Karina Gould

Madam Speaker, I would never put it past the Conservatives to let facts get in the way of their questions.When we look at the record, there is one party that has consistently broken elections law, that has actually been convicted for it and that has even had a member of Parliament go to jail for it. In fact, when the Conservatives had their chance in government, they put forward elections legislation that would make it more difficult for Canadians to vote, that would limit the rights of Canadians living abroad and that would not even allow the Chief Electoral Officer to talk to Canadians about how to vote.On this side of the House, we will not take any lessons and we will always stick to the facts.

Mr. Speaker, it is just as unbecoming of politicians to troll online as it is in the House. That is a wild extrapolation on comments that were made.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know there is only one political party in this House, the Conservative Party of Canada, that does not want Canadians to vote. It also does not want Canadians to be informed about voting. Canadians trust the Chief Electoral Officer, and let us take a moment to reflect on why the Conservatives do not. It is because they cheat, then they get caught cheating, and then they have to pay the consequences for cheating.

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservative Party, we will not muzzle scientists; we will not muzzle public servants, and we will certainly not muzzle Elections Canada. In fact, in Bill C-76, we empowered Elections Canada to talk to Canadians about the importance of voting. Unlike Conservatives, we are not afraid of more Canadians voting. I hope they will join us in supporting Elections Canada's good work in reaching out to vulnerable populations, reaching out to groups that do not vote and making sure that in this election more Canadians than ever vote.

Mr. Speaker, there is one party in this House that continues to mislead Canadians, and that is the Conservative Party of Canada. There is one party in this House that has consistently been found in violation of elections legislation. There is one party in this House, the Conservative Party of Canada, that has had a member of Parliament go to jail for undermining elections legislation. I issued a challenge on Friday to the Conservatives: Will they make 2019 the first time they do not break elections law?

Mr. Speaker, I will remind my hon. colleague that even before this legislation came into effect in January of this year, the Liberal Party began disclosing its events and began disclosing the participants, something the Leader of the Opposition did not do, and we can only ask why.

Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned by the report of the Senate ethics officer. Canadians expect all parliamentarians, including senators, to be held to the highest standards of ethics. Ethics violations should be addressed and those responsible held accountable. The Senate is an independent chamber and is responsible for dealing with these serious issues. I will continue to closely follow the situation. I remain committed to improving, strengthening, and protecting Canada's institutions, and will continue to monitor this very closely.

Mr. Speaker, the party opposite seems to have amnesia about Bill C-23. The Conservatives forget that they were the ones for whom The Globe and Mail ran a five-part series demanding that they not go forward with their elections legislation. Bill C-76 is undoing the damage that they did to our democracy. In fact, they even went so far as to not consult Elections Canada on elections legislation. That is what we did in drafting this legislation. It was not instructing them, as the Conservatives are so falsely accusing.

Mr. Speaker, that is a wild extrapolation the Conservatives are making and they are misleading Canadians. There was a witness at the Grand Committee who talked about suggesting that. I was talking about Twitter being a better actor when it comes to the declaration of electoral integrity. The Conservatives owe it to Canadians to tell the truth and to not mislead them.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleague on this bill. I am glad he brought up the unfair elections act, because Bill C-76 does so much to reverse the changes that were put in place that limited democracy and limited people's rights to vote, and we are looking forward to working with our colleagues in the NDP to make sure that we can encourage more people to vote in Canada, get young people voting, encourage women to run for politics, and ensure that we are protecting the integrity of our electoral system.

Mr. Speaker, as I said many times, there is only one political party in the House that does not trust our electoral system and democratic institutions. Canadians, however, do have confidence in them, as should all members of the House. The Conservatives are playing a dangerous game with our democracy.We struck down the provisions of the legislation that were not fair to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to know how and where to vote. We do not need to change that.

Mr. Speaker, it is the party opposite that is misrepresenting the facts.Elections Canada was consulted on this, and in fact said that it would of course be respecting the will of the House. However, it is also this government that indeed believes in giving Canadians the right to vote and a voice in their vote during elections, something the previous government decided to take away when it got rid of vouching, something the previous government decided to take away when it got rid of the voter identification card.This government believes in Canadians voting, and guess what? We are not afraid of their voting either.

Madam Speaker, there is only one party in the House that wants to suppress Canadian voters, and that is the Conservative Party of Canada. In fact, the record shows it. Conservatives have misdirected voters as to where to vote. They have tried to circumvent party fundraising rules. They actually had a member of Parliament go to jail for not following elections laws. They were also slapped on the wrist for having government advertising and partisanship in the same frame.There is only one party that has worked consistently to try to undermine the election, and that is the Conservative Party of Canada.

Madam Speaker, the Conservatives are playing a dangerous game.They are always trying to undermine our elections and institutions.I have a challenge for the members opposite. Let us see if they can make 2019 the first time they do not break elections laws.

Mr. Speaker, only the Conservatives do not want Canadians to vote. When they were in government they restricted Canadians' voting rights and restricted Election Canada's mandate to talk to Canadians and encourage them to vote. We do not need any lessons from the Conservatives.We made sure that Canadians have the right to vote and we made Elections Canada responsible for helping them do so.

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

Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we have full confidence in our officers of Parliament. We have full confidence in Elections Canada and the professional men and women who administer elections. In fact, unlike the party opposite and its so-called fair elections act, we will not make it harder for Canadians to vote. We will not make it harder for Canadians to get information on how to vote. In fact, in Bill C-76 we empowered Elections Canada to do such a thing. We hope Conservatives also think it is a good thing that Canadians have the right information on where and how to vote, because that matters for Canadian democracy.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians were fed up with their tax dollars being wasted on blatantly partisan ads by the Harper Conservatives.That is why Liberals moved quickly in 2016 to ban partisan government ads and establish third party oversight. We also banned government advertising in the 90 days that proceeded a fixed-date election and for any government program that was yet to be approved by Parliament.By focusing government advertising on Canadians' needs instead of partisan objectives, we have been able to cut the government's advertising budget by half.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is making unfounded and, quite frankly, absurd allegations in this House. All members in this place know that it is illegal for private organizations or unions to make donations to political parties. We have very strict financing laws in Canada. Only individuals can make donations.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are playing a dangerous game.They are undermining the integrity of so many of our democratic institutions, whether the CEO of Elections Canada, the commissioner of Canada elections, the debates commissioner, and now independent journalism and media. These games have to stop. Our democracy depends on it.

Mr. Speaker, that is ironic coming from the other side when it comes to our democracy.What we are doing on this side is ensuring that every single Canadian who has the right to vote can cast their ballot. We are not afraid of Canadians voting. We are also not afraid of independent media doing their job. We believe that the media play an essential role in our democracy. Canadians need to be informed, and it is important that the media will continue to exercise their good work throughout the upcoming year and into the next election.

Mr. Speaker, if we want to talk about respect for democracy, robocalls. If we want to talk about respect for democracy, the in-and-out scandal. If we want to talk about respect for democracy, the parliamentary secretary to the former Conservative prime minister went to jail for breaking election laws. If we want to talk about respect for democracy, this side gets it.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to respond to my colleague from the Conservatives, because we are making it easier for Canadians to vote. We are clamping down on those who maliciously thwart and interfere in our electoral process. Let us contrast that with the former Conservative government, which made it tougher for Canadians to vote, from robocalls to Dean Del Mastro, who participated in schemes to maliciously thwart the electoral process. That is also the party that had to pay $250,000 in fines for breaking electoral laws.We will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I am absolutely aghast that the member opposite is fearmongering in this way. We take foreign influence in our elections extraordinarily seriously, including with regard to foreign funds, which is what we are doing in this legislation to ensure that it will be limited not just with the six months prior to an election as the previous Conservative government did, but also, in fact, requiring that third parties report all the time the funding they have, and open a bank account to assert that the only money used is Canadian. Furthermore, we are also taking actions with regard to the cybersphere and foreign influence. We are going to protect our next election.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague opposite's assertion is absolutely false. We are doing everything we can to ensure that we do not have foreign funding within our elections here in Canada. In fact, it is already illegal for foreign entities or individuals to contribute to political parties or campaigns. We are ensuring that we are tightening loopholes with regard to third parties. Third parties, in the next election, should this legislation pass, would be required to open a bank account. They would be required to report all the time the contributions they receive, and they would have a limit on their spending during an election and during the pre-writ period.

Mr. Speaker, there is so much in this bill that we and the NDP agree on, and I am looking forward to working with the NDP members to ensure we get this through so we can make those changes to the unfair elections act brought in under the previous government. We can do that for Canadians so that every Canadian who has the right to vote gets to cast that vote and have their voice heard. Let us work together and let us get this done.

Mr. Speaker, as we said yesterday, the Conservatives are going down a dangerous path. This is just another line in their story trying to undermine our democratic institutions. They have gone after the CEO of Elections Canada, they have gone after the commissioner of Canada Elections, they have gone after the commissioner of the debates commission and now they are going after a free and independent press. Canadians deserve better and democracy deserves better.

Mr. Speaker, as we said yesterday, the Conservatives are going down a dangerous path. This is just another line in their story trying to undermine our democratic institutions. They have gone after the CEO of Elections Canada, they have gone after the commissioner of Canada Elections, they have gone after the commissioner of the debates commission and now they are going after a free and independent press. Canadians deserve better and democracy deserves better.

Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite wants to talk about things broken, let us talk about broken rules. With Bill C-76, our government makes it easier for Canadians to vote and toughens the sanctions for those who break the rules. The defeated Harper Conservatives, on the other hand, made it tougher for Canadians to vote and broke the rules. We will not be taking lessons from the Harper Conservatives, who paid a $250,000 fine for breaking the rules and used robocalls to send people to the wrong polls. The parliamentary secretary to the former prime minister went to jail.

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague clearly did not listen to the answer I just gave, so I invite him to re-watch that. However, one thing I would like to point out is that in terms of rigging elections, that was what the previous Conservative government was trying to do when it took the—

Mr. Speaker, we are hearing the same old lines from the same old Conservative Party. What it did when it was in government is that it limited the rights of Canadians to vote. It made it more difficult for our most vulnerable to vote, and it made it even more difficult for Elections Canada to talk to Canadians about voting.We changed that with Bill C-76. It is unfortunate that the Conservatives keep attacking our democratic institutions. They have gone after the CEO of Elections Canada; they have gone after the commissioner, and they have gone after the debates commissioner. That is unacceptable.Here on this side, we are standing up for democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with my NDP colleagues to move this bill forward and reverse the changes that were made by the former Conservative government. We can ensure that every Canadian who has the right to vote can do so. We want to ensure that young Canadians are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18. I really look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to improve Canada's democracy.

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows, the Prime Minister has tasked me and our government to ensure that we defend Canada's next federal election against cyber-threats. It is also important that we ensure we look for new ways to deal with data and digital breaches. That is why in Bill C-76 we have a provision against the malicious use of computers. I look forward to working with colleagues in the House to do what is necessary, as these new technologies evolve, to ensure the integrity of our elections.

Mr. Speaker, the other side keeps talking about rigging elections. The other side seems to forget that 400 academics signed a petition asking them to stop Bill C-23 when they were in power. Why was that? It was because they were worried that the Conservatives were going to circumvent democracy.We are not afraid of Elections Canada. We are not afraid of the commissioner of Elections Canada, but perhaps that side is. Conservatives paid $250,000 in fines for breaking election laws. We will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to democracy in this country.

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, Canadians were fed up with the partisan advertising under the Stephen Harper Conservatives. Our government has ensured that in the 90 days leading up to the election, there will be no government advertising for programs that are not previously approved by Parliament.Furthermore, we have ensured there is a level playing field in the lead-up to the election. That is fair. That is what Canadians expect. I would hope the Conservatives would stop undermining our democratic institutions. Our democracy depends on it.

Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to act to strengthen our democracy.While we did not hear a consensus on a particular electoral system to replace the one we have now, Canadians were clear that we could do more to improve our democratic institutions. What we did hear was that Canadians were proud of our democracy.That is why my new mandate letter includes protecting the integrity of our democracy by making our system less vulnerable to hacking, and improving transparency by making parties' political fundraising more open than ever before.We will always work to ensure our democracy represents the values of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I am incredibly proud of Bill C-76, and I am delighted that it is going to the procedure and House affairs committee so it can get the study and the interrogation it deserves. I am looking forward to members opposite asking questions of witnesses to ensure that we encourage Canadians to participate in our democracy, to encourage young Canadians to be registered for elections, to ensure that Canadians without identification can have vouching and can use their voter identification card, and to ensure that Canadians living abroad and every single Canadian have the right to vote.

Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague opposite remembers the previous government's Bill C-23. With Bill C-76, we are making it easier for Canadians to vote, and we are cracking down on offenders who maliciously interfere with our electoral process. Compare that to the Conservatives, who, when they were in government, made it harder for Canadians to vote and who took part in malicious schemes, like the one involving Dean Del Mastro and his robocalls, to undermine the electoral process. We do not need any lectures on democracy from the Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the facts. What our government did is bring in Bill C-76, which actually strengthens the rules around advertising and activities for third parties in the lead-up to the election. We brought in a pre-writ spending period, which will begin on June 30. This is the first time in Canadian history that this is being done to make sure that there is a fair and level playing field when it comes to our elections.

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the facts. What our government did is bring in Bill C-76, which actually strengthens the rules around advertising and activities for third parties in the lead-up to the election. We brought in a pre-writ spending period, which will begin on June 30. This is the first time in Canadian history that this is being done to make sure that there is a fair and level playing field when it comes to our elections.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleague's efforts to make this place better and safer for more women. Just like her and I am sure so many in this House, I want to see more women running for office, getting elected, and being successful when they are here. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all of us to do what we can to make this somewhere where women can be successful, where they can thrive, and where they can feel safe.

Mr. Speaker, when one breaks the law, one has to pay the consequences, as the Conservatives have time and time again. Let us go through the facts. In 2006, we saw the in-and-out campaign finance scandal that the Conservative Party eventually pleaded guilty to. In 2008, we saw the campaign finance irregularities in Peterborough that led to a member of Parliament going to jail. In 2011, we also saw the Conservatives mislead Canadians in terms of where to vote, and the list—

Mr. Speaker, our electoral system is the foundation of our democracy. We respect the views of Canadians, and we consulted extensively with them on this important issue. Canadians are proud of our democracy. We have always been clear. Major reforms to the electoral system should not be made if they lack the broad support of Canadians. I look forward to working with all Canadians and to continuing to strengthen our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, according to Statistics Canada, 150,000 Canadians were unable to vote during the last election as a result of the rules implemented by the previous Canadian government. The Conservatives are the only ones who are afraid of Canadian voters. We love that Canadians have the right to vote, and we will do everything we can to ensure that all eligible Canadians can vote.

Mr. Speaker, we agree with our colleagues across the way that there should not be any foreign interference. That is why I ask them to work with us at the procedure and House affairs committee to send Bill C-76 back to the House as soon as possible so we can pass the legislation to ensure that our elections are protected next election. Let us work together. I hope my hon. colleagues across the way will get this done with us.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to ensuring we have integrity in our system, that is exactly why we have ensured that the CEO of Elections Canada has a mandate to inform Canadians about elections, something the previous government took away. We also gave the commissioner of Elections Canada the power to compel testimony and the power to lay charges, which is something that might have come in handy under previous scandals.

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague must know, I recently had a baby, and I also want my kids to grow up in a democratic country. This is important to me. Robocalls, in and out scandals, $250,000 bonuses, and an MP being sent to prison do not reflect respect for democracy. What am I describing? The party opposite.On this side, we work for democracy. I hope that my colleagues on the other side will work with us.

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing more foundational than how we choose to govern ourselves as Canadians.We respect the views of Canadians, and we consulted extensively with them on this important issue. We listened to Canadians. We heard that Canadians were proud of our democracy. We have been clear. Major reforms to the electoral system should not be made if they lack the broad support of Canadians.I look forward to working with Canadians to continue to strengthen our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I am incredibly proud to be part of this caucus that has a good percentage of women, that is incredibly diverse, that represents Canadians, and, most importantly, that listens to Canadians and how they feel about our democracy, which is proud.Our government will continue to act to strengthen our democracy. That is why my new mandate letter includes protecting the integrity of our democracy by making our system less vulnerable to hacking, and improving transparency by making parties' political fundraising more open than ever before.I will always work to protect, strengthen, and improve our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, when one breaks the law, one has to pay the consequences, as the Conservatives have time and time again. Let us go through the facts. In 2006, we saw the in-and-out campaign finance scandal that the Conservative Party eventually pleaded guilty to. In 2008, we saw the campaign finance irregularities in Peterborough that led to a member of Parliament going to jail. In 2011, we also saw the Conservatives mislead Canadians in terms of where to vote, and the list—

Mr. Speaker, as I explained to my hon. colleague during the debate this morning, we listened to Canadians, and listening means listening to all points of view. I know that is something the member has trouble understanding, but that is what we did—

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-76 does a lot to ensure that we have integrity in our elections. In fact, it returns the commissioner of Elections Canada to Elections Canada, something the previous government took away. It also enables the commissioner of Elections Canada to lay charges, something the previous government took away. In addition, it also gives the commissioner of Elections Canada the power to compel, something that might have aided his investigations of previous scandals.

Madam Speaker, I would never put it past the Conservatives to let facts get in the way of their questions.When we look at the record, there is one party that has consistently broken elections law, that has actually been convicted for it and that has even had a member of Parliament go to jail for it. In fact, when the Conservatives had their chance in government, they put forward elections legislation that would make it more difficult for Canadians to vote, that would limit the rights of Canadians living abroad and that would not even allow the Chief Electoral Officer to talk to Canadians about how to vote.On this side of the House, we will not take any lessons and we will always stick to the facts.

Mr. Speaker, I am absolutely aghast that the member opposite is fearmongering in this way. We take foreign influence in our elections extraordinarily seriously, including with regard to foreign funds, which is what we are doing in this legislation to ensure that it will be limited not just with the six months prior to an election as the previous Conservative government did, but also, in fact, requiring that third parties report all the time the funding they have, and open a bank account to assert that the only money used is Canadian. Furthermore, we are also taking actions with regard to the cybersphere and foreign influence. We are going to protect our next election.

Madam Speaker, the Conservatives are playing a dangerous game.They are always trying to undermine our elections and institutions.I have a challenge for the members opposite. Let us see if they can make 2019 the first time they do not break elections laws.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague opposite's assertion is absolutely false. We are doing everything we can to ensure that we do not have foreign funding within our elections here in Canada. In fact, it is already illegal for foreign entities or individuals to contribute to political parties or campaigns. We are ensuring that we are tightening loopholes with regard to third parties. Third parties, in the next election, should this legislation pass, would be required to open a bank account. They would be required to report all the time the contributions they receive, and they would have a limit on their spending during an election and during the pre-writ period.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is making unfounded and, quite frankly, absurd allegations in this House. All members in this place know that it is illegal for private organizations or unions to make donations to political parties. We have very strict financing laws in Canada. Only individuals can make donations.

Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague opposite remembers the previous government's Bill C-23. With Bill C-76, we are making it easier for Canadians to vote, and we are cracking down on offenders who maliciously interfere with our electoral process. Compare that to the Conservatives, who, when they were in government, made it harder for Canadians to vote and who took part in malicious schemes, like the one involving Dean Del Mastro and his robocalls, to undermine the electoral process. We do not need any lectures on democracy from the Conservatives.

Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite wants to talk about things broken, let us talk about broken rules. With Bill C-76, our government makes it easier for Canadians to vote and toughens the sanctions for those who break the rules. The defeated Harper Conservatives, on the other hand, made it tougher for Canadians to vote and broke the rules. We will not be taking lessons from the Harper Conservatives, who paid a $250,000 fine for breaking the rules and used robocalls to send people to the wrong polls. The parliamentary secretary to the former prime minister went to jail.

Mr. Speaker, the party opposite seems to have amnesia about Bill C-23. The Conservatives forget that they were the ones for whom The Globe and Mail ran a five-part series demanding that they not go forward with their elections legislation. Bill C-76 is undoing the damage that they did to our democracy. In fact, they even went so far as to not consult Elections Canada on elections legislation. That is what we did in drafting this legislation. It was not instructing them, as the Conservatives are so falsely accusing.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Surrey Centre for his dedication to this file.We all join in expressing Canada's sympathy to the people of Fiji who are dealing with the devastating impacts of Cyclone Winston.Canada has made an initial contribution through the emergency disaster assistance fund to support the Red Cross's emergency relief operation in Fiji. We are providing emergency shelter and essential relief items to approximately 5,000 affected people. We are in regular contact with officials in Fiji to ensure that their current needs are being addressed and are prepared to support a larger appeal when the longer-term needs are better known.

Mr. Speaker, as I told my hon. colleague in committee, Bill C-76 does not limit travel at all. When he is talking about advertising, it limits it for any party during the period, and that is only with regard to advertising. Perhaps he is thinking about a previous Conservative minister who perhaps put a CPC logo when he was delivering Canada child benefit cheques. That is why we are doing this, because Canadians want to ensure integrity in our electoral system.

Mr. Speaker, it bears repeating that humanitarian assistance is provided to partners around the world. It is to be provided in a neutral, impartial fashion to aid civilians in the midst of conflict. This is the same policy that our government, the previous government, and governments before it in Canada have had. It is our responsibility. We signed on to the Geneva Convention and we are going to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, as I said many times, there is only one political party in the House that does not trust our electoral system and democratic institutions. Canadians, however, do have confidence in them, as should all members of the House. The Conservatives are playing a dangerous game with our democracy.We struck down the provisions of the legislation that were not fair to Canadians. It is important for Canadians to know how and where to vote. We do not need to change that.

Mr. Speaker, according to Statistics Canada, 150,000 Canadians were unable to vote during the last election as a result of the rules implemented by the previous Canadian government. The Conservatives are the only ones who are afraid of Canadian voters. We love that Canadians have the right to vote, and we will do everything we can to ensure that all eligible Canadians can vote.

Mr. Speaker, if we want to talk about respect for democracy, robocalls. If we want to talk about respect for democracy, the in-and-out scandal. If we want to talk about respect for democracy, the parliamentary secretary to the former Conservative prime minister went to jail for breaking election laws. If we want to talk about respect for democracy, this side gets it.

Mr. Speaker, there is so much in this bill that we and the NDP agree on, and I am looking forward to working with the NDP members to ensure we get this through so we can make those changes to the unfair elections act brought in under the previous government. We can do that for Canadians so that every Canadian who has the right to vote gets to cast that vote and have their voice heard. Let us work together and let us get this done.

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows, we absolutely do not support foreign interference in our elections at all. This is something on which all colleagues in the House should get together to ensure we are not politicizing this issue.In fact, Bill C-76 has important measures in place to ensure that we are not enabling foreign funding in any event in advertising for our elections and that we are protecting the integrity of our elections. This is something that is above partisanship and we are working hard with all our national security agencies to ensure that—

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague clearly did not listen to the answer I just gave, so I invite him to re-watch that. However, one thing I would like to point out is that in terms of rigging elections, that was what the previous Conservative government was trying to do when it took the—

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are playing a dangerous game.They are undermining the integrity of so many of our democratic institutions, whether the CEO of Elections Canada, the commissioner of Canada elections, the debates commissioner, and now independent journalism and media. These games have to stop. Our democracy depends on it.

Mr. Speaker, we agree with our colleagues across the way that there should not be any foreign interference. That is why I ask them to work with us at the procedure and House affairs committee to send Bill C-76 back to the House as soon as possible so we can pass the legislation to ensure that our elections are protected next election. Let us work together. I hope my hon. colleagues across the way will get this done with us.

Mr. Speaker, we are hearing the same old lines from the same old Conservative Party. What it did when it was in government is that it limited the rights of Canadians to vote. It made it more difficult for our most vulnerable to vote, and it made it even more difficult for Elections Canada to talk to Canadians about voting.We changed that with Bill C-76. It is unfortunate that the Conservatives keep attacking our democratic institutions. They have gone after the CEO of Elections Canada; they have gone after the commissioner, and they have gone after the debates commissioner. That is unacceptable.Here on this side, we are standing up for democracy.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have a right to know about fundraising events attended by party leaders and leadership candidates, as well as the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers. Our legislation will make public the information related to who is going to fundraisers, where and when they are happening, and the amount required to attend.We hope the opposition will support this bill in committee so that no opposition party can ever again have their leader hold secret fundraisers. Together let us all raise the bar—

Mr. Speaker, as a woman in politics, I take umbrage with the fact that he is saying I am not speaking on behalf of myself and on behalf of the government. That is unbelievable. Furthermore, it is not this side of the side that had robocalls. It is not this side of the House that had the parliamentary secretary to the prime minister go to jail. We on this side are doing what is necessary for democracy, which is why 85% of the recommendations from the CEO from 2015 are represented in this bill. Let us do what is right for democracy, all of us.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians were fed up with their tax dollars being wasted on blatantly partisan ads by the Harper Conservatives.That is why Liberals moved quickly in 2016 to ban partisan government ads and establish third party oversight. We also banned government advertising in the 90 days that proceeded a fixed-date election and for any government program that was yet to be approved by Parliament.By focusing government advertising on Canadians' needs instead of partisan objectives, we have been able to cut the government's advertising budget by half.

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to remind my colleague that we have yet to take a decision on this funding. However, it is in our best interests as Canadians to look at all options on the table to see how we can best assist those in need in the region.

Mr. Speaker, I understand the importance of collegiality and respect for all members of this House, and for that reason, I am happy to withdraw those comments.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the excellent work of the members of the House who worked on the report of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. I would also like to thank the thousands of Canadians who took part in the discussions.We listened to them, and I am proud of the government’s decision to improve, protect, and strengthen our democracy here in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, as I would like to repeat in English, I am incredibly proud to be the youngest woman named to cabinet in Canada. I am incredibly proud to be a woman in the House of Commons and I am incredibly proud to work with the Prime Minister, who is a feminist and who has a gender-equal cabinet. We listened to Canadians. We heard that they are proud of their democracy and now it is my job to make sure we continue to strengthen and work for our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to restate that the Prime Minister just did something unprecedented in Canadian history. He travelled across—

Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to thank the members of the committee on electoral reform for their excellent work and for the excellent recommendations they put forward.I was pleased to table the response of the government, which was in agreement with the majority of those responses. However, I am also looking forward to working with members in this place to move forward on political financing, on cybersecurity, and on the many ways we can improve, strengthen, and protect our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleague's efforts to make this place better and safer for more women. Just like her and I am sure so many in this House, I want to see more women running for office, getting elected, and being successful when they are here. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all of us to do what we can to make this somewhere where women can be successful, where they can thrive, and where they can feel safe.

Mr. Speaker, I am very honoured to be the youngest woman appointed to cabinet. I am very proud to be a woman here in the House of Commons, and I am very proud to work with a feminist Prime Minister who has a cabinet made up of an equal number of men and women.

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague in the opposition knows, we introduced Bill C-50, which made fundraising events here in Canada more transparent. That is precisely why events that are attended by the Prime Minister, ministers or the leaders of parties represented in this House are made publicly available, as well as the names of those who attended, and that is very important for transparency purposes in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, let us go over the record.In our update to the Canada Elections Act, we levelled the playing field with regard to what political parties can spend in the upcoming election. We made sure that all Canadians do not just have the right to vote, but are able to vote. We also made it easier for Canadians to be informed about how to vote. We have re-empowered the CEO of Elections Canada to speak to Canadians about voting. We have given the commissioner of Canada elections even more power and authority to ensure that this Elections Act is fair and able to be enforced.Let us talk about that. Let us make sure that we are all working for democracy.

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we believe that transparency is a good thing. In fact, that is why we introduced Bill C-50, to provide greater clarity and greater transparency for Canadians so that Canadians could clearly identify when fundraising events were taking place, whether it was with the Prime Minister, ministers or leaders of the opposition. It is important that they can also see who attended those events. We believe that is important. We have delivered for Canadians, and we hope that all parties in the House will do that as well.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question.I am thrilled to see so many strong women here in the House, working hard for Canadians. I think everyone in the House needs to encourage more women to run for office. When they are successful in being elected to the House, we must ensure that they are able to thrive and to do well here. All of us in this House can do more to reach out to women, to encourage them to run, and to make sure that they are successful and elected here in the future.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure for me to rise today as the Minister of Democratic Institutions, because it is my job, in fact, as many members in this House know, to improve, to enhance, and to secure our democracy in this country.Our job, as I have said time and time before, as leaders in our communities, as politicians, and those who care and are deeply embedded in the democratic process, is to do all that we can to combat cynicism, to encourage citizens to participate, and to ensure that everybody who has the right to vote has access to that vote.

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, Canadians were fed up with the partisan advertising under the Stephen Harper Conservatives. Our government has ensured that in the 90 days leading up to the election, there will be no government advertising for programs that are not previously approved by Parliament.Furthermore, we have ensured there is a level playing field in the lead-up to the election. That is fair. That is what Canadians expect. I would hope the Conservatives would stop undermining our democratic institutions. Our democracy depends on it.

Mr. Speaker, there were all kinds of consultations in the past year. We consulted parliamentarians. We consulted Canadians. We consulted media across Canada, and we developed an appropriate plan.I am pleased that my colleague opposite acknowledges the importance of leaders' debates. It is so important for Canadians to have that kind of spontaneous interaction with their leaders; they are the ones making the decisions, after all. This is excellent for democracy, and I hope everyone in the House will work with the Right Hon. David Johnston to ensure that our debates are—

Mr. Speaker, that is a wild extrapolation the Conservatives are making and they are misleading Canadians. There was a witness at the Grand Committee who talked about suggesting that. I was talking about Twitter being a better actor when it comes to the declaration of electoral integrity. The Conservatives owe it to Canadians to tell the truth and to not mislead them.

Mr. Speaker, we are so proud that the Right Hon. David Johnston will take on this role to ensure that all Canadians from coast to coast to coast, official language minority communities and Canadians with disabilities will have access to two debates, one in English and one in French, and to ensure all Canadians can see their leaders in a moment that is so important during elections to decide who they want to govern them. We believe His Excellency, and we know Canadians will see this as well, will be an excellent independent commissioner for debates in our country.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation, for the first time, is going to let Canadians know when, where, and who attended fundraisers. This will take place during appreciation events and fundraisers that have a cost of over $200, where a party leader, leadership contestant, cabinet minister, or Prime Minister is present. This legislation is important. It is creating more openness and more transparency. We know that all parties in this place require money to operate, and that is an important form of democratic expression.

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, we introduced new legislative measures on political donations. They are the most transparent and open measures we have had at the federal level. It is important that everyone respects them. That is why we are here. I am very proud of this legislative measure.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for that excellent question and for her passion about getting more women into the House, which is something I definitely agree with.In my opinion, it is extremely important that all of us in the House do our part to encourage women to stand as candidates and that we make an effort to support them and make sure they succeed. We, the young female MPs, serve as examples for other women, and we need to make sure there are more women in the House—

Mr. Speaker, I thank all members of PROC for the work they have done so far on the CEO recommendations to the electoral act. I look forward to continuing the good work that I have with them so far so we can all work together to ensure we make our elections in Canada as fair, as equitable, and as accessible as possible.

Mr. Speaker, here in this country, there is an annual limit on political donations. Individuals cannot give a party or candidate more than $1,600. That is extremely important. These rules are clear and effective.

Mr. Speaker, I am incredibly proud of Bill C-76, and I am delighted that it is going to the procedure and House affairs committee so it can get the study and the interrogation it deserves. I am looking forward to members opposite asking questions of witnesses to ensure that we encourage Canadians to participate in our democracy, to encourage young Canadians to be registered for elections, to ensure that Canadians without identification can have vouching and can use their voter identification card, and to ensure that Canadians living abroad and every single Canadian have the right to vote.

Mr. Speaker, he travelled across the country to 10 town halls, seven provinces, and 12,000 Canadians where he was open and accountable. He let people ask whatever questions they chose and he answered Canadians. That is something that we are incredibly proud of on this side of the House: engaging with Canadians, listening to Canadians, and being open and transparent—

Mr. Speaker, Canadians need more openness and transparency when it comes to political party fundraising activities attended by ministers, party leaders, and party leadership candidates. We will introduce our plan to make that happen. I am pleased to be working with parliamentarians to introduce more openness and accountability into political party fundraising activities.

Mr. Speaker, I am incredibly proud to be part of this caucus that has a good percentage of women, that is incredibly diverse, that represents Canadians, and, most importantly, that listens to Canadians and how they feel about our democracy, which is proud.Our government will continue to act to strengthen our democracy. That is why my new mandate letter includes protecting the integrity of our democracy by making our system less vulnerable to hacking, and improving transparency by making parties' political fundraising more open than ever before.I will always work to protect, strengthen, and improve our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the facts. What our government did is bring in Bill C-76, which actually strengthens the rules around advertising and activities for third parties in the lead-up to the election. We brought in a pre-writ spending period, which will begin on June 30. This is the first time in Canadian history that this is being done to make sure that there is a fair and level playing field when it comes to our elections.

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the facts. What our government did is bring in Bill C-76, which actually strengthens the rules around advertising and activities for third parties in the lead-up to the election. We brought in a pre-writ spending period, which will begin on June 30. This is the first time in Canadian history that this is being done to make sure that there is a fair and level playing field when it comes to our elections.

Mr. Speaker, let us set the record straight. The previous government, when it came to elections legislation, refused to consult Elections Canada on developing that legislation. What we did is something that governments, until the Harper Conservatives came along, did from time untold. As we developed this legislation, we worked with Elections Canada to ensure the draft legislation was being done in accordance with its best practices. This legislation is based on recommendations from the CEO of Elections Canada. Let us all work together for democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Alfred-Pellan for his question.I was proud to introduce Bill C-50, which will make fundraisers for the prime minister, cabinet members, leadership contestants, and opposition leaders more open and transparent. I am pleased that the committee reported the bill back to the House yesterday.While I am up, I would like to congratulate the members for Lac-Saint-Jean and Sturgeon River—Parkland as well as all of the candidates and the volunteers who played an active role in our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing more foundational than how we choose to govern ourselves as Canadians.We respect the views of Canadians, and we consulted extensively with them on this important issue. We listened to Canadians. We heard that Canadians were proud of our democracy. We have been clear. Major reforms to the electoral system should not be made if they lack the broad support of Canadians.I look forward to working with Canadians to continue to strengthen our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, our government listened to Canadians. It will continue to work on strengthening our democracy. Even though we did not reach a consensus on one specific electoral system to replace the current one, Canadians made it clear that we could do more to improve our democratic institutions. Canadians are proud of our democracy. We will continue to work to ensure that our democracy is consistent with Canadians' values.

Mr. Speaker, as we in the House all know, Canada is a democracy. In a democracy, we debate ideas. We have different positions and we are quite proud of the fact that here in the House we can debate several points of view with wisdom and respect, in order to encourage everyone to share their ideas. That is what we will continue to do to improve and strengthen the democratic tradition that we have here in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her excellent question.Of course, our government shares the concern about the plight of many people around the world who are suffering, and humanitarian crises have increased dramatically over the past decade. The minister is currently in the region at the moment to look at how we can better assist those who need it, particularly when we are talking about refugees in Syria and Jordan, and we are committed to re-engaging with the region. As our Prime Minister said, we are back, we are here to help, and we are looking for new opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Democratic Institutions, it is my job to strengthen, enhance, and protect democracy in Canada. I look forward to working with all members of the House. Fundraising will be done in a more open and transparent manner in order to ensure that Canadians who are eligible to vote can do so. I look forward to working with everyone to improve Canadian democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the members of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform for their excellent work. I find it a little odd that the members of the party over there want us to vote in favour of a report, when they themselves did not completely agree with the report. The members are going to vote today, and I am satisfied that our government made the right decision.

Mr. Speaker, only the Conservatives do not want Canadians to vote. When they were in government they restricted Canadians' voting rights and restricted Election Canada's mandate to talk to Canadians and encourage them to vote. We do not need any lessons from the Conservatives.We made sure that Canadians have the right to vote and we made Elections Canada responsible for helping them do so.

Mr. Speaker, last election, Canadians were fed up with the partisanship in the other place. In fact, they were so done with all of the shenanigans that were taking place under Stephen Harper's leadership that they were proud we would introduce a new merit-based, independent process to appoint senators. In fact, we now have a majority of senators in the other place who are independent senators, who have an incredible history and talent that they have provided to Canadians. They are diverse, from all locations across the country, and they are doing an excellent job ensuring the other place—

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, unlike the opposite, we are not afraid of Elections Canada. In fact, that is why in this bill we have given the commissioner of Elections Canada the power to compel testimony, something that may have come in handy when dealing with robocalls. We have also given the commissioner of Elections Canada the power to lay charges. We also believe that working with Elections Canada is important, which is why we are implementing over 85% of the recommendations from the CEO of Elections Canada should this bill pass. I hope my colleagues on the other side would do this, because it is right for democracy.

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservative Party, we will not muzzle scientists; we will not muzzle public servants, and we will certainly not muzzle Elections Canada. In fact, in Bill C-76, we empowered Elections Canada to talk to Canadians about the importance of voting. Unlike Conservatives, we are not afraid of more Canadians voting. I hope they will join us in supporting Elections Canada's good work in reaching out to vulnerable populations, reaching out to groups that do not vote and making sure that in this election more Canadians than ever vote.

Mr. Speaker, our electoral system is the foundation of our democracy. We respect the views of Canadians, and we consulted extensively with them on this important issue. Canadians are proud of our democracy. We have always been clear. Major reforms to the electoral system should not be made if they lack the broad support of Canadians. I look forward to working with all Canadians and to continuing to strengthen our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, of course I would like to thank my hon. colleague for the hard work that she put into the report. The report is thorough and extensive. I look forward to working with members in this place on many of the things with regard to making voting more accessible, with regard to getting youth involved in politics, with regard to political financing, with regard to fundraising, and of course, with regard to cybersecurity. There are many things that matter to all of us in this place when it comes to improving, strengthening, and protecting our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, as my mandate letter was made public on February 1, as it was to all Canadians that day, I was pleased to give a press conference on it at that time. I reached out to stakeholders the day before, because as Minister of Democratic Institutions, I believe it is important to engage with Canadians on all sides of the political spectrum. I continue to do that, and I will continue to do that moving forward. I look forward to implementing this mandate and to working with everyone in the House.

Mr. Speaker, we are taking concrete action to enhance our already strong and robust rules around political fundraising events in Canada. Yesterday, I was pleased to introduce Bill C-50, which would give Canadians more information than ever before on political fundraising events where a minister, party leader, or leadership contestant is present. Canadians will know who is going to fundraisers, where and when they are happening, and the amount required to attend. I encourage all parties in this place to support these important measures and to take action to become more open and transparent.

Mr. Speaker, when Stephen Harper was in power, Canadians said that the Senate was just a partisan chamber that did the Prime Minister's bidding and that enough was enough.We changed this process, and public opinion polls show that Canadians have greater trust in the Senate as a result of the changes we made.The senators we have appointed are doing an excellent job and are independent. Also, there is less partisanship in that chamber.

Mr. Speaker, after consulting with Canadians, after round tables organized by the IRPP, after the procedure and House affairs committee conducted an excellent study, and I thank it for its hard work on this, we are so proud to announce that the Right Hon. David Johnston is Canada's first independent commissioner for debates. This is so important. In 2015 that party's former leader, Mr. Harper, did not participate, did not want to have those national leader debates. This ensures that Canadians will have official debates in English and French, accessible to all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the previous government if it can confirm that none of its humanitarian assistance went to ISIS fighters.The fact of the matter is that humanitarian assistance goes towards those in need. We do not discriminate. We send it to our humanitarian partners so they can work effectively in the region. There are millions upon millions of Syrians who need assistance. We are there for them. We are going to help. We are going to work in line with the Geneva Convention.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to respond to my colleague from the Conservatives, because we are making it easier for Canadians to vote. We are clamping down on those who maliciously thwart and interfere in our electoral process. Let us contrast that with the former Conservative government, which made it tougher for Canadians to vote, from robocalls to Dean Del Mastro, who participated in schemes to maliciously thwart the electoral process. That is also the party that had to pay $250,000 in fines for breaking electoral laws.We will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for her question.As I said last week, it is extremely important for everyone in the House to show leadership and encourage women to run for office. Clearly, there is room for far more women in the House.I would like to point out that during the last seven by-elections won by the government four of the winning candidates were women. On this side, we are working on recruiting women and ensuring their success here. I encourage my colleagues—

Mr. Speaker, I thank my NDP colleague for her question. I am delighted to be back in the House of Commons.I must admit I am a little puzzled, because we did not limit debate on this important electoral legislation. It is vital to remember that the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs has spent more than 30 hours studying this bill. I am thrilled to be here and to hear my colleagues from other parties—