Justin Trudeau

[Public Services and Procurement, January 30th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, seven years ago, when we were elected to lead the government, we made a promise to invest in the middle class and all those working hard to be part of it. That is exactly what we did with the Canada child benefit, assistance for seniors and help for students. We were able to create millions of jobs, while lifting millions of people out of poverty.

Unfortunately, the Conservative Party opposed us at every step. Today, the Conservatives continue to oppose our investments in dental care, our investments to help renters and our investments in child care. We will continue to invest—

[Hon. Jim Carr, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, we lost Jim Carr. We heard the news a couple of hours later here in the House and held a moment of silence.

It is news that none of us wanted to hear, news that we were not expecting.

Jim was fighting multiple myeloma and kidney failure, but he always had energy and was able to bear a heavy burden.

Jim stood in the House last week and talked about how much he loved his country. He said, “I love this country, every square metre of it, in English, in French, in indigenous languages and in the languages of the newly arrived.”

He said this as part of one of his final moments in the House, which were marked by the triumph of passing his private member's bill, the building a green prairie economy act. It is an act that is about preserving a way of life in the Prairies and unleashing a new potential. It is an act that makes sure prairie people see themselves represented in national policy, and not just political leaders but workers' unions, indigenous people, farmers and businesses. It is an act that seeks to leave behind a healthier environment. It is an act of hope for the future and an act of love for his country.

It is also an act of courage. Jim understood that this would not be his future, but that it was ours, his kids' and his grandkids'.

In October, Jim told me that he was stopping treatment. It was a private moment in his hometown. Jim knew it was for the best, but he never let up on his commitment to serving Winnipeggers, western Canadians and all Canadians and to building a better future.

Each of us has only one life. Jim showed us how to live it right, how to live it with decency and integrity, how to give of ourselves to others and how to leave the world a better place than it was when we came into it.

We will miss Jim in caucus and at the cabinet table, but his family are the ones who will miss him most.

Jim embodied the unique set of characteristics that distinguish people from the Prairies: his clear-headedness, his pragmatism and his decency. Our government will forever be better for it. All the staff who worked for him were drawn in by his warmth, and the members of the public service too. Jim was a gentleman. He was a mentor. Jim was a friend to many. Jim was a great Canadian.

Jim dedicated himself to public service right up until the very end of his life, but Jim lived many lives and distinguished himself in many ways.

He was an oboist in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and he was passionate about music. He was a journalist and a strong believer in the essential role that a free press plays in a strong democracy. He was a devout believer of Jewish faith and a leader in his spiritual community.

Most importantly, he was a husband to Colleen; a father to Ben, Rachel, Rebecca, Kiernan, Daniel and Jesse; and a grandfather to Michelle, Sophia and Markian. To his family, I hope that the gratitude of all Canadians for Jim's service, thoughtfulness, kindness and generosity up until the very end can comfort you as you grieve. May his memory be a blessing.

[Health, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, we made the commitment to funding mental health supports across the country because we saw and heard clearly from Canadians that more needs to be done and that they need to have better access to mental health supports, whether they are students, whether they are seniors, whether they are working Canadians or whether they are farmers who are facing real challenges.

We know that being there for Canadians is essential. That is why we are working with the provinces to make sure they are delivering those mental health resources. Yes, we will be there with funding. We need to see results and better outcomes for Canadians.

[Indigenous Affairs, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians' hearts are breaking for the terrible news coming out of Winnipeg on more missing and murdered indigenous women. This is absolutely unacceptable. We have received the letters from the families. We see the level of pain, and the federal government will look to do whatever it can to support the province, the city and whoever needs support in terms of getting closure and justice for these families.

[Housing, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country for his hard work for his constituents.

We know that higher rental costs are impacting so many Canadians across the country. That is why we brought in a $500 top-up to the Canada housing benefit, which will help almost two million Canadians who need it most. Just recently I had the pleasure to announce that applications for the payment are now open. I encourage those eligible to apply.

Our government will always have the backs of Canadians.

[The Economy, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives complain that we invest too much money in helping Canadians, we know that they are still pushing for austerity. We are giving $1,300 over the next two years to families who could not afford to take their children to the dentist. The Conservatives voted against those measures. That is $1,300 in the pockets of Canadian families who need it. Tens of thousands of families are already using this benefit, because it contributes to the health of their children and helps them cover expenses.

We are there to help the—

[Statistics Canada, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, obviously these allegations are concerning and we will be following up on them.

The Conservative Party, which continually waged war on facts when it was in government, by eliminating the long-form census and not being transparent with Canadians, continues to try to mislead Canadians on the price on pollution, which actually puts more money back in the pockets of hard-working Canadians every single year, four times a year, because it is a way of both fighting climate change and helping families balance their books. These are important things to continue—

[Statistics Canada, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, obviously these are concerning allegations and we will be following up on them, because we are the government that restored the long-form census; we are the government that bases policy on data and evidence, and we will continue to.

Talking about evidence and facts, it is important for the Conservatives to stop misleading Canadians and—

[Statistics Canada, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons on data from the former Conservative government, which tried to cancel the long-form census because it did not want decisions to be based on facts and data.

We will follow up. These are troubling allegations. We will ensure that the data remains accessible to Canadians every step of the way.

Canadians are facing tough times right now, but times would be even tougher if they had followed the advice of the leader of the official opposition when he said to buy cryptocurrencies to “opt out” of inflation. They would have lost half their life savings. That is not responsible leadership.

[Climate Change, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche for his question and his hard work.

We are taking concrete action to address climate change and the loss of biodiversity. This year, we launched Canada's very first national adaptation strategy. We also announced, together with 38 other countries, that we are ending new support for the international unabated fossil fuel energy sector by the end of the year.

We will continue to implement ambitious measures to ensure that we have clean air and can build a healthier future for all.