Alexandre Boulerice

[Customs Tariff, June 6th, 2019]

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

I would like to ask him a simple question because the steel sector has been a priority for the NDP for a long time. We are supportive of this step forward, but we are under the impression that it is a temporary measure.

Why did the Liberal government not follow the European Union's lead and implement permanent safeguard measures for seven steel products subject to dumping on the international market?

[Petitions, June 6th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to be here to table a petition launched by the Elizabeth Fry Society about ending discrimination against children in Canada because their parents are in difficult situations with drugs, incarceration or homelessness. Dozens of good citizens from British Columbia and New Brunswick ask the government to fulfill what is in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

[Points of Order, June 5th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, after consultation with the other parties, I hope and believe that you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House of Commons recognize the unanimous motion of the National Assembly stating that any project that may have an environmental impact on Quebec territory, especially those related to the transportation of oil and gas, must be subject to a Quebec environmental assessment process—

[Transportation, May 30th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, the one thing that never changes is that the Liberals continue to sign secret deals with their millionaire buddies. We can always count on that.

Bicycles painted white have been placed on street corners and overpasses all over my riding. Why? To remind people that a cyclist was killed on that spot. These deaths are tragic and avoidable. I say they are avoidable because measures do exist that could make the streets safer for cyclists. They were actually proposed by departmental experts a few months ago. We have been waiting for several months now, but the Minister of Transport has not yet done anything.

How many people have to die before the Liberals will take action—

[Criminal Records Act, May 30th, 2019]

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

I just want to ask him what he thinks of the Liberal government's pigheadedness. It agreed to provide pardons, but it refused to expunge records for simple possession of cannabis. We know all the problems this can cause for the affected individuals, who are often members of marginalized communities that face discrimination and injustice in various forms. This will affect them for the rest of their lives, especially when they look for a job and travel abroad.

Can my colleague tell us why he thinks the Liberals did not want to listen and refused to expunge records for simple possession of cannabis?

[Criminal Records Act, May 30th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Vancouver Kingsway. I was staggered to learn that the Liberal solution was to issue pardons that would only temporarily eliminate criminal records. If a person whose record was suspended were to commit another offence, his or her record would be resurrected. These are like zombie records, coming back from the dead.

I would like to hear what my colleague has to say about the impact this could have on marginalized populations.

[Criminal Records Act, May 30th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his speech.

There are some interesting ideas, but we in the NDP are having a hard time understanding the Liberal government's persistent refusal to expunge records for simple possession of cannabis.

There is a difference between suspension, pardon and expungement, which completely erases the record forever. We think that should be a priority for certain marginalized communities and for certain individuals who are discriminated against in our society. They could run into problems in the future when they are seeking employment, applying for education programs or travelling to certain countries.

Why did the Liberals refuse to consider expungement, which is much more definitive and would have helped these individuals?

[Criminal Records Act, May 30th, 2019]

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

Contrary to what many stakeholders have been calling for, the Liberal government said no to expunging records for simple possession of cannabis. This will continue to harm many people in marginalized communities for years to come. We in the NDP are very disappointed by this, given that the Liberals claim to care about people who are discriminated against, excluded and marginalized. In that regard, the bill is flawed.

Why did the Liberal government not listen to stakeholders?

[Petitions, May 30th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to table a petition signed by dozens of citizens from Nova Scotia, a petition that was launched by the Elizabeth Fry Society.

The petitioners ask that all children, without discrimination in any form, benefit from special protection measures and assistance and to recognize children of parents with addictions and homeless children in need of special support to enable them to achieve improved life outcomes and receive equal benefits under the rights of the United Nations convention.

I hope the government will listen to this and act.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns., May 27th, 2019]

With regard to the staff of the Office of the Prime Minister, as of February 1, 2019: (a) how many earn an annual salary of $150,000 or more; (b) how many earn an annual salary of $200,000 or more; (c) how many earn an annual salary of $250,000 or more; (d) how many earn an annual salary of $300,000 or more; (e) of those who earn an annual salary of $200,000 or more, how many received a performance bonus; and (f) of those who received a performance bonus, how much was each of those bonuses?