Justin Trudeau

[Taxation, May 3rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I know the Conservatives' approach is to not let the facts get in the way of a good political argument, but allow me to remind the member opposite that B.C. has had a price on carbon pollution for almost 10 years, and it has led, quite frankly, to growth in the economy while they have reduced and while they have shown leadership on the environment. That is exactly what we know will work right across the country. We are putting a price on carbon pollution so we can grow the economy in cleaner ways. Everyone gets that except the Conservatives.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada, we are incredibly fortunate that Canadians look at immigrants and refugees, across party lines, as a potential benefit to Canada, as nation builders, not just as immigrants or refugees. We know that being compassionate and welcoming is one of the great strengths of Canada. We also know that applying the rules and the laws around our immigration system is essential for fairness, but it is also essential to ensure continued support for immigrants and refugees. That is exactly what we are doing. We are going to remain compassionate while ensuring that our laws are enforced.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we have been in talks with our American partners for months on a number of border-related issues, and this is what Canadians expect. However, the safe third country agreement between Canada and the United States allows for proper management of asylum claims. This agreement is based on a principle recognized by the United Nations Refugee Agency that refugees must claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.

That said, it is unfortunate that the NDP is using the Conservatives' fear tactics to sway Canadians. We are going to remain compassionate and ensure that everyone who should stay in Canada is able to do so.

[Natural Resources, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, what we actually did was improve the process by adding additional steps and additional consultations to the flawed process put in place by the Harper government.

We know that moving forward on resources requires that we demonstrate leadership on the environment and a plan to grow the economy sustainably. That is exactly what we did. We strengthened the approval process. We did extra consultations. We are moving forward with the project in the national interest.

[Natural Resources, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Federal Court of Appeal clearly stated that the Harper government did not consult the first nations enough on this energy project. Our government held the most comprehensive consultations with rights holders in the history of this country and we set up a review committee whose role was defined jointly with first nations communities. Some 43 indigenous communities signed agreements on the benefits and, for the first time in Canadian history, many indigenous peoples took part in the process. They benefited from it. As we share—

[Taxation, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, to set the record straight, economic growth during the Harper years was lower than at any other time since the Great Depression, lower than under any other Canadian prime minister. In the past two and a half years, we have invested more money in the middle class, invested in infrastructure, and demonstrated that leadership on the environment and the economy go hand in hand. As a result, we ensured that Canada had the strongest record of growth in the G7 for the past year, and we are in the process of creating 600,000 new jobs.

That is our record, and that is what Canadians chose.

[Taxation, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, if these Conservatives want to run another campaign based on how well they did during the Harper years, I urge them to do so. Canadians rejected the approach of the Harper government, which presided over the worst record of economic growth since the Great Depression, was unable to create energy jobs in new markets, and failed to provide Canadians with the future they needed. Canadians made a choice: they rejected Harper and his Conservatives.

[Taxation, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I suggest the hon. member actually talk to some of her colleagues from British Columbia where they have had a price on carbon pollution for years and have among the strongest economic growth in the country. Eighty-five per cent of Canadians now live in jurisdictions where they have put a price on carbon pollution, and Canadians understand that growing the economy at the same time as we protect the environment is the only way forward.

The Harper Conservatives still demonstrate that they do not get it. They are stuck in what they were doing for 10 years. Canadians had enough.

[Taxation, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we have been putting in place practical, low-cost measures to tackle climate change and drive clean growth, including pricing pollution. It is clear that the Conservatives have no intention of taking climate change seriously and have no plan to promote clean growth in Canada. This is exactly the kind of inaction we saw in 10 years under Stephen Harper, who still very much apparently controls the backbench of the Conservative Party, and these Conservatives are no different.

[Taxation, May 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are yet again demonstrating not just their tenuous relationship with the truth, but also with the understanding that we have to take good, clean action on carbon. After 10 long years of the Harper Conservatives doing absolutely nothing on the environment, the same Conservatives show that they just do not get it.

We are putting a price on carbon pollution because it will reduce emissions and drive growth in the right direction at the same time. While Harper Conservatives believe that by making the economy and the environment work together and that somehow Canada is broken, we will continue to invest in clean technology.