Peter Julian

[Privilege, November 17th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in rebuttal to my colleague, the government House leader, much of what he said is actually irrelevant to the point that was raised by the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley.

One point that the government House leader did not raise and that he should have, although it is perhaps not relevant to this particular issue, is the fact that the ministry of finance over the last 20 years has said consistently that the administrations that govern the use of money most effectively in this country are NDP governments. That is something that the ministry of finance has been saying for 20 years.

However, on the points raised by the government House leader, I would like to ask you, Mr. Speaker, to pay particular attention to the interpretation of Speaker Jerome and Speaker Parent, which was raised by my colleague for Skeena—Bulkley Valley.

This economic and fiscal update is simply not in the same category of much of what the government House leader has raised as examples of how the government tries to update Canadians on finances.

The arguments raised by the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley are absolutely legitimate and relevant. We hope that you will take them under due consideration.

[Petitions, November 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting two petitions today on the same subject.

One is signed by hundreds of my constituents in the cities of both Burnaby and New Westminster.

The other is signed by hundreds of British Columbians living in Conservative-held ridings: Langley, Maple Ridge, particularly in the Fraser Valley and the eastern part of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia.

In the case of both petitions, these Canadians are asking the government to take action to reverse the cuts in services announced by Canada Post, which would lead to the loss of thousands of jobs right across the country and hardships for seniors particularly and people with disabilities and small businesses right across the country. My constituents and the constituents of Conservative MPs in the eastern Fraser Valley are also saying it is important to bring innovation to Canada Post. They call upon the government to reverse the cuts and bring the kind of innovation that has led, in so many other countries, to public postal service that is expanding.

[Committees of the House, November 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for that decision. We are fed up with the lack of respect for the House of Commons.

My colleague from Châteauguay—Saint-Constant just delivered a passionate statement about veterans. A report was presented, and I would like him to comment on the government's reaction to that report. Just a few weeks ago, I was outside the House of Commons on Wellington Street, and I saw veterans selling t-shirts to raise money for their prescription drugs.

This government has ignored veterans, and that is disgusting. We saw the government's response. Can the member for Châteauguay—Saint-Constant tell us more about the government's response to the report?

[Citizenship and Immigration, November 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about children.

Now the minister can protest all he likes, but he cannot change the basic facts. He cannot change the fact that it is a core value of Canadians to take care of one another. He cannot change the fact that Canadians believe children, families and all people should be treated equitably no matter where they come from. He cannot change the fact that the Federal Court ruled that these cuts were cruel and unusual, and caused harm to refugees.

Why will the minister not accept the facts and end his heartless attacks on refugees, and families and children?

[Citizenship and Immigration, November 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, let us move on to another Canadian value.

We cannot believe our ears when we hear the Minister of Immigration say that providing health care to the most vulnerable, such as children, is not a Canadian value

In 1986, Canada received the United Nations Nansen award in recognition of the major contribution by the people of Canada to the cause of refugees.

How does the minister explain that we have gone from being a model country to a country that attacks refugees because of this government?

[CBC/Radio-Canada, November 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, what is shameful is what this government is doing.

CBC/Radio-Canada is the engine of television production in Montreal, and in many francophone minority communities, for instance in western Canada, it is the only news source.

The minister and her predecessors have taken control of CBC/Radio-Canada by stacking its board of directors. The minister's henchmen have begun gutting our public broadcaster. One out of every four jobs will be cut.

Why is the government attacking CBC/Radio-Canada and culture in Canada?

[Privilege, November 4th, 2014]

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, you were absolutely right to say that was an irrelevant question and, of course, an irrelevant answer. We are going to be debating this over the next little while, and there are a lot of members of Parliament who want to speak to this issue.

The government House leader chided us because we simply raised the points that the Conservatives said yesterday compared to what they said today, saying that we should not be partisan. That was an appallingly inappropriate comment and I hope that you, Mr. Speaker, will rule on the relevancy of that. If the Conservatives are not going to take this seriously, they should be—

[Privilege, November 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank the government House leader for his comments today. I was in the House and heard his comments yesterday. I have copies of what he said yesterday in the House of Commons.

First off he said it would be premature at this time for the House to suspend. The motion the government was offering yesterday was that all of the matters involving the member for Peterborough be referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs with instructions that it report back to the House with recommendations. No due date was given, not forthwith, but just that at some point procedure and House affairs would report back.

However, there was no immediate action taken on the government motion. Procedure and House affairs was to look at suspension, impacts on the member's pension, travel status expense account, et cetera. Some of these elements, of course, the member for Toronto—Danforth and I have incorporated into the motion we offered, but this is a very clear change from where the government was yesterday.

Yesterday, the government was opposed to suspension. Yesterday, the government did not want to take any immediate action and felt we should refer it to procedure and House affairs.

My question is very simple. What changed the government's mind from yesterday?

[Privilege, November 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, this is the point we are making today in the House of Commons. It is very clear.

The government saying yesterday that it wants to put it off to the procedure and House affairs committee, which is still considering referrals it received in January 2014 and has not dealt with, is inappropriate. There need to be some initial steps, although procedure and House affairs will eventually be called upon to deal with some of those issues.

The other thing that obviously concerns us is the golden parachute and the decision this morning by Conservatives to actively shift on Bill C-518 so that in the case of the member for Peterborough, he would have a full right to his pension. They made two important amendments. I know my colleague, the member for Toronto—Danforth, will speak to this in just a moment.

It adds up to a golden parachute. We think that is a completely inappropriate response by Conservatives to what has been a conviction on three counts in a court of law on serious violations of the Canada Elections Act.

[Privilege, November 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the incidents occurred in 2008. I think it is a little passing strange that the Conservatives are saying that we are moving too fast, when there have been convictions on three counts.

More important is the reaction. After Justice Lisa Cameron said that the member for Peterborough had offered incredible evidence, full of inconsistencies and improbabilities, and that the member for Peterborough had frequently obfuscated, the member for Peterborough responded that it was just her opinion.

It is quite obvious to me that the member for Peterborough does not understand that in a court of law, he has brought forward his evidence, and he has been convicted now on three counts of violating the Canada Elections Act.

Conservatives will say that we should not do anything until the next election campaign. We think that shows profound disrespect for Canadians and profound disrespect for the people of Peterborough, and that is why we are moving the motion today.