Debates of Sept. 25th, 2024

International Trade

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is the deepest of ironies that, during the existential renegotiations of NAFTA, it was the Conservative Party's position that we needed to capitulate to the United States and to Donald Trump. That is not what we did. We stood firm. We protected steelworkers. We protected auto workers. We protected agricultural workers and dairy farmers.

We continue to stand up to Americans while we protect jobs in this country. While they were saying, “It's too important. You need to give in to the United States”, we did not. We stood strong. We came out of that with a win-win right across the board.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he capitulated. He signed an agreement that keeps softwood lumber tariffs in place, the very tariffs that the Conservatives had managed to get rid of. He capitulated in deference to Buy America, which discriminates against our construction companies.

He capitulated on the Keystone XL pipeline, and Canada now has $400 billion more invested in the United States than the U.S. does in Canada. Why is he capitulating when our construction and forestry workers' jobs are on the line?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, he should be very careful not to remind people what life was like during the Stephen Harper years, when he was in government. Canadians remember all too well how much they suffered under a government that was not there to invest in people, that made cuts to services, to the armed forces, to police, to child care, to every program that Canadians were relying on. That government also failed to create the necessary growth to help Canadians.

We will continue to invest in Canadians. We will continue to stand up for our steel and aluminum workers. We will be there to defend jobs in Canada.

Government Priorities

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

Mr. Speaker, I am trying to imagine how the government could possibly fail to get this done, given that everyone has already agreed to the Bloc's bills. I imagine everyone will remain in agreement. The NDP agrees. The Conservatives agree. The Liberals have agreed.

I want to know whether the Prime Minister is going to get moving, because time is running out. For the sake of seniors and farmers, especially those in Quebec, I am willing to speak with any leader of any party. To get this done by October 29, we need to get moving. Does he agree?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to know that the Bloc Québécois might be there to support our dental care program for seniors, because this program has helped so many seniors. Three-quarters of a million Canadians, including Quebeckers, have accessed dental care. The Bloc Québécois was against this program, but we implemented it anyway, and now we are providing this care to millions of people.

We will continue to be there to help seniors with dental care. We will continue to be there to invest in their future with housing. We are going to continue to be there to provide the services they need.

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

Mr. Speaker, that is the kind of messaging that has left the Liberal government teetering on the brink. The Liberals should try to change their approach a bit. Maybe they could dispense with the grandstanding and try to have more substance and content.

The Prime Minister himself said that he agrees with helping seniors. He voted for that. He also agrees with supply management. He also voted for that. Everyone agrees. He needs to put his money where his mouth is. We absolutely need two bills.

Are we moving forward or not?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our government is always moving forward, whether it is with investments for seniors, investments in jobs for future generations, or the fight against climate change, in parallel with economic growth.

We are here to continue to work constructively with all those in the House who want to deliver results for Canadians.

I am very happy to be able to continue our constructive and productive conversations with the Bloc Québécois.

Carbon Pricing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, at the same time he was proposing to quadruple the carbon tax to 61¢ a litre for seniors, small businesses and single moms, the Prime Minister spent his summer in a frenzy of high-carbon, high-taxing and high-flying hypocrisy. Newly released data shows that he went 92,000 kilometres. In flights, on average, every two days, he went through 300,000 litres of jet fuel.

Why is it that the Prime Minister punishes working-class Canadians with his quadrupling carbon tax, when he flies around burning more and more jet fuel?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps if the Leader of the Opposition had actually met with Canadians, talked with media or been out there across the country over the course of the summer, he would have heard that Canadians need the support of government programs and services.

Canadians want to see $10-a-day child care. Canadians want to see support on dental care. Canadians want to see a national school food program. These are all things that the Leader of the Opposition wants to cut because that is all he is offering Canadians. That shows me he was not listening to the Canadians he was talking to. He was just making sure he could use them to advance his own political aims. We are offering solutions.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, there we have it. The Prime Minister was charging Canadians for his 92,000 kilometres of flights so that he could go around repeating the promises that he has broken nationwide while taxing them. His plan is to hike that tax to 61¢ a litre. The Prime Minister emitted more carbon than 114 Canadians combined this summer.

Why does the Prime Minister drive people into poverty and children into hunger with promises he breaks and hypocrisy that he cannot reconcile?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, now Canadians know. In the unfortunate event that that guy ever ends up Prime Minister, he would stay at home in his basement on YouTube the whole time, instead of meeting with Canadians.

The Environment

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we can resolve that question right now with a carbon tax election.

However, we know that the Prime Minister does not want an election because his record on the environment is just as bad as his record on the economy. It is not just tax hikes. Canada now ranks 63rd out of 67 countries for effective environmental measures. Hypocrisy does nothing for the environment.

Is he not ready to defend that disastrous record before Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are beginning to understand that the leader of the Conservative Party has no plan to fight climate change, no plan to put more money in Canadians' pockets by fighting climate change. He does not understand that the only way to create a strong economy for the future is by protecting the environment and fighting climate change.

The Conservative leader's ideological refusal to understand the importance of continuing the fight against climate change proves that he is completely out of touch with Quebeckers and all Canadians.

Women and Gender Equality

[Arielle Kayabaga, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government has clearly indicated that a woman's right to choose is a fundamental right.

Eight out of 10 Canadians say that they support access to abortion, and many of them are rightfully concerned that the Conservative leader and his party will not protect this fundamental right.

Does the Prime Minister agree that a party that does not vigorously and tirelessly defend a woman's right to choose cannot say that it is pro-choice?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for London West for that very important question.

Canadian women are very concerned when they see the Conservative member for Cypress Hills—Grasslands going on an all-expenses-paid trip to Florida to promote a future where women do not have access to abortion. They are right to be concerned about the fact that the Conservative member for Yorkton—Melville has introduced a bill to limit access to abortion, not once, not twice, but three times, and the Leader of the Opposition voted in favour of that bill.

The Leader of the Opposition can pretend about a lot of things, but he cannot pretend to be pro-choice.

Public Safety

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we have already stated that we are not going to change the abortion law, and everything he said is completely false.

In fact, we are going to protect women with laws against violence. Violence has increased by 53% after nine years under this Prime Minister because of policies that free the worst and most violent repeat offenders. The Bloc Québécois has supported those policies.

Will the Prime Minister give Quebeckers a chance to vote to stop the crime by putting the real criminals in jail and finally securing our borders?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, women in Canada know very well that being pro-choice means standing up to all those who want to limit women's rights, who want to take away women's rights, as we have seen in the U.S.

However, what we continually see from this Conservative leader is that he is incapable of standing up to members of his own caucus who want to limit women's access to abortion. He even votes in favour of measures that Conservative members are putting forward to restrict access to abortion. It is a disgrace.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, everything the Prime Minister just said there is completely false. I could use another word to describe stating a falsehood knowingly, but we will save that for when we are outside the House.

The reality is that after nine years of the Prime Minister's policies, gun crime is up 120%, as he has put all the resources into targeting lawful, law-abiding, trained and tested duck hunters and blown $67 million without recovering a single, solitary gun that he promised four years ago to ban.

Why will the Prime Minister not let Canadians vote to stop the crime and put the real gun criminals in jail?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, every time the Leader of the Opposition gets up on his feet to rhyme off his little show, his party members applaud enthusiastically, but during the two times he just stood up to suggest that he is perhaps pro-choice, there was silence from his team. He cannot protect women's rights from the members of his own caucus. That is not standing up for women. That is not protecting the future. That is not freedom in this country.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, beyond the normal fear and falsehoods, what we are seeing from the Prime Minister today is someone who is erratic and who has lost control of himself because he is so desperate to hold onto power.

My question was about car theft. My next one is about Nanaimo drug dens, which are now funded and authorized by the government through a permit under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. They were cracked down upon by police officers for trafficking illegal substances and having 13 weapons.

Will the Prime Minister stop giving permits for these illegal drug dens so that we can stop the crime and bring home safety?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that far too many Canadians have been impacted by the opioid epidemic and the toxic drug crisis. That is why we are doubling down on science and supports on the street. We are here to look at ways to help families through this, to deal with addictions, to lift people out of poverty. We will partner with people right across the country to do that on things that make sense in their jurisdictions. We are going to stay grounded in science while the leaders opposite choose their ideology as guiding paths.

Taxation

[Parm Bains, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, throughout the summer, I met with my constituents and listened to what is on their minds. They want rapid construction of new housing options. They want their kids to have the best possible start in life, with $10-a-day child care and nutritious food in schools. They want to build an economy that works for everyone. They know that in order to do this, we need to make our tax system fair.

Could the Prime Minister please update the House on the government's plan to create fairness for every generation?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Steveston—Richmond East for his hard work.

This is about fairness for every generation, by building more homes, making life more affordable and creating more good-paying jobs. Today, the House will vote on our plan to make the tax system fairer. We know that fairness is the last thing the Conservative leader and his party care about and that his agenda is filled with cuts to housing, health care and freedoms. On this side, we stand with Canadians.

Foreign Affairs

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Israel's horrifying and indiscriminate bombings of Lebanon continue, and Canada is nowhere to be found. Hundreds of civilians have been killed, including two Canadians and dozens of children. There are tens of thousands of Canadians in Lebanon. Our constituents are terrified of what will come next. Canada must immediately call for de-escalation and take real action to create peace and safety for everyone in the region.

When will the Prime Minister act to save Canadians in Lebanon and their families?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, over the past days, I have spoken with Lebanese Canadians who are deeply worried for their families, and our hearts go out to the loved ones of the two Canadians killed.

We need to see de-escalation right now from both Israel and Hezbollah. I spoke with leaders this week, including the King of Jordan and the UN Secretary-General, along with G7 allies, on the need for urgent de-escalation. Civilians need to be protected. This violence needs to stop. We need to move on a path toward regional stability and peace.