44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 8, 2023 02:00PM
- Mar/8/23 2:51:04 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we know that even as we celebrate International Women's Day today, trans women in particular are facing extraordinarily dangerous degrees of hate and violent acts. That is why we continue to reinforce that everyone has the right to live free from violence.
Since 2015, we have taken real action to end gender-based violence in our communities by developing our first federal strategy to prevent gender-based violence and making historic investments to prevent and end gender-based violence. We know we have much more to do, including to protect trans women, and we will do that.
100 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:51:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, on International Women's Day, we celebrate the contributions, achievements and leadership of women and girls in my constituency and around the world, but we cannot forget that the fight for gender equality must also be driven by men and boys. Access to abortion is an issue that impacts us all, and we know how important access to this reproductive health service is.
Could the Prime Minister tell the House what the government is doing to ensure everyone has the right to make decisions about their own bodies?
90 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:52:14 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Vancouver Granville for his hard work and his advocacy. Here in Canada, universal access to abortion is guaranteed and protected under the Canada Health Act, but we know that in Canada there are still those, even in the House, who would like to resurface the debate on the right to abortion.
This cannot be ignored, and we must remain vigilant. We will, on this side of the House, always unequivocally stand up for women's fundamental right to choose.
87 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:53:02 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, during the 2019 election, the intelligence services warned the Prime Minister's Office that at least one of his Liberal candidates was part of a foreign interference network.
Is that candidate now part of the Prime Minister's caucus, yes or no?
44 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:53:28 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as the national security advisor and I said last fall, we have no information that any federal candidates received money from China. That remains the case today.
29 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:53:47 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat the question. Three weeks before the 2019 election, our intelligence services notified the Prime Minister's Office that one of his candidates was implicated in a foreign interference network.
According to our intelligence agencies, were any members of the Prime Minister's party or any of his ministers part of that network, yes or no?
60 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:54:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I have answered that question many times. I know there are other important questions Canadians have for the Conservative leader.
Just recently, Conservative Party members dined with a far-right German politician. Christine Anderson and her party's far-right, xenophobic, anti-science, pro-Putin views are well known.
The Leader of the Opposition's carefully crafted condemnation, which neither he nor his MPs will repeat, will not cut it. It is time he gave Canadians real answers and apologized.
82 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:55:07 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, obviously, members of the Prime Minister's Office were present when our intelligence services warned his office that one of his candidates was part of the interference network.
Was Katie Telford aware, yes or no, of that warning? Did she inform the Prime Minister, yes or no?
49 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:55:40 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I know that Canadians have many questions about that. That is why we proposed mechanisms to allow independent experts to ensure that everything is being done.
Everything was done to protect our institutions and our elections from foreign interference. Obviously, this includes work done by parliamentary committees. That is why the minister responsible for democratic institutions and the foreign affairs minister will appear before committee tomorrow.
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs has already heard from Elections Canada officials, the director of CSIS, the chief of the CSE, the deputy commissioner of the RCMP, the deputy minister of foreign affairs and—
109 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:56:20 p.m.
- Watch
The hon. Leader of the Opposition.
6 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:56:24 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister respects committees, why did he prevent them from doing their work?
He is currently obstructing a motion to have his chief of staff testify. Katie Telford was apparently informed by intelligence services of foreign interference in our electoral system.
Will the Prime Minister be transparent and let Katie Telford testify before the parliamentary committee, yes or no?
63 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:57:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it has been clearly established that ministerial responsibility is an important responsibility. That is why we are always willing to participate in the work of committees, including by sending the minister responsible for democratic institutions and the foreign affairs minister to committee tomorrow.
I want to quote someone: For hundreds of years, ministerial responsibility has been a key principle in the House and at committees.
The member for Carleton said that. We entirely agree with what he said several years ago.
83 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:57:43 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, if he thinks the minister should take responsibility, then why does he not take responsibility?
The Prime Minister has been aware of foreign interference in our electoral system since—
32 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 2:57:56 p.m.
- Watch
I am sorry to interrupt, but there appears to be a problem. We want to check to make sure there is interpretation.
It seems that there is no interpretation taking place on Zoom, so we will figure out what the technical issue is and then go from there. In case anyone is wondering, one of the major computers has had to be rebooted. I ask for your patience.
68 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 3:06:50 p.m.
- Watch
Is the interpretation working?
Everything is fixed and the computer is plugged back in.
The hon. Leader of the Opposition.
20 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 3:07:12 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, today we learned that a briefing prepared by the Prime Minister's own department for the Prime Minister indicates that there was a large transfer of money, funds, for the 2019 federal election.
Is the Prime Minister aware, yes or no, of any money from the dictatorship in Beijing being sent to candidates, leadership candidates, the party or local party associations?
63 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 3:07:52 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as the national security advisor and I stated last fall, we have no information on federal candidates receiving money from China. That continues to be the case today.
30 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 3:08:13 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, according to Global News, the Prime Minister's Office was informed in 2019 and 2022 about Chinese authorities interfering in our elections. Nothing was ever revealed; the information was hidden. Either the Prime Minister ignored it, which is dangerously negligent, or he was not informed directly, which means someone on his team was dangerously irresponsible.
Now the Prime Minister's solution is to appoint a secret committee. This is just more secrecy.
Why is the Prime Minister refusing to create an independent public commission of inquiry?
88 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 3:09:00 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we know Canadians need to have confidence in our institutions and in the integrity of our elections and our democracy.
That is why we are going to choose an independent expert to look at the entire landscape around foreign interference in Canada and make sure the measures we have implemented since 2015 are doing the job we want them to do. The expert will also decide whether we need a public inquiry or whether we need other mechanisms to ensure everything is being done and to give Canadians confidence.
91 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/8/23 3:09:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, another one of the Prime Minister's solutions is to appoint a special rapporteur, who will be happy to do his bidding, kind of like our leader's golden retriever.
We do not need a special report. What we need is a commissioner that all parties in the House agree on to head up an independent public commission on foreign interference in elections.
Why is the Prime Minister stubbornly refusing to set up an independent public commission?
79 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
