CPAC - Friday, May 24, 2024 - 03:00 p.m. (ET) - Segment #10

I've had with my american colleagues and counterparts, the massive investments we're making in upgrading our fighter jet fleet with 88 new fighter jets, our investments, close to $40 billion in norad modernization, our recent budget's massive investments in arctic safety and security, recognizing nato's western and northern flank is canada's arctic are all extremely well-received by the americans and by allies around the world who want to see us continue to step up. We recognize there's more to do, and we will be there to do it, because we are the ones who are taking seriously canada's defence needs and making sure that the women and men of our armed forces have the right equipment, not just to fulfill what their fellow canadians expect of them, but what our allies around the world are counting on us to do. >> Question: and cbsa is now potentially striking over telework. Psac threatened a summer of discontent. Is your government willing to have public servants only come in two days to avoid labour strife? >> Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau: we know, when it comes to cbsa, the work they do is extremely important and extremely difficult, and we recognize the hard work that they do every day keeping canada safe at our borders, but we also know that the best labour agreements happen at the bargaining table, and that's exactly where the ministers are focused, and we will continue to do that. >> Question: thank you. >> Last question. >> Question: prime minister, mike McDONALD from the canadian press. Your government and the ndp passed a motion to support the icj. What does that look like in terms of the latest ruling from the international court of justice? >> Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau: I believe I already answered that question two minutes ago. Do you have another question for me? >> Question: okay, it's regarding the lob lobster fishing areas off of new brunswick that were closed. You may have answered this in french already, but as you know, fishers refused to move their traps, and the questions have been raised maybe the protections for these whales have gone too far. How do you respond? >> Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau: actually, I think your information might be a little bit out of date. The fisheries minister worked directly with concerned fishers and the industry and has actually found a solution. Everyone wants to see endangered species protected. Everyone needs to see fishers continuing to erb earn a living and support their communities, and that's what we're able to do right now through conversations among people who all want the same things. We've been able to come to an agreement on moving the traps closer to shore for the 15-day concern period, and this is a great example of people working together in a thoughtful way to aims that we can all agree to. >> Thank you. That concludes today's press conference. >> Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau: any questions on pharmacare or the announcement we're making today that matters deeply to canadians? [ Speaking French ] >> (Voice of Interpreter): I don't know if it will be an appropriate question. You announced -- what was announced today, you've already announced it, but you've indicated that the local mp, the conservative mp, does not support your plan. So, are you here campaigning? Is that why you came to truro, nova scotia, to talk about this? >> Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau: (Voice of Interpreter): I'm here to talk about an issue that is really important for canadians. And this is something that underlines the work that we're doing. Not only to invest in canadians, but also to help with the cost of living. Some people can't pay for insulin, and so not only are they going to have negative consequences for their lives, but then they're going to see -- this is going to be heavier on our health care system in the end, so this is responsible. Some women cannot pay for prescription contraception. So they're less in control of their reproduction and their family planning, and this ends up having huge consequences on their lives. There's also a challenge with regards to dental health. Two million seniors have signed up for our dental health program, and over 100,000 seniors have already received care, and the conservatives continue disdiscouraging dentists from signing up to the program. So we see that there's a really clear choice that will have to be made in a year and a half during the election campaign

object what kind of country we want to live in. Do we want to live in a country that's going to support the more vulnerable? Are we going to be a country governed by right-wing ideology that won't be there for people? And people have to know. So -- to know that despite all the noise that conservatives are making, we're going to be there to continue delivering for canadians. [ End of Interpretation ] the announcement that is exactly what canadians have been asking for: help on affordability. Seniors who can now go get their teeth taken care of for free, despite the opposition -- the ideological opposition of steven ellis and the entire conservative caucus. A hundred thousand seniors in just a little over three weeks have now gotten dental care despite the efforts of the contracts not just to block it in the house but to discourage dentists from across the country for signing up from it. Fortunately, over 10,000 dentists and climbing every single day have signed up for this, because people understand how important it is to be there tore vulnerable seniors. Similarly, the consequences to someone who cannot pay for their insulin in terms of their quality of life goes straight downhill, in terms of extra costs on the medical system, as janet said, for amputations, for dealing with blindness, for dealing with heart failure. It is simply logical to be there for the most vulnerable people, but conservatives like pierre poilievre and steven ellis stand against these pharmacare investments. They stand against for ideological reasons protecting women's right to choose when and how they want to start a family. That's completely irresponsible, and it's not what canadians want. Not what canadians deserve. That's why we're here highlighting these investments that are going to help canadians concretely and move forward. And quite frankly, the conservative response to that is... Oh, you're spending too much. You're investing too much in canadians right now. We should be cutting spending. We should be doing less for canadians. Except the problem with that argument on their side is that canada has the strongest fiscal balance sheet in the g7. We're the third largest country in the world with a triple a credit rating according to the top bond rating acecies in the world. That means our economy is sustainable from a federal fiscal perspective. We need to be investing in canadians. We have the lowest deficit, the lowest debt-gdp ratio. The question is how do we help canadians when conservatives are busy trying to cut services for them? So I think it's important that people be calling out these conservatives, calling out people like steven ellis, who is the conservative health critic, who continually talks down the kind of things that are going to help thousands upon thousands of people right here in truro and across this part of nova scotia. Leadership is about stepping up and being there for people. That's exactly what today's announcement is. That's exactly what we're going to stay focused on. [ Speaking French ] [ Applause ] >> One more question. >> One more question. Thank you very much for taking my question, because it's a local health care crisis. You must know that you're in the heart of where the nova scotia shootings happened. It is claiming more victims. Whether it's people that are on the front lines of health care. Whether it's the amazing mounties that are in this room that answered that call that day. Whether it's members of the media or extended members of the victims' families, one of which and her friend took their life the night before the fourth anniversary. There has. >> Ann: epic failing as far as I can see in my reporting both provincially and federally to truly respond to this. What can you do -- what can your government do, not political, please don't politicize this. What can you do to hold some accountability. Some money has been able to flow, but nothing is happening. And it's still not being monitored. So how is this money really getting to the people that need it? How can we support the health care people that are burned out in this region and still having extended, extended spinoffs from that fateful day? They need help. They need support. I appreciate your announcement today. But I really, really want an answer, and I demand some action on it, too.

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