Justin Trudeau

[The Economy, December 11th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to talk about what we have been able to do for Canadians. We watched Canadians create over a million new jobs over the past four years. Our policies that invested in Canadians and their families have actually lifted over 900,000 Canadians out of poverty, including 300,000 kids.

We recognize that there is more to do, and that is why we are going to keep investing in families, supporting Canadians, building for a brighter future every day through working with Canadians in communities right across the country.

[The Economy, December 11th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we made a very different choice than the Conservatives did. Instead of the cuts and austerity that the Conservatives put forward, we based our economic approach on investing in Canadians, on investing in their communities, on understanding that building a stronger future means giving everyone a real and fair chance to succeed. That is the choice we made as the Liberal Party. We got Canadians' support in 2015 and in 2019 to keep moving forward with a plan that invests in them for a brighter future for everyone.

[International Trade, December 11th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to take this moment to congratulate heartily the entire Canadian team for the great negotiation, and particularly our Deputy Prime Minister, the member for University—Rosedale.

We strengthened environmental protections, we strengthened support for workers and we moved forward on strengthened intellectual property and automotive rules of origin. We have ensured that access to our most important trading partner is solid for years to come. That is the work the Canadian team did in achieving the new NAFTA.

[International Trade, December 11th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. The new NAFTA, including the amendments we signed yesterday, is a win for aluminum workers.

We are very proud of our record of standing up for aluminum workers, and we will continue to stand up for them.

We are now ensuring that 70% of the aluminum used in North American automotive production will come from North America, and most of that will come from Quebec.

[Health, December 9th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, over the last mandate we were pleased to work out health transfers with the provinces. We signed agreements with all 10 provinces and three territories to move forward on funding for health care on things like home care, mental health services and others.

We know there is more to do, which is why we allocated $6 billion in our electoral platform for investments in our health care system, including things like universal pharmacare. We will continue to work with the provinces and invest. This year, we are spending $40 billion in health care transfers to the provinces.

[Taxation, December 9th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, the middle-class tax cut we are putting forward today will not only lift tens of thousands of people out of poverty, it will allow hundreds of thousands more to not have to pay income taxes at all. We know that by lowering taxes for around 20 million Canadians, we will make an appreciable difference in the lives of many people. This is the focus we are taking. This is the commitment we made to Canadians during the election campaign. We certainly hope to see support from all sides of the House on this measure.

[Employment Insurance, December 9th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we are all doing our job here in the House of Commons to properly represent and especially serve millions of Canadians, who all have their own challenges. I am always very happy to meet with people we can serve better, to listen to their priorities and to learn from their stories.

I will do everything I can not only to meet with her, but also to help her with the problems that she and many other Canadians are currently experiencing.

[Employment Insurance, December 9th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we know that far too many Canadians are grappling with serious illnesses and are worried about being able to get the treatment they need and relying on family. We know that it is important to increase EI benefits for the sick. We know that many, many families are suffering because of this. We are going to work to increase EI sickness benefits, as we promised.

[Foreign Affairs, December 9th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear over the past months in our support for the people of Hong Kong in defence of their human rights. We have been long-standing supporters of the one country, two systems principle and the rule of law. We have been calling consistently for a de-escalation of violence and hostilities and have asked the authorities to engage in a respectful and non-violent manner with the citizens of Hong Kong, including those 300,000 Canadians for whom we are very concerned.

[Foreign Affairs, December 9th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, our heart goes out to the two Canadians detained in China unjustly. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have spent a long time in detention in China. We think of their families, we think of their communities. We think of their loved ones, but we also stay focused on them, as we have over the past year.

We have continued to engage directly, including myself directly with President Xi, to highlight how important it is to bring these Canadians home. We will continue to work very hard, as I know all Canadians will, to send that clear message that those Canadians must be returned home.