Ralph Goodale

[Public Safety, April 16th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I note that the national security adviser was very clear in the remarks that he made today before the standing committee. I also note that on numerous occasions, when asked similar questions in the House, the Prime Minister has repeatedly said that he agrees with his national security adviser.

[Public Safety, April 16th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure there will be further opportunities to respond to similar questions.

Since this is my first opportunity as a member of Parliament from Saskatchewan, may I express my deep condolences to those who have suffered loss in the terrible tragedy that has befallen the Humboldt Broncos and join with all of those in the House who are expressing prayers for the speedy recovery of all those who have been injured?

The demonstration of solidarity in the House of Commons today is extremely important to the premier and the province and all the people of Saskatchewan, a province that both the Leader of the Opposition and I share.

[Public Safety, March 29th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as I said some moments ago, I am very glad to have the question. We can have a very good discussion about all manner of committee work, and that discussion will go on among House leaders.

Step number one is for opposition members to stop the political game and, in fact, inform themselves of all the relevant facts. The offer has been made for a full briefing, both classified and unclassified, so the Leader of the Opposition can have all that information and then base himself on the truth and not some silly innuendo the Conservatives have dreamed up for themselves.

[Public Safety, March 29th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, only the Conservative Party would consider and see offering it a full brief of both classified and unclassified information so they could know all the facts as muzzling. The fact is that the Conservatives are tying themselves into some strange knots, because they forced themselves last Friday to vote against some very good things that Canadians wanted. For example, they voted against the funding for injured members of the RCMP. They voted against benefits for veterans.

[Public Safety, March 29th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition, because he is a privy councillor, has been offered a full and complete briefing on all matters with respect to this situation, both classified and unclassified, so he can be fully informed. If he willfully refuses to be fully informed, it appears that his only objective is a political game that has nothing to do with the truth.

[Public Safety, March 29th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition complains that he will not be able to ask questions about classified information but that is exactly true already. What is classified needs to remain classified.

What is being offered to the leader is a full description of all the facts so that he can know what is classified and what is not, and then he will be fully equipped to discharge his responsibility, rather than just political gamesmanship.

[Public Safety, March 29th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, offering a full classified briefing is hardly covering things up.

The opposition has confirmed that it does not want to be encumbered by the truth when it is asking questions. Therefore, it is choosing to remain wilfully ignorant of the facts.

There are other consequences too, like the voting at the end of last week, which forced the opposition to vote against very good things that Canadians want. For example, the hon. member's party voted against the settlement of Yazidi women and girls in Canada.

[Public Safety, March 29th, 2018]

All of them, Mr. Speaker.

I am very glad to have the question, because we will be happy to discuss all manner of House committee work through the House leaders, which we can advance just as soon as the official opposition is fully briefed on all of the facts, classified and unclassified. Those members just have to let us know when they would like to get started and all of that information can proceed.

[Public Safety, March 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said consistently, the comments that have been attributed to the national security adviser in the media disclosed no confidential information. The challenge, of course, is the questions the members of the opposition want to pursue in relation to classified matters in the context of this whole affair.

We have offered to answer those questions. We have offered to give them the whole information. They continue to refuse.

[Public Safety, March 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the opposition would like to interrogate Mr. Akin, but the point is that the whole classified context and detail has been offered to the official opposition. Members of the official opposition continue to refuse to receive that information. One can only assume that they want to continue to play a political game rather than get informed of all the facts and not just from Mr. Akin, but directly from the senior officials of the Government of Canada.