Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, nobody is buying the Prime Minister's revisionist history. Let us take a look at the record: strategic airlift craft, Hercules tactical airlift craft, Chinook helicopters, upgraded Aurora surveillance planes, and modernized Halifax-class frigates for our navy. That is just a partial list of the Conservative government's success on the procurement file. What do we have in contrast? We have a fabricated credibility gap, which is having us search Kijiji in Australia for used fighter jets. This is a disgrace to our men and women in the armed forces.When will the Prime Minister just take the blame for his own incompetence?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he would lower taxes for the middle class, but he actually raised taxes on public transit, children's sports and arts activities, camping, and even beer and wine. In fact, 80% of middle-class Canadians are paying more taxes, and the wealthiest Canadians are paying $1 billion less. The only word to describe this is incompetence.When is the Prime Minister going to stop making life easier for his rich friends and harder for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, this whole file since July 18 has been a complete disaster, and here we are almost six months later and the government still does not have simple answers to very worried small business owners across the country.Everyone knows that the Prime Minister is raising taxes so he can keep spending on his personal priorities and the priorities of his wealthy friends: hundreds of millions of dollars for his friends at Bombardier; half a billion dollars for his rich friends who run a bank in Asia; and $10 million for a convicted terrorist who murdered an allied solider.Canadians do not want to pay his bills, so will the PM finally end his attack on small business owners?
Mr. Speaker, it is an alarming pattern but a clear one: the Liberals are compassionate toward vulnerable Canadians only when it is politically convenient for them.Thalidomide survivors, veterans' families, and sick mothers, who have all gone to a minister for assistance, have been dismissed and belittled. It gets worse. For his own political damage control, it seems he told his staff to publicly humiliate and discredit the wife of a sick veteran by sending screen shots of her personal Facebook posts to the media.How can the Prime Minister condone his minister's words and actions?
Mr. Speaker, they started the Phoenix program before it was ready, ignoring the advice of a third-party report. They have had two years to fix it, and no one believes they are going to do anything about it. It is going to take a Conservative government to clean up their mess.The incompetence is everywhere. The Liberals campaigned on a new process to replace our fighter jets. They then abandoned that process and said they would sole source Super Hornets. Now, they are searching the reduced-for-quick-sale bin for used fighters from Australia. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility and admit we are never going to get new jets?
Mr. Speaker, the Kathryn Spirit is going to cost taxpayers $24 million. Most of the money will go to the company that dumped this eyesore in Beauharnois in the first place. To make matters worse, the government has not established a penalty in case the company fails to meet the dismantling deadline in early 2019. The cherry on top is that this company has been fined by Quebec for committing environmental violations. It is also facing a $10-million class action lawsuit. How does this government plan to impose strict environmental regulations, and why is there no late penalty, given that the dismantling is already six years overdue?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about Phoenix. Let us talk about the Liberal decision to ignore a third-party report that said the system was not ready, and yet they rushed ahead for political reasons. It was their choice to press the start button. They have had two years to fix it. Two years, and they have done nothing. Meanwhile, families across the country are suffering because of the government's lack of action and incompetence. When will the Prime Minister take responsibility for his decision and stop trying to blame other people?
Mr. Speaker, we can say a lot about the fact that local business owners across the country have been under assault by the Liberal government's out-of-touch attack on their ability to create jobs.We can say a lot about the fact that the top 1% is actually paying less under the government's changes than before.We can say a heck of a lot about the damage the government is doing to the economy with its erratic behaviour on the trade front. Indeed, recently, the Prime Minister insulted Japan and Australia when he skipped a meeting that would have allowed Canada to sign onto the world's largest trading block.Could the Prime Minister tell us what he is doing to repair the damage caused by his erratic behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, it is rich millionaire friends who are getting the benefits of the government's policy. However, the incompetence extends to so many other areas.It has been two years, and the Prime Minister has broken two key promises of his campaign. First, he said he would run modest deficits. Now we know that his out of control spending is costing taxpayers over $100 billion. Second, he said he would balance the budget in 2019. Now his government is telling us it does not even know when the budget will be balanced. The Prime Minister cannot even read a balance sheet. How can Canadians have any confidence in anything else he is doing?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities does not have what it takes to be minister. A minister must listen to people, and be receptive and empathetic. The minister clearly does not get this, and has repeatedly acted inappropriately and made condescending comments to Canadians, like Kim Davis. What is worse is that the minister ordered his staff to publicly humiliate Ms. Davis.Does the Prime Minister endorse his minister's actions?
Mr. Speaker, I quote facts from the Prime Minister's own finance department and he considers it a terrible personal attack against him. Maybe he should take that up with the finance department. When the government gets big, we know who pays more. It is the working class. It was not Morneau Shepell that paid higher taxes. It has not been his fundraising chair. It has not been him. In fact, we know that the wealthiest 1% pays a billion dollars less. Yes, that is a record to cry about. The reality is that when the government gets bigger, the working class pays more. When are the Liberals going to put an end to that injustice?
Mr. Speaker, women who have undergone female genital mutilation suffer infections, difficult urination and childbirth, pain during intercourse, and more. Practitioners of FGM are entering Canada, and Canadian girls are being taken abroad to have the procedure performed on them. Raising awareness of FGM is a core part of the fight against it, and that is why it is listed in Canada's citizenship guide as a practice Canada does not tolerate. I have a simple question: Will the Prime Minister end his consultations on FGM and decide today that warnings about FGM belong in Canada's citizenship guide?
Mr. Speaker, for months, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have tried to minimize the devastating impact that their tax changes will have on our local businesses. Once again today, the government has made an announcement that does not address the serious concerns of the business owners who create jobs in our communities.How can the Prime Minister allow this incompetence and this farce to carry on, when January 1st is fast approaching?
Mr. Speaker, I think the question is whether parliamentarians and Canadians expect officers of Parliament to fulfill their duties with integrity, with responsibility, and based on the facts. That is exactly what the commissioner testified to yesterday. That is what we all expect from agents of Parliament, to do their job responsibly, above the petty partisanship that so often animates the House.
Mr. Speaker, it is not only Australia and Japan who are upset with the Prime Minister for his bizarre actions in Asia. Can the Prime Minister assure us that with his recent behaviour in China, his begging for a free trade agreement at all costs, he has not compromised our position at the NAFTA negotiating table and the millions of jobs today that depend on free trade between Canada, the United States, and Mexico?
Mr. Speaker, one cannot help but feel bad for the Conservatives. They are resorting to flailing around with personal attacks because we have created over 441,000 new jobs over these past 12 months. That is an 18-year record for the Canadian government. We are delivering the fastest growth rate in the G7. We are delivering on low unemployment and benefits to Canadians, which are making a real and tangible difference in their lives. All they have left is groundless personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, cities and towns across the country are among our most important partners in our effort to legalize and strictly regulate access to cannabis. That is why we are providing the provinces and territories 75% of collected excise tax from cannabis, so municipalities can get the resources they need to keep cannabis away from kids and profits out of the hands of criminals. This agreement will be reviewed within six months of legalization to confirm that communities, cities, and towns are well supported by the provinces.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. This summer, when we said we were going to be lowering taxes for small businesses and making sure that wealthy Canadians would no longer be encouraged to use Canadian-controlled private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians, those Conservatives went on the warpath, scared everyone across the country, and are now sheepish that we are lowering taxes on small businesses as of January 1. They can do nothing but give personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, in order to chase their goal of balancing the budget at all costs, they created the Phoenix fiasco, they nickel and dimed our veterans, and they continued to cut services for Canadians across the board. We made a different decision than they did. We told Canadians that we would run deficits, so we could grow the economy and put more money in the pockets of Canadians who needed it. That is exactly what we have done, and that is working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing the Prime Minister did was to cancel the tax cut for small business owners. It was Conservatives who forced him to bring it back.That is not all. He has tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits. He has gone after employee benefits, the waitresses and waiters and retail workers. He has tried to raise taxes on our brave women and men in the armed forces, and he has even had to apologize for raising taxes on Canadians living with diabetes.Why does the Prime Minister not just come clean and admit that all of these tax hikes are the consequences of his out of control spending and massive deficits?
Mr. Speaker, let us try to sum up the Liberal ethical violations of just this past year. The Prime Minister breaks the law by taking a private helicopter to a billionaire's island, but who has not done that too? The finance minister secretly holds on to millions of dollars in shares in a numbered company, but I say, Let ye cast the first stone. Now the Liberal House leader, whose job it has been to defend the ethical violations of the finance minister and the Prime Minister, was put in charge of hiring a new ethics commissioner. Irony is dead over there.My question for the Prime Minister is this. Exactly how many ethical violations and investigations is it going to take before the Liberals realize that the rules apply to them too?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been taking it seriously for two years and nothing has happened. Maybe it is time they start taking it super seriously and we might actually get some results.The incompetence extends even further. Canadian veterans are in limbo amid a backlog of applications for disability benefits. I know the Prime Minister will get up two years into his mandate and try to find other people to blame. However, let us remember that this is happening under his watch and as a direct result of his decision.When will the Prime Minister stop blaming others and stand with our brave men and women in uniform?
Mr. Speaker, facts are facts. They can be checked.Let us look at the Minister of Finance's record: he imposed a tax reform to raise taxes on small businesses; he was fined by the Ethics Commissioner because he failed to declare one of his companies that owned one of his villas in France; he failed to put his assets in a blind trust; he sold $10 million worth of shares in his company days before introducing tax measures that he himself put in place; and he introduced Bill C-27, which earned his family's company more than $5 million.When will the Prime Minister call for his Minister of Finance to resign?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of survivors, those of St. Anne's residential school have been forced to go back to court to end interference by government lawyers.The Liberals have been fighting those survivors for years by covering up documents and forcing them to find witnesses to verify evidence, and now the Liberals want them to pay for court costs. This is a re-victimization of survivors who have suffered horrific levels of abuse. When will the government commit to real partnership with survivors? If I was asked, I would say that this does not seem like a real partnership.
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, small businesses will be paying lower taxes, because we are dropping the small business tax rate. For those Canadian-controlled private corporations that do use income sprinkling, they will have the entirety of 2018 to determine how to give out dividends, and then they will have a few more months after that to prepare their taxes. We are giving plenty of time to businesses to ensure that they are able to continue to do things that matter to their businesses.
Mr. Speaker, I seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: that the House condemn the horrific acts committed by ISIS; acknowledge that individuals who joined ISIS fighters are complicit in these horrific acts and pose a danger to all Canadians; call on the government to bring to justice and prosecute any ISIS fighter returning to Canada; and insist that the government make the security and protection of Canadians its priority, rather than the reintegration of ISIS fighters.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and of our waters. We are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the permanent removal of the Kathryn Spirit is carried out safely and efficiently. The contract to fully dismantle the Kathyn Spirit was awarded after an open and transparent procurement process. We are still monitoring the ship and will continue to keep the local community informed as the work progresses.
Mr. Speaker, the dictionary definition of consultation is the act or instance of consulting, to seek information or advice from someone. Sending a letter with the name of just one candidate is not consulting; it is imposing a choice. Giving the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics one hour with the candidate for the position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner does not show openness; it limits the discussion. If the Liberals really wanted to consult the opposition, why did they wait until the very last minute to do so?
Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister trying to pretend that his selection process is not partisan?Canadians want the investigations into both the Prime Minister and the finance minister to be completed and reported. In committee yesterday, the government's nominee refused to commit to do so. These investigations are important for our democracy, and the Liberals must be held to account.Do the Liberals not agree that investigations already started need to continue under the new commissioner or do they believe they are above the law?
Mr. Speaker, when the wife of a Canadian soldier with severe PTSD went to the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, she was told, You married him. It's your responsibility.When a young mom and cancer survivor asked why the government continued to deny her benefits, the minister compared her question to the old question, When did you stop beating your wife?To a thalidomide survivor, this same minister quipped, Everyone in Canada has a sob story.My question for the Prime Minister is simple. Do these comments reflect the position of his government?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to deliver child care benefits to that millionaire in the form of taxpayer-funded nannies. However, beyond that, the Prime Minister criticized the source I used for statistics. He says it is a think tank. Actually, it is his own finance department, which has the wealthiest 1% paying a billion dollars less under the government. No new taxes for his trust fund, no new taxes for Morneau Shepell, no new taxes for his fundraising chair, just more taxes for the working people who pay the bills in our country. Why?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday in committee, the nominee for Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner that the Liberals imposed on us would not confirm whether he plans to pursue the investigations into the Prime Minister's trip and the Minister of Finance's involvement in Bill C-27. Canadians are really concerned. These investigations are important to Canadians and certainly to our democracy, but the Liberals do not seem to realize that.Do the Liberals think the commissioner should continue the investigations his predecessor started?
Mr. Speaker, we must never allow this dark and painful chapter of our history to be forgotten. We are encouraging all survivors to share their stories and documents with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Where an individual requests it, our government is willing to absolutely waive privilege and encourages all other entities to do exactly the same.We remain committed to bringing closure to this system.
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear here. It is not like the Liberals do not know what consultation with other parties looks like. They did consult the opposition before appointing the Supreme Court justice recently. However, they consistently fail to consult on appointments for officers of Parliament. These watchdogs do not work for Liberals; they work for all of Parliament, and we represent all Canadians.Therefore, when will the Prime Minister drop his tired talking points, keep the promise to be open and accountable, and commit right now to follow the right process, the legal process, for these appointments?
Mr. Speaker, I know you are trying to invoke Santa Claus to help them out, but let us not forget that the Conservatives like coal.We take very seriously the responsibility we have to ensure that the men and women of our armed forces actually have the opportunity to do their jobs safely and with the right equipment. We take that extremely seriously after the Conservatives botched the process for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, as we come to the end of this year, one cannot help but feel bad for the members of the opposition, because of the results we have gotten as a government. The job creation numbers, 441,000 new jobs, the best in 18 years; the growing economy; the help for the middle class; and the positive outcomes leave the opposition with nothing to do but to fling accusations and throw mud. That is not what Canadians want. That is not what Canadians deserve. I hope they will be getting better than that in the coming year.
The personal attacks keep coming, Mr. Speaker.The reality is that the Minister of Finance has met expectations, especially those of Canadian families, with respect to Canada's economy. The first thing he did was lower taxes for the middle class by raising them for the wealthy. Then he established the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families and will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.He does that by not sending benefit cheques to the families of millionaires like the former government did. We are creating economic growth that is benefiting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, this week Liberals again excluded the Native Women's Association of Canada from high-level federal-provincial-territorial meetings, and it is not the first time. Indigenous women were shut out of first ministers meetings in October, March, and last December. NWAC was not even invited to a reconciliation meeting with the Prime Minister. We need a diversity of voices, and leaving women out means they only get half the wisdom. How can this so-called feminist Prime Minister call this reconciliation, when he keeps blocking indigenous women's voices?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians and especially parliamentarians expect officers of Parliament to perform their duties with integrity and to make decisions based on facts. That is exactly what the commissioner said he would do. He said he would not cater to partisan interests or needs and that the facts and intellectual rigour would dictate how he carries out his responsibilities. That is what we expect, whereas opponents seem to expect nothing but partisanship.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite actually just laid it out. The problem was that they fired 700 people in order to book the savings they were counting on so they could magically balance the budget just in time for the election, to try to save their skins from their terrible economic performance over the past 10 years. We did not create the Phoenix problem, but we are going to fix it.
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of our military deserve the equipment they need to fulfill their responsibilities and deliver on their commitments. For 10 years, the previous Conservative government was unable to give the men and women of our forces the equipment they needed. It completely botched the process. That is why we were proud to launch a full, open competition yesterday to replace our fleet of aging fighter jets, not with 65 jets like the Conservatives spoke about but 88 jets, to ensure our military can fulfill the roles we expect it to.
Mr. Speaker, Rohingya refugees continue to live in dire circumstances. They face serious challenges related to food, shelter, health, and the safety of women and children.The Myanmar crisis relief fund, which the government announced last month, has come to an end. Canadians are generous, and compassion is one of our core values.Can the Prime Minister give the House an update on the amount collected?
Mr. Speaker, once again, Conservatives are demonstrating that they do not understand how to help Canadians. The statistics he is referring to do not take into account the Canada child benefit. This benefit gives more money to nine out of 10 families. It has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty and is helping Canadian families immensely. It is one of the elements that led to the economic growth we are seeing now.The Conservatives would have preferred to keep their own benefit, which gave money to millionaires every month. We are giving money to families who actually need it.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals always talk about their real record. Despite their promises, the wealthiest 1% in Canada are paying a billion dollars less in taxes. Despite their promises, the middle class, 87% of them, are paying higher taxes. Despite their promises, that millionaire, the Prime Minister, continues to get child care benefits in the form of taxpayer-funded nanny services. Their wealthiest friends continue to stash away their money in tax havens that the government has done nothing to address. When will the Liberals admit that it is a government by the rich, of the rich, and for the rich?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits, but we stopped them. They tried to raise taxes on people with autism and diabetes, but we stopped them. They are trying to raise taxes on our family farmers and local businesses, and we continue to stop them. Will the Prime Minister admit that he is just putting these tax increases targeted at vulnerable people on hold and that he will try to bring them back in, if, God forbid, he gets another chance after the next election?
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why the members across the way keep making these personal attacks. It is because the real record of our Minister of Finance is extremely positive: 441,000 new jobs created in the past 12 months, breaking an 18-year record.We are creating the strongest economic growth in the G7. We are helping Canadian families succeed after 10 years of a Conservative government that did not give families the help they need.
Mr. Speaker, on January 1st, every single one of our small businesses will see their taxes cut. This is good news for the middle class and for those who are working hard to join it.However, we have made changes to ensure that the wealthiest Canadians cannot find ways to bring their taxes down to a lower rate than that paid by middle-class Canadians. This simplification will not only help many people continue to do what they are doing to help their families, but it will also ensure that the wealthiest Canadians do not benefit even more.
Mr. Speaker, the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has just barely been nominated and he is already in hot water.First, we learned that the work that he did on two case files when he held a similar position in the past was criticized, but even more importantly, he is refusing to confirm whether he will pursue the investigations into the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister himself that are currently under way.I thought we usually hired an investigator to get to the bottom of a crime, not to cover the offender's tracks.Is wiping the slate clean and starting fresh the Liberals' new way of dealing with crises?
Mr. Speaker, I have been accused on the other side of not understanding arithmetic, so I think I will help the Prime Minister on this one. Three per cent of small businesses is 45,000 small businesses in this country that, in the next two and a half weeks, will have to understand these rule changes and then implement corporate structure changes to their own businesses in order to be able to be on the right side of the CRA, and then the CRA will test to determine if it is reasonable what they are doing. This does not help anyone in this country. Will the Liberals withdraw these tax changes?
Mr. Speaker, asking us to put forward a few names back in June is not consultation. It is not the commissioner that we do not trust; it is the government's process. Why is that? Because the selection committee for the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner had five members, including the chief of staff of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the chief of staff of the President of the Treasury Board, and two assistant secretaries of the Liberal cabinet.How can we have any faith that the selection process for the future commissioner was open, transparent, merit-based, and especially impartial, when the selection committee was dominated by Liberal cabinet employees?
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, we are lowering small business taxes for 100% of small businesses across the country. Three per cent of small businesses of Canada-controlled private corporations use income sprinkling. Of that 3%, many will be able to continue under recently-clarified rules that apply. Those who are trying to use income sprinkling as a way of avoiding paying their fair share of taxes no longer will be able to. That is what Canadians expect of this government when we make the tax system fairer, and that is what we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, once again, in their pursuit of endless partisanship, the Conservatives follow think tanks that do not include the whole picture. The stats they are quoting now do not actually include the Canada child benefit. I can understand why. They campaigned against our Canada child benefit, which gave more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifted hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty. They wanted to continue with their benefits that sent child benefit cheques to millionaire families. I do not think that is fair. Canadians did not think that was fair. That is why we are delivering on what we committed to Canadians to do.
Mr. Speaker, only the Conservatives could see lowering taxes on small businesses as an attack on small businesses. That is how partisan they have become.The fact is the first thing we did was to lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Everything we have done since then, including the Canada child benefit, increasing the GIS for seniors, and now lowering taxes for all small businesses across this country, is helping the middle class and helping to grow our booming economy.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister's main role is to manage finances, the money that Canadians worked hard to earn.This is the reality: a deficit of more than $20 billion at the expense of our children and grandchildren, higher taxes for businesses, higher taxes for families, and no plan to balance the budget.My wish for Canadians in 2018 is that the Prime Minister do the right thing: fire the finance minister and find one with integrity who will be transparent and do his job in a responsible manner.
Mr. Speaker, what Stephen Harper did not understand, what those Conservatives over there continue not to understand, is that it is not just about signing any deal; it is about signing a good deal for Canadians. We saw time and time again that they are just in a rush to try to sign anything to get along, but we know that no deal is better than a bad deal. We will always stand up for Canadian interests, unlike those Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, being vocal about this important issue is something I have always done. Indeed, when I was last in west Africa, I actually spoke up clearly and strongly against this issue. In regard to the citizenship guide, we are pleased to take recommendations and suggestions from all Canadians, including members of the opposition. I can assure members that we will be very clear about this issue, because this is not an issue for partisanship; this is an issue on which we are all united.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives demonstrate that they still do not understand anything about getting a good trade deal for Canadians. Wherever we go around the world, we will be demanding a good deal for Canada. We are not going to follow the Conservative Harper doctrine of any deal, and capitulation, as a trade strategy. We are going to demand good outcomes for Canadians, on the environment, on labour issues, on a broad range of issues, because that is what Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, on the issue of the Lobbying Commissioner and the Official Languages Commissioner, we actually consulted opposition parties last June to see what criteria they were looking for, what their perspective was, and what stakeholders we should be consulting with. We have engaged them in a robust process that will determine, and end up with, the right kinds of officers of Parliament. Once again, if they do not have confidence in the officers of Parliament we have put forward, let them stand up and say so.
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, today is the last sitting day of parliament before the holidays, but more importantly it is the last sitting day before hundreds of workers loose their job at the Davie shipyard. The Prime Minister cannot go on holiday when hundreds of workers are about to spend Christmas without a job. This is the last chance to announce a real contract in the House so that workers can keep their jobs. Will the Prime Minister take that chance, show some compassion, and protect jobs at the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, our approach has focused on growing the middle class and making sure that Canadians have a real and fair opportunity to succeed, and across the country we are seeing the benefits of that happening. This year we created 441,000 new jobs, which is the top number for job creation in 18 years in this country. This is the kind of result that our leadership on the economy has delivered, and those members cannot say anything about it.
Mr. Speaker, we lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%, and the Conservatives tried to stop us. We brought in a Canada child benefit that would give more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifts hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward in increasing the guaranteed income supplement for our most vulnerable elderly seniors, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward on strengthening the CPP for future generations, and they tried to stop us.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that the procurement requirements of the navy and the Coast Guard were subject to a comprehensive review. For the moment, the long-term procurement plan does not include a second supply ship. That was not one of the needs that was identified. Our government does not plan to buy or obtain the services of a second supply ship for the moment.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his Christmas wishes, but Davie workers would like a decision on Obelix. I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table the Liberal defence policy saying we need two ships. That is written on page 35. We call that a naval task group. We need it for our national security. It is a way to say merry Christmas to Canada and the people of Lévis.
Mr. Speaker, when Parliament chooses a new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner all parties must be consulted. It is a legal obligation. However, we were not consulted. We only received one letter and one name. We know nothing about the other candidates, and the nominee was rushed through committee within one hour. Instead of a merit-based process, all we have are the Liberals' assurances that they are doing the right thing, but that is not enough. How can they tell us that their nomination was merit-based, and if they want to pursue that line, why do they not release the names of the finalists to the other parties?
Mr. Speaker, with the serious delays in the naval strategy and the decommissioning of the Preserver and the Protecteur, even the Minister of National Defence recognizes that there is a serious operational gap. His parliamentary secretary has called for the Obelix. It says in the Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister and on page 35 of the Liberal defence policy that the minister must maintain the capacity of the deep-sea fleet. We need two ships: the Asterix and the Obelix.When will the Prime Minister make national security a top priority and ask the Davie shipyard to build the Obelix? Will he do so before the holidays?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents and his province. Our government's support for research and innovation is being noticed around the world. Through our investment of $117 million in the Canada 150 research chairs program, we are recruiting talented researchers and scholars from a broad variety of disciplines.Today the Minister of Science welcomed our first group of talented researchers, including Dr. Addis, Dr. Colijn, Dr. Ramalho-Santos, and Dr. Seltzer, who will work in Ontario and in British Columbia. We look forward to welcoming additional chairs in the coming months.
Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Minister of Finance met with his counterparts from across the country to work collaboratively and take action that was in the interests of all Canadians, to strengthen the middle class, and to help those working hard to join it. As a result, a number of agreements were reached, including a coordinated approach on the cannabis excise framework.Could the Prime Minister inform the House on the cannabis agreement, and how it benefits provinces, territories, and municipalities?
Mr. Speaker, I understand that everything is always about partisanship for the members of the opposition. However, we expect any conflict of interest and ethics commissioner and any officer of Parliament to fulfill their duties with care and integrity. We have immense respect for the approach of relying on evidence and examining all the facts before making a decision.
Mr. Speaker, we are still very concerned about the impact of job losses on workers and their families, and we acknowledge the excellent work done by Davie employees. With regard to other shipbuilding projects, the strategy allocates $2 billion for competitive projects granted to Canadian shipyards like Davie. Since that was the last question, I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays. Let's all come back safe and sound in 2018.
Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I completely disagree with my hon. colleague across the way.The reality is that seeking suggestions and names for months is part of the consultation process. Asking opposition members for criteria, possible implications, and concerns is precisely how we were able to choose the right officers of Parliament. That is precisely the process we followed, and we will have excellent officers of Parliament as a result.
Over the past two years, Mr. Speaker, we have invested in hundreds of millions of dollars for veterans. We have improved the benefits they receive. We have reopened veteran service offices that were closed. We are ensuring that we live up to the sacred obligation we owe to our veterans and to their families. This is work we take very seriously and it is work we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, moments ago, during question period, in his response to a question from the member for Carleton, the Prime Minister mentioned a study that he said came from a lobby group, but the study is actually from the finance department, and for the eighth time, I seek the consent of the House to table the document.It is from the Department of Finance annual financial report of the Government of Canada, 2016-17, page 16, Personal income tax revenues decreased by $1.2 billion, or 0.8%, in 201617, largely reflecting the impact of tax planning by high-income individuals.
Mr. Speaker, during her testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, the Minister of Science told the committee that when she was at the G7 in Italy, Canada was viewed as a beacon for science around the world. Could the Prime Minister update the House on the actions he is taking to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for international talent and how that is benefiting post-secondary institutions in Canada, but especially in my home province of British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, that is simply not true. We continually work with indigenous women's organizations and indigenous groups across this country to ensure that all voicesyouth, elders, women, and survivors of residential schoolsare heard in every possible forum. We know that the work of reconciliation needs to involve everyone, not just indigenous people and the government but non-indigenous Canadians as well. That is the work we are doing. That is what we take so seriously and what we are focused on as we build a brighter future that includes everyone in this country's success.
Mr. Speaker, there have been some discussions among the parties and if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House: (a) after the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion for third reading of Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Salaries Act and to make a consequential amendment to the Financial Administration Act, the questions on the motions standing on the Order Paper in the name of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons in relation to the appointments of the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Commissioner of Lobbying, and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, shall be put forthwith and successively, and that, if a recorded division is requested on any of the aforementioned motions, the bells to call in the members shall not ring and the recorded division shall be taken immediately; (b) Bill C-66, An Act to establish a procedure for expunging certain historically unjust convictions and to make related amendments to other Acts, be deemed concurred in at the report stage and ordered for consideration at third reading later this day; when the House begins debate on the motion for third reading of the said Bill, a Member of each recognized party, a Member of the Bloc Québécois and the Member for SaanichGulf Islands may speak to the said motion for not more than 10 minutes, followed by five minutes for questions and comments and, at the conclusion of the time provided for Government Orders this day or when no members rise to speak, whichever is earlier, the motion be deemed adopted and the Bill read a third time and passed; (c) the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology be the committee designated for the purposes of section 92 of the Copyright Act; and (d) when the House adjourns today, it shall stand adjourned until Monday, January 29, 2018, provided that, for the purposes of any Standing Order, it shall be deemed to have been adjourned pursuant to Standing Order 28 and be deemed to have sat on Thursday, December 14 and Friday, December 15, 2017.
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement made today by the Minister of Finance, there is still one very troubling aspect of the small business changes, which is this. A married woman in a family business will now have to prove that she receives a dividend from that company. However, for a divorced woman, it is assumed she will receive that dividend from the same company. Therefore, from one feminist to another, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He continues to work on important measures that are going to make Canada more accessible and ease the challenges facing Canadians living with disabilities.When he was veterans affairs minister, he made historic improvements to support veterans and their families and will continue to be a strong voice for the compassionate approach this government continues to have.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his comments and for contributing to the Supreme Court appointment process. As he mentioned, it is a very good one. However, I want to correct him in that we did, for example, on the Commissioner of Lobbying and the Commissioner of Official Languages, reach out to the opposition parties back in June to talk about the stakeholders they wanted, the communities they thought we would involve, how they felt the appointment process should go. We were happy to consult them then. We are happy to be open, transparent, and engaging throughout the process.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, six months ago, early this summer, we consulted the opposition members. We asked them exactly what kind of concerns they had, whom we should talk to, and which communities should be involved in choosing who the next officers of Parliament should be.This was a commitment we made regarding a process we were developing specifically to ensure greater transparency and openness. We are proud to have done so much consultation with the opposition members, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for BromeMissisquoi for his question. Our government is still very concerned about the situation of the Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh.I am pleased to inform the House that Canadians generously donated $12.5 million. Our government will therefore increase our humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya by that same amount. This will bring the overall contribution of Canada and Canadians in 2017 to $50 million for our partners in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He is working right now on important accessibility legislation for helping every person with disabilities in this country.When he was minister of veterans affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit and reopened offices across the country that Conservatives shuttered. He will continue to be a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, and of course for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities has addressed these allegations.He is working on important legislation to increase accessibility in order to help every disabled Canadian.When he was the minister of veterans' affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit, and he re-opened offices across the country that had been closed by the Conservatives. He will continue to be a passionate advocate for persons with disabilities and for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Mr. Speaker, nobody is buying the Prime Minister's revisionist history. Let us take a look at the record: strategic airlift craft, Hercules tactical airlift craft, Chinook helicopters, upgraded Aurora surveillance planes, and modernized Halifax-class frigates for our navy. That is just a partial list of the Conservative government's success on the procurement file. What do we have in contrast? We have a fabricated credibility gap, which is having us search Kijiji in Australia for used fighter jets. This is a disgrace to our men and women in the armed forces.When will the Prime Minister just take the blame for his own incompetence?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he would lower taxes for the middle class, but he actually raised taxes on public transit, children's sports and arts activities, camping, and even beer and wine. In fact, 80% of middle-class Canadians are paying more taxes, and the wealthiest Canadians are paying $1 billion less. The only word to describe this is incompetence.When is the Prime Minister going to stop making life easier for his rich friends and harder for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, this whole file since July 18 has been a complete disaster, and here we are almost six months later and the government still does not have simple answers to very worried small business owners across the country.Everyone knows that the Prime Minister is raising taxes so he can keep spending on his personal priorities and the priorities of his wealthy friends: hundreds of millions of dollars for his friends at Bombardier; half a billion dollars for his rich friends who run a bank in Asia; and $10 million for a convicted terrorist who murdered an allied solider.Canadians do not want to pay his bills, so will the PM finally end his attack on small business owners?
Mr. Speaker, it is an alarming pattern but a clear one: the Liberals are compassionate toward vulnerable Canadians only when it is politically convenient for them.Thalidomide survivors, veterans' families, and sick mothers, who have all gone to a minister for assistance, have been dismissed and belittled. It gets worse. For his own political damage control, it seems he told his staff to publicly humiliate and discredit the wife of a sick veteran by sending screen shots of her personal Facebook posts to the media.How can the Prime Minister condone his minister's words and actions?
Mr. Speaker, they started the Phoenix program before it was ready, ignoring the advice of a third-party report. They have had two years to fix it, and no one believes they are going to do anything about it. It is going to take a Conservative government to clean up their mess.The incompetence is everywhere. The Liberals campaigned on a new process to replace our fighter jets. They then abandoned that process and said they would sole source Super Hornets. Now, they are searching the reduced-for-quick-sale bin for used fighters from Australia. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility and admit we are never going to get new jets?
Mr. Speaker, the Kathryn Spirit is going to cost taxpayers $24 million. Most of the money will go to the company that dumped this eyesore in Beauharnois in the first place. To make matters worse, the government has not established a penalty in case the company fails to meet the dismantling deadline in early 2019. The cherry on top is that this company has been fined by Quebec for committing environmental violations. It is also facing a $10-million class action lawsuit. How does this government plan to impose strict environmental regulations, and why is there no late penalty, given that the dismantling is already six years overdue?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about Phoenix. Let us talk about the Liberal decision to ignore a third-party report that said the system was not ready, and yet they rushed ahead for political reasons. It was their choice to press the start button. They have had two years to fix it. Two years, and they have done nothing. Meanwhile, families across the country are suffering because of the government's lack of action and incompetence. When will the Prime Minister take responsibility for his decision and stop trying to blame other people?
Mr. Speaker, we can say a lot about the fact that local business owners across the country have been under assault by the Liberal government's out-of-touch attack on their ability to create jobs.We can say a lot about the fact that the top 1% is actually paying less under the government's changes than before.We can say a heck of a lot about the damage the government is doing to the economy with its erratic behaviour on the trade front. Indeed, recently, the Prime Minister insulted Japan and Australia when he skipped a meeting that would have allowed Canada to sign onto the world's largest trading block.Could the Prime Minister tell us what he is doing to repair the damage caused by his erratic behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, it is rich millionaire friends who are getting the benefits of the government's policy. However, the incompetence extends to so many other areas.It has been two years, and the Prime Minister has broken two key promises of his campaign. First, he said he would run modest deficits. Now we know that his out of control spending is costing taxpayers over $100 billion. Second, he said he would balance the budget in 2019. Now his government is telling us it does not even know when the budget will be balanced. The Prime Minister cannot even read a balance sheet. How can Canadians have any confidence in anything else he is doing?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities does not have what it takes to be minister. A minister must listen to people, and be receptive and empathetic. The minister clearly does not get this, and has repeatedly acted inappropriately and made condescending comments to Canadians, like Kim Davis. What is worse is that the minister ordered his staff to publicly humiliate Ms. Davis.Does the Prime Minister endorse his minister's actions?
Mr. Speaker, I quote facts from the Prime Minister's own finance department and he considers it a terrible personal attack against him. Maybe he should take that up with the finance department. When the government gets big, we know who pays more. It is the working class. It was not Morneau Shepell that paid higher taxes. It has not been his fundraising chair. It has not been him. In fact, we know that the wealthiest 1% pays a billion dollars less. Yes, that is a record to cry about. The reality is that when the government gets bigger, the working class pays more. When are the Liberals going to put an end to that injustice?
Mr. Speaker, women who have undergone female genital mutilation suffer infections, difficult urination and childbirth, pain during intercourse, and more. Practitioners of FGM are entering Canada, and Canadian girls are being taken abroad to have the procedure performed on them. Raising awareness of FGM is a core part of the fight against it, and that is why it is listed in Canada's citizenship guide as a practice Canada does not tolerate. I have a simple question: Will the Prime Minister end his consultations on FGM and decide today that warnings about FGM belong in Canada's citizenship guide?
Mr. Speaker, for months, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have tried to minimize the devastating impact that their tax changes will have on our local businesses. Once again today, the government has made an announcement that does not address the serious concerns of the business owners who create jobs in our communities.How can the Prime Minister allow this incompetence and this farce to carry on, when January 1st is fast approaching?
Mr. Speaker, I think the question is whether parliamentarians and Canadians expect officers of Parliament to fulfill their duties with integrity, with responsibility, and based on the facts. That is exactly what the commissioner testified to yesterday. That is what we all expect from agents of Parliament, to do their job responsibly, above the petty partisanship that so often animates the House.
Mr. Speaker, it is not only Australia and Japan who are upset with the Prime Minister for his bizarre actions in Asia. Can the Prime Minister assure us that with his recent behaviour in China, his begging for a free trade agreement at all costs, he has not compromised our position at the NAFTA negotiating table and the millions of jobs today that depend on free trade between Canada, the United States, and Mexico?
Mr. Speaker, one cannot help but feel bad for the Conservatives. They are resorting to flailing around with personal attacks because we have created over 441,000 new jobs over these past 12 months. That is an 18-year record for the Canadian government. We are delivering the fastest growth rate in the G7. We are delivering on low unemployment and benefits to Canadians, which are making a real and tangible difference in their lives. All they have left is groundless personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, cities and towns across the country are among our most important partners in our effort to legalize and strictly regulate access to cannabis. That is why we are providing the provinces and territories 75% of collected excise tax from cannabis, so municipalities can get the resources they need to keep cannabis away from kids and profits out of the hands of criminals. This agreement will be reviewed within six months of legalization to confirm that communities, cities, and towns are well supported by the provinces.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. This summer, when we said we were going to be lowering taxes for small businesses and making sure that wealthy Canadians would no longer be encouraged to use Canadian-controlled private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians, those Conservatives went on the warpath, scared everyone across the country, and are now sheepish that we are lowering taxes on small businesses as of January 1. They can do nothing but give personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, in order to chase their goal of balancing the budget at all costs, they created the Phoenix fiasco, they nickel and dimed our veterans, and they continued to cut services for Canadians across the board. We made a different decision than they did. We told Canadians that we would run deficits, so we could grow the economy and put more money in the pockets of Canadians who needed it. That is exactly what we have done, and that is working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing the Prime Minister did was to cancel the tax cut for small business owners. It was Conservatives who forced him to bring it back.That is not all. He has tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits. He has gone after employee benefits, the waitresses and waiters and retail workers. He has tried to raise taxes on our brave women and men in the armed forces, and he has even had to apologize for raising taxes on Canadians living with diabetes.Why does the Prime Minister not just come clean and admit that all of these tax hikes are the consequences of his out of control spending and massive deficits?
Mr. Speaker, let us try to sum up the Liberal ethical violations of just this past year. The Prime Minister breaks the law by taking a private helicopter to a billionaire's island, but who has not done that too? The finance minister secretly holds on to millions of dollars in shares in a numbered company, but I say, Let ye cast the first stone. Now the Liberal House leader, whose job it has been to defend the ethical violations of the finance minister and the Prime Minister, was put in charge of hiring a new ethics commissioner. Irony is dead over there.My question for the Prime Minister is this. Exactly how many ethical violations and investigations is it going to take before the Liberals realize that the rules apply to them too?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been taking it seriously for two years and nothing has happened. Maybe it is time they start taking it super seriously and we might actually get some results.The incompetence extends even further. Canadian veterans are in limbo amid a backlog of applications for disability benefits. I know the Prime Minister will get up two years into his mandate and try to find other people to blame. However, let us remember that this is happening under his watch and as a direct result of his decision.When will the Prime Minister stop blaming others and stand with our brave men and women in uniform?
Mr. Speaker, facts are facts. They can be checked.Let us look at the Minister of Finance's record: he imposed a tax reform to raise taxes on small businesses; he was fined by the Ethics Commissioner because he failed to declare one of his companies that owned one of his villas in France; he failed to put his assets in a blind trust; he sold $10 million worth of shares in his company days before introducing tax measures that he himself put in place; and he introduced Bill C-27, which earned his family's company more than $5 million.When will the Prime Minister call for his Minister of Finance to resign?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of survivors, those of St. Anne's residential school have been forced to go back to court to end interference by government lawyers.The Liberals have been fighting those survivors for years by covering up documents and forcing them to find witnesses to verify evidence, and now the Liberals want them to pay for court costs. This is a re-victimization of survivors who have suffered horrific levels of abuse. When will the government commit to real partnership with survivors? If I was asked, I would say that this does not seem like a real partnership.
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, small businesses will be paying lower taxes, because we are dropping the small business tax rate. For those Canadian-controlled private corporations that do use income sprinkling, they will have the entirety of 2018 to determine how to give out dividends, and then they will have a few more months after that to prepare their taxes. We are giving plenty of time to businesses to ensure that they are able to continue to do things that matter to their businesses.
Mr. Speaker, I seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: that the House condemn the horrific acts committed by ISIS; acknowledge that individuals who joined ISIS fighters are complicit in these horrific acts and pose a danger to all Canadians; call on the government to bring to justice and prosecute any ISIS fighter returning to Canada; and insist that the government make the security and protection of Canadians its priority, rather than the reintegration of ISIS fighters.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and of our waters. We are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the permanent removal of the Kathryn Spirit is carried out safely and efficiently. The contract to fully dismantle the Kathyn Spirit was awarded after an open and transparent procurement process. We are still monitoring the ship and will continue to keep the local community informed as the work progresses.
Mr. Speaker, the dictionary definition of consultation is the act or instance of consulting, to seek information or advice from someone. Sending a letter with the name of just one candidate is not consulting; it is imposing a choice. Giving the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics one hour with the candidate for the position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner does not show openness; it limits the discussion. If the Liberals really wanted to consult the opposition, why did they wait until the very last minute to do so?
Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister trying to pretend that his selection process is not partisan?Canadians want the investigations into both the Prime Minister and the finance minister to be completed and reported. In committee yesterday, the government's nominee refused to commit to do so. These investigations are important for our democracy, and the Liberals must be held to account.Do the Liberals not agree that investigations already started need to continue under the new commissioner or do they believe they are above the law?
Mr. Speaker, when the wife of a Canadian soldier with severe PTSD went to the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, she was told, You married him. It's your responsibility.When a young mom and cancer survivor asked why the government continued to deny her benefits, the minister compared her question to the old question, When did you stop beating your wife?To a thalidomide survivor, this same minister quipped, Everyone in Canada has a sob story.My question for the Prime Minister is simple. Do these comments reflect the position of his government?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to deliver child care benefits to that millionaire in the form of taxpayer-funded nannies. However, beyond that, the Prime Minister criticized the source I used for statistics. He says it is a think tank. Actually, it is his own finance department, which has the wealthiest 1% paying a billion dollars less under the government. No new taxes for his trust fund, no new taxes for Morneau Shepell, no new taxes for his fundraising chair, just more taxes for the working people who pay the bills in our country. Why?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday in committee, the nominee for Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner that the Liberals imposed on us would not confirm whether he plans to pursue the investigations into the Prime Minister's trip and the Minister of Finance's involvement in Bill C-27. Canadians are really concerned. These investigations are important to Canadians and certainly to our democracy, but the Liberals do not seem to realize that.Do the Liberals think the commissioner should continue the investigations his predecessor started?
Mr. Speaker, we must never allow this dark and painful chapter of our history to be forgotten. We are encouraging all survivors to share their stories and documents with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Where an individual requests it, our government is willing to absolutely waive privilege and encourages all other entities to do exactly the same.We remain committed to bringing closure to this system.
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear here. It is not like the Liberals do not know what consultation with other parties looks like. They did consult the opposition before appointing the Supreme Court justice recently. However, they consistently fail to consult on appointments for officers of Parliament. These watchdogs do not work for Liberals; they work for all of Parliament, and we represent all Canadians.Therefore, when will the Prime Minister drop his tired talking points, keep the promise to be open and accountable, and commit right now to follow the right process, the legal process, for these appointments?
Mr. Speaker, I know you are trying to invoke Santa Claus to help them out, but let us not forget that the Conservatives like coal.We take very seriously the responsibility we have to ensure that the men and women of our armed forces actually have the opportunity to do their jobs safely and with the right equipment. We take that extremely seriously after the Conservatives botched the process for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, as we come to the end of this year, one cannot help but feel bad for the members of the opposition, because of the results we have gotten as a government. The job creation numbers, 441,000 new jobs, the best in 18 years; the growing economy; the help for the middle class; and the positive outcomes leave the opposition with nothing to do but to fling accusations and throw mud. That is not what Canadians want. That is not what Canadians deserve. I hope they will be getting better than that in the coming year.
The personal attacks keep coming, Mr. Speaker.The reality is that the Minister of Finance has met expectations, especially those of Canadian families, with respect to Canada's economy. The first thing he did was lower taxes for the middle class by raising them for the wealthy. Then he established the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families and will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.He does that by not sending benefit cheques to the families of millionaires like the former government did. We are creating economic growth that is benefiting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, this week Liberals again excluded the Native Women's Association of Canada from high-level federal-provincial-territorial meetings, and it is not the first time. Indigenous women were shut out of first ministers meetings in October, March, and last December. NWAC was not even invited to a reconciliation meeting with the Prime Minister. We need a diversity of voices, and leaving women out means they only get half the wisdom. How can this so-called feminist Prime Minister call this reconciliation, when he keeps blocking indigenous women's voices?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians and especially parliamentarians expect officers of Parliament to perform their duties with integrity and to make decisions based on facts. That is exactly what the commissioner said he would do. He said he would not cater to partisan interests or needs and that the facts and intellectual rigour would dictate how he carries out his responsibilities. That is what we expect, whereas opponents seem to expect nothing but partisanship.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite actually just laid it out. The problem was that they fired 700 people in order to book the savings they were counting on so they could magically balance the budget just in time for the election, to try to save their skins from their terrible economic performance over the past 10 years. We did not create the Phoenix problem, but we are going to fix it.
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of our military deserve the equipment they need to fulfill their responsibilities and deliver on their commitments. For 10 years, the previous Conservative government was unable to give the men and women of our forces the equipment they needed. It completely botched the process. That is why we were proud to launch a full, open competition yesterday to replace our fleet of aging fighter jets, not with 65 jets like the Conservatives spoke about but 88 jets, to ensure our military can fulfill the roles we expect it to.
Mr. Speaker, Rohingya refugees continue to live in dire circumstances. They face serious challenges related to food, shelter, health, and the safety of women and children.The Myanmar crisis relief fund, which the government announced last month, has come to an end. Canadians are generous, and compassion is one of our core values.Can the Prime Minister give the House an update on the amount collected?
Mr. Speaker, once again, Conservatives are demonstrating that they do not understand how to help Canadians. The statistics he is referring to do not take into account the Canada child benefit. This benefit gives more money to nine out of 10 families. It has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty and is helping Canadian families immensely. It is one of the elements that led to the economic growth we are seeing now.The Conservatives would have preferred to keep their own benefit, which gave money to millionaires every month. We are giving money to families who actually need it.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals always talk about their real record. Despite their promises, the wealthiest 1% in Canada are paying a billion dollars less in taxes. Despite their promises, the middle class, 87% of them, are paying higher taxes. Despite their promises, that millionaire, the Prime Minister, continues to get child care benefits in the form of taxpayer-funded nanny services. Their wealthiest friends continue to stash away their money in tax havens that the government has done nothing to address. When will the Liberals admit that it is a government by the rich, of the rich, and for the rich?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits, but we stopped them. They tried to raise taxes on people with autism and diabetes, but we stopped them. They are trying to raise taxes on our family farmers and local businesses, and we continue to stop them. Will the Prime Minister admit that he is just putting these tax increases targeted at vulnerable people on hold and that he will try to bring them back in, if, God forbid, he gets another chance after the next election?
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why the members across the way keep making these personal attacks. It is because the real record of our Minister of Finance is extremely positive: 441,000 new jobs created in the past 12 months, breaking an 18-year record.We are creating the strongest economic growth in the G7. We are helping Canadian families succeed after 10 years of a Conservative government that did not give families the help they need.
Mr. Speaker, on January 1st, every single one of our small businesses will see their taxes cut. This is good news for the middle class and for those who are working hard to join it.However, we have made changes to ensure that the wealthiest Canadians cannot find ways to bring their taxes down to a lower rate than that paid by middle-class Canadians. This simplification will not only help many people continue to do what they are doing to help their families, but it will also ensure that the wealthiest Canadians do not benefit even more.
Mr. Speaker, the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has just barely been nominated and he is already in hot water.First, we learned that the work that he did on two case files when he held a similar position in the past was criticized, but even more importantly, he is refusing to confirm whether he will pursue the investigations into the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister himself that are currently under way.I thought we usually hired an investigator to get to the bottom of a crime, not to cover the offender's tracks.Is wiping the slate clean and starting fresh the Liberals' new way of dealing with crises?
Mr. Speaker, I have been accused on the other side of not understanding arithmetic, so I think I will help the Prime Minister on this one. Three per cent of small businesses is 45,000 small businesses in this country that, in the next two and a half weeks, will have to understand these rule changes and then implement corporate structure changes to their own businesses in order to be able to be on the right side of the CRA, and then the CRA will test to determine if it is reasonable what they are doing. This does not help anyone in this country. Will the Liberals withdraw these tax changes?
Mr. Speaker, asking us to put forward a few names back in June is not consultation. It is not the commissioner that we do not trust; it is the government's process. Why is that? Because the selection committee for the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner had five members, including the chief of staff of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the chief of staff of the President of the Treasury Board, and two assistant secretaries of the Liberal cabinet.How can we have any faith that the selection process for the future commissioner was open, transparent, merit-based, and especially impartial, when the selection committee was dominated by Liberal cabinet employees?
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, we are lowering small business taxes for 100% of small businesses across the country. Three per cent of small businesses of Canada-controlled private corporations use income sprinkling. Of that 3%, many will be able to continue under recently-clarified rules that apply. Those who are trying to use income sprinkling as a way of avoiding paying their fair share of taxes no longer will be able to. That is what Canadians expect of this government when we make the tax system fairer, and that is what we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, once again, in their pursuit of endless partisanship, the Conservatives follow think tanks that do not include the whole picture. The stats they are quoting now do not actually include the Canada child benefit. I can understand why. They campaigned against our Canada child benefit, which gave more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifted hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty. They wanted to continue with their benefits that sent child benefit cheques to millionaire families. I do not think that is fair. Canadians did not think that was fair. That is why we are delivering on what we committed to Canadians to do.
Mr. Speaker, only the Conservatives could see lowering taxes on small businesses as an attack on small businesses. That is how partisan they have become.The fact is the first thing we did was to lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Everything we have done since then, including the Canada child benefit, increasing the GIS for seniors, and now lowering taxes for all small businesses across this country, is helping the middle class and helping to grow our booming economy.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister's main role is to manage finances, the money that Canadians worked hard to earn.This is the reality: a deficit of more than $20 billion at the expense of our children and grandchildren, higher taxes for businesses, higher taxes for families, and no plan to balance the budget.My wish for Canadians in 2018 is that the Prime Minister do the right thing: fire the finance minister and find one with integrity who will be transparent and do his job in a responsible manner.
Mr. Speaker, what Stephen Harper did not understand, what those Conservatives over there continue not to understand, is that it is not just about signing any deal; it is about signing a good deal for Canadians. We saw time and time again that they are just in a rush to try to sign anything to get along, but we know that no deal is better than a bad deal. We will always stand up for Canadian interests, unlike those Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, being vocal about this important issue is something I have always done. Indeed, when I was last in west Africa, I actually spoke up clearly and strongly against this issue. In regard to the citizenship guide, we are pleased to take recommendations and suggestions from all Canadians, including members of the opposition. I can assure members that we will be very clear about this issue, because this is not an issue for partisanship; this is an issue on which we are all united.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives demonstrate that they still do not understand anything about getting a good trade deal for Canadians. Wherever we go around the world, we will be demanding a good deal for Canada. We are not going to follow the Conservative Harper doctrine of any deal, and capitulation, as a trade strategy. We are going to demand good outcomes for Canadians, on the environment, on labour issues, on a broad range of issues, because that is what Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, on the issue of the Lobbying Commissioner and the Official Languages Commissioner, we actually consulted opposition parties last June to see what criteria they were looking for, what their perspective was, and what stakeholders we should be consulting with. We have engaged them in a robust process that will determine, and end up with, the right kinds of officers of Parliament. Once again, if they do not have confidence in the officers of Parliament we have put forward, let them stand up and say so.
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, today is the last sitting day of parliament before the holidays, but more importantly it is the last sitting day before hundreds of workers loose their job at the Davie shipyard. The Prime Minister cannot go on holiday when hundreds of workers are about to spend Christmas without a job. This is the last chance to announce a real contract in the House so that workers can keep their jobs. Will the Prime Minister take that chance, show some compassion, and protect jobs at the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, our approach has focused on growing the middle class and making sure that Canadians have a real and fair opportunity to succeed, and across the country we are seeing the benefits of that happening. This year we created 441,000 new jobs, which is the top number for job creation in 18 years in this country. This is the kind of result that our leadership on the economy has delivered, and those members cannot say anything about it.
Mr. Speaker, we lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%, and the Conservatives tried to stop us. We brought in a Canada child benefit that would give more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifts hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward in increasing the guaranteed income supplement for our most vulnerable elderly seniors, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward on strengthening the CPP for future generations, and they tried to stop us.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that the procurement requirements of the navy and the Coast Guard were subject to a comprehensive review. For the moment, the long-term procurement plan does not include a second supply ship. That was not one of the needs that was identified. Our government does not plan to buy or obtain the services of a second supply ship for the moment.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his Christmas wishes, but Davie workers would like a decision on Obelix. I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table the Liberal defence policy saying we need two ships. That is written on page 35. We call that a naval task group. We need it for our national security. It is a way to say merry Christmas to Canada and the people of Lévis.
Mr. Speaker, when Parliament chooses a new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner all parties must be consulted. It is a legal obligation. However, we were not consulted. We only received one letter and one name. We know nothing about the other candidates, and the nominee was rushed through committee within one hour. Instead of a merit-based process, all we have are the Liberals' assurances that they are doing the right thing, but that is not enough. How can they tell us that their nomination was merit-based, and if they want to pursue that line, why do they not release the names of the finalists to the other parties?
Mr. Speaker, with the serious delays in the naval strategy and the decommissioning of the Preserver and the Protecteur, even the Minister of National Defence recognizes that there is a serious operational gap. His parliamentary secretary has called for the Obelix. It says in the Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister and on page 35 of the Liberal defence policy that the minister must maintain the capacity of the deep-sea fleet. We need two ships: the Asterix and the Obelix.When will the Prime Minister make national security a top priority and ask the Davie shipyard to build the Obelix? Will he do so before the holidays?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents and his province. Our government's support for research and innovation is being noticed around the world. Through our investment of $117 million in the Canada 150 research chairs program, we are recruiting talented researchers and scholars from a broad variety of disciplines.Today the Minister of Science welcomed our first group of talented researchers, including Dr. Addis, Dr. Colijn, Dr. Ramalho-Santos, and Dr. Seltzer, who will work in Ontario and in British Columbia. We look forward to welcoming additional chairs in the coming months.
Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Minister of Finance met with his counterparts from across the country to work collaboratively and take action that was in the interests of all Canadians, to strengthen the middle class, and to help those working hard to join it. As a result, a number of agreements were reached, including a coordinated approach on the cannabis excise framework.Could the Prime Minister inform the House on the cannabis agreement, and how it benefits provinces, territories, and municipalities?
Mr. Speaker, I understand that everything is always about partisanship for the members of the opposition. However, we expect any conflict of interest and ethics commissioner and any officer of Parliament to fulfill their duties with care and integrity. We have immense respect for the approach of relying on evidence and examining all the facts before making a decision.
Mr. Speaker, we are still very concerned about the impact of job losses on workers and their families, and we acknowledge the excellent work done by Davie employees. With regard to other shipbuilding projects, the strategy allocates $2 billion for competitive projects granted to Canadian shipyards like Davie. Since that was the last question, I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays. Let's all come back safe and sound in 2018.
Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I completely disagree with my hon. colleague across the way.The reality is that seeking suggestions and names for months is part of the consultation process. Asking opposition members for criteria, possible implications, and concerns is precisely how we were able to choose the right officers of Parliament. That is precisely the process we followed, and we will have excellent officers of Parliament as a result.
Over the past two years, Mr. Speaker, we have invested in hundreds of millions of dollars for veterans. We have improved the benefits they receive. We have reopened veteran service offices that were closed. We are ensuring that we live up to the sacred obligation we owe to our veterans and to their families. This is work we take very seriously and it is work we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, moments ago, during question period, in his response to a question from the member for Carleton, the Prime Minister mentioned a study that he said came from a lobby group, but the study is actually from the finance department, and for the eighth time, I seek the consent of the House to table the document.It is from the Department of Finance annual financial report of the Government of Canada, 2016-17, page 16, Personal income tax revenues decreased by $1.2 billion, or 0.8%, in 201617, largely reflecting the impact of tax planning by high-income individuals.
Mr. Speaker, during her testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, the Minister of Science told the committee that when she was at the G7 in Italy, Canada was viewed as a beacon for science around the world. Could the Prime Minister update the House on the actions he is taking to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for international talent and how that is benefiting post-secondary institutions in Canada, but especially in my home province of British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, that is simply not true. We continually work with indigenous women's organizations and indigenous groups across this country to ensure that all voicesyouth, elders, women, and survivors of residential schoolsare heard in every possible forum. We know that the work of reconciliation needs to involve everyone, not just indigenous people and the government but non-indigenous Canadians as well. That is the work we are doing. That is what we take so seriously and what we are focused on as we build a brighter future that includes everyone in this country's success.
Mr. Speaker, there have been some discussions among the parties and if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House: (a) after the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion for third reading of Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Salaries Act and to make a consequential amendment to the Financial Administration Act, the questions on the motions standing on the Order Paper in the name of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons in relation to the appointments of the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Commissioner of Lobbying, and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, shall be put forthwith and successively, and that, if a recorded division is requested on any of the aforementioned motions, the bells to call in the members shall not ring and the recorded division shall be taken immediately; (b) Bill C-66, An Act to establish a procedure for expunging certain historically unjust convictions and to make related amendments to other Acts, be deemed concurred in at the report stage and ordered for consideration at third reading later this day; when the House begins debate on the motion for third reading of the said Bill, a Member of each recognized party, a Member of the Bloc Québécois and the Member for SaanichGulf Islands may speak to the said motion for not more than 10 minutes, followed by five minutes for questions and comments and, at the conclusion of the time provided for Government Orders this day or when no members rise to speak, whichever is earlier, the motion be deemed adopted and the Bill read a third time and passed; (c) the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology be the committee designated for the purposes of section 92 of the Copyright Act; and (d) when the House adjourns today, it shall stand adjourned until Monday, January 29, 2018, provided that, for the purposes of any Standing Order, it shall be deemed to have been adjourned pursuant to Standing Order 28 and be deemed to have sat on Thursday, December 14 and Friday, December 15, 2017.
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement made today by the Minister of Finance, there is still one very troubling aspect of the small business changes, which is this. A married woman in a family business will now have to prove that she receives a dividend from that company. However, for a divorced woman, it is assumed she will receive that dividend from the same company. Therefore, from one feminist to another, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He continues to work on important measures that are going to make Canada more accessible and ease the challenges facing Canadians living with disabilities.When he was veterans affairs minister, he made historic improvements to support veterans and their families and will continue to be a strong voice for the compassionate approach this government continues to have.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his comments and for contributing to the Supreme Court appointment process. As he mentioned, it is a very good one. However, I want to correct him in that we did, for example, on the Commissioner of Lobbying and the Commissioner of Official Languages, reach out to the opposition parties back in June to talk about the stakeholders they wanted, the communities they thought we would involve, how they felt the appointment process should go. We were happy to consult them then. We are happy to be open, transparent, and engaging throughout the process.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, six months ago, early this summer, we consulted the opposition members. We asked them exactly what kind of concerns they had, whom we should talk to, and which communities should be involved in choosing who the next officers of Parliament should be.This was a commitment we made regarding a process we were developing specifically to ensure greater transparency and openness. We are proud to have done so much consultation with the opposition members, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for BromeMissisquoi for his question. Our government is still very concerned about the situation of the Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh.I am pleased to inform the House that Canadians generously donated $12.5 million. Our government will therefore increase our humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya by that same amount. This will bring the overall contribution of Canada and Canadians in 2017 to $50 million for our partners in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He is working right now on important accessibility legislation for helping every person with disabilities in this country.When he was minister of veterans affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit and reopened offices across the country that Conservatives shuttered. He will continue to be a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, and of course for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities has addressed these allegations.He is working on important legislation to increase accessibility in order to help every disabled Canadian.When he was the minister of veterans' affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit, and he re-opened offices across the country that had been closed by the Conservatives. He will continue to be a passionate advocate for persons with disabilities and for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, I seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: that the House condemn the horrific acts committed by ISIS; acknowledge that individuals who joined ISIS fighters are complicit in these horrific acts and pose a danger to all Canadians; call on the government to bring to justice and prosecute any ISIS fighter returning to Canada; and insist that the government make the security and protection of Canadians its priority, rather than the reintegration of ISIS fighters.
Mr. Speaker, for months, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have tried to minimize the devastating impact that their tax changes will have on our local businesses. Once again today, the government has made an announcement that does not address the serious concerns of the business owners who create jobs in our communities.How can the Prime Minister allow this incompetence and this farce to carry on, when January 1st is fast approaching?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of survivors, those of St. Anne's residential school have been forced to go back to court to end interference by government lawyers.The Liberals have been fighting those survivors for years by covering up documents and forcing them to find witnesses to verify evidence, and now the Liberals want them to pay for court costs. This is a re-victimization of survivors who have suffered horrific levels of abuse. When will the government commit to real partnership with survivors? If I was asked, I would say that this does not seem like a real partnership.
Mr. Speaker, facts are facts. They can be checked.Let us look at the Minister of Finance's record: he imposed a tax reform to raise taxes on small businesses; he was fined by the Ethics Commissioner because he failed to declare one of his companies that owned one of his villas in France; he failed to put his assets in a blind trust; he sold $10 million worth of shares in his company days before introducing tax measures that he himself put in place; and he introduced Bill C-27, which earned his family's company more than $5 million.When will the Prime Minister call for his Minister of Finance to resign?
Mr. Speaker, it is an alarming pattern but a clear one: the Liberals are compassionate toward vulnerable Canadians only when it is politically convenient for them.Thalidomide survivors, veterans' families, and sick mothers, who have all gone to a minister for assistance, have been dismissed and belittled. It gets worse. For his own political damage control, it seems he told his staff to publicly humiliate and discredit the wife of a sick veteran by sending screen shots of her personal Facebook posts to the media.How can the Prime Minister condone his minister's words and actions?
Over the past two years, Mr. Speaker, we have invested in hundreds of millions of dollars for veterans. We have improved the benefits they receive. We have reopened veteran service offices that were closed. We are ensuring that we live up to the sacred obligation we owe to our veterans and to their families. This is work we take very seriously and it is work we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits, but we stopped them. They tried to raise taxes on people with autism and diabetes, but we stopped them. They are trying to raise taxes on our family farmers and local businesses, and we continue to stop them. Will the Prime Minister admit that he is just putting these tax increases targeted at vulnerable people on hold and that he will try to bring them back in, if, God forbid, he gets another chance after the next election?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities does not have what it takes to be minister. A minister must listen to people, and be receptive and empathetic. The minister clearly does not get this, and has repeatedly acted inappropriately and made condescending comments to Canadians, like Kim Davis. What is worse is that the minister ordered his staff to publicly humiliate Ms. Davis.Does the Prime Minister endorse his minister's actions?
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite actually just laid it out. The problem was that they fired 700 people in order to book the savings they were counting on so they could magically balance the budget just in time for the election, to try to save their skins from their terrible economic performance over the past 10 years. We did not create the Phoenix problem, but we are going to fix it.
Mr. Speaker, one cannot help but feel bad for the Conservatives. They are resorting to flailing around with personal attacks because we have created over 441,000 new jobs over these past 12 months. That is an 18-year record for the Canadian government. We are delivering the fastest growth rate in the G7. We are delivering on low unemployment and benefits to Canadians, which are making a real and tangible difference in their lives. All they have left is groundless personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, there have been some discussions among the parties and if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House: (a) after the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion for third reading of Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Salaries Act and to make a consequential amendment to the Financial Administration Act, the questions on the motions standing on the Order Paper in the name of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons in relation to the appointments of the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Commissioner of Lobbying, and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, shall be put forthwith and successively, and that, if a recorded division is requested on any of the aforementioned motions, the bells to call in the members shall not ring and the recorded division shall be taken immediately; (b) Bill C-66, An Act to establish a procedure for expunging certain historically unjust convictions and to make related amendments to other Acts, be deemed concurred in at the report stage and ordered for consideration at third reading later this day; when the House begins debate on the motion for third reading of the said Bill, a Member of each recognized party, a Member of the Bloc Québécois and the Member for SaanichGulf Islands may speak to the said motion for not more than 10 minutes, followed by five minutes for questions and comments and, at the conclusion of the time provided for Government Orders this day or when no members rise to speak, whichever is earlier, the motion be deemed adopted and the Bill read a third time and passed; (c) the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology be the committee designated for the purposes of section 92 of the Copyright Act; and (d) when the House adjourns today, it shall stand adjourned until Monday, January 29, 2018, provided that, for the purposes of any Standing Order, it shall be deemed to have been adjourned pursuant to Standing Order 28 and be deemed to have sat on Thursday, December 14 and Friday, December 15, 2017.
Mr. Speaker, only the Conservatives could see lowering taxes on small businesses as an attack on small businesses. That is how partisan they have become.The fact is the first thing we did was to lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Everything we have done since then, including the Canada child benefit, increasing the GIS for seniors, and now lowering taxes for all small businesses across this country, is helping the middle class and helping to grow our booming economy.
Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Minister of Finance met with his counterparts from across the country to work collaboratively and take action that was in the interests of all Canadians, to strengthen the middle class, and to help those working hard to join it. As a result, a number of agreements were reached, including a coordinated approach on the cannabis excise framework.Could the Prime Minister inform the House on the cannabis agreement, and how it benefits provinces, territories, and municipalities?
Mr. Speaker, with the serious delays in the naval strategy and the decommissioning of the Preserver and the Protecteur, even the Minister of National Defence recognizes that there is a serious operational gap. His parliamentary secretary has called for the Obelix. It says in the Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister and on page 35 of the Liberal defence policy that the minister must maintain the capacity of the deep-sea fleet. We need two ships: the Asterix and the Obelix.When will the Prime Minister make national security a top priority and ask the Davie shipyard to build the Obelix? Will he do so before the holidays?
Mr. Speaker, Rohingya refugees continue to live in dire circumstances. They face serious challenges related to food, shelter, health, and the safety of women and children.The Myanmar crisis relief fund, which the government announced last month, has come to an end. Canadians are generous, and compassion is one of our core values.Can the Prime Minister give the House an update on the amount collected?
Mr. Speaker, that is simply not true. We continually work with indigenous women's organizations and indigenous groups across this country to ensure that all voicesyouth, elders, women, and survivors of residential schoolsare heard in every possible forum. We know that the work of reconciliation needs to involve everyone, not just indigenous people and the government but non-indigenous Canadians as well. That is the work we are doing. That is what we take so seriously and what we are focused on as we build a brighter future that includes everyone in this country's success.
Mr. Speaker, we must never allow this dark and painful chapter of our history to be forgotten. We are encouraging all survivors to share their stories and documents with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Where an individual requests it, our government is willing to absolutely waive privilege and encourages all other entities to do exactly the same.We remain committed to bringing closure to this system.
Mr. Speaker, moments ago, during question period, in his response to a question from the member for Carleton, the Prime Minister mentioned a study that he said came from a lobby group, but the study is actually from the finance department, and for the eighth time, I seek the consent of the House to table the document.It is from the Department of Finance annual financial report of the Government of Canada, 2016-17, page 16, Personal income tax revenues decreased by $1.2 billion, or 0.8%, in 201617, largely reflecting the impact of tax planning by high-income individuals.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about Phoenix. Let us talk about the Liberal decision to ignore a third-party report that said the system was not ready, and yet they rushed ahead for political reasons. It was their choice to press the start button. They have had two years to fix it. Two years, and they have done nothing. Meanwhile, families across the country are suffering because of the government's lack of action and incompetence. When will the Prime Minister take responsibility for his decision and stop trying to blame other people?
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear here. It is not like the Liberals do not know what consultation with other parties looks like. They did consult the opposition before appointing the Supreme Court justice recently. However, they consistently fail to consult on appointments for officers of Parliament. These watchdogs do not work for Liberals; they work for all of Parliament, and we represent all Canadians.Therefore, when will the Prime Minister drop his tired talking points, keep the promise to be open and accountable, and commit right now to follow the right process, the legal process, for these appointments?
Mr. Speaker, asking us to put forward a few names back in June is not consultation. It is not the commissioner that we do not trust; it is the government's process. Why is that? Because the selection committee for the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner had five members, including the chief of staff of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the chief of staff of the President of the Treasury Board, and two assistant secretaries of the Liberal cabinet.How can we have any faith that the selection process for the future commissioner was open, transparent, merit-based, and especially impartial, when the selection committee was dominated by Liberal cabinet employees?
Mr. Speaker, I understand that everything is always about partisanship for the members of the opposition. However, we expect any conflict of interest and ethics commissioner and any officer of Parliament to fulfill their duties with care and integrity. We have immense respect for the approach of relying on evidence and examining all the facts before making a decision.
Mr. Speaker, women who have undergone female genital mutilation suffer infections, difficult urination and childbirth, pain during intercourse, and more. Practitioners of FGM are entering Canada, and Canadian girls are being taken abroad to have the procedure performed on them. Raising awareness of FGM is a core part of the fight against it, and that is why it is listed in Canada's citizenship guide as a practice Canada does not tolerate. I have a simple question: Will the Prime Minister end his consultations on FGM and decide today that warnings about FGM belong in Canada's citizenship guide?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his Christmas wishes, but Davie workers would like a decision on Obelix. I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table the Liberal defence policy saying we need two ships. That is written on page 35. We call that a naval task group. We need it for our national security. It is a way to say merry Christmas to Canada and the people of Lévis.
Mr. Speaker, I know you are trying to invoke Santa Claus to help them out, but let us not forget that the Conservatives like coal.We take very seriously the responsibility we have to ensure that the men and women of our armed forces actually have the opportunity to do their jobs safely and with the right equipment. We take that extremely seriously after the Conservatives botched the process for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities has addressed these allegations.He is working on important legislation to increase accessibility in order to help every disabled Canadian.When he was the minister of veterans' affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit, and he re-opened offices across the country that had been closed by the Conservatives. He will continue to be a passionate advocate for persons with disabilities and for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of our military deserve the equipment they need to fulfill their responsibilities and deliver on their commitments. For 10 years, the previous Conservative government was unable to give the men and women of our forces the equipment they needed. It completely botched the process. That is why we were proud to launch a full, open competition yesterday to replace our fleet of aging fighter jets, not with 65 jets like the Conservatives spoke about but 88 jets, to ensure our military can fulfill the roles we expect it to.
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, small businesses will be paying lower taxes, because we are dropping the small business tax rate. For those Canadian-controlled private corporations that do use income sprinkling, they will have the entirety of 2018 to determine how to give out dividends, and then they will have a few more months after that to prepare their taxes. We are giving plenty of time to businesses to ensure that they are able to continue to do things that matter to their businesses.
Mr. Speaker, when Parliament chooses a new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner all parties must be consulted. It is a legal obligation. However, we were not consulted. We only received one letter and one name. We know nothing about the other candidates, and the nominee was rushed through committee within one hour. Instead of a merit-based process, all we have are the Liberals' assurances that they are doing the right thing, but that is not enough. How can they tell us that their nomination was merit-based, and if they want to pursue that line, why do they not release the names of the finalists to the other parties?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been taking it seriously for two years and nothing has happened. Maybe it is time they start taking it super seriously and we might actually get some results.The incompetence extends even further. Canadian veterans are in limbo amid a backlog of applications for disability benefits. I know the Prime Minister will get up two years into his mandate and try to find other people to blame. However, let us remember that this is happening under his watch and as a direct result of his decision.When will the Prime Minister stop blaming others and stand with our brave men and women in uniform?
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that the procurement requirements of the navy and the Coast Guard were subject to a comprehensive review. For the moment, the long-term procurement plan does not include a second supply ship. That was not one of the needs that was identified. Our government does not plan to buy or obtain the services of a second supply ship for the moment.
Mr. Speaker, this whole file since July 18 has been a complete disaster, and here we are almost six months later and the government still does not have simple answers to very worried small business owners across the country.Everyone knows that the Prime Minister is raising taxes so he can keep spending on his personal priorities and the priorities of his wealthy friends: hundreds of millions of dollars for his friends at Bombardier; half a billion dollars for his rich friends who run a bank in Asia; and $10 million for a convicted terrorist who murdered an allied solider.Canadians do not want to pay his bills, so will the PM finally end his attack on small business owners?
Mr. Speaker, we can say a lot about the fact that local business owners across the country have been under assault by the Liberal government's out-of-touch attack on their ability to create jobs.We can say a lot about the fact that the top 1% is actually paying less under the government's changes than before.We can say a heck of a lot about the damage the government is doing to the economy with its erratic behaviour on the trade front. Indeed, recently, the Prime Minister insulted Japan and Australia when he skipped a meeting that would have allowed Canada to sign onto the world's largest trading block.Could the Prime Minister tell us what he is doing to repair the damage caused by his erratic behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, this week Liberals again excluded the Native Women's Association of Canada from high-level federal-provincial-territorial meetings, and it is not the first time. Indigenous women were shut out of first ministers meetings in October, March, and last December. NWAC was not even invited to a reconciliation meeting with the Prime Minister. We need a diversity of voices, and leaving women out means they only get half the wisdom. How can this so-called feminist Prime Minister call this reconciliation, when he keeps blocking indigenous women's voices?
Mr. Speaker, I quote facts from the Prime Minister's own finance department and he considers it a terrible personal attack against him. Maybe he should take that up with the finance department. When the government gets big, we know who pays more. It is the working class. It was not Morneau Shepell that paid higher taxes. It has not been his fundraising chair. It has not been him. In fact, we know that the wealthiest 1% pays a billion dollars less. Yes, that is a record to cry about. The reality is that when the government gets bigger, the working class pays more. When are the Liberals going to put an end to that injustice?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he would lower taxes for the middle class, but he actually raised taxes on public transit, children's sports and arts activities, camping, and even beer and wine. In fact, 80% of middle-class Canadians are paying more taxes, and the wealthiest Canadians are paying $1 billion less. The only word to describe this is incompetence.When is the Prime Minister going to stop making life easier for his rich friends and harder for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, I have been accused on the other side of not understanding arithmetic, so I think I will help the Prime Minister on this one. Three per cent of small businesses is 45,000 small businesses in this country that, in the next two and a half weeks, will have to understand these rule changes and then implement corporate structure changes to their own businesses in order to be able to be on the right side of the CRA, and then the CRA will test to determine if it is reasonable what they are doing. This does not help anyone in this country. Will the Liberals withdraw these tax changes?
Mr. Speaker, let us try to sum up the Liberal ethical violations of just this past year. The Prime Minister breaks the law by taking a private helicopter to a billionaire's island, but who has not done that too? The finance minister secretly holds on to millions of dollars in shares in a numbered company, but I say, Let ye cast the first stone. Now the Liberal House leader, whose job it has been to defend the ethical violations of the finance minister and the Prime Minister, was put in charge of hiring a new ethics commissioner. Irony is dead over there.My question for the Prime Minister is this. Exactly how many ethical violations and investigations is it going to take before the Liberals realize that the rules apply to them too?
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why the members across the way keep making these personal attacks. It is because the real record of our Minister of Finance is extremely positive: 441,000 new jobs created in the past 12 months, breaking an 18-year record.We are creating the strongest economic growth in the G7. We are helping Canadian families succeed after 10 years of a Conservative government that did not give families the help they need.
Mr. Speaker, it is rich millionaire friends who are getting the benefits of the government's policy. However, the incompetence extends to so many other areas.It has been two years, and the Prime Minister has broken two key promises of his campaign. First, he said he would run modest deficits. Now we know that his out of control spending is costing taxpayers over $100 billion. Second, he said he would balance the budget in 2019. Now his government is telling us it does not even know when the budget will be balanced. The Prime Minister cannot even read a balance sheet. How can Canadians have any confidence in anything else he is doing?
Mr. Speaker, the Kathryn Spirit is going to cost taxpayers $24 million. Most of the money will go to the company that dumped this eyesore in Beauharnois in the first place. To make matters worse, the government has not established a penalty in case the company fails to meet the dismantling deadline in early 2019. The cherry on top is that this company has been fined by Quebec for committing environmental violations. It is also facing a $10-million class action lawsuit. How does this government plan to impose strict environmental regulations, and why is there no late penalty, given that the dismantling is already six years overdue?
Mr. Speaker, when the wife of a Canadian soldier with severe PTSD went to the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, she was told, You married him. It's your responsibility.When a young mom and cancer survivor asked why the government continued to deny her benefits, the minister compared her question to the old question, When did you stop beating your wife?To a thalidomide survivor, this same minister quipped, Everyone in Canada has a sob story.My question for the Prime Minister is simple. Do these comments reflect the position of his government?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. This summer, when we said we were going to be lowering taxes for small businesses and making sure that wealthy Canadians would no longer be encouraged to use Canadian-controlled private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians, those Conservatives went on the warpath, scared everyone across the country, and are now sheepish that we are lowering taxes on small businesses as of January 1. They can do nothing but give personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, on the issue of the Lobbying Commissioner and the Official Languages Commissioner, we actually consulted opposition parties last June to see what criteria they were looking for, what their perspective was, and what stakeholders we should be consulting with. We have engaged them in a robust process that will determine, and end up with, the right kinds of officers of Parliament. Once again, if they do not have confidence in the officers of Parliament we have put forward, let them stand up and say so.
Mr. Speaker, the dictionary definition of consultation is the act or instance of consulting, to seek information or advice from someone. Sending a letter with the name of just one candidate is not consulting; it is imposing a choice. Giving the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics one hour with the candidate for the position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner does not show openness; it limits the discussion. If the Liberals really wanted to consult the opposition, why did they wait until the very last minute to do so?
Mr. Speaker, we lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%, and the Conservatives tried to stop us. We brought in a Canada child benefit that would give more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifts hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward in increasing the guaranteed income supplement for our most vulnerable elderly seniors, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward on strengthening the CPP for future generations, and they tried to stop us.
Mr. Speaker, on January 1st, every single one of our small businesses will see their taxes cut. This is good news for the middle class and for those who are working hard to join it.However, we have made changes to ensure that the wealthiest Canadians cannot find ways to bring their taxes down to a lower rate than that paid by middle-class Canadians. This simplification will not only help many people continue to do what they are doing to help their families, but it will also ensure that the wealthiest Canadians do not benefit even more.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to deliver child care benefits to that millionaire in the form of taxpayer-funded nannies. However, beyond that, the Prime Minister criticized the source I used for statistics. He says it is a think tank. Actually, it is his own finance department, which has the wealthiest 1% paying a billion dollars less under the government. No new taxes for his trust fund, no new taxes for Morneau Shepell, no new taxes for his fundraising chair, just more taxes for the working people who pay the bills in our country. Why?
The personal attacks keep coming, Mr. Speaker.The reality is that the Minister of Finance has met expectations, especially those of Canadian families, with respect to Canada's economy. The first thing he did was lower taxes for the middle class by raising them for the wealthy. Then he established the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families and will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.He does that by not sending benefit cheques to the families of millionaires like the former government did. We are creating economic growth that is benefiting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I think the question is whether parliamentarians and Canadians expect officers of Parliament to fulfill their duties with integrity, with responsibility, and based on the facts. That is exactly what the commissioner testified to yesterday. That is what we all expect from agents of Parliament, to do their job responsibly, above the petty partisanship that so often animates the House.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and of our waters. We are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the permanent removal of the Kathryn Spirit is carried out safely and efficiently. The contract to fully dismantle the Kathyn Spirit was awarded after an open and transparent procurement process. We are still monitoring the ship and will continue to keep the local community informed as the work progresses.
Mr. Speaker, during her testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, the Minister of Science told the committee that when she was at the G7 in Italy, Canada was viewed as a beacon for science around the world. Could the Prime Minister update the House on the actions he is taking to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for international talent and how that is benefiting post-secondary institutions in Canada, but especially in my home province of British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has just barely been nominated and he is already in hot water.First, we learned that the work that he did on two case files when he held a similar position in the past was criticized, but even more importantly, he is refusing to confirm whether he will pursue the investigations into the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister himself that are currently under way.I thought we usually hired an investigator to get to the bottom of a crime, not to cover the offender's tracks.Is wiping the slate clean and starting fresh the Liberals' new way of dealing with crises?
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, today is the last sitting day of parliament before the holidays, but more importantly it is the last sitting day before hundreds of workers loose their job at the Davie shipyard. The Prime Minister cannot go on holiday when hundreds of workers are about to spend Christmas without a job. This is the last chance to announce a real contract in the House so that workers can keep their jobs. Will the Prime Minister take that chance, show some compassion, and protect jobs at the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing the Prime Minister did was to cancel the tax cut for small business owners. It was Conservatives who forced him to bring it back.That is not all. He has tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits. He has gone after employee benefits, the waitresses and waiters and retail workers. He has tried to raise taxes on our brave women and men in the armed forces, and he has even had to apologize for raising taxes on Canadians living with diabetes.Why does the Prime Minister not just come clean and admit that all of these tax hikes are the consequences of his out of control spending and massive deficits?
Mr. Speaker, what Stephen Harper did not understand, what those Conservatives over there continue not to understand, is that it is not just about signing any deal; it is about signing a good deal for Canadians. We saw time and time again that they are just in a rush to try to sign anything to get along, but we know that no deal is better than a bad deal. We will always stand up for Canadian interests, unlike those Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for BromeMissisquoi for his question. Our government is still very concerned about the situation of the Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh.I am pleased to inform the House that Canadians generously donated $12.5 million. Our government will therefore increase our humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya by that same amount. This will bring the overall contribution of Canada and Canadians in 2017 to $50 million for our partners in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister trying to pretend that his selection process is not partisan?Canadians want the investigations into both the Prime Minister and the finance minister to be completed and reported. In committee yesterday, the government's nominee refused to commit to do so. These investigations are important for our democracy, and the Liberals must be held to account.Do the Liberals not agree that investigations already started need to continue under the new commissioner or do they believe they are above the law?
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement made today by the Minister of Finance, there is still one very troubling aspect of the small business changes, which is this. A married woman in a family business will now have to prove that she receives a dividend from that company. However, for a divorced woman, it is assumed she will receive that dividend from the same company. Therefore, from one feminist to another, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, we are lowering small business taxes for 100% of small businesses across the country. Three per cent of small businesses of Canada-controlled private corporations use income sprinkling. Of that 3%, many will be able to continue under recently-clarified rules that apply. Those who are trying to use income sprinkling as a way of avoiding paying their fair share of taxes no longer will be able to. That is what Canadians expect of this government when we make the tax system fairer, and that is what we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians and especially parliamentarians expect officers of Parliament to perform their duties with integrity and to make decisions based on facts. That is exactly what the commissioner said he would do. He said he would not cater to partisan interests or needs and that the facts and intellectual rigour would dictate how he carries out his responsibilities. That is what we expect, whereas opponents seem to expect nothing but partisanship.
Mr. Speaker, as we come to the end of this year, one cannot help but feel bad for the members of the opposition, because of the results we have gotten as a government. The job creation numbers, 441,000 new jobs, the best in 18 years; the growing economy; the help for the middle class; and the positive outcomes leave the opposition with nothing to do but to fling accusations and throw mud. That is not what Canadians want. That is not what Canadians deserve. I hope they will be getting better than that in the coming year.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister's main role is to manage finances, the money that Canadians worked hard to earn.This is the reality: a deficit of more than $20 billion at the expense of our children and grandchildren, higher taxes for businesses, higher taxes for families, and no plan to balance the budget.My wish for Canadians in 2018 is that the Prime Minister do the right thing: fire the finance minister and find one with integrity who will be transparent and do his job in a responsible manner.
Mr. Speaker, they started the Phoenix program before it was ready, ignoring the advice of a third-party report. They have had two years to fix it, and no one believes they are going to do anything about it. It is going to take a Conservative government to clean up their mess.The incompetence is everywhere. The Liberals campaigned on a new process to replace our fighter jets. They then abandoned that process and said they would sole source Super Hornets. Now, they are searching the reduced-for-quick-sale bin for used fighters from Australia. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility and admit we are never going to get new jets?
Mr. Speaker, nobody is buying the Prime Minister's revisionist history. Let us take a look at the record: strategic airlift craft, Hercules tactical airlift craft, Chinook helicopters, upgraded Aurora surveillance planes, and modernized Halifax-class frigates for our navy. That is just a partial list of the Conservative government's success on the procurement file. What do we have in contrast? We have a fabricated credibility gap, which is having us search Kijiji in Australia for used fighter jets. This is a disgrace to our men and women in the armed forces.When will the Prime Minister just take the blame for his own incompetence?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals always talk about their real record. Despite their promises, the wealthiest 1% in Canada are paying a billion dollars less in taxes. Despite their promises, the middle class, 87% of them, are paying higher taxes. Despite their promises, that millionaire, the Prime Minister, continues to get child care benefits in the form of taxpayer-funded nanny services. Their wealthiest friends continue to stash away their money in tax havens that the government has done nothing to address. When will the Liberals admit that it is a government by the rich, of the rich, and for the rich?
Mr. Speaker, being vocal about this important issue is something I have always done. Indeed, when I was last in west Africa, I actually spoke up clearly and strongly against this issue. In regard to the citizenship guide, we are pleased to take recommendations and suggestions from all Canadians, including members of the opposition. I can assure members that we will be very clear about this issue, because this is not an issue for partisanship; this is an issue on which we are all united.
Mr. Speaker, it is not only Australia and Japan who are upset with the Prime Minister for his bizarre actions in Asia. Can the Prime Minister assure us that with his recent behaviour in China, his begging for a free trade agreement at all costs, he has not compromised our position at the NAFTA negotiating table and the millions of jobs today that depend on free trade between Canada, the United States, and Mexico?
Mr. Speaker, in order to chase their goal of balancing the budget at all costs, they created the Phoenix fiasco, they nickel and dimed our veterans, and they continued to cut services for Canadians across the board. We made a different decision than they did. We told Canadians that we would run deficits, so we could grow the economy and put more money in the pockets of Canadians who needed it. That is exactly what we have done, and that is working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, once again, Conservatives are demonstrating that they do not understand how to help Canadians. The statistics he is referring to do not take into account the Canada child benefit. This benefit gives more money to nine out of 10 families. It has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty and is helping Canadian families immensely. It is one of the elements that led to the economic growth we are seeing now.The Conservatives would have preferred to keep their own benefit, which gave money to millionaires every month. We are giving money to families who actually need it.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday in committee, the nominee for Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner that the Liberals imposed on us would not confirm whether he plans to pursue the investigations into the Prime Minister's trip and the Minister of Finance's involvement in Bill C-27. Canadians are really concerned. These investigations are important to Canadians and certainly to our democracy, but the Liberals do not seem to realize that.Do the Liberals think the commissioner should continue the investigations his predecessor started?
Mr. Speaker, once again, in their pursuit of endless partisanship, the Conservatives follow think tanks that do not include the whole picture. The stats they are quoting now do not actually include the Canada child benefit. I can understand why. They campaigned against our Canada child benefit, which gave more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifted hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty. They wanted to continue with their benefits that sent child benefit cheques to millionaire families. I do not think that is fair. Canadians did not think that was fair. That is why we are delivering on what we committed to Canadians to do.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He continues to work on important measures that are going to make Canada more accessible and ease the challenges facing Canadians living with disabilities.When he was veterans affairs minister, he made historic improvements to support veterans and their families and will continue to be a strong voice for the compassionate approach this government continues to have.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents and his province. Our government's support for research and innovation is being noticed around the world. Through our investment of $117 million in the Canada 150 research chairs program, we are recruiting talented researchers and scholars from a broad variety of disciplines.Today the Minister of Science welcomed our first group of talented researchers, including Dr. Addis, Dr. Colijn, Dr. Ramalho-Santos, and Dr. Seltzer, who will work in Ontario and in British Columbia. We look forward to welcoming additional chairs in the coming months.
Mr. Speaker, we are still very concerned about the impact of job losses on workers and their families, and we acknowledge the excellent work done by Davie employees. With regard to other shipbuilding projects, the strategy allocates $2 billion for competitive projects granted to Canadian shipyards like Davie. Since that was the last question, I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays. Let's all come back safe and sound in 2018.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, six months ago, early this summer, we consulted the opposition members. We asked them exactly what kind of concerns they had, whom we should talk to, and which communities should be involved in choosing who the next officers of Parliament should be.This was a commitment we made regarding a process we were developing specifically to ensure greater transparency and openness. We are proud to have done so much consultation with the opposition members, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He is working right now on important accessibility legislation for helping every person with disabilities in this country.When he was minister of veterans affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit and reopened offices across the country that Conservatives shuttered. He will continue to be a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, and of course for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Mr. Speaker, our approach has focused on growing the middle class and making sure that Canadians have a real and fair opportunity to succeed, and across the country we are seeing the benefits of that happening. This year we created 441,000 new jobs, which is the top number for job creation in 18 years in this country. This is the kind of result that our leadership on the economy has delivered, and those members cannot say anything about it.
Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I completely disagree with my hon. colleague across the way.The reality is that seeking suggestions and names for months is part of the consultation process. Asking opposition members for criteria, possible implications, and concerns is precisely how we were able to choose the right officers of Parliament. That is precisely the process we followed, and we will have excellent officers of Parliament as a result.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his comments and for contributing to the Supreme Court appointment process. As he mentioned, it is a very good one. However, I want to correct him in that we did, for example, on the Commissioner of Lobbying and the Commissioner of Official Languages, reach out to the opposition parties back in June to talk about the stakeholders they wanted, the communities they thought we would involve, how they felt the appointment process should go. We were happy to consult them then. We are happy to be open, transparent, and engaging throughout the process.
Mr. Speaker, cities and towns across the country are among our most important partners in our effort to legalize and strictly regulate access to cannabis. That is why we are providing the provinces and territories 75% of collected excise tax from cannabis, so municipalities can get the resources they need to keep cannabis away from kids and profits out of the hands of criminals. This agreement will be reviewed within six months of legalization to confirm that communities, cities, and towns are well supported by the provinces.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives demonstrate that they still do not understand anything about getting a good trade deal for Canadians. Wherever we go around the world, we will be demanding a good deal for Canada. We are not going to follow the Conservative Harper doctrine of any deal, and capitulation, as a trade strategy. We are going to demand good outcomes for Canadians, on the environment, on labour issues, on a broad range of issues, because that is what Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, I seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: that the House condemn the horrific acts committed by ISIS; acknowledge that individuals who joined ISIS fighters are complicit in these horrific acts and pose a danger to all Canadians; call on the government to bring to justice and prosecute any ISIS fighter returning to Canada; and insist that the government make the security and protection of Canadians its priority, rather than the reintegration of ISIS fighters.
Mr. Speaker, for months, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have tried to minimize the devastating impact that their tax changes will have on our local businesses. Once again today, the government has made an announcement that does not address the serious concerns of the business owners who create jobs in our communities.How can the Prime Minister allow this incompetence and this farce to carry on, when January 1st is fast approaching?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of survivors, those of St. Anne's residential school have been forced to go back to court to end interference by government lawyers.The Liberals have been fighting those survivors for years by covering up documents and forcing them to find witnesses to verify evidence, and now the Liberals want them to pay for court costs. This is a re-victimization of survivors who have suffered horrific levels of abuse. When will the government commit to real partnership with survivors? If I was asked, I would say that this does not seem like a real partnership.
Mr. Speaker, facts are facts. They can be checked.Let us look at the Minister of Finance's record: he imposed a tax reform to raise taxes on small businesses; he was fined by the Ethics Commissioner because he failed to declare one of his companies that owned one of his villas in France; he failed to put his assets in a blind trust; he sold $10 million worth of shares in his company days before introducing tax measures that he himself put in place; and he introduced Bill C-27, which earned his family's company more than $5 million.When will the Prime Minister call for his Minister of Finance to resign?
Mr. Speaker, it is an alarming pattern but a clear one: the Liberals are compassionate toward vulnerable Canadians only when it is politically convenient for them.Thalidomide survivors, veterans' families, and sick mothers, who have all gone to a minister for assistance, have been dismissed and belittled. It gets worse. For his own political damage control, it seems he told his staff to publicly humiliate and discredit the wife of a sick veteran by sending screen shots of her personal Facebook posts to the media.How can the Prime Minister condone his minister's words and actions?
Over the past two years, Mr. Speaker, we have invested in hundreds of millions of dollars for veterans. We have improved the benefits they receive. We have reopened veteran service offices that were closed. We are ensuring that we live up to the sacred obligation we owe to our veterans and to their families. This is work we take very seriously and it is work we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits, but we stopped them. They tried to raise taxes on people with autism and diabetes, but we stopped them. They are trying to raise taxes on our family farmers and local businesses, and we continue to stop them. Will the Prime Minister admit that he is just putting these tax increases targeted at vulnerable people on hold and that he will try to bring them back in, if, God forbid, he gets another chance after the next election?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities does not have what it takes to be minister. A minister must listen to people, and be receptive and empathetic. The minister clearly does not get this, and has repeatedly acted inappropriately and made condescending comments to Canadians, like Kim Davis. What is worse is that the minister ordered his staff to publicly humiliate Ms. Davis.Does the Prime Minister endorse his minister's actions?
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite actually just laid it out. The problem was that they fired 700 people in order to book the savings they were counting on so they could magically balance the budget just in time for the election, to try to save their skins from their terrible economic performance over the past 10 years. We did not create the Phoenix problem, but we are going to fix it.
Mr. Speaker, one cannot help but feel bad for the Conservatives. They are resorting to flailing around with personal attacks because we have created over 441,000 new jobs over these past 12 months. That is an 18-year record for the Canadian government. We are delivering the fastest growth rate in the G7. We are delivering on low unemployment and benefits to Canadians, which are making a real and tangible difference in their lives. All they have left is groundless personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, there have been some discussions among the parties and if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House: (a) after the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion for third reading of Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Salaries Act and to make a consequential amendment to the Financial Administration Act, the questions on the motions standing on the Order Paper in the name of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons in relation to the appointments of the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Commissioner of Lobbying, and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, shall be put forthwith and successively, and that, if a recorded division is requested on any of the aforementioned motions, the bells to call in the members shall not ring and the recorded division shall be taken immediately; (b) Bill C-66, An Act to establish a procedure for expunging certain historically unjust convictions and to make related amendments to other Acts, be deemed concurred in at the report stage and ordered for consideration at third reading later this day; when the House begins debate on the motion for third reading of the said Bill, a Member of each recognized party, a Member of the Bloc Québécois and the Member for SaanichGulf Islands may speak to the said motion for not more than 10 minutes, followed by five minutes for questions and comments and, at the conclusion of the time provided for Government Orders this day or when no members rise to speak, whichever is earlier, the motion be deemed adopted and the Bill read a third time and passed; (c) the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology be the committee designated for the purposes of section 92 of the Copyright Act; and (d) when the House adjourns today, it shall stand adjourned until Monday, January 29, 2018, provided that, for the purposes of any Standing Order, it shall be deemed to have been adjourned pursuant to Standing Order 28 and be deemed to have sat on Thursday, December 14 and Friday, December 15, 2017.
Mr. Speaker, only the Conservatives could see lowering taxes on small businesses as an attack on small businesses. That is how partisan they have become.The fact is the first thing we did was to lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Everything we have done since then, including the Canada child benefit, increasing the GIS for seniors, and now lowering taxes for all small businesses across this country, is helping the middle class and helping to grow our booming economy.
Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Minister of Finance met with his counterparts from across the country to work collaboratively and take action that was in the interests of all Canadians, to strengthen the middle class, and to help those working hard to join it. As a result, a number of agreements were reached, including a coordinated approach on the cannabis excise framework.Could the Prime Minister inform the House on the cannabis agreement, and how it benefits provinces, territories, and municipalities?
Mr. Speaker, with the serious delays in the naval strategy and the decommissioning of the Preserver and the Protecteur, even the Minister of National Defence recognizes that there is a serious operational gap. His parliamentary secretary has called for the Obelix. It says in the Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister and on page 35 of the Liberal defence policy that the minister must maintain the capacity of the deep-sea fleet. We need two ships: the Asterix and the Obelix.When will the Prime Minister make national security a top priority and ask the Davie shipyard to build the Obelix? Will he do so before the holidays?
Mr. Speaker, Rohingya refugees continue to live in dire circumstances. They face serious challenges related to food, shelter, health, and the safety of women and children.The Myanmar crisis relief fund, which the government announced last month, has come to an end. Canadians are generous, and compassion is one of our core values.Can the Prime Minister give the House an update on the amount collected?
Mr. Speaker, that is simply not true. We continually work with indigenous women's organizations and indigenous groups across this country to ensure that all voicesyouth, elders, women, and survivors of residential schoolsare heard in every possible forum. We know that the work of reconciliation needs to involve everyone, not just indigenous people and the government but non-indigenous Canadians as well. That is the work we are doing. That is what we take so seriously and what we are focused on as we build a brighter future that includes everyone in this country's success.
Mr. Speaker, we must never allow this dark and painful chapter of our history to be forgotten. We are encouraging all survivors to share their stories and documents with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Where an individual requests it, our government is willing to absolutely waive privilege and encourages all other entities to do exactly the same.We remain committed to bringing closure to this system.
Mr. Speaker, moments ago, during question period, in his response to a question from the member for Carleton, the Prime Minister mentioned a study that he said came from a lobby group, but the study is actually from the finance department, and for the eighth time, I seek the consent of the House to table the document.It is from the Department of Finance annual financial report of the Government of Canada, 2016-17, page 16, Personal income tax revenues decreased by $1.2 billion, or 0.8%, in 201617, largely reflecting the impact of tax planning by high-income individuals.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about Phoenix. Let us talk about the Liberal decision to ignore a third-party report that said the system was not ready, and yet they rushed ahead for political reasons. It was their choice to press the start button. They have had two years to fix it. Two years, and they have done nothing. Meanwhile, families across the country are suffering because of the government's lack of action and incompetence. When will the Prime Minister take responsibility for his decision and stop trying to blame other people?
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear here. It is not like the Liberals do not know what consultation with other parties looks like. They did consult the opposition before appointing the Supreme Court justice recently. However, they consistently fail to consult on appointments for officers of Parliament. These watchdogs do not work for Liberals; they work for all of Parliament, and we represent all Canadians.Therefore, when will the Prime Minister drop his tired talking points, keep the promise to be open and accountable, and commit right now to follow the right process, the legal process, for these appointments?
Mr. Speaker, asking us to put forward a few names back in June is not consultation. It is not the commissioner that we do not trust; it is the government's process. Why is that? Because the selection committee for the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner had five members, including the chief of staff of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the chief of staff of the President of the Treasury Board, and two assistant secretaries of the Liberal cabinet.How can we have any faith that the selection process for the future commissioner was open, transparent, merit-based, and especially impartial, when the selection committee was dominated by Liberal cabinet employees?
Mr. Speaker, I understand that everything is always about partisanship for the members of the opposition. However, we expect any conflict of interest and ethics commissioner and any officer of Parliament to fulfill their duties with care and integrity. We have immense respect for the approach of relying on evidence and examining all the facts before making a decision.
Mr. Speaker, women who have undergone female genital mutilation suffer infections, difficult urination and childbirth, pain during intercourse, and more. Practitioners of FGM are entering Canada, and Canadian girls are being taken abroad to have the procedure performed on them. Raising awareness of FGM is a core part of the fight against it, and that is why it is listed in Canada's citizenship guide as a practice Canada does not tolerate. I have a simple question: Will the Prime Minister end his consultations on FGM and decide today that warnings about FGM belong in Canada's citizenship guide?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his Christmas wishes, but Davie workers would like a decision on Obelix. I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table the Liberal defence policy saying we need two ships. That is written on page 35. We call that a naval task group. We need it for our national security. It is a way to say merry Christmas to Canada and the people of Lévis.
Mr. Speaker, I know you are trying to invoke Santa Claus to help them out, but let us not forget that the Conservatives like coal.We take very seriously the responsibility we have to ensure that the men and women of our armed forces actually have the opportunity to do their jobs safely and with the right equipment. We take that extremely seriously after the Conservatives botched the process for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities has addressed these allegations.He is working on important legislation to increase accessibility in order to help every disabled Canadian.When he was the minister of veterans' affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit, and he re-opened offices across the country that had been closed by the Conservatives. He will continue to be a passionate advocate for persons with disabilities and for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of our military deserve the equipment they need to fulfill their responsibilities and deliver on their commitments. For 10 years, the previous Conservative government was unable to give the men and women of our forces the equipment they needed. It completely botched the process. That is why we were proud to launch a full, open competition yesterday to replace our fleet of aging fighter jets, not with 65 jets like the Conservatives spoke about but 88 jets, to ensure our military can fulfill the roles we expect it to.
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, small businesses will be paying lower taxes, because we are dropping the small business tax rate. For those Canadian-controlled private corporations that do use income sprinkling, they will have the entirety of 2018 to determine how to give out dividends, and then they will have a few more months after that to prepare their taxes. We are giving plenty of time to businesses to ensure that they are able to continue to do things that matter to their businesses.
Mr. Speaker, when Parliament chooses a new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner all parties must be consulted. It is a legal obligation. However, we were not consulted. We only received one letter and one name. We know nothing about the other candidates, and the nominee was rushed through committee within one hour. Instead of a merit-based process, all we have are the Liberals' assurances that they are doing the right thing, but that is not enough. How can they tell us that their nomination was merit-based, and if they want to pursue that line, why do they not release the names of the finalists to the other parties?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been taking it seriously for two years and nothing has happened. Maybe it is time they start taking it super seriously and we might actually get some results.The incompetence extends even further. Canadian veterans are in limbo amid a backlog of applications for disability benefits. I know the Prime Minister will get up two years into his mandate and try to find other people to blame. However, let us remember that this is happening under his watch and as a direct result of his decision.When will the Prime Minister stop blaming others and stand with our brave men and women in uniform?
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that the procurement requirements of the navy and the Coast Guard were subject to a comprehensive review. For the moment, the long-term procurement plan does not include a second supply ship. That was not one of the needs that was identified. Our government does not plan to buy or obtain the services of a second supply ship for the moment.
Mr. Speaker, this whole file since July 18 has been a complete disaster, and here we are almost six months later and the government still does not have simple answers to very worried small business owners across the country.Everyone knows that the Prime Minister is raising taxes so he can keep spending on his personal priorities and the priorities of his wealthy friends: hundreds of millions of dollars for his friends at Bombardier; half a billion dollars for his rich friends who run a bank in Asia; and $10 million for a convicted terrorist who murdered an allied solider.Canadians do not want to pay his bills, so will the PM finally end his attack on small business owners?
Mr. Speaker, we can say a lot about the fact that local business owners across the country have been under assault by the Liberal government's out-of-touch attack on their ability to create jobs.We can say a lot about the fact that the top 1% is actually paying less under the government's changes than before.We can say a heck of a lot about the damage the government is doing to the economy with its erratic behaviour on the trade front. Indeed, recently, the Prime Minister insulted Japan and Australia when he skipped a meeting that would have allowed Canada to sign onto the world's largest trading block.Could the Prime Minister tell us what he is doing to repair the damage caused by his erratic behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, this week Liberals again excluded the Native Women's Association of Canada from high-level federal-provincial-territorial meetings, and it is not the first time. Indigenous women were shut out of first ministers meetings in October, March, and last December. NWAC was not even invited to a reconciliation meeting with the Prime Minister. We need a diversity of voices, and leaving women out means they only get half the wisdom. How can this so-called feminist Prime Minister call this reconciliation, when he keeps blocking indigenous women's voices?
Mr. Speaker, I quote facts from the Prime Minister's own finance department and he considers it a terrible personal attack against him. Maybe he should take that up with the finance department. When the government gets big, we know who pays more. It is the working class. It was not Morneau Shepell that paid higher taxes. It has not been his fundraising chair. It has not been him. In fact, we know that the wealthiest 1% pays a billion dollars less. Yes, that is a record to cry about. The reality is that when the government gets bigger, the working class pays more. When are the Liberals going to put an end to that injustice?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he would lower taxes for the middle class, but he actually raised taxes on public transit, children's sports and arts activities, camping, and even beer and wine. In fact, 80% of middle-class Canadians are paying more taxes, and the wealthiest Canadians are paying $1 billion less. The only word to describe this is incompetence.When is the Prime Minister going to stop making life easier for his rich friends and harder for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, I have been accused on the other side of not understanding arithmetic, so I think I will help the Prime Minister on this one. Three per cent of small businesses is 45,000 small businesses in this country that, in the next two and a half weeks, will have to understand these rule changes and then implement corporate structure changes to their own businesses in order to be able to be on the right side of the CRA, and then the CRA will test to determine if it is reasonable what they are doing. This does not help anyone in this country. Will the Liberals withdraw these tax changes?
Mr. Speaker, let us try to sum up the Liberal ethical violations of just this past year. The Prime Minister breaks the law by taking a private helicopter to a billionaire's island, but who has not done that too? The finance minister secretly holds on to millions of dollars in shares in a numbered company, but I say, Let ye cast the first stone. Now the Liberal House leader, whose job it has been to defend the ethical violations of the finance minister and the Prime Minister, was put in charge of hiring a new ethics commissioner. Irony is dead over there.My question for the Prime Minister is this. Exactly how many ethical violations and investigations is it going to take before the Liberals realize that the rules apply to them too?
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why the members across the way keep making these personal attacks. It is because the real record of our Minister of Finance is extremely positive: 441,000 new jobs created in the past 12 months, breaking an 18-year record.We are creating the strongest economic growth in the G7. We are helping Canadian families succeed after 10 years of a Conservative government that did not give families the help they need.
Mr. Speaker, it is rich millionaire friends who are getting the benefits of the government's policy. However, the incompetence extends to so many other areas.It has been two years, and the Prime Minister has broken two key promises of his campaign. First, he said he would run modest deficits. Now we know that his out of control spending is costing taxpayers over $100 billion. Second, he said he would balance the budget in 2019. Now his government is telling us it does not even know when the budget will be balanced. The Prime Minister cannot even read a balance sheet. How can Canadians have any confidence in anything else he is doing?
Mr. Speaker, the Kathryn Spirit is going to cost taxpayers $24 million. Most of the money will go to the company that dumped this eyesore in Beauharnois in the first place. To make matters worse, the government has not established a penalty in case the company fails to meet the dismantling deadline in early 2019. The cherry on top is that this company has been fined by Quebec for committing environmental violations. It is also facing a $10-million class action lawsuit. How does this government plan to impose strict environmental regulations, and why is there no late penalty, given that the dismantling is already six years overdue?
Mr. Speaker, when the wife of a Canadian soldier with severe PTSD went to the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, she was told, You married him. It's your responsibility.When a young mom and cancer survivor asked why the government continued to deny her benefits, the minister compared her question to the old question, When did you stop beating your wife?To a thalidomide survivor, this same minister quipped, Everyone in Canada has a sob story.My question for the Prime Minister is simple. Do these comments reflect the position of his government?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. This summer, when we said we were going to be lowering taxes for small businesses and making sure that wealthy Canadians would no longer be encouraged to use Canadian-controlled private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians, those Conservatives went on the warpath, scared everyone across the country, and are now sheepish that we are lowering taxes on small businesses as of January 1. They can do nothing but give personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, on the issue of the Lobbying Commissioner and the Official Languages Commissioner, we actually consulted opposition parties last June to see what criteria they were looking for, what their perspective was, and what stakeholders we should be consulting with. We have engaged them in a robust process that will determine, and end up with, the right kinds of officers of Parliament. Once again, if they do not have confidence in the officers of Parliament we have put forward, let them stand up and say so.
Mr. Speaker, the dictionary definition of consultation is the act or instance of consulting, to seek information or advice from someone. Sending a letter with the name of just one candidate is not consulting; it is imposing a choice. Giving the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics one hour with the candidate for the position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner does not show openness; it limits the discussion. If the Liberals really wanted to consult the opposition, why did they wait until the very last minute to do so?
Mr. Speaker, we lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%, and the Conservatives tried to stop us. We brought in a Canada child benefit that would give more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifts hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward in increasing the guaranteed income supplement for our most vulnerable elderly seniors, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward on strengthening the CPP for future generations, and they tried to stop us.
Mr. Speaker, on January 1st, every single one of our small businesses will see their taxes cut. This is good news for the middle class and for those who are working hard to join it.However, we have made changes to ensure that the wealthiest Canadians cannot find ways to bring their taxes down to a lower rate than that paid by middle-class Canadians. This simplification will not only help many people continue to do what they are doing to help their families, but it will also ensure that the wealthiest Canadians do not benefit even more.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to deliver child care benefits to that millionaire in the form of taxpayer-funded nannies. However, beyond that, the Prime Minister criticized the source I used for statistics. He says it is a think tank. Actually, it is his own finance department, which has the wealthiest 1% paying a billion dollars less under the government. No new taxes for his trust fund, no new taxes for Morneau Shepell, no new taxes for his fundraising chair, just more taxes for the working people who pay the bills in our country. Why?
The personal attacks keep coming, Mr. Speaker.The reality is that the Minister of Finance has met expectations, especially those of Canadian families, with respect to Canada's economy. The first thing he did was lower taxes for the middle class by raising them for the wealthy. Then he established the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families and will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.He does that by not sending benefit cheques to the families of millionaires like the former government did. We are creating economic growth that is benefiting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I think the question is whether parliamentarians and Canadians expect officers of Parliament to fulfill their duties with integrity, with responsibility, and based on the facts. That is exactly what the commissioner testified to yesterday. That is what we all expect from agents of Parliament, to do their job responsibly, above the petty partisanship that so often animates the House.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and of our waters. We are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the permanent removal of the Kathryn Spirit is carried out safely and efficiently. The contract to fully dismantle the Kathyn Spirit was awarded after an open and transparent procurement process. We are still monitoring the ship and will continue to keep the local community informed as the work progresses.
Mr. Speaker, during her testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, the Minister of Science told the committee that when she was at the G7 in Italy, Canada was viewed as a beacon for science around the world. Could the Prime Minister update the House on the actions he is taking to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for international talent and how that is benefiting post-secondary institutions in Canada, but especially in my home province of British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has just barely been nominated and he is already in hot water.First, we learned that the work that he did on two case files when he held a similar position in the past was criticized, but even more importantly, he is refusing to confirm whether he will pursue the investigations into the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister himself that are currently under way.I thought we usually hired an investigator to get to the bottom of a crime, not to cover the offender's tracks.Is wiping the slate clean and starting fresh the Liberals' new way of dealing with crises?
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, today is the last sitting day of parliament before the holidays, but more importantly it is the last sitting day before hundreds of workers loose their job at the Davie shipyard. The Prime Minister cannot go on holiday when hundreds of workers are about to spend Christmas without a job. This is the last chance to announce a real contract in the House so that workers can keep their jobs. Will the Prime Minister take that chance, show some compassion, and protect jobs at the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing the Prime Minister did was to cancel the tax cut for small business owners. It was Conservatives who forced him to bring it back.That is not all. He has tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits. He has gone after employee benefits, the waitresses and waiters and retail workers. He has tried to raise taxes on our brave women and men in the armed forces, and he has even had to apologize for raising taxes on Canadians living with diabetes.Why does the Prime Minister not just come clean and admit that all of these tax hikes are the consequences of his out of control spending and massive deficits?
Mr. Speaker, what Stephen Harper did not understand, what those Conservatives over there continue not to understand, is that it is not just about signing any deal; it is about signing a good deal for Canadians. We saw time and time again that they are just in a rush to try to sign anything to get along, but we know that no deal is better than a bad deal. We will always stand up for Canadian interests, unlike those Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for BromeMissisquoi for his question. Our government is still very concerned about the situation of the Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh.I am pleased to inform the House that Canadians generously donated $12.5 million. Our government will therefore increase our humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya by that same amount. This will bring the overall contribution of Canada and Canadians in 2017 to $50 million for our partners in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister trying to pretend that his selection process is not partisan?Canadians want the investigations into both the Prime Minister and the finance minister to be completed and reported. In committee yesterday, the government's nominee refused to commit to do so. These investigations are important for our democracy, and the Liberals must be held to account.Do the Liberals not agree that investigations already started need to continue under the new commissioner or do they believe they are above the law?
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement made today by the Minister of Finance, there is still one very troubling aspect of the small business changes, which is this. A married woman in a family business will now have to prove that she receives a dividend from that company. However, for a divorced woman, it is assumed she will receive that dividend from the same company. Therefore, from one feminist to another, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, we are lowering small business taxes for 100% of small businesses across the country. Three per cent of small businesses of Canada-controlled private corporations use income sprinkling. Of that 3%, many will be able to continue under recently-clarified rules that apply. Those who are trying to use income sprinkling as a way of avoiding paying their fair share of taxes no longer will be able to. That is what Canadians expect of this government when we make the tax system fairer, and that is what we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians and especially parliamentarians expect officers of Parliament to perform their duties with integrity and to make decisions based on facts. That is exactly what the commissioner said he would do. He said he would not cater to partisan interests or needs and that the facts and intellectual rigour would dictate how he carries out his responsibilities. That is what we expect, whereas opponents seem to expect nothing but partisanship.
Mr. Speaker, as we come to the end of this year, one cannot help but feel bad for the members of the opposition, because of the results we have gotten as a government. The job creation numbers, 441,000 new jobs, the best in 18 years; the growing economy; the help for the middle class; and the positive outcomes leave the opposition with nothing to do but to fling accusations and throw mud. That is not what Canadians want. That is not what Canadians deserve. I hope they will be getting better than that in the coming year.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister's main role is to manage finances, the money that Canadians worked hard to earn.This is the reality: a deficit of more than $20 billion at the expense of our children and grandchildren, higher taxes for businesses, higher taxes for families, and no plan to balance the budget.My wish for Canadians in 2018 is that the Prime Minister do the right thing: fire the finance minister and find one with integrity who will be transparent and do his job in a responsible manner.
Mr. Speaker, they started the Phoenix program before it was ready, ignoring the advice of a third-party report. They have had two years to fix it, and no one believes they are going to do anything about it. It is going to take a Conservative government to clean up their mess.The incompetence is everywhere. The Liberals campaigned on a new process to replace our fighter jets. They then abandoned that process and said they would sole source Super Hornets. Now, they are searching the reduced-for-quick-sale bin for used fighters from Australia. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility and admit we are never going to get new jets?
Mr. Speaker, nobody is buying the Prime Minister's revisionist history. Let us take a look at the record: strategic airlift craft, Hercules tactical airlift craft, Chinook helicopters, upgraded Aurora surveillance planes, and modernized Halifax-class frigates for our navy. That is just a partial list of the Conservative government's success on the procurement file. What do we have in contrast? We have a fabricated credibility gap, which is having us search Kijiji in Australia for used fighter jets. This is a disgrace to our men and women in the armed forces.When will the Prime Minister just take the blame for his own incompetence?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals always talk about their real record. Despite their promises, the wealthiest 1% in Canada are paying a billion dollars less in taxes. Despite their promises, the middle class, 87% of them, are paying higher taxes. Despite their promises, that millionaire, the Prime Minister, continues to get child care benefits in the form of taxpayer-funded nanny services. Their wealthiest friends continue to stash away their money in tax havens that the government has done nothing to address. When will the Liberals admit that it is a government by the rich, of the rich, and for the rich?
Mr. Speaker, being vocal about this important issue is something I have always done. Indeed, when I was last in west Africa, I actually spoke up clearly and strongly against this issue. In regard to the citizenship guide, we are pleased to take recommendations and suggestions from all Canadians, including members of the opposition. I can assure members that we will be very clear about this issue, because this is not an issue for partisanship; this is an issue on which we are all united.
Mr. Speaker, it is not only Australia and Japan who are upset with the Prime Minister for his bizarre actions in Asia. Can the Prime Minister assure us that with his recent behaviour in China, his begging for a free trade agreement at all costs, he has not compromised our position at the NAFTA negotiating table and the millions of jobs today that depend on free trade between Canada, the United States, and Mexico?
Mr. Speaker, in order to chase their goal of balancing the budget at all costs, they created the Phoenix fiasco, they nickel and dimed our veterans, and they continued to cut services for Canadians across the board. We made a different decision than they did. We told Canadians that we would run deficits, so we could grow the economy and put more money in the pockets of Canadians who needed it. That is exactly what we have done, and that is working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, once again, Conservatives are demonstrating that they do not understand how to help Canadians. The statistics he is referring to do not take into account the Canada child benefit. This benefit gives more money to nine out of 10 families. It has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty and is helping Canadian families immensely. It is one of the elements that led to the economic growth we are seeing now.The Conservatives would have preferred to keep their own benefit, which gave money to millionaires every month. We are giving money to families who actually need it.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday in committee, the nominee for Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner that the Liberals imposed on us would not confirm whether he plans to pursue the investigations into the Prime Minister's trip and the Minister of Finance's involvement in Bill C-27. Canadians are really concerned. These investigations are important to Canadians and certainly to our democracy, but the Liberals do not seem to realize that.Do the Liberals think the commissioner should continue the investigations his predecessor started?
Mr. Speaker, once again, in their pursuit of endless partisanship, the Conservatives follow think tanks that do not include the whole picture. The stats they are quoting now do not actually include the Canada child benefit. I can understand why. They campaigned against our Canada child benefit, which gave more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifted hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty. They wanted to continue with their benefits that sent child benefit cheques to millionaire families. I do not think that is fair. Canadians did not think that was fair. That is why we are delivering on what we committed to Canadians to do.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He continues to work on important measures that are going to make Canada more accessible and ease the challenges facing Canadians living with disabilities.When he was veterans affairs minister, he made historic improvements to support veterans and their families and will continue to be a strong voice for the compassionate approach this government continues to have.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents and his province. Our government's support for research and innovation is being noticed around the world. Through our investment of $117 million in the Canada 150 research chairs program, we are recruiting talented researchers and scholars from a broad variety of disciplines.Today the Minister of Science welcomed our first group of talented researchers, including Dr. Addis, Dr. Colijn, Dr. Ramalho-Santos, and Dr. Seltzer, who will work in Ontario and in British Columbia. We look forward to welcoming additional chairs in the coming months.
Mr. Speaker, we are still very concerned about the impact of job losses on workers and their families, and we acknowledge the excellent work done by Davie employees. With regard to other shipbuilding projects, the strategy allocates $2 billion for competitive projects granted to Canadian shipyards like Davie. Since that was the last question, I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays. Let's all come back safe and sound in 2018.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, six months ago, early this summer, we consulted the opposition members. We asked them exactly what kind of concerns they had, whom we should talk to, and which communities should be involved in choosing who the next officers of Parliament should be.This was a commitment we made regarding a process we were developing specifically to ensure greater transparency and openness. We are proud to have done so much consultation with the opposition members, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He is working right now on important accessibility legislation for helping every person with disabilities in this country.When he was minister of veterans affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit and reopened offices across the country that Conservatives shuttered. He will continue to be a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, and of course for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Mr. Speaker, our approach has focused on growing the middle class and making sure that Canadians have a real and fair opportunity to succeed, and across the country we are seeing the benefits of that happening. This year we created 441,000 new jobs, which is the top number for job creation in 18 years in this country. This is the kind of result that our leadership on the economy has delivered, and those members cannot say anything about it.
Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I completely disagree with my hon. colleague across the way.The reality is that seeking suggestions and names for months is part of the consultation process. Asking opposition members for criteria, possible implications, and concerns is precisely how we were able to choose the right officers of Parliament. That is precisely the process we followed, and we will have excellent officers of Parliament as a result.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his comments and for contributing to the Supreme Court appointment process. As he mentioned, it is a very good one. However, I want to correct him in that we did, for example, on the Commissioner of Lobbying and the Commissioner of Official Languages, reach out to the opposition parties back in June to talk about the stakeholders they wanted, the communities they thought we would involve, how they felt the appointment process should go. We were happy to consult them then. We are happy to be open, transparent, and engaging throughout the process.
Mr. Speaker, cities and towns across the country are among our most important partners in our effort to legalize and strictly regulate access to cannabis. That is why we are providing the provinces and territories 75% of collected excise tax from cannabis, so municipalities can get the resources they need to keep cannabis away from kids and profits out of the hands of criminals. This agreement will be reviewed within six months of legalization to confirm that communities, cities, and towns are well supported by the provinces.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives demonstrate that they still do not understand anything about getting a good trade deal for Canadians. Wherever we go around the world, we will be demanding a good deal for Canada. We are not going to follow the Conservative Harper doctrine of any deal, and capitulation, as a trade strategy. We are going to demand good outcomes for Canadians, on the environment, on labour issues, on a broad range of issues, because that is what Canadians elected us to do.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives demonstrate that they still do not understand anything about getting a good trade deal for Canadians. Wherever we go around the world, we will be demanding a good deal for Canada. We are not going to follow the Conservative Harper doctrine of any deal, and capitulation, as a trade strategy. We are going to demand good outcomes for Canadians, on the environment, on labour issues, on a broad range of issues, because that is what Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, cities and towns across the country are among our most important partners in our effort to legalize and strictly regulate access to cannabis. That is why we are providing the provinces and territories 75% of collected excise tax from cannabis, so municipalities can get the resources they need to keep cannabis away from kids and profits out of the hands of criminals. This agreement will be reviewed within six months of legalization to confirm that communities, cities, and towns are well supported by the provinces.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his comments and for contributing to the Supreme Court appointment process. As he mentioned, it is a very good one. However, I want to correct him in that we did, for example, on the Commissioner of Lobbying and the Commissioner of Official Languages, reach out to the opposition parties back in June to talk about the stakeholders they wanted, the communities they thought we would involve, how they felt the appointment process should go. We were happy to consult them then. We are happy to be open, transparent, and engaging throughout the process.
Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I completely disagree with my hon. colleague across the way.The reality is that seeking suggestions and names for months is part of the consultation process. Asking opposition members for criteria, possible implications, and concerns is precisely how we were able to choose the right officers of Parliament. That is precisely the process we followed, and we will have excellent officers of Parliament as a result.
Mr. Speaker, our approach has focused on growing the middle class and making sure that Canadians have a real and fair opportunity to succeed, and across the country we are seeing the benefits of that happening. This year we created 441,000 new jobs, which is the top number for job creation in 18 years in this country. This is the kind of result that our leadership on the economy has delivered, and those members cannot say anything about it.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He is working right now on important accessibility legislation for helping every person with disabilities in this country.When he was minister of veterans affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit and reopened offices across the country that Conservatives shuttered. He will continue to be a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, and of course for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, six months ago, early this summer, we consulted the opposition members. We asked them exactly what kind of concerns they had, whom we should talk to, and which communities should be involved in choosing who the next officers of Parliament should be.This was a commitment we made regarding a process we were developing specifically to ensure greater transparency and openness. We are proud to have done so much consultation with the opposition members, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, we are still very concerned about the impact of job losses on workers and their families, and we acknowledge the excellent work done by Davie employees. With regard to other shipbuilding projects, the strategy allocates $2 billion for competitive projects granted to Canadian shipyards like Davie. Since that was the last question, I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays. Let's all come back safe and sound in 2018.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents and his province. Our government's support for research and innovation is being noticed around the world. Through our investment of $117 million in the Canada 150 research chairs program, we are recruiting talented researchers and scholars from a broad variety of disciplines.Today the Minister of Science welcomed our first group of talented researchers, including Dr. Addis, Dr. Colijn, Dr. Ramalho-Santos, and Dr. Seltzer, who will work in Ontario and in British Columbia. We look forward to welcoming additional chairs in the coming months.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He continues to work on important measures that are going to make Canada more accessible and ease the challenges facing Canadians living with disabilities.When he was veterans affairs minister, he made historic improvements to support veterans and their families and will continue to be a strong voice for the compassionate approach this government continues to have.
Mr. Speaker, once again, in their pursuit of endless partisanship, the Conservatives follow think tanks that do not include the whole picture. The stats they are quoting now do not actually include the Canada child benefit. I can understand why. They campaigned against our Canada child benefit, which gave more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifted hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty. They wanted to continue with their benefits that sent child benefit cheques to millionaire families. I do not think that is fair. Canadians did not think that was fair. That is why we are delivering on what we committed to Canadians to do.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday in committee, the nominee for Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner that the Liberals imposed on us would not confirm whether he plans to pursue the investigations into the Prime Minister's trip and the Minister of Finance's involvement in Bill C-27. Canadians are really concerned. These investigations are important to Canadians and certainly to our democracy, but the Liberals do not seem to realize that.Do the Liberals think the commissioner should continue the investigations his predecessor started?
Mr. Speaker, once again, Conservatives are demonstrating that they do not understand how to help Canadians. The statistics he is referring to do not take into account the Canada child benefit. This benefit gives more money to nine out of 10 families. It has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty and is helping Canadian families immensely. It is one of the elements that led to the economic growth we are seeing now.The Conservatives would have preferred to keep their own benefit, which gave money to millionaires every month. We are giving money to families who actually need it.
Mr. Speaker, in order to chase their goal of balancing the budget at all costs, they created the Phoenix fiasco, they nickel and dimed our veterans, and they continued to cut services for Canadians across the board. We made a different decision than they did. We told Canadians that we would run deficits, so we could grow the economy and put more money in the pockets of Canadians who needed it. That is exactly what we have done, and that is working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, it is not only Australia and Japan who are upset with the Prime Minister for his bizarre actions in Asia. Can the Prime Minister assure us that with his recent behaviour in China, his begging for a free trade agreement at all costs, he has not compromised our position at the NAFTA negotiating table and the millions of jobs today that depend on free trade between Canada, the United States, and Mexico?
Mr. Speaker, being vocal about this important issue is something I have always done. Indeed, when I was last in west Africa, I actually spoke up clearly and strongly against this issue. In regard to the citizenship guide, we are pleased to take recommendations and suggestions from all Canadians, including members of the opposition. I can assure members that we will be very clear about this issue, because this is not an issue for partisanship; this is an issue on which we are all united.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals always talk about their real record. Despite their promises, the wealthiest 1% in Canada are paying a billion dollars less in taxes. Despite their promises, the middle class, 87% of them, are paying higher taxes. Despite their promises, that millionaire, the Prime Minister, continues to get child care benefits in the form of taxpayer-funded nanny services. Their wealthiest friends continue to stash away their money in tax havens that the government has done nothing to address. When will the Liberals admit that it is a government by the rich, of the rich, and for the rich?
Mr. Speaker, nobody is buying the Prime Minister's revisionist history. Let us take a look at the record: strategic airlift craft, Hercules tactical airlift craft, Chinook helicopters, upgraded Aurora surveillance planes, and modernized Halifax-class frigates for our navy. That is just a partial list of the Conservative government's success on the procurement file. What do we have in contrast? We have a fabricated credibility gap, which is having us search Kijiji in Australia for used fighter jets. This is a disgrace to our men and women in the armed forces.When will the Prime Minister just take the blame for his own incompetence?
Mr. Speaker, they started the Phoenix program before it was ready, ignoring the advice of a third-party report. They have had two years to fix it, and no one believes they are going to do anything about it. It is going to take a Conservative government to clean up their mess.The incompetence is everywhere. The Liberals campaigned on a new process to replace our fighter jets. They then abandoned that process and said they would sole source Super Hornets. Now, they are searching the reduced-for-quick-sale bin for used fighters from Australia. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility and admit we are never going to get new jets?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister's main role is to manage finances, the money that Canadians worked hard to earn.This is the reality: a deficit of more than $20 billion at the expense of our children and grandchildren, higher taxes for businesses, higher taxes for families, and no plan to balance the budget.My wish for Canadians in 2018 is that the Prime Minister do the right thing: fire the finance minister and find one with integrity who will be transparent and do his job in a responsible manner.
Mr. Speaker, as we come to the end of this year, one cannot help but feel bad for the members of the opposition, because of the results we have gotten as a government. The job creation numbers, 441,000 new jobs, the best in 18 years; the growing economy; the help for the middle class; and the positive outcomes leave the opposition with nothing to do but to fling accusations and throw mud. That is not what Canadians want. That is not what Canadians deserve. I hope they will be getting better than that in the coming year.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians and especially parliamentarians expect officers of Parliament to perform their duties with integrity and to make decisions based on facts. That is exactly what the commissioner said he would do. He said he would not cater to partisan interests or needs and that the facts and intellectual rigour would dictate how he carries out his responsibilities. That is what we expect, whereas opponents seem to expect nothing but partisanship.
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, we are lowering small business taxes for 100% of small businesses across the country. Three per cent of small businesses of Canada-controlled private corporations use income sprinkling. Of that 3%, many will be able to continue under recently-clarified rules that apply. Those who are trying to use income sprinkling as a way of avoiding paying their fair share of taxes no longer will be able to. That is what Canadians expect of this government when we make the tax system fairer, and that is what we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement made today by the Minister of Finance, there is still one very troubling aspect of the small business changes, which is this. A married woman in a family business will now have to prove that she receives a dividend from that company. However, for a divorced woman, it is assumed she will receive that dividend from the same company. Therefore, from one feminist to another, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister trying to pretend that his selection process is not partisan?Canadians want the investigations into both the Prime Minister and the finance minister to be completed and reported. In committee yesterday, the government's nominee refused to commit to do so. These investigations are important for our democracy, and the Liberals must be held to account.Do the Liberals not agree that investigations already started need to continue under the new commissioner or do they believe they are above the law?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for BromeMissisquoi for his question. Our government is still very concerned about the situation of the Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh.I am pleased to inform the House that Canadians generously donated $12.5 million. Our government will therefore increase our humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya by that same amount. This will bring the overall contribution of Canada and Canadians in 2017 to $50 million for our partners in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Mr. Speaker, what Stephen Harper did not understand, what those Conservatives over there continue not to understand, is that it is not just about signing any deal; it is about signing a good deal for Canadians. We saw time and time again that they are just in a rush to try to sign anything to get along, but we know that no deal is better than a bad deal. We will always stand up for Canadian interests, unlike those Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing the Prime Minister did was to cancel the tax cut for small business owners. It was Conservatives who forced him to bring it back.That is not all. He has tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits. He has gone after employee benefits, the waitresses and waiters and retail workers. He has tried to raise taxes on our brave women and men in the armed forces, and he has even had to apologize for raising taxes on Canadians living with diabetes.Why does the Prime Minister not just come clean and admit that all of these tax hikes are the consequences of his out of control spending and massive deficits?
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, today is the last sitting day of parliament before the holidays, but more importantly it is the last sitting day before hundreds of workers loose their job at the Davie shipyard. The Prime Minister cannot go on holiday when hundreds of workers are about to spend Christmas without a job. This is the last chance to announce a real contract in the House so that workers can keep their jobs. Will the Prime Minister take that chance, show some compassion, and protect jobs at the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has just barely been nominated and he is already in hot water.First, we learned that the work that he did on two case files when he held a similar position in the past was criticized, but even more importantly, he is refusing to confirm whether he will pursue the investigations into the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister himself that are currently under way.I thought we usually hired an investigator to get to the bottom of a crime, not to cover the offender's tracks.Is wiping the slate clean and starting fresh the Liberals' new way of dealing with crises?
Mr. Speaker, I think the question is whether parliamentarians and Canadians expect officers of Parliament to fulfill their duties with integrity, with responsibility, and based on the facts. That is exactly what the commissioner testified to yesterday. That is what we all expect from agents of Parliament, to do their job responsibly, above the petty partisanship that so often animates the House.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and of our waters. We are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the permanent removal of the Kathryn Spirit is carried out safely and efficiently. The contract to fully dismantle the Kathyn Spirit was awarded after an open and transparent procurement process. We are still monitoring the ship and will continue to keep the local community informed as the work progresses.
Mr. Speaker, during her testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, the Minister of Science told the committee that when she was at the G7 in Italy, Canada was viewed as a beacon for science around the world. Could the Prime Minister update the House on the actions he is taking to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for international talent and how that is benefiting post-secondary institutions in Canada, but especially in my home province of British Columbia?
The personal attacks keep coming, Mr. Speaker.The reality is that the Minister of Finance has met expectations, especially those of Canadian families, with respect to Canada's economy. The first thing he did was lower taxes for the middle class by raising them for the wealthy. Then he established the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families and will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.He does that by not sending benefit cheques to the families of millionaires like the former government did. We are creating economic growth that is benefiting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to deliver child care benefits to that millionaire in the form of taxpayer-funded nannies. However, beyond that, the Prime Minister criticized the source I used for statistics. He says it is a think tank. Actually, it is his own finance department, which has the wealthiest 1% paying a billion dollars less under the government. No new taxes for his trust fund, no new taxes for Morneau Shepell, no new taxes for his fundraising chair, just more taxes for the working people who pay the bills in our country. Why?
Mr. Speaker, on January 1st, every single one of our small businesses will see their taxes cut. This is good news for the middle class and for those who are working hard to join it.However, we have made changes to ensure that the wealthiest Canadians cannot find ways to bring their taxes down to a lower rate than that paid by middle-class Canadians. This simplification will not only help many people continue to do what they are doing to help their families, but it will also ensure that the wealthiest Canadians do not benefit even more.
Mr. Speaker, the dictionary definition of consultation is the act or instance of consulting, to seek information or advice from someone. Sending a letter with the name of just one candidate is not consulting; it is imposing a choice. Giving the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics one hour with the candidate for the position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner does not show openness; it limits the discussion. If the Liberals really wanted to consult the opposition, why did they wait until the very last minute to do so?
Mr. Speaker, we lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%, and the Conservatives tried to stop us. We brought in a Canada child benefit that would give more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifts hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward in increasing the guaranteed income supplement for our most vulnerable elderly seniors, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward on strengthening the CPP for future generations, and they tried to stop us.
Mr. Speaker, on the issue of the Lobbying Commissioner and the Official Languages Commissioner, we actually consulted opposition parties last June to see what criteria they were looking for, what their perspective was, and what stakeholders we should be consulting with. We have engaged them in a robust process that will determine, and end up with, the right kinds of officers of Parliament. Once again, if they do not have confidence in the officers of Parliament we have put forward, let them stand up and say so.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. This summer, when we said we were going to be lowering taxes for small businesses and making sure that wealthy Canadians would no longer be encouraged to use Canadian-controlled private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians, those Conservatives went on the warpath, scared everyone across the country, and are now sheepish that we are lowering taxes on small businesses as of January 1. They can do nothing but give personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, when the wife of a Canadian soldier with severe PTSD went to the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, she was told, You married him. It's your responsibility.When a young mom and cancer survivor asked why the government continued to deny her benefits, the minister compared her question to the old question, When did you stop beating your wife?To a thalidomide survivor, this same minister quipped, Everyone in Canada has a sob story.My question for the Prime Minister is simple. Do these comments reflect the position of his government?
Mr. Speaker, it is rich millionaire friends who are getting the benefits of the government's policy. However, the incompetence extends to so many other areas.It has been two years, and the Prime Minister has broken two key promises of his campaign. First, he said he would run modest deficits. Now we know that his out of control spending is costing taxpayers over $100 billion. Second, he said he would balance the budget in 2019. Now his government is telling us it does not even know when the budget will be balanced. The Prime Minister cannot even read a balance sheet. How can Canadians have any confidence in anything else he is doing?
Mr. Speaker, the Kathryn Spirit is going to cost taxpayers $24 million. Most of the money will go to the company that dumped this eyesore in Beauharnois in the first place. To make matters worse, the government has not established a penalty in case the company fails to meet the dismantling deadline in early 2019. The cherry on top is that this company has been fined by Quebec for committing environmental violations. It is also facing a $10-million class action lawsuit. How does this government plan to impose strict environmental regulations, and why is there no late penalty, given that the dismantling is already six years overdue?
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why the members across the way keep making these personal attacks. It is because the real record of our Minister of Finance is extremely positive: 441,000 new jobs created in the past 12 months, breaking an 18-year record.We are creating the strongest economic growth in the G7. We are helping Canadian families succeed after 10 years of a Conservative government that did not give families the help they need.
Mr. Speaker, let us try to sum up the Liberal ethical violations of just this past year. The Prime Minister breaks the law by taking a private helicopter to a billionaire's island, but who has not done that too? The finance minister secretly holds on to millions of dollars in shares in a numbered company, but I say, Let ye cast the first stone. Now the Liberal House leader, whose job it has been to defend the ethical violations of the finance minister and the Prime Minister, was put in charge of hiring a new ethics commissioner. Irony is dead over there.My question for the Prime Minister is this. Exactly how many ethical violations and investigations is it going to take before the Liberals realize that the rules apply to them too?
Mr. Speaker, I have been accused on the other side of not understanding arithmetic, so I think I will help the Prime Minister on this one. Three per cent of small businesses is 45,000 small businesses in this country that, in the next two and a half weeks, will have to understand these rule changes and then implement corporate structure changes to their own businesses in order to be able to be on the right side of the CRA, and then the CRA will test to determine if it is reasonable what they are doing. This does not help anyone in this country. Will the Liberals withdraw these tax changes?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he would lower taxes for the middle class, but he actually raised taxes on public transit, children's sports and arts activities, camping, and even beer and wine. In fact, 80% of middle-class Canadians are paying more taxes, and the wealthiest Canadians are paying $1 billion less. The only word to describe this is incompetence.When is the Prime Minister going to stop making life easier for his rich friends and harder for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, I quote facts from the Prime Minister's own finance department and he considers it a terrible personal attack against him. Maybe he should take that up with the finance department. When the government gets big, we know who pays more. It is the working class. It was not Morneau Shepell that paid higher taxes. It has not been his fundraising chair. It has not been him. In fact, we know that the wealthiest 1% pays a billion dollars less. Yes, that is a record to cry about. The reality is that when the government gets bigger, the working class pays more. When are the Liberals going to put an end to that injustice?
Mr. Speaker, we can say a lot about the fact that local business owners across the country have been under assault by the Liberal government's out-of-touch attack on their ability to create jobs.We can say a lot about the fact that the top 1% is actually paying less under the government's changes than before.We can say a heck of a lot about the damage the government is doing to the economy with its erratic behaviour on the trade front. Indeed, recently, the Prime Minister insulted Japan and Australia when he skipped a meeting that would have allowed Canada to sign onto the world's largest trading block.Could the Prime Minister tell us what he is doing to repair the damage caused by his erratic behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, this week Liberals again excluded the Native Women's Association of Canada from high-level federal-provincial-territorial meetings, and it is not the first time. Indigenous women were shut out of first ministers meetings in October, March, and last December. NWAC was not even invited to a reconciliation meeting with the Prime Minister. We need a diversity of voices, and leaving women out means they only get half the wisdom. How can this so-called feminist Prime Minister call this reconciliation, when he keeps blocking indigenous women's voices?
Mr. Speaker, this whole file since July 18 has been a complete disaster, and here we are almost six months later and the government still does not have simple answers to very worried small business owners across the country.Everyone knows that the Prime Minister is raising taxes so he can keep spending on his personal priorities and the priorities of his wealthy friends: hundreds of millions of dollars for his friends at Bombardier; half a billion dollars for his rich friends who run a bank in Asia; and $10 million for a convicted terrorist who murdered an allied solider.Canadians do not want to pay his bills, so will the PM finally end his attack on small business owners?
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that the procurement requirements of the navy and the Coast Guard were subject to a comprehensive review. For the moment, the long-term procurement plan does not include a second supply ship. That was not one of the needs that was identified. Our government does not plan to buy or obtain the services of a second supply ship for the moment.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been taking it seriously for two years and nothing has happened. Maybe it is time they start taking it super seriously and we might actually get some results.The incompetence extends even further. Canadian veterans are in limbo amid a backlog of applications for disability benefits. I know the Prime Minister will get up two years into his mandate and try to find other people to blame. However, let us remember that this is happening under his watch and as a direct result of his decision.When will the Prime Minister stop blaming others and stand with our brave men and women in uniform?
Mr. Speaker, when Parliament chooses a new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner all parties must be consulted. It is a legal obligation. However, we were not consulted. We only received one letter and one name. We know nothing about the other candidates, and the nominee was rushed through committee within one hour. Instead of a merit-based process, all we have are the Liberals' assurances that they are doing the right thing, but that is not enough. How can they tell us that their nomination was merit-based, and if they want to pursue that line, why do they not release the names of the finalists to the other parties?
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, small businesses will be paying lower taxes, because we are dropping the small business tax rate. For those Canadian-controlled private corporations that do use income sprinkling, they will have the entirety of 2018 to determine how to give out dividends, and then they will have a few more months after that to prepare their taxes. We are giving plenty of time to businesses to ensure that they are able to continue to do things that matter to their businesses.
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of our military deserve the equipment they need to fulfill their responsibilities and deliver on their commitments. For 10 years, the previous Conservative government was unable to give the men and women of our forces the equipment they needed. It completely botched the process. That is why we were proud to launch a full, open competition yesterday to replace our fleet of aging fighter jets, not with 65 jets like the Conservatives spoke about but 88 jets, to ensure our military can fulfill the roles we expect it to.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities has addressed these allegations.He is working on important legislation to increase accessibility in order to help every disabled Canadian.When he was the minister of veterans' affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit, and he re-opened offices across the country that had been closed by the Conservatives. He will continue to be a passionate advocate for persons with disabilities and for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Mr. Speaker, I know you are trying to invoke Santa Claus to help them out, but let us not forget that the Conservatives like coal.We take very seriously the responsibility we have to ensure that the men and women of our armed forces actually have the opportunity to do their jobs safely and with the right equipment. We take that extremely seriously after the Conservatives botched the process for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that everything is always about partisanship for the members of the opposition. However, we expect any conflict of interest and ethics commissioner and any officer of Parliament to fulfill their duties with care and integrity. We have immense respect for the approach of relying on evidence and examining all the facts before making a decision.
Mr. Speaker, women who have undergone female genital mutilation suffer infections, difficult urination and childbirth, pain during intercourse, and more. Practitioners of FGM are entering Canada, and Canadian girls are being taken abroad to have the procedure performed on them. Raising awareness of FGM is a core part of the fight against it, and that is why it is listed in Canada's citizenship guide as a practice Canada does not tolerate. I have a simple question: Will the Prime Minister end his consultations on FGM and decide today that warnings about FGM belong in Canada's citizenship guide?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his Christmas wishes, but Davie workers would like a decision on Obelix. I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table the Liberal defence policy saying we need two ships. That is written on page 35. We call that a naval task group. We need it for our national security. It is a way to say merry Christmas to Canada and the people of Lévis.
Mr. Speaker, asking us to put forward a few names back in June is not consultation. It is not the commissioner that we do not trust; it is the government's process. Why is that? Because the selection committee for the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner had five members, including the chief of staff of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the chief of staff of the President of the Treasury Board, and two assistant secretaries of the Liberal cabinet.How can we have any faith that the selection process for the future commissioner was open, transparent, merit-based, and especially impartial, when the selection committee was dominated by Liberal cabinet employees?
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear here. It is not like the Liberals do not know what consultation with other parties looks like. They did consult the opposition before appointing the Supreme Court justice recently. However, they consistently fail to consult on appointments for officers of Parliament. These watchdogs do not work for Liberals; they work for all of Parliament, and we represent all Canadians.Therefore, when will the Prime Minister drop his tired talking points, keep the promise to be open and accountable, and commit right now to follow the right process, the legal process, for these appointments?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about Phoenix. Let us talk about the Liberal decision to ignore a third-party report that said the system was not ready, and yet they rushed ahead for political reasons. It was their choice to press the start button. They have had two years to fix it. Two years, and they have done nothing. Meanwhile, families across the country are suffering because of the government's lack of action and incompetence. When will the Prime Minister take responsibility for his decision and stop trying to blame other people?
Mr. Speaker, moments ago, during question period, in his response to a question from the member for Carleton, the Prime Minister mentioned a study that he said came from a lobby group, but the study is actually from the finance department, and for the eighth time, I seek the consent of the House to table the document.It is from the Department of Finance annual financial report of the Government of Canada, 2016-17, page 16, Personal income tax revenues decreased by $1.2 billion, or 0.8%, in 201617, largely reflecting the impact of tax planning by high-income individuals.
Mr. Speaker, we must never allow this dark and painful chapter of our history to be forgotten. We are encouraging all survivors to share their stories and documents with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Where an individual requests it, our government is willing to absolutely waive privilege and encourages all other entities to do exactly the same.We remain committed to bringing closure to this system.
Mr. Speaker, that is simply not true. We continually work with indigenous women's organizations and indigenous groups across this country to ensure that all voicesyouth, elders, women, and survivors of residential schoolsare heard in every possible forum. We know that the work of reconciliation needs to involve everyone, not just indigenous people and the government but non-indigenous Canadians as well. That is the work we are doing. That is what we take so seriously and what we are focused on as we build a brighter future that includes everyone in this country's success.
Mr. Speaker, Rohingya refugees continue to live in dire circumstances. They face serious challenges related to food, shelter, health, and the safety of women and children.The Myanmar crisis relief fund, which the government announced last month, has come to an end. Canadians are generous, and compassion is one of our core values.Can the Prime Minister give the House an update on the amount collected?
Mr. Speaker, with the serious delays in the naval strategy and the decommissioning of the Preserver and the Protecteur, even the Minister of National Defence recognizes that there is a serious operational gap. His parliamentary secretary has called for the Obelix. It says in the Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister and on page 35 of the Liberal defence policy that the minister must maintain the capacity of the deep-sea fleet. We need two ships: the Asterix and the Obelix.When will the Prime Minister make national security a top priority and ask the Davie shipyard to build the Obelix? Will he do so before the holidays?
Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Minister of Finance met with his counterparts from across the country to work collaboratively and take action that was in the interests of all Canadians, to strengthen the middle class, and to help those working hard to join it. As a result, a number of agreements were reached, including a coordinated approach on the cannabis excise framework.Could the Prime Minister inform the House on the cannabis agreement, and how it benefits provinces, territories, and municipalities?
Mr. Speaker, only the Conservatives could see lowering taxes on small businesses as an attack on small businesses. That is how partisan they have become.The fact is the first thing we did was to lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Everything we have done since then, including the Canada child benefit, increasing the GIS for seniors, and now lowering taxes for all small businesses across this country, is helping the middle class and helping to grow our booming economy.
Mr. Speaker, there have been some discussions among the parties and if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House: (a) after the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion for third reading of Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Salaries Act and to make a consequential amendment to the Financial Administration Act, the questions on the motions standing on the Order Paper in the name of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons in relation to the appointments of the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Commissioner of Lobbying, and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, shall be put forthwith and successively, and that, if a recorded division is requested on any of the aforementioned motions, the bells to call in the members shall not ring and the recorded division shall be taken immediately; (b) Bill C-66, An Act to establish a procedure for expunging certain historically unjust convictions and to make related amendments to other Acts, be deemed concurred in at the report stage and ordered for consideration at third reading later this day; when the House begins debate on the motion for third reading of the said Bill, a Member of each recognized party, a Member of the Bloc Québécois and the Member for SaanichGulf Islands may speak to the said motion for not more than 10 minutes, followed by five minutes for questions and comments and, at the conclusion of the time provided for Government Orders this day or when no members rise to speak, whichever is earlier, the motion be deemed adopted and the Bill read a third time and passed; (c) the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology be the committee designated for the purposes of section 92 of the Copyright Act; and (d) when the House adjourns today, it shall stand adjourned until Monday, January 29, 2018, provided that, for the purposes of any Standing Order, it shall be deemed to have been adjourned pursuant to Standing Order 28 and be deemed to have sat on Thursday, December 14 and Friday, December 15, 2017.
Mr. Speaker, one cannot help but feel bad for the Conservatives. They are resorting to flailing around with personal attacks because we have created over 441,000 new jobs over these past 12 months. That is an 18-year record for the Canadian government. We are delivering the fastest growth rate in the G7. We are delivering on low unemployment and benefits to Canadians, which are making a real and tangible difference in their lives. All they have left is groundless personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite actually just laid it out. The problem was that they fired 700 people in order to book the savings they were counting on so they could magically balance the budget just in time for the election, to try to save their skins from their terrible economic performance over the past 10 years. We did not create the Phoenix problem, but we are going to fix it.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities does not have what it takes to be minister. A minister must listen to people, and be receptive and empathetic. The minister clearly does not get this, and has repeatedly acted inappropriately and made condescending comments to Canadians, like Kim Davis. What is worse is that the minister ordered his staff to publicly humiliate Ms. Davis.Does the Prime Minister endorse his minister's actions?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits, but we stopped them. They tried to raise taxes on people with autism and diabetes, but we stopped them. They are trying to raise taxes on our family farmers and local businesses, and we continue to stop them. Will the Prime Minister admit that he is just putting these tax increases targeted at vulnerable people on hold and that he will try to bring them back in, if, God forbid, he gets another chance after the next election?
Over the past two years, Mr. Speaker, we have invested in hundreds of millions of dollars for veterans. We have improved the benefits they receive. We have reopened veteran service offices that were closed. We are ensuring that we live up to the sacred obligation we owe to our veterans and to their families. This is work we take very seriously and it is work we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, it is an alarming pattern but a clear one: the Liberals are compassionate toward vulnerable Canadians only when it is politically convenient for them.Thalidomide survivors, veterans' families, and sick mothers, who have all gone to a minister for assistance, have been dismissed and belittled. It gets worse. For his own political damage control, it seems he told his staff to publicly humiliate and discredit the wife of a sick veteran by sending screen shots of her personal Facebook posts to the media.How can the Prime Minister condone his minister's words and actions?
Mr. Speaker, facts are facts. They can be checked.Let us look at the Minister of Finance's record: he imposed a tax reform to raise taxes on small businesses; he was fined by the Ethics Commissioner because he failed to declare one of his companies that owned one of his villas in France; he failed to put his assets in a blind trust; he sold $10 million worth of shares in his company days before introducing tax measures that he himself put in place; and he introduced Bill C-27, which earned his family's company more than $5 million.When will the Prime Minister call for his Minister of Finance to resign?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of survivors, those of St. Anne's residential school have been forced to go back to court to end interference by government lawyers.The Liberals have been fighting those survivors for years by covering up documents and forcing them to find witnesses to verify evidence, and now the Liberals want them to pay for court costs. This is a re-victimization of survivors who have suffered horrific levels of abuse. When will the government commit to real partnership with survivors? If I was asked, I would say that this does not seem like a real partnership.
Mr. Speaker, for months, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have tried to minimize the devastating impact that their tax changes will have on our local businesses. Once again today, the government has made an announcement that does not address the serious concerns of the business owners who create jobs in our communities.How can the Prime Minister allow this incompetence and this farce to carry on, when January 1st is fast approaching?
Mr. Speaker, I seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: that the House condemn the horrific acts committed by ISIS; acknowledge that individuals who joined ISIS fighters are complicit in these horrific acts and pose a danger to all Canadians; call on the government to bring to justice and prosecute any ISIS fighter returning to Canada; and insist that the government make the security and protection of Canadians its priority, rather than the reintegration of ISIS fighters.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives demonstrate that they still do not understand anything about getting a good trade deal for Canadians. Wherever we go around the world, we will be demanding a good deal for Canada. We are not going to follow the Conservative Harper doctrine of any deal, and capitulation, as a trade strategy. We are going to demand good outcomes for Canadians, on the environment, on labour issues, on a broad range of issues, because that is what Canadians elected us to do.
Mr. Speaker, cities and towns across the country are among our most important partners in our effort to legalize and strictly regulate access to cannabis. That is why we are providing the provinces and territories 75% of collected excise tax from cannabis, so municipalities can get the resources they need to keep cannabis away from kids and profits out of the hands of criminals. This agreement will be reviewed within six months of legalization to confirm that communities, cities, and towns are well supported by the provinces.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his comments and for contributing to the Supreme Court appointment process. As he mentioned, it is a very good one. However, I want to correct him in that we did, for example, on the Commissioner of Lobbying and the Commissioner of Official Languages, reach out to the opposition parties back in June to talk about the stakeholders they wanted, the communities they thought we would involve, how they felt the appointment process should go. We were happy to consult them then. We are happy to be open, transparent, and engaging throughout the process.
Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I completely disagree with my hon. colleague across the way.The reality is that seeking suggestions and names for months is part of the consultation process. Asking opposition members for criteria, possible implications, and concerns is precisely how we were able to choose the right officers of Parliament. That is precisely the process we followed, and we will have excellent officers of Parliament as a result.
Mr. Speaker, our approach has focused on growing the middle class and making sure that Canadians have a real and fair opportunity to succeed, and across the country we are seeing the benefits of that happening. This year we created 441,000 new jobs, which is the top number for job creation in 18 years in this country. This is the kind of result that our leadership on the economy has delivered, and those members cannot say anything about it.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He is working right now on important accessibility legislation for helping every person with disabilities in this country.When he was minister of veterans affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit and reopened offices across the country that Conservatives shuttered. He will continue to be a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, and of course for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, six months ago, early this summer, we consulted the opposition members. We asked them exactly what kind of concerns they had, whom we should talk to, and which communities should be involved in choosing who the next officers of Parliament should be.This was a commitment we made regarding a process we were developing specifically to ensure greater transparency and openness. We are proud to have done so much consultation with the opposition members, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, we are still very concerned about the impact of job losses on workers and their families, and we acknowledge the excellent work done by Davie employees. With regard to other shipbuilding projects, the strategy allocates $2 billion for competitive projects granted to Canadian shipyards like Davie. Since that was the last question, I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays. Let's all come back safe and sound in 2018.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents and his province. Our government's support for research and innovation is being noticed around the world. Through our investment of $117 million in the Canada 150 research chairs program, we are recruiting talented researchers and scholars from a broad variety of disciplines.Today the Minister of Science welcomed our first group of talented researchers, including Dr. Addis, Dr. Colijn, Dr. Ramalho-Santos, and Dr. Seltzer, who will work in Ontario and in British Columbia. We look forward to welcoming additional chairs in the coming months.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has responded to these allegations. He continues to work on important measures that are going to make Canada more accessible and ease the challenges facing Canadians living with disabilities.When he was veterans affairs minister, he made historic improvements to support veterans and their families and will continue to be a strong voice for the compassionate approach this government continues to have.
Mr. Speaker, once again, in their pursuit of endless partisanship, the Conservatives follow think tanks that do not include the whole picture. The stats they are quoting now do not actually include the Canada child benefit. I can understand why. They campaigned against our Canada child benefit, which gave more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifted hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty. They wanted to continue with their benefits that sent child benefit cheques to millionaire families. I do not think that is fair. Canadians did not think that was fair. That is why we are delivering on what we committed to Canadians to do.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday in committee, the nominee for Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner that the Liberals imposed on us would not confirm whether he plans to pursue the investigations into the Prime Minister's trip and the Minister of Finance's involvement in Bill C-27. Canadians are really concerned. These investigations are important to Canadians and certainly to our democracy, but the Liberals do not seem to realize that.Do the Liberals think the commissioner should continue the investigations his predecessor started?
Mr. Speaker, once again, Conservatives are demonstrating that they do not understand how to help Canadians. The statistics he is referring to do not take into account the Canada child benefit. This benefit gives more money to nine out of 10 families. It has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty and is helping Canadian families immensely. It is one of the elements that led to the economic growth we are seeing now.The Conservatives would have preferred to keep their own benefit, which gave money to millionaires every month. We are giving money to families who actually need it.
Mr. Speaker, in order to chase their goal of balancing the budget at all costs, they created the Phoenix fiasco, they nickel and dimed our veterans, and they continued to cut services for Canadians across the board. We made a different decision than they did. We told Canadians that we would run deficits, so we could grow the economy and put more money in the pockets of Canadians who needed it. That is exactly what we have done, and that is working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, it is not only Australia and Japan who are upset with the Prime Minister for his bizarre actions in Asia. Can the Prime Minister assure us that with his recent behaviour in China, his begging for a free trade agreement at all costs, he has not compromised our position at the NAFTA negotiating table and the millions of jobs today that depend on free trade between Canada, the United States, and Mexico?
Mr. Speaker, being vocal about this important issue is something I have always done. Indeed, when I was last in west Africa, I actually spoke up clearly and strongly against this issue. In regard to the citizenship guide, we are pleased to take recommendations and suggestions from all Canadians, including members of the opposition. I can assure members that we will be very clear about this issue, because this is not an issue for partisanship; this is an issue on which we are all united.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals always talk about their real record. Despite their promises, the wealthiest 1% in Canada are paying a billion dollars less in taxes. Despite their promises, the middle class, 87% of them, are paying higher taxes. Despite their promises, that millionaire, the Prime Minister, continues to get child care benefits in the form of taxpayer-funded nanny services. Their wealthiest friends continue to stash away their money in tax havens that the government has done nothing to address. When will the Liberals admit that it is a government by the rich, of the rich, and for the rich?
Mr. Speaker, nobody is buying the Prime Minister's revisionist history. Let us take a look at the record: strategic airlift craft, Hercules tactical airlift craft, Chinook helicopters, upgraded Aurora surveillance planes, and modernized Halifax-class frigates for our navy. That is just a partial list of the Conservative government's success on the procurement file. What do we have in contrast? We have a fabricated credibility gap, which is having us search Kijiji in Australia for used fighter jets. This is a disgrace to our men and women in the armed forces.When will the Prime Minister just take the blame for his own incompetence?
Mr. Speaker, they started the Phoenix program before it was ready, ignoring the advice of a third-party report. They have had two years to fix it, and no one believes they are going to do anything about it. It is going to take a Conservative government to clean up their mess.The incompetence is everywhere. The Liberals campaigned on a new process to replace our fighter jets. They then abandoned that process and said they would sole source Super Hornets. Now, they are searching the reduced-for-quick-sale bin for used fighters from Australia. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility and admit we are never going to get new jets?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister's main role is to manage finances, the money that Canadians worked hard to earn.This is the reality: a deficit of more than $20 billion at the expense of our children and grandchildren, higher taxes for businesses, higher taxes for families, and no plan to balance the budget.My wish for Canadians in 2018 is that the Prime Minister do the right thing: fire the finance minister and find one with integrity who will be transparent and do his job in a responsible manner.
Mr. Speaker, as we come to the end of this year, one cannot help but feel bad for the members of the opposition, because of the results we have gotten as a government. The job creation numbers, 441,000 new jobs, the best in 18 years; the growing economy; the help for the middle class; and the positive outcomes leave the opposition with nothing to do but to fling accusations and throw mud. That is not what Canadians want. That is not what Canadians deserve. I hope they will be getting better than that in the coming year.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians and especially parliamentarians expect officers of Parliament to perform their duties with integrity and to make decisions based on facts. That is exactly what the commissioner said he would do. He said he would not cater to partisan interests or needs and that the facts and intellectual rigour would dictate how he carries out his responsibilities. That is what we expect, whereas opponents seem to expect nothing but partisanship.
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, we are lowering small business taxes for 100% of small businesses across the country. Three per cent of small businesses of Canada-controlled private corporations use income sprinkling. Of that 3%, many will be able to continue under recently-clarified rules that apply. Those who are trying to use income sprinkling as a way of avoiding paying their fair share of taxes no longer will be able to. That is what Canadians expect of this government when we make the tax system fairer, and that is what we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement made today by the Minister of Finance, there is still one very troubling aspect of the small business changes, which is this. A married woman in a family business will now have to prove that she receives a dividend from that company. However, for a divorced woman, it is assumed she will receive that dividend from the same company. Therefore, from one feminist to another, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister trying to pretend that his selection process is not partisan?Canadians want the investigations into both the Prime Minister and the finance minister to be completed and reported. In committee yesterday, the government's nominee refused to commit to do so. These investigations are important for our democracy, and the Liberals must be held to account.Do the Liberals not agree that investigations already started need to continue under the new commissioner or do they believe they are above the law?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for BromeMissisquoi for his question. Our government is still very concerned about the situation of the Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh.I am pleased to inform the House that Canadians generously donated $12.5 million. Our government will therefore increase our humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya by that same amount. This will bring the overall contribution of Canada and Canadians in 2017 to $50 million for our partners in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Mr. Speaker, what Stephen Harper did not understand, what those Conservatives over there continue not to understand, is that it is not just about signing any deal; it is about signing a good deal for Canadians. We saw time and time again that they are just in a rush to try to sign anything to get along, but we know that no deal is better than a bad deal. We will always stand up for Canadian interests, unlike those Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, the very first thing the Prime Minister did was to cancel the tax cut for small business owners. It was Conservatives who forced him to bring it back.That is not all. He has tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits. He has gone after employee benefits, the waitresses and waiters and retail workers. He has tried to raise taxes on our brave women and men in the armed forces, and he has even had to apologize for raising taxes on Canadians living with diabetes.Why does the Prime Minister not just come clean and admit that all of these tax hikes are the consequences of his out of control spending and massive deficits?
Mr. Speaker, as we all know, today is the last sitting day of parliament before the holidays, but more importantly it is the last sitting day before hundreds of workers loose their job at the Davie shipyard. The Prime Minister cannot go on holiday when hundreds of workers are about to spend Christmas without a job. This is the last chance to announce a real contract in the House so that workers can keep their jobs. Will the Prime Minister take that chance, show some compassion, and protect jobs at the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has just barely been nominated and he is already in hot water.First, we learned that the work that he did on two case files when he held a similar position in the past was criticized, but even more importantly, he is refusing to confirm whether he will pursue the investigations into the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister himself that are currently under way.I thought we usually hired an investigator to get to the bottom of a crime, not to cover the offender's tracks.Is wiping the slate clean and starting fresh the Liberals' new way of dealing with crises?
Mr. Speaker, I think the question is whether parliamentarians and Canadians expect officers of Parliament to fulfill their duties with integrity, with responsibility, and based on the facts. That is exactly what the commissioner testified to yesterday. That is what we all expect from agents of Parliament, to do their job responsibly, above the petty partisanship that so often animates the House.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and of our waters. We are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the permanent removal of the Kathryn Spirit is carried out safely and efficiently. The contract to fully dismantle the Kathyn Spirit was awarded after an open and transparent procurement process. We are still monitoring the ship and will continue to keep the local community informed as the work progresses.
Mr. Speaker, during her testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, the Minister of Science told the committee that when she was at the G7 in Italy, Canada was viewed as a beacon for science around the world. Could the Prime Minister update the House on the actions he is taking to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for international talent and how that is benefiting post-secondary institutions in Canada, but especially in my home province of British Columbia?
The personal attacks keep coming, Mr. Speaker.The reality is that the Minister of Finance has met expectations, especially those of Canadian families, with respect to Canada's economy. The first thing he did was lower taxes for the middle class by raising them for the wealthy. Then he established the Canada child benefit, which helps nine out of ten families and will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.He does that by not sending benefit cheques to the families of millionaires like the former government did. We are creating economic growth that is benefiting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to deliver child care benefits to that millionaire in the form of taxpayer-funded nannies. However, beyond that, the Prime Minister criticized the source I used for statistics. He says it is a think tank. Actually, it is his own finance department, which has the wealthiest 1% paying a billion dollars less under the government. No new taxes for his trust fund, no new taxes for Morneau Shepell, no new taxes for his fundraising chair, just more taxes for the working people who pay the bills in our country. Why?
Mr. Speaker, on January 1st, every single one of our small businesses will see their taxes cut. This is good news for the middle class and for those who are working hard to join it.However, we have made changes to ensure that the wealthiest Canadians cannot find ways to bring their taxes down to a lower rate than that paid by middle-class Canadians. This simplification will not only help many people continue to do what they are doing to help their families, but it will also ensure that the wealthiest Canadians do not benefit even more.
Mr. Speaker, the dictionary definition of consultation is the act or instance of consulting, to seek information or advice from someone. Sending a letter with the name of just one candidate is not consulting; it is imposing a choice. Giving the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics one hour with the candidate for the position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner does not show openness; it limits the discussion. If the Liberals really wanted to consult the opposition, why did they wait until the very last minute to do so?
Mr. Speaker, we lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%, and the Conservatives tried to stop us. We brought in a Canada child benefit that would give more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifts hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward in increasing the guaranteed income supplement for our most vulnerable elderly seniors, and they tried to stop us. We moved forward on strengthening the CPP for future generations, and they tried to stop us.
Mr. Speaker, on the issue of the Lobbying Commissioner and the Official Languages Commissioner, we actually consulted opposition parties last June to see what criteria they were looking for, what their perspective was, and what stakeholders we should be consulting with. We have engaged them in a robust process that will determine, and end up with, the right kinds of officers of Parliament. Once again, if they do not have confidence in the officers of Parliament we have put forward, let them stand up and say so.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. This summer, when we said we were going to be lowering taxes for small businesses and making sure that wealthy Canadians would no longer be encouraged to use Canadian-controlled private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians, those Conservatives went on the warpath, scared everyone across the country, and are now sheepish that we are lowering taxes on small businesses as of January 1. They can do nothing but give personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, when the wife of a Canadian soldier with severe PTSD went to the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, she was told, You married him. It's your responsibility.When a young mom and cancer survivor asked why the government continued to deny her benefits, the minister compared her question to the old question, When did you stop beating your wife?To a thalidomide survivor, this same minister quipped, Everyone in Canada has a sob story.My question for the Prime Minister is simple. Do these comments reflect the position of his government?
Mr. Speaker, it is rich millionaire friends who are getting the benefits of the government's policy. However, the incompetence extends to so many other areas.It has been two years, and the Prime Minister has broken two key promises of his campaign. First, he said he would run modest deficits. Now we know that his out of control spending is costing taxpayers over $100 billion. Second, he said he would balance the budget in 2019. Now his government is telling us it does not even know when the budget will be balanced. The Prime Minister cannot even read a balance sheet. How can Canadians have any confidence in anything else he is doing?
Mr. Speaker, the Kathryn Spirit is going to cost taxpayers $24 million. Most of the money will go to the company that dumped this eyesore in Beauharnois in the first place. To make matters worse, the government has not established a penalty in case the company fails to meet the dismantling deadline in early 2019. The cherry on top is that this company has been fined by Quebec for committing environmental violations. It is also facing a $10-million class action lawsuit. How does this government plan to impose strict environmental regulations, and why is there no late penalty, given that the dismantling is already six years overdue?
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why the members across the way keep making these personal attacks. It is because the real record of our Minister of Finance is extremely positive: 441,000 new jobs created in the past 12 months, breaking an 18-year record.We are creating the strongest economic growth in the G7. We are helping Canadian families succeed after 10 years of a Conservative government that did not give families the help they need.
Mr. Speaker, let us try to sum up the Liberal ethical violations of just this past year. The Prime Minister breaks the law by taking a private helicopter to a billionaire's island, but who has not done that too? The finance minister secretly holds on to millions of dollars in shares in a numbered company, but I say, Let ye cast the first stone. Now the Liberal House leader, whose job it has been to defend the ethical violations of the finance minister and the Prime Minister, was put in charge of hiring a new ethics commissioner. Irony is dead over there.My question for the Prime Minister is this. Exactly how many ethical violations and investigations is it going to take before the Liberals realize that the rules apply to them too?
Mr. Speaker, I have been accused on the other side of not understanding arithmetic, so I think I will help the Prime Minister on this one. Three per cent of small businesses is 45,000 small businesses in this country that, in the next two and a half weeks, will have to understand these rule changes and then implement corporate structure changes to their own businesses in order to be able to be on the right side of the CRA, and then the CRA will test to determine if it is reasonable what they are doing. This does not help anyone in this country. Will the Liberals withdraw these tax changes?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he would lower taxes for the middle class, but he actually raised taxes on public transit, children's sports and arts activities, camping, and even beer and wine. In fact, 80% of middle-class Canadians are paying more taxes, and the wealthiest Canadians are paying $1 billion less. The only word to describe this is incompetence.When is the Prime Minister going to stop making life easier for his rich friends and harder for everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, I quote facts from the Prime Minister's own finance department and he considers it a terrible personal attack against him. Maybe he should take that up with the finance department. When the government gets big, we know who pays more. It is the working class. It was not Morneau Shepell that paid higher taxes. It has not been his fundraising chair. It has not been him. In fact, we know that the wealthiest 1% pays a billion dollars less. Yes, that is a record to cry about. The reality is that when the government gets bigger, the working class pays more. When are the Liberals going to put an end to that injustice?
Mr. Speaker, we can say a lot about the fact that local business owners across the country have been under assault by the Liberal government's out-of-touch attack on their ability to create jobs.We can say a lot about the fact that the top 1% is actually paying less under the government's changes than before.We can say a heck of a lot about the damage the government is doing to the economy with its erratic behaviour on the trade front. Indeed, recently, the Prime Minister insulted Japan and Australia when he skipped a meeting that would have allowed Canada to sign onto the world's largest trading block.Could the Prime Minister tell us what he is doing to repair the damage caused by his erratic behaviour?
Mr. Speaker, this week Liberals again excluded the Native Women's Association of Canada from high-level federal-provincial-territorial meetings, and it is not the first time. Indigenous women were shut out of first ministers meetings in October, March, and last December. NWAC was not even invited to a reconciliation meeting with the Prime Minister. We need a diversity of voices, and leaving women out means they only get half the wisdom. How can this so-called feminist Prime Minister call this reconciliation, when he keeps blocking indigenous women's voices?
Mr. Speaker, this whole file since July 18 has been a complete disaster, and here we are almost six months later and the government still does not have simple answers to very worried small business owners across the country.Everyone knows that the Prime Minister is raising taxes so he can keep spending on his personal priorities and the priorities of his wealthy friends: hundreds of millions of dollars for his friends at Bombardier; half a billion dollars for his rich friends who run a bank in Asia; and $10 million for a convicted terrorist who murdered an allied solider.Canadians do not want to pay his bills, so will the PM finally end his attack on small business owners?
Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that the procurement requirements of the navy and the Coast Guard were subject to a comprehensive review. For the moment, the long-term procurement plan does not include a second supply ship. That was not one of the needs that was identified. Our government does not plan to buy or obtain the services of a second supply ship for the moment.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been taking it seriously for two years and nothing has happened. Maybe it is time they start taking it super seriously and we might actually get some results.The incompetence extends even further. Canadian veterans are in limbo amid a backlog of applications for disability benefits. I know the Prime Minister will get up two years into his mandate and try to find other people to blame. However, let us remember that this is happening under his watch and as a direct result of his decision.When will the Prime Minister stop blaming others and stand with our brave men and women in uniform?
Mr. Speaker, when Parliament chooses a new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner all parties must be consulted. It is a legal obligation. However, we were not consulted. We only received one letter and one name. We know nothing about the other candidates, and the nominee was rushed through committee within one hour. Instead of a merit-based process, all we have are the Liberals' assurances that they are doing the right thing, but that is not enough. How can they tell us that their nomination was merit-based, and if they want to pursue that line, why do they not release the names of the finalists to the other parties?
Mr. Speaker, on January 1, small businesses will be paying lower taxes, because we are dropping the small business tax rate. For those Canadian-controlled private corporations that do use income sprinkling, they will have the entirety of 2018 to determine how to give out dividends, and then they will have a few more months after that to prepare their taxes. We are giving plenty of time to businesses to ensure that they are able to continue to do things that matter to their businesses.
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of our military deserve the equipment they need to fulfill their responsibilities and deliver on their commitments. For 10 years, the previous Conservative government was unable to give the men and women of our forces the equipment they needed. It completely botched the process. That is why we were proud to launch a full, open competition yesterday to replace our fleet of aging fighter jets, not with 65 jets like the Conservatives spoke about but 88 jets, to ensure our military can fulfill the roles we expect it to.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities has addressed these allegations.He is working on important legislation to increase accessibility in order to help every disabled Canadian.When he was the minister of veterans' affairs, he delivered on our commitment to increase the caregiver recognition benefit, and he re-opened offices across the country that had been closed by the Conservatives. He will continue to be a passionate advocate for persons with disabilities and for his constituents in Calgary Centre.
Mr. Speaker, I know you are trying to invoke Santa Claus to help them out, but let us not forget that the Conservatives like coal.We take very seriously the responsibility we have to ensure that the men and women of our armed forces actually have the opportunity to do their jobs safely and with the right equipment. We take that extremely seriously after the Conservatives botched the process for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, I understand that everything is always about partisanship for the members of the opposition. However, we expect any conflict of interest and ethics commissioner and any officer of Parliament to fulfill their duties with care and integrity. We have immense respect for the approach of relying on evidence and examining all the facts before making a decision.
Mr. Speaker, women who have undergone female genital mutilation suffer infections, difficult urination and childbirth, pain during intercourse, and more. Practitioners of FGM are entering Canada, and Canadian girls are being taken abroad to have the procedure performed on them. Raising awareness of FGM is a core part of the fight against it, and that is why it is listed in Canada's citizenship guide as a practice Canada does not tolerate. I have a simple question: Will the Prime Minister end his consultations on FGM and decide today that warnings about FGM belong in Canada's citizenship guide?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for his Christmas wishes, but Davie workers would like a decision on Obelix. I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table the Liberal defence policy saying we need two ships. That is written on page 35. We call that a naval task group. We need it for our national security. It is a way to say merry Christmas to Canada and the people of Lévis.
Mr. Speaker, asking us to put forward a few names back in June is not consultation. It is not the commissioner that we do not trust; it is the government's process. Why is that? Because the selection committee for the new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner had five members, including the chief of staff of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the chief of staff of the President of the Treasury Board, and two assistant secretaries of the Liberal cabinet.How can we have any faith that the selection process for the future commissioner was open, transparent, merit-based, and especially impartial, when the selection committee was dominated by Liberal cabinet employees?
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear here. It is not like the Liberals do not know what consultation with other parties looks like. They did consult the opposition before appointing the Supreme Court justice recently. However, they consistently fail to consult on appointments for officers of Parliament. These watchdogs do not work for Liberals; they work for all of Parliament, and we represent all Canadians.Therefore, when will the Prime Minister drop his tired talking points, keep the promise to be open and accountable, and commit right now to follow the right process, the legal process, for these appointments?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about Phoenix. Let us talk about the Liberal decision to ignore a third-party report that said the system was not ready, and yet they rushed ahead for political reasons. It was their choice to press the start button. They have had two years to fix it. Two years, and they have done nothing. Meanwhile, families across the country are suffering because of the government's lack of action and incompetence. When will the Prime Minister take responsibility for his decision and stop trying to blame other people?
Mr. Speaker, moments ago, during question period, in his response to a question from the member for Carleton, the Prime Minister mentioned a study that he said came from a lobby group, but the study is actually from the finance department, and for the eighth time, I seek the consent of the House to table the document.It is from the Department of Finance annual financial report of the Government of Canada, 2016-17, page 16, Personal income tax revenues decreased by $1.2 billion, or 0.8%, in 201617, largely reflecting the impact of tax planning by high-income individuals.
Mr. Speaker, we must never allow this dark and painful chapter of our history to be forgotten. We are encouraging all survivors to share their stories and documents with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Where an individual requests it, our government is willing to absolutely waive privilege and encourages all other entities to do exactly the same.We remain committed to bringing closure to this system.
Mr. Speaker, that is simply not true. We continually work with indigenous women's organizations and indigenous groups across this country to ensure that all voicesyouth, elders, women, and survivors of residential schoolsare heard in every possible forum. We know that the work of reconciliation needs to involve everyone, not just indigenous people and the government but non-indigenous Canadians as well. That is the work we are doing. That is what we take so seriously and what we are focused on as we build a brighter future that includes everyone in this country's success.
Mr. Speaker, Rohingya refugees continue to live in dire circumstances. They face serious challenges related to food, shelter, health, and the safety of women and children.The Myanmar crisis relief fund, which the government announced last month, has come to an end. Canadians are generous, and compassion is one of our core values.Can the Prime Minister give the House an update on the amount collected?
Mr. Speaker, with the serious delays in the naval strategy and the decommissioning of the Preserver and the Protecteur, even the Minister of National Defence recognizes that there is a serious operational gap. His parliamentary secretary has called for the Obelix. It says in the Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister and on page 35 of the Liberal defence policy that the minister must maintain the capacity of the deep-sea fleet. We need two ships: the Asterix and the Obelix.When will the Prime Minister make national security a top priority and ask the Davie shipyard to build the Obelix? Will he do so before the holidays?
Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Minister of Finance met with his counterparts from across the country to work collaboratively and take action that was in the interests of all Canadians, to strengthen the middle class, and to help those working hard to join it. As a result, a number of agreements were reached, including a coordinated approach on the cannabis excise framework.Could the Prime Minister inform the House on the cannabis agreement, and how it benefits provinces, territories, and municipalities?
Mr. Speaker, only the Conservatives could see lowering taxes on small businesses as an attack on small businesses. That is how partisan they have become.The fact is the first thing we did was to lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Everything we have done since then, including the Canada child benefit, increasing the GIS for seniors, and now lowering taxes for all small businesses across this country, is helping the middle class and helping to grow our booming economy.
Mr. Speaker, there have been some discussions among the parties and if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House: (a) after the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion for third reading of Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Salaries Act and to make a consequential amendment to the Financial Administration Act, the questions on the motions standing on the Order Paper in the name of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons in relation to the appointments of the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Commissioner of Lobbying, and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, shall be put forthwith and successively, and that, if a recorded division is requested on any of the aforementioned motions, the bells to call in the members shall not ring and the recorded division shall be taken immediately; (b) Bill C-66, An Act to establish a procedure for expunging certain historically unjust convictions and to make related amendments to other Acts, be deemed concurred in at the report stage and ordered for consideration at third reading later this day; when the House begins debate on the motion for third reading of the said Bill, a Member of each recognized party, a Member of the Bloc Québécois and the Member for SaanichGulf Islands may speak to the said motion for not more than 10 minutes, followed by five minutes for questions and comments and, at the conclusion of the time provided for Government Orders this day or when no members rise to speak, whichever is earlier, the motion be deemed adopted and the Bill read a third time and passed; (c) the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology be the committee designated for the purposes of section 92 of the Copyright Act; and (d) when the House adjourns today, it shall stand adjourned until Monday, January 29, 2018, provided that, for the purposes of any Standing Order, it shall be deemed to have been adjourned pursuant to Standing Order 28 and be deemed to have sat on Thursday, December 14 and Friday, December 15, 2017.
Mr. Speaker, one cannot help but feel bad for the Conservatives. They are resorting to flailing around with personal attacks because we have created over 441,000 new jobs over these past 12 months. That is an 18-year record for the Canadian government. We are delivering the fastest growth rate in the G7. We are delivering on low unemployment and benefits to Canadians, which are making a real and tangible difference in their lives. All they have left is groundless personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite actually just laid it out. The problem was that they fired 700 people in order to book the savings they were counting on so they could magically balance the budget just in time for the election, to try to save their skins from their terrible economic performance over the past 10 years. We did not create the Phoenix problem, but we are going to fix it.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities does not have what it takes to be minister. A minister must listen to people, and be receptive and empathetic. The minister clearly does not get this, and has repeatedly acted inappropriately and made condescending comments to Canadians, like Kim Davis. What is worse is that the minister ordered his staff to publicly humiliate Ms. Davis.Does the Prime Minister endorse his minister's actions?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals tried to raise taxes on health and dental benefits, but we stopped them. They tried to raise taxes on people with autism and diabetes, but we stopped them. They are trying to raise taxes on our family farmers and local businesses, and we continue to stop them. Will the Prime Minister admit that he is just putting these tax increases targeted at vulnerable people on hold and that he will try to bring them back in, if, God forbid, he gets another chance after the next election?
Over the past two years, Mr. Speaker, we have invested in hundreds of millions of dollars for veterans. We have improved the benefits they receive. We have reopened veteran service offices that were closed. We are ensuring that we live up to the sacred obligation we owe to our veterans and to their families. This is work we take very seriously and it is work we are delivering on.
Mr. Speaker, it is an alarming pattern but a clear one: the Liberals are compassionate toward vulnerable Canadians only when it is politically convenient for them.Thalidomide survivors, veterans' families, and sick mothers, who have all gone to a minister for assistance, have been dismissed and belittled. It gets worse. For his own political damage control, it seems he told his staff to publicly humiliate and discredit the wife of a sick veteran by sending screen shots of her personal Facebook posts to the media.How can the Prime Minister condone his minister's words and actions?
Mr. Speaker, facts are facts. They can be checked.Let us look at the Minister of Finance's record: he imposed a tax reform to raise taxes on small businesses; he was fined by the Ethics Commissioner because he failed to declare one of his companies that owned one of his villas in France; he failed to put his assets in a blind trust; he sold $10 million worth of shares in his company days before introducing tax measures that he himself put in place; and he introduced Bill C-27, which earned his family's company more than $5 million.When will the Prime Minister call for his Minister of Finance to resign?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of survivors, those of St. Anne's residential school have been forced to go back to court to end interference by government lawyers.The Liberals have been fighting those survivors for years by covering up documents and forcing them to find witnesses to verify evidence, and now the Liberals want them to pay for court costs. This is a re-victimization of survivors who have suffered horrific levels of abuse. When will the government commit to real partnership with survivors? If I was asked, I would say that this does not seem like a real partnership.
Mr. Speaker, for months, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have tried to minimize the devastating impact that their tax changes will have on our local businesses. Once again today, the government has made an announcement that does not address the serious concerns of the business owners who create jobs in our communities.How can the Prime Minister allow this incompetence and this farce to carry on, when January 1st is fast approaching?
Mr. Speaker, I seek the consent of the House to move the following motion: that the House condemn the horrific acts committed by ISIS; acknowledge that individuals who joined ISIS fighters are complicit in these horrific acts and pose a danger to all Canadians; call on the government to bring to justice and prosecute any ISIS fighter returning to Canada; and insist that the government make the security and protection of Canadians its priority, rather than the reintegration of ISIS fighters.