Justin Trudeau

[Ethics, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, in this House, as we have seen from time to time, there are accusations of ethical impropriety thrown as political attacks.

What we have is a Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, who is in charge of evaluating the facts and making dispassionate findings that Canadians can have confidence in. If members are making accusations around ethics and conflict of interest, they should work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to ensure that everything is being followed.

I can assure members that on this side of the House, we respect the work of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and follow their instructions.

[Ethics, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, reconciliation with first nations also involves creating economic opportunities for them. We are proud of the approach we have taken to create economic growth for indigenous communities.

With regard to the Arctic surf clam, I am very proud of what we are doing, and we will continue to create opportunities for indigenous peoples. If they have questions or concerns, I suggest that our friends across the way speak to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. However, I can say that everything is being done by the rules on this side of the House.

[Health, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, from the day we took office, we have been working with provinces where access to these services was inconsistent or non-existent and making sure they started offering women reproductive health services and protection and respecting women's choices. We on this side of the House, along with the NDP, understand that women unequivocally have the right to decide what to do with their bodies, and we are always going to stand up for that right, regardless of what the Conservatives think or say.

[Health, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her hard work in standing up and fighting for women's rights right across the country. We agree with her. We know that safe and easy access, responsible access, affordable access to reproductive health services, including abortions, is of fundamental importance to all Canadians. That is why we moved forward on ensuring that all provinces are offering that. We continue to work right across the country to ensure that the Canada Health Act is brought in. We will always be unequivocal in standing up for a woman's right to choose.

[Public Safety, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, once again we saw this approach by the previous government in the last election. It does not work to try to scare and divide Canadians. Our security agencies take all potential threats very seriously and use the full tool kit of measures, including surveillance, the no-fly list, revoking passports, and laying criminal charges when sufficient evidence exists. The expertise of Canadian security and law enforcement professionals is highly respected around the world. Our security services are doing their work in spite of over a billion dollars in cuts they suffered under the Harper government.

[Public Safety, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, once again we see the Conservatives trying to drum up fear as a way of political attack. We have every reason to be responsible and serious about how we protect the integrity of Canadians and the safety of our communities, but quite frankly, illustrations like the one in that question, or, for example, the attack ads the Conservatives put out that featured footage of ISIS executions, for political gain, are below the norm and should not be acceptable in Canada. The Conservatives will have a lot to answer for if they are going to keep up that same approach in the upcoming election.

[Democratic Reform, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, a record number of Canadians voted in the last election for one reason, and that was to bring about real change and get Stephen Harper out of the prime minister's office. It worked.

We will continue to roll back Mr. Harper's changes to our electoral system, which the Conservatives still deplore. We will make it easier for people to vote. We will encourage youth to learn more about our electoral system. We will limit the role of money and third parties in our electoral process because we believe that it is important to defend the integrity of our electoral system.

[Democratic Reform, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the members opposite, we believe that more Canadians should vote. We know that making young people aware, so that when they turn 18 they are able to vote in a smooth and easy way, is a really important principle. Unlike the Conservatives, who actually prevented Elections Canada from doing youth outreach to encourage young people to learn about our electoral system, we believe that bringing young people into the political system in a responsible and respectful way is actually good for our democracy, and we are excited about this process.

[Human Rights, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for York Centre for his tireless advocacy on behalf of his community.

When Canada denied asylum to the 907 German Jews on board the MS St. Louis, we failed not only those passengers, but also their descendants and community. Canada's discriminatory “none is too many” policy of the time failed those desperate for safety and refuge from persecution. To acknowledge this difficult truth, learn from this story, and continue to fight against anti-Semitism every day, I look forward to offering a formal apology on the floor of the House.

[Foreign Affairs, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, Canada is proud to lead the way on nuclear disarmament and countering nuclear arms by leading on the fissile material cut-off treaty. We know that leadership matters, and it actually has an impact on behaviours around the world. It is what the world expects of Canada, and that is what we will continue to do. That is why we are standing alongside the international community in continuing to hold Iran to account and keeping the JCPOA in place. We regret the decision by the United States to pull out, but we are still hopeful that we are going to be able to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons.