2019-02-04

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue has made a fool of herself again by completely disregarding a request by the Premier of Quebec, the National Assembly of Quebec and the vast majority of Quebeckers.Instead of using her position to make things easier for Quebeckers, she is chopping away at Quebec's requests. A single tax return, chop! The supply ship Obelix, chop! The fitness tax credit, chop! The joke has gone on long enough.Will the Minister of National Revenue stop viewing Quebeckers as a threat and let them have a single tax return?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are showing their true colours when it comes to Quebec. Despite their hypocritical smiles, they are not listening to what Quebeckers need. The Prime Minister is ignoring the consensus in Quebec regarding the single tax return, concocting some big story about how it could lead to more tax evasion in Quebec. He might as well call us a bunch of thieves.Why are the Liberals incapable of granting a legitimate request from Quebeckers?

Mr. Speaker, a single tax return means getting rid of a form, not public servants. No one will lose their job in Shawinigan or Jonquière or anywhere else in Canada.The display of bad faith and fearmongering by the Minister of National Revenue is just pathetic. It is the same old story with the Liberals. They say they are open to Quebec and as soon as Quebec trusts them then it is too much of a bother and they stop. They start fearmongering and upsetting everyone.Can the minister do something positive and tell Quebec it can have a single tax return?

Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development tweeted that the Premier of Ontario should be “whacked”, a mobster term for killing someone, which clearly the parliamentary secretary would have known.Why has the Prime Minister not called for his resignation?

Mr. Speaker, this is a $19-billion deficit for oil. Considering this government masquerades as the Green Party all over the world, that is a total slap in the face. This money is not going towards compensating our farmers, fighting tax havens or paying for migrants. Furthermore, federal health transfers are declining.Could the government explain to Quebeckers why it is spending their money left and right without sparing a thought for their priorities?

Mr. Speaker, while we all very much appreciate the Prime Minister's words, there is an opportunity for ministerial statements later today, and I look forward to hearing the statement at that time.This is an issue the Prime Minister needs to take very seriously. The parliamentary secretary has shown this kind of behaviour before, when he had to apologize for trying to bully and intimidate a female Conservative MP, the member for Richmond Centre. The Prime Minister says he has no tolerance for this kind of behaviour. Again, why will the Prime Minister not ask for this parliamentary secretary's resignation?

Mr. Speaker, it is the Liberals who are exempting major emitters and it is the Liberals who are dumping sewage into our rivers and oceans. It is the Prime Minister who wants to phase out the oil sands and his plan is working. Meanwhile, Albertans are out of work and struggling to get by. Now the Liberal carbon tax is driving up the price of everything. The Prime Minister does not understand the impact this tax is having because he inherited a large family fortune. When will the Prime Minister stop making Canadians pay for his mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are increasingly anxious about climate change.Last October, a UN report concluded the planet only had a dozen years to make dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions or face a catastrophe. Canada's environment commissioner warned that meeting our Paris commitments “will require....actions beyond those currently planned or in place.” Canadians cannot wait for the government to get its act together to urgently address climate change.Why does the Prime Minister think that sticking to Harper's climate change targets will get the job done?

Mr. Speaker, it is disappointing to hear that when we are dealing with an issue that is so important to Canadians and citizens around the entire world, the Conservatives put misleading information out there in order to trick Canadians into not taking action on climate change. The fact is that we are putting forward a plan that involves investments in public transit, making our electricity generated 90% renewable by 2030, and yes, putting a price on pollution.If the hon. member is so concerned with the affordability of life, he will take pleasure in knowing that our plan is going to reduce emissions and leave Canadian families better off.

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Victoria, people are so frustrated by the Liberals' stale talking points and by the gigantic gap between rhetoric and action on the environment.No matter what the Prime Minister says, climate change leaders do not use public dollars to buy pipelines. People are clear that action is needed now.When will the Prime Minister stop giving fossil fuel subsidies to giant corporations and get serious about climate change?

Mr. Speaker, last night Unifor ran an ad intended to continue the fight for thousands of Canadian GM workers who will lose their jobs in Oshawa. Unlike the Prime Minister, who is sitting this one out, workers are fighting for their jobs and community. The Conservatives gave GM billions in incentives, without a guarantee to protect jobs in Canada. Now the Liberals leave workers left stranded without a paycheque. It is about choices. Why will the Liberals not show some courage and stand up for Canadian workers?

Mr. Speaker, China arbitrarily detained Canadian citizens for political purposes and the Liberals said that it was business as usual. A former SNC-Lavalin executive pleaded guilty to breaking political financing laws in what has been called the “biggest fraud case” in the country, but it continues to get huge federal contracts. It seems that whenever there is a buck to be made, the Liberals' moral compass breaks down. SNC-Lavelin should be suspended from bidding on federal government contracts until Canadians have all the details of this fraud. Will the Liberals order the suspension or do they have a price for every principle?

Mr. Speaker, more than 125,000 oil and gas workers have lost their jobs under the Liberals. The Prime Minister vetoed northern gateway with no consultation. He killed energy east with red tape. He overpaid for Trans Mountain, and every delay costs taxpayers more. His mistakes have caused the crisis in the energy sector and have recently threatened the jobs of over 2,000 CNRL workers in northeast Alberta. Now Imperial is cutting rail shipments and considering cancelling a new oil sands project. Will the Liberals stop their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, his plan is not working. When you incur a debt, you must have a plan to repay it. A deficit today means higher taxes tomorrow for us, our children and our grandchildren. The Prime Minister will have to increase taxes to pay for his irresponsible and out-of-control spending.Will this Liberal government tell Canadians the truth for once?When will the Prime Minister unveil his plan to increase taxes?

Mr. Speaker, it is pretty rich for someone with a billion dollar family business or a family fortune to claim that people are better off because they pay higher taxes by losing their children's fitness tax credit, by losing their transit tax credit or by losing tax credits for tuition and for textbooks. All of these middle-class Canadians are already paying more, but they know that the out-of-control runaway Liberal deficits will make it even worse after the election. Will the government come clean? How much will it raise taxes and who will have to pay?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals carbon tax plan is not an environmental plan; it is a tax-on-everything plan. The government's own documents show the carbon tax will cost a family of four up to $5,000 a year and is expected to go up even higher after the next election. The Prime Minister, who in his own words has a “family fortune”, might understand the impact of an extra $5,000 a year if he actually related to middle-class Canadians and had to manage his own budget.When will he stop making Canadians pay for his mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, the only plan is to tax Canadians until there is no more money in their pockets.The Prime Minister has inherited a great family fortune. Canadians pay their own bills. Every dollar counts when they are managing their family finances. They are already paying for this inefficient carbon tax and now government documents reveal that the Liberals have a plan for a 15-fold increase. Canadians cannot afford a $5,000 a year tax bill.Why is the Prime Minister covering up the actual cost of his carbon tax until after the election?

Mr. Speaker, today, February 4, is World Cancer Day. Almost everyone in this House, and indeed all Canadians, has a friend or family member whose life has been touched by cancer. It continues to be the leading cause of death in Canada. Almost half of all Canadians will develop it in their lifetimes. We all know the devastation a diagnosis can have for a family. I would like to ask the Minister of Health what our government has been doing to fight cancer.

Mr. Speaker, the members on the other side of the House clearly have no principles. The Minister of National Revenue has been on the job for three years. In that time, there has not been a single charge or conviction related to offshore tax evasion, as the Canada Revenue Agency itself admits.People who pay their taxes every year are starting to think that the Liberals are going too easy on the privileged 1%. Who can blame them? What with the Panama papers, the Paradise papers and the Bahamas leaks, we have seen three scandals in three years but zero results.What will it take for the Minister of National Revenue to do her job like everybody else, go after the real tax cheats, and get some real results out of that plan she claims is working?

Mr. Speaker, during the last campaign, the Liberals promised to eliminate subsidies for the oil and gas industry. They promised to properly consult indigenous communities on projects that affect their lands. The Liberals have completely failed on both counts. The Federal Court sent the Liberals back to the drawing board when it comes to consulting with first nations on Trans Mountain, and the Parliamentary Budget Officer revealed that the Liberals overpaid the pipeline when they acquired it for $4.5 billion.How can they fight climate change by buying a pipeline? How can they talk about nation-to-nation relations without proper consultation?

Mr. Speaker, we are standing up for Canadian companies facing illegal U.S. tariffs. Our tariffs on $16.6 billion worth of U.S. imports are working. Just last week, senior Republicans called on the U.S. administration to lift the U.S. tariffs because of the impact of our retaliatory measures. Meanwhile, the Conservatives want to surrender. Instead of trying to score cheap political points on the backs of our workers, Doug Ford and his Conservative friends on the other side of the aisle should join us and stand up for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, when asked last week about Greyhound pulling out of B.C., the Minister of Transport said, “We are working with the provinces.... We will be there if they request us to help them on a cost-sharing basis.”The Saskatchewan Transportation Company has been shut down and sold off. Is the federal government also offering to share the cost of restoring needed bus service in our province?

Mr. Speaker, it is the Prime Minister's own words. He said, “I no longer have dealings with the way our family fortune is managed.” However, because he has never had to balance a household budget, he thinks budgets balance themselves. He is not worried about costs because he just makes others pay for his mistakes. His deficits are now out of control and breaking his own promises. Sooner or later, if he is allowed to continue, they will lead to higher taxes. How much will his tax plan cost Canadians and who will have to pay?

Mr. Speaker, the problem here is not Doug Ford. It is the Prime Minister's mistake of giving in to Donald Trump. What is important here is the Canadian economy and Canadian jobs. Manufacturers across Canada cannot afford to continue to pay for the Prime Minister's mistakes. What is the plan to get these tariffs lifted? Canadians cannot wait forever.

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservative strategy seems to be to mislead Canadians in order to avoid taking action on climate change.The fact is that we know climate change is a real threat. We have an opportunity and an obligation not just to do something about it, but to do the most effective things that we know how. We have talked to leading experts. In fact, last year's Nobel Prize winner in economics has discovered that the best thing we can do to reduce emissions is put a price on pollution that makes life more affordable for Canadians.I am disappointed that the hon. member throws rhetoric out there and makes personal attacks instead of bringing a single idea to the table. If he finally comes up with one, I am all ears.

Mr. Speaker, for three years now, the Liberals have been promising reforms to protect our culture from the flood of American content on Netflix and its ilk. Ten days ago, artists from Quebec media and culture gathered in Montreal, and the one message I heard tossed around was “just do it”. The Liberals keep saying that to profit from our culture, one must contribute to our culture, and that there is no free pass. The government should do something, then. Everyone involved agreed that Ottawa already has the tools to start stemming the tide.Everyone wants the minister to adopt interim measures before the election. Will he take action, or would he rather let our culture slowly die out?

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that we will never compromise on the safety and security of Canadians. We are working closely with the Canadian Border Services Agency and the RCMP to ensure that this is actually the case. Wherever we need to put resources in place, that is where we are going to put them.At no time was there any compromising the security of Canadians. I want to quote the CBSA on this. “[T]he deployment of staff from across the country to support the processing of irregular migrants had no impact on the agency’s daily operations.”Conservatives may not believe the CBSA. We do, and we support it.

Mr. Speaker, it is really unfortunate that the Prime Minister has forgotten his key election promise from 2015.Canadians were sold a bill of goods by the Prime Minister, for they believed him when he said he would run small deficits and balance the budget in 2019. He has done the exact opposite. Unless something changes, we will not see a balanced budget for another 21 years. Inevitably, under a Liberal government, Canadians will pay more.How much more are they going to pay and when—

Mr. Speaker, this is what real challenge looks like. It looks like October 22 for the member for Carleton when he is out trying to find a job, talking to employers about how he can do half of an analysis and get to the wrong answer. That is what he continues to do, half of an analysis and the wrong answer. The whole analysis, what that tells us is that middle-class Canadians are better off, $2,000 better off this year than in 2015. That is the middle-class tax plan for the Liberals.

Mr. Speaker, the problem is that, when the Liberals are abroad, they promise, hand over heart, that they will keep their climate change commitments.The first time, in Paris, everyone believed them. The second time, in Katowice, people were a little more wary. That is because, when the Liberals come back to Canada, they do the opposite of what they promised. They keep the low targets set by the Conservatives and, according to the federal Commissioner of the Environment, they will not even be able to meet those. They buy pipelines, they increase subsidies for the oil and gas industry, and they exclude the biggest polluters from carbon pricing.Is that really fighting climate change?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the member for Brampton South for her important question and her tremendous work on the health committee. As the health minister, I have certainly heard heartbreaking stories about people affected by cancer. That is why this government has invested over $1.7 billion over the past 10 years in cancer research. Also, we are promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Last year we unveiled new tobacco rules that the Canadian Cancer Society actually called the best in the world.While it might be tough, I know that together we will be able to one day beat cancer.

Mr. Speaker, when negotiating NAFTA, the Prime Minister made the mistake of giving in to all Donald Trump's demands. Canadians are now feeling the effects of his mistakes.The governments of Ontario and Quebec have both sent letters to the Prime Minister urging him to do something to remove the harmful tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. When will these tariffs be lifted?

Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax cover-up continues. For many Canadians life is becoming more expensive thanks to the Liberal carbon tax. However, of course the millionaire Prime Minister does not get it, because as he said, “I no longer have dealings with the way our family fortune is managed.” How many Canadians have that problem?Now we find out that the carbon tax is going to be 15 times greater than it is today and Canadians will have to pay more. When will the Prime Minister tell us exactly how much his carbon tax will cost? Will he now answer?

Mr. Speaker, after three years of deficits, the Liberals are now in infrastructure mode. It is about time they started taking care of our infrastructure. They should have invested right away. Our big cities and small towns can no longer wait. The Liberals chose to create an infrastructure bank to make their friends rich, but now comes their pre-election tour.Do the Liberals realize that Canadians are the ones who will pay for their broken infrastructure promises?

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the millionaire Prime Minister does not realize that taxpayers are not his personal ATM and that ATM does not stand for automatic trust fund machine. The Prime Minister has left Canadians with only debts and deficits, with no sign of a balanced budget. Canadians know that the extravagance of the Liberals will soon become the burden of middle-class families as they continue to raise taxes to pay for Liberal mistakes. Dollars do not fall from heaven. They have to be earned on earth. Will the Prime Minister come clean and tell Canadians the truth about his plan to raise taxes?

Mr. Speaker, the really good news is that the member for Carleton can find out exactly what our tax plan is. We already introduced it back in 2016. We reduced taxes on middle-class Canadians. What that means is that 30,000 people in his riding, the riding of Carleton, have lower taxes. We also introduced an increase in the Canada child benefit, which means that 16,000 children in his riding are better off, $4 million better off in total. That is what our tax plan is. It is helping middle-class Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is putting forward figures that have no basis in reality in order to scare Canadians against taking action on climate change.The fact is that we have the answer on what we can do and that answer includes putting a price on pollution that will bring our emissions down and make life more affordable.It has been 281 days since the Conservative leader said he would put forward a plan. I know it was Groundhog Day this weekend, but it does not have to mean there is going to be six more weeks without a climate plan.

Mr. Speaker, I too join the President of the Treasury Board and rise to pay tribute to an extraordinary public servant who dedicated his entire professional working life to making Canada a better place. I offer my deepest condolences on the passing of Auditor General Michael Ferguson, who succumbed to cancer and passed away this past Saturday surrounded by his family.Michael Ferguson had a distinguished career, serving the Province of New Brunswick in several senior roles prior to being appointed Auditor General of Canada in 2011 by then prime minister Stephen Harper. Michael Ferguson quickly established his reputation for tough, thorough audits. Over successive governments, he never shied away from bringing the failures of government departments and agencies to Parliament's attention.When Michael Ferguson appeared as a witness at a committee meeting, Canadians knew that a very bright light was about to be shone into the corners of their government and that accountability would be demanded. He made no attempt to sugar-coat the facts. His reports and committee testimony were delivered without passion or rhetoric; the strong terms he used to describe failures of government were always presented factually, and he was never afraid to be exact and precise regardless of the topic or possible consequences for the government of the day. He leaves a legacy of forcing governments, and indeed all public servants, to constantly improve in order to serve Canadians. He will be missed by the thousands of public servants from across Canada who want to deliver the best service that they can to Canadians. He will be missed by the dedicated staff at the Office of the Auditor General. He will be missed by all parliamentarians, and in particular by my colleagues from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. He will be missed by all Canadians who demand accountability from their government.To his wife and sons, I extend my deepest sympathies. On behalf of the Conservative opposition, our condolences, thoughts and prayers are with them.

Mr. Speaker, the government says one thing and does another. It promises a balanced budget by 2019, and then deficits for decades to come. It promises to make life more affordable for Canadians, and then increases the cost of everything with an unfair carbon tax. It says that the environment and the economy go hand in hand, and then refuses to negotiate fairly and honestly with the Sunshine Village ski area. Can the Minister of Tourism explain how threatening to kick a family business off the land it has used for 38 years protects our environment or grows tourism for our economy?

Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of Canadians is our government's top priority.With regard to asylum seekers, we are working closely with the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency to ensure that this is actually the case and to give them the resources they need. Even the CBSA said that the deployment of staff from across the country to support the processing of irregular migrants had no impact on the agency's daily operations.Unlike the previous government, we are taking measures to protect Canadians. We have invested in our security and will continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker, allow me to disagree with my NDP colleague. Unlike the Conservatives and the NDP, our government sees tax evasion as a priority. With respect to offshore tax evasion, under our leadership, the Canada Revenue Agency has done twice as many audits in three years as the Harper Conservatives did in 10 years. We currently have over 50 ongoing criminal investigations related to offshore tax evasion, and, thanks to our historic investments, we are going to keep working—

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Border Services Agency had to reassign up to 550 employees to deal with the illegal migrant crisis. What is more, the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates that this will cost taxpayers over $1 billion by the end of next year. That does not even include the costs covered by the provinces, which are still waiting to be reimbursed. All of this chaos is creating an increased security risk.Will the minister commit to appear before the committee to explain his and the Prime Minister's mismanagement of the situation?

Mr. Speaker, four major new pipelines were built under the Conservatives. The reality is that not a single new inch has been built under the Liberals. Most Canadians agree that the lack of pipelines is a national crisis and that the Liberals are to blame. The Prime Minister said he wants to phase out the oil sands, and he is doing it. Last week, StatsCan said Canada's economy shrank in November because of low energy production, along with losses in construction, manufacturing and finance. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk.The Prime Minister has a family fortune made mostly from oil and gas, so he really does not care. Why is the Prime Minister forcing Canadians to pay with their jobs for his mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, there was no shortage of fearmongering in Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands in 2011 when the Harper Conservatives brought in their EI reform.The Maritimes and eastern Quebec were terrified. The Harper Conservatives and today's Conservatives are doing exactly the same thing. In the coming months, we are going to see two categories of promises: one for Quebec and one for western Canada. Divide and conquer is their motto. I encourage them to make “Chop, chop, chop” their next campaign slogan.

Mr. Speaker, the middle-class tax cut and the enhanced Canada child benefit applied to all Canadians, including Quebeckers. It is very important to strengthen the middle class across Canada. That is our approach, and it is working. We have the lowest unemployment in 40 years. Our economy is growing, especially in Quebec.

Mr. Speaker, after many difficult years of austerity, Quebec achieved a balanced budget while still meeting its responsibilities in health, education, early childhood centres and so forth.While Quebec was tightening its belt, money was flying out the window in Ottawa. A $19-billion deficit is going toward dirty oil in Alberta, a used pipeline, and rail cars to transport their oil to Quebec.Instead of putting Quebec in debt for generations to come, will the government start to use Quebeckers' money for Quebeckers?

Mr. Speaker, the online application process for the parents and grandparents sponsorship program was a farce. Grace had tried to apply for four years, but the link did not even show up for her on the IRCC website, despite her upgrading her Internet. Yuna felt cheated, as no one told her about the game rules. She opened the form at 9:01. It said she had 10 minutes to complete it. She finished it in three. Then she went over it to make sure everything was correct, but after seven minutes, she was kicked out. Later she heard that she only had to fill out the name and the contact information to be accepted.How is this a fair process? What will it take for the minister to do the right thing and eliminate the cap?

Mr. Speaker, it is always the same old story. He sounds like a broken record.

Mr. Speaker, our plan is very clear. We started by cutting taxes for the middle class. That was very important. We increased and enhanced the Canada child benefit.This approach is working for the middle class and, at the same time, helping our economy grow. We now have the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. Our plan is working. We will continue with our approach.

Mr. Speaker, SNC-Lavalin has a long history, including in my own province of Quebec. It supports tens of thousands of Canadian men and women. The jobs on the projects support hundreds of thousands of Canadian men and women. What I want to know is why the member is talking down Canadian jobs. That is what Canadians want to know.I can also assure the member that we have an accountability regime that is among the most stringent in the world. We will continue to enforce that. Canadian companies will have the highest degree of ethical behaviour.

Mr. Speaker, the first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class, because we know that investing in the middle class creates economic growth for everyone. The Conservatives do not understand that. They are always talking about making cuts to balance the budget at all costs.Are they going to cut the Canada child benefit? Are they going to cut the 4,700 infrastructure projects we are developing across the country? Are they going to cut the guaranteed income supplement for seniors, which we increased by $1,000? What are they going to cut?

Mr. Speaker, there is no impact on the operations of the agency? That is in spite of these stories from recent weeks: an individual was deemed a national security concern but was still granted permanent residency; an illegal border crosser was able to enter Canada in spite of admitting to an extensive criminal record. However, there is no discernible impact.Will the minister appear before a parliamentary committee to be held accountable for Canada's immigration screening processes?

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the parliamentary secretary has apologized for his tweet. It is important that we all remember that there can be strong disagreements over policy, over questions of substance, but we need to remain civil and keep away from the personal accusations and the personal invective whenever we have political debates.

Mr. Speaker, a country that is serious about fighting climate change knows that it takes investments in renewables, investments in innovative solutions, investments in the kinds of things we need to do to prepare for a lower carbon economy in the future. Getting a discount of $20 billion, $30 billion or $50 billion a year because we cannot get our oil to markets other than the United States is unacceptable.That is why we are moving forward responsibly, to get our oil to new markets, while at the same time we fight climate change with all the tools we need. That is a Liberal approach.

Mr. Speaker, the best way to restore Canadians' faith in politics is to keep one's promises. In 2015, the Prime Minister promised to deliver a zero deficit in 2019, but that will not happen. He promised to run small deficits, but over the past three years, his deficits have reached nearly $60 billion. He did not keep his two key public finance promises. The way this Prime Minister is running things, Canadians know they will have to pay sooner or later.What tax hikes does the Prime Minister have in store for Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, in 2015 we promised Canadians that we would invest in infrastructure to create good jobs for the middle class and develop our economy. We are investing in projects that will make everyday life easier for Canadians, including schools, public transit, housing, culture and recreation, and waste water treatment.Our government is making unprecedented investments to build the Canada of the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, we have been clear in our national shipbuilding strategy. The Obelix is not a solution that we are considering at this time.I would ask my hon. colleague why he did not stand up for the workers, the men and women of Davie, when he was in government and the Conservatives excluded that shipyard. Our government is working on providing opportunities for the Davie shipyard. That member and his government did nothing for Davie.

I like him a lot too, Mr. Speaker.I have been travelling around Canada, around all the regions, including several parts of Quebec. What I have been hearing, what people are telling me, is that our producers are happy with the investments we have made in CBC, in Telefilm Canada, in the National Film Board and more. After 10 years of Conservative government cuts, what we have done is put culture and creators back at the centre of everything we are doing.I have said it before and I will say it again because the member needs to hear this. Those who participate in the system will have to contribute to it.

Mr. Speaker, I grew up as part of a generation where doing something to protect our environment and fight climate change was informed every day of my life until now. The fact is that Canadians know that climate change is real and that people like us who have been given this platform actually have a responsibility to do something about it. The fact is that people are actually feeling real practical fallout from the inaction that we have seen over the past number of decades.We are moving forward with a plan that is going to invest in public transit, that is going to make electricity 90% generated by renewable resources by 2030 and that is going to put a price on pollution that will see our emissions come down and leave Canadian families financially better off at tax time.

Mr. Speaker, it has been two weeks since the Davie shipyard workers protested against the Prime Minister's inaction in Quebec City. As usual, he did not listen to them, and the workers walked away empty-handed.The Prime Minister is also ignoring the recommendations made by the Standing Committee on National Defence, which is urging the government to take action for the navy. With his family fortune, this Prime Minister does not need to worry about paying the bills, but the shipyard workers and their families do. The shipbuilding strategy is sinking under the Liberals. Costs are skyrocketing, and delivery times are getting longer. When will the Davie shipyard and the Royal Canadian Navy get the Obelix?

Mr. Speaker, once again, we are in a situation where the Conservatives, who do not want to do anything about climate change, are accusing us of doing too much, while members of the NDP, who do not want to do anything to create economic growth and protect jobs, are accusing us of not doing enough.The reality is that, with a price on pollution, our plan to protect oceans and our investments to help families cover the additional costs associated with the price on pollution, we are striking a balance between protecting the environment and creating economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of Bill C-69 is to fix a broken system that was implemented by the previous government in 2012. It took away the ability of indigenous peoples to participate in a meaningful way. It took away the ability of Canadians to participate in the review process. It took away the ability for us to protect our environment, waterways, fish and fish habitat. We are fixing a system that will allow us to move forward on large energy infrastructure projects in a way that makes sense for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, when the U.S. imposed its illegal tariffs on our steel and aluminum, we acted quickly. We have already provided $624 million in support to companies and workers, and we quickly imposed counter-tariffs, perfectly matched, to protect our workers.Meanwhile, Doug Ford's Conservatives are calling for us to unilaterally surrender to the Americans by unconditionally removing our tariffs. While our government is fighting for our workers, all the Conservatives can do is surrender.

Mr. Speaker, unlike the other two parties in the House, we know that the economy and the environment have to go hand in hand. The Conservatives do not want to do anything for the environment and, unfortunately, the NDP does not know how to grow the economy.We know that investing both in our prosperity and in protecting the environment is the only way forward. We are making progress in eliminating subsidies for fossil fuels. We will meet the commitments we made for 2025.

Mr. Speaker, we will take no lesson from the Harper Conservatives, who decided to make cuts in the tourism sector by cutting into Canada's marketing to international visitors, basically letting down the 1.8 million Canadians who work in the sector. On this side of the House, we believe in the 1.8 million Canadians who work in the tourism sector. We have reinvested $100 million to promote Canada's tourism brand to the world, and we will present a good tourism strategy to make sure that Canada is the destination in the world to come to. We all know—

Mr. Speaker, we put in place a comprehensive pan-Canadian action plan to fight climate change, which includes putting a price on pollution and, yes, bringing in a price on pollution on those Conservative provinces that have not wanted to move forward to give pollution a cost.We have also moved forward on eliminating coal-fired power plants, on investing in renewable energy and on investing in green solutions and green technologies. At the same, we are creating greater protection for our natural parks.We know there is much more to do, and we have a plan to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, during question period, I mentioned the report of the Standing Committee on National Defence, which gives 14 reasons why the Liberals should immediately award the Davie shipyard a contract to build the Obelix. I am seeking unanimous consent, in the spirit of transparency, to table this important report for taxpayers, for the Navy and for the Davie workers.

Mr. Speaker, even after the previous Conservative government left an additional $150 billion worth of debt, we still moved forward to make investments in Canada. That is what we knew we needed to do. We made investments in middle-class Canadians. We lowered their taxes. That has been our plan from day one. Increasing Canada child benefits means they are better off today. Our economy is better off. Low unemployment, higher growth: That is the Liberal plan for success in our country, and we are going to stick to it, not only now but after the next election.

Mr. Speaker, as we said last November, we are there to help, on a cost-sharing basis, those provinces that are willing to invest in providing some of the routes that have been abandoned by Greyhound and that have not been taken up by other companies in the private sector.That applies to all the four western provinces. We are there because we realize that certain people depend on the bus service; they have no other alternative. We will be there.

Mr. Speaker, fellow parliamentarians, House of Commons staff and honoured guests, I rise today in sorrow to pay tribute to Auditor General Michael Ferguson, a dedicated and honourable public servant who died too soon this weekend. He was just 60 years old. Over the past seven years, Mr. Ferguson was a tireless champion of a transparent, open government that is accountable to all Canadians. He never wavered in his mission, even in recent months as he fought cancer.During my time as minister of health and later as minister of indigenous services, I quickly came to know him as a man dedicated to helping the most vulnerable citizens, particularly in the context of justice and equality for indigenous peoples.A son of New Brunswick, Michael Ferguson devoted his life to public service. His career serving the people of New Brunswick took him from comptroller of the provincial books to Auditor General of New Brunswick, and then deputy minister of Finance and secretary to the Board of Management. Along the way, he spent time as the president of the New Brunswick Institute of Chartered Accountants and spent three years on the province's Public Sector Accounting Board before being elected to the Fellowship of the New Brunswick Institute of Chartered Accountants. In November 2011 Mr. Ferguson was appointed to be Canada's Auditor General, just the 14th person to told the position since Confederation, following in the footsteps of the formidable Sheila Fraser.Diligent, dedicated and humble, he was a model public servant. All Canadians owe him a debt of gratitude.As Auditor General, his office examined such foundational issues as rail safety, tax collection, access to health services for remote first nations communities, food protection, cybersecurity and military procurement. All governments must be open to outside critique. Michael Ferguson was able to focus on the granular details of government while also recognizing systemic issues. He was always striving to make us better as a government and as a country.Michael Ferguson helped strengthen our democracy and maintain the integrity that Canadians expect from our public institutions.Two days ago, he passed away surrounded by his wife Georgina and sons Malcolm and Geoffrey. He is gone too soon, but we know that his was a life well lived.On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I offer our deepest condolences to Mr. Ferguson's family, friends and colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, had the Conservatives done their homework during the 10 years they were in power, they probably would now have a better understanding of how things work at the Canada Revenue Agency.The federal government, representing nine provinces and three territories, harmonized its definition of “income”, while Quebec has retained a different definition.Do we ask the provinces and territories to harmonize their system with Quebec's or do we try to require Quebec to harmonize its system with that of the rest of Canada? We will continue to work with our colleagues—

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member of Parliament for Surrey Centre for announcing this next step forward in our innovation and skills plan, and particularly for all his hard work and advocacy.Our government is committed to the health and vitality of Canadian seniors. By helping commercialize preventive health technologies, the digital health circle will create jobs and reduce health care costs. This is an investment in the independence, dignity and quality of life of British Columbia's seniors. We will continue to invest in British Columbia and in seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to pay tribute to a friend and Canada's Auditor General, Michael Ferguson. Canada has lost an exemplary public servant. On behalf of the NDP and myself, I want to begin by expressing my sincere condolences to Michael's family and his colleagues at the Office of the Auditor General. A true professional who understood the importance that oversight has on the performance of government, Michael was a leader in the field of auditing and highly respected across Canada and around the world. I would like to begin my short remarks by reading quotes from Michael Ferguson to us, to Parliament. This is actually from a report entitled “A Message from the Auditor General” in 2016. This is Michael talking to us. I believe that the Office of the Auditor General of Canada is uniquely equipped to support Parliament in its oversight role. Indeed, in our work, it does not matter who sits on which side of the House of Commons. Our business is to examine the activities and programs of government, and to provide parliamentarians with impartial information about what is working and what is not. The report goes on: Despite those good outcomes, I believe that government could get more value from our audits if it used them differently—if departments and agencies focused on becoming more productive and put more emphasis on what they are delivering. After all, in one way or another, everything that government does is intended to serve Canadians. As such, government should “do service well,” to benefit Canadians, both individually and collectively. That “do service well” was a main theme that he instilled in the current public accounts committee: the idea that at the end of the day, all of the measuring, all of the performance audits, all of the accountability are about Canadians receiving the service that they are entitled to. That is what Michael was all about.I was actually the chair of the public accounts committee during the transition from Sheila Fraser to Michael Ferguson. I am going to be honest with colleagues: the only thing that was on my mind when Sheila's term was up was who on earth and where on earth were we going to find anybody who could fill Sheila Fraser's shoes. I mean, Sheila was a force of nature. The world knew about the work that Sheila Fraser did.Then along came this name. I had met him at Canadian Council of Public Accounts meetings, but I did not really know him. He was a long drink of water named Michael Ferguson, the Auditor General from New Brunswick. He did not speak French, which was a problem politically. He did not speak French at that time, as my friend from Quebec is emphasizing. I think the important end of that story is that he made commitments to ensure that he was as fluent as he needed to be in our second official language, our equal official language, and from all accounts he did that. It was another commitment that he kept when he made it to Canadians. However, those things were working a bit against him, as members can imagine, given the politics of the day, and I did not really know where to go. I had heard he was pretty good, but we had this French problem, and what were we going to do? Then I got a phone call from Sheila. I knew Sheila well. We worked together for seven years on the public accounts committee. I do not think I am betraying any confidences at this point now, given where we are. She said to me, “Look, David, I know that there is the issue around the French, and you have to deal with that. I won't speak to that. That's not my role, but I am here, David, to say that if you believe that I have any credibility and you respect my word as the former auditor general of Canada, then please do everything you can to make sure Michael Ferguson becomes the next auditor general.” Boy, did she have that right. Michael Ferguson was our auditor general. By the time Michael was done, Michael was the people's auditor. The people in Canada knew that they had a friend, an ally, in Michael Ferguson, just as they had with Sheila Fraser, and that his sole purpose was to provide accountability and transparency regardless of what party was in power, knowing the importance of working with a non-partisan public accounts committee. Those who have served on it know that it is a special calling. One does not perform the same way one does on other committees. One's job is to leave one's membership card at the door, go in and deal with the Auditor General's report findings as a parliamentarian. That is what Michael was about. He was about making sure the system worked for Canadians. In closing, I would like to quote Michael. He said: Parliamentary committees play a crucial role in challenging departments. I believe that there is an important role for parliamentary committees, whether those of the House of Commons or the Senate, to use our audit reports not just to understand what has happened, but also to make sure that changes take place. Committees should invite departments and agencies to appear before them multiple times, until it is evident that they have made the changes needed to improve their services to people. In a few years, when this government is at the end of its current mandate and I am nearing the end of mine, I wonder if I will find myself repeating these words, or if I will be able to talk about real improvements in government services built around people. I thank Mike for everything he has done for our country. He has left behind an incredible legacy and challenged us to do service better. It is now up to us, colleagues, to rise to that occasion.

Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue with our approach. It is clearly a good way to improve the lives of middle-class Canadians across the country. In Quebec in particular, the economy is now growing and the unemployment rate is very low. That means our approach and the approach of the Quebec government are working well together. This is a great situation for Quebec.

Mr. Speaker, since the Liberals came to government, they have left $372 million unspent at Veterans Affairs, even as service levels deteriorate. Last November, Parliament unanimously supported the NDP motion to end lapsed spending and to ensure that all lapsed spending went to veterans so they would get the services they need and deserve.I would like to congratulate the new minister in her new role. My question is simple. Will she honour Parliament's unanimous vote to end lapsed spending at Veterans Affairs and ensure that money budgeted for veterans is actually spent on veterans?

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, Canadians had a simple choice to make. The Conservatives wanted to create economic growth by giving the very wealthy all kinds of goodies, but we wanted to create economic growth by investing in the middle class and our communities. Once again, Canadians chose well. Over the past three years, we have seen economic growth thanks to our investments in the middle class, to the help we have given families, which has raised 300,000 children out of poverty, and to investments in infrastructure—

Mr. Speaker, one of the first things our government did after it was elected was announce the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.In its interim report, the national inquiry highlighted the need to fund commemoration activities to help honour the lives and legacies of indigenous women and girls and LGBTQ2S individuals.Could the Minister for Women and Gender Equality tell the House how our government has responded to the inquiry's recommendation?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the hon. member across the way for joining me in the chamber this morning as we conducted the closing ceremonies.To the member's question, as the member knows, our benefits are demand driven, so no matter how many veterans come forward, when eligible they will receive their benefits. These are based on estimates, and this process guarantees that whether veterans come forward this year, next year or beyond, they will receive benefits.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians' confidence in our institutions is largely based on the diligence of those who occupy the highest offices. Those individuals have a duty to be exemplary and above reproach. Auditor General Michael Ferguson lived up to that expectation right up until his death, which we were shocked and saddened to learn of today.On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to offer my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.Mr. Ferguson showed a great deal of respect for the French language. When he was appointed as Auditor General, he did not speak French, but he immediately committed to learning it. Just a year later, he kept that promise when, much to his credit, he delivered his first report in both official languages, demonstrating a very respectable knowledge of French. By so doing, he showed that he understood his responsibilities as Auditor General.Mr. Ferguson was also known for the quality of his work. He submitted comprehensive, targeted reports that were always relevant. The Bloc Québécois always had a very good relationship with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada and always appreciated Mr. Ferguson's attention to detail, objectivity and warmth.In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to leave Mr. Ferguson's family and friends with a quote by the great French author Alexandre Dumas, who said: Those whom we love and lose are no longer where they were before. They are now wherever we are.

Mr. Speaker, it is important for us to keep our promises in both official languages so that I think you will find unanimous consent to allow me to table in the House of Commons the Liberal Party platform showing that the budget will be balanced in the year 2019, which is this year.

Mr. Speaker, we are standing up for Canadian auto workers. When I went to the Detroit auto show, I met with Mary Barra and was very clear. I highlighted the fact that they are making a mistake by leaving Oshawa. We will not make that same mistake. We will continue to defend the automotive sector. We will continue to defend the automotive workers. We have seen investments of $5.6 billion since we formed government in 2015, because we have policies and programs to support this critically important sector. We will continue to fight for our auto workers.

Mr. Speaker, the tweet is still up. The Prime Minister talks about positive politics, he talks about zero tolerance, but we have a parliamentary secretary who has done this before. What kind of example does the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development set, and furthermore, what kind of example does the Prime Minister set by continuing to tolerate this type of behaviour from that parliamentary secretary?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her strong advocacy on behalf of the people of Saint-Laurent and her good work on the status of women committee.We have heard from families and survivors across the country on the need for a commemoration fund to honour the lives and the legacies of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, including LGBTQ2S individuals. We delivered, with a commemoration fund worth over $10 million, because we know that when we come together to remember, to ensure that the stories of the missing and murdered find a dignified place, we all move forward on this path to reconciliation.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is well aware the member in question has apologized for his tweet. It is important that we have civil debates in the House and elsewhere when we engage in disagreements over public policy.

Mr. Speaker, we inherited a backlog of 167,000 people in the parents and grandparents program. Under Conservative leadership, families were waiting eight years to be reunited with their parents and grandparents.We have brought that process time down to less than two years. We have quadrupled the number, from 5,000 to 20,000 spots, so that more parents and grandparents can be reunited with their families. We have put in place a fair, first-come-first-served process.We will continue to do better. We have already improved the system in many ways. We are—

Mr. Speaker, I was in Shawinigan this morning, along with my colleagues, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, to announce the construction of a new building that will accommodate the 1,300 or more Canada Revenue Agency employees in Mauricie.This morning I delivered a very clear message for our employees and their families, namely that we are investing in Shawinigan because they are important and because we believe in their future. Unlike the Conservatives, we believe in the importance of investing to maintain and create good jobs in Quebec's rural regions.

Mr. Speaker, we understand that Canada's natural resources have been a source of prosperity for all Canadians and that thousands of jobs have been created in that sector. The previous government failed to diversify our export markets. Ninety-nine per cent of the oil from Alberta goes to the United States. That was the case in 2006, and that was the case in 2015.We are moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way to ensure that we are able to expand our markets. As to the pipelines the hon. member cited, none of those will allow us to get our resources to non-U.S. markets.

Mr. Speaker, seniors are an important part of families, communities and workplaces in my riding of Surrey Centre and across this country. They help grow Canada's economy and bring valuable knowledge and experience.Last week in my riding of Surrey Centre, we announced $3.5 million for the investment in a new AGE-WELL national innovation hub digital health circle.Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please tell the House how this investment will help benefit seniors in my riding of Surrey Centre and across British Columbia?

Mr. Speaker, I will address the member's question shortly. Michael Ferguson devoted his life to public service, both in his home province of New Brunswick and across the country. We will remember him for his tireless dedication to promote a transparent, open government that is accountable to Canadians.His work as Auditor General over the past seven years helped strengthen our democracy and maintain the integrity of our public institutions. We are all greatly saddened by his passing.I offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Ferguson's family, friends and colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, you will find the unanimous consent of the House to table the following document: the Liberal Party platform from 2015. Page 76 talks about returning to a balanced budget in 2019.

Mr. Speaker, unlike the other two parties in the House, we know that the economy and the environment have to go hand in hand. The Conservatives do not want to do anything for the environment and, unfortunately, the NDP does not know how to grow the economy.We know that investing both in our prosperity and in protecting the environment is the only way forward. We are making progress in eliminating subsidies for fossil fuels. We will meet the commitments we made for 2025.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are increasingly anxious about climate change.Last October, a UN report concluded the planet only had a dozen years to make dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions or face a catastrophe. Canada's environment commissioner warned that meeting our Paris commitments “will require....actions beyond those currently planned or in place.” Canadians cannot wait for the government to get its act together to urgently address climate change.Why does the Prime Minister think that sticking to Harper's climate change targets will get the job done?

Mr. Speaker, today, February 4, is World Cancer Day. Almost everyone in this House, and indeed all Canadians, has a friend or family member whose life has been touched by cancer. It continues to be the leading cause of death in Canada. Almost half of all Canadians will develop it in their lifetimes. We all know the devastation a diagnosis can have for a family. I would like to ask the Minister of Health what our government has been doing to fight cancer.

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Victoria, people are so frustrated by the Liberals' stale talking points and by the gigantic gap between rhetoric and action on the environment.No matter what the Prime Minister says, climate change leaders do not use public dollars to buy pipelines. People are clear that action is needed now.When will the Prime Minister stop giving fossil fuel subsidies to giant corporations and get serious about climate change?

Mr. Speaker, a single tax return means getting rid of a form, not public servants. No one will lose their job in Shawinigan or Jonquière or anywhere else in Canada.The display of bad faith and fearmongering by the Minister of National Revenue is just pathetic. It is the same old story with the Liberals. They say they are open to Quebec and as soon as Quebec trusts them then it is too much of a bother and they stop. They start fearmongering and upsetting everyone.Can the minister do something positive and tell Quebec it can have a single tax return?

Mr. Speaker, after many difficult years of austerity, Quebec achieved a balanced budget while still meeting its responsibilities in health, education, early childhood centres and so forth.While Quebec was tightening its belt, money was flying out the window in Ottawa. A $19-billion deficit is going toward dirty oil in Alberta, a used pipeline, and rail cars to transport their oil to Quebec.Instead of putting Quebec in debt for generations to come, will the government start to use Quebeckers' money for Quebeckers?

Mr. Speaker, it is always the same old story. He sounds like a broken record.

Mr. Speaker, when asked last week about Greyhound pulling out of B.C., the Minister of Transport said, “We are working with the provinces.... We will be there if they request us to help them on a cost-sharing basis.”The Saskatchewan Transportation Company has been shut down and sold off. Is the federal government also offering to share the cost of restoring needed bus service in our province?

Mr. Speaker, it has been two weeks since the Davie shipyard workers protested against the Prime Minister's inaction in Quebec City. As usual, he did not listen to them, and the workers walked away empty-handed.The Prime Minister is also ignoring the recommendations made by the Standing Committee on National Defence, which is urging the government to take action for the navy. With his family fortune, this Prime Minister does not need to worry about paying the bills, but the shipyard workers and their families do. The shipbuilding strategy is sinking under the Liberals. Costs are skyrocketing, and delivery times are getting longer. When will the Davie shipyard and the Royal Canadian Navy get the Obelix?

Mr. Speaker, China arbitrarily detained Canadian citizens for political purposes and the Liberals said that it was business as usual. A former SNC-Lavalin executive pleaded guilty to breaking political financing laws in what has been called the “biggest fraud case” in the country, but it continues to get huge federal contracts. It seems that whenever there is a buck to be made, the Liberals' moral compass breaks down. SNC-Lavelin should be suspended from bidding on federal government contracts until Canadians have all the details of this fraud. Will the Liberals order the suspension or do they have a price for every principle?

Mr. Speaker, there is no impact on the operations of the agency? That is in spite of these stories from recent weeks: an individual was deemed a national security concern but was still granted permanent residency; an illegal border crosser was able to enter Canada in spite of admitting to an extensive criminal record. However, there is no discernible impact.Will the minister appear before a parliamentary committee to be held accountable for Canada's immigration screening processes?

Mr. Speaker, during the last campaign, the Liberals promised to eliminate subsidies for the oil and gas industry. They promised to properly consult indigenous communities on projects that affect their lands. The Liberals have completely failed on both counts. The Federal Court sent the Liberals back to the drawing board when it comes to consulting with first nations on Trans Mountain, and the Parliamentary Budget Officer revealed that the Liberals overpaid the pipeline when they acquired it for $4.5 billion.How can they fight climate change by buying a pipeline? How can they talk about nation-to-nation relations without proper consultation?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue has made a fool of herself again by completely disregarding a request by the Premier of Quebec, the National Assembly of Quebec and the vast majority of Quebeckers.Instead of using her position to make things easier for Quebeckers, she is chopping away at Quebec's requests. A single tax return, chop! The supply ship Obelix, chop! The fitness tax credit, chop! The joke has gone on long enough.Will the Minister of National Revenue stop viewing Quebeckers as a threat and let them have a single tax return?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member of Parliament for Surrey Centre for announcing this next step forward in our innovation and skills plan, and particularly for all his hard work and advocacy.Our government is committed to the health and vitality of Canadian seniors. By helping commercialize preventive health technologies, the digital health circle will create jobs and reduce health care costs. This is an investment in the independence, dignity and quality of life of British Columbia's seniors. We will continue to invest in British Columbia and in seniors.

Mr. Speaker, it is really unfortunate that the Prime Minister has forgotten his key election promise from 2015.Canadians were sold a bill of goods by the Prime Minister, for they believed him when he said he would run small deficits and balance the budget in 2019. He has done the exact opposite. Unless something changes, we will not see a balanced budget for another 21 years. Inevitably, under a Liberal government, Canadians will pay more.How much more are they going to pay and when—

Mr. Speaker, when negotiating NAFTA, the Prime Minister made the mistake of giving in to all Donald Trump's demands. Canadians are now feeling the effects of his mistakes.The governments of Ontario and Quebec have both sent letters to the Prime Minister urging him to do something to remove the harmful tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. When will these tariffs be lifted?

Mr. Speaker, last night Unifor ran an ad intended to continue the fight for thousands of Canadian GM workers who will lose their jobs in Oshawa. Unlike the Prime Minister, who is sitting this one out, workers are fighting for their jobs and community. The Conservatives gave GM billions in incentives, without a guarantee to protect jobs in Canada. Now the Liberals leave workers left stranded without a paycheque. It is about choices. Why will the Liberals not show some courage and stand up for Canadian workers?

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Border Services Agency had to reassign up to 550 employees to deal with the illegal migrant crisis. What is more, the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates that this will cost taxpayers over $1 billion by the end of next year. That does not even include the costs covered by the provinces, which are still waiting to be reimbursed. All of this chaos is creating an increased security risk.Will the minister commit to appear before the committee to explain his and the Prime Minister's mismanagement of the situation?

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that we will never compromise on the safety and security of Canadians. We are working closely with the Canadian Border Services Agency and the RCMP to ensure that this is actually the case. Wherever we need to put resources in place, that is where we are going to put them.At no time was there any compromising the security of Canadians. I want to quote the CBSA on this. “[T]he deployment of staff from across the country to support the processing of irregular migrants had no impact on the agency’s daily operations.”Conservatives may not believe the CBSA. We do, and we support it.

Mr. Speaker, for three years now, the Liberals have been promising reforms to protect our culture from the flood of American content on Netflix and its ilk. Ten days ago, artists from Quebec media and culture gathered in Montreal, and the one message I heard tossed around was “just do it”. The Liberals keep saying that to profit from our culture, one must contribute to our culture, and that there is no free pass. The government should do something, then. Everyone involved agreed that Ottawa already has the tools to start stemming the tide.Everyone wants the minister to adopt interim measures before the election. Will he take action, or would he rather let our culture slowly die out?

Mr. Speaker, you will find the unanimous consent of the House to table the following document: the Liberal Party platform from 2015. Page 76 talks about returning to a balanced budget in 2019.

Mr. Speaker, after three years of deficits, the Liberals are now in infrastructure mode. It is about time they started taking care of our infrastructure. They should have invested right away. Our big cities and small towns can no longer wait. The Liberals chose to create an infrastructure bank to make their friends rich, but now comes their pre-election tour.Do the Liberals realize that Canadians are the ones who will pay for their broken infrastructure promises?

Mr. Speaker, this is what real challenge looks like. It looks like October 22 for the member for Carleton when he is out trying to find a job, talking to employers about how he can do half of an analysis and get to the wrong answer. That is what he continues to do, half of an analysis and the wrong answer. The whole analysis, what that tells us is that middle-class Canadians are better off, $2,000 better off this year than in 2015. That is the middle-class tax plan for the Liberals.

Mr. Speaker, our plan is very clear. We started by cutting taxes for the middle class. That was very important. We increased and enhanced the Canada child benefit.This approach is working for the middle class and, at the same time, helping our economy grow. We now have the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. Our plan is working. We will continue with our approach.

Mr. Speaker, we are standing up for Canadian companies facing illegal U.S. tariffs. Our tariffs on $16.6 billion worth of U.S. imports are working. Just last week, senior Republicans called on the U.S. administration to lift the U.S. tariffs because of the impact of our retaliatory measures. Meanwhile, the Conservatives want to surrender. Instead of trying to score cheap political points on the backs of our workers, Doug Ford and his Conservative friends on the other side of the aisle should join us and stand up for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, this is a $19-billion deficit for oil. Considering this government masquerades as the Green Party all over the world, that is a total slap in the face. This money is not going towards compensating our farmers, fighting tax havens or paying for migrants. Furthermore, federal health transfers are declining.Could the government explain to Quebeckers why it is spending their money left and right without sparing a thought for their priorities?

Mr. Speaker, one of the first things our government did after it was elected was announce the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.In its interim report, the national inquiry highlighted the need to fund commemoration activities to help honour the lives and legacies of indigenous women and girls and LGBTQ2S individuals.Could the Minister for Women and Gender Equality tell the House how our government has responded to the inquiry's recommendation?

Mr. Speaker, since the Liberals came to government, they have left $372 million unspent at Veterans Affairs, even as service levels deteriorate. Last November, Parliament unanimously supported the NDP motion to end lapsed spending and to ensure that all lapsed spending went to veterans so they would get the services they need and deserve.I would like to congratulate the new minister in her new role. My question is simple. Will she honour Parliament's unanimous vote to end lapsed spending at Veterans Affairs and ensure that money budgeted for veterans is actually spent on veterans?

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of Bill C-69 is to fix a broken system that was implemented by the previous government in 2012. It took away the ability of indigenous peoples to participate in a meaningful way. It took away the ability of Canadians to participate in the review process. It took away the ability for us to protect our environment, waterways, fish and fish habitat. We are fixing a system that will allow us to move forward on large energy infrastructure projects in a way that makes sense for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, we understand that Canada's natural resources have been a source of prosperity for all Canadians and that thousands of jobs have been created in that sector. The previous government failed to diversify our export markets. Ninety-nine per cent of the oil from Alberta goes to the United States. That was the case in 2006, and that was the case in 2015.We are moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way to ensure that we are able to expand our markets. As to the pipelines the hon. member cited, none of those will allow us to get our resources to non-U.S. markets.

Mr. Speaker, more than 125,000 oil and gas workers have lost their jobs under the Liberals. The Prime Minister vetoed northern gateway with no consultation. He killed energy east with red tape. He overpaid for Trans Mountain, and every delay costs taxpayers more. His mistakes have caused the crisis in the energy sector and have recently threatened the jobs of over 2,000 CNRL workers in northeast Alberta. Now Imperial is cutting rail shipments and considering cancelling a new oil sands project. Will the Liberals stop their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, allow me to disagree with my NDP colleague. Unlike the Conservatives and the NDP, our government sees tax evasion as a priority. With respect to offshore tax evasion, under our leadership, the Canada Revenue Agency has done twice as many audits in three years as the Harper Conservatives did in 10 years. We currently have over 50 ongoing criminal investigations related to offshore tax evasion, and, thanks to our historic investments, we are going to keep working—

Mr. Speaker, fellow parliamentarians, House of Commons staff and honoured guests, I rise today in sorrow to pay tribute to Auditor General Michael Ferguson, a dedicated and honourable public servant who died too soon this weekend. He was just 60 years old. Over the past seven years, Mr. Ferguson was a tireless champion of a transparent, open government that is accountable to all Canadians. He never wavered in his mission, even in recent months as he fought cancer.During my time as minister of health and later as minister of indigenous services, I quickly came to know him as a man dedicated to helping the most vulnerable citizens, particularly in the context of justice and equality for indigenous peoples.A son of New Brunswick, Michael Ferguson devoted his life to public service. His career serving the people of New Brunswick took him from comptroller of the provincial books to Auditor General of New Brunswick, and then deputy minister of Finance and secretary to the Board of Management. Along the way, he spent time as the president of the New Brunswick Institute of Chartered Accountants and spent three years on the province's Public Sector Accounting Board before being elected to the Fellowship of the New Brunswick Institute of Chartered Accountants. In November 2011 Mr. Ferguson was appointed to be Canada's Auditor General, just the 14th person to told the position since Confederation, following in the footsteps of the formidable Sheila Fraser.Diligent, dedicated and humble, he was a model public servant. All Canadians owe him a debt of gratitude.As Auditor General, his office examined such foundational issues as rail safety, tax collection, access to health services for remote first nations communities, food protection, cybersecurity and military procurement. All governments must be open to outside critique. Michael Ferguson was able to focus on the granular details of government while also recognizing systemic issues. He was always striving to make us better as a government and as a country.Michael Ferguson helped strengthen our democracy and maintain the integrity that Canadians expect from our public institutions.Two days ago, he passed away surrounded by his wife Georgina and sons Malcolm and Geoffrey. He is gone too soon, but we know that his was a life well lived.On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I offer our deepest condolences to Mr. Ferguson's family, friends and colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, a country that is serious about fighting climate change knows that it takes investments in renewables, investments in innovative solutions, investments in the kinds of things we need to do to prepare for a lower carbon economy in the future. Getting a discount of $20 billion, $30 billion or $50 billion a year because we cannot get our oil to markets other than the United States is unacceptable.That is why we are moving forward responsibly, to get our oil to new markets, while at the same time we fight climate change with all the tools we need. That is a Liberal approach.

Mr. Speaker, as we said last November, we are there to help, on a cost-sharing basis, those provinces that are willing to invest in providing some of the routes that have been abandoned by Greyhound and that have not been taken up by other companies in the private sector.That applies to all the four western provinces. We are there because we realize that certain people depend on the bus service; they have no other alternative. We will be there.

Mr. Speaker, I grew up as part of a generation where doing something to protect our environment and fight climate change was informed every day of my life until now. The fact is that Canadians know that climate change is real and that people like us who have been given this platform actually have a responsibility to do something about it. The fact is that people are actually feeling real practical fallout from the inaction that we have seen over the past number of decades.We are moving forward with a plan that is going to invest in public transit, that is going to make electricity 90% generated by renewable resources by 2030 and that is going to put a price on pollution that will see our emissions come down and leave Canadian families financially better off at tax time.

Mr. Speaker, there was no shortage of fearmongering in Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands in 2011 when the Harper Conservatives brought in their EI reform.The Maritimes and eastern Quebec were terrified. The Harper Conservatives and today's Conservatives are doing exactly the same thing. In the coming months, we are going to see two categories of promises: one for Quebec and one for western Canada. Divide and conquer is their motto. I encourage them to make “Chop, chop, chop” their next campaign slogan.

Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development tweeted that the Premier of Ontario should be “whacked”, a mobster term for killing someone, which clearly the parliamentary secretary would have known.Why has the Prime Minister not called for his resignation?

Mr. Speaker, it is disappointing to hear that when we are dealing with an issue that is so important to Canadians and citizens around the entire world, the Conservatives put misleading information out there in order to trick Canadians into not taking action on climate change. The fact is that we are putting forward a plan that involves investments in public transit, making our electricity generated 90% renewable by 2030, and yes, putting a price on pollution.If the hon. member is so concerned with the affordability of life, he will take pleasure in knowing that our plan is going to reduce emissions and leave Canadian families better off.

Mr. Speaker, we will take no lesson from the Harper Conservatives, who decided to make cuts in the tourism sector by cutting into Canada's marketing to international visitors, basically letting down the 1.8 million Canadians who work in the sector. On this side of the House, we believe in the 1.8 million Canadians who work in the tourism sector. We have reinvested $100 million to promote Canada's tourism brand to the world, and we will present a good tourism strategy to make sure that Canada is the destination in the world to come to. We all know—

Mr. Speaker, the problem is that, when the Liberals are abroad, they promise, hand over heart, that they will keep their climate change commitments.The first time, in Paris, everyone believed them. The second time, in Katowice, people were a little more wary. That is because, when the Liberals come back to Canada, they do the opposite of what they promised. They keep the low targets set by the Conservatives and, according to the federal Commissioner of the Environment, they will not even be able to meet those. They buy pipelines, they increase subsidies for the oil and gas industry, and they exclude the biggest polluters from carbon pricing.Is that really fighting climate change?

Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of Canadians is our government's top priority.With regard to asylum seekers, we are working closely with the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency to ensure that this is actually the case and to give them the resources they need. Even the CBSA said that the deployment of staff from across the country to support the processing of irregular migrants had no impact on the agency's daily operations.Unlike the previous government, we are taking measures to protect Canadians. We have invested in our security and will continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the millionaire Prime Minister does not realize that taxpayers are not his personal ATM and that ATM does not stand for automatic trust fund machine. The Prime Minister has left Canadians with only debts and deficits, with no sign of a balanced budget. Canadians know that the extravagance of the Liberals will soon become the burden of middle-class families as they continue to raise taxes to pay for Liberal mistakes. Dollars do not fall from heaven. They have to be earned on earth. Will the Prime Minister come clean and tell Canadians the truth about his plan to raise taxes?

Mr. Speaker, I will address the member's question shortly. Michael Ferguson devoted his life to public service, both in his home province of New Brunswick and across the country. We will remember him for his tireless dedication to promote a transparent, open government that is accountable to Canadians.His work as Auditor General over the past seven years helped strengthen our democracy and maintain the integrity of our public institutions. We are all greatly saddened by his passing.I offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Ferguson's family, friends and colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, the members on the other side of the House clearly have no principles. The Minister of National Revenue has been on the job for three years. In that time, there has not been a single charge or conviction related to offshore tax evasion, as the Canada Revenue Agency itself admits.People who pay their taxes every year are starting to think that the Liberals are going too easy on the privileged 1%. Who can blame them? What with the Panama papers, the Paradise papers and the Bahamas leaks, we have seen three scandals in three years but zero results.What will it take for the Minister of National Revenue to do her job like everybody else, go after the real tax cheats, and get some real results out of that plan she claims is working?

Mr. Speaker, the online application process for the parents and grandparents sponsorship program was a farce. Grace had tried to apply for four years, but the link did not even show up for her on the IRCC website, despite her upgrading her Internet. Yuna felt cheated, as no one told her about the game rules. She opened the form at 9:01. It said she had 10 minutes to complete it. She finished it in three. Then she went over it to make sure everything was correct, but after seven minutes, she was kicked out. Later she heard that she only had to fill out the name and the contact information to be accepted.How is this a fair process? What will it take for the minister to do the right thing and eliminate the cap?

Mr. Speaker, the best way to restore Canadians' faith in politics is to keep one's promises. In 2015, the Prime Minister promised to deliver a zero deficit in 2019, but that will not happen. He promised to run small deficits, but over the past three years, his deficits have reached nearly $60 billion. He did not keep his two key public finance promises. The way this Prime Minister is running things, Canadians know they will have to pay sooner or later.What tax hikes does the Prime Minister have in store for Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, we have been clear in our national shipbuilding strategy. The Obelix is not a solution that we are considering at this time.I would ask my hon. colleague why he did not stand up for the workers, the men and women of Davie, when he was in government and the Conservatives excluded that shipyard. Our government is working on providing opportunities for the Davie shipyard. That member and his government did nothing for Davie.

Mr. Speaker, the first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class, because we know that investing in the middle class creates economic growth for everyone. The Conservatives do not understand that. They are always talking about making cuts to balance the budget at all costs.Are they going to cut the Canada child benefit? Are they going to cut the 4,700 infrastructure projects we are developing across the country? Are they going to cut the guaranteed income supplement for seniors, which we increased by $1,000? What are they going to cut?

Mr. Speaker, we put in place a comprehensive pan-Canadian action plan to fight climate change, which includes putting a price on pollution and, yes, bringing in a price on pollution on those Conservative provinces that have not wanted to move forward to give pollution a cost.We have also moved forward on eliminating coal-fired power plants, on investing in renewable energy and on investing in green solutions and green technologies. At the same, we are creating greater protection for our natural parks.We know there is much more to do, and we have a plan to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is putting forward figures that have no basis in reality in order to scare Canadians against taking action on climate change.The fact is that we have the answer on what we can do and that answer includes putting a price on pollution that will bring our emissions down and make life more affordable.It has been 281 days since the Conservative leader said he would put forward a plan. I know it was Groundhog Day this weekend, but it does not have to mean there is going to be six more weeks without a climate plan.

Mr. Speaker, in 2015 we promised Canadians that we would invest in infrastructure to create good jobs for the middle class and develop our economy. We are investing in projects that will make everyday life easier for Canadians, including schools, public transit, housing, culture and recreation, and waste water treatment.Our government is making unprecedented investments to build the Canada of the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, Canadians had a simple choice to make. The Conservatives wanted to create economic growth by giving the very wealthy all kinds of goodies, but we wanted to create economic growth by investing in the middle class and our communities. Once again, Canadians chose well. Over the past three years, we have seen economic growth thanks to our investments in the middle class, to the help we have given families, which has raised 300,000 children out of poverty, and to investments in infrastructure—

Mr. Speaker, when the U.S. imposed its illegal tariffs on our steel and aluminum, we acted quickly. We have already provided $624 million in support to companies and workers, and we quickly imposed counter-tariffs, perfectly matched, to protect our workers.Meanwhile, Doug Ford's Conservatives are calling for us to unilaterally surrender to the Americans by unconditionally removing our tariffs. While our government is fighting for our workers, all the Conservatives can do is surrender.

Mr. Speaker, seniors are an important part of families, communities and workplaces in my riding of Surrey Centre and across this country. They help grow Canada's economy and bring valuable knowledge and experience.Last week in my riding of Surrey Centre, we announced $3.5 million for the investment in a new AGE-WELL national innovation hub digital health circle.Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please tell the House how this investment will help benefit seniors in my riding of Surrey Centre and across British Columbia?

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to pay tribute to a friend and Canada's Auditor General, Michael Ferguson. Canada has lost an exemplary public servant. On behalf of the NDP and myself, I want to begin by expressing my sincere condolences to Michael's family and his colleagues at the Office of the Auditor General. A true professional who understood the importance that oversight has on the performance of government, Michael was a leader in the field of auditing and highly respected across Canada and around the world. I would like to begin my short remarks by reading quotes from Michael Ferguson to us, to Parliament. This is actually from a report entitled “A Message from the Auditor General” in 2016. This is Michael talking to us. I believe that the Office of the Auditor General of Canada is uniquely equipped to support Parliament in its oversight role. Indeed, in our work, it does not matter who sits on which side of the House of Commons. Our business is to examine the activities and programs of government, and to provide parliamentarians with impartial information about what is working and what is not. The report goes on: Despite those good outcomes, I believe that government could get more value from our audits if it used them differently—if departments and agencies focused on becoming more productive and put more emphasis on what they are delivering. After all, in one way or another, everything that government does is intended to serve Canadians. As such, government should “do service well,” to benefit Canadians, both individually and collectively. That “do service well” was a main theme that he instilled in the current public accounts committee: the idea that at the end of the day, all of the measuring, all of the performance audits, all of the accountability are about Canadians receiving the service that they are entitled to. That is what Michael was all about.I was actually the chair of the public accounts committee during the transition from Sheila Fraser to Michael Ferguson. I am going to be honest with colleagues: the only thing that was on my mind when Sheila's term was up was who on earth and where on earth were we going to find anybody who could fill Sheila Fraser's shoes. I mean, Sheila was a force of nature. The world knew about the work that Sheila Fraser did.Then along came this name. I had met him at Canadian Council of Public Accounts meetings, but I did not really know him. He was a long drink of water named Michael Ferguson, the Auditor General from New Brunswick. He did not speak French, which was a problem politically. He did not speak French at that time, as my friend from Quebec is emphasizing. I think the important end of that story is that he made commitments to ensure that he was as fluent as he needed to be in our second official language, our equal official language, and from all accounts he did that. It was another commitment that he kept when he made it to Canadians. However, those things were working a bit against him, as members can imagine, given the politics of the day, and I did not really know where to go. I had heard he was pretty good, but we had this French problem, and what were we going to do? Then I got a phone call from Sheila. I knew Sheila well. We worked together for seven years on the public accounts committee. I do not think I am betraying any confidences at this point now, given where we are. She said to me, “Look, David, I know that there is the issue around the French, and you have to deal with that. I won't speak to that. That's not my role, but I am here, David, to say that if you believe that I have any credibility and you respect my word as the former auditor general of Canada, then please do everything you can to make sure Michael Ferguson becomes the next auditor general.” Boy, did she have that right. Michael Ferguson was our auditor general. By the time Michael was done, Michael was the people's auditor. The people in Canada knew that they had a friend, an ally, in Michael Ferguson, just as they had with Sheila Fraser, and that his sole purpose was to provide accountability and transparency regardless of what party was in power, knowing the importance of working with a non-partisan public accounts committee. Those who have served on it know that it is a special calling. One does not perform the same way one does on other committees. One's job is to leave one's membership card at the door, go in and deal with the Auditor General's report findings as a parliamentarian. That is what Michael was about. He was about making sure the system worked for Canadians. In closing, I would like to quote Michael. He said: Parliamentary committees play a crucial role in challenging departments. I believe that there is an important role for parliamentary committees, whether those of the House of Commons or the Senate, to use our audit reports not just to understand what has happened, but also to make sure that changes take place. Committees should invite departments and agencies to appear before them multiple times, until it is evident that they have made the changes needed to improve their services to people. In a few years, when this government is at the end of its current mandate and I am nearing the end of mine, I wonder if I will find myself repeating these words, or if I will be able to talk about real improvements in government services built around people. I thank Mike for everything he has done for our country. He has left behind an incredible legacy and challenged us to do service better. It is now up to us, colleagues, to rise to that occasion.

Mr. Speaker, it is the Liberals who are exempting major emitters and it is the Liberals who are dumping sewage into our rivers and oceans. It is the Prime Minister who wants to phase out the oil sands and his plan is working. Meanwhile, Albertans are out of work and struggling to get by. Now the Liberal carbon tax is driving up the price of everything. The Prime Minister does not understand the impact this tax is having because he inherited a large family fortune. When will the Prime Minister stop making Canadians pay for his mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is well aware the member in question has apologized for his tweet. It is important that we have civil debates in the House and elsewhere when we engage in disagreements over public policy.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the parliamentary secretary has apologized for his tweet. It is important that we all remember that there can be strong disagreements over policy, over questions of substance, but we need to remain civil and keep away from the personal accusations and the personal invective whenever we have political debates.

Mr. Speaker, even after the previous Conservative government left an additional $150 billion worth of debt, we still moved forward to make investments in Canada. That is what we knew we needed to do. We made investments in middle-class Canadians. We lowered their taxes. That has been our plan from day one. Increasing Canada child benefits means they are better off today. Our economy is better off. Low unemployment, higher growth: That is the Liberal plan for success in our country, and we are going to stick to it, not only now but after the next election.

Mr. Speaker, while we all very much appreciate the Prime Minister's words, there is an opportunity for ministerial statements later today, and I look forward to hearing the statement at that time.This is an issue the Prime Minister needs to take very seriously. The parliamentary secretary has shown this kind of behaviour before, when he had to apologize for trying to bully and intimidate a female Conservative MP, the member for Richmond Centre. The Prime Minister says he has no tolerance for this kind of behaviour. Again, why will the Prime Minister not ask for this parliamentary secretary's resignation?

Mr. Speaker, the middle-class tax cut and the enhanced Canada child benefit applied to all Canadians, including Quebeckers. It is very important to strengthen the middle class across Canada. That is our approach, and it is working. We have the lowest unemployment in 40 years. Our economy is growing, especially in Quebec.

Mr. Speaker, we are standing up for Canadian auto workers. When I went to the Detroit auto show, I met with Mary Barra and was very clear. I highlighted the fact that they are making a mistake by leaving Oshawa. We will not make that same mistake. We will continue to defend the automotive sector. We will continue to defend the automotive workers. We have seen investments of $5.6 billion since we formed government in 2015, because we have policies and programs to support this critically important sector. We will continue to fight for our auto workers.

Mr. Speaker, I too join the President of the Treasury Board and rise to pay tribute to an extraordinary public servant who dedicated his entire professional working life to making Canada a better place. I offer my deepest condolences on the passing of Auditor General Michael Ferguson, who succumbed to cancer and passed away this past Saturday surrounded by his family.Michael Ferguson had a distinguished career, serving the Province of New Brunswick in several senior roles prior to being appointed Auditor General of Canada in 2011 by then prime minister Stephen Harper. Michael Ferguson quickly established his reputation for tough, thorough audits. Over successive governments, he never shied away from bringing the failures of government departments and agencies to Parliament's attention.When Michael Ferguson appeared as a witness at a committee meeting, Canadians knew that a very bright light was about to be shone into the corners of their government and that accountability would be demanded. He made no attempt to sugar-coat the facts. His reports and committee testimony were delivered without passion or rhetoric; the strong terms he used to describe failures of government were always presented factually, and he was never afraid to be exact and precise regardless of the topic or possible consequences for the government of the day. He leaves a legacy of forcing governments, and indeed all public servants, to constantly improve in order to serve Canadians. He will be missed by the thousands of public servants from across Canada who want to deliver the best service that they can to Canadians. He will be missed by the dedicated staff at the Office of the Auditor General. He will be missed by all parliamentarians, and in particular by my colleagues from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. He will be missed by all Canadians who demand accountability from their government.To his wife and sons, I extend my deepest sympathies. On behalf of the Conservative opposition, our condolences, thoughts and prayers are with them.

Mr. Speaker, four major new pipelines were built under the Conservatives. The reality is that not a single new inch has been built under the Liberals. Most Canadians agree that the lack of pipelines is a national crisis and that the Liberals are to blame. The Prime Minister said he wants to phase out the oil sands, and he is doing it. Last week, StatsCan said Canada's economy shrank in November because of low energy production, along with losses in construction, manufacturing and finance. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk.The Prime Minister has a family fortune made mostly from oil and gas, so he really does not care. Why is the Prime Minister forcing Canadians to pay with their jobs for his mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservative strategy seems to be to mislead Canadians in order to avoid taking action on climate change.The fact is that we know climate change is a real threat. We have an opportunity and an obligation not just to do something about it, but to do the most effective things that we know how. We have talked to leading experts. In fact, last year's Nobel Prize winner in economics has discovered that the best thing we can do to reduce emissions is put a price on pollution that makes life more affordable for Canadians.I am disappointed that the hon. member throws rhetoric out there and makes personal attacks instead of bringing a single idea to the table. If he finally comes up with one, I am all ears.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are showing their true colours when it comes to Quebec. Despite their hypocritical smiles, they are not listening to what Quebeckers need. The Prime Minister is ignoring the consensus in Quebec regarding the single tax return, concocting some big story about how it could lead to more tax evasion in Quebec. He might as well call us a bunch of thieves.Why are the Liberals incapable of granting a legitimate request from Quebeckers?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the member for Brampton South for her important question and her tremendous work on the health committee. As the health minister, I have certainly heard heartbreaking stories about people affected by cancer. That is why this government has invested over $1.7 billion over the past 10 years in cancer research. Also, we are promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Last year we unveiled new tobacco rules that the Canadian Cancer Society actually called the best in the world.While it might be tough, I know that together we will be able to one day beat cancer.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her strong advocacy on behalf of the people of Saint-Laurent and her good work on the status of women committee.We have heard from families and survivors across the country on the need for a commemoration fund to honour the lives and the legacies of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, including LGBTQ2S individuals. We delivered, with a commemoration fund worth over $10 million, because we know that when we come together to remember, to ensure that the stories of the missing and murdered find a dignified place, we all move forward on this path to reconciliation.

Mr. Speaker, SNC-Lavalin has a long history, including in my own province of Quebec. It supports tens of thousands of Canadian men and women. The jobs on the projects support hundreds of thousands of Canadian men and women. What I want to know is why the member is talking down Canadian jobs. That is what Canadians want to know.I can also assure the member that we have an accountability regime that is among the most stringent in the world. We will continue to enforce that. Canadian companies will have the highest degree of ethical behaviour.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians' confidence in our institutions is largely based on the diligence of those who occupy the highest offices. Those individuals have a duty to be exemplary and above reproach. Auditor General Michael Ferguson lived up to that expectation right up until his death, which we were shocked and saddened to learn of today.On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to offer my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.Mr. Ferguson showed a great deal of respect for the French language. When he was appointed as Auditor General, he did not speak French, but he immediately committed to learning it. Just a year later, he kept that promise when, much to his credit, he delivered his first report in both official languages, demonstrating a very respectable knowledge of French. By so doing, he showed that he understood his responsibilities as Auditor General.Mr. Ferguson was also known for the quality of his work. He submitted comprehensive, targeted reports that were always relevant. The Bloc Québécois always had a very good relationship with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada and always appreciated Mr. Ferguson's attention to detail, objectivity and warmth.In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to leave Mr. Ferguson's family and friends with a quote by the great French author Alexandre Dumas, who said: Those whom we love and lose are no longer where they were before. They are now wherever we are.

Mr. Speaker, the only plan is to tax Canadians until there is no more money in their pockets.The Prime Minister has inherited a great family fortune. Canadians pay their own bills. Every dollar counts when they are managing their family finances. They are already paying for this inefficient carbon tax and now government documents reveal that the Liberals have a plan for a 15-fold increase. Canadians cannot afford a $5,000 a year tax bill.Why is the Prime Minister covering up the actual cost of his carbon tax until after the election?

Mr. Speaker, I was in Shawinigan this morning, along with my colleagues, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, to announce the construction of a new building that will accommodate the 1,300 or more Canada Revenue Agency employees in Mauricie.This morning I delivered a very clear message for our employees and their families, namely that we are investing in Shawinigan because they are important and because we believe in their future. Unlike the Conservatives, we believe in the importance of investing to maintain and create good jobs in Quebec's rural regions.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals carbon tax plan is not an environmental plan; it is a tax-on-everything plan. The government's own documents show the carbon tax will cost a family of four up to $5,000 a year and is expected to go up even higher after the next election. The Prime Minister, who in his own words has a “family fortune”, might understand the impact of an extra $5,000 a year if he actually related to middle-class Canadians and had to manage his own budget.When will he stop making Canadians pay for his mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, his plan is not working. When you incur a debt, you must have a plan to repay it. A deficit today means higher taxes tomorrow for us, our children and our grandchildren. The Prime Minister will have to increase taxes to pay for his irresponsible and out-of-control spending.Will this Liberal government tell Canadians the truth for once?When will the Prime Minister unveil his plan to increase taxes?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the hon. member across the way for joining me in the chamber this morning as we conducted the closing ceremonies.To the member's question, as the member knows, our benefits are demand driven, so no matter how many veterans come forward, when eligible they will receive their benefits. These are based on estimates, and this process guarantees that whether veterans come forward this year, next year or beyond, they will receive benefits.

Mr. Speaker, had the Conservatives done their homework during the 10 years they were in power, they probably would now have a better understanding of how things work at the Canada Revenue Agency.The federal government, representing nine provinces and three territories, harmonized its definition of “income”, while Quebec has retained a different definition.Do we ask the provinces and territories to harmonize their system with Quebec's or do we try to require Quebec to harmonize its system with that of the rest of Canada? We will continue to work with our colleagues—

Mr. Speaker, it is pretty rich for someone with a billion dollar family business or a family fortune to claim that people are better off because they pay higher taxes by losing their children's fitness tax credit, by losing their transit tax credit or by losing tax credits for tuition and for textbooks. All of these middle-class Canadians are already paying more, but they know that the out-of-control runaway Liberal deficits will make it even worse after the election. Will the government come clean? How much will it raise taxes and who will have to pay?

Mr. Speaker, once again, we are in a situation where the Conservatives, who do not want to do anything about climate change, are accusing us of doing too much, while members of the NDP, who do not want to do anything to create economic growth and protect jobs, are accusing us of not doing enough.The reality is that, with a price on pollution, our plan to protect oceans and our investments to help families cover the additional costs associated with the price on pollution, we are striking a balance between protecting the environment and creating economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax cover-up continues. For many Canadians life is becoming more expensive thanks to the Liberal carbon tax. However, of course the millionaire Prime Minister does not get it, because as he said, “I no longer have dealings with the way our family fortune is managed.” How many Canadians have that problem?Now we find out that the carbon tax is going to be 15 times greater than it is today and Canadians will have to pay more. When will the Prime Minister tell us exactly how much his carbon tax will cost? Will he now answer?

Mr. Speaker, we inherited a backlog of 167,000 people in the parents and grandparents program. Under Conservative leadership, families were waiting eight years to be reunited with their parents and grandparents.We have brought that process time down to less than two years. We have quadrupled the number, from 5,000 to 20,000 spots, so that more parents and grandparents can be reunited with their families. We have put in place a fair, first-come-first-served process.We will continue to do better. We have already improved the system in many ways. We are—

Mr. Speaker, the really good news is that the member for Carleton can find out exactly what our tax plan is. We already introduced it back in 2016. We reduced taxes on middle-class Canadians. What that means is that 30,000 people in his riding, the riding of Carleton, have lower taxes. We also introduced an increase in the Canada child benefit, which means that 16,000 children in his riding are better off, $4 million better off in total. That is what our tax plan is. It is helping middle-class Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the government says one thing and does another. It promises a balanced budget by 2019, and then deficits for decades to come. It promises to make life more affordable for Canadians, and then increases the cost of everything with an unfair carbon tax. It says that the environment and the economy go hand in hand, and then refuses to negotiate fairly and honestly with the Sunshine Village ski area. Can the Minister of Tourism explain how threatening to kick a family business off the land it has used for 38 years protects our environment or grows tourism for our economy?

I like him a lot too, Mr. Speaker.I have been travelling around Canada, around all the regions, including several parts of Quebec. What I have been hearing, what people are telling me, is that our producers are happy with the investments we have made in CBC, in Telefilm Canada, in the National Film Board and more. After 10 years of Conservative government cuts, what we have done is put culture and creators back at the centre of everything we are doing.I have said it before and I will say it again because the member needs to hear this. Those who participate in the system will have to contribute to it.

Mr. Speaker, it is the Prime Minister's own words. He said, “I no longer have dealings with the way our family fortune is managed.” However, because he has never had to balance a household budget, he thinks budgets balance themselves. He is not worried about costs because he just makes others pay for his mistakes. His deficits are now out of control and breaking his own promises. Sooner or later, if he is allowed to continue, they will lead to higher taxes. How much will his tax plan cost Canadians and who will have to pay?

Mr. Speaker, the tweet is still up. The Prime Minister talks about positive politics, he talks about zero tolerance, but we have a parliamentary secretary who has done this before. What kind of example does the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development set, and furthermore, what kind of example does the Prime Minister set by continuing to tolerate this type of behaviour from that parliamentary secretary?

Mr. Speaker, the problem here is not Doug Ford. It is the Prime Minister's mistake of giving in to Donald Trump. What is important here is the Canadian economy and Canadian jobs. Manufacturers across Canada cannot afford to continue to pay for the Prime Minister's mistakes. What is the plan to get these tariffs lifted? Canadians cannot wait forever.

Mr. Speaker, during question period, I mentioned the report of the Standing Committee on National Defence, which gives 14 reasons why the Liberals should immediately award the Davie shipyard a contract to build the Obelix. I am seeking unanimous consent, in the spirit of transparency, to table this important report for taxpayers, for the Navy and for the Davie workers.

Mr. Speaker, it is important for us to keep our promises in both official languages so that I think you will find unanimous consent to allow me to table in the House of Commons the Liberal Party platform showing that the budget will be balanced in the year 2019, which is this year.

Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue with our approach. It is clearly a good way to improve the lives of middle-class Canadians across the country. In Quebec in particular, the economy is now growing and the unemployment rate is very low. That means our approach and the approach of the Quebec government are working well together. This is a great situation for Quebec.

Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue with our approach. It is clearly a good way to improve the lives of middle-class Canadians across the country. In Quebec in particular, the economy is now growing and the unemployment rate is very low. That means our approach and the approach of the Quebec government are working well together. This is a great situation for Quebec.

Mr. Speaker, the problem here is not Doug Ford. It is the Prime Minister's mistake of giving in to Donald Trump. What is important here is the Canadian economy and Canadian jobs. Manufacturers across Canada cannot afford to continue to pay for the Prime Minister's mistakes. What is the plan to get these tariffs lifted? Canadians cannot wait forever.

Mr. Speaker, during question period, I mentioned the report of the Standing Committee on National Defence, which gives 14 reasons why the Liberals should immediately award the Davie shipyard a contract to build the Obelix. I am seeking unanimous consent, in the spirit of transparency, to table this important report for taxpayers, for the Navy and for the Davie workers.

Mr. Speaker, it is important for us to keep our promises in both official languages so that I think you will find unanimous consent to allow me to table in the House of Commons the Liberal Party platform showing that the budget will be balanced in the year 2019, which is this year.

Mr. Speaker, the tweet is still up. The Prime Minister talks about positive politics, he talks about zero tolerance, but we have a parliamentary secretary who has done this before. What kind of example does the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development set, and furthermore, what kind of example does the Prime Minister set by continuing to tolerate this type of behaviour from that parliamentary secretary?

Mr. Speaker, it is the Prime Minister's own words. He said, “I no longer have dealings with the way our family fortune is managed.” However, because he has never had to balance a household budget, he thinks budgets balance themselves. He is not worried about costs because he just makes others pay for his mistakes. His deficits are now out of control and breaking his own promises. Sooner or later, if he is allowed to continue, they will lead to higher taxes. How much will his tax plan cost Canadians and who will have to pay?

Mr. Speaker, the really good news is that the member for Carleton can find out exactly what our tax plan is. We already introduced it back in 2016. We reduced taxes on middle-class Canadians. What that means is that 30,000 people in his riding, the riding of Carleton, have lower taxes. We also introduced an increase in the Canada child benefit, which means that 16,000 children in his riding are better off, $4 million better off in total. That is what our tax plan is. It is helping middle-class Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the government says one thing and does another. It promises a balanced budget by 2019, and then deficits for decades to come. It promises to make life more affordable for Canadians, and then increases the cost of everything with an unfair carbon tax. It says that the environment and the economy go hand in hand, and then refuses to negotiate fairly and honestly with the Sunshine Village ski area. Can the Minister of Tourism explain how threatening to kick a family business off the land it has used for 38 years protects our environment or grows tourism for our economy?

I like him a lot too, Mr. Speaker.I have been travelling around Canada, around all the regions, including several parts of Quebec. What I have been hearing, what people are telling me, is that our producers are happy with the investments we have made in CBC, in Telefilm Canada, in the National Film Board and more. After 10 years of Conservative government cuts, what we have done is put culture and creators back at the centre of everything we are doing.I have said it before and I will say it again because the member needs to hear this. Those who participate in the system will have to contribute to it.

Mr. Speaker, we inherited a backlog of 167,000 people in the parents and grandparents program. Under Conservative leadership, families were waiting eight years to be reunited with their parents and grandparents.We have brought that process time down to less than two years. We have quadrupled the number, from 5,000 to 20,000 spots, so that more parents and grandparents can be reunited with their families. We have put in place a fair, first-come-first-served process.We will continue to do better. We have already improved the system in many ways. We are—

Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax cover-up continues. For many Canadians life is becoming more expensive thanks to the Liberal carbon tax. However, of course the millionaire Prime Minister does not get it, because as he said, “I no longer have dealings with the way our family fortune is managed.” How many Canadians have that problem?Now we find out that the carbon tax is going to be 15 times greater than it is today and Canadians will have to pay more. When will the Prime Minister tell us exactly how much his carbon tax will cost? Will he now answer?

Mr. Speaker, once again, we are in a situation where the Conservatives, who do not want to do anything about climate change, are accusing us of doing too much, while members of the NDP, who do not want to do anything to create economic growth and protect jobs, are accusing us of not doing enough.The reality is that, with a price on pollution, our plan to protect oceans and our investments to help families cover the additional costs associated with the price on pollution, we are striking a balance between protecting the environment and creating economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, it is pretty rich for someone with a billion dollar family business or a family fortune to claim that people are better off because they pay higher taxes by losing their children's fitness tax credit, by losing their transit tax credit or by losing tax credits for tuition and for textbooks. All of these middle-class Canadians are already paying more, but they know that the out-of-control runaway Liberal deficits will make it even worse after the election. Will the government come clean? How much will it raise taxes and who will have to pay?

Mr. Speaker, his plan is not working. When you incur a debt, you must have a plan to repay it. A deficit today means higher taxes tomorrow for us, our children and our grandchildren. The Prime Minister will have to increase taxes to pay for his irresponsible and out-of-control spending.Will this Liberal government tell Canadians the truth for once?When will the Prime Minister unveil his plan to increase taxes?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the hon. member across the way for joining me in the chamber this morning as we conducted the closing ceremonies.To the member's question, as the member knows, our benefits are demand driven, so no matter how many veterans come forward, when eligible they will receive their benefits. These are based on estimates, and this process guarantees that whether veterans come forward this year, next year or beyond, they will receive benefits.

Mr. Speaker, had the Conservatives done their homework during the 10 years they were in power, they probably would now have a better understanding of how things work at the Canada Revenue Agency.The federal government, representing nine provinces and three territories, harmonized its definition of “income”, while Quebec has retained a different definition.Do we ask the provinces and territories to harmonize their system with Quebec's or do we try to require Quebec to harmonize its system with that of the rest of Canada? We will continue to work with our colleagues—

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals carbon tax plan is not an environmental plan; it is a tax-on-everything plan. The government's own documents show the carbon tax will cost a family of four up to $5,000 a year and is expected to go up even higher after the next election. The Prime Minister, who in his own words has a “family fortune”, might understand the impact of an extra $5,000 a year if he actually related to middle-class Canadians and had to manage his own budget.When will he stop making Canadians pay for his mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, I was in Shawinigan this morning, along with my colleagues, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, to announce the construction of a new building that will accommodate the 1,300 or more Canada Revenue Agency employees in Mauricie.This morning I delivered a very clear message for our employees and their families, namely that we are investing in Shawinigan because they are important and because we believe in their future. Unlike the Conservatives, we believe in the importance of investing to maintain and create good jobs in Quebec's rural regions.

Mr. Speaker, the only plan is to tax Canadians until there is no more money in their pockets.The Prime Minister has inherited a great family fortune. Canadians pay their own bills. Every dollar counts when they are managing their family finances. They are already paying for this inefficient carbon tax and now government documents reveal that the Liberals have a plan for a 15-fold increase. Canadians cannot afford a $5,000 a year tax bill.Why is the Prime Minister covering up the actual cost of his carbon tax until after the election?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians' confidence in our institutions is largely based on the diligence of those who occupy the highest offices. Those individuals have a duty to be exemplary and above reproach. Auditor General Michael Ferguson lived up to that expectation right up until his death, which we were shocked and saddened to learn of today.On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to offer my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.Mr. Ferguson showed a great deal of respect for the French language. When he was appointed as Auditor General, he did not speak French, but he immediately committed to learning it. Just a year later, he kept that promise when, much to his credit, he delivered his first report in both official languages, demonstrating a very respectable knowledge of French. By so doing, he showed that he understood his responsibilities as Auditor General.Mr. Ferguson was also known for the quality of his work. He submitted comprehensive, targeted reports that were always relevant. The Bloc Québécois always had a very good relationship with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada and always appreciated Mr. Ferguson's attention to detail, objectivity and warmth.In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to leave Mr. Ferguson's family and friends with a quote by the great French author Alexandre Dumas, who said: Those whom we love and lose are no longer where they were before. They are now wherever we are.

Mr. Speaker, SNC-Lavalin has a long history, including in my own province of Quebec. It supports tens of thousands of Canadian men and women. The jobs on the projects support hundreds of thousands of Canadian men and women. What I want to know is why the member is talking down Canadian jobs. That is what Canadians want to know.I can also assure the member that we have an accountability regime that is among the most stringent in the world. We will continue to enforce that. Canadian companies will have the highest degree of ethical behaviour.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her strong advocacy on behalf of the people of Saint-Laurent and her good work on the status of women committee.We have heard from families and survivors across the country on the need for a commemoration fund to honour the lives and the legacies of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, including LGBTQ2S individuals. We delivered, with a commemoration fund worth over $10 million, because we know that when we come together to remember, to ensure that the stories of the missing and murdered find a dignified place, we all move forward on this path to reconciliation.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the member for Brampton South for her important question and her tremendous work on the health committee. As the health minister, I have certainly heard heartbreaking stories about people affected by cancer. That is why this government has invested over $1.7 billion over the past 10 years in cancer research. Also, we are promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Last year we unveiled new tobacco rules that the Canadian Cancer Society actually called the best in the world.While it might be tough, I know that together we will be able to one day beat cancer.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are showing their true colours when it comes to Quebec. Despite their hypocritical smiles, they are not listening to what Quebeckers need. The Prime Minister is ignoring the consensus in Quebec regarding the single tax return, concocting some big story about how it could lead to more tax evasion in Quebec. He might as well call us a bunch of thieves.Why are the Liberals incapable of granting a legitimate request from Quebeckers?

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservative strategy seems to be to mislead Canadians in order to avoid taking action on climate change.The fact is that we know climate change is a real threat. We have an opportunity and an obligation not just to do something about it, but to do the most effective things that we know how. We have talked to leading experts. In fact, last year's Nobel Prize winner in economics has discovered that the best thing we can do to reduce emissions is put a price on pollution that makes life more affordable for Canadians.I am disappointed that the hon. member throws rhetoric out there and makes personal attacks instead of bringing a single idea to the table. If he finally comes up with one, I am all ears.

Mr. Speaker, four major new pipelines were built under the Conservatives. The reality is that not a single new inch has been built under the Liberals. Most Canadians agree that the lack of pipelines is a national crisis and that the Liberals are to blame. The Prime Minister said he wants to phase out the oil sands, and he is doing it. Last week, StatsCan said Canada's economy shrank in November because of low energy production, along with losses in construction, manufacturing and finance. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk.The Prime Minister has a family fortune made mostly from oil and gas, so he really does not care. Why is the Prime Minister forcing Canadians to pay with their jobs for his mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, I too join the President of the Treasury Board and rise to pay tribute to an extraordinary public servant who dedicated his entire professional working life to making Canada a better place. I offer my deepest condolences on the passing of Auditor General Michael Ferguson, who succumbed to cancer and passed away this past Saturday surrounded by his family.Michael Ferguson had a distinguished career, serving the Province of New Brunswick in several senior roles prior to being appointed Auditor General of Canada in 2011 by then prime minister Stephen Harper. Michael Ferguson quickly established his reputation for tough, thorough audits. Over successive governments, he never shied away from bringing the failures of government departments and agencies to Parliament's attention.When Michael Ferguson appeared as a witness at a committee meeting, Canadians knew that a very bright light was about to be shone into the corners of their government and that accountability would be demanded. He made no attempt to sugar-coat the facts. His reports and committee testimony were delivered without passion or rhetoric; the strong terms he used to describe failures of government were always presented factually, and he was never afraid to be exact and precise regardless of the topic or possible consequences for the government of the day. He leaves a legacy of forcing governments, and indeed all public servants, to constantly improve in order to serve Canadians. He will be missed by the thousands of public servants from across Canada who want to deliver the best service that they can to Canadians. He will be missed by the dedicated staff at the Office of the Auditor General. He will be missed by all parliamentarians, and in particular by my colleagues from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. He will be missed by all Canadians who demand accountability from their government.To his wife and sons, I extend my deepest sympathies. On behalf of the Conservative opposition, our condolences, thoughts and prayers are with them.

Mr. Speaker, we are standing up for Canadian auto workers. When I went to the Detroit auto show, I met with Mary Barra and was very clear. I highlighted the fact that they are making a mistake by leaving Oshawa. We will not make that same mistake. We will continue to defend the automotive sector. We will continue to defend the automotive workers. We have seen investments of $5.6 billion since we formed government in 2015, because we have policies and programs to support this critically important sector. We will continue to fight for our auto workers.

Mr. Speaker, the middle-class tax cut and the enhanced Canada child benefit applied to all Canadians, including Quebeckers. It is very important to strengthen the middle class across Canada. That is our approach, and it is working. We have the lowest unemployment in 40 years. Our economy is growing, especially in Quebec.

Mr. Speaker, while we all very much appreciate the Prime Minister's words, there is an opportunity for ministerial statements later today, and I look forward to hearing the statement at that time.This is an issue the Prime Minister needs to take very seriously. The parliamentary secretary has shown this kind of behaviour before, when he had to apologize for trying to bully and intimidate a female Conservative MP, the member for Richmond Centre. The Prime Minister says he has no tolerance for this kind of behaviour. Again, why will the Prime Minister not ask for this parliamentary secretary's resignation?

Mr. Speaker, even after the previous Conservative government left an additional $150 billion worth of debt, we still moved forward to make investments in Canada. That is what we knew we needed to do. We made investments in middle-class Canadians. We lowered their taxes. That has been our plan from day one. Increasing Canada child benefits means they are better off today. Our economy is better off. Low unemployment, higher growth: That is the Liberal plan for success in our country, and we are going to stick to it, not only now but after the next election.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the parliamentary secretary has apologized for his tweet. It is important that we all remember that there can be strong disagreements over policy, over questions of substance, but we need to remain civil and keep away from the personal accusations and the personal invective whenever we have political debates.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is well aware the member in question has apologized for his tweet. It is important that we have civil debates in the House and elsewhere when we engage in disagreements over public policy.

Mr. Speaker, it is the Liberals who are exempting major emitters and it is the Liberals who are dumping sewage into our rivers and oceans. It is the Prime Minister who wants to phase out the oil sands and his plan is working. Meanwhile, Albertans are out of work and struggling to get by. Now the Liberal carbon tax is driving up the price of everything. The Prime Minister does not understand the impact this tax is having because he inherited a large family fortune. When will the Prime Minister stop making Canadians pay for his mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to pay tribute to a friend and Canada's Auditor General, Michael Ferguson. Canada has lost an exemplary public servant. On behalf of the NDP and myself, I want to begin by expressing my sincere condolences to Michael's family and his colleagues at the Office of the Auditor General. A true professional who understood the importance that oversight has on the performance of government, Michael was a leader in the field of auditing and highly respected across Canada and around the world. I would like to begin my short remarks by reading quotes from Michael Ferguson to us, to Parliament. This is actually from a report entitled “A Message from the Auditor General” in 2016. This is Michael talking to us. I believe that the Office of the Auditor General of Canada is uniquely equipped to support Parliament in its oversight role. Indeed, in our work, it does not matter who sits on which side of the House of Commons. Our business is to examine the activities and programs of government, and to provide parliamentarians with impartial information about what is working and what is not. The report goes on: Despite those good outcomes, I believe that government could get more value from our audits if it used them differently—if departments and agencies focused on becoming more productive and put more emphasis on what they are delivering. After all, in one way or another, everything that government does is intended to serve Canadians. As such, government should “do service well,” to benefit Canadians, both individually and collectively. That “do service well” was a main theme that he instilled in the current public accounts committee: the idea that at the end of the day, all of the measuring, all of the performance audits, all of the accountability are about Canadians receiving the service that they are entitled to. That is what Michael was all about.I was actually the chair of the public accounts committee during the transition from Sheila Fraser to Michael Ferguson. I am going to be honest with colleagues: the only thing that was on my mind when Sheila's term was up was who on earth and where on earth were we going to find anybody who could fill Sheila Fraser's shoes. I mean, Sheila was a force of nature. The world knew about the work that Sheila Fraser did.Then along came this name. I had met him at Canadian Council of Public Accounts meetings, but I did not really know him. He was a long drink of water named Michael Ferguson, the Auditor General from New Brunswick. He did not speak French, which was a problem politically. He did not speak French at that time, as my friend from Quebec is emphasizing. I think the important end of that story is that he made commitments to ensure that he was as fluent as he needed to be in our second official language, our equal official language, and from all accounts he did that. It was another commitment that he kept when he made it to Canadians. However, those things were working a bit against him, as members can imagine, given the politics of the day, and I did not really know where to go. I had heard he was pretty good, but we had this French problem, and what were we going to do? Then I got a phone call from Sheila. I knew Sheila well. We worked together for seven years on the public accounts committee. I do not think I am betraying any confidences at this point now, given where we are. She said to me, “Look, David, I know that there is the issue around the French, and you have to deal with that. I won't speak to that. That's not my role, but I am here, David, to say that if you believe that I have any credibility and you respect my word as the former auditor general of Canada, then please do everything you can to make sure Michael Ferguson becomes the next auditor general.” Boy, did she have that right. Michael Ferguson was our auditor general. By the time Michael was done, Michael was the people's auditor. The people in Canada knew that they had a friend, an ally, in Michael Ferguson, just as they had with Sheila Fraser, and that his sole purpose was to provide accountability and transparency regardless of what party was in power, knowing the importance of working with a non-partisan public accounts committee. Those who have served on it know that it is a special calling. One does not perform the same way one does on other committees. One's job is to leave one's membership card at the door, go in and deal with the Auditor General's report findings as a parliamentarian. That is what Michael was about. He was about making sure the system worked for Canadians. In closing, I would like to quote Michael. He said: Parliamentary committees play a crucial role in challenging departments. I believe that there is an important role for parliamentary committees, whether those of the House of Commons or the Senate, to use our audit reports not just to understand what has happened, but also to make sure that changes take place. Committees should invite departments and agencies to appear before them multiple times, until it is evident that they have made the changes needed to improve their services to people. In a few years, when this government is at the end of its current mandate and I am nearing the end of mine, I wonder if I will find myself repeating these words, or if I will be able to talk about real improvements in government services built around people. I thank Mike for everything he has done for our country. He has left behind an incredible legacy and challenged us to do service better. It is now up to us, colleagues, to rise to that occasion.

Mr. Speaker, seniors are an important part of families, communities and workplaces in my riding of Surrey Centre and across this country. They help grow Canada's economy and bring valuable knowledge and experience.Last week in my riding of Surrey Centre, we announced $3.5 million for the investment in a new AGE-WELL national innovation hub digital health circle.Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please tell the House how this investment will help benefit seniors in my riding of Surrey Centre and across British Columbia?

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, Canadians had a simple choice to make. The Conservatives wanted to create economic growth by giving the very wealthy all kinds of goodies, but we wanted to create economic growth by investing in the middle class and our communities. Once again, Canadians chose well. Over the past three years, we have seen economic growth thanks to our investments in the middle class, to the help we have given families, which has raised 300,000 children out of poverty, and to investments in infrastructure—

Mr. Speaker, when the U.S. imposed its illegal tariffs on our steel and aluminum, we acted quickly. We have already provided $624 million in support to companies and workers, and we quickly imposed counter-tariffs, perfectly matched, to protect our workers.Meanwhile, Doug Ford's Conservatives are calling for us to unilaterally surrender to the Americans by unconditionally removing our tariffs. While our government is fighting for our workers, all the Conservatives can do is surrender.

Mr. Speaker, in 2015 we promised Canadians that we would invest in infrastructure to create good jobs for the middle class and develop our economy. We are investing in projects that will make everyday life easier for Canadians, including schools, public transit, housing, culture and recreation, and waste water treatment.Our government is making unprecedented investments to build the Canada of the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is putting forward figures that have no basis in reality in order to scare Canadians against taking action on climate change.The fact is that we have the answer on what we can do and that answer includes putting a price on pollution that will bring our emissions down and make life more affordable.It has been 281 days since the Conservative leader said he would put forward a plan. I know it was Groundhog Day this weekend, but it does not have to mean there is going to be six more weeks without a climate plan.

Mr. Speaker, we put in place a comprehensive pan-Canadian action plan to fight climate change, which includes putting a price on pollution and, yes, bringing in a price on pollution on those Conservative provinces that have not wanted to move forward to give pollution a cost.We have also moved forward on eliminating coal-fired power plants, on investing in renewable energy and on investing in green solutions and green technologies. At the same, we are creating greater protection for our natural parks.We know there is much more to do, and we have a plan to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, the first thing we did was lower taxes for the middle class, because we know that investing in the middle class creates economic growth for everyone. The Conservatives do not understand that. They are always talking about making cuts to balance the budget at all costs.Are they going to cut the Canada child benefit? Are they going to cut the 4,700 infrastructure projects we are developing across the country? Are they going to cut the guaranteed income supplement for seniors, which we increased by $1,000? What are they going to cut?

Mr. Speaker, the best way to restore Canadians' faith in politics is to keep one's promises. In 2015, the Prime Minister promised to deliver a zero deficit in 2019, but that will not happen. He promised to run small deficits, but over the past three years, his deficits have reached nearly $60 billion. He did not keep his two key public finance promises. The way this Prime Minister is running things, Canadians know they will have to pay sooner or later.What tax hikes does the Prime Minister have in store for Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, we have been clear in our national shipbuilding strategy. The Obelix is not a solution that we are considering at this time.I would ask my hon. colleague why he did not stand up for the workers, the men and women of Davie, when he was in government and the Conservatives excluded that shipyard. Our government is working on providing opportunities for the Davie shipyard. That member and his government did nothing for Davie.

Mr. Speaker, the online application process for the parents and grandparents sponsorship program was a farce. Grace had tried to apply for four years, but the link did not even show up for her on the IRCC website, despite her upgrading her Internet. Yuna felt cheated, as no one told her about the game rules. She opened the form at 9:01. It said she had 10 minutes to complete it. She finished it in three. Then she went over it to make sure everything was correct, but after seven minutes, she was kicked out. Later she heard that she only had to fill out the name and the contact information to be accepted.How is this a fair process? What will it take for the minister to do the right thing and eliminate the cap?

Mr. Speaker, the members on the other side of the House clearly have no principles. The Minister of National Revenue has been on the job for three years. In that time, there has not been a single charge or conviction related to offshore tax evasion, as the Canada Revenue Agency itself admits.People who pay their taxes every year are starting to think that the Liberals are going too easy on the privileged 1%. Who can blame them? What with the Panama papers, the Paradise papers and the Bahamas leaks, we have seen three scandals in three years but zero results.What will it take for the Minister of National Revenue to do her job like everybody else, go after the real tax cheats, and get some real results out of that plan she claims is working?

Mr. Speaker, I will address the member's question shortly. Michael Ferguson devoted his life to public service, both in his home province of New Brunswick and across the country. We will remember him for his tireless dedication to promote a transparent, open government that is accountable to Canadians.His work as Auditor General over the past seven years helped strengthen our democracy and maintain the integrity of our public institutions. We are all greatly saddened by his passing.I offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Ferguson's family, friends and colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the millionaire Prime Minister does not realize that taxpayers are not his personal ATM and that ATM does not stand for automatic trust fund machine. The Prime Minister has left Canadians with only debts and deficits, with no sign of a balanced budget. Canadians know that the extravagance of the Liberals will soon become the burden of middle-class families as they continue to raise taxes to pay for Liberal mistakes. Dollars do not fall from heaven. They have to be earned on earth. Will the Prime Minister come clean and tell Canadians the truth about his plan to raise taxes?

Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of Canadians is our government's top priority.With regard to asylum seekers, we are working closely with the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency to ensure that this is actually the case and to give them the resources they need. Even the CBSA said that the deployment of staff from across the country to support the processing of irregular migrants had no impact on the agency's daily operations.Unlike the previous government, we are taking measures to protect Canadians. We have invested in our security and will continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker, the problem is that, when the Liberals are abroad, they promise, hand over heart, that they will keep their climate change commitments.The first time, in Paris, everyone believed them. The second time, in Katowice, people were a little more wary. That is because, when the Liberals come back to Canada, they do the opposite of what they promised. They keep the low targets set by the Conservatives and, according to the federal Commissioner of the Environment, they will not even be able to meet those. They buy pipelines, they increase subsidies for the oil and gas industry, and they exclude the biggest polluters from carbon pricing.Is that really fighting climate change?

Mr. Speaker, we will take no lesson from the Harper Conservatives, who decided to make cuts in the tourism sector by cutting into Canada's marketing to international visitors, basically letting down the 1.8 million Canadians who work in the sector. On this side of the House, we believe in the 1.8 million Canadians who work in the tourism sector. We have reinvested $100 million to promote Canada's tourism brand to the world, and we will present a good tourism strategy to make sure that Canada is the destination in the world to come to. We all know—

Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development tweeted that the Premier of Ontario should be “whacked”, a mobster term for killing someone, which clearly the parliamentary secretary would have known.Why has the Prime Minister not called for his resignation?

Mr. Speaker, it is disappointing to hear that when we are dealing with an issue that is so important to Canadians and citizens around the entire world, the Conservatives put misleading information out there in order to trick Canadians into not taking action on climate change. The fact is that we are putting forward a plan that involves investments in public transit, making our electricity generated 90% renewable by 2030, and yes, putting a price on pollution.If the hon. member is so concerned with the affordability of life, he will take pleasure in knowing that our plan is going to reduce emissions and leave Canadian families better off.

Mr. Speaker, there was no shortage of fearmongering in Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands in 2011 when the Harper Conservatives brought in their EI reform.The Maritimes and eastern Quebec were terrified. The Harper Conservatives and today's Conservatives are doing exactly the same thing. In the coming months, we are going to see two categories of promises: one for Quebec and one for western Canada. Divide and conquer is their motto. I encourage them to make “Chop, chop, chop” their next campaign slogan.

Mr. Speaker, I grew up as part of a generation where doing something to protect our environment and fight climate change was informed every day of my life until now. The fact is that Canadians know that climate change is real and that people like us who have been given this platform actually have a responsibility to do something about it. The fact is that people are actually feeling real practical fallout from the inaction that we have seen over the past number of decades.We are moving forward with a plan that is going to invest in public transit, that is going to make electricity 90% generated by renewable resources by 2030 and that is going to put a price on pollution that will see our emissions come down and leave Canadian families financially better off at tax time.

Mr. Speaker, as we said last November, we are there to help, on a cost-sharing basis, those provinces that are willing to invest in providing some of the routes that have been abandoned by Greyhound and that have not been taken up by other companies in the private sector.That applies to all the four western provinces. We are there because we realize that certain people depend on the bus service; they have no other alternative. We will be there.

Mr. Speaker, a country that is serious about fighting climate change knows that it takes investments in renewables, investments in innovative solutions, investments in the kinds of things we need to do to prepare for a lower carbon economy in the future. Getting a discount of $20 billion, $30 billion or $50 billion a year because we cannot get our oil to markets other than the United States is unacceptable.That is why we are moving forward responsibly, to get our oil to new markets, while at the same time we fight climate change with all the tools we need. That is a Liberal approach.

Mr. Speaker, fellow parliamentarians, House of Commons staff and honoured guests, I rise today in sorrow to pay tribute to Auditor General Michael Ferguson, a dedicated and honourable public servant who died too soon this weekend. He was just 60 years old. Over the past seven years, Mr. Ferguson was a tireless champion of a transparent, open government that is accountable to all Canadians. He never wavered in his mission, even in recent months as he fought cancer.During my time as minister of health and later as minister of indigenous services, I quickly came to know him as a man dedicated to helping the most vulnerable citizens, particularly in the context of justice and equality for indigenous peoples.A son of New Brunswick, Michael Ferguson devoted his life to public service. His career serving the people of New Brunswick took him from comptroller of the provincial books to Auditor General of New Brunswick, and then deputy minister of Finance and secretary to the Board of Management. Along the way, he spent time as the president of the New Brunswick Institute of Chartered Accountants and spent three years on the province's Public Sector Accounting Board before being elected to the Fellowship of the New Brunswick Institute of Chartered Accountants. In November 2011 Mr. Ferguson was appointed to be Canada's Auditor General, just the 14th person to told the position since Confederation, following in the footsteps of the formidable Sheila Fraser.Diligent, dedicated and humble, he was a model public servant. All Canadians owe him a debt of gratitude.As Auditor General, his office examined such foundational issues as rail safety, tax collection, access to health services for remote first nations communities, food protection, cybersecurity and military procurement. All governments must be open to outside critique. Michael Ferguson was able to focus on the granular details of government while also recognizing systemic issues. He was always striving to make us better as a government and as a country.Michael Ferguson helped strengthen our democracy and maintain the integrity that Canadians expect from our public institutions.Two days ago, he passed away surrounded by his wife Georgina and sons Malcolm and Geoffrey. He is gone too soon, but we know that his was a life well lived.On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I offer our deepest condolences to Mr. Ferguson's family, friends and colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, allow me to disagree with my NDP colleague. Unlike the Conservatives and the NDP, our government sees tax evasion as a priority. With respect to offshore tax evasion, under our leadership, the Canada Revenue Agency has done twice as many audits in three years as the Harper Conservatives did in 10 years. We currently have over 50 ongoing criminal investigations related to offshore tax evasion, and, thanks to our historic investments, we are going to keep working—

Mr. Speaker, more than 125,000 oil and gas workers have lost their jobs under the Liberals. The Prime Minister vetoed northern gateway with no consultation. He killed energy east with red tape. He overpaid for Trans Mountain, and every delay costs taxpayers more. His mistakes have caused the crisis in the energy sector and have recently threatened the jobs of over 2,000 CNRL workers in northeast Alberta. Now Imperial is cutting rail shipments and considering cancelling a new oil sands project. Will the Liberals stop their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, we understand that Canada's natural resources have been a source of prosperity for all Canadians and that thousands of jobs have been created in that sector. The previous government failed to diversify our export markets. Ninety-nine per cent of the oil from Alberta goes to the United States. That was the case in 2006, and that was the case in 2015.We are moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way to ensure that we are able to expand our markets. As to the pipelines the hon. member cited, none of those will allow us to get our resources to non-U.S. markets.

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of Bill C-69 is to fix a broken system that was implemented by the previous government in 2012. It took away the ability of indigenous peoples to participate in a meaningful way. It took away the ability of Canadians to participate in the review process. It took away the ability for us to protect our environment, waterways, fish and fish habitat. We are fixing a system that will allow us to move forward on large energy infrastructure projects in a way that makes sense for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, since the Liberals came to government, they have left $372 million unspent at Veterans Affairs, even as service levels deteriorate. Last November, Parliament unanimously supported the NDP motion to end lapsed spending and to ensure that all lapsed spending went to veterans so they would get the services they need and deserve.I would like to congratulate the new minister in her new role. My question is simple. Will she honour Parliament's unanimous vote to end lapsed spending at Veterans Affairs and ensure that money budgeted for veterans is actually spent on veterans?

Mr. Speaker, one of the first things our government did after it was elected was announce the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.In its interim report, the national inquiry highlighted the need to fund commemoration activities to help honour the lives and legacies of indigenous women and girls and LGBTQ2S individuals.Could the Minister for Women and Gender Equality tell the House how our government has responded to the inquiry's recommendation?

Mr. Speaker, this is a $19-billion deficit for oil. Considering this government masquerades as the Green Party all over the world, that is a total slap in the face. This money is not going towards compensating our farmers, fighting tax havens or paying for migrants. Furthermore, federal health transfers are declining.Could the government explain to Quebeckers why it is spending their money left and right without sparing a thought for their priorities?

Mr. Speaker, we are standing up for Canadian companies facing illegal U.S. tariffs. Our tariffs on $16.6 billion worth of U.S. imports are working. Just last week, senior Republicans called on the U.S. administration to lift the U.S. tariffs because of the impact of our retaliatory measures. Meanwhile, the Conservatives want to surrender. Instead of trying to score cheap political points on the backs of our workers, Doug Ford and his Conservative friends on the other side of the aisle should join us and stand up for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, this is what real challenge looks like. It looks like October 22 for the member for Carleton when he is out trying to find a job, talking to employers about how he can do half of an analysis and get to the wrong answer. That is what he continues to do, half of an analysis and the wrong answer. The whole analysis, what that tells us is that middle-class Canadians are better off, $2,000 better off this year than in 2015. That is the middle-class tax plan for the Liberals.

Mr. Speaker, our plan is very clear. We started by cutting taxes for the middle class. That was very important. We increased and enhanced the Canada child benefit.This approach is working for the middle class and, at the same time, helping our economy grow. We now have the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. Our plan is working. We will continue with our approach.

Mr. Speaker, after three years of deficits, the Liberals are now in infrastructure mode. It is about time they started taking care of our infrastructure. They should have invested right away. Our big cities and small towns can no longer wait. The Liberals chose to create an infrastructure bank to make their friends rich, but now comes their pre-election tour.Do the Liberals realize that Canadians are the ones who will pay for their broken infrastructure promises?

Mr. Speaker, it is really unfortunate that the Prime Minister has forgotten his key election promise from 2015.Canadians were sold a bill of goods by the Prime Minister, for they believed him when he said he would run small deficits and balance the budget in 2019. He has done the exact opposite. Unless something changes, we will not see a balanced budget for another 21 years. Inevitably, under a Liberal government, Canadians will pay more.How much more are they going to pay and when—

Mr. Speaker, when negotiating NAFTA, the Prime Minister made the mistake of giving in to all Donald Trump's demands. Canadians are now feeling the effects of his mistakes.The governments of Ontario and Quebec have both sent letters to the Prime Minister urging him to do something to remove the harmful tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. When will these tariffs be lifted?

Mr. Speaker, last night Unifor ran an ad intended to continue the fight for thousands of Canadian GM workers who will lose their jobs in Oshawa. Unlike the Prime Minister, who is sitting this one out, workers are fighting for their jobs and community. The Conservatives gave GM billions in incentives, without a guarantee to protect jobs in Canada. Now the Liberals leave workers left stranded without a paycheque. It is about choices. Why will the Liberals not show some courage and stand up for Canadian workers?

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Border Services Agency had to reassign up to 550 employees to deal with the illegal migrant crisis. What is more, the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates that this will cost taxpayers over $1 billion by the end of next year. That does not even include the costs covered by the provinces, which are still waiting to be reimbursed. All of this chaos is creating an increased security risk.Will the minister commit to appear before the committee to explain his and the Prime Minister's mismanagement of the situation?

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that we will never compromise on the safety and security of Canadians. We are working closely with the Canadian Border Services Agency and the RCMP to ensure that this is actually the case. Wherever we need to put resources in place, that is where we are going to put them.At no time was there any compromising the security of Canadians. I want to quote the CBSA on this. “[T]he deployment of staff from across the country to support the processing of irregular migrants had no impact on the agency’s daily operations.”Conservatives may not believe the CBSA. We do, and we support it.

Mr. Speaker, for three years now, the Liberals have been promising reforms to protect our culture from the flood of American content on Netflix and its ilk. Ten days ago, artists from Quebec media and culture gathered in Montreal, and the one message I heard tossed around was “just do it”. The Liberals keep saying that to profit from our culture, one must contribute to our culture, and that there is no free pass. The government should do something, then. Everyone involved agreed that Ottawa already has the tools to start stemming the tide.Everyone wants the minister to adopt interim measures before the election. Will he take action, or would he rather let our culture slowly die out?

Mr. Speaker, you will find the unanimous consent of the House to table the following document: the Liberal Party platform from 2015. Page 76 talks about returning to a balanced budget in 2019.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member of Parliament for Surrey Centre for announcing this next step forward in our innovation and skills plan, and particularly for all his hard work and advocacy.Our government is committed to the health and vitality of Canadian seniors. By helping commercialize preventive health technologies, the digital health circle will create jobs and reduce health care costs. This is an investment in the independence, dignity and quality of life of British Columbia's seniors. We will continue to invest in British Columbia and in seniors.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue has made a fool of herself again by completely disregarding a request by the Premier of Quebec, the National Assembly of Quebec and the vast majority of Quebeckers.Instead of using her position to make things easier for Quebeckers, she is chopping away at Quebec's requests. A single tax return, chop! The supply ship Obelix, chop! The fitness tax credit, chop! The joke has gone on long enough.Will the Minister of National Revenue stop viewing Quebeckers as a threat and let them have a single tax return?

Mr. Speaker, during the last campaign, the Liberals promised to eliminate subsidies for the oil and gas industry. They promised to properly consult indigenous communities on projects that affect their lands. The Liberals have completely failed on both counts. The Federal Court sent the Liberals back to the drawing board when it comes to consulting with first nations on Trans Mountain, and the Parliamentary Budget Officer revealed that the Liberals overpaid the pipeline when they acquired it for $4.5 billion.How can they fight climate change by buying a pipeline? How can they talk about nation-to-nation relations without proper consultation?

Mr. Speaker, there is no impact on the operations of the agency? That is in spite of these stories from recent weeks: an individual was deemed a national security concern but was still granted permanent residency; an illegal border crosser was able to enter Canada in spite of admitting to an extensive criminal record. However, there is no discernible impact.Will the minister appear before a parliamentary committee to be held accountable for Canada's immigration screening processes?

Mr. Speaker, China arbitrarily detained Canadian citizens for political purposes and the Liberals said that it was business as usual. A former SNC-Lavalin executive pleaded guilty to breaking political financing laws in what has been called the “biggest fraud case” in the country, but it continues to get huge federal contracts. It seems that whenever there is a buck to be made, the Liberals' moral compass breaks down. SNC-Lavelin should be suspended from bidding on federal government contracts until Canadians have all the details of this fraud. Will the Liberals order the suspension or do they have a price for every principle?

Mr. Speaker, it has been two weeks since the Davie shipyard workers protested against the Prime Minister's inaction in Quebec City. As usual, he did not listen to them, and the workers walked away empty-handed.The Prime Minister is also ignoring the recommendations made by the Standing Committee on National Defence, which is urging the government to take action for the navy. With his family fortune, this Prime Minister does not need to worry about paying the bills, but the shipyard workers and their families do. The shipbuilding strategy is sinking under the Liberals. Costs are skyrocketing, and delivery times are getting longer. When will the Davie shipyard and the Royal Canadian Navy get the Obelix?

Mr. Speaker, when asked last week about Greyhound pulling out of B.C., the Minister of Transport said, “We are working with the provinces.... We will be there if they request us to help them on a cost-sharing basis.”The Saskatchewan Transportation Company has been shut down and sold off. Is the federal government also offering to share the cost of restoring needed bus service in our province?

Mr. Speaker, it is always the same old story. He sounds like a broken record.

Mr. Speaker, after many difficult years of austerity, Quebec achieved a balanced budget while still meeting its responsibilities in health, education, early childhood centres and so forth.While Quebec was tightening its belt, money was flying out the window in Ottawa. A $19-billion deficit is going toward dirty oil in Alberta, a used pipeline, and rail cars to transport their oil to Quebec.Instead of putting Quebec in debt for generations to come, will the government start to use Quebeckers' money for Quebeckers?

Mr. Speaker, a single tax return means getting rid of a form, not public servants. No one will lose their job in Shawinigan or Jonquière or anywhere else in Canada.The display of bad faith and fearmongering by the Minister of National Revenue is just pathetic. It is the same old story with the Liberals. They say they are open to Quebec and as soon as Quebec trusts them then it is too much of a bother and they stop. They start fearmongering and upsetting everyone.Can the minister do something positive and tell Quebec it can have a single tax return?

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Victoria, people are so frustrated by the Liberals' stale talking points and by the gigantic gap between rhetoric and action on the environment.No matter what the Prime Minister says, climate change leaders do not use public dollars to buy pipelines. People are clear that action is needed now.When will the Prime Minister stop giving fossil fuel subsidies to giant corporations and get serious about climate change?

Mr. Speaker, today, February 4, is World Cancer Day. Almost everyone in this House, and indeed all Canadians, has a friend or family member whose life has been touched by cancer. It continues to be the leading cause of death in Canada. Almost half of all Canadians will develop it in their lifetimes. We all know the devastation a diagnosis can have for a family. I would like to ask the Minister of Health what our government has been doing to fight cancer.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are increasingly anxious about climate change.Last October, a UN report concluded the planet only had a dozen years to make dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions or face a catastrophe. Canada's environment commissioner warned that meeting our Paris commitments “will require....actions beyond those currently planned or in place.” Canadians cannot wait for the government to get its act together to urgently address climate change.Why does the Prime Minister think that sticking to Harper's climate change targets will get the job done?

Mr. Speaker, unlike the other two parties in the House, we know that the economy and the environment have to go hand in hand. The Conservatives do not want to do anything for the environment and, unfortunately, the NDP does not know how to grow the economy.We know that investing both in our prosperity and in protecting the environment is the only way forward. We are making progress in eliminating subsidies for fossil fuels. We will meet the commitments we made for 2025.