House of Commons Hansard #175 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was bank.

Topics

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Carleton.

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, moving on to another group of billionaires, the Bombardier Beaudoin family has super-voting shares in the company, which give it a slim 53% control of the company.

They cannot raise desperately needed cash by issuing new shares, because they would lose their majority and along with it the privileges to shower themselves in money and hire family members onto the executive. Therefore, they get taxpayers' money instead from Liberal governments here and in Quebec.

The Prime Minister has used 400 million tax dollars to protect these feudal privileges. Will he now join with other investors and ask them to step aside?

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard—Verdun Québec

Liberal

David Lametti LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on the long-term viability and success of the Canadian aerospace sector.

Our investment in research and development at Bombardier will help secure thousands of high-quality jobs in that sector across Canada. Canadians and shareholders have expressed their concerns with the remuneration package for senior executives at Bombardier. Shareholders are now taking their action; they are responding.

We are watching that situation carefully, but our investment in science and technology is sound.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Alex Nuttall Conservative Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has expensed a $14,000 television, over $20,000 on Snapchat filters, and $30,000 on Broadway tickets.

I have one simple question for the Prime Minister. What was he thinking?

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Kings—Hants Nova Scotia

Liberal

Scott Brison LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board

Mr. Speaker, our Prime Minister and our government have made it very clear to the world that Canada is back.

When it comes to leadership on progressive values, on climate change, on human rights, for 10 years—

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order, order. I know the hon. members are enjoying the comments of the hon. President of the Treasury Board, but I cannot hear them. I cannot hear myself.

Order. I am glad somebody can hear me. The hon. President of the Treasury Board has a few moments.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to human rights, when it comes to progressive leadership on climate change, when it comes to the kind of leadership that the world needs today, our Prime Minister and our government are providing that leadership.

After 10 years of Canada creating a vacuum in terms of progressive values in the world, our government is stepping up and doing the right thing.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON

Mr. Speaker, what is clear is Canada is back in debt.

While Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, in typical Liberal fashion the Prime Minister and these Liberals have absolutely no respect for Canadian taxpayers. The Prime Minister wasted nearly $2,000 on cardboard cutouts of himself, then he spent $30,000 on Broadway tickets for his rich friends, and then he charged Canadian taxpayers over $291,000 for his lavish vacations on billionaire island and St. Kitts.

How can the Prime Minister justify subsidizing his lavish lifestyle on the backs of struggling Canadians?

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Kings—Hants Nova Scotia

Liberal

Scott Brison LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board

Mr. Speaker, after 10 years, the Harper government added $150 billion to the national debt, and what we ended up with were maybe a fake lake and maybe a few gazebos, but we did not get the kind of investments in communities that we are making today. We are investing unprecedented amounts in infrastructure, we are building stronger communities, we are building a stronger middle class, and we will continue to do that. That is why we have had, in the last six months, the best job creation in 10 years in Canada.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, now more than ever, we are seeing how the government has become an expert at frivolous, outlandish spending. When the Prime Minister isn't ordering $2,000 life-sized cut-outs of himself or spending $30,000 on tickets to Broadway shows for his billionaire friends, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs is buying a $14,000 big screen TV, and the Minister of Canadian Heritage is spending $20,000 on customized Snapchat filters.

Is there a single minister or member of this government who can stand up and give us a good explanation for this outlandish, frivolous spending?

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

I would ask this side of the House to quiet down.

The hon. Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Québec Québec

Liberal

Jean-Yves Duclos LiberalMinister of Families

Mr. Speaker, this government was elected on the promise to grow the economy in order to grow the middle class and help more people join it.

If the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent is looking for good news, then I can tell him this. We introduced the Canada child benefit, which is helping nine out of ten Canadian families. In my colleague's riding of Louis-Saint-Laurent, the families of 21,560 children are now receiving $200 more a month than they were from the previous government, and that money is tax free.

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, it pains me to see such an honourable man stand up for the architect of the monumentally stupid and ridiculous expenditures we have been talking about.

The minister just said, “We were elected.” Sure they were elected. They were elected because they promised a wee little $10-billion deficit, but now that deficit is up to $30 billion.

The example comes from the top. Can the minister, the MP for Québec, honestly say he is proud of that, or will he stand up and say that enough is enough and the government must get spending under control because that is what Canadians want?

EthicsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

EthicsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.

EthicsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe New Brunswick

Liberal

Ginette Petitpas Taylor LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, our government is very proud of everything it has accomplished so far. We have made smart and responsible investments to grow the economy and help the middle class. Our plan is working. In the past year, more than 250,000 new jobs were created, and the unemployment rate fell from 7.1% to 6.5%.

Our plan is working, and we will stay on track.

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

NDP

Brigitte Sansoucy NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Phoenix fiasco has been dragging on for a year and a half now, and thousands of workers still do not see any light at the end of the tunnel. This week the Public Service Alliance of Canada had to file a grievance for the 60,000 employees it represents.

Why? Because the longer this fiasco drags on, the fewer answers they get from the Liberals. All of these hard-working public service employees need to know when their nightmare is finally going to end.

Does the government at least have a date to give them, or has it simply given up?

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Gatineau Québec

Liberal

Steven MacKinnon LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure public servants that we are working hard to fix the problems with the Phoenix pay system. We have been working on it for quite some time, in order to provide the necessary human and financial resources. I can reassure my hon. colleague that we are working with our partners in public sector labour unions in this country.

What we will not do, as the Conservatives did, is lay off the very people we need to fix the pay problems we inherited from the Conservatives.

PensionsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

NDP

Scott Duvall NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Bill C-27 is an attack on stable and secure workplace pensions and it would let employers back away from commitments to workers and pensioners. There have been no consultations, and we are seeing the private sector salivate at the profits associated with the bill, including a CEO who talked about how the changes would directly benefit his company. One might ask which company. Well, it is Morneau Shepell, of course.

Speaking of which, will the finance minister admit that his promise to consult was just a sham? Will he immediately withdraw this anti-labour bill that attacks workers' pensions?

PensionsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe New Brunswick

Liberal

Ginette Petitpas Taylor LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, our government wants to help Canadians achieve a safe and dignified retirement. It is key to our plan to help middle-class Canadians.

Bill C-27 aims to broaden the scope of retirement saving opportunities available to Canadians. Under our legislation, individuals have a choice. Those who do not consent maintain their benefits in their current form.

We are willing to take all the necessary time to give all parties the opportunity to share their suggestions regarding this process.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

May 11th, 2017 / 2:35 p.m.

Conservative

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

Mr. Speaker, “transparency”, “openness”, and “integrity” are words the Liberals opposite keep bandying about, but they never walk the talk.

The first officer of Parliament appointment is a partisan one. Donating to Liberal Party coffers or helping our famous Prime Minister during his election campaign is a path to becoming the commissioner of official languages.

Will the Prime Minister put partisanship aside and protect official languages ahead of his personal interests?

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Parkdale—High Park Ontario

Liberal

Arif Virani LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Multiculturalism)

Mr. Speaker, both our official languages are an important part of our history and our Canadian identity and they are important to us.

As far as appointments are concerned, our government is firmly committed to having a strong, open, and transparent appointment process and finding the best candidate for each position. The role of commissioner of official languages is very important and we are sure that the person recommended will have all the required qualifications. An announcement will be made in due course.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON

Mr. Speaker, we have learned that the Prime Minister plans to appoint a recently retired provincial Liberal minister as the new official languages watchdog. The Prime Minister promised a new appointments process and, while this is certainly new, appointing a clear partisan to be an officer of Parliament, an officer of this place, is unprecedented.

Will the Prime Minister withdraw this nomination before he completely undermines the impartiality and the independence of the Commissioner of Official Languages?