Dave Van Kesteren

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, September 18th, 2017]

With regard to spending on “stock” photographs or images by the government since January 1, 2016, broken down by department, agency, crown corporation, and other government entity: (a) what is the total amount spent; (b) what are the details of each contract or expenditure including (i) vendor, (ii) amount, (iii) details and duration of contract, (iv) date, (v) number of photos or images purchased, (vi) where were the photos or images used (internet, billboards, etc.), (vii) description of ad campaign, (viii) file number of contract?

[Business of Supply, June 8th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, when I look at those first parts of the motion, they are very agreeable. The problem is probably the fourth part of the motion.

In light of the fact, and I know the hon. member would agree with this, that the most horrific thing we have done as human beings is to produce a bomb and a weapon of such total destruction, is this not in the best interests of all of us? I understand the member, and I have listened to his argument that the government believes that this would be an exercise that would be futile. However, is it not in our best interest to do everything possible to rid us of this scourge and plague that has come upon us as mankind? I wonder if the hon. member could answer that.

[Business of Supply, June 8th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I have a great respect for the hon. member, the work that he did, and his knowledge.

However, when I look at the motion, I do not expect him to answer all of these questions, but in terms of (a) to (e), I would assume that you would agree with those things.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Return, May 29th, 2017]

With regard to amounts paid by the government to the Aga Khan in relation to the trip taken to the Bahamas by the Prime Minister in December 2016 and January 2017: (a) what was the total amount paid out to the Aga Khan in (i) per diems, (ii) other payments; (b) how many employees per diems were paid to the Aga Khan; (c) did the Aga Khan submit invoices to the government in relation to the trip; and (d) if the answer in (c) is affirmative, what are the details, including the (i) date of invoice, (ii) amount of invoice, (iii) amount paid by the government, (iv) date of payment, (v) description of goods or service provided?

[Turkey, May 18th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, since the failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016, allegations state that 180 media outlets have been shut down, 120 journalists have been arrested, over 3,500 judges and prosecutors have been dismissed, and over 27,000 people have been arrested and detained in Turkey. Even a Canadian was arrested for tweeting negative comments about the president, and is awaiting an appeal from the courts. Reports from the Kurdish province speak of persecution and of elected officials being jailed, and the list goes on and on.

Last week, I met with Turkish Canadians who told me that the long arm of the Turkish government is reaching foreign soil. They introduced me to a wife whose husband was arrested in Saudi Arabia and is now being held in a Turkish jail. That is one of the many stories we hear of people who are crying out to the rest of the world for help and are increasingly being isolated and left on their own.

We must call on the Turkish government to answer these allegations and hold it accountable for its actions by standing up for those who have been ignored.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1, May 3rd, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I would just add that the hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent is one of the greatest orators in this House. I think we are all stimulated and actually shocked by his projections, and not only his projections but those of the parliamentary budget officer, who said that we would be possibly out of a deficit position in 2055.

There is a question that begs for an answer. With the trajectory on which our government was going, having handed the Liberals a balanced budget with a slight surplus, where would we be in 2030 let alone 2055? I wonder if the member could answer that question.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, March 24th, 2017]

With regard to the HMCS Haida National Historic Site (HHNHS): (a) since the HHNHS was transferred to Parks Canada what are the annual totals since 2002, broken down by (i) total visitors, (ii) total operating costs, (iii) maintenance costs, (iv) profit or loss; (b) what are the line item details for (a) (i), (ii), and (iii); (c) what are the details of the costs to relocate the HHNHS to Hamilton, Ontario, broken down by (i) purchase price, (ii) administrative costs, (iii) towing costs, (iv) promotion or advertising costs, (v) salaries, (vi) repairs, (vii) other costs, including for each a description of the expense; (d) since 2002, on an annual basis, how many Full-Time Equivalents have been assigned to the HHNHS, broken down by (i) historians, (ii) marketing and advertising professionals, (iii) curators and preservation professionals, (iv) groundskeeping and maintenance staff, (v) volunteers, (vi) summer students, (vii) gift shop employees, (viii) other employees, specifying for each their title; (e) what are the planned disbursements and estimates for the HHNHS for the 2016-2017 fiscal year and what are the projected costs for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 fiscal years, broken down by (i) marketing and promotional costs, (ii) maintenance and repair costs, (iii) salaries and wages; and (f) since 2002, broken down by year, what is the number of days the HHNHS was (i) open to the public for visitation, (ii) closed for private functions or events, (iii) closed for maintenance and repairs, (iv) closed for the season or holidays?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, March 24th, 2017]

With regard to payments made by the government during the 2016 calendar year: (a) how much money was given to the (i) Education Quality Improvement Project in Afghanistan, (ii) Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, (iii) World Bank; and (b) under which specific allotment in the Main Estimates for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development did the funding for each of the payments in (a) originate?

[The Budget, March 23rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent is one of our great orators in the Quebec caucus, possibly one of the greatest. He is not only a great orator, but he is also an excellent critic for finance. We all respect his intense knowledge about financial matters, and he touched on one aspect, which is the enormous debt that we have accumulated, to which the current government is not only adding but adding at an alarming rate. The fact is that today we have historically low interest rates. We know that these rates will not continue. As a matter of fact, they are manipulated. Therefore, I wonder if he could expound, and he did that to some degree, and give a really clear picture to this House, and especially to the Liberal government, of just how critical that is and what that would mean if the interest rate were to rise by one point, let alone two or three.

[Taxation, February 24th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and his mentor, Kathleen Wynne, are driving greenhouse operations out of business in my riding with the green energy policies. One greenhouse grower said that his natural gas costs will double from $120,000 a year to $240,000 a year because of carbon tax.

Why are these small businesses being penalized by the Prime Minister and the Wynne Liberals, and being forced to shut down or move to the U.S.?