Justin Trudeau

[COVID-19 Economic Measures, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians will remember that when we hit the challenge of the pandemic, we needed to be there for each other. The government made the decision to move quickly to support Canadians, to support families, to support workers, to support seniors, to support youth and to move forward on supporting small businesses.

This was not only so that people could get through the pandemic and the health crisis that it was, but also so we could weather the economic storm that came with it. That is exactly what we did, and we saw our economy come back faster than most of our fellow economies around the world.

We are going to continue to support Canadians and make those investments that keep a better future.

[COVID-19 Economic Measures, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, we know Canadians are facing difficult times, but we also know Canadians continue to step up for each other. That is why this government has continued to move forward with direct supports for Canadians, whether it was doubling the GST credit for six months, which gave hundreds of dollars more in the pockets of 11 million families, or whether it was moving forward on rental supports and dental support for low-income Canadians.

These are things the Conservative Party voted against, but we are delivering $1,300 over the next two years for families to help with bills on dental. We are delivering $500 on rental. We are going to continue to deliver for Canadians through this tough time.

[The Economy, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I join all my colleagues in wishing everyone a merry Christmas. We recognize that the holiday season will be difficult for many Canadians with the cost of living tied to global inflation. Times are tough. That is why we have been there to invest in families by doubling the GST credit, providing assistance for dental care for children who did not have access to it, providing assistance for low-income renters and cutting child care costs in half. We will continue to be there for Canadians this year, next year and in the future.

[Health, December 13th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, not only have I been speaking regularly with premiers, not only have our health ministers and other ministers been engaging directly with their counterparts across the country, but I have been sitting down with doctors, nurses and other frontline workers who have said very clearly, “Do not just send more blank cheques to the provinces for health care. Make sure that the provinces are delivering outcomes, delivering results for families, for seniors, for young people.”

The opposition parties may call for just more cash to be flushed to the provinces. We are going to need to get results from the provinces for Canadians, not for us but for Canadians who need better health care.

[Health, December 13th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I have had regular meetings with the provincial premiers for several months. Our ministers are getting involved because we recognize that Canadians need better health care systems. They need family doctors. They need fewer wait lists. They need help for mental health.

Instead of doing what the NDP leader is proposing, in other words, simply sending a blank cheque to the provinces to have them deal with their health care systems, we are demanding results for Canadians. We need to have results for families, for seniors and for young people. We will insist on that.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, December 13th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what I am doing. I did not propose any numbers for Quebec. I acknowledged that Quebec was capable of increasing its immigration levels, if it wanted to do so, because it has those powers. We recognize the important role that Quebec plays in protecting the French language and the Quebec nation. That is why we will continue to work respectfully with the Government of Quebec.

However, we do want to point out that the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause is something that the federal government should never support.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, December 13th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I merely pointed out that Quebec is entirely capable of increasing its immigration levels, if it wants to.

This decision is up to Quebec, and we respect Quebec's jurisdiction with regard to immigration, as we do across our system of government.

We will always work with the Quebec government and other governments across the country to protect the French language and to welcome francophone immigrants. We have a lot more work to do, but we will continue to do it.

[Ethics, December 13th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, in the House, there is a lot of debate and back and forth, but every now and then there is an opportunity for Canadians to weigh in directly on what is going on in federal politics.

Yesterday, the residents of Mississauga—Lakeshore had a choice. They could choose between the Conservative Party politics of division and reckless proposals that included recommending that they opt out of inflation by investing in crypto, or our government's approach of being there for Canadians every step of the way and putting more money back in their pockets.

The people of Mississauga—Lakeshore have spoken and elected a Liberal member of Parliament to come to Ottawa.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, December 13th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, we continue to grow our immigration system. We continue to transform it and modernize it so it is able to respond to the needs of people who want to become Canadians and contribute to our society.

That is why we are investing in our system to provide a modern client experience and a more efficient immigration system. Modernizing our immigration system is about putting people at the heart of everything we do. We will continue to be there and resolve any technical issues.

[Firearms, December 13th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, while Conservative politicians continue to fearmonger and share disinformation, we are doing the work necessary to keep Canadians safe. We will continue to consult on the list, because, yes, we are not interested in going after guns that are typically used for hunting and protecting farms.

We are going to continue to make sure we are banning the most dangerous weapons that were designed to kill people in the shortest amount of time. This is something that unfortunately the Conservatives want to make legal, assault-style weapons, again. That is why they are in the pockets of the gun lobby and that is why we are standing strong.