Parliamentary Speeches
415 speeches by Marie-France Lalonde — Page 2 of 9
Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to how we are supporting our Canadian Armed Forces members. Let us be quite strong in saying that I think, collectively, that the member opposite and I believe that CAF members are the backbone of our defence team. They are responsible for defending us, our values and our country. It is our responsibility as elected officials…
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Mr. Speaker, I have to say that the member gets a gold star, because she actually mentioned something so important: The average household gets back more than it pays. The Conservatives seem to be obsessed with the idea of a secret cover-up, but there is none. We have always fully cooperated with the Parliamentary Budget Officer and will always do so. Our government has been clear: The vast majorit…
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Mr. Speaker, let me say that, as a government, we remain committed to fighting climate change while putting more money back in the pockets of Canadians. Experts agree that putting a price on pollution is the most cost-effective way of fighting climate change. Climate change is real, and unlike the Conservatives, who are trying to avoid the conversation on the world stage, we as a government have a…
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Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and I had the great pleasure of officially opening the new NATO DIANA centre in Halifax. NATO DIANA will help develop dual-use technologies that address challenges affecting security and defence. This initiative puts Canada at the heart of NATO's efforts to maintain its technological edge and preserve peace and securit…
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Madam Speaker, on Saturday, I had the privilege of welcoming to Parliament Hill, alongside my colleague the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, dozens of cyclists who participated in the Spinning Wheels relay to end Parkinson's. Three teams of cyclists completed a combined 10,000 kilometres across Canada. They travelled through all 10 provinces and through two territories, including…
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Madam Speaker, as a proud founding member of NATO, we know Canada must do our fair share on the world stage. This week, I was very pleased to open one of three international headquarters for the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, or DIANA, in Halifax. DIANA will facilitate co-operation between military operators and NATO's best and brightest start-ups, researchers and tech…
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Mr. Speaker, today I join all francophones and francophiles across Ontario in celebrating Franco‑Ontarian Day. On this day we proudly celebrate our francophone heritage. We are a strong community united by our love for our language and our desire to see it thrive for generations to come. In my beautiful riding of Orléans, we are fortunate to have the MIFO community centre, a vital organization tha…
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Madam Speaker, today marks Military Family Appreciation Day, a day dedicated to recognizing and honouring the sacrifices and unwavering strength of our military families, the backbone of our Canadian Armed Forces. Their dedication and love are fundamental to the success of our service members, enabling them to carry out their vital missions. They sometimes feel overlooked, which is why, in the def…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague is talking about a previous government that allegedly did all sorts of great things for military justice reform. His party did nothing. It did nothing at all during the nine years it was in power, and yet my colleague comes here to criticize. We all agreed that this bill is important. A number of measures have been taken in recent years. Twenty of Ms. Arbour's 48 recomm…
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Madam Speaker, before I begin, I would like to say that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Scarborough—Guildwood. It is truly an honour to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C‑66 and the important work that our government is doing to modernize the military justice system and the culture of our armed forces. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces work tirelessly to defend Canadi…
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Mr. Speaker, the Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, currently has a fill rate of 64% for frontline fighter pilot squadrons. Detailed information regarding pilot numbers is considered sensitive, as it can provide adversaries with information about CF-18 and broader NORAD capabilities, which could then be injurious to the defence of Canada and North America. As the RCAF transitions to a fifth generatio…
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Mr. Speaker, as part of its mandate, Communications Security Establishment Canada, CSE, protects electronic information and information infrastructures that are of importance to the Government of Canada, helping to thwart criminal or state-sponsored cyber threat activity targeting our systems. Every day, CSE uses its sophisticated cyber capabilities and technical expertise to identify and defend a…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome members back to the House, and I also want to wish all students in Orléans every success in the classroom as they kick off a new school year. Many thanks to all the teachers and staff at our schools for guiding and supporting them in their achievements. On August 29, I was extremely pleased to welcome over 600 residents of my community to my annual corn roast a…
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Mr. Speaker, as to part (a), the overall cost of moving National Defence employees from the 400 Cumberland location to the Major-General George R. Pearkes Building is estimated at approximately $1 million. This amount includes approximately $20,000 for space cleaning and building preparation, and $980,000 for moving personnel and equipment. As to part (b), up to 995 National Defence personnel will…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), the North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, and the Canadian Armed Forces, CAF, have standard procedures to detect, identify and assess airborne objects. Specifically, NORAD responds to unknown radar tracks by correlating radar data with various data sources and means, including NORAD aircraft, to inspect the source. If NORAD assesses that an object d…
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Madam Speaker, furthermore, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 2600, 2602 to 2607, 2609, 2613 to 2615, 2617 and 2618 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled in an electronic format immediately.
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Madam Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.
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Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 2599, 2601, 2608, 2610 to 2612 and 2016.
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Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to three petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to five petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of rising to acknowledge the vital role long-term care institutions hold in our communities and to recognize the incredible leaders, staff and families who support the thousands of Canadians who live in long-term care homes. I had the privilege of working in the retirement home sector for over 20 years, and I saw first-hand the remarkable work that caregivers do to…
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Madam Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
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Mr. Speaker, federal contaminated sites are located on land owned or leased by the federal government, or on land where the federal government has accepted responsibility for the contamination. The Government of Canada has taken action through the federal contaminated sites action plan, FCSAP, and remains committed to properly managing those contaminated sites for which it is responsible. Through …
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Mr. Speaker, today is Air Force Day on Parliament Hill. It is an opportunity to highlight the incredible work of the Royal Canadian Air Force, or RCAF, as it celebrates its centennial year. For 100 years, members of the RCAF have served Canadians here at home and around the world. We thank them for their incredible dedication to Canada. RCAF aviators have participated in missions around the globe,…
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Mr. Speaker, in response to parts (a) and (b), National Defence has one contract, W8475-00CSH1/001/BQ, with IMP Aerospace & Defence, IMP, related to the servicing and maintenance of search and rescue aircraft in the period specified. It is the CH-149 in-service support contract, related to the servicing and maintenance of the CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopter fleet. The active period o…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question because it gives me an opportunity to talk about how the Conservatives failed to take action for nine years on priorities related to the modernization of the Official Languages Act and the action plan. I would like to remind the House that we have made historic investments by almost doubling the investments in the action plan and that we will co…
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Madam Speaker, the member's question reinforces the fact that we have introduced a wonderful defence policy update where we are increasing our spending. We have actually taken notes. We are listening to our partners. We are listening to our CAF members. There is $8.1 billion over the next five years, and we will continue to help our military as it is always ready for us.
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Mr. Speaker, team Canada also includes the provincial team with the Government of Quebec. That has been the case since we took office in 2015. Personally, I entered provincial politics first, and I have been a member of Parliament since 2019. What I want to talk about is the massive investment of an additional $200 billion to improve health care in Canada. This will allow Quebeckers to have better…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the motion moved by the member for Jonquière, the Bloc Québécois critic for intergovernmental affairs, natural resources and energy. I would like to inform the House that I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Cambridge. Our government has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to working collaborativel…
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Mr. Speaker, I always have to wonder when our Bloc Québécois colleagues ask questions. We are making investments. I just spoke about a housing agreement between Canada and the Government of Quebec. Is he trying to say that it is not enough? Is it too much? I do not know. What I can say is that we have sat down with Quebec to negotiate our agreements from the start. In the case of housing, the agre…
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Mr. Speaker, we often borrow ideas from Quebec, because they are often very forward-thinking. For a number of years, the province of Quebec has had a price on carbon. It is a separate system that is fantastic for countering the harmful effects of climate change. My colleague spoke about child care. We drew inspiration from the Quebec system in order to benefit all Canadians. We will always work cl…
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Mr. Speaker, it is with pride and a sense of accomplishment that I inform the House that on May 2, the Minister of Official Languages travelled to Orléans to announce that the federal government would be investing $36 million to build the new Mouvement d'implication francophone d'Orléans, or MIFO, community centre. Since 1979, MIFO, a pillar of the French-speaking community, has touched the lives …
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Madam Speaker, today we are welcoming the Canadian Remembrance Torch to Parliament Hill. The Canadian Remembrance Torch was created by accomplished McMaster students and now serves as an important symbol for the contribution of Canadian veterans. The founder of this torch, Karen Hunter, whose family has a long tradition of serving in our armed forces, was the visionary behind the symbol. It is a s…
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Madam Speaker, on this side of the House, we have always been there for francophones in Canada and Quebec. I find it very interesting to see my Bloc Québécois colleagues acting like they are the only ones who care about the French fact. They appear a little bothered by the fact that our government, which includes my colleague from Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, all Liberal members from Quebec and eve…
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Madam Speaker, I will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to defence spending. The Conservatives let defence spending drop below 1%. They voted against a salary increase for our members. They voted against funding for Ukraine. They voted against Operation Unifier. They voted against $40 billion for NORAD modernization. They badly mismanaged our procurement for years. Today in the …
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Madam Speaker, let us talk about our government's investments in the action plan for official languages. We will be investing $1.4 billion over the next five years to help the French fact. Our government is the only one that has recognized the decline in French. We have modernized the Official Languages Act. We are working with the Treasury Board. We are working with the commissioner. We understan…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's question because it gives me the opportunity to talk about an announcement that was made earlier this year, in April, with the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services. A settlement was negotiated with the non-public funds workers in Petawawa, Kingston and here in Ottawa, which includes a significant wage increase of 13.75% over three years. To be clea…
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Madam Speaker, once again, I appreciate my colleague's question, because we know that it is possible to find solutions and come to an agreement at the bargaining table, as we did in Kingston, Petawawa and right here in Ottawa. Once again, I would just like to say that the agreement that was negotiated will significantly increase wages by 13.75% over three years. We hope that the three parties that…
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Madam Speaker, unfortunately, during a response to an oral question, I mentioned that the action plan was worth $1.4 billion. I apologize for my inattention. It was $4.1 billion over five years.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize that May 5 is World Pulmonary Hypertension Day. The rare form of the disease is called pulmonary arterial hypertension, or PAH, which severely impacts the health and quality of life of patients who are affected. I commend the Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada and its patient ambassadors Donna Downes and Shirley Druhan from my riding of Orléans for …
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Mr. Speaker, it was a privilege to welcome French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to Canada last week, on his first official foreign visit outside the European Union. As chair of the Canada-France Inter-Parliamentary Association, I also met with my French counterparts, Christopher Weissberg, Chair of the French branch of the Association, and Senator Yan Chantrel, Chair of the France–Canada Friendship…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that, yesterday, the Minister of National Defence released our defence policy update entitled “Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for the Defence of Canada”. This update includes a $73‑billion investment over 20 years and a clear plan to build forces that will protect our country and our interests around the world. We know that our Canadian A…
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Mr. Speaker, the Defence Public Affairs Learning Centre, or DPALC, provides Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces, or CAF, personnel with specialized military public affairs and communications training. This directly contributes to the objectives of the defence team, including the CAF, to uphold transparency and to effectively communicate the complex work undertaken by our membe…
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Madam Speaker, it is always interesting. I have a great deal of respect for my Bloc Québécois colleague, but what the Bloc really wants is to pick a fight. Canada, our government, is working closely with Quebec on everything from health care to immigration. We have even engaged with Quebec on child care to look at what they are doing, so we can implement it nationally. We know that Quebec is there…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that this morning, the Minister of National Defence introduced Bill C-66, the military justice system modernization act. This legislation is designed to implement nine recommendations from Justice Arbour's and Justice Fish's reports. More specifically, it aims to remove the military justice system's jurisdiction over criminal sexual offences committed …
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Mr. Speaker, today, March 20, marks the International Day of La Francophonie. I would like to thank the francophone organizations and institutions across the country and in my community of Orléans for the outstanding work that they do in advancing and promoting the French language. I would also like to recognize two francophone leaders from Orléans, Nicole and Louis Patry, who received the 2024 Ch…
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Madam Chair, let us set the stage as a beginning. When I think about Ukraine, I think our friends are in a fight for their very existence. Russia's illegal and unjustifiable invasion has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians. To be clear, when we think about this attack, it is also an attack on all those who value peace, freedom and democracy. We, as Canadians, have a …
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Madam Chair, I apologize. To guide these efforts, the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of Ukraine signed an agreement on security co-operation between our two countries in Kyiv this past February. I am very pleased with the agreement, and the reason we are talking about it tonight is that it builds on previous bilateral agreements between Canada and Ukraine, as well as on the larger NATO…
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Madam Chair, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. I like to believe that we share a common goal when it comes to support for Ukraine. From the very beginning, Canada has been there in support. We were also very much engaged in the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. We believe that this is a way to help support the rebuilding and to look at current components where we can help Ukraine in i…
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Madam Chair, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague, but I have to smile a bit because from day one, Canada has been firmly committed to providing help to Ukraine. I mentioned the training to help Ukrainian soldiers, the new co-operation agreement and the aid for rebuilding Ukraine. We recently announced $40 million to provide Ukraine with artillery ammunition during the 20th Ukraine Defe…
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