2018-12-03

Mr. Speaker, contrary to the Conservatives' rhetoric about asylum seekers, we would like to point out that approximately 40% of those who have crossed the border into Canada are children.The Harper Conservatives were penny-wise and pound foolish when they cut $400 million from border security services. They should be ashamed to ask questions about the security of our borders.

Mr. Speaker, that the Liberals would dare talk about divisive rhetoric after the Prime Minister, the limousine Liberal, went down to Argentina at an international conference while our workers are struggling at home, and he insulted them and accused them of creating negative social and gender impacts, is absolutely disgusting and appalling. The first thing the government should do is apologize for that despicable rhetoric. When will the Liberals apologize for insulting working men and women, and scrap the “no more pipelines” bill at the same time?

Mr. Speaker, a lack of new pipelines necessary for Canadian oil to reach global markets has created a serious crisis in Alberta. With oil being sold for pennies on the dollar, the no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will be the final nail in the coffin for the industry. When will the Prime Minister kill his no more pipelines bill?

Mr. Speaker, if only he would understand how disappointed his own city is in him. My province is in crisis. The Alberta energy industry is under attack by the Prime Minister. Albertans have been suffering for years under the Prime Minister's anti-energy policies. He killed northern gateway and energy east, banned tankers and has failed miserably on Trans Mountain. His no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will be the final nail.Will the minister stand up for Albertan jobs and kill this bill?

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that they are going to miss their targets. It is pathetic. In 2015, the Prime Minister portrayed himself as a brave knight who would fight the malevolent forces of climate change. Three years later, it is becoming clear that this was nothing but a fairy tale for children. However, people want us to play a positive role. People want us to set more ambitious targets. People want a real transition. We need to get back on track, and buying a pipeline with our money is no way for the Prime Minister to show that he is serious. Will the Liberals catch up at COP24 or will they let future generations down?

Mr. Speaker, are the cabinet ministers and the Liberal MPs single-handedly keeping the courts and the RCMP employed?It was reported that a public servant leaked information on the naval ship contract to a prominent Ottawa lobby firm, saying, “I got everything — the motherload.” Despite this evidence, the Prime Minister said that Vice-Admiral Norman was the one who should end up before the courts. With each passing day, this cover-up smells worse and worse.When will the government come clean and give Canadians the truth about what happened with this contract?

Mr. Speaker, any innuendoes or allegations made by the member opposite are categorically false. The member knows full well that he is making these allegations in the House, where he has parliamentary privilege. If he wants to make these same remarks, I recommend he make them outside the House.

Mr. Speaker, at a glitzy international conference last week, the Prime Minister attacked energy workers, saying that male construction workers go to rural communities and cause negative social and gender impact. While he is trying to build his international celebrity abroad, he is killing the livelihoods of working Canadians back at home. His “no more pipelines” Bill C-69 has been condemned by the industry, the Alberta government and numerous aboriginal communities. Will the Prime Minister finally scrap his “no more pipelines” Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, this is where we should be talking about the real issues, but the Liberals are reluctant to do that. They are incapable of doing that.Last week, we learned that the Prime Minister's “Welcome to Canada” tweet will cost Canadians $1.1 billion. That is on top of the millions of dollars Quebec will have to pay.Next week, the Prime Minister plans to sign, on behalf of Canada, a UN pact on open borders. It is another breach of our sovereignty. When will the Prime Minister close the loophole in the safe third country agreement and withdraw Canada from the UN's global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, our record speaks for itself: faster processing of spousal sponsorships, reuniting more families than ever before, making sure that we invite people to become Canadian citizens when they have contributed so much to this country. What is despicable is the record of that party: cutting refugee health care, putting obstacles before people who wish to become Canadian citizens, bragging about Yazidis when it only brought three Yazidis into Canada. We have the record to prove it. Let them have their talking points.

Mr. Speaker, spending $1.1 billion on people who illegally enter the country from the safe spaces of New York should be a best practice that Canada does not export anywhere.The idea that Canada's immigration policy can be informed or controlled by something outside our nation should be of grave concern, and given the Prime Minister's demonstrated inability and unwillingness to secure our borders, will the Prime Minister today reverse his border-erasing policy and withdraw Canada from the UN global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has lived a celebrity lifestyle off of his family fortune and now he is trying to build that celebrity lifestyle off of Canadians' tax dollars. He is sending out tweets to win celebrity friends. Meanwhile, the working people back home who pay the bills are under attack by his “no more pipelines” Bill C-69. The NDP government in Alberta, the pipeline association and the TransCanada pipelines company have all called for the government to withdraw this bill. Will the Liberals withdraw the “no more pipelines” Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals want to see a leader in this House who defends workers, they should call the by-election.Just last week, with the stroke of a pen, the Prime Minister made it clear that it is more important to please Donald Trump than to protect Canadians. This is shameful. He signed an agreement without removing Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum that threaten thousands of jobs, and a deal that compromises Canadian sovereignty over our dairy industry, giving the U.S. power to interfere in the regulation of our supply management system. This is wrong.Why is the Prime Minister so willing to sacrifice so much to Donald Trump?

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, any insinuation of wrongdoing by the Minister of Innovation is absolutely false, and repeating it outside the chamber will be met with a strong response from the minister's lawyer. If the member has courage to say it in this place where he is protected, why does the member not have the courage to say it outside the House?

Mr. Speaker, from 2014 to 2016, the United States circumvented the supply management system by exporting diafiltered milk to Canada. Despite the fact that dairy producers were losing over $200 million a year, the Liberals did not lift a finger to help. Producers had to take matters into their own hands and come to an agreement with the major processors, thereby creating a new milk class called class 7. By capitulating to Trump and signing the deal with the United States, the Liberals undid all that work and gave this high-protein American milk unlimited access to the Canadian market.Will the Liberals also compensate dairy producers for this sabotage?

Mr. Speaker, rather than threatening MPs with lawsuits, maybe the Liberals should try answering some questions in this place.While they are tragic, gambling problems do not launch ethics investigations nor do they have one tailed by the RCMP. In a confessional video released by the member for Brampton East, more questions were raised than were answered. Troubling behaviour by the MP going back months raised red flags for the RCMP, but apparently not for the Liberals.This whole scandal raises disturbing questions about the Prime Minister's own competence. How is it possible that Conservative senators and the entire media gallery knew more about this issue than the Prime Minister's own office did?

Mr. Speaker, the NDP knew that passing legislation to force Canada Post employees back to work was a bad idea. Canada Post executives are doing whatever they want. They have the government's support and they know that they have the upper hand. They cut employees' hours of accumulated leave and their personal leave using the same tactics they did in 2011, even though those tactics were found to be illegal.Are the pseudo-progressive Liberals going to allow Canada Post to erode the working conditions of workers whose hands are now tied?

Mr. Speaker, Quebec is the only jurisdiction that adequately protects consumers from banks. Under Bill C-86, the Liberals seem to be protecting the banks by preventing any recourse to Quebec's Office de la protection du consommateur.The National Assembly unanimously calls on the federal government to clarify in Bill C-86 that Quebec's legislation will continue to apply to banks.Will the 40 federal Liberal MPs protect Quebec consumers or will they choose Bay Street and the big banks?

Mr. Speaker, speaking of national security advisors, Dick Fadden, the former national security advisor to the present Prime Minister, told the media that he had a great deal of difficulty believing that no one in the PMO was aware of these investigations of the Liberal MP for Brampton East. The Prime Minister now admits that he knew for months that a sitting Liberal MP was under investigation, and that investigation now involves national security, drug money laundering and international terrorism.Why did the Prime Minister cover up for the Liberal MP for so long?

Mr. Speaker, Statistics Canada decided to suspend its plan to collect data on Canadians from their bank and credit records. The Liberals are telling Canadians that this was a pilot project when, in fact, this is entrenched in their own census policy. They knew this and were warned this new scheme would backfire. Instead, they appointed a chief census officer to do their dirty work, undermining the data collecting system and compromising policy. Now that the minister has failed to restore confidence in Statistics Canada, will he fix the problem? Yes, I will repeat this out of the House.

Mr. Speaker, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is in Oshawa today with auto workers after GM has turned its back on them.The GM plant closure is devastating for the families of 2,500 workers and for thousands more whose livelihoods have depended on that plant for 100 years.The Liberals have yet to act. They have no emergency plan. There have been no emergency meetings. What is the Prime Minister waiting for? GM did not build Oshawa; Oshawa built GM, and it is time to fight for good jobs.Will the Liberals listen to the NDP and call for an urgent meeting with industry, labour and all of government to find solutions to fight for these jobs?

Mr. Speaker, there is a problem with the Liberals giving Canadians false assurances that the UN global compact for migration is non-binding. Non-binding agreements can become customary international law and inform the interpretation of domestic law. This means that Canadian judges can cite this declaration in their decisions. After spending $1.1 billion on illegal border crossers, will the Prime Minister reverse his policy of border erasure and refuse to sign the UN global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, I joined more than 14,000 Franco-Ontarians who took to the streets to express their anger over Doug Ford's policies.This was the biggest protest in Franco-Ontarian history. The movement is still going. It is not losing steam, and I have some news for Doug Ford: knowing how proud Franco-Ontarians are, I do not think they will not run out of steam anytime soon, either.With the holidays around the corner, will the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie give Franco-Ontarians a gift and announce how much her government plans to put towards Ontario's French-language university?

Mr. Speaker, any insinuation that the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development committed any wrongdoing is false, and if the member would care to repeat that outside the House, he will hear from the minister's lawyer.

Mr. Speaker, the member for Brampton East is providing us with more plot twists than binge night on Netflix. But it is the drama concerning the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development that concerns me, particularly whether insider information was used in a land deal that went down with Goreway Heaven, a company with deep ties to the Liberal Party who were also on that disastrous India trip.It is reported that the City of Brampton has taken the extraordinary step of referring this issue to the RCMP.To reassure the House, will the minister tell us whether or not his name has been referred to the RCMP? It is a simple question.

Mr. Speaker, it is getting to the point where we need a criminal investigation flow chart to understand the relationship between a Liberal MP, a Liberal minister, the Prime Minister, a clutch of Liberal financial supporters and three RCMP investigations. Now we have learned that the City of Brampton wants the Mounties to investigate a land deal after confidential information was allegedly passed to the member for Brampton East and the Minister of Economic Development. It is time for the Liberals to drop the “We don't comment on RCMP investigations” stalling and tell Canadians the truth.

Mr. Speaker, let's talk about security. What this government intends to do is erase Canada's borders. The Canada Border Services Agency recently revealed that it only intercepts 3%—I did say 3%—of dangerous goods and at-risk people from entering Canada. This is happening while the Prime Minister sends out tweets that end up costing Canadians $1 billion.When will the Prime Minister actually strengthen our borders instead of further erasing them by signing the UN global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, that is the thing. Diafiltered milk is outside the supply management system.The announced closure of the GM plant is devastating for the families of 2,500 workers and their communities, but it is not just workers in Oshawa who are concerned about their families. All auto workers across Canada are worried. The Prime Minister needs to do more than simply express his disappointment. He needs to show leadership and call an emergency summit on the automotive industry by the end of next week with unions, the industry, the provinces and the mayors of the communities whose economies depend on the automotive sector.Will he do that?

Mr. Speaker, I do not understand why the minister is being so defensive. If he has done nothing wrong, why will he not answer the questions he is being asked? At least one of the company's directors took part in the Prime Minister's disastrous trip to India. The minister even took a photo with one of the company's directors, who is also a former Liberal riding association president. On top of that, many of the company's directors are Liberal Party donors. It is a simple question. Did the RCMP contact the minister and, if so, when?

Mr. Speaker, workers in all sectors of our economy are worried and losing hope as more jobs are lost like those recently at General Motors in Oshawa. Under the current Prime Minister, we have seen the biggest decline in energy investment in 70 years. Excessive regulations and red tape are making investors run for the border. We have found out this week that there is no end in sight for steel and aluminum tariffs, and the Liberal carbon tax will just make everything more expensive. When will the Liberals end their carbon tax scheme to avoid losing more jobs in Ontario?

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, I was pleased to be joined by first nations, Inuit and Métis nation leaders to announce that after comprehensive engagement, we are going forward to introduce co-developed legislation on indigenous child and family services early in the new year. This legislation should mark a turning point to say, “No more”: no more scooping children; no more ripping apart families; no more lost children who do not know their language, their culture and their lineage.I hope that when the legislation is introduced, it will have broad support in the House.

Mr. Speaker, in Paris, the Liberals committed to greenhouse gas reductions that would hold the temperature increase to 1.5°C. Back home, they have stuck to Stephen Harper's targets. In Marrakesh, they called for respect for the rights of indigenous peoples. Back home, they approved major energy projects impacting those rights. In Bonn, at the 11th hour, they committed to a just transition for fossil fuel sector workers, and yet a year later there is nothing budgeted to support Alberta's initiative. This week, at COP24 in Poland, will the government simply make more promises it has no intention of keeping?

Mr. Speaker, the member for Brampton East is at the centre of some murky Liberal intrigue. Controversy swirls around close ties to a real estate company and shady transactions, leaving us all in a state of confusion. Why did a director of that company just happen to be a part of the Prime Minister's free trip to India? Who invited him to go at taxpayers' expense?

Mr. Speaker, of course this is disappointing news for Oshawa. The reason it is so disappointing, as the member opposite has mentioned, is that Oshawa has a long and proud history, over 100 years, when it comes to General Motors.That is why we have actually worked with GM and are working with the union as well. I have spoken with the local municipal leadership. I have spoken with my provincial counterpart as well. GM has made a big mistake by turning its back on the workers in Oshawa.We will not make that mistake. We will continue to defend the auto workers and we will continue to support this very important sector.

Mr. Speaker, New Democrats say one thing in the House, but behind closed doors they admit this is the deal to protect Canadian jobs. The NDP leader celebrated the deal during a recent event in Ottawa, and the NDP member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, who is also the NDP Quebec lieutenant, called the new NAFTA the best deal possible.We will continue to fight for good Canadian jobs. That is exactly what we did over the weekend and will continue to do in the future.

Mr. Speaker, the allegations that the member opposite is making are categorically false. If he has the courage of his convictions to make these allegations, I strongly recommend he go outside the House to make those same remarks.

Mr. Speaker, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians has studied this issue, and it would be inappropriate to comment until the report is tabled.

Mr. Speaker, let us get specific. The Prime Minister's Office now says that the PM did not invite any of the business people who joined his ill-fated trip to India. The member for Brampton East, who said he would resign because of a gambling addiction and did not, says he did not invite a director of the Goreway Heaven company involved in the suspect Brampton real estate deal, and the economic development minister claims ignorance of it all. Again, will the Liberals at least tell us who invited the Goreway Heaven executives on the Prime Minister's trip to India.

Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned about the reports of serious issues being faced by Canadians with implanted medical devices. We are assessing the risk, quality and effectiveness of health products before they are used. We are bringing forward an action plan on medical devices that will strengthen the processes used to improve them, improve oversight once they are approved and give Canadians more information and more transparency.Unlike the Harper Conservatives who shuttered Canada's bureau of medical devices in 2010, we are rebuilding this and making sure Canadians are kept safe when they use medical devices.

Mr. Speaker, according to the National Post, the City of Brampton asked the RCMP to investigate a troubling situation. Two Liberal members, including the Minister of Innovation, received confidential information about the price the City of Brampton offered the Ontario government in a land deal. What happened? A private-sector company purchased the land only to resell it quickly at a huge profit.My question for the minister is simple. How is he connected to that company?

Mr. Speaker, the world is seeing unprecedented levels of men, women and children displaced by war and by persecution.Our government is proud to have taken a leadership position on the global compact. This is the first time the international community has worked together to develop a comprehensive set of principles to better manage this phenomenon. It is disappointing to see the Conservatives and Maxime, the member opposite, engage in peddling Rebel Media conspiracy theories while we work with the international community to protect our robust immigration system.

If that were true, Mr. Speaker, the National Assembly and the consumer protection bureau would not be asking Ottawa to back down. The bill creates legal uncertainty. The way the bill is worded, bank customers that have been ripped off would have to take their case all the way to the Supreme Court just to get their money back.If the government truly does not want to undermine consumers, then why does it seem like its legislation favours the bank? Why is the government refusing to include in its bill that Quebec's legislation still applies?

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the record of the previous government, how it failed to protect the energy sector and how it failed to expand our non-U.S. global market. When the Conservatives got into office in 2005, 99% of Alberta's oil was exported to the United States. When they left office in 2015, 99% of Alberta's oil was still exported to the United States. That is the failure of the Conservative government.

Mr. Speaker, it is fascinating how quickly we see a change of channels by the member, because knows he can make comments inside the House where he is protected by privilege, but he will not make those comments outside of this place where he is not protected.When it comes to the member's question, we know that the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians is studying the issue. It would be inappropriate to comment on the issue until the report is tabled.

Mr. Speaker, this weekend the Prime Minister said that we need a social analysis on the impact of male construction workers brought in to work in rural areas.Meanwhile, the government is about to sign a UN treaty meant to normalize mass migration. The government must preserve our sovereignty by not signing that treaty.Can the minister explain why the government is more afraid of the social impact of Canadian male workers than that of migrants from other countries?

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, the Prime Minister signed the section 232 side letter on autos, which provides Canada with significant protection against U.S. tariffs.The new agreement maintains crucial supply chains in the auto sector and improves workers' pay and rights. This agreement is good for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians working in the auto industry and for all Canadian workers.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her strong advocacy on behalf of Portuguese-Canadian community. I was so pleased to successfully negotiate the youth mobility agreement with Portugal, which will facilitate youth from both countries to travel, work and study in our joint countries. I am thrilled to announce that applications for this program open this week. Our government believes in expanding the youth mobility program to Portugal, as it will give valuable work experience and perspective to Canadians travelling abroad. Unlike the Conservatives, we believe the world needs more Canada.

Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned, the member told us that he is addressing certain challenges and is receiving treatment from a health professional. The Speaker has been informed that he is no longer a member of the Liberal caucus. We hope that he receives the support he needs.I am not sure where the comments by members opposite come from, but it is clear that they do not recognize that when it comes to our security agencies, when it comes to the RCMP, when it comes to police investigations, they occur independently of government. Government does not tell them who to investigate. Obviously it is a different approach from the Conservatives'.

Mr. Speaker, talking about General Motors, the member opposite knows how difficult this is for Oshawa. However, the company itself is very supportive of putting a price on pollution. It actually supports the fact that we are moving forward in this area. With respect to tariffs, our Prime Minister was very clear with President Trump that we had to remove these tariffs, because they add more cost and more complexity for both American and Canadian companies. Overall, the economy is doing well. Five hundred thousand jobs have been created. We will continue to do more to make sure that more opportunities are created for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, every day in this country, indigenous children are taken away from their families, their communities and their culture. Across Canada, indigenous children represent just 7.7% of all kids under 14 yet make up 52.2% of kids in care. In Manitoba, this number is as high as 90%. It is appalling.Could the Minister of Indigenous Services please update the House on the government's work to keep indigenous families together?

Mr. Speaker, in Paris we made a commitment to fight climate change, and at home we are putting a price on pollution, investing in public transit, helping transition to a clean economy and taking over 50 measures to help fight climate change. When we committed to enhancing first nations' rights, when we came home, we supported a motion to enforce the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. When we make commitments abroad to transition to a clean economy, we are investing to support workers so they can have the jobs not just of today but of tomorrow. Our record is to make commitments on the international stage and then follow through on them at home. To suggest otherwise is misleading.

Mr. Speaker, our government understands how important it is to protect data and the privacy of Canadians. That is why the chief statistician, a few weeks ago, was very clear in the House and before the Senate that he would only proceed, when we are dealing with issues around privacy and data protection, in a meaningful way. The member opposite knows this is a pilot project. No data has been collected, and the privacy of Canadians will always be protected.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister now admits that he and his office were well aware that the Liberal MP for Brampton East was under police investigation for months, yet the Prime Minister kept him in the Liberal caucus and kept him on the finance committee while it was performing a critical study on proceeds of crime legislation. In fact, the Liberal MP was the subject of two RCMP investigations and another one by the Ontario Provincial Police.Why did it take three police investigations before the Prime Minister finally stopped covering for the Liberal MP for Brampton East?

Mr. Speaker, our automotive sector remains strong. It is well placed to build the clean, connected cars of today and tomorrow. We will always stand with our automotive sector and our workers. We will continue to work with the automotive sector, and we will continue to defend our workers.

Mr. Speaker, many Canadians have been impacted by the failure of medical devices like meshes and implants. After a whole year of outcry, the health minister 's weak response is to evaluate whether a registry of who has the device is the right thing to do. Meanwhile, the U.S. FDA has overhauled its approval process for devices to consider post-surgery outcomes. When will the health minister do the same?

Mr. Speaker, as I have stated inside the House and as we have stated outside the House, it was less than two weeks ago that we were notified of any concerns. The member came to us to let us know that he was dealing with certain challenges. When it comes to the RCMP, it works independently of the government. We do not undermine our security officials. We do not undermine officers of Parliament, like the Conservatives' used to do.

Mr. Speaker, it is that kind of divisive politics, pitting one community against the other, pitting indigenous communities against other communities, that has put us in this place to start with.Bill C-69 would allow us to have a process in place that would allow good projects to move forward in a timely and efficient manner. We are focused on expanding our non-U.S. global market, and we are focused on building pipelines that allow us to do that. Bill C-69 is the process to get us there.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, the government signed the new free trade agreement with the United States and Mexico. Although it is a free trade agreement, our government does not seem to think that getting steel and aluminum tariffs lifted is that important. There is no reason for those tariffs or quotas. My region produces the greenest aluminum in the world, and 85% of the buyers are in the United States. The planet needs more green aluminum from my magnificent region.When will the tariffs be lifted?

Mr. Speaker, our government defended the supply management system against the U.S. government that indicated it wanted to dismantle it.We know that our dairy, poultry and egg farmers provide the highest quality of products for Canadians at a reasonable price and take care of our rural communities. We are committed to fully and fairly supporting our farmers to make sure they continue to expand in this country. We have and will continue to support our dairy farmers.

Mr. Speaker, there is obviously no one who can keep this minister or any other member of the House from the drive-by smear tactic. However, I would note that the defence counsel in the case she is referring to said this some time ago, “we have one of the greatest legal systems in the world.” That is an excellent assessment. Let the courts do their work.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the fact that the global compact for migration is an example of Canadian leadership abroad. Most of the document is based on best practices from Canada. It is about the orderly management of migration. It is about recognizing Canada's success with integration and settlement. Only a Conservative with a broken immigration record would find a problem with our sharing our best practices with the world. When it comes to making sure that we export the privately sponsored refugee program or our success with economic immigration, we will sign the agreement.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows full well that the government is working hard with our security services and its partners, including the Government of Quebec, to resolve the situation with asylum seekers.He also knows full well that the number of asylum seekers is going down. He is also well aware that we have responsibilities under international law. Canada intends to meet its obligations, but also ensure that Canadians remain safe.

Mr. Speaker, the member told us he was dealing with a number of problems for which he was receiving treatment from a health professional.As Speaker, you were informed that the member was no longer part of the Liberal caucus. We hope he is getting the help he needs. In answer to the question, the member should know that the report has not been tabled in the House and that we cannot comment on the situation until the report is tabled.

Mr. Speaker, now that the story is out in the open, the Prime Minister's Office denies having invited that particular company director, as does the member for Brampton East. However, all those people most certainly went on the Prime Minister's trip to India.Enough ping-ponging. Canadians have the right to know who invited that real estate director to join the Prime Minister's VIP trip to India.

Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that during the last campaign, the NDP committed to some sort of cap and trade system with absolutely no clarity on how it would make a meaningful difference to reduce emissions across Canada. We campaigned on a commitment to grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. We are putting a price on pollution. We are investing in public transit. We are supporting clean industry. We are implementing over 50 measures that are going to have the impact of taking between 23 million and 26 million cars off of Canadian roads.I am proud of our record. I am proud to be part of a government that, for the first time in my life, is taking the need to protect our environment seriously.

Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board has been telling two contradictory stories about his political interference in the naval ship contract. In October, he told the House that he was only doing his job by ensuring the contract was value to taxpayers. However, in January of 2016, he told the RCMP that was actually not his job.When will the President of the Treasury Board come clean with Canadians and tell us which story is true.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman is referring to materials that deal with an outstanding legal proceeding. I note the defendant in that legal proceeding, about a week ago, said this: “We have complete confidence in the court and the court's ability to make decisions as to the relevance of those documents.” On that advice, it is wise to leave this matter for the court to determine.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Montarville for that question.I was in Saint-Hubert this morning with the Canadian Space Agency team and I am thrilled to inform my colleagues that our astronaut David Saint-Jacques' mission was a success.David will live and work on the International Space Station until June 2019, where he will conduct science experiments, operate Canadarm2 and new Canadian technologies. David is inspiring the next generation of Canadian explorers and innovators. This is a proud moment for Canada and a proud moment for our space program.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country count on Canada Post and its employees. The labour dispute seriously affected Canadians, including workers, charities, organizations and business of all sizes.That is why our government took action. It passed fair and balanced legislation to restore this service, which is so important to Canadians. That legislation establishes a process where employees return to work while continuing their negotiations with an independent mediator-arbitrator. We look forward to the completion of that process.

Mr. Speaker, as I explained last week, Via Rail, which is a federal Crown corporation, is independent and responsible for awarding a contract for replacing the fleet of trains for the Quebec-Windsor corridor. It is Via's decision.Under our free trade agreements with the European Union, we cannot demand a certain percentage of Canadian content.

Mr. Speaker, that member, as I have said before, has been in this place for a long time and he should know very well that when it comes to the RCMP, it works independently of the government. We respect the work that the RCMP will do. We have no doubt that it will ask the right questions and find the right solutions. We will not speculate as the Conservatives and the NDP have partnered to do on this issue. When it comes to the member's issues, we know that they are grave issues. We hope that he receives the support he needs.

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Transport threw in the towel before the contract for new Via Rail trains was even awarded.Today, the Government of Quebec is asking that no decision be made until all the bidders have submitted their best final offer.Will the minister at least require Via Rail to allow Bombardier Transport to submit its best offer or will he just send these jobs to California instead of Quebec?

Mr. Speaker, live long and prosper. Space is the final frontier and pushes the limits of what is possible.Canada's involvement in science and space exploration benefits us all. Canadian astronauts are true modern-day explorers who inspire young Canadians who are interested in studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development tell us about Canada's participation in the International Space Station?

Mr. Speaker, two years ago, the President of the Treasury Board told the RCMP that it was not his role to interfere in procurement contracts. However, he said just the opposite in October when he was trying to block Canada's biggest shipyard, the Davie shipyard, from getting a contract.Which is it?In the meantime, coast guard and navy ships are rusting away, and shipyard workers are waiting for contracts.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague and all the other colleagues in the House who took part in this huge protest. As the member for Ottawa—Vanier and others mentioned earlier, this was the biggest protest in the history of French Ontario. People across the country will remember the rallies of December 1.That being said, anytime a government, whether federal, provincial or municipal, wants to amend its language rights legislation, the only thing it can do is strengthen language rights, not weaken them. We will always stand with Franco-Ontarians in defence of their rights.

Mr. Speaker, while the previous government failed to get the job done, we are taking decisive action and seeing results. We approved the Line 3 replacement project and we are supporting the Keystone XL pipeline. We are helping producers build up the refining capacity in Canada, because we know that means more value for every barrel sold. We announced major tax incentives in the fall economic statement for refineries and upgraders. We are moving forward on the Trans Mountain expansion in the right way, responding to the issues.

Mr. Speaker, when there are legal matters outstanding before the law courts of the country, it is up to the courts to determine the procedure they will follow, the relevance of the evidence, the disclosure of the evidence and, ultimately, the final verdict or judgment in the case. As I mentioned a moment ago, even the defendant in this particular proceeding said this: “We have complete confidence in the court and the court's ability to make decisions as to the relevance of those documents.” The House should allow the courts to do their job.

Mr. Speaker, we understand and respect the jurisdiction of provinces and territories. That is why, when we are dealing with consumer protection, we feel that Canadians deserve the strongest consumer protection.We consulted with provinces and territories to ensure that our legislation was complementary and did not override or supersede. This was confirmed to the Bloc members at committee by officials. We will continue to stand for consumer protection and respect the rights of provinces and territories.

Mr. Speaker, we inherited a very flawed process of environmental review from the previous government. That has led to the failure of a number of infrastructure projects, including pipelines, that could not move forward. We are focused on fixing the previous government's flawed process by passing Bill C-69 which would allow good projects to move forward and would allow one review for every project. That is what we are focused on. That is what we will continue to deliver.

Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, again, as confirmed at committee by officials, our legislation was done in consultation with provinces and territories to ensure that the highest level of consumer protection was upheld. Our legislation is complementary and will ensure that those protections in the provinces and territories are upheld.We will continue to consult and make sure that consumers, when dealing with banks, are protected.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, a bilateral youth mobility agreement was signed between Canada and Portugal, and has been eagerly anticipated by all segments of the community. As a representative of the largest Portuguese community in Canada, I have long been an advocate of this agreement and a champion of the benefits that this program will bring to both Canada and Portugal. Could the minister of immigration update the House and Canadians on the implementation of the Canada-Portugal youth mobility agreement?

Mr. Speaker, we understand the struggles that Alberta communities, workers and industry are facing in relation to the price differential, but that is not something new. The reason for that is because of the previous government's failed process on regulatory review that did not move forward any single pipeline to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. That is what we are trying to change by putting a better regulatory process in place that allows resource development to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it I believe you would find consent to the following motion, seconded by the member for Edmonton Strathcona: That the House call on the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change to bring forward the following priorities and commitments at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: (i) a climate action strategy that prioritizes reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, (ii) investments in a transition that leaves no workers behind, (iii) robust rules for implementing the Paris Agreement that will allow Canada to increase the ambition of its greenhouse gas reduction targets in response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, (iv) transparency and accountability mechanisms to address climate change, (v) integrating human health into Canada's climate commitments.

Mr. Speaker, contrary to the Conservatives' rhetoric about asylum seekers, we would like to point out that approximately 40% of those who have crossed the border into Canada are children.The Harper Conservatives were penny-wise and pound foolish when they cut $400 million from border security services. They should be ashamed to ask questions about the security of our borders.

Mr. Speaker, that the Liberals would dare talk about divisive rhetoric after the Prime Minister, the limousine Liberal, went down to Argentina at an international conference while our workers are struggling at home, and he insulted them and accused them of creating negative social and gender impacts, is absolutely disgusting and appalling. The first thing the government should do is apologize for that despicable rhetoric. When will the Liberals apologize for insulting working men and women, and scrap the “no more pipelines” bill at the same time?

Mr. Speaker, if only he would understand how disappointed his own city is in him. My province is in crisis. The Alberta energy industry is under attack by the Prime Minister. Albertans have been suffering for years under the Prime Minister's anti-energy policies. He killed northern gateway and energy east, banned tankers and has failed miserably on Trans Mountain. His no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will be the final nail.Will the minister stand up for Albertan jobs and kill this bill?

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the record of the previous government, how it failed to protect the energy sector and how it failed to expand our non-U.S. global market. When the Conservatives got into office in 2005, 99% of Alberta's oil was exported to the United States. When they left office in 2015, 99% of Alberta's oil was still exported to the United States. That is the failure of the Conservative government.

Mr. Speaker, we inherited a very flawed process of environmental review from the previous government. That has led to the failure of a number of infrastructure projects, including pipelines, that could not move forward. We are focused on fixing the previous government's flawed process by passing Bill C-69 which would allow good projects to move forward and would allow one review for every project. That is what we are focused on. That is what we will continue to deliver.

Mr. Speaker, that is the thing. Diafiltered milk is outside the supply management system.The announced closure of the GM plant is devastating for the families of 2,500 workers and their communities, but it is not just workers in Oshawa who are concerned about their families. All auto workers across Canada are worried. The Prime Minister needs to do more than simply express his disappointment. He needs to show leadership and call an emergency summit on the automotive industry by the end of next week with unions, the industry, the provinces and the mayors of the communities whose economies depend on the automotive sector.Will he do that?

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it I believe you would find consent to the following motion, seconded by the member for Edmonton Strathcona: That the House call on the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change to bring forward the following priorities and commitments at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: (i) a climate action strategy that prioritizes reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, (ii) investments in a transition that leaves no workers behind, (iii) robust rules for implementing the Paris Agreement that will allow Canada to increase the ambition of its greenhouse gas reduction targets in response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, (iv) transparency and accountability mechanisms to address climate change, (v) integrating human health into Canada's climate commitments.

Mr. Speaker, there is a problem with the Liberals giving Canadians false assurances that the UN global compact for migration is non-binding. Non-binding agreements can become customary international law and inform the interpretation of domestic law. This means that Canadian judges can cite this declaration in their decisions. After spending $1.1 billion on illegal border crossers, will the Prime Minister reverse his policy of border erasure and refuse to sign the UN global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, the NDP knew that passing legislation to force Canada Post employees back to work was a bad idea. Canada Post executives are doing whatever they want. They have the government's support and they know that they have the upper hand. They cut employees' hours of accumulated leave and their personal leave using the same tactics they did in 2011, even though those tactics were found to be illegal.Are the pseudo-progressive Liberals going to allow Canada Post to erode the working conditions of workers whose hands are now tied?

Mr. Speaker, let's talk about security. What this government intends to do is erase Canada's borders. The Canada Border Services Agency recently revealed that it only intercepts 3%—I did say 3%—of dangerous goods and at-risk people from entering Canada. This is happening while the Prime Minister sends out tweets that end up costing Canadians $1 billion.When will the Prime Minister actually strengthen our borders instead of further erasing them by signing the UN global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, a lack of new pipelines necessary for Canadian oil to reach global markets has created a serious crisis in Alberta. With oil being sold for pennies on the dollar, the no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will be the final nail in the coffin for the industry. When will the Prime Minister kill his no more pipelines bill?

Mr. Speaker, Statistics Canada decided to suspend its plan to collect data on Canadians from their bank and credit records. The Liberals are telling Canadians that this was a pilot project when, in fact, this is entrenched in their own census policy. They knew this and were warned this new scheme would backfire. Instead, they appointed a chief census officer to do their dirty work, undermining the data collecting system and compromising policy. Now that the minister has failed to restore confidence in Statistics Canada, will he fix the problem? Yes, I will repeat this out of the House.

Mr. Speaker, I do not understand why the minister is being so defensive. If he has done nothing wrong, why will he not answer the questions he is being asked? At least one of the company's directors took part in the Prime Minister's disastrous trip to India. The minister even took a photo with one of the company's directors, who is also a former Liberal riding association president. On top of that, many of the company's directors are Liberal Party donors. It is a simple question. Did the RCMP contact the minister and, if so, when?

Mr. Speaker, any insinuation that the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development committed any wrongdoing is false, and if the member would care to repeat that outside the House, he will hear from the minister's lawyer.

Mr. Speaker, at a glitzy international conference last week, the Prime Minister attacked energy workers, saying that male construction workers go to rural communities and cause negative social and gender impact. While he is trying to build his international celebrity abroad, he is killing the livelihoods of working Canadians back at home. His “no more pipelines” Bill C-69 has been condemned by the industry, the Alberta government and numerous aboriginal communities. Will the Prime Minister finally scrap his “no more pipelines” Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, a bilateral youth mobility agreement was signed between Canada and Portugal, and has been eagerly anticipated by all segments of the community. As a representative of the largest Portuguese community in Canada, I have long been an advocate of this agreement and a champion of the benefits that this program will bring to both Canada and Portugal. Could the minister of immigration update the House and Canadians on the implementation of the Canada-Portugal youth mobility agreement?

Mr. Speaker, we understand the struggles that Alberta communities, workers and industry are facing in relation to the price differential, but that is not something new. The reason for that is because of the previous government's failed process on regulatory review that did not move forward any single pipeline to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. That is what we are trying to change by putting a better regulatory process in place that allows resource development to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, it is getting to the point where we need a criminal investigation flow chart to understand the relationship between a Liberal MP, a Liberal minister, the Prime Minister, a clutch of Liberal financial supporters and three RCMP investigations. Now we have learned that the City of Brampton wants the Mounties to investigate a land deal after confidential information was allegedly passed to the member for Brampton East and the Minister of Economic Development. It is time for the Liberals to drop the “We don't comment on RCMP investigations” stalling and tell Canadians the truth.

Mr. Speaker, this weekend the Prime Minister said that we need a social analysis on the impact of male construction workers brought in to work in rural areas.Meanwhile, the government is about to sign a UN treaty meant to normalize mass migration. The government must preserve our sovereignty by not signing that treaty.Can the minister explain why the government is more afraid of the social impact of Canadian male workers than that of migrants from other countries?

Mr. Speaker, the member told us he was dealing with a number of problems for which he was receiving treatment from a health professional.As Speaker, you were informed that the member was no longer part of the Liberal caucus. We hope he is getting the help he needs. In answer to the question, the member should know that the report has not been tabled in the House and that we cannot comment on the situation until the report is tabled.

Mr. Speaker, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians has studied this issue, and it would be inappropriate to comment until the report is tabled.

Mr. Speaker, two years ago, the President of the Treasury Board told the RCMP that it was not his role to interfere in procurement contracts. However, he said just the opposite in October when he was trying to block Canada's biggest shipyard, the Davie shipyard, from getting a contract.Which is it?In the meantime, coast guard and navy ships are rusting away, and shipyard workers are waiting for contracts.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, I was pleased to be joined by first nations, Inuit and Métis nation leaders to announce that after comprehensive engagement, we are going forward to introduce co-developed legislation on indigenous child and family services early in the new year. This legislation should mark a turning point to say, “No more”: no more scooping children; no more ripping apart families; no more lost children who do not know their language, their culture and their lineage.I hope that when the legislation is introduced, it will have broad support in the House.

Mr. Speaker, the allegations that the member opposite is making are categorically false. If he has the courage of his convictions to make these allegations, I strongly recommend he go outside the House to make those same remarks.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, any insinuation of wrongdoing by the Minister of Innovation is absolutely false, and repeating it outside the chamber will be met with a strong response from the minister's lawyer. If the member has courage to say it in this place where he is protected, why does the member not have the courage to say it outside the House?

Mr. Speaker, of course this is disappointing news for Oshawa. The reason it is so disappointing, as the member opposite has mentioned, is that Oshawa has a long and proud history, over 100 years, when it comes to General Motors.That is why we have actually worked with GM and are working with the union as well. I have spoken with the local municipal leadership. I have spoken with my provincial counterpart as well. GM has made a big mistake by turning its back on the workers in Oshawa.We will not make that mistake. We will continue to defend the auto workers and we will continue to support this very important sector.

Mr. Speaker, as I have stated inside the House and as we have stated outside the House, it was less than two weeks ago that we were notified of any concerns. The member came to us to let us know that he was dealing with certain challenges. When it comes to the RCMP, it works independently of the government. We do not undermine our security officials. We do not undermine officers of Parliament, like the Conservatives' used to do.

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that they are going to miss their targets. It is pathetic. In 2015, the Prime Minister portrayed himself as a brave knight who would fight the malevolent forces of climate change. Three years later, it is becoming clear that this was nothing but a fairy tale for children. However, people want us to play a positive role. People want us to set more ambitious targets. People want a real transition. We need to get back on track, and buying a pipeline with our money is no way for the Prime Minister to show that he is serious. Will the Liberals catch up at COP24 or will they let future generations down?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister now admits that he and his office were well aware that the Liberal MP for Brampton East was under police investigation for months, yet the Prime Minister kept him in the Liberal caucus and kept him on the finance committee while it was performing a critical study on proceeds of crime legislation. In fact, the Liberal MP was the subject of two RCMP investigations and another one by the Ontario Provincial Police.Why did it take three police investigations before the Prime Minister finally stopped covering for the Liberal MP for Brampton East?

Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned, the member told us that he is addressing certain challenges and is receiving treatment from a health professional. The Speaker has been informed that he is no longer a member of the Liberal caucus. We hope that he receives the support he needs.I am not sure where the comments by members opposite come from, but it is clear that they do not recognize that when it comes to our security agencies, when it comes to the RCMP, when it comes to police investigations, they occur independently of government. Government does not tell them who to investigate. Obviously it is a different approach from the Conservatives'.

Mr. Speaker, let us get specific. The Prime Minister's Office now says that the PM did not invite any of the business people who joined his ill-fated trip to India. The member for Brampton East, who said he would resign because of a gambling addiction and did not, says he did not invite a director of the Goreway Heaven company involved in the suspect Brampton real estate deal, and the economic development minister claims ignorance of it all. Again, will the Liberals at least tell us who invited the Goreway Heaven executives on the Prime Minister's trip to India.

Mr. Speaker, any innuendoes or allegations made by the member opposite are categorically false. The member knows full well that he is making these allegations in the House, where he has parliamentary privilege. If he wants to make these same remarks, I recommend he make them outside the House.

Mr. Speaker, many Canadians have been impacted by the failure of medical devices like meshes and implants. After a whole year of outcry, the health minister 's weak response is to evaluate whether a registry of who has the device is the right thing to do. Meanwhile, the U.S. FDA has overhauled its approval process for devices to consider post-surgery outcomes. When will the health minister do the same?

Mr. Speaker, the member for Brampton East is providing us with more plot twists than binge night on Netflix. But it is the drama concerning the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development that concerns me, particularly whether insider information was used in a land deal that went down with Goreway Heaven, a company with deep ties to the Liberal Party who were also on that disastrous India trip.It is reported that the City of Brampton has taken the extraordinary step of referring this issue to the RCMP.To reassure the House, will the minister tell us whether or not his name has been referred to the RCMP? It is a simple question.

Mr. Speaker, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is in Oshawa today with auto workers after GM has turned its back on them.The GM plant closure is devastating for the families of 2,500 workers and for thousands more whose livelihoods have depended on that plant for 100 years.The Liberals have yet to act. They have no emergency plan. There have been no emergency meetings. What is the Prime Minister waiting for? GM did not build Oshawa; Oshawa built GM, and it is time to fight for good jobs.Will the Liberals listen to the NDP and call for an urgent meeting with industry, labour and all of government to find solutions to fight for these jobs?

Mr. Speaker, are the cabinet ministers and the Liberal MPs single-handedly keeping the courts and the RCMP employed?It was reported that a public servant leaked information on the naval ship contract to a prominent Ottawa lobby firm, saying, “I got everything — the motherload.” Despite this evidence, the Prime Minister said that Vice-Admiral Norman was the one who should end up before the courts. With each passing day, this cover-up smells worse and worse.When will the government come clean and give Canadians the truth about what happened with this contract?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has lived a celebrity lifestyle off of his family fortune and now he is trying to build that celebrity lifestyle off of Canadians' tax dollars. He is sending out tweets to win celebrity friends. Meanwhile, the working people back home who pay the bills are under attack by his “no more pipelines” Bill C-69. The NDP government in Alberta, the pipeline association and the TransCanada pipelines company have all called for the government to withdraw this bill. Will the Liberals withdraw the “no more pipelines” Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague and all the other colleagues in the House who took part in this huge protest. As the member for Ottawa—Vanier and others mentioned earlier, this was the biggest protest in the history of French Ontario. People across the country will remember the rallies of December 1.That being said, anytime a government, whether federal, provincial or municipal, wants to amend its language rights legislation, the only thing it can do is strengthen language rights, not weaken them. We will always stand with Franco-Ontarians in defence of their rights.

Mr. Speaker, while the previous government failed to get the job done, we are taking decisive action and seeing results. We approved the Line 3 replacement project and we are supporting the Keystone XL pipeline. We are helping producers build up the refining capacity in Canada, because we know that means more value for every barrel sold. We announced major tax incentives in the fall economic statement for refineries and upgraders. We are moving forward on the Trans Mountain expansion in the right way, responding to the issues.

Mr. Speaker, our record speaks for itself: faster processing of spousal sponsorships, reuniting more families than ever before, making sure that we invite people to become Canadian citizens when they have contributed so much to this country. What is despicable is the record of that party: cutting refugee health care, putting obstacles before people who wish to become Canadian citizens, bragging about Yazidis when it only brought three Yazidis into Canada. We have the record to prove it. Let them have their talking points.

Mr. Speaker, rather than threatening MPs with lawsuits, maybe the Liberals should try answering some questions in this place.While they are tragic, gambling problems do not launch ethics investigations nor do they have one tailed by the RCMP. In a confessional video released by the member for Brampton East, more questions were raised than were answered. Troubling behaviour by the MP going back months raised red flags for the RCMP, but apparently not for the Liberals.This whole scandal raises disturbing questions about the Prime Minister's own competence. How is it possible that Conservative senators and the entire media gallery knew more about this issue than the Prime Minister's own office did?

Mr. Speaker, in Paris, the Liberals committed to greenhouse gas reductions that would hold the temperature increase to 1.5°C. Back home, they have stuck to Stephen Harper's targets. In Marrakesh, they called for respect for the rights of indigenous peoples. Back home, they approved major energy projects impacting those rights. In Bonn, at the 11th hour, they committed to a just transition for fossil fuel sector workers, and yet a year later there is nothing budgeted to support Alberta's initiative. This week, at COP24 in Poland, will the government simply make more promises it has no intention of keeping?

If that were true, Mr. Speaker, the National Assembly and the consumer protection bureau would not be asking Ottawa to back down. The bill creates legal uncertainty. The way the bill is worded, bank customers that have been ripped off would have to take their case all the way to the Supreme Court just to get their money back.If the government truly does not want to undermine consumers, then why does it seem like its legislation favours the bank? Why is the government refusing to include in its bill that Quebec's legislation still applies?

Mr. Speaker, workers in all sectors of our economy are worried and losing hope as more jobs are lost like those recently at General Motors in Oshawa. Under the current Prime Minister, we have seen the biggest decline in energy investment in 70 years. Excessive regulations and red tape are making investors run for the border. We have found out this week that there is no end in sight for steel and aluminum tariffs, and the Liberal carbon tax will just make everything more expensive. When will the Liberals end their carbon tax scheme to avoid losing more jobs in Ontario?

Mr. Speaker, Quebec is the only jurisdiction that adequately protects consumers from banks. Under Bill C-86, the Liberals seem to be protecting the banks by preventing any recourse to Quebec's Office de la protection du consommateur.The National Assembly unanimously calls on the federal government to clarify in Bill C-86 that Quebec's legislation will continue to apply to banks.Will the 40 federal Liberal MPs protect Quebec consumers or will they choose Bay Street and the big banks?

Mr. Speaker, the member for Brampton East is at the centre of some murky Liberal intrigue. Controversy swirls around close ties to a real estate company and shady transactions, leaving us all in a state of confusion. Why did a director of that company just happen to be a part of the Prime Minister's free trip to India? Who invited him to go at taxpayers' expense?

Mr. Speaker, live long and prosper. Space is the final frontier and pushes the limits of what is possible.Canada's involvement in science and space exploration benefits us all. Canadian astronauts are true modern-day explorers who inspire young Canadians who are interested in studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development tell us about Canada's participation in the International Space Station?

Mr. Speaker, according to the National Post, the City of Brampton asked the RCMP to investigate a troubling situation. Two Liberal members, including the Minister of Innovation, received confidential information about the price the City of Brampton offered the Ontario government in a land deal. What happened? A private-sector company purchased the land only to resell it quickly at a huge profit.My question for the minister is simple. How is he connected to that company?

Mr. Speaker, as I explained last week, Via Rail, which is a federal Crown corporation, is independent and responsible for awarding a contract for replacing the fleet of trains for the Quebec-Windsor corridor. It is Via's decision.Under our free trade agreements with the European Union, we cannot demand a certain percentage of Canadian content.

Mr. Speaker, our government understands how important it is to protect data and the privacy of Canadians. That is why the chief statistician, a few weeks ago, was very clear in the House and before the Senate that he would only proceed, when we are dealing with issues around privacy and data protection, in a meaningful way. The member opposite knows this is a pilot project. No data has been collected, and the privacy of Canadians will always be protected.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows full well that the government is working hard with our security services and its partners, including the Government of Quebec, to resolve the situation with asylum seekers.He also knows full well that the number of asylum seekers is going down. He is also well aware that we have responsibilities under international law. Canada intends to meet its obligations, but also ensure that Canadians remain safe.

Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board has been telling two contradictory stories about his political interference in the naval ship contract. In October, he told the House that he was only doing his job by ensuring the contract was value to taxpayers. However, in January of 2016, he told the RCMP that was actually not his job.When will the President of the Treasury Board come clean with Canadians and tell us which story is true.

Mr. Speaker, that member, as I have said before, has been in this place for a long time and he should know very well that when it comes to the RCMP, it works independently of the government. We respect the work that the RCMP will do. We have no doubt that it will ask the right questions and find the right solutions. We will not speculate as the Conservatives and the NDP have partnered to do on this issue. When it comes to the member's issues, we know that they are grave issues. We hope that he receives the support he needs.

Mr. Speaker, every day in this country, indigenous children are taken away from their families, their communities and their culture. Across Canada, indigenous children represent just 7.7% of all kids under 14 yet make up 52.2% of kids in care. In Manitoba, this number is as high as 90%. It is appalling.Could the Minister of Indigenous Services please update the House on the government's work to keep indigenous families together?

Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned about the reports of serious issues being faced by Canadians with implanted medical devices. We are assessing the risk, quality and effectiveness of health products before they are used. We are bringing forward an action plan on medical devices that will strengthen the processes used to improve them, improve oversight once they are approved and give Canadians more information and more transparency.Unlike the Harper Conservatives who shuttered Canada's bureau of medical devices in 2010, we are rebuilding this and making sure Canadians are kept safe when they use medical devices.

Mr. Speaker, when there are legal matters outstanding before the law courts of the country, it is up to the courts to determine the procedure they will follow, the relevance of the evidence, the disclosure of the evidence and, ultimately, the final verdict or judgment in the case. As I mentioned a moment ago, even the defendant in this particular proceeding said this: “We have complete confidence in the court and the court's ability to make decisions as to the relevance of those documents.” The House should allow the courts to do their job.

Mr. Speaker, speaking of national security advisors, Dick Fadden, the former national security advisor to the present Prime Minister, told the media that he had a great deal of difficulty believing that no one in the PMO was aware of these investigations of the Liberal MP for Brampton East. The Prime Minister now admits that he knew for months that a sitting Liberal MP was under investigation, and that investigation now involves national security, drug money laundering and international terrorism.Why did the Prime Minister cover up for the Liberal MP for so long?

Mr. Speaker, the world is seeing unprecedented levels of men, women and children displaced by war and by persecution.Our government is proud to have taken a leadership position on the global compact. This is the first time the international community has worked together to develop a comprehensive set of principles to better manage this phenomenon. It is disappointing to see the Conservatives and Maxime, the member opposite, engage in peddling Rebel Media conspiracy theories while we work with the international community to protect our robust immigration system.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country count on Canada Post and its employees. The labour dispute seriously affected Canadians, including workers, charities, organizations and business of all sizes.That is why our government took action. It passed fair and balanced legislation to restore this service, which is so important to Canadians. That legislation establishes a process where employees return to work while continuing their negotiations with an independent mediator-arbitrator. We look forward to the completion of that process.

Mr. Speaker, in Paris we made a commitment to fight climate change, and at home we are putting a price on pollution, investing in public transit, helping transition to a clean economy and taking over 50 measures to help fight climate change. When we committed to enhancing first nations' rights, when we came home, we supported a motion to enforce the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. When we make commitments abroad to transition to a clean economy, we are investing to support workers so they can have the jobs not just of today but of tomorrow. Our record is to make commitments on the international stage and then follow through on them at home. To suggest otherwise is misleading.

Mr. Speaker, from 2014 to 2016, the United States circumvented the supply management system by exporting diafiltered milk to Canada. Despite the fact that dairy producers were losing over $200 million a year, the Liberals did not lift a finger to help. Producers had to take matters into their own hands and come to an agreement with the major processors, thereby creating a new milk class called class 7. By capitulating to Trump and signing the deal with the United States, the Liberals undid all that work and gave this high-protein American milk unlimited access to the Canadian market.Will the Liberals also compensate dairy producers for this sabotage?

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, I joined more than 14,000 Franco-Ontarians who took to the streets to express their anger over Doug Ford's policies.This was the biggest protest in Franco-Ontarian history. The movement is still going. It is not losing steam, and I have some news for Doug Ford: knowing how proud Franco-Ontarians are, I do not think they will not run out of steam anytime soon, either.With the holidays around the corner, will the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie give Franco-Ontarians a gift and announce how much her government plans to put towards Ontario's French-language university?

Mr. Speaker, New Democrats say one thing in the House, but behind closed doors they admit this is the deal to protect Canadian jobs. The NDP leader celebrated the deal during a recent event in Ottawa, and the NDP member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, who is also the NDP Quebec lieutenant, called the new NAFTA the best deal possible.We will continue to fight for good Canadian jobs. That is exactly what we did over the weekend and will continue to do in the future.

Mr. Speaker, it is that kind of divisive politics, pitting one community against the other, pitting indigenous communities against other communities, that has put us in this place to start with.Bill C-69 would allow us to have a process in place that would allow good projects to move forward in a timely and efficient manner. We are focused on expanding our non-U.S. global market, and we are focused on building pipelines that allow us to do that. Bill C-69 is the process to get us there.

Mr. Speaker, talking about General Motors, the member opposite knows how difficult this is for Oshawa. However, the company itself is very supportive of putting a price on pollution. It actually supports the fact that we are moving forward in this area. With respect to tariffs, our Prime Minister was very clear with President Trump that we had to remove these tariffs, because they add more cost and more complexity for both American and Canadian companies. Overall, the economy is doing well. Five hundred thousand jobs have been created. We will continue to do more to make sure that more opportunities are created for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, spending $1.1 billion on people who illegally enter the country from the safe spaces of New York should be a best practice that Canada does not export anywhere.The idea that Canada's immigration policy can be informed or controlled by something outside our nation should be of grave concern, and given the Prime Minister's demonstrated inability and unwillingness to secure our borders, will the Prime Minister today reverse his border-erasing policy and withdraw Canada from the UN global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, now that the story is out in the open, the Prime Minister's Office denies having invited that particular company director, as does the member for Brampton East. However, all those people most certainly went on the Prime Minister's trip to India.Enough ping-ponging. Canadians have the right to know who invited that real estate director to join the Prime Minister's VIP trip to India.

Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that during the last campaign, the NDP committed to some sort of cap and trade system with absolutely no clarity on how it would make a meaningful difference to reduce emissions across Canada. We campaigned on a commitment to grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. We are putting a price on pollution. We are investing in public transit. We are supporting clean industry. We are implementing over 50 measures that are going to have the impact of taking between 23 million and 26 million cars off of Canadian roads.I am proud of our record. I am proud to be part of a government that, for the first time in my life, is taking the need to protect our environment seriously.

Mr. Speaker, our government defended the supply management system against the U.S. government that indicated it wanted to dismantle it.We know that our dairy, poultry and egg farmers provide the highest quality of products for Canadians at a reasonable price and take care of our rural communities. We are committed to fully and fairly supporting our farmers to make sure they continue to expand in this country. We have and will continue to support our dairy farmers.

Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals want to see a leader in this House who defends workers, they should call the by-election.Just last week, with the stroke of a pen, the Prime Minister made it clear that it is more important to please Donald Trump than to protect Canadians. This is shameful. He signed an agreement without removing Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum that threaten thousands of jobs, and a deal that compromises Canadian sovereignty over our dairy industry, giving the U.S. power to interfere in the regulation of our supply management system. This is wrong.Why is the Prime Minister so willing to sacrifice so much to Donald Trump?

Mr. Speaker, this is where we should be talking about the real issues, but the Liberals are reluctant to do that. They are incapable of doing that.Last week, we learned that the Prime Minister's “Welcome to Canada” tweet will cost Canadians $1.1 billion. That is on top of the millions of dollars Quebec will have to pay.Next week, the Prime Minister plans to sign, on behalf of Canada, a UN pact on open borders. It is another breach of our sovereignty. When will the Prime Minister close the loophole in the safe third country agreement and withdraw Canada from the UN's global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, the Prime Minister signed the section 232 side letter on autos, which provides Canada with significant protection against U.S. tariffs.The new agreement maintains crucial supply chains in the auto sector and improves workers' pay and rights. This agreement is good for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians working in the auto industry and for all Canadian workers.

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Transport threw in the towel before the contract for new Via Rail trains was even awarded.Today, the Government of Quebec is asking that no decision be made until all the bidders have submitted their best final offer.Will the minister at least require Via Rail to allow Bombardier Transport to submit its best offer or will he just send these jobs to California instead of Quebec?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman is referring to materials that deal with an outstanding legal proceeding. I note the defendant in that legal proceeding, about a week ago, said this: “We have complete confidence in the court and the court's ability to make decisions as to the relevance of those documents.” On that advice, it is wise to leave this matter for the court to determine.

Mr. Speaker, it is fascinating how quickly we see a change of channels by the member, because knows he can make comments inside the House where he is protected by privilege, but he will not make those comments outside of this place where he is not protected.When it comes to the member's question, we know that the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians is studying the issue. It would be inappropriate to comment on the issue until the report is tabled.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the fact that the global compact for migration is an example of Canadian leadership abroad. Most of the document is based on best practices from Canada. It is about the orderly management of migration. It is about recognizing Canada's success with integration and settlement. Only a Conservative with a broken immigration record would find a problem with our sharing our best practices with the world. When it comes to making sure that we export the privately sponsored refugee program or our success with economic immigration, we will sign the agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Montarville for that question.I was in Saint-Hubert this morning with the Canadian Space Agency team and I am thrilled to inform my colleagues that our astronaut David Saint-Jacques' mission was a success.David will live and work on the International Space Station until June 2019, where he will conduct science experiments, operate Canadarm2 and new Canadian technologies. David is inspiring the next generation of Canadian explorers and innovators. This is a proud moment for Canada and a proud moment for our space program.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, the government signed the new free trade agreement with the United States and Mexico. Although it is a free trade agreement, our government does not seem to think that getting steel and aluminum tariffs lifted is that important. There is no reason for those tariffs or quotas. My region produces the greenest aluminum in the world, and 85% of the buyers are in the United States. The planet needs more green aluminum from my magnificent region.When will the tariffs be lifted?

Mr. Speaker, our automotive sector remains strong. It is well placed to build the clean, connected cars of today and tomorrow. We will always stand with our automotive sector and our workers. We will continue to work with the automotive sector, and we will continue to defend our workers.

Mr. Speaker, we understand and respect the jurisdiction of provinces and territories. That is why, when we are dealing with consumer protection, we feel that Canadians deserve the strongest consumer protection.We consulted with provinces and territories to ensure that our legislation was complementary and did not override or supersede. This was confirmed to the Bloc members at committee by officials. We will continue to stand for consumer protection and respect the rights of provinces and territories.

Mr. Speaker, there is obviously no one who can keep this minister or any other member of the House from the drive-by smear tactic. However, I would note that the defence counsel in the case she is referring to said this some time ago, “we have one of the greatest legal systems in the world.” That is an excellent assessment. Let the courts do their work.

Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, again, as confirmed at committee by officials, our legislation was done in consultation with provinces and territories to ensure that the highest level of consumer protection was upheld. Our legislation is complementary and will ensure that those protections in the provinces and territories are upheld.We will continue to consult and make sure that consumers, when dealing with banks, are protected.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her strong advocacy on behalf of Portuguese-Canadian community. I was so pleased to successfully negotiate the youth mobility agreement with Portugal, which will facilitate youth from both countries to travel, work and study in our joint countries. I am thrilled to announce that applications for this program open this week. Our government believes in expanding the youth mobility program to Portugal, as it will give valuable work experience and perspective to Canadians travelling abroad. Unlike the Conservatives, we believe the world needs more Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her strong advocacy on behalf of Portuguese-Canadian community. I was so pleased to successfully negotiate the youth mobility agreement with Portugal, which will facilitate youth from both countries to travel, work and study in our joint countries. I am thrilled to announce that applications for this program open this week. Our government believes in expanding the youth mobility program to Portugal, as it will give valuable work experience and perspective to Canadians travelling abroad. Unlike the Conservatives, we believe the world needs more Canada.

Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, again, as confirmed at committee by officials, our legislation was done in consultation with provinces and territories to ensure that the highest level of consumer protection was upheld. Our legislation is complementary and will ensure that those protections in the provinces and territories are upheld.We will continue to consult and make sure that consumers, when dealing with banks, are protected.

Mr. Speaker, there is obviously no one who can keep this minister or any other member of the House from the drive-by smear tactic. However, I would note that the defence counsel in the case she is referring to said this some time ago, “we have one of the greatest legal systems in the world.” That is an excellent assessment. Let the courts do their work.

Mr. Speaker, our automotive sector remains strong. It is well placed to build the clean, connected cars of today and tomorrow. We will always stand with our automotive sector and our workers. We will continue to work with the automotive sector, and we will continue to defend our workers.

Mr. Speaker, we understand and respect the jurisdiction of provinces and territories. That is why, when we are dealing with consumer protection, we feel that Canadians deserve the strongest consumer protection.We consulted with provinces and territories to ensure that our legislation was complementary and did not override or supersede. This was confirmed to the Bloc members at committee by officials. We will continue to stand for consumer protection and respect the rights of provinces and territories.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, the government signed the new free trade agreement with the United States and Mexico. Although it is a free trade agreement, our government does not seem to think that getting steel and aluminum tariffs lifted is that important. There is no reason for those tariffs or quotas. My region produces the greenest aluminum in the world, and 85% of the buyers are in the United States. The planet needs more green aluminum from my magnificent region.When will the tariffs be lifted?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Montarville for that question.I was in Saint-Hubert this morning with the Canadian Space Agency team and I am thrilled to inform my colleagues that our astronaut David Saint-Jacques' mission was a success.David will live and work on the International Space Station until June 2019, where he will conduct science experiments, operate Canadarm2 and new Canadian technologies. David is inspiring the next generation of Canadian explorers and innovators. This is a proud moment for Canada and a proud moment for our space program.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the fact that the global compact for migration is an example of Canadian leadership abroad. Most of the document is based on best practices from Canada. It is about the orderly management of migration. It is about recognizing Canada's success with integration and settlement. Only a Conservative with a broken immigration record would find a problem with our sharing our best practices with the world. When it comes to making sure that we export the privately sponsored refugee program or our success with economic immigration, we will sign the agreement.

Mr. Speaker, it is fascinating how quickly we see a change of channels by the member, because knows he can make comments inside the House where he is protected by privilege, but he will not make those comments outside of this place where he is not protected.When it comes to the member's question, we know that the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians is studying the issue. It would be inappropriate to comment on the issue until the report is tabled.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman is referring to materials that deal with an outstanding legal proceeding. I note the defendant in that legal proceeding, about a week ago, said this: “We have complete confidence in the court and the court's ability to make decisions as to the relevance of those documents.” On that advice, it is wise to leave this matter for the court to determine.

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Transport threw in the towel before the contract for new Via Rail trains was even awarded.Today, the Government of Quebec is asking that no decision be made until all the bidders have submitted their best final offer.Will the minister at least require Via Rail to allow Bombardier Transport to submit its best offer or will he just send these jobs to California instead of Quebec?

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, the Prime Minister signed the section 232 side letter on autos, which provides Canada with significant protection against U.S. tariffs.The new agreement maintains crucial supply chains in the auto sector and improves workers' pay and rights. This agreement is good for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians working in the auto industry and for all Canadian workers.

Mr. Speaker, this is where we should be talking about the real issues, but the Liberals are reluctant to do that. They are incapable of doing that.Last week, we learned that the Prime Minister's “Welcome to Canada” tweet will cost Canadians $1.1 billion. That is on top of the millions of dollars Quebec will have to pay.Next week, the Prime Minister plans to sign, on behalf of Canada, a UN pact on open borders. It is another breach of our sovereignty. When will the Prime Minister close the loophole in the safe third country agreement and withdraw Canada from the UN's global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals want to see a leader in this House who defends workers, they should call the by-election.Just last week, with the stroke of a pen, the Prime Minister made it clear that it is more important to please Donald Trump than to protect Canadians. This is shameful. He signed an agreement without removing Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum that threaten thousands of jobs, and a deal that compromises Canadian sovereignty over our dairy industry, giving the U.S. power to interfere in the regulation of our supply management system. This is wrong.Why is the Prime Minister so willing to sacrifice so much to Donald Trump?

Mr. Speaker, our government defended the supply management system against the U.S. government that indicated it wanted to dismantle it.We know that our dairy, poultry and egg farmers provide the highest quality of products for Canadians at a reasonable price and take care of our rural communities. We are committed to fully and fairly supporting our farmers to make sure they continue to expand in this country. We have and will continue to support our dairy farmers.

Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that during the last campaign, the NDP committed to some sort of cap and trade system with absolutely no clarity on how it would make a meaningful difference to reduce emissions across Canada. We campaigned on a commitment to grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. We are putting a price on pollution. We are investing in public transit. We are supporting clean industry. We are implementing over 50 measures that are going to have the impact of taking between 23 million and 26 million cars off of Canadian roads.I am proud of our record. I am proud to be part of a government that, for the first time in my life, is taking the need to protect our environment seriously.

Mr. Speaker, now that the story is out in the open, the Prime Minister's Office denies having invited that particular company director, as does the member for Brampton East. However, all those people most certainly went on the Prime Minister's trip to India.Enough ping-ponging. Canadians have the right to know who invited that real estate director to join the Prime Minister's VIP trip to India.

Mr. Speaker, spending $1.1 billion on people who illegally enter the country from the safe spaces of New York should be a best practice that Canada does not export anywhere.The idea that Canada's immigration policy can be informed or controlled by something outside our nation should be of grave concern, and given the Prime Minister's demonstrated inability and unwillingness to secure our borders, will the Prime Minister today reverse his border-erasing policy and withdraw Canada from the UN global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, talking about General Motors, the member opposite knows how difficult this is for Oshawa. However, the company itself is very supportive of putting a price on pollution. It actually supports the fact that we are moving forward in this area. With respect to tariffs, our Prime Minister was very clear with President Trump that we had to remove these tariffs, because they add more cost and more complexity for both American and Canadian companies. Overall, the economy is doing well. Five hundred thousand jobs have been created. We will continue to do more to make sure that more opportunities are created for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, it is that kind of divisive politics, pitting one community against the other, pitting indigenous communities against other communities, that has put us in this place to start with.Bill C-69 would allow us to have a process in place that would allow good projects to move forward in a timely and efficient manner. We are focused on expanding our non-U.S. global market, and we are focused on building pipelines that allow us to do that. Bill C-69 is the process to get us there.

Mr. Speaker, New Democrats say one thing in the House, but behind closed doors they admit this is the deal to protect Canadian jobs. The NDP leader celebrated the deal during a recent event in Ottawa, and the NDP member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, who is also the NDP Quebec lieutenant, called the new NAFTA the best deal possible.We will continue to fight for good Canadian jobs. That is exactly what we did over the weekend and will continue to do in the future.

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, I joined more than 14,000 Franco-Ontarians who took to the streets to express their anger over Doug Ford's policies.This was the biggest protest in Franco-Ontarian history. The movement is still going. It is not losing steam, and I have some news for Doug Ford: knowing how proud Franco-Ontarians are, I do not think they will not run out of steam anytime soon, either.With the holidays around the corner, will the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie give Franco-Ontarians a gift and announce how much her government plans to put towards Ontario's French-language university?

Mr. Speaker, from 2014 to 2016, the United States circumvented the supply management system by exporting diafiltered milk to Canada. Despite the fact that dairy producers were losing over $200 million a year, the Liberals did not lift a finger to help. Producers had to take matters into their own hands and come to an agreement with the major processors, thereby creating a new milk class called class 7. By capitulating to Trump and signing the deal with the United States, the Liberals undid all that work and gave this high-protein American milk unlimited access to the Canadian market.Will the Liberals also compensate dairy producers for this sabotage?

Mr. Speaker, in Paris we made a commitment to fight climate change, and at home we are putting a price on pollution, investing in public transit, helping transition to a clean economy and taking over 50 measures to help fight climate change. When we committed to enhancing first nations' rights, when we came home, we supported a motion to enforce the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. When we make commitments abroad to transition to a clean economy, we are investing to support workers so they can have the jobs not just of today but of tomorrow. Our record is to make commitments on the international stage and then follow through on them at home. To suggest otherwise is misleading.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country count on Canada Post and its employees. The labour dispute seriously affected Canadians, including workers, charities, organizations and business of all sizes.That is why our government took action. It passed fair and balanced legislation to restore this service, which is so important to Canadians. That legislation establishes a process where employees return to work while continuing their negotiations with an independent mediator-arbitrator. We look forward to the completion of that process.

Mr. Speaker, the world is seeing unprecedented levels of men, women and children displaced by war and by persecution.Our government is proud to have taken a leadership position on the global compact. This is the first time the international community has worked together to develop a comprehensive set of principles to better manage this phenomenon. It is disappointing to see the Conservatives and Maxime, the member opposite, engage in peddling Rebel Media conspiracy theories while we work with the international community to protect our robust immigration system.

Mr. Speaker, speaking of national security advisors, Dick Fadden, the former national security advisor to the present Prime Minister, told the media that he had a great deal of difficulty believing that no one in the PMO was aware of these investigations of the Liberal MP for Brampton East. The Prime Minister now admits that he knew for months that a sitting Liberal MP was under investigation, and that investigation now involves national security, drug money laundering and international terrorism.Why did the Prime Minister cover up for the Liberal MP for so long?

Mr. Speaker, when there are legal matters outstanding before the law courts of the country, it is up to the courts to determine the procedure they will follow, the relevance of the evidence, the disclosure of the evidence and, ultimately, the final verdict or judgment in the case. As I mentioned a moment ago, even the defendant in this particular proceeding said this: “We have complete confidence in the court and the court's ability to make decisions as to the relevance of those documents.” The House should allow the courts to do their job.

Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned about the reports of serious issues being faced by Canadians with implanted medical devices. We are assessing the risk, quality and effectiveness of health products before they are used. We are bringing forward an action plan on medical devices that will strengthen the processes used to improve them, improve oversight once they are approved and give Canadians more information and more transparency.Unlike the Harper Conservatives who shuttered Canada's bureau of medical devices in 2010, we are rebuilding this and making sure Canadians are kept safe when they use medical devices.

Mr. Speaker, every day in this country, indigenous children are taken away from their families, their communities and their culture. Across Canada, indigenous children represent just 7.7% of all kids under 14 yet make up 52.2% of kids in care. In Manitoba, this number is as high as 90%. It is appalling.Could the Minister of Indigenous Services please update the House on the government's work to keep indigenous families together?

Mr. Speaker, that member, as I have said before, has been in this place for a long time and he should know very well that when it comes to the RCMP, it works independently of the government. We respect the work that the RCMP will do. We have no doubt that it will ask the right questions and find the right solutions. We will not speculate as the Conservatives and the NDP have partnered to do on this issue. When it comes to the member's issues, we know that they are grave issues. We hope that he receives the support he needs.

Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board has been telling two contradictory stories about his political interference in the naval ship contract. In October, he told the House that he was only doing his job by ensuring the contract was value to taxpayers. However, in January of 2016, he told the RCMP that was actually not his job.When will the President of the Treasury Board come clean with Canadians and tell us which story is true.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows full well that the government is working hard with our security services and its partners, including the Government of Quebec, to resolve the situation with asylum seekers.He also knows full well that the number of asylum seekers is going down. He is also well aware that we have responsibilities under international law. Canada intends to meet its obligations, but also ensure that Canadians remain safe.

Mr. Speaker, our government understands how important it is to protect data and the privacy of Canadians. That is why the chief statistician, a few weeks ago, was very clear in the House and before the Senate that he would only proceed, when we are dealing with issues around privacy and data protection, in a meaningful way. The member opposite knows this is a pilot project. No data has been collected, and the privacy of Canadians will always be protected.

Mr. Speaker, as I explained last week, Via Rail, which is a federal Crown corporation, is independent and responsible for awarding a contract for replacing the fleet of trains for the Quebec-Windsor corridor. It is Via's decision.Under our free trade agreements with the European Union, we cannot demand a certain percentage of Canadian content.

Mr. Speaker, according to the National Post, the City of Brampton asked the RCMP to investigate a troubling situation. Two Liberal members, including the Minister of Innovation, received confidential information about the price the City of Brampton offered the Ontario government in a land deal. What happened? A private-sector company purchased the land only to resell it quickly at a huge profit.My question for the minister is simple. How is he connected to that company?

Mr. Speaker, live long and prosper. Space is the final frontier and pushes the limits of what is possible.Canada's involvement in science and space exploration benefits us all. Canadian astronauts are true modern-day explorers who inspire young Canadians who are interested in studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development tell us about Canada's participation in the International Space Station?

Mr. Speaker, the member for Brampton East is at the centre of some murky Liberal intrigue. Controversy swirls around close ties to a real estate company and shady transactions, leaving us all in a state of confusion. Why did a director of that company just happen to be a part of the Prime Minister's free trip to India? Who invited him to go at taxpayers' expense?

Mr. Speaker, Quebec is the only jurisdiction that adequately protects consumers from banks. Under Bill C-86, the Liberals seem to be protecting the banks by preventing any recourse to Quebec's Office de la protection du consommateur.The National Assembly unanimously calls on the federal government to clarify in Bill C-86 that Quebec's legislation will continue to apply to banks.Will the 40 federal Liberal MPs protect Quebec consumers or will they choose Bay Street and the big banks?

Mr. Speaker, workers in all sectors of our economy are worried and losing hope as more jobs are lost like those recently at General Motors in Oshawa. Under the current Prime Minister, we have seen the biggest decline in energy investment in 70 years. Excessive regulations and red tape are making investors run for the border. We have found out this week that there is no end in sight for steel and aluminum tariffs, and the Liberal carbon tax will just make everything more expensive. When will the Liberals end their carbon tax scheme to avoid losing more jobs in Ontario?

If that were true, Mr. Speaker, the National Assembly and the consumer protection bureau would not be asking Ottawa to back down. The bill creates legal uncertainty. The way the bill is worded, bank customers that have been ripped off would have to take their case all the way to the Supreme Court just to get their money back.If the government truly does not want to undermine consumers, then why does it seem like its legislation favours the bank? Why is the government refusing to include in its bill that Quebec's legislation still applies?

Mr. Speaker, rather than threatening MPs with lawsuits, maybe the Liberals should try answering some questions in this place.While they are tragic, gambling problems do not launch ethics investigations nor do they have one tailed by the RCMP. In a confessional video released by the member for Brampton East, more questions were raised than were answered. Troubling behaviour by the MP going back months raised red flags for the RCMP, but apparently not for the Liberals.This whole scandal raises disturbing questions about the Prime Minister's own competence. How is it possible that Conservative senators and the entire media gallery knew more about this issue than the Prime Minister's own office did?

Mr. Speaker, in Paris, the Liberals committed to greenhouse gas reductions that would hold the temperature increase to 1.5°C. Back home, they have stuck to Stephen Harper's targets. In Marrakesh, they called for respect for the rights of indigenous peoples. Back home, they approved major energy projects impacting those rights. In Bonn, at the 11th hour, they committed to a just transition for fossil fuel sector workers, and yet a year later there is nothing budgeted to support Alberta's initiative. This week, at COP24 in Poland, will the government simply make more promises it has no intention of keeping?

Mr. Speaker, our record speaks for itself: faster processing of spousal sponsorships, reuniting more families than ever before, making sure that we invite people to become Canadian citizens when they have contributed so much to this country. What is despicable is the record of that party: cutting refugee health care, putting obstacles before people who wish to become Canadian citizens, bragging about Yazidis when it only brought three Yazidis into Canada. We have the record to prove it. Let them have their talking points.

Mr. Speaker, while the previous government failed to get the job done, we are taking decisive action and seeing results. We approved the Line 3 replacement project and we are supporting the Keystone XL pipeline. We are helping producers build up the refining capacity in Canada, because we know that means more value for every barrel sold. We announced major tax incentives in the fall economic statement for refineries and upgraders. We are moving forward on the Trans Mountain expansion in the right way, responding to the issues.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague and all the other colleagues in the House who took part in this huge protest. As the member for Ottawa—Vanier and others mentioned earlier, this was the biggest protest in the history of French Ontario. People across the country will remember the rallies of December 1.That being said, anytime a government, whether federal, provincial or municipal, wants to amend its language rights legislation, the only thing it can do is strengthen language rights, not weaken them. We will always stand with Franco-Ontarians in defence of their rights.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has lived a celebrity lifestyle off of his family fortune and now he is trying to build that celebrity lifestyle off of Canadians' tax dollars. He is sending out tweets to win celebrity friends. Meanwhile, the working people back home who pay the bills are under attack by his “no more pipelines” Bill C-69. The NDP government in Alberta, the pipeline association and the TransCanada pipelines company have all called for the government to withdraw this bill. Will the Liberals withdraw the “no more pipelines” Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, are the cabinet ministers and the Liberal MPs single-handedly keeping the courts and the RCMP employed?It was reported that a public servant leaked information on the naval ship contract to a prominent Ottawa lobby firm, saying, “I got everything — the motherload.” Despite this evidence, the Prime Minister said that Vice-Admiral Norman was the one who should end up before the courts. With each passing day, this cover-up smells worse and worse.When will the government come clean and give Canadians the truth about what happened with this contract?

Mr. Speaker, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is in Oshawa today with auto workers after GM has turned its back on them.The GM plant closure is devastating for the families of 2,500 workers and for thousands more whose livelihoods have depended on that plant for 100 years.The Liberals have yet to act. They have no emergency plan. There have been no emergency meetings. What is the Prime Minister waiting for? GM did not build Oshawa; Oshawa built GM, and it is time to fight for good jobs.Will the Liberals listen to the NDP and call for an urgent meeting with industry, labour and all of government to find solutions to fight for these jobs?

Mr. Speaker, the member for Brampton East is providing us with more plot twists than binge night on Netflix. But it is the drama concerning the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development that concerns me, particularly whether insider information was used in a land deal that went down with Goreway Heaven, a company with deep ties to the Liberal Party who were also on that disastrous India trip.It is reported that the City of Brampton has taken the extraordinary step of referring this issue to the RCMP.To reassure the House, will the minister tell us whether or not his name has been referred to the RCMP? It is a simple question.

Mr. Speaker, many Canadians have been impacted by the failure of medical devices like meshes and implants. After a whole year of outcry, the health minister 's weak response is to evaluate whether a registry of who has the device is the right thing to do. Meanwhile, the U.S. FDA has overhauled its approval process for devices to consider post-surgery outcomes. When will the health minister do the same?

Mr. Speaker, let us get specific. The Prime Minister's Office now says that the PM did not invite any of the business people who joined his ill-fated trip to India. The member for Brampton East, who said he would resign because of a gambling addiction and did not, says he did not invite a director of the Goreway Heaven company involved in the suspect Brampton real estate deal, and the economic development minister claims ignorance of it all. Again, will the Liberals at least tell us who invited the Goreway Heaven executives on the Prime Minister's trip to India.

Mr. Speaker, any innuendoes or allegations made by the member opposite are categorically false. The member knows full well that he is making these allegations in the House, where he has parliamentary privilege. If he wants to make these same remarks, I recommend he make them outside the House.

Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned, the member told us that he is addressing certain challenges and is receiving treatment from a health professional. The Speaker has been informed that he is no longer a member of the Liberal caucus. We hope that he receives the support he needs.I am not sure where the comments by members opposite come from, but it is clear that they do not recognize that when it comes to our security agencies, when it comes to the RCMP, when it comes to police investigations, they occur independently of government. Government does not tell them who to investigate. Obviously it is a different approach from the Conservatives'.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister now admits that he and his office were well aware that the Liberal MP for Brampton East was under police investigation for months, yet the Prime Minister kept him in the Liberal caucus and kept him on the finance committee while it was performing a critical study on proceeds of crime legislation. In fact, the Liberal MP was the subject of two RCMP investigations and another one by the Ontario Provincial Police.Why did it take three police investigations before the Prime Minister finally stopped covering for the Liberal MP for Brampton East?

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that they are going to miss their targets. It is pathetic. In 2015, the Prime Minister portrayed himself as a brave knight who would fight the malevolent forces of climate change. Three years later, it is becoming clear that this was nothing but a fairy tale for children. However, people want us to play a positive role. People want us to set more ambitious targets. People want a real transition. We need to get back on track, and buying a pipeline with our money is no way for the Prime Minister to show that he is serious. Will the Liberals catch up at COP24 or will they let future generations down?

Mr. Speaker, as I have stated inside the House and as we have stated outside the House, it was less than two weeks ago that we were notified of any concerns. The member came to us to let us know that he was dealing with certain challenges. When it comes to the RCMP, it works independently of the government. We do not undermine our security officials. We do not undermine officers of Parliament, like the Conservatives' used to do.

Mr. Speaker, of course this is disappointing news for Oshawa. The reason it is so disappointing, as the member opposite has mentioned, is that Oshawa has a long and proud history, over 100 years, when it comes to General Motors.That is why we have actually worked with GM and are working with the union as well. I have spoken with the local municipal leadership. I have spoken with my provincial counterpart as well. GM has made a big mistake by turning its back on the workers in Oshawa.We will not make that mistake. We will continue to defend the auto workers and we will continue to support this very important sector.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, any insinuation of wrongdoing by the Minister of Innovation is absolutely false, and repeating it outside the chamber will be met with a strong response from the minister's lawyer. If the member has courage to say it in this place where he is protected, why does the member not have the courage to say it outside the House?

Mr. Speaker, the allegations that the member opposite is making are categorically false. If he has the courage of his convictions to make these allegations, I strongly recommend he go outside the House to make those same remarks.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, I was pleased to be joined by first nations, Inuit and Métis nation leaders to announce that after comprehensive engagement, we are going forward to introduce co-developed legislation on indigenous child and family services early in the new year. This legislation should mark a turning point to say, “No more”: no more scooping children; no more ripping apart families; no more lost children who do not know their language, their culture and their lineage.I hope that when the legislation is introduced, it will have broad support in the House.

Mr. Speaker, the member told us he was dealing with a number of problems for which he was receiving treatment from a health professional.As Speaker, you were informed that the member was no longer part of the Liberal caucus. We hope he is getting the help he needs. In answer to the question, the member should know that the report has not been tabled in the House and that we cannot comment on the situation until the report is tabled.

Mr. Speaker, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians has studied this issue, and it would be inappropriate to comment until the report is tabled.

Mr. Speaker, two years ago, the President of the Treasury Board told the RCMP that it was not his role to interfere in procurement contracts. However, he said just the opposite in October when he was trying to block Canada's biggest shipyard, the Davie shipyard, from getting a contract.Which is it?In the meantime, coast guard and navy ships are rusting away, and shipyard workers are waiting for contracts.

Mr. Speaker, this weekend the Prime Minister said that we need a social analysis on the impact of male construction workers brought in to work in rural areas.Meanwhile, the government is about to sign a UN treaty meant to normalize mass migration. The government must preserve our sovereignty by not signing that treaty.Can the minister explain why the government is more afraid of the social impact of Canadian male workers than that of migrants from other countries?

Mr. Speaker, it is getting to the point where we need a criminal investigation flow chart to understand the relationship between a Liberal MP, a Liberal minister, the Prime Minister, a clutch of Liberal financial supporters and three RCMP investigations. Now we have learned that the City of Brampton wants the Mounties to investigate a land deal after confidential information was allegedly passed to the member for Brampton East and the Minister of Economic Development. It is time for the Liberals to drop the “We don't comment on RCMP investigations” stalling and tell Canadians the truth.

Mr. Speaker, we understand the struggles that Alberta communities, workers and industry are facing in relation to the price differential, but that is not something new. The reason for that is because of the previous government's failed process on regulatory review that did not move forward any single pipeline to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. That is what we are trying to change by putting a better regulatory process in place that allows resource development to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, a bilateral youth mobility agreement was signed between Canada and Portugal, and has been eagerly anticipated by all segments of the community. As a representative of the largest Portuguese community in Canada, I have long been an advocate of this agreement and a champion of the benefits that this program will bring to both Canada and Portugal. Could the minister of immigration update the House and Canadians on the implementation of the Canada-Portugal youth mobility agreement?

Mr. Speaker, at a glitzy international conference last week, the Prime Minister attacked energy workers, saying that male construction workers go to rural communities and cause negative social and gender impact. While he is trying to build his international celebrity abroad, he is killing the livelihoods of working Canadians back at home. His “no more pipelines” Bill C-69 has been condemned by the industry, the Alberta government and numerous aboriginal communities. Will the Prime Minister finally scrap his “no more pipelines” Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, any insinuation that the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development committed any wrongdoing is false, and if the member would care to repeat that outside the House, he will hear from the minister's lawyer.

Mr. Speaker, I do not understand why the minister is being so defensive. If he has done nothing wrong, why will he not answer the questions he is being asked? At least one of the company's directors took part in the Prime Minister's disastrous trip to India. The minister even took a photo with one of the company's directors, who is also a former Liberal riding association president. On top of that, many of the company's directors are Liberal Party donors. It is a simple question. Did the RCMP contact the minister and, if so, when?

Mr. Speaker, Statistics Canada decided to suspend its plan to collect data on Canadians from their bank and credit records. The Liberals are telling Canadians that this was a pilot project when, in fact, this is entrenched in their own census policy. They knew this and were warned this new scheme would backfire. Instead, they appointed a chief census officer to do their dirty work, undermining the data collecting system and compromising policy. Now that the minister has failed to restore confidence in Statistics Canada, will he fix the problem? Yes, I will repeat this out of the House.

Mr. Speaker, a lack of new pipelines necessary for Canadian oil to reach global markets has created a serious crisis in Alberta. With oil being sold for pennies on the dollar, the no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will be the final nail in the coffin for the industry. When will the Prime Minister kill his no more pipelines bill?

Mr. Speaker, let's talk about security. What this government intends to do is erase Canada's borders. The Canada Border Services Agency recently revealed that it only intercepts 3%—I did say 3%—of dangerous goods and at-risk people from entering Canada. This is happening while the Prime Minister sends out tweets that end up costing Canadians $1 billion.When will the Prime Minister actually strengthen our borders instead of further erasing them by signing the UN global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, the NDP knew that passing legislation to force Canada Post employees back to work was a bad idea. Canada Post executives are doing whatever they want. They have the government's support and they know that they have the upper hand. They cut employees' hours of accumulated leave and their personal leave using the same tactics they did in 2011, even though those tactics were found to be illegal.Are the pseudo-progressive Liberals going to allow Canada Post to erode the working conditions of workers whose hands are now tied?

Mr. Speaker, there is a problem with the Liberals giving Canadians false assurances that the UN global compact for migration is non-binding. Non-binding agreements can become customary international law and inform the interpretation of domestic law. This means that Canadian judges can cite this declaration in their decisions. After spending $1.1 billion on illegal border crossers, will the Prime Minister reverse his policy of border erasure and refuse to sign the UN global compact for migration?

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it I believe you would find consent to the following motion, seconded by the member for Edmonton Strathcona: That the House call on the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change to bring forward the following priorities and commitments at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: (i) a climate action strategy that prioritizes reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, (ii) investments in a transition that leaves no workers behind, (iii) robust rules for implementing the Paris Agreement that will allow Canada to increase the ambition of its greenhouse gas reduction targets in response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, (iv) transparency and accountability mechanisms to address climate change, (v) integrating human health into Canada's climate commitments.

Mr. Speaker, we inherited a very flawed process of environmental review from the previous government. That has led to the failure of a number of infrastructure projects, including pipelines, that could not move forward. We are focused on fixing the previous government's flawed process by passing Bill C-69 which would allow good projects to move forward and would allow one review for every project. That is what we are focused on. That is what we will continue to deliver.

Mr. Speaker, that is the thing. Diafiltered milk is outside the supply management system.The announced closure of the GM plant is devastating for the families of 2,500 workers and their communities, but it is not just workers in Oshawa who are concerned about their families. All auto workers across Canada are worried. The Prime Minister needs to do more than simply express his disappointment. He needs to show leadership and call an emergency summit on the automotive industry by the end of next week with unions, the industry, the provinces and the mayors of the communities whose economies depend on the automotive sector.Will he do that?

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the record of the previous government, how it failed to protect the energy sector and how it failed to expand our non-U.S. global market. When the Conservatives got into office in 2005, 99% of Alberta's oil was exported to the United States. When they left office in 2015, 99% of Alberta's oil was still exported to the United States. That is the failure of the Conservative government.

Mr. Speaker, if only he would understand how disappointed his own city is in him. My province is in crisis. The Alberta energy industry is under attack by the Prime Minister. Albertans have been suffering for years under the Prime Minister's anti-energy policies. He killed northern gateway and energy east, banned tankers and has failed miserably on Trans Mountain. His no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will be the final nail.Will the minister stand up for Albertan jobs and kill this bill?

Mr. Speaker, that the Liberals would dare talk about divisive rhetoric after the Prime Minister, the limousine Liberal, went down to Argentina at an international conference while our workers are struggling at home, and he insulted them and accused them of creating negative social and gender impacts, is absolutely disgusting and appalling. The first thing the government should do is apologize for that despicable rhetoric. When will the Liberals apologize for insulting working men and women, and scrap the “no more pipelines” bill at the same time?

Mr. Speaker, contrary to the Conservatives' rhetoric about asylum seekers, we would like to point out that approximately 40% of those who have crossed the border into Canada are children.The Harper Conservatives were penny-wise and pound foolish when they cut $400 million from border security services. They should be ashamed to ask questions about the security of our borders.