Rona Ambrose

[Taxation, January 31st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, maybe the Prime Minister talked to the Aga Khan about this next issue, but I would like him to answer my question.

The Prime Minister only has two ways to balance the budget, and those are getting his spending under control or raising taxes. We know he is not going to do the first, so he is going to do the second and the latest target is health and dental benefits. That proposed new health tax means that most families will pay an additional $1,000 in taxes, many will lose their benefits entirely, and they will be left vulnerable.

Is the Prime Minister seriously going to put a tax on the health and dental plans of millions of Canadians?

[Ethics, January 31st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, the Prime Minister does not get to have a private, privileged conversation with Mary Dawson. He is accountable to the House and to Canadians.

This has become a huge distraction for the Prime Minister and it has taken his focus away from what matters the most, which is creating jobs. It is obvious to everyone that his focus needs to be on jobs and the economy, not on damage control for one self-inflicted wound after another.

Why did the Prime Minister put himself in this position in the first place?

[Ethics, January 31st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the Prime Minister broke the Conflict of Interest Act. It is obvious that he thinks that these kinds of rules do not apply to people like him, but it is not just this law that he broke. He also broke his own open and accountable government rules on ethics, and we only know about this because he was caught.

What possible explanation does the Prime Minister have for his conduct?

[Ethics, January 30th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, this is the first time that the Ethics Commissioner has launched a formal investigation into the behaviour of a prime minister. This is not good for the country, especially when Canadians need their prime minister focused on jobs. They need him focused on his job and jobs for Canadians, not distracted by ethics investigations.

How can Canadians have confidence the Prime Minister is focused on their interests when he is spending all of his time defending his own?

[Ethics, January 30th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the Conflict of Interest Act is clear about the Prime Minister accepting travel on private aircraft. It says, “No minister of the Crown...shall accept travel on...private aircraft for any purpose unless required in his or her capacity as a public office holder, or in exceptional circumstances or with the prior approval of the Commissioner.”

We know the Prime Minister violated the act in this context. My question is simple: Why does the Prime Minister think that the rules do not apply to people like him?

[Employment, January 30th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, a lot has changed for Canada in the last few months. The new U.S. administration is lowering taxes and cutting regulations with the promise to bring back jobs to America. Canadians are worried this means their jobs might be heading south. When is the Prime Minister going to get serious and present a plan to protect our workers and their families?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, January 30th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, last year the House unanimously voted to recognize that violence perpetrated by ISIS against the Yazidi people constitutes genocide and committed to providing asylum to women and girls from this persecuted minority within 120 days. Time is almost up and the U.S. travel ban on refugees from the region has made this rescue operation all the more critical.

Could the Prime Minister update the House on how many Yazidi women and children have made it safely to Canada?

[Shooting in Quebec City, January 30th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are shocked by the terrorist act that was committed in a Quebec City mosque last night.

We offer our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured. All Canadians are free to practise their religion as they wish, and they should feel safe doing so. Those who perpetrated these horrendous acts must be brought to justice.

Can the Prime Minister provide an update on the investigation as well as the federal government's response?

[Shooting in Quebec City, January 30th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me to speak today.

Although debates in the House can often get heated, I know that today we are all united in our grief for the victims of yesterday's heinous attack. Our caucus was gathered in Quebec City just last week. Quebec Winter Carnival was beginning just as our meetings were wrapping up.

This is supposed to be a fun time of year, when some of the coldest nights of the year become so warm and inviting.

Quebec City is warm and welcoming, and one of the safest cities in Canada, a point of pride for those who live there. It was the city of the victims of yesterday evening's attack. It is a terrible shock to the region.

On behalf of the official opposition, I extend my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the families of those who were killed in cold blood yesterday evening at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec.

Once again, the House is memorializing innocent people killed by cowardly attackers. We are offering our thoughts and prayers to families in Quebec City who today are mourning their fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons, innocent people who merely went to pray and will not be coming home. This terrorist attack strikes at the very heart of one of the freedoms we cherish as Canadians: the right to practise one's faith, to worship without fear. It is the freedom to worship as people choose, with their fellow believers as a community, in safety and security.

We have profoundly defended that right for people around the world, but it is most meaningful to us in Canada. An attack against a place of worship, against people praying in a mosque, is an attack on these very freedoms. It negates the principles on which Canada was founded.

In the House we have our differences on many issues that are important to Canadians, but I know that every member of every caucus believes in the great Canadian tradition of pluralism, this peaceful coexistence of people of faith and different beliefs under the banner of Canadian citizenship.

That peace was broken yesterday evening in Sainte-Foy. This is not the first time this has happened in Canada, a country that enjoys relative peace in many ways.

Yet we must never be blind that such terrible motivations as hatred or ignorance persist. We cannot stand for it and we must be ready to meet it. This attack offers another sad reminder that our country is not immune to terrorism and demonstrates that we must always be vigilant against this threat.

Today, we are incredibly grateful for those who stand vigilant on our behalf, including the police and first responders, as well as the Canadian Forces and our intelligence agencies. We appreciate their swift response last night.

Later today, I will be joining the Prime Minister in Quebec City. I want to thank him for this opportunity to show all Canadians that we are united in our support for the victims and their loved ones. We will keep the victims of this crime and their families in our thoughts and prayers.

[Ethics, December 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, here is the principle at stake. The Prime Minister has basically said that he is above all Canadians, he is above the law, and that these rules apply to everyone else except for him. He continues to blindly defend these actions about selling access to his office, with each new excuse becoming more arrogant every day. It is embarrassing to the Canadians who expected more from him, it is embarrassing to the House, and it is actually embarrassing to his Liberal caucus that has to sit through all of this.

When will the Prime Minister finally do the right thing and end these cash for access fundraisers?