Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the speech by my colleague from Quebec Centre. He invoked the principle that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” by reminding us of everything that needs to implemented before crimes are committed. We agree on that point. Would my colleague agree with the Bloc Québécois that something needs to be done about the amount of time before an accused per…
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Mr. Speaker, does my colleague from Les Pays‑d'en‑Haut agree with the Bloc Québécois that we need to crack down on criminal organizations, including by creating an organized crime registry similar to the registry of terrorist organizations? This would make it easier to prove that a crime has been committed for the benefit of a criminal organization. Does he agree that we should facilitate asset se…
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Madam Speaker, currently, subsection 515(10) of the Criminal Code sets out the bail conditions that a judge may impose. My colleague announced a bail reform bill. Is the government suggesting that judges are not doing their job properly?
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague on his eloquent speech. It covers all the essential elements of our cause. Since the Constitution was repatriated in 1982, a phenomenon known as the judicialization of political space has taken hold. In other words, we are constantly sending issues to the courts when we lack the courage to resolve them politically. If the Liberals object to the notw…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague claims that it is not the substance of the issue that is at stake, but rather the issue of the notwithstanding clause, which is not strictly a Quebec issue. I have a very simple question for him. What does he think of Bill 21?
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Mr. Speaker, I just want to make a very friendly suggestion to my colleagues that they read a book that taught me a lot on the topic of this debate, since there seems to be some misunderstanding about it. The book is entitled The Charter of Rights and the Legalization of Politics in Canada. My colleagues can take notes. It was not written by a Bloc member, a sovereignist or a separatist, as the me…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the courage of the member for Bourassa, who, unlike many of his colleagues, has spoken out on the substance of Bill 21. I find that very courageous. He opposes Bill 21, a bill that was democratically passed by the Quebec National Assembly. I do not know where he was in 1982, but I think he has forgotten something about the history of Canada and Quebec, specifically that t…
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Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded division.
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Mr. Speaker, no Quebec premier, whether federalist or sovereignist, signed the Canadian Constitution. Why is that? Because, lectures about respect for minorities aside, the Constitution took away our status as a minority and as a nation. Pierre Elliott Trudeau's fantasy about establishing bilingualism and biculturalism foundered in the murky depths of a ghettoizing multiculturalism that failed to …
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Madam Speaker, I have been listening to the debate since this afternoon. On one side, we have the Liberals engaging in wilful hypocrisy, and on the other, the Conservatives engaging in wilful blindness. The arguments we are hearing in today's debate in the House are arguments we have been hearing for the past 30 years. Economic interests are being promoted over environmental interests. In a world …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for reviewing this bill's trajectory to date. It was debated in the House at second reading, and, had it not been for the election and, to a certain extent, the systematic obstruction of the business of the House, it probably would have been passed already. The Bloc Québécois would like to see a complete overhaul of the immigration system because it is not working…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for using this bill to share his vision of what Canada is. I see that he recognizes the origins of this country in three nations coming together. However, the Bloc Québécois has been criticizing the concept of a postnational Canada for a long time, first of all because it undermines the Quebec nation's struggle to have our distinctiveness recognized and respected.…
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Mr. Speaker, I am trying to understand what injustice this bill is remedying. Let me give another example. I will speak slowly so my colleague can give me the right answer. I would like to talk about the case of Jean-François. His father was born abroad. Jean-François was born abroad when his father was doing his Ph.D. in the United States. Despite the fact that he came to Quebec at the age of thr…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have spent all day criticizing the broken immigration system, and that is fair enough. We feel the same way and agree with their criticism. However, was it worth spending an entire day debating the principle of a bill that basically poses few problems? My colleague believes so. Given that my colleague identified some things that he agreed with and others that he did …
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Calgary Centre's speech was a continuation of the criticism over the government's inept handling of the immigration file. The Bloc Québécois has asked hundreds of questions on the issue, particularly about Roxham Road and about the Century Initiative and its target of 500,000 immigrants a year. However, there was a court ruling, and we must respond to it. In his speech,…
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The problem arises if her children are born abroad.
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Mr. Speaker, just to be clear, I would like my colleague to tell me if he agrees that the situation I am about to describe should be resolved. Here we have the case of the child from the Brooke-Bjorkquist family. The child was born in Geneva in 2010 to his parents who were working abroad for the Government of Canada. Despite the fact that the child was born to two Canadian parents and she returned…
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Mr. Speaker, Mascouche is celebrating its 275th anniversary. This city, whose name comes from an Algonquin word meaning “bear cub”, is one of the oldest communities in Quebec. Known for its history and architectural heritage, this city has transcended time and has has reinvented itself from one century to the next. What sets it apart is the special way it blends nature and bucolic charm with a vib…
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Mr. Speaker, I am not a banker like the Prime Minister, but something is not working. On the one hand, we are being told that the government will balance the budget in three years. On the other hand, the government is cutting taxes and abolishing the retaliatory measures that would have helped workers and businesses, even though it knows that it will also have to help them. What is wrong with this…
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Mr. Speaker, this is a banker turned Prime Minister who, when pressed about his lack of transparency, shuts us down, saying that he understands the issue, that he would not be in politics if not for the crisis and that he is going to do what it takes to get all workers and families through the crisis. This is not a normal situation. We can all agree on that. It would have been great if we could at…
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Mr. Speaker, since the start of this debate and since the start of the session, it is as though I have been listening to some pie‑in‑the‑sky promoters of a start‑up focused on nation building and on building the one and only Canadian economy. I would like to know specifically when and how the initiatives to help businesses and workers will be implemented and how the budget will be balanced in thre…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague how, considering our job description, we are supposed to be able do our work when the government is so lacking in transparency when it comes to being accountable. Before the election, he gave the Minister of Finance a mandate to prepare a budget. Before and during the election, it was ready. There was no issue. Now, after the election, the government i…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a comment, which my colleague can share his thoughts on afterward. Does my colleague not find it contradictory, or at the very least curious, that our banker Prime Minister called in King Charles to distinguish himself from the U.S. but that the first thing he did was sign a Trump-style order, implying that he did not need the House for it to be implemented? At the same time, t…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, my colleague talked about the fentanyl crisis, a terrible crisis that we have been discussing and working on for a year at the Standing Committee on Health. He raised the issue of treatment. We heard from experts and parents who say that relapsing is part of the recovery process. What does my colleague think about the national strategy based on four pillars? I think we need to increas…
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Marc‑Aurèle‑Fortin used to sit in the Quebec National Assembly, as he himself said. He knows that a unanimous consensus among all parties in the Quebec National Assembly on an issue as important as pharmacare does not happen every day. Quebec asked for full and unconditional compensation so that it could enhance its own plan. Will the member be an ally by ensuring that …
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Mr. Speaker, this is my first time speaking in the 45th Parliament, so I just want to take a moment to thank the people of Montcalm for giving me for a fourth term. I want them to know that I will strive to meet their expectations. My colleague talked about the dental care program. This insurance program absolutely needs to be expanded. However, I have here a unanimous motion from the National Ass…
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Mr. Speaker, there were about 40 Liberal MPs between 2015 and 2019, including five ministers. That did not stop the Liberals from buying Trans Mountain, in spite of Quebec's environmental views. In the last Parliament, there were about 30 Liberal members from Quebec. That did not stop the Liberals from going against a unanimous motion from the National Assembly that called on the federal governmen…
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Mr. Speaker, from the beginning, the Liberals have been bragging about the dental care program. Basically, they are proud of the objective, which is for there to be greater coverage. Everyone agrees on that. Quebec agreed. The problem is that Quebec wanted control over that program with its fair share so that it could improve its own program, notably the RAMQ, which managed it. What did they do? T…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to mark the sudden passing of Darllie Pierre‑Louis, a municipal councillor for the City of Mascouche. An entire community is mourning the loss of this kind-hearted woman who went through life with a smile on her face and an infectious joie de vivre. Darllie was committed to humanitarian causes and got involved in their work to help improve pe…
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Madam Speaker, this morning, at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Health, a mother who lost her daughter to this toxic drug crisis told us the following: I have shared my story for years on behalf of my daughter...yet the deaths caused by the toxic drug supply continue. As a country we have regressed significantly, especially in the way harm reduction has been vilified. As a country, we hav…
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Madam Speaker, this afternoon, the Leader of the Opposition has been telling us that Bill C‑5 is responsible for the toxic drug crisis, and it sounds like he is serious. He has been telling us that Bill C‑5, which sought to decriminalize simple possession and not penalize addicts or take them to court, would trigger an extraordinary crisis. He has been telling us that Bill C‑5 will let drug lords …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his excellent speech, which was very relevant to this afternoon's debate. He clearly demonstrated that the Indian Act is a systemic impediment to the emancipation of indigenous peoples and indigenous nations. As I recall, the Liberals promised to change the despicable, offensive law known as the Indian Act nine years ago. They promised to scrap it and …
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Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division.
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Madam Speaker, my colleague talks about death as therapy. Nearly 70% of people who die with medical assistance in Quebec do so in the context of cancer, in other words at the terminal phase of life, where the process of dying has started and is irreversible. How can he talk about death as therapy in a context like that where people are already in palliative care? I would like to know from this for…
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Madam Speaker, my goal this morning was not to reignite the debate on mental disorders. We debated that with Bill C‑62. My goal today was to reignite the debate because the government refused to implement the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying's key recommendation, which was to move forward and accept advance requests. Not only did it refuse to implement the recommendation, but…
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Madam Speaker, I have three things to say about my colleague's heartfelt speech. First, on the issue of improving the quality of life of people with disabilities, it is important to remember that disability is social and impairment is individual. In that sense, we have a responsibility to improve the quality of life of these people socially. That is why we made recommendation 10. However, if it ha…
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Madam Speaker, I am asking for fair treatment. You are breaching my privilege, and not for the first time. I was 30 seconds in when you signalled to me to speed up, but the custom here is to see how many people have risen so they can be given the floor. I am calling you to order, Madam Speaker, because you do that to me all the time.
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Madam Speaker, as I was saying earlier, my colleague from St. Albert—Edmonton is raising red flags to point out things that might not work, and that is fine. He is also making generalizations to suggest that we are headed down a slippery slope. Could my colleague tell all of our colleagues that access to care is not a problem considering that a diagnosis is required? If a person has a diagnosis, i…
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Madam Speaker, I often listen to what my colleague has to say. I served with him on the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying. He seems to be an expert on scenarios that need to be examined carefully. It is okay to be a whistle-blower, but for the benefit of the people in the House, I would ask him to table the documents he mentioned. That would be interesting. I would love to rea…
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Madam Speaker, the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie is absolutely right. Family doctors in Quebec have been providing MAID since the Quebec legislation passed. Right now, given the rule that says that, when there are two different laws, the most restrictive law applies, these doctors are now wondering how they will defend themselves in the event of a civil suit. The government can say that it …
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Madam Speaker, I mentioned that in my questions to the government this week. I asked if the government was aware of the current political situation. We need to be able to analyze it. The political situation in Canada is that, if an election were triggered tomorrow morning, we would find ourselves with a Conservative government. Conservative governments have always been against all forms of MAID, s…
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Madam Speaker, I would say it depends on what the government wants. If it wants to sidestep the issue, buy time, or simply call an election and not have to do anything beforehand, then yes, have a national conversation. Really, all the government has to do is take Bill C‑390 and introduce a similar bill. That would allow legislatures to move forward if they are ready. Those that need to debate the…
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Madam Speaker, Bill C‑7 would not have been possible and would not have passed if Bill C‑14 had not infringed on people's right to life. I am very disappointed to hear my colleague's comments. He has not read Bill C‑390, but he is in charge of procedure. He should be able to understand the bills that are introduced in the House. He should at least have a basic knowledge of that. Since he does not …
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Madam Speaker, I move that the second report of the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying, presented on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, be concurred in. Today, I am starting off the debate on the report on medical assistance in dying that was presented in February 2023. It is entitled “Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: Choices for Canadians” and was presented by the Special Joi…
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Madam Speaker, I was not calling the parliamentary secretary to the government House leader ignorant. I was alluding to his ignorance of Bill C‑390. This ignorance of the bill means he cannot understand that it is the most reasonable solution. We respect the fact that some provincial legislatures need to have more debate within their parliamentary democracy. That does not stop those that are ready…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question, which gives me an opportunity to explain that people often confuse advance requests with advance directives. An advance request is a request for MAID made by a person with a neurodegenerative cognitive disease that is incurable, irreversible and therefore incapacitating. They have to be diagnosed first, though. It is not like sign…
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Mr. Speaker, as of today, Quebec will allow advance requests for MAID. Finally, patients diagnosed with a serious and incurable illness that will lead to incapacity can submit a request to their doctor. However, doctors are still worried about the lack of legal protection because this government is cowardly and refuses to amend the Criminal Code. The Liberals are playing a dangerous game, one that…
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Mr. Speaker, this is not a time for talk, but for action. Need I remind the House that this government is a minority government that could fall at any moment. It makes no difference whether or not the Liberals hold consultations—which have already been held, by the way—or whether they agree not to take legal action against the Government of Quebec. The next government will be a Conservative govern…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that the current situation suits the Liberals, who do not have to take the blame for proroguing or for postponing opposition days, which would allow for a non-confidence motion to be moved. Yes, it is a disgrace that they have been refusing to table documents for three weeks. After three weeks, it is clear that they will not be tabling them. It is up to the people to …
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals lack courage and are making it more complicated to access end-of-life care. As if that were not enough, they are passing the buck to the next government. So much the better if it means current ministers do not challenge Quebec's decision to accept advance requests. That said, can they make any guarantees that those who take their place after the next election will not cha…
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