabinet stays in cabinet. To ensure that witnesses could appear and put this information into the public, the Prime Minister waived such measures. He waived cabinet confidence as well as solicitor-client privilege to make
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a secular country. That is reflected in all our institutions. Government employees have the right to display their faith, and no one should have to choose between a job and the right to wear a religious symbol. We all have a responsibility to protect fundamental rights. Any initiative that erodes those rights is unacceptable. Canada is open, inclusive and enriched by its diversity.
Mr. Speaker, the former president of the Treasury Board chose principles, truth and to do what is right for Canadians. The Prime Minister chose his rich friends and his own political interests.Will the Liberals commit to respecting the fundamental principle of not interfering in criminal prosecutions?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week gas prices went up in the four provinces where the government imposed its carbon tax. It was reported this morning that the environment minister is also preparing to release new regulations that will push up gas prices even more. Why does the minister falsely claim that she is making life more affordable for Canadians, when she keeps adding taxes and costly regulation?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians receive the truth, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. Members who sit on the justice committee set parameters when it came to these allegations. To ensure that Canadians could hear for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. That is why the facts are all on the table. They are all now public. What is interesting is the Conservatives continue to ask for more information, but the information has become quite repetitive and they refuse to actually pay attention to it.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister fired the former attorney general to cover up his political interference over SNC, and he has hired powerful lawyers, at the taxpayers' expense, to protect himself, Katie Telford, Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard and Elder Marques in a potential RCMP investigation, yet the Prime Minister refuses to do the same for Admiral Mark Norman. Why will he not pay for the admiral's legal fees and ensure a fair defence? Why is there one set of rules for Liberals and another set of rules for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to be able to hear it for themselves. That is why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.We know that members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights did their job. They decided to hear from witnesses. The witnesses came to testify. At every stage, the Conservatives said that these meetings would not happen, that the witnesses were not allowed to come, but that was not the case. Members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights called the witnesses. They did
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages made it clear that our government is fulfilling all of its official language obligations.We have always protected French, and we will continue to do so. Francophones across the country know that we are investing more in our official languages than ever before.While the NDP busies itself with petty politics, we are busy modernizing our laws.
Mr. Speaker, the rules for the retention of counsel for members of Parliament and for other officers of the government are well known. I do know that Admiral Norman has very able legal representation, as is always the case for persons in the private sector.I can assure Canadians that the justice department is co-operating with all requests in this case for documentation.
Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that there is an ongoing court case on this matter. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter. We know that the justice committee spent over five weeks on this matter.We believe that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. It is important to note that this is an unprecedented waiver. It has never been done in the history of our country. The Prime Minister recognizes that Canadians deserve to know, and that is exactly why all facts are now public. They are on the table.
Mr. Speaker, the judicial appointment process for the Supreme Court of Canada is very strict and, more importantly, confidential. People involved in the process adhere to very strict confidentiality agreements not to disclose any information about the process or the potential candidates. The reputation of eminent jurists in Canada is at stake. The leak of confidential information about the potential appointment of Justice Joyal is completely unacceptable.We want to know who disclosed the information.
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order arising from Question Period, in my question, which was directed specifically to the Minister of National Defence, related to a government policy in respect to covering legal fees for senior government officials, I specifically addressed the Minister of National Defence, following the fact that the Minister of Justice had indicated that each department is responsible for their own decisions on legal things.The minister answered that question, but he is also in a conflict. I would like
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for the question and more importantly, his continued advocacy for climate change. In particular, I would like to thank the young people who march all across Canada and around the world to support climate action. At this time in our history, it is hard to imagine anything more important. I am pleased to share that last week we commenced a consultation with Canadians to identify inefficient non-tax fossil fuel subsidies that we can phase out. In addition, our plan includes over 50 measures that are going to help implement climate action in Canada, including putting a price on pollution, ensuring 90% of our electricity is generated from clean resources and a number of other measures. This is what real action looks like.
Mr. Speaker, in the last federal budget, the government promised to invest $300 million to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles.Given that the transportation sector accounts for 23% of our greenhouse gas emissions, could the minister tell us more about this new commitment?
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague already answered that question. Yesterday when these seats were filled by 338 young women from across the country, we were able to see what is possible when the federal government steps in and invests in creating spaces and opportunities for young women to take their rightful seats in positions of power and influence.I thank the Daughters of the Vote for their courage and effective advocacy. We will continue to engage with equal voice to ensure their efforts are sustainable, and maybe next time the NDP will support this initiative by voting in favour of it.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to hear the facts for themselves, which is exactly why the facts are now out in the open. This is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.I think it is important to respect our institutions. I will choose to respect our institutions. I have faith in our institutions, and I know that they work well.
Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the House and reassure all Canadians that we believe that Canadians should be able to hear for themselves and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.What is clear is that the Conservatives will continue to focus on us, but we will continue to focus on Canadians. We will continue to have respect for our institutions. We know that the justice committee did important work. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter and we know that there is an ongoing court case.We on this side respect our institutions. We do not undermine them like the Conservatives do and did under 10 years under Stephen Harper.
Mr. Speaker, these leaks had to come from somebody very close to the Prime Minister. The Liberal government's corrupt practices know no bounds. It did not hesitate to drag the good name of Manitoba's chief justice through the mud.The justice minister, in his own words, said, I am concerned by the publication of details of the most recent Supreme Court justice selection. The integrity of our process depends on confidentiality...in the administration of justice.If the justice minister believes his own words, why has he not started an investigation into these leaks?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud of their publicly funded health care system, one that is based on need and not on their ability to pay. However, we certainly recognize that we can do better. That is why, last year, we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. Unlike the NDP, we choose to want to have a plan as we move forward with this very important initiative, which is very important for all Canadians. I received the council's interim report last month. I look forward to receiving its final report later on in June this year.
Mr. Speaker, throughout our national dialogue on the country's energy future, generation energy, Canadians have told us that inclusiveness is a foundational principle of success, and across this great country, stakeholders who have contributed have made it clear that the time to act is right now. Indeed, putting gender equality at the heart of a global transition to a clean energy future is the key to achieving success.Would the Minister of Natural Resources please update this House on the initiatives that have been taken to ensure that progress towards equality for women in the clean energy sector by 2030 is successful?
Mr. Speaker, today, the member for MarkhamStouffville reminded us that this was about the fundamental principle of politicians interfering with the justice system. She said, I chose the truth. I chose...principles that are so important to the future of our country. Thats more important than my political career.Could the Minister of Justice assure the House that he will not overrule the decision of the public prosecutions for the sake of a wealthy corporation?
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that Canadians are proud of their health system, but that we can do better. That is why this past year we created the advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare. We asked the council to have a national conversation with Canadians. I received the interim report a month ago and I look forward to receiving the final report at the end of June.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not need any more studies; they need action. Too many Canadians are struggling to afford their much-needed medicine. I spoke to one young person who was more worried about his parents' spending on his medication than his own health. Canadians are asking for help.The New Democrats' medication for all plan would put hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of families and ensure that affordable medication would be within reach of Canadians. Will the Prime Minister finally stand up to large drug and insurance companies and ensure that this program is enacted?
Mr. Speaker, the member for MarkhamStouffville was very sincere this morning. She said that she had chosen the truth and the principles that are so important to the future of our country.She paid dearly for her choices. She was kicked out of the Liberal caucus by this Prime Minister because she did not agree with the political interference in our justice system. She chose integrity and truth instead of bowing to pressure from the Prime Minister.Why did the Prime Minister choose to punish a member of Parliament who truly did the right thing?
Mr. Speaker, women's organizations provide vital services, supporting women and girls to be financially secure, to be free from violence, and to be fully able to participate in the economy and society.In my riding and across Canada, there is increasing demand for their services, yet these organizations struggle to keep their doors open after a decade of neglect by the Harper Conservatives.Can the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please update this House on what the government has been doing to support these organizations and the women they serve?
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear from the beginning that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.The reason why the facts are all now on the table and why the public is able to see for itself is because the Prime Minister took that step. The committee confirmed through testimony that the rule of law was intact in Canada and that the rule of law was followed.The Prime Minister recognizes that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why he has taken additional measures.
Mr. Speaker, I know that General Norman has excellent legal representation. I can assure the House that the Department of Justice is co-operating in this case and providing the necessary documents.
Mr. Speaker, to make sure that Canadians know, that is why the committee had meetings in public. That is also why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.The Conservatives know very well when it comes to misleading, because that is what they continue to do day after day in the House. It is important that they listen attentively to the words that are coming out of witness testimony. Witness testimony confirmed that the rule of law was followed, that the rule of law in Canada is intact and that it was followed at every step. We recognize that we can always improve and strengthen our institutions. We will continue to work
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from MississaugaErin Mills for her strong and courageous leadership and for her important question.We know that the most effective way to advance gender equality is by investing in women's organizations. The Conservatives undermined, underestimated and underfunded women's organizations and muzzled them so they would not be able to advocate for women's rights.Our government has made the single largest investment in the sustainability of women's organizations so that over 250 of them could keep their doors open, keep their lights on, and continue to save and transform lives.
Mr. Speaker, the integrity of the process demands confidentiality. Moving forward, we will continue to ensure that our nomination process for the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as for other courts, remains of the very highest quality to get the very best appointments.
Mr. Speaker, that was a great question, and I want to thank the member for Alfred-Pellan for doing such a terrific job for the people of Laval.Yes, we want to reduce greenhouse gases by making zero-emission vehicles more affordable and more readily available. That is why we are very proud to announce an incentive of up to $5,000 for vehicles with a retail price of less than $45,000. Unlike Stephen Harper's Conservatives, who have no plan for dealing with climate change and do not seem to care about their children and grandchildren, we actually do have a plan, and today's announcement is great news.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague has a habit of kicking in doors that are already open. We thank Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, who did excellent work for five years. He did a great job and I thanked him personally. Cynthia Garneau will now be replacing him, and I am sure that she will guide us into the future with her vision to replace VIA Rail trains and work on the high-frequency train.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the usual Thursday question. I know that this has been quite a good week, where we have had some excellent comments and excellent debate, spearheaded by the hon. member for Carleton. We would very much enjoy that continuing because of the important discussions that have gone on. I would be interested in hearing from the government and I think my hon. colleague is about halfway through his speech. I wonder if the government can tell us what business we will be continuing on this week and next week when we return.
Mr. Speaker, that is why greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 2.2% under our government. That is the Conservative track record, and we are very proud of it. Respecting institutions mainly involves preventing partisan politics from interfering in the judicial process. That is exactly what these people did in the SNC-Lavalin case. The Conservatives need to be re-elected. Why? Because the Liberals are inserting partisan politics into the justice system.When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that Stephen Harper's Conservative government did was withdraw from the Kyoto protocol. Canadians are well aware of that.Today, the member will continue to talk. I listened to his question, but he will never listen to the answer. Now, he is going to talk about why Ontario has been so successful. Ontario achieved good environmental results because the Ontario provincial government made decisions. However, neither the federal nor the provincial Conservatives will do that.
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Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that Stephen Harper's Conservative government did was withdraw from the Kyoto protocol. Canadians are well aware of that.Today, the member will continue to talk. I listened to his question, but he will never listen to the answer. Now, he is going to talk about why Ontario has been so successful. Ontario achieved good environmental results because the Ontario provincial government made decisions. However, neither the federal nor the provincial Conservatives will do that.
Mr. Speaker, that is why greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 2.2% under our government. That is the Conservative track record, and we are very proud of it. Respecting institutions mainly involves preventing partisan politics from interfering in the judicial process. That is exactly what these people did in the SNC-Lavalin case. The Conservatives need to be re-elected. Why? Because the Liberals are inserting partisan politics into the justice system.When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the usual Thursday question. I know that this has been quite a good week, where we have had some excellent comments and excellent debate, spearheaded by the hon. member for Carleton. We would very much enjoy that continuing because of the important discussions that have gone on. I would be interested in hearing from the government and I think my hon. colleague is about halfway through his speech. I wonder if the government can tell us what business we will be continuing on this week and next week when we return.
Mr. Speaker, that was a great question, and I want to thank the member for Alfred-Pellan for doing such a terrific job for the people of Laval.Yes, we want to reduce greenhouse gases by making zero-emission vehicles more affordable and more readily available. That is why we are very proud to announce an incentive of up to $5,000 for vehicles with a retail price of less than $45,000. Unlike Stephen Harper's Conservatives, who have no plan for dealing with climate change and do not seem to care about their children and grandchildren, we actually do have a plan, and today's announcement is great news.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague has a habit of kicking in doors that are already open. We thank Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, who did excellent work for five years. He did a great job and I thanked him personally. Cynthia Garneau will now be replacing him, and I am sure that she will guide us into the future with her vision to replace VIA Rail trains and work on the high-frequency train.
Mr. Speaker, the integrity of the process demands confidentiality. Moving forward, we will continue to ensure that our nomination process for the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as for other courts, remains of the very highest quality to get the very best appointments.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from MississaugaErin Mills for her strong and courageous leadership and for her important question.We know that the most effective way to advance gender equality is by investing in women's organizations. The Conservatives undermined, underestimated and underfunded women's organizations and muzzled them so they would not be able to advocate for women's rights.Our government has made the single largest investment in the sustainability of women's organizations so that over 250 of them could keep their doors open, keep their lights on, and continue to save and transform lives.
Mr. Speaker, to make sure that Canadians know, that is why the committee had meetings in public. That is also why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.The Conservatives know very well when it comes to misleading, because that is what they continue to do day after day in the House. It is important that they listen attentively to the words that are coming out of witness testimony. Witness testimony confirmed that the rule of law was followed, that the rule of law in Canada is intact and that it was followed at every step. We recognize that we can always improve and strengthen our institutions. We will continue to work
Mr. Speaker, I know that General Norman has excellent legal representation. I can assure the House that the Department of Justice is co-operating in this case and providing the necessary documents.
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear from the beginning that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.The reason why the facts are all now on the table and why the public is able to see for itself is because the Prime Minister took that step. The committee confirmed through testimony that the rule of law was intact in Canada and that the rule of law was followed.The Prime Minister recognizes that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why he has taken additional measures.
Mr. Speaker, women's organizations provide vital services, supporting women and girls to be financially secure, to be free from violence, and to be fully able to participate in the economy and society.In my riding and across Canada, there is increasing demand for their services, yet these organizations struggle to keep their doors open after a decade of neglect by the Harper Conservatives.Can the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please update this House on what the government has been doing to support these organizations and the women they serve?
Mr. Speaker, the member for MarkhamStouffville was very sincere this morning. She said that she had chosen the truth and the principles that are so important to the future of our country.She paid dearly for her choices. She was kicked out of the Liberal caucus by this Prime Minister because she did not agree with the political interference in our justice system. She chose integrity and truth instead of bowing to pressure from the Prime Minister.Why did the Prime Minister choose to punish a member of Parliament who truly did the right thing?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not need any more studies; they need action. Too many Canadians are struggling to afford their much-needed medicine. I spoke to one young person who was more worried about his parents' spending on his medication than his own health. Canadians are asking for help.The New Democrats' medication for all plan would put hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of families and ensure that affordable medication would be within reach of Canadians. Will the Prime Minister finally stand up to large drug and insurance companies and ensure that this program is enacted?
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that Canadians are proud of their health system, but that we can do better. That is why this past year we created the advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare. We asked the council to have a national conversation with Canadians. I received the interim report a month ago and I look forward to receiving the final report at the end of June.
Mr. Speaker, today, the member for MarkhamStouffville reminded us that this was about the fundamental principle of politicians interfering with the justice system. She said, I chose the truth. I chose...principles that are so important to the future of our country. Thats more important than my political career.Could the Minister of Justice assure the House that he will not overrule the decision of the public prosecutions for the sake of a wealthy corporation?
Mr. Speaker, throughout our national dialogue on the country's energy future, generation energy, Canadians have told us that inclusiveness is a foundational principle of success, and across this great country, stakeholders who have contributed have made it clear that the time to act is right now. Indeed, putting gender equality at the heart of a global transition to a clean energy future is the key to achieving success.Would the Minister of Natural Resources please update this House on the initiatives that have been taken to ensure that progress towards equality for women in the clean energy sector by 2030 is successful?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud of their publicly funded health care system, one that is based on need and not on their ability to pay. However, we certainly recognize that we can do better. That is why, last year, we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. Unlike the NDP, we choose to want to have a plan as we move forward with this very important initiative, which is very important for all Canadians. I received the council's interim report last month. I look forward to receiving its final report later on in June this year.
Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the House and reassure all Canadians that we believe that Canadians should be able to hear for themselves and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.What is clear is that the Conservatives will continue to focus on us, but we will continue to focus on Canadians. We will continue to have respect for our institutions. We know that the justice committee did important work. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter and we know that there is an ongoing court case.We on this side respect our institutions. We do not undermine them like the Conservatives do and did under 10 years under Stephen Harper.
Mr. Speaker, these leaks had to come from somebody very close to the Prime Minister. The Liberal government's corrupt practices know no bounds. It did not hesitate to drag the good name of Manitoba's chief justice through the mud.The justice minister, in his own words, said, I am concerned by the publication of details of the most recent Supreme Court justice selection. The integrity of our process depends on confidentiality...in the administration of justice.If the justice minister believes his own words, why has he not started an investigation into these leaks?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to hear the facts for themselves, which is exactly why the facts are now out in the open. This is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.I think it is important to respect our institutions. I will choose to respect our institutions. I have faith in our institutions, and I know that they work well.
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague already answered that question. Yesterday when these seats were filled by 338 young women from across the country, we were able to see what is possible when the federal government steps in and invests in creating spaces and opportunities for young women to take their rightful seats in positions of power and influence.I thank the Daughters of the Vote for their courage and effective advocacy. We will continue to engage with equal voice to ensure their efforts are sustainable, and maybe next time the NDP will support this initiative by voting in favour of it.
Mr. Speaker, in the last federal budget, the government promised to invest $300 million to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles.Given that the transportation sector accounts for 23% of our greenhouse gas emissions, could the minister tell us more about this new commitment?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for the question and more importantly, his continued advocacy for climate change. In particular, I would like to thank the young people who march all across Canada and around the world to support climate action. At this time in our history, it is hard to imagine anything more important. I am pleased to share that last week we commenced a consultation with Canadians to identify inefficient non-tax fossil fuel subsidies that we can phase out. In addition, our plan includes over 50 measures that are going to help implement climate action in Canada, including putting a price on pollution, ensuring 90% of our electricity is generated from clean resources and a number of other measures. This is what real action looks like.
Mr. Speaker, the judicial appointment process for the Supreme Court of Canada is very strict and, more importantly, confidential. People involved in the process adhere to very strict confidentiality agreements not to disclose any information about the process or the potential candidates. The reputation of eminent jurists in Canada is at stake. The leak of confidential information about the potential appointment of Justice Joyal is completely unacceptable.We want to know who disclosed the information.
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order arising from Question Period, in my question, which was directed specifically to the Minister of National Defence, related to a government policy in respect to covering legal fees for senior government officials, I specifically addressed the Minister of National Defence, following the fact that the Minister of Justice had indicated that each department is responsible for their own decisions on legal things.The minister answered that question, but he is also in a conflict. I would like
Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that there is an ongoing court case on this matter. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter. We know that the justice committee spent over five weeks on this matter.We believe that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. It is important to note that this is an unprecedented waiver. It has never been done in the history of our country. The Prime Minister recognizes that Canadians deserve to know, and that is exactly why all facts are now public. They are on the table.
Mr. Speaker, the rules for the retention of counsel for members of Parliament and for other officers of the government are well known. I do know that Admiral Norman has very able legal representation, as is always the case for persons in the private sector.I can assure Canadians that the justice department is co-operating with all requests in this case for documentation.
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages made it clear that our government is fulfilling all of its official language obligations.We have always protected French, and we will continue to do so. Francophones across the country know that we are investing more in our official languages than ever before.While the NDP busies itself with petty politics, we are busy modernizing our laws.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to be able to hear it for themselves. That is why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.We know that members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights did their job. They decided to hear from witnesses. The witnesses came to testify. At every stage, the Conservatives said that these meetings would not happen, that the witnesses were not allowed to come, but that was not the case. Members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights called the witnesses. They did
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister fired the former attorney general to cover up his political interference over SNC, and he has hired powerful lawyers, at the taxpayers' expense, to protect himself, Katie Telford, Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard and Elder Marques in a potential RCMP investigation, yet the Prime Minister refuses to do the same for Admiral Mark Norman. Why will he not pay for the admiral's legal fees and ensure a fair defence? Why is there one set of rules for Liberals and another set of rules for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians receive the truth, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. Members who sit on the justice committee set parameters when it came to these allegations. To ensure that Canadians could hear for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. That is why the facts are all on the table. They are all now public. What is interesting is the Conservatives continue to ask for more information, but the information has become quite repetitive and they refuse to actually pay attention to it.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week gas prices went up in the four provinces where the government imposed its carbon tax. It was reported this morning that the environment minister is also preparing to release new regulations that will push up gas prices even more. Why does the minister falsely claim that she is making life more affordable for Canadians, when she keeps adding taxes and costly regulation?
Mr. Speaker, the former president of the Treasury Board chose principles, truth and to do what is right for Canadians. The Prime Minister chose his rich friends and his own political interests.Will the Liberals commit to respecting the fundamental principle of not interfering in criminal prosecutions?
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a secular country. That is reflected in all our institutions. Government employees have the right to display their faith, and no one should have to choose between a job and the right to wear a religious symbol. We all have a responsibility to protect fundamental rights. Any initiative that erodes those rights is unacceptable. Canada is open, inclusive and enriched by its diversity.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. For Canadians watching, who might not recognize what kind of an essential step that was to having these documents be public, I would like to say that from the history of our country since Confederation, cabinet ministers are sworn by cabinet confidence, cabinet secrecy, so that whatever happens in cabinet stays in cabinet. To ensure that witnesses could appear and put this information into the public, the Prime Minister waived such measures. He waived cabinet confidence as well as solicitor-client privilege to make
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's Office is running its daily smear and leak campaign against the two women cabinet ministers who stood up for the rule of law, but yesterday in the House women from across Canada turned their backs on the Prime Minister to show their repugnance with his behaviour. The member for MarkhamStouffville stated, I chose the truth. I chose to act on principles that are so important to the future of our country. That's more important than my political career.What did the Prime Minister choose? He chose a get out of jail card for corporate corruption. Does he not see how morally adrift he has become in this scandal?
Mr. Speaker, the evidence is clear that there was an attempt to obstruct justice by the Prime Minister and his operatives in the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Let us recap how we got here.After the Prime Minister initially called the allegations false, they were found to be true. They were so true, in fact, that they cost Gerald Butts his job, Michael Wernick his job and two former cabinet ministers their place in caucus. They left our great country with a government and a Prime Minister that cannot be redeemed but can only be replaced.How come every time Liberals form government, a culture of corruption and entitlement follows?
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of our veterans is our number one priority, and our government is committed to moving forward on mental health. We have opened a centre of excellence on post-traumatic stress disorder, and Veterans Affairs Canada is working with more than 4,000 health professionals. It is also important to note that, thanks to the streamlined process we have put in place, the current approval rate is 97%. The opposition had 10 years to provide mental health support to veterans, but it was too busy axing essential services and trying to balance the budget at the expense of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the government is taking a different approach, where we actually believe that many members should be able to stand up and represent the voices of their constituents, regardless of their political stripe. However, we see that the Conservatives have continued their shenanigans of having one member speak over four days. Luckily, that is about to come to an end. This afternoon, we will continue hearing from the member for Carleton, as we have the final day on the budget, which confirms that they like repetition.Tomorrow, we will have the first allotted day of the current supply period.At noon on Monday, we will start the second reading debate on Bill C-93 concerning cannabis and record suspensions.In the afternoon, we will have the vote on the ways and means motion moved earlier this morning by the Minister of Finance.On Tuesday, we will resume consideration at second reading stage of Bill C-88, an act to amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.On Wednesday, we will begin debate at second reading stage of the 2019 budget implementation bill.
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note that Conservative members came to their conclusion prior to the justice committee even meeting. The Conservatives recognize that there is an ongoing investigation when it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Conservatives also know that there is an ongoing court case.What is clear to the rest of us in the House is that the member for Carleton is on his fourth day of the budget debate and nobody else can speak in the House if the Conservatives have the floor. They have been up multiple times and it is not appropriate if someone has the floor that they not be able to hear, yet when I have the floor they will always try to speak louder.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians simply want the truth.La Presse requested the Michael Wernick documents on November 1 and December 15. The department normally responds to these requests within 30 days. The newspaper was told that the documents would not be ready for 240 days. Coincidentally, that would be four weeks after the election. If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, will he release the documents to the media and to Canadians, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, climate change is real and the cost of inaction is simply too great to ignore. I am beginning to get sick of politicians on the right side of the spectrum denying this truth. I see them stand up and say that CO2 is plant food and not pollution. It is time we take action. Our government is putting a price on pollution and investing in public transit, and 90% of our electricity will be generated from green resources by 2030.The member for Beauce is at least honest enough to say that his plan is to do nothing. I would invite the Conservatives to be similarly honest with themselves.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for South SurreyWhite Rock for his hard work. Yesterday, this chamber was full of bright young women from across our country. Whether it is Parliament or our natural resources sector, we all must do our part to close the gender gap. That is why we launched Equal by 30. Countries, companies and organizations around the world are joining us as we work toward equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunity for women in the world in the energy sector by 2030.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Leader of the Government's job is to say the same thing day after day, but solicitor-client privilege was limited, and the committee refused to call the witnesses that the opposition wanted to hear from. Nobody on that side of the House wanted to shed light on what happened and expose the truth.Yesterday, the Prime Minister himself said the former attorney general told the truth. Two upstanding ministers were fired in an attempt to protect the Prime Minister's image. Canadians know exactly what the government and the Prime Minister are up to.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, this morning, I met with chief justices from across Canada. I assured them that the judicial appointment process was of a very high standard.I am concerned by the release of this information. As Minister of Justice, I will ensure that this does not happen again. In future, we will continue to have an appointment process of the highest quality.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth for themselves. Canadians can now see the facts, since they are now out in the open. The member himself said that the media asked a question and had received a response. He knows very well that they will receive the requested documents.
Mr. Speaker, our government has always defended the fundamental rights of Canadians, and it will continue to do so. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the rights of all citizens. We cannot choose which to protect and which to limit.Our position is clear. The state must not dictate what people can or cannot wear, regardless of their beliefs.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth for themselves is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. These meetings took place in public so that Canadians could hear and decide for themselves. For anyone who actually listened to the witness testimony, they would have heard that the rule of law in Canada was followed and that the rule of law is intact in Canada. However, we recognize that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why the Prime Minister has taken additional steps. The Prime Minister has also stated that he should have directly spoken with the minister.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in this House on a number of occasions, in particular when answering the questions of my Bloc Québécois friends, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on this situation because it may have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, the government House leader seems very convinced that the Conservatives had arrived at a conclusion before the investigation began, but it is Liberal members who called it a witch hunt. It is Liberal members who called it a fishing expedition.Twice the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians. First, he said the story about political interference in SNC-Lavalin was false. Clearly, that is not true. Then he said that no one came forward to him with concerns about interference with SNC, but yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concerns raised by the former attorney general. He caught himself in his own trap. Why will
Mr. Speaker, the Netflix saga shows no sign of ending. First came the tax breaks, and now the Liberal government is giving in to Netflix's demands without even requiring the American giant to produce French-language content. This is an assault on the language rights of francophones across the country, an assault we must condemn. It may not be Netflix's job to promote official languages, but it is the government's duty to protect them. When will the government take its job seriously and demand that Netflix produce an appropriate amount of French content?
Mr. Speaker, that answer is an absolute insult to Canadians. It is no coincidence that the leak occurred on the eve of the release of damning evidence submitted by the former attorney general to the justice committee. It was a clear attempt to undermine the credibility of the former attorney general, and it demonstrates that the Prime Minister will go to no end to obstruct justice.Again, who leaked the information? Was it Gerry Butts?
Mr. Speaker, but he has not fully waived confidentiality, and the Liberals have shut down two committee investigations and are withholding documents to a paper until after the next election. Top officials have resigned. Yesterday in question period, the Prime Minister finally admitted that she did raise concerns with him directly in September and told him to back off. In fact, she and her staff did that at least nine separate times over four months. She told the Privy Council clerk that it was inappropriate to interfere with prosecutorial independence 14 times on the December 19 call alone, and Wernick said four times that the Prime Minister was firm. The Prime Minister has caught himself in his own tangled web. He should tell the truth.
Mr. Speaker, at every opportunity, every day in question period, Conservative members ask the same question, yet they do not understand why I give the same answer. If they ask me the same question, they are going to get the same answer because the truth is the truth. Ensuring that Canadians hear the truth is the very reason the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence. It is also clear that the Conservatives are still doing indirectly what they cannot do directly, and we must
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to talk about the facts.Justice committee members, members from all recognized parties in the House who sit on the justice committee, came together and set parameters when it came to these allegations to ensure that Canadians could hear about those allegations directly from witnesses. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.Even though at every step of the way the Conservatives, the opposition frankly, believed that these meetings would not take place, that witnesses would not appear and that cabinet confidence would not be waived, actually the committee met, witnesses appeared and confidence was waived, so Canadians themselves could see and hear.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said, sunlight is the best disinfectant. In 2019, he is blocking the former attorney general from sharing all the facts about his interference in a criminal prosecution, including what was said and done when he removed her from that position. On February 7, he said that the claims that he, his staff and officials pressured her were false. On February 12, he said that no one, including her, raised any concerns. However, all the evidence shows otherwise.Why will the Prime Minister not end the cover-up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been misleading the House for more than eight weeks now. On February 7, he said that claims in this interference scandal involving him and his office were false. He denied everything and then changed his story every week. Yesterday in the House his memory magically came back to him and he ended up admitting that the former attorney general's concerns had been brought to his attention.Can the Prime Minister tell us why he has such a hard time remembering the truth?
Mr. Speaker, we learned on Friday that the Minister of Transport, who has a history of very quietly announcing questionable decisions, did not re-appoint Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano as head of VIA Rail. Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano had a strong record and set the stage for the high-frequency train, but the government thought that a change in leadership was the right thing to do. Furthermore, the Liberals' recent budget made no reference to the high-frequency train, even though an announcement by the minister was promised.Is the Minister of Transportation disavowing VIA Rail's vision of development?
Mr. Speaker, of course, it is unfair for parties to see their names and their information used as weapons in this kind of debate for political reasons. We have said that, and we have expressed our concern about this situation.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals involved in the SNC scandal have retained lawyers at the public expense. I am informing taxpayers that they are paying for the Prime Minister, Gerry Butts, Katie Telford, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard, Elder Marques and the present justice minister. Do members know who is not having his legal fees covered in a politically sensitive matter? Admiral Mark Norman. Since the justice minister is in a conflict, my question is for the defence minister. Why do the Lav-scam Liberals get their fees covered, and a 30-year veteran is left out to dry?
Mr. Speaker, I think if the current government members were actually focused on Canadians, they would be telling the truth and being transparent. We know that the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians twice. First, he told Canadians that the SNC-Lavalin story was false. That was not true. Yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concern raised by the former attorney general on September 17. Instead of fabricating more falsehoods or showing the door to anyone who dares to tell the truth, why will the Prime Minister not just tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, let us review the facts. The Prime Minister tried to politically interfere in a criminal prosecution. His former attorney general said no, so he fired her.The truth comes out and he denies everything. The Prime Minister then shuts down the investigation and refuses the full waiver. A tape proves that the former attorney general has been telling the truth. The Prime Minister is furious, so he kicks the two women out of his caucus and runs a smear campaign against both of them.It is time to end the cover-up. When will the Prime Minister tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, 12 years ago, Quebec was thinking about religious neutrality as part of the Bouchard-Taylor commission. Six years ago, Quebec was debating secularism following the introduction of the Quebec charter of values. Those passionate and necessary debates led to the introduction of Bill 21 on secularism last week. Today, Ottawa wants to prevent us from resolving that issue.Why is the government trying to prevent Quebeckers from setting guidelines to protect the religious neutrality of the Quebec state?
Mr. Speaker, when the SNC-Lavalin story broke, the Prime Minister dismissed it as a fabrication, but we now know that it was the Prime Minister's story that he was unaware of the former attorney general's concerns about his political interference that was the fabrication. We know that because he admitted in the House yesterday that he had been warned in person by the former attorney general way back in September that his actions on this file were inappropriate. Fabricator, fabricator, pants on fire. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, all parents teach their children that they must always tell the truth or else sooner or later they will get tangled up in their lies. That is exactly what has happened to the Prime Minister over the past eight months.For eight months, the Prime Minister has not told Canadians the truth. In February, he said that no one had expressed concerns about interference in the SNC-Lavalin case. Then yesterday he finally acknowledged that the former attorney general had shared her concerns with him on September 17. When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, A&L Hammer is being investigated by the IRCC for human trafficking. The victim, Roger Demoto, is a key witness in this case. He was scheduled to give evidence to the IRCC yesterday, but instead, the CBSA detained him and wants to deport him. It is absurd that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. We must do everything we can to combat human trafficking. Urgent action is required. Will the Minister of Immigration work with public safety to stay the deportation to avert this travesty of justice?
Mr. Speaker, the secularism of the Quebec state falls under the jurisdiction of Quebec and Quebec alone. It is not up to Ottawa, which is out of touch with Quebeckers' priorities, to decide what is good or bad for Quebec.The Minister of Justice refuses to give any assurances that he will not challenge Bill 21 before the courts. However, Quebeckers elected the current government, their government, because they wanted to resolve this issue once and for all.Will the Minister of Justice finally commit to respecting the will of Quebeckers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House on a number of occasions, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on the situation with respect to a deferred prosecution agreement. Anything that I might say might be interpreted and have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians deserve to know the truth. The justice committee did its work. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth. Witnesses testified in committee for five weeks. All the facts are now public. We know that the Conservatives do not want to hear the facts, but the facts are on the table. Canadians can decide for themselves.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians heard the truth for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.Parents also tell their children to respect the rules and institutions and to have a climate plant that will help future generations. The Conservatives have no respect and no plan.
Mr. Speaker, if the party opposite had any respect for the Supreme Court of Canada, it would not have attacked a sitting Supreme Court justice and appointed a candidate who had been reversed by the court.
Mr. Speaker, in February, the Prime Minister went on TV and said that if only the former attorney general had told him that she was feeling undue pressure to intervene in ongoing criminal proceedings, he would have taken action. Yesterday, the Prime Minister admitted in the House that the former attorney general had in fact raised her concerns about his political interference with him, directly and in person.Why did the Prime Minister mislead Canadians about that meeting for weeks? Why does he always experience it differently when it comes to telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated on numerous occasions, when it comes to respecting our institutions, when it comes to respecting the law, that is exactly what we will do. We are here to ensure that we do respect the rules, and that is why oftentimes it is the Conservatives who are being called out by the Speaker, because they always manage to find a way to break them.We know that not only has the rule of law been followed, we can always improve our institutions and strengthen our institutions. We know that is what Canadians expect, and that is what we will continue to fight hard for. The Conservatives will stay focused on rhetoric and shenanigans. We will stay focused on Canadians so that we can deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been caught again, trying to deceive. On February 7, when he said the initial Globe and Mail story was false, he was not telling the truth.Now we know that when he said the former attorney general never raised her valid concerns with him, he was misleading Canadians. Just yesterday, he accidentally admitted that on September 17, the former attorney general told him very directly to back off. The Prime Minister cannot seem to keep his story straight. Is that because it is just not true?
Mr. Speaker, it is a double standard. The legal fees incurred by the Prime Minister and his office for trying to interfere in a criminal case will be covered, while a senior officer, a vice-admiral who wanted to protect the Royal Canadian Navy and, by extension, jobs in Quebec, gets dragged through the mud by the Prime Minister. The vice-admiral's reputation has been tarnished and he will not get reimbursed one cent by the government for his defence.Why the double standard? Why not stand up for justice and those who stand up for it?
Mr. Speaker, students from Nelson recently participated in a climate change strike and Ktunaxa students in grades five and six from the ?aq'am reserve wrote me passionate letters warning about climate change.It is clear my constituents from KootenayColumbia and Canadians from across the country want immediate action, but the Liberal government is failing them. The Liberals' budget continues fossil fuel subsidies, which limit our ability to transition to a low-carbon economy before it is too late. We have fewer than 12 years to act.When will the government end fossil fuel subsidies and help workers transition to the green jobs of the future?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question on numerous occasions. We know there were five weeks of meetings for the justice committee. We know the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is studying this matter and we know there is an ongoing court case. We know all information is public so that Canadians can decide.Let me share something else. For three and a half years now this government has been in office and we have seen almost 300,000 children lifted out of poverty. We have seen over 800,000 Canadians lifted out of poverty. We have the lowest unemployment rate in our lifetime. Canadians have created over 900,000 jobs. Conservatives could not do a fraction of that in 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, Veterans Affairs shortened its psychological questionnaire, which is filled out by mental health providers. The changes resulted in the removal of questions that allow health professionals to ensure a proper diagnosis of PTSD. Without it, veterans will not qualify for the support they are entitled to and desperately need. What is shocking is that the minister ignored his own mental health advisory panel that deals with these very issues. Will the minister listen to these health providers and ensure that veterans get the proper support they require?
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers led the way when they created a hybrid public-private pharmacare plan, but the Liberals and the Conservatives abandoned the Quebec government. Due to Ottawa's failure to take action, 10% of Quebeckers do not buy their medications because they are too expensive.Will the Prime Minister undertake to help Quebec put in place a public and universal pharmacare plan?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to mislead Canadians. On February 7, he said that no one had ever raised concerns with him about his political interference aimed at helping the engineering firm avoid a criminal trial. Yesterday, however, he finally admitted to the House of Commons that he had in fact heard the concerns raised by the former attorney general. I am not allowed to call the Prime Minister a liar in the House, but Canadians may be thinking it.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member well knows that I cannot get into the specifics of an individual case. However, I commit to working with her on any issues of concern she has, on this or any other case, in her capacity to advocate on issues of concern to her. What I can say is this. Every case that comes before my department is looked at based on its merits, and no decision is made on removal, especially after exhausting numerous avenues of appeal. That is the law in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the rules for counsel in all cases are set by the department and apply to all members of Parliament and other people who work in the departments.
Mr. Speaker, on February 15, the Prime Minister said that if anyone thought he was doing anything wrong, then it was their responsibility to come forward, but he said that no one did.Yesterday he admitted that this just was not true. The former attorney general warned him several times, including on September 17, not to politically interfere in the SNC prosecution, but he refused to listen. He fired her, and he continues to spread falsehoods.Why will the Prime Minister not simply tell the truth about his interference in a criminal prosecution?
Mr. Speaker, last December, the foreign affairs minister stated: Were seeing a lot of countries around the world that are starting to play fast and loose with...rule of law. The minister promised: Canada is not going to be one of those countries. That promise came three months into the Prime Minister's incessant campaign to corrupt the rule of law to help a corrupt corporation avoid criminal justice. Does the Prime Minister not owe that minister, as well the former attorney general and all Canadians, an apology and a resignation?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. All members of the House of Commons want the truth. Therefore, you will undoubtedly find the unanimous consent of the House for the tabling of a Natural Resources Canada document concerning greenhouse gas emissions, which indicates that, between 2005 and 2015, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector decreased 2.2% while GDP grew by 16.9%.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have demonstrated their complete contempt for the rule of law. In another shocking display, they have attacked the independence of the judiciary by leaking highly confidential information about a respected jurist and his application to sit on the Supreme Court, all part of a desperate effort to change the channel on the Prime Minister's corruption.Who leaked the information?
Mr. Speaker, I met with the chief justices of Canada this morning, and I assured them that our process for naming high-quality judges to the Supreme Court of Canada will continue.I have said that I am deeply troubled by the publication of these details, but our nomination process will remain merit-based and will consider Canada's finest jurists for this lofty position.
Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that Stephen Harper's Conservative government did was withdraw from the Kyoto protocol. Canadians are well aware of that.Today, the member will continue to talk. I listened to his question, but he will never listen to the answer. Now, he is going to talk about why Ontario has been so successful. Ontario achieved good environmental results because the Ontario provincial government made decisions. However, neither the federal nor the provincial Conservatives will do that.
Mr. Speaker, that is why greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 2.2% under our government. That is the Conservative track record, and we are very proud of it. Respecting institutions mainly involves preventing partisan politics from interfering in the judicial process. That is exactly what these people did in the SNC-Lavalin case. The Conservatives need to be re-elected. Why? Because the Liberals are inserting partisan politics into the justice system.When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the usual Thursday question. I know that this has been quite a good week, where we have had some excellent comments and excellent debate, spearheaded by the hon. member for Carleton. We would very much enjoy that continuing because of the important discussions that have gone on. I would be interested in hearing from the government and I think my hon. colleague is about halfway through his speech. I wonder if the government can tell us what business we will be continuing on this week and next week when we return.
Mr. Speaker, that was a great question, and I want to thank the member for Alfred-Pellan for doing such a terrific job for the people of Laval.Yes, we want to reduce greenhouse gases by making zero-emission vehicles more affordable and more readily available. That is why we are very proud to announce an incentive of up to $5,000 for vehicles with a retail price of less than $45,000. Unlike Stephen Harper's Conservatives, who have no plan for dealing with climate change and do not seem to care about their children and grandchildren, we actually do have a plan, and today's announcement is great news.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague has a habit of kicking in doors that are already open. We thank Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, who did excellent work for five years. He did a great job and I thanked him personally. Cynthia Garneau will now be replacing him, and I am sure that she will guide us into the future with her vision to replace VIA Rail trains and work on the high-frequency train.
Mr. Speaker, the integrity of the process demands confidentiality. Moving forward, we will continue to ensure that our nomination process for the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as for other courts, remains of the very highest quality to get the very best appointments.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from MississaugaErin Mills for her strong and courageous leadership and for her important question.We know that the most effective way to advance gender equality is by investing in women's organizations. The Conservatives undermined, underestimated and underfunded women's organizations and muzzled them so they would not be able to advocate for women's rights.Our government has made the single largest investment in the sustainability of women's organizations so that over 250 of them could keep their doors open, keep their lights on, and continue to save and transform lives.
Mr. Speaker, to make sure that Canadians know, that is why the committee had meetings in public. That is also why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.The Conservatives know very well when it comes to misleading, because that is what they continue to do day after day in the House. It is important that they listen attentively to the words that are coming out of witness testimony. Witness testimony confirmed that the rule of law was followed, that the rule of law in Canada is intact and that it was followed at every step. We recognize that we can always improve and strengthen our institutions. We will continue to work
Mr. Speaker, I know that General Norman has excellent legal representation. I can assure the House that the Department of Justice is co-operating in this case and providing the necessary documents.
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear from the beginning that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.The reason why the facts are all now on the table and why the public is able to see for itself is because the Prime Minister took that step. The committee confirmed through testimony that the rule of law was intact in Canada and that the rule of law was followed.The Prime Minister recognizes that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why he has taken additional measures.
Mr. Speaker, women's organizations provide vital services, supporting women and girls to be financially secure, to be free from violence, and to be fully able to participate in the economy and society.In my riding and across Canada, there is increasing demand for their services, yet these organizations struggle to keep their doors open after a decade of neglect by the Harper Conservatives.Can the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please update this House on what the government has been doing to support these organizations and the women they serve?
Mr. Speaker, the member for MarkhamStouffville was very sincere this morning. She said that she had chosen the truth and the principles that are so important to the future of our country.She paid dearly for her choices. She was kicked out of the Liberal caucus by this Prime Minister because she did not agree with the political interference in our justice system. She chose integrity and truth instead of bowing to pressure from the Prime Minister.Why did the Prime Minister choose to punish a member of Parliament who truly did the right thing?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not need any more studies; they need action. Too many Canadians are struggling to afford their much-needed medicine. I spoke to one young person who was more worried about his parents' spending on his medication than his own health. Canadians are asking for help.The New Democrats' medication for all plan would put hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of families and ensure that affordable medication would be within reach of Canadians. Will the Prime Minister finally stand up to large drug and insurance companies and ensure that this program is enacted?
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that Canadians are proud of their health system, but that we can do better. That is why this past year we created the advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare. We asked the council to have a national conversation with Canadians. I received the interim report a month ago and I look forward to receiving the final report at the end of June.
Mr. Speaker, today, the member for MarkhamStouffville reminded us that this was about the fundamental principle of politicians interfering with the justice system. She said, I chose the truth. I chose...principles that are so important to the future of our country. Thats more important than my political career.Could the Minister of Justice assure the House that he will not overrule the decision of the public prosecutions for the sake of a wealthy corporation?
Mr. Speaker, throughout our national dialogue on the country's energy future, generation energy, Canadians have told us that inclusiveness is a foundational principle of success, and across this great country, stakeholders who have contributed have made it clear that the time to act is right now. Indeed, putting gender equality at the heart of a global transition to a clean energy future is the key to achieving success.Would the Minister of Natural Resources please update this House on the initiatives that have been taken to ensure that progress towards equality for women in the clean energy sector by 2030 is successful?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud of their publicly funded health care system, one that is based on need and not on their ability to pay. However, we certainly recognize that we can do better. That is why, last year, we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. Unlike the NDP, we choose to want to have a plan as we move forward with this very important initiative, which is very important for all Canadians. I received the council's interim report last month. I look forward to receiving its final report later on in June this year.
Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the House and reassure all Canadians that we believe that Canadians should be able to hear for themselves and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.What is clear is that the Conservatives will continue to focus on us, but we will continue to focus on Canadians. We will continue to have respect for our institutions. We know that the justice committee did important work. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter and we know that there is an ongoing court case.We on this side respect our institutions. We do not undermine them like the Conservatives do and did under 10 years under Stephen Harper.
Mr. Speaker, these leaks had to come from somebody very close to the Prime Minister. The Liberal government's corrupt practices know no bounds. It did not hesitate to drag the good name of Manitoba's chief justice through the mud.The justice minister, in his own words, said, I am concerned by the publication of details of the most recent Supreme Court justice selection. The integrity of our process depends on confidentiality...in the administration of justice.If the justice minister believes his own words, why has he not started an investigation into these leaks?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to hear the facts for themselves, which is exactly why the facts are now out in the open. This is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.I think it is important to respect our institutions. I will choose to respect our institutions. I have faith in our institutions, and I know that they work well.
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague already answered that question. Yesterday when these seats were filled by 338 young women from across the country, we were able to see what is possible when the federal government steps in and invests in creating spaces and opportunities for young women to take their rightful seats in positions of power and influence.I thank the Daughters of the Vote for their courage and effective advocacy. We will continue to engage with equal voice to ensure their efforts are sustainable, and maybe next time the NDP will support this initiative by voting in favour of it.
Mr. Speaker, in the last federal budget, the government promised to invest $300 million to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles.Given that the transportation sector accounts for 23% of our greenhouse gas emissions, could the minister tell us more about this new commitment?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for the question and more importantly, his continued advocacy for climate change. In particular, I would like to thank the young people who march all across Canada and around the world to support climate action. At this time in our history, it is hard to imagine anything more important. I am pleased to share that last week we commenced a consultation with Canadians to identify inefficient non-tax fossil fuel subsidies that we can phase out. In addition, our plan includes over 50 measures that are going to help implement climate action in Canada, including putting a price on pollution, ensuring 90% of our electricity is generated from clean resources and a number of other measures. This is what real action looks like.
Mr. Speaker, the judicial appointment process for the Supreme Court of Canada is very strict and, more importantly, confidential. People involved in the process adhere to very strict confidentiality agreements not to disclose any information about the process or the potential candidates. The reputation of eminent jurists in Canada is at stake. The leak of confidential information about the potential appointment of Justice Joyal is completely unacceptable.We want to know who disclosed the information.
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order arising from Question Period, in my question, which was directed specifically to the Minister of National Defence, related to a government policy in respect to covering legal fees for senior government officials, I specifically addressed the Minister of National Defence, following the fact that the Minister of Justice had indicated that each department is responsible for their own decisions on legal things.The minister answered that question, but he is also in a conflict. I would like
Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that there is an ongoing court case on this matter. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter. We know that the justice committee spent over five weeks on this matter.We believe that Canadians deserve to know and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. It is important to note that this is an unprecedented waiver. It has never been done in the history of our country. The Prime Minister recognizes that Canadians deserve to know, and that is exactly why all facts are now public. They are on the table.
Mr. Speaker, the rules for the retention of counsel for members of Parliament and for other officers of the government are well known. I do know that Admiral Norman has very able legal representation, as is always the case for persons in the private sector.I can assure Canadians that the justice department is co-operating with all requests in this case for documentation.
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages made it clear that our government is fulfilling all of its official language obligations.We have always protected French, and we will continue to do so. Francophones across the country know that we are investing more in our official languages than ever before.While the NDP busies itself with petty politics, we are busy modernizing our laws.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to be able to hear it for themselves. That is why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence.We know that members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights did their job. They decided to hear from witnesses. The witnesses came to testify. At every stage, the Conservatives said that these meetings would not happen, that the witnesses were not allowed to come, but that was not the case. Members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights called the witnesses. They did
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister fired the former attorney general to cover up his political interference over SNC, and he has hired powerful lawyers, at the taxpayers' expense, to protect himself, Katie Telford, Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard and Elder Marques in a potential RCMP investigation, yet the Prime Minister refuses to do the same for Admiral Mark Norman. Why will he not pay for the admiral's legal fees and ensure a fair defence? Why is there one set of rules for Liberals and another set of rules for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians receive the truth, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence. Members who sit on the justice committee set parameters when it came to these allegations. To ensure that Canadians could hear for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. That is why the facts are all on the table. They are all now public. What is interesting is the Conservatives continue to ask for more information, but the information has become quite repetitive and they refuse to actually pay attention to it.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week gas prices went up in the four provinces where the government imposed its carbon tax. It was reported this morning that the environment minister is also preparing to release new regulations that will push up gas prices even more. Why does the minister falsely claim that she is making life more affordable for Canadians, when she keeps adding taxes and costly regulation?
Mr. Speaker, the former president of the Treasury Board chose principles, truth and to do what is right for Canadians. The Prime Minister chose his rich friends and his own political interests.Will the Liberals commit to respecting the fundamental principle of not interfering in criminal prosecutions?
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a secular country. That is reflected in all our institutions. Government employees have the right to display their faith, and no one should have to choose between a job and the right to wear a religious symbol. We all have a responsibility to protect fundamental rights. Any initiative that erodes those rights is unacceptable. Canada is open, inclusive and enriched by its diversity.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. For Canadians watching, who might not recognize what kind of an essential step that was to having these documents be public, I would like to say that from the history of our country since Confederation, cabinet ministers are sworn by cabinet confidence, cabinet secrecy, so that whatever happens in cabinet stays in cabinet. To ensure that witnesses could appear and put this information into the public, the Prime Minister waived such measures. He waived cabinet confidence as well as solicitor-client privilege to make
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's Office is running its daily smear and leak campaign against the two women cabinet ministers who stood up for the rule of law, but yesterday in the House women from across Canada turned their backs on the Prime Minister to show their repugnance with his behaviour. The member for MarkhamStouffville stated, I chose the truth. I chose to act on principles that are so important to the future of our country. That's more important than my political career.What did the Prime Minister choose? He chose a get out of jail card for corporate corruption. Does he not see how morally adrift he has become in this scandal?
Mr. Speaker, the evidence is clear that there was an attempt to obstruct justice by the Prime Minister and his operatives in the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Let us recap how we got here.After the Prime Minister initially called the allegations false, they were found to be true. They were so true, in fact, that they cost Gerald Butts his job, Michael Wernick his job and two former cabinet ministers their place in caucus. They left our great country with a government and a Prime Minister that cannot be redeemed but can only be replaced.How come every time Liberals form government, a culture of corruption and entitlement follows?
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of our veterans is our number one priority, and our government is committed to moving forward on mental health. We have opened a centre of excellence on post-traumatic stress disorder, and Veterans Affairs Canada is working with more than 4,000 health professionals. It is also important to note that, thanks to the streamlined process we have put in place, the current approval rate is 97%. The opposition had 10 years to provide mental health support to veterans, but it was too busy axing essential services and trying to balance the budget at the expense of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the government is taking a different approach, where we actually believe that many members should be able to stand up and represent the voices of their constituents, regardless of their political stripe. However, we see that the Conservatives have continued their shenanigans of having one member speak over four days. Luckily, that is about to come to an end. This afternoon, we will continue hearing from the member for Carleton, as we have the final day on the budget, which confirms that they like repetition.Tomorrow, we will have the first allotted day of the current supply period.At noon on Monday, we will start the second reading debate on Bill C-93 concerning cannabis and record suspensions.In the afternoon, we will have the vote on the ways and means motion moved earlier this morning by the Minister of Finance.On Tuesday, we will resume consideration at second reading stage of Bill C-88, an act to amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.On Wednesday, we will begin debate at second reading stage of the 2019 budget implementation bill.
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note that Conservative members came to their conclusion prior to the justice committee even meeting. The Conservatives recognize that there is an ongoing investigation when it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Conservatives also know that there is an ongoing court case.What is clear to the rest of us in the House is that the member for Carleton is on his fourth day of the budget debate and nobody else can speak in the House if the Conservatives have the floor. They have been up multiple times and it is not appropriate if someone has the floor that they not be able to hear, yet when I have the floor they will always try to speak louder.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians simply want the truth.La Presse requested the Michael Wernick documents on November 1 and December 15. The department normally responds to these requests within 30 days. The newspaper was told that the documents would not be ready for 240 days. Coincidentally, that would be four weeks after the election. If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, will he release the documents to the media and to Canadians, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, climate change is real and the cost of inaction is simply too great to ignore. I am beginning to get sick of politicians on the right side of the spectrum denying this truth. I see them stand up and say that CO2 is plant food and not pollution. It is time we take action. Our government is putting a price on pollution and investing in public transit, and 90% of our electricity will be generated from green resources by 2030.The member for Beauce is at least honest enough to say that his plan is to do nothing. I would invite the Conservatives to be similarly honest with themselves.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for South SurreyWhite Rock for his hard work. Yesterday, this chamber was full of bright young women from across our country. Whether it is Parliament or our natural resources sector, we all must do our part to close the gender gap. That is why we launched Equal by 30. Countries, companies and organizations around the world are joining us as we work toward equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunity for women in the world in the energy sector by 2030.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Leader of the Government's job is to say the same thing day after day, but solicitor-client privilege was limited, and the committee refused to call the witnesses that the opposition wanted to hear from. Nobody on that side of the House wanted to shed light on what happened and expose the truth.Yesterday, the Prime Minister himself said the former attorney general told the truth. Two upstanding ministers were fired in an attempt to protect the Prime Minister's image. Canadians know exactly what the government and the Prime Minister are up to.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, this morning, I met with chief justices from across Canada. I assured them that the judicial appointment process was of a very high standard.I am concerned by the release of this information. As Minister of Justice, I will ensure that this does not happen again. In future, we will continue to have an appointment process of the highest quality.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth for themselves. Canadians can now see the facts, since they are now out in the open. The member himself said that the media asked a question and had received a response. He knows very well that they will receive the requested documents.
Mr. Speaker, our government has always defended the fundamental rights of Canadians, and it will continue to do so. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the rights of all citizens. We cannot choose which to protect and which to limit.Our position is clear. The state must not dictate what people can or cannot wear, regardless of their beliefs.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians can hear the truth for themselves is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. These meetings took place in public so that Canadians could hear and decide for themselves. For anyone who actually listened to the witness testimony, they would have heard that the rule of law in Canada was followed and that the rule of law is intact in Canada. However, we recognize that we can always strengthen our institutions and that is why the Prime Minister has taken additional steps. The Prime Minister has also stated that he should have directly spoken with the minister.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in this House on a number of occasions, in particular when answering the questions of my Bloc Québécois friends, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on this situation because it may have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, the government House leader seems very convinced that the Conservatives had arrived at a conclusion before the investigation began, but it is Liberal members who called it a witch hunt. It is Liberal members who called it a fishing expedition.Twice the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians. First, he said the story about political interference in SNC-Lavalin was false. Clearly, that is not true. Then he said that no one came forward to him with concerns about interference with SNC, but yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concerns raised by the former attorney general. He caught himself in his own trap. Why will
Mr. Speaker, the Netflix saga shows no sign of ending. First came the tax breaks, and now the Liberal government is giving in to Netflix's demands without even requiring the American giant to produce French-language content. This is an assault on the language rights of francophones across the country, an assault we must condemn. It may not be Netflix's job to promote official languages, but it is the government's duty to protect them. When will the government take its job seriously and demand that Netflix produce an appropriate amount of French content?
Mr. Speaker, that answer is an absolute insult to Canadians. It is no coincidence that the leak occurred on the eve of the release of damning evidence submitted by the former attorney general to the justice committee. It was a clear attempt to undermine the credibility of the former attorney general, and it demonstrates that the Prime Minister will go to no end to obstruct justice.Again, who leaked the information? Was it Gerry Butts?
Mr. Speaker, but he has not fully waived confidentiality, and the Liberals have shut down two committee investigations and are withholding documents to a paper until after the next election. Top officials have resigned. Yesterday in question period, the Prime Minister finally admitted that she did raise concerns with him directly in September and told him to back off. In fact, she and her staff did that at least nine separate times over four months. She told the Privy Council clerk that it was inappropriate to interfere with prosecutorial independence 14 times on the December 19 call alone, and Wernick said four times that the Prime Minister was firm. The Prime Minister has caught himself in his own tangled web. He should tell the truth.
Mr. Speaker, at every opportunity, every day in question period, Conservative members ask the same question, yet they do not understand why I give the same answer. If they ask me the same question, they are going to get the same answer because the truth is the truth. Ensuring that Canadians hear the truth is the very reason the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence. It is also clear that the Conservatives are still doing indirectly what they cannot do directly, and we must
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to talk about the facts.Justice committee members, members from all recognized parties in the House who sit on the justice committee, came together and set parameters when it came to these allegations to ensure that Canadians could hear about those allegations directly from witnesses. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege, as well as cabinet confidence.Even though at every step of the way the Conservatives, the opposition frankly, believed that these meetings would not take place, that witnesses would not appear and that cabinet confidence would not be waived, actually the committee met, witnesses appeared and confidence was waived, so Canadians themselves could see and hear.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister said, sunlight is the best disinfectant. In 2019, he is blocking the former attorney general from sharing all the facts about his interference in a criminal prosecution, including what was said and done when he removed her from that position. On February 7, he said that the claims that he, his staff and officials pressured her were false. On February 12, he said that no one, including her, raised any concerns. However, all the evidence shows otherwise.Why will the Prime Minister not end the cover-up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been misleading the House for more than eight weeks now. On February 7, he said that claims in this interference scandal involving him and his office were false. He denied everything and then changed his story every week. Yesterday in the House his memory magically came back to him and he ended up admitting that the former attorney general's concerns had been brought to his attention.Can the Prime Minister tell us why he has such a hard time remembering the truth?
Mr. Speaker, we learned on Friday that the Minister of Transport, who has a history of very quietly announcing questionable decisions, did not re-appoint Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano as head of VIA Rail. Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano had a strong record and set the stage for the high-frequency train, but the government thought that a change in leadership was the right thing to do. Furthermore, the Liberals' recent budget made no reference to the high-frequency train, even though an announcement by the minister was promised.Is the Minister of Transportation disavowing VIA Rail's vision of development?
Mr. Speaker, of course, it is unfair for parties to see their names and their information used as weapons in this kind of debate for political reasons. We have said that, and we have expressed our concern about this situation.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals involved in the SNC scandal have retained lawyers at the public expense. I am informing taxpayers that they are paying for the Prime Minister, Gerry Butts, Katie Telford, Michael Wernick, Mathieu Bouchard, Elder Marques and the present justice minister. Do members know who is not having his legal fees covered in a politically sensitive matter? Admiral Mark Norman. Since the justice minister is in a conflict, my question is for the defence minister. Why do the Lav-scam Liberals get their fees covered, and a 30-year veteran is left out to dry?
Mr. Speaker, I think if the current government members were actually focused on Canadians, they would be telling the truth and being transparent. We know that the Prime Minister has been caught misleading Canadians twice. First, he told Canadians that the SNC-Lavalin story was false. That was not true. Yesterday, he admitted to hearing the concern raised by the former attorney general on September 17. Instead of fabricating more falsehoods or showing the door to anyone who dares to tell the truth, why will the Prime Minister not just tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, let us review the facts. The Prime Minister tried to politically interfere in a criminal prosecution. His former attorney general said no, so he fired her.The truth comes out and he denies everything. The Prime Minister then shuts down the investigation and refuses the full waiver. A tape proves that the former attorney general has been telling the truth. The Prime Minister is furious, so he kicks the two women out of his caucus and runs a smear campaign against both of them.It is time to end the cover-up. When will the Prime Minister tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, 12 years ago, Quebec was thinking about religious neutrality as part of the Bouchard-Taylor commission. Six years ago, Quebec was debating secularism following the introduction of the Quebec charter of values. Those passionate and necessary debates led to the introduction of Bill 21 on secularism last week. Today, Ottawa wants to prevent us from resolving that issue.Why is the government trying to prevent Quebeckers from setting guidelines to protect the religious neutrality of the Quebec state?
Mr. Speaker, when the SNC-Lavalin story broke, the Prime Minister dismissed it as a fabrication, but we now know that it was the Prime Minister's story that he was unaware of the former attorney general's concerns about his political interference that was the fabrication. We know that because he admitted in the House yesterday that he had been warned in person by the former attorney general way back in September that his actions on this file were inappropriate. Fabricator, fabricator, pants on fire. Why can the Prime Minister not tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, all parents teach their children that they must always tell the truth or else sooner or later they will get tangled up in their lies. That is exactly what has happened to the Prime Minister over the past eight months.For eight months, the Prime Minister has not told Canadians the truth. In February, he said that no one had expressed concerns about interference in the SNC-Lavalin case. Then yesterday he finally acknowledged that the former attorney general had shared her concerns with him on September 17. When will the Prime Minister stand up and tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, A&L Hammer is being investigated by the IRCC for human trafficking. The victim, Roger Demoto, is a key witness in this case. He was scheduled to give evidence to the IRCC yesterday, but instead, the CBSA detained him and wants to deport him. It is absurd that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. We must do everything we can to combat human trafficking. Urgent action is required. Will the Minister of Immigration work with public safety to stay the deportation to avert this travesty of justice?
Mr. Speaker, the secularism of the Quebec state falls under the jurisdiction of Quebec and Quebec alone. It is not up to Ottawa, which is out of touch with Quebeckers' priorities, to decide what is good or bad for Quebec.The Minister of Justice refuses to give any assurances that he will not challenge Bill 21 before the courts. However, Quebeckers elected the current government, their government, because they wanted to resolve this issue once and for all.Will the Minister of Justice finally commit to respecting the will of Quebeckers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House on a number of occasions, we are still in a period in which an appeal of the judicial review decision is possible. Therefore, I will make no pronouncement on the situation with respect to a deferred prosecution agreement. Anything that I might say might be interpreted and have an impact on litigation.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians deserve to know the truth. The justice committee did its work. The Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that Canadians could hear the truth. Witnesses testified in committee for five weeks. All the facts are now public. We know that the Conservatives do not want to hear the facts, but the facts are on the table. Canadians can decide for themselves.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Canadians heard the truth for themselves, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence.Parents also tell their children to respect the rules and institutions and to have a climate plant that will help future generations. The Conservatives have no respect and no plan.
Mr. Speaker, if the party opposite had any respect for the Supreme Court of Canada, it would not have attacked a sitting Supreme Court justice and appointed a candidate who had been reversed by the court.
Mr. Speaker, in February, the Prime Minister went on TV and said that if only the former attorney general had told him that she was feeling undue pressure to intervene in ongoing criminal proceedings, he would have taken action. Yesterday, the Prime Minister admitted in the House that the former attorney general had in fact raised her concerns about his political interference with him, directly and in person.Why did the Prime Minister mislead Canadians about that meeting for weeks? Why does he always experience it differently when it comes to telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated on numerous occasions, when it comes to respecting our institutions, when it comes to respecting the law, that is exactly what we will do. We are here to ensure that we do respect the rules, and that is why oftentimes it is the Conservatives who are being called out by the Speaker, because they always manage to find a way to break them.We know that not only has the rule of law been followed, we can always improve our institutions and strengthen our institutions. We know that is what Canadians expect, and that is what we will continue to fight hard for. The Conservatives will stay focused on rhetoric and shenanigans. We will stay focused on Canadians so that we can deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been caught again, trying to deceive. On February 7, when he said the initial Globe and Mail story was false, he was not telling the truth.Now we know that when he said the former attorney general never raised her valid concerns with him, he was misleading Canadians. Just yesterday, he accidentally admitted that on September 17, the former attorney general told him very directly to back off. The Prime Minister cannot seem to keep his story straight. Is that because it is just not true?
Mr. Speaker, it is a double standard. The legal fees incurred by the Prime Minister and his office for trying to interfere in a criminal case will be covered, while a senior officer, a vice-admiral who wanted to protect the Royal Canadian Navy and, by extension, jobs in Quebec, gets dragged through the mud by the Prime Minister. The vice-admiral's reputation has been tarnished and he will not get reimbursed one cent by the government for his defence.Why the double standard? Why not stand up for justice and those who stand up for it?
Mr. Speaker, students from Nelson recently participated in a climate change strike and Ktunaxa students in grades five and six from the ?aq'am reserve wrote me passionate letters warning about climate change.It is clear my constituents from KootenayColumbia and Canadians from across the country want immediate action, but the Liberal government is failing them. The Liberals' budget continues fossil fuel subsidies, which limit our ability to transition to a low-carbon economy before it is too late. We have fewer than 12 years to act.When will the government end fossil fuel subsidies and help workers transition to the green jobs of the future?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question on numerous occasions. We know there were five weeks of meetings for the justice committee. We know the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is studying this matter and we know there is an ongoing court case. We know all information is public so that Canadians can decide.Let me share something else. For three and a half years now this government has been in office and we have seen almost 300,000 children lifted out of poverty. We have seen over 800,000 Canadians lifted out of poverty. We have the lowest unemployment rate in our lifetime. Canadians have created over 900,000 jobs. Conservatives could not do a fraction of that in 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, Veterans Affairs shortened its psychological questionnaire, which is filled out by mental health providers. The changes resulted in the removal of questions that allow health professionals to ensure a proper diagnosis of PTSD. Without it, veterans will not qualify for the support they are entitled to and desperately need. What is shocking is that the minister ignored his own mental health advisory panel that deals with these very issues. Will the minister listen to these health providers and ensure that veterans get the proper support they require?
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers led the way when they created a hybrid public-private pharmacare plan, but the Liberals and the Conservatives abandoned the Quebec government. Due to Ottawa's failure to take action, 10% of Quebeckers do not buy their medications because they are too expensive.Will the Prime Minister undertake to help Quebec put in place a public and universal pharmacare plan?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to mislead Canadians. On February 7, he said that no one had ever raised concerns with him about his political interference aimed at helping the engineering firm avoid a criminal trial. Yesterday, however, he finally admitted to the House of Commons that he had in fact heard the concerns raised by the former attorney general. I am not allowed to call the Prime Minister a liar in the House, but Canadians may be thinking it.Why did he mislead Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member well knows that I cannot get into the specifics of an individual case. However, I commit to working with her on any issues of concern she has, on this or any other case, in her capacity to advocate on issues of concern to her. What I can say is this. Every case that comes before my department is looked at based on its merits, and no decision is made on removal, especially after exhausting numerous avenues of appeal. That is the law in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the rules for counsel in all cases are set by the department and apply to all members of Parliament and other people who work in the departments.
Mr. Speaker, on February 15, the Prime Minister said that if anyone thought he was doing anything wrong, then it was their responsibility to come forward, but he said that no one did.Yesterday he admitted that this just was not true. The former attorney general warned him several times, including on September 17, not to politically interfere in the SNC prosecution, but he refused to listen. He fired her, and he continues to spread falsehoods.Why will the Prime Minister not simply tell the truth about his interference in a criminal prosecution?
Mr. Speaker, last December, the foreign affairs minister stated: Were seeing a lot of countries around the world that are starting to play fast and loose with...rule of law. The minister promised: Canada is not going to be one of those countries. That promise came three months into the Prime Minister's incessant campaign to corrupt the rule of law to help a corrupt corporation avoid criminal justice. Does the Prime Minister not owe that minister, as well the former attorney general and all Canadians, an apology and a resignation?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. All members of the House of Commons want the truth. Therefore, you will undoubtedly find the unanimous consent of the House for the tabling of a Natural Resources Canada document concerning greenhouse gas emissions, which indicates that, between 2005 and 2015, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector decreased 2.2% while GDP grew by 16.9%.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have demonstrated their complete contempt for the rule of law. In another shocking display, they have attacked the independence of the judiciary by leaking highly confidential information about a respected jurist and his application to sit on the Supreme Court, all part of a desperate effort to change the channel on the Prime Minister's corruption.Who leaked the information?
Mr. Speaker, I met with the chief justices of Canada this morning, and I assured them that our process for naming high-quality judges to the Supreme Court of Canada will continue.I have said that I am deeply troubled by the publication of these details, but our nomination process will remain merit-based and will consider Canada's finest jurists for this lofty position.