Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I know the member well, in the sense that he was here in 2012 when then prime minister Stephen Harper took a trip to China. John Baird, the foreign affairs minister at the time, did a lot of background work for that particular visit. There was actually an agreement,

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the member just said it. The issues at hand are not new and they are not going to go away. One thing for sure is that 20-plus standing committees will be convening in a relatively short time period and parliamentarians will be afforded the opportunity to sit on each

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, as the member is very much aware, I have been talking a lot about the standing committees and the important role they play in Parliament. There have been over 20 standing committees for years, and I believe the Prime Minister has been very consistent over those years

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I listened very closely to what the member opposition was saying and I want to make sure that I properly understood. When it comes to the issue of detaining Ms. Meng, I am not too sure what the Bloc's position is on that. Does the Bloc believe that we should not have

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, for those who may be following the debate, it is important to recognize that the government has been addressing the issues talked about today on many different fronts. Many different ministers have been engaged on the issue also. We understand what is taking place an

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to ask my question on several occasions today, and I look for a response from the member opposite. It is in regard to the importance of recognizing the independence of these committees. We have consistently said that standing committees do

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to focus on how important it is that we recognize the valuable contributions committees can make, whether it is a special committee or a standing committee, to healthy parliamentary discussions. I was interested in what was being proposed by the Bloc p

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I have listened to many members of the Conservative Party talk about this special committee, but they have failed to clearly demonstrate the difference between this special committee and a standing committee. There is nothing that this special committee could do that

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, could my friend explain why we would not have a special committee for any major issue we have to face? Ultimately, one could argue that every opposition day motion that is important to Canada needs to be debated in a special committee. Has the Conservative Party no

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I have appreciated the discussion and the debates for the last few hours. There is no doubt that there is a need for us to have that conversation. We have pointed out the importance of our standing committees. It should not surprise anyone that this is something we

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, both the member opposite and I were sitting here when the Bloc representative was addressing the House. That Bloc member raised the issue of why the Conservatives brought forward part (k), which mandates that there be three individuals appearing before the special

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I do not agree with the narrative of the member across the way in regard to Canada's relationship with China. China does have and should have a healthy relationship with Canada, as it has with many other countries around the world. Canada has also spent a great d

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the member is a dean of the chamber with a great deal of experience. I have always had a great deal of respect for the fine work that standing committees have done over the years, even when I sat in opposition. There are a lot of incredible contributions from all sid

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments from the minister, especially when she makes reference to the collaboration Canada has been engaged with in regard to other nations around the world, which recognize what is taking place and have been exceptionally supportive of the actions

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, my question is related to the official opposition seeking to have a special committee established when we have numerous standing committees in place, in particular the foreign affairs standing committee, which would be appropriate. A steering committee of that partic