House of Commons Hansard #131 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was community.

Topics

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal green energy act in Ontario has transferred $170 billion over 26 years from middle and working class people to the wealthiest 1%. It is probably the biggest wealth transfer in the history of this country.

We now have a carbon tax that will similarly land heaviest on the shoulders of those with the least. We also know that money will trickle down to well-connected Liberal so-called green insiders. It is not fair to tax people with these extra burdens who earn less than $50,000 a year.

Can the finance minister do the right thing today and confirm that he will not impose his carbon tax on those earning less than the median income?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Ottawa Centre Ontario

Liberal

Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we understand that the environment and the economy go together. Canadians expect us to take action to reduce emissions but also to grow our economy.

I am very proud with the climate plan that we were able to achieve with the provinces, the territories, and indigenous peoples with respect to putting a price on pollution, which Canadians support. It is up to the provinces to determine which way to do it, and what to do with the revenues. They can return the revenues through a revenue neutral price on carbon.

We are going to continue working with the provinces to grow our economy and reduce emissions.

Democratic ReformOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Speaker, words matter. A person's word matters.

This is a betrayal. The Prime Minister has finally killed off what remained of our hopes for democratic renewal. The Prime Minister made a promise, a promise echoed by his candidates, his throne speech, his mandate letters, and the parliamentary committee. Now, he thumbs his nose at the hundreds of thousands of people who really believed him.

They lied to us. They lied to the people.

What is the Prime Minister's word worth?

Democratic ReformOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member knows that unparliamentary words are not allowed. I would ask him to withdraw that word immediately.

Democratic ReformOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Speaker, if they did not lie, they laughed in our faces.

Democratic ReformOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

We will not be hearing from that member for a while.

The hon. member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley.

Democratic ReformOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Mr. Speaker, how sad it was to watch the minister, who admitted that the Liberals had won a false majority. Yet, she was the very one the Liberals sent out to break the very promise that would fix the problem.

The Prime Minister promised to be different. He promised to bring more people into the democratic process. He promised to make every vote count, and he promised millions of Canadians that 2015 would be the last election under the outdated and unfair voting system.

Will any Liberal from Vancouver, Edmonton, or Winnipeg find the integrity to stand up to this blatant betrayal of Canadians that the Prime Minister has made?

Democratic ReformOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Burlington Ontario

Liberal

Karina Gould LiberalMinister of Democratic Institutions

Mr. Speaker, our electoral system is the foundation of our democracy. We respect the views of Canadians, and consulted extensively with them on this important issue. We listened to Canadians, and Canadians are proud of our democracy.

We have always been clear. Major reforms to the electoral system should not be made if they lack the broad support of Canadians. As my mandate letter states, a clear preference for a new electoral system, let alone a consensus, has not emerged. Changing the electoral system is not in my mandate.

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON

Mr. Speaker, section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act states that no minister shall accept travel on private aircraft except in exceptional circumstances. The Prime Minister's trip was not a last-minute travel deal on Expedia.ca. There is plenty of planning involved when any minister travels. A significant number of people in the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office would have been briefed on the travel plans.

Was the Prime Minister ever advised by anyone in the PMO or PCO that travelling by private helicopter would break section 12 of the act?

EthicsOral 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, as has been previously stated, the Prime Minister was on a personal family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As has also been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister truly believed that his new year's getaway did not present ethical problems, he would not have tried so hard to hide it.

No one believes the Prime Minister was not advised his actions would lead to a clear breach of the ethics law. The act is clear, as clear as the Prime Minister's decision was to ignore it. Is it not true that the Prime Minister kept this a secret because he knew the Ethics Commissioner would have told him it violated the act? Why does the Prime Minister think he is above the law?

EthicsOral 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, perhaps the member should be reminded that the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-standing friend, who he has known for a long time. As the member should also know, and as has been stated time and time again, the Prime Minister will answer any questions that the commissioner will have.

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have never been so badly served as they are by this Prime Minister, who thinks he is totally above the law.

He is undermining Canadians' confidence in our democracy, and we are all outraged by the investigations into ethical issues, because the common thread in them all is that the Liberal Party of Canada put its own interests first.

When will the Prime Minister finally admit his lapse in judgment in using the Aga Khan's helicopter, and get to work for the benefit of all Canadians?

EthicsOral 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, our government is working for all Canadians, and as we have already indicated, the Prime Minister was on a family vacation with a long-time friend. As we have also said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC

Mr. Speaker, since the start of the new year, whenever the Prime Minister has talked about his Christmas vacation, he says whatever he can to try to justify his lapse in judgment.

However, despite his verbal somersaults, he knows very well that he violated section 12 of the Conflict of Interest Act by travelling on a private helicopter during his Christmas vacation. Where I come from, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like duck, it must be a duck.

Instead of hiding behind the Ethics Commissioner, will the Prime Minister finally admit that he broke the law?

EthicsOral 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, as we have said repeatedly, the Prime Minister will answer any questions the commissioner might have.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals said last year that LGBT refugees would be a priority among Syrian refugees as among the most at risk. Then they did exactly nothing. Now Trump's ban has placed LGBT refugees from seven Muslim majority countries at extreme risk. In all seven, being gay means living in fear of being put to death.

I want to ask the minister the same question which he ignored in last night's emergency debate. Will the minister take swift and specific action to facilitate asylum in Canada for LGBT citizens of the seven countries who are now excluded from the United States and who risk death if sent home?

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

York South—Weston Ontario

Liberal

Ahmed Hussen LiberalMinister of Immigration

Mr. Speaker, Canada can be proud of its tradition of being an open society that welcomes refugees. We have tripled the number of privately sponsored refugees. We have engaged with our American counterparts to make sure that the implications of the executive order are closely monitored. We continue to inform Canadians as we get updated daily.

We will continue to be a country that opens its hearts and its doors to those fleeing war and persecution.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, safe third countries can be designated under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in an effort to share responsibility for refugee claims. However, only countries that respect human rights and provide a high degree of protection to asylum seekers can be designated as safe third countries.

Does the Prime Minister honestly believe that this applies to the United States with its anti-Muslim decree currently in effect?

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

York South—Weston Ontario

Liberal

Ahmed Hussen LiberalMinister of Immigration

Mr. Speaker, Canada's refugee system is recognized as being one of the most compassionate and generous systems in the world. The safe third country agreement with the United States enables both countries to better handle asylum claims made within both countries. Asylum seekers in Canada have access to a fair hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board, and all cases are assessed based on their merits.

Regional Economic DevelopmentOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Bernadette Jordan Liberal South Shore—St. Margarets, NS

Mr. Speaker, Atlantic Canada faces a number of unique challenges in growing our economy and getting businesses to innovate and export. It needs a targeted approach from all levels of governments to address these issues.

I understand the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development was recently in the Atlantic region promoting an Atlantic-specific approach. Could he please update the House on this initiative?

Regional Economic DevelopmentOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Mississauga—Malton Ontario

Liberal

Navdeep Bains LiberalMinister of Innovation

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for South Shore—St. Margarets for her hard work. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 32 outstanding MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership. It is because of their leadership we launched the Atlantic growth strategy last summer.

Just last week in Nova Scotia, we announced progress on the immigration pilot project, which will increase levels by 50%. I would like to thank the Minister of Immigration for his leadership. We also targeted high-growth firms, which will create jobs for small businesses. We also put forward an agreement to double the trade and investment strategy by $20 million.

We are delivering for Atlantic Canada. We are growing the economy. We are creating good quality jobs.

EthicsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

Mr. Speaker, we know the Prime Minister thinks the rules do not apply to people like him.

One of the Prime Minister's vacation guests was Tom Pitfield, president of Liberal think tank Canada 2020. Tom also happens to be married to the president of the Liberal Party of Canada, who coincidentally was also on the same vacation. The problem is that Canada 2020 receives taxpayer dollars from the Liberal Prime Minister.

Why do the Prime Minister's friends at Canada 2020 get privileged access to him and also taxpayer money?

EthicsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Etobicoke North Ontario

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan LiberalMinister of Science

Mr. Speaker, our government values science and unlike the previous government we will not politicize research. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council aims—

EthicsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!