2016-06-08

Mr. Speaker, on International Women's Day, I asked the Prime Minister if he would take action to help protect Yazidi girls who have been forced to be sex slaves by ISIS. I asked if he would step up and ensure that Yazidi girls get placed in the joint sponsorship program so they can come to Canada. He had no answer. Yesterday we learned that another 19 Yazidi girls were burned alive for refusing to become sex slaves to ISIS terrorists. After three months of silence, I am still waiting for an answer. Why are the Liberals turning a blind eye to the atrocities being committed against these girls?

Mr. Speaker, international Human Rights Watch has called out the government for the systemic water crisis on indigenous reserves. Not only are families getting sick or suffering bacterial infections, we have had youth die from mercury poisoning at sites like Grassy Narrows that should have been cleaned up years ago.The Prime Minister made a personal commitment to have clean drinking water in every single community within five years, but government documents show it will not get close to that target because it is shortchanging the commitment by billions. Why is the government continuing this shameful legacy of leaving indigenous families at risk?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Human Rights Watch released a damning report on access to drinking water in indigenous communities.The organization believes this issue is the direct result of discrimination against first nations in this country. There are no regulations and there is a flagrant lack of oversight. People's health is being put at risk, and this is a violation of their human rights. Can the government share its plan to put an end to this inhumane crisis, which has been going on for far too long?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps claiming that the electoral reform process is more complex than a yes or no in a referendum. Apparently, the Prime Minister is so arrogant that he thinks Canadians will not understand the choices, or maybe he is so arrogant that he thinks Canadians do not deserve the final say on changes to their electoral system. Either way, it seems that the Prime Minister seems to think that the only opinion that matters is his. Why will the Prime Minister not let Canadians decide this fundamental choice on their democracy through a referendum?

Mr. Speaker, one of the Prime Minister's first actions was to pull our CF-18s from the fight against ISIS and the genocide being waged against the Yazidis and other minorities. Now the Liberals claim a so-called urgent need to replace jets they do not even want to use. What could be more urgent than protecting vulnerable people from the atrocities of genocide? If the Prime Minister will not even use our fighter jets to destroy and degrade ISIS, what exactly is he going to use them for?

Mr. Speaker, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Kitchener has raised $70,000 to privately sponsor a Syrian refugee family.This family passed all needed security and health checks in February, but is still waiting to come to Canada. The church and family were told they would arrive in Canada by the end of February. Well, here we are three months and $7,000 later, and all anyone has received is a form letter from the Prime Minister.Why have the Liberals failed one more Syrian refugee family?

Mr. Speaker, the campaign platform of the Liberals said the Syrian refugee initiative would cost $250 million, but total costs to date are nearing in on $1 billion. In spite of this, refugees are not receiving language training, are living in bug-infested apartments, and are having difficulty finding employment. Groups providing services to refugees are struggling.The minister was happy to spend taxpayer money on, yes, a glossy staged photo op at Pearson airport. Why has he not developed a comprehensive plan to support refugees?

Mr. Speaker, in their election platform, the Liberals said, “We will immediately launch an open and transparent competition to replace the CF-18 fighter aircraft.”Six months later, the Liberals are back to their shenanigans. They want to award a multi-billion dollar contract without a bidding process to create jobs in the United States.Can the minister tell us how many jobs will be lost here in Canada as a result of his party's arbitrary about-face?

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the government is failing to protect supply management and Canadian dairy farmers.Canada has rules on diafiltered milk, but the government is not applying them, and that is sad. Every day Canadian farmers lose money and American farmers get more money. The Liberals have broken their promise to fix this problem. Instead of solutions, all we get is consultation and farmers are losing money. In other words, delay, and we are wasting time. Farmers do not need more consultation. They are done. The time is up. The government needs to act.When will the government finally stand up on these trade issues and defend Canadian dairy farmers?

Mr. Speaker, just imagine. The Prime Minister thinks electoral reform is too complex for Canadians to have a say. Every democratic government in the world uses referenda to make decisions about issues as complex as separating or uniting nations.Is the Prime Minister saying that Canadians are less intelligent than citizens of other countries?Will he finally listen to all the analysts, his own Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Canadians and promise to hold a referendum so that all Canadians can have their say?

Mr. Speaker, we are going to take him at his word, but we will see what their word is worth.The Minister of National Revenue is well aware that we have a major problem with KPMG's super rich clients.While KPMG helped super rich clients dodge their taxes with an illegal offshore tax scam, they were wined and dined with CRA officials and got an amnesty deal for the tax cheats with no penalties.It is a very simple question, very much like the question on Air Canada. Why does the Liberal government believe that wealthy tax evaders and their accountants should be above the law?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals ran on a platform of growing the economy from the heart out. Since December, Canada has lost over 51,000 manufacturing jobs and fallen to 10th place in the world in business competitiveness. Output is dropping, unemployment is rising, and the heart out approach is not working.When will the Liberals stop ripping the heart out of Canadian manufacturers?

Mr. Speaker, I wait in anticipation, but the truth is that more than ever we need the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to have the tools it needs to protect our Great Lakes fisheries. Just recently, a commercial fisherman in Quebec reeled in a 29 kilogram Asian carp from the St. Lawrence River. The results will be devastating if an Asian carp population enters the Great Lakes in great numbers, or in any numbers in fact.Why have the Liberals failed to protect an $8.3 billion recreational fishery in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, our government firmly believes that all Canadians need to pay their fair share. The CRA is currently investigating the taxpayers identified in the KPMG schemes.This matter is before the courts, so I would caution my colleague. I want to reassure all Canadians that no one can shirk their obligations.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal record under the decade of darkness is clear: they refused to buy any new jets; our troops had to beg for rides, because the Liberals refused to buy any new heavy-lift airplanes; and they sent our troops into the dessert with green uniforms.It was our Conservative government that put an end to the decade of darkness. Every time we bought new equipment, the Liberals opposed it. Now they are again choosing politics over buying the best equipment for our troops. With that kind of record, why would anyone believe them?

Mr. Speaker, the member for Ottawa South asked an excellent question. I would like to inform the House that, on July 1, there will be a number of celebrations in the greater national capital region, including at Major's Hill Park, on Parliament Hill, of course, at noon and in the evening, and at the Canadian Museum of History.The programming will be very diverse. There is going to be iconic Canadian artists such as Coleman Hell, Les Hay Babies, Coeur de pirate, Metric, and of course, Indian City. I really hope that Canadians from coast to coast to coast will be joining us in Ottawa and if they cannot, they can watch CBC/Radio-Canada—

Mr. Speaker, Liberals were elected on a promise to make it easier for Canadians to find an affordable home. However, with housing prices up 30% in Toronto since 2014, and 37% in greater Vancouver in the last year alone, what has the government done?The Minister of Finance announced a study, and made it harder for middle-class Canadians to get a mortgage. We do not need another study to prove that water is wet, and the CMHC changes target the wrong buyers. This is a crisis. Where is the real action from the government?

Mr. Speaker, the government promised to fix the diafiltered milk problem, but it is taking its sweet time, and farmers are paying the price.The fact is, the government does not want to upset the Americans. Sooner or later, the Liberals will have to pick a side: either they defend supply management and take a stand, or they let the United States tell them what to do.Why is the Liberal government protecting American farmers instead of Canadian farmers?

I will refer to the comments of the Prime Minister on the F-35s.Yesterday, the Prime Minister expressed doubts about the capabilities of the F-35 fighter jet. There are already 185 of these jets in service. Eleven allies, including the United States, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy, have already decided to continue investing in this program.Can the Prime Minister explain why allied countries, except for Canada, are buying this aircraft? Is he questioning the judgment of our allies?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday CIBC's former chief economist said that the energy east pipeline makes no sense from a strictly economic standpoint.Last week the Parkland Institute demonstrated that Canada cannot expand its energy sector and reduce its greenhouse gas reduction targets without destroying all other economic sectors. Between the economy, the environment, and the oil sands, one of them will perish.As long as we are talking about democratic reform, I propose a preferential vote on this. Can the government specify, in order of preference, which of the three it would like to sacrifice?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence testified that he could not even provide a ballpark timeline for the jet fighter replacement process. Now we learn that they are sole-sourcing the Super Hornet. Here is great news. The International Business Times reports that Canada's order of the Super Hornet would create thousands of jobs in the United States.Will the minister tell us why he misled Parliament when he was planning to sole source and create thousands of jobs south of the border?

Mr. Speaker, it has been 299 days since the Azer children were abducted by their father. We now know that the children are in Iran. How much longer do these children need to be in harm's way? When will the government demand that Iran safely return these four Canadian children?

Mr. Speaker, I will give the member a bit of an education on the work that is actually being done in Halifax. It is not working on Coast Guard ships; it is working on the combat ships. All of the Coast Guard work is being done by Seaspan in Vancouver, so there is no conflict of interest on behalf of my hon. colleague.

Mr. Speaker, it is completely false to say that this matter is before the courts because, if it were, it would be public. One thing about our courts is that the cases are public. You are hiding the names. KPMG was ordered to provide a list of names 30 days ago and it has refused to do so. Why protect people who are breaking the law?The F-35 is another example of a broken promise.After saying that the Conservatives were wrong on the F-35, they were the ones who started the program, the Liberals said they would cancel it. Now they would sole source the next jet fighter.Will they please explain to us the difference between the F-35 and the new jet fighter if the problem is sole-sourcing? Why the contradiction?

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of what Liberals have done on refugees.In seven months, we admitted 46,000 refugees, which is twice as many as the Conservatives admitted in a whole year. We re-established refugee health care, which the Conservatives had abolished, and that had been declared unconstitutional. We are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to welcome refugees, including the teaching of English and French.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' first decision involving our fighter jets was to park them on the sidelines while allies continued to degrade ISIS from the air.Now, the Liberals are making up an imaginary capability gap. They should really listen to the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force who said that our CF-18s have the capability to get the job done until 2025.When the minister claims there is a capability gap, is he saying that the Royal Canadian Air Force is lying?

Mr. Speaker, we need to ensure that in the Canadian Armed Forces our men and women have the right equipment. We want to ensure that our industry also benefits from the right procurement process. We will go through an appropriate evaluation. When I am good and ready, our government will be announcing it to this House at the appropriate time and to all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, today Manitoba is joining Quebec and indeed thousands of Canadians in condemning the government's Bill C-10, which is a get out of jail free card for Air Canada not obeying the law.It is interesting that the recent Liberal nominee to the Senate, André Pratte, said something yesterday that is of a great deal of concern to us. It would appear that there is a deal that Air Canada is threatening if it does not get what it wants.We want to know, on behalf of those workers, what is in the secret deal with Air Canada, why is Senator Pratte saying that if we do not remove the threat of lawsuits, the deal will fall—

Mr. Speaker, one would hope that the procurement minister would know what a mid-shore patrol ship is. However, warranty work on the patrol ships is not the only file the part-time minister cannot deal with. Canada's Atlantic salmon are in jeopardy, and the minister finds himself in another conflict. The Irvings are involved in the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the minister's advisory panel on the Atlantic salmon. Will the minister act on the recommendations to protect Atlantic salmon? Wait, I forgot, he cannot he deal with that file either. Maybe someone else on that side could stand up and deal with it.

Mr. Speaker, I find it ironic and rich for the opposition to talk about an open source full competition and saying we are going to be sole-sourcing the F-35. No decision has been made, but we will be replacing the F-18. When a decision is made, we will be reporting to Canadians and to this House.

Mr. Speaker, the real record after seven months is that the minister's officials could not tell us how many refugees were unemployed or how many were using food banks. Later the minister was forced to apologize, after he claimed that the use of food banks by Syrian refugees might have a “cultural element”. Food banks across the country are raising concerns. Costs to the federal government are escalating. The refugees' one year of federal funding is coming to an end.When will the minister admit that he has no plan and no costing to support these refugees?

Not future litigation, Mr. Speaker, it was litigation to force Air Canada to respect an existing law of the Parliament of Canada. That is what is at stake here. Senator Pratte is making it quite clear that he has knowledge about a deal.Will the minister say to this House and to Canadians from his seat that there is no such deal with Air Canada? Is that what he is telling Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised during the election to fix the NEB's broken review of the Kinder Morgan pipeline, but instead they just added a smokescreen to the gutted Conservative review process. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and B.C. first nation leaders from Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations are in Ottawa today sounding the alarm on the Liberals' flawed environmental review process.Is the Prime Minister really planning to dismiss their concerns as easily as he broke his promise to British Columbians on the Kinder Morgan pipeline review?

Mr. Speaker, the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces are among our country's greatest assets and parliamentarians often wish to visit military bases such as Base Gagetown in the riding I represent, to establish relationships and learn about our Armed Forces. The previous government restricted members' access by requiring ministerial approval for such visits, significantly hampering opposition members.Could the Minister of National Defence share what measures he has taken to improve access to military bases for all parliamentarians?

Mr. Speaker, the safety and well-being of the Azer children are a priority for this government. The Prime Minister did meet with Ms. Azer and reiterated justice. Our parliamentary secretary for consular affairs remains in frequent communication with Ms. Azer. It is important to understand that he is doing all he can as we continue to work both at home and abroad for the children's safe return. We will not stop until the children are reunited with their mother.

Mr. Speaker, the National Post quoted a former Royal Canadian Air Force officer and pilot who contradicted the government's claims. He says that there is no reason to rush to replace the CF-18s and purchase the Super Hornet. There is enough time to hold an open competition to choose the best aircraft to replace our CF-18s. It is hard to understand why the Liberals are in such a rush.Can the minister explain the capability gap? Is this part of Boeing's sales pitch?

Mr. Speaker, it will not surprise members that I do not share the pessimistic view of my colleague in the opposition. I have said that we are committed to working both with provincial partners and the Americans on the important challenge of invasive species. We are working particularly with staff members in the province of Quebec on the shared experience they have in response to this important issue in respect to the capture of carp in the St. Lawrence near Montreal. This is why I know that the anticipation is very exciting for my colleague, but he should remain calm. We have very good news coming.

Mr. Speaker, the government is inventing a crisis that does not exist in order to acquire Super Hornet fighters. The only ones who are talking about a capability gap are the minister and the parliamentary secretary.I would like to remind members that on April 14, in committee, General Hood said, “We have enough trained personnel; we have enough aircraft and enough maintenance people...and we have the money...to operate.”By saying that there is a capability gap, is the government suggesting that the Royal Canadian Air Force is lying?

Mr. Speaker, the minister clearly still does not get it. The government does not respect the millions of Canadian voters who would like to have a say on how they elect their representatives to this place, and is limiting that consultation to the few hundred people that show up as hand-picked witnesses at a parliamentary committee.Why does she disagree with the wisdom of 73% of Canadians who believe that this Parliament should observe the long-standing convention in other Westminster parliaments and Canadian provinces of allowing the voters to decide instead of politicians?

Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure on January 27, with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, to announce a new set of rules in order to re-establish some kind of Canadian confidence in the regulatory system that, unfortunately, was broken after the last 10 years.We have added time for a panel of three distinguished western Canadians to hear the concerns of the mayor of Vancouver, the mayor of Calgary, and indigenous communities up and down the line, so at the end people will say, “We have confidence in the regulatory process.”

Mr. Speaker, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission was established in 1955 by Canada and the U.S. It was established on a fixed cost-sharing basis. The United States has consistently increased annual funding to the commission. In budget 2016, the Liberals failed to support the important work of the commission, which includes protecting our Great Lakes from invasive species such as Asian carp and sea lamprey. Will the fisheries minister please take action to ensure that Canada pays its share to protect our Great Lakes fisheries, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House said yes to establishing an all-party committee to study the options available for Canadians for their electoral reform, to reach out to those pockets in our communities that are not often reached out to, to hear from those who are often marginalized in the process, and to come back to the House with a proposal. I look forward to the co-operative and collaborative nature that the committee will work in, in the same spirit that it was established, and I look forward to working with the member opposite.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly do not accept the premise of that question.In terms of achievements, I will update the member on a very good number. Ninety-nine per cent of all the refugees are now in permanent housing. While it is true that we do not have precise numbers on jobs and language training, because that takes longer than finding housing, we are certainly investing much money and making much progress in terms of language training. We are working with employers to get jobs for the refugees.We are working hard on all fronts.

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.Advocates within the legal community have repeatedly called upon the federal government to provide more legal aid funding. Adequate funding is essential to operating an efficient and effective justice system, and to protecting vulnerable persons and youth at risk of incarceration. Adequate funding is essential for access to justice.Could the minister inform the House what the Government of Canada is doing to protect the charter rights of Canadians to a fair trial even where they cannot afford a lawyer?

Mr. Speaker, there is no deal. The reason we proceeded with modifications to the Air Canada Public Participation Act has been stated very many times. It is to clear up the possibility of future litigation. It is because the Quebec and Manitoba governments arrived at an arrangement with Air Canada to drop that litigation and, at the same time, we felt it was necessary to give Air Canada a more level playing field because it has to compete with other commercial, domestic, and international airlines.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to supporting the mission in Iraq and Syria. Our troops on the training and advising are doing wonderful work. I recently got a briefing from the counter-ISIL mission. Progress is being made. I am very proud of the work our men and women are actually doing on behalf of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, the only real gap that exists is the Liberal credibility gap. The flaws in the Liberal decision to sole source were pointed out by the former head of procurement for National Defence, who said, “It’s not good for the men and women in uniform, the taxpayer, or the industrial benefits.”If the minister goes ahead with this, it will cost thousands of Canadians their jobs. When will the Prime Minister put the interests of our troops, taxpayers, and Canadian workers ahead of those of the Liberal Party?

Mr. Speaker, all of our service chiefs, including the commander of the air force, have the job of ensuring they get the job done with the resources they have. However, we are risk-managing a gap between our NORAD and NATO commitments at this time. I want to make it clear that our air force and CF-18s do tremendous work on a daily basis, whether air policing in Europe or training here, and responding to our NORAD commitments.

Mr. Speaker, we actually satisfied 46,000 Syrian refugees who we admitted in the space of seven months.It is true that in view of the enormous generosity of Canadians, and that is a good thing, who want to support refugees, we have been unable to keep up with the pace of demand for refugees from all these generous Canadians. That is why we have stepped up to the plate. We have committed to bring in all the refugees whose applications were made by March 31. We have sent more officials out into the field. We are working very hard to satisfy the demand of—

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that our government has fulfilled its commitment and has reversed the policy of the previous Conservative government. Members of Parliament and senators no longer require ministerial approval in order to visit a military establishment. Requests are now only subject to the discretion of the base commander or a commanding officer. It is important for parliamentarians and senators to have unimpeded access to our military all across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the replacement of our fighter jets, we are committed to replacing our jet fighters, and we will do so. No decision has been made at this time. However, we are committed to making sure that we get this right. I will make sure that we do a thorough analysis of this. When a full analysis is done, we will make an appropriate announcement in this House and to Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, we are letting others walk all over us. The Kénogami mill will be closed for 11 days because of the 18% export tax on supercalendered paper.As if that were not enough, we seem to be headed straight for a fifth trade war with the United States over softwood lumber. Everyone has sounded the alarm. Thousands of jobs are at stake, including 5,000 in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. The government promised us a solution within 100 days. That deadline is now 10 days away, and mills are already closing.What will the Prime Minister do, and when will he do it?

Mr. Speaker, I hope the record will show the excitement of my friends in front of us, on the other side of the House, that I am answering an important question about Atlantic salmon.Our government is committed to the conservation and protection of Atlantic salmon. We understand the importance of this industry, not only to Canadians but to people around the world who come to visit our pristine rivers in provinces like mine. We will always work in the best interest of preserving and protecting Atlantic salmon and its habitat.

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, it was the previous government that cut over $3 billion from the budget. Our government is committed to making sure that we purchase the right equipment for our troops, and that is exactly what we are going to do.

Mr. Speaker, I will make it very clear. No decision has been made in replacing our CF-18s right now.

Mr. Speaker, there is no such deal.

Mr. Speaker, the only crisis that has been created is that of the previous government not replacing our jet fighters sooner. As I stated, the commander of the air force does tremendous work with all the assets he has and conducts risk management with all our missions. We are in a gap situation right now between our NORAD and NATO commitments.

Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to providing an innovation agenda to help grow the economy and create prosperity. We will be working with all members of the House by shortly announcing this innovation agenda. We will be taking a look at different aspects of where Canada's economy should be, whether that is in the clean tech sector, in incubators, or in the manufacturing sector. We are also looking forward to the committee report from the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology on the manufacturing sector and the additive manufacturing sector. We believe in growing this economy and creating prosperity and jobs for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, as we know, we have committed and we will deliver on no boil water advisories within the next five years.We made a historic investment in budget 2016 of $2.2 billion to improve it. We know we need to do more with supervision regulation. We will get on it. We will get this done.

Mr. Speaker, the government House leader has found himself a new part-time job as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, but the rules from the Ethics Commissioner leave him unable to properly manage a number of important files in the department.We would like to know if Irving shipyards has completed the warranty work on the mid-shore patrol ships to the satisfaction of the Canadian Coast Guard? Wait a minute, the minister's conflict will not let him answer that question. Could someone else on that side stand and answer it for us.

Mr. Speaker, that is certainly not what the Liberals are doing. Our acceptance of refugees is based on those who are most vulnerable, as determined by the United Nations, irrespective of religion.I might point out that in seven short months, we admitted twice as many refugees as the previous government did in a whole year, so I am proud of our record on refugees, especially compared to the previous government's.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, we are committed to replacing our fighters and we will do so, but no decision has been made at this time.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said yesterday that Conservatives are the only ones pushing for a referendum. I guess the Prime Minister must have missed that poll showing 73% of Canadians want a referendum.Canadians understand that any consultation process that takes place as to the form of an electoral reform proposal is different, separate from, and prior to the actual yes or no decision. When a legislative proposal is finally made by the government to change the way we vote, will Canadians get a yes or no decision in a referendum?

Mr. Speaker, just so the member fully knows, it has interim operability right now. It is not at full operational capability, but we are committed to replacing our fighters. We are going through a thorough process. I will make sure that my officials and I take the time to make sure that we get this right.

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign the Prime Minister promised a transparent procurement process for the fighter jets. It seems that the dice are loaded and the deal is sealed. How can the 40 Quebec MPs be okay with jeopardizing aerospace jobs in the greater Montreal area?Can the Prime Minister guarantee that there will be a bidding process and that these 40 MPs will stand up for the aerospace industry and Quebec?

Mr. Speaker, we are counting on the wisdom of Canadians, of indigenous persons, women, those in rural and remote communities, those with—

Again, Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated to my hon. colleague who has a great concern for this issue, I have met with dairy farmers, processors and Canadians. They understand that this government fully supports supply management. Even if there are some members of the opposition who do not support supply management, we as a government will find a long-term, sustainable solution so we have a strong dairy industry in our country under the supply management system.

Mr. Speaker, we believe that environmental sustainability and economic growth go hand in hand. That is why, when we assess these energy projects, we look at all aspects of their consequences on the environment and on jobs for Canadians. The energy east project is not yet before the regulator, and when it is, there will be many months for the members opposite to offer their opinions on both economic growth and environmental sustainability. I invite them to do both of those things.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question and concern. That is why we are working to find a sustainable solution for this important issue.In the last month I have met with dairy farmers and processors right across the country. With the information we have received, we will be able to make decisions to find a long-term, sustainable solution for the dairy industry in our country.This government supports supply management and always has.

Mr. Speaker, we recognize the importance of housing to Canadians. We recognize the very real challenge of people in Vancouver and Toronto as the housing market is active. Upon coming into office, we immediately took a look at measures on which we could move forward. We did so in December by moving some rules around down payments for expensive homes. We are doing a deep dive to look at all evidence around the issues that are impacting our housing market so as we make decisions we can make them with evidence to keep this market strong for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, maybe the hon. member should have been asking more detailed questions when he was the parliamentary secretary of national defence because I am going to tell the member about a gap that we are also dealing with regarding our joint support ships. That is a gap that was created, a capability gap, and now we do not have joint support ships. We are looking at interim measures. However, we will be ensuring that we replace our fighters before any capability gap gets too big.

Mr. Speaker, a few days ago the Minister of Canadian Heritage held a press conference to outline the Canada Day 2016 activities in the national capital region.This year, we will be celebrating the 149th anniversary of Confederation, and as we head into a big year of celebrations, I would like to ask my hon. colleague what activities Canadian Heritage has planned for Canada's birthday on July 1 in the national capital region?

Mr. Speaker, I thank Human Rights Watch for its enlightening report.We completely agree that there is an urgent need to fix the lack of clean drinking water on many reserves. We are studying the report to determine how we can best work together to address the specific recommendations in the report.

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, it is out of a great deal of respect for Canadians and these institutions that our Prime Minister committed to bringing together an all-party committee to reach out to Canadians, and to hear from them what values and what reforms they would like reflected in their democratic institutions.It is in that spirit of respect and co-operation that we will continue this work.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question.We are very concerned about the United States' action on this file. We are in regular contact with the stakeholders, including Resolute.Our team is also in contact with the office of Quebec's minister of forestry and the economy. We have called for the creation of a special binational panel under chapter 19 of NAFTA , and we participated in consultations in Washington on the creation of a World Trade Organization panel. We will defend Canadians' interests.

Mr. Speaker, the short answer is, yes. I know the member is rightfully concerned by the persistent problem of invasive species. He has identified the Great Lakes as an area of considerable concern. I am really excited, because my colleague, the parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister, will have some very important and significant news on this exact issue, probably in the next 48 hours.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to addressing access to justice issues, including properly funding legal aid programs. That is why we committed $88 million in budget 2016. I am proud to say that this morning we committed an additional $30 million annually to the provinces and territories to ensure we modernize our justice system and maintain a culture of rights. Legal aid funding has not been increased in over a decade, and we are pleased to make this announcement.

Mr. Speaker, we are looking forward to within nine days from today all parties bringing forward the names of the individuals they would like represented on this committee so the committee can begin its work.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are smart reasonable people which is why an overwhelming majority in the last election voted for electoral reform. We are working on ensuring that we continue the conversation that Canadians began to have with us about modernizing our democratic institutions. We look forward to demonstrating to them and to those who have come before us that in this House co-operation is possible.

Mr. Speaker, it is completely false to say that this matter is before the courts because, if it were, it would be public. One thing about our courts is that the cases are public. You are hiding the names. KPMG was ordered to provide a list of names 30 days ago and it has refused to do so. Why protect people who are breaking the law?The F-35 is another example of a broken promise.After saying that the Conservatives were wrong on the F-35, they were the ones who started the program, the Liberals said they would cancel it. Now they would sole source the next jet fighter.Will they please explain to us the difference between the F-35 and the new jet fighter if the problem is sole-sourcing? Why the contradiction?

Mr. Speaker, on International Women's Day, I asked the Prime Minister if he would take action to help protect Yazidi girls who have been forced to be sex slaves by ISIS. I asked if he would step up and ensure that Yazidi girls get placed in the joint sponsorship program so they can come to Canada. He had no answer. Yesterday we learned that another 19 Yazidi girls were burned alive for refusing to become sex slaves to ISIS terrorists. After three months of silence, I am still waiting for an answer. Why are the Liberals turning a blind eye to the atrocities being committed against these girls?

Mr. Speaker, a few days ago the Minister of Canadian Heritage held a press conference to outline the Canada Day 2016 activities in the national capital region.This year, we will be celebrating the 149th anniversary of Confederation, and as we head into a big year of celebrations, I would like to ask my hon. colleague what activities Canadian Heritage has planned for Canada's birthday on July 1 in the national capital region?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Human Rights Watch released a damning report on access to drinking water in indigenous communities.The organization believes this issue is the direct result of discrimination against first nations in this country. There are no regulations and there is a flagrant lack of oversight. People's health is being put at risk, and this is a violation of their human rights. Can the government share its plan to put an end to this inhumane crisis, which has been going on for far too long?

Mr. Speaker, international Human Rights Watch has called out the government for the systemic water crisis on indigenous reserves. Not only are families getting sick or suffering bacterial infections, we have had youth die from mercury poisoning at sites like Grassy Narrows that should have been cleaned up years ago.The Prime Minister made a personal commitment to have clean drinking water in every single community within five years, but government documents show it will not get close to that target because it is shortchanging the commitment by billions. Why is the government continuing this shameful legacy of leaving indigenous families at risk?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that our government has fulfilled its commitment and has reversed the policy of the previous Conservative government. Members of Parliament and senators no longer require ministerial approval in order to visit a military establishment. Requests are now only subject to the discretion of the base commander or a commanding officer. It is important for parliamentarians and senators to have unimpeded access to our military all across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, we are counting on the wisdom of Canadians, of indigenous persons, women, those in rural and remote communities, those with—

Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure on January 27, with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, to announce a new set of rules in order to re-establish some kind of Canadian confidence in the regulatory system that, unfortunately, was broken after the last 10 years.We have added time for a panel of three distinguished western Canadians to hear the concerns of the mayor of Vancouver, the mayor of Calgary, and indigenous communities up and down the line, so at the end people will say, “We have confidence in the regulatory process.”

Mr. Speaker, the only real gap that exists is the Liberal credibility gap. The flaws in the Liberal decision to sole source were pointed out by the former head of procurement for National Defence, who said, “It’s not good for the men and women in uniform, the taxpayer, or the industrial benefits.”If the minister goes ahead with this, it will cost thousands of Canadians their jobs. When will the Prime Minister put the interests of our troops, taxpayers, and Canadian workers ahead of those of the Liberal Party?

Mr. Speaker, we recognize the importance of housing to Canadians. We recognize the very real challenge of people in Vancouver and Toronto as the housing market is active. Upon coming into office, we immediately took a look at measures on which we could move forward. We did so in December by moving some rules around down payments for expensive homes. We are doing a deep dive to look at all evidence around the issues that are impacting our housing market so as we make decisions we can make them with evidence to keep this market strong for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, Liberals were elected on a promise to make it easier for Canadians to find an affordable home. However, with housing prices up 30% in Toronto since 2014, and 37% in greater Vancouver in the last year alone, what has the government done?The Minister of Finance announced a study, and made it harder for middle-class Canadians to get a mortgage. We do not need another study to prove that water is wet, and the CMHC changes target the wrong buyers. This is a crisis. Where is the real action from the government?

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the government is failing to protect supply management and Canadian dairy farmers.Canada has rules on diafiltered milk, but the government is not applying them, and that is sad. Every day Canadian farmers lose money and American farmers get more money. The Liberals have broken their promise to fix this problem. Instead of solutions, all we get is consultation and farmers are losing money. In other words, delay, and we are wasting time. Farmers do not need more consultation. They are done. The time is up. The government needs to act.When will the government finally stand up on these trade issues and defend Canadian dairy farmers?

I will refer to the comments of the Prime Minister on the F-35s.Yesterday, the Prime Minister expressed doubts about the capabilities of the F-35 fighter jet. There are already 185 of these jets in service. Eleven allies, including the United States, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy, have already decided to continue investing in this program.Can the Prime Minister explain why allied countries, except for Canada, are buying this aircraft? Is he questioning the judgment of our allies?

Mr. Speaker, there is no such deal.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, we are committed to replacing our fighters and we will do so, but no decision has been made at this time.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said yesterday that Conservatives are the only ones pushing for a referendum. I guess the Prime Minister must have missed that poll showing 73% of Canadians want a referendum.Canadians understand that any consultation process that takes place as to the form of an electoral reform proposal is different, separate from, and prior to the actual yes or no decision. When a legislative proposal is finally made by the government to change the way we vote, will Canadians get a yes or no decision in a referendum?

Mr. Speaker, we are looking forward to within nine days from today all parties bringing forward the names of the individuals they would like represented on this committee so the committee can begin its work.

Mr. Speaker, I will give the member a bit of an education on the work that is actually being done in Halifax. It is not working on Coast Guard ships; it is working on the combat ships. All of the Coast Guard work is being done by Seaspan in Vancouver, so there is no conflict of interest on behalf of my hon. colleague.

Mr. Speaker, one would hope that the procurement minister would know what a mid-shore patrol ship is. However, warranty work on the patrol ships is not the only file the part-time minister cannot deal with. Canada's Atlantic salmon are in jeopardy, and the minister finds himself in another conflict. The Irvings are involved in the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the minister's advisory panel on the Atlantic salmon. Will the minister act on the recommendations to protect Atlantic salmon? Wait, I forgot, he cannot he deal with that file either. Maybe someone else on that side could stand up and deal with it.

Mr. Speaker, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Kitchener has raised $70,000 to privately sponsor a Syrian refugee family.This family passed all needed security and health checks in February, but is still waiting to come to Canada. The church and family were told they would arrive in Canada by the end of February. Well, here we are three months and $7,000 later, and all anyone has received is a form letter from the Prime Minister.Why have the Liberals failed one more Syrian refugee family?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals ran on a platform of growing the economy from the heart out. Since December, Canada has lost over 51,000 manufacturing jobs and fallen to 10th place in the world in business competitiveness. Output is dropping, unemployment is rising, and the heart out approach is not working.When will the Liberals stop ripping the heart out of Canadian manufacturers?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday CIBC's former chief economist said that the energy east pipeline makes no sense from a strictly economic standpoint.Last week the Parkland Institute demonstrated that Canada cannot expand its energy sector and reduce its greenhouse gas reduction targets without destroying all other economic sectors. Between the economy, the environment, and the oil sands, one of them will perish.As long as we are talking about democratic reform, I propose a preferential vote on this. Can the government specify, in order of preference, which of the three it would like to sacrifice?

Mr. Speaker, the government House leader has found himself a new part-time job as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, but the rules from the Ethics Commissioner leave him unable to properly manage a number of important files in the department.We would like to know if Irving shipyards has completed the warranty work on the mid-shore patrol ships to the satisfaction of the Canadian Coast Guard? Wait a minute, the minister's conflict will not let him answer that question. Could someone else on that side stand and answer it for us.

Mr. Speaker, the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces are among our country's greatest assets and parliamentarians often wish to visit military bases such as Base Gagetown in the riding I represent, to establish relationships and learn about our Armed Forces. The previous government restricted members' access by requiring ministerial approval for such visits, significantly hampering opposition members.Could the Minister of National Defence share what measures he has taken to improve access to military bases for all parliamentarians?

Mr. Speaker, one of the Prime Minister's first actions was to pull our CF-18s from the fight against ISIS and the genocide being waged against the Yazidis and other minorities. Now the Liberals claim a so-called urgent need to replace jets they do not even want to use. What could be more urgent than protecting vulnerable people from the atrocities of genocide? If the Prime Minister will not even use our fighter jets to destroy and degrade ISIS, what exactly is he going to use them for?

Not future litigation, Mr. Speaker, it was litigation to force Air Canada to respect an existing law of the Parliament of Canada. That is what is at stake here. Senator Pratte is making it quite clear that he has knowledge about a deal.Will the minister say to this House and to Canadians from his seat that there is no such deal with Air Canada? Is that what he is telling Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised during the election to fix the NEB's broken review of the Kinder Morgan pipeline, but instead they just added a smokescreen to the gutted Conservative review process. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and B.C. first nation leaders from Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations are in Ottawa today sounding the alarm on the Liberals' flawed environmental review process.Is the Prime Minister really planning to dismiss their concerns as easily as he broke his promise to British Columbians on the Kinder Morgan pipeline review?

Mr. Speaker, we are letting others walk all over us. The Kénogami mill will be closed for 11 days because of the 18% export tax on supercalendered paper.As if that were not enough, we seem to be headed straight for a fifth trade war with the United States over softwood lumber. Everyone has sounded the alarm. Thousands of jobs are at stake, including 5,000 in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. The government promised us a solution within 100 days. That deadline is now 10 days away, and mills are already closing.What will the Prime Minister do, and when will he do it?

Mr. Speaker, just imagine. The Prime Minister thinks electoral reform is too complex for Canadians to have a say. Every democratic government in the world uses referenda to make decisions about issues as complex as separating or uniting nations.Is the Prime Minister saying that Canadians are less intelligent than citizens of other countries?Will he finally listen to all the analysts, his own Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Canadians and promise to hold a referendum so that all Canadians can have their say?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps claiming that the electoral reform process is more complex than a yes or no in a referendum. Apparently, the Prime Minister is so arrogant that he thinks Canadians will not understand the choices, or maybe he is so arrogant that he thinks Canadians do not deserve the final say on changes to their electoral system. Either way, it seems that the Prime Minister seems to think that the only opinion that matters is his. Why will the Prime Minister not let Canadians decide this fundamental choice on their democracy through a referendum?

Mr. Speaker, the government is inventing a crisis that does not exist in order to acquire Super Hornet fighters. The only ones who are talking about a capability gap are the minister and the parliamentary secretary.I would like to remind members that on April 14, in committee, General Hood said, “We have enough trained personnel; we have enough aircraft and enough maintenance people...and we have the money...to operate.”By saying that there is a capability gap, is the government suggesting that the Royal Canadian Air Force is lying?

Mr. Speaker, in their election platform, the Liberals said, “We will immediately launch an open and transparent competition to replace the CF-18 fighter aircraft.”Six months later, the Liberals are back to their shenanigans. They want to award a multi-billion dollar contract without a bidding process to create jobs in the United States.Can the minister tell us how many jobs will be lost here in Canada as a result of his party's arbitrary about-face?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House said yes to establishing an all-party committee to study the options available for Canadians for their electoral reform, to reach out to those pockets in our communities that are not often reached out to, to hear from those who are often marginalized in the process, and to come back to the House with a proposal. I look forward to the co-operative and collaborative nature that the committee will work in, in the same spirit that it was established, and I look forward to working with the member opposite.

Mr. Speaker, there is no deal. The reason we proceeded with modifications to the Air Canada Public Participation Act has been stated very many times. It is to clear up the possibility of future litigation. It is because the Quebec and Manitoba governments arrived at an arrangement with Air Canada to drop that litigation and, at the same time, we felt it was necessary to give Air Canada a more level playing field because it has to compete with other commercial, domestic, and international airlines.

Mr. Speaker, that is certainly not what the Liberals are doing. Our acceptance of refugees is based on those who are most vulnerable, as determined by the United Nations, irrespective of religion.I might point out that in seven short months, we admitted twice as many refugees as the previous government did in a whole year, so I am proud of our record on refugees, especially compared to the previous government's.

Mr. Speaker, the only crisis that has been created is that of the previous government not replacing our jet fighters sooner. As I stated, the commander of the air force does tremendous work with all the assets he has and conducts risk management with all our missions. We are in a gap situation right now between our NORAD and NATO commitments.

Mr. Speaker, the government promised to fix the diafiltered milk problem, but it is taking its sweet time, and farmers are paying the price.The fact is, the government does not want to upset the Americans. Sooner or later, the Liberals will have to pick a side: either they defend supply management and take a stand, or they let the United States tell them what to do.Why is the Liberal government protecting American farmers instead of Canadian farmers?

Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to providing an innovation agenda to help grow the economy and create prosperity. We will be working with all members of the House by shortly announcing this innovation agenda. We will be taking a look at different aspects of where Canada's economy should be, whether that is in the clean tech sector, in incubators, or in the manufacturing sector. We are also looking forward to the committee report from the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology on the manufacturing sector and the additive manufacturing sector. We believe in growing this economy and creating prosperity and jobs for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the minister clearly still does not get it. The government does not respect the millions of Canadian voters who would like to have a say on how they elect their representatives to this place, and is limiting that consultation to the few hundred people that show up as hand-picked witnesses at a parliamentary committee.Why does she disagree with the wisdom of 73% of Canadians who believe that this Parliament should observe the long-standing convention in other Westminster parliaments and Canadian provinces of allowing the voters to decide instead of politicians?

Mr. Speaker, all of our service chiefs, including the commander of the air force, have the job of ensuring they get the job done with the resources they have. However, we are risk-managing a gap between our NORAD and NATO commitments at this time. I want to make it clear that our air force and CF-18s do tremendous work on a daily basis, whether air policing in Europe or training here, and responding to our NORAD commitments.

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, it was the previous government that cut over $3 billion from the budget. Our government is committed to making sure that we purchase the right equipment for our troops, and that is exactly what we are going to do.

Mr. Speaker, the National Post quoted a former Royal Canadian Air Force officer and pilot who contradicted the government's claims. He says that there is no reason to rush to replace the CF-18s and purchase the Super Hornet. There is enough time to hold an open competition to choose the best aircraft to replace our CF-18s. It is hard to understand why the Liberals are in such a rush.Can the minister explain the capability gap? Is this part of Boeing's sales pitch?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question.We are very concerned about the United States' action on this file. We are in regular contact with the stakeholders, including Resolute.Our team is also in contact with the office of Quebec's minister of forestry and the economy. We have called for the creation of a special binational panel under chapter 19 of NAFTA , and we participated in consultations in Washington on the creation of a World Trade Organization panel. We will defend Canadians' interests.

Mr. Speaker, our government firmly believes that all Canadians need to pay their fair share. The CRA is currently investigating the taxpayers identified in the KPMG schemes.This matter is before the courts, so I would caution my colleague. I want to reassure all Canadians that no one can shirk their obligations.

Mr. Speaker, as we know, we have committed and we will deliver on no boil water advisories within the next five years.We made a historic investment in budget 2016 of $2.2 billion to improve it. We know we need to do more with supervision regulation. We will get on it. We will get this done.

Mr. Speaker, the real record after seven months is that the minister's officials could not tell us how many refugees were unemployed or how many were using food banks. Later the minister was forced to apologize, after he claimed that the use of food banks by Syrian refugees might have a “cultural element”. Food banks across the country are raising concerns. Costs to the federal government are escalating. The refugees' one year of federal funding is coming to an end.When will the minister admit that he has no plan and no costing to support these refugees?

Mr. Speaker, we actually satisfied 46,000 Syrian refugees who we admitted in the space of seven months.It is true that in view of the enormous generosity of Canadians, and that is a good thing, who want to support refugees, we have been unable to keep up with the pace of demand for refugees from all these generous Canadians. That is why we have stepped up to the plate. We have committed to bring in all the refugees whose applications were made by March 31. We have sent more officials out into the field. We are working very hard to satisfy the demand of—

Mr. Speaker, we are going to take him at his word, but we will see what their word is worth.The Minister of National Revenue is well aware that we have a major problem with KPMG's super rich clients.While KPMG helped super rich clients dodge their taxes with an illegal offshore tax scam, they were wined and dined with CRA officials and got an amnesty deal for the tax cheats with no penalties.It is a very simple question, very much like the question on Air Canada. Why does the Liberal government believe that wealthy tax evaders and their accountants should be above the law?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are smart reasonable people which is why an overwhelming majority in the last election voted for electoral reform. We are working on ensuring that we continue the conversation that Canadians began to have with us about modernizing our democratic institutions. We look forward to demonstrating to them and to those who have come before us that in this House co-operation is possible.

Mr. Speaker, today Manitoba is joining Quebec and indeed thousands of Canadians in condemning the government's Bill C-10, which is a get out of jail free card for Air Canada not obeying the law.It is interesting that the recent Liberal nominee to the Senate, André Pratte, said something yesterday that is of a great deal of concern to us. It would appear that there is a deal that Air Canada is threatening if it does not get what it wants.We want to know, on behalf of those workers, what is in the secret deal with Air Canada, why is Senator Pratte saying that if we do not remove the threat of lawsuits, the deal will fall—

Mr. Speaker, I will make it very clear. No decision has been made in replacing our CF-18s right now.

Mr. Speaker, I wait in anticipation, but the truth is that more than ever we need the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to have the tools it needs to protect our Great Lakes fisheries. Just recently, a commercial fisherman in Quebec reeled in a 29 kilogram Asian carp from the St. Lawrence River. The results will be devastating if an Asian carp population enters the Great Lakes in great numbers, or in any numbers in fact.Why have the Liberals failed to protect an $8.3 billion recreational fishery in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' first decision involving our fighter jets was to park them on the sidelines while allies continued to degrade ISIS from the air.Now, the Liberals are making up an imaginary capability gap. They should really listen to the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force who said that our CF-18s have the capability to get the job done until 2025.When the minister claims there is a capability gap, is he saying that the Royal Canadian Air Force is lying?

Mr. Speaker, we believe that environmental sustainability and economic growth go hand in hand. That is why, when we assess these energy projects, we look at all aspects of their consequences on the environment and on jobs for Canadians. The energy east project is not yet before the regulator, and when it is, there will be many months for the members opposite to offer their opinions on both economic growth and environmental sustainability. I invite them to do both of those things.

Mr. Speaker, I find it ironic and rich for the opposition to talk about an open source full competition and saying we are going to be sole-sourcing the F-35. No decision has been made, but we will be replacing the F-18. When a decision is made, we will be reporting to Canadians and to this House.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly do not accept the premise of that question.In terms of achievements, I will update the member on a very good number. Ninety-nine per cent of all the refugees are now in permanent housing. While it is true that we do not have precise numbers on jobs and language training, because that takes longer than finding housing, we are certainly investing much money and making much progress in terms of language training. We are working with employers to get jobs for the refugees.We are working hard on all fronts.

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.Advocates within the legal community have repeatedly called upon the federal government to provide more legal aid funding. Adequate funding is essential to operating an efficient and effective justice system, and to protecting vulnerable persons and youth at risk of incarceration. Adequate funding is essential for access to justice.Could the minister inform the House what the Government of Canada is doing to protect the charter rights of Canadians to a fair trial even where they cannot afford a lawyer?

Mr. Speaker, the campaign platform of the Liberals said the Syrian refugee initiative would cost $250 million, but total costs to date are nearing in on $1 billion. In spite of this, refugees are not receiving language training, are living in bug-infested apartments, and are having difficulty finding employment. Groups providing services to refugees are struggling.The minister was happy to spend taxpayer money on, yes, a glossy staged photo op at Pearson airport. Why has he not developed a comprehensive plan to support refugees?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal record under the decade of darkness is clear: they refused to buy any new jets; our troops had to beg for rides, because the Liberals refused to buy any new heavy-lift airplanes; and they sent our troops into the dessert with green uniforms.It was our Conservative government that put an end to the decade of darkness. Every time we bought new equipment, the Liberals opposed it. Now they are again choosing politics over buying the best equipment for our troops. With that kind of record, why would anyone believe them?

Mr. Speaker, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission was established in 1955 by Canada and the U.S. It was established on a fixed cost-sharing basis. The United States has consistently increased annual funding to the commission. In budget 2016, the Liberals failed to support the important work of the commission, which includes protecting our Great Lakes from invasive species such as Asian carp and sea lamprey. Will the fisheries minister please take action to ensure that Canada pays its share to protect our Great Lakes fisheries, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence testified that he could not even provide a ballpark timeline for the jet fighter replacement process. Now we learn that they are sole-sourcing the Super Hornet. Here is great news. The International Business Times reports that Canada's order of the Super Hornet would create thousands of jobs in the United States.Will the minister tell us why he misled Parliament when he was planning to sole source and create thousands of jobs south of the border?

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question and concern. That is why we are working to find a sustainable solution for this important issue.In the last month I have met with dairy farmers and processors right across the country. With the information we have received, we will be able to make decisions to find a long-term, sustainable solution for the dairy industry in our country.This government supports supply management and always has.

Mr. Speaker, maybe the hon. member should have been asking more detailed questions when he was the parliamentary secretary of national defence because I am going to tell the member about a gap that we are also dealing with regarding our joint support ships. That is a gap that was created, a capability gap, and now we do not have joint support ships. We are looking at interim measures. However, we will be ensuring that we replace our fighters before any capability gap gets too big.

Mr. Speaker, the short answer is, yes. I know the member is rightfully concerned by the persistent problem of invasive species. He has identified the Great Lakes as an area of considerable concern. I am really excited, because my colleague, the parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister, will have some very important and significant news on this exact issue, probably in the next 48 hours.

Mr. Speaker, I hope the record will show the excitement of my friends in front of us, on the other side of the House, that I am answering an important question about Atlantic salmon.Our government is committed to the conservation and protection of Atlantic salmon. We understand the importance of this industry, not only to Canadians but to people around the world who come to visit our pristine rivers in provinces like mine. We will always work in the best interest of preserving and protecting Atlantic salmon and its habitat.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Human Rights Watch for its enlightening report.We completely agree that there is an urgent need to fix the lack of clean drinking water on many reserves. We are studying the report to determine how we can best work together to address the specific recommendations in the report.

Mr. Speaker, the safety and well-being of the Azer children are a priority for this government. The Prime Minister did meet with Ms. Azer and reiterated justice. Our parliamentary secretary for consular affairs remains in frequent communication with Ms. Azer. It is important to understand that he is doing all he can as we continue to work both at home and abroad for the children's safe return. We will not stop until the children are reunited with their mother.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to addressing access to justice issues, including properly funding legal aid programs. That is why we committed $88 million in budget 2016. I am proud to say that this morning we committed an additional $30 million annually to the provinces and territories to ensure we modernize our justice system and maintain a culture of rights. Legal aid funding has not been increased in over a decade, and we are pleased to make this announcement.

Mr. Speaker, it has been 299 days since the Azer children were abducted by their father. We now know that the children are in Iran. How much longer do these children need to be in harm's way? When will the government demand that Iran safely return these four Canadian children?

Mr. Speaker, the member for Ottawa South asked an excellent question. I would like to inform the House that, on July 1, there will be a number of celebrations in the greater national capital region, including at Major's Hill Park, on Parliament Hill, of course, at noon and in the evening, and at the Canadian Museum of History.The programming will be very diverse. There is going to be iconic Canadian artists such as Coleman Hell, Les Hay Babies, Coeur de pirate, Metric, and of course, Indian City. I really hope that Canadians from coast to coast to coast will be joining us in Ottawa and if they cannot, they can watch CBC/Radio-Canada—

Mr. Speaker, it will not surprise members that I do not share the pessimistic view of my colleague in the opposition. I have said that we are committed to working both with provincial partners and the Americans on the important challenge of invasive species. We are working particularly with staff members in the province of Quebec on the shared experience they have in response to this important issue in respect to the capture of carp in the St. Lawrence near Montreal. This is why I know that the anticipation is very exciting for my colleague, but he should remain calm. We have very good news coming.

Mr. Speaker, just so the member fully knows, it has interim operability right now. It is not at full operational capability, but we are committed to replacing our fighters. We are going through a thorough process. I will make sure that my officials and I take the time to make sure that we get this right.

Mr. Speaker, we need to ensure that in the Canadian Armed Forces our men and women have the right equipment. We want to ensure that our industry also benefits from the right procurement process. We will go through an appropriate evaluation. When I am good and ready, our government will be announcing it to this House at the appropriate time and to all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of what Liberals have done on refugees.In seven months, we admitted 46,000 refugees, which is twice as many as the Conservatives admitted in a whole year. We re-established refugee health care, which the Conservatives had abolished, and that had been declared unconstitutional. We are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to welcome refugees, including the teaching of English and French.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the replacement of our fighter jets, we are committed to replacing our jet fighters, and we will do so. No decision has been made at this time. However, we are committed to making sure that we get this right. I will make sure that we do a thorough analysis of this. When a full analysis is done, we will make an appropriate announcement in this House and to Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to supporting the mission in Iraq and Syria. Our troops on the training and advising are doing wonderful work. I recently got a briefing from the counter-ISIL mission. Progress is being made. I am very proud of the work our men and women are actually doing on behalf of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign the Prime Minister promised a transparent procurement process for the fighter jets. It seems that the dice are loaded and the deal is sealed. How can the 40 Quebec MPs be okay with jeopardizing aerospace jobs in the greater Montreal area?Can the Prime Minister guarantee that there will be a bidding process and that these 40 MPs will stand up for the aerospace industry and Quebec?

Again, Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated to my hon. colleague who has a great concern for this issue, I have met with dairy farmers, processors and Canadians. They understand that this government fully supports supply management. Even if there are some members of the opposition who do not support supply management, we as a government will find a long-term, sustainable solution so we have a strong dairy industry in our country under the supply management system.

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, it is out of a great deal of respect for Canadians and these institutions that our Prime Minister committed to bringing together an all-party committee to reach out to Canadians, and to hear from them what values and what reforms they would like reflected in their democratic institutions.It is in that spirit of respect and co-operation that we will continue this work.

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, it is out of a great deal of respect for Canadians and these institutions that our Prime Minister committed to bringing together an all-party committee to reach out to Canadians, and to hear from them what values and what reforms they would like reflected in their democratic institutions.It is in that spirit of respect and co-operation that we will continue this work.

Again, Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated to my hon. colleague who has a great concern for this issue, I have met with dairy farmers, processors and Canadians. They understand that this government fully supports supply management. Even if there are some members of the opposition who do not support supply management, we as a government will find a long-term, sustainable solution so we have a strong dairy industry in our country under the supply management system.

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign the Prime Minister promised a transparent procurement process for the fighter jets. It seems that the dice are loaded and the deal is sealed. How can the 40 Quebec MPs be okay with jeopardizing aerospace jobs in the greater Montreal area?Can the Prime Minister guarantee that there will be a bidding process and that these 40 MPs will stand up for the aerospace industry and Quebec?

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to supporting the mission in Iraq and Syria. Our troops on the training and advising are doing wonderful work. I recently got a briefing from the counter-ISIL mission. Progress is being made. I am very proud of the work our men and women are actually doing on behalf of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the replacement of our fighter jets, we are committed to replacing our jet fighters, and we will do so. No decision has been made at this time. However, we are committed to making sure that we get this right. I will make sure that we do a thorough analysis of this. When a full analysis is done, we will make an appropriate announcement in this House and to Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of what Liberals have done on refugees.In seven months, we admitted 46,000 refugees, which is twice as many as the Conservatives admitted in a whole year. We re-established refugee health care, which the Conservatives had abolished, and that had been declared unconstitutional. We are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to welcome refugees, including the teaching of English and French.

Mr. Speaker, we need to ensure that in the Canadian Armed Forces our men and women have the right equipment. We want to ensure that our industry also benefits from the right procurement process. We will go through an appropriate evaluation. When I am good and ready, our government will be announcing it to this House at the appropriate time and to all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, just so the member fully knows, it has interim operability right now. It is not at full operational capability, but we are committed to replacing our fighters. We are going through a thorough process. I will make sure that my officials and I take the time to make sure that we get this right.

Mr. Speaker, it will not surprise members that I do not share the pessimistic view of my colleague in the opposition. I have said that we are committed to working both with provincial partners and the Americans on the important challenge of invasive species. We are working particularly with staff members in the province of Quebec on the shared experience they have in response to this important issue in respect to the capture of carp in the St. Lawrence near Montreal. This is why I know that the anticipation is very exciting for my colleague, but he should remain calm. We have very good news coming.

Mr. Speaker, the member for Ottawa South asked an excellent question. I would like to inform the House that, on July 1, there will be a number of celebrations in the greater national capital region, including at Major's Hill Park, on Parliament Hill, of course, at noon and in the evening, and at the Canadian Museum of History.The programming will be very diverse. There is going to be iconic Canadian artists such as Coleman Hell, Les Hay Babies, Coeur de pirate, Metric, and of course, Indian City. I really hope that Canadians from coast to coast to coast will be joining us in Ottawa and if they cannot, they can watch CBC/Radio-Canada—

Mr. Speaker, it has been 299 days since the Azer children were abducted by their father. We now know that the children are in Iran. How much longer do these children need to be in harm's way? When will the government demand that Iran safely return these four Canadian children?

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to addressing access to justice issues, including properly funding legal aid programs. That is why we committed $88 million in budget 2016. I am proud to say that this morning we committed an additional $30 million annually to the provinces and territories to ensure we modernize our justice system and maintain a culture of rights. Legal aid funding has not been increased in over a decade, and we are pleased to make this announcement.

Mr. Speaker, the safety and well-being of the Azer children are a priority for this government. The Prime Minister did meet with Ms. Azer and reiterated justice. Our parliamentary secretary for consular affairs remains in frequent communication with Ms. Azer. It is important to understand that he is doing all he can as we continue to work both at home and abroad for the children's safe return. We will not stop until the children are reunited with their mother.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Human Rights Watch for its enlightening report.We completely agree that there is an urgent need to fix the lack of clean drinking water on many reserves. We are studying the report to determine how we can best work together to address the specific recommendations in the report.

Mr. Speaker, I hope the record will show the excitement of my friends in front of us, on the other side of the House, that I am answering an important question about Atlantic salmon.Our government is committed to the conservation and protection of Atlantic salmon. We understand the importance of this industry, not only to Canadians but to people around the world who come to visit our pristine rivers in provinces like mine. We will always work in the best interest of preserving and protecting Atlantic salmon and its habitat.

Mr. Speaker, the short answer is, yes. I know the member is rightfully concerned by the persistent problem of invasive species. He has identified the Great Lakes as an area of considerable concern. I am really excited, because my colleague, the parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister, will have some very important and significant news on this exact issue, probably in the next 48 hours.

Mr. Speaker, maybe the hon. member should have been asking more detailed questions when he was the parliamentary secretary of national defence because I am going to tell the member about a gap that we are also dealing with regarding our joint support ships. That is a gap that was created, a capability gap, and now we do not have joint support ships. We are looking at interim measures. However, we will be ensuring that we replace our fighters before any capability gap gets too big.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question and concern. That is why we are working to find a sustainable solution for this important issue.In the last month I have met with dairy farmers and processors right across the country. With the information we have received, we will be able to make decisions to find a long-term, sustainable solution for the dairy industry in our country.This government supports supply management and always has.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence testified that he could not even provide a ballpark timeline for the jet fighter replacement process. Now we learn that they are sole-sourcing the Super Hornet. Here is great news. The International Business Times reports that Canada's order of the Super Hornet would create thousands of jobs in the United States.Will the minister tell us why he misled Parliament when he was planning to sole source and create thousands of jobs south of the border?

Mr. Speaker, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission was established in 1955 by Canada and the U.S. It was established on a fixed cost-sharing basis. The United States has consistently increased annual funding to the commission. In budget 2016, the Liberals failed to support the important work of the commission, which includes protecting our Great Lakes from invasive species such as Asian carp and sea lamprey. Will the fisheries minister please take action to ensure that Canada pays its share to protect our Great Lakes fisheries, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal record under the decade of darkness is clear: they refused to buy any new jets; our troops had to beg for rides, because the Liberals refused to buy any new heavy-lift airplanes; and they sent our troops into the dessert with green uniforms.It was our Conservative government that put an end to the decade of darkness. Every time we bought new equipment, the Liberals opposed it. Now they are again choosing politics over buying the best equipment for our troops. With that kind of record, why would anyone believe them?

Mr. Speaker, the campaign platform of the Liberals said the Syrian refugee initiative would cost $250 million, but total costs to date are nearing in on $1 billion. In spite of this, refugees are not receiving language training, are living in bug-infested apartments, and are having difficulty finding employment. Groups providing services to refugees are struggling.The minister was happy to spend taxpayer money on, yes, a glossy staged photo op at Pearson airport. Why has he not developed a comprehensive plan to support refugees?

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.Advocates within the legal community have repeatedly called upon the federal government to provide more legal aid funding. Adequate funding is essential to operating an efficient and effective justice system, and to protecting vulnerable persons and youth at risk of incarceration. Adequate funding is essential for access to justice.Could the minister inform the House what the Government of Canada is doing to protect the charter rights of Canadians to a fair trial even where they cannot afford a lawyer?

Mr. Speaker, I certainly do not accept the premise of that question.In terms of achievements, I will update the member on a very good number. Ninety-nine per cent of all the refugees are now in permanent housing. While it is true that we do not have precise numbers on jobs and language training, because that takes longer than finding housing, we are certainly investing much money and making much progress in terms of language training. We are working with employers to get jobs for the refugees.We are working hard on all fronts.

Mr. Speaker, I find it ironic and rich for the opposition to talk about an open source full competition and saying we are going to be sole-sourcing the F-35. No decision has been made, but we will be replacing the F-18. When a decision is made, we will be reporting to Canadians and to this House.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' first decision involving our fighter jets was to park them on the sidelines while allies continued to degrade ISIS from the air.Now, the Liberals are making up an imaginary capability gap. They should really listen to the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force who said that our CF-18s have the capability to get the job done until 2025.When the minister claims there is a capability gap, is he saying that the Royal Canadian Air Force is lying?

Mr. Speaker, we believe that environmental sustainability and economic growth go hand in hand. That is why, when we assess these energy projects, we look at all aspects of their consequences on the environment and on jobs for Canadians. The energy east project is not yet before the regulator, and when it is, there will be many months for the members opposite to offer their opinions on both economic growth and environmental sustainability. I invite them to do both of those things.

Mr. Speaker, I wait in anticipation, but the truth is that more than ever we need the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to have the tools it needs to protect our Great Lakes fisheries. Just recently, a commercial fisherman in Quebec reeled in a 29 kilogram Asian carp from the St. Lawrence River. The results will be devastating if an Asian carp population enters the Great Lakes in great numbers, or in any numbers in fact.Why have the Liberals failed to protect an $8.3 billion recreational fishery in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, I will make it very clear. No decision has been made in replacing our CF-18s right now.

Mr. Speaker, today Manitoba is joining Quebec and indeed thousands of Canadians in condemning the government's Bill C-10, which is a get out of jail free card for Air Canada not obeying the law.It is interesting that the recent Liberal nominee to the Senate, André Pratte, said something yesterday that is of a great deal of concern to us. It would appear that there is a deal that Air Canada is threatening if it does not get what it wants.We want to know, on behalf of those workers, what is in the secret deal with Air Canada, why is Senator Pratte saying that if we do not remove the threat of lawsuits, the deal will fall—

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are smart reasonable people which is why an overwhelming majority in the last election voted for electoral reform. We are working on ensuring that we continue the conversation that Canadians began to have with us about modernizing our democratic institutions. We look forward to demonstrating to them and to those who have come before us that in this House co-operation is possible.

Mr. Speaker, we are going to take him at his word, but we will see what their word is worth.The Minister of National Revenue is well aware that we have a major problem with KPMG's super rich clients.While KPMG helped super rich clients dodge their taxes with an illegal offshore tax scam, they were wined and dined with CRA officials and got an amnesty deal for the tax cheats with no penalties.It is a very simple question, very much like the question on Air Canada. Why does the Liberal government believe that wealthy tax evaders and their accountants should be above the law?

Mr. Speaker, we actually satisfied 46,000 Syrian refugees who we admitted in the space of seven months.It is true that in view of the enormous generosity of Canadians, and that is a good thing, who want to support refugees, we have been unable to keep up with the pace of demand for refugees from all these generous Canadians. That is why we have stepped up to the plate. We have committed to bring in all the refugees whose applications were made by March 31. We have sent more officials out into the field. We are working very hard to satisfy the demand of—

Mr. Speaker, our government firmly believes that all Canadians need to pay their fair share. The CRA is currently investigating the taxpayers identified in the KPMG schemes.This matter is before the courts, so I would caution my colleague. I want to reassure all Canadians that no one can shirk their obligations.

Mr. Speaker, as we know, we have committed and we will deliver on no boil water advisories within the next five years.We made a historic investment in budget 2016 of $2.2 billion to improve it. We know we need to do more with supervision regulation. We will get on it. We will get this done.

Mr. Speaker, the real record after seven months is that the minister's officials could not tell us how many refugees were unemployed or how many were using food banks. Later the minister was forced to apologize, after he claimed that the use of food banks by Syrian refugees might have a “cultural element”. Food banks across the country are raising concerns. Costs to the federal government are escalating. The refugees' one year of federal funding is coming to an end.When will the minister admit that he has no plan and no costing to support these refugees?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question.We are very concerned about the United States' action on this file. We are in regular contact with the stakeholders, including Resolute.Our team is also in contact with the office of Quebec's minister of forestry and the economy. We have called for the creation of a special binational panel under chapter 19 of NAFTA , and we participated in consultations in Washington on the creation of a World Trade Organization panel. We will defend Canadians' interests.

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, it was the previous government that cut over $3 billion from the budget. Our government is committed to making sure that we purchase the right equipment for our troops, and that is exactly what we are going to do.

Mr. Speaker, the National Post quoted a former Royal Canadian Air Force officer and pilot who contradicted the government's claims. He says that there is no reason to rush to replace the CF-18s and purchase the Super Hornet. There is enough time to hold an open competition to choose the best aircraft to replace our CF-18s. It is hard to understand why the Liberals are in such a rush.Can the minister explain the capability gap? Is this part of Boeing's sales pitch?

Mr. Speaker, all of our service chiefs, including the commander of the air force, have the job of ensuring they get the job done with the resources they have. However, we are risk-managing a gap between our NORAD and NATO commitments at this time. I want to make it clear that our air force and CF-18s do tremendous work on a daily basis, whether air policing in Europe or training here, and responding to our NORAD commitments.

Mr. Speaker, the minister clearly still does not get it. The government does not respect the millions of Canadian voters who would like to have a say on how they elect their representatives to this place, and is limiting that consultation to the few hundred people that show up as hand-picked witnesses at a parliamentary committee.Why does she disagree with the wisdom of 73% of Canadians who believe that this Parliament should observe the long-standing convention in other Westminster parliaments and Canadian provinces of allowing the voters to decide instead of politicians?

Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to providing an innovation agenda to help grow the economy and create prosperity. We will be working with all members of the House by shortly announcing this innovation agenda. We will be taking a look at different aspects of where Canada's economy should be, whether that is in the clean tech sector, in incubators, or in the manufacturing sector. We are also looking forward to the committee report from the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology on the manufacturing sector and the additive manufacturing sector. We believe in growing this economy and creating prosperity and jobs for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the government promised to fix the diafiltered milk problem, but it is taking its sweet time, and farmers are paying the price.The fact is, the government does not want to upset the Americans. Sooner or later, the Liberals will have to pick a side: either they defend supply management and take a stand, or they let the United States tell them what to do.Why is the Liberal government protecting American farmers instead of Canadian farmers?

Mr. Speaker, the only crisis that has been created is that of the previous government not replacing our jet fighters sooner. As I stated, the commander of the air force does tremendous work with all the assets he has and conducts risk management with all our missions. We are in a gap situation right now between our NORAD and NATO commitments.

Mr. Speaker, that is certainly not what the Liberals are doing. Our acceptance of refugees is based on those who are most vulnerable, as determined by the United Nations, irrespective of religion.I might point out that in seven short months, we admitted twice as many refugees as the previous government did in a whole year, so I am proud of our record on refugees, especially compared to the previous government's.

Mr. Speaker, there is no deal. The reason we proceeded with modifications to the Air Canada Public Participation Act has been stated very many times. It is to clear up the possibility of future litigation. It is because the Quebec and Manitoba governments arrived at an arrangement with Air Canada to drop that litigation and, at the same time, we felt it was necessary to give Air Canada a more level playing field because it has to compete with other commercial, domestic, and international airlines.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House said yes to establishing an all-party committee to study the options available for Canadians for their electoral reform, to reach out to those pockets in our communities that are not often reached out to, to hear from those who are often marginalized in the process, and to come back to the House with a proposal. I look forward to the co-operative and collaborative nature that the committee will work in, in the same spirit that it was established, and I look forward to working with the member opposite.

Mr. Speaker, in their election platform, the Liberals said, “We will immediately launch an open and transparent competition to replace the CF-18 fighter aircraft.”Six months later, the Liberals are back to their shenanigans. They want to award a multi-billion dollar contract without a bidding process to create jobs in the United States.Can the minister tell us how many jobs will be lost here in Canada as a result of his party's arbitrary about-face?

Mr. Speaker, the government is inventing a crisis that does not exist in order to acquire Super Hornet fighters. The only ones who are talking about a capability gap are the minister and the parliamentary secretary.I would like to remind members that on April 14, in committee, General Hood said, “We have enough trained personnel; we have enough aircraft and enough maintenance people...and we have the money...to operate.”By saying that there is a capability gap, is the government suggesting that the Royal Canadian Air Force is lying?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps claiming that the electoral reform process is more complex than a yes or no in a referendum. Apparently, the Prime Minister is so arrogant that he thinks Canadians will not understand the choices, or maybe he is so arrogant that he thinks Canadians do not deserve the final say on changes to their electoral system. Either way, it seems that the Prime Minister seems to think that the only opinion that matters is his. Why will the Prime Minister not let Canadians decide this fundamental choice on their democracy through a referendum?

Mr. Speaker, just imagine. The Prime Minister thinks electoral reform is too complex for Canadians to have a say. Every democratic government in the world uses referenda to make decisions about issues as complex as separating or uniting nations.Is the Prime Minister saying that Canadians are less intelligent than citizens of other countries?Will he finally listen to all the analysts, his own Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Canadians and promise to hold a referendum so that all Canadians can have their say?

Not future litigation, Mr. Speaker, it was litigation to force Air Canada to respect an existing law of the Parliament of Canada. That is what is at stake here. Senator Pratte is making it quite clear that he has knowledge about a deal.Will the minister say to this House and to Canadians from his seat that there is no such deal with Air Canada? Is that what he is telling Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised during the election to fix the NEB's broken review of the Kinder Morgan pipeline, but instead they just added a smokescreen to the gutted Conservative review process. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and B.C. first nation leaders from Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations are in Ottawa today sounding the alarm on the Liberals' flawed environmental review process.Is the Prime Minister really planning to dismiss their concerns as easily as he broke his promise to British Columbians on the Kinder Morgan pipeline review?

Mr. Speaker, we are letting others walk all over us. The Kénogami mill will be closed for 11 days because of the 18% export tax on supercalendered paper.As if that were not enough, we seem to be headed straight for a fifth trade war with the United States over softwood lumber. Everyone has sounded the alarm. Thousands of jobs are at stake, including 5,000 in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. The government promised us a solution within 100 days. That deadline is now 10 days away, and mills are already closing.What will the Prime Minister do, and when will he do it?

Mr. Speaker, one of the Prime Minister's first actions was to pull our CF-18s from the fight against ISIS and the genocide being waged against the Yazidis and other minorities. Now the Liberals claim a so-called urgent need to replace jets they do not even want to use. What could be more urgent than protecting vulnerable people from the atrocities of genocide? If the Prime Minister will not even use our fighter jets to destroy and degrade ISIS, what exactly is he going to use them for?

Mr. Speaker, the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces are among our country's greatest assets and parliamentarians often wish to visit military bases such as Base Gagetown in the riding I represent, to establish relationships and learn about our Armed Forces. The previous government restricted members' access by requiring ministerial approval for such visits, significantly hampering opposition members.Could the Minister of National Defence share what measures he has taken to improve access to military bases for all parliamentarians?

Mr. Speaker, the government House leader has found himself a new part-time job as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, but the rules from the Ethics Commissioner leave him unable to properly manage a number of important files in the department.We would like to know if Irving shipyards has completed the warranty work on the mid-shore patrol ships to the satisfaction of the Canadian Coast Guard? Wait a minute, the minister's conflict will not let him answer that question. Could someone else on that side stand and answer it for us.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday CIBC's former chief economist said that the energy east pipeline makes no sense from a strictly economic standpoint.Last week the Parkland Institute demonstrated that Canada cannot expand its energy sector and reduce its greenhouse gas reduction targets without destroying all other economic sectors. Between the economy, the environment, and the oil sands, one of them will perish.As long as we are talking about democratic reform, I propose a preferential vote on this. Can the government specify, in order of preference, which of the three it would like to sacrifice?

I will refer to the comments of the Prime Minister on the F-35s.Yesterday, the Prime Minister expressed doubts about the capabilities of the F-35 fighter jet. There are already 185 of these jets in service. Eleven allies, including the United States, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy, have already decided to continue investing in this program.Can the Prime Minister explain why allied countries, except for Canada, are buying this aircraft? Is he questioning the judgment of our allies?

Mr. Speaker, there is no such deal.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, we are committed to replacing our fighters and we will do so, but no decision has been made at this time.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said yesterday that Conservatives are the only ones pushing for a referendum. I guess the Prime Minister must have missed that poll showing 73% of Canadians want a referendum.Canadians understand that any consultation process that takes place as to the form of an electoral reform proposal is different, separate from, and prior to the actual yes or no decision. When a legislative proposal is finally made by the government to change the way we vote, will Canadians get a yes or no decision in a referendum?

Mr. Speaker, we are looking forward to within nine days from today all parties bringing forward the names of the individuals they would like represented on this committee so the committee can begin its work.

Mr. Speaker, I will give the member a bit of an education on the work that is actually being done in Halifax. It is not working on Coast Guard ships; it is working on the combat ships. All of the Coast Guard work is being done by Seaspan in Vancouver, so there is no conflict of interest on behalf of my hon. colleague.

Mr. Speaker, one would hope that the procurement minister would know what a mid-shore patrol ship is. However, warranty work on the patrol ships is not the only file the part-time minister cannot deal with. Canada's Atlantic salmon are in jeopardy, and the minister finds himself in another conflict. The Irvings are involved in the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the minister's advisory panel on the Atlantic salmon. Will the minister act on the recommendations to protect Atlantic salmon? Wait, I forgot, he cannot he deal with that file either. Maybe someone else on that side could stand up and deal with it.

Mr. Speaker, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Kitchener has raised $70,000 to privately sponsor a Syrian refugee family.This family passed all needed security and health checks in February, but is still waiting to come to Canada. The church and family were told they would arrive in Canada by the end of February. Well, here we are three months and $7,000 later, and all anyone has received is a form letter from the Prime Minister.Why have the Liberals failed one more Syrian refugee family?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals ran on a platform of growing the economy from the heart out. Since December, Canada has lost over 51,000 manufacturing jobs and fallen to 10th place in the world in business competitiveness. Output is dropping, unemployment is rising, and the heart out approach is not working.When will the Liberals stop ripping the heart out of Canadian manufacturers?

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the government is failing to protect supply management and Canadian dairy farmers.Canada has rules on diafiltered milk, but the government is not applying them, and that is sad. Every day Canadian farmers lose money and American farmers get more money. The Liberals have broken their promise to fix this problem. Instead of solutions, all we get is consultation and farmers are losing money. In other words, delay, and we are wasting time. Farmers do not need more consultation. They are done. The time is up. The government needs to act.When will the government finally stand up on these trade issues and defend Canadian dairy farmers?

Mr. Speaker, Liberals were elected on a promise to make it easier for Canadians to find an affordable home. However, with housing prices up 30% in Toronto since 2014, and 37% in greater Vancouver in the last year alone, what has the government done?The Minister of Finance announced a study, and made it harder for middle-class Canadians to get a mortgage. We do not need another study to prove that water is wet, and the CMHC changes target the wrong buyers. This is a crisis. Where is the real action from the government?

Mr. Speaker, we recognize the importance of housing to Canadians. We recognize the very real challenge of people in Vancouver and Toronto as the housing market is active. Upon coming into office, we immediately took a look at measures on which we could move forward. We did so in December by moving some rules around down payments for expensive homes. We are doing a deep dive to look at all evidence around the issues that are impacting our housing market so as we make decisions we can make them with evidence to keep this market strong for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the only real gap that exists is the Liberal credibility gap. The flaws in the Liberal decision to sole source were pointed out by the former head of procurement for National Defence, who said, “It’s not good for the men and women in uniform, the taxpayer, or the industrial benefits.”If the minister goes ahead with this, it will cost thousands of Canadians their jobs. When will the Prime Minister put the interests of our troops, taxpayers, and Canadian workers ahead of those of the Liberal Party?

Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure on January 27, with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, to announce a new set of rules in order to re-establish some kind of Canadian confidence in the regulatory system that, unfortunately, was broken after the last 10 years.We have added time for a panel of three distinguished western Canadians to hear the concerns of the mayor of Vancouver, the mayor of Calgary, and indigenous communities up and down the line, so at the end people will say, “We have confidence in the regulatory process.”

Mr. Speaker, we are counting on the wisdom of Canadians, of indigenous persons, women, those in rural and remote communities, those with—

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that our government has fulfilled its commitment and has reversed the policy of the previous Conservative government. Members of Parliament and senators no longer require ministerial approval in order to visit a military establishment. Requests are now only subject to the discretion of the base commander or a commanding officer. It is important for parliamentarians and senators to have unimpeded access to our military all across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, international Human Rights Watch has called out the government for the systemic water crisis on indigenous reserves. Not only are families getting sick or suffering bacterial infections, we have had youth die from mercury poisoning at sites like Grassy Narrows that should have been cleaned up years ago.The Prime Minister made a personal commitment to have clean drinking water in every single community within five years, but government documents show it will not get close to that target because it is shortchanging the commitment by billions. Why is the government continuing this shameful legacy of leaving indigenous families at risk?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Human Rights Watch released a damning report on access to drinking water in indigenous communities.The organization believes this issue is the direct result of discrimination against first nations in this country. There are no regulations and there is a flagrant lack of oversight. People's health is being put at risk, and this is a violation of their human rights. Can the government share its plan to put an end to this inhumane crisis, which has been going on for far too long?

Mr. Speaker, a few days ago the Minister of Canadian Heritage held a press conference to outline the Canada Day 2016 activities in the national capital region.This year, we will be celebrating the 149th anniversary of Confederation, and as we head into a big year of celebrations, I would like to ask my hon. colleague what activities Canadian Heritage has planned for Canada's birthday on July 1 in the national capital region?

Mr. Speaker, on International Women's Day, I asked the Prime Minister if he would take action to help protect Yazidi girls who have been forced to be sex slaves by ISIS. I asked if he would step up and ensure that Yazidi girls get placed in the joint sponsorship program so they can come to Canada. He had no answer. Yesterday we learned that another 19 Yazidi girls were burned alive for refusing to become sex slaves to ISIS terrorists. After three months of silence, I am still waiting for an answer. Why are the Liberals turning a blind eye to the atrocities being committed against these girls?

Mr. Speaker, it is completely false to say that this matter is before the courts because, if it were, it would be public. One thing about our courts is that the cases are public. You are hiding the names. KPMG was ordered to provide a list of names 30 days ago and it has refused to do so. Why protect people who are breaking the law?The F-35 is another example of a broken promise.After saying that the Conservatives were wrong on the F-35, they were the ones who started the program, the Liberals said they would cancel it. Now they would sole source the next jet fighter.Will they please explain to us the difference between the F-35 and the new jet fighter if the problem is sole-sourcing? Why the contradiction?