Pablo Rodriguez

[Ethics, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, they will always side with the truth when the truth suits them. In fact, they decide what the truth is. If they like it, it is the truth; if they do not, it is not.

The fact is that we proposed creating a committee that will do some extremely important work, ask questions and enable the government to improve its programs. That is an extremely responsible thing to do.

We invite everyone to support this committee so we can do this work, because we want to keep working for Canadians, for our children, for our families, for our seniors, for our students and for our businesses. We are going to keep doing the job.

[Ethics, October 20th, 2020]

I guess the Conservatives will stop at nothing to provoke an election, Mr. Speaker.

On this side of the House, we suggested the creation of a special committee, a very important committee to do an important job, that would allow all parties to ask important questions, call witnesses and do everything that is required from the opposition. That is our proposal. Why are they saying no? Why do they have to have this ultra-partisan committee to jam the government? Why is that so important to them?

[Ethics, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, in case I read this too fast earlier, I will read it again for my colleague. It states that “the decision on what to reveal is made by non-partisan public servants, for whom it has long been a tradition not to reveal cabinet confidences. That has been the case going back to all previous governments of all party stripes.” Does my hon. colleague agree with his colleague over there?

[Ethics, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, no unemployed Canadian looking for a job right now wants an election. No worried mother wants an election. No member of this government wants an election. The Bloc, however, is irresponsibly aligning itself with the Conservatives to try to topple the government. That is the reality.

They need to have the courage to take responsibility for their choices and the consequences of those choices.

[Ethics, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois does not have much credibility with regard to the confidence vote. It has been at least a month since the party said that it would vote against confidence motions in the government. It said that, if the other parties had as much courage, they would vote the same way. What is more, the Bloc leader said that there would be an election this spring at the very latest. They are the ones who said that.

Now they are telling us that we are irresponsible because we are talking about confidence in the House. Well, that is how our system works. If they have confidence, then they should say so. If they do not, they should say that.

[Official Languages, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the government stands up for francophones every single day. It stands up for Quebeckers, for Quebec industries, for the Davie shipyard, for our seniors and for our health care system.

We will stand up for Quebeckers every single day. We will be there for Quebec during and after this pandemic, unlike the Conservatives, whose idea of doing the right thing and standing up for Quebec is to create a partisan committee.

[Official Languages, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, why is the opposition prioritizing a completely partisan and irresponsible motion over working with the government to protect the health of Canadians, the health of our seniors and the health of our businesses? Why has the opposition chosen to play inappropriate petty politics rather than work with us?

We have reached out, and we are still reaching out. Let us work together for the well-being of Canadians, rather than playing petty politics.

[Ethics, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the aisle wants to give the impression he is an expert on everything. Let me quote something for him. It is that “the decision on what to reveal is made by non-partisan public servants, for whom it has long been a tradition not to reveal cabinet confidences. That has been the case going back to all previous governments of all party stripes.”

Who said that? It was the member for Carleton.

[Ethics, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, we are proposing the creation of this committee with members from all parties who can ask all the important questions and do the important work. We put that in contrast with what the Conservatives are doing at this moment, when people are suffering, people are looking for jobs and people are worried for their loved ones. The best idea, with all their brains around the table, that they came up with is a motion that wants to jam and paralyze the government. That is totally unacceptable.

[Ethics, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, we are in the middle of a pandemic. We are working hard for Canadians on health issues and on economic issues. We are asking for collaboration from all members of the House, yet the best thing they find to do is to come up with this ultra-irresponsible motion. The Conservatives got together, they thought they put their best brains together and they said, “Hey, this is the best way to help Canadians: Let us jam the government.” That is unacceptable.