44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 15, 2023 02:00PM
- Feb/15/23 2:25:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary has apologized. The parliamentary secretary wrote a note in support of a business in his constituency, a business that supports Black and multi-ethnic communities across Canada. While it is admirable that all of us want to support local enterprises or businesses in our constituencies, the parliamentary secretary recognizes that it was inappropriate for him to write a letter supporting that agency and business in his riding. He has apologized.
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- Feb/15/23 2:26:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that, every single day, we show up and do our utmost to serve Canadians. The reality is that this government has done that in all of its actions. The reality, as I have said on many occasions, is that there are almost two million Canadians today who have jobs who did not have jobs when the Conservatives were in government. There are 2.7 million fewer people in poverty today than when they were in office.
I know they are focused on us. I know they are focused on politics. We are focused on delivering results for Canadians and improving their lives.
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- Feb/15/23 2:28:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us be clear, hyperbole aside. The reality is that this side of the House is focused on helping shepherd the country through some of the most difficult times it has faced since World War II. While it is true that we have a lower inflation rate than Europe, the G7 average, the G20 average, the U.S., the U.K. or elsewhere, leading in difficult times is not enough. That is why we have concrete measures to actually help on issues like housing, as the member talked about, which the Conservatives voted against. We will help in areas like child care, which they voted against, and help vulnerable people. Unfortunately, those are actions they did not take when they had the opportunity.
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- Feb/15/23 2:51:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, invoking mental health is something that we should consider at all moments, but I will tell everyone what does not help mental health when the world is going through something as difficult as it is. It is to expand people's fears, to increase people's anxieties. The party opposite refuses to offer solutions. All it offers is fearmongering and pretending that Canada is an island alone while it goes through what the world is suffering.
That is not reality. That is not truth, and it certainly does not help those who are suffering from mental illness.
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- Feb/15/23 3:04:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, it is Canadians who decide who gets to sit in government, not Conservative MPs. The second point I would make is that the member is suggesting that the Conservatives would engage in political interference and interfere with the independent, arm's-length process to engage contracts. Canada has one of the highest standards in the world for how contracts are engaged. Those decisions are made without political interference, and I find it disturbing that the Conservatives continue to come back and say that they would, if that is what I am hearing, politically interfere and make decisions about what the public servants engage in, in terms of contracts.
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- Feb/15/23 3:05:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has been in this place for some time. He would recognize that he is absolutely correct to state that the public servants we have are the best in the world. We owe them a tremendous debt for all they do, and that is why we ensure that they are the ones who actually make the decisions with respect to those contracts. Those are made at arm's length. The reality is that one day the Conservatives are trying to cook up these conspiracies and talk about “shadow” whatever they are talking about, and the next day they are talking about Dominic Barton, the former campaign manager to Stephen Harper. They are saying he is right and should be lauded as one of the great Canadians.
I do not know what they are talking about over there.
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- Feb/15/23 3:06:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have already indicated that these are decisions made by the public service at arm's length and that it is inappropriate for the members opposite to imply they would use political influence to influence these contracts, but I will talk about what has grown since the Conservatives left power and we have had the opportunity to serve Canadians.
As I indicated earlier, there are almost two million more people who have jobs today than when the Conservatives were in power. There are 2.7 million fewer people in poverty, hundreds of thousands of children and hundreds of thousands of seniors who are not in poverty today. That is what has improved. That is what has changed since the Conservatives left power.
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- Feb/15/23 3:10:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary has apologized, as I indicated in the House.
There was a company that supports Black and multi-ethnic communities across—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Feb/15/23 3:10:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, the parliamentary secretary errantly, and he has admitted his mistake, supported a business that is supporting and reflects Black and multi-ethnic communities across Canada. He wanted to support the important work it was doing, but recognized that it was inappropriate for him to send that letter. Let me say of that parliamentary secretary that he is somebody with passion and dedication who serves his constituents and his country.
The difference, I guess, between ourselves and the Conservatives is that, when we make a mistake, we apologize and endeavour to do better.
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- Feb/15/23 3:12:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, the parliamentary secretary did send a letter attempting to support a business that he believed in, but recognized that it was inappropriate for him to send that letter. The idea that the parliamentary secretary would give up his position for such a mistake is, I think, terrible. The reality is, in my estimation—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
Hon. Mark Holland: They can yell and scream, but maybe they should reflect. We all make mistakes in life. We take ownership for them. The parliamentary secretary did exactly that. The level of his mistake absolutely does not warrant his resigning.
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