2016-01-27

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal plan to abandon sanctions against Iran overturns a principled stand.Iran is committing horrible human rights violations against its own people, particularly women and religious minorities. What is more, it supports terrorism and regularly talks about the destruction of Israel.Why is the government giving Iran a free pass and compromising Canadian values?

Mr. Speaker, Iran's supreme leader consistently calls for the destruction of Israel. The Iranian regime is one of the world's worst abusers of human rights, yet the Liberals say they will be lifting Canadian sanctions on Iran, and why? According to the foreign affairs minister it would be in accordance with our allies, but our allies have also been clear that Canada should leave our CF-18s in the fight against ISIS.The question for the Prime Minister is this: When do our allies matter and when do they not?

Mr. Speaker, a Liberal candidate in Alberta said that pipelines make Canada America's dirty gas tank. That candidate is now the chief of staff to the Minister of Environment. Another Liberal candidate from Quebec wants Ontario to transition away from manufacturing. That candidate is the Prime Minister of Canada.Why does the Liberal government oppose oil sands in the west, energy east, and manufacturing right here in Ontario?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal delivered a historic ruling, finding that the federal government practised systematic discrimination against indigenous children. It is time to implement that ruling and rectify this injustice.My question is simple and is for the Minister of Finance. Will the budget include the funding necessary to put an end to that discrimination?

Mr. Speaker, as a family doctor and the Minister of Health, I am committed to working with our partners to improve Canadians' mental health and make mental health services more accessible. Mental health is a priority for our government, and we will continue to invest to promote sound mental health and help prevent mental illness and suicide.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work alongside our allies to ensure that we are behaving in a responsible way to move Iran away from its position of violation of human rights, of nuclear ambitions, and indeed of sponsoring terrorism around the world.It is through responsible, firm engagement that Canada has always had an impact in the world, and that is what we will continue to do in a thoughtful and responsible way.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud of our public health care system.A central principle of our public system is that people's access to health care does not depend on their ability to pay. However, while the Canada Health Act outlaws user fees, Saskatchewan is now allowing those who can afford it to get special access to private MRIs.Why will the Minister of Health not act? Will she enforce the Canada Health Act in Saskatchewan and across the country to crack down on these private payments, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, our government will strongly support Ukraine. Our government will always be against, and criticize, the Russian invasion and interference in Ukraine, and we will communicate that very clearly to the Government of Russia. We will do it, and I will be pleased to do it, because we owe so much to our friendship with Ukraine.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague misinterpreted what I said. I said the opposite. I said that we condemned the violence against Israeli people. We always will. To suggest that we are not doing it is partisan.

Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague that I am the member for Beauce. I work for the people of Beauce and for all Canadians, and I am proud of that.As a country active on the international stage, we have policy positions. I would like to know why this government is renouncing its policy position on Iran and why it is dropping sanctions against Iran. Iran has not changed. Iran violates the human rights of its own citizens, punishes religious minorities and sponsors terrorism. Why are the Liberals changing their position and supporting a state that finances terrorism?

Mr. Speaker, the government's position on job losses in Alberta is pathetic. The most the Minister of Finance could say when he visited Calgary recently was that he had a heightened sense of concern about Albertans losing their jobs.Yesterday, the Minister of Veterans Affairs said that Calgarians were “refreshed” with his government's direction. Really? There are 100,000 lost jobs and people are losing their homes. My constituents in Lakeland are resourceful, but they are not refreshed. Was the minister serious? Does he actually think Albertans are happy with his government in charge?

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that the world is now a safer place because of the P5+1 deal with Iran. We will continue to work alongside our allies to ensure security in the world and to engage with Iran in a responsible way that highlights both the human rights abuses at home and its sponsorship of terrorism abroad. We need to engage in a respectful, responsible way, and we will do exactly that.

Mr. Speaker, Canada is certainly able to keep the pressure on Russia and to engage Russia when it is in our common interest. We are able to do it because our foreign policy will stop being ideological and irrational, and will be effective for our allies and for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I will take that as a no.The second very straightforward question I will ask the Minister of Agriculture is if the minister is aware of any past criminal charges involving his chief of staff that may lead Canadians to believe that she is not suitable for the job that she is now tasked to do.

Mr. Speaker, during the campaign, the Liberals promised to take action to ensure that Canadians can retire with dignity. Too many Canadian seniors are living in poverty. The retirement age was increased to 67, and that will only make things worse and create greater inequalities in the future. I will try again, since he promised to do this right away. When will the Prime Minister fix the Conservatives' mistake and drop the retirement age to 65 for the future, as he promised to do? Will he do so, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we are going to do.People voted for us because in our campaign we promised to invest in communities, create growth for the middle class and help Canadians create opportunities across the country.We are very concerned about the people of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Labrador and Newfoundland, who have been seriously affected by the price of oil. We will be there to help them and all Canadians with our upcoming budget.

Mr. Speaker, by militarily invading and annexing Crimea, and continuously sending soldiers and lethal military equipment into the Donbass, the Kremlin has not only violated European borders, but has also broken all international agreements on the sanctity of borders.Recently, the Prime Minister made clear Canada's position to Russia's president. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs share with the House the government's position on Russia's continued illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory?

Mr. Speaker, I already answered this question, and said it very clearly to President Putin. The question is, at the worst time of the Cold War Canada was speaking to Russia. Today, the United States is speaking to Russia. Europe is speaking to Russia. Japan is speaking to Russia. Would he say that all these countries are letting Ukraine down? In what way would it help Ukraine if Canada never speaks to Russia, even about the Arctic?

Mr. Speaker, we are focused on how we can help Canadians across the country within a challenged global economy. We are particularly focused on how we can help those people in the parts of our country that are so deeply impacted by the change in global oil prices. We are working diligently to figure out the priorities of Canadians so that in our budget we can address these issues by helping people in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, and across the country.

Mr. Speaker, Putin's regime has invaded and illegally occupied sovereign Ukrainian territory. That is a fact. Now our foreign affairs minister is cozying up to the Putin regime. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs please explain why he is abandoning our Ukrainian friends? Why is he giving in to Russian aggression?

Mr. Speaker, this gives me an opportunity to talk about our government's plan to help Canadians in a situation that is very serious for those who are facing it, most acutely in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland.There are inherent barriers in the EI system that we promised to take care of and address immediately, and that will happen very soon.

Mr. Speaker, the travelling I have been planning for a while to Ukraine will be four days from now. I am so pleased to go to Ukraine to express to the Government of Ukraine the steadfast support of Canada for Ukraine, how much we deeply disagree with the invasion and interference of the Russian government in Ukraine, and also how much we will not tolerate from a Russian minister any insults against the community of Ukraine in Canada. We owe so much to Ukrainian Canadians and we will always support them.

Mr. Speaker, last week, Dafna Meir, a 38-year-old Israeli mother, was stabbed to death in her home in front of her three children. This week, 23-year-old Shlomit Krigman was stabbed to death while visiting her grandparents.The U.S. State Department has condemned the wave of deadly attacks against Israeli civilians, driven by the Palestinian leadership. However, yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that a suggestion that he condemn the incitement was partisan politics.Could he explain this unfortunate remark?

Mr. Speaker, every day the fine print of the Liberal platform becomes more and more devastating to Canada's economy. We have recently heard announcements from CP and WestJet. The Liberal government's silence on the job losses in Alberta and Saskatchewan and the resulting impact on the transportation sector is deafening.Will the member for Wascana continue to remain silent or will he stand up and support western Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, we know that the natural resource sector accounts for about 1.8 million jobs in Canada. It accounts for many jobs in Alberta, and many of those jobs have been lost. We recognize this is an extremely challenging situation.We are working to put in our budget measures that will improve the situation in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and other parts across the country so we can deal with this enormous challenge.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue working alongside our allies to ensure that we are behaving in a responsible way in the world.We know that Iran is a cause for concern because of its incitement to terrorism, its human rights violations, and its nuclear ambitions, which have been put aside for the sake of this historic agreement.We know that responsible engagement is one way of keeping everyone safe and protected.

Mr. Speaker, while the government is snuggling up to Iran, our allies are going in a very different direction. Reports are that France has asked the European Union to consider new sanctions against Iran over the recent ballistic missile tests.How can the government reduce sanctions at the exact time that our allies are apparently reconsidering and increasing those very sanctions?

It is a little bit like selfies, Mr. Speaker, there are cameras everywhere. We have got a clear tape of that Prime Minister making that promise and not the one he just talked about.Just for the fun of it, let us read the Liberal Party's platform with regard to another Liberal campaign promise, “A Liberal government will restore the eligibility age to 65 for old age security”. The only problem is, the Liberals said they would do that immediately. There are hundreds of thousands of Canadian seniors living in poverty. The government must send a strong signal that it is serious about tackling this unacceptable inequality in Canada.A simple question for the Prime Minister: When does he plan to keep this promise to restore OAS to age 65?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want answers on timelines. If the Liberals were actually consulting with Canadians on the budget, they would know that they are hurting.The economy is slowing, but only 38% of Canadians who are out of work are eligible for EI. Instead of speeches to millionaires in Switzerland, Canadians want to see real action in their own communities.Will the government expand access to EI immediately by creating a universal threshold of 360 hours?

Mr. Speaker, here is what Putin's foreign minister said in regard to Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea. “We have nothing to give back. We are not holding any talks with anyone on returning Crimea. Crimea is a territory of the Russian Federation....”Why is the Minister of Foreign Affairs considering lifting sanctions on Putin's regime, given Russia's blatant disregard for Ukrainian sovereignty?

Mr. Speaker, my chief of staff is extremely qualified for the job and is dedicated to serve in the best interests of the entire agricultural sector and all Canadians.She is following the guidelines laid out by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and will fully comply with any advice provided by the non-partisan commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, we now know that Bombardier is sniffing out deals and trying to sell its aircraft in Iran.We also know that some of Bombardier's senior managers met with government representatives, including the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.I have a simple question. Can the government assure the House that Bombardier, or any other company, was not told that the sanctions would be lifted before it became known publicly? Did the Liberals talk to companies in secret to—

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Statistics Canada said that Alberta has lost more jobs than in any year since 1982. Many Albertans do not know where the next paycheque will come from. They are worried about how they will put food on the table or a roof over their heads. Families without work are not feeling refreshed or happy, like the minister for Calgary said yesterday.How can the Liberal government be so out of touch with Alberta workers and their families?

Mr. Speaker, we need more than just discussions; we need action to protect access to health care across the country. Thousands of Quebeckers have denounced the legalization of ancillary fees in Quebec: $300 for eye drops, $500 for a colonoscopy, and so on. It is unacceptable that people's finances should determine their access to health care.What action—I repeat, action—does the minister plan to take to ensure that all Quebeckers have the same access to health care, regardless of their income?

Mr. Speaker, unemployment is skyrocketing in Alberta. In the riding of Red Deer—Lacombe, people are faced with the prospect of losing their homes and their life savings. Some of my constituents are desperate to put food on their table and to pay their mortgage. They do not want to be left out in the cold. However, the Minister of Veterans Affairs yesterday callously referred to these as refreshing times. Does he think it is refreshing to lose one's home in Alberta in January?

Mr. Speaker, I can say that I have an aggressive mandate from my Prime Minister in dealing with Veterans Affairs. We have 15 different commitments that we have made to veterans to see them get the care, compassion, and respect they deserve for serving our country, whether that is through more opportunities in the workforce, more opportunities for education, or more opportunities for their families to succeed. That is what we promised and that is what we are going to deliver.

Mr. Speaker, the platform also promised to increase benefits under the Canada and Quebec pension plans, but once in government, the Liberals are walking away from their pledge to Canadians hoping to retire in dignity.The Premier of Ontario said she would scrap her separate pension plan if the feds moved on the CPP, but instead she has now announced that she is moving ahead with it. Did the Prime Minister tell the Premier that he will break his promise even before he has told Canadians about this broken promise?

Mr. Speaker, the Ontario Court of Appeal just ruled that the secret sell-out deal signed by the Conservatives and U.S. Steel Canada Inc. can be released. Steelworkers in the city of Hamilton have been fighting for years to unseal this deal, and with bankruptcy proceedings ongoing and the retirement security of 20,000 workers and pensioners at stake, it is more critical than ever. Now that they cannot hide behind the courts, will the Prime Minister live up to the Liberal commitment to release the deal and finally stand up for workers and pensioners?

Mr. Speaker, we have indicated to all Canadians that we are reviewing the EI system. It is inherently unfair. It penalizes, in particular, those re-entrants and new entrants into the EI system. It is our intention, as promised, to address it as soon as possible.

Mr. Speaker, we talked openly about this issue during the election campaign. The Prime Minister committed to re-engaging with Iran, and we will keep that promise alongside our allies. We will do so with our eyes open, as the Prime Minister said. Here is a question for my hon. colleague. Why is he working for Airbus rather than for Bombardier?

Mr. Speaker, some Syrian refugees have been stuck in cramped temporary accommodations for weeks. They have said that there is hardly any communication from the government. We are also hearing reports of low-income Canadians being asked to leave their housing to make room for the Syrian refugees.Will the minister apologize to Canadians and refugees for his failure to provide long-term living solutions for Syrian refugees, because refugees are people, not a number on a scorecard?

Mr. Speaker, of course, that any farms are closed for financial reasons is most unfortunate, but there has been a lot of amalgamation. I can assure my hon. colleague and the House that this government fully supports supply management.

Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of questions for the Minister of Agriculture.First, I wonder if the minister could confirm to the House that the Ethics Commissioner has cleared his chief of staff to serve in her new capacity. I also wonder if he could confirm to the House if his new chief of staff has gotten the RCMP security clearances necessary to do her job, yes or no.

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the Liberals may believe, Alberta is facing an economic crisis. It is losing jobs at a rate we have not seen before or since, ironically, the Liberals introduced the national energy program in the 1980s.When asked about these job losses, the member for Calgary Centre sounded like a Liberal from the 1980s. He said that the people he had spoken with felt “refreshed” with the Prime Minister's failed approach. Refreshed is certainly not the feedback I am hearing from Albertans. They are not refreshed to be losing their jobs. They are not refreshed to be losing their homes.Why is the only job that the minister seems to care about is his own?

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly glad that the member opposite was born and I would like to assure him that I will be working hard with my colleague, the government House leader, to convene a parliamentary committee to examine a wide range of electoral reform options, and it is not wise to predetermine the outcome of that consultation process.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, the sanctions imposed against Russia by our Conservative government have been very effective, so effective in fact that the foreign minister of Russia is appealing now for the normalization of relations between Canada and Putin's regime. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us today if his government intends to drop sanctions against Russia in the middle of the night, as it did with Iran?

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is on the record saying, “Are we treating Syrians differently than refugees from other parts of the world? Yes we are.”Can the minister confirm that this is the government's policy and explain if being treated differently means being stuck in temporary cramped housing for weeks?

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Prime Minister gave a very good answer to that question.However, the issue is this: if Canada were the only country to maintain sanctions against Iran while the others drop most of theirs, Iran would barely notice, but the impact on Canadian industry would be huge.I would ask the Conservatives to stop working for European and American industries and start working for Canadian industry.They should work for Canadian industry for a change.

Mr. Speaker, now that the Liberals have been in power for 100 days, Canadians are starting to ask themselves some questions. They are wondering why they are not seeing any of the concrete action promised during the election. Take for example the Liberals' very clear promise about Canada Post. The Prime Minister promised to, and I quote, “save home mail delivery”. Is the Prime Minister prepared to repeat that promise today or will he admit that he has already broken his word?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to set the record straight. The Conservative government did promise to change the retirement age to 67, but it did not get a chance to do so. It had planned to do so in 2023, not immediately. We will therefore keep the retirement age at 65 as promised. My dear colleague should get his facts straight before asking a question like that.

Mr. Speaker, we are still waiting for the Liberals to make good on the promises they made to veterans. At the same time, it is important to point out that the government will have to run annual deficits to pay for the new measures it has promised.How does the Minister of Veterans Affairs intend to ensure the long-term viability of these promises when the government plans to run structural deficits?

Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues know, today is Bell Canada's Let's Talk Day. This initiative began six years ago to raise awareness about mental health. Canadians know that it is just as important to take care of our mental health as our physical health. Can the Minister of Health give us an update on the government's commitment to improving Canadians' mental health?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians across this land are welcoming with open arms and with open hearts the Syrian refugees.They are proceeding quickly to their housing. Yes, they are spending some time in hotels. That is normal for the process. It is also the case that refugee applicants from other countries are proceeding as planned.Canadians can be reassured that this operation is a great success, and we will soon have 25,000 new Canadians on our soil.

Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely nothing to hide because we have completely briefed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. ambassador to Canada, and there is a very open line of communication directly to the White House. They understand exactly the layers of security screening that are put in place, from the activity with the UNHCR through the personal interviews that are done to the collection of biometrics to the checking against international databases, to ensure this project is done safely and successfully, which is a very strong humanitarian credit to Canada.

Mr. Speaker, as Cindy Blackstock says, indigenous children have waited too long for justice in the country and they want action now.Unfortunately, the pattern of systemic discrimination continues to be the operating culture within various government departments today. For example, Cindy Blackstock has identified Michael Wernick as a key player in fighting her human rights case. He was also lambasted by a parliamentary committee for dragging his feet on the child welfare crisis.For reconciliation to be real, action must be louder than words. What kind of message is the Prime Minister sending to indigenous families by appointing Mr. Wernick to oversee the entire civil service?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the member opposite is so committed to making sure that Canadians will have access to the care they need, when they need it, on the basis of that need. I will support her in that commitment.One of the fundamental principles that I will go forward with in my work with my colleagues is to establish a strong relationship with them, which I am pleased to say I was able to do.I will continue working with the health ministers across the country, including the health minister from Quebec, and from other provinces and territories, in order to address the concerns of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I point out that OAS is actually right now at 65 and will continue so for the foreseeable future because of this Liberal government.On top of that, our commitments were made to reach out to seniors, to support seniors, and we will be doing that as we will put forward in our budget. We are 100 days into this mandate since the day of the election and we are already extremely pleased with everything we have accomplished to show Canadians the real change they need.

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, we promised to put a moratorium on the changes made by Canada Post and the previous government. We are working with Canadians and we are going to work with Canada Post in a responsible manner to ensure that Canadians get the services they need and want. We are going to work on this file while showing respect for Canadians and holding consultations, something that the previous government never did.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member and Canadians that the vast majority of refugees are super happy to be in this country, as they have expressed to the media and to me.Yes, in the course of accepting thousands of new Canadians everything will not be perfect at every instant and there are some issues in hotels, with which we are dealing. However, it is perfectly normal for refugees to spend some weeks in hotels before going on to their permanent accommodations. All of the workers, the Canadians, all levels of government, and all of the volunteers are doing fantastic work.

Mr. Speaker, the government is aware of the decision by the court that just came out yesterday morning. We are taking our time to study the decision, and we will be happy to follow the recommendations of the court.

Mr. Speaker, the United States Senate is holding a hearing entitled “Canada’s Fast-Track Refugee Plan: Unanswered Questions and Implications for U.S. National Security”. It is our understanding that government representatives may have received an invitation to participate in the hearing but have in fact declined. Could the minister explain to Canadians why the Liberals would decline this opportunity to be transparent, open and accountable?

Mr. Speaker, non-profit organizations in our communities are already working on their summer programming and will soon be hiring employees for the summer period.Can the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour confirm which programs will be available to non-profit organizations and small businesses?

Mr. Speaker, we realize that a very strong natural resource sector is important to the future of the Canadian economy. We also have a mandate to make sure that those projects end up at tidewater and export markets. With the public confidence of Canadians through a robust environmental assessment process, that is a serious promise to Canadians that we intend to uphold.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure our allies to the south will find that answer very interesting.I also find it interesting because I believe that my colleague, the former president of the Treasury Board, actually appeared at a Senate committee hearing to testify in June of this year. That begs this question. Since there is still time for the Canadian government to send a representative to this hearing, will the minister explain to Canadians this new precedent it is setting and what it is trying to hide from both Canadian citizens and our American allies?

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government is very preoccupied with the fate of Albertans and the fact that there are massive layoffs and they need support. We are looking to partner with Alberta and with municipalities across the country facing very real challenges. We look forward to putting forward a historic plan to invest in infrastructure to create growth and to support the middle class in this country as will be presented by the finance minister in his upcoming budget.

Mr. Speaker, we recently learned that last year alone 257 Quebec dairy farms were forced to shutter their operations. Two hundred and fifty-seven. That is a lot of farms. We are talking about families, men and women who are essential to the development of the regions. Our dairy producers need federal support now.Will the minister do something right now about rising imports of milk protein?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his tireless advocacy on behalf of his people, and all indigenous children in the country.This ruling is really important because it brings Canadians with us to understand the injustice that has taken place over these years. Yes, we will make significant investments in the future budget to try to rectify this injustice.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is transparent, open and accountable in this House. This is the Parliament of Canada and this is where we respond to the questions, like Canadian security. We have put in place layers of security activity to ensure that our refugee initiative with respect to Syria can be successful. The program is working well and indeed it will result in something of which Canadians can be very proud.

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the minister for wishing me a happy 39th birthday yesterday. I was, however, less happy with her response to my question as to why the government will not hold a referendum. She said the conversation is “more complex than a simple yes or no answer”. The government can characterize its consultation process any way it wants, but when the process is over, the government has to write a law for its new electoral system. Let me ask the minister now a question that really can be answered with a yes or a no. Will she submit that law to Canadians in a referendum, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to further inform the House about the excellent meetings that I had last week with the health ministers from all provinces and territories across the country.Among the things we discussed was our commitment to the Canada Health Act. As the member opposite is aware, that act is one of the foundations of a system that we are proud of. One of the pieces of that, of which I am most proud, is the fact that we are determined to make sure that Canadians will always be able to access the appropriate care they require based on need, and not ability to pay. We will do all that is in our power to uphold that act.

Mr. Speaker, the numbers explain the despair felt by workers in the resource sector across the country. Families without work are not feeling refreshed or happy, like the Liberal minister for Calgary said. If the value of our home drops every day, we do not feel refreshed or happy, whether we live in Alberta, New Brunswick, or Quebec.Why is the Prime Minister refusing to take action and to tell workers that he will work on creating new jobs?

Mr. Speaker, we know there are job losses across the country in the natural resource sector. We were in New Brunswick only last week where hundreds of jobs were lost in a potash mine because of commodity prices.We understand that Alberta is very keen to see natural resources moved in a sustainable way. We can no longer talk about the economy without environmental sustainability. That is the economy of now. That is our way forward.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I am happy to correct the record. Our Minister of Finance sat down with all finance ministers across the country to talk exactly about enhancing the CPP, as we have made that commitment. Ontario had a firm commitment to move forward with that, and it is doing it at the same time as it is working with us to ensure that we are able to enhance the CPP. Our finance minister and finance ministers across the country are working on that very hard.

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the change in oil prices has had a significant impact on Alberta. It has had a significant impact on other parts of the country as well. We have started with a plan that is going to make a difference in the country. We started with tax reductions that are going to help nine million Canadians to be better off. We are going to move forward with infrastructure investments that are going to make a significant impact on growth in the country. We want to focus on things that can help in Alberta and in the rest of the country to improve our economy.

Mr. Speaker, the government has not engaged in any pre-budget consultations here in Parliament, as is usually the case.Instead, it is using the Liberal Party website to consult people and, unintentionally I am sure, collect information that can be used for partisan fundraising. The economy has slowed down, more and more jobs are being lost, and 38% of people who pay into employment insurance do not have access to it.Instead of looking out for itself, will the government help those in need immediately and create a universal 360-hour eligibility threshold for EI?

Mr. Speaker, to my my hon. friend, the member for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, I am proud to announce that of course we are in the process of increasing or ramping up the number of Canada student jobs. In fact, they are available for non-profits and small business. Small business has in fact been prioritized, which is unusual, as one of the national priorities in the Canada summer jobs program. Please go out and hire young people and give them the work experience they need.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his work on behalf of indigenous people. However, he must understand that the primary goal of the public service in our country's is loyal implementation. There is a new government here and the Clerk of the Privy Council is empowered to deliver the work that we promised in the past election, and he will do it.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that she has a strong agricultural background and is a pillar in her community and brings a deep commitment to agriculture. As all members know, all appropriate information will be publicly available on the Ethics Commissioner's website.

Mr. Speaker, I already answered this question, and said it very clearly to President Putin. The question is, at the worst time of the Cold War Canada was speaking to Russia. Today, the United States is speaking to Russia. Europe is speaking to Russia. Japan is speaking to Russia. Would he say that all these countries are letting Ukraine down? In what way would it help Ukraine if Canada never speaks to Russia, even about the Arctic?

Mr. Speaker, the platform also promised to increase benefits under the Canada and Quebec pension plans, but once in government, the Liberals are walking away from their pledge to Canadians hoping to retire in dignity.The Premier of Ontario said she would scrap her separate pension plan if the feds moved on the CPP, but instead she has now announced that she is moving ahead with it. Did the Prime Minister tell the Premier that he will break his promise even before he has told Canadians about this broken promise?

Mr. Speaker, some Syrian refugees have been stuck in cramped temporary accommodations for weeks. They have said that there is hardly any communication from the government. We are also hearing reports of low-income Canadians being asked to leave their housing to make room for the Syrian refugees.Will the minister apologize to Canadians and refugees for his failure to provide long-term living solutions for Syrian refugees, because refugees are people, not a number on a scorecard?

Mr. Speaker, here is what Putin's foreign minister said in regard to Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea. “We have nothing to give back. We are not holding any talks with anyone on returning Crimea. Crimea is a territory of the Russian Federation....”Why is the Minister of Foreign Affairs considering lifting sanctions on Putin's regime, given Russia's blatant disregard for Ukrainian sovereignty?

Mr. Speaker, last week, Dafna Meir, a 38-year-old Israeli mother, was stabbed to death in her home in front of her three children. This week, 23-year-old Shlomit Krigman was stabbed to death while visiting her grandparents.The U.S. State Department has condemned the wave of deadly attacks against Israeli civilians, driven by the Palestinian leadership. However, yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that a suggestion that he condemn the incitement was partisan politics.Could he explain this unfortunate remark?

Mr. Speaker, Putin's regime has invaded and illegally occupied sovereign Ukrainian territory. That is a fact. Now our foreign affairs minister is cozying up to the Putin regime. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs please explain why he is abandoning our Ukrainian friends? Why is he giving in to Russian aggression?

Mr. Speaker, Iran's supreme leader consistently calls for the destruction of Israel. The Iranian regime is one of the world's worst abusers of human rights, yet the Liberals say they will be lifting Canadian sanctions on Iran, and why? According to the foreign affairs minister it would be in accordance with our allies, but our allies have also been clear that Canada should leave our CF-18s in the fight against ISIS.The question for the Prime Minister is this: When do our allies matter and when do they not?

Mr. Speaker, we now know that Bombardier is sniffing out deals and trying to sell its aircraft in Iran.We also know that some of Bombardier's senior managers met with government representatives, including the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.I have a simple question. Can the government assure the House that Bombardier, or any other company, was not told that the sanctions would be lifted before it became known publicly? Did the Liberals talk to companies in secret to—

Mr. Speaker, by militarily invading and annexing Crimea, and continuously sending soldiers and lethal military equipment into the Donbass, the Kremlin has not only violated European borders, but has also broken all international agreements on the sanctity of borders.Recently, the Prime Minister made clear Canada's position to Russia's president. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs share with the House the government's position on Russia's continued illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory?

Mr. Speaker, the United States Senate is holding a hearing entitled “Canada’s Fast-Track Refugee Plan: Unanswered Questions and Implications for U.S. National Security”. It is our understanding that government representatives may have received an invitation to participate in the hearing but have in fact declined. Could the minister explain to Canadians why the Liberals would decline this opportunity to be transparent, open and accountable?

Mr. Speaker, we have indicated to all Canadians that we are reviewing the EI system. It is inherently unfair. It penalizes, in particular, those re-entrants and new entrants into the EI system. It is our intention, as promised, to address it as soon as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly glad that the member opposite was born and I would like to assure him that I will be working hard with my colleague, the government House leader, to convene a parliamentary committee to examine a wide range of electoral reform options, and it is not wise to predetermine the outcome of that consultation process.

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, we promised to put a moratorium on the changes made by Canada Post and the previous government. We are working with Canadians and we are going to work with Canada Post in a responsible manner to ensure that Canadians get the services they need and want. We are going to work on this file while showing respect for Canadians and holding consultations, something that the previous government never did.

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is on the record saying, “Are we treating Syrians differently than refugees from other parts of the world? Yes we are.”Can the minister confirm that this is the government's policy and explain if being treated differently means being stuck in temporary cramped housing for weeks?

Mr. Speaker, a Liberal candidate in Alberta said that pipelines make Canada America's dirty gas tank. That candidate is now the chief of staff to the Minister of Environment. Another Liberal candidate from Quebec wants Ontario to transition away from manufacturing. That candidate is the Prime Minister of Canada.Why does the Liberal government oppose oil sands in the west, energy east, and manufacturing right here in Ontario?

Mr. Speaker, unemployment is skyrocketing in Alberta. In the riding of Red Deer—Lacombe, people are faced with the prospect of losing their homes and their life savings. Some of my constituents are desperate to put food on their table and to pay their mortgage. They do not want to be left out in the cold. However, the Minister of Veterans Affairs yesterday callously referred to these as refreshing times. Does he think it is refreshing to lose one's home in Alberta in January?

Mr. Speaker, I will take that as a no.The second very straightforward question I will ask the Minister of Agriculture is if the minister is aware of any past criminal charges involving his chief of staff that may lead Canadians to believe that she is not suitable for the job that she is now tasked to do.

Mr. Speaker, the Ontario Court of Appeal just ruled that the secret sell-out deal signed by the Conservatives and U.S. Steel Canada Inc. can be released. Steelworkers in the city of Hamilton have been fighting for years to unseal this deal, and with bankruptcy proceedings ongoing and the retirement security of 20,000 workers and pensioners at stake, it is more critical than ever. Now that they cannot hide behind the courts, will the Prime Minister live up to the Liberal commitment to release the deal and finally stand up for workers and pensioners?

Mr. Speaker, of course, that any farms are closed for financial reasons is most unfortunate, but there has been a lot of amalgamation. I can assure my hon. colleague and the House that this government fully supports supply management.

Mr. Speaker, now that the Liberals have been in power for 100 days, Canadians are starting to ask themselves some questions. They are wondering why they are not seeing any of the concrete action promised during the election. Take for example the Liberals' very clear promise about Canada Post. The Prime Minister promised to, and I quote, “save home mail delivery”. Is the Prime Minister prepared to repeat that promise today or will he admit that he has already broken his word?

Mr. Speaker, we recently learned that last year alone 257 Quebec dairy farms were forced to shutter their operations. Two hundred and fifty-seven. That is a lot of farms. We are talking about families, men and women who are essential to the development of the regions. Our dairy producers need federal support now.Will the minister do something right now about rising imports of milk protein?

Mr. Speaker, we talked openly about this issue during the election campaign. The Prime Minister committed to re-engaging with Iran, and we will keep that promise alongside our allies. We will do so with our eyes open, as the Prime Minister said. Here is a question for my hon. colleague. Why is he working for Airbus rather than for Bombardier?

Mr. Speaker, my colleague misinterpreted what I said. I said the opposite. I said that we condemned the violence against Israeli people. We always will. To suggest that we are not doing it is partisan.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal delivered a historic ruling, finding that the federal government practised systematic discrimination against indigenous children. It is time to implement that ruling and rectify this injustice.My question is simple and is for the Minister of Finance. Will the budget include the funding necessary to put an end to that discrimination?

Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues know, today is Bell Canada's Let's Talk Day. This initiative began six years ago to raise awareness about mental health. Canadians know that it is just as important to take care of our mental health as our physical health. Can the Minister of Health give us an update on the government's commitment to improving Canadians' mental health?

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we are going to do.People voted for us because in our campaign we promised to invest in communities, create growth for the middle class and help Canadians create opportunities across the country.We are very concerned about the people of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Labrador and Newfoundland, who have been seriously affected by the price of oil. We will be there to help them and all Canadians with our upcoming budget.

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the Liberals may believe, Alberta is facing an economic crisis. It is losing jobs at a rate we have not seen before or since, ironically, the Liberals introduced the national energy program in the 1980s.When asked about these job losses, the member for Calgary Centre sounded like a Liberal from the 1980s. He said that the people he had spoken with felt “refreshed” with the Prime Minister's failed approach. Refreshed is certainly not the feedback I am hearing from Albertans. They are not refreshed to be losing their jobs. They are not refreshed to be losing their homes.Why is the only job that the minister seems to care about is his own?

Mr. Speaker, we are focused on how we can help Canadians across the country within a challenged global economy. We are particularly focused on how we can help those people in the parts of our country that are so deeply impacted by the change in global oil prices. We are working diligently to figure out the priorities of Canadians so that in our budget we can address these issues by helping people in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, and across the country.

It is a little bit like selfies, Mr. Speaker, there are cameras everywhere. We have got a clear tape of that Prime Minister making that promise and not the one he just talked about.Just for the fun of it, let us read the Liberal Party's platform with regard to another Liberal campaign promise, “A Liberal government will restore the eligibility age to 65 for old age security”. The only problem is, the Liberals said they would do that immediately. There are hundreds of thousands of Canadian seniors living in poverty. The government must send a strong signal that it is serious about tackling this unacceptable inequality in Canada.A simple question for the Prime Minister: When does he plan to keep this promise to restore OAS to age 65?

Mr. Speaker, every day the fine print of the Liberal platform becomes more and more devastating to Canada's economy. We have recently heard announcements from CP and WestJet. The Liberal government's silence on the job losses in Alberta and Saskatchewan and the resulting impact on the transportation sector is deafening.Will the member for Wascana continue to remain silent or will he stand up and support western Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, non-profit organizations in our communities are already working on their summer programming and will soon be hiring employees for the summer period.Can the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour confirm which programs will be available to non-profit organizations and small businesses?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal plan to abandon sanctions against Iran overturns a principled stand.Iran is committing horrible human rights violations against its own people, particularly women and religious minorities. What is more, it supports terrorism and regularly talks about the destruction of Israel.Why is the government giving Iran a free pass and compromising Canadian values?

Mr. Speaker, we know there are job losses across the country in the natural resource sector. We were in New Brunswick only last week where hundreds of jobs were lost in a potash mine because of commodity prices.We understand that Alberta is very keen to see natural resources moved in a sustainable way. We can no longer talk about the economy without environmental sustainability. That is the economy of now. That is our way forward.

Mr. Speaker, while the government is snuggling up to Iran, our allies are going in a very different direction. Reports are that France has asked the European Union to consider new sanctions against Iran over the recent ballistic missile tests.How can the government reduce sanctions at the exact time that our allies are apparently reconsidering and increasing those very sanctions?

Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of questions for the Minister of Agriculture.First, I wonder if the minister could confirm to the House that the Ethics Commissioner has cleared his chief of staff to serve in her new capacity. I also wonder if he could confirm to the House if his new chief of staff has gotten the RCMP security clearances necessary to do her job, yes or no.

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government is very preoccupied with the fate of Albertans and the fact that there are massive layoffs and they need support. We are looking to partner with Alberta and with municipalities across the country facing very real challenges. We look forward to putting forward a historic plan to invest in infrastructure to create growth and to support the middle class in this country as will be presented by the finance minister in his upcoming budget.

Mr. Speaker, the government's position on job losses in Alberta is pathetic. The most the Minister of Finance could say when he visited Calgary recently was that he had a heightened sense of concern about Albertans losing their jobs.Yesterday, the Minister of Veterans Affairs said that Calgarians were “refreshed” with his government's direction. Really? There are 100,000 lost jobs and people are losing their homes. My constituents in Lakeland are resourceful, but they are not refreshed. Was the minister serious? Does he actually think Albertans are happy with his government in charge?

Mr. Speaker, as a family doctor and the Minister of Health, I am committed to working with our partners to improve Canadians' mental health and make mental health services more accessible. Mental health is a priority for our government, and we will continue to invest to promote sound mental health and help prevent mental illness and suicide.

Mr. Speaker, as Cindy Blackstock says, indigenous children have waited too long for justice in the country and they want action now.Unfortunately, the pattern of systemic discrimination continues to be the operating culture within various government departments today. For example, Cindy Blackstock has identified Michael Wernick as a key player in fighting her human rights case. He was also lambasted by a parliamentary committee for dragging his feet on the child welfare crisis.For reconciliation to be real, action must be louder than words. What kind of message is the Prime Minister sending to indigenous families by appointing Mr. Wernick to oversee the entire civil service?

Mr. Speaker, once again, I am happy to correct the record. Our Minister of Finance sat down with all finance ministers across the country to talk exactly about enhancing the CPP, as we have made that commitment. Ontario had a firm commitment to move forward with that, and it is doing it at the same time as it is working with us to ensure that we are able to enhance the CPP. Our finance minister and finance ministers across the country are working on that very hard.

Mr. Speaker, during the campaign, the Liberals promised to take action to ensure that Canadians can retire with dignity. Too many Canadian seniors are living in poverty. The retirement age was increased to 67, and that will only make things worse and create greater inequalities in the future. I will try again, since he promised to do this right away. When will the Prime Minister fix the Conservatives' mistake and drop the retirement age to 65 for the future, as he promised to do? Will he do so, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his work on behalf of indigenous people. However, he must understand that the primary goal of the public service in our country's is loyal implementation. There is a new government here and the Clerk of the Privy Council is empowered to deliver the work that we promised in the past election, and he will do it.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud of our public health care system.A central principle of our public system is that people's access to health care does not depend on their ability to pay. However, while the Canada Health Act outlaws user fees, Saskatchewan is now allowing those who can afford it to get special access to private MRIs.Why will the Minister of Health not act? Will she enforce the Canada Health Act in Saskatchewan and across the country to crack down on these private payments, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work alongside our allies to ensure that we are behaving in a responsible way to move Iran away from its position of violation of human rights, of nuclear ambitions, and indeed of sponsoring terrorism around the world.It is through responsible, firm engagement that Canada has always had an impact in the world, and that is what we will continue to do in a thoughtful and responsible way.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want answers on timelines. If the Liberals were actually consulting with Canadians on the budget, they would know that they are hurting.The economy is slowing, but only 38% of Canadians who are out of work are eligible for EI. Instead of speeches to millionaires in Switzerland, Canadians want to see real action in their own communities.Will the government expand access to EI immediately by creating a universal threshold of 360 hours?

Mr. Speaker, to my my hon. friend, the member for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, I am proud to announce that of course we are in the process of increasing or ramping up the number of Canada student jobs. In fact, they are available for non-profits and small business. Small business has in fact been prioritized, which is unusual, as one of the national priorities in the Canada summer jobs program. Please go out and hire young people and give them the work experience they need.

Mr. Speaker, we realize that a very strong natural resource sector is important to the future of the Canadian economy. We also have a mandate to make sure that those projects end up at tidewater and export markets. With the public confidence of Canadians through a robust environmental assessment process, that is a serious promise to Canadians that we intend to uphold.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue working alongside our allies to ensure that we are behaving in a responsible way in the world.We know that Iran is a cause for concern because of its incitement to terrorism, its human rights violations, and its nuclear ambitions, which have been put aside for the sake of this historic agreement.We know that responsible engagement is one way of keeping everyone safe and protected.

Mr. Speaker, the government has not engaged in any pre-budget consultations here in Parliament, as is usually the case.Instead, it is using the Liberal Party website to consult people and, unintentionally I am sure, collect information that can be used for partisan fundraising. The economy has slowed down, more and more jobs are being lost, and 38% of people who pay into employment insurance do not have access to it.Instead of looking out for itself, will the government help those in need immediately and create a universal 360-hour eligibility threshold for EI?

Mr. Speaker, the travelling I have been planning for a while to Ukraine will be four days from now. I am so pleased to go to Ukraine to express to the Government of Ukraine the steadfast support of Canada for Ukraine, how much we deeply disagree with the invasion and interference of the Russian government in Ukraine, and also how much we will not tolerate from a Russian minister any insults against the community of Ukraine in Canada. We owe so much to Ukrainian Canadians and we will always support them.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure our allies to the south will find that answer very interesting.I also find it interesting because I believe that my colleague, the former president of the Treasury Board, actually appeared at a Senate committee hearing to testify in June of this year. That begs this question. Since there is still time for the Canadian government to send a representative to this hearing, will the minister explain to Canadians this new precedent it is setting and what it is trying to hide from both Canadian citizens and our American allies?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians across this land are welcoming with open arms and with open hearts the Syrian refugees.They are proceeding quickly to their housing. Yes, they are spending some time in hotels. That is normal for the process. It is also the case that refugee applicants from other countries are proceeding as planned.Canadians can be reassured that this operation is a great success, and we will soon have 25,000 new Canadians on our soil.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to set the record straight. The Conservative government did promise to change the retirement age to 67, but it did not get a chance to do so. It had planned to do so in 2023, not immediately. We will therefore keep the retirement age at 65 as promised. My dear colleague should get his facts straight before asking a question like that.

Mr. Speaker, we need more than just discussions; we need action to protect access to health care across the country. Thousands of Quebeckers have denounced the legalization of ancillary fees in Quebec: $300 for eye drops, $500 for a colonoscopy, and so on. It is unacceptable that people's finances should determine their access to health care.What action—I repeat, action—does the minister plan to take to ensure that all Quebeckers have the same access to health care, regardless of their income?

Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague that I am the member for Beauce. I work for the people of Beauce and for all Canadians, and I am proud of that.As a country active on the international stage, we have policy positions. I would like to know why this government is renouncing its policy position on Iran and why it is dropping sanctions against Iran. Iran has not changed. Iran violates the human rights of its own citizens, punishes religious minorities and sponsors terrorism. Why are the Liberals changing their position and supporting a state that finances terrorism?

Mr. Speaker, this gives me an opportunity to talk about our government's plan to help Canadians in a situation that is very serious for those who are facing it, most acutely in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland.There are inherent barriers in the EI system that we promised to take care of and address immediately, and that will happen very soon.

Mr. Speaker, my chief of staff is extremely qualified for the job and is dedicated to serve in the best interests of the entire agricultural sector and all Canadians.She is following the guidelines laid out by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and will fully comply with any advice provided by the non-partisan commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely nothing to hide because we have completely briefed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. ambassador to Canada, and there is a very open line of communication directly to the White House. They understand exactly the layers of security screening that are put in place, from the activity with the UNHCR through the personal interviews that are done to the collection of biometrics to the checking against international databases, to ensure this project is done safely and successfully, which is a very strong humanitarian credit to Canada.

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that the world is now a safer place because of the P5+1 deal with Iran. We will continue to work alongside our allies to ensure security in the world and to engage with Iran in a responsible way that highlights both the human rights abuses at home and its sponsorship of terrorism abroad. We need to engage in a respectful, responsible way, and we will do exactly that.

Mr. Speaker, Canada is certainly able to keep the pressure on Russia and to engage Russia when it is in our common interest. We are able to do it because our foreign policy will stop being ideological and irrational, and will be effective for our allies and for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the minister for wishing me a happy 39th birthday yesterday. I was, however, less happy with her response to my question as to why the government will not hold a referendum. She said the conversation is “more complex than a simple yes or no answer”. The government can characterize its consultation process any way it wants, but when the process is over, the government has to write a law for its new electoral system. Let me ask the minister now a question that really can be answered with a yes or a no. Will she submit that law to Canadians in a referendum, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Prime Minister gave a very good answer to that question.However, the issue is this: if Canada were the only country to maintain sanctions against Iran while the others drop most of theirs, Iran would barely notice, but the impact on Canadian industry would be huge.I would ask the Conservatives to stop working for European and American industries and start working for Canadian industry.They should work for Canadian industry for a change.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the natural resource sector accounts for about 1.8 million jobs in Canada. It accounts for many jobs in Alberta, and many of those jobs have been lost. We recognize this is an extremely challenging situation.We are working to put in our budget measures that will improve the situation in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and other parts across the country so we can deal with this enormous challenge.

Mr. Speaker, our government will strongly support Ukraine. Our government will always be against, and criticize, the Russian invasion and interference in Ukraine, and we will communicate that very clearly to the Government of Russia. We will do it, and I will be pleased to do it, because we owe so much to our friendship with Ukraine.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his tireless advocacy on behalf of his people, and all indigenous children in the country.This ruling is really important because it brings Canadians with us to understand the injustice that has taken place over these years. Yes, we will make significant investments in the future budget to try to rectify this injustice.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, the sanctions imposed against Russia by our Conservative government have been very effective, so effective in fact that the foreign minister of Russia is appealing now for the normalization of relations between Canada and Putin's regime. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us today if his government intends to drop sanctions against Russia in the middle of the night, as it did with Iran?

Mr. Speaker, I point out that OAS is actually right now at 65 and will continue so for the foreseeable future because of this Liberal government.On top of that, our commitments were made to reach out to seniors, to support seniors, and we will be doing that as we will put forward in our budget. We are 100 days into this mandate since the day of the election and we are already extremely pleased with everything we have accomplished to show Canadians the real change they need.

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the change in oil prices has had a significant impact on Alberta. It has had a significant impact on other parts of the country as well. We have started with a plan that is going to make a difference in the country. We started with tax reductions that are going to help nine million Canadians to be better off. We are going to move forward with infrastructure investments that are going to make a significant impact on growth in the country. We want to focus on things that can help in Alberta and in the rest of the country to improve our economy.

Mr. Speaker, we are still waiting for the Liberals to make good on the promises they made to veterans. At the same time, it is important to point out that the government will have to run annual deficits to pay for the new measures it has promised.How does the Minister of Veterans Affairs intend to ensure the long-term viability of these promises when the government plans to run structural deficits?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the member opposite is so committed to making sure that Canadians will have access to the care they need, when they need it, on the basis of that need. I will support her in that commitment.One of the fundamental principles that I will go forward with in my work with my colleagues is to establish a strong relationship with them, which I am pleased to say I was able to do.I will continue working with the health ministers across the country, including the health minister from Quebec, and from other provinces and territories, in order to address the concerns of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the numbers explain the despair felt by workers in the resource sector across the country. Families without work are not feeling refreshed or happy, like the Liberal minister for Calgary said. If the value of our home drops every day, we do not feel refreshed or happy, whether we live in Alberta, New Brunswick, or Quebec.Why is the Prime Minister refusing to take action and to tell workers that he will work on creating new jobs?

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member and Canadians that the vast majority of refugees are super happy to be in this country, as they have expressed to the media and to me.Yes, in the course of accepting thousands of new Canadians everything will not be perfect at every instant and there are some issues in hotels, with which we are dealing. However, it is perfectly normal for refugees to spend some weeks in hotels before going on to their permanent accommodations. All of the workers, the Canadians, all levels of government, and all of the volunteers are doing fantastic work.

Mr. Speaker, I can say that I have an aggressive mandate from my Prime Minister in dealing with Veterans Affairs. We have 15 different commitments that we have made to veterans to see them get the care, compassion, and respect they deserve for serving our country, whether that is through more opportunities in the workforce, more opportunities for education, or more opportunities for their families to succeed. That is what we promised and that is what we are going to deliver.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that she has a strong agricultural background and is a pillar in her community and brings a deep commitment to agriculture. As all members know, all appropriate information will be publicly available on the Ethics Commissioner's website.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to further inform the House about the excellent meetings that I had last week with the health ministers from all provinces and territories across the country.Among the things we discussed was our commitment to the Canada Health Act. As the member opposite is aware, that act is one of the foundations of a system that we are proud of. One of the pieces of that, of which I am most proud, is the fact that we are determined to make sure that Canadians will always be able to access the appropriate care they require based on need, and not ability to pay. We will do all that is in our power to uphold that act.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Statistics Canada said that Alberta has lost more jobs than in any year since 1982. Many Albertans do not know where the next paycheque will come from. They are worried about how they will put food on the table or a roof over their heads. Families without work are not feeling refreshed or happy, like the minister for Calgary said yesterday.How can the Liberal government be so out of touch with Alberta workers and their families?

Mr. Speaker, the government is aware of the decision by the court that just came out yesterday morning. We are taking our time to study the decision, and we will be happy to follow the recommendations of the court.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is transparent, open and accountable in this House. This is the Parliament of Canada and this is where we respond to the questions, like Canadian security. We have put in place layers of security activity to ensure that our refugee initiative with respect to Syria can be successful. The program is working well and indeed it will result in something of which Canadians can be very proud.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is transparent, open and accountable in this House. This is the Parliament of Canada and this is where we respond to the questions, like Canadian security. We have put in place layers of security activity to ensure that our refugee initiative with respect to Syria can be successful. The program is working well and indeed it will result in something of which Canadians can be very proud.

Mr. Speaker, the government is aware of the decision by the court that just came out yesterday morning. We are taking our time to study the decision, and we will be happy to follow the recommendations of the court.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Statistics Canada said that Alberta has lost more jobs than in any year since 1982. Many Albertans do not know where the next paycheque will come from. They are worried about how they will put food on the table or a roof over their heads. Families without work are not feeling refreshed or happy, like the minister for Calgary said yesterday.How can the Liberal government be so out of touch with Alberta workers and their families?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to further inform the House about the excellent meetings that I had last week with the health ministers from all provinces and territories across the country.Among the things we discussed was our commitment to the Canada Health Act. As the member opposite is aware, that act is one of the foundations of a system that we are proud of. One of the pieces of that, of which I am most proud, is the fact that we are determined to make sure that Canadians will always be able to access the appropriate care they require based on need, and not ability to pay. We will do all that is in our power to uphold that act.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that she has a strong agricultural background and is a pillar in her community and brings a deep commitment to agriculture. As all members know, all appropriate information will be publicly available on the Ethics Commissioner's website.

Mr. Speaker, I can say that I have an aggressive mandate from my Prime Minister in dealing with Veterans Affairs. We have 15 different commitments that we have made to veterans to see them get the care, compassion, and respect they deserve for serving our country, whether that is through more opportunities in the workforce, more opportunities for education, or more opportunities for their families to succeed. That is what we promised and that is what we are going to deliver.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member and Canadians that the vast majority of refugees are super happy to be in this country, as they have expressed to the media and to me.Yes, in the course of accepting thousands of new Canadians everything will not be perfect at every instant and there are some issues in hotels, with which we are dealing. However, it is perfectly normal for refugees to spend some weeks in hotels before going on to their permanent accommodations. All of the workers, the Canadians, all levels of government, and all of the volunteers are doing fantastic work.

Mr. Speaker, the numbers explain the despair felt by workers in the resource sector across the country. Families without work are not feeling refreshed or happy, like the Liberal minister for Calgary said. If the value of our home drops every day, we do not feel refreshed or happy, whether we live in Alberta, New Brunswick, or Quebec.Why is the Prime Minister refusing to take action and to tell workers that he will work on creating new jobs?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the member opposite is so committed to making sure that Canadians will have access to the care they need, when they need it, on the basis of that need. I will support her in that commitment.One of the fundamental principles that I will go forward with in my work with my colleagues is to establish a strong relationship with them, which I am pleased to say I was able to do.I will continue working with the health ministers across the country, including the health minister from Quebec, and from other provinces and territories, in order to address the concerns of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, we are still waiting for the Liberals to make good on the promises they made to veterans. At the same time, it is important to point out that the government will have to run annual deficits to pay for the new measures it has promised.How does the Minister of Veterans Affairs intend to ensure the long-term viability of these promises when the government plans to run structural deficits?

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the change in oil prices has had a significant impact on Alberta. It has had a significant impact on other parts of the country as well. We have started with a plan that is going to make a difference in the country. We started with tax reductions that are going to help nine million Canadians to be better off. We are going to move forward with infrastructure investments that are going to make a significant impact on growth in the country. We want to focus on things that can help in Alberta and in the rest of the country to improve our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I point out that OAS is actually right now at 65 and will continue so for the foreseeable future because of this Liberal government.On top of that, our commitments were made to reach out to seniors, to support seniors, and we will be doing that as we will put forward in our budget. We are 100 days into this mandate since the day of the election and we are already extremely pleased with everything we have accomplished to show Canadians the real change they need.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, the sanctions imposed against Russia by our Conservative government have been very effective, so effective in fact that the foreign minister of Russia is appealing now for the normalization of relations between Canada and Putin's regime. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us today if his government intends to drop sanctions against Russia in the middle of the night, as it did with Iran?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his tireless advocacy on behalf of his people, and all indigenous children in the country.This ruling is really important because it brings Canadians with us to understand the injustice that has taken place over these years. Yes, we will make significant investments in the future budget to try to rectify this injustice.

Mr. Speaker, our government will strongly support Ukraine. Our government will always be against, and criticize, the Russian invasion and interference in Ukraine, and we will communicate that very clearly to the Government of Russia. We will do it, and I will be pleased to do it, because we owe so much to our friendship with Ukraine.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the natural resource sector accounts for about 1.8 million jobs in Canada. It accounts for many jobs in Alberta, and many of those jobs have been lost. We recognize this is an extremely challenging situation.We are working to put in our budget measures that will improve the situation in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and other parts across the country so we can deal with this enormous challenge.

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Prime Minister gave a very good answer to that question.However, the issue is this: if Canada were the only country to maintain sanctions against Iran while the others drop most of theirs, Iran would barely notice, but the impact on Canadian industry would be huge.I would ask the Conservatives to stop working for European and American industries and start working for Canadian industry.They should work for Canadian industry for a change.

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the minister for wishing me a happy 39th birthday yesterday. I was, however, less happy with her response to my question as to why the government will not hold a referendum. She said the conversation is “more complex than a simple yes or no answer”. The government can characterize its consultation process any way it wants, but when the process is over, the government has to write a law for its new electoral system. Let me ask the minister now a question that really can be answered with a yes or a no. Will she submit that law to Canadians in a referendum, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, Canada is certainly able to keep the pressure on Russia and to engage Russia when it is in our common interest. We are able to do it because our foreign policy will stop being ideological and irrational, and will be effective for our allies and for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that the world is now a safer place because of the P5+1 deal with Iran. We will continue to work alongside our allies to ensure security in the world and to engage with Iran in a responsible way that highlights both the human rights abuses at home and its sponsorship of terrorism abroad. We need to engage in a respectful, responsible way, and we will do exactly that.

Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely nothing to hide because we have completely briefed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. ambassador to Canada, and there is a very open line of communication directly to the White House. They understand exactly the layers of security screening that are put in place, from the activity with the UNHCR through the personal interviews that are done to the collection of biometrics to the checking against international databases, to ensure this project is done safely and successfully, which is a very strong humanitarian credit to Canada.

Mr. Speaker, my chief of staff is extremely qualified for the job and is dedicated to serve in the best interests of the entire agricultural sector and all Canadians.She is following the guidelines laid out by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and will fully comply with any advice provided by the non-partisan commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague that I am the member for Beauce. I work for the people of Beauce and for all Canadians, and I am proud of that.As a country active on the international stage, we have policy positions. I would like to know why this government is renouncing its policy position on Iran and why it is dropping sanctions against Iran. Iran has not changed. Iran violates the human rights of its own citizens, punishes religious minorities and sponsors terrorism. Why are the Liberals changing their position and supporting a state that finances terrorism?

Mr. Speaker, this gives me an opportunity to talk about our government's plan to help Canadians in a situation that is very serious for those who are facing it, most acutely in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland.There are inherent barriers in the EI system that we promised to take care of and address immediately, and that will happen very soon.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to set the record straight. The Conservative government did promise to change the retirement age to 67, but it did not get a chance to do so. It had planned to do so in 2023, not immediately. We will therefore keep the retirement age at 65 as promised. My dear colleague should get his facts straight before asking a question like that.

Mr. Speaker, we need more than just discussions; we need action to protect access to health care across the country. Thousands of Quebeckers have denounced the legalization of ancillary fees in Quebec: $300 for eye drops, $500 for a colonoscopy, and so on. It is unacceptable that people's finances should determine their access to health care.What action—I repeat, action—does the minister plan to take to ensure that all Quebeckers have the same access to health care, regardless of their income?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians across this land are welcoming with open arms and with open hearts the Syrian refugees.They are proceeding quickly to their housing. Yes, they are spending some time in hotels. That is normal for the process. It is also the case that refugee applicants from other countries are proceeding as planned.Canadians can be reassured that this operation is a great success, and we will soon have 25,000 new Canadians on our soil.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure our allies to the south will find that answer very interesting.I also find it interesting because I believe that my colleague, the former president of the Treasury Board, actually appeared at a Senate committee hearing to testify in June of this year. That begs this question. Since there is still time for the Canadian government to send a representative to this hearing, will the minister explain to Canadians this new precedent it is setting and what it is trying to hide from both Canadian citizens and our American allies?

Mr. Speaker, the travelling I have been planning for a while to Ukraine will be four days from now. I am so pleased to go to Ukraine to express to the Government of Ukraine the steadfast support of Canada for Ukraine, how much we deeply disagree with the invasion and interference of the Russian government in Ukraine, and also how much we will not tolerate from a Russian minister any insults against the community of Ukraine in Canada. We owe so much to Ukrainian Canadians and we will always support them.

Mr. Speaker, the government has not engaged in any pre-budget consultations here in Parliament, as is usually the case.Instead, it is using the Liberal Party website to consult people and, unintentionally I am sure, collect information that can be used for partisan fundraising. The economy has slowed down, more and more jobs are being lost, and 38% of people who pay into employment insurance do not have access to it.Instead of looking out for itself, will the government help those in need immediately and create a universal 360-hour eligibility threshold for EI?

Mr. Speaker, we will continue working alongside our allies to ensure that we are behaving in a responsible way in the world.We know that Iran is a cause for concern because of its incitement to terrorism, its human rights violations, and its nuclear ambitions, which have been put aside for the sake of this historic agreement.We know that responsible engagement is one way of keeping everyone safe and protected.

Mr. Speaker, we realize that a very strong natural resource sector is important to the future of the Canadian economy. We also have a mandate to make sure that those projects end up at tidewater and export markets. With the public confidence of Canadians through a robust environmental assessment process, that is a serious promise to Canadians that we intend to uphold.

Mr. Speaker, to my my hon. friend, the member for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, I am proud to announce that of course we are in the process of increasing or ramping up the number of Canada student jobs. In fact, they are available for non-profits and small business. Small business has in fact been prioritized, which is unusual, as one of the national priorities in the Canada summer jobs program. Please go out and hire young people and give them the work experience they need.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want answers on timelines. If the Liberals were actually consulting with Canadians on the budget, they would know that they are hurting.The economy is slowing, but only 38% of Canadians who are out of work are eligible for EI. Instead of speeches to millionaires in Switzerland, Canadians want to see real action in their own communities.Will the government expand access to EI immediately by creating a universal threshold of 360 hours?

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work alongside our allies to ensure that we are behaving in a responsible way to move Iran away from its position of violation of human rights, of nuclear ambitions, and indeed of sponsoring terrorism around the world.It is through responsible, firm engagement that Canada has always had an impact in the world, and that is what we will continue to do in a thoughtful and responsible way.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud of our public health care system.A central principle of our public system is that people's access to health care does not depend on their ability to pay. However, while the Canada Health Act outlaws user fees, Saskatchewan is now allowing those who can afford it to get special access to private MRIs.Why will the Minister of Health not act? Will she enforce the Canada Health Act in Saskatchewan and across the country to crack down on these private payments, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his work on behalf of indigenous people. However, he must understand that the primary goal of the public service in our country's is loyal implementation. There is a new government here and the Clerk of the Privy Council is empowered to deliver the work that we promised in the past election, and he will do it.

Mr. Speaker, during the campaign, the Liberals promised to take action to ensure that Canadians can retire with dignity. Too many Canadian seniors are living in poverty. The retirement age was increased to 67, and that will only make things worse and create greater inequalities in the future. I will try again, since he promised to do this right away. When will the Prime Minister fix the Conservatives' mistake and drop the retirement age to 65 for the future, as he promised to do? Will he do so, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, once again, I am happy to correct the record. Our Minister of Finance sat down with all finance ministers across the country to talk exactly about enhancing the CPP, as we have made that commitment. Ontario had a firm commitment to move forward with that, and it is doing it at the same time as it is working with us to ensure that we are able to enhance the CPP. Our finance minister and finance ministers across the country are working on that very hard.

Mr. Speaker, as Cindy Blackstock says, indigenous children have waited too long for justice in the country and they want action now.Unfortunately, the pattern of systemic discrimination continues to be the operating culture within various government departments today. For example, Cindy Blackstock has identified Michael Wernick as a key player in fighting her human rights case. He was also lambasted by a parliamentary committee for dragging his feet on the child welfare crisis.For reconciliation to be real, action must be louder than words. What kind of message is the Prime Minister sending to indigenous families by appointing Mr. Wernick to oversee the entire civil service?

Mr. Speaker, as a family doctor and the Minister of Health, I am committed to working with our partners to improve Canadians' mental health and make mental health services more accessible. Mental health is a priority for our government, and we will continue to invest to promote sound mental health and help prevent mental illness and suicide.

Mr. Speaker, the government's position on job losses in Alberta is pathetic. The most the Minister of Finance could say when he visited Calgary recently was that he had a heightened sense of concern about Albertans losing their jobs.Yesterday, the Minister of Veterans Affairs said that Calgarians were “refreshed” with his government's direction. Really? There are 100,000 lost jobs and people are losing their homes. My constituents in Lakeland are resourceful, but they are not refreshed. Was the minister serious? Does he actually think Albertans are happy with his government in charge?

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government is very preoccupied with the fate of Albertans and the fact that there are massive layoffs and they need support. We are looking to partner with Alberta and with municipalities across the country facing very real challenges. We look forward to putting forward a historic plan to invest in infrastructure to create growth and to support the middle class in this country as will be presented by the finance minister in his upcoming budget.

Mr. Speaker, while the government is snuggling up to Iran, our allies are going in a very different direction. Reports are that France has asked the European Union to consider new sanctions against Iran over the recent ballistic missile tests.How can the government reduce sanctions at the exact time that our allies are apparently reconsidering and increasing those very sanctions?

Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of questions for the Minister of Agriculture.First, I wonder if the minister could confirm to the House that the Ethics Commissioner has cleared his chief of staff to serve in her new capacity. I also wonder if he could confirm to the House if his new chief of staff has gotten the RCMP security clearances necessary to do her job, yes or no.

Mr. Speaker, we know there are job losses across the country in the natural resource sector. We were in New Brunswick only last week where hundreds of jobs were lost in a potash mine because of commodity prices.We understand that Alberta is very keen to see natural resources moved in a sustainable way. We can no longer talk about the economy without environmental sustainability. That is the economy of now. That is our way forward.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal plan to abandon sanctions against Iran overturns a principled stand.Iran is committing horrible human rights violations against its own people, particularly women and religious minorities. What is more, it supports terrorism and regularly talks about the destruction of Israel.Why is the government giving Iran a free pass and compromising Canadian values?

Mr. Speaker, non-profit organizations in our communities are already working on their summer programming and will soon be hiring employees for the summer period.Can the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour confirm which programs will be available to non-profit organizations and small businesses?

Mr. Speaker, every day the fine print of the Liberal platform becomes more and more devastating to Canada's economy. We have recently heard announcements from CP and WestJet. The Liberal government's silence on the job losses in Alberta and Saskatchewan and the resulting impact on the transportation sector is deafening.Will the member for Wascana continue to remain silent or will he stand up and support western Canadian jobs?

It is a little bit like selfies, Mr. Speaker, there are cameras everywhere. We have got a clear tape of that Prime Minister making that promise and not the one he just talked about.Just for the fun of it, let us read the Liberal Party's platform with regard to another Liberal campaign promise, “A Liberal government will restore the eligibility age to 65 for old age security”. The only problem is, the Liberals said they would do that immediately. There are hundreds of thousands of Canadian seniors living in poverty. The government must send a strong signal that it is serious about tackling this unacceptable inequality in Canada.A simple question for the Prime Minister: When does he plan to keep this promise to restore OAS to age 65?

Mr. Speaker, we are focused on how we can help Canadians across the country within a challenged global economy. We are particularly focused on how we can help those people in the parts of our country that are so deeply impacted by the change in global oil prices. We are working diligently to figure out the priorities of Canadians so that in our budget we can address these issues by helping people in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, and across the country.

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the Liberals may believe, Alberta is facing an economic crisis. It is losing jobs at a rate we have not seen before or since, ironically, the Liberals introduced the national energy program in the 1980s.When asked about these job losses, the member for Calgary Centre sounded like a Liberal from the 1980s. He said that the people he had spoken with felt “refreshed” with the Prime Minister's failed approach. Refreshed is certainly not the feedback I am hearing from Albertans. They are not refreshed to be losing their jobs. They are not refreshed to be losing their homes.Why is the only job that the minister seems to care about is his own?

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we are going to do.People voted for us because in our campaign we promised to invest in communities, create growth for the middle class and help Canadians create opportunities across the country.We are very concerned about the people of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Labrador and Newfoundland, who have been seriously affected by the price of oil. We will be there to help them and all Canadians with our upcoming budget.

Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues know, today is Bell Canada's Let's Talk Day. This initiative began six years ago to raise awareness about mental health. Canadians know that it is just as important to take care of our mental health as our physical health. Can the Minister of Health give us an update on the government's commitment to improving Canadians' mental health?

Mr. Speaker, we talked openly about this issue during the election campaign. The Prime Minister committed to re-engaging with Iran, and we will keep that promise alongside our allies. We will do so with our eyes open, as the Prime Minister said. Here is a question for my hon. colleague. Why is he working for Airbus rather than for Bombardier?

Mr. Speaker, my colleague misinterpreted what I said. I said the opposite. I said that we condemned the violence against Israeli people. We always will. To suggest that we are not doing it is partisan.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal delivered a historic ruling, finding that the federal government practised systematic discrimination against indigenous children. It is time to implement that ruling and rectify this injustice.My question is simple and is for the Minister of Finance. Will the budget include the funding necessary to put an end to that discrimination?

Mr. Speaker, we recently learned that last year alone 257 Quebec dairy farms were forced to shutter their operations. Two hundred and fifty-seven. That is a lot of farms. We are talking about families, men and women who are essential to the development of the regions. Our dairy producers need federal support now.Will the minister do something right now about rising imports of milk protein?

Mr. Speaker, now that the Liberals have been in power for 100 days, Canadians are starting to ask themselves some questions. They are wondering why they are not seeing any of the concrete action promised during the election. Take for example the Liberals' very clear promise about Canada Post. The Prime Minister promised to, and I quote, “save home mail delivery”. Is the Prime Minister prepared to repeat that promise today or will he admit that he has already broken his word?

Mr. Speaker, of course, that any farms are closed for financial reasons is most unfortunate, but there has been a lot of amalgamation. I can assure my hon. colleague and the House that this government fully supports supply management.

Mr. Speaker, the Ontario Court of Appeal just ruled that the secret sell-out deal signed by the Conservatives and U.S. Steel Canada Inc. can be released. Steelworkers in the city of Hamilton have been fighting for years to unseal this deal, and with bankruptcy proceedings ongoing and the retirement security of 20,000 workers and pensioners at stake, it is more critical than ever. Now that they cannot hide behind the courts, will the Prime Minister live up to the Liberal commitment to release the deal and finally stand up for workers and pensioners?

Mr. Speaker, I will take that as a no.The second very straightforward question I will ask the Minister of Agriculture is if the minister is aware of any past criminal charges involving his chief of staff that may lead Canadians to believe that she is not suitable for the job that she is now tasked to do.

Mr. Speaker, unemployment is skyrocketing in Alberta. In the riding of Red Deer—Lacombe, people are faced with the prospect of losing their homes and their life savings. Some of my constituents are desperate to put food on their table and to pay their mortgage. They do not want to be left out in the cold. However, the Minister of Veterans Affairs yesterday callously referred to these as refreshing times. Does he think it is refreshing to lose one's home in Alberta in January?

Mr. Speaker, a Liberal candidate in Alberta said that pipelines make Canada America's dirty gas tank. That candidate is now the chief of staff to the Minister of Environment. Another Liberal candidate from Quebec wants Ontario to transition away from manufacturing. That candidate is the Prime Minister of Canada.Why does the Liberal government oppose oil sands in the west, energy east, and manufacturing right here in Ontario?

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is on the record saying, “Are we treating Syrians differently than refugees from other parts of the world? Yes we are.”Can the minister confirm that this is the government's policy and explain if being treated differently means being stuck in temporary cramped housing for weeks?

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, we promised to put a moratorium on the changes made by Canada Post and the previous government. We are working with Canadians and we are going to work with Canada Post in a responsible manner to ensure that Canadians get the services they need and want. We are going to work on this file while showing respect for Canadians and holding consultations, something that the previous government never did.

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly glad that the member opposite was born and I would like to assure him that I will be working hard with my colleague, the government House leader, to convene a parliamentary committee to examine a wide range of electoral reform options, and it is not wise to predetermine the outcome of that consultation process.

Mr. Speaker, we have indicated to all Canadians that we are reviewing the EI system. It is inherently unfair. It penalizes, in particular, those re-entrants and new entrants into the EI system. It is our intention, as promised, to address it as soon as possible.

Mr. Speaker, the United States Senate is holding a hearing entitled “Canada’s Fast-Track Refugee Plan: Unanswered Questions and Implications for U.S. National Security”. It is our understanding that government representatives may have received an invitation to participate in the hearing but have in fact declined. Could the minister explain to Canadians why the Liberals would decline this opportunity to be transparent, open and accountable?

Mr. Speaker, by militarily invading and annexing Crimea, and continuously sending soldiers and lethal military equipment into the Donbass, the Kremlin has not only violated European borders, but has also broken all international agreements on the sanctity of borders.Recently, the Prime Minister made clear Canada's position to Russia's president. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs share with the House the government's position on Russia's continued illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory?

Mr. Speaker, we now know that Bombardier is sniffing out deals and trying to sell its aircraft in Iran.We also know that some of Bombardier's senior managers met with government representatives, including the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.I have a simple question. Can the government assure the House that Bombardier, or any other company, was not told that the sanctions would be lifted before it became known publicly? Did the Liberals talk to companies in secret to—

Mr. Speaker, Iran's supreme leader consistently calls for the destruction of Israel. The Iranian regime is one of the world's worst abusers of human rights, yet the Liberals say they will be lifting Canadian sanctions on Iran, and why? According to the foreign affairs minister it would be in accordance with our allies, but our allies have also been clear that Canada should leave our CF-18s in the fight against ISIS.The question for the Prime Minister is this: When do our allies matter and when do they not?

Mr. Speaker, Putin's regime has invaded and illegally occupied sovereign Ukrainian territory. That is a fact. Now our foreign affairs minister is cozying up to the Putin regime. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs please explain why he is abandoning our Ukrainian friends? Why is he giving in to Russian aggression?

Mr. Speaker, last week, Dafna Meir, a 38-year-old Israeli mother, was stabbed to death in her home in front of her three children. This week, 23-year-old Shlomit Krigman was stabbed to death while visiting her grandparents.The U.S. State Department has condemned the wave of deadly attacks against Israeli civilians, driven by the Palestinian leadership. However, yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that a suggestion that he condemn the incitement was partisan politics.Could he explain this unfortunate remark?

Mr. Speaker, here is what Putin's foreign minister said in regard to Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea. “We have nothing to give back. We are not holding any talks with anyone on returning Crimea. Crimea is a territory of the Russian Federation....”Why is the Minister of Foreign Affairs considering lifting sanctions on Putin's regime, given Russia's blatant disregard for Ukrainian sovereignty?

Mr. Speaker, some Syrian refugees have been stuck in cramped temporary accommodations for weeks. They have said that there is hardly any communication from the government. We are also hearing reports of low-income Canadians being asked to leave their housing to make room for the Syrian refugees.Will the minister apologize to Canadians and refugees for his failure to provide long-term living solutions for Syrian refugees, because refugees are people, not a number on a scorecard?

Mr. Speaker, the platform also promised to increase benefits under the Canada and Quebec pension plans, but once in government, the Liberals are walking away from their pledge to Canadians hoping to retire in dignity.The Premier of Ontario said she would scrap her separate pension plan if the feds moved on the CPP, but instead she has now announced that she is moving ahead with it. Did the Prime Minister tell the Premier that he will break his promise even before he has told Canadians about this broken promise?

Mr. Speaker, I already answered this question, and said it very clearly to President Putin. The question is, at the worst time of the Cold War Canada was speaking to Russia. Today, the United States is speaking to Russia. Europe is speaking to Russia. Japan is speaking to Russia. Would he say that all these countries are letting Ukraine down? In what way would it help Ukraine if Canada never speaks to Russia, even about the Arctic?