2019-05-02

Mr. Speaker, the Chinese leadership has called the Prime Minister a name that is so insulting that you have ruled it unspeakable in the House. I will put partisanship aside and say that I will not stand for that kind of treatment of the Prime Minister.In retaliation, will the government do the right thing and cancel the quarter-billion dollar gift to the China-controlled Asian Infrastructure Bank?

Mr. Speaker, what is going on with the pork industry is an administrative issue. I am confident that we will find a solution very rapidly.Conservatives keep playing little politics. I would like the House to know that today we have learned that the Leader of the Opposition is refusing to allow an independent check on the cost of their promises. I think Conservatives are hiding in the same way Doug Ford is hiding very big cuts.

Mr. Speaker, Canadian citizens are being mistreated in Chinese prisons. Our canola farmers have already lost one billion dollars. Now pork producers are being targeted by China. Over the last four months, despite our requests, the Liberal government has refused to make senior-level calls. Liberals have ignored calls to send a special envoy, they have delayed announcing or nominating a new ambassador, and today they said they will not bring a trade action.China thinks our Prime Minister is weak, and he is proving them right. When will Liberals appoint an ambassador?

Mr. Speaker, the government has done nothing about canola and China for two months, and now we have learned that Quebec's and Alberta's pork industries are being affected. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food confirmed this morning in committee that she has not spoken with her Chinese counterpart, that she does not know what the Minister of Global Affairs is doing and that now is not the time to file a complaint with the WTO.The crisis is getting worse. The Liberals refuse to even talk about it.How long will the Prime Minister let producers suffer before he does something?

Mr. Speaker, the problem is that China does not respect the Liberals because they are incapable of standing firm. That is the problem.In a tweet from 2016, which he has since deleted, the Prime Minister promised that canola producers would have access to the Chinese market through 2020. Now it is 2019, and canola producers no longer have access to China. It is unacceptable that the Prime Minister has failed so spectacularly to keep the promise he made to producers.Instead of deleting his tweets, will the Prime Minister keep his promise for once and stand up for canola and pork farmers?

Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned that China is now refusing shipments of pork from the plant in Red Deer, a plant that employs more than 1,600 people. The same company has another plant in Canada. It has also had its export permit for pork suspended. Canadians can no longer afford to pay the high price of the total Liberal incompetence and bungling on the world stage. When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for Canadian farmers and their families by putting an end to these politically motivated trade actions?

How many of them are Liberal donors, Mr. Speaker?The Liberals gave $12 million to one of Canada's richest companies. At the same time, women's shelters in Canada are shutting their doors. Every day, on average, 590 women and children are turned away from overcrowded shelters that are packed beyond capacity. Many are forced to return to abuse and violence because of a lack of funding from the Liberal government.If the supposed feminist government is able to find millions of dollars for handouts to billionaires, why can it not provide funds to help women and children find shelter?

Mr. Speaker, another day, another dispute with China, and still no meaningful action from the Prime Minister. The canola crisis has already cost farmers almost $1 billion, and now pork producers in Quebec and Alberta are feeling the pinch.When will the Prime Minister understand that refusing to stand up to China has a very real impact on thousands of Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, like many northerners, Napoleon Bouvier in Ile à la Crosse does not have access to medical care. Instead of making life easier for northerners, the price of medical care and pharmacare is only going up for people in my riding. We cannot afford to wait any longer. When will the Liberals invest in health care in northern Saskatchewan so every northerner can live with dignity?

Mr. Speaker, China has blocked Canadian canola for reasons that are both false and baseless, but the Prime Minister is yet to launch a trade complaint. China has also unlawfully detained two Canadians, and Canada has no ambassador to help with the negotiations.Will the Prime Minister stop letting Canada get pushed around, appoint an ambassador to China and launch a formal trade complaint to resolve the canola crisis?

Mr. Speaker, for months, first nations, trade unions and provinces have warned that the Liberals' no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will block resource development. Yesterday, it got even worse. The Liberals will steamroll provinces, giving themselves unprecedented power over highways, passenger trains, recycling plants and of course provincial resources, like wind, hydro and oil. Not since the eighties have federal Liberals pit Canadians against each other over resource development and put the whole Canadian economy at risk. Will the Liberals kill Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, only a Liberal would think it is fair to cost Canadians $12 million to give away freezers to a billion dollar company that would have bought them itself and call it an environment plan. It is not just rich Canadian Liberals who can get access to the Prime Minister. An American CEO also found himself at a cash-for-access event with the Prime Minister, where he bragged about getting access to the Liberal cabinet by illegally obtaining a $1,600 ticket. Why do those Liberals only follow the rules after they have first been found to have broken them?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been paying for the broken promises of the Liberal government ever since the 2015 election. That will come to an end in October.Another area where the Liberal government has completely failed Canadians has been the energy sector. The Conservative record on pipelines has been to see the private sector build four major pipeline projects during our time in office. However, the Liberals have vetoed and killed projects, and now they have purchased a pipeline that they cannot build.Bill C-69 is the final nail in the coffin. More and more Canadians are speaking out against it. Will they—

Mr. Speaker, Canadians support immigration when it is fair, orderly and compassionate. However, right now, there are serious examples of unfairness and injustice in Canada's immigration system.Anytime anyone asks the Liberals to address these injustices, they are met with thinly veiled accusations of racism or lies. This is wrong. This cheapens the debate on how to fairly manage immigration and harms racialized communities.Will the Prime Minister finally address his failure to manage Canada's immigration system, or will he continue down this tired, destructive path?

Mr. Speaker, it is not just administrative reasons when there are two Canadians unlawfully jailed in China. Now our canola exports are being unfairly blocked, and we can add the pork producers of this country to those who are paying for the mistakes of the Prime Minister on the world stage.What is the Prime Minister's response in terms of these attacks on Canadian interests? Absolutely nothing—worse than nothing: the government is still sending Canadian tax dollars to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is run by China.How many more people and how many more industries will have to suffer before the Prime Minister finally takes action?

Mr. Speaker, labour shortages in rural areas are disastrous for many businesses, but the government still has no plan to do anything about it. Everyone agrees that immigration is one solution to the problem, but the complex application process and processing delays are unacceptable. The Government of Quebec has opened offices in the regions. Two years ago, I asked the Minister of Immigration to follow suit and open an office in Abitibi—Témiscamingue.Are rural residents second-class citizens? Why won't the minister provide them with the same level of service as everyone else?

Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to remind members opposite of what the Premier of Saskatchewan had to say yesterday about the plan we announced to support canola producers. He said, “the federal government has shown that they do support western Canadian agriculture” and he said, “we are going to support the federal government in these decisions from this day on, as we have always indicated we will.”The Canola Association supports us. The premier of Saskatchewan supports us. Growers support us. The industry supports us. It is only those Conservatives who do not support us.

Mr. Speaker, we were informed yesterday that the Chinese authorities suspended the export permits of two Canadian pork exporters.We were clearly informed that this is an administrative issue, something that happens on a relatively regular basis in various industries and countries. The Canada Food Inspection Agency is monitoring the situation and we expect it to be quickly resolved.

Mr. Speaker, after three and a half years, the Conservatives finally saw the merit in consulting with Canadians. Sadly, they did not listen. Conservatives are twisting themselves into a pretzel to hide their secret plan to stifle economic growth by cutting immigration in this country.Looking solely at the our global skills strategy, it has helped create 150,000 jobs across this country. Taking our economic growth plan into consideration, whereby 900,000 jobs have been created across this country, Canadians will see that immigration is a key ingredient. We agree with that. Business agrees with that. Communities agree with that. The only people who do not are the Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member for Brampton North that Canadians deserve to know what political parties are proposing and the costs to them. That is exactly why the independent Parliamentary Budget Officer can now cost a party's platform.Unfortunately, it is only the Conservatives who are refusing to have their platform costed. The only reason that can be is that we know the Conservatives are following the lead of Doug Ford and want to keep Canadians in the dark. We know the Conservatives do not support the tax-free Canada child benefit. We know they do not support the increase to the GIS. We know they do not support home care and other services. These are probably programs that are on their chopping block.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians might wonder why the Liberals handed over $12 million to Loblaws, one of Canada's richest companies, to buy freezers. We have now learned that two Loblaws lobbyists, both frequent Liberal Party donors, lobbied the Minister of Environment and her staff. Then they met up with those staff again at an exclusive Liberal cash-for-access event with the Prime Minister. What a coincidence. When will these Liberals stop giving preferential treatment to their wealthy and well-connected Liberal friends?

Mr. Speaker, recently I raised the concerns of breast health experts, who are shocked at guidelines that ignore breast density and recommend against self-examination and timely mammograms. The minister replied that she was not going to do anything because the guidelines were produced by experts. However, the task force relied on outdated data and did not have a single member with breast health expertise. If the minister claims her number one priority is the health of Canadians, then how can she sit back and ignore health guidelines that will cause over 400 women to die every year?

Mr. Speaker, life is increasingly unaffordable for people on Vancouver Island. Just like the Conservatives before them, the Liberal government is siding with the richest corporations, while people pay the price. The good times just keep rolling for corporate lobbyists.The Liberals maintain the Conservatives' billion-dollar subsidies to oil companies, cater to SNC-Lavalin and throw money at Loblaws. People deserve a government that is on their side, so when exactly are the Liberals going to grow a backbone and stop bending to the will of large and powerful corporations?

Mr. Speaker, as we know, this matter has been thoroughly studied by the former conflict of interest and ethics commissioner. The Prime Minister has accepted her findings. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility when it comes to this matter.The member opposite should very well know that ATIPs are handled completely separately from political staff. I should not have to remind the Conservatives that they were the ones who were found guilty of politically interfering with the ATIP process. It is unfortunate, because they actually rehired the person who was responsible and was found guilty.

Mr. Speaker, once again, these are in reference to improper donations that two political parties made over a decade ago. The Commissioner for Canada Elections did do an investigation. Those donations have now been returned.When it comes to the plan we have, and we will put it up against the no plan of the Conservatives any day, we know that Canadians are better off today than they were under 10 years of Stephen Harper. We know that the Conservatives will talk a big game. What we will do is focus on Canadians, and we know that Canadians are better off today because of the Canada child benefit, a measure the Conservatives want to take away.

Mr. Speaker, a 68-year-old man with an amputation was not allowed to bring the batteries for his scooter on an airplane, ruining his once-in-a-lifetime trip to celebrate his wedding anniversary. He went to great lengths to have the paperwork approving the batteries in advance, to no avail.The problem is that this will not be fixed under the proposed accessibility act, as it exempts Canadian transportation.Will the minister stand and tell people with disabilities and their families what the Liberals will do to fix it so this never happens again?

Mr. Speaker, we have seen the effects of flooding in my own riding, and Canadians have seen that across Canada. There is nothing to laugh about when people are being flooded in Canada. Climate change is real. That is why in 2017 we launched the disaster mitigation fund, a $2-billion fund across Canada to help communities to prevent and adapt against flooding. That is why last week I was in the Fraser Valley near Chilliwack and the Shuswap village to announce a $45-million investment to protect communities and families. We will continue to invest in Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the Liberal leader considers the exposure of each of his ever-accumulating ethical lapses learning experiences. Members will recall the Liberals' rote answers during the ethics commissioner's year-long investigation, pledging his co-operation, but we all saw, at the justice and ethics committees, just how much the Liberal leader co-operates if he does not like where an investigation is going. Again, will the Liberal leader co-operate with a criminal investigation by the RCMP or the Ontario Provincial Police?

Mr. Speaker, on August 5, 2016, we asked the Liberal Party and the Liberal leader for information about $110,000 in illegal contributions they received. What did the Liberals do? As usual, they refused to disclose the information.Why does the Prime Minister always wait until he gets caught red-handed before he starts talking and sharing information?Why does the Prime Minister not just tell Canadians the truth?Why does the Prime Minister not answer this simple question: Did people in his office meet with the Chief Electoral Officer—

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Liberals will make it so that nothing is ever built again. They are not helping the environment. They are not helping indigenous communities. They are not helping resource development.Eight provinces and three territories oppose Bill C-69. Hundreds of indigenous businesses and communities are against it. Economists, investors, big companies, family businesses and municipalities oppose it. The hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have lost their jobs because of the Liberals are against it.Will the Liberals approve TMX on June 18 and kill Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, no, we will not kill Bill C-69. It is in the Senate. I was very pleased to testify today to talk about the importance of Bill C-69. Unfortunately, under the previous environmental assessment regime brought in by the Conservatives in an omnibus budget bill, the Conservatives gutted environmental protections and good projects cannot go ahead in a timely way because they all end up in court.We know we need a better system and better rules to develop our resources in a way that protects the environment, that has proper consultation and accommodation with indigenous peoples and that ensures good projects go ahead.We will continue to move forward and work with senators.

Mr. Speaker, families in Quebec are working around the clock to save their homes. Some have already lost everything. People who were evacuated are wondering if they still have a home to return to. In the meantime, the Minister of Public Safety is not sure if he will directly compensate the victims of the flood that continues to rage on.Can the minister commit to compensating homeowners who might potentially be forced to move out of flood-prone areas?

Mr. Speaker, those inappropriate donations to two political parties were made over 10 years ago. Under our Prime Minister's leadership, our government has raised the bar for transparency. That is why we passed legislation enabling the Parliamentary Budget Officer to cost parties' election platforms. The PBO's independent, non-partisan work will prevent parties from misleading Canadians and hiding planned cuts. Unfortunately, only the Conservatives are refusing to have their platform independently costed—

Mr. Speaker, it was illegal, not inappropriate. Earlier today I wrote to the RCMP commissioner suggesting an investigation of the Liberal leader's illegal vacation to the Aga Khan's island. Recent confirmation of the RCMP's deep involvement in the planning of the vacation, as well as lingering questions involving the Liberal leader's behaviour in the SNC corruption scandal, underscore the need to assure Canadians that there is only one law that must be followed by all Canadians.Will the Prime Minister cooperate in any belated criminal investigation into his illegal vacation?

Mr. Speaker, The Globe and Mail says that the Asian Infrastructure Bank is part of “China's One Belt One Road policy of expanding its international influence through infrastructure.” This means pipelines, roads and bridges will be built in China with Canadian tax dollars.Yesterday it was revealed that buried in a previous omnibus budget, the amount of money available to the government to give to the bank was actually $480 million, not the $250 million previously admitted.What is the maximum amount Canadian taxpayers will be forced to pay to China's Asian Infrastructure Bank?

Mr. Speaker, we have put in place a process to consult with indigenous communities to move forward on the Trans Mountain expansion in the right way. We have said that once the consultations are complete, a decision will be made by June 18. However, it is interesting to note that if the Conservatives had been really serious about the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, they would not have voted to de-fund and kill the process that would lead to a decision. They should know about that.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Sault Ste. Marie for his tireless work in combatting climate change. We know as Liberals that Canadians want to do their share in fighting to reduce greenhouse gases. That is why we announced for the first time, as of yesterday, a federal incentive for those willing to invest in a zero-emission vehicle.Unlike the Harper-Ford Conservatives who want to make pollution free again, we in the Liberal Party believe it is important to take care of the environment for our children and for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, if the Minister of Immigration thinks that his government is doing a good job on the immigration file, he is mistaken.The government failed to deal with the problem with the safe third country agreement. It relinquished Canada's sovereignty by signing the global compact for migration. It failed to reform the temporary foreign worker program, it has not reimbursed the provinces for its mistakes, and the list goes on.Does the minister still believe that we are not good Canadians or is he ready to have a civilized discussion on the subject?

Mr. Speaker, the letter in question, dated August 14, 2017, references conversations that led to a contract for services that was designed simply to line the pockets of liberal cronies. It is as though the minister of justice did not have any lawyers on staff to provide counsel on the department's directions. They can drop the charade, because this letter does exist. The minister needs to step up and confirm that the letter exists. Canadians want the truth.

Mr. Speaker, I have just come back from a gathering with the founding members of Canada's shelter movement. An announcement was made about a study we have invested in that is showing where the gaps are and where the opportunities are. To date, our government has invested in a child benefit that gives women and families more money. The NDP voted against it. We have invested in a gender-based violence strategy with over $200 million to prevent this tragedy from happening. The NDP voted against it. We have invested in a national housing strategy with a carve-out for women and girls. The NDP voted against it.Our record speaks for itself. So does theirs.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, there should be no petty politics when it comes to flood victims.We have seen the public's generosity on several occasions during different disasters that have occurred in Canada and Quebec.People need immediate assistance now. There are urgent needs and there is no time to lose.Will the Minister of Public Safety immediately match the Quebec government's donation to the Red Cross?

Mr. Speaker, having lost my grandmother to breast cancer, this is something I take quite personally. I know the minister does put the health and safety of Canadians as a top priority. The Canadian task force on preventive health care is an independent arm's-length panel of 15 experts to develop clinical practice guidelines. While our government provided support to the task force, its decision was made totally independently. As such, these are not official government guidelines.

Mr. Speaker, as we have seen recently in communities across the country, the effects of climate change are real. They are devastating to our communities. Canadians want to know that we take these threats seriously and that we are making the investments necessary to prepare for and mitigate the effects the next time disaster strikes.Could the Prime Minister or the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities please update this House on the investments the government is making to tackle climate change, particularly in British Columbia?

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Fifty-four proposals were selected through a fair, transparent and rigorous process. There is absolutely no truth in what the party opposite is saying. What Canadians want to know is why the party opposite will not consent to have the Parliamentary Budget Officer cost its platform. We want to know how much it is going to cost or how much the cuts are going to cost Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the budget was presented over a month ago. Clearly, the Conservatives are making a desperate attempt to avoid talking about it. They are too busy talking about the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which seeks to create greater inclusive prosperity around the world with investments from France, Germany, Australia, India, Italy and South Korea.The only thing the Conservatives have to offer us again today is the old Stephen Harper approach, which was about turning our backs on the United Nations and other multilateral organizations that make this world a better place.

Mr. Speaker, Ontarians know that an un-costed Conservative platform means Conservative cuts, cuts to health care, education and even libraries. That is why our government passed legislation to permit the Parliamentary Budget Officer to review—

Mr. Speaker, Canadians thought that after the sponsorship scandal the Liberals would turn over a new leaf. What we are seeing today is that the Liberal organization has not changed its culture. The Prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party was found guilty of breaching the Conflict of Interest Act four times. Furthermore, the Federal Court wants to reopen the investigation into his family trip to the Aga Khan's island.Will the Prime Minister agree to reopen the investigation and collaborate?

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to officers of Parliament and the independence of the police force, we on this side have the utmost respect for the work they do. We will always cooperate. It is only the Conservatives who would have to ask that question, because we know that under 10 years of Stephen Harper, they had no regard when it came to officers of Parliament. We know that the Conservatives have chosen a new leader, but they continue with the same approach as Stephen Harper.What is even more interesting is that the Conservatives will do anything but talk about their plan, because they have no plan. However, we know that they want to cut the tax-free Canada child benefit. That is why today we find that they do not even want to cost their electoral platform, because they want to mislead Canadians, just like Doug Ford did.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have finally seen the merit in consulting Canadians, but they did not listen to what Canadians have to say about immigration in this country. The Conservatives think that immigration is a bad thing, but we, on this side of the House, know that immigration is a positive force for Canada's economic growth. Take, for example, our global skills strategy, which helped create 150,000 jobs in this country. We know that immigration is important for the economy and for communities across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister fights for the billionaire class, first nations in Canada are facing one crisis after another. Now we have word that dialysis units were ripped out of Berens River, forcing people to travel to Winnipeg with next to no support. Regardless of their federal responsibility, there has been silence from the government.When sick patients are forced to travel far away from their families, we are risking their lives. What will it take for the government to move beyond empty words and act to restore dialysis services in Berens River now?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians can have confidence in our government's contracting procedure and legal services, which follow a rigorous and responsible process.The contract in question was managed by the Department of Justice, and the awarding process complied with all of the department's policies.

Mr. Speaker, the Red Cross performs a very vital function in responding to national disasters. It is a very valuable partner with all levels of government in dealing with the real human needs that come out of these circumstances.The Government of Canada is in close discussion right now with the Canadian Red Cross about the benefits that could apply, not just in one province but in several provinces, in the current disaster. We will have something further to say on that within the next couple of days.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Chinese authorities informed us that two pork exporters' permits had been suspended.I want to clarify that this happened for administrative reasons. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with the two companies to find a solution. This kind of thing happens regularly, and we expect to find a solution quickly.

Mr. Speaker, one party hid the list of donations when requested most recently, and it was not this party.The last time the terms “SNC-Lavalin compliance agreement” and “PMO” came together, we had four months of a drip, drip, drip of information coming out, leading to two resignations of ministers, one early retirement of the clerk of the privy council, and of course, the resignation of the top adviser to the Prime Minister.Can they just put us all out of our misery and let us know whether the Prime Minister's Office interfered in this matter with SNC-Lavalin?

Mr. Speaker, that is why our government passed legislation to permit the Parliamentary Budget Officer to review party platforms during election campaigns. That way parties cannot mislead Canadians and hide their planned cuts from them.Could the government House leader give the House an update on how our legislation has empowered the Parliamentary Budget Officer to give Canadians more transparency during election campaigns?

Mr. Speaker, both the Liberals and the Conservatives made it clear that they are more interested in working for rich corporations than they are for Canadians. With Loblaws and SNC-Lavalin, the Liberals have shown whose side they are on, and it is not on the side of regular people. The current attorney general refuses to investigate the justice appointment leak. He seems to think that vetting judges through a partisan Liberal voter list is A-okay. Whatever happened to the rule of law? Whatever happened to the promise that the Prime Minister would do things differently?

Mr. Speaker, this morning, the government released its youth policy, which astonishingly announces that “[y]outh are conscious of the negative impacts climate change has” and that they “want to see further immediate action”. It is about time the government noticed, seeing as 150,000 young people have taken to the streets of Montreal demanding action.In London, the U.K. Parliament wasted no time declaring a climate emergency earlier this week. Canada is asleep at the switch. It is true.Six months ago, I urged all the parties to come together to implement emergency climate measures without further delay.Now that their own report says it is important to listen to youth, will the Liberal Party finally sit down with all the other parties so we can work together to fight climate change?This is urgent. Let's go.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for this opportunity to talk about the national housing strategy, which was announced just 15 months ago.When this strategy was announced, the YMCA Federation, and there is a very strong branch in my riding, said that this was a big change for women and girls in Canada. The strategy will get 500,000 Canadian families out of inadequate housing and create 7,000 more shelters specifically for women and girls. Five thousand shelter spaces have already been created. We are working very hard, and we will continue to do even better.

Mr. Speaker, women across the country who are victims of violence are being refused access to shelters because of a lack of resources and funding.The Prime Minister is very outspoken about his feminism, but he seems to be much more timid when it comes time to ask questions and take action to improve the status of women.The government's inaction is putting women in need in a vulnerable situation.Will the government commit to rectifying this situation and giving shelters the resources and funding they need to do their work?

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to remind the member that if he had paid close attention to a recent release from Statistics Canada, he would have seen that in the short three and a half years we have been in power, we have reduced poverty by 20% in Canada. If we talk about child poverty, it is 40%, through investments like the Canada child benefit, like investments in housing, like investments in vulnerable seniors. These are all measures both parties on the other side voted against.

Mr. Speaker, last week we learned that the Prime Minister's Office used a partisan data base to check the history of political donations made by potential judges.The Prime Minister finds it necessary to ensure that new judges are good Liberals before appointing them. Well-connected friends have privileged access to the Prime Minister, unlike workers who need support.Can the Liberal government stop thinking about its own interests and those of its friends and start working for Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to say most importantly that the Minister of Foreign Affairs is in close contact with the families of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. This is not about grandstanding or scoring points; it is about working persistently, carefully and resolutely to bring them home safely. We rallied an unprecedented number of countries around the world in support of Canada's support. Examples are Australia, the EU, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Spain, Denmark, the United States and 140 international scholars and—

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will resume debate at third reading of Bill C-82, an act to implement a multilateral convention to implement tax treaty related measures to prevent base erosion and profit shifting.Tomorrow we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-92, an act respecting first nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families.Next Monday we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-93, an act to provide no-cost, expedited record suspensions for simple possession of cannabis.I hope I will have more to tell you tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his answer. So far, the Government of Quebec has given the Canadian Red Cross $1 million to directly help the victims with their basic needs. I am still talking about the floods since that is the issue at hand. The Government of Quebec gave $1 million without delay.We are calling on the federal government to do the same today. That would directly, tangibly, and immediately help those who are in great need, the people on the ground.If Ottawa can find $12 million to help Loblaws, then surely it could find $1 million somewhere in the budget.Can the minister commit to matching Quebec's donation to the Red Cross?

Mr. Speaker, on August 5, 2016, the leader of the Liberal Party received a confidential memo from Elections Canada detailing a long-term scheme by SNC-Lavalin to funnel illegal electoral donations to the Liberal Party of Canada. That list was never disclosed to the public until recently. On August 30, 2016, SNC-Lavalin received a compliance agreement. There were many meetings with SNC-Lavalin in 2016. Can the Prime Minister let us know if that topic came up?

Mr. Speaker, our government brought in strong measures to ensure that the judicial appointment process is open and transparent and accountable to Canadians. These measures also seek to encourage a greater diversity within the judiciary.Our new process is effective. We have appointed nearly 300 judges, and the diversity of these appointments is unprecedented. Under our government, 55% of the appointed judges are women. We continue to ensure that the appointment process is merit-based and transparent.

Mr. Speaker, I think I answered that question very directly in the previous answer. This issue is under active discussion now with the Canadian Red Cross.From the national perspective, we obviously want to deal with the circumstances in Quebec appropriately, but we also have Ontario and New Brunswick to consider, and there is also flooding in Manitoba. We want to make sure that we have covered all of the bases to treat Canadians everywhere with generosity and compassion, and we will.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the programming that exists and has existed for many years, called the disaster financial assistance arrangements, the compensation measures to cover losses as a result of flooding are, first and foremost, designed by the provinces. The provinces then submit claims for cost-sharing under the terms of the program. As the claims get larger, the federal share gets higher. It starts out at 20% and could rise to 95%. The cost-sharing formula already exists.

Mr. Speaker, the Harper Conservative government made no attempts to address the impact that greenhouse gas emissions from transportation can have on the environment. There is no question that climate change is real or that we must act now. Could the Minister of Transport please update my constituents from Sault Ste. Marie on the progress made to make environmentally friendly transportation options more affordable?

Mr. Speaker, we know that immigration is key to economic growth across Canada, including in Quebec. We know that client service is important and that we need staff all over the province to help solve this problem. We are working hard with Quebec to resolve the province's labour shortage. Immigration is important to economic growth in Quebec and in Canada as a whole, and the government will keep working to achieve better results.

Mr. Speaker, given the uncertainty over the agenda and future work of the House, can the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons tell us about the business of the House for the rest of this week and next week?

Mr. Speaker, if the NDP and the Conservatives want a plan for fighting climate change, I have one for them.First, we put a price on pollution. Second, we offered an electric car incentive. Third, we are going to phase out coal by 2030.If the member wants to talk about youth, it was our party that created the first ever youth policy and the first ever Prime Minister's Youth Council. We have created 35,000 work placements through Canada summer jobs and invested an additional $300 million.Our party supports youth across the country, and we are going to keep doing that.

Mr. Speaker, our government is working very hard on closing the unacceptable gap that exists right now between indigenous and non-indigenous communities when it comes to quality health care. We are in the process of closing that gap. Fifty-two new community-led wellness centres are now serving 344 communities, 218,000 requests under Jordan's Principle and we are working with indigenous partners toward arrangements that will continue to support indigenous control of health care delivery.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question which in fact, unfortunately, is based on error. I can assure all Canadians that transportation is a priority under the accessible Canada act, which gives an extended mandate to the CTA to ensure that accessible transportation regulations come into force immediately. I thank my hon. colleague, the Minister of Transport, for being the first to adopt accessible Canada regulations for transportation.

Mr. Speaker, health care costs are one of the things we have all been concerned about in the country. That is why, as a government, we have launched initiatives to look at pharmacare and how we make health care more affordable to Canadians, whether they live in the north or the south. In particular, we have paid careful attention to northerners. That is why we have launched the northern strategic plan and the Arctic policy, so we can hear their concerns first-hand and act on programs and services that will benefit them.

Mr. Speaker, we have been talking about this matter and doing something about it for exactly two months now. We are in contact with the Chinese authorities. Our representatives there are in daily contact with Chinese authorities. We have regular meetings with a working group because we recognize that this is an important industry, we respect our partners, we respect the industry and we are working together to find the best way to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister was evasive and short on detail in his scant response to my question.The Minister of Justice will no doubt be able to give me an answer about the bespoke contract awarded to our dedicated Liberal donor. A privileged communication between a law firm and the minister of justice on August 4, 2017, turned into a lucrative $711-per-hour contract. This communication exists.Can the minister confirm to the House that this letter does exist?

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we are standing firm and taking action in a variety of ways to address this situation.We are working with my colleague, the Minister of International Trade Diversification, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and with the Prime Minister himself. We have immense respect for our farmers and their representatives. That is why, as I have said, the working group is currently looking at the best steps to take.We are going to continue working very actively, both here and in China, to fix this problem.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the commissioners work at arm's length from the government and the House of Commons. On this side of the House, we respect the work that the commissioners do. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility and what the commissioner put in his report.With respect to inappropriate donations to two political parties, we know that the commissioner of Canada elections conducted an investigation and that both parties returned those donations.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. Leader of the Opposition is absolutely wrong.We are the government that gave approval to the Nova Gas line, which has been completed. We are the government that approved Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completed on the Canadian side. We have advocated with the U.S. on the Keystone XL pipeline. We are the government that has put a process in place to move forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way, with meaningful consultation with indigenous communities, something the Conservatives voted against.

Mr. Speaker, our government has taken significant steps to make sure that we have in place a process for appointing judges that is transparent, that is merit-based and that enhances the diversity of the Canadian bench. The new process is effective. We are at 296 judges appointed or elevated at this stage. The diversity of these appointments is unquestionable. Fifty-five per cent of them are women.We are going to continue to ensure that our appointment process is merit-based, continues to be fair, continues to be open and continues to attract the very best candidates.

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. We are talking about $250 million over five years. About a year and a half ago, we announced our plans to join with France, Germany, the U.K., India and Australia on this initiative.We believe that organizations like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are important multilateral institutions that contribute to global inclusive prosperity as well as Canada's prosperity.

Mr. Speaker, these donations the member is referring to took place between 2004 and 2009. Elections Canada operates independently of government and makes its decisions independently of any government. The Commissioner of Canada Elections did do an investigation in this matter. Two parties in this House were informed. Both parties have returned those donations.

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows, last year we passed Bill C-50 in the House of Commons to ensure that fundraising events hosted by the Prime Minister, ministers, leaders of parties or leadership candidates would be made public and that the list would be disclosed. In fact, the Liberal Party began abiding by these rules even before the legislation received royal assent. However, the opposition did not do so.

Mr. Speaker, although the Department of Justice approves tenders, some approvals are delegated to the deputy minister or to other senior Department of Justice officials. This contract was approved by the deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general.All contracting rules and policies were followed in the awarding of this contract.

Mr. Speaker, China has blocked Canadian canola for reasons that are both false and baseless, but the Prime Minister is yet to launch a trade complaint. China has also unlawfully detained two Canadians, and Canada has no ambassador to help with the negotiations.Will the Prime Minister stop letting Canada get pushed around, appoint an ambassador to China and launch a formal trade complaint to resolve the canola crisis?

Mr. Speaker, on August 5, 2016, we asked the Liberal Party and the Liberal leader for information about $110,000 in illegal contributions they received. What did the Liberals do? As usual, they refused to disclose the information.Why does the Prime Minister always wait until he gets caught red-handed before he starts talking and sharing information?Why does the Prime Minister not just tell Canadians the truth?Why does the Prime Minister not answer this simple question: Did people in his office meet with the Chief Electoral Officer—

Mr. Speaker, it was illegal, not inappropriate. Earlier today I wrote to the RCMP commissioner suggesting an investigation of the Liberal leader's illegal vacation to the Aga Khan's island. Recent confirmation of the RCMP's deep involvement in the planning of the vacation, as well as lingering questions involving the Liberal leader's behaviour in the SNC corruption scandal, underscore the need to assure Canadians that there is only one law that must be followed by all Canadians.Will the Prime Minister cooperate in any belated criminal investigation into his illegal vacation?

Mr. Speaker, recently I raised the concerns of breast health experts, who are shocked at guidelines that ignore breast density and recommend against self-examination and timely mammograms. The minister replied that she was not going to do anything because the guidelines were produced by experts. However, the task force relied on outdated data and did not have a single member with breast health expertise. If the minister claims her number one priority is the health of Canadians, then how can she sit back and ignore health guidelines that will cause over 400 women to die every year?

Mr. Speaker, as we have seen recently in communities across the country, the effects of climate change are real. They are devastating to our communities. Canadians want to know that we take these threats seriously and that we are making the investments necessary to prepare for and mitigate the effects the next time disaster strikes.Could the Prime Minister or the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities please update this House on the investments the government is making to tackle climate change, particularly in British Columbia?

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to remind the member that if he had paid close attention to a recent release from Statistics Canada, he would have seen that in the short three and a half years we have been in power, we have reduced poverty by 20% in Canada. If we talk about child poverty, it is 40%, through investments like the Canada child benefit, like investments in housing, like investments in vulnerable seniors. These are all measures both parties on the other side voted against.

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister fights for the billionaire class, first nations in Canada are facing one crisis after another. Now we have word that dialysis units were ripped out of Berens River, forcing people to travel to Winnipeg with next to no support. Regardless of their federal responsibility, there has been silence from the government.When sick patients are forced to travel far away from their families, we are risking their lives. What will it take for the government to move beyond empty words and act to restore dialysis services in Berens River now?

Mr. Speaker, after three and a half years, the Conservatives finally saw the merit in consulting with Canadians. Sadly, they did not listen. Conservatives are twisting themselves into a pretzel to hide their secret plan to stifle economic growth by cutting immigration in this country.Looking solely at the our global skills strategy, it has helped create 150,000 jobs across this country. Taking our economic growth plan into consideration, whereby 900,000 jobs have been created across this country, Canadians will see that immigration is a key ingredient. We agree with that. Business agrees with that. Communities agree with that. The only people who do not are the Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, although the Department of Justice approves tenders, some approvals are delegated to the deputy minister or to other senior Department of Justice officials. This contract was approved by the deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general.All contracting rules and policies were followed in the awarding of this contract.

Mr. Speaker, families in Quebec are working around the clock to save their homes. Some have already lost everything. People who were evacuated are wondering if they still have a home to return to. In the meantime, the Minister of Public Safety is not sure if he will directly compensate the victims of the flood that continues to rage on.Can the minister commit to compensating homeowners who might potentially be forced to move out of flood-prone areas?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians support immigration when it is fair, orderly and compassionate. However, right now, there are serious examples of unfairness and injustice in Canada's immigration system.Anytime anyone asks the Liberals to address these injustices, they are met with thinly veiled accusations of racism or lies. This is wrong. This cheapens the debate on how to fairly manage immigration and harms racialized communities.Will the Prime Minister finally address his failure to manage Canada's immigration system, or will he continue down this tired, destructive path?

Mr. Speaker, as we know, this matter has been thoroughly studied by the former conflict of interest and ethics commissioner. The Prime Minister has accepted her findings. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility when it comes to this matter.The member opposite should very well know that ATIPs are handled completely separately from political staff. I should not have to remind the Conservatives that they were the ones who were found guilty of politically interfering with the ATIP process. It is unfortunate, because they actually rehired the person who was responsible and was found guilty.

Mr. Speaker, labour shortages in rural areas are disastrous for many businesses, but the government still has no plan to do anything about it. Everyone agrees that immigration is one solution to the problem, but the complex application process and processing delays are unacceptable. The Government of Quebec has opened offices in the regions. Two years ago, I asked the Minister of Immigration to follow suit and open an office in Abitibi—Témiscamingue.Are rural residents second-class citizens? Why won't the minister provide them with the same level of service as everyone else?

Mr. Speaker, the government has done nothing about canola and China for two months, and now we have learned that Quebec's and Alberta's pork industries are being affected. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food confirmed this morning in committee that she has not spoken with her Chinese counterpart, that she does not know what the Minister of Global Affairs is doing and that now is not the time to file a complaint with the WTO.The crisis is getting worse. The Liberals refuse to even talk about it.How long will the Prime Minister let producers suffer before he does something?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians thought that after the sponsorship scandal the Liberals would turn over a new leaf. What we are seeing today is that the Liberal organization has not changed its culture. The Prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party was found guilty of breaching the Conflict of Interest Act four times. Furthermore, the Federal Court wants to reopen the investigation into his family trip to the Aga Khan's island.Will the Prime Minister agree to reopen the investigation and collaborate?

Mr. Speaker, The Globe and Mail says that the Asian Infrastructure Bank is part of “China's One Belt One Road policy of expanding its international influence through infrastructure.” This means pipelines, roads and bridges will be built in China with Canadian tax dollars.Yesterday it was revealed that buried in a previous omnibus budget, the amount of money available to the government to give to the bank was actually $480 million, not the $250 million previously admitted.What is the maximum amount Canadian taxpayers will be forced to pay to China's Asian Infrastructure Bank?

Mr. Speaker, the problem is that China does not respect the Liberals because they are incapable of standing firm. That is the problem.In a tweet from 2016, which he has since deleted, the Prime Minister promised that canola producers would have access to the Chinese market through 2020. Now it is 2019, and canola producers no longer have access to China. It is unacceptable that the Prime Minister has failed so spectacularly to keep the promise he made to producers.Instead of deleting his tweets, will the Prime Minister keep his promise for once and stand up for canola and pork farmers?

Mr. Speaker, the Chinese leadership has called the Prime Minister a name that is so insulting that you have ruled it unspeakable in the House. I will put partisanship aside and say that I will not stand for that kind of treatment of the Prime Minister.In retaliation, will the government do the right thing and cancel the quarter-billion dollar gift to the China-controlled Asian Infrastructure Bank?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been paying for the broken promises of the Liberal government ever since the 2015 election. That will come to an end in October.Another area where the Liberal government has completely failed Canadians has been the energy sector. The Conservative record on pipelines has been to see the private sector build four major pipeline projects during our time in office. However, the Liberals have vetoed and killed projects, and now they have purchased a pipeline that they cannot build.Bill C-69 is the final nail in the coffin. More and more Canadians are speaking out against it. Will they—

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member for Brampton North that Canadians deserve to know what political parties are proposing and the costs to them. That is exactly why the independent Parliamentary Budget Officer can now cost a party's platform.Unfortunately, it is only the Conservatives who are refusing to have their platform costed. The only reason that can be is that we know the Conservatives are following the lead of Doug Ford and want to keep Canadians in the dark. We know the Conservatives do not support the tax-free Canada child benefit. We know they do not support the increase to the GIS. We know they do not support home care and other services. These are probably programs that are on their chopping block.

Mr. Speaker, on August 5, 2016, the leader of the Liberal Party received a confidential memo from Elections Canada detailing a long-term scheme by SNC-Lavalin to funnel illegal electoral donations to the Liberal Party of Canada. That list was never disclosed to the public until recently. On August 30, 2016, SNC-Lavalin received a compliance agreement. There were many meetings with SNC-Lavalin in 2016. Can the Prime Minister let us know if that topic came up?

Mr. Speaker, these donations the member is referring to took place between 2004 and 2009. Elections Canada operates independently of government and makes its decisions independently of any government. The Commissioner of Canada Elections did do an investigation in this matter. Two parties in this House were informed. Both parties have returned those donations.

Mr. Speaker, those inappropriate donations to two political parties were made over 10 years ago. Under our Prime Minister's leadership, our government has raised the bar for transparency. That is why we passed legislation enabling the Parliamentary Budget Officer to cost parties' election platforms. The PBO's independent, non-partisan work will prevent parties from misleading Canadians and hiding planned cuts. Unfortunately, only the Conservatives are refusing to have their platform independently costed—

Mr. Speaker, we know that the commissioners work at arm's length from the government and the House of Commons. On this side of the House, we respect the work that the commissioners do. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility and what the commissioner put in his report.With respect to inappropriate donations to two political parties, we know that the commissioner of Canada elections conducted an investigation and that both parties returned those donations.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the Liberal leader considers the exposure of each of his ever-accumulating ethical lapses learning experiences. Members will recall the Liberals' rote answers during the ethics commissioner's year-long investigation, pledging his co-operation, but we all saw, at the justice and ethics committees, just how much the Liberal leader co-operates if he does not like where an investigation is going. Again, will the Liberal leader co-operate with a criminal investigation by the RCMP or the Ontario Provincial Police?

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows, last year we passed Bill C-50 in the House of Commons to ensure that fundraising events hosted by the Prime Minister, ministers, leaders of parties or leadership candidates would be made public and that the list would be disclosed. In fact, the Liberal Party began abiding by these rules even before the legislation received royal assent. However, the opposition did not do so.

Mr. Speaker, the letter in question, dated August 14, 2017, references conversations that led to a contract for services that was designed simply to line the pockets of liberal cronies. It is as though the minister of justice did not have any lawyers on staff to provide counsel on the department's directions. They can drop the charade, because this letter does exist. The minister needs to step up and confirm that the letter exists. Canadians want the truth.

Mr. Speaker, Ontarians know that an un-costed Conservative platform means Conservative cuts, cuts to health care, education and even libraries. That is why our government passed legislation to permit the Parliamentary Budget Officer to review—

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Liberals will make it so that nothing is ever built again. They are not helping the environment. They are not helping indigenous communities. They are not helping resource development.Eight provinces and three territories oppose Bill C-69. Hundreds of indigenous businesses and communities are against it. Economists, investors, big companies, family businesses and municipalities oppose it. The hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have lost their jobs because of the Liberals are against it.Will the Liberals approve TMX on June 18 and kill Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, at this time, there should be no petty politics when it comes to flood victims.We have seen the public's generosity on several occasions during different disasters that have occurred in Canada and Quebec.People need immediate assistance now. There are urgent needs and there is no time to lose.Will the Minister of Public Safety immediately match the Quebec government's donation to the Red Cross?

Mr. Speaker, given the uncertainty over the agenda and future work of the House, can the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons tell us about the business of the House for the rest of this week and next week?

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will resume debate at third reading of Bill C-82, an act to implement a multilateral convention to implement tax treaty related measures to prevent base erosion and profit shifting.Tomorrow we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-92, an act respecting first nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families.Next Monday we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-93, an act to provide no-cost, expedited record suspensions for simple possession of cannabis.I hope I will have more to tell you tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, our government is working very hard on closing the unacceptable gap that exists right now between indigenous and non-indigenous communities when it comes to quality health care. We are in the process of closing that gap. Fifty-two new community-led wellness centres are now serving 344 communities, 218,000 requests under Jordan's Principle and we are working with indigenous partners toward arrangements that will continue to support indigenous control of health care delivery.

Mr. Speaker, if the Minister of Immigration thinks that his government is doing a good job on the immigration file, he is mistaken.The government failed to deal with the problem with the safe third country agreement. It relinquished Canada's sovereignty by signing the global compact for migration. It failed to reform the temporary foreign worker program, it has not reimbursed the provinces for its mistakes, and the list goes on.Does the minister still believe that we are not good Canadians or is he ready to have a civilized discussion on the subject?

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have finally seen the merit in consulting Canadians, but they did not listen to what Canadians have to say about immigration in this country. The Conservatives think that immigration is a bad thing, but we, on this side of the House, know that immigration is a positive force for Canada's economic growth. Take, for example, our global skills strategy, which helped create 150,000 jobs in this country. We know that immigration is important for the economy and for communities across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, another day, another dispute with China, and still no meaningful action from the Prime Minister. The canola crisis has already cost farmers almost $1 billion, and now pork producers in Quebec and Alberta are feeling the pinch.When will the Prime Minister understand that refusing to stand up to China has a very real impact on thousands of Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, for months, first nations, trade unions and provinces have warned that the Liberals' no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will block resource development. Yesterday, it got even worse. The Liberals will steamroll provinces, giving themselves unprecedented power over highways, passenger trains, recycling plants and of course provincial resources, like wind, hydro and oil. Not since the eighties have federal Liberals pit Canadians against each other over resource development and put the whole Canadian economy at risk. Will the Liberals kill Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, the Red Cross performs a very vital function in responding to national disasters. It is a very valuable partner with all levels of government in dealing with the real human needs that come out of these circumstances.The Government of Canada is in close discussion right now with the Canadian Red Cross about the benefits that could apply, not just in one province but in several provinces, in the current disaster. We will have something further to say on that within the next couple of days.

Mr. Speaker, only a Liberal would think it is fair to cost Canadians $12 million to give away freezers to a billion dollar company that would have bought them itself and call it an environment plan. It is not just rich Canadian Liberals who can get access to the Prime Minister. An American CEO also found himself at a cash-for-access event with the Prime Minister, where he bragged about getting access to the Liberal cabinet by illegally obtaining a $1,600 ticket. Why do those Liberals only follow the rules after they have first been found to have broken them?

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. We are talking about $250 million over five years. About a year and a half ago, we announced our plans to join with France, Germany, the U.K., India and Australia on this initiative.We believe that organizations like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are important multilateral institutions that contribute to global inclusive prosperity as well as Canada's prosperity.

Mr. Speaker, Canadian citizens are being mistreated in Chinese prisons. Our canola farmers have already lost one billion dollars. Now pork producers are being targeted by China. Over the last four months, despite our requests, the Liberal government has refused to make senior-level calls. Liberals have ignored calls to send a special envoy, they have delayed announcing or nominating a new ambassador, and today they said they will not bring a trade action.China thinks our Prime Minister is weak, and he is proving them right. When will Liberals appoint an ambassador?

Mr. Speaker, the budget was presented over a month ago. Clearly, the Conservatives are making a desperate attempt to avoid talking about it. They are too busy talking about the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which seeks to create greater inclusive prosperity around the world with investments from France, Germany, Australia, India, Italy and South Korea.The only thing the Conservatives have to offer us again today is the old Stephen Harper approach, which was about turning our backs on the United Nations and other multilateral organizations that make this world a better place.

Mr. Speaker, this morning, the government released its youth policy, which astonishingly announces that “[y]outh are conscious of the negative impacts climate change has” and that they “want to see further immediate action”. It is about time the government noticed, seeing as 150,000 young people have taken to the streets of Montreal demanding action.In London, the U.K. Parliament wasted no time declaring a climate emergency earlier this week. Canada is asleep at the switch. It is true.Six months ago, I urged all the parties to come together to implement emergency climate measures without further delay.Now that their own report says it is important to listen to youth, will the Liberal Party finally sit down with all the other parties so we can work together to fight climate change?This is urgent. Let's go.

Mr. Speaker, women across the country who are victims of violence are being refused access to shelters because of a lack of resources and funding.The Prime Minister is very outspoken about his feminism, but he seems to be much more timid when it comes time to ask questions and take action to improve the status of women.The government's inaction is putting women in need in a vulnerable situation.Will the government commit to rectifying this situation and giving shelters the resources and funding they need to do their work?

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we are standing firm and taking action in a variety of ways to address this situation.We are working with my colleague, the Minister of International Trade Diversification, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and with the Prime Minister himself. We have immense respect for our farmers and their representatives. That is why, as I have said, the working group is currently looking at the best steps to take.We are going to continue working very actively, both here and in China, to fix this problem.

Mr. Speaker, last week we learned that the Prime Minister's Office used a partisan data base to check the history of political donations made by potential judges.The Prime Minister finds it necessary to ensure that new judges are good Liberals before appointing them. Well-connected friends have privileged access to the Prime Minister, unlike workers who need support.Can the Liberal government stop thinking about its own interests and those of its friends and start working for Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, what is going on with the pork industry is an administrative issue. I am confident that we will find a solution very rapidly.Conservatives keep playing little politics. I would like the House to know that today we have learned that the Leader of the Opposition is refusing to allow an independent check on the cost of their promises. I think Conservatives are hiding in the same way Doug Ford is hiding very big cuts.

Mr. Speaker, we were informed yesterday that the Chinese authorities suspended the export permits of two Canadian pork exporters.We were clearly informed that this is an administrative issue, something that happens on a relatively regular basis in various industries and countries. The Canada Food Inspection Agency is monitoring the situation and we expect it to be quickly resolved.

Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned that China is now refusing shipments of pork from the plant in Red Deer, a plant that employs more than 1,600 people. The same company has another plant in Canada. It has also had its export permit for pork suspended. Canadians can no longer afford to pay the high price of the total Liberal incompetence and bungling on the world stage. When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for Canadian farmers and their families by putting an end to these politically motivated trade actions?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister was evasive and short on detail in his scant response to my question.The Minister of Justice will no doubt be able to give me an answer about the bespoke contract awarded to our dedicated Liberal donor. A privileged communication between a law firm and the minister of justice on August 4, 2017, turned into a lucrative $711-per-hour contract. This communication exists.Can the minister confirm to the House that this letter does exist?

Mr. Speaker, once again, these are in reference to improper donations that two political parties made over a decade ago. The Commissioner for Canada Elections did do an investigation. Those donations have now been returned.When it comes to the plan we have, and we will put it up against the no plan of the Conservatives any day, we know that Canadians are better off today than they were under 10 years of Stephen Harper. We know that the Conservatives will talk a big game. What we will do is focus on Canadians, and we know that Canadians are better off today because of the Canada child benefit, a measure the Conservatives want to take away.

Mr. Speaker, I think I answered that question very directly in the previous answer. This issue is under active discussion now with the Canadian Red Cross.From the national perspective, we obviously want to deal with the circumstances in Quebec appropriately, but we also have Ontario and New Brunswick to consider, and there is also flooding in Manitoba. We want to make sure that we have covered all of the bases to treat Canadians everywhere with generosity and compassion, and we will.

Mr. Speaker, having lost my grandmother to breast cancer, this is something I take quite personally. I know the minister does put the health and safety of Canadians as a top priority. The Canadian task force on preventive health care is an independent arm's-length panel of 15 experts to develop clinical practice guidelines. While our government provided support to the task force, its decision was made totally independently. As such, these are not official government guidelines.

Mr. Speaker, like many northerners, Napoleon Bouvier in Ile à la Crosse does not have access to medical care. Instead of making life easier for northerners, the price of medical care and pharmacare is only going up for people in my riding. We cannot afford to wait any longer. When will the Liberals invest in health care in northern Saskatchewan so every northerner can live with dignity?

Mr. Speaker, we have put in place a process to consult with indigenous communities to move forward on the Trans Mountain expansion in the right way. We have said that once the consultations are complete, a decision will be made by June 18. However, it is interesting to note that if the Conservatives had been really serious about the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, they would not have voted to de-fund and kill the process that would lead to a decision. They should know about that.

Mr. Speaker, if the NDP and the Conservatives want a plan for fighting climate change, I have one for them.First, we put a price on pollution. Second, we offered an electric car incentive. Third, we are going to phase out coal by 2030.If the member wants to talk about youth, it was our party that created the first ever youth policy and the first ever Prime Minister's Youth Council. We have created 35,000 work placements through Canada summer jobs and invested an additional $300 million.Our party supports youth across the country, and we are going to keep doing that.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his answer. So far, the Government of Quebec has given the Canadian Red Cross $1 million to directly help the victims with their basic needs. I am still talking about the floods since that is the issue at hand. The Government of Quebec gave $1 million without delay.We are calling on the federal government to do the same today. That would directly, tangibly, and immediately help those who are in great need, the people on the ground.If Ottawa can find $12 million to help Loblaws, then surely it could find $1 million somewhere in the budget.Can the minister commit to matching Quebec's donation to the Red Cross?

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Fifty-four proposals were selected through a fair, transparent and rigorous process. There is absolutely no truth in what the party opposite is saying. What Canadians want to know is why the party opposite will not consent to have the Parliamentary Budget Officer cost its platform. We want to know how much it is going to cost or how much the cuts are going to cost Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, both the Liberals and the Conservatives made it clear that they are more interested in working for rich corporations than they are for Canadians. With Loblaws and SNC-Lavalin, the Liberals have shown whose side they are on, and it is not on the side of regular people. The current attorney general refuses to investigate the justice appointment leak. He seems to think that vetting judges through a partisan Liberal voter list is A-okay. Whatever happened to the rule of law? Whatever happened to the promise that the Prime Minister would do things differently?

Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to remind members opposite of what the Premier of Saskatchewan had to say yesterday about the plan we announced to support canola producers. He said, “the federal government has shown that they do support western Canadian agriculture” and he said, “we are going to support the federal government in these decisions from this day on, as we have always indicated we will.”The Canola Association supports us. The premier of Saskatchewan supports us. Growers support us. The industry supports us. It is only those Conservatives who do not support us.

How many of them are Liberal donors, Mr. Speaker?The Liberals gave $12 million to one of Canada's richest companies. At the same time, women's shelters in Canada are shutting their doors. Every day, on average, 590 women and children are turned away from overcrowded shelters that are packed beyond capacity. Many are forced to return to abuse and violence because of a lack of funding from the Liberal government.If the supposed feminist government is able to find millions of dollars for handouts to billionaires, why can it not provide funds to help women and children find shelter?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question which in fact, unfortunately, is based on error. I can assure all Canadians that transportation is a priority under the accessible Canada act, which gives an extended mandate to the CTA to ensure that accessible transportation regulations come into force immediately. I thank my hon. colleague, the Minister of Transport, for being the first to adopt accessible Canada regulations for transportation.

Mr. Speaker, health care costs are one of the things we have all been concerned about in the country. That is why, as a government, we have launched initiatives to look at pharmacare and how we make health care more affordable to Canadians, whether they live in the north or the south. In particular, we have paid careful attention to northerners. That is why we have launched the northern strategic plan and the Arctic policy, so we can hear their concerns first-hand and act on programs and services that will benefit them.

Mr. Speaker, it is not just administrative reasons when there are two Canadians unlawfully jailed in China. Now our canola exports are being unfairly blocked, and we can add the pork producers of this country to those who are paying for the mistakes of the Prime Minister on the world stage.What is the Prime Minister's response in terms of these attacks on Canadian interests? Absolutely nothing—worse than nothing: the government is still sending Canadian tax dollars to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is run by China.How many more people and how many more industries will have to suffer before the Prime Minister finally takes action?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians can have confidence in our government's contracting procedure and legal services, which follow a rigorous and responsible process.The contract in question was managed by the Department of Justice, and the awarding process complied with all of the department's policies.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the programming that exists and has existed for many years, called the disaster financial assistance arrangements, the compensation measures to cover losses as a result of flooding are, first and foremost, designed by the provinces. The provinces then submit claims for cost-sharing under the terms of the program. As the claims get larger, the federal share gets higher. It starts out at 20% and could rise to 95%. The cost-sharing formula already exists.

Mr. Speaker, we know that immigration is key to economic growth across Canada, including in Quebec. We know that client service is important and that we need staff all over the province to help solve this problem. We are working hard with Quebec to resolve the province's labour shortage. Immigration is important to economic growth in Quebec and in Canada as a whole, and the government will keep working to achieve better results.

Mr. Speaker, we have been talking about this matter and doing something about it for exactly two months now. We are in contact with the Chinese authorities. Our representatives there are in daily contact with Chinese authorities. We have regular meetings with a working group because we recognize that this is an important industry, we respect our partners, we respect the industry and we are working together to find the best way to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.

Mr. Speaker, one party hid the list of donations when requested most recently, and it was not this party.The last time the terms “SNC-Lavalin compliance agreement” and “PMO” came together, we had four months of a drip, drip, drip of information coming out, leading to two resignations of ministers, one early retirement of the clerk of the privy council, and of course, the resignation of the top adviser to the Prime Minister.Can they just put us all out of our misery and let us know whether the Prime Minister's Office interfered in this matter with SNC-Lavalin?

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to officers of Parliament and the independence of the police force, we on this side have the utmost respect for the work they do. We will always cooperate. It is only the Conservatives who would have to ask that question, because we know that under 10 years of Stephen Harper, they had no regard when it came to officers of Parliament. We know that the Conservatives have chosen a new leader, but they continue with the same approach as Stephen Harper.What is even more interesting is that the Conservatives will do anything but talk about their plan, because they have no plan. However, we know that they want to cut the tax-free Canada child benefit. That is why today we find that they do not even want to cost their electoral platform, because they want to mislead Canadians, just like Doug Ford did.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Chinese authorities informed us that two pork exporters' permits had been suspended.I want to clarify that this happened for administrative reasons. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with the two companies to find a solution. This kind of thing happens regularly, and we expect to find a solution quickly.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for this opportunity to talk about the national housing strategy, which was announced just 15 months ago.When this strategy was announced, the YMCA Federation, and there is a very strong branch in my riding, said that this was a big change for women and girls in Canada. The strategy will get 500,000 Canadian families out of inadequate housing and create 7,000 more shelters specifically for women and girls. Five thousand shelter spaces have already been created. We are working very hard, and we will continue to do even better.

Mr. Speaker, we have seen the effects of flooding in my own riding, and Canadians have seen that across Canada. There is nothing to laugh about when people are being flooded in Canada. Climate change is real. That is why in 2017 we launched the disaster mitigation fund, a $2-billion fund across Canada to help communities to prevent and adapt against flooding. That is why last week I was in the Fraser Valley near Chilliwack and the Shuswap village to announce a $45-million investment to protect communities and families. We will continue to invest in Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I have just come back from a gathering with the founding members of Canada's shelter movement. An announcement was made about a study we have invested in that is showing where the gaps are and where the opportunities are. To date, our government has invested in a child benefit that gives women and families more money. The NDP voted against it. We have invested in a gender-based violence strategy with over $200 million to prevent this tragedy from happening. The NDP voted against it. We have invested in a national housing strategy with a carve-out for women and girls. The NDP voted against it.Our record speaks for itself. So does theirs.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to say most importantly that the Minister of Foreign Affairs is in close contact with the families of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. This is not about grandstanding or scoring points; it is about working persistently, carefully and resolutely to bring them home safely. We rallied an unprecedented number of countries around the world in support of Canada's support. Examples are Australia, the EU, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Spain, Denmark, the United States and 140 international scholars and—

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Sault Ste. Marie for his tireless work in combatting climate change. We know as Liberals that Canadians want to do their share in fighting to reduce greenhouse gases. That is why we announced for the first time, as of yesterday, a federal incentive for those willing to invest in a zero-emission vehicle.Unlike the Harper-Ford Conservatives who want to make pollution free again, we in the Liberal Party believe it is important to take care of the environment for our children and for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, life is increasingly unaffordable for people on Vancouver Island. Just like the Conservatives before them, the Liberal government is siding with the richest corporations, while people pay the price. The good times just keep rolling for corporate lobbyists.The Liberals maintain the Conservatives' billion-dollar subsidies to oil companies, cater to SNC-Lavalin and throw money at Loblaws. People deserve a government that is on their side, so when exactly are the Liberals going to grow a backbone and stop bending to the will of large and powerful corporations?

Mr. Speaker, no, we will not kill Bill C-69. It is in the Senate. I was very pleased to testify today to talk about the importance of Bill C-69. Unfortunately, under the previous environmental assessment regime brought in by the Conservatives in an omnibus budget bill, the Conservatives gutted environmental protections and good projects cannot go ahead in a timely way because they all end up in court.We know we need a better system and better rules to develop our resources in a way that protects the environment, that has proper consultation and accommodation with indigenous peoples and that ensures good projects go ahead.We will continue to move forward and work with senators.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians might wonder why the Liberals handed over $12 million to Loblaws, one of Canada's richest companies, to buy freezers. We have now learned that two Loblaws lobbyists, both frequent Liberal Party donors, lobbied the Minister of Environment and her staff. Then they met up with those staff again at an exclusive Liberal cash-for-access event with the Prime Minister. What a coincidence. When will these Liberals stop giving preferential treatment to their wealthy and well-connected Liberal friends?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. Leader of the Opposition is absolutely wrong.We are the government that gave approval to the Nova Gas line, which has been completed. We are the government that approved Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completed on the Canadian side. We have advocated with the U.S. on the Keystone XL pipeline. We are the government that has put a process in place to move forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way, with meaningful consultation with indigenous communities, something the Conservatives voted against.

Mr. Speaker, our government brought in strong measures to ensure that the judicial appointment process is open and transparent and accountable to Canadians. These measures also seek to encourage a greater diversity within the judiciary.Our new process is effective. We have appointed nearly 300 judges, and the diversity of these appointments is unprecedented. Under our government, 55% of the appointed judges are women. We continue to ensure that the appointment process is merit-based and transparent.

Mr. Speaker, the Harper Conservative government made no attempts to address the impact that greenhouse gas emissions from transportation can have on the environment. There is no question that climate change is real or that we must act now. Could the Minister of Transport please update my constituents from Sault Ste. Marie on the progress made to make environmentally friendly transportation options more affordable?

Mr. Speaker, a 68-year-old man with an amputation was not allowed to bring the batteries for his scooter on an airplane, ruining his once-in-a-lifetime trip to celebrate his wedding anniversary. He went to great lengths to have the paperwork approving the batteries in advance, to no avail.The problem is that this will not be fixed under the proposed accessibility act, as it exempts Canadian transportation.Will the minister stand and tell people with disabilities and their families what the Liberals will do to fix it so this never happens again?

Mr. Speaker, our government has taken significant steps to make sure that we have in place a process for appointing judges that is transparent, that is merit-based and that enhances the diversity of the Canadian bench. The new process is effective. We are at 296 judges appointed or elevated at this stage. The diversity of these appointments is unquestionable. Fifty-five per cent of them are women.We are going to continue to ensure that our appointment process is merit-based, continues to be fair, continues to be open and continues to attract the very best candidates.

Mr. Speaker, that is why our government passed legislation to permit the Parliamentary Budget Officer to review party platforms during election campaigns. That way parties cannot mislead Canadians and hide their planned cuts from them.Could the government House leader give the House an update on how our legislation has empowered the Parliamentary Budget Officer to give Canadians more transparency during election campaigns?

Mr. Speaker, that is why our government passed legislation to permit the Parliamentary Budget Officer to review party platforms during election campaigns. That way parties cannot mislead Canadians and hide their planned cuts from them.Could the government House leader give the House an update on how our legislation has empowered the Parliamentary Budget Officer to give Canadians more transparency during election campaigns?

Mr. Speaker, our government has taken significant steps to make sure that we have in place a process for appointing judges that is transparent, that is merit-based and that enhances the diversity of the Canadian bench. The new process is effective. We are at 296 judges appointed or elevated at this stage. The diversity of these appointments is unquestionable. Fifty-five per cent of them are women.We are going to continue to ensure that our appointment process is merit-based, continues to be fair, continues to be open and continues to attract the very best candidates.

Mr. Speaker, a 68-year-old man with an amputation was not allowed to bring the batteries for his scooter on an airplane, ruining his once-in-a-lifetime trip to celebrate his wedding anniversary. He went to great lengths to have the paperwork approving the batteries in advance, to no avail.The problem is that this will not be fixed under the proposed accessibility act, as it exempts Canadian transportation.Will the minister stand and tell people with disabilities and their families what the Liberals will do to fix it so this never happens again?

Mr. Speaker, the Harper Conservative government made no attempts to address the impact that greenhouse gas emissions from transportation can have on the environment. There is no question that climate change is real or that we must act now. Could the Minister of Transport please update my constituents from Sault Ste. Marie on the progress made to make environmentally friendly transportation options more affordable?

Mr. Speaker, our government brought in strong measures to ensure that the judicial appointment process is open and transparent and accountable to Canadians. These measures also seek to encourage a greater diversity within the judiciary.Our new process is effective. We have appointed nearly 300 judges, and the diversity of these appointments is unprecedented. Under our government, 55% of the appointed judges are women. We continue to ensure that the appointment process is merit-based and transparent.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. Leader of the Opposition is absolutely wrong.We are the government that gave approval to the Nova Gas line, which has been completed. We are the government that approved Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completed on the Canadian side. We have advocated with the U.S. on the Keystone XL pipeline. We are the government that has put a process in place to move forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way, with meaningful consultation with indigenous communities, something the Conservatives voted against.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians might wonder why the Liberals handed over $12 million to Loblaws, one of Canada's richest companies, to buy freezers. We have now learned that two Loblaws lobbyists, both frequent Liberal Party donors, lobbied the Minister of Environment and her staff. Then they met up with those staff again at an exclusive Liberal cash-for-access event with the Prime Minister. What a coincidence. When will these Liberals stop giving preferential treatment to their wealthy and well-connected Liberal friends?

Mr. Speaker, no, we will not kill Bill C-69. It is in the Senate. I was very pleased to testify today to talk about the importance of Bill C-69. Unfortunately, under the previous environmental assessment regime brought in by the Conservatives in an omnibus budget bill, the Conservatives gutted environmental protections and good projects cannot go ahead in a timely way because they all end up in court.We know we need a better system and better rules to develop our resources in a way that protects the environment, that has proper consultation and accommodation with indigenous peoples and that ensures good projects go ahead.We will continue to move forward and work with senators.

Mr. Speaker, life is increasingly unaffordable for people on Vancouver Island. Just like the Conservatives before them, the Liberal government is siding with the richest corporations, while people pay the price. The good times just keep rolling for corporate lobbyists.The Liberals maintain the Conservatives' billion-dollar subsidies to oil companies, cater to SNC-Lavalin and throw money at Loblaws. People deserve a government that is on their side, so when exactly are the Liberals going to grow a backbone and stop bending to the will of large and powerful corporations?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Sault Ste. Marie for his tireless work in combatting climate change. We know as Liberals that Canadians want to do their share in fighting to reduce greenhouse gases. That is why we announced for the first time, as of yesterday, a federal incentive for those willing to invest in a zero-emission vehicle.Unlike the Harper-Ford Conservatives who want to make pollution free again, we in the Liberal Party believe it is important to take care of the environment for our children and for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to say most importantly that the Minister of Foreign Affairs is in close contact with the families of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. This is not about grandstanding or scoring points; it is about working persistently, carefully and resolutely to bring them home safely. We rallied an unprecedented number of countries around the world in support of Canada's support. Examples are Australia, the EU, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Spain, Denmark, the United States and 140 international scholars and—

Mr. Speaker, I have just come back from a gathering with the founding members of Canada's shelter movement. An announcement was made about a study we have invested in that is showing where the gaps are and where the opportunities are. To date, our government has invested in a child benefit that gives women and families more money. The NDP voted against it. We have invested in a gender-based violence strategy with over $200 million to prevent this tragedy from happening. The NDP voted against it. We have invested in a national housing strategy with a carve-out for women and girls. The NDP voted against it.Our record speaks for itself. So does theirs.

Mr. Speaker, we have seen the effects of flooding in my own riding, and Canadians have seen that across Canada. There is nothing to laugh about when people are being flooded in Canada. Climate change is real. That is why in 2017 we launched the disaster mitigation fund, a $2-billion fund across Canada to help communities to prevent and adapt against flooding. That is why last week I was in the Fraser Valley near Chilliwack and the Shuswap village to announce a $45-million investment to protect communities and families. We will continue to invest in Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for this opportunity to talk about the national housing strategy, which was announced just 15 months ago.When this strategy was announced, the YMCA Federation, and there is a very strong branch in my riding, said that this was a big change for women and girls in Canada. The strategy will get 500,000 Canadian families out of inadequate housing and create 7,000 more shelters specifically for women and girls. Five thousand shelter spaces have already been created. We are working very hard, and we will continue to do even better.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Chinese authorities informed us that two pork exporters' permits had been suspended.I want to clarify that this happened for administrative reasons. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with the two companies to find a solution. This kind of thing happens regularly, and we expect to find a solution quickly.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to officers of Parliament and the independence of the police force, we on this side have the utmost respect for the work they do. We will always cooperate. It is only the Conservatives who would have to ask that question, because we know that under 10 years of Stephen Harper, they had no regard when it came to officers of Parliament. We know that the Conservatives have chosen a new leader, but they continue with the same approach as Stephen Harper.What is even more interesting is that the Conservatives will do anything but talk about their plan, because they have no plan. However, we know that they want to cut the tax-free Canada child benefit. That is why today we find that they do not even want to cost their electoral platform, because they want to mislead Canadians, just like Doug Ford did.

Mr. Speaker, one party hid the list of donations when requested most recently, and it was not this party.The last time the terms “SNC-Lavalin compliance agreement” and “PMO” came together, we had four months of a drip, drip, drip of information coming out, leading to two resignations of ministers, one early retirement of the clerk of the privy council, and of course, the resignation of the top adviser to the Prime Minister.Can they just put us all out of our misery and let us know whether the Prime Minister's Office interfered in this matter with SNC-Lavalin?

Mr. Speaker, we have been talking about this matter and doing something about it for exactly two months now. We are in contact with the Chinese authorities. Our representatives there are in daily contact with Chinese authorities. We have regular meetings with a working group because we recognize that this is an important industry, we respect our partners, we respect the industry and we are working together to find the best way to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.

Mr. Speaker, we know that immigration is key to economic growth across Canada, including in Quebec. We know that client service is important and that we need staff all over the province to help solve this problem. We are working hard with Quebec to resolve the province's labour shortage. Immigration is important to economic growth in Quebec and in Canada as a whole, and the government will keep working to achieve better results.

Mr. Speaker, it is not just administrative reasons when there are two Canadians unlawfully jailed in China. Now our canola exports are being unfairly blocked, and we can add the pork producers of this country to those who are paying for the mistakes of the Prime Minister on the world stage.What is the Prime Minister's response in terms of these attacks on Canadian interests? Absolutely nothing—worse than nothing: the government is still sending Canadian tax dollars to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is run by China.How many more people and how many more industries will have to suffer before the Prime Minister finally takes action?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians can have confidence in our government's contracting procedure and legal services, which follow a rigorous and responsible process.The contract in question was managed by the Department of Justice, and the awarding process complied with all of the department's policies.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the programming that exists and has existed for many years, called the disaster financial assistance arrangements, the compensation measures to cover losses as a result of flooding are, first and foremost, designed by the provinces. The provinces then submit claims for cost-sharing under the terms of the program. As the claims get larger, the federal share gets higher. It starts out at 20% and could rise to 95%. The cost-sharing formula already exists.

Mr. Speaker, health care costs are one of the things we have all been concerned about in the country. That is why, as a government, we have launched initiatives to look at pharmacare and how we make health care more affordable to Canadians, whether they live in the north or the south. In particular, we have paid careful attention to northerners. That is why we have launched the northern strategic plan and the Arctic policy, so we can hear their concerns first-hand and act on programs and services that will benefit them.

How many of them are Liberal donors, Mr. Speaker?The Liberals gave $12 million to one of Canada's richest companies. At the same time, women's shelters in Canada are shutting their doors. Every day, on average, 590 women and children are turned away from overcrowded shelters that are packed beyond capacity. Many are forced to return to abuse and violence because of a lack of funding from the Liberal government.If the supposed feminist government is able to find millions of dollars for handouts to billionaires, why can it not provide funds to help women and children find shelter?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question which in fact, unfortunately, is based on error. I can assure all Canadians that transportation is a priority under the accessible Canada act, which gives an extended mandate to the CTA to ensure that accessible transportation regulations come into force immediately. I thank my hon. colleague, the Minister of Transport, for being the first to adopt accessible Canada regulations for transportation.

Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to remind members opposite of what the Premier of Saskatchewan had to say yesterday about the plan we announced to support canola producers. He said, “the federal government has shown that they do support western Canadian agriculture” and he said, “we are going to support the federal government in these decisions from this day on, as we have always indicated we will.”The Canola Association supports us. The premier of Saskatchewan supports us. Growers support us. The industry supports us. It is only those Conservatives who do not support us.

Mr. Speaker, both the Liberals and the Conservatives made it clear that they are more interested in working for rich corporations than they are for Canadians. With Loblaws and SNC-Lavalin, the Liberals have shown whose side they are on, and it is not on the side of regular people. The current attorney general refuses to investigate the justice appointment leak. He seems to think that vetting judges through a partisan Liberal voter list is A-okay. Whatever happened to the rule of law? Whatever happened to the promise that the Prime Minister would do things differently?

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Fifty-four proposals were selected through a fair, transparent and rigorous process. There is absolutely no truth in what the party opposite is saying. What Canadians want to know is why the party opposite will not consent to have the Parliamentary Budget Officer cost its platform. We want to know how much it is going to cost or how much the cuts are going to cost Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his answer. So far, the Government of Quebec has given the Canadian Red Cross $1 million to directly help the victims with their basic needs. I am still talking about the floods since that is the issue at hand. The Government of Quebec gave $1 million without delay.We are calling on the federal government to do the same today. That would directly, tangibly, and immediately help those who are in great need, the people on the ground.If Ottawa can find $12 million to help Loblaws, then surely it could find $1 million somewhere in the budget.Can the minister commit to matching Quebec's donation to the Red Cross?

Mr. Speaker, if the NDP and the Conservatives want a plan for fighting climate change, I have one for them.First, we put a price on pollution. Second, we offered an electric car incentive. Third, we are going to phase out coal by 2030.If the member wants to talk about youth, it was our party that created the first ever youth policy and the first ever Prime Minister's Youth Council. We have created 35,000 work placements through Canada summer jobs and invested an additional $300 million.Our party supports youth across the country, and we are going to keep doing that.

Mr. Speaker, we have put in place a process to consult with indigenous communities to move forward on the Trans Mountain expansion in the right way. We have said that once the consultations are complete, a decision will be made by June 18. However, it is interesting to note that if the Conservatives had been really serious about the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, they would not have voted to de-fund and kill the process that would lead to a decision. They should know about that.

Mr. Speaker, like many northerners, Napoleon Bouvier in Ile à la Crosse does not have access to medical care. Instead of making life easier for northerners, the price of medical care and pharmacare is only going up for people in my riding. We cannot afford to wait any longer. When will the Liberals invest in health care in northern Saskatchewan so every northerner can live with dignity?

Mr. Speaker, having lost my grandmother to breast cancer, this is something I take quite personally. I know the minister does put the health and safety of Canadians as a top priority. The Canadian task force on preventive health care is an independent arm's-length panel of 15 experts to develop clinical practice guidelines. While our government provided support to the task force, its decision was made totally independently. As such, these are not official government guidelines.

Mr. Speaker, I think I answered that question very directly in the previous answer. This issue is under active discussion now with the Canadian Red Cross.From the national perspective, we obviously want to deal with the circumstances in Quebec appropriately, but we also have Ontario and New Brunswick to consider, and there is also flooding in Manitoba. We want to make sure that we have covered all of the bases to treat Canadians everywhere with generosity and compassion, and we will.

Mr. Speaker, once again, these are in reference to improper donations that two political parties made over a decade ago. The Commissioner for Canada Elections did do an investigation. Those donations have now been returned.When it comes to the plan we have, and we will put it up against the no plan of the Conservatives any day, we know that Canadians are better off today than they were under 10 years of Stephen Harper. We know that the Conservatives will talk a big game. What we will do is focus on Canadians, and we know that Canadians are better off today because of the Canada child benefit, a measure the Conservatives want to take away.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister was evasive and short on detail in his scant response to my question.The Minister of Justice will no doubt be able to give me an answer about the bespoke contract awarded to our dedicated Liberal donor. A privileged communication between a law firm and the minister of justice on August 4, 2017, turned into a lucrative $711-per-hour contract. This communication exists.Can the minister confirm to the House that this letter does exist?

Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned that China is now refusing shipments of pork from the plant in Red Deer, a plant that employs more than 1,600 people. The same company has another plant in Canada. It has also had its export permit for pork suspended. Canadians can no longer afford to pay the high price of the total Liberal incompetence and bungling on the world stage. When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for Canadian farmers and their families by putting an end to these politically motivated trade actions?

Mr. Speaker, we were informed yesterday that the Chinese authorities suspended the export permits of two Canadian pork exporters.We were clearly informed that this is an administrative issue, something that happens on a relatively regular basis in various industries and countries. The Canada Food Inspection Agency is monitoring the situation and we expect it to be quickly resolved.

Mr. Speaker, what is going on with the pork industry is an administrative issue. I am confident that we will find a solution very rapidly.Conservatives keep playing little politics. I would like the House to know that today we have learned that the Leader of the Opposition is refusing to allow an independent check on the cost of their promises. I think Conservatives are hiding in the same way Doug Ford is hiding very big cuts.

Mr. Speaker, last week we learned that the Prime Minister's Office used a partisan data base to check the history of political donations made by potential judges.The Prime Minister finds it necessary to ensure that new judges are good Liberals before appointing them. Well-connected friends have privileged access to the Prime Minister, unlike workers who need support.Can the Liberal government stop thinking about its own interests and those of its friends and start working for Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we are standing firm and taking action in a variety of ways to address this situation.We are working with my colleague, the Minister of International Trade Diversification, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and with the Prime Minister himself. We have immense respect for our farmers and their representatives. That is why, as I have said, the working group is currently looking at the best steps to take.We are going to continue working very actively, both here and in China, to fix this problem.

Mr. Speaker, women across the country who are victims of violence are being refused access to shelters because of a lack of resources and funding.The Prime Minister is very outspoken about his feminism, but he seems to be much more timid when it comes time to ask questions and take action to improve the status of women.The government's inaction is putting women in need in a vulnerable situation.Will the government commit to rectifying this situation and giving shelters the resources and funding they need to do their work?

Mr. Speaker, this morning, the government released its youth policy, which astonishingly announces that “[y]outh are conscious of the negative impacts climate change has” and that they “want to see further immediate action”. It is about time the government noticed, seeing as 150,000 young people have taken to the streets of Montreal demanding action.In London, the U.K. Parliament wasted no time declaring a climate emergency earlier this week. Canada is asleep at the switch. It is true.Six months ago, I urged all the parties to come together to implement emergency climate measures without further delay.Now that their own report says it is important to listen to youth, will the Liberal Party finally sit down with all the other parties so we can work together to fight climate change?This is urgent. Let's go.

Mr. Speaker, the budget was presented over a month ago. Clearly, the Conservatives are making a desperate attempt to avoid talking about it. They are too busy talking about the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which seeks to create greater inclusive prosperity around the world with investments from France, Germany, Australia, India, Italy and South Korea.The only thing the Conservatives have to offer us again today is the old Stephen Harper approach, which was about turning our backs on the United Nations and other multilateral organizations that make this world a better place.

Mr. Speaker, Canadian citizens are being mistreated in Chinese prisons. Our canola farmers have already lost one billion dollars. Now pork producers are being targeted by China. Over the last four months, despite our requests, the Liberal government has refused to make senior-level calls. Liberals have ignored calls to send a special envoy, they have delayed announcing or nominating a new ambassador, and today they said they will not bring a trade action.China thinks our Prime Minister is weak, and he is proving them right. When will Liberals appoint an ambassador?

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. We are talking about $250 million over five years. About a year and a half ago, we announced our plans to join with France, Germany, the U.K., India and Australia on this initiative.We believe that organizations like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are important multilateral institutions that contribute to global inclusive prosperity as well as Canada's prosperity.

Mr. Speaker, only a Liberal would think it is fair to cost Canadians $12 million to give away freezers to a billion dollar company that would have bought them itself and call it an environment plan. It is not just rich Canadian Liberals who can get access to the Prime Minister. An American CEO also found himself at a cash-for-access event with the Prime Minister, where he bragged about getting access to the Liberal cabinet by illegally obtaining a $1,600 ticket. Why do those Liberals only follow the rules after they have first been found to have broken them?

Mr. Speaker, the Red Cross performs a very vital function in responding to national disasters. It is a very valuable partner with all levels of government in dealing with the real human needs that come out of these circumstances.The Government of Canada is in close discussion right now with the Canadian Red Cross about the benefits that could apply, not just in one province but in several provinces, in the current disaster. We will have something further to say on that within the next couple of days.

Mr. Speaker, for months, first nations, trade unions and provinces have warned that the Liberals' no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will block resource development. Yesterday, it got even worse. The Liberals will steamroll provinces, giving themselves unprecedented power over highways, passenger trains, recycling plants and of course provincial resources, like wind, hydro and oil. Not since the eighties have federal Liberals pit Canadians against each other over resource development and put the whole Canadian economy at risk. Will the Liberals kill Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, another day, another dispute with China, and still no meaningful action from the Prime Minister. The canola crisis has already cost farmers almost $1 billion, and now pork producers in Quebec and Alberta are feeling the pinch.When will the Prime Minister understand that refusing to stand up to China has a very real impact on thousands of Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have finally seen the merit in consulting Canadians, but they did not listen to what Canadians have to say about immigration in this country. The Conservatives think that immigration is a bad thing, but we, on this side of the House, know that immigration is a positive force for Canada's economic growth. Take, for example, our global skills strategy, which helped create 150,000 jobs in this country. We know that immigration is important for the economy and for communities across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, if the Minister of Immigration thinks that his government is doing a good job on the immigration file, he is mistaken.The government failed to deal with the problem with the safe third country agreement. It relinquished Canada's sovereignty by signing the global compact for migration. It failed to reform the temporary foreign worker program, it has not reimbursed the provinces for its mistakes, and the list goes on.Does the minister still believe that we are not good Canadians or is he ready to have a civilized discussion on the subject?

Mr. Speaker, our government is working very hard on closing the unacceptable gap that exists right now between indigenous and non-indigenous communities when it comes to quality health care. We are in the process of closing that gap. Fifty-two new community-led wellness centres are now serving 344 communities, 218,000 requests under Jordan's Principle and we are working with indigenous partners toward arrangements that will continue to support indigenous control of health care delivery.

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will resume debate at third reading of Bill C-82, an act to implement a multilateral convention to implement tax treaty related measures to prevent base erosion and profit shifting.Tomorrow we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-92, an act respecting first nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families.Next Monday we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-93, an act to provide no-cost, expedited record suspensions for simple possession of cannabis.I hope I will have more to tell you tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, on August 5, 2016, the leader of the Liberal Party received a confidential memo from Elections Canada detailing a long-term scheme by SNC-Lavalin to funnel illegal electoral donations to the Liberal Party of Canada. That list was never disclosed to the public until recently. On August 30, 2016, SNC-Lavalin received a compliance agreement. There were many meetings with SNC-Lavalin in 2016. Can the Prime Minister let us know if that topic came up?

Mr. Speaker, these donations the member is referring to took place between 2004 and 2009. Elections Canada operates independently of government and makes its decisions independently of any government. The Commissioner of Canada Elections did do an investigation in this matter. Two parties in this House were informed. Both parties have returned those donations.

Mr. Speaker, those inappropriate donations to two political parties were made over 10 years ago. Under our Prime Minister's leadership, our government has raised the bar for transparency. That is why we passed legislation enabling the Parliamentary Budget Officer to cost parties' election platforms. The PBO's independent, non-partisan work will prevent parties from misleading Canadians and hiding planned cuts. Unfortunately, only the Conservatives are refusing to have their platform independently costed—

Mr. Speaker, we know that the commissioners work at arm's length from the government and the House of Commons. On this side of the House, we respect the work that the commissioners do. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility and what the commissioner put in his report.With respect to inappropriate donations to two political parties, we know that the commissioner of Canada elections conducted an investigation and that both parties returned those donations.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the Liberal leader considers the exposure of each of his ever-accumulating ethical lapses learning experiences. Members will recall the Liberals' rote answers during the ethics commissioner's year-long investigation, pledging his co-operation, but we all saw, at the justice and ethics committees, just how much the Liberal leader co-operates if he does not like where an investigation is going. Again, will the Liberal leader co-operate with a criminal investigation by the RCMP or the Ontario Provincial Police?

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows, last year we passed Bill C-50 in the House of Commons to ensure that fundraising events hosted by the Prime Minister, ministers, leaders of parties or leadership candidates would be made public and that the list would be disclosed. In fact, the Liberal Party began abiding by these rules even before the legislation received royal assent. However, the opposition did not do so.

Mr. Speaker, the letter in question, dated August 14, 2017, references conversations that led to a contract for services that was designed simply to line the pockets of liberal cronies. It is as though the minister of justice did not have any lawyers on staff to provide counsel on the department's directions. They can drop the charade, because this letter does exist. The minister needs to step up and confirm that the letter exists. Canadians want the truth.

Mr. Speaker, Ontarians know that an un-costed Conservative platform means Conservative cuts, cuts to health care, education and even libraries. That is why our government passed legislation to permit the Parliamentary Budget Officer to review—

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Liberals will make it so that nothing is ever built again. They are not helping the environment. They are not helping indigenous communities. They are not helping resource development.Eight provinces and three territories oppose Bill C-69. Hundreds of indigenous businesses and communities are against it. Economists, investors, big companies, family businesses and municipalities oppose it. The hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have lost their jobs because of the Liberals are against it.Will the Liberals approve TMX on June 18 and kill Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, at this time, there should be no petty politics when it comes to flood victims.We have seen the public's generosity on several occasions during different disasters that have occurred in Canada and Quebec.People need immediate assistance now. There are urgent needs and there is no time to lose.Will the Minister of Public Safety immediately match the Quebec government's donation to the Red Cross?

Mr. Speaker, given the uncertainty over the agenda and future work of the House, can the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons tell us about the business of the House for the rest of this week and next week?

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member for Brampton North that Canadians deserve to know what political parties are proposing and the costs to them. That is exactly why the independent Parliamentary Budget Officer can now cost a party's platform.Unfortunately, it is only the Conservatives who are refusing to have their platform costed. The only reason that can be is that we know the Conservatives are following the lead of Doug Ford and want to keep Canadians in the dark. We know the Conservatives do not support the tax-free Canada child benefit. We know they do not support the increase to the GIS. We know they do not support home care and other services. These are probably programs that are on their chopping block.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been paying for the broken promises of the Liberal government ever since the 2015 election. That will come to an end in October.Another area where the Liberal government has completely failed Canadians has been the energy sector. The Conservative record on pipelines has been to see the private sector build four major pipeline projects during our time in office. However, the Liberals have vetoed and killed projects, and now they have purchased a pipeline that they cannot build.Bill C-69 is the final nail in the coffin. More and more Canadians are speaking out against it. Will they—

Mr. Speaker, the Chinese leadership has called the Prime Minister a name that is so insulting that you have ruled it unspeakable in the House. I will put partisanship aside and say that I will not stand for that kind of treatment of the Prime Minister.In retaliation, will the government do the right thing and cancel the quarter-billion dollar gift to the China-controlled Asian Infrastructure Bank?

Mr. Speaker, the problem is that China does not respect the Liberals because they are incapable of standing firm. That is the problem.In a tweet from 2016, which he has since deleted, the Prime Minister promised that canola producers would have access to the Chinese market through 2020. Now it is 2019, and canola producers no longer have access to China. It is unacceptable that the Prime Minister has failed so spectacularly to keep the promise he made to producers.Instead of deleting his tweets, will the Prime Minister keep his promise for once and stand up for canola and pork farmers?

Mr. Speaker, The Globe and Mail says that the Asian Infrastructure Bank is part of “China's One Belt One Road policy of expanding its international influence through infrastructure.” This means pipelines, roads and bridges will be built in China with Canadian tax dollars.Yesterday it was revealed that buried in a previous omnibus budget, the amount of money available to the government to give to the bank was actually $480 million, not the $250 million previously admitted.What is the maximum amount Canadian taxpayers will be forced to pay to China's Asian Infrastructure Bank?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians thought that after the sponsorship scandal the Liberals would turn over a new leaf. What we are seeing today is that the Liberal organization has not changed its culture. The Prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party was found guilty of breaching the Conflict of Interest Act four times. Furthermore, the Federal Court wants to reopen the investigation into his family trip to the Aga Khan's island.Will the Prime Minister agree to reopen the investigation and collaborate?

Mr. Speaker, the government has done nothing about canola and China for two months, and now we have learned that Quebec's and Alberta's pork industries are being affected. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food confirmed this morning in committee that she has not spoken with her Chinese counterpart, that she does not know what the Minister of Global Affairs is doing and that now is not the time to file a complaint with the WTO.The crisis is getting worse. The Liberals refuse to even talk about it.How long will the Prime Minister let producers suffer before he does something?

Mr. Speaker, labour shortages in rural areas are disastrous for many businesses, but the government still has no plan to do anything about it. Everyone agrees that immigration is one solution to the problem, but the complex application process and processing delays are unacceptable. The Government of Quebec has opened offices in the regions. Two years ago, I asked the Minister of Immigration to follow suit and open an office in Abitibi—Témiscamingue.Are rural residents second-class citizens? Why won't the minister provide them with the same level of service as everyone else?

Mr. Speaker, as we know, this matter has been thoroughly studied by the former conflict of interest and ethics commissioner. The Prime Minister has accepted her findings. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility when it comes to this matter.The member opposite should very well know that ATIPs are handled completely separately from political staff. I should not have to remind the Conservatives that they were the ones who were found guilty of politically interfering with the ATIP process. It is unfortunate, because they actually rehired the person who was responsible and was found guilty.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians support immigration when it is fair, orderly and compassionate. However, right now, there are serious examples of unfairness and injustice in Canada's immigration system.Anytime anyone asks the Liberals to address these injustices, they are met with thinly veiled accusations of racism or lies. This is wrong. This cheapens the debate on how to fairly manage immigration and harms racialized communities.Will the Prime Minister finally address his failure to manage Canada's immigration system, or will he continue down this tired, destructive path?

Mr. Speaker, families in Quebec are working around the clock to save their homes. Some have already lost everything. People who were evacuated are wondering if they still have a home to return to. In the meantime, the Minister of Public Safety is not sure if he will directly compensate the victims of the flood that continues to rage on.Can the minister commit to compensating homeowners who might potentially be forced to move out of flood-prone areas?

Mr. Speaker, although the Department of Justice approves tenders, some approvals are delegated to the deputy minister or to other senior Department of Justice officials. This contract was approved by the deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general.All contracting rules and policies were followed in the awarding of this contract.

Mr. Speaker, after three and a half years, the Conservatives finally saw the merit in consulting with Canadians. Sadly, they did not listen. Conservatives are twisting themselves into a pretzel to hide their secret plan to stifle economic growth by cutting immigration in this country.Looking solely at the our global skills strategy, it has helped create 150,000 jobs across this country. Taking our economic growth plan into consideration, whereby 900,000 jobs have been created across this country, Canadians will see that immigration is a key ingredient. We agree with that. Business agrees with that. Communities agree with that. The only people who do not are the Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister fights for the billionaire class, first nations in Canada are facing one crisis after another. Now we have word that dialysis units were ripped out of Berens River, forcing people to travel to Winnipeg with next to no support. Regardless of their federal responsibility, there has been silence from the government.When sick patients are forced to travel far away from their families, we are risking their lives. What will it take for the government to move beyond empty words and act to restore dialysis services in Berens River now?

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to remind the member that if he had paid close attention to a recent release from Statistics Canada, he would have seen that in the short three and a half years we have been in power, we have reduced poverty by 20% in Canada. If we talk about child poverty, it is 40%, through investments like the Canada child benefit, like investments in housing, like investments in vulnerable seniors. These are all measures both parties on the other side voted against.

Mr. Speaker, as we have seen recently in communities across the country, the effects of climate change are real. They are devastating to our communities. Canadians want to know that we take these threats seriously and that we are making the investments necessary to prepare for and mitigate the effects the next time disaster strikes.Could the Prime Minister or the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities please update this House on the investments the government is making to tackle climate change, particularly in British Columbia?

Mr. Speaker, recently I raised the concerns of breast health experts, who are shocked at guidelines that ignore breast density and recommend against self-examination and timely mammograms. The minister replied that she was not going to do anything because the guidelines were produced by experts. However, the task force relied on outdated data and did not have a single member with breast health expertise. If the minister claims her number one priority is the health of Canadians, then how can she sit back and ignore health guidelines that will cause over 400 women to die every year?

Mr. Speaker, it was illegal, not inappropriate. Earlier today I wrote to the RCMP commissioner suggesting an investigation of the Liberal leader's illegal vacation to the Aga Khan's island. Recent confirmation of the RCMP's deep involvement in the planning of the vacation, as well as lingering questions involving the Liberal leader's behaviour in the SNC corruption scandal, underscore the need to assure Canadians that there is only one law that must be followed by all Canadians.Will the Prime Minister cooperate in any belated criminal investigation into his illegal vacation?

Mr. Speaker, on August 5, 2016, we asked the Liberal Party and the Liberal leader for information about $110,000 in illegal contributions they received. What did the Liberals do? As usual, they refused to disclose the information.Why does the Prime Minister always wait until he gets caught red-handed before he starts talking and sharing information?Why does the Prime Minister not just tell Canadians the truth?Why does the Prime Minister not answer this simple question: Did people in his office meet with the Chief Electoral Officer—

Mr. Speaker, China has blocked Canadian canola for reasons that are both false and baseless, but the Prime Minister is yet to launch a trade complaint. China has also unlawfully detained two Canadians, and Canada has no ambassador to help with the negotiations.Will the Prime Minister stop letting Canada get pushed around, appoint an ambassador to China and launch a formal trade complaint to resolve the canola crisis?