House of Commons Hansard #87 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was change.

Topics

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The minister knows we do not refer to members by their first names.

The hon. Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal Toronto—St. Paul's, ON

Charlie Brown.

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal Toronto—St. Paul's, ON

Mr. Speaker, this government promised a new relationship with indigenous people, a new way of doing things. We prepared for and then accepted the ruling of the tribunal and are committed to ending this discrimination.

We have made immediate investments in child and family services on reserve, and we are working with first nations communities and the key organizations—

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Once I have the minister's attention, I would ask her not to refer to other members as cartoon characters either.

The hon. member for Northwest Territories.

Northern DevelopmentOral Questions

October 4th, 2016 / 2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Michael McLeod Liberal Northwest Territories, NT

Mr. Speaker, I was happy to hear that budget 2016 proposed $64.5 million over five years to expand Nutrition North.

Can the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs update the House on the actions our government took this summer to help northerners access fresh, healthy food?

Northern DevelopmentOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Toronto—St. Paul's Ontario

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett LiberalMinister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his important work on this file.

Northerners need to have a direct voice in reforming this program, and we spent the summer listening. This week the parliamentary secretary is continuing listening to northerners as she continues her work in eastern Canada.

We are committed to listening and designing a program with northerners that will work for them for affordable, healthy food. We have already heard very clearly that we need support for harvesters and real access to country food.

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a love affair with padding the pockets of their friends with taxpayer money. Documents released last week revealed that the Liberals signed off on $200,000 for their so-called deliverology wizard from the U.K. This self-acclaimed guru sold Ontario a bunch of buzzwords that did not work when he was brought in to deliver for the Liberals in Queen's Park.

Why are these Liberals paying $200,000 for the same person to deliver the same useless bill of goods?

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Waterloo Ontario

Liberal

Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism

Mr. Speaker, of course we will deliver on our commitments, and that is what Canadians expect.

We have already, for example, lowered taxes on the middle class. We have implemented the Canada child benefit, which has given money to families with children that need it the most. We have signed a historic agreement in principle to strengthen the Canada pension plan.

The list of the work that we are doing continues. We will continue to work hard for Canadians.

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

Mr. Speaker, we learned that the Prime Minister's BFF, Gerry Butts, brought in his good buddy from the U.K. to consult with the government on deliverology. The last time this individual consulted a Canadian government, Ontario became a have-not province and the most indebted sub-sovereign government in the world.

Just who exactly is running this country? Is it Gerry, is it Katie, or is it the pinch-hitting guru from the U.K.?

Can someone over there justify this atrocious waste of taxpayers' money?

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Waterloo Ontario

Liberal

Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism

Mr. Speaker, the government was elected on a commitment to work hard for Canadians. The government was elected on a commitment to help grow the economy, to create jobs, to create the growth that Canadians need.

The government is committed to delivering on our commitments. We will continue to do the hard work we are doing, and the actions have already started.

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC

Mr. Speaker, we now know that the Prime Minister engaged the services of a British consultant at a cost of $200,000 in taxpayer dollars, apparently to help him deliver on his agenda.

Given the Liberals' track record, maybe the consultant should be helping them find new ways to raise taxes on Canadian families and waste taxpayer money by incurring unconscionable expenses.

Can the Prime Minister tell us exactly how that $200,000 really helped Canadian families?

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Waterloo Ontario

Liberal

Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism

Mr. Speaker, we will keep our promises. That is what Canadians expect.

For example, we have already cut taxes for the middle class, which helped nearly nine million Canadians. We introduced the tax-free Canada child benefit, which puts more money in the pockets of nine out of ten Canadian families. We also signed an agreement in principle to enhance the Canada Pension Plan, and the list goes on.

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC

Mr. Speaker, again, this Prime Minister is focused more on image and superficial things than on the economy and jobs. Canadians deserve better. They want a Prime Minister who works in their best interest, as the hon. Stephen Harper did.

As my mother always said, good looks do not put food on the table. Instead of spending $200,000 on pseudo-experts, could the Prime Minister for once act in the best interest of all Canadians?

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Waterloo Ontario

Liberal

Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we made promises to Canadians and we intend to keep those promises. We will continue to work very hard for all Canadians.

Disaster AssistanceOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Cheryl Hardcastle NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON

Mr. Speaker, I want to start out with a salute to everyone in Windsor—Tecumseh who is dealing with the aftermath of flood damage.

The Prime Minister stated that he was glad to see relief in the weather forecast for flood victims, but what about financial relief? The Conservatives drastically cut federal emergency funding in 2015.

Will the Prime Minister restore emergency relief and come to the aid of these residents?

Disaster AssistanceOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Regina—Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, the previous government did in fact cut back on emergency support programs.

We are in the process of correcting those errors. There is a cost-sharing formula in place for dealing with current emergencies. The municipality makes the request to the province, and the province makes the request to the federal government. Rest assured, the Government of Canada stands ready to help.

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Phoenix pay system is causing havoc in my riding of North Island—Powell River. In one horrible case, a constituent of mine was asked to prove she was in financial default so her case would be deemed a priority. Let me make it clear to the government that if workers are not getting paid, it is a priority.

We know the minister says she did not read the report that highlighted several problems with Phoenix. Will she now act and commit to ending this sluggish process and help workers get paid?

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Bonavista—Burin—Trinity Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Judy Foote LiberalMinister of Public Services and Procurement

Mr. Speaker, it is totally unacceptable for any person not to get paid for work performed.

We agree totally with that. That is why we have taken so many measures to fix the Phoenix pay system. We have hired additional people to make sure that those who have been in the backlog get paid. We are making sure that people who have gone without pay, get paid. We are working very hard to make sure that every measure possible is being taken to correct this system. It will get fixed.

JusticeOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are always in the business of telling us there are problems with Canadian institutions, so maybe they could tell us what the problem is with having representation from Atlantic Canada on the Supreme Court.

If this has been an issue for the Liberals for the last 141 years, maybe they could tell us where in their election platform they said they were not going to guarantee representation for Atlantic Canada on the Supreme Court.

JusticeOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Charlottetown P.E.I.

Liberal

Sean Casey LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Niagara Falls for his interest in Atlantic Canada.

What we committed to during the election was to fix a broken Supreme Court of Canada nomination process that was in effect under the previous government. That process was opaque, secretive, out of date, and in need of an overhaul.

That is why we have put in place a process that is transparent, accountable, and open. It involves parliamentarians, and it does not involve attacks by the Prime Minister on the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. That is real change.

JusticeOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be born in Niagara Falls, but I am proud to have 150 years of my family from Cape Breton Island. I will take no lessons from the member.

If the Liberals do not want to do the right thing because the Conservatives are telling them what to do, why do they not listen to four Liberal senators from Nova Scotia? They want the Liberals to do the right thing. Or is that the reason, probably, they got kicked out of the Liberal caucus?

JusticeOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Charlottetown P.E.I.

Liberal

Sean Casey LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I think I can do one better. I married a Cape Bretoner.

The process that was in place under the previous government was opaque, outdated, and in need of an overhaul.

The four senators absolutely deserve credit for their advocacy on this issue. Those four senators were advocates for Nova Scotia even before the last election. I am pleased to say that the advisory board tasked with coming up with jurists of the highest calibre has included names from Atlantic Canada on its list.

JusticeOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

Mr. Speaker, since the Prime Minister unveiled his Supreme Court appointment process to shut out Atlantic Canada, the silence from the 32 Liberal MPs from Atlantic Canada has been deafening. Now, four senators from Atlantic Canada are calling on the Prime Minister to respect Atlantic representation.

Given that these senators are finally speaking up, will the Prime Minister get around to doing the right thing and appoint an Atlantic Canadian?

JusticeOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Charlottetown P.E.I.

Liberal

Sean Casey LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated, we inherited a process that was badly broken, that was secretive, and that did not involve parliamentarians. We have reformed that process. It is now open, transparent, and accountable.

That process has resulted in a list going forward to the Prime Minister of highly qualified, functionally bilingual jurists, including candidates from Atlantic Canada.

We are perfectly capable of participating in a national competition. We have been doing it for more than 141 years.