Debates of Nov. 27th, 2024

Reference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Carol Hughes]

I want to remind the hon. parliamentary secretary not to keep adding words because he does not have the floor.

The hon. member for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Madam Speaker, I find that comment rich, coming from the Liberal benches, because the Prime Minister has a security clearance. What has he done about it? You still have people who are compromised sitting on your benches—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Carol Hughes]

The member knows that she is supposed to address questions and comments through the Chair and not directly to the members.

The hon. member for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Madam Speaker, I apologize. Through you, the Liberal Party has people who we know are compromised sitting on their benches. If the Prime Minister has security clearance and if he knows about it and has done nothing, then why should we have security clearance? We do not need a security clearance. We need a carbon tax election so that Canadians can decide for themselves who has the right to govern in this country. This country needs a new mandate. Conservatives want a carbon tax election, and so do Canadians, so let us call one.

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

Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the people of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. I have some comments for the member from Winnipeg, but before I do, I want to recognize a few people, and I will gladly share with the member from Winnipeg.

I want to recognize the life of Helen Methot. She leaves behind her husband, Clair Methot, and her grandson, among others, Dylan Methot, who has been a friend of mine for about 30 years. I remember when Helen and Clair helped me, when I was about 17 years old, with tremendous generosity, and I was very saddened to learn of her death recently. My deepest condolences go to her family. May perpetual light shine upon her.

On a happier note, I recently met someone from Kamloops, Trish White. She let me know that she would be getting married this weekend to Bruce Wilby. I would like to congratulate Trish and Bruce on their upcoming wedding. I wish them a lifetime of happiness on their special day that is coming up in just four days.

I will move on to the heart of the comment. I love how the Liberals just love to tell the world that it is the right who has conspiracy theorists. They are not even doing it with a wink and a nudge anymore. They are coming out and saying it outright.

What they forget is that the Leader of the Opposition was part of cabinet, and he would have had a security clearance. He has actually said very clearly that he will not be muzzled, and I do not blame him. They are so concerned about whatever it might be with their wink and nudge conspiracy theories that they are trying to perpetuate, and they would like to tell us that it is only the far-right that does it. However, it is now coming from the left, and perhaps we might even say the far-left, given the member from Winnipeg. They have these conspiracy theories that they perpetuate here in the House.

At the end of the day, we just need the names revealed. Release the names. That is it. The member from Winnipeg is laughing at the fact that I said to release the names. He is laughing. I am being heckled right now by the Liberals when I say to release the names. We cannot make this up. There are people in this very House who are undermining democracy. The Liberals are laughing when I say to release the names. This is how seriously they take foreign interference. The Speaker has to tell them to be quiet as we talk about foreign interference.

Our leader has said that when if becomes prime minister, he would release the names. The Liberal Prime Minister refuses to release the names. What is the Prime Minister hiding? Why are two Liberal members running defence for the Prime Minister and laughing when we talk about foreign interference and when we say to release the names? Perhaps there is something to hide over there. Perhaps there is something that the Liberal—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Carol Hughes]

Order.

I want to remind members, again, while someone else has the floor, to please give it the respect that it deserves. I think that the House can function better if everybody abides, and this is everybody I am speaking to here, as a whole, by the rules of the House. I think that we would be able to work a lot more smoothly, that things could flow better and that more people would be able to have their voices heard.

The hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo can continue with the speech.

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

Madam Speaker, just to be clear, it is the member from Winnipeg and the member for Brampton West who were laughing and heckling as I was talking about releasing the names. It is pretty simple. Our leader has said that he will release the names. There are people who are potentially compromised in this place. There are people—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Carol Hughes]

The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader is rising on a point of order.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, their leader can get the names. All he has to do is get the security clearance. Then he can release the names—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Carol Hughes]

That is not a point of order. That is a point of debate.

The hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.

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

Madam Speaker, I am happy to respond to that. It is not the Leader of the Opposition who should get the names. It is Canadians who should get the names. Here we have Liberals stymieing, time after time, saying if only this were the case or if only that were the case. There are parliamentarians who could be compromised, and there are parliamentarians who may have broken the highest law in the land here. It is one of the most serious laws we have on the books.

We have said to release the names, time after time. Release the names. There are people here who may be compromised, and the Liberals think it is funny. The Liberals think we should be heckled about it. Shame on them. Release the names. There are people who fought for our freedom. This is the month when we remember. They fought so we could be free so that we could speak our minds in this place. There are people who want to undermine it, and the Liberals think it is funny. Release the names.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

I would say something, but I cannot.

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

Madam Speaker, the member for Winnipeg North just said, “I would say something, but I cannot.” I do not think I have ever seen him at a loss for words.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Carol Hughes]

This is turning into individuals trying to debate each other when they are not supposed to be. There are no questions and comments at this point.

Order. Again, I would ask members to please be respectful of each other and to please wait until the appropriate time to make comments. I would ask members to maybe write their thoughts down in case they are afraid they are going to forget them.

I would ask the hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo to continue with his speech.

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

Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise in this place. Sometimes we talk about really happy things, sometimes we talk about sad things and sometimes we talk about things that are important, whether happy or sad. This is a time when we are talking about something that is important, but it is very sad. I would go as far as to say that I am quite despondent about where we sit as a Parliament. We are essentially at an impasse, which falls directly at the feet of the Liberal government.

Madam Speaker, there is an order from the Chair that you occupy right now that says the government is to turn over the documents. Only the Liberals could be so brash as to try to reframe the conversation. I talked about conspiracy theories from the left. It is not a conspiracy theory when we have to ask what is in those documents. Has it been 36 days now? A number of days have gone by, and we have been demanding the documents. What could possibly be in those documents that is so damning that the Liberals do not want to do it?

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

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

Madam Speaker, we have a member saying that my boss's name is in those documents. I am pretty sure that the Leader of the Opposition's name is not in those documents.

Let us table the documents so that we can see whose names are in it. We know whose names are probably in it: those of Liberal insiders. Do members know why? It is because this is a corrupt government that loves to line its own pockets. We know there were 186 conflicts of interest, while the Liberals sat on their hands, worth $400 million. They attempt to justify it. They sit here and say that it is no big deal, wink-wink, nudge-nudge; we should talk about some other conspiracy theory of the left. It is absolutely deplorable that we have to sit here demanding these documents be put forward.

Let us go back in our history, if we can. In 2018, given public criticism, the former Liberal industry minister expressed concerns with respect to the Harper-era chair; two alternate chairs were then put forward. Lo and behold, what happened? Liberals love to benefit Liberals. It is just the way of life. Just as water is wet, Liberals love to line Liberal pockets. A Liberal-friendly chair takes the chair of SDTC, also known as the green slush fund, and we have 186 conflicts of interest. We have what I believe to be clear criminality at its core. People were voting on giving one another money. This was money for green projects, something that should ostensibly be laudable. Yes, let us make our economy greener. However, in the eyes of the Liberal insiders and the Liberal government, the whole point of SDTC was not to make our economy greener but to line Liberal pockets. That is absolutely deplorable. Then, to make matters worse, the government refuses to hand over the unredacted documents. Liberals like to line their own pockets, and they like to get richer and richer. When they are caught, they refuse to hand over the documents.

The Auditor General of Canada has found that SDTC, also known as the green slush fund, was essentially for Liberal insiders—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Carol Hughes]

The hon. government House leader is rising on a point of order.

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I move:

That the debate be now adjourned.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Carol Hughes]

Pursuant to order made on Wednesday, February 28, the motion is deemed adopted.

(Motion agreed to)

The House resumed from November 18 consideration of the motion and of the amendment.

Request for Witness to Attend at the Bar of the House

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am honoured to speak to—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Carol Hughes]

The hon. government House leader is rising on a point of order.

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I move:

That the debate be now adjourned.