Debates of Dec. 8th, 2021

The Economy

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have seen over the past many weeks Conservatives simply try to play attacks, fling mud, label and distract, when the reality is Canadians deserve support. Canadians deserve a government like ours that continues to invest to support them with historic investments in infrastructure and housing, with supports for families and seniors.

The Conservatives continue to complain that we were investing too much through the beginning of this pandemic to support Canadians. What we have seen is our economic recovery is actually better than most of our peers because we were there for Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister got confused when he was asked what is this famous middle class he is always talking about. It turned out he said it is those people who live off their income instead of their assets, except that inflation hits folks who live off income the hardest because their paycheque is worth less, while helping those people, like him, who live off ancestral assets. Their assets appreciate and inflate in value.

Maybe the reason he does not think about inflation is because he benefits from it. For example, could the Prime Minister tell us how much his mansion in the Laurentians has inflated in price since he took office?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, again we see the Conservatives choosing to focus on me when they should be focused, like we are, on Canadians. We will continue to be there to invest in countering the housing crisis with real investments for municipalities as opposed to the member for Carleton's suggestion that we give tax breaks to wealthy landlords to help them sell their buildings. That is not what is going to help Canadians afford their first homes or retire in safety. That is the kind of thing the Conservatives proposed when we proposed concrete investments in helping Canadians through.

We promised to have their backs and, despite what the Conservatives say, we will continue to have their backs.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of wealthy landlords, I have here the financial stability report from the Bank of Canada, which shows that since the Prime Minister started pumping $400 billion into the financial system, wealthy landlords have seen a 100% increase in mortgage lending they have been able to acquire. Cheap debt for the wealthy investor class, high inflation for the working class. More dollars chasing fewer goods means higher prices. Does the Prime Minister realize that every time he takes a trip to the central bank, Canadians have to go over to the food bank?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, a question like that from the Conservatives might have a shred of credibility, had it not been for the fact that their entire plan on fighting the housing crisis in the last election was about giving a half-billion dollar tax break to wealthy landlords to help them sell their buildings. That is the kind of approach the Conservatives take while they are trying to attack the Liberal government. We will stay focused on Canadians while they stay focused on us. We will be there to have Canadians' backs as we are every single day with investments in housing, child care and families.

Public Safety

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for weeks now, everyone in Quebec has been calling on the federal government to take its responsibility for gun control seriously. People have been waiting weeks for the government to take any kind of concrete action.

The government did not start by tightening border controls to thwart illegal arms trafficking. The government did not start by taking leadership on joint efforts by police forces. The government did not start by investing in border crossings. No, the government started by introducing Bill C‑5 to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for illegal weapons.

Does the Prime Minister think the streets of Montreal will be safer once Bill C‑5 is passed?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we introduced Bill C‑5 because we know it will help curb violence and enable the police to stop criminals. It will also tackle the systemic discrimination that the Liberal Party acknowledges is a reality. The Bloc still seems a bit noncommittal on that.

We will also continue to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to help tackle gun trafficking at the border and to support our police forces so they can do their job. We will also invest $1 million to help Quebec ban handguns altogether.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister is completely out of touch. The priority right now is to address violence in Montreal.

His priority should be to stop the flow of illegal weapons across our borders. His priority should be to keep guns off our streets. His priority should be to crack down on organized criminal gangs.

Once he has fulfilled his responsibilities in the areas under his jurisdiction, once he has done all that, then we can have a conversation about minimum sentences.

Will the Prime Minister get his act together and put people's safety first—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our priority has been to invest $125 million to create a cross-border task force to stop gun smuggling, $250 million to support community-based anti-gang programs, $327 million to ensure that police have the resources they need to better detect and prevent crime, and $1 billion to help Quebec and other willing provinces ban handguns entirely.

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, there was a historic admission in the House of Commons today. The Prime Minister put aside his talking points about having people's backs and admitted that the rising cost of gas, food and essentials is just inflation.

With that admission out of the way, now knowing that inflation is gripping this country and the rising cost of living is worrying families and seniors on fixed incomes, will he take the next step and today tell Canadians that he will mandate the Bank of Canada to get inflation back down to 2%?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is the Conservatives who have been saying that over the past many weeks. That is not the reality Canadians are facing. Canadians need concrete support now, which is why we are investing billions of dollars so municipalities can create more supply. We are investing to support families and seniors, even though the Conservatives said we were doing far too much.

On the Bank of Canada, the member opposite should well know that the mandate of the Bank of Canada is to keep inflation at 2%.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have seen, just in the last few years, houses go up 33%. Rents in Victoria, B.C., in one year alone are up 20%. Families with children are using food banks more than ever before. Families are worried and they have a Prime Minister who said he does not think about monetary policy, a Prime Minister who does not seem to know about the rising cost of living, and a Prime Minister who said famously that “budgets balance themselves”.

Will the Prime Minister stand up in this House, say he will fight for Canadians and get inflation back down?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, one can always tell the Conservatives are getting desperate when they trot out every old attack line they have ever tried against me and against the Liberals instead of focusing on what actually needs to happen.

Canadians need a government like ours that continues to focus on them, not on petty political games. That is why we are stepping up with a real national housing strategy to counter the housing crisis. That is why we are delivering $10-a-day child care, which the member opposite opposes, right across the country. That is why we continue to be there for Canadians while Conservatives propose tax breaks for the wealthiest.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is a serious issue. This is not about the Prime Minister or the Leader of the Opposition. He suggests we are getting desperate. Canadian families are getting desperate.

There are single parents worried about Christmas gifts this year. There are seniors on fixed income who cannot afford to fill up their car. There are people worried about transient employment and driving Uber to save for a car over 15 years. He has a time to not say “I have their backs”. He has a time to say he will ask the Bank of Canada to get inflation back down to 2%.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the Leader of the Opposition that the Bank of Canada actually has a mandate to keep inflation at 2% right now, as we speak.

We are focused on making sure Canadians get the support they need. That is why we have invested in them and invested historic amounts to help them through this pandemic, to help small businesses, to help seniors and to help workers.

All the while, Conservatives kept saying we were spending too much, too fast. Well, our investments have had the Canadian economy rebound faster than most of our peer countries because of what we did, despite the complaints of the Conservatives. We will continue to have Canadians' backs.

The Environment

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change are important priorities for our government. Clean technologies are key to growing a sustainable economy.

Can the Prime Minister update the House on our government's investments in the clean technology sector?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the member for Châteauguay—Lacolle for her question and her hard work.

Our government has always been there to support and invest in innovative and clean growth projects. For example, we are making zero-emissions vehicles more affordable for Canadians, we are supporting the development and production of carbon-free aluminum in Quebec, and we are investing in cleaner, more sustainable electricity grids in the Atlantic provinces. We will continue to invest in clean technologies in order to grow a sustainable economy.

Health

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, how the heck could the Prime Minister let his government repeat the mistakes of the past? Canadians went through hell in the quarantine hotels, and the ordeal is still going on, with no cleaning services, no milk for infants, mothers unable to get diapers for their children, and horrible meals.

Is this ringing any bells for the Prime Minister? How can he allow Canadians to be treated so badly?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we will always be there to help Canadians in difficult situations and to ensure that the border rules are understood. However, our priority must be to keep Canadians safe. We must implement measures, even though they may be difficult or complex, to ensure that the vast majority of Canadians who remain in Canada are protected against COVID-19. That is what we have done from the outset, and we encourage everyone to follow public health rules. That is why we are encouraging Conservatives to get vaccinated.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I remember the beginning of the pandemic. The Liberals were slow to close the borders and bring in vaccines, and the N95 masks in the national stockpile were expired. All of that contributed to the first wave of closures and to the severe health measures we all faced. On top of that, there were the instances of sexual violence in the quarantine hotels.

The Prime Minister has learned absolutely nothing. He is repeating the same mistakes, except that this time, the ministers are announcing the failures in advance.

Why is the Prime Minister failing Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, what Canadians remember is that the government has been there to support them during this pandemic. Our country was at the top of the list in terms of vaccination. We are here for Canadians. We have been helping businesses and families, and we have been covering missing pay cheques for workers. We have been there to support them every step of the way, and we will continue to do so. We are all worried about the omicron variant, which is why we are taking the necessary precautions. We will be there for Canadians who travel, but especially for Canadians who remain here.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister has learned anything, then he should quickly bring his ministers together to send a clear message to Canadians. What is happening right now is that the Minister of Health is announcing measures that the Minister of Public Safety says he is unable to implement. Meanwhile, the Minister of Transport is already announcing changes. There seems to be a lot of confusion and improvisation going on, and Canadians are the ones paying the price. ArriveCAN, testing at airports, mandatory quarantines: None of it is working.

When will the Prime Minister call his ministers to order and work for Canadians instead of making things harder for them?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am rather concerned that the member opposite is saying that nothing is working. The reality is that we are protecting Canadians across the country with one of the best systems in the world, as far as COVID-19 is concerned.

We are taking the necessary steps to rely on science and listen to the experts. Yes, that means adjustments will have to be made because of the omicron variant, and yes, adjustments will have to be made because the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to rise.

However, we will be there to ensure that every effort is being made to protect Canadians across the country.