Justin Trudeau

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, June 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Canada continues to be a strong and steadfast friend to Ukraine, whether it is standing up against the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea or Russia's interference in the Donbass, whether it is working with our troops in Ukraine to continue to train Ukrainian forces, whether it is signing and moving forward with a Canada-Ukraine trade deal, or whether it is continuing to look for closer trade ties between our countries. As I told President Poroshenko just a few days ago when I spoke with him, we will continue to support Ukraine in its march toward greater progress and greater success for everyone.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, June 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we inherited a system from the Conservative government that had multiplied wait times. Family and spousal reunification was up to over 24 months. We have drastically cut wait times. We recognize there is more to do and we are working hard on that, but after all the cuts we inherited, we recognize that is going to take some time. We continue to invest in our immigration system. We understand that family reunification, opportunities for integration, and a compassionate and fair immigration system that continues to be rigorously applied are important to all Canadians and that is what we are delivering.

[Taxation, June 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as soon as the Conservatives run out of flailing arguments, they turn to personal attacks. It is the same old same old from them. That is what we got for 10 years instead of the kind of growth that middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join them needed. That is why we focused on Canadians over the past two and a half years, delivering the middle-class tax cut, delivering the Canada child benefit, delivering a strengthened CPP, delivering an increase in the guaranteed income supplement for our most vulnerable seniors, delivering on the Canada workers benefit, delivering on infrastructure investments that are going to help Canadians across the country. That is what we have done.

[Carbon Pricing, June 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, the Conservatives showed low growth because they favoured boutique tax cuts for wealthy Canadians who might vote for them instead of helping the middle-class and those working hard to join it.

That is why Canadians made a better choice in 2015 and put their trust in the Liberal government that lowered taxes for the middle class, raised them on the wealthiest 1%, is delivering a Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families, and stopped sending the child benefit cheques to millionaires the Conservatives were so attached to.

We have created the strongest growth in the G7 for 2017, and we are going to—

[Carbon Pricing, June 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am used to the member opposite completely misinterpreting my statements, but now he is misinterpreting and misreading the Fraser Institute's report.

We have lowered taxes on the middle class. It was, in fact, the very first thing we did. We raised them on the wealthiest 1%. On top of that, we delivered a Canada child benefit that delivered more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families, with tax-free money every month to help with the cost of groceries and school supplies.

Unfortunately, both of those initiatives are things the Conservatives voted against.

[Carbon Pricing, June 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by reminding the member opposite that not only was the first thing we did lowering taxes for the middle class and raising them for the wealthiest 1%, but that member actually voted against those measures to lower taxes on the middle class.

In regard to pricing carbon pollution, I can highlight that 86% of our economy already has a price on carbon pollution in their jurisdictions. We will continue to work to make sure there is fairness across the country as we move forward on protecting our environment for future generations and spurring innovation and the growth of jobs in our economy.

[Status of Women, June 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Brossard—Saint-Lambert for her work on gender equality. Everyone must have equal access to a quality education.

In Charlevoix, we announced a fund worth nearly $3.8 billion to increase equal access to quality education for girls and women and to address the barriers that prevent them from accessing education. This is the largest-ever investment in education for women and girls in crisis situations, and it will have a real impact on women and girls around the world.

[International Trade, June 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, within hours of the U.S. government imposing these new tariffs on steel and aluminum, we had a clear response worth $16.6 billion on steel, on aluminum, and on other products coming into Canada from the United States. We have been working on contingency plans, and I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, and all Canadians, that we will be there to support and stand with our aluminum and steel workers. That is what I told them across the country when I was visiting with them. That is what I continue to tell them as I speak to them across the country through their leadership and the media.

[International Trade, June 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said several times, Canadian steel and aluminum workers have our unconditional support. These tariffs are completely unacceptable. Consequently, we intend to impose tariffs on steel, aluminum, and other goods from the United States. We will impose tariffs on the U.S. equivalent to those imposed on Canadian goods.

As I told steel and aluminum workers when I visited plants across the country, we will always be there to defend them.

[Marijuana, June 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to note that we always respect the provinces and indigenous peoples, as well as the work that they do. We are putting forward a bill that will protect our children and prevent organized crime from making huge profits from the sale of marijuana. The Conservatives keep playing politics with this issue.

I want to thank the senators and every expert who spoke to this issue. We are moving forward with measures that will protect Canadians.