House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 57% of the vote.
Questions on the Order Paper June 13th, 2022
With regard to the Prime Minister's trip to Bell Island in the Bahamas: (a) did the Prime Minister sign any document that gave him permission to accept the trip, and, if so, what are the details of the document, including the date on which it was signed; and (b) if the response to (a) is affirmative, on what date did the Clerk of the Privy Council become aware that the Prime Minister signed the document?
Public Safety June 13th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, if the minister has to stand here and continue to deny that he is revising the history of the Emergencies Act, then he has to wear it.
The minister is refusing to answer a simple question. Either the police asked for the Emergencies Act or they did not. Again, I will quote the minister's own words back to him: “At the recommendation of police, we invoked the Emergencies Act”. The minister is refusing to repeat his own words in this chamber because he knows he misled the country, and Canadians do not trust him.
What is the new, unbelievable excuse the minister will be using today?
Public Safety June 13th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, it sounds like the public safety minister has been studying Vladimir Putin's theory of revisionist history.
The public safety minister is misleading Canadians about why he took the unprecedented step of using the Emergencies Act to implement martial law. To quote the minister, he said, “we invoked the Emergencies Act on advice from the police.” Well, it turns out the Ottawa city police said they did not ask for it, the RCMP said they did not ask for it and the OPP said they did not ask for it.
Did the minister invent these facts to support his Liberal power grab?
Markus Hess June 13th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, I am sad to announce the passing on June 2 of Mr. Markus Hess. Markus is the founder of Black Ribbon Day, a global demonstration against human rights violations by the former Soviet Union. As a son of immigrant parents from Estonia and initially angered in the 1980s by Soviet occupation of his parents' homeland, Markus spent much of his life advocating for the rights and freedoms of individuals who suffered greatly at the hands of communist dictators and blood-thirsty murderers.
He served his community from the Baltic and central European states as chairman and president of many organizations. As a board member for Tribute to Liberty, he was instrumental in constructing and erecting the memorial to victims of communism right here in Ottawa.
Markus received many recognitions for his contributions, including the Gold Cross from the Republic of Poland, and was named to the Order of the White Star by the Republic of Estonia. Because of his human rights advocacy, Markus was banned from Russia early this year. I hope he viewed this as a badge of honour for his life's work.
I offer my sincere condolences to Markus' wife Eha and their children and family. Markus' work inspires all of us. We will continue his legacy, because together, our democratic forces for freedom can overcome totalitarianism once and for all.
Criminal Code June 9th, 2022
Madam Speaker, my friend from Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke clearly outlined that what we have here is lazy Liberal legislation that again revictimizes people who have had to deal with criminal activity. It would allow more criminals to get out on the street more quickly. It would penalize legal firearms owners while giving illegal gun smugglers and people who use guns in illegal ways a “get out of jail free” card.
I want to compliment the member on her great work and ask her why the Liberals are actually reducing and removing mandatory minimum sentences that were brought in by the former prime minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
Ethics June 7th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, the minister is being investigated by the Ethics Commissioner because she advanced the personal interests of her friend. Now we understand the Liberals need to pay a premium for spin doctors, given all their scandals. The Minister of International Trade is being investigated because she gave a $17,000 sole-sourced contract to a CBC pundit who is her dear personal friend and former campaign organizer. This is ridiculous.
Will the minister apologize for her unethical behaviour and hand over all records on this contract to the Ethics Commissioner immediately?
Ethics June 7th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to ethics violations, the Liberal government has already reached the super elite status. Whether it is a $1-billion sweetheart deal with WE Charity or SNC-Lavalin bullying, clam scam nepotism or the $200,000 illegal vacation by the Prime Minister, it is as though the Liberals are competing for who can be the most unethical.
Now the Minister of International Trade knew Amanda Alvaro was a close friend who ran her election campaign, and yet she awarded her a $17,000 contract anyway. When will the minister quit blaming her own department officials and take ownership of and responsibility for her own scandal?
Ethics June 6th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, the trade minister really needs to brush up on her ethics rules. I would like to remind her that ministers are forbidden from advancing the interests of their close personal friends. This contract is not in dispute. The problem is that the minister awarded $17,000 to Amanda Alvaro, who describes the minister as a “dear friend” and who also ran the minister's election campaign in 2017.
Will the minister admit she broke ethics rules, and will she co-operate fully with the Ethics Commissioner’s investigation?
Ethics June 6th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Trade needs to explain how a close personal friend wound up $17,000 dollars richer after giving the minister a couple of days of media training. Documents tabled in the House show that in April 2020, the minister hired a PR firm run by Liberal insider and CBC pundit Amanda Alvaro just a month after the COVID-19 pandemic began, at a time when many Canadian small businesses were struggling just to survive.
The minister needs to come clean. Why did she award a lucrative contract to someone who describes her as a “dear friend”?
Committees of the House June 1st, 2022
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member's strong support for Ukraine as well.
Canada needs to start planning ahead for a Marshall Plan to help rebuild all the infrastructure that has been destroyed by the Russian military in Ukraine. We know that there are a number of assets that have already been seized from Russian oligarchs and corrupt kleptocrats who have been hiding their wealth in businesses owned here in Canada. Those assets need to be liquidated, and those are the first dollars that should be going into the rebuilding of Ukraine's hospitals, schools, roads and bridges.