SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 203 - May/31/23

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

May/31/23 3:15:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister tells Canadians to stop complaining, because they have never had it so good. Well, nine in 10 young people cannot afford a home because housing costs have doubled under the Prime Minister. Rent has doubled, the average mortgage payment has doubled and the needed down payment for an average house has doubled. The inflation rate has hit the highest level in 40 years and now is back on the rise. They might beg to differ. Will the Prime Minister stop trying to silence Canadians' voices and start reversing the policies that have caused the damage in the first place?

104 words

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/31/23 3:16:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to grow the economy. We are going to continue to create great, well-paying jobs for Canadians right across the country, because that is what Canadians continue to need. That is what we have been doing over these past years. The fact that the Leader of the Opposition suggests we should be growing less, that we should be seeing less wage growth across the country, maybe reveals a little more about his economic thinking than about anyone else's. At the same time as we do that, we are going to continue to invest in programs and supports for first-time homebuyers, for low-income renters and for construction of new rental homes by working in partnership with municipalities. We are going to continue to deliver for Canadians.

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/31/23 3:16:07 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to grow the economy. We are going to continue to create great, well-paying jobs for Canadians right across the country, because that is what Canadians continue to need. That is what we have been doing over these past years. The fact that the Leader of the Opposition suggests we should be growing less, that we should be seeing less wage growth across the country, maybe reveals a little more about his economic thinking than about anyone else's. At the same time as we do that, we are going to continue to invest in programs and supports for first-time homebuyers, for low-income renters and for construction of new rental homes by working in partnership with municipalities. We are going to continue to deliver for Canadians.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

May/31/23 3:16:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, he delivers only for himself. We are not growing. Under the Prime Minister, we have the slowest per capita GDP growth of any government since the Great Depression. Under eight years of the Prime Minister, housing costs have doubled, 1.5 million people are eating from food banks and one in five is skipping meals because they cannot afford food. Now, interest rates, which his government said would stay low for long, are skyrocketing because of his deficits. How much have interest rates had to go up to accommodate his $60 billion in new deficits?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/31/23 3:17:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, here is a thought experiment for Canadians: Imagine how much worse off we would be if the Conservatives' plan on not encouraging vaccinations had led during the pandemic, if their reliance on ideology and conspiracy theories instead of science and experts had governed our pandemic response. The Canadian economy— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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The Speaker

May/31/23 3:17:55 p.m.
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I am sorry. I am going to have to ask the hon. Prime Minister to stop for a second. We had started getting better, and now, all of sudden, everybody is getting excited again. Maybe it is because the end of question period is coming, and maybe I will just skip to the last question and then work my way back. That might work out better. I am going to let the Prime Minister continue, and we will see if I have to resort to that. The right hon. Prime Minister has the floor.

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau

May/31/23 3:18:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are a government grounded in facts and evidence, and that is part of why we got through the pandemic better than most other countries around the world that we are comparable to. The fact is that the Conservatives' reliance on conspiracy theories, their unwillingness to promote vaccination, would have harmed Canadians significantly over these past years of the recovery. We have seen significant job growth and economic growth postpandemic, and we will continue to be there to support Canadians who need it, by investing in food banks, investing in countering homelessness and investing in supporting families from coast to coast to coast.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

May/31/23 3:19:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, he says he is investing in food banks. He has definitely increased the business at food banks; we have 1.5 million people eating from there. Instead of reversing the policies that cause that hunger, he divides. He divides to distract. He reaches back and uses the pandemic as a point of division to tear this country apart, just like he did then, and he did it only because, under eight years of him, life costs more; work does not pay; housing costs have doubled; drugs, disorder, crime and chaos have reigned in the street; and the country is more divided than ever. Why does he not reverse those damaging actions rather than trying to divide Canadians some more?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/31/23 3:19:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have all heard the Leader of the Opposition, and according to him—

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The Speaker

May/31/23 3:19:50 p.m.
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The Prime Minister is getting a standing ovation, and he has not even started yet. Please continue.

17 words

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau

May/31/23 3:20:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have heard the Leader of the Opposition again and again. He believes that everything is broken in Canada and that we should all just throw up our hands. Well, he is wrong about that, and when he talks about the economic record of the past few years and seems to ignore the pandemic because it was inconvenient for him, his own behaviour during the pandemic, his own mistrust of science and evidence, his own encouragement of disorder and— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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The Speaker

May/31/23 3:20:34 p.m.
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Order, please. The right hon. Prime Minister, please.

8 words

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau

May/31/23 3:20:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is inconvenient for the Leader of the Opposition for us to talk about what happened during the pandemic, even though it had a deep and serious impact on Canadians, on families and on our economy. We were there to support them. We were there, grounded in science, ensuring that everyone was kept safe with vaccination programs, with science, evidence and supports. The reality is that we will continue to be there for Canadians. We will continue to not believe Canada is broken but to know we are building together a—

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The Speaker

May/31/23 3:21:24 p.m.
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The hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge.

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Mr. Francesco Sorbara (Vaughan—Woodbridge, Lib.)

May/31/23 3:21:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, parents across my riding of Vaughan—Woodbridge and the city of Vaughan are again telling me how their children now have better access to dental care, clean teeth and bright smiles. Would the Prime Minister provide an update on Canada's— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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The Speaker

May/31/23 3:21:45 p.m.
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I need to interrupt the hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge. I can hardly hear his question. The hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge from the top, please.

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Mr. Francesco Sorbara

May/31/23 3:21:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, parents across my riding of Vaughan—Woodbridge and the city of Vaughan are again telling me how their children now have better access to dental care, clean teeth and bright smiles. Would the Prime Minister provide an update on Canada's dental care plan and how it is impacting Canadian families from coast to coast to coast?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/31/23 3:22:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge for his dedication to his constituents. We introduced the Canada dental benefit because we believe that no parent should have to choose between the health of their children and putting food on the table. Today, I can announce that the Canada dental benefit has now helped 300,000 kids across the country go to the dentist, including 1,100 kids in the riding of Carleton. It is all part of our plan to make life more affordable for families, and it is a real shame the Conservatives continue to stand against a dental benefit for low-income Canadians.

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Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

May/31/23 3:22:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a year ago tomorrow, most of the Liberal caucus and all Conservatives teamed up to defeat Bill C-216 for a health-based approach to substance use. If it had passed, today we would have a multi-faceted plan to fight the toxic drug crisis, based on the recommendations of the government's own expert task force. Instead, thousands more families have lost loved ones because of poisoned drugs purchased on the street. When will the government deliver a comprehensive plan to keep people who use drugs alive and provide no-fee, on-demand treatment for those who need help now?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/31/23 3:23:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know how devastating the opioid epidemic is for families right across the country. That is why we have continued to step up, while being grounded in science and evidence and working in partnership with others. I salute the intention of the member opposite to contribute to this debate, but, as we have worked concretely on the ground with partners, including with the government of B.C., for example, to move forward on decriminalization in a way that is showing positive impacts across B.C., we will continue to be grounded in evidence as we take action to save lives and keep Canadians safe.

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