- Member of Parliament
- Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
- Liberal
- Beauséjour
- New Brunswick
- Voting Attendance: 65%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $117,680.95
- Government Page
- May/21/24 3:13:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend knows very well that there are internal investigations taking place with respect to this matter. A number of people were properly called before parliamentary committees, and they came to testify. Of course, he also knows that the RCMP is looking into this matter. He made reference to that in an overly dramatic moment as well.
The member should have the decency to let the police do its work. We have said from the beginning that anybody who misused taxpayers money will be held to account. I have confidence that the RCMP will do its work.
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- Apr/19/24 11:56:55 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, allow me to repeat what I said in English a moment ago: My colleague knows that an internal investigation is being conducted by the Canada Border Services Agency. Its purpose is precisely to determine the amounts of money that may have been misused. We have to wait for the facts before demanding repayments. We fully understand and share Canadians' concern about the importance of treating taxpayers' money properly. That is exactly what is going to happen.
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- Apr/19/24 11:50:26 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I had a chance earlier in today's question period to answer that question, and I am happy to do it again.
Our government has worked with the Auditor General's Office and with parliamentary committees. There is an internal investigation being conducted by the Border Services Agency. All these investigations will, unlike some of our friends on the other side, establish the facts of what happened.
Anybody who has misused taxpayers' money will be required to repay it, and anybody who has misused taxpayers' money will face the consequences. That is why we are pleased that the RCMP is looking into this matter.
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- Apr/19/24 11:48:04 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, just because my colleague on the other side of the aisle repeats something does not necessarily attach it to the facts. The facts in this case are well known.
One thing he said that is entirely factual is that the RCMP is looking into this matter. That is why I would urge people to be careful before they invent and ascribe things to what is an ongoing police investigation. Our government has said that people have a responsibility to be judicious with taxpayers' money, and those who are not will face the consequences.
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- Apr/19/24 11:21:44 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, as I said yesterday in the House, our government takes the use of taxpayers' money extremely seriously. We welcome the investigations that are taking place, including by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It is well known that it publicly raided a residence earlier this week.
We have said that anybody who abuses taxpayers' money will face the consequences. Of course we will seek to recuperate all money that has been misallocated.
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- Apr/18/24 2:56:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend knows that the government always works collaboratively with Parliament. We have done so in many cases. In fact, parliamentary committees have also looked into this matter, and government officials have been, of course, available to answer all of their questions and provide documents.
As my colleague the Minister of Public Services and Procurement made clear, there are internal audits taking place. The RCMP is also seized with this issue. We think it would be appropriate to allow these investigations to conclude.
I can assure colleagues that the government will always take steps to recuperate taxpayers' money that was inappropriately expended and hold those accountable who have abused taxpayers' money.
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- Apr/18/24 2:48:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have told our colleague before, he is well aware that investigations are under way, including an RCMP investigation. Internal audits are also under way. My colleague, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, changed certain rules in response to the Auditor General's report.
Furthermore, we have always said that anyone who abuses taxpayer money will have to face the consequences. Obviously, the government will undertake the necessary processes to recover these funds.
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- Apr/16/24 3:03:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows full well that there are investigations under way. The House decided to summon someone to answer questions. That is all part of the responsibilities of the House of Commons. We are open to that.
We have also said from the beginning that we are open to a careful review of this situation, whether it be by the Auditor General, the RCMP or parliamentary committees. Anyone who has misused taxpayers' money will face the consequences.
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- Apr/16/24 3:01:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, just because my hon. friend continues to repeat something that he knows is not accurate does not make it so. He knows very well that a series of investigations are being undertaken. The RCMP is seized with this matter. If the House in its wisdom decides to call people before the bar, that is entirely within the purview of the House.
We have also said from the beginning that anybody who abused taxpayer money should face the consequences, and that is exactly what will happen.
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- Mar/21/24 3:07:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows full well, our government is tackling foreign interference issues very effectively and robustly.
It is widely known that the RCMP has confirmed that the specific issues raised by my colleague are the focus of a police investigation. That is the appropriate way to deal with issues like this, as they arise.
We are obviously not going to comment on cases that are currently in the hands of the police. Everyone has a duty to exercise a degree of restraint in this regard as well.
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- Mar/18/24 3:05:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows very well, there are internal investigations being conducted into all these matters. We welcome the report of the Auditor General. The RCMP is investigating some elements of this matter. If at any time people have misused taxpayers' money or contractors have claimed taxpayers' money for work they did not complete, of course the government will demand refunds as is appropriate.
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- Feb/27/24 3:08:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, just because my hon. friend asserts something with manufactured indignation does not make it true. What we have said from the beginning is that we take the responsibility to manage taxpayers' money very seriously. That is why, when the border services agency identified irregularities, it began an internal investigation and referred the matter, as is appropriate, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Our government will always do what is necessary to hold everyone who may have misused taxpayers' money to account.
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- Feb/27/24 2:49:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, not only will the government co-operate with the RCMP at every occasion, but it was also the government that referred a number of these cases to the RCMP. My friend has just realized what the RCMP confirmed some weeks ago, which is that it is looking into the issue of ArriveCAN.
Our government thinks it is important that the Auditor General's report be followed carefully, and we think it is important for parliamentary committees and other investigations to determine the facts of the issue before we throw mud around the House of Commons.
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- Feb/27/24 2:23:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, the Leader of the Opposition seems to be impressed with some information that has been known in the public space for many weeks.
The RCMP have confirmed, previously, that they are looking into the circumstances around ArriveCAN. We have total confidence in the RCMP to do this important work.
I will remind the Leader of the Opposition that the president of the Canada Border Services Agency referred these questions, proactively, to the RCMP. We will continue to do whatever we need to do to co-operate with the national police force and every other ongoing investigation.
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- Feb/27/24 2:22:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have been saying for several weeks that the RCMP is looking into ArriveCAN. This is largely because senior CBSA officials sent documents to the RCMP and asked the RCMP to look into the matter.
There are several investigations under way. We will continue to be available and to give these authorities all the documents and information they need.
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- Feb/15/24 2:33:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it may surprise my hon. friend, but the government does not actually direct the national police in terms of investigations. We have confidence that the RCMP will take the important responsibility it has seriously and do all of the work that is required. We have complete faith in the RCMP's independence and in its ability to look into all these matters.
More importantly, the government is also always available to work with parliamentary committees and the Auditor General's Office to ensure that every document is available so this important matter can be resolved.
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- Feb/15/24 2:21:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition knows very well that the government is collaborating with parliamentary committees and the Office of the Auditor General. The Border Services Agency is doing an internal review, an investigation with respect to many of these matters, and officials have from the very beginning referred, to the RCMP, any and all information they think might be appropriate for the RCMP to investigate.
The government will always cooperate with these lawful authorities to ensure that they can do the work that Canadians properly expect them to do.
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- Feb/12/24 3:05:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, the government is interested in the utmost transparency in this matter. That is why the president of the Canada Border Services Agency and her officials appeared before the committee. That is why an internal investigation was ordered.
My colleague referred to a referral to the RCMP. It may surprise him, but it is not politicians who direct the operational work of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Therefore, we cannot speak to exactly what investigations are being done. We have full confidence that they will hold those to account in the case that this is merited.
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- Feb/12/24 3:03:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, our government has, at the very first opportunity when these allegations were made, taken all of the appropriate steps to ensure that taxpayer money is respected. The Canada Border Services Agency president ordered an internal investigation. Those preliminary findings were shared with the committee, with which my hon. colleague is very familiar. It is too bad that the chair of that committee chose not to share, for example, that report with the members of the committee.
Our government is being transparent, and will always be, to ensure that taxpayer money is well spent.
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- Oct/24/23 3:05:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the RCMP has been clear in this matter. There is no criminal investigation. It has closed the case. That is the independent decision taken by Canada's national police force, and the commissioner, in his public comments yesterday, said he was very comfortable with that decision.
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