Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is not that we have a narrow vision for the country; we simply have a fair vision for our young people, who are no longer able to access affordable housing, who cannot find work and who are being hit hard by inflation and rising grocery costs. Those things put very real pressures on their physical and mental health and on their hopes for a bright future. Just yesterday, in a sombre…
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Mr. Speaker, families, seniors and business owners in Montmorency—Charlevoix can no longer make ends meet. Economists are saying that we are in a recession. The cost of housing has skyrocketed. There has been an almost 10% increase in rent in Quebec, while interest rates fuelled by the Liberal deficits are crippling owners and SMEs. The Liberals promised to look after middle-class families, but in…
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Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, rents have jumped by nearly 10%, double the Canadian average. We know that families spend nearly half of their income on housing and food. It is a worrisome trend. Meanwhile, the Liberal government continues to fuel its inflationary deficits, which are driving up the cost of everything from groceries to gas and housing. After 10 years of deficits and broken promises, famili…
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Mr. Speaker, that was yet another answer about the future. We all know the expression about crocodile tears. The Liberals caused the problem, and now they are saying that their hearts go out to the victims of that problem. Canadian and Quebec families do not want empty words and superficial compassion. They want meaningful action against crime and strong, effective and ambitious measures that will…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers have always been proud to live in safe communities. However, the most recent statistics show a significant rise in crime, particularly violent crime and home invasions. Tourism is important in Montmorency—Charlevoix. Tourists tell us time and time again how safe they feel in my region. The rise in crime is a worrying trend. Prevention is important in health, but it is also …
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has long been a country where families could walk the streets in peace, a country where people could get a coffee, go to the grocery store, go to the gym or even go out on the town without fearing for their lives. However, after 10 years of Liberal attacks on our justice system, our country is becoming increasingly violent. There has been a 55% increase in violent crime, a 30% …
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Mr. Speaker, governing means looking ahead. Well, when it comes to justice, the Liberal government is not looking ahead very much. Its soft-on-crime laws allow the same violent criminals to be released over and over again. When an individual is arrested 30 times, violates his conditions more than 15 times and is charged with domestic violence six times, no one should be surprised when irreparable …
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Mr. Speaker, the cost of living is out of control and people are stretched thin. Food inflation has reached 70% over the Bank of Canada target and families are paying hundreds of dollars more every year for staples such as meat, fruit, vegetables and coffee. The price of coffee has gone up by 23% over the past few months. This also threatens an industry that supports hundreds of thousands of worke…
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Madam Speaker, good nutrition is one of the mainstays of a long and healthy life. In recent years, however, eating properly has become unaffordable. Food prices have climbed by 40% in the past 10 years under this inflationary Liberal government. Fruits and vegetables have become a luxury. Buying good protein is now a budget buster. Does the Liberal government realize that jacking up food prices is…
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Madam President, I would like to quote a well-known Quebec influencer and entrepreneur: “$126 for six steaks, with no side dishes, nothing, and on top of that, you have to cook it yourself. It's ridiculous!!! A package of meat at $55 per kilo. Who can afford that?” He is not alone. Yesterday, the Parliamentary Budget Officer said that the situation is shocking and unsustainable. Will the Liberal g…
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Madam Speaker, we are incredibly fortunate to live in a bilingual country. Bilingualism is an asset that sets us apart on the international stage. French is not just an historical language. It is a living language that carries our culture and our collective voice everywhere. Canada needs to broaden its economic horizons. We hear a lot about the need to build ties with other nations and expand trad…
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Mr. Speaker, grocery prices in Montmorency—Charlevoix are skyrocketing. To understand this phenomenon more clearly, I called Simon Plante of Polyculture Plante, on the Île d'Orléans, the 2024 winner of Quebec's award for outstanding young farmers. This young man knows his stuff. He told me that the red tape is overwhelming. New regulations come out every year. Transportation costs are exploding. T…
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Madam Speaker, I am always proud to represent the people of Montmorency—Charlevoix. I travelled around my riding all summer and I met with people. I went on a whistle-stop tour of all of the towns. Obviously, people talked to me about the issues that are on their minds right now, particularly access to housing, grocery prices and inflation. They also talked to me about the feeling of safety we hav…
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Madam Speaker, this is a very good point. I was not looking to downplay the realities of victims who have experienced these acts. Rather, I wanted to put forward the idea that we should live in a society where police officers have power, where people understand what public order is, and where people in society in general do not see their own personal opinion as a fact. Each person needs to underst…
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Madam Speaker, the Conservative Party is currently reviewing the bill. We will ensure that it truly complements the existing legislation. We are not closed to anything. We are open to discussion, but we believe that this bill needs to go a little further. Before introducing a whole host of minor details, the government should uphold the existing laws and ensure that they are enforced before going …
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Madam Speaker, that is a very good question. I do believe that it is important to respect the process that has already been established and to ensure that our laws and standards are applied. Starting to make changes, such as removing the consent of the Attorney General, overruling or giving more power to the government, does not seem to me to be the short-term solution. I think that Parliament has…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened closely to my colleague's speech. Montmorency—Charlevoix is the founding riding of Quebec and Canada. It all started in our riding. Our history is deeply connected to the reality of what it means to be a francophone. It is also connected to the entire English side, including through Murray Bay. How does my Bloc Québécois colleague think that Quebeckers' strong identity can …
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Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal government decisions, food inflation is very real. According to Food Banks Canada, 25% of households say they are struggling to put food on the table. This morning's newspaper reported that an elderly woman who worked her entire life is going without food to pay for housing. I spent the summer travelling around Montmorency—Charlevoix, meeting with constituent…
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Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of this same Liberal government, requests for food assistance are skyrocketing. In Montmorency—Charlevoix, and across the country, food banks are facing an unprecedented increase in demand. Where I come from, our regions have seen a 30% increase in just one year. Food Banks Canada gave Canada a grade of D for food insecurity. The Prime Minister told us to judge him by t…
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Mr. Speaker, last spring, in Montmorency—Charlevoix, there was a citizens' symposium on the subject of how to improve health. Canadians are aware that our policies and systems do not seek to prevent disease. We always wait for something to happen. Sedentary lifestyles and chronic diseases cost taxpayers $3.9 billion and account for nearly 60% of deaths in Canada. This situation could be avoided. I…
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Mr. Speaker, in Montmorency—Charlevoix, the housing crisis is very real. We are not the only ones affected. Families across Quebec are struggling. A recent study showed that families now spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Low-income families spend as much as 70%. The direct impact is a loss of $4.2 billion for the Quebec economy. The Prime Minister promised to double construction, but…
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Mr. Speaker, we all agree that our borders must be strong, protected and secure. I am glad we agree on that because it is a topic that comes up a lot in the news. Canadians expect it, and our neighbours to the south have said so as well. They expect borders to be well protected. Why has it come to this after 10 years? Is the government taking action today because people on both sides of the border…
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Mr. Speaker, when his cabinet was sworn in, the Prime Minister said that Canadians could judge his performance by the cost of groceries. All summer, the people of Montmorency—Charlevoix talked to me about their interests and concerns, and the cost of groceries was at the top of the list. The federal government promised lower prices, but, once again, it is not keeping its promises. One thing is cle…
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Mr. Speaker, this is the last day in the House before Parliament adjourns for the summer. Let us look at the disastrous record. We have had four weeks of broken promises by the Liberal government, including promises on spending, tax cuts, consultants, national defence and our relationship with the United States. Take tax cuts, for example. The Parliamentary Budget Officer is saying that Canadians …
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Mr. Speaker, with my limited experience in the House, what I have come to realize is that the Liberal government likes to play “mirror, mirror”. Today, if the promise to save $800 is broken, it is because Canadians misunderstood. They should have understood that it was up to $800. Do members know what is simple to understand and not subject to interpretation? A budget. Will the Prime Minister fina…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very informative speech. I would like to ask him a question. Does he believe that the government carefully explored all of the options before deciding to focus solely on electric vehicles? For example, we could use our fossil fuels to have a positive environmental impact on the entire planet by selling them and helping other countries to reduce their gre…
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Mr. Speaker, back home in Montmorency—Charlevoix, we need our vehicles. We need them to take our kids to school, to take them to different sports activities, to go to work on our farms and even to explore our vast territory. We also need our ATVs and snowmobiles. Gasoline is not the only way, but it is an effective way that works everywhere. The Liberal government is always holding families back, …
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Mr. Speaker, since yesterday, the government has been trying to give us lightweight solutions to a problem that has cost taxpayers a lot of money: the ArriveCAN app. The Liberals seem to have made a habit of lighting fires, trying to put them out and then patting themselves on the back for a job well done. The most recent example is the $64‑million fiasco involving public funds given to GC Strateg…
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Mr. Speaker, almost every major medical association has recognized physical activity as a primary solution for preventing and healing the vast majority of chronic illnesses in our society, including cancer, cardiac disease, lung disease, diabetes and so on. Our country is more sedentary than ever. Our young people are moving less and less and hospitals are at a breaking point. When will the govern…
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear that this type of practice must stop. The motion we are moving today is clear: We want money that was given to Liberal cronies to be paid back. Initially the amount given was $2.35 million and, two years later, that amount was 10 times greater even though, 50% of the time, the company did not even prove that it was able to provide the services it was invoicing. It is high …
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise on behalf of all the Canadians who are feeling increasingly skeptical, disappointed and disillusioned with politics across the country. Scandals like the one raised by the Auditor General of Canada are good examples that fuel this feeling of discouragement. ArriveCAN, or “arrive scam”, as many call it, is a government program that was mismanaged. It is a perfect example o…
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Mr. Speaker, what I have noticed during my short time here is that there are a lot of smokescreens. Policies are being presented that sound very nice but that do not provide much help. There is talk of eliminating the GST for first-time home buyers, but that represents a tiny fraction of the population. The major issue is that house prices have skyrocketed. Houses cost $200,000 or $300,000 more, s…
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Mr. Speaker, I think that the Conservatives have a perfect solution for all these problems: less government intervention in personal finances and more freedom for the people of Canada. As we said during our election campaign, we believe that the government needs to be less interventionist and interfere less in order to give people more latitude. If people have more money in their pockets, I think …
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Mr. Speaker, I have a question for my colleague, who is far wiser and has been here longer than me. Is it common to uncover spending scandals like this, by a government that disrespects taxpayers and helps its friends financially throughout the process? Is that a regular occurrence here in Ottawa?
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Mr. Speaker, in 2018, the government announced that it would create 4,000 affordable housing units by converting federal lands and buildings. To date, 309 units have been created, which is less than 50 per year. In my riding, the Coopérative de développement immobilier de Charlevoix is launching a project to build affordable housing to help businesses attract and house workers. This initiative wil…
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Madam Speaker, last week, the Charlevoix region hosted the very first citizens' symposium on better health, a first in Quebec and Canada. This shows that today, more than ever, health is everyone's business. The symposium brought together elected officials, professionals, citizens, researchers and doctors to discuss the topic of health. The event, which was organized by Dr. Jean‑Luc Dupuis and his…
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Madam Speaker, the youth unemployment rate in Quebec is three times higher than it is for the rest of the population. Specifically, it is 17%, compared to 5%. Summer job postings have fallen by 22% compared to last year. With house prices skyrocketing by hundreds of thousands of dollars, our young people just want to start working so they can begin saving up. When will the government finally prese…
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Madam Speaker, those are still just words, and there is still no budget in sight for us. Our young people just want to participate in the economy and make sure they are working to build their future. Now we have learned that youth unemployment is three times higher than the rest of the population. Worse still, a new Statistics Canada report tells us that 1.6 million people are unemployed, which is…
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Madam Chair, throughout my election campaign, I had the privilege of meeting people from all over Montmorency—Charlevoix who talked to me about the legislation stemming from Bill C‑21. Farmers, hunters, sport shooters and even athletes told me how worried they were. Can the minister tell us whether he agrees that the legislation stemming from Bill C‑21 is unfair?
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Madam Chair, that means that, at some point, honest farmers who own firearms, store them legally and register them will no longer be able to use those firearms to defend their own homes and their livestock. Is that it?
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Madam Chair, the Montmorency—Charlevoix region is rich in sport shooting, and hunting and fishing. This generates strong economic spinoffs, with more than 68,000 people employed in this industry. Does the legislation resulting from Bill C‑21 seek to impose limits on law-abiding sport hunters who train to properly use their weapons and practise their sport, even to hunt their own food?
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Madam Chair, many military personnel continue to train as they were trained in the army to use firearms safely and effectively and to go to shooting ranges. I have three ranges in my riding. Has the minister ever visited a shooting range in Canada?
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Madam Chair, in my riding, many biathletes use firearms to practise their sport. Will the legislation resulting from Bill C‑21 restrict them from using their guns to practise their sport?
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Mr. Speaker, housing prices are skyrocketing across Canada. In the Toronto area, the market dropped by 89% in recent months compared to the past 10 years, with seven consecutive months of crisis. In Montmorency—Charlevoix, housing has become so inaccessible that businesses can no longer attract people to come and work there, and this is having a significant economic impact. Can we finally put comm…
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Madam Chair, how much is the firearms buyback program going to cost taxpayers?
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Madam Chair, the second-most common type of murder in Canada involves death by stabbing. Does the minister intend to start buying back kitchen knives and preventing people from taking karate lessons?
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Madam Chair, does he not know how much it is going to cost? It was estimated at $647 million. That is the Liberal number, but Canada has 2.3 million firearms owners, who own five firearms on average. If we do the simple math and buy back just one for around $800 to $1,000, we are talking about several billion dollars. Does the minister think that investing several billion dollars could do more to …
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Madam Chair, I will quote the National Police Federation, which said that Bill C‑21 diverts extremely important personnel, resources, and funding away from addressing the more immediate and growing threat of criminal use of firearms. Does the minister agree with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's statement?
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Madam Chair, without knowing how shooting ranges work, the Liberals are prepared to take action and take this option away from sport shooters who use firearms legally, in a structured and effective manner. Will the legislation resulting from Bill C‑21 affect these people?
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Madam Chair, the biathletes who use their guns will not be affected, but farmers who need their guns to protect their livestock could be affected. Is that fair?
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