Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I received a call from Chief Leo Friday of Kashechewan First Nation. Ten days from now, more than 2,000 people from this community will be forced to leave their homes in the annual evacuation process. The chief is concerned about the resilience of the dike and there are legitimate fears of severe flooding.Our country spends millions of dollars annually for evacuations and for repairing flood damage in homes. When can we expect a serious commitment to funding the relocation that, for years, the community has been asking for?
Mr. Speaker, I am a Quebecker, and so it is my duty to express my opinion on the issue.We strongly condemn the use of inflammatory remarks, such as those of the mayor of Hampstead. They are hurtful to those who have suffered atrocities and they distract us from the real issues. As the Prime Minister has already said, we do not need to go to extremes. As Quebeckers and Canadians, we can debate the bill respectfully and without pushing too far.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has a golden rule: Those with the gold make the rules.When SNC-Lavalin was charged with stealing $130 million from Libya's poor, he rushed in to block it from having to go to trial. When Loblaws billionaires ripped off the poor by fixing the price of bread and ripped of taxpayers by stashing their cash in the Carribean, the Prime Minister gave them $12 million for their efforts.Why does the Prime Minister always take from the have-nots to give to the have-yachts?
Mr. Speaker, as much as this Prime Minister wants to change the channel, Canadians still want the truth on his political interference in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. The Prime Minister says that he has full confidence in committees, the same ones the Liberals have shut down debate on. The OECD is not letting it go, and that is why it referred the case to its working group on bribery. The Prime Minister's word is not going to cut it. This is a stain on Canada's international reputation. Will the Prime Minister save us the embarrassment and launch a public independent inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, whether the minister likes it or not, it is up to Quebeckers to decide what works for them. The secularism of the state of Quebec will be decided by Quebec, not by Ottawa and not by the House, which even refuses to condemn the shameful remarks of the mayor of Hampstead, who has compared the secularism bill to ethnic cleansing.Will the Minister of Justice respect the will of Quebec and undertake not to challenge Bill 21 or support any legal challenges?
Mr. Speaker, the opposition leader did not retract any statements. In fact, he repeated every single word yesterday. We look forward to the Prime Minister's testifying in court under oath, where he cannot control the process, he cannot control the people and he cannot shut it down like he killed two investigations. For once in his life, he will have to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Does he actually have the backbone to set a date? When will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time that the Conservative leader and his party have misled Canadians with false and defamatory statements.This is not the first time that we have sent a letter to the Leader of the Opposition because he continues to repeat falsehoods. They erased public statements, their tweets, from December, February, and now March, because they know that they should have a little respect for our institutionsnot a lot, just a little.
Mr. Speaker, according to Maclean's, the Ethics Commissioner has become a useful fig leaf for Liberals keen to shut down further discussions. Harper Conservatives drafted a weak ethics bill, but it is the Liberals who are using it as cover to avoid answering questions. The Liberals will be under the microscope when the anti-bribery groups meet in June. Will the Prime Minister assure OECD officials that the Liberals will not interfere with Canada's top prosecutor taking corporate corruption to court?
Mr. Speaker, we learned that the finance minister and the big banks worked together to skew a report that proved banks had predatory practices and abused their own customers. Banks misled consumers by lying about credit card fees, mortgage rates and banking fees, to name a few.Instead of protecting consumers, the Liberals decided to protect the banks by editing the report and trying to cover up the truth. This is shameful. Canadians are tired of the Liberal government being an apologist for consumer abuse, manipulation and exploitation.The Minister of Public Safety bragged about fines and penalties. Does he actually have the courage to act on them?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' only plan is to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when they did it earlier this year and the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader of the official opposition retracted those comments and deleted those tweets.The Conservatives, once again, continue to mislead Canadians, so the Prime Minister put the leader of the official opposition on notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do on March 31? He deleted those tweets. The only plan Conservatives have is to mislead Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to hear the truth, and that is exactly why all the facts are now public. Yes, we took a first step. That is exactly why we put the leader of the official opposition on notice. He continues making false and misleading statements to Canadians. After receiving that notice, he changed the words that he has been using. He deleted some tweets and statements made online. He has already responded through his actions, because he knows he should not be doing what he is doing.
Mr. Speaker, she is right. Canadians do know the facts. The Prime Minister said that The Globe and Mail allegations of pressure on the former attorney general were false. We now know that is not true. He said that the former attorney general never came to him to speak of her concerns. We now know that is not true. He said that it was all about protecting jobs, but we know now that also is not true. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these falsehoods in court he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, an illegal vacation to a billionaire island, inviting a convicted terrorist in India, destroying relations with our most important trading partners, attempting to politically interfere with a criminal prosecution, countless ethics violations and an attitude that the rules and the law do not apply to him. Like so many Liberals before him, the Prime Minister's record is scandal and failure with serious consequences for Canadians. How come when it comes to the Prime Minister and his friends, they are taken care of, but ordinary Canadians are not?
Mr. Speaker, that was not the question. The fact is that the banks and the Minister of Finance influenced the agency that is supposed to be monitoring them.Is anyone really surprised? This independent agency is actually funded by the banks themselves. Do we really think the banks' watchdog will bite the hand that feeds it? Canadians are sick of seeing the Liberal government side with the banks over the public. The government is letting banks rip off consumers, and the Prime Minister is turning a blind eye to the whole business.When will the Prime Minister grow a spine and stand up to the big banks by creating a genuinely independent watchdog with teeth?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered that question on numerous occasions. The members know very well that the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. They know very well that he has deleted tweets and retracted comments. What do they do? The Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. They mislead Canadians because they have no plan for the environment and no plan for the economy. However, what they do have is a plan to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when it comes to programs and services available to Canadians, the Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians by refusing to admit that there is a climate action incentive. Luckily they cannot do that in New Brunswick, but they sure did in
Mr. Speaker, in response to my question yesterday, the Prime Minister said that there is no place for discrimination against our citizens, as though the bill on secularism introduced by the state of Quebec were discriminatory.The bill sets rules for everyone. It is not discriminatory. The same rules will apply to everyone.Is the Prime Minister accusing the Government of Quebec and the millions of Quebeckers who support this bill of discrimination? Have the Liberals really sunk that low?
Mr. Speaker, for over a month now, the Prime Minister's failures on the international stage have cost 43,000 Canadian canola producers dearly.This week, Stephen Vandervalk, an Alberta canola producer, told the committee that this is the worst crisis his family has endured in 100 years. He said that Canadian farmers are the ones paying dearly for this political failure. China was asked to send a delegation, and we have been waiting 10 days for a response. What is the Prime Minister doing about this urgent crisis? He is waiting. When will the Prime Minister stand up to China and fight for canola producers?
Mr. Speaker, Liberals called out the Conservatives for cozying up to white nationalist Faith Goldy, but now the Prime Minister wants to close our border to asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution and violence with a law that prevents them from being able to apply for protection in Canada.When Faith Goldy supports the Liberal immigration policy, we know we are on the wrong side of the issue. By hiding it in a 392-page omnibus bill and refusing to refer it to the immigration committee, the Prime Minister is trying to sneak through this shameful law. Will the Prime Minister stop talking out of both sides of his mouth and withdraw this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, the facts of the matter are that the RCMP is completely independent in its decisions about any investigation or prosecution. Any suggestion that a member of Parliament should in any way influence that decision-making process of our police force is absolutely wrong and false.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman is a 38-year, highly decorated member of the Canadian Forces, and was vice-chair of the defence staff. He served this country with honour and dignity.The least those Liberals could do is give him a shot at a fair trial, but they will not release the documents to his lawyers so he can mount a proper defence. They are hoping he runs out of money before the end of the trial.The Prime Minister has no problem undermining the rule of law. When will the Prime Minister quit manipulating these court proceedings and allow the vice-admiral a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, my mom calls me and asks, Did the Prime Minister really give $12 million to Galen Weston to fix his fridges instead of to seniors. Did the Liberals give it to a company that cheats families out of bread? That is my mom. She is a miner's daughter. She grew up in a different middle class than the Prime Minister did. I said to her, Mom, it's is about lobbying; it's about people you know in the PMO.Will the Prime Minister explain why two lobbyists from Loblaws attended an exclusive cash for access event with him and senior staff of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change? Could he explain that to my mom?
Mr. Speaker, the OECD is calling for us to do more for the middle class. That is not surprising since half of Canadians are $200 away from bankruptcy. What are the Liberals doing to help those people? They gave $12 million in taxpayers' money to Loblaws, a billionaire company that is making huge profits, so that it could buy fridges. We are talking about a company that refuses to gives its employees decent work and working conditions. Is that the Liberals' plan? Are they going to continue to help the rich instead of our seniors and families?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's letter was about the opposition leader's statement. It has nothing to do with tweets. The Prime Minister said, over and over, that no one ever warned him that his pressure to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin was political interference and was wrong. However, last week he himself admitted that on September 17 that the former attorney general directly advised him, in person, to back off. Now, even though he caught himself in his own words, he still threatens to sue the Leader of the Opposition. Does the Prime Minister know that if he repeats his initial denials in court he will commit perjury?
Mr. Speaker, Loblaws is a billion-dollar company that is owned by the second-richest family in the country. This is the same company that rigged bread prices for 16 years. It really does not need handouts from a tax and spend Liberal government. Now the Prime Minister, our reverse Robin Hood, is giving the company $12 million to buy new fridges while raising taxes on struggling Canadian families.Why is it always with the Liberals that they are giving to the rich and robbing ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, it is increasingly clear that the Prime Minister stands up for big business and not people.Last year, people were horrified to learn that the big banks were aggressively selling services that people did not need. We have now learned that the situation was even worse than we thought and that the Liberal government whitewashed the report. Even worse, it gave the big banks the opportunity to whitewash it.When will the Prime Minister admit that he is there for the richest companies but not for the people?
Mr. Speaker, Canadian producers need assurances that the Liberals will support them and our world-class canola as the crisis with China gets worse. Farmers know that this is a political issue and one that needs to be resolved immediately. The Liberals' lack of action demonstrates their contempt for western Canadian farmers and the importance of the canola sector to the Canadian economy.When will the Prime Minister demonstrate leadership and take action to stand up for canola farmers?
Mr. Speaker, I want to quickly provide a quote that I have not provided for a while. The director of public prosecutions confirmed that prosecutors exercise their discretion independently and free from any political or partisan consideration.That member is lacking confidence in our institutions. I can confirm to him, once again, as was provided in testimony at the justice committee, that the rule of law is intact in Canada. Our institutions are intact. Canadians can have confidence in them. That member should stop misleading Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I can help hon. members out.The Conservatives said that the justice committee would not meet. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that witnesses would not get to appear. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that the Prime Minister would not waive solicitor-client privilege or cabinet confidence. That turned out to be false. All facts are public for Canadians to hear. Canadians deserve to get to hear the truth and that is exactly why all the matters from the justice committee on this issue were in public.
Mr. Speaker, I know a pretty good lawyer, so I will be all right.Canadians are concerned. They see this Prime Minister ignoring questions about his scandal and want to know what happened. They are not the only ones who are concerned. The OECD warned Canada that it will be monitoring how the Liberal government manages this matter. People want the truth. When will the Prime Minister launch a public inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, we have full confidence in the director of public prosecutions. That is why we think she should be allowed to make the decision on prosecuting SNC-Lavalin. The government refuses to guarantee that this will happen. It has interfered in this case, it has interfered in the Norman case, and now we know that it implicated the RCMP for nine months in orchestrating the Prime Minister's illegal vacation to billionaire island. That vacation might have violated sections of the Criminal Code, which the RCMP would be responsible for investigating.How can Canadians be sure that there has been an independent vetting of this issue, given past interference?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman has drawn the wrong conclusion. As a matter of fact, as a result of the report, we have introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information and exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have a policy in place to make consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them and increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is politically interfering in a court case. He is denying the truth, resorting to intimidation, and trying to silence all those who do not think like him.If the Prime Minister has any courage at all, even just a little bit, will he agree to follow through on his notice so that we can all find out the truth in this case? Is he afraid to testify under oath?
Mr. Speaker, the first step in any situation, as the members are referring to, is to put the leader of the official opposition on notice. We have now put the leader of the official opposition on notice numerous times. Canadians can rest assured that we will not stand idly by, while those Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why we provided them notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do? He deleted tweets and he retracted online statements. He knows very well that the notice he was served has consequences.
Mr. Speaker, as a result of the Prime Minister's lack of leadership, his government has failed in all the international trade files. Steel and aluminum tariffs still have not been lifted. Compensation is being paid out in dribs and drabs, and let us not forget that the existing safeguards are set to expire on April 27.I want to know why the Prime Minister signed the agreement before getting the United States to lift the tariffs on steel and aluminum.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I rarely rise on a point of order but I felt compelled to do so today because I am very disappointed in the mocking my colleague received as she tried to answer in English.I am especially disappointed in the member for TimminsJames Bay, who is supposedly the critic for ethics. He joined many of his colleagues across the aisle in mocking her, and in fact said, What is she going to do? There is no one to write down her
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to something as important as the national pharmacare program, our government wants to ensure that we have a plan, and we want to ensure that we get it right. That is why I was very pleased that we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. This committee has been working for the past year. We received the report last month. I am looking forward to receiving its final report later on this June.One of the key recommendations it made in the interim report was to make sure that we put in place a Canadian drug agency, and I was pleased to see it in budget 2019. The money is available to start that work.
Mr. Speaker, I was particularly shocked yesterday when I heard that the Conservatives chose to mislead their constituents in their partisan taxpayer-funded tax guide. This partisan guide left out information on important elements such as the Canada child benefit and the climate action incentive rebate. It left out information on money to which their constituents are entitled.Does the Minister of National Revenue agree that
Mr. Speaker, Canadians will have a choice between the son of a working-class family, who will stand up for ordinary Canadians and let them get ahead, or the trust-fund Prime Minister, who will protect millionaires like himself by upholding their loopholes and forking over endless sums of taxpayers' money.Speaking of which, when it comes to SNC-Lavalin, the decision is still not final. The Prime Minister interfered to try to get the company off of charges. Will he now respect the decision of the prosecutor and promise that no Liberal politician will sign a deal to block the trial?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put the Conservative leader on notice. He has repeated the exact same statement outside of the House. Now he is calling on the Prime Minister to take further action, to come before a court and get on the stand if he has nothing to hide. If he stands by everything in his threatening letter to sue the Leader of the Opposition, I ask again, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order that is very similar to my colleague's. Since the Minister of Agriculture said she was now seized with the canola matter and fully aware of it, I hope that finally our colleagues on the Liberal benches will agree to have an emergency debate.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to do everything to politically interfere and frustrate Mark Norman's ability to get a fair trial. He will not comply with court orders to provide documents and when he does, they are completely redacted. Even worse, he will not pay Mark Norman's legal fees, hindering his ability to mount an effective defence.Did the Prime Minister, or any current or former cabinet minister or any PMO staff discuss influencing the timing of Mark Norman's trial?
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to know the truth. That is exactly why the Prime Minister had the courage to waive cabinet confidence and solicitor-client privilege. He did that so that Canadians can know the truth.We did in fact send a letter to the Leader of the Opposition. We put him on notice because he continues to say things that he should not. That is exactly why he deleted his tweets.
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-97, the budget implementation act, 2019. Tomorrow we will continue with debate on the BIA. The Monday following our return from the two weeks in our ridings will be an opposition day.Tuesday we will resume debate at second reading of the budget bill.I also want to reiterate the comments of the Conservative whip on behalf of the Prime Minister as well as the Government of Canada to all members and to all Canadians who are celebrating. Happy Easter.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all our colleagues, I want to wish my hon. colleague the best.I look forward to engaging my colleague in further debate on international trade, but our government is committed to supporting businesses to create wealth and create jobs for all Canadians all across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, for four days now, we have been standing in this place and asking the Prime Minister whether he intends to follow through on his notice. We are told yes over and over again, but that he needs to change his story. He has not changed it and keeps repeating it every day. He stands by everything that has been said. This is nothing but bullying on the part of the Prime Minister, because he is not happy when anyone has different ideas.Will he show some courage and follow through on his notice, so that we and all Canadians will hear the whole truth?
Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to a fair refugee system that provides protection to those who need it most, protects the safety of all Canadians and keeps our border secure. On the well-established international principle of asylum primacy, we wish to encourage all those who truly need protection to seek asylum at the first possible opportunity. The measures that we are proposing are part of a broader package included in budget 2019 that is aimed at ensuring that people who genuinely need asylum receive it quickly and efficiently. I wish to assure the member that every claimant will have access
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for raising this concerning issue. It is unacceptable that Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians on how to access their
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for NorthumberlandPeterborough South for her hard work. It is clear that the best solutions for combatting climate change in rural and remote indigenous communities come from the people who live there. That is why our government is investing more than $3.5 million in two indigenous projects owned and operated by the Gwichin Development Corporation. Investments like these create jobs, cut energy costs and protect the environment.
Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, nothing the member just said could be further from the truth.We took the report very seriously and went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers to prohibit banks from exerting undue pressure on consumers to buy products or services; to require banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive products that are appropriate for them; and increase penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million, something the Conservatives failed to do for 10 years.May I remind the New Democrats that they voted against these measures.
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the member to revisit his wording, because I know he would never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. If, all of a sudden, the NDP members are taking that approach, they are even closer to the Conservatives than I even realized. We will never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. When it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, yes, there is an ongoing investigation in this matter. Yes, we have confidence in our institutions. We know there is an ongoing court case. We know the justice committee did its important work. I guess only we, on this side, have respect for our institutions.
Mr. Speaker, quite the opposite. I wonder where the opposition member has been for the past three years, when we were taking steps to protect Canadian consumers of financial products. For 10 years, under Stephen Harper, consumer protection and strong, robust bank regulation were not so much as an afterthought.I will remind him of the same thing I just said to his colleague. Over the past few years, we went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers and from exerting undue pressure on consumers. We also increased penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives launched the most ambitious trade agenda this country has ever seen. The trans-Pacific partnership was a Conservative deal. Free trade with Europe was a Conservative deal. Our updated trade with Israel was a Conservative deal.What is the Prime Minister's record? In negotiations with the U.S., he delivered losses. Steel and aluminum tariffs are still in place. On softwood lumber, there is no deal. For canola farmers, there is no solution. With the Liberals so focused on their scandals, when will they be able to get something done on trade?
Mr. Speaker, in both official languages, he is still wrong. As a result of the work investigating this situation, the government has introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information. It prohibits the banks from exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them. It increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million. Parliament decides.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue the Conservative leader for stating that the former attorney general told the Prime Minister that she was feeling inappropriate political pressure from him. The only problem with that strategy is that the Prime Minister has now admitted that the former attorney general did warn him about his inappropriate political pressure to his face and in person. Therefore, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue for something he now says is true.Threatening to sue is weak sauce if a person does not back it up, so when will we see the Prime Minister in court?
Mr. Speaker, once again, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. After he received notice, he deleted those tweets. He and his team probably went back to their office and revisited some wording. Their new wording is exactly what they are repeating. They will not repeat the comments they deleted after they received notice. That is a fact.
Mr. Speaker, on a number of occasions the Leader of the Opposition, the Conservative leader, was forced to delete tweets and reword his statements. He changed the words he used and is now repeating the words he changed, but the facts are clear. After receiving letters from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Leader of the Opposition deleted the tweets and changed the words because he knew full well that action could be taken
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.I move, given that, (a) Canadians expect that changes to our laws should be democratically and rigorously debated in the House of Commons; (b) all parties in the House have spoken against the use of omnibus bills to hide changes in initiatives from scrutiny; (c) the world is experiencing a global refugee crisis; and (d) Lloyd Axworthy is condemning proposed changes contained in the omnibus budget bill to the asylum system, while Faith Goldy is cheering them on, that in the opinion of the House, (a) Canada is at serious risk of being on the wrong side of history and (b) the government must immediately withdraw division 16 of part 4 of Bill C-97 and table it as a stand-alone piece of legislation to ensure that Canada continues to live up to its obligations under international law.
Mr. Speaker, since we launched our lower cellphone bill campaign, we have been swamped with stories from mistreated Canadians. Now we learn the agency tasked with protecting Canadians from the banks changed its report on aggressive sales tactics because the banks asked. Even a requirement that banks work in the best interests of consumers was removed. Experts say this shows a cozy relationship between banks, the agency and the Liberal government. Why is the government supporting billionaire banks and not Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice, and after he received that notice, the leader of the official opposition quickly deleted tweets online. He changed the words that he had been using. Even though Conservatives talk a big game and say there has been no effect of the notice that was provided to them, we have already seen that they have deleted tweets.However, this was not the first time they did this. After the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader retracted his comments at that time and deleted those tweets as well.
That is not so, Mr. Speaker.We now know the Liberals tried to prevent the Davie shipyard from getting the contract for the Asterix. When that scandal broke, they backed down. We also know that no explanation was given for why Vice-Admiral Norman was fired in January 2017. The government has paid no legal fees since then.How can the Minister of National Defence justify not covering the legal fees of a respectable officer even as taxpayers pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's shenanigans?
Mr. Speaker, we now know the Department of National Defence used code names to avoid providing evidence in Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's trial. Since October, the Prime Minister has failed to comply with a court order to provide all documents, emails, memos, texts from Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Katie Telford and Zita Astravas.Will the Prime Minister release all documents today and ensure Mark Norman gets a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, on February 7, the Prime Minister said that the former attorney general's story and claims were false, but now the media, Canadians and, even worse, the Liberal caucus, know the truth.Does the Prime Minister realize that he would be guilty of perjury if he repeated those same comments in court?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question a number of times. The fact is that every step of the way the Conservatives are opposed to meaningful action on climate change. Our plan includes putting a price on pollution. It is going to put more money in the pockets of Canadian families. It includes phasing out coal by 2030. It includes having 90% of our electricity generated from green resources by 2030 and, yes, it includes investing in energy efficiency. In my province of Nova Scotia in October, I personally made an announcement through the low-carbon economy fund that would help homeowners make themselves more efficient and bring down their power bills, including by implementing a rebate on fridges for personal use. We are taking climate change seriously.
Mr. Speaker, that is a curious argument, coming from the member opposite, who voted against the Canada child benefit, which put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families, who voted against a tax cut for the middle class and voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest 1%.The fact is, our environmental plan has over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution. It will put $307 in the pockets of his constituents. I look forward to seeing him campaign on a commitment to take that money away.In 2019, Canadians will have a choice: to support a government that is serious about climate action or a government that opposes reasonable steps every step along the way.
Mr. Speaker, all the facts in this matter are public, and they are public because the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence so Canadians could decide for themselves. I know the Conservatives believe they have to decide for all Canadians. The Conservatives will continue to represent Conservatives. The Conservatives will continue to focus on us. We will focus on all Canadians. That is exactly why Canada is better off today than it was under 10 years of Stephen Harper. However, we have a lot more work to do. I encourage us to start talking about policy that matters.
Mr. Speaker, the member just demonstrated once again that the last people the Conservatives seem to care about are all Canadians. Let us speak about our record. Almost 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty. Over 800,000 Canadians have been lifted out of poverty. There were 900,500 jobs created by Canadians. We have trading relationships with each of the seven G7 countries, trading deals that we have today. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by raising them on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians. We have a climate plan that is showing results
Mr. Speaker, the illegal and unjust American tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum must be lifted. American legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, have asked Ambassador Lighthizer and even the President to lift these tariffs. Dozens of U.S. industries have called for the elimination of the American tariffs, citing the impact of Canada's countermeasures.
Mr. Speaker, I can think of a lot of small businesses across this country that would certainly appreciate a little bit of help. It is more of the same from the Liberal government. It continues to stand up for rich corporations while everyone else has a hard time making ends meet. Seniors cannot afford their medication. When will the government stand up for them instead of for companies like Loblaws? Scott, from my riding, wrote the minister requesting when his new fridge would arrive to help him become more environmentally friendly. The Liberals do not get it, but my constituents certainly do. When will the government stand up for Canadians and spend money on supporting them?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons that nothing has changed since the Prime Minister put the Leader of the Opposition on notice regarding the statement he made on March 29. The Leader of the Opposition has publicly stated to the media that he stands by his statement.That being said, it is different for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister says things that are not true. Is he prepared to come to court and say the same thing, knowing that he would be committing perjury?
Mr. Speaker, we have always defended the fundamental rights of each and every Canadian, and we always will.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, I have a point of order. Today during question period, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food misled the House by insinuating that today was the first time I became interested in the canola issue because I was asking a question about it today.This will be my eighth time asking for the unanimous consent of the House to discuss this, so for the eighth time, I hereby seek the unanimous consent of the House to hold an emergency debate on canola this evening.
Mr. Speaker, I am so sorry. My English is not really good.Families that
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was accused of strong-arming the former attorney general to interfere in a criminal prosecution. He denied it. She provided proof. Then the Prime Minister was accused of firing her for refusing to interfere. Again, he denied it. Again, she provided proof. The Prime Minister was accused of being aware that the former attorney general raised her concerns with the officials at the PMO. He denied it. Again, she provided proof. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these denials in the court of law he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that my colleague has finally developed an interest in canola. This crisis has been going on for over a month. My colleagues and I, along with the Minister of International Trade Diversification and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, have been working very hard on this file. We are working very closely with the industry and our provincial colleagues. I have personally asked my Chinese counterpart to receive a delegation of experts led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Mr. Speaker, our commitment to a long-term relocation plan has not changed. The member would know very well from her work as the former minister of indigenous services and president of the Treasury Board the work that is under way to deliver on this commitment. We have made significant progress on priorities, such as the new modular school that will be built in the community in September. We are currently working with the first nation members to monitor the threat of flooding, conduct preliminary mitigation and support them in a smooth transition to host communities.
Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister threatened to sue the Leader of the Opposition for daring to criticize his actions on the Liberal SNC-Lavalin scandal, he thought he could pressure the Conservative leader into backing down. Instead, the Conservative leader continues to state, inside and outside of the House, that the Prime Minister inappropriately interfered in an ongoing criminal proceeding and then conspired to cover it up.If the Prime Minister actually believes he has a case, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, I rise to respond to the question of privilege raised by the hon. member for ChilliwackHope on April 10, 2019 with respect to statements made by the Minister of National Revenue. My hon. colleague argued that by stating on numerous occasions that 1,300 new auditors were hired, the minister wilfully misled the House. The hon. opposition member quoted an article from Le Journal de Montréal published on April 5, 2019, and argued that since the total number of auditors has grown from 6,265 to 6,457 since January 1, 2016, then the 1,300 number is erroneous and consequentially the minister misled the House. House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, states at page 516: In most instances, when a point of order or a question of privilege has been raised in regard to a response to an oral question, the Speaker has ruled that the matter is a disagreement among Members over the facts surrounding the issue, and as such, is a matter of debate and not a breach of the rules or of privilege. The facts are clear. Looking at the numbers, we see that in 2016, 440 new auditors were hired. In 2017, it was 394. Finally, in 2018, there were 555 hired. This brings us to 1,389 new auditors between January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2019, which is consistent with what the minister has been saying inside and outside the House.As such, I believe this is a dispute as to the facts, and it does not constitute a prima facie question of privilege.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to apologize. I withdraw purposely.
Mr. Speaker, I find it curious that on the one hand, the NDP members say that they support investments in energy efficiencies, but as soon as the Liberal government makes these investments, they seem to oppose them. In fact, this plan was awarded after an application process where the department indicated it would return one of the greatest returns on investment in terms of reducing emissions. The company is putting forward $36 million. It will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road.If the hon. member is concerned about affordability, I look forward to her support for budget 2019, which is going to continue to put more money in the pockets of middle-class families.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the official opposition, we certainly want to send our best wishes to the member for Oakville NorthBurlington and also thank everyone who came to her aid at the time. It was good to see her walk out of the House under her own strength.I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Easter during our time away.I would like to ask the Government House Leader if she could give to the House the projected order of business for the remainder of this week and then for the week following the two weeks in our constituencies.
Mr. Speaker, any serious climate plan is going to involve investments in energy efficiency. The project in question involves a $36 million investment from the company. It is going to allow it to replace fridges in over 370 stores, which will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road. This decision was based on science, facts and evidence and on the advice of our department.With respect to the hon. member's mother, I would be happy to point him to the investments in budget 2019 that will help make homes more efficient, will save her money and do the right thing by the environment.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Don Valley North for his question. Our government has launched a new space strategy based on exploration, imagination and innovation. The strategy aims to leverage Canadian strengths, while advancing science and innovation in exciting areas. Our space strategy will also capitalize on the inspirational power of space to engage youth in science, technology and engineering.Our government is ensuring that Canadians are ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of National Revenue agree that purposely hiding important
Mr. Speaker, I am glad that finally my Conservative colleagues care for canola farmers, because we have cared for more than a month now. I have worked closely with the industry with our colleagues from the provinces. I have visited the western provinces. I have asked our Chinese colleague to accept the technical delegation that will be headed by the president of the CFIA.I really care, I understand the issue, and we are working hard as a team to resolve it as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for the question. The Conservatives have not asked a single question on trade for the last few months, and I am happy to engage him in this debate on this issue.Today Canada is the only country in the G7 that has a free trade agreement with all G7 countries. Our government, under our Prime Minister and the minister of international trade, has been diversifying trade, investing in Canadian businesses and making sure that we are creating
Mr. Speaker, our government knows that it will take a bold, ambitious and inventive new vision to address the challenges we face today. Indeed, the urgency of action on climate change is clear, especially in Canada's northern and remote communities. We see the effects of this every single day. We know that reducing our reliance on diesel power generation will play a key role in the transition to a greener future. Could the minister update the House on investments our government is making to reduce our reliance on diesel in off-grid and remote communities?
Mr. Speaker, as I just stated, the government is meeting all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. All documents requested from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February have already been provided to the court.When it comes to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification is being followed appropriately throughout.
Mr. Speaker, the prosecution in question is being handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which operates independently from the Department of Justice and from my office.Counsel for the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all of its obligations to the court with respect to third party records applications. We are co-operating, but it would be improper for me to comment on anything further as it is before the courts.
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated, counsel to the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all its obligations before the court with respect to third party applications for records. All the documents that had been requested by the so-called priority individuals identified by the defence in February have been provided to the court.With respect to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification has been applied rigorously.
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed that we are committed to fully co-operating with the OECD and that we firmly support its work. Canada is a strong supporter of the rules-based international order, which includes the OECD.
Mr. Speaker, I hope we will hear some good news about the member for Oakville NorthBurlington. I will shortly be seeking the unanimous consent of the House for a motion. On Tuesday, Quebec's National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion moved by the MNA for Marie-Victorin, Catherine Fournier. This unanimous motion recognizes the work that creators do to promote Quebec culture and asks the Canadian government to modernize CRTC and broadcasting rules to defend Quebec culture.We want to respect the consensus of the National Assembly. I therefore seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: That the House of Commons receive the motion adopted unanimously by the National Assembly on April 9, 2019, and relay its request that the CRTC and broadcasting rules be adapted to the new challenges of our era.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, the Treasury Board policy is being followed to the letter, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed to him that we were fully committed to fully co-operating with the work at the OECD and that we fully supported its good work. Canada is a strong supporter of the OECD and the rules-based international order.
Mr. Speaker, from pioneering satellite communications technologies to building a Canadarm and space-based radar systems, Canada has been making key contributions to space science and technology for over six decades.Could the minister update the House on our efforts to foster our future astronauts, engineers and scientists so that Canada continues to benefit from opportunities in the space economy?
Mr. Speaker, today, one of our colleagues in the House needed a helping hand. I want to take a minute to thank every single member of Parliament, and namely the member of Parliament for Peace RiverWestlock, the member of Parliament for Oshawa, the member of Parliament for KitchenerConestoga, the member of Parliament for MarkhamStouffville, the member of Parliament for Brampton West, the member of Parliament for TorontoSt. Paul's and the member of Parliament for CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboiaHeadingley.This demonstrates that we are all human beings and that we care for each other. I want to give a wholehearted thanks from our side to across the aisle.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I received a call from Chief Leo Friday of Kashechewan First Nation. Ten days from now, more than 2,000 people from this community will be forced to leave their homes in the annual evacuation process. The chief is concerned about the resilience of the dike and there are legitimate fears of severe flooding.Our country spends millions of dollars annually for evacuations and for repairing flood damage in homes. When can we expect a serious commitment to funding the relocation that, for years, the community has been asking for?
Mr. Speaker, I am a Quebecker, and so it is my duty to express my opinion on the issue.We strongly condemn the use of inflammatory remarks, such as those of the mayor of Hampstead. They are hurtful to those who have suffered atrocities and they distract us from the real issues. As the Prime Minister has already said, we do not need to go to extremes. As Quebeckers and Canadians, we can debate the bill respectfully and without pushing too far.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has a golden rule: Those with the gold make the rules.When SNC-Lavalin was charged with stealing $130 million from Libya's poor, he rushed in to block it from having to go to trial. When Loblaws billionaires ripped off the poor by fixing the price of bread and ripped of taxpayers by stashing their cash in the Carribean, the Prime Minister gave them $12 million for their efforts.Why does the Prime Minister always take from the have-nots to give to the have-yachts?
Mr. Speaker, as much as this Prime Minister wants to change the channel, Canadians still want the truth on his political interference in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. The Prime Minister says that he has full confidence in committees, the same ones the Liberals have shut down debate on. The OECD is not letting it go, and that is why it referred the case to its working group on bribery. The Prime Minister's word is not going to cut it. This is a stain on Canada's international reputation. Will the Prime Minister save us the embarrassment and launch a public independent inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, whether the minister likes it or not, it is up to Quebeckers to decide what works for them. The secularism of the state of Quebec will be decided by Quebec, not by Ottawa and not by the House, which even refuses to condemn the shameful remarks of the mayor of Hampstead, who has compared the secularism bill to ethnic cleansing.Will the Minister of Justice respect the will of Quebec and undertake not to challenge Bill 21 or support any legal challenges?
Mr. Speaker, the opposition leader did not retract any statements. In fact, he repeated every single word yesterday. We look forward to the Prime Minister's testifying in court under oath, where he cannot control the process, he cannot control the people and he cannot shut it down like he killed two investigations. For once in his life, he will have to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Does he actually have the backbone to set a date? When will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time that the Conservative leader and his party have misled Canadians with false and defamatory statements.This is not the first time that we have sent a letter to the Leader of the Opposition because he continues to repeat falsehoods. They erased public statements, their tweets, from December, February, and now March, because they know that they should have a little respect for our institutionsnot a lot, just a little.
Mr. Speaker, according to Maclean's, the Ethics Commissioner has become a useful fig leaf for Liberals keen to shut down further discussions. Harper Conservatives drafted a weak ethics bill, but it is the Liberals who are using it as cover to avoid answering questions. The Liberals will be under the microscope when the anti-bribery groups meet in June. Will the Prime Minister assure OECD officials that the Liberals will not interfere with Canada's top prosecutor taking corporate corruption to court?
Mr. Speaker, we learned that the finance minister and the big banks worked together to skew a report that proved banks had predatory practices and abused their own customers. Banks misled consumers by lying about credit card fees, mortgage rates and banking fees, to name a few.Instead of protecting consumers, the Liberals decided to protect the banks by editing the report and trying to cover up the truth. This is shameful. Canadians are tired of the Liberal government being an apologist for consumer abuse, manipulation and exploitation.The Minister of Public Safety bragged about fines and penalties. Does he actually have the courage to act on them?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' only plan is to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when they did it earlier this year and the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader of the official opposition retracted those comments and deleted those tweets.The Conservatives, once again, continue to mislead Canadians, so the Prime Minister put the leader of the official opposition on notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do on March 31? He deleted those tweets. The only plan Conservatives have is to mislead Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to hear the truth, and that is exactly why all the facts are now public. Yes, we took a first step. That is exactly why we put the leader of the official opposition on notice. He continues making false and misleading statements to Canadians. After receiving that notice, he changed the words that he has been using. He deleted some tweets and statements made online. He has already responded through his actions, because he knows he should not be doing what he is doing.
Mr. Speaker, she is right. Canadians do know the facts. The Prime Minister said that The Globe and Mail allegations of pressure on the former attorney general were false. We now know that is not true. He said that the former attorney general never came to him to speak of her concerns. We now know that is not true. He said that it was all about protecting jobs, but we know now that also is not true. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these falsehoods in court he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, an illegal vacation to a billionaire island, inviting a convicted terrorist in India, destroying relations with our most important trading partners, attempting to politically interfere with a criminal prosecution, countless ethics violations and an attitude that the rules and the law do not apply to him. Like so many Liberals before him, the Prime Minister's record is scandal and failure with serious consequences for Canadians. How come when it comes to the Prime Minister and his friends, they are taken care of, but ordinary Canadians are not?
Mr. Speaker, that was not the question. The fact is that the banks and the Minister of Finance influenced the agency that is supposed to be monitoring them.Is anyone really surprised? This independent agency is actually funded by the banks themselves. Do we really think the banks' watchdog will bite the hand that feeds it? Canadians are sick of seeing the Liberal government side with the banks over the public. The government is letting banks rip off consumers, and the Prime Minister is turning a blind eye to the whole business.When will the Prime Minister grow a spine and stand up to the big banks by creating a genuinely independent watchdog with teeth?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered that question on numerous occasions. The members know very well that the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. They know very well that he has deleted tweets and retracted comments. What do they do? The Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. They mislead Canadians because they have no plan for the environment and no plan for the economy. However, what they do have is a plan to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when it comes to programs and services available to Canadians, the Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians by refusing to admit that there is a climate action incentive. Luckily they cannot do that in New Brunswick, but they sure did in
Mr. Speaker, in response to my question yesterday, the Prime Minister said that there is no place for discrimination against our citizens, as though the bill on secularism introduced by the state of Quebec were discriminatory.The bill sets rules for everyone. It is not discriminatory. The same rules will apply to everyone.Is the Prime Minister accusing the Government of Quebec and the millions of Quebeckers who support this bill of discrimination? Have the Liberals really sunk that low?
Mr. Speaker, for over a month now, the Prime Minister's failures on the international stage have cost 43,000 Canadian canola producers dearly.This week, Stephen Vandervalk, an Alberta canola producer, told the committee that this is the worst crisis his family has endured in 100 years. He said that Canadian farmers are the ones paying dearly for this political failure. China was asked to send a delegation, and we have been waiting 10 days for a response. What is the Prime Minister doing about this urgent crisis? He is waiting. When will the Prime Minister stand up to China and fight for canola producers?
Mr. Speaker, Liberals called out the Conservatives for cozying up to white nationalist Faith Goldy, but now the Prime Minister wants to close our border to asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution and violence with a law that prevents them from being able to apply for protection in Canada.When Faith Goldy supports the Liberal immigration policy, we know we are on the wrong side of the issue. By hiding it in a 392-page omnibus bill and refusing to refer it to the immigration committee, the Prime Minister is trying to sneak through this shameful law. Will the Prime Minister stop talking out of both sides of his mouth and withdraw this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, the facts of the matter are that the RCMP is completely independent in its decisions about any investigation or prosecution. Any suggestion that a member of Parliament should in any way influence that decision-making process of our police force is absolutely wrong and false.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman is a 38-year, highly decorated member of the Canadian Forces, and was vice-chair of the defence staff. He served this country with honour and dignity.The least those Liberals could do is give him a shot at a fair trial, but they will not release the documents to his lawyers so he can mount a proper defence. They are hoping he runs out of money before the end of the trial.The Prime Minister has no problem undermining the rule of law. When will the Prime Minister quit manipulating these court proceedings and allow the vice-admiral a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, my mom calls me and asks, Did the Prime Minister really give $12 million to Galen Weston to fix his fridges instead of to seniors. Did the Liberals give it to a company that cheats families out of bread? That is my mom. She is a miner's daughter. She grew up in a different middle class than the Prime Minister did. I said to her, Mom, it's is about lobbying; it's about people you know in the PMO.Will the Prime Minister explain why two lobbyists from Loblaws attended an exclusive cash for access event with him and senior staff of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change? Could he explain that to my mom?
Mr. Speaker, the OECD is calling for us to do more for the middle class. That is not surprising since half of Canadians are $200 away from bankruptcy. What are the Liberals doing to help those people? They gave $12 million in taxpayers' money to Loblaws, a billionaire company that is making huge profits, so that it could buy fridges. We are talking about a company that refuses to gives its employees decent work and working conditions. Is that the Liberals' plan? Are they going to continue to help the rich instead of our seniors and families?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's letter was about the opposition leader's statement. It has nothing to do with tweets. The Prime Minister said, over and over, that no one ever warned him that his pressure to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin was political interference and was wrong. However, last week he himself admitted that on September 17 that the former attorney general directly advised him, in person, to back off. Now, even though he caught himself in his own words, he still threatens to sue the Leader of the Opposition. Does the Prime Minister know that if he repeats his initial denials in court he will commit perjury?
Mr. Speaker, Loblaws is a billion-dollar company that is owned by the second-richest family in the country. This is the same company that rigged bread prices for 16 years. It really does not need handouts from a tax and spend Liberal government. Now the Prime Minister, our reverse Robin Hood, is giving the company $12 million to buy new fridges while raising taxes on struggling Canadian families.Why is it always with the Liberals that they are giving to the rich and robbing ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, it is increasingly clear that the Prime Minister stands up for big business and not people.Last year, people were horrified to learn that the big banks were aggressively selling services that people did not need. We have now learned that the situation was even worse than we thought and that the Liberal government whitewashed the report. Even worse, it gave the big banks the opportunity to whitewash it.When will the Prime Minister admit that he is there for the richest companies but not for the people?
Mr. Speaker, Canadian producers need assurances that the Liberals will support them and our world-class canola as the crisis with China gets worse. Farmers know that this is a political issue and one that needs to be resolved immediately. The Liberals' lack of action demonstrates their contempt for western Canadian farmers and the importance of the canola sector to the Canadian economy.When will the Prime Minister demonstrate leadership and take action to stand up for canola farmers?
Mr. Speaker, I want to quickly provide a quote that I have not provided for a while. The director of public prosecutions confirmed that prosecutors exercise their discretion independently and free from any political or partisan consideration.That member is lacking confidence in our institutions. I can confirm to him, once again, as was provided in testimony at the justice committee, that the rule of law is intact in Canada. Our institutions are intact. Canadians can have confidence in them. That member should stop misleading Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I can help hon. members out.The Conservatives said that the justice committee would not meet. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that witnesses would not get to appear. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that the Prime Minister would not waive solicitor-client privilege or cabinet confidence. That turned out to be false. All facts are public for Canadians to hear. Canadians deserve to get to hear the truth and that is exactly why all the matters from the justice committee on this issue were in public.
Mr. Speaker, I know a pretty good lawyer, so I will be all right.Canadians are concerned. They see this Prime Minister ignoring questions about his scandal and want to know what happened. They are not the only ones who are concerned. The OECD warned Canada that it will be monitoring how the Liberal government manages this matter. People want the truth. When will the Prime Minister launch a public inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, we have full confidence in the director of public prosecutions. That is why we think she should be allowed to make the decision on prosecuting SNC-Lavalin. The government refuses to guarantee that this will happen. It has interfered in this case, it has interfered in the Norman case, and now we know that it implicated the RCMP for nine months in orchestrating the Prime Minister's illegal vacation to billionaire island. That vacation might have violated sections of the Criminal Code, which the RCMP would be responsible for investigating.How can Canadians be sure that there has been an independent vetting of this issue, given past interference?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman has drawn the wrong conclusion. As a matter of fact, as a result of the report, we have introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information and exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have a policy in place to make consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them and increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is politically interfering in a court case. He is denying the truth, resorting to intimidation, and trying to silence all those who do not think like him.If the Prime Minister has any courage at all, even just a little bit, will he agree to follow through on his notice so that we can all find out the truth in this case? Is he afraid to testify under oath?
Mr. Speaker, the first step in any situation, as the members are referring to, is to put the leader of the official opposition on notice. We have now put the leader of the official opposition on notice numerous times. Canadians can rest assured that we will not stand idly by, while those Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why we provided them notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do? He deleted tweets and he retracted online statements. He knows very well that the notice he was served has consequences.
Mr. Speaker, as a result of the Prime Minister's lack of leadership, his government has failed in all the international trade files. Steel and aluminum tariffs still have not been lifted. Compensation is being paid out in dribs and drabs, and let us not forget that the existing safeguards are set to expire on April 27.I want to know why the Prime Minister signed the agreement before getting the United States to lift the tariffs on steel and aluminum.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I rarely rise on a point of order but I felt compelled to do so today because I am very disappointed in the mocking my colleague received as she tried to answer in English.I am especially disappointed in the member for TimminsJames Bay, who is supposedly the critic for ethics. He joined many of his colleagues across the aisle in mocking her, and in fact said, What is she going to do? There is no one to write down her
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to something as important as the national pharmacare program, our government wants to ensure that we have a plan, and we want to ensure that we get it right. That is why I was very pleased that we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. This committee has been working for the past year. We received the report last month. I am looking forward to receiving its final report later on this June.One of the key recommendations it made in the interim report was to make sure that we put in place a Canadian drug agency, and I was pleased to see it in budget 2019. The money is available to start that work.
Mr. Speaker, I was particularly shocked yesterday when I heard that the Conservatives chose to mislead their constituents in their partisan taxpayer-funded tax guide. This partisan guide left out information on important elements such as the Canada child benefit and the climate action incentive rebate. It left out information on money to which their constituents are entitled.Does the Minister of National Revenue agree that
Mr. Speaker, Canadians will have a choice between the son of a working-class family, who will stand up for ordinary Canadians and let them get ahead, or the trust-fund Prime Minister, who will protect millionaires like himself by upholding their loopholes and forking over endless sums of taxpayers' money.Speaking of which, when it comes to SNC-Lavalin, the decision is still not final. The Prime Minister interfered to try to get the company off of charges. Will he now respect the decision of the prosecutor and promise that no Liberal politician will sign a deal to block the trial?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put the Conservative leader on notice. He has repeated the exact same statement outside of the House. Now he is calling on the Prime Minister to take further action, to come before a court and get on the stand if he has nothing to hide. If he stands by everything in his threatening letter to sue the Leader of the Opposition, I ask again, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order that is very similar to my colleague's. Since the Minister of Agriculture said she was now seized with the canola matter and fully aware of it, I hope that finally our colleagues on the Liberal benches will agree to have an emergency debate.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to do everything to politically interfere and frustrate Mark Norman's ability to get a fair trial. He will not comply with court orders to provide documents and when he does, they are completely redacted. Even worse, he will not pay Mark Norman's legal fees, hindering his ability to mount an effective defence.Did the Prime Minister, or any current or former cabinet minister or any PMO staff discuss influencing the timing of Mark Norman's trial?
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to know the truth. That is exactly why the Prime Minister had the courage to waive cabinet confidence and solicitor-client privilege. He did that so that Canadians can know the truth.We did in fact send a letter to the Leader of the Opposition. We put him on notice because he continues to say things that he should not. That is exactly why he deleted his tweets.
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-97, the budget implementation act, 2019. Tomorrow we will continue with debate on the BIA. The Monday following our return from the two weeks in our ridings will be an opposition day.Tuesday we will resume debate at second reading of the budget bill.I also want to reiterate the comments of the Conservative whip on behalf of the Prime Minister as well as the Government of Canada to all members and to all Canadians who are celebrating. Happy Easter.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all our colleagues, I want to wish my hon. colleague the best.I look forward to engaging my colleague in further debate on international trade, but our government is committed to supporting businesses to create wealth and create jobs for all Canadians all across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, for four days now, we have been standing in this place and asking the Prime Minister whether he intends to follow through on his notice. We are told yes over and over again, but that he needs to change his story. He has not changed it and keeps repeating it every day. He stands by everything that has been said. This is nothing but bullying on the part of the Prime Minister, because he is not happy when anyone has different ideas.Will he show some courage and follow through on his notice, so that we and all Canadians will hear the whole truth?
Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to a fair refugee system that provides protection to those who need it most, protects the safety of all Canadians and keeps our border secure. On the well-established international principle of asylum primacy, we wish to encourage all those who truly need protection to seek asylum at the first possible opportunity. The measures that we are proposing are part of a broader package included in budget 2019 that is aimed at ensuring that people who genuinely need asylum receive it quickly and efficiently. I wish to assure the member that every claimant will have access
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for raising this concerning issue. It is unacceptable that Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians on how to access their
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for NorthumberlandPeterborough South for her hard work. It is clear that the best solutions for combatting climate change in rural and remote indigenous communities come from the people who live there. That is why our government is investing more than $3.5 million in two indigenous projects owned and operated by the Gwichin Development Corporation. Investments like these create jobs, cut energy costs and protect the environment.
Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, nothing the member just said could be further from the truth.We took the report very seriously and went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers to prohibit banks from exerting undue pressure on consumers to buy products or services; to require banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive products that are appropriate for them; and increase penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million, something the Conservatives failed to do for 10 years.May I remind the New Democrats that they voted against these measures.
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the member to revisit his wording, because I know he would never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. If, all of a sudden, the NDP members are taking that approach, they are even closer to the Conservatives than I even realized. We will never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. When it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, yes, there is an ongoing investigation in this matter. Yes, we have confidence in our institutions. We know there is an ongoing court case. We know the justice committee did its important work. I guess only we, on this side, have respect for our institutions.
Mr. Speaker, quite the opposite. I wonder where the opposition member has been for the past three years, when we were taking steps to protect Canadian consumers of financial products. For 10 years, under Stephen Harper, consumer protection and strong, robust bank regulation were not so much as an afterthought.I will remind him of the same thing I just said to his colleague. Over the past few years, we went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers and from exerting undue pressure on consumers. We also increased penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives launched the most ambitious trade agenda this country has ever seen. The trans-Pacific partnership was a Conservative deal. Free trade with Europe was a Conservative deal. Our updated trade with Israel was a Conservative deal.What is the Prime Minister's record? In negotiations with the U.S., he delivered losses. Steel and aluminum tariffs are still in place. On softwood lumber, there is no deal. For canola farmers, there is no solution. With the Liberals so focused on their scandals, when will they be able to get something done on trade?
Mr. Speaker, in both official languages, he is still wrong. As a result of the work investigating this situation, the government has introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information. It prohibits the banks from exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them. It increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million. Parliament decides.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue the Conservative leader for stating that the former attorney general told the Prime Minister that she was feeling inappropriate political pressure from him. The only problem with that strategy is that the Prime Minister has now admitted that the former attorney general did warn him about his inappropriate political pressure to his face and in person. Therefore, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue for something he now says is true.Threatening to sue is weak sauce if a person does not back it up, so when will we see the Prime Minister in court?
Mr. Speaker, once again, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. After he received notice, he deleted those tweets. He and his team probably went back to their office and revisited some wording. Their new wording is exactly what they are repeating. They will not repeat the comments they deleted after they received notice. That is a fact.
Mr. Speaker, on a number of occasions the Leader of the Opposition, the Conservative leader, was forced to delete tweets and reword his statements. He changed the words he used and is now repeating the words he changed, but the facts are clear. After receiving letters from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Leader of the Opposition deleted the tweets and changed the words because he knew full well that action could be taken
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.I move, given that, (a) Canadians expect that changes to our laws should be democratically and rigorously debated in the House of Commons; (b) all parties in the House have spoken against the use of omnibus bills to hide changes in initiatives from scrutiny; (c) the world is experiencing a global refugee crisis; and (d) Lloyd Axworthy is condemning proposed changes contained in the omnibus budget bill to the asylum system, while Faith Goldy is cheering them on, that in the opinion of the House, (a) Canada is at serious risk of being on the wrong side of history and (b) the government must immediately withdraw division 16 of part 4 of Bill C-97 and table it as a stand-alone piece of legislation to ensure that Canada continues to live up to its obligations under international law.
Mr. Speaker, since we launched our lower cellphone bill campaign, we have been swamped with stories from mistreated Canadians. Now we learn the agency tasked with protecting Canadians from the banks changed its report on aggressive sales tactics because the banks asked. Even a requirement that banks work in the best interests of consumers was removed. Experts say this shows a cozy relationship between banks, the agency and the Liberal government. Why is the government supporting billionaire banks and not Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice, and after he received that notice, the leader of the official opposition quickly deleted tweets online. He changed the words that he had been using. Even though Conservatives talk a big game and say there has been no effect of the notice that was provided to them, we have already seen that they have deleted tweets.However, this was not the first time they did this. After the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader retracted his comments at that time and deleted those tweets as well.
That is not so, Mr. Speaker.We now know the Liberals tried to prevent the Davie shipyard from getting the contract for the Asterix. When that scandal broke, they backed down. We also know that no explanation was given for why Vice-Admiral Norman was fired in January 2017. The government has paid no legal fees since then.How can the Minister of National Defence justify not covering the legal fees of a respectable officer even as taxpayers pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's shenanigans?
Mr. Speaker, we now know the Department of National Defence used code names to avoid providing evidence in Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's trial. Since October, the Prime Minister has failed to comply with a court order to provide all documents, emails, memos, texts from Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Katie Telford and Zita Astravas.Will the Prime Minister release all documents today and ensure Mark Norman gets a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, on February 7, the Prime Minister said that the former attorney general's story and claims were false, but now the media, Canadians and, even worse, the Liberal caucus, know the truth.Does the Prime Minister realize that he would be guilty of perjury if he repeated those same comments in court?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question a number of times. The fact is that every step of the way the Conservatives are opposed to meaningful action on climate change. Our plan includes putting a price on pollution. It is going to put more money in the pockets of Canadian families. It includes phasing out coal by 2030. It includes having 90% of our electricity generated from green resources by 2030 and, yes, it includes investing in energy efficiency. In my province of Nova Scotia in October, I personally made an announcement through the low-carbon economy fund that would help homeowners make themselves more efficient and bring down their power bills, including by implementing a rebate on fridges for personal use. We are taking climate change seriously.
Mr. Speaker, that is a curious argument, coming from the member opposite, who voted against the Canada child benefit, which put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families, who voted against a tax cut for the middle class and voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest 1%.The fact is, our environmental plan has over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution. It will put $307 in the pockets of his constituents. I look forward to seeing him campaign on a commitment to take that money away.In 2019, Canadians will have a choice: to support a government that is serious about climate action or a government that opposes reasonable steps every step along the way.
Mr. Speaker, all the facts in this matter are public, and they are public because the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence so Canadians could decide for themselves. I know the Conservatives believe they have to decide for all Canadians. The Conservatives will continue to represent Conservatives. The Conservatives will continue to focus on us. We will focus on all Canadians. That is exactly why Canada is better off today than it was under 10 years of Stephen Harper. However, we have a lot more work to do. I encourage us to start talking about policy that matters.
Mr. Speaker, the member just demonstrated once again that the last people the Conservatives seem to care about are all Canadians. Let us speak about our record. Almost 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty. Over 800,000 Canadians have been lifted out of poverty. There were 900,500 jobs created by Canadians. We have trading relationships with each of the seven G7 countries, trading deals that we have today. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by raising them on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians. We have a climate plan that is showing results
Mr. Speaker, the illegal and unjust American tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum must be lifted. American legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, have asked Ambassador Lighthizer and even the President to lift these tariffs. Dozens of U.S. industries have called for the elimination of the American tariffs, citing the impact of Canada's countermeasures.
Mr. Speaker, I can think of a lot of small businesses across this country that would certainly appreciate a little bit of help. It is more of the same from the Liberal government. It continues to stand up for rich corporations while everyone else has a hard time making ends meet. Seniors cannot afford their medication. When will the government stand up for them instead of for companies like Loblaws? Scott, from my riding, wrote the minister requesting when his new fridge would arrive to help him become more environmentally friendly. The Liberals do not get it, but my constituents certainly do. When will the government stand up for Canadians and spend money on supporting them?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons that nothing has changed since the Prime Minister put the Leader of the Opposition on notice regarding the statement he made on March 29. The Leader of the Opposition has publicly stated to the media that he stands by his statement.That being said, it is different for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister says things that are not true. Is he prepared to come to court and say the same thing, knowing that he would be committing perjury?
Mr. Speaker, we have always defended the fundamental rights of each and every Canadian, and we always will.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, I have a point of order. Today during question period, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food misled the House by insinuating that today was the first time I became interested in the canola issue because I was asking a question about it today.This will be my eighth time asking for the unanimous consent of the House to discuss this, so for the eighth time, I hereby seek the unanimous consent of the House to hold an emergency debate on canola this evening.
Mr. Speaker, I am so sorry. My English is not really good.Families that
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was accused of strong-arming the former attorney general to interfere in a criminal prosecution. He denied it. She provided proof. Then the Prime Minister was accused of firing her for refusing to interfere. Again, he denied it. Again, she provided proof. The Prime Minister was accused of being aware that the former attorney general raised her concerns with the officials at the PMO. He denied it. Again, she provided proof. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these denials in the court of law he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that my colleague has finally developed an interest in canola. This crisis has been going on for over a month. My colleagues and I, along with the Minister of International Trade Diversification and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, have been working very hard on this file. We are working very closely with the industry and our provincial colleagues. I have personally asked my Chinese counterpart to receive a delegation of experts led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Mr. Speaker, our commitment to a long-term relocation plan has not changed. The member would know very well from her work as the former minister of indigenous services and president of the Treasury Board the work that is under way to deliver on this commitment. We have made significant progress on priorities, such as the new modular school that will be built in the community in September. We are currently working with the first nation members to monitor the threat of flooding, conduct preliminary mitigation and support them in a smooth transition to host communities.
Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister threatened to sue the Leader of the Opposition for daring to criticize his actions on the Liberal SNC-Lavalin scandal, he thought he could pressure the Conservative leader into backing down. Instead, the Conservative leader continues to state, inside and outside of the House, that the Prime Minister inappropriately interfered in an ongoing criminal proceeding and then conspired to cover it up.If the Prime Minister actually believes he has a case, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, I rise to respond to the question of privilege raised by the hon. member for ChilliwackHope on April 10, 2019 with respect to statements made by the Minister of National Revenue. My hon. colleague argued that by stating on numerous occasions that 1,300 new auditors were hired, the minister wilfully misled the House. The hon. opposition member quoted an article from Le Journal de Montréal published on April 5, 2019, and argued that since the total number of auditors has grown from 6,265 to 6,457 since January 1, 2016, then the 1,300 number is erroneous and consequentially the minister misled the House. House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, states at page 516: In most instances, when a point of order or a question of privilege has been raised in regard to a response to an oral question, the Speaker has ruled that the matter is a disagreement among Members over the facts surrounding the issue, and as such, is a matter of debate and not a breach of the rules or of privilege. The facts are clear. Looking at the numbers, we see that in 2016, 440 new auditors were hired. In 2017, it was 394. Finally, in 2018, there were 555 hired. This brings us to 1,389 new auditors between January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2019, which is consistent with what the minister has been saying inside and outside the House.As such, I believe this is a dispute as to the facts, and it does not constitute a prima facie question of privilege.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to apologize. I withdraw purposely.
Mr. Speaker, I find it curious that on the one hand, the NDP members say that they support investments in energy efficiencies, but as soon as the Liberal government makes these investments, they seem to oppose them. In fact, this plan was awarded after an application process where the department indicated it would return one of the greatest returns on investment in terms of reducing emissions. The company is putting forward $36 million. It will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road.If the hon. member is concerned about affordability, I look forward to her support for budget 2019, which is going to continue to put more money in the pockets of middle-class families.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the official opposition, we certainly want to send our best wishes to the member for Oakville NorthBurlington and also thank everyone who came to her aid at the time. It was good to see her walk out of the House under her own strength.I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Easter during our time away.I would like to ask the Government House Leader if she could give to the House the projected order of business for the remainder of this week and then for the week following the two weeks in our constituencies.
Mr. Speaker, any serious climate plan is going to involve investments in energy efficiency. The project in question involves a $36 million investment from the company. It is going to allow it to replace fridges in over 370 stores, which will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road. This decision was based on science, facts and evidence and on the advice of our department.With respect to the hon. member's mother, I would be happy to point him to the investments in budget 2019 that will help make homes more efficient, will save her money and do the right thing by the environment.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Don Valley North for his question. Our government has launched a new space strategy based on exploration, imagination and innovation. The strategy aims to leverage Canadian strengths, while advancing science and innovation in exciting areas. Our space strategy will also capitalize on the inspirational power of space to engage youth in science, technology and engineering.Our government is ensuring that Canadians are ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of National Revenue agree that purposely hiding important
Mr. Speaker, I am glad that finally my Conservative colleagues care for canola farmers, because we have cared for more than a month now. I have worked closely with the industry with our colleagues from the provinces. I have visited the western provinces. I have asked our Chinese colleague to accept the technical delegation that will be headed by the president of the CFIA.I really care, I understand the issue, and we are working hard as a team to resolve it as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for the question. The Conservatives have not asked a single question on trade for the last few months, and I am happy to engage him in this debate on this issue.Today Canada is the only country in the G7 that has a free trade agreement with all G7 countries. Our government, under our Prime Minister and the minister of international trade, has been diversifying trade, investing in Canadian businesses and making sure that we are creating
Mr. Speaker, our government knows that it will take a bold, ambitious and inventive new vision to address the challenges we face today. Indeed, the urgency of action on climate change is clear, especially in Canada's northern and remote communities. We see the effects of this every single day. We know that reducing our reliance on diesel power generation will play a key role in the transition to a greener future. Could the minister update the House on investments our government is making to reduce our reliance on diesel in off-grid and remote communities?
Mr. Speaker, as I just stated, the government is meeting all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. All documents requested from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February have already been provided to the court.When it comes to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification is being followed appropriately throughout.
Mr. Speaker, the prosecution in question is being handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which operates independently from the Department of Justice and from my office.Counsel for the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all of its obligations to the court with respect to third party records applications. We are co-operating, but it would be improper for me to comment on anything further as it is before the courts.
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated, counsel to the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all its obligations before the court with respect to third party applications for records. All the documents that had been requested by the so-called priority individuals identified by the defence in February have been provided to the court.With respect to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification has been applied rigorously.
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed that we are committed to fully co-operating with the OECD and that we firmly support its work. Canada is a strong supporter of the rules-based international order, which includes the OECD.
Mr. Speaker, I hope we will hear some good news about the member for Oakville NorthBurlington. I will shortly be seeking the unanimous consent of the House for a motion. On Tuesday, Quebec's National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion moved by the MNA for Marie-Victorin, Catherine Fournier. This unanimous motion recognizes the work that creators do to promote Quebec culture and asks the Canadian government to modernize CRTC and broadcasting rules to defend Quebec culture.We want to respect the consensus of the National Assembly. I therefore seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: That the House of Commons receive the motion adopted unanimously by the National Assembly on April 9, 2019, and relay its request that the CRTC and broadcasting rules be adapted to the new challenges of our era.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, the Treasury Board policy is being followed to the letter, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed to him that we were fully committed to fully co-operating with the work at the OECD and that we fully supported its good work. Canada is a strong supporter of the OECD and the rules-based international order.
Mr. Speaker, from pioneering satellite communications technologies to building a Canadarm and space-based radar systems, Canada has been making key contributions to space science and technology for over six decades.Could the minister update the House on our efforts to foster our future astronauts, engineers and scientists so that Canada continues to benefit from opportunities in the space economy?
Mr. Speaker, today, one of our colleagues in the House needed a helping hand. I want to take a minute to thank every single member of Parliament, and namely the member of Parliament for Peace RiverWestlock, the member of Parliament for Oshawa, the member of Parliament for KitchenerConestoga, the member of Parliament for MarkhamStouffville, the member of Parliament for Brampton West, the member of Parliament for TorontoSt. Paul's and the member of Parliament for CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboiaHeadingley.This demonstrates that we are all human beings and that we care for each other. I want to give a wholehearted thanks from our side to across the aisle.
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, for over a month now, the Prime Minister's failures on the international stage have cost 43,000 Canadian canola producers dearly.This week, Stephen Vandervalk, an Alberta canola producer, told the committee that this is the worst crisis his family has endured in 100 years. He said that Canadian farmers are the ones paying dearly for this political failure. China was asked to send a delegation, and we have been waiting 10 days for a response. What is the Prime Minister doing about this urgent crisis? He is waiting. When will the Prime Minister stand up to China and fight for canola producers?
Mr. Speaker, the facts of the matter are that the RCMP is completely independent in its decisions about any investigation or prosecution. Any suggestion that a member of Parliament should in any way influence that decision-making process of our police force is absolutely wrong and false.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I rarely rise on a point of order but I felt compelled to do so today because I am very disappointed in the mocking my colleague received as she tried to answer in English.I am especially disappointed in the member for TimminsJames Bay, who is supposedly the critic for ethics. He joined many of his colleagues across the aisle in mocking her, and in fact said, What is she going to do? There is no one to write down her
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is politically interfering in a court case. He is denying the truth, resorting to intimidation, and trying to silence all those who do not think like him.If the Prime Minister has any courage at all, even just a little bit, will he agree to follow through on his notice so that we can all find out the truth in this case? Is he afraid to testify under oath?
Mr. Speaker, as a result of the Prime Minister's lack of leadership, his government has failed in all the international trade files. Steel and aluminum tariffs still have not been lifted. Compensation is being paid out in dribs and drabs, and let us not forget that the existing safeguards are set to expire on April 27.I want to know why the Prime Minister signed the agreement before getting the United States to lift the tariffs on steel and aluminum.
Mr. Speaker, on February 7, the Prime Minister said that the former attorney general's story and claims were false, but now the media, Canadians and, even worse, the Liberal caucus, know the truth.Does the Prime Minister realize that he would be guilty of perjury if he repeated those same comments in court?
Mr. Speaker, I am so sorry. My English is not really good.Families that
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has a golden rule: Those with the gold make the rules.When SNC-Lavalin was charged with stealing $130 million from Libya's poor, he rushed in to block it from having to go to trial. When Loblaws billionaires ripped off the poor by fixing the price of bread and ripped of taxpayers by stashing their cash in the Carribean, the Prime Minister gave them $12 million for their efforts.Why does the Prime Minister always take from the have-nots to give to the have-yachts?
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I can help hon. members out.The Conservatives said that the justice committee would not meet. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that witnesses would not get to appear. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that the Prime Minister would not waive solicitor-client privilege or cabinet confidence. That turned out to be false. All facts are public for Canadians to hear. Canadians deserve to get to hear the truth and that is exactly why all the matters from the justice committee on this issue were in public.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.I move, given that, (a) Canadians expect that changes to our laws should be democratically and rigorously debated in the House of Commons; (b) all parties in the House have spoken against the use of omnibus bills to hide changes in initiatives from scrutiny; (c) the world is experiencing a global refugee crisis; and (d) Lloyd Axworthy is condemning proposed changes contained in the omnibus budget bill to the asylum system, while Faith Goldy is cheering them on, that in the opinion of the House, (a) Canada is at serious risk of being on the wrong side of history and (b) the government must immediately withdraw division 16 of part 4 of Bill C-97 and table it as a stand-alone piece of legislation to ensure that Canada continues to live up to its obligations under international law.
Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister threatened to sue the Leader of the Opposition for daring to criticize his actions on the Liberal SNC-Lavalin scandal, he thought he could pressure the Conservative leader into backing down. Instead, the Conservative leader continues to state, inside and outside of the House, that the Prime Minister inappropriately interfered in an ongoing criminal proceeding and then conspired to cover it up.If the Prime Minister actually believes he has a case, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, the illegal and unjust American tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum must be lifted. American legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, have asked Ambassador Lighthizer and even the President to lift these tariffs. Dozens of U.S. industries have called for the elimination of the American tariffs, citing the impact of Canada's countermeasures.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians will have a choice between the son of a working-class family, who will stand up for ordinary Canadians and let them get ahead, or the trust-fund Prime Minister, who will protect millionaires like himself by upholding their loopholes and forking over endless sums of taxpayers' money.Speaking of which, when it comes to SNC-Lavalin, the decision is still not final. The Prime Minister interfered to try to get the company off of charges. Will he now respect the decision of the prosecutor and promise that no Liberal politician will sign a deal to block the trial?
Mr. Speaker, it is increasingly clear that the Prime Minister stands up for big business and not people.Last year, people were horrified to learn that the big banks were aggressively selling services that people did not need. We have now learned that the situation was even worse than we thought and that the Liberal government whitewashed the report. Even worse, it gave the big banks the opportunity to whitewash it.When will the Prime Minister admit that he is there for the richest companies but not for the people?
Mr. Speaker, that was not the question. The fact is that the banks and the Minister of Finance influenced the agency that is supposed to be monitoring them.Is anyone really surprised? This independent agency is actually funded by the banks themselves. Do we really think the banks' watchdog will bite the hand that feeds it? Canadians are sick of seeing the Liberal government side with the banks over the public. The government is letting banks rip off consumers, and the Prime Minister is turning a blind eye to the whole business.When will the Prime Minister grow a spine and stand up to the big banks by creating a genuinely independent watchdog with teeth?
Mr. Speaker, for four days now, we have been standing in this place and asking the Prime Minister whether he intends to follow through on his notice. We are told yes over and over again, but that he needs to change his story. He has not changed it and keeps repeating it every day. He stands by everything that has been said. This is nothing but bullying on the part of the Prime Minister, because he is not happy when anyone has different ideas.Will he show some courage and follow through on his notice, so that we and all Canadians will hear the whole truth?
Mr. Speaker, she is right. Canadians do know the facts. The Prime Minister said that The Globe and Mail allegations of pressure on the former attorney general were false. We now know that is not true. He said that the former attorney general never came to him to speak of her concerns. We now know that is not true. He said that it was all about protecting jobs, but we know now that also is not true. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these falsehoods in court he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, nothing the member just said could be further from the truth.We took the report very seriously and went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers to prohibit banks from exerting undue pressure on consumers to buy products or services; to require banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive products that are appropriate for them; and increase penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million, something the Conservatives failed to do for 10 years.May I remind the New Democrats that they voted against these measures.
Mr. Speaker, we have full confidence in the director of public prosecutions. That is why we think she should be allowed to make the decision on prosecuting SNC-Lavalin. The government refuses to guarantee that this will happen. It has interfered in this case, it has interfered in the Norman case, and now we know that it implicated the RCMP for nine months in orchestrating the Prime Minister's illegal vacation to billionaire island. That vacation might have violated sections of the Criminal Code, which the RCMP would be responsible for investigating.How can Canadians be sure that there has been an independent vetting of this issue, given past interference?
Mr. Speaker, an illegal vacation to a billionaire island, inviting a convicted terrorist in India, destroying relations with our most important trading partners, attempting to politically interfere with a criminal prosecution, countless ethics violations and an attitude that the rules and the law do not apply to him. Like so many Liberals before him, the Prime Minister's record is scandal and failure with serious consequences for Canadians. How come when it comes to the Prime Minister and his friends, they are taken care of, but ordinary Canadians are not?
Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time that the Conservative leader and his party have misled Canadians with false and defamatory statements.This is not the first time that we have sent a letter to the Leader of the Opposition because he continues to repeat falsehoods. They erased public statements, their tweets, from December, February, and now March, because they know that they should have a little respect for our institutionsnot a lot, just a little.
Mr. Speaker, the opposition leader did not retract any statements. In fact, he repeated every single word yesterday. We look forward to the Prime Minister's testifying in court under oath, where he cannot control the process, he cannot control the people and he cannot shut it down like he killed two investigations. For once in his life, he will have to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Does he actually have the backbone to set a date? When will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons that nothing has changed since the Prime Minister put the Leader of the Opposition on notice regarding the statement he made on March 29. The Leader of the Opposition has publicly stated to the media that he stands by his statement.That being said, it is different for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister says things that are not true. Is he prepared to come to court and say the same thing, knowing that he would be committing perjury?
Mr. Speaker, Canadian producers need assurances that the Liberals will support them and our world-class canola as the crisis with China gets worse. Farmers know that this is a political issue and one that needs to be resolved immediately. The Liberals' lack of action demonstrates their contempt for western Canadian farmers and the importance of the canola sector to the Canadian economy.When will the Prime Minister demonstrate leadership and take action to stand up for canola farmers?
Mr. Speaker, I was particularly shocked yesterday when I heard that the Conservatives chose to mislead their constituents in their partisan taxpayer-funded tax guide. This partisan guide left out information on important elements such as the Canada child benefit and the climate action incentive rebate. It left out information on money to which their constituents are entitled.Does the Minister of National Revenue agree that
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue the Conservative leader for stating that the former attorney general told the Prime Minister that she was feeling inappropriate political pressure from him. The only problem with that strategy is that the Prime Minister has now admitted that the former attorney general did warn him about his inappropriate political pressure to his face and in person. Therefore, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue for something he now says is true.Threatening to sue is weak sauce if a person does not back it up, so when will we see the Prime Minister in court?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's letter was about the opposition leader's statement. It has nothing to do with tweets. The Prime Minister said, over and over, that no one ever warned him that his pressure to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin was political interference and was wrong. However, last week he himself admitted that on September 17 that the former attorney general directly advised him, in person, to back off. Now, even though he caught himself in his own words, he still threatens to sue the Leader of the Opposition. Does the Prime Minister know that if he repeats his initial denials in court he will commit perjury?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was accused of strong-arming the former attorney general to interfere in a criminal prosecution. He denied it. She provided proof. Then the Prime Minister was accused of firing her for refusing to interfere. Again, he denied it. Again, she provided proof. The Prime Minister was accused of being aware that the former attorney general raised her concerns with the officials at the PMO. He denied it. Again, she provided proof. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these denials in the court of law he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, quite the opposite. I wonder where the opposition member has been for the past three years, when we were taking steps to protect Canadian consumers of financial products. For 10 years, under Stephen Harper, consumer protection and strong, robust bank regulation were not so much as an afterthought.I will remind him of the same thing I just said to his colleague. Over the past few years, we went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers and from exerting undue pressure on consumers. We also increased penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman has drawn the wrong conclusion. As a matter of fact, as a result of the report, we have introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information and exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have a policy in place to make consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them and increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, in both official languages, he is still wrong. As a result of the work investigating this situation, the government has introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information. It prohibits the banks from exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them. It increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million. Parliament decides.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, the Treasury Board policy is being followed to the letter, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of National Revenue agree that purposely hiding important
Mr. Speaker, I would like to apologize. I withdraw purposely.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for raising this concerning issue. It is unacceptable that Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians on how to access their
Mr. Speaker, from pioneering satellite communications technologies to building a Canadarm and space-based radar systems, Canada has been making key contributions to space science and technology for over six decades.Could the minister update the House on our efforts to foster our future astronauts, engineers and scientists so that Canada continues to benefit from opportunities in the space economy?
Mr. Speaker, the member just demonstrated once again that the last people the Conservatives seem to care about are all Canadians. Let us speak about our record. Almost 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty. Over 800,000 Canadians have been lifted out of poverty. There were 900,500 jobs created by Canadians. We have trading relationships with each of the seven G7 countries, trading deals that we have today. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by raising them on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians. We have a climate plan that is showing results
Mr. Speaker, today, one of our colleagues in the House needed a helping hand. I want to take a minute to thank every single member of Parliament, and namely the member of Parliament for Peace RiverWestlock, the member of Parliament for Oshawa, the member of Parliament for KitchenerConestoga, the member of Parliament for MarkhamStouffville, the member of Parliament for Brampton West, the member of Parliament for TorontoSt. Paul's and the member of Parliament for CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboiaHeadingley.This demonstrates that we are all human beings and that we care for each other. I want to give a wholehearted thanks from our side to across the aisle.
Mr. Speaker, the prosecution in question is being handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which operates independently from the Department of Justice and from my office.Counsel for the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all of its obligations to the court with respect to third party records applications. We are co-operating, but it would be improper for me to comment on anything further as it is before the courts.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I received a call from Chief Leo Friday of Kashechewan First Nation. Ten days from now, more than 2,000 people from this community will be forced to leave their homes in the annual evacuation process. The chief is concerned about the resilience of the dike and there are legitimate fears of severe flooding.Our country spends millions of dollars annually for evacuations and for repairing flood damage in homes. When can we expect a serious commitment to funding the relocation that, for years, the community has been asking for?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that my colleague has finally developed an interest in canola. This crisis has been going on for over a month. My colleagues and I, along with the Minister of International Trade Diversification and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, have been working very hard on this file. We are working very closely with the industry and our provincial colleagues. I have personally asked my Chinese counterpart to receive a delegation of experts led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Mr. Speaker, we learned that the finance minister and the big banks worked together to skew a report that proved banks had predatory practices and abused their own customers. Banks misled consumers by lying about credit card fees, mortgage rates and banking fees, to name a few.Instead of protecting consumers, the Liberals decided to protect the banks by editing the report and trying to cover up the truth. This is shameful. Canadians are tired of the Liberal government being an apologist for consumer abuse, manipulation and exploitation.The Minister of Public Safety bragged about fines and penalties. Does he actually have the courage to act on them?
Mr. Speaker, according to Maclean's, the Ethics Commissioner has become a useful fig leaf for Liberals keen to shut down further discussions. Harper Conservatives drafted a weak ethics bill, but it is the Liberals who are using it as cover to avoid answering questions. The Liberals will be under the microscope when the anti-bribery groups meet in June. Will the Prime Minister assure OECD officials that the Liberals will not interfere with Canada's top prosecutor taking corporate corruption to court?
Mr. Speaker, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice, and after he received that notice, the leader of the official opposition quickly deleted tweets online. He changed the words that he had been using. Even though Conservatives talk a big game and say there has been no effect of the notice that was provided to them, we have already seen that they have deleted tweets.However, this was not the first time they did this. After the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader retracted his comments at that time and deleted those tweets as well.
Mr. Speaker, Liberals called out the Conservatives for cozying up to white nationalist Faith Goldy, but now the Prime Minister wants to close our border to asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution and violence with a law that prevents them from being able to apply for protection in Canada.When Faith Goldy supports the Liberal immigration policy, we know we are on the wrong side of the issue. By hiding it in a 392-page omnibus bill and refusing to refer it to the immigration committee, the Prime Minister is trying to sneak through this shameful law. Will the Prime Minister stop talking out of both sides of his mouth and withdraw this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, that is a curious argument, coming from the member opposite, who voted against the Canada child benefit, which put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families, who voted against a tax cut for the middle class and voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest 1%.The fact is, our environmental plan has over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution. It will put $307 in the pockets of his constituents. I look forward to seeing him campaign on a commitment to take that money away.In 2019, Canadians will have a choice: to support a government that is serious about climate action or a government that opposes reasonable steps every step along the way.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to respond to the question of privilege raised by the hon. member for ChilliwackHope on April 10, 2019 with respect to statements made by the Minister of National Revenue. My hon. colleague argued that by stating on numerous occasions that 1,300 new auditors were hired, the minister wilfully misled the House. The hon. opposition member quoted an article from Le Journal de Montréal published on April 5, 2019, and argued that since the total number of auditors has grown from 6,265 to 6,457 since January 1, 2016, then the 1,300 number is erroneous and consequentially the minister misled the House. House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, states at page 516: In most instances, when a point of order or a question of privilege has been raised in regard to a response to an oral question, the Speaker has ruled that the matter is a disagreement among Members over the facts surrounding the issue, and as such, is a matter of debate and not a breach of the rules or of privilege. The facts are clear. Looking at the numbers, we see that in 2016, 440 new auditors were hired. In 2017, it was 394. Finally, in 2018, there were 555 hired. This brings us to 1,389 new auditors between January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2019, which is consistent with what the minister has been saying inside and outside the House.As such, I believe this is a dispute as to the facts, and it does not constitute a prima facie question of privilege.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' only plan is to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when they did it earlier this year and the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader of the official opposition retracted those comments and deleted those tweets.The Conservatives, once again, continue to mislead Canadians, so the Prime Minister put the leader of the official opposition on notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do on March 31? He deleted those tweets. The only plan Conservatives have is to mislead Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as much as this Prime Minister wants to change the channel, Canadians still want the truth on his political interference in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. The Prime Minister says that he has full confidence in committees, the same ones the Liberals have shut down debate on. The OECD is not letting it go, and that is why it referred the case to its working group on bribery. The Prime Minister's word is not going to cut it. This is a stain on Canada's international reputation. Will the Prime Minister save us the embarrassment and launch a public independent inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, my mom calls me and asks, Did the Prime Minister really give $12 million to Galen Weston to fix his fridges instead of to seniors. Did the Liberals give it to a company that cheats families out of bread? That is my mom. She is a miner's daughter. She grew up in a different middle class than the Prime Minister did. I said to her, Mom, it's is about lobbying; it's about people you know in the PMO.Will the Prime Minister explain why two lobbyists from Loblaws attended an exclusive cash for access event with him and senior staff of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change? Could he explain that to my mom?
Mr. Speaker, in response to my question yesterday, the Prime Minister said that there is no place for discrimination against our citizens, as though the bill on secularism introduced by the state of Quebec were discriminatory.The bill sets rules for everyone. It is not discriminatory. The same rules will apply to everyone.Is the Prime Minister accusing the Government of Quebec and the millions of Quebeckers who support this bill of discrimination? Have the Liberals really sunk that low?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to hear the truth, and that is exactly why all the facts are now public. Yes, we took a first step. That is exactly why we put the leader of the official opposition on notice. He continues making false and misleading statements to Canadians. After receiving that notice, he changed the words that he has been using. He deleted some tweets and statements made online. He has already responded through his actions, because he knows he should not be doing what he is doing.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put the Conservative leader on notice. He has repeated the exact same statement outside of the House. Now he is calling on the Prime Minister to take further action, to come before a court and get on the stand if he has nothing to hide. If he stands by everything in his threatening letter to sue the Leader of the Opposition, I ask again, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order that is very similar to my colleague's. Since the Minister of Agriculture said she was now seized with the canola matter and fully aware of it, I hope that finally our colleagues on the Liberal benches will agree to have an emergency debate.
Mr. Speaker, on a number of occasions the Leader of the Opposition, the Conservative leader, was forced to delete tweets and reword his statements. He changed the words he used and is now repeating the words he changed, but the facts are clear. After receiving letters from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Leader of the Opposition deleted the tweets and changed the words because he knew full well that action could be taken
Mr. Speaker, Loblaws is a billion-dollar company that is owned by the second-richest family in the country. This is the same company that rigged bread prices for 16 years. It really does not need handouts from a tax and spend Liberal government. Now the Prime Minister, our reverse Robin Hood, is giving the company $12 million to buy new fridges while raising taxes on struggling Canadian families.Why is it always with the Liberals that they are giving to the rich and robbing ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, our government knows that it will take a bold, ambitious and inventive new vision to address the challenges we face today. Indeed, the urgency of action on climate change is clear, especially in Canada's northern and remote communities. We see the effects of this every single day. We know that reducing our reliance on diesel power generation will play a key role in the transition to a greener future. Could the minister update the House on investments our government is making to reduce our reliance on diesel in off-grid and remote communities?
Mr. Speaker, we now know the Department of National Defence used code names to avoid providing evidence in Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's trial. Since October, the Prime Minister has failed to comply with a court order to provide all documents, emails, memos, texts from Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Katie Telford and Zita Astravas.Will the Prime Minister release all documents today and ensure Mark Norman gets a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, we have always defended the fundamental rights of each and every Canadian, and we always will.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, I am glad that finally my Conservative colleagues care for canola farmers, because we have cared for more than a month now. I have worked closely with the industry with our colleagues from the provinces. I have visited the western provinces. I have asked our Chinese colleague to accept the technical delegation that will be headed by the president of the CFIA.I really care, I understand the issue, and we are working hard as a team to resolve it as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question a number of times. The fact is that every step of the way the Conservatives are opposed to meaningful action on climate change. Our plan includes putting a price on pollution. It is going to put more money in the pockets of Canadian families. It includes phasing out coal by 2030. It includes having 90% of our electricity generated from green resources by 2030 and, yes, it includes investing in energy efficiency. In my province of Nova Scotia in October, I personally made an announcement through the low-carbon economy fund that would help homeowners make themselves more efficient and bring down their power bills, including by implementing a rebate on fridges for personal use. We are taking climate change seriously.
That is not so, Mr. Speaker.We now know the Liberals tried to prevent the Davie shipyard from getting the contract for the Asterix. When that scandal broke, they backed down. We also know that no explanation was given for why Vice-Admiral Norman was fired in January 2017. The government has paid no legal fees since then.How can the Minister of National Defence justify not covering the legal fees of a respectable officer even as taxpayers pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's shenanigans?
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated, counsel to the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all its obligations before the court with respect to third party applications for records. All the documents that had been requested by the so-called priority individuals identified by the defence in February have been provided to the court.With respect to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification has been applied rigorously.
Mr. Speaker, once again, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. After he received notice, he deleted those tweets. He and his team probably went back to their office and revisited some wording. Their new wording is exactly what they are repeating. They will not repeat the comments they deleted after they received notice. That is a fact.
Mr. Speaker, the OECD is calling for us to do more for the middle class. That is not surprising since half of Canadians are $200 away from bankruptcy. What are the Liberals doing to help those people? They gave $12 million in taxpayers' money to Loblaws, a billionaire company that is making huge profits, so that it could buy fridges. We are talking about a company that refuses to gives its employees decent work and working conditions. Is that the Liberals' plan? Are they going to continue to help the rich instead of our seniors and families?
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the member to revisit his wording, because I know he would never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. If, all of a sudden, the NDP members are taking that approach, they are even closer to the Conservatives than I even realized. We will never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. When it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, yes, there is an ongoing investigation in this matter. Yes, we have confidence in our institutions. We know there is an ongoing court case. We know the justice committee did its important work. I guess only we, on this side, have respect for our institutions.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to do everything to politically interfere and frustrate Mark Norman's ability to get a fair trial. He will not comply with court orders to provide documents and when he does, they are completely redacted. Even worse, he will not pay Mark Norman's legal fees, hindering his ability to mount an effective defence.Did the Prime Minister, or any current or former cabinet minister or any PMO staff discuss influencing the timing of Mark Norman's trial?
Mr. Speaker, I can think of a lot of small businesses across this country that would certainly appreciate a little bit of help. It is more of the same from the Liberal government. It continues to stand up for rich corporations while everyone else has a hard time making ends meet. Seniors cannot afford their medication. When will the government stand up for them instead of for companies like Loblaws? Scott, from my riding, wrote the minister requesting when his new fridge would arrive to help him become more environmentally friendly. The Liberals do not get it, but my constituents certainly do. When will the government stand up for Canadians and spend money on supporting them?
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed that we are committed to fully co-operating with the OECD and that we firmly support its work. Canada is a strong supporter of the rules-based international order, which includes the OECD.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all our colleagues, I want to wish my hon. colleague the best.I look forward to engaging my colleague in further debate on international trade, but our government is committed to supporting businesses to create wealth and create jobs for all Canadians all across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, our commitment to a long-term relocation plan has not changed. The member would know very well from her work as the former minister of indigenous services and president of the Treasury Board the work that is under way to deliver on this commitment. We have made significant progress on priorities, such as the new modular school that will be built in the community in September. We are currently working with the first nation members to monitor the threat of flooding, conduct preliminary mitigation and support them in a smooth transition to host communities.
Mr. Speaker, the first step in any situation, as the members are referring to, is to put the leader of the official opposition on notice. We have now put the leader of the official opposition on notice numerous times. Canadians can rest assured that we will not stand idly by, while those Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why we provided them notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do? He deleted tweets and he retracted online statements. He knows very well that the notice he was served has consequences.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for the question. The Conservatives have not asked a single question on trade for the last few months, and I am happy to engage him in this debate on this issue.Today Canada is the only country in the G7 that has a free trade agreement with all G7 countries. Our government, under our Prime Minister and the minister of international trade, has been diversifying trade, investing in Canadian businesses and making sure that we are creating
Mr. Speaker, I want to quickly provide a quote that I have not provided for a while. The director of public prosecutions confirmed that prosecutors exercise their discretion independently and free from any political or partisan consideration.That member is lacking confidence in our institutions. I can confirm to him, once again, as was provided in testimony at the justice committee, that the rule of law is intact in Canada. Our institutions are intact. Canadians can have confidence in them. That member should stop misleading Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for NorthumberlandPeterborough South for her hard work. It is clear that the best solutions for combatting climate change in rural and remote indigenous communities come from the people who live there. That is why our government is investing more than $3.5 million in two indigenous projects owned and operated by the Gwichin Development Corporation. Investments like these create jobs, cut energy costs and protect the environment.
Mr. Speaker, whether the minister likes it or not, it is up to Quebeckers to decide what works for them. The secularism of the state of Quebec will be decided by Quebec, not by Ottawa and not by the House, which even refuses to condemn the shameful remarks of the mayor of Hampstead, who has compared the secularism bill to ethnic cleansing.Will the Minister of Justice respect the will of Quebec and undertake not to challenge Bill 21 or support any legal challenges?
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-97, the budget implementation act, 2019. Tomorrow we will continue with debate on the BIA. The Monday following our return from the two weeks in our ridings will be an opposition day.Tuesday we will resume debate at second reading of the budget bill.I also want to reiterate the comments of the Conservative whip on behalf of the Prime Minister as well as the Government of Canada to all members and to all Canadians who are celebrating. Happy Easter.
Mr. Speaker, I hope we will hear some good news about the member for Oakville NorthBurlington. I will shortly be seeking the unanimous consent of the House for a motion. On Tuesday, Quebec's National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion moved by the MNA for Marie-Victorin, Catherine Fournier. This unanimous motion recognizes the work that creators do to promote Quebec culture and asks the Canadian government to modernize CRTC and broadcasting rules to defend Quebec culture.We want to respect the consensus of the National Assembly. I therefore seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: That the House of Commons receive the motion adopted unanimously by the National Assembly on April 9, 2019, and relay its request that the CRTC and broadcasting rules be adapted to the new challenges of our era.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to something as important as the national pharmacare program, our government wants to ensure that we have a plan, and we want to ensure that we get it right. That is why I was very pleased that we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. This committee has been working for the past year. We received the report last month. I am looking forward to receiving its final report later on this June.One of the key recommendations it made in the interim report was to make sure that we put in place a Canadian drug agency, and I was pleased to see it in budget 2019. The money is available to start that work.
Mr. Speaker, as I just stated, the government is meeting all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. All documents requested from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February have already been provided to the court.When it comes to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification is being followed appropriately throughout.
Mr. Speaker, I have answered that question on numerous occasions. The members know very well that the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. They know very well that he has deleted tweets and retracted comments. What do they do? The Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. They mislead Canadians because they have no plan for the environment and no plan for the economy. However, what they do have is a plan to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when it comes to programs and services available to Canadians, the Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians by refusing to admit that there is a climate action incentive. Luckily they cannot do that in New Brunswick, but they sure did in
Mr. Speaker, I know a pretty good lawyer, so I will be all right.Canadians are concerned. They see this Prime Minister ignoring questions about his scandal and want to know what happened. They are not the only ones who are concerned. The OECD warned Canada that it will be monitoring how the Liberal government manages this matter. People want the truth. When will the Prime Minister launch a public inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, I am a Quebecker, and so it is my duty to express my opinion on the issue.We strongly condemn the use of inflammatory remarks, such as those of the mayor of Hampstead. They are hurtful to those who have suffered atrocities and they distract us from the real issues. As the Prime Minister has already said, we do not need to go to extremes. As Quebeckers and Canadians, we can debate the bill respectfully and without pushing too far.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to know the truth. That is exactly why the Prime Minister had the courage to waive cabinet confidence and solicitor-client privilege. He did that so that Canadians can know the truth.We did in fact send a letter to the Leader of the Opposition. We put him on notice because he continues to say things that he should not. That is exactly why he deleted his tweets.
Mr. Speaker, I have a point of order. Today during question period, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food misled the House by insinuating that today was the first time I became interested in the canola issue because I was asking a question about it today.This will be my eighth time asking for the unanimous consent of the House to discuss this, so for the eighth time, I hereby seek the unanimous consent of the House to hold an emergency debate on canola this evening.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman is a 38-year, highly decorated member of the Canadian Forces, and was vice-chair of the defence staff. He served this country with honour and dignity.The least those Liberals could do is give him a shot at a fair trial, but they will not release the documents to his lawyers so he can mount a proper defence. They are hoping he runs out of money before the end of the trial.The Prime Minister has no problem undermining the rule of law. When will the Prime Minister quit manipulating these court proceedings and allow the vice-admiral a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Don Valley North for his question. Our government has launched a new space strategy based on exploration, imagination and innovation. The strategy aims to leverage Canadian strengths, while advancing science and innovation in exciting areas. Our space strategy will also capitalize on the inspirational power of space to engage youth in science, technology and engineering.Our government is ensuring that Canadians are ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, all the facts in this matter are public, and they are public because the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence so Canadians could decide for themselves. I know the Conservatives believe they have to decide for all Canadians. The Conservatives will continue to represent Conservatives. The Conservatives will continue to focus on us. We will focus on all Canadians. That is exactly why Canada is better off today than it was under 10 years of Stephen Harper. However, we have a lot more work to do. I encourage us to start talking about policy that matters.
Mr. Speaker, any serious climate plan is going to involve investments in energy efficiency. The project in question involves a $36 million investment from the company. It is going to allow it to replace fridges in over 370 stores, which will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road. This decision was based on science, facts and evidence and on the advice of our department.With respect to the hon. member's mother, I would be happy to point him to the investments in budget 2019 that will help make homes more efficient, will save her money and do the right thing by the environment.
Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to a fair refugee system that provides protection to those who need it most, protects the safety of all Canadians and keeps our border secure. On the well-established international principle of asylum primacy, we wish to encourage all those who truly need protection to seek asylum at the first possible opportunity. The measures that we are proposing are part of a broader package included in budget 2019 that is aimed at ensuring that people who genuinely need asylum receive it quickly and efficiently. I wish to assure the member that every claimant will have access
Mr. Speaker, since we launched our lower cellphone bill campaign, we have been swamped with stories from mistreated Canadians. Now we learn the agency tasked with protecting Canadians from the banks changed its report on aggressive sales tactics because the banks asked. Even a requirement that banks work in the best interests of consumers was removed. Experts say this shows a cozy relationship between banks, the agency and the Liberal government. Why is the government supporting billionaire banks and not Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed to him that we were fully committed to fully co-operating with the work at the OECD and that we fully supported its good work. Canada is a strong supporter of the OECD and the rules-based international order.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives launched the most ambitious trade agenda this country has ever seen. The trans-Pacific partnership was a Conservative deal. Free trade with Europe was a Conservative deal. Our updated trade with Israel was a Conservative deal.What is the Prime Minister's record? In negotiations with the U.S., he delivered losses. Steel and aluminum tariffs are still in place. On softwood lumber, there is no deal. For canola farmers, there is no solution. With the Liberals so focused on their scandals, when will they be able to get something done on trade?
Mr. Speaker, I find it curious that on the one hand, the NDP members say that they support investments in energy efficiencies, but as soon as the Liberal government makes these investments, they seem to oppose them. In fact, this plan was awarded after an application process where the department indicated it would return one of the greatest returns on investment in terms of reducing emissions. The company is putting forward $36 million. It will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road.If the hon. member is concerned about affordability, I look forward to her support for budget 2019, which is going to continue to put more money in the pockets of middle-class families.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the official opposition, we certainly want to send our best wishes to the member for Oakville NorthBurlington and also thank everyone who came to her aid at the time. It was good to see her walk out of the House under her own strength.I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Easter during our time away.I would like to ask the Government House Leader if she could give to the House the projected order of business for the remainder of this week and then for the week following the two weeks in our constituencies.
Mr. Speaker, for over a month now, the Prime Minister's failures on the international stage have cost 43,000 Canadian canola producers dearly.This week, Stephen Vandervalk, an Alberta canola producer, told the committee that this is the worst crisis his family has endured in 100 years. He said that Canadian farmers are the ones paying dearly for this political failure. China was asked to send a delegation, and we have been waiting 10 days for a response. What is the Prime Minister doing about this urgent crisis? He is waiting. When will the Prime Minister stand up to China and fight for canola producers?
Mr. Speaker, the facts of the matter are that the RCMP is completely independent in its decisions about any investigation or prosecution. Any suggestion that a member of Parliament should in any way influence that decision-making process of our police force is absolutely wrong and false.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I rarely rise on a point of order but I felt compelled to do so today because I am very disappointed in the mocking my colleague received as she tried to answer in English.I am especially disappointed in the member for TimminsJames Bay, who is supposedly the critic for ethics. He joined many of his colleagues across the aisle in mocking her, and in fact said, What is she going to do? There is no one to write down her
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is politically interfering in a court case. He is denying the truth, resorting to intimidation, and trying to silence all those who do not think like him.If the Prime Minister has any courage at all, even just a little bit, will he agree to follow through on his notice so that we can all find out the truth in this case? Is he afraid to testify under oath?
Mr. Speaker, as a result of the Prime Minister's lack of leadership, his government has failed in all the international trade files. Steel and aluminum tariffs still have not been lifted. Compensation is being paid out in dribs and drabs, and let us not forget that the existing safeguards are set to expire on April 27.I want to know why the Prime Minister signed the agreement before getting the United States to lift the tariffs on steel and aluminum.
Mr. Speaker, on February 7, the Prime Minister said that the former attorney general's story and claims were false, but now the media, Canadians and, even worse, the Liberal caucus, know the truth.Does the Prime Minister realize that he would be guilty of perjury if he repeated those same comments in court?
Mr. Speaker, I am so sorry. My English is not really good.Families that
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has a golden rule: Those with the gold make the rules.When SNC-Lavalin was charged with stealing $130 million from Libya's poor, he rushed in to block it from having to go to trial. When Loblaws billionaires ripped off the poor by fixing the price of bread and ripped of taxpayers by stashing their cash in the Carribean, the Prime Minister gave them $12 million for their efforts.Why does the Prime Minister always take from the have-nots to give to the have-yachts?
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I can help hon. members out.The Conservatives said that the justice committee would not meet. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that witnesses would not get to appear. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that the Prime Minister would not waive solicitor-client privilege or cabinet confidence. That turned out to be false. All facts are public for Canadians to hear. Canadians deserve to get to hear the truth and that is exactly why all the matters from the justice committee on this issue were in public.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.I move, given that, (a) Canadians expect that changes to our laws should be democratically and rigorously debated in the House of Commons; (b) all parties in the House have spoken against the use of omnibus bills to hide changes in initiatives from scrutiny; (c) the world is experiencing a global refugee crisis; and (d) Lloyd Axworthy is condemning proposed changes contained in the omnibus budget bill to the asylum system, while Faith Goldy is cheering them on, that in the opinion of the House, (a) Canada is at serious risk of being on the wrong side of history and (b) the government must immediately withdraw division 16 of part 4 of Bill C-97 and table it as a stand-alone piece of legislation to ensure that Canada continues to live up to its obligations under international law.
Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister threatened to sue the Leader of the Opposition for daring to criticize his actions on the Liberal SNC-Lavalin scandal, he thought he could pressure the Conservative leader into backing down. Instead, the Conservative leader continues to state, inside and outside of the House, that the Prime Minister inappropriately interfered in an ongoing criminal proceeding and then conspired to cover it up.If the Prime Minister actually believes he has a case, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, the illegal and unjust American tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum must be lifted. American legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, have asked Ambassador Lighthizer and even the President to lift these tariffs. Dozens of U.S. industries have called for the elimination of the American tariffs, citing the impact of Canada's countermeasures.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians will have a choice between the son of a working-class family, who will stand up for ordinary Canadians and let them get ahead, or the trust-fund Prime Minister, who will protect millionaires like himself by upholding their loopholes and forking over endless sums of taxpayers' money.Speaking of which, when it comes to SNC-Lavalin, the decision is still not final. The Prime Minister interfered to try to get the company off of charges. Will he now respect the decision of the prosecutor and promise that no Liberal politician will sign a deal to block the trial?
Mr. Speaker, it is increasingly clear that the Prime Minister stands up for big business and not people.Last year, people were horrified to learn that the big banks were aggressively selling services that people did not need. We have now learned that the situation was even worse than we thought and that the Liberal government whitewashed the report. Even worse, it gave the big banks the opportunity to whitewash it.When will the Prime Minister admit that he is there for the richest companies but not for the people?
Mr. Speaker, that was not the question. The fact is that the banks and the Minister of Finance influenced the agency that is supposed to be monitoring them.Is anyone really surprised? This independent agency is actually funded by the banks themselves. Do we really think the banks' watchdog will bite the hand that feeds it? Canadians are sick of seeing the Liberal government side with the banks over the public. The government is letting banks rip off consumers, and the Prime Minister is turning a blind eye to the whole business.When will the Prime Minister grow a spine and stand up to the big banks by creating a genuinely independent watchdog with teeth?
Mr. Speaker, for four days now, we have been standing in this place and asking the Prime Minister whether he intends to follow through on his notice. We are told yes over and over again, but that he needs to change his story. He has not changed it and keeps repeating it every day. He stands by everything that has been said. This is nothing but bullying on the part of the Prime Minister, because he is not happy when anyone has different ideas.Will he show some courage and follow through on his notice, so that we and all Canadians will hear the whole truth?
Mr. Speaker, she is right. Canadians do know the facts. The Prime Minister said that The Globe and Mail allegations of pressure on the former attorney general were false. We now know that is not true. He said that the former attorney general never came to him to speak of her concerns. We now know that is not true. He said that it was all about protecting jobs, but we know now that also is not true. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these falsehoods in court he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, nothing the member just said could be further from the truth.We took the report very seriously and went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers to prohibit banks from exerting undue pressure on consumers to buy products or services; to require banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive products that are appropriate for them; and increase penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million, something the Conservatives failed to do for 10 years.May I remind the New Democrats that they voted against these measures.
Mr. Speaker, we have full confidence in the director of public prosecutions. That is why we think she should be allowed to make the decision on prosecuting SNC-Lavalin. The government refuses to guarantee that this will happen. It has interfered in this case, it has interfered in the Norman case, and now we know that it implicated the RCMP for nine months in orchestrating the Prime Minister's illegal vacation to billionaire island. That vacation might have violated sections of the Criminal Code, which the RCMP would be responsible for investigating.How can Canadians be sure that there has been an independent vetting of this issue, given past interference?
Mr. Speaker, an illegal vacation to a billionaire island, inviting a convicted terrorist in India, destroying relations with our most important trading partners, attempting to politically interfere with a criminal prosecution, countless ethics violations and an attitude that the rules and the law do not apply to him. Like so many Liberals before him, the Prime Minister's record is scandal and failure with serious consequences for Canadians. How come when it comes to the Prime Minister and his friends, they are taken care of, but ordinary Canadians are not?
Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time that the Conservative leader and his party have misled Canadians with false and defamatory statements.This is not the first time that we have sent a letter to the Leader of the Opposition because he continues to repeat falsehoods. They erased public statements, their tweets, from December, February, and now March, because they know that they should have a little respect for our institutionsnot a lot, just a little.
Mr. Speaker, the opposition leader did not retract any statements. In fact, he repeated every single word yesterday. We look forward to the Prime Minister's testifying in court under oath, where he cannot control the process, he cannot control the people and he cannot shut it down like he killed two investigations. For once in his life, he will have to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Does he actually have the backbone to set a date? When will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons that nothing has changed since the Prime Minister put the Leader of the Opposition on notice regarding the statement he made on March 29. The Leader of the Opposition has publicly stated to the media that he stands by his statement.That being said, it is different for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister says things that are not true. Is he prepared to come to court and say the same thing, knowing that he would be committing perjury?
Mr. Speaker, Canadian producers need assurances that the Liberals will support them and our world-class canola as the crisis with China gets worse. Farmers know that this is a political issue and one that needs to be resolved immediately. The Liberals' lack of action demonstrates their contempt for western Canadian farmers and the importance of the canola sector to the Canadian economy.When will the Prime Minister demonstrate leadership and take action to stand up for canola farmers?
Mr. Speaker, I was particularly shocked yesterday when I heard that the Conservatives chose to mislead their constituents in their partisan taxpayer-funded tax guide. This partisan guide left out information on important elements such as the Canada child benefit and the climate action incentive rebate. It left out information on money to which their constituents are entitled.Does the Minister of National Revenue agree that
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue the Conservative leader for stating that the former attorney general told the Prime Minister that she was feeling inappropriate political pressure from him. The only problem with that strategy is that the Prime Minister has now admitted that the former attorney general did warn him about his inappropriate political pressure to his face and in person. Therefore, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue for something he now says is true.Threatening to sue is weak sauce if a person does not back it up, so when will we see the Prime Minister in court?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's letter was about the opposition leader's statement. It has nothing to do with tweets. The Prime Minister said, over and over, that no one ever warned him that his pressure to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin was political interference and was wrong. However, last week he himself admitted that on September 17 that the former attorney general directly advised him, in person, to back off. Now, even though he caught himself in his own words, he still threatens to sue the Leader of the Opposition. Does the Prime Minister know that if he repeats his initial denials in court he will commit perjury?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was accused of strong-arming the former attorney general to interfere in a criminal prosecution. He denied it. She provided proof. Then the Prime Minister was accused of firing her for refusing to interfere. Again, he denied it. Again, she provided proof. The Prime Minister was accused of being aware that the former attorney general raised her concerns with the officials at the PMO. He denied it. Again, she provided proof. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these denials in the court of law he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, quite the opposite. I wonder where the opposition member has been for the past three years, when we were taking steps to protect Canadian consumers of financial products. For 10 years, under Stephen Harper, consumer protection and strong, robust bank regulation were not so much as an afterthought.I will remind him of the same thing I just said to his colleague. Over the past few years, we went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers and from exerting undue pressure on consumers. We also increased penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman has drawn the wrong conclusion. As a matter of fact, as a result of the report, we have introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information and exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have a policy in place to make consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them and increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, in both official languages, he is still wrong. As a result of the work investigating this situation, the government has introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information. It prohibits the banks from exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them. It increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million. Parliament decides.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, the Treasury Board policy is being followed to the letter, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of National Revenue agree that purposely hiding important
Mr. Speaker, I would like to apologize. I withdraw purposely.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for raising this concerning issue. It is unacceptable that Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians on how to access their
Mr. Speaker, from pioneering satellite communications technologies to building a Canadarm and space-based radar systems, Canada has been making key contributions to space science and technology for over six decades.Could the minister update the House on our efforts to foster our future astronauts, engineers and scientists so that Canada continues to benefit from opportunities in the space economy?
Mr. Speaker, the member just demonstrated once again that the last people the Conservatives seem to care about are all Canadians. Let us speak about our record. Almost 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty. Over 800,000 Canadians have been lifted out of poverty. There were 900,500 jobs created by Canadians. We have trading relationships with each of the seven G7 countries, trading deals that we have today. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by raising them on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians. We have a climate plan that is showing results
Mr. Speaker, today, one of our colleagues in the House needed a helping hand. I want to take a minute to thank every single member of Parliament, and namely the member of Parliament for Peace RiverWestlock, the member of Parliament for Oshawa, the member of Parliament for KitchenerConestoga, the member of Parliament for MarkhamStouffville, the member of Parliament for Brampton West, the member of Parliament for TorontoSt. Paul's and the member of Parliament for CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboiaHeadingley.This demonstrates that we are all human beings and that we care for each other. I want to give a wholehearted thanks from our side to across the aisle.
Mr. Speaker, the prosecution in question is being handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which operates independently from the Department of Justice and from my office.Counsel for the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all of its obligations to the court with respect to third party records applications. We are co-operating, but it would be improper for me to comment on anything further as it is before the courts.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I received a call from Chief Leo Friday of Kashechewan First Nation. Ten days from now, more than 2,000 people from this community will be forced to leave their homes in the annual evacuation process. The chief is concerned about the resilience of the dike and there are legitimate fears of severe flooding.Our country spends millions of dollars annually for evacuations and for repairing flood damage in homes. When can we expect a serious commitment to funding the relocation that, for years, the community has been asking for?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that my colleague has finally developed an interest in canola. This crisis has been going on for over a month. My colleagues and I, along with the Minister of International Trade Diversification and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, have been working very hard on this file. We are working very closely with the industry and our provincial colleagues. I have personally asked my Chinese counterpart to receive a delegation of experts led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Mr. Speaker, we learned that the finance minister and the big banks worked together to skew a report that proved banks had predatory practices and abused their own customers. Banks misled consumers by lying about credit card fees, mortgage rates and banking fees, to name a few.Instead of protecting consumers, the Liberals decided to protect the banks by editing the report and trying to cover up the truth. This is shameful. Canadians are tired of the Liberal government being an apologist for consumer abuse, manipulation and exploitation.The Minister of Public Safety bragged about fines and penalties. Does he actually have the courage to act on them?
Mr. Speaker, according to Maclean's, the Ethics Commissioner has become a useful fig leaf for Liberals keen to shut down further discussions. Harper Conservatives drafted a weak ethics bill, but it is the Liberals who are using it as cover to avoid answering questions. The Liberals will be under the microscope when the anti-bribery groups meet in June. Will the Prime Minister assure OECD officials that the Liberals will not interfere with Canada's top prosecutor taking corporate corruption to court?
Mr. Speaker, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice, and after he received that notice, the leader of the official opposition quickly deleted tweets online. He changed the words that he had been using. Even though Conservatives talk a big game and say there has been no effect of the notice that was provided to them, we have already seen that they have deleted tweets.However, this was not the first time they did this. After the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader retracted his comments at that time and deleted those tweets as well.
Mr. Speaker, Liberals called out the Conservatives for cozying up to white nationalist Faith Goldy, but now the Prime Minister wants to close our border to asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution and violence with a law that prevents them from being able to apply for protection in Canada.When Faith Goldy supports the Liberal immigration policy, we know we are on the wrong side of the issue. By hiding it in a 392-page omnibus bill and refusing to refer it to the immigration committee, the Prime Minister is trying to sneak through this shameful law. Will the Prime Minister stop talking out of both sides of his mouth and withdraw this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, that is a curious argument, coming from the member opposite, who voted against the Canada child benefit, which put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families, who voted against a tax cut for the middle class and voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest 1%.The fact is, our environmental plan has over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution. It will put $307 in the pockets of his constituents. I look forward to seeing him campaign on a commitment to take that money away.In 2019, Canadians will have a choice: to support a government that is serious about climate action or a government that opposes reasonable steps every step along the way.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to respond to the question of privilege raised by the hon. member for ChilliwackHope on April 10, 2019 with respect to statements made by the Minister of National Revenue. My hon. colleague argued that by stating on numerous occasions that 1,300 new auditors were hired, the minister wilfully misled the House. The hon. opposition member quoted an article from Le Journal de Montréal published on April 5, 2019, and argued that since the total number of auditors has grown from 6,265 to 6,457 since January 1, 2016, then the 1,300 number is erroneous and consequentially the minister misled the House. House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, states at page 516: In most instances, when a point of order or a question of privilege has been raised in regard to a response to an oral question, the Speaker has ruled that the matter is a disagreement among Members over the facts surrounding the issue, and as such, is a matter of debate and not a breach of the rules or of privilege. The facts are clear. Looking at the numbers, we see that in 2016, 440 new auditors were hired. In 2017, it was 394. Finally, in 2018, there were 555 hired. This brings us to 1,389 new auditors between January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2019, which is consistent with what the minister has been saying inside and outside the House.As such, I believe this is a dispute as to the facts, and it does not constitute a prima facie question of privilege.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' only plan is to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when they did it earlier this year and the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader of the official opposition retracted those comments and deleted those tweets.The Conservatives, once again, continue to mislead Canadians, so the Prime Minister put the leader of the official opposition on notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do on March 31? He deleted those tweets. The only plan Conservatives have is to mislead Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as much as this Prime Minister wants to change the channel, Canadians still want the truth on his political interference in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. The Prime Minister says that he has full confidence in committees, the same ones the Liberals have shut down debate on. The OECD is not letting it go, and that is why it referred the case to its working group on bribery. The Prime Minister's word is not going to cut it. This is a stain on Canada's international reputation. Will the Prime Minister save us the embarrassment and launch a public independent inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, my mom calls me and asks, Did the Prime Minister really give $12 million to Galen Weston to fix his fridges instead of to seniors. Did the Liberals give it to a company that cheats families out of bread? That is my mom. She is a miner's daughter. She grew up in a different middle class than the Prime Minister did. I said to her, Mom, it's is about lobbying; it's about people you know in the PMO.Will the Prime Minister explain why two lobbyists from Loblaws attended an exclusive cash for access event with him and senior staff of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change? Could he explain that to my mom?
Mr. Speaker, in response to my question yesterday, the Prime Minister said that there is no place for discrimination against our citizens, as though the bill on secularism introduced by the state of Quebec were discriminatory.The bill sets rules for everyone. It is not discriminatory. The same rules will apply to everyone.Is the Prime Minister accusing the Government of Quebec and the millions of Quebeckers who support this bill of discrimination? Have the Liberals really sunk that low?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to hear the truth, and that is exactly why all the facts are now public. Yes, we took a first step. That is exactly why we put the leader of the official opposition on notice. He continues making false and misleading statements to Canadians. After receiving that notice, he changed the words that he has been using. He deleted some tweets and statements made online. He has already responded through his actions, because he knows he should not be doing what he is doing.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put the Conservative leader on notice. He has repeated the exact same statement outside of the House. Now he is calling on the Prime Minister to take further action, to come before a court and get on the stand if he has nothing to hide. If he stands by everything in his threatening letter to sue the Leader of the Opposition, I ask again, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order that is very similar to my colleague's. Since the Minister of Agriculture said she was now seized with the canola matter and fully aware of it, I hope that finally our colleagues on the Liberal benches will agree to have an emergency debate.
Mr. Speaker, on a number of occasions the Leader of the Opposition, the Conservative leader, was forced to delete tweets and reword his statements. He changed the words he used and is now repeating the words he changed, but the facts are clear. After receiving letters from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Leader of the Opposition deleted the tweets and changed the words because he knew full well that action could be taken
Mr. Speaker, Loblaws is a billion-dollar company that is owned by the second-richest family in the country. This is the same company that rigged bread prices for 16 years. It really does not need handouts from a tax and spend Liberal government. Now the Prime Minister, our reverse Robin Hood, is giving the company $12 million to buy new fridges while raising taxes on struggling Canadian families.Why is it always with the Liberals that they are giving to the rich and robbing ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, our government knows that it will take a bold, ambitious and inventive new vision to address the challenges we face today. Indeed, the urgency of action on climate change is clear, especially in Canada's northern and remote communities. We see the effects of this every single day. We know that reducing our reliance on diesel power generation will play a key role in the transition to a greener future. Could the minister update the House on investments our government is making to reduce our reliance on diesel in off-grid and remote communities?
Mr. Speaker, we now know the Department of National Defence used code names to avoid providing evidence in Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's trial. Since October, the Prime Minister has failed to comply with a court order to provide all documents, emails, memos, texts from Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Katie Telford and Zita Astravas.Will the Prime Minister release all documents today and ensure Mark Norman gets a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, we have always defended the fundamental rights of each and every Canadian, and we always will.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, I am glad that finally my Conservative colleagues care for canola farmers, because we have cared for more than a month now. I have worked closely with the industry with our colleagues from the provinces. I have visited the western provinces. I have asked our Chinese colleague to accept the technical delegation that will be headed by the president of the CFIA.I really care, I understand the issue, and we are working hard as a team to resolve it as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question a number of times. The fact is that every step of the way the Conservatives are opposed to meaningful action on climate change. Our plan includes putting a price on pollution. It is going to put more money in the pockets of Canadian families. It includes phasing out coal by 2030. It includes having 90% of our electricity generated from green resources by 2030 and, yes, it includes investing in energy efficiency. In my province of Nova Scotia in October, I personally made an announcement through the low-carbon economy fund that would help homeowners make themselves more efficient and bring down their power bills, including by implementing a rebate on fridges for personal use. We are taking climate change seriously.
That is not so, Mr. Speaker.We now know the Liberals tried to prevent the Davie shipyard from getting the contract for the Asterix. When that scandal broke, they backed down. We also know that no explanation was given for why Vice-Admiral Norman was fired in January 2017. The government has paid no legal fees since then.How can the Minister of National Defence justify not covering the legal fees of a respectable officer even as taxpayers pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's shenanigans?
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated, counsel to the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all its obligations before the court with respect to third party applications for records. All the documents that had been requested by the so-called priority individuals identified by the defence in February have been provided to the court.With respect to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification has been applied rigorously.
Mr. Speaker, once again, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. After he received notice, he deleted those tweets. He and his team probably went back to their office and revisited some wording. Their new wording is exactly what they are repeating. They will not repeat the comments they deleted after they received notice. That is a fact.
Mr. Speaker, the OECD is calling for us to do more for the middle class. That is not surprising since half of Canadians are $200 away from bankruptcy. What are the Liberals doing to help those people? They gave $12 million in taxpayers' money to Loblaws, a billionaire company that is making huge profits, so that it could buy fridges. We are talking about a company that refuses to gives its employees decent work and working conditions. Is that the Liberals' plan? Are they going to continue to help the rich instead of our seniors and families?
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the member to revisit his wording, because I know he would never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. If, all of a sudden, the NDP members are taking that approach, they are even closer to the Conservatives than I even realized. We will never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. When it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, yes, there is an ongoing investigation in this matter. Yes, we have confidence in our institutions. We know there is an ongoing court case. We know the justice committee did its important work. I guess only we, on this side, have respect for our institutions.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to do everything to politically interfere and frustrate Mark Norman's ability to get a fair trial. He will not comply with court orders to provide documents and when he does, they are completely redacted. Even worse, he will not pay Mark Norman's legal fees, hindering his ability to mount an effective defence.Did the Prime Minister, or any current or former cabinet minister or any PMO staff discuss influencing the timing of Mark Norman's trial?
Mr. Speaker, I can think of a lot of small businesses across this country that would certainly appreciate a little bit of help. It is more of the same from the Liberal government. It continues to stand up for rich corporations while everyone else has a hard time making ends meet. Seniors cannot afford their medication. When will the government stand up for them instead of for companies like Loblaws? Scott, from my riding, wrote the minister requesting when his new fridge would arrive to help him become more environmentally friendly. The Liberals do not get it, but my constituents certainly do. When will the government stand up for Canadians and spend money on supporting them?
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed that we are committed to fully co-operating with the OECD and that we firmly support its work. Canada is a strong supporter of the rules-based international order, which includes the OECD.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all our colleagues, I want to wish my hon. colleague the best.I look forward to engaging my colleague in further debate on international trade, but our government is committed to supporting businesses to create wealth and create jobs for all Canadians all across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, our commitment to a long-term relocation plan has not changed. The member would know very well from her work as the former minister of indigenous services and president of the Treasury Board the work that is under way to deliver on this commitment. We have made significant progress on priorities, such as the new modular school that will be built in the community in September. We are currently working with the first nation members to monitor the threat of flooding, conduct preliminary mitigation and support them in a smooth transition to host communities.
Mr. Speaker, the first step in any situation, as the members are referring to, is to put the leader of the official opposition on notice. We have now put the leader of the official opposition on notice numerous times. Canadians can rest assured that we will not stand idly by, while those Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why we provided them notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do? He deleted tweets and he retracted online statements. He knows very well that the notice he was served has consequences.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for the question. The Conservatives have not asked a single question on trade for the last few months, and I am happy to engage him in this debate on this issue.Today Canada is the only country in the G7 that has a free trade agreement with all G7 countries. Our government, under our Prime Minister and the minister of international trade, has been diversifying trade, investing in Canadian businesses and making sure that we are creating
Mr. Speaker, I want to quickly provide a quote that I have not provided for a while. The director of public prosecutions confirmed that prosecutors exercise their discretion independently and free from any political or partisan consideration.That member is lacking confidence in our institutions. I can confirm to him, once again, as was provided in testimony at the justice committee, that the rule of law is intact in Canada. Our institutions are intact. Canadians can have confidence in them. That member should stop misleading Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for NorthumberlandPeterborough South for her hard work. It is clear that the best solutions for combatting climate change in rural and remote indigenous communities come from the people who live there. That is why our government is investing more than $3.5 million in two indigenous projects owned and operated by the Gwichin Development Corporation. Investments like these create jobs, cut energy costs and protect the environment.
Mr. Speaker, whether the minister likes it or not, it is up to Quebeckers to decide what works for them. The secularism of the state of Quebec will be decided by Quebec, not by Ottawa and not by the House, which even refuses to condemn the shameful remarks of the mayor of Hampstead, who has compared the secularism bill to ethnic cleansing.Will the Minister of Justice respect the will of Quebec and undertake not to challenge Bill 21 or support any legal challenges?
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-97, the budget implementation act, 2019. Tomorrow we will continue with debate on the BIA. The Monday following our return from the two weeks in our ridings will be an opposition day.Tuesday we will resume debate at second reading of the budget bill.I also want to reiterate the comments of the Conservative whip on behalf of the Prime Minister as well as the Government of Canada to all members and to all Canadians who are celebrating. Happy Easter.
Mr. Speaker, I hope we will hear some good news about the member for Oakville NorthBurlington. I will shortly be seeking the unanimous consent of the House for a motion. On Tuesday, Quebec's National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion moved by the MNA for Marie-Victorin, Catherine Fournier. This unanimous motion recognizes the work that creators do to promote Quebec culture and asks the Canadian government to modernize CRTC and broadcasting rules to defend Quebec culture.We want to respect the consensus of the National Assembly. I therefore seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: That the House of Commons receive the motion adopted unanimously by the National Assembly on April 9, 2019, and relay its request that the CRTC and broadcasting rules be adapted to the new challenges of our era.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to something as important as the national pharmacare program, our government wants to ensure that we have a plan, and we want to ensure that we get it right. That is why I was very pleased that we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. This committee has been working for the past year. We received the report last month. I am looking forward to receiving its final report later on this June.One of the key recommendations it made in the interim report was to make sure that we put in place a Canadian drug agency, and I was pleased to see it in budget 2019. The money is available to start that work.
Mr. Speaker, as I just stated, the government is meeting all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. All documents requested from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February have already been provided to the court.When it comes to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification is being followed appropriately throughout.
Mr. Speaker, I have answered that question on numerous occasions. The members know very well that the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. They know very well that he has deleted tweets and retracted comments. What do they do? The Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. They mislead Canadians because they have no plan for the environment and no plan for the economy. However, what they do have is a plan to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when it comes to programs and services available to Canadians, the Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians by refusing to admit that there is a climate action incentive. Luckily they cannot do that in New Brunswick, but they sure did in
Mr. Speaker, I know a pretty good lawyer, so I will be all right.Canadians are concerned. They see this Prime Minister ignoring questions about his scandal and want to know what happened. They are not the only ones who are concerned. The OECD warned Canada that it will be monitoring how the Liberal government manages this matter. People want the truth. When will the Prime Minister launch a public inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, I am a Quebecker, and so it is my duty to express my opinion on the issue.We strongly condemn the use of inflammatory remarks, such as those of the mayor of Hampstead. They are hurtful to those who have suffered atrocities and they distract us from the real issues. As the Prime Minister has already said, we do not need to go to extremes. As Quebeckers and Canadians, we can debate the bill respectfully and without pushing too far.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to know the truth. That is exactly why the Prime Minister had the courage to waive cabinet confidence and solicitor-client privilege. He did that so that Canadians can know the truth.We did in fact send a letter to the Leader of the Opposition. We put him on notice because he continues to say things that he should not. That is exactly why he deleted his tweets.
Mr. Speaker, I have a point of order. Today during question period, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food misled the House by insinuating that today was the first time I became interested in the canola issue because I was asking a question about it today.This will be my eighth time asking for the unanimous consent of the House to discuss this, so for the eighth time, I hereby seek the unanimous consent of the House to hold an emergency debate on canola this evening.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman is a 38-year, highly decorated member of the Canadian Forces, and was vice-chair of the defence staff. He served this country with honour and dignity.The least those Liberals could do is give him a shot at a fair trial, but they will not release the documents to his lawyers so he can mount a proper defence. They are hoping he runs out of money before the end of the trial.The Prime Minister has no problem undermining the rule of law. When will the Prime Minister quit manipulating these court proceedings and allow the vice-admiral a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Don Valley North for his question. Our government has launched a new space strategy based on exploration, imagination and innovation. The strategy aims to leverage Canadian strengths, while advancing science and innovation in exciting areas. Our space strategy will also capitalize on the inspirational power of space to engage youth in science, technology and engineering.Our government is ensuring that Canadians are ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, all the facts in this matter are public, and they are public because the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence so Canadians could decide for themselves. I know the Conservatives believe they have to decide for all Canadians. The Conservatives will continue to represent Conservatives. The Conservatives will continue to focus on us. We will focus on all Canadians. That is exactly why Canada is better off today than it was under 10 years of Stephen Harper. However, we have a lot more work to do. I encourage us to start talking about policy that matters.
Mr. Speaker, any serious climate plan is going to involve investments in energy efficiency. The project in question involves a $36 million investment from the company. It is going to allow it to replace fridges in over 370 stores, which will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road. This decision was based on science, facts and evidence and on the advice of our department.With respect to the hon. member's mother, I would be happy to point him to the investments in budget 2019 that will help make homes more efficient, will save her money and do the right thing by the environment.
Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to a fair refugee system that provides protection to those who need it most, protects the safety of all Canadians and keeps our border secure. On the well-established international principle of asylum primacy, we wish to encourage all those who truly need protection to seek asylum at the first possible opportunity. The measures that we are proposing are part of a broader package included in budget 2019 that is aimed at ensuring that people who genuinely need asylum receive it quickly and efficiently. I wish to assure the member that every claimant will have access
Mr. Speaker, since we launched our lower cellphone bill campaign, we have been swamped with stories from mistreated Canadians. Now we learn the agency tasked with protecting Canadians from the banks changed its report on aggressive sales tactics because the banks asked. Even a requirement that banks work in the best interests of consumers was removed. Experts say this shows a cozy relationship between banks, the agency and the Liberal government. Why is the government supporting billionaire banks and not Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed to him that we were fully committed to fully co-operating with the work at the OECD and that we fully supported its good work. Canada is a strong supporter of the OECD and the rules-based international order.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives launched the most ambitious trade agenda this country has ever seen. The trans-Pacific partnership was a Conservative deal. Free trade with Europe was a Conservative deal. Our updated trade with Israel was a Conservative deal.What is the Prime Minister's record? In negotiations with the U.S., he delivered losses. Steel and aluminum tariffs are still in place. On softwood lumber, there is no deal. For canola farmers, there is no solution. With the Liberals so focused on their scandals, when will they be able to get something done on trade?
Mr. Speaker, I find it curious that on the one hand, the NDP members say that they support investments in energy efficiencies, but as soon as the Liberal government makes these investments, they seem to oppose them. In fact, this plan was awarded after an application process where the department indicated it would return one of the greatest returns on investment in terms of reducing emissions. The company is putting forward $36 million. It will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road.If the hon. member is concerned about affordability, I look forward to her support for budget 2019, which is going to continue to put more money in the pockets of middle-class families.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the official opposition, we certainly want to send our best wishes to the member for Oakville NorthBurlington and also thank everyone who came to her aid at the time. It was good to see her walk out of the House under her own strength.I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Easter during our time away.I would like to ask the Government House Leader if she could give to the House the projected order of business for the remainder of this week and then for the week following the two weeks in our constituencies.
Most positive speeches
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the official opposition, we certainly want to send our best wishes to the member for Oakville NorthBurlington and also thank everyone who came to her aid at the time. It was good to see her walk out of the House under her own strength.I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Easter during our time away.I would like to ask the Government House Leader if she could give to the House the projected order of business for the remainder of this week and then for the week following the two weeks in our constituencies.
Mr. Speaker, I find it curious that on the one hand, the NDP members say that they support investments in energy efficiencies, but as soon as the Liberal government makes these investments, they seem to oppose them. In fact, this plan was awarded after an application process where the department indicated it would return one of the greatest returns on investment in terms of reducing emissions. The company is putting forward $36 million. It will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road.If the hon. member is concerned about affordability, I look forward to her support for budget 2019, which is going to continue to put more money in the pockets of middle-class families.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives launched the most ambitious trade agenda this country has ever seen. The trans-Pacific partnership was a Conservative deal. Free trade with Europe was a Conservative deal. Our updated trade with Israel was a Conservative deal.What is the Prime Minister's record? In negotiations with the U.S., he delivered losses. Steel and aluminum tariffs are still in place. On softwood lumber, there is no deal. For canola farmers, there is no solution. With the Liberals so focused on their scandals, when will they be able to get something done on trade?
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed to him that we were fully committed to fully co-operating with the work at the OECD and that we fully supported its good work. Canada is a strong supporter of the OECD and the rules-based international order.
Mr. Speaker, since we launched our lower cellphone bill campaign, we have been swamped with stories from mistreated Canadians. Now we learn the agency tasked with protecting Canadians from the banks changed its report on aggressive sales tactics because the banks asked. Even a requirement that banks work in the best interests of consumers was removed. Experts say this shows a cozy relationship between banks, the agency and the Liberal government. Why is the government supporting billionaire banks and not Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to a fair refugee system that provides protection to those who need it most, protects the safety of all Canadians and keeps our border secure. On the well-established international principle of asylum primacy, we wish to encourage all those who truly need protection to seek asylum at the first possible opportunity. The measures that we are proposing are part of a broader package included in budget 2019 that is aimed at ensuring that people who genuinely need asylum receive it quickly and efficiently. I wish to assure the member that every claimant will have access
Mr. Speaker, any serious climate plan is going to involve investments in energy efficiency. The project in question involves a $36 million investment from the company. It is going to allow it to replace fridges in over 370 stores, which will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road. This decision was based on science, facts and evidence and on the advice of our department.With respect to the hon. member's mother, I would be happy to point him to the investments in budget 2019 that will help make homes more efficient, will save her money and do the right thing by the environment.
Mr. Speaker, all the facts in this matter are public, and they are public because the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence so Canadians could decide for themselves. I know the Conservatives believe they have to decide for all Canadians. The Conservatives will continue to represent Conservatives. The Conservatives will continue to focus on us. We will focus on all Canadians. That is exactly why Canada is better off today than it was under 10 years of Stephen Harper. However, we have a lot more work to do. I encourage us to start talking about policy that matters.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Don Valley North for his question. Our government has launched a new space strategy based on exploration, imagination and innovation. The strategy aims to leverage Canadian strengths, while advancing science and innovation in exciting areas. Our space strategy will also capitalize on the inspirational power of space to engage youth in science, technology and engineering.Our government is ensuring that Canadians are ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman is a 38-year, highly decorated member of the Canadian Forces, and was vice-chair of the defence staff. He served this country with honour and dignity.The least those Liberals could do is give him a shot at a fair trial, but they will not release the documents to his lawyers so he can mount a proper defence. They are hoping he runs out of money before the end of the trial.The Prime Minister has no problem undermining the rule of law. When will the Prime Minister quit manipulating these court proceedings and allow the vice-admiral a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to know the truth. That is exactly why the Prime Minister had the courage to waive cabinet confidence and solicitor-client privilege. He did that so that Canadians can know the truth.We did in fact send a letter to the Leader of the Opposition. We put him on notice because he continues to say things that he should not. That is exactly why he deleted his tweets.
Mr. Speaker, I have a point of order. Today during question period, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food misled the House by insinuating that today was the first time I became interested in the canola issue because I was asking a question about it today.This will be my eighth time asking for the unanimous consent of the House to discuss this, so for the eighth time, I hereby seek the unanimous consent of the House to hold an emergency debate on canola this evening.
Mr. Speaker, I am a Quebecker, and so it is my duty to express my opinion on the issue.We strongly condemn the use of inflammatory remarks, such as those of the mayor of Hampstead. They are hurtful to those who have suffered atrocities and they distract us from the real issues. As the Prime Minister has already said, we do not need to go to extremes. As Quebeckers and Canadians, we can debate the bill respectfully and without pushing too far.
Mr. Speaker, I know a pretty good lawyer, so I will be all right.Canadians are concerned. They see this Prime Minister ignoring questions about his scandal and want to know what happened. They are not the only ones who are concerned. The OECD warned Canada that it will be monitoring how the Liberal government manages this matter. People want the truth. When will the Prime Minister launch a public inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered that question on numerous occasions. The members know very well that the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. They know very well that he has deleted tweets and retracted comments. What do they do? The Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. They mislead Canadians because they have no plan for the environment and no plan for the economy. However, what they do have is a plan to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when it comes to programs and services available to Canadians, the Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians by refusing to admit that there is a climate action incentive. Luckily they cannot do that in New Brunswick, but they sure did in
Mr. Speaker, as I just stated, the government is meeting all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. All documents requested from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February have already been provided to the court.When it comes to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification is being followed appropriately throughout.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to something as important as the national pharmacare program, our government wants to ensure that we have a plan, and we want to ensure that we get it right. That is why I was very pleased that we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. This committee has been working for the past year. We received the report last month. I am looking forward to receiving its final report later on this June.One of the key recommendations it made in the interim report was to make sure that we put in place a Canadian drug agency, and I was pleased to see it in budget 2019. The money is available to start that work.
Mr. Speaker, I hope we will hear some good news about the member for Oakville NorthBurlington. I will shortly be seeking the unanimous consent of the House for a motion. On Tuesday, Quebec's National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion moved by the MNA for Marie-Victorin, Catherine Fournier. This unanimous motion recognizes the work that creators do to promote Quebec culture and asks the Canadian government to modernize CRTC and broadcasting rules to defend Quebec culture.We want to respect the consensus of the National Assembly. I therefore seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: That the House of Commons receive the motion adopted unanimously by the National Assembly on April 9, 2019, and relay its request that the CRTC and broadcasting rules be adapted to the new challenges of our era.
Mr. Speaker, whether the minister likes it or not, it is up to Quebeckers to decide what works for them. The secularism of the state of Quebec will be decided by Quebec, not by Ottawa and not by the House, which even refuses to condemn the shameful remarks of the mayor of Hampstead, who has compared the secularism bill to ethnic cleansing.Will the Minister of Justice respect the will of Quebec and undertake not to challenge Bill 21 or support any legal challenges?
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-97, the budget implementation act, 2019. Tomorrow we will continue with debate on the BIA. The Monday following our return from the two weeks in our ridings will be an opposition day.Tuesday we will resume debate at second reading of the budget bill.I also want to reiterate the comments of the Conservative whip on behalf of the Prime Minister as well as the Government of Canada to all members and to all Canadians who are celebrating. Happy Easter.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for NorthumberlandPeterborough South for her hard work. It is clear that the best solutions for combatting climate change in rural and remote indigenous communities come from the people who live there. That is why our government is investing more than $3.5 million in two indigenous projects owned and operated by the Gwichin Development Corporation. Investments like these create jobs, cut energy costs and protect the environment.
Mr. Speaker, I want to quickly provide a quote that I have not provided for a while. The director of public prosecutions confirmed that prosecutors exercise their discretion independently and free from any political or partisan consideration.That member is lacking confidence in our institutions. I can confirm to him, once again, as was provided in testimony at the justice committee, that the rule of law is intact in Canada. Our institutions are intact. Canadians can have confidence in them. That member should stop misleading Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for the question. The Conservatives have not asked a single question on trade for the last few months, and I am happy to engage him in this debate on this issue.Today Canada is the only country in the G7 that has a free trade agreement with all G7 countries. Our government, under our Prime Minister and the minister of international trade, has been diversifying trade, investing in Canadian businesses and making sure that we are creating
Mr. Speaker, the first step in any situation, as the members are referring to, is to put the leader of the official opposition on notice. We have now put the leader of the official opposition on notice numerous times. Canadians can rest assured that we will not stand idly by, while those Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why we provided them notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do? He deleted tweets and he retracted online statements. He knows very well that the notice he was served has consequences.
Mr. Speaker, our commitment to a long-term relocation plan has not changed. The member would know very well from her work as the former minister of indigenous services and president of the Treasury Board the work that is under way to deliver on this commitment. We have made significant progress on priorities, such as the new modular school that will be built in the community in September. We are currently working with the first nation members to monitor the threat of flooding, conduct preliminary mitigation and support them in a smooth transition to host communities.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all our colleagues, I want to wish my hon. colleague the best.I look forward to engaging my colleague in further debate on international trade, but our government is committed to supporting businesses to create wealth and create jobs for all Canadians all across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed that we are committed to fully co-operating with the OECD and that we firmly support its work. Canada is a strong supporter of the rules-based international order, which includes the OECD.
Mr. Speaker, I can think of a lot of small businesses across this country that would certainly appreciate a little bit of help. It is more of the same from the Liberal government. It continues to stand up for rich corporations while everyone else has a hard time making ends meet. Seniors cannot afford their medication. When will the government stand up for them instead of for companies like Loblaws? Scott, from my riding, wrote the minister requesting when his new fridge would arrive to help him become more environmentally friendly. The Liberals do not get it, but my constituents certainly do. When will the government stand up for Canadians and spend money on supporting them?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to do everything to politically interfere and frustrate Mark Norman's ability to get a fair trial. He will not comply with court orders to provide documents and when he does, they are completely redacted. Even worse, he will not pay Mark Norman's legal fees, hindering his ability to mount an effective defence.Did the Prime Minister, or any current or former cabinet minister or any PMO staff discuss influencing the timing of Mark Norman's trial?
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the member to revisit his wording, because I know he would never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. If, all of a sudden, the NDP members are taking that approach, they are even closer to the Conservatives than I even realized. We will never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. When it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, yes, there is an ongoing investigation in this matter. Yes, we have confidence in our institutions. We know there is an ongoing court case. We know the justice committee did its important work. I guess only we, on this side, have respect for our institutions.
Mr. Speaker, the OECD is calling for us to do more for the middle class. That is not surprising since half of Canadians are $200 away from bankruptcy. What are the Liberals doing to help those people? They gave $12 million in taxpayers' money to Loblaws, a billionaire company that is making huge profits, so that it could buy fridges. We are talking about a company that refuses to gives its employees decent work and working conditions. Is that the Liberals' plan? Are they going to continue to help the rich instead of our seniors and families?
Mr. Speaker, once again, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. After he received notice, he deleted those tweets. He and his team probably went back to their office and revisited some wording. Their new wording is exactly what they are repeating. They will not repeat the comments they deleted after they received notice. That is a fact.
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated, counsel to the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all its obligations before the court with respect to third party applications for records. All the documents that had been requested by the so-called priority individuals identified by the defence in February have been provided to the court.With respect to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification has been applied rigorously.
That is not so, Mr. Speaker.We now know the Liberals tried to prevent the Davie shipyard from getting the contract for the Asterix. When that scandal broke, they backed down. We also know that no explanation was given for why Vice-Admiral Norman was fired in January 2017. The government has paid no legal fees since then.How can the Minister of National Defence justify not covering the legal fees of a respectable officer even as taxpayers pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's shenanigans?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question a number of times. The fact is that every step of the way the Conservatives are opposed to meaningful action on climate change. Our plan includes putting a price on pollution. It is going to put more money in the pockets of Canadian families. It includes phasing out coal by 2030. It includes having 90% of our electricity generated from green resources by 2030 and, yes, it includes investing in energy efficiency. In my province of Nova Scotia in October, I personally made an announcement through the low-carbon economy fund that would help homeowners make themselves more efficient and bring down their power bills, including by implementing a rebate on fridges for personal use. We are taking climate change seriously.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad that finally my Conservative colleagues care for canola farmers, because we have cared for more than a month now. I have worked closely with the industry with our colleagues from the provinces. I have visited the western provinces. I have asked our Chinese colleague to accept the technical delegation that will be headed by the president of the CFIA.I really care, I understand the issue, and we are working hard as a team to resolve it as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, we now know the Department of National Defence used code names to avoid providing evidence in Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's trial. Since October, the Prime Minister has failed to comply with a court order to provide all documents, emails, memos, texts from Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Katie Telford and Zita Astravas.Will the Prime Minister release all documents today and ensure Mark Norman gets a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, we have always defended the fundamental rights of each and every Canadian, and we always will.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, our government knows that it will take a bold, ambitious and inventive new vision to address the challenges we face today. Indeed, the urgency of action on climate change is clear, especially in Canada's northern and remote communities. We see the effects of this every single day. We know that reducing our reliance on diesel power generation will play a key role in the transition to a greener future. Could the minister update the House on investments our government is making to reduce our reliance on diesel in off-grid and remote communities?
Mr. Speaker, Loblaws is a billion-dollar company that is owned by the second-richest family in the country. This is the same company that rigged bread prices for 16 years. It really does not need handouts from a tax and spend Liberal government. Now the Prime Minister, our reverse Robin Hood, is giving the company $12 million to buy new fridges while raising taxes on struggling Canadian families.Why is it always with the Liberals that they are giving to the rich and robbing ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, on a number of occasions the Leader of the Opposition, the Conservative leader, was forced to delete tweets and reword his statements. He changed the words he used and is now repeating the words he changed, but the facts are clear. After receiving letters from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Leader of the Opposition deleted the tweets and changed the words because he knew full well that action could be taken
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order that is very similar to my colleague's. Since the Minister of Agriculture said she was now seized with the canola matter and fully aware of it, I hope that finally our colleagues on the Liberal benches will agree to have an emergency debate.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to hear the truth, and that is exactly why all the facts are now public. Yes, we took a first step. That is exactly why we put the leader of the official opposition on notice. He continues making false and misleading statements to Canadians. After receiving that notice, he changed the words that he has been using. He deleted some tweets and statements made online. He has already responded through his actions, because he knows he should not be doing what he is doing.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put the Conservative leader on notice. He has repeated the exact same statement outside of the House. Now he is calling on the Prime Minister to take further action, to come before a court and get on the stand if he has nothing to hide. If he stands by everything in his threatening letter to sue the Leader of the Opposition, I ask again, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, my mom calls me and asks, Did the Prime Minister really give $12 million to Galen Weston to fix his fridges instead of to seniors. Did the Liberals give it to a company that cheats families out of bread? That is my mom. She is a miner's daughter. She grew up in a different middle class than the Prime Minister did. I said to her, Mom, it's is about lobbying; it's about people you know in the PMO.Will the Prime Minister explain why two lobbyists from Loblaws attended an exclusive cash for access event with him and senior staff of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change? Could he explain that to my mom?
Mr. Speaker, in response to my question yesterday, the Prime Minister said that there is no place for discrimination against our citizens, as though the bill on secularism introduced by the state of Quebec were discriminatory.The bill sets rules for everyone. It is not discriminatory. The same rules will apply to everyone.Is the Prime Minister accusing the Government of Quebec and the millions of Quebeckers who support this bill of discrimination? Have the Liberals really sunk that low?
Mr. Speaker, as much as this Prime Minister wants to change the channel, Canadians still want the truth on his political interference in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. The Prime Minister says that he has full confidence in committees, the same ones the Liberals have shut down debate on. The OECD is not letting it go, and that is why it referred the case to its working group on bribery. The Prime Minister's word is not going to cut it. This is a stain on Canada's international reputation. Will the Prime Minister save us the embarrassment and launch a public independent inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' only plan is to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when they did it earlier this year and the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader of the official opposition retracted those comments and deleted those tweets.The Conservatives, once again, continue to mislead Canadians, so the Prime Minister put the leader of the official opposition on notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do on March 31? He deleted those tweets. The only plan Conservatives have is to mislead Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to respond to the question of privilege raised by the hon. member for ChilliwackHope on April 10, 2019 with respect to statements made by the Minister of National Revenue. My hon. colleague argued that by stating on numerous occasions that 1,300 new auditors were hired, the minister wilfully misled the House. The hon. opposition member quoted an article from Le Journal de Montréal published on April 5, 2019, and argued that since the total number of auditors has grown from 6,265 to 6,457 since January 1, 2016, then the 1,300 number is erroneous and consequentially the minister misled the House. House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, states at page 516: In most instances, when a point of order or a question of privilege has been raised in regard to a response to an oral question, the Speaker has ruled that the matter is a disagreement among Members over the facts surrounding the issue, and as such, is a matter of debate and not a breach of the rules or of privilege. The facts are clear. Looking at the numbers, we see that in 2016, 440 new auditors were hired. In 2017, it was 394. Finally, in 2018, there were 555 hired. This brings us to 1,389 new auditors between January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2019, which is consistent with what the minister has been saying inside and outside the House.As such, I believe this is a dispute as to the facts, and it does not constitute a prima facie question of privilege.
Mr. Speaker, that is a curious argument, coming from the member opposite, who voted against the Canada child benefit, which put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families, who voted against a tax cut for the middle class and voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest 1%.The fact is, our environmental plan has over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution. It will put $307 in the pockets of his constituents. I look forward to seeing him campaign on a commitment to take that money away.In 2019, Canadians will have a choice: to support a government that is serious about climate action or a government that opposes reasonable steps every step along the way.
Mr. Speaker, Liberals called out the Conservatives for cozying up to white nationalist Faith Goldy, but now the Prime Minister wants to close our border to asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution and violence with a law that prevents them from being able to apply for protection in Canada.When Faith Goldy supports the Liberal immigration policy, we know we are on the wrong side of the issue. By hiding it in a 392-page omnibus bill and refusing to refer it to the immigration committee, the Prime Minister is trying to sneak through this shameful law. Will the Prime Minister stop talking out of both sides of his mouth and withdraw this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice, and after he received that notice, the leader of the official opposition quickly deleted tweets online. He changed the words that he had been using. Even though Conservatives talk a big game and say there has been no effect of the notice that was provided to them, we have already seen that they have deleted tweets.However, this was not the first time they did this. After the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader retracted his comments at that time and deleted those tweets as well.
Mr. Speaker, according to Maclean's, the Ethics Commissioner has become a useful fig leaf for Liberals keen to shut down further discussions. Harper Conservatives drafted a weak ethics bill, but it is the Liberals who are using it as cover to avoid answering questions. The Liberals will be under the microscope when the anti-bribery groups meet in June. Will the Prime Minister assure OECD officials that the Liberals will not interfere with Canada's top prosecutor taking corporate corruption to court?
Mr. Speaker, we learned that the finance minister and the big banks worked together to skew a report that proved banks had predatory practices and abused their own customers. Banks misled consumers by lying about credit card fees, mortgage rates and banking fees, to name a few.Instead of protecting consumers, the Liberals decided to protect the banks by editing the report and trying to cover up the truth. This is shameful. Canadians are tired of the Liberal government being an apologist for consumer abuse, manipulation and exploitation.The Minister of Public Safety bragged about fines and penalties. Does he actually have the courage to act on them?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that my colleague has finally developed an interest in canola. This crisis has been going on for over a month. My colleagues and I, along with the Minister of International Trade Diversification and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, have been working very hard on this file. We are working very closely with the industry and our provincial colleagues. I have personally asked my Chinese counterpart to receive a delegation of experts led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I received a call from Chief Leo Friday of Kashechewan First Nation. Ten days from now, more than 2,000 people from this community will be forced to leave their homes in the annual evacuation process. The chief is concerned about the resilience of the dike and there are legitimate fears of severe flooding.Our country spends millions of dollars annually for evacuations and for repairing flood damage in homes. When can we expect a serious commitment to funding the relocation that, for years, the community has been asking for?
Mr. Speaker, the prosecution in question is being handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which operates independently from the Department of Justice and from my office.Counsel for the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all of its obligations to the court with respect to third party records applications. We are co-operating, but it would be improper for me to comment on anything further as it is before the courts.
Mr. Speaker, today, one of our colleagues in the House needed a helping hand. I want to take a minute to thank every single member of Parliament, and namely the member of Parliament for Peace RiverWestlock, the member of Parliament for Oshawa, the member of Parliament for KitchenerConestoga, the member of Parliament for MarkhamStouffville, the member of Parliament for Brampton West, the member of Parliament for TorontoSt. Paul's and the member of Parliament for CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboiaHeadingley.This demonstrates that we are all human beings and that we care for each other. I want to give a wholehearted thanks from our side to across the aisle.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman has drawn the wrong conclusion. As a matter of fact, as a result of the report, we have introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information and exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have a policy in place to make consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them and increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, in both official languages, he is still wrong. As a result of the work investigating this situation, the government has introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information. It prohibits the banks from exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them. It increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million. Parliament decides.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, the Treasury Board policy is being followed to the letter, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of National Revenue agree that purposely hiding important
Mr. Speaker, I would like to apologize. I withdraw purposely.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for raising this concerning issue. It is unacceptable that Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians on how to access their
Mr. Speaker, from pioneering satellite communications technologies to building a Canadarm and space-based radar systems, Canada has been making key contributions to space science and technology for over six decades.Could the minister update the House on our efforts to foster our future astronauts, engineers and scientists so that Canada continues to benefit from opportunities in the space economy?
Mr. Speaker, the member just demonstrated once again that the last people the Conservatives seem to care about are all Canadians. Let us speak about our record. Almost 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty. Over 800,000 Canadians have been lifted out of poverty. There were 900,500 jobs created by Canadians. We have trading relationships with each of the seven G7 countries, trading deals that we have today. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by raising them on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians. We have a climate plan that is showing results
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was accused of strong-arming the former attorney general to interfere in a criminal prosecution. He denied it. She provided proof. Then the Prime Minister was accused of firing her for refusing to interfere. Again, he denied it. Again, she provided proof. The Prime Minister was accused of being aware that the former attorney general raised her concerns with the officials at the PMO. He denied it. Again, she provided proof. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these denials in the court of law he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, quite the opposite. I wonder where the opposition member has been for the past three years, when we were taking steps to protect Canadian consumers of financial products. For 10 years, under Stephen Harper, consumer protection and strong, robust bank regulation were not so much as an afterthought.I will remind him of the same thing I just said to his colleague. Over the past few years, we went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers and from exerting undue pressure on consumers. We also increased penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's letter was about the opposition leader's statement. It has nothing to do with tweets. The Prime Minister said, over and over, that no one ever warned him that his pressure to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin was political interference and was wrong. However, last week he himself admitted that on September 17 that the former attorney general directly advised him, in person, to back off. Now, even though he caught himself in his own words, he still threatens to sue the Leader of the Opposition. Does the Prime Minister know that if he repeats his initial denials in court he will commit perjury?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue the Conservative leader for stating that the former attorney general told the Prime Minister that she was feeling inappropriate political pressure from him. The only problem with that strategy is that the Prime Minister has now admitted that the former attorney general did warn him about his inappropriate political pressure to his face and in person. Therefore, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue for something he now says is true.Threatening to sue is weak sauce if a person does not back it up, so when will we see the Prime Minister in court?
Mr. Speaker, I was particularly shocked yesterday when I heard that the Conservatives chose to mislead their constituents in their partisan taxpayer-funded tax guide. This partisan guide left out information on important elements such as the Canada child benefit and the climate action incentive rebate. It left out information on money to which their constituents are entitled.Does the Minister of National Revenue agree that
Mr. Speaker, Canadian producers need assurances that the Liberals will support them and our world-class canola as the crisis with China gets worse. Farmers know that this is a political issue and one that needs to be resolved immediately. The Liberals' lack of action demonstrates their contempt for western Canadian farmers and the importance of the canola sector to the Canadian economy.When will the Prime Minister demonstrate leadership and take action to stand up for canola farmers?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons that nothing has changed since the Prime Minister put the Leader of the Opposition on notice regarding the statement he made on March 29. The Leader of the Opposition has publicly stated to the media that he stands by his statement.That being said, it is different for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister says things that are not true. Is he prepared to come to court and say the same thing, knowing that he would be committing perjury?
Mr. Speaker, the opposition leader did not retract any statements. In fact, he repeated every single word yesterday. We look forward to the Prime Minister's testifying in court under oath, where he cannot control the process, he cannot control the people and he cannot shut it down like he killed two investigations. For once in his life, he will have to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Does he actually have the backbone to set a date? When will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time that the Conservative leader and his party have misled Canadians with false and defamatory statements.This is not the first time that we have sent a letter to the Leader of the Opposition because he continues to repeat falsehoods. They erased public statements, their tweets, from December, February, and now March, because they know that they should have a little respect for our institutionsnot a lot, just a little.
Mr. Speaker, an illegal vacation to a billionaire island, inviting a convicted terrorist in India, destroying relations with our most important trading partners, attempting to politically interfere with a criminal prosecution, countless ethics violations and an attitude that the rules and the law do not apply to him. Like so many Liberals before him, the Prime Minister's record is scandal and failure with serious consequences for Canadians. How come when it comes to the Prime Minister and his friends, they are taken care of, but ordinary Canadians are not?
Mr. Speaker, we have full confidence in the director of public prosecutions. That is why we think she should be allowed to make the decision on prosecuting SNC-Lavalin. The government refuses to guarantee that this will happen. It has interfered in this case, it has interfered in the Norman case, and now we know that it implicated the RCMP for nine months in orchestrating the Prime Minister's illegal vacation to billionaire island. That vacation might have violated sections of the Criminal Code, which the RCMP would be responsible for investigating.How can Canadians be sure that there has been an independent vetting of this issue, given past interference?
Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, nothing the member just said could be further from the truth.We took the report very seriously and went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers to prohibit banks from exerting undue pressure on consumers to buy products or services; to require banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive products that are appropriate for them; and increase penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million, something the Conservatives failed to do for 10 years.May I remind the New Democrats that they voted against these measures.
Mr. Speaker, she is right. Canadians do know the facts. The Prime Minister said that The Globe and Mail allegations of pressure on the former attorney general were false. We now know that is not true. He said that the former attorney general never came to him to speak of her concerns. We now know that is not true. He said that it was all about protecting jobs, but we know now that also is not true. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these falsehoods in court he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, for four days now, we have been standing in this place and asking the Prime Minister whether he intends to follow through on his notice. We are told yes over and over again, but that he needs to change his story. He has not changed it and keeps repeating it every day. He stands by everything that has been said. This is nothing but bullying on the part of the Prime Minister, because he is not happy when anyone has different ideas.Will he show some courage and follow through on his notice, so that we and all Canadians will hear the whole truth?
Mr. Speaker, that was not the question. The fact is that the banks and the Minister of Finance influenced the agency that is supposed to be monitoring them.Is anyone really surprised? This independent agency is actually funded by the banks themselves. Do we really think the banks' watchdog will bite the hand that feeds it? Canadians are sick of seeing the Liberal government side with the banks over the public. The government is letting banks rip off consumers, and the Prime Minister is turning a blind eye to the whole business.When will the Prime Minister grow a spine and stand up to the big banks by creating a genuinely independent watchdog with teeth?
Mr. Speaker, it is increasingly clear that the Prime Minister stands up for big business and not people.Last year, people were horrified to learn that the big banks were aggressively selling services that people did not need. We have now learned that the situation was even worse than we thought and that the Liberal government whitewashed the report. Even worse, it gave the big banks the opportunity to whitewash it.When will the Prime Minister admit that he is there for the richest companies but not for the people?
Mr. Speaker, the illegal and unjust American tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum must be lifted. American legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, have asked Ambassador Lighthizer and even the President to lift these tariffs. Dozens of U.S. industries have called for the elimination of the American tariffs, citing the impact of Canada's countermeasures.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians will have a choice between the son of a working-class family, who will stand up for ordinary Canadians and let them get ahead, or the trust-fund Prime Minister, who will protect millionaires like himself by upholding their loopholes and forking over endless sums of taxpayers' money.Speaking of which, when it comes to SNC-Lavalin, the decision is still not final. The Prime Minister interfered to try to get the company off of charges. Will he now respect the decision of the prosecutor and promise that no Liberal politician will sign a deal to block the trial?
Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister threatened to sue the Leader of the Opposition for daring to criticize his actions on the Liberal SNC-Lavalin scandal, he thought he could pressure the Conservative leader into backing down. Instead, the Conservative leader continues to state, inside and outside of the House, that the Prime Minister inappropriately interfered in an ongoing criminal proceeding and then conspired to cover it up.If the Prime Minister actually believes he has a case, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.I move, given that, (a) Canadians expect that changes to our laws should be democratically and rigorously debated in the House of Commons; (b) all parties in the House have spoken against the use of omnibus bills to hide changes in initiatives from scrutiny; (c) the world is experiencing a global refugee crisis; and (d) Lloyd Axworthy is condemning proposed changes contained in the omnibus budget bill to the asylum system, while Faith Goldy is cheering them on, that in the opinion of the House, (a) Canada is at serious risk of being on the wrong side of history and (b) the government must immediately withdraw division 16 of part 4 of Bill C-97 and table it as a stand-alone piece of legislation to ensure that Canada continues to live up to its obligations under international law.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I can help hon. members out.The Conservatives said that the justice committee would not meet. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that witnesses would not get to appear. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that the Prime Minister would not waive solicitor-client privilege or cabinet confidence. That turned out to be false. All facts are public for Canadians to hear. Canadians deserve to get to hear the truth and that is exactly why all the matters from the justice committee on this issue were in public.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has a golden rule: Those with the gold make the rules.When SNC-Lavalin was charged with stealing $130 million from Libya's poor, he rushed in to block it from having to go to trial. When Loblaws billionaires ripped off the poor by fixing the price of bread and ripped of taxpayers by stashing their cash in the Carribean, the Prime Minister gave them $12 million for their efforts.Why does the Prime Minister always take from the have-nots to give to the have-yachts?
Mr. Speaker, I am so sorry. My English is not really good.Families that
Mr. Speaker, on February 7, the Prime Minister said that the former attorney general's story and claims were false, but now the media, Canadians and, even worse, the Liberal caucus, know the truth.Does the Prime Minister realize that he would be guilty of perjury if he repeated those same comments in court?
Mr. Speaker, as a result of the Prime Minister's lack of leadership, his government has failed in all the international trade files. Steel and aluminum tariffs still have not been lifted. Compensation is being paid out in dribs and drabs, and let us not forget that the existing safeguards are set to expire on April 27.I want to know why the Prime Minister signed the agreement before getting the United States to lift the tariffs on steel and aluminum.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is politically interfering in a court case. He is denying the truth, resorting to intimidation, and trying to silence all those who do not think like him.If the Prime Minister has any courage at all, even just a little bit, will he agree to follow through on his notice so that we can all find out the truth in this case? Is he afraid to testify under oath?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I rarely rise on a point of order but I felt compelled to do so today because I am very disappointed in the mocking my colleague received as she tried to answer in English.I am especially disappointed in the member for TimminsJames Bay, who is supposedly the critic for ethics. He joined many of his colleagues across the aisle in mocking her, and in fact said, What is she going to do? There is no one to write down her
Mr. Speaker, the facts of the matter are that the RCMP is completely independent in its decisions about any investigation or prosecution. Any suggestion that a member of Parliament should in any way influence that decision-making process of our police force is absolutely wrong and false.
Mr. Speaker, for over a month now, the Prime Minister's failures on the international stage have cost 43,000 Canadian canola producers dearly.This week, Stephen Vandervalk, an Alberta canola producer, told the committee that this is the worst crisis his family has endured in 100 years. He said that Canadian farmers are the ones paying dearly for this political failure. China was asked to send a delegation, and we have been waiting 10 days for a response. What is the Prime Minister doing about this urgent crisis? He is waiting. When will the Prime Minister stand up to China and fight for canola producers?
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the official opposition, we certainly want to send our best wishes to the member for Oakville NorthBurlington and also thank everyone who came to her aid at the time. It was good to see her walk out of the House under her own strength.I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Easter during our time away.I would like to ask the Government House Leader if she could give to the House the projected order of business for the remainder of this week and then for the week following the two weeks in our constituencies.
Mr. Speaker, I find it curious that on the one hand, the NDP members say that they support investments in energy efficiencies, but as soon as the Liberal government makes these investments, they seem to oppose them. In fact, this plan was awarded after an application process where the department indicated it would return one of the greatest returns on investment in terms of reducing emissions. The company is putting forward $36 million. It will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road.If the hon. member is concerned about affordability, I look forward to her support for budget 2019, which is going to continue to put more money in the pockets of middle-class families.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives launched the most ambitious trade agenda this country has ever seen. The trans-Pacific partnership was a Conservative deal. Free trade with Europe was a Conservative deal. Our updated trade with Israel was a Conservative deal.What is the Prime Minister's record? In negotiations with the U.S., he delivered losses. Steel and aluminum tariffs are still in place. On softwood lumber, there is no deal. For canola farmers, there is no solution. With the Liberals so focused on their scandals, when will they be able to get something done on trade?
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed to him that we were fully committed to fully co-operating with the work at the OECD and that we fully supported its good work. Canada is a strong supporter of the OECD and the rules-based international order.
Mr. Speaker, since we launched our lower cellphone bill campaign, we have been swamped with stories from mistreated Canadians. Now we learn the agency tasked with protecting Canadians from the banks changed its report on aggressive sales tactics because the banks asked. Even a requirement that banks work in the best interests of consumers was removed. Experts say this shows a cozy relationship between banks, the agency and the Liberal government. Why is the government supporting billionaire banks and not Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to a fair refugee system that provides protection to those who need it most, protects the safety of all Canadians and keeps our border secure. On the well-established international principle of asylum primacy, we wish to encourage all those who truly need protection to seek asylum at the first possible opportunity. The measures that we are proposing are part of a broader package included in budget 2019 that is aimed at ensuring that people who genuinely need asylum receive it quickly and efficiently. I wish to assure the member that every claimant will have access
Mr. Speaker, any serious climate plan is going to involve investments in energy efficiency. The project in question involves a $36 million investment from the company. It is going to allow it to replace fridges in over 370 stores, which will have the equivalent impact of taking 50,000 cars off the road. This decision was based on science, facts and evidence and on the advice of our department.With respect to the hon. member's mother, I would be happy to point him to the investments in budget 2019 that will help make homes more efficient, will save her money and do the right thing by the environment.
Mr. Speaker, all the facts in this matter are public, and they are public because the Prime Minister provided an unprecedented waiver. He waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence so Canadians could decide for themselves. I know the Conservatives believe they have to decide for all Canadians. The Conservatives will continue to represent Conservatives. The Conservatives will continue to focus on us. We will focus on all Canadians. That is exactly why Canada is better off today than it was under 10 years of Stephen Harper. However, we have a lot more work to do. I encourage us to start talking about policy that matters.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Don Valley North for his question. Our government has launched a new space strategy based on exploration, imagination and innovation. The strategy aims to leverage Canadian strengths, while advancing science and innovation in exciting areas. Our space strategy will also capitalize on the inspirational power of space to engage youth in science, technology and engineering.Our government is ensuring that Canadians are ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman is a 38-year, highly decorated member of the Canadian Forces, and was vice-chair of the defence staff. He served this country with honour and dignity.The least those Liberals could do is give him a shot at a fair trial, but they will not release the documents to his lawyers so he can mount a proper defence. They are hoping he runs out of money before the end of the trial.The Prime Minister has no problem undermining the rule of law. When will the Prime Minister quit manipulating these court proceedings and allow the vice-admiral a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians need to know the truth. That is exactly why the Prime Minister had the courage to waive cabinet confidence and solicitor-client privilege. He did that so that Canadians can know the truth.We did in fact send a letter to the Leader of the Opposition. We put him on notice because he continues to say things that he should not. That is exactly why he deleted his tweets.
Mr. Speaker, I have a point of order. Today during question period, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food misled the House by insinuating that today was the first time I became interested in the canola issue because I was asking a question about it today.This will be my eighth time asking for the unanimous consent of the House to discuss this, so for the eighth time, I hereby seek the unanimous consent of the House to hold an emergency debate on canola this evening.
Mr. Speaker, I am a Quebecker, and so it is my duty to express my opinion on the issue.We strongly condemn the use of inflammatory remarks, such as those of the mayor of Hampstead. They are hurtful to those who have suffered atrocities and they distract us from the real issues. As the Prime Minister has already said, we do not need to go to extremes. As Quebeckers and Canadians, we can debate the bill respectfully and without pushing too far.
Mr. Speaker, I know a pretty good lawyer, so I will be all right.Canadians are concerned. They see this Prime Minister ignoring questions about his scandal and want to know what happened. They are not the only ones who are concerned. The OECD warned Canada that it will be monitoring how the Liberal government manages this matter. People want the truth. When will the Prime Minister launch a public inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered that question on numerous occasions. The members know very well that the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. They know very well that he has deleted tweets and retracted comments. What do they do? The Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. They mislead Canadians because they have no plan for the environment and no plan for the economy. However, what they do have is a plan to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when it comes to programs and services available to Canadians, the Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians by refusing to admit that there is a climate action incentive. Luckily they cannot do that in New Brunswick, but they sure did in
Mr. Speaker, as I just stated, the government is meeting all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. All documents requested from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February have already been provided to the court.When it comes to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification is being followed appropriately throughout.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to something as important as the national pharmacare program, our government wants to ensure that we have a plan, and we want to ensure that we get it right. That is why I was very pleased that we launched the advisory council on the implementation of a national pharmacare program. This committee has been working for the past year. We received the report last month. I am looking forward to receiving its final report later on this June.One of the key recommendations it made in the interim report was to make sure that we put in place a Canadian drug agency, and I was pleased to see it in budget 2019. The money is available to start that work.
Mr. Speaker, I hope we will hear some good news about the member for Oakville NorthBurlington. I will shortly be seeking the unanimous consent of the House for a motion. On Tuesday, Quebec's National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion moved by the MNA for Marie-Victorin, Catherine Fournier. This unanimous motion recognizes the work that creators do to promote Quebec culture and asks the Canadian government to modernize CRTC and broadcasting rules to defend Quebec culture.We want to respect the consensus of the National Assembly. I therefore seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: That the House of Commons receive the motion adopted unanimously by the National Assembly on April 9, 2019, and relay its request that the CRTC and broadcasting rules be adapted to the new challenges of our era.
Mr. Speaker, whether the minister likes it or not, it is up to Quebeckers to decide what works for them. The secularism of the state of Quebec will be decided by Quebec, not by Ottawa and not by the House, which even refuses to condemn the shameful remarks of the mayor of Hampstead, who has compared the secularism bill to ethnic cleansing.Will the Minister of Justice respect the will of Quebec and undertake not to challenge Bill 21 or support any legal challenges?
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-97, the budget implementation act, 2019. Tomorrow we will continue with debate on the BIA. The Monday following our return from the two weeks in our ridings will be an opposition day.Tuesday we will resume debate at second reading of the budget bill.I also want to reiterate the comments of the Conservative whip on behalf of the Prime Minister as well as the Government of Canada to all members and to all Canadians who are celebrating. Happy Easter.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for NorthumberlandPeterborough South for her hard work. It is clear that the best solutions for combatting climate change in rural and remote indigenous communities come from the people who live there. That is why our government is investing more than $3.5 million in two indigenous projects owned and operated by the Gwichin Development Corporation. Investments like these create jobs, cut energy costs and protect the environment.
Mr. Speaker, I want to quickly provide a quote that I have not provided for a while. The director of public prosecutions confirmed that prosecutors exercise their discretion independently and free from any political or partisan consideration.That member is lacking confidence in our institutions. I can confirm to him, once again, as was provided in testimony at the justice committee, that the rule of law is intact in Canada. Our institutions are intact. Canadians can have confidence in them. That member should stop misleading Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for the question. The Conservatives have not asked a single question on trade for the last few months, and I am happy to engage him in this debate on this issue.Today Canada is the only country in the G7 that has a free trade agreement with all G7 countries. Our government, under our Prime Minister and the minister of international trade, has been diversifying trade, investing in Canadian businesses and making sure that we are creating
Mr. Speaker, the first step in any situation, as the members are referring to, is to put the leader of the official opposition on notice. We have now put the leader of the official opposition on notice numerous times. Canadians can rest assured that we will not stand idly by, while those Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why we provided them notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do? He deleted tweets and he retracted online statements. He knows very well that the notice he was served has consequences.
Mr. Speaker, our commitment to a long-term relocation plan has not changed. The member would know very well from her work as the former minister of indigenous services and president of the Treasury Board the work that is under way to deliver on this commitment. We have made significant progress on priorities, such as the new modular school that will be built in the community in September. We are currently working with the first nation members to monitor the threat of flooding, conduct preliminary mitigation and support them in a smooth transition to host communities.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all our colleagues, I want to wish my hon. colleague the best.I look forward to engaging my colleague in further debate on international trade, but our government is committed to supporting businesses to create wealth and create jobs for all Canadians all across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, in March, the minister spoke with the chair of the OECD working group and confirmed that we are committed to fully co-operating with the OECD and that we firmly support its work. Canada is a strong supporter of the rules-based international order, which includes the OECD.
Mr. Speaker, I can think of a lot of small businesses across this country that would certainly appreciate a little bit of help. It is more of the same from the Liberal government. It continues to stand up for rich corporations while everyone else has a hard time making ends meet. Seniors cannot afford their medication. When will the government stand up for them instead of for companies like Loblaws? Scott, from my riding, wrote the minister requesting when his new fridge would arrive to help him become more environmentally friendly. The Liberals do not get it, but my constituents certainly do. When will the government stand up for Canadians and spend money on supporting them?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to do everything to politically interfere and frustrate Mark Norman's ability to get a fair trial. He will not comply with court orders to provide documents and when he does, they are completely redacted. Even worse, he will not pay Mark Norman's legal fees, hindering his ability to mount an effective defence.Did the Prime Minister, or any current or former cabinet minister or any PMO staff discuss influencing the timing of Mark Norman's trial?
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the member to revisit his wording, because I know he would never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. If, all of a sudden, the NDP members are taking that approach, they are even closer to the Conservatives than I even realized. We will never undermine the work of officers of Parliament. When it comes to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, yes, there is an ongoing investigation in this matter. Yes, we have confidence in our institutions. We know there is an ongoing court case. We know the justice committee did its important work. I guess only we, on this side, have respect for our institutions.
Mr. Speaker, the OECD is calling for us to do more for the middle class. That is not surprising since half of Canadians are $200 away from bankruptcy. What are the Liberals doing to help those people? They gave $12 million in taxpayers' money to Loblaws, a billionaire company that is making huge profits, so that it could buy fridges. We are talking about a company that refuses to gives its employees decent work and working conditions. Is that the Liberals' plan? Are they going to continue to help the rich instead of our seniors and families?
Mr. Speaker, once again, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. After he received notice, he deleted those tweets. He and his team probably went back to their office and revisited some wording. Their new wording is exactly what they are repeating. They will not repeat the comments they deleted after they received notice. That is a fact.
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated, counsel to the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all its obligations before the court with respect to third party applications for records. All the documents that had been requested by the so-called priority individuals identified by the defence in February have been provided to the court.With respect to the reimbursement of legal expenses, the Treasury Board policy on legal assistance and indemnification has been applied rigorously.
That is not so, Mr. Speaker.We now know the Liberals tried to prevent the Davie shipyard from getting the contract for the Asterix. When that scandal broke, they backed down. We also know that no explanation was given for why Vice-Admiral Norman was fired in January 2017. The government has paid no legal fees since then.How can the Minister of National Defence justify not covering the legal fees of a respectable officer even as taxpayers pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's shenanigans?
Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question a number of times. The fact is that every step of the way the Conservatives are opposed to meaningful action on climate change. Our plan includes putting a price on pollution. It is going to put more money in the pockets of Canadian families. It includes phasing out coal by 2030. It includes having 90% of our electricity generated from green resources by 2030 and, yes, it includes investing in energy efficiency. In my province of Nova Scotia in October, I personally made an announcement through the low-carbon economy fund that would help homeowners make themselves more efficient and bring down their power bills, including by implementing a rebate on fridges for personal use. We are taking climate change seriously.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad that finally my Conservative colleagues care for canola farmers, because we have cared for more than a month now. I have worked closely with the industry with our colleagues from the provinces. I have visited the western provinces. I have asked our Chinese colleague to accept the technical delegation that will be headed by the president of the CFIA.I really care, I understand the issue, and we are working hard as a team to resolve it as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, we now know the Department of National Defence used code names to avoid providing evidence in Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's trial. Since October, the Prime Minister has failed to comply with a court order to provide all documents, emails, memos, texts from Gerald Butts, Michael Wernick, Katie Telford and Zita Astravas.Will the Prime Minister release all documents today and ensure Mark Norman gets a fair trial?
Mr. Speaker, we have always defended the fundamental rights of each and every Canadian, and we always will.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, our government knows that it will take a bold, ambitious and inventive new vision to address the challenges we face today. Indeed, the urgency of action on climate change is clear, especially in Canada's northern and remote communities. We see the effects of this every single day. We know that reducing our reliance on diesel power generation will play a key role in the transition to a greener future. Could the minister update the House on investments our government is making to reduce our reliance on diesel in off-grid and remote communities?
Mr. Speaker, Loblaws is a billion-dollar company that is owned by the second-richest family in the country. This is the same company that rigged bread prices for 16 years. It really does not need handouts from a tax and spend Liberal government. Now the Prime Minister, our reverse Robin Hood, is giving the company $12 million to buy new fridges while raising taxes on struggling Canadian families.Why is it always with the Liberals that they are giving to the rich and robbing ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, on a number of occasions the Leader of the Opposition, the Conservative leader, was forced to delete tweets and reword his statements. He changed the words he used and is now repeating the words he changed, but the facts are clear. After receiving letters from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Leader of the Opposition deleted the tweets and changed the words because he knew full well that action could be taken
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order that is very similar to my colleague's. Since the Minister of Agriculture said she was now seized with the canola matter and fully aware of it, I hope that finally our colleagues on the Liberal benches will agree to have an emergency debate.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to hear the truth, and that is exactly why all the facts are now public. Yes, we took a first step. That is exactly why we put the leader of the official opposition on notice. He continues making false and misleading statements to Canadians. After receiving that notice, he changed the words that he has been using. He deleted some tweets and statements made online. He has already responded through his actions, because he knows he should not be doing what he is doing.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put the Conservative leader on notice. He has repeated the exact same statement outside of the House. Now he is calling on the Prime Minister to take further action, to come before a court and get on the stand if he has nothing to hide. If he stands by everything in his threatening letter to sue the Leader of the Opposition, I ask again, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, my mom calls me and asks, Did the Prime Minister really give $12 million to Galen Weston to fix his fridges instead of to seniors. Did the Liberals give it to a company that cheats families out of bread? That is my mom. She is a miner's daughter. She grew up in a different middle class than the Prime Minister did. I said to her, Mom, it's is about lobbying; it's about people you know in the PMO.Will the Prime Minister explain why two lobbyists from Loblaws attended an exclusive cash for access event with him and senior staff of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change? Could he explain that to my mom?
Mr. Speaker, in response to my question yesterday, the Prime Minister said that there is no place for discrimination against our citizens, as though the bill on secularism introduced by the state of Quebec were discriminatory.The bill sets rules for everyone. It is not discriminatory. The same rules will apply to everyone.Is the Prime Minister accusing the Government of Quebec and the millions of Quebeckers who support this bill of discrimination? Have the Liberals really sunk that low?
Mr. Speaker, as much as this Prime Minister wants to change the channel, Canadians still want the truth on his political interference in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. The Prime Minister says that he has full confidence in committees, the same ones the Liberals have shut down debate on. The OECD is not letting it go, and that is why it referred the case to its working group on bribery. The Prime Minister's word is not going to cut it. This is a stain on Canada's international reputation. Will the Prime Minister save us the embarrassment and launch a public independent inquiry?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' only plan is to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when they did it earlier this year and the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader of the official opposition retracted those comments and deleted those tweets.The Conservatives, once again, continue to mislead Canadians, so the Prime Minister put the leader of the official opposition on notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do on March 31? He deleted those tweets. The only plan Conservatives have is to mislead Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to respond to the question of privilege raised by the hon. member for ChilliwackHope on April 10, 2019 with respect to statements made by the Minister of National Revenue. My hon. colleague argued that by stating on numerous occasions that 1,300 new auditors were hired, the minister wilfully misled the House. The hon. opposition member quoted an article from Le Journal de Montréal published on April 5, 2019, and argued that since the total number of auditors has grown from 6,265 to 6,457 since January 1, 2016, then the 1,300 number is erroneous and consequentially the minister misled the House. House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, states at page 516: In most instances, when a point of order or a question of privilege has been raised in regard to a response to an oral question, the Speaker has ruled that the matter is a disagreement among Members over the facts surrounding the issue, and as such, is a matter of debate and not a breach of the rules or of privilege. The facts are clear. Looking at the numbers, we see that in 2016, 440 new auditors were hired. In 2017, it was 394. Finally, in 2018, there were 555 hired. This brings us to 1,389 new auditors between January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2019, which is consistent with what the minister has been saying inside and outside the House.As such, I believe this is a dispute as to the facts, and it does not constitute a prima facie question of privilege.
Mr. Speaker, that is a curious argument, coming from the member opposite, who voted against the Canada child benefit, which put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families, who voted against a tax cut for the middle class and voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest 1%.The fact is, our environmental plan has over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution. It will put $307 in the pockets of his constituents. I look forward to seeing him campaign on a commitment to take that money away.In 2019, Canadians will have a choice: to support a government that is serious about climate action or a government that opposes reasonable steps every step along the way.
Mr. Speaker, Liberals called out the Conservatives for cozying up to white nationalist Faith Goldy, but now the Prime Minister wants to close our border to asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution and violence with a law that prevents them from being able to apply for protection in Canada.When Faith Goldy supports the Liberal immigration policy, we know we are on the wrong side of the issue. By hiding it in a 392-page omnibus bill and refusing to refer it to the immigration committee, the Prime Minister is trying to sneak through this shameful law. Will the Prime Minister stop talking out of both sides of his mouth and withdraw this legislation?
Mr. Speaker, yes, the leader of the official opposition was put on notice, and after he received that notice, the leader of the official opposition quickly deleted tweets online. He changed the words that he had been using. Even though Conservatives talk a big game and say there has been no effect of the notice that was provided to them, we have already seen that they have deleted tweets.However, this was not the first time they did this. After the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader retracted his comments at that time and deleted those tweets as well.
Mr. Speaker, according to Maclean's, the Ethics Commissioner has become a useful fig leaf for Liberals keen to shut down further discussions. Harper Conservatives drafted a weak ethics bill, but it is the Liberals who are using it as cover to avoid answering questions. The Liberals will be under the microscope when the anti-bribery groups meet in June. Will the Prime Minister assure OECD officials that the Liberals will not interfere with Canada's top prosecutor taking corporate corruption to court?
Mr. Speaker, we learned that the finance minister and the big banks worked together to skew a report that proved banks had predatory practices and abused their own customers. Banks misled consumers by lying about credit card fees, mortgage rates and banking fees, to name a few.Instead of protecting consumers, the Liberals decided to protect the banks by editing the report and trying to cover up the truth. This is shameful. Canadians are tired of the Liberal government being an apologist for consumer abuse, manipulation and exploitation.The Minister of Public Safety bragged about fines and penalties. Does he actually have the courage to act on them?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that my colleague has finally developed an interest in canola. This crisis has been going on for over a month. My colleagues and I, along with the Minister of International Trade Diversification and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, have been working very hard on this file. We are working very closely with the industry and our provincial colleagues. I have personally asked my Chinese counterpart to receive a delegation of experts led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I received a call from Chief Leo Friday of Kashechewan First Nation. Ten days from now, more than 2,000 people from this community will be forced to leave their homes in the annual evacuation process. The chief is concerned about the resilience of the dike and there are legitimate fears of severe flooding.Our country spends millions of dollars annually for evacuations and for repairing flood damage in homes. When can we expect a serious commitment to funding the relocation that, for years, the community has been asking for?
Mr. Speaker, the prosecution in question is being handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which operates independently from the Department of Justice and from my office.Counsel for the Attorney General of Canada is fulfilling all of its obligations to the court with respect to third party records applications. We are co-operating, but it would be improper for me to comment on anything further as it is before the courts.
Mr. Speaker, today, one of our colleagues in the House needed a helping hand. I want to take a minute to thank every single member of Parliament, and namely the member of Parliament for Peace RiverWestlock, the member of Parliament for Oshawa, the member of Parliament for KitchenerConestoga, the member of Parliament for MarkhamStouffville, the member of Parliament for Brampton West, the member of Parliament for TorontoSt. Paul's and the member of Parliament for CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboiaHeadingley.This demonstrates that we are all human beings and that we care for each other. I want to give a wholehearted thanks from our side to across the aisle.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman has drawn the wrong conclusion. As a matter of fact, as a result of the report, we have introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information and exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have a policy in place to make consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them and increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, in both official languages, he is still wrong. As a result of the work investigating this situation, the government has introduced legislation that prohibits the banks from providing misleading information. It prohibits the banks from exerting undue pressure. It requires the banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive the products that are appropriate to them. It increases the penalties on the banks from $500,000 to $10 million. Parliament decides.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, the Treasury Board policy is being followed to the letter, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of National Revenue agree that purposely hiding important
Mr. Speaker, I would like to apologize. I withdraw purposely.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for raising this concerning issue. It is unacceptable that Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians on how to access their
Mr. Speaker, from pioneering satellite communications technologies to building a Canadarm and space-based radar systems, Canada has been making key contributions to space science and technology for over six decades.Could the minister update the House on our efforts to foster our future astronauts, engineers and scientists so that Canada continues to benefit from opportunities in the space economy?
Mr. Speaker, the member just demonstrated once again that the last people the Conservatives seem to care about are all Canadians. Let us speak about our record. Almost 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty. Over 800,000 Canadians have been lifted out of poverty. There were 900,500 jobs created by Canadians. We have trading relationships with each of the seven G7 countries, trading deals that we have today. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by raising them on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians. We have a climate plan that is showing results
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was accused of strong-arming the former attorney general to interfere in a criminal prosecution. He denied it. She provided proof. Then the Prime Minister was accused of firing her for refusing to interfere. Again, he denied it. Again, she provided proof. The Prime Minister was accused of being aware that the former attorney general raised her concerns with the officials at the PMO. He denied it. Again, she provided proof. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these denials in the court of law he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, quite the opposite. I wonder where the opposition member has been for the past three years, when we were taking steps to protect Canadian consumers of financial products. For 10 years, under Stephen Harper, consumer protection and strong, robust bank regulation were not so much as an afterthought.I will remind him of the same thing I just said to his colleague. Over the past few years, we went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers and from exerting undue pressure on consumers. We also increased penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's letter was about the opposition leader's statement. It has nothing to do with tweets. The Prime Minister said, over and over, that no one ever warned him that his pressure to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin was political interference and was wrong. However, last week he himself admitted that on September 17 that the former attorney general directly advised him, in person, to back off. Now, even though he caught himself in his own words, he still threatens to sue the Leader of the Opposition. Does the Prime Minister know that if he repeats his initial denials in court he will commit perjury?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue the Conservative leader for stating that the former attorney general told the Prime Minister that she was feeling inappropriate political pressure from him. The only problem with that strategy is that the Prime Minister has now admitted that the former attorney general did warn him about his inappropriate political pressure to his face and in person. Therefore, the Prime Minister is threatening to sue for something he now says is true.Threatening to sue is weak sauce if a person does not back it up, so when will we see the Prime Minister in court?
Mr. Speaker, I was particularly shocked yesterday when I heard that the Conservatives chose to mislead their constituents in their partisan taxpayer-funded tax guide. This partisan guide left out information on important elements such as the Canada child benefit and the climate action incentive rebate. It left out information on money to which their constituents are entitled.Does the Minister of National Revenue agree that
Mr. Speaker, Canadian producers need assurances that the Liberals will support them and our world-class canola as the crisis with China gets worse. Farmers know that this is a political issue and one that needs to be resolved immediately. The Liberals' lack of action demonstrates their contempt for western Canadian farmers and the importance of the canola sector to the Canadian economy.When will the Prime Minister demonstrate leadership and take action to stand up for canola farmers?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons that nothing has changed since the Prime Minister put the Leader of the Opposition on notice regarding the statement he made on March 29. The Leader of the Opposition has publicly stated to the media that he stands by his statement.That being said, it is different for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister says things that are not true. Is he prepared to come to court and say the same thing, knowing that he would be committing perjury?
Mr. Speaker, the opposition leader did not retract any statements. In fact, he repeated every single word yesterday. We look forward to the Prime Minister's testifying in court under oath, where he cannot control the process, he cannot control the people and he cannot shut it down like he killed two investigations. For once in his life, he will have to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Does he actually have the backbone to set a date? When will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time that the Conservative leader and his party have misled Canadians with false and defamatory statements.This is not the first time that we have sent a letter to the Leader of the Opposition because he continues to repeat falsehoods. They erased public statements, their tweets, from December, February, and now March, because they know that they should have a little respect for our institutionsnot a lot, just a little.
Mr. Speaker, an illegal vacation to a billionaire island, inviting a convicted terrorist in India, destroying relations with our most important trading partners, attempting to politically interfere with a criminal prosecution, countless ethics violations and an attitude that the rules and the law do not apply to him. Like so many Liberals before him, the Prime Minister's record is scandal and failure with serious consequences for Canadians. How come when it comes to the Prime Minister and his friends, they are taken care of, but ordinary Canadians are not?
Mr. Speaker, we have full confidence in the director of public prosecutions. That is why we think she should be allowed to make the decision on prosecuting SNC-Lavalin. The government refuses to guarantee that this will happen. It has interfered in this case, it has interfered in the Norman case, and now we know that it implicated the RCMP for nine months in orchestrating the Prime Minister's illegal vacation to billionaire island. That vacation might have violated sections of the Criminal Code, which the RCMP would be responsible for investigating.How can Canadians be sure that there has been an independent vetting of this issue, given past interference?
Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, nothing the member just said could be further from the truth.We took the report very seriously and went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers to prohibit banks from exerting undue pressure on consumers to buy products or services; to require banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive products that are appropriate for them; and increase penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million, something the Conservatives failed to do for 10 years.May I remind the New Democrats that they voted against these measures.
Mr. Speaker, she is right. Canadians do know the facts. The Prime Minister said that The Globe and Mail allegations of pressure on the former attorney general were false. We now know that is not true. He said that the former attorney general never came to him to speak of her concerns. We now know that is not true. He said that it was all about protecting jobs, but we know now that also is not true. Does the Prime Minister realize that if he repeats these falsehoods in court he will be charged with perjury?
Mr. Speaker, for four days now, we have been standing in this place and asking the Prime Minister whether he intends to follow through on his notice. We are told yes over and over again, but that he needs to change his story. He has not changed it and keeps repeating it every day. He stands by everything that has been said. This is nothing but bullying on the part of the Prime Minister, because he is not happy when anyone has different ideas.Will he show some courage and follow through on his notice, so that we and all Canadians will hear the whole truth?
Mr. Speaker, that was not the question. The fact is that the banks and the Minister of Finance influenced the agency that is supposed to be monitoring them.Is anyone really surprised? This independent agency is actually funded by the banks themselves. Do we really think the banks' watchdog will bite the hand that feeds it? Canadians are sick of seeing the Liberal government side with the banks over the public. The government is letting banks rip off consumers, and the Prime Minister is turning a blind eye to the whole business.When will the Prime Minister grow a spine and stand up to the big banks by creating a genuinely independent watchdog with teeth?
Mr. Speaker, it is increasingly clear that the Prime Minister stands up for big business and not people.Last year, people were horrified to learn that the big banks were aggressively selling services that people did not need. We have now learned that the situation was even worse than we thought and that the Liberal government whitewashed the report. Even worse, it gave the big banks the opportunity to whitewash it.When will the Prime Minister admit that he is there for the richest companies but not for the people?
Mr. Speaker, the illegal and unjust American tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum must be lifted. American legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, have asked Ambassador Lighthizer and even the President to lift these tariffs. Dozens of U.S. industries have called for the elimination of the American tariffs, citing the impact of Canada's countermeasures.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians will have a choice between the son of a working-class family, who will stand up for ordinary Canadians and let them get ahead, or the trust-fund Prime Minister, who will protect millionaires like himself by upholding their loopholes and forking over endless sums of taxpayers' money.Speaking of which, when it comes to SNC-Lavalin, the decision is still not final. The Prime Minister interfered to try to get the company off of charges. Will he now respect the decision of the prosecutor and promise that no Liberal politician will sign a deal to block the trial?
Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister threatened to sue the Leader of the Opposition for daring to criticize his actions on the Liberal SNC-Lavalin scandal, he thought he could pressure the Conservative leader into backing down. Instead, the Conservative leader continues to state, inside and outside of the House, that the Prime Minister inappropriately interfered in an ongoing criminal proceeding and then conspired to cover it up.If the Prime Minister actually believes he has a case, when will we see him in court?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.I move, given that, (a) Canadians expect that changes to our laws should be democratically and rigorously debated in the House of Commons; (b) all parties in the House have spoken against the use of omnibus bills to hide changes in initiatives from scrutiny; (c) the world is experiencing a global refugee crisis; and (d) Lloyd Axworthy is condemning proposed changes contained in the omnibus budget bill to the asylum system, while Faith Goldy is cheering them on, that in the opinion of the House, (a) Canada is at serious risk of being on the wrong side of history and (b) the government must immediately withdraw division 16 of part 4 of Bill C-97 and table it as a stand-alone piece of legislation to ensure that Canada continues to live up to its obligations under international law.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I can help hon. members out.The Conservatives said that the justice committee would not meet. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that witnesses would not get to appear. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that the Prime Minister would not waive solicitor-client privilege or cabinet confidence. That turned out to be false. All facts are public for Canadians to hear. Canadians deserve to get to hear the truth and that is exactly why all the matters from the justice committee on this issue were in public.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has a golden rule: Those with the gold make the rules.When SNC-Lavalin was charged with stealing $130 million from Libya's poor, he rushed in to block it from having to go to trial. When Loblaws billionaires ripped off the poor by fixing the price of bread and ripped of taxpayers by stashing their cash in the Carribean, the Prime Minister gave them $12 million for their efforts.Why does the Prime Minister always take from the have-nots to give to the have-yachts?
Mr. Speaker, I am so sorry. My English is not really good.Families that
Mr. Speaker, on February 7, the Prime Minister said that the former attorney general's story and claims were false, but now the media, Canadians and, even worse, the Liberal caucus, know the truth.Does the Prime Minister realize that he would be guilty of perjury if he repeated those same comments in court?
Mr. Speaker, as a result of the Prime Minister's lack of leadership, his government has failed in all the international trade files. Steel and aluminum tariffs still have not been lifted. Compensation is being paid out in dribs and drabs, and let us not forget that the existing safeguards are set to expire on April 27.I want to know why the Prime Minister signed the agreement before getting the United States to lift the tariffs on steel and aluminum.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is politically interfering in a court case. He is denying the truth, resorting to intimidation, and trying to silence all those who do not think like him.If the Prime Minister has any courage at all, even just a little bit, will he agree to follow through on his notice so that we can all find out the truth in this case? Is he afraid to testify under oath?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I rarely rise on a point of order but I felt compelled to do so today because I am very disappointed in the mocking my colleague received as she tried to answer in English.I am especially disappointed in the member for TimminsJames Bay, who is supposedly the critic for ethics. He joined many of his colleagues across the aisle in mocking her, and in fact said, What is she going to do? There is no one to write down her
Mr. Speaker, the facts of the matter are that the RCMP is completely independent in its decisions about any investigation or prosecution. Any suggestion that a member of Parliament should in any way influence that decision-making process of our police force is absolutely wrong and false.
Mr. Speaker, for over a month now, the Prime Minister's failures on the international stage have cost 43,000 Canadian canola producers dearly.This week, Stephen Vandervalk, an Alberta canola producer, told the committee that this is the worst crisis his family has endured in 100 years. He said that Canadian farmers are the ones paying dearly for this political failure. China was asked to send a delegation, and we have been waiting 10 days for a response. What is the Prime Minister doing about this urgent crisis? He is waiting. When will the Prime Minister stand up to China and fight for canola producers?