Justin Trudeau

[Finance, December 8th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are nothing if not consistent. They continue to ask us to stop being there to support Canadians. They opposed the child care agreements we signed with the provinces, which we are enshrining into law with legislation we are bringing in to today. They opposed the dental supports for low-income Canadians to make sure kids have the best start in life possible. They opposed the rental supports we moved forward with to deliver for Canadians. They stood against the kinds of supports we were flowing to Canadians through the dark times of the pandemic.

We will continue to be there for Canadians and remain fiscally responsible, because that is what Canadians expect.

[The Environment, November 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the member for her long-standing advocacy.

We are excited about stepping up to welcome the world for COP15, focused on nature and biodiversity, because we know how much it matters. In Montreal, we will be pushing countries for results on funding, protected areas and more. At home this week, we announced money for 67 projects to protect species across the country. We have gone from protecting less than 1% of our coastal areas before 2015 to protecting over 14%. I am looking forward to sharing more next week in Montreal.

[Health, November 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, we know that far too many Canadians still deal with the disease of HIV/AIDS, and the fact is that we will continue to be there to support them. When we hosted the world AIDS conference in Montreal this summer, we made historic investments toward supporting people not just in Canada but around the world to live free of AIDS. This is something we are going to continue to stand for.

I thank the member opposite for his strength and advocacy on this issue. We will continue to work with him and with all members of the House as we keep Canadians safe.

[Dental Care, November 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Avalon for his hard work for his constituents.

Despite Conservative Party opposition, as of tomorrow the families of half a million kids under 12 will be able to access the Canada dental benefit. That means up to $1,300 over two years per child for dental care. It will be open through the CRA's My Account for those with a net family income of under $90,000 who do not have access to private dental insurance. It is tax-free and goes directly to parents.

This is all part of our plan to make life more affordable for Canadians.

[Finance, November 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, we went into the pandemic with the strongest fiscal position of any of our peers and we came out of it with the strongest fiscal position of any of our peers. We did that because we invested in Canadians. We supported small businesses. We supported families. We supported workers. We supported students. We supported seniors. Not only was that the right thing to do because it allowed most of them to get vaccinated, but it also ensured that we would stay strong in our economic recovery.

We have recovered 100% of our jobs faster than the United States. We are seeing strong economic growth. We will continue to be there with targeted supports for Canadians who need them.

[Carbon Pricing, November 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, it seems to be only Conservative politicians who do not understand that we cannot have a plan for the future of the economy if we do not have a plan to fight climate change.

What we have demonstrated over the past seven years, by making sure that it is not free to pollute anywhere across the country and making sure we are investing in transforming and decarbonizing our industries, is that we are securing good jobs for the future. The investments we are making in steel, agriculture and manufacturing are making a huge difference in creating good jobs for decades to come for Canadians and communities from coast to coast to coast.

[Carbon Pricing, November 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I have heard directly from farmers and agricultural producers about how the disruptions in global supply chains, the energy shortages, the challenges we are facing around the world with the war in Ukraine and coming out of the pandemic and other issues have contributed to real challenges for many families. That is why we are going to continue to step up even as we move forward in the fight against climate change.

We know that protecting our lands and resources and protecting families that live off the land will be unbelievably important for decades to come. That is why it is such a shame to see the Conservatives continue to have no plan for the future of our environment.

[The Environment, November 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Châteauguay—Lacolle for her question and her hard work.

Our ecosystems are precious and fragile, and we must protect them. On Monday, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change announced more than $8.7 million in funding over the next three years through the habitat stewardship program for species at risk. This funding will support 67 conservation projects led by people across Canada who are taking action to recover species at risk in their communities. It is the right thing to do, and we are doing it.

[Carbon Pricing, November 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about children. Let us talk about the Canada child benefit that has lifted hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty, a benefit that the Conservatives campaigned and voted against.

Let us talk about the fact that we are cutting child care fees in half right across the country, making a difference of thousands of dollars in the pocketbooks of Canadians, something the Conservatives voted against.

Let us talk about the fact that kids from lower-income families cannot go to the dentist because their parents cannot afford it. As of tomorrow, they will get the support to send them to the dentist, which is going to make a huge difference. Unfortunately, Conservative politicians voted against that as well.

On this side of the aisle, we will stand up for Canadians. On that side of the aisle, they will ignore them.

[The Economy, November 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives continue to focus on personal attacks on me, I will continue to focus on Canadians, with supports so all families can afford dental care in this country, something the Conservatives voted against, and with a $500 top-up to help low-income renters, something the Conservatives voted against. Indeed, we are continuing to move forward by cutting in half child care fees across the country, something the Conservatives campaigned against in the last election.

We will continue to be there for Canadians while the Conservatives continue to ignore them.