Jake Stewart

[Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, November 4th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal costly coalition, there is only one person keeping the Prime Minister in power. That is the leader of the NDP.

Remember the NDP leader's big stunt when he told Canadians he ripped up the coalition deal with the Liberals? It was just a scam on the poor voters of Elmwood—Transcona right before a by-election. The NDP leader said, “The fact is, the Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for [Canadians].”

While the NDP leader supports the punishing carbon tax, voting for it over 24 times, Canadians visit food banks in record-smashing numbers. Every day the Prime Minister stays in power is because of the leader of the NDP, who lacks courage. It is time for the Prime Minister to call a carbon tax election now so Canadians can make the choice.

[Privilege, October 24th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, here is how I feel about that. Of the $400 million, 82% is fraught with scandal, corruption and probably criminal activity. My job as a parliamentarian is to care about finding out whether we are getting value for money.

I am on the public accounts committee. We did not get value for money here, and Canadian taxpayers paid for it. No one can afford that. Who can afford $400 million? Our country does not have $400 million to give out so the Liberals can have play money. They need to produce the documents, come clean and show some respect for their former minister if they trust him at all.

[Privilege, October 24th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I apologize for that.

A minister resigned because they spent too much money on a glass of orange juice. That probably dominated headlines for weeks back in the day. Here we are talking about $400 million.

The member wants to talk about foreign interference. He should release the names. My conscience is clear. We are all clear over here—

[Privilege, October 24th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I withdraw it.

[Privilege, October 24th, 2024]

I would like the floor right now. I know you are a nasty individual, but I want the floor—

[Privilege, October 24th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, we are talking about a former minister of the Privy Council, a guy who clearly had whatever clearance was necessary.

I was thinking about this on this side of the floor. Do members know how times have changed? I will tell them how times have changed. I was not here 10, 15 or 20 years ago, however long this goes back, but I know that the party I am in had a minister resign over the cost of a glass of orange juice. Do members remember this? This is before my time, and I am not talking badly about this colleague—

[Privilege, October 24th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, this is really it: Some Liberal members are not going to speak on this motion because they are the ones in the wrong. They have a choice here today. If I truly trusted a former colleague, I would just give the documents up. The Liberals are proving to Canadians that they do not trust the judgment of former minister Bains.

This is a man they worked with, who was on the executive council and was a member of their team. This is a guy they had dinner with, had lunch with and went to retreats with; they him know personally and they know him well. They should have the wherewithal to know what type of individual this man is. Now, I do not know him personally, but they should be able to stand up and defend him and give the documents up. They will not give the documents up because (a) clearly they do not trust their colleague, and (b) there was likely criminal intent.

What are they doing? They are choosing to protect their colleague rather than support him.

[Privilege, October 24th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I know from being in three levels of government, municipal, provincial and federal, that often the process of bureaucracy is slow. I do not disagree with the member. I wish it was faster. Are there ways to improve it? Yes, and I will support them, but I think the quickest way we can speed it up at this juncture is simply for those documents to be presented so we can get on with the rest of the business and we can find out if there was criminal intent for this file we are dealing with here today.

[Privilege, October 24th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, the member opposite did not have the courage to stand with her party and request the documents from the very government it has been propping up for the last three years, supporting every single thing it did. What she should be asking herself is why she keeps voting with the Liberals if they are not doing anything on this issue.

She should have spoken to the question at hand. We are looking for the documents, we know there is criminal intent and we want to find it for the Canadian public. They need to do their job.

[Privilege, October 24th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, the member should have answered with this: “Here are the documents that we failed to provide.” That would have been the end of the debate.

The Liberals should turn over the documents and do their job.