August 15, 2021
Today, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal team launched a campaign to move Canada forward – for everyone.
In this important election, Canadians have a clear choice: keep moving forward and build a better Canada for everyone, or let Erin O’Toole take us backward with cuts to services that people rely on to get through the pandemic.
Check against delivery – August 15, 2021
Good morning.
I want to begin today by addressing the unfolding events in Afghanistan.
We have been constantly monitoring the rapidly-evolving situation.
And I have been briefed by officials earlier this morning to get the latest developments on the ground.
As always, the safety and security of Canadian personnel is our top priority.
The current situation poses serious challenges to our ability to ensure that safety and security of our mission.
So as of this morning, Canadian diplomatic personnel are on their way back to Canada.
We thank them for their tireless efforts to help the people of Afghanistan in their pursuit of democracy, human rights, education, health, and security.
Our commitment to the people of Afghanistan, including women and girls, and the LGBTQ2 communities, remains unwavering.
And we will honour the sacrifices of Canadians – our Armed Forces, diplomats, journalists, and civil society – made over the past years.
Our government has also committed to resettling up to 20,000 Afghans through the ongoing Special Immigration Measures Program.
Our ongoing work to bring Afghans to safety in Canada under SIMs remains a top priority, and we will continue to work in close collaboration with partners and allies on this commitment.
Ministers Garneau, Sajjan, and Mendicino will be continuing this work throughout the coming weeks.
Canada firmly condemns the escalating violence, and we are heartbroken at the situation the Afghan people find themselves in today.
This is especially so given the sacrifices of Canadians who believed – and continue to believe – in the future of Afghanistan.
We will continue to work with allies and the international community to ensure those efforts were not in vain.
We are committed to Afghanistan and the Afghan people.
Merci de vous joindre à nous ici à Rideau Hall.
Il y a quelques instants, je me suis entretenu avec son Excellence la gouverneure générale, et elle a accepté ma demande de dissoudre le Parlement.
Les Canadiens iront donc aux urnes le 20 septembre.
My friends, it’s been a big couple of years.
The last 17 months have been like nothing we could have expected.
And we’re all wondering what the next 17 months – not to mention the next 17 years – will hold.
A global pandemic.
A global recession.
A global climate crisis that’s causing wildfires and flooding around the world.
You’re probably wondering what this means for you.
For your job.
For your kids.
For your retirement.
For your community.
For Canada.
That’s fair.
But just look at what Canadians did in this time of crisis.
In this time of uncertainty.
When this pandemic struck, Canadians dug deep.
You put on your mask to keep your neighbours safe.
You followed public health rules, stayed home, and supported our frontline workers.
And you rolled up your sleeves to lead the world on vaccination.
No one expected this crisis.
But time and time again, community after community, you showed what mettle we’re made of as Canadians.
So don’t stop now.
If you haven’t already, go get vaccinated.
And if you have, talk to the person you know who still needs to get their shot.
It won’t necessarily be an easy conversation, but it’s important to have.
We owe it to each other.
Because with our actions, we show what it means to be Canadian.
And now, more than ever, that matters.
Look, COVID-19 wasn’t something we as a government expected either.
But just like you, we knew that staying true to who we are and what we believe in was the only path forward.
So from day one, we focused on having your back.
Because that’s what we stood for.
It’s what we’ve always stood for.
That’s why we came to Ottawa in the first place – to build a government that would stand up for the middle class and people working hard to join it.
That was the real change we delivered over the first 6 years – in fact, the first thing we did was to raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could cut them for the middle class.
It’s the real change we delivered by lifting hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty with the Canada Child Benefit.
Real change by delivering clean drinking water to thousands of Indigenous people in over 100 communities.
By building and refurbishing almost 200 schools so far so that tens of thousands of Indigenous kids have a better chance.
It’s the real change we delivered by pushing hard so that everywhere in the country there is a price on pollution and then standing firm so that in no province is it free to pollute anymore.
And those are the values that drove us to deliver the CERB and the wage subsidy to make sure Canadians could get through this crisis, too.
On a choisi d’être là pour les familles et les travailleurs avec la PCU et la subvention salariale.
On a soutenu les petites entreprises avec des prêts et de l’aide pour le loyer.
Ce qu’on savait en 2015 et ce qui était encore plus clair en 2020 et depuis, c’est que l’avenir dépend de vous.
Et on est toujours là pour se battre pour vous.
We’ve had your back, and now it’s time to hear your voice.
The decisions your government makes right now will define the future your kids and grandkids will grow up in.
So in this pivotal, consequential moment, who wouldn’t want a say?
Who wouldn’t want their chance to help decide where our country goes from here?
Canadians need to choose how we finish the fight against COVID-19 and build back better – from getting the job done on vaccines, to having people’s backs all the way through to the end of this crisis.
For example, as a government, we chose to make sure that federal public servants, and everyone on a train or a plane, be vaccinated.
Not everyone agrees.
Not every political party agrees.
Well, Canadians should be able to weigh in on that.
We believe that a government’s most important responsibility is to keep Canadians safe and thriving.
And that’s what we’ll continue to do.
On a été là pour vous et maintenant, c’est à vous de choisir.
C’est à vous de vous exprimer.
Les décisions que prend votre gouvernement maintenant vont définir l’avenir dans lequel vos enfants et vos petits enfants vont grandir.
On vit un moment historique et vous avez votre mot à dire.
Vous aurez l’occasion de choisir la suite pour notre pays.
Que ce soit pour continuer nos efforts de vaccination ou pour le soutien offert aux gens jusqu’à la fin de cette crise, tous les Canadiens doivent choisir comment on va terminer notre lutte contre la COVID-19, et comment on va rebâtir en mieux.
Par exemple, en tant que gouvernement, on a choisi de s’assurer que les fonctionnaires fédéraux et toutes les personnes qui prennent un train ou un avion soient vaccinées.
Ce n’est pas tout le monde qui est d’accord.
Et ce ne sont pas tous les partis qui sont d’accord.
Alors les Canadiens devraient pouvoir exprimer leur point de vue.
Nous, on croit que la plus importante responsabilité d’un gouvernement est de s’assurer que les Canadiens puissent s’épanouir en sécurité.
Et c’est exactement ce qu’on va continuer de faire.
I don’t accept any party saying we shouldn’t do everything we can to keep people safe and to end this pandemic and rebuild.
And I certainly don’t accept any politician saying you shouldn’t have your choice on how to do that or on what comes next.
Because we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.
We think families looking for childcare should get that now.
We think workers deserve good, middle class jobs now.
We think more ambition on climate change is needed now.
That’s what we think.
So what do you think?
You deserve a say.
Because this is our moment.
C’est le moment, dès maintenant, de se battre encore plus fort pour un Canada sécuritaire et en santé.
C’est le moment d’être encore plus ambitieux pour créer du logement.
De travailler encore plus fort sur le chemin de la réconciliation.
D’être plus audacieux pour protéger l’environnement et faire croître notre économie.
Mes amis, c’est le choix que vous avez à faire dans cette élection.
To elders in long-term care homes, and people who’ve worked hard for a good retirement but are struggling – I hear you when you say you deserve better.
We’re ready to make sure you get it.
To parents thinking about how it just keeps getting more expensive to raise a family, to young people worried about how to afford a home – you’re right, it is tough.
It’s actually unacceptable.
So we’re going to continue investing in housing and we’re going to keep making life more affordable.
To students raising your voices on the climate crisis – yes, I’m right there with you, this is a crisis.
And yes, we’re banning single-use plastics and yes we’ve won the fight for a price on pollution right across the country.
But yes, that’s not enough.
Our planet and our future are at stake.
So I need you alongside me in this fight.
Because together, we can do so much more than we can apart.
And to kids, you’ve missed birthdays and school days.
This pandemic hit you hard and you stepped up to help your moms and dads, to help your community.
Now we need to step up to make sure you’re safe, and to make sure we’re building you a better future.
Real solutions to the real problems we face.
A better, stronger Canada for everyone.
That is your future to choose.
And this is your time to choose it.
In this important moment – maybe the most important since 1945 and certainly in our lifetimes – who thinks Canadians shouldn’t have a say?
After making it through 17 months of nothing like we’ve ever experienced, Canadians deserve to choose what the next 17 months, the next 17 years, and beyond, look like.
And I think we have the right plan, the right team, and the proven leadership to meet that moment.
So to the other parties, please explain why you don’t think Canadians should get a choice, why you don’t think that this is a pivotal moment.
I’m focused on our real plan.
I’m focused on the path forward.
To Canadians, I’m asking you to vote for real, progressive leadership.
For strong healthcare.
For affordable homes.
For a clean environment.
Make your voice heard.
Have your say.
Together, let’s move forward.
For everyone.
Je vous demande d’appuyer un gouvernement progressiste et ambitieux.
Un système de santé fort.
Le logement abordable.
Un environnement protégé.
Faites-vous entendre.
Avançons ensemble.