44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 29, 2023 11:00AM
- May/29/23 2:20:08 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, spring has returned and with it parliamentary soccer. Yes, indeed, the FC Commoners are back for another season of the beautiful game, with MPs from all parties taking the pitch against an assortment of foes.
Last week, we had our annual game against the pages. This was the first match since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The pages were well prepared. Some of their players were in full uniform, and their pre-game warm-up was intimidating.
To boot, they brought a cheering squad and had chants, makeup and even signage. My favourite poster said, “GET YOUR OWN WATER!”.
A great time was had by all, including some post-game merriment over pizza and beverages, of course those suitable for minors. Though the final score favoured the aging squad of MPs, helped by some younger staffers, I admit, the big winners, as usual, were the pages. Their dedication on the pitch is only surpassed by their dedication to this chamber and all of us who serve in it.
Three cheers for the pages. Hip hip hooray!
180 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:21:28 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after Beijing interfered in two elections to help the Prime Minister, after Beijing threatened several members of Parliament, after Beijing paid $140,000 to the Trudeau Foundation to influence the Prime Minister, he finally appointed a rapporteur to investigate. However, that rapporteur is himself a member of the Trudeau Foundation and a friend of the Prime Minister, who is now trying to hide the truth.
Will he finally fire the rapporteur and call a public inquiry?
81 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:22:12 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the only person here who is trying to hide the truth seems to be the Leader of the Opposition himself.
The Privy Council Office offered him access to the most sensitive documents that the special rapporteur reviewed in order to reach the conclusions that were made public last week. The Leader of the Opposition refused, because he would rather play petty politics on an issue that affects Canadian democracy.
It should be in the interest of all members of the House of Commons to support measures that will strengthen our democratic institutions.
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:22:54 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, no, what I refused is to be silenced.
The government will not pull me into a room, stamp public documents “secret” and then tell me I cannot speak, because we need to speak about the fact that Beijing interfered to help the Prime Minister in two successive elections, that Beijing threatened members of Parliament to try to win influence and that Beijing gave $140,000 to the Trudeau Foundation to buy the favour of the Prime Minister. Then he named a former member of the Trudeau Foundation and a ski buddy to look into the matter, who has now only tried to cover it up.
Will he fire this fake rapporteur and call a public inquiry now?
121 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:23:40 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada who is silencing himself by refusing to take the briefings. It is the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada who is covering his own eyes from the same information that Mr. Johnston had access to, which other non-partisan professional public servants had access to. It leaves Canadians wondering why. Is it because he would rather play partisan games than do the hard work? I think we know the answer to that question and it is yes.
90 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:24:10 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, one does not need a fake briefing or a “secret” stamp to know what the documents say. They have already been quoted verbatim in the media because of leaks by a seriously distressed security agency that is trying to expose what has gone on behind the scenes.
We now know what is surreal. There are at least two police stations run by Beijing, a foreign dictatorship, in Canada. The minister said they were closed. We have now found out that not only are they open, but they got tax dollars from the government.
Will they shut the police stations and call a public inquiry now?
109 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:24:50 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada is sinking in the quicksand of his own logic when calling the briefings fake. What does he think the public servants who work in the security establishment have been doing, other than advising the government on how we can protect the people who defend our democracy every day?
If he is seriously about it, he will take the briefings, roll up his sleeves, sit at the table and help us defend our democracy from foreign interference.
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:25:21 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, what do I think the public servants at CSIS have been doing? I know what they have been doing. They have been picking up the phone and calling the media to blow the whistle on the cover-up on that side of the House of Commons.
They have proved that there are at least two police stations that are still open and that got tax dollars from the government. These are police stations run by Beijing, not Canada.
Will the government finally shut down these police stations and call a public inquiry?
94 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:25:59 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader is the one who wants to cover his eyes from the information.
We have insisted that we are prepared to work with the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada to make sure that he has access to the same classified information that Mr. Johnston had, that the two panels who verified the integrity of the 2019 and 2021 elections had, that NSICOP will have and that NSIRA will have. It is he and he alone who refuses to take this issue seriously because he refuses to take the briefing.
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:26:33 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I refuse to be silenced, unlike members of the government.
Given that the tradition in this place is that opposition members can pose questions to any member of the government, my question is for the leader of the NDP. He has said that he wants a public inquiry. Now is the time for him to prove it.
Will the member leading the NDP state clearly now that either the government calls a public inquiry or he will break off his coalition?
83 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:27:10 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we have watched as a party that once recognized David Johnston as one of the most outstanding—
20 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:27:18 p.m.
- Watch
I am going to interrupt and ask that the hon. member start over. It just got noisy all of a sudden. I am not sure exactly what happened. I will ask everyone to take a deep breath.
Please restart.
39 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:27:33 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, what we have seen is that members of the party opposite, which once recognized David Johnston not only as an outstanding Canadian but also as somebody worthy of being the Governor General of this country, appointed under Stephen Harper, now, because his report does not conform to the party's politics and does not conform to its political interests, are attacking and maligning his character. This is part of a pattern of the party opposite. It is more interested in politics. It is more interested in making partisan points than it is in the facts on the ground.
There is not a member of the House who does not stand strongly and firmly in support of democracy and against those—
123 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:28:12 p.m.
- Watch
The hon. member for La Prairie.
6 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:28:15 p.m.
- Watch
Let us get right to the point, Mr. Speaker. David Johnston's report on Chinese interference is a farce. No one accepts it except the Prime Minister and China, which is having a great laugh.
There is no way we are going to let the Prime Minister get away with not calling a public inquiry.
What would it mean if there were no public inquiry? That would mean no inquiry into the threats against elected officials, no inquiry into the Trudeau Foundation, no inquiry into the intimidation of the Chinese diaspora and no inquiry into the 11 candidates who were funded by China. This charade serves only to protect the Prime Minister.
When will there be an independent public inquiry?
122 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:28:58 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I once again encourage the leader of the Bloc Québécois to accept the government's offer to access the most sensitive and specific details that Mr. Johnston and the committee of parliamentarians, which includes a representative from the Bloc Québécois and from each of the other opposition parties, had access to. I would encourage him to access all that information and get all the facts before coming to unfounded partisan conclusions.
This is a serious matter that requires a serious response. I invite the Bloc Québécois to do exactly that.
105 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:29:36 p.m.
- Watch
There are some distinct voices that we can recognize in the House. I am sure that they would not want to be named publicly.
There are some distinct voices, in both languages, I might say. That is very Canadian, but it is still not parliamentary. I am sure the hon. members do not want me to name them, so we will just go on to the next question.
The hon. member for La Prairie.
74 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:29:57 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, this report seeks to protect the Prime Minister, not to shed light on Chinese interference. That is why no one has changed their mind about the need for a public inquiry. Quebeckers and Canadians alike are calling for a inquiry. The polls are clear.
This report that is soft on the Prime Minister was written by a man who was selected by the Prime Minister. That is not what the public and the House want.
News flash: The Bloc Québécois will hound the Prime Minister every day until he launches this inquiry.
Does he understand that he will not get away with this that easily?
111 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:30:41 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, again, I invite my colleague from La Prairie to talk to his leader and convince him to take advantage of the government's serious offer to share highly sensitive intelligence, so that the leader of the Bloc Québécois and his colleague who sits on the committee of parliamentarians in charge of looking into precisely this type of issue can look at the very facts that Mr. Johnston and the committee of parliamentarians will see to reach their conclusions.
I think that is the least the Bloc Québécois can do on such an important issue.
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:31:24 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we learned this weekend that negotiations with Stellantis to resume the production of the EV battery factory in Windsor are not going well. I do not know why the Conservatives are moaning about this. This is very serious. There are 2,500 jobs at stake, and it is the future of the automotive sector of our country.
Will the government ensure that those jobs do not end up going to the U.S. and that, instead, we keep those jobs here in Canada and do everything possible to make this deal go forward? While the Conservatives want this deal to not go forward, we want it to go forward.
111 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
