Justin Trudeau

[The Economy, September 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, not only do we care about Canadians, but we have invested concretely in making their lives better. I am talking about half a million new full-time jobs since we took office. We are talking about the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. We are talking about investments that have lifted hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty. We have lowered taxes for small businesses. We are drawing in global investment. We are delivering with the highest growth rate in the G7 last year. This is what Canadians expected. This is what we are delivering for the middle class and those working hard to join it.

[Fisheries and Oceans, September 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we have put in place the necessary measures to protect this iconic species and to ensure continued access to our fisheries. Since taking clear and coordinated action, I am happy to report that thus far we have not had a single reported death of a North Atlantic right whale in Canadian waters.

I also want to thank industry leaders who cooperated with our measures. However, I am glad that our snow crab and lobster fishers have also enjoyed good fishing seasons.

[Employment Insurance, September 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, it is always hard to hear stories about Canadians suffering, and we are doing everything in our power to help them.

We have made firm commitments to enhance the employment insurance program to better meet the needs of Canadian families.

We have created a new family caregiver benefit. We have relaxed the rules for sickness benefits. We have improved the application process to make it easier for Canadians to access their benefits.

Naturally, there is still a lot more to be done, and we are working together with Canadian families to help them even more.

[Health, September 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned about the opioid crisis in Canada. Between January 2016 and March 2018, approximately 8,000 Canadians tragically lost their lives to apparent opioid-related overdoses. We have responded with new federal investments, new legislation and regulatory action, such as $231.4 million of investments to improve access to treatment, to address stigma and to gather more data to help address the opioid crisis.

We know there is much more work to do but we will not treat this is as a criminal issue. We will work with the partners to increase access to treatment—

[September 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, there is just too much wrong with the previous member's statement to go through it, but I will address the question of energy east. A private company made a determination that they no longer wanted to move forward with a project when oil had fallen to half the price it had been when they initially proposed the project. It actually never reached a point where we could have weighed in on it one way or another, because they withdrew the project because they also had another pipeline going south that they had trouble filling the space on.

This was a market decision by a private company, but the member opposite does not really know anything about that, does he?

[September 19th, 2018]

Obviously, Mr. Speaker, the member opposite agrees with Stephen Harper that it is better to sign a bad deal than to have no deal. Well, we disagree and Canadians disagree.

On the issue of getting our resources to new markets, we understand how important it is, and their failure for 10 years to get a pipeline built that will get our resources in a significant way to new markets is on them. We know that the way to get these things built properly is to work with indigenous peoples and to make sure we are protecting the environment. That is what Canadians asked us to do and that is what we will be doing.

[International Trade, September 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite wants to clarify things, he can immediately say that he disagrees with Stephen Harper's analysis that it would be better to sign a bad deal than to have no deal, because that is what Stephen Harper is on record as having recommended to Canadian parliamentarians and to Canadian negotiators. If he disagrees with Stephen Harper on that position or on any other position, please let him say so and set the record straight.

[The Economy, September 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we realize that our businesses need to remain competitive. This is why we are proud to have lowered taxes on small businesses across the country. We lowered these taxes on January 1, and we will lower them again this coming January 1. We are also looking at investments to keep our businesses competitive with the United States.

That said, we know that cutting taxes for the rich is not the way to create economic growth. This is what the Conservatives do not understand.

[The Environment, September 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, again, we see that the NDP is still trying to claim that there is a choice to make between what is good for the environment and what is good for the economy. We know, and Canadians know very well, that the only way to build a future for our children is to protect the environment, fight climate change, and invest in good jobs and in a stronger future for our young people and our communities.

The NDP does not understand how to do these two things at the same time. That is why we will continue to do so in a reasonable and respectful manner.

[The Environment, September 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, there are still people in Canada, including in the NDP, who believe that we have to choose between job creation and environmental protection.

We know that the only way to build a strong country for years to come is to protect the environment while also creating economic growth. That is why we are holding consultations and working with indigenous peoples and communities. We are investing in environmental science to ensure that the decisions we make to develop our economy protect the environment at the same time. This is something we take very seriously and always will.