Scott Brison

[Elections Canada, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives, in their so-called Fair Elections Act, took away vouching and took away voter identification cards, they were warned by hundreds of experts that it would suppress the vote and reduce participation in the Canadian election. They went ahead anyway.

In the 2015 election, according to Statistics Canada, over 170,000 Canadians were unable to vote. That is why Elections Canada recommended the restoration of both voter identification cards and vouching. That is what we are doing. Unlike the Conservatives, we think democracy is stronger when more Canadians participate in it.

[Government Spending, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our government respects the work of the Parliamentary Budget Officer. In fact, I spoke with him earlier today, and I discussed with him the fact that this is the first time ever that when MPs are voting on the main estimates, they will know, initiative by initiative, where the budget money is going. This is a huge step forward in terms of parliamentary oversight.

We have been very clear that the government is bound by the amounts listed in the allocation for each budget initiative, for instance in Table A2.11. To increase any of these initiatives would require further approval by Parliament through the supplementary estimates process.

We will continue to raise the bar on openness--

[Democratic Reform, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the New Democrats for what they said yesterday, that they actually agree with some of the provisions in Bill C-76. In fact, they agreed broadly with the principle that Bill C-76 could actually strengthen our democratic process.

Eighty-five per cent of the recommendations of Elections Canada are in fact proposals in Bill C-76,, so we have every confidence that Elections Canada can make this work before the next election.

[Democratic Reform, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-76 would strengthen Canada's electoral system and increase the participation of Canadians in our electoral process. Yesterday, I spoke to the acting Chief Electoral Officer about the legislation. The potential to increase the transparency of our electoral process, and to make elections more accessible and the electoral process more secure, is important. That is why it is important that we pass the bill through Parliament and the Senate, and make sure it is in place for the next election. I have every confidence that it will be.

[Democratic Reform, April 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, again, we are modernizing the Canada Elections Act and repealing the unfair parts of the Harper Conservatives' Fair Elections Act. Their actions made it harder for Canadians to vote.

We believe that our country is stronger when more Canadians, not fewer, participate in our democracy.

[Democratic Reform, April 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, there is a court case going on right now on this very issue. I will not comment on that court case, but let us be very clear. We want to make it easier for Canadians to vote and participate in the Canadian electoral process.

The Conservatives, on the other hand, when they were in government, made it more difficult for Canadians to participate. We think that was the wrong approach. We believe that engaging Canadians on the future of their country is exactly the way to proceed, and that is exactly what we are going to do.

[Democratic Reform, April 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we are moving forward to modernize the Canada Elections Act, and we will be repealing the unfair parts of the Harper Conservatives' Fair Elections Act. In fact, the Harper Conservatives made it harder for Canadians to vote. That is what the Conservatives continue to applaud today, that they made it harder for Canadians to vote.

We will make it easier for Canadians to participate in the electoral movement, and to elect good, strong government serving all Canadians.

[Access to Information, April 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, after 34 years, we are the first Canadian government to act to modernize and strengthen the Access to Information Act. It is important to recognize that we are the first government to actually give the commissioner order-making power and to apply the Access to Information Act to ministers' offices, to the Prime Minister's Office, and in fact to 240 government organizations. Furthermore, we are going to ensure that it never becomes out of date again, with a mandatory review every five years. We are an open and transparent government.

[Finance, April 18th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, just about everything the hon. member has said is wrong. The fact is that he can go to Table A2.11 and he will see line by line items, detailed descriptions of these funds and where they will be invested for Canadians.

Let us be very clear. We will continue to invest for Canadians. That is what has created 600,000 new jobs for Canadians in the last two years and that is what has created the best growth in the G7. We are going to keep on investing in Canadians and being transparent with Parliament as we do it.

[Finance, April 18th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, that hon. member was part of the cabinet where the president of the Treasury Board, the member for Parry Sound—Muskoka, actually took funds from a border infrastructure fund to put gazebos in his riding.

Beyond that, if the hon. member would look at the main estimates, he would find that the inclusion of the $7 billion budget implementation is for measures approved and identified in Table A2.11 of budget 2018. Every detail is in there.