House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 60% of the vote.
Ethics May 11th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, we are glad to have welcomed guests from Newfoundland and Labrador to the Come From Away production. This was to help our American friends, and we were focused on the economy.
Speaking of the economy and American friends, we know how to get trade deals done. We have done—
Softwood Lumber May 5th, 2017
Madam Speaker, Canada's forestry industry supports hundreds of thousands of good middle-class jobs. We strongly oppose the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to impose an unfair, punitive tax. The accusations are unfounded. We will continue to bring the matter up with the United States, just as the Prime Minister did with the U.S. President.
The coalition never offered conditions that Canada could accept. We want a good agreement, not just any agreement.
Softwood Lumber May 4th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, Canada's forestry industry supports hundreds of thousands of good, middle-class jobs. We strongly oppose the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to impose an unfair, punitive tax. Their accusations are unfounded. We will continue to bring the matter up with the United States, just as the Prime Minister did with the U.S. President.
The coalition never offered conditions that Canada could accept. We want a good agreement, not just any agreement.
Softwood Lumber May 4th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, the previous Conservative government allowed the agreement to expire and did nothing to initiate negotiations.
We are now facing the fifth softwood lumber dispute, and our workers and producers have never been found in the wrong. We disagree strongly with the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to impose an unfair and punitive duty. The American accusations are baseless and unfounded. We continue to raise this important issue with the U.S., as the Prime Minister did with the President just last week.
Foreign Affairs May 3rd, 2017
Mr. Speaker, I have had the honour and pleasure to deploy in a variety of UN missions and to study more. I understand my hon. colleague's concerns. As he knows, the right of national command is always retained by the chief of the defence staff. Although we may deploy forces to UN commands, national command authority is never abrogated. The chief of the defence staff, himself an experienced and capable soldier surrounded by the wonderful staff that monitors operations, is responsible for the oversight. He has the right of veto in any orders that may be issued by UN commanders.
As well, in theatre there will be a national Canadian commander, an experienced capable officer depending on where we go, who will decide the actual service, be it army, navy, air force, or special. That individual is entrusted by the chief of the defence staff to relay back to him information of which he may have concerns. I am absolutely confident in the outcome of the command and control architecture.
I hope that addresses my colleague's questions.
Foreign Affairs May 3rd, 2017
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to speak today about this important topic.
The government is committed to revitalizing Canadian diplomacy and leadership on key international issues and in multinational institutions. This includes increasing Canada's support to the United Nations peace operations and its mediation, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding efforts, much in the tradition of what we have done over the last 20 to 30 years.
We have advanced our preparations to deliver on this commitment, and Canada's efforts will focus in four main areas: providing personnel and training for UN operations; strengthening Canadian support for conflict prevention, mediation, and peacebuilding; advancing the roles of women and youth in peace and security; and making UN peace operations more effective.
Canada's engagement will build upon our character as a modern, bilingual, and federal nation that is diverse, empowers women, and respects human rights—something we are all extraordinarily proud of—while tapping the skill of our high-quality personnel who, as my hon. colleague and I both know, are the very best in the world at what they do.
We will adopt a comprehensive and integrated approach. Today's conflicts come in many guises and call for political and humanitarian intervention as well as action on security and development fronts.
We will ensure that our foreign policy, international aid, military action, and security instruments are used to strengthen each other's capacity.
This is good timing for Canada's revitalized engagement in United Nations peace operations. Threats to international peace have become more complex, and in our increasingly interconnected world, the consequences are that much greater for us all.
Increasing Canada's support for UN-led interventions is an effective means by which we can reach out and help those who need it most.
Contributing to peace operations helps promote the values Canadians hold so dear. We live in an interconnected world. What happens over there can and will have an impact at home. Peacekeeping missions advance human rights, promote democracy and the rule of law, as I and many thousands of others have seen first-hand. They seek to build and sustain peace and to protect individuals against violence, affirm human dignity, secure liberty, and create an environment conducive to long-term development. Participation in peace operations extends our influence in multilateral institutions and with our allies.
As part of Canada's leadership, the Minister of National Defence has committed up to 600 Canadian Armed Forces personnel and related capabilities to be made available to the UN for peace missions, a standing force, so to speak. Canada will also provide scaled-up contributions of police and civilian personnel and support new training initiatives. These contributions will be complemented as appropriate by targeted stabilization, security and developmental programming, a whole of government approach building on the lessons we have learned in the former Yugoslavia and Africa and times before, and of course Afghanistan.
Any decision to deploy the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces is not taken lightly. Strict assessment criteria will be applied and a rigorous analysis will be conducted. We will make sure that we network with our friends and allies around the world to ensure we understand the constraints and the environment to which we are about to deploy.
The choice of where and how to engage is one that deserves careful reflection, one that will be made by cabinet in due course. As a matter of fact, a variety of studies are under way. We must ensure that we do it for the right reasons such that we have a meaningful impact on international peace and stability.
We will also seize the opportunity to ensure that women are empowered to make important decisions, to be a part of this force, and will do all due diligence in attacking gender-based violence, including sexual exploitation and abuse by local or indigenous or other UN personnel.
The United Nations needs our help.
It is my honour and pleasure to try and answer my distinguished colleague's questions.
Arthur “Harky” Smith May 1st, 2017
Mr. Speaker, it is with great regret that I rise today to mark the passing of Colonel Arthur “Harky” Smith, an honoured veteran and a Canadian military legend.
Born to a military family, Colonel Smith followed in his father's footsteps by serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, both in the navy and in my father's artillery unit, until he found his calling as an administrative officer. This passion led him to reach the pinnacle of his branch by becoming the commandant of the Canadian Forces School of Administration and Logistics. After his military retirement, Harky continued to work as a civil servant in DND, accumulating over 60 years of service to the people of Canada within the defence department. Like hundreds of others, I remember Harky as a friend and mentor who took pride in taking others under his wing.
I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Mary Lee and son Christopher, as well as the Canadian Armed Forces logistics, artillery, and naval branches for their great loss.
Foreign Affairs February 22nd, 2017
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Agreement for Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Republic of Korea”, done at Seoul, on December 20, 2016. An explanatory memorandum is included with this treaty.
International Trade February 17th, 2017
Madam Speaker, our government had a very productive and important meeting with the President last Monday.
Let me remind the House that the President assured Canada and the world that “We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada”.
As for NAFTA, it is important for all of us to continue to realize that the principal actors in the U.S. cabinet have not yet been appointed. Even more important, the United States has not formally initiated a NAFTA negotiation process. If and when that happens, we will be ready.
Softwood Lumber February 17th, 2017
Madam Speaker, the softwood lumber agreement expired when the previous government was in power. Our government is vigorously defending the interests of the softwood lumber sector, as did the minister last week and as did the Prime Minister on Monday in Washington during his excellent visit.
We again strongly defended our softwood lumber producers. We will continue to work closely with softwood lumber workers and producers, the provinces, and the territories. We are looking for a good agreement for Canada, and not just any agreement.