Debates of April 20th, 2016

The Budget

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we support the parliamentary budget officer. We continue to work with him to improve transparency for Canadians, something they did not see at all during the 10 years that today's opposition party was in power.

The reality is that we are making massive strategic investments in Canadians' future to create growth, put more money in the pockets of the middle class, and ensure that all Canadians have a better future.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the current and former parliamentary budget officers have spoken out about the government's lack of transparency in its budget. In 15 years, there has never been as little information as there is now.

We hear rhetoric, but we are not getting facts. Canadians are realizing that they cannot trust this government.

Why is the Prime Minister refusing to give all the information to the parliamentary budget officer and set the record straight with Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, six months ago, Canadians turned their backs on the former government. Even today, they cannot believe that the Conservative Party continues to claim it wants to talk about transparency and openness, since the Conservatives formed the most secretive government in Canadian history.

That is why Canadians chose openness, transparency, discipline, and accountability. That is exactly what we offer as a government.

Veterans

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government can be incomprehensibly heartless in its dealings with veterans.

Corporal Paul Franklin lost both of his legs in Afghanistan, but, like many other veterans, he has to fill in a pile of forms every year to prove that he is still missing both legs.

Now that this and other cases have come to light, can the Prime Minister tell us what he has personally done to put an end to this intolerable situation?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign and in the years leading up to last fall's campaign, the Liberal Party always stood by veterans. It has always been there for them, fighting for their interests. Because of its political objectives and its approach to managing the public service, the previous government was unable to serve our veterans properly.

That is why, in the latest budget, we made a commitment to our veterans backed by historic investments. That is why we are continually listening to them. We acknowledge our great and solemn obligation to our veterans.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Straight to his talking points, Mr. Speaker. Why are we not surprised?

Here is the question. Master Corporal Paul Franklin lost both legs serving this country bravely in Afghanistan. Every year, like numerous other veterans, he is obliged to fill out a pile of forms to prove that he still has not gotten his legs back. He lost his wheelchair because he could not produce another doctor's note.

The question to the Prime Minister was not what his talking notes are on veterans. The question to the Prime Minister was, what has he done to put an end to this intolerable situation for our veterans?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I put forward a mandate letter for our Minister of Veterans Affairs that asked him to respect the sacred obligation we have as a country toward those who serve.

We have made sure that we have reopened the nine Veterans Affairs offices. We have increased the funding to the people who are actually helping our veterans. We are ensuring that we are cleaning up the mess left by 10 years of a government that wrapped itself in the flag every chance it got but let our veterans down every single day.

Justice

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Let us talk about messes they promised to clean up, Mr. Speaker.

For more than three years, they promised to legalize marijuana, yet thousands and thousands of Canadians will have criminal records for the rest of their lives because they will not even decriminalize it, something that could have been done overnight.

The simple question for the Prime Minister is this. His minister was in New York, of all places, instead of here today, announcing that maybe in 2017 they will be presenting legislation to finally do something about it. In the meantime, will the Prime Minister at least promise that there will be legislation to remove the criminal records?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am always curious to see what position the member for Outremont will have on marijuana any given time he stands up in the House.

The fact of the matter is we have been clear. We believe in the legalization and regulation of marijuana because it protects our kids and keeps money out of the pockets of criminal organizations and street gangs.

The fact of the matter is that decriminalization, as the member proposes, actually gives a legal stream of income to criminal organizations. That is not what anyone wants in this country.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I would remind the hon. member for Outremont that we do not draw attention to the presence or absence of members in the chamber.

The hon. member for Outremont.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been promising to legalize marijuana for the past three years. It was an important part of their election campaign. The NDP has had the same position for the past 40 years, namely, that it should be decriminalized and people should not be sent to prison or saddled with criminal records for personal use. I want to talk about their promise.

Earlier, regarding the veterans issue, it was the Conservatives' fault. Earlier, it was the NDP that did not do enough. Let us talk about the Liberals. They wanted to be in power, and they made a promise. The only response they received was from the Toronto police chief.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that decriminalization, when done as the member for Outremont proposes, just gives a legal stream of income to criminals who sell drugs.

The reality is that proper legalization protects our young people and keeps billions of dollars out of the pockets of criminal organizations, which is where the money is going now. Legalization is the only way to protect our young people and our communities, and that is what we are going to do, as promised.

Ministerial Expenses

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Trade would like us to believe that she was gallivanting around sunny California promoting Canada and meeting with trade partners, but Canadians know the real reason she was there. She was there to promote herself on a popular U.S. TV show.

The minister has stated that it was she and her department alone that organized the trip to California. If this is really the case, can she tell us who booked her stay while she was in Hollywood?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, once again today the Conservatives are trying to make a story where none exists.

It is the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada's trade interests around the world. Following the APEC summit in the Philippines, she was proud to visit California, one of our most important trading partners, where she did what she was supposed to do according to her mandate letter, which was to promote trade.

The Conservative accusations about expenses are false. All the rules were followed. The costs were in line with travel by Conservative ministers in the previous government. The details were publicly posted months ago.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, then that member should have read them, because we know that the hotel rooms were booked for her by Time Warner, which of course owns HBO.

When she said that her department handled all of the arrangements for this trip, she misled Canadians. She claimed that this was a trade mission, but clearly it was not. Now she is trying to cover her tracks.

Why was Time Warner booking her hotel rooms if this was all planned ahead of time by her department?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, let me try this again.

Once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none. They did not really like the media, but we know that it is precisely the job of the Minister of International Trade to promote Canada and its trade interests around the world. She also took the opportunity to defend and promote Canada's policy on Syrian refugees.

Even the former prime minister in the previous government and the foreign affairs minister were covered by the American media. There are times when that is very important.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what is not in his talking points is that the Minister of International Trade dropped nearly $20,000 in taxpayers' money for a stop in LA to appear on Bill Maher's show.

She claims she had a roundtable meeting with conservative writer Ben Domenech and Maine Senator Angus King. It turns out they were actually panellists on the very same program. The minister actually thinks that the green room is a round table.

Was there anything real about the minister's time spent in Hollywood with Bill Maher?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, once again the Conservatives are trying to create a story where none exists.

The purpose of the trip to Los Angeles was to promote Canadian interests with one of our most important trading jurisdictions. All the rules were followed. All the costs were publicly posted, and they were in line with the kinds of costs incurred for travel by former Conservative ministers.

In fact, over the same November-to-March period in the last year, her Conservative predecessor incurred expenses more than $6,000 higher than hers.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board's own department directs ministers to post all travel expenses for the last quarter by March 31.

He and the Minister of Finance traveled to Switzerland, the Minister of Transport travelled to Washington, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness went to Washington and London, yet their expenses have not been posted.

It is clear that the Liberals are just paying lip service to openness and transparency. Why is the President of the Treasury Board violating his own rules by hiding his expenses?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board follows all the rules, as does every member of this cabinet. We are committed to an open and transparent government.

May I say that in terms of the matter of the accusations made about our Minister of International Trade, she is a person of exceptional international reputation, somebody who came back to Canada to serve Canadians as an internationally recognized expert on the economy and issues of inequality. We are proud to have a minister of her stature who is able to claim—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order, please.

The hon. member for Lévis—Lotbinière.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, to justify her trip to Hollywood at Canadian taxpayers' expense, the Minister of International Trade listed the names of the people she met with. Surprise, surprise. Two of those people, Senator King and the lieutenant governor, were invited to the same talk show as her.

The minister should stop beating around the bush and confirm what we all know to be true: she went so she could be on HBO.

[David Lametti, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are looking for a story where there is none.

The minister's role is to promote Canada around the world, be that through the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the BBC, or other European media outlets. She has to talk to the media from time to time to fulfill her mandate.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, quite a few ministers have not yet disclosed travel expenses they incurred before March 1, 2016, even though Treasury Board has clear rules about that. The ministers of transport, finance, public safety, and national revenue are all behind in their disclosures. Even the President of the Treasury Board is behind. He is breaking his own department's rules.

Why are these ministers hiding their information? When will the Liberals follow the rules?