Debates of April 11th, 2017

The Budget

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, with a nod to Paul Simon:

Don't shake your head the budget's author said to me
A cluster budget's easy if you take it logically
Taxing Uber, transit, beer, while spending uncontrollably
There must be fifty ways to shaft Canadians.
He said it's really not his style to mope and brood
Sure billions gone, no jobs, no growth, can't be misconstrued
Re-announcing, pre-announcing, smoke and mirrors are his tool
Must be fifty ways to shaft Canadians.
He don't have the knack, Jack
He needs a new plan, Stan
Innovation's a ploy, Roy
Small biz just not key.
Job creation's a bust, Gus
Infrastructure not so much as such
F'get debt to GDP, Lee
PM thinks cash is free.
He says he didn't think his budget would cause so much pain
But doesn't know what he might do to make us smile again,
Canadians ask, then, would he please again explain
'Bout the fifty ways he shafted Canadians.

He “don't” have the knack.

Nutrition International

[Raj Saini, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the 25th anniversary of Micronutrient Initiative, an organization respected around the world for its efforts to eliminate malnutrition.

The organization has changed its name this year to Nutrition International to better reflect its expanded role as a development partner and advocate for nutrition.

I am also pleased to congratulate a constituent of mine, Kathy Zador, who was recently awarded the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers for founding FibroMoves, a warm-water pool rehabilitation program intended to help fibromyalgia sufferers, and for teaching the program voluntarily for the past 10 years.

Please join me in congratulating Nutrition International and Kathy for their successes and in wishing them many more in the future.

Mental Health Services

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, 1.6 million Canadians report an unmet need for mental health care, and 7.5 million Canadians live with a mental health illness.

For more than a century, Riverview Hospital provided mental health services in B.C. The provincial government intends to put market housing on these lands. However, the residents of Port Moody—Coquitlam have a different plan. They would like to see a national centre for mental health excellence focused on seniors' issues, like dementia and Alzheimer's; youth issues, like stress, anxiety, and addiction; services for first nations, like addiction and suicide-prevention; and services to help our veterans and first responders with issues like operational stress injuries.

Their vision includes drop-in centres for addiction treatment, a medical services research park, and a world-class arboretum. One thing it does not include is market housing.

I am proud to support this vision. I call on the federal government to work with the Coalition for a Healthy Riverview to help create this national centre for mental health excellence before the B.C Liberals put market housing on these lands, ignoring the wishes of our community.

Egypt

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

Mr. Speaker, the most persecuted and victimized and attacked religious group in the world today is Christians.

Over the weekend, dozens of Christians were brutally murdered while attending Palm Sunday ceremonies in Egypt. This is not an isolated or rare incident. Just last December, 25 Christians were killed after a church was bombed in Cairo.

Christians throughout the Middle East have been targets of deadly violence for years, with the most vicious attacks reserved for Christmas and Easter.

Christians living in the Middle East and throughout Africa are targeted by radical Islamic terrorists because they have decided to worship Jesus Christ and not follow Islam.

Unfortunately, persecuted Christians do not have any champions in the west. We do not often hear of Hollywood stars talking about Christians being massacred while they are accepting their awards. In fact, many of the elite readily join in the mockery and the disdain shown to Christians.

These are very sad realities, but they must be faced and they must be called out.

In this Holy Week, I pray that the world, particularly leaders here in the west, pay attention to the plight of persecuted Christians and do all we can to stand with them.

High School Students and Politics

[Pierre Breton, Liberal, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I have the privilege of welcoming to Ottawa a group of 50 students from my riding of Shefford.

These young people are students from École secondaire du Verbe divin, the same high school I attended and where I forged very fond memories. Although we often hear how disinterested young people are in politics, I am particularly pleased that these senior secondary school students are taking a politics and governance course.

Their visit to this place is the culmination of their study of the Parliament of Canada's legislative process. I am delighted to give them a certificate recognizing their efforts and their interest in our democratic process.

I would like to congratulate these students for their great work, as well as Ms. Cherrier and the teaching staff for their initiative.

Ethics

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, in January the Prime Minister claimed that he had no choice but to take a private helicopter to the Aga Khan's island. He said that there were no other options. It turns out that this was not true. His staff, in fact, arrived at the island by commercial plane, and that bill was picked up by taxpayers too.

It is bad enough that the Prime Minister chose to vacation at one of the most expensive destinations in the world when taxpayers have to pay, but why did the Prime Minister tell Canadians a private helicopter was his only option when he knew it was against the law and against his own ethical guidelines, and now we find out that it was not even true?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said a number of times in this House, this was a personal family vacation. I am of course happy to work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to answer any questions she may have.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that is not an answer to our question. This is not a conversation between the Prime Minister and the Ethics Commissioner. In fact, he told all Canadians publicly that he had no other option.

The question is very simple. Why did the Prime Minister say he had no other option, when in fact he did? His staff took the other option, which was a commercial flight. He knew that taking this private helicopter was against the law and that it was against his own ethical guidelines. Now we find out it was not even true.

Why did the Prime Minister tell Canadians this if it was not true?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this was a personal family vacation, and I am happy to work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner on any questions she may have.

Furthermore, on prime ministerial travel, as is always the case, the RCMP makes determinations around the safest way for the Prime Minister to travel.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, no one has begrudged the Prime Minister a vacation.

First of all, when he chose to vacation at one of the most expensive places in the world, knowing full well taxpayers have to pay for wherever he goes, for security, that was a choice he made. Second of all, he has told all Canadians that he thought there was no other option.

Now he is saying the RCMP told him he had to take a private helicopter. Is the Prime Minister saying today, then, that the RCMP told him to break the law?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner on the details of my personal family vacation.

As I have said, the RCMP makes determinations around the safest way for the Prime Minister to travel.

Foreign Affairs

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, immediately after taking office, the Prime Minister loosened sanctions on Iran and began normalizing relations with Russia. He even had a name for this policy. He called it “responsible conviction.”

We have another name. We call it “dangerously naive.” Everyone knows that if it were not for Russia and Iran, Bashar al-Assad would no longer be in power.

Now that the Prime Minister is committed to a regime change in Syria, will he first commit to restoring sanctions against Iran and support our Conservative legislation to toughen sanctions against Russia?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canada works with the international community to apply sanctions on a broad range of nations and ensures that we are holding governments and leaders to account on a broad range of issues.

We have chosen a way of engaging responsibly with even those people with whom we disagree, because we do believe that having diplomatic relations, having good conversations with difficult partners, is an important role that Canada can and must play on the world stage.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is on the record now as saying that he is committed to a regime change in Syria. This is a regime that is propped up by Russia and Iran. Now he is saying that we can continue to have conversations with these regimes, which are also supporters of violations of human rights and genocide.

What is the Prime Minister's plan? Is he going to continue to have this policy of responsible conviction, which loosens sanctions on Iran and normalizes relations with Russia, when they clearly support Bashar al-Assad? What is his plan?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our Minister of Foreign Affairs was in Brussels last week talking with the international community about the path forward for Syria and is right now in Italy with G7 foreign ministers to discuss how we move forward on holding the Assad regime to account, and indeed those countries that have been supporting the Assad regime.

It is important that the international community speak with one clear, strong voice, and that is exactly what we are working hard to ensure.

Ethics

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister once famously said, “ I'm not middle class. I don't pretend I am”, so I guess vacationing on a billionaire's private island was just him proving his point.

However, he is not just entitled to his entitlement; oh no, he is also entitled to not follow the rules that govern all of us, because he believes he is above the rules. He told Canadians, “Travel back-and-forth from Nassau...happens on the Aga Khan's private helicopter” and that “only happens through private means.”

Today we learned that the Prime Minister's excuse is categorically false. Does he wish to change his story, or does he wish to continue to mislead Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times in the House, this was a personal family vacation, and I am more than happy to engage with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner on exactly these issues and on any issues that she may raise.

On the issue of travel, the RCMP makes determinations around the safest way for the Prime Minister to travel.

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have nothing against the Prime Minister taking vacation. However, he promised to be transparent, not only with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, but also with all Canadians.

We expect the Prime Minister to answer questions here in the House. He said in public that “travel back and forth from Nassau to the island happens on the Aga Khan’s private helicopter”. He told Canadians that travel to and from the island “only happens through private means”.

I have a question for the Prime Minister. Why did he mislead Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to answer any questions the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner might have about my family's personal vacation. As I have often said, the RCMP determines the safest way for the Prime Minister to travel.

Justice

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Quebec National Assembly considered holding an emergency debate on court delays in the province, which allowed a man accused of slitting his wife's throat to go free.

When we asked the minister about this yesterday, she said that she was proud of the process that her government had instituted. It is obvious why Minister Vallée said yesterday in Quebec City that this federal justice minister is out of touch with Quebec's reality.

What is the minister proud of?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we set up a new open and transparent appointment process, which ensures that appointments reflect the diversity and best qualities of all Canadians.

With regard to the Federal Court and the judicial vacancies in Quebec, I can say that there are 163 federal judges in office in Quebec. We are working to fill the last six judicial vacancies.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I see the Prime Minister is still failing to take responsibility for this.

While violent offenders are let back on the streets, the Prime Minister is perfectly happy to give criminal records to young and racialized Canadians for pot possession. The Liberals are now hiding how many have been charged since they took power.

With legalization at least 15 months away, could the Prime Minister please explain why he will not in the meantime put an end to these types of charges, especially when he himself has admitted to the crime?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to answer the hon. member's question.

We are legalizing and controlling the sale of marijuana with two goals in mind. The first is protecting our young people from the easy access they have to marijuana right now. It is easier for a teenager to buy a joint than a bottle of beer, and that is not right. Second, we want to remove from criminal organizations and street gangs the billions of dollars in profits that they make.

Until the House chooses to legalize and control marijuana, the law remains the law.

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

Mr. Speaker, we agree that the law is the law. The Prime Minister should make sure that when it comes time to enforce the law, criminals stay in jail and have their day in court without delay.

The Government of Quebec is asking the feds to speed things up. This situation is causing problems in Quebec's courts. Quebec's justice minister says there are 14 vacancies, but the Liberals say there are six. They should agree on the number, appoint some judges, and stop hiding behind a process that slows things down instead of solving the problem.

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

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that this is an important issue. That is why we are taking concrete action to address this issue. I am pleased to have appointed 47 superior court justices and 22 deputy judges across the country. There are six vacancies remaining in the province of Quebec.

Further to that, I am working with my counterparts in the provinces and territories to address the issue of delays, which, according to the Supreme Court of Canada, requires a culture shift. That is why we are working toward having a meeting among all provinces and territories and the federal government to ensure we move forward with substantive solutions to resolve delays.