Cathy McLeod

[Natural Resources, June 15th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, as members can see, both the minister and the Prime Minister continue to do a dance on this issue of a veto.

When they promised to implement the UN declarations, the expectation of first nations, clearly, was they would have a veto over resource development. As Chief Bellegarde said, “...the right to say yes, and the right to say no...”. The Liberals are creating confusion.

Again, we need a simple answer, yes or no?

[Natural Resources, June 15th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the AFN chief said that more than 130 first nations were dead set against pipelines and energy development. The rest were demanding an absolute veto over any proposed developments. As can be imagined, this creates great uncertainty for investors.

Could the Prime Minister clarify for all Canadians whether first nations have the right to veto, yes or no?

[Main Estimates 2016-17, June 14th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, the revisionist history of the current government is absolutely incredible. What the Liberals are forgetting is an economic action plan that rolled infrastructure money out the door very rapidly, but the Conservatives did not have a minister who needed to spend almost $1 million on furniture. If they are going to roll out the infrastructure program the way they have rolled out setting up offices, Canadians have a lot to be concerned about.

[Main Estimates 2016-17, June 14th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I listened both to the minister and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. I find it quite stunning that they are trying to defend spending almost $1 million on of office furniture to run this department.

It is important to not get into a lot of revisionist history here, but I think back to the time of our economic action plan. Of course the former minister of transport and infrastructure, John Baird, ran both of these ministries. He managed to get $40 billion worth of infrastructure out the door. Not only that, he did it with the Auditor General being very approving of how that program was managed, and he ran it with half the staff.

If he could run one of the largest infrastructure investments in Canadian history and he ran Transport Canada at the same time with half the staff, why does the minister need almost $1 million in new furniture and office space?

[Main Estimates 2016-17, June 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and what I heard was that he had to hire a chief of staff, and he had to hire staff. However, every minister who was appointed by the Prime Minister had to appoint staff. The issue here is that every other minister did not have extraordinary costs in setting up their offices associated with hiring these staff.

We have heard time and again that there is space available in terms of staff. There is a surplus of equipment, furniture, and artwork. Therefore, the reason we are talking here tonight is not because he had to hire staff, like every other minister had to, but because his expenses stand out extraordinarily high in comparison to every other colleague.

[Modernizing Access to Product Information Act, June 14th, 2016]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-290, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (machine-readable code).

Mr. Speaker, this private member's bill would modernize the Food and Drugs Act so that regulations may be made with respect to the addition of smart phone code providing prescribed mandatory information and supplementary product information to the label of all foods, drugs, cosmetics, devices, and therapeutic products.

It is my hope that the use of smart phone code will provide consumers with an easy way to read information more readily and assist them in their daily lives.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Indigenous Affairs, June 10th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, let us review the Liberals' actual record for indigenous people.

In spite of a ruling from the Human Rights Tribunal, they have put children in jeopardy by not implementing Jordan's Principle. Three months and friendship centres are still waiting for operating funds, and apparently there is no interest in resolving long-standing land claims.

Now we hear the northern Manitoba Dene, who were almost at the finish line, are now back at the starting point. Why will the minister not commit to sit down with the Dene and resolve the north of 60 land claim?

[Indigenous Affairs, June 7th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs said she knew exactly how first nations feel about transparency. Yet a member of Odanak First Nation said that without the transparency act, “It's not difficult for First Nations to get information on how their money is spent, it's impossible....”

Beverly Brown of Squamish First Nation said the government would be “negligent if they didn't enforce the act”.

Would the minister tell these individuals why they do not deserve easily available information, like all other Canadians?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, June 6th, 2016]

With regard to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: what was the total cost incurred by the government for any related spending between December 8, 2015, and February 28, 2016, broken down by (i) total cost, (ii) travel, (iii) accommodations, (iv) room rentals, (v) meals, (vi) all other expenses?

[Indigenous Affairs, June 6th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the First Nations Financial Transparency Act gave band members for the first time ever access to critical information such as salaries and expenses of their leaders and audited financial statements. On Friday, the minister admitted to Canadians that “no formal consultations” were held before gutting the act.

Does the minister not believe that band members should have input into a decision that affects them so directly?