Debates of June 12th, 2019

Intergovernmental Relations

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' obliviousness to the facts is actually mind-boggling. For 10 years, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives could not get projects built because they marginalized environmental voices and ignored indigenous peoples. We knew that the only way to move forward was to improve the system around which we approve and move forward on projects and give clarity to investors. That is why we are moving forward with Bill C-69: because we know we are going to be able to get projects built by working with indigenous peoples and protecting the environment.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, there he goes again just saying things that he knows are not true. The previous Conservative government saw four major pipelines completed and built, including one to tidewater, without taxpayers' dollars. It is his policies that have ignored indigenous concerns; indigenous communities that wanted to be partners in northern gateway. It is his policies that are condemning Canadians to always be reliant on foreign oil coming into our markets.

When will he realize that his policies are phasing out the energy sector and all the jobs that go with it?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I remind the hon. Leader of the Opposition to be judicious in his choice of words.

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives need to be the ones who are careful with the truth because the Kinder Morgan anchor loop, which is the pipeline they refer to consistently as having been built, goes nowhere near a port. We know that we need, and we have needed for a long time, to get our oil exports to markets other than the United States. For 10 years, the Conservatives failed because they ignored environmental concerns and they did not work with indigenous peoples.

We are now putting forward a pathway to do exactly that in Bill C-69, which is going to get projects built the right way. That is what the industry wants. That is what Canadians want. That is what we need to do to grow the economy.

Pharmacare

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today, Dr. Hoskins came to the same conclusion many commissions have arrived at, namely that people need universal public pharmacare.

People are making impossible choices. They have to choose between paying rent and paying for their medication. They are cutting up their pills to make them last longer and not getting all their prescriptions filled.

To the NDP it is clear: we stand with Canadians and we will implement a universal pharmacare plan by 2020.

Will the Liberals—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, no Canadian should have to choose between medication and food. We accept the report by Dr. Hoskins and the advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare.

We are building on the commitment we made in 2015 and in budget 2019 to improve access to necessary medications. This report is an important step in the potential development of a national pharmacare program. To us, medicare and prescription drugs are for people, but sadly we know that for the Leader of the Opposition, this is always about privatization.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, 1993, 1997, 2004, 2015: time and time again Liberals have promised to help deliver a result of lower costs to medication, but they failed to do so. This means four more years of people in emergency rooms because they cannot afford their prescriptions, four more years of Canadians choosing between food and medicine and four more years of Liberals putting pharmaceutical companies ahead of people.

Canadians need help now, so why is the Prime Minister failing to commit to making it more affordable to access medication?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, no Canadian should have to choose between medication and food. That is why we accept the report by Dr. Hoskins and the advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare. We are building on commitments going back to 2015 and made concretely in budget 2019 to improve access to necessary medications, which has already had an impact on Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

This report is an important step to lay the foundation of a national pharmacare program for us. We are going to continue to make sure that Canadians can afford their medication as we move forward with a national—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Burnaby South.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the report came to the same conclusion that so many others have already come to. In fact, this recommendation is over 40 years old. Canada needs single-payer pharmacare now.

While Canadians anxiously wait for help, Liberals and Conservatives put pharmaceuticals and insurance companies ahead of people, just like they let rich companies off the hook when it came to tax avoidance and just like they put big telecom ahead of people being ripped off on their cellphone bills. New Democrats have a plan to save families hundreds of dollars.

Why do Liberals only have a plan to delay?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, over the past four years, we have acted concretely on a broad range of measures to make lives easier for Canadians, not just the kind of wishful thinking that the NDP specializes in but serious, tangible measures like half a billion dollars toward the high cost of drugs for rare diseases and moving forward on a Canada drug agency that is going to be able to lower prices across the country.

We are putting more money in the pockets of the middle class with the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty. We are investing in housing—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Burnaby South.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is always making excuses for why he sides with rich corporations instead of ordinary Canadians.

Yesterday, he sided with telecommunications companies by refusing to help Canadians lower their cellphone bills. Today, he is siding with the big pharmaceuticals by refusing to implement a universal pharmacare plan.

When will the Prime Minister side with ordinary Canadians and implement a universal public pharmacare program?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, one of the major differences between the NDP and the Liberal Party of Canada is that we listen to the experts and we know how to do things the right way.

The NDP makes many fine promises that it will never be able to keep because it does not have a plan.

The Liberal Party listens to the experts, like Dr. Hoskins and his report, to identify the best way forward. That approach has lifted 825,000 Canadians and 300,000 children out of poverty in recent years.

We know that the way to help Canadians is to listen to the experts and create a good plan.

Intergovernmental Relations

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, here is what the Prime Minister does. If people raise concerns or disagree with him and what he is doing, he dismisses them, tries to discredit them and calls them names. Members can just ask the former attorney general about what happened to her.

Now the Prime Minister is insulting and dismissing provinces that disagree with his “no more pipelines” Bill C-69. Does the Prime Minister realize that he, and no one else, is the biggest threat to Canada's unity?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this all stems from a deep misunderstanding between the Conservatives and the Liberals.

We think the only way forward in this country, on resource projects, on growing the economy, is to fold in the environment, to respect indigenous peoples, in our thinking, in our processes.

The Conservatives still want to barrel through, ignoring environmental voices, ignoring indigenous peoples. That did not work for 10 years of Stephen Harper, but Conservatives are doubling down right now.

On this side, we are going to get things built.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is picking a fight with Manitobans by blocking the Manitoba-Minnesota hydro project. He is picking a fight with nine out of 10 provinces that have serious concerns with his “no more pipelines” bill. He is picking a fight with almost 60% of Canadians in provinces that reject his carbon tax.

The Prime Minister's dismissal of provincial concerns is provoking a possible constitutional crisis. Does the Prime Minister not see that his divisive and hostile treatment of these premiers is what is causing the real threat to national unity?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I refuse to take lessons from a member of Stephen Harper's government that refused to hold first ministers' meetings for almost the entire duration of their time in office.

I have sat down with the premiers regularly, individually and collectively, to work together, to listen to their concerns, to move forward on important issues, like internal trade, to move forward on important issues that matter to all Canadians, like creating jobs and lowering unemployment rates. At the same time, we know that protecting the environment and working with indigenous peoples is the only way to get projects built the right way.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, said it was unfortunate that the Liberal Prime Minister rejected the Senate's amendments.

Quebec's environment minister expressed concerns about Bill C-69, proposed an amendment and said that the Liberal government was not willing to talk.

I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. How can we maintain good relations with provincial governments if we do not listen to them?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, we were pleased to accept nearly 100 amendments proposed by the Senate. We are always looking to improve our bills. We were happy to work with the provinces. We are always happy to work with the premiers.

In the meantime, Canadians expect us to move forward in the right way, which involves honouring environmental concerns and working with first nations on the development of major energy projects.

That is exactly what we will continue to do. That is what the Conservatives do not understand. We will always work with the provinces to—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we all recall when the Prime Minister stood in the House and used the word “pandering” when referring to the provinces. Yesterday, he did it again when he said that provincial premiers were being threatening. That is simply unacceptable.

Does the Prime Minister seriously think that the provinces, municipalities, first nations, and Conservative and independent senators, whom he himself appointed, are being capricious and making threats when they disagree with him and propose amendments to Bill C-69?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member across the way is confused. We accepted close to 100 of the amendments proposed by the senators and various groups who wanted to improve Bill C-69.

We understand that the only way to go forward and create new projects is to ensure that we work in partnership with first nations and that we protect the environment. That is what the Conservatives rejected for 10 years and will continue to reject, but we know that to build the economy we must protect the environment at the same time.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister continues to stand in this House and indicate that his path is the way forward to get pipelines built, he is being told by six premiers in this country, representing 59% of the population, that it is simply not true. This is a very grave situation. The Premier of New Brunswick actually said yesterday that the Prime Minister is underestimating the urgency of this situation.

Will he do the right thing, support Canadian investment, and ensure that every single one of these amendments passes?