Justin Trudeau

[Prime Minister's Trip to India, February 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, I have answered these questions, but while the opposition chooses to focus on me, we remain focused on Canadians.

We want to do more, across government, to support women. The opposition voted against the idea of making the Minister of Status of Women a full minister, but with budget 2018, we are going even further to ensure that Canada can always view its actions through the lens of gender equality and diversity. We are going to make Status of Women Canada an official department.

[Prime Minister's Trip to India, February 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as I have often said, those of us on this side of the House have faith in our security and information services. We have already answered all these questions, but as everyone knows, the opposition would rather talk about anything but budget 2018, which is full of great initiatives for the middle class and those working hard to join it.

One of those initiatives is the Canada workers benefit, which we are enhancing by making it available to another 300,000 low-income workers. The opposition is focused on us, but we are focused on providing the best possible support to Canadians.

[Status of Women, February 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we have been putting words into action for the past two years.

We announced $7 billion to address early learning and child care needs. We announced a total of $40 billion for a national housing strategy, with 25% going directly to women and families.

We increased parental and maternity benefits, implemented flexible work arrangements for federally regulated employees, and more. We invested in emergency housing for women in crisis. We will continue to make investments.

[Status of Women, February 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, over the past two years we have taken many different actions to help address the wage gap and support women's labour market participation, including $7 billion to address early learning and child care needs, increasing parental and maternity benefits, and implementing flexible work arrangements for federally regulated employees, and yesterday we announced that we would introduce pay equity legislation as part of the budget implementation act.

We know there is much more work to do, and we intend to get it done.

[Prime Minister's Trip to India, February 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, if the members opposite do not trust or believe our national security agencies, they should simply come forward and say so.

On this side of the House, we have faith in our professional public servants, particularly in the intelligence and security areas, who do extraordinary work every day to keep Canadians safe, and the members opposite should stop disrespecting them.

[Prime Minister's Trip to India, February 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the member opposite is not being clear. He has not come forward to say whether or not he actually believes—

[Prime Minister's Trip to India, February 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps it would be helpful to folks here if the member opposite actually were to state whether or not he believes that the professional public servant, who functions in a non-partisan way, was not telling the truth or was not clear on what he was saying. This is the issue that the member opposite seems to be getting at, that he does not believe our professional public servants in what they tell Canadians. If that is the case, then the member opposite should say so.

[Prime Minister's Trip to India, February 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to have to explain this to the members opposite, who did not learn this through 10 years of government. We saw that regularly in their behaviour in the Harper years.

Professional public servants, particularly those in the national security and information areas, do extraordinary work based on their professional qualifications and based on their analyses. When they make recommendations, or when they make statements to Canadians or to this government, we, on this side of the House, choose to believe them. On that side of the House, who knows?

[Prime Minister's Trip to India, February 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, once again, we support and accept the counsel, the recommendations, the extraordinary work, and the advice of our national security agencies and information agencies. We support our professional public services and accept the information and recommendations they give to us.

At the same time, as I have said, the member for Surrey Centre has taken responsibility for having extended the invitation to this individual and has apologized.

[Prime Minister's Trip to India, February 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, like most Canadians, on this side of the House we respect and appreciate the work done by our professional public service, and particularly in regard to our national security agencies and information agencies. We believe them when they put forward their information and their recommendations to us.

At the same time, the member for Surrey Centre has taken responsibility for his role in the invitation extended to this individual and has apologized.