House of Commons Hansard #5 of the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was work.
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we know how tough it is for families when someone loses their job. That is why we are here to help.
Over the past four years, Canadians have created over one million jobs, but there is still more to do. That is why we are going to keep investing in families, in communities, in our children and in our seniors, while helping create economic growth across the country. This is a priority for us, and we are going to keep working hard every day to help these Canadians.
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Mr. Speaker, that all sounds good, but it does not create jobs for the 71,000 Canadians who lost their jobs this month. It does not help that half of Canadian families who are within $200 of insolvency.
No one here has this problem. Not the Prime Minister, not me, not anyone. Just two months ago we were given good jobs, and we are not $200 away from insolvency—but half of Canadian families are.
What does the Prime Minister have to say to them, aside from rhetoric?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the national housing strategy is more than just rhetoric. The Canada child benefit is more than just rhetoric. It gives tens and hundreds of thousands of Canadians a better future, on top of the food and support they need now.
We recognize that our work is not done, but we are on the right track. We will continue to invest in families and help them. We will continue to stand up for our workers and help them. We will continue to create economic growth by working hand in hand with our partners across the country.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is still stuck with the self-serving triumphant talking points as before. It is like he did not even notice that 71,000 people lost their jobs last month, that half of Canadians are less than $200 away from insolvency, that those insolvencies have reached decade-long highs.
Will the Prime Minister put aside his self-praise for just a moment and get out of the way so that Canadians can get back to work and get ahead?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that even with the good news and the numbers over the past years there are still far too many Canadians facing real difficulties. That is why we are going to continue with our anti-poverty strategy. That is why we are going to continue investing in families and supporting Canadians who need help, including by increasing the Canada child benefit for children under one, including by supporting our seniors with increases to their old age security once they reach 75.
We know there is much more to do and we are going to remain focused on supporting Canadians right across the country, because that is what this government does.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, if self-praise could build economies and create jobs, then we would not have lost 71,000 of those jobs last month. We would not have a higher unemployment rate than across the average of the G7. We would not have higher unemployment than the U.S., U.K., Germany and Japan. We would not have hundreds of thousands of people in energy, forestry and manufacturing who have lost their jobs.
Will the Prime Minister stop making rhetorical love to himself and get out of the way so Canadians can get back to work?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, while members opposite choose to play politics, we are going to stay focused on Canadians.
We are going to continue to invest in families who need help. We are going to continue to move forward on the national housing strategy that includes a portable Canada housing benefit, which will allow Canadians to have more choices and better help in terms of their families and their housing needs. We are going to continue to invest in the kinds of things that tangibly help families facing difficult times to be able to get back on track and move forward.
While the parties opposite choose to sling mud and play politics, we are going to stay focused on families.
Mario Simard Bloc Jonquière, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify for the Prime Minister that there is a country in North America called Mexico. That country does not produce aluminum but imports it from China. There is also a nation in North America called Quebec, which produces 90% of all of Canada's aluminum. I know this because it is made in my region of Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean.
It is a lie that this is not going to impact our region.
Would the Prime Minister tell us why he is still using Quebec as a bargaining chip when negotiating international agreements?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, allow me to be very clear once again. The new NAFTA is a win for aluminum workers. It forces automakers to use at least 70% of aluminum produced in North America. Before this new agreement that percentage was zero.
We will always stand up for all Canadian workers, including those in the aluminum sector.
The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota
Before we continue, I would remind hon. members that, in the House, they must endeavour to use language that respects parliamentary rules to ensure that what they say is not taken the wrong way. They must also refrain from accusing others of doing something that is unwise. I invite members to think carefully before calling someone names or suggesting they are doing something unparliamentary. I know we are in a new Parliament and that many people are new here, so let us all use this opportunity to learn together.
The hon. member for Lac-Saint-Jean.
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that the Prime Minister does not understand what he is signing, and that is scary.
If we are talking about aluminum, we are talking about the men and women of Lac-Saint-Jean. These are people, moms and dads, not numbers in accounting ledgers. The people, the industry and the unions now know that Quebec aluminum was sacrificed in favour of steel.
Instead of pretending that everything is fine, can the Prime Minister stop for two seconds and spare a thought for aluminum workers? There is genuine concern in my region.
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I understand the concern. I have had several meetings with workers in the aluminum industry in Saguenay, Quebec.
I understand that innovations such as the Elysis and AP60 technologies represent a strong future for these workers, but I also know that it is important to reassure them about the path we are on. That is why I say to them that we ensured that 70% of the aluminum used by the North American auto industry has to be sourced from North America. Before the agreement that percentage was zero. That is a good thing for aluminum workers.
Tony Baldinelli Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
Mr. Speaker, a final meeting on Australia's World Trade Organization challenge to the federal excise exemption for 100% Canadian-made wines concluded last week. A loss in this case puts 9,000 Canadian wine industry jobs at risk. The Australians have indicated they are open to negotiating a settlement, but for some reason this has not happened.
When will the Prime Minister pick up the phone, call his counterpart in Australia and fight for Canada's wine industry?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I have had direct discussions with my Australian counterparts on the issue of protection of the Canadian wine industry. We will continue to work with the WTO, with all of our trade allies around the world to ensure protection for Canadians while we uphold the rule of law and the rules-based trading system.
Jag Sahota Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB
Mr. Speaker, this is my first time standing in the House. I would like to thank my family, volunteers and constituents of Calgary Skyview who have placed their trust in me.
The Prime Minister's attack on the energy sector has hit Alberta particularly hard. He refuses to amend his no-pipeline bill, Bill C-69. The Prime Minister thinks male construction workers have a negative impact on rural areas. Yesterday, we learned that unemployment among young men in my province is at 20%.
Is this what the Prime Minister wanted when he was talking about gender impacts?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we take very seriously the situation faced by workers in the Prairies, including in Alberta and Saskatchewan. That is why I was pleased to sit down with Premier Kenney yesterday and talk about various initiatives we can work on together to solve and support some of the challenges faced by workers in Alberta. We are going to continue to roll up our sleeves and work hard to make sure that we are supporting Canadians right across the country and creating opportunities for people in the west.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Speaker, the current government voted over a year and half ago to immediately list the Iranian government's IRGC as a terrorist entity, and the listing process does not take this long. The IRGC is a tool of widespread oppression. In Iraq, hundreds of protestors have been murdered as they sought to resist Iranian regime influence. The government has once again failed to stand with people seeking freedom, and is instead appeasing their oppressors.
Will the government come clean today and admit that it actually has no intention of listing the IRGC in its entirety?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite mentioned the protests in Iraq. We strongly condemn the escalating violence in Iraq that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of protestors and injured thousands more. We urge all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from violence. We support the people of Iraq, who deserve stability, prosperity and security. Human rights, including the right to protest and freedom of expression, must be protected. We continue to work closely with our allies and partners to follow the situation and play a constructive role.
Maninder Sidhu Liberal Brampton East, ON
Mr. Speaker, as this is my first time rising in the House, I would like to thank my family, volunteers and constituents for giving me the honour and privilege to serve. This week, the government tabled a notice of ways and means motion that proposes to lower taxes for the middle class and increase working capital by increasing the basic personal income to $15,000 by 2023.
Can the hon. Prime Minister tell this House what this change means for middle-class families?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for Brampton East. I know he will serve his constituents well.
As the very first order of business, we are lowering taxes for the middle class and for people working hard to join it. Starting in 2020, this will put more money back in the pockets of Canadians. It will lift tens of thousands of people out of poverty and families, including single parents, will save nearly $600 every year. We hope all other parties in the House will support these measures.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, more MVNOs will have an impact in Canada. Recent rulings, which could allow for more MVNOs, are being heavily appealed. It is a heated issue, with extensive lobbying being placed on many members of the House.
Given the importance of this issue, can the Prime Minister tell the House his vision for MVNOs in Canada, if he thinks they are important or not, and his government's position on recent related rulings that he is being requested to intervene in?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we made a commitment in the last election to decrease cellphone bills by 25% for Canadians. That is something that we will do by working with the industry. If they do not bring down their prices, we will bring in significant measures around more competition in the industry to provide better options and opportunities for Canadians. This is a commitment we have made. It will save Canadian families thousands of dollars. We know that lowering cellphone prices is a priority for Canadians that we are going to take up.
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is taking Canadian ranchers decades to recover from the bovine spongiform encephalopathy crisis. That recovery was given a stunning setback when the Liberal government missed a deadline to apply to the World Organisation for Animal Health for negligible risk status. As a result of that, Ontario farmers, because of lack of process capacity and their inability to sell their fed cattle to the United States, are suffering the consequences of this Liberal failure.
Can the Prime Minister please explain to Canadian farmers why he failed to apply to the World Organisation for Animal Health for negligible risk status for BSE?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to stand up for Canadian agricultural producers, including our beef and pork farmers. We were pleased to re-secure access to the Chinese market after a period of time. We are going to continue to demonstrate world-class protections of our agricultural processes and ensure that people around the world know that Canadian products are world class, the best in the world, and should be encouraged and accessed everywhere in the world.
Rob Moore Conservative Fundy Royal, NB
Mr. Speaker, the current government's new jury selection rules have already been found to be unconstitutional in Ontario. Further, courts have been split on whether to apply the changes on a go-forward basis or retroactively. This confusion, created solely by very poorly drafted Liberal legislation, could have the impact of nullifying more than 30 guilty verdicts, including in a murder trial.
How will the Prime Minister fix his mistake to ensure that murderers do not walk free?