Justin Trudeau

[Justice, November 28th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, hate in any form has no place in Canada and must be condemned. More things unite Canadians and Quebeckers than divide them. Obviously, our Criminal Code does not tolerate hate speech. Calls for genocide, public incitement to hate and the deliberate promotion of hatred are already prohibited. We will examine the legislative measure proposed by the leader of the Bloc Québécois carefully. We will be there, working to keep Canadians safe while respecting the free society in which we live.

[Justice, November 28th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I completely agree with my hon. colleague that the rise in Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in Canada is alarming. The rise in acts of hatred is even more unacceptable. I strongly condemn the attack on the Jewish Community Council. We condemn all violence.

We will be looking at my hon. colleague's bill to see whether it can help combat hate and incitement of violence. This is a complex issue, but we are here to work constructively to protect Canadians.

[Carbon Pricing, November 28th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition knows full well that 97% of fuel emissions in the agricultural sector, in the farming sector, are already exempt from our price on pollution. However, he is so desperate to try to score partisan points that he actually refused to stand in support of something Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked us for in the House.

How is the Leader of the Opposition explaining to Ukrainian Canadians right across the country that he no longer stands with Ukraine on things it needs right now to win this war against Russia?

[Carbon Pricing, November 28th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, if the Leader of the Opposition actually cared about Canadians being able to afford their food, the Conservatives would not have dragged their heels on the passage of Bill C-56, which would increase competition in the grocery sector.

Indeed, there are a lot of factors that deliver higher food prices not just for Canadians but for people around the world. One of the key ones is Russia's continued illegal invasion of Ukraine. On this side of the House, we can affirm clearly that we will stand with Ukraine with everything necessary for as long as necessary. As we saw last week, no Conservative politician can say the same in the House.

[Automotive Industry, November 28th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to have to correct the facts in the House of Commons given what the Leader of the Opposition continues to say. There will be 2,300 local Canadian construction jobs and 2,500 permanent Canadian jobs when the Stellantis plant is completed. There will be 3,000 jobs in the region when the Northvolt plant in Quebec is completed.

We would think the Leader of the Opposition would support those, but he does not. His uncontrollable urge to make everything a partisan issue means he is not supporting the investments that are going to help in Windsor, in St. Thomas, in Quebec or elsewhere across the country. He wants cuts; we want investments in the future of Canadians.

[Finance, November 28th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, it is becoming a bit hard to believe what the opposition leader is saying, because instead of speeding up passage of Bill C‑56 to help Canadians by increasing competition in the grocery sector and others, he has stalled and found ways to slow down the passage of this bill, which is there to help Canadians.

We will continue to be there to help Canadians by investing in the economy and in support for them and by staying on a responsible financial path.

[Finance, November 28th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I know that, since last week, more and more Canadians are having a hard time believing what the opposition leader says. Let me set the record straight. Canada has the lowest deficit in the G7 and the best debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. Inflation continues to drop, while we maintain the services that Canadians depend on. The Conservative leader would cut child care, dental care for seniors and pensions for seniors.

We know that in order to invest in the future of the country and to be there for Canadians, we need to invest responsibly, and we are continuing to do that.

[Public Safety, November 22nd, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, this is obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls. There was a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge crossing. I have been briefed by the NSIA and the Minister of Public Safety. CBSA, RCMP and Transport Canada are all fully engaged in providing the necessary support. There are a lot of questions, and we are following up to try to rapidly get as many answers as possible. We are in close contact with U.S. officials, and we will continue to work closely with them. We will continue to be engaged. We will provide updates.

The update I can give right now is that there are four border crossings that are closed: the Rainbow Bridge, Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and Peace Bridge. Additional measures are being contemplated and activated at all border crossings across the country. We are taking this extraordinarily seriously. I will have to excuse myself now to go to get further updates and work on this very serious situation.

[Public Safety, November 22nd, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the situation in Niagara is very serious. There was a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing.

We are still talking with authorities and keeping the U.S. involved through the Canada Border Services Agency, Transport Canada and the RCMP. I was briefed by the national security and intelligence adviser and the Minister of Public Safety.

All the necessary information is being gathered as we speak. We are providing the necessary support while communicating with the Americans. I can confirm that border crossings at the Rainbow Bridge, the Whirlpool Bridge, the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and the Peace Bridge have been closed. Additional security measures are being deployed at all our border crossings across the country.

The situation is extremely serious, and we will continue working on this matter throughout the day.

[Grocery Industry, November 21st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we have long been concerned about the price of groceries. That is why the parliamentary committee and the minister convened the heads of the grocery chains to work with them to stabilize the price of groceries. We know how important it is to be there to support Canadians.

I can assure hon. members that in the fall economic statement that we are presenting in a few hours, there will be measures to further enhance competition in the grocery sector in order to help people buy groceries and support their families during these difficult times.