Thomas Mulcair

[National Defence, April 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, on April 5 in this House the Minister of National Defence said about the F-35, and I quote, “No money has been spent on this file”.

That is completely, utterly false. The government has disbursed over $335 million on the F-35 program. More is committed. The Prime Minister knows it; the Minister of National Defence knows it. Does the Prime Minister believe it was acceptable for his minister to mislead Parliament?

[National Defence, April 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Prime Minister a very simple question.

Does he think it is acceptable for one of his ministers to knowingly mislead Parliament in the performance of his duties?

[The Environment, April 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the members opposite are so cynical that they have taken it upon themselves to approve projects that experts have turned down. Now, if a project is bad for the environment and human health, all it needs to go ahead is a nod from a Conservative minister. There is a reason that a quarter of a million people rallied yesterday for Earth Day.

Why are the Conservatives undermining credible, independent environmental assessment? How far will they go to keep their polluting pals happy?

[The Environment, April 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, a $31 billion cut in health care, unannounced, no debate, no discussion--

[Government Services, April 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance announced in December, without discussion or debate, a $31 billion reduction in the health care projected transfer. Do not talk to us about protecting health care.

The Conservatives are creating an incredible economic, social and ecological debt that future generations will have to bear, but Canadians are not taking it lying down. Yesterday I was with 250,000 other Canadians in Montreal who are saying no to the Conservatives' dismantling of our protection in matters of the environment. That is why we ask the government, why do Canadians have to bear all the environmental risks while the Conservatives' friends benefit from the subsidies and lax environmental enforcement?

[Government Services, April 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are increasingly aware of the negative impact of the Conservative budget on their lives. What exactly does “cuts to direct services” mean? It means making our borders more porous and less secure. It means less income for future retirees. It means slower employment insurance claims processing.

Why did the government choose to cut direct services to people to fix a deficit that it created by cutting corporate taxes?

[National Defence, April 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, if the generals will not follow the chain of command, who is the problem exactly: the Chief of Defence Staff or the Minister of National Defence? Under our system, it is the minister.

We have seen no action, no accountability. Worse, instead of opening up the process with a public tender, as he has just admitted, they are to create an F-35 secretariat. The Conservatives are still fully on board with the F-35, believe it or not. They are not even considering other options.

Why will the minister not stand up and take responsibility? Why will the Prime Minister not put an end to this nonsense?

[National Defence, April 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence looked very much in charge when he climbed aboard the F-35 for photo ops. He looked very much in charge when for months he was denying any problems with the F-35.

Here is the bottom line: The Minister of National Defence had the responsibility to know, he had the duty to find out and he had the obligation to tell the truth in Parliament.

Now that his Minister of National Defence has failed so miserably, why is the Prime Minister refusing to act?

[National Defence, April 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, even if we were to believe that the Chief of Defence Staff and the generals were plotting behind the minister's back to lie to Parliament, to lie to Canadians, which is highly unlikely, it would only prove that the Minister of National Defence was not in control of his own department.

However, the Minister of National Defence knew the F-35 was a fiasco. The NDP, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, and media report after media report all highlighted the numerous problems with the plane and its budgeting.

When will the Minister of National Defence finally stand up and take responsibility for the F-35 debacle? Where is the accountability?

[National Defence, April 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our parliamentary system is based on the principle of ministerial accountability. The minister is accountable for what happens in his department. Ultimately, the Prime Minister is accountable for the ministers he has chosen. The F-35 file is the Department of National Defence's responsibility.

It was therefore the Minister of National Defence's responsibility to know what was happening and to ensure that parliamentarians had all the information and that the information was accurate.

Does the Prime Minister believe that his Minister of National Defence did his job properly?