Debates of April 28th, 2023

Labour

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I am going to get the hon. minister to restart his answer and hopefully there will not be any interruptions this time.

The hon. minister.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Madam Speaker, we should roll the clip back to when President Biden was in the House and the Conservatives would not stand up when he talked about a gender-balanced cabinet. The Conservatives would not stand up when he talked about union rights. The Conservatives do not believe in collective bargaining; we do. We are going to get a deal that is fair for Canadians, a deal that is fair for the federal public servants. Why do they not like the fact that we have more public servants? I cannot say, but the public servants helped us get through the pandemic. The Conservatives do not like it; Canadians do.

We are going to get a good deal.

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Madam Speaker, Canadians are getting their lunch eaten and being told it is good for them. Under the Liberals, everything is broken. Canadians are being denied basic government services once again, because of the largest public service strike in history. It is said that Nero played the fiddle while Rome burned. The Prime Minister is now doing the same, but, knowing him, he is playing dress-up.

When will he fix the mess that he made?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport]

Madam Speaker, Canadians deserve elected representatives who come to Ottawa with solutions, not just cheap shots and slogans. Triple-triple is a coffee order at Tim Hortons, not a policy solution. It is not a valuable contribution to the debate in the House. However, budget 2023 invests in solutions like dental care for uninsured families, investments in mental health and more doctors and nurses to reduce wait times and make sure that Canadians can get the procedures and the surgeries that they need.

When will the Conservatives propose some solutions instead of just these childish slogans? We need some solutions, everyone. That is what Canadians need.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, we will propose solutions when we form government.

In Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, schools in Shannon and Valcartier are closed and parents are having to take time off work because traffic is being disrupted. Canadian citizens have unanswered questions about their tax returns. There are delays in issuing passports to young people who have invested all their savings in their year-end trip, and families will lose thousands of dollars without those passports.

The government is solely responsible for this strike. Where is the Prime Minister when it is time to negotiate, find a solution and get the country out of this crisis?

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board]

Madam Speaker, as I have said many times, we are still at the bargaining table with the union. We are there to negotiate in good faith. I am confident that when the parties are there and decide to negotiate in good faith, we will come to a solution.

There are certainly situations where we want to avoid doing what the Conservatives do: Whenever there is a problem, they always blame the public servants.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, I think my colleague has missed the point of what we have been saying for the last 10 days.

The bureaucracy has increased by 50% in terms of costs paid by Canadian taxpayers, who are receiving fewer services. Now 155,000 Canadian public service workers are on strike. It is the largest strike in Canadian history.

This government's inaction over the past two years is what created this dispute.

When will the Prime Minister come back and fix this problem?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Madam Speaker, the point my hon. colleague has missed is that this increased spending was to serve Canadians during the pandemic.

I know the Conservatives have forgotten that there was a pandemic that sent big shock waves through the economy and the health care system, but our government was there for Canadians during the pandemic. We made sure they received income supports, and we were there for Canadian organizations.

We will continue to respect the bargaining process with the union.

Democratic Institutions

[René Villemure, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Madam Speaker, at this point, the ties between the Prime Minister and the Trudeau Foundation are clear. His family, his friends and his staff are involved, as we heard in committee this morning.

The ties between the Chinese government and the foundation are also clear after a $140,000 donation was made. The Trudeau Foundation is a collection of Liberal Party friends, and that is why it is of interest to China. All Quebeckers understand this.

One question remains: Who can trust anyone from the foundation to investigate Beijing's attempts to get close to Liberal circles?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, where I agree with the member is that it is very clear. The Prime Minister has had no direct or indirect contact with the Trudeau Foundation for over 10 years now. That is well established and is very clear.

[René Villemure, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Madam Speaker, Ottawa must clamp down.

This was the warning given last week by Raphaël Glucksmann, chair of the special committee on foreign interference in Europe, who stated that what made it possible for these repeated attacks to take place was first and foremost the absence of sanctions, adding that there were no sanctions in the European Union.

That is why the Bloc Québécois is calling for three things: first, an independent public inquiry; second, an independent and permanent investigative body; and, third, a criminal law on foreign interference to equip police services. No one will settle for an already-discredited report by the Trudeau Foundation.

When will the Prime Minister realize that?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Madam Speaker, my colleague from the Bloc Québécois knows full well that our government strengthened legislation to deal with foreign interference in our democratic institutions. He knows full well that we have taken several measures—which were definitely not in place when we formed the government in 2015—to strengthen our institutions and to counter foreign interference, which had already been a factor for 10 years.

The good news is that we are continually working to strengthen our measures. We look forward to reading Mr. Johnston's recommendations on this issue.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Madam Speaker, by using the Trudeau Foundation, a Beijing influence operation was successful. For $140,000, Beijing had access to the Prime Minister and to the man the Prime Minister picked to investigate and report on foreign interference in our elections. What did that report say? It said there was nothing to see.

Is $140,000 the cost to influence our democracy under the Liberals?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, let us talk about bending the truth. The reality is very simple: At the end of the day, the Prime Minister has had no direct or indirect contact with the foundation for over 10 years now. The member knows that.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals are unreal. They are the only ones who think that “arm's-length” means literally holding a meeting at arm's length from the Prime Minister's desk. They allowed Beijing to directly interfere in our elections and gave direct access to the Prime Minister and the person who is supposed to investigate interference in our elections. It is unbelievable. It is frankly not credible. Conservatives have called for hearings to occur on this, and we have invited, because he asked in the newspapers, Mr. Alexandre Trudeau to appear at committee to answer questions.

The Prime Minister's brother is going to answer questions. The board that is falling apart is answering questions. When will the Liberals finally give Canadians answers?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, again, the member is very much aware that standing committees get the opportunity to call the witnesses they choose to call, and we respect that.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Madam Speaker, Trudeau Foundation donors paid for the Prime Minister's luxurious $80,000 Caribbean vacation. The Prime Minister's brother signed off on a $140,000 Beijing bribe to the foundation to buy his influence, and the foundation held a meeting with five deputy ministers in none other than the Prime Minister's own office.

The Prime Minister claims he has nothing to do with the Trudeau Foundation. Is it really so?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, yes, it really is. I do not know how much clearer I can be on this issue. The Prime Minister has very much indicated that there has been no direct or indirect contact with the Trudeau Foundation. The member knows that, and it has not taken place for over 10 years now.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Madam Speaker, there is more. The Prime Minister appointed the former president of the Trudeau Foundation to whitewash Beijing's interference in the 2021 election. It was interference to help him get re-elected. Convenient appointments, paid vacations, meetings in his office and Beijing bribes all connect the Prime Minister to the Trudeau Foundation.

When will the Prime Minister and the government stop insulting the intelligence of Canadians and admit that the Prime Minister is closely connected to the foundation that bears his family name?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I would like to tell the member that tinfoil hats are on sale on Amazon. I have been very clear on the issue. The Prime Minister has not had direct or indirect contact with the foundation for well over 10 years.

Labour

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Speaker, while the Prime Minister is schmoozing with billionaires and bankers and taking selfies with Hollywood stars, 155,000 civil servant workers are on day 10 of their strike. In Winnipeg, 9,000 workers are on the streets, waiting on the Prime Minister to deliver a fair wage to keep up with inflation. The Prime Minister's lack of attention is, quite frankly, disrespectful.

When will the Prime Minister get to the negotiation table to deliver the fair deal that workers deserve?

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board]

Madam Speaker, let me make this perfectly clear: The negotiators for the federal government are at the table, and they are negotiating in good faith. The negotiators for the unions are at the table, and they are negotiating. The best deal to happen is at the negotiating table, and if they work together, I am confident they will come to an agreement.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Madam Speaker, migrant workers in the care economy are essential. They deserve respect and they deserve to stay here if they choose to. They take care of our aging parents, grandparents and loved ones. The Liberals must grant permanent residency for migrant workers and their families so that they have the same protections and rights as any Canadian worker.

When will the Minister of Immigration grant permanent residency for migrant workers in Canada?

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for her question and for her advocacy for caregivers in our country. As a former social worker, I know caregivers' hardship. I have also worked with caregivers in many of my roles before entering politics.

We have announced that we are reducing work requirements from 24 months to 12 months to help reduce the barriers in getting PR. We sincerely value the sacrifice of our caregivers. We will always try to help people.

Labour

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Madam Speaker, today is the National Day of Mourning when we remember those who have died on the job and commit to safer and more respectful workplaces for all. A safe workplace is a fundamental right of every Canadian worker. One death in the workplace is one too many.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour tell us what our government is doing to help ensure workplaces are safe for Canada's workers on this National Day of Mourning?