Justin Trudeau

[Public Services and Procurement, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we are not able to lift the Conservatives out of the funk they seem to be in.

We are going to continue to stay focused on investing in Canadians. We are going to continue to stay focused on being there for people. While Conservatives continue to push austerity and cuts and criticize us for having supported people through the pandemic, we are going to demonstrate our understanding that building a strong economy involves investing and supporting people, which is why, apparently, they voted against support for renters and support for dental care for young kids.

These are things that we disagree with them on. They will continue to try to fling mud. We will continue to stay focused on Canadians.

[Public Services and Procurement, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, you know the Conservative leader is stumbling over himself when he starts quoting random Liberals.

The reality is that we will continue to move forward on investing in Canadians—

[Public Services and Procurement, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I notice that the Conservatives do not mention the pandemic when they talk about the challenges that Canadians have faced over the past few years.

Perhaps that is because, if the Conservatives had had their way, we would not have invested to support Canadians during the pandemic. Without that help, thousands of small businesses would have closed their doors, and thousands of Canadians would not have received the support they needed to get through the pandemic.

While they sowed doubt about vaccination, we made investments that helped Canadians get through the pandemic.

[Government Priorities, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I have been very clear that the Liberal government is very aware of the difficult times Canadians are facing right now.

That is why we have stepped up with direct, targeted supports for people who need it and why we continue to invest in Canadians, despite Conservative politicians continuing to call on us to do less, to spend less and to support people less. That is why Conservatives voted against support for the lowest-income renters just a couple of months ago. That is why they voted against support for families who could not afford to send their kids to the dentist.

We will stay on the side of Canadians while Conservatives abandon the middle class.

[Government Priorities, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, over the past eight years, we have consistently stepped up for the middle class and people working hard to join it, with the Canada child benefit that Conservatives voted against, with child care agreements across the country that Conservatives campaigned against, with investments in rental benefits for low-income renters and with investments so that all families could take their kids to the dentist.

These are the kinds of things that we have invested in. They have not only benefited Canadians but also created a strong and growing economy. The Conservatives have had nothing to offer but a recommendation around Bitcoin.

[Government Appointments, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, opposition parties have a responsibility to oppose what the government is doing. Sometimes we manage to see eye to eye, other times we are in disagreement.

On this side of the House, we know that we made the right choice in appointing Amira Elghawaby as special representative on combatting Islamophobia, and we support her in the important work she has ahead of her in the months and years to come.

[Government Appointments, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be a member of the Liberal Party of Canada's Quebec caucus, and I can say that we are here to have difficult conversations with one another, with our colleagues and with Canadians. I know that the issue of Islamophobia is a sensitive topic all across the country. It exists everywhere, not just in Quebec. That is why we are here to dialogue with our colleagues, to talk about how we can create more harmony across the country and continue to be there for each other. I was very proud to be in Sainte‑Foy on Sunday night, and we will continue to be there for the Muslim community.

[Public Services and Procurement, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, with so many conspiracy theories rattling around the Conservative caucus one can understand where the member would misunderstand me. I was referring to the approach that the Conservative leader is taking against harm reduction, against science and evidence in supporting people facing the tragedies of the opioid epidemic.

We need to put a public health lens on this. We need to be grounded in science and data as we look to care for the most vulnerable, not have a criminal approach, and not be grounded in things that sound good but actually would be harming the most vulnerable people. That is what I was calling out on the Conservative side.

[Public Services and Procurement, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I know Mr. Barton is looking forward to appearing at committee and answering any and all of those questions.

What I will highlight is that, as a government, we will continue to stay grounded in science, facts and data as we address the terrible opioid epidemic across this country. Where Conservatives dig into random conspiracy theories and ignore science and evidence on how to keep people safe through the opioid epidemic, we are going to continue to step up with a harm reduction approach, with an approach that puts science first and keeps Canadians safe through this terrible ordeal.

[Public Services and Procurement, February 1st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I have already answered these questions.

The reality is that Canadians are going through tough times. As the government, we are there to help Canadians. We are there to help them by doubling the GST credit for six months, by providing assistance for dental care to families that cannot afford it and by providing support to low-income renters. Unfortunately, the Conservative Party voted against these initiatives. It would rather support austerity than investments that help Canadians get through these tough times.