Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the justice minister said her problem with mandatory sentences was the charter. I should not have to point out to her that the most serious mandatory sentence is for murder, and that has been upheld by the courts for the last 35 years. Taking away mandatory sentences is about giving breaks to murderers, rapists, child abusers, drunk drivers, and drug dealers.When will the Liberals change their tune and start standing up for victims and their families?
Mr. Speaker, the PM is consistent. He says nothing everywhere.The Prime Minister is fuelling cynicism by breaking his promise of electoral reform and thumbing his nose at the thousands of people who believed in him in good faith. I witnessed this again last Friday when I spoke with university students in Rimouski. These bright young people are now disappointed and distrustful. They are wondering when they will be able to believe politicians again. They are even wondering whether they will ever vote again. What a mess. Growing up, I was taught that I needed to apologize if I ever broke a promise.Will the Prime Minister apologize for misleading Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, yet again the Liberal government is going down the same failed fiscal road travelled so heavily by Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Liberals. Ontario has over 400 user fees. Make no mistake, they are a tax on the middle class and those working hard to join it.We know the Liberals have never met a tax or user fee they did not like. Since the federal Liberals are following the same disastrous playbook as Ontario with out-of-control spending and massive deficits, what user fees are these Liberals planning to raise on hard-working taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, apparently the ethics commissioner was not satisfied with the defence the Prime Minister attempted to use to clear up the ethical mess of his new year's trip. As a matter of fact, she confirmed in writing yesterday that she is launching yet another formal investigation.The ethics commissioner, like all Canadians, is not buying the Prime Minister's nonsensical talking points, so when will the Prime Minister admit that he broke the rules, and finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, in last year's Liberal budget, Canadians were hit hard by new taxes on savings, payroll, and carbon. The self-employed were hit, and even children's arts and fitness classes. Canadians are sick and tired of feeling nickelled and dimed by the Prime Minister, and now we are hearing that he might even make it more expensive to go camping.Having already raised taxes on Canadians, does the Prime Minister really think it is fair to do it all over again?
Mr. Speaker, after five years of contamination, water quality aboard Canadian Coast Guard vessels is now making headlines.Apparently there are several problems, possibly including the use of Interline paint with or without a solvent. Crew members are increasingly worried about their health because of toxic substances in the water and substances not detected by quality tests.Can the minister tell us if he is aware of the problem and what he plans to do to protect the health of these crew members?
Mr. Speaker, the minister clearly has not been to the community.The union reps presented the minister and his staff with detailed facts that his department will not share with Canadians. For example, Vegreville employees are right this minute working on new overflow cases from other processing centres, like they have done many times before. However, according to the minister, staff in Vegreville do not fit the requirements to process work from across the global departmental network. Will the minister finally admit that his excuses for closing this office are complete nonsense and unfounded?
Mr. Speaker, silence gives consent. When he was elected, the Prime Minister said that he would stand up for human rights around the world. Yesterday, he met with President Trump.Did he take the opportunity, without preaching or lecturing, to share with the president his concerns that Canadians are facing discriminatory and dangerous measures? In short, did he stand up for human rights or did he do nothing?
Mr. Speaker, instead of blaming mandatory minimums for a delay, the minister should look in the mirror, because it is this minister who has failed to appoint judges in a timely manner, which has resulted in serious criminal cases being thrown out. Murder cases are being thrown out. Sexual assault cases are being thrown out. Yesterday charges against a father accused of breaking the ankles of his infant were thrown out. We have dozens of judicial vacancies. How many more cases are going to be thrown out before the minister starts doing her job?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister refused to denounce Trump's travel ban apparently because he was in Washington, yet no matter where he has been, the Prime Minister has actually never criticized Trump's racist immigration policies, even though they are having a direct impact on Canadians.From Vietnam to Iraq, Canada has a proud history of standing up to the U.S. on issues of principle. Now that he is back safe and sound on Canadian soil, will the Prime Minister summon the courage to denounce Trump's immigration policies?
Mr. Speaker, I think the damage being done right now is by the Prime Minister to the faith that Canadians placed in him in the last election.Canadians expected better from this Prime Minister, yet last week he said the decision to turn his back on a solemn promise to fix our electoral system was my decision to make. I hate to break it to him, but it was not. That decision was made by the Canadian voters and only by the Canadian voters. When someone breaks a promise, they must first admit it, apologize for breaking faith, and work 10 times harder to regain the trust that has been lost.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and at the very least apologize to Canadians for having broken his promise on electoral reform, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, anyone who can count knows that giving people more money is just fine when it is available. However, if we go into debt or run deficits, our children and grandchildren will be footing the bill. That does not make sense. That is basic economics.Students are also being targeted by the government. Can the government assure us that it will not touch the education savings plans of almost five million Canadians, who would be directly affected by this other bad Liberal decision?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals took months to finally meet with the union representing employees of the case processing centre in Vegreville. Yesterday, it gave proof that the decision to close the office is unfounded, and that the quality of work being done by employees is exemplary and regularly surpasses departmental expectations.I know that staff are scrambling to justify their advice, but is the minister now prepared to do the right thing, respect Vegreville families and rural Alberta and reverse this heartless decision?
Mr. Speaker, we continue to stand with the men and women of the armed forces of Canada, who do an extraordinary job serving their country, some in very dangerous places, but all with a tremendous amount of commitment to their country and to the work they do. With what we are doing around veterans, what we are doing around procurement, and what we are doing around much-needed investments in the extraordinary men and women who serve this country, we will take no lessons from the members opposite.
No, nothing's free around here.Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has betrayed the middle class. In his first year, he introduced new taxes on savings, payroll, carbon, the self-employed, children's arts and fitness classes, tuition, and textbooks. We can use simple arithmetic here. It is clear that the tax bill for the ordinary Joe has gone way up. Why is the Prime Minister making the middle class pay for his reckless spending?
Mr. Speaker, the intention of this government, my intention, is to do a comprehensive review of the Criminal Code, a review that has not been done since the early 1980s. The previous government sought to do a piecemeal approach to amending the Criminal Code. We are undertaking our review to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system and ensuring that the legislation that we put forward is meeting its objectives. That is why we are studying the mandatory minimum penalties. I look forward to having more to say about this in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, when I heard the Prime Minister, a Liberal MP, the head of the Liberal Party, and the founder of Canada 2020 took a private helicopter and were hosted by the Aga Khan for a week on a private island, I knew immediately this was against multiple rules. The ethics commissioner has examined the evidence for over a month, and during this time the Prime Minister has had the opportunity to alleviate her concerns. The fact that she is proceeding with a formal investigation speaks volumes. Will the Prime Minister just admit he broke his rules and admit there is no defence for his unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is going to be busy. We cannot throw a snowball around here without hitting a commissioner investigating the Prime Minister. He is under two ethics investigations as it is right now. We have the lobbying commissioner looking into his friends. We have the language commissioner, even, looking into things. The Prime Minister is under all these investigations. He has no regard for the ethics laws. He just does whatever he wants. Does the Prime Minister really think he is above the law and the ethics rules do not apply to him?
Mr. Speaker, the previous government had to deal with the worst economic crisis since the Second World War. Despite having to deal with that, we had an operating surplus and balanced the budget.About the carbon tax. Why are the Liberals not talking about its repercussions? They are hiding the numbers. It will have an impact on Canadian families. The numbers were redacted in the information our party received.Why is that? What impact will this carbon tax have on an average family?
Mr. Speaker, I want to be perfectly clear. We will not be appealing this judgment. We want to get to the table as quickly as possible and be able to put in place the remedies necessary around language and culture, and all that these people lost during this dreadful chapter in our history.
Mr. Speaker, what is happening here is the Prime Minister is trying to soak up every dime of extra tax money that he can find. Now he has dispatched his tax collectors halfway around the world to the front lines of the war against ISIS. He is taking away a tax break for our troops who are stationed in Kuwait, costing each of them up to $1,800 a month. We know he plans to hike a whole range of taxes in the budget, but will he at least today commit to not taxing our troops?
Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago the Prime Minister heard first-hand the struggle of Ontarians who are facing out-of-control hydro rates at the hand of his mentor, Kathleen Wynne. Struggling Ontarians cannot afford the Prime Minister's plan to make a bad situation far worse by adding more costs through a carbon tax. A carbon tax would increase the costs of almost everything from gas to groceries.When will the Prime Minister abandon this irresponsible tax on everything, and start defending the interests of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect any Prime Minister to do two things: both defend Canadian values and stand up for the jobs and growth that we need. That is exactly what I have been doing, and that is what I will always do.We were able to make sure that Americans understood fully and completely how many good jobs on both sides of the border depend on the close working relationship we have. That is what we will continue to focus on.
Mr. Speaker, the media is reporting that the Minister of Justice is looking into reducing or even getting rid of the majority of minimum sentences for criminals. I cannot wait to see what initiatives the minister might put in place to protect victims instead of conducting studies to abolish minimum sentences.Could the minister explain the motivation behind these measures and what minimum sentences she wants to eliminate?
Mr. Speaker, on top of all of that, the Prime Minister's largest middle-class tax hike is being kept a secret. His government has a study in its possession showing that the carbon tax will hit middle- and low-income Canadians the hardest, but despite demands from the opposition, it has refused to release the numbers.If the Prime Minister is so proud of this carbon tax, why does he not release the numbers? What happened to transparency?
Mr. Speaker, after more than a year of questionable ethics, the Prime Minister has finally reached rock bottom.The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner finds that there is cause to launch a formal investigation into the Prime Minister's vacation on the Aga Khan's private island, despite the answers the Prime Minister himself provided to the commissioner's questions.Now that he is formally under investigation, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, forestry is a major industry in my riding of South OkanaganWest Kootenay, and tens of thousands of jobs in British Columbia are dependent on that sector. The last time this sector was hit with American tariffs, the industry was devastated. Did the Prime Minister stand up for Canadian forestry workers and communities when he met with President Trump? When will the government develop a plan B to be ready for new American tariffs?
Mr. Speaker, from Quebec's perspective, supply management, diafiltered milk, spent fowl, and the softwood lumber agreement do not need mere tweaks. The word outstanding is just as important as the word tweaks. This is major for thousands of Quebec workers, their families, and our regions.Other than shedding crocodile tears if negotiations do not go its way, does the federal government have a plan to make sure that the interests of workers from all regions of Quebec are not dismissed when the American negotiators make their so-called tweaks?
Mr. Speaker, on the heels of yesterday's meetings in Washington, in an official release from House Speaker Paul Ryan, the U.S. is warning that it wants improved market access for America's dairy farmers. We all know that means our supply-managed sectors will be on the table. Again, we see the Liberals in backroom conversations that are not being shared with Canadians. Thousands of jobs and families depend on Canada standing up for a fair deal. When will the Liberal government start telling Canadians the truth about NAFTA, and what exactly are the Liberals prepared to tweak?
Mr. Speaker, that is precisely the problem. If the government maintains the status quo, then, according to the Department of Finance, we are heading toward a debt of $1.5 trillion by 2050. That is the bill, the gift, that the Liberals are giving to our children and grandchildren. The Liberals are hurting not just our grandchildren, but also our seniors with their serious talk of eliminating income splitting and the age credit amounts. Could the Minister of Finance assure Canadians and especially seniors that he will not touch these two very important benefits for our seniors?
Mr. Speaker, in last year's budget, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of 10 Canadian families with a larger tax-free cheque every month that they can spend on things like groceries, school supplies, new clothes for their kids. These are the kinds of things that make a huge difference and we were able to do it because we ended the Conservative practice of sending child benefits to millionaire families and, instead, delivered them to the people who really need them.In this year's budget, I thank the member opposite, we are going to be featuring the fact that going to visit our national parks anywhere across the country for Canada's 150th birthday will be absolutely free.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure Canadians that our program will help families who are truly dealing with some extraordinary challenges, by allocating more money. This year, we will continue to add more measures for the middle class, measures that will give more money to families in every sector of our economy. That is our goal. We will continue in that vein and that will be good for Canadian families.
Mr. Speaker, for almost 30 years families across Canada have been marching on Valentine's Day with Sisters in Spirit to honour the memory of murdered and missing indigenous women and girls. We are glad the national inquiry was announced, but the government promised it would act right away to prevent further tragedies. More than 700 recommendations over two decades remain waiting for this government to act on, so there is a lot that can be done right now. What will the government do now to prevent no more stolen sisters?
Mr. Speaker, today, an Ontario judge ruled in favour of those affected by the sixties scoop.I have a simple question for the minister: will she give us her word in the House today that her government will not appeal this decision?After the Ontario court found Canada liable for failing to protect survivors of the Sixties Scoop from losing their cultural identity, I have a very simple question for the minister. Will her government uphold this ruling? A simple yes or no would suffice.
Mr. Speaker, Cyrus Reporter, a senior adviser to the Prime Minister, who used to be a lobbyist, has just taken a job as a lobbyist again. The Liberals tell us not to worry because he is not going to be lobbying his friends. Instead, he will just be coaching other lobbyists on how to lobby his Liberal friends.This clearly goes against the spirit of the Lobbying Act, which is supposed to prevent this revolving door of Liberal lobbyists. How can the Liberals explain this blatant attempt to get around the law? Where is their integrity?
Mr. Speaker, I believe that so many of the women marching today do expect results, and they do not expect to wait for the recommendations of a commission. The commission is looking at all of those previous reports, but right now we know we need to act on shelter space, better housing, and the reforms of the child welfare system and the grievous harm that was done not only to the children that were taken, but also the moms who were left behind.We will get on with these things right now. We will not be waiting for the results of the commission.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect their government to act responsibly and do things right. That is exactly what we are focusing on. We are going to protect our democracy. We are going to strengthen cybersecurity for the parties, make fundraising more transparent, and work to ensure that it is easy to vote by cleaning up the mess the Conservative Party made of our electoral system.We are going to improve our democracy, and we are going to do it the right way for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate the member for Vimy on the excellent work she is doing on behalf of her constituents.Our government is committed to supporting innovative projects aimed at meeting the needs of homeless people, including youth, indigenous people, women, and veterans. Budget 2016 allocated an additional $112 million to the homelessness partnering strategy, the first investment from the Canadian government since 1999.Our national housing strategy will expand its efforts across the continuum of housing needs for our families.
Mr. Speaker, 140 communities in British Columbia are dependent on forestry industry. This equates to roughly 65,000 jobs in just one single province. Yesterday, the Prime Minister left the Minister of Natural Resources at home alone, and there is no evidence that the Prime Minister brought this agreement up once. It is not even mentioned in one minister's mandate letter. It is clear yet again that softwood lumber and forestry workers are not a priority for these Liberals. Will the minister make softwood lumber a priority and make sure a deal is in place before a single forestry worker loses a job as a result of his and her inaction?
Mr. Speaker, the 2016 census figures show a worrisome trend in eastern Quebec. While the population of Canada increased by 5% over the past five years, the population of the Lower St. Lawrence region and the Gaspé dropped by 1.3% and 4%, respectively. Will the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development commit to scrapping the disastrous policies that prevent our businesses from keeping jobs in the region, or would he rather see our young people continue to move to large urban centres?
Mr. Speaker, we were elected on a campaign commitment to help the middle class, to grow the middle class, and help those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. The members opposite in the Conservative Party voted against that. They did not want to lower taxes on the middle class and they certainly did not want to raise them on the wealthiest 1%, but we knew that that was what we needed to do to show Canadians that we were focused on growing the economy, helping the middle class, and actually putting more money into the pockets of people who need it right across the country.
Mr. Speaker, in the last election, Canadians voted for a change from a government that had been unable to deliver on economic growth for the middle class, had been unable to deliver the kind of vision for this country that Canadians need.We made commitments to grow the middle class, to work to restore faith in our democracy, and to continue to demonstrate that Canada deserves better. That is exactly what we are delivering every day, working very hard for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand up to once again say that we are conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including sentencing reform, which includes mandatory minimum penalties. We are not opposed to mandatory minimum penalties for the most serious of offences, but we are doing a comprehensive review of those mandatory minimums in terms of their constitutionality. The courts have spoken quite clearly about it. What we are committed to doing in this review is to ensure that we uphold public safety, have respect for victims, and ensure that we are approaching the justice system in a smart and effective way.
Mr. Speaker, between 2009 and the last election, 1.3 million new jobs were created in Canada, most of which were full-time jobs. That is the previous government's record. We managed to balance the budget and create a surplus.During the election campaign, the Liberals promised a small deficit of $10 billion, which was actually already huge. Now they are talking about triple that amount, that is, a deficit between $20 billion and $30 billion. It makes no sense. They talk about an infrastructure plan, but it will be on the backs of our grandchildren, who will have to pay down that debt in the future.Which taxes do the Liberals plan to raise in order to balance the budget?
Mr. Speaker, we will continue defending the interests of Canadians, such as reducing emissions and growing a clean economy. That is exactly what carbon pricing would do. I would like to remind the member that our carbon pricing will not come in until 2018, and all revenues will be given back to the provinces.We are committed to growing a clean economy, reducing emissions, and ensuring a more sustainable future for our children.
Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to stand up for our farmers, producers, and their families.In Washington yesterday and in the meeting with Speaker Paul Ryan, I strongly defended our dairy sector, as I always do and as I am proud to do. We will look out for the interests of Canadians and their jobs. We will fiercely defend the national interest and will stand up for our values while doing so.
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner has launched an investigation into the Prime Minister's exclusive vacations. This is unprecedented. Actually, it is more like déjà vu, in that this is the second investigation of the Prime Minister that the commissioner has had to undertake.Will the Prime Minister now admit that he broke two separate laws? Will he finally assume responsibility for his actions?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to trade, our government gets it done. Our friends south of the border, want do more trade with us
Mr. Speaker, a picture of daddy and a handshaking contest, that about sums up the meeting between the Prime Minister and President Trump. Let us not forget the President's statement in which he said that NAFTA needs to be tweaked. Will our forestry workers, our dairy producers, and our farmers be the ones on the hook for these tweaks, these minor adjustments? We know that Quebec's interests seem minor to Ottawa, but will they be minor in discussions on free trade with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, businesses, citizens, all Canadians benefit from government services. We need to, on an ongoing basis, review the transparency and strengthen the oversight over the user fees that pay for those services. We need to make sure that all people and all organizations which benefit from those services pay a fair share. That includes big businesses. It is important that middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class are not footing the bill disproportionately for those services. We will treat all Canadians fairly.
Mr. Speaker, our government understands that the economy and the environment go hand in hand. Our government committed to a cleaner, more innovative economy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates good jobs.I encourage the member to look at that instead of a document that was prepared in 2015 under the previous Conservative government. We will keep working for the middle class, we will keep reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and we will create good jobs for Canadians.
Take it easy, guys. We know what happened yesterday.We are voting on two agreements today, the Ukrainian agreement and the European agreement. The fishing industry in our province of Nova Scotia is very excited about these agreements.Could the Minister of International Trade tell this House how these agreements would benefit middle-class Canadians and what the next steps are toward implementing the CETA agreement?
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the House that the previous Conservative government allowed the old agreement to expire. Our government is vigorously defending the interests of Canadian softwood workers and producers. In Washington last week with Secretary Tillerson I defended our producers, and yesterday in Washington the Prime Minister did that with energy and vigour, and I did too. We will continue to work closely with our producers, our workers, and the provinces and territories. We are seeking a good deal for Canada, not just any deal.
Mr. Speaker, unlike some other people in this House, I always say the same thing, regardless of where I am. I will say the same thing in Ottawa as I say in Washington.
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians know, there are always times when we do not agree with our partners and allies and, in this case, with the United States.We will always be respectful, clear, and honest when we express our disagreement. We will also continue to focus on what unites our countries and the concerns we share. This includes shared concerns about jobs and a shared desire to help the middle class. We talked a lot about how we will build a prosperous economy for the middle class on both sides of the border.
Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of our employees is top priority of the Canadian Coast Guard. These men and women work hard every day to ensure the safety of mariners in our marine environment.There were two complaints about the quality of drinking water aboard Coast Guard vessels. The complaints process included the participation of employees, unions, subject matter specialists, and managers.According to the final decision, the Coast Guard satisfied its obligations with respect to its employees and drinking water, and will continue to do so in every circumstance.
Mr. Speaker, homelessness is a serious issue of national importance.In June, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development announced additional funding for the homelessness partnering strategy, part of which will be invested in the innovative solutions to homelessness stream. Can the minister explain how this increased funding will help communities better combat homelessness, which affects women, indigenous people, and vulnerable youth most of all?
Mr. Speaker, as a former bus driver, I want to convey our thoughts and prayers for the Winnipeg Transit bus operator who was stabbed last night while serving his community and on duty.I want to thank the hon. member for his question and his hard work. On Friday, in partnership with the municipalities and the Province of Ontario, we announced 79 transit projects in 29 municipalities. From new buses in Milton, Renfrew, and Orillia, to new transit shelters in Huntsville
Mr. Speaker, for almost 10 years, we in the House watched the previous government wrap itself in the flag while it nickelled and dimed veterans, completely botched the procurement processes, and did everything it could to talk a good game, but not deliver for the men and women of the Canadian Forces.We are focused on delivering what is necessary in terms of equipment, in terms of support, and in terms of honour and value to the extraordinary men and women who serve this country on the front lines and everywhere around the world.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.Our government will continue to defend our farmers, our producers, and their families. We will continue to defend Canada's forestry industry, and that includes Quebec's forestry industry.Yesterday in Washington, we were strong and proud as we championed our farmers, our producers, and our forestry industry. We will continue in that vein.We will vigorously defend our national interest, and we will remain faithful to Canadian values.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have appointed many judges to superior courts across this country, as well as reconstituting the judicial advisory committees to ensure that we appoint a diversity of judges to the superior courts. I will continue to make those appointments.I would point out that in doing a broad review of the criminal justice system, I am working in a concerted way with my colleagues in the provinces and territories, who are responsible for the administration of justice. We are putting forward a comprehensive plan because there is no one solution to resolve the court delays. We are going to, most assuredly, address them.
Mr. Speaker, Corporal Terra Janz is a veteran who is being denied a benefit for a disability, which her specialist and family doctor say was caused as a result of her military service. As a condition of her disability, she must self-catheterize, which is something she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She is being denied this benefit on the basis that her disability is a medical event common to women.When did the Prime Minister decide that being a woman in the military is cause enough to deny a benefit to a veteran?
Mr. Speaker, we know that the forestry industry is very important for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We know there are fine jobs that are dependent on a healthy industry. We know that the Minister of International Trade and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have worked very hard to get the best possible deal for Canada. We also note that we are reaching out to our provincial counterparts to make sure that all measures are taken to ensure that the forestry sector in Canada remains vibrant and strong and a source of good jobs for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, and the RCMP, as well as their families, have the support they need, when and where they need it.While we cannot comment on individual cases, our government takes the security and well-being of our veterans very seriously. That is why we committed $5.6 billion in financial supports for veterans in budget 2016. That is why we are reopening the nine offices closed by the previous government, hiring 400 front-line staff, 360 who have been hired to date.
Mr. Speaker, the previous government is responsible for the lowest growth rate in eight decades. We therefore needed a plan to help our economy reach a higher level of growth.That is why we decided to invest in our future, that is, in infrastructure and the middle class, in order to help families right away. Thanks to our plan, we will have a higher growth rate in the future and there will be more opportunities for families and the next generation of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government has a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of the hard-earned middle-class tax dollars. When it comes to the issue of the case processing centre in Vegreville, I am happy to engage with the community. I met with the mayor, and yesterday I met with the regional representative from PSAC, as well as a community advocate on this issue. My door is always open to the community.The relocation of the case processing centre to Edmonton is one hour away. All indeterminate employees will have an opportunity to continue their positions there. In fact, the relocation will result in more jobs for Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, there is no one in the House who does not support our brave men and women in uniform, but it was not this side of the House or the last government that said that it would tax our troops in Kuwait $1,800 a month.I am asking the Prime Minister again to commit before the budget that he will not tax our troops in Kuwait.
Mr. Speaker, our government is here to work very hard for Canadians, to deal with the real challenges that they are facing. As the Prime Minister said, and as we have said many times, we will answer any of the commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, I guess that means a lot.Communities across the country rely on volunteer firefighters to staff their fire departments. In fact, 85% of all firefighters, roughly 144,000 Canadians, volunteer their time to protect the communities in which they live. That is why Conservatives created the volunteer firefighter tax credit. It helps attract volunteer firefighters and gives an incentive to Canadians who want to help in their communities.The finance minister has promised that all tax credits are on the table. Would the minister promise that he will not cancel the volunteer firefighter tax credit?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that we will continue on our path to help Canadians, to help middle-class Canadians, to help people with real measures that will make a difference.Our look at our tax expenditures is really to make sure that our system is working properly, that it is efficient, to make sure that our tax system is fair, to make sure that measures that might have been put in place but are no longer working are reconsidered. That is an effort that is important so that Canadians can be sure the system works for them and their families.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the government are committed to working hard for Canadians. That is why we are taking the steps and actions to ensure that we can respond to the very real challenges they are facing.To respond to the member's question, I will remind the member, all members in the House, and Canadians that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chair of the trade committee, the great chair, and all the members of the trade committee for their hard work. CETA is the most progressive trade agreement ever negotiated by Canada or the European Union. It will create jobs, bolster our prosperity, and grow the middle class. The Prime Minister will address the European Parliament this week on the importance of the Canada-EU relationship.Thanks to our trade talks, which focused on the interests of the middle class, Canadian businesses of all sizes and from every part of the country will enjoy unprecedented access to the European Union, a vast market made up of more than 500 million people.
Mr. Speaker, our government continues to focus on Quebec's economic development in order to create good jobs. Our government has taken measures to help Quebec. For example, since 2015, Canada Economic Development has invested over $406 million in Quebec and supported the development of over 10,500 businesses and organizations. We are going to continue to work hard for Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, many residents of my riding of Thunder BayRainy River rely on public transit to get to school, work, or doctors' appointments. In the fall, Thunder Bay received more than $6 million for new buses, transit shelters, and bus stop signage improvements, and on Friday, I was pleased to announce a new handi-van bus in Fort Frances. These investments will mean better transit services for the residents of my riding.Could the minister explain how public transit investments are supporting communities like mine by growing the middle class and getting people home faster.
Mr. Speaker, again, the members opposite are demonstrating that they do not understand that building a strong economy for the future means also protecting the environment. That is how we get good jobs. That is how we create opportunities in the future for young people and for future generations. We have brought forward a carbon pricing framework that will be revenue neutral, which means in every single province in which it is collected, it will be returned to the people who need that support. That is what we have guaranteed, that we will not be doing anything but helping the middle class and supporting them with the kinds of jobs and economic growth that we need in the future.
Mr. Speaker, the facts speak for themselves. We introduced important measures in budget 2016 last year to improve the situation of Canadian families and the middle class. That continues to be our focus. The purpose of our review of expenditures is to provide a program that will help the middle class and families with measures that will be really good for the economy over time.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again remind members in this place, and to remind Canadians, that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.Yesterday was an important day. We put a lot of effort into it. As the President of the United States said, We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada. That statement is very important to Canada, our workers, and our businesses. We strongly and proudly defended the interests of our producers, including those of the forestry and dairy industries. We will continue
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again rise and remind members and Canadians that the Prime Minister has said many times that he will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members and Canadians that every exempt staff hired knows full well the responsibilities staff members must respect both during their hiring and following their hiring. The rules are quite clear, and I have no reason to doubt that they will be respected.
Mr. Speaker, as has been said many times in the House and to Canadians, the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the Commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of hard-earned tax dollars. The relocation we understand will have an impact on the community and staff, and all indeterminate employees are able to take positions in the new location. The new location will have an expanded case processing centre and will actually create more middle-class jobs for Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the justice minister said her problem with mandatory sentences was the charter. I should not have to point out to her that the most serious mandatory sentence is for murder, and that has been upheld by the courts for the last 35 years. Taking away mandatory sentences is about giving breaks to murderers, rapists, child abusers, drunk drivers, and drug dealers.When will the Liberals change their tune and start standing up for victims and their families?
Mr. Speaker, the PM is consistent. He says nothing everywhere.The Prime Minister is fuelling cynicism by breaking his promise of electoral reform and thumbing his nose at the thousands of people who believed in him in good faith. I witnessed this again last Friday when I spoke with university students in Rimouski. These bright young people are now disappointed and distrustful. They are wondering when they will be able to believe politicians again. They are even wondering whether they will ever vote again. What a mess. Growing up, I was taught that I needed to apologize if I ever broke a promise.Will the Prime Minister apologize for misleading Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, yet again the Liberal government is going down the same failed fiscal road travelled so heavily by Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Liberals. Ontario has over 400 user fees. Make no mistake, they are a tax on the middle class and those working hard to join it.We know the Liberals have never met a tax or user fee they did not like. Since the federal Liberals are following the same disastrous playbook as Ontario with out-of-control spending and massive deficits, what user fees are these Liberals planning to raise on hard-working taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, apparently the ethics commissioner was not satisfied with the defence the Prime Minister attempted to use to clear up the ethical mess of his new year's trip. As a matter of fact, she confirmed in writing yesterday that she is launching yet another formal investigation.The ethics commissioner, like all Canadians, is not buying the Prime Minister's nonsensical talking points, so when will the Prime Minister admit that he broke the rules, and finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, in last year's Liberal budget, Canadians were hit hard by new taxes on savings, payroll, and carbon. The self-employed were hit, and even children's arts and fitness classes. Canadians are sick and tired of feeling nickelled and dimed by the Prime Minister, and now we are hearing that he might even make it more expensive to go camping.Having already raised taxes on Canadians, does the Prime Minister really think it is fair to do it all over again?
Mr. Speaker, after five years of contamination, water quality aboard Canadian Coast Guard vessels is now making headlines.Apparently there are several problems, possibly including the use of Interline paint with or without a solvent. Crew members are increasingly worried about their health because of toxic substances in the water and substances not detected by quality tests.Can the minister tell us if he is aware of the problem and what he plans to do to protect the health of these crew members?
Mr. Speaker, the minister clearly has not been to the community.The union reps presented the minister and his staff with detailed facts that his department will not share with Canadians. For example, Vegreville employees are right this minute working on new overflow cases from other processing centres, like they have done many times before. However, according to the minister, staff in Vegreville do not fit the requirements to process work from across the global departmental network. Will the minister finally admit that his excuses for closing this office are complete nonsense and unfounded?
Mr. Speaker, silence gives consent. When he was elected, the Prime Minister said that he would stand up for human rights around the world. Yesterday, he met with President Trump.Did he take the opportunity, without preaching or lecturing, to share with the president his concerns that Canadians are facing discriminatory and dangerous measures? In short, did he stand up for human rights or did he do nothing?
Mr. Speaker, instead of blaming mandatory minimums for a delay, the minister should look in the mirror, because it is this minister who has failed to appoint judges in a timely manner, which has resulted in serious criminal cases being thrown out. Murder cases are being thrown out. Sexual assault cases are being thrown out. Yesterday charges against a father accused of breaking the ankles of his infant were thrown out. We have dozens of judicial vacancies. How many more cases are going to be thrown out before the minister starts doing her job?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister refused to denounce Trump's travel ban apparently because he was in Washington, yet no matter where he has been, the Prime Minister has actually never criticized Trump's racist immigration policies, even though they are having a direct impact on Canadians.From Vietnam to Iraq, Canada has a proud history of standing up to the U.S. on issues of principle. Now that he is back safe and sound on Canadian soil, will the Prime Minister summon the courage to denounce Trump's immigration policies?
Mr. Speaker, I think the damage being done right now is by the Prime Minister to the faith that Canadians placed in him in the last election.Canadians expected better from this Prime Minister, yet last week he said the decision to turn his back on a solemn promise to fix our electoral system was my decision to make. I hate to break it to him, but it was not. That decision was made by the Canadian voters and only by the Canadian voters. When someone breaks a promise, they must first admit it, apologize for breaking faith, and work 10 times harder to regain the trust that has been lost.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and at the very least apologize to Canadians for having broken his promise on electoral reform, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, anyone who can count knows that giving people more money is just fine when it is available. However, if we go into debt or run deficits, our children and grandchildren will be footing the bill. That does not make sense. That is basic economics.Students are also being targeted by the government. Can the government assure us that it will not touch the education savings plans of almost five million Canadians, who would be directly affected by this other bad Liberal decision?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals took months to finally meet with the union representing employees of the case processing centre in Vegreville. Yesterday, it gave proof that the decision to close the office is unfounded, and that the quality of work being done by employees is exemplary and regularly surpasses departmental expectations.I know that staff are scrambling to justify their advice, but is the minister now prepared to do the right thing, respect Vegreville families and rural Alberta and reverse this heartless decision?
Mr. Speaker, we continue to stand with the men and women of the armed forces of Canada, who do an extraordinary job serving their country, some in very dangerous places, but all with a tremendous amount of commitment to their country and to the work they do. With what we are doing around veterans, what we are doing around procurement, and what we are doing around much-needed investments in the extraordinary men and women who serve this country, we will take no lessons from the members opposite.
No, nothing's free around here.Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has betrayed the middle class. In his first year, he introduced new taxes on savings, payroll, carbon, the self-employed, children's arts and fitness classes, tuition, and textbooks. We can use simple arithmetic here. It is clear that the tax bill for the ordinary Joe has gone way up. Why is the Prime Minister making the middle class pay for his reckless spending?
Mr. Speaker, the intention of this government, my intention, is to do a comprehensive review of the Criminal Code, a review that has not been done since the early 1980s. The previous government sought to do a piecemeal approach to amending the Criminal Code. We are undertaking our review to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system and ensuring that the legislation that we put forward is meeting its objectives. That is why we are studying the mandatory minimum penalties. I look forward to having more to say about this in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, when I heard the Prime Minister, a Liberal MP, the head of the Liberal Party, and the founder of Canada 2020 took a private helicopter and were hosted by the Aga Khan for a week on a private island, I knew immediately this was against multiple rules. The ethics commissioner has examined the evidence for over a month, and during this time the Prime Minister has had the opportunity to alleviate her concerns. The fact that she is proceeding with a formal investigation speaks volumes. Will the Prime Minister just admit he broke his rules and admit there is no defence for his unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is going to be busy. We cannot throw a snowball around here without hitting a commissioner investigating the Prime Minister. He is under two ethics investigations as it is right now. We have the lobbying commissioner looking into his friends. We have the language commissioner, even, looking into things. The Prime Minister is under all these investigations. He has no regard for the ethics laws. He just does whatever he wants. Does the Prime Minister really think he is above the law and the ethics rules do not apply to him?
Mr. Speaker, the previous government had to deal with the worst economic crisis since the Second World War. Despite having to deal with that, we had an operating surplus and balanced the budget.About the carbon tax. Why are the Liberals not talking about its repercussions? They are hiding the numbers. It will have an impact on Canadian families. The numbers were redacted in the information our party received.Why is that? What impact will this carbon tax have on an average family?
Mr. Speaker, I want to be perfectly clear. We will not be appealing this judgment. We want to get to the table as quickly as possible and be able to put in place the remedies necessary around language and culture, and all that these people lost during this dreadful chapter in our history.
Mr. Speaker, what is happening here is the Prime Minister is trying to soak up every dime of extra tax money that he can find. Now he has dispatched his tax collectors halfway around the world to the front lines of the war against ISIS. He is taking away a tax break for our troops who are stationed in Kuwait, costing each of them up to $1,800 a month. We know he plans to hike a whole range of taxes in the budget, but will he at least today commit to not taxing our troops?
Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago the Prime Minister heard first-hand the struggle of Ontarians who are facing out-of-control hydro rates at the hand of his mentor, Kathleen Wynne. Struggling Ontarians cannot afford the Prime Minister's plan to make a bad situation far worse by adding more costs through a carbon tax. A carbon tax would increase the costs of almost everything from gas to groceries.When will the Prime Minister abandon this irresponsible tax on everything, and start defending the interests of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect any Prime Minister to do two things: both defend Canadian values and stand up for the jobs and growth that we need. That is exactly what I have been doing, and that is what I will always do.We were able to make sure that Americans understood fully and completely how many good jobs on both sides of the border depend on the close working relationship we have. That is what we will continue to focus on.
Mr. Speaker, the media is reporting that the Minister of Justice is looking into reducing or even getting rid of the majority of minimum sentences for criminals. I cannot wait to see what initiatives the minister might put in place to protect victims instead of conducting studies to abolish minimum sentences.Could the minister explain the motivation behind these measures and what minimum sentences she wants to eliminate?
Mr. Speaker, on top of all of that, the Prime Minister's largest middle-class tax hike is being kept a secret. His government has a study in its possession showing that the carbon tax will hit middle- and low-income Canadians the hardest, but despite demands from the opposition, it has refused to release the numbers.If the Prime Minister is so proud of this carbon tax, why does he not release the numbers? What happened to transparency?
Mr. Speaker, after more than a year of questionable ethics, the Prime Minister has finally reached rock bottom.The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner finds that there is cause to launch a formal investigation into the Prime Minister's vacation on the Aga Khan's private island, despite the answers the Prime Minister himself provided to the commissioner's questions.Now that he is formally under investigation, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, forestry is a major industry in my riding of South OkanaganWest Kootenay, and tens of thousands of jobs in British Columbia are dependent on that sector. The last time this sector was hit with American tariffs, the industry was devastated. Did the Prime Minister stand up for Canadian forestry workers and communities when he met with President Trump? When will the government develop a plan B to be ready for new American tariffs?
Mr. Speaker, from Quebec's perspective, supply management, diafiltered milk, spent fowl, and the softwood lumber agreement do not need mere tweaks. The word outstanding is just as important as the word tweaks. This is major for thousands of Quebec workers, their families, and our regions.Other than shedding crocodile tears if negotiations do not go its way, does the federal government have a plan to make sure that the interests of workers from all regions of Quebec are not dismissed when the American negotiators make their so-called tweaks?
Mr. Speaker, on the heels of yesterday's meetings in Washington, in an official release from House Speaker Paul Ryan, the U.S. is warning that it wants improved market access for America's dairy farmers. We all know that means our supply-managed sectors will be on the table. Again, we see the Liberals in backroom conversations that are not being shared with Canadians. Thousands of jobs and families depend on Canada standing up for a fair deal. When will the Liberal government start telling Canadians the truth about NAFTA, and what exactly are the Liberals prepared to tweak?
Mr. Speaker, that is precisely the problem. If the government maintains the status quo, then, according to the Department of Finance, we are heading toward a debt of $1.5 trillion by 2050. That is the bill, the gift, that the Liberals are giving to our children and grandchildren. The Liberals are hurting not just our grandchildren, but also our seniors with their serious talk of eliminating income splitting and the age credit amounts. Could the Minister of Finance assure Canadians and especially seniors that he will not touch these two very important benefits for our seniors?
Mr. Speaker, in last year's budget, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of 10 Canadian families with a larger tax-free cheque every month that they can spend on things like groceries, school supplies, new clothes for their kids. These are the kinds of things that make a huge difference and we were able to do it because we ended the Conservative practice of sending child benefits to millionaire families and, instead, delivered them to the people who really need them.In this year's budget, I thank the member opposite, we are going to be featuring the fact that going to visit our national parks anywhere across the country for Canada's 150th birthday will be absolutely free.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure Canadians that our program will help families who are truly dealing with some extraordinary challenges, by allocating more money. This year, we will continue to add more measures for the middle class, measures that will give more money to families in every sector of our economy. That is our goal. We will continue in that vein and that will be good for Canadian families.
Mr. Speaker, for almost 30 years families across Canada have been marching on Valentine's Day with Sisters in Spirit to honour the memory of murdered and missing indigenous women and girls. We are glad the national inquiry was announced, but the government promised it would act right away to prevent further tragedies. More than 700 recommendations over two decades remain waiting for this government to act on, so there is a lot that can be done right now. What will the government do now to prevent no more stolen sisters?
Mr. Speaker, today, an Ontario judge ruled in favour of those affected by the sixties scoop.I have a simple question for the minister: will she give us her word in the House today that her government will not appeal this decision?After the Ontario court found Canada liable for failing to protect survivors of the Sixties Scoop from losing their cultural identity, I have a very simple question for the minister. Will her government uphold this ruling? A simple yes or no would suffice.
Mr. Speaker, Cyrus Reporter, a senior adviser to the Prime Minister, who used to be a lobbyist, has just taken a job as a lobbyist again. The Liberals tell us not to worry because he is not going to be lobbying his friends. Instead, he will just be coaching other lobbyists on how to lobby his Liberal friends.This clearly goes against the spirit of the Lobbying Act, which is supposed to prevent this revolving door of Liberal lobbyists. How can the Liberals explain this blatant attempt to get around the law? Where is their integrity?
Mr. Speaker, I believe that so many of the women marching today do expect results, and they do not expect to wait for the recommendations of a commission. The commission is looking at all of those previous reports, but right now we know we need to act on shelter space, better housing, and the reforms of the child welfare system and the grievous harm that was done not only to the children that were taken, but also the moms who were left behind.We will get on with these things right now. We will not be waiting for the results of the commission.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect their government to act responsibly and do things right. That is exactly what we are focusing on. We are going to protect our democracy. We are going to strengthen cybersecurity for the parties, make fundraising more transparent, and work to ensure that it is easy to vote by cleaning up the mess the Conservative Party made of our electoral system.We are going to improve our democracy, and we are going to do it the right way for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate the member for Vimy on the excellent work she is doing on behalf of her constituents.Our government is committed to supporting innovative projects aimed at meeting the needs of homeless people, including youth, indigenous people, women, and veterans. Budget 2016 allocated an additional $112 million to the homelessness partnering strategy, the first investment from the Canadian government since 1999.Our national housing strategy will expand its efforts across the continuum of housing needs for our families.
Mr. Speaker, 140 communities in British Columbia are dependent on forestry industry. This equates to roughly 65,000 jobs in just one single province. Yesterday, the Prime Minister left the Minister of Natural Resources at home alone, and there is no evidence that the Prime Minister brought this agreement up once. It is not even mentioned in one minister's mandate letter. It is clear yet again that softwood lumber and forestry workers are not a priority for these Liberals. Will the minister make softwood lumber a priority and make sure a deal is in place before a single forestry worker loses a job as a result of his and her inaction?
Mr. Speaker, the 2016 census figures show a worrisome trend in eastern Quebec. While the population of Canada increased by 5% over the past five years, the population of the Lower St. Lawrence region and the Gaspé dropped by 1.3% and 4%, respectively. Will the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development commit to scrapping the disastrous policies that prevent our businesses from keeping jobs in the region, or would he rather see our young people continue to move to large urban centres?
Mr. Speaker, we were elected on a campaign commitment to help the middle class, to grow the middle class, and help those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. The members opposite in the Conservative Party voted against that. They did not want to lower taxes on the middle class and they certainly did not want to raise them on the wealthiest 1%, but we knew that that was what we needed to do to show Canadians that we were focused on growing the economy, helping the middle class, and actually putting more money into the pockets of people who need it right across the country.
Mr. Speaker, in the last election, Canadians voted for a change from a government that had been unable to deliver on economic growth for the middle class, had been unable to deliver the kind of vision for this country that Canadians need.We made commitments to grow the middle class, to work to restore faith in our democracy, and to continue to demonstrate that Canada deserves better. That is exactly what we are delivering every day, working very hard for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand up to once again say that we are conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including sentencing reform, which includes mandatory minimum penalties. We are not opposed to mandatory minimum penalties for the most serious of offences, but we are doing a comprehensive review of those mandatory minimums in terms of their constitutionality. The courts have spoken quite clearly about it. What we are committed to doing in this review is to ensure that we uphold public safety, have respect for victims, and ensure that we are approaching the justice system in a smart and effective way.
Mr. Speaker, between 2009 and the last election, 1.3 million new jobs were created in Canada, most of which were full-time jobs. That is the previous government's record. We managed to balance the budget and create a surplus.During the election campaign, the Liberals promised a small deficit of $10 billion, which was actually already huge. Now they are talking about triple that amount, that is, a deficit between $20 billion and $30 billion. It makes no sense. They talk about an infrastructure plan, but it will be on the backs of our grandchildren, who will have to pay down that debt in the future.Which taxes do the Liberals plan to raise in order to balance the budget?
Mr. Speaker, we will continue defending the interests of Canadians, such as reducing emissions and growing a clean economy. That is exactly what carbon pricing would do. I would like to remind the member that our carbon pricing will not come in until 2018, and all revenues will be given back to the provinces.We are committed to growing a clean economy, reducing emissions, and ensuring a more sustainable future for our children.
Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to stand up for our farmers, producers, and their families.In Washington yesterday and in the meeting with Speaker Paul Ryan, I strongly defended our dairy sector, as I always do and as I am proud to do. We will look out for the interests of Canadians and their jobs. We will fiercely defend the national interest and will stand up for our values while doing so.
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner has launched an investigation into the Prime Minister's exclusive vacations. This is unprecedented. Actually, it is more like déjà vu, in that this is the second investigation of the Prime Minister that the commissioner has had to undertake.Will the Prime Minister now admit that he broke two separate laws? Will he finally assume responsibility for his actions?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to trade, our government gets it done. Our friends south of the border, want do more trade with us
Mr. Speaker, a picture of daddy and a handshaking contest, that about sums up the meeting between the Prime Minister and President Trump. Let us not forget the President's statement in which he said that NAFTA needs to be tweaked. Will our forestry workers, our dairy producers, and our farmers be the ones on the hook for these tweaks, these minor adjustments? We know that Quebec's interests seem minor to Ottawa, but will they be minor in discussions on free trade with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, businesses, citizens, all Canadians benefit from government services. We need to, on an ongoing basis, review the transparency and strengthen the oversight over the user fees that pay for those services. We need to make sure that all people and all organizations which benefit from those services pay a fair share. That includes big businesses. It is important that middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class are not footing the bill disproportionately for those services. We will treat all Canadians fairly.
Mr. Speaker, our government understands that the economy and the environment go hand in hand. Our government committed to a cleaner, more innovative economy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates good jobs.I encourage the member to look at that instead of a document that was prepared in 2015 under the previous Conservative government. We will keep working for the middle class, we will keep reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and we will create good jobs for Canadians.
Take it easy, guys. We know what happened yesterday.We are voting on two agreements today, the Ukrainian agreement and the European agreement. The fishing industry in our province of Nova Scotia is very excited about these agreements.Could the Minister of International Trade tell this House how these agreements would benefit middle-class Canadians and what the next steps are toward implementing the CETA agreement?
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the House that the previous Conservative government allowed the old agreement to expire. Our government is vigorously defending the interests of Canadian softwood workers and producers. In Washington last week with Secretary Tillerson I defended our producers, and yesterday in Washington the Prime Minister did that with energy and vigour, and I did too. We will continue to work closely with our producers, our workers, and the provinces and territories. We are seeking a good deal for Canada, not just any deal.
Mr. Speaker, unlike some other people in this House, I always say the same thing, regardless of where I am. I will say the same thing in Ottawa as I say in Washington.
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians know, there are always times when we do not agree with our partners and allies and, in this case, with the United States.We will always be respectful, clear, and honest when we express our disagreement. We will also continue to focus on what unites our countries and the concerns we share. This includes shared concerns about jobs and a shared desire to help the middle class. We talked a lot about how we will build a prosperous economy for the middle class on both sides of the border.
Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of our employees is top priority of the Canadian Coast Guard. These men and women work hard every day to ensure the safety of mariners in our marine environment.There were two complaints about the quality of drinking water aboard Coast Guard vessels. The complaints process included the participation of employees, unions, subject matter specialists, and managers.According to the final decision, the Coast Guard satisfied its obligations with respect to its employees and drinking water, and will continue to do so in every circumstance.
Mr. Speaker, homelessness is a serious issue of national importance.In June, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development announced additional funding for the homelessness partnering strategy, part of which will be invested in the innovative solutions to homelessness stream. Can the minister explain how this increased funding will help communities better combat homelessness, which affects women, indigenous people, and vulnerable youth most of all?
Mr. Speaker, as a former bus driver, I want to convey our thoughts and prayers for the Winnipeg Transit bus operator who was stabbed last night while serving his community and on duty.I want to thank the hon. member for his question and his hard work. On Friday, in partnership with the municipalities and the Province of Ontario, we announced 79 transit projects in 29 municipalities. From new buses in Milton, Renfrew, and Orillia, to new transit shelters in Huntsville
Mr. Speaker, for almost 10 years, we in the House watched the previous government wrap itself in the flag while it nickelled and dimed veterans, completely botched the procurement processes, and did everything it could to talk a good game, but not deliver for the men and women of the Canadian Forces.We are focused on delivering what is necessary in terms of equipment, in terms of support, and in terms of honour and value to the extraordinary men and women who serve this country on the front lines and everywhere around the world.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.Our government will continue to defend our farmers, our producers, and their families. We will continue to defend Canada's forestry industry, and that includes Quebec's forestry industry.Yesterday in Washington, we were strong and proud as we championed our farmers, our producers, and our forestry industry. We will continue in that vein.We will vigorously defend our national interest, and we will remain faithful to Canadian values.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have appointed many judges to superior courts across this country, as well as reconstituting the judicial advisory committees to ensure that we appoint a diversity of judges to the superior courts. I will continue to make those appointments.I would point out that in doing a broad review of the criminal justice system, I am working in a concerted way with my colleagues in the provinces and territories, who are responsible for the administration of justice. We are putting forward a comprehensive plan because there is no one solution to resolve the court delays. We are going to, most assuredly, address them.
Mr. Speaker, Corporal Terra Janz is a veteran who is being denied a benefit for a disability, which her specialist and family doctor say was caused as a result of her military service. As a condition of her disability, she must self-catheterize, which is something she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She is being denied this benefit on the basis that her disability is a medical event common to women.When did the Prime Minister decide that being a woman in the military is cause enough to deny a benefit to a veteran?
Mr. Speaker, we know that the forestry industry is very important for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We know there are fine jobs that are dependent on a healthy industry. We know that the Minister of International Trade and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have worked very hard to get the best possible deal for Canada. We also note that we are reaching out to our provincial counterparts to make sure that all measures are taken to ensure that the forestry sector in Canada remains vibrant and strong and a source of good jobs for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, and the RCMP, as well as their families, have the support they need, when and where they need it.While we cannot comment on individual cases, our government takes the security and well-being of our veterans very seriously. That is why we committed $5.6 billion in financial supports for veterans in budget 2016. That is why we are reopening the nine offices closed by the previous government, hiring 400 front-line staff, 360 who have been hired to date.
Mr. Speaker, the previous government is responsible for the lowest growth rate in eight decades. We therefore needed a plan to help our economy reach a higher level of growth.That is why we decided to invest in our future, that is, in infrastructure and the middle class, in order to help families right away. Thanks to our plan, we will have a higher growth rate in the future and there will be more opportunities for families and the next generation of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government has a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of the hard-earned middle-class tax dollars. When it comes to the issue of the case processing centre in Vegreville, I am happy to engage with the community. I met with the mayor, and yesterday I met with the regional representative from PSAC, as well as a community advocate on this issue. My door is always open to the community.The relocation of the case processing centre to Edmonton is one hour away. All indeterminate employees will have an opportunity to continue their positions there. In fact, the relocation will result in more jobs for Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, there is no one in the House who does not support our brave men and women in uniform, but it was not this side of the House or the last government that said that it would tax our troops in Kuwait $1,800 a month.I am asking the Prime Minister again to commit before the budget that he will not tax our troops in Kuwait.
Mr. Speaker, our government is here to work very hard for Canadians, to deal with the real challenges that they are facing. As the Prime Minister said, and as we have said many times, we will answer any of the commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, I guess that means a lot.Communities across the country rely on volunteer firefighters to staff their fire departments. In fact, 85% of all firefighters, roughly 144,000 Canadians, volunteer their time to protect the communities in which they live. That is why Conservatives created the volunteer firefighter tax credit. It helps attract volunteer firefighters and gives an incentive to Canadians who want to help in their communities.The finance minister has promised that all tax credits are on the table. Would the minister promise that he will not cancel the volunteer firefighter tax credit?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that we will continue on our path to help Canadians, to help middle-class Canadians, to help people with real measures that will make a difference.Our look at our tax expenditures is really to make sure that our system is working properly, that it is efficient, to make sure that our tax system is fair, to make sure that measures that might have been put in place but are no longer working are reconsidered. That is an effort that is important so that Canadians can be sure the system works for them and their families.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the government are committed to working hard for Canadians. That is why we are taking the steps and actions to ensure that we can respond to the very real challenges they are facing.To respond to the member's question, I will remind the member, all members in the House, and Canadians that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chair of the trade committee, the great chair, and all the members of the trade committee for their hard work. CETA is the most progressive trade agreement ever negotiated by Canada or the European Union. It will create jobs, bolster our prosperity, and grow the middle class. The Prime Minister will address the European Parliament this week on the importance of the Canada-EU relationship.Thanks to our trade talks, which focused on the interests of the middle class, Canadian businesses of all sizes and from every part of the country will enjoy unprecedented access to the European Union, a vast market made up of more than 500 million people.
Mr. Speaker, our government continues to focus on Quebec's economic development in order to create good jobs. Our government has taken measures to help Quebec. For example, since 2015, Canada Economic Development has invested over $406 million in Quebec and supported the development of over 10,500 businesses and organizations. We are going to continue to work hard for Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, many residents of my riding of Thunder BayRainy River rely on public transit to get to school, work, or doctors' appointments. In the fall, Thunder Bay received more than $6 million for new buses, transit shelters, and bus stop signage improvements, and on Friday, I was pleased to announce a new handi-van bus in Fort Frances. These investments will mean better transit services for the residents of my riding.Could the minister explain how public transit investments are supporting communities like mine by growing the middle class and getting people home faster.
Mr. Speaker, again, the members opposite are demonstrating that they do not understand that building a strong economy for the future means also protecting the environment. That is how we get good jobs. That is how we create opportunities in the future for young people and for future generations. We have brought forward a carbon pricing framework that will be revenue neutral, which means in every single province in which it is collected, it will be returned to the people who need that support. That is what we have guaranteed, that we will not be doing anything but helping the middle class and supporting them with the kinds of jobs and economic growth that we need in the future.
Mr. Speaker, the facts speak for themselves. We introduced important measures in budget 2016 last year to improve the situation of Canadian families and the middle class. That continues to be our focus. The purpose of our review of expenditures is to provide a program that will help the middle class and families with measures that will be really good for the economy over time.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again remind members in this place, and to remind Canadians, that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.Yesterday was an important day. We put a lot of effort into it. As the President of the United States said, We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada. That statement is very important to Canada, our workers, and our businesses. We strongly and proudly defended the interests of our producers, including those of the forestry and dairy industries. We will continue
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again rise and remind members and Canadians that the Prime Minister has said many times that he will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members and Canadians that every exempt staff hired knows full well the responsibilities staff members must respect both during their hiring and following their hiring. The rules are quite clear, and I have no reason to doubt that they will be respected.
Mr. Speaker, as has been said many times in the House and to Canadians, the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the Commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of hard-earned tax dollars. The relocation we understand will have an impact on the community and staff, and all indeterminate employees are able to take positions in the new location. The new location will have an expanded case processing centre and will actually create more middle-class jobs for Alberta.
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Mr. Speaker, the previous government had to deal with the worst economic crisis since the Second World War. Despite having to deal with that, we had an operating surplus and balanced the budget.About the carbon tax. Why are the Liberals not talking about its repercussions? They are hiding the numbers. It will have an impact on Canadian families. The numbers were redacted in the information our party received.Why is that? What impact will this carbon tax have on an average family?
Mr. Speaker, yet again the Liberal government is going down the same failed fiscal road travelled so heavily by Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Liberals. Ontario has over 400 user fees. Make no mistake, they are a tax on the middle class and those working hard to join it.We know the Liberals have never met a tax or user fee they did not like. Since the federal Liberals are following the same disastrous playbook as Ontario with out-of-control spending and massive deficits, what user fees are these Liberals planning to raise on hard-working taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, Cyrus Reporter, a senior adviser to the Prime Minister, who used to be a lobbyist, has just taken a job as a lobbyist again. The Liberals tell us not to worry because he is not going to be lobbying his friends. Instead, he will just be coaching other lobbyists on how to lobby his Liberal friends.This clearly goes against the spirit of the Lobbying Act, which is supposed to prevent this revolving door of Liberal lobbyists. How can the Liberals explain this blatant attempt to get around the law? Where is their integrity?
Mr. Speaker, silence gives consent. When he was elected, the Prime Minister said that he would stand up for human rights around the world. Yesterday, he met with President Trump.Did he take the opportunity, without preaching or lecturing, to share with the president his concerns that Canadians are facing discriminatory and dangerous measures? In short, did he stand up for human rights or did he do nothing?
Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago the Prime Minister heard first-hand the struggle of Ontarians who are facing out-of-control hydro rates at the hand of his mentor, Kathleen Wynne. Struggling Ontarians cannot afford the Prime Minister's plan to make a bad situation far worse by adding more costs through a carbon tax. A carbon tax would increase the costs of almost everything from gas to groceries.When will the Prime Minister abandon this irresponsible tax on everything, and start defending the interests of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, and the RCMP, as well as their families, have the support they need, when and where they need it.While we cannot comment on individual cases, our government takes the security and well-being of our veterans very seriously. That is why we committed $5.6 billion in financial supports for veterans in budget 2016. That is why we are reopening the nine offices closed by the previous government, hiring 400 front-line staff, 360 who have been hired to date.
Mr. Speaker, the media is reporting that the Minister of Justice is looking into reducing or even getting rid of the majority of minimum sentences for criminals. I cannot wait to see what initiatives the minister might put in place to protect victims instead of conducting studies to abolish minimum sentences.Could the minister explain the motivation behind these measures and what minimum sentences she wants to eliminate?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the justice minister said her problem with mandatory sentences was the charter. I should not have to point out to her that the most serious mandatory sentence is for murder, and that has been upheld by the courts for the last 35 years. Taking away mandatory sentences is about giving breaks to murderers, rapists, child abusers, drunk drivers, and drug dealers.When will the Liberals change their tune and start standing up for victims and their families?
Mr. Speaker, the intention of this government, my intention, is to do a comprehensive review of the Criminal Code, a review that has not been done since the early 1980s. The previous government sought to do a piecemeal approach to amending the Criminal Code. We are undertaking our review to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system and ensuring that the legislation that we put forward is meeting its objectives. That is why we are studying the mandatory minimum penalties. I look forward to having more to say about this in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, the 2016 census figures show a worrisome trend in eastern Quebec. While the population of Canada increased by 5% over the past five years, the population of the Lower St. Lawrence region and the Gaspé dropped by 1.3% and 4%, respectively. Will the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development commit to scrapping the disastrous policies that prevent our businesses from keeping jobs in the region, or would he rather see our young people continue to move to large urban centres?
Mr. Speaker, Corporal Terra Janz is a veteran who is being denied a benefit for a disability, which her specialist and family doctor say was caused as a result of her military service. As a condition of her disability, she must self-catheterize, which is something she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She is being denied this benefit on the basis that her disability is a medical event common to women.When did the Prime Minister decide that being a woman in the military is cause enough to deny a benefit to a veteran?
Mr. Speaker, unlike some other people in this House, I always say the same thing, regardless of where I am. I will say the same thing in Ottawa as I say in Washington.
Mr. Speaker, in last year's Liberal budget, Canadians were hit hard by new taxes on savings, payroll, and carbon. The self-employed were hit, and even children's arts and fitness classes. Canadians are sick and tired of feeling nickelled and dimed by the Prime Minister, and now we are hearing that he might even make it more expensive to go camping.Having already raised taxes on Canadians, does the Prime Minister really think it is fair to do it all over again?
Mr. Speaker, I think the damage being done right now is by the Prime Minister to the faith that Canadians placed in him in the last election.Canadians expected better from this Prime Minister, yet last week he said the decision to turn his back on a solemn promise to fix our electoral system was my decision to make. I hate to break it to him, but it was not. That decision was made by the Canadian voters and only by the Canadian voters. When someone breaks a promise, they must first admit it, apologize for breaking faith, and work 10 times harder to regain the trust that has been lost.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and at the very least apologize to Canadians for having broken his promise on electoral reform, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, what is happening here is the Prime Minister is trying to soak up every dime of extra tax money that he can find. Now he has dispatched his tax collectors halfway around the world to the front lines of the war against ISIS. He is taking away a tax break for our troops who are stationed in Kuwait, costing each of them up to $1,800 a month. We know he plans to hike a whole range of taxes in the budget, but will he at least today commit to not taxing our troops?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the government are committed to working hard for Canadians. That is why we are taking the steps and actions to ensure that we can respond to the very real challenges they are facing.To respond to the member's question, I will remind the member, all members in the House, and Canadians that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, as a former bus driver, I want to convey our thoughts and prayers for the Winnipeg Transit bus operator who was stabbed last night while serving his community and on duty.I want to thank the hon. member for his question and his hard work. On Friday, in partnership with the municipalities and the Province of Ontario, we announced 79 transit projects in 29 municipalities. From new buses in Milton, Renfrew, and Orillia, to new transit shelters in Huntsville
Mr. Speaker, today, an Ontario judge ruled in favour of those affected by the sixties scoop.I have a simple question for the minister: will she give us her word in the House today that her government will not appeal this decision?After the Ontario court found Canada liable for failing to protect survivors of the Sixties Scoop from losing their cultural identity, I have a very simple question for the minister. Will her government uphold this ruling? A simple yes or no would suffice.
Mr. Speaker, after more than a year of questionable ethics, the Prime Minister has finally reached rock bottom.The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner finds that there is cause to launch a formal investigation into the Prime Minister's vacation on the Aga Khan's private island, despite the answers the Prime Minister himself provided to the commissioner's questions.Now that he is formally under investigation, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, when I heard the Prime Minister, a Liberal MP, the head of the Liberal Party, and the founder of Canada 2020 took a private helicopter and were hosted by the Aga Khan for a week on a private island, I knew immediately this was against multiple rules. The ethics commissioner has examined the evidence for over a month, and during this time the Prime Minister has had the opportunity to alleviate her concerns. The fact that she is proceeding with a formal investigation speaks volumes. Will the Prime Minister just admit he broke his rules and admit there is no defence for his unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again remind members in this place, and to remind Canadians, that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I want to be perfectly clear. We will not be appealing this judgment. We want to get to the table as quickly as possible and be able to put in place the remedies necessary around language and culture, and all that these people lost during this dreadful chapter in our history.
Mr. Speaker, in the last election, Canadians voted for a change from a government that had been unable to deliver on economic growth for the middle class, had been unable to deliver the kind of vision for this country that Canadians need.We made commitments to grow the middle class, to work to restore faith in our democracy, and to continue to demonstrate that Canada deserves better. That is exactly what we are delivering every day, working very hard for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, 140 communities in British Columbia are dependent on forestry industry. This equates to roughly 65,000 jobs in just one single province. Yesterday, the Prime Minister left the Minister of Natural Resources at home alone, and there is no evidence that the Prime Minister brought this agreement up once. It is not even mentioned in one minister's mandate letter. It is clear yet again that softwood lumber and forestry workers are not a priority for these Liberals. Will the minister make softwood lumber a priority and make sure a deal is in place before a single forestry worker loses a job as a result of his and her inaction?
Mr. Speaker, I guess that means a lot.Communities across the country rely on volunteer firefighters to staff their fire departments. In fact, 85% of all firefighters, roughly 144,000 Canadians, volunteer their time to protect the communities in which they live. That is why Conservatives created the volunteer firefighter tax credit. It helps attract volunteer firefighters and gives an incentive to Canadians who want to help in their communities.The finance minister has promised that all tax credits are on the table. Would the minister promise that he will not cancel the volunteer firefighter tax credit?
Mr. Speaker, we continue to stand with the men and women of the armed forces of Canada, who do an extraordinary job serving their country, some in very dangerous places, but all with a tremendous amount of commitment to their country and to the work they do. With what we are doing around veterans, what we are doing around procurement, and what we are doing around much-needed investments in the extraordinary men and women who serve this country, we will take no lessons from the members opposite.
Mr. Speaker, instead of blaming mandatory minimums for a delay, the minister should look in the mirror, because it is this minister who has failed to appoint judges in a timely manner, which has resulted in serious criminal cases being thrown out. Murder cases are being thrown out. Sexual assault cases are being thrown out. Yesterday charges against a father accused of breaking the ankles of his infant were thrown out. We have dozens of judicial vacancies. How many more cases are going to be thrown out before the minister starts doing her job?
Mr. Speaker, apparently the ethics commissioner was not satisfied with the defence the Prime Minister attempted to use to clear up the ethical mess of his new year's trip. As a matter of fact, she confirmed in writing yesterday that she is launching yet another formal investigation.The ethics commissioner, like all Canadians, is not buying the Prime Minister's nonsensical talking points, so when will the Prime Minister admit that he broke the rules, and finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, forestry is a major industry in my riding of South OkanaganWest Kootenay, and tens of thousands of jobs in British Columbia are dependent on that sector. The last time this sector was hit with American tariffs, the industry was devastated. Did the Prime Minister stand up for Canadian forestry workers and communities when he met with President Trump? When will the government develop a plan B to be ready for new American tariffs?
Mr. Speaker, between 2009 and the last election, 1.3 million new jobs were created in Canada, most of which were full-time jobs. That is the previous government's record. We managed to balance the budget and create a surplus.During the election campaign, the Liberals promised a small deficit of $10 billion, which was actually already huge. Now they are talking about triple that amount, that is, a deficit between $20 billion and $30 billion. It makes no sense. They talk about an infrastructure plan, but it will be on the backs of our grandchildren, who will have to pay down that debt in the future.Which taxes do the Liberals plan to raise in order to balance the budget?
Mr. Speaker, a picture of daddy and a handshaking contest, that about sums up the meeting between the Prime Minister and President Trump. Let us not forget the President's statement in which he said that NAFTA needs to be tweaked. Will our forestry workers, our dairy producers, and our farmers be the ones on the hook for these tweaks, these minor adjustments? We know that Quebec's interests seem minor to Ottawa, but will they be minor in discussions on free trade with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals took months to finally meet with the union representing employees of the case processing centre in Vegreville. Yesterday, it gave proof that the decision to close the office is unfounded, and that the quality of work being done by employees is exemplary and regularly surpasses departmental expectations.I know that staff are scrambling to justify their advice, but is the minister now prepared to do the right thing, respect Vegreville families and rural Alberta and reverse this heartless decision?
Mr. Speaker, I believe that so many of the women marching today do expect results, and they do not expect to wait for the recommendations of a commission. The commission is looking at all of those previous reports, but right now we know we need to act on shelter space, better housing, and the reforms of the child welfare system and the grievous harm that was done not only to the children that were taken, but also the moms who were left behind.We will get on with these things right now. We will not be waiting for the results of the commission.
No, nothing's free around here.Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has betrayed the middle class. In his first year, he introduced new taxes on savings, payroll, carbon, the self-employed, children's arts and fitness classes, tuition, and textbooks. We can use simple arithmetic here. It is clear that the tax bill for the ordinary Joe has gone way up. Why is the Prime Minister making the middle class pay for his reckless spending?
Mr. Speaker, after five years of contamination, water quality aboard Canadian Coast Guard vessels is now making headlines.Apparently there are several problems, possibly including the use of Interline paint with or without a solvent. Crew members are increasingly worried about their health because of toxic substances in the water and substances not detected by quality tests.Can the minister tell us if he is aware of the problem and what he plans to do to protect the health of these crew members?
Mr. Speaker, anyone who can count knows that giving people more money is just fine when it is available. However, if we go into debt or run deficits, our children and grandchildren will be footing the bill. That does not make sense. That is basic economics.Students are also being targeted by the government. Can the government assure us that it will not touch the education savings plans of almost five million Canadians, who would be directly affected by this other bad Liberal decision?
Mr. Speaker, we were elected on a campaign commitment to help the middle class, to grow the middle class, and help those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. The members opposite in the Conservative Party voted against that. They did not want to lower taxes on the middle class and they certainly did not want to raise them on the wealthiest 1%, but we knew that that was what we needed to do to show Canadians that we were focused on growing the economy, helping the middle class, and actually putting more money into the pockets of people who need it right across the country.
Mr. Speaker, for almost 10 years, we in the House watched the previous government wrap itself in the flag while it nickelled and dimed veterans, completely botched the procurement processes, and did everything it could to talk a good game, but not deliver for the men and women of the Canadian Forces.We are focused on delivering what is necessary in terms of equipment, in terms of support, and in terms of honour and value to the extraordinary men and women who serve this country on the front lines and everywhere around the world.
Mr. Speaker, our government is here to work very hard for Canadians, to deal with the real challenges that they are facing. As the Prime Minister said, and as we have said many times, we will answer any of the commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of our employees is top priority of the Canadian Coast Guard. These men and women work hard every day to ensure the safety of mariners in our marine environment.There were two complaints about the quality of drinking water aboard Coast Guard vessels. The complaints process included the participation of employees, unions, subject matter specialists, and managers.According to the final decision, the Coast Guard satisfied its obligations with respect to its employees and drinking water, and will continue to do so in every circumstance.
Mr. Speaker, homelessness is a serious issue of national importance.In June, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development announced additional funding for the homelessness partnering strategy, part of which will be invested in the innovative solutions to homelessness stream. Can the minister explain how this increased funding will help communities better combat homelessness, which affects women, indigenous people, and vulnerable youth most of all?
Mr. Speaker, the minister clearly has not been to the community.The union reps presented the minister and his staff with detailed facts that his department will not share with Canadians. For example, Vegreville employees are right this minute working on new overflow cases from other processing centres, like they have done many times before. However, according to the minister, staff in Vegreville do not fit the requirements to process work from across the global departmental network. Will the minister finally admit that his excuses for closing this office are complete nonsense and unfounded?
Mr. Speaker, from Quebec's perspective, supply management, diafiltered milk, spent fowl, and the softwood lumber agreement do not need mere tweaks. The word outstanding is just as important as the word tweaks. This is major for thousands of Quebec workers, their families, and our regions.Other than shedding crocodile tears if negotiations do not go its way, does the federal government have a plan to make sure that the interests of workers from all regions of Quebec are not dismissed when the American negotiators make their so-called tweaks?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand up to once again say that we are conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including sentencing reform, which includes mandatory minimum penalties. We are not opposed to mandatory minimum penalties for the most serious of offences, but we are doing a comprehensive review of those mandatory minimums in terms of their constitutionality. The courts have spoken quite clearly about it. What we are committed to doing in this review is to ensure that we uphold public safety, have respect for victims, and ensure that we are approaching the justice system in a smart and effective way.
Mr. Speaker, again, the members opposite are demonstrating that they do not understand that building a strong economy for the future means also protecting the environment. That is how we get good jobs. That is how we create opportunities in the future for young people and for future generations. We have brought forward a carbon pricing framework that will be revenue neutral, which means in every single province in which it is collected, it will be returned to the people who need that support. That is what we have guaranteed, that we will not be doing anything but helping the middle class and supporting them with the kinds of jobs and economic growth that we need in the future.
Mr. Speaker, the previous government is responsible for the lowest growth rate in eight decades. We therefore needed a plan to help our economy reach a higher level of growth.That is why we decided to invest in our future, that is, in infrastructure and the middle class, in order to help families right away. Thanks to our plan, we will have a higher growth rate in the future and there will be more opportunities for families and the next generation of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, that is precisely the problem. If the government maintains the status quo, then, according to the Department of Finance, we are heading toward a debt of $1.5 trillion by 2050. That is the bill, the gift, that the Liberals are giving to our children and grandchildren. The Liberals are hurting not just our grandchildren, but also our seniors with their serious talk of eliminating income splitting and the age credit amounts. Could the Minister of Finance assure Canadians and especially seniors that he will not touch these two very important benefits for our seniors?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members and Canadians that every exempt staff hired knows full well the responsibilities staff members must respect both during their hiring and following their hiring. The rules are quite clear, and I have no reason to doubt that they will be respected.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is going to be busy. We cannot throw a snowball around here without hitting a commissioner investigating the Prime Minister. He is under two ethics investigations as it is right now. We have the lobbying commissioner looking into his friends. We have the language commissioner, even, looking into things. The Prime Minister is under all these investigations. He has no regard for the ethics laws. He just does whatever he wants. Does the Prime Minister really think he is above the law and the ethics rules do not apply to him?
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the House that the previous Conservative government allowed the old agreement to expire. Our government is vigorously defending the interests of Canadian softwood workers and producers. In Washington last week with Secretary Tillerson I defended our producers, and yesterday in Washington the Prime Minister did that with energy and vigour, and I did too. We will continue to work closely with our producers, our workers, and the provinces and territories. We are seeking a good deal for Canada, not just any deal.
Mr. Speaker, for almost 30 years families across Canada have been marching on Valentine's Day with Sisters in Spirit to honour the memory of murdered and missing indigenous women and girls. We are glad the national inquiry was announced, but the government promised it would act right away to prevent further tragedies. More than 700 recommendations over two decades remain waiting for this government to act on, so there is a lot that can be done right now. What will the government do now to prevent no more stolen sisters?
Mr. Speaker, the PM is consistent. He says nothing everywhere.The Prime Minister is fuelling cynicism by breaking his promise of electoral reform and thumbing his nose at the thousands of people who believed in him in good faith. I witnessed this again last Friday when I spoke with university students in Rimouski. These bright young people are now disappointed and distrustful. They are wondering when they will be able to believe politicians again. They are even wondering whether they will ever vote again. What a mess. Growing up, I was taught that I needed to apologize if I ever broke a promise.Will the Prime Minister apologize for misleading Canadians?
Take it easy, guys. We know what happened yesterday.We are voting on two agreements today, the Ukrainian agreement and the European agreement. The fishing industry in our province of Nova Scotia is very excited about these agreements.Could the Minister of International Trade tell this House how these agreements would benefit middle-class Canadians and what the next steps are toward implementing the CETA agreement?
Mr. Speaker, many residents of my riding of Thunder BayRainy River rely on public transit to get to school, work, or doctors' appointments. In the fall, Thunder Bay received more than $6 million for new buses, transit shelters, and bus stop signage improvements, and on Friday, I was pleased to announce a new handi-van bus in Fort Frances. These investments will mean better transit services for the residents of my riding.Could the minister explain how public transit investments are supporting communities like mine by growing the middle class and getting people home faster.
Mr. Speaker, our government continues to focus on Quebec's economic development in order to create good jobs. Our government has taken measures to help Quebec. For example, since 2015, Canada Economic Development has invested over $406 million in Quebec and supported the development of over 10,500 businesses and organizations. We are going to continue to work hard for Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, in last year's budget, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of 10 Canadian families with a larger tax-free cheque every month that they can spend on things like groceries, school supplies, new clothes for their kids. These are the kinds of things that make a huge difference and we were able to do it because we ended the Conservative practice of sending child benefits to millionaire families and, instead, delivered them to the people who really need them.In this year's budget, I thank the member opposite, we are going to be featuring the fact that going to visit our national parks anywhere across the country for Canada's 150th birthday will be absolutely free.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chair of the trade committee, the great chair, and all the members of the trade committee for their hard work. CETA is the most progressive trade agreement ever negotiated by Canada or the European Union. It will create jobs, bolster our prosperity, and grow the middle class. The Prime Minister will address the European Parliament this week on the importance of the Canada-EU relationship.Thanks to our trade talks, which focused on the interests of the middle class, Canadian businesses of all sizes and from every part of the country will enjoy unprecedented access to the European Union, a vast market made up of more than 500 million people.
Mr. Speaker, we will continue defending the interests of Canadians, such as reducing emissions and growing a clean economy. That is exactly what carbon pricing would do. I would like to remind the member that our carbon pricing will not come in until 2018, and all revenues will be given back to the provinces.We are committed to growing a clean economy, reducing emissions, and ensuring a more sustainable future for our children.
Mr. Speaker, the facts speak for themselves. We introduced important measures in budget 2016 last year to improve the situation of Canadian families and the middle class. That continues to be our focus. The purpose of our review of expenditures is to provide a program that will help the middle class and families with measures that will be really good for the economy over time.
Mr. Speaker, on top of all of that, the Prime Minister's largest middle-class tax hike is being kept a secret. His government has a study in its possession showing that the carbon tax will hit middle- and low-income Canadians the hardest, but despite demands from the opposition, it has refused to release the numbers.If the Prime Minister is so proud of this carbon tax, why does he not release the numbers? What happened to transparency?
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians know, there are always times when we do not agree with our partners and allies and, in this case, with the United States.We will always be respectful, clear, and honest when we express our disagreement. We will also continue to focus on what unites our countries and the concerns we share. This includes shared concerns about jobs and a shared desire to help the middle class. We talked a lot about how we will build a prosperous economy for the middle class on both sides of the border.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect their government to act responsibly and do things right. That is exactly what we are focusing on. We are going to protect our democracy. We are going to strengthen cybersecurity for the parties, make fundraising more transparent, and work to ensure that it is easy to vote by cleaning up the mess the Conservative Party made of our electoral system.We are going to improve our democracy, and we are going to do it the right way for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of hard-earned tax dollars. The relocation we understand will have an impact on the community and staff, and all indeterminate employees are able to take positions in the new location. The new location will have an expanded case processing centre and will actually create more middle-class jobs for Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister refused to denounce Trump's travel ban apparently because he was in Washington, yet no matter where he has been, the Prime Minister has actually never criticized Trump's racist immigration policies, even though they are having a direct impact on Canadians.From Vietnam to Iraq, Canada has a proud history of standing up to the U.S. on issues of principle. Now that he is back safe and sound on Canadian soil, will the Prime Minister summon the courage to denounce Trump's immigration policies?
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner has launched an investigation into the Prime Minister's exclusive vacations. This is unprecedented. Actually, it is more like déjà vu, in that this is the second investigation of the Prime Minister that the commissioner has had to undertake.Will the Prime Minister now admit that he broke two separate laws? Will he finally assume responsibility for his actions?
Mr. Speaker, businesses, citizens, all Canadians benefit from government services. We need to, on an ongoing basis, review the transparency and strengthen the oversight over the user fees that pay for those services. We need to make sure that all people and all organizations which benefit from those services pay a fair share. That includes big businesses. It is important that middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class are not footing the bill disproportionately for those services. We will treat all Canadians fairly.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the forestry industry is very important for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We know there are fine jobs that are dependent on a healthy industry. We know that the Minister of International Trade and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have worked very hard to get the best possible deal for Canada. We also note that we are reaching out to our provincial counterparts to make sure that all measures are taken to ensure that the forestry sector in Canada remains vibrant and strong and a source of good jobs for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have appointed many judges to superior courts across this country, as well as reconstituting the judicial advisory committees to ensure that we appoint a diversity of judges to the superior courts. I will continue to make those appointments.I would point out that in doing a broad review of the criminal justice system, I am working in a concerted way with my colleagues in the provinces and territories, who are responsible for the administration of justice. We are putting forward a comprehensive plan because there is no one solution to resolve the court delays. We are going to, most assuredly, address them.
Mr. Speaker, our government understands that the economy and the environment go hand in hand. Our government committed to a cleaner, more innovative economy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates good jobs.I encourage the member to look at that instead of a document that was prepared in 2015 under the previous Conservative government. We will keep working for the middle class, we will keep reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and we will create good jobs for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, on the heels of yesterday's meetings in Washington, in an official release from House Speaker Paul Ryan, the U.S. is warning that it wants improved market access for America's dairy farmers. We all know that means our supply-managed sectors will be on the table. Again, we see the Liberals in backroom conversations that are not being shared with Canadians. Thousands of jobs and families depend on Canada standing up for a fair deal. When will the Liberal government start telling Canadians the truth about NAFTA, and what exactly are the Liberals prepared to tweak?
Mr. Speaker, there is no one in the House who does not support our brave men and women in uniform, but it was not this side of the House or the last government that said that it would tax our troops in Kuwait $1,800 a month.I am asking the Prime Minister again to commit before the budget that he will not tax our troops in Kuwait.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that we will continue on our path to help Canadians, to help middle-class Canadians, to help people with real measures that will make a difference.Our look at our tax expenditures is really to make sure that our system is working properly, that it is efficient, to make sure that our tax system is fair, to make sure that measures that might have been put in place but are no longer working are reconsidered. That is an effort that is important so that Canadians can be sure the system works for them and their families.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure Canadians that our program will help families who are truly dealing with some extraordinary challenges, by allocating more money. This year, we will continue to add more measures for the middle class, measures that will give more money to families in every sector of our economy. That is our goal. We will continue in that vein and that will be good for Canadian families.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect any Prime Minister to do two things: both defend Canadian values and stand up for the jobs and growth that we need. That is exactly what I have been doing, and that is what I will always do.We were able to make sure that Americans understood fully and completely how many good jobs on both sides of the border depend on the close working relationship we have. That is what we will continue to focus on.
Mr. Speaker, our government has a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of the hard-earned middle-class tax dollars. When it comes to the issue of the case processing centre in Vegreville, I am happy to engage with the community. I met with the mayor, and yesterday I met with the regional representative from PSAC, as well as a community advocate on this issue. My door is always open to the community.The relocation of the case processing centre to Edmonton is one hour away. All indeterminate employees will have an opportunity to continue their positions there. In fact, the relocation will result in more jobs for Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate the member for Vimy on the excellent work she is doing on behalf of her constituents.Our government is committed to supporting innovative projects aimed at meeting the needs of homeless people, including youth, indigenous people, women, and veterans. Budget 2016 allocated an additional $112 million to the homelessness partnering strategy, the first investment from the Canadian government since 1999.Our national housing strategy will expand its efforts across the continuum of housing needs for our families.
Mr. Speaker, as has been said many times in the House and to Canadians, the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the Commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again rise and remind members and Canadians that the Prime Minister has said many times that he will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to trade, our government gets it done. Our friends south of the border, want do more trade with us
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.Yesterday was an important day. We put a lot of effort into it. As the President of the United States said, We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada. That statement is very important to Canada, our workers, and our businesses. We strongly and proudly defended the interests of our producers, including those of the forestry and dairy industries. We will continue
Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to stand up for our farmers, producers, and their families.In Washington yesterday and in the meeting with Speaker Paul Ryan, I strongly defended our dairy sector, as I always do and as I am proud to do. We will look out for the interests of Canadians and their jobs. We will fiercely defend the national interest and will stand up for our values while doing so.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.Our government will continue to defend our farmers, our producers, and their families. We will continue to defend Canada's forestry industry, and that includes Quebec's forestry industry.Yesterday in Washington, we were strong and proud as we championed our farmers, our producers, and our forestry industry. We will continue in that vein.We will vigorously defend our national interest, and we will remain faithful to Canadian values.
Mr. Speaker, the previous government had to deal with the worst economic crisis since the Second World War. Despite having to deal with that, we had an operating surplus and balanced the budget.About the carbon tax. Why are the Liberals not talking about its repercussions? They are hiding the numbers. It will have an impact on Canadian families. The numbers were redacted in the information our party received.Why is that? What impact will this carbon tax have on an average family?
Mr. Speaker, yet again the Liberal government is going down the same failed fiscal road travelled so heavily by Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Liberals. Ontario has over 400 user fees. Make no mistake, they are a tax on the middle class and those working hard to join it.We know the Liberals have never met a tax or user fee they did not like. Since the federal Liberals are following the same disastrous playbook as Ontario with out-of-control spending and massive deficits, what user fees are these Liberals planning to raise on hard-working taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, Cyrus Reporter, a senior adviser to the Prime Minister, who used to be a lobbyist, has just taken a job as a lobbyist again. The Liberals tell us not to worry because he is not going to be lobbying his friends. Instead, he will just be coaching other lobbyists on how to lobby his Liberal friends.This clearly goes against the spirit of the Lobbying Act, which is supposed to prevent this revolving door of Liberal lobbyists. How can the Liberals explain this blatant attempt to get around the law? Where is their integrity?
Mr. Speaker, silence gives consent. When he was elected, the Prime Minister said that he would stand up for human rights around the world. Yesterday, he met with President Trump.Did he take the opportunity, without preaching or lecturing, to share with the president his concerns that Canadians are facing discriminatory and dangerous measures? In short, did he stand up for human rights or did he do nothing?
Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago the Prime Minister heard first-hand the struggle of Ontarians who are facing out-of-control hydro rates at the hand of his mentor, Kathleen Wynne. Struggling Ontarians cannot afford the Prime Minister's plan to make a bad situation far worse by adding more costs through a carbon tax. A carbon tax would increase the costs of almost everything from gas to groceries.When will the Prime Minister abandon this irresponsible tax on everything, and start defending the interests of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, and the RCMP, as well as their families, have the support they need, when and where they need it.While we cannot comment on individual cases, our government takes the security and well-being of our veterans very seriously. That is why we committed $5.6 billion in financial supports for veterans in budget 2016. That is why we are reopening the nine offices closed by the previous government, hiring 400 front-line staff, 360 who have been hired to date.
Mr. Speaker, the media is reporting that the Minister of Justice is looking into reducing or even getting rid of the majority of minimum sentences for criminals. I cannot wait to see what initiatives the minister might put in place to protect victims instead of conducting studies to abolish minimum sentences.Could the minister explain the motivation behind these measures and what minimum sentences she wants to eliminate?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the justice minister said her problem with mandatory sentences was the charter. I should not have to point out to her that the most serious mandatory sentence is for murder, and that has been upheld by the courts for the last 35 years. Taking away mandatory sentences is about giving breaks to murderers, rapists, child abusers, drunk drivers, and drug dealers.When will the Liberals change their tune and start standing up for victims and their families?
Mr. Speaker, the intention of this government, my intention, is to do a comprehensive review of the Criminal Code, a review that has not been done since the early 1980s. The previous government sought to do a piecemeal approach to amending the Criminal Code. We are undertaking our review to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system and ensuring that the legislation that we put forward is meeting its objectives. That is why we are studying the mandatory minimum penalties. I look forward to having more to say about this in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, the 2016 census figures show a worrisome trend in eastern Quebec. While the population of Canada increased by 5% over the past five years, the population of the Lower St. Lawrence region and the Gaspé dropped by 1.3% and 4%, respectively. Will the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development commit to scrapping the disastrous policies that prevent our businesses from keeping jobs in the region, or would he rather see our young people continue to move to large urban centres?
Mr. Speaker, Corporal Terra Janz is a veteran who is being denied a benefit for a disability, which her specialist and family doctor say was caused as a result of her military service. As a condition of her disability, she must self-catheterize, which is something she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She is being denied this benefit on the basis that her disability is a medical event common to women.When did the Prime Minister decide that being a woman in the military is cause enough to deny a benefit to a veteran?
Mr. Speaker, unlike some other people in this House, I always say the same thing, regardless of where I am. I will say the same thing in Ottawa as I say in Washington.
Mr. Speaker, in last year's Liberal budget, Canadians were hit hard by new taxes on savings, payroll, and carbon. The self-employed were hit, and even children's arts and fitness classes. Canadians are sick and tired of feeling nickelled and dimed by the Prime Minister, and now we are hearing that he might even make it more expensive to go camping.Having already raised taxes on Canadians, does the Prime Minister really think it is fair to do it all over again?
Mr. Speaker, I think the damage being done right now is by the Prime Minister to the faith that Canadians placed in him in the last election.Canadians expected better from this Prime Minister, yet last week he said the decision to turn his back on a solemn promise to fix our electoral system was my decision to make. I hate to break it to him, but it was not. That decision was made by the Canadian voters and only by the Canadian voters. When someone breaks a promise, they must first admit it, apologize for breaking faith, and work 10 times harder to regain the trust that has been lost.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and at the very least apologize to Canadians for having broken his promise on electoral reform, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, what is happening here is the Prime Minister is trying to soak up every dime of extra tax money that he can find. Now he has dispatched his tax collectors halfway around the world to the front lines of the war against ISIS. He is taking away a tax break for our troops who are stationed in Kuwait, costing each of them up to $1,800 a month. We know he plans to hike a whole range of taxes in the budget, but will he at least today commit to not taxing our troops?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the government are committed to working hard for Canadians. That is why we are taking the steps and actions to ensure that we can respond to the very real challenges they are facing.To respond to the member's question, I will remind the member, all members in the House, and Canadians that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, as a former bus driver, I want to convey our thoughts and prayers for the Winnipeg Transit bus operator who was stabbed last night while serving his community and on duty.I want to thank the hon. member for his question and his hard work. On Friday, in partnership with the municipalities and the Province of Ontario, we announced 79 transit projects in 29 municipalities. From new buses in Milton, Renfrew, and Orillia, to new transit shelters in Huntsville
Mr. Speaker, today, an Ontario judge ruled in favour of those affected by the sixties scoop.I have a simple question for the minister: will she give us her word in the House today that her government will not appeal this decision?After the Ontario court found Canada liable for failing to protect survivors of the Sixties Scoop from losing their cultural identity, I have a very simple question for the minister. Will her government uphold this ruling? A simple yes or no would suffice.
Mr. Speaker, after more than a year of questionable ethics, the Prime Minister has finally reached rock bottom.The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner finds that there is cause to launch a formal investigation into the Prime Minister's vacation on the Aga Khan's private island, despite the answers the Prime Minister himself provided to the commissioner's questions.Now that he is formally under investigation, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, when I heard the Prime Minister, a Liberal MP, the head of the Liberal Party, and the founder of Canada 2020 took a private helicopter and were hosted by the Aga Khan for a week on a private island, I knew immediately this was against multiple rules. The ethics commissioner has examined the evidence for over a month, and during this time the Prime Minister has had the opportunity to alleviate her concerns. The fact that she is proceeding with a formal investigation speaks volumes. Will the Prime Minister just admit he broke his rules and admit there is no defence for his unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again remind members in this place, and to remind Canadians, that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I want to be perfectly clear. We will not be appealing this judgment. We want to get to the table as quickly as possible and be able to put in place the remedies necessary around language and culture, and all that these people lost during this dreadful chapter in our history.
Mr. Speaker, in the last election, Canadians voted for a change from a government that had been unable to deliver on economic growth for the middle class, had been unable to deliver the kind of vision for this country that Canadians need.We made commitments to grow the middle class, to work to restore faith in our democracy, and to continue to demonstrate that Canada deserves better. That is exactly what we are delivering every day, working very hard for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, 140 communities in British Columbia are dependent on forestry industry. This equates to roughly 65,000 jobs in just one single province. Yesterday, the Prime Minister left the Minister of Natural Resources at home alone, and there is no evidence that the Prime Minister brought this agreement up once. It is not even mentioned in one minister's mandate letter. It is clear yet again that softwood lumber and forestry workers are not a priority for these Liberals. Will the minister make softwood lumber a priority and make sure a deal is in place before a single forestry worker loses a job as a result of his and her inaction?
Mr. Speaker, I guess that means a lot.Communities across the country rely on volunteer firefighters to staff their fire departments. In fact, 85% of all firefighters, roughly 144,000 Canadians, volunteer their time to protect the communities in which they live. That is why Conservatives created the volunteer firefighter tax credit. It helps attract volunteer firefighters and gives an incentive to Canadians who want to help in their communities.The finance minister has promised that all tax credits are on the table. Would the minister promise that he will not cancel the volunteer firefighter tax credit?
Mr. Speaker, we continue to stand with the men and women of the armed forces of Canada, who do an extraordinary job serving their country, some in very dangerous places, but all with a tremendous amount of commitment to their country and to the work they do. With what we are doing around veterans, what we are doing around procurement, and what we are doing around much-needed investments in the extraordinary men and women who serve this country, we will take no lessons from the members opposite.
Mr. Speaker, instead of blaming mandatory minimums for a delay, the minister should look in the mirror, because it is this minister who has failed to appoint judges in a timely manner, which has resulted in serious criminal cases being thrown out. Murder cases are being thrown out. Sexual assault cases are being thrown out. Yesterday charges against a father accused of breaking the ankles of his infant were thrown out. We have dozens of judicial vacancies. How many more cases are going to be thrown out before the minister starts doing her job?
Mr. Speaker, apparently the ethics commissioner was not satisfied with the defence the Prime Minister attempted to use to clear up the ethical mess of his new year's trip. As a matter of fact, she confirmed in writing yesterday that she is launching yet another formal investigation.The ethics commissioner, like all Canadians, is not buying the Prime Minister's nonsensical talking points, so when will the Prime Minister admit that he broke the rules, and finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, forestry is a major industry in my riding of South OkanaganWest Kootenay, and tens of thousands of jobs in British Columbia are dependent on that sector. The last time this sector was hit with American tariffs, the industry was devastated. Did the Prime Minister stand up for Canadian forestry workers and communities when he met with President Trump? When will the government develop a plan B to be ready for new American tariffs?
Mr. Speaker, between 2009 and the last election, 1.3 million new jobs were created in Canada, most of which were full-time jobs. That is the previous government's record. We managed to balance the budget and create a surplus.During the election campaign, the Liberals promised a small deficit of $10 billion, which was actually already huge. Now they are talking about triple that amount, that is, a deficit between $20 billion and $30 billion. It makes no sense. They talk about an infrastructure plan, but it will be on the backs of our grandchildren, who will have to pay down that debt in the future.Which taxes do the Liberals plan to raise in order to balance the budget?
Mr. Speaker, a picture of daddy and a handshaking contest, that about sums up the meeting between the Prime Minister and President Trump. Let us not forget the President's statement in which he said that NAFTA needs to be tweaked. Will our forestry workers, our dairy producers, and our farmers be the ones on the hook for these tweaks, these minor adjustments? We know that Quebec's interests seem minor to Ottawa, but will they be minor in discussions on free trade with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals took months to finally meet with the union representing employees of the case processing centre in Vegreville. Yesterday, it gave proof that the decision to close the office is unfounded, and that the quality of work being done by employees is exemplary and regularly surpasses departmental expectations.I know that staff are scrambling to justify their advice, but is the minister now prepared to do the right thing, respect Vegreville families and rural Alberta and reverse this heartless decision?
Mr. Speaker, I believe that so many of the women marching today do expect results, and they do not expect to wait for the recommendations of a commission. The commission is looking at all of those previous reports, but right now we know we need to act on shelter space, better housing, and the reforms of the child welfare system and the grievous harm that was done not only to the children that were taken, but also the moms who were left behind.We will get on with these things right now. We will not be waiting for the results of the commission.
No, nothing's free around here.Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has betrayed the middle class. In his first year, he introduced new taxes on savings, payroll, carbon, the self-employed, children's arts and fitness classes, tuition, and textbooks. We can use simple arithmetic here. It is clear that the tax bill for the ordinary Joe has gone way up. Why is the Prime Minister making the middle class pay for his reckless spending?
Mr. Speaker, after five years of contamination, water quality aboard Canadian Coast Guard vessels is now making headlines.Apparently there are several problems, possibly including the use of Interline paint with or without a solvent. Crew members are increasingly worried about their health because of toxic substances in the water and substances not detected by quality tests.Can the minister tell us if he is aware of the problem and what he plans to do to protect the health of these crew members?
Mr. Speaker, anyone who can count knows that giving people more money is just fine when it is available. However, if we go into debt or run deficits, our children and grandchildren will be footing the bill. That does not make sense. That is basic economics.Students are also being targeted by the government. Can the government assure us that it will not touch the education savings plans of almost five million Canadians, who would be directly affected by this other bad Liberal decision?
Mr. Speaker, we were elected on a campaign commitment to help the middle class, to grow the middle class, and help those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. The members opposite in the Conservative Party voted against that. They did not want to lower taxes on the middle class and they certainly did not want to raise them on the wealthiest 1%, but we knew that that was what we needed to do to show Canadians that we were focused on growing the economy, helping the middle class, and actually putting more money into the pockets of people who need it right across the country.
Mr. Speaker, for almost 10 years, we in the House watched the previous government wrap itself in the flag while it nickelled and dimed veterans, completely botched the procurement processes, and did everything it could to talk a good game, but not deliver for the men and women of the Canadian Forces.We are focused on delivering what is necessary in terms of equipment, in terms of support, and in terms of honour and value to the extraordinary men and women who serve this country on the front lines and everywhere around the world.
Mr. Speaker, our government is here to work very hard for Canadians, to deal with the real challenges that they are facing. As the Prime Minister said, and as we have said many times, we will answer any of the commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of our employees is top priority of the Canadian Coast Guard. These men and women work hard every day to ensure the safety of mariners in our marine environment.There were two complaints about the quality of drinking water aboard Coast Guard vessels. The complaints process included the participation of employees, unions, subject matter specialists, and managers.According to the final decision, the Coast Guard satisfied its obligations with respect to its employees and drinking water, and will continue to do so in every circumstance.
Mr. Speaker, homelessness is a serious issue of national importance.In June, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development announced additional funding for the homelessness partnering strategy, part of which will be invested in the innovative solutions to homelessness stream. Can the minister explain how this increased funding will help communities better combat homelessness, which affects women, indigenous people, and vulnerable youth most of all?
Mr. Speaker, the minister clearly has not been to the community.The union reps presented the minister and his staff with detailed facts that his department will not share with Canadians. For example, Vegreville employees are right this minute working on new overflow cases from other processing centres, like they have done many times before. However, according to the minister, staff in Vegreville do not fit the requirements to process work from across the global departmental network. Will the minister finally admit that his excuses for closing this office are complete nonsense and unfounded?
Mr. Speaker, from Quebec's perspective, supply management, diafiltered milk, spent fowl, and the softwood lumber agreement do not need mere tweaks. The word outstanding is just as important as the word tweaks. This is major for thousands of Quebec workers, their families, and our regions.Other than shedding crocodile tears if negotiations do not go its way, does the federal government have a plan to make sure that the interests of workers from all regions of Quebec are not dismissed when the American negotiators make their so-called tweaks?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand up to once again say that we are conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including sentencing reform, which includes mandatory minimum penalties. We are not opposed to mandatory minimum penalties for the most serious of offences, but we are doing a comprehensive review of those mandatory minimums in terms of their constitutionality. The courts have spoken quite clearly about it. What we are committed to doing in this review is to ensure that we uphold public safety, have respect for victims, and ensure that we are approaching the justice system in a smart and effective way.
Mr. Speaker, again, the members opposite are demonstrating that they do not understand that building a strong economy for the future means also protecting the environment. That is how we get good jobs. That is how we create opportunities in the future for young people and for future generations. We have brought forward a carbon pricing framework that will be revenue neutral, which means in every single province in which it is collected, it will be returned to the people who need that support. That is what we have guaranteed, that we will not be doing anything but helping the middle class and supporting them with the kinds of jobs and economic growth that we need in the future.
Mr. Speaker, the previous government is responsible for the lowest growth rate in eight decades. We therefore needed a plan to help our economy reach a higher level of growth.That is why we decided to invest in our future, that is, in infrastructure and the middle class, in order to help families right away. Thanks to our plan, we will have a higher growth rate in the future and there will be more opportunities for families and the next generation of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, that is precisely the problem. If the government maintains the status quo, then, according to the Department of Finance, we are heading toward a debt of $1.5 trillion by 2050. That is the bill, the gift, that the Liberals are giving to our children and grandchildren. The Liberals are hurting not just our grandchildren, but also our seniors with their serious talk of eliminating income splitting and the age credit amounts. Could the Minister of Finance assure Canadians and especially seniors that he will not touch these two very important benefits for our seniors?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members and Canadians that every exempt staff hired knows full well the responsibilities staff members must respect both during their hiring and following their hiring. The rules are quite clear, and I have no reason to doubt that they will be respected.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is going to be busy. We cannot throw a snowball around here without hitting a commissioner investigating the Prime Minister. He is under two ethics investigations as it is right now. We have the lobbying commissioner looking into his friends. We have the language commissioner, even, looking into things. The Prime Minister is under all these investigations. He has no regard for the ethics laws. He just does whatever he wants. Does the Prime Minister really think he is above the law and the ethics rules do not apply to him?
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the House that the previous Conservative government allowed the old agreement to expire. Our government is vigorously defending the interests of Canadian softwood workers and producers. In Washington last week with Secretary Tillerson I defended our producers, and yesterday in Washington the Prime Minister did that with energy and vigour, and I did too. We will continue to work closely with our producers, our workers, and the provinces and territories. We are seeking a good deal for Canada, not just any deal.
Mr. Speaker, for almost 30 years families across Canada have been marching on Valentine's Day with Sisters in Spirit to honour the memory of murdered and missing indigenous women and girls. We are glad the national inquiry was announced, but the government promised it would act right away to prevent further tragedies. More than 700 recommendations over two decades remain waiting for this government to act on, so there is a lot that can be done right now. What will the government do now to prevent no more stolen sisters?
Mr. Speaker, the PM is consistent. He says nothing everywhere.The Prime Minister is fuelling cynicism by breaking his promise of electoral reform and thumbing his nose at the thousands of people who believed in him in good faith. I witnessed this again last Friday when I spoke with university students in Rimouski. These bright young people are now disappointed and distrustful. They are wondering when they will be able to believe politicians again. They are even wondering whether they will ever vote again. What a mess. Growing up, I was taught that I needed to apologize if I ever broke a promise.Will the Prime Minister apologize for misleading Canadians?
Take it easy, guys. We know what happened yesterday.We are voting on two agreements today, the Ukrainian agreement and the European agreement. The fishing industry in our province of Nova Scotia is very excited about these agreements.Could the Minister of International Trade tell this House how these agreements would benefit middle-class Canadians and what the next steps are toward implementing the CETA agreement?
Mr. Speaker, many residents of my riding of Thunder BayRainy River rely on public transit to get to school, work, or doctors' appointments. In the fall, Thunder Bay received more than $6 million for new buses, transit shelters, and bus stop signage improvements, and on Friday, I was pleased to announce a new handi-van bus in Fort Frances. These investments will mean better transit services for the residents of my riding.Could the minister explain how public transit investments are supporting communities like mine by growing the middle class and getting people home faster.
Mr. Speaker, our government continues to focus on Quebec's economic development in order to create good jobs. Our government has taken measures to help Quebec. For example, since 2015, Canada Economic Development has invested over $406 million in Quebec and supported the development of over 10,500 businesses and organizations. We are going to continue to work hard for Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, in last year's budget, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of 10 Canadian families with a larger tax-free cheque every month that they can spend on things like groceries, school supplies, new clothes for their kids. These are the kinds of things that make a huge difference and we were able to do it because we ended the Conservative practice of sending child benefits to millionaire families and, instead, delivered them to the people who really need them.In this year's budget, I thank the member opposite, we are going to be featuring the fact that going to visit our national parks anywhere across the country for Canada's 150th birthday will be absolutely free.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chair of the trade committee, the great chair, and all the members of the trade committee for their hard work. CETA is the most progressive trade agreement ever negotiated by Canada or the European Union. It will create jobs, bolster our prosperity, and grow the middle class. The Prime Minister will address the European Parliament this week on the importance of the Canada-EU relationship.Thanks to our trade talks, which focused on the interests of the middle class, Canadian businesses of all sizes and from every part of the country will enjoy unprecedented access to the European Union, a vast market made up of more than 500 million people.
Mr. Speaker, we will continue defending the interests of Canadians, such as reducing emissions and growing a clean economy. That is exactly what carbon pricing would do. I would like to remind the member that our carbon pricing will not come in until 2018, and all revenues will be given back to the provinces.We are committed to growing a clean economy, reducing emissions, and ensuring a more sustainable future for our children.
Mr. Speaker, the facts speak for themselves. We introduced important measures in budget 2016 last year to improve the situation of Canadian families and the middle class. That continues to be our focus. The purpose of our review of expenditures is to provide a program that will help the middle class and families with measures that will be really good for the economy over time.
Mr. Speaker, on top of all of that, the Prime Minister's largest middle-class tax hike is being kept a secret. His government has a study in its possession showing that the carbon tax will hit middle- and low-income Canadians the hardest, but despite demands from the opposition, it has refused to release the numbers.If the Prime Minister is so proud of this carbon tax, why does he not release the numbers? What happened to transparency?
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians know, there are always times when we do not agree with our partners and allies and, in this case, with the United States.We will always be respectful, clear, and honest when we express our disagreement. We will also continue to focus on what unites our countries and the concerns we share. This includes shared concerns about jobs and a shared desire to help the middle class. We talked a lot about how we will build a prosperous economy for the middle class on both sides of the border.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect their government to act responsibly and do things right. That is exactly what we are focusing on. We are going to protect our democracy. We are going to strengthen cybersecurity for the parties, make fundraising more transparent, and work to ensure that it is easy to vote by cleaning up the mess the Conservative Party made of our electoral system.We are going to improve our democracy, and we are going to do it the right way for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of hard-earned tax dollars. The relocation we understand will have an impact on the community and staff, and all indeterminate employees are able to take positions in the new location. The new location will have an expanded case processing centre and will actually create more middle-class jobs for Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister refused to denounce Trump's travel ban apparently because he was in Washington, yet no matter where he has been, the Prime Minister has actually never criticized Trump's racist immigration policies, even though they are having a direct impact on Canadians.From Vietnam to Iraq, Canada has a proud history of standing up to the U.S. on issues of principle. Now that he is back safe and sound on Canadian soil, will the Prime Minister summon the courage to denounce Trump's immigration policies?
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner has launched an investigation into the Prime Minister's exclusive vacations. This is unprecedented. Actually, it is more like déjà vu, in that this is the second investigation of the Prime Minister that the commissioner has had to undertake.Will the Prime Minister now admit that he broke two separate laws? Will he finally assume responsibility for his actions?
Mr. Speaker, businesses, citizens, all Canadians benefit from government services. We need to, on an ongoing basis, review the transparency and strengthen the oversight over the user fees that pay for those services. We need to make sure that all people and all organizations which benefit from those services pay a fair share. That includes big businesses. It is important that middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class are not footing the bill disproportionately for those services. We will treat all Canadians fairly.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the forestry industry is very important for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We know there are fine jobs that are dependent on a healthy industry. We know that the Minister of International Trade and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have worked very hard to get the best possible deal for Canada. We also note that we are reaching out to our provincial counterparts to make sure that all measures are taken to ensure that the forestry sector in Canada remains vibrant and strong and a source of good jobs for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have appointed many judges to superior courts across this country, as well as reconstituting the judicial advisory committees to ensure that we appoint a diversity of judges to the superior courts. I will continue to make those appointments.I would point out that in doing a broad review of the criminal justice system, I am working in a concerted way with my colleagues in the provinces and territories, who are responsible for the administration of justice. We are putting forward a comprehensive plan because there is no one solution to resolve the court delays. We are going to, most assuredly, address them.
Mr. Speaker, our government understands that the economy and the environment go hand in hand. Our government committed to a cleaner, more innovative economy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates good jobs.I encourage the member to look at that instead of a document that was prepared in 2015 under the previous Conservative government. We will keep working for the middle class, we will keep reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and we will create good jobs for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, on the heels of yesterday's meetings in Washington, in an official release from House Speaker Paul Ryan, the U.S. is warning that it wants improved market access for America's dairy farmers. We all know that means our supply-managed sectors will be on the table. Again, we see the Liberals in backroom conversations that are not being shared with Canadians. Thousands of jobs and families depend on Canada standing up for a fair deal. When will the Liberal government start telling Canadians the truth about NAFTA, and what exactly are the Liberals prepared to tweak?
Mr. Speaker, there is no one in the House who does not support our brave men and women in uniform, but it was not this side of the House or the last government that said that it would tax our troops in Kuwait $1,800 a month.I am asking the Prime Minister again to commit before the budget that he will not tax our troops in Kuwait.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that we will continue on our path to help Canadians, to help middle-class Canadians, to help people with real measures that will make a difference.Our look at our tax expenditures is really to make sure that our system is working properly, that it is efficient, to make sure that our tax system is fair, to make sure that measures that might have been put in place but are no longer working are reconsidered. That is an effort that is important so that Canadians can be sure the system works for them and their families.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure Canadians that our program will help families who are truly dealing with some extraordinary challenges, by allocating more money. This year, we will continue to add more measures for the middle class, measures that will give more money to families in every sector of our economy. That is our goal. We will continue in that vein and that will be good for Canadian families.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect any Prime Minister to do two things: both defend Canadian values and stand up for the jobs and growth that we need. That is exactly what I have been doing, and that is what I will always do.We were able to make sure that Americans understood fully and completely how many good jobs on both sides of the border depend on the close working relationship we have. That is what we will continue to focus on.
Mr. Speaker, our government has a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of the hard-earned middle-class tax dollars. When it comes to the issue of the case processing centre in Vegreville, I am happy to engage with the community. I met with the mayor, and yesterday I met with the regional representative from PSAC, as well as a community advocate on this issue. My door is always open to the community.The relocation of the case processing centre to Edmonton is one hour away. All indeterminate employees will have an opportunity to continue their positions there. In fact, the relocation will result in more jobs for Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate the member for Vimy on the excellent work she is doing on behalf of her constituents.Our government is committed to supporting innovative projects aimed at meeting the needs of homeless people, including youth, indigenous people, women, and veterans. Budget 2016 allocated an additional $112 million to the homelessness partnering strategy, the first investment from the Canadian government since 1999.Our national housing strategy will expand its efforts across the continuum of housing needs for our families.
Mr. Speaker, as has been said many times in the House and to Canadians, the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the Commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again rise and remind members and Canadians that the Prime Minister has said many times that he will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to trade, our government gets it done. Our friends south of the border, want do more trade with us
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.Yesterday was an important day. We put a lot of effort into it. As the President of the United States said, We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada. That statement is very important to Canada, our workers, and our businesses. We strongly and proudly defended the interests of our producers, including those of the forestry and dairy industries. We will continue
Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to stand up for our farmers, producers, and their families.In Washington yesterday and in the meeting with Speaker Paul Ryan, I strongly defended our dairy sector, as I always do and as I am proud to do. We will look out for the interests of Canadians and their jobs. We will fiercely defend the national interest and will stand up for our values while doing so.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.Our government will continue to defend our farmers, our producers, and their families. We will continue to defend Canada's forestry industry, and that includes Quebec's forestry industry.Yesterday in Washington, we were strong and proud as we championed our farmers, our producers, and our forestry industry. We will continue in that vein.We will vigorously defend our national interest, and we will remain faithful to Canadian values.
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Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to stand up for our farmers, producers, and their families.In Washington yesterday and in the meeting with Speaker Paul Ryan, I strongly defended our dairy sector, as I always do and as I am proud to do. We will look out for the interests of Canadians and their jobs. We will fiercely defend the national interest and will stand up for our values while doing so.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.Our government will continue to defend our farmers, our producers, and their families. We will continue to defend Canada's forestry industry, and that includes Quebec's forestry industry.Yesterday in Washington, we were strong and proud as we championed our farmers, our producers, and our forestry industry. We will continue in that vein.We will vigorously defend our national interest, and we will remain faithful to Canadian values.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.Yesterday was an important day. We put a lot of effort into it. As the President of the United States said, We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada. That statement is very important to Canada, our workers, and our businesses. We strongly and proudly defended the interests of our producers, including those of the forestry and dairy industries. We will continue
Mr. Speaker, as has been said many times in the House and to Canadians, the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the Commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again rise and remind members and Canadians that the Prime Minister has said many times that he will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to trade, our government gets it done. Our friends south of the border, want do more trade with us
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate the member for Vimy on the excellent work she is doing on behalf of her constituents.Our government is committed to supporting innovative projects aimed at meeting the needs of homeless people, including youth, indigenous people, women, and veterans. Budget 2016 allocated an additional $112 million to the homelessness partnering strategy, the first investment from the Canadian government since 1999.Our national housing strategy will expand its efforts across the continuum of housing needs for our families.
Mr. Speaker, our government has a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of the hard-earned middle-class tax dollars. When it comes to the issue of the case processing centre in Vegreville, I am happy to engage with the community. I met with the mayor, and yesterday I met with the regional representative from PSAC, as well as a community advocate on this issue. My door is always open to the community.The relocation of the case processing centre to Edmonton is one hour away. All indeterminate employees will have an opportunity to continue their positions there. In fact, the relocation will result in more jobs for Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect any Prime Minister to do two things: both defend Canadian values and stand up for the jobs and growth that we need. That is exactly what I have been doing, and that is what I will always do.We were able to make sure that Americans understood fully and completely how many good jobs on both sides of the border depend on the close working relationship we have. That is what we will continue to focus on.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure Canadians that our program will help families who are truly dealing with some extraordinary challenges, by allocating more money. This year, we will continue to add more measures for the middle class, measures that will give more money to families in every sector of our economy. That is our goal. We will continue in that vein and that will be good for Canadian families.
Mr. Speaker, there is no one in the House who does not support our brave men and women in uniform, but it was not this side of the House or the last government that said that it would tax our troops in Kuwait $1,800 a month.I am asking the Prime Minister again to commit before the budget that he will not tax our troops in Kuwait.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that we will continue on our path to help Canadians, to help middle-class Canadians, to help people with real measures that will make a difference.Our look at our tax expenditures is really to make sure that our system is working properly, that it is efficient, to make sure that our tax system is fair, to make sure that measures that might have been put in place but are no longer working are reconsidered. That is an effort that is important so that Canadians can be sure the system works for them and their families.
Mr. Speaker, on the heels of yesterday's meetings in Washington, in an official release from House Speaker Paul Ryan, the U.S. is warning that it wants improved market access for America's dairy farmers. We all know that means our supply-managed sectors will be on the table. Again, we see the Liberals in backroom conversations that are not being shared with Canadians. Thousands of jobs and families depend on Canada standing up for a fair deal. When will the Liberal government start telling Canadians the truth about NAFTA, and what exactly are the Liberals prepared to tweak?
Mr. Speaker, our government understands that the economy and the environment go hand in hand. Our government committed to a cleaner, more innovative economy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates good jobs.I encourage the member to look at that instead of a document that was prepared in 2015 under the previous Conservative government. We will keep working for the middle class, we will keep reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and we will create good jobs for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have appointed many judges to superior courts across this country, as well as reconstituting the judicial advisory committees to ensure that we appoint a diversity of judges to the superior courts. I will continue to make those appointments.I would point out that in doing a broad review of the criminal justice system, I am working in a concerted way with my colleagues in the provinces and territories, who are responsible for the administration of justice. We are putting forward a comprehensive plan because there is no one solution to resolve the court delays. We are going to, most assuredly, address them.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the forestry industry is very important for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We know there are fine jobs that are dependent on a healthy industry. We know that the Minister of International Trade and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have worked very hard to get the best possible deal for Canada. We also note that we are reaching out to our provincial counterparts to make sure that all measures are taken to ensure that the forestry sector in Canada remains vibrant and strong and a source of good jobs for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, businesses, citizens, all Canadians benefit from government services. We need to, on an ongoing basis, review the transparency and strengthen the oversight over the user fees that pay for those services. We need to make sure that all people and all organizations which benefit from those services pay a fair share. That includes big businesses. It is important that middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class are not footing the bill disproportionately for those services. We will treat all Canadians fairly.
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner has launched an investigation into the Prime Minister's exclusive vacations. This is unprecedented. Actually, it is more like déjà vu, in that this is the second investigation of the Prime Minister that the commissioner has had to undertake.Will the Prime Minister now admit that he broke two separate laws? Will he finally assume responsibility for his actions?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister refused to denounce Trump's travel ban apparently because he was in Washington, yet no matter where he has been, the Prime Minister has actually never criticized Trump's racist immigration policies, even though they are having a direct impact on Canadians.From Vietnam to Iraq, Canada has a proud history of standing up to the U.S. on issues of principle. Now that he is back safe and sound on Canadian soil, will the Prime Minister summon the courage to denounce Trump's immigration policies?
Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of hard-earned tax dollars. The relocation we understand will have an impact on the community and staff, and all indeterminate employees are able to take positions in the new location. The new location will have an expanded case processing centre and will actually create more middle-class jobs for Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect their government to act responsibly and do things right. That is exactly what we are focusing on. We are going to protect our democracy. We are going to strengthen cybersecurity for the parties, make fundraising more transparent, and work to ensure that it is easy to vote by cleaning up the mess the Conservative Party made of our electoral system.We are going to improve our democracy, and we are going to do it the right way for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians know, there are always times when we do not agree with our partners and allies and, in this case, with the United States.We will always be respectful, clear, and honest when we express our disagreement. We will also continue to focus on what unites our countries and the concerns we share. This includes shared concerns about jobs and a shared desire to help the middle class. We talked a lot about how we will build a prosperous economy for the middle class on both sides of the border.
Mr. Speaker, on top of all of that, the Prime Minister's largest middle-class tax hike is being kept a secret. His government has a study in its possession showing that the carbon tax will hit middle- and low-income Canadians the hardest, but despite demands from the opposition, it has refused to release the numbers.If the Prime Minister is so proud of this carbon tax, why does he not release the numbers? What happened to transparency?
Mr. Speaker, the facts speak for themselves. We introduced important measures in budget 2016 last year to improve the situation of Canadian families and the middle class. That continues to be our focus. The purpose of our review of expenditures is to provide a program that will help the middle class and families with measures that will be really good for the economy over time.
Mr. Speaker, we will continue defending the interests of Canadians, such as reducing emissions and growing a clean economy. That is exactly what carbon pricing would do. I would like to remind the member that our carbon pricing will not come in until 2018, and all revenues will be given back to the provinces.We are committed to growing a clean economy, reducing emissions, and ensuring a more sustainable future for our children.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chair of the trade committee, the great chair, and all the members of the trade committee for their hard work. CETA is the most progressive trade agreement ever negotiated by Canada or the European Union. It will create jobs, bolster our prosperity, and grow the middle class. The Prime Minister will address the European Parliament this week on the importance of the Canada-EU relationship.Thanks to our trade talks, which focused on the interests of the middle class, Canadian businesses of all sizes and from every part of the country will enjoy unprecedented access to the European Union, a vast market made up of more than 500 million people.
Mr. Speaker, in last year's budget, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of 10 Canadian families with a larger tax-free cheque every month that they can spend on things like groceries, school supplies, new clothes for their kids. These are the kinds of things that make a huge difference and we were able to do it because we ended the Conservative practice of sending child benefits to millionaire families and, instead, delivered them to the people who really need them.In this year's budget, I thank the member opposite, we are going to be featuring the fact that going to visit our national parks anywhere across the country for Canada's 150th birthday will be absolutely free.
Mr. Speaker, our government continues to focus on Quebec's economic development in order to create good jobs. Our government has taken measures to help Quebec. For example, since 2015, Canada Economic Development has invested over $406 million in Quebec and supported the development of over 10,500 businesses and organizations. We are going to continue to work hard for Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, many residents of my riding of Thunder BayRainy River rely on public transit to get to school, work, or doctors' appointments. In the fall, Thunder Bay received more than $6 million for new buses, transit shelters, and bus stop signage improvements, and on Friday, I was pleased to announce a new handi-van bus in Fort Frances. These investments will mean better transit services for the residents of my riding.Could the minister explain how public transit investments are supporting communities like mine by growing the middle class and getting people home faster.
Take it easy, guys. We know what happened yesterday.We are voting on two agreements today, the Ukrainian agreement and the European agreement. The fishing industry in our province of Nova Scotia is very excited about these agreements.Could the Minister of International Trade tell this House how these agreements would benefit middle-class Canadians and what the next steps are toward implementing the CETA agreement?
Mr. Speaker, the PM is consistent. He says nothing everywhere.The Prime Minister is fuelling cynicism by breaking his promise of electoral reform and thumbing his nose at the thousands of people who believed in him in good faith. I witnessed this again last Friday when I spoke with university students in Rimouski. These bright young people are now disappointed and distrustful. They are wondering when they will be able to believe politicians again. They are even wondering whether they will ever vote again. What a mess. Growing up, I was taught that I needed to apologize if I ever broke a promise.Will the Prime Minister apologize for misleading Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, for almost 30 years families across Canada have been marching on Valentine's Day with Sisters in Spirit to honour the memory of murdered and missing indigenous women and girls. We are glad the national inquiry was announced, but the government promised it would act right away to prevent further tragedies. More than 700 recommendations over two decades remain waiting for this government to act on, so there is a lot that can be done right now. What will the government do now to prevent no more stolen sisters?
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the House that the previous Conservative government allowed the old agreement to expire. Our government is vigorously defending the interests of Canadian softwood workers and producers. In Washington last week with Secretary Tillerson I defended our producers, and yesterday in Washington the Prime Minister did that with energy and vigour, and I did too. We will continue to work closely with our producers, our workers, and the provinces and territories. We are seeking a good deal for Canada, not just any deal.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is going to be busy. We cannot throw a snowball around here without hitting a commissioner investigating the Prime Minister. He is under two ethics investigations as it is right now. We have the lobbying commissioner looking into his friends. We have the language commissioner, even, looking into things. The Prime Minister is under all these investigations. He has no regard for the ethics laws. He just does whatever he wants. Does the Prime Minister really think he is above the law and the ethics rules do not apply to him?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members and Canadians that every exempt staff hired knows full well the responsibilities staff members must respect both during their hiring and following their hiring. The rules are quite clear, and I have no reason to doubt that they will be respected.
Mr. Speaker, that is precisely the problem. If the government maintains the status quo, then, according to the Department of Finance, we are heading toward a debt of $1.5 trillion by 2050. That is the bill, the gift, that the Liberals are giving to our children and grandchildren. The Liberals are hurting not just our grandchildren, but also our seniors with their serious talk of eliminating income splitting and the age credit amounts. Could the Minister of Finance assure Canadians and especially seniors that he will not touch these two very important benefits for our seniors?
Mr. Speaker, the previous government is responsible for the lowest growth rate in eight decades. We therefore needed a plan to help our economy reach a higher level of growth.That is why we decided to invest in our future, that is, in infrastructure and the middle class, in order to help families right away. Thanks to our plan, we will have a higher growth rate in the future and there will be more opportunities for families and the next generation of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, again, the members opposite are demonstrating that they do not understand that building a strong economy for the future means also protecting the environment. That is how we get good jobs. That is how we create opportunities in the future for young people and for future generations. We have brought forward a carbon pricing framework that will be revenue neutral, which means in every single province in which it is collected, it will be returned to the people who need that support. That is what we have guaranteed, that we will not be doing anything but helping the middle class and supporting them with the kinds of jobs and economic growth that we need in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand up to once again say that we are conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including sentencing reform, which includes mandatory minimum penalties. We are not opposed to mandatory minimum penalties for the most serious of offences, but we are doing a comprehensive review of those mandatory minimums in terms of their constitutionality. The courts have spoken quite clearly about it. What we are committed to doing in this review is to ensure that we uphold public safety, have respect for victims, and ensure that we are approaching the justice system in a smart and effective way.
Mr. Speaker, from Quebec's perspective, supply management, diafiltered milk, spent fowl, and the softwood lumber agreement do not need mere tweaks. The word outstanding is just as important as the word tweaks. This is major for thousands of Quebec workers, their families, and our regions.Other than shedding crocodile tears if negotiations do not go its way, does the federal government have a plan to make sure that the interests of workers from all regions of Quebec are not dismissed when the American negotiators make their so-called tweaks?
Mr. Speaker, the minister clearly has not been to the community.The union reps presented the minister and his staff with detailed facts that his department will not share with Canadians. For example, Vegreville employees are right this minute working on new overflow cases from other processing centres, like they have done many times before. However, according to the minister, staff in Vegreville do not fit the requirements to process work from across the global departmental network. Will the minister finally admit that his excuses for closing this office are complete nonsense and unfounded?
Mr. Speaker, homelessness is a serious issue of national importance.In June, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development announced additional funding for the homelessness partnering strategy, part of which will be invested in the innovative solutions to homelessness stream. Can the minister explain how this increased funding will help communities better combat homelessness, which affects women, indigenous people, and vulnerable youth most of all?
Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of our employees is top priority of the Canadian Coast Guard. These men and women work hard every day to ensure the safety of mariners in our marine environment.There were two complaints about the quality of drinking water aboard Coast Guard vessels. The complaints process included the participation of employees, unions, subject matter specialists, and managers.According to the final decision, the Coast Guard satisfied its obligations with respect to its employees and drinking water, and will continue to do so in every circumstance.
Mr. Speaker, our government is here to work very hard for Canadians, to deal with the real challenges that they are facing. As the Prime Minister said, and as we have said many times, we will answer any of the commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, for almost 10 years, we in the House watched the previous government wrap itself in the flag while it nickelled and dimed veterans, completely botched the procurement processes, and did everything it could to talk a good game, but not deliver for the men and women of the Canadian Forces.We are focused on delivering what is necessary in terms of equipment, in terms of support, and in terms of honour and value to the extraordinary men and women who serve this country on the front lines and everywhere around the world.
Mr. Speaker, we were elected on a campaign commitment to help the middle class, to grow the middle class, and help those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. The members opposite in the Conservative Party voted against that. They did not want to lower taxes on the middle class and they certainly did not want to raise them on the wealthiest 1%, but we knew that that was what we needed to do to show Canadians that we were focused on growing the economy, helping the middle class, and actually putting more money into the pockets of people who need it right across the country.
Mr. Speaker, anyone who can count knows that giving people more money is just fine when it is available. However, if we go into debt or run deficits, our children and grandchildren will be footing the bill. That does not make sense. That is basic economics.Students are also being targeted by the government. Can the government assure us that it will not touch the education savings plans of almost five million Canadians, who would be directly affected by this other bad Liberal decision?
Mr. Speaker, after five years of contamination, water quality aboard Canadian Coast Guard vessels is now making headlines.Apparently there are several problems, possibly including the use of Interline paint with or without a solvent. Crew members are increasingly worried about their health because of toxic substances in the water and substances not detected by quality tests.Can the minister tell us if he is aware of the problem and what he plans to do to protect the health of these crew members?
No, nothing's free around here.Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has betrayed the middle class. In his first year, he introduced new taxes on savings, payroll, carbon, the self-employed, children's arts and fitness classes, tuition, and textbooks. We can use simple arithmetic here. It is clear that the tax bill for the ordinary Joe has gone way up. Why is the Prime Minister making the middle class pay for his reckless spending?
Mr. Speaker, I believe that so many of the women marching today do expect results, and they do not expect to wait for the recommendations of a commission. The commission is looking at all of those previous reports, but right now we know we need to act on shelter space, better housing, and the reforms of the child welfare system and the grievous harm that was done not only to the children that were taken, but also the moms who were left behind.We will get on with these things right now. We will not be waiting for the results of the commission.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals took months to finally meet with the union representing employees of the case processing centre in Vegreville. Yesterday, it gave proof that the decision to close the office is unfounded, and that the quality of work being done by employees is exemplary and regularly surpasses departmental expectations.I know that staff are scrambling to justify their advice, but is the minister now prepared to do the right thing, respect Vegreville families and rural Alberta and reverse this heartless decision?
Mr. Speaker, a picture of daddy and a handshaking contest, that about sums up the meeting between the Prime Minister and President Trump. Let us not forget the President's statement in which he said that NAFTA needs to be tweaked. Will our forestry workers, our dairy producers, and our farmers be the ones on the hook for these tweaks, these minor adjustments? We know that Quebec's interests seem minor to Ottawa, but will they be minor in discussions on free trade with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, between 2009 and the last election, 1.3 million new jobs were created in Canada, most of which were full-time jobs. That is the previous government's record. We managed to balance the budget and create a surplus.During the election campaign, the Liberals promised a small deficit of $10 billion, which was actually already huge. Now they are talking about triple that amount, that is, a deficit between $20 billion and $30 billion. It makes no sense. They talk about an infrastructure plan, but it will be on the backs of our grandchildren, who will have to pay down that debt in the future.Which taxes do the Liberals plan to raise in order to balance the budget?
Mr. Speaker, forestry is a major industry in my riding of South OkanaganWest Kootenay, and tens of thousands of jobs in British Columbia are dependent on that sector. The last time this sector was hit with American tariffs, the industry was devastated. Did the Prime Minister stand up for Canadian forestry workers and communities when he met with President Trump? When will the government develop a plan B to be ready for new American tariffs?
Mr. Speaker, apparently the ethics commissioner was not satisfied with the defence the Prime Minister attempted to use to clear up the ethical mess of his new year's trip. As a matter of fact, she confirmed in writing yesterday that she is launching yet another formal investigation.The ethics commissioner, like all Canadians, is not buying the Prime Minister's nonsensical talking points, so when will the Prime Minister admit that he broke the rules, and finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, instead of blaming mandatory minimums for a delay, the minister should look in the mirror, because it is this minister who has failed to appoint judges in a timely manner, which has resulted in serious criminal cases being thrown out. Murder cases are being thrown out. Sexual assault cases are being thrown out. Yesterday charges against a father accused of breaking the ankles of his infant were thrown out. We have dozens of judicial vacancies. How many more cases are going to be thrown out before the minister starts doing her job?
Mr. Speaker, we continue to stand with the men and women of the armed forces of Canada, who do an extraordinary job serving their country, some in very dangerous places, but all with a tremendous amount of commitment to their country and to the work they do. With what we are doing around veterans, what we are doing around procurement, and what we are doing around much-needed investments in the extraordinary men and women who serve this country, we will take no lessons from the members opposite.
Mr. Speaker, I guess that means a lot.Communities across the country rely on volunteer firefighters to staff their fire departments. In fact, 85% of all firefighters, roughly 144,000 Canadians, volunteer their time to protect the communities in which they live. That is why Conservatives created the volunteer firefighter tax credit. It helps attract volunteer firefighters and gives an incentive to Canadians who want to help in their communities.The finance minister has promised that all tax credits are on the table. Would the minister promise that he will not cancel the volunteer firefighter tax credit?
Mr. Speaker, 140 communities in British Columbia are dependent on forestry industry. This equates to roughly 65,000 jobs in just one single province. Yesterday, the Prime Minister left the Minister of Natural Resources at home alone, and there is no evidence that the Prime Minister brought this agreement up once. It is not even mentioned in one minister's mandate letter. It is clear yet again that softwood lumber and forestry workers are not a priority for these Liberals. Will the minister make softwood lumber a priority and make sure a deal is in place before a single forestry worker loses a job as a result of his and her inaction?
Mr. Speaker, in the last election, Canadians voted for a change from a government that had been unable to deliver on economic growth for the middle class, had been unable to deliver the kind of vision for this country that Canadians need.We made commitments to grow the middle class, to work to restore faith in our democracy, and to continue to demonstrate that Canada deserves better. That is exactly what we are delivering every day, working very hard for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to be perfectly clear. We will not be appealing this judgment. We want to get to the table as quickly as possible and be able to put in place the remedies necessary around language and culture, and all that these people lost during this dreadful chapter in our history.
Mr. Speaker, today, an Ontario judge ruled in favour of those affected by the sixties scoop.I have a simple question for the minister: will she give us her word in the House today that her government will not appeal this decision?After the Ontario court found Canada liable for failing to protect survivors of the Sixties Scoop from losing their cultural identity, I have a very simple question for the minister. Will her government uphold this ruling? A simple yes or no would suffice.
Mr. Speaker, after more than a year of questionable ethics, the Prime Minister has finally reached rock bottom.The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner finds that there is cause to launch a formal investigation into the Prime Minister's vacation on the Aga Khan's private island, despite the answers the Prime Minister himself provided to the commissioner's questions.Now that he is formally under investigation, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, when I heard the Prime Minister, a Liberal MP, the head of the Liberal Party, and the founder of Canada 2020 took a private helicopter and were hosted by the Aga Khan for a week on a private island, I knew immediately this was against multiple rules. The ethics commissioner has examined the evidence for over a month, and during this time the Prime Minister has had the opportunity to alleviate her concerns. The fact that she is proceeding with a formal investigation speaks volumes. Will the Prime Minister just admit he broke his rules and admit there is no defence for his unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again remind members in this place, and to remind Canadians, that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, as a former bus driver, I want to convey our thoughts and prayers for the Winnipeg Transit bus operator who was stabbed last night while serving his community and on duty.I want to thank the hon. member for his question and his hard work. On Friday, in partnership with the municipalities and the Province of Ontario, we announced 79 transit projects in 29 municipalities. From new buses in Milton, Renfrew, and Orillia, to new transit shelters in Huntsville
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the government are committed to working hard for Canadians. That is why we are taking the steps and actions to ensure that we can respond to the very real challenges they are facing.To respond to the member's question, I will remind the member, all members in the House, and Canadians that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, what is happening here is the Prime Minister is trying to soak up every dime of extra tax money that he can find. Now he has dispatched his tax collectors halfway around the world to the front lines of the war against ISIS. He is taking away a tax break for our troops who are stationed in Kuwait, costing each of them up to $1,800 a month. We know he plans to hike a whole range of taxes in the budget, but will he at least today commit to not taxing our troops?
Mr. Speaker, I think the damage being done right now is by the Prime Minister to the faith that Canadians placed in him in the last election.Canadians expected better from this Prime Minister, yet last week he said the decision to turn his back on a solemn promise to fix our electoral system was my decision to make. I hate to break it to him, but it was not. That decision was made by the Canadian voters and only by the Canadian voters. When someone breaks a promise, they must first admit it, apologize for breaking faith, and work 10 times harder to regain the trust that has been lost.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and at the very least apologize to Canadians for having broken his promise on electoral reform, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, in last year's Liberal budget, Canadians were hit hard by new taxes on savings, payroll, and carbon. The self-employed were hit, and even children's arts and fitness classes. Canadians are sick and tired of feeling nickelled and dimed by the Prime Minister, and now we are hearing that he might even make it more expensive to go camping.Having already raised taxes on Canadians, does the Prime Minister really think it is fair to do it all over again?
Mr. Speaker, unlike some other people in this House, I always say the same thing, regardless of where I am. I will say the same thing in Ottawa as I say in Washington.
Mr. Speaker, Corporal Terra Janz is a veteran who is being denied a benefit for a disability, which her specialist and family doctor say was caused as a result of her military service. As a condition of her disability, she must self-catheterize, which is something she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She is being denied this benefit on the basis that her disability is a medical event common to women.When did the Prime Minister decide that being a woman in the military is cause enough to deny a benefit to a veteran?
Mr. Speaker, the 2016 census figures show a worrisome trend in eastern Quebec. While the population of Canada increased by 5% over the past five years, the population of the Lower St. Lawrence region and the Gaspé dropped by 1.3% and 4%, respectively. Will the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development commit to scrapping the disastrous policies that prevent our businesses from keeping jobs in the region, or would he rather see our young people continue to move to large urban centres?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the justice minister said her problem with mandatory sentences was the charter. I should not have to point out to her that the most serious mandatory sentence is for murder, and that has been upheld by the courts for the last 35 years. Taking away mandatory sentences is about giving breaks to murderers, rapists, child abusers, drunk drivers, and drug dealers.When will the Liberals change their tune and start standing up for victims and their families?
Mr. Speaker, the intention of this government, my intention, is to do a comprehensive review of the Criminal Code, a review that has not been done since the early 1980s. The previous government sought to do a piecemeal approach to amending the Criminal Code. We are undertaking our review to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system and ensuring that the legislation that we put forward is meeting its objectives. That is why we are studying the mandatory minimum penalties. I look forward to having more to say about this in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, the media is reporting that the Minister of Justice is looking into reducing or even getting rid of the majority of minimum sentences for criminals. I cannot wait to see what initiatives the minister might put in place to protect victims instead of conducting studies to abolish minimum sentences.Could the minister explain the motivation behind these measures and what minimum sentences she wants to eliminate?
Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago the Prime Minister heard first-hand the struggle of Ontarians who are facing out-of-control hydro rates at the hand of his mentor, Kathleen Wynne. Struggling Ontarians cannot afford the Prime Minister's plan to make a bad situation far worse by adding more costs through a carbon tax. A carbon tax would increase the costs of almost everything from gas to groceries.When will the Prime Minister abandon this irresponsible tax on everything, and start defending the interests of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, and the RCMP, as well as their families, have the support they need, when and where they need it.While we cannot comment on individual cases, our government takes the security and well-being of our veterans very seriously. That is why we committed $5.6 billion in financial supports for veterans in budget 2016. That is why we are reopening the nine offices closed by the previous government, hiring 400 front-line staff, 360 who have been hired to date.
Mr. Speaker, silence gives consent. When he was elected, the Prime Minister said that he would stand up for human rights around the world. Yesterday, he met with President Trump.Did he take the opportunity, without preaching or lecturing, to share with the president his concerns that Canadians are facing discriminatory and dangerous measures? In short, did he stand up for human rights or did he do nothing?
Mr. Speaker, Cyrus Reporter, a senior adviser to the Prime Minister, who used to be a lobbyist, has just taken a job as a lobbyist again. The Liberals tell us not to worry because he is not going to be lobbying his friends. Instead, he will just be coaching other lobbyists on how to lobby his Liberal friends.This clearly goes against the spirit of the Lobbying Act, which is supposed to prevent this revolving door of Liberal lobbyists. How can the Liberals explain this blatant attempt to get around the law? Where is their integrity?
Mr. Speaker, yet again the Liberal government is going down the same failed fiscal road travelled so heavily by Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Liberals. Ontario has over 400 user fees. Make no mistake, they are a tax on the middle class and those working hard to join it.We know the Liberals have never met a tax or user fee they did not like. Since the federal Liberals are following the same disastrous playbook as Ontario with out-of-control spending and massive deficits, what user fees are these Liberals planning to raise on hard-working taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, the previous government had to deal with the worst economic crisis since the Second World War. Despite having to deal with that, we had an operating surplus and balanced the budget.About the carbon tax. Why are the Liberals not talking about its repercussions? They are hiding the numbers. It will have an impact on Canadian families. The numbers were redacted in the information our party received.Why is that? What impact will this carbon tax have on an average family?
Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to stand up for our farmers, producers, and their families.In Washington yesterday and in the meeting with Speaker Paul Ryan, I strongly defended our dairy sector, as I always do and as I am proud to do. We will look out for the interests of Canadians and their jobs. We will fiercely defend the national interest and will stand up for our values while doing so.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.Our government will continue to defend our farmers, our producers, and their families. We will continue to defend Canada's forestry industry, and that includes Quebec's forestry industry.Yesterday in Washington, we were strong and proud as we championed our farmers, our producers, and our forestry industry. We will continue in that vein.We will vigorously defend our national interest, and we will remain faithful to Canadian values.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.Yesterday was an important day. We put a lot of effort into it. As the President of the United States said, We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada. That statement is very important to Canada, our workers, and our businesses. We strongly and proudly defended the interests of our producers, including those of the forestry and dairy industries. We will continue
Mr. Speaker, as has been said many times in the House and to Canadians, the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the Commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again rise and remind members and Canadians that the Prime Minister has said many times that he will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to trade, our government gets it done. Our friends south of the border, want do more trade with us
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate the member for Vimy on the excellent work she is doing on behalf of her constituents.Our government is committed to supporting innovative projects aimed at meeting the needs of homeless people, including youth, indigenous people, women, and veterans. Budget 2016 allocated an additional $112 million to the homelessness partnering strategy, the first investment from the Canadian government since 1999.Our national housing strategy will expand its efforts across the continuum of housing needs for our families.
Mr. Speaker, our government has a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of the hard-earned middle-class tax dollars. When it comes to the issue of the case processing centre in Vegreville, I am happy to engage with the community. I met with the mayor, and yesterday I met with the regional representative from PSAC, as well as a community advocate on this issue. My door is always open to the community.The relocation of the case processing centre to Edmonton is one hour away. All indeterminate employees will have an opportunity to continue their positions there. In fact, the relocation will result in more jobs for Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect any Prime Minister to do two things: both defend Canadian values and stand up for the jobs and growth that we need. That is exactly what I have been doing, and that is what I will always do.We were able to make sure that Americans understood fully and completely how many good jobs on both sides of the border depend on the close working relationship we have. That is what we will continue to focus on.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure Canadians that our program will help families who are truly dealing with some extraordinary challenges, by allocating more money. This year, we will continue to add more measures for the middle class, measures that will give more money to families in every sector of our economy. That is our goal. We will continue in that vein and that will be good for Canadian families.
Mr. Speaker, there is no one in the House who does not support our brave men and women in uniform, but it was not this side of the House or the last government that said that it would tax our troops in Kuwait $1,800 a month.I am asking the Prime Minister again to commit before the budget that he will not tax our troops in Kuwait.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that we will continue on our path to help Canadians, to help middle-class Canadians, to help people with real measures that will make a difference.Our look at our tax expenditures is really to make sure that our system is working properly, that it is efficient, to make sure that our tax system is fair, to make sure that measures that might have been put in place but are no longer working are reconsidered. That is an effort that is important so that Canadians can be sure the system works for them and their families.
Mr. Speaker, on the heels of yesterday's meetings in Washington, in an official release from House Speaker Paul Ryan, the U.S. is warning that it wants improved market access for America's dairy farmers. We all know that means our supply-managed sectors will be on the table. Again, we see the Liberals in backroom conversations that are not being shared with Canadians. Thousands of jobs and families depend on Canada standing up for a fair deal. When will the Liberal government start telling Canadians the truth about NAFTA, and what exactly are the Liberals prepared to tweak?
Mr. Speaker, our government understands that the economy and the environment go hand in hand. Our government committed to a cleaner, more innovative economy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates good jobs.I encourage the member to look at that instead of a document that was prepared in 2015 under the previous Conservative government. We will keep working for the middle class, we will keep reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and we will create good jobs for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have appointed many judges to superior courts across this country, as well as reconstituting the judicial advisory committees to ensure that we appoint a diversity of judges to the superior courts. I will continue to make those appointments.I would point out that in doing a broad review of the criminal justice system, I am working in a concerted way with my colleagues in the provinces and territories, who are responsible for the administration of justice. We are putting forward a comprehensive plan because there is no one solution to resolve the court delays. We are going to, most assuredly, address them.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the forestry industry is very important for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We know there are fine jobs that are dependent on a healthy industry. We know that the Minister of International Trade and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have worked very hard to get the best possible deal for Canada. We also note that we are reaching out to our provincial counterparts to make sure that all measures are taken to ensure that the forestry sector in Canada remains vibrant and strong and a source of good jobs for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, businesses, citizens, all Canadians benefit from government services. We need to, on an ongoing basis, review the transparency and strengthen the oversight over the user fees that pay for those services. We need to make sure that all people and all organizations which benefit from those services pay a fair share. That includes big businesses. It is important that middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class are not footing the bill disproportionately for those services. We will treat all Canadians fairly.
Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner has launched an investigation into the Prime Minister's exclusive vacations. This is unprecedented. Actually, it is more like déjà vu, in that this is the second investigation of the Prime Minister that the commissioner has had to undertake.Will the Prime Minister now admit that he broke two separate laws? Will he finally assume responsibility for his actions?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister refused to denounce Trump's travel ban apparently because he was in Washington, yet no matter where he has been, the Prime Minister has actually never criticized Trump's racist immigration policies, even though they are having a direct impact on Canadians.From Vietnam to Iraq, Canada has a proud history of standing up to the U.S. on issues of principle. Now that he is back safe and sound on Canadian soil, will the Prime Minister summon the courage to denounce Trump's immigration policies?
Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility to make decisions on government spending of hard-earned tax dollars. The relocation we understand will have an impact on the community and staff, and all indeterminate employees are able to take positions in the new location. The new location will have an expanded case processing centre and will actually create more middle-class jobs for Alberta.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect their government to act responsibly and do things right. That is exactly what we are focusing on. We are going to protect our democracy. We are going to strengthen cybersecurity for the parties, make fundraising more transparent, and work to ensure that it is easy to vote by cleaning up the mess the Conservative Party made of our electoral system.We are going to improve our democracy, and we are going to do it the right way for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians know, there are always times when we do not agree with our partners and allies and, in this case, with the United States.We will always be respectful, clear, and honest when we express our disagreement. We will also continue to focus on what unites our countries and the concerns we share. This includes shared concerns about jobs and a shared desire to help the middle class. We talked a lot about how we will build a prosperous economy for the middle class on both sides of the border.
Mr. Speaker, on top of all of that, the Prime Minister's largest middle-class tax hike is being kept a secret. His government has a study in its possession showing that the carbon tax will hit middle- and low-income Canadians the hardest, but despite demands from the opposition, it has refused to release the numbers.If the Prime Minister is so proud of this carbon tax, why does he not release the numbers? What happened to transparency?
Mr. Speaker, the facts speak for themselves. We introduced important measures in budget 2016 last year to improve the situation of Canadian families and the middle class. That continues to be our focus. The purpose of our review of expenditures is to provide a program that will help the middle class and families with measures that will be really good for the economy over time.
Mr. Speaker, we will continue defending the interests of Canadians, such as reducing emissions and growing a clean economy. That is exactly what carbon pricing would do. I would like to remind the member that our carbon pricing will not come in until 2018, and all revenues will be given back to the provinces.We are committed to growing a clean economy, reducing emissions, and ensuring a more sustainable future for our children.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chair of the trade committee, the great chair, and all the members of the trade committee for their hard work. CETA is the most progressive trade agreement ever negotiated by Canada or the European Union. It will create jobs, bolster our prosperity, and grow the middle class. The Prime Minister will address the European Parliament this week on the importance of the Canada-EU relationship.Thanks to our trade talks, which focused on the interests of the middle class, Canadian businesses of all sizes and from every part of the country will enjoy unprecedented access to the European Union, a vast market made up of more than 500 million people.
Mr. Speaker, in last year's budget, we introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of 10 Canadian families with a larger tax-free cheque every month that they can spend on things like groceries, school supplies, new clothes for their kids. These are the kinds of things that make a huge difference and we were able to do it because we ended the Conservative practice of sending child benefits to millionaire families and, instead, delivered them to the people who really need them.In this year's budget, I thank the member opposite, we are going to be featuring the fact that going to visit our national parks anywhere across the country for Canada's 150th birthday will be absolutely free.
Mr. Speaker, our government continues to focus on Quebec's economic development in order to create good jobs. Our government has taken measures to help Quebec. For example, since 2015, Canada Economic Development has invested over $406 million in Quebec and supported the development of over 10,500 businesses and organizations. We are going to continue to work hard for Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, many residents of my riding of Thunder BayRainy River rely on public transit to get to school, work, or doctors' appointments. In the fall, Thunder Bay received more than $6 million for new buses, transit shelters, and bus stop signage improvements, and on Friday, I was pleased to announce a new handi-van bus in Fort Frances. These investments will mean better transit services for the residents of my riding.Could the minister explain how public transit investments are supporting communities like mine by growing the middle class and getting people home faster.
Take it easy, guys. We know what happened yesterday.We are voting on two agreements today, the Ukrainian agreement and the European agreement. The fishing industry in our province of Nova Scotia is very excited about these agreements.Could the Minister of International Trade tell this House how these agreements would benefit middle-class Canadians and what the next steps are toward implementing the CETA agreement?
Mr. Speaker, the PM is consistent. He says nothing everywhere.The Prime Minister is fuelling cynicism by breaking his promise of electoral reform and thumbing his nose at the thousands of people who believed in him in good faith. I witnessed this again last Friday when I spoke with university students in Rimouski. These bright young people are now disappointed and distrustful. They are wondering when they will be able to believe politicians again. They are even wondering whether they will ever vote again. What a mess. Growing up, I was taught that I needed to apologize if I ever broke a promise.Will the Prime Minister apologize for misleading Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, for almost 30 years families across Canada have been marching on Valentine's Day with Sisters in Spirit to honour the memory of murdered and missing indigenous women and girls. We are glad the national inquiry was announced, but the government promised it would act right away to prevent further tragedies. More than 700 recommendations over two decades remain waiting for this government to act on, so there is a lot that can be done right now. What will the government do now to prevent no more stolen sisters?
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the House that the previous Conservative government allowed the old agreement to expire. Our government is vigorously defending the interests of Canadian softwood workers and producers. In Washington last week with Secretary Tillerson I defended our producers, and yesterday in Washington the Prime Minister did that with energy and vigour, and I did too. We will continue to work closely with our producers, our workers, and the provinces and territories. We are seeking a good deal for Canada, not just any deal.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is going to be busy. We cannot throw a snowball around here without hitting a commissioner investigating the Prime Minister. He is under two ethics investigations as it is right now. We have the lobbying commissioner looking into his friends. We have the language commissioner, even, looking into things. The Prime Minister is under all these investigations. He has no regard for the ethics laws. He just does whatever he wants. Does the Prime Minister really think he is above the law and the ethics rules do not apply to him?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House and to remind members and Canadians that every exempt staff hired knows full well the responsibilities staff members must respect both during their hiring and following their hiring. The rules are quite clear, and I have no reason to doubt that they will be respected.
Mr. Speaker, that is precisely the problem. If the government maintains the status quo, then, according to the Department of Finance, we are heading toward a debt of $1.5 trillion by 2050. That is the bill, the gift, that the Liberals are giving to our children and grandchildren. The Liberals are hurting not just our grandchildren, but also our seniors with their serious talk of eliminating income splitting and the age credit amounts. Could the Minister of Finance assure Canadians and especially seniors that he will not touch these two very important benefits for our seniors?
Mr. Speaker, the previous government is responsible for the lowest growth rate in eight decades. We therefore needed a plan to help our economy reach a higher level of growth.That is why we decided to invest in our future, that is, in infrastructure and the middle class, in order to help families right away. Thanks to our plan, we will have a higher growth rate in the future and there will be more opportunities for families and the next generation of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, again, the members opposite are demonstrating that they do not understand that building a strong economy for the future means also protecting the environment. That is how we get good jobs. That is how we create opportunities in the future for young people and for future generations. We have brought forward a carbon pricing framework that will be revenue neutral, which means in every single province in which it is collected, it will be returned to the people who need that support. That is what we have guaranteed, that we will not be doing anything but helping the middle class and supporting them with the kinds of jobs and economic growth that we need in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand up to once again say that we are conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, including sentencing reform, which includes mandatory minimum penalties. We are not opposed to mandatory minimum penalties for the most serious of offences, but we are doing a comprehensive review of those mandatory minimums in terms of their constitutionality. The courts have spoken quite clearly about it. What we are committed to doing in this review is to ensure that we uphold public safety, have respect for victims, and ensure that we are approaching the justice system in a smart and effective way.
Mr. Speaker, from Quebec's perspective, supply management, diafiltered milk, spent fowl, and the softwood lumber agreement do not need mere tweaks. The word outstanding is just as important as the word tweaks. This is major for thousands of Quebec workers, their families, and our regions.Other than shedding crocodile tears if negotiations do not go its way, does the federal government have a plan to make sure that the interests of workers from all regions of Quebec are not dismissed when the American negotiators make their so-called tweaks?
Mr. Speaker, the minister clearly has not been to the community.The union reps presented the minister and his staff with detailed facts that his department will not share with Canadians. For example, Vegreville employees are right this minute working on new overflow cases from other processing centres, like they have done many times before. However, according to the minister, staff in Vegreville do not fit the requirements to process work from across the global departmental network. Will the minister finally admit that his excuses for closing this office are complete nonsense and unfounded?
Mr. Speaker, homelessness is a serious issue of national importance.In June, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development announced additional funding for the homelessness partnering strategy, part of which will be invested in the innovative solutions to homelessness stream. Can the minister explain how this increased funding will help communities better combat homelessness, which affects women, indigenous people, and vulnerable youth most of all?
Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of our employees is top priority of the Canadian Coast Guard. These men and women work hard every day to ensure the safety of mariners in our marine environment.There were two complaints about the quality of drinking water aboard Coast Guard vessels. The complaints process included the participation of employees, unions, subject matter specialists, and managers.According to the final decision, the Coast Guard satisfied its obligations with respect to its employees and drinking water, and will continue to do so in every circumstance.
Mr. Speaker, our government is here to work very hard for Canadians, to deal with the real challenges that they are facing. As the Prime Minister said, and as we have said many times, we will answer any of the commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, for almost 10 years, we in the House watched the previous government wrap itself in the flag while it nickelled and dimed veterans, completely botched the procurement processes, and did everything it could to talk a good game, but not deliver for the men and women of the Canadian Forces.We are focused on delivering what is necessary in terms of equipment, in terms of support, and in terms of honour and value to the extraordinary men and women who serve this country on the front lines and everywhere around the world.
Mr. Speaker, we were elected on a campaign commitment to help the middle class, to grow the middle class, and help those working hard to join it. The very first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. The members opposite in the Conservative Party voted against that. They did not want to lower taxes on the middle class and they certainly did not want to raise them on the wealthiest 1%, but we knew that that was what we needed to do to show Canadians that we were focused on growing the economy, helping the middle class, and actually putting more money into the pockets of people who need it right across the country.
Mr. Speaker, anyone who can count knows that giving people more money is just fine when it is available. However, if we go into debt or run deficits, our children and grandchildren will be footing the bill. That does not make sense. That is basic economics.Students are also being targeted by the government. Can the government assure us that it will not touch the education savings plans of almost five million Canadians, who would be directly affected by this other bad Liberal decision?
Mr. Speaker, after five years of contamination, water quality aboard Canadian Coast Guard vessels is now making headlines.Apparently there are several problems, possibly including the use of Interline paint with or without a solvent. Crew members are increasingly worried about their health because of toxic substances in the water and substances not detected by quality tests.Can the minister tell us if he is aware of the problem and what he plans to do to protect the health of these crew members?
No, nothing's free around here.Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has betrayed the middle class. In his first year, he introduced new taxes on savings, payroll, carbon, the self-employed, children's arts and fitness classes, tuition, and textbooks. We can use simple arithmetic here. It is clear that the tax bill for the ordinary Joe has gone way up. Why is the Prime Minister making the middle class pay for his reckless spending?
Mr. Speaker, I believe that so many of the women marching today do expect results, and they do not expect to wait for the recommendations of a commission. The commission is looking at all of those previous reports, but right now we know we need to act on shelter space, better housing, and the reforms of the child welfare system and the grievous harm that was done not only to the children that were taken, but also the moms who were left behind.We will get on with these things right now. We will not be waiting for the results of the commission.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals took months to finally meet with the union representing employees of the case processing centre in Vegreville. Yesterday, it gave proof that the decision to close the office is unfounded, and that the quality of work being done by employees is exemplary and regularly surpasses departmental expectations.I know that staff are scrambling to justify their advice, but is the minister now prepared to do the right thing, respect Vegreville families and rural Alberta and reverse this heartless decision?
Mr. Speaker, a picture of daddy and a handshaking contest, that about sums up the meeting between the Prime Minister and President Trump. Let us not forget the President's statement in which he said that NAFTA needs to be tweaked. Will our forestry workers, our dairy producers, and our farmers be the ones on the hook for these tweaks, these minor adjustments? We know that Quebec's interests seem minor to Ottawa, but will they be minor in discussions on free trade with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, between 2009 and the last election, 1.3 million new jobs were created in Canada, most of which were full-time jobs. That is the previous government's record. We managed to balance the budget and create a surplus.During the election campaign, the Liberals promised a small deficit of $10 billion, which was actually already huge. Now they are talking about triple that amount, that is, a deficit between $20 billion and $30 billion. It makes no sense. They talk about an infrastructure plan, but it will be on the backs of our grandchildren, who will have to pay down that debt in the future.Which taxes do the Liberals plan to raise in order to balance the budget?
Mr. Speaker, forestry is a major industry in my riding of South OkanaganWest Kootenay, and tens of thousands of jobs in British Columbia are dependent on that sector. The last time this sector was hit with American tariffs, the industry was devastated. Did the Prime Minister stand up for Canadian forestry workers and communities when he met with President Trump? When will the government develop a plan B to be ready for new American tariffs?
Mr. Speaker, apparently the ethics commissioner was not satisfied with the defence the Prime Minister attempted to use to clear up the ethical mess of his new year's trip. As a matter of fact, she confirmed in writing yesterday that she is launching yet another formal investigation.The ethics commissioner, like all Canadians, is not buying the Prime Minister's nonsensical talking points, so when will the Prime Minister admit that he broke the rules, and finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, instead of blaming mandatory minimums for a delay, the minister should look in the mirror, because it is this minister who has failed to appoint judges in a timely manner, which has resulted in serious criminal cases being thrown out. Murder cases are being thrown out. Sexual assault cases are being thrown out. Yesterday charges against a father accused of breaking the ankles of his infant were thrown out. We have dozens of judicial vacancies. How many more cases are going to be thrown out before the minister starts doing her job?
Mr. Speaker, we continue to stand with the men and women of the armed forces of Canada, who do an extraordinary job serving their country, some in very dangerous places, but all with a tremendous amount of commitment to their country and to the work they do. With what we are doing around veterans, what we are doing around procurement, and what we are doing around much-needed investments in the extraordinary men and women who serve this country, we will take no lessons from the members opposite.
Mr. Speaker, I guess that means a lot.Communities across the country rely on volunteer firefighters to staff their fire departments. In fact, 85% of all firefighters, roughly 144,000 Canadians, volunteer their time to protect the communities in which they live. That is why Conservatives created the volunteer firefighter tax credit. It helps attract volunteer firefighters and gives an incentive to Canadians who want to help in their communities.The finance minister has promised that all tax credits are on the table. Would the minister promise that he will not cancel the volunteer firefighter tax credit?
Mr. Speaker, 140 communities in British Columbia are dependent on forestry industry. This equates to roughly 65,000 jobs in just one single province. Yesterday, the Prime Minister left the Minister of Natural Resources at home alone, and there is no evidence that the Prime Minister brought this agreement up once. It is not even mentioned in one minister's mandate letter. It is clear yet again that softwood lumber and forestry workers are not a priority for these Liberals. Will the minister make softwood lumber a priority and make sure a deal is in place before a single forestry worker loses a job as a result of his and her inaction?
Mr. Speaker, in the last election, Canadians voted for a change from a government that had been unable to deliver on economic growth for the middle class, had been unable to deliver the kind of vision for this country that Canadians need.We made commitments to grow the middle class, to work to restore faith in our democracy, and to continue to demonstrate that Canada deserves better. That is exactly what we are delivering every day, working very hard for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to be perfectly clear. We will not be appealing this judgment. We want to get to the table as quickly as possible and be able to put in place the remedies necessary around language and culture, and all that these people lost during this dreadful chapter in our history.
Mr. Speaker, today, an Ontario judge ruled in favour of those affected by the sixties scoop.I have a simple question for the minister: will she give us her word in the House today that her government will not appeal this decision?After the Ontario court found Canada liable for failing to protect survivors of the Sixties Scoop from losing their cultural identity, I have a very simple question for the minister. Will her government uphold this ruling? A simple yes or no would suffice.
Mr. Speaker, after more than a year of questionable ethics, the Prime Minister has finally reached rock bottom.The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner finds that there is cause to launch a formal investigation into the Prime Minister's vacation on the Aga Khan's private island, despite the answers the Prime Minister himself provided to the commissioner's questions.Now that he is formally under investigation, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he is not above the law?
Mr. Speaker, when I heard the Prime Minister, a Liberal MP, the head of the Liberal Party, and the founder of Canada 2020 took a private helicopter and were hosted by the Aga Khan for a week on a private island, I knew immediately this was against multiple rules. The ethics commissioner has examined the evidence for over a month, and during this time the Prime Minister has had the opportunity to alleviate her concerns. The fact that she is proceeding with a formal investigation speaks volumes. Will the Prime Minister just admit he broke his rules and admit there is no defence for his unethical behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again remind members in this place, and to remind Canadians, that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, as a former bus driver, I want to convey our thoughts and prayers for the Winnipeg Transit bus operator who was stabbed last night while serving his community and on duty.I want to thank the hon. member for his question and his hard work. On Friday, in partnership with the municipalities and the Province of Ontario, we announced 79 transit projects in 29 municipalities. From new buses in Milton, Renfrew, and Orillia, to new transit shelters in Huntsville
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the government are committed to working hard for Canadians. That is why we are taking the steps and actions to ensure that we can respond to the very real challenges they are facing.To respond to the member's question, I will remind the member, all members in the House, and Canadians that the Prime Minister will respond to any questions that the commissioner has.
Mr. Speaker, what is happening here is the Prime Minister is trying to soak up every dime of extra tax money that he can find. Now he has dispatched his tax collectors halfway around the world to the front lines of the war against ISIS. He is taking away a tax break for our troops who are stationed in Kuwait, costing each of them up to $1,800 a month. We know he plans to hike a whole range of taxes in the budget, but will he at least today commit to not taxing our troops?
Mr. Speaker, I think the damage being done right now is by the Prime Minister to the faith that Canadians placed in him in the last election.Canadians expected better from this Prime Minister, yet last week he said the decision to turn his back on a solemn promise to fix our electoral system was my decision to make. I hate to break it to him, but it was not. That decision was made by the Canadian voters and only by the Canadian voters. When someone breaks a promise, they must first admit it, apologize for breaking faith, and work 10 times harder to regain the trust that has been lost.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and at the very least apologize to Canadians for having broken his promise on electoral reform, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, in last year's Liberal budget, Canadians were hit hard by new taxes on savings, payroll, and carbon. The self-employed were hit, and even children's arts and fitness classes. Canadians are sick and tired of feeling nickelled and dimed by the Prime Minister, and now we are hearing that he might even make it more expensive to go camping.Having already raised taxes on Canadians, does the Prime Minister really think it is fair to do it all over again?
Mr. Speaker, unlike some other people in this House, I always say the same thing, regardless of where I am. I will say the same thing in Ottawa as I say in Washington.
Mr. Speaker, Corporal Terra Janz is a veteran who is being denied a benefit for a disability, which her specialist and family doctor say was caused as a result of her military service. As a condition of her disability, she must self-catheterize, which is something she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She is being denied this benefit on the basis that her disability is a medical event common to women.When did the Prime Minister decide that being a woman in the military is cause enough to deny a benefit to a veteran?
Mr. Speaker, the 2016 census figures show a worrisome trend in eastern Quebec. While the population of Canada increased by 5% over the past five years, the population of the Lower St. Lawrence region and the Gaspé dropped by 1.3% and 4%, respectively. Will the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development commit to scrapping the disastrous policies that prevent our businesses from keeping jobs in the region, or would he rather see our young people continue to move to large urban centres?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the justice minister said her problem with mandatory sentences was the charter. I should not have to point out to her that the most serious mandatory sentence is for murder, and that has been upheld by the courts for the last 35 years. Taking away mandatory sentences is about giving breaks to murderers, rapists, child abusers, drunk drivers, and drug dealers.When will the Liberals change their tune and start standing up for victims and their families?
Mr. Speaker, the intention of this government, my intention, is to do a comprehensive review of the Criminal Code, a review that has not been done since the early 1980s. The previous government sought to do a piecemeal approach to amending the Criminal Code. We are undertaking our review to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system and ensuring that the legislation that we put forward is meeting its objectives. That is why we are studying the mandatory minimum penalties. I look forward to having more to say about this in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, the media is reporting that the Minister of Justice is looking into reducing or even getting rid of the majority of minimum sentences for criminals. I cannot wait to see what initiatives the minister might put in place to protect victims instead of conducting studies to abolish minimum sentences.Could the minister explain the motivation behind these measures and what minimum sentences she wants to eliminate?
Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago the Prime Minister heard first-hand the struggle of Ontarians who are facing out-of-control hydro rates at the hand of his mentor, Kathleen Wynne. Struggling Ontarians cannot afford the Prime Minister's plan to make a bad situation far worse by adding more costs through a carbon tax. A carbon tax would increase the costs of almost everything from gas to groceries.When will the Prime Minister abandon this irresponsible tax on everything, and start defending the interests of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, and the RCMP, as well as their families, have the support they need, when and where they need it.While we cannot comment on individual cases, our government takes the security and well-being of our veterans very seriously. That is why we committed $5.6 billion in financial supports for veterans in budget 2016. That is why we are reopening the nine offices closed by the previous government, hiring 400 front-line staff, 360 who have been hired to date.
Mr. Speaker, silence gives consent. When he was elected, the Prime Minister said that he would stand up for human rights around the world. Yesterday, he met with President Trump.Did he take the opportunity, without preaching or lecturing, to share with the president his concerns that Canadians are facing discriminatory and dangerous measures? In short, did he stand up for human rights or did he do nothing?
Mr. Speaker, Cyrus Reporter, a senior adviser to the Prime Minister, who used to be a lobbyist, has just taken a job as a lobbyist again. The Liberals tell us not to worry because he is not going to be lobbying his friends. Instead, he will just be coaching other lobbyists on how to lobby his Liberal friends.This clearly goes against the spirit of the Lobbying Act, which is supposed to prevent this revolving door of Liberal lobbyists. How can the Liberals explain this blatant attempt to get around the law? Where is their integrity?
Mr. Speaker, yet again the Liberal government is going down the same failed fiscal road travelled so heavily by Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Liberals. Ontario has over 400 user fees. Make no mistake, they are a tax on the middle class and those working hard to join it.We know the Liberals have never met a tax or user fee they did not like. Since the federal Liberals are following the same disastrous playbook as Ontario with out-of-control spending and massive deficits, what user fees are these Liberals planning to raise on hard-working taxpayers?
Mr. Speaker, the previous government had to deal with the worst economic crisis since the Second World War. Despite having to deal with that, we had an operating surplus and balanced the budget.About the carbon tax. Why are the Liberals not talking about its repercussions? They are hiding the numbers. It will have an impact on Canadian families. The numbers were redacted in the information our party received.Why is that? What impact will this carbon tax have on an average family?