Debates of Sept. 23rd, 2016

Government Expenditures

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

Mr. Speaker, what we saw yesterday has nothing to do with transparency. This is just another example of the Liberals getting caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Since this government took office, it has been helping itself to taxpayers' money to pay for limousines, vacations with the in-laws, office renovations, a personal photographer, and now the relocation expenses of friends of the Prime Minister.

Will Canadians ever be able to trust the judgment of the Prime Minister, who does not know the value of their money?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, I repeat that the rules that are currently in place were written by the Conservative government in 2008 and revisited in 2011. In fact, the former prime minister's office approved over $300,000 in relocation expenses, including $93,000 given someone for one single move.

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

Mr. Speaker, not only did they help themselves to taxpayers' money, but all week the Prime Minister defended the indefensible in an attempt to downplay the matter. This is a glaring lack of judgment on the part of the Prime Minister, but it is not surprising because we are finding more and more examples of public funds that have been squandered. The party has lasted long enough.

Could they finally stop handing over Canadians' money to the Prime Minister's friends? Where is this Prime Minister's judgment?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to point out that the Government of Canada has had a policy on reimbursing moving expenses for senior public servants and their families since the 1970s. The Prime Minister has asked the Treasury Board secretary to draft a new policy for moving expenses. We know that we can do more, and we will do more.

Foreign Affairs

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, according to Amnesty International, China executed the most prisoners in 2015. According to the United Nations, this country resorts to torture routinely. Despite that, the government intends to negotiate an extradition treaty with the Chinese government.

How will the government protect human rights when it is negotiating a treaty with China, a country that violates human rights?

[Pam Goldsmith-Jones, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, here is the reality as opposed to conjecture. We have announced a high-level national security and rule of law dialogue as part of comprehensive discussions on expanding our relationship with China. The U.S. and the U.K. are conducting the exact same kind of dialogue.

Canadians officials have met with their Chinese counterparts and this allows us to discuss counterterrorism, law enforcement co-operation, consular matters of huge importance to Canadians, and rule of law. Within the rule of law, discussions, conversations on the issue of extradition have begun.

It is stressed that Canada has very high standards. Of course the promotion and protection of human rights—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, sadly, here is the reality and here are the facts. Yesterday, the Chinese premier unequivocally defended his country's use of the death penalty. He said he could not guaranteed the police would not mistreat suspects, and he said anyone questioning the merits of an extradition treaty is disparaging China. He did all this while standing beside a silent Prime Minister of Canada.

How can the government claim to be advancing human rights internationally when it is seriously considering a treaty that would go against human rights?

[Pam Goldsmith-Jones, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about the importance of Canada's engagement with the world. It was a mistake of the former Conservative government to withdraw from countries, to isolate Canada, just because it disliked the regime.

Under the leadership of our Prime Minister and our government, we are present. We are supporting the United Nations in climate change, Syrian refugees, supporting peace operations, and significantly funding humanitarian initiatives. By being present, we are making progress on our interests and the universal values in which we believe, like human rights.

Canada Revenue Agency

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

Mr. Speaker, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Isle of Man, Panama, and now the Bahamas are all tax havens that are protecting bank secrecy and where creating a company is really a farce that facilitates tax evasion.

Senator Eaton learned this the hard way. She was a director on the board of a company in the Bahamas for 12 years without even knowing it. Canada is complicit in this situation because it has signed pseudo-treaties that legitimize tax havens.

When will the government finally start taking tax havens seriously?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Middle-class Canadians are paying their fair share, but a few taxpayers are finding ways to avoid paying what they owe, and that is unacceptable. That is why our government invested $444 million to give the CRA the best tools to combat tax evasion.

That is what we promised and that is what we will do.

Official Languages

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know what the minister is planning to do about tax havens. She has not yet answered that question.

Switching gears, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, access to our national parks will be free. However, if Canadians think they can make the most of that opportunity in both official languages, they are in for a rude awakening according to the Commissioner of Official Languages. His last audit was four years ago, but only two of the nine recommendations have been implemented. In many cases, activities and programs are available only in English.

What will the Liberal government do to ensure that all Canadians can enjoy our national parks in both French and English for the 150th anniversary of Confederation?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for his question.

We welcome the official languages commissioner's report. Our government is committed to ensuring that all federal services are provided in accordance with the Official Languages Act. As the minister responsible for parks, I am working to make that happen.

Government Expenditures

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are asking why the Prime Minister's friends received over $200,000 in payouts for so-called moving expenses. The reason is the Prime Minister approved it. He could have limited their taxpayer abuse if he wanted to, but he chose not to. When will this Prime Minister stop giving taxpayer money to his Liberal friends?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, once again these policies have been in place since the 1970s. There were costs that Mr. Butts and Ms. Telford did not feel comfortable with and they will reimburse those amounts.

What is good to know is that our Prime Minister knows more needs to be done, and has asked the secretary of the Treasury Board to create a new policy to govern relocation expenses. It is important to know that the former prime minister Stephen Harper's office approved over $300,000 in relocation expenses, including one relocation expense at a cost of $93,131.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, here is the bottom line. The Prime Minister signed off on these expenses and wrote his best friends six-figure cheques. Yesterday, Gerry and Katie were willing to take the fall for their best friend, the Prime Minister. How can Canadians trust this Prime Minister's judgment when their hard-earned money always seems to end up in personalized cash payouts?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, this government recognizes that more needs to be done, and this government is committed to doing more for Canadians. We can once again remind Canadians that in the spirit of openness and transparency they have both disclosed all costs associated with their moves.

The current rules have been in place since 2008, and were revisited in 2011. Every minister's office has followed those rules since. Let me remind the House that the previous prime minister Stephen Harper's office approved over $300,000 in relocation expenses, including one relocation expense of $93,100—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The hon. member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we should not be blinded by the false transparency we witnessed yesterday. If the Prime Minister's friends were not caught red-handed, they would never have repaid the expenses. Now that it is clear that they should never have made these claims, what will happen to the other questionable moving expenses?

Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs prove that he has better judgment than the Prime Minister, or will he hide his head in the sand and claim that it is acceptable to spend $119,000 for a move to Ottawa?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, our Prime Minister asked the Treasury Board Secretariat to draft a new policy for moving expenses. It is also very important to mention that our government is restoring Canada's constructive leadership in the world and is advancing our interests internationally.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is some leadership.

This government has not been in office even one year and cabinet has shown a blatant lack of judgment. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, at his own discretion, approved a payment of $119,000 for a single move. Canadian taxpayers' money is not sent to Ottawa to be abused by its ministers.

Now that we know that the Prime Minister made a mistake when he authorized his friends' expenses, can the Minister of Foreign Affairs confirm that he also showed bad judgment?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, the office of the previous prime minister, Stephen Harper, approved more than $300,000 in moving expenses, including $93,000 for one person—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Order, please. There is too much noise in the House.

I know that the hon. members would like to hear the government House leader's response. I cannot even hear what she is saying. I am sure other hon. members may be missing the same response.

The hon. government House leader.

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we know that this policy needs to be reviewed. That is why our Prime Minister has instructed the Treasury Board to create a new policy to govern relocation expenses.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are so out of touch with Canadians. While thousands in Lakeland and across Alberta are losing their jobs, businesses, and homes, Liberal ministers are approving hundreds of thousands of dollars in staff moving expenses. For example, the Minister of Innovation approved $113,000 for one staffer to move to Ottawa.

We know the Liberals always put themselves before Canadians, but how can the minister's judgment really be this flawed?