Parliamentary Speeches
582 speeches by Christine Normandin — Page 12 of 12
Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my colleague spoke about the accessibility of a first home. This summer, the Liberals talked about how young people under the age of 40 could put $40,000 in a tax-free savings account. That really seemed to be a gift for the rich. In today's world, very few young people under 40 can set aside $40,000. We expect that rich parents will be the ones lending their children money to purchas…
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Madam Speaker, there is an interesting aspect to the motion in paragraph (n). It is a kind of clause to prevent filibusters surrounding the production of documents and the presentation of witnesses. I find it interesting to see that come from the House. That is something that cannot be done in a standing committee. That is why I am comfortable with the idea of creating a special committee. However…
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Madam Speaker, as I said, this is such a broad subject, which encompasses so many files and requires such a large effort, that it should be the purview of a special committee. Will the Department of National Defence really look into why Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada did not have enough staff to deal with the cases? This is such a complex problem that, on the face of it, it warrants …
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Madam Speaker, I thank the leader of the official opposition for his speech. If one wants to know what is likely to happen with a committee, it can be useful to look at what has happened in the past. One example is our support for creating the Special Committee on Canada-China Relations. To better understand the purpose of the proposed committee on the situation in Afghanistan, I would like to hea…
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my esteemed colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean, who will give a superb speech that I will be most pleased to listen to. First, I would like to highlight what I believe to be some strong points in the motion presented today by the Conservative Party. As the saying goes, we should not throw out the baby with the bathwater, and the motion has some worthwhile e…
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Madam Speaker, I have two things to say about that. First of all, as I said in my speech, the need to learn from mistakes is one thing. I am not rejecting that part of the Conservative motion, but I think it needs to lead to something else, and that is what I want to emphasize. Second, I just made some suggestions for possible amendments. The Conservatives did not try to get any support from the o…
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Madam Speaker, I wish we were already at the point of asking ourselves if we are ready to bring these people here and sponsor them privately. We are not quite there yet. These refugees are still in danger. No one knows how to get them out, and that is the problem. When people do private sponsorships, it is because the refugees have already crossed the border and are in refugee camps. We are not ev…
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Madam Speaker, for eight months, the government hid information about why two scientists were fired from Canada's highest-security virus research centre. For eight months, the government refused to hand over documents about what could have been espionage on behalf of China. Now it has relented and is offering to hand the documents over to the opposition parties, but only under tightly controlled c…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his thoughtful speech. My question is in keeping with what we have heard so far and I, too, will try to ask it in a relatively thoughtful manner. We are members of the House of Commons. We should be setting an example for citizens. The question about the vaccination status of the members of the Conservative caucus has come up several times. I can understand …
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Madam Speaker, of course people have questions. Scientists who appear to be connected to the Chinese regime and had access to top-secret information had to be fired. Instead of being transparent and explaining why, the Prime Minister accused the opposition of being racist. Then he took the Speaker of the House to court to prevent the release of documents the House demanded. Imagine the Montreal Ca…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I thank my learned colleague from Mirabel for his speech. I enjoy hearing him talk about green finance so much that I would like to hear more, in case he wants to tell us something else. I am thinking in particular about the money that banks invest in oil and drilling. I thought that I heard somewhere that this money sits around for a long time and is not used for anything, when it …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Hastings—Lennox and Addington. It is always nice to hear from new colleagues in the House. I, too, want to ask a question about seniors, because we also care about that issue in the Bloc Québécois. I heard her talk about the guaranteed income supplement, which has been reduced since July. I absolutely agree on that. However, the Bloc Québécois has been callin…
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Mr. Speaker, not everyone may agree with my colleague from Carleton, but I think that we can agree that he is always entertaining to listen to. He spoke a lot about how the $400 billion spent was far too much, and that it is the cause of the inflation we are experiencing. I would hope that he would not have let the economy collapse by spending nothing during the COVID‑19 pandemic. What does he thi…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry for his speech, and I would like to take this opportunity to say hello to him. I hold this colleague in high regard, and I look forward to chatting with him again in person. I would like to hear what he thinks of the Bloc's position, which is to support the cultural sector. I heard many of his colleagues say that the support me…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent speech. The Bloc Québécois shares the same concern about cuts to the guaranteed income supplement for seniors. I do not think the situation can only be fixed through legislation. As of August, we could suggest considering the CERB as employment income instead of a benefit. An administrative fix could apply here. Considering that we have known abo…
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment wants to talk about the Harper government, so let us talk about it. The crux of the problem is that, like Stephen Harper's government, this government is trying to claim that if we subsidize oil companies to make them cleaner they will be able to produce even more without any issues. The commissioner of the environment and sustainable development has sa…
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Mr. Speaker, after that comment by my colleague from Winnipeg North, I would sure like to know if he was authorized to do such a thing. As far as I know, it was not discussed anywhere, not among the whips or the leaders or at the Board of Internal Economy, and there was no motion about it. I would sure like to know where that troubling information comes from.
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Mr. Speaker, the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development released a report yesterday that is quite damning for the government. The commissioner noted that it is going to take more than just lofty language to avoid climate catastrophe. While the government brags about its outstanding work, the commissioner was unequivocal. According to the commissioner, Canada “has become the wo…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you on your appointment. I thank my colleague from Victoria for her speech. Before I ask my question, I have to tell her that Alora is absolutely adorable. I listened closely to the member's speech. If we were not debating under a gag order in a pandemic, I would have roundly applauded what she said about work-life balance. However, the issue is that when we loo…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. From the beginning of the debate, we have heard from the government and the NDP that no one is being prevented from coming to the House. However, would my colleague agree with me that the issue really is whether those of us who come to the House have the right to have our colleagues opposite us in order to answer our questions and be accountable?
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I have a question for him. He listed some of the advantages of the hybrid model, including remote voting. For example, he said that if he had COVID‑19, he could stay at home and not come here to vote. In the past, people got sick while Parliament was sitting and were unable to come to vote. Does he agree that the opportunities that we might have …
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Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague from New Westminster—Burnaby seems to be suggesting that he thinks the various public health authorities are taking this situation lightly, since they have authorized the reopening and are allowing public gatherings. I would remind him, as I said in my speech, that we will follow all public health recommendations and that, in the event of another lockdown, the hybr…
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Madam Speaker, I understand that the question was not addressed directly to me, but I would still like to try to answer it. Science has proven its worth. A person who is unvaccinated has a much higher viral load. Although double vaccination affords adequate protection, it is not perfect. We can still have symptoms of COVID‑19. The ideal solution is for people to get double-vaccinated and to return…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question, and I am sorry that I do not see her anymore. I may not be on the same committee as her, but I want to tell her that I enjoyed sitting next to her during the last Parliament. Once again, our proposal settles the matter of double vaccination. We want everyone who enters the parliamentary precinct to be double-vaccinated. Beyond that, the real qu…
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Madam Speaker, first of all, I would like to let you know that I intend to share my time with my delightful colleague from Laurentides—Labelle. I would like to wish her a very happy birthday once again. She turned 23 yesterday, so I would again like to wish my colleague a happy birthday. I hope you do not mind, Madam Speaker, if I take this opportunity to recognize the people who supported me duri…
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Madam Speaker, that sounds more like a question for a member of another party than for a Bloc member. The answer is simple. Our solution is the most balanced approach. We want a return to in-person sittings with everyone providing proof of double vaccination.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. We heard her deliver a long speech and talk at length about the environmental benefits of a hybrid Parliament. Which does she think would have a greater impact on climate change: a hybrid Parliament or ending fossil fuel subsidies?
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the Oriflammes project, an initiative started a few years ago by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 79 in Richelieu, Quebec. Every year during the Remembrance Day period, banners bearing images of the region's veterans adorn the main streets of Saint‑Jean‑sur‑Richelieu. They remind us of the service of our local military personnel, whose biographies are poste…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask you to be kind enough to remind me that a member does not need to invoke the right of reply to speak in the future. However, if such is not the case, then I would like to invoke the right of reply for the Bloc Québécois.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I will be brief. I want to pick up on what my colleague from Calgary Nose Hill said. She talked about people who worked on Parliament Hill, people who chose to dedicate themselves to serving democracy. They deserve a safe workplace free from inappropriate behaviour, bullying and harassment. We owe them that much. As to the point of order, we owe it to ourselves too. These people suppo…
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Mr. Speaker, throughout the session, Quebec has mobilized to demand that the Charter of the French Language apply to federally regulated businesses. The Quebec government has introduced its Bill 96. As a reflection of the majority of Quebeckers, the National Assembly unanimously supported Bill 101 in federal workplaces. Even the House of Commons joined the consensus. This is unprecedented. The onl…
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Mr. Speaker, Bill 101 is what is able to protect French in Quebec. It is the only legislation that makes French the language of work throughout Quebec. The federal Official Languages Act does not protect French; it protects bilingualism. It makes French less of an imperative in Quebec. However, last November, the Prime Minister said, “In order for Canada to be bilingual, Quebec must first and fore…
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