Debates of May 29th, 2023

Democratic Institutions

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, what do I think the public servants at CSIS have been doing? I know what they have been doing. They have been picking up the phone and calling the media to blow the whistle on the cover-up on that side of the House of Commons.

They have proved that there are at least two police stations that are still open and that got tax dollars from the government. These are police stations run by Beijing, not Canada.

Will the government finally shut down these police stations and call a public inquiry?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader is the one who wants to cover his eyes from the information.

We have insisted that we are prepared to work with the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada to make sure that he has access to the same classified information that Mr. Johnston had, that the two panels who verified the integrity of the 2019 and 2021 elections had, that NSICOP will have and that NSIRA will have. It is he and he alone who refuses to take this issue seriously because he refuses to take the briefing.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I refuse to be silenced, unlike members of the government.

Given that the tradition in this place is that opposition members can pose questions to any member of the government, my question is for the leader of the NDP. He has said that he wants a public inquiry. Now is the time for him to prove it.

Will the member leading the NDP state clearly now that either the government calls a public inquiry or he will break off his coalition?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, we have watched as a party that once recognized David Johnston as one of the most outstanding—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am going to interrupt and ask that the hon. member start over. It just got noisy all of a sudden. I am not sure exactly what happened. I will ask everyone to take a deep breath.

Please restart.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what we have seen is that members of the party opposite, which once recognized David Johnston not only as an outstanding Canadian but also as somebody worthy of being the Governor General of this country, appointed under Stephen Harper, now, because his report does not conform to the party's politics and does not conform to its political interests, are attacking and maligning his character. This is part of a pattern of the party opposite. It is more interested in politics. It is more interested in making partisan points than it is in the facts on the ground.

There is not a member of the House who does not stand strongly and firmly in support of democracy and against those—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for La Prairie.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Let us get right to the point, Mr. Speaker. David Johnston's report on Chinese interference is a farce. No one accepts it except the Prime Minister and China, which is having a great laugh.

There is no way we are going to let the Prime Minister get away with not calling a public inquiry.

What would it mean if there were no public inquiry? That would mean no inquiry into the threats against elected officials, no inquiry into the Trudeau Foundation, no inquiry into the intimidation of the Chinese diaspora and no inquiry into the 11 candidates who were funded by China. This charade serves only to protect the Prime Minister.

When will there be an independent public inquiry?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I once again encourage the leader of the Bloc Québécois to accept the government's offer to access the most sensitive and specific details that Mr. Johnston and the committee of parliamentarians, which includes a representative from the Bloc Québécois and from each of the other opposition parties, had access to. I would encourage him to access all that information and get all the facts before coming to unfounded partisan conclusions.

This is a serious matter that requires a serious response. I invite the Bloc Québécois to do exactly that.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

There are some distinct voices that we can recognize in the House. I am sure that they would not want to be named publicly.

There are some distinct voices, in both languages, I might say. That is very Canadian, but it is still not parliamentary. I am sure the hon. members do not want me to name them, so we will just go on to the next question.

The hon. member for La Prairie.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this report seeks to protect the Prime Minister, not to shed light on Chinese interference. That is why no one has changed their mind about the need for a public inquiry. Quebeckers and Canadians alike are calling for a inquiry. The polls are clear.

This report that is soft on the Prime Minister was written by a man who was selected by the Prime Minister. That is not what the public and the House want.

News flash: The Bloc Québécois will hound the Prime Minister every day until he launches this inquiry.

Does he understand that he will not get away with this that easily?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, again, I invite my colleague from La Prairie to talk to his leader and convince him to take advantage of the government's serious offer to share highly sensitive intelligence, so that the leader of the Bloc Québécois and his colleague who sits on the committee of parliamentarians in charge of looking into precisely this type of issue can look at the very facts that Mr. Johnston and the committee of parliamentarians will see to reach their conclusions.

I think that is the least the Bloc Québécois can do on such an important issue.

Innovation, Science and Industry

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we learned this weekend that negotiations with Stellantis to resume the production of the EV battery factory in Windsor are not going well. I do not know why the Conservatives are moaning about this. This is very serious. There are 2,500 jobs at stake, and it is the future of the automotive sector of our country.

Will the government ensure that those jobs do not end up going to the U.S. and that, instead, we keep those jobs here in Canada and do everything possible to make this deal go forward? While the Conservatives want this deal to not go forward, we want it to go forward.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the answer, absolutely, is yes. We will ensure that the deal goes forward. We will ensure that the jobs will stay in Canada. That is why we have a $120-billion clean economy plan.

What else will we ensure? We are going to ensure that Ontario pays its fair share, because this is an investment in a particular province, and we know Canada is a country of regions and regional equity is really important. We are going to ensure that the company comes forward with a reasonable offer as well.

Housing

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government needs to back up those words with action and protect the factory.

Across Canada, rent prices are skyrocketing, and Quebec is no exception. Rent keeps increasing at a breakneck pace. In Montreal, rent for a one-bedroom unit is now more than $2,100. For most Quebeckers, that means there is not much left to pay the bills and buy groceries.

When will this government finally step up and put an end to this crisis?

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing)]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

I would like to remind him that, since our initiative with the national housing strategy, Quebec has received more than $5 billion to build or renovate thousands of housing units. We will continue to work with the Government of Quebec, particularly on the third round of the rapid housing initiative that we have just come to an agreement on with the province.

Democratic Institutions

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am in trouble. I am being investigated, and my company is being investigated, but my colleagues should not worry; it is going to be okay. I have appointed my long-time neighbour and friend to investigate. Wait; sorry, I thought for a moment I was the Prime Minister.

Appointing one's friend to investigate oneself is unethical, absolutely. No one other than the Liberals puts any faith in this old friend's report.

What will it take for the Liberals to finally call a public inquiry?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I quote: “Mr. Johnston has a strong record of public service, a broad base of support and an impressive list of achievements. He has extensive legal expertise, a comprehensive understanding of government and a deep appreciation of the duties and tasks now before him.... David Johnston represents the best of Canada.” That was said by Stephen Harper.

It is interesting that somebody whom the Conservatives lifted up and venerated as one of the greatest Canadians, when he disagrees with them, suddenly is roadside trash. Suddenly, the things he says mean nothing. It is despicable, and I have great disregard for the way in which somebody—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Are we okay to continue? There is a lot of chatter going on. It is nice to see members getting along, but if they want to talk among themselves, they should go into the lobby or leave. They do not have to be here. If they want to talk among themselves, that is okay, but they should not do it here when people are trying to hear the question and the answer. Do I have everyone's agreement on that? Very good.

The hon. member for Dufferin—Caledon.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a conflict of interest arises when there is an appearance of conflict. Appointing an old friend to investigate oneself is an absolute appearance of conflict. To do that knowingly is completely unethical. Therefore, we get to the point where we have to ask why. Why would someone appoint a friend? What are they hiding? Why would a public inquiry not be called? The question Canadians ask every day now is this: What are they hiding?

I will ask again. What will it take for the Liberals to finally get rid of this conflict of interest report and call a public inquiry?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, of course, David Johnston has been a great friend to Canada. He is somebody who has dedicated his entire life. The idea that Mr. Johnston, after a lifetime of dedicated service, including service that the party opposite called him into—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I will ask the government House leader to start over. I am having a hard time hearing. There are some comments being made and some shouting taking place. We will wait until everyone calms down.

The government House leader.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that David Johnston has dedicated his life to this country.

The reality is that national security is something that I know every member of the House is deeply seized with, and that is precisely why we are having a hard time understanding why the Leader of the Opposition refuses to take information, why he refuses to take his hands from in front of his face and look at the information he has been asked to look at in the interest of national security so that we can work together to preserve the democracy we all so deeply care about.