Debates of May 22nd, 2024

Finance

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservative leader completely ignores the facts and the data in every political argument he tries to make.

In reality, the global inflation phenomenon has not hit Canada as hard as it hit many other countries, and inflation has remained within the Bank of Canada's target range for the past four months in a row. That is due to this government's investments and prudent, responsible fiscal management.

We will continue to be there to invest in Canadians while working to lower inflation. That is something that the Conservative leader does not understand.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, housing inflation in Canada is the worst of all the G7 countries. Among the nearly 40 OECD countries, Canada ranks second last.

However, the question was about the inflationary and centralist spending that the Bloc Québécois keeps voting for.

The Bloc Québécois has become a socialist party that wants to expand the government, but its main focus is the federal government. That means a bigger federal government and less autonomy and money for Quebeckers.

What is happening? Are the Conservatives the only ones standing up for Quebeckers?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, can anyone remember what the Conservatives did in Quebec? They cut care and social services. They cut transfers. They cut arts and culture. For the Conservatives to rise today to attack the Bloc Québécois for not standing up for Quebec is a bit much.

The reality, as we know, is that the Bloc Québécois is there to stand up for Quebeckers. They do not do it as well as we in the government do, but the Conservative attacks against Quebeckers are a bit ridiculous.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Bloc is a beautiful coalition.

The Prime Minister, supposedly a federalist, is saying that the Bloc Québécois stands up for Quebeckers. Then we have the Bloc Québécois voting for centralist spending here in Ottawa. What is going on? Everything is backwards.

Is it not time to forget about this senseless coalition and replace it with a common-sense Conservative government?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the leader of the Conservative Party thinks, I fundamentally believe that every member of this House is here to defend their constituents' interests. That is our individual and collective responsibility, and every single person here is doing that.

People know very well that I do not agree with the aims of the Bloc Québécois. At the same time, we find opportunities to work together, respectfully, to protect the French language and create economic growth in Quebec.

We are here to work together, not to play political games and attack each other, which is what the Conservatives do every time.

Fisheries and Oceans

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

Mr. Speaker, only one fishery is still operating fully in the western Gulf of St. Lawrence, specifically, shellfish, in other words, crab and lobster. All the others are in serious jeopardy, and now even that fishery is in crisis too.

The industry is in distress, but the member for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Minister of Fisheries is closing vast fishing areas off Chaleur Bay, the Gaspé Peninsula and Acadia.

What does the Prime Minister have to say to the fishers who have to remove their traps, return to port and see yet another season compromised?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we understand the difficulties and distress facing fishers in eastern Canada. People are going through some extremely difficult times because of climate change and dwindling marine populations.

We will always be there to support fishers. Part of that support also means protecting our international markets and fulfilling our scientific responsibilities in accordance with the laws and rights that have been put in place. We will be there to help fishers, but we will also be there to protect species at risk as well as our trade for the future.

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

Mr. Speaker, we are going to give him a chance. The fishing areas were closed because of right whales.

Everyone wants to protect the right whale. The government is actually endangering it more by opening up areas to offshore oil drilling. Fishers have suggested ways to protect whales, and so have scientists and the Bloc Québécois.

The department is not listening, the minister is not listening and the fishing industry is facing an unprecedented crisis. Some people have doubts, but does the Prime Minister still think that his minister is worthy of fishers' trust and of the role he assigned her?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are working closely with industry, scientists and our international partners to manage an extremely unique situation. We understand how difficult this is for fishers. We will continue to be there for them. We will ensure that the steps we are going to take and the decisions we are going to make will be in the interest of the industry, the fishers and, of course, the environment and species at risk.

This is a complex issue, but we will be there, not with simplistic solutions, but with the necessary assistance to ensure the sustainability of our resources.

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of this Prime Minister and the Bloc Québécois, Canadians are exhausted. They are out of money, and some are going hungry. They need a vacation, but it costs too much. When the Prime Minister doubled the national debt, he inflated prices across the board. Interest rates also went up. That is why the common-sense Conservatives are suggesting that he suspend the taxes on gas and diesel to give Quebeckers a break.

Will the Prime Minister have enough common sense to agree to this cost-cutting measure?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers know only too well what Conservative austerity leads to when it comes to affordability and the cost of living.

That is why we will continue investing in families. We will continue to be there to help our seniors. We will continue to be there to help children with a school food program. We will be there to create more child care spaces. These are all proposals the Conservatives voted against. They will cut programs, services and family benefits in the name of austerity ideology. We will continue to make investments for Quebeckers and for all Canadians.

Mental Health and Addictions

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister has implemented a wacko and radical drug decriminalization and handout program. He has literally handed out tax-funded opioids. The result has been tragic, with nearly a tripling in the number of overdose deaths. Where the policy has been most deeply implemented, in B.C., there has been a 300% increase in overdose deaths. The Prime Minister did a last-minute reversal on decriminalization in that province, only to vote back in favour of decriminalization yesterday.

Is it not the Prime Minister's plan to decriminalize across Canada if he is re-elected?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is we will continue to be there responsibly with a science-based, evidence-based approach that works with jurisdictions on the tools they need to counter the growing opioid and toxic drug epidemic.

I understand the ideological desire by Conservatives to simply look at every problem as if it is a nail because all they have is a hammer. We are going to continue to be there to invest in community supports. We are going to be there to continue to work with jurisdictions that want to help people struggling with addictions. We will continue to be there, grounded in science and evidence.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, imagine a young couple in a hospital welcoming their newborn into the world, and all of a sudden they smell meth or crack smoke coming from down the hallway. That was the reality up until just a few weeks ago in British Columbia because the Prime Minister and the NDP decriminalized crack. If those parents had asked the nurse to stop it, the nurse would have said no and that it cannot happen. These drug uses are now legal.

Conservatives are introducing the safe hospitals act to ban all hard drugs from hospitals. Will the Prime Minister support it, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, to be clear, those things are already illegal in hospitals. We know that nurses and hospital staff need to feel safe in their work environment, and it is our government that has invested billions of dollars into the health care system to ensure Canadians have access to the best care possible, and into supports for our frontline health workers.

The important difference between the Conservatives and us is that while they look to criminalize the most vulnerable struggling with addictions, we are rolling up our sleeves and working with all levels of government to put an end to this crisis and help the most vulnerable Canadians.

Women and Gender Equality

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for many, cost is a barrier to accessing health care, particularly reproductive health care.

The right to access abortion is under threat in Canada. An anti-abortion march made its way through the streets of Ottawa, encouraged and followed by Conservative MPs who promise to further restrict access to health care. Young people in Ottawa—Vanier are concerned and want to know what the government is doing to combat these threats to women's rights.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the member for Ottawa—Vanier for her hard work and leadership.

On the other side of the House, Conservative MPs are proposing anti-choice laws and attending anti-abortion rallies. Not only does the Conservative leader refuse to challenge his caucus, he even voted with it in support of a bill that would have classified a fetus as a person.

Women in this country have the right to decide their own future. That is why we are making prescription contraceptives free, and that is why we will always defend the right to choose.

Public Safety

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of this NDP-Liberal Prime Minister's wacko crime policies, extortions are up 218% nationally, 263% in Ontario, roughly the same in Alberta, and roughly 400% in British Columbia.

The Prime Minister passed a law that would allow extortionists out of jail faster after they have used a gun. Will he reverse himself and support my common-sense Conservative deputy leader's bill to crack down on extortionists and put them behind bars to stop the crime?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the problem with the Conservative leader's approach on crime is that it consistently gets struck down by the courts. That is what we saw through eight years of Stephen Harper, which actually left Canadians worse off than before.

The reality is, our approach is cracking down on criminals while at the same time making sure our communities are safer by strengthening the gun laws the Conservatives are continually voting against in the pocket of the gun lobby, which is not keeping Canadians safe. That is why we worked with the provinces on bail reforms that are going to make sure we are keeping Canadians safe while making sure we are charter-compliant.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was not forced by the courts to allow career car thieves to do their sentences in their living rooms playing Grand Theft Auto. He chose to do that through his Bill C-5. He chose to bring in catch-and-release bail through Bill C-75. He chose to pass a law allowing Paul Bernardo out of max pen.

Now, the Prime Minister can make another choice. Instead of trying to ban Grandpa Joe's hunting rifle, will he put extortionists who use machine guns in jail?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition has continually pledged to make assault-style weapons legal again. We have banned them for the past four years, and we will continue to make sure that they stay banned in this country, while the Leader of the Opposition wants to bring back assault-style weapons to our communities and to Canadians from coast to coast to coast. That is not how to keep this community safer.

On top of that, in the name of protecting Canadians from crime, the Leader of the Opposition is willing to suspend their fundamental freedoms by using the notwithstanding clause to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That is not responsible, and it makes us wonder what other rights he is going to come after on Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, military-style assault rifles have been banned since the seventies.

The Prime Minister held a press conference with a big scary gun on the front of his podium four years ago and still has not been able to figure out how to ban that scary-looking cartoon gun. With 1,500 guns under amnesty to this day, he says he will not be able to figure out how to do it for at least another three years.

Will the Prime Minister stop his made-in-Hollywood approach to crime and actually lock up the hard criminals so that we can stop the crime?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, for the past four years, it has been illegal to buy, sell or use assault-style weapons in this country, and that is exactly what the Conservative leader has promised to overturn if he gets elected to government in this country. The reality is that he wants to bring back assault-style weapons in this country after we banned them back in 2020.

We are going to continue to be there to make sure Canadians are safe while the Conservative leader stays in the pocket of the gun lobby. That is not what Canadians want. That is not even what Conservative Canadians want, but he is going to do it anyway.

Women and Gender Equality

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while our government works to provide pharmacare, expand child care, introduce a national school food program and build housing, Conservative MPs are giving speeches at anti-abortion rallies.

Reproductive health is health. Women have the right to choose when and if they start a family. With members of the House threatening to take this right away from Canadians, what is the government doing to strengthen reproductive rights?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Davenport is right. Reproductive health is health. Abortion is health care.

The Leader of the Opposition pretends to care about freedom, but whose freedom was he defending by threatening to suspend Canadians' charter rights, by voting to restrict abortion or by removing the right to vote from thousands of Canadians when he was minister of democratic institutions? That is the very opposite of freedom. We will never back down from defending all Canadians' fundamental rights and freedoms.