Todd Doherty

Madam Speaker, this morning the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard blew off concerns from lobster fishermen in Atlantic Canada.According to the minister, his actions represent “an inconvenience” and the fishers should just go elsewhere. He went on to add that he was just protecting them from themselves. I guess Liberals always know best.The minister went on to say that the fishermen have to be careful not to end up vandalizing their own industry. Really?When will his Liberal colleagues from the east coast stand up for the fishers and help educate this arrogant and smug minister?

Mr. Speaker, Chris Garnier is still in jail receiving treatment that veterans and first responders should get. Yesterday, Catherine Campbell's mother said that she could not believe that a government would condone a convicted murderer receiving treatment that veterans and first responders deserved.Incredibly, despite their loss and immeasurable pain, all the Campbells want is that our first responders and our veterans come first and get the help they need, not convicted murderers. Could the Prime Minister look the Campbells in the eyes and tell them why Chris Garnier continues to receive this treatment.

Mr. Speaker, what do the Liberals do when a Chinese insurance company with a secret ownership structure dominated by a who's who of the Chinese Communist Party applies to buy essential seniors care facilities in Canada? They turn over the keys to one of the largest health care providers in the province of British Columbia.Nobody will do business with Anbang Insurance because of its questionable ownership, not even Wall Street firms. How can we trust it to look after our seniors in the most vulnerable times of their lives?When will the Liberals finally act in the interest of Canadian seniors and put this sale on hold?

Mr. Speaker, seriously, that answer is shameful. Two Canadian children were kidnapped and taken to a foreign country, and that is the answer we get. In Shelley's own words, the only person who can do something is the Prime Minister, who so far has not cared enough to do anything for his own citizens. She says, “What do I have to do to be heard, become a donor?”Why will the Prime Minister not just pick up the phone and bring Liam and Mia home?

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Members of Parliament are elected. There are 338 members of Parliament who are elected to be the voices of our constituents. We are given S. O. 31s on a quarterly basis to make announcements or to pay tribute to fallen members of our community but also to talk about causes we champion.Earlier today, our hon. colleague from Calgary Nose Hill stood to talk about the plight of Yazidi women who are being raped, tortured, murdered, and imprisoned. She rose to speak about this. She has been a tireless champion on this. Throughout the member's speech, as she was again bringing awareness to the fact that the current government's inaction has not brought one Yazidi woman here over the course of four months, I witnessed shameful behaviour by the members for Eglinton—Lawrence and Spadina—Fort York. They not only laughed but also shouted insults across the way at our hon. colleague from Calgary Nose Hill. We can all agree that given the debate that is going on today in this House, tolerance is so important. I call on you, Mr. Speaker, and implore you to ask the members for Eglinton—Lawrence and Spadina—Fort York to withdraw their comments and apologize.

Mr. Speaker, with the carbon tax and the Liberals' trade record, they will not have to worry about that.We know the Liberals favour so-called engagement with China despite its appalling human rights record. However, the member for Steveston—Richmond East stepped over the line, which is not surprising given the trouble he has found himself in recently. He draped himself in the red scarf of the Chinese Communist Party as the Chinese flag was raised at the Vancouver City Hall celebrating 67 years of Communist rule. Do the Liberals realize just how insulting such behaviour is to Canadians of Chinese origin whose families have suffered and died under Chinese communism?

Madam Speaker, that is why the Liberals are facing so much backlash today on every “consultation” they do.There is a common theme with the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and that is the lack of concern and understanding for the hard-working families in coastal communities. He has arbitrarily shut down the New Brunswick lobster fishery a week before opening the season, and he has awarded a lucrative surf clam quota to his Liberal friends and family. He is killing jobs on the Rock and jeopardizing jobs in his own province.Why are the Liberal MPs from Atlantic Canada not standing up to this minister?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was in Grand Bank, Newfoundland and Labrador, and I met a gentleman named Edgar. Edgar has worked at the surf clam processing plant for years, but the minister's callous political decision to award a lucrative government quota to his Liberal friends and family has shaken Edgar's life. He is now at risk of losing his job. He does not want EI. He wants to work.What does the Prime Minister have to say to Edgar's family and all of the others put out of work because of the minister's corrupt process?

Mr. Speaker, today we learned that his Liberal friends who have all this experience now admit that they will not be fishing the surf clam this season, and maybe not even next season. Why? Because they do not have a boat. They gave the lucrative quota to his Liberal buddies, knowing full well that their application did not meet critical bid criteria. If the Liberal MPs from the Rock will not say it, looking after his Liberal buddies is shameful.Given this new information, will the minister finally do the right thing and reverse this questionable decision?

Mr. Speaker, we now know that the Clerk of the Privy Council told the former attorney general that the Prime Minister was going to get his way one way or the other. She told us that principal secretary, Gerry Butts said “there is no solution here that does not involve some interference”. The Prime Minister has lost the moral authority to govern our great country. He must resign. When will he?

Mr. Speaker, last night, I received more notices of job losses and mill closures in my riding in northern B.C. The Liberals' inaction on softwood and their failed policy is leading to thousands of job losses right across our province of British ColumbiaWe already have the highest gas prices in North America. Another 25¢ a litre will be the final nail in the coffin. An increase in the gas tax will only fuel more job losses for our forestry industry.These are real people and real jobs. Why do the Liberals continue to pound Canadians with a job-killing carbon tax that will not even reduce emissions?

Madam Speaker, three kilometres of the West Fraser Road in my riding have been washed out and impassable for eight months. Over 250 indigenous and non-indigenous families are being put at risk. Children as young as five years of age are spending up to five hours per day on a school bus, because the government cannot get funding out the door.How is this acceptable for any government?

Madam Speaker, for the first time, we have a finance minister and a Prime Minister who are under investigation. What world do we live in if one can just pay oneself out of problems? Oh, right, it is if one is a billionaire finance minister. The conduct of the finance minister is appalling. While trying to bilk hard-working small business owners out of their money, he was sitting at the cabinet table agreeing to sponsor a pension bill that would grease his own pockets. The Ethics Commissioner has seen fit to look into his shady actions.Caught red-handed, will the finance minister finally come clean with Canadians?

Holy ship, Mr. Speaker.The decision to award the lucrative surf clam quota to Five Nations is just another example of these Liberals rewarding their friends and family.Which Liberal MP from the Rock will call my friend Edgar and explain why his son is losing his job? Which Liberal MP from the Rock will call Grand Bank and explain why they will not fight for Newfoundland jobs?

Madam Speaker, thousands and thousands of jobs are at risk right now. Hundreds of jobs have been lost in recent weeks in my province alone. Where are they standing with them? In the unemployment line? That answer is shameful. The Liberals have admitted that forestry has not been a priority. They would rather litigate than negotiate. For the past four years, they have failed to be a champion for our forestry families. What are they going to do for the thousands of Canadians employed in our forestry industry who have already received mill closure layoff notices or job losses?

Madam Speaker, if the tanker ban was not bad enough, now we are being told to expect fisheries closures off the coast of British Columbia. We have heard from academics, scientists, industry, and fishermen at the fisheries committee. They have all said the same thing. The Liberal consultations are a sham and fail to take into account the economic, social, and environmental impacts of identifying marine protected areas.What does the minister have to say to the numerous witnesses who have all said that the Liberal plan on marine protected areas will be a disastrous failure?

Mr. Speaker, while approving the dumping of hundreds of millions of litres of raw sewage into our rivers and streams, the Minister of Environment seems intent on shuttering industry in my province. We know she is close to signing a caribou protection deal with the province of British Columbia without even consulting the mayors and regional districts. This deal will kill jobs and put families out of work. In 100 Mile House, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Mackenzie, Prince George, Fraser-Fort George, Terrace, Tumbler Ridge, Vanderhoof, Pouce Coupe and Williams Lake, these mayors just want a seat at the table. Why is the minister ignoring them?

Mr. Speaker, the MP for Steveston—Richmond East wants to shut down the port of Vancouver and have it subject to an environmental assessment, the same environmental process that has tied up the Pacific LNG project in more and more red tape and has put the creation of thousands of well-paying jobs on hold. How many more jobs are the Liberals willing to kill before they start approving the projects that Canadians depend on for their livelihoods?

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about how vigorously the government is going to defend it. The Liberals budgeted a measly $30 million. They just gave $25 million to a foreign organization with direct and indirect links to Hamas, a jihadist terrorist group. How vigorously is the government going to defend Canadian jobs?Softwood lumber war number five is mere hours away. This means mill closures and job losses for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.The minister has mismanaged this file from day one. When is the government going to stand up for hard-working forestry families from coast to coast to coast?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries has abandoned lobster fishermen with no evidence that the fishery has contributed to any right whale deaths. The minister has shut it down. He gave them no notice and now the minister is refusing to listen to the fishermen who spend their lives on the water and who have been at the forefront of implementing strategies to protect right whales since 2006.These fishermen have done everything that has been asked of them and now they stand to lose 25% of their income. When will the minister understand that his “Ottawa knows best” policy is hurting the livelihoods of Atlantic fishermen?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries is under federal investigation for awarding a lucrative surf clam quota to his Liberal friends and family. His shady conduct has ensured that clam harvesting will not even happen this year, because the company he personally selected cannot even buy a boat. Meanwhile, the hard-working people of Grand Bank are losing their jobs because this minister wanted to make a few bucks for his friends.Will the Prime Minister put an end to clam scam once and for all, and stand up for the people of Grand Bank?

Mr. Speaker, no government in recent history has taken so long to fill watchdog vacancies as these Liberals. This should not come as a surprise as the Prime Minister is under investigation for multiple ethical transgressions. Between countless judicial vacancies and unfilled watchdog positions, the Liberals have once again proved to Canadians that they are only willing to green-light Liberal insiders and former chiefs of staff. Just yesterday, they appointed a Liberal donor to the superior court of P.E.I. The Liberals have proven once again the only families they are interested in looking after are their own.

Mr. Speaker, the minister's corrupt surf clam decision had nothing to do with reconciliation. Rather, it had all to do with blatantly lining the pockets of Liberal families and Liberal family insiders.The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador was in Ottawa late last week raising serious questions about job losses, economic impacts, and the corrupt bid process.Can the Prime Minister please explain why lining the pockets of Liberal family members and Liberal insiders is more important than the families of Grand Bank?

Mr. Speaker, talk about power going to somebody's head. Witness after witness at the trade committee last week agreed that the upcoming presidential election poses a threat to our new softwood lumber agreement. We do not have an agreement, and it is creating all kinds of uncertainty. Canadian job creators need certainty in order to run their businesses successfully. Tick, tick, tick; why are the Liberals standing by and doing nothing on softwood lumber while the clock ticks down?

Mr. Speaker, what we are hearing is, hang in there. The 100-day deadline is fast approaching on the Liberal's promise to have a new softwood lumber deal, yet the only thing we know from the past 100 days is we still do not have an agreement. Small producers do not have a voice. There is more uncertainty in an already volatile industry. Unfair tariffs and lawsuits for our small forestry producers are on the way. There will be job losses for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians employed by the forestry sector. Why are the Liberals failing to stand up for Canadians and doing nothing to bring home a new softwood lumber agreement?

Mr. Speaker, the previous Conservative government understood the severe threat that invasive species, such as the Asian carp, pose for Canadian waterways. We learned last week that under the Liberals' watch, Asian carp had made their way into the St. Lawrence River and nearby waterways. This will have a detrimental effect on the commercial and recreational fishing industry and could cost the Quebec economy millions.When will the Liberals start taking these developments seriously and take aggressive action to mitigate the growth of such invasive species?

Mr. Speaker, this morning, the United States International Trade Commission unanimously voted against the Canadian lumber industry, because of the Liberal government's inaction and failure to get a deal done despite repeatedly assuring this House and Canadians that it was getting the job done. Canadian industry is being held ransom and is facing a lengthy and costly legal battle. Job losses and layoffs are going to be seen.What does this minister have to say to those hard-working forestry families who are now facing even a more uncertain future two weeks from the Christmas break?

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the government has put tens of thousands of seniors homes and care in jeopardy. Nobody will do business with Anbang Insurance because of the murky ownership, not even Wall Street firms, but the Prime Minister will. After lobbying at one of his many cash for access events, and after filling the coffers of the Liberal Party, Anbang was fast-tracked by senior care facilities in B.C. The minister then misled Canadians into thinking that these senior homes would be owned by Canadians, but yesterday he admitted that this was not true.Will the minister finally tell Canadians who owns Anbang Insurance?

Mr. Speaker, time is running out on a new softwood lumber deal, yet the Minister of Trade sees the 100-day deadline for a new deal as more of a checking-in period. No progress is being made, and the U.S. election is coming up. The government continues to tell Canadians to hang in there, which is unacceptable.What do the Liberals have to say to the hundreds of thousands of Canadians employed in the forestry sector whose jobs are on the line, aside from to hang in there?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Senate Liberal leader admitted that the Prime Minister did not even try to negotiate an end to the softwood lumber dispute in the failed renegotiations of NAFTA. He had other priorities. Mill closures are being seen in my riding and throughout our province. In 2016, the Prime Minister stood and said he would have a deal within 100 days. He also told Canadians that he was seized with finding an end to the softwood dispute, yet now we know he had other priorities. Why did the Prime Minister not take this once-in-a-generation opportunity and to put an end to the softwood lumber dispute once and for all?

Mr. Speaker, last week was a dark week for the over one million Canadians who are supported by Canada's forestry industry. The minister said that the U.S. trade action did not come as a surprise and that job losses are to be expected. Stories of work curtailment and mill closures are being heard right across our country. One small mill owner in my riding today is writing a cheque in the millions. He is not sure how much longer he can keep the doors open. The minister did not have answers last week, so I am asking the Prime Minister. Will he stand today and tell the hard-working forestry families what his plan is now that they are facing uncertain times?

Mr. Speaker, since introducing my private member's bill, Bill C-211, I have heard from hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals who are in the fight of their lives. There is no standard diagnosis or care for PTSD that is consistent from the east coast to the west coast. Our first responders, our veterans, and our firefighters, who have sacrificed so much for our country, are not receiving the proper care and support needed to deal with PTSD.Lives are at stake. My simple question is this. Can we count on the Prime Minister and his Liberal caucus to support Bill C-211 when it is voted on at second reading, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, we are hearing news that surf clam workers in Grand Bank are already having their hours cut. The minister says he has a plan. The minister says he stands with the people of Grand Bank. Will he stand with them in the unemployment line when they are struggling to find jobs? Will he stand with them when they are struggling to feed their families, or pay their mortgages, or send their kids to summer camp?If the minister is truly committed to standing with the people of Grand Bank, will he reverse his corrupt surf clam decision, recuse himself, and restart the process?

Mr. Speaker, the small producers are on the outside looking in. From that response, it is clear that Liberals do not care about protecting Canadian forestry jobs that are the backbone of this country. They have pitted Canada's small producers against our large producers, the very same large Canadian forestry companies that are increasingly growing their U.S. operations and moving jobs out of this country.The government has left our small producers again on the outside looking in. How can the Liberals sit idle while Canadian jobs are moving to the United States because of softwood lumber uncertainty?

Mr. Speaker, it is important for us to talk about mental health issues. It truly is the only way we can break the stigma associated with mental illness and mental injury.Two hundred and twenty-three days ago, this House passed a bill to create a national strategy to combat PTSD, making Canada the first country in the world to adopt legislation aimed at combatting PTSD. That is 223 days, and the Liberal government has failed to do anything to move this strategy forward. When will the Prime Minister stop delaying and take action on developing this important national strategy to combat PTSD?

Mr. Speaker, I care about them. I am the only one who is talking to the fishermen in Atlantic Canada. This minister has shaken the confidence of an entire industry. There are groups calling for his resignation. He has met with fishermen only in response to the protest, not through consultation. The pending closure is going to devastate a local economy. Workers, onshore and off, are going to be affected. It is the most prosperous time of year, and lobster is the engine that drives communities like Grand Manan. This will be a massive hit to the local economy. It is not too late. Will the minister meet with these people, find a compromise, and get people back to work?

Mr. Speaker, in addition to cutting the critical search and rescue dive program in British Columbia just as we enter the busiest boating season and tourism season, the Minister of Fisheries, as we learned last week, was quietly planning to close Coast Guard stations throughout Manitoba and Ontario. Why? The Liberals feel this money could be better spent somewhere else. The Liberal government is putting at risk the lives of thousands of Canadians who use our waterways. Will the minister stand in the House right now and reverse this decision?

Mr. Speaker, on March 25 of this year, Mia and Liam Tarabichi went on what was supposed to be just a quick trip with their father to Seattle. Instead, he abducted them and fled to Beirut. He is now wanted on an international arrest warrant. The children's mother, Shelley Beyak, has tried to contact the Prime Minister and has received no answer. The Prime Minister can intervene and help bring these children home to their mom, but he refuses. Why?

Madam Speaker, it is obvious that the government does not care about the over 200,000 Canadians who are employed by forestry, or the 9,500 forestry jobs in indigenous communities across our country, or the hundreds of communities across rural Canada that depend on the forestry industry for at least half their base income. Despite having a once-in-a-generation chance to end the long-standing softwood dispute by negotiating a new NAFTA, Liberals squandered the opportunity. Why?

Mr. Speaker, I think the comment and the point we are trying to make here is that a minister of the crown, a minister in the House, interrupted a member during the member's speech and made offensive gestures and shouted comments across the way. It was an interruption, which caused the member to sit down and not further continue that statement.

Madam Speaker, the people in my riding work hard to make ends meet. They pay their fair share of taxes, and they expect their politicians to do the same thing.If it seems unethical that someone shaping public policy should have the ability to directly benefit from that policy, well, it is because it is. The minister owns several other numbered companies that could put him in additional conflicts. Will he finally do the right thing and tell Canadians what is in them?

Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning, the minister has prioritized his Liberal family and friends over the hard-working, good people of Grand Bank. He compromised a 25-year surf clam success story for partisan gain. In the words of the Fisheries Council of Canada, he has undermined Canada's fisheries sector. With all the controversy, it now appears the minister has been informed that Five Nations cannot even secure financing.When will the minister admit he has created a disaster, start a new, fair, and open and transparent process, and recuse himself from the file?

Mr. Speaker, the fisheries minister laid out critical bid criteria for those interested in the lucrative surf clam quota, such as the successful applicant must be an indigenous company, in respect of which shares are owned by indigenous persons or groups.However, we know the winning bid was not even incorporated until weeks after the announcement was made. We know that a Liberal MP's brother and a former Liberal MP are going to get very rich.Will the minister table the bid criteria scores so we can all see how his Liberal family and friends won a bid without a company, without a boat, and without indigenous partners?

Mr. Speaker, two Canadian children were kidnapped and taken to a hostile foreign country, which is littered with no-go zones, where Hezbollah roams freely and suicide, car bombings and rocket fire are not uncommon, yet the Prime Minister is letting their mother, Shelley Beyak, fend for herself. Only direct intervention by the Prime Minister will bring Liam and Mia Tarabichi home, but he refuses to act.When will the Prime Minister call the President of Lebanon and demand the return of Liam and Mia Tarabichi?

Mr. Speaker, the clock continues to tick down and we are going into a U.S. election. That response is simply not good enough.Hundreds of thousands of forestry jobs are on the line, yet instead of working hard to resolve the softwood lumber dispute, the Liberals are waving the white flag. Canadian companies need this agreement to be signed immediately in order to create good-paying jobs from coast to coast. Why are the Liberals planning to fail by failing to plan?

Mr. Speaker, the minister was aware of the glaring weaknesses in the Five Nations proposal, yet he ordered his officials to give them the licence anyways. Despite the departmental analysis pointing out the flaws in their application, he still awarded it to Liberal family and friends at the expense of the community of Grand Bank. Just so we are all clear, the minister awarded a contract worth millions of dollars to a Liberal MP's brother and a former Liberal MP, whose bid was incomplete and flawed. If this is not a conflict of interest, what is?

Mr. Speaker, what they provided is lip service.Of the hundreds of campaign promises, there was not a single mention of softwood lumber in the Liberal campaign platform, not in the Speech from the Throne, not in the minister's mandate letter. It is one of the most important trade deals between Canada and the U.S. and not a single mention, zero. In six days, the current softwood agreement ends. What will it take for the Prime Minister to acknowledge the incompetence of the trade minister and pick up the phone, call his BFF, and protect and save the 400,000 jobs in the forestry industry?

Mr. Speaker, eight-year-old Liam and nine-year-old Mia Tarabichi were kidnapped. They were taken to a foreign country. The Prime Minister has done nothing to bring them home. The only hope of ever having these children brought home to their mom Shelley is if the Prime Minister calls the President and the Prime Minister of Lebanon and asks for them to intervene. These two Canadian children need to be home here in Canada with their mom.Why has the Prime Minister not called President Aoun and Prime Minister Hariri?

Mr. Speaker, for over a year, the Liberals have claimed that the relationship between the Prime Minister and the president of the U.S. has been unprecedented. As a matter of fact, the Minister of International Trade stood in the House and said that the president of the U.S. was absolutely giddy over this new relationship. Well, this unprecedented new relationship has brought absolutely nothing to Canada, no new softwood lumber agreement. Within hours of the U.S. election results, the Prime Minister was on bended knee offering to renegotiate NAFTA. This will have a hugely negative impact on the 400,000 Canadians who depend on the forestry industry.Why is the government so against Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has just awarded a former Tides Canada executive a position in his office as director of policy. Tides poured millions into targeting campaigns aimed at influencing the 2015 election. Tides created and funded the tar sands campaign aimed entirely at shutting down Canada's oil and gas industry. Tides has funded organizations that have waged war against Canada's forestry, fishing and agriculture industries. Tides has funded comprehensive and targeted campaigns aimed at discrediting and shutting down Canada's natural resource sectors. Who does the Prime Minister work for, Canadians or his foreign-funded friends?

Mr. Speaker, it has been 11 days since the crippling tariffs have been levied on our small and medium producers. On this side of the House, we are hearing from concerned producers, manufacturers, and fearful forestry workers. The minister says we should expect job losses. This is unacceptable, and Canadians deserve better.What is the minister doing to reassure the over one million Canadians who depend on the forestry industry for their livelihoods, and what is the plan for our communities that depend on forestry?

Mr. Speaker, for three hours and 40 minutes the former attorney general gave shocking testimony, revealing a sustained, coordinated and inappropriate attempt by our Prime Minister to subvert justice—

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about how vigorously the government is going to defend it. The Liberals budgeted a measly $30 million. They just gave $25 million to a foreign organization with direct and indirect links to Hamas, a jihadist terrorist group. How vigorously is the government going to defend Canadian jobs?Softwood lumber war number five is mere hours away. This means mill closures and job losses for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.The minister has mismanaged this file from day one. When is the government going to stand up for hard-working forestry families from coast to coast to coast?

Mr. Speaker, the clock continues to tick down and we are going into a U.S. election. That response is simply not good enough.Hundreds of thousands of forestry jobs are on the line, yet instead of working hard to resolve the softwood lumber dispute, the Liberals are waving the white flag. Canadian companies need this agreement to be signed immediately in order to create good-paying jobs from coast to coast. Why are the Liberals planning to fail by failing to plan?

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In a moment I will once again be seeking unanimous support. Unfortunately, it seems the government continues to suppress the facts in the surf clam case. I would like to seek unanimous consent to table the Federal Court documents pertaining to the current case against the government in regard to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard awarding a lucrative surf clam contract to his colleague's brother and his wife's cousin. These documents—

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Senate Liberal leader admitted that the Prime Minister did not even try to negotiate an end to the softwood lumber dispute in the failed renegotiations of NAFTA. He had other priorities. Mill closures are being seen in my riding and throughout our province. In 2016, the Prime Minister stood and said he would have a deal within 100 days. He also told Canadians that he was seized with finding an end to the softwood dispute, yet now we know he had other priorities. Why did the Prime Minister not take this once-in-a-generation opportunity and to put an end to the softwood lumber dispute once and for all?

Madam Speaker, it is obvious that the government does not care about the over 200,000 Canadians who are employed by forestry, or the 9,500 forestry jobs in indigenous communities across our country, or the hundreds of communities across rural Canada that depend on the forestry industry for at least half their base income. Despite having a once-in-a-generation chance to end the long-standing softwood dispute by negotiating a new NAFTA, Liberals squandered the opportunity. Why?

Mr. Speaker, with the carbon tax and the Liberals' trade record, they will not have to worry about that.We know the Liberals favour so-called engagement with China despite its appalling human rights record. However, the member for Steveston—Richmond East stepped over the line, which is not surprising given the trouble he has found himself in recently. He draped himself in the red scarf of the Chinese Communist Party as the Chinese flag was raised at the Vancouver City Hall celebrating 67 years of Communist rule. Do the Liberals realize just how insulting such behaviour is to Canadians of Chinese origin whose families have suffered and died under Chinese communism?

Mr. Speaker, I read somewhere recently that the Minister of Trade speaks five languages. Apparently trade is not one of them. From forest to mill, almost 400,000 high-quality, well-paying forestry jobs are now at risk because of the minister's inaction on the softwood lumber file. In one of my communities alone, two mills are at risk. That is 400 jobs and a quarter of the municipal tax base. How does the Minister of Trade expect people to continue to work and live in the communities they call home when there are no jobs to put food on the table for their families?

Mr. Speaker, that was not an answer.In July, the Prime Minister swept into my riding and pledged to help every family impacted by the B.C. wildfires. However, once the cameras were gone, his government has been unwilling and unable to answer a simple question. We have been trying to get an answer from the revenue minister for weeks.I have a simple question. Will private property owners who have lost everything and now must salvage the timber off of their property be faced with capital gains taxes, yes or no?

Madam Speaker, thousands and thousands of jobs are at risk right now. Hundreds of jobs have been lost in recent weeks in my province alone. Where are they standing with them? In the unemployment line? That answer is shameful. The Liberals have admitted that forestry has not been a priority. They would rather litigate than negotiate. For the past four years, they have failed to be a champion for our forestry families. What are they going to do for the thousands of Canadians employed in our forestry industry who have already received mill closure layoff notices or job losses?

Mr. Speaker, while approving the dumping of hundreds of millions of litres of raw sewage into our rivers and streams, the Minister of Environment seems intent on shuttering industry in my province. We know she is close to signing a caribou protection deal with the province of British Columbia without even consulting the mayors and regional districts. This deal will kill jobs and put families out of work. In 100 Mile House, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Mackenzie, Prince George, Fraser-Fort George, Terrace, Tumbler Ridge, Vanderhoof, Pouce Coupe and Williams Lake, these mayors just want a seat at the table. Why is the minister ignoring them?

Madam Speaker, if the tanker ban was not bad enough, now we are being told to expect fisheries closures off the coast of British Columbia. We have heard from academics, scientists, industry, and fishermen at the fisheries committee. They have all said the same thing. The Liberal consultations are a sham and fail to take into account the economic, social, and environmental impacts of identifying marine protected areas.What does the minister have to say to the numerous witnesses who have all said that the Liberal plan on marine protected areas will be a disastrous failure?

Mr. Speaker, what do the Liberals do when a Chinese insurance company with a secret ownership structure dominated by a who's who of the Chinese Communist Party applies to buy essential seniors care facilities in Canada? They turn over the keys to one of the largest health care providers in the province of British Columbia.Nobody will do business with Anbang Insurance because of its questionable ownership, not even Wall Street firms. How can we trust it to look after our seniors in the most vulnerable times of their lives?When will the Liberals finally act in the interest of Canadian seniors and put this sale on hold?

Mr. Speaker, well, well, look who just woke up. In 2006, the Conservative government brought confidence and consistency to a divided forestry industry. Through ongoing talks with our counterparts and forestry stakeholders, we set the stage for the Liberal government to finalize a new softwood lumber agreement. Unfortunately, the trade minister has only just realized that trade deals do not magically negotiate themselves. When will the trade minister tell the almost 400,000 forestry workers that their jobs are on the line because she has mismanaged this file since the very beginning?

Mr. Speaker, I think the comment and the point we are trying to make here is that a minister of the crown, a minister in the House, interrupted a member during the member's speech and made offensive gestures and shouted comments across the way. It was an interruption, which caused the member to sit down and not further continue that statement.

Mr. Speaker, the fall economic update came on the heels of sweeping notices of work curtailment and mill closures in British Columbia and indeed in my riding. West Fraser, Conifex Timber, Tolko Industries, Canfor and Interfo forestry companies have all announced sweeping forms of labour force reductions. With Christmas just 32 days away, families are now facing tough choices. Why is the Prime Minister and the minister neglecting hard-working forestry families?

Mr. Speaker, eight-year-old Liam and nine-year-old Mia Tarabichi were kidnapped. They were taken to a foreign country. The Prime Minister has done nothing to bring them home. The only hope of ever having these children brought home to their mom Shelley is if the Prime Minister calls the President and the Prime Minister of Lebanon and asks for them to intervene. These two Canadian children need to be home here in Canada with their mom.Why has the Prime Minister not called President Aoun and Prime Minister Hariri?

Mr. Speaker, the minister's corrupt surf clam decision had nothing to do with reconciliation. Rather, it had all to do with blatantly lining the pockets of Liberal families and Liberal family insiders.The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador was in Ottawa late last week raising serious questions about job losses, economic impacts, and the corrupt bid process.Can the Prime Minister please explain why lining the pockets of Liberal family members and Liberal insiders is more important than the families of Grand Bank?

Mr. Speaker, the previous Conservative government understood the severe threat that invasive species, such as the Asian carp, pose for Canadian waterways. We learned last week that under the Liberals' watch, Asian carp had made their way into the St. Lawrence River and nearby waterways. This will have a detrimental effect on the commercial and recreational fishing industry and could cost the Quebec economy millions.When will the Liberals start taking these developments seriously and take aggressive action to mitigate the growth of such invasive species?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has just awarded a former Tides Canada executive a position in his office as director of policy. Tides poured millions into targeting campaigns aimed at influencing the 2015 election. Tides created and funded the tar sands campaign aimed entirely at shutting down Canada's oil and gas industry. Tides has funded organizations that have waged war against Canada's forestry, fishing and agriculture industries. Tides has funded comprehensive and targeted campaigns aimed at discrediting and shutting down Canada's natural resource sectors. Who does the Prime Minister work for, Canadians or his foreign-funded friends?

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Liberals did not take it seriously in 2015. They did not get the job done with Obama in 2016, and they are mailing it in right now in 2017. Now we are seeing thousands and thousands of jobs right across Canada being lost. The government's aid package for the softwood industry is too little, too late for forestry workers and their families. Mills are already closing down across the country and this money will not bring those jobs back. Canadian forestry workers deserve stability and predictability from their government.What does the Minister of Natural Resources have to say to those workers who want jobs, not EI?

Mr. Speaker, what we are hearing is, hang in there. The 100-day deadline is fast approaching on the Liberal's promise to have a new softwood lumber deal, yet the only thing we know from the past 100 days is we still do not have an agreement. Small producers do not have a voice. There is more uncertainty in an already volatile industry. Unfair tariffs and lawsuits for our small forestry producers are on the way. There will be job losses for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians employed by the forestry sector. Why are the Liberals failing to stand up for Canadians and doing nothing to bring home a new softwood lumber agreement?

Mr. Speaker, the small producers are on the outside looking in. From that response, it is clear that Liberals do not care about protecting Canadian forestry jobs that are the backbone of this country. They have pitted Canada's small producers against our large producers, the very same large Canadian forestry companies that are increasingly growing their U.S. operations and moving jobs out of this country.The government has left our small producers again on the outside looking in. How can the Liberals sit idle while Canadian jobs are moving to the United States because of softwood lumber uncertainty?

Mr. Speaker, last week was a dark week for the over one million Canadians who are supported by Canada's forestry industry. The minister said that the U.S. trade action did not come as a surprise and that job losses are to be expected. Stories of work curtailment and mill closures are being heard right across our country. One small mill owner in my riding today is writing a cheque in the millions. He is not sure how much longer he can keep the doors open. The minister did not have answers last week, so I am asking the Prime Minister. Will he stand today and tell the hard-working forestry families what his plan is now that they are facing uncertain times?

Madam Speaker, how is it fair that a billionaire finance minister and a millionaire Prime Minister's trust funds and fortunes will be protected under these current changes? That is not fair.Ranching and forestry are economic drivers of communities throughout British Columbia. Evan, a rancher in my riding, stood beside his family and neighbours and courageously fought back the fires. They saved properties and lives. He said to me recently, “With the devastating fire season we have just come through and all we're dealing with, and now the tax changes that are being proposed by this government, our ranchers don't stand a chance.”When will the finance minister abandon these tax changes and start standing up for foresters and ranchers?

Mr. Speaker, the facts are that billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs hang in the balance.The president of the Vancouver port authority had this to say in response to the calls from the member for Steveston—Richmond East about shutting down the port operations: “We are the federal manager of lands in the port and are clearly designated as the environmental permitting agency,” and that it is a “regulatory agency, not a political body”. When will the Liberals stop colluding with third party environmental groups and approve the LNG project, which would create thousands of well-paying, high-quality jobs?

Mr. Speaker, two Canadian children were kidnapped and taken to a hostile foreign country, which is littered with no-go zones, where Hezbollah roams freely and suicide, car bombings and rocket fire are not uncommon, yet the Prime Minister is letting their mother, Shelley Beyak, fend for herself. Only direct intervention by the Prime Minister will bring Liam and Mia Tarabichi home, but he refuses to act.When will the Prime Minister call the President of Lebanon and demand the return of Liam and Mia Tarabichi?

Mr. Speaker, the only thing the minister has done is sold our seniors down the road. Once again we find ourselves talking about the Liberals' open, transparent, merit-based appointment process. We know that at the Halifax Port Authority, five of the seven board members are appointed by the federal government. Can members guess what all five Liberal appointed board members have in common? Every single one of them is a Liberal donor. The evidence is overwhelming. Will the Prime Minister finally admit that when it comes to appointments, only Liberals need apply?

Holy ship, Mr. Speaker.The decision to award the lucrative surf clam quota to Five Nations is just another example of these Liberals rewarding their friends and family.Which Liberal MP from the Rock will call my friend Edgar and explain why his son is losing his job? Which Liberal MP from the Rock will call Grand Bank and explain why they will not fight for Newfoundland jobs?

Mr. Speaker, the same court documents reveal that Liberal-connected Premium Seafoods owns 75% of Five Nations Clam. The minister has said that this is all about providing the best economic value for the most people. If Edgar Samson, the brother of a Liberal MP, owns 75% of the benefits, where are they truly flowing? Why is the minister putting people out of work in Grand Bank to line the pockets of his Liberal friends and family?

Mr. Speaker, it was the Conservative government that put an end to the longest and most costly trade disagreement in history with the softwood lumber agreement.The United States is Canada's largest market for softwood lumber. There are hundreds of thousands of jobs on the line, yet the Liberals would rather spend the time coming up with ways to stall the trans-Pacific partnership, because they are incapable of making good business decisions that are in the interests of Canadian jobs.Will the Minister of International Trade stand up and commit to bringing home a signed agreement before November?

Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning, the minister has prioritized his Liberal family and friends over the hard-working, good people of Grand Bank. He compromised a 25-year surf clam success story for partisan gain. In the words of the Fisheries Council of Canada, he has undermined Canada's fisheries sector. With all the controversy, it now appears the minister has been informed that Five Nations cannot even secure financing.When will the minister admit he has created a disaster, start a new, fair, and open and transparent process, and recuse himself from the file?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries has abandoned lobster fishermen with no evidence that the fishery has contributed to any right whale deaths. The minister has shut it down. He gave them no notice and now the minister is refusing to listen to the fishermen who spend their lives on the water and who have been at the forefront of implementing strategies to protect right whales since 2006.These fishermen have done everything that has been asked of them and now they stand to lose 25% of their income. When will the minister understand that his “Ottawa knows best” policy is hurting the livelihoods of Atlantic fishermen?

Mr. Speaker, in December the minister received a memorandum from his department assessing the nine surf clam proposals. This morning his deputy minister confirmed that the winning bid had the lowest level of first nations participation. Of course, we know the application did have the highest level of Liberal participation. The minister has stood repeatedly in this House and said that his decision was all about reconciliation. Can the minister explain how choosing an application with the lowest level of first nations participation has anything to do with reconciliation?

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Members of Parliament are elected. There are 338 members of Parliament who are elected to be the voices of our constituents. We are given S. O. 31s on a quarterly basis to make announcements or to pay tribute to fallen members of our community but also to talk about causes we champion.Earlier today, our hon. colleague from Calgary Nose Hill stood to talk about the plight of Yazidi women who are being raped, tortured, murdered, and imprisoned. She rose to speak about this. She has been a tireless champion on this. Throughout the member's speech, as she was again bringing awareness to the fact that the current government's inaction has not brought one Yazidi woman here over the course of four months, I witnessed shameful behaviour by the members for Eglinton—Lawrence and Spadina—Fort York. They not only laughed but also shouted insults across the way at our hon. colleague from Calgary Nose Hill. We can all agree that given the debate that is going on today in this House, tolerance is so important. I call on you, Mr. Speaker, and implore you to ask the members for Eglinton—Lawrence and Spadina—Fort York to withdraw their comments and apologize.

Mr. Speaker, how the minister chose his colleague's brother to award the Arctic surf clam bid to is beyond me. According to the DFO website, Arctic surf clam applicants had to meet certain criteria. They had to describe the vessel used, except they did not have one, and they still do not. They had to provide an ownership profile, including all the partners, except there were none. They were not even incorporated until a week after the announcement was made. If they did not have a boat and did not have multiple first nation partners, how did they win the bid?

Mr. Speaker, through his actions and his words, the Minister of Fisheries has shaken the entire fishing industry in Atlantic Canada. He has eroded the relationship and trust between fishermen and DFO. Now the minister is putting even more lobster fishermen out of work by announcing yet another closure. Laurence Cook of the Grand Manan Fishermen's Association said yesterday that roughly a third of Grand Manan's fleet will be impacted. That is a lot of jobs. Why is the minister refusing to listen to reason?

Mr. Speaker, maybe it is agenda, third party, and magic eight ball.The minister of environment rose yesterday and confirmed that LNG decisions will be made when and only when she feels like making them. She has just created another level of uncertainty.The justice minister is on record as saying that LNG remains a positive prospect for many first nations. The environment minister herself cannot deny that LNG could and would replace Chinese coal.Rather than creating more uncertainty by consulting her magic eight ball for answers, why does she not look at the actual facts and support the project?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals talk about funding for fisheries, but they have not created a single program that fishermen can apply to. I know the Liberals would rather spend the rest of their mandate consulting, but rural communities in Atlantic Canada cannot wait. Announcements are great, but hard-working fishing families need to know. What is the money for? Who is eligible to apply? When will the programs be in place? Will anyone actually benefit, or is this more Liberal money for more Liberal friends?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries awarded a lucrative surf clam quota worth hundreds of millions of dollars to a group that did not have first nation partners in place. It was not incorporated. It did not have a boat or a vessel, or a facility for harvesting. What it did have going for it were Liberal connections, including close family ties to the Liberal caucus. The people of Newfoundland and Labrador want to know why they have to lose their jobs so that the minister can look after Liberal insiders and close family friends.

Mr. Speaker, the minister personally intervened in the surf clam process. He ordered the department to award the lucrative contract to a group that did not have a boat, that did not have multiple first nations partners, that were not even incorporated. What they did have was close family ties to the minister and to the Liberal Party.Does the Prime Minister think it is appropriate that the minister is awarding million-dollar contracts to the Liberals and his own family members?

Mr. Speaker, I am going to ask a question for my hon. colleague across the way. Maybe she has the answer. The Liberal government continues to go on and on about this great engagement of Canadians from coast to coast to coast and meeting with stakeholder groups from communities far and wide. I would like to know the communities that government members are going into and if they can provide us with the geographic data, whether it is the 3,500 Canadians they have heard from, or the 80,000 that the Minister of Finance mentioned, or the 150,000 Canadians that have responded to their online forums. I would like to know the geographic data, where it is coming from, and who is advising the government.

Mr. Speaker, time is running out on a new softwood lumber deal, yet the Minister of Trade sees the 100-day deadline for a new deal as more of a checking-in period. No progress is being made, and the U.S. election is coming up. The government continues to tell Canadians to hang in there, which is unacceptable.What do the Liberals have to say to the hundreds of thousands of Canadians employed in the forestry sector whose jobs are on the line, aside from to hang in there?

Madam Speaker, this morning the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard blew off concerns from lobster fishermen in Atlantic Canada.According to the minister, his actions represent “an inconvenience” and the fishers should just go elsewhere. He went on to add that he was just protecting them from themselves. I guess Liberals always know best.The minister went on to say that the fishermen have to be careful not to end up vandalizing their own industry. Really?When will his Liberal colleagues from the east coast stand up for the fishers and help educate this arrogant and smug minister?

Mr. Speaker, we are hearing news that surf clam workers in Grand Bank are already having their hours cut. The minister says he has a plan. The minister says he stands with the people of Grand Bank. Will he stand with them in the unemployment line when they are struggling to find jobs? Will he stand with them when they are struggling to feed their families, or pay their mortgages, or send their kids to summer camp?If the minister is truly committed to standing with the people of Grand Bank, will he reverse his corrupt surf clam decision, recuse himself, and restart the process?

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the government has put tens of thousands of seniors homes and care in jeopardy. Nobody will do business with Anbang Insurance because of the murky ownership, not even Wall Street firms, but the Prime Minister will. After lobbying at one of his many cash for access events, and after filling the coffers of the Liberal Party, Anbang was fast-tracked by senior care facilities in B.C. The minister then misled Canadians into thinking that these senior homes would be owned by Canadians, but yesterday he admitted that this was not true.Will the minister finally tell Canadians who owns Anbang Insurance?

Mr. Speaker, the fisheries minister laid out critical bid criteria for those interested in the lucrative surf clam quota, such as the successful applicant must be an indigenous company, in respect of which shares are owned by indigenous persons or groups.However, we know the winning bid was not even incorporated until weeks after the announcement was made. We know that a Liberal MP's brother and a former Liberal MP are going to get very rich.Will the minister table the bid criteria scores so we can all see how his Liberal family and friends won a bid without a company, without a boat, and without indigenous partners?

Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. We are talking about a group of Liberal family members who had no boat and were not even incorporated until after the announcement was made. They did not have any first nation partners. As a matter of fact, their bid had multiple placeholders. They still secured a lucrative government quota worth hundreds of millions of dollars without meeting critical bid criteria.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing, restart the process, and ensure his minister is recused from it so that we can have an honest outcome?

Mr. Speaker, from a minister who has been here for so long and someone who understands it, he knows that these families deserve better. Canadians deserve a better answer than what he gave.We know through our U.S. contacts that softwood lumber negotiations are non-existent. We are days away from a lumber trade war that will see mill closures, jobs lost, and communities decimated. British Columbia is the largest producer of softwood in the country. There are 140 communities across the province that depend on forestry. I know it is not Wednesday, but will the Prime Minister stand in the House and answer this question? What are his plans to protect the jobs in communities for the families that depend on the forestry industry?

Mr. Speaker, according to the Liberal fisheries minister of Newfoundland and Labrador, this minister's Arctic surf clam decision is “far from reconciliation”. He says, “It has pitted First Nation against First Nation, and community against community.” He and numerous indigenous groups are demanding a full review of the whole process and transparency in all the bids. For the sake of transparency and confidence in the process, would the minister commit to tabling all the surf clam bids and the criteria he used in selecting his colleague's brother for the winning bid?

Mr. Speaker, while the Liberal government is busy brainstorming ways to add more and more red tape to discourage resource development and investment in our country, it has forgotten we currently stand without a Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement, an agreement that ended costly trade disputes between Canada and the U.S., and ensured 145,000 forestry jobs are protected in B.C. Will anyone from the government please stand and tell us why the Liberals are not fighting for the hard-working Canadians employed in the forestry sector? Anyone.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of International Trade rose in this House, not to offer solutions or an update on the progress of a new softwood lumber agreement, but to pass the buck, point fingers, and try to assign blame away from the mismanagement of the Liberals on this file.When will the Liberals take responsibility for Canadian jobs and bring home a new softwood lumber agreement?

Mr. Speaker, recently released court documents show that the Minister of Fisheries personally intervened in the Arctic surf clam process. In his own handwriting, scrawled across an official document, he ordered his officials to “take next steps with [Five Nations] and ensure that additional Indigenous communities are quickly confirmed.” This proves that the minister knew that Five Nations did not have the required indigenous partners, but he approved its bid anyway. Why?

Mr. Speaker, it also has the highest unemployment rate.The minister was aware of the glaring weaknesses in the Five Nations proposal, yet he ordered DFO to give them the licence anyway. Despite the departmental analysis pointing out the flaws, he gave it to Liberal family and friends at the expense of the community of Grand Bank.How can his Liberal colleagues on the Rock face their constituents, knowing full well that the minister failed to apply the bid criteria fairly and in an open and transparent manner?

Mr. Speaker, the MP for Steveston—Richmond East wants to shut down the port of Vancouver and have it subject to an environmental assessment, the same environmental process that has tied up the Pacific LNG project in more and more red tape and has put the creation of thousands of well-paying jobs on hold. How many more jobs are the Liberals willing to kill before they start approving the projects that Canadians depend on for their livelihoods?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. Christy Clark considered the news fantastic, but she also said that we need an agreement now, not in 100 days. There are 145,000 well-paying, high quality forestry jobs in B.C. alone. These jobs are all on the line. The Prime Minister is more interested in dining tables than negotiating tables.Will the minister stand in the House and commit to ensuring that the interests of all Canadian forestry producers, large and small, will be protected in our negotiations?

Mr. Speaker, since day one, we have been challenging the government to make securing a new softwood agreement its number one trade priority. It was no surprise to the rest of us that yesterday's U.S. ruling seems to have caught the Liberal government off guard. Softwood lumber is now being held ransom by an increasing protectionist U.S. administration. Hard-working forestry families and their livelihoods are being held ransom. With only weeks to go before Christmas, what is the minister planning to do and prepared to do for Canadian families?

Cabinet is going to do whatever it wants to do, anyway, Mr. Speaker.Canada's largest lumber companies are moving more and more of their operations south of the border at the expense of high-quality, well-paying jobs in this country, all because of uncertainty over the Liberals handling of the softwood lumber agreement. These same companies are now backed by powerful U.S. lobby groups that are advocating for a deal that will put our small producers at a disadvantage.When will the Liberals stop playing both sides of the border and stand up for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians employed by the forestry sector here at home?

Mr. Speaker, in signing the last softwood lumber agreement, the former Conservative government put an end to the longest and most costly trade dispute with the U.S. We expanded overseas markets, we championed a wood-first initiative. However, when the deal expired, the Liberals refused to make securing a new softwood lumber agreement a priority. In my province, over 140,000 jobs are forestry-dependent, 140 communities are forestry-dependent. In the past three weeks, seven mill closures have been announced or are imminent. How many more families have to lose their livelihoods before it becomes a priority for the Prime Minister?

Mr. Speaker, it was the justice minister who, in 2014, said about LNG, that there are “discussions that are happening where voices are being heard and concerns are being addressed”, and that LNG remains a “positive prospect for many first nations”. Yet, the justice minister sits here silently, while billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs hang in the balance. When will she break the silence, stand up for British Columbians, and push her cabinet colleagues to approve an LNG project?

Mr. Speaker, what they provided is lip service.Of the hundreds of campaign promises, there was not a single mention of softwood lumber in the Liberal campaign platform, not in the Speech from the Throne, not in the minister's mandate letter. It is one of the most important trade deals between Canada and the U.S. and not a single mention, zero. In six days, the current softwood agreement ends. What will it take for the Prime Minister to acknowledge the incompetence of the trade minister and pick up the phone, call his BFF, and protect and save the 400,000 jobs in the forestry industry?

Mr. Speaker, responding to questions about the fisheries minister's surf clam decision, the minister's most senior official confirmed that the Liberal-connected Five Nations had the lowest participation of first nations out of all the applicants. She also confirmed that she had no knowledge of the minister's family connection to the unincorporated entity. She confirmed multiple times that this was the minister's sole, personal decision.When did the minister become aware of the minister's family connections, and when did he know that Five Nations had the least amount of indigenous participation?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is all over the map when it comes to the energy sector. Sadly, it is not the western Canada map. Everything the government says contradicts its claims to be committed to a science-based policy and fair processes. In October, the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board stated, “pipelines are not going to be necessary”, because of their policies.Which member of the government will stand up and explain to Canadians why it is opposed to resource development, the lifeblood of the economies of rural Canada and the economy of Canada?

Mr. Speaker, talk about power going to somebody's head. Witness after witness at the trade committee last week agreed that the upcoming presidential election poses a threat to our new softwood lumber agreement. We do not have an agreement, and it is creating all kinds of uncertainty. Canadian job creators need certainty in order to run their businesses successfully. Tick, tick, tick; why are the Liberals standing by and doing nothing on softwood lumber while the clock ticks down?

Mr. Speaker, Chris Garnier is still in jail receiving treatment that veterans and first responders should get. Yesterday, Catherine Campbell's mother said that she could not believe that a government would condone a convicted murderer receiving treatment that veterans and first responders deserved.Incredibly, despite their loss and immeasurable pain, all the Campbells want is that our first responders and our veterans come first and get the help they need, not convicted murderers. Could the Prime Minister look the Campbells in the eyes and tell them why Chris Garnier continues to receive this treatment.

Mr. Speaker, the priority seems to be more on what the Prime Minister is wearing or who he is wearing it with than actually getting an agreement done.This week the Prime Minister is going on bended knee to Washington and once again he has failed to renegotiate one of the most important trade agreements between our two countries.Instead of pandering to anti-Canadian lobbyists and abandoning yet another resource industry, when is the Prime Minister going to start fighting for Canadian jobs and bring home a balanced softwood lumber agreement?

Mr. Speaker, for over a year, the Liberals have claimed that the relationship between the Prime Minister and the president of the U.S. has been unprecedented. As a matter of fact, the Minister of International Trade stood in the House and said that the president of the U.S. was absolutely giddy over this new relationship. Well, this unprecedented new relationship has brought absolutely nothing to Canada, no new softwood lumber agreement. Within hours of the U.S. election results, the Prime Minister was on bended knee offering to renegotiate NAFTA. This will have a hugely negative impact on the 400,000 Canadians who depend on the forestry industry.Why is the government so against Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, no government in recent history has taken so long to fill watchdog vacancies as these Liberals. This should not come as a surprise as the Prime Minister is under investigation for multiple ethical transgressions. Between countless judicial vacancies and unfilled watchdog positions, the Liberals have once again proved to Canadians that they are only willing to green-light Liberal insiders and former chiefs of staff. Just yesterday, they appointed a Liberal donor to the superior court of P.E.I. The Liberals have proven once again the only families they are interested in looking after are their own.

Mr. Speaker, we now know that the Clerk of the Privy Council told the former attorney general that the Prime Minister was going to get his way one way or the other. She told us that principal secretary, Gerry Butts said “there is no solution here that does not involve some interference”. The Prime Minister has lost the moral authority to govern our great country. He must resign. When will he?

Mr. Speaker, all five members appointed by the Prime Minister's Office to the Halifax Port Authority donated to the Liberal coffers. Their combined contributions were $76,000.Will the Prime Minister admit right now that when it comes to appointments, Liberals need only apply?

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately for the workers in Grand Bank, their Liberal connections do not run deep enough for them to keep their jobs. The town has even had to hire a company here in Ottawa to raise awareness on the issue, because their Liberal MPs remain silent.Let us refresh. The minister gave a lucrative surf clam quota worth millions to his friends, who did not have a company, did not have a boat, and did not have multiple first nations partners.Since Liberal MPs from the Rock will not ask the question, could the Minister of Environment please tell the hard-working families of Grand Bank how much her carbon tax is going to cost them?

Mr. Speaker, the evidence is that there are hundreds of thousands of jobs lost right now and hanging in the balance. The Pacific Northwest LNG project would be the biggest private sector investment in British Columbia history. Billions in investment and thousands of well-paying jobs are hanging in the balance, yet the only thing the Minister of Environment will approve is a decision to delay the decision. How can we expect the Liberals to be impartial when the Prime Minister's own principal secretary said he wants to shut down oil and gas development?

Mr. Speaker, if “robust” means checking down to see if they have given to the Liberal Party, well, they have accomplished that robust application.I spent last week in Grand Bank. From the dock to Sharon's to Foodland to Jenny's, the concern over the future is very real. I spoke again with Edgar, who works at the plant, and his son also works at the plant and is at risk of being among the very first to lose his job. If this happens, Edgar is worried he may lose his son to the mainland.Edgar has one question for the seven MPs from the Rock: when will they start standing up for them?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and president announced yesterday that the softwood lumber irritant would get resolved in “some fashion”. Some fashion is not very reassuring. This irritant supports approximately 145,000 well-paying, quality jobs in B.C. alone.How am I supposed to tell my constituents that they may not be able to put food on the table because the government considers the issue more of an irritant, and does not consider a new softwood agreement a priority?

Mr. Speaker, seriously, that answer is shameful. Two Canadian children were kidnapped and taken to a foreign country, and that is the answer we get. In Shelley's own words, the only person who can do something is the Prime Minister, who so far has not cared enough to do anything for his own citizens. She says, “What do I have to do to be heard, become a donor?”Why will the Prime Minister not just pick up the phone and bring Liam and Mia home?

Mr. Speaker, there are more and more verbal gymnastics from the other side. The president of the Vancouver Port Authority said that they regularly engage with the community, but “it's kind of hard to know what a social licence is”. He is referring to the same social licence that is causing a delay in the Pacific LNG project, which would be the largest private sector investment in British Columbia history.When will the Liberals stop using environmental buzzwords to kill Canadian jobs, and instead become a beacon of light in rough waters and start approving job-creating projects?

Madam Speaker, for the first time, we have a finance minister and a Prime Minister who are under investigation. What world do we live in if one can just pay oneself out of problems? Oh, right, it is if one is a billionaire finance minister. The conduct of the finance minister is appalling. While trying to bilk hard-working small business owners out of their money, he was sitting at the cabinet table agreeing to sponsor a pension bill that would grease his own pockets. The Ethics Commissioner has seen fit to look into his shady actions.Caught red-handed, will the finance minister finally come clean with Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, last night, I received more notices of job losses and mill closures in my riding in northern B.C. The Liberals' inaction on softwood and their failed policy is leading to thousands of job losses right across our province of British ColumbiaWe already have the highest gas prices in North America. Another 25¢ a litre will be the final nail in the coffin. An increase in the gas tax will only fuel more job losses for our forestry industry.These are real people and real jobs. Why do the Liberals continue to pound Canadians with a job-killing carbon tax that will not even reduce emissions?