44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 30, 2023 10:00AM
- May/30/23 2:33:44 p.m.
- Watch
I kind of let it slide as members were doing it indirectly and it was kind of a grey zone, but I am going ask hon. members to ask their questions through the Speaker, not directly to members, even if they put a prefix on it.
The hon. member for Edmonton Mill Woods.
53 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:34:02 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is not only concerning that Canadian elected officials are being threatened, but Canadians who disagree with Beijing are also very concerned. The executive director of the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project said, “Johnston's recommendations for hearings rather than a formal inquiry was 'shockingly' disappointing.” Mabel Tung, chairwoman of the Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement, said, “It gives us a feeling that we are not safe for speaking our minds as Canadians.”
The government is failing Canadians with its self-serving cover-up. What is it hiding?
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:34:41 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear that we share the concerns of the diaspora community leadership, who are worried about being targeted by foreign interference. That is why we conducted a public consultation on the foreign agent registry, and that is why we think there are compelling, intelligent reasons a public hearing would put the community at the centre of these conversations, so that we can have a thoughtful way forward in the work to protect our democratic institutions and in fighting against foreign interference.
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:35:14 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, this farce has gone on long enough. With the special rapporteur's report, the Prime Minister's shenanigans to avoid launching a public inquiry have been exposed for all to see.
What is really so special about this rapporteur are his ties to the Trudeau Foundation, his reliance on Liberal donors, his status as an old friend of China and, most of all, his close friendship with the Prime Minister's family.
When will the Prime Minister end this charade, fire Mr. Johnston and launch an independent public inquiry?
91 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:35:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, what was truly exposed for all to see was the Leader of the Opposition's credibility when he refused the government's offer to grant him access to highly sensitive information.
He decided he would rather play partisan politics on an issue as critical as protecting our democratic institutions from foreign interference than get the facts so he could speak publicly and coherently based on the facts, instead of simply spouting partisan accusations.
This is what was exposed. My colleague must be a little disappointed in his leader.
90 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:36:27 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, let us talk about this government's credibility.
On April 27, the Minister of Public Safety said that the RCMP had closed two of Beijing's police stations in Quebec. We then found out that the two Beijing police stations had not received any closure requests from the RCMP. We even learned that one of the police stations on the south shore of Montreal had received nearly $200,000 from this government.
Is the Minister of Public Safety essentially the Prime Minister's misinformation puppet? Who is pulling the misinformation strings?
96 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:37:07 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the RCMP has already taken meaningful action with regard to the activities involving foreign interference and these alleged police stations. The RCMP will carry on with the tools that this government has given it.
It is the Conservatives who opposed the bill to give new tools to our national security establishment. That is a contradiction. The Conservatives need to reverse their position.
70 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:37:38 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, since we found out that there was Chinese interference in the election process, the government has been acting as though it is in charge of elections. It is acting as though Parliament does not have a say and democracy falls under the exclusive authority of the Prime Minister.
It is pretty crazy that the majority of parliamentarians elected by the majority of the population have less clout than an unelected rapporteur, a friend of the Prime Minister who was appointed by the Prime Minister and reports to the Prime Minister.
Will the Prime Minister finally launch an independent public commission of inquiry, as the majority of elected members of the House are asking him to do?
118 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:38:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we were disappointed but not surprised that the leader of the Bloc Québécois refused to have access to the most important and confidential information from CSIS. That would have given him a clearer picture of the facts in the whole matter of foreign interference.
I, too, used to be an opposition member. I understand that sometimes the truth is hard for the opposition. However, this time, we made an offer to the opposition party leaders, including the leader of the Bloc Québécois and the Conservative Party leader. They refused to get access to this information because they prefer to play political games.
112 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:38:58 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' answer to getting to the bottom of foreign interference is to ask the leaders of the opposition parties to read confidential information that they will never be able to discuss publicly. We already had a Prime Minister who refused to keep the public informed. Now, on top of that, we have opposition party leaders who would not be allowed to do so.
We need more transparency, not less. We need more transparency and less secrecy. What we need is an independent public commission of inquiry that guarantees greater transparency than a rapporteur who is neither public nor independent.
Seriously, what are they waiting for?
108 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:39:37 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, public hearings are not the only way to demonstrate respect for the value of transparency.
It was our government that created the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians. It was our government that created the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency. There are plenty of examples of how we can move forward with a national discussion to better protect our democratic institutions. Our government wants to work with all members of the House.
80 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:40:11 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are telling us that an inquiry would not be effective because there are too many national security issues. However, they launched a commission of inquiry into Maher Arar. They tell us that they have taken concrete measures to ensure the integrity of the electoral system. Since then, at least three opposition members have been threatened. They are telling us not to be partisan, but they are not respecting the will of the majority of elected representatives. None of their arguments make sense.
Why are they refusing to call an independent public inquiry?
97 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:40:53 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, since forming government in 2015, we have taken the threat of foreign interference seriously.
We were the first government to put in place a suite of non-partisan measures precisely to strengthen our ability to respond to interference in our democratic institutions and also to inform parliamentarians about threats to democratic institutions and what the government is doing to counter them. I think the member will be happy if she talks to her colleagues who sit on these parliamentary committees.
83 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:41:35 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, many families, especially those who live in rural communities, have to drive out of necessity. They drive to school, work, medical appointments and social activities.
Families are already struggling with higher cost of living expenses. Now the Liberal government wants to add two more carbon taxes on financially stressed Canadians. Liberal carbon tax 1 would add 41¢ a litre on gas. How painful does life have to get before the Prime Minister will finally cancel the carbon tax?
81 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:42:17 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives never want to talk about the costs of climate change.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer reported that there was a $20-billion impact to the Canadian economy in 2021. Six hundred fires are burning from coast to coast to coast. They are devastating our communities, and they are threatening lives and livelihoods.
When are the Conservatives going to get serious about climate change and stop the denial?
70 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:42:47 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, this carbon tax costs lower-income Canadians the most. It is an unfair tax.
Carbon tax 2 is coming at a time when many Canadians are struggling just to feed themselves. Now every time a Canadian fills up their car, they will be paying an additional tax on the GST and the HST. The Prime Minister is literally putting a carbon tax on a tax.
When will the Prime Minister take his boot off the neck of Canadians and finally cancel carbon taxes 1 and 2?
88 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:43:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have no credibility when it comes to affordability. Every time we put an affordability measure on the table, whether it is dental, rental or the Canadian child benefit, the Conservatives vote against it. The climate rebate is an affordability measure. It is going to help families be better off.
What is not going to leave families better off is investing in cryptocurrency. The Leader of the Opposition has not walked back his comments. He has not apologized. That is because he has no plan for the environment, no plan for the economy and certainly no plan for affordability.
102 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:44:08 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals already have one carbon tax that would add 41¢ to the price of a litre of gasoline. Carbon tax 2 would add another 17¢ per litre. GST will, of course, be applied to both. This means an extra 61¢ on the price of a litre of gas.
Since Canadians cannot afford higher taxes and the existing carbon tax has not achieved emission reductions, will the Liberals cancel this new carbon tax today?
79 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:44:47 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I would remind all members of the House that climate change is real. I came to Ottawa this morning from my home province of Nova Scotia, where some of our communities are literally on fire.
There are thousands upon thousands of Nova Scotians who have been displaced from their homes, and hundreds who are risking—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
63 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:44:58 p.m.
- Watch
I am going to interrupt. I am starting to have a hard time hearing the answers again. I want to make sure that everyone gets to hear the voice of the person who is speaking and to hear the message as well, whether it is from the question or the answer.
I am going to ask everyone to calm down and not yell at people. Whoever said, “Shh”, I agree with them. That is a very good point.
The hon. minister can begin from the top, please.
89 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
