Parliamentary Speeches
108 speeches by Caroline Desrochers — Page 1 of 3
Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, we have been making representations in Washington that the tariffs are unjustifiable, and we welcome the members' engagement in ensuring that we continue to advocate and put forward the position of the government. This is work that we need to do together. That is not happening right now, and members know it. We are not doing this in a concerted way. We are not doing this in a team C…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, during the last election, we committed to making Canada a clean and a conventional energy superpower. Canadians elected us on that promise, and we are already delivering on that mandate. The projects referred to the Major Projects Office represent hundreds of billions of dollars in direct investment and tens of thousands of jobs. In this time of energy uncertainty, Canada is a beaco…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is ironic to hear the member talk about affordability day after day. The core mission of Build Canada Homes is to accelerate the construction of affordable housing across Canada. We will do that by stimulating sectors that are going through tough times right now, sectors such as steel, wood and aluminum. We will protect and create jobs and, above all, we will provide Canadians with…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, again, day in and day out, it is slogans. There is no solution, no plan, just filibustering. Canadians in my colleague's riding expect better. They expect their MP to stand up to protect their interests. On this side of the House, we have a plan. It is called budget 2025, which, by the way, is still stuck in committee. It is a plan to address today's threats and build tomorrow's econo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we know that young Canadians are struggling right now because of the cost of living and the cost of rent. The good news is that Build Canada Homes is already delivering results. We took action in the first 100 days. We have reached major agreements with provinces and municipalities, and there are projects that are currently under review. However, these projects will not move forward u…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, again, Canadians are not fools. Canadians know which party supports affordability, which party is there for them. On the Conservative side, there is no plan and no solution, just rhetoric. On our side, we have signed agreements: one with Quebec, another with Nova Scotia, and we have announced one with Nunavut. More are in the works, specifically to accelerate the construction of affor…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Build Canada Homes is a program that responds to what Canadians really need. Canadians need us to build housing that fits their needs and their budgets. All the member opposite and his colleagues are saying today is that we need to abolish the tax on all homes. There is no tax anymore. I do not know how the Conservatives think they can govern when all they do is filibuster and say the…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is truly appalling to see a fear campaign being waged and to see this House being used to spread misinformation. My colleague knows full well that the Expropriation Act of 1985 was overhauled to ensure that consultations are included. He also knows that the railway legislation that we introduced in the budget implementation bill goes even further by ensuring consultation, the impac…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, day after day, the opposition parties tell us that we are not doing enough on affordability. It seems a bit ironic to me that both Conservative Party and Bloc Québécois members are constantly voting against the measures we are putting in place to make life more affordable for Canadians. The tax cut for 22 million Canadians, the national school food program for children, our investme…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague. I know she works hard for her constituents. I am a bit surprised to hear her say that we are not doing anything about affordability when her party keeps blocking measures that the government is putting in place to try and make life more affordable for people. It is a shame that she calls the Canada groceries and essentials benefit a marketin…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, this is exactly what we are doing. We are putting Canada first and building Canada strong. The Premier of Alberta supports this entire memorandum of understanding. The Premier of Saskatchewan supports it. The Premier of Ontario supports it. There is a reason why, and that is that it is a plan to lower emissions, unlock our natural resources and build a stronger, more sustainable and m…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to solving the housing crisis by focusing on affordable housing across the full affordability spectrum. Budget 2025 is making generational investments in housing and infrastructure in order to do so. Build Canada Homes is going to work with partners across the housing ecosystem to drive the development of affordable housing options that will support a mix o…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for bringing up this issue. The world is changing rapidly. The United States, the world's largest economy and Canada's main economic partner, is fundamentally reshaping all of its trading relationships. To say that it is causing disruption for Canada is an understatement. This is not an economic transition. It is a generational shift, a rupture. Sitting ba…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am glad to report that the Government of Canada is taking action to lower housing costs for Canadians across the country. Budget 2025 is making generational investments in housing and infrastructure because we know that housing costs have a significant impact on the cost of living. These strategic investments will build major infrastructure and homes, create lasting prosperity and e…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today, my colleague and I would like to highlight the exceptional work done by the organizing committee for the 59th Quebec Games, which took place last summer in Trois-Rivières and brought together more than 3,500 young athletes from across Quebec. The committee's goal was to raise $100,000 to donate to Excellence sportive Mauricie, but thanks to the committee's efforts and the priva…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague very well knows, housing and the cost of living are the main issues of concern for Quebeckers. Our government is putting forward a well-thought-out plan with investments that will double the rate of home construction, including the construction of affordable housing. Also in the plan are investments in infrastructure, particularly health infrastructure, and investments…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the member actually read the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report, because the number mentioned was actually 86,000. We are talking about affordable housing. Build Canada Homes is focused on affordable housing. There are all sorts of other incentives that will support construction across the country, but what we are actually talking about here is affordable housing. I wou…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today I want to highlight the exceptional work of the women and men of the Canadian Forces Reserves in Trois‑Rivières. Every day, the men and women of HMCS Radisson and the 12e Régiment Blindé du Canada embody the professionalism and dedication that is at the core of our armed forces. Whether they are on a mission here at home, supporting Canadians during floods or helping battle COVI…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for his excellent question. Indeed, the investment policy of Build Canada Homes clearly promotes the use of Canadian wood, including mass timber. It also encourages developers to use wood for the construction of large structures. This is not really being done in Quebec yet, but it is being done extensively in British Columbia. The building code allows for building…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, action has already been taken. Last week, I visited a company that specializes in prefabrication and met with Arbec workers who thanked me for the measures introduced by the Government of Canada. That does not mean that the situation is not difficult for industries; we understand that. It is also difficult for workers and their families. However, we are here and we are taking meaningf…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, it is a privilege to rise in the House today to take part in this debate on an issue that is very important in my region of Mauricie. For more than 40 years, the softwood lumber dispute with the United States has been weighing heavily on the Canadian economy. Our neighbours' unfair arguments have been repeated over time, through changing priorities and different administrations, regar…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I understand that the forestry industry is very important in my colleague's riding. I want him and the families in his riding to know they have my support. With Build Canada Homes, we made a commitment to double housing construction. We know that this will help our forestry industry because it will get all these contracts. If 13,000 jobs are on the line in my colleague's riding, I have …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I worked at Global Affairs Canada for 20 years, including under the Harper government, when we were grappling with the same tariffs, the same problem. People can say whatever they want, but these issues have been around for years. We fought, we always succeeded, and we will do the same this time around.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I rise today in the House to talk about the impact budget 2025 will have on the people and businesses in my riding of Trois‑Rivières. This budget will strengthen what we already have, build for the future and protect our territory. First of all, this budget tackles the cost of living by implementing measures to leave more money in the pockets of Canadians and strengthen their purcha…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the Build Canada Homes investment plan will emphasize sustainable construction. We will prioritize the use of sustainable materials, such as certified Canadian recycled wood, as well as low-carbon materials in order to reduce our emissions, ensure climate resilience and support the Canadian value chain. We will prioritize technologies that will make it possible to build buildings an…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to work with my colleague on housing issues. I can assure him that the issue of homelessness continues to be a priority. The 2025 budget includes a $1‑billion investment in transitional housing to address the challenges associated with homelessness. For example, we are in discussions with the Réseau Solidarité Itinérance du Québec and the National Right to Housing N…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, if my colleague is so concerned about the industries he is speaking about, I strongly encourage him to vote for the budget we are putting forward because, first of all, it protects jobs in strategic sectors. Second, as I said earlier, we are committed to doubling the construction rate. This will help the forestry industry in particular. It will create more jobs. In recent months, on…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives, Canadians do not live in a pretend world. They know there is no tax on food. They know which party always votes against affordability, dental care, pharmacare, child care and basically anything with the word “care” in it. Most importantly, Canadians know that our government is there for them with a budget that will protect jobs in critical sectors like auto, …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, this is an issue that we have been studying in committee. I am curious as to why the Conservatives are using the issue of youth unemployment. It is a serious issue, and there are things we can do about it, but instead they are focusing the gist of their comments on immigration, linking that with youth unemployment, and blaming immigration for it. I would like to hear the member's ta…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, we are hearing the Conservatives blame youth unemployment on temporary residents and blame the government for the increase in temporary residents. I am wondering whether the member, who was in the House in 2014, remembers when the Harper government launched the international education strategy with the goal of doubling the number of international students to 450,000. Do you remember…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I take offence at the comment because I did not deny that there is youth unemployment. I explained the programs we have, and I linked all these programs. The member knows them, because we have been studying them at committee. We have been going over them and over the numbers. Yes, youth unemployment exists and it is an issue. We have programs to give students their first job so that t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, yes, we should be debating Bill C-4 today. In addition to lowering taxes for the middle class, which affects 22 million Canadians, and eliminating the goods and services tax on new homes for first-time buyers, Bill C-4 also aims to end the consumer carbon tax, something that my Conservative colleagues have been calling for for a very long time. Now we are doing it, but they choose not…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, we heard at committee that a lot of employers are looking for people with experience, and this is stopping young people from getting jobs. This is why we have the programs I listed in my speech earlier, like the innovative work-integrated learning program, FSWEP, the co-op program and Canada summer jobs. Again, employers are looking to hire people with previous experience, and this is…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the opposition should really consider supporting us in our budget next week, which will contain all of these affordability measures for Canadians across the country. In addition to that, members can engage genuinely at committee in order to bring real solutions. That means not bringing a solution that starts with, “Oh, because the government failed so epically, this is the solution.” …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question, and I also thank him for asking it in French and acknowledging the importance of French. I apologize to him and I will endeavour to add French to my speeches in the future. There is no one solution to the issue of temporary foreign workers. We really need to take a measured approach by region and by sector. Yes, there has been a pause, but we nee…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I want to read something out. We will double the number of international students in Canada, which will create 86,500 net new jobs. We are going to invest $5 million in this. We will create 173,000 jobs. International student expenditures in Canada will rise to over $16 billion, generating economic growth and prosperity in every region of Canada. This will provide an annual boost of a…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I wonder if the member opposite understands how the temporary foreign worker program works. I will ask my question in French, since it is my first language. The last time the program was reviewed was under the Harper government, and we are still following the same procedures. Does the member know how the program works? Is she aware, for example, that employers have to pay a lot of m…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, more than ever before, the Government of Canada is stepping up our efforts to help young people in Canada find employment and it is working. We offer a wide range of programs and initiatives. The first one that comes to mind is, without a doubt, Canada summer jobs. Every year, thanks to Canada summer jobs, thousands of young people gain meaningful work experience that helps prepare …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, Conservatives claim to care about young people, yet every time a measure comes to support them, they vote against it. They voted against the national housing strategy, the first home savings account and expanding mortgage criteria, and now they will not commit to voting for cutting the GST, which would save first-time homebuyers $50,000. Do not worry, Madam Speaker. Canadians know t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, again, as I said, Conservatives claim to care about youth and affordability, but on this side, we are about solutions, not slogans. We are putting in cutting income taxes and reducing GST for first-time homebuyers. We are putting forward a national school food program. We are putting forward a number of measures to increase affordability and increasing the supply of homes in order t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, Conservatives claim to care about youth and affordability, but on this side, we are about solutions, not slogans. We are cutting income taxes, cutting the GST for first-time homebuyers, putting together a national school food program and launching Build Canada Homes to increase home affordability, and we have launched the Major Projects Office. Canadians do not live in a pretend wor…
Read full speech →Statements by members
Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to honour the memory of Lise Bacon, a remarkable woman who passed away yesterday at the age of 91. Her commitment to protecting Quebec culture and the French language have had a profound impact on Quebec. As the first woman president of the Liberal Party of Quebec, who later became deputy premier of Quebec and the second woman elected to the Quebec National Assembl…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my colleague says that we are engaging in low-level debate. I would like to remind him that it is kind of the result of everything that has been said in the House. Earlier this afternoon, a member on the other side of the House said that the Liberal government had removed the Mexican visa regulations to let the cartels in, and that it put those regulations back in place once the carte…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we are once again witnessing disingenuous engagement and fearmongering on the part of the Conservatives, who know very well that this bill is meant to deal with a court case that makes the current system unconstitutional. I will tell the House who this bill is meant to deal with. My son was born 17 years ago in the United States because I was there studying. My son has lived in Canada…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is Women's History Month, and I would like to congratulate Marie-Christine Boucher, a woman from my riding of Trois-Rivières, on her appointment as senior director of business operations for the Professional Women's Hockey League. This appointment is a testament not only to her expertise and commitment to the development of women's hockey, but also to the influence that Trois-Riviè…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his commitment to supporting the bill at second reading. We listened to stakeholders' concerns, including those raised by the Bloc Québécois. That is why we are introducing a bill with a narrowed scope and with provisions that are better suited to what we really want to address. The Bloc Québécois members have often said that people want stricter border measur…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like my colleague to clarify something. I am a bit confused. At the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, our Conservative colleagues seem to want to destroy the temporary foreign worker program, saying that it is not needed and that it is causing youth unemployment, when we know full well that busines…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is a bit of a stretch for my colleague from the Quebec Conservative caucus to say such a thing when he knows full well that the Province of Quebec is actively consulted on all decisions affecting immigration. It is consulted more than any other province and territory in Canada. It is a shame that what should be a debate of ideas is still being used to present divisive rhetoric on i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. I rise today to speak to how the legislative changes proposed in Bill C‑12 will continue to uphold our humanitarian tradition and due process, while focusing resources on those in need and improving confidence in our asylum system. Canadians expect …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to solving the housing crisis. We are focused on delivering meaningful results for Canadians, not slogans, by creating transformative change in Canada's housing system. To lower costs for Canadians, we need a drastic increase in housing supply of all types, including affordable housing. To reach that goal, we are moving forward with Build Canada H…
Read full speech →