2018-01-29

Mr. Speaker, once again, our priority is to protect the health and safety of Canadians. That is why Bill C-45 is a priority.The current approach is not working. It has allowed criminals to profit and has not kept cannabis out of the hands of children.The cannabis bill will create a strict legal framework to control the production, distribution, sale, and possession of cannabis in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, protecting the health and safety of Canadians is a priority for our government. The current approach to cannabis is not working. It lets criminals profit and has not kept cannabis out of the hands of children.The cannabis bill will provide a strict legal framework that will control the production, distribution, sale, and possession of cannabis in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, our government knows that funding should never go to pay for work that seeks to actively undermine Canadians' rights. Unlike the Harper Conservatives who had no problem funding groups like the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, who put kids to work distributing flyers featuring graphic images of aborted fetuses, we are committed to protecting Canadians' rights. What is relevant is ensuring that taxpayers' dollars do not go to these activities. Is the member opposite saying that she is opposed to reproductive freedom?

Mr. Speaker, increasingly Canada is divided into two worlds, the wealthy and the struggling. By January 2, Canada's top-paid CEOs had already earned what the average Canadian earned in a year. In 2017, the wages of CEOs increased 16 times faster than those of most Canadians, but the Prime Minister is showing he does not get it. He allows CEOs to keep their lucrative stock option loophole, while telling Sears workers to suck it up and be happy with EI rather than their own pensions that they paid into.When will he get to work for these people rather than his CEO friends?

Mr. Speaker, when Quebec asked for more time to provide for the legalization of pot, Ottawa said no. Now we know why the Liberals were in such a hurry. The cannabis industry is a Liberal industry, and is the new private preserve of the Liberal Party of Canada. Anyone who works for the Liberals will have a job waiting for them in the pot economy.When will the Liberals stop working on behalf of their friends and start working for all Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, if I say “Cayman Islands”, “Barbados”, or “Bermuda”, you will likely think that I am talking about future branches of Morneau Shepell, when I am actually talking about where the money to produce Canadian marijuana is coming from. The Liberals who are running pot companies funded by tax havens are supposedly there to fight organized crime. That pretty much sums up the Prime Minister's big plan.Will the Prime Minister ensure that there is complete transparency when it comes to the ownership of marijuana companies and the source of their funding?

Mr. Speaker, fixing the Phoenix pay problem remains my top priority. I can assure the member and all members that we are leaving no stone unturned as we work tirelessly to resolve this issue for Canada's public servants. Our public servants will fix this on behalf of Canadians. Let me assure the member opposite that I will look into his three cases immediately.

Mr. Speaker, protecting Canadians and their health and safety is a priority for our government. The black market is currently under the complete control of criminals. The cannabis being sold today is unregulated, untested, and often very unsafe.Bill C-45 creates a responsible, well-regulated legal market for adults. We are taking the time to do things right, but this delay will benefit organized crime and present an ongoing risk for our young people.

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister was in Davos lecturing about inequality, people in regions like mine are hurting because of job-killing trade deals, privatization, and foreign takeovers.The privatized port of Churchill has shut down. We are losing hundreds of resource jobs. There is up to 90% unemployment in indigenous communities.When will the Prime Minister admit that growing inequality and the loss of good jobs is because of decades of Liberal and Conservative policies that are hurting Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, he should not have had to wait for the Ethics Commissioner's report. The Conflict of Interest Act states that the Prime Minister is responsible for “arrang[ing] his or her private affairs in a manner that will prevent [him] from being in a conflict of interest”.Therefore, does the Prime Minister agree with the Ethics Commissioner that he failed to meet these standards as required by law?

Mr. Speaker, the report by the former commissioner of conflict of interest and ethics was very clear: the Prime Minister violated the Conflict of Interest Act twice. He violated amendments to the act that he himself introduced in the House. It would be totally irresponsible to ignore the Prime Minister's inappropriate conduct.Does the government believe taxpayers want to aid and abet the Prime Minister in his inappropriate conduct?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her question, her statement, and her hard work on this file.It is important that women and men break the taboo of silence and become allies and supporters in standing up against gender violence, standing up against sexual harassment and sexual assault in workplaces, in homes, and in communities right across this country.This is a problem that has gone on for far too long, and it is time we dealt with it, particularly here in Parliament, where we set an example for the rest of the country. That is why, with Bill C-65, we are committed to taking an important step towards improving workplaces in federally regulated industries and on Parliament Hill. I look forward to working with members of all parties on improving this legislation and ensuring that it moves forward.

Mr. Speaker, there have been no answers to questions coming out of the Ethics Commissioner's report.The commissioner found that among the laws the Prime Minister broke, the Prime Minister received an illegal gift. The taxpayers are also on the hook for the Prime Minister's decision to receive this illegal gift. Will the Prime Minister repay the almost quarter of a million dollars in security, staffing support, per diems, and technology generated by a holiday trip he should never have taken at the taxpayers' expense?

Mr. Speaker, it was this Prime Minister who tried to hide from Canadians the details about his unethical vacations. He did not want anyone to know where he was or whom he was with. He did not start coming clean with Canadians until after he was caught. Even then, it took a year-long investigation for any details to come to light. If the Prime Minister did not think that there was anything wrong with these trips, why did he go to such lengths to hide it?

Mr. Speaker, last week after media reports, the Liberals finally admitted that they have signed on to the CPTPP, not only blinding stakeholders on the ground working on NAFTA but ignoring consultations where 95% of Canadians rejected the old TPP. Experts are saying Canada stands to lose 58,000 jobs, but the government is still moving full steam ahead. It is unacceptable that Canadians do not know what their government has committed them to when other countries, like New Zealand, are being transparent. What is in the CPTPP is anyone's guess. When will the Liberals release the text and come clean with Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, when asked why he met with Joshua Boyle, the Prime Minister said that he meets with people who have been freed after overseas ordeals. “I always try to defer to meeting with more people rather than fewer people.... I think that's something that's important to do.”However, Emad Mishko Tamo, a Yazidi boy who was held captive for three years by ISIS, who arrived in Canada only after months of political pressure, has asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister. Why did the PM rush to meet with Joshua Boyle but has yet to meet with Emad?

Mr. Speaker, in Quebec and in the Maritimes, seasonal workers have been joining forces for some time to denounce this government's failure to take action on the EI spring gap problem. The Liberals promised to help those workers by resolving the issue. After more than two years, nothing has been done. In just a few weeks' time, many families will be without an income. It is appalling.After so many appeals for help, why are seasonal workers still waiting?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Papineau has earned the distinction of being the first Canadian leader to break our ethics laws. In response to the Ethics Commissioner's report, he failed to accept full responsibility for his actions. He even implied that she made a mistake. Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he fully accepts the commissioner's report regarding his illegal conduct?

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite has stated that she would not tick the box to attest to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a woman's right to reproductive rights; however, we know that government funding should never go to actively undermine Canadians' rights. That is why we know, unlike the Conservatives, that organizations like the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform should not be entitled to use jobs for kids money to support their activities which—

Mr. Speaker, it seems that the members opposite do not understand. Rich, anonymous investors from tax havens have invested no less than $165 million in pot production in Canada. Anonymous investors, or maybe even members of organized crime, have bankrolled the legalization of Liberal cannabis.Will the government ensure that the list of investors is made public? Canadians are entitled to that information and we are demanding it.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Harper Conservative ideology is still alive and well under members opposite. We know that government funding should never go to undermining Canadian's rights and freedoms. While the Conservative leader's campaign manager was arranging internships for organizations that oppose women's rights, the Government of Canada will not be funding them.Canadians expect that their government will stand up for the rights of women and the LGBTQ2 community, and we will uphold them all the way. That is exactly what this government is doing.

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister went to Expedia to book a private island vacation like the ones he accepted, he would be paying tens of thousands of dollars per night. In addition to that, the Prime Minister billed taxpayers $200,000 in travel and staff expenses for his illegal vacation.We now know that it was wrong for the Prime Minister to accept these luxury vacations, so I am asking the Prime Minister if he is going to take responsibility. He can answer. Will he pay taxpayers back for the costs he left them?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister did business with the Aga Khan, and we know that the Prime Minister asked the Aga Khan for access to his private island to use for his personal vacations. We know that the Prime Minister accepted a private helicopter ride during at least one of these vacations. These actions by the Prime Minister were not just wrong; they were illegal.Now, part of saying sorry is making amends. If the Prime Minister is truly sorry and truly takes responsibility, will he do the right thing and pay taxpayers back?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister asked for more than one personal luxury vacation from someone his government was doing business with. He should have known this was wrong, but he did it anyway. The Prime Minister accepted a private helicopter ride. He should have known that this was wrong, too, but he did it anyway. The result is that he is now the first Prime Minister to break Canada's federal ethics laws. Why does the Prime Minister think that this is okay?

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister is the first Canadian prime minister to break our ethics laws. He billed taxpayers over $200,000 by accepting more than one luxury vacation. Taxpayers should not have to pay for the Prime Minister's illegal actions. Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and reimburse taxpayers for his trips to Bell Island?

Mr. Speaker, that is certainly poor comfort to those Sears workers.According to Oxfam, 82% of global wealth created in 2017 went to the richest 1%. The 1% are the people that the Prime Minister wooed in Davos, Switzerland. The 1% are people like Stephen Bronfman and the Aga Khan, who are personal friends of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister lets CEOs keep their generous tax deductions for stock options while asking Sears employees to settle for employment insurance instead of the pensions they poured their own money into.When will he finally fight for all Canadians instead of just the 1%?

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister went to Bell Island on vacation, he chose to accept a private helicopter ride, even though he knew it was in direct violation of the Conflict of Interest Act.Why did he think he could take that helicopter ride?

Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to hear that, but we still have some solutions and suggestions to offer.It is no secret that one way to change the culture on the Hill is to get more women elected to the House . The Prime Minister has often spoken about how important it is to get more women elected, but he rejected the member for Burnaby South's proposal to promote gender parity in electoral candidates. The Prime Minister has also rejected the NDP's proposals on electoral reform. Just 26% of members here in the House are women.How does the Prime Minister plan to get more women elected to the House?

Mr. Speaker, in November in committee the Minister of National Defence promised to look at Phoenix pay issues from three DND civilian employees in my riding and fix them before Christmas. They came to Ottawa to represent more than 1,000 federal employees in my riding alone with serious pay issues, including a single parent who has been underpaid by more than $20,000. Two months later, the three who received the minister's personal assurances have not even been contacted, let alone had their pay problems fixed.When will the minister take action to make sure that all of his employees are properly paid so they can get on with their work, which is so important to the defence of Canada?

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, especially because the member opposite voted against it, the very first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We then delivered a Canada child benefit that gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families by not sending child benefit cheques to millionaire families. On top of that, we have invested close to $1 billion on tax avoidance and tax evasion to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. We are going to continue to make sure that our system is fairer and that we support the middle class and people working hard to join it.

Mr. Speaker, the report has been released. The Prime Minister has responded and has accepted all the findings, as a leader should. Steps have been taken to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. It was this government, actually, that put measures in place when it comes to travel. We will continue to do the important work that Canadians expect us to do.

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, the first thing this government did was lower taxes for the middle class and increase them for the wealthy. Next, we created the Canada child benefit, which gives more tax-free money every month to nine out of 10 families. We can do that because we stopped sending cheques to millionaire families. We will continue to invest in the middle class and all those working hard to join it. That is our priority. That is what we have been working on for the past two years and will continue to work on for the next two years.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the work that this Prime Minister and this government do. If we want to look at the work this government is doing, let us look at the economy, with 750,000 jobs created by Canadians for Canadians. It is the highest growth in any G7 country. There is more confidence in this government and in Canadians today than there was three years ago, when the previous government was here. This government will continue to work on behalf of Canadians to respond to the very real challenges they are facing.I am proud to serve alongside this Prime Minister.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is out of touch with the everyday lives of working Canadians. Last week, he actually suggested that Sears Canada workers, who face losing pensions and health care benefits, could simply rely on EI and CPP. Talk about a backup plan.There is something simple this government can do: support measures in my bill that help workers like those at Sears Canada and prevent them from ever again being faced with losing their pension benefits. Instead of “monitoring the situation”, when will the government break from tradition and get to work to protect our workers?

Mr. Speaker, while the member opposite says that she would not attest to supporting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a woman's reproductive right to choose, we know that government funding should never go to undermine Canadians' hard-won rights and freedoms—

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister refused to appear before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics to explain his actions concerning two trips to a private island.Why does the Prime Minister think there is no need for him to appear before the committee and explain to all Canadians why taxpayers should pay for his illegal vacations?

Mr. Speaker, as has been said, the report was released and the Prime Minister accepted those recommendations. The commissioner also found that the Prime Minister did not participate in or make any decisions relating to the Aga Khan or his institutions as has sometimes been implied by the opposite side, which is unfortunate. This government is here to work on behalf of Canadians to respond to the very real challenges that they are facing. We will continue to work on behalf of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite should know full well that when it comes to the Sears employees, we have been engaging with them and working with them, because we know the challenges they are going through. We know the impact this has on many different communities. We are looking at all the different options. We are willing to work with the members opposite. We have been very clear that we are committed to jobs and growth. Since we formed the government, there have been over 700,000 jobs created in the Canadian economy. We will continue to do more to assist members of the Sears community and the families that are impacted in communities across the country.

Mr. Speaker, we have all been shaken by the allegations that have come to light over the past few months and days. I want to take the opportunity to tell those who have come forward that we support them, we believe them, we hear them, and we will do absolutely everything we can to change the culture here on Parliament Hill.I want to assure the Prime Minister that the NDP is fully committed to working with the government and all parties here in this House to make sure that we move in the right direction on this issue. What actions can parliamentarians take to help shift the culture here on Parliament Hill?

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear about our support for Churchill. I have personally had the opportunity to visit Churchill, to make investments there to promote economic development.Since we formed government, there have been over 700,000 jobs created by Canadians. This has led to the lowest unemployment rate in the last 40 years, at 5.7%. We will continue to work hard on behalf of Canadians. We are going to focus on growth and jobs. We are going to continue to assist individuals and families in Churchill.

Mr. Speaker, when he appeared before the Ethics Commissioner, the Prime Minister indicated that he did not consider the meetings to be business meetings.Does the Prime Minister still maintain that a meeting with him has nothing to do with the affairs of the Government of Canada?

Mr. Speaker, the ability of an individual or a group to provide essential services does not depend on who they are or their personal beliefs.The government recently acknowledged that by apologizing to the LGBTQ community, several members of which were removed from the public service.Why then, in the case of summer jobs funding, does the government find it acceptable to impose a personal values test as a way of deciding who gets government funding?

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to this issue, we have been clear from the very beginning. We have said that we will work with the commissioner and answer any questions the commissioner has. We have done exactly that. We respect the officers of Parliament. We know they are here to do important work, and we will encourage them to do that important work on behalf of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, when prime ministers travel, we know there are certain things that need to take place. Every single time a prime minister travels, he or she is provided with the resources needed to ensure that the prime minister is able to carry out the functions that a prime minister has.When it comes to the report the commissioner has released, the Prime Minister has accepted those findings. We will continue to work on behalf of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister was hanging out with his billionaire friends at Davos, he made very clear his indifference to the corporate pension robbery at Sears. Those retirees have no friends in this government. Let us look at the finance minister. His family business, Morneau Shepell, had the contract to roll up the Sears pension fund. He has told the investors about the opportunities of going after defined plans, and he has brought in the legislation, Bill C-27, to make it possible. At the very least, will the finance minister withdraw Bill C-27 and recuse himself from any discussions about the Sears workers?

Mr. Speaker, it is an official document, but I will respect your guidance.The Prime Minister has made a public statement saying that he will not discuss these findings or the wider revelations raised in the commissioner's 66-page report with the House standing committee on ethics. Does the Prime Minister consider himself above the protocols and practices of this House and his accountability as a member, let alone the Prime Minister, to his fellow MPs?

Mr. Speaker, I am more than happy to talk about the consultation work that was done on CPTPP. Our government engaged in two years of robust consultation, including 41,000 letters, over 800 stakeholder meetings, and on top of that, 400 witnesses at the international trade committee of which my colleague is a strong member. If there is one thing that was clear in all those submissions, it is that this is a great deal for our economy, a great deal for Canada's workers, and this is a better deal for Canadians because of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister received multiple briefings on dealings between his government and the Aga Khan, whom he describes as a close family friend. The Prime Minister should have been aware of his responsibilities under the Conflict of Interest Act, especially when it comes to mixing government business and friendship.Why did he do nothing to ensure that he was not in a conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House time and again, this government respects the officers of Parliament and the work they do. Immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Prime Minister will continue to follow any advice and recommendations the commissioner has.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, taxpayers do support the Prime Minister when he travels, but they should not be expected to support his costs when he is breaking the law. The Prime Minister would have us believe that it was okay because he thought the Aga Khan was a close family friend, but the Ethics Commissioner revealed that the Prime Minister had not actually spoken to this close friend in over 30 years. The Prime Minister broke the law by accepting these trips. Will he do the right thing and pay taxpayers back?

Mr. Speaker, his lawyers argued that when he took office, the Prime Minister had no foreseeable business with the Aga Khan. This is despite the Aga Khan's frequent dealings with the previous government and ongoing projects, all of which the Prime Minister was briefed on.Does the Prime Minister really expect us to believe that it was impossible to anticipate any conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as any leader should. He accepted the commissioner's findings. The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, when the commissioner put out her report, we accepted it immediately, and I took responsibility for my actions. At the same time, moving forward, as is important and as Canadians expect, we will ensure that we work with the conflict of interest commissioner on any personal family vacation or any personal travel the Prime Minister undertakes in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Pontiac for his hard work on the Canadian organic sector.Last Friday in Guelph, I was proud to announce federal funding in support of Canadian organic standards. This funding will help our organic industry remain competitive at home and around the world. Working together with our world-class organic producers, we will reach our government's $75 billion of agriculture and exports by 2025, grow our economy, and increase the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, as the commissioner concluded, I did not take part in any decisions regarding the Aga Khan or the Aga Khan Foundation.

Mr. Speaker, whether we are talking about NAFTA or the trans-Pacific partnership, this government has not shown Canadians the transparency they deserve. As we saw with the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the Liberals are prepared to jeopardize our supply management system to quickly conclude a free trade agreement.When will the government be transparent? When will it protect the jobs of Quebeckers and Canadians?

Despite the Prime Minister's response, the Ethics Commissioner indicated in her report that there was official business between the Prime Minister and the Aga Khan.Does the Prime Minister acknowledge the commissioner's findings?

Mr. Speaker, no government mission has made us prouder than the mission to rescue, resettle, and provide safety for survivors of Daesh, mainly Yazidi women and girls. We have resettled more than 1,000 Yazidi women and girls in Canada. We are on track to resettle the remaining 100. We are proud of that commitment. We will continue to expedite those cases as part of the privately sponsored refugee program. We made a commitment to the House, and we are proud to deliver on that commitment.

Mr. Speaker, I would not take that values test either.The government claims it has issued a clarification about its intentions, but it still has not changed the attestation it demands applicants to sign. Many of the not-for-profit organizations whose mandate is simply to help vulnerable Canadians will not check the box, because a clarification by the government does not change the wording that is plainly in this attestation.Will the government take the logical next step, remove the values test attestation, and extend the deadline so that groups previously excluded will have time to apply?

Mr. Speaker, as was clearly said by the Prime Minister, immediately after the report was released the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner.The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Prime Minister will continue to follow any advice and recommendations the commissioner has.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to report that we recently announced Canada's largest investment in indigenous policing since 1991. Funding of over $290 million will mean better equipment and wages for more than 1,300 police officers and the addition of 110 new officer positions in indigenous communities. The funding is also ongoing and indexed, so indigenous communities can rely on it for the long term.

Mr. Speaker, according to the Ethics Commissioner's report, the Prime Minister thinks that his meetings with international leaders, including the Aga Khan, are purely ceremonial in nature. If the Prime Minister thinks that his role in these meetings is just ceremonial, then who is doing the actual work that his job requires?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has answered these questions on numerous occasions. Once again, as was clearly said, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Prime Minister will continue to follow any advice and recommendations that are given.

Mr. Speaker, as has been the case with previous prime ministers, and as the former commissioner herself stated, security costs are incurred wherever the Prime Minister travels. This government will continue to work with commissioners, with officers of parliament, to do the important work that we are here to do.

Mr. Speaker, as has been the case for this Prime Minister and previous prime ministers, there are certain resources that travel with the Prime Minister. The commissioner also found that the Prime Minister did not participate in or make any decisions relating to the Aga Khan or his institutions.The Prime Minister and this government will continue to work with officers of Parliament so that they can do the important work that they do.

Mr. Speaker, in 2016, the Aga Khan's representatives asked to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss ongoing business with his government. Now, that meeting request, which was accepted, was made just two days before the Prime Minister took one of his vacations to the Aga Khan's private island. Accepting a meeting with lobbyists representing the man whose generous hospitality he was about to enjoy, how could the Prime Minister not realize that was a conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, despite being forced to settle a constitutional court case regarding Canada's summer jobs last year, the Liberals are attacking the very people they claim to help.By forcing groups to sign the Prime Minister's values test, the government is denying help to groups that provide aid to refugees, run day camp programs for kids with disabilities, and help at-risk youth. On behalf of these organizations from across Canada, will the Liberals finally remove this values test from the Canada summer jobs application?

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian organic industry is one of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors in Canada. We have our farmers and organic food processors to thank for that. They are highly regarded throughout the world. With more than $5 billion in retail sales in 2017, there has been tremendous growth in the organic sector, including in the riding of Pontiac.Can the Minister of Agriculture tell the House what our government is doing to help our organic farmers?

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his hard work and advocacy on this issue, and I understand the challenges that many workers, families, and communities face across this country. My heart goes out to all those who are affected.As the member well knows, Service Canada, for example, has been meeting with representatives. It has had over 282 sessions across the country to assist employees and their families. I understand that Sears Canada's pension funds are held in trust and must be used for the benefit of the pensioners. This is really important to know. When it comes to this situation, the member knows full well that we are willing to engage with him to assess all our options.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, I accept the full recommendations and conclusions of the commissioner.I think it is important that the commissioner and that we recognize a more stringent set of rules for what constitutes a friendship. These are the kinds of things we fully accept and fully understand. We will move forward in a way that Canadians can be sure that any family travel or personal travel by the Prime Minister, by myself, will be verified and worked through with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, I completely agree that we need more women in politics. This will change our country's politics as well as its corporate culture. This will change the conversation in our communities across the country. This is essential. That is why I was proud to be one of the first leaders in the world to choose a gender-balanced cabinet. This is an important step. We have a lot of work to do to get more women elected to the House of Commons, and we will continue to work on this every day until the next election.

Mr. Speaker, since 2015, I am very proud that our government has nearly doubled the number of summer jobs for young students all across this country. We have given more young people meaningful work experiences and the chance to enhance their resumés, contribute to their communities, and earn that money they need going forward into their next year of study. The deadline for employers to apply for the next Canada summer jobs period is February 2 and I encourage all employers, especially small businesses, to apply.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to indicate once again how crucial it is to recognize the importance of employment insurance in supporting our workers in precarious situations, as well as their communities and the employers that need their efforts to continue to develop their communities. This is especially true in seasonal employment situations, which, as we know, are so difficult in eastern Quebec and the Maritimes. We have introduced important measures over the past few months to strengthen the employment insurance system and we will continue to do so, as promised.

Mr. Speaker, where was, is, or will be the Minister of Agriculture? It seems that dairy, egg, and poultry producers have once again been overlooked by the Liberal government in the trans-Pacific partnership.Producers are paying the price for the arrogance of the Prime Minister, who skipped an important meeting last November. As a result, the same concessions were made even though the U.S. was not part of the equation, at a time when NAFTA negotiations are at a critical stage. Will the government today commit to providing compensation for producers, as the previous Conservative government had committed to provide?

Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner released the Trudeau report a week after the House rose in December, finding that he broke the—

Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was released, I took responsibility, as any leader should do, and I accepted all of the commissioner's conclusions. I have taken measures to ensure that, moving forward, all of my family vacations will be approved in advance by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and I will continue to follow all advice and recommendations from the commissioner regarding how to deal with my family friendship with the Aga Khan.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as any leader should. He accepted the commissioner's findings.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague that this government has supported and will continue to support the supply management system. As I said many times in this House, it is a symbol for the world. I indicated before and I want to indicate again that we are the party that fought to implement supply management, and I can assure my hon. colleague that we are the government that is going to defend supply management.

Mr. Speaker, one thing that is clear in regard to this government, which the previous government did not do, is that we are committed to engaging and having conversations with Canadians, whether those are tough conversations or feedback as to how we can respond to the very real challenges they are facing. In regard to the report, immediately after it was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. We have been in our constituencies for several weeks. The Prime Minister has been available at town halls. Numerous questions have been posed directly to him, and he has been available to answer them.

Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was released I took responsibility. I accepted the full recommendations of the commissioner and will be moving forward in a such a way that any personal vacations or family travel gets approved in advance by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, I met with St'at'imc Chiefs Council in Lillooet late last year, with one of the most pressing issues raised being the need for increased federal support for the community's tribal police service.Could the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness please update the House on what he is doing to ensure that first nation and Inuit communities are receiving the necessary funding to properly serve and protect their communities?

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's concern, but I am sure she is fully aware that this deal creates a great opportunity for our farmers and ranchers right across this country. Also, we understand very well the importance of supply management. This is the party that fought to implement it and this is the government that will defend it. We will sit down with the supply-management sector and discuss how we are going to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, Canada's prosperity depends on young Canadians to get the education and experience they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Last summer, thanks to Canada's summer jobs program, more students in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets had summer employment. They earned money, made friends, and had experiences that they will always remember. As students and parents prepare for another summer, can the minister give this House an update on the Canada summer jobs program for 2018?

Mr. Speaker, as I said, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. When the report was released, the Prime Minister immediately addressed Canadians, accepted the commissioner's finding, and took responsibility. Since the new year, the Prime Minister has taken part in a number of town halls across the country with more to come, has answered unscripted questions directly from Canadians, and has answered over 1,400 questions from members of Parliament in this House since the election.

Mr. Speaker, there have been no answers to questions coming out of the Ethics Commissioner's report.The commissioner found that among the laws the Prime Minister broke, the Prime Minister received an illegal gift. The taxpayers are also on the hook for the Prime Minister's decision to receive this illegal gift. Will the Prime Minister repay the almost quarter of a million dollars in security, staffing support, per diems, and technology generated by a holiday trip he should never have taken at the taxpayers' expense?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister refused to appear before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics to explain his actions concerning two trips to a private island.Why does the Prime Minister think there is no need for him to appear before the committee and explain to all Canadians why taxpayers should pay for his illegal vacations?

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister went to Expedia to book a private island vacation like the ones he accepted, he would be paying tens of thousands of dollars per night. In addition to that, the Prime Minister billed taxpayers $200,000 in travel and staff expenses for his illegal vacation.We now know that it was wrong for the Prime Minister to accept these luxury vacations, so I am asking the Prime Minister if he is going to take responsibility. He can answer. Will he pay taxpayers back for the costs he left them?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister did business with the Aga Khan, and we know that the Prime Minister asked the Aga Khan for access to his private island to use for his personal vacations. We know that the Prime Minister accepted a private helicopter ride during at least one of these vacations. These actions by the Prime Minister were not just wrong; they were illegal.Now, part of saying sorry is making amends. If the Prime Minister is truly sorry and truly takes responsibility, will he do the right thing and pay taxpayers back?

Mr. Speaker, his lawyers argued that when he took office, the Prime Minister had no foreseeable business with the Aga Khan. This is despite the Aga Khan's frequent dealings with the previous government and ongoing projects, all of which the Prime Minister was briefed on.Does the Prime Minister really expect us to believe that it was impossible to anticipate any conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Papineau has earned the distinction of being the first Canadian leader to break our ethics laws. In response to the Ethics Commissioner's report, he failed to accept full responsibility for his actions. He even implied that she made a mistake. Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he fully accepts the commissioner's report regarding his illegal conduct?

Mr. Speaker, he should not have had to wait for the Ethics Commissioner's report. The Conflict of Interest Act states that the Prime Minister is responsible for “arrang[ing] his or her private affairs in a manner that will prevent [him] from being in a conflict of interest”.Therefore, does the Prime Minister agree with the Ethics Commissioner that he failed to meet these standards as required by law?

Mr. Speaker, as has been said, the report was released and the Prime Minister accepted those recommendations. The commissioner also found that the Prime Minister did not participate in or make any decisions relating to the Aga Khan or his institutions as has sometimes been implied by the opposite side, which is unfortunate. This government is here to work on behalf of Canadians to respond to the very real challenges that they are facing. We will continue to work on behalf of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister was hanging out with his billionaire friends at Davos, he made very clear his indifference to the corporate pension robbery at Sears. Those retirees have no friends in this government. Let us look at the finance minister. His family business, Morneau Shepell, had the contract to roll up the Sears pension fund. He has told the investors about the opportunities of going after defined plans, and he has brought in the legislation, Bill C-27, to make it possible. At the very least, will the finance minister withdraw Bill C-27 and recuse himself from any discussions about the Sears workers?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is out of touch with the everyday lives of working Canadians. Last week, he actually suggested that Sears Canada workers, who face losing pensions and health care benefits, could simply rely on EI and CPP. Talk about a backup plan.There is something simple this government can do: support measures in my bill that help workers like those at Sears Canada and prevent them from ever again being faced with losing their pension benefits. Instead of “monitoring the situation”, when will the government break from tradition and get to work to protect our workers?

Mr. Speaker, despite being forced to settle a constitutional court case regarding Canada's summer jobs last year, the Liberals are attacking the very people they claim to help.By forcing groups to sign the Prime Minister's values test, the government is denying help to groups that provide aid to refugees, run day camp programs for kids with disabilities, and help at-risk youth. On behalf of these organizations from across Canada, will the Liberals finally remove this values test from the Canada summer jobs application?

Mr. Speaker, I would not take that values test either.The government claims it has issued a clarification about its intentions, but it still has not changed the attestation it demands applicants to sign. Many of the not-for-profit organizations whose mandate is simply to help vulnerable Canadians will not check the box, because a clarification by the government does not change the wording that is plainly in this attestation.Will the government take the logical next step, remove the values test attestation, and extend the deadline so that groups previously excluded will have time to apply?

Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was released, I took responsibility, as any leader should do, and I accepted all of the commissioner's conclusions. I have taken measures to ensure that, moving forward, all of my family vacations will be approved in advance by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and I will continue to follow all advice and recommendations from the commissioner regarding how to deal with my family friendship with the Aga Khan.

Mr. Speaker, as the commissioner concluded, I did not take part in any decisions regarding the Aga Khan or the Aga Khan Foundation.

Despite the Prime Minister's response, the Ethics Commissioner indicated in her report that there was official business between the Prime Minister and the Aga Khan.Does the Prime Minister acknowledge the commissioner's findings?

Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House time and again, this government respects the officers of Parliament and the work they do. Immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Prime Minister will continue to follow any advice and recommendations the commissioner has.

Mr. Speaker, when he appeared before the Ethics Commissioner, the Prime Minister indicated that he did not consider the meetings to be business meetings.Does the Prime Minister still maintain that a meeting with him has nothing to do with the affairs of the Government of Canada?

Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as any leader should. He accepted the commissioner's findings. The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as any leader should. He accepted the commissioner's findings.

Mr. Speaker, it is an official document, but I will respect your guidance.The Prime Minister has made a public statement saying that he will not discuss these findings or the wider revelations raised in the commissioner's 66-page report with the House standing committee on ethics. Does the Prime Minister consider himself above the protocols and practices of this House and his accountability as a member, let alone the Prime Minister, to his fellow MPs?

Mr. Speaker, the ability of an individual or a group to provide essential services does not depend on who they are or their personal beliefs.The government recently acknowledged that by apologizing to the LGBTQ community, several members of which were removed from the public service.Why then, in the case of summer jobs funding, does the government find it acceptable to impose a personal values test as a way of deciding who gets government funding?

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear about our support for Churchill. I have personally had the opportunity to visit Churchill, to make investments there to promote economic development.Since we formed government, there have been over 700,000 jobs created by Canadians. This has led to the lowest unemployment rate in the last 40 years, at 5.7%. We will continue to work hard on behalf of Canadians. We are going to focus on growth and jobs. We are going to continue to assist individuals and families in Churchill.

Mr. Speaker, according to the Ethics Commissioner's report, the Prime Minister thinks that his meetings with international leaders, including the Aga Khan, are purely ceremonial in nature. If the Prime Minister thinks that his role in these meetings is just ceremonial, then who is doing the actual work that his job requires?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has answered these questions on numerous occasions. Once again, as was clearly said, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Prime Minister will continue to follow any advice and recommendations that are given.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister asked for more than one personal luxury vacation from someone his government was doing business with. He should have known this was wrong, but he did it anyway. The Prime Minister accepted a private helicopter ride. He should have known that this was wrong, too, but he did it anyway. The result is that he is now the first Prime Minister to break Canada's federal ethics laws. Why does the Prime Minister think that this is okay?

Mr. Speaker, that is certainly poor comfort to those Sears workers.According to Oxfam, 82% of global wealth created in 2017 went to the richest 1%. The 1% are the people that the Prime Minister wooed in Davos, Switzerland. The 1% are people like Stephen Bronfman and the Aga Khan, who are personal friends of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister lets CEOs keep their generous tax deductions for stock options while asking Sears employees to settle for employment insurance instead of the pensions they poured their own money into.When will he finally fight for all Canadians instead of just the 1%?

Mr. Speaker, the report by the former commissioner of conflict of interest and ethics was very clear: the Prime Minister violated the Conflict of Interest Act twice. He violated amendments to the act that he himself introduced in the House. It would be totally irresponsible to ignore the Prime Minister's inappropriate conduct.Does the government believe taxpayers want to aid and abet the Prime Minister in his inappropriate conduct?

Mr. Speaker, where was, is, or will be the Minister of Agriculture? It seems that dairy, egg, and poultry producers have once again been overlooked by the Liberal government in the trans-Pacific partnership.Producers are paying the price for the arrogance of the Prime Minister, who skipped an important meeting last November. As a result, the same concessions were made even though the U.S. was not part of the equation, at a time when NAFTA negotiations are at a critical stage. Will the government today commit to providing compensation for producers, as the previous Conservative government had committed to provide?

Mr. Speaker, as was clearly said by the Prime Minister, immediately after the report was released the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner.The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Prime Minister will continue to follow any advice and recommendations the commissioner has.

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister went to Bell Island on vacation, he chose to accept a private helicopter ride, even though he knew it was in direct violation of the Conflict of Interest Act.Why did he think he could take that helicopter ride?

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite has stated that she would not tick the box to attest to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a woman's right to reproductive rights; however, we know that government funding should never go to actively undermine Canadians' rights. That is why we know, unlike the Conservatives, that organizations like the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform should not be entitled to use jobs for kids money to support their activities which—

Mr. Speaker, I met with St'at'imc Chiefs Council in Lillooet late last year, with one of the most pressing issues raised being the need for increased federal support for the community's tribal police service.Could the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness please update the House on what he is doing to ensure that first nation and Inuit communities are receiving the necessary funding to properly serve and protect their communities?

Mr. Speaker, it was this Prime Minister who tried to hide from Canadians the details about his unethical vacations. He did not want anyone to know where he was or whom he was with. He did not start coming clean with Canadians until after he was caught. Even then, it took a year-long investigation for any details to come to light. If the Prime Minister did not think that there was anything wrong with these trips, why did he go to such lengths to hide it?

Mr. Speaker, our government knows that funding should never go to pay for work that seeks to actively undermine Canadians' rights. Unlike the Harper Conservatives who had no problem funding groups like the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, who put kids to work distributing flyers featuring graphic images of aborted fetuses, we are committed to protecting Canadians' rights. What is relevant is ensuring that taxpayers' dollars do not go to these activities. Is the member opposite saying that she is opposed to reproductive freedom?

Mr. Speaker, as has been the case with previous prime ministers, and as the former commissioner herself stated, security costs are incurred wherever the Prime Minister travels. This government will continue to work with commissioners, with officers of parliament, to do the important work that we are here to do.

Mr. Speaker, if I say “Cayman Islands”, “Barbados”, or “Bermuda”, you will likely think that I am talking about future branches of Morneau Shepell, when I am actually talking about where the money to produce Canadian marijuana is coming from. The Liberals who are running pot companies funded by tax havens are supposedly there to fight organized crime. That pretty much sums up the Prime Minister's big plan.Will the Prime Minister ensure that there is complete transparency when it comes to the ownership of marijuana companies and the source of their funding?

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, the first thing this government did was lower taxes for the middle class and increase them for the wealthy. Next, we created the Canada child benefit, which gives more tax-free money every month to nine out of 10 families. We can do that because we stopped sending cheques to millionaire families. We will continue to invest in the middle class and all those working hard to join it. That is our priority. That is what we have been working on for the past two years and will continue to work on for the next two years.

Mr. Speaker, when the commissioner put out her report, we accepted it immediately, and I took responsibility for my actions. At the same time, moving forward, as is important and as Canadians expect, we will ensure that we work with the conflict of interest commissioner on any personal family vacation or any personal travel the Prime Minister undertakes in the future.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister received multiple briefings on dealings between his government and the Aga Khan, whom he describes as a close family friend. The Prime Minister should have been aware of his responsibilities under the Conflict of Interest Act, especially when it comes to mixing government business and friendship.Why did he do nothing to ensure that he was not in a conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, protecting the health and safety of Canadians is a priority for our government. The current approach to cannabis is not working. It lets criminals profit and has not kept cannabis out of the hands of children.The cannabis bill will provide a strict legal framework that will control the production, distribution, sale, and possession of cannabis in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, once again, our priority is to protect the health and safety of Canadians. That is why Bill C-45 is a priority.The current approach is not working. It has allowed criminals to profit and has not kept cannabis out of the hands of children.The cannabis bill will create a strict legal framework to control the production, distribution, sale, and possession of cannabis in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, protecting Canadians and their health and safety is a priority for our government. The black market is currently under the complete control of criminals. The cannabis being sold today is unregulated, untested, and often very unsafe.Bill C-45 creates a responsible, well-regulated legal market for adults. We are taking the time to do things right, but this delay will benefit organized crime and present an ongoing risk for our young people.

Mr. Speaker, last week after media reports, the Liberals finally admitted that they have signed on to the CPTPP, not only blinding stakeholders on the ground working on NAFTA but ignoring consultations where 95% of Canadians rejected the old TPP. Experts are saying Canada stands to lose 58,000 jobs, but the government is still moving full steam ahead. It is unacceptable that Canadians do not know what their government has committed them to when other countries, like New Zealand, are being transparent. What is in the CPTPP is anyone's guess. When will the Liberals release the text and come clean with Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, one thing that is clear in regard to this government, which the previous government did not do, is that we are committed to engaging and having conversations with Canadians, whether those are tough conversations or feedback as to how we can respond to the very real challenges they are facing. In regard to the report, immediately after it was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. We have been in our constituencies for several weeks. The Prime Minister has been available at town halls. Numerous questions have been posed directly to him, and he has been available to answer them.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to indicate once again how crucial it is to recognize the importance of employment insurance in supporting our workers in precarious situations, as well as their communities and the employers that need their efforts to continue to develop their communities. This is especially true in seasonal employment situations, which, as we know, are so difficult in eastern Quebec and the Maritimes. We have introduced important measures over the past few months to strengthen the employment insurance system and we will continue to do so, as promised.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Harper Conservative ideology is still alive and well under members opposite. We know that government funding should never go to undermining Canadian's rights and freedoms. While the Conservative leader's campaign manager was arranging internships for organizations that oppose women's rights, the Government of Canada will not be funding them.Canadians expect that their government will stand up for the rights of women and the LGBTQ2 community, and we will uphold them all the way. That is exactly what this government is doing.

Mr. Speaker, it seems that the members opposite do not understand. Rich, anonymous investors from tax havens have invested no less than $165 million in pot production in Canada. Anonymous investors, or maybe even members of organized crime, have bankrolled the legalization of Liberal cannabis.Will the government ensure that the list of investors is made public? Canadians are entitled to that information and we are demanding it.

Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was released I took responsibility. I accepted the full recommendations of the commissioner and will be moving forward in a such a way that any personal vacations or family travel gets approved in advance by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, fixing the Phoenix pay problem remains my top priority. I can assure the member and all members that we are leaving no stone unturned as we work tirelessly to resolve this issue for Canada's public servants. Our public servants will fix this on behalf of Canadians. Let me assure the member opposite that I will look into his three cases immediately.

Mr. Speaker, the report has been released. The Prime Minister has responded and has accepted all the findings, as a leader should. Steps have been taken to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. It was this government, actually, that put measures in place when it comes to travel. We will continue to do the important work that Canadians expect us to do.

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister is the first Canadian prime minister to break our ethics laws. He billed taxpayers over $200,000 by accepting more than one luxury vacation. Taxpayers should not have to pay for the Prime Minister's illegal actions. Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and reimburse taxpayers for his trips to Bell Island?

Yes, Mr. Speaker, taxpayers do support the Prime Minister when he travels, but they should not be expected to support his costs when he is breaking the law. The Prime Minister would have us believe that it was okay because he thought the Aga Khan was a close family friend, but the Ethics Commissioner revealed that the Prime Minister had not actually spoken to this close friend in over 30 years. The Prime Minister broke the law by accepting these trips. Will he do the right thing and pay taxpayers back?

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister was in Davos lecturing about inequality, people in regions like mine are hurting because of job-killing trade deals, privatization, and foreign takeovers.The privatized port of Churchill has shut down. We are losing hundreds of resource jobs. There is up to 90% unemployment in indigenous communities.When will the Prime Minister admit that growing inequality and the loss of good jobs is because of decades of Liberal and Conservative policies that are hurting Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, as has been the case for this Prime Minister and previous prime ministers, there are certain resources that travel with the Prime Minister. The commissioner also found that the Prime Minister did not participate in or make any decisions relating to the Aga Khan or his institutions.The Prime Minister and this government will continue to work with officers of Parliament so that they can do the important work that they do.

Mr. Speaker, we have all been shaken by the allegations that have come to light over the past few months and days. I want to take the opportunity to tell those who have come forward that we support them, we believe them, we hear them, and we will do absolutely everything we can to change the culture here on Parliament Hill.I want to assure the Prime Minister that the NDP is fully committed to working with the government and all parties here in this House to make sure that we move in the right direction on this issue. What actions can parliamentarians take to help shift the culture here on Parliament Hill?

Mr. Speaker, when Quebec asked for more time to provide for the legalization of pot, Ottawa said no. Now we know why the Liberals were in such a hurry. The cannabis industry is a Liberal industry, and is the new private preserve of the Liberal Party of Canada. Anyone who works for the Liberals will have a job waiting for them in the pot economy.When will the Liberals stop working on behalf of their friends and start working for all Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, in November in committee the Minister of National Defence promised to look at Phoenix pay issues from three DND civilian employees in my riding and fix them before Christmas. They came to Ottawa to represent more than 1,000 federal employees in my riding alone with serious pay issues, including a single parent who has been underpaid by more than $20,000. Two months later, the three who received the minister's personal assurances have not even been contacted, let alone had their pay problems fixed.When will the minister take action to make sure that all of his employees are properly paid so they can get on with their work, which is so important to the defence of Canada?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Pontiac for his hard work on the Canadian organic sector.Last Friday in Guelph, I was proud to announce federal funding in support of Canadian organic standards. This funding will help our organic industry remain competitive at home and around the world. Working together with our world-class organic producers, we will reach our government's $75 billion of agriculture and exports by 2025, grow our economy, and increase the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, while the member opposite says that she would not attest to supporting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a woman's reproductive right to choose, we know that government funding should never go to undermine Canadians' hard-won rights and freedoms—

Mr. Speaker, in Quebec and in the Maritimes, seasonal workers have been joining forces for some time to denounce this government's failure to take action on the EI spring gap problem. The Liberals promised to help those workers by resolving the issue. After more than two years, nothing has been done. In just a few weeks' time, many families will be without an income. It is appalling.After so many appeals for help, why are seasonal workers still waiting?

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to report that we recently announced Canada's largest investment in indigenous policing since 1991. Funding of over $290 million will mean better equipment and wages for more than 1,300 police officers and the addition of 110 new officer positions in indigenous communities. The funding is also ongoing and indexed, so indigenous communities can rely on it for the long term.

Mr. Speaker, in 2016, the Aga Khan's representatives asked to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss ongoing business with his government. Now, that meeting request, which was accepted, was made just two days before the Prime Minister took one of his vacations to the Aga Khan's private island. Accepting a meeting with lobbyists representing the man whose generous hospitality he was about to enjoy, how could the Prime Minister not realize that was a conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, Canada's prosperity depends on young Canadians to get the education and experience they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Last summer, thanks to Canada's summer jobs program, more students in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets had summer employment. They earned money, made friends, and had experiences that they will always remember. As students and parents prepare for another summer, can the minister give this House an update on the Canada summer jobs program for 2018?

Mr. Speaker, since 2015, I am very proud that our government has nearly doubled the number of summer jobs for young students all across this country. We have given more young people meaningful work experiences and the chance to enhance their resumés, contribute to their communities, and earn that money they need going forward into their next year of study. The deadline for employers to apply for the next Canada summer jobs period is February 2 and I encourage all employers, especially small businesses, to apply.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her question, her statement, and her hard work on this file.It is important that women and men break the taboo of silence and become allies and supporters in standing up against gender violence, standing up against sexual harassment and sexual assault in workplaces, in homes, and in communities right across this country.This is a problem that has gone on for far too long, and it is time we dealt with it, particularly here in Parliament, where we set an example for the rest of the country. That is why, with Bill C-65, we are committed to taking an important step towards improving workplaces in federally regulated industries and on Parliament Hill. I look forward to working with members of all parties on improving this legislation and ensuring that it moves forward.

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, especially because the member opposite voted against it, the very first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We then delivered a Canada child benefit that gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families by not sending child benefit cheques to millionaire families. On top of that, we have invested close to $1 billion on tax avoidance and tax evasion to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. We are going to continue to make sure that our system is fairer and that we support the middle class and people working hard to join it.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite should know full well that when it comes to the Sears employees, we have been engaging with them and working with them, because we know the challenges they are going through. We know the impact this has on many different communities. We are looking at all the different options. We are willing to work with the members opposite. We have been very clear that we are committed to jobs and growth. Since we formed the government, there have been over 700,000 jobs created in the Canadian economy. We will continue to do more to assist members of the Sears community and the families that are impacted in communities across the country.

Mr. Speaker, when prime ministers travel, we know there are certain things that need to take place. Every single time a prime minister travels, he or she is provided with the resources needed to ensure that the prime minister is able to carry out the functions that a prime minister has.When it comes to the report the commissioner has released, the Prime Minister has accepted those findings. We will continue to work on behalf of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, when asked why he met with Joshua Boyle, the Prime Minister said that he meets with people who have been freed after overseas ordeals. “I always try to defer to meeting with more people rather than fewer people.... I think that's something that's important to do.”However, Emad Mishko Tamo, a Yazidi boy who was held captive for three years by ISIS, who arrived in Canada only after months of political pressure, has asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister. Why did the PM rush to meet with Joshua Boyle but has yet to meet with Emad?

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his hard work and advocacy on this issue, and I understand the challenges that many workers, families, and communities face across this country. My heart goes out to all those who are affected.As the member well knows, Service Canada, for example, has been meeting with representatives. It has had over 282 sessions across the country to assist employees and their families. I understand that Sears Canada's pension funds are held in trust and must be used for the benefit of the pensioners. This is really important to know. When it comes to this situation, the member knows full well that we are willing to engage with him to assess all our options.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. When the report was released, the Prime Minister immediately addressed Canadians, accepted the commissioner's finding, and took responsibility. Since the new year, the Prime Minister has taken part in a number of town halls across the country with more to come, has answered unscripted questions directly from Canadians, and has answered over 1,400 questions from members of Parliament in this House since the election.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to this issue, we have been clear from the very beginning. We have said that we will work with the commissioner and answer any questions the commissioner has. We have done exactly that. We respect the officers of Parliament. We know they are here to do important work, and we will encourage them to do that important work on behalf of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I completely agree that we need more women in politics. This will change our country's politics as well as its corporate culture. This will change the conversation in our communities across the country. This is essential. That is why I was proud to be one of the first leaders in the world to choose a gender-balanced cabinet. This is an important step. We have a lot of work to do to get more women elected to the House of Commons, and we will continue to work on this every day until the next election.

Mr. Speaker, whether we are talking about NAFTA or the trans-Pacific partnership, this government has not shown Canadians the transparency they deserve. As we saw with the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the Liberals are prepared to jeopardize our supply management system to quickly conclude a free trade agreement.When will the government be transparent? When will it protect the jobs of Quebeckers and Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's concern, but I am sure she is fully aware that this deal creates a great opportunity for our farmers and ranchers right across this country. Also, we understand very well the importance of supply management. This is the party that fought to implement it and this is the government that will defend it. We will sit down with the supply-management sector and discuss how we are going to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian organic industry is one of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors in Canada. We have our farmers and organic food processors to thank for that. They are highly regarded throughout the world. With more than $5 billion in retail sales in 2017, there has been tremendous growth in the organic sector, including in the riding of Pontiac.Can the Minister of Agriculture tell the House what our government is doing to help our organic farmers?

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, I accept the full recommendations and conclusions of the commissioner.I think it is important that the commissioner and that we recognize a more stringent set of rules for what constitutes a friendship. These are the kinds of things we fully accept and fully understand. We will move forward in a way that Canadians can be sure that any family travel or personal travel by the Prime Minister, by myself, will be verified and worked through with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to hear that, but we still have some solutions and suggestions to offer.It is no secret that one way to change the culture on the Hill is to get more women elected to the House . The Prime Minister has often spoken about how important it is to get more women elected, but he rejected the member for Burnaby South's proposal to promote gender parity in electoral candidates. The Prime Minister has also rejected the NDP's proposals on electoral reform. Just 26% of members here in the House are women.How does the Prime Minister plan to get more women elected to the House?

Mr. Speaker, increasingly Canada is divided into two worlds, the wealthy and the struggling. By January 2, Canada's top-paid CEOs had already earned what the average Canadian earned in a year. In 2017, the wages of CEOs increased 16 times faster than those of most Canadians, but the Prime Minister is showing he does not get it. He allows CEOs to keep their lucrative stock option loophole, while telling Sears workers to suck it up and be happy with EI rather than their own pensions that they paid into.When will he get to work for these people rather than his CEO friends?

Mr. Speaker, no government mission has made us prouder than the mission to rescue, resettle, and provide safety for survivors of Daesh, mainly Yazidi women and girls. We have resettled more than 1,000 Yazidi women and girls in Canada. We are on track to resettle the remaining 100. We are proud of that commitment. We will continue to expedite those cases as part of the privately sponsored refugee program. We made a commitment to the House, and we are proud to deliver on that commitment.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the work that this Prime Minister and this government do. If we want to look at the work this government is doing, let us look at the economy, with 750,000 jobs created by Canadians for Canadians. It is the highest growth in any G7 country. There is more confidence in this government and in Canadians today than there was three years ago, when the previous government was here. This government will continue to work on behalf of Canadians to respond to the very real challenges they are facing.I am proud to serve alongside this Prime Minister.

Mr. Speaker, I am more than happy to talk about the consultation work that was done on CPTPP. Our government engaged in two years of robust consultation, including 41,000 letters, over 800 stakeholder meetings, and on top of that, 400 witnesses at the international trade committee of which my colleague is a strong member. If there is one thing that was clear in all those submissions, it is that this is a great deal for our economy, a great deal for Canada's workers, and this is a better deal for Canadians because of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague that this government has supported and will continue to support the supply management system. As I said many times in this House, it is a symbol for the world. I indicated before and I want to indicate again that we are the party that fought to implement supply management, and I can assure my hon. colleague that we are the government that is going to defend supply management.

Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner released the Trudeau report a week after the House rose in December, finding that he broke the—

Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner released the Trudeau report a week after the House rose in December, finding that he broke the—

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague that this government has supported and will continue to support the supply management system. As I said many times in this House, it is a symbol for the world. I indicated before and I want to indicate again that we are the party that fought to implement supply management, and I can assure my hon. colleague that we are the government that is going to defend supply management.

Mr. Speaker, I am more than happy to talk about the consultation work that was done on CPTPP. Our government engaged in two years of robust consultation, including 41,000 letters, over 800 stakeholder meetings, and on top of that, 400 witnesses at the international trade committee of which my colleague is a strong member. If there is one thing that was clear in all those submissions, it is that this is a great deal for our economy, a great deal for Canada's workers, and this is a better deal for Canadians because of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the work that this Prime Minister and this government do. If we want to look at the work this government is doing, let us look at the economy, with 750,000 jobs created by Canadians for Canadians. It is the highest growth in any G7 country. There is more confidence in this government and in Canadians today than there was three years ago, when the previous government was here. This government will continue to work on behalf of Canadians to respond to the very real challenges they are facing.I am proud to serve alongside this Prime Minister.

Mr. Speaker, no government mission has made us prouder than the mission to rescue, resettle, and provide safety for survivors of Daesh, mainly Yazidi women and girls. We have resettled more than 1,000 Yazidi women and girls in Canada. We are on track to resettle the remaining 100. We are proud of that commitment. We will continue to expedite those cases as part of the privately sponsored refugee program. We made a commitment to the House, and we are proud to deliver on that commitment.

Mr. Speaker, increasingly Canada is divided into two worlds, the wealthy and the struggling. By January 2, Canada's top-paid CEOs had already earned what the average Canadian earned in a year. In 2017, the wages of CEOs increased 16 times faster than those of most Canadians, but the Prime Minister is showing he does not get it. He allows CEOs to keep their lucrative stock option loophole, while telling Sears workers to suck it up and be happy with EI rather than their own pensions that they paid into.When will he get to work for these people rather than his CEO friends?

Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to hear that, but we still have some solutions and suggestions to offer.It is no secret that one way to change the culture on the Hill is to get more women elected to the House . The Prime Minister has often spoken about how important it is to get more women elected, but he rejected the member for Burnaby South's proposal to promote gender parity in electoral candidates. The Prime Minister has also rejected the NDP's proposals on electoral reform. Just 26% of members here in the House are women.How does the Prime Minister plan to get more women elected to the House?

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, I accept the full recommendations and conclusions of the commissioner.I think it is important that the commissioner and that we recognize a more stringent set of rules for what constitutes a friendship. These are the kinds of things we fully accept and fully understand. We will move forward in a way that Canadians can be sure that any family travel or personal travel by the Prime Minister, by myself, will be verified and worked through with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian organic industry is one of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors in Canada. We have our farmers and organic food processors to thank for that. They are highly regarded throughout the world. With more than $5 billion in retail sales in 2017, there has been tremendous growth in the organic sector, including in the riding of Pontiac.Can the Minister of Agriculture tell the House what our government is doing to help our organic farmers?

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's concern, but I am sure she is fully aware that this deal creates a great opportunity for our farmers and ranchers right across this country. Also, we understand very well the importance of supply management. This is the party that fought to implement it and this is the government that will defend it. We will sit down with the supply-management sector and discuss how we are going to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, whether we are talking about NAFTA or the trans-Pacific partnership, this government has not shown Canadians the transparency they deserve. As we saw with the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the Liberals are prepared to jeopardize our supply management system to quickly conclude a free trade agreement.When will the government be transparent? When will it protect the jobs of Quebeckers and Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, I completely agree that we need more women in politics. This will change our country's politics as well as its corporate culture. This will change the conversation in our communities across the country. This is essential. That is why I was proud to be one of the first leaders in the world to choose a gender-balanced cabinet. This is an important step. We have a lot of work to do to get more women elected to the House of Commons, and we will continue to work on this every day until the next election.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to this issue, we have been clear from the very beginning. We have said that we will work with the commissioner and answer any questions the commissioner has. We have done exactly that. We respect the officers of Parliament. We know they are here to do important work, and we will encourage them to do that important work on behalf of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. When the report was released, the Prime Minister immediately addressed Canadians, accepted the commissioner's finding, and took responsibility. Since the new year, the Prime Minister has taken part in a number of town halls across the country with more to come, has answered unscripted questions directly from Canadians, and has answered over 1,400 questions from members of Parliament in this House since the election.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his hard work and advocacy on this issue, and I understand the challenges that many workers, families, and communities face across this country. My heart goes out to all those who are affected.As the member well knows, Service Canada, for example, has been meeting with representatives. It has had over 282 sessions across the country to assist employees and their families. I understand that Sears Canada's pension funds are held in trust and must be used for the benefit of the pensioners. This is really important to know. When it comes to this situation, the member knows full well that we are willing to engage with him to assess all our options.

Mr. Speaker, when asked why he met with Joshua Boyle, the Prime Minister said that he meets with people who have been freed after overseas ordeals. “I always try to defer to meeting with more people rather than fewer people.... I think that's something that's important to do.”However, Emad Mishko Tamo, a Yazidi boy who was held captive for three years by ISIS, who arrived in Canada only after months of political pressure, has asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister. Why did the PM rush to meet with Joshua Boyle but has yet to meet with Emad?

Mr. Speaker, when prime ministers travel, we know there are certain things that need to take place. Every single time a prime minister travels, he or she is provided with the resources needed to ensure that the prime minister is able to carry out the functions that a prime minister has.When it comes to the report the commissioner has released, the Prime Minister has accepted those findings. We will continue to work on behalf of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite should know full well that when it comes to the Sears employees, we have been engaging with them and working with them, because we know the challenges they are going through. We know the impact this has on many different communities. We are looking at all the different options. We are willing to work with the members opposite. We have been very clear that we are committed to jobs and growth. Since we formed the government, there have been over 700,000 jobs created in the Canadian economy. We will continue to do more to assist members of the Sears community and the families that are impacted in communities across the country.

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, especially because the member opposite voted against it, the very first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We then delivered a Canada child benefit that gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families by not sending child benefit cheques to millionaire families. On top of that, we have invested close to $1 billion on tax avoidance and tax evasion to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. We are going to continue to make sure that our system is fairer and that we support the middle class and people working hard to join it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her question, her statement, and her hard work on this file.It is important that women and men break the taboo of silence and become allies and supporters in standing up against gender violence, standing up against sexual harassment and sexual assault in workplaces, in homes, and in communities right across this country.This is a problem that has gone on for far too long, and it is time we dealt with it, particularly here in Parliament, where we set an example for the rest of the country. That is why, with Bill C-65, we are committed to taking an important step towards improving workplaces in federally regulated industries and on Parliament Hill. I look forward to working with members of all parties on improving this legislation and ensuring that it moves forward.

Mr. Speaker, in 2016, the Aga Khan's representatives asked to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss ongoing business with his government. Now, that meeting request, which was accepted, was made just two days before the Prime Minister took one of his vacations to the Aga Khan's private island. Accepting a meeting with lobbyists representing the man whose generous hospitality he was about to enjoy, how could the Prime Minister not realize that was a conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, Canada's prosperity depends on young Canadians to get the education and experience they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Last summer, thanks to Canada's summer jobs program, more students in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets had summer employment. They earned money, made friends, and had experiences that they will always remember. As students and parents prepare for another summer, can the minister give this House an update on the Canada summer jobs program for 2018?

Mr. Speaker, since 2015, I am very proud that our government has nearly doubled the number of summer jobs for young students all across this country. We have given more young people meaningful work experiences and the chance to enhance their resumés, contribute to their communities, and earn that money they need going forward into their next year of study. The deadline for employers to apply for the next Canada summer jobs period is February 2 and I encourage all employers, especially small businesses, to apply.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to report that we recently announced Canada's largest investment in indigenous policing since 1991. Funding of over $290 million will mean better equipment and wages for more than 1,300 police officers and the addition of 110 new officer positions in indigenous communities. The funding is also ongoing and indexed, so indigenous communities can rely on it for the long term.

Mr. Speaker, in Quebec and in the Maritimes, seasonal workers have been joining forces for some time to denounce this government's failure to take action on the EI spring gap problem. The Liberals promised to help those workers by resolving the issue. After more than two years, nothing has been done. In just a few weeks' time, many families will be without an income. It is appalling.After so many appeals for help, why are seasonal workers still waiting?

Mr. Speaker, while the member opposite says that she would not attest to supporting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a woman's reproductive right to choose, we know that government funding should never go to undermine Canadians' hard-won rights and freedoms—

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Pontiac for his hard work on the Canadian organic sector.Last Friday in Guelph, I was proud to announce federal funding in support of Canadian organic standards. This funding will help our organic industry remain competitive at home and around the world. Working together with our world-class organic producers, we will reach our government's $75 billion of agriculture and exports by 2025, grow our economy, and increase the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, in November in committee the Minister of National Defence promised to look at Phoenix pay issues from three DND civilian employees in my riding and fix them before Christmas. They came to Ottawa to represent more than 1,000 federal employees in my riding alone with serious pay issues, including a single parent who has been underpaid by more than $20,000. Two months later, the three who received the minister's personal assurances have not even been contacted, let alone had their pay problems fixed.When will the minister take action to make sure that all of his employees are properly paid so they can get on with their work, which is so important to the defence of Canada?

Mr. Speaker, when Quebec asked for more time to provide for the legalization of pot, Ottawa said no. Now we know why the Liberals were in such a hurry. The cannabis industry is a Liberal industry, and is the new private preserve of the Liberal Party of Canada. Anyone who works for the Liberals will have a job waiting for them in the pot economy.When will the Liberals stop working on behalf of their friends and start working for all Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, we have all been shaken by the allegations that have come to light over the past few months and days. I want to take the opportunity to tell those who have come forward that we support them, we believe them, we hear them, and we will do absolutely everything we can to change the culture here on Parliament Hill.I want to assure the Prime Minister that the NDP is fully committed to working with the government and all parties here in this House to make sure that we move in the right direction on this issue. What actions can parliamentarians take to help shift the culture here on Parliament Hill?

Mr. Speaker, as has been the case for this Prime Minister and previous prime ministers, there are certain resources that travel with the Prime Minister. The commissioner also found that the Prime Minister did not participate in or make any decisions relating to the Aga Khan or his institutions.The Prime Minister and this government will continue to work with officers of Parliament so that they can do the important work that they do.

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister was in Davos lecturing about inequality, people in regions like mine are hurting because of job-killing trade deals, privatization, and foreign takeovers.The privatized port of Churchill has shut down. We are losing hundreds of resource jobs. There is up to 90% unemployment in indigenous communities.When will the Prime Minister admit that growing inequality and the loss of good jobs is because of decades of Liberal and Conservative policies that are hurting Canadians?

Yes, Mr. Speaker, taxpayers do support the Prime Minister when he travels, but they should not be expected to support his costs when he is breaking the law. The Prime Minister would have us believe that it was okay because he thought the Aga Khan was a close family friend, but the Ethics Commissioner revealed that the Prime Minister had not actually spoken to this close friend in over 30 years. The Prime Minister broke the law by accepting these trips. Will he do the right thing and pay taxpayers back?

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister is the first Canadian prime minister to break our ethics laws. He billed taxpayers over $200,000 by accepting more than one luxury vacation. Taxpayers should not have to pay for the Prime Minister's illegal actions. Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and reimburse taxpayers for his trips to Bell Island?

Mr. Speaker, the report has been released. The Prime Minister has responded and has accepted all the findings, as a leader should. Steps have been taken to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. It was this government, actually, that put measures in place when it comes to travel. We will continue to do the important work that Canadians expect us to do.

Mr. Speaker, fixing the Phoenix pay problem remains my top priority. I can assure the member and all members that we are leaving no stone unturned as we work tirelessly to resolve this issue for Canada's public servants. Our public servants will fix this on behalf of Canadians. Let me assure the member opposite that I will look into his three cases immediately.

Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was released I took responsibility. I accepted the full recommendations of the commissioner and will be moving forward in a such a way that any personal vacations or family travel gets approved in advance by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, it seems that the members opposite do not understand. Rich, anonymous investors from tax havens have invested no less than $165 million in pot production in Canada. Anonymous investors, or maybe even members of organized crime, have bankrolled the legalization of Liberal cannabis.Will the government ensure that the list of investors is made public? Canadians are entitled to that information and we are demanding it.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to indicate once again how crucial it is to recognize the importance of employment insurance in supporting our workers in precarious situations, as well as their communities and the employers that need their efforts to continue to develop their communities. This is especially true in seasonal employment situations, which, as we know, are so difficult in eastern Quebec and the Maritimes. We have introduced important measures over the past few months to strengthen the employment insurance system and we will continue to do so, as promised.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Harper Conservative ideology is still alive and well under members opposite. We know that government funding should never go to undermining Canadian's rights and freedoms. While the Conservative leader's campaign manager was arranging internships for organizations that oppose women's rights, the Government of Canada will not be funding them.Canadians expect that their government will stand up for the rights of women and the LGBTQ2 community, and we will uphold them all the way. That is exactly what this government is doing.

Mr. Speaker, one thing that is clear in regard to this government, which the previous government did not do, is that we are committed to engaging and having conversations with Canadians, whether those are tough conversations or feedback as to how we can respond to the very real challenges they are facing. In regard to the report, immediately after it was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. We have been in our constituencies for several weeks. The Prime Minister has been available at town halls. Numerous questions have been posed directly to him, and he has been available to answer them.

Mr. Speaker, last week after media reports, the Liberals finally admitted that they have signed on to the CPTPP, not only blinding stakeholders on the ground working on NAFTA but ignoring consultations where 95% of Canadians rejected the old TPP. Experts are saying Canada stands to lose 58,000 jobs, but the government is still moving full steam ahead. It is unacceptable that Canadians do not know what their government has committed them to when other countries, like New Zealand, are being transparent. What is in the CPTPP is anyone's guess. When will the Liberals release the text and come clean with Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, protecting Canadians and their health and safety is a priority for our government. The black market is currently under the complete control of criminals. The cannabis being sold today is unregulated, untested, and often very unsafe.Bill C-45 creates a responsible, well-regulated legal market for adults. We are taking the time to do things right, but this delay will benefit organized crime and present an ongoing risk for our young people.

Mr. Speaker, protecting the health and safety of Canadians is a priority for our government. The current approach to cannabis is not working. It lets criminals profit and has not kept cannabis out of the hands of children.The cannabis bill will provide a strict legal framework that will control the production, distribution, sale, and possession of cannabis in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, once again, our priority is to protect the health and safety of Canadians. That is why Bill C-45 is a priority.The current approach is not working. It has allowed criminals to profit and has not kept cannabis out of the hands of children.The cannabis bill will create a strict legal framework to control the production, distribution, sale, and possession of cannabis in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister received multiple briefings on dealings between his government and the Aga Khan, whom he describes as a close family friend. The Prime Minister should have been aware of his responsibilities under the Conflict of Interest Act, especially when it comes to mixing government business and friendship.Why did he do nothing to ensure that he was not in a conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, when the commissioner put out her report, we accepted it immediately, and I took responsibility for my actions. At the same time, moving forward, as is important and as Canadians expect, we will ensure that we work with the conflict of interest commissioner on any personal family vacation or any personal travel the Prime Minister undertakes in the future.

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, the first thing this government did was lower taxes for the middle class and increase them for the wealthy. Next, we created the Canada child benefit, which gives more tax-free money every month to nine out of 10 families. We can do that because we stopped sending cheques to millionaire families. We will continue to invest in the middle class and all those working hard to join it. That is our priority. That is what we have been working on for the past two years and will continue to work on for the next two years.

Mr. Speaker, if I say “Cayman Islands”, “Barbados”, or “Bermuda”, you will likely think that I am talking about future branches of Morneau Shepell, when I am actually talking about where the money to produce Canadian marijuana is coming from. The Liberals who are running pot companies funded by tax havens are supposedly there to fight organized crime. That pretty much sums up the Prime Minister's big plan.Will the Prime Minister ensure that there is complete transparency when it comes to the ownership of marijuana companies and the source of their funding?

Mr. Speaker, as has been the case with previous prime ministers, and as the former commissioner herself stated, security costs are incurred wherever the Prime Minister travels. This government will continue to work with commissioners, with officers of parliament, to do the important work that we are here to do.

Mr. Speaker, it was this Prime Minister who tried to hide from Canadians the details about his unethical vacations. He did not want anyone to know where he was or whom he was with. He did not start coming clean with Canadians until after he was caught. Even then, it took a year-long investigation for any details to come to light. If the Prime Minister did not think that there was anything wrong with these trips, why did he go to such lengths to hide it?

Mr. Speaker, our government knows that funding should never go to pay for work that seeks to actively undermine Canadians' rights. Unlike the Harper Conservatives who had no problem funding groups like the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, who put kids to work distributing flyers featuring graphic images of aborted fetuses, we are committed to protecting Canadians' rights. What is relevant is ensuring that taxpayers' dollars do not go to these activities. Is the member opposite saying that she is opposed to reproductive freedom?

Mr. Speaker, I met with St'at'imc Chiefs Council in Lillooet late last year, with one of the most pressing issues raised being the need for increased federal support for the community's tribal police service.Could the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness please update the House on what he is doing to ensure that first nation and Inuit communities are receiving the necessary funding to properly serve and protect their communities?

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite has stated that she would not tick the box to attest to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a woman's right to reproductive rights; however, we know that government funding should never go to actively undermine Canadians' rights. That is why we know, unlike the Conservatives, that organizations like the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform should not be entitled to use jobs for kids money to support their activities which—

Mr. Speaker, as was clearly said by the Prime Minister, immediately after the report was released the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner.The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Prime Minister will continue to follow any advice and recommendations the commissioner has.

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister went to Bell Island on vacation, he chose to accept a private helicopter ride, even though he knew it was in direct violation of the Conflict of Interest Act.Why did he think he could take that helicopter ride?

Mr. Speaker, where was, is, or will be the Minister of Agriculture? It seems that dairy, egg, and poultry producers have once again been overlooked by the Liberal government in the trans-Pacific partnership.Producers are paying the price for the arrogance of the Prime Minister, who skipped an important meeting last November. As a result, the same concessions were made even though the U.S. was not part of the equation, at a time when NAFTA negotiations are at a critical stage. Will the government today commit to providing compensation for producers, as the previous Conservative government had committed to provide?

Mr. Speaker, the report by the former commissioner of conflict of interest and ethics was very clear: the Prime Minister violated the Conflict of Interest Act twice. He violated amendments to the act that he himself introduced in the House. It would be totally irresponsible to ignore the Prime Minister's inappropriate conduct.Does the government believe taxpayers want to aid and abet the Prime Minister in his inappropriate conduct?

Mr. Speaker, that is certainly poor comfort to those Sears workers.According to Oxfam, 82% of global wealth created in 2017 went to the richest 1%. The 1% are the people that the Prime Minister wooed in Davos, Switzerland. The 1% are people like Stephen Bronfman and the Aga Khan, who are personal friends of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister lets CEOs keep their generous tax deductions for stock options while asking Sears employees to settle for employment insurance instead of the pensions they poured their own money into.When will he finally fight for all Canadians instead of just the 1%?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister asked for more than one personal luxury vacation from someone his government was doing business with. He should have known this was wrong, but he did it anyway. The Prime Minister accepted a private helicopter ride. He should have known that this was wrong, too, but he did it anyway. The result is that he is now the first Prime Minister to break Canada's federal ethics laws. Why does the Prime Minister think that this is okay?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has answered these questions on numerous occasions. Once again, as was clearly said, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Prime Minister will continue to follow any advice and recommendations that are given.

Mr. Speaker, according to the Ethics Commissioner's report, the Prime Minister thinks that his meetings with international leaders, including the Aga Khan, are purely ceremonial in nature. If the Prime Minister thinks that his role in these meetings is just ceremonial, then who is doing the actual work that his job requires?

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear about our support for Churchill. I have personally had the opportunity to visit Churchill, to make investments there to promote economic development.Since we formed government, there have been over 700,000 jobs created by Canadians. This has led to the lowest unemployment rate in the last 40 years, at 5.7%. We will continue to work hard on behalf of Canadians. We are going to focus on growth and jobs. We are going to continue to assist individuals and families in Churchill.

Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was released, I took responsibility, as any leader should do, and I accepted all of the commissioner's conclusions. I have taken measures to ensure that, moving forward, all of my family vacations will be approved in advance by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and I will continue to follow all advice and recommendations from the commissioner regarding how to deal with my family friendship with the Aga Khan.

Mr. Speaker, as the commissioner concluded, I did not take part in any decisions regarding the Aga Khan or the Aga Khan Foundation.

Despite the Prime Minister's response, the Ethics Commissioner indicated in her report that there was official business between the Prime Minister and the Aga Khan.Does the Prime Minister acknowledge the commissioner's findings?

Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House time and again, this government respects the officers of Parliament and the work they do. Immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as a leader should, and accepted the findings of the commissioner. The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Prime Minister will continue to follow any advice and recommendations the commissioner has.

Mr. Speaker, when he appeared before the Ethics Commissioner, the Prime Minister indicated that he did not consider the meetings to be business meetings.Does the Prime Minister still maintain that a meeting with him has nothing to do with the affairs of the Government of Canada?

Mr. Speaker, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as any leader should. He accepted the commissioner's findings. The Prime Minister has taken steps to ensure that all future family vacations are cleared ahead of time with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, immediately after the report was released, the Prime Minister took responsibility, as any leader should. He accepted the commissioner's findings.

Mr. Speaker, it is an official document, but I will respect your guidance.The Prime Minister has made a public statement saying that he will not discuss these findings or the wider revelations raised in the commissioner's 66-page report with the House standing committee on ethics. Does the Prime Minister consider himself above the protocols and practices of this House and his accountability as a member, let alone the Prime Minister, to his fellow MPs?

Mr. Speaker, the ability of an individual or a group to provide essential services does not depend on who they are or their personal beliefs.The government recently acknowledged that by apologizing to the LGBTQ community, several members of which were removed from the public service.Why then, in the case of summer jobs funding, does the government find it acceptable to impose a personal values test as a way of deciding who gets government funding?

Mr. Speaker, I would not take that values test either.The government claims it has issued a clarification about its intentions, but it still has not changed the attestation it demands applicants to sign. Many of the not-for-profit organizations whose mandate is simply to help vulnerable Canadians will not check the box, because a clarification by the government does not change the wording that is plainly in this attestation.Will the government take the logical next step, remove the values test attestation, and extend the deadline so that groups previously excluded will have time to apply?

Mr. Speaker, despite being forced to settle a constitutional court case regarding Canada's summer jobs last year, the Liberals are attacking the very people they claim to help.By forcing groups to sign the Prime Minister's values test, the government is denying help to groups that provide aid to refugees, run day camp programs for kids with disabilities, and help at-risk youth. On behalf of these organizations from across Canada, will the Liberals finally remove this values test from the Canada summer jobs application?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is out of touch with the everyday lives of working Canadians. Last week, he actually suggested that Sears Canada workers, who face losing pensions and health care benefits, could simply rely on EI and CPP. Talk about a backup plan.There is something simple this government can do: support measures in my bill that help workers like those at Sears Canada and prevent them from ever again being faced with losing their pension benefits. Instead of “monitoring the situation”, when will the government break from tradition and get to work to protect our workers?

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister was hanging out with his billionaire friends at Davos, he made very clear his indifference to the corporate pension robbery at Sears. Those retirees have no friends in this government. Let us look at the finance minister. His family business, Morneau Shepell, had the contract to roll up the Sears pension fund. He has told the investors about the opportunities of going after defined plans, and he has brought in the legislation, Bill C-27, to make it possible. At the very least, will the finance minister withdraw Bill C-27 and recuse himself from any discussions about the Sears workers?

Mr. Speaker, as has been said, the report was released and the Prime Minister accepted those recommendations. The commissioner also found that the Prime Minister did not participate in or make any decisions relating to the Aga Khan or his institutions as has sometimes been implied by the opposite side, which is unfortunate. This government is here to work on behalf of Canadians to respond to the very real challenges that they are facing. We will continue to work on behalf of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Papineau has earned the distinction of being the first Canadian leader to break our ethics laws. In response to the Ethics Commissioner's report, he failed to accept full responsibility for his actions. He even implied that she made a mistake. Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he fully accepts the commissioner's report regarding his illegal conduct?

Mr. Speaker, he should not have had to wait for the Ethics Commissioner's report. The Conflict of Interest Act states that the Prime Minister is responsible for “arrang[ing] his or her private affairs in a manner that will prevent [him] from being in a conflict of interest”.Therefore, does the Prime Minister agree with the Ethics Commissioner that he failed to meet these standards as required by law?

Mr. Speaker, his lawyers argued that when he took office, the Prime Minister had no foreseeable business with the Aga Khan. This is despite the Aga Khan's frequent dealings with the previous government and ongoing projects, all of which the Prime Minister was briefed on.Does the Prime Minister really expect us to believe that it was impossible to anticipate any conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister did business with the Aga Khan, and we know that the Prime Minister asked the Aga Khan for access to his private island to use for his personal vacations. We know that the Prime Minister accepted a private helicopter ride during at least one of these vacations. These actions by the Prime Minister were not just wrong; they were illegal.Now, part of saying sorry is making amends. If the Prime Minister is truly sorry and truly takes responsibility, will he do the right thing and pay taxpayers back?

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister went to Expedia to book a private island vacation like the ones he accepted, he would be paying tens of thousands of dollars per night. In addition to that, the Prime Minister billed taxpayers $200,000 in travel and staff expenses for his illegal vacation.We now know that it was wrong for the Prime Minister to accept these luxury vacations, so I am asking the Prime Minister if he is going to take responsibility. He can answer. Will he pay taxpayers back for the costs he left them?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister refused to appear before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics to explain his actions concerning two trips to a private island.Why does the Prime Minister think there is no need for him to appear before the committee and explain to all Canadians why taxpayers should pay for his illegal vacations?

Mr. Speaker, there have been no answers to questions coming out of the Ethics Commissioner's report.The commissioner found that among the laws the Prime Minister broke, the Prime Minister received an illegal gift. The taxpayers are also on the hook for the Prime Minister's decision to receive this illegal gift. Will the Prime Minister repay the almost quarter of a million dollars in security, staffing support, per diems, and technology generated by a holiday trip he should never have taken at the taxpayers' expense?