Kevin Waugh

Mr. Speaker, a year ago, Saskatchewan had the lowest unemployment rate in the entire country. What a big change we have seen in the last 365 days. Just last month, Cameco announced the layoffs of more than 500 workers at its Rabbit Lake mine, which affects, by the way, hundreds if not thousands of small businesses in our province.We all know first-hand in Saskatchewan that EI is not the solution. We all know we need job creation, not job-killing taxes. When are the Liberals going to reverse their job-killing business taxes?

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind everyone it was Saskatchewan that was the first province to stand up to the Liberal government and oppose what Premier Moe calls the “destructive, made-in-Ottawa carbon tax”. Now Saskatchewan is joined by Ontario, PEI, Manitoba and Alberta, and there will be more. In Saskatoon yesterday, the premiers, Moe and Ford, met and declared a strong united front against this worst tax ever. Canadians cannot afford another Liberal tax.When will the Liberals respect the provinces and end this carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, TransCanada was forced to abandon energy east after the Liberal government changed the rules halfway through the game. Foreign oil wins and who loses? Canadians. Canadians are losing big, $56 billion in energy projects have been cancelled, thanks to Liberal incompetence.Why are the Liberals punishing Canada's energy sector and the thousands of middle-class jobs that depend on it?

Madam Speaker, the Liberals are arrogantly ignoring Saskatchewan's successful emission reduction plan and are forcing a carbon tax on us without consultation or approval. Just this week, the Province of Saskatchewan announced a court challenge to stop the Liberal carbon tax and protect Saskatchewan's economy. This challenge is overwhelmingly supported by the people of my province.Why do the Liberals insist on inflicting their “Ottawa knows best” scheme on our Saskatchewan families?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals paid convicted terrorist Omar Khadr $10.5 million when they were under no obligation at all to do so. Their explanation was they did not want to waste taxpayers' money on legal fees. Now we come to a young aboriginal girl who requires $6,000 in dental work to ease her chronic pain, yet the Liberals have spent over $100,000 fighting her. How can the Prime Minister justify giving $10 million to a convicted terrorist while fighting this girl in court?

Mr. Speaker, in my province of Saskatchewan almost 10% of all judicial appointments remain vacant. These vacancies have lingered since the Liberals were elected 18 months ago. The Chief Justice of Saskatchewan has been very clear. He has said, “Talk is cheap.”We all know there are plenty of qualified candidates to fill these vacancies. However, the justice minister continues to stand by as accused murderers and even rapists go free.How many families will be denied justice before the minister finally does her job?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to fly over Saskatchewan. Perhaps he should stop in and feel the pain this province is undergoing right now. Saskatchewan continues to contribute, even in these tough economic times. Saskatchewan businesses were in Ottawa this week, not looking for handouts but pleading with the current government to stop its job-killing tax schemes. Saskatchewan wants to be competitive, and that does not include a carbon tax. Why do the Liberals insist, then, on inflicting crippling taxes that will send more people to the unemployment lines?

Madam Speaker, once again we see the Liberal Prime Minister change the rules halfway through the game. The Liberals' campaign promise to reform our electoral system failed, so they are doing the next best thing to favour their election prospects. By refusing to ban ministerial travel and advertising during the entire pre-election period, the Liberals are simply trying to buy themselves the next election. Could the Prime Minister stop abusing democracy and put Canadians ahead of the Liberal Party?

Madam Speaker, Bill C-69 heaps additional regulation and uncertainty on Canada's resource and energy sectors. The policies of the Liberal government are driving investors completely out of this country. They have had a devastating effect on investor confidence, especially in my province of Saskatchewan and next door in Alberta. When will the Liberal government stand up for the Canadian energy sector and kill Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, this Victoria Day long weekend, as people in my province of Saskatchewan are driving to the lake, they are going to be paying higher gas prices, thanks to the Liberals' cash-grabbing carbon tax. The Liberal carbon tax, as we know, is a plan to fight carbon change; absolutely not. This is a tax grab. All it does is make life more expensive for hard-working Canadians. When will the Liberal government support Canadians and cancel, once and for all, this carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are not taking Canada's national security seriously. New Zealand is the third of our major allies to block their biggest telecoms from giving Huawei access to their 5G network. They understand that giving the Chinese government access is cause for alarm.Why does the Liberal government not understand the national security risk, and say no way to Huawei?

Mr. Speaker, Premier Wall penned a letter to the Minister of Public Safety urging him to speak up for the people he is supposed to represent. The Liberal carbon tax scheme will cost Saskatchewan jobs, yet the minister from Wascana continues to support this tax on Saskatchewan families.When will the Minister of Public Safety remember that he was elected to represent the people of Saskatchewan in Ottawa rather than forcing an Ottawa-knows-best scheme on the families of Saskatchewan?

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the Liberal government loves to spend money and make gestures, but this is a question on priorities. Canada has a very serious rural crime issue, yet there was absolutely nothing in the current budget to address this serious problem. Why does the Liberal government continue to fail rural Canada and those who serve and protect?

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister's ethical challenges are very concerning. He is currently under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner for introducing legislation that could benefit his family corporation. He has already been fined for failing to disclose his offshore corporation. The minister refuses to come clean about the contents of his other numbered companies. How many ethics investigations will it take before the minister just does the right thing and resigns?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal carbon tax will have a negative impact on Saskatchewan's exports, along with its energy industry's competitiveness. This will be one of the largest national tax increases in Canadian history, and that is why my province is taking it to the Supreme Court. This tax affects everyone, every man, woman, and child in my province. Analysis has been done. The Liberals know the answer, yet they continue to cover it up. Why will the public safety minister, who is from my province of Saskatchewan, not come clean and give us the numbers?

Mr. Speaker, my province of Saskatchewan is the only jurisdiction to stand up to the Liberal government's carbon-tax scheme. Unlike these Liberals, my province has actually shared the numbers. Listen, a minimum of over $1,200 for the average Saskatchewan family and up to $100,000 per family farm. Where is the Liberal government's analysis? What is the cost, and why the carbon-tax cover-up?

Mr. Speaker, it is becoming abundantly clear that the thing the Prime Minister fears most is telling the truth. Yes, in open court, he cannot shut down the hearings and he cannot threaten the witnesses.Will he commit today to immediately file his lawsuit and testify in open court about what he did to politically interfere in a criminal trial?

Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government promised to connect rural Canadians with broadband, but the Auditor General recently said that it has no plan. We knew that, but he confirmed it. The Liberals have no plan to bring high-quality Internet services to Canadians in rural and remote areas. Let us take Chris Yeo, who is 15 kilometres outside of my city of Saskatoon. He knows the frustration of unreliable Internet service. When will the Liberals explain why they do not support Canadians participating in the 21st-century economy?

Mr. Speaker, on May 31, 2015, Dwayne Demkiw was murdered. His grieving family lives in my riding of Saskatoon—Grasswood. They tell me the pain of their tragic loss is compounded by delayed justice. Their son's accused murderer is not scheduled to stand trial—get this—until 2019. The justice minister's failure to fill judicial vacancies could cost the Demkiw family the justice they deserve.Why is the minister making the Demkiw family wait years for justice?

Mr. Speaker, one thing I know we can all agree on is that the protection of our children should be the highest priority for us, as members of Parliament and as members of society, yet the current government seems intent on scrapping a provision that allows law enforcement and parents the ability to protect our kids. When it comes to our children, greater protection is always the best option. Why can the Liberal government not understand this very simple concept?

Mr. Speaker, I understand the Prime Minister loves to quote the rule book, but knowing the rules and actually following the rules are two different things. We know the Prime Minister has been lobbied by people who can afford his company. It has become clear: Liberal fundraisers are opportunities to lobby the Liberal cabinet. Access to the Prime Minister in exchange for donations violates the Prime Minister's own ethics rules, and possibly the law. When will the Prime Minister stop this dishonourable practice?

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the hon. member talks about shares. Members will remember that the Conservative government bought shares so that the working people could keep their jobs and the automobile industry could keep going. I know the hon. member realizes that everybody wants jobs. Every party in this House wants jobs. We did that back then.Good for the member to say that we sold the shares and that is why there is a surplus in the budget. We had a surplus, and it should be recorded that in November 2015 the Conservative government left a surplus. Did we look at a crystal ball to decide if we should sell them seven or 10 months later? Good for the member to say that, because all Canadians should have sold their oil stocks a year ago. We do not have a crystal ball. Therefore, I would say this to the hon. member. He can talk about surpluses all he wants. However, he should give us some recognition. When we did buy the shares and saved the automobile industry, is that not what we should have done at the time?

Mr. Speaker, another day and another conflict of interest in the heritage minister's office. We know now that Leslie Church, the chief of staff to the heritage minister, has met on at least six occasions with Google representatives. Leslie, of course, was the former head of communications, it just so happens, at Google before the minister hired her. The law requires ministers and staff to avoid real and apparent conflicts of interest. It appears to me that the minister has failed yet again.Why did the minister allow her chief of staff to engage in this clear conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, people in this country left cable TV in record numbers in 2015, deciding instead on digital streaming devices like Netflix.Yes, unlike the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party over here believes in low taxes, giving Canadians a chance and a choice to watch TV.Why is it that we are seeing that the Liberals do not want to limit choice? In fact, they want to tax.

Mr. Speaker, on May 31, 2015, Dwayne Demkiw was murdered. His grieving family lives in my riding of Saskatoon—Grasswood. They tell me the pain of their tragic loss is compounded by delayed justice. Their son's accused murderer is not scheduled to stand trial—get this—until 2019. The justice minister's failure to fill judicial vacancies could cost the Demkiw family the justice they deserve.Why is the minister making the Demkiw family wait years for justice?

Madam Speaker, Bill C-69 heaps additional regulation and uncertainty on Canada's resource and energy sectors. The policies of the Liberal government are driving investors completely out of this country. They have had a devastating effect on investor confidence, especially in my province of Saskatchewan and next door in Alberta. When will the Liberal government stand up for the Canadian energy sector and kill Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the Liberal government loves to spend money and make gestures, but this is a question on priorities. Canada has a very serious rural crime issue, yet there was absolutely nothing in the current budget to address this serious problem. Why does the Liberal government continue to fail rural Canada and those who serve and protect?

Mr. Speaker, TransCanada was forced to abandon energy east after the Liberal government changed the rules halfway through the game. Foreign oil wins and who loses? Canadians. Canadians are losing big, $56 billion in energy projects have been cancelled, thanks to Liberal incompetence.Why are the Liberals punishing Canada's energy sector and the thousands of middle-class jobs that depend on it?

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind everyone it was Saskatchewan that was the first province to stand up to the Liberal government and oppose what Premier Moe calls the “destructive, made-in-Ottawa carbon tax”. Now Saskatchewan is joined by Ontario, PEI, Manitoba and Alberta, and there will be more. In Saskatoon yesterday, the premiers, Moe and Ford, met and declared a strong united front against this worst tax ever. Canadians cannot afford another Liberal tax.When will the Liberals respect the provinces and end this carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, another day and another conflict of interest in the heritage minister's office. We know now that Leslie Church, the chief of staff to the heritage minister, has met on at least six occasions with Google representatives. Leslie, of course, was the former head of communications, it just so happens, at Google before the minister hired her. The law requires ministers and staff to avoid real and apparent conflicts of interest. It appears to me that the minister has failed yet again.Why did the minister allow her chief of staff to engage in this clear conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, my province of Saskatchewan is the only jurisdiction to stand up to the Liberal government's carbon-tax scheme. Unlike these Liberals, my province has actually shared the numbers. Listen, a minimum of over $1,200 for the average Saskatchewan family and up to $100,000 per family farm. Where is the Liberal government's analysis? What is the cost, and why the carbon-tax cover-up?

Madam Speaker, the Liberals are arrogantly ignoring Saskatchewan's successful emission reduction plan and are forcing a carbon tax on us without consultation or approval. Just this week, the Province of Saskatchewan announced a court challenge to stop the Liberal carbon tax and protect Saskatchewan's economy. This challenge is overwhelmingly supported by the people of my province.Why do the Liberals insist on inflicting their “Ottawa knows best” scheme on our Saskatchewan families?

Mr. Speaker, one thing I know we can all agree on is that the protection of our children should be the highest priority for us, as members of Parliament and as members of society, yet the current government seems intent on scrapping a provision that allows law enforcement and parents the ability to protect our kids. When it comes to our children, greater protection is always the best option. Why can the Liberal government not understand this very simple concept?

Mr. Speaker, in my province of Saskatchewan almost 10% of all judicial appointments remain vacant. These vacancies have lingered since the Liberals were elected 18 months ago. The Chief Justice of Saskatchewan has been very clear. He has said, “Talk is cheap.”We all know there are plenty of qualified candidates to fill these vacancies. However, the justice minister continues to stand by as accused murderers and even rapists go free.How many families will be denied justice before the minister finally does her job?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to fly over Saskatchewan. Perhaps he should stop in and feel the pain this province is undergoing right now. Saskatchewan continues to contribute, even in these tough economic times. Saskatchewan businesses were in Ottawa this week, not looking for handouts but pleading with the current government to stop its job-killing tax schemes. Saskatchewan wants to be competitive, and that does not include a carbon tax. Why do the Liberals insist, then, on inflicting crippling taxes that will send more people to the unemployment lines?

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the hon. member talks about shares. Members will remember that the Conservative government bought shares so that the working people could keep their jobs and the automobile industry could keep going. I know the hon. member realizes that everybody wants jobs. Every party in this House wants jobs. We did that back then.Good for the member to say that we sold the shares and that is why there is a surplus in the budget. We had a surplus, and it should be recorded that in November 2015 the Conservative government left a surplus. Did we look at a crystal ball to decide if we should sell them seven or 10 months later? Good for the member to say that, because all Canadians should have sold their oil stocks a year ago. We do not have a crystal ball. Therefore, I would say this to the hon. member. He can talk about surpluses all he wants. However, he should give us some recognition. When we did buy the shares and saved the automobile industry, is that not what we should have done at the time?

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister's ethical challenges are very concerning. He is currently under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner for introducing legislation that could benefit his family corporation. He has already been fined for failing to disclose his offshore corporation. The minister refuses to come clean about the contents of his other numbered companies. How many ethics investigations will it take before the minister just does the right thing and resigns?

Mr. Speaker, I understand the Prime Minister loves to quote the rule book, but knowing the rules and actually following the rules are two different things. We know the Prime Minister has been lobbied by people who can afford his company. It has become clear: Liberal fundraisers are opportunities to lobby the Liberal cabinet. Access to the Prime Minister in exchange for donations violates the Prime Minister's own ethics rules, and possibly the law. When will the Prime Minister stop this dishonourable practice?

Mr. Speaker, it is becoming abundantly clear that the thing the Prime Minister fears most is telling the truth. Yes, in open court, he cannot shut down the hearings and he cannot threaten the witnesses.Will he commit today to immediately file his lawsuit and testify in open court about what he did to politically interfere in a criminal trial?

Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government promised to connect rural Canadians with broadband, but the Auditor General recently said that it has no plan. We knew that, but he confirmed it. The Liberals have no plan to bring high-quality Internet services to Canadians in rural and remote areas. Let us take Chris Yeo, who is 15 kilometres outside of my city of Saskatoon. He knows the frustration of unreliable Internet service. When will the Liberals explain why they do not support Canadians participating in the 21st-century economy?

Mr. Speaker, this Victoria Day long weekend, as people in my province of Saskatchewan are driving to the lake, they are going to be paying higher gas prices, thanks to the Liberals' cash-grabbing carbon tax. The Liberal carbon tax, as we know, is a plan to fight carbon change; absolutely not. This is a tax grab. All it does is make life more expensive for hard-working Canadians. When will the Liberal government support Canadians and cancel, once and for all, this carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are not taking Canada's national security seriously. New Zealand is the third of our major allies to block their biggest telecoms from giving Huawei access to their 5G network. They understand that giving the Chinese government access is cause for alarm.Why does the Liberal government not understand the national security risk, and say no way to Huawei?

Mr. Speaker, a year ago, Saskatchewan had the lowest unemployment rate in the entire country. What a big change we have seen in the last 365 days. Just last month, Cameco announced the layoffs of more than 500 workers at its Rabbit Lake mine, which affects, by the way, hundreds if not thousands of small businesses in our province.We all know first-hand in Saskatchewan that EI is not the solution. We all know we need job creation, not job-killing taxes. When are the Liberals going to reverse their job-killing business taxes?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal carbon tax will have a negative impact on Saskatchewan's exports, along with its energy industry's competitiveness. This will be one of the largest national tax increases in Canadian history, and that is why my province is taking it to the Supreme Court. This tax affects everyone, every man, woman, and child in my province. Analysis has been done. The Liberals know the answer, yet they continue to cover it up. Why will the public safety minister, who is from my province of Saskatchewan, not come clean and give us the numbers?

Madam Speaker, once again we see the Liberal Prime Minister change the rules halfway through the game. The Liberals' campaign promise to reform our electoral system failed, so they are doing the next best thing to favour their election prospects. By refusing to ban ministerial travel and advertising during the entire pre-election period, the Liberals are simply trying to buy themselves the next election. Could the Prime Minister stop abusing democracy and put Canadians ahead of the Liberal Party?