Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, we have heard today that the murderer of Tori Stafford is seeking compensation from the government for her unfair treatment. Canadians will remember that the Liberals moved Tori's killer from a maximum-security prison to a healing lodge until outraged Canadians forced them to reverse their decision. Will the government commit to fight her attempts at getting any taxpayer dollars for putting her back behind bars where she belongs?
Mr. Speaker, once again the Liberals put their billionaire buddies ahead of doing the right thing, as in the case of Mark Norman. Let us review. A multi-billion-dollar contract was in trouble and their rich friends again needed help, so they made Mark Norman the fall guy. The Liberals withheld key documents, even from the prosecution. Then the Prime Minister called for charges well before they were laid. The Liberals were again caught wasting millions of public dollars helping their rich friends for political gain.Will the Prime Minister now apologize to Mark Norman and to taxpayers for this travesty?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister gave $10.5 million to Omar Khadr, a convicted terrorist, so that he would not have to fight him in court, but when it comes to a decorated naval officer who has put his career into making Canadians safe, the Prime Minister spared no expense fighting him in court. Why the double standard?
Mr. Speaker, climate change has become a climate emergency. It is hard to take the Liberals seriously when they adopt ridiculously low targets, buy a pipeline, and create marine protected areas where oil development is permitted. Knowing that 41% of Quebec's emissions come from the transportation sector, announcing a high-frequency train in the most densely populated corridor in Canada would be part of the solution to the climate emergency.When will there be real action?
Mr. Speaker, all of that happened without inviting Quebec to be present. Meanwhile, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development said he was shocked by statements made by the Premier of Quebec. The Prime Minister himself accused the Premier of Quebec of playing politics. This Prime Minister is accusing the Premier of Quebec of playing politics.His comments are disrespectful, paternalistic and condescending, which is par for the course for the sanctimonious Liberals.When will he co-operate with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, as co-founder and co-chair of the parliamentary all-party cycling caucus, I am pleased to share that today is Bike Day on the Hill. Approximately 200,000 Canadians cycle to work, which is good for their health and our environment. Sadly, on average, 75,000 Canadians are seriously injured while cycling each year and 74 cyclists are killed. Many tragedies can be prevented with improved cycling infrastructure and side guards on heavy trucks. We must do better to keep Canadians safe. The NDP is calling for a national cycling strategy. Will the government get on board and help make Canada a cycling nation?
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the NDP jumping on the Conservative bandwagon because the NDP's approach on climate change and the economy has simply fallen flat. We continue to respect the independence of the judiciary. We always will. Measures were brought forward against the vice-admiral at the direction of the chief of defence staff. That is known by everyone. The New Democrats are stuck, so they are slinging mud too, like the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, maybe the government should actually listen to the premiers of the provinces.Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick are all fighting the Liberal carbon tax. They understand that meaningful action to safeguard the environment does not mean that life has to be unaffordable for Canadians. In fact, the carbon tax is not an environmental plan. It is a tax plan.Instead of forcing provinces to fight him in court, when will the Prime Minister start working with them?
Mr. Speaker, I can see why the Prime Minister does not want to answer. He is becoming the political equivalent of Monty Python's Black Knight. He speaks of independence, but it was the Prime Minister who stated that there would be a court case against Vice-Admiral Norman, and we have seen how that ended up. Last week he was defending his decision to vet judges through a Liberal donor base; the week before that he was shrugging off a political leak on a Supreme Court nominee, and the week before that, well, I am going to give him a pass today on SNC.I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. When is he going to apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and the taxpayers of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, they always blame others.The Prime Minister should be ashamed for having tarnished the reputation of Admiral Norman. Instead of showing remorse, the Liberals are trying to hide their plot against Admiral Norman by staying the charges against him. If the Prime Minister had disclosed the documents the defence requested, the RCMP and the prosecutor never would have laid charges against Admiral Norman. Is that true or false?The Prime Minister betrayed one of our best soldiers. Will the Prime Minister let us get to the bottom of this case and allow the Standing Committee on National Defence to investigate?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal cheque bounced, as always and as we said it would, just like it did in British Columbia where the government said that taxpayers would be better off by paying high gas prices, but it turned out they were ripped off by $1 billion in overtaxation. In that province, gas has reached $1.80 a litre, the highest price in the history of North America, which is exactly what the Prime Minister says he wants.Again, are we not headed to $1.80 for gas if the Prime Minister is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from CumberlandColchester for his hard work on the health committee as the chair.As someone whose first job was as a mental health counsellor, I am proud to be a member of a government that has made a historic investment of $5 billion in the area of mental health and addiction services. We are also targeting our efforts to support the mental health of young Canadians, indigenous peoples, the LGBTQ community, black Canadians, veterans and so much more. I am proud of these efforts and we will not stop until every Canadian gets the help and assistance they need when it comes to mental health.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are obviously still putting rich companies ahead of ordinary people and, in the process, they tarnished a man's reputation. The Liberals are once again caught up in a political interference scandal, and once again it is all about getting re-elected. They have also wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. People deserve transparency in the Vice-Admiral Norman case.Why are the Liberals refusing to tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, it is still absurd that the defence is still waiting for documents from the government. The Liberals claim they did nothing wrong, yet the defence minister regrets the process Vice-Admiral Norman went through. What does he regret? Was it that the Liberals withheld documents from the RCMP? Was it that they withheld documents from the public prosecutor? Was it that they withheld documents from Norman's defence team?When will the Prime Minister finally set the truth free, and will he testify at the national defence committee?
Mr. Speaker, again, the committees operate independently from the government, and my colleague knows it. I am sure that is hard for him to grasp, considering who was controlling the committees under the Harper government.Again, regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted that no other factors were considered in that 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. Any accusation to the contrary is completely absurd.Canadians can have confidence in our justice system. They must not allow themselves to be misled by the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, where are we headed? We are headed to taking serious action on climate change while growing our economy.Let us look at the facts. We have had to put a price on pollution because we have provinces led by Conservative premiers who do not seem to think climate change is a problem and do not seem to understand the economic opportunity of clean growth.We are giving money back to Canadians. That is in the legislation. Eighty percent of families will be better off. A family in Ontario will get $307.Did the member opposite cash his climate action incentive rebate?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are being very disrespectful and condescending towards Quebec, which was completely ignored in yesterday's federal-provincial infrastructure announcement. Minister Bonnardel, the Quebec minister of transport, spoke with the Liberal government and tried to work in partnership with it. How did this Liberal government respond to Quebec's request? It said no.Why do this Liberal Prime Minister and this Liberal government refuse to work in partnership with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we respect the judiciary. We respect our independent judicial process. We will not stoop to the kinds of petty and, quite frankly, distasteful political games the members opposite are engaged in right now. They are so desperate to not talk about the economic numbers, the job growth, the impact on Canadians
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice has stood here in the House and indicated that the government handed over all the documents it was asked for. That is patently untrue, and I have proof.The counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said, It took six months to get documents, and as we sit here today, and as we walked out of that courtroom, we still did not have all of them. She said there were thousands of documents they had not received. She went on to say, I want to make it very clear that we, the defence, had to bring this motion, at great expense to Vice-Admiral Norman, to get at those records. She said only the government had access, and that it was obviously the government that was standing in the way of that full disclosure.
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister claims that Canada is on track to meet the Paris targets, but we know that is not true. The evidence is overwhelming that the Liberals will miss those targets by a country mile. Canadians are worried about carbon taxes and the skyrocketing price of gas at the pump. It has become very clear that the Liberals do not have a climate plan; they have a tax plan.Will the minister now admit that her plan does absolutely nothing for the environment and is not as advertised?
Mr. Speaker, once again, our government is 100% committed to strengthening the Royal Canadian Navy and ensuring that it has the resources it needs to serve Canadians.The Davie shipyard employees delivered the Asterix, and we know they did excellent work. Our government relies on official advice from the Department of National Defence and the armed forces to assess the navy's needs. The commander of the navy publicly stated that there is no immediate need for a second temporary supply ship and that he is satisfied with the services provided by the Asterix.Our government has complete confidence in the navy's advice and will continue to invest in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the Conservatives stuck, not being able to do anything but sling mud, because a million Canadians have new jobs, because the Canadian economy is going well. We lowered unemployment to record levels. We are continuing to work for the middle class
Mr. Speaker, we certainly recognize the climate emergency, which is why we have a motion on the climate emergency.On the one hand, there is the Conservative Party, which has no climate plan and no economic plan. The Conservatives are saying things that are not true about the price on pollution. On the other hand, there is the NDP, which is flip-flopping on the LNG project, the largest investment in Canadian history, which will help developing countries phase out carbon. We must combat climate change and grow our economy at the same time. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, the case to which the hon. member referred was handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which is independent from the government and independent from the Department of Justice.My office had no role whatsoever in the handling of this prosecution. That includes the decision to lay charges and the decision to stay charges, as well as the prosecution in-between.
Mr. Speaker, in the last few months the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of his former attorney general and the former president of the Treasury Board over the government's unethical conduct and interference in judicial independence. Last week, the case against Vice-Admiral Norman fell apart just as we learned that a former star general, the Liberal MP for Orléans, was about to testify against his own government.My question is for the Prime Minister, and it is about his credibility. If he cannot hold the trust of respected Liberals, how is he going to hold the trust of the Canadian people?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of the climate emergency, I want to point out that the majority of young people realize that climate change is a serious issue. As part of the government's youth policy, a number of young people submitted briefs calling on the government to stop subsidizing oil companies. The government, however, continues to hand over millions of dollars to this industry.The NDP recognizes that climate action is urgently needed. We are calling for ambitious GHG reduction targets and an end to the Trans Mountain project.Does the government recognize that action is urgently needed? Will it support the NDP's motion and declare an environmental and climate emergency?
Mr. Speaker, the fact is the Liberals have the same emission targets as the Conservatives. Both of them love pipelines and both would exempt the biggest polluters from paying.Declaring a climate emergency must mean more than just words. That is why our motion calls for ending fossil fuel subsidies and cancelling the Trans Mountain pipeline, which puts our coastline at risk and indigenous communities into disrespect. I am inviting the government to join in our vision for a climate change plan that leaves no worker or community behind. Will the Prime Minister support our motion?
Mr. Speaker, almost every issue we talk about in the Standing Committee on Health has a mental health component, whether it is post-traumatic stress, or methamphetamine addiction, or LGBTQ issues or indigenous health. There is always a mental health common denominator.Could the Minister of Health tell us what she is doing in her department to help Canadians with mental health issues right across the board?
Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member on the opposition side and his party were really serious on moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way, they would not have voted to shut down the consultation process and kill this project and the process that we have put in place. We are working hard on this project. We are moving forward with meaningful consultation with the indigenous community. We are scheduled to make a decision on this project by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, let us see if they really did do better than advertised.Four years ago, the current Minister of Finance left Bay Street and offered his services to Canadians as a good steward of the public purse. One of his promises was to run very small deficits for three years before delivering a zero deficit in 2019. What he actually delivered was three huge deficits and a $20-billion deficit in 2019.Could the Minister of Finance stand up and apologize to Canadians for breaking his promise, or rather, for lying to them?
Mr. Speaker, part of my riding is rural. There is no public transit. The sky-high gas prices are forcing them to make very difficult decisions about essentials. We have single mums who cannot afford to fill their tanks. We have seniors who are having difficulties making ends meet. We have small businesses that have no choice but to cut jobs or cut wages. The Prime Minister says this is exactly what he wants. Could the minister explain exactly what he wants? Why sky-high gas prices for rural communities?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across this country are asking for urgent action to fight climate change, action that leaves no workers or communities behind. Other countries have done it, and Canada can too.The government bought a pipeline and is subsidizing the fossil fuel industry. That is not climate action. The Conservatives do not have a plan. Canadians want their government to act courageously on climate change. The NDP tabled a motion with concrete steps to address the climate emergency, so when is the government finally going to get serious about it?
Mr. Speaker, all the minister does is bring up even more questions and answers we simply do not have. Perhaps we should go back to what the counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said at the press conference: No person in this country should ever walk into a courtroom and feel like they are fighting their elected government. Vice-Admiral Norman himself said: There are lots of questions that need to be asked and answered about this whole process. I think some people that have been involved in this need to reflect on what happened and why it happened, and their role in that. What does the Minister of Justice think about his role in this cover-up?
Mr. Speaker, why does Canada need the Asterix and the Obelix? Because the Preserver and the Protecteur are out of commission and there was a fire aboard one of them. This is a national emergency for the Royal Canadian Navy. Vice-Admiral Norman understood that. The Prime Minister dragged him through the mud. Now he can redeem himself.When will he place the order for the Obelix? That is what 1,200 laid-off Davie shipyard workers would like to know. They worked for Canada and are ready to do so again.
Mr. Speaker, people across the country count on their government to present a climate change strategy that makes reconciliation a priority, sets ambitious targets, takes real action to reduce emissions and invests in clean energy.The government needs to have the courage to act, while creating good jobs and making life more affordable for Canadians.Will the Prime Minister adopt the NDP's plan to really fight climate change?
Mr. Speaker, the Quebec government builds our infrastructure, not Ottawa. The Canada-Quebec agreement is clear on this. Infrastructure is a provincial and municipal responsibility. However, Ottawa is trying to impose conditions on us, and the result is a tramway project in Quebec that has been stopped in its tracks. Our projects are going nowhere because Ottawa prefers to argue.Will the minister stop creating conflicts and send Quebec the infrastructure funding as a lump sum with no strings attached, as the Quebec government has asked?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals willingly withheld documents in the Asterix file. These documents would have given the RCMP and the prosecution a more complete picture of the situation for their investigation.Furthermore, the Liberals knew that Mark Norman's defence counsel needed those documents to make its case, but the Liberals never agreed to provide them.Why did the Prime Minister not give these documents to all those who needed them to mount Vice-Admiral Norman's defence?
Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives warned that the carbon tax would be a cash grab, the Prime Minister said, no, that we should look at the B.C. Liberals who brought in a revenue-neutral carbon tax, where taxpayers would get back as much as they paid in. However, this was not as advertised. In fact, it has cost $1 billion more to British Columbia taxpayers than they have been given back and gas prices are now $1.80 a litre, something the Prime Minister celebrates as exactly what we want.Are we not headed to $1.80-a-litre gas price if he is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we understand that committees operate independently and make their own decisions about how to proceed. This is yet again another example of the Conservatives wanting to talk about anything other than the economy, anything other than our budget, anything other than what we have been doing to help create jobs for Canadians, to lift 825,000 Canadians out of poverty, bring in the lowest unemployment in 40 years and keep doing the things for the middle class that Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, it is probably good to get the facts on the table. There has been a 1¢ increase in the price of gas in B.C. as related to the price on pollution.Let us be clear with what we are doing. We are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back. We are taking serious action.What is the party opposite doing? It is having secret meetings with oil lobbyists to develop its yet-to-be-seen climate plan.We need to take action on climate change. We owe it to our kids. We have a huge economic opportunity. I am very proud that we are taking action, and we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, once again the Prime Minister is acting as if the justice system is there to reward his friends and punish his enemies. They spent years trying to fight the release of those documents in court. There are serious allegations that need to be investigated about coaching witnesses and using code names to get around access-to-information laws.Will the Prime Minister allow the defence committee to investigate these serious allegations, or will he pull a page right out of the SNC-Lavalin playbook and use his power to shut it down?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is well aware that committees operate independently from the government. We will wait for the committee's deliberations.Regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted, when it stayed the charge, that 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. Any accusation to the contrary from the opposition is absurd and baseless.
Mr. Speaker, fortunately, when I was in the private sector I had the opportunity to make investments to grow a business. This was very successful, and what we have done here is similar. We decided that the Conservatives had a bad approach that led to too much unemployment and too little growth.With our approach we are investing for Canadians and have reached another level of growth and the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. This approach is working for our economy.
Mr. Speaker, instead of making grand statements, I invite the minister to reread the Canada-Quebec infrastructure agreement. It states that Canada's role in any Project is limited to making a financial contribution, and that it will have no involvement in the implementation...or...operation. Canada is neither a decision-maker nor an administrator.The minister's election announcement about Highway 19 is nothing but talk. Not even one centimetre of the highway will be built. Instead of arguing, the government should transfer the lump sum to Quebec.
Mr. Speaker, I have full confidence in our judicial and parliamentary institutions. The process was designed to make sure that the defendant had every opportunity to access the information relevant to his case and to challenge any decision not to disclose part or all of some document. Canadians can rest assured that this process worked and that the justice system is intact.As Vice-Admiral Norman's own counsel said, our justice system is truly unassailable.
What is the NPD's plan exactly, Mr. Speaker? Their plan changes every day. We have always said that we need to protect the environment while growing the economy.Yesterday, the NDP leader did a complete 180 on the LNG Canada project. Now, he is opposed to the biggest private investment in the history of Canada, a project that has the support of the B.C. NDP and indigenous communities. With this 180° turn, he is standing against 10,000 good jobs for residents of British Columbia. We know that we need to take action and that we must grow.
Mr. Speaker, this all happened when the whole world was experiencing economic growth, boosted by the American economy, which was not the case when the Conservatives were in power. As a result, Canadians are investing 66% more in the United States and the Americans are investing 50% less in Canada. This message does not lie.Can the Minister of Finance tell us how many times he ran deficits at his company when he was on Bay Street?
Mr. Speaker, when will the Conservative Party listen to the science on climate change?We have a motion to debate the emerging climate emergency in Canada. Let us talk about the science. Scientists have shown that Canada is warming at twice the global average, and three times or more in the north. In the national capital region, people are still suffering from flooding. This is a flood that was supposed to happen once every 100 years, and it has now happened twice in two years.We need to take action on climate change. Why does the Conservative Party not join us in taking serious action on climate change and also growing our economy? We are very proud that we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, there is a reason why the NDP is calling on the Prime Minister to declare a climate and environmental emergency. We are still waiting for the Liberal government's plan, which, to date, has involved purchasing an old pipeline and continuing to subsidize fossil fuels.People in BerthierMaskinongé and other areas of Quebec have been hard hit by the recent flooding. Because of climate change, extreme natural disasters will become increasingly common. We still need the Canadian army.Can the federal government confirm that soldiers will remain in place to help seniors and other residents clean up and remove the sandbags?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Saint JohnRothesay's preamble was absolutely spot-on. After 10 years of Conservative rule, we saw the highest youth unemployment records in the history of the country. After three and a half years of Liberal rule, we now see the lowest records in the history of youth unemployment in this country, because we said we would invest in innovation and we would invest in skills training. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we did, even better than advertised.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister ordered documents to be withheld that could have cleared Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's name months ago. We are now learning that these documents may have been withheld from both the RCMP and the public prosecutor. How can the Liberals claim they did not interfere in this process when they refused to hand over the evidence?
Mr. Speaker, in his attempt to take a contract away from the Davie shipyard, the Prime Minister deliberately tarnished Vice-Admiral Norman's reputation. Even though 73 people were aware of what was going on, the only name he sent to the RCMP was Mark Norman's. The Prime Minister also said there would be a trial before that was actually the case.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, once again, our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by the flooding and the first responders who are working hard to keep people safe.Our government is doing everything it can to support response efforts in the affected parts of the country.We remind people that they must be extremely careful. Those affected should continue to follow the instructions and guidance of municipal law enforcement agencies and first responders.Canadians can rest assured that the Canadian Armed Forces will support and serve alongside our federal, provincial and municipal partners, who work diligently on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the NDP cannot talk about leaving no worker behind when yesterday he decided to stand against 10,000 good jobs for British Columbians by opposing the largest private sector investment in Canada's history with LNG Canada, a project that his own colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley, highlighted worked extraordinarily well with indigenous communities to get the right project built in a way that is forward-thinking and responsible.The NDP is completely inconsistent in its approach not just on the economy, but on the environment now too.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his hard work. The mining sector supports over 600,000 good middle-class jobs across the country. It is the second-largest private sector employer of indigenous peoples in Canada. Our government stands behind this sector. That is why we extended the mineral exploration tax credit for a full five years and launched the minerals and metals plan. Workers in the sector help empower our clean economy. We wish them a very happy National Mining Week.
Mr. Speaker, on the Mark Norman case, it has been refreshing to hear the federal NDP leader speak up for due process.
Mr. Speaker, it is not at all clear what the status of any alleged court proceeding might be. Indeed, the media coverage with respect to the judge's comments would indicate that he is not clear what the status is. The member can be assured that the Government of Canada will very strongly defend its position.
Mr. Speaker, gas prices are skyrocketing throughout Canada, but in British Columbia we have the highest prices in North America. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that high gas prices are exactly what he wants. Everyone knows that the approval and construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline would help drop the price of gas.When will the Prime Minister get serious about giving Canadians a break and get the pipeline built?
Mr. Speaker, the NDP says it will be there for the people, but it just announced that it is against a project that would have created 10,000 jobs for British Columbians. The B.C. NDP supports the project. His colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley supported the project. Even so, the NDP just decided it is against this project, which would be the biggest private-sector investment in this country's history. We know that investing in the economy and protecting the environment must go hand in hand. Unfortunately, the NDP has no plan to make that happen.
Mr. Speaker, only a Conservative member would be against a project to improve road travel in Montreal. People in the suburbs north of Montreal have been waiting for this project since 1970. We are proud to have invested $345 million to reduce congestion in the suburbs north of Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the extension of Highway 19 between Highway 440 and Highway 640. We are proud to have invested in the rehabilitation of Pie-IX Bridge in Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the construction of a reserved lane for bus rapid transit, carpooling and electric vehicles.We will continue to invest in all communities across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I guess what is advertised is that the Conservatives do not have a plan for the environment. They do not have a plan for the economy. They do not understand that climate change is a serious problem and that we can do both. We can tackle climate change and we can grow the economy. We have a plan that eliminates coal and invests in renewables. It invests in clean technologies. It invests in energy efficiency. I could go on and on.Unfortunately, the Conservative Party does not want to come together. It does not want to join Canadians and take serious action to tackle climate change and also grow our economy. We can do both; we need to do both.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this file started. On the eve of the 2015 election, Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar, sole-sourced project. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is exactly what we did.In regard to documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined the relevancy and suggested redactions. This was all subject to approval
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has finally decided to answer some questions on the Mark Norman affair. He has had plenty of time to rehearse the script and memorize the lines, and I have no doubt that he is going to talk about the specific decision to stay the charges against Mark Norman being free from political interference. However, what I would like to know is about all the evidence of other interference in this case, including his government going to great lengths to block documents from being presented to court. Why did the government go to such efforts to prevent the truth from coming out?
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this all started. On the eve of the 2015 election, the Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar sole-sourced contract. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is what we did, and it is what any government should to. The decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff.
Mr. Speaker, this is a perfect opportunity for me to talk about what we have done over the past four years.Things are going great for Canadians across the country, with over a million jobs created in four years and the lowest unemployment rate in about 40 years.Four years ago, unemployment was too high, and growth was too low. We are better off now thanks to our policies.
Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, the decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff. Any accusations otherwise are simply absurd. We fully respect the independence of the processes in place.Again, on the documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined relevancy and suggested redactions, subject to approval by the judge.
Mr. Speaker, this government went to great lengths to block those documents from coming to court. There are many occasions when this government proved it was going to great lengths to prevent the truth from coming out, including coaching witnesses and departmental officials and using code words to avoid access-to-information laws.Does the Prime Minister believe that this is normal behaviour for a government when a decorated vice-admiral is fighting for his career, his reputation and his personal freedom?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his weekly reminder of the high-frequency train.I want to assure him that we continue to work on this complex and very important file. When we have something to say, he will be informed.
Mr. Speaker, my department's only involvement was to provide government records in response to a request from the defence to help support the defence of Vice-Admiral Norman. The Department of Justice processed these 52 requests on behalf of seven departments. The process of determining whether documents were relevant and whether any redactions were necessary was made and conducted by civil servants and then verified by the court. It was up to the court to make the final decision as to whether or not information would be redacted, not the government.
Mr. Speaker, I already talked about the fact that under our climate plan, we are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back.However, let us talk about all the other measures that are helping single mums in the member opposite's riding. The Canada child benefit raised 300,000 children out of poverty. We have lowered taxes on the middle class, asking the 1% to pay a little more. We created a million jobs so single moms could have good jobs. We have lowered taxes on small businesses. from 11% to 9%, and created a million jobs for Canadians.We are going to continue taking action on climate change. We are going to continue growing the economy. We are doing it in a way that is affordable and gets people ahead.
Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, we have asked a former minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, the hon. Anne McLellan, to look into this matter and give us her recommendations. Her track record is impressive, and she understands the various pressures that come along with this position. I look forward to working closely with her to ensure that our government continues to set higher standards for governance.
Mr. Speaker, that case and the SNC-Lavalin controversy have raised questions about interference in our justice system. They have also underscored the need for independent review of decisions made by the director of public prosecutions.Will the government commit to separate the office of the attorney general from the minister of justice if re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, young people in my great riding of Saint JohnRothesay are worried about finding well-paying jobs after they graduate. Thanks to our government's investment in the youth employment strategy, more young people in Saint JohnRothesay are getting the training and skills they need to reach their full potential.Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment please update this House on what our government is doing to help young people in my riding get ahead?
Mr. Speaker, we work very closely with our Quebec colleagues.As I said yesterday, we are not in election mode, we are in construction mode. What Quebeckers expect from us is that we promptly look at projects submitted by all provinces, that we approve them according to the criteria set out in the bilateral agreement and, above all, that we announce them in time for construction season. If there is one thing that will not wait, it is construction season.We are going to move forward.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised a collaborative relationship with provinces and territories, but eight provinces and three territories opposed his no more pipelines Bill C-69, five provinces are fighting his carbon tax, and the majority of Canadians and indigenous communities all along the route support the Trans Mountain expansion and want it built. Liberals have spent billions, delayed the decision and not built an inch.Instead of fighting the provinces and pitting Canadians against each other, will the Prime Minister do what he said he would do and release a plan to approve and build the Trans Mountain expansion?
Mr. Speaker, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court as required. During this case, more than 8,000 documents from this government organization were submitted to the court. The decision to redact information was made by public servants and overseen by the court.
Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of the Canadian minerals and mining sector to our economy and to the communities across the country. Our government believes developing Canada's natural resources in cleaner, more sustainable ways will create good middle-class jobs, enhance competitiveness and reduce pollution as we move to a clean energy future. We have made significant investments to achieve these goals.In celebration of National Mining Week, could the minister update the House on steps our government has taken to ensure Canada's mining sector continues on a path to prosperous sustainable development for years to come?
Mr. Speaker, our government firmly believes in the institutions of government and respects them deeply. On this particular issue, we have asked
Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court, over 8,000 documents from seven different departments. As the Prime Minister has just said, the decision to redact information was made by public servants in this case, and overseen by the court. We met all our obligations.
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties, and I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House recognize Vice-Admiral Mark Norman for his decades of loyal service to Canada, express regret for the personal and professional hardships he endured as a result of his failed prosecution, and apologize to him and his family for what they experienced during their legal conflict with the government.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to outline in great detail our plan to tackle climate change. We negotiated it for a whole year with provinces and territories and indigenous people, and with input from Canadians. We are phasing out coal; we are investing in renewables, and we are ensuring a just transition for communities and workers. We are investing in energy efficiency so we can save people, businesses, schools and hospitals money.We are investing in clean solutions, innovators and entrepreneurs who are providing the solutions we desperately need. At the same time, we are making sure life is affordable and we are creating good jobs. It is unfortunate that the NDP does not understand that the environment and the economy have to go together. It is cancelling a project supported by the
Mr. Speaker, based on last week's decision, the deputy minister has reviewed the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's request to have his legal fees paid as they relate to this case. She gave us her opinion, and we agree with her, so that is how we will proceed. In addition, General Vance will speak with Vice-Admiral Norman about the next steps at the appropriate time.I repeat, no other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any outside contact or influence, political or otherwise, in relation to this charge. We will always respect the judicial process.
Mr. Speaker, as a cyclist myself, I realize that the point brought up by my colleague is a very important one. That is why last year we published a report that was the product of 10 provinces, three territories and the federal government putting together 57 measures that could be used to improve safety for vulnerable road users, not only cyclists but pedestrians as well. We realize how important this is. Within federal jurisdiction, we are already undertaking pilot projects to improve the visibility of large commercial trucks so truck drivers can see the cyclists.
Mr. Speaker, ever since the Federal Court of Appeal decision of August 2018, we have been working hard to fix the process that was put in place by the previous government, which led to a number of projects being challenged in the courts.We are engaged in a meaningful conversation and meaningful dialogue to offer accommodations to indigenous peoples to ensure that we move forward on this project in the right way.We are scheduled to make a decision on this project, as long as we are fulfilling our duty to consult with indigenous communities, by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are certainly in no position to lecture us.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces. In the case of Highway 19, the Government of Quebec submitted the file in September 2018. Mr. Legault's government made it a priority on October 5, 2018. We approved it on March 26, 2019, and I made the announcement on May 13, 2019.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces in time for the construction season.
As I said earlier, Mr. Speaker, we are working closely with the Quebec government.The Highway 19 project was introduced by the Government of Quebec, and Premier Legault made it a priority. As announced yesterday, the project was then approved in Ottawa.We work closely with our colleagues and respect provincial jurisdictions. There is no question that we will continue to invest in communities across the country.
Mr. Speaker, we have heard today that the murderer of Tori Stafford is seeking compensation from the government for her unfair treatment. Canadians will remember that the Liberals moved Tori's killer from a maximum-security prison to a healing lodge until outraged Canadians forced them to reverse their decision. Will the government commit to fight her attempts at getting any taxpayer dollars for putting her back behind bars where she belongs?
Mr. Speaker, once again the Liberals put their billionaire buddies ahead of doing the right thing, as in the case of Mark Norman. Let us review. A multi-billion-dollar contract was in trouble and their rich friends again needed help, so they made Mark Norman the fall guy. The Liberals withheld key documents, even from the prosecution. Then the Prime Minister called for charges well before they were laid. The Liberals were again caught wasting millions of public dollars helping their rich friends for political gain.Will the Prime Minister now apologize to Mark Norman and to taxpayers for this travesty?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister gave $10.5 million to Omar Khadr, a convicted terrorist, so that he would not have to fight him in court, but when it comes to a decorated naval officer who has put his career into making Canadians safe, the Prime Minister spared no expense fighting him in court. Why the double standard?
Mr. Speaker, climate change has become a climate emergency. It is hard to take the Liberals seriously when they adopt ridiculously low targets, buy a pipeline, and create marine protected areas where oil development is permitted. Knowing that 41% of Quebec's emissions come from the transportation sector, announcing a high-frequency train in the most densely populated corridor in Canada would be part of the solution to the climate emergency.When will there be real action?
Mr. Speaker, all of that happened without inviting Quebec to be present. Meanwhile, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development said he was shocked by statements made by the Premier of Quebec. The Prime Minister himself accused the Premier of Quebec of playing politics. This Prime Minister is accusing the Premier of Quebec of playing politics.His comments are disrespectful, paternalistic and condescending, which is par for the course for the sanctimonious Liberals.When will he co-operate with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, as co-founder and co-chair of the parliamentary all-party cycling caucus, I am pleased to share that today is Bike Day on the Hill. Approximately 200,000 Canadians cycle to work, which is good for their health and our environment. Sadly, on average, 75,000 Canadians are seriously injured while cycling each year and 74 cyclists are killed. Many tragedies can be prevented with improved cycling infrastructure and side guards on heavy trucks. We must do better to keep Canadians safe. The NDP is calling for a national cycling strategy. Will the government get on board and help make Canada a cycling nation?
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the NDP jumping on the Conservative bandwagon because the NDP's approach on climate change and the economy has simply fallen flat. We continue to respect the independence of the judiciary. We always will. Measures were brought forward against the vice-admiral at the direction of the chief of defence staff. That is known by everyone. The New Democrats are stuck, so they are slinging mud too, like the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, maybe the government should actually listen to the premiers of the provinces.Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick are all fighting the Liberal carbon tax. They understand that meaningful action to safeguard the environment does not mean that life has to be unaffordable for Canadians. In fact, the carbon tax is not an environmental plan. It is a tax plan.Instead of forcing provinces to fight him in court, when will the Prime Minister start working with them?
Mr. Speaker, I can see why the Prime Minister does not want to answer. He is becoming the political equivalent of Monty Python's Black Knight. He speaks of independence, but it was the Prime Minister who stated that there would be a court case against Vice-Admiral Norman, and we have seen how that ended up. Last week he was defending his decision to vet judges through a Liberal donor base; the week before that he was shrugging off a political leak on a Supreme Court nominee, and the week before that, well, I am going to give him a pass today on SNC.I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. When is he going to apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and the taxpayers of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, they always blame others.The Prime Minister should be ashamed for having tarnished the reputation of Admiral Norman. Instead of showing remorse, the Liberals are trying to hide their plot against Admiral Norman by staying the charges against him. If the Prime Minister had disclosed the documents the defence requested, the RCMP and the prosecutor never would have laid charges against Admiral Norman. Is that true or false?The Prime Minister betrayed one of our best soldiers. Will the Prime Minister let us get to the bottom of this case and allow the Standing Committee on National Defence to investigate?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal cheque bounced, as always and as we said it would, just like it did in British Columbia where the government said that taxpayers would be better off by paying high gas prices, but it turned out they were ripped off by $1 billion in overtaxation. In that province, gas has reached $1.80 a litre, the highest price in the history of North America, which is exactly what the Prime Minister says he wants.Again, are we not headed to $1.80 for gas if the Prime Minister is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from CumberlandColchester for his hard work on the health committee as the chair.As someone whose first job was as a mental health counsellor, I am proud to be a member of a government that has made a historic investment of $5 billion in the area of mental health and addiction services. We are also targeting our efforts to support the mental health of young Canadians, indigenous peoples, the LGBTQ community, black Canadians, veterans and so much more. I am proud of these efforts and we will not stop until every Canadian gets the help and assistance they need when it comes to mental health.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are obviously still putting rich companies ahead of ordinary people and, in the process, they tarnished a man's reputation. The Liberals are once again caught up in a political interference scandal, and once again it is all about getting re-elected. They have also wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. People deserve transparency in the Vice-Admiral Norman case.Why are the Liberals refusing to tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, it is still absurd that the defence is still waiting for documents from the government. The Liberals claim they did nothing wrong, yet the defence minister regrets the process Vice-Admiral Norman went through. What does he regret? Was it that the Liberals withheld documents from the RCMP? Was it that they withheld documents from the public prosecutor? Was it that they withheld documents from Norman's defence team?When will the Prime Minister finally set the truth free, and will he testify at the national defence committee?
Mr. Speaker, again, the committees operate independently from the government, and my colleague knows it. I am sure that is hard for him to grasp, considering who was controlling the committees under the Harper government.Again, regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted that no other factors were considered in that 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. Any accusation to the contrary is completely absurd.Canadians can have confidence in our justice system. They must not allow themselves to be misled by the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, where are we headed? We are headed to taking serious action on climate change while growing our economy.Let us look at the facts. We have had to put a price on pollution because we have provinces led by Conservative premiers who do not seem to think climate change is a problem and do not seem to understand the economic opportunity of clean growth.We are giving money back to Canadians. That is in the legislation. Eighty percent of families will be better off. A family in Ontario will get $307.Did the member opposite cash his climate action incentive rebate?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are being very disrespectful and condescending towards Quebec, which was completely ignored in yesterday's federal-provincial infrastructure announcement. Minister Bonnardel, the Quebec minister of transport, spoke with the Liberal government and tried to work in partnership with it. How did this Liberal government respond to Quebec's request? It said no.Why do this Liberal Prime Minister and this Liberal government refuse to work in partnership with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we respect the judiciary. We respect our independent judicial process. We will not stoop to the kinds of petty and, quite frankly, distasteful political games the members opposite are engaged in right now. They are so desperate to not talk about the economic numbers, the job growth, the impact on Canadians
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice has stood here in the House and indicated that the government handed over all the documents it was asked for. That is patently untrue, and I have proof.The counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said, It took six months to get documents, and as we sit here today, and as we walked out of that courtroom, we still did not have all of them. She said there were thousands of documents they had not received. She went on to say, I want to make it very clear that we, the defence, had to bring this motion, at great expense to Vice-Admiral Norman, to get at those records. She said only the government had access, and that it was obviously the government that was standing in the way of that full disclosure.
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister claims that Canada is on track to meet the Paris targets, but we know that is not true. The evidence is overwhelming that the Liberals will miss those targets by a country mile. Canadians are worried about carbon taxes and the skyrocketing price of gas at the pump. It has become very clear that the Liberals do not have a climate plan; they have a tax plan.Will the minister now admit that her plan does absolutely nothing for the environment and is not as advertised?
Mr. Speaker, once again, our government is 100% committed to strengthening the Royal Canadian Navy and ensuring that it has the resources it needs to serve Canadians.The Davie shipyard employees delivered the Asterix, and we know they did excellent work. Our government relies on official advice from the Department of National Defence and the armed forces to assess the navy's needs. The commander of the navy publicly stated that there is no immediate need for a second temporary supply ship and that he is satisfied with the services provided by the Asterix.Our government has complete confidence in the navy's advice and will continue to invest in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the Conservatives stuck, not being able to do anything but sling mud, because a million Canadians have new jobs, because the Canadian economy is going well. We lowered unemployment to record levels. We are continuing to work for the middle class
Mr. Speaker, we certainly recognize the climate emergency, which is why we have a motion on the climate emergency.On the one hand, there is the Conservative Party, which has no climate plan and no economic plan. The Conservatives are saying things that are not true about the price on pollution. On the other hand, there is the NDP, which is flip-flopping on the LNG project, the largest investment in Canadian history, which will help developing countries phase out carbon. We must combat climate change and grow our economy at the same time. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, the case to which the hon. member referred was handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which is independent from the government and independent from the Department of Justice.My office had no role whatsoever in the handling of this prosecution. That includes the decision to lay charges and the decision to stay charges, as well as the prosecution in-between.
Mr. Speaker, in the last few months the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of his former attorney general and the former president of the Treasury Board over the government's unethical conduct and interference in judicial independence. Last week, the case against Vice-Admiral Norman fell apart just as we learned that a former star general, the Liberal MP for Orléans, was about to testify against his own government.My question is for the Prime Minister, and it is about his credibility. If he cannot hold the trust of respected Liberals, how is he going to hold the trust of the Canadian people?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of the climate emergency, I want to point out that the majority of young people realize that climate change is a serious issue. As part of the government's youth policy, a number of young people submitted briefs calling on the government to stop subsidizing oil companies. The government, however, continues to hand over millions of dollars to this industry.The NDP recognizes that climate action is urgently needed. We are calling for ambitious GHG reduction targets and an end to the Trans Mountain project.Does the government recognize that action is urgently needed? Will it support the NDP's motion and declare an environmental and climate emergency?
Mr. Speaker, the fact is the Liberals have the same emission targets as the Conservatives. Both of them love pipelines and both would exempt the biggest polluters from paying.Declaring a climate emergency must mean more than just words. That is why our motion calls for ending fossil fuel subsidies and cancelling the Trans Mountain pipeline, which puts our coastline at risk and indigenous communities into disrespect. I am inviting the government to join in our vision for a climate change plan that leaves no worker or community behind. Will the Prime Minister support our motion?
Mr. Speaker, almost every issue we talk about in the Standing Committee on Health has a mental health component, whether it is post-traumatic stress, or methamphetamine addiction, or LGBTQ issues or indigenous health. There is always a mental health common denominator.Could the Minister of Health tell us what she is doing in her department to help Canadians with mental health issues right across the board?
Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member on the opposition side and his party were really serious on moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way, they would not have voted to shut down the consultation process and kill this project and the process that we have put in place. We are working hard on this project. We are moving forward with meaningful consultation with the indigenous community. We are scheduled to make a decision on this project by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, let us see if they really did do better than advertised.Four years ago, the current Minister of Finance left Bay Street and offered his services to Canadians as a good steward of the public purse. One of his promises was to run very small deficits for three years before delivering a zero deficit in 2019. What he actually delivered was three huge deficits and a $20-billion deficit in 2019.Could the Minister of Finance stand up and apologize to Canadians for breaking his promise, or rather, for lying to them?
Mr. Speaker, part of my riding is rural. There is no public transit. The sky-high gas prices are forcing them to make very difficult decisions about essentials. We have single mums who cannot afford to fill their tanks. We have seniors who are having difficulties making ends meet. We have small businesses that have no choice but to cut jobs or cut wages. The Prime Minister says this is exactly what he wants. Could the minister explain exactly what he wants? Why sky-high gas prices for rural communities?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across this country are asking for urgent action to fight climate change, action that leaves no workers or communities behind. Other countries have done it, and Canada can too.The government bought a pipeline and is subsidizing the fossil fuel industry. That is not climate action. The Conservatives do not have a plan. Canadians want their government to act courageously on climate change. The NDP tabled a motion with concrete steps to address the climate emergency, so when is the government finally going to get serious about it?
Mr. Speaker, all the minister does is bring up even more questions and answers we simply do not have. Perhaps we should go back to what the counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said at the press conference: No person in this country should ever walk into a courtroom and feel like they are fighting their elected government. Vice-Admiral Norman himself said: There are lots of questions that need to be asked and answered about this whole process. I think some people that have been involved in this need to reflect on what happened and why it happened, and their role in that. What does the Minister of Justice think about his role in this cover-up?
Mr. Speaker, why does Canada need the Asterix and the Obelix? Because the Preserver and the Protecteur are out of commission and there was a fire aboard one of them. This is a national emergency for the Royal Canadian Navy. Vice-Admiral Norman understood that. The Prime Minister dragged him through the mud. Now he can redeem himself.When will he place the order for the Obelix? That is what 1,200 laid-off Davie shipyard workers would like to know. They worked for Canada and are ready to do so again.
Mr. Speaker, people across the country count on their government to present a climate change strategy that makes reconciliation a priority, sets ambitious targets, takes real action to reduce emissions and invests in clean energy.The government needs to have the courage to act, while creating good jobs and making life more affordable for Canadians.Will the Prime Minister adopt the NDP's plan to really fight climate change?
Mr. Speaker, the Quebec government builds our infrastructure, not Ottawa. The Canada-Quebec agreement is clear on this. Infrastructure is a provincial and municipal responsibility. However, Ottawa is trying to impose conditions on us, and the result is a tramway project in Quebec that has been stopped in its tracks. Our projects are going nowhere because Ottawa prefers to argue.Will the minister stop creating conflicts and send Quebec the infrastructure funding as a lump sum with no strings attached, as the Quebec government has asked?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals willingly withheld documents in the Asterix file. These documents would have given the RCMP and the prosecution a more complete picture of the situation for their investigation.Furthermore, the Liberals knew that Mark Norman's defence counsel needed those documents to make its case, but the Liberals never agreed to provide them.Why did the Prime Minister not give these documents to all those who needed them to mount Vice-Admiral Norman's defence?
Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives warned that the carbon tax would be a cash grab, the Prime Minister said, no, that we should look at the B.C. Liberals who brought in a revenue-neutral carbon tax, where taxpayers would get back as much as they paid in. However, this was not as advertised. In fact, it has cost $1 billion more to British Columbia taxpayers than they have been given back and gas prices are now $1.80 a litre, something the Prime Minister celebrates as exactly what we want.Are we not headed to $1.80-a-litre gas price if he is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we understand that committees operate independently and make their own decisions about how to proceed. This is yet again another example of the Conservatives wanting to talk about anything other than the economy, anything other than our budget, anything other than what we have been doing to help create jobs for Canadians, to lift 825,000 Canadians out of poverty, bring in the lowest unemployment in 40 years and keep doing the things for the middle class that Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, it is probably good to get the facts on the table. There has been a 1¢ increase in the price of gas in B.C. as related to the price on pollution.Let us be clear with what we are doing. We are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back. We are taking serious action.What is the party opposite doing? It is having secret meetings with oil lobbyists to develop its yet-to-be-seen climate plan.We need to take action on climate change. We owe it to our kids. We have a huge economic opportunity. I am very proud that we are taking action, and we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, once again the Prime Minister is acting as if the justice system is there to reward his friends and punish his enemies. They spent years trying to fight the release of those documents in court. There are serious allegations that need to be investigated about coaching witnesses and using code names to get around access-to-information laws.Will the Prime Minister allow the defence committee to investigate these serious allegations, or will he pull a page right out of the SNC-Lavalin playbook and use his power to shut it down?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is well aware that committees operate independently from the government. We will wait for the committee's deliberations.Regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted, when it stayed the charge, that 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. Any accusation to the contrary from the opposition is absurd and baseless.
Mr. Speaker, fortunately, when I was in the private sector I had the opportunity to make investments to grow a business. This was very successful, and what we have done here is similar. We decided that the Conservatives had a bad approach that led to too much unemployment and too little growth.With our approach we are investing for Canadians and have reached another level of growth and the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. This approach is working for our economy.
Mr. Speaker, instead of making grand statements, I invite the minister to reread the Canada-Quebec infrastructure agreement. It states that Canada's role in any Project is limited to making a financial contribution, and that it will have no involvement in the implementation...or...operation. Canada is neither a decision-maker nor an administrator.The minister's election announcement about Highway 19 is nothing but talk. Not even one centimetre of the highway will be built. Instead of arguing, the government should transfer the lump sum to Quebec.
Mr. Speaker, I have full confidence in our judicial and parliamentary institutions. The process was designed to make sure that the defendant had every opportunity to access the information relevant to his case and to challenge any decision not to disclose part or all of some document. Canadians can rest assured that this process worked and that the justice system is intact.As Vice-Admiral Norman's own counsel said, our justice system is truly unassailable.
What is the NPD's plan exactly, Mr. Speaker? Their plan changes every day. We have always said that we need to protect the environment while growing the economy.Yesterday, the NDP leader did a complete 180 on the LNG Canada project. Now, he is opposed to the biggest private investment in the history of Canada, a project that has the support of the B.C. NDP and indigenous communities. With this 180° turn, he is standing against 10,000 good jobs for residents of British Columbia. We know that we need to take action and that we must grow.
Mr. Speaker, this all happened when the whole world was experiencing economic growth, boosted by the American economy, which was not the case when the Conservatives were in power. As a result, Canadians are investing 66% more in the United States and the Americans are investing 50% less in Canada. This message does not lie.Can the Minister of Finance tell us how many times he ran deficits at his company when he was on Bay Street?
Mr. Speaker, when will the Conservative Party listen to the science on climate change?We have a motion to debate the emerging climate emergency in Canada. Let us talk about the science. Scientists have shown that Canada is warming at twice the global average, and three times or more in the north. In the national capital region, people are still suffering from flooding. This is a flood that was supposed to happen once every 100 years, and it has now happened twice in two years.We need to take action on climate change. Why does the Conservative Party not join us in taking serious action on climate change and also growing our economy? We are very proud that we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, there is a reason why the NDP is calling on the Prime Minister to declare a climate and environmental emergency. We are still waiting for the Liberal government's plan, which, to date, has involved purchasing an old pipeline and continuing to subsidize fossil fuels.People in BerthierMaskinongé and other areas of Quebec have been hard hit by the recent flooding. Because of climate change, extreme natural disasters will become increasingly common. We still need the Canadian army.Can the federal government confirm that soldiers will remain in place to help seniors and other residents clean up and remove the sandbags?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Saint JohnRothesay's preamble was absolutely spot-on. After 10 years of Conservative rule, we saw the highest youth unemployment records in the history of the country. After three and a half years of Liberal rule, we now see the lowest records in the history of youth unemployment in this country, because we said we would invest in innovation and we would invest in skills training. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we did, even better than advertised.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister ordered documents to be withheld that could have cleared Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's name months ago. We are now learning that these documents may have been withheld from both the RCMP and the public prosecutor. How can the Liberals claim they did not interfere in this process when they refused to hand over the evidence?
Mr. Speaker, in his attempt to take a contract away from the Davie shipyard, the Prime Minister deliberately tarnished Vice-Admiral Norman's reputation. Even though 73 people were aware of what was going on, the only name he sent to the RCMP was Mark Norman's. The Prime Minister also said there would be a trial before that was actually the case.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, once again, our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by the flooding and the first responders who are working hard to keep people safe.Our government is doing everything it can to support response efforts in the affected parts of the country.We remind people that they must be extremely careful. Those affected should continue to follow the instructions and guidance of municipal law enforcement agencies and first responders.Canadians can rest assured that the Canadian Armed Forces will support and serve alongside our federal, provincial and municipal partners, who work diligently on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the NDP cannot talk about leaving no worker behind when yesterday he decided to stand against 10,000 good jobs for British Columbians by opposing the largest private sector investment in Canada's history with LNG Canada, a project that his own colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley, highlighted worked extraordinarily well with indigenous communities to get the right project built in a way that is forward-thinking and responsible.The NDP is completely inconsistent in its approach not just on the economy, but on the environment now too.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his hard work. The mining sector supports over 600,000 good middle-class jobs across the country. It is the second-largest private sector employer of indigenous peoples in Canada. Our government stands behind this sector. That is why we extended the mineral exploration tax credit for a full five years and launched the minerals and metals plan. Workers in the sector help empower our clean economy. We wish them a very happy National Mining Week.
Mr. Speaker, on the Mark Norman case, it has been refreshing to hear the federal NDP leader speak up for due process.
Mr. Speaker, it is not at all clear what the status of any alleged court proceeding might be. Indeed, the media coverage with respect to the judge's comments would indicate that he is not clear what the status is. The member can be assured that the Government of Canada will very strongly defend its position.
Mr. Speaker, gas prices are skyrocketing throughout Canada, but in British Columbia we have the highest prices in North America. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that high gas prices are exactly what he wants. Everyone knows that the approval and construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline would help drop the price of gas.When will the Prime Minister get serious about giving Canadians a break and get the pipeline built?
Mr. Speaker, the NDP says it will be there for the people, but it just announced that it is against a project that would have created 10,000 jobs for British Columbians. The B.C. NDP supports the project. His colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley supported the project. Even so, the NDP just decided it is against this project, which would be the biggest private-sector investment in this country's history. We know that investing in the economy and protecting the environment must go hand in hand. Unfortunately, the NDP has no plan to make that happen.
Mr. Speaker, only a Conservative member would be against a project to improve road travel in Montreal. People in the suburbs north of Montreal have been waiting for this project since 1970. We are proud to have invested $345 million to reduce congestion in the suburbs north of Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the extension of Highway 19 between Highway 440 and Highway 640. We are proud to have invested in the rehabilitation of Pie-IX Bridge in Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the construction of a reserved lane for bus rapid transit, carpooling and electric vehicles.We will continue to invest in all communities across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I guess what is advertised is that the Conservatives do not have a plan for the environment. They do not have a plan for the economy. They do not understand that climate change is a serious problem and that we can do both. We can tackle climate change and we can grow the economy. We have a plan that eliminates coal and invests in renewables. It invests in clean technologies. It invests in energy efficiency. I could go on and on.Unfortunately, the Conservative Party does not want to come together. It does not want to join Canadians and take serious action to tackle climate change and also grow our economy. We can do both; we need to do both.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this file started. On the eve of the 2015 election, Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar, sole-sourced project. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is exactly what we did.In regard to documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined the relevancy and suggested redactions. This was all subject to approval
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has finally decided to answer some questions on the Mark Norman affair. He has had plenty of time to rehearse the script and memorize the lines, and I have no doubt that he is going to talk about the specific decision to stay the charges against Mark Norman being free from political interference. However, what I would like to know is about all the evidence of other interference in this case, including his government going to great lengths to block documents from being presented to court. Why did the government go to such efforts to prevent the truth from coming out?
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this all started. On the eve of the 2015 election, the Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar sole-sourced contract. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is what we did, and it is what any government should to. The decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff.
Mr. Speaker, this is a perfect opportunity for me to talk about what we have done over the past four years.Things are going great for Canadians across the country, with over a million jobs created in four years and the lowest unemployment rate in about 40 years.Four years ago, unemployment was too high, and growth was too low. We are better off now thanks to our policies.
Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, the decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff. Any accusations otherwise are simply absurd. We fully respect the independence of the processes in place.Again, on the documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined relevancy and suggested redactions, subject to approval by the judge.
Mr. Speaker, this government went to great lengths to block those documents from coming to court. There are many occasions when this government proved it was going to great lengths to prevent the truth from coming out, including coaching witnesses and departmental officials and using code words to avoid access-to-information laws.Does the Prime Minister believe that this is normal behaviour for a government when a decorated vice-admiral is fighting for his career, his reputation and his personal freedom?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his weekly reminder of the high-frequency train.I want to assure him that we continue to work on this complex and very important file. When we have something to say, he will be informed.
Mr. Speaker, my department's only involvement was to provide government records in response to a request from the defence to help support the defence of Vice-Admiral Norman. The Department of Justice processed these 52 requests on behalf of seven departments. The process of determining whether documents were relevant and whether any redactions were necessary was made and conducted by civil servants and then verified by the court. It was up to the court to make the final decision as to whether or not information would be redacted, not the government.
Mr. Speaker, I already talked about the fact that under our climate plan, we are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back.However, let us talk about all the other measures that are helping single mums in the member opposite's riding. The Canada child benefit raised 300,000 children out of poverty. We have lowered taxes on the middle class, asking the 1% to pay a little more. We created a million jobs so single moms could have good jobs. We have lowered taxes on small businesses. from 11% to 9%, and created a million jobs for Canadians.We are going to continue taking action on climate change. We are going to continue growing the economy. We are doing it in a way that is affordable and gets people ahead.
Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, we have asked a former minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, the hon. Anne McLellan, to look into this matter and give us her recommendations. Her track record is impressive, and she understands the various pressures that come along with this position. I look forward to working closely with her to ensure that our government continues to set higher standards for governance.
Mr. Speaker, that case and the SNC-Lavalin controversy have raised questions about interference in our justice system. They have also underscored the need for independent review of decisions made by the director of public prosecutions.Will the government commit to separate the office of the attorney general from the minister of justice if re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, young people in my great riding of Saint JohnRothesay are worried about finding well-paying jobs after they graduate. Thanks to our government's investment in the youth employment strategy, more young people in Saint JohnRothesay are getting the training and skills they need to reach their full potential.Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment please update this House on what our government is doing to help young people in my riding get ahead?
Mr. Speaker, we work very closely with our Quebec colleagues.As I said yesterday, we are not in election mode, we are in construction mode. What Quebeckers expect from us is that we promptly look at projects submitted by all provinces, that we approve them according to the criteria set out in the bilateral agreement and, above all, that we announce them in time for construction season. If there is one thing that will not wait, it is construction season.We are going to move forward.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised a collaborative relationship with provinces and territories, but eight provinces and three territories opposed his no more pipelines Bill C-69, five provinces are fighting his carbon tax, and the majority of Canadians and indigenous communities all along the route support the Trans Mountain expansion and want it built. Liberals have spent billions, delayed the decision and not built an inch.Instead of fighting the provinces and pitting Canadians against each other, will the Prime Minister do what he said he would do and release a plan to approve and build the Trans Mountain expansion?
Mr. Speaker, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court as required. During this case, more than 8,000 documents from this government organization were submitted to the court. The decision to redact information was made by public servants and overseen by the court.
Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of the Canadian minerals and mining sector to our economy and to the communities across the country. Our government believes developing Canada's natural resources in cleaner, more sustainable ways will create good middle-class jobs, enhance competitiveness and reduce pollution as we move to a clean energy future. We have made significant investments to achieve these goals.In celebration of National Mining Week, could the minister update the House on steps our government has taken to ensure Canada's mining sector continues on a path to prosperous sustainable development for years to come?
Mr. Speaker, our government firmly believes in the institutions of government and respects them deeply. On this particular issue, we have asked
Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court, over 8,000 documents from seven different departments. As the Prime Minister has just said, the decision to redact information was made by public servants in this case, and overseen by the court. We met all our obligations.
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties, and I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House recognize Vice-Admiral Mark Norman for his decades of loyal service to Canada, express regret for the personal and professional hardships he endured as a result of his failed prosecution, and apologize to him and his family for what they experienced during their legal conflict with the government.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to outline in great detail our plan to tackle climate change. We negotiated it for a whole year with provinces and territories and indigenous people, and with input from Canadians. We are phasing out coal; we are investing in renewables, and we are ensuring a just transition for communities and workers. We are investing in energy efficiency so we can save people, businesses, schools and hospitals money.We are investing in clean solutions, innovators and entrepreneurs who are providing the solutions we desperately need. At the same time, we are making sure life is affordable and we are creating good jobs. It is unfortunate that the NDP does not understand that the environment and the economy have to go together. It is cancelling a project supported by the
Mr. Speaker, based on last week's decision, the deputy minister has reviewed the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's request to have his legal fees paid as they relate to this case. She gave us her opinion, and we agree with her, so that is how we will proceed. In addition, General Vance will speak with Vice-Admiral Norman about the next steps at the appropriate time.I repeat, no other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any outside contact or influence, political or otherwise, in relation to this charge. We will always respect the judicial process.
Mr. Speaker, as a cyclist myself, I realize that the point brought up by my colleague is a very important one. That is why last year we published a report that was the product of 10 provinces, three territories and the federal government putting together 57 measures that could be used to improve safety for vulnerable road users, not only cyclists but pedestrians as well. We realize how important this is. Within federal jurisdiction, we are already undertaking pilot projects to improve the visibility of large commercial trucks so truck drivers can see the cyclists.
Mr. Speaker, ever since the Federal Court of Appeal decision of August 2018, we have been working hard to fix the process that was put in place by the previous government, which led to a number of projects being challenged in the courts.We are engaged in a meaningful conversation and meaningful dialogue to offer accommodations to indigenous peoples to ensure that we move forward on this project in the right way.We are scheduled to make a decision on this project, as long as we are fulfilling our duty to consult with indigenous communities, by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are certainly in no position to lecture us.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces. In the case of Highway 19, the Government of Quebec submitted the file in September 2018. Mr. Legault's government made it a priority on October 5, 2018. We approved it on March 26, 2019, and I made the announcement on May 13, 2019.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces in time for the construction season.
As I said earlier, Mr. Speaker, we are working closely with the Quebec government.The Highway 19 project was introduced by the Government of Quebec, and Premier Legault made it a priority. As announced yesterday, the project was then approved in Ottawa.We work closely with our colleagues and respect provincial jurisdictions. There is no question that we will continue to invest in communities across the country.
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, we have heard today that the murderer of Tori Stafford is seeking compensation from the government for her unfair treatment. Canadians will remember that the Liberals moved Tori's killer from a maximum-security prison to a healing lodge until outraged Canadians forced them to reverse their decision. Will the government commit to fight her attempts at getting any taxpayer dollars for putting her back behind bars where she belongs?
Mr. Speaker, the NDP says it will be there for the people, but it just announced that it is against a project that would have created 10,000 jobs for British Columbians. The B.C. NDP supports the project. His colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley supported the project. Even so, the NDP just decided it is against this project, which would be the biggest private-sector investment in this country's history. We know that investing in the economy and protecting the environment must go hand in hand. Unfortunately, the NDP has no plan to make that happen.
Mr. Speaker, all of that happened without inviting Quebec to be present. Meanwhile, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development said he was shocked by statements made by the Premier of Quebec. The Prime Minister himself accused the Premier of Quebec of playing politics. This Prime Minister is accusing the Premier of Quebec of playing politics.His comments are disrespectful, paternalistic and condescending, which is par for the course for the sanctimonious Liberals.When will he co-operate with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised a collaborative relationship with provinces and territories, but eight provinces and three territories opposed his no more pipelines Bill C-69, five provinces are fighting his carbon tax, and the majority of Canadians and indigenous communities all along the route support the Trans Mountain expansion and want it built. Liberals have spent billions, delayed the decision and not built an inch.Instead of fighting the provinces and pitting Canadians against each other, will the Prime Minister do what he said he would do and release a plan to approve and build the Trans Mountain expansion?
Mr. Speaker, it is still absurd that the defence is still waiting for documents from the government. The Liberals claim they did nothing wrong, yet the defence minister regrets the process Vice-Admiral Norman went through. What does he regret? Was it that the Liberals withheld documents from the RCMP? Was it that they withheld documents from the public prosecutor? Was it that they withheld documents from Norman's defence team?When will the Prime Minister finally set the truth free, and will he testify at the national defence committee?
Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, the decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff. Any accusations otherwise are simply absurd. We fully respect the independence of the processes in place.Again, on the documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined relevancy and suggested redactions, subject to approval by the judge.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are certainly in no position to lecture us.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces. In the case of Highway 19, the Government of Quebec submitted the file in September 2018. Mr. Legault's government made it a priority on October 5, 2018. We approved it on March 26, 2019, and I made the announcement on May 13, 2019.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces in time for the construction season.
Mr. Speaker, once again the Prime Minister is acting as if the justice system is there to reward his friends and punish his enemies. They spent years trying to fight the release of those documents in court. There are serious allegations that need to be investigated about coaching witnesses and using code names to get around access-to-information laws.Will the Prime Minister allow the defence committee to investigate these serious allegations, or will he pull a page right out of the SNC-Lavalin playbook and use his power to shut it down?
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we respect the judiciary. We respect our independent judicial process. We will not stoop to the kinds of petty and, quite frankly, distasteful political games the members opposite are engaged in right now. They are so desperate to not talk about the economic numbers, the job growth, the impact on Canadians
Mr. Speaker, I can see why the Prime Minister does not want to answer. He is becoming the political equivalent of Monty Python's Black Knight. He speaks of independence, but it was the Prime Minister who stated that there would be a court case against Vice-Admiral Norman, and we have seen how that ended up. Last week he was defending his decision to vet judges through a Liberal donor base; the week before that he was shrugging off a political leak on a Supreme Court nominee, and the week before that, well, I am going to give him a pass today on SNC.I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. When is he going to apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and the taxpayers of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, almost every issue we talk about in the Standing Committee on Health has a mental health component, whether it is post-traumatic stress, or methamphetamine addiction, or LGBTQ issues or indigenous health. There is always a mental health common denominator.Could the Minister of Health tell us what she is doing in her department to help Canadians with mental health issues right across the board?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across this country are asking for urgent action to fight climate change, action that leaves no workers or communities behind. Other countries have done it, and Canada can too.The government bought a pipeline and is subsidizing the fossil fuel industry. That is not climate action. The Conservatives do not have a plan. Canadians want their government to act courageously on climate change. The NDP tabled a motion with concrete steps to address the climate emergency, so when is the government finally going to get serious about it?
Mr. Speaker, I guess what is advertised is that the Conservatives do not have a plan for the environment. They do not have a plan for the economy. They do not understand that climate change is a serious problem and that we can do both. We can tackle climate change and we can grow the economy. We have a plan that eliminates coal and invests in renewables. It invests in clean technologies. It invests in energy efficiency. I could go on and on.Unfortunately, the Conservative Party does not want to come together. It does not want to join Canadians and take serious action to tackle climate change and also grow our economy. We can do both; we need to do both.
Mr. Speaker, there is a reason why the NDP is calling on the Prime Minister to declare a climate and environmental emergency. We are still waiting for the Liberal government's plan, which, to date, has involved purchasing an old pipeline and continuing to subsidize fossil fuels.People in BerthierMaskinongé and other areas of Quebec have been hard hit by the recent flooding. Because of climate change, extreme natural disasters will become increasingly common. We still need the Canadian army.Can the federal government confirm that soldiers will remain in place to help seniors and other residents clean up and remove the sandbags?
Mr. Speaker, we certainly recognize the climate emergency, which is why we have a motion on the climate emergency.On the one hand, there is the Conservative Party, which has no climate plan and no economic plan. The Conservatives are saying things that are not true about the price on pollution. On the other hand, there is the NDP, which is flip-flopping on the LNG project, the largest investment in Canadian history, which will help developing countries phase out carbon. We must combat climate change and grow our economy at the same time. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are obviously still putting rich companies ahead of ordinary people and, in the process, they tarnished a man's reputation. The Liberals are once again caught up in a political interference scandal, and once again it is all about getting re-elected. They have also wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. People deserve transparency in the Vice-Admiral Norman case.Why are the Liberals refusing to tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, our government firmly believes in the institutions of government and respects them deeply. On this particular issue, we have asked
Mr. Speaker, part of my riding is rural. There is no public transit. The sky-high gas prices are forcing them to make very difficult decisions about essentials. We have single mums who cannot afford to fill their tanks. We have seniors who are having difficulties making ends meet. We have small businesses that have no choice but to cut jobs or cut wages. The Prime Minister says this is exactly what he wants. Could the minister explain exactly what he wants? Why sky-high gas prices for rural communities?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister ordered documents to be withheld that could have cleared Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's name months ago. We are now learning that these documents may have been withheld from both the RCMP and the public prosecutor. How can the Liberals claim they did not interfere in this process when they refused to hand over the evidence?
Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court, over 8,000 documents from seven different departments. As the Prime Minister has just said, the decision to redact information was made by public servants in this case, and overseen by the court. We met all our obligations.
Mr. Speaker, the case to which the hon. member referred was handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which is independent from the government and independent from the Department of Justice.My office had no role whatsoever in the handling of this prosecution. That includes the decision to lay charges and the decision to stay charges, as well as the prosecution in-between.
As I said earlier, Mr. Speaker, we are working closely with the Quebec government.The Highway 19 project was introduced by the Government of Quebec, and Premier Legault made it a priority. As announced yesterday, the project was then approved in Ottawa.We work closely with our colleagues and respect provincial jurisdictions. There is no question that we will continue to invest in communities across the country.
Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member on the opposition side and his party were really serious on moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way, they would not have voted to shut down the consultation process and kill this project and the process that we have put in place. We are working hard on this project. We are moving forward with meaningful consultation with the indigenous community. We are scheduled to make a decision on this project by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is well aware that committees operate independently from the government. We will wait for the committee's deliberations.Regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted, when it stayed the charge, that 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. Any accusation to the contrary from the opposition is absurd and baseless.
Mr. Speaker, climate change has become a climate emergency. It is hard to take the Liberals seriously when they adopt ridiculously low targets, buy a pipeline, and create marine protected areas where oil development is permitted. Knowing that 41% of Quebec's emissions come from the transportation sector, announcing a high-frequency train in the most densely populated corridor in Canada would be part of the solution to the climate emergency.When will there be real action?
Mr. Speaker, that case and the SNC-Lavalin controversy have raised questions about interference in our justice system. They have also underscored the need for independent review of decisions made by the director of public prosecutions.Will the government commit to separate the office of the attorney general from the minister of justice if re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, once again, our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by the flooding and the first responders who are working hard to keep people safe.Our government is doing everything it can to support response efforts in the affected parts of the country.We remind people that they must be extremely careful. Those affected should continue to follow the instructions and guidance of municipal law enforcement agencies and first responders.Canadians can rest assured that the Canadian Armed Forces will support and serve alongside our federal, provincial and municipal partners, who work diligently on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the NDP jumping on the Conservative bandwagon because the NDP's approach on climate change and the economy has simply fallen flat. We continue to respect the independence of the judiciary. We always will. Measures were brought forward against the vice-admiral at the direction of the chief of defence staff. That is known by everyone. The New Democrats are stuck, so they are slinging mud too, like the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we understand that committees operate independently and make their own decisions about how to proceed. This is yet again another example of the Conservatives wanting to talk about anything other than the economy, anything other than our budget, anything other than what we have been doing to help create jobs for Canadians, to lift 825,000 Canadians out of poverty, bring in the lowest unemployment in 40 years and keep doing the things for the middle class that Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, speaking of the climate emergency, I want to point out that the majority of young people realize that climate change is a serious issue. As part of the government's youth policy, a number of young people submitted briefs calling on the government to stop subsidizing oil companies. The government, however, continues to hand over millions of dollars to this industry.The NDP recognizes that climate action is urgently needed. We are calling for ambitious GHG reduction targets and an end to the Trans Mountain project.Does the government recognize that action is urgently needed? Will it support the NDP's motion and declare an environmental and climate emergency?
Mr. Speaker, in the last few months the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of his former attorney general and the former president of the Treasury Board over the government's unethical conduct and interference in judicial independence. Last week, the case against Vice-Admiral Norman fell apart just as we learned that a former star general, the Liberal MP for Orléans, was about to testify against his own government.My question is for the Prime Minister, and it is about his credibility. If he cannot hold the trust of respected Liberals, how is he going to hold the trust of the Canadian people?
Mr. Speaker, again, the committees operate independently from the government, and my colleague knows it. I am sure that is hard for him to grasp, considering who was controlling the committees under the Harper government.Again, regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted that no other factors were considered in that 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. Any accusation to the contrary is completely absurd.Canadians can have confidence in our justice system. They must not allow themselves to be misled by the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is the Liberals have the same emission targets as the Conservatives. Both of them love pipelines and both would exempt the biggest polluters from paying.Declaring a climate emergency must mean more than just words. That is why our motion calls for ending fossil fuel subsidies and cancelling the Trans Mountain pipeline, which puts our coastline at risk and indigenous communities into disrespect. I am inviting the government to join in our vision for a climate change plan that leaves no worker or community behind. Will the Prime Minister support our motion?
Mr. Speaker, I already talked about the fact that under our climate plan, we are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back.However, let us talk about all the other measures that are helping single mums in the member opposite's riding. The Canada child benefit raised 300,000 children out of poverty. We have lowered taxes on the middle class, asking the 1% to pay a little more. We created a million jobs so single moms could have good jobs. We have lowered taxes on small businesses. from 11% to 9%, and created a million jobs for Canadians.We are going to continue taking action on climate change. We are going to continue growing the economy. We are doing it in a way that is affordable and gets people ahead.
Mr. Speaker, gas prices are skyrocketing throughout Canada, but in British Columbia we have the highest prices in North America. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that high gas prices are exactly what he wants. Everyone knows that the approval and construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline would help drop the price of gas.When will the Prime Minister get serious about giving Canadians a break and get the pipeline built?
Mr. Speaker, as a cyclist myself, I realize that the point brought up by my colleague is a very important one. That is why last year we published a report that was the product of 10 provinces, three territories and the federal government putting together 57 measures that could be used to improve safety for vulnerable road users, not only cyclists but pedestrians as well. We realize how important this is. Within federal jurisdiction, we are already undertaking pilot projects to improve the visibility of large commercial trucks so truck drivers can see the cyclists.
Mr. Speaker, fortunately, when I was in the private sector I had the opportunity to make investments to grow a business. This was very successful, and what we have done here is similar. We decided that the Conservatives had a bad approach that led to too much unemployment and too little growth.With our approach we are investing for Canadians and have reached another level of growth and the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. This approach is working for our economy.
Mr. Speaker, my department's only involvement was to provide government records in response to a request from the defence to help support the defence of Vice-Admiral Norman. The Department of Justice processed these 52 requests on behalf of seven departments. The process of determining whether documents were relevant and whether any redactions were necessary was made and conducted by civil servants and then verified by the court. It was up to the court to make the final decision as to whether or not information would be redacted, not the government.
Mr. Speaker, the Quebec government builds our infrastructure, not Ottawa. The Canada-Quebec agreement is clear on this. Infrastructure is a provincial and municipal responsibility. However, Ottawa is trying to impose conditions on us, and the result is a tramway project in Quebec that has been stopped in its tracks. Our projects are going nowhere because Ottawa prefers to argue.Will the minister stop creating conflicts and send Quebec the infrastructure funding as a lump sum with no strings attached, as the Quebec government has asked?
Mr. Speaker, we work very closely with our Quebec colleagues.As I said yesterday, we are not in election mode, we are in construction mode. What Quebeckers expect from us is that we promptly look at projects submitted by all provinces, that we approve them according to the criteria set out in the bilateral agreement and, above all, that we announce them in time for construction season. If there is one thing that will not wait, it is construction season.We are going to move forward.
Mr. Speaker, based on last week's decision, the deputy minister has reviewed the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's request to have his legal fees paid as they relate to this case. She gave us her opinion, and we agree with her, so that is how we will proceed. In addition, General Vance will speak with Vice-Admiral Norman about the next steps at the appropriate time.I repeat, no other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any outside contact or influence, political or otherwise, in relation to this charge. We will always respect the judicial process.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his weekly reminder of the high-frequency train.I want to assure him that we continue to work on this complex and very important file. When we have something to say, he will be informed.
Mr. Speaker, where are we headed? We are headed to taking serious action on climate change while growing our economy.Let us look at the facts. We have had to put a price on pollution because we have provinces led by Conservative premiers who do not seem to think climate change is a problem and do not seem to understand the economic opportunity of clean growth.We are giving money back to Canadians. That is in the legislation. Eighty percent of families will be better off. A family in Ontario will get $307.Did the member opposite cash his climate action incentive rebate?
Mr. Speaker, once again the Liberals put their billionaire buddies ahead of doing the right thing, as in the case of Mark Norman. Let us review. A multi-billion-dollar contract was in trouble and their rich friends again needed help, so they made Mark Norman the fall guy. The Liberals withheld key documents, even from the prosecution. Then the Prime Minister called for charges well before they were laid. The Liberals were again caught wasting millions of public dollars helping their rich friends for political gain.Will the Prime Minister now apologize to Mark Norman and to taxpayers for this travesty?
Mr. Speaker, it is not at all clear what the status of any alleged court proceeding might be. Indeed, the media coverage with respect to the judge's comments would indicate that he is not clear what the status is. The member can be assured that the Government of Canada will very strongly defend its position.
Mr. Speaker, ever since the Federal Court of Appeal decision of August 2018, we have been working hard to fix the process that was put in place by the previous government, which led to a number of projects being challenged in the courts.We are engaged in a meaningful conversation and meaningful dialogue to offer accommodations to indigenous peoples to ensure that we move forward on this project in the right way.We are scheduled to make a decision on this project, as long as we are fulfilling our duty to consult with indigenous communities, by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from CumberlandColchester for his hard work on the health committee as the chair.As someone whose first job was as a mental health counsellor, I am proud to be a member of a government that has made a historic investment of $5 billion in the area of mental health and addiction services. We are also targeting our efforts to support the mental health of young Canadians, indigenous peoples, the LGBTQ community, black Canadians, veterans and so much more. I am proud of these efforts and we will not stop until every Canadian gets the help and assistance they need when it comes to mental health.
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties, and I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House recognize Vice-Admiral Mark Norman for his decades of loyal service to Canada, express regret for the personal and professional hardships he endured as a result of his failed prosecution, and apologize to him and his family for what they experienced during their legal conflict with the government.
Mr. Speaker, in his attempt to take a contract away from the Davie shipyard, the Prime Minister deliberately tarnished Vice-Admiral Norman's reputation. Even though 73 people were aware of what was going on, the only name he sent to the RCMP was Mark Norman's. The Prime Minister also said there would be a trial before that was actually the case.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, as co-founder and co-chair of the parliamentary all-party cycling caucus, I am pleased to share that today is Bike Day on the Hill. Approximately 200,000 Canadians cycle to work, which is good for their health and our environment. Sadly, on average, 75,000 Canadians are seriously injured while cycling each year and 74 cyclists are killed. Many tragedies can be prevented with improved cycling infrastructure and side guards on heavy trucks. We must do better to keep Canadians safe. The NDP is calling for a national cycling strategy. Will the government get on board and help make Canada a cycling nation?
Mr. Speaker, instead of making grand statements, I invite the minister to reread the Canada-Quebec infrastructure agreement. It states that Canada's role in any Project is limited to making a financial contribution, and that it will have no involvement in the implementation...or...operation. Canada is neither a decision-maker nor an administrator.The minister's election announcement about Highway 19 is nothing but talk. Not even one centimetre of the highway will be built. Instead of arguing, the government should transfer the lump sum to Quebec.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this file started. On the eve of the 2015 election, Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar, sole-sourced project. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is exactly what we did.In regard to documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined the relevancy and suggested redactions. This was all subject to approval
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are being very disrespectful and condescending towards Quebec, which was completely ignored in yesterday's federal-provincial infrastructure announcement. Minister Bonnardel, the Quebec minister of transport, spoke with the Liberal government and tried to work in partnership with it. How did this Liberal government respond to Quebec's request? It said no.Why do this Liberal Prime Minister and this Liberal government refuse to work in partnership with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has finally decided to answer some questions on the Mark Norman affair. He has had plenty of time to rehearse the script and memorize the lines, and I have no doubt that he is going to talk about the specific decision to stay the charges against Mark Norman being free from political interference. However, what I would like to know is about all the evidence of other interference in this case, including his government going to great lengths to block documents from being presented to court. Why did the government go to such efforts to prevent the truth from coming out?
Mr. Speaker, it is probably good to get the facts on the table. There has been a 1¢ increase in the price of gas in B.C. as related to the price on pollution.Let us be clear with what we are doing. We are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back. We are taking serious action.What is the party opposite doing? It is having secret meetings with oil lobbyists to develop its yet-to-be-seen climate plan.We need to take action on climate change. We owe it to our kids. We have a huge economic opportunity. I am very proud that we are taking action, and we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives warned that the carbon tax would be a cash grab, the Prime Minister said, no, that we should look at the B.C. Liberals who brought in a revenue-neutral carbon tax, where taxpayers would get back as much as they paid in. However, this was not as advertised. In fact, it has cost $1 billion more to British Columbia taxpayers than they have been given back and gas prices are now $1.80 a litre, something the Prime Minister celebrates as exactly what we want.Are we not headed to $1.80-a-litre gas price if he is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister claims that Canada is on track to meet the Paris targets, but we know that is not true. The evidence is overwhelming that the Liberals will miss those targets by a country mile. Canadians are worried about carbon taxes and the skyrocketing price of gas at the pump. It has become very clear that the Liberals do not have a climate plan; they have a tax plan.Will the minister now admit that her plan does absolutely nothing for the environment and is not as advertised?
Mr. Speaker, let us see if they really did do better than advertised.Four years ago, the current Minister of Finance left Bay Street and offered his services to Canadians as a good steward of the public purse. One of his promises was to run very small deficits for three years before delivering a zero deficit in 2019. What he actually delivered was three huge deficits and a $20-billion deficit in 2019.Could the Minister of Finance stand up and apologize to Canadians for breaking his promise, or rather, for lying to them?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister gave $10.5 million to Omar Khadr, a convicted terrorist, so that he would not have to fight him in court, but when it comes to a decorated naval officer who has put his career into making Canadians safe, the Prime Minister spared no expense fighting him in court. Why the double standard?
Mr. Speaker, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court as required. During this case, more than 8,000 documents from this government organization were submitted to the court. The decision to redact information was made by public servants and overseen by the court.
Mr. Speaker, when will the Conservative Party listen to the science on climate change?We have a motion to debate the emerging climate emergency in Canada. Let us talk about the science. Scientists have shown that Canada is warming at twice the global average, and three times or more in the north. In the national capital region, people are still suffering from flooding. This is a flood that was supposed to happen once every 100 years, and it has now happened twice in two years.We need to take action on climate change. Why does the Conservative Party not join us in taking serious action on climate change and also growing our economy? We are very proud that we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, all the minister does is bring up even more questions and answers we simply do not have. Perhaps we should go back to what the counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said at the press conference: No person in this country should ever walk into a courtroom and feel like they are fighting their elected government. Vice-Admiral Norman himself said: There are lots of questions that need to be asked and answered about this whole process. I think some people that have been involved in this need to reflect on what happened and why it happened, and their role in that. What does the Minister of Justice think about his role in this cover-up?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Saint JohnRothesay's preamble was absolutely spot-on. After 10 years of Conservative rule, we saw the highest youth unemployment records in the history of the country. After three and a half years of Liberal rule, we now see the lowest records in the history of youth unemployment in this country, because we said we would invest in innovation and we would invest in skills training. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we did, even better than advertised.
Mr. Speaker, maybe the government should actually listen to the premiers of the provinces.Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick are all fighting the Liberal carbon tax. They understand that meaningful action to safeguard the environment does not mean that life has to be unaffordable for Canadians. In fact, the carbon tax is not an environmental plan. It is a tax plan.Instead of forcing provinces to fight him in court, when will the Prime Minister start working with them?
Mr. Speaker, on the Mark Norman case, it has been refreshing to hear the federal NDP leader speak up for due process.
What is the NPD's plan exactly, Mr. Speaker? Their plan changes every day. We have always said that we need to protect the environment while growing the economy.Yesterday, the NDP leader did a complete 180 on the LNG Canada project. Now, he is opposed to the biggest private investment in the history of Canada, a project that has the support of the B.C. NDP and indigenous communities. With this 180° turn, he is standing against 10,000 good jobs for residents of British Columbia. We know that we need to take action and that we must grow.
Mr. Speaker, why does Canada need the Asterix and the Obelix? Because the Preserver and the Protecteur are out of commission and there was a fire aboard one of them. This is a national emergency for the Royal Canadian Navy. Vice-Admiral Norman understood that. The Prime Minister dragged him through the mud. Now he can redeem himself.When will he place the order for the Obelix? That is what 1,200 laid-off Davie shipyard workers would like to know. They worked for Canada and are ready to do so again.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this all started. On the eve of the 2015 election, the Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar sole-sourced contract. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is what we did, and it is what any government should to. The decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff.
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the NDP cannot talk about leaving no worker behind when yesterday he decided to stand against 10,000 good jobs for British Columbians by opposing the largest private sector investment in Canada's history with LNG Canada, a project that his own colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley, highlighted worked extraordinarily well with indigenous communities to get the right project built in a way that is forward-thinking and responsible.The NDP is completely inconsistent in its approach not just on the economy, but on the environment now too.
Mr. Speaker, this all happened when the whole world was experiencing economic growth, boosted by the American economy, which was not the case when the Conservatives were in power. As a result, Canadians are investing 66% more in the United States and the Americans are investing 50% less in Canada. This message does not lie.Can the Minister of Finance tell us how many times he ran deficits at his company when he was on Bay Street?
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the Conservatives stuck, not being able to do anything but sling mud, because a million Canadians have new jobs, because the Canadian economy is going well. We lowered unemployment to record levels. We are continuing to work for the middle class
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal cheque bounced, as always and as we said it would, just like it did in British Columbia where the government said that taxpayers would be better off by paying high gas prices, but it turned out they were ripped off by $1 billion in overtaxation. In that province, gas has reached $1.80 a litre, the highest price in the history of North America, which is exactly what the Prime Minister says he wants.Again, are we not headed to $1.80 for gas if the Prime Minister is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his hard work. The mining sector supports over 600,000 good middle-class jobs across the country. It is the second-largest private sector employer of indigenous peoples in Canada. Our government stands behind this sector. That is why we extended the mineral exploration tax credit for a full five years and launched the minerals and metals plan. Workers in the sector help empower our clean economy. We wish them a very happy National Mining Week.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to outline in great detail our plan to tackle climate change. We negotiated it for a whole year with provinces and territories and indigenous people, and with input from Canadians. We are phasing out coal; we are investing in renewables, and we are ensuring a just transition for communities and workers. We are investing in energy efficiency so we can save people, businesses, schools and hospitals money.We are investing in clean solutions, innovators and entrepreneurs who are providing the solutions we desperately need. At the same time, we are making sure life is affordable and we are creating good jobs. It is unfortunate that the NDP does not understand that the environment and the economy have to go together. It is cancelling a project supported by the
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice has stood here in the House and indicated that the government handed over all the documents it was asked for. That is patently untrue, and I have proof.The counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said, It took six months to get documents, and as we sit here today, and as we walked out of that courtroom, we still did not have all of them. She said there were thousands of documents they had not received. She went on to say, I want to make it very clear that we, the defence, had to bring this motion, at great expense to Vice-Admiral Norman, to get at those records. She said only the government had access, and that it was obviously the government that was standing in the way of that full disclosure.
Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, we have asked a former minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, the hon. Anne McLellan, to look into this matter and give us her recommendations. Her track record is impressive, and she understands the various pressures that come along with this position. I look forward to working closely with her to ensure that our government continues to set higher standards for governance.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals willingly withheld documents in the Asterix file. These documents would have given the RCMP and the prosecution a more complete picture of the situation for their investigation.Furthermore, the Liberals knew that Mark Norman's defence counsel needed those documents to make its case, but the Liberals never agreed to provide them.Why did the Prime Minister not give these documents to all those who needed them to mount Vice-Admiral Norman's defence?
Mr. Speaker, young people in my great riding of Saint JohnRothesay are worried about finding well-paying jobs after they graduate. Thanks to our government's investment in the youth employment strategy, more young people in Saint JohnRothesay are getting the training and skills they need to reach their full potential.Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment please update this House on what our government is doing to help young people in my riding get ahead?
Mr. Speaker, people across the country count on their government to present a climate change strategy that makes reconciliation a priority, sets ambitious targets, takes real action to reduce emissions and invests in clean energy.The government needs to have the courage to act, while creating good jobs and making life more affordable for Canadians.Will the Prime Minister adopt the NDP's plan to really fight climate change?
Mr. Speaker, once again, our government is 100% committed to strengthening the Royal Canadian Navy and ensuring that it has the resources it needs to serve Canadians.The Davie shipyard employees delivered the Asterix, and we know they did excellent work. Our government relies on official advice from the Department of National Defence and the armed forces to assess the navy's needs. The commander of the navy publicly stated that there is no immediate need for a second temporary supply ship and that he is satisfied with the services provided by the Asterix.Our government has complete confidence in the navy's advice and will continue to invest in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of the Canadian minerals and mining sector to our economy and to the communities across the country. Our government believes developing Canada's natural resources in cleaner, more sustainable ways will create good middle-class jobs, enhance competitiveness and reduce pollution as we move to a clean energy future. We have made significant investments to achieve these goals.In celebration of National Mining Week, could the minister update the House on steps our government has taken to ensure Canada's mining sector continues on a path to prosperous sustainable development for years to come?
Mr. Speaker, this is a perfect opportunity for me to talk about what we have done over the past four years.Things are going great for Canadians across the country, with over a million jobs created in four years and the lowest unemployment rate in about 40 years.Four years ago, unemployment was too high, and growth was too low. We are better off now thanks to our policies.
Mr. Speaker, this government went to great lengths to block those documents from coming to court. There are many occasions when this government proved it was going to great lengths to prevent the truth from coming out, including coaching witnesses and departmental officials and using code words to avoid access-to-information laws.Does the Prime Minister believe that this is normal behaviour for a government when a decorated vice-admiral is fighting for his career, his reputation and his personal freedom?
Mr. Speaker, I have full confidence in our judicial and parliamentary institutions. The process was designed to make sure that the defendant had every opportunity to access the information relevant to his case and to challenge any decision not to disclose part or all of some document. Canadians can rest assured that this process worked and that the justice system is intact.As Vice-Admiral Norman's own counsel said, our justice system is truly unassailable.
Mr. Speaker, only a Conservative member would be against a project to improve road travel in Montreal. People in the suburbs north of Montreal have been waiting for this project since 1970. We are proud to have invested $345 million to reduce congestion in the suburbs north of Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the extension of Highway 19 between Highway 440 and Highway 640. We are proud to have invested in the rehabilitation of Pie-IX Bridge in Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the construction of a reserved lane for bus rapid transit, carpooling and electric vehicles.We will continue to invest in all communities across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, they always blame others.The Prime Minister should be ashamed for having tarnished the reputation of Admiral Norman. Instead of showing remorse, the Liberals are trying to hide their plot against Admiral Norman by staying the charges against him. If the Prime Minister had disclosed the documents the defence requested, the RCMP and the prosecutor never would have laid charges against Admiral Norman. Is that true or false?The Prime Minister betrayed one of our best soldiers. Will the Prime Minister let us get to the bottom of this case and allow the Standing Committee on National Defence to investigate?
Mr. Speaker, we have heard today that the murderer of Tori Stafford is seeking compensation from the government for her unfair treatment. Canadians will remember that the Liberals moved Tori's killer from a maximum-security prison to a healing lodge until outraged Canadians forced them to reverse their decision. Will the government commit to fight her attempts at getting any taxpayer dollars for putting her back behind bars where she belongs?
Mr. Speaker, the NDP says it will be there for the people, but it just announced that it is against a project that would have created 10,000 jobs for British Columbians. The B.C. NDP supports the project. His colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley supported the project. Even so, the NDP just decided it is against this project, which would be the biggest private-sector investment in this country's history. We know that investing in the economy and protecting the environment must go hand in hand. Unfortunately, the NDP has no plan to make that happen.
Mr. Speaker, all of that happened without inviting Quebec to be present. Meanwhile, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development said he was shocked by statements made by the Premier of Quebec. The Prime Minister himself accused the Premier of Quebec of playing politics. This Prime Minister is accusing the Premier of Quebec of playing politics.His comments are disrespectful, paternalistic and condescending, which is par for the course for the sanctimonious Liberals.When will he co-operate with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised a collaborative relationship with provinces and territories, but eight provinces and three territories opposed his no more pipelines Bill C-69, five provinces are fighting his carbon tax, and the majority of Canadians and indigenous communities all along the route support the Trans Mountain expansion and want it built. Liberals have spent billions, delayed the decision and not built an inch.Instead of fighting the provinces and pitting Canadians against each other, will the Prime Minister do what he said he would do and release a plan to approve and build the Trans Mountain expansion?
Mr. Speaker, it is still absurd that the defence is still waiting for documents from the government. The Liberals claim they did nothing wrong, yet the defence minister regrets the process Vice-Admiral Norman went through. What does he regret? Was it that the Liberals withheld documents from the RCMP? Was it that they withheld documents from the public prosecutor? Was it that they withheld documents from Norman's defence team?When will the Prime Minister finally set the truth free, and will he testify at the national defence committee?
Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, the decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff. Any accusations otherwise are simply absurd. We fully respect the independence of the processes in place.Again, on the documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined relevancy and suggested redactions, subject to approval by the judge.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are certainly in no position to lecture us.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces. In the case of Highway 19, the Government of Quebec submitted the file in September 2018. Mr. Legault's government made it a priority on October 5, 2018. We approved it on March 26, 2019, and I made the announcement on May 13, 2019.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces in time for the construction season.
Mr. Speaker, once again the Prime Minister is acting as if the justice system is there to reward his friends and punish his enemies. They spent years trying to fight the release of those documents in court. There are serious allegations that need to be investigated about coaching witnesses and using code names to get around access-to-information laws.Will the Prime Minister allow the defence committee to investigate these serious allegations, or will he pull a page right out of the SNC-Lavalin playbook and use his power to shut it down?
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we respect the judiciary. We respect our independent judicial process. We will not stoop to the kinds of petty and, quite frankly, distasteful political games the members opposite are engaged in right now. They are so desperate to not talk about the economic numbers, the job growth, the impact on Canadians
Mr. Speaker, I can see why the Prime Minister does not want to answer. He is becoming the political equivalent of Monty Python's Black Knight. He speaks of independence, but it was the Prime Minister who stated that there would be a court case against Vice-Admiral Norman, and we have seen how that ended up. Last week he was defending his decision to vet judges through a Liberal donor base; the week before that he was shrugging off a political leak on a Supreme Court nominee, and the week before that, well, I am going to give him a pass today on SNC.I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. When is he going to apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and the taxpayers of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, almost every issue we talk about in the Standing Committee on Health has a mental health component, whether it is post-traumatic stress, or methamphetamine addiction, or LGBTQ issues or indigenous health. There is always a mental health common denominator.Could the Minister of Health tell us what she is doing in her department to help Canadians with mental health issues right across the board?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across this country are asking for urgent action to fight climate change, action that leaves no workers or communities behind. Other countries have done it, and Canada can too.The government bought a pipeline and is subsidizing the fossil fuel industry. That is not climate action. The Conservatives do not have a plan. Canadians want their government to act courageously on climate change. The NDP tabled a motion with concrete steps to address the climate emergency, so when is the government finally going to get serious about it?
Mr. Speaker, I guess what is advertised is that the Conservatives do not have a plan for the environment. They do not have a plan for the economy. They do not understand that climate change is a serious problem and that we can do both. We can tackle climate change and we can grow the economy. We have a plan that eliminates coal and invests in renewables. It invests in clean technologies. It invests in energy efficiency. I could go on and on.Unfortunately, the Conservative Party does not want to come together. It does not want to join Canadians and take serious action to tackle climate change and also grow our economy. We can do both; we need to do both.
Mr. Speaker, there is a reason why the NDP is calling on the Prime Minister to declare a climate and environmental emergency. We are still waiting for the Liberal government's plan, which, to date, has involved purchasing an old pipeline and continuing to subsidize fossil fuels.People in BerthierMaskinongé and other areas of Quebec have been hard hit by the recent flooding. Because of climate change, extreme natural disasters will become increasingly common. We still need the Canadian army.Can the federal government confirm that soldiers will remain in place to help seniors and other residents clean up and remove the sandbags?
Mr. Speaker, we certainly recognize the climate emergency, which is why we have a motion on the climate emergency.On the one hand, there is the Conservative Party, which has no climate plan and no economic plan. The Conservatives are saying things that are not true about the price on pollution. On the other hand, there is the NDP, which is flip-flopping on the LNG project, the largest investment in Canadian history, which will help developing countries phase out carbon. We must combat climate change and grow our economy at the same time. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are obviously still putting rich companies ahead of ordinary people and, in the process, they tarnished a man's reputation. The Liberals are once again caught up in a political interference scandal, and once again it is all about getting re-elected. They have also wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. People deserve transparency in the Vice-Admiral Norman case.Why are the Liberals refusing to tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, our government firmly believes in the institutions of government and respects them deeply. On this particular issue, we have asked
Mr. Speaker, part of my riding is rural. There is no public transit. The sky-high gas prices are forcing them to make very difficult decisions about essentials. We have single mums who cannot afford to fill their tanks. We have seniors who are having difficulties making ends meet. We have small businesses that have no choice but to cut jobs or cut wages. The Prime Minister says this is exactly what he wants. Could the minister explain exactly what he wants? Why sky-high gas prices for rural communities?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister ordered documents to be withheld that could have cleared Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's name months ago. We are now learning that these documents may have been withheld from both the RCMP and the public prosecutor. How can the Liberals claim they did not interfere in this process when they refused to hand over the evidence?
Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court, over 8,000 documents from seven different departments. As the Prime Minister has just said, the decision to redact information was made by public servants in this case, and overseen by the court. We met all our obligations.
Mr. Speaker, the case to which the hon. member referred was handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which is independent from the government and independent from the Department of Justice.My office had no role whatsoever in the handling of this prosecution. That includes the decision to lay charges and the decision to stay charges, as well as the prosecution in-between.
As I said earlier, Mr. Speaker, we are working closely with the Quebec government.The Highway 19 project was introduced by the Government of Quebec, and Premier Legault made it a priority. As announced yesterday, the project was then approved in Ottawa.We work closely with our colleagues and respect provincial jurisdictions. There is no question that we will continue to invest in communities across the country.
Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member on the opposition side and his party were really serious on moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way, they would not have voted to shut down the consultation process and kill this project and the process that we have put in place. We are working hard on this project. We are moving forward with meaningful consultation with the indigenous community. We are scheduled to make a decision on this project by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is well aware that committees operate independently from the government. We will wait for the committee's deliberations.Regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted, when it stayed the charge, that 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. Any accusation to the contrary from the opposition is absurd and baseless.
Mr. Speaker, climate change has become a climate emergency. It is hard to take the Liberals seriously when they adopt ridiculously low targets, buy a pipeline, and create marine protected areas where oil development is permitted. Knowing that 41% of Quebec's emissions come from the transportation sector, announcing a high-frequency train in the most densely populated corridor in Canada would be part of the solution to the climate emergency.When will there be real action?
Mr. Speaker, that case and the SNC-Lavalin controversy have raised questions about interference in our justice system. They have also underscored the need for independent review of decisions made by the director of public prosecutions.Will the government commit to separate the office of the attorney general from the minister of justice if re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, once again, our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by the flooding and the first responders who are working hard to keep people safe.Our government is doing everything it can to support response efforts in the affected parts of the country.We remind people that they must be extremely careful. Those affected should continue to follow the instructions and guidance of municipal law enforcement agencies and first responders.Canadians can rest assured that the Canadian Armed Forces will support and serve alongside our federal, provincial and municipal partners, who work diligently on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the NDP jumping on the Conservative bandwagon because the NDP's approach on climate change and the economy has simply fallen flat. We continue to respect the independence of the judiciary. We always will. Measures were brought forward against the vice-admiral at the direction of the chief of defence staff. That is known by everyone. The New Democrats are stuck, so they are slinging mud too, like the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we understand that committees operate independently and make their own decisions about how to proceed. This is yet again another example of the Conservatives wanting to talk about anything other than the economy, anything other than our budget, anything other than what we have been doing to help create jobs for Canadians, to lift 825,000 Canadians out of poverty, bring in the lowest unemployment in 40 years and keep doing the things for the middle class that Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, speaking of the climate emergency, I want to point out that the majority of young people realize that climate change is a serious issue. As part of the government's youth policy, a number of young people submitted briefs calling on the government to stop subsidizing oil companies. The government, however, continues to hand over millions of dollars to this industry.The NDP recognizes that climate action is urgently needed. We are calling for ambitious GHG reduction targets and an end to the Trans Mountain project.Does the government recognize that action is urgently needed? Will it support the NDP's motion and declare an environmental and climate emergency?
Mr. Speaker, in the last few months the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of his former attorney general and the former president of the Treasury Board over the government's unethical conduct and interference in judicial independence. Last week, the case against Vice-Admiral Norman fell apart just as we learned that a former star general, the Liberal MP for Orléans, was about to testify against his own government.My question is for the Prime Minister, and it is about his credibility. If he cannot hold the trust of respected Liberals, how is he going to hold the trust of the Canadian people?
Mr. Speaker, again, the committees operate independently from the government, and my colleague knows it. I am sure that is hard for him to grasp, considering who was controlling the committees under the Harper government.Again, regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted that no other factors were considered in that 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. Any accusation to the contrary is completely absurd.Canadians can have confidence in our justice system. They must not allow themselves to be misled by the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is the Liberals have the same emission targets as the Conservatives. Both of them love pipelines and both would exempt the biggest polluters from paying.Declaring a climate emergency must mean more than just words. That is why our motion calls for ending fossil fuel subsidies and cancelling the Trans Mountain pipeline, which puts our coastline at risk and indigenous communities into disrespect. I am inviting the government to join in our vision for a climate change plan that leaves no worker or community behind. Will the Prime Minister support our motion?
Mr. Speaker, I already talked about the fact that under our climate plan, we are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back.However, let us talk about all the other measures that are helping single mums in the member opposite's riding. The Canada child benefit raised 300,000 children out of poverty. We have lowered taxes on the middle class, asking the 1% to pay a little more. We created a million jobs so single moms could have good jobs. We have lowered taxes on small businesses. from 11% to 9%, and created a million jobs for Canadians.We are going to continue taking action on climate change. We are going to continue growing the economy. We are doing it in a way that is affordable and gets people ahead.
Mr. Speaker, gas prices are skyrocketing throughout Canada, but in British Columbia we have the highest prices in North America. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that high gas prices are exactly what he wants. Everyone knows that the approval and construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline would help drop the price of gas.When will the Prime Minister get serious about giving Canadians a break and get the pipeline built?
Mr. Speaker, as a cyclist myself, I realize that the point brought up by my colleague is a very important one. That is why last year we published a report that was the product of 10 provinces, three territories and the federal government putting together 57 measures that could be used to improve safety for vulnerable road users, not only cyclists but pedestrians as well. We realize how important this is. Within federal jurisdiction, we are already undertaking pilot projects to improve the visibility of large commercial trucks so truck drivers can see the cyclists.
Mr. Speaker, fortunately, when I was in the private sector I had the opportunity to make investments to grow a business. This was very successful, and what we have done here is similar. We decided that the Conservatives had a bad approach that led to too much unemployment and too little growth.With our approach we are investing for Canadians and have reached another level of growth and the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. This approach is working for our economy.
Mr. Speaker, my department's only involvement was to provide government records in response to a request from the defence to help support the defence of Vice-Admiral Norman. The Department of Justice processed these 52 requests on behalf of seven departments. The process of determining whether documents were relevant and whether any redactions were necessary was made and conducted by civil servants and then verified by the court. It was up to the court to make the final decision as to whether or not information would be redacted, not the government.
Mr. Speaker, the Quebec government builds our infrastructure, not Ottawa. The Canada-Quebec agreement is clear on this. Infrastructure is a provincial and municipal responsibility. However, Ottawa is trying to impose conditions on us, and the result is a tramway project in Quebec that has been stopped in its tracks. Our projects are going nowhere because Ottawa prefers to argue.Will the minister stop creating conflicts and send Quebec the infrastructure funding as a lump sum with no strings attached, as the Quebec government has asked?
Mr. Speaker, we work very closely with our Quebec colleagues.As I said yesterday, we are not in election mode, we are in construction mode. What Quebeckers expect from us is that we promptly look at projects submitted by all provinces, that we approve them according to the criteria set out in the bilateral agreement and, above all, that we announce them in time for construction season. If there is one thing that will not wait, it is construction season.We are going to move forward.
Mr. Speaker, based on last week's decision, the deputy minister has reviewed the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's request to have his legal fees paid as they relate to this case. She gave us her opinion, and we agree with her, so that is how we will proceed. In addition, General Vance will speak with Vice-Admiral Norman about the next steps at the appropriate time.I repeat, no other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any outside contact or influence, political or otherwise, in relation to this charge. We will always respect the judicial process.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his weekly reminder of the high-frequency train.I want to assure him that we continue to work on this complex and very important file. When we have something to say, he will be informed.
Mr. Speaker, where are we headed? We are headed to taking serious action on climate change while growing our economy.Let us look at the facts. We have had to put a price on pollution because we have provinces led by Conservative premiers who do not seem to think climate change is a problem and do not seem to understand the economic opportunity of clean growth.We are giving money back to Canadians. That is in the legislation. Eighty percent of families will be better off. A family in Ontario will get $307.Did the member opposite cash his climate action incentive rebate?
Mr. Speaker, once again the Liberals put their billionaire buddies ahead of doing the right thing, as in the case of Mark Norman. Let us review. A multi-billion-dollar contract was in trouble and their rich friends again needed help, so they made Mark Norman the fall guy. The Liberals withheld key documents, even from the prosecution. Then the Prime Minister called for charges well before they were laid. The Liberals were again caught wasting millions of public dollars helping their rich friends for political gain.Will the Prime Minister now apologize to Mark Norman and to taxpayers for this travesty?
Mr. Speaker, it is not at all clear what the status of any alleged court proceeding might be. Indeed, the media coverage with respect to the judge's comments would indicate that he is not clear what the status is. The member can be assured that the Government of Canada will very strongly defend its position.
Mr. Speaker, ever since the Federal Court of Appeal decision of August 2018, we have been working hard to fix the process that was put in place by the previous government, which led to a number of projects being challenged in the courts.We are engaged in a meaningful conversation and meaningful dialogue to offer accommodations to indigenous peoples to ensure that we move forward on this project in the right way.We are scheduled to make a decision on this project, as long as we are fulfilling our duty to consult with indigenous communities, by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from CumberlandColchester for his hard work on the health committee as the chair.As someone whose first job was as a mental health counsellor, I am proud to be a member of a government that has made a historic investment of $5 billion in the area of mental health and addiction services. We are also targeting our efforts to support the mental health of young Canadians, indigenous peoples, the LGBTQ community, black Canadians, veterans and so much more. I am proud of these efforts and we will not stop until every Canadian gets the help and assistance they need when it comes to mental health.
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties, and I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House recognize Vice-Admiral Mark Norman for his decades of loyal service to Canada, express regret for the personal and professional hardships he endured as a result of his failed prosecution, and apologize to him and his family for what they experienced during their legal conflict with the government.
Mr. Speaker, in his attempt to take a contract away from the Davie shipyard, the Prime Minister deliberately tarnished Vice-Admiral Norman's reputation. Even though 73 people were aware of what was going on, the only name he sent to the RCMP was Mark Norman's. The Prime Minister also said there would be a trial before that was actually the case.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, as co-founder and co-chair of the parliamentary all-party cycling caucus, I am pleased to share that today is Bike Day on the Hill. Approximately 200,000 Canadians cycle to work, which is good for their health and our environment. Sadly, on average, 75,000 Canadians are seriously injured while cycling each year and 74 cyclists are killed. Many tragedies can be prevented with improved cycling infrastructure and side guards on heavy trucks. We must do better to keep Canadians safe. The NDP is calling for a national cycling strategy. Will the government get on board and help make Canada a cycling nation?
Mr. Speaker, instead of making grand statements, I invite the minister to reread the Canada-Quebec infrastructure agreement. It states that Canada's role in any Project is limited to making a financial contribution, and that it will have no involvement in the implementation...or...operation. Canada is neither a decision-maker nor an administrator.The minister's election announcement about Highway 19 is nothing but talk. Not even one centimetre of the highway will be built. Instead of arguing, the government should transfer the lump sum to Quebec.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this file started. On the eve of the 2015 election, Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar, sole-sourced project. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is exactly what we did.In regard to documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined the relevancy and suggested redactions. This was all subject to approval
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are being very disrespectful and condescending towards Quebec, which was completely ignored in yesterday's federal-provincial infrastructure announcement. Minister Bonnardel, the Quebec minister of transport, spoke with the Liberal government and tried to work in partnership with it. How did this Liberal government respond to Quebec's request? It said no.Why do this Liberal Prime Minister and this Liberal government refuse to work in partnership with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has finally decided to answer some questions on the Mark Norman affair. He has had plenty of time to rehearse the script and memorize the lines, and I have no doubt that he is going to talk about the specific decision to stay the charges against Mark Norman being free from political interference. However, what I would like to know is about all the evidence of other interference in this case, including his government going to great lengths to block documents from being presented to court. Why did the government go to such efforts to prevent the truth from coming out?
Mr. Speaker, it is probably good to get the facts on the table. There has been a 1¢ increase in the price of gas in B.C. as related to the price on pollution.Let us be clear with what we are doing. We are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back. We are taking serious action.What is the party opposite doing? It is having secret meetings with oil lobbyists to develop its yet-to-be-seen climate plan.We need to take action on climate change. We owe it to our kids. We have a huge economic opportunity. I am very proud that we are taking action, and we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives warned that the carbon tax would be a cash grab, the Prime Minister said, no, that we should look at the B.C. Liberals who brought in a revenue-neutral carbon tax, where taxpayers would get back as much as they paid in. However, this was not as advertised. In fact, it has cost $1 billion more to British Columbia taxpayers than they have been given back and gas prices are now $1.80 a litre, something the Prime Minister celebrates as exactly what we want.Are we not headed to $1.80-a-litre gas price if he is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister claims that Canada is on track to meet the Paris targets, but we know that is not true. The evidence is overwhelming that the Liberals will miss those targets by a country mile. Canadians are worried about carbon taxes and the skyrocketing price of gas at the pump. It has become very clear that the Liberals do not have a climate plan; they have a tax plan.Will the minister now admit that her plan does absolutely nothing for the environment and is not as advertised?
Mr. Speaker, let us see if they really did do better than advertised.Four years ago, the current Minister of Finance left Bay Street and offered his services to Canadians as a good steward of the public purse. One of his promises was to run very small deficits for three years before delivering a zero deficit in 2019. What he actually delivered was three huge deficits and a $20-billion deficit in 2019.Could the Minister of Finance stand up and apologize to Canadians for breaking his promise, or rather, for lying to them?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister gave $10.5 million to Omar Khadr, a convicted terrorist, so that he would not have to fight him in court, but when it comes to a decorated naval officer who has put his career into making Canadians safe, the Prime Minister spared no expense fighting him in court. Why the double standard?
Mr. Speaker, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court as required. During this case, more than 8,000 documents from this government organization were submitted to the court. The decision to redact information was made by public servants and overseen by the court.
Mr. Speaker, when will the Conservative Party listen to the science on climate change?We have a motion to debate the emerging climate emergency in Canada. Let us talk about the science. Scientists have shown that Canada is warming at twice the global average, and three times or more in the north. In the national capital region, people are still suffering from flooding. This is a flood that was supposed to happen once every 100 years, and it has now happened twice in two years.We need to take action on climate change. Why does the Conservative Party not join us in taking serious action on climate change and also growing our economy? We are very proud that we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, all the minister does is bring up even more questions and answers we simply do not have. Perhaps we should go back to what the counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said at the press conference: No person in this country should ever walk into a courtroom and feel like they are fighting their elected government. Vice-Admiral Norman himself said: There are lots of questions that need to be asked and answered about this whole process. I think some people that have been involved in this need to reflect on what happened and why it happened, and their role in that. What does the Minister of Justice think about his role in this cover-up?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Saint JohnRothesay's preamble was absolutely spot-on. After 10 years of Conservative rule, we saw the highest youth unemployment records in the history of the country. After three and a half years of Liberal rule, we now see the lowest records in the history of youth unemployment in this country, because we said we would invest in innovation and we would invest in skills training. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we did, even better than advertised.
Mr. Speaker, maybe the government should actually listen to the premiers of the provinces.Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick are all fighting the Liberal carbon tax. They understand that meaningful action to safeguard the environment does not mean that life has to be unaffordable for Canadians. In fact, the carbon tax is not an environmental plan. It is a tax plan.Instead of forcing provinces to fight him in court, when will the Prime Minister start working with them?
Mr. Speaker, on the Mark Norman case, it has been refreshing to hear the federal NDP leader speak up for due process.
What is the NPD's plan exactly, Mr. Speaker? Their plan changes every day. We have always said that we need to protect the environment while growing the economy.Yesterday, the NDP leader did a complete 180 on the LNG Canada project. Now, he is opposed to the biggest private investment in the history of Canada, a project that has the support of the B.C. NDP and indigenous communities. With this 180° turn, he is standing against 10,000 good jobs for residents of British Columbia. We know that we need to take action and that we must grow.
Mr. Speaker, why does Canada need the Asterix and the Obelix? Because the Preserver and the Protecteur are out of commission and there was a fire aboard one of them. This is a national emergency for the Royal Canadian Navy. Vice-Admiral Norman understood that. The Prime Minister dragged him through the mud. Now he can redeem himself.When will he place the order for the Obelix? That is what 1,200 laid-off Davie shipyard workers would like to know. They worked for Canada and are ready to do so again.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this all started. On the eve of the 2015 election, the Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar sole-sourced contract. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is what we did, and it is what any government should to. The decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff.
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the NDP cannot talk about leaving no worker behind when yesterday he decided to stand against 10,000 good jobs for British Columbians by opposing the largest private sector investment in Canada's history with LNG Canada, a project that his own colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley, highlighted worked extraordinarily well with indigenous communities to get the right project built in a way that is forward-thinking and responsible.The NDP is completely inconsistent in its approach not just on the economy, but on the environment now too.
Mr. Speaker, this all happened when the whole world was experiencing economic growth, boosted by the American economy, which was not the case when the Conservatives were in power. As a result, Canadians are investing 66% more in the United States and the Americans are investing 50% less in Canada. This message does not lie.Can the Minister of Finance tell us how many times he ran deficits at his company when he was on Bay Street?
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the Conservatives stuck, not being able to do anything but sling mud, because a million Canadians have new jobs, because the Canadian economy is going well. We lowered unemployment to record levels. We are continuing to work for the middle class
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal cheque bounced, as always and as we said it would, just like it did in British Columbia where the government said that taxpayers would be better off by paying high gas prices, but it turned out they were ripped off by $1 billion in overtaxation. In that province, gas has reached $1.80 a litre, the highest price in the history of North America, which is exactly what the Prime Minister says he wants.Again, are we not headed to $1.80 for gas if the Prime Minister is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his hard work. The mining sector supports over 600,000 good middle-class jobs across the country. It is the second-largest private sector employer of indigenous peoples in Canada. Our government stands behind this sector. That is why we extended the mineral exploration tax credit for a full five years and launched the minerals and metals plan. Workers in the sector help empower our clean economy. We wish them a very happy National Mining Week.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to outline in great detail our plan to tackle climate change. We negotiated it for a whole year with provinces and territories and indigenous people, and with input from Canadians. We are phasing out coal; we are investing in renewables, and we are ensuring a just transition for communities and workers. We are investing in energy efficiency so we can save people, businesses, schools and hospitals money.We are investing in clean solutions, innovators and entrepreneurs who are providing the solutions we desperately need. At the same time, we are making sure life is affordable and we are creating good jobs. It is unfortunate that the NDP does not understand that the environment and the economy have to go together. It is cancelling a project supported by the
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice has stood here in the House and indicated that the government handed over all the documents it was asked for. That is patently untrue, and I have proof.The counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said, It took six months to get documents, and as we sit here today, and as we walked out of that courtroom, we still did not have all of them. She said there were thousands of documents they had not received. She went on to say, I want to make it very clear that we, the defence, had to bring this motion, at great expense to Vice-Admiral Norman, to get at those records. She said only the government had access, and that it was obviously the government that was standing in the way of that full disclosure.
Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, we have asked a former minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, the hon. Anne McLellan, to look into this matter and give us her recommendations. Her track record is impressive, and she understands the various pressures that come along with this position. I look forward to working closely with her to ensure that our government continues to set higher standards for governance.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals willingly withheld documents in the Asterix file. These documents would have given the RCMP and the prosecution a more complete picture of the situation for their investigation.Furthermore, the Liberals knew that Mark Norman's defence counsel needed those documents to make its case, but the Liberals never agreed to provide them.Why did the Prime Minister not give these documents to all those who needed them to mount Vice-Admiral Norman's defence?
Mr. Speaker, young people in my great riding of Saint JohnRothesay are worried about finding well-paying jobs after they graduate. Thanks to our government's investment in the youth employment strategy, more young people in Saint JohnRothesay are getting the training and skills they need to reach their full potential.Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment please update this House on what our government is doing to help young people in my riding get ahead?
Mr. Speaker, people across the country count on their government to present a climate change strategy that makes reconciliation a priority, sets ambitious targets, takes real action to reduce emissions and invests in clean energy.The government needs to have the courage to act, while creating good jobs and making life more affordable for Canadians.Will the Prime Minister adopt the NDP's plan to really fight climate change?
Mr. Speaker, once again, our government is 100% committed to strengthening the Royal Canadian Navy and ensuring that it has the resources it needs to serve Canadians.The Davie shipyard employees delivered the Asterix, and we know they did excellent work. Our government relies on official advice from the Department of National Defence and the armed forces to assess the navy's needs. The commander of the navy publicly stated that there is no immediate need for a second temporary supply ship and that he is satisfied with the services provided by the Asterix.Our government has complete confidence in the navy's advice and will continue to invest in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of the Canadian minerals and mining sector to our economy and to the communities across the country. Our government believes developing Canada's natural resources in cleaner, more sustainable ways will create good middle-class jobs, enhance competitiveness and reduce pollution as we move to a clean energy future. We have made significant investments to achieve these goals.In celebration of National Mining Week, could the minister update the House on steps our government has taken to ensure Canada's mining sector continues on a path to prosperous sustainable development for years to come?
Mr. Speaker, this is a perfect opportunity for me to talk about what we have done over the past four years.Things are going great for Canadians across the country, with over a million jobs created in four years and the lowest unemployment rate in about 40 years.Four years ago, unemployment was too high, and growth was too low. We are better off now thanks to our policies.
Mr. Speaker, this government went to great lengths to block those documents from coming to court. There are many occasions when this government proved it was going to great lengths to prevent the truth from coming out, including coaching witnesses and departmental officials and using code words to avoid access-to-information laws.Does the Prime Minister believe that this is normal behaviour for a government when a decorated vice-admiral is fighting for his career, his reputation and his personal freedom?
Mr. Speaker, I have full confidence in our judicial and parliamentary institutions. The process was designed to make sure that the defendant had every opportunity to access the information relevant to his case and to challenge any decision not to disclose part or all of some document. Canadians can rest assured that this process worked and that the justice system is intact.As Vice-Admiral Norman's own counsel said, our justice system is truly unassailable.
Mr. Speaker, only a Conservative member would be against a project to improve road travel in Montreal. People in the suburbs north of Montreal have been waiting for this project since 1970. We are proud to have invested $345 million to reduce congestion in the suburbs north of Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the extension of Highway 19 between Highway 440 and Highway 640. We are proud to have invested in the rehabilitation of Pie-IX Bridge in Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the construction of a reserved lane for bus rapid transit, carpooling and electric vehicles.We will continue to invest in all communities across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, they always blame others.The Prime Minister should be ashamed for having tarnished the reputation of Admiral Norman. Instead of showing remorse, the Liberals are trying to hide their plot against Admiral Norman by staying the charges against him. If the Prime Minister had disclosed the documents the defence requested, the RCMP and the prosecutor never would have laid charges against Admiral Norman. Is that true or false?The Prime Minister betrayed one of our best soldiers. Will the Prime Minister let us get to the bottom of this case and allow the Standing Committee on National Defence to investigate?
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Mr. Speaker, they always blame others.The Prime Minister should be ashamed for having tarnished the reputation of Admiral Norman. Instead of showing remorse, the Liberals are trying to hide their plot against Admiral Norman by staying the charges against him. If the Prime Minister had disclosed the documents the defence requested, the RCMP and the prosecutor never would have laid charges against Admiral Norman. Is that true or false?The Prime Minister betrayed one of our best soldiers. Will the Prime Minister let us get to the bottom of this case and allow the Standing Committee on National Defence to investigate?
Mr. Speaker, only a Conservative member would be against a project to improve road travel in Montreal. People in the suburbs north of Montreal have been waiting for this project since 1970. We are proud to have invested $345 million to reduce congestion in the suburbs north of Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the extension of Highway 19 between Highway 440 and Highway 640. We are proud to have invested in the rehabilitation of Pie-IX Bridge in Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the construction of a reserved lane for bus rapid transit, carpooling and electric vehicles.We will continue to invest in all communities across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I have full confidence in our judicial and parliamentary institutions. The process was designed to make sure that the defendant had every opportunity to access the information relevant to his case and to challenge any decision not to disclose part or all of some document. Canadians can rest assured that this process worked and that the justice system is intact.As Vice-Admiral Norman's own counsel said, our justice system is truly unassailable.
Mr. Speaker, this government went to great lengths to block those documents from coming to court. There are many occasions when this government proved it was going to great lengths to prevent the truth from coming out, including coaching witnesses and departmental officials and using code words to avoid access-to-information laws.Does the Prime Minister believe that this is normal behaviour for a government when a decorated vice-admiral is fighting for his career, his reputation and his personal freedom?
Mr. Speaker, this is a perfect opportunity for me to talk about what we have done over the past four years.Things are going great for Canadians across the country, with over a million jobs created in four years and the lowest unemployment rate in about 40 years.Four years ago, unemployment was too high, and growth was too low. We are better off now thanks to our policies.
Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of the Canadian minerals and mining sector to our economy and to the communities across the country. Our government believes developing Canada's natural resources in cleaner, more sustainable ways will create good middle-class jobs, enhance competitiveness and reduce pollution as we move to a clean energy future. We have made significant investments to achieve these goals.In celebration of National Mining Week, could the minister update the House on steps our government has taken to ensure Canada's mining sector continues on a path to prosperous sustainable development for years to come?
Mr. Speaker, once again, our government is 100% committed to strengthening the Royal Canadian Navy and ensuring that it has the resources it needs to serve Canadians.The Davie shipyard employees delivered the Asterix, and we know they did excellent work. Our government relies on official advice from the Department of National Defence and the armed forces to assess the navy's needs. The commander of the navy publicly stated that there is no immediate need for a second temporary supply ship and that he is satisfied with the services provided by the Asterix.Our government has complete confidence in the navy's advice and will continue to invest in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Mr. Speaker, people across the country count on their government to present a climate change strategy that makes reconciliation a priority, sets ambitious targets, takes real action to reduce emissions and invests in clean energy.The government needs to have the courage to act, while creating good jobs and making life more affordable for Canadians.Will the Prime Minister adopt the NDP's plan to really fight climate change?
Mr. Speaker, young people in my great riding of Saint JohnRothesay are worried about finding well-paying jobs after they graduate. Thanks to our government's investment in the youth employment strategy, more young people in Saint JohnRothesay are getting the training and skills they need to reach their full potential.Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment please update this House on what our government is doing to help young people in my riding get ahead?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals willingly withheld documents in the Asterix file. These documents would have given the RCMP and the prosecution a more complete picture of the situation for their investigation.Furthermore, the Liberals knew that Mark Norman's defence counsel needed those documents to make its case, but the Liberals never agreed to provide them.Why did the Prime Minister not give these documents to all those who needed them to mount Vice-Admiral Norman's defence?
Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, we have asked a former minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, the hon. Anne McLellan, to look into this matter and give us her recommendations. Her track record is impressive, and she understands the various pressures that come along with this position. I look forward to working closely with her to ensure that our government continues to set higher standards for governance.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice has stood here in the House and indicated that the government handed over all the documents it was asked for. That is patently untrue, and I have proof.The counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said, It took six months to get documents, and as we sit here today, and as we walked out of that courtroom, we still did not have all of them. She said there were thousands of documents they had not received. She went on to say, I want to make it very clear that we, the defence, had to bring this motion, at great expense to Vice-Admiral Norman, to get at those records. She said only the government had access, and that it was obviously the government that was standing in the way of that full disclosure.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to outline in great detail our plan to tackle climate change. We negotiated it for a whole year with provinces and territories and indigenous people, and with input from Canadians. We are phasing out coal; we are investing in renewables, and we are ensuring a just transition for communities and workers. We are investing in energy efficiency so we can save people, businesses, schools and hospitals money.We are investing in clean solutions, innovators and entrepreneurs who are providing the solutions we desperately need. At the same time, we are making sure life is affordable and we are creating good jobs. It is unfortunate that the NDP does not understand that the environment and the economy have to go together. It is cancelling a project supported by the
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his hard work. The mining sector supports over 600,000 good middle-class jobs across the country. It is the second-largest private sector employer of indigenous peoples in Canada. Our government stands behind this sector. That is why we extended the mineral exploration tax credit for a full five years and launched the minerals and metals plan. Workers in the sector help empower our clean economy. We wish them a very happy National Mining Week.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal cheque bounced, as always and as we said it would, just like it did in British Columbia where the government said that taxpayers would be better off by paying high gas prices, but it turned out they were ripped off by $1 billion in overtaxation. In that province, gas has reached $1.80 a litre, the highest price in the history of North America, which is exactly what the Prime Minister says he wants.Again, are we not headed to $1.80 for gas if the Prime Minister is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the Conservatives stuck, not being able to do anything but sling mud, because a million Canadians have new jobs, because the Canadian economy is going well. We lowered unemployment to record levels. We are continuing to work for the middle class
Mr. Speaker, this all happened when the whole world was experiencing economic growth, boosted by the American economy, which was not the case when the Conservatives were in power. As a result, Canadians are investing 66% more in the United States and the Americans are investing 50% less in Canada. This message does not lie.Can the Minister of Finance tell us how many times he ran deficits at his company when he was on Bay Street?
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the NDP cannot talk about leaving no worker behind when yesterday he decided to stand against 10,000 good jobs for British Columbians by opposing the largest private sector investment in Canada's history with LNG Canada, a project that his own colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley, highlighted worked extraordinarily well with indigenous communities to get the right project built in a way that is forward-thinking and responsible.The NDP is completely inconsistent in its approach not just on the economy, but on the environment now too.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this all started. On the eve of the 2015 election, the Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar sole-sourced contract. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is what we did, and it is what any government should to. The decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff.
Mr. Speaker, why does Canada need the Asterix and the Obelix? Because the Preserver and the Protecteur are out of commission and there was a fire aboard one of them. This is a national emergency for the Royal Canadian Navy. Vice-Admiral Norman understood that. The Prime Minister dragged him through the mud. Now he can redeem himself.When will he place the order for the Obelix? That is what 1,200 laid-off Davie shipyard workers would like to know. They worked for Canada and are ready to do so again.
What is the NPD's plan exactly, Mr. Speaker? Their plan changes every day. We have always said that we need to protect the environment while growing the economy.Yesterday, the NDP leader did a complete 180 on the LNG Canada project. Now, he is opposed to the biggest private investment in the history of Canada, a project that has the support of the B.C. NDP and indigenous communities. With this 180° turn, he is standing against 10,000 good jobs for residents of British Columbia. We know that we need to take action and that we must grow.
Mr. Speaker, on the Mark Norman case, it has been refreshing to hear the federal NDP leader speak up for due process.
Mr. Speaker, maybe the government should actually listen to the premiers of the provinces.Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick are all fighting the Liberal carbon tax. They understand that meaningful action to safeguard the environment does not mean that life has to be unaffordable for Canadians. In fact, the carbon tax is not an environmental plan. It is a tax plan.Instead of forcing provinces to fight him in court, when will the Prime Minister start working with them?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Saint JohnRothesay's preamble was absolutely spot-on. After 10 years of Conservative rule, we saw the highest youth unemployment records in the history of the country. After three and a half years of Liberal rule, we now see the lowest records in the history of youth unemployment in this country, because we said we would invest in innovation and we would invest in skills training. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we did, even better than advertised.
Mr. Speaker, all the minister does is bring up even more questions and answers we simply do not have. Perhaps we should go back to what the counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said at the press conference: No person in this country should ever walk into a courtroom and feel like they are fighting their elected government. Vice-Admiral Norman himself said: There are lots of questions that need to be asked and answered about this whole process. I think some people that have been involved in this need to reflect on what happened and why it happened, and their role in that. What does the Minister of Justice think about his role in this cover-up?
Mr. Speaker, when will the Conservative Party listen to the science on climate change?We have a motion to debate the emerging climate emergency in Canada. Let us talk about the science. Scientists have shown that Canada is warming at twice the global average, and three times or more in the north. In the national capital region, people are still suffering from flooding. This is a flood that was supposed to happen once every 100 years, and it has now happened twice in two years.We need to take action on climate change. Why does the Conservative Party not join us in taking serious action on climate change and also growing our economy? We are very proud that we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister gave $10.5 million to Omar Khadr, a convicted terrorist, so that he would not have to fight him in court, but when it comes to a decorated naval officer who has put his career into making Canadians safe, the Prime Minister spared no expense fighting him in court. Why the double standard?
Mr. Speaker, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court as required. During this case, more than 8,000 documents from this government organization were submitted to the court. The decision to redact information was made by public servants and overseen by the court.
Mr. Speaker, let us see if they really did do better than advertised.Four years ago, the current Minister of Finance left Bay Street and offered his services to Canadians as a good steward of the public purse. One of his promises was to run very small deficits for three years before delivering a zero deficit in 2019. What he actually delivered was three huge deficits and a $20-billion deficit in 2019.Could the Minister of Finance stand up and apologize to Canadians for breaking his promise, or rather, for lying to them?
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister claims that Canada is on track to meet the Paris targets, but we know that is not true. The evidence is overwhelming that the Liberals will miss those targets by a country mile. Canadians are worried about carbon taxes and the skyrocketing price of gas at the pump. It has become very clear that the Liberals do not have a climate plan; they have a tax plan.Will the minister now admit that her plan does absolutely nothing for the environment and is not as advertised?
Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives warned that the carbon tax would be a cash grab, the Prime Minister said, no, that we should look at the B.C. Liberals who brought in a revenue-neutral carbon tax, where taxpayers would get back as much as they paid in. However, this was not as advertised. In fact, it has cost $1 billion more to British Columbia taxpayers than they have been given back and gas prices are now $1.80 a litre, something the Prime Minister celebrates as exactly what we want.Are we not headed to $1.80-a-litre gas price if he is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, it is probably good to get the facts on the table. There has been a 1¢ increase in the price of gas in B.C. as related to the price on pollution.Let us be clear with what we are doing. We are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back. We are taking serious action.What is the party opposite doing? It is having secret meetings with oil lobbyists to develop its yet-to-be-seen climate plan.We need to take action on climate change. We owe it to our kids. We have a huge economic opportunity. I am very proud that we are taking action, and we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has finally decided to answer some questions on the Mark Norman affair. He has had plenty of time to rehearse the script and memorize the lines, and I have no doubt that he is going to talk about the specific decision to stay the charges against Mark Norman being free from political interference. However, what I would like to know is about all the evidence of other interference in this case, including his government going to great lengths to block documents from being presented to court. Why did the government go to such efforts to prevent the truth from coming out?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are being very disrespectful and condescending towards Quebec, which was completely ignored in yesterday's federal-provincial infrastructure announcement. Minister Bonnardel, the Quebec minister of transport, spoke with the Liberal government and tried to work in partnership with it. How did this Liberal government respond to Quebec's request? It said no.Why do this Liberal Prime Minister and this Liberal government refuse to work in partnership with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this file started. On the eve of the 2015 election, Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar, sole-sourced project. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is exactly what we did.In regard to documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined the relevancy and suggested redactions. This was all subject to approval
Mr. Speaker, instead of making grand statements, I invite the minister to reread the Canada-Quebec infrastructure agreement. It states that Canada's role in any Project is limited to making a financial contribution, and that it will have no involvement in the implementation...or...operation. Canada is neither a decision-maker nor an administrator.The minister's election announcement about Highway 19 is nothing but talk. Not even one centimetre of the highway will be built. Instead of arguing, the government should transfer the lump sum to Quebec.
Mr. Speaker, as co-founder and co-chair of the parliamentary all-party cycling caucus, I am pleased to share that today is Bike Day on the Hill. Approximately 200,000 Canadians cycle to work, which is good for their health and our environment. Sadly, on average, 75,000 Canadians are seriously injured while cycling each year and 74 cyclists are killed. Many tragedies can be prevented with improved cycling infrastructure and side guards on heavy trucks. We must do better to keep Canadians safe. The NDP is calling for a national cycling strategy. Will the government get on board and help make Canada a cycling nation?
Mr. Speaker, in his attempt to take a contract away from the Davie shipyard, the Prime Minister deliberately tarnished Vice-Admiral Norman's reputation. Even though 73 people were aware of what was going on, the only name he sent to the RCMP was Mark Norman's. The Prime Minister also said there would be a trial before that was actually the case.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties, and I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House recognize Vice-Admiral Mark Norman for his decades of loyal service to Canada, express regret for the personal and professional hardships he endured as a result of his failed prosecution, and apologize to him and his family for what they experienced during their legal conflict with the government.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from CumberlandColchester for his hard work on the health committee as the chair.As someone whose first job was as a mental health counsellor, I am proud to be a member of a government that has made a historic investment of $5 billion in the area of mental health and addiction services. We are also targeting our efforts to support the mental health of young Canadians, indigenous peoples, the LGBTQ community, black Canadians, veterans and so much more. I am proud of these efforts and we will not stop until every Canadian gets the help and assistance they need when it comes to mental health.
Mr. Speaker, ever since the Federal Court of Appeal decision of August 2018, we have been working hard to fix the process that was put in place by the previous government, which led to a number of projects being challenged in the courts.We are engaged in a meaningful conversation and meaningful dialogue to offer accommodations to indigenous peoples to ensure that we move forward on this project in the right way.We are scheduled to make a decision on this project, as long as we are fulfilling our duty to consult with indigenous communities, by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, it is not at all clear what the status of any alleged court proceeding might be. Indeed, the media coverage with respect to the judge's comments would indicate that he is not clear what the status is. The member can be assured that the Government of Canada will very strongly defend its position.
Mr. Speaker, once again the Liberals put their billionaire buddies ahead of doing the right thing, as in the case of Mark Norman. Let us review. A multi-billion-dollar contract was in trouble and their rich friends again needed help, so they made Mark Norman the fall guy. The Liberals withheld key documents, even from the prosecution. Then the Prime Minister called for charges well before they were laid. The Liberals were again caught wasting millions of public dollars helping their rich friends for political gain.Will the Prime Minister now apologize to Mark Norman and to taxpayers for this travesty?
Mr. Speaker, where are we headed? We are headed to taking serious action on climate change while growing our economy.Let us look at the facts. We have had to put a price on pollution because we have provinces led by Conservative premiers who do not seem to think climate change is a problem and do not seem to understand the economic opportunity of clean growth.We are giving money back to Canadians. That is in the legislation. Eighty percent of families will be better off. A family in Ontario will get $307.Did the member opposite cash his climate action incentive rebate?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his weekly reminder of the high-frequency train.I want to assure him that we continue to work on this complex and very important file. When we have something to say, he will be informed.
Mr. Speaker, based on last week's decision, the deputy minister has reviewed the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's request to have his legal fees paid as they relate to this case. She gave us her opinion, and we agree with her, so that is how we will proceed. In addition, General Vance will speak with Vice-Admiral Norman about the next steps at the appropriate time.I repeat, no other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any outside contact or influence, political or otherwise, in relation to this charge. We will always respect the judicial process.
Mr. Speaker, my department's only involvement was to provide government records in response to a request from the defence to help support the defence of Vice-Admiral Norman. The Department of Justice processed these 52 requests on behalf of seven departments. The process of determining whether documents were relevant and whether any redactions were necessary was made and conducted by civil servants and then verified by the court. It was up to the court to make the final decision as to whether or not information would be redacted, not the government.
Mr. Speaker, the Quebec government builds our infrastructure, not Ottawa. The Canada-Quebec agreement is clear on this. Infrastructure is a provincial and municipal responsibility. However, Ottawa is trying to impose conditions on us, and the result is a tramway project in Quebec that has been stopped in its tracks. Our projects are going nowhere because Ottawa prefers to argue.Will the minister stop creating conflicts and send Quebec the infrastructure funding as a lump sum with no strings attached, as the Quebec government has asked?
Mr. Speaker, we work very closely with our Quebec colleagues.As I said yesterday, we are not in election mode, we are in construction mode. What Quebeckers expect from us is that we promptly look at projects submitted by all provinces, that we approve them according to the criteria set out in the bilateral agreement and, above all, that we announce them in time for construction season. If there is one thing that will not wait, it is construction season.We are going to move forward.
Mr. Speaker, fortunately, when I was in the private sector I had the opportunity to make investments to grow a business. This was very successful, and what we have done here is similar. We decided that the Conservatives had a bad approach that led to too much unemployment and too little growth.With our approach we are investing for Canadians and have reached another level of growth and the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. This approach is working for our economy.
Mr. Speaker, as a cyclist myself, I realize that the point brought up by my colleague is a very important one. That is why last year we published a report that was the product of 10 provinces, three territories and the federal government putting together 57 measures that could be used to improve safety for vulnerable road users, not only cyclists but pedestrians as well. We realize how important this is. Within federal jurisdiction, we are already undertaking pilot projects to improve the visibility of large commercial trucks so truck drivers can see the cyclists.
Mr. Speaker, gas prices are skyrocketing throughout Canada, but in British Columbia we have the highest prices in North America. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that high gas prices are exactly what he wants. Everyone knows that the approval and construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline would help drop the price of gas.When will the Prime Minister get serious about giving Canadians a break and get the pipeline built?
Mr. Speaker, I already talked about the fact that under our climate plan, we are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back.However, let us talk about all the other measures that are helping single mums in the member opposite's riding. The Canada child benefit raised 300,000 children out of poverty. We have lowered taxes on the middle class, asking the 1% to pay a little more. We created a million jobs so single moms could have good jobs. We have lowered taxes on small businesses. from 11% to 9%, and created a million jobs for Canadians.We are going to continue taking action on climate change. We are going to continue growing the economy. We are doing it in a way that is affordable and gets people ahead.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is the Liberals have the same emission targets as the Conservatives. Both of them love pipelines and both would exempt the biggest polluters from paying.Declaring a climate emergency must mean more than just words. That is why our motion calls for ending fossil fuel subsidies and cancelling the Trans Mountain pipeline, which puts our coastline at risk and indigenous communities into disrespect. I am inviting the government to join in our vision for a climate change plan that leaves no worker or community behind. Will the Prime Minister support our motion?
Mr. Speaker, again, the committees operate independently from the government, and my colleague knows it. I am sure that is hard for him to grasp, considering who was controlling the committees under the Harper government.Again, regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted that no other factors were considered in that 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. Any accusation to the contrary is completely absurd.Canadians can have confidence in our justice system. They must not allow themselves to be misled by the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, in the last few months the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of his former attorney general and the former president of the Treasury Board over the government's unethical conduct and interference in judicial independence. Last week, the case against Vice-Admiral Norman fell apart just as we learned that a former star general, the Liberal MP for Orléans, was about to testify against his own government.My question is for the Prime Minister, and it is about his credibility. If he cannot hold the trust of respected Liberals, how is he going to hold the trust of the Canadian people?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of the climate emergency, I want to point out that the majority of young people realize that climate change is a serious issue. As part of the government's youth policy, a number of young people submitted briefs calling on the government to stop subsidizing oil companies. The government, however, continues to hand over millions of dollars to this industry.The NDP recognizes that climate action is urgently needed. We are calling for ambitious GHG reduction targets and an end to the Trans Mountain project.Does the government recognize that action is urgently needed? Will it support the NDP's motion and declare an environmental and climate emergency?
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we understand that committees operate independently and make their own decisions about how to proceed. This is yet again another example of the Conservatives wanting to talk about anything other than the economy, anything other than our budget, anything other than what we have been doing to help create jobs for Canadians, to lift 825,000 Canadians out of poverty, bring in the lowest unemployment in 40 years and keep doing the things for the middle class that Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the NDP jumping on the Conservative bandwagon because the NDP's approach on climate change and the economy has simply fallen flat. We continue to respect the independence of the judiciary. We always will. Measures were brought forward against the vice-admiral at the direction of the chief of defence staff. That is known by everyone. The New Democrats are stuck, so they are slinging mud too, like the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, once again, our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by the flooding and the first responders who are working hard to keep people safe.Our government is doing everything it can to support response efforts in the affected parts of the country.We remind people that they must be extremely careful. Those affected should continue to follow the instructions and guidance of municipal law enforcement agencies and first responders.Canadians can rest assured that the Canadian Armed Forces will support and serve alongside our federal, provincial and municipal partners, who work diligently on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, that case and the SNC-Lavalin controversy have raised questions about interference in our justice system. They have also underscored the need for independent review of decisions made by the director of public prosecutions.Will the government commit to separate the office of the attorney general from the minister of justice if re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, climate change has become a climate emergency. It is hard to take the Liberals seriously when they adopt ridiculously low targets, buy a pipeline, and create marine protected areas where oil development is permitted. Knowing that 41% of Quebec's emissions come from the transportation sector, announcing a high-frequency train in the most densely populated corridor in Canada would be part of the solution to the climate emergency.When will there be real action?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is well aware that committees operate independently from the government. We will wait for the committee's deliberations.Regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted, when it stayed the charge, that 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. Any accusation to the contrary from the opposition is absurd and baseless.
Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member on the opposition side and his party were really serious on moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way, they would not have voted to shut down the consultation process and kill this project and the process that we have put in place. We are working hard on this project. We are moving forward with meaningful consultation with the indigenous community. We are scheduled to make a decision on this project by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister ordered documents to be withheld that could have cleared Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's name months ago. We are now learning that these documents may have been withheld from both the RCMP and the public prosecutor. How can the Liberals claim they did not interfere in this process when they refused to hand over the evidence?
Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court, over 8,000 documents from seven different departments. As the Prime Minister has just said, the decision to redact information was made by public servants in this case, and overseen by the court. We met all our obligations.
Mr. Speaker, the case to which the hon. member referred was handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which is independent from the government and independent from the Department of Justice.My office had no role whatsoever in the handling of this prosecution. That includes the decision to lay charges and the decision to stay charges, as well as the prosecution in-between.
As I said earlier, Mr. Speaker, we are working closely with the Quebec government.The Highway 19 project was introduced by the Government of Quebec, and Premier Legault made it a priority. As announced yesterday, the project was then approved in Ottawa.We work closely with our colleagues and respect provincial jurisdictions. There is no question that we will continue to invest in communities across the country.
Mr. Speaker, part of my riding is rural. There is no public transit. The sky-high gas prices are forcing them to make very difficult decisions about essentials. We have single mums who cannot afford to fill their tanks. We have seniors who are having difficulties making ends meet. We have small businesses that have no choice but to cut jobs or cut wages. The Prime Minister says this is exactly what he wants. Could the minister explain exactly what he wants? Why sky-high gas prices for rural communities?
Mr. Speaker, our government firmly believes in the institutions of government and respects them deeply. On this particular issue, we have asked
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are obviously still putting rich companies ahead of ordinary people and, in the process, they tarnished a man's reputation. The Liberals are once again caught up in a political interference scandal, and once again it is all about getting re-elected. They have also wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. People deserve transparency in the Vice-Admiral Norman case.Why are the Liberals refusing to tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, we certainly recognize the climate emergency, which is why we have a motion on the climate emergency.On the one hand, there is the Conservative Party, which has no climate plan and no economic plan. The Conservatives are saying things that are not true about the price on pollution. On the other hand, there is the NDP, which is flip-flopping on the LNG project, the largest investment in Canadian history, which will help developing countries phase out carbon. We must combat climate change and grow our economy at the same time. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, there is a reason why the NDP is calling on the Prime Minister to declare a climate and environmental emergency. We are still waiting for the Liberal government's plan, which, to date, has involved purchasing an old pipeline and continuing to subsidize fossil fuels.People in BerthierMaskinongé and other areas of Quebec have been hard hit by the recent flooding. Because of climate change, extreme natural disasters will become increasingly common. We still need the Canadian army.Can the federal government confirm that soldiers will remain in place to help seniors and other residents clean up and remove the sandbags?
Mr. Speaker, I guess what is advertised is that the Conservatives do not have a plan for the environment. They do not have a plan for the economy. They do not understand that climate change is a serious problem and that we can do both. We can tackle climate change and we can grow the economy. We have a plan that eliminates coal and invests in renewables. It invests in clean technologies. It invests in energy efficiency. I could go on and on.Unfortunately, the Conservative Party does not want to come together. It does not want to join Canadians and take serious action to tackle climate change and also grow our economy. We can do both; we need to do both.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across this country are asking for urgent action to fight climate change, action that leaves no workers or communities behind. Other countries have done it, and Canada can too.The government bought a pipeline and is subsidizing the fossil fuel industry. That is not climate action. The Conservatives do not have a plan. Canadians want their government to act courageously on climate change. The NDP tabled a motion with concrete steps to address the climate emergency, so when is the government finally going to get serious about it?
Mr. Speaker, almost every issue we talk about in the Standing Committee on Health has a mental health component, whether it is post-traumatic stress, or methamphetamine addiction, or LGBTQ issues or indigenous health. There is always a mental health common denominator.Could the Minister of Health tell us what she is doing in her department to help Canadians with mental health issues right across the board?
Mr. Speaker, I can see why the Prime Minister does not want to answer. He is becoming the political equivalent of Monty Python's Black Knight. He speaks of independence, but it was the Prime Minister who stated that there would be a court case against Vice-Admiral Norman, and we have seen how that ended up. Last week he was defending his decision to vet judges through a Liberal donor base; the week before that he was shrugging off a political leak on a Supreme Court nominee, and the week before that, well, I am going to give him a pass today on SNC.I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. When is he going to apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and the taxpayers of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we respect the judiciary. We respect our independent judicial process. We will not stoop to the kinds of petty and, quite frankly, distasteful political games the members opposite are engaged in right now. They are so desperate to not talk about the economic numbers, the job growth, the impact on Canadians
Mr. Speaker, once again the Prime Minister is acting as if the justice system is there to reward his friends and punish his enemies. They spent years trying to fight the release of those documents in court. There are serious allegations that need to be investigated about coaching witnesses and using code names to get around access-to-information laws.Will the Prime Minister allow the defence committee to investigate these serious allegations, or will he pull a page right out of the SNC-Lavalin playbook and use his power to shut it down?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are certainly in no position to lecture us.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces. In the case of Highway 19, the Government of Quebec submitted the file in September 2018. Mr. Legault's government made it a priority on October 5, 2018. We approved it on March 26, 2019, and I made the announcement on May 13, 2019.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces in time for the construction season.
Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, the decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff. Any accusations otherwise are simply absurd. We fully respect the independence of the processes in place.Again, on the documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined relevancy and suggested redactions, subject to approval by the judge.
Mr. Speaker, it is still absurd that the defence is still waiting for documents from the government. The Liberals claim they did nothing wrong, yet the defence minister regrets the process Vice-Admiral Norman went through. What does he regret? Was it that the Liberals withheld documents from the RCMP? Was it that they withheld documents from the public prosecutor? Was it that they withheld documents from Norman's defence team?When will the Prime Minister finally set the truth free, and will he testify at the national defence committee?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised a collaborative relationship with provinces and territories, but eight provinces and three territories opposed his no more pipelines Bill C-69, five provinces are fighting his carbon tax, and the majority of Canadians and indigenous communities all along the route support the Trans Mountain expansion and want it built. Liberals have spent billions, delayed the decision and not built an inch.Instead of fighting the provinces and pitting Canadians against each other, will the Prime Minister do what he said he would do and release a plan to approve and build the Trans Mountain expansion?
Mr. Speaker, all of that happened without inviting Quebec to be present. Meanwhile, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development said he was shocked by statements made by the Premier of Quebec. The Prime Minister himself accused the Premier of Quebec of playing politics. This Prime Minister is accusing the Premier of Quebec of playing politics.His comments are disrespectful, paternalistic and condescending, which is par for the course for the sanctimonious Liberals.When will he co-operate with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, the NDP says it will be there for the people, but it just announced that it is against a project that would have created 10,000 jobs for British Columbians. The B.C. NDP supports the project. His colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley supported the project. Even so, the NDP just decided it is against this project, which would be the biggest private-sector investment in this country's history. We know that investing in the economy and protecting the environment must go hand in hand. Unfortunately, the NDP has no plan to make that happen.
Mr. Speaker, we have heard today that the murderer of Tori Stafford is seeking compensation from the government for her unfair treatment. Canadians will remember that the Liberals moved Tori's killer from a maximum-security prison to a healing lodge until outraged Canadians forced them to reverse their decision. Will the government commit to fight her attempts at getting any taxpayer dollars for putting her back behind bars where she belongs?
Mr. Speaker, they always blame others.The Prime Minister should be ashamed for having tarnished the reputation of Admiral Norman. Instead of showing remorse, the Liberals are trying to hide their plot against Admiral Norman by staying the charges against him. If the Prime Minister had disclosed the documents the defence requested, the RCMP and the prosecutor never would have laid charges against Admiral Norman. Is that true or false?The Prime Minister betrayed one of our best soldiers. Will the Prime Minister let us get to the bottom of this case and allow the Standing Committee on National Defence to investigate?
Mr. Speaker, only a Conservative member would be against a project to improve road travel in Montreal. People in the suburbs north of Montreal have been waiting for this project since 1970. We are proud to have invested $345 million to reduce congestion in the suburbs north of Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the extension of Highway 19 between Highway 440 and Highway 640. We are proud to have invested in the rehabilitation of Pie-IX Bridge in Montreal. We are proud to have invested in the construction of a reserved lane for bus rapid transit, carpooling and electric vehicles.We will continue to invest in all communities across Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I have full confidence in our judicial and parliamentary institutions. The process was designed to make sure that the defendant had every opportunity to access the information relevant to his case and to challenge any decision not to disclose part or all of some document. Canadians can rest assured that this process worked and that the justice system is intact.As Vice-Admiral Norman's own counsel said, our justice system is truly unassailable.
Mr. Speaker, this government went to great lengths to block those documents from coming to court. There are many occasions when this government proved it was going to great lengths to prevent the truth from coming out, including coaching witnesses and departmental officials and using code words to avoid access-to-information laws.Does the Prime Minister believe that this is normal behaviour for a government when a decorated vice-admiral is fighting for his career, his reputation and his personal freedom?
Mr. Speaker, this is a perfect opportunity for me to talk about what we have done over the past four years.Things are going great for Canadians across the country, with over a million jobs created in four years and the lowest unemployment rate in about 40 years.Four years ago, unemployment was too high, and growth was too low. We are better off now thanks to our policies.
Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of the Canadian minerals and mining sector to our economy and to the communities across the country. Our government believes developing Canada's natural resources in cleaner, more sustainable ways will create good middle-class jobs, enhance competitiveness and reduce pollution as we move to a clean energy future. We have made significant investments to achieve these goals.In celebration of National Mining Week, could the minister update the House on steps our government has taken to ensure Canada's mining sector continues on a path to prosperous sustainable development for years to come?
Mr. Speaker, once again, our government is 100% committed to strengthening the Royal Canadian Navy and ensuring that it has the resources it needs to serve Canadians.The Davie shipyard employees delivered the Asterix, and we know they did excellent work. Our government relies on official advice from the Department of National Defence and the armed forces to assess the navy's needs. The commander of the navy publicly stated that there is no immediate need for a second temporary supply ship and that he is satisfied with the services provided by the Asterix.Our government has complete confidence in the navy's advice and will continue to invest in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Mr. Speaker, people across the country count on their government to present a climate change strategy that makes reconciliation a priority, sets ambitious targets, takes real action to reduce emissions and invests in clean energy.The government needs to have the courage to act, while creating good jobs and making life more affordable for Canadians.Will the Prime Minister adopt the NDP's plan to really fight climate change?
Mr. Speaker, young people in my great riding of Saint JohnRothesay are worried about finding well-paying jobs after they graduate. Thanks to our government's investment in the youth employment strategy, more young people in Saint JohnRothesay are getting the training and skills they need to reach their full potential.Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment please update this House on what our government is doing to help young people in my riding get ahead?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals willingly withheld documents in the Asterix file. These documents would have given the RCMP and the prosecution a more complete picture of the situation for their investigation.Furthermore, the Liberals knew that Mark Norman's defence counsel needed those documents to make its case, but the Liberals never agreed to provide them.Why did the Prime Minister not give these documents to all those who needed them to mount Vice-Admiral Norman's defence?
Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, we have asked a former minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, the hon. Anne McLellan, to look into this matter and give us her recommendations. Her track record is impressive, and she understands the various pressures that come along with this position. I look forward to working closely with her to ensure that our government continues to set higher standards for governance.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice has stood here in the House and indicated that the government handed over all the documents it was asked for. That is patently untrue, and I have proof.The counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said, It took six months to get documents, and as we sit here today, and as we walked out of that courtroom, we still did not have all of them. She said there were thousands of documents they had not received. She went on to say, I want to make it very clear that we, the defence, had to bring this motion, at great expense to Vice-Admiral Norman, to get at those records. She said only the government had access, and that it was obviously the government that was standing in the way of that full disclosure.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to outline in great detail our plan to tackle climate change. We negotiated it for a whole year with provinces and territories and indigenous people, and with input from Canadians. We are phasing out coal; we are investing in renewables, and we are ensuring a just transition for communities and workers. We are investing in energy efficiency so we can save people, businesses, schools and hospitals money.We are investing in clean solutions, innovators and entrepreneurs who are providing the solutions we desperately need. At the same time, we are making sure life is affordable and we are creating good jobs. It is unfortunate that the NDP does not understand that the environment and the economy have to go together. It is cancelling a project supported by the
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his hard work. The mining sector supports over 600,000 good middle-class jobs across the country. It is the second-largest private sector employer of indigenous peoples in Canada. Our government stands behind this sector. That is why we extended the mineral exploration tax credit for a full five years and launched the minerals and metals plan. Workers in the sector help empower our clean economy. We wish them a very happy National Mining Week.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal cheque bounced, as always and as we said it would, just like it did in British Columbia where the government said that taxpayers would be better off by paying high gas prices, but it turned out they were ripped off by $1 billion in overtaxation. In that province, gas has reached $1.80 a litre, the highest price in the history of North America, which is exactly what the Prime Minister says he wants.Again, are we not headed to $1.80 for gas if the Prime Minister is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the Conservatives stuck, not being able to do anything but sling mud, because a million Canadians have new jobs, because the Canadian economy is going well. We lowered unemployment to record levels. We are continuing to work for the middle class
Mr. Speaker, this all happened when the whole world was experiencing economic growth, boosted by the American economy, which was not the case when the Conservatives were in power. As a result, Canadians are investing 66% more in the United States and the Americans are investing 50% less in Canada. This message does not lie.Can the Minister of Finance tell us how many times he ran deficits at his company when he was on Bay Street?
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the NDP cannot talk about leaving no worker behind when yesterday he decided to stand against 10,000 good jobs for British Columbians by opposing the largest private sector investment in Canada's history with LNG Canada, a project that his own colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley, highlighted worked extraordinarily well with indigenous communities to get the right project built in a way that is forward-thinking and responsible.The NDP is completely inconsistent in its approach not just on the economy, but on the environment now too.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this all started. On the eve of the 2015 election, the Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar sole-sourced contract. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is what we did, and it is what any government should to. The decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff.
Mr. Speaker, why does Canada need the Asterix and the Obelix? Because the Preserver and the Protecteur are out of commission and there was a fire aboard one of them. This is a national emergency for the Royal Canadian Navy. Vice-Admiral Norman understood that. The Prime Minister dragged him through the mud. Now he can redeem himself.When will he place the order for the Obelix? That is what 1,200 laid-off Davie shipyard workers would like to know. They worked for Canada and are ready to do so again.
What is the NPD's plan exactly, Mr. Speaker? Their plan changes every day. We have always said that we need to protect the environment while growing the economy.Yesterday, the NDP leader did a complete 180 on the LNG Canada project. Now, he is opposed to the biggest private investment in the history of Canada, a project that has the support of the B.C. NDP and indigenous communities. With this 180° turn, he is standing against 10,000 good jobs for residents of British Columbia. We know that we need to take action and that we must grow.
Mr. Speaker, on the Mark Norman case, it has been refreshing to hear the federal NDP leader speak up for due process.
Mr. Speaker, maybe the government should actually listen to the premiers of the provinces.Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick are all fighting the Liberal carbon tax. They understand that meaningful action to safeguard the environment does not mean that life has to be unaffordable for Canadians. In fact, the carbon tax is not an environmental plan. It is a tax plan.Instead of forcing provinces to fight him in court, when will the Prime Minister start working with them?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Saint JohnRothesay's preamble was absolutely spot-on. After 10 years of Conservative rule, we saw the highest youth unemployment records in the history of the country. After three and a half years of Liberal rule, we now see the lowest records in the history of youth unemployment in this country, because we said we would invest in innovation and we would invest in skills training. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we did, even better than advertised.
Mr. Speaker, all the minister does is bring up even more questions and answers we simply do not have. Perhaps we should go back to what the counsel for Vice-Admiral Norman said at the press conference: No person in this country should ever walk into a courtroom and feel like they are fighting their elected government. Vice-Admiral Norman himself said: There are lots of questions that need to be asked and answered about this whole process. I think some people that have been involved in this need to reflect on what happened and why it happened, and their role in that. What does the Minister of Justice think about his role in this cover-up?
Mr. Speaker, when will the Conservative Party listen to the science on climate change?We have a motion to debate the emerging climate emergency in Canada. Let us talk about the science. Scientists have shown that Canada is warming at twice the global average, and three times or more in the north. In the national capital region, people are still suffering from flooding. This is a flood that was supposed to happen once every 100 years, and it has now happened twice in two years.We need to take action on climate change. Why does the Conservative Party not join us in taking serious action on climate change and also growing our economy? We are very proud that we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister gave $10.5 million to Omar Khadr, a convicted terrorist, so that he would not have to fight him in court, but when it comes to a decorated naval officer who has put his career into making Canadians safe, the Prime Minister spared no expense fighting him in court. Why the double standard?
Mr. Speaker, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court as required. During this case, more than 8,000 documents from this government organization were submitted to the court. The decision to redact information was made by public servants and overseen by the court.
Mr. Speaker, let us see if they really did do better than advertised.Four years ago, the current Minister of Finance left Bay Street and offered his services to Canadians as a good steward of the public purse. One of his promises was to run very small deficits for three years before delivering a zero deficit in 2019. What he actually delivered was three huge deficits and a $20-billion deficit in 2019.Could the Minister of Finance stand up and apologize to Canadians for breaking his promise, or rather, for lying to them?
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister claims that Canada is on track to meet the Paris targets, but we know that is not true. The evidence is overwhelming that the Liberals will miss those targets by a country mile. Canadians are worried about carbon taxes and the skyrocketing price of gas at the pump. It has become very clear that the Liberals do not have a climate plan; they have a tax plan.Will the minister now admit that her plan does absolutely nothing for the environment and is not as advertised?
Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives warned that the carbon tax would be a cash grab, the Prime Minister said, no, that we should look at the B.C. Liberals who brought in a revenue-neutral carbon tax, where taxpayers would get back as much as they paid in. However, this was not as advertised. In fact, it has cost $1 billion more to British Columbia taxpayers than they have been given back and gas prices are now $1.80 a litre, something the Prime Minister celebrates as exactly what we want.Are we not headed to $1.80-a-litre gas price if he is re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, it is probably good to get the facts on the table. There has been a 1¢ increase in the price of gas in B.C. as related to the price on pollution.Let us be clear with what we are doing. We are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back. We are taking serious action.What is the party opposite doing? It is having secret meetings with oil lobbyists to develop its yet-to-be-seen climate plan.We need to take action on climate change. We owe it to our kids. We have a huge economic opportunity. I am very proud that we are taking action, and we have created a million jobs with Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has finally decided to answer some questions on the Mark Norman affair. He has had plenty of time to rehearse the script and memorize the lines, and I have no doubt that he is going to talk about the specific decision to stay the charges against Mark Norman being free from political interference. However, what I would like to know is about all the evidence of other interference in this case, including his government going to great lengths to block documents from being presented to court. Why did the government go to such efforts to prevent the truth from coming out?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are being very disrespectful and condescending towards Quebec, which was completely ignored in yesterday's federal-provincial infrastructure announcement. Minister Bonnardel, the Quebec minister of transport, spoke with the Liberal government and tried to work in partnership with it. How did this Liberal government respond to Quebec's request? It said no.Why do this Liberal Prime Minister and this Liberal government refuse to work in partnership with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember where this file started. On the eve of the 2015 election, Conservatives decided to rush through a half-billion-dollar, sole-sourced project. We wanted to ensure that we did our own due diligence on this decision with the new federal cabinet. That is exactly what we did.In regard to documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined the relevancy and suggested redactions. This was all subject to approval
Mr. Speaker, instead of making grand statements, I invite the minister to reread the Canada-Quebec infrastructure agreement. It states that Canada's role in any Project is limited to making a financial contribution, and that it will have no involvement in the implementation...or...operation. Canada is neither a decision-maker nor an administrator.The minister's election announcement about Highway 19 is nothing but talk. Not even one centimetre of the highway will be built. Instead of arguing, the government should transfer the lump sum to Quebec.
Mr. Speaker, as co-founder and co-chair of the parliamentary all-party cycling caucus, I am pleased to share that today is Bike Day on the Hill. Approximately 200,000 Canadians cycle to work, which is good for their health and our environment. Sadly, on average, 75,000 Canadians are seriously injured while cycling each year and 74 cyclists are killed. Many tragedies can be prevented with improved cycling infrastructure and side guards on heavy trucks. We must do better to keep Canadians safe. The NDP is calling for a national cycling strategy. Will the government get on board and help make Canada a cycling nation?
Mr. Speaker, in his attempt to take a contract away from the Davie shipyard, the Prime Minister deliberately tarnished Vice-Admiral Norman's reputation. Even though 73 people were aware of what was going on, the only name he sent to the RCMP was Mark Norman's. The Prime Minister also said there would be a trial before that was actually the case.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman?
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties, and I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House recognize Vice-Admiral Mark Norman for his decades of loyal service to Canada, express regret for the personal and professional hardships he endured as a result of his failed prosecution, and apologize to him and his family for what they experienced during their legal conflict with the government.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from CumberlandColchester for his hard work on the health committee as the chair.As someone whose first job was as a mental health counsellor, I am proud to be a member of a government that has made a historic investment of $5 billion in the area of mental health and addiction services. We are also targeting our efforts to support the mental health of young Canadians, indigenous peoples, the LGBTQ community, black Canadians, veterans and so much more. I am proud of these efforts and we will not stop until every Canadian gets the help and assistance they need when it comes to mental health.
Mr. Speaker, ever since the Federal Court of Appeal decision of August 2018, we have been working hard to fix the process that was put in place by the previous government, which led to a number of projects being challenged in the courts.We are engaged in a meaningful conversation and meaningful dialogue to offer accommodations to indigenous peoples to ensure that we move forward on this project in the right way.We are scheduled to make a decision on this project, as long as we are fulfilling our duty to consult with indigenous communities, by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, it is not at all clear what the status of any alleged court proceeding might be. Indeed, the media coverage with respect to the judge's comments would indicate that he is not clear what the status is. The member can be assured that the Government of Canada will very strongly defend its position.
Mr. Speaker, once again the Liberals put their billionaire buddies ahead of doing the right thing, as in the case of Mark Norman. Let us review. A multi-billion-dollar contract was in trouble and their rich friends again needed help, so they made Mark Norman the fall guy. The Liberals withheld key documents, even from the prosecution. Then the Prime Minister called for charges well before they were laid. The Liberals were again caught wasting millions of public dollars helping their rich friends for political gain.Will the Prime Minister now apologize to Mark Norman and to taxpayers for this travesty?
Mr. Speaker, where are we headed? We are headed to taking serious action on climate change while growing our economy.Let us look at the facts. We have had to put a price on pollution because we have provinces led by Conservative premiers who do not seem to think climate change is a problem and do not seem to understand the economic opportunity of clean growth.We are giving money back to Canadians. That is in the legislation. Eighty percent of families will be better off. A family in Ontario will get $307.Did the member opposite cash his climate action incentive rebate?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his weekly reminder of the high-frequency train.I want to assure him that we continue to work on this complex and very important file. When we have something to say, he will be informed.
Mr. Speaker, based on last week's decision, the deputy minister has reviewed the policy in place regarding Vice-Admiral Norman's request to have his legal fees paid as they relate to this case. She gave us her opinion, and we agree with her, so that is how we will proceed. In addition, General Vance will speak with Vice-Admiral Norman about the next steps at the appropriate time.I repeat, no other factors were considered in this decision, nor was there any outside contact or influence, political or otherwise, in relation to this charge. We will always respect the judicial process.
Mr. Speaker, my department's only involvement was to provide government records in response to a request from the defence to help support the defence of Vice-Admiral Norman. The Department of Justice processed these 52 requests on behalf of seven departments. The process of determining whether documents were relevant and whether any redactions were necessary was made and conducted by civil servants and then verified by the court. It was up to the court to make the final decision as to whether or not information would be redacted, not the government.
Mr. Speaker, the Quebec government builds our infrastructure, not Ottawa. The Canada-Quebec agreement is clear on this. Infrastructure is a provincial and municipal responsibility. However, Ottawa is trying to impose conditions on us, and the result is a tramway project in Quebec that has been stopped in its tracks. Our projects are going nowhere because Ottawa prefers to argue.Will the minister stop creating conflicts and send Quebec the infrastructure funding as a lump sum with no strings attached, as the Quebec government has asked?
Mr. Speaker, we work very closely with our Quebec colleagues.As I said yesterday, we are not in election mode, we are in construction mode. What Quebeckers expect from us is that we promptly look at projects submitted by all provinces, that we approve them according to the criteria set out in the bilateral agreement and, above all, that we announce them in time for construction season. If there is one thing that will not wait, it is construction season.We are going to move forward.
Mr. Speaker, fortunately, when I was in the private sector I had the opportunity to make investments to grow a business. This was very successful, and what we have done here is similar. We decided that the Conservatives had a bad approach that led to too much unemployment and too little growth.With our approach we are investing for Canadians and have reached another level of growth and the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. This approach is working for our economy.
Mr. Speaker, as a cyclist myself, I realize that the point brought up by my colleague is a very important one. That is why last year we published a report that was the product of 10 provinces, three territories and the federal government putting together 57 measures that could be used to improve safety for vulnerable road users, not only cyclists but pedestrians as well. We realize how important this is. Within federal jurisdiction, we are already undertaking pilot projects to improve the visibility of large commercial trucks so truck drivers can see the cyclists.
Mr. Speaker, gas prices are skyrocketing throughout Canada, but in British Columbia we have the highest prices in North America. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that high gas prices are exactly what he wants. Everyone knows that the approval and construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline would help drop the price of gas.When will the Prime Minister get serious about giving Canadians a break and get the pipeline built?
Mr. Speaker, I already talked about the fact that under our climate plan, we are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back.However, let us talk about all the other measures that are helping single mums in the member opposite's riding. The Canada child benefit raised 300,000 children out of poverty. We have lowered taxes on the middle class, asking the 1% to pay a little more. We created a million jobs so single moms could have good jobs. We have lowered taxes on small businesses. from 11% to 9%, and created a million jobs for Canadians.We are going to continue taking action on climate change. We are going to continue growing the economy. We are doing it in a way that is affordable and gets people ahead.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is the Liberals have the same emission targets as the Conservatives. Both of them love pipelines and both would exempt the biggest polluters from paying.Declaring a climate emergency must mean more than just words. That is why our motion calls for ending fossil fuel subsidies and cancelling the Trans Mountain pipeline, which puts our coastline at risk and indigenous communities into disrespect. I am inviting the government to join in our vision for a climate change plan that leaves no worker or community behind. Will the Prime Minister support our motion?
Mr. Speaker, again, the committees operate independently from the government, and my colleague knows it. I am sure that is hard for him to grasp, considering who was controlling the committees under the Harper government.Again, regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted that no other factors were considered in that 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. Any accusation to the contrary is completely absurd.Canadians can have confidence in our justice system. They must not allow themselves to be misled by the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, in the last few months the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of his former attorney general and the former president of the Treasury Board over the government's unethical conduct and interference in judicial independence. Last week, the case against Vice-Admiral Norman fell apart just as we learned that a former star general, the Liberal MP for Orléans, was about to testify against his own government.My question is for the Prime Minister, and it is about his credibility. If he cannot hold the trust of respected Liberals, how is he going to hold the trust of the Canadian people?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of the climate emergency, I want to point out that the majority of young people realize that climate change is a serious issue. As part of the government's youth policy, a number of young people submitted briefs calling on the government to stop subsidizing oil companies. The government, however, continues to hand over millions of dollars to this industry.The NDP recognizes that climate action is urgently needed. We are calling for ambitious GHG reduction targets and an end to the Trans Mountain project.Does the government recognize that action is urgently needed? Will it support the NDP's motion and declare an environmental and climate emergency?
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we understand that committees operate independently and make their own decisions about how to proceed. This is yet again another example of the Conservatives wanting to talk about anything other than the economy, anything other than our budget, anything other than what we have been doing to help create jobs for Canadians, to lift 825,000 Canadians out of poverty, bring in the lowest unemployment in 40 years and keep doing the things for the middle class that Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, once again we see the NDP jumping on the Conservative bandwagon because the NDP's approach on climate change and the economy has simply fallen flat. We continue to respect the independence of the judiciary. We always will. Measures were brought forward against the vice-admiral at the direction of the chief of defence staff. That is known by everyone. The New Democrats are stuck, so they are slinging mud too, like the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, once again, our thoughts are with all those who have been affected by the flooding and the first responders who are working hard to keep people safe.Our government is doing everything it can to support response efforts in the affected parts of the country.We remind people that they must be extremely careful. Those affected should continue to follow the instructions and guidance of municipal law enforcement agencies and first responders.Canadians can rest assured that the Canadian Armed Forces will support and serve alongside our federal, provincial and municipal partners, who work diligently on behalf of all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, that case and the SNC-Lavalin controversy have raised questions about interference in our justice system. They have also underscored the need for independent review of decisions made by the director of public prosecutions.Will the government commit to separate the office of the attorney general from the minister of justice if re-elected?
Mr. Speaker, climate change has become a climate emergency. It is hard to take the Liberals seriously when they adopt ridiculously low targets, buy a pipeline, and create marine protected areas where oil development is permitted. Knowing that 41% of Quebec's emissions come from the transportation sector, announcing a high-frequency train in the most densely populated corridor in Canada would be part of the solution to the climate emergency.When will there be real action?
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is well aware that committees operate independently from the government. We will wait for the committee's deliberations.Regarding the legal process involving Vice-Admiral Norman, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada noted, when it stayed the charge, that 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. Any accusation to the contrary from the opposition is absurd and baseless.
Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member on the opposition side and his party were really serious on moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way, they would not have voted to shut down the consultation process and kill this project and the process that we have put in place. We are working hard on this project. We are moving forward with meaningful consultation with the indigenous community. We are scheduled to make a decision on this project by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister ordered documents to be withheld that could have cleared Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's name months ago. We are now learning that these documents may have been withheld from both the RCMP and the public prosecutor. How can the Liberals claim they did not interfere in this process when they refused to hand over the evidence?
Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that the government met all of its obligations with respect to the third party records applications. All documents in this case for priority individuals identified in February by the defence were provided to the court, over 8,000 documents from seven different departments. As the Prime Minister has just said, the decision to redact information was made by public servants in this case, and overseen by the court. We met all our obligations.
Mr. Speaker, the case to which the hon. member referred was handled by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which is independent from the government and independent from the Department of Justice.My office had no role whatsoever in the handling of this prosecution. That includes the decision to lay charges and the decision to stay charges, as well as the prosecution in-between.
As I said earlier, Mr. Speaker, we are working closely with the Quebec government.The Highway 19 project was introduced by the Government of Quebec, and Premier Legault made it a priority. As announced yesterday, the project was then approved in Ottawa.We work closely with our colleagues and respect provincial jurisdictions. There is no question that we will continue to invest in communities across the country.
Mr. Speaker, part of my riding is rural. There is no public transit. The sky-high gas prices are forcing them to make very difficult decisions about essentials. We have single mums who cannot afford to fill their tanks. We have seniors who are having difficulties making ends meet. We have small businesses that have no choice but to cut jobs or cut wages. The Prime Minister says this is exactly what he wants. Could the minister explain exactly what he wants? Why sky-high gas prices for rural communities?
Mr. Speaker, our government firmly believes in the institutions of government and respects them deeply. On this particular issue, we have asked
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are obviously still putting rich companies ahead of ordinary people and, in the process, they tarnished a man's reputation. The Liberals are once again caught up in a political interference scandal, and once again it is all about getting re-elected. They have also wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. People deserve transparency in the Vice-Admiral Norman case.Why are the Liberals refusing to tell the truth?
Mr. Speaker, we certainly recognize the climate emergency, which is why we have a motion on the climate emergency.On the one hand, there is the Conservative Party, which has no climate plan and no economic plan. The Conservatives are saying things that are not true about the price on pollution. On the other hand, there is the NDP, which is flip-flopping on the LNG project, the largest investment in Canadian history, which will help developing countries phase out carbon. We must combat climate change and grow our economy at the same time. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, there is a reason why the NDP is calling on the Prime Minister to declare a climate and environmental emergency. We are still waiting for the Liberal government's plan, which, to date, has involved purchasing an old pipeline and continuing to subsidize fossil fuels.People in BerthierMaskinongé and other areas of Quebec have been hard hit by the recent flooding. Because of climate change, extreme natural disasters will become increasingly common. We still need the Canadian army.Can the federal government confirm that soldiers will remain in place to help seniors and other residents clean up and remove the sandbags?
Mr. Speaker, I guess what is advertised is that the Conservatives do not have a plan for the environment. They do not have a plan for the economy. They do not understand that climate change is a serious problem and that we can do both. We can tackle climate change and we can grow the economy. We have a plan that eliminates coal and invests in renewables. It invests in clean technologies. It invests in energy efficiency. I could go on and on.Unfortunately, the Conservative Party does not want to come together. It does not want to join Canadians and take serious action to tackle climate change and also grow our economy. We can do both; we need to do both.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across this country are asking for urgent action to fight climate change, action that leaves no workers or communities behind. Other countries have done it, and Canada can too.The government bought a pipeline and is subsidizing the fossil fuel industry. That is not climate action. The Conservatives do not have a plan. Canadians want their government to act courageously on climate change. The NDP tabled a motion with concrete steps to address the climate emergency, so when is the government finally going to get serious about it?
Mr. Speaker, almost every issue we talk about in the Standing Committee on Health has a mental health component, whether it is post-traumatic stress, or methamphetamine addiction, or LGBTQ issues or indigenous health. There is always a mental health common denominator.Could the Minister of Health tell us what she is doing in her department to help Canadians with mental health issues right across the board?
Mr. Speaker, I can see why the Prime Minister does not want to answer. He is becoming the political equivalent of Monty Python's Black Knight. He speaks of independence, but it was the Prime Minister who stated that there would be a court case against Vice-Admiral Norman, and we have seen how that ended up. Last week he was defending his decision to vet judges through a Liberal donor base; the week before that he was shrugging off a political leak on a Supreme Court nominee, and the week before that, well, I am going to give him a pass today on SNC.I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. When is he going to apologize to Vice-Admiral Norman and the taxpayers of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we respect the judiciary. We respect our independent judicial process. We will not stoop to the kinds of petty and, quite frankly, distasteful political games the members opposite are engaged in right now. They are so desperate to not talk about the economic numbers, the job growth, the impact on Canadians
Mr. Speaker, once again the Prime Minister is acting as if the justice system is there to reward his friends and punish his enemies. They spent years trying to fight the release of those documents in court. There are serious allegations that need to be investigated about coaching witnesses and using code names to get around access-to-information laws.Will the Prime Minister allow the defence committee to investigate these serious allegations, or will he pull a page right out of the SNC-Lavalin playbook and use his power to shut it down?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are certainly in no position to lecture us.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces. In the case of Highway 19, the Government of Quebec submitted the file in September 2018. Mr. Legault's government made it a priority on October 5, 2018. We approved it on March 26, 2019, and I made the announcement on May 13, 2019.Respect means moving forward on files sent to us by the provinces in time for the construction season.
Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, the decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Norman was taken independently by the chief of defence staff. Any accusations otherwise are simply absurd. We fully respect the independence of the processes in place.Again, on the documents, the government met all of its obligations with respect to third party records applications. The PMO provided all documents that responded to the subpoenas directly to the Privy Council Office, which determined relevancy and suggested redactions, subject to approval by the judge.
Mr. Speaker, it is still absurd that the defence is still waiting for documents from the government. The Liberals claim they did nothing wrong, yet the defence minister regrets the process Vice-Admiral Norman went through. What does he regret? Was it that the Liberals withheld documents from the RCMP? Was it that they withheld documents from the public prosecutor? Was it that they withheld documents from Norman's defence team?When will the Prime Minister finally set the truth free, and will he testify at the national defence committee?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised a collaborative relationship with provinces and territories, but eight provinces and three territories opposed his no more pipelines Bill C-69, five provinces are fighting his carbon tax, and the majority of Canadians and indigenous communities all along the route support the Trans Mountain expansion and want it built. Liberals have spent billions, delayed the decision and not built an inch.Instead of fighting the provinces and pitting Canadians against each other, will the Prime Minister do what he said he would do and release a plan to approve and build the Trans Mountain expansion?
Mr. Speaker, all of that happened without inviting Quebec to be present. Meanwhile, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development said he was shocked by statements made by the Premier of Quebec. The Prime Minister himself accused the Premier of Quebec of playing politics. This Prime Minister is accusing the Premier of Quebec of playing politics.His comments are disrespectful, paternalistic and condescending, which is par for the course for the sanctimonious Liberals.When will he co-operate with the provinces?
Mr. Speaker, the NDP says it will be there for the people, but it just announced that it is against a project that would have created 10,000 jobs for British Columbians. The B.C. NDP supports the project. His colleague, the member for SkeenaBulkley Valley supported the project. Even so, the NDP just decided it is against this project, which would be the biggest private-sector investment in this country's history. We know that investing in the economy and protecting the environment must go hand in hand. Unfortunately, the NDP has no plan to make that happen.
Mr. Speaker, we have heard today that the murderer of Tori Stafford is seeking compensation from the government for her unfair treatment. Canadians will remember that the Liberals moved Tori's killer from a maximum-security prison to a healing lodge until outraged Canadians forced them to reverse their decision. Will the government commit to fight her attempts at getting any taxpayer dollars for putting her back behind bars where she belongs?