Debates of Oct. 29th, 2013

Ethics

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Senate has conducted audits on Senate expenses and continues to do so.

This is completely appropriate. Once again I go back. In the case of the three senators we are talking about, the facts are not in question. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars of expenses that have been collected that were either outside the rules or clearly inappropriate.

Everybody believes that. Those are the facts. I know that these particular senators feel no particular regret, or very little regret, for any of this. For that reason, they should obviously face the appropriate sanction and be removed from the public payroll.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, precisely because it was wrong, why did the Prime Minister pay to defend it?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the government does not defend the actions of Mr. Duffy.

Mr. Duffy collected $90,000 in expenses that we consider to be inappropriate. We have been very clear from the beginning with him that he should have repaid this. I was assured that he had. He assured the entire Canadian public that he had in fact done so.

He had not. That is why he should face the appropriate sanctions.

International Trade

[Rob Merrifield, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, signing the historic trade agreement with the European Union makes Canada the only major developed country to have preferential access to the world's two largest economies, the economies of the European Union and the United States.

It is really unfortunate that the NDP and its anti-trade allies mislead Canadians about the importance of the trade agreement. They are actually claiming that the agreement will harm our ability to create jobs. Of course they said the same thing about the North American free trade agreement.

Could the Minister of International Trade please help clear up these allegations?

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Yellowhead for that timely question. I would be glad to oblige him.

The evidence is overwhelming. Opening up new markets for trade around the world creates Canadian jobs. Sadly, the NDP remains beholden, both financially and organizationally, to the big union bosses and anti-trade activist groups. Their track record is clear. They have opposed almost every trade agreement Canada has ever signed.

When it comes to creating jobs and economic opportunities here at home, there is only one party in the House that Canadians can count on, and that is this Conservative government.

Natural Resources

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the Keystone XL pipeline, the Prime Minister's forays into U.S. politics have been more divisive than helpful, catering to the Tea Party, slamming Democrats, ultimately making it harder for President Obama to approve the Keystone XL.

What is required is a credible message about environmental integrity, like our leader delivered in Washington last week.

When will the government do the same, before it is too late?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the Keystone XL pipeline would enhance national security, and create tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity on both sides of the border.

We agree with the analysis compiled by the U.S. State Department, which found that Keystone is not likely to result in incremental GHG emissions. The choice for America is a clear: a reliable, environmentally responsible friend and neighbour, or an unstable source with the same or higher GHG emissions.

We are supportive. Why is the NDP not?

Ethics

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, several times this afternoon, the Prime Minister explained that one of his issues with Mike Duffy and the others was that they have never shown any regret for their wrongdoing.

Is the Prime Minister prepared to express his regret to Canadians for not telling the truth?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that statement is not correct. The reality is that in a case like this, the prime minister has the responsibility to demand corrective action and when corrective action is not taken, to ensure accountability.

That is our responsibility, not to tell people things are going to be perfect, but when things go wrong to take corrective action and when corrective action is not taken, to ensure accountability. That is our responsibility and that is what we are doing.

Public Safety

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government has consistently taken action to protect Canadians from violent foreign extremists who seek to harm us. We brought forward Canada's first counterterrorism strategy and we have listed numerous groups as terrorist organizations. It has come to light that the member for Toronto—Danforth wrote a letter of support for a confessed terrorist, who also happened to volunteer on his NDP campaign.

Can the Minister of Public Safety please tell the House the government's position on the Tamil Tigers?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the Tamil Tigers have been listed as a terrorist organization since 2006 because of their involvement in violent extremism. I am shocked that the NDP member for Toronto—Danforth would take steps to lighten the sentence of a convicted terrorist who was involved in his election campaign.

It is time for the NDP leader to take responsibility. He needs to rein in the member for Toronto—Danforth and take disciplinary action.

Ethics

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Conservative Party lawyer Arthur Hamilton signed both cheques. Since the Prime Minister now claims that the whole deal was wrong, is he going to fire Arthur Hamilton?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this individual is not accused of anything.

I talked about how we dealt with this. Let us talk about how the NDP deals with these sorts of things. New Democrats tell us that we should fire or expel people on the flimsiest of allegations without, in some cases, any proof of anything against anybody. Then when we determine that actions should be taken, the Leader of the Opposition stands up and pretends these people are somehow victims of arbitrary actions. We will take the appropriate action regardless of what the leader of the NDP says.

[Jean-François Fortin, Bloc, Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, every day, new, damning revelations are coming out about the Conservative leader in the Senator Duffy affair. There is a hint of panic in the air.

Contradiction abounds, and the Prime Minister seems prepared to rewrite history to clear his name at all costs. However, the public has had enough. They want the truth, and 81% of them support the Bloc's call for an independent public inquiry.

Since he claims to be as pure as the driven snow, when will the Prime Minister launch an independent public inquiry?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is right. People are fed up. They are fed up with an unelected, unaccountable Senate. They are fed up with the fact that the NDP and Liberals are teaming up to defend three senators and former disgraced Liberal Senator Mac Harb because they took money that they were not entitled to. They are fed up with that and they want to see action taken. That is why in the Senate we have put forward a motion that Canadians support and a vast majority of this caucus supports that would remove them from the public payroll and bring accountability back.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. David Alward, Premier of New Brunswick.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would also like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Bill Boyd, Minister of the Economy and Minister responsible for the Global Transportation Hub from Saskatchewan.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would also like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the recipients of the 2013 Governor General’s Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case: Cherry Smiley, Nahanni Fontaine, Susan Shiner, Constance Backhouse and Julie Lalonde.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Finally, I would also like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the 2013 Indspire Awards recipients: John Nicholas Jeddore, Sarah Arngna'naaq, Christie Lavallée, Dr. Marie Yvonne Delorme, Maggie Paul, Rita Bouvier, Charlie Snowshoe, Dr. Evan Tlesla II Adams, Marion Ironquill-Meadmore, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Robert Watts and James Eetoolook.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the trade agreement between Canada and Europe is the biggest deal Canada has ever made. It will create jobs and opportunities for families, businesses and workers across Canada. It is a historic win. Therefore, I have the great honour to table, in both official languages, the summary of the final negotiated results for the Canada-Europe trade agreement.

[Jean-François Fortin, Bloc, Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to move the following motion: That, in the opinion of this House, the government should set up an independent public inquiry to review the involvement of staff of the Prime Minister's Office and the Prime Minister himself in the actions that led to the repayment of expenses fraudulently claimed by Senator Duffy.