House of Commons Hansard #314 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was cannabis.

Topics

Status of WomenOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC

Mr. Speaker, refocusing Canada's international assistance on the most vulnerable, especially women and girls, is not just about words or simple rebranding. It takes commitment and concrete actions.

Could the Prime Minister tell the House what progress was made at the G7 summit with respect to education for women and girls?

Status of WomenOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Brossard—Saint-Lambert for her work on gender equality. Everyone must have equal access to a quality education.

In Charlevoix, we announced a fund worth nearly $3.8 billion to increase equal access to quality education for girls and women and to address the barriers that prevent them from accessing education. This is the largest-ever investment in education for women and girls in crisis situations, and it will have a real impact on women and girls around the world.

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, my question is about the carbon tax cover-up. The Fraser Institute calculates that the Prime Minister has raised income tax on 81% of middle-class families, on average by $800 per family. The PBO says this new carbon tax will axe $10 billion from our GDP, but Finance Canada, because of the government, is blacking out the cost to the average Canadian family.

Will he end the carbon tax cover-up and tell us how much it will cost Canadians?

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by reminding the member opposite that not only was the first thing we did lowering taxes for the middle class and raising them for the wealthiest 1%, but that member actually voted against those measures to lower taxes on the middle class.

In regard to pricing carbon pollution, I can highlight that 86% of our economy already has a price on carbon pollution in their jurisdictions. We will continue to work to make sure there is fairness across the country as we move forward on protecting our environment for future generations and spurring innovation and the growth of jobs in our economy.

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are used to Liberals making a promise and then breaking it. This Prime Minister actually makes a promise after he has already broken it. He said that he would not raise taxes on middle-class families, and we now know, from the Fraser Institute's calculation, an institute that he has cited in his remarks today, that he has raised taxes on 81% of middle-class families, and that is before this new carbon tax.

How much will that new tax cost the average Canadian family?

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I am used to the member opposite completely misinterpreting my statements, but now he is misinterpreting and misreading the Fraser Institute's report.

We have lowered taxes on the middle class. It was, in fact, the very first thing we did. We raised them on the wealthiest 1%. On top of that, we delivered a Canada child benefit that delivered more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families, with tax-free money every month to help with the cost of groceries and school supplies.

Unfortunately, both of those initiatives are things the Conservatives voted against.

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister accuses me of misrepresenting the Fraser Institute's report? Wait now. That is interesting, because the authors of that report have actually taken to the newspapers with an op-ed saying that he has misrepresented their research. I will be happy to send him over that op-ed. They calculate that he raised taxes on 80% of middle-class families. How much more will those same families have to pay with his new carbon tax?

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, the Conservatives showed low growth because they favoured boutique tax cuts for wealthy Canadians who might vote for them instead of helping the middle-class and those working hard to join it.

That is why Canadians made a better choice in 2015 and put their trust in the Liberal government that lowered taxes for the middle class, raised them on the wealthiest 1%, is delivering a Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families, and stopped sending the child benefit cheques to millionaires the Conservatives were so attached to.

We have created the strongest growth in the G7 for 2017, and we are going to—

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Carleton.

TaxationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister calls them boutique tax credits for the wealthy. He says that any family that used the public transit tax credit to take the bus is too wealthy. He says that any dad or mom who used the children's fitness tax credit to put kids in hockey are too wealthy. He says that any family that wanted to use income splitting to have a stay-at-home dad is too wealthy.

Is that not just a little bit rich from a trust fund Prime Minister who lives in a tax-funded mansion?

TaxationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

TaxationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order, order. The Right Hon. Prime Minister.

TaxationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as soon as the Conservatives run out of flailing arguments, they turn to personal attacks. It is the same old, same old from them. That is what we got for 10 years instead of the kind of growth that middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join them needed. That is why we focused on Canadians over the past two and a half years, delivering the middle-class tax cut, delivering the Canada child benefit, delivering a strengthened CPP, delivering an increase in the guaranteed income supplement for our most vulnerable seniors, delivering on the Canada workers benefit, delivering on infrastructure investments that are going to help Canadians across the country. That is what we have done.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Mr. Speaker, reuniting families is something the Prime Minister says he values, yet whether or not someone's parents and grandparents can come to Canada is all based on the luck of the draw. Imagine, a lottery decides whether they will be reunited with their loved ones. Last year, hundreds of spots remained unfilled due to errors, and critics say the process used can easily be rigged.

How can the Prime Minister justify family reunification that is based on a lottery?

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

3 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we inherited a system from the Conservative government that had multiplied wait times. Family and spousal reunification was up to over 24 months. We have drastically cut wait times. We recognize there is more to do and we are working hard on that, but after all the cuts we inherited, we recognize that is going to take some time. We continue to invest in our immigration system. We understand that family reunification, opportunities for integration, and a compassionate and fair immigration system that continues to be rigorously applied are important to all Canadians and that is what we are delivering.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, last fall, the Liberals promised to establish visa-free access to Canada for Ukrainians, but yesterday, visiting MPs from Ukraine confirmed that those talks have stalled out.

In light of the situation with Russia, it has become more important than ever to strengthen our ties with Ukraine.

Given that Ukraine already has visa-free access to the EU and that Canada already has a trade agreement with Ukraine, people want to know what exactly it is the Liberals are waiting for. When will the government finally get a deal done to ensure visa-free access for Ukrainians to Canada?

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

3 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, Canada continues to be a strong and steadfast friend to Ukraine, whether it is standing up against the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea or Russia's interference in the Donbas, whether it is working with our troops in Ukraine to continue to train Ukrainian forces, whether it is signing and moving forward with a Canada-Ukraine trade deal, or whether it is continuing to look for closer trade ties between our countries. As I told President Poroshenko just a few days ago when I spoke with him, we will continue to support Ukraine in its march toward greater progress and greater success for everyone.

EmploymentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, last Saturday, in downtown Toronto in what can only be described as a rally intended to incite hatred toward Jews and others, Sheik Shafiq Hudda of the Islamic Humanitarian Service called for the eradication of Israelis, and genocide. Some of his anti-Semitic hate speech aimed at the Jewish community included telling them, “You will leave in body bags.”

Will the Prime Minister condemn these hate-filled anti-Semitic comments?

EmploymentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we always condemn hate-filled anti-Semitic or homophobic or Islamophobic and hate-filled speech of all types across this country. Canada is a welcoming, diverse country of a broad range of views and perspectives, but we do not allow hate speech and we do not allow the incitement of hatred.

We are a country that is built on mutual respect, on openness and compassion, and we reject the politics of division and hate wherever they come from.

EmploymentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's actions speak otherwise. On one hand, he is giving these anti-Semitic religious extremists taxpayers' dollars to actively promote hatred using funds from the Canada summer jobs program. On the other, he has denied funding to faith groups that want to help those in need.

Why is the Prime Minister allowing certain religious organizations to be funded to promote hatred toward Jews, but saying no to churches that want to help the homeless?

EmploymentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, this is not an issue of faith or beliefs.

We can tell they are still Stephen Harper's Conservatives when they advocate for organizations like the Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform to receive public funds, which are then used to attack a woman's right to choose. We believe that public funds should never be used to actively fight against the rights of Canadians, and we will ensure that no money from the Canada summer jobs program is re-funded to organizations that violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and that use hate against other Canadians of any type, whether they be women, Jewish community groups, or LGBTQ—

EmploymentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order. There is far too much noise.

The hon. member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis.

EmploymentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC

Mr. Speaker, if that is the case, how come the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons is giving funds to the organization that just last weekend called for the eradication of Israelis? Last weekend, Sheik Shafiq Hudda of the Islamic Humanitarian Service made statements that were criminal.

When is the Prime Minister going to take action? Above all, does this pass the Liberal test, or is it illegal? Is he going to take concrete steps to make sure this never happens again?

EmploymentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we unequivocally condemn these statements. Such statements are unacceptable in Canadian society. Our society is open and tolerant, but we do not allow hate speech that incites violence. That is and always has been our position. Canada rejects the politics of division and fear. I will always be opposed.

YouthOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON

Mr. Speaker, in February, the Prime Minister and Minister of Youth launched a national dialogue on developing a youth policy for Canada.

With his youth council here in Ottawa this week, could the Prime Minister update the House on the development of youth policy and on any other initiatives that the Prime Minister's Youth Council is undertaking?