John Williamson

[Petitions, June 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition concerning political discrimination in Canada.

The petitioners note that the Liberal Party, in its 2021 platform, promised to remove the charitable status of organizations that do not share the Prime Minister's views on matters of life. The petitioners ask the government to reject this proposal and to preserve the political neutrality of charitable status rules for hospitals, houses of worship, pregnancy and women's centres and many other important institutions across our country. In addition, this petition calls on the government to affirm Canada's freedom of expression, even and especially when it runs counter to the views of this government or any federal government.

[Committees of the House, June 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 29th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts entitled “Public Accounts of Canada 2022”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

I would like to thank all the witnesses who appeared, who included the comptroller and the Auditor General of Canada, among others, and I thank committee members and our team at public accounts for helping us put together this report.

[Points of Order, May 31st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I think your ruling was judicious; unfortunately, the member could not leave well enough alone and decided to take a shot on this side. That is the problem. Because of that, I actually think you should now enforce the rules of this place, which is that one does not make statements in this House when one is not appropriately dressed. There would be problems from that side if I came in wearing an “I love Alberta oil” or “I support agriculture” shirt. Therefore, I think this member should not be permitted to finish because she did not respect your ruling, which was to continue. She had to take a gratuitous shot at the opposition for trying to work with the system and uphold the rules of this place, which we should all be trying to do.

[Committees of the House, May 31st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 28th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts entitled “Main Estimates 2023-24”.

I wish to thank the Auditor General of Canada for appearing, as well as her team, and thank as well all committee members, the clerk, our analysts and all the other support we had to get this done.

[Carbon Pricing, May 30th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, it is absolute rubbish that a carbon tax is going to control the weather or bring down natural disasters. The government is not serious about an environmental policy. It has a tax policy. It is going to cost motorists in Atlantic Canada 67¢ more to fill up their pumps because of carbon taxes 1 and 2. It is the Parliamentary Budget Officer who said the net cost to Canadian families in Atlantic Canada is over $2,000 a month.

I will ask it again: When is the government going to do what Atlantic premiers have asked and cancel carbon tax 2 to give all Atlantic Canadians the break they deserve?

[Carbon Pricing, May 30th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, Atlantic premiers have begged the government to remove the carbon tax from home heating fuels, but instead of listening, the Liberals have come up with carbon tax 2, which is going to punish Atlantic voters even more. Carbon tax 1 is a 40¢-a-litre tax on the pump price. Carbon tax 2 adds another 17¢, plus there is the 15% HST, adding another nine cents to pump prices. This makes everything we buy more expensive. Carbon tax 1 and carbon tax 2 will cost Atlantic households an extra $2,000 a year.

When will the Liberals stop punishing Atlantic Canadians and remove the carbon tax scam?

[Points of Order, May 29th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, during question period, the MP for Burlington did something indirectly that she is not allowed to do directly, which is to imply that two of the members of this House were not here.

Both myself and the MP for South Shore—St. Margarets raised the fires that are burning out of control in our provinces. It is disgraceful that the member said otherwise. She also misled the House.

I think she should reconsider her words and apologize. We raised this issue. We are here, and we are doing our jobs.

[New Brunswick Forest Fires, May 29th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, a forest fire is currently uncontained a few kilometres outside of Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, in Bocabec and Chamcook. Yesterday evening, the fire was approximately 100 hectares in size. Today, it has grown by over 400%. Four hundred families have already been evacuated, and it is not known how many homes have been destroyed. This morning, seven fire water bombers resumed work, but on-the-ground resources are needed.

My deepest gratitude goes out to the firefighters, volunteers and other first responders working hard to get these fires under control in my riding, elsewhere in New Brunswick and in Nova Scotia. I know the federal government has reached out to my premier and I appreciate that. I urge the federal government to offer any assistance to maritime provinces, local emergency personnel and my constituents to control and extinguish these fires. Godspeed.

[Privilege, May 9th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, to date that has not been the case. I have no problems doing my work in my riding.

That said, we can think of Kenny Chiu, a former member of the House of Commons who was targeted by Beijing's attacks. There are some very serious examples. Some members are no longer in this place because of the Communist Party's efforts to ensure that they lost their election and could no longer return to the House to defend their political ideas.

That is very serious. The government says that this did not influence the election, that it did not really change anything. However, some members are not here because of the Communists.

[Privilege, May 9th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, again, I could not agree more. Our strength as a country and a democracy rests on our openness. The weakness of the Communist regime is its insistence on lies and keeping things hidden. We must, as a democracy, ensure that what has happened is known by Canadians so they can hold those who failed in their duty accountable and ensure we have a government here that will stand up for the interests of this country and voters right across the country.