Debates of June 13th, 2013

41st General Election

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, from the in-and-out scandal to overspending to fraudulent expense claims, Canadians are appalled at the continuous abuse of Canada's—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. member for Vancouver Quadra now has the floor. We need a little order.

The hon. member for Vancouver Quadra.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I think the truth hurts over there.

From the in-and-out scandal to overspending to fraudulent expense claims, Canadians are really appalled at the continuous abuse of our election laws. We know the members for Mississauga—Brampton South, Selkirk—Interlake, and Saint Boniface are not complying with Elections Canada laws for the 2011 election.

Could the government please tell us how many more Conservative MPs are lined up and fighting Elections Canada over their campaign overspending?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the question is how many Liberals are defending their over billing to taxpayers? We have at least two Liberal MPs who billed false housing expenses so they could fill their pockets with taxpayer money illegally. They have Mac Harb, the Liberal senator, who owes almost one-quarter of a million dollars in money that he stole from the expense system, and his leader wants to welcome him back into the Liberal caucus with open arms.

That is the same leader, by the way, who has filled his pockets with money from charities to give speeches when he is already paid a salary by this place to give speeches and to reach out to Canadians. Shame on all of them.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is straight out of the Karl Rove evasion playbook I see. This pattern of election spending abuses runs deep in the Conservative Party. Even the Conservative House leader in 2008 exceeded election spending limits and was actually caught and eventually penalized.

Speaking of 2008, the Conservative member for Peterborough still is not compliant for overspending during that election.

Does the Prime Minister really believe that he, his members and his parliamentary secretary are above the law?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the member across is wrong and very wrong. The Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary had his expenses signed off by Elections Canada years ago. I believe he has handled himself with grace and dignity throughout this entire process.

That is in sharp contrast to the Liberal leadership candidates who have half a million dollars in past due loans that have become illegal donations. They have not stepped forward to explain themselves. They have not shown the courage of the Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary to stand in the House of Commons and defend his actions.

[Scott Andrews, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative election overspending is not a series of disconnected accounting errors. There is too much of a pattern here. No, these are calculated violations of election laws with a view to gaining an edge.

The Prime Minister sets the tone. He breaks all the rules, so his MPs feel they can break the rules too. He cannot balance a budget, so his MPs do not feel the need to balance their campaign budget. The rot starts at the top. When is it going to stop?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the member is quite right that the rot does start at the top of his very own party. It is his leader who said that he would welcome with open arms a Liberal senator who stole almost one-quarter million dollars in expenses from the Canadian taxpayer. It is his leader, while accepting a salary to give speeches to community groups across the country, who then asked those same community groups to reach into their meagre resources and fill his pockets with that money. The member is right. The rot does start at the top.

Foreign Affairs

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our country depends on the hard work and patriotism of our diplomats who take on personal risk and hardship. Yet our foreign service officers have been working without a contract for two years. Today in London, they are forced to take job action to get the attention of the Prime Minister. Why? Because Conservatives refuse to negotiate with their own diplomats.

When will the Conservatives return to the bargaining table?

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, our government has put forward a fair offer. It is fair to employees and fair to taxpayers. The foreign service is a highly sought-after and well-paid posting. It is unfortunate that the union is attempting to take out its labour demands on Canadians. We expect that any job action will respect the bounds of the law.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, our foreign service officers deserve better answers than that. These are people who faithfully serve our country every day. All they are asking for is equal pay for equal work.

Our foreign service officers represent our commercial interests and our diplomatic and consular presence around the world. Canada's presence on the world stage depends in large part on them.

Will the government finally agree to negotiate in good faith to end this labour dispute quickly and ensure that these employees are paid what they are worth?

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, our government has put forward a fair offer. It is fair to employees and fair to taxpayers. Foreign service postings are highly sought after. It is unfortunate that the union is taking out its labour demands on Canadians. We expect that any job action will respect the bounds of the law.

International Trade

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to stay on the topic of the government's poor negotiating strategies.

The Prime Minister is in Europe right now, desperately trying to sign a trade agreement, and he is making big compromises in order to do so. He has already announced that he will make it easier for Europeans to buy Canadian companies and challenge our laws.

The government is feeling desperate, and desperation is a very bad adviser when it comes to negotiations. Who is going to have to pay for the government's new compromises: beef producers or dairy and cheese producers?

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should be well aware from the Prime Minister's own words, his own press release from London, that negotiations are ongoing. We continue to negotiate in good faith, and both sides continue to move closer together. We expect to be able to finish these negotiations at some point, but we will not be stuck to a timetable. We will negotiate an agreement that is in the best interests of all Canadians.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, New Democrats support negotiations with Europe, but Conservative incompetence is stunning.

The first rule of negotiating is to never convey that one is desperate for a deal, and yet that is exactly what the Prime Minister is conveying to the EU. Panicking to get a deal at any cost, the Conservatives are now offering concessions to reduce the reviews of foreign takeovers, increase the sell-off of public utilities and decrease Canadian control of telecommunications.

Which sectors of the Canadian economy will pay the price for Conservative desperation?

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should just stop and think it over. It is pretty clear. I will put it out in point form. Stop signs are stop signs and everyone stops at them.

We have made a lot of progress in discussions. Negotiations are ongoing. There is no fixed date and there is no timetable. We are driven by the content of the agreement.

We will only sign an agreement that is in the best interests of all Canadians.

Public Safety

[Ryan Leef, Conservative, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, I and many of my colleagues in the Conservative caucus have served in law enforcement across this entire nation. We went into this line of business because of our deep commitment to defending the rule of law. We on this side of the House know first-hand that our men and women in uniform face difficulties in ensuring our common security, yet it seems that not all members of the House respect the rule of law nor follow it.

Could the Minister of International Cooperation, a former Ontario police chief, please tell the House why it is important for all members to not just stand for law enforcement but stand with our men and women who enforce the law?

[Julian Fantino, Conservative, Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his service and indeed all members of the House and police officers across the country who have put their lives on the line to serve and protect our communities and our families.

As a former police chief, I am personally insulted by the leader of the NDP's arrogance and disrespect for those who serve on the front lines. His actions today are an insult to every man and woman who puts on the uniform to defend our basic freedoms and rule of law. The leader of the NDP should stop denigrating those who serve, stop opposing our efforts to get tough on crime and stop acting as if he is above the law.

Canadian Heritage

[Andrew Cash, NDP, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Museum of Civilization spent $70,000 to cancel a historical undergarment exhibit, but reports say this was due to the mandate change. However, in truth, the decision was made before the government announced any changes to the museum.

I know Conservatives do not like to reveal a lot, and I suppose we should not be surprised that prudishness is now part of the new mandate, but can the minister tell us whether he or any of his staff had conversations about this international exhibit with museum staff before it was cancelled?

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, the answer is no. Neither I nor anybody on my staff had any comments or discussions with the Museum of Civilization on its exhibit on underwear. No, we did not. To be clear to my friend opposite, I do not now, nor have I ever, had an official public position on the public displaying of underwear.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's slip is showing. He is responsible for the change in the museum's mandate—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order please. The hon. member for Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Mr. Speaker, these children need to calm down a little.

The Museum of Civilization or the museum of Canadian history—we do not know what to call it anymore—cancelled an exhibit on Victorian underwear because its mandate has been changed. That is clear.

Regardless of the excuses he makes, this is ultimately the Minister of Canadian Heritage's responsibility. The minister's decision cost taxpayers $70,000. Come on. That is unbelievable.