Chrystia Freeland

[Carbon Pricing, September 23rd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the Conservatives are finally talking about the economy because it gives me a chance to highlight some good economic news we have had. Last week, we learned that inflation in August was at 2%. In fact, for all of this year, inflation has been within the Bank of Canada's target range. That means interest rates are coming down. Meanwhile, wages have been outpacing inflation for 19 months in a row. However, the Conservatives do not like to talk about that, because good news for Canadians is bad news for them.

[Finance, September 17th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives, we do believe in listening to experts from across the country. Let us talk about where the Conservatives get their ideas. The Conservative leader gets his advice on helping Canadians with their grocery bills from a Loblaws lobbyist. He gets his advice on Ukraine from Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson. He has courted the support of misogynists and cozied up to the far right. Those are the advisers Canadians should be really concerned about.

[Women and Gender Equality, September 17th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I have stood up to Trump and I have stood up to Putin. Juvenile playground insults from the wannabe MAGA, “maple syrup” Conservatives do not frighten me at all. What I think is really interesting is that they do not actually want to talk about the economy, and that is because good economic news for Canadians is bad news for them. How pathetic it is that they put their own partisan interests first.

[Women and Gender Equality, September 17th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I am so glad to have the chance to talk about feminism, because I know what a feminist government looks like. A feminist government builds the first national system of early learning and child care in this country. A feminist government makes contraceptives free, and a feminist government ensures that every single woman in Canada has full control of her body.

Until the Conservatives stand up for that, they have no right to talk about feminism.

[Housing, September 17th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think anybody listening to question period today, or frankly any day, imagines that the Liberals are teaming up with the Conservatives or that we agree with them about very much at all. They are the party of privilege and austerity; we are the party of people. That is why we have asked those at the very top to pay their fair share so that we can support Canada and Canadians.

[Grocery Industry, September 17th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I hope the NDP and indeed all members of the House will set partisanship aside for one moment to congratulate Canadians on the light at the end of the tunnel, on the fact that after an extremely challenging time with COVID and its economic aftermath, inflation is back to where it was before COVID first hit. When it comes to taxes, we believe that those who have the most capacity should pay their fair share. We have acted on that.

[Seniors, September 17th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we obviously recognize that older seniors, people 75 and up, face higher costs. They are more vulnerable and that is why we added measures to support them. I share the Bloc Québécois' concern for our seniors. That is why I am calling on the Bloc Québécois to support us on dental care. It is an important program for all Quebeckers, especially vulnerable seniors.

[Seniors, September 17th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Our government understands the importance of supporting seniors. That is what we have been doing all along. That is what we did after 10 years of the Conservatives punishing seniors. That is why we added measures to support our seniors, especially the most vulnerable. We will continue to do just that.

[Carbon Pricing, September 17th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I am so glad to have the chance to talk about housing, because there is more good news Canadians should know about, and that is that we have extended to 30-year amortizations for all first-time homebuyers. That means more young Canadians can buy a first home and afford a mortgage. We have extended to 30-year amortizations for all new homes. That is to encourage what we know we all need: more homes built faster. However, the weak and spiteful Conservatives cannot celebrate good news for Canadians, because it is bad news for their partisan interests.

[Finance, September 17th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I think we all know why the Conservatives are so panicked about an election; it is because they can see that the economic news is good. They can see that we are now back to exactly where we were before COVID hit. They can see that the Bank of Canada has lowered interest rates three times in a row. Wages have been ahead of inflation for 19 months. That is good news for Canadians. It is bad news for Conservatives.