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Decentralized Democracy

Michael Barrett

  • Member of Parliament
  • Conservative
  • Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes
  • Ontario
  • Voting Attendance: 64%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $133,355.09

  • Government Page
  • May/31/24 11:57:50 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is always great to hear members on the front bench over there talk about the ethics rules in this country, when he sits next to a Prime Minister who has broken our ethics laws twice. The public safety minister broke those laws. The trade minister broke those laws. It is a cabinet of serial lawbreakers. Now there is the minister from Edmonton, who lined the pockets of his firm when it got direct access to the Prime Minister's Office and the finance minister's office. We know that the minister does not want to answer the question and we know that Liberals are going to try and get him out of his appearance on Tuesday. Will they call in the RCMP?
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  • May/31/24 11:56:49 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, $110 million tax dollars flowed out the door and business was booming for the Liberal employment minister after his lobbying firm got direct access to the Prime Minister's Office and the finance minister. Insiders lined their pockets while Canadians were lined up at food banks. After nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians can see that it is clearly not worth the cost or this kind of corruption. Will the minister face the ethics committee on Tuesday, or will the government try to deflect and distract like the minister, who is not going to answer the question that I have just put to him?
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  • May/2/24 3:04:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, we know the fish rots from the head down, and the Prime Minister was twice found guilty of breaking ethics laws, along with multiple members of his front bench and his backbench. We know the minister tried to hide that he was getting money from his company that was lobbying his own government, even his own ministry, but he got caught. Global News reported it, and now we are asking him about it. Instead of having the government House leader protect him from his own accountability, his own actions, will he stand up today and tell us how much money he took?
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  • Feb/9/24 12:04:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what Conservatives believe is that when Liberals know about embezzlement by their insiders to the tune of $150 million with their billion-dollar green slush fund, there must be accountability. The minister and his predecessor were aware of the allegations and knew of the facts of the conflicts of interest because they were told, but they did nothing about it until they were caught. The Liberal members, NDP members and Bloc members are going to have the opportunity to vote on a motion to open this study at the ethics committee. Will they continue the cover-up or will they stand for accountability with Conservatives?
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  • Feb/9/24 12:03:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week at committee, we learned that the Liberal government knew about conflicts of interest at its billion-dollar green slush fund, with $150 million that has been embezzled. After eight years, we know the Prime Minister certainly is not worth that cost. Members at the ethics committee will have the opportunity to call witnesses, including ministers and officials, who now have demonstrated a changing story between what we have heard, in terms of facts, and what they have spun in terms of narrative. How will the cover-up coalition vote on exposing these truths?
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  • Jan/30/24 3:11:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, we have a Prime Minister who has been caught misleading Canadians multiple times. Most recently, it is his $84,000 gifted vacation to a luxurious Jamaican villa. What he told Canadians was that he was paying for it, but we do not know what he told the Ethics Commissioner. Now we do know that in fact it was a gift. He did not pay anything. He took an $84,000 gift. The Ethics Commissioner said that, unlike what the government House leader said, the trip was not pre-cleared, so when will the House leader and the Prime Minister start telling Canadians the truth?
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  • Apr/20/23 2:50:12 p.m.
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Woe is them, I suppose, Mr. Speaker. They are probably just sad that they could not get that family and friends discount. They tried to get the bulk purchasing discount or the frequent flyer discount with the Ethics Commissioner's office and that did not work. Maybe this time, though, they will just leave the job empty so that when there is the next conflict of interest there is no one there to investigate it. Following that path, perhaps they will just eliminate the position of the Ethics Commissioner altogether. The question is very simple. The member was not able to answer it, so we will put it this way: Which will it be? Will they appoint a family member, a friend or a Trudeau Foundation board member to be the next Ethics Commissioner?
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  • Apr/20/23 2:48:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for eight years, the Liberals have repeatedly broken ethics laws: the Prime Minister caught breaking ethics laws twice, the trade minister, the intergovernmental affairs minister and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister. They got so sick of getting found guilty that they appointed the sister-in-law of the intergovernmental affairs minister to be the new Ethics Commissioner. The only problem is that they got caught and so she resigned. Will the Prime Minister stand today and assure Canadians that he is not going to appoint any more friends, family or Trudeau Foundation members to this important position?
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  • Apr/19/23 4:04:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House that the interim Ethics Commissioner has resigned that role, effective today. As a result, there are decisions that the office cannot proceed with, which are based upon functions that only the commissioner can undertake. After the politicization of that role by the Liberal government, the office remains paralyzed. The official opposition invites the government to meaningfully consult with recognized parties on an appointee whose appointment avoids even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
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  • Mar/30/23 2:38:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Prime Minister and his gang of serial lawbreakers were told by the outgoing Ethics Commissioner to take remedial ethics training. Instead, at Sunday brunch, the Liberal cabinet minister turned to his sister-in-law and said, “How about we make you the new Ethics Commissioner?” When are the Liberals going to take their responsibilities seriously and appoint someone who is independent and can restore accountability to this place for all Canadians?
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  • Mar/29/23 3:04:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, lost in yesterday's budget bonanza was the announcement of the appointment of the interim Ethics Commissioner, a Ms. Martine Richard. Can the Prime Minister confirm for the House, and reassure Canadians, that Ms. Martine Richard is not the same person who is the sister-in-law of the intergovernmental affairs minister, who has been found guilty of breaking the Conflict of Interest Act?
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  • Feb/15/23 3:09:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, another day and another Liberal is caught breaking ethics laws. This time it is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister who was caught using his position to further the interests of a company. Now the Liberals are so brazen in their law-breaking that they have a member of the ethics committee who is breaking ethics laws. These Liberals think they are above the law. For everyday Canadians there are consequences when they break the law. So why does the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister get to keep his job after he broke the law?
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  • Feb/13/23 2:52:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the media reports have told us that a former Liberal minister, Michael Chan, is on a CSIS watch-list due to his ties to the Chinese communist regime and suspected spies. Chan was hired by the Liberal trade minister to work on her campaign. This is the same trade minister who was just found guilty of breaking ethics laws. After eight years of this Prime Minister, Canadians have come to expect that the Liberals will, of course, break ethics rules, but why is the trade minister ignoring the advice of Canada's intelligence services?
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