Justin Trudeau

[Carbon Pricing, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition continues to make that argument even though he knows full well that farm fuels are 95% exempt from the price on pollution right across the country. That is something he ignores because of his ideological opposition to take any action in fighting climate change.

Well, I can tell the Leader of the Opposition that, in Conservative ridings right across the country, people are worried about droughts, people are worried about floods, and people are worried about wildfires that are more and more severe. Canadians need a clean plan to fight climate change, which is something he has not put forward. We are fighting climate change and putting money in people's pockets.

[Carbon Pricing, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that eight out of 10 Canadian families in jurisdictions where the carbon price federal backstop applies are better off, with more money in their pockets through the Canada carbon rebate cheques that land in their bank accounts four times a year. That is money in their pockets that goes to the cost of groceries, the cost of rent and the cost of everything they need to raise their families. That is money in their pockets that the Leader of the Opposition would take away because of an ideological crusade against climate action.

[Innovation, Science and Industry, May 22nd, 2024]

Once again, Mr. Speaker, we see that the Conservative Party's opposition to the price on pollution is ideological and not concrete. Their opposition to the price on pollution means they do not care about fighting against climate change. Even as wildfires are already raging in different parts of the country, they have no plan to fight against climate change. They do it in the name of affordability while ignoring the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who actually showed that eight out of 10 Canadian families do better with the money put in their pockets from the Canada carbon rebate than it costs them with the price on pollution.

[Innovation, Science and Industry, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows full well that we have made changes and improvements to give the Competition Bureau more power. We know that ensuring competition between various companies will lead to better prices and better results for Canadians.

We also know that it is important to continue monitoring these issues. That is why the minister is asking the Competition Bureau to look into what is happening with cellphone plans and Loblaws. This is an issue that we will always take seriously.

[Innovation, Science and Industry, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we have actually seen cellphone bills decrease across the country by 25% over the past number of years, and we are going to continue to stand up for Canadian consumers. Indeed, I know the minister is looking into the Competition Act to see if there are needs to be referred on a number of things that have come forward.

We are going to continue to stand up for the middle class and people working hard to join it, which is why we raised corporate taxes, why we asked the wealthiest Canadians to pay a little more so we can invest more in younger Canadians and why we are continuing to step up on creating fairness for every generation with this budget, with the investments we are making and with further investments as well.

[Official Languages, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, in this debate, as in every debate and at every opportunity, I will always stand up to defend the French fact in Canada, to defend francophone communities from coast to coast to coast. I have always done so and I will continue to do so.

Defending linguistic duality, this country's two official languages, across this country, is a core value of the Liberal Party of Canada and of the Liberal government. We will continue to do so every chance we get.

[Official Languages, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, francophones across the country, including those in Quebec, know full well that the members of the Bloc Québécois are not interested in the fate of French outside Quebec. That is why they want to make Quebec their own country, to protect French.

We know that the best way to protect French in Quebec and across Canada is by investing in every francophone community from coast to coast to coast. As for protecting French in Quebec, yes, we are here to do that. We are also here to continually stand up to protect francophone minorities from coast to coast to coast. We will continue to do so.

[The Economy, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, here is a perfect example of where the Conservatives stand. They stood and voted against our dental care for seniors program. As of today, over two million seniors have signed up, and in the 22 days since May 1, close to 100,000 seniors have gotten free dental care. That is in just 22 days on a program that he voted against and campaigned against across the country over the past number of months.

We will be there to invest in supporting Canadians with a national school food program, with dental care and with more child care spaces, despite him voting against them.

[The Economy, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we announced the national school food program in the budget, and just after question period today, the Conservatives have an opportunity to vote in favour of that national school food program and other initiatives that are going to help hundreds of thousands of kids across this country and, indeed, millions of Canadians with the high cost of living. However, he is going to stand there and vote against it to prevent it from delivering the help Canadians need.

We will keep going on delivering support for Canadians. We will keep going on putting more money in the pockets of eight out of 10 Canadians with our price on pollution, which supports Canadian families and successfully fights climate change.

[The Economy, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, it would be slightly more credible to hear the Conservatives concern about the challenges Canadians are facing if they had not stood and voted against more spaces in child care and voted against our dental care program, which two million seniors have signed up for and has now delivered close to 100,000 dental appointments for seniors in just 22 days. They have also stood against our school food program that is going to help 400,000 more kids across the country have full bellies as they start their school day.

These are investments that they are opposed to and that we are there to help Canadians with.