Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, last year, in our first budget, we made a historic $444 million investment. Let me make this perfectly clear: I can assure the House that tax frauds can no longer hide. We are taking this matter very seriously, and those who choose to participate in such schemes will pay the price. Canadians expect nothing less from us.
Mr. Speaker, more than five years since the Isle of Man fraud was discovered, the government has still not laid criminal charges against KPMG. Instead, they were awarded contracts totalling 92 million of our dollars. In a similar case, in the United States, KPMG was threatened with being declared a criminal organization, it was fined half a million dollars, its tax department was closed and nine executives were criminally prosecuted, with two of them sent to prison.Will this government stop awarding contracts to KPMG and will it prosecute this company, which shows the rich how to cheat on their taxes?
Mr. Speaker, a person of real integrity and transparency does not get caught with his hand in the cookie jar over and over again, as is the case with the Prime Minister. There are many examples of his lack of judgment. I am thinking of his $1,500 cash for access parties for the rich, or his helicopter trips that violate the rules.The more we get to know this Prime Minister, the more we see that he thinks he is above the law. Could the Prime Minister set aside his elastic conscience and demonstrate transparency and integrity in the important decisions he must make in the interest of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the Prime Minister to answer questions in the House. Let us review question period thus far. We have a Prime Minister who will not answer questions about his own ethical violations. We have a finance minister who continues in his carbon tax cover-up. We have a minister of industry who still will not admit to Canadians who he is selling our seniors residences to. The cover-ups, the misleading, and quite frankly the outright lack of integrity are what the Liberals have become.When will the Prime Minister start leading the government the way Canadians expect? When will he clean up this mess?
Mr. Speaker, there are now dozens and dozens of serious criminal cases that are being thrown out of court, in part because the Liberals have not appointed judges to deal with them. In one case, a man is accused of breaking his two-week-old baby's ankles, and he has had his criminal charge stayed, and he may never face justice. The irony is that the person in charge of this in the Prime Minister's Office did one thing before she left; she made sure she had her own appointment as the parachute Liberal candidate. This does not reflect the priorities of Canadians. When will the Prime Minister get to work and appoint judges so criminals stop going free?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal war on history is marching relentlessly forward. The most recent victim is a Canadian crusader for human rights, a pioneer in the global struggle against apartheid in South Africa. A champion of the little guy, he gave us our Canadian Bill of Rights. This is why the Government of Canada honoured his legacy by establishing the John Diefenbaker Defender of Human Rights and Freedom Award. The award has recognized individuals fighting for freedom and democracy around the world. Yet, as it did with the Canada 150 medals, the Liberal government is in the process of abolishing that John Diefenbaker award. Why is there this Liberal war on history?
Mr. Speaker, many will recall the sad day when this government was elected on the promise of a modest deficit of just $10 billion. The reality is that, a year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of a budget that provided for a deficit three times that amount.According to the only game plan those folks have to return to a balanced budget, this will not happen until 2055. That is ridiculous. The Minister of Finance will probably present his budget in two weeks, or just after that.Can the minister assure us that he will not touch the tax credits that go directly to Canadians, and that Canadians will not have to pay higher taxes with the next budget?
Mr. Speaker, I do not buy it.Canada is so buddy-buddy with tax havens that it speaks on their behalf at the IMF. Canada is a spokescountry for tax havens. No kidding. Canada speaks on behalf of Barbados, the Bahamas, and a dozen other tax havens.Is the government trying to pull the wool over our eyes with its claims about fighting tax fraud when we all know it is a spokescountry for tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, according to Wikipedia, carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as coal tar. Carbon black is used to produce pigment for ink, the kind of ink the government is using to black out the cost of a carbon tax. My question is this. How many tonnes of GHGs were emitted to produce the ink to cover up the cost of the carbon tax?
Mr. Speaker, they are on stock options.In the KPMG agreement we saw that there are certain rules for the rich and the friends of the government and other rules for everyone else. Good luck to any owners of a family business who make a mistake on their tax return, because the government will be on their heels. If a millionaire decides not to pay his taxes, there is no problem. The government will protect him.Can the Prime Minister assure us that his government will never offer this type of deal to white collar criminals again?
Mr. Speaker, the government uses a broad range of ways to communicate with Canadians. We need to make sure that Canadians know we are working hard for them every day. These are the things that matter. Reaching out through community newspapers and through a broad range of media organizations is an effective way of ensuring Canadians get the facts and understand what their opportunities and options are.
Mr. Speaker, the arrival of the Asian carp poses a serious threat. Following the Great Lakes and catches in Toronto, it is now in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The federal government needs to take action to eliminate this species that is endangering our fish species for the sport fishery and the very popular ice fishery, which are major economic activities for our regions. Will the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard take action on this issue and quickly deploy an effective response plan?
Mr. Speaker, it appears that my colleagues missed what I have said in recent days. I can tell my hon. colleague that the answer is yes. We are taking these threats seriously. That is why we are working with our partners, the Canadian provinces and the United States, to invest not only in the science needed to counter these threats, but also in the infrastructure to ensure that these invasive species are not in Canadian waters. We will continue to improve our efforts in this area throughout Canada.
Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal government lets KPMG hide a rich client's money on the Isle of Man, does it consider the message it sends to honest taxpayers? It is precisely because of these practices in tax havens that we cannot properly care for our seniors or support our students.Treaties with tax havens amount to robbery. They pay peanuts over there and send nothing back.Will the Liberal government revisit these treaties so that these companies pay their fair share, like everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, it really is good to be back. I had assumed that during my absence, the Liberals would finally come clean on the actual cost of their massive new carbon tax. Day after day, I watched the minister give evasive and non-transparent answers to simple questions. Clearly, the minister has something to hide and is afraid to tell us how badly the carbon tax will hurt.To the Prime Minister, why the cover-up, and when will he finally release the unredacted report outlining the harm this tax will inflict on Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister loves to claim that he wants tax fairness, but one of the first decisions the Liberal government made was to flip-flop on a clear promise to close the CEO stock option tax loophole. Will the Prime Minister and his Liberals vote in favour of the NDP motion and will they flop-flip to finally close the CEO stock option tax loophole, take aggressive action to tackle tax havens, renegotiate treaties that currently help tax evaders, and end penalty-free amnesty deals for tax evasion? Will they do that in the budget and, by the way, when is the budget?
Mr. Speaker, the Senate committee's report is clear and unequivocal, despite what the minister thinks. The Liberals have not developed a strategic plan. The Liberals have a complex and uncoordinated approach. The complex nature of this approach is disconcerting for municipalities. We did not make this up. It is in the report.The report states that the Liberals are not being transparent, that the municipalities are having difficulty navigating the programs, and that jobs are not materializing. Will the minister admit that his plan is just not working? What will he do? Will he continue to shut his eyes and keep repeating the same thing, like a broken record?
Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to see the member opposite back in the House, but he did not use his downtime to understand what the Conservatives did not understand for 10 years in government, which is that investing in reducing our carbon emissions, in a cleaner economy, is actually a way of creating opportunities for Canadians and opportunities to grow the economy. We know that leading the way on the new economy, on the new clean jobs that are coming, is exactly how we will create the kinds of opportunities for the middle class and those working hard to join it that Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should get his facts straight. We are currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG, in fact. We are taking our responsibility to fight tax evasion and tax avoidance very seriously. That is why in the last budget we invested an additional $440 million in the Canada Revenue Agency to deal with fraudsters who avoid paying their taxes. Everyone has to pay taxes and that is exactly what we are enforcing.
Mr. Speaker, increasing numbers of Canadians are suffering from Lyme disease and the lack of effective treatment. Most people are forced to seek health care outside of Canada at huge personal expense; yet the government's proposed framework fails to meet the needs of patients and their families. In fact, more than 30,000 Canadians have signed a petition to scrap the government's plan.Will the government commit to creating a framework for Lyme disease that actually provides the care so desperately needed?
Mr. Speaker, it is only a year and a half until the next election.The PM has yet to explain the logic that led to the highly unusual housecleaning of two sitting cabinet ministers to appointments he characterized as ambassadorial. Not only was the dual assignment of Stéphane Dion to Germany and EU characterized as amateur hour by a former Canadian ambassador, but then we learned that the Liberal order in council described both men merely as special advisors to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Again, this is for the Prime Minister. Where is the logic? Where is the traditional diplomatic respect to our hosts?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, as the member opposite said, I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Mrs. Wynn. I want to reiterate in this House an acknowledgement and great empathy for the loss that she has suffered. We spoke about what I am committed to doing in terms of modernizing the criminal justice system, improving the efficiency and effectiveness, and ensuring that we look at bail reform. This is why I am working with my counterparts in the provinces and territories. It is why we have empowered the Steering Committee on Justice Efficiencies and Access to the Justice System to look at specific aspects of bail reform. We are going to continue to move forward collaboratively.
Mr. Speaker, in light of North Korea's actions, it is more important than ever for the international community to work toward nuclear disarmament. It is not enough to hide behind the treaty to ban the production of fissile materials. We need to be more ambitious if we want to eliminate this threat.My question is simple. Will Canada participate in the negotiations on nuclear disarmament taking place in New York this month, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the government has put tens of thousands of seniors homes and care in jeopardy. Nobody will do business with Anbang Insurance because of the murky ownership, not even Wall Street firms, but the Prime Minister will. After lobbying at one of his many cash for access events, and after filling the coffers of the Liberal Party, Anbang was fast-tracked by senior care facilities in B.C. The minister then misled Canadians into thinking that these senior homes would be owned by Canadians, but yesterday he admitted that this was not true.Will the minister finally tell Canadians who owns Anbang Insurance?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government proposed the ocean protection plan, promising a world-class spill response. People on the ground are watching. Yesterday, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard said that the Coast Guard and responders reacted very quickly to contain a spill and to clean up the spill. It took nine hours for the first booms and a few absorbent pads to be dispersed haphazardly and only near the fish pens. Is this what the minister considers a quick response? If this is Canada's world-class response, we may have a problem.
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We got elected on a clear commitment to help the middle class, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are ensuring that nine out of 10 Canadian families do better with the new Canada child benefit, which is going to lift 300,000 kids out of poverty. These are the kinds of measures we put forward, which are investing both in middle-class families and in their future through historic infrastructure investments. These are the promises we are focused on delivering for Canadians. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, according to the report by the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Minister of Immigration is failing to meet his obligations under the law. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada does not respect the equality of both official languages, since the French test is more expensive and less accessible than the English test for permanent residence applications. The minister has not taken any action to date to rectify the situation.Does the minister intend to act on the commissioners recommendations in order to bring his department into compliance with its obligations under the Official Languages Act?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians did judge for themselves in the 2015 election, when they rejected a vision that did not understand that the way to build a strong economy is to invest in a cleaner environment. Canadians know that reducing carbon pollution and investing in the clean, green jobs of the future is exactly how we are going to grow the economy for the future. Not only did that government not get anything done on the environment, but that also hurt the economic growth of this country. This government gets that. That is why we are moving forward in responsible ways to create better jobs and a cleaner environment for future generations.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal environment record is a train wreck. We only have to look at Ontario, where Kathleen Wynne's skyrocketing electricity rates are bankrupting hard-working Canadians. The Prime Minister's reckless carbon tax plan follows the same blueprint. In the words of the irrepressible Rex Murphy, the green dream has been a disaster for Ontario. The last thing Canadians need is even higher energy costs. When will the Liberals finally come clean, release their carbon tax report, and let Canadians judge for themselves?
Mr. Speaker, again, no action on criminal action and charges.Canadians want more than lip service. Tax fairness means that nobody is ever above the law no matter who they are or how much they earn. If the Prime Minister really wants to ensure tax fairness, will he ask the Minister of Justice to lay criminal charges against the people involved in the KPMG scheme, or is it all just talk?
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to see the member of Parliament for Abbotsford back in the House. I also see there is now a tag team where we have the member for Abbotsford and the member for Carleton saying the same thing.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the member should get his facts straight.The Canada Revenue Agency is currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG. This government has a responsibility, one we take very seriously, to prosecute fraudsters and people involved in tax evasion and avoidance. That is very important to us, and we are working on it every day. We also invested an additional $440 million in this initiative in the previous budget.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to keep on repeating what I continue to repeat, that putting a price on carbon pollution makes good business sense. It is going to create good jobs. It is going to help create a clean growth economy. It is going to ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, this is the first time in the history of Canada that a sitting prime minister has been under investigation by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. This is serious.The Prime Minister needs to tell Canadians the truth. Did someone in the PMO or the Privy Council Office tell him that this private flight was against the rules?
Mr. Speaker, during their first year in government, the Liberals only appointed 34 superior court judges. In the previous year, our Conservative government appointed 96 judges. Every day we are seeing evidence that the Liberals are making a mess of our judicial system. I want to know this from them. Why are they putting it at risk? When are they going to get their act together?
Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who are not even born yet will have to foot the bill for this plan and for this government's mismanagement. It was 40 years ago that the Prime Minister's father left public finances in a mess. The same thing is happening today.With regard to tax credits and income splitting for seniors, can the Minister of Finance tell us that his next budget will not negatively impact seniors?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that we will continue with our plan, which is about improving the lives of middle-class Canadians. Our plan will improve economic growth. Our plan will create jobs across the country. That is how we will create more opportunities for people, for our children and grandchildren. That is what our plan is all about.
Mr. Speaker, last week a Senate committee released a report on the Liberals' infrastructure plan. It mirrors earlier comments from the parliamentary budget officer. The committee found that the Liberals had not developed a strategic infrastructure plan and that municipalities had raised several concerns about the lack of transparency and onerous application process. This is the third independent report that raises serious concerns about the Liberals' infrastructure plan. When will the minister start listening and develop a transparent and accountable plan that actually creates jobs and gets infrastructure built?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have a problem, because this government is investing massively in marine safety and environmental protection. The Prime Minister was in British Columbia in November and announced the historic investment of $1.5 billion to ensure that the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada can provide that world-class ocean protection that Canadians expect.We will continue to work with the provinces, indigenous communities, and all those partners across the country to ensure that we have the best marine response system in the world.
Mr. Speaker, on the eve of International Women's Day, the government's failure to walk the talk on feminism is in the spotlight. A new report card from Oxfam finds little progress on nearly every front and condemns the government for its complete failure to take action on pay equity. Canadian women still earn just 74¢ for every dollar that a man makes, and we have fallen dramatically in international rankings.Does the minister really believe that women should wait even longer to get equal pay for work of equal value?
Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Finance showed up in my riding to announce that he was failing northern Albertans. Instead of adopting the recommendations of the trade tribunal about the drywall tariff, he offered half measures.Liberal duties on drywall are hurting all western Canadians and those rebuilding their lives in Fort McMurray. Why is the minister ignoring the recommendations of the tribunal and continuing to collect massive amounts of new taxes from the people who are suffering?
Mr. Speaker, they thought they were going to have an easy day over there today, but not so fast.Earlier today, the Prime Minister managed to sandwich into one answer both his love of the middle class and transparency and openness, while he is about to vote for a motion opposing the release of transparent information on the cost to the middle class of his very own carbon tax.Will he do as he promised during the election and vote today to end the carbon tax cover-up so middle-class Canadians will finally know what they will pay in new Liberal taxes?
Mr. Speaker, do you know who gave external legal advice for the KPMG scheme? It was Dentons law firm. Who organizes exclusive soirees at international tax conferences? Dentons law firm. Who attended one of these exclusive soirees last fall? Justice Bocock of the Tax Court of Canada. Who is the judge overseeing the case involving the Cooper family, which is appealing the CRA decision? You guessed it, it is Justice Bocock.Two plus two equals four, and Canadians can see through this.Does the Minister of Justice believe that the Canadian Judicial Council should conduct a thorough review of this judge's inappropriate behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, marine incidents can happen anywhere in the world and there is no one approach that works best in all cases. Today, the east coast of Canada has some of the busiest shipping routes in the country. Marine shipping has always been a part of Atlantic Canada's identity, which explains our region's strong history of, and commitment to, marine transportation safety. Would the minister please inform Canadians of some of the measures he is taking in my province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in the Maritimes?
Mr. Speaker, not one criminal case, and he knows it.Let me raise another related issue. At a time when the term fake news is bandied about, when accusations of media bias risk confidence of the public in a free and independent press, we all have to stand up against interference with the media. Does the Prime Minister believe that it is right for Revenue Canada to pay for government ads in newspapers and disguise them to look like real news articles? Does the Prime Minister find this acceptable, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I take incredibly seriously the opportunity that I have to appoint superior court justices across the country. I am proud of the appointments I have made thus far, and I am very proud of the renewed judicial appointments process, including the judicial advisory council that will provide recommended and highly recommended candidates to sit on our superior courts. We are doing this to ensure diversity in terms of the judges who sit on the superior courts, who represent the face of Canada. We will be making judicial appointments on an ongoing basis in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the Prime Minister is answering the Ethics Commissioner's questions, but the Prime Minister also has a constitutional responsibility to be accountable to Canadians in the House, so we are asking him these questions on behalf of Canadians. After all, it was actually the Prime Minister who said, As the head of government, the Prime Minister represents all Canadians and should be directly accountable to them. He said it, so does he still believe that, or was that just a campaign slogan?
Folks should hang on to their wallets.First, Mr. Speaker, it was the unsavoury Liberal cash for access scheme, and now MarkhamThornhill Liberal candidate Mary Ng is selling herself as a Liberal insider in the PMO who hand-picked members of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board, who make decisions on who can immigrate to Canada, but she only did this in the Chinese language version of her campaign news release.How can Canadians have confidence in the appointment process when Liberal candidate Mary Ng is suggesting to a select group of voters that she will have influence over the fate of their immigration applications, as a member of Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind Canadians exactly what this government has been doing. We have had unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We are working better with provinces, territories, and municipalities. We are making historic investments in infrastructure so that we can actually create the opportunities and make the investments Canadians need us to create. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by increasing taxes on one per cent of the wealthiest Canadians. What did the Conservatives do? They voted against it every time.
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat the information for my colleague in the back who does not seem to understand the words I am speaking. It is thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG's schemes were discovered abroad. The case is currently underway. Although we cannot provide any information, I can assure the House that we are continuing the work we said we would do during the last campaign. We will continue to do what we promised to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote the leader of the official opposition. In January, she said: Canadians...want and need passionate people to represent them, people who...understand the issues in minute detail, and vigorously defend their positions. Speaking of Monsieur Dion, she added, The member opposite epitomized all that and more.I agree. Canadians can be assured that we will be well represented by Monsieur Dion in Berlin and Brussels.
Mr. Speaker, again, I do not understand why the member opposite is opposed to global investment in Canada. Investment is so critical for growing our economy and creating jobs and opportunities for Canadians.With regard to the specific transaction, we reviewed it under the Investment Canada Act. We did our due diligence. We determined it was in our overall net economic benefit. The additional resources that Cedar Tree will provide Retirement Concepts for expansion will create opportunities, growth, and jobs. That is good for British Columbia. That is good for the economy.
Mr. Speaker, we always have the best interests of Canadians in all that we do. That is why we cut taxes for the middle class. That is why we are giving more to families whose children have greater needs. The Prime Minister has said many times that he will answer all the Commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, this government works hard to serve Canadians to make sure that we are growing the middle class and supporting those working hard to join it. Of course, we take our responsibilities very seriously and continue to demonstrate the kind of openness and transparency Canadians expect of this government, particularly after 10 years of a government that did not do a good job at that.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are working hard to ensure that our children will inherit a world free of nuclear weapons. That means making tangible progress. Under our government, for the first time, Canada rallied 177 states to support a United Nations resolution calling for a fissile material cut-off treaty. That is real action, a major step toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Speaker, the saga of the sale of the B.C. retirement homes to mysterious Chinese investors is getting murkier.We know the Prime Minister was approached at a cash for access fundraiser regarding this deal. Yesterday, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development had to stand in the House and apologize for misleading Canadians regarding the true ownership. Twenty operating licences were issued in one week. Clearly the fix was in.One of the residents phoned me and said she was very worried about this issue and how it would affect vulnerable seniors. Again, will the minister finally show some respect and tell these seniors who owns their home?
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister believes he can pick and choose how to interpret the laws and regulations that members of this House are sworn to respect.We have seen the PM and members of cabinet ignore, actually break, his own ethics guidelines and his promises.Is that why, after a year and a half in majority government, the PM has yet to fill vacant watchdog positions that govern elections, official languages, lobbying, and ethics.Does the PM believe it is more important to get his appointments secretary a parachuted seat in Parliament than appointing watchdogs who might call him to account?
Mr. Speaker, today I had the honour to stand with Constable Wynn's widow, who was in Ottawa to talk about the importance of Wynn's law. Wynn's law would close a loophole in the Criminal Code that helped cost Constable Wynn his life. I know that the Minister of Justice met with Ms. MacInnis-Wynn, and I thank her for that. However, since the minister opposes Wynn's law, could the minister explain just when it is okay for the criminal history of a bail applicant not to be disclosed?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to table the IMF documents. All of these documents show that Canada speaks on behalf of tax havens.
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to go to Fort McMurray last week in particular to talk about how we can ensure that the people in Fort McMurray as they rebuild their homes and as the drywall contractors purchase drywall have a stable market and so they can understand the price of drywall. That is important. What we also did was we took the tariffs that had been levied for the three months before, that $12 million, and said we were going to put that in a fund so that those people who had been harmed by fixed-priced contracts could apply to get that money to help their families and help the drywall contractors.We are proud to help the people of Fort McMurray in a time of challenge.
Mr. Speaker, Retirement Concepts now is managed by Canadians and it is going to be operated by Canadians to serve Canadians. It will have additional resources by Cedar Tree. These additional resources will allow the company to expand, and when it expands, that will create opportunities for seniors. These additional resources will also create economic opportunities like good-quality jobs.We are a government that supports global investment. We believe in growing the economy. We believe in supporting the health care sector. We believe this is an overall net economic benefit. That is why we approved this transaction.
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives were busy making appointments at the 11th hour, this government is committed to a new process, a merit-based process, where we look at gender parity, bilingualism, and the importance of our diversity.This government recognizes that diversity is our strength, and that is why we have introduced a new merit-based appointment process. We have delivered on exactly what we committed to Canadians.All opportunities are available online, and I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, the Canadian Coast Guard is the backbone for one of the safest marine systems in the world. As I indicated earlier, the Prime Minister announced a historic investment to improve marine safety on all of Canada's coasts. This will have a major impact in the great province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We will reopen the St. John's maritime rescue sub-centre which was closed by the previous government. This will boost emergency response capacity. We will refurbish the St. Anthony lifeboat station, and what is more, we are opening two new lifeboat stations in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to inform you that I will be presenting the next step of our plan for the middle class in the House on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, at 4 p.m. Budget 2017 will ensure our success in the economy of the future.On March 22 at 4 p.m., I will present the next steps in our plan for the middle class and those working hard to join it. Our budget will create jobs, invest in our communitiesI will just keep talking
Mr. Speaker, let me talk about costs.Let us talk about the cost of inaction when it comes to tackling climate change. We know that the costs right now have risen to $1 billion per year for Canadian taxpayers. That is to cover the costs of floods, that is to cover the costs of forest fires, and that is to cover the costs of droughts. We know we need to take action on climate change because it is the right thing to do. It will help us ensure that we have a sustainable future, and it will create good jobs and create economic growth.
Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the impact that Lyme disease has on Canadians and their families. We had discussions at a conference to develop a federal framework on Lyme disease that was held last year, with more than 500 people participating. As a result of that, there is a framework available online. It has been open for consultation until tomorrow. It has had great interaction with a number of members of the House, as well as the general public. We are going to consider all input on the final draft version, and that will be posted in May of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation is a unique opportunity to bring Canadians together and strengthen their connection to our communities by inspiring a vision of a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive country. As part of the celebration, we are focusing on engaging young people, celebrating diversity and inclusion, and encouraging a national reconciliation with the indigenous people of this land. Our government is proud to support and promote initiatives that will inspire a generation of Canadians to help build Canada's future and create a lasting economic, cultural, and social legacy for our country.
Mr. Speaker, we are actually very proud of the new process that we have introduced and that Canadians from coast to coast to coast can actually apply.We recognize the importance of these roles within government and these opportunities, and that is why all opportunities to apply are available online. I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, it was thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG'S offshore tax avoidance schemes were discovered. My colleague knows full well that the KPMG case is active. We are currently in court and cannot divulge any information, as that would jeopardize our efforts.I can assure the House that the CRA is conducting a preliminary investigation into the schemes in place in the Isle of Man. The work has begun and we will see it through, as promised during the election campaign.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said a number of times, this was a personal family vacation. I am happy to answer any questions that the Ethics Commissioner may have for me.
Mr. Speaker, what I can say is that we will continue with our plan to help seniors and to help the middle class. That is very important. Thanks to higher growth, we will have many more opportunities in the future. That is very important. Thanks to our investments, we will be in a position to do more for Canadian families across the country. We now know that more jobs were created in the past six months than since 2002. Things are starting to improve.
Mr. Speaker, I am terribly pleased to be able to provide information to my colleague across the way. I can say that the agency is conducting a preliminary investigation into the offshore structures of the Isle of Man. Our investments of $444 million allowed us to hire 100 auditors last year. We managed to recover $13 billion last year. The work has begun, and we will see it through.
Mr. Speaker, our government knows that ensuring equal pay for work of equal value is critical to closing the gender wage gap, and that is why our government has moved forward to introduce proactive pay equity legislation.We will be engaging with stakeholders and experts during the policy process to ensure that the legislation meets the goal of ensuring the right of equal pay for work of equal value.
Nobody is buying that. Mr. Speaker, in true Liberal fashion, Liberal candidate and former director of appointments for the Prime Minister Mary Ng started campaigning before she pushed John McCallum out the door.Mary Ng would have overseen many appointments in the Prime Minister's Office, but chose to highlight in her foreign language campaign release that she was responsible for matters regarding the appointment of members to the Immigration and Refugee Board.Can the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ensure that the integrity of the Immigration and Refugee Board has not been compromised as a result of Mary Ng's political ambitions?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to working in collaboration and partnership with provinces, municipalities, and territories, we take no lesson from the previous government. The former government had no relationship with those organizations. We are working on delivering on the historic commitment we made: $180 billion over 12 years; 1,400 projects approved, with a combined investment of $14 billion, the majority of that money going to municipalities from coast to coast to coast.
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of HullAylmer and across Canada, our plan to create long-term economic growth will help Canada's middle-class and everyone working hard to join it.Could the Minister of Finance give the House and all Canadians an update on our plan?
Mr. Speaker, as we committed to Canadians, we introduced a new government-wide appointments process that is open, transparent, and merit based.Our approach will result in the recommendations of high-quality candidates to achieve gender parity and truly reflect Canada's diversity.The new selection process reflects the fundamental role that many Canadians play in our democracy as they serve on commissions, boards, crown corporations, agencies, and tribunals across the country.All opportunities to serve are transparently available online.
Mr. Speaker, the Anderson Bridge, which spans the Southwest Miramichi, constitutes important strategic infrastructure for the security and economy of the communities on both sides of this majestic river. As the safety and capacity of the bridge has been downgraded due to the failing 60-year-old structure, would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities give this House an update as to how our infrastructure program will contribute to the upgrade of this bridge?
Mr. Speaker, I am very much committed to the Official Languages Act, and my department is working very closely to make sure that the availability and costs between the two official language tests are equal. My department is working very closely with the businesses and organizations that determine and offer these tests to potential applicants to immigration services. We are working very closely with them to address this issue.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year we have made significant appointments right across the country, including 13 judicial appointments in Alberta. The fact is, in the over 100 appointments we have made since we have come in, through a new process that demonstrates the openness and the diversity of Canada, we are happy that over 60% of our appointments are women, that 15% of the appointments are visible minorities, that over 10% are actually indigenous Canadians, and that we have Canadians living with disabilities well represented. We are demonstrating the kind of openness, transparency, and diversity that we know is a great strength for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we have worked with the provinces, municipalities, and territories and streamlined approvals as part of a phase 1 clean water, waste water, and public transit infrastructure framework design based on feedback from provinces, municipalities, and territories. Municipalities across the country and the FCM have applauded the simplicity of the new programs. We are delivering on the commitments we made to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.Last week, our government, in collaboration with the Government of New Brunswick, announced more than $94 million in combined funding to replace the Anderson Bridge. This investment will ensure that the bridge remains a key link for travel, trade, and daily life between northern and southern New Brunswick for years to come.
Mr. Speaker, last year, in our first budget, we made a historic $444 million investment. Let me make this perfectly clear: I can assure the House that tax frauds can no longer hide. We are taking this matter very seriously, and those who choose to participate in such schemes will pay the price. Canadians expect nothing less from us.
Mr. Speaker, more than five years since the Isle of Man fraud was discovered, the government has still not laid criminal charges against KPMG. Instead, they were awarded contracts totalling 92 million of our dollars. In a similar case, in the United States, KPMG was threatened with being declared a criminal organization, it was fined half a million dollars, its tax department was closed and nine executives were criminally prosecuted, with two of them sent to prison.Will this government stop awarding contracts to KPMG and will it prosecute this company, which shows the rich how to cheat on their taxes?
Mr. Speaker, a person of real integrity and transparency does not get caught with his hand in the cookie jar over and over again, as is the case with the Prime Minister. There are many examples of his lack of judgment. I am thinking of his $1,500 cash for access parties for the rich, or his helicopter trips that violate the rules.The more we get to know this Prime Minister, the more we see that he thinks he is above the law. Could the Prime Minister set aside his elastic conscience and demonstrate transparency and integrity in the important decisions he must make in the interest of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the Prime Minister to answer questions in the House. Let us review question period thus far. We have a Prime Minister who will not answer questions about his own ethical violations. We have a finance minister who continues in his carbon tax cover-up. We have a minister of industry who still will not admit to Canadians who he is selling our seniors residences to. The cover-ups, the misleading, and quite frankly the outright lack of integrity are what the Liberals have become.When will the Prime Minister start leading the government the way Canadians expect? When will he clean up this mess?
Mr. Speaker, there are now dozens and dozens of serious criminal cases that are being thrown out of court, in part because the Liberals have not appointed judges to deal with them. In one case, a man is accused of breaking his two-week-old baby's ankles, and he has had his criminal charge stayed, and he may never face justice. The irony is that the person in charge of this in the Prime Minister's Office did one thing before she left; she made sure she had her own appointment as the parachute Liberal candidate. This does not reflect the priorities of Canadians. When will the Prime Minister get to work and appoint judges so criminals stop going free?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal war on history is marching relentlessly forward. The most recent victim is a Canadian crusader for human rights, a pioneer in the global struggle against apartheid in South Africa. A champion of the little guy, he gave us our Canadian Bill of Rights. This is why the Government of Canada honoured his legacy by establishing the John Diefenbaker Defender of Human Rights and Freedom Award. The award has recognized individuals fighting for freedom and democracy around the world. Yet, as it did with the Canada 150 medals, the Liberal government is in the process of abolishing that John Diefenbaker award. Why is there this Liberal war on history?
Mr. Speaker, many will recall the sad day when this government was elected on the promise of a modest deficit of just $10 billion. The reality is that, a year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of a budget that provided for a deficit three times that amount.According to the only game plan those folks have to return to a balanced budget, this will not happen until 2055. That is ridiculous. The Minister of Finance will probably present his budget in two weeks, or just after that.Can the minister assure us that he will not touch the tax credits that go directly to Canadians, and that Canadians will not have to pay higher taxes with the next budget?
Mr. Speaker, I do not buy it.Canada is so buddy-buddy with tax havens that it speaks on their behalf at the IMF. Canada is a spokescountry for tax havens. No kidding. Canada speaks on behalf of Barbados, the Bahamas, and a dozen other tax havens.Is the government trying to pull the wool over our eyes with its claims about fighting tax fraud when we all know it is a spokescountry for tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, according to Wikipedia, carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as coal tar. Carbon black is used to produce pigment for ink, the kind of ink the government is using to black out the cost of a carbon tax. My question is this. How many tonnes of GHGs were emitted to produce the ink to cover up the cost of the carbon tax?
Mr. Speaker, they are on stock options.In the KPMG agreement we saw that there are certain rules for the rich and the friends of the government and other rules for everyone else. Good luck to any owners of a family business who make a mistake on their tax return, because the government will be on their heels. If a millionaire decides not to pay his taxes, there is no problem. The government will protect him.Can the Prime Minister assure us that his government will never offer this type of deal to white collar criminals again?
Mr. Speaker, the government uses a broad range of ways to communicate with Canadians. We need to make sure that Canadians know we are working hard for them every day. These are the things that matter. Reaching out through community newspapers and through a broad range of media organizations is an effective way of ensuring Canadians get the facts and understand what their opportunities and options are.
Mr. Speaker, the arrival of the Asian carp poses a serious threat. Following the Great Lakes and catches in Toronto, it is now in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The federal government needs to take action to eliminate this species that is endangering our fish species for the sport fishery and the very popular ice fishery, which are major economic activities for our regions. Will the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard take action on this issue and quickly deploy an effective response plan?
Mr. Speaker, it appears that my colleagues missed what I have said in recent days. I can tell my hon. colleague that the answer is yes. We are taking these threats seriously. That is why we are working with our partners, the Canadian provinces and the United States, to invest not only in the science needed to counter these threats, but also in the infrastructure to ensure that these invasive species are not in Canadian waters. We will continue to improve our efforts in this area throughout Canada.
Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal government lets KPMG hide a rich client's money on the Isle of Man, does it consider the message it sends to honest taxpayers? It is precisely because of these practices in tax havens that we cannot properly care for our seniors or support our students.Treaties with tax havens amount to robbery. They pay peanuts over there and send nothing back.Will the Liberal government revisit these treaties so that these companies pay their fair share, like everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, it really is good to be back. I had assumed that during my absence, the Liberals would finally come clean on the actual cost of their massive new carbon tax. Day after day, I watched the minister give evasive and non-transparent answers to simple questions. Clearly, the minister has something to hide and is afraid to tell us how badly the carbon tax will hurt.To the Prime Minister, why the cover-up, and when will he finally release the unredacted report outlining the harm this tax will inflict on Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister loves to claim that he wants tax fairness, but one of the first decisions the Liberal government made was to flip-flop on a clear promise to close the CEO stock option tax loophole. Will the Prime Minister and his Liberals vote in favour of the NDP motion and will they flop-flip to finally close the CEO stock option tax loophole, take aggressive action to tackle tax havens, renegotiate treaties that currently help tax evaders, and end penalty-free amnesty deals for tax evasion? Will they do that in the budget and, by the way, when is the budget?
Mr. Speaker, the Senate committee's report is clear and unequivocal, despite what the minister thinks. The Liberals have not developed a strategic plan. The Liberals have a complex and uncoordinated approach. The complex nature of this approach is disconcerting for municipalities. We did not make this up. It is in the report.The report states that the Liberals are not being transparent, that the municipalities are having difficulty navigating the programs, and that jobs are not materializing. Will the minister admit that his plan is just not working? What will he do? Will he continue to shut his eyes and keep repeating the same thing, like a broken record?
Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to see the member opposite back in the House, but he did not use his downtime to understand what the Conservatives did not understand for 10 years in government, which is that investing in reducing our carbon emissions, in a cleaner economy, is actually a way of creating opportunities for Canadians and opportunities to grow the economy. We know that leading the way on the new economy, on the new clean jobs that are coming, is exactly how we will create the kinds of opportunities for the middle class and those working hard to join it that Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should get his facts straight. We are currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG, in fact. We are taking our responsibility to fight tax evasion and tax avoidance very seriously. That is why in the last budget we invested an additional $440 million in the Canada Revenue Agency to deal with fraudsters who avoid paying their taxes. Everyone has to pay taxes and that is exactly what we are enforcing.
Mr. Speaker, increasing numbers of Canadians are suffering from Lyme disease and the lack of effective treatment. Most people are forced to seek health care outside of Canada at huge personal expense; yet the government's proposed framework fails to meet the needs of patients and their families. In fact, more than 30,000 Canadians have signed a petition to scrap the government's plan.Will the government commit to creating a framework for Lyme disease that actually provides the care so desperately needed?
Mr. Speaker, it is only a year and a half until the next election.The PM has yet to explain the logic that led to the highly unusual housecleaning of two sitting cabinet ministers to appointments he characterized as ambassadorial. Not only was the dual assignment of Stéphane Dion to Germany and EU characterized as amateur hour by a former Canadian ambassador, but then we learned that the Liberal order in council described both men merely as special advisors to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Again, this is for the Prime Minister. Where is the logic? Where is the traditional diplomatic respect to our hosts?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, as the member opposite said, I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Mrs. Wynn. I want to reiterate in this House an acknowledgement and great empathy for the loss that she has suffered. We spoke about what I am committed to doing in terms of modernizing the criminal justice system, improving the efficiency and effectiveness, and ensuring that we look at bail reform. This is why I am working with my counterparts in the provinces and territories. It is why we have empowered the Steering Committee on Justice Efficiencies and Access to the Justice System to look at specific aspects of bail reform. We are going to continue to move forward collaboratively.
Mr. Speaker, in light of North Korea's actions, it is more important than ever for the international community to work toward nuclear disarmament. It is not enough to hide behind the treaty to ban the production of fissile materials. We need to be more ambitious if we want to eliminate this threat.My question is simple. Will Canada participate in the negotiations on nuclear disarmament taking place in New York this month, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the government has put tens of thousands of seniors homes and care in jeopardy. Nobody will do business with Anbang Insurance because of the murky ownership, not even Wall Street firms, but the Prime Minister will. After lobbying at one of his many cash for access events, and after filling the coffers of the Liberal Party, Anbang was fast-tracked by senior care facilities in B.C. The minister then misled Canadians into thinking that these senior homes would be owned by Canadians, but yesterday he admitted that this was not true.Will the minister finally tell Canadians who owns Anbang Insurance?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government proposed the ocean protection plan, promising a world-class spill response. People on the ground are watching. Yesterday, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard said that the Coast Guard and responders reacted very quickly to contain a spill and to clean up the spill. It took nine hours for the first booms and a few absorbent pads to be dispersed haphazardly and only near the fish pens. Is this what the minister considers a quick response? If this is Canada's world-class response, we may have a problem.
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We got elected on a clear commitment to help the middle class, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are ensuring that nine out of 10 Canadian families do better with the new Canada child benefit, which is going to lift 300,000 kids out of poverty. These are the kinds of measures we put forward, which are investing both in middle-class families and in their future through historic infrastructure investments. These are the promises we are focused on delivering for Canadians. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, according to the report by the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Minister of Immigration is failing to meet his obligations under the law. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada does not respect the equality of both official languages, since the French test is more expensive and less accessible than the English test for permanent residence applications. The minister has not taken any action to date to rectify the situation.Does the minister intend to act on the commissioners recommendations in order to bring his department into compliance with its obligations under the Official Languages Act?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians did judge for themselves in the 2015 election, when they rejected a vision that did not understand that the way to build a strong economy is to invest in a cleaner environment. Canadians know that reducing carbon pollution and investing in the clean, green jobs of the future is exactly how we are going to grow the economy for the future. Not only did that government not get anything done on the environment, but that also hurt the economic growth of this country. This government gets that. That is why we are moving forward in responsible ways to create better jobs and a cleaner environment for future generations.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal environment record is a train wreck. We only have to look at Ontario, where Kathleen Wynne's skyrocketing electricity rates are bankrupting hard-working Canadians. The Prime Minister's reckless carbon tax plan follows the same blueprint. In the words of the irrepressible Rex Murphy, the green dream has been a disaster for Ontario. The last thing Canadians need is even higher energy costs. When will the Liberals finally come clean, release their carbon tax report, and let Canadians judge for themselves?
Mr. Speaker, again, no action on criminal action and charges.Canadians want more than lip service. Tax fairness means that nobody is ever above the law no matter who they are or how much they earn. If the Prime Minister really wants to ensure tax fairness, will he ask the Minister of Justice to lay criminal charges against the people involved in the KPMG scheme, or is it all just talk?
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to see the member of Parliament for Abbotsford back in the House. I also see there is now a tag team where we have the member for Abbotsford and the member for Carleton saying the same thing.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the member should get his facts straight.The Canada Revenue Agency is currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG. This government has a responsibility, one we take very seriously, to prosecute fraudsters and people involved in tax evasion and avoidance. That is very important to us, and we are working on it every day. We also invested an additional $440 million in this initiative in the previous budget.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to keep on repeating what I continue to repeat, that putting a price on carbon pollution makes good business sense. It is going to create good jobs. It is going to help create a clean growth economy. It is going to ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, this is the first time in the history of Canada that a sitting prime minister has been under investigation by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. This is serious.The Prime Minister needs to tell Canadians the truth. Did someone in the PMO or the Privy Council Office tell him that this private flight was against the rules?
Mr. Speaker, during their first year in government, the Liberals only appointed 34 superior court judges. In the previous year, our Conservative government appointed 96 judges. Every day we are seeing evidence that the Liberals are making a mess of our judicial system. I want to know this from them. Why are they putting it at risk? When are they going to get their act together?
Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who are not even born yet will have to foot the bill for this plan and for this government's mismanagement. It was 40 years ago that the Prime Minister's father left public finances in a mess. The same thing is happening today.With regard to tax credits and income splitting for seniors, can the Minister of Finance tell us that his next budget will not negatively impact seniors?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that we will continue with our plan, which is about improving the lives of middle-class Canadians. Our plan will improve economic growth. Our plan will create jobs across the country. That is how we will create more opportunities for people, for our children and grandchildren. That is what our plan is all about.
Mr. Speaker, last week a Senate committee released a report on the Liberals' infrastructure plan. It mirrors earlier comments from the parliamentary budget officer. The committee found that the Liberals had not developed a strategic infrastructure plan and that municipalities had raised several concerns about the lack of transparency and onerous application process. This is the third independent report that raises serious concerns about the Liberals' infrastructure plan. When will the minister start listening and develop a transparent and accountable plan that actually creates jobs and gets infrastructure built?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have a problem, because this government is investing massively in marine safety and environmental protection. The Prime Minister was in British Columbia in November and announced the historic investment of $1.5 billion to ensure that the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada can provide that world-class ocean protection that Canadians expect.We will continue to work with the provinces, indigenous communities, and all those partners across the country to ensure that we have the best marine response system in the world.
Mr. Speaker, on the eve of International Women's Day, the government's failure to walk the talk on feminism is in the spotlight. A new report card from Oxfam finds little progress on nearly every front and condemns the government for its complete failure to take action on pay equity. Canadian women still earn just 74¢ for every dollar that a man makes, and we have fallen dramatically in international rankings.Does the minister really believe that women should wait even longer to get equal pay for work of equal value?
Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Finance showed up in my riding to announce that he was failing northern Albertans. Instead of adopting the recommendations of the trade tribunal about the drywall tariff, he offered half measures.Liberal duties on drywall are hurting all western Canadians and those rebuilding their lives in Fort McMurray. Why is the minister ignoring the recommendations of the tribunal and continuing to collect massive amounts of new taxes from the people who are suffering?
Mr. Speaker, they thought they were going to have an easy day over there today, but not so fast.Earlier today, the Prime Minister managed to sandwich into one answer both his love of the middle class and transparency and openness, while he is about to vote for a motion opposing the release of transparent information on the cost to the middle class of his very own carbon tax.Will he do as he promised during the election and vote today to end the carbon tax cover-up so middle-class Canadians will finally know what they will pay in new Liberal taxes?
Mr. Speaker, do you know who gave external legal advice for the KPMG scheme? It was Dentons law firm. Who organizes exclusive soirees at international tax conferences? Dentons law firm. Who attended one of these exclusive soirees last fall? Justice Bocock of the Tax Court of Canada. Who is the judge overseeing the case involving the Cooper family, which is appealing the CRA decision? You guessed it, it is Justice Bocock.Two plus two equals four, and Canadians can see through this.Does the Minister of Justice believe that the Canadian Judicial Council should conduct a thorough review of this judge's inappropriate behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, marine incidents can happen anywhere in the world and there is no one approach that works best in all cases. Today, the east coast of Canada has some of the busiest shipping routes in the country. Marine shipping has always been a part of Atlantic Canada's identity, which explains our region's strong history of, and commitment to, marine transportation safety. Would the minister please inform Canadians of some of the measures he is taking in my province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in the Maritimes?
Mr. Speaker, not one criminal case, and he knows it.Let me raise another related issue. At a time when the term fake news is bandied about, when accusations of media bias risk confidence of the public in a free and independent press, we all have to stand up against interference with the media. Does the Prime Minister believe that it is right for Revenue Canada to pay for government ads in newspapers and disguise them to look like real news articles? Does the Prime Minister find this acceptable, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I take incredibly seriously the opportunity that I have to appoint superior court justices across the country. I am proud of the appointments I have made thus far, and I am very proud of the renewed judicial appointments process, including the judicial advisory council that will provide recommended and highly recommended candidates to sit on our superior courts. We are doing this to ensure diversity in terms of the judges who sit on the superior courts, who represent the face of Canada. We will be making judicial appointments on an ongoing basis in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the Prime Minister is answering the Ethics Commissioner's questions, but the Prime Minister also has a constitutional responsibility to be accountable to Canadians in the House, so we are asking him these questions on behalf of Canadians. After all, it was actually the Prime Minister who said, As the head of government, the Prime Minister represents all Canadians and should be directly accountable to them. He said it, so does he still believe that, or was that just a campaign slogan?
Folks should hang on to their wallets.First, Mr. Speaker, it was the unsavoury Liberal cash for access scheme, and now MarkhamThornhill Liberal candidate Mary Ng is selling herself as a Liberal insider in the PMO who hand-picked members of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board, who make decisions on who can immigrate to Canada, but she only did this in the Chinese language version of her campaign news release.How can Canadians have confidence in the appointment process when Liberal candidate Mary Ng is suggesting to a select group of voters that she will have influence over the fate of their immigration applications, as a member of Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind Canadians exactly what this government has been doing. We have had unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We are working better with provinces, territories, and municipalities. We are making historic investments in infrastructure so that we can actually create the opportunities and make the investments Canadians need us to create. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by increasing taxes on one per cent of the wealthiest Canadians. What did the Conservatives do? They voted against it every time.
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat the information for my colleague in the back who does not seem to understand the words I am speaking. It is thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG's schemes were discovered abroad. The case is currently underway. Although we cannot provide any information, I can assure the House that we are continuing the work we said we would do during the last campaign. We will continue to do what we promised to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote the leader of the official opposition. In January, she said: Canadians...want and need passionate people to represent them, people who...understand the issues in minute detail, and vigorously defend their positions. Speaking of Monsieur Dion, she added, The member opposite epitomized all that and more.I agree. Canadians can be assured that we will be well represented by Monsieur Dion in Berlin and Brussels.
Mr. Speaker, again, I do not understand why the member opposite is opposed to global investment in Canada. Investment is so critical for growing our economy and creating jobs and opportunities for Canadians.With regard to the specific transaction, we reviewed it under the Investment Canada Act. We did our due diligence. We determined it was in our overall net economic benefit. The additional resources that Cedar Tree will provide Retirement Concepts for expansion will create opportunities, growth, and jobs. That is good for British Columbia. That is good for the economy.
Mr. Speaker, we always have the best interests of Canadians in all that we do. That is why we cut taxes for the middle class. That is why we are giving more to families whose children have greater needs. The Prime Minister has said many times that he will answer all the Commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, this government works hard to serve Canadians to make sure that we are growing the middle class and supporting those working hard to join it. Of course, we take our responsibilities very seriously and continue to demonstrate the kind of openness and transparency Canadians expect of this government, particularly after 10 years of a government that did not do a good job at that.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are working hard to ensure that our children will inherit a world free of nuclear weapons. That means making tangible progress. Under our government, for the first time, Canada rallied 177 states to support a United Nations resolution calling for a fissile material cut-off treaty. That is real action, a major step toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Speaker, the saga of the sale of the B.C. retirement homes to mysterious Chinese investors is getting murkier.We know the Prime Minister was approached at a cash for access fundraiser regarding this deal. Yesterday, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development had to stand in the House and apologize for misleading Canadians regarding the true ownership. Twenty operating licences were issued in one week. Clearly the fix was in.One of the residents phoned me and said she was very worried about this issue and how it would affect vulnerable seniors. Again, will the minister finally show some respect and tell these seniors who owns their home?
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister believes he can pick and choose how to interpret the laws and regulations that members of this House are sworn to respect.We have seen the PM and members of cabinet ignore, actually break, his own ethics guidelines and his promises.Is that why, after a year and a half in majority government, the PM has yet to fill vacant watchdog positions that govern elections, official languages, lobbying, and ethics.Does the PM believe it is more important to get his appointments secretary a parachuted seat in Parliament than appointing watchdogs who might call him to account?
Mr. Speaker, today I had the honour to stand with Constable Wynn's widow, who was in Ottawa to talk about the importance of Wynn's law. Wynn's law would close a loophole in the Criminal Code that helped cost Constable Wynn his life. I know that the Minister of Justice met with Ms. MacInnis-Wynn, and I thank her for that. However, since the minister opposes Wynn's law, could the minister explain just when it is okay for the criminal history of a bail applicant not to be disclosed?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to table the IMF documents. All of these documents show that Canada speaks on behalf of tax havens.
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to go to Fort McMurray last week in particular to talk about how we can ensure that the people in Fort McMurray as they rebuild their homes and as the drywall contractors purchase drywall have a stable market and so they can understand the price of drywall. That is important. What we also did was we took the tariffs that had been levied for the three months before, that $12 million, and said we were going to put that in a fund so that those people who had been harmed by fixed-priced contracts could apply to get that money to help their families and help the drywall contractors.We are proud to help the people of Fort McMurray in a time of challenge.
Mr. Speaker, Retirement Concepts now is managed by Canadians and it is going to be operated by Canadians to serve Canadians. It will have additional resources by Cedar Tree. These additional resources will allow the company to expand, and when it expands, that will create opportunities for seniors. These additional resources will also create economic opportunities like good-quality jobs.We are a government that supports global investment. We believe in growing the economy. We believe in supporting the health care sector. We believe this is an overall net economic benefit. That is why we approved this transaction.
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives were busy making appointments at the 11th hour, this government is committed to a new process, a merit-based process, where we look at gender parity, bilingualism, and the importance of our diversity.This government recognizes that diversity is our strength, and that is why we have introduced a new merit-based appointment process. We have delivered on exactly what we committed to Canadians.All opportunities are available online, and I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, the Canadian Coast Guard is the backbone for one of the safest marine systems in the world. As I indicated earlier, the Prime Minister announced a historic investment to improve marine safety on all of Canada's coasts. This will have a major impact in the great province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We will reopen the St. John's maritime rescue sub-centre which was closed by the previous government. This will boost emergency response capacity. We will refurbish the St. Anthony lifeboat station, and what is more, we are opening two new lifeboat stations in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to inform you that I will be presenting the next step of our plan for the middle class in the House on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, at 4 p.m. Budget 2017 will ensure our success in the economy of the future.On March 22 at 4 p.m., I will present the next steps in our plan for the middle class and those working hard to join it. Our budget will create jobs, invest in our communitiesI will just keep talking
Mr. Speaker, let me talk about costs.Let us talk about the cost of inaction when it comes to tackling climate change. We know that the costs right now have risen to $1 billion per year for Canadian taxpayers. That is to cover the costs of floods, that is to cover the costs of forest fires, and that is to cover the costs of droughts. We know we need to take action on climate change because it is the right thing to do. It will help us ensure that we have a sustainable future, and it will create good jobs and create economic growth.
Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the impact that Lyme disease has on Canadians and their families. We had discussions at a conference to develop a federal framework on Lyme disease that was held last year, with more than 500 people participating. As a result of that, there is a framework available online. It has been open for consultation until tomorrow. It has had great interaction with a number of members of the House, as well as the general public. We are going to consider all input on the final draft version, and that will be posted in May of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation is a unique opportunity to bring Canadians together and strengthen their connection to our communities by inspiring a vision of a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive country. As part of the celebration, we are focusing on engaging young people, celebrating diversity and inclusion, and encouraging a national reconciliation with the indigenous people of this land. Our government is proud to support and promote initiatives that will inspire a generation of Canadians to help build Canada's future and create a lasting economic, cultural, and social legacy for our country.
Mr. Speaker, we are actually very proud of the new process that we have introduced and that Canadians from coast to coast to coast can actually apply.We recognize the importance of these roles within government and these opportunities, and that is why all opportunities to apply are available online. I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, it was thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG'S offshore tax avoidance schemes were discovered. My colleague knows full well that the KPMG case is active. We are currently in court and cannot divulge any information, as that would jeopardize our efforts.I can assure the House that the CRA is conducting a preliminary investigation into the schemes in place in the Isle of Man. The work has begun and we will see it through, as promised during the election campaign.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said a number of times, this was a personal family vacation. I am happy to answer any questions that the Ethics Commissioner may have for me.
Mr. Speaker, what I can say is that we will continue with our plan to help seniors and to help the middle class. That is very important. Thanks to higher growth, we will have many more opportunities in the future. That is very important. Thanks to our investments, we will be in a position to do more for Canadian families across the country. We now know that more jobs were created in the past six months than since 2002. Things are starting to improve.
Mr. Speaker, I am terribly pleased to be able to provide information to my colleague across the way. I can say that the agency is conducting a preliminary investigation into the offshore structures of the Isle of Man. Our investments of $444 million allowed us to hire 100 auditors last year. We managed to recover $13 billion last year. The work has begun, and we will see it through.
Mr. Speaker, our government knows that ensuring equal pay for work of equal value is critical to closing the gender wage gap, and that is why our government has moved forward to introduce proactive pay equity legislation.We will be engaging with stakeholders and experts during the policy process to ensure that the legislation meets the goal of ensuring the right of equal pay for work of equal value.
Nobody is buying that. Mr. Speaker, in true Liberal fashion, Liberal candidate and former director of appointments for the Prime Minister Mary Ng started campaigning before she pushed John McCallum out the door.Mary Ng would have overseen many appointments in the Prime Minister's Office, but chose to highlight in her foreign language campaign release that she was responsible for matters regarding the appointment of members to the Immigration and Refugee Board.Can the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ensure that the integrity of the Immigration and Refugee Board has not been compromised as a result of Mary Ng's political ambitions?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to working in collaboration and partnership with provinces, municipalities, and territories, we take no lesson from the previous government. The former government had no relationship with those organizations. We are working on delivering on the historic commitment we made: $180 billion over 12 years; 1,400 projects approved, with a combined investment of $14 billion, the majority of that money going to municipalities from coast to coast to coast.
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of HullAylmer and across Canada, our plan to create long-term economic growth will help Canada's middle-class and everyone working hard to join it.Could the Minister of Finance give the House and all Canadians an update on our plan?
Mr. Speaker, as we committed to Canadians, we introduced a new government-wide appointments process that is open, transparent, and merit based.Our approach will result in the recommendations of high-quality candidates to achieve gender parity and truly reflect Canada's diversity.The new selection process reflects the fundamental role that many Canadians play in our democracy as they serve on commissions, boards, crown corporations, agencies, and tribunals across the country.All opportunities to serve are transparently available online.
Mr. Speaker, the Anderson Bridge, which spans the Southwest Miramichi, constitutes important strategic infrastructure for the security and economy of the communities on both sides of this majestic river. As the safety and capacity of the bridge has been downgraded due to the failing 60-year-old structure, would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities give this House an update as to how our infrastructure program will contribute to the upgrade of this bridge?
Mr. Speaker, I am very much committed to the Official Languages Act, and my department is working very closely to make sure that the availability and costs between the two official language tests are equal. My department is working very closely with the businesses and organizations that determine and offer these tests to potential applicants to immigration services. We are working very closely with them to address this issue.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year we have made significant appointments right across the country, including 13 judicial appointments in Alberta. The fact is, in the over 100 appointments we have made since we have come in, through a new process that demonstrates the openness and the diversity of Canada, we are happy that over 60% of our appointments are women, that 15% of the appointments are visible minorities, that over 10% are actually indigenous Canadians, and that we have Canadians living with disabilities well represented. We are demonstrating the kind of openness, transparency, and diversity that we know is a great strength for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we have worked with the provinces, municipalities, and territories and streamlined approvals as part of a phase 1 clean water, waste water, and public transit infrastructure framework design based on feedback from provinces, municipalities, and territories. Municipalities across the country and the FCM have applauded the simplicity of the new programs. We are delivering on the commitments we made to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.Last week, our government, in collaboration with the Government of New Brunswick, announced more than $94 million in combined funding to replace the Anderson Bridge. This investment will ensure that the bridge remains a key link for travel, trade, and daily life between northern and southern New Brunswick for years to come.
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Mr. Speaker, the Senate committee's report is clear and unequivocal, despite what the minister thinks. The Liberals have not developed a strategic plan. The Liberals have a complex and uncoordinated approach. The complex nature of this approach is disconcerting for municipalities. We did not make this up. It is in the report.The report states that the Liberals are not being transparent, that the municipalities are having difficulty navigating the programs, and that jobs are not materializing. Will the minister admit that his plan is just not working? What will he do? Will he continue to shut his eyes and keep repeating the same thing, like a broken record?
Mr. Speaker, I do not buy it.Canada is so buddy-buddy with tax havens that it speaks on their behalf at the IMF. Canada is a spokescountry for tax havens. No kidding. Canada speaks on behalf of Barbados, the Bahamas, and a dozen other tax havens.Is the government trying to pull the wool over our eyes with its claims about fighting tax fraud when we all know it is a spokescountry for tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, it appears that my colleagues missed what I have said in recent days. I can tell my hon. colleague that the answer is yes. We are taking these threats seriously. That is why we are working with our partners, the Canadian provinces and the United States, to invest not only in the science needed to counter these threats, but also in the infrastructure to ensure that these invasive species are not in Canadian waters. We will continue to improve our efforts in this area throughout Canada.
Mr. Speaker, today I had the honour to stand with Constable Wynn's widow, who was in Ottawa to talk about the importance of Wynn's law. Wynn's law would close a loophole in the Criminal Code that helped cost Constable Wynn his life. I know that the Minister of Justice met with Ms. MacInnis-Wynn, and I thank her for that. However, since the minister opposes Wynn's law, could the minister explain just when it is okay for the criminal history of a bail applicant not to be disclosed?
Mr. Speaker, more than five years since the Isle of Man fraud was discovered, the government has still not laid criminal charges against KPMG. Instead, they were awarded contracts totalling 92 million of our dollars. In a similar case, in the United States, KPMG was threatened with being declared a criminal organization, it was fined half a million dollars, its tax department was closed and nine executives were criminally prosecuted, with two of them sent to prison.Will this government stop awarding contracts to KPMG and will it prosecute this company, which shows the rich how to cheat on their taxes?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to working in collaboration and partnership with provinces, municipalities, and territories, we take no lesson from the previous government. The former government had no relationship with those organizations. We are working on delivering on the historic commitment we made: $180 billion over 12 years; 1,400 projects approved, with a combined investment of $14 billion, the majority of that money going to municipalities from coast to coast to coast.
Mr. Speaker, last week a Senate committee released a report on the Liberals' infrastructure plan. It mirrors earlier comments from the parliamentary budget officer. The committee found that the Liberals had not developed a strategic infrastructure plan and that municipalities had raised several concerns about the lack of transparency and onerous application process. This is the third independent report that raises serious concerns about the Liberals' infrastructure plan. When will the minister start listening and develop a transparent and accountable plan that actually creates jobs and gets infrastructure built?
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of HullAylmer and across Canada, our plan to create long-term economic growth will help Canada's middle-class and everyone working hard to join it.Could the Minister of Finance give the House and all Canadians an update on our plan?
Mr. Speaker, last year, in our first budget, we made a historic $444 million investment. Let me make this perfectly clear: I can assure the House that tax frauds can no longer hide. We are taking this matter very seriously, and those who choose to participate in such schemes will pay the price. Canadians expect nothing less from us.
Mr. Speaker, many will recall the sad day when this government was elected on the promise of a modest deficit of just $10 billion. The reality is that, a year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of a budget that provided for a deficit three times that amount.According to the only game plan those folks have to return to a balanced budget, this will not happen until 2055. That is ridiculous. The Minister of Finance will probably present his budget in two weeks, or just after that.Can the minister assure us that he will not touch the tax credits that go directly to Canadians, and that Canadians will not have to pay higher taxes with the next budget?
Mr. Speaker, on the eve of International Women's Day, the government's failure to walk the talk on feminism is in the spotlight. A new report card from Oxfam finds little progress on nearly every front and condemns the government for its complete failure to take action on pay equity. Canadian women still earn just 74¢ for every dollar that a man makes, and we have fallen dramatically in international rankings.Does the minister really believe that women should wait even longer to get equal pay for work of equal value?
Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Finance showed up in my riding to announce that he was failing northern Albertans. Instead of adopting the recommendations of the trade tribunal about the drywall tariff, he offered half measures.Liberal duties on drywall are hurting all western Canadians and those rebuilding their lives in Fort McMurray. Why is the minister ignoring the recommendations of the tribunal and continuing to collect massive amounts of new taxes from the people who are suffering?
Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who are not even born yet will have to foot the bill for this plan and for this government's mismanagement. It was 40 years ago that the Prime Minister's father left public finances in a mess. The same thing is happening today.With regard to tax credits and income splitting for seniors, can the Minister of Finance tell us that his next budget will not negatively impact seniors?
Mr. Speaker, not one criminal case, and he knows it.Let me raise another related issue. At a time when the term fake news is bandied about, when accusations of media bias risk confidence of the public in a free and independent press, we all have to stand up against interference with the media. Does the Prime Minister believe that it is right for Revenue Canada to pay for government ads in newspapers and disguise them to look like real news articles? Does the Prime Minister find this acceptable, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, it really is good to be back. I had assumed that during my absence, the Liberals would finally come clean on the actual cost of their massive new carbon tax. Day after day, I watched the minister give evasive and non-transparent answers to simple questions. Clearly, the minister has something to hide and is afraid to tell us how badly the carbon tax will hurt.To the Prime Minister, why the cover-up, and when will he finally release the unredacted report outlining the harm this tax will inflict on Canadians?
Folks should hang on to their wallets.First, Mr. Speaker, it was the unsavoury Liberal cash for access scheme, and now MarkhamThornhill Liberal candidate Mary Ng is selling herself as a Liberal insider in the PMO who hand-picked members of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board, who make decisions on who can immigrate to Canada, but she only did this in the Chinese language version of her campaign news release.How can Canadians have confidence in the appointment process when Liberal candidate Mary Ng is suggesting to a select group of voters that she will have influence over the fate of their immigration applications, as a member of Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to table the IMF documents. All of these documents show that Canada speaks on behalf of tax havens.
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to inform you that I will be presenting the next step of our plan for the middle class in the House on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, at 4 p.m. Budget 2017 will ensure our success in the economy of the future.On March 22 at 4 p.m., I will present the next steps in our plan for the middle class and those working hard to join it. Our budget will create jobs, invest in our communitiesI will just keep talking
Mr. Speaker, it is only a year and a half until the next election.The PM has yet to explain the logic that led to the highly unusual housecleaning of two sitting cabinet ministers to appointments he characterized as ambassadorial. Not only was the dual assignment of Stéphane Dion to Germany and EU characterized as amateur hour by a former Canadian ambassador, but then we learned that the Liberal order in council described both men merely as special advisors to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Again, this is for the Prime Minister. Where is the logic? Where is the traditional diplomatic respect to our hosts?
Mr. Speaker, again, no action on criminal action and charges.Canadians want more than lip service. Tax fairness means that nobody is ever above the law no matter who they are or how much they earn. If the Prime Minister really wants to ensure tax fairness, will he ask the Minister of Justice to lay criminal charges against the people involved in the KPMG scheme, or is it all just talk?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the member should get his facts straight.The Canada Revenue Agency is currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG. This government has a responsibility, one we take very seriously, to prosecute fraudsters and people involved in tax evasion and avoidance. That is very important to us, and we are working on it every day. We also invested an additional $440 million in this initiative in the previous budget.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal war on history is marching relentlessly forward. The most recent victim is a Canadian crusader for human rights, a pioneer in the global struggle against apartheid in South Africa. A champion of the little guy, he gave us our Canadian Bill of Rights. This is why the Government of Canada honoured his legacy by establishing the John Diefenbaker Defender of Human Rights and Freedom Award. The award has recognized individuals fighting for freedom and democracy around the world. Yet, as it did with the Canada 150 medals, the Liberal government is in the process of abolishing that John Diefenbaker award. Why is there this Liberal war on history?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should get his facts straight. We are currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG, in fact. We are taking our responsibility to fight tax evasion and tax avoidance very seriously. That is why in the last budget we invested an additional $440 million in the Canada Revenue Agency to deal with fraudsters who avoid paying their taxes. Everyone has to pay taxes and that is exactly what we are enforcing.
Mr. Speaker, do you know who gave external legal advice for the KPMG scheme? It was Dentons law firm. Who organizes exclusive soirees at international tax conferences? Dentons law firm. Who attended one of these exclusive soirees last fall? Justice Bocock of the Tax Court of Canada. Who is the judge overseeing the case involving the Cooper family, which is appealing the CRA decision? You guessed it, it is Justice Bocock.Two plus two equals four, and Canadians can see through this.Does the Minister of Justice believe that the Canadian Judicial Council should conduct a thorough review of this judge's inappropriate behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, the saga of the sale of the B.C. retirement homes to mysterious Chinese investors is getting murkier.We know the Prime Minister was approached at a cash for access fundraiser regarding this deal. Yesterday, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development had to stand in the House and apologize for misleading Canadians regarding the true ownership. Twenty operating licences were issued in one week. Clearly the fix was in.One of the residents phoned me and said she was very worried about this issue and how it would affect vulnerable seniors. Again, will the minister finally show some respect and tell these seniors who owns their home?
Mr. Speaker, according to the report by the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Minister of Immigration is failing to meet his obligations under the law. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada does not respect the equality of both official languages, since the French test is more expensive and less accessible than the English test for permanent residence applications. The minister has not taken any action to date to rectify the situation.Does the minister intend to act on the commissioners recommendations in order to bring his department into compliance with its obligations under the Official Languages Act?
Mr. Speaker, we know that the Prime Minister is answering the Ethics Commissioner's questions, but the Prime Minister also has a constitutional responsibility to be accountable to Canadians in the House, so we are asking him these questions on behalf of Canadians. After all, it was actually the Prime Minister who said, As the head of government, the Prime Minister represents all Canadians and should be directly accountable to them. He said it, so does he still believe that, or was that just a campaign slogan?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat the information for my colleague in the back who does not seem to understand the words I am speaking. It is thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG's schemes were discovered abroad. The case is currently underway. Although we cannot provide any information, I can assure the House that we are continuing the work we said we would do during the last campaign. We will continue to do what we promised to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, there are now dozens and dozens of serious criminal cases that are being thrown out of court, in part because the Liberals have not appointed judges to deal with them. In one case, a man is accused of breaking his two-week-old baby's ankles, and he has had his criminal charge stayed, and he may never face justice. The irony is that the person in charge of this in the Prime Minister's Office did one thing before she left; she made sure she had her own appointment as the parachute Liberal candidate. This does not reflect the priorities of Canadians. When will the Prime Minister get to work and appoint judges so criminals stop going free?
Mr. Speaker, according to Wikipedia, carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as coal tar. Carbon black is used to produce pigment for ink, the kind of ink the government is using to black out the cost of a carbon tax. My question is this. How many tonnes of GHGs were emitted to produce the ink to cover up the cost of the carbon tax?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal environment record is a train wreck. We only have to look at Ontario, where Kathleen Wynne's skyrocketing electricity rates are bankrupting hard-working Canadians. The Prime Minister's reckless carbon tax plan follows the same blueprint. In the words of the irrepressible Rex Murphy, the green dream has been a disaster for Ontario. The last thing Canadians need is even higher energy costs. When will the Liberals finally come clean, release their carbon tax report, and let Canadians judge for themselves?
Mr. Speaker, increasing numbers of Canadians are suffering from Lyme disease and the lack of effective treatment. Most people are forced to seek health care outside of Canada at huge personal expense; yet the government's proposed framework fails to meet the needs of patients and their families. In fact, more than 30,000 Canadians have signed a petition to scrap the government's plan.Will the government commit to creating a framework for Lyme disease that actually provides the care so desperately needed?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.Last week, our government, in collaboration with the Government of New Brunswick, announced more than $94 million in combined funding to replace the Anderson Bridge. This investment will ensure that the bridge remains a key link for travel, trade, and daily life between northern and southern New Brunswick for years to come.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we have worked with the provinces, municipalities, and territories and streamlined approvals as part of a phase 1 clean water, waste water, and public transit infrastructure framework design based on feedback from provinces, municipalities, and territories. Municipalities across the country and the FCM have applauded the simplicity of the new programs. We are delivering on the commitments we made to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government knows that ensuring equal pay for work of equal value is critical to closing the gender wage gap, and that is why our government has moved forward to introduce proactive pay equity legislation.We will be engaging with stakeholders and experts during the policy process to ensure that the legislation meets the goal of ensuring the right of equal pay for work of equal value.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government proposed the ocean protection plan, promising a world-class spill response. People on the ground are watching. Yesterday, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard said that the Coast Guard and responders reacted very quickly to contain a spill and to clean up the spill. It took nine hours for the first booms and a few absorbent pads to be dispersed haphazardly and only near the fish pens. Is this what the minister considers a quick response? If this is Canada's world-class response, we may have a problem.
Mr. Speaker, it was thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG'S offshore tax avoidance schemes were discovered. My colleague knows full well that the KPMG case is active. We are currently in court and cannot divulge any information, as that would jeopardize our efforts.I can assure the House that the CRA is conducting a preliminary investigation into the schemes in place in the Isle of Man. The work has begun and we will see it through, as promised during the election campaign.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister loves to claim that he wants tax fairness, but one of the first decisions the Liberal government made was to flip-flop on a clear promise to close the CEO stock option tax loophole. Will the Prime Minister and his Liberals vote in favour of the NDP motion and will they flop-flip to finally close the CEO stock option tax loophole, take aggressive action to tackle tax havens, renegotiate treaties that currently help tax evaders, and end penalty-free amnesty deals for tax evasion? Will they do that in the budget and, by the way, when is the budget?
Mr. Speaker, Retirement Concepts now is managed by Canadians and it is going to be operated by Canadians to serve Canadians. It will have additional resources by Cedar Tree. These additional resources will allow the company to expand, and when it expands, that will create opportunities for seniors. These additional resources will also create economic opportunities like good-quality jobs.We are a government that supports global investment. We believe in growing the economy. We believe in supporting the health care sector. We believe this is an overall net economic benefit. That is why we approved this transaction.
Mr. Speaker, during their first year in government, the Liberals only appointed 34 superior court judges. In the previous year, our Conservative government appointed 96 judges. Every day we are seeing evidence that the Liberals are making a mess of our judicial system. I want to know this from them. Why are they putting it at risk? When are they going to get their act together?
Mr. Speaker, this is the first time in the history of Canada that a sitting prime minister has been under investigation by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. This is serious.The Prime Minister needs to tell Canadians the truth. Did someone in the PMO or the Privy Council Office tell him that this private flight was against the rules?
Mr. Speaker, this government works hard to serve Canadians to make sure that we are growing the middle class and supporting those working hard to join it. Of course, we take our responsibilities very seriously and continue to demonstrate the kind of openness and transparency Canadians expect of this government, particularly after 10 years of a government that did not do a good job at that.
Mr. Speaker, again, I do not understand why the member opposite is opposed to global investment in Canada. Investment is so critical for growing our economy and creating jobs and opportunities for Canadians.With regard to the specific transaction, we reviewed it under the Investment Canada Act. We did our due diligence. We determined it was in our overall net economic benefit. The additional resources that Cedar Tree will provide Retirement Concepts for expansion will create opportunities, growth, and jobs. That is good for British Columbia. That is good for the economy.
Mr. Speaker, the Anderson Bridge, which spans the Southwest Miramichi, constitutes important strategic infrastructure for the security and economy of the communities on both sides of this majestic river. As the safety and capacity of the bridge has been downgraded due to the failing 60-year-old structure, would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities give this House an update as to how our infrastructure program will contribute to the upgrade of this bridge?
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We got elected on a clear commitment to help the middle class, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are ensuring that nine out of 10 Canadian families do better with the new Canada child benefit, which is going to lift 300,000 kids out of poverty. These are the kinds of measures we put forward, which are investing both in middle-class families and in their future through historic infrastructure investments. These are the promises we are focused on delivering for Canadians. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote the leader of the official opposition. In January, she said: Canadians...want and need passionate people to represent them, people who...understand the issues in minute detail, and vigorously defend their positions. Speaking of Monsieur Dion, she added, The member opposite epitomized all that and more.I agree. Canadians can be assured that we will be well represented by Monsieur Dion in Berlin and Brussels.
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, the Canadian Coast Guard is the backbone for one of the safest marine systems in the world. As I indicated earlier, the Prime Minister announced a historic investment to improve marine safety on all of Canada's coasts. This will have a major impact in the great province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We will reopen the St. John's maritime rescue sub-centre which was closed by the previous government. This will boost emergency response capacity. We will refurbish the St. Anthony lifeboat station, and what is more, we are opening two new lifeboat stations in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Nobody is buying that. Mr. Speaker, in true Liberal fashion, Liberal candidate and former director of appointments for the Prime Minister Mary Ng started campaigning before she pushed John McCallum out the door.Mary Ng would have overseen many appointments in the Prime Minister's Office, but chose to highlight in her foreign language campaign release that she was responsible for matters regarding the appointment of members to the Immigration and Refugee Board.Can the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ensure that the integrity of the Immigration and Refugee Board has not been compromised as a result of Mary Ng's political ambitions?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians did judge for themselves in the 2015 election, when they rejected a vision that did not understand that the way to build a strong economy is to invest in a cleaner environment. Canadians know that reducing carbon pollution and investing in the clean, green jobs of the future is exactly how we are going to grow the economy for the future. Not only did that government not get anything done on the environment, but that also hurt the economic growth of this country. This government gets that. That is why we are moving forward in responsible ways to create better jobs and a cleaner environment for future generations.
Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to see the member opposite back in the House, but he did not use his downtime to understand what the Conservatives did not understand for 10 years in government, which is that investing in reducing our carbon emissions, in a cleaner economy, is actually a way of creating opportunities for Canadians and opportunities to grow the economy. We know that leading the way on the new economy, on the new clean jobs that are coming, is exactly how we will create the kinds of opportunities for the middle class and those working hard to join it that Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are working hard to ensure that our children will inherit a world free of nuclear weapons. That means making tangible progress. Under our government, for the first time, Canada rallied 177 states to support a United Nations resolution calling for a fissile material cut-off treaty. That is real action, a major step toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Speaker, in light of North Korea's actions, it is more important than ever for the international community to work toward nuclear disarmament. It is not enough to hide behind the treaty to ban the production of fissile materials. We need to be more ambitious if we want to eliminate this threat.My question is simple. Will Canada participate in the negotiations on nuclear disarmament taking place in New York this month, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, as the member opposite said, I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Mrs. Wynn. I want to reiterate in this House an acknowledgement and great empathy for the loss that she has suffered. We spoke about what I am committed to doing in terms of modernizing the criminal justice system, improving the efficiency and effectiveness, and ensuring that we look at bail reform. This is why I am working with my counterparts in the provinces and territories. It is why we have empowered the Steering Committee on Justice Efficiencies and Access to the Justice System to look at specific aspects of bail reform. We are going to continue to move forward collaboratively.
Mr. Speaker, the government uses a broad range of ways to communicate with Canadians. We need to make sure that Canadians know we are working hard for them every day. These are the things that matter. Reaching out through community newspapers and through a broad range of media organizations is an effective way of ensuring Canadians get the facts and understand what their opportunities and options are.
Mr. Speaker, I am very much committed to the Official Languages Act, and my department is working very closely to make sure that the availability and costs between the two official language tests are equal. My department is working very closely with the businesses and organizations that determine and offer these tests to potential applicants to immigration services. We are working very closely with them to address this issue.
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives were busy making appointments at the 11th hour, this government is committed to a new process, a merit-based process, where we look at gender parity, bilingualism, and the importance of our diversity.This government recognizes that diversity is our strength, and that is why we have introduced a new merit-based appointment process. We have delivered on exactly what we committed to Canadians.All opportunities are available online, and I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the Prime Minister to answer questions in the House. Let us review question period thus far. We have a Prime Minister who will not answer questions about his own ethical violations. We have a finance minister who continues in his carbon tax cover-up. We have a minister of industry who still will not admit to Canadians who he is selling our seniors residences to. The cover-ups, the misleading, and quite frankly the outright lack of integrity are what the Liberals have become.When will the Prime Minister start leading the government the way Canadians expect? When will he clean up this mess?
Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the impact that Lyme disease has on Canadians and their families. We had discussions at a conference to develop a federal framework on Lyme disease that was held last year, with more than 500 people participating. As a result of that, there is a framework available online. It has been open for consultation until tomorrow. It has had great interaction with a number of members of the House, as well as the general public. We are going to consider all input on the final draft version, and that will be posted in May of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, they are on stock options.In the KPMG agreement we saw that there are certain rules for the rich and the friends of the government and other rules for everyone else. Good luck to any owners of a family business who make a mistake on their tax return, because the government will be on their heels. If a millionaire decides not to pay his taxes, there is no problem. The government will protect him.Can the Prime Minister assure us that his government will never offer this type of deal to white collar criminals again?
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to see the member of Parliament for Abbotsford back in the House. I also see there is now a tag team where we have the member for Abbotsford and the member for Carleton saying the same thing.
Mr. Speaker, as we committed to Canadians, we introduced a new government-wide appointments process that is open, transparent, and merit based.Our approach will result in the recommendations of high-quality candidates to achieve gender parity and truly reflect Canada's diversity.The new selection process reflects the fundamental role that many Canadians play in our democracy as they serve on commissions, boards, crown corporations, agencies, and tribunals across the country.All opportunities to serve are transparently available online.
Mr. Speaker, the arrival of the Asian carp poses a serious threat. Following the Great Lakes and catches in Toronto, it is now in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The federal government needs to take action to eliminate this species that is endangering our fish species for the sport fishery and the very popular ice fishery, which are major economic activities for our regions. Will the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard take action on this issue and quickly deploy an effective response plan?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation is a unique opportunity to bring Canadians together and strengthen their connection to our communities by inspiring a vision of a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive country. As part of the celebration, we are focusing on engaging young people, celebrating diversity and inclusion, and encouraging a national reconciliation with the indigenous people of this land. Our government is proud to support and promote initiatives that will inspire a generation of Canadians to help build Canada's future and create a lasting economic, cultural, and social legacy for our country.
Mr. Speaker, I am terribly pleased to be able to provide information to my colleague across the way. I can say that the agency is conducting a preliminary investigation into the offshore structures of the Isle of Man. Our investments of $444 million allowed us to hire 100 auditors last year. We managed to recover $13 billion last year. The work has begun, and we will see it through.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the government has put tens of thousands of seniors homes and care in jeopardy. Nobody will do business with Anbang Insurance because of the murky ownership, not even Wall Street firms, but the Prime Minister will. After lobbying at one of his many cash for access events, and after filling the coffers of the Liberal Party, Anbang was fast-tracked by senior care facilities in B.C. The minister then misled Canadians into thinking that these senior homes would be owned by Canadians, but yesterday he admitted that this was not true.Will the minister finally tell Canadians who owns Anbang Insurance?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have a problem, because this government is investing massively in marine safety and environmental protection. The Prime Minister was in British Columbia in November and announced the historic investment of $1.5 billion to ensure that the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada can provide that world-class ocean protection that Canadians expect.We will continue to work with the provinces, indigenous communities, and all those partners across the country to ensure that we have the best marine response system in the world.
Mr. Speaker, let me talk about costs.Let us talk about the cost of inaction when it comes to tackling climate change. We know that the costs right now have risen to $1 billion per year for Canadian taxpayers. That is to cover the costs of floods, that is to cover the costs of forest fires, and that is to cover the costs of droughts. We know we need to take action on climate change because it is the right thing to do. It will help us ensure that we have a sustainable future, and it will create good jobs and create economic growth.
Mr. Speaker, they thought they were going to have an easy day over there today, but not so fast.Earlier today, the Prime Minister managed to sandwich into one answer both his love of the middle class and transparency and openness, while he is about to vote for a motion opposing the release of transparent information on the cost to the middle class of his very own carbon tax.Will he do as he promised during the election and vote today to end the carbon tax cover-up so middle-class Canadians will finally know what they will pay in new Liberal taxes?
Mr. Speaker, what I can say is that we will continue with our plan to help seniors and to help the middle class. That is very important. Thanks to higher growth, we will have many more opportunities in the future. That is very important. Thanks to our investments, we will be in a position to do more for Canadian families across the country. We now know that more jobs were created in the past six months than since 2002. Things are starting to improve.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister believes he can pick and choose how to interpret the laws and regulations that members of this House are sworn to respect.We have seen the PM and members of cabinet ignore, actually break, his own ethics guidelines and his promises.Is that why, after a year and a half in majority government, the PM has yet to fill vacant watchdog positions that govern elections, official languages, lobbying, and ethics.Does the PM believe it is more important to get his appointments secretary a parachuted seat in Parliament than appointing watchdogs who might call him to account?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind Canadians exactly what this government has been doing. We have had unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We are working better with provinces, territories, and municipalities. We are making historic investments in infrastructure so that we can actually create the opportunities and make the investments Canadians need us to create. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by increasing taxes on one per cent of the wealthiest Canadians. What did the Conservatives do? They voted against it every time.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year we have made significant appointments right across the country, including 13 judicial appointments in Alberta. The fact is, in the over 100 appointments we have made since we have come in, through a new process that demonstrates the openness and the diversity of Canada, we are happy that over 60% of our appointments are women, that 15% of the appointments are visible minorities, that over 10% are actually indigenous Canadians, and that we have Canadians living with disabilities well represented. We are demonstrating the kind of openness, transparency, and diversity that we know is a great strength for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that we will continue with our plan, which is about improving the lives of middle-class Canadians. Our plan will improve economic growth. Our plan will create jobs across the country. That is how we will create more opportunities for people, for our children and grandchildren. That is what our plan is all about.
Mr. Speaker, a person of real integrity and transparency does not get caught with his hand in the cookie jar over and over again, as is the case with the Prime Minister. There are many examples of his lack of judgment. I am thinking of his $1,500 cash for access parties for the rich, or his helicopter trips that violate the rules.The more we get to know this Prime Minister, the more we see that he thinks he is above the law. Could the Prime Minister set aside his elastic conscience and demonstrate transparency and integrity in the important decisions he must make in the interest of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, we are actually very proud of the new process that we have introduced and that Canadians from coast to coast to coast can actually apply.We recognize the importance of these roles within government and these opportunities, and that is why all opportunities to apply are available online. I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, I take incredibly seriously the opportunity that I have to appoint superior court justices across the country. I am proud of the appointments I have made thus far, and I am very proud of the renewed judicial appointments process, including the judicial advisory council that will provide recommended and highly recommended candidates to sit on our superior courts. We are doing this to ensure diversity in terms of the judges who sit on the superior courts, who represent the face of Canada. We will be making judicial appointments on an ongoing basis in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said a number of times, this was a personal family vacation. I am happy to answer any questions that the Ethics Commissioner may have for me.
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to go to Fort McMurray last week in particular to talk about how we can ensure that the people in Fort McMurray as they rebuild their homes and as the drywall contractors purchase drywall have a stable market and so they can understand the price of drywall. That is important. What we also did was we took the tariffs that had been levied for the three months before, that $12 million, and said we were going to put that in a fund so that those people who had been harmed by fixed-priced contracts could apply to get that money to help their families and help the drywall contractors.We are proud to help the people of Fort McMurray in a time of challenge.
Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal government lets KPMG hide a rich client's money on the Isle of Man, does it consider the message it sends to honest taxpayers? It is precisely because of these practices in tax havens that we cannot properly care for our seniors or support our students.Treaties with tax havens amount to robbery. They pay peanuts over there and send nothing back.Will the Liberal government revisit these treaties so that these companies pay their fair share, like everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, I am going to keep on repeating what I continue to repeat, that putting a price on carbon pollution makes good business sense. It is going to create good jobs. It is going to help create a clean growth economy. It is going to ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, we always have the best interests of Canadians in all that we do. That is why we cut taxes for the middle class. That is why we are giving more to families whose children have greater needs. The Prime Minister has said many times that he will answer all the Commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, marine incidents can happen anywhere in the world and there is no one approach that works best in all cases. Today, the east coast of Canada has some of the busiest shipping routes in the country. Marine shipping has always been a part of Atlantic Canada's identity, which explains our region's strong history of, and commitment to, marine transportation safety. Would the minister please inform Canadians of some of the measures he is taking in my province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in the Maritimes?
Mr. Speaker, the Senate committee's report is clear and unequivocal, despite what the minister thinks. The Liberals have not developed a strategic plan. The Liberals have a complex and uncoordinated approach. The complex nature of this approach is disconcerting for municipalities. We did not make this up. It is in the report.The report states that the Liberals are not being transparent, that the municipalities are having difficulty navigating the programs, and that jobs are not materializing. Will the minister admit that his plan is just not working? What will he do? Will he continue to shut his eyes and keep repeating the same thing, like a broken record?
Mr. Speaker, I do not buy it.Canada is so buddy-buddy with tax havens that it speaks on their behalf at the IMF. Canada is a spokescountry for tax havens. No kidding. Canada speaks on behalf of Barbados, the Bahamas, and a dozen other tax havens.Is the government trying to pull the wool over our eyes with its claims about fighting tax fraud when we all know it is a spokescountry for tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, it appears that my colleagues missed what I have said in recent days. I can tell my hon. colleague that the answer is yes. We are taking these threats seriously. That is why we are working with our partners, the Canadian provinces and the United States, to invest not only in the science needed to counter these threats, but also in the infrastructure to ensure that these invasive species are not in Canadian waters. We will continue to improve our efforts in this area throughout Canada.
Mr. Speaker, today I had the honour to stand with Constable Wynn's widow, who was in Ottawa to talk about the importance of Wynn's law. Wynn's law would close a loophole in the Criminal Code that helped cost Constable Wynn his life. I know that the Minister of Justice met with Ms. MacInnis-Wynn, and I thank her for that. However, since the minister opposes Wynn's law, could the minister explain just when it is okay for the criminal history of a bail applicant not to be disclosed?
Mr. Speaker, more than five years since the Isle of Man fraud was discovered, the government has still not laid criminal charges against KPMG. Instead, they were awarded contracts totalling 92 million of our dollars. In a similar case, in the United States, KPMG was threatened with being declared a criminal organization, it was fined half a million dollars, its tax department was closed and nine executives were criminally prosecuted, with two of them sent to prison.Will this government stop awarding contracts to KPMG and will it prosecute this company, which shows the rich how to cheat on their taxes?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to working in collaboration and partnership with provinces, municipalities, and territories, we take no lesson from the previous government. The former government had no relationship with those organizations. We are working on delivering on the historic commitment we made: $180 billion over 12 years; 1,400 projects approved, with a combined investment of $14 billion, the majority of that money going to municipalities from coast to coast to coast.
Mr. Speaker, last week a Senate committee released a report on the Liberals' infrastructure plan. It mirrors earlier comments from the parliamentary budget officer. The committee found that the Liberals had not developed a strategic infrastructure plan and that municipalities had raised several concerns about the lack of transparency and onerous application process. This is the third independent report that raises serious concerns about the Liberals' infrastructure plan. When will the minister start listening and develop a transparent and accountable plan that actually creates jobs and gets infrastructure built?
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of HullAylmer and across Canada, our plan to create long-term economic growth will help Canada's middle-class and everyone working hard to join it.Could the Minister of Finance give the House and all Canadians an update on our plan?
Mr. Speaker, last year, in our first budget, we made a historic $444 million investment. Let me make this perfectly clear: I can assure the House that tax frauds can no longer hide. We are taking this matter very seriously, and those who choose to participate in such schemes will pay the price. Canadians expect nothing less from us.
Mr. Speaker, many will recall the sad day when this government was elected on the promise of a modest deficit of just $10 billion. The reality is that, a year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of a budget that provided for a deficit three times that amount.According to the only game plan those folks have to return to a balanced budget, this will not happen until 2055. That is ridiculous. The Minister of Finance will probably present his budget in two weeks, or just after that.Can the minister assure us that he will not touch the tax credits that go directly to Canadians, and that Canadians will not have to pay higher taxes with the next budget?
Mr. Speaker, on the eve of International Women's Day, the government's failure to walk the talk on feminism is in the spotlight. A new report card from Oxfam finds little progress on nearly every front and condemns the government for its complete failure to take action on pay equity. Canadian women still earn just 74¢ for every dollar that a man makes, and we have fallen dramatically in international rankings.Does the minister really believe that women should wait even longer to get equal pay for work of equal value?
Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Finance showed up in my riding to announce that he was failing northern Albertans. Instead of adopting the recommendations of the trade tribunal about the drywall tariff, he offered half measures.Liberal duties on drywall are hurting all western Canadians and those rebuilding their lives in Fort McMurray. Why is the minister ignoring the recommendations of the tribunal and continuing to collect massive amounts of new taxes from the people who are suffering?
Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who are not even born yet will have to foot the bill for this plan and for this government's mismanagement. It was 40 years ago that the Prime Minister's father left public finances in a mess. The same thing is happening today.With regard to tax credits and income splitting for seniors, can the Minister of Finance tell us that his next budget will not negatively impact seniors?
Mr. Speaker, not one criminal case, and he knows it.Let me raise another related issue. At a time when the term fake news is bandied about, when accusations of media bias risk confidence of the public in a free and independent press, we all have to stand up against interference with the media. Does the Prime Minister believe that it is right for Revenue Canada to pay for government ads in newspapers and disguise them to look like real news articles? Does the Prime Minister find this acceptable, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, it really is good to be back. I had assumed that during my absence, the Liberals would finally come clean on the actual cost of their massive new carbon tax. Day after day, I watched the minister give evasive and non-transparent answers to simple questions. Clearly, the minister has something to hide and is afraid to tell us how badly the carbon tax will hurt.To the Prime Minister, why the cover-up, and when will he finally release the unredacted report outlining the harm this tax will inflict on Canadians?
Folks should hang on to their wallets.First, Mr. Speaker, it was the unsavoury Liberal cash for access scheme, and now MarkhamThornhill Liberal candidate Mary Ng is selling herself as a Liberal insider in the PMO who hand-picked members of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board, who make decisions on who can immigrate to Canada, but she only did this in the Chinese language version of her campaign news release.How can Canadians have confidence in the appointment process when Liberal candidate Mary Ng is suggesting to a select group of voters that she will have influence over the fate of their immigration applications, as a member of Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to table the IMF documents. All of these documents show that Canada speaks on behalf of tax havens.
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to inform you that I will be presenting the next step of our plan for the middle class in the House on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, at 4 p.m. Budget 2017 will ensure our success in the economy of the future.On March 22 at 4 p.m., I will present the next steps in our plan for the middle class and those working hard to join it. Our budget will create jobs, invest in our communitiesI will just keep talking
Mr. Speaker, it is only a year and a half until the next election.The PM has yet to explain the logic that led to the highly unusual housecleaning of two sitting cabinet ministers to appointments he characterized as ambassadorial. Not only was the dual assignment of Stéphane Dion to Germany and EU characterized as amateur hour by a former Canadian ambassador, but then we learned that the Liberal order in council described both men merely as special advisors to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Again, this is for the Prime Minister. Where is the logic? Where is the traditional diplomatic respect to our hosts?
Mr. Speaker, again, no action on criminal action and charges.Canadians want more than lip service. Tax fairness means that nobody is ever above the law no matter who they are or how much they earn. If the Prime Minister really wants to ensure tax fairness, will he ask the Minister of Justice to lay criminal charges against the people involved in the KPMG scheme, or is it all just talk?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the member should get his facts straight.The Canada Revenue Agency is currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG. This government has a responsibility, one we take very seriously, to prosecute fraudsters and people involved in tax evasion and avoidance. That is very important to us, and we are working on it every day. We also invested an additional $440 million in this initiative in the previous budget.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal war on history is marching relentlessly forward. The most recent victim is a Canadian crusader for human rights, a pioneer in the global struggle against apartheid in South Africa. A champion of the little guy, he gave us our Canadian Bill of Rights. This is why the Government of Canada honoured his legacy by establishing the John Diefenbaker Defender of Human Rights and Freedom Award. The award has recognized individuals fighting for freedom and democracy around the world. Yet, as it did with the Canada 150 medals, the Liberal government is in the process of abolishing that John Diefenbaker award. Why is there this Liberal war on history?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should get his facts straight. We are currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG, in fact. We are taking our responsibility to fight tax evasion and tax avoidance very seriously. That is why in the last budget we invested an additional $440 million in the Canada Revenue Agency to deal with fraudsters who avoid paying their taxes. Everyone has to pay taxes and that is exactly what we are enforcing.
Mr. Speaker, do you know who gave external legal advice for the KPMG scheme? It was Dentons law firm. Who organizes exclusive soirees at international tax conferences? Dentons law firm. Who attended one of these exclusive soirees last fall? Justice Bocock of the Tax Court of Canada. Who is the judge overseeing the case involving the Cooper family, which is appealing the CRA decision? You guessed it, it is Justice Bocock.Two plus two equals four, and Canadians can see through this.Does the Minister of Justice believe that the Canadian Judicial Council should conduct a thorough review of this judge's inappropriate behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, the saga of the sale of the B.C. retirement homes to mysterious Chinese investors is getting murkier.We know the Prime Minister was approached at a cash for access fundraiser regarding this deal. Yesterday, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development had to stand in the House and apologize for misleading Canadians regarding the true ownership. Twenty operating licences were issued in one week. Clearly the fix was in.One of the residents phoned me and said she was very worried about this issue and how it would affect vulnerable seniors. Again, will the minister finally show some respect and tell these seniors who owns their home?
Mr. Speaker, according to the report by the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Minister of Immigration is failing to meet his obligations under the law. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada does not respect the equality of both official languages, since the French test is more expensive and less accessible than the English test for permanent residence applications. The minister has not taken any action to date to rectify the situation.Does the minister intend to act on the commissioners recommendations in order to bring his department into compliance with its obligations under the Official Languages Act?
Mr. Speaker, we know that the Prime Minister is answering the Ethics Commissioner's questions, but the Prime Minister also has a constitutional responsibility to be accountable to Canadians in the House, so we are asking him these questions on behalf of Canadians. After all, it was actually the Prime Minister who said, As the head of government, the Prime Minister represents all Canadians and should be directly accountable to them. He said it, so does he still believe that, or was that just a campaign slogan?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat the information for my colleague in the back who does not seem to understand the words I am speaking. It is thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG's schemes were discovered abroad. The case is currently underway. Although we cannot provide any information, I can assure the House that we are continuing the work we said we would do during the last campaign. We will continue to do what we promised to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, there are now dozens and dozens of serious criminal cases that are being thrown out of court, in part because the Liberals have not appointed judges to deal with them. In one case, a man is accused of breaking his two-week-old baby's ankles, and he has had his criminal charge stayed, and he may never face justice. The irony is that the person in charge of this in the Prime Minister's Office did one thing before she left; she made sure she had her own appointment as the parachute Liberal candidate. This does not reflect the priorities of Canadians. When will the Prime Minister get to work and appoint judges so criminals stop going free?
Mr. Speaker, according to Wikipedia, carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as coal tar. Carbon black is used to produce pigment for ink, the kind of ink the government is using to black out the cost of a carbon tax. My question is this. How many tonnes of GHGs were emitted to produce the ink to cover up the cost of the carbon tax?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal environment record is a train wreck. We only have to look at Ontario, where Kathleen Wynne's skyrocketing electricity rates are bankrupting hard-working Canadians. The Prime Minister's reckless carbon tax plan follows the same blueprint. In the words of the irrepressible Rex Murphy, the green dream has been a disaster for Ontario. The last thing Canadians need is even higher energy costs. When will the Liberals finally come clean, release their carbon tax report, and let Canadians judge for themselves?
Mr. Speaker, increasing numbers of Canadians are suffering from Lyme disease and the lack of effective treatment. Most people are forced to seek health care outside of Canada at huge personal expense; yet the government's proposed framework fails to meet the needs of patients and their families. In fact, more than 30,000 Canadians have signed a petition to scrap the government's plan.Will the government commit to creating a framework for Lyme disease that actually provides the care so desperately needed?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.Last week, our government, in collaboration with the Government of New Brunswick, announced more than $94 million in combined funding to replace the Anderson Bridge. This investment will ensure that the bridge remains a key link for travel, trade, and daily life between northern and southern New Brunswick for years to come.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we have worked with the provinces, municipalities, and territories and streamlined approvals as part of a phase 1 clean water, waste water, and public transit infrastructure framework design based on feedback from provinces, municipalities, and territories. Municipalities across the country and the FCM have applauded the simplicity of the new programs. We are delivering on the commitments we made to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government knows that ensuring equal pay for work of equal value is critical to closing the gender wage gap, and that is why our government has moved forward to introduce proactive pay equity legislation.We will be engaging with stakeholders and experts during the policy process to ensure that the legislation meets the goal of ensuring the right of equal pay for work of equal value.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government proposed the ocean protection plan, promising a world-class spill response. People on the ground are watching. Yesterday, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard said that the Coast Guard and responders reacted very quickly to contain a spill and to clean up the spill. It took nine hours for the first booms and a few absorbent pads to be dispersed haphazardly and only near the fish pens. Is this what the minister considers a quick response? If this is Canada's world-class response, we may have a problem.
Mr. Speaker, it was thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG'S offshore tax avoidance schemes were discovered. My colleague knows full well that the KPMG case is active. We are currently in court and cannot divulge any information, as that would jeopardize our efforts.I can assure the House that the CRA is conducting a preliminary investigation into the schemes in place in the Isle of Man. The work has begun and we will see it through, as promised during the election campaign.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister loves to claim that he wants tax fairness, but one of the first decisions the Liberal government made was to flip-flop on a clear promise to close the CEO stock option tax loophole. Will the Prime Minister and his Liberals vote in favour of the NDP motion and will they flop-flip to finally close the CEO stock option tax loophole, take aggressive action to tackle tax havens, renegotiate treaties that currently help tax evaders, and end penalty-free amnesty deals for tax evasion? Will they do that in the budget and, by the way, when is the budget?
Mr. Speaker, Retirement Concepts now is managed by Canadians and it is going to be operated by Canadians to serve Canadians. It will have additional resources by Cedar Tree. These additional resources will allow the company to expand, and when it expands, that will create opportunities for seniors. These additional resources will also create economic opportunities like good-quality jobs.We are a government that supports global investment. We believe in growing the economy. We believe in supporting the health care sector. We believe this is an overall net economic benefit. That is why we approved this transaction.
Mr. Speaker, during their first year in government, the Liberals only appointed 34 superior court judges. In the previous year, our Conservative government appointed 96 judges. Every day we are seeing evidence that the Liberals are making a mess of our judicial system. I want to know this from them. Why are they putting it at risk? When are they going to get their act together?
Mr. Speaker, this is the first time in the history of Canada that a sitting prime minister has been under investigation by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. This is serious.The Prime Minister needs to tell Canadians the truth. Did someone in the PMO or the Privy Council Office tell him that this private flight was against the rules?
Mr. Speaker, this government works hard to serve Canadians to make sure that we are growing the middle class and supporting those working hard to join it. Of course, we take our responsibilities very seriously and continue to demonstrate the kind of openness and transparency Canadians expect of this government, particularly after 10 years of a government that did not do a good job at that.
Mr. Speaker, again, I do not understand why the member opposite is opposed to global investment in Canada. Investment is so critical for growing our economy and creating jobs and opportunities for Canadians.With regard to the specific transaction, we reviewed it under the Investment Canada Act. We did our due diligence. We determined it was in our overall net economic benefit. The additional resources that Cedar Tree will provide Retirement Concepts for expansion will create opportunities, growth, and jobs. That is good for British Columbia. That is good for the economy.
Mr. Speaker, the Anderson Bridge, which spans the Southwest Miramichi, constitutes important strategic infrastructure for the security and economy of the communities on both sides of this majestic river. As the safety and capacity of the bridge has been downgraded due to the failing 60-year-old structure, would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities give this House an update as to how our infrastructure program will contribute to the upgrade of this bridge?
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We got elected on a clear commitment to help the middle class, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are ensuring that nine out of 10 Canadian families do better with the new Canada child benefit, which is going to lift 300,000 kids out of poverty. These are the kinds of measures we put forward, which are investing both in middle-class families and in their future through historic infrastructure investments. These are the promises we are focused on delivering for Canadians. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote the leader of the official opposition. In January, she said: Canadians...want and need passionate people to represent them, people who...understand the issues in minute detail, and vigorously defend their positions. Speaking of Monsieur Dion, she added, The member opposite epitomized all that and more.I agree. Canadians can be assured that we will be well represented by Monsieur Dion in Berlin and Brussels.
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, the Canadian Coast Guard is the backbone for one of the safest marine systems in the world. As I indicated earlier, the Prime Minister announced a historic investment to improve marine safety on all of Canada's coasts. This will have a major impact in the great province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We will reopen the St. John's maritime rescue sub-centre which was closed by the previous government. This will boost emergency response capacity. We will refurbish the St. Anthony lifeboat station, and what is more, we are opening two new lifeboat stations in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Nobody is buying that. Mr. Speaker, in true Liberal fashion, Liberal candidate and former director of appointments for the Prime Minister Mary Ng started campaigning before she pushed John McCallum out the door.Mary Ng would have overseen many appointments in the Prime Minister's Office, but chose to highlight in her foreign language campaign release that she was responsible for matters regarding the appointment of members to the Immigration and Refugee Board.Can the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ensure that the integrity of the Immigration and Refugee Board has not been compromised as a result of Mary Ng's political ambitions?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians did judge for themselves in the 2015 election, when they rejected a vision that did not understand that the way to build a strong economy is to invest in a cleaner environment. Canadians know that reducing carbon pollution and investing in the clean, green jobs of the future is exactly how we are going to grow the economy for the future. Not only did that government not get anything done on the environment, but that also hurt the economic growth of this country. This government gets that. That is why we are moving forward in responsible ways to create better jobs and a cleaner environment for future generations.
Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to see the member opposite back in the House, but he did not use his downtime to understand what the Conservatives did not understand for 10 years in government, which is that investing in reducing our carbon emissions, in a cleaner economy, is actually a way of creating opportunities for Canadians and opportunities to grow the economy. We know that leading the way on the new economy, on the new clean jobs that are coming, is exactly how we will create the kinds of opportunities for the middle class and those working hard to join it that Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are working hard to ensure that our children will inherit a world free of nuclear weapons. That means making tangible progress. Under our government, for the first time, Canada rallied 177 states to support a United Nations resolution calling for a fissile material cut-off treaty. That is real action, a major step toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Speaker, in light of North Korea's actions, it is more important than ever for the international community to work toward nuclear disarmament. It is not enough to hide behind the treaty to ban the production of fissile materials. We need to be more ambitious if we want to eliminate this threat.My question is simple. Will Canada participate in the negotiations on nuclear disarmament taking place in New York this month, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, as the member opposite said, I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Mrs. Wynn. I want to reiterate in this House an acknowledgement and great empathy for the loss that she has suffered. We spoke about what I am committed to doing in terms of modernizing the criminal justice system, improving the efficiency and effectiveness, and ensuring that we look at bail reform. This is why I am working with my counterparts in the provinces and territories. It is why we have empowered the Steering Committee on Justice Efficiencies and Access to the Justice System to look at specific aspects of bail reform. We are going to continue to move forward collaboratively.
Mr. Speaker, the government uses a broad range of ways to communicate with Canadians. We need to make sure that Canadians know we are working hard for them every day. These are the things that matter. Reaching out through community newspapers and through a broad range of media organizations is an effective way of ensuring Canadians get the facts and understand what their opportunities and options are.
Mr. Speaker, I am very much committed to the Official Languages Act, and my department is working very closely to make sure that the availability and costs between the two official language tests are equal. My department is working very closely with the businesses and organizations that determine and offer these tests to potential applicants to immigration services. We are working very closely with them to address this issue.
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives were busy making appointments at the 11th hour, this government is committed to a new process, a merit-based process, where we look at gender parity, bilingualism, and the importance of our diversity.This government recognizes that diversity is our strength, and that is why we have introduced a new merit-based appointment process. We have delivered on exactly what we committed to Canadians.All opportunities are available online, and I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the Prime Minister to answer questions in the House. Let us review question period thus far. We have a Prime Minister who will not answer questions about his own ethical violations. We have a finance minister who continues in his carbon tax cover-up. We have a minister of industry who still will not admit to Canadians who he is selling our seniors residences to. The cover-ups, the misleading, and quite frankly the outright lack of integrity are what the Liberals have become.When will the Prime Minister start leading the government the way Canadians expect? When will he clean up this mess?
Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the impact that Lyme disease has on Canadians and their families. We had discussions at a conference to develop a federal framework on Lyme disease that was held last year, with more than 500 people participating. As a result of that, there is a framework available online. It has been open for consultation until tomorrow. It has had great interaction with a number of members of the House, as well as the general public. We are going to consider all input on the final draft version, and that will be posted in May of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, they are on stock options.In the KPMG agreement we saw that there are certain rules for the rich and the friends of the government and other rules for everyone else. Good luck to any owners of a family business who make a mistake on their tax return, because the government will be on their heels. If a millionaire decides not to pay his taxes, there is no problem. The government will protect him.Can the Prime Minister assure us that his government will never offer this type of deal to white collar criminals again?
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to see the member of Parliament for Abbotsford back in the House. I also see there is now a tag team where we have the member for Abbotsford and the member for Carleton saying the same thing.
Mr. Speaker, as we committed to Canadians, we introduced a new government-wide appointments process that is open, transparent, and merit based.Our approach will result in the recommendations of high-quality candidates to achieve gender parity and truly reflect Canada's diversity.The new selection process reflects the fundamental role that many Canadians play in our democracy as they serve on commissions, boards, crown corporations, agencies, and tribunals across the country.All opportunities to serve are transparently available online.
Mr. Speaker, the arrival of the Asian carp poses a serious threat. Following the Great Lakes and catches in Toronto, it is now in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The federal government needs to take action to eliminate this species that is endangering our fish species for the sport fishery and the very popular ice fishery, which are major economic activities for our regions. Will the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard take action on this issue and quickly deploy an effective response plan?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation is a unique opportunity to bring Canadians together and strengthen their connection to our communities by inspiring a vision of a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive country. As part of the celebration, we are focusing on engaging young people, celebrating diversity and inclusion, and encouraging a national reconciliation with the indigenous people of this land. Our government is proud to support and promote initiatives that will inspire a generation of Canadians to help build Canada's future and create a lasting economic, cultural, and social legacy for our country.
Mr. Speaker, I am terribly pleased to be able to provide information to my colleague across the way. I can say that the agency is conducting a preliminary investigation into the offshore structures of the Isle of Man. Our investments of $444 million allowed us to hire 100 auditors last year. We managed to recover $13 billion last year. The work has begun, and we will see it through.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the government has put tens of thousands of seniors homes and care in jeopardy. Nobody will do business with Anbang Insurance because of the murky ownership, not even Wall Street firms, but the Prime Minister will. After lobbying at one of his many cash for access events, and after filling the coffers of the Liberal Party, Anbang was fast-tracked by senior care facilities in B.C. The minister then misled Canadians into thinking that these senior homes would be owned by Canadians, but yesterday he admitted that this was not true.Will the minister finally tell Canadians who owns Anbang Insurance?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have a problem, because this government is investing massively in marine safety and environmental protection. The Prime Minister was in British Columbia in November and announced the historic investment of $1.5 billion to ensure that the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada can provide that world-class ocean protection that Canadians expect.We will continue to work with the provinces, indigenous communities, and all those partners across the country to ensure that we have the best marine response system in the world.
Mr. Speaker, let me talk about costs.Let us talk about the cost of inaction when it comes to tackling climate change. We know that the costs right now have risen to $1 billion per year for Canadian taxpayers. That is to cover the costs of floods, that is to cover the costs of forest fires, and that is to cover the costs of droughts. We know we need to take action on climate change because it is the right thing to do. It will help us ensure that we have a sustainable future, and it will create good jobs and create economic growth.
Mr. Speaker, they thought they were going to have an easy day over there today, but not so fast.Earlier today, the Prime Minister managed to sandwich into one answer both his love of the middle class and transparency and openness, while he is about to vote for a motion opposing the release of transparent information on the cost to the middle class of his very own carbon tax.Will he do as he promised during the election and vote today to end the carbon tax cover-up so middle-class Canadians will finally know what they will pay in new Liberal taxes?
Mr. Speaker, what I can say is that we will continue with our plan to help seniors and to help the middle class. That is very important. Thanks to higher growth, we will have many more opportunities in the future. That is very important. Thanks to our investments, we will be in a position to do more for Canadian families across the country. We now know that more jobs were created in the past six months than since 2002. Things are starting to improve.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister believes he can pick and choose how to interpret the laws and regulations that members of this House are sworn to respect.We have seen the PM and members of cabinet ignore, actually break, his own ethics guidelines and his promises.Is that why, after a year and a half in majority government, the PM has yet to fill vacant watchdog positions that govern elections, official languages, lobbying, and ethics.Does the PM believe it is more important to get his appointments secretary a parachuted seat in Parliament than appointing watchdogs who might call him to account?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind Canadians exactly what this government has been doing. We have had unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We are working better with provinces, territories, and municipalities. We are making historic investments in infrastructure so that we can actually create the opportunities and make the investments Canadians need us to create. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by increasing taxes on one per cent of the wealthiest Canadians. What did the Conservatives do? They voted against it every time.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year we have made significant appointments right across the country, including 13 judicial appointments in Alberta. The fact is, in the over 100 appointments we have made since we have come in, through a new process that demonstrates the openness and the diversity of Canada, we are happy that over 60% of our appointments are women, that 15% of the appointments are visible minorities, that over 10% are actually indigenous Canadians, and that we have Canadians living with disabilities well represented. We are demonstrating the kind of openness, transparency, and diversity that we know is a great strength for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that we will continue with our plan, which is about improving the lives of middle-class Canadians. Our plan will improve economic growth. Our plan will create jobs across the country. That is how we will create more opportunities for people, for our children and grandchildren. That is what our plan is all about.
Mr. Speaker, a person of real integrity and transparency does not get caught with his hand in the cookie jar over and over again, as is the case with the Prime Minister. There are many examples of his lack of judgment. I am thinking of his $1,500 cash for access parties for the rich, or his helicopter trips that violate the rules.The more we get to know this Prime Minister, the more we see that he thinks he is above the law. Could the Prime Minister set aside his elastic conscience and demonstrate transparency and integrity in the important decisions he must make in the interest of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, we are actually very proud of the new process that we have introduced and that Canadians from coast to coast to coast can actually apply.We recognize the importance of these roles within government and these opportunities, and that is why all opportunities to apply are available online. I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, I take incredibly seriously the opportunity that I have to appoint superior court justices across the country. I am proud of the appointments I have made thus far, and I am very proud of the renewed judicial appointments process, including the judicial advisory council that will provide recommended and highly recommended candidates to sit on our superior courts. We are doing this to ensure diversity in terms of the judges who sit on the superior courts, who represent the face of Canada. We will be making judicial appointments on an ongoing basis in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said a number of times, this was a personal family vacation. I am happy to answer any questions that the Ethics Commissioner may have for me.
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to go to Fort McMurray last week in particular to talk about how we can ensure that the people in Fort McMurray as they rebuild their homes and as the drywall contractors purchase drywall have a stable market and so they can understand the price of drywall. That is important. What we also did was we took the tariffs that had been levied for the three months before, that $12 million, and said we were going to put that in a fund so that those people who had been harmed by fixed-priced contracts could apply to get that money to help their families and help the drywall contractors.We are proud to help the people of Fort McMurray in a time of challenge.
Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal government lets KPMG hide a rich client's money on the Isle of Man, does it consider the message it sends to honest taxpayers? It is precisely because of these practices in tax havens that we cannot properly care for our seniors or support our students.Treaties with tax havens amount to robbery. They pay peanuts over there and send nothing back.Will the Liberal government revisit these treaties so that these companies pay their fair share, like everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, I am going to keep on repeating what I continue to repeat, that putting a price on carbon pollution makes good business sense. It is going to create good jobs. It is going to help create a clean growth economy. It is going to ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, we always have the best interests of Canadians in all that we do. That is why we cut taxes for the middle class. That is why we are giving more to families whose children have greater needs. The Prime Minister has said many times that he will answer all the Commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, marine incidents can happen anywhere in the world and there is no one approach that works best in all cases. Today, the east coast of Canada has some of the busiest shipping routes in the country. Marine shipping has always been a part of Atlantic Canada's identity, which explains our region's strong history of, and commitment to, marine transportation safety. Would the minister please inform Canadians of some of the measures he is taking in my province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in the Maritimes?
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Mr. Speaker, marine incidents can happen anywhere in the world and there is no one approach that works best in all cases. Today, the east coast of Canada has some of the busiest shipping routes in the country. Marine shipping has always been a part of Atlantic Canada's identity, which explains our region's strong history of, and commitment to, marine transportation safety. Would the minister please inform Canadians of some of the measures he is taking in my province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in the Maritimes?
Mr. Speaker, we always have the best interests of Canadians in all that we do. That is why we cut taxes for the middle class. That is why we are giving more to families whose children have greater needs. The Prime Minister has said many times that he will answer all the Commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to keep on repeating what I continue to repeat, that putting a price on carbon pollution makes good business sense. It is going to create good jobs. It is going to help create a clean growth economy. It is going to ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal government lets KPMG hide a rich client's money on the Isle of Man, does it consider the message it sends to honest taxpayers? It is precisely because of these practices in tax havens that we cannot properly care for our seniors or support our students.Treaties with tax havens amount to robbery. They pay peanuts over there and send nothing back.Will the Liberal government revisit these treaties so that these companies pay their fair share, like everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to go to Fort McMurray last week in particular to talk about how we can ensure that the people in Fort McMurray as they rebuild their homes and as the drywall contractors purchase drywall have a stable market and so they can understand the price of drywall. That is important. What we also did was we took the tariffs that had been levied for the three months before, that $12 million, and said we were going to put that in a fund so that those people who had been harmed by fixed-priced contracts could apply to get that money to help their families and help the drywall contractors.We are proud to help the people of Fort McMurray in a time of challenge.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said a number of times, this was a personal family vacation. I am happy to answer any questions that the Ethics Commissioner may have for me.
Mr. Speaker, I take incredibly seriously the opportunity that I have to appoint superior court justices across the country. I am proud of the appointments I have made thus far, and I am very proud of the renewed judicial appointments process, including the judicial advisory council that will provide recommended and highly recommended candidates to sit on our superior courts. We are doing this to ensure diversity in terms of the judges who sit on the superior courts, who represent the face of Canada. We will be making judicial appointments on an ongoing basis in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we are actually very proud of the new process that we have introduced and that Canadians from coast to coast to coast can actually apply.We recognize the importance of these roles within government and these opportunities, and that is why all opportunities to apply are available online. I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, a person of real integrity and transparency does not get caught with his hand in the cookie jar over and over again, as is the case with the Prime Minister. There are many examples of his lack of judgment. I am thinking of his $1,500 cash for access parties for the rich, or his helicopter trips that violate the rules.The more we get to know this Prime Minister, the more we see that he thinks he is above the law. Could the Prime Minister set aside his elastic conscience and demonstrate transparency and integrity in the important decisions he must make in the interest of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that we will continue with our plan, which is about improving the lives of middle-class Canadians. Our plan will improve economic growth. Our plan will create jobs across the country. That is how we will create more opportunities for people, for our children and grandchildren. That is what our plan is all about.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year we have made significant appointments right across the country, including 13 judicial appointments in Alberta. The fact is, in the over 100 appointments we have made since we have come in, through a new process that demonstrates the openness and the diversity of Canada, we are happy that over 60% of our appointments are women, that 15% of the appointments are visible minorities, that over 10% are actually indigenous Canadians, and that we have Canadians living with disabilities well represented. We are demonstrating the kind of openness, transparency, and diversity that we know is a great strength for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind Canadians exactly what this government has been doing. We have had unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We are working better with provinces, territories, and municipalities. We are making historic investments in infrastructure so that we can actually create the opportunities and make the investments Canadians need us to create. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by increasing taxes on one per cent of the wealthiest Canadians. What did the Conservatives do? They voted against it every time.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister believes he can pick and choose how to interpret the laws and regulations that members of this House are sworn to respect.We have seen the PM and members of cabinet ignore, actually break, his own ethics guidelines and his promises.Is that why, after a year and a half in majority government, the PM has yet to fill vacant watchdog positions that govern elections, official languages, lobbying, and ethics.Does the PM believe it is more important to get his appointments secretary a parachuted seat in Parliament than appointing watchdogs who might call him to account?
Mr. Speaker, what I can say is that we will continue with our plan to help seniors and to help the middle class. That is very important. Thanks to higher growth, we will have many more opportunities in the future. That is very important. Thanks to our investments, we will be in a position to do more for Canadian families across the country. We now know that more jobs were created in the past six months than since 2002. Things are starting to improve.
Mr. Speaker, they thought they were going to have an easy day over there today, but not so fast.Earlier today, the Prime Minister managed to sandwich into one answer both his love of the middle class and transparency and openness, while he is about to vote for a motion opposing the release of transparent information on the cost to the middle class of his very own carbon tax.Will he do as he promised during the election and vote today to end the carbon tax cover-up so middle-class Canadians will finally know what they will pay in new Liberal taxes?
Mr. Speaker, let me talk about costs.Let us talk about the cost of inaction when it comes to tackling climate change. We know that the costs right now have risen to $1 billion per year for Canadian taxpayers. That is to cover the costs of floods, that is to cover the costs of forest fires, and that is to cover the costs of droughts. We know we need to take action on climate change because it is the right thing to do. It will help us ensure that we have a sustainable future, and it will create good jobs and create economic growth.
Mr. Speaker, I am terribly pleased to be able to provide information to my colleague across the way. I can say that the agency is conducting a preliminary investigation into the offshore structures of the Isle of Man. Our investments of $444 million allowed us to hire 100 auditors last year. We managed to recover $13 billion last year. The work has begun, and we will see it through.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the government has put tens of thousands of seniors homes and care in jeopardy. Nobody will do business with Anbang Insurance because of the murky ownership, not even Wall Street firms, but the Prime Minister will. After lobbying at one of his many cash for access events, and after filling the coffers of the Liberal Party, Anbang was fast-tracked by senior care facilities in B.C. The minister then misled Canadians into thinking that these senior homes would be owned by Canadians, but yesterday he admitted that this was not true.Will the minister finally tell Canadians who owns Anbang Insurance?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have a problem, because this government is investing massively in marine safety and environmental protection. The Prime Minister was in British Columbia in November and announced the historic investment of $1.5 billion to ensure that the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada can provide that world-class ocean protection that Canadians expect.We will continue to work with the provinces, indigenous communities, and all those partners across the country to ensure that we have the best marine response system in the world.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation is a unique opportunity to bring Canadians together and strengthen their connection to our communities by inspiring a vision of a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive country. As part of the celebration, we are focusing on engaging young people, celebrating diversity and inclusion, and encouraging a national reconciliation with the indigenous people of this land. Our government is proud to support and promote initiatives that will inspire a generation of Canadians to help build Canada's future and create a lasting economic, cultural, and social legacy for our country.
Mr. Speaker, the arrival of the Asian carp poses a serious threat. Following the Great Lakes and catches in Toronto, it is now in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The federal government needs to take action to eliminate this species that is endangering our fish species for the sport fishery and the very popular ice fishery, which are major economic activities for our regions. Will the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard take action on this issue and quickly deploy an effective response plan?
Mr. Speaker, as we committed to Canadians, we introduced a new government-wide appointments process that is open, transparent, and merit based.Our approach will result in the recommendations of high-quality candidates to achieve gender parity and truly reflect Canada's diversity.The new selection process reflects the fundamental role that many Canadians play in our democracy as they serve on commissions, boards, crown corporations, agencies, and tribunals across the country.All opportunities to serve are transparently available online.
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to see the member of Parliament for Abbotsford back in the House. I also see there is now a tag team where we have the member for Abbotsford and the member for Carleton saying the same thing.
Mr. Speaker, they are on stock options.In the KPMG agreement we saw that there are certain rules for the rich and the friends of the government and other rules for everyone else. Good luck to any owners of a family business who make a mistake on their tax return, because the government will be on their heels. If a millionaire decides not to pay his taxes, there is no problem. The government will protect him.Can the Prime Minister assure us that his government will never offer this type of deal to white collar criminals again?
Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the impact that Lyme disease has on Canadians and their families. We had discussions at a conference to develop a federal framework on Lyme disease that was held last year, with more than 500 people participating. As a result of that, there is a framework available online. It has been open for consultation until tomorrow. It has had great interaction with a number of members of the House, as well as the general public. We are going to consider all input on the final draft version, and that will be posted in May of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the Prime Minister to answer questions in the House. Let us review question period thus far. We have a Prime Minister who will not answer questions about his own ethical violations. We have a finance minister who continues in his carbon tax cover-up. We have a minister of industry who still will not admit to Canadians who he is selling our seniors residences to. The cover-ups, the misleading, and quite frankly the outright lack of integrity are what the Liberals have become.When will the Prime Minister start leading the government the way Canadians expect? When will he clean up this mess?
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives were busy making appointments at the 11th hour, this government is committed to a new process, a merit-based process, where we look at gender parity, bilingualism, and the importance of our diversity.This government recognizes that diversity is our strength, and that is why we have introduced a new merit-based appointment process. We have delivered on exactly what we committed to Canadians.All opportunities are available online, and I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, I am very much committed to the Official Languages Act, and my department is working very closely to make sure that the availability and costs between the two official language tests are equal. My department is working very closely with the businesses and organizations that determine and offer these tests to potential applicants to immigration services. We are working very closely with them to address this issue.
Mr. Speaker, the government uses a broad range of ways to communicate with Canadians. We need to make sure that Canadians know we are working hard for them every day. These are the things that matter. Reaching out through community newspapers and through a broad range of media organizations is an effective way of ensuring Canadians get the facts and understand what their opportunities and options are.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, as the member opposite said, I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Mrs. Wynn. I want to reiterate in this House an acknowledgement and great empathy for the loss that she has suffered. We spoke about what I am committed to doing in terms of modernizing the criminal justice system, improving the efficiency and effectiveness, and ensuring that we look at bail reform. This is why I am working with my counterparts in the provinces and territories. It is why we have empowered the Steering Committee on Justice Efficiencies and Access to the Justice System to look at specific aspects of bail reform. We are going to continue to move forward collaboratively.
Mr. Speaker, in light of North Korea's actions, it is more important than ever for the international community to work toward nuclear disarmament. It is not enough to hide behind the treaty to ban the production of fissile materials. We need to be more ambitious if we want to eliminate this threat.My question is simple. Will Canada participate in the negotiations on nuclear disarmament taking place in New York this month, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are working hard to ensure that our children will inherit a world free of nuclear weapons. That means making tangible progress. Under our government, for the first time, Canada rallied 177 states to support a United Nations resolution calling for a fissile material cut-off treaty. That is real action, a major step toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to see the member opposite back in the House, but he did not use his downtime to understand what the Conservatives did not understand for 10 years in government, which is that investing in reducing our carbon emissions, in a cleaner economy, is actually a way of creating opportunities for Canadians and opportunities to grow the economy. We know that leading the way on the new economy, on the new clean jobs that are coming, is exactly how we will create the kinds of opportunities for the middle class and those working hard to join it that Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians did judge for themselves in the 2015 election, when they rejected a vision that did not understand that the way to build a strong economy is to invest in a cleaner environment. Canadians know that reducing carbon pollution and investing in the clean, green jobs of the future is exactly how we are going to grow the economy for the future. Not only did that government not get anything done on the environment, but that also hurt the economic growth of this country. This government gets that. That is why we are moving forward in responsible ways to create better jobs and a cleaner environment for future generations.
Nobody is buying that. Mr. Speaker, in true Liberal fashion, Liberal candidate and former director of appointments for the Prime Minister Mary Ng started campaigning before she pushed John McCallum out the door.Mary Ng would have overseen many appointments in the Prime Minister's Office, but chose to highlight in her foreign language campaign release that she was responsible for matters regarding the appointment of members to the Immigration and Refugee Board.Can the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ensure that the integrity of the Immigration and Refugee Board has not been compromised as a result of Mary Ng's political ambitions?
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, the Canadian Coast Guard is the backbone for one of the safest marine systems in the world. As I indicated earlier, the Prime Minister announced a historic investment to improve marine safety on all of Canada's coasts. This will have a major impact in the great province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We will reopen the St. John's maritime rescue sub-centre which was closed by the previous government. This will boost emergency response capacity. We will refurbish the St. Anthony lifeboat station, and what is more, we are opening two new lifeboat stations in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote the leader of the official opposition. In January, she said: Canadians...want and need passionate people to represent them, people who...understand the issues in minute detail, and vigorously defend their positions. Speaking of Monsieur Dion, she added, The member opposite epitomized all that and more.I agree. Canadians can be assured that we will be well represented by Monsieur Dion in Berlin and Brussels.
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We got elected on a clear commitment to help the middle class, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are ensuring that nine out of 10 Canadian families do better with the new Canada child benefit, which is going to lift 300,000 kids out of poverty. These are the kinds of measures we put forward, which are investing both in middle-class families and in their future through historic infrastructure investments. These are the promises we are focused on delivering for Canadians. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, the Anderson Bridge, which spans the Southwest Miramichi, constitutes important strategic infrastructure for the security and economy of the communities on both sides of this majestic river. As the safety and capacity of the bridge has been downgraded due to the failing 60-year-old structure, would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities give this House an update as to how our infrastructure program will contribute to the upgrade of this bridge?
Mr. Speaker, again, I do not understand why the member opposite is opposed to global investment in Canada. Investment is so critical for growing our economy and creating jobs and opportunities for Canadians.With regard to the specific transaction, we reviewed it under the Investment Canada Act. We did our due diligence. We determined it was in our overall net economic benefit. The additional resources that Cedar Tree will provide Retirement Concepts for expansion will create opportunities, growth, and jobs. That is good for British Columbia. That is good for the economy.
Mr. Speaker, this government works hard to serve Canadians to make sure that we are growing the middle class and supporting those working hard to join it. Of course, we take our responsibilities very seriously and continue to demonstrate the kind of openness and transparency Canadians expect of this government, particularly after 10 years of a government that did not do a good job at that.
Mr. Speaker, this is the first time in the history of Canada that a sitting prime minister has been under investigation by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. This is serious.The Prime Minister needs to tell Canadians the truth. Did someone in the PMO or the Privy Council Office tell him that this private flight was against the rules?
Mr. Speaker, during their first year in government, the Liberals only appointed 34 superior court judges. In the previous year, our Conservative government appointed 96 judges. Every day we are seeing evidence that the Liberals are making a mess of our judicial system. I want to know this from them. Why are they putting it at risk? When are they going to get their act together?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister loves to claim that he wants tax fairness, but one of the first decisions the Liberal government made was to flip-flop on a clear promise to close the CEO stock option tax loophole. Will the Prime Minister and his Liberals vote in favour of the NDP motion and will they flop-flip to finally close the CEO stock option tax loophole, take aggressive action to tackle tax havens, renegotiate treaties that currently help tax evaders, and end penalty-free amnesty deals for tax evasion? Will they do that in the budget and, by the way, when is the budget?
Mr. Speaker, Retirement Concepts now is managed by Canadians and it is going to be operated by Canadians to serve Canadians. It will have additional resources by Cedar Tree. These additional resources will allow the company to expand, and when it expands, that will create opportunities for seniors. These additional resources will also create economic opportunities like good-quality jobs.We are a government that supports global investment. We believe in growing the economy. We believe in supporting the health care sector. We believe this is an overall net economic benefit. That is why we approved this transaction.
Mr. Speaker, it was thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG'S offshore tax avoidance schemes were discovered. My colleague knows full well that the KPMG case is active. We are currently in court and cannot divulge any information, as that would jeopardize our efforts.I can assure the House that the CRA is conducting a preliminary investigation into the schemes in place in the Isle of Man. The work has begun and we will see it through, as promised during the election campaign.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government proposed the ocean protection plan, promising a world-class spill response. People on the ground are watching. Yesterday, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard said that the Coast Guard and responders reacted very quickly to contain a spill and to clean up the spill. It took nine hours for the first booms and a few absorbent pads to be dispersed haphazardly and only near the fish pens. Is this what the minister considers a quick response? If this is Canada's world-class response, we may have a problem.
Mr. Speaker, our government knows that ensuring equal pay for work of equal value is critical to closing the gender wage gap, and that is why our government has moved forward to introduce proactive pay equity legislation.We will be engaging with stakeholders and experts during the policy process to ensure that the legislation meets the goal of ensuring the right of equal pay for work of equal value.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we have worked with the provinces, municipalities, and territories and streamlined approvals as part of a phase 1 clean water, waste water, and public transit infrastructure framework design based on feedback from provinces, municipalities, and territories. Municipalities across the country and the FCM have applauded the simplicity of the new programs. We are delivering on the commitments we made to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.Last week, our government, in collaboration with the Government of New Brunswick, announced more than $94 million in combined funding to replace the Anderson Bridge. This investment will ensure that the bridge remains a key link for travel, trade, and daily life between northern and southern New Brunswick for years to come.
Mr. Speaker, increasing numbers of Canadians are suffering from Lyme disease and the lack of effective treatment. Most people are forced to seek health care outside of Canada at huge personal expense; yet the government's proposed framework fails to meet the needs of patients and their families. In fact, more than 30,000 Canadians have signed a petition to scrap the government's plan.Will the government commit to creating a framework for Lyme disease that actually provides the care so desperately needed?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal environment record is a train wreck. We only have to look at Ontario, where Kathleen Wynne's skyrocketing electricity rates are bankrupting hard-working Canadians. The Prime Minister's reckless carbon tax plan follows the same blueprint. In the words of the irrepressible Rex Murphy, the green dream has been a disaster for Ontario. The last thing Canadians need is even higher energy costs. When will the Liberals finally come clean, release their carbon tax report, and let Canadians judge for themselves?
Mr. Speaker, according to Wikipedia, carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as coal tar. Carbon black is used to produce pigment for ink, the kind of ink the government is using to black out the cost of a carbon tax. My question is this. How many tonnes of GHGs were emitted to produce the ink to cover up the cost of the carbon tax?
Mr. Speaker, there are now dozens and dozens of serious criminal cases that are being thrown out of court, in part because the Liberals have not appointed judges to deal with them. In one case, a man is accused of breaking his two-week-old baby's ankles, and he has had his criminal charge stayed, and he may never face justice. The irony is that the person in charge of this in the Prime Minister's Office did one thing before she left; she made sure she had her own appointment as the parachute Liberal candidate. This does not reflect the priorities of Canadians. When will the Prime Minister get to work and appoint judges so criminals stop going free?
Mr. Speaker, we know that the Prime Minister is answering the Ethics Commissioner's questions, but the Prime Minister also has a constitutional responsibility to be accountable to Canadians in the House, so we are asking him these questions on behalf of Canadians. After all, it was actually the Prime Minister who said, As the head of government, the Prime Minister represents all Canadians and should be directly accountable to them. He said it, so does he still believe that, or was that just a campaign slogan?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat the information for my colleague in the back who does not seem to understand the words I am speaking. It is thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG's schemes were discovered abroad. The case is currently underway. Although we cannot provide any information, I can assure the House that we are continuing the work we said we would do during the last campaign. We will continue to do what we promised to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, according to the report by the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Minister of Immigration is failing to meet his obligations under the law. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada does not respect the equality of both official languages, since the French test is more expensive and less accessible than the English test for permanent residence applications. The minister has not taken any action to date to rectify the situation.Does the minister intend to act on the commissioners recommendations in order to bring his department into compliance with its obligations under the Official Languages Act?
Mr. Speaker, the saga of the sale of the B.C. retirement homes to mysterious Chinese investors is getting murkier.We know the Prime Minister was approached at a cash for access fundraiser regarding this deal. Yesterday, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development had to stand in the House and apologize for misleading Canadians regarding the true ownership. Twenty operating licences were issued in one week. Clearly the fix was in.One of the residents phoned me and said she was very worried about this issue and how it would affect vulnerable seniors. Again, will the minister finally show some respect and tell these seniors who owns their home?
Mr. Speaker, do you know who gave external legal advice for the KPMG scheme? It was Dentons law firm. Who organizes exclusive soirees at international tax conferences? Dentons law firm. Who attended one of these exclusive soirees last fall? Justice Bocock of the Tax Court of Canada. Who is the judge overseeing the case involving the Cooper family, which is appealing the CRA decision? You guessed it, it is Justice Bocock.Two plus two equals four, and Canadians can see through this.Does the Minister of Justice believe that the Canadian Judicial Council should conduct a thorough review of this judge's inappropriate behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should get his facts straight. We are currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG, in fact. We are taking our responsibility to fight tax evasion and tax avoidance very seriously. That is why in the last budget we invested an additional $440 million in the Canada Revenue Agency to deal with fraudsters who avoid paying their taxes. Everyone has to pay taxes and that is exactly what we are enforcing.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal war on history is marching relentlessly forward. The most recent victim is a Canadian crusader for human rights, a pioneer in the global struggle against apartheid in South Africa. A champion of the little guy, he gave us our Canadian Bill of Rights. This is why the Government of Canada honoured his legacy by establishing the John Diefenbaker Defender of Human Rights and Freedom Award. The award has recognized individuals fighting for freedom and democracy around the world. Yet, as it did with the Canada 150 medals, the Liberal government is in the process of abolishing that John Diefenbaker award. Why is there this Liberal war on history?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the member should get his facts straight.The Canada Revenue Agency is currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG. This government has a responsibility, one we take very seriously, to prosecute fraudsters and people involved in tax evasion and avoidance. That is very important to us, and we are working on it every day. We also invested an additional $440 million in this initiative in the previous budget.
Mr. Speaker, again, no action on criminal action and charges.Canadians want more than lip service. Tax fairness means that nobody is ever above the law no matter who they are or how much they earn. If the Prime Minister really wants to ensure tax fairness, will he ask the Minister of Justice to lay criminal charges against the people involved in the KPMG scheme, or is it all just talk?
Mr. Speaker, it is only a year and a half until the next election.The PM has yet to explain the logic that led to the highly unusual housecleaning of two sitting cabinet ministers to appointments he characterized as ambassadorial. Not only was the dual assignment of Stéphane Dion to Germany and EU characterized as amateur hour by a former Canadian ambassador, but then we learned that the Liberal order in council described both men merely as special advisors to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Again, this is for the Prime Minister. Where is the logic? Where is the traditional diplomatic respect to our hosts?
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to inform you that I will be presenting the next step of our plan for the middle class in the House on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, at 4 p.m. Budget 2017 will ensure our success in the economy of the future.On March 22 at 4 p.m., I will present the next steps in our plan for the middle class and those working hard to join it. Our budget will create jobs, invest in our communitiesI will just keep talking
Folks should hang on to their wallets.First, Mr. Speaker, it was the unsavoury Liberal cash for access scheme, and now MarkhamThornhill Liberal candidate Mary Ng is selling herself as a Liberal insider in the PMO who hand-picked members of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board, who make decisions on who can immigrate to Canada, but she only did this in the Chinese language version of her campaign news release.How can Canadians have confidence in the appointment process when Liberal candidate Mary Ng is suggesting to a select group of voters that she will have influence over the fate of their immigration applications, as a member of Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to table the IMF documents. All of these documents show that Canada speaks on behalf of tax havens.
Mr. Speaker, it really is good to be back. I had assumed that during my absence, the Liberals would finally come clean on the actual cost of their massive new carbon tax. Day after day, I watched the minister give evasive and non-transparent answers to simple questions. Clearly, the minister has something to hide and is afraid to tell us how badly the carbon tax will hurt.To the Prime Minister, why the cover-up, and when will he finally release the unredacted report outlining the harm this tax will inflict on Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, not one criminal case, and he knows it.Let me raise another related issue. At a time when the term fake news is bandied about, when accusations of media bias risk confidence of the public in a free and independent press, we all have to stand up against interference with the media. Does the Prime Minister believe that it is right for Revenue Canada to pay for government ads in newspapers and disguise them to look like real news articles? Does the Prime Minister find this acceptable, yes or no?
Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who are not even born yet will have to foot the bill for this plan and for this government's mismanagement. It was 40 years ago that the Prime Minister's father left public finances in a mess. The same thing is happening today.With regard to tax credits and income splitting for seniors, can the Minister of Finance tell us that his next budget will not negatively impact seniors?
Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Finance showed up in my riding to announce that he was failing northern Albertans. Instead of adopting the recommendations of the trade tribunal about the drywall tariff, he offered half measures.Liberal duties on drywall are hurting all western Canadians and those rebuilding their lives in Fort McMurray. Why is the minister ignoring the recommendations of the tribunal and continuing to collect massive amounts of new taxes from the people who are suffering?
Mr. Speaker, on the eve of International Women's Day, the government's failure to walk the talk on feminism is in the spotlight. A new report card from Oxfam finds little progress on nearly every front and condemns the government for its complete failure to take action on pay equity. Canadian women still earn just 74¢ for every dollar that a man makes, and we have fallen dramatically in international rankings.Does the minister really believe that women should wait even longer to get equal pay for work of equal value?
Mr. Speaker, many will recall the sad day when this government was elected on the promise of a modest deficit of just $10 billion. The reality is that, a year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of a budget that provided for a deficit three times that amount.According to the only game plan those folks have to return to a balanced budget, this will not happen until 2055. That is ridiculous. The Minister of Finance will probably present his budget in two weeks, or just after that.Can the minister assure us that he will not touch the tax credits that go directly to Canadians, and that Canadians will not have to pay higher taxes with the next budget?
Mr. Speaker, last year, in our first budget, we made a historic $444 million investment. Let me make this perfectly clear: I can assure the House that tax frauds can no longer hide. We are taking this matter very seriously, and those who choose to participate in such schemes will pay the price. Canadians expect nothing less from us.
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of HullAylmer and across Canada, our plan to create long-term economic growth will help Canada's middle-class and everyone working hard to join it.Could the Minister of Finance give the House and all Canadians an update on our plan?
Mr. Speaker, last week a Senate committee released a report on the Liberals' infrastructure plan. It mirrors earlier comments from the parliamentary budget officer. The committee found that the Liberals had not developed a strategic infrastructure plan and that municipalities had raised several concerns about the lack of transparency and onerous application process. This is the third independent report that raises serious concerns about the Liberals' infrastructure plan. When will the minister start listening and develop a transparent and accountable plan that actually creates jobs and gets infrastructure built?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to working in collaboration and partnership with provinces, municipalities, and territories, we take no lesson from the previous government. The former government had no relationship with those organizations. We are working on delivering on the historic commitment we made: $180 billion over 12 years; 1,400 projects approved, with a combined investment of $14 billion, the majority of that money going to municipalities from coast to coast to coast.
Mr. Speaker, more than five years since the Isle of Man fraud was discovered, the government has still not laid criminal charges against KPMG. Instead, they were awarded contracts totalling 92 million of our dollars. In a similar case, in the United States, KPMG was threatened with being declared a criminal organization, it was fined half a million dollars, its tax department was closed and nine executives were criminally prosecuted, with two of them sent to prison.Will this government stop awarding contracts to KPMG and will it prosecute this company, which shows the rich how to cheat on their taxes?
Mr. Speaker, today I had the honour to stand with Constable Wynn's widow, who was in Ottawa to talk about the importance of Wynn's law. Wynn's law would close a loophole in the Criminal Code that helped cost Constable Wynn his life. I know that the Minister of Justice met with Ms. MacInnis-Wynn, and I thank her for that. However, since the minister opposes Wynn's law, could the minister explain just when it is okay for the criminal history of a bail applicant not to be disclosed?
Mr. Speaker, it appears that my colleagues missed what I have said in recent days. I can tell my hon. colleague that the answer is yes. We are taking these threats seriously. That is why we are working with our partners, the Canadian provinces and the United States, to invest not only in the science needed to counter these threats, but also in the infrastructure to ensure that these invasive species are not in Canadian waters. We will continue to improve our efforts in this area throughout Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I do not buy it.Canada is so buddy-buddy with tax havens that it speaks on their behalf at the IMF. Canada is a spokescountry for tax havens. No kidding. Canada speaks on behalf of Barbados, the Bahamas, and a dozen other tax havens.Is the government trying to pull the wool over our eyes with its claims about fighting tax fraud when we all know it is a spokescountry for tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, the Senate committee's report is clear and unequivocal, despite what the minister thinks. The Liberals have not developed a strategic plan. The Liberals have a complex and uncoordinated approach. The complex nature of this approach is disconcerting for municipalities. We did not make this up. It is in the report.The report states that the Liberals are not being transparent, that the municipalities are having difficulty navigating the programs, and that jobs are not materializing. Will the minister admit that his plan is just not working? What will he do? Will he continue to shut his eyes and keep repeating the same thing, like a broken record?
Mr. Speaker, marine incidents can happen anywhere in the world and there is no one approach that works best in all cases. Today, the east coast of Canada has some of the busiest shipping routes in the country. Marine shipping has always been a part of Atlantic Canada's identity, which explains our region's strong history of, and commitment to, marine transportation safety. Would the minister please inform Canadians of some of the measures he is taking in my province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in the Maritimes?
Mr. Speaker, we always have the best interests of Canadians in all that we do. That is why we cut taxes for the middle class. That is why we are giving more to families whose children have greater needs. The Prime Minister has said many times that he will answer all the Commissioner's questions.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to keep on repeating what I continue to repeat, that putting a price on carbon pollution makes good business sense. It is going to create good jobs. It is going to help create a clean growth economy. It is going to ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal government lets KPMG hide a rich client's money on the Isle of Man, does it consider the message it sends to honest taxpayers? It is precisely because of these practices in tax havens that we cannot properly care for our seniors or support our students.Treaties with tax havens amount to robbery. They pay peanuts over there and send nothing back.Will the Liberal government revisit these treaties so that these companies pay their fair share, like everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to go to Fort McMurray last week in particular to talk about how we can ensure that the people in Fort McMurray as they rebuild their homes and as the drywall contractors purchase drywall have a stable market and so they can understand the price of drywall. That is important. What we also did was we took the tariffs that had been levied for the three months before, that $12 million, and said we were going to put that in a fund so that those people who had been harmed by fixed-priced contracts could apply to get that money to help their families and help the drywall contractors.We are proud to help the people of Fort McMurray in a time of challenge.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said a number of times, this was a personal family vacation. I am happy to answer any questions that the Ethics Commissioner may have for me.
Mr. Speaker, I take incredibly seriously the opportunity that I have to appoint superior court justices across the country. I am proud of the appointments I have made thus far, and I am very proud of the renewed judicial appointments process, including the judicial advisory council that will provide recommended and highly recommended candidates to sit on our superior courts. We are doing this to ensure diversity in terms of the judges who sit on the superior courts, who represent the face of Canada. We will be making judicial appointments on an ongoing basis in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we are actually very proud of the new process that we have introduced and that Canadians from coast to coast to coast can actually apply.We recognize the importance of these roles within government and these opportunities, and that is why all opportunities to apply are available online. I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, a person of real integrity and transparency does not get caught with his hand in the cookie jar over and over again, as is the case with the Prime Minister. There are many examples of his lack of judgment. I am thinking of his $1,500 cash for access parties for the rich, or his helicopter trips that violate the rules.The more we get to know this Prime Minister, the more we see that he thinks he is above the law. Could the Prime Minister set aside his elastic conscience and demonstrate transparency and integrity in the important decisions he must make in the interest of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that we will continue with our plan, which is about improving the lives of middle-class Canadians. Our plan will improve economic growth. Our plan will create jobs across the country. That is how we will create more opportunities for people, for our children and grandchildren. That is what our plan is all about.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year we have made significant appointments right across the country, including 13 judicial appointments in Alberta. The fact is, in the over 100 appointments we have made since we have come in, through a new process that demonstrates the openness and the diversity of Canada, we are happy that over 60% of our appointments are women, that 15% of the appointments are visible minorities, that over 10% are actually indigenous Canadians, and that we have Canadians living with disabilities well represented. We are demonstrating the kind of openness, transparency, and diversity that we know is a great strength for Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the House and to remind Canadians exactly what this government has been doing. We have had unprecedented levels of consultation with Canadians. We are working better with provinces, territories, and municipalities. We are making historic investments in infrastructure so that we can actually create the opportunities and make the investments Canadians need us to create. We have lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians by increasing taxes on one per cent of the wealthiest Canadians. What did the Conservatives do? They voted against it every time.
Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister believes he can pick and choose how to interpret the laws and regulations that members of this House are sworn to respect.We have seen the PM and members of cabinet ignore, actually break, his own ethics guidelines and his promises.Is that why, after a year and a half in majority government, the PM has yet to fill vacant watchdog positions that govern elections, official languages, lobbying, and ethics.Does the PM believe it is more important to get his appointments secretary a parachuted seat in Parliament than appointing watchdogs who might call him to account?
Mr. Speaker, what I can say is that we will continue with our plan to help seniors and to help the middle class. That is very important. Thanks to higher growth, we will have many more opportunities in the future. That is very important. Thanks to our investments, we will be in a position to do more for Canadian families across the country. We now know that more jobs were created in the past six months than since 2002. Things are starting to improve.
Mr. Speaker, they thought they were going to have an easy day over there today, but not so fast.Earlier today, the Prime Minister managed to sandwich into one answer both his love of the middle class and transparency and openness, while he is about to vote for a motion opposing the release of transparent information on the cost to the middle class of his very own carbon tax.Will he do as he promised during the election and vote today to end the carbon tax cover-up so middle-class Canadians will finally know what they will pay in new Liberal taxes?
Mr. Speaker, let me talk about costs.Let us talk about the cost of inaction when it comes to tackling climate change. We know that the costs right now have risen to $1 billion per year for Canadian taxpayers. That is to cover the costs of floods, that is to cover the costs of forest fires, and that is to cover the costs of droughts. We know we need to take action on climate change because it is the right thing to do. It will help us ensure that we have a sustainable future, and it will create good jobs and create economic growth.
Mr. Speaker, I am terribly pleased to be able to provide information to my colleague across the way. I can say that the agency is conducting a preliminary investigation into the offshore structures of the Isle of Man. Our investments of $444 million allowed us to hire 100 auditors last year. We managed to recover $13 billion last year. The work has begun, and we will see it through.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the government has put tens of thousands of seniors homes and care in jeopardy. Nobody will do business with Anbang Insurance because of the murky ownership, not even Wall Street firms, but the Prime Minister will. After lobbying at one of his many cash for access events, and after filling the coffers of the Liberal Party, Anbang was fast-tracked by senior care facilities in B.C. The minister then misled Canadians into thinking that these senior homes would be owned by Canadians, but yesterday he admitted that this was not true.Will the minister finally tell Canadians who owns Anbang Insurance?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have a problem, because this government is investing massively in marine safety and environmental protection. The Prime Minister was in British Columbia in November and announced the historic investment of $1.5 billion to ensure that the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada can provide that world-class ocean protection that Canadians expect.We will continue to work with the provinces, indigenous communities, and all those partners across the country to ensure that we have the best marine response system in the world.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation is a unique opportunity to bring Canadians together and strengthen their connection to our communities by inspiring a vision of a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive country. As part of the celebration, we are focusing on engaging young people, celebrating diversity and inclusion, and encouraging a national reconciliation with the indigenous people of this land. Our government is proud to support and promote initiatives that will inspire a generation of Canadians to help build Canada's future and create a lasting economic, cultural, and social legacy for our country.
Mr. Speaker, the arrival of the Asian carp poses a serious threat. Following the Great Lakes and catches in Toronto, it is now in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The federal government needs to take action to eliminate this species that is endangering our fish species for the sport fishery and the very popular ice fishery, which are major economic activities for our regions. Will the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard take action on this issue and quickly deploy an effective response plan?
Mr. Speaker, as we committed to Canadians, we introduced a new government-wide appointments process that is open, transparent, and merit based.Our approach will result in the recommendations of high-quality candidates to achieve gender parity and truly reflect Canada's diversity.The new selection process reflects the fundamental role that many Canadians play in our democracy as they serve on commissions, boards, crown corporations, agencies, and tribunals across the country.All opportunities to serve are transparently available online.
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to see the member of Parliament for Abbotsford back in the House. I also see there is now a tag team where we have the member for Abbotsford and the member for Carleton saying the same thing.
Mr. Speaker, they are on stock options.In the KPMG agreement we saw that there are certain rules for the rich and the friends of the government and other rules for everyone else. Good luck to any owners of a family business who make a mistake on their tax return, because the government will be on their heels. If a millionaire decides not to pay his taxes, there is no problem. The government will protect him.Can the Prime Minister assure us that his government will never offer this type of deal to white collar criminals again?
Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the impact that Lyme disease has on Canadians and their families. We had discussions at a conference to develop a federal framework on Lyme disease that was held last year, with more than 500 people participating. As a result of that, there is a framework available online. It has been open for consultation until tomorrow. It has had great interaction with a number of members of the House, as well as the general public. We are going to consider all input on the final draft version, and that will be posted in May of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the Prime Minister to answer questions in the House. Let us review question period thus far. We have a Prime Minister who will not answer questions about his own ethical violations. We have a finance minister who continues in his carbon tax cover-up. We have a minister of industry who still will not admit to Canadians who he is selling our seniors residences to. The cover-ups, the misleading, and quite frankly the outright lack of integrity are what the Liberals have become.When will the Prime Minister start leading the government the way Canadians expect? When will he clean up this mess?
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives were busy making appointments at the 11th hour, this government is committed to a new process, a merit-based process, where we look at gender parity, bilingualism, and the importance of our diversity.This government recognizes that diversity is our strength, and that is why we have introduced a new merit-based appointment process. We have delivered on exactly what we committed to Canadians.All opportunities are available online, and I encourage Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, I am very much committed to the Official Languages Act, and my department is working very closely to make sure that the availability and costs between the two official language tests are equal. My department is working very closely with the businesses and organizations that determine and offer these tests to potential applicants to immigration services. We are working very closely with them to address this issue.
Mr. Speaker, the government uses a broad range of ways to communicate with Canadians. We need to make sure that Canadians know we are working hard for them every day. These are the things that matter. Reaching out through community newspapers and through a broad range of media organizations is an effective way of ensuring Canadians get the facts and understand what their opportunities and options are.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, as the member opposite said, I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Mrs. Wynn. I want to reiterate in this House an acknowledgement and great empathy for the loss that she has suffered. We spoke about what I am committed to doing in terms of modernizing the criminal justice system, improving the efficiency and effectiveness, and ensuring that we look at bail reform. This is why I am working with my counterparts in the provinces and territories. It is why we have empowered the Steering Committee on Justice Efficiencies and Access to the Justice System to look at specific aspects of bail reform. We are going to continue to move forward collaboratively.
Mr. Speaker, in light of North Korea's actions, it is more important than ever for the international community to work toward nuclear disarmament. It is not enough to hide behind the treaty to ban the production of fissile materials. We need to be more ambitious if we want to eliminate this threat.My question is simple. Will Canada participate in the negotiations on nuclear disarmament taking place in New York this month, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are working hard to ensure that our children will inherit a world free of nuclear weapons. That means making tangible progress. Under our government, for the first time, Canada rallied 177 states to support a United Nations resolution calling for a fissile material cut-off treaty. That is real action, a major step toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to see the member opposite back in the House, but he did not use his downtime to understand what the Conservatives did not understand for 10 years in government, which is that investing in reducing our carbon emissions, in a cleaner economy, is actually a way of creating opportunities for Canadians and opportunities to grow the economy. We know that leading the way on the new economy, on the new clean jobs that are coming, is exactly how we will create the kinds of opportunities for the middle class and those working hard to join it that Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians did judge for themselves in the 2015 election, when they rejected a vision that did not understand that the way to build a strong economy is to invest in a cleaner environment. Canadians know that reducing carbon pollution and investing in the clean, green jobs of the future is exactly how we are going to grow the economy for the future. Not only did that government not get anything done on the environment, but that also hurt the economic growth of this country. This government gets that. That is why we are moving forward in responsible ways to create better jobs and a cleaner environment for future generations.
Nobody is buying that. Mr. Speaker, in true Liberal fashion, Liberal candidate and former director of appointments for the Prime Minister Mary Ng started campaigning before she pushed John McCallum out the door.Mary Ng would have overseen many appointments in the Prime Minister's Office, but chose to highlight in her foreign language campaign release that she was responsible for matters regarding the appointment of members to the Immigration and Refugee Board.Can the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ensure that the integrity of the Immigration and Refugee Board has not been compromised as a result of Mary Ng's political ambitions?
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, the Canadian Coast Guard is the backbone for one of the safest marine systems in the world. As I indicated earlier, the Prime Minister announced a historic investment to improve marine safety on all of Canada's coasts. This will have a major impact in the great province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We will reopen the St. John's maritime rescue sub-centre which was closed by the previous government. This will boost emergency response capacity. We will refurbish the St. Anthony lifeboat station, and what is more, we are opening two new lifeboat stations in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote the leader of the official opposition. In January, she said: Canadians...want and need passionate people to represent them, people who...understand the issues in minute detail, and vigorously defend their positions. Speaking of Monsieur Dion, she added, The member opposite epitomized all that and more.I agree. Canadians can be assured that we will be well represented by Monsieur Dion in Berlin and Brussels.
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We got elected on a clear commitment to help the middle class, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are ensuring that nine out of 10 Canadian families do better with the new Canada child benefit, which is going to lift 300,000 kids out of poverty. These are the kinds of measures we put forward, which are investing both in middle-class families and in their future through historic infrastructure investments. These are the promises we are focused on delivering for Canadians. That is what Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, the Anderson Bridge, which spans the Southwest Miramichi, constitutes important strategic infrastructure for the security and economy of the communities on both sides of this majestic river. As the safety and capacity of the bridge has been downgraded due to the failing 60-year-old structure, would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities give this House an update as to how our infrastructure program will contribute to the upgrade of this bridge?
Mr. Speaker, again, I do not understand why the member opposite is opposed to global investment in Canada. Investment is so critical for growing our economy and creating jobs and opportunities for Canadians.With regard to the specific transaction, we reviewed it under the Investment Canada Act. We did our due diligence. We determined it was in our overall net economic benefit. The additional resources that Cedar Tree will provide Retirement Concepts for expansion will create opportunities, growth, and jobs. That is good for British Columbia. That is good for the economy.
Mr. Speaker, this government works hard to serve Canadians to make sure that we are growing the middle class and supporting those working hard to join it. Of course, we take our responsibilities very seriously and continue to demonstrate the kind of openness and transparency Canadians expect of this government, particularly after 10 years of a government that did not do a good job at that.
Mr. Speaker, this is the first time in the history of Canada that a sitting prime minister has been under investigation by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. This is serious.The Prime Minister needs to tell Canadians the truth. Did someone in the PMO or the Privy Council Office tell him that this private flight was against the rules?
Mr. Speaker, during their first year in government, the Liberals only appointed 34 superior court judges. In the previous year, our Conservative government appointed 96 judges. Every day we are seeing evidence that the Liberals are making a mess of our judicial system. I want to know this from them. Why are they putting it at risk? When are they going to get their act together?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister loves to claim that he wants tax fairness, but one of the first decisions the Liberal government made was to flip-flop on a clear promise to close the CEO stock option tax loophole. Will the Prime Minister and his Liberals vote in favour of the NDP motion and will they flop-flip to finally close the CEO stock option tax loophole, take aggressive action to tackle tax havens, renegotiate treaties that currently help tax evaders, and end penalty-free amnesty deals for tax evasion? Will they do that in the budget and, by the way, when is the budget?
Mr. Speaker, Retirement Concepts now is managed by Canadians and it is going to be operated by Canadians to serve Canadians. It will have additional resources by Cedar Tree. These additional resources will allow the company to expand, and when it expands, that will create opportunities for seniors. These additional resources will also create economic opportunities like good-quality jobs.We are a government that supports global investment. We believe in growing the economy. We believe in supporting the health care sector. We believe this is an overall net economic benefit. That is why we approved this transaction.
Mr. Speaker, it was thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG'S offshore tax avoidance schemes were discovered. My colleague knows full well that the KPMG case is active. We are currently in court and cannot divulge any information, as that would jeopardize our efforts.I can assure the House that the CRA is conducting a preliminary investigation into the schemes in place in the Isle of Man. The work has begun and we will see it through, as promised during the election campaign.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government proposed the ocean protection plan, promising a world-class spill response. People on the ground are watching. Yesterday, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard said that the Coast Guard and responders reacted very quickly to contain a spill and to clean up the spill. It took nine hours for the first booms and a few absorbent pads to be dispersed haphazardly and only near the fish pens. Is this what the minister considers a quick response? If this is Canada's world-class response, we may have a problem.
Mr. Speaker, our government knows that ensuring equal pay for work of equal value is critical to closing the gender wage gap, and that is why our government has moved forward to introduce proactive pay equity legislation.We will be engaging with stakeholders and experts during the policy process to ensure that the legislation meets the goal of ensuring the right of equal pay for work of equal value.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we have worked with the provinces, municipalities, and territories and streamlined approvals as part of a phase 1 clean water, waste water, and public transit infrastructure framework design based on feedback from provinces, municipalities, and territories. Municipalities across the country and the FCM have applauded the simplicity of the new programs. We are delivering on the commitments we made to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.Last week, our government, in collaboration with the Government of New Brunswick, announced more than $94 million in combined funding to replace the Anderson Bridge. This investment will ensure that the bridge remains a key link for travel, trade, and daily life between northern and southern New Brunswick for years to come.
Mr. Speaker, increasing numbers of Canadians are suffering from Lyme disease and the lack of effective treatment. Most people are forced to seek health care outside of Canada at huge personal expense; yet the government's proposed framework fails to meet the needs of patients and their families. In fact, more than 30,000 Canadians have signed a petition to scrap the government's plan.Will the government commit to creating a framework for Lyme disease that actually provides the care so desperately needed?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal environment record is a train wreck. We only have to look at Ontario, where Kathleen Wynne's skyrocketing electricity rates are bankrupting hard-working Canadians. The Prime Minister's reckless carbon tax plan follows the same blueprint. In the words of the irrepressible Rex Murphy, the green dream has been a disaster for Ontario. The last thing Canadians need is even higher energy costs. When will the Liberals finally come clean, release their carbon tax report, and let Canadians judge for themselves?
Mr. Speaker, according to Wikipedia, carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as coal tar. Carbon black is used to produce pigment for ink, the kind of ink the government is using to black out the cost of a carbon tax. My question is this. How many tonnes of GHGs were emitted to produce the ink to cover up the cost of the carbon tax?
Mr. Speaker, there are now dozens and dozens of serious criminal cases that are being thrown out of court, in part because the Liberals have not appointed judges to deal with them. In one case, a man is accused of breaking his two-week-old baby's ankles, and he has had his criminal charge stayed, and he may never face justice. The irony is that the person in charge of this in the Prime Minister's Office did one thing before she left; she made sure she had her own appointment as the parachute Liberal candidate. This does not reflect the priorities of Canadians. When will the Prime Minister get to work and appoint judges so criminals stop going free?
Mr. Speaker, we know that the Prime Minister is answering the Ethics Commissioner's questions, but the Prime Minister also has a constitutional responsibility to be accountable to Canadians in the House, so we are asking him these questions on behalf of Canadians. After all, it was actually the Prime Minister who said, As the head of government, the Prime Minister represents all Canadians and should be directly accountable to them. He said it, so does he still believe that, or was that just a campaign slogan?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat the information for my colleague in the back who does not seem to understand the words I am speaking. It is thanks to the efforts of the Canada Revenue Agency that KPMG's schemes were discovered abroad. The case is currently underway. Although we cannot provide any information, I can assure the House that we are continuing the work we said we would do during the last campaign. We will continue to do what we promised to Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, according to the report by the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Minister of Immigration is failing to meet his obligations under the law. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada does not respect the equality of both official languages, since the French test is more expensive and less accessible than the English test for permanent residence applications. The minister has not taken any action to date to rectify the situation.Does the minister intend to act on the commissioners recommendations in order to bring his department into compliance with its obligations under the Official Languages Act?
Mr. Speaker, the saga of the sale of the B.C. retirement homes to mysterious Chinese investors is getting murkier.We know the Prime Minister was approached at a cash for access fundraiser regarding this deal. Yesterday, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development had to stand in the House and apologize for misleading Canadians regarding the true ownership. Twenty operating licences were issued in one week. Clearly the fix was in.One of the residents phoned me and said she was very worried about this issue and how it would affect vulnerable seniors. Again, will the minister finally show some respect and tell these seniors who owns their home?
Mr. Speaker, do you know who gave external legal advice for the KPMG scheme? It was Dentons law firm. Who organizes exclusive soirees at international tax conferences? Dentons law firm. Who attended one of these exclusive soirees last fall? Justice Bocock of the Tax Court of Canada. Who is the judge overseeing the case involving the Cooper family, which is appealing the CRA decision? You guessed it, it is Justice Bocock.Two plus two equals four, and Canadians can see through this.Does the Minister of Justice believe that the Canadian Judicial Council should conduct a thorough review of this judge's inappropriate behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should get his facts straight. We are currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG, in fact. We are taking our responsibility to fight tax evasion and tax avoidance very seriously. That is why in the last budget we invested an additional $440 million in the Canada Revenue Agency to deal with fraudsters who avoid paying their taxes. Everyone has to pay taxes and that is exactly what we are enforcing.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal war on history is marching relentlessly forward. The most recent victim is a Canadian crusader for human rights, a pioneer in the global struggle against apartheid in South Africa. A champion of the little guy, he gave us our Canadian Bill of Rights. This is why the Government of Canada honoured his legacy by establishing the John Diefenbaker Defender of Human Rights and Freedom Award. The award has recognized individuals fighting for freedom and democracy around the world. Yet, as it did with the Canada 150 medals, the Liberal government is in the process of abolishing that John Diefenbaker award. Why is there this Liberal war on history?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the member should get his facts straight.The Canada Revenue Agency is currently involved in legal proceedings against KPMG. This government has a responsibility, one we take very seriously, to prosecute fraudsters and people involved in tax evasion and avoidance. That is very important to us, and we are working on it every day. We also invested an additional $440 million in this initiative in the previous budget.
Mr. Speaker, again, no action on criminal action and charges.Canadians want more than lip service. Tax fairness means that nobody is ever above the law no matter who they are or how much they earn. If the Prime Minister really wants to ensure tax fairness, will he ask the Minister of Justice to lay criminal charges against the people involved in the KPMG scheme, or is it all just talk?
Mr. Speaker, it is only a year and a half until the next election.The PM has yet to explain the logic that led to the highly unusual housecleaning of two sitting cabinet ministers to appointments he characterized as ambassadorial. Not only was the dual assignment of Stéphane Dion to Germany and EU characterized as amateur hour by a former Canadian ambassador, but then we learned that the Liberal order in council described both men merely as special advisors to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Again, this is for the Prime Minister. Where is the logic? Where is the traditional diplomatic respect to our hosts?
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to inform you that I will be presenting the next step of our plan for the middle class in the House on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, at 4 p.m. Budget 2017 will ensure our success in the economy of the future.On March 22 at 4 p.m., I will present the next steps in our plan for the middle class and those working hard to join it. Our budget will create jobs, invest in our communitiesI will just keep talking
Folks should hang on to their wallets.First, Mr. Speaker, it was the unsavoury Liberal cash for access scheme, and now MarkhamThornhill Liberal candidate Mary Ng is selling herself as a Liberal insider in the PMO who hand-picked members of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board, who make decisions on who can immigrate to Canada, but she only did this in the Chinese language version of her campaign news release.How can Canadians have confidence in the appointment process when Liberal candidate Mary Ng is suggesting to a select group of voters that she will have influence over the fate of their immigration applications, as a member of Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to table the IMF documents. All of these documents show that Canada speaks on behalf of tax havens.
Mr. Speaker, it really is good to be back. I had assumed that during my absence, the Liberals would finally come clean on the actual cost of their massive new carbon tax. Day after day, I watched the minister give evasive and non-transparent answers to simple questions. Clearly, the minister has something to hide and is afraid to tell us how badly the carbon tax will hurt.To the Prime Minister, why the cover-up, and when will he finally release the unredacted report outlining the harm this tax will inflict on Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, not one criminal case, and he knows it.Let me raise another related issue. At a time when the term fake news is bandied about, when accusations of media bias risk confidence of the public in a free and independent press, we all have to stand up against interference with the media. Does the Prime Minister believe that it is right for Revenue Canada to pay for government ads in newspapers and disguise them to look like real news articles? Does the Prime Minister find this acceptable, yes or no?
Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who are not even born yet will have to foot the bill for this plan and for this government's mismanagement. It was 40 years ago that the Prime Minister's father left public finances in a mess. The same thing is happening today.With regard to tax credits and income splitting for seniors, can the Minister of Finance tell us that his next budget will not negatively impact seniors?
Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Finance showed up in my riding to announce that he was failing northern Albertans. Instead of adopting the recommendations of the trade tribunal about the drywall tariff, he offered half measures.Liberal duties on drywall are hurting all western Canadians and those rebuilding their lives in Fort McMurray. Why is the minister ignoring the recommendations of the tribunal and continuing to collect massive amounts of new taxes from the people who are suffering?
Mr. Speaker, on the eve of International Women's Day, the government's failure to walk the talk on feminism is in the spotlight. A new report card from Oxfam finds little progress on nearly every front and condemns the government for its complete failure to take action on pay equity. Canadian women still earn just 74¢ for every dollar that a man makes, and we have fallen dramatically in international rankings.Does the minister really believe that women should wait even longer to get equal pay for work of equal value?
Mr. Speaker, many will recall the sad day when this government was elected on the promise of a modest deficit of just $10 billion. The reality is that, a year ago, the Liberals voted in favour of a budget that provided for a deficit three times that amount.According to the only game plan those folks have to return to a balanced budget, this will not happen until 2055. That is ridiculous. The Minister of Finance will probably present his budget in two weeks, or just after that.Can the minister assure us that he will not touch the tax credits that go directly to Canadians, and that Canadians will not have to pay higher taxes with the next budget?
Mr. Speaker, last year, in our first budget, we made a historic $444 million investment. Let me make this perfectly clear: I can assure the House that tax frauds can no longer hide. We are taking this matter very seriously, and those who choose to participate in such schemes will pay the price. Canadians expect nothing less from us.
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of HullAylmer and across Canada, our plan to create long-term economic growth will help Canada's middle-class and everyone working hard to join it.Could the Minister of Finance give the House and all Canadians an update on our plan?
Mr. Speaker, last week a Senate committee released a report on the Liberals' infrastructure plan. It mirrors earlier comments from the parliamentary budget officer. The committee found that the Liberals had not developed a strategic infrastructure plan and that municipalities had raised several concerns about the lack of transparency and onerous application process. This is the third independent report that raises serious concerns about the Liberals' infrastructure plan. When will the minister start listening and develop a transparent and accountable plan that actually creates jobs and gets infrastructure built?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to working in collaboration and partnership with provinces, municipalities, and territories, we take no lesson from the previous government. The former government had no relationship with those organizations. We are working on delivering on the historic commitment we made: $180 billion over 12 years; 1,400 projects approved, with a combined investment of $14 billion, the majority of that money going to municipalities from coast to coast to coast.
Mr. Speaker, more than five years since the Isle of Man fraud was discovered, the government has still not laid criminal charges against KPMG. Instead, they were awarded contracts totalling 92 million of our dollars. In a similar case, in the United States, KPMG was threatened with being declared a criminal organization, it was fined half a million dollars, its tax department was closed and nine executives were criminally prosecuted, with two of them sent to prison.Will this government stop awarding contracts to KPMG and will it prosecute this company, which shows the rich how to cheat on their taxes?
Mr. Speaker, today I had the honour to stand with Constable Wynn's widow, who was in Ottawa to talk about the importance of Wynn's law. Wynn's law would close a loophole in the Criminal Code that helped cost Constable Wynn his life. I know that the Minister of Justice met with Ms. MacInnis-Wynn, and I thank her for that. However, since the minister opposes Wynn's law, could the minister explain just when it is okay for the criminal history of a bail applicant not to be disclosed?
Mr. Speaker, it appears that my colleagues missed what I have said in recent days. I can tell my hon. colleague that the answer is yes. We are taking these threats seriously. That is why we are working with our partners, the Canadian provinces and the United States, to invest not only in the science needed to counter these threats, but also in the infrastructure to ensure that these invasive species are not in Canadian waters. We will continue to improve our efforts in this area throughout Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I do not buy it.Canada is so buddy-buddy with tax havens that it speaks on their behalf at the IMF. Canada is a spokescountry for tax havens. No kidding. Canada speaks on behalf of Barbados, the Bahamas, and a dozen other tax havens.Is the government trying to pull the wool over our eyes with its claims about fighting tax fraud when we all know it is a spokescountry for tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, the Senate committee's report is clear and unequivocal, despite what the minister thinks. The Liberals have not developed a strategic plan. The Liberals have a complex and uncoordinated approach. The complex nature of this approach is disconcerting for municipalities. We did not make this up. It is in the report.The report states that the Liberals are not being transparent, that the municipalities are having difficulty navigating the programs, and that jobs are not materializing. Will the minister admit that his plan is just not working? What will he do? Will he continue to shut his eyes and keep repeating the same thing, like a broken record?