Cathy McLeod

[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?

[Len Marchand, June 6th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the Hon. Len Marchand, who passed away last week in Kamloops. Len was considered a true hero. His autobiography, entitled Breaking Trail, truly embodied what he achieved during his life.

Len advocated for a stronger role for indigenous people in Canadian political life. He was the first and only first nations person to be elected three times in the House of Commons from British Columbia. In Ottawa, he was appointed as parliamentary secretary, minister of state, minister of the environment, and, laterally, a senator.

According to B.C.'s lieutenant-governor, upon receiving the Order of B.C., Mr. Marchand was able to influence Canadian policy from the inside in a way that no other aboriginal Canadian had ever been able to do. Beyond, politics, his achievements were far-reaching and have a huge impact on our country and community.

A true gentleman, Len will be dearly missed. I know his legacy will live on and I offer my sincere condolences to the family.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1, June 6th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I remember this being very well received in terms of the municipalities. The gas tax fund was not only doubled, but it was legislated and gave municipalities funding on which they could count. However, we also renegotiated and gave municipalities flexibility on how they could spend their money.

The money to municipalities is very important. I was incredibly pleased, when we had our economic action plan, with how efficiently we got the money out the door for important projects. Even the auditor general indicated that. With the Liberal government, we are now seven months in and the pennies are not even going out the door.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1, June 6th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the government is showing an incredible lack of faith in the provinces and their ability. If the Liberals believed in the provinces and in palliative care, they would have had that $3 billion in the budget, and at least a chapter of the accord would have dealt with that and it would be happening now. All Canadians should be very concerned about that. Not only did the Liberals vote down the ability for someone who chose assisted dying to be informed about options around palliative care, they did not follow through on their budget commitment to fund it.