Justin Trudeau

[Natural Resources, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the choice was clear for Canadians.

The NDP was proposing to make Canadians choose between what is good for the environment and what is good for the economy. The Liberal Party told Canadians that we understood how important it was to create a strong economy while protecting the environment. The two go hand in hand.

That is exactly what we are doing. We are putting a national price on carbon pollution, implementing a historic oceans protection plan, and securing new markets for our resources.

That is what Canadians expect.

[Natural Resources, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I had the privilege of sitting down with representatives of indigenous communities that will be affected by this new pipeline. We talked about the impact on their communities. We have set up a committee to consult and listen to communities. We will ensure that the pipeline has a positive impact, and we will minimize any negative repercussions.

I am proud of the reconciliation work we are doing. We will keep working with all indigenous peoples. We will listen to them. We will respect all points of view.

[Natural Resources, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we made a commitment to Canadians that said we understood we needed to grow the economy and protect the environment together. Those on the other side of the House would have Canadians believe that there is still a choice to be made between what is good for the economy and what is good for the environment. We on this side of the House know they must go together.

That is why we are moving forward with a world-class oceans protection plan, a national price on carbon pollution, and getting our resources to new markets, other than the United States, for our oil. That is what we know we need to do. That is what we are going to keep doing, despite the false choice proposed by the members opposite.

[International Trade, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we are proud of the work we have done in diversifying Canada's trade. Under this government, we signed the CETA deal with Europe and we actually moved forward on a CPTPP, which highlights that a progressive trade deal can work for our workers and for the growing economies of Asia. We are pleased with our record on trade and growth.

We are happy to announce that we will be introducing into the House the bill for the ratification of the new CPTPP before the House rises for the summer.

[Taxation, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite pointed out that he thinks about tax cuts. The issue is that Conservatives think about tax cuts for the wealthiest Canadians.

The first thing we did was bring in a tax cut for the middle class, and we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1%. For 10 years, Conservatives tried to put forward an agenda for growth that was focused on giving benefits and boutique tax cuts to the wealthiest Canadians, hoping that somehow it would trickle down to everyone else.

It did not, which is why the Conservatives had terrible growth for 10 years. We are investing in the middle class and those working hard to join it, and giving them more money—

[International Trade, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite well knows that the government will be there for workers and industries affected by these punitive American measures. That is what I told steel and aluminum workers over the past months as I travelled across the country to engage with them.

It is interesting that the member opposite speaks about deficits. In the last election, Canadians had a very clear choice. The Conservatives, their choice, their option, was actually austerity and cuts. Our proposal to Canadians was investing in the middle class and the people working hard to join it, investing in our communities, and growing the economy the way the Conservatives were not able to for 10 years.

[International Trade, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as we have said from the very beginning, with this particular American administration, we have to be ready for everything, and we are.

That is why, as soon as the U.S. put forward punitive, unacceptable tariffs on steel and aluminum in Canada, we were, right away, ready with a list of retaliatory measures that target American companies and American producers for which there are alternatives available to Canadian citizens.

We know that tariffs end up hurting the citizens of the country that brings them in. We want to avoid hurting Canadians. That is why we are consulting with Canadians on those retaliatory measures.

[International Trade, June 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our party created supply management. Our party has always unequivocally defended supply management. We will continue to do so. Dairy producers in Quebec and across Canada know just how much we support for them.

We will always defend the supply management system. However, if the Conservatives want to talk about supply management, I would ask the Leader of the Opposition why he appointed someone who opposes supply management as the critic for innovation and economic development.

[Natural Resources, June 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, $15 billion a year is what it costs us when we cannot export our oil resources to markets other than the United States. The Conservatives, who pretended they were great friends of the oil industry, were not able to achieve that in 10 years of trying, and we are now able to secure a pipeline that gets our oil resources to new markets. On top of that, it goes within a pan-Canadian framework on climate change, which includes a national price on carbon pollution right across the country and a historic oceans protection plan.

[Indigenous Affairs, June 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I respectfully suggest that, indeed, during consultations, listening and working to build reconciliation with indigenous peoples means listening to all voices of the indigenous community, including those who disagree with us. We have a tremendous depth of respect for all indigenous voices, both from those who oppose the pipeline and from those who wish the pipeline to move forward. Working with them to allay fears and create opportunities is something all Canadians expect of our government on the path to reconciliation.