Jason Kenney

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, December 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my hon. colleague from Winnipeg North on his re-election. He should know that during the interim, between the two parliaments, we have still maintained the amplification system in the House. He has the latitude to modulate his volume. He does not have to yell, but I think he knows that.

The member spoke on a number of issues. He said that the previous government did nothing to advance Senate reform. The member knows that is not true. The member will know that the previous government invited, requested, asked all provinces to submit to popular Senate elections, and that the prime minister would appoint anybody popularly elected, as he did for the one province that chose to do so, Alberta, in appointing two elected senators.

That process was ultimately struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada, which said popular elections to the Senate violated the spirit of the British North America Act in its construction of the upper chamber. Would the member not agree with me that it would similarly be a violation of the spirit of our founding constitution to fundamentally change the electoral system of this chamber without popular consent?

The member asserted that the Conservative Party insists on supporting the status quo, the first past the post system. That is not true. The policy of the Conservative Party is that any fundamental change to the electoral system of Canada that changes the nature of this place and of our democracy ought first to receive the consent of Canadians through a referendum. Would the member not support that consultation, as was undertaken by Liberal governments in British Columbia, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island?

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, December 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you on your appointment and I congratulate the member on his election.

The member opposite emphasized refugee resettlement, particularly of Syrians, and commendably so. However, I noted that he did not mention at all the crisis of Iraqi refugees, which is bound up with that of Syrians, and neither has the government, for some peculiar reason.

Would the member care to comment on the fact that Canada has led the world in welcoming, through resettlement, some 23,500 Iraqi refugees, most of them through Syria since 2009, and that there continue to be millions of Iraqi refugees in the same countries as there are Syrian refugees. Why has the government abandoned Iraqi refugees? Why does it refuse to address their crisis? Why is it not discussing the Iraqis who have fled to Syria, then fled the Syrian civil war back to Iraq and then had to flee ISIS to the Kurdish region? I wonder if he would comment on the government's response to the Iraqi refugee crisis.

The member's leader has said that prioritizing groups that are particularly vulnerable to genocide is “disgusting”. Is he not aware, as a member of the Ismaili Muslim community, that the Ismaili Muslims of Syria are facing particular vulnerability at the hands of Daesh, of al Nusra and other salafist terrorist organizations? Does he not think it would be appropriate for us to seek to prioritize their protection and resettlement, given their particularly unique vulnerability?

[Committees of the House, June 17th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as they say, “Vote early and vote often”. I intend to vote in favour of the motion.

[National Defence, June 3rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, gay and lesbian Canadians have served openly in the Canadian Armed Forces for more than 25 years. We are proud of their service and the service of all Canadians in our armed forces.

[National Defence, June 3rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, again, gay and lesbian Canadians have served openly in the Canadian Armed Forces, and proudly, for more than the last 25 years. They do a great job, like all of our men and women in uniform.

We are proud of all of them.

[Public Safety, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago on behalf of the government, I condemned this outrageous event being sponsored by the Islamic Society of York Region to celebrate the legacy of one of the 20th century's worst dictators, Ayatollah Khomeini. He and his regime were responsible for mass torture; mass killings; rape in prisons; the murder of thousands of political prisoners, both in its prison system and around the world; for the stoning to death of women and the execution of gay men; and, for the murder of thousands of Baha'is and Zoroastrians and members of other religious communities.

This is why every year Canada is leading the United Nations General Assembly in the motion to condemn Iran's deplorable—

[National Defence, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge the question. I am not familiar with the individual case. I would be happy to receive more information from the member and request a briefing from my department, and to get back to the member as soon as possible.

[National Defence, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I just learned about the motion tabled by a member opposite, which unfortunately was tabled at the very end of this Parliament. I would be happy to study it.

Of course, the Canadian Armed Forces is one of the most diverse in the world and has included gay and lesbian Canadians in the Canadian Forces for well over two decades.

[National Defence, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, we have already done so, with the acquisition of the C-17s, the strategic capacity for the air force, as well as new CC-130J Hercules aircraft to help the air force. We have also done so with the new artillery, the new LAVs and all-new equipment.

As for defence procurement, all the experts agree that it is necessary to create a panel at the beginning of the process to reduce procurement backlogs. However, the NDP was against purchasing any new equipment for our armed forces.

[National Defence, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the question itself demonstrates how unserious the NDP is with respect to military procurement.

Virtually every expert in the country on these matters agrees that it will help to accelerate procurement to have a challenge function early in the process, where an external body of experts can consult with industry and others to ensure that platforms are available and that the statements of demand from the military are realistic and affordable before proceeding with procurement decisions, to avoid years of wasted time at the end of the process.

However, on every one of these procurements, the New Democrats have been opposed. Their own leader in 2010 criticized this government for spending too much on the military.

We will not take any advice from the NDP when it comes to supporting procurement.