John Barlow

Mr. Speaker, no one is being fooled by the Liberals repeating these tired old talking points. Canadians are sick and tired of seeing the Prime Minister and his ministers blatantly break ethical rules by attending these cash for access fundraisers. No one should have preferential access to the government simply because they made a large political donation.Are the Liberals that oblivious to the fact that they are breaking ethical rules by asking and making Canadians pay $1,500 to have the ear of the Prime Minister, or do they think they are smarter than every other Canadian and will simply get away with it?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals did not campaign on imposing a carbon tax on provinces and more and more Canadians do not support this tax grab. The Liberals' carbon tax scheme is crumbling. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Alberta all stand in opposition to the carbon tax. The Liberals use this ridiculous argument that the carbon tax improves competitiveness and creates jobs. Canadians know this tax grab is a failure and they do not support it.Will the minister stand with Canadians and abandon the carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, Canadian farmers are asking for us to do them a bit of a favour. Can somebody please put an APB out on the Minister of Agriculture? First, India imposes debilitating tariffs on Canadian pea exports and now our durum wheat producers are being unfairly targeted by Italy's protectionist country-of-origin labelling. On both of these vital issues, the minister has been nowhere to be found. He is not even being included on a critical trade mission to India next month. Why has the minister not tabled a formal complaint on the wheat issue with the WTO or CETA, and will he commit to do so today?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have to stop blaming others for their mismanagement on the grain backlog issue. They can take definitive action now to address the situation but they refuse. The ones suffering the consequences are Canadian grain farmers. In some areas, railcar performance was 6% last week, and it is only getting worse. Our reputation as a reliable grain exporter is tarnished, and yet the Minister of Agriculture cannot even stand up and defend Canadian farmers. How bad does this situation have to get before the Liberals stop defending the rail monopoly and start fighting for Canadian farmers?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister failed to reach consensus on his climate change plan, and for good reason. It will hurt our economy, it will cost Canadians billions of dollars in new taxes, and it is unfair. The rest of the country will pay disproportionately for this new climate change plan while, in Ontario, its largest carbon emitters have received exemptions.Will the Liberals admit that this climate change plan and carbon tax is an absolute sham? It is going to cost hard-working Canadian taxpayers billions of dollars in new unnecessary taxes and will achieve absolutely nothing.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's tax-and-spend agenda is out of control. Canadian business owners are scared, and rightly so. Across this country, I have heard from craft brewers, distillers, and winemakers who are very concerned about the Liberals' never-ending excise tax increase. It is going to kill jobs and it is going to hurt local rural communities. Of course, the minister would have known that, had he taken any time to consult with Canadians before moving ahead with this radical tax agenda. Before it is too late, will the minister do the right thing? Will he listen to these Canadian business owners and cork this tax?

Mr. Speaker, 17 pipeline projects were approved under the Conservative government. I just want to make sure that is perfectly clear.The job crisis in Alberta has only got worse with the announcement yesterday that Western Feedlots will be closing its gates next year, meaning another 85 Albertans are out of work.It goes deeper. With Western's 100,000 head of cattle off the market, this will be devastating for Alberta's barley growers and its beef processors.The main reason for the closure, according to Western Feedlots, is the impending NDP and Liberal carbon taxes. When will the Liberal government admit that its job-killing carbon tax is an attack on—

Mr. Speaker, Albertans appreciate the compassion, but they want jobs; they do not want EI. The Liberal government is imposing a carbon tax that is going to plow Alberta's agriculture sector into the ground. Alberta's farmers and ranchers want to know why the government is attacking their livelihoods. One worried farmer in my riding said this carbon tax would drive the cost of his fuel alone from $125,000 a year to $150,000 a year, putting his operation in jeopardy. I am sure the Liberals' response will be to use public transit or get an electric car. The farmers and ranchers in my riding have one question. How many head of cattle can I fit on a bus—

Madam Speaker, every single week an energy company is laying off hundreds of workers or leaving the country altogether, and every week we get inaction and platitudes by the Prime Minister. This week, Steelhead LNG shelved its pipeline in B.C. and Devon Energy announced it is selling its Canadian assets and exiting the country. Why, when it comes to 120,000 unemployed energy workers or a convoy of Canadians who come to Ottawa to fight for their jobs, will this Prime Minister not lift a finger? Why will he not fight for everyone?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's conspiracy theory has destroyed our trading relationship with India. Canadian pulse producers are already facing 50% duties, and now India has imposed basically a three-month ban on yellow pea imports. Our pea exports to India are down 80%, putting a $4-billion pulse industry at risk.When will the Prime Minister apologize to the Indian government, because does he know who is paying for these false accusations? Canadian farmers.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister vowed to phase out the oil sands, and unfortunately for Canada, it seems his plan is working. Imposing a carbon tax, axing the discovery wells tax credit, and forcing his anti-oil activists onto the energy minister's staff are taking their toll. In March, there were 25 junior oil companies left in Alberta, down from close to 100. These risk-takers are the heartbeat of Alberta's energy sector. When will the Prime Minister make the right priorities? Why are his priorities a job-killing carbon tax and paid anti-oil activists, when they should be Canada's economy and the jobs of hard-working Albertans?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are carrying out an ideological attack on Canadian agriculture, with warning labels on dairy and meat products, and a Canadian food guide that discourages people from eating healthy animal protein and dairy. Not one single farmer or processor was allowed to give any input on these decisions.The Liberals are devastating Canadian businesses and farm families on data that is based on bad science.Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stand up for our farmers and stop this attack on Canadian agriculture?

Mr. Speaker, I will tell members about the Liberal support for agriculture. According to the numbers from the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the Liberals' carbon tax will devastate Canadian agriculture. At $50 a tonne, the Liberal carbon tax will cost a Manitoba pork producer more than $36,000 a year; a rancher in Alberta, $13,000; and a wheat grower in Saskatchewan, $12,000. As for potato farmers in P.E.I, the agriculture minister thinks they should be paying $20,000 a year in carbon tax.Does the Prime Minister agree with these numbers? If not, will he end the cover-up and release the cost of the Liberals' farm-killing carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, I do not think Canadians realized that sunny ways would be quite this expensive. Here are the facts. The Conservatives left the Liberals a surplus. Canadians were enjoying the lowest tax burden in 50 years, and in one month the Liberals spent a $10-billion deficit, obliterating the Conservative surplus. Why has the Minister of Finance been so reckless with the tax dollars of hard-working Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, no one believes that the Prime Minister is not manipulating these committees to cover up his scandal. The Prime Minister told the former attorney general and all Canadians a complete fairy tale. We now know no jobs were ever at risk. The CEO of SNC-Lavalin said he never cited 9,000 jobs as a reason to end its criminal trial. In fact, when asked about these mythical job losses, the CEO said, “I don't know what people...have in their minds.”When will the Prime Minister come clean with Canadians? When will he end this cover-up?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister must realize that his antics on the global stage have very real consequences. The casualties for this latest diplomatic nightmare are Canadian farmers. The only souvenir from the Prime Minister's latest family vacation is the successful derailing of Canada's trade relationship with India. Yesterday, India increased the tariffs on our chickpeas from 40% to 60%, further jeopardizing Canada's $4 billion pulse industry. Will the Prime Minister please explain why he is so willing to sacrifice Canadian farmers just to maintain this ridiculous conspiracy theory?

Mr. Speaker, the definition of out of touch is when an über-wealthy finance minister tells Canadians they are not paying enough taxes. Yesterday, in defence of his new tax on beer, wine, and spirits, the minister said Canadians need to pay their fair share. Here is the sober reality. Under the Liberals and their tax hikes, many Canadians are already finding it difficult to make ends meet. When will the minister put an end to what is nothing more than an escalating cash grab?

Mr. Speaker, when we put in a carbon tax, who pays for that carbon tax?Yesterday I was pleased to see the Senate finance committee agree to repeal the Liberals' dangerous, unfair, and never-ending tax hike on beer, wine, and spirits.Unlike the Prime Minister, who refuses to listen to Canadians or learn from the mistakes of his father, the Senate committee made the right decision for Canada.Will the Prime Minister agree that raising taxes on middle-class Canadians is a bad idea? Will he cork this tax?

Mr. Speaker, our key exports are down 73%. Lentils are down 79%. India has increased tariffs and are implementing a fumigation fee. The CEO of a major pulse exporter said that the trade crisis with India is the “ultimate hammer”, and that we have been “hit over the head and we are bleeding”.For the sake of Canadian pulse producers, will the agriculture minister insist that the Prime Minister admit that his India conspiracy theory is a farce?

Mr. Speaker, the Alberta families who have been impacted by the bovine tuberculosis quarantine need some answers. They are in very real danger of missing their one payday of the year. Their family farms are at stake. One of the ranchers affected, Brad Osadczuk, said they are in a lot of trouble. He said, “There’s people’s livelihoods, health and families that are hanging in the balance”.Can the health minister tell Albertans if all CFIA inspectors available have been deployed to Alberta to help solve this potential disaster?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are not lowering taxes; they are raising them. We have heard of this carbon tax. The Liberals are covering up the costs of their carbon tax because they know it is a disaster. A secret briefing has said that a $300-per-tonne carbon tax is needed to meet their climate change targets.Let us recap the Liberal carbon tax so far: more than 100,000 Albertans are out of work; 4,000 Calgary businesses have already shut their doors; and three global energy companies have left Alberta.The Liberal carbon tax is costing Canadians their jobs and thousands of dollars a year. The Liberals need to stop the carbon tax cover-up and tell Canadians exactly how much the Liberal carbon tax will cost.

Mr. Speaker, shrimp season has just opened in Newfoundland. Today we have heard that the Quinlan Brothers processing plant, which employs about 700 people, has suffered a devastating fire. This disaster will impact not only the community and local plant workers but also the fishermen who land their catch at Bay de Verde. Are the Liberals going to immediately move to give special EI access to these affected workers?

Mr. Speaker, this morning the jobs report was released. It does not look good for anyone under the Liberal government. Twenty-two thousand full-time jobs were lost in Alberta in January alone. Our unemployment rate in Alberta has reached 7.4%, the first time since 1988 that it has been higher than the Canadian average. Things are only going to get worse. It is predicted that Alberta's unemployment rate will exceed 8% by the end of 2016. The Liberals' no-energy program is killing Alberta.When will the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour finally come up with a strategy that will help Alberta's unemployed get back to work?

Mr. Speaker, it does not matter if our producers cannot get their products to market if they do not have a market to sell it to. The Liberals have to understand that there are very real consequences to the Prime Minister's disastrous trip to India.

Mr. Speaker, it was quite shameful to learn earlier this week that the Minister of Employment does not believe that private members' bills are important pieces of legislation. In the last Parliament, many private members' bills were brought forward on important issues on both sides of the floor. On this side of the House, I am proud to say that we encourage our members to bring forward important issues from their constituents and private members' bills on issues important to all Canadians. The employment minister is muzzling union members by taking away their democratic right to a secret ballot. Why is the Liberal government muzzling their own members by discrediting private members' bills?

Mr. Speaker, whoever came up with that answer and whoever proposed a never-ending tax hike was certainly drinking something.In fact, our Canadian craft alcohol producers are already on the hook to pay some of the highest taxes in the world. In fact, an escalating tax was tried once before by the previous Trudeau government. It failed miserably. Many businesses closed, costing us thousands of jobs. It is not too late for the minister to put this policy in the drunk tank. Will the Liberals stand up for Canadian craft alcohol producers and the thousands of jobs they create? Will they cork this tax?

Mr. Speaker, experts agree the Liberals are not getting it right. Their tanker ban and their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, are sinking Canada's energy industry, and the Liberals' energy ineptitude is continuing with these delays to the Trans Mountain expansion. The Liberals are going to announce next week, once again, approval for this project, but it means absolutely nothing unless there is an actual plan to get it built. The construction season is half over. What is the Prime Minister willing to do to ensure that construction begins in Burnaby this summer?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Natural Resources asked why we are not sharing his optimism. Is he serious? Investments of $86 billion are gone. Northern gateway, energy east, and Pacific NorthWest are cancelled. Trans Mountain is on its last legs, and we are facing a job-killing carbon tax. Again, the Prime Minister unveils his true vision for Canada's energy sector: phasing it out.On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of unemployed energy workers across Canada and their families, does the minister truly believe that phasing out Alberta's energy sector is reason for optimism, or is he just delusional?

Mr. Speaker, they are not paid a dollar a day; they are paid at the Ontario minimum wage level.Canada's disability community's motto is “Nothing about us without us”, but the Prime Minister is moving on without them, cutting 34 jobs for disabled Canadians. The disabled community is already concerned with the Liberals' refusal to strengthen the toothless accessible Canada act.When, at committee, the minister was asked about these job cuts, she said that these people are no longer operationally required.A Conservative government would save these jobs. Will the Liberals follow our lead and reverse these heartless job cuts?

When the Speaker tries to bail you out, take it.

Mr. Speaker, more than 20,000 stakeholders attended the mining conference in Toronto, and voiced very grave concerns with Liberal policies. They know the carbon tax will cost them tens of millions of dollars a year, and many more mining projects could be abandoned. The Liberals are burying Canada's northern communities under a made-in-Ottawa carbon tax and drilling moratorium. They are blocking resource development in some areas, and taxing it to death in others.Does the energy minister realize that he is putting the very economic stability of Canada's north on very thin ice?

Mr. Speaker, Canada Day is just around the corner, and many middle-class Canadians will be celebrating with a great craft beer or a nice glass of wine. However, the Liberal plan is to crash Canada's party with a never-ending, always-escalating tax increase on beer, wine, and spirits.What it comes down to is middle-class Canadians cannot afford another Liberal tax hike. Will the Prime Minister agree that Canadians already pay their fair share and that increasing taxes on middle-class Canadians is a bad idea? Will he cork this tax?

Mr. Speaker, what is extremely disconcerting is a minister from Alberta in the government who is doing nothing to stand up for Alberta's energy sector. What the Parliamentary Budget Officer said is that every year construction is delayed on the Trans Mountain pipeline costs Canadian taxpayers $700 million. In fact, if it is not built by 2022, the project will no longer be viable at all.The Liberals have put billions of tax dollars at risk, and by continuing to delay this very important project, Canadian taxpayers are seeing their dollars wasted. Why is the Prime Minister forcing Canadians to pay for his pipeline mistakes?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal attack on agriculture is devastating: front-of-pack labelling, food guide, grain backlog, bungled trade agreements, and tax hikes. Now the agriculture minister is claiming that farmers support the Liberal carbon tax. Has he even spoken to Canadian farmers?The chair of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association said, “I’m not sure who has been briefing [the minister], but he is dead wrong if he thinks that most farmers support a carbon tax”.How can the minister speak for agriculture if he is so out of touch with Canadian farmers?

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the Saudi oil minister announced that OPEC is willing to ride out this downturn. In fact, it is hoping that this will force competitors like Canada right out of the business. With thousands of jobs being lost in Alberta and Saskatchewan, the current Liberal government is content to continue to have foreign oil flow into eastern refineries.When will the current Liberal government stand up and show the courage to approve and allow critical infrastructure like pipelines, and create jobs?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals ignored our advice to pass a separate grain transportation bill. When they failed to extend an important provision like interswitching, the Liberals allowed for this grain backlog crisis. We have seen the worst railcar performances of the year, and the numbers are only getting worse. Yet, the Minister of Agriculture had the nerve yesterday to tell farmers that when it came to the backlog situation, “It's not real serious at this moment.” When will the Minister of Agriculture understand how serious this is, and start taking some action?

Mr. Speaker, it is clear the Prime Minister does not understand the struggles of everyday Canadians. More than 100,000 unemployed energy workers are struggling to pay their mortgages, heat their homes and buy Christmas presents for their families. The Prime Minister's solution to this crisis is empty words, higher taxes and more unemployment.Canadian energy workers do not want EI cheques; they want paycheques. They do not want handouts; they want jobs. Will the Prime Minister get these people back to work? Will he scrap his “no pipelines” Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is going to Washington this week to meet with groups that are openly anti-oil sands and anti-Canadian jobs. When NDP members met in Washington to lobby against Canadian jobs, Canadians were appalled, but now the Prime Minister is doing it. There are thousands of Canadians across this country who are out of work. Why is the Prime Minister wining and dining with people who hate Canada's energy sector instead of being in Washington lobbying for Canadian jobs and lobbying for the Canadian energy sector that will impact our Canadian economy?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have committed $250 million to build pipelines, in China. The Liberals are wasting Canadian tax dollars in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which does not benefit Canadian companies or create Canadian jobs. In fact, I was touring the union lodges of boilermakers and pipefitters last week, and 70% of their members are out of work.Why are the Liberals wasting our tax dollars in China and not building pipelines in Canada to get our skilled tradespeople back to work?

Mr. Speaker, Angela is a farmer in my riding. She said that these Liberal tax changes are a man-made disaster that will devastate rural communities across Canada.She and dozens of other Alberta farm families left their combines in the middle of harvest to come to a town hall in High River and voice their concerns. They are fighting for their livelihoods. They are fighting for their children's future. They are fighting for their family farm.Will the Minister of Agriculture stop kowtowing to the Minister of Finance and commit today to extend the consultation period on these tax changes?

Mr. Speaker, employment insurance claims in Alberta are up 90%. More than 200,000 Albertans are out of work. My home province is facing a jobs crisis. Even Royal Bank's CEO David McKay understands this dire situation, saying that Canada will not succeed if Alberta's energy sector does not succeed. The Liberals' response to this crisis is imposing a punitive job-killing carbon tax.Why is the Liberal government so determined to destroy Alberta's economy with national energy program 2.0 and why are Alberta's four Liberal MPs willing to let this happen?

Mr. Speaker, it is great for the agriculture minister to get up and yell in here, but he needs to talk to the person a few steps down from here to pass on that message. The finance minister stood in the House and said he would be happy to return the phone calls of any of my constituents who passed on their phone number. Literally thousands of Alberta farmers have passed on their contact information. How many of these has the finance minister contacted? Zero. It is another broken promise by the Liberal government. Canadian farmers are angry. The consultation period ends today and they feel that their voices have not been heard. Will the finance minister make those calls?

Mr. Speaker, I could just give him my question. It seems like he is ready. I know the Liberals are in denial about the Conservatives and the surplus, but it is there. Those are the facts. It is clear they do not understand economics and they do not understand the consequences of deficit spending. They can deny it all they want. They talk about decisions made by science. Here are the facts. We left them a surplus, and the spending habits of the Minister of Finance are simply out of control. Why is the finance minister doing what every other Canadian knows is dangerous, running a budget on a credit card? When will the finance minister admit his spending is out of control?

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives unveiled our plan to build the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to the public yesterday. Our plan addresses all of the risks to build this pipeline. The Liberals have a choice. They can continue to delay this project and in doing so continue their record of failure, or they can follow the Conservatives' plan and use every tool available to them to get this pipeline built. When will the minister start doing his job, get Canadians back to work, and get the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project under way?

Mr. Speaker, piece by piece, the Liberal government is dismantling democracy in Canada. The first piece of legislation brought forward by the jobs minister is a bill to gut accountability and transparency for unions. The Liberal MPs have been arguing in the House that a secret ballot is somehow undemocratic and burdensome red tape. I would like the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour to please explain to the House why she believes a secret ballot is undemocratic.

Mr. Speaker, provinces like Alberta have been hit hard by job losses and, as we have heard today, they are not going to get much help from the Liberal government.There is absolutely no plan to get Canadians back to work. There is absolutely no support for energy east. What Albertans are asking this Liberal government for is a commitment to energy east, a commitment to improve employment insurance to ensure that Albertans who have lost their jobs can take care of their families and keep their homes.In our biggest time of need, will the government stand up, support Albertans, and help them get back to work, instead of just saying “Hey, hang in there”?

Mr. Speaker, a true Canadian free trade agreement would offer an incredible economic opportunity. It would create jobs and improve consumer choice. Interprovincial trade barriers are crippling Canadian businesses, costing our economy $130 billion.Instead of fighting for free trade, the Liberals are stifling growth by piling on debt and imposing an unprecedented escalator tax on beer, wine, and spirits.Will the Prime Minister commit to renegotiating a true Canadian free trade agreement? Will he axe the tax? Will he free the beer?

Mr. Speaker, Canadian farmers want to know why the Liberals forced them to suffer through a debilitating grain backlog. For more than a year, the Conservatives offered options to get grain moving, but the only action the Liberals took was to delay their own bill. Now the agriculture minister has admitted that Bill C-49 will not solve all the problems our farmers are facing, no own motion powers and no true extended interswitching. Why is the Minister of Agriculture not fighting for the provisions in Bill C-49 that our farmers are asking for so they do not have to face this crisis again?

Mr. Speaker, I have not had one farmer or rancher call me in support of these tax changes; that is thousands.The Hochstein family in my riding are farmers. They have been working the land for four generations. They budget tightly to ensure that their operation can stay afloat, but they are very concerned that the Liberals cannot manage their out-of-control spending and they are coming for their farm to pay for it.Why would the finance minister design a system where the Hochstein family has to pay 73% tax, whereas the family fortunes of the Prime Minister and the finance minister are untouched? How is that fair?

Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. It is a day where across Canada we celebrate our producers and thank them for all they do. However, our farmers and ranchers are not celebrating because the Liberals have shut them out of the discussion on the Canada food guide. Our producers put their heart and soul into producing quality food for Canadians, however, it is these folks who will be directly impacted by these ill-advised decisions. In the spirit of this important day, will the Liberals reverse this ideological decision and listen to the agriculture sector and health experts to ensure we have a balanced approach to the Canadian food guide?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is going to Washington this week to meet with groups that are openly anti-oil sands and anti-Canadian jobs. When NDP members met in Washington to lobby against Canadian jobs, Canadians were appalled, but now the Prime Minister is doing it. There are thousands of Canadians across this country who are out of work. Why is the Prime Minister wining and dining with people who hate Canada's energy sector instead of being in Washington lobbying for Canadian jobs and lobbying for the Canadian energy sector that will impact our Canadian economy?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are carrying out an ideological attack on Canadian agriculture, with warning labels on dairy and meat products, and a Canadian food guide that discourages people from eating healthy animal protein and dairy. Not one single farmer or processor was allowed to give any input on these decisions.The Liberals are devastating Canadian businesses and farm families on data that is based on bad science.Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stand up for our farmers and stop this attack on Canadian agriculture?

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to these unfair tax changes, small business owners and farmers in Atlantic Canada are frustrated. They are frustrated because they do not believe the Liberals are listening, and they are right. When asked by a chamber of commerce in Nova Scotia to attend a town hall meeting to explain these tax changes and to listen to the concerns of small business owners, the Liberal MPs from Kings—Hants and West Nova were no-shows. How can the Liberals profess to be listening to Canadians when they will not even listen to the members of their chamber of commerce? How can the finance minister possibly say he is listening to Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal attack on agriculture is devastating: front-of-pack labelling, food guide, grain backlog, bungled trade agreements, and tax hikes. Now the agriculture minister is claiming that farmers support the Liberal carbon tax. Has he even spoken to Canadian farmers?The chair of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association said, “I’m not sure who has been briefing [the minister], but he is dead wrong if he thinks that most farmers support a carbon tax”.How can the minister speak for agriculture if he is so out of touch with Canadian farmers?

Mr. Speaker, it does not matter if our producers cannot get their products to market if they do not have a market to sell it to. The Liberals have to understand that there are very real consequences to the Prime Minister's disastrous trip to India.

Mr. Speaker, when we put in a carbon tax, who pays for that carbon tax?Yesterday I was pleased to see the Senate finance committee agree to repeal the Liberals' dangerous, unfair, and never-ending tax hike on beer, wine, and spirits.Unlike the Prime Minister, who refuses to listen to Canadians or learn from the mistakes of his father, the Senate committee made the right decision for Canada.Will the Prime Minister agree that raising taxes on middle-class Canadians is a bad idea? Will he cork this tax?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals ignored our advice to pass a separate grain transportation bill. When they failed to extend an important provision like interswitching, the Liberals allowed for this grain backlog crisis. We have seen the worst railcar performances of the year, and the numbers are only getting worse. Yet, the Minister of Agriculture had the nerve yesterday to tell farmers that when it came to the backlog situation, “It's not real serious at this moment.” When will the Minister of Agriculture understand how serious this is, and start taking some action?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have to stop blaming others for their mismanagement on the grain backlog issue. They can take definitive action now to address the situation but they refuse. The ones suffering the consequences are Canadian grain farmers. In some areas, railcar performance was 6% last week, and it is only getting worse. Our reputation as a reliable grain exporter is tarnished, and yet the Minister of Agriculture cannot even stand up and defend Canadian farmers. How bad does this situation have to get before the Liberals stop defending the rail monopoly and start fighting for Canadian farmers?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's conspiracy theory has destroyed our trading relationship with India. Canadian pulse producers are already facing 50% duties, and now India has imposed basically a three-month ban on yellow pea imports. Our pea exports to India are down 80%, putting a $4-billion pulse industry at risk.When will the Prime Minister apologize to the Indian government, because does he know who is paying for these false accusations? Canadian farmers.

Mr. Speaker, pipeline companies invest billions of dollars in consultants and environmental assessments, and that is just to table their proposal. They made these investments under Conservative governments because they knew the Conservatives would champion these projects. However, under the Liberals' watch, not one single major piece of oil infrastructure has been proposed, and that is in three years. When will the Liberals understand that their failed policies are not getting one inch of pipeline built? When will they do their job and get the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion moving?

Mr. Speaker, shrimp season has just opened in Newfoundland. Today we have heard that the Quinlan Brothers processing plant, which employs about 700 people, has suffered a devastating fire. This disaster will impact not only the community and local plant workers but also the fishermen who land their catch at Bay de Verde. Are the Liberals going to immediately move to give special EI access to these affected workers?

Mr. Speaker, they are not paid a dollar a day; they are paid at the Ontario minimum wage level.Canada's disability community's motto is “Nothing about us without us”, but the Prime Minister is moving on without them, cutting 34 jobs for disabled Canadians. The disabled community is already concerned with the Liberals' refusal to strengthen the toothless accessible Canada act.When, at committee, the minister was asked about these job cuts, she said that these people are no longer operationally required.A Conservative government would save these jobs. Will the Liberals follow our lead and reverse these heartless job cuts?

Mr. Speaker, dozens of farm and ranch families came to an open house in High River yesterday to loudly voice their concerns with these punitive Liberal tax changes.They are angry, they are frustrated, and they are worried that the Liberals are trying to take away the legacy they have built for generations, their family farm. They have reason to be concerned. Tax experts agree that these changes could wipe out the family farm.Will the Minister of Agriculture finally be the voice for Canadian farmers? Will he stand up and demand an extension to the tax consultations on these changes, or does he believe that the family farm is not worth saving?

Mr. Speaker, they may have paid back the one, but did they pay back the other two? The Liberals did not just hold one campaign event; they held at least three.On August 27, the Prime Minister held an event with the International Union of Operating Engineers in Oakville. On October 8, he held an event with the Carpenters' District Council in Vaughan.In return for bringing forward a bill that would cut accountability and transparency in unions, could thejobs minister just say that this is repayment for these illegal campaign contributions?

Mr. Speaker, the grain backlog has had a devastating impact, with more than $500 million in grain trapped on the prairies, and costly demurrage fees being passed on to producers. What we have seen is that our farmers are in crisis. Our reputation as a global trading partner has been tarnished and the Liberals have done nothing except defend the rail lines. Farming groups are demanding that the Liberals have a plan to minimize the impact a CP rail strike will have on Canadian farmers. What is the Liberal plan to ensure that no further harm is done to our farming economy in case of a CP rail strike?

Mr. Speaker, piece by piece, the Liberal government is dismantling democracy in Canada. The first piece of legislation brought forward by the jobs minister is a bill to gut accountability and transparency for unions. The Liberal MPs have been arguing in the House that a secret ballot is somehow undemocratic and burdensome red tape. I would like the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour to please explain to the House why she believes a secret ballot is undemocratic.

Madam Speaker, every single week an energy company is laying off hundreds of workers or leaving the country altogether, and every week we get inaction and platitudes by the Prime Minister. This week, Steelhead LNG shelved its pipeline in B.C. and Devon Energy announced it is selling its Canadian assets and exiting the country. Why, when it comes to 120,000 unemployed energy workers or a convoy of Canadians who come to Ottawa to fight for their jobs, will this Prime Minister not lift a finger? Why will he not fight for everyone?

Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister torpedoed deciding on a trans-Pacific partnership. Now with the delay, Canadian ranchers are paying 50% duty on frozen beef exports to Japan, something they would not have to face if the trans-Pacific partnership was in place. Farmers are tired of being ignored by the Liberal government unless, of course, they are looking to raise tax revenue. In fact, farmers do not trust the Liberals to represent them on the world stage.When will the Prime Minister gain critical access in the Asia-Pacific market for Canadian agriculture? When will he sign the TPP?

Mr. Speaker, whoever came up with that answer and whoever proposed a never-ending tax hike was certainly drinking something.In fact, our Canadian craft alcohol producers are already on the hook to pay some of the highest taxes in the world. In fact, an escalating tax was tried once before by the previous Trudeau government. It failed miserably. Many businesses closed, costing us thousands of jobs. It is not too late for the minister to put this policy in the drunk tank. Will the Liberals stand up for Canadian craft alcohol producers and the thousands of jobs they create? Will they cork this tax?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are working awfully hard to take away every opportunity for Canadian farm families: imposing a carbon tax, eliminating the deferral on cash grain tickets, and now these punitive tax changes, which will make it almost impossible for Canadian farm families to sell their farms to their own children. They will be having to sell them to multinational firms. As Conservatives, we know that hard-working Canadian farm families do not use their land as a tax shelter. In fact, they use it to feed the world.Will the Liberals abandon these tax changes, or will they saddle Canadian farm families with the burden of paying for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending?

Mr. Speaker, no one is being fooled by the Liberals repeating these tired old talking points. Canadians are sick and tired of seeing the Prime Minister and his ministers blatantly break ethical rules by attending these cash for access fundraisers. No one should have preferential access to the government simply because they made a large political donation.Are the Liberals that oblivious to the fact that they are breaking ethical rules by asking and making Canadians pay $1,500 to have the ear of the Prime Minister, or do they think they are smarter than every other Canadian and will simply get away with it?

Mr. Speaker, our key exports are down 73%. Lentils are down 79%. India has increased tariffs and are implementing a fumigation fee. The CEO of a major pulse exporter said that the trade crisis with India is the “ultimate hammer”, and that we have been “hit over the head and we are bleeding”.For the sake of Canadian pulse producers, will the agriculture minister insist that the Prime Minister admit that his India conspiracy theory is a farce?

When the Speaker tries to bail you out, take it.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister vowed to phase out the oil sands, and unfortunately for Canada, it seems his plan is working. Imposing a carbon tax, axing the discovery wells tax credit, and forcing his anti-oil activists onto the energy minister's staff are taking their toll. In March, there were 25 junior oil companies left in Alberta, down from close to 100. These risk-takers are the heartbeat of Alberta's energy sector. When will the Prime Minister make the right priorities? Why are his priorities a job-killing carbon tax and paid anti-oil activists, when they should be Canada's economy and the jobs of hard-working Albertans?

Mr. Speaker, Alberta lost another 24,000 jobs in May, increasing its unemployment rate to 7.9%, the highest it has been in 20 years. The vacancy rate in downtown Calgary for commercial office space is 30%, a historic high, higher than it was during the devastating national energy program brought forward by the Liberals in 1980.While people are losing their jobs, businesses are failing. The Liberal government is delaying critical decisions and is now pushing a job-killing carbon tax.Why does every decision the current Liberal government makes cost Albertans their jobs?

Mr. Speaker, Canadian farmers are asking for us to do them a bit of a favour. Can somebody please put an APB out on the Minister of Agriculture? First, India imposes debilitating tariffs on Canadian pea exports and now our durum wheat producers are being unfairly targeted by Italy's protectionist country-of-origin labelling. On both of these vital issues, the minister has been nowhere to be found. He is not even being included on a critical trade mission to India next month. Why has the minister not tabled a formal complaint on the wheat issue with the WTO or CETA, and will he commit to do so today?

Mr. Speaker, I could just give him my question. It seems like he is ready. I know the Liberals are in denial about the Conservatives and the surplus, but it is there. Those are the facts. It is clear they do not understand economics and they do not understand the consequences of deficit spending. They can deny it all they want. They talk about decisions made by science. Here are the facts. We left them a surplus, and the spending habits of the Minister of Finance are simply out of control. Why is the finance minister doing what every other Canadian knows is dangerous, running a budget on a credit card? When will the finance minister admit his spending is out of control?

Mr. Speaker, with Canada's $4-billion pulse industry in jeopardy, a Liberal trade mission to India, which did not include the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, came back empty-handed. Grain companies have stopped buying peas because of a 50% duty. Pulse producers have lost $360 million and they face some very difficult decisions as they prepare for next season. The Liberals bet Canada's farm when they went all in on China, and they lost. Now critical trade agreements, along with alternative market access, are in serious jeopardy.When is the agriculture minister going to start doing his job and start fighting to secure vital market access for Canada's pulse producers?

Mr. Speaker, industry has said that investment in Alberta's oil sands will be down more than $60 billion over the past two years, a 63% decrease since 2014. Hundreds of thousands of Albertans have lost their jobs, and they are losing their homes. The Prime Minister has told Albertans that they should hang in there and they should be thankful that things are not worse.We cannot wait for things to get worse. When is the Liberal government finally going to make an investment in Canada's national energy program?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has failed miserably when it comes to free trade between provinces. In fact, he has fought against it in court. Half the Liberals' Canada free trade agreement is a list of exemptions for things that cannot be traded. This is not free trade. In fact, much like the Prime Minister, his no-trade agreement is not as advertised.Interprovincial trade barriers are costing the Canadian economy $130 billion. When will the Prime Minister get out of the way and allow free trade between provinces?

Mr. Speaker, provinces like Alberta have been hit hard by job losses and, as we have heard today, they are not going to get much help from the Liberal government.There is absolutely no plan to get Canadians back to work. There is absolutely no support for energy east. What Albertans are asking this Liberal government for is a commitment to energy east, a commitment to improve employment insurance to ensure that Albertans who have lost their jobs can take care of their families and keep their homes.In our biggest time of need, will the government stand up, support Albertans, and help them get back to work, instead of just saying “Hey, hang in there”?

Mr. Speaker, with the previous Conservative government, Canadian pulse exports went from $1 billion to a record $4.2 billion a year, with exports to India at $1.5 billion. However, negotiating exemptions for Canadian exports expired more than a month ago, and now we have learned that there is a 50% duty on Canadian pea exports to India.How did the agricultural minister allow this situation to go from bad to worse, and when he is going to secure this vital market for Canada's pulse sector?

Mr. Speaker, at the finance committee, witnesses said that the Liberal tax changes could cost the average Canadian farmer $70,000 a year. Imposing a carbon tax, eliminating the deferral on cash grain tickets, and now these crippling new tax changes will make it almost impossible for someone to operate a family farm. It seems that the Liberal government looks at hard-working Canadian farm families as nothing more than wealthy tax cheats. That is simply not true. The minister promised to call our farmers back. Will he commit today to extend the consultation period on these unfair tax changes so he can keep that promise?

Mr. Speaker, what is very clear is why the Liberals' priority is to reward union leadership. Just today, we found out that the unions illegally donated to the Liberals' campaign. It is no wonder that the Liberals want to hide this information from Canadians by repealing legislation that imposes transparency and accountability on union members.Why do Liberals have so much time to defend union leadership but no time to come up with a plan to get Canadians, to get Albertans, back to work?

Mr. Speaker, more than 30 ranch families in southern Alberta are facing devastating news: they cannot sell their cattle. This could not have happened at a worse possible time. They have fall contracts, but this quarantine is preventing them from selling their calves. Ranch families in southern Alberta are facing more than $5 million in losses, but this will reverberate throughout the industry. Processing plants, feedlots, and trucking companies in southern Alberta will all feel the impact.Time is of the essence on this issue. What action is the minister taking to help the cattle ranchers in southern Alberta?

Mr. Speaker, I do not think Canadians realized that sunny ways would be quite this expensive. Here are the facts. The Conservatives left the Liberals a surplus. Canadians were enjoying the lowest tax burden in 50 years, and in one month the Liberals spent a $10-billion deficit, obliterating the Conservative surplus. Why has the Minister of Finance been so reckless with the tax dollars of hard-working Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, they may not want to admit it, but the job situation in Alberta is critical. Here is the real impact of the Liberal tax policy on some Alberta communities: High River minor hockey registration is down 20%; a Calgary dance studio's registration is down 100 kids; and Redwater food bank usage is up 60%.They took away the child fitness tax credit, they took away the universal child care benefit, and they are replacing them with the job-killing carbon tax. It is only going to make a dire situation much worse.When is the government going to realize that the tax policy decisions it is making and these schemes are only going to make lives much worse for Canadian families?

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that the minister is confused about where her priorities should be. Why? It has come to light today that the Liberals received illegal union donations during the election.This morning, the minister was repaying her union friends. She announced the Liberals have made it their priority to remove accountability and transparency from government. The Liberal government had no intention to keep its commitment for accountability and transparency. Why is it important to reward union leaders rather than to come up with a plan to get Canadians back to work?

Mr. Speaker, right now in Cape Breton we are seeing a story as old as time. The Liberals are taking $18 million from taxpayers to fund a private airport at the elite Cabot Links golf resort for their millionaire friends to park their private jets. This Liberal decision is decimating the Allan J. MacEachen Port Hawkesbury Airport and small businesses like Celtic Air Services.Will the Prime Minister put small businesses ahead of his millionaire Liberal golf buddies and stop any funding for a competing private airport in Inverness?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister failed to reach consensus on his climate change plan, and for good reason. It will hurt our economy, it will cost Canadians billions of dollars in new taxes, and it is unfair. The rest of the country will pay disproportionately for this new climate change plan while, in Ontario, its largest carbon emitters have received exemptions.Will the Liberals admit that this climate change plan and carbon tax is an absolute sham? It is going to cost hard-working Canadian taxpayers billions of dollars in new unnecessary taxes and will achieve absolutely nothing.

Mr. Speaker, I think the finance minister has a different definition of listening compared to other Canadians. I do not know if it is just me, but I do not think listening means ignoring my constituents. Greg and Jocelyn own small businesses in Kings—Hants, Nova Scotia. When they requested a meeting with the Liberal member of Parliament to discuss their concerns about these tax changes, the message they got was that their MP was not having meetings on this issue. How can the Liberals profess to be listening if small business owners cannot even get in the front door? When it comes to these tax changes, why is the President of the Treasury Board refusing to meet with his constituents?

Mr. Speaker, I will tell members about the Liberal support for agriculture. According to the numbers from the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the Liberals' carbon tax will devastate Canadian agriculture. At $50 a tonne, the Liberal carbon tax will cost a Manitoba pork producer more than $36,000 a year; a rancher in Alberta, $13,000; and a wheat grower in Saskatchewan, $12,000. As for potato farmers in P.E.I, the agriculture minister thinks they should be paying $20,000 a year in carbon tax.Does the Prime Minister agree with these numbers? If not, will he end the cover-up and release the cost of the Liberals' farm-killing carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, a Toronto-area organization lost its charitable status and was fined $550,000 for funding militants in Pakistan, but it was given a Liberal Canada summer job grant worth more than $25,000. Meanwhile, 1,500 groups were denied summer jobs funding, and summer camps in Ontario and Nova Scotia are in court fighting the Prime Minister over the Liberals' values test.Will the Prime Minister commit to revoking this grant to assure Canadians that their tax dollars are not being used to fund terrorist organizations?

Mr. Speaker, a true Canadian free trade agreement would offer an incredible economic opportunity. It would create jobs and improve consumer choice. Interprovincial trade barriers are crippling Canadian businesses, costing our economy $130 billion.Instead of fighting for free trade, the Liberals are stifling growth by piling on debt and imposing an unprecedented escalator tax on beer, wine, and spirits.Will the Prime Minister commit to renegotiating a true Canadian free trade agreement? Will he axe the tax? Will he free the beer?

Mr. Speaker, the message that I have been getting from a minister of the crown is that it is okay to tell first nations' leadership that it is fine to break the law. The minister makes it sound so easy to get this information, that all anyone has to do is to ask. Either the minister is completely oblivious to the stonewalling in her own department or she opposes empowering community members finding out this information.Why does the minister claim to be all about transparency and yet refuses to let community members get access to the information they need to hold their own leadership accountable?

Mr. Speaker, it is astonishing that the Liberals would consider changing a fundamental piece of our democracy without a referendum. It is crystal clear that Canadians want a say before Liberals impose any changes to the voting process. I have heard from literally thousands of constituents in my riding, and more than 94% of them want a referendum. The clearest, most inclusive form of consultation is a national referendum. Will the Liberals listen to hard-working Canadians in my riding and Canadians across the country and give them the referendum that they want, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister of Innovation if he would stand up for the Canadian economy and help free the beer. He claimed that alcohol was part of the Canadian free trade agreement. He misled the House. Beer, wine, and spirits are not part of the Canadian free trade agreement. The Liberals have a chance to be the architect of unleashing Canada's economy. They just need to act as an intervenor in the Supreme Court case into Canadian free trade. I will ask again. Will the Liberals stand up and help free the beer?

Mr. Speaker, Albertans appreciate the compassion, but they want jobs; they do not want EI. The Liberal government is imposing a carbon tax that is going to plow Alberta's agriculture sector into the ground. Alberta's farmers and ranchers want to know why the government is attacking their livelihoods. One worried farmer in my riding said this carbon tax would drive the cost of his fuel alone from $125,000 a year to $150,000 a year, putting his operation in jeopardy. I am sure the Liberals' response will be to use public transit or get an electric car. The farmers and ranchers in my riding have one question. How many head of cattle can I fit on a bus—

Mr. Speaker, last weekend, at the Alberta beer fest, literally hundreds of craft brewers, distillers, and Canadians were asking me why beer, wine, and spirits are not part of the Canadian free trade agreement. They were asking why, rather than supporting a policy that will ensure that Canadian entrepreneurs can be successful, the Liberals saddled them with a tax hike that will increase each and every year. The Liberals have a chance to do the right thing. They have a second chance to stand up for the Canadian economy. Will the Liberals act as an intervenor in the Supreme Court case on Canadian free trade? Will they help free the beer?

Mr. Speaker, Canada Day is just around the corner, and many middle-class Canadians will be celebrating with a great craft beer or a nice glass of wine. However, the Liberal plan is to crash Canada's party with a never-ending, always-escalating tax increase on beer, wine, and spirits.What it comes down to is middle-class Canadians cannot afford another Liberal tax hike. Will the Prime Minister agree that Canadians already pay their fair share and that increasing taxes on middle-class Canadians is a bad idea? Will he cork this tax?

Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I guess imitation is the greatest form of flattery. I would like to have unanimous consent to table this document from question period, which was given first reading two years ago tomorrow. It is my private member's bill, Bill C-351, which the Liberals, and I thank them very much, copied almost word for word, to free the beer. We tabled it and it was given first reading two years ago. I would like unanimous consent to table the document.

Mr. Speaker, in 16 days, Canada will turn 150 years old and Canadians will be celebrating across the country with friends and family. Many of those celebrations will include some of the world's best beer, wine, and spirits, made right here in Canada. Unfortunately, the Liberals are looking at this as an opportunity to increase taxes on Canadians. This year, and every year after, the Liberals will be increasing taxes on beer, wine, and spirits.Could the minister please explain why the Liberals are so intent on taxing the fun out of Canada Day?

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Comeau was charged for buying beer in Quebec and taking it home to New Brunswick, but he won his fight in court. Yesterday, New Brunswick announced it will appeal this decision in the Supreme Court of Canada. Prosecutors have said this case concerns issues of interprovincial trade with significant consequences. All of us in the House would agree that laws should not restrict Canadians from purchasing and selling goods between provinces. Will the Liberal government commit to protecting the constitutional right of all Canadians, and ensure we have free trade across Canada?

Mr. Speaker, we had that provision in place so that we would not be facing the crisis that we are facing right now. Grain farmers are facing a crippling rail backlog because the Liberals ignored our advice to pass a separate grain transportation bill. Now Canadian farmers are literally paying the consequences for Liberal inaction with the sunsetting of important provisions like extended interswitching, a rail company meeting just 17% of its grain-car orders, and now demurrage costs being passed directly to producers. Will the Liberals commit to reinstating extended interswitching immediately so that our Canadian farmers can get their product to market?

Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. It is a day where across Canada we celebrate our producers and thank them for all they do. However, our farmers and ranchers are not celebrating because the Liberals have shut them out of the discussion on the Canada food guide. Our producers put their heart and soul into producing quality food for Canadians, however, it is these folks who will be directly impacted by these ill-advised decisions. In the spirit of this important day, will the Liberals reverse this ideological decision and listen to the agriculture sector and health experts to ensure we have a balanced approach to the Canadian food guide?

Mr. Speaker, the Alberta NDP is using money from the building Canada plan as its own personal slush fund. Instead of funding key infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, and water treatment plants, Premier Notley is withholding $300 million from rural municipalities to pay for her massive debt, and the Liberal infrastructure minister is letting her get away with it. When will the minister put aside his friendship with Premier Notley? When will he stand up for Albertans? When will he demand that money from the building Canada plan go directly to municipalities, so we get the best bang for the taxpayers' buck?

Mr. Speaker, more than 20,000 stakeholders attended the mining conference in Toronto, and voiced very grave concerns with Liberal policies. They know the carbon tax will cost them tens of millions of dollars a year, and many more mining projects could be abandoned. The Liberals are burying Canada's northern communities under a made-in-Ottawa carbon tax and drilling moratorium. They are blocking resource development in some areas, and taxing it to death in others.Does the energy minister realize that he is putting the very economic stability of Canada's north on very thin ice?

Madam Speaker, when asked about his plan for Trans Mountain, the Prime Minister said “We are going to get that pipeline built”. Well, that was a year ago. The PBO reported that any construction delays cost taxpayers $700 million a year, and if the pipeline is not completed by 2023, it is no longer economically viable. Any delays past June cost taxpayers even more and put the entire project at risk.Will the Prime Minister be honest with Canadians? When will the Trans Mountain expansion be built?

Mr. Speaker, it was quite shameful to learn earlier this week that the Minister of Employment does not believe that private members' bills are important pieces of legislation. In the last Parliament, many private members' bills were brought forward on important issues on both sides of the floor. On this side of the House, I am proud to say that we encourage our members to bring forward important issues from their constituents and private members' bills on issues important to all Canadians. The employment minister is muzzling union members by taking away their democratic right to a secret ballot. Why is the Liberal government muzzling their own members by discrediting private members' bills?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister must realize that his antics on the global stage have very real consequences. The casualties for this latest diplomatic nightmare are Canadian farmers. The only souvenir from the Prime Minister's latest family vacation is the successful derailing of Canada's trade relationship with India. Yesterday, India increased the tariffs on our chickpeas from 40% to 60%, further jeopardizing Canada's $4 billion pulse industry. Will the Prime Minister please explain why he is so willing to sacrifice Canadian farmers just to maintain this ridiculous conspiracy theory?

Mr. Speaker, the definition of out of touch is when an über-wealthy finance minister tells Canadians they are not paying enough taxes. Yesterday, in defence of his new tax on beer, wine, and spirits, the minister said Canadians need to pay their fair share. Here is the sober reality. Under the Liberals and their tax hikes, many Canadians are already finding it difficult to make ends meet. When will the minister put an end to what is nothing more than an escalating cash grab?

Mr. Speaker, I find the agriculture minister's answer very interesting. He said that money invested in a corporation is there for a corporation, but clearly he does not understand his own tax changes. The finance minister is taking the ability away from farmers to save for their retirement, invest in their own operations, or put money away for a rainy day in a down year. Canadian farmers understand the implications that these changes will have. The changes will devastate rural communities and wipe out the family farm. Will the agriculture minister stand with farmers? Will he stand up against the finance minister and beg him to back down from these tax changes?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has managed to keep one of his promises, his promise to phase out the oil sands. Due to the Prime Minister's failures on pipelines, CN Rail is laying off up to a thousand people. This is on top of the 120,000 energy workers who have already lost their jobs. This pain is going to be felt across Canada. One in seven manufacturing jobs in Ontario is directly linked to the oil sands. Energy workers in Canada can no longer pay for the Prime Minister's mistakes. What is he doing to get these highly skilled Canadians back to work?

Mr. Speaker, I find the responses by the Minister of Finance very disconcerting. We heard from two witnesses at the finance committee today that the changes proposed by the Liberal tax minister—the Liberal finance minister—could very well benefit Morneau Shepell, and the minister is saying that he actively participated in those discussions. He signed an agreement that he would avoid any perception of any influence and conflict of interest.Why has the minister not abstained from promoting these proposed tax changes? I am going to give him one more time to answer that question.

Mr. Speaker, employment insurance claims in Alberta are up 90%. More than 200,000 Albertans are out of work. My home province is facing a jobs crisis. Even Royal Bank's CEO David McKay understands this dire situation, saying that Canada will not succeed if Alberta's energy sector does not succeed. The Liberals' response to this crisis is imposing a punitive job-killing carbon tax.Why is the Liberal government so determined to destroy Alberta's economy with national energy program 2.0 and why are Alberta's four Liberal MPs willing to let this happen?

Madam Speaker, let us talk about the impact of this thoughtful way. In Alberta, foreclosure rates are rising at alarming rates, in fact, more than 25% in the last two years alone. Dismantling the NEB, politicizing infrastructure decisions, and implementing the carbon tax are all Liberal policies that are stifling any ability for Alberta's economic recovery. Canada needs the Trans Mountain pipeline.Will the Prime Minister go to B.C. and champion this vital pipeline project, or will he continue on his quest of eliminating the oil sands and killing jobs in Alberta and the rest of Canada?

Mr. Speaker, I have not had one farmer or rancher call me in support of these tax changes; that is thousands.The Hochstein family in my riding are farmers. They have been working the land for four generations. They budget tightly to ensure that their operation can stay afloat, but they are very concerned that the Liberals cannot manage their out-of-control spending and they are coming for their farm to pay for it.Why would the finance minister design a system where the Hochstein family has to pay 73% tax, whereas the family fortunes of the Prime Minister and the finance minister are untouched? How is that fair?

Mr. Speaker, twice the Prime Minister has gone to the United States. He has met with two different presidents and their administrations, but both times he has left the Minister of Natural Resources here at home. When it comes to our resources, the United States is our biggest customer, but also our largest competitor. Had the Minister of Natural Resources had the opportunity to go to Washington, he might have been able to talk about some fairly important issues: softwood lumber, Keystone XL, Canadian jobs.Either the Prime Minister has no confidence in the minister or Canada's natural resources sector is not a priority for the Liberal government. Which is it?

Mr. Speaker, with Canada's 150th anniversary just around the corner, Canadians have much to celebrate. We will be celebrating with an amazing craft beer, wine, and spirits. However, in typical Liberal fashion, as we raise a glass to celebrate Canada, they are finding new ways to raise taxes to pay for their out-of-control spending. This year and every following year, the Liberals will be raising taxes on beer, wine, and spirits, despite the fact that we already pay some of the highest taxes in the world. Could the minister please explain that the only promise he is willing to keep is a promise to raise taxes and tax the fun out of our Canada Day celebrations?

Mr. Speaker, Conservative members on the natural resources committee demanded that we do an emergency study on the economic impact the carbon tax would have on our energy industry. The Liberals on that committee refused. Now we are asking for data that shows the impact the tax will have on our most vulnerable: seniors and young families. Again the Liberals have refused.If the carbon tax is supposed to be some sort of job creation revelation, why are the Liberals hiding the facts? Will the facts show that thanks to the carbon tax, all Canadians will pay absolutely more for absolutely everything?

Mr. Speaker, the trans-Pacific partnership is a vital agreement. It will give our agriculture and agribusiness exporters unprecedented market access to high value markets like Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. It will also give us a competitive advantage over the United States. However, there is very real concern that Canada could miss out on these vital new markets if we are not one of the first members to ratify the agreement. On Canada's Agriculture Day, can the Liberals assure our agriculture and agrifood exporters that they will sign the TPP later next month and will ratify it next summer?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are trying to sell a flawed Canadian free trade agreement, but Canadians and producers are not buying it. It does eliminate interprovincial trade barriers and subsidies. It is not free trade. In fact, all that our Canadian craft brewers, distillers, and winemakers received from the Liberals was a crippling tax increase. The owner of Whiprsnapr brewery, right here in Ottawa, said he would be able to create more jobs if he had an open market, but with the rules he has, he is so suppressed.When will the Liberals ask the Supreme Court for clarification on section 121 of the Constitution so we can finally truly have free trade in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, it is clear the Prime Minister does not understand the struggles of everyday Canadians. More than 100,000 unemployed energy workers are struggling to pay their mortgages, heat their homes and buy Christmas presents for their families. The Prime Minister's solution to this crisis is empty words, higher taxes and more unemployment.Canadian energy workers do not want EI cheques; they want paycheques. They do not want handouts; they want jobs. Will the Prime Minister get these people back to work? Will he scrap his “no pipelines” Bill C-69?

Mr. Speaker, this free trade agreement is not a success; it is a failure. It is not a free trade agreement at all. It did not eliminate interprovincial trade barriers and subsidies. In fact, the list of goods and services that are excluded is longer than the list of those that are included.Canadians have a constitutional right to free trade. Section 121 clearly states that products produced in one province shall be traded freely into another. We need the Liberals to ask the Supreme Court for clarification on section 121.Will the Liberals stop with the photo ops, stop with the participation trophy presentations, and do something to free the Canadian economy?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked if the Liberals would ensure Canadians could trade freely between provinces. It is unfathomable that Mr. Comeau was charged for buying beer. Unfortunately the Liberals said they would only support freer trade in Canada. I have to remind them that free trade in Canada is a constitutional right. An agreement between provinces with dozens of exclusions, including beer and wine, and government interference is not free trade.Will the Liberals commit to protecting Canadians' constitutional rights and ensure we have full free trade across Canada?

Mr. Speaker, The agriculture minister claims Canadian farmers are fully supportive of the Liberal carbon tax. I do not think they are actually consulting with Canadian farmers at all. In fact, the president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers said, "Farmers don't agree on everything, but if there's one issue they stand together on, it's in opposition to the carbon tax.”How can the agriculture minister be misrepresenting farmers? Will he end the carbon tax cover-up? Will he tell us how much the Liberals' farm-killing carbon tax will cost our rural families?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have committed $250 million to build pipelines, in China. The Liberals are wasting Canadian tax dollars in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which does not benefit Canadian companies or create Canadian jobs. In fact, I was touring the union lodges of boilermakers and pipefitters last week, and 70% of their members are out of work.Why are the Liberals wasting our tax dollars in China and not building pipelines in Canada to get our skilled tradespeople back to work?

Mr. Speaker, Roy and Ross Newman are farmers in Alberta. They were hoping to pass on their family farm to their sons who would be the fifth generation of Newmans working their land near High River, but they are very concerned about the Liberal tax changes. In fact, tax experts across the country agree. These changes could wipe out the family farm.Why has the finance minister designed a system that protects his own family fortune and the family fortune of the Prime Minister, but could mean this generation of Newmans is the last on their family farm?

Mr. Speaker, it is great for the agriculture minister to get up and yell in here, but he needs to talk to the person a few steps down from here to pass on that message. The finance minister stood in the House and said he would be happy to return the phone calls of any of my constituents who passed on their phone number. Literally thousands of Alberta farmers have passed on their contact information. How many of these has the finance minister contacted? Zero. It is another broken promise by the Liberal government. Canadian farmers are angry. The consultation period ends today and they feel that their voices have not been heard. Will the finance minister make those calls?

Mr. Speaker, John owns Johnny Finger Cats Welding in my riding. He is an employer in a small rural community who has fought hard to keep his business afloat despite the energy downturn. Now the Minister of Finance wants to take more money out of his pocket with these punitive tax changes. This is going to force him to lay off staff and certainly inhibit the ability for him to grow his business.Why is the finance minister forcing John to pay a 73% tax hike when millionaire owners of companies like Morneau Shepell do not have to pay it? I would like him to tell rural Canadians how that is fair.

Mr. Speaker, for more than a year I have been asking the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs both personally and in the House to release the KPMG financial audit on behalf of the Blood Tribe in Alberta. I keep getting the same non-answer. She makes claims about transparency but refuses to be transparent.What does someone actually have to do to get an answer from the minister? What hoops do my constituents have to jump through before the minister will take action? Can the minister do the right thing and provide Kainai Nation with the financial audit results today?

Mr. Speaker, last week, I had the opportunity to meet with dozens of my constituents who have been impacted by the economic downturn in Alberta. Again and again, two issues came up: they are very worried about a federally imposed carbon tax, and we need pipelines built to get Albertans back to work. The U.S. president-elect has said he will not support a carbon tax but he will support the construction of new pipelines. Can the Liberals commit to keeping Canada competitive, to keeping Albertans working, and to ensuring that Keystone XL is approved?

Madam Speaker, it is really reassuring that they are concerned about Alberta, but last month over a five-day sale, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers in Alberta sold more than $240 million in industrial equipment, a new all-time record. Over the past year, more than half a billion dollars in oil sands equipment has been sold, and the vast majority of that, along with the jobs that go with them, have left our country. Investment, equipment, and jobs are leaving Alberta. The Liberal government solution is a job-killing carbon tax. When will the Liberal government show some leadership, stand beside Canada's energy sector—

Madam Speaker, I was surprised on Monday that the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs said that she was committed to transparency and was willing to provide “financial statements at any time”.I was surprised by this because this is absolutely not the experience of local Alberta first nations. So far they have been ignored. On behalf of the Kainai reserve, I have asked many times for the KPMG audit, which was completed last year, only to be stonewalled.When will the minister provide the Kainai reserve with the financial audit? What are they trying to hide?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Natural Resources received a list of recommendations to modernize the National Energy Board. It is no surprise that those recommendations are another hit on Alberta. We know the Liberals want to phase out Alberta's oil sands and we know they want to abandon our energy sector. That ideology was clear in these recommendations that stated Albertans cannot be trusted to drive Canada's economic engine.On Wednesday, will the Prime Minister ignore these recommendations and finally be a champion for Canada's energy sector, or will he continue the attack on Alberta by dismantling our economy?

Mr. Speaker, experts agree the Liberals are not getting it right. Their tanker ban and their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, are sinking Canada's energy industry, and the Liberals' energy ineptitude is continuing with these delays to the Trans Mountain expansion. The Liberals are going to announce next week, once again, approval for this project, but it means absolutely nothing unless there is an actual plan to get it built. The construction season is half over. What is the Prime Minister willing to do to ensure that construction begins in Burnaby this summer?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are not lowering taxes; they are raising them. We have heard of this carbon tax. The Liberals are covering up the costs of their carbon tax because they know it is a disaster. A secret briefing has said that a $300-per-tonne carbon tax is needed to meet their climate change targets.Let us recap the Liberal carbon tax so far: more than 100,000 Albertans are out of work; 4,000 Calgary businesses have already shut their doors; and three global energy companies have left Alberta.The Liberal carbon tax is costing Canadians their jobs and thousands of dollars a year. The Liberals need to stop the carbon tax cover-up and tell Canadians exactly how much the Liberal carbon tax will cost.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals did not campaign on imposing a carbon tax on provinces and more and more Canadians do not support this tax grab. The Liberals' carbon tax scheme is crumbling. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Alberta all stand in opposition to the carbon tax. The Liberals use this ridiculous argument that the carbon tax improves competitiveness and creates jobs. Canadians know this tax grab is a failure and they do not support it.Will the minister stand with Canadians and abandon the carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, Japan and South Korea have now suspended importing of Canadian wheat due to concerns about the GMO wheat that was found by the CFIA. Those two countries combined represent more than $650 million in market access for our Canadian wheat growers. Has the agriculture minister met with his counterparts in Japan and South Korea and what is his plan to try and regain this vital market access for our Canadian wheat farmers? I would like to mention, before he politicizes this, that in the new budget the Liberals are cutting $100 million from food safety at CFIA. How can he ensure that our food is safe for our market access?

Mr. Speaker, this morning the jobs report was released. It does not look good for anyone under the Liberal government. Twenty-two thousand full-time jobs were lost in Alberta in January alone. Our unemployment rate in Alberta has reached 7.4%, the first time since 1988 that it has been higher than the Canadian average. Things are only going to get worse. It is predicted that Alberta's unemployment rate will exceed 8% by the end of 2016. The Liberals' no-energy program is killing Alberta.When will the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour finally come up with a strategy that will help Alberta's unemployed get back to work?

Mr. Speaker, a third of Canada's pulse exports go to India. The Minister of Agriculture must make this a priority. There is simply too much at stake. The inactions of the minister have very real consequences. Further delays will jeopardize Canada's $4 billion pulse sector. We have critical trade agreements that are in jeopardy and this minister has been pushed to the sidelines. He has not even been invited to a vital trade mission to India.When it comes to these negotiations, when will the Prime Minister appoint a Minister of Agriculture Canadian farmers can trust will be at the table fighting for them?