//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBroadcasting Act [Motion That Debate Be Not Further Adjourned]InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1905)[English]Mr. Speaker, what is interesting is that in the minister's reality, this is all about artists, but to the real world, the non-Liberal world perhaps, to everybody I talk to about Bill C-10, it is about censorship, it is about what people can post on the Internet. It is the fear of government interference. We have seen big tech already clamping down on free speech. People are terrified of what Bill C-10 will bring. I was giving a talk to a grade six class, and those children are worried about it. It seems like the whole world knows that this is all about censorship, but the minister thinks it is all about artists. We love artists, but this has nothing really to do about artists. The fear is censorship.What would the minister say to these grade six children who are worried about their free speech because of the bill?BroadcastingC-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other ActsClosureGovernment billsGovernment Business No. 10Rules of debateStevenGuilbeaultHon.Laurier—Sainte-MarieStevenGuilbeaultHon.Laurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (2400)[English] Mr. Speaker, Toronto's CN Tower is a Canadian landmark that is known worldwide. When it was completed in 1976, it was the highest free-standing structure in the world. It is 553 metres tall, or about 1,800 old-fashioned feet high. That is the length of five and a half football fields. It has actually been named a wonder of the modern world, right up there with the Golden Gate Bridge and the Empire State Building. The CN Tower gets a lot of attention, and tons of people visit it: two million a year.Some of those visitors got more than they bargained for on July 16, 2001. On that day, two radical activists decided to do a dangerous illegal stunt. The two men scaled the outside of the tower and unfurled a banner. That banner bashed the Liberal government and the U.S. government for allegedly being killers of the planet. Not doing enough to fight climate change was the charge. The men had to be rescued by firefighters, and they were later charged and convicted for their dangerous stunt. The court heard that the whole ordeal cost CN $50,000, but the two men only had to pay $3,000 in fines in total. I guess the punishment did not quite fit the crime.Who were those two men who created such havoc and made headlines worldwide? They were both Greenpeace activists. One was a British guy, Chris Holden. The other fella has really climbed to new heights. He is now a Liberal cabinet minister, the heritage minister. Two decades after his last dangerous stunt, this radical guy is pulling another one. In some ways, it is even more dangerous than his first stunt. He wants to censor our online free speech.By now many Canadians have heard of Bill C-10. It is actually interesting that hundreds of bills are discussed in the House and most people do not pay attention. If we mentioned a random bill, the average Canadian likely would not know what it is about and probably would not care. We realize that a bill is controversial when regular folks know about it and know it by name and number. I did a virtual meeting with students from a grade 6 class a couple of weeks back and they knew about Bill C-10. They were very concerned about it. They should be.I have a special interest myself in Bill C-10. I worked as a journalist for three decades in radio, TV, newspapers and news magazines, so free speech is in my DNA. For many years I was an opinion columnist for the Toronto Sun chain. Opinion columnists at Sun Media were the lifeblood of that organization. Every survey we did showed that many people bought the newspapers, and sometimes just to read one of the regular columnists.I am not going to bore anybody by dissecting the intricate legalese of Bill C-10. Lots of lawyers and legal experts have argued the finer points in detail. I know the government will tout this bill as being all about supporting Canadian content. It has already done that. It claims it is not out to stop free speech in any real way, but I do not believe it. Most Canadians do not either. It is no wonder that we do not believe it. The government has earned a reputation, and it is not a good reputation. It cannot be trusted. I do not trust it and Canadians do not trust it.The Prime Minister and his Liberals have a long string of botched files, ethics violations, broken promises and cover-ups. They failed to quickly close our borders when COVID hit. Then they failed on quickly getting Canadians vaccines. They tried to do a deal with the communist Chinese regime to get vaccines. Of course that failed miserably.The Liberals have failed on many, many fronts: the SNC-Lavalin affair, the WE scandal, cash for access, cancelled energy projects, disgraced cabinet ministers and MPs, blackface, the trip to the Aga Khan's private island, no serious plan to open our international border and cover-ups galore. Ler us consider a recent one. It is about the Winnipeg National Microbiology Lab and a refusal to provide vital documents to a key parliamentary committee. Look for that to be in the headlines for a long time. Is it any wonder that Canadians do not trust the Liberals? Is it any wonder they cannot be trusted with something so sacred as free speech? Is it any wonder that people do not trust the minister proposing Bill C-10, a guy with a radical past, a guy who got hauled off in handcuffs and was convicted by a court of law?(2405)We have already seen censorship raise its ugly head on the Internet. It is already happening at an alarming rate. I bet every Canadian with a computer knows someone who has had a social media post flagged or deleted by big tech. It could have been for something as simple as a personal opinion about COVID rules. I bet many of us know people whose social media accounts have been suspended or even shut down by big tech. It is ridiculous that some self-appointed 20-something is a judge at a big tech firm like Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.It also seems like conservative voices are the ones often targeted by these censors. It is strange how that works. Can members imagine what kind of censorship will happen if the Liberal government controls our online speech? I shudder to think of it. Some people might say that since I am a member of the official opposition, of course I will slam any Liberal bill. Well, it is not just the official opposition. There are a lot of people against this Big Brother bill. Every constituent I talk to wants me to fight against the bill. I cannot recall one person coming to me to say, “Hey, Kerry, you have to support Bill C-10.” In fact, I have heard so much opposition to the bill that I decided to start an online petition against it. I was inundated with people signing it. I told them that I would send a letter of protest directly to the Prime Minister on their behalf, and that is exactly what I did. Speaking of opposition to Bill C-10, members should check out what Tim Denton said. He is a former national CRTC commissioner, and he is also the current chair of the Internet Society Canada Chapter. Mr. Denton had this to say: C-10 is clearly intended to allow speech control at the government’s discretion. Ignore the turn signals, look at where the wheels are pointed. They are pointed at your right to communicate freely by means of the internet.This is scary stuff. Who would members trust to pass judgment on this bill, our heritage minister, with his radical past, or Mr. Denton? I know who I would trust.How about the comment from Peter Menzies? He is a long-time journalist and former CRTC vice-chair. I worked in journalism with Peter. He is a good guy, a smart guy. He has summed up the Liberal bill really well. He said that Bill C-10 “will place the internet under the control of the...CRTC. Its nine unelected, unaccountable commissioners will decide if your Facebook post or Youtube video is appropriate internet content.” My former colleague goes on to point out that the heritage minister “has promised more legislation to establish another regulatory panel to oversee what sort of things people may say on social media. All of this constitutes an outrageous abuse of government authority”.We can see where this legislation could go. Maybe a person does not like a government program or a policy or a politician and speaks out. Maybe they will get blocked or cancelled. There is a lot of cancel culture out there to go around, and the legislation before us would only make things worse.The bottom line is that the Liberal government cannot be trusted with our free speech. The minister, with his radical, checkered past, cannot be trusted with our free speech. Our free speech is too sacred to be imperiled by this terrible, dangerous legislation. Canadians are saying that loud and clear. Bill C-10 must be defeated. Our very democracy in Canada is at stake.BroadcastingC-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other ActsCanadian contentCensorshipClimate change and global warmingCN TowerFreedom of speechGovernment billsProtestsSocial networking sitesThird reading and adoptionJulieDabrusinToronto—DanforthLenoreZannCumberland—Colchester//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (2410)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is the old divert-the-eye trick. It is like a slight of hand. It is not about Canadian performers. I know many of them, and some of my best friends are performers. It is about freedom of speech. The government and the Liberals keep going back to try to shame us, but this is about freedom of speech. It is not about anything else. If members talked to any average Canadian at a Tim Hortons, now that we are open in good old Alberta, they will say they do not like this bill.BroadcastingC-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other ActsGovernment billsIncome and wagesPerforming arts and performersThird reading and adoptionLenoreZannCumberland—ColchesterHeatherMcPhersonEdmonton Strathcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (2410)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is another diversionary tactic because the NDP member does not understand the kernel of this. As I said, I am not going to dissect this bill; I am not a lawyer. However, I know one thing. I know about freedom of expression. I was a journalist for 30 years. I talk to a lot of people, and I represent my constituents, who are telling me that they do not like this legislation and they do not trust the Liberals. The Liberals have not earned the trust on this bill. It is as simple as that. That is the absolute truth.BroadcastingC-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other ActsFreedom of speechGovernment billsThird reading and adoptionHeatherMcPhersonEdmonton StrathconaMartinChampouxDrummond//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (2415)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is another diversionary tactic. I very clearly stated in my speech that I was not going to dissect it. I am not a lawyer. It comes down to trust. People do not trust the government on this issue of free speech, nor has the government earned that trust. We just have to talk to many people. I have seldom seen a groundswell against a bill like the one I have seen with this bill.BroadcastingC-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other ActsFreedom of speechGovernment billsThird reading and adoptionMartinChampouxDrummondMartinChampouxDrummond//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBudget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1000)[English]Mr. Speaker, as a bit of personal history, I was the son of parents who lived through the Great Depression. My dad Tony put food on the table by being a locomotive engineer. He worked at Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and he served as secretary-treasurer of his union. My mom Helen was a busy stay-at-home mother to five kids.We were happy, but I do not remember our having a whole lot of money when we were growing up. As a kid in grade school, I can count on one hand the number of times that we actually went out to a real restaurant. My mom's attitude was “Why waste good money on a restaurant when we have food at home?” I remember that if there was a big sale at the grocery store, we would sometimes get steak at home, but it was a rare treat. The reason I remember that is when we would have it my mom always had the same thing to say. She would say, “That steak cost 99¢ a pound, so make sure you eat all of it, even the fat.” It was a good lesson in life, though. At an early age, kids in my family learned the value of money and we learned that one never wastes anything. My parents gave me a great life lesson and I was happy. Those lessons stuck with me and I think a lot of Canadians these days can relate to those lessons. They understand the value of hard work and money and they want value from governments for their tax dollars.I know these have been challenging times with the COVID pandemic. Due to this terrible pandemic, governments were forced to shut down the normal economy. As such, people needed an income. Governments had a duty to come to the rescue, but they spent a lot of money, especially the current Liberal government. I admit that a good chunk of it was needed. In fact, Conservatives pushed the Liberals to increase financial benefits to Canadians during this pandemic. Right at the beginning of the pandemic, we fought to get a big increase in the small-business wage subsidy. However, as we enter the road to recovery we need a plan back to fiscal balance. It is a lesson my parents and many of our parents and grandparents learned the hard way. I know many of my constituents feel the same way. I regularly survey my constituents for their views on important issues of the day. One question I asked them recently was whether they are worried about the federal debt. The vast majority, more than 80%, said they are very worried; yet, the Liberals failed to take prudent measures in this budget. Despite record spending, there is no meaningful action to reduce our massive debt load, and “massive” is the key word here. The debt is more than a trillion dollars and climbing.The Liberals do not even have a long-term plan to return to balance. This is a shocking failure by the government. It was only a year ago that the Prime Minister was boasting of Canada's fiscal capacity to offer supports during the pandemic. He said his government could spend lots of money because of the prudent decisions it made previously. Why, then, is he not making those prudent decisions for the future?As COVID made clear, we cannot foresee these events. Just consider the government's failure, early on, to recognize how serious COVID itself was. Early on, we Conservatives gave this advice: Shut down flights from COVID hot spots. The government members said we were being alarmist, even racist. What is going to happen during the next crisis that we face, with our now limited fiscal capacity? We do not have the capacity to keep on spending.The Prime Minister boasts of prudent decisions, but he fails to make them. Prior to COVID, the current government showed a complete lack of fiscal discipline. Instead of prudently managing taxpayer money, the Liberals ran deficit after deficit. During the good times, the Liberals added more than $72 billion to the national debt. To put that into perspective, that is nearly $2,000 of new debt for every man, woman and child in Canada. Continuous deficits and endless debt leave us vulnerable. It is not sustainable. In a crisis, one needs a healthy balance sheet. Who said that? An expert did. That is the view of Philip Cross. He is the former economic analyst at Statistics Canada.(1005)When Conservatives were in power, we were fiscally responsible. We came out of the 2008 financial crisis better than any country in the G7. Here is what Cross said about that: “strong balance sheets in Canada stood it in good stead to endure the recession and emerge into recovery. The recession was shorter and milder in Canada than in other G7 nations, partly because the flow of credit was not disrupted as it was in other nations and a large pool of savings was available to finance spending when income fell temporarily.”What is going to happen in the next crisis, if the Liberal government gambles our safety net? Most Canadians know about the value of money. These Liberals have to learn that, too. Let us just go over some of the Liberals' useless spending. Earlier this year I asked an Order Paper question on the expenses related to having government employees work from home. Working from home was, of course, an important safety feature, and I think we can all accept reasonable expenses. However, can anyone really justify spending $2,815 of taxpayers' money for a desk or $1,160 for a work chair? Having gone through that document, those are hardly isolated incidents. That is only scratching the surface.The government's contempt for transparency has been evident for years. However, it has doubled down during the COVID crisis. It is actually hiding crucial information on how taxpayers' money is being spent. Even a former parliamentary budget officer criticized the government for lack of transparency. For example, members from across the aisle on the transport committee recently talked out the clock to avoid accountability. Instead of being transparent about their mismanagement of the infrastructure bank, they tried to bury the details, but the details, of course, eventually come out. For example, how the infrastructure bank recently paid out nearly $4 million for executive terminations, how the bank has completed zero projects in four years and how it is projected to lose billions of taxpayers' dollars.Building needed projects in Canada seems to be too complicated for the Liberals' budget, but they do not seem to have any issue funding the China-controlled Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to build projects outside of Canada. The Liberals have funnelled tens of millions of dollars to this Chinese state-run bank; this is despite the Chinese Communist regime holding two of our citizens against their will on trumped-up charges. How, exactly, is the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank good value for money?As we are racking up more and more debt, I wonder just how much of it is being wasted. This is an important issue, especially for younger generations. We are passing this debt on to the next generation to pay off, and we owe it to them not to bury them in debt. Even worse, this spending is not even geared to growing the economy, but members should not take my word on it; that is the analysis of the independent Parliamentary Budget Officer. He said that “Budget 2021 estimates overstate the impact of stimulus spending over the next 3 years,” so despite massive unsustainable spending, we are not even going to see additional growth. One thing that is also readily available is that the government's strategy is not prepared for an increase of interest rates. Even a minor increase could have a devastating effect on our long-term national finances.My constituents are demanding answers. Like my parents, they know the value of money. They work hard for their money. They expect and demand that their money is not wasted. Canadians know that Liberal spending is out of control.Asian Infrastructure Investment BankBalanced budgetBudget 2021 (April 19, 2021)C-30, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 19, 2021 and other measuresCanada Infrastructure BankGovernment accountabilityGovernment billsGovernment expendituresPublic debtReport stageTeleworkingChristineNormandinSaint-Jean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBudget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (1010)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am from Alberta in western Canada. Farmers built this country, and agriculture is absolutely vital, but let us look at the bigger picture instead of cherry-picking little items out of this budget. The bigger picture is that we need a sustainable future, and we cannot continue to spend as if there is no tomorrow, because if we continue to do that, there will be no tomorrow. Budget 2021 (April 19, 2021)C-30, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 19, 2021 and other measuresCOVID-19Farm workersFarming and farmersForeign workersGovernment assistanceGovernment billsPandemicPart-time workersQuarantine of personsReport stageChristineNormandinSaint-JeanSeanFraserCentral Nova//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBudget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (1015)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is rather rich coming from the member across the way. We worked to improve many of these programs. I fully admit that there is a lot of spending that is absolutely vital. When governments shut down economies, of course, we cannot leave people in the lurch and we have to help them out. We were the party that improved these programs, and it is ridiculous to say that somehow we are opposed to them. We are opposed to runaway spending, and we know that the wolf is going to be at the door one day. When we look back at what was done under the Harper government, we came out as a shining star of the G7 countries out of 2008. The member does not have to take my word for that. He can take the word of the financial experts. We were a star, and that is how, when we are in government, we will be in far better shape than what this government is going to leave Canadians next time we have a major crisis. Budget 2021 (April 19, 2021)C-30, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 19, 2021 and other measuresCOVID-19Government billsGovernment expendituresPandemicReport stageSeanFraserCentral NovaLeahGazanWinnipeg Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBudget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (1015)[English]Mr. Speaker, everybody has to pay their fair share, obviously, but it is also people who create wealth in this country who are risking to create wealth. If we look at the young start-ups and entrepreneurs, they are starting from nothing. We can look at the history of growth in any developed nation and it starts with great ideas, and we have to cultivate these great ideas. I know that certain members of the NDP adhere to the NDP philosophy to just take as much money as possible and redistribute that wealth, which is not a good philosophy. It has not worked in any country in the world, and there are many recent failures and long-time failures. No, we Conservatives do not believe in punishing people for good ideas, growing economies and creating wealth.Budget 2021 (April 19, 2021)C-30, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 19, 2021 and other measuresGovernment billsHigh incomeIncome taxReport stageLeahGazanWinnipeg CentreJasraj SinghHallanCalgary Forest Lawn//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersMS Awareness MonthInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1410)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about my late friend, Ted Marianix. Like more than 90,000 Canadians, Ted was living with MS. Ted struggled with MS, but worked hard to keep his independence. MS is a terrible disease. Severe episodes come and go without warning. Research shows that people with MS have high unemployment. Sadly, many people who want to work struggle to do so. Bosses need to be more flexible for people with MS. May is MS Awareness Month. Its symbol is a carnation. Get a virtual carnation online. Today, I am remembering Ted. Let us support everyone living with MS.Multiple sclerosisMultiple Sclerosis Awareness MonthStatements by MembersMarie-FranceLalondeOrléansHedyFryHon.Vancouver Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Access to COVID-19 Vaccines]InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1200)[English] Mr. Speaker, I have a list of names of countries I want to read and I am hoping the member from the NDP might guess what they have in common. I will start at the top of the list: Seychelles, Israel, Chile, Bahrain, Monaco, United States, San Marino, Malta, U.K., Serbia, Maldives, Uruguay, Singapore, Morocco, Switzerland, Denmark, Turkey, Liechtenstein, Romania, Czech Republic, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Austria, Spain, France, Slovenia, Slovakia, Greece, Mongolia, Portugal, Ireland, Luxembourg, Estonia, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Andorra, Brazil, Norway, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Mexico, Panama, Croatia, Montenegro, Colombia and Finland. I will give a hint—COVID-19ImmunizationOpposition motionsPandemicDonDaviesVancouver KingswayBruceStantonSimcoe North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersCOVID-19 Emergency ResponseInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1400)[English]Madam Speaker, my constituents are angry. They are angry because the Prime Minister and his Liberals have done a terrible job of fighting COVID. They have failed.Let us count the ways. First, they failed from the get-go to recognize COVID as a pandemic. Second, they refused early on to stop flights from COVID hot spots. Third, they shipped 16 tonnes of vital PPE to Communist China, when Canadians needed it. Fourth, they gambled that a deal with Communist China would get us vaccines. It failed. Now we are still way behind other countries on vaccinations. Fifth, they failed on contact tracing. Sixth, they failed on rapid testing.There are real consequences for these failures: massive unemployment, constant lockdowns, sickness and death. Canada is renowned for world-class health care, but the Liberals have failed us. Canadians deserve better.COVID-19Government performancePandemicStatements by MembersSvenSpengemannMississauga—LakeshoreChandraAryaNepean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsFalun GongInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1655)[English]Madam Speaker, I am proud to present a petition today that is signed by my constituents and other Canadians. They are concerned by the horrific mistreatment of the Falun Gong by Communist China. There are credible allegations of torture, murder and organ harvesting. The petitioners want the government to impose Magnitsky act sanctions, which would include barring entry to Canada to 14 officials and freezing their Canadian bank accounts. The official petition I am submitting spells out the names of these officials.As the member of Parliament for Edmonton Griesbach, I believe it is vital to support human rights worldwide.ChinaEconomic sanctionsForeign policyPetition 432-00715JeremyPatzerCypress Hills—GrasslandsArnoldViersenPeace River—Westlock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsEthiopiaInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1700)[English]Madam Speaker, I am presenting a petition on behalf of Canadians concerned about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. The situation in the Tigray region is critical. There are reports of war crimes happening in the region, including a large-scale massacre. Human rights organizations are gravely concerned. The petitioners call on the Canadian government to push for an immediate end to this horrific situation.Civil and human rightsElectoral observation missionsEthiopiaForeign policyHumanitarian assistance and workersPetition 432-00644MarilynGladuSarnia—LambtonLenWebberCalgary Confederation//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsFirearmsInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1225)[English]Madam Speaker, I am here to present two petitions.The first petition is on the concerns law-abiding gun owners have with the Liberals' recent firearms regulations. The petitioners are rightly concerned that the changes miss the mark. The new regulations target lawful gun owners while ignoring the real issue of illegal guns being smuggled in from the U.S.FirearmsParliamentary democracyPetition 432-00593Petition 432-00594Petition 432-00595Petition 432-00596RonMcKinnonCoquitlam—Port CoquitlamKerryDiotteEdmonton Griesbach//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCarbon PricingInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1225)[English]Madam Speaker, the second petition is about the Liberals' carbon tax. The petitioners are rightly concerned about the cost of the job-killing carbon tax for their families and for Canadian industries.Carbon pricingCarbon taxPetition 432-00597Petition 432-00598Petition 432-00599Petition 432-00600KerryDiotteEdmonton GriesbachLindsayMathyssenLondon—Fanshawe//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersEconomic Statement Implementation Act, 2020InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1200)[English]Madam Speaker, from coast to coast to coast Canadians are struggling, both with a pandemic that has cost far too many people their lives and with an economy in deep trouble. These two crises have hit working Canadians very hard. Lives and livelihoods have been lost. Despite all this, Canadians are persevering, as we know they can. Through adversity, they are getting the job done. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Liberal government. The most important role the feds have is to procure vaccines and, sadly, they are failing. Canada is falling behind scores of countries in getting COVID-19 vaccines. We are standing north of 50: There are probably 50 countries ahead of us for vaccine procurement and its use. Israel has vaccinated about 80% of its population and the United Kingdom more than 25%. The United States has vaccinated more than 17%. In fact, I saw a statistic the other day that said more people were vaccinated in the United States in just one day than have been vaccinated in Canada, period. Canada is looking at a vaccination rate of about 3.60%, according to Bloomberg News. We are behind Greece, Chile, Morocco, Portugal, the Maldives, Serbia and many other countries. For everyday Canadians, failure to procure vaccines will mean we will continue to be at risk and under lockdown, and the lockdowns will take place for longer times. These lockdowns have real-world consequences. I recently called a friend at a seniors' facility near Toronto. He is forbidden to leave his room. He told me it feels like he is in a jail cell. Obviously, without enough people vaccinated, we will also be late to reopen our economy. While scores of other countries will reopen, we will still be locked down, with our businesses shuttered, and that is a true tragedy. This failure will have a significant impact on jobs and Canadian businesses. It certainly already has. Being left behind is the last thing that struggling Canadians need, and workers are in a very dark place. It is especially true in my home province of Alberta. In addition to facing the pandemic and its economic consequences, Alberta is facing a federal government hostile to its number one industry: an industry that creates thousands of good-paying jobs right across Canada. I think a lot of Canadians should realize that the oil and gas industry is not all about Alberta: It is about all of Canada. It is a vital industry to Canada.During the 2009 global recession, the energy industry helped Canada weather the storm. Because of the energy industry, Canada had the strongest economy in the G7 through that global recession, but the Liberal government has squandered that national asset. The government and its hostile legislation have attacked the goose that laid the golden egg. Take, for example, the Liberal government's recent lacklustre response to the Americans scrapping the Keystone XL pipeline. In June 2018, the United States, under former president Donald Trump, placed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canada quickly responded with measures of its own. Canada took action to protect its vital economic interests. It did that despite knowing, at the time, that it was a campaign promise by then President Trump. Back then, the foreign affairs minister said, “the United States has taken the absurd decision to harm its own people at a time when its economy is suffering”. That was a reasonable approach, and we need that same reasonable approach with Keystone XL for Canada's largest export industry.(1205)In 2019, our energy exports were valued at more than $134 billion. Let that sink in for a bit. Think what that money could buy. Think how much worse we will be when we do not have that money. Instead, Canada's current foreign minister said that we should understand and respect the decision on Keystone XL. The Prime Minister only said that he was disappointed. That is not the type of response they gave when manufacturers were under threat from tariffs during NAFTA renegotiations. Why is the energy industry treated differently?During the NAFTA renegotiations, we took a team Canada approach in defence of Canada's vital national interests. Canadian government officials and politicians, including myself, went to Washington and lobbied key American stakeholders. We talked to Democrats, Republicans and everyone we could, yet today when another vital industry is under threat, all we hear are crickets from the Liberal government. We have actually heard more from American politicians and union officials in support of Keystone XL than from our own government. On January 21, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said: The Teamsters strongly oppose yesterday’s decision, and we would urge the administration to reconsider it. This executive order doesn’t just affect U.S. Teamsters; it hurts our Canadian brothers and sisters as well who work on this project. It will reduce good-paying union jobs that allow workers to provide a middle-class standard of living to their families. America needs access to various forms of energy that can keep its economy running in the years ahead. This decision will hurt that effort. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas called out the Biden administration cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline, saying “The Biden administration is already killing jobs in Arkansas—in the middle of a pandemic—to appease far-left environmental groups. This isn’t what America needs right now.” This is a vital Canadian interest. Where is Canada's response? This lack of leadership has real world impact. Recently, the Calgary Herald ran a story about Muhammad Ali, who has the same name as the famous boxer. Muhammad is a proud Calgarian, as he should be. Calgary is a fantastic city. It is the second-biggest city in Alberta, the second-best. He is currently finishing his business degree at the University of Calgary, where he is majoring in supply management. Muhammad hoped that once he graduated, he would be able to find a career in the energy industry in Alberta, but now he is forced to leave the province for the U.S.A. He said, “I would have really loved to stay in Alberta, especially Calgary, it’s a really great place to live. And I was looking forward to maybe working in the energy industry here.” Unfortunately, those hopes have been dashed. As Muhammad put it, there just seems to be so much more opportunity for him in the U.S. Muhammad is just one of many young western Canadians who are finding their career prospects leading them south of the border. Despite having the one of the largest oil deposits in the world, because of the neglect and outright hostility that the Liberal government has shown to our energy industry, it has seen its investment and jobs go elsewhere. At a time when it is essential to begin the process to rebuild our economy, seeing stories like Muhammad's is really disappointing. I wish him all the best. He seems like a talented and hard-working young man, and I am sure he will be a real asset wherever he goes. However, the fact that he must leave, despite wanting to stay, is a huge loss to our communities. Last year, we saw the largest deficit in Canadian history, $331 billion. We are going to need the skills and hard work of people like Muhammad in Canada to help us pay off the enormous debt the Liberals have racked up. That is why we need the federal government to end its hostility to the energy industry, Canada's golden goose. It needs to stop exporting good Canadians jobs and facilitate the export of Canadian energy. We need to get Canada working.C-14, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2020 and other measuresCOVID-19Economic statement 2020 (November 30, 2020)Government billsGovernment contractsImmunizationKeystone Pipeline ProjectOil and gasPandemicPipeline transportationSecond readingAlexandraMendèsBrossard—Saint-LambertMarkGerretsenKingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersEconomic Statement Implementation Act, 2020InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (1210)[English]Madam Speaker, this is another instance of a member from that side of the House not understanding the value of the key industry in Canada. What could be more important than vaccinating people, getting our country back and our jobs back? Maybe the problem is that the member has lost track of what is really important in our country.I think people in Alberta and right across the country are seeing the neglect of the energy industry, the industry that fuels our country. We will not have much of a country at all unless we get onboard with that industry.C-14, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2020 and other measuresEconomic statement 2020 (November 30, 2020)Government billsSecond readingMarkGerretsenKingston and the IslandsMarilynGladuSarnia—Lambton//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersEconomic Statement Implementation Act, 2020InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (1210)[English]Madam Speaker, that is a great observation. It is the real fear. Canadians are following public health orders. They are doing everything they are being told to do, generally speaking. They are trying to look around the corner to see what is coming. Unfortunately, that future still looks rather grim.As I mentioned in my comments, I read this morning that the United States had vaccinated more people in one day than Canada had vaccinated in its entirety. To me, that speaks of a very weak Liberal plan. Unfortunately, it is very grim news for everybody when there is so little planning.C-14, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2020 and other measuresCOVID-19Economic statement 2020 (November 30, 2020)Government billsImmunizationPandemicSecond readingMarilynGladuSarnia—LambtonMarkGerretsenKingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersEconomic Statement Implementation Act, 2020InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (1215)[English]Madam Speaker, it is interesting that it is a Liberal who believes that rigorous debate should not be allowed, and that just shows you how out of touch you are. I am sorry that—C-14, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2020 and other measuresEconomic statement 2020 (November 30, 2020)Government billsSecond readingMarkGerretsenKingston and the IslandsMarkGerretsenKingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodOral QuestionsInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1510)[English] Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. When the member for Red Deer—Mountain View was asking a question, I noticed that another member popped up on the screen, inadvertently interrupting the member for Red Deer—Mountain View. I am wondering if the MP for Red Deer—Mountain View wants a chance to re-ask the question.Noise/conversations/heckling, interrupting Member speakingPoints of orderAnthonyRotaHon.Nipissing—TimiskamingMarkGerretsenKingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsPetitions [Human Rights]InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1700)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition. It states:We, the undersigned citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: Whereas, a new report published by the Associated Press has revealed that there has been an ongoing campaign of Uyghur birth suppression by the Chinese Communist Party which includes methods such as forced sterilization and abortion; and,Whereas, in addition to the recent news of coordinated Uyghur birth suppression, there is also a body of mounting evidence showing that Uyghurs are being subject to political and anti-religious indoctrination, arbitrary detention, separation of children from families, invasive surveillance, destruction of cultural sites, forced labor, and even forced organ harvesting; moreover, it is estimated that up to three million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been detained in what have been described as concentration camps; and,Whereas, evidence now makes clear that the Chinese Government's treatment of the Uyghurs meets most, if not all, of the criteria for genocide as outlined in the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; and,Whereas, Canada cannot remain silent in the face of this ongoing atrocity.Therefore we, the undersigned, call on the House of Commons to take the following actions to address the situation:1. Formally recognize that Uyghurs in China have been and are being subject to genocide. 2. Use the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act ("Magnitsky Act") and sanction those that are responsible for the heinous crimes being committed against the Uyghur people.ChinaEconomic sanctionsForeign policyGenocidePetition 432-00443UyghurAnitaVandenbeldOttawa West—NepeanAnthonyRotaHon.Nipissing—Timiskaming//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersNatural ResourcesInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1410)[English]Mr. Speaker, “lame”, “weak” and “wimpy” are words that describe our Prime Minister's reaction to the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline. On day one as U.S. president, Joe Biden dealt a crippling economic blow to this country and his own by derailing that project. The PM boasted that he was the first world leader Biden called. How did he stand up to the new president? He did not. He said he was disappointed by the cancellation, but he shrugged it off, saying that the new president was just keeping a campaign promise.The Prime Minister needs to stop daydreaming about his last Caribbean vacation, get back to work, get the president back on the phone and tell him that this is no way to treat a best friend, that both countries need this pipeline and that he must reverse this decision immediately.Keystone Pipeline ProjectOil and gasPipeline transportationStatements by MembersKirstyDuncanHon.Etobicoke NorthSeanCaseyCharlottetown//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodImmigration, Refugees and CitizenshipInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1145)[English]Madam Speaker, the busiest duty at my office is helping people with immigration issues, but there is a problem: civil servants tell me that cases people filed online are being processed as usual, but cases people filed as paper applications, which are most immigration files, are hardly moving at all. We are told it is because civil servants working at home do not have access to those paper files. This is unfair to people eager to start a new life in Canada.Will the immigration minister fix this problem immediately?BacklogsImmigration and immigrantsOral questionsStevenMacKinnonGatineauMarcoMendicinoHon.Eglinton—Lawrence//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersHolodomorInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, this summer I was honoured to meet a fascinating person in Edmonton with an amazing story. Leo Korownyk told me about what it was like to live through the Holodomor. That was the forced starvation of millions of people in Ukraine in the 1930s. Joseph Stalin was the communist leader responsible for it. Even though crops in Ukraine were plentiful, people starved to death.This is the time of year we commemorate that horrible famine. I want to thank Leo for telling me his first-person story. I am glad to spread the word about this atrocity. We must continue to guard against hard-core socialism and communism. It was communism that enslaved Ukraine and caused the genocide. Let us remember the words of Winston Churchill, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”AnniversaryFamineGenocideStatements by MembersUkraineUkrainian Holodomor-Genocide anniversary eventsTimLouisKitchener—ConestogaYvanBakerEtobicoke Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment Orders Business of Supply [Opposition Motion—Foreign Policy Toward China]InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1340)[English]Madam Speaker, the member for Abbotsford talked about the effect of the coronavirus from China. I would like to know, in his words, how the Chinese communist government failed Canada and the world on this absolutely horrific crisis.ChinaCOVID-19Foreign policyInformation disseminationOpposition motionsPandemicAlexandraMendèsBrossard—Saint-LambertEdFastHon.Abbotsford//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodHealthInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1150)[English]Madam Speaker, I was talking to an Edmonton travel agent named Matthew. He is worried. His business has been devastated by the pandemic. He is desperate for help. I asked him what one thing he would like to see the government do for his industry. He told me that we need to have rapid testing for COVID, widely available in Canada. It is already widely available in other countries. It will save the travel industry. I am asking this for Matthew: When will Canada catch up to other countries on rapid testing?COVID-19Health screeningOral questionsPandemicDarrenFisherDartmouth—Cole HarbourDarrenFisherDartmouth—Cole Harbour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsEthiopiaInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1605)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am proud to present this petition, brought forth from members of the Canadian Oromo community in Edmonton and people concerned with the current events in Ethiopia.EthiopiaForeign policyMartial lawPetition 432-00170Political prisonersArnoldViersenPeace River—WestlockCathayWagantallYorkton—Melville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgSpeech from the ThroneResumption of Debate on Address in ReplyInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1330)[English]Madam Speaker, I note that the speaker from the government side was on a full 20-minute rant in support of the throne speech. Is that because there are no other Liberals on his side of the House who can stomach the speech or is it because of his ego?Address in Reply to the Speech from the ThroneKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg NorthCarolHughesAlgoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Documents on Economic Downturns]InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1320)[English]Madam Speaker, I am speaking today about our important opposition motion. Just so everybody remembers what it is, I will read that motion again. I believe it is vital that the House is provided with documentation “discussing warnings or concerns of economic downturns, their potential impact on the fiscal framework, or advice or recommendations on how to deal with them” that any department, agency or Crown corporation has produced since 2015. That is what we are talking about today.In 2015, the Prime Minister promised that he would have a few $10-billion deficits, small deficits, before returning to a balanced budget in 2019. Do members remember that? Teeny-tiny deficits and then everything would be rosy in 2019.We know what happened. The budget deficits turned out to be a whole lot larger than $10 billion annually. The year 2019 has also come and gone and despite promises made, we are nowhere near a balanced budget, not even close. In his first four years, the Prime Minister added more than $72 billion to the national debt. That is just disgraceful. The Bank of Canada has now slashed its interest rates, citing negative outlooks for the Canadian and global economies.A responsible government would have prepared for a downturn. A responsible government would have set money aside for future uncertainty. We are certainly seeing that uncertainty now. It is absolutely a financial mess. A responsible government would have paid down the debt during years of economic growth. However, the Liberal government has not been responsible. Instead of showing leadership, the Liberals doubled down on unnecessary spending. They called it investment and investing in Canadians.Let us just think back at some of those wise investments. The Liberals gave $50 million to Mastercard, a multinational company that made $16 billion in 2019 alone, and Mastercard gets $50 million. They gave $12 million to Loblaws to buy new fridges. They are basically giving more than $600 million as a bailout to the media. Here is a whopper: They spent $1,900 on cardboard cut-outs of the Prime Minister. How is that for value for money? They spent more than $12 billion on the still unbuilt Trans Mountain pipeline after scaring away investors. There is also the $256 million the Liberals gave to the Asian infrastructure bank to build pipelines in Asia. It seems the foreign pipelines are the only ones the Liberals can get built. There is also the $186-billion infrastructure program. It has been a huge failure. In fact, it is now being audited by the Auditor General because of the Liberals' lack of transparency and accountability to Canadians. The bottom line is that the Liberals have failed to responsibly manage Canadian tax dollars. That failure has left Canada much more vulnerable to global economic downturns. We are seeing that right now.(1325)Across our country, Canadians work hard to live within their means. They know that racking up credit card debt just is not sound policy. It leaves them unable to manage unexpected expenses, yet that is exactly what the Liberals have done in Canada. The Liberals have done what is easy instead of what is best for our country. Let us compare this to the actions of the previous Conservative government. Prior to the global recession of 2008-09, the Conservatives had paid down more than $37 billion in debt. This allowed the government flexibility to meet the fiscal challenges of the recession head on. That was why Canada had the mildest and shortest recession of the G7 countries. In a 2010 report, Philip Cross, then chief economic analyst at Statistics Canada, said:One reason for the relatively mild slump is that Canada was better positioned to weather the global recession than other large western economies, primarily due to savings as reflected in our national balance sheet.He went on to say:...strong balance sheets in Canada stood it in good stead to endure the recession and emerge into recovery. The recession was shorter and milder in Canada than in other G7 nations, partly because the flow of credit was not disrupted as it was in other nations and a large pool of savings was available to finance spending when income fell temporarily.That was good fiscal policy under the Conservative government. However, The Liberals have deliberately done the opposite. It sounds like a bad Seinfeld episode. That is the reason, in the elections of 2015 and 2019, the Conservatives promised voters that we would be responsible and that we would balance the budget. We knew that a responsible government needed to be prepared for global downturns. The chickens are coming home to roost. We see what happens with global downturns in the situation we are in now. Just today, we saw the stock market plunge. Trading was actually halted. To say the least, the economic outlook is very grim. Now the Liberals will have to deal with that from a position of weakness. True leadership requires fiscal restraint.Despite the Liberals wasting billions of dollars, they failed to build the key projects that would have helped Canadians weather this storm. The Trans Mountain pipeline is still nowhere near complete. Both the energy east pipeline and the northern gateway project are gone, thanks to the Liberals. The Teck Frontier project that promised thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of revenue was killed by government dithering and delay. Even Warren Buffett is moving his money out of a Quebec project, citing “the Canadian political context”. In total, more than $160 billion worth of investment have been lost under the Prime Minister's watch. This is a direct result of the policies he and his Liberal government have advanced. Take, for example, Bill C-69, or the no more pipelines bill. Bill C-69 would make it even harder to build a new project. Many critics do not see how any new projects can be built under this new regulatory process. There was widespread opposition to this regulation, including from provincial governments, industry, communities and indigenous groups, yet the Liberals went ahead with that harmful legislation anyway.(1330)The bottom line is this. We have to return to fiscal accountability, to balanced budgets and to paying down the debt. This is what is showing up today and it is a disaster.Access to informationBudget deficitBudgetary policyEconomic slowdownEnvironmental assessmentGovernment assistanceInfrastructureOil and gasOpposition motionsPipeline transportationCherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeMichelBoudriasTerrebonne//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Documents on Economic Downturns]InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (1335)[English]Madam Speaker, it is fairly evident what is happening today. We only need to turn on the TV. This is a crisis. I know people in the other parties want to talk about the climate crisis and so forth, and climate change is real. However, we must look at the markets today and the position Canada is in. We are in a deep hole. The runaway spending by other parties, especially the government, has put us there. It spent tons of money in good times, and look at the situation we are in now.Access to informationBudgetary policyEconomic slowdownOpposition motionsMichelBoudriasTerrebonneKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Documents on Economic Downturns]InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (1335)[English]Madam Speaker, that is an alternate reality right there. It has been said time and again that the current government was left with balanced books. Now there has been runaway spending. The chickens have come home to roost. The market is a bloodbath today. It is awful. We are now in a worse situation than ever. The Liberals have been spending like crazy over the years when they should have been saving for exactly this eventuality, the terrible economic situation we are now seeing.Access to informationBudget deficitEconomic slowdownOpposition motionsKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg NorthHeatherMcPhersonEdmonton Strathcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Documents on Economic Downturns]InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte: (1335)[English]Madam Speaker, one thing we would do is get some pipelines built so there would be some wealth created in Alberta and in the rest of the country, unlike the member over there who does not believe in the oil and gas industry and does not like pipelines. We would also get out of the way and let free enterprise do the work that it does so well.Access to informationAlbertaEconomic policyEconomic slowdownOpposition motionsHeatherMcPhersonEdmonton StrathconaMarwanTabbaraKitchener South—Hespeler//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersCommonwealth DayInterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, today is Commonwealth Day. As many people might know, Edmonton has a strong connection to the Commonwealth. We once hosted a very successful Commonwealth Games in 1978. The legacy from that includes the city's first leg of its light rail transit line and the nearly 60,000-seat Commonwealth stadium, home of the legendary Edmonton Eskimos. That stadium is actually located in my riding of Edmonton Griesbach.I am proud to be involved in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. I am an elected executive member of the Canadian branch. I have built some strong relationships through my work and travel with that association. Speaking of Commonwealth relationships, the most important one I have, of course, is with my amazing wife, Clare Denman, who just happens to be from England.I look forward to seeing many parliamentary colleagues at an event tonight in West Block to celebrate Canada's membership in the Commonwealth. Today, let us wish all citizens of Commonwealth countries a very happy Commonwealth Day.CommonwealthCommonwealth DayStatements by MembersKirstyDuncanHon.Etobicoke NorthAnthonyRotaHon.Nipissing—Timiskaming//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/89150KerryDiotteKerry-DiotteEdmonton GriesbachConservative CaucusAlberta//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/DiotteKerry_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersUkraine International Airlines Flight PS752InterventionMr. Kerry Diotte (Edmonton Griesbach, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, I want to commemorate the victims of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752. One hundred and seventy-six innocent people lost their lives when this plane was shot down by the Iranian military. Fifty-seven were Canadians; of those, 13 were Edmontonians. Loved ones of these victims deserve immediate answers. However, their grief has been compounded because they are not getting those answers. Instead, they have suffered through a cover-up since day one. Iranian authorities must be transparent and fully co-operate with independent agencies investigating this horrific event. Families also deserve that the remains of their loved ones are allowed to be repatriated to Canada as soon as possible. Anything less is completely unacceptable. These loved ones have suffered enough. Air accidentsCanadians in foreign countriesDeaths and funeralsIranStatements by MembersUkraine International Airlines Flight PS752MichaelLevittYork CentreJenniferO'ConnellPickering—UxbridgeINTERVENTIONParliament and SessionOrder of BusinessDiscussed TopicProcedural TermPerson SpeakingSearchResults per pageOrder byTarget search languageSide by SideMaximum returned rowsPagePUBLICATION TYPE