Alain Rayes

Mr. Speaker, we are in a new House of Commons, but we are getting the same old answers. Why will the Prime Minister not just tell Canadians the truth?He has no plan, and sadly, it is Canadians who will have to pay for his inept and irresponsible fiscal management. The public should not be forced to pay for his failures, his mistakes and his irresponsible and out-of-control fiscal management.Will he at least have the guts to tell workers and Canadians who is going to pay for these deficits?

Mr. Speaker, the facts speak for themselves: the Liberals cut the public transit tax credit and the children's fitness and arts tax credit. What is more, the Prime Minister created a deficit on the backs of our grandchildren, who will end up paying the bill one day.Once again Canadians, honest workers, will end up paying more taxes because of this government.Why is this Prime Minister increasing the price of gas by another 23¢ with his lousy carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, what is disturbing is the answer Canadians are getting from the Prime Minister.We are talking about the kidnapping, rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl, yet all we hear from the Prime Minister is that he is asking for a review of the decision. This was a heinous murder, and a bad decision was made. The Prime Minister has the power to change it.Why is he not reversing this decision and sending this murderer back to a maximum-security prison?

Mr. Speaker, one need only listen to the minister to understand why people are cynical about politics. Here is what the media had to say this morning about the minister and her new consultation process. Le Devoir said that “respondents are asked to indicate whether they agree or disagree with statements that are, at best, nonsensical and at worst, biased”. A La Presse article headlined “Hypocrites' Ball” states that “the Liberal government waded into this debate, but is now starting to look pretty foolish”.Those words were written not by me but by journalists and political analysts.Can the minister tell us whether she will respect the people and hold a referendum when she decides to change the voting system—

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's relationships with provincial governments and premiers are disastrous, and that is a fact. This centralist, paternalistic government constantly attacks provincial premiers at every opportunity.As always, the Prime Minister's incompetence, sloppiness and stubbornness are a threat to national unity.That raises a simple question: will this government finally listen to our democratically elected premiers and their governments?

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, we moved a motion calling on the government to immediately stop paying for treatments provided to criminal Christopher Garnier, who savagely murdered a police officer, under a program for veterans and their families.Everyone—the Conservatives, the NDP, the Green Party and the Bloc—voted in favour of the motion except for, yes, the Liberals. That is unacceptable.The Prime Minister has the power to reverse this decision. What is he waiting for to immediately stop these payments for this criminal?

Mr. Speaker, since the Liberal government was elected, Canadian families have been paying $800 more a year. What with the carbon tax, which is driving up food and gas prices, and the elimination of the public transit tax credit and the children's sports and cultural activities tax credits, Canadians are sick and tired of paying for the Liberal government's mistakes.When will the government and the Prime Minister stop taking away Canadians' hard-earned money?

Mr. Speaker, the facts are these: Since being appointed, the minister has not presented Canadians and members of Parliament with a concrete plan to resolve the border issue and the crisis we have been dealing with for almost two years now. When data are made available, the minister has no clue what data he is talking about when he answers questions from the media and opposition members. That is ludicrous. We would like the minister to stand up, show some leadership and come up with a plan. If he cannot, we can.

Mr. Speaker, three years ago, every member of the House and the Senate put partisanship aside and voted unanimously in favour of this bill.More than a year ago, a mother, Ms. Aubé had this to say directly to the Prime Minister, “If [Bill C-452] had existed two years ago, I would not be here today with my daughter.”This is a serious matter. Thousands of other young girls in Quebec and across Canada are trapped by pimps in the hell that is human trafficking.What is the Prime Minister waiting for to sign—

Mr. Speaker, the numbers speak for themselves. In Washington and Colorado, where marijuana has been legalized, road fatalities have increased. Just last week, the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police indicated that it was worried that the Liberals would legalize marijuana before ensuring that all the necessary tools and training are in place to protect our communities. My question for the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is very simple. Can he tell us whether police officers will receive training and whether all police vehicles in Canada will be equipped with screening devices before the government legalizes marijuana?

Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government is incapable of working with the provinces on a number of issues.The Minister of Environment and Climate Change is constantly attacking the Ontario and Alberta governments. The Minister of Tourism goes after the Premier of Ontario every chance she gets. The Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the member for Louis-Hébert publicly attacked the Premier of Quebec.My question is this. Does the Prime Minister support the disrespectful and condescending way his Liberal MPs and ministers attack the various provincial governments?

Mr. Speaker, three years ago, all MPs and all senators voted unanimously in favour of Bill C-452 to combat procuring and trafficking in persons. The only thing missing for this legislation to take effect is the Prime Minister's signature. Members heard correctly: the Prime Minister's signature is the only thing missing to give our justice and public safety systems the tools needed to protect our young girls who are trapped in the hell of prostitution and human trafficking.My question is simple. When will the Prime Minister finally sign the legislation?

Mr. Speaker, the minister can keep repeating the same talking points, but Canadians are no fools.The Prime Minister's political interference on behalf of his close friend is a clear signal to investigators that there is one rule for Liberals and another one for every other Canadian who pays taxes. The Prime Minister has the nerve to tell us that he is satisfied with the assurances that he has received from his friend and top Liberal Party fundraiser, who wants to avoid paying taxes like every Canadian does.Is there a single member across the way who can look at us and have the courage to denounce this unacceptable situation?

Mr. Speaker, we have learned that the Government of Quebec reached out to the federal government and asked it to delay its plans to legalize marijuana only to be sent packing.This government refuses to listen to anyone, including the provinces, the municipalities, the general public, experts, and even the parliamentarians here in House. The Liberals are improvising on this issue. They are downloading all the problems onto the municipalities and the provinces.Will this government at least have the decency to listen to Canadians and treat them like real partners?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is at war with Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, British Columbia and Quebec. This weekend, the Minister of Families, who is from Quebec, and his colleague from Louis-Hébert directly and publicly attacked the Premier of Quebec and the Government of Quebec. Their attitude is disrespectful towards the Government of Quebec.I will repeat my question. Why did an announcement for a provincial-federal project, an infrastructure project for Quebec, take place without the Government of Quebec present?

Mr. Speaker, a terrorist convicted of attempted assassination was invited to an official dinner with the Prime Minister. There are two possible explanations for this. A Liberal MP says he invited the felon, but the Prime Minister himself says it was an Indian conspiracy.How can it be an Indian government plot against a Canadian trade mission if a Liberal MP says he is the one who invited that person, that terrorist?If the Prime Minister has evidence, let him present it to the House and answer questions to bring transparency—

Mr. Speaker, it is not the Liberals, but rather private companies, that create jobs.They left the Trans Mountain project to languish for months, and now they announce that they are buying the pipeline using taxpayers' money. What is even worse is that Kinder Morgan never asked for money and never asked to be purchased. The Prime Minister has failed again.My question for the minister is simple. How much is this folly going to cost Canadian taxpayers?

Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. On the one hand, a Liberal MP apologized for inviting a terrorist to attend an event with the Prime Minister in India. On the other, the Prime Minister is insinuating that the Indian government tried to sabotage the trip by inviting the terrorist to India with him. As anyone would expect, the Indian government reacted strongly to those insinuations by the Prime Minister and his chief adviser.If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, he should table his evidence in the House.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister broke his promise to balance the budget. Instead he is choosing to continue spending irresponsibly. This Liberal government has spent over $250 million on an Asian infrastructure bank, not in Canada, but in China, to build pipelines and roads in China.When will this Prime Minister stop spending Canadians' money in China?

Mr. Speaker, allow me to read an excerpt from one of the hundreds of letters I get at my office. I am outraged to see that our Minister of Finance wants to trample on the fundamental right of all Canadians to plan their financial affairs for tax purposes. Every small business owner is being penalized. The injustice is twofold: a bad tax reform coupled with no chance for planning. The minister should step down for such hypocrisy and lack of accountability. Signed, an angry citizen, Pierre Can the Prime Minister do the right thing—

Mr. Speaker, could the Liberals change their tune for once? In life, when we make mistakes, we face the consequences. If someone commits a crime, they go to jail. If they steal, they have to pay it back. When a Liberal minister or Liberal employee breaks the rules of Parliament, they are expected to pay up.Why would the Prime Minister be above the law? He took an illegal trip, he was found guilty, so he should pay Canadians back.

Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned that some immigration consultants are charging Syrian refugees fees of more than $32,000 to process their applications to the federal government. When a program is fast-tracked, there are sometimes weaknesses and, unfortunately, some people take advantage of those weaknesses.Can the Minister of Immigration assure this House that no refugees applying to come to Canada are being exploited by immigration consultants?

Mr. Speaker, right now, the government is changing its story day by day, getting up to all kinds of monkey business in an attempt to influence our justice system. The director of public prosecutions made her decision on September 4. She confirmed that decision on October 9. Nevertheless, the Prime Minister and his cronies repeatedly tried to get her to change her mind.We want to know whether the Prime Minister will agree to appear before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights to answer all of the opposition's questions.

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, all senators and all MPs voted in favour of Bill C-452 to combat procuring and trafficking in persons. Even the Prime Minister and all Liberal members voted in favour of the bill.The only thing missing now is the Prime Minister's signature. Everything in life is all about priorities. Because of the Prime Minister's inaction, thousands of young girls and their families have continued living in hell for three years now.When will the Prime Minister finally sign the bill?

Mr. Speaker, that is straight-up misinformation. Here is the truth: with just five months to go until the election, the Liberal government gave an openly pro-Liberal and aggressively anti-Conservative union the power to influence who will get $600 million in funding for the media. This is another Liberal ploy to interfere and try to influence the upcoming election campaign.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and boot his Unifor buddies off the panel, period?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction said that most of the illegal immigrants who came to Canada last year have left the country.Unfortunately, that is completely untrue. According to the Canada Border Services Agency, only 398 of the 32,173 illegal migrants who came to Canada last year were deported.How can we trust this minister if he cannot even give us accurate information and data regarding his own portfolio?

Mr. Speaker, little Victoria's father wrote the Prime Minister a message last weekend. He asked him, from father to father, if the Prime Minister could kneel before his child's headstone, knowing they spent the last three hours of their life begging and pleading for mommy or daddy to come save them. He asked the Prime Minister if he could sleep soundly knowing that. He pleaded with the Prime Minister to do the right thing to ensure that this injustice is reversed and that the killer returns behind bars.The Prime Minister has the power to take action. Will he vote in favour of the motion we have moved here in the House?

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, the court ruled that individuals are allowed to grow medical marijuana at home, and everyone knows that the Liberals intend to make this substance available to everyone.I imagine that they believe it will be legal to grow cannabis in one's basement or even in one's garden, next to the carrots, tomatoes, and vegetables. If that happens, marijuana will be more accessible to children and difficult to control.How does the government plan to keep marijuana out of the hands of children?

Mr. Speaker, here is the situation and here is why the Liberals want to push through the marijuana legislation. Anonymous investors from tax havens have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Canadian companies owned by Liberal cronies. Can the Prime Minister assure Canadians that no one involved in organized crime and none of his Liberal friends are involved with these marijuana producers?

Mr. Speaker, this government has managed to alienate Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, British Columbia and, as of yesterday, Quebec. This morning the Premier of Quebec confirmed that, although he did deliver a number of proposals to the government, the Liberal government has not been inclined to collaborate. Why is the government refusing to partner with Quebec and all the other Canadian provinces?

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister claims that he is making the wealthiest 1% pay, he is paying his Christmas holiday with taxpayers' money, off-loading the deficit to the middle class, and attacking job creators across the country. He is being hypocritical to the point of turning a blind eye to the paradise papers scandal. I almost slipped and talked about the sponsorship scandal.To be clear, letting one's close friends put money into tax havens and not pay any taxes, is that the Liberals' plan to make the wealthy pay?

Mr. Speaker, first there was Trans Mountain, involving British Columbia and Alberta; then the carbon tax, an issue for Ontario and Saskatchewan; and now we are adding to the list the home cultivation of cannabis, involving Quebec and Manitoba. This means that, at present, more than 50% of Canada's provinces, accounting for 79% of the population, are involved in legal proceedings that will cost Canadians millions of dollars in legal fees.Why is the Prime Minister stubbornly refusing to respect provincial jurisdictions?

Mr. Speaker, in his throne speech, the Prime Minister indicated that he would legalize and decriminalize marijuana. Law enforcement officials have since said that they do not have the tools they need to effectively deal with drug-impaired driving.A device to quickly detect whether a driver has consumed drugs, like the one used to screen for alcohol, has not yet been approved in Canada.Can the Minister of Public Safety explain what he intends to do to reassure our police forces and Canadian families, who are afraid that there will be more impaired drivers on our roads?

Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that this government swore to make mental illness a priority, and it is now imposing on our soldiers who struggle with traumatic stress a maximum period of 180 days to recover. The Liberals made that decision. The Liberal government seems to have two ways of dealing with people: one for its Liberal cronies and another for all other Canadians, including our soldiers.Should members of the Canadian Armed Forces rush back to work if they are still injured or ill, or even if they are not ready, to avoid being penalized by this Liberal government?

Mr. Speaker, we are faced with a Prime Minister who has been flatly denying the truth from the beginning, ever since the Globe and Mail broke the story on the interference scandal involving him and his entourage. He was unsuccessful at silencing all the Liberals, so now he is bringing out a new Liberal tactic. He is threatening our leader with legal action, purely in the hope of silencing the members on this side of the House. Does this Prime Minister have the guts to follow through on his notice?

Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned that the head honcho for marijuana legalization, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, appointed by the Prime Minister himself, took part in Liberal Party fundraising events attended by lawyers and marijuana lobbyists as he was preparing the bill on legalizing marijuana. Once a Liberal, always a Liberal.When will the people across the way follow the Prime Minister's own ethics rules? Are they trying to tell us that lobbyists are running this government?

Mr. Speaker, despite all the warnings, the Prime Minister insists on legalizing marijuana by July 1, less than five months from now. The closer we get to the deadline, the more we understand why. Wherever there is money and tax havens, there are Liberal Party cronies ready to do anything to line their pockets.Is this why the Prime Minister is being stubborn and interfering with the work of the senators in the Senate?

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, meanwhile, with his tax reform, the Prime Minister spent weeks essentially accusing our farmers, entrepreneurs, and professionals of fraud. The paradise papers scandal is proof of the Liberals' hypocrisy. The names in there are not those of ordinary people. One is the Liberal Party's chief fundraiser, Stephen Bronfman. Another is former Liberal senator Leo Kolber. Both are very good friends of the Liberal Party. My question is simple. When did the Prime Minister find out that his organizer had direct connections to tax havens?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told veterans that he has no money for them, but he has no trouble finding more than $1 million to renovate a minister's office. He has no trouble finding more than $8 million for a temporary skating rink in front of the Parliament buildings. He has no trouble finding more than $200,000 to pay for an illegal vacation, which the former ethics commissioner said was a blatant violation of the Conflict of Interest Act.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and repay the $215,000 he took out of the pockets of hard-working Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, during the consultations on the legalization of marijuana, Dr. Chris Rumball indicated that the Prime Minister's plan needed to take into account the sad incidents that have occurred in the United States, where the number of fatal accidents caused by drivers who tested positive for marijuana doubled in the state of Washington and tripled in Colorado.I am concerned, police officers are concerned, and Canadians are concerned. Can the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness reassure us that police officers will have the tools they need to detect whether drivers are impaired by drugs before the government legalizes marijuana?

Mr. Speaker, the facts are simple. Veterans Affairs Canada is currently paying for Christopher Garnier's treatment even though he murdered Constable Catherine Campbell. That is nothing short of appalling.The Campbell family is angry, our veterans are angry, Canadians are angry, and we are angry. It is outrageous.The Prime Minister has the power to end this injustice right now. What is he waiting for?

Mr. Speaker, we are calling on the Prime Minister to tell us when we will return to a balanced budget and he has nothing intelligent to say to us. He is asking taxpayers to sign a $35-billion cheque for the infrastructure bank. It makes no sense. The Liberals are irresponsible and improvising across the board with taxpayers' money.When will the Prime Minister respect this institution and allow us to take a more thorough look at this bank?

Mr. Speaker, like many other members, I am disappointed that the government chose to announce its plans to legalize marijuana in New York, rather than doing it here in the House, before the elected representatives of the people of Canada.At this time, a number of questions remain unanswered, on top of many other troubling questions related to public health.Can the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness tell us what he plans to do to keep this drug away from children? How does he plan to give police officers the tools they need to be able to arrest drug-impaired drivers?

Mr. Speaker, in 2017, Christopher Garnier was convicted of murdering police officer Catherine Campbell. Mr. Garnier is currently receiving benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada even though he is in prison and has never served in the Canadian Armed Forces. This is a disgrace to our country, an outrage to veterans, and an insult to the memory of Constable Catherine Campbell.Will the Prime Minister take responsibility, show some leadership, and put an end to this situation right now?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have an abysmal record when it comes to the environment and their past four budgets. They have managed Canadians' finances irresponsibly and ineffectively, which led to four years of deficits.Who will pay for that? Our children, our grandchildren and Canadians who work hard for their money, that's who.What is this government trying to do? Clearly, to make life even more expensive for Canadians.Why do this government and this Prime Minister want to increase the price of gas yet again—

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness referred to the crimes committed by Terri-Lynne McClintic as “bad practices”. What she did was not bad practices. It was a despicable crime. She was convicted of the heinous murder of an eight-year-old child, yet the minister agreed to transfer her to a healing lodge. That is simply preposterous. The Prime Minister has the power to reverse this decision.Why does he not send her back to a maximum-security facility?

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister is the first in Canadian history to be found guilty of violating the Conflict of Interest Act not once, but four times. He took $215,000 of taxpayer money to travel illegally with his family and friends to the Aga Khan's private island. These offences could constitute a violation of subsection 121(1) of the Criminal Code.I have one simple question for the Prime Minister. How many times did he meet with the RCMP and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians will not be facing a Netflix tax after all. The Liberals are considering a streaming tax instead. We know that the Liberals have lost control of public finances, but the only solution they have found to solve their financial problems is to tax, tax, and tax Canadians.Can the government come to its senses and tell Canadians that it will not be imposing a streaming tax, as recommended by the Liberal and NDP members?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to ruin the credibility of journalists with the election just five months away.The Prime Minister decided to include Unifor, a union that has openly admitted to being a Liberal Party supporter and has said it would be the Conservatives' and our leader's worst nightmare.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and take Unifor off the panel tasked to decide how to distribute $600 million amongst the media across Canada?

Mr. Speaker, too bad he was reading from a page that had nothing to do with my question.This government is paternalistic and condescending toward our provincial premiers and partners. On Friday, the Prime Minister of Canada accused the Premier of Quebec of playing petty politics. That comment is disrespectful toward the person who was democratically elected by the people of Quebec in October.Does the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities agree with the Prime Minister of Canada's disrespectful comments about the Premier—

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Prime Minister and his government have not provided Canadian canola producers with any support, and that is also the case for the two Canadians detained in China.The Prime Minister must immediately appoint an ambassador to China that will defend Canadians who are unfairly arrested and restore stable trade and diplomatic relationship.When will this Prime Minister demonstrate a modicum of responsibility and leadership?

Mr. Speaker, what is disturbing is the answer Canadians are getting from the Prime Minister.We are talking about the kidnapping, rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl, yet all we hear from the Prime Minister is that he is asking for a review of the decision. This was a heinous murder, and a bad decision was made. The Prime Minister has the power to change it.Why is he not reversing this decision and sending this murderer back to a maximum-security prison?

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, in response to pressure by the opposition, the Minister of Veterans Affairs announced that a civilian could no longer receive benefits from the program for veterans and their families if that civilian is in prison. However, the government refused to say whether Christopher Garnier, the cop killer, is still receiving benefits under that program.Can the Prime Minister tell us definitively whether the government has stopped paying for this criminal?

Mr. Speaker, the problem is that this is not an isolated incident. Again, there is the Minister of Finance, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. It feels like the sponsorship scandal all over again. Now we can add to the mix the hon. member for Brampton East, who is under investigation for a conflict of interest after inviting a business partner to official events during the Prime Minister's disastrous trip to India.When will the Prime Minister ensure that his caucus obey the basic ethics and conflict of interest rules that all Canadians expect us to obey here in the House?

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, we moved a motion calling on the government to immediately stop paying for treatments provided to criminal Christopher Garnier, who savagely murdered a police officer, under a program for veterans and their families.Everyone—the Conservatives, the NDP, the Green Party and the Bloc—voted in favour of the motion except for, yes, the Liberals. That is unacceptable.The Prime Minister has the power to reverse this decision. What is he waiting for to immediately stop these payments for this criminal?

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister announced that the G7 would be held in La Malbaie, his government also said that workers in the region would be put to use. Unfortunately, that is not what happened. Workers everywhere are currently in a situation of forced unemployment.Can the Prime Minister tell the people of La Malbaie whether compensation is provided for and what he is going to do for the hotel managers, innkeepers, and restaurant owners who are unable to put their employees to work before and during the G7?

Mr. Speaker, on August 5, 2016, we asked the Liberal Party and the Liberal leader about $110,000 in illegal donations they received. What did they do then? As usual, the Liberals refused to share any information.Since the Liberal leader is so fond of claiming transparency, could he simply tell us whether his office or his employees have had any contact with the Chief Electoral Officer regarding these illegal donations, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, Unifor is the largest union of journalists in Canada. Its boss, Jerry Dias, said that he would go after our leader and would be his worst nightmare. He also promised that it would be worse than anything we could have imagined.My question to the Prime Minister is this: will he finally do what's right and take Unifor off the panel, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is politically interfering in a court case. He is denying the truth, resorting to intimidation, and trying to silence all those who do not think like him.If the Prime Minister has any courage at all, even just a little bit, will he agree to follow through on his notice so that we can all find out the truth in this case? Is he afraid to testify under oath?

Mr. Speaker, let us imagine for a moment that a member of this House, regardless of party, took the same illegal trip. He or she could hardly expect to hang on to his or her seat for one second without reimbursing Canadians. The rules apply to everyone, including the Prime Minister. The report released by the Ethics Commissioner found that the Prime Minister is guilty of violating not just one, two, or three, but four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act. He was found guilty.When will the Prime Minister reimburse Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Norman is a man who courageously served Canada all his life. It is unfair and unacceptable for the Liberal government to fail to give him every opportunity to defend himself. The documents that have been requested include communications between an Irving lobbyist and the Liberal member for Kings—Hants, who coincidentally enough is also the President of the Treasury Board.My question is simple. Did the President of the Treasury Board get clearance from the Ethics Commissioner to lobby on Irving's behalf?

Mr. Speaker, on August 5, 2016, we asked the Liberal Party and the Liberal leader for information about $110,000 in illegal contributions they received. What did the Liberals do? As usual, they refused to disclose the information.Why does the Prime Minister always wait until he gets caught red-handed before he starts talking and sharing information?Why does the Prime Minister not just tell Canadians the truth?Why does the Prime Minister not answer this simple question: Did people in his office meet with the Chief Electoral Officer—

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance swore that he put his shares in a blind trust and then we learned that he never did. The Minister of Finance assured us that he had declared all his assets and then we learned that he was fined by the commissioner for failing to disclose a company. From the beginning of the session, the minister has repeated that he has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and, oddly enough, today we read in the Globe and Mail that the minister never worked with the commissioner on his Bill C-27.Can the Prime Minister tell us why Canadians would still trust the Minister of Finance?

Mr. Speaker, weeks and months are going by and nothing is changing. The number of people crossing the border illegally continues to rise, and so do the costs associated with that. Meanwhile, refugees across the country who are following the rules have been waiting for their turn for months and, in some cases, years. It is now crucial that the Prime Minister offer Canadians some solutions to address this problem, which, I would remind members, has been ongoing for over a year.What does the Prime Minister plan to do to solve this problem, which he himself exacerbated with his now infamous tweet in January 2017?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to ruin the credibility of journalists with the election just five months away.The Prime Minister decided to include Unifor, a union that has openly admitted to being a Liberal Party supporter and has said it would be the Conservatives' and our leader's worst nightmare.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and take Unifor off the panel tasked to decide how to distribute $600 million amongst the media across Canada?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to ruin the credibility of journalists with the election just five months away.The Prime Minister decided to include Unifor, a union that has openly admitted to being a Liberal Party supporter and has said it would be the Conservatives' and our leader's worst nightmare.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and take Unifor off the panel tasked to decide how to distribute $600 million amongst the media across Canada?

Mr. Speaker, I just do not understand the answer that the leader keeps repeating. The Prime Minister took a vacation, an illegal vacation, on the taxpayers' dime. He was found to be in violation of the law not once, but four times. All members of this House must obey the law. The ministers who were found guilty had to repay the monies, as did government employees. It seems that there are two laws: one for the Prime Minister and another for all the other MPs and Canadians.Could he simply pay back the money taken out of taxpayers' pockets?

Mr. Speaker, we have a Prime Minister who is letting our diplomatic relations with China deteriorate. The Huawei case has led to the canola crisis and the unjust detention of two Canadians.This weekend, during a meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan, our Prime Minister did the impossible. He mixed up Japan and China in the same sentence not once, but twice.What is the Prime Minister going to do to restore diplomatic relations with China?

Mr. Speaker, all of that happened without inviting Quebec to be present. Meanwhile, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development said he was shocked by statements made by the Premier of Quebec. The Prime Minister himself accused the Premier of Quebec of playing politics. This Prime Minister is accusing the Premier of Quebec of playing politics.His comments are disrespectful, paternalistic and condescending, which is par for the course for the sanctimonious Liberals.When will he co-operate with the provinces?

Mr. Speaker, for the past two weeks, the Prime Minister has been stubbornly defending access to the personal and confidential data of 500,000 Canadians without their consent.The situation is so disturbing that the Privacy Commissioner has launched an investigation. A petition was started just six days ago calling on the government to put a stop to this, and 19,000 people have signed it already.Will the Prime Minister finally listen to Canadians and put an immediate stop to this serious invasion of people's privacy?

Mr. Speaker, the decisions we make in life are reflections of our values. The actions of this government are disappointing. It has no respect for the men and women in uniform who risk their lives to defend Canada. Crisis management is a strange way to govern.Does the Prime Minister have a sense of the additional pressure that this government is inflicting on our soldiers and their families, these Canadians who make the ultimate sacrifice for their country?

Mr. Speaker, the facts are simple. Veterans Affairs Canada is currently paying for Christopher Garnier's treatment even though he murdered Constable Catherine Campbell. That is nothing short of appalling.The Campbell family is angry, our veterans are angry, Canadians are angry, and we are angry. It is outrageous.The Prime Minister has the power to end this injustice right now. What is he waiting for?

Madam Speaker, yesterday, the chair of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities sent a letter to the Standing Committee on Finance to confirm that committee members agreed on the infrastructure bank, which is completely false.It gets worse. The chair sent a letter on Wednesday; the committee sat on Thursday; the letter was dated today. If that is not arrogance or contempt, then I do not know what is.When will this government start respecting our institution and give up on this ridiculous infrastructure bank idea?

Mr. Speaker, in the House, all members are required to comply with the Conflict of Interest Act. We were all informed about the procedure at the beginning of our term. We all received the training needed to conduct ourselves with dignity in the House. The question everyone is asking is the following: are there two laws, one for the Prime Minister and another for all other MPs?That leads to today's question: what is stopping the Prime Minister from reimbursing Canadians for his illegal trip?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was found guilty of violating four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act, then this Prime Minister and his senior staff interfered in our justice system in the SNC-Lavalin case, and now there is the trial of Vice-Admiral Norman, another story about interference by the Prime Minister's office. This case directly affects the Quebec workers at Davie shipyard.Why did the Prime Minister interfere and block this contract—

Madam Speaker, facts are facts. The Minister of Finance stated in a press conference on October 16 that he had been naive with regard to his shares in Morneau Shepell. We now know that the minister has ties to Bombardier, the Bank of Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Senate, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. All told, Morneau Shepell's contracts with the government are worth over $14 million.Does the Minister of Finance also believe that he was naive in admitting that he was guilty and in thinking that he could hide all his conflicts of interest behind a simple donation, for which he will get a tax credit?

Mr. Speaker, the government announced its tax reform during the summer vacation, when everyone was trying to relax around the pool. That was 140 days ago. This reform will adversely affect businesses, workers, and the people who create jobs across Canada. The tax reform we are hearing about is to come into effect in a few days, on January 1, and no one knows the details.When will the Liberal government provide business people, who create jobs, with the details of this reform?

Mr. Speaker, residents of Gatineau and Ottawa were hit by an EF3 tornado on Friday.My thoughts, like those of all my colleagues in the House, are with those affected by this terrible tragedy. I would like to thank Canadians for the solidarity they have all shown since Friday, particularly the first responders who have been working so tirelessly.Could the government give the House an update on the situation and tell us how it intends to help those affected?

Mr. Speaker, none of that is true.The problem is that the Prime Minister thinks that budgets balance themselves, which is rather unbelievable. The problem is that people have to pay for his mistakes, his failures and his out-of-control spending. Who are these people? Workers, business owners and parents, that's who. Canadians are the ones paying for his mistakes.I repeat: what other taxes besides the carbon tax does the Prime Minister plan to impose on Canadians to pay for his out-of-control-spending?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has announced some changes in his tax reform that small and medium-sized business owners are concerned about. These changes, which will have a negative impact on our economy, are planned for January 1, 2018, which is coming up in a few days. There is just one small problem: business owners have yet to receive a thing.How can job creators, who work hard every day, plan for the coming months?Given all of his personal scandals, is it possible that the Minister of Finance just forgot to inform them?

Mr. Speaker, the problem is that all the projects he just listed are not part of the infrastructure bank, since it has not yet been created.The government is creating a new infrastructure bank for that party's cronies. It is taking back $15 billion that had been allocated to the regions, and reallocating it through that bank. Yesterday the Minister of Finance said himself that small municipalities are unlikely to benefit from this infrastructure bank.Can the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities explain to Canadians, and to the mayors in the House today, why he has been denying this fact for at least a month now?

Mr. Speaker, indeed, we will continue to focus on the Prime Minister, because his performance has been a diplomatic disaster.While his national security adviser was suggesting that the Indian government wanted to sabotage the Prime Minister's visit because he was not happy with the media coverage he was getting of his family trip to India, the Prime Minister made some serious accusations. The Indian government has denied all the allegations, calling them baseless and unacceptable. This is all very serious.If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, he needs to produce the evidence to support his allegations.

Mr. Speaker, during the 2015 election campaign, the Prime Minister promised to run modest deficits. Today, he is running deficits of over $20 billion a year. It seems the Prime Minister thinks that the country can be run with Monopoly money. That is completely false. Canadians worked hard to earn that money. They work hard every day to survive in our society.For the fourth time in two days, when will the budget be balanced?

Mr. Speaker, the minister keeps repeating that any information we want about the infrastructure bank is available.However, through access to information, we obtained a document dated November 14, 2016, regarding a meeting arranged by BlackRock for its clients and attended by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Infrastructure, and several other government ministers.There is a little problem. It is impossible to see the guest list, because it was completely blacked out. The list remains a mystery, and the Liberals refuse to show it, but it exists.Can the minister tell us where to find it? If not, what is the government trying to hide?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's relationships with provincial governments and premiers are disastrous, and that is a fact. This centralist, paternalistic government constantly attacks provincial premiers at every opportunity.As always, the Prime Minister's incompetence, sloppiness and stubbornness are a threat to national unity.That raises a simple question: will this government finally listen to our democratically elected premiers and their governments?

Mr. Speaker, allow me to read an excerpt from one of the hundreds of letters I get at my office. I am outraged to see that our Minister of Finance wants to trample on the fundamental right of all Canadians to plan their financial affairs for tax purposes. Every small business owner is being penalized. The injustice is twofold: a bad tax reform coupled with no chance for planning. The minister should step down for such hypocrisy and lack of accountability. Signed, an angry citizen, Pierre Can the Prime Minister do the right thing—

Mr. Speaker, could the Liberals change their tune for once? In life, when we make mistakes, we face the consequences. If someone commits a crime, they go to jail. If they steal, they have to pay it back. When a Liberal minister or Liberal employee breaks the rules of Parliament, they are expected to pay up.Why would the Prime Minister be above the law? He took an illegal trip, he was found guilty, so he should pay Canadians back.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's lawyer filed a request with an Ottawa court to gain access to a number of government documents that she claims are necessary to properly defend her client. Unfortunately, the government refuses to be transparent and make those documents available.Will the Prime Minister explain why?

Mr. Speaker, here are the facts: the Prime Minister hid the details of his vacation on a private island from the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, and now we see that the Minister of Finance did the same thing for two years by concealing the existence of his villa in France and refusing to place his assets in a blind trust. When did the Prime Minister learn that his finance minister holds assets in his company, which is managed by the Department of Finance and which still he fully controls?

Mr. Speaker, here is what India's Minister of External Affairs said: Let me categorically state that the Government of India, including the security agencies, had nothing to do with the presence of Jaspal Atwal [in India]. Any suggestion to the contrary is baseless and unacceptable. What a strongly-worded and extremely serious statement. Does the Prime Minister agree with it? If not, what has he done to prove otherwise?

Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that this government swore to make mental illness a priority, and it is now imposing on our soldiers who struggle with traumatic stress a maximum period of 180 days to recover. The Liberals made that decision. The Liberal government seems to have two ways of dealing with people: one for its Liberal cronies and another for all other Canadians, including our soldiers.Should members of the Canadian Armed Forces rush back to work if they are still injured or ill, or even if they are not ready, to avoid being penalized by this Liberal government?

Mr. Speaker, facts are facts. They can be checked.Let us look at the Minister of Finance's record: he imposed a tax reform to raise taxes on small businesses; he was fined by the Ethics Commissioner because he failed to declare one of his companies that owned one of his villas in France; he failed to put his assets in a blind trust; he sold $10 million worth of shares in his company days before introducing tax measures that he himself put in place; and he introduced Bill C-27, which earned his family's company more than $5 million.When will the Prime Minister call for his Minister of Finance to resign?

Mr. Speaker, the Senate committee's report is clear and unequivocal, despite what the minister thinks. The Liberals have not developed a strategic plan. The Liberals have a complex and uncoordinated approach. The complex nature of this approach is disconcerting for municipalities. We did not make this up. It is in the report.The report states that the Liberals are not being transparent, that the municipalities are having difficulty navigating the programs, and that jobs are not materializing. Will the minister admit that his plan is just not working? What will he do? Will he continue to shut his eyes and keep repeating the same thing, like a broken record?

Mr. Speaker, for five days now, we have been asking the Prime Minister about his illegal vacation on a billionaire's private island. We know that after an investigation requested by our leader, the Prime Minister was found guilty on four counts. This is not a trivial matter. It is the first time this has ever happened in Canadian history. We would like to know why, or rather, Canadians would like to know why.Why does the Prime Minister refuse to pay back the $215,000 he picked from their pockets?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the parliamentary secretary that his government was elected by 39% of voters, not 60% as he has been saying. For the past few weeks, the Minister of Democratic Institutions has repeatedly stated that the referendum option is not on the table. This despite the fact that 73% of Canadians are in favour of a referendum. Will the Minister of Democratic Institutions and her government finally listen to Canadians and hold a referendum on the electoral system? #referendum.

Mr. Speaker, here are the facts: thousands of young girls across Canada, including about 2,000 in Quebec alone, are trapped in the clutches of pimps and street gangs. Since 2013, MPs and senators have been doing their job and unanimously supported Bill C-452. This includes the Prime Minister, I might add, when he was in opposition.When it comes to legalizing marijuana, the Prime Minister has no problem rushing it through, but when it comes to protecting our young girls who are trapped in the clutches of pimps, he seems to find it too difficult to sign the document.What is he waiting for?

Mr. Speaker, the situation regarding the entry of illegal immigrants into Canada is nowhere near being resolved. Every day, we are seeing a massive increase in the number of people entering Quebec illegally. We have had this problem for over a year now, and, as usual, the Liberal government issues formal statements but is incapable of coming up with any concrete solutions.My question for the Prime Minister is simple: what concrete steps does he plan to take to stop this massive influx of illegal immigrants?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to know the truth about the SNC-Lavalin case.However, yesterday, the Prime Minister and the Liberal members refused the request for the Prime Minister to testify before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.Will he answer a simple question? Did anyone in the PMO or any of the ministers close to him assure SNC-Lavalin that there would not be a criminal trial, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, these are expenses incurred for an illegal trip that should never have taken place. I would like to read some comments I received just yesterday from one of my constituents. I would like the Prime Minister to listen carefully and you as well, Madam Leader: if he is really in politics to serve the people, he needs to pay back—

Mr. Speaker, we are calling on the Prime Minister to tell us when we will return to a balanced budget and he has nothing intelligent to say to us. He is asking taxpayers to sign a $35-billion cheque for the infrastructure bank. It makes no sense. The Liberals are irresponsible and improvising across the board with taxpayers' money.When will the Prime Minister respect this institution and allow us to take a more thorough look at this bank?

Mr. Speaker, the minister said she was never informed or consulted on the CRA's decision to tax employee discounts.Does she know what is going on in her own department?If so, can she tell us where the directive came from and how Canadians can trust this Liberal government, which sees middle-class workers as part of the wealthiest 1% in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, like all Canadians, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman should have a legitimate opportunity to defend himself.The Prime Minister's Office has important documents in its possession that could guarantee him a fair trial. Those documents include communications between an Irving lobbyist and the President of the Treasury Board, another Liberal in the Prime Minister's cabinet.Is that why the Prime Minister is refusing to be transparent and make the documents available?

Mr. Speaker, since this Liberal government came to power, the cost of living for Canadians has skyrocketed. That is quite the coincidence, much like the deficit. Eighty per cent of Canadian families started paying more taxes since the Liberal government came to power. Every year, $800 more is coming out of their pockets.I would therefore like to repeat my question to the Prime Minister. Why does he want to burden Canadians even more and increase fuel prices by 23¢ per litre?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance keeps telling us he is not in conflict of interest, but his actions prove otherwise. On October 27, Yvan Allaire even said that it would have been wise—and should have been mandatory—for the finance minister to sell all of his shares upon entering politics. If the Minister of Finance is really being honest, can he tell us about his holdings in another numbered company, 2070689 Ontario Ltd.?

Mr. Speaker, after eliminating regional minister positions at Canada Economic Development, now we find out that the government is going to create an infrastructure bank to fund projects of $100 million or more. Today, 30 elected officials from my region are here. I must say that there are not too many $100-million projects in the regions.The Liberals are taking $15 billion that was earmarked for them and spending it on a structure that is not designed for them.What does the minister have to say to these municipal representatives from across Quebec?

Mr. Speaker, Unifor, the largest union of journalists in the country, has clearly picked a side. It has declared war on the Conservative Party.What did the Liberals do? With just five months to go before the election, the Prime Minister gathered together his good friends from Unifor to form a panel that will decide how the Liberal government will distribute $600 million to Canadian media outlets. That makes no sense.Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and remove his Unifor friends from the panel?

Mr. Speaker, it is fascinating to see how proud the Liberals are of supporting the aerospace sector in Alabama and, I might add, in Europe. The bottom line is that Morneau Shepell has ties to Bombardier, the Bank of Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Senate, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. All told, Morneau Shepell's contracts with the government are worth $14 million.What more will it take for the other side to understand that the Minister of Finance is in a direct conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians cannot be fooled.The minister tabled a bill that would benefit his own company, which was still paying him more than $65,000 a month in dividends. This is a clear-cut conflict of interest. This government claims to be a beacon of integrity and transparency. Today they must prove it. The minister must give us a straight answer.Yes or no, did he tell the Ethics Commissioner that he was in a direct conflict of interest?

Mr. Speaker, on Monday we learned via Twitter that even the Prime Minister's principal secretary thinks that holding a referendum is not a bad way to conduct consultations. Can the minister and the Prime Minister respect the opinion of the 62% of Canadians who did not vote for them, forget about partisanship on such a fundamental issue, and tell us if they are rejecting the idea of a referendum just because it is a good Conservative proposal?

Mr. Speaker, if the minister is wondering why the questions are repetitive, it may be because the answers are unsatisfactory.Contrary to what the minister thinks, we are not the only ones who believe that a referendum is a good option. Canadians and the media are also wondering about the process put in place by the Liberal government. Yesterday, a respected Toronto Star journalist said, “[The minister] has so far succeeded in burning bridges where she should have been building some...It is an unsustainable proposition.”Will the minister acknowledge that a referendum is the best way to respectfully consult all Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement includes chapter 32, which gives the U.S. a say in our trade negotiations with non-market countries. The Prime Minister has given the United States, or rather President Trump, the right to interfere in our economy. He has compromised our sovereign ability to freely negotiate our own free trade deals.Could the Prime Minister tell us what he got in exchange for making this massive concession?

Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police submitted a report that confirms how important and urgent it is for the government to give police forces the tools they need to deal with drug-impaired driving before it even begins to think about legalizing marijuana.For my part, I took action by introducing Senator Claude Carignan's bill, which would allow police officers to detect drug-impaired drivers and thus save many lives.Do the Liberals plan to make Canadians' safety a priority and support this bill before legalizing marijuana?

Mr. Speaker, it is always impressive to see how incapable that party is of answering simple questions.Loss of economic sovereignty, ongoing taxes on steel, aluminum and softwood lumber, concessions in the dairy industry, and higher drug prices: all the government did was make concessions that penalize our dairy farmers, our entrepreneurs, and Canadian workers across the country. Can the Prime Minister just tell us what economic advantage he managed to gain from the concessions he made to U.S. President Donald Trump?

Mr. Speaker, Scott Brison, the former president of the Treasury Board, has resigned, and now the former parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs is going to testify against his own Liberal government in defence of Vice-Admiral Norman, a man with a flawless record. He is one of the Royal Canadian Navy's most decorated members.I will repeat my question. Why is the Prime Minister interfering and trying to hold up the trial as well as the contract that should have been awarded to the Davie workers?

Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned that the head honcho for marijuana legalization, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, appointed by the Prime Minister himself, took part in Liberal Party fundraising events attended by lawyers and marijuana lobbyists as he was preparing the bill on legalizing marijuana. Once a Liberal, always a Liberal.When will the people across the way follow the Prime Minister's own ethics rules? Are they trying to tell us that lobbyists are running this government?

Mr. Speaker, allow me to refresh the Prime Minister's memory.This administrator, Bhagwan Grewal, is a former Liberal association president. He is a Liberal Party donor. He went on the India trip and even took the time to have his picture taken with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development so he could keep a nice souvenir of that great trip to India.If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, when will he present the official list of all his VIP guests who were with him on his trip to India, which was paid for by Canadian taxpayers?

Mr. Speaker, it is funny how the minister was much clearer a month ago when he said that Canada would never sign an extradition treaty with China.Now he is talking about preliminary discussions, closer relationships, and openness, but he refuses to confirm anything. Let us call a spade a spade. When we are talking about apples, we say “apples”, not “oranges”.When will the minister be honest with Canadians and tell us exactly what is happening right now?

Mr. Speaker, that must be why the Privacy Commissioner launched an investigation into the government's actions. It is troubling. We have a Prime Minister who uses a pilot project as an excuse to condone the fact that the government can collect the confidential information of more than 500,000 Canadians. We have a Liberal government that is violating Canadians' privacy rights without their knowledge. We have a Prime Minister that is okay with the government doing things in violation of the Privacy Act.I will repeat my question for the Prime Minister for the tenth time: will he continue to accept this indefensible situation?

Mr. Speaker, after three years in office, the Liberal government is already running a $71-billion deficit, and that was before a trade war broke out with our top trading partner, the United States.Can the Prime Minister tell us whether his government will use a portion of this year's $18-billion deficit to implement measures to help the workers who will be hit by this first, or will the Liberals add more billions to the current deficit?

Mr. Speaker, I have here a very interesting, thorough, and relevant document in both official languages. I ask for the consent of the House to table this document from my colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the Clarity Act, regarding the importance of holding a referendum on any changes a government makes to the voting system.

Madam Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner has not even completed her investigation into the Prime Minister's taxpayer-funded Christmas vacation yet, and now we learn that another ethics investigation is being opened, this time against the Minister of Finance. We know that through his ties to Morneau Shepell, the minister is benefiting from policy decisions made by himself and his own department.Will he finally admit that he never disclosed his conflict of interest during the discussions on Bill C-27?

Mr. Speaker, I want to say that I have complete faith in the security organizations responsible for evaluating Syrian applications.I have been told that, during security screening, if there is the slightest concern for Canadian security, the application is rejected immediately. However, so far, nobody has been able to tell me how many applications have been rejected for national security reasons.Can the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness tell us how many applications have been rejected? Is it one, five, 10, 200, or more?

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the minister's consultations. We are dealing with a government that keeps saying that it is consulting with and listening to Canadians from coast to coast to coast.If 70% of Canadians want a referendum before we change our electoral system, and if the committee has a report that indicates that a referendum is the right way to go, will the minister and the Prime Minister finally listen to Canadians and respect their wishes, or will they do as they please based on their own whims?

Mr. Speaker, the former Conservative government was so good at fiscal management that this government inherited a balanced budget.Now, 80% of Canadian families are paying more in taxes to make up for this Prime Minister's out-of-control spending.However, during the last election campaign, he made a formal promise that they would rebalance the budget before the end of their first term.Will he table a plan to rebalance the budget without forcing Canadian taxpayers to foot the bill through increased taxes?

Mr. Speaker, this government never listened to health experts, police forces, business leaders, municipalities, first nations, or the Senate, which spent many hours doing incredible work. Now, the provinces, who have asked for more time, are asking us to simply respect their jurisdictions.Again, my question for the Prime Minister is very simple. Will he respect the jurisdictions of Canada's provinces as well as those of first nations, and allow them to prohibit home cultivation of cannabis?

Mr. Speaker, it just so happens that the federal minister told us yesterday she had had some good discussions with her provincial counterparts, but Quebec's health minister said no discussion had taken place.Today, about an hour ago, the minister stated that she is extremely worried about what is going on in health care. The facts are the facts. The government is treating the provinces paternalistically and infringing on their jurisdiction. That is against Canadian federalism.When will they show some respect for their provincial counterparts and eliminate the conditions attached to health transfers?

Mr. Speaker, I want to read a quote from a Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police report. “A primary concern of policing in Canada is impaired driving. This is an issue today. It will become an even greater issue with [the potential upcoming] legalization.” I repeat my question for the third time, and I hope that the Prime Minister will be brave enough to rise and answer. Can he assure that police officers across Canada will be trained and equipped to combat the scourge—

Mr. Speaker, every week brings new revelations about the Minister of Finance's conflicts of interest.First, there were his undeclared shares, then his villa in France, and now, we have the bill he created, Bill C-27, from which his own family and his company, Morneau Shepell, directly benefit.Will the Prime Minister step up and order his Minister of Finance to show some transparency and disclose all of his assets?

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that 81% of Canadian families are paying more taxes under this government. My question is simple and perfectly valid, especially considering that we know this minister has been in a direct conflict of interest for the past two years. If he has nothing to hide, will the Minister of Finance be honest and disclose, once and for all, his assets, companies, shares, and everything he is hiding from Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, the only thing we know for sure is that we are headed straight for disaster.The same internal KPMG report suggests that Canadians could wind up paying for the bank's own infrastructure. It seems as though the Liberals are hiding something. If the minister wants to reassure Canadians that he intends to do more than just please his billionaire friends, will he make a commitment to this House that under no circumstances will Canadians be asked to pay any more taxes to fund the planned infrastructure bank?

Mr. Speaker, the facts are these: Since being appointed, the minister has not presented Canadians and members of Parliament with a concrete plan to resolve the border issue and the crisis we have been dealing with for almost two years now. When data are made available, the minister has no clue what data he is talking about when he answers questions from the media and opposition members. That is ludicrous. We would like the minister to stand up, show some leadership and come up with a plan. If he cannot, we can.

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that 86% of entrepreneurs are against the Liberals' tax reforms. Yesterday, I told you about Joseph. After hearing his story, Pierre, Virginie, Gabriel, Nathalie, and many others contacted me because they are worried that they were never consulted. The Liberals are yet again trying to distract us while they pick business owners' pockets in an attempt to finance their own massive deficit. Raising taxes on businesses is not going to create jobs. When is this Liberal government finally going to get the message and abandon its reforms—

Mr. Speaker, the rules are very simple and apply to every one of the 338 MPs here: we must disclose our assets within 60 days.There is good reason to wonder whether the Minister of Finance is working in his own interest and that of the Liberal Party or in the interest of all Canadians. We know that he did not disclose his personal affairs for more than two years.My question is so simple that I am not sure the parliamentary secretary will attempt to answer it.Does the minister still own shares in his company? If so, when will he sell them?

Mr. Speaker, this is the Liberal logic: they put Canadians' money into different programs and they tell themselves that, like the budget, it will all balance itself out. That is not how it works. After the government announced with great fanfare that it was going to invest $13.6 billion in infrastructure in 2016, we have now learned that the Liberals invested only $4.6 billion. My question is simple.Where is the $9 billion that was supposed to be invested in infrastructure projects for municipalities across Canada?

Mr. Speaker, on October 19 in the House, someone said: What we did was form a committee that is going to make thoughtful, responsible recommendations, and we are going to pay very close attention to what comes out of the work done by that committee... Who said that? The Prime Minister himself. The experts, the people, and the committee, which was very clear in its report, agree: if the government wishes to change the voting system, it must hold a referendum. When will the minister get it? Will she hold a referendum on the voting system, or will she just do as she herself sees fit?

Mr. Speaker, this government should spend a little less time with its friends and more time taking care of its provincial partners.When it comes to health care transfers, no one can say that the government has a very good relationship with the provinces. Instead we see an obvious lack of leadership on the Liberals' part and an unprecedented degree of interference into provincial jurisdictions.When will the minister really listen to her provincial counterparts and eliminate the conditions attached to the health transfers?

Mr. Speaker, the problem with the Prime Minister's reckless spending is that he is doing it on the taxpayers' dime and with no end in sight. We have just learned how much the Prime Minister is spending on his summer home: $3,000 on sun umbrellas—I am not sure where he finds them—; $7,500 on a swing set; $12,000 to replace a dock; and $5,000 on a golf cart. Meanwhile, 80% of Canadians and Canadian families are paying more taxes under this government.How can the Prime Minister justify that kind of spending while hard-working Canadians are just trying to make a living—

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to remind the Prime Minister that I am a proud Conservative from Quebec, in case he does not know. I quite like our friends from Alberta, too.If the Prime Minister knows this matter is urgent, if he knows that the natural resources sector is important to our economy and our country, if he knows that thousands of jobs are at stake, then the question is a simple one. We do not want words. We want to know exactly what steps the Prime Minister will take to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, we on the opposition side are not making this up. It is the former attorney general herself, who remains a Liberal member sitting on that side of the House, who clearly said that she does not have free rein to speak before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. She will not be able to speak about what happened when she was veterans affairs minister. She will not be able to speak about what happened during the meetings in Vancouver before she resigned. She will not be able to speak about what happened during last week's cabinet meeting and Liberal caucus meeting after she resigned. She will not be able to speak her truth, because the Prime Minister does not want to give her—

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of National Defence said that he would tell us when he contacted journalist James Cudmore to offer him a job as a policy adviser in his department. I am giving him a chance to keep his word today.When, exactly, did he offer Mr. Cudmore a job in his department?

Mr. Speaker, all we asked for was the date that James Cudmore was offered a job in the Minister of National Defence's office. We have had no answer for three days.We asked if he was hired to stop him from continuing to report on the Liberals' political meddling in the Davie shipyard contract, but our question is still unanswered.This sounds like more Liberal skulduggery. What is the Prime Minister hiding?

Mr. Speaker, another parliamentary report reveals that over 2,000 privacy incidents occurred between September 2016 and June 2018, while this government was supposed to be leading the country.The minister tells us that she did not think she needed to inform the Privacy Commissioner of this situation. If we want the Privacy Commissioner to be able to do his job, the minister must notify him of any irregularities in her department.I repeat my question. Were the individuals—yes, I said “individuals”, not “individual”—who had access to those documents given any sort of formal notice or measures—

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, we learned that Stephen Bronfman, a close friend of the Prime Minister, was named in the paradise papers.The Minister of National Revenue promised an independent investigation of these documents. Today, the Prime Minister said that he was satisfied with the explanations from his friend and Liberal Party bagman.Could the Minister of National Revenue just tell us whether she agrees with her Prime Minister that his friend should not be investigated?

Mr. Speaker, the opposition has been speaking out about the Minister of Finance's conflicts of interest for three months now. Canadians are becoming increasingly concerned and now we learn that a number of Liberal members are embarrassed by his complete lack of ethics. On the condition of anonymity, many went so far as to say that the minister should be assigned to another position. It is madness. Now Liberal Party members are disavowing the Minister of Finance. Does the Minister of Finance realize that Canadians have completely lost confidence in him?

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, the Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed last week that the Liberal government's plan just does not cut it. He has proven that under their plan, the Liberals will have to increase fuel prices by more than 23¢ per litre, because of their carbon tax. Only the Liberals believe that raising taxes could be an effective plan.My question for the Prime Minister is simple. Why do he and his colleagues here in the House want to increase fuel prices by 23¢ per litre on the backs of Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just said that he was proud of having a gender-balanced cabinet. However, when two women had the courage to be transparent and honest and to tell the truth, the first thing he did was remove them from the Liberal caucus and send them to this side of the House.Meanwhile, the problem is still there. The Prime Minister interfered in the legal system on a case involving criminal charges.If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, will he give La Presse access to the document from the former clerk of the Privy Council, Michael Wernick, so that we can have all of the information between November 1 and—

Mr. Speaker, in my previous life, I was a school principal, and when I listen to the Prime Minister, it feels like listening to a child who would have us believe he is always happy to visit the principal's office but has no idea how many times he has actually been there. This should be an easy answer: one, two, or three times. I am sure it is less than five times.This is a simple question. Was it one time, or was it zero? I get the feeling the correct answer is zero.

Mr. Speaker, I do not think the leader is listening to my questions. My question was simple. La Presse asked to see the documents on Wernick, the former top public servant.The process should take 30 days at most, but the newspaper was told that the documents would be available in 240 days. This would be after the upcoming election.If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, why does he not release all of the information to Canadians?