Justin Trudeau

[Official Languages, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Official Languages Act is important to our party and also to our country. Protecting Canada's linguistic minorities is at the core of who we are as a country. We will continue to stand up for linguistic minorities and strive to improve the Official Languages Act.

I can confirm that we are preparing to modernize the Official Languages Act. We will work with all Canadians to ensure we get it right.

[Public Safety, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, today we are launching a new call for proposals under the youth gang prevention program and the crime prevention action fund. These programs address the impact of gangs and violence on youth, especially in indigenous and high-needs communities. This is on top of unprecedented annual funding we announced last year of up to $100 million. We will keep working to enhance public safety by focusing on prevention, effective law enforcement, and strong community partnerships.

[Canadian Heritage, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to protect and to promote our culture.

The Broadcasting Act has not been reviewed since 1991. It predates smart phones and the ubiquitous use of the Internet. We are reviewing the act to ensure that it reflects today's realities and that the system in place is fair for everyone. The guiding principle for the review is clear: anyone who profits must contribute. No one gets a free pass.

We are also going to protect and strengthen CBC's mandate to make sure that Harper-style budget cuts can never happen again.

[Indigenous Affairs, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, Canadians asked our government to step up on reconciliation and build a new relationship, nation to nation, with indigenous peoples, and that is exactly what we are doing. In partnership with them, in respect with them, we are working with indigenous communities across this country to respond to their needs, to deliver on the services they need, to build the housing, invest in the schools, and create the infrastructure necessary for them to determine their own future and for them to thrive in this country.

We are doing this hand in hand, in partnership, in respect, and that is what we will continue to do.

[Transportation, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel for his question.

Public transit is a priority for our government because it enables Canadians to spend less time on the road and more time with their loved ones. I am proud of this week's announcement that we will be giving the Société de transport de Montréal over $450 million to help it purchase buses, build a new garage, and renovate Montreal metro system equipment.

That is what it means to invest in our communities.

[Ethics, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our decision to introduce indigenous participation is consistent with our commitment to developing a renewed relationship between Canada and indigenous peoples. Enhancing access to the Arctic surf clam fishery broadens the distribution of benefits from this public resource, and it is a powerful step toward reconciliation. When the Conservatives went through a similar process to increase access to this fishery, they chose to exclude indigenous peoples.

Of course, the member will continue to work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and follow his advice.

[National Defence, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is looking to politicize the fact that today is the 74th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, but we on this side of the House are thinking about what unfolded on the shores of Normandy and paying tribute to our fallen soldiers. The monumental achievements of those young men transformed this great country. Their determination to fight for freedom, democracy, peace, and security was passed down to future generations. As an expression of our gratitude to their bravery and perseverance, we thank and salute the men and women who played a pivotal role all those years ago. Lest we forget.

[National Defence, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, here we go again. The Conservatives pretend that they are friends to our troops, but for 10 years they underinvested, they politicized, they played games with procurement, and they nickel-and-dimed our veterans, yet they are easy to stand up with inflated rhetoric any time there is a challenge.

We are going to continue to work with the men and women of our Canadian Forces to ensure that they have the equipment and the support they need to do their jobs as they stand up for Canada with their lives and livelihoods on the line. We continue to support our troops, not just with words, like them, but with dollars and cents that go the distance.

[Marijuana, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we are, of course, in ongoing discussions with our American counterparts on a broad range of border issues, and we will continue to be, but at the same time, I hope the NDP is not suggesting that somehow a sovereign country cannot make determinations about how it handles people entering its own borders. Of course, we would never expect or allow any other country to dictate to us who or how we can or cannot let someone into our country. We will ensure that we are also respecting other countries' sovereignty in doing that at the same time as we stand up for Canadians, and of course, for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

[Marijuana, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear about one thing. The reason we are moving forward on the legalization of marijuana is that the current system does not work. It does not protect our kids from the harmful impact of marijuana, and it delivers billions of dollars every year to criminal organizations that make profits off of that.

We are also highlighting that cannabis is not somehow a positive health food supplement that we encourage everyone to use. It is a controlled substance. We are trying to make it more difficult for kids to access, and people need to be honest when they cross the border if they choose to enter a different country.