44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 21, 2023 10:00AM
- Mar/21/23 2:24:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when I sat down with farmers a few weeks ago to hear their concerns and to talk with them about how we are moving forward, they expressed to me their real concerns, and, quite frankly, their leadership in the fight against climate change and their leadership on protecting the environment.
That is why I underlined to them and to all Canadians that the Leader of the Opposition is simply wrong in his approach on not fighting climate change.
The price on pollution puts more money back in the pockets of Canadians while keeping our air clean. Indeed, a family of four in the opposition leader's riding received over $185 from our government in January, thanks to the climate action incentive—
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- Mar/21/23 2:24:55 p.m.
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The hon. Leader of the Opposition.
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- Mar/21/23 2:24:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, $185 will not even cover a week's groceries for the average family after food prices have exploded under the Prime Minister.
If he thinks our farmers are doing such a great job fighting climate change, as I do, then why does he have to tax them again with a big tax hike on April 1? It is worse; it is not just food he is taxing. He wants to increase home heating costs and gas prices, a full 14¢ a-litre tax, a tax that he wants to triple.
Will the Prime Minister cancel his planned April 1 tax hike so that Canadians can afford to eat and to heat and house themselves?
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- Mar/21/23 2:25:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, as of April the climate action incentive will increase in the member opposite's riding. A Canadian family of four will receive $244 in his riding.
We have made that because, even as we move forward on putting a price on pollution, we are putting more money back in the pockets of Canadian families. Canadian families know that we do have to fight climate change while making sure things are more affordable.
That is why we stepped up on issues like dental care and rental care, two issues the Conservatives voted against.
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- Mar/21/23 2:26:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, now he calls single mothers polluters because they buy groceries. He calls farmers polluters because they use fuel. He calls seniors polluters because they heat their homes. This is from a guy who, we just found out, for one of his four government-funded mansions, spent $8,000 a month on utilities to heat the pool and the sauna. He flew 17 times in one month, including one 10-minute flight because he did not want to drive an hour from Waterloo to Toronto.
Why does the Prime Minister not stop his high carbon, high tax hypocrisy and cancel this tax?
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- Mar/21/23 2:26:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadian are facing challenging times right now because of incredibly challenging global contexts, whether it is the war in Ukraine or whether it is the end of the pandemic and disruptions of the supply chain. There are lots of issues and inflation facing Canadians right now, but instead of offering solutions, the Leader of the Opposition plays up partisan, personal attacks.
On this side of the House, we are focused on delivering for Canadians, delivering a GST rebate that helped 11 million Canadians last fall, delivering rental benefits and dental care that Conservatives voted against. We will continue to be there for Canadians while he plays talking games.
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- Mar/21/23 2:27:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, all the opposition parties are calling for an independent public inquiry and they want to see a commissioner appointed. We are talking about the majority of members of Parliament, which is no small thing. Many experts are recommending such a commission, including Mr. Rosenberg himself.
There is broad consensus in civil society in favour of such a commission, and the intelligence agencies are expressing serious concerns. I, for one, do not understand and want to ask the Prime Minister a very direct question. Why not call an independent public inquiry led by a commissioner appointed by the House?
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- Mar/21/23 2:28:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect us to take this issue seriously, and that is exactly what we have done. We appointed an independent expert, David Johnston, our former governor general. We have given him a mandate to identify any gaps in the system. The rapporteur will make public recommendations, which could include a formal inquiry or some other type of independent review, as he deems necessary to reassure Canadians. We will follow his recommendations.
In addition, two national security agencies will be undertaking separate reviews with respect to foreign interference, and we will continue to take this seriously.
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- Mar/21/23 2:29:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I know a little something about independence, and the special rapporteur who was appointed is about as independent as I am federalist.
The President of the United States is going to be in the House on Friday. The fact that the government does not want to launch a public inquiry sends a rather odd message in terms of national security for the entire continent, does it not? I am not accusing the Prime Minister of anything, but why not take this opportunity to put an end to the unfortunate impression that he has something to hide?
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- Mar/21/23 2:29:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians need to have confidence in our electoral system and in our democracy. That is why we appointed David Johnston, a former governor general, as an independent expert. We are pleased to announce that his mandate was made public this morning. David Johnston is not partisan. He is a patriotic Canadian who has always put Canada first and who served admirably as a governor general after being appointed by a Conservative politician.
Canadians are rejecting the unfounded attacks on a man who spent his career serving Canadians. As for my colleague's federalism, I will let him explain how he got there.
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- Mar/21/23 2:30:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats care deeply about democracy and are deeply concerned about political interference in our system. That is why we forced the government to end the obstruction in committee and to allow the chief of staff of the Prime Minister to testify, rendering the Conservative motion useless, which is not surprising because the Conservatives just want to play games. In fact, they are right now, the Conservative Party members, blocking our motion to have a vote in the House on a public inquiry.
My question to the Conservative leader is this. Why is he playing games? What does he have to hide? Why will he not stand up?
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Mar/21/23 2:31:05 p.m.
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Order, please.
I just want to remind the hon. members what question period is about. It is about the opposition holding government to account, not discussing among themselves.
The right. hon. Prime Minister has the floor.
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- Mar/21/23 2:31:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to stand up to reinforce what my hon. parliamentary colleague pointed out, that the Conservative leader and indeed Conservative parliamentarians seem to be more focused on playing partisan games and personal attacks than they are on actually seeing Canadians reassured about the state of our democracy and the tools we have to counter foreign interference.
That is exactly why we chose to move forward with an unimpeachable expert, former governor general David Johnston, who is going to look deeply and seriously, with a wide and deep mandate released this morning, to reassure Canadians that all is being done to protect our democracy.
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- Mar/21/23 2:32:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think I have figured it out. It turns out the Liberals and the Conservatives both have something in common. They are both opposed to a public inquiry.
People deserve a public inquiry because foreign interference undermines trust in our democracy.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Mar/21/23 2:32:35 p.m.
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The hon. member for Burnaby South from the top, please.
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- Mar/21/23 2:32:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it turns out that I have to repeat this again because it is so important.
It looks like the Liberals and the Conservatives both have something in common. They are both opposed to a public inquiry.
People deserve a public inquiry because foreign interference undermines trust in our democracy, undermines trust in our electoral system.
My question for the Prime Minister is the following: Why is he wasting time? Why does the Prime Minister not call a public inquiry immediately?
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- Mar/21/23 2:33:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we all know full well that such sensitive issues involving national security cannot always be discussed in public.
That is why we have brought in Mr. Johnston as an independent rapporteur. He will be able to get to the bottom of the matter in an independent, non-partisan way, which may include a public inquiry if he decides that is necessary. In addition to that, there is a committee of parliamentarians with the right security clearance to look at all these issues and report to the House.
We will continue to take this as seriously as we need to—
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- Mar/21/23 2:34:13 p.m.
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Order. The hon. member for Wellington—Halton Hills.
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- Mar/21/23 2:34:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. According to reports in The Globe and Mail around the time of the 2021 federal election, CSIS outlined a sophisticated strategy to disrupt our democracy and back the re-election of the Liberal Party and the Liberal government.
Has the Prime Minister ever been briefed on the activities of Beijing or its affiliates in support of the Liberal Party in any election, and, if so, when?
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- Mar/21/23 2:34:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I hope all members will appreciate that this government takes allegations of foreign interference very seriously, which is why we appointed independent panels, made up of non-partisan professional public servants, that certified that the elections in 2019 and 2021 were free and fair. We have received recommendations from those panels, which we are now implementing.
Last week, we took the additional step of appointing David Johnston, a former governor general appointed by Stephen Harper, and a man with impeccable qualifications, to do the job. He will now provide recommendations, up to and including a public inquiry, to ensure that we protect all of our democratic institutions.
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