Candice Bergen

[Government Expenditures, September 23rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, it only took the Liberals nine weeks to rack up over $1 million in moving expenses for their own staffers.

Liberals themselves have admitted that the expenses were inappropriate. They were reimbursed for hotels, meals, and actual moving expenses, but then there was something called “personalized cash payments” that these staffers received.

What is a personalized cash payment? What other Liberal staffers received personalized cash payments? Does the Prime Minister commit to telling us and telling Canadians who received these ambiguous cash payments, and will they be paid back to the taxpayer?

[Government Expenditures, September 23rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, after days of the Prime Minister defending inappropriate expenses, the Liberals have finally admitted that they have been using the taxpayer as their personal ATM. The Prime Minister's friends admitted that they claimed tens of thousands of dollars of inappropriate expenses, which the Prime Minister signed off on. This clearly shows a lack of judgment on behalf of the Prime Minister.

What other expenses is the Prime Minister hiding and defending?

[Business of the House, September 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, as this is my first Thursday question as House opposition leader, I want to congratulate the new government House leader, although I want to say maybe the former one got out just in the nick of time. I congratulate her and very much look forward to working with the new House leader.

Could the minister advise the House what business the government intends to call for the remainder of this week and next week?

[Government Expenditures, September 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, those rules came into effect in 2004, under Paul Martin. Regardless, that answer is not good enough.

The Prime Minister's own letter to his cabinet instructs them to use taxpayers' dollars with the utmost care and prudence.

Again I ask the Prime Minister, is using over $200,000 to move two people from Toronto to Ottawa using taxpayers' dollars with the utmost care and prudence?

[Government Expenditures, September 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we learned yesterday that the over $200,000 the Prime Minister signed off on was to move his two closest friends here to Ottawa, spending over $200,000 to do so. His excuse, his justification, was “the rules made me do it”. That is not sufficient.

My question is for the Prime Minister. Does he think it is appropriate to spend over $200,000 to move two people from Toronto to Ottawa?

[Business of Supply, September 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, is my colleague hearing what I am hearing today? Back in August, the Prime Minister's office confirmed that there was no guarantee the Cromwell seat would go to someone from the region. In fact, the statement from the office said that applicants were being accepted from across Canada, not just from Atlantic Canada, in order to allow a selection process that would ensure outstanding individuals would be considered for appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada. Today, we hear the Liberals say that they agree the government should respect the custom of regional representation for making appointments.

Are they trying to have it both ways? What is my hon. colleague hearing? Is this the PMO speaking? Have the people in the PMO changed their mind? Was the Prime Minister wrong? Do the members across the way know what they are doing?

[Business of Supply, September 22nd, 2016]

That's not fair.

[Business of Supply, September 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative caucus recently came back from Halifax where it held its meeting. It was a wonderful opportunity to see Halifax and meet the great people in Atlantic Canada.

Could my colleague comment on the ramifications for the folks in Atlantic Canada if this convention is not followed and if not only prime minister ignores this convention but the Liberal members of Parliament from Atlantic Canada also remain silent and do not speak on behalf of their constituents in that region? This is not just a short-term appointment for a year or two.

I would like my colleague to comment on the length of this new Supreme Court position. How long would it be and what would the long-term ramifications be if Atlantic Canada is ignored, both by the Prime Minister and the members who represent this region?

[The Environment, September 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, that minister clearly has not been talking to the hundreds of thousands of Canadians in the energy sector whose jobs have been lost. She is not listening to the provinces that do not want a carbon tax.

A carbon tax will kill jobs, and it is an imposition of Ottawa on the provinces. Why are the Liberals ignoring not only what the premiers are saying but what rural and remote Canadians are saying? They do not want a carbon tax. It is going to kill jobs. The Liberals need to listen to people outside of the city of Ottawa.

[The Environment, September 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, maybe that minister is listening to CEOs, but she needs to start listening to premiers of provinces like Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and the territories, who have been clear. They do not want a carbon tax, because they know that Canadians, particularly rural and northern Canadians, cannot afford it.

Why is the government ignoring the provinces and imposing a carbon tax that will hurt the economy, hurt Canadians, and do nothing for jobs?