Mr. Speaker, let me start off by commenting on the last statement the member put on the record. The member talked about disconnect. I would suggest that if there is a party that is disconnected from Canadians, it is the official opposition. The Conservative Party is completely out of touch with reality in terms of what is actually taking place in Canada.
I think of our Prime Minister, who was elected just over a year ago when we had a new government, and I reflect on the many different actions, both legislative and budgetary, that this government has taken over the last number of months. One cannot help but see that within that blueprint, members will find the reflection of what Canadians are telling Liberal members of Parliament and the Prime Minister. The member implied that the government is out of touch with Canadians, but nothing could be further from the truth. Many of the actions we have brought forward clearly demonstrate that. On some of those actions that are reflective of the interests of Canadians, Conservatives have filibustered or have outright voted against.
Whether it is economic development or the security of Canadians through the crime file, we have never seen such a proactive Prime Minister or government dealing in such an aggressive way as this Prime Minister and this government in the last 13 or so months. The numbers are there to substantiate it. All one needs to do is take a look at some of the actions taken by this government.
There is one report that I thought was really interesting that I want to quote, coming from the International Monetary Fund. For those who are following the debate and discussion of this so-called opposition day motion, which has no legitimacy whatsoever as a motion, quite frankly, this is an organization that has over 190 member countries and is directly involved with the issues of finances around the world. Here is what the IMF had to say about Canada: “focus strategically on investment that [is] progrowth”. It projects Canada will have the second-strongest growth in the G7 in 2026. That is the IMF saying that, not members of the government side, and it is not alone. We are going to have the second-highest growth in the G7. That is what is being forecasted this year.
I was here last Friday. When the Conservatives heard the news of the 0.1% GDP on the negative side, they were jumping up and down, virtually celebrating the fact that it had taken place. In public accounts yesterday, the deputy governor, on behalf of the Bank of Canada, warned that we should not be taking one figure such as that and reading too much into it.
One would think that the accumulative brain thrust within the Conservative Party would understand the simplicity of it. When one starts saying that Canada is in this deep recession, which is not true, there are things one could look at that could very easily justify a second look, as the Bank of Canada will do, as opposed to trying to, once again, demonstrate to the Conservatives' followers, that far-right element, that somehow Canada is broken, when it is just not true.
I mentioned the other day that, whether it is the Prime Minister, other ministers or any member of the House who travels abroad, if they talk to business leaders and other stakeholders, other governments, they will find that there is a high level of interest. People want to look at Canada. They want to invest in Canada. In fact, what members will find is that Canada leads on per capita private investment coming into the country. It is the best and the highest in the world.
Let us take a look at some of the things we have actually done as a government. We have a Prime Minister and a series of ministers who are aggressively going out and expanding export opportunities for small businesses, thereby supporting jobs in a very real and tangible way.
The Conservatives ask about the results. Well, let us take a look. What was the commitment? The Prime Minister said, during the last federal election, 13, 14 months ago, that we wanted to expand our trade beyond the Canada-U.S. border, that it was important, and that we were going to strive to double that over the next decade. Today, because of the efforts of this Prime Minister and this government, and I would suggest every member of the Liberal caucus who continues to encourage trade with other nations, we are up in the double digits from last year. Depending on who we ask and how we look at it, it is anywhere from 15% to 30%. Trading opportunities continue to be enhanced. Is it any surprise, when we have had 20-plus agreements of trade and security over the last 13 months?
We have brought in trade legislation dealing with trade between Canada and Indonesia, Canada and Northern Ireland, along with England. That legislation has passed. There is absolutely no doubt that we are moving forward on the trade file. We recognize the value of the United States and the trade that we have there. It is well over $3 billion a day, going both ways in terms of an accumulative total. Even that trade is up from last year.
Unlike the Conservatives, we will continue to work with our American counterparts to achieve the best deal that we can for Canadians. We are putting Canadians' interests ahead of political parties' interests, which is contrary to what the Conservative Party is doing. Ultimately, they say we should capitulate. Let us remember the other day, on another opposition motion, they wanted us to capitulate completely on our arts community, saying that we have offended the trade negotiators because of a decision that was made by the CRTC, an arm's-length organization. They saw that, and right away they wanted us to capitulate.
Whether it is the Prime Minister or any member of the national Liberal caucus, we are not prepared to sign just any agreement. We are prepared to fight for the best deal for Canadians and ultimately prevail. That is what we are going to achieve. When we look at some of those indicators, and I am thinking of the G7 countries, we think of other aspects than what the Conservatives like to talk about. In terms of Canada's credit rating, we are the best in the G7, and our fiscal position, again, is the best in the G7.
With respect to growth for 2026, we are not the best, but we are next to the best. We will be number two. That is what is being projected for Canada. We are in fact not only the best in the G7 in foreign direct investment but are way out in front of the closest one to us. This does not surprise me, given the actions that the Prime Minister has taken and the world leaders he has met with, along with investors and many different stakeholders, not only within Canada but also outside Canada.
I made reference to this in the past, and I will do it again now. Whether it is the Philippines or India, we have a Prime Minister who has met with their leadership. Ultimately we are hoping to be able to achieve agreements with those two nations, ideally in 2026.
A number of individuals involved in trade came to Canada just last week, or 10 days ago, in regard to improving trade relations and building a stronger, healthier trade relationship between Canada and India. I have had a number of conversations with the high commissioner where he talked very positively about the opportunities for both Canada and India. At the same time, we can still deal with sensitive issues related to security, and other issues, but we understand how important it is to grow our economy by looking at diversifying our trade opportunities. For foreign direct investment, the Prime Minister goes abroad and ultimately attracts literally billions of dollars of foreign investment commitments to come to Canada.
These are the types of things that can make a difference. The Conservatives seem to be of the opinion that after we won the election, one week later, everything should be done. It takes time. There were major projects we put together and legislation we ultimately passed, weeks after the election. We established a Major Projects Office to take in ideas and to support the projects in the city of Calgary a few months later. I believe it was in August or September; I am not 100% sure.
We have major projects now on the books that are in every region of our great nation. As I have highlighted in the past, we can talk about wind and tide energy in Atlantic Canada. We can talk about the port and minerals in the province of Quebec. We can talk about nuclear energy in the province of Ontario. We can talk about Thompson and the mines. We can talk about Churchill in my own province of Manitoba. We can talk about copper, potash and canola in Saskatchewan. We can talk about pipelines for Alberta. We can talk about not only pipelines but also mining in B.C., and major developments of resources in the north.
At the same time, we are being sensitive to indigenous, provincial and other stakeholders on critical issues such as our environment. When we talk about these developments, we have to ensure that they are done in a sustainable way.
These are the types of things that the Government of Canada is moving forward with. A pipeline does not appear overnight. It takes time, but we have a Prime Minister and a government that not only have an MOU but have gone a step further. We are taking even more actions on the MOU.
We have a government that understands the value of working collaboratively with indigenous people, provincial governments and more. That is how we are going to build Canada strong, a strong Canada that is there for all Canadians. Those are the type of things we have actually been doing.
Then there is the Conservative Party, which ultimately votes against virtually everything. The Conservatives continue to talk negatively and to spread misinformation. Let me give an example from yesterday.
We were having a debate yesterday, and the member for Brandon—Souris talked about the military. Part of the discussion that was going back and forth was with regard to the Canadian Forces and investments in it. Two things come to my mind on that issue. First is the issue of misinformation. Imagine that someone is the member of Parliament from Brandon and that they tell people that the veterans office in Brandon is actually closed. When I verbally challenged the member on that, the critic for veterans affairs, from his seat, tried to imply that I do not understand that the office in Brandon is closed.
When we have the member of Parliament from Brandon saying that, and when we have the critic for veterans affairs saying that, and all one needs to do is to just take a look in Hansard, one might be led to believe that the office in Brandon no longer exists. Of course, like many other things that the Conservatives say and do, it is just not true. There is a veterans office in the community of Brandon.
The reality is that it was the Conservative Party, and the leader of the Conservative Party today, that actually closed the office in Brandon, as well as eight other veterans offices. The Conservatives then had the audacity to say that how we treat veterans is going to have a negative impact on recruitment in the Canadian Forces, or so the critic for veterans affairs implied.
Do the Conservatives not know that last year a historic number of people applied to become members of the Canadian Forces? I will make a suggestion as to why that is taking place. It is because we have a government that has recognized the value of the Canadian Forces and has actually met the 2% commitment and has committed to go far beyond 2% of GDP.
Contrast that to where it was when the leader of the Conservative Party sat in government around the cabinet table. It was at less than 1% for one year. It is the absolute opposite in terms of what the Conservative Party tries to feed its constituents and Canadians as a whole, which is misinformation. Not only do Conservatives talk about misinformation here on the floor of the House, but they talk about it outside the House, through social media and emails. They talk about the issue of affordability, yet take a look at what they have said about issues such as the groceries and essentials national benefit program. By the way, the cheques and deposits are going out this week.
The national food program feeds 400,000 young children. Some of the Conservatives have called it a “garbage” program. Others have said the program does not exist, even though it is feeding hundreds of thousands of children. It is truly amazing how the Conservatives oppose the government on affordability measures yet, on the other hand, criticize us for not having more affordability measures.
I would suggest that the Conservative Party of Canada needs to rethink the way in which it presents itself, not only in the House but to all Canadians, on a multitude of different issues.