Father, husband, Canadian | Père, mari, Canadien | MP/Député Wellington-Halton Hills | Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister | Ministre fantôme des Affaires étrangère
May 3 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
1/ PM Trudeau on April 11, 2024, when asked if PRC foreign interference impacted the results in any of the 338 electoral districts in the 2019 or 2021 elections:
"So when our panel of 5 came to the conclusion in the 2019 election, and in the 2021 election, that the election was free and fair, it wasn't simply an overall the election was free and fair, because of course, in Canada, the election isn't one election. It's actually 338 distinct elections that form our government and our parliament. So the fact that the panel of 5 can weigh in and watch closely on riding level elections as well, is why they have confidence that the election, in both its large sense, but also in its specific sense, that every single constituency election was determined by Canadians, and the election integrity held and it was free and fair."
(Bold added for emphasis)
#cdnpoli
2/ Commissioner Hogue on May 3, 2024 regarding Han Dong's nomination and the subsequent 2019 election in Don Valley North, where Liberal candidate Han Dong won:
"Available intelligence respecting the 2019 Liberal nomination contest DVN reflects a well-grounded suspicion that the busing of international students was tied to the PRC. Given that DVN was considered a “safe” Liberal seat, this would likely not have impacted which party won the seat. It could, however, have impacted who was elected to Parliament. This is significant."
- p. 28, Initial Report
(Bold added for emphasis)
#cdnpoli
Dec 14, 2023 • 13 tweets • 6 min read
1/ Conservatives support Ukraine as Ukrainians defend their country from Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion.
The Conservative Party has a strong record of supporting Ukraine.
This strong support will continue under a Poilievre government.
#cdnpoli
2/ Actions speak louder than words.
Here is the Conservative record on Ukraine.
It was a Conservative government, on Dec. 2, 1991, that was the first Western country to recognize Ukraine's independence.
Hon. Barbara McDougall signed for the Government of Canada.
#cdnpoli
Nov 21, 2023 • 12 tweets • 3 min read
1/ VF: “In Canada, a government lab’s decision to ship Ebola samples to the WIV set off a scandal that resounded all the way to the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and played a role in the dissolution of parliament in the fall of 2021.”
#cdnpoli
vanityfair.com/news/2023/11/c…2/ “On the afternoon of March 31, 2019, Canadian health bureaucrats watched nervously as Air Canada flight AC031 took off from Toronto Pearson International Airport, headed to Beijing.”
Aug 17, 2023 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
1/ Ten years ago it was reasonable for Western gov’ts to propose cooperation with China on GHG emissions.
Xi had just become leader. The IEA & many gov’ts, including Harper’s, thought global coal demand would peak in 2013 & decline from there.
#cdnpoli
torontosun.com/opinion/column…2/ Western gov’ts assumed China would work in good faith on climate change & GHG emissions.
But over the last decade, Beijing’s actions demonstrate it’s not working in good faith. It’s working furiously to increase GHG emissions.
From the Washington Post:
#cdnpoli
Feb 9, 2023 • 9 tweets • 4 min read
1/ Le département des É.-U. a confirmé que le ballon qui a dérivé au-dessus du Canada et des É.-U. la fin de semaine dernière est un ballon militaire appartenant à l’Armée populaire de libération.
#Polcan2/ « L’agence a déclaré que le gouv. américain était « confiant » que l’entreprise qui a fabriqué le ballon avait des liens commerciaux directs avec l’Armée populaire de libération, l’armée chinoise, citant un portail officiel d’approvisionnement de l’armée. »
1/ The U.S. Department of State has confirmed that the balloon that drifted over Canada and the US last weekend is a military one belonging to the People’s Liberation Army.
#cdnpoli2/ “The agency said the U.S. government was ‘confident’ that the company that made the balloon had direct commercial ties with the People’s Liberation Army, the Chinese military, citing an official procurement portal for the army.”
nytimes.com/2021/06/25/opi…2/ “Nearly every SARS case since the original epidemic has been due to lab leaks — six incidents in three countries, including twice in a single month from a lab in Beijing. In one instance, the mother of a lab worker died.”
Jun 25, 2021 • 5 tweets • 3 min read
1/ The House of Commons and its committee ordered the Trudeau government, four separate times, to hand over documents related to breaches at its Winnipeg lab.
These orders come from powers granted to the House of Commons under Section 18 of the Constitution Act, 1867.
#cdnpoli2/ On June 16th, House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota ruled on this matter.
His ruling made clear that Section 18 of the Constitution Act, 1867 gives the House of Commons the power to order the government to hand over the Winnipeg lab docs.
Here's why the Prime Minister is wrong when he says the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) is the right place to review the breaches of national security at the government's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
#cdnpoli2/ NSICOP was created by Bill C-22 in the 42nd Parliament.
Unlike the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee, it's not a committee of parliament, but a committee of parliamentarians. In fact, it's a committee of the executive branch and accountable to the PM.
1/ Dans un esprit constructif, voici mes conseils à @JustinTrudeau pour son premier appel avec le président Biden demain.
#polcan2/ Trouver un moyen de faire avancer le projet KXL. Préciser que le pétrole canadien est produit selon les normes environnementales les plus élevées au monde. Indiquer clairement notre point de vue: ce serait une perte sur le plan environnemental et pour notre reprise économique.
Jan 22, 2021 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
1/ In the spirit of being constructive, here is my advice to @JustinTrudeau for his first call with President Biden tomorrow.
#cdnpoli2/ Find a way for the KXL project to move forward. Make clear that Canadian oil is produced to the highest environmental standards in the world. Clearly indicate Canada's view that this cancellation is a loss for Canada's environmental plan and our economic recovery.
Jun 20, 2019 • 12 tweets • 5 min read
1/ I strongly oppose any reinstatement of hate speech in the Canadian Human Rights Act. It would be too big a restriction on free speech in a free & democratic society.
I seconded & voted for Bill C-304, which removed hate speech from the Act.
1/ The rule of law, once again, has been undermined by PM Trudeau and the Liberal government with MP Wilson-Raybould’s and MP Philpott’s expulsion from caucus.
cbc.ca/news/politics/…2/ On November 5, 2015, Section 49 of the Parliament of Canada Act required Liberal MPs to vote four times. These four votes were to be recorded (just like votes are recorded in the House of Commons). Here's the law:
Mar 7, 2019 • 18 tweets • 4 min read
1/ Many constituents have been asking me, what did the PM do wrong? And why is this a constitutional crisis? I’ll try to lay it out as best and simply as I can.
Canada’s constitution, our most basic law, is both written and unwritten.
2/ The written constitution is found in various constitution acts. Most well-known are the Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly the British North America Act, 1867) and the Constitution Act, 1982 (containing the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms).
Feb 8, 2019 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
1/ According to precedent, the A-G is NOT bound by solicitor-client privilege. If asked, the A-G must provide the House of Commons the advice she gave to the government. There's a precedent for this, and it’s recent: Brexit #cdnpoli
cbc.ca/news/politics/…2/ This past fall, the British government would not release the legal advice from UK A-G Geoffrey Cox regarding Brexit. UK A-G Cox also refused to release the legal advice he provided to the government.
#cdnpoli2/ The Reform Act amended Section 49 of the Parliament of Canada Act. It requires MPs (and cabinet ministers) to vote 4 times at the first caucus meeting after a general election. These votes determine the power of the party leader (including the PM) and the power of MPs.