Debates of June 21st, 2023

Government Priorities

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

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, Canadians clearly rejected the Conservative party’s failed approach under their new leadership and instead opted in favour of delivering real results for Canadians today and for generations to come. Whether in Quebec, the Prairies or southwestern Ontario, we see Canadians supporting the Liberal government’s approach to creating jobs and creating and ensuring a clean, growing economy of the future.

Can the Prime Minister inform constituents—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order. I am going to have to interrupt.

The hon. member for Châteauguay—Lacolle can begin from the top.

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

Mr. Speaker, I can bring it home.

On Monday, Canadians clearly rejected the Conservative Party's failed approach under its new leadership and instead opted in favour of delivering real results for Canadians today and for generations to come. Whether in Quebec, the Prairies or southwestern Ontario, we see Canadians supporting this Liberal government's approach to creating jobs and ensuring a clean, growing economy of the future.

Can the Prime Minister inform the constituents of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount and Winnipeg South Centre of what their new Liberal members of Parliament will fight for?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Châteauguay—Lacolle for her question and for her hard work. I would like to congratulate all the candidates in the recent by-elections. I look forward to welcoming Anna Gainey and Ben Carr—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order.

The right hon. Prime Minister, from the top.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Châteauguay—Lacolle for her question and for her hard work.

I would like to congratulate all the candidates in the recent by-elections. I look forward to welcoming Anna Gainey and Ben Carr to the House.

Communities in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba had a choice between the Conservative Party's divisive rhetoric, austerity and cuts, or our plan to continue to strengthen the middle class, make life more affordable, fight climate change and so much more.

There is a lot more hard work left ahead of us, and our team will be even stronger with these two new, strong voices in Ottawa.

Housing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, last year's exorbitant increases in interest rates were incredible and unprecedented. They were caused by this government's inflationary deficit. Canadians are worried about losing their homes. According to the Bank of Canada, the average Canadian could see a 40% increase in their mortgage payments. The International Monetary Fund says that Canada is the country most at risk of experiencing a default crisis.

Will the Prime Minister finally eliminate his inflationary deficits to lower interest rates on mortgages and ensure that Canadians can keep their homes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have the lowest deficit in the G7. We have the best debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, and we still have a AAA rating from rating agencies around the world.

We are taking a fiscally responsible approach to protecting our economy and creating growth. At the same time, we are investing to support low-income Canadians, to help people buy new homes, and we are also investing with municipalities to create more housing and to build more new apartments and housing units.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister, it now takes well over 60% of a family's pre-tax income to make monthly payments on an average house. That is mathematically impossible, but it is possibly about to get worse.

The Prime Minister's inflationary deficits are driving up interest rates faster than at any time since any of us have been alive. This means that Canadians could face 40% increases in their monthly payments. There may be another bank rate increase this summer that could push Canadians to bankruptcy.

Before Canadians lose their homes, will he get rid of his inflationary deficits to bring down those terrible mortgage rates?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has the lowest deficits in the G7. We have the best debt-to-GDP ratio, and the lowest one in the G7 as well. We are one of the three largest economies in the world, along with Germany and the United States, to have a AAA credit rating from the bond rating agencies.

Our fiscal plan is sustainable, even as we continue to invest to support low-income Canadians, to support municipalities in building more housing, and to move forward with a plan, while the Conservative Party, once again, continues to talk about cuts to programs, cuts to services and cuts for Canadians.

Financial Institutions

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has the worst household debt in the G7, by far the worst, and that debt risks blowing up when rates rise.

One of the ways the Prime Minister has been wasting money is that he gave $210 million to the Asian infrastructure bank, which is controlled by Beijing and designed to build the infrastructure of Beijing's Communist empire throughout Asia. We warned him five years ago and now some of that bank's own executives are speaking out against it. He claims he is stalling his involvement in the bank, but the real question is this: When will we get our $200 million back?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has long been involved in investing in infrastructure around the world because we know that it creates growth and opportunity in the global south. It continues to contribute to fighting climate change, as people are building more resilient infrastructure and indeed energy infrastructure. We are part of multilateral development banks all around the world.

As the Leader of the Opposition pointed out, we are reviewing our participation in the Asian infrastructure bank, and we will make the decision that is right for Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he is defending the $200 million he gave to a bank, one of whose executives said, “I didn't find a single, tangible benefit to communicate back home here to Canada of what this bank does that is consistent with our values in a way that would benefit Canadians.”

While Canadians are starving and cannot heat their homes, he is forcing them to give $200 million to this bank controlled by Beijing to expand a Communist empire in Asia. When will Canadians get their $200 million back from this Liberal-friendly bank?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we are evaluating our continued participation in this multilateral development bank controlled by Beijing. We continue to look very carefully at how we are having a positive impact around the world with investments in infrastructure and how we are delivering for Canadians in the fight against climate change, in growth around the world that benefits Canadians and in participation in supports for the global south.

Democratic Institutions

[René Villemure, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, observers of federal politics have come to the same conclusion about this session. They call it four months of time wasted by the Liberals on trying to avoid an inquiry into Chinese interference.

A waste of time is what everyone is taking away from this government's stubborn defiance of the will of the people and of the House. It is high time we moved on to the next steps. The government says it is open to ideas, and the Bloc Québécois is co-operating.

Will the Prime Minister finally announce the launch of an independent public inquiry into foreign interference?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the fight against foreign interference in our democratic institutions is and must remain a non-partisan issue.

The Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities has spoken to the Leader of the Opposition about a way forward. Once we reach a consensus on a way forward, free from political overtones, we will be able to take steps together.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, everything is already in place so that we can move on to other things. The Bloc Québécois is collaborating. The Prime Minister knows that he can count on the NDP to do whatever he wants. We have the public's support. The Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs is having constructive discussions with the opposition parties, which we commend. If the Prime Minister really intends to launch a public inquiry, the stars could not be better aligned to do so.

Will the Prime Minister finally announce that he is launching a public inquiry so that the work can finally be done and we can all move on to something else?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are continuing to work to counter foreign interference, mainly through the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency and other bodies.

Yes, we want to work with the opposition parties. I thank them for their co-operation to date. However, Canadians are well aware that we need a process that will not end in partisan attacks and toxicity, as it did on the last attempt.

That is why we are coordinating with the other parties to come up with something that will work so that the issue can be taken seriously.

Financial Institutions

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just admitted that the Asian infrastructure bank is “controlled by Beijing”. He says he is not going to get our money back. He is just going to review our participation.

While Canadians cannot afford to eat, heat or house themselves, he is forcing them to give almost a quarter-billion dollars to this Beijing-backed bank.

I am asking the question: Will the Prime Minister take back our $200 million from this bank, which he admits is controlled by Beijing?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we remain committed to building infrastructure around the world, particularly in emerging southern nations.

We are there for investments, for roads, for power plants and other things across the south, and we will continue to be. Yes, we are in the process of reassessing our participation in this Asian investment bank. We will share our findings with Canadians when we complete the assessment.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of Beijing's interference in our democracy, I have already spoken to the minister to indicate the Conservative Party's support. We are ready to provide the names and mandates as soon as the Prime Minister announces a public inquiry. Tomorrow, the minister wants to have a call with members of the opposition.

Will the Prime Minister finally announce a public inquiry into Beijing's interference so that we can protect our democracy before the next election?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I recognize that the opposition parties are now in a position to work together to establish a process that will work well.

Given how the opposition parties have behaved in recent months toward an esteemed former governor general, we want guarantees that everyone agrees on the framework and the individual who will conduct the work so that we do not go back to personal attacks that will undermine Canadians' trust in our institutions.

Finance

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister jetted off to New York for a weekend with celebrities, and now we know the price tag. While Canadians cannot eat, heat or house themselves, he stuck them with a $61,000 bill just for hotels for himself and his entourage. It was one weekend and $61,000 of fun.

Canadians cannot pay their own bills and they certainly cannot afford to pay his. Will he commit to paying for his own vacations this summer?