Debates of Dec. 8th, 2021

The Economy

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservative Party flails around and offers personal insults, we are focused on Canadians. We are focused on investing tangibly to counter the housing crisis. Whether it is $4 billion for municipalities, investment in $10-a-day child care right across the country or support for seniors or young families, we are there. We will continue to be there for Canadians while the Conservatives play political games and throw mud.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, inflation has never been as bad as it is now.

Inflation means that everything goes up, especially the cost of fruit, meat, housing and gas. The list is long, and Canadians are worried.

This government has not yet given the Bank of Canada a mandate to maintain the 2% inflation target.

Will the government maintain the 2% target, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition leader is well aware that we will be making an announcement about that soon.

The fact is that we are focusing on the challenges facing Canadians. That is why we are making massive investments in housing by helping municipalities build more units. We are investing in more child care spaces across the country and in helping seniors and youth. We are there to help Canadians.

All the Conservatives had to offer on the housing file was tax credits for the wealthiest Canadians so they could sell their buildings. That is not what Canadians need. We will continue to be there for Canadians.

Health

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the new travel rules are different for everyone, depending on whether one travels by land or by air, in Europe, in the U.S. or, worse, in designated countries in Africa, and on whether one is entering or leaving the U.S.

Upon their return, travellers are facing public health restrictions that are reminiscent of “the place that sends you mad”, which even Asterix had trouble navigating.

Why will Canada not introduce procedures and rules that are reassuring, clear and reciprocal to those imposed by the United States?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the COVID-19 crisis requires adjustments that are based on science and respond to different situations. Canadians are well aware of that.

They also know full well that our government will be there with the necessary measures to support them, whatever the situation. There are new rules in place, and I realize that it can be confusing for people who can and want to travel, but the vast majority of Canadians need us to do whatever is necessary to keep them safe.

That is what we have been doing since the beginning of the pandemic, and we are not about to stop now.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we will clarify by imagining an example.

Let us say the Prime Minister travels to Egypt. On his way back, he goes through Paris to say hi to his pal Macron. He then hops over to Burlington before returning to Canada by road, ideally not by Roxham Road.

What with quarantines, tests at the airport, trips lasting more than 72 hours and subcontractors making house calls, can the Prime Minister tell us what rules he will be subject to, what tests he will have to take, what restrictions he will have to follow and when?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, anyone who has to travel or decides to travel will have to consult public health authorities to see what rules apply to their situation.

I do not think it is so hard to understand that every person who travels is going to have to take appropriate steps, and we have all the information to share.

The reality is that yes, it can be complicated. However, we have to be there to protect Canadians from the omicron variant and COVID‑19. We are going to make choices accordingly, to protect the vast majority of Canadians who are staying home and who want to finish the fight against COVID‑19.

Housing

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, a recent analysis found that the price of homes in Montreal has increased by 21% in the past year. It is impossible for people to find affordable housing.

The Liberals say that there is nothing they can do about it. We disagree. The Liberal government has the tools to address this crisis. Why is the Prime Minister not doing anything to help people?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. leader of the NDP was not listening when we said that we do indeed have solutions. We can do things, and we are in the process of doing things to deal with the housing crisis.

We are investing billions of dollars with municipalities to speed up access to housing. We are launching rapid housing initiatives, creating various programs and expanding several others because we know how much we need to be there for people. We will continue to be there for people. That is what the government is doing.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister’s actions come up short in the face of this crisis.

The problem is also that the Liberal government prefers to favour the ultrarich instead of helping people. Here is a clear example. The Peel basin is federal land in Montreal. Instead of using that land to build affordable housing, this Liberal government wants to hand it over to its friend and billionaire developer, Mr. Bronfman. Why does the government favour the ultrarich instead of helping people?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have come to expect personal attacks from the Conservatives, but it is a bit disappointing when it comes from the NDP.

The reality is that we are here to work with municipalities to invest in housing. We are here to work on creating more programs for affordable housing. We are here to partner with Montreal, with Quebec City, and with investors who want to build housing for everyone.

The Economy

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition summed up the situation very well. Inflation is hitting Canadians hard, and the Liberal government can no longer deny it.

One of the Bank of Canada's mandates is to keep inflation to 2%. Inflation is currently almost 5%, and everyone is affected. If the Prime Minister does not maintain the 2% target, Canadian consumers will once again pay for his mismanagement.

The question is very simple: Will the government maintain the 2% target, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives know very well that the Bank of Canada's current mandate is 2%. There will be an announcement shortly about the renewal of this mandate.

In the meantime, I can reassure all Canadians that we will be there to help them. We will be there to help them access home ownership, to help them access $10-a-day child care, and to invest in youth and seniors. We will be there to help Canadians as we have been from the beginning.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's answer is in no way reassuring. The cost of everything is going up, and Canadians are seeing their purchasing power go down. Just talk to food banks, mothers and seniors to get a sense of how bad things are right now.

Will the Prime Minister guarantee that the Bank of Canada will maintain inflation at 2%? A yes or no will do.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the member should know that the Bank of Canada is independent and that it must remain free from political interference.

Yes, we will continue to work with the Bank of Canada, within our jurisdiction, to ensure that Canadians are well served. That is why we are investing in housing, child care spaces, and help for seniors, young people and workers. We promised to be there for Canadians, even though the Conservatives wanted us to invest less in Canadians during this pandemic. We will always be there to help Canadians with what they need.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, runaway inflation is driving up prices. Canadians are feeling the pinch. Many are struggling to pay for groceries, while others are giving up on their dream of buying a home because prices have gone up 33%. The Liberal government's attitude feels like a frontal assault.

Can the Liberal government have a heart and see how fed up Canadian consumers are? It is a simple question.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I find that a little surprising coming from a member whose election campaign was founded on a Conservative Party housing promise to give massive tax credits to landlords.

That was not going to help families become homeowners. In contrast, the Liberal Party had and still has a concrete plan to invest with municipalities in order to build housing, ensure affordable access to home ownership and assist first-time buyers.

We are here to help Canadians every step of the way. The Conservatives want us to do less. We will not do less, we will do more.

Canada-U.S. Relations

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what did the Prime Minister's Office say when Bud the Spud from the bright red mud rolled into Ottawa looking for help? They sent him to city hall. It was the Conservatives who brought the spuds back to Parliament Hill so they could not be ignored. However, potato growers in Prince Edward Island are frustrated that they are hearing nothing from their Liberal MPs. Three hundred million pounds of potatoes sit idle, hundreds of jobs have been lost and dozens of family farms are at risk.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing? Will he end his self-imposed export ban on P.E.I. potatoes before Christmas, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am certain that I am not hearing right. I do not think I am hearing the Conservatives propose that we allow the Americans to impose a ban on P.E.I. potatoes, because that is what they are proposing right now.

We moved forward to make sure that we kept control over the situation. I had a meeting with Premier King the same week that I had a meeting with President Biden to highlight the issues we have right now. We will continue to be there to support P.E.I. and indeed the potato industry across this country. We will continue to be there to support Prince Edward Island potatoes in every way we can, as we have continued to support Canadians throughout these difficult years.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has just admitted that the government self-inflicted a wound before the United States did anything. He has admitted that this decision was based on politics, not science. In fact, the agriculture minister has said the same thing. The Liberal member for Cardigan said that absolutely there is no doubt politics is involved in this dispute with the United States.

Will the Prime Minister end his half-baked ban? Will he expend some political capital and political will and end this dispute before Christmas?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I highly recommend that the Conservatives actually engage substantively on this issue, because we should all be using a team Canada approach and should recognize that with the U.S. threatening to impose a ban on table potatoes from Prince Edward Island, we needed to act.

We are continuing to work with the United States and to put pressure on the United States so that we can move forward in a way that is safe for everyone and supports Islanders. The Conservatives are busy throwing mud and do not actually understand the issue. The member talks about rich red mud. He should respect that rich red mud and get the facts straight.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I wish the Prime Minister would show that kind of fight with the United States when some of our commodities are at risk. He has failed when it comes to our trade relationship with the United States. He has failed on energy. He has failed on softwood lumber. He has failed on dairy and potatoes. Now the United States is threatening to instigate mandatory country-of-origin labelling, which will devastate our livestock industry. The WTO has already said that COOL violates international law.

Will Canada’s beef and pork industry be protected, or will the Prime Minister continue to outsource our trade agenda to the United States?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, what we saw over the past number of years was the Conservatives recommending that we cave on standing up to the United States. We did exactly the opposite. We stood up for steel. We stood up for aluminum workers. We stood up for people across the country—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I will have to stop the Prime Minister. I am having a hard time hearing his answer and I am sure everybody wants to hear what he has to say. I want to ask everyone to just calm down.

The Prime Minister can start from the beginning and answer the whole thing.