Justin Trudeau

[Foreign Affairs, October 25th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to do everything we can to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its actions. Our actions have included having sanctioned hundreds, over 368, in fact, of Iranian individuals and entities, including the IRGC Quds Force, and we are listing the regime under the most powerful provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

We are, of course, working on a way to recognize the regime to continue to be what it is, which is a regime that spreads terror. We are working to find a way that does not unfairly affect those who may have an association with the IRGC through no choice of their own or puts at risk members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

[Foreign Affairs, October 25th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, as the Leader of the Opposition should know, the Americans have a very different regime from us when it comes to banning various organizations. We continue to have all options on the table, as we have said. We continue to do everything necessary to hold this murderous Iranian regime to account. We will continue to move forward with measures to do just that.

[Seniors, October 25th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle for her important question and for her work with seniors.

When it comes to seniors, we are proud of our track record since 2015. Instead of raising the retirement age, we decided to keep it at 65. We increased the guaranteed income supplement. We enhanced the Canada pension plan. We increased old age security.

Older Canadians remember the Harper years, and this is exactly where they would end up again under the Conservative Party. We cannot run that risk.

[Foreign Affairs, October 25th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we have taken, and will continue to take, significant actions to hold the murderous regime in Tehran to account. We continue to recognize them as supporters of terrorism around the world. We continue to take more tools in terms of doing that. All options, as always, are on the table. We need to make sure we are doing it in a way that protects Canadians, including Canadians of Iranian descent, and also military members in CAF serving around the world. We will continue to do the right things to keep all Canadians safe and hold the Iranian regime to account.

[Foreign Affairs, October 25th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, if I start correcting the hon. Leader of the Opposition on the facts, we will be here all day. The fact of the matter is that the listing of an organization as a terrorist organization is actually a meticulous process led by intelligence and security agencies and carefully calibrated to do no harm to Canadians or Canadian military members serving overseas. We will continue to take all measures to hold the murderous regime in Iran to account. We will continue to stand with the community. We will stand against anyone who is attempting to harm or intimidate Canadians on Canadian soil. We are always open to doing more. That is what we are continuing to work on.

[Foreign Affairs, October 25th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, for years, during the previous Conservative government's attacks and rhetoric against Iran, including the closing of the embassy, the Conservatives never moved forward on banning the IRGC and declaring it a terrorist organization. We know there is a rigorous process to do that. We are pursuing and looking at all options around it.

What we did do is use rarely before used measures in the immigration department, which were used in the case of war crimes in Rwanda and elsewhere, to ban, for life, senior members of the IRGC from ever being able to come to and find solace in Canada. That is a strong measure, and we are always open to doing more.

[Small Business, October 25th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the House that, during the pandemic, in Quebec and everywhere else in Canada, $8 out of $10 of assistance to Canadians came from the federal government. SMEs are the backbone of our economy.

We were there for businesses during the pandemic and we will continue to be there for them as they recover. We have a fiscally responsible approach, but we also provide some leeway to those who wish to avail themselves of our loan forgiveness option.

[Small Business, October 25th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we know that small businesses were hard hit by the pandemic and that many are still going through a tough time today. The emergency business account was a lifeline for small businesses. That is why we announced extended deadlines, providing an additional year for term loan repayment and additional flexibilities for loan holders looking to benefit from loan forgiveness.

We will continue to be there for small businesses in Quebec and across the country.

[Public Services and Procurement, October 25th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, both the RCMP and the CBSA's professional integrity division are investigating, and the CBSA has also launched an internal audit to look into contracting at the agency.

Once again, when the Leader of the Opposition talks about dividing Canadians, he does not want to accept that over 80% of Canadians chose to get vaccinated during the pandemic. He continues to play divisive games to try to divide Canadians on a matter core to public health and public safety. We have always stood up for the safety of Canadians while he chooses to wear a tinfoil hat.

[Public Services and Procurement, October 25th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said to the opposition leader, when it comes to contracting, investigations are ongoing and processes have been updated.

He does not much care about facts or process, just his hidden agenda driven by ideology, an ideology rooted in denying that the government had to act fast in a once-in-a-century moment to keep Canadians safe. He does not want to talk about the pandemic. He does not want to talk about his behaviour during the pandemic and following it. He will continue to try to distract and deflect based on his ideology and based on the members of his team. It is very telling that the Conservative Party would choose not to prioritize Canadians' safety.