Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said here in the House that the cost of living is the best it has been in a decade, but that has not been Canadians' experience. According to a CBC article, some people have even resorted to starting GoFundMe campaigns to pay for basic necessities. Roughly 15,000 crowdfunding campaigns have been launched to help people pay for their groceries, rent and even some med…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals rise here to talk to us about programs when we are asking them to stop doing what is not working and to make decisions so that Canadians can finally make ends meet. Let us look at one of their programs. Their groceries program will pay out $16.50 twice a year to Canadians who earn $53,000, yet the cost of groceries has increased by $1,000 in one year for a family of four.…
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the programs. In Quebec, the average salary is $67,000. However, I received a photo of a Canada groceries and essentials benefit payment from a worker who earns exactly $67,000. He received $11.98 to help pay for groceries. Families can no longer afford groceries, rent and gas. The Liberals have plunged the country into a recession. I urge the Prime Minister to use h…
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Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate and unpleasant, but we are in a recession, and people are feeling the pinch. Some families have to spend more than 120% of their income just on housing and food. It has reached the point where people are having to borrow money just to put food on the table. The reality is that the Liberals' policies are not working, and the more power the Liberals have, the more it c…
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Mr. Speaker, we all know the Liberals' economic plan. It involves $141 billion in new spending, a $67-billion deficit in just one year and a budget that repeats the word “investment” 786 times but spends like there is no tomorrow. Canada is the only G20 country in a recession because of those decisions. Recently, 6,000 Canadians wrote to me, and their key message was clear: The cost of living is c…
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Mr. Speaker, it is easy to point the finger at others, but when we see a prime minister spending $159,000 on inflight meals for a single trip, we understand why his decisions have led us straight into a recession. While Quebeckers are counting every penny at the grocery store, the Liberals are spending taxpayers' money as if it were Monopoly money. When will the government show some respect for ta…
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Mr. Speaker, there have not been any decent answers today, despite the fact that the questions being asked are incredibly simple. Every time the Liberals are in power, tensions rise with Quebec, Alberta and the other provinces. Why? It is quite simple. It is because the Liberals do not respect the Quebec nation. They respect Alberta no more than they respect Quebec. They continue to centralize and…
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Mr. Speaker, what an odd question. We are talking about victims' rights. We are talking about laws being loosened. The Liberals want to loosen our laws so criminals do not have to face justice. I cannot commit myself today and answer my colleague's question on behalf of the entire Conservative Party. His motion was tabled yesterday, and it will be analyzed. The Standing Committee on Access to Info…
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Mr. Speaker, this is a perfect example of what I was talking about in my speech. When these people talk about rights and freedoms, they are talking about the rights and freedoms of criminals. What about the rights of victims? Where are they? Victims are afraid, and the crime rate is rising. What message is being sent? We are leaving another loophole to allow violent criminals to get off scot-free …
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Mr. Speaker, it is 9:45 p.m. in the House right now. Most Canadians are putting their kids to bed, helping them fall asleep, finishing up their day, finishing their evening and getting ready to go to sleep. They are not watching the work of Parliament, and that is exactly what the Liberals want. They are very happy when people are not watching what is happening here, because what the Liberals are …
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Mr. Speaker, in the year since I joined the House, I have had the privilege of working alongside all my colleagues and with the Conservative Party. It is clear that, over the past year, the Liberals have spent more time working behind the scenes to cobble together a majority than trying to come to an agreement with the opposition. Yet that was the mandate given to them by the people, who elected a…
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Mr. Speaker, while 2.2 million Canadians line up at food banks, the Liberals are still refusing to let Canadians know that we are the only G20 nation in a recession. The apparent reason has something to do with decisions made over the past 11 years and the Liberals' lack of vision. Let us look at the facts: Economic growth is sluggish, productivity is weak and deficits already exceed what was fore…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague may not be aware of this, but on May 15, 2016, when the Prime Minister was the governor of the Bank of England, he said that the technical definition of a technical recession is two consecutive quarters of flat or negative growth. Let us look at what is happening in Canada. The economy has slowed down in three of the last four quarters. That is not two quarters, but rathe…
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Mr. Speaker, under this new Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. The economy has shrunk in three out of four quarters. Productivity is falling. Investors are fleeing the country. Government borrowing is $7 billion above target. Today, the Parliamentary Budget Officer said that the Liberal government has only a 1% chance of meeting its budgetary commitments. My que…
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Mr. Speaker, here is what real people are facing, as described in a message from Matis, a young Quebecker who wrote to me this week: I just wanted to tell you that many of my generation are starting to lose faith in the idea that we will ever become homeowners. Housing prices, rents, and the cost of living are rising so fast that I feel like I am chasing something unattainable. We are not out to g…
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Mr. Speaker, we just had a lengthy question period, but once again, the Prime Minister has shown us that when adversity strikes, he does not stand up. He answered only six questions from the Leader of the Opposition and gave no explanation as to why Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. We will give him another chance. Can he stand up and explain to us why, after all his grand speeches an…
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Mr. Speaker, in the vast majority of cases, the firearms used to commit crimes in Canada were never owned legally and were often smuggled across the border. In 2024, the accused in over 80% of firearm-related homicides did not even have a valid license. Most of the other homicides involved mental health issues. Instead of investing in mental health prevention, in border safety, or in fighting stre…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians like Noelle, Richard, Christiane and Aaron all ask me the same question: Why do asylum seekers, even those whose applications have been rejected and who should no longer be in the country, have access to free health care when taxpayers do not even have a family doctor? The interim federal health program has grown from $211 million a year to $1.5 billion in less than 10 years…
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Mr. Chair, the Canada-Quebec accord gives Quebec responsibility for accepting and integrating immigrants within its borders. In 2018, the Liberal government circumvented the spirit of the Canada-Quebec accord through the international mobility program to impose such excessive immigration volumes that Quebec is no longer able to properly integrate these individuals and teach them French. Do you sti…
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Mr. Chair, another very interesting fact is that in Montreal, only 58% of the population uses French as their primary language. That statistic is from five years ago. Does the minister acknowledge that French is in decline in Quebec?
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Mr. Chair, on March 26, the Supreme Court forced Quebec to extend its $10-a-day child care to asylum seekers even though some Quebeckers still do not even have a spot. That is completely unacceptable. Does the minister affirm Quebec's right to invoke the notwithstanding clause to regain control, yes or no?
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Mr. Chair, federal work permits in Quebec amounted to more than 167,000 in 2023. Meanwhile, thousands of asylum seekers are arriving in Quebec unable to speak French or English. In your opinion, is it acceptable for your broken system to threaten the survival of French in Quebec?
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Mr. Chair, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada expected close to 300,000 outstanding asylum claims by the end of March 2026. Is the former government's existing system still capable of processing applications, yes or no?
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Mr. Chair, in 2023, Quebec had 163,000 asylum seekers. This is more than the population of Sherbrooke or Trois-Rivières. How can the minister call this a system that works?
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Mr. Chair, before coming to tonight's debate, I asked people to send me their questions, knowing that I would be meeting the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Here is a question based on a message from Sonia Brisebois. On January 1, 2025, Quebec had 616,000 non-permanent residents. This includes asylum seekers, refugees, temporary workers and international students. This puts pres…
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Mr. Chair, yes or no, is French declining in Quebec?
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Mr. Speaker, while 2.2 million Canadians have been lining up at food banks in just one month, our Prime Minister has spent more than $520,000 on inflight meals provided by luxury caterers. This year, 22% of Canadians have lost weight because they cannot afford enough to eat. Meanwhile, 40,000 feet up in the air, our Prime Minister is being served beef tenderloin with bordelaise sauce, veal cutlets…
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Mr. Chair, the Parliamentary Budget Officer forecasts that the interim federal health program, which provides free health care to asylum seekers even when their application to remain in the country, on our territory, is refused, will reach an annual budget of $1.5 billion by 2029–2030. Does the minister think it is acceptable to spend $1.5 billion a year on services for non-residents, when citizen…
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Mr. Speaker, in 1876, visionary men and women planted a flag in the heart of Charlevoix to lay the groundwork for a project that would span generations and inspire respect. Well, today, I would like to tell them that they did, in fact, succeed. The Murray Bay Golf Club is celebrating its 150th anniversary. It is still standing, still alive and proud to be in Charlevoix. It is the oldest golf club …
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Mr. Chair, according to reports by Radio-Canada, Le Devoir, and La Presse, French in Quebec has been in demographic decline since 2021, particularly with regard to immigration. The percentage of native French speakers is projected to drop by 10% by 2036. Does the minister acknowledge that?
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Mr. Chair, the interim federal health program has grown from $211 million to $896 million over four years. Asylum seekers whose claims have been denied in this country receive dental care, physical therapy, and all other services that even our own population does not have access to. In fact, 6 million Canadians do not have access to a family doctor. Does the minister find this acceptable?
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Mr. Chair, so they reduced the number by 71%. Do they acknowledge that there was a problem before? Why is it important to reduce that number now? Clearly, there is a problem.
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Mr. Chair, it seems that the interim federal health program falls under provincial jurisdiction. Is that really what she just told me?
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Mr. Chair, do the minister and her government still intend to make Canada a postnational state, like the former prime minister and all the ministers who are still here wanted? Do they still want a country with no identity, no history and no values?
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Mr. Chair, according to the minister, there is no proof that French is in decline across the country, including in Quebec.
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Mr. Chair, a few minutes ago, I asked the minister if she acknowledged the evidence that French is declining in Quebec. With all her advisers around her, the minister replied that there is no evidence that French is declining in Quebec or in Canada. Does the minister wish to stand by that answer?
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Mr. Chair, I asked the question in French. Perhaps the minister should get his answer translated more quickly. I would prefer to get an answer in French. The people listening to us would prefer to hear answers in the same language the question was asked in. It was just mentioned that the government ran up the biggest deficit in Canadian history. Not only that, but the government will continue to r…
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Mr. Chair, it is interesting that the minister would mention fiscal responsibility. The deficit is forecasted to be $65 billion in 2027, $63.5 billion in 2028, $58 billion in 2029, $56 billion in 2030 and $53 billion in 2031. Under the previous prime minister, we had a $31-billion deficit. The Liberals boast about their fiscal responsibility, but I think they should show a bit more restraint. I am…
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Mr. Chair, the minister has been taking questions for a little over three hours now, but we have not gotten any real answers so far, just a lot of hot air. I will stick to the facts. We want to avoid being partisan, so we will stick to the facts. It is a fact that we have a $66.9-billion deficit this year. That is the biggest deficit in the history of the country, outside of the pandemic. What is …
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Mr. Chair, I do not need a clip. I think people like to know what is going on over here and get informed through clips. That is how they learn about the government's out-of-control spending. The Parliamentary Budget Officer is independent. I have just been told that we are dealing with independent officers, people who are being independently monitored. That is great. The Parliamentary Budget Offic…
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Mr. Speaker, after 11 years at the helm, the Liberals would have us believe that it is normal to run deficits in excess of $60 billion a year. While the Liberals are spending billions of dollars, Quebeckers are counting every penny. A new Fraser Institute report confirms that Canada is facing a real youth unemployment crisis. In 2022, the youth unemployment rate was 12.3%. Now it is close to 19%. …
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Mr. Speaker, the government keeps talking about building major projects, but the Major Projects Office has spent $41 million without starting a single project. The cost of living is skyrocketing, home ownership is increasingly out of reach and jobs for young people are now scarce. There are no jobs in retail, no jobs in restaurants and no jobs in hospitality. After 11 years of raising taxes, addin…
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Mr. Speaker, this is very odd. In 2024, England set up a fund exactly like that. It was a fund directly financed with debt. The British Parliament refused to call it a sovereign wealth fund because that is not what it was. The term does exist, and it applies in some countries, such as Norway. However, the concept we are discussing is not a real sovereign wealth fund. Oddly enough, our current Prim…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always rather funny to hear our Liberal colleagues speaking to us as though their words are actually backed up by results. They talk about a wealth fund, meaning a fund containing wealth, but it is actually financed through debt. I said that the British Parliament refused to call it that. It was not the Conservatives in Canada who did so, but the British Parliament. The Prime Mi…
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Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. Once again, it is a grand idea. Canada is going to build a high-speed rail system at the taxpayers' expense. California is currently trying it out. It has already cost $300 billion, and it is not over yet. Here, they say it will cost $90 billion, but they do not say how much a ticket will cost. They are selling a project, but they are not saying how many…
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Mr. Speaker, families in Montmorency—Charlevoix are going into debt to put food on the table. Meanwhile, the Liberals, true to form, are setting up a fund that will start out $25 billion in the hole. A true sovereign wealth fund is created with wealth, using the proceeds from resources sold on the international market. Norway, Saudi Arabia and Singapore are good examples that we should emulate. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Riding Mountain. On April 28, the Minister of Finance proudly tabled his economic update. He talked about “Canada Strong”. He repeats that line every week in the House. The 167‑page update includes billions of dollars in spending, $25 billion for a sovereign debt fund, strategies, programs and announcements on top of announcements. In Parl…
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Mr. Speaker, in 2024, England established a new fund that it explicitly refused to call a sovereign wealth fund because it was debt-financed, just like the fund announced by the Liberals last week. The Prime Minister should be aware of this. He served as an adviser to England during the process. The Liberals are using a term that has proven itself, that works, and that is even appealing, but they …
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Madam Speaker, I want to talk facts. According to several recent studies, including a Dalhousie University report, Quebeckers and Canadians are now choosing their food not based on what they need, but on what they can afford. Demand at food banks is skyrocketing and families are struggling. In Montmorency—Charlevoix, families are tightening their belts while watching the Liberals spend their hard-…
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Madam Speaker, this week's economic update proves that the Liberal reflex is the same as ever: a credit card budget, more costs, more debt, more spending and more taxes. Nothing much has changed. We have a new Liberal big spender for a Prime Minister who has not only doubled this year's deficit, but plans to keep doing the same thing for the next five years, putting us $55 billion in the hole year…
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