Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, let us take a look at the facts. The former Liberal prime minister anticipated a $31-billion deficit this year. According to today's announcement, the projected deficit is twice the anticipated amount. Today, the government is confirming the creation of a sovereign wealth fund. The Minister of Finance compares Canada to Norway and Saudi Arabia. The major difference is that these count…
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Mr. Speaker, this is the sad reality: More than half of all Quebeckers aged 50 and older are worried about running out of money when they retire. That is what the newspaper Le Journal de Montréal reported this weekend. Our seniors are no longer making ends meet, but the Liberal solution is more debt, higher costs and more taxes. Canadians are the ones paying the Prime Minister's credit card bills.…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows the riding's history well. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I honestly do not know why it used to be called Richmond—Wolfe. What I do know is that its current name, Richmond—Arthabaska, naturally represents the RCM of Arthabaska, which is part of the riding, and the municipality of Richmond, which is at the edge of my riding. However, the part at the centre of my…
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Mr. Speaker, when we look at the riding of Richmond—Arthabaska, we see that it encompasses 39 municipalities, including all seven municipalities in the Les Sources RCM. The name of the Arthabaska RCM is clearly represented, but not all of the municipalities in that RCM are in my riding. I think adding Val‑des Sources is a way of correcting a historical error, since all the municipalities in the Le…
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Mr. Speaker, I must admit that I share the same concern about the length of ballots. The incredibly long ballots are a pressure tactic. In the end, Elections Canada decided that voters would have to write in the candidate's name to cast their vote. I share my colleague's concerns. We will have a chance to discuss this when the bill is being studied. However, I want my intervention today to stay fo…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C-25, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act and to enact an act to change the names of certain electoral districts, 2026. As everyone knows, my riding is currently called Richmond—Arthabaska. The aim is to change its name to Richmond—Arthabaska—Val-des-Sources. This is important to me. The Les Sources RCM is currently th…
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Mr. Speaker, home ownership is a priority issue for Canadians, but that dream feels out of reach at the moment. Everyone here agrees on that. The average selling price for a home in Quebec has increased by 6.9%. More specifically, prices in Quebec increased by 6.3% for a single-family home, 5.3% for a townhouse or home in a multiplex and 7.7% for a condo. When will the Liberal government adopt our…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a fact: The Liberal government is set to pocket an extra $10 billion as a result of rising gas prices for Canadians. Yesterday, the Liberals announced a measure that amounts to a third of our proposal and is set to end in September. This amounts to an extra $10 billion that was not budgeted for. Why not use the $5 billion in additional tax revenue to eliminate all taxes on gas f…
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Mr. Speaker, today's debate is on the opposition motion and concerns gas taxes, but my colleague is talking to me about the Liberal dental plan. What we are discussing today is the gas tax. The Liberal proposal is 10¢ for a short period of time. We are talking about eliminating all taxes, which amount to 25¢ per litre. That is money that goes directly into people's pockets. There is a significant …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like thank my colleague. I quite like him and am lucky enough to play hockey with him. We were talking about half-measures just now. What the Liberal Party is proposing is a measure that will last four months, while what we are talking about would cover all of 2026. We cannot offer a half-measure for a few months and then reinstate the taxes. They are talking about 10¢ per lit…
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Mr. Speaker, once again, I appreciate the question from my colleague from the Bloc Québécois. Today, I am not here to debate how tax revenue is calculated. I am here for the people of Canada. Right now, Canadians are being suffocated. They are being bled dry. We have an opportunity here to help our farmers, our manufacturers, our families, and our seniors by significantly reducing taxes on gasolin…
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Mr. Speaker, we are here today to discuss a Conservative proposal aimed at supporting Canadians in the face of the ongoing energy crisis in the Middle East. In short, we are proposing that the House call on the government to adopt the Conservative plan to save Canadians not 10¢, but 25¢ per litre by eliminating federal taxes on gasoline and diesel for the remainder of 2026. To support Canadians, w…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking my colleague for his excellent speech. I have a question for him about the impact on our seniors, who find themselves waiting for their benefits for six, seven or eight months. People have been talking about numbers a lot, but the human side of the story is just as important. I would like my colleague to tell us a bit about the impact on our seniors…
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Madam Speaker, I would be happy to talk about a specific case. I already talked about Martial Lavoie here in the House; he has been waiting for benefits for eight or nine months. That is just one case among many in my riding. People are contacting me. This man always got a recorded message when he tried calling the government. This morning, we asked what the average wait time was. We were told it …
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Madam Speaker, I also want to thank my colleague for his keen interest in this issue and for his commitment to standing up for our seniors in this place. Naturally, the proposal for an independent commission of inquiry is of paramount importance. We are talking about the biggest Liberal financial scandal in history. We have a duty to shed light on this matter and use every means necessary to do so…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague is denying that there is a problem just because he has not received any calls. He has not gotten any calls, so the problem does not exist. Some 85,000 seniors are affected. The government has known about this for months. Again this morning, the minister told us that more than 63,000 seniors are waiting. My colleague is saying that no one has been calling him about it an…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking my colleague from Abitibi—Témiscamingue, who has been fighting vigorously alongside me from the beginning. The Cúram financial fiasco is about more than just numbers. It affects human beings, seniors who have worked their entire lives, citizens who have paid their taxes for decades. Now they are being forced to wait for the pensions they are entitle…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government's Cúram financial fiasco continues. After $5 billion in cost overruns, officials themselves have admitted that they do not know the exact future costs, suggesting that yearly operating costs could exceed $660 million to $1 billion. Cúram is the most costly Liberal scandal in history. My question is simple. Will the Prime Minister show some leadership and will he…
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Mr. Speaker, we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Rodger Brulotte, a legend in sports and broadcasting in Quebec and Canada. He was a larger-than-life figure whose voice and enthusiasm left a mark on generations of baseball fans. I was lucky enough to meet Rodger on a few occasions and I had the privilege of hosting an event with him. I witnessed his infectious passion, his generosit…
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Mr. Speaker, we all agree that Canada needs to build more homes. The Liberal solution is to build more bureaucracy. The only thing the Liberals have managed to build is another bureaucratic structure. The fourth Liberal housing bureaucracy is Build Canada Homes. It is going to cost Canadians $13 billion. It will build 5,000 homes per year, or 1% of what the country needs. When will the Prime Minis…
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Mr. Speaker, I have been asking questions about this for months. There are still 85,000 seniors waiting. The minister asked for cases. Another case in this morning's article was that of Martial Lavoie, a constituent of mine who is listening right now. He calls Service Canada almost every day, hoping to find out whether any progress has been made on his case. Day after day, the pre-recorded message…
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Mr. Speaker, the Cúram software has racked up cost overruns of $5 billion and it does not work. The minister asked for cases. I would encourage her to read this morning's Radio-Canada article by Valérie Gamache. In it, Ms. Deraps from the Gaspé said, and I quote: “I called in. The gentleman told me that he was really sorry, but that he could not give me any guarantees. He said that it could take t…
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Mr. Speaker, it is Monday and we are hearing the same old thing from the finance minister. Yesterday evening, I was at the grocery store and the price of food items, such as fruit, vegetables and meat, keeps going up. Eating should not be a privilege, especially not a privilege that millions of Canadians do not enjoy. The cost of food has skyrocketed. Is the Liberal dream to see a small family at …
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk about taking action, since the minister mentioned it. Canada cannot control what the heads of other countries do, but we can control our own destiny. We have energy; let us develop it. We have critical minerals; let us develop them. We have housing issues; let us build homes. We have issues with food costs; let us eliminate the carbon tax. Those costs are imposed here at h…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I have a great deal of respect for him and I enjoy working with him. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to give speeches. For example, this evening, I will be speaking before a chamber of commerce in my riding, and several mayors and farmers will be present. When I give a speech, I always say that we are privileged to have farm products on ou…
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Mr. Speaker, we are talking about regions where the unemployment rate is below 5.5%. There will be a grandfathering provision to allow temporary foreign workers to regularize their status within five years and obtain permanent residency so they can continue to work in our businesses, right here, and help develop Quebec and Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, we are here today to talk about Bill C-15, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget. This was my first time participating in the review of a budget implementation bill as a federal MP and member of the Standing Committee on Finance. This is a 638-page omnibus bill with 606 clauses that amend hundreds of Canadian laws. This bill includes measures ranging from raising the de…
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Mr. Speaker, in our Conservative election platform, specifically for the regions of Quebec where the unemployment rate is below 5.5%, there was the possibility of asking for temporary workers to stay. That is part of our election platform for Quebec.
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Mr. Speaker, today I am going to let you in on a secret. My greatest dream is to be a grandpa, and I hope that this happens in the next few years. At the same time, I have to say that I am worried when I see that the national deficit has doubled over the last 10 years. When I see that the interest on the debt is equal to the total amount of GST collected across the country in one year, and that th…
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Mr. Speaker, I have been rising here in the House to discuss the Cúram software for weeks now. The cost of this IT project has ballooned from $1.6 billion to $6.6 billion. That is a $5-billion cost overrun. Some 78,000 seniors are waiting for their benefits. We have asked the Liberal government dozens of questions, but we are not getting any answers. Yesterday, I asked if there was anyone in the L…
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Mr. Speaker, the initial budget for the Cúram software was $1.6 billion, but it ended up costing $6.6 billion. That is a $5-billion cost overrun. What did the government House leader tell us yesterday? He called it a success story. That is what he said. Who in the Liberal cabinet is going to take responsibility for this financial fiasco? Who is going to take care of the 78,000 seniors who are wait…
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Mr. Speaker, is this how the minister shows respect for our seniors? I am talking about 85,000 seniors who are waiting for their cheques, and he is talking to me about Canada's economic development. There are 85,000 seniors waiting. Is that his answer to our seniors, the people who built our country?
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Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to turn to page 54 of the Liberal election platform, where it says, “The federal government has been spending too much.” When the Liberals came to power, the debt was $700 billion. After 10 years of Liberal management, it is $1.4 trillion, including $78 billion for this year alone. Next, in their platform, they talk to us about “efficiency” and “performance”. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, I am honestly at a loss for words. I am sorry but the Liberals have really just proven that they are incompetent. They just proved that they have no respect for seniors. They just proved that they have no respect for the Canadians who payed $5 billion too much. They just proved that, basically, the Liberals are the elite and that they do not care about ordinary Canadians. I will conti…
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Mr. Speaker, all week long I have been asking questions about the Cúram system, a financial disaster that was supposed to cost $1.6 billion but ended up costing $6.6 billion and leaving 86,000 seniors waiting for their money. The answer that I was repeatedly given was to provide the names of the people concerned. Seriously, is this what passes for Liberal leadership? I am going to give the ministe…
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Mr. Speaker, the minister said to give her names. I gave her two names this week. Does she want the names, addresses and phone numbers of the 86,000 seniors who are waiting for their pension and GIS? The Minister of Transport says that the system is being modernized. The projected cost of $1.6 billion has now reached $6.6 billion. The money the Liberals are spending is Canadians' hard-earned money…
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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to highlight the vital role that the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie des Bois‑Francs et de L’Érable, the CCIBFE, has played in our region's economic development for over 120 years. As an active member of the chamber of commerce for two decades, I have first-hand experience with its energy, leadership and role in bringing the business community together. Through i…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' mismanagement repeats and repeats like a broken record. In 2022, they gave us the ArriveCAN app. The budget was $86,000, but the actual cost was $60 million. Five years later, the same Liberal team is back with more IT scandals, this time with Cúram. The initial budget was $1.6 billion, but the actual cost is $6.6 billion, and it is a failure. The Minister of Transport t…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to two paramedics from the Richmond—Arthabaska riding whose courage and composure deserve to be recognized. On January 8, when a major fire raged on in a building on King Street in Richmond, Serge Boulanger and David Leclerc, paramedics at the Coopérative des travailleurs d'ambulance de l'Estrie, performed an act of extreme bravery. Quickly arriving at the …
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Mr. Speaker, once again, the Liberals have created an IT fiasco. The Cúram system, which is used to pay old age security benefits, has gone from $1.75 billion to $6.6 billion. Worse still, 93% of public servants give it a failing grade. Employees are reportedly under strict instructions not to blame the software when communicating with the public. How could the Liberals have failed so badly? What …
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Mr. Speaker, the minister's own employees say that the system does not work. Our seniors built our country and paid taxes their entire lives. Now there are some who have to wait eight months to get their money. It is unacceptable. I have a specific example. Martial Lavoie in my riding is still waiting. Do members know what Mr. Lavoie did? He postponed his retirement because his help was needed. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, the first point is the promise. The Prime Minister promised that we would have the fastest-growing economy in the G7. The second point is the results. GDP growth for November was 0%. In fact, the GDP is expected to decline in the fourth quarter. The automotive sector is down 12.6%. The forestry sector is down 2.8%. The third point is the consequences. Businesses are delaying plans to …
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Mr. Speaker, our seniors built this country and they paid taxes their entire lives, and yet some of them are having to wait up to eight months to get their OAS cheque. That is unacceptable. There is missing or inconsistent data on the 7.4 million seniors whose files were migrated to new software. Since 2015, the government has hired 100,000 new public servants, but it is not working. Public servan…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals think it is funny when we remind them that the Prime Minister told Canadians to judge him by the price of groceries. Prices have doubled in 10 years. The plan is a failure and Canadians are not seeing any results. That makes sense because the Liberals are using the same recipe and hoping for different results. I am not sure if the Prime Minister has had to choose between …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question, and I also want to thank him for making the effort to ask it in French. I really appreciate that. I want to reassure my colleague that when it comes to supply management, the Conservatives and the Quebec Conservative caucus will be there to protect farmers and support them in the future. To reiterate what I say in every one of my speeches, agricu…
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Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we proposed. Currently, Bill C‑4 does not go far enough to put more money back in taxpayers' pockets. The proposed tax cut amounts to about $400 per year, which is not enough. We need to go further to put more money back in taxpayers' pockets. That is what the Conservatives will propose.
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Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, I invite my colleague to visit the food banks right now to see all the people waiting in line. The situation is worrisome. The system is no longer working. Every month, 600,000 Quebeckers visit food banks. Fortunately, there are organizations and kind-hearted people, such as Clan Destins and many others, that are involved in my community. What I want to see is a …
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Mr. Speaker, food drives, company and organization dinners where people are asked to bring food, and roadside donation drives to raise money for our food aid organizations have well and truly begun. Lucky thing because demand is increasing significantly. The rate of food insecurity in Quebec has nearly doubled. The reality is harsh: food insecurity has gone up from 11% in 2019 to 20% in 2023 under…
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Mr. Speaker, today, we are here to talk about Bill C-4, which seeks to make life more affordable for Canadians. My Conservative colleagues and I supported Bill C-4 at second reading. I think that all members agree that we need to put more money back in taxpayers' pockets. Since 2015, everything costs more and Canadians are working harder for every dollar they earn. It is more important than ever f…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said in my speech, we made some proposals to the Liberal government to take it a step further. We need to cut taxes even more so that we can put money back in the pockets of Canadians. That is what we are going to propose. We also wanted to eliminate the industrial carbon tax. We made some proposals on this side of the House. The ball is now in the Liberals' court.
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