Debates of April 11th, 2017

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister does not seem to be taking this problem seriously.

Yesterday, she said that there is no one simple solution and that appointing six judges in Quebec is not going to solve the delay problems. Those were her words. I would like to know what her solution is. How is she planning to address the problems that Quebec's justice minister and the Government of Quebec are talking about? This has been going on too long. We will take the time to analyze their process, but it does not fix a thing. As nice as it would be to have a woman in a given region, we have to work with the people we have. We do not care if the government appoints male or female judges; we just want the government to appoint judges.

[Jody Wilson-Raybould, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, again, we are moving forward with appointing judges to the superior courts across the country. I am very pleased to have appointed 47 judges across the country, including 22 deputy judges. Further, I am proud of the fact that budget 2017 opened up space for 28 new judicial appointments, which we will continue to fill.

In terms of the no one solution, as the Supreme Court of Canada has talked about, court delays require a culture shift, a move from complacency. It is going to require not only the federal government but the provinces and territories to come up with substantive solutions to resolve the delays.

Ethics

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious the Prime Minister is not being honest with Canadians about his trip to billionaire island. He claimed that taking a private helicopter was the only way he could get to the private island, but one of his staff made the same trip on a commercially chartered seaplane. He has given taxpayers a bill for $134,000 for his so-called private family personal vacation, and a whole lot of excuses. It is a pattern. How can Canadians believe anything the Prime Minister says?

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

Mr. Speaker, as has been the case of previous prime ministers, the Prime Minister must always be in the position to carry out official government duties.

As has been the case with previous prime ministers, the Prime Minister always is in contact with his office and is routinely provided with the resources during all travels, domestically and internationally and whether on personal or government business. As has also been stated, the RCMP determines the safest route for the Prime Minister to travel.

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

Mr. Speaker, let me try this again.

After countless broken election promises, this government continues to stretch the truth or talk out of both sides of its mouth on a daily basis.

Here is further proof that the Prime Minister is not telling the truth: in his defence, regarding his personal vacation, he said that the private helicopter was the only way to get to the Aga Khan's island.

How will the Liberal Prime Minister spin this, now that we have proof that other modes of transportation do exist? When will he begin to talk straight? How are honest Canadians supposed to trust this Prime Minister?

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

Mr. Speaker, no matter where the Prime Minister travels, he must always be able to carry out his official duties. Like his predecessors, the Prime Minister is always in contact with his office and routinely receives technical support during his travels domestically and internationally and whether on personal or government business. The RCMP determines the safest route for the Prime Minister to travel.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, let us review the facts. First the Prime Minister violated the rules by getting on the Aga Khan's helicopter, then he misled Canadians by saying “that was my only option”, but today, he is blaming the RCMP for that one. Then he failed to disclose the full amount of the $134,000 that his little Xmas getaway cost taxpayers. What arrogance.

Will the Prime Minister come clean and admit that he willingly and knowingly broke the rules?

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

Mr. Speaker, as has been said time and time again, regardless of whether on personal or business travel, the Prime Minister must travel in government aircraft. The RCMP determines the securest way for the Prime Minister to travel, and I have to say this government is committed to working hard for Canadians, and that is where our focus is.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. I realize members feel strongly about topics in question period, but I urge the hon. members for St. Albert—Edmonton and Banff—Airdrie to contain themselves.

The hon. opposition House leader has the floor.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, this trip has once again exposed the Prime Minister's bad judgment, his disrespect for the Canadian taxpayer, and his lack of integrity. A prime minister should have good judgment. A prime minister should respect the Canadian taxpayer, and a prime minister should have integrity. This one cannot even keep his Aga Khan holiday story straight.

What is the next shoe that is going to drop? What is the next thing that Canadians are going to find out that the Prime Minister has been misleading them on?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, regardless of where the Prime Minister is, he must always be in the position to carry out his official duties.

This Prime Minister made a campaign commitment to Canadians to lower taxes on middle-class Canadians by increasing taxes on the wealthiest one per cent of Canadians. That is exactly what we did. This government committed to help families with children who need the Canada child benefit the most. That is exactly what we did by delivering on the Canada child benefit. This government will continue to respond to the very real challenges that Canadians are facing.

Foreign Affairs

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government claims to be standing up for the human rights of LGBTQ communities around the world, yet it has neither said nor done a single thing about the campaign of mass arrests and incarceration of gay men in Chechnya. When will the government move on from symbols and platitudes and join nations, including the U.K. and even the U.S., in condemning this campaign by the Chechnyan government? Will the government now call for an international investigation into the arrests, torture, and resulting deaths of gay men in Chechnya?

[Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, of course the government is concerned by any and all allegations of human rights violations in Chechnya, Russia, including to the LGBTQ2 community. Support for LGBTQ2 rights is a priority for our government, which is why the Prime Minister appointed a special advisor for LGBTQ2 issues. Our government strongly stands up for those rights in Canada and around the world. LGBTQ2 rights have no border, and they must be respected and promoted everywhere. The LGBTQ2 community in Russia, including Chechnya, can count on Canada's strong support.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what empty rhetoric.

Since this government is so keen on following the Trump administration, why not do the same in this case by standing up and speaking out? More than 100 gay men have been sent to concentration camps in Chechnya and three of them have died after being tortured.

Canadians want the Liberals to stand up for the LGBTQ community in Canada and abroad.

Again, will the government join its international partners and condemn these egregious human rights violations?

[Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, again, we are very concerned by the allegations of human rights violations in Chechnya, Russia, including the human rights of the LGBTQ2 community. Support for LGBTQ2 rights is a priority for our government, which is why the Prime Minister appointed a special advisor for that community.

Our government promotes these rights in Canada and around the world. LGBTQ2 rights have no borders, and they must be respected here in Canada and in Russia. The LGBTQ2 community in Russia can count on Canada's strong support.

Ethics

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

Mr. Speaker, it sure pays to be friends with the Prime Minister. We know that SSHRC has funnelled money to the Liberal propaganda unit, Canada 2020. Documents reveal that government officials decided to give Canada 2020 taxpayers' money in the hopes that Canada 2020 would grant them access to senior cabinet members. The Prime Minister's friends at Canada 2020 twisted themselves and their program into a pretzel to make sure they could get the taxpayers' cash. Why does the science minister's agency feel that it needs to pay Canada 2020 to access its own government?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Minister of Science]

Mr. Speaker, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council has a mandate to promote and share research outcomes with Canadians. As I have said before, SSHRC is an arm's-length organization that is able to issue contracts below a certain dollar amount. This fell below that dollar amount. SSHRC took an independent decision.

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

It seems as if the minister is shirking her responsibilities, Mr. Speaker.

Something is clearly wrong. The science minister does not obviously feel comfortable around the cabinet table. She feels the need to use $20,000 of taxpayer money to have Liberal insiders at Canada 2020 lobby her cabinet colleagues on her behalf. Will the science minister finally be honest with Canadians and admit that this is a blatant misuse of taxpayers' funds, and that it is her way of pandering to the Prime Minister and his Liberal friends at Canada 2020?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Minister of Science]

Mr. Speaker, given my hon. colleague's newfound interest in science and social sciences, I can tell him that SSHRC supported other science-related conferences, including the Canadian science policy conference, the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Royal Society—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. Members on all sides frequently hear things they do not like in question period, usually without reacting. I know we can all do this, so let us all try a little harder.

The hon. Minister of Science has 15 seconds left.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

SSHRC has supported other science-related conferences, Mr. Speaker, such as the Canadian science policy conference, the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars, the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, and the list goes on.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the interest is why we are spending research funding dollars for infomercials to promote the Liberals.

It seems the best way to talk to the Liberal front bench is to cut a cheque to Liberal insiders.

SSHRC gave $20,000 of research funding money to Canada 2020 for a Liberal innovation infomercial. Why? It is because it thought it was the best way to access Liberal ministers and make its case for more funding.

Why do the government's own agencies need to funnel money to the Prime Minister's childhood friend at Canada 2020 just to get in front of cabinet?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Minister of Science]

Mr. Speaker, again, given my hon. colleague's new-found interest in science, let me give the House the facts: $2 billion on research and innovation infrastructure—