Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, the reach of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps goes far beyond brutalizing its own population. It goes far beyond interfering with its Middle East neighbours. It is also terrorizing Canadians, such as radio host Narges Ghaffari, by forcing family members in Iran to pass on the message of Stop your activism, so that, as the saying goes, no one gets hurt.A year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of our Conservative motion to list the IRGC as a terrorist group. When will the Liberals stop tolerating this murderous regime, take a stand for human rights and finally list the IRGC?
Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis of affordability in this country, and it is the fault of the government. Canadians are being crushed by high fuel prices because of the carbon tax and the Liberals' hostility to pipelines. We put forward a common-sense motion this week that would help people afford to get to work and to school. The government voted against it: absolutely shameful. When will the Liberals admit their carbon tax is nothing but a cash grab, and stand with Canadians for a change?
Mr. Speaker, HIV patients in Saskatchewan are not receiving treatment with free, readily available antiretroviral drugs that will save their lives and prevent transmission of the virus. This is in direct violation of the Canada Health Act. Meanwhile, many young people with HIV in my province are dying, and Saskatchewan has the highest HIV diagnosis rate in the country. Why will the Liberal government not enforce the Canada Health Act and ensure that HIV patients in Saskatchewan have the same access to treatment and care as other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely clear that the Liberals have no plan to make gas more affordable. The Prime Minister himself said that the carbon tax being high is what he wanted to change behaviour. Well, changing the behaviour of cancer patients who have to drive to their treatment is not acceptable. There are many, many impacts for everyday Canadians that the Liberals do not seem to understand.We have a plan to make life more affordable, eliminating the carbon tax and getting Trans Mountain built. Why will the Liberals not just admit that they do not care about the price of gas in British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, our government is deeply committed to addressing HIV and AIDS. We are investing $87 million annually to tackle HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne illnesses. If there is an issue in the province of Saskatchewan, as the member has indicated, I would be happy to have her come forward and speak to me, and I will take it forward to Health Canada.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve better than innuendo. Therefore, I would remind the member opposite that when legal matters are to be investigated, they are investigated independently by the RCMP. Any decision with respect to laying of charges is made independently by the director of public prosecutions. As the director of public prosecutions made crystal clear yesterday, there was no contact to any member of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in the determination of these decisions and there was no influence by the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, women, and women alone, should be the ones making decisions about their own bodies. That is why we stood up for safe access to abortion at home and abroad, from supporting groups like Planned Parenthood to increasing access to Plan B and Mifegymiso. It should concern all Canadians that the Leader of the Opposition only won the Conservative leadership thanks to the same anti-choice activists protesting today. Unlike the Conservatives
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants Canadians to believe that because he failed when he tried to politically interfere in yet another criminal proceeding, that his failure should be celebrated as an exoneration of his bad behaviour. That is like saying that someone who tries to rob a bank should get off the hook if he or she fails to get away with the cash.The Prime Minister withheld documents, coached government witnesses and tried to bankrupt Mark Norman. How does the Prime Minister defend this blatant political interference in the judicial system?
Mr. Speaker, experts are calling out the Liberals' failure to address the housing crisis and their attempts to mislead Canadians.They revealed that the percentage of federal spending on housing is at a historic low and that funding for social housing remains stagnant. They have exposed how the Liberals inflate their numbers by treating existing programs as new ones, counting hypothetical money and representing provincial spending as their own. They say the Liberals are not serious about housing and are taking baby steps.Why is the government deceiving Canadians and refusing to act on affordable housing?
Mr. Speaker, I am told on good authority that the Prime Minister has a secret plan to ban legal firearms. Apparently this plan is to be executed by cabinet directive, with no debate in Parliament. The Prime Minister plans to announce this gun ban at the Women Deliver conference to be held in early June in Vancouver, which New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern will also attend.Could the Prime Minister confirm or deny this zero-accountability secret plan?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the only ones who do not see any interference in this matter. The truth is that the Liberals did not want the contract to go to Davie, so they tried to destroy the career of Vice-Admiral Norman, a man of absolute integrity.This Prime Minister refused to hand over the evidence to Vice-Admiral Norman, and yesterday his lawyer said that the Prime Minister's Office was even counselling witnesses.If that is not political interference, then what is?
Mr. Speaker, the CRA claims that the majority of mental impairments are temporary, including autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In fact, these are life-long conditions. They are severe and prolonged, yet the CRA still expects these individuals to reapply for the disability tax credit.Rather than gouging vulnerable people and their families, will the minister just commit to correcting this unconscionable policy immediately?
Mr. Speaker, they are not paid a dollar a day; they are paid at the Ontario minimum wage level.Canada's disability community's motto is Nothing about us without us, but the Prime Minister is moving on without them, cutting 34 jobs for disabled Canadians. The disabled community is already concerned with the Liberals' refusal to strengthen the toothless accessible Canada act.When, at committee, the minister was asked about these job cuts, she said that these people are no longer operationally required.A Conservative government would save these jobs. Will the Liberals follow our lead and reverse these heartless job cuts?
Mr. Speaker, nobody on this side is impugning the motives of the RCMP or the director of public prosecutions; what we are impugning is the motives of a government that interfered in this case when the Prime Minister said, before charges were laid, that it was going to go to court, which hired the reporter who reported on Scott Brison's pork-barrelling, and which has been accused of having told witnesses what to say. That is what we are trying to get to the bottom of. Instead of trying to defend the director of public prosecutions with its discredited word, it should launch an independent investigation to show that nothing happened. When are we going to have
Mr. Speaker, that is not what Canadians see in the aftermath of the Vice-Admiral Norman travesty. What they see is a pattern of corruption with the Prime Minister, the PMO and the Liberal government, who attack and try to discredit anyone who stands up for truth, who stands up for what is right and who gets in their way. What is the government really so desperately trying to hide? Will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and reinstate him as the head of the navy and second-in-command of our armed forces?
Mr. Speaker, Mark Norman's lawyer said, what you don't do is you don't put your finger and try to weigh in on the scales of justice. However, that is exactly what did happen in the Mark Norman trial. The Liberals actively worked against him. The Prime Minister said that Norman would be charged while the investigation was ongoing. He refused to waive cabinet confidentiality. He withheld thousands of documents from Norman's defence team. How does the Prime Minister defend his blatant interference in an ongoing judicial proceeding?
Mr. Speaker, anti-choice activists are rallying on Parliament Hill today. What is worrisome is that some Conservative members are joining them, trying to control women's decisions over their bodies.We know that members of the Conservative Party do not believe that safe access to abortion services is a right, because they said so in the House last year. In the face of these threats to women's health, could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health tell the House where the government stands on women's right to choose?
Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. We have not put a price on pollution in B.C., because B.C. has stepped up. B.C.'s gas price has gone up by one cent because of its carbon price.The party opposite does not seem to understand that everyone is paying the cost of climate change. In Ottawa, in the national capital region, we have seen massive flooding that is impacting people's lives and people's property. It is just going to get worse. Our climate change report says that Canada is warming at twice the global average.We need to take action on climate change. Why will the party opposite not join us?
Mr. Speaker, the party opposite voted for the Paris Agreement and for standing up and taking action on climate change. What are those members doing now? They are lying to Canadians. They are not saying to Canadians that
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals do not have an environment plan. They only have a tax plan. That is because the millionaire Prime Minister has never had to worry about money, and it shows. The Liberals' carbon tax has increased the price of everything. Their new fuel standard will further hike the cost of gas and diesel, and their cancellation of northern gateway and delays on the Trans Mountain expansion have helped drive prices to all-time highs in B.C.The Prime Minister actually says that making everything more expensive for everyone is exactly what we want. Well, the Liberals do, but Canadians do not.How could the Liberals actually vote against the Conservative motion to stop increasing the price of gas?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are clearly avoiding the question. Yesterday we learned crucial information was not just hidden from Vice-Admiral Norman's lawyers, it was even hidden from the prosecution. His lawyer said that the Privy Council and the Prime Minister's Office withheld information, but she did not know why. The only people who can answer why are sitting on the Liberal benches.Why did the Liberals hide vital information from the prosecution, the defence and from the rest of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I apologize for that. The party opposite is misleading Canadians. Instead of actually talking about the cost of climate change to Canadians, which has gone from $400 million to over $2 billion per year that everyone is paying for right now, instead of talking about the money that Canadians are getting back, with a family of four in Ontario getting a climate action incentive rebate of $307, Conservatives are misleading them because Conservatives do not want to take serious climate action. They do not believe that climate change is the problem. They want to do
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Mark Norman objected to the Liberals' scheming and interference and stood up for the navy, the Prime Minister attacked him and accused him before criminal charges had even been laid. That is interference.The Liberals did not hesitate to drag the vice-admiral through the mud and try to destroy his unblemished career. However, we now know that the vice-admiral defended the Royal Canadian Navy against the Liberals' partisan interests. The Asterix was delivered on time and on budget.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and give him back his
Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister did everything he could to stop the Davie shipyard. He tried to destroy the reputation of Vice-Admiral Norman, who stood up to this interference. The Prime Minister does not like anyone to oppose him, which is exactly what the former attorney general did in the SNC-Lavalin affair. By strange coincidence, when the former parliamentary secretary announced that he would testify against his own Liberal government, the charges were dropped.If that is not interference, then what is it?
Mr. Speaker, clearly the Prime Minister does not like it when people of honour stand up to him.He tried to interfere in a shipbuilding contract, but Vice-Admiral Norman protected the navy and the delivery of the ship it needed. When the Prime Minister did not get his way, he began a politically motivated campaign against Vice-Admiral Norman. He instructed the RCMP to investigate and told the public that Norman would be charged and end up at trial.When will the Prime Minister realize that he cannot use the power of his office to attack those he views as his enemies?
Mr. Speaker, key members of the Trois-Rivières business community are getting behind a promising project at the airport. The City just invested in the construction of a new terminal, and the federal government is also expected to contribute soon.Meanwhile, the Liberal government snuck a measure on the privatization of security services at Canadian airports into the most recent budget. Are the people of Trois-Rivières and its business community right in thinking that this privatization could facilitate the implementation of security measures and the designation of their airport?
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is a lawyer and shares the same profession as me. Therefore, he should know that when we investigate a charge, that is done by law enforcement, and in this case the RCMP. He should know that when we lay a charge that it is sent by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, an entity that his party created while in power. Finally, he should know that when a decision is made to withdraw a charge or stay it, that is also done by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. All of those entities, and all of those steps were taken independently, as they should be in the country.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Norman's trial has been a disaster from the beginning. Once again, there are serious allegations of interference by the Prime Minister's Office.The NDP has asked the director of public prosecutions to exercise her right to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate these allegations. We need to restore public trust. Will the Liberals co-operate with the director of public prosecutions so we can get to the bottom of this?
Mr. Speaker, I quite frankly find it offensive when a member in the House rises and impugns the integrity and reputation of the RCMP and the director of public prosecutions by suggesting they would ever conduct their business in any way that was less than independent.If the member opposite perhaps did not hear, the director of public prosecutions yesterday repeated that there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC either in the initial decision to prosecute or in the subsequent decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's agriculture and agri-food industry contributes over $110 billion annually to the Canadian economy, yet the Liberal government seems perfectly content to let countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Vietnam and now China get away with taking unwarranted trade actions against this vital sector of our economy. Canola farmers are the most recent victims of the Liberal government's bungling with our global partners. When will the Prime Minister resolve the canola issue with China?
Mr. Speaker, the Criminal Code listing regime is an important tool for countering terrorism and is part of the government's commitment to keep Canadians safe.The update to the listings is an important step to fight terrorism globally and ensure that Canada remains a safe and peaceful country. There is a prescribed step-by-step process. New entities are added once it has been determined that they meet the legal threshold.
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Norman took a stand for the Royal Canadian Navy and against Scott Brison's political interference, the Prime Minister attacked him.We know that Vice-Admiral Norman always made good decisions that were in the national interest and that the Davie shipyard delivered the Asterix on time and on budget. As far as military procurements go, it was a resounding success.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, let us hear what the actual director had to say: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. The reason the Minister of Border Security was so appalled by this line of questioning is that members should not impugn the integrity of the people who are leading the judicial system or who are independent officials. Second, members should not impugn the integrity of people who do not have a chance to stand up in this House and defend themselves. I will do it for them. The director of public prosecutions operated independently at all times.
Mr. Speaker, could the government transfer the funds with no strings attached and do the same for other programs?What we are hearing is that the $800 million has to come out of the green infrastructure fund, meaning that all of Quebec's municipal green programs would have to be scrapped to make way for the Quebec City tramway. We should not have to choose between sacrificing our regions or sacrificing our national capital. We can carry out all of these projects if the money is transferred in a lump sum.Tax revenues are supposed to be used to serve our needs, not to serve programs.Will the government let Quebec handle infrastructure dollars without imposing conditions?
Mr. Speaker, this all seems highly unlikely. The Liberal government is taking the jobs of 34 Canadians with disabilities who work in the archives, jobs that cost the Canadian government a mere $500,000. More than money, the government is also taking away their honour, pride, and dignity.Will the Prime Minister stand up and apologize, or will it take another six months to resolve the situation?
Mr. Speaker, in different contexts, I have a lot respect for the member opposite for the advocacy he does for the men and women in uniform in the country. However, it is important to underscore that there are men and women in uniform, namely the RCMP, who took charge of the very investigation that the member is impugning. He is impugning the law enforcement officials and the independence of their work. Who the member should also listen to is not just from our side of the House, but the defence counsel for Admiral Normal who said The decision to stay this prosecution...was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the (Director of Public Prosecutions), unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be.
Mr. Speaker, we have been working on this issue for the past month. Directors, producers and creators can count on us. As the minister said last week, we will have concrete solutions to announce this week. It is not about scoring political points; it is about ensuring that movies in French can be produced this year. Why is the member trying to politicize that? We are used to the Conservatives turning their back on our culture, but why is the NDP only talking about this important issue now?
Mr. Speaker, once again, none of that is actually true. Let me be clear that all procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are totally independent of the Government of Canada. The entire structure of their work is designed to keep them independent. Decisions that are made are made on the basis of proper legal considerations and the evidence. All of those considerations are weighed carefully in court before a judge. The matter was entirely without political influence, and that is exactly what the director of public prosecutions averred yesterday.
Mr. Speaker, what I can say in response to that question is that the investigation was handled by the RCMP.The decision to prosecute was made by the director herself. The decision to stay the charges was made by the director herself. I want to highlight the comments of Mr. Norman's counsel once again. She said: The decision to stay this prosecution was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the DPP, unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be. She further underscored that that is in fact how things are supposed to work. I agree with her assessment.
Mr. Speaker, gas prices in British Columbia are sky-high, and residents in my riding do not have the option of walking across the border with jerry cans, which is what is currently happening.Yesterday, the Liberals doubled down and voted against eliminating the carbon tax and for keeping prices at the gas pumps high. Now that they have rejected our plan, what is their plan to make gas prices more affordable for Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, those independent organizations can only make informed decisions if they have the documents to read them.The Prime Minister thinks he is above the law, and it is time to restore Canadians' confidence in the highest office in the land. We know that he politically interfered by refusing to turn over critical documents to Mark Norman's lawyers. He interfered by refusing to waive cabinet confidence. He interfered by counselling key witnesses on what to say.Everyone knows this is political interference. When will the Prime Minister admit it?
Mr. Speaker, from Burnaby to Montreal, adequate and affordable housing should be a right, but it is increasingly out of reach for too many families.After three years of Liberal inaction, Canadians are spending more and more to meet their basic housing needs. We have to make different choices to get different results.Why do the Liberals refuse to adopt our plan to immediately build 500,000 quality affordable housing units?
Mr. Speaker, whether we are talking about Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's reputation or the workers at Davie shipyard in Quebec City, the Prime Minister's reprehensible behaviour on this file has had significant repercussions. The Liberal government is showing that it has no respect for the rule of law. Now we are hearing about allegations of witness tampering, not to mention the documents the government concealed.Will the Liberals finally allow Canadians to hear the truth and order a genuinely independent inquiry to get to the bottom of the Mark Norman affair?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure Canadians that we are putting forward measures to improve the air passenger experience. We have provided funding to address increasing passenger volumes at our airports and to decrease passenger wait times. Our government is committed to maintaining the highest levels of security for the travelling public while improving the passenger experience. Any decision that is made on CATSA privatization will take those into account.
Mr. Speaker, CTV News reported that the Liberal government is cutting a program that employs dozens with developmental disabilities.These workers are finding great meaning in their work at Library and Archives Canada. Our leader has pledged to restore the funding for this program.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and reverse this cold-hearted cut?
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will complete debate at third reading of Bill C-91, the indigenous languages act. Tomorrow we will begin debate on the Senate amendments to bill C-55, an act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act.Next week the government will be proposing a motion to debate the rising climate emergency across Canada.At noon on Monday, we will resume debate on Bill C-55.On Tuesday, we will move on to Bill S-6, the CanadaMadagascar tax convention implementation act, 2018.Wednesday shall be an allotted day.Finally, pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), I would like to designate Tuesday, May 14, for consideration in committee of the whole of the main estimates for the Department of Justice.In closing, mothers who provide love and guidance are present in our lives in many forms. I am thankful to the mother figures in my life. On behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada, and I am sure all members in this House, I wish all mothers a happy Mother's Day.
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, it is a little offensive to hear the member opposite impugn the integrity of the RCMP in the independent conduct of its investigations and also to impugn the integrity of the Public Prosecution Service, which has made crystal clear that at no time was there any contact or influence from the government and that all decisions with respect to initiating the prosecution or staying it were made independent of the government.
Mr. Speaker, it has gotten to the point where Premier Legault has to think about scaling down and delaying the Quebec City tramway project because the federal government is not pulling its weight. The project is $800 million short. The money is there, but the government refuses to hand it over to Quebec without conditions. This problem could be solved tomorrow morning.Will Ottawa get out of the way, let Quebec manage funds from the integrated bilateral agreement based on its needs and contribute fully to the Quebec City tramway?
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I will set the record straight. It was our government that actually committed, extended the contract and paid these individuals up to minimum wage. It was the Conservative government that paid them $1.50 a day. It is only under the leadership of our government that they are being paid the wage they deserve. We are working tirelessly with this organization to find them work. I did not say these individuals were not operationally required. I said that the work they were doing is no longer necessary, so that is a very important distinction. I have absolute respect for these workers and their families, and we are doing right by them, I can assure all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking unprecedented actions to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in our economy, including inclusive work opportunities. With respect to this program, we have been working for a year with this organization. We have extended their contract. We are making sure that they have meaningful work so they can contribute to our government's operations.We are not in the business of paying people a dollar an hour to do work, as the Conservatives were.
Mr. Speaker, why does the party opposite not care about climate change? Climate change is real. It is having an impact. In British Columbia, there were forest fires that were burning stronger and longer than ever before. There were mothers who were talking to me about being worried about their kids going outside because the air quality index was 10 or dangerous. There were people who were being hit in the tourism industry, because people were worried about the forest fires and the impacts. We need to take action on climate change. There is a real cost. The environment and the economy do go together in the 21st century. I wish the party opposite would understand that.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, almost everything the member opposite just said is not correct. In fact, as the director of public prosecutions stated yesterday, there was no contact or influence from outside the Public Prosecution Service either in the initial decision with respect to the laying of this charge or the decision to stay the charge.The member opposite should know that all of the procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and the RCMP are totally independent of the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country are struggling to find a place to call home. We are in the midst of a national housing crisis. I met a woman who lived in co-op housing and she told me that living in co-op housing meant she was able to build a life, she was able to raise her three kids. Why can the government not understand that we need to build new homes, affordable, non-market, non-profit and co-operative. Will the government adopt our plan to build half a million new affordable homes across the country?
Mr. Speaker, Quebec's culture and communications minister wrote to our Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism to share his concerns about the crisis at Telefilm Canada.As a side note, I hope that the minister will allow the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to support my motion today to call Telefilm Canada before the committee.Since last week, CTVM.info and all major media outlets have been reporting about how much the cultural community needs a strong, tuned-in Telefilm Canada. The Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism promised to act this week.It is already Thursday, so does he have some good news to announce about our cultural scene, for once?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister himself said that Mark Norman would end up in court, even before charges were laid. Clearly, this was a political attack on someone who was standing up for what is right. It is another example of the Prime Minister attacking someone who got in his way. When will the Prime Minister apologize and have Vice-Admiral Norman reinstated as vice-chief of the defence staff?
Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's lawyer said, No person should walk into a courtroom fighting their elected government or any sort of political factors. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened in the Mark Norman trial. The Prime Minister interfered in the judicial process. He withheld documents from the defence. The Liberals denied Mark Norman access to his own emails.Why did the Prime Minister so clearly have his finger on the scales of justice in the Mark Norman case?
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that the government remains absolutely committed to undertaking all measures that are effective in keeping Canadians safe. As I believe every member of the House would agree, there is no greater responsibility for any order of government than the safety of its citizens and the protection of its kids, and we are prepared to consider whatever measures would be effective in this regard.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that a budget of $5.2 billion has been allocated for public transit in Quebec. He will be happy to hear that Quebec is getting the biggest chunk of this public transit budget per capita, not including the $1.8 billion from the green infrastructure fund. The Couillard government agreed to take the federal government's $800-million contribution from that fund, leaving $1 billion for the rest of Quebec.Furthermore, in the last budget, we used the federal gas tax to increase transfers to municipalities by $500 million. The margins are there. If Quebec's priorities have changed, the Legault government should say so.
Mr. Speaker, Canadian businesses and consumers know how important the U.S. market is for the Canadian economy. That is why it was so important to negotiate a good new NAFTA deal.However, the Conservatives have repeatedly changed their tune about NAFTA. During the negotiations, they urged us to capitulate to U.S. demands to reduce our access, then criticized the good deal that we got. Now they are reversing themselves again. Can the minister tell this House why the new NAFTA is such a significant achievement?
Mr. Speaker, the minister played no role in the decision to stay proceedings. He was not aware of the decision made by the director of public prosecutions in this case. The PPSC acts independently, but in this case, it is acting on behalf of the Attorney General of Ontario, which, under the Criminal Code, is responsible for overseeing the case.Yesterday, the director of public prosecutions said there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC on either the initial decision or the decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, one thing we do know is that former minister Scott Brison stepped down because he did not want to have to answer questions about taking the contract for the Asterix away from the Davie shipyard and handing it over to his buddies.What is more, the Prime Minister implicated himself by going out of his way to prevent the disclosure of documents. If he really wanted to know the truth, he would have allowed Vice-Admiral Norman's defence team access to all the requested documents, even his own emails.Does the Prime Minister still believe there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, I respect the member's service to this country, as we all respect Vice-Admiral Norman's.However, what I can underscore and perhaps elaborate for her is how the legal process works. The legal process conducts itself in an independent manner. When requests for documents are made, we identify the documents. Decisions as to what is redacted and what is covered by cabinet confidences are made independent of political actors, as they should be.Furthermore, we do not intervene in that judicial process, because we safeguard the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. That is the way the system is supposed to work, and that is something I would hope all members of this House would appreciate and protect.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I will emphasize three key points.First, the decision to investigate was made by the RCMP. Second, the decision to lay a charge was made by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Third, the decision to withdraw the charge was also taken by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.It is also important to note what the director of public prosecutions said in her own words, which is, and I quote:No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political
Mr. Speaker, as that member should know, the Prime Minister asked for an investigation of the leak. Seventy-three names were found to have known about the leak, but only one name was handed to the RCMP, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Without that investigation, he would not have been relieved of command. Without that direction from the Prime Minister's Office, he would not have lost his job, his reputation or have spent two years fighting for the vindication he had yesterday. Will the member stand in the House and apologize to Vice-Admiral Mark Norman?
Mr. Speaker, it is quite unfortunate that it has come to this. In the last four months we have had two occasions when the director of public prosecutions has felt it incumbent upon herself to issue public statements about non-interference. The first was in February, when she talked about comments that related to a different matter that was being elaborated on in this House. The second was yesterday. The fact that she feels compelled to issue these kinds of statements, declaring in the loudest voice possible that no influence occurred, is actually a function of the type of question we are facing in this House. I think it is a sad state of affairs, because independence is important.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about how we have made life more affordable for Canadians. We reduced taxes on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit, which has raised 300,000 children out of poverty. Yes, we are making it no longer free to pollute, but we are giving the money back to Canadians, so that a family of four in Ontario will receive $307, which is more than most families will pay. We need to take action on climate change. We need to grow our economy. We need to do it in an affordable way. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about what we have done to make life more affordable. We have increased taxes on the 1% so we can reduce them on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit
Mr. Speaker, information technology has revolutionized our lives, but cybersecurity has emerged as an issue that comes with challenges and great opportunities for growth.I would like to know what actions our government is taking to aid cybersecurity initiatives.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate what the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said, that every decision was made independently.I want to quote from the statement that was released. It states: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. General Vance, the chief of the defence staff, will be meeting with Vice-Admiral Norman, and then we will be talking about the next steps.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have an opportunity to answer this question.Everyone is clear on the fact that the federal government allocated $1.2 to the project from the start. It did so in June 2018 when the Philippe Couillard government told Mr. Labeaume that Quebec could be ambitious and build a comprehensive transportation system with a $3.3-billion envelope. He knew perfectly well where those federal funds were coming from. Those funds were available in 2018 and they remain available today.As a proud citizen of Quebec City, I truly hope that Mr. Legault's government will make the Quebec City tramway a priority, as it should.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we are not letting these people go. We are looking for meaningful work for them. They are exceptionally gifted employees. We are not in the business of paying people a dollar a day. I misspoke in my previous response. I meant to say a dollar a day. Our government pays its employees fairly. It is important to remember that we have been working with this organization for a year and we will find good jobs for these people.
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to be able to repeat my answer. Since 2015, the Liberal Government of Canada has been proud of its work to make the Canadian government a leader and partner on housing again. This leadership had been lacking for far too long.In November 2017 we launched a national housing strategy that will free half a million Canadian families from living in unacceptable housing conditions all across Canada, far beyond Burnaby and Montreal. We are proud of this plan and we are now very proud to be implementing it.
Mr. Speaker, the question of political interference was raised a number of times by the director herself, yesterday. I just read her comments into the record.What I can say about the investigation and the legal process is that the government fulfilled all its obligations. All the documents from the individuals identified by the defence were submitted to the court. All told, over 8,000 documents involving seven organizations were submitted. As far as the status of the file is concerned, the judge even thanked departmental officials for their co-operation.
Mr. Speaker, is it true that the first decision of the Prime Minister and cabinet was to seek to cancel the Asterix contract, hurt Davie and eliminate 1,000 jobs in the Quebec City region? That was this cabinet's first decision.They also refused to hand over thousands of pages of documents that were requested by Norman's defence team. The documents that were received recently were redacted. They did not want to provide these document before because they knew full well that the charges would be dropped. They did not want to question important witnesses and it was the Prime Minister himself who asked the RCMP to investigate.Why are they trying to convince Canadians that there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, no other factors were considered in this case, and no influence was created. General Vance will be speaking with Vice-Admiral Norman at the appropriate time, and a discussion will be had as to the future.
Mr. Speaker, the member for Ottawa WestNepean is absolutely correct. Our government stood firm for a good deal, and we got a good deal. We did this despite the fact that the Conservatives and the Leader of the Opposition were advocating for capitulation and to accept any deal at any cost. Yesterday, after months of criticizing the new NAFTA, the opposition leader promised to ratify it. He admits it is a good deal. He is clearly on board with our leadership.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about political influence. In the first Liberal cabinet meeting, Scott Brison interfered with a naval shipbuilding contract, and that action leaked out. The Prime Minister had the leak investigated and the Privy Council Office identified 73 people who were aware of the leak. My question is simple. How many of the 73 names did the Prime Minister or the PCO give to the RCMP to investigate?
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to answer this question because not only do we have a plan to give every Canadian a safe and affordable place to have a home, but we also have put that plan into place since 2015. In November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, which will give half a million Canadian families a safe and affordable home in the years to come. We know we have a lot more to come, but we are well beyond planning for the future.
Mr. Speaker, again, with respect to the court order to produce documents, here are the facts. The Government of Canada met all its obligations with respect to third party record applications. All documents from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February were, in fact, provided to the court. In total, over 8,000 documents on behalf of the seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process.It is important to acknowledge that on this matter both the judge and the Crown thanked departmental officials for their excellent co-operation in this process.
Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. The government met all of its obligations with respect to third-party record applications. As I have said, all documents from priority individuals as identified by the defence in February were in fact provided to the court. Over 8,000 documents on behalf of seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process. The government met its obligations, and the public prosecutor has indicated that there was no inappropriate contact or influence on her decision-making.
Mr. Speaker, I hope we receive a more extensive answer than we did in the answer to the last question.Could the House leader for the government tell us what business we can expect for the remainder of this week and for next week?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer this question.We believe that every Canadian should have a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why, since 2015, we have invested $7.5 billion, additional dollars, helping one million families. That is why in November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, a $40-billion strategy. Sorry, it is a $55-billion strategy, because of the April 2019 budget. That is going to lift half a million Canadian families out of housing conditions that are not acceptable in 2019.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the member for Brampton South for her advocacy on this topic.We are working with our partners in business and academia in order to strengthen Canada's cybersecurity and to become a world leader in the field. We have invested $895 million to fund our new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure that our cyber-systems are secure and resilient, to encourage innovation and to support effective leadership and collaboration between government and all our partners.Our government will be introducing legislation to create a Canadian framework for cybersecurity across all sectors.
Mr. Speaker, as the Public Prosecution Service of Canada confirmed, every decision was made completely independently. Based on this decision, the deputy minister has revised the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's original request to have the legal fees paid for. I have agreed with this advice and have authorized it.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that living with a disability can have a major impact on the daily lives of those affected and their loved ones. That is why we put in place measures to make the disability tax credit more accessible, especially by simplifying the form and allowing nurse practitioners to certify their patients' forms.The government reinstated the disability advisory committee, which was dismantled by the Conservatives in 2006, in order to give people with disabilities a strong voice in their dealings with the agency. We look forward to the committee's recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, last week was a good week for Canadian canola farmers. The federal government, working with provincial governments, stakeholders and farmers, announced a support package for farmers, while recommitting our efforts to resolve the trade dispute with China. We continue to call on China to resolve this issue based on scientific evidence. On top of that, the Minister of International Trade Diversification is leading delegations around the world to promote the best-quality canola in the world.
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and I believe you will find agreement for the following motion regarding the parliamentary internship programme, of which I am a proud former intern: That the House: a) recognize the fiftieth anniversary of the Parliamentary Internship Programme, founded in 1969 through a motion of this House, which operates on a non-partisan basis under the auspices of the Speaker, and is administered by the Canadian Political Science Association; b) congratulate the ten current interns, alumni, and staff of the Parliamentary Internship Programme; and c) reaffirm its support for this outstanding experience for young professionals to learn about and participate in Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, the reach of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps goes far beyond brutalizing its own population. It goes far beyond interfering with its Middle East neighbours. It is also terrorizing Canadians, such as radio host Narges Ghaffari, by forcing family members in Iran to pass on the message of Stop your activism, so that, as the saying goes, no one gets hurt.A year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of our Conservative motion to list the IRGC as a terrorist group. When will the Liberals stop tolerating this murderous regime, take a stand for human rights and finally list the IRGC?
Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis of affordability in this country, and it is the fault of the government. Canadians are being crushed by high fuel prices because of the carbon tax and the Liberals' hostility to pipelines. We put forward a common-sense motion this week that would help people afford to get to work and to school. The government voted against it: absolutely shameful. When will the Liberals admit their carbon tax is nothing but a cash grab, and stand with Canadians for a change?
Mr. Speaker, HIV patients in Saskatchewan are not receiving treatment with free, readily available antiretroviral drugs that will save their lives and prevent transmission of the virus. This is in direct violation of the Canada Health Act. Meanwhile, many young people with HIV in my province are dying, and Saskatchewan has the highest HIV diagnosis rate in the country. Why will the Liberal government not enforce the Canada Health Act and ensure that HIV patients in Saskatchewan have the same access to treatment and care as other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely clear that the Liberals have no plan to make gas more affordable. The Prime Minister himself said that the carbon tax being high is what he wanted to change behaviour. Well, changing the behaviour of cancer patients who have to drive to their treatment is not acceptable. There are many, many impacts for everyday Canadians that the Liberals do not seem to understand.We have a plan to make life more affordable, eliminating the carbon tax and getting Trans Mountain built. Why will the Liberals not just admit that they do not care about the price of gas in British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, our government is deeply committed to addressing HIV and AIDS. We are investing $87 million annually to tackle HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne illnesses. If there is an issue in the province of Saskatchewan, as the member has indicated, I would be happy to have her come forward and speak to me, and I will take it forward to Health Canada.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve better than innuendo. Therefore, I would remind the member opposite that when legal matters are to be investigated, they are investigated independently by the RCMP. Any decision with respect to laying of charges is made independently by the director of public prosecutions. As the director of public prosecutions made crystal clear yesterday, there was no contact to any member of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in the determination of these decisions and there was no influence by the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, women, and women alone, should be the ones making decisions about their own bodies. That is why we stood up for safe access to abortion at home and abroad, from supporting groups like Planned Parenthood to increasing access to Plan B and Mifegymiso. It should concern all Canadians that the Leader of the Opposition only won the Conservative leadership thanks to the same anti-choice activists protesting today. Unlike the Conservatives
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants Canadians to believe that because he failed when he tried to politically interfere in yet another criminal proceeding, that his failure should be celebrated as an exoneration of his bad behaviour. That is like saying that someone who tries to rob a bank should get off the hook if he or she fails to get away with the cash.The Prime Minister withheld documents, coached government witnesses and tried to bankrupt Mark Norman. How does the Prime Minister defend this blatant political interference in the judicial system?
Mr. Speaker, experts are calling out the Liberals' failure to address the housing crisis and their attempts to mislead Canadians.They revealed that the percentage of federal spending on housing is at a historic low and that funding for social housing remains stagnant. They have exposed how the Liberals inflate their numbers by treating existing programs as new ones, counting hypothetical money and representing provincial spending as their own. They say the Liberals are not serious about housing and are taking baby steps.Why is the government deceiving Canadians and refusing to act on affordable housing?
Mr. Speaker, I am told on good authority that the Prime Minister has a secret plan to ban legal firearms. Apparently this plan is to be executed by cabinet directive, with no debate in Parliament. The Prime Minister plans to announce this gun ban at the Women Deliver conference to be held in early June in Vancouver, which New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern will also attend.Could the Prime Minister confirm or deny this zero-accountability secret plan?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the only ones who do not see any interference in this matter. The truth is that the Liberals did not want the contract to go to Davie, so they tried to destroy the career of Vice-Admiral Norman, a man of absolute integrity.This Prime Minister refused to hand over the evidence to Vice-Admiral Norman, and yesterday his lawyer said that the Prime Minister's Office was even counselling witnesses.If that is not political interference, then what is?
Mr. Speaker, the CRA claims that the majority of mental impairments are temporary, including autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In fact, these are life-long conditions. They are severe and prolonged, yet the CRA still expects these individuals to reapply for the disability tax credit.Rather than gouging vulnerable people and their families, will the minister just commit to correcting this unconscionable policy immediately?
Mr. Speaker, they are not paid a dollar a day; they are paid at the Ontario minimum wage level.Canada's disability community's motto is Nothing about us without us, but the Prime Minister is moving on without them, cutting 34 jobs for disabled Canadians. The disabled community is already concerned with the Liberals' refusal to strengthen the toothless accessible Canada act.When, at committee, the minister was asked about these job cuts, she said that these people are no longer operationally required.A Conservative government would save these jobs. Will the Liberals follow our lead and reverse these heartless job cuts?
Mr. Speaker, nobody on this side is impugning the motives of the RCMP or the director of public prosecutions; what we are impugning is the motives of a government that interfered in this case when the Prime Minister said, before charges were laid, that it was going to go to court, which hired the reporter who reported on Scott Brison's pork-barrelling, and which has been accused of having told witnesses what to say. That is what we are trying to get to the bottom of. Instead of trying to defend the director of public prosecutions with its discredited word, it should launch an independent investigation to show that nothing happened. When are we going to have
Mr. Speaker, that is not what Canadians see in the aftermath of the Vice-Admiral Norman travesty. What they see is a pattern of corruption with the Prime Minister, the PMO and the Liberal government, who attack and try to discredit anyone who stands up for truth, who stands up for what is right and who gets in their way. What is the government really so desperately trying to hide? Will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and reinstate him as the head of the navy and second-in-command of our armed forces?
Mr. Speaker, Mark Norman's lawyer said, what you don't do is you don't put your finger and try to weigh in on the scales of justice. However, that is exactly what did happen in the Mark Norman trial. The Liberals actively worked against him. The Prime Minister said that Norman would be charged while the investigation was ongoing. He refused to waive cabinet confidentiality. He withheld thousands of documents from Norman's defence team. How does the Prime Minister defend his blatant interference in an ongoing judicial proceeding?
Mr. Speaker, anti-choice activists are rallying on Parliament Hill today. What is worrisome is that some Conservative members are joining them, trying to control women's decisions over their bodies.We know that members of the Conservative Party do not believe that safe access to abortion services is a right, because they said so in the House last year. In the face of these threats to women's health, could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health tell the House where the government stands on women's right to choose?
Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. We have not put a price on pollution in B.C., because B.C. has stepped up. B.C.'s gas price has gone up by one cent because of its carbon price.The party opposite does not seem to understand that everyone is paying the cost of climate change. In Ottawa, in the national capital region, we have seen massive flooding that is impacting people's lives and people's property. It is just going to get worse. Our climate change report says that Canada is warming at twice the global average.We need to take action on climate change. Why will the party opposite not join us?
Mr. Speaker, the party opposite voted for the Paris Agreement and for standing up and taking action on climate change. What are those members doing now? They are lying to Canadians. They are not saying to Canadians that
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals do not have an environment plan. They only have a tax plan. That is because the millionaire Prime Minister has never had to worry about money, and it shows. The Liberals' carbon tax has increased the price of everything. Their new fuel standard will further hike the cost of gas and diesel, and their cancellation of northern gateway and delays on the Trans Mountain expansion have helped drive prices to all-time highs in B.C.The Prime Minister actually says that making everything more expensive for everyone is exactly what we want. Well, the Liberals do, but Canadians do not.How could the Liberals actually vote against the Conservative motion to stop increasing the price of gas?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are clearly avoiding the question. Yesterday we learned crucial information was not just hidden from Vice-Admiral Norman's lawyers, it was even hidden from the prosecution. His lawyer said that the Privy Council and the Prime Minister's Office withheld information, but she did not know why. The only people who can answer why are sitting on the Liberal benches.Why did the Liberals hide vital information from the prosecution, the defence and from the rest of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I apologize for that. The party opposite is misleading Canadians. Instead of actually talking about the cost of climate change to Canadians, which has gone from $400 million to over $2 billion per year that everyone is paying for right now, instead of talking about the money that Canadians are getting back, with a family of four in Ontario getting a climate action incentive rebate of $307, Conservatives are misleading them because Conservatives do not want to take serious climate action. They do not believe that climate change is the problem. They want to do
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Mark Norman objected to the Liberals' scheming and interference and stood up for the navy, the Prime Minister attacked him and accused him before criminal charges had even been laid. That is interference.The Liberals did not hesitate to drag the vice-admiral through the mud and try to destroy his unblemished career. However, we now know that the vice-admiral defended the Royal Canadian Navy against the Liberals' partisan interests. The Asterix was delivered on time and on budget.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and give him back his
Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister did everything he could to stop the Davie shipyard. He tried to destroy the reputation of Vice-Admiral Norman, who stood up to this interference. The Prime Minister does not like anyone to oppose him, which is exactly what the former attorney general did in the SNC-Lavalin affair. By strange coincidence, when the former parliamentary secretary announced that he would testify against his own Liberal government, the charges were dropped.If that is not interference, then what is it?
Mr. Speaker, clearly the Prime Minister does not like it when people of honour stand up to him.He tried to interfere in a shipbuilding contract, but Vice-Admiral Norman protected the navy and the delivery of the ship it needed. When the Prime Minister did not get his way, he began a politically motivated campaign against Vice-Admiral Norman. He instructed the RCMP to investigate and told the public that Norman would be charged and end up at trial.When will the Prime Minister realize that he cannot use the power of his office to attack those he views as his enemies?
Mr. Speaker, key members of the Trois-Rivières business community are getting behind a promising project at the airport. The City just invested in the construction of a new terminal, and the federal government is also expected to contribute soon.Meanwhile, the Liberal government snuck a measure on the privatization of security services at Canadian airports into the most recent budget. Are the people of Trois-Rivières and its business community right in thinking that this privatization could facilitate the implementation of security measures and the designation of their airport?
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is a lawyer and shares the same profession as me. Therefore, he should know that when we investigate a charge, that is done by law enforcement, and in this case the RCMP. He should know that when we lay a charge that it is sent by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, an entity that his party created while in power. Finally, he should know that when a decision is made to withdraw a charge or stay it, that is also done by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. All of those entities, and all of those steps were taken independently, as they should be in the country.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Norman's trial has been a disaster from the beginning. Once again, there are serious allegations of interference by the Prime Minister's Office.The NDP has asked the director of public prosecutions to exercise her right to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate these allegations. We need to restore public trust. Will the Liberals co-operate with the director of public prosecutions so we can get to the bottom of this?
Mr. Speaker, I quite frankly find it offensive when a member in the House rises and impugns the integrity and reputation of the RCMP and the director of public prosecutions by suggesting they would ever conduct their business in any way that was less than independent.If the member opposite perhaps did not hear, the director of public prosecutions yesterday repeated that there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC either in the initial decision to prosecute or in the subsequent decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's agriculture and agri-food industry contributes over $110 billion annually to the Canadian economy, yet the Liberal government seems perfectly content to let countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Vietnam and now China get away with taking unwarranted trade actions against this vital sector of our economy. Canola farmers are the most recent victims of the Liberal government's bungling with our global partners. When will the Prime Minister resolve the canola issue with China?
Mr. Speaker, the Criminal Code listing regime is an important tool for countering terrorism and is part of the government's commitment to keep Canadians safe.The update to the listings is an important step to fight terrorism globally and ensure that Canada remains a safe and peaceful country. There is a prescribed step-by-step process. New entities are added once it has been determined that they meet the legal threshold.
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Norman took a stand for the Royal Canadian Navy and against Scott Brison's political interference, the Prime Minister attacked him.We know that Vice-Admiral Norman always made good decisions that were in the national interest and that the Davie shipyard delivered the Asterix on time and on budget. As far as military procurements go, it was a resounding success.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, let us hear what the actual director had to say: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. The reason the Minister of Border Security was so appalled by this line of questioning is that members should not impugn the integrity of the people who are leading the judicial system or who are independent officials. Second, members should not impugn the integrity of people who do not have a chance to stand up in this House and defend themselves. I will do it for them. The director of public prosecutions operated independently at all times.
Mr. Speaker, could the government transfer the funds with no strings attached and do the same for other programs?What we are hearing is that the $800 million has to come out of the green infrastructure fund, meaning that all of Quebec's municipal green programs would have to be scrapped to make way for the Quebec City tramway. We should not have to choose between sacrificing our regions or sacrificing our national capital. We can carry out all of these projects if the money is transferred in a lump sum.Tax revenues are supposed to be used to serve our needs, not to serve programs.Will the government let Quebec handle infrastructure dollars without imposing conditions?
Mr. Speaker, this all seems highly unlikely. The Liberal government is taking the jobs of 34 Canadians with disabilities who work in the archives, jobs that cost the Canadian government a mere $500,000. More than money, the government is also taking away their honour, pride, and dignity.Will the Prime Minister stand up and apologize, or will it take another six months to resolve the situation?
Mr. Speaker, in different contexts, I have a lot respect for the member opposite for the advocacy he does for the men and women in uniform in the country. However, it is important to underscore that there are men and women in uniform, namely the RCMP, who took charge of the very investigation that the member is impugning. He is impugning the law enforcement officials and the independence of their work. Who the member should also listen to is not just from our side of the House, but the defence counsel for Admiral Normal who said The decision to stay this prosecution...was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the (Director of Public Prosecutions), unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be.
Mr. Speaker, we have been working on this issue for the past month. Directors, producers and creators can count on us. As the minister said last week, we will have concrete solutions to announce this week. It is not about scoring political points; it is about ensuring that movies in French can be produced this year. Why is the member trying to politicize that? We are used to the Conservatives turning their back on our culture, but why is the NDP only talking about this important issue now?
Mr. Speaker, once again, none of that is actually true. Let me be clear that all procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are totally independent of the Government of Canada. The entire structure of their work is designed to keep them independent. Decisions that are made are made on the basis of proper legal considerations and the evidence. All of those considerations are weighed carefully in court before a judge. The matter was entirely without political influence, and that is exactly what the director of public prosecutions averred yesterday.
Mr. Speaker, what I can say in response to that question is that the investigation was handled by the RCMP.The decision to prosecute was made by the director herself. The decision to stay the charges was made by the director herself. I want to highlight the comments of Mr. Norman's counsel once again. She said: The decision to stay this prosecution was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the DPP, unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be. She further underscored that that is in fact how things are supposed to work. I agree with her assessment.
Mr. Speaker, gas prices in British Columbia are sky-high, and residents in my riding do not have the option of walking across the border with jerry cans, which is what is currently happening.Yesterday, the Liberals doubled down and voted against eliminating the carbon tax and for keeping prices at the gas pumps high. Now that they have rejected our plan, what is their plan to make gas prices more affordable for Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, those independent organizations can only make informed decisions if they have the documents to read them.The Prime Minister thinks he is above the law, and it is time to restore Canadians' confidence in the highest office in the land. We know that he politically interfered by refusing to turn over critical documents to Mark Norman's lawyers. He interfered by refusing to waive cabinet confidence. He interfered by counselling key witnesses on what to say.Everyone knows this is political interference. When will the Prime Minister admit it?
Mr. Speaker, from Burnaby to Montreal, adequate and affordable housing should be a right, but it is increasingly out of reach for too many families.After three years of Liberal inaction, Canadians are spending more and more to meet their basic housing needs. We have to make different choices to get different results.Why do the Liberals refuse to adopt our plan to immediately build 500,000 quality affordable housing units?
Mr. Speaker, whether we are talking about Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's reputation or the workers at Davie shipyard in Quebec City, the Prime Minister's reprehensible behaviour on this file has had significant repercussions. The Liberal government is showing that it has no respect for the rule of law. Now we are hearing about allegations of witness tampering, not to mention the documents the government concealed.Will the Liberals finally allow Canadians to hear the truth and order a genuinely independent inquiry to get to the bottom of the Mark Norman affair?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure Canadians that we are putting forward measures to improve the air passenger experience. We have provided funding to address increasing passenger volumes at our airports and to decrease passenger wait times. Our government is committed to maintaining the highest levels of security for the travelling public while improving the passenger experience. Any decision that is made on CATSA privatization will take those into account.
Mr. Speaker, CTV News reported that the Liberal government is cutting a program that employs dozens with developmental disabilities.These workers are finding great meaning in their work at Library and Archives Canada. Our leader has pledged to restore the funding for this program.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and reverse this cold-hearted cut?
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will complete debate at third reading of Bill C-91, the indigenous languages act. Tomorrow we will begin debate on the Senate amendments to bill C-55, an act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act.Next week the government will be proposing a motion to debate the rising climate emergency across Canada.At noon on Monday, we will resume debate on Bill C-55.On Tuesday, we will move on to Bill S-6, the CanadaMadagascar tax convention implementation act, 2018.Wednesday shall be an allotted day.Finally, pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), I would like to designate Tuesday, May 14, for consideration in committee of the whole of the main estimates for the Department of Justice.In closing, mothers who provide love and guidance are present in our lives in many forms. I am thankful to the mother figures in my life. On behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada, and I am sure all members in this House, I wish all mothers a happy Mother's Day.
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, it is a little offensive to hear the member opposite impugn the integrity of the RCMP in the independent conduct of its investigations and also to impugn the integrity of the Public Prosecution Service, which has made crystal clear that at no time was there any contact or influence from the government and that all decisions with respect to initiating the prosecution or staying it were made independent of the government.
Mr. Speaker, it has gotten to the point where Premier Legault has to think about scaling down and delaying the Quebec City tramway project because the federal government is not pulling its weight. The project is $800 million short. The money is there, but the government refuses to hand it over to Quebec without conditions. This problem could be solved tomorrow morning.Will Ottawa get out of the way, let Quebec manage funds from the integrated bilateral agreement based on its needs and contribute fully to the Quebec City tramway?
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I will set the record straight. It was our government that actually committed, extended the contract and paid these individuals up to minimum wage. It was the Conservative government that paid them $1.50 a day. It is only under the leadership of our government that they are being paid the wage they deserve. We are working tirelessly with this organization to find them work. I did not say these individuals were not operationally required. I said that the work they were doing is no longer necessary, so that is a very important distinction. I have absolute respect for these workers and their families, and we are doing right by them, I can assure all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking unprecedented actions to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in our economy, including inclusive work opportunities. With respect to this program, we have been working for a year with this organization. We have extended their contract. We are making sure that they have meaningful work so they can contribute to our government's operations.We are not in the business of paying people a dollar an hour to do work, as the Conservatives were.
Mr. Speaker, why does the party opposite not care about climate change? Climate change is real. It is having an impact. In British Columbia, there were forest fires that were burning stronger and longer than ever before. There were mothers who were talking to me about being worried about their kids going outside because the air quality index was 10 or dangerous. There were people who were being hit in the tourism industry, because people were worried about the forest fires and the impacts. We need to take action on climate change. There is a real cost. The environment and the economy do go together in the 21st century. I wish the party opposite would understand that.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, almost everything the member opposite just said is not correct. In fact, as the director of public prosecutions stated yesterday, there was no contact or influence from outside the Public Prosecution Service either in the initial decision with respect to the laying of this charge or the decision to stay the charge.The member opposite should know that all of the procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and the RCMP are totally independent of the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country are struggling to find a place to call home. We are in the midst of a national housing crisis. I met a woman who lived in co-op housing and she told me that living in co-op housing meant she was able to build a life, she was able to raise her three kids. Why can the government not understand that we need to build new homes, affordable, non-market, non-profit and co-operative. Will the government adopt our plan to build half a million new affordable homes across the country?
Mr. Speaker, Quebec's culture and communications minister wrote to our Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism to share his concerns about the crisis at Telefilm Canada.As a side note, I hope that the minister will allow the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to support my motion today to call Telefilm Canada before the committee.Since last week, CTVM.info and all major media outlets have been reporting about how much the cultural community needs a strong, tuned-in Telefilm Canada. The Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism promised to act this week.It is already Thursday, so does he have some good news to announce about our cultural scene, for once?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister himself said that Mark Norman would end up in court, even before charges were laid. Clearly, this was a political attack on someone who was standing up for what is right. It is another example of the Prime Minister attacking someone who got in his way. When will the Prime Minister apologize and have Vice-Admiral Norman reinstated as vice-chief of the defence staff?
Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's lawyer said, No person should walk into a courtroom fighting their elected government or any sort of political factors. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened in the Mark Norman trial. The Prime Minister interfered in the judicial process. He withheld documents from the defence. The Liberals denied Mark Norman access to his own emails.Why did the Prime Minister so clearly have his finger on the scales of justice in the Mark Norman case?
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that the government remains absolutely committed to undertaking all measures that are effective in keeping Canadians safe. As I believe every member of the House would agree, there is no greater responsibility for any order of government than the safety of its citizens and the protection of its kids, and we are prepared to consider whatever measures would be effective in this regard.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that a budget of $5.2 billion has been allocated for public transit in Quebec. He will be happy to hear that Quebec is getting the biggest chunk of this public transit budget per capita, not including the $1.8 billion from the green infrastructure fund. The Couillard government agreed to take the federal government's $800-million contribution from that fund, leaving $1 billion for the rest of Quebec.Furthermore, in the last budget, we used the federal gas tax to increase transfers to municipalities by $500 million. The margins are there. If Quebec's priorities have changed, the Legault government should say so.
Mr. Speaker, Canadian businesses and consumers know how important the U.S. market is for the Canadian economy. That is why it was so important to negotiate a good new NAFTA deal.However, the Conservatives have repeatedly changed their tune about NAFTA. During the negotiations, they urged us to capitulate to U.S. demands to reduce our access, then criticized the good deal that we got. Now they are reversing themselves again. Can the minister tell this House why the new NAFTA is such a significant achievement?
Mr. Speaker, the minister played no role in the decision to stay proceedings. He was not aware of the decision made by the director of public prosecutions in this case. The PPSC acts independently, but in this case, it is acting on behalf of the Attorney General of Ontario, which, under the Criminal Code, is responsible for overseeing the case.Yesterday, the director of public prosecutions said there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC on either the initial decision or the decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, one thing we do know is that former minister Scott Brison stepped down because he did not want to have to answer questions about taking the contract for the Asterix away from the Davie shipyard and handing it over to his buddies.What is more, the Prime Minister implicated himself by going out of his way to prevent the disclosure of documents. If he really wanted to know the truth, he would have allowed Vice-Admiral Norman's defence team access to all the requested documents, even his own emails.Does the Prime Minister still believe there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, I respect the member's service to this country, as we all respect Vice-Admiral Norman's.However, what I can underscore and perhaps elaborate for her is how the legal process works. The legal process conducts itself in an independent manner. When requests for documents are made, we identify the documents. Decisions as to what is redacted and what is covered by cabinet confidences are made independent of political actors, as they should be.Furthermore, we do not intervene in that judicial process, because we safeguard the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. That is the way the system is supposed to work, and that is something I would hope all members of this House would appreciate and protect.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I will emphasize three key points.First, the decision to investigate was made by the RCMP. Second, the decision to lay a charge was made by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Third, the decision to withdraw the charge was also taken by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.It is also important to note what the director of public prosecutions said in her own words, which is, and I quote:No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political
Mr. Speaker, as that member should know, the Prime Minister asked for an investigation of the leak. Seventy-three names were found to have known about the leak, but only one name was handed to the RCMP, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Without that investigation, he would not have been relieved of command. Without that direction from the Prime Minister's Office, he would not have lost his job, his reputation or have spent two years fighting for the vindication he had yesterday. Will the member stand in the House and apologize to Vice-Admiral Mark Norman?
Mr. Speaker, it is quite unfortunate that it has come to this. In the last four months we have had two occasions when the director of public prosecutions has felt it incumbent upon herself to issue public statements about non-interference. The first was in February, when she talked about comments that related to a different matter that was being elaborated on in this House. The second was yesterday. The fact that she feels compelled to issue these kinds of statements, declaring in the loudest voice possible that no influence occurred, is actually a function of the type of question we are facing in this House. I think it is a sad state of affairs, because independence is important.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about how we have made life more affordable for Canadians. We reduced taxes on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit, which has raised 300,000 children out of poverty. Yes, we are making it no longer free to pollute, but we are giving the money back to Canadians, so that a family of four in Ontario will receive $307, which is more than most families will pay. We need to take action on climate change. We need to grow our economy. We need to do it in an affordable way. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about what we have done to make life more affordable. We have increased taxes on the 1% so we can reduce them on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit
Mr. Speaker, information technology has revolutionized our lives, but cybersecurity has emerged as an issue that comes with challenges and great opportunities for growth.I would like to know what actions our government is taking to aid cybersecurity initiatives.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate what the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said, that every decision was made independently.I want to quote from the statement that was released. It states: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. General Vance, the chief of the defence staff, will be meeting with Vice-Admiral Norman, and then we will be talking about the next steps.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have an opportunity to answer this question.Everyone is clear on the fact that the federal government allocated $1.2 to the project from the start. It did so in June 2018 when the Philippe Couillard government told Mr. Labeaume that Quebec could be ambitious and build a comprehensive transportation system with a $3.3-billion envelope. He knew perfectly well where those federal funds were coming from. Those funds were available in 2018 and they remain available today.As a proud citizen of Quebec City, I truly hope that Mr. Legault's government will make the Quebec City tramway a priority, as it should.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we are not letting these people go. We are looking for meaningful work for them. They are exceptionally gifted employees. We are not in the business of paying people a dollar a day. I misspoke in my previous response. I meant to say a dollar a day. Our government pays its employees fairly. It is important to remember that we have been working with this organization for a year and we will find good jobs for these people.
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to be able to repeat my answer. Since 2015, the Liberal Government of Canada has been proud of its work to make the Canadian government a leader and partner on housing again. This leadership had been lacking for far too long.In November 2017 we launched a national housing strategy that will free half a million Canadian families from living in unacceptable housing conditions all across Canada, far beyond Burnaby and Montreal. We are proud of this plan and we are now very proud to be implementing it.
Mr. Speaker, the question of political interference was raised a number of times by the director herself, yesterday. I just read her comments into the record.What I can say about the investigation and the legal process is that the government fulfilled all its obligations. All the documents from the individuals identified by the defence were submitted to the court. All told, over 8,000 documents involving seven organizations were submitted. As far as the status of the file is concerned, the judge even thanked departmental officials for their co-operation.
Mr. Speaker, is it true that the first decision of the Prime Minister and cabinet was to seek to cancel the Asterix contract, hurt Davie and eliminate 1,000 jobs in the Quebec City region? That was this cabinet's first decision.They also refused to hand over thousands of pages of documents that were requested by Norman's defence team. The documents that were received recently were redacted. They did not want to provide these document before because they knew full well that the charges would be dropped. They did not want to question important witnesses and it was the Prime Minister himself who asked the RCMP to investigate.Why are they trying to convince Canadians that there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, no other factors were considered in this case, and no influence was created. General Vance will be speaking with Vice-Admiral Norman at the appropriate time, and a discussion will be had as to the future.
Mr. Speaker, the member for Ottawa WestNepean is absolutely correct. Our government stood firm for a good deal, and we got a good deal. We did this despite the fact that the Conservatives and the Leader of the Opposition were advocating for capitulation and to accept any deal at any cost. Yesterday, after months of criticizing the new NAFTA, the opposition leader promised to ratify it. He admits it is a good deal. He is clearly on board with our leadership.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about political influence. In the first Liberal cabinet meeting, Scott Brison interfered with a naval shipbuilding contract, and that action leaked out. The Prime Minister had the leak investigated and the Privy Council Office identified 73 people who were aware of the leak. My question is simple. How many of the 73 names did the Prime Minister or the PCO give to the RCMP to investigate?
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to answer this question because not only do we have a plan to give every Canadian a safe and affordable place to have a home, but we also have put that plan into place since 2015. In November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, which will give half a million Canadian families a safe and affordable home in the years to come. We know we have a lot more to come, but we are well beyond planning for the future.
Mr. Speaker, again, with respect to the court order to produce documents, here are the facts. The Government of Canada met all its obligations with respect to third party record applications. All documents from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February were, in fact, provided to the court. In total, over 8,000 documents on behalf of the seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process.It is important to acknowledge that on this matter both the judge and the Crown thanked departmental officials for their excellent co-operation in this process.
Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. The government met all of its obligations with respect to third-party record applications. As I have said, all documents from priority individuals as identified by the defence in February were in fact provided to the court. Over 8,000 documents on behalf of seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process. The government met its obligations, and the public prosecutor has indicated that there was no inappropriate contact or influence on her decision-making.
Mr. Speaker, I hope we receive a more extensive answer than we did in the answer to the last question.Could the House leader for the government tell us what business we can expect for the remainder of this week and for next week?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer this question.We believe that every Canadian should have a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why, since 2015, we have invested $7.5 billion, additional dollars, helping one million families. That is why in November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, a $40-billion strategy. Sorry, it is a $55-billion strategy, because of the April 2019 budget. That is going to lift half a million Canadian families out of housing conditions that are not acceptable in 2019.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the member for Brampton South for her advocacy on this topic.We are working with our partners in business and academia in order to strengthen Canada's cybersecurity and to become a world leader in the field. We have invested $895 million to fund our new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure that our cyber-systems are secure and resilient, to encourage innovation and to support effective leadership and collaboration between government and all our partners.Our government will be introducing legislation to create a Canadian framework for cybersecurity across all sectors.
Mr. Speaker, as the Public Prosecution Service of Canada confirmed, every decision was made completely independently. Based on this decision, the deputy minister has revised the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's original request to have the legal fees paid for. I have agreed with this advice and have authorized it.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that living with a disability can have a major impact on the daily lives of those affected and their loved ones. That is why we put in place measures to make the disability tax credit more accessible, especially by simplifying the form and allowing nurse practitioners to certify their patients' forms.The government reinstated the disability advisory committee, which was dismantled by the Conservatives in 2006, in order to give people with disabilities a strong voice in their dealings with the agency. We look forward to the committee's recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, last week was a good week for Canadian canola farmers. The federal government, working with provincial governments, stakeholders and farmers, announced a support package for farmers, while recommitting our efforts to resolve the trade dispute with China. We continue to call on China to resolve this issue based on scientific evidence. On top of that, the Minister of International Trade Diversification is leading delegations around the world to promote the best-quality canola in the world.
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and I believe you will find agreement for the following motion regarding the parliamentary internship programme, of which I am a proud former intern: That the House: a) recognize the fiftieth anniversary of the Parliamentary Internship Programme, founded in 1969 through a motion of this House, which operates on a non-partisan basis under the auspices of the Speaker, and is administered by the Canadian Political Science Association; b) congratulate the ten current interns, alumni, and staff of the Parliamentary Internship Programme; and c) reaffirm its support for this outstanding experience for young professionals to learn about and participate in Parliament.
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, the CRA claims that the majority of mental impairments are temporary, including autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In fact, these are life-long conditions. They are severe and prolonged, yet the CRA still expects these individuals to reapply for the disability tax credit.Rather than gouging vulnerable people and their families, will the minister just commit to correcting this unconscionable policy immediately?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants Canadians to believe that because he failed when he tried to politically interfere in yet another criminal proceeding, that his failure should be celebrated as an exoneration of his bad behaviour. That is like saying that someone who tries to rob a bank should get off the hook if he or she fails to get away with the cash.The Prime Minister withheld documents, coached government witnesses and tried to bankrupt Mark Norman. How does the Prime Minister defend this blatant political interference in the judicial system?
Mr. Speaker, this all seems highly unlikely. The Liberal government is taking the jobs of 34 Canadians with disabilities who work in the archives, jobs that cost the Canadian government a mere $500,000. More than money, the government is also taking away their honour, pride, and dignity.Will the Prime Minister stand up and apologize, or will it take another six months to resolve the situation?
Mr. Speaker, that is not what Canadians see in the aftermath of the Vice-Admiral Norman travesty. What they see is a pattern of corruption with the Prime Minister, the PMO and the Liberal government, who attack and try to discredit anyone who stands up for truth, who stands up for what is right and who gets in their way. What is the government really so desperately trying to hide? Will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and reinstate him as the head of the navy and second-in-command of our armed forces?
Mr. Speaker, they are not paid a dollar a day; they are paid at the Ontario minimum wage level.Canada's disability community's motto is Nothing about us without us, but the Prime Minister is moving on without them, cutting 34 jobs for disabled Canadians. The disabled community is already concerned with the Liberals' refusal to strengthen the toothless accessible Canada act.When, at committee, the minister was asked about these job cuts, she said that these people are no longer operationally required.A Conservative government would save these jobs. Will the Liberals follow our lead and reverse these heartless job cuts?
Mr. Speaker, could the government transfer the funds with no strings attached and do the same for other programs?What we are hearing is that the $800 million has to come out of the green infrastructure fund, meaning that all of Quebec's municipal green programs would have to be scrapped to make way for the Quebec City tramway. We should not have to choose between sacrificing our regions or sacrificing our national capital. We can carry out all of these projects if the money is transferred in a lump sum.Tax revenues are supposed to be used to serve our needs, not to serve programs.Will the government let Quebec handle infrastructure dollars without imposing conditions?
Mr. Speaker, Mark Norman's lawyer said, what you don't do is you don't put your finger and try to weigh in on the scales of justice. However, that is exactly what did happen in the Mark Norman trial. The Liberals actively worked against him. The Prime Minister said that Norman would be charged while the investigation was ongoing. He refused to waive cabinet confidentiality. He withheld thousands of documents from Norman's defence team. How does the Prime Minister defend his blatant interference in an ongoing judicial proceeding?
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Mark Norman objected to the Liberals' scheming and interference and stood up for the navy, the Prime Minister attacked him and accused him before criminal charges had even been laid. That is interference.The Liberals did not hesitate to drag the vice-admiral through the mud and try to destroy his unblemished career. However, we now know that the vice-admiral defended the Royal Canadian Navy against the Liberals' partisan interests. The Asterix was delivered on time and on budget.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and give him back his
Mr. Speaker, it has gotten to the point where Premier Legault has to think about scaling down and delaying the Quebec City tramway project because the federal government is not pulling its weight. The project is $800 million short. The money is there, but the government refuses to hand it over to Quebec without conditions. This problem could be solved tomorrow morning.Will Ottawa get out of the way, let Quebec manage funds from the integrated bilateral agreement based on its needs and contribute fully to the Quebec City tramway?
Mr. Speaker, let us hear what the actual director had to say: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. The reason the Minister of Border Security was so appalled by this line of questioning is that members should not impugn the integrity of the people who are leading the judicial system or who are independent officials. Second, members should not impugn the integrity of people who do not have a chance to stand up in this House and defend themselves. I will do it for them. The director of public prosecutions operated independently at all times.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, almost everything the member opposite just said is not correct. In fact, as the director of public prosecutions stated yesterday, there was no contact or influence from outside the Public Prosecution Service either in the initial decision with respect to the laying of this charge or the decision to stay the charge.The member opposite should know that all of the procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and the RCMP are totally independent of the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, as that member should know, the Prime Minister asked for an investigation of the leak. Seventy-three names were found to have known about the leak, but only one name was handed to the RCMP, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Without that investigation, he would not have been relieved of command. Without that direction from the Prime Minister's Office, he would not have lost his job, his reputation or have spent two years fighting for the vindication he had yesterday. Will the member stand in the House and apologize to Vice-Admiral Mark Norman?
Mr. Speaker, it is quite unfortunate that it has come to this. In the last four months we have had two occasions when the director of public prosecutions has felt it incumbent upon herself to issue public statements about non-interference. The first was in February, when she talked about comments that related to a different matter that was being elaborated on in this House. The second was yesterday. The fact that she feels compelled to issue these kinds of statements, declaring in the loudest voice possible that no influence occurred, is actually a function of the type of question we are facing in this House. I think it is a sad state of affairs, because independence is important.
Mr. Speaker, the minister played no role in the decision to stay proceedings. He was not aware of the decision made by the director of public prosecutions in this case. The PPSC acts independently, but in this case, it is acting on behalf of the Attorney General of Ontario, which, under the Criminal Code, is responsible for overseeing the case.Yesterday, the director of public prosecutions said there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC on either the initial decision or the decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. We have not put a price on pollution in B.C., because B.C. has stepped up. B.C.'s gas price has gone up by one cent because of its carbon price.The party opposite does not seem to understand that everyone is paying the cost of climate change. In Ottawa, in the national capital region, we have seen massive flooding that is impacting people's lives and people's property. It is just going to get worse. Our climate change report says that Canada is warming at twice the global average.We need to take action on climate change. Why will the party opposite not join us?
Mr. Speaker, I quite frankly find it offensive when a member in the House rises and impugns the integrity and reputation of the RCMP and the director of public prosecutions by suggesting they would ever conduct their business in any way that was less than independent.If the member opposite perhaps did not hear, the director of public prosecutions yesterday repeated that there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC either in the initial decision to prosecute or in the subsequent decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are clearly avoiding the question. Yesterday we learned crucial information was not just hidden from Vice-Admiral Norman's lawyers, it was even hidden from the prosecution. His lawyer said that the Privy Council and the Prime Minister's Office withheld information, but she did not know why. The only people who can answer why are sitting on the Liberal benches.Why did the Liberals hide vital information from the prosecution, the defence and from the rest of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, it is a little offensive to hear the member opposite impugn the integrity of the RCMP in the independent conduct of its investigations and also to impugn the integrity of the Public Prosecution Service, which has made crystal clear that at no time was there any contact or influence from the government and that all decisions with respect to initiating the prosecution or staying it were made independent of the government.
Mr. Speaker, why does the party opposite not care about climate change? Climate change is real. It is having an impact. In British Columbia, there were forest fires that were burning stronger and longer than ever before. There were mothers who were talking to me about being worried about their kids going outside because the air quality index was 10 or dangerous. There were people who were being hit in the tourism industry, because people were worried about the forest fires and the impacts. We need to take action on climate change. There is a real cost. The environment and the economy do go together in the 21st century. I wish the party opposite would understand that.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Norman's trial has been a disaster from the beginning. Once again, there are serious allegations of interference by the Prime Minister's Office.The NDP has asked the director of public prosecutions to exercise her right to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate these allegations. We need to restore public trust. Will the Liberals co-operate with the director of public prosecutions so we can get to the bottom of this?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the only ones who do not see any interference in this matter. The truth is that the Liberals did not want the contract to go to Davie, so they tried to destroy the career of Vice-Admiral Norman, a man of absolute integrity.This Prime Minister refused to hand over the evidence to Vice-Admiral Norman, and yesterday his lawyer said that the Prime Minister's Office was even counselling witnesses.If that is not political interference, then what is?
Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. The government met all of its obligations with respect to third-party record applications. As I have said, all documents from priority individuals as identified by the defence in February were in fact provided to the court. Over 8,000 documents on behalf of seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process. The government met its obligations, and the public prosecutor has indicated that there was no inappropriate contact or influence on her decision-making.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is a lawyer and shares the same profession as me. Therefore, he should know that when we investigate a charge, that is done by law enforcement, and in this case the RCMP. He should know that when we lay a charge that it is sent by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, an entity that his party created while in power. Finally, he should know that when a decision is made to withdraw a charge or stay it, that is also done by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. All of those entities, and all of those steps were taken independently, as they should be in the country.
Mr. Speaker, those independent organizations can only make informed decisions if they have the documents to read them.The Prime Minister thinks he is above the law, and it is time to restore Canadians' confidence in the highest office in the land. We know that he politically interfered by refusing to turn over critical documents to Mark Norman's lawyers. He interfered by refusing to waive cabinet confidence. He interfered by counselling key witnesses on what to say.Everyone knows this is political interference. When will the Prime Minister admit it?
Mr. Speaker, what I can say in response to that question is that the investigation was handled by the RCMP.The decision to prosecute was made by the director herself. The decision to stay the charges was made by the director herself. I want to highlight the comments of Mr. Norman's counsel once again. She said: The decision to stay this prosecution was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the DPP, unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be. She further underscored that that is in fact how things are supposed to work. I agree with her assessment.
Mr. Speaker, nobody on this side is impugning the motives of the RCMP or the director of public prosecutions; what we are impugning is the motives of a government that interfered in this case when the Prime Minister said, before charges were laid, that it was going to go to court, which hired the reporter who reported on Scott Brison's pork-barrelling, and which has been accused of having told witnesses what to say. That is what we are trying to get to the bottom of. Instead of trying to defend the director of public prosecutions with its discredited word, it should launch an independent investigation to show that nothing happened. When are we going to have
Mr. Speaker, I can assure Canadians that we are putting forward measures to improve the air passenger experience. We have provided funding to address increasing passenger volumes at our airports and to decrease passenger wait times. Our government is committed to maintaining the highest levels of security for the travelling public while improving the passenger experience. Any decision that is made on CATSA privatization will take those into account.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate what the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said, that every decision was made independently.I want to quote from the statement that was released. It states: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. General Vance, the chief of the defence staff, will be meeting with Vice-Admiral Norman, and then we will be talking about the next steps.
Mr. Speaker, I apologize for that. The party opposite is misleading Canadians. Instead of actually talking about the cost of climate change to Canadians, which has gone from $400 million to over $2 billion per year that everyone is paying for right now, instead of talking about the money that Canadians are getting back, with a family of four in Ontario getting a climate action incentive rebate of $307, Conservatives are misleading them because Conservatives do not want to take serious climate action. They do not believe that climate change is the problem. They want to do
Mr. Speaker, clearly the Prime Minister does not like it when people of honour stand up to him.He tried to interfere in a shipbuilding contract, but Vice-Admiral Norman protected the navy and the delivery of the ship it needed. When the Prime Minister did not get his way, he began a politically motivated campaign against Vice-Admiral Norman. He instructed the RCMP to investigate and told the public that Norman would be charged and end up at trial.When will the Prime Minister realize that he cannot use the power of his office to attack those he views as his enemies?
Mr. Speaker, we have been working on this issue for the past month. Directors, producers and creators can count on us. As the minister said last week, we will have concrete solutions to announce this week. It is not about scoring political points; it is about ensuring that movies in French can be produced this year. Why is the member trying to politicize that? We are used to the Conservatives turning their back on our culture, but why is the NDP only talking about this important issue now?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals do not have an environment plan. They only have a tax plan. That is because the millionaire Prime Minister has never had to worry about money, and it shows. The Liberals' carbon tax has increased the price of everything. Their new fuel standard will further hike the cost of gas and diesel, and their cancellation of northern gateway and delays on the Trans Mountain expansion have helped drive prices to all-time highs in B.C.The Prime Minister actually says that making everything more expensive for everyone is exactly what we want. Well, the Liberals do, but Canadians do not.How could the Liberals actually vote against the Conservative motion to stop increasing the price of gas?
Mr. Speaker, the party opposite voted for the Paris Agreement and for standing up and taking action on climate change. What are those members doing now? They are lying to Canadians. They are not saying to Canadians that
Mr. Speaker, I am told on good authority that the Prime Minister has a secret plan to ban legal firearms. Apparently this plan is to be executed by cabinet directive, with no debate in Parliament. The Prime Minister plans to announce this gun ban at the Women Deliver conference to be held in early June in Vancouver, which New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern will also attend.Could the Prime Minister confirm or deny this zero-accountability secret plan?
Mr. Speaker, once again, none of that is actually true. Let me be clear that all procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are totally independent of the Government of Canada. The entire structure of their work is designed to keep them independent. Decisions that are made are made on the basis of proper legal considerations and the evidence. All of those considerations are weighed carefully in court before a judge. The matter was entirely without political influence, and that is exactly what the director of public prosecutions averred yesterday.
Mr. Speaker, key members of the Trois-Rivières business community are getting behind a promising project at the airport. The City just invested in the construction of a new terminal, and the federal government is also expected to contribute soon.Meanwhile, the Liberal government snuck a measure on the privatization of security services at Canadian airports into the most recent budget. Are the people of Trois-Rivières and its business community right in thinking that this privatization could facilitate the implementation of security measures and the designation of their airport?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer this question.We believe that every Canadian should have a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why, since 2015, we have invested $7.5 billion, additional dollars, helping one million families. That is why in November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, a $40-billion strategy. Sorry, it is a $55-billion strategy, because of the April 2019 budget. That is going to lift half a million Canadian families out of housing conditions that are not acceptable in 2019.
Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis of affordability in this country, and it is the fault of the government. Canadians are being crushed by high fuel prices because of the carbon tax and the Liberals' hostility to pipelines. We put forward a common-sense motion this week that would help people afford to get to work and to school. The government voted against it: absolutely shameful. When will the Liberals admit their carbon tax is nothing but a cash grab, and stand with Canadians for a change?
Mr. Speaker, experts are calling out the Liberals' failure to address the housing crisis and their attempts to mislead Canadians.They revealed that the percentage of federal spending on housing is at a historic low and that funding for social housing remains stagnant. They have exposed how the Liberals inflate their numbers by treating existing programs as new ones, counting hypothetical money and representing provincial spending as their own. They say the Liberals are not serious about housing and are taking baby steps.Why is the government deceiving Canadians and refusing to act on affordable housing?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve better than innuendo. Therefore, I would remind the member opposite that when legal matters are to be investigated, they are investigated independently by the RCMP. Any decision with respect to laying of charges is made independently by the director of public prosecutions. As the director of public prosecutions made crystal clear yesterday, there was no contact to any member of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in the determination of these decisions and there was no influence by the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's lawyer said, No person should walk into a courtroom fighting their elected government or any sort of political factors. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened in the Mark Norman trial. The Prime Minister interfered in the judicial process. He withheld documents from the defence. The Liberals denied Mark Norman access to his own emails.Why did the Prime Minister so clearly have his finger on the scales of justice in the Mark Norman case?
Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister did everything he could to stop the Davie shipyard. He tried to destroy the reputation of Vice-Admiral Norman, who stood up to this interference. The Prime Minister does not like anyone to oppose him, which is exactly what the former attorney general did in the SNC-Lavalin affair. By strange coincidence, when the former parliamentary secretary announced that he would testify against his own Liberal government, the charges were dropped.If that is not interference, then what is it?
Mr. Speaker, the question of political interference was raised a number of times by the director herself, yesterday. I just read her comments into the record.What I can say about the investigation and the legal process is that the government fulfilled all its obligations. All the documents from the individuals identified by the defence were submitted to the court. All told, over 8,000 documents involving seven organizations were submitted. As far as the status of the file is concerned, the judge even thanked departmental officials for their co-operation.
Mr. Speaker, gas prices in British Columbia are sky-high, and residents in my riding do not have the option of walking across the border with jerry cans, which is what is currently happening.Yesterday, the Liberals doubled down and voted against eliminating the carbon tax and for keeping prices at the gas pumps high. Now that they have rejected our plan, what is their plan to make gas prices more affordable for Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I will emphasize three key points.First, the decision to investigate was made by the RCMP. Second, the decision to lay a charge was made by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Third, the decision to withdraw the charge was also taken by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.It is also important to note what the director of public prosecutions said in her own words, which is, and I quote:No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political
Mr. Speaker, one thing we do know is that former minister Scott Brison stepped down because he did not want to have to answer questions about taking the contract for the Asterix away from the Davie shipyard and handing it over to his buddies.What is more, the Prime Minister implicated himself by going out of his way to prevent the disclosure of documents. If he really wanted to know the truth, he would have allowed Vice-Admiral Norman's defence team access to all the requested documents, even his own emails.Does the Prime Minister still believe there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, in different contexts, I have a lot respect for the member opposite for the advocacy he does for the men and women in uniform in the country. However, it is important to underscore that there are men and women in uniform, namely the RCMP, who took charge of the very investigation that the member is impugning. He is impugning the law enforcement officials and the independence of their work. Who the member should also listen to is not just from our side of the House, but the defence counsel for Admiral Normal who said The decision to stay this prosecution...was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the (Director of Public Prosecutions), unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be.
Mr. Speaker, the reach of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps goes far beyond brutalizing its own population. It goes far beyond interfering with its Middle East neighbours. It is also terrorizing Canadians, such as radio host Narges Ghaffari, by forcing family members in Iran to pass on the message of Stop your activism, so that, as the saying goes, no one gets hurt.A year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of our Conservative motion to list the IRGC as a terrorist group. When will the Liberals stop tolerating this murderous regime, take a stand for human rights and finally list the IRGC?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that a budget of $5.2 billion has been allocated for public transit in Quebec. He will be happy to hear that Quebec is getting the biggest chunk of this public transit budget per capita, not including the $1.8 billion from the green infrastructure fund. The Couillard government agreed to take the federal government's $800-million contribution from that fund, leaving $1 billion for the rest of Quebec.Furthermore, in the last budget, we used the federal gas tax to increase transfers to municipalities by $500 million. The margins are there. If Quebec's priorities have changed, the Legault government should say so.
Mr. Speaker, whether we are talking about Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's reputation or the workers at Davie shipyard in Quebec City, the Prime Minister's reprehensible behaviour on this file has had significant repercussions. The Liberal government is showing that it has no respect for the rule of law. Now we are hearing about allegations of witness tampering, not to mention the documents the government concealed.Will the Liberals finally allow Canadians to hear the truth and order a genuinely independent inquiry to get to the bottom of the Mark Norman affair?
Mr. Speaker, I hope we receive a more extensive answer than we did in the answer to the last question.Could the House leader for the government tell us what business we can expect for the remainder of this week and for next week?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister himself said that Mark Norman would end up in court, even before charges were laid. Clearly, this was a political attack on someone who was standing up for what is right. It is another example of the Prime Minister attacking someone who got in his way. When will the Prime Minister apologize and have Vice-Admiral Norman reinstated as vice-chief of the defence staff?
Mr. Speaker, I respect the member's service to this country, as we all respect Vice-Admiral Norman's.However, what I can underscore and perhaps elaborate for her is how the legal process works. The legal process conducts itself in an independent manner. When requests for documents are made, we identify the documents. Decisions as to what is redacted and what is covered by cabinet confidences are made independent of political actors, as they should be.Furthermore, we do not intervene in that judicial process, because we safeguard the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. That is the way the system is supposed to work, and that is something I would hope all members of this House would appreciate and protect.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, no other factors were considered in this case, and no influence was created. General Vance will be speaking with Vice-Admiral Norman at the appropriate time, and a discussion will be had as to the future.
Mr. Speaker, CTV News reported that the Liberal government is cutting a program that employs dozens with developmental disabilities.These workers are finding great meaning in their work at Library and Archives Canada. Our leader has pledged to restore the funding for this program.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and reverse this cold-hearted cut?
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and I believe you will find agreement for the following motion regarding the parliamentary internship programme, of which I am a proud former intern: That the House: a) recognize the fiftieth anniversary of the Parliamentary Internship Programme, founded in 1969 through a motion of this House, which operates on a non-partisan basis under the auspices of the Speaker, and is administered by the Canadian Political Science Association; b) congratulate the ten current interns, alumni, and staff of the Parliamentary Internship Programme; and c) reaffirm its support for this outstanding experience for young professionals to learn about and participate in Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I will set the record straight. It was our government that actually committed, extended the contract and paid these individuals up to minimum wage. It was the Conservative government that paid them $1.50 a day. It is only under the leadership of our government that they are being paid the wage they deserve. We are working tirelessly with this organization to find them work. I did not say these individuals were not operationally required. I said that the work they were doing is no longer necessary, so that is a very important distinction. I have absolute respect for these workers and their families, and we are doing right by them, I can assure all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Norman took a stand for the Royal Canadian Navy and against Scott Brison's political interference, the Prime Minister attacked him.We know that Vice-Admiral Norman always made good decisions that were in the national interest and that the Davie shipyard delivered the Asterix on time and on budget. As far as military procurements go, it was a resounding success.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about political influence. In the first Liberal cabinet meeting, Scott Brison interfered with a naval shipbuilding contract, and that action leaked out. The Prime Minister had the leak investigated and the Privy Council Office identified 73 people who were aware of the leak. My question is simple. How many of the 73 names did the Prime Minister or the PCO give to the RCMP to investigate?
Mr. Speaker, the Criminal Code listing regime is an important tool for countering terrorism and is part of the government's commitment to keep Canadians safe.The update to the listings is an important step to fight terrorism globally and ensure that Canada remains a safe and peaceful country. There is a prescribed step-by-step process. New entities are added once it has been determined that they meet the legal threshold.
Mr. Speaker, as the Public Prosecution Service of Canada confirmed, every decision was made completely independently. Based on this decision, the deputy minister has revised the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's original request to have the legal fees paid for. I have agreed with this advice and have authorized it.
Mr. Speaker, HIV patients in Saskatchewan are not receiving treatment with free, readily available antiretroviral drugs that will save their lives and prevent transmission of the virus. This is in direct violation of the Canada Health Act. Meanwhile, many young people with HIV in my province are dying, and Saskatchewan has the highest HIV diagnosis rate in the country. Why will the Liberal government not enforce the Canada Health Act and ensure that HIV patients in Saskatchewan have the same access to treatment and care as other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country are struggling to find a place to call home. We are in the midst of a national housing crisis. I met a woman who lived in co-op housing and she told me that living in co-op housing meant she was able to build a life, she was able to raise her three kids. Why can the government not understand that we need to build new homes, affordable, non-market, non-profit and co-operative. Will the government adopt our plan to build half a million new affordable homes across the country?
Mr. Speaker, Quebec's culture and communications minister wrote to our Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism to share his concerns about the crisis at Telefilm Canada.As a side note, I hope that the minister will allow the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to support my motion today to call Telefilm Canada before the committee.Since last week, CTVM.info and all major media outlets have been reporting about how much the cultural community needs a strong, tuned-in Telefilm Canada. The Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism promised to act this week.It is already Thursday, so does he have some good news to announce about our cultural scene, for once?
Mr. Speaker, is it true that the first decision of the Prime Minister and cabinet was to seek to cancel the Asterix contract, hurt Davie and eliminate 1,000 jobs in the Quebec City region? That was this cabinet's first decision.They also refused to hand over thousands of pages of documents that were requested by Norman's defence team. The documents that were received recently were redacted. They did not want to provide these document before because they knew full well that the charges would be dropped. They did not want to question important witnesses and it was the Prime Minister himself who asked the RCMP to investigate.Why are they trying to convince Canadians that there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about what we have done to make life more affordable. We have increased taxes on the 1% so we can reduce them on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely clear that the Liberals have no plan to make gas more affordable. The Prime Minister himself said that the carbon tax being high is what he wanted to change behaviour. Well, changing the behaviour of cancer patients who have to drive to their treatment is not acceptable. There are many, many impacts for everyday Canadians that the Liberals do not seem to understand.We have a plan to make life more affordable, eliminating the carbon tax and getting Trans Mountain built. Why will the Liberals not just admit that they do not care about the price of gas in British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, women, and women alone, should be the ones making decisions about their own bodies. That is why we stood up for safe access to abortion at home and abroad, from supporting groups like Planned Parenthood to increasing access to Plan B and Mifegymiso. It should concern all Canadians that the Leader of the Opposition only won the Conservative leadership thanks to the same anti-choice activists protesting today. Unlike the Conservatives
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to answer this question because not only do we have a plan to give every Canadian a safe and affordable place to have a home, but we also have put that plan into place since 2015. In November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, which will give half a million Canadian families a safe and affordable home in the years to come. We know we have a lot more to come, but we are well beyond planning for the future.
Mr. Speaker, from Burnaby to Montreal, adequate and affordable housing should be a right, but it is increasingly out of reach for too many families.After three years of Liberal inaction, Canadians are spending more and more to meet their basic housing needs. We have to make different choices to get different results.Why do the Liberals refuse to adopt our plan to immediately build 500,000 quality affordable housing units?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's agriculture and agri-food industry contributes over $110 billion annually to the Canadian economy, yet the Liberal government seems perfectly content to let countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Vietnam and now China get away with taking unwarranted trade actions against this vital sector of our economy. Canola farmers are the most recent victims of the Liberal government's bungling with our global partners. When will the Prime Minister resolve the canola issue with China?
Mr. Speaker, anti-choice activists are rallying on Parliament Hill today. What is worrisome is that some Conservative members are joining them, trying to control women's decisions over their bodies.We know that members of the Conservative Party do not believe that safe access to abortion services is a right, because they said so in the House last year. In the face of these threats to women's health, could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health tell the House where the government stands on women's right to choose?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about how we have made life more affordable for Canadians. We reduced taxes on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit, which has raised 300,000 children out of poverty. Yes, we are making it no longer free to pollute, but we are giving the money back to Canadians, so that a family of four in Ontario will receive $307, which is more than most families will pay. We need to take action on climate change. We need to grow our economy. We need to do it in an affordable way. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, our government is deeply committed to addressing HIV and AIDS. We are investing $87 million annually to tackle HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne illnesses. If there is an issue in the province of Saskatchewan, as the member has indicated, I would be happy to have her come forward and speak to me, and I will take it forward to Health Canada.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that living with a disability can have a major impact on the daily lives of those affected and their loved ones. That is why we put in place measures to make the disability tax credit more accessible, especially by simplifying the form and allowing nurse practitioners to certify their patients' forms.The government reinstated the disability advisory committee, which was dismantled by the Conservatives in 2006, in order to give people with disabilities a strong voice in their dealings with the agency. We look forward to the committee's recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, last week was a good week for Canadian canola farmers. The federal government, working with provincial governments, stakeholders and farmers, announced a support package for farmers, while recommitting our efforts to resolve the trade dispute with China. We continue to call on China to resolve this issue based on scientific evidence. On top of that, the Minister of International Trade Diversification is leading delegations around the world to promote the best-quality canola in the world.
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will complete debate at third reading of Bill C-91, the indigenous languages act. Tomorrow we will begin debate on the Senate amendments to bill C-55, an act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act.Next week the government will be proposing a motion to debate the rising climate emergency across Canada.At noon on Monday, we will resume debate on Bill C-55.On Tuesday, we will move on to Bill S-6, the CanadaMadagascar tax convention implementation act, 2018.Wednesday shall be an allotted day.Finally, pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), I would like to designate Tuesday, May 14, for consideration in committee of the whole of the main estimates for the Department of Justice.In closing, mothers who provide love and guidance are present in our lives in many forms. I am thankful to the mother figures in my life. On behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada, and I am sure all members in this House, I wish all mothers a happy Mother's Day.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that the government remains absolutely committed to undertaking all measures that are effective in keeping Canadians safe. As I believe every member of the House would agree, there is no greater responsibility for any order of government than the safety of its citizens and the protection of its kids, and we are prepared to consider whatever measures would be effective in this regard.
Mr. Speaker, the member for Ottawa WestNepean is absolutely correct. Our government stood firm for a good deal, and we got a good deal. We did this despite the fact that the Conservatives and the Leader of the Opposition were advocating for capitulation and to accept any deal at any cost. Yesterday, after months of criticizing the new NAFTA, the opposition leader promised to ratify it. He admits it is a good deal. He is clearly on board with our leadership.
Mr. Speaker, again, with respect to the court order to produce documents, here are the facts. The Government of Canada met all its obligations with respect to third party record applications. All documents from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February were, in fact, provided to the court. In total, over 8,000 documents on behalf of the seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process.It is important to acknowledge that on this matter both the judge and the Crown thanked departmental officials for their excellent co-operation in this process.
Mr. Speaker, Canadian businesses and consumers know how important the U.S. market is for the Canadian economy. That is why it was so important to negotiate a good new NAFTA deal.However, the Conservatives have repeatedly changed their tune about NAFTA. During the negotiations, they urged us to capitulate to U.S. demands to reduce our access, then criticized the good deal that we got. Now they are reversing themselves again. Can the minister tell this House why the new NAFTA is such a significant achievement?
Mr. Speaker, I commend the member for Brampton South for her advocacy on this topic.We are working with our partners in business and academia in order to strengthen Canada's cybersecurity and to become a world leader in the field. We have invested $895 million to fund our new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure that our cyber-systems are secure and resilient, to encourage innovation and to support effective leadership and collaboration between government and all our partners.Our government will be introducing legislation to create a Canadian framework for cybersecurity across all sectors.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we are not letting these people go. We are looking for meaningful work for them. They are exceptionally gifted employees. We are not in the business of paying people a dollar a day. I misspoke in my previous response. I meant to say a dollar a day. Our government pays its employees fairly. It is important to remember that we have been working with this organization for a year and we will find good jobs for these people.
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking unprecedented actions to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in our economy, including inclusive work opportunities. With respect to this program, we have been working for a year with this organization. We have extended their contract. We are making sure that they have meaningful work so they can contribute to our government's operations.We are not in the business of paying people a dollar an hour to do work, as the Conservatives were.
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to be able to repeat my answer. Since 2015, the Liberal Government of Canada has been proud of its work to make the Canadian government a leader and partner on housing again. This leadership had been lacking for far too long.In November 2017 we launched a national housing strategy that will free half a million Canadian families from living in unacceptable housing conditions all across Canada, far beyond Burnaby and Montreal. We are proud of this plan and we are now very proud to be implementing it.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have an opportunity to answer this question.Everyone is clear on the fact that the federal government allocated $1.2 to the project from the start. It did so in June 2018 when the Philippe Couillard government told Mr. Labeaume that Quebec could be ambitious and build a comprehensive transportation system with a $3.3-billion envelope. He knew perfectly well where those federal funds were coming from. Those funds were available in 2018 and they remain available today.As a proud citizen of Quebec City, I truly hope that Mr. Legault's government will make the Quebec City tramway a priority, as it should.
Mr. Speaker, information technology has revolutionized our lives, but cybersecurity has emerged as an issue that comes with challenges and great opportunities for growth.I would like to know what actions our government is taking to aid cybersecurity initiatives.
Mr. Speaker, the CRA claims that the majority of mental impairments are temporary, including autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In fact, these are life-long conditions. They are severe and prolonged, yet the CRA still expects these individuals to reapply for the disability tax credit.Rather than gouging vulnerable people and their families, will the minister just commit to correcting this unconscionable policy immediately?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants Canadians to believe that because he failed when he tried to politically interfere in yet another criminal proceeding, that his failure should be celebrated as an exoneration of his bad behaviour. That is like saying that someone who tries to rob a bank should get off the hook if he or she fails to get away with the cash.The Prime Minister withheld documents, coached government witnesses and tried to bankrupt Mark Norman. How does the Prime Minister defend this blatant political interference in the judicial system?
Mr. Speaker, this all seems highly unlikely. The Liberal government is taking the jobs of 34 Canadians with disabilities who work in the archives, jobs that cost the Canadian government a mere $500,000. More than money, the government is also taking away their honour, pride, and dignity.Will the Prime Minister stand up and apologize, or will it take another six months to resolve the situation?
Mr. Speaker, that is not what Canadians see in the aftermath of the Vice-Admiral Norman travesty. What they see is a pattern of corruption with the Prime Minister, the PMO and the Liberal government, who attack and try to discredit anyone who stands up for truth, who stands up for what is right and who gets in their way. What is the government really so desperately trying to hide? Will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and reinstate him as the head of the navy and second-in-command of our armed forces?
Mr. Speaker, they are not paid a dollar a day; they are paid at the Ontario minimum wage level.Canada's disability community's motto is Nothing about us without us, but the Prime Minister is moving on without them, cutting 34 jobs for disabled Canadians. The disabled community is already concerned with the Liberals' refusal to strengthen the toothless accessible Canada act.When, at committee, the minister was asked about these job cuts, she said that these people are no longer operationally required.A Conservative government would save these jobs. Will the Liberals follow our lead and reverse these heartless job cuts?
Mr. Speaker, could the government transfer the funds with no strings attached and do the same for other programs?What we are hearing is that the $800 million has to come out of the green infrastructure fund, meaning that all of Quebec's municipal green programs would have to be scrapped to make way for the Quebec City tramway. We should not have to choose between sacrificing our regions or sacrificing our national capital. We can carry out all of these projects if the money is transferred in a lump sum.Tax revenues are supposed to be used to serve our needs, not to serve programs.Will the government let Quebec handle infrastructure dollars without imposing conditions?
Mr. Speaker, Mark Norman's lawyer said, what you don't do is you don't put your finger and try to weigh in on the scales of justice. However, that is exactly what did happen in the Mark Norman trial. The Liberals actively worked against him. The Prime Minister said that Norman would be charged while the investigation was ongoing. He refused to waive cabinet confidentiality. He withheld thousands of documents from Norman's defence team. How does the Prime Minister defend his blatant interference in an ongoing judicial proceeding?
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Mark Norman objected to the Liberals' scheming and interference and stood up for the navy, the Prime Minister attacked him and accused him before criminal charges had even been laid. That is interference.The Liberals did not hesitate to drag the vice-admiral through the mud and try to destroy his unblemished career. However, we now know that the vice-admiral defended the Royal Canadian Navy against the Liberals' partisan interests. The Asterix was delivered on time and on budget.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and give him back his
Mr. Speaker, it has gotten to the point where Premier Legault has to think about scaling down and delaying the Quebec City tramway project because the federal government is not pulling its weight. The project is $800 million short. The money is there, but the government refuses to hand it over to Quebec without conditions. This problem could be solved tomorrow morning.Will Ottawa get out of the way, let Quebec manage funds from the integrated bilateral agreement based on its needs and contribute fully to the Quebec City tramway?
Mr. Speaker, let us hear what the actual director had to say: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. The reason the Minister of Border Security was so appalled by this line of questioning is that members should not impugn the integrity of the people who are leading the judicial system or who are independent officials. Second, members should not impugn the integrity of people who do not have a chance to stand up in this House and defend themselves. I will do it for them. The director of public prosecutions operated independently at all times.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, almost everything the member opposite just said is not correct. In fact, as the director of public prosecutions stated yesterday, there was no contact or influence from outside the Public Prosecution Service either in the initial decision with respect to the laying of this charge or the decision to stay the charge.The member opposite should know that all of the procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and the RCMP are totally independent of the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, as that member should know, the Prime Minister asked for an investigation of the leak. Seventy-three names were found to have known about the leak, but only one name was handed to the RCMP, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Without that investigation, he would not have been relieved of command. Without that direction from the Prime Minister's Office, he would not have lost his job, his reputation or have spent two years fighting for the vindication he had yesterday. Will the member stand in the House and apologize to Vice-Admiral Mark Norman?
Mr. Speaker, it is quite unfortunate that it has come to this. In the last four months we have had two occasions when the director of public prosecutions has felt it incumbent upon herself to issue public statements about non-interference. The first was in February, when she talked about comments that related to a different matter that was being elaborated on in this House. The second was yesterday. The fact that she feels compelled to issue these kinds of statements, declaring in the loudest voice possible that no influence occurred, is actually a function of the type of question we are facing in this House. I think it is a sad state of affairs, because independence is important.
Mr. Speaker, the minister played no role in the decision to stay proceedings. He was not aware of the decision made by the director of public prosecutions in this case. The PPSC acts independently, but in this case, it is acting on behalf of the Attorney General of Ontario, which, under the Criminal Code, is responsible for overseeing the case.Yesterday, the director of public prosecutions said there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC on either the initial decision or the decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. We have not put a price on pollution in B.C., because B.C. has stepped up. B.C.'s gas price has gone up by one cent because of its carbon price.The party opposite does not seem to understand that everyone is paying the cost of climate change. In Ottawa, in the national capital region, we have seen massive flooding that is impacting people's lives and people's property. It is just going to get worse. Our climate change report says that Canada is warming at twice the global average.We need to take action on climate change. Why will the party opposite not join us?
Mr. Speaker, I quite frankly find it offensive when a member in the House rises and impugns the integrity and reputation of the RCMP and the director of public prosecutions by suggesting they would ever conduct their business in any way that was less than independent.If the member opposite perhaps did not hear, the director of public prosecutions yesterday repeated that there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC either in the initial decision to prosecute or in the subsequent decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are clearly avoiding the question. Yesterday we learned crucial information was not just hidden from Vice-Admiral Norman's lawyers, it was even hidden from the prosecution. His lawyer said that the Privy Council and the Prime Minister's Office withheld information, but she did not know why. The only people who can answer why are sitting on the Liberal benches.Why did the Liberals hide vital information from the prosecution, the defence and from the rest of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, it is a little offensive to hear the member opposite impugn the integrity of the RCMP in the independent conduct of its investigations and also to impugn the integrity of the Public Prosecution Service, which has made crystal clear that at no time was there any contact or influence from the government and that all decisions with respect to initiating the prosecution or staying it were made independent of the government.
Mr. Speaker, why does the party opposite not care about climate change? Climate change is real. It is having an impact. In British Columbia, there were forest fires that were burning stronger and longer than ever before. There were mothers who were talking to me about being worried about their kids going outside because the air quality index was 10 or dangerous. There were people who were being hit in the tourism industry, because people were worried about the forest fires and the impacts. We need to take action on climate change. There is a real cost. The environment and the economy do go together in the 21st century. I wish the party opposite would understand that.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Norman's trial has been a disaster from the beginning. Once again, there are serious allegations of interference by the Prime Minister's Office.The NDP has asked the director of public prosecutions to exercise her right to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate these allegations. We need to restore public trust. Will the Liberals co-operate with the director of public prosecutions so we can get to the bottom of this?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the only ones who do not see any interference in this matter. The truth is that the Liberals did not want the contract to go to Davie, so they tried to destroy the career of Vice-Admiral Norman, a man of absolute integrity.This Prime Minister refused to hand over the evidence to Vice-Admiral Norman, and yesterday his lawyer said that the Prime Minister's Office was even counselling witnesses.If that is not political interference, then what is?
Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. The government met all of its obligations with respect to third-party record applications. As I have said, all documents from priority individuals as identified by the defence in February were in fact provided to the court. Over 8,000 documents on behalf of seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process. The government met its obligations, and the public prosecutor has indicated that there was no inappropriate contact or influence on her decision-making.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is a lawyer and shares the same profession as me. Therefore, he should know that when we investigate a charge, that is done by law enforcement, and in this case the RCMP. He should know that when we lay a charge that it is sent by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, an entity that his party created while in power. Finally, he should know that when a decision is made to withdraw a charge or stay it, that is also done by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. All of those entities, and all of those steps were taken independently, as they should be in the country.
Mr. Speaker, those independent organizations can only make informed decisions if they have the documents to read them.The Prime Minister thinks he is above the law, and it is time to restore Canadians' confidence in the highest office in the land. We know that he politically interfered by refusing to turn over critical documents to Mark Norman's lawyers. He interfered by refusing to waive cabinet confidence. He interfered by counselling key witnesses on what to say.Everyone knows this is political interference. When will the Prime Minister admit it?
Mr. Speaker, what I can say in response to that question is that the investigation was handled by the RCMP.The decision to prosecute was made by the director herself. The decision to stay the charges was made by the director herself. I want to highlight the comments of Mr. Norman's counsel once again. She said: The decision to stay this prosecution was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the DPP, unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be. She further underscored that that is in fact how things are supposed to work. I agree with her assessment.
Mr. Speaker, nobody on this side is impugning the motives of the RCMP or the director of public prosecutions; what we are impugning is the motives of a government that interfered in this case when the Prime Minister said, before charges were laid, that it was going to go to court, which hired the reporter who reported on Scott Brison's pork-barrelling, and which has been accused of having told witnesses what to say. That is what we are trying to get to the bottom of. Instead of trying to defend the director of public prosecutions with its discredited word, it should launch an independent investigation to show that nothing happened. When are we going to have
Mr. Speaker, I can assure Canadians that we are putting forward measures to improve the air passenger experience. We have provided funding to address increasing passenger volumes at our airports and to decrease passenger wait times. Our government is committed to maintaining the highest levels of security for the travelling public while improving the passenger experience. Any decision that is made on CATSA privatization will take those into account.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate what the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said, that every decision was made independently.I want to quote from the statement that was released. It states: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. General Vance, the chief of the defence staff, will be meeting with Vice-Admiral Norman, and then we will be talking about the next steps.
Mr. Speaker, I apologize for that. The party opposite is misleading Canadians. Instead of actually talking about the cost of climate change to Canadians, which has gone from $400 million to over $2 billion per year that everyone is paying for right now, instead of talking about the money that Canadians are getting back, with a family of four in Ontario getting a climate action incentive rebate of $307, Conservatives are misleading them because Conservatives do not want to take serious climate action. They do not believe that climate change is the problem. They want to do
Mr. Speaker, clearly the Prime Minister does not like it when people of honour stand up to him.He tried to interfere in a shipbuilding contract, but Vice-Admiral Norman protected the navy and the delivery of the ship it needed. When the Prime Minister did not get his way, he began a politically motivated campaign against Vice-Admiral Norman. He instructed the RCMP to investigate and told the public that Norman would be charged and end up at trial.When will the Prime Minister realize that he cannot use the power of his office to attack those he views as his enemies?
Mr. Speaker, we have been working on this issue for the past month. Directors, producers and creators can count on us. As the minister said last week, we will have concrete solutions to announce this week. It is not about scoring political points; it is about ensuring that movies in French can be produced this year. Why is the member trying to politicize that? We are used to the Conservatives turning their back on our culture, but why is the NDP only talking about this important issue now?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals do not have an environment plan. They only have a tax plan. That is because the millionaire Prime Minister has never had to worry about money, and it shows. The Liberals' carbon tax has increased the price of everything. Their new fuel standard will further hike the cost of gas and diesel, and their cancellation of northern gateway and delays on the Trans Mountain expansion have helped drive prices to all-time highs in B.C.The Prime Minister actually says that making everything more expensive for everyone is exactly what we want. Well, the Liberals do, but Canadians do not.How could the Liberals actually vote against the Conservative motion to stop increasing the price of gas?
Mr. Speaker, the party opposite voted for the Paris Agreement and for standing up and taking action on climate change. What are those members doing now? They are lying to Canadians. They are not saying to Canadians that
Mr. Speaker, I am told on good authority that the Prime Minister has a secret plan to ban legal firearms. Apparently this plan is to be executed by cabinet directive, with no debate in Parliament. The Prime Minister plans to announce this gun ban at the Women Deliver conference to be held in early June in Vancouver, which New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern will also attend.Could the Prime Minister confirm or deny this zero-accountability secret plan?
Mr. Speaker, once again, none of that is actually true. Let me be clear that all procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are totally independent of the Government of Canada. The entire structure of their work is designed to keep them independent. Decisions that are made are made on the basis of proper legal considerations and the evidence. All of those considerations are weighed carefully in court before a judge. The matter was entirely without political influence, and that is exactly what the director of public prosecutions averred yesterday.
Mr. Speaker, key members of the Trois-Rivières business community are getting behind a promising project at the airport. The City just invested in the construction of a new terminal, and the federal government is also expected to contribute soon.Meanwhile, the Liberal government snuck a measure on the privatization of security services at Canadian airports into the most recent budget. Are the people of Trois-Rivières and its business community right in thinking that this privatization could facilitate the implementation of security measures and the designation of their airport?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer this question.We believe that every Canadian should have a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why, since 2015, we have invested $7.5 billion, additional dollars, helping one million families. That is why in November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, a $40-billion strategy. Sorry, it is a $55-billion strategy, because of the April 2019 budget. That is going to lift half a million Canadian families out of housing conditions that are not acceptable in 2019.
Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis of affordability in this country, and it is the fault of the government. Canadians are being crushed by high fuel prices because of the carbon tax and the Liberals' hostility to pipelines. We put forward a common-sense motion this week that would help people afford to get to work and to school. The government voted against it: absolutely shameful. When will the Liberals admit their carbon tax is nothing but a cash grab, and stand with Canadians for a change?
Mr. Speaker, experts are calling out the Liberals' failure to address the housing crisis and their attempts to mislead Canadians.They revealed that the percentage of federal spending on housing is at a historic low and that funding for social housing remains stagnant. They have exposed how the Liberals inflate their numbers by treating existing programs as new ones, counting hypothetical money and representing provincial spending as their own. They say the Liberals are not serious about housing and are taking baby steps.Why is the government deceiving Canadians and refusing to act on affordable housing?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve better than innuendo. Therefore, I would remind the member opposite that when legal matters are to be investigated, they are investigated independently by the RCMP. Any decision with respect to laying of charges is made independently by the director of public prosecutions. As the director of public prosecutions made crystal clear yesterday, there was no contact to any member of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in the determination of these decisions and there was no influence by the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's lawyer said, No person should walk into a courtroom fighting their elected government or any sort of political factors. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened in the Mark Norman trial. The Prime Minister interfered in the judicial process. He withheld documents from the defence. The Liberals denied Mark Norman access to his own emails.Why did the Prime Minister so clearly have his finger on the scales of justice in the Mark Norman case?
Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister did everything he could to stop the Davie shipyard. He tried to destroy the reputation of Vice-Admiral Norman, who stood up to this interference. The Prime Minister does not like anyone to oppose him, which is exactly what the former attorney general did in the SNC-Lavalin affair. By strange coincidence, when the former parliamentary secretary announced that he would testify against his own Liberal government, the charges were dropped.If that is not interference, then what is it?
Mr. Speaker, the question of political interference was raised a number of times by the director herself, yesterday. I just read her comments into the record.What I can say about the investigation and the legal process is that the government fulfilled all its obligations. All the documents from the individuals identified by the defence were submitted to the court. All told, over 8,000 documents involving seven organizations were submitted. As far as the status of the file is concerned, the judge even thanked departmental officials for their co-operation.
Mr. Speaker, gas prices in British Columbia are sky-high, and residents in my riding do not have the option of walking across the border with jerry cans, which is what is currently happening.Yesterday, the Liberals doubled down and voted against eliminating the carbon tax and for keeping prices at the gas pumps high. Now that they have rejected our plan, what is their plan to make gas prices more affordable for Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I will emphasize three key points.First, the decision to investigate was made by the RCMP. Second, the decision to lay a charge was made by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Third, the decision to withdraw the charge was also taken by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.It is also important to note what the director of public prosecutions said in her own words, which is, and I quote:No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political
Mr. Speaker, one thing we do know is that former minister Scott Brison stepped down because he did not want to have to answer questions about taking the contract for the Asterix away from the Davie shipyard and handing it over to his buddies.What is more, the Prime Minister implicated himself by going out of his way to prevent the disclosure of documents. If he really wanted to know the truth, he would have allowed Vice-Admiral Norman's defence team access to all the requested documents, even his own emails.Does the Prime Minister still believe there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, in different contexts, I have a lot respect for the member opposite for the advocacy he does for the men and women in uniform in the country. However, it is important to underscore that there are men and women in uniform, namely the RCMP, who took charge of the very investigation that the member is impugning. He is impugning the law enforcement officials and the independence of their work. Who the member should also listen to is not just from our side of the House, but the defence counsel for Admiral Normal who said The decision to stay this prosecution...was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the (Director of Public Prosecutions), unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be.
Mr. Speaker, the reach of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps goes far beyond brutalizing its own population. It goes far beyond interfering with its Middle East neighbours. It is also terrorizing Canadians, such as radio host Narges Ghaffari, by forcing family members in Iran to pass on the message of Stop your activism, so that, as the saying goes, no one gets hurt.A year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of our Conservative motion to list the IRGC as a terrorist group. When will the Liberals stop tolerating this murderous regime, take a stand for human rights and finally list the IRGC?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that a budget of $5.2 billion has been allocated for public transit in Quebec. He will be happy to hear that Quebec is getting the biggest chunk of this public transit budget per capita, not including the $1.8 billion from the green infrastructure fund. The Couillard government agreed to take the federal government's $800-million contribution from that fund, leaving $1 billion for the rest of Quebec.Furthermore, in the last budget, we used the federal gas tax to increase transfers to municipalities by $500 million. The margins are there. If Quebec's priorities have changed, the Legault government should say so.
Mr. Speaker, whether we are talking about Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's reputation or the workers at Davie shipyard in Quebec City, the Prime Minister's reprehensible behaviour on this file has had significant repercussions. The Liberal government is showing that it has no respect for the rule of law. Now we are hearing about allegations of witness tampering, not to mention the documents the government concealed.Will the Liberals finally allow Canadians to hear the truth and order a genuinely independent inquiry to get to the bottom of the Mark Norman affair?
Mr. Speaker, I hope we receive a more extensive answer than we did in the answer to the last question.Could the House leader for the government tell us what business we can expect for the remainder of this week and for next week?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister himself said that Mark Norman would end up in court, even before charges were laid. Clearly, this was a political attack on someone who was standing up for what is right. It is another example of the Prime Minister attacking someone who got in his way. When will the Prime Minister apologize and have Vice-Admiral Norman reinstated as vice-chief of the defence staff?
Mr. Speaker, I respect the member's service to this country, as we all respect Vice-Admiral Norman's.However, what I can underscore and perhaps elaborate for her is how the legal process works. The legal process conducts itself in an independent manner. When requests for documents are made, we identify the documents. Decisions as to what is redacted and what is covered by cabinet confidences are made independent of political actors, as they should be.Furthermore, we do not intervene in that judicial process, because we safeguard the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. That is the way the system is supposed to work, and that is something I would hope all members of this House would appreciate and protect.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, no other factors were considered in this case, and no influence was created. General Vance will be speaking with Vice-Admiral Norman at the appropriate time, and a discussion will be had as to the future.
Mr. Speaker, CTV News reported that the Liberal government is cutting a program that employs dozens with developmental disabilities.These workers are finding great meaning in their work at Library and Archives Canada. Our leader has pledged to restore the funding for this program.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and reverse this cold-hearted cut?
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and I believe you will find agreement for the following motion regarding the parliamentary internship programme, of which I am a proud former intern: That the House: a) recognize the fiftieth anniversary of the Parliamentary Internship Programme, founded in 1969 through a motion of this House, which operates on a non-partisan basis under the auspices of the Speaker, and is administered by the Canadian Political Science Association; b) congratulate the ten current interns, alumni, and staff of the Parliamentary Internship Programme; and c) reaffirm its support for this outstanding experience for young professionals to learn about and participate in Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I will set the record straight. It was our government that actually committed, extended the contract and paid these individuals up to minimum wage. It was the Conservative government that paid them $1.50 a day. It is only under the leadership of our government that they are being paid the wage they deserve. We are working tirelessly with this organization to find them work. I did not say these individuals were not operationally required. I said that the work they were doing is no longer necessary, so that is a very important distinction. I have absolute respect for these workers and their families, and we are doing right by them, I can assure all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Norman took a stand for the Royal Canadian Navy and against Scott Brison's political interference, the Prime Minister attacked him.We know that Vice-Admiral Norman always made good decisions that were in the national interest and that the Davie shipyard delivered the Asterix on time and on budget. As far as military procurements go, it was a resounding success.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about political influence. In the first Liberal cabinet meeting, Scott Brison interfered with a naval shipbuilding contract, and that action leaked out. The Prime Minister had the leak investigated and the Privy Council Office identified 73 people who were aware of the leak. My question is simple. How many of the 73 names did the Prime Minister or the PCO give to the RCMP to investigate?
Mr. Speaker, the Criminal Code listing regime is an important tool for countering terrorism and is part of the government's commitment to keep Canadians safe.The update to the listings is an important step to fight terrorism globally and ensure that Canada remains a safe and peaceful country. There is a prescribed step-by-step process. New entities are added once it has been determined that they meet the legal threshold.
Mr. Speaker, as the Public Prosecution Service of Canada confirmed, every decision was made completely independently. Based on this decision, the deputy minister has revised the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's original request to have the legal fees paid for. I have agreed with this advice and have authorized it.
Mr. Speaker, HIV patients in Saskatchewan are not receiving treatment with free, readily available antiretroviral drugs that will save their lives and prevent transmission of the virus. This is in direct violation of the Canada Health Act. Meanwhile, many young people with HIV in my province are dying, and Saskatchewan has the highest HIV diagnosis rate in the country. Why will the Liberal government not enforce the Canada Health Act and ensure that HIV patients in Saskatchewan have the same access to treatment and care as other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country are struggling to find a place to call home. We are in the midst of a national housing crisis. I met a woman who lived in co-op housing and she told me that living in co-op housing meant she was able to build a life, she was able to raise her three kids. Why can the government not understand that we need to build new homes, affordable, non-market, non-profit and co-operative. Will the government adopt our plan to build half a million new affordable homes across the country?
Mr. Speaker, Quebec's culture and communications minister wrote to our Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism to share his concerns about the crisis at Telefilm Canada.As a side note, I hope that the minister will allow the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to support my motion today to call Telefilm Canada before the committee.Since last week, CTVM.info and all major media outlets have been reporting about how much the cultural community needs a strong, tuned-in Telefilm Canada. The Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism promised to act this week.It is already Thursday, so does he have some good news to announce about our cultural scene, for once?
Mr. Speaker, is it true that the first decision of the Prime Minister and cabinet was to seek to cancel the Asterix contract, hurt Davie and eliminate 1,000 jobs in the Quebec City region? That was this cabinet's first decision.They also refused to hand over thousands of pages of documents that were requested by Norman's defence team. The documents that were received recently were redacted. They did not want to provide these document before because they knew full well that the charges would be dropped. They did not want to question important witnesses and it was the Prime Minister himself who asked the RCMP to investigate.Why are they trying to convince Canadians that there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about what we have done to make life more affordable. We have increased taxes on the 1% so we can reduce them on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely clear that the Liberals have no plan to make gas more affordable. The Prime Minister himself said that the carbon tax being high is what he wanted to change behaviour. Well, changing the behaviour of cancer patients who have to drive to their treatment is not acceptable. There are many, many impacts for everyday Canadians that the Liberals do not seem to understand.We have a plan to make life more affordable, eliminating the carbon tax and getting Trans Mountain built. Why will the Liberals not just admit that they do not care about the price of gas in British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, women, and women alone, should be the ones making decisions about their own bodies. That is why we stood up for safe access to abortion at home and abroad, from supporting groups like Planned Parenthood to increasing access to Plan B and Mifegymiso. It should concern all Canadians that the Leader of the Opposition only won the Conservative leadership thanks to the same anti-choice activists protesting today. Unlike the Conservatives
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to answer this question because not only do we have a plan to give every Canadian a safe and affordable place to have a home, but we also have put that plan into place since 2015. In November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, which will give half a million Canadian families a safe and affordable home in the years to come. We know we have a lot more to come, but we are well beyond planning for the future.
Mr. Speaker, from Burnaby to Montreal, adequate and affordable housing should be a right, but it is increasingly out of reach for too many families.After three years of Liberal inaction, Canadians are spending more and more to meet their basic housing needs. We have to make different choices to get different results.Why do the Liberals refuse to adopt our plan to immediately build 500,000 quality affordable housing units?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's agriculture and agri-food industry contributes over $110 billion annually to the Canadian economy, yet the Liberal government seems perfectly content to let countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Vietnam and now China get away with taking unwarranted trade actions against this vital sector of our economy. Canola farmers are the most recent victims of the Liberal government's bungling with our global partners. When will the Prime Minister resolve the canola issue with China?
Mr. Speaker, anti-choice activists are rallying on Parliament Hill today. What is worrisome is that some Conservative members are joining them, trying to control women's decisions over their bodies.We know that members of the Conservative Party do not believe that safe access to abortion services is a right, because they said so in the House last year. In the face of these threats to women's health, could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health tell the House where the government stands on women's right to choose?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about how we have made life more affordable for Canadians. We reduced taxes on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit, which has raised 300,000 children out of poverty. Yes, we are making it no longer free to pollute, but we are giving the money back to Canadians, so that a family of four in Ontario will receive $307, which is more than most families will pay. We need to take action on climate change. We need to grow our economy. We need to do it in an affordable way. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, our government is deeply committed to addressing HIV and AIDS. We are investing $87 million annually to tackle HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne illnesses. If there is an issue in the province of Saskatchewan, as the member has indicated, I would be happy to have her come forward and speak to me, and I will take it forward to Health Canada.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that living with a disability can have a major impact on the daily lives of those affected and their loved ones. That is why we put in place measures to make the disability tax credit more accessible, especially by simplifying the form and allowing nurse practitioners to certify their patients' forms.The government reinstated the disability advisory committee, which was dismantled by the Conservatives in 2006, in order to give people with disabilities a strong voice in their dealings with the agency. We look forward to the committee's recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, last week was a good week for Canadian canola farmers. The federal government, working with provincial governments, stakeholders and farmers, announced a support package for farmers, while recommitting our efforts to resolve the trade dispute with China. We continue to call on China to resolve this issue based on scientific evidence. On top of that, the Minister of International Trade Diversification is leading delegations around the world to promote the best-quality canola in the world.
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will complete debate at third reading of Bill C-91, the indigenous languages act. Tomorrow we will begin debate on the Senate amendments to bill C-55, an act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act.Next week the government will be proposing a motion to debate the rising climate emergency across Canada.At noon on Monday, we will resume debate on Bill C-55.On Tuesday, we will move on to Bill S-6, the CanadaMadagascar tax convention implementation act, 2018.Wednesday shall be an allotted day.Finally, pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), I would like to designate Tuesday, May 14, for consideration in committee of the whole of the main estimates for the Department of Justice.In closing, mothers who provide love and guidance are present in our lives in many forms. I am thankful to the mother figures in my life. On behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada, and I am sure all members in this House, I wish all mothers a happy Mother's Day.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that the government remains absolutely committed to undertaking all measures that are effective in keeping Canadians safe. As I believe every member of the House would agree, there is no greater responsibility for any order of government than the safety of its citizens and the protection of its kids, and we are prepared to consider whatever measures would be effective in this regard.
Mr. Speaker, the member for Ottawa WestNepean is absolutely correct. Our government stood firm for a good deal, and we got a good deal. We did this despite the fact that the Conservatives and the Leader of the Opposition were advocating for capitulation and to accept any deal at any cost. Yesterday, after months of criticizing the new NAFTA, the opposition leader promised to ratify it. He admits it is a good deal. He is clearly on board with our leadership.
Mr. Speaker, again, with respect to the court order to produce documents, here are the facts. The Government of Canada met all its obligations with respect to third party record applications. All documents from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February were, in fact, provided to the court. In total, over 8,000 documents on behalf of the seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process.It is important to acknowledge that on this matter both the judge and the Crown thanked departmental officials for their excellent co-operation in this process.
Mr. Speaker, Canadian businesses and consumers know how important the U.S. market is for the Canadian economy. That is why it was so important to negotiate a good new NAFTA deal.However, the Conservatives have repeatedly changed their tune about NAFTA. During the negotiations, they urged us to capitulate to U.S. demands to reduce our access, then criticized the good deal that we got. Now they are reversing themselves again. Can the minister tell this House why the new NAFTA is such a significant achievement?
Mr. Speaker, I commend the member for Brampton South for her advocacy on this topic.We are working with our partners in business and academia in order to strengthen Canada's cybersecurity and to become a world leader in the field. We have invested $895 million to fund our new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure that our cyber-systems are secure and resilient, to encourage innovation and to support effective leadership and collaboration between government and all our partners.Our government will be introducing legislation to create a Canadian framework for cybersecurity across all sectors.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we are not letting these people go. We are looking for meaningful work for them. They are exceptionally gifted employees. We are not in the business of paying people a dollar a day. I misspoke in my previous response. I meant to say a dollar a day. Our government pays its employees fairly. It is important to remember that we have been working with this organization for a year and we will find good jobs for these people.
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking unprecedented actions to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in our economy, including inclusive work opportunities. With respect to this program, we have been working for a year with this organization. We have extended their contract. We are making sure that they have meaningful work so they can contribute to our government's operations.We are not in the business of paying people a dollar an hour to do work, as the Conservatives were.
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to be able to repeat my answer. Since 2015, the Liberal Government of Canada has been proud of its work to make the Canadian government a leader and partner on housing again. This leadership had been lacking for far too long.In November 2017 we launched a national housing strategy that will free half a million Canadian families from living in unacceptable housing conditions all across Canada, far beyond Burnaby and Montreal. We are proud of this plan and we are now very proud to be implementing it.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have an opportunity to answer this question.Everyone is clear on the fact that the federal government allocated $1.2 to the project from the start. It did so in June 2018 when the Philippe Couillard government told Mr. Labeaume that Quebec could be ambitious and build a comprehensive transportation system with a $3.3-billion envelope. He knew perfectly well where those federal funds were coming from. Those funds were available in 2018 and they remain available today.As a proud citizen of Quebec City, I truly hope that Mr. Legault's government will make the Quebec City tramway a priority, as it should.
Mr. Speaker, information technology has revolutionized our lives, but cybersecurity has emerged as an issue that comes with challenges and great opportunities for growth.I would like to know what actions our government is taking to aid cybersecurity initiatives.
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Mr. Speaker, information technology has revolutionized our lives, but cybersecurity has emerged as an issue that comes with challenges and great opportunities for growth.I would like to know what actions our government is taking to aid cybersecurity initiatives.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have an opportunity to answer this question.Everyone is clear on the fact that the federal government allocated $1.2 to the project from the start. It did so in June 2018 when the Philippe Couillard government told Mr. Labeaume that Quebec could be ambitious and build a comprehensive transportation system with a $3.3-billion envelope. He knew perfectly well where those federal funds were coming from. Those funds were available in 2018 and they remain available today.As a proud citizen of Quebec City, I truly hope that Mr. Legault's government will make the Quebec City tramway a priority, as it should.
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to be able to repeat my answer. Since 2015, the Liberal Government of Canada has been proud of its work to make the Canadian government a leader and partner on housing again. This leadership had been lacking for far too long.In November 2017 we launched a national housing strategy that will free half a million Canadian families from living in unacceptable housing conditions all across Canada, far beyond Burnaby and Montreal. We are proud of this plan and we are now very proud to be implementing it.
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking unprecedented actions to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in our economy, including inclusive work opportunities. With respect to this program, we have been working for a year with this organization. We have extended their contract. We are making sure that they have meaningful work so they can contribute to our government's operations.We are not in the business of paying people a dollar an hour to do work, as the Conservatives were.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we are not letting these people go. We are looking for meaningful work for them. They are exceptionally gifted employees. We are not in the business of paying people a dollar a day. I misspoke in my previous response. I meant to say a dollar a day. Our government pays its employees fairly. It is important to remember that we have been working with this organization for a year and we will find good jobs for these people.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the member for Brampton South for her advocacy on this topic.We are working with our partners in business and academia in order to strengthen Canada's cybersecurity and to become a world leader in the field. We have invested $895 million to fund our new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure that our cyber-systems are secure and resilient, to encourage innovation and to support effective leadership and collaboration between government and all our partners.Our government will be introducing legislation to create a Canadian framework for cybersecurity across all sectors.
Mr. Speaker, Canadian businesses and consumers know how important the U.S. market is for the Canadian economy. That is why it was so important to negotiate a good new NAFTA deal.However, the Conservatives have repeatedly changed their tune about NAFTA. During the negotiations, they urged us to capitulate to U.S. demands to reduce our access, then criticized the good deal that we got. Now they are reversing themselves again. Can the minister tell this House why the new NAFTA is such a significant achievement?
Mr. Speaker, again, with respect to the court order to produce documents, here are the facts. The Government of Canada met all its obligations with respect to third party record applications. All documents from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February were, in fact, provided to the court. In total, over 8,000 documents on behalf of the seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process.It is important to acknowledge that on this matter both the judge and the Crown thanked departmental officials for their excellent co-operation in this process.
Mr. Speaker, the member for Ottawa WestNepean is absolutely correct. Our government stood firm for a good deal, and we got a good deal. We did this despite the fact that the Conservatives and the Leader of the Opposition were advocating for capitulation and to accept any deal at any cost. Yesterday, after months of criticizing the new NAFTA, the opposition leader promised to ratify it. He admits it is a good deal. He is clearly on board with our leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that the government remains absolutely committed to undertaking all measures that are effective in keeping Canadians safe. As I believe every member of the House would agree, there is no greater responsibility for any order of government than the safety of its citizens and the protection of its kids, and we are prepared to consider whatever measures would be effective in this regard.
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will complete debate at third reading of Bill C-91, the indigenous languages act. Tomorrow we will begin debate on the Senate amendments to bill C-55, an act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act.Next week the government will be proposing a motion to debate the rising climate emergency across Canada.At noon on Monday, we will resume debate on Bill C-55.On Tuesday, we will move on to Bill S-6, the CanadaMadagascar tax convention implementation act, 2018.Wednesday shall be an allotted day.Finally, pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), I would like to designate Tuesday, May 14, for consideration in committee of the whole of the main estimates for the Department of Justice.In closing, mothers who provide love and guidance are present in our lives in many forms. I am thankful to the mother figures in my life. On behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada, and I am sure all members in this House, I wish all mothers a happy Mother's Day.
Mr. Speaker, last week was a good week for Canadian canola farmers. The federal government, working with provincial governments, stakeholders and farmers, announced a support package for farmers, while recommitting our efforts to resolve the trade dispute with China. We continue to call on China to resolve this issue based on scientific evidence. On top of that, the Minister of International Trade Diversification is leading delegations around the world to promote the best-quality canola in the world.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that living with a disability can have a major impact on the daily lives of those affected and their loved ones. That is why we put in place measures to make the disability tax credit more accessible, especially by simplifying the form and allowing nurse practitioners to certify their patients' forms.The government reinstated the disability advisory committee, which was dismantled by the Conservatives in 2006, in order to give people with disabilities a strong voice in their dealings with the agency. We look forward to the committee's recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, our government is deeply committed to addressing HIV and AIDS. We are investing $87 million annually to tackle HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne illnesses. If there is an issue in the province of Saskatchewan, as the member has indicated, I would be happy to have her come forward and speak to me, and I will take it forward to Health Canada.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about how we have made life more affordable for Canadians. We reduced taxes on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit, which has raised 300,000 children out of poverty. Yes, we are making it no longer free to pollute, but we are giving the money back to Canadians, so that a family of four in Ontario will receive $307, which is more than most families will pay. We need to take action on climate change. We need to grow our economy. We need to do it in an affordable way. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, anti-choice activists are rallying on Parliament Hill today. What is worrisome is that some Conservative members are joining them, trying to control women's decisions over their bodies.We know that members of the Conservative Party do not believe that safe access to abortion services is a right, because they said so in the House last year. In the face of these threats to women's health, could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health tell the House where the government stands on women's right to choose?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's agriculture and agri-food industry contributes over $110 billion annually to the Canadian economy, yet the Liberal government seems perfectly content to let countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Vietnam and now China get away with taking unwarranted trade actions against this vital sector of our economy. Canola farmers are the most recent victims of the Liberal government's bungling with our global partners. When will the Prime Minister resolve the canola issue with China?
Mr. Speaker, from Burnaby to Montreal, adequate and affordable housing should be a right, but it is increasingly out of reach for too many families.After three years of Liberal inaction, Canadians are spending more and more to meet their basic housing needs. We have to make different choices to get different results.Why do the Liberals refuse to adopt our plan to immediately build 500,000 quality affordable housing units?
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to answer this question because not only do we have a plan to give every Canadian a safe and affordable place to have a home, but we also have put that plan into place since 2015. In November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, which will give half a million Canadian families a safe and affordable home in the years to come. We know we have a lot more to come, but we are well beyond planning for the future.
Mr. Speaker, women, and women alone, should be the ones making decisions about their own bodies. That is why we stood up for safe access to abortion at home and abroad, from supporting groups like Planned Parenthood to increasing access to Plan B and Mifegymiso. It should concern all Canadians that the Leader of the Opposition only won the Conservative leadership thanks to the same anti-choice activists protesting today. Unlike the Conservatives
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely clear that the Liberals have no plan to make gas more affordable. The Prime Minister himself said that the carbon tax being high is what he wanted to change behaviour. Well, changing the behaviour of cancer patients who have to drive to their treatment is not acceptable. There are many, many impacts for everyday Canadians that the Liberals do not seem to understand.We have a plan to make life more affordable, eliminating the carbon tax and getting Trans Mountain built. Why will the Liberals not just admit that they do not care about the price of gas in British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about what we have done to make life more affordable. We have increased taxes on the 1% so we can reduce them on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit
Mr. Speaker, is it true that the first decision of the Prime Minister and cabinet was to seek to cancel the Asterix contract, hurt Davie and eliminate 1,000 jobs in the Quebec City region? That was this cabinet's first decision.They also refused to hand over thousands of pages of documents that were requested by Norman's defence team. The documents that were received recently were redacted. They did not want to provide these document before because they knew full well that the charges would be dropped. They did not want to question important witnesses and it was the Prime Minister himself who asked the RCMP to investigate.Why are they trying to convince Canadians that there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, Quebec's culture and communications minister wrote to our Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism to share his concerns about the crisis at Telefilm Canada.As a side note, I hope that the minister will allow the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to support my motion today to call Telefilm Canada before the committee.Since last week, CTVM.info and all major media outlets have been reporting about how much the cultural community needs a strong, tuned-in Telefilm Canada. The Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism promised to act this week.It is already Thursday, so does he have some good news to announce about our cultural scene, for once?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country are struggling to find a place to call home. We are in the midst of a national housing crisis. I met a woman who lived in co-op housing and she told me that living in co-op housing meant she was able to build a life, she was able to raise her three kids. Why can the government not understand that we need to build new homes, affordable, non-market, non-profit and co-operative. Will the government adopt our plan to build half a million new affordable homes across the country?
Mr. Speaker, HIV patients in Saskatchewan are not receiving treatment with free, readily available antiretroviral drugs that will save their lives and prevent transmission of the virus. This is in direct violation of the Canada Health Act. Meanwhile, many young people with HIV in my province are dying, and Saskatchewan has the highest HIV diagnosis rate in the country. Why will the Liberal government not enforce the Canada Health Act and ensure that HIV patients in Saskatchewan have the same access to treatment and care as other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, as the Public Prosecution Service of Canada confirmed, every decision was made completely independently. Based on this decision, the deputy minister has revised the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's original request to have the legal fees paid for. I have agreed with this advice and have authorized it.
Mr. Speaker, the Criminal Code listing regime is an important tool for countering terrorism and is part of the government's commitment to keep Canadians safe.The update to the listings is an important step to fight terrorism globally and ensure that Canada remains a safe and peaceful country. There is a prescribed step-by-step process. New entities are added once it has been determined that they meet the legal threshold.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about political influence. In the first Liberal cabinet meeting, Scott Brison interfered with a naval shipbuilding contract, and that action leaked out. The Prime Minister had the leak investigated and the Privy Council Office identified 73 people who were aware of the leak. My question is simple. How many of the 73 names did the Prime Minister or the PCO give to the RCMP to investigate?
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Norman took a stand for the Royal Canadian Navy and against Scott Brison's political interference, the Prime Minister attacked him.We know that Vice-Admiral Norman always made good decisions that were in the national interest and that the Davie shipyard delivered the Asterix on time and on budget. As far as military procurements go, it was a resounding success.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I will set the record straight. It was our government that actually committed, extended the contract and paid these individuals up to minimum wage. It was the Conservative government that paid them $1.50 a day. It is only under the leadership of our government that they are being paid the wage they deserve. We are working tirelessly with this organization to find them work. I did not say these individuals were not operationally required. I said that the work they were doing is no longer necessary, so that is a very important distinction. I have absolute respect for these workers and their families, and we are doing right by them, I can assure all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and I believe you will find agreement for the following motion regarding the parliamentary internship programme, of which I am a proud former intern: That the House: a) recognize the fiftieth anniversary of the Parliamentary Internship Programme, founded in 1969 through a motion of this House, which operates on a non-partisan basis under the auspices of the Speaker, and is administered by the Canadian Political Science Association; b) congratulate the ten current interns, alumni, and staff of the Parliamentary Internship Programme; and c) reaffirm its support for this outstanding experience for young professionals to learn about and participate in Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, CTV News reported that the Liberal government is cutting a program that employs dozens with developmental disabilities.These workers are finding great meaning in their work at Library and Archives Canada. Our leader has pledged to restore the funding for this program.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and reverse this cold-hearted cut?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, no other factors were considered in this case, and no influence was created. General Vance will be speaking with Vice-Admiral Norman at the appropriate time, and a discussion will be had as to the future.
Mr. Speaker, I respect the member's service to this country, as we all respect Vice-Admiral Norman's.However, what I can underscore and perhaps elaborate for her is how the legal process works. The legal process conducts itself in an independent manner. When requests for documents are made, we identify the documents. Decisions as to what is redacted and what is covered by cabinet confidences are made independent of political actors, as they should be.Furthermore, we do not intervene in that judicial process, because we safeguard the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. That is the way the system is supposed to work, and that is something I would hope all members of this House would appreciate and protect.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister himself said that Mark Norman would end up in court, even before charges were laid. Clearly, this was a political attack on someone who was standing up for what is right. It is another example of the Prime Minister attacking someone who got in his way. When will the Prime Minister apologize and have Vice-Admiral Norman reinstated as vice-chief of the defence staff?
Mr. Speaker, whether we are talking about Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's reputation or the workers at Davie shipyard in Quebec City, the Prime Minister's reprehensible behaviour on this file has had significant repercussions. The Liberal government is showing that it has no respect for the rule of law. Now we are hearing about allegations of witness tampering, not to mention the documents the government concealed.Will the Liberals finally allow Canadians to hear the truth and order a genuinely independent inquiry to get to the bottom of the Mark Norman affair?
Mr. Speaker, I hope we receive a more extensive answer than we did in the answer to the last question.Could the House leader for the government tell us what business we can expect for the remainder of this week and for next week?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that a budget of $5.2 billion has been allocated for public transit in Quebec. He will be happy to hear that Quebec is getting the biggest chunk of this public transit budget per capita, not including the $1.8 billion from the green infrastructure fund. The Couillard government agreed to take the federal government's $800-million contribution from that fund, leaving $1 billion for the rest of Quebec.Furthermore, in the last budget, we used the federal gas tax to increase transfers to municipalities by $500 million. The margins are there. If Quebec's priorities have changed, the Legault government should say so.
Mr. Speaker, the reach of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps goes far beyond brutalizing its own population. It goes far beyond interfering with its Middle East neighbours. It is also terrorizing Canadians, such as radio host Narges Ghaffari, by forcing family members in Iran to pass on the message of Stop your activism, so that, as the saying goes, no one gets hurt.A year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of our Conservative motion to list the IRGC as a terrorist group. When will the Liberals stop tolerating this murderous regime, take a stand for human rights and finally list the IRGC?
Mr. Speaker, in different contexts, I have a lot respect for the member opposite for the advocacy he does for the men and women in uniform in the country. However, it is important to underscore that there are men and women in uniform, namely the RCMP, who took charge of the very investigation that the member is impugning. He is impugning the law enforcement officials and the independence of their work. Who the member should also listen to is not just from our side of the House, but the defence counsel for Admiral Normal who said The decision to stay this prosecution...was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the (Director of Public Prosecutions), unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be.
Mr. Speaker, one thing we do know is that former minister Scott Brison stepped down because he did not want to have to answer questions about taking the contract for the Asterix away from the Davie shipyard and handing it over to his buddies.What is more, the Prime Minister implicated himself by going out of his way to prevent the disclosure of documents. If he really wanted to know the truth, he would have allowed Vice-Admiral Norman's defence team access to all the requested documents, even his own emails.Does the Prime Minister still believe there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I will emphasize three key points.First, the decision to investigate was made by the RCMP. Second, the decision to lay a charge was made by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Third, the decision to withdraw the charge was also taken by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.It is also important to note what the director of public prosecutions said in her own words, which is, and I quote:No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political
Mr. Speaker, gas prices in British Columbia are sky-high, and residents in my riding do not have the option of walking across the border with jerry cans, which is what is currently happening.Yesterday, the Liberals doubled down and voted against eliminating the carbon tax and for keeping prices at the gas pumps high. Now that they have rejected our plan, what is their plan to make gas prices more affordable for Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the question of political interference was raised a number of times by the director herself, yesterday. I just read her comments into the record.What I can say about the investigation and the legal process is that the government fulfilled all its obligations. All the documents from the individuals identified by the defence were submitted to the court. All told, over 8,000 documents involving seven organizations were submitted. As far as the status of the file is concerned, the judge even thanked departmental officials for their co-operation.
Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister did everything he could to stop the Davie shipyard. He tried to destroy the reputation of Vice-Admiral Norman, who stood up to this interference. The Prime Minister does not like anyone to oppose him, which is exactly what the former attorney general did in the SNC-Lavalin affair. By strange coincidence, when the former parliamentary secretary announced that he would testify against his own Liberal government, the charges were dropped.If that is not interference, then what is it?
Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's lawyer said, No person should walk into a courtroom fighting their elected government or any sort of political factors. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened in the Mark Norman trial. The Prime Minister interfered in the judicial process. He withheld documents from the defence. The Liberals denied Mark Norman access to his own emails.Why did the Prime Minister so clearly have his finger on the scales of justice in the Mark Norman case?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve better than innuendo. Therefore, I would remind the member opposite that when legal matters are to be investigated, they are investigated independently by the RCMP. Any decision with respect to laying of charges is made independently by the director of public prosecutions. As the director of public prosecutions made crystal clear yesterday, there was no contact to any member of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in the determination of these decisions and there was no influence by the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, experts are calling out the Liberals' failure to address the housing crisis and their attempts to mislead Canadians.They revealed that the percentage of federal spending on housing is at a historic low and that funding for social housing remains stagnant. They have exposed how the Liberals inflate their numbers by treating existing programs as new ones, counting hypothetical money and representing provincial spending as their own. They say the Liberals are not serious about housing and are taking baby steps.Why is the government deceiving Canadians and refusing to act on affordable housing?
Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis of affordability in this country, and it is the fault of the government. Canadians are being crushed by high fuel prices because of the carbon tax and the Liberals' hostility to pipelines. We put forward a common-sense motion this week that would help people afford to get to work and to school. The government voted against it: absolutely shameful. When will the Liberals admit their carbon tax is nothing but a cash grab, and stand with Canadians for a change?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer this question.We believe that every Canadian should have a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why, since 2015, we have invested $7.5 billion, additional dollars, helping one million families. That is why in November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, a $40-billion strategy. Sorry, it is a $55-billion strategy, because of the April 2019 budget. That is going to lift half a million Canadian families out of housing conditions that are not acceptable in 2019.
Mr. Speaker, key members of the Trois-Rivières business community are getting behind a promising project at the airport. The City just invested in the construction of a new terminal, and the federal government is also expected to contribute soon.Meanwhile, the Liberal government snuck a measure on the privatization of security services at Canadian airports into the most recent budget. Are the people of Trois-Rivières and its business community right in thinking that this privatization could facilitate the implementation of security measures and the designation of their airport?
Mr. Speaker, once again, none of that is actually true. Let me be clear that all procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are totally independent of the Government of Canada. The entire structure of their work is designed to keep them independent. Decisions that are made are made on the basis of proper legal considerations and the evidence. All of those considerations are weighed carefully in court before a judge. The matter was entirely without political influence, and that is exactly what the director of public prosecutions averred yesterday.
Mr. Speaker, I am told on good authority that the Prime Minister has a secret plan to ban legal firearms. Apparently this plan is to be executed by cabinet directive, with no debate in Parliament. The Prime Minister plans to announce this gun ban at the Women Deliver conference to be held in early June in Vancouver, which New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern will also attend.Could the Prime Minister confirm or deny this zero-accountability secret plan?
Mr. Speaker, the party opposite voted for the Paris Agreement and for standing up and taking action on climate change. What are those members doing now? They are lying to Canadians. They are not saying to Canadians that
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals do not have an environment plan. They only have a tax plan. That is because the millionaire Prime Minister has never had to worry about money, and it shows. The Liberals' carbon tax has increased the price of everything. Their new fuel standard will further hike the cost of gas and diesel, and their cancellation of northern gateway and delays on the Trans Mountain expansion have helped drive prices to all-time highs in B.C.The Prime Minister actually says that making everything more expensive for everyone is exactly what we want. Well, the Liberals do, but Canadians do not.How could the Liberals actually vote against the Conservative motion to stop increasing the price of gas?
Mr. Speaker, we have been working on this issue for the past month. Directors, producers and creators can count on us. As the minister said last week, we will have concrete solutions to announce this week. It is not about scoring political points; it is about ensuring that movies in French can be produced this year. Why is the member trying to politicize that? We are used to the Conservatives turning their back on our culture, but why is the NDP only talking about this important issue now?
Mr. Speaker, clearly the Prime Minister does not like it when people of honour stand up to him.He tried to interfere in a shipbuilding contract, but Vice-Admiral Norman protected the navy and the delivery of the ship it needed. When the Prime Minister did not get his way, he began a politically motivated campaign against Vice-Admiral Norman. He instructed the RCMP to investigate and told the public that Norman would be charged and end up at trial.When will the Prime Minister realize that he cannot use the power of his office to attack those he views as his enemies?
Mr. Speaker, I apologize for that. The party opposite is misleading Canadians. Instead of actually talking about the cost of climate change to Canadians, which has gone from $400 million to over $2 billion per year that everyone is paying for right now, instead of talking about the money that Canadians are getting back, with a family of four in Ontario getting a climate action incentive rebate of $307, Conservatives are misleading them because Conservatives do not want to take serious climate action. They do not believe that climate change is the problem. They want to do
Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate what the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said, that every decision was made independently.I want to quote from the statement that was released. It states: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. General Vance, the chief of the defence staff, will be meeting with Vice-Admiral Norman, and then we will be talking about the next steps.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the only ones who do not see any interference in this matter. The truth is that the Liberals did not want the contract to go to Davie, so they tried to destroy the career of Vice-Admiral Norman, a man of absolute integrity.This Prime Minister refused to hand over the evidence to Vice-Admiral Norman, and yesterday his lawyer said that the Prime Minister's Office was even counselling witnesses.If that is not political interference, then what is?
Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. The government met all of its obligations with respect to third-party record applications. As I have said, all documents from priority individuals as identified by the defence in February were in fact provided to the court. Over 8,000 documents on behalf of seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process. The government met its obligations, and the public prosecutor has indicated that there was no inappropriate contact or influence on her decision-making.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is a lawyer and shares the same profession as me. Therefore, he should know that when we investigate a charge, that is done by law enforcement, and in this case the RCMP. He should know that when we lay a charge that it is sent by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, an entity that his party created while in power. Finally, he should know that when a decision is made to withdraw a charge or stay it, that is also done by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. All of those entities, and all of those steps were taken independently, as they should be in the country.
Mr. Speaker, those independent organizations can only make informed decisions if they have the documents to read them.The Prime Minister thinks he is above the law, and it is time to restore Canadians' confidence in the highest office in the land. We know that he politically interfered by refusing to turn over critical documents to Mark Norman's lawyers. He interfered by refusing to waive cabinet confidence. He interfered by counselling key witnesses on what to say.Everyone knows this is political interference. When will the Prime Minister admit it?
Mr. Speaker, what I can say in response to that question is that the investigation was handled by the RCMP.The decision to prosecute was made by the director herself. The decision to stay the charges was made by the director herself. I want to highlight the comments of Mr. Norman's counsel once again. She said: The decision to stay this prosecution was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the DPP, unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be. She further underscored that that is in fact how things are supposed to work. I agree with her assessment.
Mr. Speaker, nobody on this side is impugning the motives of the RCMP or the director of public prosecutions; what we are impugning is the motives of a government that interfered in this case when the Prime Minister said, before charges were laid, that it was going to go to court, which hired the reporter who reported on Scott Brison's pork-barrelling, and which has been accused of having told witnesses what to say. That is what we are trying to get to the bottom of. Instead of trying to defend the director of public prosecutions with its discredited word, it should launch an independent investigation to show that nothing happened. When are we going to have
Mr. Speaker, I can assure Canadians that we are putting forward measures to improve the air passenger experience. We have provided funding to address increasing passenger volumes at our airports and to decrease passenger wait times. Our government is committed to maintaining the highest levels of security for the travelling public while improving the passenger experience. Any decision that is made on CATSA privatization will take those into account.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Norman's trial has been a disaster from the beginning. Once again, there are serious allegations of interference by the Prime Minister's Office.The NDP has asked the director of public prosecutions to exercise her right to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate these allegations. We need to restore public trust. Will the Liberals co-operate with the director of public prosecutions so we can get to the bottom of this?
Mr. Speaker, why does the party opposite not care about climate change? Climate change is real. It is having an impact. In British Columbia, there were forest fires that were burning stronger and longer than ever before. There were mothers who were talking to me about being worried about their kids going outside because the air quality index was 10 or dangerous. There were people who were being hit in the tourism industry, because people were worried about the forest fires and the impacts. We need to take action on climate change. There is a real cost. The environment and the economy do go together in the 21st century. I wish the party opposite would understand that.
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, it is a little offensive to hear the member opposite impugn the integrity of the RCMP in the independent conduct of its investigations and also to impugn the integrity of the Public Prosecution Service, which has made crystal clear that at no time was there any contact or influence from the government and that all decisions with respect to initiating the prosecution or staying it were made independent of the government.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are clearly avoiding the question. Yesterday we learned crucial information was not just hidden from Vice-Admiral Norman's lawyers, it was even hidden from the prosecution. His lawyer said that the Privy Council and the Prime Minister's Office withheld information, but she did not know why. The only people who can answer why are sitting on the Liberal benches.Why did the Liberals hide vital information from the prosecution, the defence and from the rest of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I quite frankly find it offensive when a member in the House rises and impugns the integrity and reputation of the RCMP and the director of public prosecutions by suggesting they would ever conduct their business in any way that was less than independent.If the member opposite perhaps did not hear, the director of public prosecutions yesterday repeated that there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC either in the initial decision to prosecute or in the subsequent decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. We have not put a price on pollution in B.C., because B.C. has stepped up. B.C.'s gas price has gone up by one cent because of its carbon price.The party opposite does not seem to understand that everyone is paying the cost of climate change. In Ottawa, in the national capital region, we have seen massive flooding that is impacting people's lives and people's property. It is just going to get worse. Our climate change report says that Canada is warming at twice the global average.We need to take action on climate change. Why will the party opposite not join us?
Mr. Speaker, the minister played no role in the decision to stay proceedings. He was not aware of the decision made by the director of public prosecutions in this case. The PPSC acts independently, but in this case, it is acting on behalf of the Attorney General of Ontario, which, under the Criminal Code, is responsible for overseeing the case.Yesterday, the director of public prosecutions said there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC on either the initial decision or the decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, it is quite unfortunate that it has come to this. In the last four months we have had two occasions when the director of public prosecutions has felt it incumbent upon herself to issue public statements about non-interference. The first was in February, when she talked about comments that related to a different matter that was being elaborated on in this House. The second was yesterday. The fact that she feels compelled to issue these kinds of statements, declaring in the loudest voice possible that no influence occurred, is actually a function of the type of question we are facing in this House. I think it is a sad state of affairs, because independence is important.
Mr. Speaker, as that member should know, the Prime Minister asked for an investigation of the leak. Seventy-three names were found to have known about the leak, but only one name was handed to the RCMP, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Without that investigation, he would not have been relieved of command. Without that direction from the Prime Minister's Office, he would not have lost his job, his reputation or have spent two years fighting for the vindication he had yesterday. Will the member stand in the House and apologize to Vice-Admiral Mark Norman?
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, almost everything the member opposite just said is not correct. In fact, as the director of public prosecutions stated yesterday, there was no contact or influence from outside the Public Prosecution Service either in the initial decision with respect to the laying of this charge or the decision to stay the charge.The member opposite should know that all of the procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and the RCMP are totally independent of the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, let us hear what the actual director had to say: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. The reason the Minister of Border Security was so appalled by this line of questioning is that members should not impugn the integrity of the people who are leading the judicial system or who are independent officials. Second, members should not impugn the integrity of people who do not have a chance to stand up in this House and defend themselves. I will do it for them. The director of public prosecutions operated independently at all times.
Mr. Speaker, it has gotten to the point where Premier Legault has to think about scaling down and delaying the Quebec City tramway project because the federal government is not pulling its weight. The project is $800 million short. The money is there, but the government refuses to hand it over to Quebec without conditions. This problem could be solved tomorrow morning.Will Ottawa get out of the way, let Quebec manage funds from the integrated bilateral agreement based on its needs and contribute fully to the Quebec City tramway?
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Mark Norman objected to the Liberals' scheming and interference and stood up for the navy, the Prime Minister attacked him and accused him before criminal charges had even been laid. That is interference.The Liberals did not hesitate to drag the vice-admiral through the mud and try to destroy his unblemished career. However, we now know that the vice-admiral defended the Royal Canadian Navy against the Liberals' partisan interests. The Asterix was delivered on time and on budget.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and give him back his
Mr. Speaker, Mark Norman's lawyer said, what you don't do is you don't put your finger and try to weigh in on the scales of justice. However, that is exactly what did happen in the Mark Norman trial. The Liberals actively worked against him. The Prime Minister said that Norman would be charged while the investigation was ongoing. He refused to waive cabinet confidentiality. He withheld thousands of documents from Norman's defence team. How does the Prime Minister defend his blatant interference in an ongoing judicial proceeding?
Mr. Speaker, could the government transfer the funds with no strings attached and do the same for other programs?What we are hearing is that the $800 million has to come out of the green infrastructure fund, meaning that all of Quebec's municipal green programs would have to be scrapped to make way for the Quebec City tramway. We should not have to choose between sacrificing our regions or sacrificing our national capital. We can carry out all of these projects if the money is transferred in a lump sum.Tax revenues are supposed to be used to serve our needs, not to serve programs.Will the government let Quebec handle infrastructure dollars without imposing conditions?
Mr. Speaker, they are not paid a dollar a day; they are paid at the Ontario minimum wage level.Canada's disability community's motto is Nothing about us without us, but the Prime Minister is moving on without them, cutting 34 jobs for disabled Canadians. The disabled community is already concerned with the Liberals' refusal to strengthen the toothless accessible Canada act.When, at committee, the minister was asked about these job cuts, she said that these people are no longer operationally required.A Conservative government would save these jobs. Will the Liberals follow our lead and reverse these heartless job cuts?
Mr. Speaker, that is not what Canadians see in the aftermath of the Vice-Admiral Norman travesty. What they see is a pattern of corruption with the Prime Minister, the PMO and the Liberal government, who attack and try to discredit anyone who stands up for truth, who stands up for what is right and who gets in their way. What is the government really so desperately trying to hide? Will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and reinstate him as the head of the navy and second-in-command of our armed forces?
Mr. Speaker, this all seems highly unlikely. The Liberal government is taking the jobs of 34 Canadians with disabilities who work in the archives, jobs that cost the Canadian government a mere $500,000. More than money, the government is also taking away their honour, pride, and dignity.Will the Prime Minister stand up and apologize, or will it take another six months to resolve the situation?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants Canadians to believe that because he failed when he tried to politically interfere in yet another criminal proceeding, that his failure should be celebrated as an exoneration of his bad behaviour. That is like saying that someone who tries to rob a bank should get off the hook if he or she fails to get away with the cash.The Prime Minister withheld documents, coached government witnesses and tried to bankrupt Mark Norman. How does the Prime Minister defend this blatant political interference in the judicial system?
Mr. Speaker, the CRA claims that the majority of mental impairments are temporary, including autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In fact, these are life-long conditions. They are severe and prolonged, yet the CRA still expects these individuals to reapply for the disability tax credit.Rather than gouging vulnerable people and their families, will the minister just commit to correcting this unconscionable policy immediately?
Mr. Speaker, information technology has revolutionized our lives, but cybersecurity has emerged as an issue that comes with challenges and great opportunities for growth.I would like to know what actions our government is taking to aid cybersecurity initiatives.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have an opportunity to answer this question.Everyone is clear on the fact that the federal government allocated $1.2 to the project from the start. It did so in June 2018 when the Philippe Couillard government told Mr. Labeaume that Quebec could be ambitious and build a comprehensive transportation system with a $3.3-billion envelope. He knew perfectly well where those federal funds were coming from. Those funds were available in 2018 and they remain available today.As a proud citizen of Quebec City, I truly hope that Mr. Legault's government will make the Quebec City tramway a priority, as it should.
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to be able to repeat my answer. Since 2015, the Liberal Government of Canada has been proud of its work to make the Canadian government a leader and partner on housing again. This leadership had been lacking for far too long.In November 2017 we launched a national housing strategy that will free half a million Canadian families from living in unacceptable housing conditions all across Canada, far beyond Burnaby and Montreal. We are proud of this plan and we are now very proud to be implementing it.
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking unprecedented actions to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in our economy, including inclusive work opportunities. With respect to this program, we have been working for a year with this organization. We have extended their contract. We are making sure that they have meaningful work so they can contribute to our government's operations.We are not in the business of paying people a dollar an hour to do work, as the Conservatives were.
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we are not letting these people go. We are looking for meaningful work for them. They are exceptionally gifted employees. We are not in the business of paying people a dollar a day. I misspoke in my previous response. I meant to say a dollar a day. Our government pays its employees fairly. It is important to remember that we have been working with this organization for a year and we will find good jobs for these people.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the member for Brampton South for her advocacy on this topic.We are working with our partners in business and academia in order to strengthen Canada's cybersecurity and to become a world leader in the field. We have invested $895 million to fund our new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure that our cyber-systems are secure and resilient, to encourage innovation and to support effective leadership and collaboration between government and all our partners.Our government will be introducing legislation to create a Canadian framework for cybersecurity across all sectors.
Mr. Speaker, Canadian businesses and consumers know how important the U.S. market is for the Canadian economy. That is why it was so important to negotiate a good new NAFTA deal.However, the Conservatives have repeatedly changed their tune about NAFTA. During the negotiations, they urged us to capitulate to U.S. demands to reduce our access, then criticized the good deal that we got. Now they are reversing themselves again. Can the minister tell this House why the new NAFTA is such a significant achievement?
Mr. Speaker, again, with respect to the court order to produce documents, here are the facts. The Government of Canada met all its obligations with respect to third party record applications. All documents from the priority individuals identified by the defence in February were, in fact, provided to the court. In total, over 8,000 documents on behalf of the seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process.It is important to acknowledge that on this matter both the judge and the Crown thanked departmental officials for their excellent co-operation in this process.
Mr. Speaker, the member for Ottawa WestNepean is absolutely correct. Our government stood firm for a good deal, and we got a good deal. We did this despite the fact that the Conservatives and the Leader of the Opposition were advocating for capitulation and to accept any deal at any cost. Yesterday, after months of criticizing the new NAFTA, the opposition leader promised to ratify it. He admits it is a good deal. He is clearly on board with our leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that the government remains absolutely committed to undertaking all measures that are effective in keeping Canadians safe. As I believe every member of the House would agree, there is no greater responsibility for any order of government than the safety of its citizens and the protection of its kids, and we are prepared to consider whatever measures would be effective in this regard.
Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will complete debate at third reading of Bill C-91, the indigenous languages act. Tomorrow we will begin debate on the Senate amendments to bill C-55, an act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act.Next week the government will be proposing a motion to debate the rising climate emergency across Canada.At noon on Monday, we will resume debate on Bill C-55.On Tuesday, we will move on to Bill S-6, the CanadaMadagascar tax convention implementation act, 2018.Wednesday shall be an allotted day.Finally, pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), I would like to designate Tuesday, May 14, for consideration in committee of the whole of the main estimates for the Department of Justice.In closing, mothers who provide love and guidance are present in our lives in many forms. I am thankful to the mother figures in my life. On behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada, and I am sure all members in this House, I wish all mothers a happy Mother's Day.
Mr. Speaker, last week was a good week for Canadian canola farmers. The federal government, working with provincial governments, stakeholders and farmers, announced a support package for farmers, while recommitting our efforts to resolve the trade dispute with China. We continue to call on China to resolve this issue based on scientific evidence. On top of that, the Minister of International Trade Diversification is leading delegations around the world to promote the best-quality canola in the world.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that living with a disability can have a major impact on the daily lives of those affected and their loved ones. That is why we put in place measures to make the disability tax credit more accessible, especially by simplifying the form and allowing nurse practitioners to certify their patients' forms.The government reinstated the disability advisory committee, which was dismantled by the Conservatives in 2006, in order to give people with disabilities a strong voice in their dealings with the agency. We look forward to the committee's recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, our government is deeply committed to addressing HIV and AIDS. We are investing $87 million annually to tackle HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne illnesses. If there is an issue in the province of Saskatchewan, as the member has indicated, I would be happy to have her come forward and speak to me, and I will take it forward to Health Canada.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about how we have made life more affordable for Canadians. We reduced taxes on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit, which has raised 300,000 children out of poverty. Yes, we are making it no longer free to pollute, but we are giving the money back to Canadians, so that a family of four in Ontario will receive $307, which is more than most families will pay. We need to take action on climate change. We need to grow our economy. We need to do it in an affordable way. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, anti-choice activists are rallying on Parliament Hill today. What is worrisome is that some Conservative members are joining them, trying to control women's decisions over their bodies.We know that members of the Conservative Party do not believe that safe access to abortion services is a right, because they said so in the House last year. In the face of these threats to women's health, could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health tell the House where the government stands on women's right to choose?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's agriculture and agri-food industry contributes over $110 billion annually to the Canadian economy, yet the Liberal government seems perfectly content to let countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Vietnam and now China get away with taking unwarranted trade actions against this vital sector of our economy. Canola farmers are the most recent victims of the Liberal government's bungling with our global partners. When will the Prime Minister resolve the canola issue with China?
Mr. Speaker, from Burnaby to Montreal, adequate and affordable housing should be a right, but it is increasingly out of reach for too many families.After three years of Liberal inaction, Canadians are spending more and more to meet their basic housing needs. We have to make different choices to get different results.Why do the Liberals refuse to adopt our plan to immediately build 500,000 quality affordable housing units?
Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to answer this question because not only do we have a plan to give every Canadian a safe and affordable place to have a home, but we also have put that plan into place since 2015. In November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, which will give half a million Canadian families a safe and affordable home in the years to come. We know we have a lot more to come, but we are well beyond planning for the future.
Mr. Speaker, women, and women alone, should be the ones making decisions about their own bodies. That is why we stood up for safe access to abortion at home and abroad, from supporting groups like Planned Parenthood to increasing access to Plan B and Mifegymiso. It should concern all Canadians that the Leader of the Opposition only won the Conservative leadership thanks to the same anti-choice activists protesting today. Unlike the Conservatives
Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely clear that the Liberals have no plan to make gas more affordable. The Prime Minister himself said that the carbon tax being high is what he wanted to change behaviour. Well, changing the behaviour of cancer patients who have to drive to their treatment is not acceptable. There are many, many impacts for everyday Canadians that the Liberals do not seem to understand.We have a plan to make life more affordable, eliminating the carbon tax and getting Trans Mountain built. Why will the Liberals not just admit that they do not care about the price of gas in British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about what we have done to make life more affordable. We have increased taxes on the 1% so we can reduce them on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit
Mr. Speaker, is it true that the first decision of the Prime Minister and cabinet was to seek to cancel the Asterix contract, hurt Davie and eliminate 1,000 jobs in the Quebec City region? That was this cabinet's first decision.They also refused to hand over thousands of pages of documents that were requested by Norman's defence team. The documents that were received recently were redacted. They did not want to provide these document before because they knew full well that the charges would be dropped. They did not want to question important witnesses and it was the Prime Minister himself who asked the RCMP to investigate.Why are they trying to convince Canadians that there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, Quebec's culture and communications minister wrote to our Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism to share his concerns about the crisis at Telefilm Canada.As a side note, I hope that the minister will allow the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to support my motion today to call Telefilm Canada before the committee.Since last week, CTVM.info and all major media outlets have been reporting about how much the cultural community needs a strong, tuned-in Telefilm Canada. The Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism promised to act this week.It is already Thursday, so does he have some good news to announce about our cultural scene, for once?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country are struggling to find a place to call home. We are in the midst of a national housing crisis. I met a woman who lived in co-op housing and she told me that living in co-op housing meant she was able to build a life, she was able to raise her three kids. Why can the government not understand that we need to build new homes, affordable, non-market, non-profit and co-operative. Will the government adopt our plan to build half a million new affordable homes across the country?
Mr. Speaker, HIV patients in Saskatchewan are not receiving treatment with free, readily available antiretroviral drugs that will save their lives and prevent transmission of the virus. This is in direct violation of the Canada Health Act. Meanwhile, many young people with HIV in my province are dying, and Saskatchewan has the highest HIV diagnosis rate in the country. Why will the Liberal government not enforce the Canada Health Act and ensure that HIV patients in Saskatchewan have the same access to treatment and care as other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, as the Public Prosecution Service of Canada confirmed, every decision was made completely independently. Based on this decision, the deputy minister has revised the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's original request to have the legal fees paid for. I have agreed with this advice and have authorized it.
Mr. Speaker, the Criminal Code listing regime is an important tool for countering terrorism and is part of the government's commitment to keep Canadians safe.The update to the listings is an important step to fight terrorism globally and ensure that Canada remains a safe and peaceful country. There is a prescribed step-by-step process. New entities are added once it has been determined that they meet the legal threshold.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about political influence. In the first Liberal cabinet meeting, Scott Brison interfered with a naval shipbuilding contract, and that action leaked out. The Prime Minister had the leak investigated and the Privy Council Office identified 73 people who were aware of the leak. My question is simple. How many of the 73 names did the Prime Minister or the PCO give to the RCMP to investigate?
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Norman took a stand for the Royal Canadian Navy and against Scott Brison's political interference, the Prime Minister attacked him.We know that Vice-Admiral Norman always made good decisions that were in the national interest and that the Davie shipyard delivered the Asterix on time and on budget. As far as military procurements go, it was a resounding success.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, perhaps I will set the record straight. It was our government that actually committed, extended the contract and paid these individuals up to minimum wage. It was the Conservative government that paid them $1.50 a day. It is only under the leadership of our government that they are being paid the wage they deserve. We are working tirelessly with this organization to find them work. I did not say these individuals were not operationally required. I said that the work they were doing is no longer necessary, so that is a very important distinction. I have absolute respect for these workers and their families, and we are doing right by them, I can assure all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and I believe you will find agreement for the following motion regarding the parliamentary internship programme, of which I am a proud former intern: That the House: a) recognize the fiftieth anniversary of the Parliamentary Internship Programme, founded in 1969 through a motion of this House, which operates on a non-partisan basis under the auspices of the Speaker, and is administered by the Canadian Political Science Association; b) congratulate the ten current interns, alumni, and staff of the Parliamentary Internship Programme; and c) reaffirm its support for this outstanding experience for young professionals to learn about and participate in Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, CTV News reported that the Liberal government is cutting a program that employs dozens with developmental disabilities.These workers are finding great meaning in their work at Library and Archives Canada. Our leader has pledged to restore the funding for this program.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and reverse this cold-hearted cut?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, no other factors were considered in this case, and no influence was created. General Vance will be speaking with Vice-Admiral Norman at the appropriate time, and a discussion will be had as to the future.
Mr. Speaker, I respect the member's service to this country, as we all respect Vice-Admiral Norman's.However, what I can underscore and perhaps elaborate for her is how the legal process works. The legal process conducts itself in an independent manner. When requests for documents are made, we identify the documents. Decisions as to what is redacted and what is covered by cabinet confidences are made independent of political actors, as they should be.Furthermore, we do not intervene in that judicial process, because we safeguard the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. That is the way the system is supposed to work, and that is something I would hope all members of this House would appreciate and protect.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister himself said that Mark Norman would end up in court, even before charges were laid. Clearly, this was a political attack on someone who was standing up for what is right. It is another example of the Prime Minister attacking someone who got in his way. When will the Prime Minister apologize and have Vice-Admiral Norman reinstated as vice-chief of the defence staff?
Mr. Speaker, whether we are talking about Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's reputation or the workers at Davie shipyard in Quebec City, the Prime Minister's reprehensible behaviour on this file has had significant repercussions. The Liberal government is showing that it has no respect for the rule of law. Now we are hearing about allegations of witness tampering, not to mention the documents the government concealed.Will the Liberals finally allow Canadians to hear the truth and order a genuinely independent inquiry to get to the bottom of the Mark Norman affair?
Mr. Speaker, I hope we receive a more extensive answer than we did in the answer to the last question.Could the House leader for the government tell us what business we can expect for the remainder of this week and for next week?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that a budget of $5.2 billion has been allocated for public transit in Quebec. He will be happy to hear that Quebec is getting the biggest chunk of this public transit budget per capita, not including the $1.8 billion from the green infrastructure fund. The Couillard government agreed to take the federal government's $800-million contribution from that fund, leaving $1 billion for the rest of Quebec.Furthermore, in the last budget, we used the federal gas tax to increase transfers to municipalities by $500 million. The margins are there. If Quebec's priorities have changed, the Legault government should say so.
Mr. Speaker, the reach of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps goes far beyond brutalizing its own population. It goes far beyond interfering with its Middle East neighbours. It is also terrorizing Canadians, such as radio host Narges Ghaffari, by forcing family members in Iran to pass on the message of Stop your activism, so that, as the saying goes, no one gets hurt.A year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of our Conservative motion to list the IRGC as a terrorist group. When will the Liberals stop tolerating this murderous regime, take a stand for human rights and finally list the IRGC?
Mr. Speaker, in different contexts, I have a lot respect for the member opposite for the advocacy he does for the men and women in uniform in the country. However, it is important to underscore that there are men and women in uniform, namely the RCMP, who took charge of the very investigation that the member is impugning. He is impugning the law enforcement officials and the independence of their work. Who the member should also listen to is not just from our side of the House, but the defence counsel for Admiral Normal who said The decision to stay this prosecution...was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the (Director of Public Prosecutions), unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be.
Mr. Speaker, one thing we do know is that former minister Scott Brison stepped down because he did not want to have to answer questions about taking the contract for the Asterix away from the Davie shipyard and handing it over to his buddies.What is more, the Prime Minister implicated himself by going out of his way to prevent the disclosure of documents. If he really wanted to know the truth, he would have allowed Vice-Admiral Norman's defence team access to all the requested documents, even his own emails.Does the Prime Minister still believe there was no political interference?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I will emphasize three key points.First, the decision to investigate was made by the RCMP. Second, the decision to lay a charge was made by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Third, the decision to withdraw the charge was also taken by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.It is also important to note what the director of public prosecutions said in her own words, which is, and I quote:No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political
Mr. Speaker, gas prices in British Columbia are sky-high, and residents in my riding do not have the option of walking across the border with jerry cans, which is what is currently happening.Yesterday, the Liberals doubled down and voted against eliminating the carbon tax and for keeping prices at the gas pumps high. Now that they have rejected our plan, what is their plan to make gas prices more affordable for Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the question of political interference was raised a number of times by the director herself, yesterday. I just read her comments into the record.What I can say about the investigation and the legal process is that the government fulfilled all its obligations. All the documents from the individuals identified by the defence were submitted to the court. All told, over 8,000 documents involving seven organizations were submitted. As far as the status of the file is concerned, the judge even thanked departmental officials for their co-operation.
Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister did everything he could to stop the Davie shipyard. He tried to destroy the reputation of Vice-Admiral Norman, who stood up to this interference. The Prime Minister does not like anyone to oppose him, which is exactly what the former attorney general did in the SNC-Lavalin affair. By strange coincidence, when the former parliamentary secretary announced that he would testify against his own Liberal government, the charges were dropped.If that is not interference, then what is it?
Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's lawyer said, No person should walk into a courtroom fighting their elected government or any sort of political factors. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened in the Mark Norman trial. The Prime Minister interfered in the judicial process. He withheld documents from the defence. The Liberals denied Mark Norman access to his own emails.Why did the Prime Minister so clearly have his finger on the scales of justice in the Mark Norman case?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve better than innuendo. Therefore, I would remind the member opposite that when legal matters are to be investigated, they are investigated independently by the RCMP. Any decision with respect to laying of charges is made independently by the director of public prosecutions. As the director of public prosecutions made crystal clear yesterday, there was no contact to any member of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in the determination of these decisions and there was no influence by the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, experts are calling out the Liberals' failure to address the housing crisis and their attempts to mislead Canadians.They revealed that the percentage of federal spending on housing is at a historic low and that funding for social housing remains stagnant. They have exposed how the Liberals inflate their numbers by treating existing programs as new ones, counting hypothetical money and representing provincial spending as their own. They say the Liberals are not serious about housing and are taking baby steps.Why is the government deceiving Canadians and refusing to act on affordable housing?
Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis of affordability in this country, and it is the fault of the government. Canadians are being crushed by high fuel prices because of the carbon tax and the Liberals' hostility to pipelines. We put forward a common-sense motion this week that would help people afford to get to work and to school. The government voted against it: absolutely shameful. When will the Liberals admit their carbon tax is nothing but a cash grab, and stand with Canadians for a change?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer this question.We believe that every Canadian should have a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why, since 2015, we have invested $7.5 billion, additional dollars, helping one million families. That is why in November 2017, we announced the first-ever national housing strategy, a $40-billion strategy. Sorry, it is a $55-billion strategy, because of the April 2019 budget. That is going to lift half a million Canadian families out of housing conditions that are not acceptable in 2019.
Mr. Speaker, key members of the Trois-Rivières business community are getting behind a promising project at the airport. The City just invested in the construction of a new terminal, and the federal government is also expected to contribute soon.Meanwhile, the Liberal government snuck a measure on the privatization of security services at Canadian airports into the most recent budget. Are the people of Trois-Rivières and its business community right in thinking that this privatization could facilitate the implementation of security measures and the designation of their airport?
Mr. Speaker, once again, none of that is actually true. Let me be clear that all procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are totally independent of the Government of Canada. The entire structure of their work is designed to keep them independent. Decisions that are made are made on the basis of proper legal considerations and the evidence. All of those considerations are weighed carefully in court before a judge. The matter was entirely without political influence, and that is exactly what the director of public prosecutions averred yesterday.
Mr. Speaker, I am told on good authority that the Prime Minister has a secret plan to ban legal firearms. Apparently this plan is to be executed by cabinet directive, with no debate in Parliament. The Prime Minister plans to announce this gun ban at the Women Deliver conference to be held in early June in Vancouver, which New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern will also attend.Could the Prime Minister confirm or deny this zero-accountability secret plan?
Mr. Speaker, the party opposite voted for the Paris Agreement and for standing up and taking action on climate change. What are those members doing now? They are lying to Canadians. They are not saying to Canadians that
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals do not have an environment plan. They only have a tax plan. That is because the millionaire Prime Minister has never had to worry about money, and it shows. The Liberals' carbon tax has increased the price of everything. Their new fuel standard will further hike the cost of gas and diesel, and their cancellation of northern gateway and delays on the Trans Mountain expansion have helped drive prices to all-time highs in B.C.The Prime Minister actually says that making everything more expensive for everyone is exactly what we want. Well, the Liberals do, but Canadians do not.How could the Liberals actually vote against the Conservative motion to stop increasing the price of gas?
Mr. Speaker, we have been working on this issue for the past month. Directors, producers and creators can count on us. As the minister said last week, we will have concrete solutions to announce this week. It is not about scoring political points; it is about ensuring that movies in French can be produced this year. Why is the member trying to politicize that? We are used to the Conservatives turning their back on our culture, but why is the NDP only talking about this important issue now?
Mr. Speaker, clearly the Prime Minister does not like it when people of honour stand up to him.He tried to interfere in a shipbuilding contract, but Vice-Admiral Norman protected the navy and the delivery of the ship it needed. When the Prime Minister did not get his way, he began a politically motivated campaign against Vice-Admiral Norman. He instructed the RCMP to investigate and told the public that Norman would be charged and end up at trial.When will the Prime Minister realize that he cannot use the power of his office to attack those he views as his enemies?
Mr. Speaker, I apologize for that. The party opposite is misleading Canadians. Instead of actually talking about the cost of climate change to Canadians, which has gone from $400 million to over $2 billion per year that everyone is paying for right now, instead of talking about the money that Canadians are getting back, with a family of four in Ontario getting a climate action incentive rebate of $307, Conservatives are misleading them because Conservatives do not want to take serious climate action. They do not believe that climate change is the problem. They want to do
Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate what the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said, that every decision was made independently.I want to quote from the statement that was released. It states: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. General Vance, the chief of the defence staff, will be meeting with Vice-Admiral Norman, and then we will be talking about the next steps.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the only ones who do not see any interference in this matter. The truth is that the Liberals did not want the contract to go to Davie, so they tried to destroy the career of Vice-Admiral Norman, a man of absolute integrity.This Prime Minister refused to hand over the evidence to Vice-Admiral Norman, and yesterday his lawyer said that the Prime Minister's Office was even counselling witnesses.If that is not political interference, then what is?
Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. The government met all of its obligations with respect to third-party record applications. As I have said, all documents from priority individuals as identified by the defence in February were in fact provided to the court. Over 8,000 documents on behalf of seven government organizations were submitted to the court over the course of this process. The government met its obligations, and the public prosecutor has indicated that there was no inappropriate contact or influence on her decision-making.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is a lawyer and shares the same profession as me. Therefore, he should know that when we investigate a charge, that is done by law enforcement, and in this case the RCMP. He should know that when we lay a charge that it is sent by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, an entity that his party created while in power. Finally, he should know that when a decision is made to withdraw a charge or stay it, that is also done by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. All of those entities, and all of those steps were taken independently, as they should be in the country.
Mr. Speaker, those independent organizations can only make informed decisions if they have the documents to read them.The Prime Minister thinks he is above the law, and it is time to restore Canadians' confidence in the highest office in the land. We know that he politically interfered by refusing to turn over critical documents to Mark Norman's lawyers. He interfered by refusing to waive cabinet confidence. He interfered by counselling key witnesses on what to say.Everyone knows this is political interference. When will the Prime Minister admit it?
Mr. Speaker, what I can say in response to that question is that the investigation was handled by the RCMP.The decision to prosecute was made by the director herself. The decision to stay the charges was made by the director herself. I want to highlight the comments of Mr. Norman's counsel once again. She said: The decision to stay this prosecution was discretion exercised by prosecutors and the DPP, unimpacted by any political considerations, as it should be. She further underscored that that is in fact how things are supposed to work. I agree with her assessment.
Mr. Speaker, nobody on this side is impugning the motives of the RCMP or the director of public prosecutions; what we are impugning is the motives of a government that interfered in this case when the Prime Minister said, before charges were laid, that it was going to go to court, which hired the reporter who reported on Scott Brison's pork-barrelling, and which has been accused of having told witnesses what to say. That is what we are trying to get to the bottom of. Instead of trying to defend the director of public prosecutions with its discredited word, it should launch an independent investigation to show that nothing happened. When are we going to have
Mr. Speaker, I can assure Canadians that we are putting forward measures to improve the air passenger experience. We have provided funding to address increasing passenger volumes at our airports and to decrease passenger wait times. Our government is committed to maintaining the highest levels of security for the travelling public while improving the passenger experience. Any decision that is made on CATSA privatization will take those into account.
Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Norman's trial has been a disaster from the beginning. Once again, there are serious allegations of interference by the Prime Minister's Office.The NDP has asked the director of public prosecutions to exercise her right to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate these allegations. We need to restore public trust. Will the Liberals co-operate with the director of public prosecutions so we can get to the bottom of this?
Mr. Speaker, why does the party opposite not care about climate change? Climate change is real. It is having an impact. In British Columbia, there were forest fires that were burning stronger and longer than ever before. There were mothers who were talking to me about being worried about their kids going outside because the air quality index was 10 or dangerous. There were people who were being hit in the tourism industry, because people were worried about the forest fires and the impacts. We need to take action on climate change. There is a real cost. The environment and the economy do go together in the 21st century. I wish the party opposite would understand that.
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, it is a little offensive to hear the member opposite impugn the integrity of the RCMP in the independent conduct of its investigations and also to impugn the integrity of the Public Prosecution Service, which has made crystal clear that at no time was there any contact or influence from the government and that all decisions with respect to initiating the prosecution or staying it were made independent of the government.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are clearly avoiding the question. Yesterday we learned crucial information was not just hidden from Vice-Admiral Norman's lawyers, it was even hidden from the prosecution. His lawyer said that the Privy Council and the Prime Minister's Office withheld information, but she did not know why. The only people who can answer why are sitting on the Liberal benches.Why did the Liberals hide vital information from the prosecution, the defence and from the rest of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I quite frankly find it offensive when a member in the House rises and impugns the integrity and reputation of the RCMP and the director of public prosecutions by suggesting they would ever conduct their business in any way that was less than independent.If the member opposite perhaps did not hear, the director of public prosecutions yesterday repeated that there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC either in the initial decision to prosecute or in the subsequent decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. We have not put a price on pollution in B.C., because B.C. has stepped up. B.C.'s gas price has gone up by one cent because of its carbon price.The party opposite does not seem to understand that everyone is paying the cost of climate change. In Ottawa, in the national capital region, we have seen massive flooding that is impacting people's lives and people's property. It is just going to get worse. Our climate change report says that Canada is warming at twice the global average.We need to take action on climate change. Why will the party opposite not join us?
Mr. Speaker, the minister played no role in the decision to stay proceedings. He was not aware of the decision made by the director of public prosecutions in this case. The PPSC acts independently, but in this case, it is acting on behalf of the Attorney General of Ontario, which, under the Criminal Code, is responsible for overseeing the case.Yesterday, the director of public prosecutions said there had been no contact or influence from outside the PPSC on either the initial decision or the decision to stay the charge.
Mr. Speaker, it is quite unfortunate that it has come to this. In the last four months we have had two occasions when the director of public prosecutions has felt it incumbent upon herself to issue public statements about non-interference. The first was in February, when she talked about comments that related to a different matter that was being elaborated on in this House. The second was yesterday. The fact that she feels compelled to issue these kinds of statements, declaring in the loudest voice possible that no influence occurred, is actually a function of the type of question we are facing in this House. I think it is a sad state of affairs, because independence is important.
Mr. Speaker, as that member should know, the Prime Minister asked for an investigation of the leak. Seventy-three names were found to have known about the leak, but only one name was handed to the RCMP, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Without that investigation, he would not have been relieved of command. Without that direction from the Prime Minister's Office, he would not have lost his job, his reputation or have spent two years fighting for the vindication he had yesterday. Will the member stand in the House and apologize to Vice-Admiral Mark Norman?
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, almost everything the member opposite just said is not correct. In fact, as the director of public prosecutions stated yesterday, there was no contact or influence from outside the Public Prosecution Service either in the initial decision with respect to the laying of this charge or the decision to stay the charge.The member opposite should know that all of the procedures conducted by the office of the public prosecutor and the RCMP are totally independent of the Government of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, let us hear what the actual director had to say: No other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any contact or influence from outside the PPSC, including political influence in either the initial decision to prosecute Mr. Norman or in the decision to stay the charge today. The reason the Minister of Border Security was so appalled by this line of questioning is that members should not impugn the integrity of the people who are leading the judicial system or who are independent officials. Second, members should not impugn the integrity of people who do not have a chance to stand up in this House and defend themselves. I will do it for them. The director of public prosecutions operated independently at all times.
Mr. Speaker, it has gotten to the point where Premier Legault has to think about scaling down and delaying the Quebec City tramway project because the federal government is not pulling its weight. The project is $800 million short. The money is there, but the government refuses to hand it over to Quebec without conditions. This problem could be solved tomorrow morning.Will Ottawa get out of the way, let Quebec manage funds from the integrated bilateral agreement based on its needs and contribute fully to the Quebec City tramway?
Mr. Speaker, when Vice-Admiral Mark Norman objected to the Liberals' scheming and interference and stood up for the navy, the Prime Minister attacked him and accused him before criminal charges had even been laid. That is interference.The Liberals did not hesitate to drag the vice-admiral through the mud and try to destroy his unblemished career. However, we now know that the vice-admiral defended the Royal Canadian Navy against the Liberals' partisan interests. The Asterix was delivered on time and on budget.When will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and give him back his
Mr. Speaker, Mark Norman's lawyer said, what you don't do is you don't put your finger and try to weigh in on the scales of justice. However, that is exactly what did happen in the Mark Norman trial. The Liberals actively worked against him. The Prime Minister said that Norman would be charged while the investigation was ongoing. He refused to waive cabinet confidentiality. He withheld thousands of documents from Norman's defence team. How does the Prime Minister defend his blatant interference in an ongoing judicial proceeding?
Mr. Speaker, could the government transfer the funds with no strings attached and do the same for other programs?What we are hearing is that the $800 million has to come out of the green infrastructure fund, meaning that all of Quebec's municipal green programs would have to be scrapped to make way for the Quebec City tramway. We should not have to choose between sacrificing our regions or sacrificing our national capital. We can carry out all of these projects if the money is transferred in a lump sum.Tax revenues are supposed to be used to serve our needs, not to serve programs.Will the government let Quebec handle infrastructure dollars without imposing conditions?
Mr. Speaker, they are not paid a dollar a day; they are paid at the Ontario minimum wage level.Canada's disability community's motto is Nothing about us without us, but the Prime Minister is moving on without them, cutting 34 jobs for disabled Canadians. The disabled community is already concerned with the Liberals' refusal to strengthen the toothless accessible Canada act.When, at committee, the minister was asked about these job cuts, she said that these people are no longer operationally required.A Conservative government would save these jobs. Will the Liberals follow our lead and reverse these heartless job cuts?
Mr. Speaker, that is not what Canadians see in the aftermath of the Vice-Admiral Norman travesty. What they see is a pattern of corruption with the Prime Minister, the PMO and the Liberal government, who attack and try to discredit anyone who stands up for truth, who stands up for what is right and who gets in their way. What is the government really so desperately trying to hide? Will the Prime Minister apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and reinstate him as the head of the navy and second-in-command of our armed forces?
Mr. Speaker, this all seems highly unlikely. The Liberal government is taking the jobs of 34 Canadians with disabilities who work in the archives, jobs that cost the Canadian government a mere $500,000. More than money, the government is also taking away their honour, pride, and dignity.Will the Prime Minister stand up and apologize, or will it take another six months to resolve the situation?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants Canadians to believe that because he failed when he tried to politically interfere in yet another criminal proceeding, that his failure should be celebrated as an exoneration of his bad behaviour. That is like saying that someone who tries to rob a bank should get off the hook if he or she fails to get away with the cash.The Prime Minister withheld documents, coached government witnesses and tried to bankrupt Mark Norman. How does the Prime Minister defend this blatant political interference in the judicial system?
Mr. Speaker, the CRA claims that the majority of mental impairments are temporary, including autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In fact, these are life-long conditions. They are severe and prolonged, yet the CRA still expects these individuals to reapply for the disability tax credit.Rather than gouging vulnerable people and their families, will the minister just commit to correcting this unconscionable policy immediately?