Rona Ambrose

[Ethics, October 31st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, “unprecedented” is one word that I could use for these very exclusive fundraisers. These invitations are completely hidden from the general public. They all feature a cabinet minister as the star attraction. Worse, they are being hosted and attended by insiders and lobbyists who want something from government. The Prime Minister could put an end to this problem today, if he wanted to.

All he has to do is enforce his own rules: no cash for access fundraisers, no preferential access to government. Why does he not just stop doing this?

[Ethics, October 31st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is the Prime Minister brought in new rules that he claimed would raise the ethical standard, but he is not doing that. In fact, he is violating these very ethical rules that he brought in. These fundraisers are not open to the general public. These are exclusive fundraisers for people who can afford it and who happen to be invited.

I ask again, how can we expect other people to follow the rules when the Prime Minister will not even follow his own?

[Ethics, October 31st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister set in place ethics rules for his own ministers to follow in his document called “Open and Accountable Government” that forbid the kind of cash for access fundraisers they are involved in. In fact, the Prime Minister is also involved, and he is violating his own ethics rules.

What kind of an example is the Prime Minister setting when he cannot even follow his own rules?

[Ethics, October 27th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and his team are now under investigation by the federal lobbying commissioner for their cash for access fundraising. It is clear that his rules for open and accountable government were nothing more than a prop. Under his orders, ministers are repeatedly violating his own ethics rules.

The Prime Minister knows that this is wrong. Everybody knows this is wrong. It is damaging the integrity of his office. Why does he not just stop doing it?

[National Defence, October 27th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, that line is ridiculous. To not give information to Parliament, Canadians, and the families of soldiers after the fact, after the missions, is ridiculous.

Parliament has a right to know, Canadians have a right to know, and the families of the soldiers have a right to know if this mission has changed. Has it changed? Has it expanded? Are we just doing training, as the Prime Minister suggested, or are we in combat?

[National Defence, October 27th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, before being elected, the Prime Minister repeatedly called for the Canadian Forces missions in Iraq and Syria to be “open and transparent”, but yesterday in the House, he admitted that it was his order to suppress information about our mission in Iraq. He is suppressing information, not for the safety of our troops, but because he claims they are on a training mission when they are not. They are in combat.

Since the mission has changed and expanded, does the Prime Minister not think that Parliament, Canadians, and the families of the soldiers have a right to know?

[Ethics, October 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we know those rules because we actually brought them in.

There is a word for the Prime Minister's attempt to defend the Liberal fundraisers, wrong. We need the Liberals to follow the rules. The Prime Minister knows very well that what is happening is wrong, and he should not be defending this. Canadians should not have to pay $1,500 to access their government.

The Prime Minister put in place clear rules on ethics and accountability, and he and his ministers are now violating them.

Does he really believe in his own rules for an open and accountable government, or is this—

[Ethics, October 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister put in place rules, in black and white, regarding ministerial conduct for fundraising. He did this because he knows that it is wrong to have ministers charging $1,500 on behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada to have a meeting on a government file. Yet, that is exactly what is happening. Sadly, the people of Ontario know this very well.

Is the Prime Minister now taking fundraising advice from Kathleen Wynne?

[National Defence, October 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the television show J.E. reported troubling facts about discrimination against members of the Canadian Armed Forces based on their sexual orientation.

The Prime Minister is aware of those facts because the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent personally handed him a letter from Lucie Laperle on this very subject on March 21.

Seven months later, Ms. Laperle has still not heard back from the Prime Minister. Why has he not yet responded to these veterans?

[National Defence, October 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we support our troops 100%, but this is about transparency.

It has been a regular practice for the government to provide technical briefings to the media, and to Canadians when our soldiers are deployed in battle. Top commanders were made available to explain the threat that our soldiers faced. The Prime Minister has changed that policy for political reasons. He promised to end a combat mission that he is actually expanding.

Will the Prime Minister be transparent, and resume these briefings, so Canadians can know exactly what our men and women in uniform are facing?