Candice Bergen

[Judicial Accountability through Sexual Assault Law Training Act, March 9th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations--

Excuse me, could I get some order?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the government House leader if she could share with this House what the business of the House will be for the remainder of this week. When we return, we will be hearing about the budget, and hopefully there will be some very good news for Canadians in terms of some tax relief. Will she share what will be happening in the week we come back?

[Ethics, March 8th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I asked the Prime Minister a direct question and he refused to answer it. That kind of arrogant, condescending non-answer is what is giving the Liberals a lot of problems, from their carbon tax cover-up to misleading B.C. seniors, and a prime minister under multiple investigations.

We know he is heading off today to have a private meeting with BlackRock executives. When is he going to start giving Canadians straightforward answers, or does he only meet with people who are lining his party's pockets?

[Ethics, March 8th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday when asked a serious question about his ethical lapses, the Prime Minister said that he will, “continue to demonstrate the kind of openness and transparency Canadians expect”. Let us see if there is even an ounce of truth in that statement because I am going to ask a very direct, straightforward question for the Prime Minister. Let us see if he answers. Has the Prime Minister met with the Ethics Commissioner on the current investigation that she is conducting? If so, how many times?

[Ethics, March 6th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, it was a personal vacation, but accepting this helicopter ride was against the rules. He has been a member of Parliament for over eight years. He should know this. Either he was ignorant of the rules, or he disregarded the rules. Both are very concerning.

Again, was the Prime Minister ever advised by his staff or by anybody in the Privy Council Office that accepting this private helicopter ride was against the rules?

[Ethics, March 6th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, we all know that the measure of person's character is not what he or she does when everyone is watching, but rather what he or she does when no one is looking.

We know the Prime Minister is under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner for taking a private helicopter ride. What Canadians need to know is whether the Prime Minister knew he was breaking the rules.

Was the Prime Minister ever advised by his staff or by anybody in the Privy Council Office that accepting this private helicopter ride was against the rules?

[Preclearance Act, 2016, March 6th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, even though there may be some agreement on different sides in terms of the bill itself, it still is incredibly important that members of Parliament be allowed to voice their concerns and reflect their constituents' wishes.

It is interesting that back on June 3, 2015, the parliamentary secretary to the government House leader said:

The government, by once again relying on a time allocation motion to get its agenda passed, speaks of incompetence. It speaks of a genuine lack of respect for parliamentary procedure and ultimately for Canadians.

I would say that we are seeing a real lack of competence on the government side in terms of being able to work together with all sides of the House to get its agenda passed.

What are the plans going forward? Is this what we have to look forward to in the next two and half a years, that every time MPs want to speak, they are going to be shut down by the Liberals?

[Business of the House, February 23rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the hon. government House leader if she could tell us what the business of the government is for the rest of this week and, if she is able to, for the week when we return after our constituency week.

[Retirement Congratulations, February 23rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, every week, MPs from Manitoba take a flight from Winnipeg to Ottawa. In doing so, we have the pleasure of meeting some wonderful people who work at the James A. Richardson International Airport.

I stand today to recognize three of those people, Glenn, Janice, and Don, all Air Canada employees, who will be retiring at the end of the month after over three decades of service. Glenn, Janice, and Don have always had a smile on their face, a warm welcome, and an air of reassurance, as weary travellers passed by them. Whether it was due to delayed flights, bad weather, or anything else that could go wrong, these three made sure that we as Manitoba MPs and all of their customers were helped and listened to.

We all know that airlines can be frustrating at times, but people like Glenn, Janice, and Don make the experience a good one. I wish them all the best as they begin the next chapter in their lives. All the Manitoba members of Parliament who they've been so good to over the years thank them. They will be missed.

[Public Safety, February 21st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, those are very good words, but people in Manitoba in these border communities are asking the federal government to provide help to deal with this influx of illegal people coming across the border. These are community resources and many times they are actually volunteer first responders. People running across farmers' fields illegally cannot continue. It is not safe for the people who are running across the fields; it is not safe for the community. What is the government going to do to provide support to the communities and to stop this illegal activity?