44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 9, 2023 10:00AM
- May/9/23 2:20:31 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party knows full well that the police in this country operate independently. They are expected to do their job to keep Canadians safe, and they will continue to do that.
The member is suggesting that we have done nothing about foreign interference. We have appointed former governor general David Johnston as an independent special rapporteur to follow up. We are establishing a foreign influence registry. We are defending the proper functioning of the House by expelling a Chinese diplomat, and we will continue to work to protect Canadians.
93 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:21:12 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it has been eight days since we found out that a member of the House and his family were intimidated for a vote that he cast and two years since the government has known. The government finally expelled the guy who did it, and that is the very least it could have done.
We know more MPs have been threatened. We can ensure the government does not let it happen again by bringing in a foreign agent registry. Yesterday, every Liberal on the other side voted against that.
How can Canadians believe that the government is serious about national security when it ignored the problem for two years and then voted against fixing it?
116 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:21:47 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is being disingenuous. She knows full well that we are moving forward on establishing a foreign agent registry. We are doing it properly so that it actually responds to the needs of Canadians.
We will continue to ensure that we are standing up for our values, taking seriously these issues, which is why we did take the time to ensure, as we declared a Chinese diplomat persona non grata, that it was done appropriately.
79 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:22:19 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is being disingenuous when he tells Canadians that he is taking this seriously.
We need a foreign agent registry, like the ones that exist in Australia and the U.S. We need a national public inquiry into foreign interference. We need to shut down the illegal police stations operating in Canada that harass innocent civilians, which the Minister of Public Safety told Canadians were already shut. They are not.
Once again, he has misled Canadians. When will he end this charade?
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:22:51 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, that foreign actors are attempting to monitor, intimidate or threaten Canadians is completely unacceptable. The RCMP has said that it is actively investigating these suspected stations. As it has done before, it will not hesitate to take action again.
Everyone should feel safe in this country. We will exhaust all efforts to protect them from unacceptable behaviour by hostile authoritarian states.
63 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:23:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is no surprise that the Prime Minister told Canadians that the 2001 report from CSIS was never shared. We know that is false, because we know the national security adviser had said so. She informed the member for Wellington—Halton Hills of the truth.
The Prime Minister is stalling on a foreign agent registry. He will not shut down illegal police stations. He does not have the courage to call a national public inquiry. Why would anyone believe that he takes national security seriously?
88 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:23:51 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, when we took office, we committed to establish an oversight committee by parliamentarians to see and engage with our security intelligence agencies every step of the way. The Conservatives were totally opposed to that kind of oversight by parliamentarians, but we moved forward with NSICOP anyway. This is a powerful tool that we have to ensure Canadians are being kept safe.
On top of that, we established a panel to oversee our elections in 2019 and 2021. That panel confirmed that the elections' integrity held despite attempts at interference.
We have always taken this issue seriously and we will continue to.
105 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:24:36 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about interference. What interference are we talking about specifically? Are we talking about China's interference in Canada or McKinsey's interference in Canada?
McKinsey is behind the proposal to increase Canada's population to 100 million by the end of the century. The Prime Minister surely must have held consultations about such an extraordinarily important initiative. I would like to know what Quebec said when he consulted it about having a population of 100 million, or 500,000 more people a year, unless he did not talk to Quebec.
97 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:25:16 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, our country's linguistic duality is an asset that we must protect. In that regard, Quebec establishes its own immigration targets, and it has the exclusive power to select the majority of its immigrants.
For our part, we firmly believe that we can grow our economy while protecting the French culture and language. We will continue to be there to defend Quebec's interests and to promote the importance of the French language across Canada.
77 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:25:48 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Prime Minister a question and he replies by reading a Heritage Minute.
Quebec would have to take in 110,000 more people per year, but it cannot afford to do that because of the cost of services. Of course, it cannot do it because of the need to integrate immigrants in French. McKinsey did not take into account the specific reality of Quebec or the French language. Dominic Barton said as much in committee.
The Prime Minister is francophone himself. Why is he not taking Quebec's reality into account?
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:26:23 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we will always take Quebec's specificity into account. I get it. That is why we were the first federal government to recognize that not only do we need to protect both official languages across the country, but we also need to pay particular attention to this issue in order to continue to protect French in Quebec.
The decision on federal immigration levels was made independently. It is based on advice from departmental officials, organizations, stakeholders, provincial and territorial leaders and citizens from across Canada to determine the best immigration policy for Canada.
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:27:04 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, foreign interference is a serious threat to our democracy. A member of Parliament and his family were targeted by a foreign government for his vote in the House. Imagine what it is like for thousands of families across our country that fled governments that were oppressive only to come to Canada and have those threats follow them.
The Prime Minister will not even call a public inquiry. How can he keep the rest of Canadians facing serious threats safe?
81 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:27:33 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning, we have always taken threats to Canadians around foreign interference extremely seriously, which is why we have created new mechanisms and new tools to counter foreign interference. It is why we have actually appointed an independent expert to look at the foreign interference landscape and to ensure that we have all the tools we need and to create more, including a public inquiry if necessary.
We will follow the advice of the independent expert. The expert is the one who is best placed to say how we move forward.
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:28:10 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, let me help the Prime Minister. It is necessary. We need it.
Foreign interference has a real impact on people's lives. It has a real impact on the Chinese community and on several communities in Canada. Imagine what it must be like for families fleeing repressive governments. They come to Canada and the threats—
58 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:28:32 p.m.
- Watch
I am going to interrupt for a moment. I believe the translation is not working.
Is there interpretation now? Okay, it is working.
The hon. member for Burnaby South, from the top, please.
33 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:28:49 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we need a public inquiry. It is necessary.
Foreign interference has a real impact on communities across the country. We saw the impact on the Chinese community, but there are several other communities that are also suffering the consequences.
Imagine what it must be like for families fleeing repressive governments. They arrive in Canada and the threats continue. This government is turning its back on these people. It is radio silence. It is doing nothing to protect these families.
Why is the Prime Minister not calling a public inquiry and why is he not protecting these families?
99 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:29:32 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague points out, the diasporas, whether the Chinese Canadian, the Iranian Canadian, Russian Canadian or Indo-Canadian communities, are often the first communities to be targeted by foreign interference.
That is why we have brought in measures to protect them. We will continue to work with them, not just to protect them from interference, but also to protect them from the unfortunate racism and discrimination they face from the public when they are suspected of being foreign agents. It is a problem we will continue to address.
92 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:30:19 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we would think the illegal operation of foreign agents in this country would serve as a good enough reason for the Liberals to appropriately intervene. Instead, the public safety minister chooses to mislead Canadians by claiming that the RCMP has shut down all Beijing-backed police stations, when in reality, two Montreal groups under investigation for hosting these stations have not received any closure requests.
How much longer do Canadians need to wait before the government finally closes down these illegal Beijing-backed stations?
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:30:50 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, by now my colleague will know that the RCMP provided an update that it has taken action to disrupt the activities of these so-called police stations. As we heard the Prime Minister say, it is this government's expectation that, if any such foreign interference activities occur or pop up again, it will take the necessary action to keep our communities safe.
More to the point, there is $49 million to assist the RCMP in budget 2023. Instead of tough talk and sabre-rattling, Conservatives should support that budget so we can protect our communities from foreign interference.
101 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:31:28 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, actions speak louder than words. Canadians deserve no less. The government's apathy concerning the threats of foreign interference continuously fails to protect Chinese Canadians across the country. We have had enough with the smoke and mirrors.
Last week, on this very same topic, the minister stressed the importance of communication and transparency in the House. It is time for the minister to demonstrate it and finally answer the question: When will the government close down all of the Beijing-backed police stations in Canada?
87 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
