Candice Bergen

[Ethics, November 22nd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, we know the finance minister has already been found guilty of breaking the Conflict of Interest Act. That is clear. What is not clear, maybe as clear as mud, is how many other conflicts of interest he is in. Therefore, the finance minister has a choice to make. He can continue to keep Canadians in the dark, or he can reveal what assets he has owned in numbered companies over the last two years, or what exactly the finance minister is trying to hide.

Yes, we are focused on the finance minister.

[Cannabis Act, November 21st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, we have before us a bill that would make Canada probably one of the countries in the world with the most relaxed laws around marijuana. Marijuana is a substance that evidence shows affects young people right up to the age of 25. It is a substance that impairs people's ability to drive and their ability to work. It is a substance that our U.S. neighbour to the south has big problems with when it comes to people crossing the border. Marijuana will be legal in Canada yet it has so many problems attached to it. The provinces are concerned about it. Police are concerned about it. Parents are concerned about it.

What is the government doing? It is shutting down debate and ramming this legislation through because it has an arbitrary timeline. We are not sure what the government's motivation is but it is clear that its motivation is not the safety and security, the health and well-being of our children, our communities, people on the road, people driving vehicles or operating machinery. The Liberals do not seem to care about that. They only seem to care about ramming this legislation through. This is worse than appalling. This is the worst example of the Liberals' disrespect of Parliament and disrespect for Canadians, municipalities, and provinces.

I cannot believe we are seeing this happen again on this legislation.

[Ethics, November 20th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, this ethical scandal that the finance minister finds himself in may only be the tip of the iceberg. The only reason everybody knows that the Minister of Finance benefited from Bill C-27 is because the media forced him to disclose that he held shares in Morneau Shepell. However, the minister is still hiding what other shares he held in other companies over the last two years and what other government decisions he made that benefited him.

Let us just rip the band-aid off, let us get this out in the open: what shares did the Minister of Finance own in what companies over the last two years?

[Ethics, November 20th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the mess that these Liberals get themselves into just never seems to end. It is now confirmed that the finance minister is under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner for the fact that he benefited from legislation that he personally introduced. Incredibly, we have three cabinet ministers from the Liberal government currently under investigation, including the Prime Minister, who is still being investigated for his billionaire holiday, and the finance minister being investigated for the second time.

With all these investigations, investigations, investigations, how can these Liberals be trusted?

[Business of the House, November 9th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, as members are aware, this is the final day before we go back to our ridings for what is probably one of the most important weeks for all of us as members of Parliament, as we celebrate, honour, and think about the sacrifice that has been made. When I say “celebrate”, it is celebrating the freedom we have because of the price that has been paid. As we get ready to do that, I know that all of us have the same goal in mind, which is to serve our constituency, our veterans, and those who are currently serving in the Armed Forces as we remember and honour them.

With that in mind, I would ask the government if it could let us know what it will be planning to bring forward when we return after our constituency week.

[National Defence, November 9th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister seems to have no problem making sure his friends are all taken care of, whether it is proclaiming Stephen Bronfman innocent or turning a blind eye to the Minister of Finance's blatant conflict of interest, but when it comes to doing what is right for our men and women in uniform and those who put their lives on the line every day, the Prime Minister has no time and zero sympathy. We can tell that from the minister's answer. Do the Liberals understand the damage that they are inflicting on our Canadian military by cutting the monthly allowances of these soldiers?

[National Defence, November 9th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, last night, we were shocked to learn that the current Liberal government is stripping the pay of our brave men and women who are severely injured in the line of duty. This disgraceful decision to remove benefits from those who put their lives on the line for us is nothing short of cold and heartless. Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and reverse this shameful pay cut to our Canadian special forces?

[Taxation, November 8th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's reckless words and actions have placed the Minister of National Revenue in an untenable and impossible position. The minister stated that her department was investigating this matter. However, before the investigation could barely begin, the Prime Minister already had made his finding of innocence.

This irresponsible behaviour is indefensible. Did anyone advise the Prime Minister of the legal implications of what he just did?

[Taxation, November 8th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, maybe the Minister of National Revenue did not hear the news that this morning the Prime Minister commented on this case. In fact, he declared Bronfman innocent of all wrongdoing. Just days after the minister announced an investigation, the Prime Minister shockingly said that his billionaire buddy and chief Liberal bagman was innocent and pure as the driven snow.

It seems like the Minister of National Revenue recognizes that this is wrong. Does the Prime Minister recognize how irresponsible and reckless it is for him to unilaterally say that Stephen Bronfman is innocent?

[Ethics, November 7th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, it is very typical of the Minister of Finance, playing games with words and semantics. However, the spirit of disclosing his assets, by which he was found guilty by the Ethics Commissioner, he is absolutely guilty of and he does not have the decency to admit it to Canadians. This is why they do not trust him.

I have a very simple question. If the Minister of Finance had nothing to hide over the last two years when he was regulating industries that he may have owned shares in, why does he not tell Canadians what he owned in the last two years in his numbered companies? No semantics.