2019-06-04

Mr. Speaker, the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls inquiry has called for serious action to help the families of women who have gone missing. Families across northern Saskatchewan expect action from the Liberal government after the genocide of indigenous women. The families of Happy Charles and Myrna Montgrand need mental health supports and funding to help find their loved ones. Will the Liberals commit today to provide all the necessary resources toward missing and murdered women in northern Saskatchewan?

Mr. Speaker, I am rather surprised that the hon. gentleman continues to use statistics that have been totally discredited. In fact, he asked this question in the standing committee yesterday, and I indicated to him that according to the records of the CBSA, the number of Mexicans that had been connected or linked to the alleged cartels was not 400, but in fact three. It is not 300, but three, and they are among those who have been deported from Canada.

Mr. Speaker, Canada has always had excellent relations with Mexico. However, the Liberals' poor management of the border and the cancellation of the visa program for Mexico are creating a safety risk for Canadians. More than 400 individuals linked to Mexican cartels have entered Canada to expand their territory and engage in criminal activity.Can the minister tell us what steps have been taken to address the situation?

Mr. Speaker, this is what the Conservative Party recently said about the parent and grandparent program. The party describes this program as a “burden” on the federal government in terms of support as well as a drain on provinces. The party that pretends to care about family reunification is at the same time trying to describe parents and grandparents as a drain on Canada, as a drain on provinces. We are the party that cares about family reunification, not the Conservative Party of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for shouting so much. It shows a lot of respect for the House.That said, the minister mentioned that the number of Mexican cartel members in Canada is three, not 400.So much the better if this is true. Can the minister tell us where these three individuals are and whether they will be deported to Mexico quickly?

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Indigenous Services went to Grassy Narrows to sign an agreement based on a two-year-old promise to a community that has been ravaged by mercury poisoning. However, he returned empty-handed. Today, in committee, adding insult to injury, the minister blamed the chief, saying that the chief just “changed his mind”.Let me be clear. Grassy Narrows is calling for what it was promised, including a mercury care home and treatment centre. Grassy Narrows deserves justice, not gaslighting. When will the Liberal government quit the blame game and keep its promise to the people of Grassy Narrows?

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that, in most cases, this Liberal government interferes and makes decisions at the federal level without taking the provinces into account. It does not respect Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick or Quebec, for starters.Things have gotten so bad that, at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference last Friday, the Prime Minister said he was prepared to bypass the provinces to achieve his objectives.Why does the Liberal government have so little respect for provincial governments and premiers?

Mr. Speaker, it is easier for small businesses in my province to sell goods all over the world than to other provinces. Due to the Prime Minister's failure to lead, there is still no free trade within our country. This is an absolutely absurd situation.Provinces are starting to step up. However, the Liberal government would rather defend its protectionist status quo. Will the government do what Canadians are demanding and stand with premiers Kenney, Moe and Pallister for free trade in this great country?

Mr. Speaker, Liberals are all talk and no action when it comes to the crisis with China. Today we have learned that the crisis with China is about to get worse. The Chinese government has now set its sights on our livestock industry. The Canadian Meat Council is telling producers that they cannot count on the Canadian embassy to defend their interests in China. When will the Prime Minister realize that his inaction is devastating Canadian farmers and ranchers?

Mr. Speaker, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released 231 calls for justice to protect indigenous women and children. The calls include providing sufficient and readily available transit between cities in rural and northern communities. I have asked the current Liberal government 18 times to provide safe and affordable transportation in Saskatchewan, following the closure of the STC and the Greyhound service cuts. Will the Liberals act now to ensure indigenous women and girls have access to safe transportation options?

Mr. Speaker, the minister does not think anybody who takes the bus is middle class, so he raised their taxes by taking away their transit tax. He does not think that soccer moms and hockey dads are middle class, so he took away their children's fitness tax credit. He does not think students are middle class, so he took away the education and textbook tax credits. That does not even include the carbon and payroll tax increases.What is worse is what is to come. The government is spending at an unsustainable rate requiring higher taxes, if it is re-elected. Why will the government not tell the truth about the higher costs that Canadians will pay when the Liberals no longer need their votes but still need their money?

Mr. Speaker, families told their truths. Sophie Merasty, who lost her sister Rose, said, “We have always known this was a genocide....The violence we face happens in all aspects of our lives—at every level, in every institution, in every interaction.”On behalf of all Canadians, will the Prime Minister honour this truth and state clearly that Canada committed genocide against indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people? Will he commit to implementing all recommendations from the inquiry, with dedicated resources and a timeline that is accountable to the public?

Mr. Speaker, this week we learned that the Liberal government offered access into Canada as a reward for many people who sued the government based on the flawed and terribly managed family reunification program. I do not think there is anyone in this place who would say that access into our country is something that should be frittered away as a result of a lawsuit. This action was described by somebody as likening Canada to a third world country.Is the government expecting further lawsuits on this issue?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance must remember that four years ago, when he decided to offer his services to Canadians as a candidate and Minister of Finance, he promised to run three small deficits and then no deficit in 2019. Four years later, the reality is three huge deficits and a deficit of nearly $20 billion in 2019. His credibility when it comes to managing public funds has evaporated. Sadly, his word has become worthless, since he promises one thing and does the opposite. Does he at least realize that a deficit is a tax on future generations?

Mr. Speaker, Canada's family reunification system is wrong-headed. Ottawa terminated immigration services at the embassy in Cuba without notice or explanation. People seeking sponsorship to join family in Quebec have to undergo medical tests in other countries, go back to Cuba, and then come to Quebec and pay thousands of dollars.What is the government going to do to fix this situation and finally let Quebec and Canadian families be together?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government had no problem putting its fingers on the scales of justice in the Mark Norman case. It did not hesitate to try to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. It sees nothing wrong with allowing foreign funding to continue to pour into special interest groups in Canada. It is unapologetic for putting an anti-Conservative group like Unifor on a panel that will decide how to hand out $600 million to the media that will cover the upcoming election.Why are the Liberals so desperate to use the power of government to punish their enemies and reward their friends?

Mr. Speaker, that is a complete fabrication. The Manitoba Hydro line was approved by two independent regulatory agencies and all outstanding issues have been addressed. This project would reduce emissions by providing clean electricity to areas of the U.S. that currently burn coal. However, the Prime Minister is blocking this green project and costing Manitobans hundreds of millions of dollars and Canadian jobs. The Prime Minister is politically interfering and trying to kill yet another Canadian energy project. Why?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to pretend they are going to meet their Paris targets, yet the evidence is overwhelming: Every single credible source, including the minister's own department, says the targets will not be met. Nevertheless, every day the minister gets up in the House and repeats loudly, and sometimes very loudly, something she knows to be patently false, in the hope that Canadians will totally believe it.When will the minister admit that the Liberals will not meet Canada's Paris targets?

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the hon. member and the members of the official opposition to actually listen to their leader or the premier of Alberta who believe that the process we have put in place is the right process. Maybe they should talk to the energy minister for Alberta as she believes the process is the right process. If they really believe in this process, they should not have voted to defund and kill the process that would allow us to get to a decision on this project by June 18.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been clear. They are having a hard time making ends meet and are disappointed in the Liberal government. The Liberals cannot take the same old approach as the Conservatives. They must stop spending money to help rich corporations.Canadians need universal pharmacare and affordable housing. We need to make better choices in order to get better results.When will the Liberals start putting ordinary people ahead of their friends in high places and their rich corporations?

Mr. Speaker, the government still has no plan to deal with the labour shortage in rural areas like mine, despite the disastrous consequences for many businesses. Everyone agrees that immigration is one solution, but it is a long process. I asked the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to open an office in Saint-Hyacinthe to help SMEs and agri-food companies, but nothing has happened.Why is the minister ignoring the people in my riding and in rural areas?

Mr. Speaker, it appears my colleague opposite did not hear the answer the last time, so if he does not mind, I will repeat it.There is only one party in the House that has been found to have broken election laws on numerous occasions. Let us go back. Let us remember the robocalls. Let us remember the in and out. Let us remember that one of its members of Parliament was found to have overspent and actually went to jail.When it comes to this side of the House, we made it easier for Canadians to vote. We gave the Commissioner of Canada Elections more power to enforce our laws. We have ensured that we are protecting our elections from foreign cyber-threats.

Mr. Speaker, this government is out of touch. Canada's environment commissioner and many organizations, such as the UN, are saying that Canada will not achieve its Paris targets.In committee, I asked the minister whether Canada was going to meet its targets. She said yes. What a lack of honesty and transparency.This government needs to be honest. When will it tell Canadians that the Liberals in power will not meet the Paris targets?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are continuing to put the richest ahead of everyday people. They let KPMG off the hook for tax avoidance. They helped Sears financiers over the workers at Sears. They let drug companies protect their profits instead of helping Canadians who cannot afford the cost of medication.Now Canada ranks 25th out of 37 countries on services for people. Liberals must stop helping their wealthy friends and start investing in people. Why are the Liberals refusing to ensure that the rich pay their fair share?

Mr. Speaker, under the former Conservative government, we admitted an average of 20,370 people. Under the Liberal government, it was 18,768 in the family reunification. I am really tired of the minister abdicating his responsibility to manage our border. He cannot allow people to skip the line at Roxham Road and give out access to our country through settlements and court cases, while people who are legally trying to enter this country have to wait.When are the Liberals going to stop bringing disorder and unfairness to Canada's immigration system?

Mr. Speaker, let us just take a walk down history lane here and look at what the Conservatives have done.There is only one party in Canada's history that has been found several times to have broken election laws: robocalls, the in-and-out scandal and actually having a member of Parliament go to jail for spending over the limit. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Let us not talk about the so-called Fair Elections Act that they put in place to made it harder for Canadians to vote.We will take no lessons from the party opposite.

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear about what Premier Kenney said. He said that climate change is the “flavour of the month”.This is actually an existential threat. If we look at what is happening in Alberta right now, we see that forest fires are starting even earlier.I have another fact. It was found that Doug Ford's climate plan costs twice as much to do less. It costs twice as much money for taxpayers.Taking action on climate change is something we need to do. We can do it in a way that makes life affordable, creates good jobs and ensures we do not leave the biggest debt to future generations through inaction on climate change.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for giving me the opportunity to remind the House of the record of cuts, muzzling and obstruction of the previous government. This is just another officer of Parliament who the Conservatives do not respect. They have told the PBO that they will not allow him to audit their platform. That is probably because they know their climate non-plan will cost more than ours. Just ask Doug Ford in Ontario.Where was that member when her party was thinking of burning the AG's budget—

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending this national tragedy. We know that the actions and policies of past governments directly led to the loss and extinguishment of indigenous languages, culture and traditional practices. We are thanking the commission for the report and carefully reviewing all the recommendations. Our job is now to work with the survivors, families and our partners to develop a national action plan to implement those calls for justice. We must work together to end the ongoing tragedy and Canadians should expect no less, including the people in northern Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government uses its power to punish its enemies and reward its friends. If its SNC-Lavalin, the Prime Minister fights to get it out of troublesome court cases. If one is a decorated vice-admiral, that vice-admiral gets a Prime Minister promising that he will be in court before an investigation is even complete. If one is a cabinet minister who speaks truth to power, that cabinet minister is fired and kicked out of the Liberal Party. If its an anti-Conservative group like Unifor, that group gets to decide how to hand out $600 million to the media in an election year.When will the Liberals stop trying to stack the deck in their own favour?

Mr. Speaker, what is unfortunate about the Minister of Finance is that back when he was a Bay Street baron, if I may call him that, he managed private sector money very realistically and very responsibly. Throughout his career in the private sector, he never ran up a deficit. Ever since he started taking care of taxpayers' money, however, it has been deficit after deficit. There have been four budgets and four deficits. That is the grand slam of mismanagement of public funds.Will the minister finally admit that he did not keep his promise and his commitment for a zero deficit in 2019, and that a deficit is a tax on future generations?

Mr. Speaker, it is very unfortunate that the Liberal government has been governing for four years and it takes no responsibility or accountability for anything it has done. This is the first time in Canadian history that the Auditor General has said that he has not been given the resources to fully audit the Liberal government. His request for new funds was rejected, and now audits have been dropped.How can the Liberal government always find money for its friends, but when it comes to holding it to account, the cupboards are bare?

Mr. Speaker, middle-class taxes are up $800 per family under the Liberal government, and it is starting to hurt.MNP, the accounting firm, reports that almost half of Canadians are less than $200 away from insolvency every month. In April, over 11,000 Canadians did go insolvent, a 9% annual increase over the previous year.When will the government realize that Canadians are taxed to the max and cannot afford to pay any more?

Mr. Speaker, people who take the bus, people who put their kids in sports, students who go to university and college, I am happy to call those people Conservative friends.However, they have no friends on that side of the House, because these Liberals will continue to raise taxes on middle-class Canadians, another $23-billion spending increase and a promise-breaking deficit to go along with it.Why do the Liberals not just admit that after the election, if, God forbid, they are back, there will be massive tax increases to pay for all of this out-of-control spending?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is getting in the way of the Auditor General.Canadians rely on the integrity of our government institutions to be transparent. We all know that rewarding cronies is the Liberal way of getting favours or keeping officials quiet.Why is the government prepared to obstruct the work of the Auditor General with impunity, instead of allowing him to do what he is mandated to do, namely to conduct independent audits?

Mr. Speaker, Manitoba Hydro is planning to build a transmission line to the U.S. to export clean green energy. Unlike the useless Liberal carbon tax, the Manitoba–Minnesota transmission project would actually help the environment by increasing the amount of green energy. Five years of consultations have been done and this project has been approved by the National Energy Board and Manitoba's clean energy commission. Why is the Prime Minister blocking this product and not allowing it to get started?

Mr. Speaker, the inquiry presented its final report, in which it found that the tragic violence that indigenous women and girls have experienced amounts to genocide. As the Prime Minister has said, we accept these findings. Our job now is to develop a national action plan, as called for by the inquiry to implement its recommendations, that is distinctions-based and flexible. The final report makes it clear that action is now required not just from governments and institutions but from all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, in the 1970s, individuals and corporations paid the same amount of tax. Now, corporations pay only a third. Conservatives and Liberals have slashed corporate tax rates and failed to crack down on offshore tax havens. Who does this benefit? It is not everyday families. They do not use offshore tax havens, but the Westons, Irvings and the richest families in Canada sure do. While the Liberals and Conservatives help the richest save billions, they have failed to invest in housing, health care and pharmacare. Does the government not agree that the rich should pay their fair share?

Mr. Speaker, in all the hubbub of the House, I think the hon. gentleman missed the last part of my previous answer. I indicated that those three, including another 27 who had criminal issues, had all been deported from Canada.

Mr. Speaker, Alberta cancelled the carbon tax and gas prices have fallen across the province. The same thing cannot be said for rural British Columbia.Yesterday, in Vavenby, Canfor laid off 178 workers. There is no employment, but the Prime Minister is happy to have them pay extra for gas because that is exactly what he wants.When will the Prime Minister stop punishing rural Canadians and take real steps to address the high price of gas?

Mr. Speaker, this minister has totally and utterly failed his constituents. Under the current Liberals, three companies that wanted to build pipelines in Canada are gone and building them in the U.S. Not an inch of new pipeline is in service in Canada, but the U.S. added 35,000 kilometres of new pipelines since the TMX was proposed. The Liberals must give a timeline for construction, transparency on costs and a plan to use all federal powers to get the Trans Mountain expansion built. Missing this construction season will cost taxpayers billions more. What is the plan to guarantee construction will start on June 19?

Mr. Speaker, let me correct the record with respect to the Conservatives' record on the parent and grandparent program: a backlog of over 167,000 cases, a six to 18 year wait time to sponsor loved ones. They mismanaged the program so badly that it went off the rails for two years. We have eliminated the backlog and we have reduced the wait times to under two years. So they do not forget, this is exactly what the Conservatives said about this program, a party that now pretends to care about family reunification—

Mr. Speaker, dozens of workers with developmental disabilities were fired from their jobs after the Liberal government shut down the National Archives program that employed them. Liberals have promised to find them meaningful work within government, but nothing has been done. When the Prime Minister was asked about the fate of these workers, he gave empty talking points. These workers deserve better. They want to know, will the Liberals commit today to replace those jobs they took away?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the Conservatives are finally taking an interest in officers of Parliament. After all, it was their party that cut $6.4 million from the OAG's budget and fired the auditor general.We increased the OAG's budget by $41 million, something the Conservatives voted against. Why?

Mr. Speaker, we are moving forward on building pipelines. We are the government that gave approval to the Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completely done on the Canadian side. We are the government that gave approval to the Nova Gas line, which is completely done here. We are the government that had been advocating for the Keystone XL pipeline. We put in place a process to move forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way to ensure that we are engaging with indigenous communities in a meaningful way, a process that the Conservatives tried to kill.

Mr. Speaker, my constituents in Nanaimo—Ladysmith are having an increasingly difficult time paying the rising costs of pharmaceutical drugs. It is clear that it is beyond time to implement a universal pharmacare program. The new NAFTA includes provisions that extend patents on drugs from eight years to 10 years and will keep the cost of drugs high for consumers longer. What is the government prepared to do to keep pharmaceuticals affordable for those who need them, and to stop the excessive profiteering of big pharma?

Mr. Speaker, that is not an answer.Children are currently stranded in Cuba without their families because Canada cut consular services. We cannot ask minors to figure out how to get a visa for Mexico, pay to get there, figure out how to get a doctor's appointment and collect all of the necessary paperwork in a foreign country. The families are the ones who suffer.Can the government tell us when services will be restored? What is the government waiting for?

Mr. Speaker, the government realized back in the fall of 2015 that it needed to lower taxes on middle-class Canadians.When people say things, it does not make them true. The fact of the matter is that nine million middle-class Canadians have lower taxes, because we lowered the tax bracket between $45,000 and $90,000 by 7%. We added on the Canada child benefit, making sure that nine out of 10 families are better off.The facts are clear. In 2019, a typical family is $2,000 better off than in 2015 under the previous government.

Mr. Speaker, 65 years ago, individuals and corporations paid the same amount of income tax. Since then, the balance has tipped in favour of corporations. Corporate taxes have been cut, and individuals have been forced to make up the difference, because the Liberals and Conservatives refuse to put people ahead of corporations. We have the courage to do things differently.Will the Liberals commit to helping people and making sure the rich pay their fair share?

Mr. Speaker, we will not follow the failed process of the Harper era that led to large energy infrastructure projects being challenged in the courts because they failed to put in place meaningful consultation that allows us to fully discharge our duty to consult with indigenous communities. We know that good projects such as this can only move forward when we look after the environment and we are meaningfully engaged with indigenous communities.We encourage the proponent to continue their conversations with indigenous—

Mr. Speaker, federal and provincial areas of jurisdiction go back to 1867. A prime minister's job is to maintain healthy, productive and harmonious federal-provincial relations, but this Prime Minister is paternalistic and centralizing. When will the Prime Minister show some respect for the provincially elected representatives of all Canadian provinces?

Mr. Speaker, our government believes that no Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescriptions and putting food on the table. That is why we are taking bold steps to help Canadians save billions on drugs, including joining the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance, proposing major reforms to regulations, laying the foundation for national pharmacare in budget 2019 and devoting over $1 billion to high-cost drugs for rare diseases. We will not rest until all Canadians can get and afford the medications they need.

Mr. Speaker, 13 of the 39 municipalities in my riding have little or no cellphone coverage. While big cities will soon have 5G service, some regions are still fighting to get 3G. Two weeks ago, I asked why the Liberals view and treat people in the regions as second-class citizens when it comes to cellphone service.The minister told me that telcos will be able to invest more thanks to the accelerated capital cost allowance. However, there is no guarantee that this will result in more investments in the regions. On the contrary, telcos will be able to invest more in the 5G service offered in big cities.The minister is supposedly responsible for rural economic development. When will she wake up and start working for our regions?

Mr. Speaker, the spring construction season has started but no shovels are in the ground for the Trans Mountain expansion. In 2016, the Liberals delayed their approval by four months and then failed to exert federal jurisdiction, while they actually funded opponents to use every tool to stop it. Last year, the Liberals' consultation mistakes delayed construction by another six months. In April, they delayed their second approval by a month. Now Liberal MPs on the natural resources committee question if a decision will even happen on June 18. What exactly is the plan for construction to start immediately on June 19?

Mr. Speaker, Canada and Cuba have long enjoyed a special relationship. Immigration plays a key role in preserving the strong ties that unite the people of our two nations.However, as a government, we have a unique responsibility to protect the health and safety of all our employees. Cuban nationals seeking to apply for travel documents to Canada will continue to have access to services online, and Canadians and permanent residents will continue to be able to submit documents directly to our embassy in Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to know whether the Conservative Party will support our climate emergency motion, which is very simple. It basically states that climate change is real, that it is an emergency and that we need to meet our Paris targets.I have a simple question. Will the Conservatives join the others and vote in favour of the motion?

Mr. Speaker, on the eve of our third annual National AccessAbility Week, and of course with Bill C-81 having gone through this House last week, I can assure every Canadian that we will find jobs for these workers. In fact, we are showing them the dignity of giving them meaningful work so that they contribute to government operations.I have been working with the organization. No one will be without a job.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the continued focus on how Canadians are doing, because we want to reiterate that a typical family of four with two children is $2,000 better off this year than they were back in 2015.We will continue our approach to making sure that we help middle-class Canadians, and we will continue to focus on how we can ensure that the economy does well. Our investments have made a really big difference for Canada. We are going to continue to invest in Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I was in Havana nearly three weeks ago, and I spoke with diplomats at our embassy. I want to thank them for their excellent work, and I want to assure our diplomats and all Canadians that the health and safety of our diplomats and their families is our number one concern.

Mr. Speaker, I do not have to repeat talking points. I am just going to say the truth.The truth is that we have a climate emergency and we need to take action on climate change. Inaction costs us even more.We just found out that Doug Ford's “climate plan” is actually costing twice as much as our federal climate plan. Taxpayers are paying more to do less.We need to take action on climate change. Why will the Conservative Party not recognize that the environment and the economy go hand in hand and that we need to take action for the future of our kids?

Mr. Speaker, in both the private sector and the public sector, it is important to have faith in the future. With the faith we have in our country, we have invested in our future. That is a good thing, because we are now in a much better situation than before. We have the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. That is clear. We began at 7.2% under the previous Conservative government, and it is now 5.8%. That is making a big difference for Canada and for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to talk about the impact our investments are having on the middle class. First of all, nearly one million jobs have been created, we have the lowest unemployment rate since 1976, and we have one of the strongest levels of economic growth in the developed world. In addition, the size of the debt relative to the economy is dropping, and it too will soon be at its lowest level in 40 years. Lastly, we have the lowest poverty rate in the history of Canada.This is all great news and demonstrates the importance of investing in the middle class, which helps everyone and the economy.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that you will find the unanimous consent of the House for the following motion: That, in the opinion of the House, the government should: (a) recognize the contribution that family caregivers make to the well-being of seniors, people who are sick, and people with reduced mobility, as well as the crucial role they play in the context of an aging population; and (b) advocate for a world family caregivers' day at the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Mr. Speaker, the dream of owning a home seems increasingly unrealistic for my constituents in Toronto—Danforth.While many of my constituents are trying to save for what will likely be the largest investment of their lives, we continue to see people who are failing to pay their fair share.Could the Minister of National Revenue update us on the government's progress in combatting tax evasion and tax avoidance in the housing market?

Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the increased volume of labour market impact assessment applications. Due to the fact that we have the lowest unemployment rate ever since we have started measuring, we have a new problem, and that is that it is hard to find labour in all different sectors, including in the agricultural sector. My department is trying to deal with the 40% surge in applications this year. We have dedicated more money and more resources. We are also looking at the way that we are processing LIMAs to find more efficient ways to get employers the workers they need.

Mr. Speaker, the global transition to a low-carbon economy is among the great challenges and opportunities of our lifetime. Our government has been a leader in the transition to a clean energy future. However, to succeed, we must engage expertise from around the world. Could the minister update this House on how Canada is showing clear leadership, bringing together international partners from government and industry to solve one of the most important global issues of our time?

Mr. Speaker, this is precisely the reason why, after Greyhound pulled out, we decided as a government to work with the provinces that wanted to fill the void left by Greyhound and not filled by other transportation companies. We would be there at the table with them. I am glad to say that, in the case of the Government of British Columbia, we will be co-financing the transportation costs associated with some northern routes, including the Highway of Tears.

Mr. Speaker, once again, there is very good news for gender equality and the sustainability of the women's movement. The new partnerships with the Community Foundations of Canada, the Canadian Women's Foundation and Grand Challenges Canada will bring funding to women's organizations to a level never reached before. Women's groups know first-hand how a decade of being underfunded and undermined by a government can roll back equality rights, but we are standing with them. I want to thank the hon. member for Long Range Mountains for her great advocacy.

Mr. Speaker, we know all Canadians need access to broadband as well as mobile networks, to participate in the digital world and also for safety.That is why our fall economic statement incentivized businesses to expand networks to rural areas. We are also making mobile projects eligible under the CRTC broadband funding.In budget 2019, we announced our commitment to make sure we have 100% access to high-speed broadband for all Canadians. We have a plan and it is working.

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that we were able to manage to lower taxes on Canadians even with the $150 billion of additional debt left to us by the previous government. What we have said is that what we need to continue to do is to ensure that Canadians are successful. We took away boutique tax credits, because we wanted to make sure that the broad cross-section of Canadians were better off. That is what the Canada child benefit did. That is what the lowering of middle-class taxes did.The Liberal approach is helping Canadians, not just the friends of Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand that for good projects such as this to move ahead and grow the economy, we must protect our environment and respect the rights of indigenous peoples.We are working hard to ensure that we are discharging our duty to consult with indigenous communities. There are outstanding issues between the proponent and the indigenous communities so we extended the time to give them time to resolve those issues. We hope they will be able to resolve those issues.

Mr. Speaker, we know that internal trade in this country needs to be freer. This is a very important issue. The IMF came out recently, when it was looking at Canada, and identified the fact that we could actually increase our GNP if we had freer trade across the country. That is why we are working towards this goal. We know that most of these barriers are at a provincial level, so I am encouraged to see provincial leaders taking action on this. The federal government has taken significant action. In our most recent budget, we took away all federal constraints, for example, to moving alcohol across our country.Now we need to work together with the provinces to get this done.

Mr. Speaker, our government has been working hard to advance gender equality, and our plan is working. One million jobs have been created and there are now more women working then ever before. Women's organizations are at the forefront of gender equality, yet they often remain underfunded, undermined, despite the vital role they play. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please tell the House how our government will change the way government funds women's organizations to make them more sustainable and stable for the future?

Mr. Speaker, I am not really sure where to start, but perhaps we could start with the fact that, yes, we have a corporate tax rate that is competitive with the United States. However, at the same time, what we have been able to do is to ensure our system works for all Canadians. We have lowered taxes for middle-class Canadians. We raised taxes on the top one per cent. We went after ensuring that we have an approach to dealing with offshore taxation that could actually work by putting in place rules to ensure that we can see through people's holdings in other countries. We have made important movement on all these fronts, ensuring our tax system works so our economy can work for investing in the future.

Mr. Speaker, we made an important promise, to invest in the future of Canada and Canadians. Fortunately, our investments have been very good for our economy. Unemployment is at its lowest in 40 years. More than a million new jobs were created in four years. This is a great economic situation, and things are going very well for Canadians. We will continue with our approach of investing in our future with optimism.

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague said, respecting jurisdiction means working with the provinces. That is why I was very happy to be in Halifax on Sunday working with the Province of Nova Scotia to announce two major transportation corridor projects. Our federal government is working with the provinces to make life better for Canadians.

moved that a ways and means motion to introduce an act to amend the Customs Tariff and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Act be concurred in.

Mr. Speaker, respecting jurisdiction means investing with the provinces. This gives me an opportunity to talk about the announcement we made yesterday together with the government of Quebec. We are making a historic investment in excess of $500 million to rehabilitate the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel and transform the 20th-century bridge-tunnel into a 21st-century piece of infrastructure. That is what we mean by “working with the provinces”. It was a joint announcement and it is a joint investment. We are going to work together for Quebeckers and for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, we have been investing in Canadians as can be seen through the Canada child benefit where 300,000 kids have been lifted out of poverty. As we see when it comes to the economy, through the leadership of the Minister of Finance, we have one of the fastest growth rates among the G7 countries. When it comes to the economy, there are over one million jobs that have been created since 2015. What is really important to note is that 75% of those jobs are full-time jobs. When it comes to Canadians, their wages have gone up. We will continue to invest in the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, I was in Grassy Narrows, because building a health facility there is a priority for us. The hope was to sign an agreement to move forward in addressing the needs of the community. It is part of a process of consensus building and negotiation in the best interest of the outcomes for that community and looking after those who are no longer in the community but need attention and care. These conversations are ongoing. We will continue working with Chief Turtle and his council until we agree on a solution that meets the health needs of Grassy Narrows, not only now but in the long term.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Don Valley North for his hard work.Last week, Canada hosted the Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation. We brought together over 25 countries to help build a more sustainable energy future that supports workers and communities and creates middle-class jobs.We highlighted the leadership of women, indigenous peoples and young Canadians in Canada's energy sector, and highlighted why Canada is the place to invest.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Toronto—Danforth for her interest in an issue that is important to her constituents.Our government recognizes the importance of ensuring a fair housing market for all Canadians. That is why the CRA has increased audits of real estate transactions in British Columbia and Ontario.Since 2015, CRA auditors have reviewed 41,700 files in Ontario and British Columbia, resulting in over $100 million in penalties, and have identified over $1 billion in additional taxes.I can confirm—

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we have been working very closely with producers in all sectors for months now. We are monitoring the situation, and reopening the Chinese markets, including the canola market, is our top priority.A working group is taking a very serious look at this issue, and we are following its recommendations. Yesterday, I confirmed the deadlines for the new advance payments program. I can assure the House that we are working with our farmers and for our farmers.

Mr. Speaker, we started by changing our approach. We cut taxes for the middle class by 7% for those who earn between $45,000 and $90,000 a year. At the same time, we added another bracket for the wealthy. This is important for our country. It is very good for the middle class, and it has helped us develop an economy that is working well right now.

Mr. Speaker, Liberals are all talk and no action when it comes to the crisis with China. Today we have learned that the crisis with China is about to get worse. The Chinese government has now set its sights on our livestock industry. The Canadian Meat Council is telling producers that they cannot count on the Canadian embassy to defend their interests in China. When will the Prime Minister realize that his inaction is devastating Canadian farmers and ranchers?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government had no problem putting its fingers on the scales of justice in the Mark Norman case. It did not hesitate to try to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. It sees nothing wrong with allowing foreign funding to continue to pour into special interest groups in Canada. It is unapologetic for putting an anti-Conservative group like Unifor on a panel that will decide how to hand out $600 million to the media that will cover the upcoming election.Why are the Liberals so desperate to use the power of government to punish their enemies and reward their friends?

Mr. Speaker, in all the hubbub of the House, I think the hon. gentleman missed the last part of my previous answer. I indicated that those three, including another 27 who had criminal issues, had all been deported from Canada.

Mr. Speaker, respecting jurisdiction means investing with the provinces. This gives me an opportunity to talk about the announcement we made yesterday together with the government of Quebec. We are making a historic investment in excess of $500 million to rehabilitate the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel and transform the 20th-century bridge-tunnel into a 21st-century piece of infrastructure. That is what we mean by “working with the provinces”. It was a joint announcement and it is a joint investment. We are going to work together for Quebeckers and for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that you will find the unanimous consent of the House for the following motion: That, in the opinion of the House, the government should: (a) recognize the contribution that family caregivers make to the well-being of seniors, people who are sick, and people with reduced mobility, as well as the crucial role they play in the context of an aging population; and (b) advocate for a world family caregivers' day at the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Mr. Speaker, this week we learned that the Liberal government offered access into Canada as a reward for many people who sued the government based on the flawed and terribly managed family reunification program. I do not think there is anyone in this place who would say that access into our country is something that should be frittered away as a result of a lawsuit. This action was described by somebody as likening Canada to a third world country.Is the government expecting further lawsuits on this issue?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance must remember that four years ago, when he decided to offer his services to Canadians as a candidate and Minister of Finance, he promised to run three small deficits and then no deficit in 2019. Four years later, the reality is three huge deficits and a deficit of nearly $20 billion in 2019. His credibility when it comes to managing public funds has evaporated. Sadly, his word has become worthless, since he promises one thing and does the opposite. Does he at least realize that a deficit is a tax on future generations?

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Indigenous Services went to Grassy Narrows to sign an agreement based on a two-year-old promise to a community that has been ravaged by mercury poisoning. However, he returned empty-handed. Today, in committee, adding insult to injury, the minister blamed the chief, saying that the chief just “changed his mind”.Let me be clear. Grassy Narrows is calling for what it was promised, including a mercury care home and treatment centre. Grassy Narrows deserves justice, not gaslighting. When will the Liberal government quit the blame game and keep its promise to the people of Grassy Narrows?

Mr. Speaker, under the former Conservative government, we admitted an average of 20,370 people. Under the Liberal government, it was 18,768 in the family reunification. I am really tired of the minister abdicating his responsibility to manage our border. He cannot allow people to skip the line at Roxham Road and give out access to our country through settlements and court cases, while people who are legally trying to enter this country have to wait.When are the Liberals going to stop bringing disorder and unfairness to Canada's immigration system?

Mr. Speaker, my constituents in Nanaimo—Ladysmith are having an increasingly difficult time paying the rising costs of pharmaceutical drugs. It is clear that it is beyond time to implement a universal pharmacare program. The new NAFTA includes provisions that extend patents on drugs from eight years to 10 years and will keep the cost of drugs high for consumers longer. What is the government prepared to do to keep pharmaceuticals affordable for those who need them, and to stop the excessive profiteering of big pharma?

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that, in most cases, this Liberal government interferes and makes decisions at the federal level without taking the provinces into account. It does not respect Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick or Quebec, for starters.Things have gotten so bad that, at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference last Friday, the Prime Minister said he was prepared to bypass the provinces to achieve his objectives.Why does the Liberal government have so little respect for provincial governments and premiers?

Mr. Speaker, the government still has no plan to deal with the labour shortage in rural areas like mine, despite the disastrous consequences for many businesses. Everyone agrees that immigration is one solution, but it is a long process. I asked the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to open an office in Saint-Hyacinthe to help SMEs and agri-food companies, but nothing has happened.Why is the minister ignoring the people in my riding and in rural areas?

Mr. Speaker, that is not an answer.Children are currently stranded in Cuba without their families because Canada cut consular services. We cannot ask minors to figure out how to get a visa for Mexico, pay to get there, figure out how to get a doctor's appointment and collect all of the necessary paperwork in a foreign country. The families are the ones who suffer.Can the government tell us when services will be restored? What is the government waiting for?

Mr. Speaker, it is easier for small businesses in my province to sell goods all over the world than to other provinces. Due to the Prime Minister's failure to lead, there is still no free trade within our country. This is an absolutely absurd situation.Provinces are starting to step up. However, the Liberal government would rather defend its protectionist status quo. Will the government do what Canadians are demanding and stand with premiers Kenney, Moe and Pallister for free trade in this great country?

Mr. Speaker, middle-class taxes are up $800 per family under the Liberal government, and it is starting to hurt.MNP, the accounting firm, reports that almost half of Canadians are less than $200 away from insolvency every month. In April, over 11,000 Canadians did go insolvent, a 9% annual increase over the previous year.When will the government realize that Canadians are taxed to the max and cannot afford to pay any more?

Mr. Speaker, it is very unfortunate that the Liberal government has been governing for four years and it takes no responsibility or accountability for anything it has done. This is the first time in Canadian history that the Auditor General has said that he has not been given the resources to fully audit the Liberal government. His request for new funds was rejected, and now audits have been dropped.How can the Liberal government always find money for its friends, but when it comes to holding it to account, the cupboards are bare?

Mr. Speaker, Canada's family reunification system is wrong-headed. Ottawa terminated immigration services at the embassy in Cuba without notice or explanation. People seeking sponsorship to join family in Quebec have to undergo medical tests in other countries, go back to Cuba, and then come to Quebec and pay thousands of dollars.What is the government going to do to fix this situation and finally let Quebec and Canadian families be together?

Mr. Speaker, Manitoba Hydro is planning to build a transmission line to the U.S. to export clean green energy. Unlike the useless Liberal carbon tax, the Manitoba–Minnesota transmission project would actually help the environment by increasing the amount of green energy. Five years of consultations have been done and this project has been approved by the National Energy Board and Manitoba's clean energy commission. Why is the Prime Minister blocking this product and not allowing it to get started?

Mr. Speaker, the spring construction season has started but no shovels are in the ground for the Trans Mountain expansion. In 2016, the Liberals delayed their approval by four months and then failed to exert federal jurisdiction, while they actually funded opponents to use every tool to stop it. Last year, the Liberals' consultation mistakes delayed construction by another six months. In April, they delayed their second approval by a month. Now Liberal MPs on the natural resources committee question if a decision will even happen on June 18. What exactly is the plan for construction to start immediately on June 19?

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending this national tragedy. We know that the actions and policies of past governments directly led to the loss and extinguishment of indigenous languages, culture and traditional practices. We are thanking the commission for the report and carefully reviewing all the recommendations. Our job is now to work with the survivors, families and our partners to develop a national action plan to implement those calls for justice. We must work together to end the ongoing tragedy and Canadians should expect no less, including the people in northern Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, let us just take a walk down history lane here and look at what the Conservatives have done.There is only one party in Canada's history that has been found several times to have broken election laws: robocalls, the in-and-out scandal and actually having a member of Parliament go to jail for spending over the limit. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Let us not talk about the so-called Fair Elections Act that they put in place to made it harder for Canadians to vote.We will take no lessons from the party opposite.

Mr. Speaker, it appears my colleague opposite did not hear the answer the last time, so if he does not mind, I will repeat it.There is only one party in the House that has been found to have broken election laws on numerous occasions. Let us go back. Let us remember the robocalls. Let us remember the in and out. Let us remember that one of its members of Parliament was found to have overspent and actually went to jail.When it comes to this side of the House, we made it easier for Canadians to vote. We gave the Commissioner of Canada Elections more power to enforce our laws. We have ensured that we are protecting our elections from foreign cyber-threats.

Mr. Speaker, I am rather surprised that the hon. gentleman continues to use statistics that have been totally discredited. In fact, he asked this question in the standing committee yesterday, and I indicated to him that according to the records of the CBSA, the number of Mexicans that had been connected or linked to the alleged cartels was not 400, but in fact three. It is not 300, but three, and they are among those who have been deported from Canada.

Mr. Speaker, this is what the Conservative Party recently said about the parent and grandparent program. The party describes this program as a “burden” on the federal government in terms of support as well as a drain on provinces. The party that pretends to care about family reunification is at the same time trying to describe parents and grandparents as a drain on Canada, as a drain on provinces. We are the party that cares about family reunification, not the Conservative Party of Canada.

moved that a ways and means motion to introduce an act to amend the Customs Tariff and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Act be concurred in.

Mr. Speaker, this minister has totally and utterly failed his constituents. Under the current Liberals, three companies that wanted to build pipelines in Canada are gone and building them in the U.S. Not an inch of new pipeline is in service in Canada, but the U.S. added 35,000 kilometres of new pipelines since the TMX was proposed. The Liberals must give a timeline for construction, transparency on costs and a plan to use all federal powers to get the Trans Mountain expansion built. Missing this construction season will cost taxpayers billions more. What is the plan to guarantee construction will start on June 19?

Mr. Speaker, the minister does not think anybody who takes the bus is middle class, so he raised their taxes by taking away their transit tax. He does not think that soccer moms and hockey dads are middle class, so he took away their children's fitness tax credit. He does not think students are middle class, so he took away the education and textbook tax credits. That does not even include the carbon and payroll tax increases.What is worse is what is to come. The government is spending at an unsustainable rate requiring higher taxes, if it is re-elected. Why will the government not tell the truth about the higher costs that Canadians will pay when the Liberals no longer need their votes but still need their money?

Mr. Speaker, what is unfortunate about the Minister of Finance is that back when he was a Bay Street baron, if I may call him that, he managed private sector money very realistically and very responsibly. Throughout his career in the private sector, he never ran up a deficit. Ever since he started taking care of taxpayers' money, however, it has been deficit after deficit. There have been four budgets and four deficits. That is the grand slam of mismanagement of public funds.Will the minister finally admit that he did not keep his promise and his commitment for a zero deficit in 2019, and that a deficit is a tax on future generations?

Mr. Speaker, in the 1970s, individuals and corporations paid the same amount of tax. Now, corporations pay only a third. Conservatives and Liberals have slashed corporate tax rates and failed to crack down on offshore tax havens. Who does this benefit? It is not everyday families. They do not use offshore tax havens, but the Westons, Irvings and the richest families in Canada sure do. While the Liberals and Conservatives help the richest save billions, they have failed to invest in housing, health care and pharmacare. Does the government not agree that the rich should pay their fair share?

Mr. Speaker, the inquiry presented its final report, in which it found that the tragic violence that indigenous women and girls have experienced amounts to genocide. As the Prime Minister has said, we accept these findings. Our job now is to develop a national action plan, as called for by the inquiry to implement its recommendations, that is distinctions-based and flexible. The final report makes it clear that action is now required not just from governments and institutions but from all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls inquiry has called for serious action to help the families of women who have gone missing. Families across northern Saskatchewan expect action from the Liberal government after the genocide of indigenous women. The families of Happy Charles and Myrna Montgrand need mental health supports and funding to help find their loved ones. Will the Liberals commit today to provide all the necessary resources toward missing and murdered women in northern Saskatchewan?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to know whether the Conservative Party will support our climate emergency motion, which is very simple. It basically states that climate change is real, that it is an emergency and that we need to meet our Paris targets.I have a simple question. Will the Conservatives join the others and vote in favour of the motion?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been clear. They are having a hard time making ends meet and are disappointed in the Liberal government. The Liberals cannot take the same old approach as the Conservatives. They must stop spending money to help rich corporations.Canadians need universal pharmacare and affordable housing. We need to make better choices in order to get better results.When will the Liberals start putting ordinary people ahead of their friends in high places and their rich corporations?

Mr. Speaker, let me correct the record with respect to the Conservatives' record on the parent and grandparent program: a backlog of over 167,000 cases, a six to 18 year wait time to sponsor loved ones. They mismanaged the program so badly that it went off the rails for two years. We have eliminated the backlog and we have reduced the wait times to under two years. So they do not forget, this is exactly what the Conservatives said about this program, a party that now pretends to care about family reunification—

Mr. Speaker, this is precisely the reason why, after Greyhound pulled out, we decided as a government to work with the provinces that wanted to fill the void left by Greyhound and not filled by other transportation companies. We would be there at the table with them. I am glad to say that, in the case of the Government of British Columbia, we will be co-financing the transportation costs associated with some northern routes, including the Highway of Tears.

Mr. Speaker, that is a complete fabrication. The Manitoba Hydro line was approved by two independent regulatory agencies and all outstanding issues have been addressed. This project would reduce emissions by providing clean electricity to areas of the U.S. that currently burn coal. However, the Prime Minister is blocking this green project and costing Manitobans hundreds of millions of dollars and Canadian jobs. The Prime Minister is politically interfering and trying to kill yet another Canadian energy project. Why?

Mr. Speaker, I am not really sure where to start, but perhaps we could start with the fact that, yes, we have a corporate tax rate that is competitive with the United States. However, at the same time, what we have been able to do is to ensure our system works for all Canadians. We have lowered taxes for middle-class Canadians. We raised taxes on the top one per cent. We went after ensuring that we have an approach to dealing with offshore taxation that could actually work by putting in place rules to ensure that we can see through people's holdings in other countries. We have made important movement on all these fronts, ensuring our tax system works so our economy can work for investing in the future.

Mr. Speaker, we will not follow the failed process of the Harper era that led to large energy infrastructure projects being challenged in the courts because they failed to put in place meaningful consultation that allows us to fully discharge our duty to consult with indigenous communities. We know that good projects such as this can only move forward when we look after the environment and we are meaningfully engaged with indigenous communities.We encourage the proponent to continue their conversations with indigenous—

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we have been working very closely with producers in all sectors for months now. We are monitoring the situation, and reopening the Chinese markets, including the canola market, is our top priority.A working group is taking a very serious look at this issue, and we are following its recommendations. Yesterday, I confirmed the deadlines for the new advance payments program. I can assure the House that we are working with our farmers and for our farmers.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Don Valley North for his hard work.Last week, Canada hosted the Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation. We brought together over 25 countries to help build a more sustainable energy future that supports workers and communities and creates middle-class jobs.We highlighted the leadership of women, indigenous peoples and young Canadians in Canada's energy sector, and highlighted why Canada is the place to invest.

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear about what Premier Kenney said. He said that climate change is the “flavour of the month”.This is actually an existential threat. If we look at what is happening in Alberta right now, we see that forest fires are starting even earlier.I have another fact. It was found that Doug Ford's climate plan costs twice as much to do less. It costs twice as much money for taxpayers.Taking action on climate change is something we need to do. We can do it in a way that makes life affordable, creates good jobs and ensures we do not leave the biggest debt to future generations through inaction on climate change.

Mr. Speaker, Canada has always had excellent relations with Mexico. However, the Liberals' poor management of the border and the cancellation of the visa program for Mexico are creating a safety risk for Canadians. More than 400 individuals linked to Mexican cartels have entered Canada to expand their territory and engage in criminal activity.Can the minister tell us what steps have been taken to address the situation?

Mr. Speaker, I do not have to repeat talking points. I am just going to say the truth.The truth is that we have a climate emergency and we need to take action on climate change. Inaction costs us even more.We just found out that Doug Ford's “climate plan” is actually costing twice as much as our federal climate plan. Taxpayers are paying more to do less.We need to take action on climate change. Why will the Conservative Party not recognize that the environment and the economy go hand in hand and that we need to take action for the future of our kids?

Mr. Speaker, in both the private sector and the public sector, it is important to have faith in the future. With the faith we have in our country, we have invested in our future. That is a good thing, because we are now in a much better situation than before. We have the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. That is clear. We began at 7.2% under the previous Conservative government, and it is now 5.8%. That is making a big difference for Canada and for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, Alberta cancelled the carbon tax and gas prices have fallen across the province. The same thing cannot be said for rural British Columbia.Yesterday, in Vavenby, Canfor laid off 178 workers. There is no employment, but the Prime Minister is happy to have them pay extra for gas because that is exactly what he wants.When will the Prime Minister stop punishing rural Canadians and take real steps to address the high price of gas?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to pretend they are going to meet their Paris targets, yet the evidence is overwhelming: Every single credible source, including the minister's own department, says the targets will not be met. Nevertheless, every day the minister gets up in the House and repeats loudly, and sometimes very loudly, something she knows to be patently false, in the hope that Canadians will totally believe it.When will the minister admit that the Liberals will not meet Canada's Paris targets?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to talk about the impact our investments are having on the middle class. First of all, nearly one million jobs have been created, we have the lowest unemployment rate since 1976, and we have one of the strongest levels of economic growth in the developed world. In addition, the size of the debt relative to the economy is dropping, and it too will soon be at its lowest level in 40 years. Lastly, we have the lowest poverty rate in the history of Canada.This is all great news and demonstrates the importance of investing in the middle class, which helps everyone and the economy.

Mr. Speaker, our government has been working hard to advance gender equality, and our plan is working. One million jobs have been created and there are now more women working then ever before. Women's organizations are at the forefront of gender equality, yet they often remain underfunded, undermined, despite the vital role they play. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please tell the House how our government will change the way government funds women's organizations to make them more sustainable and stable for the future?

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the continued focus on how Canadians are doing, because we want to reiterate that a typical family of four with two children is $2,000 better off this year than they were back in 2015.We will continue our approach to making sure that we help middle-class Canadians, and we will continue to focus on how we can ensure that the economy does well. Our investments have made a really big difference for Canada. We are going to continue to invest in Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for giving me the opportunity to remind the House of the record of cuts, muzzling and obstruction of the previous government. This is just another officer of Parliament who the Conservatives do not respect. They have told the PBO that they will not allow him to audit their platform. That is probably because they know their climate non-plan will cost more than ours. Just ask Doug Ford in Ontario.Where was that member when her party was thinking of burning the AG's budget—

Mr. Speaker, on the eve of our third annual National AccessAbility Week, and of course with Bill C-81 having gone through this House last week, I can assure every Canadian that we will find jobs for these workers. In fact, we are showing them the dignity of giving them meaningful work so that they contribute to government operations.I have been working with the organization. No one will be without a job.

Mr. Speaker, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released 231 calls for justice to protect indigenous women and children. The calls include providing sufficient and readily available transit between cities in rural and northern communities. I have asked the current Liberal government 18 times to provide safe and affordable transportation in Saskatchewan, following the closure of the STC and the Greyhound service cuts. Will the Liberals act now to ensure indigenous women and girls have access to safe transportation options?

Mr. Speaker, we know all Canadians need access to broadband as well as mobile networks, to participate in the digital world and also for safety.That is why our fall economic statement incentivized businesses to expand networks to rural areas. We are also making mobile projects eligible under the CRTC broadband funding.In budget 2019, we announced our commitment to make sure we have 100% access to high-speed broadband for all Canadians. We have a plan and it is working.

Mr. Speaker, the dream of owning a home seems increasingly unrealistic for my constituents in Toronto—Danforth.While many of my constituents are trying to save for what will likely be the largest investment of their lives, we continue to see people who are failing to pay their fair share.Could the Minister of National Revenue update us on the government's progress in combatting tax evasion and tax avoidance in the housing market?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is getting in the way of the Auditor General.Canadians rely on the integrity of our government institutions to be transparent. We all know that rewarding cronies is the Liberal way of getting favours or keeping officials quiet.Why is the government prepared to obstruct the work of the Auditor General with impunity, instead of allowing him to do what he is mandated to do, namely to conduct independent audits?

Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the increased volume of labour market impact assessment applications. Due to the fact that we have the lowest unemployment rate ever since we have started measuring, we have a new problem, and that is that it is hard to find labour in all different sectors, including in the agricultural sector. My department is trying to deal with the 40% surge in applications this year. We have dedicated more money and more resources. We are also looking at the way that we are processing LIMAs to find more efficient ways to get employers the workers they need.

Mr. Speaker, dozens of workers with developmental disabilities were fired from their jobs after the Liberal government shut down the National Archives program that employed them. Liberals have promised to find them meaningful work within government, but nothing has been done. When the Prime Minister was asked about the fate of these workers, he gave empty talking points. These workers deserve better. They want to know, will the Liberals commit today to replace those jobs they took away?

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the hon. member and the members of the official opposition to actually listen to their leader or the premier of Alberta who believe that the process we have put in place is the right process. Maybe they should talk to the energy minister for Alberta as she believes the process is the right process. If they really believe in this process, they should not have voted to defund and kill the process that would allow us to get to a decision on this project by June 18.

Mr. Speaker, we have been investing in Canadians as can be seen through the Canada child benefit where 300,000 kids have been lifted out of poverty. As we see when it comes to the economy, through the leadership of the Minister of Finance, we have one of the fastest growth rates among the G7 countries. When it comes to the economy, there are over one million jobs that have been created since 2015. What is really important to note is that 75% of those jobs are full-time jobs. When it comes to Canadians, their wages have gone up. We will continue to invest in the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, the government realized back in the fall of 2015 that it needed to lower taxes on middle-class Canadians.When people say things, it does not make them true. The fact of the matter is that nine million middle-class Canadians have lower taxes, because we lowered the tax bracket between $45,000 and $90,000 by 7%. We added on the Canada child benefit, making sure that nine out of 10 families are better off.The facts are clear. In 2019, a typical family is $2,000 better off than in 2015 under the previous government.

Mr. Speaker, we know that internal trade in this country needs to be freer. This is a very important issue. The IMF came out recently, when it was looking at Canada, and identified the fact that we could actually increase our GNP if we had freer trade across the country. That is why we are working towards this goal. We know that most of these barriers are at a provincial level, so I am encouraged to see provincial leaders taking action on this. The federal government has taken significant action. In our most recent budget, we took away all federal constraints, for example, to moving alcohol across our country.Now we need to work together with the provinces to get this done.

Mr. Speaker, 65 years ago, individuals and corporations paid the same amount of income tax. Since then, the balance has tipped in favour of corporations. Corporate taxes have been cut, and individuals have been forced to make up the difference, because the Liberals and Conservatives refuse to put people ahead of corporations. We have the courage to do things differently.Will the Liberals commit to helping people and making sure the rich pay their fair share?

Mr. Speaker, our government believes that no Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescriptions and putting food on the table. That is why we are taking bold steps to help Canadians save billions on drugs, including joining the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance, proposing major reforms to regulations, laying the foundation for national pharmacare in budget 2019 and devoting over $1 billion to high-cost drugs for rare diseases. We will not rest until all Canadians can get and afford the medications they need.

Mr. Speaker, families told their truths. Sophie Merasty, who lost her sister Rose, said, “We have always known this was a genocide....The violence we face happens in all aspects of our lives—at every level, in every institution, in every interaction.”On behalf of all Canadians, will the Prime Minister honour this truth and state clearly that Canada committed genocide against indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people? Will he commit to implementing all recommendations from the inquiry, with dedicated resources and a timeline that is accountable to the public?

Mr. Speaker, the global transition to a low-carbon economy is among the great challenges and opportunities of our lifetime. Our government has been a leader in the transition to a clean energy future. However, to succeed, we must engage expertise from around the world. Could the minister update this House on how Canada is showing clear leadership, bringing together international partners from government and industry to solve one of the most important global issues of our time?

Mr. Speaker, 13 of the 39 municipalities in my riding have little or no cellphone coverage. While big cities will soon have 5G service, some regions are still fighting to get 3G. Two weeks ago, I asked why the Liberals view and treat people in the regions as second-class citizens when it comes to cellphone service.The minister told me that telcos will be able to invest more thanks to the accelerated capital cost allowance. However, there is no guarantee that this will result in more investments in the regions. On the contrary, telcos will be able to invest more in the 5G service offered in big cities.The minister is supposedly responsible for rural economic development. When will she wake up and start working for our regions?

Mr. Speaker, federal and provincial areas of jurisdiction go back to 1867. A prime minister's job is to maintain healthy, productive and harmonious federal-provincial relations, but this Prime Minister is paternalistic and centralizing. When will the Prime Minister show some respect for the provincially elected representatives of all Canadian provinces?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the Conservatives are finally taking an interest in officers of Parliament. After all, it was their party that cut $6.4 million from the OAG's budget and fired the auditor general.We increased the OAG's budget by $41 million, something the Conservatives voted against. Why?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Toronto—Danforth for her interest in an issue that is important to her constituents.Our government recognizes the importance of ensuring a fair housing market for all Canadians. That is why the CRA has increased audits of real estate transactions in British Columbia and Ontario.Since 2015, CRA auditors have reviewed 41,700 files in Ontario and British Columbia, resulting in over $100 million in penalties, and have identified over $1 billion in additional taxes.I can confirm—

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for shouting so much. It shows a lot of respect for the House.That said, the minister mentioned that the number of Mexican cartel members in Canada is three, not 400.So much the better if this is true. Can the minister tell us where these three individuals are and whether they will be deported to Mexico quickly?

Mr. Speaker, people who take the bus, people who put their kids in sports, students who go to university and college, I am happy to call those people Conservative friends.However, they have no friends on that side of the House, because these Liberals will continue to raise taxes on middle-class Canadians, another $23-billion spending increase and a promise-breaking deficit to go along with it.Why do the Liberals not just admit that after the election, if, God forbid, they are back, there will be massive tax increases to pay for all of this out-of-control spending?

Mr. Speaker, Canada and Cuba have long enjoyed a special relationship. Immigration plays a key role in preserving the strong ties that unite the people of our two nations.However, as a government, we have a unique responsibility to protect the health and safety of all our employees. Cuban nationals seeking to apply for travel documents to Canada will continue to have access to services online, and Canadians and permanent residents will continue to be able to submit documents directly to our embassy in Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, we are moving forward on building pipelines. We are the government that gave approval to the Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completely done on the Canadian side. We are the government that gave approval to the Nova Gas line, which is completely done here. We are the government that had been advocating for the Keystone XL pipeline. We put in place a process to move forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way to ensure that we are engaging with indigenous communities in a meaningful way, a process that the Conservatives tried to kill.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand that for good projects such as this to move ahead and grow the economy, we must protect our environment and respect the rights of indigenous peoples.We are working hard to ensure that we are discharging our duty to consult with indigenous communities. There are outstanding issues between the proponent and the indigenous communities so we extended the time to give them time to resolve those issues. We hope they will be able to resolve those issues.

Mr. Speaker, we started by changing our approach. We cut taxes for the middle class by 7% for those who earn between $45,000 and $90,000 a year. At the same time, we added another bracket for the wealthy. This is important for our country. It is very good for the middle class, and it has helped us develop an economy that is working well right now.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government uses its power to punish its enemies and reward its friends. If its SNC-Lavalin, the Prime Minister fights to get it out of troublesome court cases. If one is a decorated vice-admiral, that vice-admiral gets a Prime Minister promising that he will be in court before an investigation is even complete. If one is a cabinet minister who speaks truth to power, that cabinet minister is fired and kicked out of the Liberal Party. If its an anti-Conservative group like Unifor, that group gets to decide how to hand out $600 million to the media in an election year.When will the Liberals stop trying to stack the deck in their own favour?

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that we were able to manage to lower taxes on Canadians even with the $150 billion of additional debt left to us by the previous government. What we have said is that what we need to continue to do is to ensure that Canadians are successful. We took away boutique tax credits, because we wanted to make sure that the broad cross-section of Canadians were better off. That is what the Canada child benefit did. That is what the lowering of middle-class taxes did.The Liberal approach is helping Canadians, not just the friends of Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, I was in Grassy Narrows, because building a health facility there is a priority for us. The hope was to sign an agreement to move forward in addressing the needs of the community. It is part of a process of consensus building and negotiation in the best interest of the outcomes for that community and looking after those who are no longer in the community but need attention and care. These conversations are ongoing. We will continue working with Chief Turtle and his council until we agree on a solution that meets the health needs of Grassy Narrows, not only now but in the long term.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are continuing to put the richest ahead of everyday people. They let KPMG off the hook for tax avoidance. They helped Sears financiers over the workers at Sears. They let drug companies protect their profits instead of helping Canadians who cannot afford the cost of medication.Now Canada ranks 25th out of 37 countries on services for people. Liberals must stop helping their wealthy friends and start investing in people. Why are the Liberals refusing to ensure that the rich pay their fair share?

Mr. Speaker, we made an important promise, to invest in the future of Canada and Canadians. Fortunately, our investments have been very good for our economy. Unemployment is at its lowest in 40 years. More than a million new jobs were created in four years. This is a great economic situation, and things are going very well for Canadians. We will continue with our approach of investing in our future with optimism.

Mr. Speaker, this government is out of touch. Canada's environment commissioner and many organizations, such as the UN, are saying that Canada will not achieve its Paris targets.In committee, I asked the minister whether Canada was going to meet its targets. She said yes. What a lack of honesty and transparency.This government needs to be honest. When will it tell Canadians that the Liberals in power will not meet the Paris targets?

Mr. Speaker, once again, there is very good news for gender equality and the sustainability of the women's movement. The new partnerships with the Community Foundations of Canada, the Canadian Women's Foundation and Grand Challenges Canada will bring funding to women's organizations to a level never reached before. Women's groups know first-hand how a decade of being underfunded and undermined by a government can roll back equality rights, but we are standing with them. I want to thank the hon. member for Long Range Mountains for her great advocacy.

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague said, respecting jurisdiction means working with the provinces. That is why I was very happy to be in Halifax on Sunday working with the Province of Nova Scotia to announce two major transportation corridor projects. Our federal government is working with the provinces to make life better for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I was in Havana nearly three weeks ago, and I spoke with diplomats at our embassy. I want to thank them for their excellent work, and I want to assure our diplomats and all Canadians that the health and safety of our diplomats and their families is our number one concern.

Mr. Speaker, I was in Havana nearly three weeks ago, and I spoke with diplomats at our embassy. I want to thank them for their excellent work, and I want to assure our diplomats and all Canadians that the health and safety of our diplomats and their families is our number one concern.

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague said, respecting jurisdiction means working with the provinces. That is why I was very happy to be in Halifax on Sunday working with the Province of Nova Scotia to announce two major transportation corridor projects. Our federal government is working with the provinces to make life better for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, once again, there is very good news for gender equality and the sustainability of the women's movement. The new partnerships with the Community Foundations of Canada, the Canadian Women's Foundation and Grand Challenges Canada will bring funding to women's organizations to a level never reached before. Women's groups know first-hand how a decade of being underfunded and undermined by a government can roll back equality rights, but we are standing with them. I want to thank the hon. member for Long Range Mountains for her great advocacy.

Mr. Speaker, this government is out of touch. Canada's environment commissioner and many organizations, such as the UN, are saying that Canada will not achieve its Paris targets.In committee, I asked the minister whether Canada was going to meet its targets. She said yes. What a lack of honesty and transparency.This government needs to be honest. When will it tell Canadians that the Liberals in power will not meet the Paris targets?

Mr. Speaker, we made an important promise, to invest in the future of Canada and Canadians. Fortunately, our investments have been very good for our economy. Unemployment is at its lowest in 40 years. More than a million new jobs were created in four years. This is a great economic situation, and things are going very well for Canadians. We will continue with our approach of investing in our future with optimism.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are continuing to put the richest ahead of everyday people. They let KPMG off the hook for tax avoidance. They helped Sears financiers over the workers at Sears. They let drug companies protect their profits instead of helping Canadians who cannot afford the cost of medication.Now Canada ranks 25th out of 37 countries on services for people. Liberals must stop helping their wealthy friends and start investing in people. Why are the Liberals refusing to ensure that the rich pay their fair share?

Mr. Speaker, I was in Grassy Narrows, because building a health facility there is a priority for us. The hope was to sign an agreement to move forward in addressing the needs of the community. It is part of a process of consensus building and negotiation in the best interest of the outcomes for that community and looking after those who are no longer in the community but need attention and care. These conversations are ongoing. We will continue working with Chief Turtle and his council until we agree on a solution that meets the health needs of Grassy Narrows, not only now but in the long term.

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that we were able to manage to lower taxes on Canadians even with the $150 billion of additional debt left to us by the previous government. What we have said is that what we need to continue to do is to ensure that Canadians are successful. We took away boutique tax credits, because we wanted to make sure that the broad cross-section of Canadians were better off. That is what the Canada child benefit did. That is what the lowering of middle-class taxes did.The Liberal approach is helping Canadians, not just the friends of Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government uses its power to punish its enemies and reward its friends. If its SNC-Lavalin, the Prime Minister fights to get it out of troublesome court cases. If one is a decorated vice-admiral, that vice-admiral gets a Prime Minister promising that he will be in court before an investigation is even complete. If one is a cabinet minister who speaks truth to power, that cabinet minister is fired and kicked out of the Liberal Party. If its an anti-Conservative group like Unifor, that group gets to decide how to hand out $600 million to the media in an election year.When will the Liberals stop trying to stack the deck in their own favour?

Mr. Speaker, we started by changing our approach. We cut taxes for the middle class by 7% for those who earn between $45,000 and $90,000 a year. At the same time, we added another bracket for the wealthy. This is important for our country. It is very good for the middle class, and it has helped us develop an economy that is working well right now.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand that for good projects such as this to move ahead and grow the economy, we must protect our environment and respect the rights of indigenous peoples.We are working hard to ensure that we are discharging our duty to consult with indigenous communities. There are outstanding issues between the proponent and the indigenous communities so we extended the time to give them time to resolve those issues. We hope they will be able to resolve those issues.

Mr. Speaker, we are moving forward on building pipelines. We are the government that gave approval to the Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completely done on the Canadian side. We are the government that gave approval to the Nova Gas line, which is completely done here. We are the government that had been advocating for the Keystone XL pipeline. We put in place a process to move forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way to ensure that we are engaging with indigenous communities in a meaningful way, a process that the Conservatives tried to kill.

Mr. Speaker, Canada and Cuba have long enjoyed a special relationship. Immigration plays a key role in preserving the strong ties that unite the people of our two nations.However, as a government, we have a unique responsibility to protect the health and safety of all our employees. Cuban nationals seeking to apply for travel documents to Canada will continue to have access to services online, and Canadians and permanent residents will continue to be able to submit documents directly to our embassy in Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, people who take the bus, people who put their kids in sports, students who go to university and college, I am happy to call those people Conservative friends.However, they have no friends on that side of the House, because these Liberals will continue to raise taxes on middle-class Canadians, another $23-billion spending increase and a promise-breaking deficit to go along with it.Why do the Liberals not just admit that after the election, if, God forbid, they are back, there will be massive tax increases to pay for all of this out-of-control spending?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for shouting so much. It shows a lot of respect for the House.That said, the minister mentioned that the number of Mexican cartel members in Canada is three, not 400.So much the better if this is true. Can the minister tell us where these three individuals are and whether they will be deported to Mexico quickly?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Toronto—Danforth for her interest in an issue that is important to her constituents.Our government recognizes the importance of ensuring a fair housing market for all Canadians. That is why the CRA has increased audits of real estate transactions in British Columbia and Ontario.Since 2015, CRA auditors have reviewed 41,700 files in Ontario and British Columbia, resulting in over $100 million in penalties, and have identified over $1 billion in additional taxes.I can confirm—

Mr. Speaker, federal and provincial areas of jurisdiction go back to 1867. A prime minister's job is to maintain healthy, productive and harmonious federal-provincial relations, but this Prime Minister is paternalistic and centralizing. When will the Prime Minister show some respect for the provincially elected representatives of all Canadian provinces?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the Conservatives are finally taking an interest in officers of Parliament. After all, it was their party that cut $6.4 million from the OAG's budget and fired the auditor general.We increased the OAG's budget by $41 million, something the Conservatives voted against. Why?

Mr. Speaker, 13 of the 39 municipalities in my riding have little or no cellphone coverage. While big cities will soon have 5G service, some regions are still fighting to get 3G. Two weeks ago, I asked why the Liberals view and treat people in the regions as second-class citizens when it comes to cellphone service.The minister told me that telcos will be able to invest more thanks to the accelerated capital cost allowance. However, there is no guarantee that this will result in more investments in the regions. On the contrary, telcos will be able to invest more in the 5G service offered in big cities.The minister is supposedly responsible for rural economic development. When will she wake up and start working for our regions?

Mr. Speaker, the global transition to a low-carbon economy is among the great challenges and opportunities of our lifetime. Our government has been a leader in the transition to a clean energy future. However, to succeed, we must engage expertise from around the world. Could the minister update this House on how Canada is showing clear leadership, bringing together international partners from government and industry to solve one of the most important global issues of our time?

Mr. Speaker, families told their truths. Sophie Merasty, who lost her sister Rose, said, “We have always known this was a genocide....The violence we face happens in all aspects of our lives—at every level, in every institution, in every interaction.”On behalf of all Canadians, will the Prime Minister honour this truth and state clearly that Canada committed genocide against indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people? Will he commit to implementing all recommendations from the inquiry, with dedicated resources and a timeline that is accountable to the public?

Mr. Speaker, our government believes that no Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescriptions and putting food on the table. That is why we are taking bold steps to help Canadians save billions on drugs, including joining the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance, proposing major reforms to regulations, laying the foundation for national pharmacare in budget 2019 and devoting over $1 billion to high-cost drugs for rare diseases. We will not rest until all Canadians can get and afford the medications they need.

Mr. Speaker, 65 years ago, individuals and corporations paid the same amount of income tax. Since then, the balance has tipped in favour of corporations. Corporate taxes have been cut, and individuals have been forced to make up the difference, because the Liberals and Conservatives refuse to put people ahead of corporations. We have the courage to do things differently.Will the Liberals commit to helping people and making sure the rich pay their fair share?

Mr. Speaker, we know that internal trade in this country needs to be freer. This is a very important issue. The IMF came out recently, when it was looking at Canada, and identified the fact that we could actually increase our GNP if we had freer trade across the country. That is why we are working towards this goal. We know that most of these barriers are at a provincial level, so I am encouraged to see provincial leaders taking action on this. The federal government has taken significant action. In our most recent budget, we took away all federal constraints, for example, to moving alcohol across our country.Now we need to work together with the provinces to get this done.

Mr. Speaker, the government realized back in the fall of 2015 that it needed to lower taxes on middle-class Canadians.When people say things, it does not make them true. The fact of the matter is that nine million middle-class Canadians have lower taxes, because we lowered the tax bracket between $45,000 and $90,000 by 7%. We added on the Canada child benefit, making sure that nine out of 10 families are better off.The facts are clear. In 2019, a typical family is $2,000 better off than in 2015 under the previous government.

Mr. Speaker, we have been investing in Canadians as can be seen through the Canada child benefit where 300,000 kids have been lifted out of poverty. As we see when it comes to the economy, through the leadership of the Minister of Finance, we have one of the fastest growth rates among the G7 countries. When it comes to the economy, there are over one million jobs that have been created since 2015. What is really important to note is that 75% of those jobs are full-time jobs. When it comes to Canadians, their wages have gone up. We will continue to invest in the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the hon. member and the members of the official opposition to actually listen to their leader or the premier of Alberta who believe that the process we have put in place is the right process. Maybe they should talk to the energy minister for Alberta as she believes the process is the right process. If they really believe in this process, they should not have voted to defund and kill the process that would allow us to get to a decision on this project by June 18.

Mr. Speaker, dozens of workers with developmental disabilities were fired from their jobs after the Liberal government shut down the National Archives program that employed them. Liberals have promised to find them meaningful work within government, but nothing has been done. When the Prime Minister was asked about the fate of these workers, he gave empty talking points. These workers deserve better. They want to know, will the Liberals commit today to replace those jobs they took away?

Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the increased volume of labour market impact assessment applications. Due to the fact that we have the lowest unemployment rate ever since we have started measuring, we have a new problem, and that is that it is hard to find labour in all different sectors, including in the agricultural sector. My department is trying to deal with the 40% surge in applications this year. We have dedicated more money and more resources. We are also looking at the way that we are processing LIMAs to find more efficient ways to get employers the workers they need.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is getting in the way of the Auditor General.Canadians rely on the integrity of our government institutions to be transparent. We all know that rewarding cronies is the Liberal way of getting favours or keeping officials quiet.Why is the government prepared to obstruct the work of the Auditor General with impunity, instead of allowing him to do what he is mandated to do, namely to conduct independent audits?

Mr. Speaker, we know all Canadians need access to broadband as well as mobile networks, to participate in the digital world and also for safety.That is why our fall economic statement incentivized businesses to expand networks to rural areas. We are also making mobile projects eligible under the CRTC broadband funding.In budget 2019, we announced our commitment to make sure we have 100% access to high-speed broadband for all Canadians. We have a plan and it is working.

Mr. Speaker, the dream of owning a home seems increasingly unrealistic for my constituents in Toronto—Danforth.While many of my constituents are trying to save for what will likely be the largest investment of their lives, we continue to see people who are failing to pay their fair share.Could the Minister of National Revenue update us on the government's progress in combatting tax evasion and tax avoidance in the housing market?

Mr. Speaker, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released 231 calls for justice to protect indigenous women and children. The calls include providing sufficient and readily available transit between cities in rural and northern communities. I have asked the current Liberal government 18 times to provide safe and affordable transportation in Saskatchewan, following the closure of the STC and the Greyhound service cuts. Will the Liberals act now to ensure indigenous women and girls have access to safe transportation options?

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the continued focus on how Canadians are doing, because we want to reiterate that a typical family of four with two children is $2,000 better off this year than they were back in 2015.We will continue our approach to making sure that we help middle-class Canadians, and we will continue to focus on how we can ensure that the economy does well. Our investments have made a really big difference for Canada. We are going to continue to invest in Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for giving me the opportunity to remind the House of the record of cuts, muzzling and obstruction of the previous government. This is just another officer of Parliament who the Conservatives do not respect. They have told the PBO that they will not allow him to audit their platform. That is probably because they know their climate non-plan will cost more than ours. Just ask Doug Ford in Ontario.Where was that member when her party was thinking of burning the AG's budget—

Mr. Speaker, on the eve of our third annual National AccessAbility Week, and of course with Bill C-81 having gone through this House last week, I can assure every Canadian that we will find jobs for these workers. In fact, we are showing them the dignity of giving them meaningful work so that they contribute to government operations.I have been working with the organization. No one will be without a job.

Mr. Speaker, our government has been working hard to advance gender equality, and our plan is working. One million jobs have been created and there are now more women working then ever before. Women's organizations are at the forefront of gender equality, yet they often remain underfunded, undermined, despite the vital role they play. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please tell the House how our government will change the way government funds women's organizations to make them more sustainable and stable for the future?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to talk about the impact our investments are having on the middle class. First of all, nearly one million jobs have been created, we have the lowest unemployment rate since 1976, and we have one of the strongest levels of economic growth in the developed world. In addition, the size of the debt relative to the economy is dropping, and it too will soon be at its lowest level in 40 years. Lastly, we have the lowest poverty rate in the history of Canada.This is all great news and demonstrates the importance of investing in the middle class, which helps everyone and the economy.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to pretend they are going to meet their Paris targets, yet the evidence is overwhelming: Every single credible source, including the minister's own department, says the targets will not be met. Nevertheless, every day the minister gets up in the House and repeats loudly, and sometimes very loudly, something she knows to be patently false, in the hope that Canadians will totally believe it.When will the minister admit that the Liberals will not meet Canada's Paris targets?

Mr. Speaker, Alberta cancelled the carbon tax and gas prices have fallen across the province. The same thing cannot be said for rural British Columbia.Yesterday, in Vavenby, Canfor laid off 178 workers. There is no employment, but the Prime Minister is happy to have them pay extra for gas because that is exactly what he wants.When will the Prime Minister stop punishing rural Canadians and take real steps to address the high price of gas?

Mr. Speaker, in both the private sector and the public sector, it is important to have faith in the future. With the faith we have in our country, we have invested in our future. That is a good thing, because we are now in a much better situation than before. We have the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. That is clear. We began at 7.2% under the previous Conservative government, and it is now 5.8%. That is making a big difference for Canada and for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I do not have to repeat talking points. I am just going to say the truth.The truth is that we have a climate emergency and we need to take action on climate change. Inaction costs us even more.We just found out that Doug Ford's “climate plan” is actually costing twice as much as our federal climate plan. Taxpayers are paying more to do less.We need to take action on climate change. Why will the Conservative Party not recognize that the environment and the economy go hand in hand and that we need to take action for the future of our kids?

Mr. Speaker, Canada has always had excellent relations with Mexico. However, the Liberals' poor management of the border and the cancellation of the visa program for Mexico are creating a safety risk for Canadians. More than 400 individuals linked to Mexican cartels have entered Canada to expand their territory and engage in criminal activity.Can the minister tell us what steps have been taken to address the situation?

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear about what Premier Kenney said. He said that climate change is the “flavour of the month”.This is actually an existential threat. If we look at what is happening in Alberta right now, we see that forest fires are starting even earlier.I have another fact. It was found that Doug Ford's climate plan costs twice as much to do less. It costs twice as much money for taxpayers.Taking action on climate change is something we need to do. We can do it in a way that makes life affordable, creates good jobs and ensures we do not leave the biggest debt to future generations through inaction on climate change.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Don Valley North for his hard work.Last week, Canada hosted the Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation. We brought together over 25 countries to help build a more sustainable energy future that supports workers and communities and creates middle-class jobs.We highlighted the leadership of women, indigenous peoples and young Canadians in Canada's energy sector, and highlighted why Canada is the place to invest.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we have been working very closely with producers in all sectors for months now. We are monitoring the situation, and reopening the Chinese markets, including the canola market, is our top priority.A working group is taking a very serious look at this issue, and we are following its recommendations. Yesterday, I confirmed the deadlines for the new advance payments program. I can assure the House that we are working with our farmers and for our farmers.

Mr. Speaker, we will not follow the failed process of the Harper era that led to large energy infrastructure projects being challenged in the courts because they failed to put in place meaningful consultation that allows us to fully discharge our duty to consult with indigenous communities. We know that good projects such as this can only move forward when we look after the environment and we are meaningfully engaged with indigenous communities.We encourage the proponent to continue their conversations with indigenous—

Mr. Speaker, I am not really sure where to start, but perhaps we could start with the fact that, yes, we have a corporate tax rate that is competitive with the United States. However, at the same time, what we have been able to do is to ensure our system works for all Canadians. We have lowered taxes for middle-class Canadians. We raised taxes on the top one per cent. We went after ensuring that we have an approach to dealing with offshore taxation that could actually work by putting in place rules to ensure that we can see through people's holdings in other countries. We have made important movement on all these fronts, ensuring our tax system works so our economy can work for investing in the future.

Mr. Speaker, that is a complete fabrication. The Manitoba Hydro line was approved by two independent regulatory agencies and all outstanding issues have been addressed. This project would reduce emissions by providing clean electricity to areas of the U.S. that currently burn coal. However, the Prime Minister is blocking this green project and costing Manitobans hundreds of millions of dollars and Canadian jobs. The Prime Minister is politically interfering and trying to kill yet another Canadian energy project. Why?

Mr. Speaker, this is precisely the reason why, after Greyhound pulled out, we decided as a government to work with the provinces that wanted to fill the void left by Greyhound and not filled by other transportation companies. We would be there at the table with them. I am glad to say that, in the case of the Government of British Columbia, we will be co-financing the transportation costs associated with some northern routes, including the Highway of Tears.

Mr. Speaker, let me correct the record with respect to the Conservatives' record on the parent and grandparent program: a backlog of over 167,000 cases, a six to 18 year wait time to sponsor loved ones. They mismanaged the program so badly that it went off the rails for two years. We have eliminated the backlog and we have reduced the wait times to under two years. So they do not forget, this is exactly what the Conservatives said about this program, a party that now pretends to care about family reunification—

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been clear. They are having a hard time making ends meet and are disappointed in the Liberal government. The Liberals cannot take the same old approach as the Conservatives. They must stop spending money to help rich corporations.Canadians need universal pharmacare and affordable housing. We need to make better choices in order to get better results.When will the Liberals start putting ordinary people ahead of their friends in high places and their rich corporations?

Mr. Speaker, the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls inquiry has called for serious action to help the families of women who have gone missing. Families across northern Saskatchewan expect action from the Liberal government after the genocide of indigenous women. The families of Happy Charles and Myrna Montgrand need mental health supports and funding to help find their loved ones. Will the Liberals commit today to provide all the necessary resources toward missing and murdered women in northern Saskatchewan?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to know whether the Conservative Party will support our climate emergency motion, which is very simple. It basically states that climate change is real, that it is an emergency and that we need to meet our Paris targets.I have a simple question. Will the Conservatives join the others and vote in favour of the motion?

Mr. Speaker, the inquiry presented its final report, in which it found that the tragic violence that indigenous women and girls have experienced amounts to genocide. As the Prime Minister has said, we accept these findings. Our job now is to develop a national action plan, as called for by the inquiry to implement its recommendations, that is distinctions-based and flexible. The final report makes it clear that action is now required not just from governments and institutions but from all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, in the 1970s, individuals and corporations paid the same amount of tax. Now, corporations pay only a third. Conservatives and Liberals have slashed corporate tax rates and failed to crack down on offshore tax havens. Who does this benefit? It is not everyday families. They do not use offshore tax havens, but the Westons, Irvings and the richest families in Canada sure do. While the Liberals and Conservatives help the richest save billions, they have failed to invest in housing, health care and pharmacare. Does the government not agree that the rich should pay their fair share?

Mr. Speaker, what is unfortunate about the Minister of Finance is that back when he was a Bay Street baron, if I may call him that, he managed private sector money very realistically and very responsibly. Throughout his career in the private sector, he never ran up a deficit. Ever since he started taking care of taxpayers' money, however, it has been deficit after deficit. There have been four budgets and four deficits. That is the grand slam of mismanagement of public funds.Will the minister finally admit that he did not keep his promise and his commitment for a zero deficit in 2019, and that a deficit is a tax on future generations?

Mr. Speaker, the minister does not think anybody who takes the bus is middle class, so he raised their taxes by taking away their transit tax. He does not think that soccer moms and hockey dads are middle class, so he took away their children's fitness tax credit. He does not think students are middle class, so he took away the education and textbook tax credits. That does not even include the carbon and payroll tax increases.What is worse is what is to come. The government is spending at an unsustainable rate requiring higher taxes, if it is re-elected. Why will the government not tell the truth about the higher costs that Canadians will pay when the Liberals no longer need their votes but still need their money?

Mr. Speaker, this minister has totally and utterly failed his constituents. Under the current Liberals, three companies that wanted to build pipelines in Canada are gone and building them in the U.S. Not an inch of new pipeline is in service in Canada, but the U.S. added 35,000 kilometres of new pipelines since the TMX was proposed. The Liberals must give a timeline for construction, transparency on costs and a plan to use all federal powers to get the Trans Mountain expansion built. Missing this construction season will cost taxpayers billions more. What is the plan to guarantee construction will start on June 19?

Mr. Speaker, I am rather surprised that the hon. gentleman continues to use statistics that have been totally discredited. In fact, he asked this question in the standing committee yesterday, and I indicated to him that according to the records of the CBSA, the number of Mexicans that had been connected or linked to the alleged cartels was not 400, but in fact three. It is not 300, but three, and they are among those who have been deported from Canada.

Mr. Speaker, this is what the Conservative Party recently said about the parent and grandparent program. The party describes this program as a “burden” on the federal government in terms of support as well as a drain on provinces. The party that pretends to care about family reunification is at the same time trying to describe parents and grandparents as a drain on Canada, as a drain on provinces. We are the party that cares about family reunification, not the Conservative Party of Canada.

moved that a ways and means motion to introduce an act to amend the Customs Tariff and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Act be concurred in.

Mr. Speaker, it appears my colleague opposite did not hear the answer the last time, so if he does not mind, I will repeat it.There is only one party in the House that has been found to have broken election laws on numerous occasions. Let us go back. Let us remember the robocalls. Let us remember the in and out. Let us remember that one of its members of Parliament was found to have overspent and actually went to jail.When it comes to this side of the House, we made it easier for Canadians to vote. We gave the Commissioner of Canada Elections more power to enforce our laws. We have ensured that we are protecting our elections from foreign cyber-threats.

Mr. Speaker, let us just take a walk down history lane here and look at what the Conservatives have done.There is only one party in Canada's history that has been found several times to have broken election laws: robocalls, the in-and-out scandal and actually having a member of Parliament go to jail for spending over the limit. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Let us not talk about the so-called Fair Elections Act that they put in place to made it harder for Canadians to vote.We will take no lessons from the party opposite.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending this national tragedy. We know that the actions and policies of past governments directly led to the loss and extinguishment of indigenous languages, culture and traditional practices. We are thanking the commission for the report and carefully reviewing all the recommendations. Our job is now to work with the survivors, families and our partners to develop a national action plan to implement those calls for justice. We must work together to end the ongoing tragedy and Canadians should expect no less, including the people in northern Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, the spring construction season has started but no shovels are in the ground for the Trans Mountain expansion. In 2016, the Liberals delayed their approval by four months and then failed to exert federal jurisdiction, while they actually funded opponents to use every tool to stop it. Last year, the Liberals' consultation mistakes delayed construction by another six months. In April, they delayed their second approval by a month. Now Liberal MPs on the natural resources committee question if a decision will even happen on June 18. What exactly is the plan for construction to start immediately on June 19?

Mr. Speaker, Manitoba Hydro is planning to build a transmission line to the U.S. to export clean green energy. Unlike the useless Liberal carbon tax, the Manitoba–Minnesota transmission project would actually help the environment by increasing the amount of green energy. Five years of consultations have been done and this project has been approved by the National Energy Board and Manitoba's clean energy commission. Why is the Prime Minister blocking this product and not allowing it to get started?

Mr. Speaker, Canada's family reunification system is wrong-headed. Ottawa terminated immigration services at the embassy in Cuba without notice or explanation. People seeking sponsorship to join family in Quebec have to undergo medical tests in other countries, go back to Cuba, and then come to Quebec and pay thousands of dollars.What is the government going to do to fix this situation and finally let Quebec and Canadian families be together?

Mr. Speaker, it is very unfortunate that the Liberal government has been governing for four years and it takes no responsibility or accountability for anything it has done. This is the first time in Canadian history that the Auditor General has said that he has not been given the resources to fully audit the Liberal government. His request for new funds was rejected, and now audits have been dropped.How can the Liberal government always find money for its friends, but when it comes to holding it to account, the cupboards are bare?

Mr. Speaker, middle-class taxes are up $800 per family under the Liberal government, and it is starting to hurt.MNP, the accounting firm, reports that almost half of Canadians are less than $200 away from insolvency every month. In April, over 11,000 Canadians did go insolvent, a 9% annual increase over the previous year.When will the government realize that Canadians are taxed to the max and cannot afford to pay any more?

Mr. Speaker, it is easier for small businesses in my province to sell goods all over the world than to other provinces. Due to the Prime Minister's failure to lead, there is still no free trade within our country. This is an absolutely absurd situation.Provinces are starting to step up. However, the Liberal government would rather defend its protectionist status quo. Will the government do what Canadians are demanding and stand with premiers Kenney, Moe and Pallister for free trade in this great country?

Mr. Speaker, the government still has no plan to deal with the labour shortage in rural areas like mine, despite the disastrous consequences for many businesses. Everyone agrees that immigration is one solution, but it is a long process. I asked the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to open an office in Saint-Hyacinthe to help SMEs and agri-food companies, but nothing has happened.Why is the minister ignoring the people in my riding and in rural areas?

Mr. Speaker, that is not an answer.Children are currently stranded in Cuba without their families because Canada cut consular services. We cannot ask minors to figure out how to get a visa for Mexico, pay to get there, figure out how to get a doctor's appointment and collect all of the necessary paperwork in a foreign country. The families are the ones who suffer.Can the government tell us when services will be restored? What is the government waiting for?

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that, in most cases, this Liberal government interferes and makes decisions at the federal level without taking the provinces into account. It does not respect Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick or Quebec, for starters.Things have gotten so bad that, at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference last Friday, the Prime Minister said he was prepared to bypass the provinces to achieve his objectives.Why does the Liberal government have so little respect for provincial governments and premiers?

Mr. Speaker, my constituents in Nanaimo—Ladysmith are having an increasingly difficult time paying the rising costs of pharmaceutical drugs. It is clear that it is beyond time to implement a universal pharmacare program. The new NAFTA includes provisions that extend patents on drugs from eight years to 10 years and will keep the cost of drugs high for consumers longer. What is the government prepared to do to keep pharmaceuticals affordable for those who need them, and to stop the excessive profiteering of big pharma?

Mr. Speaker, under the former Conservative government, we admitted an average of 20,370 people. Under the Liberal government, it was 18,768 in the family reunification. I am really tired of the minister abdicating his responsibility to manage our border. He cannot allow people to skip the line at Roxham Road and give out access to our country through settlements and court cases, while people who are legally trying to enter this country have to wait.When are the Liberals going to stop bringing disorder and unfairness to Canada's immigration system?

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Indigenous Services went to Grassy Narrows to sign an agreement based on a two-year-old promise to a community that has been ravaged by mercury poisoning. However, he returned empty-handed. Today, in committee, adding insult to injury, the minister blamed the chief, saying that the chief just “changed his mind”.Let me be clear. Grassy Narrows is calling for what it was promised, including a mercury care home and treatment centre. Grassy Narrows deserves justice, not gaslighting. When will the Liberal government quit the blame game and keep its promise to the people of Grassy Narrows?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance must remember that four years ago, when he decided to offer his services to Canadians as a candidate and Minister of Finance, he promised to run three small deficits and then no deficit in 2019. Four years later, the reality is three huge deficits and a deficit of nearly $20 billion in 2019. His credibility when it comes to managing public funds has evaporated. Sadly, his word has become worthless, since he promises one thing and does the opposite. Does he at least realize that a deficit is a tax on future generations?

Mr. Speaker, this week we learned that the Liberal government offered access into Canada as a reward for many people who sued the government based on the flawed and terribly managed family reunification program. I do not think there is anyone in this place who would say that access into our country is something that should be frittered away as a result of a lawsuit. This action was described by somebody as likening Canada to a third world country.Is the government expecting further lawsuits on this issue?

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that you will find the unanimous consent of the House for the following motion: That, in the opinion of the House, the government should: (a) recognize the contribution that family caregivers make to the well-being of seniors, people who are sick, and people with reduced mobility, as well as the crucial role they play in the context of an aging population; and (b) advocate for a world family caregivers' day at the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Mr. Speaker, respecting jurisdiction means investing with the provinces. This gives me an opportunity to talk about the announcement we made yesterday together with the government of Quebec. We are making a historic investment in excess of $500 million to rehabilitate the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel and transform the 20th-century bridge-tunnel into a 21st-century piece of infrastructure. That is what we mean by “working with the provinces”. It was a joint announcement and it is a joint investment. We are going to work together for Quebeckers and for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, in all the hubbub of the House, I think the hon. gentleman missed the last part of my previous answer. I indicated that those three, including another 27 who had criminal issues, had all been deported from Canada.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government had no problem putting its fingers on the scales of justice in the Mark Norman case. It did not hesitate to try to interfere in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. It sees nothing wrong with allowing foreign funding to continue to pour into special interest groups in Canada. It is unapologetic for putting an anti-Conservative group like Unifor on a panel that will decide how to hand out $600 million to the media that will cover the upcoming election.Why are the Liberals so desperate to use the power of government to punish their enemies and reward their friends?

Mr. Speaker, Liberals are all talk and no action when it comes to the crisis with China. Today we have learned that the crisis with China is about to get worse. The Chinese government has now set its sights on our livestock industry. The Canadian Meat Council is telling producers that they cannot count on the Canadian embassy to defend their interests in China. When will the Prime Minister realize that his inaction is devastating Canadian farmers and ranchers?