House of Commons Hansard #184 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was services.

Topics

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Honoré-Mercier Québec

Liberal

Pablo Rodriguez LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage

Mr. Speaker, maybe they will understand what Chantal Hébert said. She said that she has been in the building three times for round tables organized by the Clerk of the Privy Council with deputy ministers. In all those years, she has never met the current Prime Minister.

She said that it was entirely possible that the Prime Minister did not even know about this meeting with deputy ministers, because it was none of his business; it was not his political staff.

I wonder if the Bloc thinks Chantal Hébert is part of the conspiracy too.

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Marie-Hélène Gaudreau Bloc Laurentides—Labelle, QC

Mr. Speaker, according to La Presse, 30 people have fled the Trudeau Foundation over the past two weeks. The newspaper quotes one such individual who said, “I feel like someone pulled a fast one on me, because, ultimately, it is not true that it is non-partisan”.

The Trudeau Foundation is a nest of Liberals, and that is exactly why China has been trying to get closer to them since the election of this Liberal government. It is clear, then, that anyone from the Trudeau Foundation is disqualified from investigating Chinese interference.

When will there be a public and independent commission of inquiry?

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Ajax Ontario

Liberal

Mark Holland LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, Canada has the strictest and strongest rules to protect the independence of charities of any kind.

It is unacceptable to attack an independent foundation which has no ties with the Prime Minister. This foundation is responsible for student grants to ensure that future generations have the funds they need to become the future leaders of our country.

It is not acceptable to attack an independent charity like that.

LabourOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC

Mr. Speaker, last year, Canadians stood in line for days to get their passports. Now the minister is asking them not to apply for a new passport and especially not to apply for a passport renewal.

Never in modern history has the government of a G7 nation asked such a thing of its citizens. It is sad and embarrassing. The Prime Minister has hiked the cost of the public service by 50%, but he is failing at managing services to the public.

When will the Prime Minister realize that it is crisis management time and he must resolve it now?

LabourOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Burlington Ontario

Liberal

Karina Gould LiberalMinister of Families

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the Conservatives fail to understand the importance of being honest with Canadians. This is what I am doing now, being honest with Canadians about the passport situation during the general strike.

It is equally unfortunate that the Conservatives are unable to grasp our duty to respect the right to strike. We have to respect public service workers, just as we have to respect Canadians.

That is why we are at the bargaining table to negotiate this agreement with the public service. We are going to reach an agreement that is good for public servants and good for the public.

LabourOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK

Mr. Speaker, even though public service spending has increased by 53%, we find ourselves in the grip of the biggest federal public service strike in history because of the Prime Minister's epic incompetence. Canadians are being denied the services they pay for and deserve. The solution, according a Liberal cabinet minister yesterday, was that they not apply for passports anymore. Can members believe that?

When will the government get the job done and restore services for all Canadians?

LabourOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Burlington Ontario

Liberal

Karina Gould LiberalMinister of Families

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives, I am not going to spin the situation for Canadians; I am going to be straight and honest with them. The law dictates what is an essential service, and passports are not considered essential under the law. I am not going to make things up; I am going to be straight with Canadians. When it comes to essential services like CPP, OAS, GIS, employment insurance, social insurance numbers, and filing taxes, these are all services that continue to be provided because they are considered to be essential.

LabourOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Mr. Speaker, let us be straight with Canadians. It takes a special level of incompetence to have increased spending of $21 billion on bureaucracy and an additional $22 billion on outside consultants and still end up with the largest federal public service strike in history.

Despite all of those billions of dollars being spent, Canadians still have no proposals, no plan and no passports. How much will the residents of northern B.C. have to pay to bring an end to the strike caused by the Prime Minister?

LabourOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

St. John's South—Mount Pearl Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Seamus O'Regan LiberalMinister of Labour

Mr. Speaker, if we are going to get into the record that members on either side of this House have when it comes to workers' rights, maybe we could talk about it.

I look at certain members in this House who were in government at one point of time. They now profess to be a party that represents workers. They just do not like the part where they may gather together, the collective part, the part where they actually get to bargain for free and fair wages.

For this side of the House I will say that we believe in the collective bargaining process. We will be there until the end. We will reach a fair and reasonable deal for taxpayers as well.

LabourOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Alex Ruff Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON

Mr. Speaker, trust in the Liberal government continues to erode. We are now a week into the largest general strike in history impacting the lives of all Canadians. Canadians are concerned about getting their tax returns on time. Afghans who helped Canada are still hiding in terror because the IRCC is incapable of processing their paperwork. Transport Canada is not conducting marine exams for students and now the minister who has presided over the largest backlog of passports in history has the audacity to tell Canadians that their passports are not essential and to not even bother to apply.

Why after two years of negotiating has the Liberal government failed to solve this dispute? When will Canadians get their passports?

LabourOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, let me tell members what our government is doing for Canadians. A few weeks ago in this House, we tabled a budget that for some reason the Conservatives do not want to talk about. Do members know why they do not want to talk about it? Because we balance fiscal responsibility with compassionate and necessary investments in Canadians. We are providing dental care for Canadians so that no one would be able to tell the size of someone's paycheque by their smile.

We are providing a grocery rebate to the Canadians who need it the most and we are investing in the jobs of the future and a green industrial policy.

LabourOral Questions

April 25th, 2023 / 2:50 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, immigration backlog and processing delays continue to have a detrimental impact for people who want to reunite with loved ones and for those who need to get to safety.

As the crisis in Sudan worsens, Canadians with loved ones in Sudan are worried sick about their safety. The Liberals must get a fair deal for the PSAC workers to restore all immigration services. The longer the government drags its feet, the longer loved ones trapped in Sudan will have to wait.

Will the Prime Minister step in to prevent the processing backlog from getting even worse at IRCC?

LabourOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Ahuntsic-Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reassure this House because my colleague mentioned the fact that people stuck in Sudan are not able to get out of Sudan. Canadians right now are being contacted 24-7 because consular services are emergency services. We are there to help them. We have had 550 of them who raised their hands saying they need help; 100 have gotten out of Sudan.

We are on this and we will make sure that every Canadian is coming back and is safe.

Gender-Based ViolenceOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are going to cut $150 million in funding to women's shelters by September. Six hundred women's shelters will be impacted across the country. Gender-based violence is on the rise. This is unacceptable.

Women and gender-diverse folks always seem to be an afterthought for the government. This funding is desperately needed to help those fleeing violence.

Will the Prime Minister commit to renewing this life-saving funding or was his claim to be a feminist government just a farce?

Gender-Based ViolenceOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Toronto Centre Ontario

Liberal

Marci Ien LiberalMinister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

Mr. Speaker, far from an afterthought, when the pandemic hit, a $3-million emergency funding top-up was what we provided to make sure that shelters could keep the lights on and keep the doors open. This work continues with the national action plan, more than half a billion dollars in the last budget to work with provinces and territories to make sure that the most vulnerable women and girls are safe.

I said that we would have women's backs and I stand by my words.

TransportationOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Wilson Miao Liberal Richmond Centre, BC

Mr. Speaker, our supply chains and trade corridors have experienced challenges due to the pandemic, the impact of climate change and external events such as Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. Canada's economy and population continue to grow, and Canadians deserve to get the goods they need on time. Could the minister inform the House on how we can increase capacity at our ports and strengthen our supply chains for Canadians?

TransportationOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Mississauga Centre Ontario

Liberal

Omar Alghabra LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Richmond Centre for his advocacy. Last week, the Minister of Natural Resources and I announced that it is in our national interest to increase the capacity of the Port of Vancouver by 50% by approving the Roberts Bank terminal 2 project.

The port will have to abide by 370 conditions, and we will continue our work with indigenous peoples, environmental stakeholders and unions to ensure the expansion and resilience of our supply chains. We have always said that our environmental plan is an economic plan. We are getting the job done.

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Mr. Speaker, Beijing Communists laundered money into the Trudeau Foundation to gain influence with the Prime Minister. Foundation members who received Beijing's foreign-influence cash were then hand-picked by the Prime Minister to investigate the foreign interference their foundation facilitated.

The PM, unbelievably, claims he has no ties to the Trudeau Foundation, yet his office hosted a meeting between foundation leadership and top government bureaucrats. When will the Liberal-NDP alliance end the cover-up and call for an independent investigation into foreign influence that is without the taint of the Trudeau Foundation?

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Ajax Ontario

Liberal

Mark Holland LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, of course the member would be aware that it was not in the Prime Minister's office, but in the building, and that many things happen in his building and in everybody's buildings. I do not know if the member is aware of everything that happens in his office building. These were meetings with public servants, which had nothing to do with the Prime Minister.

The thing that I find disturbing is that they keep attacking a foundation when we have rules in this country, which are the strongest in the world, to protect the independence of our charities. The job of the foundation, which is the charity the Conservatives are attacking, is to give scholarships to students so they can be our future leaders. The Conservatives do not care whom or what they attack. Their partisan games continue.

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Mr. Speaker, here we go again. It is just a building.

To acquaint the government House leader, because maybe he has never been there, the building is called the Prime Minister's office. It is a four-storey building. Everybody who works in that building is either exempt staff of the Prime Minister or a member of the Prime Minister's own department.

It is not like an apartment building where they just rent one space in it and do not know what else goes on. This is the Prime Minister's own office. The Trudeau Foundation met with with five deputy ministers in the Prime Minister's own office. The Prime Minister is a member of the Trudeau Foundation, and he is trying to cover this up. Why will he not tell the truth?

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Ajax Ontario

Liberal

Mark Holland LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, it has been made clear, first of all, that the Prime Minister is not an active member at all of the Trudeau Foundation. He has been independent from that for more than 10 years.

I do not know how much time the member spends on subreddits and 4chan, but instead he should spend some time looking at facts. The facts are that we have some of the strictest rules for charities anywhere in the world. With respect to attacking charities on baseless information and misrepresenting them, the member knows full well that the building that the Prime Minister is in has, yes, the PMO. It also has PCO and, just as they do in the member's building, lots of things happen in different buildings.

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC

Mr. Speaker, no one believes the Prime Minister's claims that he built a wall between himself and the Trudeau Foundation. He is the only one who can see that wall, and the Beijing regime sees a wide open window. Canada's spy agency has made it clear that the Communist regime sees the Trudeau Foundation as a gateway to influencing the Prime Minister. His own brother, Alexandre, arranged and received a $200,000 cheque from the Beijing regime on behalf of the foundation.

Is it not time to let a family member speak out about the use of the Trudeau Foundation to influence the Prime Minister?

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Ajax Ontario

Liberal

Mark Holland LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I reject in totality the idea that the government would ever allow itself to be influenced by a foreign power. The idea that this would take place is absolutely ridiculous and offensive.

However, let us talk about the walls that protect our institutions. Let us talk about the wall that is supposed to exist to protect our public broadcaster, CBC and Radio-Canada, which they want to tear down and destroy. They are talking with foreign tech giants about how to get rid of a public broadcaster.

Let us talk about the wall that exists between monetary and fiscal policy in this country and what they want to do to the Bank of Canada. If the Conservatives want to talk about destroying walls, let us talk about what their plans are.

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC

Mr. Speaker, if I have to choose between the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Liberal government House leader, I will take the word of the security intelligence agency. Its officials found that there had been a donation whose main purpose was to influence the current Prime Minister.

An article in La Presse this morning said it well: “The Prime Minister can swear that a Chinese wall separates him from the foundation, but that is not what the donors — and not just Beijing — who have been pouring dollars into the foundation since he took office seem to believe.”

When will he finally admit that he is being influenced as Prime Minister because of his proximity to the Trudeau Foundation?

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Ajax Ontario

Liberal

Mark Holland LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, it is not up to me to respond. It is up to Canada's laws to protect the independence of any type of foundation in Canada. The law is there to ensure their independence, and it is totally irresponsible to attack a foundation that is responsible for awarding scholarships and ensuring that there is money for the future leaders of our country.