Debates of March 26th, 2018

Privacy

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the ability of third party actors to distort the Facebook platform to undermine elections has created international outcry, but the comfy, cozy relationship between the Liberal Party, Facebook, and the key players in the scandal is disturbingly symbiotic. Kevin Chan from Facebook comes from the Liberal war room. Christopher Wylie comes from the Liberal war room, not to mention the donations from the head of Facebook to the Prime Minister.

For the Prime Minister, how can Canadians trust that he is going to put their interests ahead of the interests of his friends at Facebook and the Liberal war room?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our government has always been unequivocal that the protection of Canadians' data and personal information is of the utmost importance. Social media platforms have a responsibility to ensure the continued protection of our democratic process. While some platforms have begun to take initial steps to address these issues, it is clear that much more needs to be done. The Privacy Commissioner has already begun an investigation into this matter and we have faith in the officers of Parliament and their ability to conduct investigations in the best interests of Canadians.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about another major Liberal donor and another man from the Liberal war room. Jeff Silvester is the owner of AIQ, which has been identified as having played a role in undermining the Brexit vote. In fact, Christopher Wylie, another Liberal, is on record as saying that AIQ's work in the U.K. vote was “totally illegal”.

My question is for the Prime Minister. Will he assure the House that his party will not block any efforts to have Jeff Silvester brought, by subpoena if necessary, to testify about the role of his company in undermining the Brexit vote?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's democracy is the foundation of the rights and freedoms we cherish, and we take threats to our democracy very seriously.

Our government is committed to ensuring that Canadians can continue to trust in our democratic institutions. We continue to closely monitor foreign threats, including those that may affect the 2019 election.

At the Minister of Democratic Institutions' request, the Communications Security Establishment released a report last July on cyber-threats to Canada's democratic process. The minister will continue to lead our government's efforts to address threats to Canada's democratic institutions.

Public Safety

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in a weekend interview, the public safety minister said that the public safety committee could not call the national security adviser because that meeting would contain classified information. Today, the Prime Minister suggests only privy councillors can get the same briefing as reporters because of classified information.

Is the Prime Minister telling Canadians that the national security adviser revealed classified information to journalists?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, for the official opposition to fully understand the situation, it is important for those in the opposition who have the necessary security clearance to be privy to certain classified details. That can only be done in the appropriate circumstances, where the classified information remains classified.

Members of the Privy Council are entitled to that information, and the offer has been made. It is rather odd that the official opposition does not seem interested in getting the facts.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the entire House was seized with this matter last week because the official opposition only wanted a briefing from the national security adviser of the same level he gave journalists. Now the minister is saying that the only kind of briefing we can receive needs to be in confidence because of classified information.

If we only want what was given to journalists, is that minister confirming that the national security adviser to the Prime Minister revealed classified information to journalists?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I am confirming no such thing. The fact is that the Prime Minister has made an offer to the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition should accept that offer, and then further things can be discussed.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we will try another way. We will play lie detector with the government.

Jasper Atwal said that he was invited by the Liberal government. The member for Surrey Centre confirmed that he invited Jasper Atwal. The Prime Minister said that India's government conspired in the Atwal affair to make him look bad. India's government denied that it had anything to do with the invitation to this convicted terrorist. The Minister of Global Affairs said that inviting Jasper Atwal was an honest mistake.

Someone is not telling the whole truth. Who is it?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, let me repeat what the Prime Minister said to the opposition a few moments ago. The Leader of the Opposition should accept the offer of a classified briefing from impartial government officials, and then further things can be discussed.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what is so secret about what the national security adviser told journalists that he has to talk about it in private with the Leader of the Opposition? That is unacceptable.

The Prime Minister's trip to India with his family, five ministers, and 14 MPs cost taxpayers a fortune. The international media called this mission a diplomatic disaster.

What is the Prime Minister hiding? Why is he stopping Daniel Jean from giving his version of the facts to Canadians, the opposition, and all of us in the House?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the answer is in plain sight. The Prime Minister has offered the leader of the official opposition the classified briefing. He should accept that briefing, and then other things can be discussed. However, it appears that the opposition is more interested in being willfully blind.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the official opposition has been asking for the same briefing that was provided to the media on February 22. We have not asked for a super secret briefing that can only be heard by members of the Privy Council. The national security adviser surely did not ensure that the members of the media he gave the briefing to were sworn in as members of the Privy Council.

When can we get the same briefing that was offered to the media and when will the Liberals stop hiding behind this big leap of the Privy Council secret briefing?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition needs to be properly informed of all the appropriate classified information. Once he has that knowledge, then other things can be discussed.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, once again we have the Liberals caught with two conflicting stories. Either the national security adviser gave an unclassified briefing to the media or he gave a classified briefing to the media which requires this to remain confidential.

Did the national security adviser give a classified briefing to those who were not entitled to receive it?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition simply refuses to listen. The offer has been made to provide the Leader of the Opposition with all the details in a classified briefing. Once that has been done, then other things can be discussed.

The question is this. Why does the official opposition decline to be informed? It is as if it wants to be wilfully blind.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order, please. The member for Calgary Signal Hill and others have fabulous voices, but I would rather hear them when they have the floor. I would ask them not to interrupt throughout answers.

The hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.

Public Services and Procurement

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, do you know what it means to jerk someone around?

According to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, it means to “deal with unfairly; deceive or mislead”. This is exactly what the Prime Minister is doing to Davie shipyard workers. In January, he suggested that Quebec would be awarded contracts for the four icebreakers needed by the Canadian Coast Guard. It is now the end of March, the government has been waffling, and no contract has been signed.

When will they stop twiddling their thumbs? When will the Liberal government take action, sign the contracts, and get the Davie shipyard workers working?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times in the House, we are negotiating with Davie shipyard regarding the Canadian Coast Guard's icebreaker needs. We will continue our negotiations. We are doing the necessary checks, and the process is ongoing.

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have lost the benefit of the doubt on the icebreaker file. Yesterday, we learned that talks with Davie have stalled and that there is a secret plan to acquire a new fleet of icebreakers for Canada.

We need these contracts and those ships, both for the jobs they provide and to ensure reliable icebreaking services for regions like Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. The government needs to stop messing around when it comes to regional development.

Could the minister tell us where these talks stand, and will he promise to make his secret plan public?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we are continuing our discussions with Davie shipyard. We are not going to do our negotiating here in the House.

Public Safety

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the embarrassment of the India trip continues with the Prime Minister's cover-up. Liberal ministers are now hiding behind false claims of classified national security.

As a professional public servant, we know the national security adviser would never reveal classified information to the press. Canadians are therefore confused as to why the Prime Minister is preventing the national security adviser from testifying to members of the House.

If there really is nothing to hide, will the Prime Minister finally commit to Daniel Jean's appearance before committee?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have offered a full classified briefing to the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition has refused. The Leader of the Opposition does not want to know the truth. He wants to continue playing politics so he can play politics, so he can delay discussion about an important gun bill that would keep our communities safe.

The Leader of the Opposition does not want to know the truth. He wants to play politics. We are busy protecting Canadians.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Atwal affair has not been cleared up since the Prime Minister's disastrous trip to India, because he still refuses to answer our questions on this matter. We know that Daniel Jean is a professional public servant who did not provide any classified information to the media at a briefing on February 22. We are therefore asking that he be allowed to answer our questions, but the Prime Minister still refuses to let that happen.

Since he did not provide any classified information, why does the Prime Minister refuse to allow Daniel Jean to give the same briefing to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has made a complete offer to the Leader of the Opposition to have him briefed on all the classified details of this matter by the independent and impartial officials of the Government of Canada. The Leader of the Opposition should accept that offer and then further things can be discussed. However, if the Leader of the Opposition will not accept the offer, it is clear he does not want to be informed and is just playing politics.