Candice Bergen

[Ethics, February 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister took an illegal trip and used taxpayers' dollars to do it. By not paying them back, he is basically saying, “Go ahead, everyone, accept those free tickets to the Elton John concert that you were offered”—I know we were not—“fly yourself and your family across the country, stay at the nicest hotels, claim per diems, and charge all expenses to the taxpayer. Then, when you are caught, you don't have to pay a cent back. You have a free family vacation.” It would be so wrong for any one of us to do that.

When will the Prime Minister pay back these illegal expenses and raise the standard in this place?

[Ethics, February 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, by not paying back the illegal costs that stem from his illegal vacation, the Prime Minister is setting a new low in standards for all of us in this place. He is saying that if a lobbyist or someone who does business with the government offers us a free trip, we should take it. Jewellery, cars, even envelopes full of cash, no problem, people can just take them, pay a small fine, and when they are done, say they are sorry. This is just plain wrong and against what we all know is right. When will the Prime Minister do the moral thing, the right thing, and pay back these illegal expenses?

[Business of the House, February 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, it is our first week back after the Christmas break and the government House leader has been on her feet a lot, answering a lot of questions, though not really answering them, but I have a lot of faith that it is about to change right now.

I want to ask the government House leader if she could please share with us what business the government has for the rest of today and next week.

[Ethics, February 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we are focused on the Prime Minister, because he is the only prime minister in the history of Canada to break the Conflict of Interest Act.

Recently, the Prime Minister said that he believes the standard applied to others on the issue of sexual harassment applies to everyone, including himself. That, indeed, is true.

Why is it that when it comes to paying back taxpayers' dollars, that the Prime Minister clearly should not have used and that is owed back, he thinks he does not have to pay.

Why does the Prime Minister think the standard that is applied to everyone else in this place, when it comes to paying for illegal or improper expenses, does not apply to him?

[Ethics, February 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we have seen other Liberals, like the indigenous services minister, the member for Malpeque, and the member for Humber River—Black Creek, pay back taxpayers for inappropriate expenses that they claimed. That was the right thing to do.

However, the Prime Minister thinks he does not have to pay back over $200,000 in illegal expenses that he charged. He thinks he is above the law and above the rules.

Why does the Prime Minister think there is one set of rules for him, and another set of rules for everyone else?

[Ethics, January 31st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the conclusion is that he is guilty, which is what we have been asking about for the last year, and he has been denying. When he took this illegal trip, he forced the RCMP to be complicit in these illegal expenses. He is now forcing taxpayers to be complicit. Those are the facts.

When will the Prime Minister own up to the wrong that he has done, be a leader for once, take responsibility for what he has done, and pay back these—

[Ethics, January 31st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, by not paying back these expenses, the Prime Minister is basically telling all of us as members of Parliament that it is okay, go ahead, take a really expensive trip as a gift, do not report it to the Ethics Commissioner, mislead everyone about the details for years, deny, deny, deny for a year, and then when we get caught, just say, “Oh, I'm sorry.” Wow. What a sweet deal.

When will the Prime Minister see how arrogant and entitled he is being by not paying back these illegal expenses?

[Ethics, January 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, this is a terrible example that the Prime Minister is setting. If our children take something that does not belong them, we tell them to give it back. If teenagers are caught shoplifting, we teach them that they return the merchandise. We, as leaders and adults, ask our youth to give back something they might have taken illegally or wrongfully. The Prime Minister had absolutely no business going on that illegal holiday.

Will he show some moral fortitude and pay back these illegal expenses?

[Ethics, January 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been found guilty of breaking the law. Now, we all know that when people break the law and take something that does not belong to them, they are expected to give it back. That is exactly what the Prime Minister did. He took something he should not have taken, and he used taxpayers' dollars to do so.

Why does he not right the wrong that he committed and pay back these illegal expenses?

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 29th, 2018]

With regard to Ministers who are responsible for various regional development agencies: (a) between January 1, 2017 and December 8, 2017, how many days did the Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency spend in (i) Nova Scotia, (ii) New Brunswick, (iii) Prince Edward Island, (iv) Newfoundland and Labrador; (b) between January 1, 2017, and December 8, 2017 how many days did the Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification spend in (i) British Columbia, (ii) Alberta, (iii) Saskatchewan, (iv) Manitoba; (c) between January 1, 2017 and December 8, 2017, how many days did the Minister responsible for the Canada Economic Development Agency for the Regions of Quebec spend in Quebec; (d) between January 1, 2017 and December 8, 2017, how many days did the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Initiative in Northern Ontario spend in Northern Ontario; and (e) between January 1, 2017 and December 8, 2017, how many days did the Minister responsible for the the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario spend in Southern Ontario?