Debates of May 1st, 2024

Housing

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition has the floor.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister did turn it around. Obviously, nine years is too long for him because he is starting to attribute to the previous government words he said himself. He was the one who said the federal government is not responsible for housing construction or affordability and that is after he doubled the cost. When I was housing minister, we built 89,000 apartments at an average rent of $973.

Since then, the rent has doubled. The mortgage payment has doubled, and the needed down payment has doubled. With all this failure, why is the Prime Minister doubling down?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our housing accelerator program, our comprehensive plan to build more homes to make sure Canadians can see themselves in home ownership once again, is exactly what we are continuing to invest in. Yes, I pointed out that we cannot build homes alone and that we need partners in the provinces and the municipalities, but I never denied that the federal government needs to continue to act on housing. That is why we have done that since 2017; that is why we are continuing to do it now. We need to make sure that young Canadians have opportunities that their parents and grandparents had. That is what we are stepping up for. That is what the leader opposite refuses to do.

Climate Change

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today is the day that this government's greatest contribution to global warming comes on line: Trans Mountain. With this pipeline, the Liberals have ensured that oil dependence will continue for decades more. All the Prime Minister's rhetoric will never erase the simple fact that Canada is one of the world's biggest oil producers, and is on track to remain so.

Can the Prime Minister tell us how this $34-billion oil investment is good news for the fight against climate change?

We are listening.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this project is in the national interest. It will create more jobs and increase Canada's GDP, and it is fully accounted for in Canada's climate plan.

Speaking of what is coming into effect today, I thought my hon. colleague was going to mention the dental care program. Beginning today, thousands upon thousands of senior citizens will be able to access dental care. In fact, 1.8 million of them have already signed up. As of 1 p.m. today, 1,200 seniors had obtained appointments and dental services free of charge.

We will continue serving Canada's seniors.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, no measure to combat climate change by the Liberals can make up for Trans Mountain's impact on the climate.

None of this government's environmental claims will ever speak as eloquently as its huge pipeline filled with tar sands oil. All the carbon taxes, the heat pumps and the billions of trees planted simply cannot make up for this $34-billion investment in fossil fuels. That said, the Prime Minister should not worry: the Conservatives will keep his lovely pipeline.

Does the Prime Minister feel that the commissioning of Trans Mountain is good news for the planet?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, if Canada is to keep investing in the energy transition, if we are to continue investing in solutions and assistance for our citizens, we need to have good prices for our current resources.

As everyone knows full well, however, we have a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We have a plan to build tomorrow's economy.

Today, we will keep doing what is necessary to invest in creating green technologies, renewable energy and a bright future for our children and grandchildren, both in Quebec and throughout the country.

The Budget

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has already doubled the national debt by adding more debt than all the other prime ministers in our history combined, and all with the support of the Bloc Québécois, which, by the way, voted for a $500-billion budget. The Bloc Québécois leader has never voted against a single budget proposed by this Prime Minister.

Today, we learned that the Prime Minister will continue to increase the debt by another $300 billion, with the approval of the House of Commons. How much will that raise mortgage interest rates?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we know full well that the Conservative leader's plan is one of austerity that includes cuts to programs and services that Canadians need.

On this side of the House, we recognize that Canada has one of the best fiscal situations in the G7 and the world. We have the lowest deficit in the G7. We have the best debt-to-GDP ratio. We have the third-largest economy in the world that is rated AAA by the rating agencies.

We are here to invest responsibly, because a confident country invests in its people and its future.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, as a result of the Prime Minister's decision to double the national debt, with support from the Bloc Québécois, we are paying $54.1 billion in interest on the debt alone. That is more than we spend on health care. That is the total amount collected in GST. Every time Canadians buy something, the GST simply goes to pay wealthy bankers.

Why is he wasting our money to benefit wealthy bankers instead of using it to provide services to Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are accusing us of wasting money, but that money is actually going to child care centres, to create more child care spots. They are accusing us of wasting money on dental care. They are accusing us of wasting money on investments in Northvolt, in Volkswagen, in Stellantis, in Honda, to secure careers for generations to come in a greener economy. They are accusing us of wasting money on investments in seniors to protect their old age security.

They are accusing us of wasting money because the Conservative leader wants nothing but austerity and budget cuts. We will continue to invest responsibly in Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, families are already living in austerity. The government is living in abundance. The people are poor, the government is rich. The more the government spends, the more Canadians pay. Interest rates are high, and the government's spending and borrowing are driving them even higher.

Have finance department officials briefed the Prime Minister on how much higher borrowing an additional $300 billion will drive up interest rates on families' mortgages?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are well aware that Canadians are facing an affordability crisis. That is why we are here with solutions for them.

We have cut the cost of day care in half across the country, except in Quebec, where we have invested in more day care spaces. We are there to invest in dental care for the most vulnerable senior citizens, just as we did for young people last year. We are there to invest in our students and in jobs for the future. We are there to invest in Canadians.

In contrast, the opposition leader is proposing cuts and austerity as part of his misguided ideological approach.

Diversity and Inclusion

[Anju Dhillon, Liberal, Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since 2015, the government has been committed to promoting shared Canadian values such as diversity, respect and equality for all Canadians.

We all learned last week that the Leader of the Opposition had visited a convoy camp set up by—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I am just going to interrupt the hon. member. I hope her question has something to do with the administration of the government. She has 15 seconds left, but I hope she gets to the heart of the matter.

The hon. member for Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle.

[Anju Dhillon, Liberal, Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, can the Prime Minister tell the House how the government will protect Canadians from extremist groups and what responsibilities all political leaders have?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the responsibility of every government is to protect the well-being of all Canadians, including Canadians who are members of minority groups and groups that are mistreated or typically ignored by the majority. We are here to invest and to protect these people.

When someone who aspires to be a future prime minister of Canada continues to associate with extremist groups, white nationalist groups, he should at least either explain to Canadians why he is courting these people's support, or else condemn them. The Leader of the Opposition is doing neither.

Finance

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost of debt interest. He doubled our national debt, adding more debt than all previous prime ministers combined. Now, we learn in his new budget bill that he is going to seek another $300 billion of debt, money that he would borrow out of the economy. That is equal to over 10% of our GDP, which would surely put upward pressure on interest rates. How much would all this government binge borrowing add to the mortgage payment of the average family?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, allow me once again to set the facts straight. Canada has one of the strongest fiscal positions of any country in the world, certainly the lowest deficit in the G7, the best debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, and it is continuing to decrease, and we are the third-largest economy in the world with an AAA credit rating, the top credit rating by the agencies that look at fiscal sustainability of governments.

All that is on the backdrop of further investments we are making, generational investments to support Canadians. Contrast it with the ideology of the Conservatives: to leave Canadians to fend for themselves, cuts, and austerity.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we actually have the highest mortgage debt of any country in the G7, and by far. It is higher, as a share of our economy, than the Americans had during the mortgage meltdown. Now, interest rates are higher and families risk losing their homes. Government deficits push inflation and interest rates higher, and that makes the problem worse. Therefore, once again, how much would $300 billion of yet more debt add in mortgage payments for the average Canadian family? How much?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is mixing different factors that are facing Canadians. Mortgages are high for Canadian families, and therefore the Canadian government is choosing to invest in measures that are going to support Canadian families. I talked to a family from Burlington who actually saw their mortgage payments go up because of the rise in global interest rates, while at the same time their child care fees were cut by larger amounts because of investments this government made. We are going to continue to be there for Canadians while the Conservative leader wants cuts.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, inflation and higher interest rates are the costs Canadians pay for the spending that the Prime Minister told them was free. It is not free. Nothing is free. Every dollar he spends comes out of the pockets of Canadians directly through taxes or indirectly through inflation and interest rates. Now he wants to do another $300 billion of binge borrowing.

Will he put aside that radical scheme and, instead, accept my common-sense plan to fix the budget with a dollar-for-dollar law so we can bring down interest rates and inflation for Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have been there to invest for Canadians responsibly. We still have one of the top AAA-rated economies in the world. Our fiscal plan is sustainable and responsible. However, the Conservative leader still wants to make cuts to programs, cuts to our military, cuts to the initiatives that are helping Canadians across the country.

The things that we are doing are helping Canadians grow for the future in a responsible way, and that is why we are seeing inflation come down, and interest rates will be coming down, I am sure, in the coming months.

Diversity and Inclusion

[George Chahal, Liberal, Calgary Skyview, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the government has a responsibility to tackle misinformation and disinformation in Canada. Furthermore, the government has a responsibility to tackle hate and discrimination across Canada, and it is shameful that the Leader of the Opposition posed for photos with extremists who push hateful rhetoric.

Can the Prime Minister please tell the House how the government is taking these matters seriously?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have every right to be worried about the opposition leader's refusal, including multiple times during this question period, to condemn violent extremism, but they should not be surprised. Over his 19 years in politics, he showed Canadians time and time again that he will do or say anything to get elected. That includes pandering to extremists one day and pretending to stand with the very vulnerable communities those extremist groups target the next. Not only is this reckless; this is a failure of leadership.

Canadians deserve better. Canadians deserve leaders who will stand up for them every step of the way.