Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak to the merits of Bill C-239, an act to amend the Act to enable certain tax payments to be made to the provinces and to authorize agreements with the provinces for the collection of taxes. I am going focus on the second half of the title. The truth is that the Conservative Party of Canada is the only party that truly respects provincial and territorial jurisdict…
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Mr. Speaker, a citizen from Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier received five envelopes from Passport Canada containing confidential documents of citizens from five different provinces in Canada, including credit card numbers, passports and social insurance numbers. This is an alarming situation. Canadians are losing confidence. How many Canadians have found themselves in this situation? Luckily this informa…
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Mr. Speaker, as the member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier and an ardent defender of the French fact, today, March 20, I am proud to mark the 53rd International Day of La Francophonie. This year, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie chose “321 million francophones, billions of cultural content” as their theme in order to celebrate the diversity of francophone cultural creation and empha…
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Mr. Speaker, I salute my colleague from Avalon. It is true I do not have a good batting average. In three leadership races, I have never backed the right horse. However, I am very happy being a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, and it is where I belong. That is part of democracy. We are straying from the topic. I invite my colleague to ask me a more specific question about Bill C-26, if …
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Mr. Speaker, as the member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill C-26. I want to say hello to all of the families who are taking advantage of March break to do fun activities in the beautiful riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier. As I was saying, Bill C‑26 seeks to add the promotion of the security of the Canadian telecommunications system. It also seeks to provid…
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Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out that people in the Conservative Party of Canada lined up for a chance to become the leader of a national party, whereas the Bloc Québécois has to pick from a grab bag that does not have much in it and has trouble finding a real leader. I think the Bloc members need to ask themselves some questions when it comes to the availability of leaders. Now, to answer my…
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Mr. Speaker, one thing my colleague from Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot did not mention is that, when there is a change in leadership, it makes perfect sense to reflect on one's political future. I invite the Bloc Québécois members to reflect on that when they choose a new leader, as they too have done regularly in the past. The thing is that, when we think about it, there are options. One very important o…
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Mr. Speaker, we are in a most fragile economic situation. All indicators confirm that the next few months will be very difficult financially. In this economic context, after eight years of poor environmental results, the Prime Minister and his Liberal government want to increase the carbon tax next April. I would like to remind my colleagues that this government's use of its magic bullet, the carb…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has never been in worse shape. Crime is on a dramatic uptick and people are looking for ways to pay for food and housing. This government is taking advantage of its citizens. This Prime Minister has been leading our country for eight years, and we are headed straight for a wall. We need a change of direction. What changes will the Prime Minister make to get Canada back on track…
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Madam Speaker, I think it is unfortunate that the Minister of Justice just referred to a tool being used to provoke Quebeckers and Canadians. I myself am proud to be a Quebecker and a Canadian. We just saw a dust-up between the Bloc Québécois and the Liberal Party. Can we deal with what actually matters? Can we deal with the fact that the Prime Minister has been in power for eight years? We are in…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to endorse what you just said and add that I let my Bloc Québécois colleague go ahead because it was the Conservatives' turn to speak. You handled the sitting masterfully, so thank you.
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Madam Speaker, before I ask my question, I would like to remind the House of something I heard earlier. I heard the member for Salaberry—Suroît tell my NDP colleague from Edmonton Strathcona that perhaps she is serving in the wrong legislature. That is rather odd coming from a member of the Bloc Québécois, which is a separatist party serving in a federal Parliament. We know that my colleague from …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Beauport—Limoilou. We both work on some of the same files. People seem to be getting lost in the weeds and straying from the debate. I think it is important to focus our debate on the fact that the carbon tax is abusive. The member for Winnipeg North says it is 80%, and the Bloc Québécois says it is 90%. The main goal of the carbon tax is to pro…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Kelowna—Lake Country for her passionate speech. I think she demonstrated that the carbon tax does not need to be increased. That is what we are calling for. People keep saying in their speeches today that the Conservatives will not let up on this topic and that we keep repeating the same message in our opposition motions. Why would that be? It is beca…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to hear my colleague speak in the House. He is a colourful and dramatic speaker. Perhaps my colleague, being a Liberal member, can provide that privilege to the 80% of his constituents who are getting back more money than they are paying into the carbon tax, but I would remind him that the Parliamentary Budget Officer says that “households will pay more in carb…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to say that Quebec taxpayers are being put at a disadvantage. There is no rebate in Quebec because it has a carbon exchange. Now, the carbon exchange must be harmonized. Recall that when the carbon tax was imposed—yes, I said imposed—on all provinces and territories, those with models that could match outcomes were exempted. Forward-t…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is truly out of touch. Canadians are worried. Everything costs more, including clothing, heating, housing and food. With butter costing $6 a pound, some people are having to cut baking out of their holiday traditions. Others are hunting for bargains and buying products that are close to expired. A distinguished professor said that 2023 is going to be even worse.…
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Madam Chair, I just heard my colleague accuse Conservative members of having discussions. However, I am looking and I do not see anyone around me talking. Perhaps my colleague made a mistake.
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Madam Chair, I rise on a point of order. I agree. You are absolutely right. No party should be named—
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Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, this Liberal government has shown us that it is always lagging behind and in reaction mode. It lacks vision. No other country has a shortage of children's Tylenol and Advil like Canada. What are parents doing to save their children? They are going to the hospital. CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal is 150% over capacity. We have known about this problem since April. My ques…
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Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the minister has not gone to the pharmacy in the past few days because the shelves are empty. His government has been aware of the problem since April. Let us talk about the economy. We are entering into a recession and the Liberals are raising taxes. They do not have the heart to lend a hand to Canadians. What more will it take? Consumer insolvency has increased by 22%…
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Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government is talking out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to English-French bilingualism. It appointed a Governor General who does not speak French, it appointed a Lieutenant Governor who speaks only English in the only bilingual province, and it is blocking francophone immigration, to name just a few examples. Now the NDP-Liberal coalition is muzzling the Standi…
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Mr. Speaker, as the holiday season approaches, I invite everyone to visit one of the 22 Christmas markets in the beautiful riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier. They sell a wide range of quality products and creations by talented artists. Everyone can discover some great finds while supporting local businesses. This time of the year is also a time for sharing. I would like to highlight the work of S…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to come back to the speech by my colleague from Joliette, whom I respect and who does an excellent job. I agree with the member that the government is misrepresenting the Bloc Québécois when it accuses it of not valuing dental care. That is not what the member just said. After listening to his speech, it is clear that the Bloc is sensitive to this issue. That is not the p…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to share my pessimism about the economic future of our country. The people of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, like all citizens of Canada, are worried about inflation on a daily basis, which tells us that we are heading full speed into a recession. Everything costs more. The cost of food is going up. Every week, the grocery bill goes up. The cost of transportation cannot be cir…
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Madam Speaker, urgent action does not mean spending taxpayers' money. This government has given us many reasons to doubt its integrity. First it was the former Liberal MP's ventilators and the land at Roxham Road. Now it is the ArriveCAN app, which cost $54 million. Experts say they could have done it for $250,000. Is the government mocking us? Worse still, the government gave $1.2 million to a co…
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Madam Speaker, is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization? It has been over 1,000 days now, and we still do not have a decision. Meanwhile, this terrorist group is allowed to continue its activities here in Canada. Let me remind the House that 55 Canadians died when flight PS752 was shot down. Will the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be recognized as a terrorist organizati…
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Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about brain stem glioma. This incurable disease is the leading cause of brain tumour death in children. Together with my colleagues, the member for Toronto—Danforth, the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, the member for Sault Ste. Marie and the member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, I am presenting a petition signed by more than 13,000 people. The p…
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Mr. Speaker, inflation is affecting Canadians every day. Home heating costs more, housing costs more, and groceries cost more. The government is trying to pull the wool over our eyes. It gives us a dollar and takes two back. The way I see it, that means family budgets come up short. Canada is the only G7 country not to have lowered taxes. Will the government listen to reason? Will it cancel the ta…
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Mr. Speaker, my riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, located in the beautiful greater Quebec City region, is known for its many tourist attractions, its hospitality and its abundance of local products. Not to be missed are the farmers' markets, which are becoming a gathering place for passionate farmers, creative artisans and dedicated producers who are always ready to take good care of their custo…
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Mr. Speaker, the question is simple. They are not answering a question about a dollar amount included in the budget. In the budget, the Liberals set out $16 million to modernize the Official Languages Act. The Parliamentary Budget Officer is asking them questions. He is an impartial officer here, in the House of Commons, and the government is incapable of answering him. What is the government hidi…
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Mr. Speaker, I assure my colleague that the Conservatives will work in support of the French language. Not a week goes by without us hearing a story about this government's contempt for official languages. Last Thursday, the Parliamentary Budget Officer revealed that, in response to his inquiries, three departments refused to disclose their planned expenditures pertaining to the modernization of o…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' soft stance on crime only helps criminals. They are too tolerant of lawbreakers. The poor victims in all of this are our children, who are not even protected. This government has no regard for law-abiding Canadians and their safety. A responsible government would make Canadians safer. Why does this government put criminals ahead of victims?
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Mr. Speaker, there is an urgent need to take action on the labour shortage. There are solutions, but this government has lost control. For example, a temporary foreign worker who has been coming here every year for the past 10 years has to attend an eligibility interview this year. However, he has been coming here for 10 years now. Another example that I have is a manufacturer with plants in Ontar…
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Madam Speaker, I think the Minister of Official Languages needs to understand that this issue is very important to the Conservative Party of Canada, and it is something we want to work on. If she had listened to my speech during the first day of debate in the House of Commons, during which she gave parliamentarians the privilege of speaking, I made it clear that the Conservative Party was reaching…
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Madam Speaker, I want to commend my colleague, the chair of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. We are working together to advance the cause. We now have the proof that this government is not really paying attention to the French language and has no real intention of protecting it. I would remind members that the first speech, the first debate, was on a Wednesday afternoon. I want to mak…
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Madam Speaker, right now, the House is debating Bill C‑13. We are not debating procedure. I do not need a lecture from the NDP—
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Madam Speaker, I like what my colleague, the Minister of Official Languages, is saying, but the government is not walking the talk. In my opinion, Bill C-13 is very important because it establishes rules to ensure that, in 50 years, Canada will still be a bilingual country, where both French and English are spoken. The minister is from New Brunswick, the only bilingual province in Canada, yet she …
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Madam Speaker, yes, the francophone community is strong. We are fortunate that this is part of Canada's history, because it means that French is still spoken here in our country and we have a bilingual country. Yes, we must invest in and support our linguistic communities, especially in minority settings. I strongly suggest that as part of our committee study, we ensure that communities all across…
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Madam Speaker, how does the minister feel today knowing that the House is debating Bill C‑13 while government lawyers are preparing a court challenge against francophones in British Columbia?
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Madam Speaker, I had the privilege of meeting with many organizations from Quebec and elsewhere in Canada who made their case. The list of things we will protect via amendment is long. First up is the central agency. Canada's governmental structure and governance include three organizations that can give instructions in various departments: the Department of Finance, the Privy Council and Treasury…
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Joliette. I have enjoyed working with him since 2015. My colleague pointed to a glaring issue. How can we trust such an inconsistent government? In my speech, I presented what I feel are some very concrete facts to demonstrate this government's inconsistency. It makes us doubt, as Canadians, that the government will actually appoint a bilingual lieu…
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Madam Speaker, thank you for your kind description of my speech. Today is the second time I rise in the House to speak to the bill to modernize official languages. What parliamentarians are trying to do here today is establish rules to stop the decline of French, protect it and promote it. I am obviously talking about the modernization of the Official Languages Act. Of the two official languages, …
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Madam Speaker, I listened closely to my Bloc colleague's speech. However, it seems as though some people are having conversations in the House right now. Could you please intervene, Madam Speaker?
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques for his intervention. I think he and I share the same concern for the French fact. His concern is focused more on French in Quebec, while the French fact as a whole, in Quebec and across Canada, is what matters to me. My colleague said that he is not in favour of Bill C‑13. He gave an ultimatum. I am privileged to b…
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Mr. Speaker, the pandemic has had a tremendous negative impact. The cost of living is rising, businesses are having real supply chain issues and we are experiencing an unprecedented labour shortage. Another major problem is the huge rise in mental health issues. This Liberal government must act now. Its 2022 budget is not enough. Will the Prime Minister commit to swiftly presenting a plan to prote…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell the minister that her solution is not working. This government lacks vision. It is always reacting. It was to be expected that there would be an unprecedented demand for the renewal of Canadian passports because of the pandemic. My riding office is seeing many cases, lots of Julies, Carls and Marie-Annes. According to the Passport Canada site, people can expect to…
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Madam Speaker, five-year-old Florence Gagné has lost her battle with diffuse brain stem glioma. This cruel form of cancer primarily affects children between the ages of five and seven. It is inoperable and incurable. This adorable and delightful princess touched the hearts of thousands of people in Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier and elsewhere. This cause became close to everyone's hearts. Her parents, S…
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Mr. Speaker, the government promised that by 2035, every car sold in Canada would be zero-emission. RBC estimates that building the network of charging stations will require an annual investment of $25 billion. Officials have said in committee that the construction of this network has not even been costed yet. Is the government choosing to stay in the dark or does it just not care that it is sendi…
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