Rob Nicholson

[Business of Supply, February 4th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, nobody has done more for infrastructure than the Conservative government did. When there was a downturn in the economy in 2008 and 2009, the Conservatives put billions of dollars toward infrastructure. As the member for Niagara Falls, I am very proud of all the infrastructure projects that we were able to finance during that period of time. These will be for the long-term benefit of the people of our areas.

Members can check right across the country and see that billions of dollars were put into the country by the Conservative government. I am very proud of that. This is exactly what we needed at that time, and it is exactly what we did.

[Business of Supply, February 4th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to share my time today with the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.

This is an opposition motion put forward by my colleague from Milton. I was very pleased when she asked me if I would be one of the individuals who would speak to it.

As members can see, the motion thanks member of our public servants, particularly in the Department of Finance, for their hard work and their projections that there would be a budgetary surplus of $1 billion. I like the idea that she is thanking the public servants who work in that department.

I know very well the dedication and commitment of our public servants. I have had the honour of serving in five different portfolios during my career, and I have received a huge amount of support and information from my departmental officials who were invaluable to me.

On the portfolio of Veterans Affairs, which is the one I most recently had, departmental officials did an outstanding job of compiling information and giving me briefing notes, and for that I was been very grateful. Likewise in National Defence and Justice, they could not have been more helpful or on time, and to this day I am very grateful toward them. I am therefore pleased that my colleague from Milton has brought forward the motion thanking the members of the Department of Finance for what they are doing.

The members of the Department of Finance are projecting a $1 billion surplus for this year. I appreciate that this is upsetting to the Liberals in terms of what they had to say during the election campaign. It is maybe one of the first times in Canadian history that somebody is upset that there is a surplus, but we all have our different approaches to this.

I remember during the election when my campaign manager said to me that the NDP was starting to slip in the polls. I asked what the issues were. My campaign manager noted that one of the issues was the fact that the New Democrats wanted a balanced budget and many people disagreed with that. This was one of the first times I was going to say that I agreed with the New Democrats, that balanced budgets were a good idea. I am sorry they lost support on that. I still think it is the right thing for Canada.

I am very proud of the way our government handled the budgets prior to the last election. In fact, I am proud of all the different aspects of what it took to govern the country. I was very pleased with the leadership of our prime minister during that time. I now have the honour of being his seatmate. He was consistent over those 10 years. In my six and a half years as justice minister, he was consistently supportive of standing up for victims and law-abiding citizens and in holding people who committed crimes to account.

His and our government's stand with respect to foreign policy was always consistent. People knew where the Conservative government stood with respect to Ukraine, Israel, and the fight against terrorists. I had the honour to visit various parts of the world. People knew where Canada stood and they were grateful. This was the one thing that was consistent about all the places I visited. People thanked me. They asked me to thank Canadians and our government for our consistency on that.

However, with respect to the finances, again there was consistency in our government in keeping taxes low, to strive toward a balanced budget, and to have responsible spending. Those were the characteristics of our Conservative government. It allowed us to do things that were important to Canadians, and did not break the bank.

I remember coming back here in 2004 and my colleague, the member for Niagara West, started to lobby the then Liberal government to remove the federal excise tax on 100% Canadian wine. He made a very good point. There was not a huge amount of money being collected by the federal government on Canadian wine, but if it were removed, it would be a huge boost to the wine industry in our area. When the government at that time would not listen to him, he brought forward a private member's bill and gave me the honour of seconding it. He tried to push forward with that.

That is why I am so appreciative of what took place after the Conservatives became government in 2006. In the first budget presented by Jim Flaherty, he brought forward the recommendation that had the support of the member for Haldimand—Norfolk, the other members in Niagara, and my colleagues British Columbia. It was a huge boost to the wine industry and a responsible way to act.

I can remember, as well, as justice minister, being informed about child advocacy centres when I was visiting Edmonton. At that same time, one was established in St. Catharines. These centres were to help children who had been victimized by crime, having a one-stop family-friendly and child-friendly centre for them to get help. The federal government was not involved with this, but Jim Flaherty and the former prime minister were supportive of it. This did not cost a huge amount of money, but made a big difference in helping children who had been victimized. I have been very grateful to them for those centres.

Now the Liberals are telling us they have some problems. As my colleague, the member for Beauce, has said, they have no problem with spending, but they have a problem with financial accountability. It should be the exact opposite. They should be concentrating on financial accountability and controlling spending. We need this in our country.

People have told me that the Liberals will make a mess of the finances and this will guarantee the re-election of the Conservatives in 2019. However, I want what is best for Canada right now. I do not want a mess. We have seen what has happened in other provinces at times when governments irresponsibly spend. It takes many years to correct those situations. This is not what we want.

The Liberals have a different agenda. As we heard yesterday in debates, Conservatives want union members to have the right to privacy. The Liberals want something different than that. We disagree with that, but one thing the Conservative Party will be consistently in favour of is controlling government spending and keeping taxes low. We would have continued with a balanced budget. This is apparently out the window now with the Liberal government. It is a mistake and I think some day Canadians will not only give us the opportunity, but will very quickly realize that this is a huge mistake on the part of the Liberal government.

[Public Safety, January 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, in 2010, the previous Conservative government passed legislation to ensure that convicted child sexual predators would never be able to apply for a pardon. This week, Canadians were horrified to see that an infamous serial child rapist was granted day parole.

The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness has indicated that the government will make it easier for criminals like that to get pardons. Why would the Liberal government do that?

[18th Prime Minister of Canada, December 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, it is my great honour today to rise in the House to pay homage to the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, Canada's 18th prime minister. He has just been awarded the Supreme Companion of Oliver Reginald Tambo, South Africa's highest award given to a foreign national. It is a tribute to Mr. Mulroney's courage, conviction, and leadership in his stand against apartheid and his call for the release of Nelson Mandela.

I am also very proud that his leadership on the world stage is once again being recognized. During my tenure as defence minister and foreign affairs minister, I travelled to Ukraine three times. During my visits, I planned to bring up the fact that Canada, under Brian Mulroney, was the first country to recognize the freedom and independence of Ukraine. On two occasions, the Ukrainian ministers beat me to it and brought the matter up first.

Also, the defence minister of Kuwait made a point of telling me how grateful he was that Canada came to his country's defence, again under Brian Mulroney's leadership.

The award from South Africa is a great honour for Canada's 18th Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, and I share the pride of all Canadians in celebrating his achievements.

[Business of Supply, December 10th, 2015]

Madam Speaker, we have heard now from a couple of members from the Liberals that it is the cost. That is their problem. That is very disappointing. This is exactly what the Royal Canadian Air Force and our armed forces are for, to defend people who find themselves oppressed, the victims of terrorism. No cost is too great to protect people.

[Business of Supply, December 10th, 2015]

Madam Speaker, let us be frank here with respect to the NDP. If NATO endorsed it and everyone in the United Nations and in the universe supported this combat mission, the NDP would have a problem with it. At least the NDP is consistent with that, and I have always said that. It is true to its ideology on that.

She is asking for proof. I saw proof on the ground. Perhaps she did not hear what I had to say. I spoke with the prime minister of Iraq, the foreign minister and the defence minister of Iraq. I have spoken with all kinds of officials in that country and they have said that the air strikes are making a difference. They are allowing them to hold their territory in Iraq and in the Kurdistan area of that country, as well as it was giving them an opportunity to continue to push back ISIS.

I would ask her to call up the ambassador from Iraq, or something. He will tell her what I am telling her right now. We have made a difference with our coalition partners, and that is why we should stay there.

[Business of Supply, December 10th, 2015]

Madam Speaker, again, the member is consistent with the colleague who I quoted, that they are worried about the costs of fighting terrorism in that part of the world. I should point out to him that his Prime Minister has said the Liberals will keep five non-combat aircraft in the region. Guess what? They will be paying for that. They will not be a part of the fight again ISIS, but they will be there. If it is the cost he is worried about, he had better speak to the Prime Minister about that one.

No country has a better record than we do of standing up to terrorism and those who would oppress others. That is exactly what we are doing. Is it worth the money to do it? Yes, of course, it is worth the money to stand up and fight terrorism and not sit on the sidelines and let our allies do everything. Canada is not about that, and that is not what we should be doing.

[Business of Supply, December 10th, 2015]

Madam Speaker, congratulations to you on your new position.

I want to begin by thanking the people of Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Fort Erie for the trust that they have placed in me. It is certainly much appreciated. Population-wise, I represent the largest riding in Canada. The Niagara Falls riding was created in 1952, the year I was born, and it is my privilege to have been elected for the seventh time.

I am very grateful to the people of Niagara Falls and to my family, who have been so supportive of me, particularly my wife Arlene Nicholson. I have said to people over the years that if their spouses do not support them in this role in public life, do not get into it. We need the support of the spouse, and I have had that over the years. I am very grateful for that.

I am also grateful to all of those who worked so hard to get me re-elected. I will be forever be appreciative of Ron Gibson and all those who worked with him.

We are here to discuss the motion that has been presented by the Conservative Party. The question I think in most people's minds is what exactly are the Liberals doing? What are they up to? What are their motives?

The Liberals' position of pulling out the RCAF is a big disappointment, and their reasons seem to be all over the map. I understand why the NDP would be opposed to a combat mission. That is part of its ideology and it has a long history of not supporting any combat missions, or any wars, for that matter. Therefore, I understand where it is coming from, but I am having difficulty understanding the position of the Liberal Party.

Regarding the Prime Minister's comments about not bringing publicity to ISIS, the whole world has to know about the terrorism of this group. As it was pointed out by my colleague from Surrey, this organization has to be stopped. The whole world has to focus its attention on that. I cannot buy that somehow we should quit talking about it or forget about it, because it is not going to go away.

I am somewhat confused, but maybe there is some illumination as to exactly where the Liberals are coming from. One of their colleagues earlier today, the member for Laval—Les Îles, said:

Mathematically speaking, our CF-18s have flown less than 2% of the missions, but the cost is very high. What is more, we are putting the lives of our pilots at risk.

The fact that the costs are going up is not a good reason to get out of it. That is the first thing. Everybody should be unanimous on that. I also do not like the point that this poses a risk to our pilots. The Royal Canadian Air Force has been in the business of taking risks ever since it was created. That is what this country has been all about, standing up for what is right in this world. Yes, there are risks here, but if that is the reason why the Liberals are getting out of this, it is a terrible decision on their part.

We have seen this continuous rise in terrorism and terrorism activities. We saw it recently.

I would like to note, Madam Speaker, that I have the honour to split my time with the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.

I would point out for my colleagues the comments of Prime Minister David Cameron. Here is what he had to say. He said:

...we should not be content with outsourcing our security to our allies. If we believe that action can help protect us, then, with our allies, we should be part of that action, not standing aside from it...if we will not act now, when our friend and ally France has been struck in this way, then our allies in the world can be forgiven for asking, “If not now, when?”

When would it be appropriate for Canada to participate, if not now? I agree with the Prime Minister of Great Britain. It is exactly what we should be doing.

One of the questions raised here is the effectiveness of the air strikes in which we have participated. The coalition asked for and welcomed Canadian participation right from the start. Our ally, the U.S., and its government were very appreciative of the fact that we stepped up to the plate. This is what I heard consistently as Canada's defence minister and foreign affairs minister.

As Canada's defence minister and foreign minister, I heard consistently from leaders around the world that they were grateful for what Canada was doing. For instance, earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit Iraq, and I saw and heard first-hand about the difference Canada was making.

I had the opportunity when I was in the Kurdistan area of Iraq to visit an IDP, an internally displaced person's camp. I wanted to see this. One of the first things I noticed was there were Canadian doctors, nurses and pharmacists who were assisting the people in that camp. I know some members will say that is all we should be doing, that it is a wonderful thing, and it was. I had the opportunity to congratulate them and thank them for the difference that they were making, but it is our air strikes that have helped make this assistance possible.

This is what I heard from the prime minister of Iraq, the foreign minister and all the Iraqi officials. When I met with the Kurdistan officials, it was the same thing. They said that these air strikes were making it possible for them to hang onto the territory they were occupying at the present time and it was helping them to move forward to help eliminate ISIS. They were very clear. They said that the Iraqis had to be the ones on the ground to push ISIS out to win this conflict. However, they were very definite that the air strikes were helping them to do just that.

I was at a conference with the prime minister of Iraq, among others, and afterward a reporter asked me if there was criticism that Canada was not doing enough. I told the reporter that it was just the opposite. I said I had just spoken with the prime minister of Iraq and he had asked me to thank Canadians, to tell them that what we were doing in that country was making a positive difference.

These air strikes are an essential part of the fight against ISIS, and this is completely consistent with the history of our country. We are not a country that stands on the sidelines. We are a country that does not just our share but more than our share. That is what has been consistent about Canada.

When I came out of a meeting with Dutch authorities and ministers, I said to my staff that I would have thought that Canada's liberation of the Netherlands was seven months ago, not 70 years ago, because they were thanking Canadians for stepping up when they needed help most.

This is what is happening right now in Iraq and Syria. They need the help now and I have been very proud that Canada has stepped up to the plate, which is consistent with everything that we have stood for. We stand behind the members of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Yes, there is a challenge and yes, there are risks, but I know it is up to the task and we should support it. Everyone in the House should support this motion because it is the right thing to do.

[Justice, December 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, in September, the Prime Minister indicated that he had problems with the mandatory sentences that were introduced by the Conservative government. Yes, under our government, people who brought illegal drugs into Canada, those who kidnapped and sexually exploited children, and those who produced and distributed child pornography went to jail.

Why does the Prime Minister have a problem with that?

[Foreign Affairs, June 18th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as always, the Prime Minister distinguished himself on the international stage and specifically with respect to Ukraine. We have the toughest sanctions in the world. We are advising the Ukrainians with loans. We are helping their small businesses and the humanitarian cause within Ukraine.

The people in the Government of Ukraine know we stand with them and under this government, this leadership and this Prime Minister, that is going to continue.