Parliamentary Speeches
1,397 speeches by François-Philippe Champagne — Page 3 of 28
Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to hear from my colleague this morning, but I am a little surprised by his comments. The people in his riding are capable of keeping things in perspective. First, I want to congratulate him on becoming a grandfather. He will be happy to know that we are going to build the strongest economy in the G7 for his grandson or granddaughter. We know people are watching us at home…
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Madam Chair, my colleague will be happy to hear that we have made generational investments in housing, and in particular with respect to affordable housing. He will know about Build Canada Homes. This is the agency that is going to build more affordable homes in this country, and that is going to be a key pillar of affordability for families.
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Madam Chair, I am pleased to tell everyone in Quebec City who is listening that this Minister of Finance, together with the Prime Minister, has managed to reduce the deficit by $11 billion for the current year. I think people understand that we have adopted a fiscal stance that is reasonable, disciplined and as rigorous as the current situation demands. This should give confidence to all Canadians…
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Madam Chair, I assume the member will be very happy to vote for Bill C-30. For those who are watching, this is the bill that will, in effect, put in law the suspension of the excise fuel tax, which is going to be very relevant for Canadians across the country as we walk into summer.
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Madam Chair, my colleague is an experienced member of Parliament for whom I have the utmost respect, and he knows it. Two-thirds of the $7 billion in additional revenue we have received has been allocated to help Canadians. Like him, I know that the primary concern for Canadians is affordability. It is the cost of housing, the cost of food and the cost of gas. He will be pleased to announce to his…
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Madam Chair, what this means is that everyone can find ways to improve efficiency. As I believe I have said, citizens have been tightening their belts for quite some time. It is only natural that we also ask federal institutions to tighten theirs. I know my colleague is familiar with a tool called technology. There are technologies available today that allow us to do things better and faster. We a…
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Madam Chair, the member is a very experienced member of this House. He would probably know that there have been a number of challenges with respect to the supply chain and that we are living through the most important energy crisis we have seen. Therefore, we have seen inflation, not only in Canada, in food prices, but—
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Madam Chair, I have an excellent relationship with my colleagues in the Quebec government, and this is one of the topics we are discussing. I can reassure my Bloc Québécois colleague that communications with the Government of Quebec are going very well. I have frequent discussions with my Quebec counterparts. We will continue to work in the interest of Quebeckers and all Canadians. I think that my…
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Madam Chair, my colleague will be happy to report to his constituents that on June 5 the Canada groceries and essentials benefit will be helping 12 million Canadians. I am sure that among these 12 million Canadians there are constituents of my colleague's. This is the kind of boost that families need, and I expect my colleague will vote for Bill C-30 to put that measure in place.
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Madam Chair, my colleague would understand that this is exactly why we suspended the excise fuel tax of 10¢, and four cents for diesel. We understand, obviously, that this is going to have an impact for consumers. That is the kind of measure that the International Monetary Fund has been calling very targeted and time-limited in the way that we have proposed it.
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Madam Chair, again, it is going to be a very interesting evening. I look forward to the question because, in fact, what I was saying is that the debt charges, as a percentage of GDP, are not only lower than they were in the 1990s, but they are below the historical average of 40 years, which was 3.2%. I think the member should be happy to see that the country is on a very solid fiscal track.
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Madam Chair, the member will be happy to hear that the housing measures from 2026 to 2030‑31 will total $56 billion. This is probably one of the largest investments in housing that we have seen in this country. This is going to help families, because we know that housing is a pillar of affordability.
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Mr. Chair, my colleague is very learned in finance. There is a difference between the mandate, which we have said is very clear, and the governance, which we say is going to be independent. It will have its own separate board and will be independent from government. We know this is very important. When creating a sovereign wealth fund, governance is very important. The hon. member can be assured t…
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Madam Chair, the member will be pleased to hear that the International Monetary Fund just stated that Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7. Actually, we have the second-fastest growth in the G7. I am sure that my colleague will be happy to report to his constituents that the country is on a good fiscal track.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for that important question. I am grateful to her. She has always encouraged the House to consider measures that will help Canadians across the country. She will be pleased to learn that, as I was saying, in the 2026 spring economic update, we actually put two-thirds of that $7 billion in additional revenue toward helping people. We are helping them …
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Mr. Speaker, I recognize the wisdom behind my colleague's question. Yes, when it was time to stand up for Canadians, the Conservatives remained seated. When it was time to stand up for families, the Conservatives were nowhere to be found. I remember the votes. It is important to vote for affordability at every opportunity. My colleague is right. What I saw with him in New Brunswick, we are seeing …
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Madam Chair, I would like to begin by thanking my colleague for being here this evening to ask his important question. I have already been in touch with the Government of Quebec and the other provincial governments to inform them of the amount that will be allocated. In the spirit of co-operative federalism, at the request of our provincial colleagues, we allowed the provinces to use these amounts…
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Madam Chair, I thank the member for providing a very good summary to the House of the affordability measures we have presented. It is right to say that affordability is top of mind for the government. I would say it is top of mind for Canadians. The three issues when we talk about affordability with people are the cost of housing, the cost of food and the cost of gas. The good news is that we have…
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Mr. Chair, we understand very well that governance is essential when it comes to the sovereign wealth fund. We have been saying very clearly, very specifically, that it is going to be at arm's length from the Government of Canada.
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Mr. Chair, it is certainly my view that we will see more investment in the energy sector in Canada. We can just look at the recent investment of Shell, which made one of its largest investments in Canada. We have also seen LNG Canada, which is one of the largest of its kind. There are a number of LNG projects that we are seeing, and more will be coming because people—
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Mr. Speaker, I would also like to compliment my colleague from Richmond—Arthabaska for speaking in both languages in the House. Doing that in the House is important. My reply has two parts. First, I know many people in Richmond—Arthabaska, and I think that his constituents want fiscal responsibility and discipline. They understand that additional revenues have been raised and they also understand …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question also gives me the opportunity to speak in the language of Molière, whom we all admire here in the House. The Bloc Québécois members may not have said it yet, but I look at them this morning and I can see it in their smiles and in their hearts. I think they are going to vote for Bill C-30 because they know that Quebeckers need this help. I believe that, as membe…
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Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear that my Conservative colleague realizes the reality in this country. He is right to say that what concerns Canadians is the price of rent, the price of food and the price of gas. I am sure he is going to go back to his constituents soon, and the good news is that he will be able to explain to them that in fact the Government of Canada has already acted to provide mor…
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Madam Chair, as I said, it is going to be interesting for Canadians to learn that the projected debt charge, as a percentage of GDP, for 2026-27 will be 1.7%. That is far below the peak of 6.5% that Canadians faced in the 1990s. What I am saying is that we are on a very solid fiscal track.
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Mr. Chair, as I have said time and time again, and we have been very clear, the fund will be independent from the government. We know this is a very important feature of this fund. It is going to be at arm's length from the government. It will make its investment decisions in accordance with the—
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Madam Chair, I am pleased to say that the hon. member will see from the estimates that have been tabled that the measure he is referring to is indeed included in the economic statement I presented in the spring. He will be able to see for himself, in the estimates tabled in the House, the amounts that will be allocated specifically to support this program for journalists.
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Mr. Chair, this is a really good point. When I was in New Brunswick, I had the privilege of seeing the cold storage. I think it is at the Moncton airport that they have a very large facility. That is the kind of structural investment we need to make in this country. Yes, obviously we need to build infrastructure, but cold storage facilities, like the one I saw, are really making a difference. I wa…
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Mr. Chair, I would say that my colleague should be reassured by the generational investments we are making in infrastructure, housing, productivity and innovation, and the fact that we have the lowest marginal effective tax rate of all the G7 countries. New investments in Canada receive the lowest tax rate in the G7. We are building Canada strong.
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Mr. Chair, I reject the premise of the question. I would say to Canadians who are watching at home that I hope they see what is being talked about here. Canada is creating an instrument to create collective wealth and for Canadians to be able to invest and be part of that creation. I just hope that our Conservative colleagues would show more—
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Mr. Chair, I have to congratulate my colleague once again. She has been on top of this issue. We have seen in newsrooms across Quebec and Canada how important journalists are for our democracy and how important it is to support their work. That is why we launched consultations, for example, on the Canadian journalism labour tax credit. That is because we know how vital it is to support newsrooms a…
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Mr. Chair, it is pretty obvious when we say that it is going to come from the consolidated fund of Canada as seed money, but after that, obviously, the fund will have its own investment and will generate revenues that can be reinvested and create wealth for Canadians.
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Mr. Chair, I would like to take a moment to thank my colleague because I know how proud the young people of Moncton—Dieppe are tonight to have a strong voice in Ottawa. She is a colleague I can applaud. She is a strong voice for the region and for New Brunswick. When my colleague speaks, Ottawa listens. The proof is that my colleague was one of the architects of many of the measures found in the b…
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Mr. Chair, in fact, we have consulted with sovereign wealth funds around the world. We even said we would be consulting. We have already established the parameters of the fund. We are going to make sure that we have best practices, but at the same time, we in this House should be happy to see that individual investors will be able to share the growth that we are going to be creating in this countr…
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Mr. Chair, I do not know why, when we do these exercises, we need to talk down industry, why we need to talk down Canadians, why we need to talk down what people are doing. Let us talk about the industry. This is an olive branch. I am happy to put him in touch with astronauts—
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Mr. Chair, Canadians have a choice to listen to the opposition or to the International Monetary Fund, which does not need a clip or to grandstand. The IMF forecast for 2026 real GDP growth in the G7 is as follows: Italy, 0.5%; Japan, 0.7%; Germany, 0.8%; United Kingdom, 0.8%; France, 0.9%; and Canada, 1.5%. These numbers speak for themselves.
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Mr. Chair, it is good to have amazing colleagues like the minister who come and have very pointed questions. In fact, I know my Conservative colleagues understand as well that Canada offers unparalleled stability, predictability and the rule of law. Like many of my colleagues, I studied law. I remember that I had this professor who said, “Find me a place in the world that does not have the pillar …
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Mr. Chair, like I said, this is an important structure we are going to be creating to create collective wealth in the country. With respect to the numbers that my colleague has been asking for, she will find them in the spring economic update. She will be able to find the numbers for herself. As she said, and as I think we should all celebrate, it is a good thing for Canada to have its own soverei…
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Mr. Chair, my colleague would be happy to know that Canada is seen as an energy superpower. We are attracting a record level of foreign direct investment. Investors around the world are looking for places that offer stability, predictability and the rule of law. I would say Canada stands out in this context, and we will continue to build Canada strong together.
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Mr. Chair, first of all, I want to thank my colleague for her question. She is a very experienced member of the House. I think what the numbers show is that the Canadian economy is far more resilient than people expected. Despite the nature of what we are seeing with respect to uncertainty in the world, Canadians are resilient. Canadian industries are resilient. Canadian workers are resilient. Tha…
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Mr. Chair, a good Conservative, which I know my colleague is, would celebrate an open economy. Canada has an open economy where we welcome investment in our country. We have seen these investments that have grown the GDP in this country. They have created jobs. Let us think about Volkswagen if they want to talk about the auto sector. It is the largest gigafactory outside of Europe. European manufa…
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Madam Chair, my colleague may not like my answer, but I know Canadians would like to know that housing is a priority for the government. We have made generational investments, and $56 billion will be invested during this fiscal framework to support housing in this country. As we understand, it is a pillar of affordability.
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Again, Mr. Chair, in the spirit of collaboration, I am extending an olive branch to my colleague to put him in touch with astronauts so that he can learn how a launch site in Canada would be in the best interest of Canada's national security.
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Mr. Chair, I have good news for my colleague. In fact, we have received a record level of investment. I think it is the highest number in the last 20 years. I can reassure her that wherever I go internationally, people value the stability, predictability and opportunities they see in Canada. At this time, the executive director of the International Energy Agency has said that energy architecture i…
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Mr. Chair, I will continue my quote: “...you have no decision-making authority over matters of human resources at Alto; you do not have the opportunity to further the interest of any specific Alto employee”. I was also told that there is no risk of conflict of interest and that a screen is not required. That is what I was told by the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.
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Mr. Chair, based on the answers I gave earlier, my colleague will understand that these questions should be directed to the Minister of Transport, who is the minister responsible for this project.
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Mr. Chair, I am sure the member can appreciate that, if we are to be consistent with the questions and allegations raised by his colleague, this matter should be addressed to the minister responsible. I know that my colleague is honourable. He understands all the rules of the House. The minister responsible will be happy to provide all the answers my colleague is hoping to get. I will also be happ…
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Mr. Chair, the letter in question was forwarded to the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. As I said, I have complied with all the rules under the law. I will continue to do so, as I am required to do and as my colleagues in the House are required to do. We are all subject to the same rules here in the House.
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Mr. Chair, my colleague understands that, in a large country like Canada, we need to make generational investments in infrastructure. That is exactly what we presented in budget 2025. I think Canadians understand that if we want to build a resilient country, if we want to export, we need to build infrastructure across the country.
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Mr. Chair, I think we need to modernize the way we are currently managing public assets in this country. I think it is important for the government to have all the facts and figures so that it can carry out a thorough analysis of these assets. I would say it is time to modernize the way we—
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Mr. Chair, I know that my colleague will be happy to learn that Canada has the second-fastest growth in the G7. We are growing twice as fast as countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom, and even three times faster than Italy. We are growing twice as fast as Japan. Tonight, we should celebrate the workers, the industry and the small and medium-sized businesses. These numbers speak for thems…
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