44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 20, 2023 10:00AM
- Jun/20/23 2:31:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we were prepared to give the government the benefit of the doubt. Its plan to avoid an independent public inquiry on Chinese interference at all costs was hardly a resounding success. Its approach, which consisted of appointing a special rapporteur reporting exclusively to the Prime Minister, was an abysmal failure.
Then, all of a sudden, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities showed some openness to a public inquiry, just as the House prepares to rise for the summer. Honestly, some people are starting to wonder whether the House and the media are being taken for a ride. When is the government going to launch the inquiry?
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- Jun/20/23 2:31:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after the opposition parties turned this issue into a partisan free-for-all through personal attacks against the former governor general, we offered to work with them to create a process that everyone could agree on and that would not be spoiled by acrimonious partisan debates. That is why we are currently discussing positive proposals with the different parties to find a way for everyone to take this matter seriously, as we, the government, have done from the start.
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- Jun/20/23 2:32:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc has taken the high road throughout this debate.
It is a strategy as old as time: lip service to appease the opposition until the end of the session in the hopes that media attention will be elsewhere in the fall. Even worse, he could try to convince his good friends in the NDP to settle for a parliamentary committee over the summer instead of a full-fledged inquiry—a classic move.
This needs an inquiry now, with a chair appointed now and voted on now by the House, not parliamentary “arguing”, not offloading responsibility. It is now that it is happening—
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- Jun/20/23 2:33:00 p.m.
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The right hon. Prime Minister.
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- Jun/20/23 2:33:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after the partisan excesses that the other parties have been responsible for in recent months, we are here to work together with them to show that we can all take the issue of foreign interference seriously. That is why we are working with them now to determine the next steps. We have always taken this issue seriously, and we will continue to do so, regardless of the partisan games the opposition parties play if they come back to this.
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- Jun/20/23 2:33:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, countless affordability societies warn of the repercussions when people have to spend more than 30% of their income on rent, but in Toronto, over 40% of people exceed that amount. Things are getting very, very difficult for Canadians. While corporate landlords are making massive profits, Canadians are struggling.
When will the Prime Minister understand we are on the verge of a catastrophe?
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- Jun/20/23 2:34:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know Canadians are struggling with the cost of housing, whether it is a young family looking to buy their first home or a student struggling to pay the rent. That is why we have been taking action on many fronts. We are helping Canadians save up for their first home. We are investing in building and repairing more homes, including through supporting local governments to fast-track the creation of 100,000 new homes. We are providing support for low-income renters. We are also ensuring that houses are used as homes by curbing unfair practices that drive up prices, including with a foreign homebuyers ban and a federal anti-flipping rule.
We will continue to support Canadians challenged with housing.
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- Jun/20/23 2:34:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Liberal government are not responding with the urgency that Canadians need.
July 1 is just around the corner. In Quebec, July 1 is not only Canada Day, it is also moving day.
The Office municipal d'habitation de Montréal has been contacted by 314 families who are losing their housing. The city expects to be able to provide emergency housing to around 40 families.
Does the Prime Minister realize how stressful this is for these families?
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- Jun/20/23 2:35:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we continue to be there with programs and plans to address this housing crisis across the country.
Our plan is to collaborate with the municipalities, including by investing $4 billion to speed up residential construction approvals, and by creating 100,000 new housing units. We are tying infrastructure investment to housing. We are helping Canadians save money to buy their first home. We are providing help to low-income renters, and we are converting surplus federal lands to affordable housing, among other things.
We will continue that work.
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- Jun/20/23 2:36:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety peddled fiction on his rifle hunting ban, he peddled fiction to a judge and he peddled fiction to the families of the victims of a murderer and serial rapist. It is either gross incompetence or a deliberate attempt by his own staff to protect the minister with plausible deniability. Both seem to be a pattern in the government. They do not read emails, they do not get briefed and they do not know anything.
How many times can one minister peddle fiction in his or her portfolio until the Prime Minister fires somebody in the government? Maybe the direction is coming from the top.
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- Jun/20/23 2:36:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what is reckless to public safety is when we have a Conservative Party of Canada that proposes to make AR-15-style firearms legal again. On this side of the House, we propose to ban them and buy them back to protect our communities. What is reckless is when one either introduces legislation that is unconstitutional or just filibusters. That is what is reckless to public safety.
On this side of the House, we put forward legislation that is there to protect Canadians. We do it in a way that is constitutional. That is my focus, and that is the focus of this government.
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- Jun/20/23 2:37:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one would think that at this point the minister would stop peddling fiction.
The minister knows that he can mandate that offenders like Bernardo be kept in maximum security, not the individual but a class of the most horrific offenders. The Liberals would know that they can step in and do something about the transfer, like the last Conservative government did in 2013. The minister actually discussed options with his own staff, but he did not do anything and he knew for three months. Now they are saying they have a brand new system in place that will tell them what is happening in their own ministries.
They owe the families an explanation, but at the very least he owes this House a resignation.
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- Jun/20/23 2:37:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is preposterous to hear the Conservatives continue to stand up when their record is one of cuts. In their last year of government, in 2014-15, they cut $300 million from the Correctional Service of Canada. We put that money back and we continue to invest in that institution so we can protect Canadians. That is our focus: protecting Canadians.
The Conservatives can go on with cuts. They can go on with filibustering. Canadians will see through all of that. On this side of the House, we will continue to focus on protecting Canadians.
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- Jun/20/23 2:38:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are wondering why the Prime Minister has not done more to safeguard our democratic systems. We know that he was briefed on foreign interference six times in the last five years, we know that members in this very House have been intimidated by Beijing and we know that on two occasions this House has directed the Prime Minister to have a public inquiry on foreign interference.
Will he commit to having a public inquiry on foreign interference today?
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- Jun/20/23 2:39:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have always taken the issue of foreign interference seriously. That is precisely why, since our government was elected, we put in place measures to strengthen our democratic institutions.
We are continuing to work with opposition parties because Canadians expect all people in this place to put partisanship aside and put the values of protecting our democracy at the forefront. Members opposite can laugh, but we take foreign interference very seriously.
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- Jun/20/23 2:39:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is evident that they do not take it seriously. After eight years, the Prime Minister has yet to call a public inquiry into foreign interference. In fact, he continues to stand in the way and enjoy the status quo because it benefits the Liberals. After seven months, all he did was appoint a special rapporteur, one who had to resign as a result of a conflict of interest.
After seven months, two votes in Parliament and no public inquiry, will he stand up today and support a public inquiry on foreign interference, yes or no?
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- Jun/20/23 2:40:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is really disappointing to see the Conservatives back to their partisan games when it comes to foreign interference. The Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs has been consulting with all parties in this place because we want to get to a place where Canadians can have trust in these institutions and where we can tone down the political rhetoric.
I am very disappointed to see the Conservatives with their personal attacks instead of rolling up their sleeves and getting to work to ensure that all Canadians have trust in their democratic institutions. That is precisely what we are focused on, and we are not going to be distracted by partisan games.
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- Jun/20/23 2:40:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for weeks we have been asking for a public inquiry into foreign interference in the affairs of our country. The many stories that have been made public are worrisome. For example, members of the House and their families have been victims of an intimidation campaign. That is significant.
No one can understand why the government continues to ignore the House's calls to get to the bottom of this matter. What is stopping the Prime Minister from backing down and ordering a public inquiry?
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- Jun/20/23 2:41:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs is having positive discussions with the opposition about this matter.
We will look for the best way to engage with Canadians in order to spark a constructive conversation about how we can build on our efforts to fight foreign interference. Enough with the game-playing and squabbling. That is what the Conservatives are focusing on. On this side, we will keep working to protect our democratic institutions.
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- Jun/20/23 2:41:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do not think I am squabbling with anyone.
There is another troubling matter I want to raise. Paul Bernardo got permission to leave his maximum-security prison and transfer to a more lenient one, despite the horrific crimes he committed. We know that the Minister of Public Safety has the power to stop this transfer. He can issue directives to this effect, and has done so in the past. However, he refuses to do it now. This is just one more item to add to his long list of bad decisions.
Does the Prime Minister still have confidence in his Minister of Public Safety?
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