Justin Trudeau

[Justice, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the increase in violence in so many of our communities is heartbreaking to see and continues to be a priority for us to respond to. We will always look at what more we can do alongside the provinces, territories and municipalities.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General met with his counterparts and discussed this issue just this past fall, and experts at the federal and provincial levels have been working together on bail reform since. The minister has asked these experts to do whatever they can to speed up this work to make sure we are doing everything we can to keep Canadians safe.

[Health, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, what Canadians do not want is bickering between the provinces and the federal government. What Canadians want is for us to work together to deliver the best health care service, and that is exactly what we are doing.

Yes, there will be more money, but we also want to see results for Canadians. We want more family doctors, more help for mental health care, more help in our emergency rooms, and fewer delays for essential surgeries.

We all know what Canadians need. We will work together to get it done.

[Health, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, yes, we will be there with additional investments in our health care system. That is what I have been saying for months—years, even.

What matters to Canadians is getting quality health care. We need more family doctors, more mental health support and more ER staff, and that means investing in the health care system. I am looking forward to sitting down with provincial representatives to move forward on this so we can help Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

[The Economy, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague just suggested that money needs to be spent wisely, not on helping families send their children to the dentist. That is certainly a debate we could have, but it is not the one they chose to have.

The Conservatives are hoping that Canadians do not find out that they voted against helping send kids to the dentist. Instead, they are talking about austerity and cuts and saying that is the way to address the challenges facing Canadians.

We on this side of the House disagree with that. We are going to continue to be there for Canadians despite the austerity that the Conservatives are pushing.

[The Economy, February 1st, 2023]

Nothing could be further from the truth, Mr. Speaker. We know full well that Canadians are facing tremendous difficulties and that is why we have brought in initiatives such as help for low-income renters and help so that families can bring their children to the dentist.

Unfortunately, despite the rhetoric and comments from my colleague across the way, she voted against those clear-cut measures to prevent mothers from choosing between sending their child to the dentist or buying groceries. That is not responsible leadership. That is what we are doing. We will always be there for Canadians.

[Finance, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, one of the areas in which I know the member opposite feels we wasted money over the past years is in procurement of vaccines, in trusting science and evidence in our approach to keeping people safe right across the country. Indeed, it has been shown that the approach she was pushing during the pandemic would have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths more than we actually had, as well as a much slower economic recovery.

We made the choice during the pandemic to step up, to follow science and to be there for Canadians. That is exactly what we did. We can understand how she—

[Finance, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, that was the excuse Conservatives gave when they voted against rental benefits for the most vulnerable renters. That was the excuse they gave when they said, “no, we are not going to make sure that all families can send their kids to the dentist in this country”. They said, “oh, no, that is too much spending”.

We have the strongest balance sheet in the G7. We have an enviable fiscal position. This government is choosing to use that to support Canadians in targeted ways that are going to help them through these difficult times while Conservatives stand there and vote against it.

We will take no lessons from them.

[The Economy, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to congratulate the member for Mississauga—Lakeshore for becoming the newest member of this House. His constituents can rest assured that we will take no lessons from the Conservative Party's record of austerity and cuts when it comes to supporting people.

While the Conservative leader promotes Bitcoin to Canadians dealing with inflation, we have cut child care fees in half across this country. We have eliminated the interest on student loans. We have made sure parents do not have to choose between buying groceries and taking their kids to the dentist. These are all measures the Conservatives voted against.

[Housing, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we are well aware that many people are worried about the cost of housing crisis, and we are firmly committed to continue working to solve this problem.

That is why we introduced the first-time home buyer incentive. We invested over $82 billion in the national housing strategy. We supported the construction and renovation of almost half a million housing units, and we announced a rent-to-own program. We have helped over 2.6 million families get the housing they needed, and we will continue to do everything we can to meet the housing needs of all Canadians.

[Housing, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we know that housing affordability is a real concern, and we continue to be committed to tackling it. This is why we have introduced the first-time homebuyer incentive. It is why we committed over $82 billion to the national housing strategy and supported the creation and repair of almost half a million homes. We announced a rent-to-own program. We have helped more than 2.6 million families get the housing they need, and we are working to ensure that every Canadian has an affordable place to call home.

We understand there is more to do, but we are continuing to do it.