Bardish Chagger

Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. On March 31, the same day the Leader of the Opposition received the letter, he deleted and then edited one of his defamatory tweets. He did the same thing with another defamatory statement he made on February 11. We will not stand idly by while the Leader of the Opposition misleads Canadians. Canadians can see that the only tweet the opposition leader did not change is the one regarding his affiliation with Faith Goldy.

Mr. Speaker, to ever imply that the Prime Minister of Canada would not protect jobs is, frankly, not true and pathetic. That member knows very well that he is going pretty far in making an accusation. Any prime minister, those I have liked and those I have not, have been prime ministers of the country I am proud to serve and fight for. There is a spot for partisan politics, and that should be in campaigns. When we are sent to this place, we should raise the bar in the work that we do. We are all hon. members, and every member of Parliament should be fighting for jobs.

Mr. Speaker, the director of public prosecutions confirmed that prosecutors in every case exercise their discretion independently.The Conservatives keep talking out of both sides of their mouths. In French, they claim they would not dream of hurting the employees of SNC-Lavalin, as the member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles says. However, in English, it is a different story, as we heard from the member for Carleton, who is not hiding the fact that he wants to shut this company down. The Conservatives need to stop their doublespeak and start being clear with Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition pretends that he will not back down and he tries to make a show out of it, but that word he just used is quite peculiar. Canadians have noticed that he has been editing and changing his tweets once he was put on notice. The leader of the official opposition and the Conservatives know very well that there are consequences for intentionally misleading Canadians. It is not suitable. We know that is false, because while he is saying that, he has already been editing online statements or erasing them entirely, and backpedalling during his press conferences, just like he did yesterday. This past December, he was again forced to take down a statement—

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that we will not stand idly by while the Conservatives continue to intentionally mislead Canadians. It is not what the obligations of the leader of the official opposition or any elected official should be. The leader of the official opposition on numerous occasions, as I have mentioned, has edited and deleted those tweets. However, the one tweet that the Conservative leader will not change is the one of him attending the same rally as white supremacist Faith Goldy. It is quite interesting when he chooses to make changes and when he does not.

Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time that the Conservative leader and his party have misled Canadians with false and defamatory statements.This is not the first time that we have sent a letter to the Leader of the Opposition because he continues to repeat falsehoods. They erased public statements, their tweets, from December, February, and now March, because they know that they should have a little respect for our institutions—not a lot, just a little.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' only plan is to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when they did it earlier this year and the Minister of Innovation put the leader of the official opposition on notice, the leader of the official opposition retracted those comments and deleted those tweets.The Conservatives, once again, continue to mislead Canadians, so the Prime Minister put the leader of the official opposition on notice. What did the leader of the official opposition do on March 31? He deleted those tweets. The only plan Conservatives have is to mislead Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, that is absolutely ridiculous. That is not what has taken place. When it comes to our process, we know that the process is unfolding. The government is going to continue focusing on Canadians, as the Conservatives will continue to mislead Canadians. That is really unfortunate, because that is not what we are here to do.This is the government. We are the government that lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by increasing them on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians. We are the government that introduced the tax-free Canada child benefit, and today we have 300,000 children lifted out of poverty, over 800,000 Canadians. The Conservatives want to take that measure away.

Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time this Conservative leader and his party have misled Canadians by making false and defamatory statements. As I have already said at least twice, he was forced to withdraw or stop making defamatory statements about members of our government.We had to warn him because he did it again. We know the Conservatives have a history of doing this. It is important for the Conservatives to remember that this is not the right approach.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that Canadians hear the truth and that is exactly why the leader of the official opposition and the Conservatives have again been put on notice. They are misleading Canadians and we will not stand idly by.This is not the first time they have done this. They have been put on notice in the past and that is exactly why they changed their online statements. It is why they deleted and then edited tweets. On March 31, just last week, they were again provided notice and that is exactly why the leader of the official opposition deleted and then edited his tweets, because he was put on notice. He knows better than to be misleading Canadians. Once again, we will not stand idly by while the Conservatives—

Mr. Speaker, I will once again confirm that yes, we again have put the leader of the official opposition and these Conservatives on notice. On March 31, the exact day when he received this letter, he deleted and then edited one of his defamatory tweets. There is a repetitive behaviour here. This is something that the Conservatives have done on numerous occasions. He did the same thing with another defamatory statement he posted on February 11, another time that we had to serve him notice. When the Conservative leader continues to make false statements outside the House, he must be called out. We will call him out to ensure that he does not mislead Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, because the Conservatives and their leader have a history of making untrue and defamatory statements just for political gains, yes, we have again put them on notice. When they were first put on notice, the leader of the official opposition deleted and then edited tweets because he knew that those comments were not appropriate and he knew that legal action could be taken. Anyone who knows the court system would know that the first step is putting them on notice. Therefore, the process has already begun. We will not idly stand by while the Conservatives mislead Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, any insinuation of wrongdoing by the Minister of Innovation is absolutely false and repeating outside the chamber will be met with a strong response from the minister's lawyer.

Once again, the Conservatives do not listen. They continue speaking when I have the floor.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to hear the truth, and that is exactly why all the facts are now public. Yes, we took a first step. That is exactly why we put the leader of the official opposition on notice. He continues making false and misleading statements to Canadians. After receiving that notice, he changed the words that he has been using. He deleted some tweets and statements made online. He has already responded through his actions, because he knows he should not be doing what he is doing.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition pretends that he will not back down and tries to make a show out of it. We know that this is not true, because while he is saying it, he has already edited or deleted his online statements and refuses to repeat his statements in press conferences. This past December, he was again forced to delete a statement that was defamatory to the Minister of Innovation. False statements also have consequences. This is why, once again, we put the Leader of the Opposition on notice.

Mr. Speaker, I seem to have a greater respect for this institution and that is exactly why I am a lot more judicious in my words. The Conservatives, on numerous occasions, have misled Canadians and that is exactly why they have been put on notice. They were put on notice in the past and that is exactly why the leader of the official opposition went to Twitter, went to his online statements, took them down, edited them and put them back up. On March 31, this is exactly what he did. The leader of the official opposition, who is now taunting me, wants to know how the steps work. The first step of any court case is to put the Conservatives on notice. They have been put on notice.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and his party have a history of making false and defamatory statements. He had to retract some statements he made online in December about the Minister of Innovation.We warned the Leader of the Opposition again because he was making false and misleading statements to Canadians. Once again, on March 31, the Leader of the Opposition deleted some tweets because he knows he did something he should not have.

Mr. Speaker, yes, we did put the Leader of the Opposition on notice because he was making false and misleading statements to Canadians. On March 31, they received a notice and on the same day the Leader of the Opposition deleted his tweets. He knows that he made defamatory remarks, he knows that he must not do this. He was put on notice so that he makes more judicious decisions that are more befitting of his position.

Madam Speaker, that member and the Conservatives will talk about hypotheticals. We will talk about the facts. We will talk about the fact that with our plan, 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty. We will talk about the fact that over 800,000 Canadians are better off today than they were under Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. We will talk about the fact that Canadians have created over 900,000 jobs. We will talk about the fact that more Canadians are working today than have in my lifetime. The Conservatives will continue to talk about hypotethicals. They will continue to play and do their shenanigans, because they have no plan and no concern for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, we know that members of the justice committee are doing their job. They are calling witnesses, and witnesses are appearing and answering questions. We know that the Conservatives continue to talk out of both sides of their mouths. They say one thing in French and another in English.Canadians will have a choice to make between our plan to invest in our communities, grow our economy, and support middle-class jobs or the party of Stephen Harper that wants to divide Canadians and has no plan for the economy or jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I have answered that question on numerous occasions. The members know very well that the leader of the official opposition was put on notice. They know very well that he has deleted tweets and retracted comments. What do they do? The Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians. They mislead Canadians because they have no plan for the environment and no plan for the economy. However, what they do have is a plan to mislead Canadians. That is exactly why, when it comes to programs and services available to Canadians, the Conservatives choose to mislead Canadians by refusing to admit that there is a climate action incentive. Luckily they cannot do that in New Brunswick, but they sure did in—

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, any insinuation of wrongdoing by the Minister of Innovation is absolutely false, and repeating it outside the chamber will be met with a strong response from the minister's lawyer. If the member has courage to say it in this place where he is protected, why does the member not have the courage to say it outside the House?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians wanted to hear from the former attorney general, and Canadians got to hear from the former attorney general.We on this side have confidence in the work that committees do. We know that members of Parliament from both sides sit on that committee. They have been able to have meetings. They are calling witnesses. Witnesses are appearing and answering those questions.It is important that witnesses be able to share their perspectives. We on this side respect that. We on this side will fight for Canadian jobs.Perhaps if the Conservatives, rather than playing partisan politics, focused on creating growth, they would not have had the worst growth since the Great Depression.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are watching, and they are noticing that every single day the members of the opposition read their questions that are provided to them by the leader of the official opposition. They talk about talking points. They are spitting out those talking points pretty well that their leader's office is providing to them. On this side, we know that members are having tough conversations. They will always yell over me. They say that people should be able to speak, should be able to have a respectful workplace, but that is not something that they provide.

Mr. Speaker, we will not stay silent while the Leader of the Opposition misleads Canadians. The process has begun, and that is why we sent that letter.When the Leader of the Opposition received the letter, he changed his tweets. He knows very well that the letter has consequences. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to make comments that mislead Canadians who do not know the truth, we will put him on notice to let him know that he cannot do that.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I have answered that question. What many Canadians are prioritizing is the economy and the environment. When it comes to the economy, we know that we have one of the fastest-growing economies in the G7. That is pretty impressive, because it means that more Canadians are working today than were working in my lifetime. When it comes to our climate plan, because we know that climate change is real, we want to transition to a cleaner, greener economy by making cleaner, greener choices more affordable. That is why we have the climate action incentive payment. That member and his party choose to mislead Canadians by not reminding them—

Mr. Speaker, the member seems to be dumbfounded that as the head of the government, the Prime Minister would be concerned about leaks of cabinet confidence. I would hope that any prime minister would be concerned.The member should understand that the RCMP is an independent organization and that the decision to launch the investigation was made by the RCMP alone. As the director of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada confirmed last week, the decisions to initiate the investigation, lay charges and stay the charges were made independently and without political interference. The member might want to listen to what is being said out there.

Mr. Speaker, I will state once again that we will always respect the work of officers of Parliament and the independence of the police forces. We on this side will always co-operate with the work they do, because we recognize that Canadians deserve to have confidence in their institutions, just like we do. When it comes to our agents of Parliament, we know they do very important work, and we will let them do that important work. While the Conservatives continue to rehash items that have already been addressed, we will continue to focus on Canadians and the things that matter to them in their everyday lives. That is why we have a program and a plan that is working, unlike the Conservatives, who continue to mislead Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, as I have stated on numerous occasions, when it comes to respecting our institutions, when it comes to respecting the law, that is exactly what we will do. We are here to ensure that we do respect the rules, and that is why oftentimes it is the Conservatives who are being called out by the Speaker, because they always manage to find a way to break them.We know that not only has the rule of law been followed, we can always improve our institutions and strengthen our institutions. We know that is what Canadians expect, and that is what we will continue to fight hard for. The Conservatives will stay focused on rhetoric and shenanigans. We will stay focused on Canadians so that we can deliver for them.

Mr. Speaker, the response from the Leader of the Opposition shows yet again why we had to put him on notice. On March 31, the day he received that letter, he deleted and changed one of his defamatory tweets. He did the same thing with another defamatory statement he made on February 11. We will not stay silent while the opposition leader misleads Canadians. That is not how things are done in the House or in our country.

Mr. Speaker, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is investigating this matter. We know that he can do this work, and he must be allowed to do it.The Conservatives do not want to hear the budget speech and debate it. Today is budget day.We know that our plan is working for Canadians. The Conservatives must know that Canadians are waiting for their plan, but the Conservatives clearly do not have one. They want to play petty politics instead of talking about measures that help Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, in Canada, the country I am proud to have been born and raised in and to be representing, we have officers of Parliament and we have an independent court system. They are functioning. We know that the rule of law is intact in Canada, and this has been said on numerous occasions. Canadians can have confidence in their institutions. We, on this side, have confidence in those institutions, which work independently of government.The Conservatives have always been used to undermining our institutions, and used to making their patronage appointments. That is why they cannot tell that the institutions are working. If Conservatives want to mislead Canadians, that is, unfortunately—

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

Mr. Speaker, small businesses are the backbone of the economy. Just this morning, I was at Ottawa 2017 where I spoke to the tourism industry because we know that is where growth can occur. We have to support the tourism industry. We have to support small businesses as well.That is why we are investing in the middle class. Middle-class Canadians are our small business owners and they are our customers. By putting money into the pockets of Canadians, they can support our small business owners and they can support the products and services that they offer, because small business owners would prefer increased revenues over decreased taxes any day.

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the record. The director of the Public Prosecution Service confirmed that prosecutors in every case “exercise their discretion independently and free from any political or partisan consideration.” We on this side have increased resources to committees so that committees can do their work. Members from both sides sit on the justice committee. Justice committee members have come together to ask for witnesses to appear. Witnesses are appearing.I will remind the House and all Canadians what Canadians said no to. Canadians said no to the failed approach of austerity by the Conservatives, which their leader continues to fight for.

Mr. Speaker, during question period, the member for Outremont said that his party voted in favour of Bill C-2. I know that no member of the House would want to mislead Canadians, which is why I am tabling, in both official languages, excerpts from Hansard of September 20, 2016, which shows the member for Outremont and others from his party voting against the middle-class tax cut at third reading in the House.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians should get to hear, and that is exactly why the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege as well as cabinet confidence. Canadians should get to hear, and that is why the justice committee brought witnesses.The Conservatives will continue to chirp. They will not let me speak, because they know that institutions are intact in Canada. They know that the justice committee is doing its work. Conservatives should stop playing politics and get to work. It is really unfortunate, because when they were in government, they made these same comments to the NDP, talking about the costs of having the House run all night long. We know that we will fight for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives, and frankly their leader, have a history of making untrue and defamatory statements for political gain.In response to a lawyer's letter in December, the Conservative leader deleted tweets that were defamatory to the Minister of Innovation. We put him on notice again, because there are consequences for making false statements. At his press conference, he has already refrained from repeating some of his false statements. He should not be misleading Canadians.Here is a question to the Leader of the Opposition that Canadians want to know about. Has he deleted tweets since he received that notice?

Madam Speaker, Canadians can have confidence that the government will always fight for Canadians. Canadians can have confidence in their institutions.I find it fascinating that the member seems to forget that the company actually met with his leader, the leader of the NDP. No differently, the company met with the leader of the Conservatives.What I also find fascinating, as he provides his commentary, is that yesterday he was on a panel, with other members of the committee, and he was saying, “Why don't you have confidence in the members of the justice committee?” We do. Let them do their work.

Mr. Speaker, in December, the leader of the official opposition deleted tweets and retracted messages. In February, the leader of the official opposition deleted tweets and retracted messages. In March, the leader of the official opposition deleted tweets and retracted messages. The Conservatives change their messaging and then they go outside. However, most recently, because the Conservatives have a history of misleading Canadians, they wanted to have a fundraiser. They wanted a private fundraiser to talk about the privatization of health care. Today, they have now changed the parameters of that fundraiser. Maybe they will delete it entirely.

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the member from the province of Saskatchewan would rise, and he knows very well that I have answered that question.Saskatchewan is one of the provinces that do not have a provincial climate plan. To ensure that we can transition to a cleaner, greener economy, the federal government has put forward a climate action incentive payment.Families within Saskatchewan will be receiving over $600 when they file their taxes this year, and 80% of families will spend less when they come to make cleaner, greener choices, because we want to make sure that they make cleaner, greener choices and that they are affordable. I encourage—

Mr. Speaker, in Canada, we have the rule of law. In Canada, we have a system that works. Canadians can have confidence in that system. Members from both sides of the aisle sit on the justice committee. The member who asked the question is actually a member of the justice committee. He knows very well that when witnesses appear who have been asked to appear, witnesses are answering questions. We on this side have confidence in the work of the justice committee. It is really too bad that the member and his party do not.

Mr. Speaker, we have no knowledge of any such activity.

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows very well, and as I have answered on numerous occasions, the leader of the official opposition has been served notice on numerous occasions. What he does is he changes his wording and deletes tweets. Then he steps out with a new narrative and believes that it is all of a sudden his new truth.It is important to note that what Canadians have been waiting for 365 days for is a climate plan from the Conservatives. Rather than worrying about Conservatives advancing policy ideas, we will continue focusing on Canadians, making sure that we are delivering on a plan and on commitments that they expect from us, while the Conservatives continue playing silly politics.

Madam Speaker, again, yesterday at the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, the clerk also confirmed that the Prime Minister clearly said at every opportunity that the decision was the justice minister's to make.It has to be said that the Conservatives keep speaking out of both sides of their mouths. In French they claim they have no intention of jeopardizing jobs at SNC-Lavalin, as that hon. member said, but in English, the hon. member for Carleton said he wanted to shut down this company and was not afraid to say so.Their constant doublespeak has to stop.

Mr. Speaker, that question and the preamble prior to it was entirely misleading. The Hon. Anne McLellan was attending an event and she will no longer be attending that event now that she has taken on—

Mr. Speaker, once again, we on this side will always respect the work of committees. We on this side will always respect the independent judicial system. We on this side will always respect the independence of officers of Parliament. We on this side will always protect Canadian jobs and stand up for them. We know our plan is working, and that is why Canadians have created over 800,000 jobs since we took office. What is the record of the Conservatives? They had the least amount of growth, the worst growth since the Great Depression. Now we know why. Because they will not stand up for Canadian jobs.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, it is an opposition day, and the member should not be taking time out of the time for debate on the motion they have spent time working on.I have listened to the member opposite, and I do not believe this matter constitutes a prima facie question of privilege. What the member is referring to is a matter of policy and not a question of parliamentary procedure. As such, this does not constitute a contempt of the House.I reserve the right to return to the House with a further intervention on the issue.

Mr. Speaker, I want to quickly provide a quote that I have not provided for a while. The director of public prosecutions confirmed that prosecutors “exercise their discretion independently and free from any political or partisan consideration.”That member is lacking confidence in our institutions. I can confirm to him, once again, as was provided in testimony at the justice committee, that the rule of law is intact in Canada. Our institutions are intact. Canadians can have confidence in them. That member should stop misleading Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader met with representatives of the company. The NDP leader met with representatives of the company. Today, the Conservative deputy leader herself said that she did not want to give the impression that she thinks there is anything wrong with meeting with SNC-Lavalin. On this side of the House, we respect the independence of the committee and the judicial system. We see the committee doing its work.

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by saying that our thoughts are with Father Claude Grou and the entire community affected by the terrible incident at St. Joseph's Oratory—

Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious issue for me. It is for my community. I know it is for all members in this place. My comments were not intended to diminish the seriousness of this. In the Waterloo region, we have seen 85 people lose their lives. On this issue, if I have offended anyone, I can promise I have no problem apologizing. I apologize.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and his party have a history of making false and defamatory statements. He had to retract some statements he made online in December about the Minister of Innovation.We warned the Leader of the Opposition again because he was making false and misleading statements to Canadians. Once again, on March 31, the Leader of the Opposition deleted some tweets because he knows he did something he should not have.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we made promises to Canadians and we intend to keep those promises. We will continue to work very hard for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by saying that our thoughts are with Father Claude Grou and the entire community affected by the terrible incident at St. Joseph's Oratory this morning. The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal is investigating, and we will follow the developments closely.When it comes to the last 31 hours, let us not let Canadians be mistaken. That was 31 hours of Conservatives denying funding to services Canadians benefit from. I have no problem being up all night to fight for Canadians. That is what we will do.

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we respect the work that officers of Parliament do. In this case, the commissioner released a report and the Prime Minister accepted her recommendations, accepted responsibility. We will continue working hard on behalf of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the government was elected on a commitment to work hard for Canadians. The government was elected on a commitment to help grow the economy, to create jobs, to create the growth that Canadians need.The government is committed to delivering on our commitments. We will continue to do the hard work we are doing, and the actions have already started.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives, and frankly their leader, have a history of making untrue and defamatory statements for political gain.In response to a lawyer's letter in December, the Conservative leader deleted tweets that were defamatory to the Minister of Innovation. We put him on notice again, because there are consequences for making false statements. At his press conference, he has already refrained from repeating some of his false statements. He should not be misleading Canadians.Here is a question to the Leader of the Opposition that Canadians want to know about. Has he deleted tweets since he received that notice?

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the government's support of small businesses.This is the government that lowered the small business tax rate to 9% by 2019. What did the Conservatives do? The Conservatives voted against it.We just brought forward the first-ever women's entrepreneurship strategy, almost $2 billion in support for women entrepreneurs. What did the Conservatives do? Voted against it.

Mr. Speaker, small businesses are the backbone of the economy. Just this morning, I was at Ottawa 2017 where I spoke to the tourism industry because we know that is where growth can occur. We have to support the tourism industry. We have to support small businesses as well.That is why we are investing in the middle class. Middle-class Canadians are our small business owners and they are our customers. By putting money into the pockets of Canadians, they can support our small business owners and they can support the products and services that they offer, because small business owners would prefer increased revenues over decreased taxes any day.

Mr. Speaker, the member is confusing things, which we should be careful to not do here. We are here to work on behalf of Canadians, and that is what this government will continue to do. The Prime Minister has said that he will answer the commissioner's questions. We will continue working hard for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I have been working closely with small business owners and stakeholders across this nation. Since being put in this post, I have met with almost 250 stakeholders, small business owners, and the people who work hard for them. Our budget actually supports small businesses. We are listening to Canadians. We are listening to small business owners. That is what we will continue to do.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition pretends that he will not back down and tries to make a show out of it. We know that this is not true, because while he is saying it, he has already edited or deleted his online statements and refuses to repeat his statements in press conferences. This past December, he was again forced to delete a statement that was defamatory to the Minister of Innovation. False statements also have consequences. This is why, once again, we put the Leader of the Opposition on notice.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, that is absolutely ridiculous. That is not what has taken place. When it comes to our process, we know that the process is unfolding. The government is going to continue focusing on Canadians, as the Conservatives will continue to mislead Canadians. That is really unfortunate, because that is not what we are here to do.This is the government. We are the government that lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by increasing them on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians. We are the government that introduced the tax-free Canada child benefit, and today we have 300,000 children lifted out of poverty, over 800,000 Canadians. The Conservatives want to take that measure away.

Mr. Speaker, the justice official backgrounder on remediation agreements states two of the main purposes for remediation agreements: one, to hold the organization accountable for wrongdoing; and, two, to reduce the harm a criminal conviction of an organization could have for employees, pensioners, shareholders and other third parties who did not take part in the offence.The record shows that the leader of the Conservative Party met with the company. We know that the leader of the NDP met with the company. We know the deputy leader herself said on the record that she disagreed that there is anything wrong with meeting the company.We on this side will focus on Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, we acted in accordance with all the rules for relocation expenses that were put in place by the previous government in 2008. This is a longstanding policy and we will continue to follow it for now.

Mr. Speaker, federal politics is subject to some of the strictest financing legislation and regulations in the country. The party fully complies with the Elections Act in all cases.These are the rules that were put in place by the previous government, and if it worked for it then, why does it not work for it now?

Mr. Speaker, as I have said time and time again, and I encourage the member to listen to what I am saying. In Canada, we have some of the strongest and strictest fundraising rules and this government will continue to follow the rules.Something that this government has done, unlike the previous government, is to engage with Canadians, to consult with Canadians, to listen to Canadians, and to deliver on the commitments we made during the campaign, including lowering the taxes on middle-class families.

Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, Canadians have access to this government. This government committed to working with Canadians. We have committed—

Mr. Speaker, this is Small Business Week in Canada, and as the Minister of Small Business and Tourism, I would like to congratulate them for the work they do.The changes we are making are a direct response to what we have heard from Canadians. The income sprinkling proposals will be simplified to help family businesses. As we work to make the system fairer, we will keep our promise to lower the small business tax rate, which was 11% in 2015 and will drop to 9% in 2019.

Mr. Speaker, once again, it is not surprising that the Conservatives will undermine the work of committees. Once again, it is not surprising that the Conservatives will undermine the work of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. They did it for 10 years under Stephen Harper. Today they have chosen a new leader, but it still remains the same party as Stephen Harper's. Canadians can have confidence in their institutions. We on this side will let them do their work. They are meeting. They are calling forward witnesses. Witnesses are appearing and answering those tough questions. Members from both sides are present.

Mr. Speaker, perhaps I can help hon. members out.The Conservatives said that the justice committee would not meet. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that witnesses would not get to appear. That turned out to be false. The Conservatives said that the Prime Minister would not waive solicitor-client privilege or cabinet confidence. That turned out to be false. All facts are public for Canadians to hear. Canadians deserve to get to hear the truth and that is exactly why all the matters from the justice committee on this issue were in public.

Mr. Speaker, we know those statements are false because their actions demonstrate differently. While they are making those comments, he has already edited his online statements and also, on numerous occasions now, erased them entirely, and is backpedalling during press conferences, like we saw just yesterday. This past December, he was again forced to take down a statement when it came to—

Mr. Speaker, the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is investigating this matter. We know that there is an ongoing court case. On this side of the House, we will focus on Canadians. We know that Canadians have created 900,000 jobs since we took government. We know that 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty. We know that over 800,000 Canadians have been lifted out of poverty. We know there are nine million Canadians whose income tax has gone down since we lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by increasing them on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians. It is Canadians who sent us here. That is who we focus on.

Mr. Speaker, the justice committee has looked at this matter. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is investigating this matter. We also know that there is an ongoing court case. Let us talk about some numbers. Over 900,000 jobs have been created by Canadians because of investments this government made, 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty because of the Canada child benefit, nine million Canadians' income taxes went down because we lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by increasing taxes on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians, and 900,000 seniors are benefiting from the GIS increase. These are all measures that the NDP voted against.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the Prime Minister's former principal secretary shared his letter with all Canadians. I think we can agree that all members and their teams are here to work hard for Canadians. That is my priority, my government's priority, and the priority of all members on this side of the House.We will continue to work for Canadians. That is what we have been doing and what we will continue to do.

Mr. Speaker, our government has done its work properly. We follow the rules and obey the law. We stand up for the principles of judicial independence and the rule of law. We will always respect the law and the commissioner's work, and we will always work hard for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, this government always follows the rules, and as the Prime Minister has stated, we will answer any questions the commissioner may have. We will always work with the Ethics Commissioner. We will always work with every office in this place to ensure that we provide the information necessary to ensure that we work hard on behalf of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, as has been said time and time again, regardless of whether on personal or business travel, the Prime Minister must travel in government aircraft. The RCMP determines the securest way for the Prime Minister to travel, and I have to say this government is committed to working hard for Canadians, and that is where our focus is.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition pretends that he will not back down and he tries to make a show out of it, but that word he just used is quite peculiar. Canadians have noticed that he has been editing and changing his tweets once he was put on notice. The leader of the official opposition and the Conservatives know very well that there are consequences for intentionally misleading Canadians. It is not suitable. We know that is false, because while he is saying that, he has already been editing online statements or erasing them entirely, and backpedalling during his press conferences, just like he did yesterday. This past December, he was again forced to take down a statement—

Mr. Speaker, once again, we on this side will always respect the work of committees. We on this side will always respect the independent judicial system. We on this side will always respect the independence of officers of Parliament. We on this side will always protect Canadian jobs and stand up for them. We know our plan is working, and that is why Canadians have created over 800,000 jobs since we took office. What is the record of the Conservatives? They had the least amount of growth, the worst growth since the Great Depression. Now we know why. Because they will not stand up for Canadian jobs.

Mr. Speaker, the federal rules are among the strictest in the country.In fact, in some provinces, individuals can donate in the tens of thousands of dollars. Other jurisdictions have no limits. Some provinces also allow donations from unions, trade associations, and corporations. That is not the case in the federal system. There can be no conflict of interest when the rules are followed, and that is what we will continue to do.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the federal rules are among the strictest in the country.In fact, in some provinces, individuals can donate in the tens of thousands of dollars. Other jurisdictions have no limits. Some provinces also allow donations from unions, trade associations, and corporations. That is not the case in the federal system. There can be no conflict of interest when the rules are followed, and that is what we will continue to do.

Mr. Speaker, all members and all parties engage in fundraising. We all have to follow the same rules. Those rules were put in place by the previous government.I would remind my colleagues that on July 9, 2016, about three months ago, the House Leader of the Official Opposition joined the previous prime minister, Stephen Harper, at a barbecue fundraiser in Calgary that cost $2,000 per table.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to officers of Parliament and the independence of the police force, we on this side will always have the utmost respect for them and we will always co-operate with them. As I said yesterday, it is only the Conservatives who would have to ask that question, because for 10 years under Stephen Harper, they spent their time undermining officers of Parliament. Unfortunately, under their new leader they continue to do the same. When it comes to this matter, there was an investigation and a report was issued. The Prime Minister accepted responsibility and accepted the findings. We have confidence in our institutions, and I encourage the Conservatives to have a little confidence in them as well.

Mr. Speaker, during the next two weeks, as the opposition House leader has said, members of the House will be in their ridings, working hard for their constituents. Upon our return on Monday, May 1, we will commence second reading debate of Bill C-44, the budget legislation, for the week.Thursday, May 4, shall be an allotted day.

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows very well, when it comes to political financing, we have some of the strictest rules across the country. This government was elected on a commitment to Canadians to work hard for middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join them. Those are the people we continue to work for. Those are the commitments that we made to Canadians and those are the commitments we will continue to deliver on.

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

Mr. Speaker, it was a really serious debate we had on Monday. We had members from both sides ask for an emergency debate. It was denied. All parties worked together to ensure that members could put themselves on the record. This is a very serious issue. I was part of that debate, and I too shared a story. It impacts my community, as it impacts every community across this country. It is a national crisis. We do need to do more. I can assure members that is what we are doing.As I have said to the member, and I will say to all members in this place and anyone who took my comments to be intended as something they were not, I apologize.

Madam Speaker, that is not true. The members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights decided themselves to hear from witnesses on this matter and they set the parameters of the discussion. To ensure that witnesses could appear and answer questions, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence to meet the parameters set by the committee members.

Mr. Speaker, they are intentionally confusing things.There are open and transparent prebudget consultations, and there is lawful fundraising. We are following the rules, and I hope that all other members of the House are too.

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon, we will begin debate on the Senate amendments to Bill C-57, the sustainable development bill.Tomorrow morning, we will start debate at report stage and third reading stage of Bill C-83, the administrative segregation legislation. Following question period, we will debate the Senate amendments to Bill C-21, the Customs Act.Next week, we will be debating various government bills.I would like to remind the House that, in accordance with the order adopted this morning, there will be an exploratory debate Monday evening at the usual time of adjournment. The debate will be on the subject of the opioid crisis in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, the security agencies make determinations on what is needed to protect the Prime Minister, as they have done for previous prime ministers. We will follow their recommendations. The former commissioner has acknowledged that these costs were incurred as part of the role of the Prime Minister.

Mr. Speaker, as has been the case for past prime ministers and is the case for the current Prime Minister, whenever and wherever the Prime Minister travels, there are costs associated with security.The former commissioner has acknowledged that these costs were incurred as part of the Prime Minister's duties.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said on numerous occasions, the former commissioner, in her report, acknowledged that these costs were incurred as part of the role of the Prime Minister, and this was the case for past prime ministers. Security agencies make recommendations. We take their expertise and we accept their recommendations. We respect the work of the office of the commissioner of ethics, and we will continue to work with that office.

Mr. Speaker, there are rules and we follow them. We follow the same rules as all members of the House. These rules were instituted by the previous government. If they worked for them when they were in government, why would they not work now?

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that federal politics is subject to some of the strictest political financing legislation and regulations in the country, and the party fully complies with the Canada Elections Act in all cases.When the rules are followed, no conflict of interest can exist. We will continue to follow the rules.

Mr. Speaker, the federal rules are some of the strongest in the country. In fact, in some provinces individuals can donate in the tens of thousands of dollars, and in others they do not have any limits. Some provinces accept donations from unions, trade associations, and corporations. That is not the case in the federal system.Federal politics is subject to some of the strictest political financing legislation and regulations in the country, and we fully comply with the rules.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said time and time again, federal politics is subject to some of the strictest political financing legislation and regulations in the country. When the rules are followed, no conflicts of interest can exist, and we will continue to follow the rules.

Mr. Speaker, this government was elected on a promise to help grow the economy. This government was elected on a commitment to create good-paying jobs for Canadians. This government has built a team of hard-working Canadians that are committed to delivering on the mandate that we have been given, the mandate we will continue to work on, and I am proud of the team that we have.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to remind Canadians that, at the federal level, we have some of the strictest rules around fundraising of any level of government.The fact is that the Conservative Party chose to name people like Irving Gerstein to the Senate and charge them with the responsibility—

If they would like to listen, I can give them some details that they are welcome to read as well. Five hundred—

Mr. Speaker, this process is looking to identify high-quality candidates who will help to achieve gender parity and truly reflect Canada's diversity.Under this process, we have made over 140 appointments. These are great appointments. We will continue to do the good work that Canadians expect us to do.

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister said, and as every one of our members has always said, we are always listening to and engaging with Canadians from coast to coast about the issues that matter to them.When the time comes to make decisions, we are guided by one very important principle: the best interests of middle-class Canadians. That is the approach we took when we cut middle-class income taxes, and that is the approach we took when we introduced the tax-free Canada child benefit.

Mr. Speaker, it sounds like on the article people are reading, they will come to their own conclusions. That member is entitled to read that article and take what she would like out of it.However, I know that the justice committee did look at this matter. The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is investigating this matter. We know that there is an ongoing court case. Canadians can rest assured that the rule of law in Canada is intact. We know that we can always improve and strengthen our institutions. We will continue to do that, and Canadians can have confidence that we will ensure that it happens.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to answer the member's question. I can assure all members and Canadians that when we work as a government we work in the best interests of Canadians, and we will make decisions that will help us advance the work that they have elected us to do. We will ensure that we make investments that will help grow the economy and create new jobs to support Canadians.

Madam Speaker, the justice committee has been working together with members on both sides to have witnesses appear. Members on both sides are asking questions. Witnesses are answering those questions.The member chooses to continue speculating and drawing his own conclusions. On this side, we have confidence in the work of members of the committee. We are the government that increased resources for committees so that they could do this important work. It is fascinating to me that the member seems to have no regard for the work of the committee, because it is doing that work. He was there asking for witnesses to appear and now that they are, he seems to be undermining them.

Mr. Speaker, I respect officers of Parliament, as do all members of the government. We will continue to do that good work.Immediately after the report was tabled, the Prime Minister accepted responsibility, accepted the findings. We know the commissioner did important work to investigate, as the opposition demanded. For weeks, for months, for a year even, the Conservatives demanded the report be tabled. Now that it has been tabled, they refuse to accept the conclusions of it.We thank the commissioner for the work.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the diverse team we have built. I am proud of the people who have chosen to come and work with our team to ensure that we can advance the mandate Canadians have given us. Let us talk about some of the work that these hard-working Canadians have done. They have helped Canadian businesses to grow, innovate, and create quality jobs and wealth for Canadians. That is exactly the kind of work Canadians expect. That is exactly the kind of work we will continue to do.

Mr. Speaker, it is very much true that the Minister of Finance is consulting with Canadians from coast to coast to coast.In our election campaign, which concluded just a year ago yesterday, we committed to Canadians that we will consult with Canadians, we will listen to them, and we will improve the systems that are in place. The Minister of Finance has heard from record numbers when it comes to this budget consultation, and that is why we are delivering on the commitments we made to Canadians.We will continue to do the good work that we are doing.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be here to answer this question. I would like to tell the House that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has confirmed that the Minister of Finance followed all the rules when he attended both the Halifax fundraiser and the Toronto fundraiser.As I have repeated many times, federal fundraising rules are some of the strongest in the country, and we will continue to follow the rules.

Mr. Speaker, you will be able to check Hansard, I am sure, which is the official record, in which my response would have been that we have accepted his decision to resign.

Mr. Speaker, that member knows better than most that we have an Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. That office is doing its work. We respect its independence. We think we should let that office do its work.The member talks about Canadians. He talks about the importance of employees. Let us talk about this government's record. We have made strategic investments in Canadians, bringing in 800,000 jobs.

Madam Speaker, we on this side will always defend and uphold the principles of judicial independence and the rule of law. We know that this matter is being looked at by both the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and the justice committee.Once again, we know that this matter is being looked at by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and the justice committee. We have confidence in our institutions. We have confidence in officers of Parliament. We have confidence in the independence of the judicial system. We believe that they should be able to do their work.

Mr. Speaker, we on this side have confidence that the justice committee will have witnesses appear. Witnesses are appearing. They are answering questions. We on this side have confidence that it will be able to do that work. We on this side also know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is looking into this matter. We have confidence in our officers of Parliament. We also know that there are two ongoing court cases. We on this side have respect and confidence in the independence of the judicial system.

Madam Speaker, that member and the Conservatives will talk about hypotheticals. We will talk about the facts. We will talk about the fact that with our plan, 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty. We will talk about the fact that over 800,000 Canadians are better off today than they were under Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. We will talk about the fact that Canadians have created over 900,000 jobs. We will talk about the fact that more Canadians are working today than have in my lifetime. The Conservatives will continue to talk about hypotethicals. They will continue to play and do their shenanigans, because they have no plan and no concern for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, as I was trying to say, immediately after the report had been tabled, the Prime Minister accepted responsibility and accepted the findings.It is interesting, because it was the opposition that was asking for the commissioner to investigate. Now that the commissioner has investigated and the commissioner has tabled the report, the Conservatives, just like they did when they were in government, refuse to accept the findings.We on this side respect the work of the office. We respect the work she did. We accept the findings. We will continue to work with her office.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the opposition House leader for the Thursday question. Today was a great day for Canadians as we announced our supercluster strategy, and I am sure they appreciated hearing those results. This afternoon we will continue the debate on the Conservative opposition day motion.Tomorrow, the House will not be sitting to accommodate the NDP convention this weekend. Upon our return—

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has commented on this, he consulted the commissioner's office, and he will continue to work with its representatives and take their advice. We believe that all members across the way should respectfully work with the commissioner. On this side of the aisle, we will continue to respect the work of officers of Parliament.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the chamber and share with all members, as well as Canadians, that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has confirmed that all rules were followed with regard to the finance minister's attendance at the Halifax fundraiser and the Toronto fundraiser.As I have said many times in the House, Canada's fundraising rules are some of the strongest and we will continue to follow the rules. The level of engagement with this government is unprecedented and we will continue to engage with Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, what we know is that this government is working for Canadians. This government has lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians. This government has given more money to families with children that need it the most through the tax-free Canada child benefit. This government will continue to work with Canadians. This government will continue to raise the bar on openness and transparency. We are here to help grow the economy and grow the opportunities that Canadians need.

Mr. Speaker, as has been said many times in the House and to Canadians, the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the Commissioner has.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again rise and remind members and Canadians that the Prime Minister has said many times that he will respond to any questions the commissioner has.

Mr. Speaker, we always have the best interests of Canadians in all that we do. That is why we cut taxes for the middle class. That is why we are giving more to families whose children have greater needs. The Prime Minister has said many times that he will answer all the Commissioner's questions.

Mr. Speaker, the member knows, as do all members, that my door is always open. I will always be listening and wanting to have a conversation. It is important that we have a constructive conversation on some of the ideas. I welcome more ideas. I welcome the ideas in the paper. Let us get to work and have a discussion.

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister has said many times, he is happy to answer any questions the Ethics Commissioner may have for him. We are here to address the real challenges facing Canadians. We will continue to work for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, that is probably the most support for the arts I have ever seen from a Conservative, so I think it is pretty impressive to see Conservatives coming along.I know the member is concerned for his constituents and I know he is concerned about the future generation. He forgot to say the word “environment”, but I know it is on his mind. I know he challenges the leader of the official opposition every day to come out with a climate plan.I have good news for this constituents. We are going to make sure that transitioning to a cleaner, greener economy is more affordable. That is why constituents in his riding and all across Ontario will be able to receive $307 for a family of four, which will be more than it will cost them so that we get a better economy—

Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that Stephen Harper's Conservative government did was withdraw from the Kyoto protocol. Canadians are well aware of that.Today, the member will continue to talk. I listened to his question, but he will never listen to the answer. Now, he is going to talk about why Ontario has been so successful. Ontario achieved good environmental results because the Ontario provincial government made decisions. However, neither the federal nor the provincial Conservatives will do that.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage Canadians to have a look at Destination Canada's amazing marketing campaign. I am confident that they will be as proud as I am of the work that Destination Canada does in promoting our nation, our culture, our diversity, our cuisine. There is so much that our nation has to offer. Yesterday's announcement was a good-news announcement for more open and transparent government. Our advertising rules are in line with the commitment that we promised Canadians. I know Canadians are proud.

Madam Speaker, we will always endeavour to work in the best interests of all Canadians. That is why this government has taken historic levels of consultations. Every member of Parliament is here to represent the best interests of his or her constituents, and we appreciate hearing the diversity of those voices.When it comes to our appointment process, it is an open, transparent, merit-based appointment process. Available positions are online, and I encourage Canadians to apply.

Mr. Speaker, we have always said that we would listen to all Canadians across the country, and we promised that we would work on issues that are important to them. When it comes time to make decisions, we are guided by a very important principle: the best interests of middle-class Canadians.That is the approach that we took when we reduced taxes for the middle class, when we created the Canada child benefit, and when we enhanced the Canada pension plan. We are going to continue to work for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I am actually very proud to be serving alongside a Prime Minister and a team that have taken a different approach to doing government. I am proud to stand with a government that has taken on unprecedented levels of public consultations—

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the work that this Prime Minister and this government do. If we want to look at the work this government is doing, let us look at the economy, with 750,000 jobs created by Canadians for Canadians. It is the highest growth in any G7 country. There is more confidence in this government and in Canadians today than there was three years ago, when the previous government was here. This government will continue to work on behalf of Canadians to respond to the very real challenges they are facing.I am proud to serve alongside this Prime Minister.

Mr. Speaker, I will once again remind Canadians that the justice committee looked at this matter, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is currently investigating this matter and there is definitely an ongoing court case when it comes to this matter. When it comes to the work that we are here to do, we will defend the best interests of Canada and the best interests of Canadians. Canadians sent us here to do important work on their behalf. We have confidence in our institutions. It was confirmed at the justice committee that the rule of law was followed, and we know that we can always improve and that is why the Prime Minister took responsibility. We will continue to work for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict rules across this country.This government will continue to follow the laws so that we can continue to do the good work we are doing for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, as has been said in the House many, many times, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner has. The Prime Minister has taken unprecedented levels of consultations and engagement with Canadians. This government is both approachable and reachable. That is why we will continue to respond to the very real challenges that Canadians are facing.

Mr. Speaker, we have said all along that we are always listening and engaging with Canadians from coast to coast to coast on the issues that matter to them. When it comes to making decisions, we are guided by a very important principle: what is good for the middle class. That is the approach we took when we cut taxes on middle-class Canadians, that is the approach we took when we introduced the tax-free Canada child benefit, and that is the approach we took when we expanded the CPP. We will continue to listen and engage with Canadians so we can do the good work that they expect us to do.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said repeatedly in this House, federal fundraising rules are among the strictest in the country, and we will continue to follow the rulesIt is very important to listen to what the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner said. She confirmed that the Minister of Finance followed all the rules when he took part in fundraising events in Toronto and Halifax.

Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that when it comes to fundraising, we have some of the most strict laws across this country. Even the Chief Electoral Officer has said that they are the most advanced, constrained, and transparent in the world. This government will continue to follow the laws, and we will continue to do the good work Canadians expect us to do.

Mr. Speaker, any move has challenges that come with it, but it has been great to be able to work together to overcome them, because it is a beautiful new space.This afternoon we will continue debate on the NDP opposition day motion.Tomorrow we will debate the Senate amendments to Bill C-64, the abandoned vessels act.Next Monday and Tuesday will be allotted days.On Wednesday, we will resume third reading debate of Bill C-78, an act to amend the Divorce Act.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House many times, when it comes to fundraising, Canada has some of the most strict rules. Even the Chief Electoral Officer stated that Canada's political financing laws are the most advanced and constrained and transparent in the world. This government has undertaken unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We will continue to engage with Canadians to do the good work they expect us to do.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is best to go once again to Guy Giorno, former chief of staff to Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper. What did he say in regard to this policy? He said: The federal relocation program—which applies to hundreds of moves annually, including moves by employees of government, military and RCMP—exists for a very good reason.

Mr. Speaker, we have committees in which parliamentarians and members of Parliament sit. The justice committee is the committee the member refers to. It is doing its important work, and we believe it should be able to.It was this Prime Minister—

Mr. Speaker, you should be able to confirm that you received a letter to inform you of the will of caucus on these measures. It is up to the Liberal caucus to decide our own affairs. I would encourage that member to focus on his caucus and its caucus matters. We have caucus discussions, and we know that what happens in caucus stays in caucus, but to satisfy the rules, Mr. Speaker, you were provided with a letter. What is clear is that we have gone through a whole question period, and the Conservatives will continue to focus on us. We will continue to focus on Canadians, and that is why we are so proud to be talking about the budget. We look forward to being able to share how we are going to improve the lives of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has confirmed that he heard the response I have given many times. The rules governing fundraising are among the strictest in the country and we follow the rules.The Chief Electoral Officer said that Canadian election financing laws are the most advanced, transparent, and constrained in the world.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, we hope that all members will share their perspectives regarding our ideas and how to integrate them into the Standing Orders of the House of Commons. I know that we can work together. I encourage all members to join the conversation. I think it is an important conservation to have.

Mr. Speaker, as has been said time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any and all questions the commissioner of ethics has. What is important to know is that our government is committed to responding to the very real challenges Canadians are facing. That is why we have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians. That is why we are giving more money to families with children that need it the most. That is why we are making strategic investments in infrastructure, working better with provinces, territories, and municipalities. We know we can do better, and we will continue to improve the conditions and create the conditions for growth for Canadians and our economy to benefit.

Mr. Speaker, it was I who released the discussion paper. I shared it with all members in this place as well as the public.The member is correct that we are here to serve Canadians. Each of us is elected. The discussion paper provides many ideas, and it is a conversation, a discussion. We have asked the committee to do the important work that it does to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. This government recognizes that members of Parliament do work in this place as well as in their ridings. As the member of Parliament for the riding of Waterloo, I am proud to have some of my constituents here. I will work for them in this place as well as in my riding as, I am sure, all members of Parliament do.

Mr. Speaker, as I was just trying to say, we believe that when it comes to the important work the parliamentary budget officer does, the office should have its independence. It should have more effectiveness and more independence, and that is why we have introduced legislation to make this happen. We are open to amendments and we welcome them.When it comes to the member's referral to omnibus legislation, what we are proposing is to ensure there is not an abuse of omnibus legislation, like was the case under the Stephen Harper Conservative government. We are saying we can improve the way this place works. Let us have that conversation.