Debates of May 2nd, 2019

Status of Women

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, women across the country who are victims of violence are being refused access to shelters because of a lack of resources and funding.

The Prime Minister is very outspoken about his feminism, but he seems to be much more timid when it comes time to ask questions and take action to improve the status of women.

The government's inaction is putting women in need in a vulnerable situation.

Will the government commit to rectifying this situation and giving shelters the resources and funding they need to do their work?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for this opportunity to talk about the national housing strategy, which was announced just 15 months ago.

When this strategy was announced, the YMCA Federation, and there is a very strong branch in my riding, said that this was a big change for women and girls in Canada. The strategy will get 500,000 Canadian families out of inadequate housing and create 7,000 more shelters specifically for women and girls. Five thousand shelter spaces have already been created. We are working very hard, and we will continue to do even better.

Ethics

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week we learned that the Prime Minister's Office used a partisan data base to check the history of political donations made by potential judges.

The Prime Minister finds it necessary to ensure that new judges are good Liberals before appointing them. Well-connected friends have privileged access to the Prime Minister, unlike workers who need support.

Can the Liberal government stop thinking about its own interests and those of its friends and start working for Canadians?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, our government brought in strong measures to ensure that the judicial appointment process is open and transparent and accountable to Canadians. These measures also seek to encourage a greater diversity within the judiciary.

Our new process is effective. We have appointed nearly 300 judges, and the diversity of these appointments is unprecedented. Under our government, 55% of the appointed judges are women. We continue to ensure that the appointment process is merit-based and transparent.

Campaign Financing

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on August 5, 2016, the leader of the Liberal Party received a confidential memo from Elections Canada detailing a long-term scheme by SNC-Lavalin to funnel illegal electoral donations to the Liberal Party of Canada. That list was never disclosed to the public until recently. On August 30, 2016, SNC-Lavalin received a compliance agreement.

There were many meetings with SNC-Lavalin in 2016. Can the Prime Minister let us know if that topic came up?

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

Mr. Speaker, these donations the member is referring to took place between 2004 and 2009. Elections Canada operates independently of government and makes its decisions independently of any government. The Commissioner of Canada Elections did do an investigation in this matter. Two parties in this House were informed. Both parties have returned those donations.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, one party hid the list of donations when requested most recently, and it was not this party.

The last time the terms “SNC-Lavalin compliance agreement” and “PMO” came together, we had four months of a drip, drip, drip of information coming out, leading to two resignations of ministers, one early retirement of the clerk of the privy council, and of course, the resignation of the top adviser to the Prime Minister.

Can they just put us all out of our misery and let us know whether the Prime Minister's Office interfered in this matter with SNC-Lavalin?

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, these are in reference to improper donations that two political parties made over a decade ago. The Commissioner for Canada Elections did do an investigation. Those donations have now been returned.

When it comes to the plan we have, and we will put it up against the no plan of the Conservatives any day, we know that Canadians are better off today than they were under 10 years of Stephen Harper.

We know that the Conservatives will talk a big game. What we will do is focus on Canadians, and we know that Canadians are better off today because of the Canada child benefit, a measure the Conservatives want to take away.

Ethics

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on August 5, 2016, we asked the Liberal Party and the Liberal leader for information about $110,000 in illegal contributions they received. What did the Liberals do? As usual, they refused to disclose the information.

Why does the Prime Minister always wait until he gets caught red-handed before he starts talking and sharing information?

Why does the Prime Minister not just tell Canadians the truth?

Why does the Prime Minister not answer this simple question: Did people in his office meet with the Chief Electoral Officer—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

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

Mr. Speaker, those inappropriate donations to two political parties were made over 10 years ago.

Under our Prime Minister's leadership, our government has raised the bar for transparency. That is why we passed legislation enabling the Parliamentary Budget Officer to cost parties' election platforms. The PBO's independent, non-partisan work will prevent parties from misleading Canadians and hiding planned cuts.

Unfortunately, only the Conservatives are refusing to have their platform independently costed—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians thought that after the sponsorship scandal the Liberals would turn over a new leaf. What we are seeing today is that the Liberal organization has not changed its culture. The Prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party was found guilty of breaching the Conflict of Interest Act four times. Furthermore, the Federal Court wants to reopen the investigation into his family trip to the Aga Khan's island.

Will the Prime Minister agree to reopen the investigation and collaborate?

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

Mr. Speaker, we know that the commissioners work at arm's length from the government and the House of Commons. On this side of the House, we respect the work that the commissioners do. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility and what the commissioner put in his report.

With respect to inappropriate donations to two political parties, we know that the commissioner of Canada elections conducted an investigation and that both parties returned those donations.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it was illegal, not inappropriate.

Earlier today I wrote to the RCMP commissioner suggesting an investigation of the Liberal leader's illegal vacation to the Aga Khan's island. Recent confirmation of the RCMP's deep involvement in the planning of the vacation, as well as lingering questions involving the Liberal leader's behaviour in the SNC corruption scandal, underscore the need to assure Canadians that there is only one law that must be followed by all Canadians.

Will the Prime Minister cooperate in any belated criminal investigation into his illegal vacation?

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

Mr. Speaker, as we know, this matter has been thoroughly studied by the former conflict of interest and ethics commissioner. The Prime Minister has accepted her findings. The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility when it comes to this matter.

The member opposite should very well know that ATIPs are handled completely separately from political staff. I should not have to remind the Conservatives that they were the ones who were found guilty of politically interfering with the ATIP process. It is unfortunate, because they actually rehired the person who was responsible and was found guilty.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the Liberal leader considers the exposure of each of his ever-accumulating ethical lapses learning experiences. Members will recall the Liberals' rote answers during the ethics commissioner's year-long investigation, pledging his co-operation, but we all saw, at the justice and ethics committees, just how much the Liberal leader co-operates if he does not like where an investigation is going.

Again, will the Liberal leader co-operate with a criminal investigation by the RCMP or the Ontario Provincial Police?

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

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to officers of Parliament and the independence of the police force, we on this side have the utmost respect for the work they do. We will always cooperate.

It is only the Conservatives who would have to ask that question, because we know that under 10 years of Stephen Harper, they had no regard when it came to officers of Parliament. We know that the Conservatives have chosen a new leader, but they continue with the same approach as Stephen Harper.

What is even more interesting is that the Conservatives will do anything but talk about their plan, because they have no plan. However, we know that they want to cut the tax-free Canada child benefit. That is why today we find that they do not even want to cost their electoral platform, because they want to mislead Canadians, just like Doug Ford did.

The Environment

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning, the government released its youth policy, which astonishingly announces that “[y]outh are conscious of the negative impacts climate change has” and that they “want to see further immediate action”. It is about time the government noticed, seeing as 150,000 young people have taken to the streets of Montreal demanding action.

In London, the U.K. Parliament wasted no time declaring a climate emergency earlier this week. Canada is asleep at the switch. It is true.

Six months ago, I urged all the parties to come together to implement emergency climate measures without further delay.

Now that their own report says it is important to listen to youth, will the Liberal Party finally sit down with all the other parties so we can work together to fight climate change?

This is urgent. Let's go.

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Youth) and to the Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction]

Mr. Speaker, if the NDP and the Conservatives want a plan for fighting climate change, I have one for them.

First, we put a price on pollution. Second, we offered an electric car incentive. Third, we are going to phase out coal by 2030.

If the member wants to talk about youth, it was our party that created the first ever youth policy and the first ever Prime Minister's Youth Council. We have created 35,000 work placements through Canada summer jobs and invested an additional $300 million.

Our party supports youth across the country, and we are going to keep doing that.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister fights for the billionaire class, first nations in Canada are facing one crisis after another. Now we have word that dialysis units were ripped out of Berens River, forcing people to travel to Winnipeg with next to no support. Regardless of their federal responsibility, there has been silence from the government.

When sick patients are forced to travel far away from their families, we are risking their lives. What will it take for the government to move beyond empty words and act to restore dialysis services in Berens River now?

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services]

Mr. Speaker, our government is working very hard on closing the unacceptable gap that exists right now between indigenous and non-indigenous communities when it comes to quality health care.

We are in the process of closing that gap. Fifty-two new community-led wellness centres are now serving 344 communities, 218,000 requests under Jordan's Principle and we are working with indigenous partners toward arrangements that will continue to support indigenous control of health care delivery.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians might wonder why the Liberals handed over $12 million to Loblaws, one of Canada's richest companies, to buy freezers. We have now learned that two Loblaws lobbyists, both frequent Liberal Party donors, lobbied the Minister of Environment and her staff. Then they met up with those staff again at an exclusive Liberal cash-for-access event with the Prime Minister. What a coincidence.

When will these Liberals stop giving preferential treatment to their wealthy and well-connected Liberal friends?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Fifty-four proposals were selected through a fair, transparent and rigorous process. There is absolutely no truth in what the party opposite is saying.

What Canadians want to know is why the party opposite will not consent to have the Parliamentary Budget Officer cost its platform. We want to know how much it is going to cost or how much the cuts are going to cost Canadians.

Campaign Financing

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

Mr. Speaker, only a Liberal would think it is fair to cost Canadians $12 million to give away freezers to a billion dollar company that would have bought them itself and call it an environment plan.

It is not just rich Canadian Liberals who can get access to the Prime Minister. An American CEO also found himself at a cash-for-access event with the Prime Minister, where he bragged about getting access to the Liberal cabinet by illegally obtaining a $1,600 ticket.

Why do those Liberals only follow the rules after they have first been found to have broken them?