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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 179

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 18, 2023 10:00AM
  • Apr/18/23 2:54:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if there is nothing to hide, then why will the cover-up coalition not allow these hearings to take place? The fact is the Prime Minister is a member of the foundation. His name is on its annual report. Why is he still a member of the foundation? We would like to know. We would like to know why, after $125 million of taxpayers' money was given to this foundation, a foundation defined in statute as a government institution, it said the money was returned when in fact it was not. Will this cover-up coalition end the cover-up and allow committee hearings into what happened at the Trudeau Foundation?
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  • Apr/18/23 2:54:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do not believe the definition of a cover-up is me not agreeing to follow every conspiracy theory the member opposite has. I think that, in fact, the House of Commons has an obligation to do the business of the nation. The business of the nation right now is the concern about the global impacts of inflation. I just spent two weeks, as I am sure the member did, talking to constituents. People are looking forward to getting a grocery rebate so they can get help to deal with the global costs of inflation. They are anxious to see that their health care system is protected; we have been negotiating with the provinces to make sure that it is prepared and protected for future generations. I think that is what they want us to be studying.
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  • Apr/18/23 2:55:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the embarrassing proximity between the Trudeau Foundation and the communist government of Beijing affects all Canadians. That is why we have an obligation, here in Parliament, to get to the bottom of things. Yesterday, in parliamentary committee, the Liberals, with the complicity of the NDP, decided not to hold meetings to hear from the directors of the Trudeau Foundation. I have a very simple question. Could the non-minister government member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, that proud social-democrat, rise in this House and explain why he is being complicit in this Liberal cover-up?
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  • Apr/18/23 2:56:03 p.m.
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Before giving the floor to the Leader of the Government, I would like to remind members that they have to direct their questions to the government, not the other opposition parties. I would also like to remind people that it is not nice to make fun of one another.
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  • Apr/18/23 2:56:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, more games. This serves the parties across the way. It is partisanship. It is obvious. They keep asking questions on things that have nothing to do with reality. That is the case for CBC. Attacking the independence of the CBC is totally unacceptable. It is an attack on an independent institution that is very important for our country.
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  • Apr/18/23 2:57:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the minister on the quality of his French, but just because he is speaking French does not mean his words make more sense. Here is the situation. There is a foundation, the Trudeau Foundation, which is not just any foundation. Let us remember that, when the foundation was founded at the turn of the century, the federal government gave it $125 million in public funds. Morally, this foundation needs to be accountable to all Canadians. The best way to do that is through a parliamentary committee. Why not allow its directors to testify before committee?
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  • Apr/18/23 2:57:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have already answered the question my colleague just asked. However, I have a question for my colleague opposite. What does he think about the attack on the CBC? What does he think about the position of his party's leader, who is attacking the CBC's independence? What is the position of the member opposite on that issue?
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  • Apr/18/23 2:58:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, members will recall that the World Cup of soccer was held in Qatar this past fall. We debated whether it was acceptable to organize major sports events in countries that violate human rights. The Bloc Québécois had demanded a diplomatic boycott, but the government still sent a minister to Qatar. Believe it or not, The Globe and Mail revealed that this minister was mandated by the Department of Foreign Affairs to promote the sale of Canadian arms. Was it acceptable to send the Minister of International Development to sell tanks to Qatar?
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  • Apr/18/23 2:59:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, human rights will always be at the centre of all the work that we do. We will always hold the highest standards. The minister is regularly briefed and given advice by our officials. The talking points provided were not mentioned during this particular meeting. When it comes to contracts, exports or programs of any sort, particularly defence exports, Canada has one of the strictest export control systems, which is based on careful review. Human rights will always be protected, and that is exactly what we aim to do.
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  • Apr/18/23 2:59:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague just reiterated that the government sent people to Qatar to talk about human rights. Come on. The minister's briefing note proves that the Department of Foreign Affairs tasked him with promoting the sale of armoured vehicles. It was even in the key messages of his briefing note. Armoured vehicles are tanks. I have a news flash for everyone: Qatar is not going to use tanks to promote human rights. How could this government have asked the Minister of International Development, and I want to repeat that it was the Minister of International Development, to sell tanks to Qatar?
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  • Apr/18/23 3:00:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, those particular talking points were not mentioned during that particular meeting. What we do know, absolutely, is that the minister, when he was there, on numerous occasions, raised human rights with his counterparts. In fact, he took the opportunity of the visit specifically to raise things like labour rights and other human rights issues, as we always do.
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  • Apr/18/23 3:01:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, “Sorry, kids, Disneyland is cancelled” is what too many Canadian parents are having to tell their children. Sixty per cent are scaling back their summer vacations because of inflation. However, that has not stopped the Prime Minister from jetting off to Jamaica, costing taxpayers $160,000. It is unbelievable. While our Prime Minister catches some rays with his Trudeau Foundation cronies, Canadians just cannot catch a break. Instead of cancelling Canadians' vacations, will the Liberals stop the hypocrisy and cancel the carbon tax?
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  • Apr/18/23 3:01:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the hypocrisy is coming from the other side. Conservatives say that they care about Canadians and the affordability challenges they are facing, but when they have an opportunity to actually support Canadians, what do they do? They vote against them. Conservatives have another opportunity coming up to support budget 2023, which is going to support Canadians through health care, access to the dentist and the grocery rebate. Unfortunately, I know that they are already going to be voting against Canadians, because they declared that right from the outset. However, Conservatives still have a chance to make a difference.
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  • Apr/18/23 3:02:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am actually going to answer a question for the Liberals. Earlier in question period, the Prime Minister asked if we know what friendship is. The answer is yes, but in Saskatchewan, when we have a friend, we share a case of Pilsner, not a private island, with them. This champagne-and-caviar trip cost the taxpayers $162,000. It is amazing. This high-flying carbon hypocrite flies all around the world and then comes back home and charges a single mother triple the carbon tax to heat her home and feed her kids. Will the Prime Minister cancel his out-of-touch carbon tax?
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  • Apr/18/23 3:03:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since the opposition likes to quote the PBO report on the issue of climate change, let me quote the PBO. He said, “I am concerned at times about looking at just one aspect of the report”. I continue quoting the PBO, who said, “Doing nothing would also have costs.” In fact, if the Conservatives were interested in climate change, they would look at the PBO report, which shows that it already cost Canadians $20 billion in 2021 for the impacts of climate change. What is their response? It is that climate change is a hoax.
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  • Apr/18/23 3:03:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, maybe the minister should do something because he has never met an emissions target. Another day and another billionaire island boondoggle. This time, the Prime Minister jets off to Jamaica and costs the Canadian taxpayers over $160,000. Of course, he stays with a friend who has donated to the Trudeau Foundation because he is so independent from that foundation. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Canadians cannot afford a vacation. They cannot afford to eat and heat. Will the Prime Minister end this double standard of living and axe the carbon tax?
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  • Apr/18/23 3:04:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to remind the hon. member that Conservatives never met any target that they had set on climate change. The national inventory report— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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  • Apr/18/23 3:04:36 p.m.
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I am not even sure if it is heckling anymore or just people talking to each other. Members should try to whisper if they are going to talk to each other. The hon. Minister of Environment, from the top, please.
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  • Apr/18/23 3:05:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, I would like to remind my hon. colleague that the Conservatives never met any target that they set. Last week, Canada published a national inventory report, which shows that between 2019 and 2021, we cut carbon pollution in Canada by 53 million tonnes. That is the equivalent of removing 11 million cars from our roads. Our plan is working, and we are getting the job done.
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  • Apr/18/23 3:05:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Canada-Chile trade agreement was modernized over five years ago, and the two countries have had diplomatic relations for over 80 years. Canada is the largest investor in Chile, and developing this relationship could prove crucial, particularly in the areas of clean energy and technology. Can the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development tell us about her recent trip to Chile and its results?
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