Madam Speaker, I apologize to the interpreters. I very much appreciate what they do. I will be sure to keep my hands higher up for the rest of my speech.
I will pick up where I left off.
It is extremely important for us. It is important for the government to ensure that Canadians know that everything we do is for them. It is a very different approach from what the Conservatives are proposing. We are here to stand up for Canadians' rights and economic opportunities, to defend our country and the Canadian economy, while the Conservatives do not want to defend them. They told the U.S. that in the event of a pandemic, they would do nothing. They will not be there to defend Canadians. That is extremely important.
It is really important to Canadians to ensure that we have access to good information. During his speech, the Leader of the Opposition once again said that he wants to destroy this country's media ecosystem. He said he does not want to give money to CBC/Radio-Canada. CBC/Radio-Canada is not perfect, but it is part of our history as Canadians, and it ensures that Canadians across the country, whether they are on the west coast, the east coast, in the north or in rural areas, whether they are anglophone or francophone, have access to the news.
We know why the Conservatives do not want that. When Canadians are well informed, they do not support the Conservatives. The Conservatives have a hidden agenda. They do not want Canadians to know what they will do if they come to power. Look at what happened with support for doctors. They do not want Canadians to have access to contraceptives. They do not want women's reproductive rights to be respected.
These are very important questions that Canadians might well ask Conservatives, but we all know how Conservatives are with the media. What does the opposition leader do when people ask him tough questions? He attacks the media. Attacks on the media are attacks on Canadians, because the media asks questions on behalf of Canadians. If he truly respected Canadians and this country, he would not attack the people asking those questions on behalf of Canadians.
Today is an important day for this country, with a decision about what the future of our country will look like. There is a Leader of the Opposition who does not want to share with Canadians what he will truly do, and there is a government that is committed to advancing the well-being and the welfare of Canadians.
I understand that these times are difficult, and for many Canadians, making ends meet is a challenge right now. That is exactly why we have put forward measures that help make that a little bit easier. Whether it is the Canada child benefit, which has lifted 650,000 children out of poverty; the Canadian dental plan, which has helped 750,000 seniors and children access a dentist; pharmacare that would make diabetes medication and contraceptives free for Canadians; or the billions of dollars of investment in this country that have created thousands of good-paying jobs for Canadians, the government is committed to continuing to advance a progressive agenda that puts Canadians first and builds an inclusive and prosperous country for all.
That is what we are committed to doing. That is what drives us every single day. What there is on the other side of the aisle is a leader who only wants to tear Canada and Canadians down.
There is so much potential and so much opportunity in this country, so much we must continue to do to ensure that the generations of Canadians who have built this country into what it is, the greatest country in the world, have a government that believes in this country, believes in Canadians and continues to make us the envy of the world. This is where the world wants to be, and Canada wants to lead that vision for the world.