House of Commons Hansard #243 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was money.

Topics

EthicsOral Questions

11:30 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

EthicsOral Questions

11:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I am sure the hon. member for Barrie—Innisfil would like to hear the answer to his question. I just want to remind the hon. members not to shout across the floor when someone is answering or asking a question.

The hon. parliamentary secretary has, I believe, another 22 seconds.

EthicsOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Liberal

Joël Lightbound Liberal Louis-Hébert, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would also think that the some 20,000 children in my riding whose families receive more money through the Canada child benefit, which has lifted 300,000 kids out of poverty, would have the utmost confidence in the finance minister. He is taking care of the real needs of Canadians, while the opposition is playing politics, as it always does.

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

NDP

Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' Bill S-3 proposal does not end discrimination in the Indian Act, does not help all women, and should not be subject to consultation.

Indigenous women have been loud and clear. Discrimination should end for all indigenous women. Although Bill S-3 meets some of the court's order, it fails to bring justice for all indigenous women. Liberals promised that they would be better. They promised a real nation-to-nation relationship.

Does the minister concede that this bill fails to end gender discrimination for all indigenous women?

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Labrador Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Yvonne Jones LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs

Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that our government is very committed to working with first nations, parliamentarians, and all those individuals who have been impacted by the discriminatory factors and clauses in the Indian Act.

We are making historic amendments to this bill today, and we are remedying all sex-based inequities that have existed going back to 1869. Those that existed prior to 1951 will come into force immediately. Those extending beyond—

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The hon. member for Saskatoon West.

HealthOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

NDP

Sheri Benson NDP Saskatoon West, SK

Mr. Speaker, first nations women should not have to wait for their human rights.

Today is World AIDS Day, and for a year, doctors in my home province have urged the Liberals to declare a public health state of emergency, as Saskatchewan has the highest rate of HIV in Canada. Seventy-nine percent of those newly diagnosed are indigenous peoples, and with the closure of STC, many have difficulty accessing medical services.

Community groups have said that they cannot wait for the government to act. They need solutions now. Will the government support their efforts to address the HIV crisis in Saskatchewan?

HealthOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Thunder Bay—Rainy River Ontario

Liberal

Don Rusnak LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services

Mr. Speaker, our government is deeply committed to addressing HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C in Canada, including in first nations communities in Saskatchewan. Budget 2017 included initial investments of $37.5 million over five years to support the prevention and control of HIV and hepatitis C among first nation and Inuit communities.

In collaboration with first nations leadership and the province of Saskatchewan, we have supported a growing number of "know your status” initiatives, which have been very effective in increasing access to testing, follow-up, and treatment. We will continue working in partnership with first nations leadership in Saskatchewan communities and the province to prevent transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted—

HealthOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The hon. member for Lakeland.

EthicsOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Conservative

Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB

Mr. Speaker, Global National reports that the finance minister's father, and company founder, sold 100,000 Morneau Shepell shares each on November 23 and December 3, 2015. Someone sold 680,000 Morneau Shepell shares on November 30. On December 7, the finance minister tabled tax changes, the details of which had been confidential. Morneau Shepell shares immediately dropped by 5%. Taxes went up, so the sales earned a maximum value.

Yesterday, in question period, the minister still said that he does not know when he sold his shares. How is that possible?

EthicsOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Louis-Hébert Québec

Liberal

Joël Lightbound LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the minister has said that he sold some shares when he arrived in Ottawa. That was during that period of November and December.

I fail to understand the line of reasoning from the opposition. It is important to understand how the stock market works. I will just quote:

BMO chief economist Doug Porter said.... already-low oil prices dropped “heavily” that day [December 7]— by five per cent. He said that factor alone may have been responsible for much of the weakness in the market

There are many factors influencing the stock market. It is very hard to fathom that a public policy that had been public, that we said we would come to Ottawa to do, to raise taxes on personal income for the wealthiest 1%, would have an impact on any given stock.

EthicsOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance said that the sale of 680,000 shares in Morneau Shepell days before he announced tax changes, a sale that saved him a cool half-million, had nothing to do with the tax changes and everything to do with divesting himself prior to being sworn in as minister. The sale was really about divestment.

Can the minister explain why he held one million shares in Morneau Shepell until one month ago?

EthicsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

Louis-Hébert Québec

Liberal

Joël Lightbound LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the minister has always been clear that he sold some shares, and has never denied it, when he took office in Ottawa. The shares of Morneau Shepell have gone up since that day. I fail to understand the reasoning of the opposition member.

Let me be clear that the tax measures we introduced in 2015 were to raise personal income taxes for the wealthiest 1%. It was something we promised. It was something we campaigned on. I am very proud that we moved on that important commitment and lowered taxes for nine million Canadians.

EthicsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Global National reported that the finance minister's father sold 200,000 shares of Morneau Shepell stock days before his son announced tax changes on December 7. The finance minister also admits that he sold some shares before he announced those very same tax measures.

We know that the finance minister did not hold his stock in a blind trust, so he had direct control of his shares. Did the finance minister ask the Ethics Commissioner for permission to sell those shares?

EthicsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

Louis-Hébert Québec

Liberal

Joël Lightbound LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, when we think that the opposition could not go any lower, it does. Now it is trying to implicate the finance minister's father, and I think that is disgraceful.

The Financial Post this morning stated that the attacks by the Tories are becoming unethical in and of themselves. I think the opposition can do better than that.

EthicsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have had it up to here with this government and its supreme arrogance toward elected members of the House.

We were elected to stand up for Canadians. We are here to ask questions on behalf of taxpayers. That is our responsibility. Never again will we let the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance bully us and refuse to answer questions.

Will the minister wait until a commission of inquiry finds out what he did, or will he do the only honourable thing he can at this point and resign?

EthicsOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

Louis-Hébert Québec

Liberal

Joël Lightbound LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I have the utmost respect for the opposition member, who is from my region. Yes, the opposition's job is to ask questions, to ask the government tough questions, but it is not the opposition's job to engage in personal attacks that have no basis in fact. That is what we have been seeing all week. I find that disgraceful, and I think the opposition can do much better.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

NDP

François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, we recently obtained an internal Department of Justice report that the government has been hiding since March of this year. Why? Because it is damning.

Between 2008 and 2018, the government diverted over $40 million from the Contraventions Act fund. That money was supposed to have been invested to improve access to justice in both official languages, but it was spent elsewhere. Organizations have been closing their doors for lack of funding.

Will the government commit to spending the money where it promised to spend it?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

Eglinton—Lawrence Ontario

Liberal

Marco Mendicino LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I fundamentally reject the notion that the Department of Justice has hidden any report. We have been transparent in all manner of appointments and all manner of providing support to legal aid clinics. As a matter of fact, this government has topped up legal aid clinics, enhancing access to justice, in particular for victims. We are very proud of that work, and we will continue to do it.

ScienceOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Kennedy Stewart NDP Burnaby South, BC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday at committee, I asked the science minister to explain the mysterious case of disappearing federal scientists, but I did not get a full answer. According to Statistics Canada, in 2012, during the worst year of Stephen Harper's war on science, the federal government employed 37,000 scientists and researchers. This number dropped to 35,500 when the Liberals took power, but under this minister, the Liberals employ only 34,500 researchers, 1,000 fewer than when they took office. Where did they go?

ScienceOral Questions

11:40 a.m.

Etobicoke North Ontario

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan LiberalMinister of Science

Mr. Speaker, after a decade of darkness, the federal government is rebuilding its science capacity. Last year we invested in our people and started hiring more than 135 new scientists for DFO alone. This year, budget 2017 is investing $60 million in the National Research Council, the crown jewel of the federal research system. We are also investing in new spaces for researchers, including $80 million for new plant health research in Sidney, B.C.

HealthOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON

Mr. Speaker, today I stand in recognition of World AIDS Day, a day whereby we can all work together to reduce the stigma of this tragic illness and provide support to those affected by it.

Can the Minister of Health please inform this House about what actions our government is taking to address HIV and AIDS in Canada?

HealthOral Questions

December 1st, 2017 / 11:45 a.m.

Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe New Brunswick

Liberal

Ginette Petitpas Taylor LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Hamilton East—Stoney Creek for this important question and for his important advocacy on this issue.

World AIDS Day is a reminder that HIV/AIDS remains a persistent health issue around the world, and our government is deeply committed to addressing it. This morning, I was pleased to announce $26.4 million in investments for 84 projects, involving 122 organizations, and almost $10 million for five research projects. These projects will help reduce stigma and prevent HIV, hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne diseases.

Status of WomenOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Speaker, when I asked him about his decision to remove listing female genital mutilation as a crime from Canada's citizenship guide, the Prime Minister said he scolded the Liberian government. However, reports obtained by Global News show that the Canada Border Services Agency has been on the alert for the arrival in Canada of practitioners of FGM for more than a year.

I ask again. Knowing this, will the Prime Minister reverse his decision to delete listing FGM as a crime from Canada's citizenship guide?

Status of WomenOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Winnipeg South Manitoba

Liberal

Terry Duguid LiberalParliamentary Secretary for Status of Women

Mr. Speaker, female genital mutilation is an abhorrent and unacceptable practice, and it is against the law. Canada has and will continue to make efforts to prevent and address FGM, and through our gender-based violence strategy, front-line service providers will have the resources to better respond to the needs of survivors of gender-based violence, including survivors of female genital mutilation. Our government will always defend and promote women's and girls' rights at home and globally.