Peter Kent

[Questions on the Order Paper, May 1st, 2017]

With regard to the statement made by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development in the House of Commons on February 23, 2017, that “Cedar Tree will now be owned and operated by Canadians going foward”: (a) does the government consider this statement to be accurate; and (b) what evidence or guarantees does the government have to ensure that Cedar Tree Investment Canada is not a subsidiary of Anbang Insurance?

[Foreign Affairs, May 1st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government's reluctance to demand better of the United Nations is unacceptable. Whether funding terror incitement in UNRWA schools, concealing votes for human rights abusers to the Human Rights Council, ignoring the anti-Semitic denial of Jerusalem's history by UNESCO, or now downplaying the election of Saudi Arabia to the status of women, all of this makes Canada complicit in the UN's dysfunction. Is there no end to the Prime Minister's willingness to pander to rights abusers in his indecent pursuit of a Security Council seat?

[Foreign Affairs, May 1st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the United Nations' well-tarnished reputation has been sullied yet again by the election of Saudi Arabia to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Gender segregation forces Saudi women to submit to male guardianship for their entire lives. Women are banned from driving. Those who defy Saudi Arabia's second-class laws go to prison. Women can be stoned to death for adultery. There have been expressions of disgust and protest around the world, but Canada's self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister has not uttered a peep. Might he be willing to explain why today?

[Vietnamese Canadians, May 1st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, on April 30, Canada's Vietnamese community marked the third annual Journey to Freedom Day. Enacted under our previous Conservative government, it is a national day of the commemoration of the exodus of Vietnamese refugees from their war-torn country and their acceptance into Canada after the fall of Saigon to the Communists on April 30, 1975. Millions of refugees, known as “boat people”, fled their homeland to make the perilous journey to freedom. Many thousands perished at sea. However, for over 60,000 refugees, Canada proved to be a safe haven.

In the spirit of Canada's 150th anniversary and marking this year's Journey to Freedom Day, I am proud to again wear the colours of freedom and to recognize the contributions of Vietnamese Canadians and of all “boat people” refugees and their descendants. The Vietnamese refugees came to Canada in search of hope, opportunity, and freedom.

[International Development, April 12th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, our Russian friends just vetoed a UN Security Council resolution against Syria.

Yesterday, the international development minister tried to justify the misguided restoration of education funding to the hate-infected UN Relief and Works Agency with an undated quote of an Israeli general. She seems unaware that the general's boss, defence minister Lieberman, has just asked the United States to stop funding UNRWA because it continues to teach hate and demonize Israel.

Can the Liberals not find another way to deliver aid?

[Foreign Affairs, April 12th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, last week the foreign affairs committee tabled a unanimous report urging the government to not only update and enforce sanctions but also to expand them to include, in Sergei Magnitsky's name, gross violations of the sort barbarically committed by Syria last week with Russian complicity.

The government has lamely suggested it needs more time to study the report. That is somewhat disingenuous, given the PM's support for a Magnitsky act two years ago.

Will the Prime Minister now act?

[Human Rights, April 11th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, well, it is not happening.

Canada has urged Venezuela's repressive president to release political prisoners. Lilian Tintori, the wife of Leopoldo Lopez, Venezuela's leading political prisoner, has met OAS Secretary General Almagro, President Trump, the UN high commissioner for human rights, the presidents of Mexico and Argentina, even the Pope, but for some reason, Senora Tintori cannot get a meeting with the Prime Minister. Why will the Prime Minister not take a meeting and send a strong message to President Maduro?

[International Development, April 11th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals rushed to restore education funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency, despite abundant evidence that UNRWA employees actively support terrorism and incite anti-Semitism.

The minister assured Canadians that $25 million would teach Palestinian children tolerance and respect, but a detailed news study by UN Watch revealed 60 new examples of hate on UNRWA teacher and staff Facebook pages.

Our Conservative government effectively delivered aid around UNRWA. Why can the Liberals not do so?

[The Budget, April 11th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, with a nod to Paul Simon:

Don't shake your head the budget's author said to me
A cluster budget's easy if you take it logically
Taxing Uber, transit, beer, while spending uncontrollably
There must be fifty ways to shaft Canadians.
He said it's really not his style to mope and brood
Sure billions gone, no jobs, no growth, can't be misconstrued
Re-announcing, pre-announcing, smoke and mirrors are his tool
Must be fifty ways to shaft Canadians.
He don't have the knack, Jack
He needs a new plan, Stan
Innovation's a ploy, Roy
Small biz just not key.
Job creation's a bust, Gus
Infrastructure not so much as such
F'get debt to GDP, Lee
PM thinks cash is free.
He says he didn't think his budget would cause so much pain
But doesn't know what he might do to make us smile again,
Canadians ask, then, would he please again explain
'Bout the fifty ways he shafted Canadians.

He “don't” have the knack.

[Foreign Affairs, April 10th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been dragging their feet on the Magnitsky sanctions for a year and a half.

The Prime Minister's ever-shifting position on the Syrian conflict goes back for years. In 2015, he said that the Conservative government's desire to expand Canada's presence into Syria was a worrying trend. That was when Canada's CF-18s were flying targeted missions against Daesh in Syria.

Now the Prime Minister seems to be calling for a full-scale regime change in Syria. What exactly is he proposing? What will he think tomorrow?