Debates of Oct. 23rd, 2024

Hungarian Heritage Month Act

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-416, An Act to designate the month of October as Hungarian Heritage Month.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to introduce legislation to designate October as Hungarian heritage month. By introducing this bill on October 23, we honour those Hungarian patriots who fought for freedom, democracy and human rights in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. I am proud that my honorary godfather, Andras Pinces, was one of those brave people.

This bill recognizes the impressive contributions of Hungarian Canadians to our nation's social, economic, academic and cultural fabric. From the first Hungarian immigrants in the late 19th century to the tens of thousands who arrived after the 1956 uprising, their resilience and achievements have enriched Canada. From business leaders like Peter Munk to Nobel Prize winner John Polanyi, to global music star Alanis Morissette, Hungarian Canadians have made their mark in Canada and on the world stage.

By designating October as Hungarian heritage month, we acknowledge the invaluable role Hungarian Canadians play in shaping our country. I would like to thank Her Excellency Maria Vass-Salazar, Hungary's ambassador to Canada, for her assistance with this initiative.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Citizenship Act

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

moved that Bill S-235, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, be read the first time.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to introduce Bill S-235, an act that would amend the Citizenship Act and Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

I would like to thank my colleague, the member for Edmonton Griesbach, a determined champion for the rights of the child, for seconding this bill. As well, retired senator Mobina Jaffer and Senator Kim Pate for drafting and guiding it through the Senate at all its stages.

On any day, there are an estimated 61,000 children in out-of-home care. Each of these children, like all children, deserve the best care and to have the rights of the child respected, yet we know there are times when the system fails them and they fall through the cracks.

It is the responsibility of the government to apply for citizenship for children in care who came to Canada as minors, yet the government routinely fails to do so. As the children age out at 18, and if they come in conflict with the law, they could face deportation, even though they may not have any connection to the country they left.

Bill S-235 would ensure children who come to Canada and are in the care system obtain their Canadian citizenship. Children aging out of care already face far too many extraordinary systemic barriers.

I call on all parties in the House to support this bill to protect the rights of some of the most vulnerable children in Canada.

(Motion agreed to and bill read the first time)

Foreign Affairs

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present petition e-5014, which was signed by a large number of people.

These petitioners are calling on the government to ask United States representatives, through the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to lift the blockade against Cuba as well as to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism; reaffirm the importance of denouncing the blockade against Cuba as one of the key barriers to the Cuban people’s full enjoyment of their human rights; act immediately to preserve the sovereignty of Quebec and Canada, ensuring that Quebec and Canadian corporations and other entities, particularly governmental ones, do not participate in the American economic sanctions against Cuba; and ensure that Quebec and Canadian relations with Cuba continue to be based on equality and respect for sovereignty, independence and the right to self-determination.

I commend these petitioners, and I am honoured to present this petition.

Opioids

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise virtually today in the House to present a petition on behalf of residents of Saanich—Gulf Islands. It is petition 130-25233.

The petitioners wish to draw the awareness of the House to the public health emergency that is the opioid crisis, and otherwise referred to as an “overdose crisis.” The British Columbia public health officer has already recognized that this is a public health emergency, as have many municipalities across Canada.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to recognize this is a national public health emergency, to reframe what sometimes is called an overdose crisis as a health issue and not one involving criminal law and criminal sanctions, and to do whatever is possible, through a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach, to provide life-saving help and policies that support people dealing with mental health and addictions. It is a crisis.

On behalf of these petitioners, I submit this petition to our government and look forward to its response.

Climate Change

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

Mr. Speaker, climate change is real and a vital concern for many of my constituents. It is why I rise today to table petition number 44-1, calling on the Government of Canada to enact the principal concepts of the proposed climate-aligned finance act.

I would like to thank James Murphy and Janet Ledwell from Citizens' Climate Lobby for their tireless advocacy on climate action in Canada.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to present a petition signed by several hundred people, which reminds us that the House recognized Quebec as a nation and that the family reunification thresholds imposed by Quebec are causing unfair delays for Quebec sponsors.

The petitioners are calling on Parliament to rule on the constitutionality of the thresholds for family reunification in Quebec and on the constitutionality of all statutes or administrative measures causing delays of up to 38 months for the sponsorship of a spouse or partner in Quebec.

The petitioners are also calling on Parliament to declare that obtaining a Certificat de sélection du Québec, or CSQ, is a discriminatory measure based on Quebec nationality and to establish a comparable and equal procedure for processing applications in relation to other Canadian provinces, given the nature of the sponsorship and the Canadian citizenship of the sponsors.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition submitted by Canadian firefighters; it addresses an urgent issue that has an impact on their health and safety. I am grateful that this petition was sponsored by the member for New Westminster—Burnaby; it calls for immediate action to ban PFAS in firefighter gear and firefighting foam. Often, PFAS are man-made chemicals. They are resistant to heat, water and oil, but that durability comes at a cost to firefighters' health. The PFAS can accumulate in their bodies, and they face higher cancer risks than the general population.

Several countries have restricted the use of PFAS, and Canada must follow suit. That is what the petitioners are demanding.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am also rising to present a petition from firefighters. It was submitted by firefighters from Vancouver IAFF Local 18, but this is an issue that affects firefighters from coast to coast to coast, including in my riding of Cowichan—Malahat—Langford.

This petition addresses an urgent issue impacting the health and safety of firefighters across Canada. It was sponsored by my colleague for New Westminster—Burnaby, and it calls for immediate action to ban PFAS in firefighting gear and firefighting foam. These substances are man-made chemicals that are resistant to heat, water and oil, but their durability comes at a significant cost. Scientific evidence links these substances to severe health risks, including cancer, putting our firefighters at greater risk. They already face hazardous conditions.

Research shows that PFAS can accumulate in the body, leading to serious health issues. Alarmingly, firefighters face a higher cancer risk than the general population. We must mitigate these risks by regulating what we can control in their working conditions. Several countries have restricted PFAS use. Canada must follow suit. Our firefighters deserve gear that is free from toxic chemicals.

This is what the petitioners are asking for, and I hope the government respects their wishes.

Old Age Security

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the people from Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, especially before the member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon. I suppose it is age before beauty in this case.

I rise to present a petition from 102 people from Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. They are requesting an increase to OAS payments. They are of the view that a livable pension must be above the poverty line of $25,252 per year. They request assistance in passing legislation as soon as possible.

This petition is directed to the hon. Minister of Finance.

Emergency Services

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of Canadians who are concerned with the limitations in accessing emergency services, such as 911. People in crisis and their family members should be able to access help, regardless of their location or means of communication. Presently, only the province of Nova Scotia and the cities of Ottawa, Waterloo and Calgary have the capabilities to transfer 911 calls elsewhere in Canada. Next-generation 911 technologies will allow people to send text message and will enable operators to transfer 911 calls between jurisdictions.

The petitioners call on the government to work with CRTC, as well as provincial, territorial and municipal governments, to implement NG911 technology rapidly and with a set timeline.

Public Safety

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to present a petition on behalf of constituents. I rise for the 52nd time on behalf of the people of Swan River, Manitoba, to present a petition on the rising rate of crime.

The community of Swan River is alarmed by extreme levels of crime caused by the Liberal government's soft-on-crime laws, such as Bill C-5 and Bill C-75. Bill C-75 allows violent repeat offenders to be in jail in the morning and back out in their communities in the evening, and Bill C-5 allows criminals to serve their sentences from home. It is no surprise that, after nine years of the Liberal government, Statistics Canada reports that violent crime has risen by 50%.

The people of Swan River see crime in the streets every day, and that is why they are calling for jail, not bail, for repeat violent offenders. The people of Swan River demand that the Liberal government repeal its soft-on-crime policies, which directly threaten their livelihoods and their community. I support the good people of Swan River.

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

I thank all members for their petitions.

I would like to remind members that it is important to summarize the contents of the petition. However, it is common practice in the House not to indicate whether one favours or disfavours the petition; one should merely present it.

Questions on the Order Paper

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

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand at this time.

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Motions for Papers

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, I would ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand at this time.

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Windsor-Detroit Corridor

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

The Chair has notice of a request for an emergency debate from the hon. member for Windsor West.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to request an emergency debate in this chamber, consistent with other emergency debates that have taken place, with regard to the subject matter of the trade route on the Windsor-Detroit corridor.

In less than one week, on October 29, the Government of Canada, unless there is intervention, will permit class 3 and class 8 hazardous waste materials to cross the American-owned Ambassador Bridge. This would be detrimental to our economy; basically, 24% of the national trade between Canada and the United States takes place on this bridge. It has the drinking water for millions of people, the largest fresh water supply in the world and an ecosystem that is right on our doorstep. The material, which includes battery components, battery fluid, hydraulic acid and other things, will cross an over 90-year-old bridge, which is going to cost us with respect to traffic management and ecosystem difficulty.

It was cleared by the Michigan Department of Transportation after it did a thorough investigation on its side about the routing, but that has never been done on the Canadian side. In fact, the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario did not even make a submission on this with respect to the negligence. The City of Windsor and the Windsor Fire and Rescue Services have opposed it. Many different individuals on the U.S. side have also opposed this. None of them have done any of this work, and there is currently no plan in place to deal with a spill or the materials that could get into our drinking water. It could also cause a backup and a delay in traffic.

This chamber was seized with the blockade of this route in 2022 because it cost the Canadian economy billions of dollars. In fact, in Sarnia, just a month ago, a small leakage that could have been cleaned up properly, as facilitated through a process, shut down that bridge for several hours. That is hundreds of millions of dollars that would take place in the Canadian economy. Not only that, but we do not even have the fire and rescue services plan yet to deal with those issues, so we cannot even use some of the proper techniques necessary.

Further to that, the CBSA union and the CIU, which has been doing the oversight on this, have not even been trained or notified by the government with regard to the issue. Therefore, there is no protocol in place, and the City of Windsor is scrambling to deal with this.

There have been no public hearings. There have been no consultations with the indigenous communities that I am aware of.

The potential danger of explosions and accidents is expanded because the small bridge capacity on the plazas is something that will create further problems that will not be able to be addressed.

The Windsor-Detroit ferry service operation has been opposed to this. It closed just recently. For over 30 years, it brought the materials across in a safe way, with a perfect record. Only recently, through lobbying in the United States, did this change take place at the Michigan Department of Transportation. This is what is odd: We have ceded our sovereignty to the Michigan Department of Transportation, and the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada have not even made representations on this. In fact, they have stood down on it.

A number of different issues have arisen on this bridge in the past. In fact, we had to bring in a law in this country, called the International Bridges and Tunnels Act, because the private property before that was something that we could not even deal with. We had no laws in this country to deal with it. However, because of the behaviour and the management of the Ambassador Bridge, a new law was crafted and created in Canada.

In summary, I want to make sure that we have a chance to discuss this issue in Parliament. If we do not act right now, the routes of those vehicles will change. They are going to go into densely urban areas on the Detroit and Windsor sides. In addition, we do not have any plan in place to date to deal with this issue and, if there is a problem, the consequence to the economy will be significant.

This is an over 90-year-old structure that will have corrosive materials expanded to its system; they could even cause permanent damage. Basic questions relating to firefighter training have not even been provided for right now. There is no plan or support for that. There has been no containment or environmental concern plan developed by the federal or provincial government.

There is a fuel-specific risk that could expand the complications of it, and we do not even know if the Ambassador Bridge authority has provided the proper economic impact assessment for its insurance.

I conclude by asking for this to be looked at tonight, because the Government of Canada has to act. If we do not act right now, a private American billionaire and the Michigan Department of Transportation are going to determine the fate of the international crossing that crosses not only Detroit, Michigan, but from Montreal all the way to Florida. This is with respect to the trade and traffic of 25% of the Canadian economy, as well as the drinking water of millions of people and an ecosystem that is very fragile.

This has been denied on this 90-year-old bridge to date. A process is in place wherein, in a matter of months, within the year or just soon after, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will open up with the best standards for containment, capture and design for that, similar to Sarnia, which has this in place.

It is very suspicious that after all these decades of denying access to these types of capabilities on the bridge, this is being provided when the solution is right in front of us. There is a looming deadline and we have no plans whatsoever in place. Not even union workers or the fire department in the city of Windsor have been trained on this issue.

Why would we change things right now? We have safe crossing solutions in Sarnia at the moment. We will have the Gordie Howe International Bridge open very soon. The chamber needs to discuss this because so much of our economy and ecosystems are at risk. They are very unique and could be permanently damaged. The risk factors are so significant that the history of our crossing, with the freedom of the Underground Railroad, will be disgraced, because if an accident happens, it will pollute one of the most magnificent pieces of fresh water in the world and one of the strongest economic links to our number one trading partner.

Speaker's Ruling

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

I thank the hon. member for Windsor West for his genuine intervention. However, I am not satisfied that this request for an emergency debate meets the requirements of the Standing Orders.

The House resumed from October 22 consideration of the motion, of the amendment and of the amendment to the amendment.

Reference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, for weeks now, the regular business of this chamber has been put on hold because of the Liberal government's refusal to produce the documents ordered by the House. Parliament is, in fact, seized by this issue.

We are unable to get back to the regular business of this place. Whether it is the doubling of housing costs, Liberal food inflation or the crime and chaos in our streets, there are many pressing issues that deserve the attention of the House. However, this privilege motion must be dealt with. We must ensure that Parliament has the powers necessary to hold the government to account.

To be clear, the Liberal government has the power to bring this debate to an end. The Liberals could choose today to comply with the production order that was adopted by this House and affirm the collective parliamentary privileges of this chamber. Instead, they continue to dig their heels into the sand. The Liberal government is more preoccupied with the protection of those involved in the Sustainable Development Technology Canada green slush fund than they are with ensuring the integrity of this institution and the health of our democracy.

Parliamentary privileges are vital to the proper functioning of Parliament. These privileges ensure that the House and its members are protected from undue interference so that we can hold the government to account. This includes the collective privilege of the House of Commons to order and compel the production of documents that it deems necessary to carry out its duties.

The Conservative motion adopted this past spring ordering the production of documents relating to the green slush fund does exactly that. The motion requests documents that are necessary to hold the government to account for its abuse and misuse of tax dollars through the green slush fund. The receipt of these documents will allow Parliament to provide proper scrutiny of the government's program and the government's spending.

The Liberal government's refusal to provide the documents obstructs our collective ability to hold it to full account. The Chair's finding in this question of privilege is clear. The motion ordering the production of documents was adopted by the House and the request itself was clear, but the government has not complied with it. The redaction of certain documents and, in other cases, the outright refusal to provide documents are unacceptable. Withholding this evidence is a breach of the House's parliamentary privilege, and the impact of this failure to comply with the production order is not to be underestimated. The impact goes beyond just this particular issue.

The Liberal government's actions are once again eroding the public's confidence in this institution. The corruption that has been exposed in the SDTC green slush fund is shocking and chips away at public trust in the government. If there is no real accountability for those involved in the corruption, it would be a massive hit to the confidence of Canadians in the checks and balances of this public institution.

Trust in our public institutions is a fundamental pillar in a healthy democracy. The erosion of trust in the Canadian Parliament should not be taken lightly by any member of the House. Distrust in this institution breeds division, feeds cynicism and apathy and is ultimately a threat to our democracy.

While the Liberal government continues to stand in this place telling us to simply just move on, we cannot move on. We have a duty to Canadians to safeguard this institution, to ensure that the privileges of this House are not violated by a government with something to hide and to ensure those who brazenly misuse and abuse Canadian taxpayer dollars are held to account. We as members of Parliament have a duty to fight back against the erosion of trust that is being fuelled by the Liberal government's obstructive tactics. Accountability and transparency are the remedies to the distrust that has been sown by the government.

That is why common-sense Conservatives continue to stand firm with our demands. We have a responsibility to Canadians and to the constituents who elected us to this place. The corruption that ran rampant in SDTC cannot go unchecked. The evidence related to the green slush fund must be handed in so that a criminal investigation can be conducted. Those who knowingly and intentionally stole or misused public funds must be held to account.

The Auditor General's report on SDTC is incredibly damning. In fact, when we read the Auditor General's report, we see there is no question that SDTC became a slush fund for Liberal insiders. SDTC awarded money to ineligible projects, and these projects clearly did not meet the goals or objectives of the program. However, they were still handed taxpayer funds. In total, at least $59 million went to projects that were not even allowed to receive money. According to the Auditor General, no steps were taken to recover funds used for ineligible projects.

It is clear that ultimately, it is a failure of the Liberal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, who did not sufficiently monitor these contracts. The minister failed Canadian taxpayers by not ensuring that public dollars were being used appropriately.

The ineligible projects are just the tip of the iceberg in this scandal. In addition to identifying the funding of ineligible projects, the Auditor General identified 186 cases of the SDTC board of directors violating the Conflict of Interest Act, and that in 90 cases they directly violated their own conflict of interest policies, conflicts of interest that were identified using SDTC's own records. Those are public funds awarded to Liberal insiders, with case after case of connected Liberals getting ahead using taxpayer dollars. In some of these cases, projects received funding despite being both ineligible for funding and tied to a conflict of interest. That means Liberal insiders were awarding themselves or their friends taxpayer funds for projects that, by all accounts, they should have known were ineligible for funding.

Let us not forget that the chair of the SDTC green slush fund, who was hand-picked by the Prime Minister and the Liberal government, awarded $217,000 to her own company. The chair of the fund awarded her company these funds even though the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology Act clearly states:

no director shall profit or gain any income or acquire any property from the Foundation or its activities.

Conflict of interest policies and directives are necessary to protect the interests of Canadian taxpayers, but the SDTC green slush fund did not follow the Conflict of Interest Act or even SDTC's own conflict of interest policies.

The complete disregard for established conflict of interest practices calls into question all of the decisions that were made by SDTC, yet the Liberal government allowed the continued misuse of taxpayers' dollars to go on. The Auditor General was very clear in her findings that the blame for this scandal lies at the feet of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. The minister failed to ensure that this billion-dollar fund had the oversight necessary to ensure the good stewardship of public funds. While the minister seems comfortable to allow this corruption to go on with no accountability, common-sense Conservatives are not.

The corruption at the Liberal’s SDTC green slush fund is evident and cannot be swept under the rug. That is why the House adopted the Conservative motion on June 10, ordering the production of documents in relation to the Liberal’s SDTC green slush fund. Those documents contain evidence of the corruption at the fund and should be handed over so that there can be a criminal investigation. Those documents were supposed to be received within 14 days of the passage of that motion. It has now been more than four months since the adoption of that motion, and the evidence has not been turned in. This is a violation of a house order.

It is a breach of parliamentary privilege, yet still, after weeks of the House being seized with this issue, the Liberal government does not want to hand it over. It would rather grind Parliament to a halt than hand over the evidence. We already know that 400 million taxpayer dollars were misused on projects that were ineligible or tied to conflicts of interest. The question then becomes this: What more are the Liberals hiding? What is buried in that evidence that they are so desperate to hide? What is more damning than what has already been revealed? There is another question: Who on those benches are they trying to protect? If the government has nothing to hide, then it would only make sense to bring everything to light to ensure that those who were responsible are held accountable. By not ensuring the production of documents requested, the Liberal government is actively covering up the evidence.

What is truly shameful is that this is not the Liberal government’s first breach of parliamentary privilege in an attempt to cover up its failed governance. The Winnipeg lab cover-up is yet another example. The Prime Minister was so desperate to keep the Winnipeg lab documents hidden, he fought tooth and nail to cover up the details surrounding the ability of the People’s Republic of China to penetrate our nation’s maximum security lab. He was so desperate to keep hidden the evidence that scientists secretly collaborated with the PRC’s top military scientists. This breach posed a threat to Canada and our allies, but the Prime Minister’s primary preoccupation was keeping hidden the details of this massive national security failure. The Liberal government went so far as to defy four parliamentary orders and take the former House of Commons Speaker to court. Then, of course, we all know that the Prime Minister ultimately called a snap election to wipe the decks clean.

Parliamentary privileges exist to ensure that members of Parliament can carry out their duty to hold the government to account. The Prime Minister is once again trying to cover things up, and we cannot allow this latest breach of parliamentary privilege to go unchecked. Quite frankly, Canadians cannot afford for the Prime Minister and his corruption to go unchecked.

It is absolutely disgusting that, while Canadians across the country are struggling to feed, heat and house themselves, the Prime Minister and his government allowed 400 million of taxpayers' dollars to be wasted or stolen by well-connected Liberals. This corruption is a slap in the face to every hard-working Canadian who is bringing a paycheque home and still struggling to put food on the table. After nine years in office, that is the record of the NDP-Liberal government: over nine million Canadians experiencing food insecurity.

Food insecurity has increased 111% under the government's watch. That means that nine million Canadians do not know where their next meal is coming from. Food Banks Canada has reported that almost 50% of Canadians feel financially worse off than they did last year; 25% of Canadians are experiencing food insecurity; and, across the country, food banks have seen a 50% increase in visits since 2021. That is the result of the NDP-Liberal government's failed policies, such as the costly and punishing carbon tax, which it continues to double down on.

The carbon tax is adding to the input costs of groceries at every single point in the supply chain. It is taxing the farmers, the processors, the shippers and the grocers. At the end of the day, those costs are passed on to Canadians at the grocery stores, but of course, it affects more than just groceries. The punishing carbon tax is increasing the cost of everything. It is adding to the cost of basic necessities, such as fuel, food and home heating.

In the midst of this affordability crisis and record inflation, the Prime Minister and his NDP coalition partners have repeatedly voted to hike the carbon tax, and they remain hell-bent on quadrupling it. Canadians are facing financial hardship because of the Prime Minister's taxes and his inflationary deficits. The Prime Minister's reckless deficits have pushed inflation to its highest level in 40 years and have driven up interest and mortgage rates. The Prime Minister's inflation has eroded the paycheques of Canadians, but not all Canadians are impacted in the same way.

The PBO has confirmed that lower-income Canadians are disproportionately impacted. The paycheques of Canadians cannot even afford the lifestyle they had just a few years ago. That is because paycheques cannot keep up with the skyrocketing costs of food, shelter and transportation, but while low-income Canadians struggle to stretch their paycheques, the wealthiest Canadians have seen their wealth grow. That means that the Prime Minister's inflationary deficits and taxes have resulted in a wealth transfer to the wealthiest Canadians.

The Prime Minister is causing financial misery for those Canadians who can afford it the least, and at the same time, the Prime Minister and the Liberal government are allowing public funds to be spent unchecked. That is unacceptable. It is ethically and morally objectionable. The Liberal government's deficits year over year are fuelling inflation, and there is $400 million in misused funds that are adding fuel to the fire, fuel that is making it harder for Canadians to make ends meet, not to mention the countless better uses there could be for those dollars.

This cover-up must come to an end. Canadians must get the accountability and transparency that they deserve. The Liberal government's repeated breaches of parliamentary privilege, ethics violations and corruption scandals have broken the trust and confidence of Canadians in this institution. This is further weakened when Canadians continue to see their financial situations deteriorate while well-connected Liberal insiders are getting rewarded. Trust in our public institution is built on transparency and accountability. Ending the cover-up would help us to take steps toward restoring that trust and strengthening the resilience of our democracy.

The amended motion that we are considering today lays out clear instructions for the committee on procedure and House affairs. It is already clear that the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry failed to protect the misuse of taxpayer dollars, and if the Liberal government is going to continue to impede the release of evidence, then it is vital that this issue be given the fulsome and careful consideration that it requires. The stakes are high, and the Liberal government's dismissive attitude is to not treat this issue with the seriousness that it deserves.

The government's continued fight against transparency and avoidance of accountability threatens the health of our democracy. The Liberal government must hand over the unredacted evidence, and the Prime Minister must end the cover-up so that Parliament can get back to regular business.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Carol Hughes]

Order. It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill, Ethics; the hon. member for Calgary Rocky Ridge, Finance; the hon. member for Spadina—Fort York, Foreign Affairs.

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

Madam Speaker, the member started off by talking about trust in Parliament. However, all she needs to do is to look at her own leader, the leader of the Conservative Party today, when he was the parliamentary secretary to then prime minister Stephen Harper. He is the only prime minister in the history of Canada, not to mention the Commonwealth, who was held in contempt of Parliament. Then we will see that the games continue with the leader of the Conservative Party.

We have a serious issue of foreign interference, and he is the only leader in the House of Commons who is continually refusing to get the security clearance that is necessary. It begs this question: Why? Is there something that Canadians should know about the leader of the Conservative Party, which he is not telling them, that would disqualify him?