Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, criminals are not afraid of this government, but law-abiding Canadians are. Lawful firearms owners are not the cause of crime. Confiscating legally purchased and heavily regulated property will not stop criminals, it will not stop smuggling and it will not stop gang violence. The public safety minister confirmed this week that the Liberals will confiscate legally owned property withou…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. The committee requests that the government establish a public and independent inquiry into cost overruns on information technology contracts, including the Phoenix pay system, ArriveCAN and the benefits delivery modernization program. I would note that the motion w…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, costs keep going up, but Liberals keep doing the same thing. This year in New Brunswick, families will spend $1,000 more on grocery bills than last year. With 70% of food produced domestically, this is a made-in-Canada problem caused by the Liberals. Food is expensive because Canadian taxes on farming, trucking and packaging keep going up. It is all paid by Canadian consumers, and ris…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, in the last year alone, the price of groceries has gone way up again. Families are spending over $1,000 more on groceries today than just a year ago. The Liberals say it is not their fault, but that is not true. Canada has the highest food inflation in all the G7. Why are Canada's food prices so high? It is because the Liberals put a tax on food packaging, they put taxes on the farmer…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, two reports from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. The third report is entitled “Connectivity in Rural and Remote Areas”, and the fourth report is entitled “Forests and Climate Change”. Mr. Speaker, I believe, with your consent, we will hear next from the hon. member for Calgary Midnapore, who will table a dissenting r…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, there are two whoppers I want to address that the member spoke to. The first was his idea that prices are high because prices are set abroad and we have nothing to do with that. Of course, under this government, our foreign exchange rate, the value of the Canadian dollar, has plummeted, which is why foreign goods have gone up so much. That is why it costs so much to live in this cou…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I have a question for the hon. member in response to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who, in responding to my last question, presumed that when Stephen Harper was in office, the tax differential on gasoline between Maine and New Brunswick was the same. It was not. He was wrong to presume. He should check his facts and get the story straight. It was half the amount…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal mismanagement, Canadian families are putting 50% more of their household bills on credit cards than they did just 10 short years ago because of Liberal inflationary spending. Fitch Ratings warns that government overspending puts finances at “high risk of further deterioration”. The budget watchdog warns that the Liberals have abandoned their own debt-to-GDP a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt. I rise on behalf of the lobster fishermen and fisherwomen in Charlotte County, working families in Saint John West, the truck drivers driving our highways, the pensioners throughout New Brunswick Southwest and every small business owner hanging on for help. These Canadians look to Parliament and wonde…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, for a long time, I have been telling Parliament that we need to take advantage of our natural resources. Right now, the Government of New Brunswick, under the provincial Liberals, is asking this government to do something to move these very important projects forward. So far, nothing has been done. Yes, it is time to do something for our province, because so far, the Prime Minister ha…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I believe in tax cuts any time, anywhere, for Canadians, but I do not just believe in tax cuts for businesses. This budget is a failure because it fails to deal with the affordability crisis that is hurting working families, young families and pensioners. It is all well and good to talk about the debt-to-GDP ratio, which the government has broken. For the last 10 years, it promised to…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we can trust it will do more of the same, and that record is going to be a record of failure. I had hope the other day when the finance minister tabled his budget and looked up to the gallery, and we saw Mr. Chrétien. Thirty years ago, the Liberals had a problem with too much debt, too much spending and slow growth. What did they do? They went through an expenditure review and cut nee…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, to govern Canada, choices have to be made. I completely agree with my colleague. Under the former Conservative government of Stephen Harper, health transfers increased every year. Health was always a priority to the Conservatives, but that meant making cuts to spending items that were not a priority. That is something that we know how to do, but the Liberals do not. That is why we nee…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, as we approach Remembrance Day, I rise to pay tribute to Master Warrant Officer Earle Eastman, retired; sadly, he passed away this year. Earle served 33 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and completed tours on three continents. After returning from Afghanistan, he dedicated himself to serving veterans as president of the Canadian Army Veterans motorcycle unit, second VP of the Legion…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I want to rise to speak to this fascinating bill. I have to say that every time I hear a group of MPs from Newfoundland and Labrador, my vocabulary always expands a bit. They throw around some terms, whether with respect to fishing or to hunting, that are unknown in the rest of the country, so it is always interesting. This is what I have noticed since the member for Central Newfoundl…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Liberals measure success by how many tax dollars are spent. They say that the number in today's budget is what matters, yet Canadians know why more debt financing is being offered. Liberal policies have failed to build, empower or protect our country. Conservatives are calling for an affordable budget for affordable lives. We want affordable lives for the one in five Canadian food ban…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I table a petition from residents of my riding concerning charitable status. The petitioners are concerned about the finance committee's proposal to remove charitable status from churches and other religious organizations, a proposal supported by the Liberal MPs on the committee. Petitioners note that the work done by these faith-based charities supports seniors and vulnerable people …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. The first report is entitled “The Benefits Delivery Modernization Programme”. The second report is entitled “Modernizing Information Technology Systems”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive respon…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it was a terrible, awful shock to learn of Nigel Wright's sudden passing. Nigel was a good man, maybe the best among us. He had titles, success and stature, but he was humble. He demonstrated humility when he could have been filled with pride. Nigel had a great commitment to charity. This too did not fully capture Nigel's goodness. His deepest devotion was to God. From that faith, eve…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's temporary public policy, first introduced in May 2020, and renewed in March 2025, which allows foreign nationals in Canada on closed work permits to change employers or occupations prior to receiving a new work permit: (a) how many foreign nationals have received temporary authorization under this public policy to change employers, or o…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That in relation to the Canadian Council of Public Accounts Committees & Canadian Council of Legislative Auditors Annual Conference, five members of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts be authorized to travel to Regina, Saskatchewan, from September 7 to 10, 2025, and that the necessary staff accompany the Committee. I wi…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, for 10 years, the Liberals have relentlessly targeted law-abiding firearms owners, hunters and sport shooters while letting gun smugglers and criminals off the hook. Now the Prime Minister has pledged to reinvigorate Justin Trudeau's gun-grab program. The government's main estimates show the Liberals will spend four times more targeting legal gun owners than fighting gun crime in ou…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, yesterday I asked the government why a convicted child sex offender in New Brunswick is out on bail while appealing his jail sentence. The government blamed the provinces, judges and the police, yet this child sex offender was already arrested and sentenced for his crime. The predator got out on bail under federal law, and the government is not closing this dangerous loophole. Now, …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, a convicted child sex offender in New Brunswick was recently sentenced to jail, but instead of going to prison, he was released back into the community on bail pending his appeal. He is now living just 600 metres from a school. The community is shocked that Canada's justice system is so soft on crime. Parents are deeply worried, and the victim's family feels betrayed. Will the ministe…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, this problem has to do with the federal program that we examined but also other programs throughout the federal government. In my opinion, this problem exists across the federal government. That is why we need a change in government as soon as possible.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, my colleague had withdrawn the comment. I do not think it is correct for a member to keep raising it once the member has done the honourable thing. I would ask the member to both withdraw what he said and apologize, as this member did.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I do not have enough time to go through all the times. I will say that we had a meeting yesterday on the Auditor General's latest reports about the $3.5 billion that the government wrongly paid out to recipients of the CEBA program and another $8.5 billion in outstanding loans. The Liberals and NDP shut down that meeting and then moved a motion to try to shut down not only that stud…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, again, I appreciate the effort of my hon. colleague, who is conflating leadership donations to a failed candidate with the party. Again, he has the number, but it is small compared to the half a billion dollars that flew out the door with the Liberals. The NDP is now trying to cover this up to keep the government in power, so the NDP leader can secure his pension sometime next year.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, again, not very much; the information is publicly available. If it was such a huge amount, the member would say so, but he has not. That is because it is a small number compared to the amount of money the government has fleeced from taxpayers. I appreciate the member's political deflection, and I am sorry his party no longer stands with others at public accounts to get to the bottom…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, this is so rich coming from the party of the Maserati Marxist. Has the member seen his leader and what he trucks around in, his fancy watches and his high-flying lifestyle? Talk about champagne socialists, and he is just hanging on so he can get that pension. As he does that, he is putting the hopes and dreams of Canadians on the back burner. That is how much the NDP cares about wor…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I look forward to the question from the now former member of the public accounts committee, where things have changed since his departure. The Liberal and NDP members at public accounts have introduced a closure motion to cut off debate. This is despite the fact that, in recent weeks, we learned even more about the enrichment of personal financial interests by Liberal-appointed offi…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I would assume it was not very much, because the NDP-Liberals cannot even say, but all donations are publicly recorded. I will answer the earlier question the member asked on a point of order. Sadly, since his removal from the public accounts committee, the current member has flipped and is now working with the Liberals to shut down the committee's work. He is supporting a closure m…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I think there has been a change of heart; certainly, we see this in the public accounts committee. We were formerly working with the NDP member, but he was swapped out for whatever reason. We now have a member who has not only belittled our work but actually belittled the work of his own colleagues as well, saying that he is not going to be held accountable for the decisions the pre…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, six months ago, the House of Commons ordered the production of all documents from the federal government related to the corruption and cronyism uncovered in the Sustainable Development Technology Canada program, a.k.a. the Liberals' green slush fund. At least $400 million was improperly paid, and police are investigating. Conflicts of interest and even laws were ignored or violated …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to on-the-water and dockside enforcement patrols carried out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada enforcement officers in lobster fishing areas 38, 37 and 36 from July 1, 2024, to September 20, 2024: what are the details of each patrol, including the (i) date it occurred, (ii) number of enforcement officers present, (iii) duration, (iv) lobster fishing areas covered, (v) number of tickets wi…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Small Craft Harbours (SCH) program, broken down by year for each year from the 2019-20 fiscal year through the 2024-25 fiscal year: (a) what are the details of all project expenditures made by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) under the SCH program, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) amount, (iii) location, (iv) project description or summary, (v) constituency, (…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I think that is why the issue has seized the House. Not only is it a question of hundreds of millions of dollars being misspent, hundreds of ethical violations, conflicts of interest and now a cover-up, but on top of that, which is bad enough as it is a steaming mess, today there is a government that is not even willing to submit itself to Parliament, which it is required to do. We …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I completely agree. This is about holding the government to account for its decisions. As I said before, the Conservative Party is not alone in demanding this. The Bloc Québécois, the NDP and the Conservative Party are unanimous on this issue. The government must answer to Parliament and produce these documents.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, the member, the soon-to-be minister, has answered his own question. In some cases, we have unredacted documents. These departments have followed through on the order from Parliament, which is here to hold the government accountable. However, in many other departments, the documents have come back redacted, indicating there is something to hide, something that must be explosive. The …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, it is because the government has an order from the Parliament, passed by a majority of members of the House, not just Conservatives, for the government to produce the papers. Time and time again, whether it is the Winnipeg lab documents or this case, the government is more interested in covering up secrets than in coming clean with Canadians. The filibuster here is on the government…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to congratulate my province's premier-designate, Susan Holt, who was elected Monday night. Ms. Holt has the distinction of being New Brunswick's first woman premier, although we must acknowledge that voters did not elect her because she is a woman. She is a person of some achievement, who I hope will keep my province moving forward. Ms. H…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, all the government has to do, to get on with its business that it claims is so important, is to release the documents as Parliament ordered, unredacted, as per the law clerk who said it is obliged to do. That would end this and that would ensure the government is able to get ahead of its priorities. However, the government is not willing to do that, and that is why we are debating t…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, that is a good question. When we formed the government, there were some questions, but our government worked with Parliament to produce the documents. I am talking about the documents concerning Afghanistan that caused a kerfuffle. In the end, we found a way to allow the opposition parties to have access to those documents. This government is not prepared to do the same now and that…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 44th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, entitled “Cybersecurity of Personal Information in the Cloud”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, DFO officials, in writing, told me 10 months ago that they would work with the harbour authority at Seeleys Cove on critical wharf repairs. Yesterday, DFO announced that this federal wharf would be condemned, and I have discovered that no discussions about repairs at Seeleys Cove happened with the harbour authority. In other words, I was misled by a public servant. This was after the …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I withdraw the unparliamentary language; the rest stands.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of NDP-Liberals, tax is up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up for this costly coalition's carbon tax scam. Nine premiers are now against the Liberal carbon tax. Today in New Brunswick, Premier Blaine Higgs is challenging this scam in court. Provinces do not get a rebate for heating schools and fuelling ambulances. Carbon taxes are not revenue-neutral when provi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, yesterday in the House, the hon. member for Mississauga—Erin Mills rose on a point of order stating that she had been denied an opportunity to participate in debate at the public accounts committee. She confessed that it was unusual, because the Speaker does not normally intervene in committee matters. As chairman, I thought I should respond to the hon. member's point of order. I wo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, when I called the question, the member indicated a desire to speak. I said the question had been called. I was not in a position to grant that. I explained that her only option was to challenge the chair, which she did, as is the right of any member. My ruling was upheld by the committee and we proceeded to the vote. I am not going to comment on the hon. member's motivation for comi…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. The 42nd report is entitled “Report 6, Sustainable Development Technology Canada, of the 2024 Reports 5 to 7 of the Auditor General of Canada”. Specifically, it was passed in the committee that we report it to the House; it asks the Auditor General to und…
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