Parliamentary Speeches
242 speeches by Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault — Page 1 of 5
Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear what my colleague has to say about the fact that, through the economic update, we are continuing to implement our action plan for official languages, with $4.1 billion to support the vitality of francophone communities everywhere outside Quebec. There are also various other investments that contribute to the vitality of our francophone communities. I would like to…
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Mr. Speaker, after the economic update was released, several unions praised our initiative to develop the team Canada strong initiative to recruit up to 100,000 new skilled workers. We implemented a series of measures to help these people, particularly apprentices, on their journey to certification. I want to ask my NDP colleague whether she will support our efforts to help Canadian workers.
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Madam Speaker, the Conservative Party used to call itself the party of law and order. Unfortunately, today, the Conservatives no longer have any credibility on this issue. When the time comes to better protect victims, what do the Conservatives do? They vote against it. When the time comes to combat hate crimes in our communities, they vote against it. That is not to mention all the disinformation…
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Mr. Speaker, in Canada, no one should feel threatened or unsafe because of who they are, what religion they practise, or where they gather. This is essential. Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, racism and homophobia have no place in Canada. For the sake of people who are victims of hateful behaviour, we have a duty to ensure that communities are safe for everyone. Bill C-9 includes several proposals tha…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said in my speech, I think that, as Canadian citizens, we all need to take notice when symbols are used to promote hate. We do not need to be personally affected. As members of Canadian society, we are all affected when our colleagues, friends or community members are the target of hateful behaviour. Last night, we heard a Conservative member downplay the symbolic impact of the n…
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Mr. Speaker, I was also in the House yesterday at that late hour. I actually do think that condemning it is entirely legitimate. We cannot remain silent when people make comments that minimize the repercussions that certain symbols can have on targeted communities. I was not planning on speaking to Bill C-9 today, but after listening to my colleague, I wrote my speech this morning to call out thos…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, as legislators, we need to be mindful of the impact that our words can have in the public arena and we must also ensure that what we say does not contribute to disinformation and does not harm certain groups that we wish to protect. I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on the importance of being thorough and factual when debating a bill as important as Bill …
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time. In Canada, no one should feel unsafe because of who they are, their religious practices, or where they gather. However, recently we have seen an increase in hate crimes. As members of Parliament, we cannot stand idly by. We must take action. Bill C-9 introduces a targeted set of reforms to the Criminal Code to protect safe access to community spaces, address…
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Mr. Speaker, I would rather hear my colleague tell me whether she supports the remarks made by her colleague from York—Durham. Yesterday, he made comments that downplayed the impact of the noose in Canada. He said it was odd to include it as a hate symbol. I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on that. I would be very interested in hearing from more Conservative members and finding out what…
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Madam Speaker, I am glad we are talking about the issue of food, because it is important to strengthen Canada's food sovereignty. In fact, last week, we laid the groundwork for our food security strategy. That means investing in our local farmers and providing support for greenhouses. We will also look at where the challenges are and how we can increase production in Canada. To ensure our food sec…
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, a riding with a name even longer than mine. Today, we are discussing our economic update, which is an important step in our plan to build a strong Canada. Over the next few minutes, I will explain what we mean by a strong Canada. When we talk about building a strong Canadian economy, we a…
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Mr. Speaker, in 2016, as soon as the Liberals returned to power, the most controversial EI reforms introduced by the Stephen Harper Conservative government were abolished. Many of these measures did nothing to address the realities of our rural regions. We therefore scrapped the measures that had been introduced by the Conservatives. In 2018, a pilot project was launched in 13 economic regions acr…
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Mr. Speaker, across New Brunswick and Canada, young people are ready to work, learn new skills and contribute to their communities. What many of them need is an opportunity to prove themselves. Every year, the Canada summer jobs program enables thousands of young people to secure their first job with local businesses and organizations. I would like to ask the minister to explain what our governmen…
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Mr. Speaker, no one should feel unsafe because of who they are, what religion they practise or where they worship. Unfortunately, in Canada, we have seen a rise in hate crimes, and several organizations, including human rights groups, are calling on us to take action. Faced with such a situation, I believe the public expects us to raise the standard of the debate and, as parliamentarians, to work …
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Mr. Speaker, there are things for all of Canada, including Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. I am thinking of the investments in small ports, which is something many of our colleagues have long been calling for. This will benefit British Columbia, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces alike. Fisheries are an important sector of our economy. We are making historic investments. That is just one example…
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Mr. Speaker, last year, in our election platform, we wrote: “A strong Canada means strong protections in our communities and a Criminal Code which is responsive to emerging issues and protects victims of crime and keeps our kids safe.” Since then, we have introduced several bills: Bill C‑14 makes it harder to get bail and imposes harsher penalties on criminals, particularly violent and repeat offe…
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Mr. Speaker, maintaining trust in our democratic institutions is essential. We have a robust electoral system and framework in Canada, but to keep it strong, we need to adapt it to the challenges of our time. I believe that by working together in the House, we will be able to maintain trust in our democratic institutions and make the necessary changes. As we are seeing in other parts of the world,…
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Canada's political financing system is among the strongest in the world. When we compare ourselves to other democracies, we see that there are already several mechanisms in place to ensure that funding actually comes from Canadian citizens. We will close off the various avenues that could allow for foreign influence. Contribution limits are already in place. Canadian citizens have to be the ones c…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by telling you that I will be sharing my speaking time with the member for Ponoka—Didsbury In Canada, we are privileged to have a strong and internationally recognized electoral system. Canadian democracy is among the most stable and resilient in the world, and the Canada Elections Act is recognized for its robust safeguards, strict rules on political financing a…
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Mr. Speaker, there are already measures in place to protect the integrity of the election itself. When someone runs as a candidate or raises money for a political association, the contributions are registered and certain information must be provided. There is already a framework in place for that. That said, some situations, not necessarily at the federal level, that the media have reported on hav…
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Mr. Speaker, our federal funding covered a substantial portion of the capital costs of providing a public transit service that is truly tailored to rural regional realities. FlexGo is providing affordable service that meets the needs of our seniors, workers and post-secondary students. Since this service was launched, it has made a huge difference on the ground and in people's lives. This is an in…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister works every day to implement our plan to build the Canadian economy. One need only look at the results; they speak for themselves. More than twenty new partnerships have been launched around the world. We have attracted foreign investment to Canada. We have the second-strongest economic growth among G7 countries—
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Mr. Speaker, building a strong economy means helping our businesses innovate. One of the tools we have is scientific research and experimental development tax incentives. I would like the parliamentary secretary to comment on the work we are doing to improve and enhance this tax incentive program, which is very important to many businesses in our regions.
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Mr. Speaker, I would invite my colleague to reread all the opposition motions that have been put forward in the past year. When it comes to the Conservatives, there is rarely anything substantive. It is always couched in hyperbole and exaggeration. There is little substance in their motions, and criticism comes easily. They are drafted in such a way that it is clear they cannot be supported. Perso…
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Mr. Speaker, in our most recent economic update, we announced a funding extension for the pilot project providing five additional weeks of benefits in 13 economic regions, including the two regions in my riding. I believe my colleague's riding is also included in this pilot project. This will provide five additional weeks of regular EI benefits to help bridge what is commonly referred to as the “s…
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Mr. Speaker, today's motion is on a serious topic. However, it is written in a very unserious way. As we know, the United States has fundamentally changed its approach to trade with countries around the world, not just with Canada. However, given our geographic proximity to the United States and given the fact that it is our main trading partner, this tariff dispute, which we did not initiate, is …
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Madam Speaker, we are debating the second implementation bill of the 2025 budget, which includes an investment of more than half a billion dollars in Canadian creators and the cultural economy. This investment demonstrates that arts and culture are a priority for us. We talk about building Canada strong, and arts and culture, along with the entire cultural sector, are a cornerstone of what buildin…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said, since day one, we have been focusing on strengthening the Canadian economy. We did not ask for this tariff dispute, but we are not standing idly by. Since the United States is our largest trading partner, this dispute has had a major impact on our economy, our businesses and our workers, but we are working to diversify our economy. We have signed over 20 agreements, and tha…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the second budget implementation act. The core of this bill reflects our intention to build Canada strong. I thought I would use the next few minutes to talk a little about what we mean by “building Canada strong”. First of all, we mean building a strong Canadian economy. From day one, we have focused on making the Canadian economy stronger and more resilient.…
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Mr. Speaker, my esteemed colleague is welcome to visit Madawaska—Restigouche. There are indeed berry wine producers there. In fact, one of the wines served at the Parliamentary restaurant comes from my riding and is made from berries grown in my riding. Over the past month, we announced, among other things, that we would be extending the cap on alcohol excise duties. Various discussions are ongoin…
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Mr. Speaker, like my colleagues, I feel privileged to rise to speak to this important bill. This is a compassionate bill that will add more humanity to the employment insurance regime, particularly for grieving parents. As I mentioned, it is an honour to rise in support of the amendments that have been presented to facilitate the passage of Bill C-222, an act to amend the Employment Insurance Act …
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to work with my colleague in our rural caucus, which is made up of MPs who are committed to the development of our rural regions. For us, it is clear: Building Canada strong means building strong rural regions. It means programs tailored to life in rural areas. I am thinking of the rural transit solutions fund. Last fall, I announced an investment of over $700,000 in …
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Mr. Chair, I will be sharing my time. I rise this evening to speak to an issue that is particularly close to my heart and to the minister's: francophone immigration. As we know, immigration has significant economic, social, and demographic impacts on our communities. Immigrants enrich the social fabric of our francophone communities and help meet labour needs. As we know, immigration is the main d…
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Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate my colleague on her excellent speech. I am very pleased that there is one more member of our caucus who cares deeply about our Canadian francophonie. I am very pleased to be able to serve with her. During her recent election campaign, what did she hear from her constituents about the importance of the measures that we are putting in place to help peo…
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Mr. Speaker, Acadian civil society is here on the Hill this week to discuss issues of importance to Acadia. We Acadians have been present in North America for over 400 years. Although we have faced our share of challenges throughout our history, we remain a strong, resilient, proud and forward-looking people. We are deeply attached to our symbols, such as our national holiday on August 15. In the …
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Mr. Speaker, since coming to power, we have invested heavily in infrastructure and housing, and we have launched our defence industrial strategy. In order to complete these major projects, we need people to build our country. We need people in skilled trades. I would like the Minister of Finance to talk about the measures we have put in place to substantially increase the number of workers in the …
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Mr. Speaker, for over 100 years, the organization Acfas has been helping to advance and promote research, innovation and science culture in French. Next week, it will hold its annual congress in Trois‑Rivières, with more than 260 lectures showcasing the diversity of science in French. It will be one of the largest multidisciplinary scientific gatherings in the French-speaking world. Can the minist…
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Mr. Speaker, in the member's introduction, he mentioned the trade diversification strategy that we are putting in place. He made reference to the various trade agreements. We have signed about 20 agreements in the last 11 months, and those trade agreements are making a difference. Already, in 2025, we have increased the value of our non-U.S. exports by $33 billion over 2024. This will have a tangi…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to know whether my colleague agrees with me. I would say that one of the strengths of our government's strategy is that we are truly presenting a comprehensive plan. We are helping businesses that have immediate needs. We are diversifying our markets abroad. We are building a stronger domestic market, particularly through strategic infrastructure investments and our “buy …
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Mr. Speaker, in my speech, I mentioned the importance of concrete examples. When we announce an additional $500 million through the tariff response initiative, for example, what does that mean for small and medium-sized businesses in our regions? It means support for businesses in Les Pays-d'en-Haut. It also means support for businesses like Max Steel in Madawaska—Restigouche to modernize, adapt, …
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Mississauga—Lakeshore. Today's motion concerns measures to support the manufacturing sector in the face of unjustified and illegal tariffs. The United States, the world's largest economy, is fundamentally reshaping its trade relations with the rest of the world. This rapid transformation is causing significant disruption and major upheaval…
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Mr. Speaker, I think that is why it is important to have a comprehensive strategy with short-term actions, including the assistance measures that were recently announced in the form of loans and various types of subsidies to help the businesses most affected by the tariffs. There are also medium- and long-term measures. Strengthening the Canadian market means investments in our infrastructure and …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that, over the past year, we have announced a series of measures to support the development of major projects of national interest in Canada. I am thinking in particular of the offshore wind project off the coast of Nova Scotia and a whole range of other major projects. We have also announced a suite of targeted measures to support our businesses an…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his speech. As I listen to him and read the motion, I see our government's overall direction and the comprehensive approach we have taken on economic issues, from diversifying our international partnerships and providing immediate relief measures, such as the funds we just announced this week, to strengthening the domestic market and boosting demand. W…
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Mr. Speaker, the economic update confirms that we have reached the defence spending target of 2% of GDP. This is excellent news, and it translates into investments across the country, including in my colleague's riding of Labrador.
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Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear my colleague mention the $3.8-billion nature strategy, which includes an investment of $82 million to protect Atlantic salmon. The Restigouche River is internationally recognized for its waters, where salmon are plentiful. It is in my riding and I am very proud of that. I have actually been having ongoing discussions with the Minister of Fisheries regarding this inve…
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Mr. Speaker, we are investing in several projects of national interest. This includes projects related to various types of energy, such as clean energy. I am thinking in particular of our investments in offshore wind energy off the coast of Nova Scotia. I am also thinking of all the mining projects currently in development, including one in New Brunswick that is under discussion with the federal g…
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Mr. Speaker, in his speech, my colleague mentioned that he had visited schools and spoke about the importance of supporting our youth. I would like him to say a few words about our historic investment in sport and its impact on our young people. Why is it important to support sport, including for the younger generation?
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by informing you that I will be sharing my time with the member for Winnipeg South Centre. For over a year now, I have had the pleasure of serving as the member for Madawaska—Restigouche, and since day one, our government has remained focused on what we can control: building a stronger Canadian economy, diversifying our international trade partners, managing the …
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech, and I must admit that I am rather surprised. He seems to believe that Quebec was overlooked in this economic update. However, what I see, when I read the update, is a historic investment for small craft harbour infrastructure that coastal communities have been waiting for for a long time. There are many such communities in the Atlantic pr…
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