Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, two years after the onset of a pandemic that deeply scarred the supply chain, caused skyrocketing prices across the board and continues to compromise buying power, the Prime Minister does not seem to care, and that is disappointing. This labour dispute comes as no surprise. Everyone has been talking about it for weeks, but once again the Prime Minister is slow to act. Canadians are pa…
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Mr. Speaker, it sounds to me like they are washing their hands of the whole thing. I really do not understand the Minister of Labour's response. While we are here talking, Canadians are paying a hefty price. Inflation is at an all-time high, houses are no longer affordable, and grocery bills are forcing families to make tough choices. The CP Rail dispute will exacerbate the situation. We would lik…
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Mr. Speaker, railways are central to Canada's economy. Canadians are finding it harder and harder to find the essentials, and the labour dispute could not come at a worse time. Some $425 million worth of goods are transported on the CP railway every day. Farmers, businesses and millions of Canadians are affected every day of this dispute. This was all foreseeable. How do the Liberals plan to preve…
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Mr. Speaker, there is a massive disinformation campaign about the situation in Ukraine on Facebook, Twitter and all social media. I receive messages every day that are full of false information about Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine. Too many Canadians are subjected to these messages, some of which repeat word-for-word the Russian ambassador's statement. This Prime Minister stated in October th…
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Mr. Speaker, slava Ukraini. The Putin regime's ongoing and illegal attack against Ukraine is a clear warning to the free world. According to National Defence, in 2019, more than a third of our army's equipment and vehicles were unusable. Our air capacity is limited. We have to be prepared to deal with future threats. Former Liberal member Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Leslie is worried. He said that t…
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Mr. Speaker, according to the former lieutenant-general and former Liberal MP, the only thing that will stop the Russians is deterrence. Russia has 40 nuclear-powered icebreakers in the Arctic, while Canada has none. Russia has 18 military bases near the Arctic, while Canada barely has one. The Russian ambassador, who is the chief propagandist for the Putin regime, is still here in Canada. What ex…
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Mr. Speaker, for seven long days, we have watched Putin's regime carry out an illegal invasion of Ukraine. Cities are being bombed relentlessly, civilians are being targeted and horrific war crimes are being perpetrated by Russian forces. If silence is complicity, the Russian ambassador's statement yesterday showed his full approval of these war crimes. There is no justification for Putin's crimes…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that the Prime Minister sees the same images that we do. We are seeing the indiscriminate bombing of Kharkiv and Kyiv. From day one we have seen hundreds of civilians killed during the Russian invasion, while 900,000 people are fleeing. This is an attempt to destroy Ukraine and the Ukrainian way of life. There is no reason for the Putin regime's spokesperson to remain in Canada…
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Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow the Russian ambassador to spread disinformation right here in Canada. Almost all provinces are implementing their plan to end health measures. Public health officials have stated that it is time to learn to live with COVID-19. Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and we now have tools to fight COVID-19. This Prime Minister insists on living in …
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Mr. Speaker, I believe if you were to seek it, you would find unanimous consent for the House to adopt the following motion: That the House oppose any federal electoral redistribution scenario that would cause Quebec or any other province or territory to lose one or more electoral districts in the future, and that the House call on the government to act accordingly.
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Madam Speaker, I would first like to reiterate the Conservative Party's support for the people of Ukraine. I think this is an extremely dark period in our history. People who were living in happiness just yesterday are living in fear today. I think it is important that we take every opportunity to support these people, salute their courage in resisting Putin's invasion, and let them know that all …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. Again, I think it is important to understand that a redistribution proposal that takes seats away from any province will have negative effects on the representation of voters in that province. Therefore, we must consider all the factors, such as Quebec's specific character, Quebec's nationhood, demographic weight, the political weight of each p…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. What I am saying is that it is much more difficult to have enough residents to reach the Elections Canada targets in a rural area. Municipalities must be added. For example, we would have to go from 50 to 75 municipalities to strike a balance. What I am asking is for Canada's rural reality to be considered. Our country is the second largest in …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I believe that the government must keep a minimum of 78 Quebec members in the House of Commons to ensure representation, and that it must also take into account the demographic reality. As for the recognition of nationhood, that is an issue we must continue to debate, and it is one that Quebeckers and MPs will always continue to debate.
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Mr. Speaker, in these times of crisis, Canadians deserve real answers from their government. Today, instead of answering when asked if Canada intends to expel the Russian ambassador, the Prime Minister evaded the question. Yesterday, when she was asked the same question, the Minister of Finance said that everything was on the table. Let us see what is on the table. For six days Ukraine has been in…
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Mr. Speaker, I put the question to the Prime Minister, but I did not get an answer. The Minister of Finance was asked the question, but there was no answer. The parliamentary secretary was sent to tell us that there was no answer and that the ambassador had been called in for a slap on the wrist. We have moved beyond that. For six days, this ambassador has been an accomplice of the Putin regime. F…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, whether in Lac-Mégantic, Thetford Mines, Plessisville or even here in Ottawa, our world has changed over the past few days. The word “freedom” has been given a whole new meaning. Unfortunately, the unthinkable has happened: Evil has awakened and revealed its true nature. Today, whether in Kyiv, Kharkiv or Odessa, peace has turned into war and happiness has turned into fear. People do …
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Mr. Speaker, Putin's regime has gone too far, and the West must take action. We are witnessing the biggest war in Europe since the Second World War. Russian troops and aircraft have attacked Ukrainian civilians in defiance of international law. We believe the government can and should do more. Putin's regime can no longer enjoy a relationship with Canada. Will the Prime Minister declare the Russia…
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Mr. Speaker, my legislative assistant has family and friends in Ukraine. He told me how hard it is for the Ukrainians who have been displaced by the conflict to get to safety. According to him, taxi drivers in Moldova are providing free taxi services at the border, hotels in Poland are providing free lodgings, and Romania is setting up camps to house Ukrainians. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians…
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Mr. Speaker, let us take the Prime Minister at his word. This morning, the member for Beaches—East York stated in the House that he was not convinced that the emergency measures should remain in place after today. He also said that he would vote accordingly, but that it is now a vote of confidence. Is it true that the Prime Minister, after appealing for unity, is threatening his backbenchers with …
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Mr. Speaker, that was a lot of words, a lot of words and then a lot of words. I listened carefully to the Prime Minister. It is not enough to tell Canadians to talk to each other. The Prime Minister needs to set an example. When has he made an effort to listen to Canadians who do not think like him? Has he taken the time to call the member for Louis-Hébert? Is he forcing his members to vote in fav…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for her speech. I am somewhat baffled by the comments I just heard from our Liberal colleague. The Liberals pick and choose what applies to us and claim that the Emergencies Act is there to be used but will have no impact on the provinces that decide not to use it. Does my colleague agree that an emergency measures act that applies from coast to coast…
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Mr. Speaker, I would prefer to stand in the House today and talk about inflation. I would prefer to stand in the House today to defend the mothers, fathers and seniors who have suffered so much since the beginning of the pandemic and who are facing all sorts of really difficult situations. However, because of this Prime Minister's inaction, because he chose to protect his career rather than listen…
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Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, the official opposition is the official opposition. This Prime Minister had the tools to work with the provinces and send additional police officers in response to the City of Ottawa's request when the City of Ottawa made that request. Ministers could have intervened, but they did not. The question the member is asking the official oppositio…
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Mr. Speaker, the Premier of Quebec has said that invoking the Emergencies Act could add fuel to the fire by further polarizing the population. He made it clear to the Prime Minister that the act should not apply to Quebec. He does not think we need it. He does not see how it would improve the social climate at this time. I can also reference the premiers of Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Alber…
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Mr. Speaker, since the pandemic began, I have had the opportunity on countless occasions to listen to speeches and presentations from my hon. colleague using a little tool called Zoom, on a little computer. I have heard the member defend the Liberal government several times on this little screen. Hiding means not answering questions. It means refusing to take a stand. That is what the Prime Minist…
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Mr. Speaker, as a Canadian, I am disappointed today. This morning, the Prime Minister finally deigned to speak in the House of Commons, this sacred place of Canadian democracy, following his decision to invoke the Emergencies Act throughout Canada. He had a unique opportunity to justify his decision to use this extreme legislation in order to bring an end to the crisis that he himself created. He …
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Mr. Speaker, I think the Minister of Finance should update her talking points. The Windsor blockade is gone. It is done. The Emergencies Act was not required. The Prime Minister has repeatedly stated that foreign groups were supporting the demonstrations here in Ottawa. Last week at the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, the deputy director of intelligence for the Financial…
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Mr. Speaker, let me say it again: There are no longer any blockades at the border. The issue was resolved without the Emergencies Act. That is the reality. This is the first time in Canadian history that the Emergencies Act is being invoked. This legislation's predecessor, the War Measures Act, was used only three times: during World War I, World War II and the October crisis. The Prime Minister s…
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Mr. Speaker, the speech by my colleague from the Bloc Québécois was quite eloquent and truthful. I enjoyed his reference to trilogies. We have seen three different governments over the past few weeks and three completely different Prime Ministers, but there were several trilogies, including the one at the beginning that he mentioned. It also happened in this crisis and, if we start looking around,…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has proven today that all he cares about is getting out of the crisis that he, himself, created. His lack of leadership is the direct cause of this crisis. He mentioned the history books earlier. He will go down in history as the Prime Minister most lacking in leadership in the history of Canada. He has barely answered any questions from the opposition on the real r…
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Mr. Speaker, insulting Canadians, as the Prime Minister has done, is not what we would call leadership. Canada has never been as divided as it is today. That is what happens when a Prime Minister chooses to play at being a master politician rather than act like a head of state. He is not seeing the discontent in our ridings or in his party and caucus. He is not seeing the discontent across the cou…
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Mr. Speaker, let us look at what he did. When he had the opportunity as the head of government to take action to deal with COVID‑19, he chose to play politics. He called an election in the middle of a pandemic, which allowed him to divide Canadians and stigmatize those who do not think like him. He imposed a vaccine on truckers without any scientific evidence. He demonized and ridiculed some of hi…
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Mr. Speaker, I did not hear the Prime Minister answer the question. As he said, Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. Almost 90% of Canadians have been vaccinated. Is he waiting until 100% of Canadians are vaccinated to start thinking about presenting a plan to reopen our economy and putting an end to vaccine mandates? The question is clear: Is the Prime Minister's objectiv…
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Mr. Speaker, I hope that the Prime Minister will not hide again, like he has done for the past two weeks, and that he will be there to talk, to listen, and to bring these protests to an end. We want the protests to end. We want them to end, but we also want the Prime Minister to commit to presenting Canadians with a plan. We want this Prime Minister to do what all other levels of government here i…
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Madam Speaker, I would first like to thank my Bloc Québécois colleagues for supporting this motion. I think that my Bloc colleagues feel that the people in their ridings are also desperate to see a leader re-emerge to put an end to this whole situation we are currently in. Some awful things have been done. We oppose them, and we condemn them. It is absolutely incredible. However, a lot of misinfor…
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Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division.
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Mr. Speaker, I asked the Prime Minister a simple question yesterday. The current member for Louis-Hébert and former chair of the Quebec Liberal caucus has revealed the Liberal government's underlying motivation in its approach to the pandemic. He said that on the eve of the last election campaign, a decision was made to go from a positive and unifying approach to one that would divide and stigmati…
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Mr. Speaker, on August 13, the Prime Minister announced mandatory vaccination at the federal level. On August 15, he called a useless election. On February 8, the cat was let out of the bag. Contrary to what he has been saying since the beginning of question period, two members of his own party are denouncing his party's decision to knowingly adopt a divisive approach that stigmatizes people stric…
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Louis-Hébert was much clearer. We cannot end this pandemic without leadership. We cannot end this pandemic by dividing and stigmatizing Canadians. We cannot end division by hiding and refusing to take responsibility. The Prime Minister was in hiding, and it was not until one of his own members of Parliament, the chair of the Quebec Liberal caucus, spoke out about his Ma…
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Mr. Speaker, the truth came out this morning. The member for Louis-Hébert and chair of the Quebec Liberal caucus said, “I can’t help but notice with regret that both the tone and the policies of my government changed drastically on the eve [of] and during the last election campaign. From a positive and unifying approach, the decision was made to wedge, to divide and to stigmatize.” Did the Prime M…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister did not answer my question. One of his own MPs, the Quebec caucus chair and member for Louis-Hébert, is calling for an end to vaccine mandates. He believes that his government's decisions are not sufficiently backed by science. He was very clear in saying that someone in this government has deliberately chosen to take a divisive approach that stigmatizes certain peo…
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Mr. Speaker, Dr. Tam said that it is now time to reassess vaccine mandates. Dr. Tam is a scientist. We are asking the government to listen to what scientists are saying. When the Minister of Health was asked if there is scientific evidence backing up these vaccine mandates, he said nothing because there is no scientific evidence behind the vaccine mandate for truckers. The question is simple. When…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's stubbornness is incomprehensible. He is hiding rather than dealing with the real problems facing our health care system. Canada is one of the worst OECD countries when it comes to the number of hospital beds and doctors per capita. Last week, at the Council of the Federation, Premier Legault spoke on behalf of all the premiers when he said, “We made a unanimous re…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague on her excellent speech. This evening, for the Prime Minister's first official public appearance since the protest currently happening on Parliament Hill began, I would have expected him to announce something. I would have expected the Prime Minister to tell us what he plans to do to find a peaceful solution to this situation that has been going on …
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Mr. Speaker, I am not trying; I am saying it. The Leader of the Opposition is trying to do something good for Canadians, and I will support her 100% with that. It is true that the Prime Minister has a responsibility to deal with what we are facing right now. I stand with that, because he was hiding for more than a week instead of addressing this urgent and very disastrous matter.
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I am an opposition member. On Friday, I asked the House a clear question. I said that it was time to put an end to the protest. I also said that it was time to put an end to the restrictions that sparked the protest. I did not get any answer from the government. That is the problem. The government is trying to make this crisis someone else's, anyone else's, responsibility, even though…
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Mr. Speaker, I will try to keep it to 30 seconds, so I will focus on one very important aspect. The acts of hate and racism are abhorrent and we denounce them wholeheartedly. These types of actions have no place in a democracy, no matter what is being protested. However, the right to protest is entrenched in Canada. I have often seen my colleague protesting in Montreal for all kinds of causes, in …
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Mr. Speaker, it has been a week, and it is time to put an end to the protest at Parliament Hill in Ottawa. It is also time to put an end to the restrictions that sparked the protest. The expressions of hatred and racism we have seen at the protest are unacceptable. What we are witnessing is an appalling lack of leadership. The mayor of Ottawa, the police and everyone else are asking someone, somew…
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Mr. Speaker, it has been two years since the pandemic started. More than 34,000 Canadians have died. The COVID‑19 virus has strained a health network that was already stretched thin before the pandemic began. The health network is sick. COVID‑19 is not the only reason. Canada ranks 30th among OECD countries with respect to number of hospital beds per capita, with 2.5 beds per 1,000 inhabitants. Th…
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