House of Commons Hansard #160 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was housing.

Topics

TaxationOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her intervention.

Indeed, we are all concerned about the cost of living for all Canadians. That is why we did something about it. We lowered taxes for the middle class and increased them for the wealthiest 1%. We implemented the Canada child benefit, which gives more money to nine out of ten Canadian families every month and as a result lifts hundreds of thousands of young people out of poverty and reduces child poverty by 40%.

We agree with the hon. members across the way that a lot of work still needs to be done, but we are here to keep working for Canadians.

TaxationOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Sturgeon River—Parkland Alberta

Conservative

Rona Ambrose ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, today on the Hill there are hundreds of people helping to recognize World Autism Day. They are calling on the Prime Minister to provide less than $4 million a year to continue the good work of the Canadian Autism Partnership Project, money that was missing in the budget. That is almost equivalent to the bonus hike the CEO of Bombardier gave himself for one year.

What kind of message does the Prime Minister think this sends to parents of kids with autism when the Prime Minister can find money for bonuses for executives from Bombardier but he cannot find money for families with autism?

TaxationOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I recognize the passion the member opposite has for this issue and recognize all members in the House who have stood up strongly in talking about autism and celebrating the advancements that have been made and indeed highlighting the work that we continue to do.

On Bombardier, I do need to point out that this was a loan that we were happy to make to invest in specific projects that are going to create good jobs for Canadians, that are going to secure the long-term future of the aerospace industry in this country, which leads to economic growth, innovation, and benefits for communities and the middle-class workers who live in them right across the country.

Standing Orders of the House of CommonsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Murray Rankin NDP Victoria, BC

Mr. Speaker, the government wants to unilaterally change the rules that govern the House of Commons. At first, the Liberals pretended it was just a discussion paper and now they claim that this power grab is necessary to be rammed through here because, well, it was in their election platform. Can the Prime Minister explain then why he used the excuse of a lack of consensus to abandon his platform promise on democratic reform, but now he unilaterally wants to change the way our democracy works?

Standing Orders of the House of CommonsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I encourage the member opposite to continue contributing suggestions on how we can improve the working atmosphere in the House, how we can better deliver for Canadians. We are happy that we have launched a conversation about how we can modernize this place, how we can improve the service we offer, both to Canadians and to our constituents. I look forward to engaging with all members in the House on improvements that can be made to this place as we move forward.

Standing Orders of the House of CommonsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC

Mr. Speaker, forcing a so-called discussion paper on the committee is a monologue, not a dialogue.

This Prime Minister promised to put an end to the concentration of power that began with his father's tenure, but instead he is preparing to ram through changes that will benefit the Liberals.

Does the Prime Minister understand the difference between making things better for Parliament and making things better for the Liberals?

Standing Orders of the House of CommonsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we are pleased that we have brought forward proposals to help modernize Parliament, and I look forward to start discussing the various options in committee. I want to hear what our friends in the other parties are going to suggest. I am really looking forward to working with them to ensure that Parliament better serves Canadians across the country and that we better serve our constituents as well.

I believe that everyone knows that we can always do better, and that is exactly what I hope to do, together with the members of Parliament.

JusticeOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to hand out criminal records to Canadians, particularly young people and minority groups, for possession of marijuana.

Every time we propose the decriminalization of marijuana as an interim measure, the Liberals say that we are against legalization, which is not true. We are against the fact that thousands of Canadians are being prosecuted in the meantime, since that affects the rest of their lives.

Can the Prime Minister tell us how many people have been handed a criminal record since the last election?

JusticeOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we promised to legalize and control cannabis for two very specific reasons.

First, we want to prevent our kids from having easy access to cannabis, as they do now. We know that it is easier for a young person to buy a joint than a bottle of beer. That is unacceptable. At the same time, we know that organized crime groups make billions of dollars trafficking marijuana, and that is exactly what we want to prevent.

Decriminalizing cannabis will do nothing to protect our kids and nothing to counter organized crime, and I will continue to repeat that until—

JusticeOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order.

The hon. member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford.

JusticeOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government continues to hide the number of charges and criminal records handed out for cannabis possession since the Liberals have come to power. Charges for serious crimes are being stayed or withdrawn because of a lack of resources, and yet the Prime Minister is fine with overloading the justice system with possession charges. This disproportionately affects young and racialized Canadians and there is quite a bit of hypocrisy to that.

Does the Prime Minister think he would be where he is today if he had been caught when smoking marijuana?

JusticeOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I understand the question and concerns the members opposite have, but our focus on legalization and control of cannabis is on protecting our kids and on getting the money out of organized crime's pockets. We know that happens when we legalize and control and bring in a proper regime. The fact is decriminalization does nothing to protect our kids, nothing to remove the profits from the hands of criminals. Until such a moment as we have a legal framework that protects our kids and stops the criminals from profiting, it will remain illegal.

Softwood LumberOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Denis Lebel Conservative Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, in just three weeks, our softwood lumber may be slapped with countervailing duties. I want the Prime Minister to give forestry industry workers some answers.

Yesterday, we heard that the Americans were refusing to talk about it, probably because nobody ever really explained to them what the system is all about and how rigorous it is. That is from the Resolute Forest Products CEO. He added that he was appalled at the federal government's feeble attempts to stand up for Quebec's forestry system internationally.

What will the Prime Minister do for the hundreds of thousands of families that depend on the forestry industry?

Softwood LumberOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we have been working with the U.S. government on resolving this issue from the very beginning of our mandate.

We know that thousands of jobs and communities across the country depend on forestry. It is our duty to keep working very hard to protect those jobs and create more opportunities in Canada's forestry industry. We know that Americans do not want their housing and construction costs to go up. Canada is a major supplier of softwood lumber for American consumers.

We will keep working with the U.S. government to resolve this frustrating dispute.

Softwood LumberOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Denis Lebel Conservative Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, like many of my colleagues, I was here on June 29, 2016, when former U.S. President Barack Obama was here, and we were promised that this would be resolved within weeks. Now we hear what the Prime Minister is saying in the House today. Why is no one capable of explaining to the Americans that they need to import 30% of their lumber and that 30% comes from Canada? It is not complicated. If they import less wood from Canada, the price of American wood will go up, Americans will build fewer houses, and there will be fewer jobs for carpenters, plumbers, and electricians.

This is not rocket science. Why is the government incapable of explaining this to the Americans?

Softwood LumberOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I totally agree with the hon. member. He makes a very good point. We need to do more to explain to the Americans just how important free trade between Canada and the U.S. is for jobs and for consumers on both sides of the border.

We will continue with our work and remain united in our desire to resolve this issue. That is why we are so determined and are working so hard to protect Canadian jobs and create economic growth in communities across the country.

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the government quietly tabled a response to an Order Paper question revealing that the $372-million Bombardier agreement has not been signed or finalized. It is not a done deal, so the Liberals have time to stop this outrageous taxpayer-funded bail-out of incompetent billionaire executives. The Liberals could, for example, reduce the amount they are handing Bombardier by the same amount Bombardier is paying its executives.

Before the Liberals sign this deal and send the money, why will they not ban Bombardier billionaires from pocketing it?

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the investments we are making in the future of our aerospace industry will lead to good jobs across the country and to economic growth and innovation.

The loan we made to Bombardier that is focused on two specific products, the C Series airplane and the Global 7000, demonstrates that we believe in the strong future for the aerospace industry in this country, and why we are going to continue to make investments that will lead to good jobs and opportunities for innovation and growth right across the country in high-value industries, like the aerospace industry.

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, the company is actually cutting jobs, 14,000 of them, while the Liberals hand over millions to billionaire executives, but it is not too late to stop it. We learned today that the deal is not signed and the government still has time to impose new conditions.

Why will the Liberals not tell Bombardier that either it cancels its bonuses and its pay hikes until taxpayers get repaid or it will not get the money at all?

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, we believe in the strong future for the aerospace industry in this country, and are happy to make investments that will lead to good jobs, growth and opportunities not just right now but for decades to come. The kinds of investments we are making in innovation, in the growth of the C Series and the Global 7000, will ensure the kind of opportunity and prosperity that Canadians have long been looking for. This is why we are making the right kinds of investments in our future and why we will continue to make investments, like lending Bombardier significant amounts, to be able to create opportunities to grow and succeed and continue our economic—

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent.

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister took hundreds of millions of dollars from Canadian taxpayers and loaned that money to Bombardier. To show its gratitude, Bombardier cut 14,000 jobs while its senior executives gave themselves tens of millions of dollars in raises. This makes no sense at all, and is quite the departure from the spirit of the company's founder Joseph-Armand Bombardier, who was a great Canadian.

Those people are filling their pockets while the current government is emptying Canadian taxpayers' pockets.

Can the Prime Minister stand in his place and tell us whether he picked up his phone and called the CEO of Bombardier to tell him that what Bombardier is doing makes no sense?

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I agree with my hon. colleague in that we are very proud of Bombardier and of what it has accomplished in the aerospace industry over the years, the good jobs it has created, and the innovation and economic leadership it has shown across the country.

That is why we were happy to invest in two specific programs by providing a loan to Bombardier that will translate into the long-term viability of these projects and create job opportunities in the aerospace industry across the country.

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the Prime Minister that Bombardier came looking for money for its C Series. It did not ask for anything for the Global 7000 but, coincidentally, the government accommodates people from Toronto.

If it is as good as that, why will the Prime Minister not let Bombardier and his minister appear before the parliamentary committee? Given the situation, that is what we want. We, the Conservatives, are inviting the big boss of Bombardier to appear before the parliamentary committee and explain himself.

Does the Prime Minister agree?

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I am always pleased to highlight for the House the investments that Canada is making in our aerospace industry because we know that this will lead to good jobs today and in the future, stimulate innovation, and enable us to capture a larger share of the global market. It will help us demonstrate that Canada makes good-quality merchandise and goods and provides services throughout the world.

We know that investments are needed to achieve this success and we are proud of what we are doing to create opportunities for Canadians.