The Blueprint: Canada's Conservative Podcast - July 20, 2017


Full episode： July 20, 2017


Episode Stats

Length

15 minutes

Words per Minute

153.96796

Word Count

2,431

Sentence Count

168

Misogynist Sentences

1

Hate Speech Sentences

2


Summary

What do MPs do in the summer when Parliament isn t sitting? What do they do when Parliament is not in session? And why is Omar Khadr getting $10.5 million from the government of Canada? Stay tuned to The Blueprint to find out.


Transcript

00:00:00.200 Welcome to The Blueprint, Canada's Conservative Podcast. I'm your host, Tony Clement. We have three interesting topics today. Thanks for being with us. The first is, what do MPs do in the summer break? What do they do when Parliament isn't sitting?
00:00:12.740 Second, we're going to talk about Justin Trudeau's secret payout to Omar Khadr. And third, more disturbing news about more cash for access. Stay tuned.
00:00:22.420 You're listening to The Blueprint, Canada's Conservative Podcast.
00:00:30.000 Well, they thought they were going to have an easy day over there today, but not so fast, Mr. Speaker.
00:00:37.500 What is it going to take for the Prime Minister to have any respect for any laws in this country that may curb his out-of-control behaviour?
00:00:49.020 And now, here's your host, Tony Clement.
00:00:53.420 Welcome to The Blueprint, Canada's Conservative Podcast. I'm your host, Tony Clement.
00:00:57.140 Have you ever wondered what MPs do when Parliament is on summer break?
00:01:03.240 I mean, the whole term break sounds like we're splashing in our splash pad pools or just maybe just getting our feet up at the dock, something like that.
00:01:15.400 You know, there's a little bit of downtime.
00:01:17.240 There's a little bit of time with families that have been long separated by the ongoing responsibilities in Ottawa.
00:01:25.000 But most MPs use that time to reconnect with their constituents.
00:01:31.500 Conservative MPs are out going to, yeah, they're going to barbecues and festivals and those kinds of things in their ridings.
00:01:38.320 But they're doing that so that they can be accessible to their constituents.
00:01:43.100 Hear firsthand about some of the issues that constituents want to raise.
00:01:47.380 Maybe there's some issues that an MP has to help them with where government isn't not responding to their needs or their concerns.
00:01:55.560 So a lot of the time of the MP, a little bit of time for vacation, obviously, but a lot of the time, I'd say 80% of the time,
00:02:02.440 is spent actively having those conversations with people in the ridings, making sure that you're accessible,
00:02:11.760 hearing what's top of mind for people about the issues of the day, whether it's Omar Khadr or the NAFTA trade talks,
00:02:19.980 whatever it is that people want to talk about, you've got to be there to listen.
00:02:23.980 Now, of course, we have responsibilities in Ottawa.
00:02:26.020 Some committees are still meeting during the summer months,
00:02:28.520 and we all have offices in Ottawa that have to be managed and make sure that they're doing a good job
00:02:33.800 on behalf of their constituency and on behalf of the Canadian taxpayer.
00:02:37.080 But a lot of the work, for Conservative MPs at least, that's who I can speak about,
00:02:41.980 are back in the constituencies being there and being accessible and having office hours
00:02:48.040 and attending those 50th wedding anniversary parties.
00:02:51.980 Or maybe it's something to do with high school graduations.
00:02:56.360 I attended a lot of high school grads in the last few weeks myself.
00:03:00.920 And for Canada 150, Canada Day, and really the week before and the week after,
00:03:05.800 if my constituency tells any tale, it's that there was a lot of events to go to.
00:03:10.740 Most MPs were not in Ottawa for Canada 150.
00:03:14.320 They were actually in their constituencies.
00:03:16.500 I myself travelled close to 700 kilometres to make sure I was in multiple parts of my riding,
00:03:22.440 multiple communities on Canada Day and the day after and even the week before.
00:03:26.740 So I know a lot of MPs were doing the same thing to celebrate that very special moment
00:03:32.220 with our constituents, the people that we represent, the people that we speak on behalf of
00:03:38.400 and we advocate for.
00:03:40.080 So Canada 150, not a day off for any MP that I know.
00:03:43.760 We are out there making sure that people saw us and were able to access us
00:03:48.580 and were able to have those conversations and to celebrate with us as well.
00:03:54.640 You're listening to The Blueprint, Canada's Conservative Podcast.
00:04:01.960 Browse all of our episodes at podcast.conservative.ca.
00:04:09.460 And now, back to The Blueprint and your host, Tony Clement.
00:04:14.200 Welcome to The Blueprint, Canada's Conservative Podcast.
00:04:16.960 I'm your host, Tony Clement.
00:04:18.820 A lot of questions still remaining about Justin Trudeau's secret payout to Omar Khadr,
00:04:23.360 the convicted terrorist who received $10.5 million from the taxpayer just a few weeks ago,
00:04:30.840 as well as a personal apology from the government of Canada.
00:04:35.260 This was all confirmed after it leaked out on the 4th of July of all days.
00:04:40.420 Certainly, very few people need reminding Omar Khadr's story.
00:04:44.820 He was raised in a terrorist family.
00:04:48.440 That was the family business of the Khadr family and ended up making bombs
00:04:53.580 and, of course, being involved in that firefight in Afghanistan
00:04:56.760 where Sergeant Spear of the U.S. Forces, a medic, was killed
00:05:02.580 and another U.S. soldier was badly injured.
00:05:05.460 Mr. Khadr himself was also injured in that firefight
00:05:09.000 and was kept alive by the U.S. Army medics,
00:05:14.720 the very comrades of Sergeant Spear,
00:05:17.840 who was killed as a result of Mr. Khadr's unfortunate efforts.
00:05:22.940 So that's the backstory.
00:05:24.620 We know that he was detained in Guantanamo Bay for a number of years.
00:05:29.000 We know that as a part of the deal to extract him,
00:05:32.660 he did admit to those crimes.
00:05:34.980 If he wants to recant those in the court of law,
00:05:37.700 he is welcome to do so,
00:05:38.880 but right now he is a convicted terrorist.
00:05:41.100 What was the reaction of the Trudeau government to this?
00:05:43.900 Well, we all know that as a result of a $20 million lawsuit
00:05:48.340 by Khadr's lawyers,
00:05:50.180 the reaction of the federal liberal government
00:05:52.900 was not to fight this in court,
00:05:54.280 but indeed to pay out $10.5 million and offer the apology.
00:06:00.060 The way Canadians found out about this is part of the story as well.
00:06:03.240 This was not on some government website
00:06:06.520 or there was no official announcement before it leaked.
00:06:10.100 This had to be ferreted out by leaks and by the Canadian media.
00:06:16.240 And of course, the reaction was very swift.
00:06:19.340 I know in my constituency, literally hundreds of phone calls and emails
00:06:25.280 and contacts to my office
00:06:27.720 where Canadians were disagreeing with this decision.
00:06:30.940 And I know I was not alone.
00:06:32.900 Many MPs had the same reaction from the public.
00:06:36.120 And indeed, a public opinion poll
00:06:37.620 that came out about a week after the story broke
00:06:41.280 indicated that 71% of Canadians disagree with this secret payout.
00:06:46.980 And of course, that has spurred Conservative MPs
00:06:51.400 to continue to call out the Liberals
00:06:54.120 for falsely shifting the blame
00:06:56.020 for their choices that they made in their own government.
00:07:00.520 This is not a Stephen Harper choice.
00:07:02.120 This is not even a Jean Chrétien choice.
00:07:04.020 This is a Justin Trudeau choice.
00:07:05.980 Now, what's the reaction?
00:07:06.940 What does it mean?
00:07:07.420 Well, it means that Canadians know
00:07:08.600 that Prime Minister Trudeau's decision is wrong.
00:07:11.280 Of course, Conservatives,
00:07:13.020 we have been resolute in supporting our military forces.
00:07:15.540 We don't support the terrorists
00:07:17.340 who target our military forces.
00:07:20.200 And just this way, this was done.
00:07:21.940 Justin Trudeau made this payment in secret.
00:07:24.180 And he has resolutely refused to answer detailed questions
00:07:27.300 about his choice to make Canada's newest millionaire,
00:07:31.900 who is Mr. Cotter, Omar Cotter,
00:07:34.880 who is, of course, a convicted terrorist.
00:07:36.840 That's why we want to force a debate on this issue.
00:07:39.700 When Parliament does resume in September,
00:07:41.860 we want to hold Justin Trudeau accountable for his decision.
00:07:45.580 Now, we've heard Justin Trudeau say,
00:07:47.400 well, I was forced to do this, a court of law.
00:07:49.440 No court of law said pay Omar Cotter $10.5 million.
00:07:53.180 A court of law, the Supreme Court of Canada,
00:07:55.120 did say that Cotter's rights were violated
00:07:57.980 by the actions of previous governments, in plural,
00:08:01.260 including his charter rights.
00:08:03.700 Fair game.
00:08:04.420 That's part of the reason why he was removed from Guantanamo-May
00:08:08.500 and is a free man in a free society that is Canada.
00:08:13.400 That is how we, as a society,
00:08:16.960 and the government of Canada,
00:08:18.060 the previous Harper government,
00:08:19.340 dealt with Omar Cotter.
00:08:20.320 To add to that,
00:08:22.300 a $10.5 million settlement plus a formal apology,
00:08:25.620 many Canadians feel it was not necessary.
00:08:28.400 Many Canadians feel that this, of course,
00:08:30.540 should have been litigated in court.
00:08:31.920 The $10.5 million number didn't come from any court.
00:08:36.340 So this is one of the reasons
00:08:37.880 why we want to question the secret deal.
00:08:39.840 Why did Justin Trudeau rush to do this payout
00:08:42.860 to a convicted terrorist
00:08:44.300 while knowing it was going to make it harder
00:08:46.460 for Sergeant Spears' widow
00:08:47.840 to seek justice for her husband's death?
00:08:50.920 Why did Justin Trudeau not insist
00:08:53.200 that this former supporter of al-Qaeda
00:08:55.920 prove his claims in court?
00:08:58.220 Why won't Justin Trudeau tell Canadians
00:09:01.020 how much money he gave to a convicted terrorist?
00:09:04.460 Why did this have to be done
00:09:06.280 with a series of leaks,
00:09:07.540 not of his own volition?
00:09:09.520 And why has Justin Trudeau refused
00:09:11.440 to disclose the details of the payout
00:09:13.260 when he was asked initially?
00:09:15.780 So this is a choice.
00:09:17.400 This is not mandated by a court.
00:09:19.380 I want to repeat that point.
00:09:21.600 This is a choice that Justin Trudeau made.
00:09:24.020 It is a slap in the face
00:09:25.780 to the women and men in uniform
00:09:27.780 who face incredible danger
00:09:29.560 every day to keep us safe.
00:09:31.380 And of course, our thoughts continue to be
00:09:32.880 with Sergeant Spears' widow and family
00:09:35.180 who must relive this ordeal
00:09:36.560 every time this matter comes up for discussion.
00:09:39.360 So yes, we are going to be asking these questions
00:09:41.400 on your behalf in Parliament
00:09:42.560 when Parliament resumes.
00:09:43.900 And we are going to continue to ask these questions
00:09:45.540 through the media and through, of course,
00:09:48.300 there's a number of different ways
00:09:52.440 that people can be called to action,
00:09:54.880 including signing a petition.
00:09:57.860 So these things continue to be offered to the public.
00:10:01.180 Just visit conservative.ca to find out more.
00:10:05.900 You're listening to The Blueprint,
00:10:07.840 Canada's Conservative podcast.
00:10:09.300 And now, back to The Blueprint
00:10:22.360 and your host, Tony Clement.
00:10:26.560 Welcome back to The Blueprint,
00:10:28.200 Canada's Conservative podcast.
00:10:30.800 It's great to be your host, Tony Clement.
00:10:32.720 And our third topic today is
00:10:34.460 just when you thought it was safe
00:10:35.720 with cash for access, of course,
00:10:37.960 the Liberal wheel keeps on spinning.
00:10:41.260 It was over a year ago
00:10:42.340 that Justin Trudeau was called out
00:10:44.120 for his cash for access fundraisers
00:10:45.920 where well-heeled lobbyists
00:10:47.920 who were lobbying the Prime Minister,
00:10:49.940 his office, other Cabinet ministers
00:10:52.020 were paying for access
00:10:53.460 at ritzy joints and houses
00:10:57.100 throughout the country
00:10:58.240 to gain that special access
00:11:00.100 to the Prime Minister.
00:11:01.420 When this came to light,
00:11:04.220 the Prime Minister Trudeau
00:11:05.780 at first defended it
00:11:07.140 and then said,
00:11:08.440 oh, I'm going to make things better anyway
00:11:09.960 with this new piece of legislation
00:11:12.140 which is going to clamp down on this.
00:11:14.140 Of course, the legislation
00:11:14.920 did no such thing.
00:11:15.960 It just merely sanctified
00:11:17.180 what the Liberal Party
00:11:17.920 was already doing.
00:11:19.060 And now there are new reports
00:11:20.560 that, hey, plus ça change,
00:11:23.280 plus c'est la même chose.
00:11:24.740 Just when you thought
00:11:25.860 things would be changing,
00:11:26.800 they are still the same.
00:11:28.400 It turns out that there have been
00:11:30.140 Liberal registered lobbyists
00:11:32.020 registered to lobby
00:11:32.940 for Justin Trudeau
00:11:34.040 and for his office
00:11:36.360 who are still involved
00:11:39.720 in Cash for Access,
00:11:40.960 still making it
00:11:42.420 and attending Cash for Access events.
00:11:45.860 Mr. Trudeau himself
00:11:47.380 as Prime Minister
00:11:48.160 was still a featured guest
00:11:50.240 at two recent
00:11:52.160 Cash for Access events,
00:11:53.540 one in Montreal,
00:11:55.260 one in Vancouver.
00:11:56.080 More than half a dozen lobbyists
00:11:58.240 were on either
00:11:59.560 of those events' guest lists.
00:12:01.500 Some specifically registered
00:12:03.800 to lobby Justin Trudeau
00:12:06.100 and his office.
00:12:07.800 So here again,
00:12:09.660 the Liberal government
00:12:10.460 says they're doing one thing,
00:12:11.980 but of course,
00:12:13.080 Justin Trudeau and his government
00:12:14.300 are doing something
00:12:15.240 very, very different.
00:12:16.660 Our critic of this,
00:12:18.260 John Brassard,
00:12:19.040 has been very, very articulate
00:12:21.780 at explaining
00:12:22.900 why this is a problem.
00:12:26.300 You know, he said
00:12:27.000 if you're a registered lobbyist,
00:12:29.040 you're not going to flip a switch
00:12:30.140 at these events.
00:12:31.020 You're going to go there
00:12:31.920 with a specific goal in mind.
00:12:33.240 If you're a lobbyist
00:12:34.100 and you are going to these events,
00:12:36.440 you're not suddenly
00:12:37.120 not a lobbyist,
00:12:38.160 is his point.
00:12:38.980 Of course you're going to go there
00:12:40.160 and try to lobby
00:12:40.900 for your specific pet projects.
00:12:44.160 And, you know,
00:12:45.640 he has gone as far,
00:12:47.600 very floridly to say,
00:12:49.740 you can't put lipstick on a pig.
00:12:51.280 These events are what they are.
00:12:53.440 People are paying for access
00:12:54.940 and they're paying
00:12:56.140 to bend the prime minister's ear
00:12:57.900 or a minister's ear.
00:12:59.480 The new rules just provided
00:13:01.380 for a cover for an activity
00:13:03.280 that fills the Liberal coffers.
00:13:05.160 That's John Brassard,
00:13:06.340 our Barry MP,
00:13:08.160 who, of course,
00:13:09.400 hits the nail right on the head.
00:13:11.400 The fact is simple.
00:13:13.040 These fundraisers
00:13:14.120 by the Liberal Party
00:13:14.880 are still ongoing.
00:13:16.020 They're still going on.
00:13:17.500 Cash for Access
00:13:18.320 involving lobbyists
00:13:20.300 attending these events.
00:13:21.940 When the Liberals get caught,
00:13:23.520 they say,
00:13:23.840 oh, sorry,
00:13:24.620 our mistake won't happen again.
00:13:26.260 And then it happens
00:13:26.960 all over again.
00:13:27.740 This is part
00:13:28.860 of how outrageous this is.
00:13:31.260 It's not just
00:13:31.960 that they're doing this still.
00:13:34.140 They continue to do this.
00:13:36.160 They continue to get caught doing it.
00:13:38.020 They continue to say,
00:13:39.160 as Liberals,
00:13:39.620 oh, we won't do it again.
00:13:40.500 And then they continue
00:13:41.160 to do it again.
00:13:41.840 This whole cycle
00:13:43.020 keeps repeating itself
00:13:44.520 time and time again.
00:13:46.080 Despite the fact
00:13:46.880 that they table legislation
00:13:48.120 supposedly to fix this,
00:13:49.640 which, of course,
00:13:50.220 it has done no such thing.
00:13:51.880 So these are the issues
00:13:53.260 that make this still an issue.
00:13:55.400 You know,
00:13:55.920 as a conservative opposition,
00:13:58.460 we're talking about
00:13:59.040 a lot of things.
00:13:59.680 We're talking about
00:14:00.360 the free trade rules.
00:14:02.400 We're talking about
00:14:03.280 the Cotter settlement.
00:14:04.760 We're talking about
00:14:05.700 things that Canadians
00:14:06.780 are concerned about.
00:14:08.240 But this cash for access
00:14:09.920 is still happening.
00:14:10.760 So we still have to raise
00:14:11.680 this as an issue
00:14:12.340 and try to get better behavior
00:14:14.620 from this government.
00:14:16.020 There's a sense of entitlement
00:14:17.620 coming from
00:14:19.200 Liberal cabinet members.
00:14:20.860 But they don't...
00:14:22.100 Look, as a former
00:14:22.780 cabinet member myself,
00:14:24.100 you take your lead
00:14:26.600 from the first minister,
00:14:28.860 from the prime minister.
00:14:30.520 Unless the prime minister
00:14:31.760 puts his foot down
00:14:32.820 and says,
00:14:34.040 this is not acceptable behavior,
00:14:35.720 this kind of thing
00:14:36.980 seeps through
00:14:37.820 every part of government
00:14:38.940 until the rot sets in.
00:14:41.440 And that's exactly
00:14:42.440 what is happening
00:14:43.300 with the Trudeau government
00:14:44.400 with this cash for access.
00:14:47.340 Unfortunately,
00:14:48.500 continuing issue,
00:14:49.920 continuing scandal.
00:14:51.400 And that is why
00:14:51.980 we will continue
00:14:52.640 to raise these issues
00:14:53.480 in Parliament
00:14:53.980 when it resumes
00:14:55.340 in September.
00:14:56.160 Thank you for listening
00:15:07.020 to The Blueprint,
00:15:07.900 Canada's Conservative podcast.
00:15:10.060 To find more episodes,
00:15:11.480 interviews,
00:15:11.900 and in-depth discussions
00:15:12.840 of politics in Canada,
00:15:14.300 search for The Blueprint
00:15:15.180 on iTunes
00:15:15.840 or visit
00:15:16.320 podcast.conservative.ca.
00:15:18.660 Thursday.
00:15:42.720 I'm
00:15:43.760 going to
00:15:44.420 points
00:15:45.520 to
00:15:46.220 stay