House of Commons Hansard #127 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was support.

Topics

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, wherever I go across the country I hear from Canadians who are pleased that we are raising taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we can lower them on the middle class. They are pleased to hear that we have stopped sending child benefit cheques to the wealthiest families so we can do more for the families who need it. That approach is going to lift 40% of kids living in poverty out of poverty. It will raise hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty.

That is our priority. That is what we talk about wherever we go.

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Sturgeon River—Parkland Alberta

Conservative

Rona Ambrose ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, no one actually believes the Prime Minister on this issue anymore.

Let us talk about priorities, because how a prime minister spends his or her time says a lot about the person. By attending countless cash for access fundraising events for the Liberal Party, the Prime Minister is showing his true priorities to Canadians and is setting a low standard for the people around him. Canadians now think the Prime Minister can be bought, and he has already done enough damage to his office.

When is the Prime Minister going to stop this cash for access fundraising? Today?

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, Canadians well know that we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them for the middle class, which, quite frankly, the Conservative Party voted against to protect its friends.

The fact is that raising taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them for the middle class, ending child benefit cheques to wealthy families so we can give more to the families who need it, are things this government is focused on doing. This is what we will continue to make our priority.

EthicsOral Questions

December 13th, 2016 / 2:20 p.m.

Sturgeon River—Parkland Alberta

Conservative

Rona Ambrose ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, speaking of following the rules, Canada's political finance rules are clear: foreign powers cannot donate or buy access. But foreign donors from China have now been exposed as using the Trudeau Foundation as a back channel way to make donations and gain influence with the Prime Minister. Everybody knows they are not writing these cheques out of the goodness of their hearts, because they have only started doing it since that member became the Prime Minister to buy access to him.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and instruct the Trudeau Foundation to stop this practice immediately?

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the Trudeau Foundation is an independent foundation established in the memory of my father, with which I ceased to have any engagement shortly after having become leader of the Liberal Party. It is an excellent foundation that does good work—

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order. I know that members are aware of the event coming in a week or two, and they want to be on their best behaviour, so let us allow the right hon. Prime Minister to finish his answer.

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Speaker, as an independent foundation with which I have no involvement, the Trudeau Foundation does good work to advance the cause of the social sciences and humanities in a non-partisan way.

EthicsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Mr. Speaker, let me read what the Liberals have said about cash for access fundraising: “at events like this, government business is not discussed”, from his minister; any individual “who wishes to initiate a policy discussion is immediately redirected to instead make an appointment”, from the Liberal Party; and finally, from himself, “[I] listen broadly...and [I] make the right decisions based on what's best for Canada”.

One of these quotes is not like the others. Can the Prime Minister tell us who is telling the truth?

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians well know, this government listens to all Canadians in different contexts; but the fact is that one of the things we do is say the same things regardless of the context we are in.

We point out that we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1%, so we could lower them for the middle class. We point out that we have stopped sending Canada child benefits to wealthy families, so that we can do more for the families who need it, which will reduce child poverty by 40% and lift hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty. Those are priorities, and we talk about them in every given context.

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Mr. Speaker, it seems that “just watch me” has become just trust me; and on this, Canadians just do not.

I am sure that the Prime Minister had no intention of writing a piece of fiction when he drafted his so-called new ethics rules for the government. These rules were supposed to be solid, rules that the Liberal government was meant to follow, and we want to help with that.

We want to know if the Prime Minister will support the NDP bill to give teeth to his rules?

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, wherever I go and whomever I talk to, I always say the same thing, that our priority is to create growth for the middle class by raising taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we can lower taxes for the middle class, so that we can send Canada child benefits to families who need it and stop sending them to wealthy families. Those are our priorities and that is what we have been working on for the past year. That is what we talk about in every given context.

MarijuanaOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Mr. Speaker, the problem with saying that he listens but is not influenced is that it reminds people of someone who said that he smoked pot and did not inhale. Nobody believes it.

Speaking of that, to get elected, the Prime Minister loved to say that the war on drugs is not working; but today's Liberal cannabis report says nothing about decriminalizing possession. Before he can say that his number one priority is to protect young Canadians, can the Prime Minister tell us how handing out criminal convictions and criminal records to young Canadians is somehow supposed to protect them?

MarijuanaOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear since the very beginning that our plan to control and regulate the sale of cannabis has two goals. One goal is to keep it out of the hands of our kids. Right now, kids have easy access to cannabis across this country; we need to change that. The second goal is to remove the source of significant revenue to criminal organizations and street gangs who benefit from the illicit trade of cannabis.

Those are our priorities. That is what we are focused on. Until we change the laws, the laws stand.

Steel IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Mr. Speaker, during the last election, the Prime Minister promised that, if elected, he would help protect the workers and pensioners of insolvent U.S. Steel. Yet here we are in the midst of a historic purchase agreement of U.S. Steel, where pension and benefits cuts are on the line, and the Prime Minister has been missing in action. What does the Prime Minister intend to do for a retired Stelco worker who spent 40 years at a blast furnace and stands to lose his health benefits?

Steel IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we understand how difficult the situation is for many workers across this country and, indeed, the workers at the Stelco plant. That is why we are focused on working with them to try to develop solutions. We are engaged, we are aware of this challenge, and it is one that we are working with them on.

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Conservative

Denis Lebel Conservative Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, after weeks of questions, yesterday, the Prime Minister finally admitted that he had discussed government business at fundraising events. Every time the Prime Minister accepts a $1,500 donation for his party, he engages in behaviour that is unworthy of the position of Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister should be above all that and should never give the impression that people can buy favours from the government. Is the Prime Minister aware of the impact this has and will he stop behaving this way?

EthicsOral Questions

2:25 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 have always said that we would listen to all Canadians across the country, and we promised that we would work on issues that are important to them. When it comes time to make decisions, we are guided by a very important principle: the best interests of middle-class Canadians.

That is the approach that we took when we reduced taxes for the middle class, when we created the Canada child benefit, and when we enhanced the Canada pension plan. We are going to continue to work for Canadians.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Denis Lebel Conservative Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, the only full-time position they have created since coming to power is probably the one held by the person responsible for rewriting all of their messaging since yesterday because they completely changed their response.

When one is in government, one must handle state affairs with utmost dignity. I know that the Prime Minister wants to do that, but I am told that yesterday, the government admitted to discussing state business during these events. Meeting people and talking to them is one thing, but getting them to pay $1,500 for the privilege is an ethical problem. This has to stop, and the government has to stop talking government business during party activities.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 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 member is very well aware that the fundraising rules are among the strictest in the country. The rules state that only Canadians can donate to Canadian parties. We will continue to follow the rules. When one follows the rules, there is no conflict of interest.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

Mr. Speaker, we now know there is no one over at the Privy Council Office enforcing the rules set out in the Prime Minister's open and accountable government document. We also know that the vast majority of Canadians oppose these unethical and shady cash for access events that the Prime Minister and his cabinet are hosting. We even know that members of his own caucus are afraid to identify themselves when they speak about their disapproval of these very same events.

When will the Prime Minister stop digging in the hole he has created for himself and end these unethical cash for access events?

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 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, what the member clearly does not understand is that the government is committed to working with Canadians. Our government is committed to engaging and listening to Canadians. When our government makes decisions, there is only one thing we consider: what is in the best interest of middle-class Canadians. Those are the people we will continue to work for. Those are the people we work very hard for, and I encourage all members of this place: let us work harder together.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is actually insulting and, frankly, embarrassing that the House leader has to answer these questions with the same old, tired talking points. She is forced to do the dirty work for her leader, who most of the time cannot even be bothered to show up and answer these questions himself in the House. So the Liberal caucus—

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order. I know the member does not want to bring disorder into the House, and he knows that members cannot draw attention to the presence or absence at any time of another member, so I would ask him to come to his question.