House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2025, with 51% of the vote.
Finance December 17th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, not only did the statement post a $62 billion deficit, but also, it revised 2025 growth down, and it revised 2025 unemployment up. The Prime Minister has failed to recognize the gravity of the moment. He is focused not on Canadians, but on himself. His government is in utter and complete chaos.
When will the Prime Minister realize that the end is here, that his government and this Parliament are dead, and call an election?
Finance December 17th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, who is in charge of the clattering train? The Prime Minister has lost the confidence of Canadians, and now he has lost the confidence of his MPs and his cabinet. He is focused not on Canadians, but on himself as he clings to power. Yesterday, the government posted a $62 billion deficit, blowing through the guardrails. The government is careening out of control. Things are in complete chaos.
When will we get an election?
Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada December 16th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has lost control. He has lost control of the economy. He has lost control of immigration. He has lost control of so many files. He has now lost control of the government. It is long past time for an election. The Prime Minister has sat too long here for any good that he has been doing.
In the name of God, will he go to Rideau Hall, call an election and end the chaos?
Finance December 10th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, the Globe also reports that the finance minister and the Prime Minister are “at odds” over all this new spending. It reports that the Prime Minister's Office has viewed the finance minister as “ineffective” at communicating. It also stated that a senior Liberal said that the current dynamic appears to be similar to what happened to Bill Morneau before he resigned in 2020.
John Turner resigned as finance minister in 1975, when he was at odds with the then prime minister. I have a simple question: Does the finance minister still have confidence in the Prime Minister?
Finance December 10th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, the Finance Minister said that the government would not crash through the deficit guardrail. The Globe and Mail reports today that all the Prime Minister's new spending is upending the deficit target and that finance officials view it as “unwise” and “making little sense.”
Tonight, we vote on $24.8 billion in new spending. Will the Finance Minister tell us why we should vote for something that upends the deficit target, that is unwise and that makes little sense?
Peter Barrow December 6th, 2024
Madam Speaker, Reverend Peter Barrow passed away at age 92. He was the beloved husband of Carol and the devoted father of Trish, Jane and Maggie, as well as the cherished brother of Margaret. Reverend Barrow served as minister of Knox Presbyterian Church in Georgetown and Limehouse Presbyterian Church in Limehouse for 32 years.
A lifetime member of the Masonic Lodge, Reverend Barrow was Georgetown citizen of the year in 1974. He was a founding member of the Georgetown Highland Games. He was involved in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and the Rotary Club, and served as padre of the Georgetown and Acton branches of the Royal Canadian Legion. He was ever-present at the Remembrance Day ceremonies in Halton Hills, at the cenotaphs in Glen Williams, Georgetown and Acton, helping all of us remember.
We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his family. May he rest in peace.
Finance December 5th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, here is what Stephen Poloz, the past governor of the Bank of Canada, said just two days ago, “I would say we're in a recession, I wouldn’t even call it a technical one.” The past governor says that we are in a recession and the current deputy governor of the bank says that it is an emergency.
When will the government start listening to the experts and understand that its policies on its budgets, its spending and its deficits, whatever the number is, have caused a recession and an economic emergency?
Finance December 5th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, it has been eight months since fiscal year end. How are we supposed to vote on billions in spending and taxation without the deficit number?
Speculation is that the government has blown through its fiscal anchor despite the finance minister promising that “This is our fiscal anchor—a line we shall not cross, and that will ensure that our finances remain sustainable so long as it remains unbreached.”
What is the deficit, how big is the breach and how unsustainable are federal fiscal finances?
Privilege November 29th, 2024
Madam Speaker, in answer to the first question, the word “appears” is used, because the only restrictions on Parliament's absolute right to order the production of documents are that those documents be present in Canada, not extraterritorially, and that they exist. That is why they use the word “appears” in the previous sentence.
With respect to the question about the U.K. case, it was a legal opinion issued by Attorney General Geoffrey Cox to the cabinet of then prime minister Theresa May. This was a solicitor-client privilege document. The document was released in full, unredacted, publicly to the House of Commons after the Prime Minister was held in contempt and ordered to hand over the document.
Privilege November 29th, 2024
Madam Speaker, I go back to the 1991 case during the government of then prime minister Brian Mulroney, where the government of the day said that it was not going to hand over the documents related to the Solicitor General because of privacy concerns. The House ordered the documents be handed over, and the government complied at the following meeting of the Standing Committee on Justice and the Solicitor General.
As such, clearly Parliament has the right to these documents, and no statute law, common law nor anything can interfere with Parliament's absolute right to call for the production of documents. Again, I quote from section 15 of the Constitution Act, which makes that very clear. It says, “The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law of Canada, and any law that is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution is, to the extent of the inconsistency, of no force or effect”, and that would include the Privacy Act.