House of Commons Hansard #267 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was environmental.

Topics

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

I would remind hon. colleagues, including the member for Dufferin—Caledon, of the rule in Standing Order 16 against interrupting when another member is speaking.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, a senior security official made the allegation that the Government of India was somehow complicit or involved in the Jaspal Atwal affair, that somehow it was motivated to embarrass the Prime Minister and Canada by colluding to have him at the official events the Prime Minister was attending.

A senior security official made those allegations. Does the Prime Minister agree or disavow those allegations?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, we respect the non-partisan nature of the public service, especially those who serve in our national security agencies. We trust and listen to the advice and actions that they take, that they will be in the national interest, and that they will be impartial.

All Canadians can be proud, and should be proud, of the non-partisan work our national security agencies carry out on a daily basis.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister tell the House whether anyone in his office arranged, organized or participated in the media briefing provided to reporters that included the allegation that the Government of India was somehow involved in his embarrassing blunder in India?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I can understand where the opposition finds this difficult. For 10 years it used the professional public service for partisan ends. It torqued the public service every possible way it could. It does not understand that our professional, non-partisan public service does high-quality work. When one of our top diplomats and security officials says something to Canadians, it is because they know it to be true.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order, please. Members may have noticed before that sometimes they hear things in here they do not like, but they do not have to react and they should wait until they have the floor before they speak. That includes the hon. member for Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, who knows the rules well and has the ability to restrain himself. I am sure the hon. member for Edmonton West will want to join him.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, could the Prime Minister assure Canadians that no other individuals with links to extremist or terrorist organizations were at any of the official events in India while he was there?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, in this country we take very seriously the responsibility of keeping Canadians safe, of countering violent extremism, and of fighting against terrorism. I can assure the member opposite, and indeed all Canadians, that our national security agencies and our police agencies do everything necessary to keep all Canadians safe at all times.

TaxationOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, during the Prime Minister's disastrous trip, the #taxfairness coalition left him a gift, Alain Deneault's book, Canada - A New Tax Haven. It should help him to understand how his government is just as complicit on tax havens as his predecessors were.

This complicity also causes the government to allow the Canada Revenue Agency to conduct cost-benefit analyses when deciding whether to enforce the law. It is not worth going after a big company like KPMG, which has the means to defend itself, but small taxpayers who do not have the means to defend themselves get hit hard.

Will today's budget finally put an end to this two-tiered justice system?

TaxationOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, we are combatting tax evasion and investing nearly $1 billion to give the CRA the tools it needs.

The CRA now has a team in charge of dealing with offshore non-compliance. We adopted the global standard for the automatic exchange of information in order to automatically exchange information held by non-residents with OECD partners.

As far as offshore compliance is concerned, as of December 31, 2017, the CRA had audited more than 1,000 taxpayers and launched investigations into more than 40 cases.

TaxationOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

That is my point exactly, Mr. Speaker. Those are small taxpayers he is talking about. This government is letting the big fish, like KPMG, get away. It is not going after the rich and powerful precisely because they are rich and powerful.

Here is another example of this government's complicity with the rich and powerful. It does not require American Internet giants to charge the same sales tax that our Canadian companies have to charge, thus giving American companies a significant competitive advantage over Canadian companies. The Amazons of this world have an advantage over Canadian stores like Simons.

Will the budget put an end to that nonsense once and for all?

TaxationOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as we have said many times, we are not going to raise taxes on Canadians, even though the NDP is asking us to do so. We are not going to raise taxes on taxpayers. That is a promise that we made and that we are going to keep. Canadians are already paying enough taxes, so we are not going to raise them. It is the NDP that wants to raise taxes. We are not going to do that.

Canada-India RelationsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Mr. Speaker, Jaspal Atwal, a convicted political assassin, was given an all-access pass to the Prime Minister's India trip because he was useful to local Liberal politics. When this debacle became an international incident, the government doubled down, using a senior civil servant, and now the Prime Minister, to spin a conspiracy theory that somehow the Indian government was trying to make the Liberals look bad.

What was the Prime Minister thinking, putting the interests of the Liberal machine ahead of national security, international relations, and Canada's reputation?

Canada-India RelationsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as I have been saying, this invitation never should have been sent. As soon as it came to our attention, it was withdrawn.

Canada's national security agencies and police services are non-partisan and both highly competent and effective. We trust them to promote and protect Canadian security. They continue to do an excellent job in serving and protecting the interests of Canadians.

Canada-India RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Mr. Speaker, yes, we do trust them to put the interests of Canada ahead of protecting the Prime Minister's political interest. The fact is that he has met numerous times with Mr. Atwal. Why? Because he is useful to political insider politics in the Liberal Party. However, he is also accused of trying to beat Ujjal Dosanjh to death with an iron pipe. What is this? Fargo? I served with Mr. Dosanjh in Parliament.

It is incumbent upon all parliamentarians across political lines to put the interests of our nation ahead of partisan pork-barrel politics. Does the Prime Minister not understand that principle?

Canada-India RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, this individual never should have been invited. As soon as we found out that he was, that invitation was rescinded. The member responsible for the invitation has taken full responsibility, and I will be following up with that member later this afternoon.

Canada-India RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

I would encourage the hon. member for Windsor West to restrain himself.

The hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska.

Canada-India RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, last Tuesday, a known terrorist convicted of attempted murder had his picture taken with the Prime Minister's wife and the Minister of Infrastructure.

Wednesday evening, this criminal was invited to dine with the Prime Minister. The next day, the Prime Minister told us that the invitation had been extended by the High Commission at the request of a Liberal MP. Now, out of the blue, we learn that the Prime Minister's national security advisor tried to lay the blame on the Indian government.

If what the Prime Minister is saying is true, can he provide the House with proof of the Indian government's attack?

Canada-India RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Regina—Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, it has been well explained in this House and elsewhere that the invitation that had been extended should not have been extended, and when that became known to the government, the invitation was in fact rescinded.

With respect to the work of our security personnel, we rely upon them, and we respect them for their careful, precise, and thoughtful advice and information. We treasure very much the work of our police and our security officials.

Canada-India RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, we can no longer believe the Prime Minister after the family trip he took to India with 19 MPs and ministers, at the taxpayer's expense no less.

He is refusing to take responsibility and is shifting the blame onto everyone else. However, coming up with a conspiracy theory that involves an international ally to save face following his complete lack of judgment simply defies belief.

Does the Prime Minister have any proof? If so, he must table it here in the House.

Canada-India RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Regina—Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, the accusations and the insinuations coming from the opposition are simply and utterly false. The facts of the matter are that we rely upon our security personnel in our police forces and in all of our security agencies to supply impartial, professional, and independent information and advice. That is exactly what they have done.

Canada-India RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, the accusation is that the Indian government conspired so that the convicted terrorist and Liberal insider, Jaspal Atwal, would dine with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister just said that is true, that he trusts his national security adviser, and that is in fact true.

Before the Prime Minister destroys our relationship with our ally, the government and country of India, will he please tell this House what proof he has of that allegation?

Canada-India RelationsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Regina—Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member, both today and yesterday, has provided her interpretation of events. In fact, her insinuations and her accusations are false.