Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I understand my colleague's concern; the entire aluminum sector feels the same way. That is why, over the weekend, I attended the 2025 aluminum summit in Montreal on Sunday evening. I not only met with industry leaders, but I also spoke with the unions. We will continue to support our aluminum sector in Quebec. We will use aluminum and steel from Quebec and Canada in our infrastructur…
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Mr. Speaker, we know there is a lot of anxiety across the country, particularly when it comes to the steel and aluminum sectors. That is why, over the weekend, I was in contact with industry leaders, as well as union leaders, and we will continue to make sure we protect their jobs. To be in solution mode, we will make sure that Canadian steel and aluminum are used in our major infrastructure proje…
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Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that Quebeckers are very concerned about the White House's tariff war. That is why they elected 44 Quebec Liberal MPs, something they have not done since 1981. We are going to be there to stand up for jobs in the aluminum sector because we know that this sector is being threatened with higher tariffs. Of course, we will work with the members from Saguenay—Lac‑Sa…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the Bloc Québécois needs to understand that the Prime Minister's role is to be able to talk to everyone, whether they are in the aluminum, steel, clean energy or conventional energy sectors. That is the job of the Prime Minister, which no Bloc Québécois member will never be. That said, what is most important right now is that we want to build. We are going to invest in major i…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that there is a lot of anxiety across the country in the steel and aluminum sector, particularly in Hamilton. That is why I was in contact with the CEO of ArcelorMittal Dofasco over the weekend. I also talked to the head of the Canadian steelworkers and am making sure that our MPs from Hamilton are really on board as they are fighting for jobs in their communities. This rhetor…
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Mr. Speaker, we will not only make sure that Canadian steel and aluminum are in our major projects, but we will also make sure that all the investments we are putting up in defence are to create jobs, which will have an impact on the steel and aluminum sector. That is why the United Steelworkers mentioned, at a time when our steel and aluminum sectors are being hit by massive U.S. tariffs, that th…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that we need to make sure that we fight back with strong countertariffs against the rhetoric coming out of the White House. However, our strategy has been working. There are only two countries on earth that have put up countertariffs against tariffs by the Americans: China and us. Today the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said that the threat of 50% tariffs on the steel and aluminum …
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Mr. Speaker, what is in the national interest is creating and protecting jobs. That is the question that people in every Bloc Québécois riding and every riding here are asking themselves: Who can deliver the goods? Only one party can, and that is the Liberal Party. Only one government can protect and create jobs, and that is the Liberal government. We will get there by working with the Government …
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Mr. Speaker, one thing is clear: Quebeckers put their trust in us by electing 44 incredible members of the Liberal Party, which, of course, forms the government. That is twice as many as the Bloc Québécois, which has 22 members. Quebeckers know that we are in a tough situation right now. There is a tariff war that is directly affecting our workers and our economy. We are here as Quebec MPs and min…
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Mr. Speaker, the government and the Liberal Party always live up to the expectations of Quebeckers. That is why we earned Quebeckers' trust again this year. We just passed this test during the election. That is why we are now 44 members strong, a record for our party, and very proud of it. I want to thank all my colleagues for their hard work and congratulate them. Naturally, we are going to co-op…
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Mr. Speaker, this is a serious issue. That is why we have a plan and a great minister who has the skills to deal with the issue. In the meantime, we will work together. Why? Because not only do we need to ensure that we build more housing and ensure that construction is more affordable, but we have a tremendous opportunity to help workers who are affected by Donald Trump's tariff war. In the curre…
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Mr. Speaker, what Quebeckers and Canadians want to know is how we are going to help them through this housing and affordability crisis. The minister has been clear and our government has been clear: We are lowering taxes. We are making sure that we lower taxes on the middle class. We also want to eliminate the goods and services tax for first-time homebuyers. We abolished the carbon tax too. We ar…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her hard work and congratulate her on her election in Sudbury. She is right. The tariff war launched by the Americans is having a direct impact on our workers and creating a lot of uncertainty across the country. That is why we are going to invest heavily in creating jobs across the country, including in her riding of Sudbury and in northern Ontario. W…
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Mr. Speaker, our goal right now is to help the people who are having a tough time making ends meet. That is why we are lowering taxes for the middle class. We are also cutting the GST for first-time homebuyers. As my colleague knows, we are currently in a tariff war. Our goal is to fight to create jobs, protect those currently under threat and, again and always, invest in creating the strongest ec…
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Mr. Speaker, we already know that unjustified tariffs by the U.S. against Canadians are making Canadians' lives much more unaffordable. That is why we are cutting taxes. As the Minister of Finance just mentioned, this new government is cutting taxes on the middle class. We are also making sure we are cutting the carbon tax and the GST on first-time homebuyers. We will create the strongest and fast…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank, first and foremost, the constituents of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. First and foremost, we know that we are in a trade war that has been launched by the U.S., and we know that hard-working Canadians are feeling the brunt of this trade war, particularly in the manufacturing sector and particularly in the auto, steel and aluminum sectors. We continue to fight for them.…
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Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleague as we face a tariff war started by the United States. We will work to protect jobs across Quebec and Canada. In the aluminum sector, which is important to my colleague's riding, we are going to attract investments. We will ensure that jobs are created here, right across the country. We are going to have the strongest economy in the G7.
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), and in accordance with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “General Security of Information Agreement between Canada and Ukraine”, done at Brussels on December 3, 2024.
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Mr. Speaker, as the world is getting tougher, we need to get tougher. This Arctic foreign policy builds on the biggest investments in our defence in generations, more than the Conservatives ever did. It puts people in the north first, allowing indigenous peoples, particularly Inuit and northerners, to be at the centre of international relations affecting them. Russia and China are working together…
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Madam Speaker, we see that, once again, my colleague is repeating the speaking points that his leader gave him. Basically, the question we should be asking is how we can help Canadians who currently need financial assistance. That is exactly what we are doing. We are cutting taxes. Why, then, is my Conservative colleague from Quebec so opposed to us cutting taxes? Why did he vote against this meas…
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Madam Speaker, people on this side of the House and across Quebec still cannot understand why the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives voted against reducing the GST. This measure is so necessary to families and to Quebeckers. It comes on top of all the other programs that we have put in place, like dental insurance, which the Bloc Québécois also opposed. We are here for families, and we are here …
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Mr. Speaker, we know very well that we need to protect the border. That is why we signed a safe third country agreement with the Biden administration. That is why we will, of course, come to an understanding with the incoming U.S. administration. It is in Canadians' best interest. I might also point out that our government is the one that has experience dealing with the Trump administration. Inste…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians know and we know that borders are important. It is in America's interest to protect them. It is in Canadians' interest to protect them. That is why we are working together on this issue. I have had conversations with Premier Legault, and just this morning, I spoke with Minister Biron, Quebec's international relations minister. I have also had the opportunity to speak with se…
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Mr. Speaker, there is no relationship in the world more important than the one between Canada and the United States. The reason we want to keep investing in this relationship is that we know Canadians want us to protect their interests. That is why the border is so important to us, and that is why border security is so important to us, as it is to the Americans. In the past few days, I have been v…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question is very important. Of course, we are very aware of Mr. Lavery's case. I cannot give more information due to confidentiality issues, but what I would like to suggest to the member that I work with him to make sure that Mr. Lavery comes home. We will take every measure to bring him home.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of time for the member opposite because she used to be the consul in Dallas, and she knows how important it is to be investing in her diplomatic network in the U.S. Of course, we will continue to invest across our continents and across the U.S. because, if there is one country in the world that knows about the Americans and the U.S., it is Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, apparently Mr. Clark was good enough for the Conservatives when he was moderating their leadership race, but that is another issue. What I want to say today is, as Canadians are looking down south to see what is going on and to take note of the will of the American people, we will be investing in the relationship between Canada and the U.S., contrary to what the Conservatives want to …
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Mr. Speaker, I just went to the OGGO committee, and I answered all the members' questions for an hour. We have been talking about this issue. First and foremost, we have had good value for money in this transaction as $7 million will be refunded. Second, all the processes were, of course, followed. Finally, we will not fall into the character assassination he is doing about an important consul. No…
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Mr. Speaker, of course I will. As I mentioned, since the beginning, we have had three priorities: first, to seek the truth; second, to make sure we protect Canadians; and third, to defend Canada's sovereignty. Based on information provided by the RCMP, we asked India to lift the diplomatic immunity on six of their diplomats. Unfortunately, India refused. Therefore, since Canadians' safety was at r…
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Mr. Speaker, the situation in Gaza is absolutely catastrophic. Too many innocent children, women and people have died. That is why we need the violence to stop. We need a ceasefire that is supported by the UN Security Council, including the U.S. We need hostages to come back home. Their families need to be able to see them and to love them. In the end, we need more humanitarian aid going into Gaza…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada is a country that values freedom from oppression, not freedom to oppress others. The rights of women and girls, including the right to choose, is put in danger by the far right, including some members of the Conservative opposition. A Liberal government will always support and protect women's and girls' rights here at home and around the world. Along with Germany, Australia and…
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Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing the member and I will be able to agree on today, it is that we both condemn what happened yesterday on the streets of Vancouver. That is why we will always condemn any form of anti-Semitism. I am convinced that everybody in this House will condemn any form of anti-Semitism.
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Mr. Speaker, Judih Weinstein, Vivian Silver, Ben Mizrachi, Netta Epstein, Shir Georgy, Alexandre Look, Adi Vital-Kaploun, Tiferet Lapidot, may their memories be a blessing. It was my honour to have met with their families here at home and in Israel. On the anniversary of Hamas's horrific attacks, my promise to their loved ones is the following: Year after year, Canadians will honour their memories…
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Mr. Speaker, if there is a day that we should not play politics about people's lives being taken or people being killed, it is today. We all in this House, I hope, are against any form of anti-Semitism or any form of discrimination. I really hope that my colleague in front will apologize.
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Mr. Speaker, we have all seen the attacks by Iran against Israel today, and of course we condemn them unequivocally. These attacks from Iran will only serve to further escalate the situation in the region. That is why I have been in contact with my Israeli counterpart this morning. I have been in contact with many G7 foreign ministers, as well as Arab countries' foreign ministers. This is a very d…
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Mr. Speaker, I have said many times in the House that the situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Too many children and too many women have died. That is why the violence must stop. That is why we need a ceasefire now. That is why hostages must be released. That is why civilians must be protected. That is why humanitarian aid needs to get into Gaza. We need to make sure that both parties support the Bi…
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Mr. Speaker, the situation in Gaza is absolutely catastrophic. That is why we need the violence to stop. We need an immediate ceasefire. That is why Canada fully supports the proposal by the President of the United States. We need to take a chance on peace. Along with our allies, we are following what my colleague just mentioned very closely, because our position has been clear when it comes to ar…
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Mr. Speaker, even in times of war, there are rules. The images coming out of Rafah are horrific and heartbreaking. Our position has been clear on Rafah. We have been repeating our position for weeks. Palestinian civilians do not have any safe space to go. The killing of innocent civilians is completely unacceptable, and the decisions of the International Court of Justice are binding. The level of …
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Mr. Speaker, even in times of war, there are rules. The images coming out of Rafah are horrific and heartbreaking. Our position on Rafah is clear, and we have been repeating it for several weeks now. Palestinian civilians have nowhere to go. The killing of innocent civilians is completely unacceptable. The decisions of the International Court of Justice are binding. The level of civilian suffering…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada will always be there to support the international Francophonie. In fact, Canada is one of the co-founders of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. I would like to remind my colleague that we are not talking about the association des parlementaires, but about the Assemblée des parlementaires de la Francophonie. Under the circumstances, we will not only continue to …
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Mr. Speaker, we will take absolutely no lessons from the Bloc Québécois. We know that the Bloc Québécois's objective will always be to prove that sovereignty alone will work for Quebeckers. Quebeckers are not buying it. Quebeckers know that having a strong government, a government that is prepared to recognize, for the first time in history, the decline of French in Quebec and across the country, …
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Mr. Speaker, to all women in the House, to all women in this country, to all women in the world, the Liberal government will forever be there to support their right to choose. No government, no politician, no judge, no one should take that right away from women. Members should make no mistake: The Conservative leader and his members are trying to politicize women's bodies, and they are also willin…
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Mr. Speaker, our colleagues have asked this question a number of times and it has been answered. What we can say, however, is that the Leader of the Opposition won his leadership race by ensuring that he had the votes of Maxime Bernier and his far-right element, as well as the support of members of the anti-abortion movement. The reality now is that he is delivering for them. He refuses to denounc…
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Mr. Speaker, we will not be drawn into a fight about the French language. We in the Liberal government have been clear for a very long time. We will be there to protect the French fact in Quebec and across the country. Not only will we do so here in Canada in the context of our duties as a government, contrary to what the Conservatives will say, but we are also doing this around the world. We can …
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Mr. Speaker, our position when it comes to arms export permits is well known and absolutely clear. When it comes to what is happening in the Middle East, we have been clear: The violence must stop. We need a ceasefire now. Hostages must be released, and we need to make sure that humanitarian aid gets into Gaza. At the end of the day, what we need is a two-state solution where the State of Israel c…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada unequivocally condemns the attacks by Iran against Israel. This was unprecedented. We support Israel and its people. This attack only serves to destabilize the region and to further escalate in the region. It is completely unacceptable. That is why I have been in contact with my Israeli counterpart. I have also been in contact with many actors in the region. We will continue to…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her important question. Ukraine is Europe's front line. The Ukrainians have been fighting for our freedom and, of course, for their own. We know that Putin does not have a red line. If he wins in Ukraine, he will keep going. That is why we must support Ukraine. It is about our security and global security. That is why we concluded a new $3-billion agre…
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Mr. Speaker, first and foremost I would like to say that I have talked to the mother of Mansour Shouman many times, as he was obviously struggling in Gaza, and we made sure that he could come safely back home, working with the Minister of Immigration on this very issue. Second, on the question of Israel, Hamas and the war, of course we know that the situation in Gaza is completely catastrophic and…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), and in accordance with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaties entitled “Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Finland”, done at Brussels on July 5, 2022, and “Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Kingdom of Sw…
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Mr. Speaker, yes, I did. I will never shy away from having difficult conversations, maybe with the Israeli government or maybe with the Palestinian authority. We need to make sure that we will continue to put pressure on Hamas, which is a terrorist organization, to release hostages. We support the discussions that are happening with Qatar, Egypt, the U.S. and, of course, Israel, to make sure the h…
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