House of Commons Hansard #255 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was fishing.

Topics

41st General ElectionOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, obviously the member did not read the ruling he just referred to, or he would know that the partisan group that brought forward this effort to overturn the democratically elected results from 2011 failed. The judge dismissed that and said that there was “no finding that the Conservative Party of Canada or any CPC candidates...were directly involved in any campaign to mislead voters”.

41st General ElectionOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Liberal

Scott Andrews Liberal Avalon, NL

Mr. Speaker, stop the bus from running over another Conservative. The parliamentary secretary defended the in-out scandal. Found guilty. He defended Conservative voter suppression election fraud. Written up by a judge. He defended Peter Penashue on overspending illegal contributions. Tossed out of government. He defended Nigel Wright and the PMO and Mike Duffy for the $90,000 cheque.

Why does the member stand and back up all the losers?

41st General ElectionOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, the reason we are over here and they are way over there in that corner—it is a corner that is well suited for the kinds of people he just described as, the word starts with an “L”— is that they have failed to honour their promises to Canadians. We on this side have dedicated ourselves to improving the quality of life of the Canadian people through successive economic action plans that have created jobs and improved our prosperity. That is why the Canadian people have entrusted us to do the work that we are now doing.

EthicsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

Liberal

Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK

Mr. Speaker, on April 16, Senators Tkachuk and Stewart Olsen received damning audit findings on Mike Duffy. That very night, Tkachuk gave Duffy a heads-up, which triggered efforts to paper things over. So Tkachuk and Stewart Olsen were talking to Nigel Wright; they leaked information to Duffy, and they made sure their report went easy on him. They were judge, jury, defence counsel, prosecution, and they fiddled with the evidence. Now these same two are running the review of their own misconduct. That just will not wash. Why not pick former police chief Vern White and maybe Nancy Ruth instead?

EthicsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, the matter in question will be examined by the House of Commons independent Ethics Commissioner and the Senate's independent Ethics Officer. We look forward to the outcome of their independent investigations.

In the meantime, we hope to toughen the rules in the Senate as they relate to senators' expense accounts by eliminating the honour system and requiring that senators have proof for every single expense that they claim. The Liberal Party's leader in the Senate has publicly stated that he is blocking those changes. I encourage the member for Wascana to change his leader's mind.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

Mr. Speaker, my, my, what happened to these Conservatives? In 2006, the Prime Minister announced he would create a new culture of accountability, but he has clearly failed. Now it is business as usual, just like the Liberals before them. The new Social Security Tribunal, in existence for less than two months, is already stacked with failed Conservative candidates and insiders. The EI board it replaced had political appointees regularly breaking the rules to donate to the Conservatives.

When did the Conservatives' priorities go from restoring trust in government to rewarding their insider friends?

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

York—Simcoe Ontario

Conservative

Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has a very odd characterization of what has happened. We have replaced the employment insurance tribunals with the new Social Security Tribunal to deal with the issues that are very, very important for Canadians. For that reason, they have to be people who are highly qualified. That is why members of the new Social Security Tribunal are appointed by merit and undergo a rigorous selection process. This rigorous selection process is dramatically different from what happened before we were in government. That is part of the new culture of accountability: ensuring that appointees who do these jobs are highly qualified, capable and experienced in the area they are dealing with, so they make judgments that protect the taxpayers' interests and deal with people's very important rights.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON

New name, Mr. Speaker, same old patronage.

Employment insurance tribunals may be a thing of the past, but the scandal involving Conservative appointees who made illegal donations is here to stay. The rules are clear: board chairs are not supposed to engage in political activities.

As many as one in every five Conservative appointees gave money to political parties, riding associations and candidates.

Will the government ask the Conservative Party to pay back those illegal donations?

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

York—Simcoe Ontario

Conservative

Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, there has been no such thing. The hon. member obviously has very little understanding of the law in this matter.

What matters to us is ensuring that the people who make decisions on these matters that are important to people, who are dependent on them for their livelihood in vulnerable times, are people who are capable and qualified. That is why we created the new Social Security Tribunal. That is why that tribunal is being staffed with people who have gone through a rigorous process that allows them to demonstrate they have the necessary experience and satisfy the competency criteria to do a very difficult and challenging job. That is what our government is focused on doing, the best—

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The hon. member for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Alain Giguère NDP Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC

Mr. Speaker, once again, the government has given us a non-answer answer. It is refusing to be accountable to Canadians. The worst part is that the government has in no way learned its lesson.

Instead of appointing individuals to the Social Security Tribunal based solely on merit, it is appointing failed Conservative candidates and Conservative Party friends and bagmen.

Does the minister understand that merit has everything to do with skills and experience and nothing to do with ties to the Conservative Party?

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

York—Simcoe Ontario

Conservative

Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about some of the very qualified people who are being appointed to this tribunal and who that member dismisses in the most contemptuous fashion.

These people are outstanding citizens. They have done great things for Canada and for their communities and are committed to doing more public service. Take, for example, Katherine Wallocha. She passed the test. She went through the process, and she qualified for the criteria. Why? Because she had experience in the area and because she was a demonstrated community leader. She was, for example, the first woman to fly a Canadian Armed Forces helicopter in an actual war mission. She served as a community leader in her own community. This is the kind of person those members criticize as a mere political hack.

These are Canadians who do great things for their country, and we should be proud and pleased that they are willing to serve their country again.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

NDP

Ryan Cleary NDP St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL

Mr. Speaker, the patronage scandals do not end at social security, not by a long shot.

We now know that senior officials with ACOA rigged hiring rules so friends and political staff of the now Minister of National Defence could get work. That in itself is reprehensible, but the fact that the minister is washing her hands of the matter is worse.

Canadians deserve answers. How about an answer to this question. Has the minister investigated why ACOA staff bent the rules for Conservative insiders? Why did they break the rules in the first place?

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

South Shore—St. Margaret's Nova Scotia

Conservative

Gerald Keddy ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade

Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve legitimate questions.

The reality is, not that version of reality, but reality—

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh! Oh!

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order. The hon. parliamentary secretary has the floor.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Conservative

Gerald Keddy Conservative South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS

Mr. Speaker, I am always amazed that the NDP hate the truth.

The independent investigation by the Public Service Commission did not find evidence of any wrongdoing or influence on the part of the ministers or political staff in this matter. Case closed.

International Civil Aviation OrganizationOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Conservative

Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON

Mr. Speaker, since 1947 Canadians have been proud that the International Civil Aviation Organization has been headquartered in the world-class city of Montreal. It provides immense economic benefits to the greater region, including over 1,000 jobs and more than $1 million each year.

Earlier this month, a last-minute bid was made to move the International Civil Aviation Organization from Montreal. On May 3, our government announced the launch of team Montreal and promised to fight tooth and nail to ensure that the ICAO remains where it is.

Would the fine Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism please update the House on the result of our government's efforts?

International Civil Aviation OrganizationOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Beauce Québec

Conservative

Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of State (Small Business and Tourism)

Mr. Speaker, for the past few weeks, our government, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, our highest-ranking diplomat, has been campaigning to ensure that the International Civil Aviation Organization's headquarters remains in Montreal. His campaign has paid off: Qatar has decided to drop its bid to move the headquarters from Montreal.

I can now assure Montrealers and Quebeckers that, thanks to this government's hard work, the International Civil Aviation Organization's headquarters will remain in Montreal.

Parliamentary Budget OfficerOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

NDP

Hélène LeBlanc NDP LaSalle—Émard, QC

Mr. Speaker, when Kevin Page wrote his report on government spending, the Conservatives put obstacles in his way and discredited his work. After showing Mr. Page the door, at the end of his term, the Conservatives replaced him with someone of their own choosing. Yet now we are hearing that the new Parliamentary Budget Officer is facing the same obstacles.

Why are the Conservatives still refusing to give the Parliamentary Budget Officer the documents she needs to do her job?

Parliamentary Budget OfficerOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Parry Sound—Muskoka Ontario

Conservative

Tony Clement ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario

Mr. Speaker, in fact, the opposite is true. Various departments are co-operating with the acting Parliamentary Budget Officer. We are providing many documents, according to her requests, and that process will continue.

Parliamentary Budget OfficerOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

NDP

Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC

Incredible, Mr. Speaker, and this is a government that said it would bring accountability to Ottawa.

The fact is that Canadians have a right to know how their money is being spent and what programs and services are going to be increased or cut.

Kevin Page had to drag the government screaming to Federal Court over this kind of stonewalling. The court confirmed that the PBO has a right to information about how public money is spent.

Will this accountability-challenged government respect the court's ruling, or will it force the PBO to take it back to court?

Parliamentary Budget OfficerOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Parry Sound—Muskoka Ontario

Conservative

Tony Clement ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario

Mr. Speaker, I have already answered that question.

I would further direct the hon. member and other members of this House to the new database we have established, which will assist all parliamentarians, and indeed members of the public, to track various spending items by different departments, according to department and year, and other indices as well. I think this is a step in the right direction, and you are welcome.

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC

Mr. Speaker, really, a database? They have a funny way of defining “co-operation”.

Canadians deserve to know how their tax dollars are spent, how the government lost track of $3.1 billion and why it is forcing the passage of the budget implementation bill, for the third time, through a sham process that will not allow for a serious examination of the many complex provisions.

Will someone on the other side of the House finally show some accountability to Canadians regarding this financial mismanagement?

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

May 24th, 2013 / 11:50 a.m.

Macleod Alberta

Conservative

Ted Menzies ConservativeMinister of State (Finance)

Mr. Speaker, this is a great opportunity to remind the hon. members opposite that we are working through the budget process.

The budget implementation bill is at committee, and we would encourage those hon. members to listen to the witnesses who are coming forward to talk about the good things in this budget and the fact that we are going to help young people find jobs and the skills they need to get those jobs. I see no reason on earth why the opposition should not be applauding it instead of fighting against it.