Arnold Viersen

Mr. Speaker, something stinks. The Prime Minister's answers are vague and evasive. The former attorney general spoke truth to power, and she paid the price. In December, Gerald Butts discussed a special deal for SNC-Lavalin with the former attorney general, and a month later, she was fired. What was said at that meeting?

Mr. Speaker, every year, hundreds of Canadian women are caught up in the vicious cycle of sex trafficking, yet since coming into power, the Liberals have allowed the fight against human trafficking to languish. They have allowed the national action plan to combat human trafficking to expire. They have ended federal funding to NGOs, obstructed important tools for police that were adopted by this House, and have introduced legislation to block consecutive sentencing for sex traffickers. When will the Liberal government step up and start fighting this horrific form of modern-day slavery?

Mr. Speaker, child and adult victims of sex trafficking are being sold daily on Backpage.com. In June, I raised this horrific issue in this chamber and wrote directly to the justice minister, with no response.Yesterday, the CEO of Backpage was arrested in the U.S. on sex trafficking charges.When will the Liberals finally take action to end Backpage.com sex trafficking ads in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the voters of Ontario sent a clear message to this Prime Minister: they do not want his carbon tax. Last year, Saskatchewan rejected the Liberal carbon tax, and next year, when Alberta elects Jason Kenney as premier, Albertans will reject this terrible tax. The Prime Minister has to stop forcing his carbon tax on Canadian families.When will the Prime Minister listen to Canadians and abandon his terrible carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, last month the Liberals used Shell to claim support for their devastating carbon tax plan. However, Shell, citing bad government policy, cancelled the $10-billion Carmon Creek project in Alberta, killing thousands of jobs in the town of Peace River.This is only the beginning. Companies from across the country will continue to abandon Canada because of the Liberal carbon tax. Why is the government listening to companies rather than listening to struggling Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, Albertans want jobs, not handouts. Isaac Laboucan of the Woodland Cree First Nation was in Ottawa this week, voicing his opposition to the Prime Minister's shipping ban. The Prime Minister's ban hamstrings indigenous communities and is the only oil shipping moratorium in Canada. It is just another example of Liberal arrogance. The first nations want the Prime Minister to stop his “Liberals know best” approach. When will the Prime Minister get out of the way of the indigenous people instead of supporting American oil interests, and abandon his disastrous shipping ban?

Mr. Speaker, Charmaine Stick, a member of the Onion Lake Cree Nation, is here in Ottawa today pleading with the Liberals to enforce the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. Band members are often told that there is no money to pay for essentials like housing repairs or medical supplies. For years, Charmaine has been trying to get her band leadership to tell her where the money is going. Now she has finally resorted to going to court. Instead of enforcing the law, why are the Liberals forcing grassroots band members to go to court to get basic information?

Mr. Speaker, one of the ideals of the Conservative Party is that we would ask people before we take their information. Canadians are outraged by the Liberals' unauthorized surveillance of their private banking information. My constituents have been calling me worried about the Liberals snooping into their bank accounts. The government has already acquired 15 years of credit information from millions of Canadians without their consent. Now the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is investigating abuse. When will the Liberals stop snooping into the lives of Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives took action in combatting modern-day slavery. We introduced minimum sentences for child traffickers, provided funding for survivors of human trafficking, trained law enforcement, and most importantly, launched a national action plan to combat human trafficking in 2012. There is no mention of human trafficking in the Liberal platform, in the throne speech, in the mandate letters, or in budget 2016.Human traffickers have a plan. Do the Liberals have a plan to end human trafficking?

Mr. Speaker, indigenous communities in my riding will be directly impacted by today's legislation on assisted suicide. I am concerned that the Liberals have ignored these communities. Dr. Alika Lafontaine, president of the Indigenous Physicians Association, highlighted the absence of major indigenous organizations during the joint committee hearings and stated, “I believe there has not been meaningful consultations with indigenous peoples”. Why did the Liberals not undertake consultations with indigenous communities on assisted suicide?

Mr. Speaker, last spring I went to Washington and stood with victims of sex trafficking as they celebrated the major passing of FOSTA-SESTA in Congress, removing the existing immunity for companies that knowingly profit from sex trafficking. Now tech companies are lobbying the U.S. government to bring back sex trafficking immunity provisions in NAFTA in the negotiations with Canada.Can the government confirm that a Canada-U.S. trade deal will not import the ability of companies to legally profit from sex trafficking?

Mr. Speaker, on Friday I asked the Liberals why they have no plan to combat human trafficking. The parliamentary secretary for justice replied that the government's only priority is to review the Criminal Code.Front-line anti-human trafficking NGOs and survivors do not need a review of the Criminal Code, they need real support from a government that takes this issue seriously. Why are the Liberals doing nothing to end human trafficking?

Mr. Speaker, this consultation is happening during the harvest season. Farmers feed Canada, and in my riding, Gerald Finster is one of these farmers. He and his family work hard, and their fortunes are tied up in their family farm. Now the Liberals want to tax these farm families even more. Farmers like Gerald are being put in a tight spot. While crushing our food producers with unbearable taxes, how is it fair that the finance minister's family fortune is sheltered from these new taxes? How is that fair?

Mr. Speaker, another day and the Liberals break another promise to Canadians. Post-secondary education is critical for improving quality of life and opportunities for indigenous youth. The Liberals promised to help the first nation and Inuit students through a post-secondary student support program. Instead of keeping their promises, the Liberals are moving in the other direction.Why did the Liberals break their promise to indigenous students and why are they cutting staff from the program?

Mr. Speaker, once these small businesses have gone bankrupt, I am sure the Liberals will be handing out subsidies to them.Nathan has a small farm in my riding. In order to make ends meet, he works for other farmers in the area. One of the farmers he works for happens to be his dad. Liberal changes to the small business tax credit mean that arm's-length organizations that exist within farm families must share one small business tax credit. This means that Nathan and his dad must now decide how they will divide their small business tax credit. Why are the Liberals using the tax code to hurt farm families like Nathan's?

Mr. Speaker, my friend, Lawrence Morris, is a retired senior, who lives in Fort Assiniboine on a very limited income. A carbon tax will significantly increase his costs for groceries, his costs for his heat bill, and his costs for gasoline, to the point that he may not be able to stay in his home. This is a reality for many rural seniors across Canada. Why are the Liberals pushing a carbon tax on rural Canadians and forcing seniors like Mr. Morris out of their homes?

Mr. Speaker, as the deputy critic for rural affairs, I am concerned with the direction the government is going in. Instead of standing up and supporting all Canadians, the government is pitting rural communities against urban centres. It is signalling that infrastructure funds are to be spent entirely in big cities. Rural Canada is the backbone of our nation. The energy used to heat our homes, the wood used to build our houses, and the food we all eat is produced in rural Canada.Will the infrastructure minister please explain why his priorities seem to leave rural Canada in the cold?

Mr. Speaker, companies like Millar Western in my riding will be subject to a 20% tariff on all lumber exports to the United States. Truck drivers, skidder operators, mechanics, and mill wrights in communities Whitecourt, Peace River, Slave Lake, High Prairie and La Crete are worried their jobs are at risk. The Prime Minister claims that securing a new softwood lumber deal is a priority, yet 328 days ago the Prime Minister promised he would have a softwood lumber deal in 100 days. How many more days will forestry workers have to wait for the Prime Minister to get the job done?

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs announced that the Liberals would no longer be enforcing the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. She also promised that she would work in full partnership with first nations leaders and organizations to increase accountability and transparency. Now we have learned that the Liberals have done nothing for six months, except to consider a plan for consultation and that consultation has never taken place. Will the minister stop betraying first nations band members like Charmaine Stick and empower these men and women in their fight for transparency?

Mr. Speaker, we expect support for Alberta, not Alabama.Yesterday, Bombardier announced that the French company Airbus would receive a majority stake in the Bombardier C Series aircraft. Now Airbus cannot really lose here, and Bombardier cannot really lose either. After all, they are riding high on millions of Canadian taxpayers' dollars. Do we know who stands to lose? It is Canadian taxpayers.Can the minister guarantee Canadian taxpayers will be fully repaid by Bombardier before this transaction is approved?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says he wants the Trans Mountain pipeline built, but like every promise he makes, it is all talk and no action. Let us be clear. Since the government has taken power, 125,000 jobs have been lost in the Canadian oil patch. That is devastating for local communities and families. We are six weeks away from losing this project and all the jobs that go with it.When will the pipeline be built?

Mr. Speaker, I do not always go on vacation, but when I do, I pay for it myself.The Ethics Commissioner found that the Prime Minister broke the law when he chose to accept a gift worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from a man who has business dealings with the government. How can the Liberals defend this?Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and repay the $200,000 of taxpayer money?

Oddly, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change shared a video of herself celebrating with the Canada Parks and Wilderness Society, a group that is suing her government. However, when it comes to meeting with organizations that are uniquely positioned to protect caribou in the communities in which they live, the minister suddenly has no time. Can the minister confirm that she refused to meet with the Northwest Species at Risk Committee and the Alberta Forest Alliance?

Mr. Speaker, I will be asking a question and I am looking for an answer, not another question. Did the national security adviser give classified information to journalists?

Mr. Speaker, one of the ideals of the Conservative Party is that we would ask people before we take their information. Canadians are outraged by the Liberals' unauthorized surveillance of their private banking information. My constituents have been calling me worried about the Liberals snooping into their bank accounts. The government has already acquired 15 years of credit information from millions of Canadians without their consent. Now the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is investigating abuse. When will the Liberals stop snooping into the lives of Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, last month the Liberals used Shell to claim support for their devastating carbon tax plan. However, Shell, citing bad government policy, cancelled the $10-billion Carmon Creek project in Alberta, killing thousands of jobs in the town of Peace River.This is only the beginning. Companies from across the country will continue to abandon Canada because of the Liberal carbon tax. Why is the government listening to companies rather than listening to struggling Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the voters of Ontario sent a clear message to this Prime Minister: they do not want his carbon tax. Last year, Saskatchewan rejected the Liberal carbon tax, and next year, when Alberta elects Jason Kenney as premier, Albertans will reject this terrible tax. The Prime Minister has to stop forcing his carbon tax on Canadian families.When will the Prime Minister listen to Canadians and abandon his terrible carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, every year, hundreds of Canadian women are caught up in the vicious cycle of sex trafficking, yet since coming into power, the Liberals have allowed the fight against human trafficking to languish. They have allowed the national action plan to combat human trafficking to expire. They have ended federal funding to NGOs, obstructed important tools for police that were adopted by this House, and have introduced legislation to block consecutive sentencing for sex traffickers. When will the Liberal government step up and start fighting this horrific form of modern-day slavery?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says he wants the Trans Mountain pipeline built, but like every promise he makes, it is all talk and no action. Let us be clear. Since the government has taken power, 125,000 jobs have been lost in the Canadian oil patch. That is devastating for local communities and families. We are six weeks away from losing this project and all the jobs that go with it.When will the pipeline be built?

Mr. Speaker, once these small businesses have gone bankrupt, I am sure the Liberals will be handing out subsidies to them.Nathan has a small farm in my riding. In order to make ends meet, he works for other farmers in the area. One of the farmers he works for happens to be his dad. Liberal changes to the small business tax credit mean that arm's-length organizations that exist within farm families must share one small business tax credit. This means that Nathan and his dad must now decide how they will divide their small business tax credit. Why are the Liberals using the tax code to hurt farm families like Nathan's?

Mr. Speaker, on Friday I asked the Liberals why they have no plan to combat human trafficking. The parliamentary secretary for justice replied that the government's only priority is to review the Criminal Code.Front-line anti-human trafficking NGOs and survivors do not need a review of the Criminal Code, they need real support from a government that takes this issue seriously. Why are the Liberals doing nothing to end human trafficking?

Mr. Speaker, another day and the Liberals break another promise to Canadians. Post-secondary education is critical for improving quality of life and opportunities for indigenous youth. The Liberals promised to help the first nation and Inuit students through a post-secondary student support program. Instead of keeping their promises, the Liberals are moving in the other direction.Why did the Liberals break their promise to indigenous students and why are they cutting staff from the program?

Mr. Speaker, child and adult victims of sex trafficking are being sold daily on Backpage.com. In June, I raised this horrific issue in this chamber and wrote directly to the justice minister, with no response.Yesterday, the CEO of Backpage was arrested in the U.S. on sex trafficking charges.When will the Liberals finally take action to end Backpage.com sex trafficking ads in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, something stinks. The Prime Minister's answers are vague and evasive. The former attorney general spoke truth to power, and she paid the price. In December, Gerald Butts discussed a special deal for SNC-Lavalin with the former attorney general, and a month later, she was fired. What was said at that meeting?

Mr. Speaker, as the deputy critic for rural affairs, I am concerned with the direction the government is going in. Instead of standing up and supporting all Canadians, the government is pitting rural communities against urban centres. It is signalling that infrastructure funds are to be spent entirely in big cities. Rural Canada is the backbone of our nation. The energy used to heat our homes, the wood used to build our houses, and the food we all eat is produced in rural Canada.Will the infrastructure minister please explain why his priorities seem to leave rural Canada in the cold?

Mr. Speaker, I do not always go on vacation, but when I do, I pay for it myself.The Ethics Commissioner found that the Prime Minister broke the law when he chose to accept a gift worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from a man who has business dealings with the government. How can the Liberals defend this?Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and repay the $200,000 of taxpayer money?

Mr. Speaker, this consultation is happening during the harvest season. Farmers feed Canada, and in my riding, Gerald Finster is one of these farmers. He and his family work hard, and their fortunes are tied up in their family farm. Now the Liberals want to tax these farm families even more. Farmers like Gerald are being put in a tight spot. While crushing our food producers with unbearable taxes, how is it fair that the finance minister's family fortune is sheltered from these new taxes? How is that fair?

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs announced that the Liberals would no longer be enforcing the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. She also promised that she would work in full partnership with first nations leaders and organizations to increase accountability and transparency. Now we have learned that the Liberals have done nothing for six months, except to consider a plan for consultation and that consultation has never taken place. Will the minister stop betraying first nations band members like Charmaine Stick and empower these men and women in their fight for transparency?

Mr. Speaker, my friend, Lawrence Morris, is a retired senior, who lives in Fort Assiniboine on a very limited income. A carbon tax will significantly increase his costs for groceries, his costs for his heat bill, and his costs for gasoline, to the point that he may not be able to stay in his home. This is a reality for many rural seniors across Canada. Why are the Liberals pushing a carbon tax on rural Canadians and forcing seniors like Mr. Morris out of their homes?

Mr. Speaker, companies like Millar Western in my riding will be subject to a 20% tariff on all lumber exports to the United States. Truck drivers, skidder operators, mechanics, and mill wrights in communities Whitecourt, Peace River, Slave Lake, High Prairie and La Crete are worried their jobs are at risk. The Prime Minister claims that securing a new softwood lumber deal is a priority, yet 328 days ago the Prime Minister promised he would have a softwood lumber deal in 100 days. How many more days will forestry workers have to wait for the Prime Minister to get the job done?

Mr. Speaker, indigenous communities in my riding will be directly impacted by today's legislation on assisted suicide. I am concerned that the Liberals have ignored these communities. Dr. Alika Lafontaine, president of the Indigenous Physicians Association, highlighted the absence of major indigenous organizations during the joint committee hearings and stated, “I believe there has not been meaningful consultations with indigenous peoples”. Why did the Liberals not undertake consultations with indigenous communities on assisted suicide?

Mr. Speaker, Albertans want jobs, not handouts. Isaac Laboucan of the Woodland Cree First Nation was in Ottawa this week, voicing his opposition to the Prime Minister's shipping ban. The Prime Minister's ban hamstrings indigenous communities and is the only oil shipping moratorium in Canada. It is just another example of Liberal arrogance. The first nations want the Prime Minister to stop his “Liberals know best” approach. When will the Prime Minister get out of the way of the indigenous people instead of supporting American oil interests, and abandon his disastrous shipping ban?

Mr. Speaker, we expect support for Alberta, not Alabama.Yesterday, Bombardier announced that the French company Airbus would receive a majority stake in the Bombardier C Series aircraft. Now Airbus cannot really lose here, and Bombardier cannot really lose either. After all, they are riding high on millions of Canadian taxpayers' dollars. Do we know who stands to lose? It is Canadian taxpayers.Can the minister guarantee Canadian taxpayers will be fully repaid by Bombardier before this transaction is approved?

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives took action in combatting modern-day slavery. We introduced minimum sentences for child traffickers, provided funding for survivors of human trafficking, trained law enforcement, and most importantly, launched a national action plan to combat human trafficking in 2012. There is no mention of human trafficking in the Liberal platform, in the throne speech, in the mandate letters, or in budget 2016.Human traffickers have a plan. Do the Liberals have a plan to end human trafficking?

Mr. Speaker, last spring I went to Washington and stood with victims of sex trafficking as they celebrated the major passing of FOSTA-SESTA in Congress, removing the existing immunity for companies that knowingly profit from sex trafficking. Now tech companies are lobbying the U.S. government to bring back sex trafficking immunity provisions in NAFTA in the negotiations with Canada.Can the government confirm that a Canada-U.S. trade deal will not import the ability of companies to legally profit from sex trafficking?

Oddly, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change shared a video of herself celebrating with the Canada Parks and Wilderness Society, a group that is suing her government. However, when it comes to meeting with organizations that are uniquely positioned to protect caribou in the communities in which they live, the minister suddenly has no time. Can the minister confirm that she refused to meet with the Northwest Species at Risk Committee and the Alberta Forest Alliance?

Mr. Speaker, Charmaine Stick, a member of the Onion Lake Cree Nation, is here in Ottawa today pleading with the Liberals to enforce the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. Band members are often told that there is no money to pay for essentials like housing repairs or medical supplies. For years, Charmaine has been trying to get her band leadership to tell her where the money is going. Now she has finally resorted to going to court. Instead of enforcing the law, why are the Liberals forcing grassroots band members to go to court to get basic information?