44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 28, 2022 10:00AM
- Apr/28/22 2:27:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot dodge these questions much longer. We have to remember, there is no statute of limitations under the Criminal Code here in Canada. In fact, the Prime Minister's silence sounds a lot like an admission of guilt.
The RCMP criminal brief said that, if the Prime Minister were any other Canadian, he would have been charged. Canadians are demanding that the Prime Minister be held to a higher standard. Will the Prime Minister lift the veil of secrecy, clear the air and proactively speak to the RCMP?
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- Apr/28/22 2:27:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me tell the member what I hear Canadians demanding. Canadians are demanding action on climate change. Canadians are demanding action to build more houses for a growing country. Canadians are demanding that our country act urgently to support Ukraine and oppose Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Those are the urgent issues facing Canada today, and that is what our government is focused on.
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- Apr/28/22 2:28:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the House demanded that the government appear in committee to shed some light on the worrisome dismissal of scientists in Winnipeg. The Liberals did not comply, however, and are using their alliance with the NDP to create their own committee for just the two of them, for which they can set their own rules, produce their own report and announce their own findings.
They are doing all of this without the agreement of the two main opposition parties. That is not democratic, nor is it transparent. Does the government realize that its alliance with the NDP does not authorize it to create a parallel Parliament and set its own rules?
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- Apr/28/22 2:28:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in December we proposed a reasonable and responsible solution. The ad hoc committee of MPs that we proposed, in co-operation with a group of three former justices, would have access to uncensored documents regarding the Winnipeg lab.
Yes, we will work with the NDP to create this committee, but we have spoken with the Bloc, and we would be very happy to have the Bloc participate in this committee as well.
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- Apr/28/22 2:29:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, not one MP here wants to compromise national security, but no citizen wants their government's actions to be kept secret.
It is impossible to make these things up. In June, the Liberals took legal action against the Speaker of the House to avoid having to turn over documents. That is a big deal. Today, instead of handing them over to committee members who are already responsible for this type of thing, they want to create their own committee and collude with the NDP to make their own rules, while leaving the opposition out in the cold.
What kind of banana republic is this anyway?
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- Apr/28/22 2:30:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, members are responsible for doing their work on behalf of the Canadians they represent, and that includes work on matters of public interest.
At the same time, the government is obligated to protect Canadians from damage that could arise as a result of national security details being made public.
Yes, we will work with the NDP to create the ad hoc committee, but we would be very pleased to work with the Bloc as well.
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- Apr/28/22 2:30:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers have made a clear choice. They want a universal public pharmacare plan. An overwhelming majority, specifically 73%, of those surveyed in Quebec are in favour of such a plan.
Why is that? Because they know they are paying too much for their prescription drugs, and the cost continues to rise. People know that a universal plan will lower drug prices and improve their health. For Quebeckers and Canadians, the question is no longer how, but when this will happen.
Will the government answer this call and come up with a solution to bring in a pharmacare plan?
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- Apr/28/22 2:31:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, no one should have to choose between paying for prescriptions and putting food on their table.
That is why we announced an agreement with P.E.I. last August to take the first steps towards implementing a national, universal pharmacare program. This is an important first step, but there is more work to do and we will get it done.
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- Apr/28/22 2:32:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, on the National Day of Mourning, we remember those we have lost and those who have suffered life-changing workplace injuries. The Liberal government is planning to end the sickness benefit program on May 7. Federal workers will not have any support if they are sick and need to stay home.
While we fought to secure 10 paid sick days to protect federal workers, the Liberals are choosing to delay this important protection for Canadians. When will the Liberal government follow through and finally deliver on the 10 paid sick days workers deserve?
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- Apr/28/22 2:32:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government puts workers first and absolutely believes in the importance of unions defending workers and ensuring a productive and effective economy. That is why our government, for the first time in Canadian history, will ensure that all Canadian workers have the right to 10 paid sick days. It is the right thing to do, and we are going to do it.
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- Apr/28/22 2:33:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have asked many times for the government to confirm if it will disclose the evidence that justified the invocation of the Emergencies Act. Every time, it has refused. If the government has the evidence to support its extraordinary actions, it should be pleased to take the opportunity to table it in the House today.
Canadians are increasingly wondering whether the Liberal government even had the evidence at all. Can the Minister of Public Safety confirm whether the evidence exists, yes or no?
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- Apr/28/22 2:33:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the short answer is, yes, the evidence exists. Where was my hon. colleague in January and February when businesses were shut down, people were laid off, our borders were closed and, outside this chamber, Ottawans were held hostage in their own homes? We debated those facts in the House.
I remember my hon. colleague and I having an exchange during the debate of the invocation of the Emergencies Act, which was only put forward after police officials told us they needed this special power to ensure they could restore public safety. We are going to co-operate with the inquiry so there is transparency and to make sure this never happens again.
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- Apr/28/22 2:34:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I guess I will take that as a no.
Appointing a commissioner to lead the inquiry into the government’s unprecedented use of the Emergencies Act must be a process that is completely transparent. Parliament was in no way consulted by the Liberal government on the appointment of Justice Rouleau.
For an inquiry as important as this, Canadians deserve to know how and why the government determined that Justice Rouleau was the appropriate candidate. What was the process? What qualifications were required? How many candidates were considered? Will the government reveal this information, yes or no?
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- Apr/28/22 2:35:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if my hon. colleague wants transparency, I would encourage him to bold, highlight and underline the word “public” in the expression “public inquiry”.
Justice Rouleau has a plethora of experience in both trial law and appellate law. He is familiar with the principles of balancing cabinet confidences with the information he needs to review, so we can ensure we will get it right with respect to the Emergencies Act and take away the lessons learned from this awful episode. It would be nice to see the Conservatives appreciate just how severe this event was.
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- Apr/28/22 2:35:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when the government declared a national state of emergency, every blockade had already been cleared by local police, except here in Ottawa.
It is a lie to say that this special legislation was needed. As in other parts of the country, the blockades were easily cleared by local police.
To try to justify his actions, the Prime Minister decided to consult the provinces. However, the provincial premiers did not think it was necessary to invoke the special legislation.
Why consult the provinces when he had no intention of listening to them?
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- Apr/28/22 2:36:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when the illegal blockades forced the closure of the borders, the closure of businesses and the layoff of workers, it was Canadians who paid the highest price.
It was on the advice of law enforcement that we invoked the Emergencies Act. It was necessary and it worked.
We have launched a wide-scale independent inquiry and appointed Judge Rouleau as commissioner. We look forward to co-operating with the inquiry in the interest of transparency.
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- Apr/28/22 2:37:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is where the Liberal government is not being honest. The terms of reference that it dictated to Justice Rouleau allow him to investigate wrongdoing by police but prevent him from investigating the Liberal government.
We already know the outcome of the inquiry: Protesters are bad, police officers are bad, and the Liberal government is perfect.
As with all the other scandals, it is the turn of police forces to be thrown under the bus. Why?
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- Apr/28/22 2:37:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that the economy was disrupted during the blockade. It is a fact that there were many disruptions at the border during the illegal blockade. It is also a fact that we invoked the Emergencies Act only after police forces agreed. It was a good decision, and we will now co-operate with the commissioner.
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- Apr/28/22 2:38:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, here is a fact: The government's invocation of the Emergencies Act was a dark day in Canadian history. Legal experts and Canadians know that there was no need to invoke the act, as Canada's existing laws are sufficient.
The government has since shown that it has no intention of providing any justification for stripping away Canadians' charter rights. They just simply want us to trust them. Really? We do not trust them. That is the issue.
How can the government possibly believe that Canadians trust them?
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- Apr/28/22 2:38:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is because on this side we spoke to Canadians. We spoke to Canadians during the blockades, and their experiences were that their businesses were shut down, workers were—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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