Todd Doherty

[Fall Economic Statement, November 1st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are tuning in to hear this economic update, there are record numbers of job losses right across Canada, a record number of job losses in the oil and gas sector. We do not have a signed softwood lumber agreement. We have more uncertainty in the forestry industry.

What Canadians want to know from the government is what it is doing to get Canadians back to work today. They do not need more EI assistance. They do not need more platitudes or what have you and promises for 11 years down the road. They need jobs today.

I would ask the minister what he is doing to get people back to work today in small communities.

[The Liberal Party of Canada, October 31st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, on the night of All Hallows' Eve, Canadians have a reason to be afraid
The Liberals promised treats, but have only provided tricks to date.

The Liberal legion of doom seems intent on stealing our tax dollars,
This is enough to make anyone run or holler.
Instead of handing out candy or treats, they are giving out creepy carbon taxes,
which will only lead to jobs facing axes.
Whether dressed up as a fisherman from New Brunswick or Newfoundland,
or a logger in B.C., they can all expect to have less in hand.
This terrifying tax is nothing more than a Liberal trick,
The only Canadians getting treats are the preferred, the top picked.
They are dressed up as Liberal lobbyists attending pay-to-play fundraisers,
Doctors, lawyers, or Liberal Party chasers.
While dressed up as a treat, it is plain to see,
The Liberal plan is a frightening trick being played on members and me.
It is raising the deficit to scary new levels,
So we know it is not those dressed up as ghouls, ghosts or Tasmanian devils
That Canadians have a reason to hide this day,
It is because the Liberal legion of doom seems intent to haunt our jobs and growth away.

[Business of Supply, October 20th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard some well-thought-out and honest discussion from all sides of the House. I am going to go back to what was said before, which is that it is good that we are having this discussion, but it is time for action now.

We have mentioned these girls and the incredible atrocities they have experienced. Often they are seen as having little value. We have seen it. They cannot go home because of the atrocities that have been done to them. We need to bring them to Canada to give them a safe haven.

We have heard the government say that all the Syrian refugees wanted was a chance. All the Yazidis want is a chance, and Canada can do that. We can and should be doing more.

I would appreciate my hon. colleague's thoughts on what we can do immediately to get these Yazidi girls out of this terrible situation.

[Business of Supply, October 20th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I thought the previous question was well thought out and thoughtful as well. Again, when the government committed to providing for and immediately bringing in 25,000 Syrian refugees by December 31, we saw what happened. There were indeed some refugees who were left in hotels and there were services that were not there. So I thought that was a very well-thought-out question.

For the life of him, can my hon. colleague understand why the current government has vacillated, delayed, and taken its time when we know that the atrocities are happening, that young girls are being enslaved, tortured, and raped? For the life of us, why are the Liberals playing politics with the Yazidi women?

[Business of Supply, October 20th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his thoughtful presentation. Given every word that he said, it has to be difficult for him to be sitting here almost without a voice, because over the last year, the government could have acted. It could have done something.

I read a news article saying that 19 Yazidi girls were chained in a cage and burned alive because they would not have sex with ISIS militants. His presentation is exactly what Conservatives have been saying: action needs to take place now. It is one thing to be clapping and saying all the right things, but we need action now.

Given what my hon. colleague has just said, how is he going to vote on the motion? He said all the right things. Is he willing to stand behind them and put action to his words?

[Business of Supply, October 20th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our hon. colleague for his comments and his participation in this discussion today.

I am the father of three incredible, beautiful girls. Time and again, we have heard the stories of the rape, murder, and enslavement of Yazidi women and girls. During his speech, the member said that things have changed, that because of the government's actions, things have changed. The facts of the matter are this. There are still women and girls being taken, enslaved, raped, tortured, and murdered. I implore my hon. colleague. Is he not a father?

Let us put politics aside and put ourselves in that place. It is unbelievable. Can the member not see that Canada must be doing something right now?

If we could bring 25,000 Syrian refugees into Canada in that short time, surely we can do something to get these women and young girls out of such a terrible situation.

[Cariboo—Prince George, October 20th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I am truly humbled to rise in the House today to say thanks to an incredible group of volunteers who gave their time and effort and believed in a guy from the Cariboo with big dreams, because without their help, I would not be rising in my seat today.

After 65,000 kilometres driven, over 30,000 doors knocked on, and over 60,000 phone calls made, one year ago yesterday the incredible people of Cariboo—Prince George elected me. I want to thank everyone who has joined me on this incredible whirlwind of a journey. I thank them for their calls, emails, Facebook posts, and tweets. I thank them for believing in me.

I hope that over the last year I have delivered on my promise of being visible and present. I hope I have demonstrated that I am willing to stand and fight for the Cariboo, to deliver the voice of the Cariboo to Ottawa. Moreover, I hope they have seen a member of Parliament who cares deeply about our region.

From Kelly, Kassi, Jordan, Kaitlyn, Josh and me, I want to say thanks.

[Salaries Act, October 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I have listened intently and I want to thank our hon. colleague from Elmwood—Transcona for his brilliant speech. I thought it was very good and any speech that gets in the word “Snuggie”, and uses a comparison to a Snuggie is something else.

I come from Cariboo—Prince George and in the early 2000s our region, indeed the province of British Columbia, was decimated by the pine beetle infestation. At that time we had a government that had regional ministers there on the ground who knew the issues. As we looked to diversify our economy not only in my riding of Cariboo—Prince George, but across the province of British Columbia, we looked at what some of the natural advantages that we have.

There was investment in the port of Prince Rupert, investment in the CN intermodal facilities, investment in the Prince George Airport Authority, investment in the Asia-Pacific gateway, but there was also investment in the hon. colleague's riding in Winnipeg with CentrePort and that connected Canada to the world. The reason that was done is that regional ministers were on the ground and could speak to the validity and the value of that investment.

What the government has done is less about gender equality in this decision and this bill, and is more about centralized government. The member so aptly mentioned the Prime Minister's sense of shame and falling flat on his face not only when he made his initial announcement, but the bungling of this last year. I wonder if the hon. colleague would like to comment on those two points.

[Business of Supply, October 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the minister stood in the House and said that they had a real breakthrough. She trumpeted the fact that because of this new relationship, they were going to get a deal done. As a matter of fact, I believe they said that in 100 days, because they gave themselves a 10-day cushion, they would have a framework in place, yet we did not see anything.

The President said it was a no-brainer that they were going to get the deal done. Liberals have also used language such as “irritant” when talking about this industry that so many of our friends and families depend on to put food on the table. All we have seen is fluff from the government and no action. Not at all.

[Business of Supply, October 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to my hon. colleague, the reality is that jobs are on the line. Our government not only negotiated a softwood lumber agreement in 2006, but in 2012, with the very same BFF of the new Prime Minister, we negotiated a two-year grace period, an extension. Our discussions and negotiations brought us to the point where the next government, whatever that was, would be in a great position to finalize that softwood lumber agreement.

I apologize if I missed part two of the member's question, but I do not think adding incentives or grants for the forest industry are going to help, because then the U.S. will use that against us as subsidizing the industry. We need to get the best deal forward and negotiate rather than litigate.