Parliamentary Speeches

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in the House to take part in this debate. Let me begin by saying that I will be sharing my time with my hon. colleague from Mount Royal. In this debate, it is very important to remember how we got here. We are here to discuss a motion presented by my hon. colleagues from the Bloc Québécois. There are three parts to this motion, the first of which “calls on th…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question, but I cannot provide a specific answer. I can say that, in theory, the pre-emptive use and constant re-invocation of the notwithstanding clause raises a problem: It basically denies the fundamental rights of people who need them. We cannot do that, because that would permanently infringe on rights, which amounts to a constitutional amendment thro…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I thank my Bloc colleague for his question. I do not want to raise the temperature on this any further, so I will just answer his question. I do not think that the premise of his question is valid. The Canadian government firmly believes that the Government of Quebec has the right and the responsibility, as does the federal government, to protect the French language. However, when we …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his speech. I am glad that he came to Canada and exercised his Canadian citizenship rights. However, I think it is very important that we avoid creating a bogeyman or criticizing something that is not true. I am going to share a little story. I am hoping my colleague can give me some advice about one of my constituents, born to Canadian de…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague on the quality of his French. There is a strong trend around the world right now. Will the future lead to electric vehicles or not? If we know that the trend is going in that direction, would it not be better for the Canadian economy to have policies in place that can support this transition?

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, this week, we are celebrating National Public Service Week. This is a perfect opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding work of those who keep our country running smoothly every day. The public service of 2025 needs to take advantage of new technologies and AI, which can help us build a more agile and efficient public service. Our government will give public servants the tools they n…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Humber River—Black Creek, not only for her very interesting speech, but also for her perspective. In her long career here in Parliament, I imagine she has seen trends evolve. Could she tell the House about the current trend toward electric vehicles? Can she tell us about the opportunity Canada has to become a leader not only in electric car pr…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, Guelph is certainly one of the most renowned locations for agricultural product research. Does my colleague think that removing interprovincial trade barriers will not only facilitate research, but also encourage commercial applications for research across Canada?

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, my question has to do with removing interprovincial barriers and obstacles for businesses and any other entrepreneur or worker. Does the member believe that removing these barriers is going to benefit his riding, as well as businesses and entrepreneurs in Squamish and across his riding in British Columbia?

Statements By Members

Mr. Speaker, last night, the National Holocaust Monument was vandalized. Are there no limits? The monument commemorates not only the six million murdered Jewish women, men and children but the millions of other victims of Nazism and its collaborators during the Second World War. More than that, the National Holocaust Monument is a statement for today. It is an ever-living declaration by right-mind…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, my colleague mentioned that we are a government of action. I would like to know how he sees the tax cut, the program to help children get food in their school and the reduction in the cost of child care. How is all of this going to help Canadians deal with the challenges they are facing today?

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. minister for his presentation today. I know that people in Hull—Aylmer and across Quebec are truly worried about this trade war and the unjustified tariffs that have put our aluminum and steel industries under added strain. I would like my colleague to tell us how this tax cut will help all Canadians, especially Quebeckers, who are concerned about this tariff war.

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, Canadian workers and businesses are already taking action to build a clean and competitive economy. However, at a time when our largest trading partner is threatening to impose new tariffs, it is crucial that we expand our trade with other countries. Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change tell us how Canada's industrial carbon pricing system supports clean growth and hel…

Speech from the Throne

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment to the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. I know you have been interested in the position for a long time, so it is nice to see you in the chair. Before I begin, I would like to point out that we are gathered on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people, who have lived here since time immemorial, to s…

Speech from the Throne

Mr. Speaker, I have long admired my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, but, as he well knows because he lives in Hull—Aylmer and is therefore a very reasonable man, preparing a budget takes a lot of time and consultations, and there are many things to consider. I am confident that this government will table a budget as soon as possible, probably early in the fall. I look forward to p…

Emergency Debate

Mr. Speaker, it is really quite unfortunate that my colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands could not give her speech at the beginning of this emergency debate, since it was full of wisdom and facts. I have also read Mr. Vaillant's book and found the points she raised very interesting. Unlike my Conservative colleague who asked the previous question, I wanted to ask my hon. colleague about any common …

Speech from the Throne

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for Shefford on her re-election. It has been a pleasure working with her for three terms now. I have complete confidence in the work of Elections Canada. In a previous life, I was the national director of the Liberal Party. I worked very closely with Elections Canada. I have full confidence in their system. With regard to ballots that include only a f…

Emergency Debate

Mr. Speaker, I found it very interesting that my colleague pointed out the significant impact climate change has on mental health in the aftermath of these forest fires. I would like to ask my colleague if he could elaborate on his thoughts and tell us what options Canadians have when considering climate change-related issues. These certainly cause anxiety, but it seems to me that some people may …

Speech from the Throne

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank my colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche. I was totally impressed yesterday when he asked his question with passion and clarity. I congratulate him on his election to the House of Commons. The dental care plan is very important for affordability. Helping first-time homebuyers is very important. Outside Quebec, it is the national child care program that is ve…

Speech from the Throne

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to congratulate you once again on being elected to the chair. I have full confidence in your abilities. I listened with great interest and enthusiasm to the speech by my colleague from Winnipeg North. He did not have enough time to finish his thought about immigration in the Speech from the Throne. I would like to give him the opportunity to share his though…

First Session—45th Parliament

Mr. Chair, I recognize that we are gathered on the unceded traditional territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin people. Since time immemorial, indigenous nations have gathered here to exchange ideas, share and work together. That is what Canadians expect of us here in the House of Commons. Today, a similar spirit brings us together. Some of us are here for the first time, while others have been here …

Mr. Chair, thank you. Colleagues, today, like all days, we pay our respects to the Anishinabe Algonquin people on whose unceded land we stand. Regardless of what part of the country we come from, what political party we belong to or what our political ideas are, the fact is that each of us, every one of us in this chamber, frankly, has a lot more in common than we often care to admit. We all remem…

Statements by Members

Madam Speaker, September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Tomorrow, we will gather on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation to commemorate the immense significance of this day, as we come together to remember, to reflect and to take collective action. To be clear, this is not a one-day conversation. It is a call to become lifelong learners, constantly strivin…

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, it is my duty to table a petition on behalf of Canadians, particularly post-doctoral researchers and graduate students. The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to do the following: increase the value of tri-agency graduate scholarships and post-doctoral fellowships by 50%; increase the number of tri-agency graduate student scholarships by 50%; increase the number o…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I enjoyed the speech by my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable. I would like to ask him a question. I think that his speech, as valid as it was, did not identify the problem properly. Let us think back on the history of innovation in the House of Commons, like when microphones were brought in in 1957, or television cameras in 1977, and then simultaneous interpretation. Why does my coll…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, Canada is forecast to have the strongest economic growth among G7 countries this year and next. One thing my hon. colleague did not mention is the fact that just today, almost 900,000 more Canadians have recovered the jobs they lost during the pandemic. There are 128% more jobs than there were before the pandemic. Canadians can be confident about their future.

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I invite my hon. colleague to have a look at the budget. He can look directly at the budget to see very clearly that the deficit will continue to decline every year for the next five years, despite the headwinds we face. The Conservative Party's reckless austerity measures would be very problematic. Our government has the lowest deficit in the G7. We have the lowest debt and the lowes…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, after peaking at 8.1% last year, the inflation rate now stands at 4.4%, and the Bank of Canada expects that to drop to less than 3% by the end of the fall. Canada delivered the strongest economic growth last year. The OECD predicts that Canada will once again have the strongest economic growth this year and next. Canadians can and should have confidence in the resilience of our econom…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, last Monday was the 40th anniversary of Le Gîte Ami, a veritable beacon of compassion and community in my riding. Over the past four decades, this extraordinary organization has touched countless lives by providing shelter and support to those in need. Le Gîte Ami has become an integral part of our region, providing shelter, food and a glimmer of hope to the most vulnerable among us. …

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, 35 years ago, I was a parliamentary page in the House. Many of my page colleagues from 1988-89 are here with us today. We are honouring the memory of one of our colleagues, Carl Gillis, with a gift to the House of Commons. On a beautiful day in May 1996, Carl went rollerblading along one of Ottawa's famous paths. It was to be his last time. He suffered a devastating fall, and the resu…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, this government is steadfast in its commitment to gender equality. Since 2015, the Prime Minister has led a cabinet with gender parity. While a comprehensive response cannot be completed in the time allotted, across government, ministerial exempt staff reflect the diversity of Canada. Currently, across ministers’ offices, the gender balance for chiefs of staff, directors of policy and…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, the Privy Council Office, PCO, did not launch an investigation or a fact-finding effort regarding a leak of information pertaining to the budget. PCO investigates unauthorized disclosures in a consistent and standardized manner.

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I can reassure my colleague opposite by saying that the government will continue to work tirelessly to help Canadians. In budget 2023, we have already put measures in place to tax the wealthiest Canadians. We are proposing a 2% tax on repurchases of equity, and we will tax share dividends received by banks. We are ready to do all that, but the Conservatives always block our measures, …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I am pleased that my hon. colleague from Saint-Jean said that we should take immigrants' interests into account. We should not resort to a utilitarian argument to speak on behalf of these people. I am a Quebecker. If we want to ensure the vitality of the French language in Quebec and if we really want to put ourselves in the immigrants' shoes, we could ask the hundreds of thousands …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, it is rare that I have an opportunity to debate with the member. These people are francophone and do not need to be francized. We can attract teachers who are ready to teach. They could also offer their services to Quebeckers. Why not let these people determine their own future? Why, as Canadians, should we determine what they should do and in what conditions they should live? Why n…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, as a Quebecker, I would like to thank my colleague. We definitely do not have the same point of view. In my community, which is not that far from his, there are many francophones and many new immigrants from western Africa and Haiti. The percentage of these immigrants has increased significantly. Why are these people settling in Quebec? It is because they have the right to continue sp…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague from Ontario, who was born in British Columbia, on the quality of his French. I know that he is of Italian origin and he also speaks English, but it warms my heart to hear him speak French. Often, when people talk about the Century Initiative, they say that it is a federal government initiative. We know that is a false argument because it is just …

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, on April 14, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs received a response from the national security and intelligence adviser that details formal briefings to the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister’s Office, ministers and cabinet on the subject of foreign interference in elections.

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, I have the pleasure of serving on several committees with the hon. member for Laurentides—Labelle. I would like to ask her a simple question. She said that she would have preferred to see the Prime Minister launch a public inquiry. Would she have been on board with the idea of the Prime Minister determining the parameters of that public inquiry she is calling for?

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Simcoe North, a person whom I have come to know. He is an hon. member, certainly, but I found his speech lacking because of the many examples he offered. If he were concerned about getting to the nub of the issue, he would look towards the testimony that we have had in committee when we had allegations floating around. When we get to the nub of it …

Adjournment Proceedings

Madam Speaker, the advice I would have is to start the negotiations as early as we can. There are times where it would be unreasonable to expect any future government to start negotiations years in advance of the ending of a contract because conditions will change over time. If we go back three years, I do not think people would have predicted that we would have seen interest rates rise to 5% or 6…

Adjournment Proceedings

Madam Speaker, I very much appreciate the question from my colleague from Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound. Before I answer his fundamental question, I would first like to provide an update to all my colleagues in the House of Commons and to Canadians. As I am sure everyone is aware, we have reached a tentative agreement with the Public Service Alliance of Canada, or PSAC, for the four bargaining units in th…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, before I begin my speech, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge that we are gathered here on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. I am very pleased to add my voice to the debate on Bill S-6, an act respecting regulatory modernization. Regulations are the book of rules that govern how businesses operate and that protect consumers, the environment, our heal…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I know it sticks in the hon. member's craw that Canada is now making a transition to a clean, green economy, especially in key sectors, such as the automotive sector. Let me get back to Bill S-6. I can tell members why this process is so important. We are going to review all of the government regulations to ensure that they are still up to date. Any obsolete regulations that are no …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I cannot, but I will engage to get back to the member and find out why that was the case. Labour is a very important element in terms of some of the key stakeholders, and we should be consulting not only with businesses, but also with labour, government and academics. I do engage to get back to the member with a response.

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I would ask for the consent of the House to share my time with the member for Kings—Hants.

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I could not agree more with my colleague from Mirabel on this issue. The committee he is a member of may be one of the House of Commons' most important committees. I am not sure what I did in my life to deserve to be a member of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs and the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. I wanted to be a member of th…

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, as I have said many times, we are still at the bargaining table with the union. We are there to negotiate in good faith. I am confident that when the parties are there and decide to negotiate in good faith, we will come to a solution. There are certainly situations where we want to avoid doing what the Conservatives do: Whenever there is a problem, they always blame the public serva…

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, first of all, it is really important to state that both parties are at the negotiating table. The federal government is negotiating in good faith. I know that my receding hairline might give an indication that I am a little bit long in the tooth, but I have a bit of a memory and I do remember when those on the other side of the aisle were in government. What did they do every time w…

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, let me make this perfectly clear: The negotiators for the federal government are at the table, and they are negotiating in good faith. The negotiators for the unions are at the table, and they are negotiating. The best deal to happen is at the negotiating table, and if they work together, I am confident they will come to an agreement.