Debates of June 12th, 2019

Intergovernmental Relations

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, those premiers represent perhaps 59% of the population. My job is to represent 100% of the population. Canadians understand that the only way to move forward on big projects that are needed for jobs and growth is to be mindful of environmental concerns and to work in partnership with indigenous peoples.

The Conservatives' attempts to gut the bill are just a reflection of the path they tried and that failed under Stephen Harper. It did not serve Alberta, it did not serve our industry, and it was not able to get things built.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister professes that Ottawa knows best, the reality is that the premiers are indicating very clearly that there is a significant problem with this legislation. There is a problem because it is going to scare away business investment. There is a greater problem, of which he was warned by former premier Notley back in February, which is that this is not a way to build a country. Will he do the right thing and make sure that every one of these amendments passes and give certainty to the provinces in this great country?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we have accepted close to 100 different amendments that strengthen the bill and ensure that we are going to be able to get projects built, but the amendments the Conservatives would have us accept would make indigenous consultations optional, exempt oil sands development and pipeline projects from federal reviews and indeed, even block Canadians from having a say on projects. If those elements sound familiar to Canadians, it is because it was exactly the approach Stephen Harper tried and failed at when he failed to grow our economy and failed to get projects—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I am starting to hear language that is unparliamentary. I remind members to restrain themselves and not to speak when someone else has the floor. The hon. member for Edmonton West will come to order.

The hon. member for Vancouver Kingsway.

Pharmacare

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today the Hoskins report on pharmacare was released, and to no one's surprise, it recommends a public, universal and comprehensive pharmacare system, the same conclusion of every task force, committee and study over the last 50 years. Dr. Hoskins said that it is time to implement it. Why? It is because we know that we can cover every single Canadian's medicine needs and save billions of dollars every year by doing so.

Now, will the Liberals finally commit to universal, comprehensive and single-payer pharmacare and immediately get to work on implementing this essential health—

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we recognize that no Canadian should never have to make the impossible choice between paying for medications or putting food on the table. That is why we have moved forward significantly over the past years on making prescription drugs more affordable, have moved forward on things like a Canada drug agency that would negotiate better prices and moved forward on providing half a billion dollars to reduce the high cost of rare disease drugs.

We know there is more to do. That is why we welcome the report by Dr. Hoskins and look forward to—

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we thought Mr. Dithers was retired.

We know that delay is poor fiscal policy, because every year we wait costs our country billions of dollars. Worse, delay is bad health policy, because thousands of Canadians get sicker and die every year because of a lack of access to medicines.

The Liberals have had 13 years of government since they promised Canadians public coverage in 1997 and have failed to deliver. The Liberals like to campaign on pharmacare; the New Democrats like to implement it. Why will this government not listen—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I of course urge all members to avoid language that might be considered insulting.

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, from the beginning of this mandate, we have made historic investments in health transfers, ensuring that Canadians have better access to more quality health care. We have also moved forward significantly to lower the cost of prescription drugs throughout our time in office.

We know that there is more to do. That is why we welcome the report by Dr. Eric Hoskins, which talks about the next steps we can move forward on as we ensure that no Canadian ever has to choose between paying for medications or paying rent.

We know that the NDP is always filled with great ideas, but no idea—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix.

Taxation

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have finally reached the end of this government's first term in office. Unfortunately, it has cost taxpayers dearly. The Prime Minister has made the cost of living much too high for Canadian families, but he thinks they will forget all about that by October 21.

In addition to raising taxes, he eliminated tax credits for public transit and children's fitness.

Why do Canadians always have to pay more when the Liberals are in power?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, over the past four years, we have lowered costs for middle-class families by $2,000 by lowering their taxes and increasing taxes for the wealthiest one per cent. We introduced the Canada child benefit, which gives more money to nine out of 10 families and has raised 300,000 children out of poverty. We also announced improved benefits for seniors and investments in housing and public transit. All of these measures have helped families, created a million new jobs and led to the lowest—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill.

The Environment

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, when asked what his privileged family was personally doing to help protect the environment, the Prime Minister answered with nonsensical blather that could best be interpreted as, “Nothing really, but let them eat cake, from a box.”

Canadians are tired of his ineffectual, carbon-taxing, drink-box, water-bottle expensive virtue signalling. When will the out-of-touch Prime Minister stop telling Canadians to do what he says but not what he does?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I will choose to believe that somewhere in there was a question on the environment from the Conservative Party of Canada, which is quite wonderful.

It has been 409 days that we have been waiting for the Conservative Party to put forward a plan to fight climate change, or even to recognize that climate change is a problem, or even to recognize that climate change contributes to extreme weather events.

We know that the time to act is now, because it is not possible to have a plan for the economy without having a plan for climate change.

Taxation

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the privileged Prime Minister is simply out of touch with everyday Canadians, which is why he found it so easy to cut their take-home pay by raising payroll taxes, take away their tax credits for textbooks, transit and kids' arts and sports, and slap a carbon tax on everything, making their gas, groceries and heating bills soar.

Canadian families do not have a trust fund to fall back on, and under the Liberal government, they are struggling just to make ends meet.

Why is the Prime Minister so hell-bent on making their lives more expensive?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, four years later and the Conservatives are still reduced to personal attacks and inventing things.

The first thing we did was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. We then delivered a Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families with hundreds of dollars tax-free every month. This benefit has lifted 300,000 kids out of poverty as part of our plan that has lifted 800,000 Canadians out of poverty.

We continue to grow the economy, with over one million new jobs, while at the same time having a low—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Chilliwack—Hope.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the facts do not lie. Half of Canadian families are within $200 of not being able to pay their bills each month. One-third of Canadian families are unable to cover their payments and are falling further into debt.

The Prime Minister has never had to worry about his own money, but Canadian families do. They do not have an extra $60 to pay for a pack of boxed water, and they certainly cannot afford $1.60 a litre for gas.

When will the out-of-touch Prime Minister stop making life more expensive for Canadian families, which, under the Liberal government, are struggling just to get by?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite likes to talk about facts, so let us talk about some facts.

Fact: the lowest unemployment rate in Canada in 40 years.

Fact: Canadians have created one million jobs over the last four years.

Fact: 300,000 kids have been lifted out of poverty.

Fact: 825,000 Canadians have been lifted out of poverty.

We have made investments in infrastructure and in communities, investments that have made lives more affordable and better for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. That is a fact.

Public Services and Procurement

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is National Public Service Week, but many public servants do not feel like celebrating.

Céline, a public servant who lives in my riding, told me that, because of the Liberals' and the Conservatives' Phoenix pay system fiasco, she has been owed over $18,000 for more than a year and a half. Once again, the Liberals are giving hundreds of millions of dollars to a large corporation while problems just keep piling up.

Why have the Liberals still not repaid Céline and the other public servants who are in the same situation?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our public servants deserve to be paid properly and on time. Stephen Harper's Conservatives botched the Phoenix pay system, creating real problems for thousands of public servants who work hard every day.

We are working to find a modern and reliable solution with the help of public servants, experts, unions and suppliers. We have found three suppliers who will carry out pilot projects before the end of the year. That is part of the next step to provide reliable, long-term solutions.

I encourage the member to send us her constituent's information. We will—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Essex.

International Trade

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Liberals are not being honest with Canadians about the new NAFTA. They are rushing through a deal that will make drugs like insulin more expensive, when Canadians already cannot afford their medication.

Why is the Prime Minister caving to Donald Trump and big pharma? People with diabetes, Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis depend on their government to stand up for them and not rush through a trade deal that will make their medication more expensive.

Why is the Prime Minister choosing to stand up for big pharma over vulnerable Canadians?