Government Orders
Madam Speaker, that is an interesting question. I was there in 2015, when I got elected for the first time. As I said earlier, the prime minister at that time made the right decision not to put the bill on the table just before the election because this is everything but a political issue; it is a personal issue. An election campaign is anything but straight. An election campaign is the epitome of…
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Kelowna—Lake Country. Once again, I rise in the House to speak about a sensitive topic, one that is fundamental in our lives, and that is medical assistance in dying. Personally, I am in favour of medical assistance in dying. I am not here to defend my personal opinions. I am here as a legislator who has to consider all the data that …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, for starters, yes, the work took place over a period of six years under three different governments. There were two elections during that time. That is exactly what I said earlier. This is not meant to be a partisan issue. It took years for the debate to come before the House. We know that, but we also know that it would not have been a good idea to start a debate on this issue, whi…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge you because you are my MP when we are here in Ottawa. I live in your riding of Gatineau. Climate change is real. Humans are contributing to climate change and so humans need to help reduce the impact of it. The bill that was introduced by my colleague from Lac-Saint-Louis seeks to “establish a national strategy respecting flood and drought forecasting”. I w…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C‑375, An Act to amend the Impact Assessment Act (federal-provincial agreements). Madam Speaker, it is with much emotion and pride that I introduce my first bill. It is never too late to do good. This bill amends the Impact Assessment Act to provide that the federal government and the provinces may, if certain conditions are met, enter into agreements to exempt ce…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Saint-Jean for her speech, which was interesting as always. I think that 338 parliamentarians can say with one voice that our riding offices are overwhelmed with the backlog of immigration applications. There is a backlog of nearly one million applications. That is the reality after eight years of this Liberal government. Could the member tell us if s…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, the housing crisis is hitting all Canadians hard. Take Quebec City, for example. The average rent has increased by more than 19% over the past year. It will take twice as long to pay off a mortgage. They will need up to 25 years to be able to put aside the down payment to buy a house. That is the reality Canadians are facing after eight ye…
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Mr. Speaker, for eight years, this government has insulted Canadians with its housing record, which is dismal right now. Even the president of CMHC acknowledges that this government has no plan to turn things around. Housing starts have dropped by 28% over the past year. That is the Liberal reality. We will take no lessons from this minister. When are they going to stop holding press conferences a…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal government, one thing is for sure: Canadians are paying more taxes. The other thing we know for sure is that Liberal carbon taxes are the cornerstone of the Liberal approach to fighting climate change. Do they actually work, though? That is why my colleague from Manitoba tabled a written question. The minister wrote back and said, “the government does …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to know who is answering my questions. Is it the environment minister who claims that things are in the works, or the environment minister who signs off on things we cannot assess? Which one is speaking today? Is it the environment minister under whose watch Canada went from ranking 58th to 62nd on climate performance? That is the Liberal's track record. Why do you keep i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is always interesting to listen to the minister's speeches. He is a well-known parliamentarian and well established here in the House, as well as in his riding and his province. Speaking of his province, New Brunswick, we know it is one of the places where, unfortunately, this auto theft scourge is the most glaring and devastating. We are talking about an increase of more than 12…
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Mr. Speaker, the impact of the Liberal housing crisis is devastating. Yesterday, Radio-Canada reported that university students in Montreal are having to go to Auberges du cœur, a homeless shelter. According to the president of the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec, “This speaks to the magnitude of the crisis. Going there is not a solution. It takes spaces away from people experiencing hom…
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Mr. Speaker, there is no political gain. This is the truth, the reality of Canadians on a daily basis. What has this government achieved over the past eight years? It has doubled the cost of rent and doubled mortgage payments. We need 3.5 million new houses. We barely got 35,000 last year. Two million Canadians are using food banks. That is not politicking; that is the Liberal record. When will th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is with some emotion that I rise to pay homage to the hon. member for LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, for whom we have tremendous respect and esteem. I vividly remember when he was appointed minister. I had to make a few comments at the time. In fact I was reviewing the appointments that had been made. A journalist asked me what I thought about Mr. Lametti’s appointment as justice minister. …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to legal services and the Department of Justice: (a) what are the total legal costs incurred by the government for the case of Responsible Plastic Use Coalition v. Canada (Environment and Climate Change); and (b) what is the breakdown of the costs?
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Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, twice this week, I tried to table a document that the parliamentary secretary on environment quoted this morning in committee. I am convinced that, now—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Three times today, the leader of the official opposition made reference to a document that was tabled at COP28. That document, entitled, Climate Change Performance Index, gives the—
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the carbon footprint resulting from the Minister of Environment and Climate Change’s air travel: (a) what are the details of all trips involving air travel taken by the minister since January 1, 2019, including, for each, the (i) dates, (ii) origin and the destination, (iii) purpose of the trip, (iv) number of travellers accompanying the minister, (v) estimated carbon footprint resu…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, earlier, I referred to a document that was tabled at COP28 entitled “Climate Change Performance Index”—
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Mr. Speaker, I can understand why the minister would be embarrassed, because Canada dropped from 58th place to 62nd in just one year. That is the result after one year under this Liberal government. What happened after eight years? The Liberals have spent the past eight years lecturing everyone and setting high targets that they are never able to meet. Canada has now fallen to 62nd place. By the w…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about Canada's leadership in the global environmental arena. As we all know, COP28 is happening right now. I am participating virtually, which means that I regularly attend the discussions, but with zero emissions and zero cost. Let us not forget that last year, at COP27, a document was published on the effectiveness of countries in terms of climate change. Canada ranke…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for the minister too, but she is going to have to explain to me why, whenever there is a tax hike, it always means taking even more money out of the pockets of Canadian families. That is exactly what the government is doing. We had the solution with Bill C-234. It would give farmers a break, it would mean less tax to pay, it would stop food prices from c…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, everything costs more and, unfortunately, it is not over yet. As we know, the House passed Bill C-234 and even the Greens voted for this bill, which will give farmers a tax break. Then, on the weekend, the Prime Minister panicked. He picked up the phone and called the senators he appointed to make sure that Bill C-234 did not get passed. U…
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Mr. Speaker, I sincerely want to congratulate and thank the minister for her effort to speak French, but just because she says it in French does not mean that what she is saying makes any sense. In fact, it actually shows how costly this current Liberal government is, along with the Bloc supporting them. I want to come back to my example of Accueil Saint-Ambroise in Loretteville. Last year, during…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, food banks are overwhelmed with new clients. In my riding, Accueil Saint‑Ambroise on Racine Street in Loretteville is helping 50 to 60 new families a month. Meanwhile, what is happening here in Ottawa? The Liberal government wants to impose a new carbon tax, and the Bloc Québécois is saying that we need to drastically increase that tax. Wh…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, we have reached the point where Canadian children are asking for food for Christmas, not a Tonka truck. That is what is happening in Canada after eight years of this Liberal government. One cannot talk about food without talking about farming. As everyone knows, Bill C-234 is currently being blocked by senators appointed by this Prime Mini…
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Madam Speaker, what every farmers is telling us, without exception, is that Bill C‑234 will save them $1 billion. That is tangible, that is real and that is what the farmers want. There was a dramatic turn of events this week. The bill was adopted here in the House of Commons, and this week, the Senate was asked to speed up the process. The Liberals voted against that request and even the Bloc Qué…
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Madam Speaker, this is what Canada looks like today after eight years of this Liberal government. This week, the Journal de Québec reported that a 13-year old wrote to Santa, like many children, and asked for food. That is what Canada has become after eight years with a Liberal government in power. We cannot have food without agriculture. Bill C‑234 was adopted here in the House of Commons. It see…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to participate in this debate on a bill introduced by my Bloc Québécois colleague. We obviously agree with the principle that Quebec should be heard in this situation, and I will tell you why. We need to go back to last February when the Government of Quebec, through its culture minister, called on the federal government in Ottawa, the Liberal government, to listen…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, the name is Louis-Saint-Laurent. I have nothing against the St. Lawrence river, but the name is a tribute to the former prime minister who, let us not forget, was the one who balanced the budget after the war. I am very proud to represent the riding named after him here, in the House of Commons. My colleague always has something interesting to say. I really like the historical aspec…
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Mr. Speaker, the reality in my riding, and I am sure it is the same in Montreal, is that food banks are overflowing. They are not overflowing with food. They are overflowing with people who used to donate to food banks but now have to use them. Over two million Canadians cannot afford food, so they go to food banks. What we are trying to do is bring down the cost of food by helping farmers, but th…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is not worth the cost. It is costing all Canadians more and more. The Liberal carbon tax on farmers has a direct impact on food prices. I would like to remind members that people are struggling to put food on the table right now. We, the Conservatives, have made a common-sense proposal to eliminate the Liberal carbon tax on food production. I am talking about Bi…
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Mr. Speaker, the two million Canadians going to food banks every month see what this government has done. Those who want to own a home are seeing that rent has doubled in the past eight years. They see that mortgage costs are twice as high. They also see that down payments cost twice as much. What is the Minister of Finance's solution? Believe it or not, it is to be able to borrow for up to 100 ye…
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Mr. Speaker, one thing is certain. After eight years in power, this Liberal government is not doing right by Canadian families. It is not worth the cost. The economic update very clearly shows this government's pathetic administration. I heard what the Minister of National Defence just said. Is he aware that this government is set to spend twice as much on the debt than on the army? It is going to…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years in power, unfortunately, ethical issues are a defining trait of this Liberal government. Unfortunately, the most recent example is the $1-billion fund for a green economy. The Auditor General is conducting an investigation into the $40 million in mismanaged funds. The chair of the fund also gave her own company a $200,000 subsidy. She resigned because she was caught …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the government’s commitment to plant 2 billion trees by 2031: (a) what are the total expenditures to date in relation to the commitment; (b) how many trees have been planted to date; and (c) what is the projected number of trees to be planted under the commitment in (i) 2024, (ii) 2025, (iii) 2026, (iv) 2027, (v) 2028, (vi) 2029, (vii) 2030, (viii) 2031?
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Mr. Speaker, please do not take this personally, but I am going to address the Minister of Environment directly. The Minister of Environment spent his entire career defending the environment. Despite that, this is the minister who, just a few days ago, agreed to grant an exception to the Liberal carbon tax. Would the minister who speaks of honour and dignity please stand up with honour and dignity…
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Mr. Speaker, the costly Bloc-Liberal coalition's plan for the environment is a tax plan, not a climate plan. That is why the Liberals' recent partnership with the Bloc Québécois is very bad news for all Canadians. The Bloc Québécois wants to radically increase the tax, and the Liberals are getting on board. Even with that, the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development says Canada…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the emissions resulting from flights on official government trips taken by ministers between June 21, 2023 and September 18, 2023: what are the details of each trip, including, for each, the (i) name and title of the minister, (ii) date, (iii) origin, (iv) destination, (v) purpose of the trip, (vi) distance flown, (vii) estimated emissions resulting from trip?
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Mr. Speaker, there is another reason why the Bloc Québécois might be buddying up to the Liberal Party. Have members seen the Parti Québécois's year one budget? Four pages of that budget talk about how the Liberal government's poor management has become an argument for independence. No, we certainly do not want to go back to the Stone Ages of the Pierre Trudeau era, that is for sure. Will the Bloc …
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, the Bloc Québécois is lending moral support to the Liberal Party, to this government. Who would have thought? Come to think of it, though, it is true that the two parties do share some commonalities, given that their proposals on global warming have divided Canadians. That is exactly what the Bloc wants to do: sow division and pick fights.…
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Madam Speaker, what we want to cut is the Liberal carbon tax. Here is something everyone agrees on. Winters are cold in Canada. People have to heat their homes, so that costs a lot of money. That is why we need home heating in the winter. Everyone agrees on that. Where we disagree is that some people think it is a good idea to have a carbon tax on heating. We disagree. We will be voting on this on…
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Madam Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, the Prime Minister has once again invented a new way to divide Canadians: those who will benefit from a pause on the Liberal carbon tax and those who will not, which is 97% of Canadians. This is proof that this tax is not worth the cost, and neither is this Prime Minister. It is also proof that this Liberal carbon tax is a fiscal measure…
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Mr. Speaker, according to the report, whistle-blowers are very disappointed at how slow the federal government is to act. Again in the report, a senior official states that this is about “sloppiness”, “laziness” and “outright incompetence”. That is how this senior official describes this management of public funds by this Liberal government. After eight years of this Liberal government, here is mo…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, another Liberal scandal involving the mismanagement of public funds has come to light. This time, it has to do with the $1-billion green fund that is currently under investigation by the Auditor General. That fund comes from the money collected through the carbon tax, which the Bloc Québécois supports and wants to radically increase. Today…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, scarcely a year ago, in the House, we Conservatives asked the government to cancel the carbon tax on home heating. All parties in the House voted against us, including the Bloc. It is costly to vote for the Bloc. Last Thursday, because he is plummeting in the polls, the Prime Minister announced a temporary pause for home heating oil. He did this only with his Atlantic members. Why? Th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to participate in this debate on immigration. At the outset, I want to make one thing clear. It makes me very emotional and happy to say that I am in a conflict of interest, because I am the son of immigrants. That just goes to show that when immigration is successful, this is what comes of it. I am joking around, but I would say that my parents were successful immig…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate your patience. I arrived in the House and in this seat at just the right time. I listened carefully to the comments from my colleague from Winnipeg North. We can all agree that immigration is a strength for our country. I am the son of immigrants, and I am very proud of that. I have to preserve it. The point is that, in today's reality, after eight years of the governme…
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Mr. Speaker, in my riding, we receive dozens of new immigration files every week. I warmly thank Isabelle Turcotte-Genest, who works in my riding office and who manages the immigration files. Not a weekend goes by where I do not receive thanks from my constituents because of her great work. I want to acknowledge her. I assume that this happens in other ridings as well. According to figures dating …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the official opposition will be tabling a dissenting opinion in response to this report, recognizing, of course, that climate change is real, that we must deal with it and that human beings contribute to it, so we must take responsibility for it and take concrete action. As the member for Carleton, the Conservative leader and leader of the official opposition, said during a speech in …
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