John Barlow

[Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, December 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Yellowhead has been a wonderful addition to the House over the last couple of years and it is always wonderful to hear those personal experiences. Some of the decisions we make in the House do have an impact, not only in our communities but also on our family histories. I really appreciated my colleague's remarks about the parliamentary internship program and what an impact it has had.

When the president of Ukraine was here a few years ago talking about how important the Canada-Ukraine relationship was and looking for support, was that shared among the younger people whom the member had the opportunity to work with? Could he talk about the impact that the Canada-Ukraine relationship and this trade agreement will have on the next generation of Ukrainian people moving forward?

[Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, December 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives will be supporting the bill as well. When we were in government, we worked very hard to show our support for Ukraine.

The member talked about the importance of the Ukrainian roots that weave through the fabric of our culture and society. We have a community that is very rich in Ukrainian culture in Alberta, and that is Vegreville, which the government has turned its back on. It is going to cost that community 280 full-time jobs. The ripple effect through that small rural town will be disastrous. We have asked the government many times to present some sort of analysis of the financial impact, anything that was done on this, to show that the closure of that office in Vegreville is warranted.

We are talking about the connection between Ukraine and Canada. Vegreville has a very deep and rich Ukrainian cultural history. How do we support trade agreements with another country when we are not supporting that culture right here at home?

[Taxation, December 12th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister failed to reach consensus on his climate change plan, and for good reason. It will hurt our economy, it will cost Canadians billions of dollars in new taxes, and it is unfair. The rest of the country will pay disproportionately for this new climate change plan while, in Ontario, its largest carbon emitters have received exemptions.

Will the Liberals admit that this climate change plan and carbon tax is an absolute sham? It is going to cost hard-working Canadian taxpayers billions of dollars in new unnecessary taxes and will achieve absolutely nothing.

[Liberal Party of Canada, December 12th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker,

'Twas the weeks before Christmas, and the Liberals were spinning the max,
Trekking across Canada promoting their carbon tax;
Families and industries cried out in fear,
Knowing the carbon tax was looming so near;
With job losses growing, and unemployment rates high,
The Liberals seem oblivious with their heads in the sky;
Now Harper has retired they have no one to blame,
As their tax and spend scheme goes up in flame;
UN seats and selfies are the Prime Minister's goal,
While neglecting good-paying jobs like mining of coal;
The surplus we left them was gone in a flash,
The trees in Liberal ridings must be growing them cash;
Paying off their deficit will be no easy job,
Hardworking Canadians are the ones they will rob;
Deficits and tax hikes are the Liberal way,
But fear not—soon Canadians will have their say,
Election 19 will be one for the books,
The Liberals won't win on their leader's good looks;
Conservative voices will ring out with cheer,
As we celebrate with family over a sweet victory beer.

[Ethics, December 9th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, no one is being fooled by the Liberals repeating these tired old talking points.

Canadians are sick and tired of seeing the Prime Minister and his ministers blatantly break ethical rules by attending these cash for access fundraisers. No one should have preferential access to the government simply because they made a large political donation.

Are the Liberals that oblivious to the fact that they are breaking ethical rules by asking and making Canadians pay $1,500 to have the ear of the Prime Minister, or do they think they are smarter than every other Canadian and will simply get away with it?

[Natural Resources, December 7th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Natural Resources seemed absolutely perplexed as to why we were not on bended knees thanking him for approving two existing pipelines.

Well, I am glad I have the opportunity today to give credit where credit is due and to thank the minister for approving Kinder Morgan and the Line 3 replacements.

Now, I wonder if he would like recognition for some of his other achievements as well. Does he want praise for the 100,000 lost jobs and double digit unemployment rates in Alberta under his watch? Does the minister want us to thank him for the $60 billion of investment that has left Alberta already? Should Canadians thank him for by-passing the National Energy Board and politicizing decisions on major energy projects like northern gateway, increasing the likelihood that more investment and more jobs are going to leave Canada?

I look forward to the day when I can thank the minister for appointing the new National Energy Board review panel that will review the energy east project, unless, however, the political decision has already been made to deny that project. If that is the case, thanks for nothing.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2, December 6th, 2016]

What?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2, December 6th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I heard a lot in the speeches by members across the floor today that the new child benefit would bring thousands of dollars to families. My colleague from Calgary Shepard touched on this. Have members on the other side talked to their constituents and told them they will be giving every penny of that back through the carbon tax and the CPP tax hike and now possibly through taxes on medical and dental insurance?

What impact does my colleague see the true part of the budget having on Canadian families? Are there actually going to be savings? What would the tax implications of this budget be?

[Interprovincial Trade, December 1st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked if the Liberals would ensure Canadians could trade freely between provinces. It is unfathomable that Mr. Comeau was charged for buying beer. Unfortunately the Liberals said they would only support freer trade in Canada. I have to remind them that free trade in Canada is a constitutional right. An agreement between provinces with dozens of exclusions, including beer and wine, and government interference is not free trade.

Will the Liberals commit to protecting Canadians' constitutional rights and ensure we have full free trade across Canada?

[Interprovincial Trade, November 30th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Comeau was charged for buying beer in Quebec and taking it home to New Brunswick, but he won his fight in court.

Yesterday, New Brunswick announced it will appeal this decision in the Supreme Court of Canada. Prosecutors have said this case concerns issues of interprovincial trade with significant consequences. All of us in the House would agree that laws should not restrict Canadians from purchasing and selling goods between provinces.

Will the Liberal government commit to protecting the constitutional right of all Canadians, and ensure we have free trade across Canada?