Justin Trudeau

[The Economy, May 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party has been using that approach about concerns on inflation to stand against things like national food programs for kids or dental care for seniors. It has stood, objected and even campaigned against dental care for seniors over the past many months. We have delivered to over 100,000 seniors, of the two million who have already registered for dental care, the support that they had not gotten in years or even in decades. The Conservative leader stands against it with some made-up excuse around inflation, when delivering services delivers for Canadians.

[The Economy, May 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party invoked inflation to oppose our dental care plan for seniors and our investments to pay for dental care for the most vulnerable, who may not have been to a dentist in years, or even decades.

Is that inflation? No, it is help for Canadians who are struggling, who are having a hard time paying for groceries and who are worried about the cost of living. It is help that we are sending and that the Conservative Party is blocking at all costs. That is not being there for Canadians.

[The Economy, May 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the challenge for the Conservative leader is that he failed to listen to the rest of the sentence or the interview, which explains why we decided to invest in services and support, like dental care, to help Canadians.

Two million seniors have registered for dental care. Since May 1, over 100,000 have already received dental care, and over 10,000 dentists have signed up.

The Conservative Party continues to oppose dental care and is still trying to discourage dentists from signing up. We are there to help Canadians.

[Infrastructure, May 28th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, that is pure nonsense. Our government has been there to invest in public transit more than any other government.

As a proud Montreal MP, I can say that our actions in support of the blue line and the REM and of continued investment in public transit in Montreal, Quebec City and across the country are not going to stop.

We set up an infrastructure program to invest in public transit on a permanent and ongoing basis for decades to come. We will continue to be there for Montreal, for Montrealers and for all Quebeckers and Canadians when it comes to public transit.

[Indigenous Affairs, May 28th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, over the past years, we have made historic investments in first nations and indigenous health care right across the country. We recognize there is more to do. We are going to continue to be there as partners to indigenous communities and provincial health authorities to make sure those investments show up for vulnerable Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

We know how much more there is to do on the path to reconciliation, but we are there to be a partner every step of the way, and we will continue to work to respond to the important needs of first nations communities around health care.

[Democratic Institutions, May 28th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, our government has shared more cabinet confidences with various commissions of inquiry than almost any other government in the history of our country.

We know how important it is to show Canadians that they can have confidence in our public service, our intelligence services and our government to counter foreign interference. That is why we have been transparent and open with the commissioner and with all the other commissions. We have to keep being transparent about the work this government is doing.

[Democratic Institutions, May 28th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we thank the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency for its report and its diligent work, of course.

The report made a number of recommendations, and we are currently following up on them. During the various conversations and investigations into foreign interference, a number of challenges were highlighted with respect to internal communication within our intelligence agencies. We will continue to implement the recommendations and proposals that will improve how we respond as a government to foreign interference.

[Housing, May 28th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the so-called plan that the Conservative leader has put forward on housing does absolutely nothing to address homelessness or encampments.

We are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to help municipalities across the country build more housing rapidly and create the wraparound supports necessary to support people facing homelessness. We continue to be there with the most ambitious and comprehensive housing plan this country has ever seen.

This is part of what we are doing to make up for the lost years for which he was housing minister 10 years ago, not creating housing for Canadians and not investing in our future.

[Housing, May 28th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, it is shameful that the Conservative leader continues to exploit the very real anxieties of Canadians.

As the Conservative leader was housing minister, let us talk about his record. He withdrew the government from co-operative housing. He supported the construction of zero new apartments. He gutted affordable housing initiatives and created new bureaucracies.

His housing proposal today continues to fall short. The Conservative leader is simply all slogans and no answers.

[Housing, May 28th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we see the Conservative leader's hypocrisy on full display.

Let us talk about their housing proposal, which the Conservative leader has been delaying debate on for months because he knows it is not ambitious enough. His proposal will not build homes fast enough, does not reach enough cities and creates unnecessary bureaucracy. The Conservative leader would also rip up the 179 housing accelerator agreements and put the GST back on apartment construction. His clear lack of ambition on housing is partly how we ended up here in the first place.