Hon. Rona Ambrose (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, hundreds of thousands of families have had their universal child care cheques cancelled, their tax-free savings accounts clawed back, their tax credits for their music lessons or their soccer camps ended. All of this to pay for Liberal spending. Now we find out that spending included $220,000 to move two members of the Prime Minister's staff from Toronto to Ottawa, and this was a special deal signed off by him.

How can the Prime Minister possibly justify this to families whose child care cheques have been cancelled?

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

Mr. Speaker, I find it pleasing that the member opposite actually highlighted all of the extraordinary things we have done for Canadian families.

We stopped the Conservative program of sending child benefit cheques to millionaire families. Instead we are giving them to the nine out of ten Canadian families that need more help.

The members opposite actually voted against decreasing taxes for the middle class so we could raise them on the wealthiest 1%. That shows how out of touch the members opposite continue to be.

Hon. Rona Ambrose (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps repeating that millionaire families like his do not need the government's help. However, he needed taxpayers' help to pay his children's nannies.

We now know that his staffers received hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover the cost of moving from Toronto to Ottawa.

Can the Prime Minister explain why these expenses are not an abuse of public funds?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows full well, this is a longstanding policy, one that has been in place for years, decades even, and that the former Conservative government updated a few years ago. We applied all the principles and rules.

The reality is that the former government still does not understand that voting against tax cuts for the middle class and a tax hike for the wealthy is good policy. It is disappointing that they voted against Bill C-2.

Hon. Jason Kenney (Calgary Midnapore, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, that is unbelievable. They are using Mike Duffy's excuse.

Yesterday brought yet more job losses for Albertans. Dozens are losing their jobs at Western Feedlots Ltd. with its closure, a key part of the western beef industry. Company president Dave Plett says that recent government policies like Bill 6 and the carbon tax have contributed to the decision to close its operations.

With yet more proof that carbon taxes kill jobs, will the government please reconsider its ideological determination to impose a job-killing carbon tax on Albertans?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would take this opportunity to remind the member opposite that he is actually still in Ottawa and not in Alberta.

Oh, oh!

The Speaker

Order. I know that members want to hear the answer.

The right hon. Prime Minister has the floor.

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that farmers in Alberta, like farmers across the country, are pleased with the news that we have settled the canola issue with the Chinese and that we have also made progress on bringing bone-in beef to China. It is the hard work this government is doing to create opportunities for our farmers and small businesses across this country to engage with the growing Chinese market that we are so pleased with today.

Hon. Jason Kenney (Calgary Midnapore, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, whether it is here or in Alberta, I will always fight for people's interests, including against the carbon tax.

On a different matter, yesterday I put a motion to this place, the same as Conservatives proposed as a vote last June, to recognize that the crimes against humanity being committed by the so-called Islamic State against the Assyrian, Yazidi, Shia, and other religious minorities of Mesopotamia, constitute genocide. This has been recognized by the European Parliament, the U.S. Congress, and the British House of Commons.

Why did the government, yesterday, again reject this motion, a second time—once in June and then again yesterday? Will it not recognize the reality of this genocide against these minorities?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is a real shame to see the extent to which people are willing to play politics with the lives of the most vulnerable people in the world. This government recognizes that acknowledging genocide should be done on the basis of extraordinary facts and wise counsel internationally, not just on political grandstanding by members like the member opposite.

Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Outremont, NDP)

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister once said that the Chinese dictatorship is something that he admired. We now learn that that was not a slip of the tongue.

It is a fundamental principle of Canadian democracy that one does not send people to be tortured or killed. Canadians agree on that. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch confirm the systematic use of torture and frequent executions in China.

The immigration minister sees the profound moral problem of an extradiction treaty with China. Why does the Prime Minister not?

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

Mr. Speaker, what this renewed and stable relationship with China allows for is an airing of concerns and difficulties faced by both countries. The fact that we now have an ongoing dialogue in which we can highlight concerns we have about consular cases, and indeed, in some cases, resolve them, and the fact that the Chinese can bring up issues they have requests or questions about is what a strong relationship is all about.

As I have reassured Canadians many times, as I have said to the Chinese leadership, and as I am happy to say in the House, Canada has very strong principles around the rule of law, around extradition treaties, and we will not bend those principles for anyone.

Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Outremont, NDP)

Mr. Speaker, what is that guarantee worth if it comes from a dictatorship that abuses human rights?

China is a dictatorship. It does not respect the rule of law. According to groups like Amnesty International, the country systematically violates human rights, yet the Prime Minister does not see a problem with extraditing people to China.

If China promises not to harm anyone it wants deported, will that be enough for the Prime Minister of Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we need a relatively strong relationship to discuss all sorts of issues with the Chinese government.

The reality is that our discussions on consular, economic, and human rights issues have already paid off. The reality is that we have a relationship that enables us to hear the questions and concerns of the people of China, while defending and upholding our human rights principles and protecting the values that are so dear to us here in Canada. That is what we will always do.

Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Outremont, NDP)

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to establish a genuine nation-to-nation relationship with Canada's indigenous peoples. He also signed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. That means extensive consultations and accommodations are a must.

How can the Prime Minister clear the way for the Site C project when the indigenous rights issue is before the courts? Is that what he calls a respectful relationship?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect us to engage in a renewed relationship with first nations, with indigenous peoples, and that is exactly what we are doing. We committed to holding consultations. We want to understand their concerns and work with them to open up economic opportunities that will benefit them.

We will continue to honour the process and partner with indigenous peoples to build and create a better future for them. That is what Canadians expect, and that is what we are doing.

Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Outremont, NDP)

Mr. Speaker, indigenous people in B.C. say that they are heartbroken by the Site C betrayal, and it is not difficult to understand why.

The Minister of Justice said that the government was “running roughshod over aboriginal title rights”, but now she has been silenced.

Instead we have the fisheries minister saying that it is actually the responsibility of BC Hydro to hold consultations and respect indigenous rights.

Will the Prime Minister assume the responsibility to consult instead of bulldozing aboriginal rights?

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

Mr. Speaker, we continue to respect the concerns indigenous peoples have on a wide range of issues, because we continue to listen, consult, and work in partnership with them.

We know that we need to move forward on both protecting environmental stability and on protecting economic growth. Canadians expect that. Indigenous Canadians expect that. We will continue to work with the kind of respect we have always shown towards indigenous Canadians.

Mr. Jacques Gourde (Lévis—Lotbinière, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, we now know that the exorbitant moving expenses for two employees in the Prime Minister's Office were for the chief of staff and the Prime Minister's best friend. Knowing how much was spent does not make it more acceptable. Having the right to claim something does not give anyone the right to abuse taxpayers' dollars and spend recklessly.

How can the Prime Minister justify these expenses to Canadian families?