Debates of Feb. 7th, 2019

Paul Dewar

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Paul Dewar was a public servant, a parliamentarian, a community advocate, a teacher, a father and a husband.

I have fond memories of attending events with him in our shared city of Ottawa and him giving me the occasional ride home when my car would not start. I also remember his kindness to people, those he did know and those who were just strangers. We lost Paul yesterday, a tragic loss to his family and to the entire city.

On behalf of Conservatives, I offer his family our condolences. On behalf of my community, I offer him our thanks.

I share with everyone his words from just yesterday:

In the stoic stillness of my journey,
I have found my way to peace.

May he rest in peace.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I too rise today in great sadness after the passing of our good friend Paul Dewar, who was taken from us far too soon.

Paul was a true parliamentarian. He was principled. He stood up for human rights and for those who had no voice. Even after his tragic diagnosis, he launched Youth Action Now to encourage engagement among young people. From his mother Marion, Paul inherited an absolute love of our city and its people. His graciousness, sincerity and compassion made it easy to reach across party lines to work together for a better city and a better world.

Today, Ottawa has lost one of its great citizens. Our hearts go out in sympathy to his family and to the many, many people whose lives he touched. From his final words, we draw inspiration. He said, “Let's embrace each other in these days of cynicism and doubt.”

Smile and play...
Laugh and dance...
Give and share...

We will miss Paul.

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

I join all hon. members in mourning the loss of Paul Dewar. He was a good man and he leaves behind a legacy of devoted service to his country and his community.

Paul leaves behind his family and loved ones, but also the many Canadians who saw him as a generous and compassionate man.

I had the pleasure of playing hockey with Paul, as many of us did, numerous times, and I can say that by MP hockey standards, he was a very good player. He was a gentleman on and off the ice, and I understand he was also a wonderful hockey dad.

The New Democratic Party has placed books of condolence in both lobbies and members are invited to inscribe their messages for Paul's family.

There have been discussions among representatives of all the parties in the House, and I understand that there is unanimous consent to observe a moment of silence in memory of our former colleague and friend, Paul Dewar.

I invite members to rise and observe a moment of silence.

[A moment of silence observed]

Oral Question Period

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

Before we proceed to oral questions, I want to make a statement on what I have observed in recent days.

As members know, question period is an opportunity to hold the government accountable for its administrative policies and for the conduct of ministers in their official capacities.

I have listened carefully and patiently, perhaps too patiently, to questions put forward this week, some of which clearly fell outside the scope of permissible questions, since they had little to do with the administrative responsibility of the government. In addition, some of these questions were couched in language that amounted to a personal attack. This is also not permitted. I would caution members now, before we begin, that to maintain the dignity of this House, I will not allow such questions or such personal attacks. I will interrupt any member who asks a question that raises a matter that does not properly deal with public policy.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Banff—Airdrie will come to order.

[The President]

There are other ways to ask questions so they fall within the administrative responsibility of the government. I am confident that members know how to formulate legitimate questions. If they cannot, I will give the floor to another member.

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

I am sure that all hon. members want to have a question period in which issues are dealt with with seriousness, rigour, and yes, intensity. It also needs to be respectful. I hope this will be the case today in going forward.

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[The President]

Order. The hon. member for St. Albert—Edmonton will also come to order.

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

Thank you in advance for your co-operation.

Justice

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Globe and Mail has published very troubling allegations about interference from the Prime Minister's Office and his staff in a criminal case.

Can the Prime Minister confirm that neither he nor any member of his staff had communications with the former attorney general about the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, at no point have I been pressured or directed by the Prime Minister or the Prime Minister's Office to make any decision on this or any other matter.

As the Attorney General of Canada, I am the government's senior legal advisor. I provide legal advice to the government and must act in the public interest. I take these responsibilities very seriously.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that was not the question. We have heard the Prime Minister's very carefully scripted legalistic answer.

However, the question is: Did anyone in the Prime Minister's Office, at any time, communicate with anyone in the former attorney general's office on the matter of the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, yes or no?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister has said, earlier today, these allegations are false.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that was not the question. The question was whether or not anyone in the Prime Minister's Office, at any time, had communications with anyone in the former attorney general's office on the subject matter of the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. This is a yes or no answer. Which is it?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat once again, as the Prime Minister has said, earlier today, these allegations in The Globe and Mail are false.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, again, he cannot answer a simple yes or no question.

I will ask him a slightly different question. According to the lobbyists registry, SNC-Lavalin lobbied the government dozens of times. In those meetings with senior officials, did the subject of its criminal prosecution ever come up, yes or no?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I was not privy to those conversations. As the Prime Minister has said, earlier today, these allegations are false.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, since the Prime Minister cannot answer these questions, I will answer part of that for him. At least 14 times, according to the lobbyists registry, meetings with SNC-Lavalin touched on the subjects of “justice” and “law enforcement”.

In those meetings where “justice” and “law enforcement” were brought up, were subject matters dealing with the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin ever touched upon, yes or no?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister outlined today, he has not given directives to either my predecessor or myself on this matter.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is still very troubling because when we look at the chain of events, we see that SNC-Lavalin illegally donated nearly $110,000 to the Liberal Party and its associations in 2006.

Today, SNC-Lavalin needs help because it is in trouble. Therefore, the machinery was set in motion. SNC-Lavalin and the government have held more than 50 meetings in the past two years. Why? It is because SNC-Lavalin would like the Liberals to drop the fraud and corruption charges against the corporation. The minister of justice was fired and everyone was wondering why.

Was she fired because, in the end, a crony is a crony?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister said earlier today, those allegations are false. Neither the Prime Minister nor his office put my predecessor or me under pressure or gave any directives.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let's talk about his predecessor. As we know, the simplest explanation is often the best one.

SNC-Lavalin and the Liberal Party have very close ties, so close that illegal donations have been made. SNC-Lavalin needs help, and the Prime Minister's Office seems keen to lend the company a hand. The PMO put pressure on the minister of justice to overlook accusations of fraud and corruption against the company. She refused and got sacked.

Now we see why, in her farewell letter, she said, “It is a pillar of our democracy that our system of justice be free from even the perception of political interference and uphold the highest levels of public confidence.”

Who in the Prime Minister's Office put—

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. Minister of Justice.