SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 184 - Apr/25/23

Apr/25/23 2:13:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this government is showing no respect for its workers, as it lets the dispute with the public service drag on. The Prime Minister has proven his lack of leadership once again by allowing more than 155,000 public servants to go on strike across the country. The result is that Canadians are being held hostage, for example for such things as obtaining a passport. The minister is asking Canadians to simply not submit a passport application during the strike because the envelopes will not be opened. To this government, having the freedom to travel is simply not essential. The Prime Minister has no problem flying to the islands of his choice, but the people in my riding cannot even cross the land border for a day trip to the United States because they will not have a passport. Prolonged negotiations with the public service causes Canada as a whole to suffer. A Conservative government would have never allowed this strike to get to this point. We would also take care of clearing the backlogs that this Prime Minister and his government have created over the past eight years. The time has come for a new prime minister.

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Ms. Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Hochelaga, Lib.)

Apr/25/23 2:15:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I want to roll out the red carpet for Rémi Brousseau and highlight the remarkable work he has done at the Théâtre Denise‑Pelletier. Rémi was the managing director of this key cultural venue in Hochelaga. As he said himself, he would have liked to be an artist. Rémi's greatest work ran for 28 years. This man worked his cultural magic from the wings, remaining faithful to the theatre's objective of introducing teenagers to the sixth art, with the majority of performances aimed at school-age audiences. He oversaw the renovation of the theatre in 2008, preserving a historic building and an architectural gem in Montreal. I invite everyone to experience it. The province awarded him the medal of the National Assembly of Quebec, a well-deserved honour. I thank Rémi for the work he has done for youth and culture. I wish him well in his retirement, knowing that he will be very busy, and I wish the new managing director, Stéphanie Laurin, much success.

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Mr. Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, NDP)

Apr/25/23 2:16:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on April 24, 1915, the Turkish police conducted a raid and imprisoned 250 Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople. The next day, another 600 were rounded up. They were all executed. Thus began the first genocide of the 20th century, which resulted in the death of 1.5 million people. In September 1915, the minister of the interior, Talaat Pasha, sent a telegram that said, “The government has decided to destroy all Armenians living in Turkey. Their existence must come to an end, however tragic the means may be; and no regard must be paid...to conscientious scruples.” Unfortunately, the Turkish regime denies the existence of that genocide to this day. Equally serious, Armenians are still being targeted, and attempts are being made to drive them out of their lands. Since December 12, 2022, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia has been blocked by Azerbaijan. This leaves 120,000 Armenians isolated, cut off from the world, with no food or medical supplies. A humanitarian crisis is looming, and, unfortunately, the international community is looking the other way. Let us stand up for human rights everywhere and let us do it now.

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Mr. Rhéal Éloi Fortin (Rivière-du-Nord, BQ)

Apr/25/23 2:18:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the National Assembly abolished the oath to the King. The Quebec government announced yesterday that it would not send a delegation to the coronation of Charles III. Why? It is because Quebec could not care less about the monarchy and because it is an outdated symbol of submission that Quebeckers want no part of, and not just in Quebec, elsewhere too. An Angus Reid poll on the weekend revealed that a majority of Canadians do not want Charles III. The majority thinks that the monarchy is outdated. The majority agrees with the Bloc Québécois's motion to break ties with the monarchy: no Charles III on our currency, no God Save the King and no oath to the King. It is simple; the majority, here, believe that this undemocratic symbol is no longer relevant. If the Prime Minister goes to Westminster for the coronation of Charles III, I think it might be a good opportunity, between two Queen songs on the piano, to tell him that the monarchy here, in Quebec and Canada, is no longer relevant.

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Mrs. Rosemarie Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster, CPC)

Apr/25/23 2:19:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the ongoing public service strike is a direct result of the Prime Minister's extraordinary incompetence. The Prime Minister needs to do his job and come to a deal with the workers to bring this labour dispute to an end. He had two years to get the job done, but could not bring it home. Instead, he spent $20 billion more on our bureaucracy, only to deliver poorer services to Canadians and a demoralized public service. Now, with the largest federal public service strike in history, Canadians do not have access to basic and necessary government services. Soon, he will turn to taxpayers to bail him out of his mess once again. Only a Conservative government will cut back on high-priced consultants who are bloating the cost of government. Conservatives will deliver common-sense leadership that ensures that Canadian taxpayers get value for their money.

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Ms. Iqra Khalid (Mississauga—Erin Mills, Lib.)

Apr/25/23 2:20:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and the crew of Artemis II join us in Ottawa. This is the historic first crewed mission to the moon in half a century. On April 3, I joined the awesome Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry at NASA, where I witnessed the dedication and the brilliance of the Canadian Space Agency and astronauts like Jeremy Hansen, who are an inspiration to us all. From touring NASA’s Johnson Space Center to taking in a zero-gravity experience at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, my appreciation for astronauts has only grown deeper. I am so proud to be part of a government that has supported space exploration to advance the interests of humanity and to invest in research for medicine and food security. Congratulations to Jeremy, Christina, Reid, Victor and all of the Artemis II crew for their accomplishments and their service to humanity.

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

Apr/25/23 2:22:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the cost of the bureaucracy under the Prime Minister is rocketing up by $20 billion. That is $1,300 for every family in Canada, and it bought the biggest federal strike in Canadian history. Now, 150,000 people are out on the streets; they are blocking streets, buildings and even ports. It cost the Prime Minister $20 billion to cause this strike; how much will it cost him to end it?

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

Apr/25/23 2:23:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we continue to believe in the power of working at the bargaining table. Public servants provide important services to Canadians, and we value their work. That is why we are working tirelessly to reach a deal that is fair to public servants and reasonable to taxpayers. That is, and has always been, our goal. We expect both sides to bargain in good faith and reach an agreement, because all Canadians are depending on it.

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

Apr/25/23 2:23:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the only thing he did was increase the cost of the bureaucracy by $20 billion a year, which is $1,300 for every family in Canada. It is a 50% increase that will buy what? He bought the biggest federal strike in history with 150,000 people out on the streets blocking access to buildings and even ports. It cost $20 billion because this Prime Minister caused the strike. How much will it cost to end it?

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

Apr/25/23 2:24:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we firmly believe that an agreement will be struck with PSAC. Public servants provide important services to Canadians and the government values their work. That is why we are working tirelessly to reach a deal that is fair to public servants and reasonable for taxpayers. That is, and has always been, our goal. We expect both sides to negotiate in good faith and reach an agreement. Canadians are counting on it.

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

Apr/25/23 2:25:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister asked Canadians to believe that he did not know that the guys who paid for his vacation were donors to the Trudeau Foundation. He asked Canadians to believe that he did not know that Beijing had given $140,000 to the Trudeau Foundation to influence him, even though the donation was processed and signed off on by his own brother. However, nothing tops this: He now expects Canadians to believe that he did not know that the Trudeau Foundation was holding meetings in his office. Does he even know what goes on in his office?

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

Apr/25/23 2:25:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have repeated many times in and out of this House, I have had no engagement, direct or indirect, with the Trudeau Foundation for about 10 years now.

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

Apr/25/23 2:25:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, he has had no engagement except for Trudeau Foundation donors paying for his vacations. He has had no engagement except that the only two people he will allow to investigate foreign interference are from the Trudeau Foundation. He has had no engagement except for intelligence reports showing that Beijing gave $140,000 to the Trudeau Foundation to influence him, and this donation was facilitated and signed off on by his own brother. Now, he has had no engagement except that he hosts them for meetings in his own office. Was there no other office space available anywhere in Ottawa?

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

Apr/25/23 2:26:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while Conservatives continue to focus on me and attacks on my family, we are going to continue focusing on delivering for Canadians. We are delivering on affordability through dental benefits that the Conservatives voted against and investing in health care in ways the Conservatives stood against. We are moving forward on affordability by being there to support Canadians from coast to coast to coast; our targeted measures, including the grocery rebate, are helping 11 million Canadians. We are also moving forward on creating great jobs for the middle class by investing in a clean, green economy with positive impacts right across the country. This is what we are focused on.

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

Apr/25/23 2:26:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we all know that nobody focuses more on the Prime Minister than he focuses on himself. Meanwhile, he expects us to believe that that this foundation, named after his family, has donors who paid for his vacations, $80,000 in free vacation benefits; that it takes donations from Beijing, facilitated by his brother, that intelligence officers say were designed to influence him; and now, that he hosts the same foundation with his top officials in his own office. How dumb does he think Canadians are to believe that?

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

Apr/25/23 2:27:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is interesting the lengths to which the Conservatives will go to not talk about the budget we just delivered for Canadians. Canadians are actually struggling through difficult times right now. The budget focuses on three large things, which are investing in affordability to support Canadians as we build a stronger economy for the future; investing in health care, with historic deals signed with the provinces; and investing in dental care, which the Conservatives continue to stand against. We are going to continue building a stronger economy for the future. We know that fighting climate change and investing in a greener economy go hand in hand for the middle class.

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Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

Apr/25/23 2:28:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I propose a cultural moment. Remember Calimero? It was a little chick who dragged his shell everywhere he went. He was never told anything. He knew nothing. Everything happened unbeknownst to him. The Prime Minister reminds me a little of Calimero, who said that it is an “injustice”, it is always truly “too unjust”. Now that the Prime Minister knows, because he reads the papers, that there were five deputy ministers in his office together with the foundation that bears his father's name, can he, Calimero, tell us what was said in his office?

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The Speaker

Apr/25/23 2:28:56 p.m.
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Before I recognize the Prime Minister, I would like to remind members not to make fun of each other, which is unparliamentary. We do not call each other names. This is a reminder to members on both sides of the House for the upcoming questions and answers. The right hon. Prime Minister.

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

Apr/25/23 2:29:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while the Bloc Québécois continues to attack the Trudeau name in every way possible, because they have been attacking my father and now me for a very long time, I will continue to do the job that Quebeckers and Canadians elected me to do, which is to meet expectations on the cost of living, to create a stronger and greener economy at the same time and to continue that work. As the member opposite knows, I have had no direct or indirect involvement with the Trudeau Foundation for 10 years.

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Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

Apr/25/23 2:29:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, among the people I identified, I am not sure who should be most concerned. I am not taking issue with the Prime Minister's father because the Prime Minister's father did not receive five deputy ministers and the Trudeau Foundation in his office and then claimed he did not know what was going on. Now that the Prime Minister knows that this occurred, should he not, at the very least, tell us what happened in that office at that meeting, since he hardly called five deputy ministers into his own office for no reason? This concerns us.

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