Debates of March 22nd, 2019

Ethics

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are watching, and they are noticing that every single day the members of the opposition read their questions that are provided to them by the leader of the official opposition. They talk about talking points. They are spitting out those talking points pretty well that their leader's office is providing to them. On this side, we know that members are having tough conversations.

They will always yell over me. They say that people should be able to speak, should be able to have a respectful workplace, but that is not something that they provide.

Justice

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it seems we are not yet out of the woods with the Liberal SNC-Lavalin scandal.

We have moved on to the next chapter and Canadians have lost all confidence in this Liberal government. What is very disturbing is that the former president of the Treasury Board claims that there is much more to the story that needs to be told.

Will the Prime Minister maintain his gag order or will he let the former president of the Treasury Board put an end to this cover-up?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and cabinet confidence so that the former attorney general could testify in committee. We know that Canadians listen to the conversations we have here. They watch our debates. Canadians watched the Conservatives spend 31 hours voting against measures that benefit Canadians. We know that the Conservatives will cut these programs. Canadians must see that the Conservatives do not plan to drive our economy or Canadians forward. They plan to cut the measures that benefit Canadians.

Ethics

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, an investigation by the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics is the only way to put an end to the Liberal cover-up. The former attorney general of Canada and the former president of the Treasury Board still have a lot more to tell Canadians.

This cover-up operation is destroying our country's international credibility. Will the Prime Minister let the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics conduct a public inquiry into this corruption scandal?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, what a performance. This member keeps asking the same question over and over, but we on this side of the House are going to keep working for Canadians. We know that the committee did its work. We know that the Ethics Commissioner is going to conduct an investigation, and we have confidence in his ability to do so. We on this side of the House are going to keep working for Canadians to make sure they get the programs and measures that will help them and make their lives better. We are working for Canadians, while the Conservatives prefer to play politics.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and his team repeatedly and inappropriately pressured the former attorney general to drop bribery charges against SNC-Lavalin, claiming that 9,000 jobs were at risk. However, the CEO of SNC-Lavalin said, about the 9,000 jobs number, “That's incorrect and we've never said that.”

Canadians deserve the truth, and the Prime Minister must end his cover-up. Will the Prime Minister allow the ethics committee to conduct a public investigation into his corruption scandal, yes or no?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting, because that is one of the very members who believed that the justice committee would never meet, and the justice committee was meeting.

The Conservatives and that member were saying that witnesses would never get to appear at the justice committee, but Canadians saw, for over five weeks, which is longer than even most legislation is studied in committee, that witnesses were appearing.

That member and the Conservatives said that the former attorney general would not get to speak, because they know that when Stephen Harper was in government, he would not have waived solicitor-client privilege.

This Prime Minister did waive solicitor-client privilege and did waive cabinet confidence, because that is what we committed to.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what the last 30-plus hours of voting has shown Canadians is that the Liberals will go to any lengths to keep up the Prime Minister's corruption cover-up.

The Liberals shut down the justice committee, intimidated the former attorney general, bullied the former president of the Treasury Board and have members of the Liberal caucus doing the Prime Minister's dirty work.

Will the Prime Minister finally end the cover-up and allow the ethics committee to investigate, including hearing from all those who have been named in his corruption scandal?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the justice committee studied it. We know that the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is investigating this matter. We know that there is an ongoing court case.

I have confidence in the institutions. If there is more that needs to be done, I have faith, I have confidence, that it will be done.

I was elected by the people of Waterloo. I was elected to be part of a government to ensure that I fought for Canadians. Canadians saw that for over 31 hours, the Conservatives actually voted against measures that benefit Canadians. They chose to do that. Yesterday, for over 31 hours, Canadians got a clear vision of the programs and services the Conservatives will cut if they ever get to be government.

Justice

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the former attorney general just wrote to the justice committee and is trying to find a way to tell her whole truth.

The Liberals kept changing their story. First the former attorney general was difficult to work with. Then it was simply that she interpreted it differently. Now the Liberal machine is trying to convince Canadians that both ministers who resigned due to a lack of confidence in the Prime Minister can say whatever they want in the House and be protected by parliamentary privilege.

We went through 31 hours of votes yesterday, and the Liberals will not let her speak. Once and for all, will the Prime Minister completely waive privilege and cabinet confidence?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the attorney general was able to appear at justice committee, and that is because the Prime Minister waived solicitor-client privilege and that is because the Prime Minister waived cabinet confidence. Should there be submissions and so forth as we see these conversations take place in public, it is interesting, because the opposition seems to be very concerned, but we have confidence in the system. We know that if they want to submit information, they should be able to, because Canadians deserve to know. When the Prime Minister said that Canadians should get to know, these meetings took place in public so that they would get to know.

I encourage Canadians to look at the record of the members who voted over the last 30 hours.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, sorry, it is because the former attorney general wants to tell her whole truth. What part of that does the government not get?

No one is buying the government's talking points. The Liberals shut down the justice committee. They are moving heaven and earth to prevent Canadians from learning the truth.

The former AG hired legal counsel to advise her on what she can and cannot say. Unlike the Prime Minister, she is not willing to break the law. The former Treasury Board president made it clear. The Liberals assume that the best interests of Canadians are their own political interests. They are one and the same.

Is that the real reason the Prime Minister will not call a public inquiry?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the member need not be sorry that witnesses appeared at justice committee. It is okay for the member to recognize that the former attorney general did appear at justice committee and the former attorney general confirmed that the rule of law in Canada is intact and that Canadians can have confidence in it. The member can appreciate the fact that the former attorney general also stated that the law was followed at all times.

The Prime Minister recognizes that we can always improve our institutions, and that is why he took that witness very seriously, and that is why he acknowledged that there was a breakdown in communication and trust in his office. That is why the Prime Minister has put forward measures to ensure that we continue to strengthen our institutions.

The NDP is playing politics.

Ethics

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the foreign affairs minister.

The OECD is investigating the SNC-Lavalin affair, and the foreign affairs minister promised that the government was co-operating with an independent investigation. The trouble is, her own Liberal colleagues ended that independent investigation, and the Prime Minister is refusing to allow the key witness to speak.

When will the foreign affairs minister stop her role in this cover-up and allow the former attorney general to speak at the ethics committee?

[Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs), Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is proud of its participation in the OECD. The rules-based international order and the institutions that underpin it are absolutely essential to the defence of the Canadian national interest in the world.

We have been clear from the start that we support the work of the OECD working group, and we will continue to co-operate with the OECD throughout this issue.

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, how can that member be proud when the OECD is investigating Canada for corruption?

A few years ago, the Prime Minister said to Canadians that he had an admiration for basic dictatorships. Now he is running one.

When will the minister live up to her lofty language about the international rules-based order and demand that the Prime Minister pay attention to domestic rules of order?

[Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs), Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, it is very evident that our government, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, has reinforced Canada's interest in a multinational rules-based order. We are proud of our work with the OECD. We are proud of the work we have been doing in Syria, which I just returned from last week. We are proud of the work we have done to defend human rights around the world.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this week the CEO of SNC-Lavalin said about those jobs the Prime Minister said are at risk because he had to engage in an egregious corruption scandal, no. He completely debunked that.

Meanwhile, today, Canadian farmers are waking up to a complete catastrophe in their market because of his incompetence. Meanwhile, 100,000 people are out of work in the energy sector because of the no-more-pipelines jobs. We know from the former attorney general that he said to her that he was concerned about the SNC-Lavalin scandal because he was a Quebec MP. Why does the Prime Minister only—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The time has expired.

The hon. government House leader.

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, it sounds like on the article people are reading, they will come to their own conclusions. That member is entitled to read that article and take what she would like out of it.

However, I know that the justice committee did look at this matter. The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is investigating this matter. We know that there is an ongoing court case. Canadians can rest assured that the rule of law in Canada is intact. We know that we can always improve and strengthen our institutions. We will continue to do that, and Canadians can have confidence that we will ensure that it happens.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, nobody is buying that. There are farmers waking up who are wondering where they are going to market their goods. There are hundreds of thousands of people out of work because of the government's failure and incompetence, because it has been mired in scandal for weeks. That is all they care about.

Why will the Prime Minister only move hell and high water to protect his own job?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, once again, we will move on. Canada is intact. The justice committee has looked into this matter. The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is investigating this matter. There is an ongoing court case.

The member stands and points her finger and does whatever. Over 31 hours, Canadians were able to see the voting record of members. Conservatives voted against programs and services that benefit Canadians, programs on gender and women's equality programs, programs for National Defence, programs for indigenous people, programs to help build the pipeline, but no. Every time the Conservatives voted against them, Canadians saw it clearly.

Employment Insurance

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals had a chance to take action to fix the spring gap problem for seasonal workers and address the labour shortage. Instead, they chose to keep plundering the EI fund.

Workers are sick and tired of broken promises, like the Liberals' promise to fix the spring gap problem, which affects thousands of families.

Will the Liberals finally admit that they would rather give handouts to the rich than actually help workers?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the work we have done on EI reform in this government, which includes addressing the issue of seasonal workers in industries that are affected by the surges and the loss of work due to the seasonal nature of the employment. We have also made it easier to work while on benefits, and in fact, in this year's budget, we also added additional measures to make sure that people who are transitioning between jobs, people who are working while on claims, can get the support they need to participate in the economy in the way they want to in the communities where they live.

Our government continues to reform EI and continues to be focused on making sure that vulnerable Canadians not only get the support from EI but that EI is there to make sure they get to a better future. That is why we are doing the job we are doing.

Status of Women

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Wednesday's question period involved the Prime Minister touting his own feminism. Now, as all good feminists know, there is nothing more feminist than a man bragging about his feminism.

However, let us check the facts of budget 2019. Budget 2019 has nothing for child care and nothing for pay equity, and it fails indigenous women. The budget has nothing specific to address the tragedy of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. In fact, indigenous women's groups have been clear that they feel ignored and have been left behind.

When will the Prime Minister stop bragging and act on the priorities of Canadian women, the priorities they deserve action on now?