Parliamentary Speeches
836 speeches by Christine Normandin — Page 14 of 17
Government Orders
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, 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 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, 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…
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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 …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
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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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 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, 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, 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 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, 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, 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 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?
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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.
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, 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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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, contrary to what the minister would have us believe, it is not true that the bill she introduced does more to protect French in Quebec. It is full of grandfather clauses and exceptions. It does, however, contain some good things for francophone minority communities, which I applaud her for, because that was needed. However, for Quebec, this bill is clearly not equivalent to Bill 101. …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise again to speak to Bill C‑206 today, as I did at second reading. Today, we have come full circle. I propose that we look at the bill by asking five basic questions, which we should ask more often in these cases: who, when, how, what and where. It is very simple. I will start with who, in other words, those we are proposing this bill for. Unlike other political pa…
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Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, I asked the Minister of Official Languages why she was opposed to the Charter of the French Language applying to all Quebeckers. Her answer speaks volumes, and I want to quote her directly. “For the first time ever, the federal government is stepping up and protecting the French language.” That is a pretty big admission. I have a suggestion for the minister. Why would the…
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Mr. Speaker, what the government could do for the first time in history is respect the Charter of the French Language. For the first time in history, the government could recognize that Quebec should be in charge of deciding matters related to the French language in Quebec. For the first time in history, the federal government could fulfill its responsibilities and protect French by allowing Quebe…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I would like him to comment, in detail, if possible, on the creation of two classes of seniors. This measure would have cost around $4 billion if the government had included seniors aged 65 to 75. Once taxes are paid, that figure drops to a little over $2 billion. This is not money that we would lose to tax havens. This money would be reinvested …
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Madam Speaker, three days ago, the government introduced a bill to protect the French language. Three days, just three short days later, we are learning that Ottawa wants to appoint a unilingual anglophone as CEO of the Canadian Museum of History. This sends a very clear message. The federal government is appointing a unilingual anglophone to be in charge of how history is told in Canada. The wors…
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Madam Speaker, three days after the federal government's big show about protecting French, nothing has changed on the ground. CBC/Radio-Canada revealed that, in its job posting, the federal government said that fluency in both official languages would be preferable. For a museum in Quebec that serves a large population of Franco-Ontarians and that is supposed to hire employees who speak French, fl…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would simply like to reserve the right for the Bloc Québécois to reply to the question of privilege that was just raised.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I was listening carefully because I also have an airport in my riding; its volume is relatively small, but large enough to warrant a control tower. As air travel declined during the pandemic, Nav Canada quickly decided to slash air traffic control services. However, getting a control tower back up and running is very difficult because air traffic…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very interesting speech, although it had nothing to do with the motion. It was a nice speech designed to restore the image of the Canadian Armed Forces. It was interesting, but it was similar to the answer we got from the Deputy Prime Minister today, in response to questions about the Minister of National Defence. She responded by boasting about the minist…
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Official Languages keeps repeating that the Charter of the French Language and her bill do the same thing. She says that someone protected by Bill C‑32 has the same rights as someone covered by the Charter of the French Language. However, when Minister Jolin-Barrette says that the Quebec law must apply to everyone, the minister digs in her heels. When the House voted f…
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Mr. Speaker, our bill says that the Charter of the French Language applies to federally regulated businesses in Quebec. The minister recognizes that Quebeckers form a nation, that Quebec has a single official language and that French is the common language of the Quebec nation. She should therefore be able to understand that, as a francophone nation, Quebec must have a single language regime. Why …
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Mr. Speaker, I am trying to understand where the minister stands on the language issue. There are two systems: One is for the very large majority of Quebeckers, who are protected under the Charter of the French Language. The other is for about 200,000 workers in federally regulated businesses. These are the people Bill C-32 seeks to help. My question is simple: Between Bill C‑32 and the Charter of…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Lac‑Saint‑Jean. I have to come back to the question from the member for Winnipeg North because I am stunned. I am outraged. In the current context, we talk a lot about violence against women and we denounce the culture of harassment and sexual violence in the military. In defence of his minister, the member for Winnipeg North says that the minister is a goo…
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Mr. Speaker, there is no legal void and Quebec has no plan to rely on Bill C‑32. Quebec's minister responsible for the French language said, “One thing is for sure: The terms and conditions of Quebec's bill will be the ones that apply in Quebec”. The federal minister, looking for a fight, responded, “We have jurisdiction over federally regulated businesses.... What do they want to do? Do they want…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec wants to protect the French language. All that Ottawa could do in its jurisdictions to protect French in Quebec was to let Quebec's Charter of the French Language apply to federally regulated businesses. However, the minister is doing the opposite with Bill C‑32. She is setting the stage for increased bilingualism by extending the scope of Canada's Official Languages Act. She i…
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Mr. Speaker, this morning the parliamentary leader said, and I quote, “Quebec has a certain amount of leeway that allows it to make changes, provided it is clearly stated that...the Quebec government's bill does not erode other laws that protect the language rights of the English-speaking community in Quebec.” Can the Quebec lieutenant explain to us why, every time Quebeckers stand up for their ri…
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Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to hear the Minister of Justice confirm that the government would vote in favour of the Bloc Québécois' motion. I understand that the federal government will acknowledge Quebec's wish to enshrine in its constitution that it is a French-speaking nation. My question is for the Liberal Party whip. Can he confirm that all members of the Liberal Party will vote in favour of o…
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Mr. Speaker, I doubt anyone will be shocked to learn that we intend to request a recorded division.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform you that I intend to split my time with my friend and esteemed colleague from Manicouagan, who is a very busy member. Today, we are discussing the motion of the Bloc Québécois, and I will take the time to read it, dissect it and discuss it in detail. The choice of words it contains is not insignificant. The first part of the motion reads as follows: “That the Ho…
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Mr. Speaker, some people would say that coincidences do not really exist. Today, I am strangely inclined to believe they do. As for the protection of bilingualism, I have taken the liberty of making up a new word to describe the type of bilingualism that could be created by the reform of the Official Languages Act. It would “aircanadize” federal institutions. As I mentioned several times, bilingua…
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Mr. Speaker, I am not sure I heard my colleague's question, but I will do my best to answer. If the member is asking me whether the Official Languages Act reform introduced today is consistent with our motion, the answer is no, not at all. For weeks now, we have been hearing that the reform will just “aircanadize” federal institutions and protect bilingualism, not ensure that Quebec's common and o…
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