Parliamentary Speeches
415 speeches by Marie-France Lalonde — Page 5 of 9
Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. The United States is our neighbour and closest ally. We are working closely with the Biden administration. As mentioned, the minister had a bilateral meeting with his American counterpart. We will continue to defend Canada's interests. We will not stop now. We will continue to work to strengthen and modernize the safe third country agreement.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his advocacy. Let me note what Canada is committed to. Canada is committed, through domestic law and international convention, to providing supports to individuals making an asylum claim. That is a fact. We have a duty to protect the integrity of our borders and to manage resources on behalf of all Canadians. Let me be very clear: We continue to encourag…
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Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank the member for his advocacy. Certainly, he and I have had a conversation in the last few weeks on this particular issue. Other members of the community have raised those concerns. As I mentioned before, our assistant deputy minister has been in regular contact with city officials and individuals in our community. We are fully committed to help. That is what we h…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Sudbury for her question. I am very proud today to announce to the House that our government met the target of 4.4% francophone immigration outside Quebec in 2022. Indeed, 16,300 francophone newcomers have settled outside Quebec. This represents a 450% increase since our government was first elected. This is just the beginning. There is still wo…
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Mr. Speaker, I certainly hope that members actually listened to the Minister of Immigration's appearance at committee. I will repeat what he said. The minister was very clear that he has not met with McKinsey, nor been influenced. However, if the Conservatives want to listen to someone, let us quote someone. I would invite them to listen to their former Conservative leader, John Reynolds. He said,…
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Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that the migrant crisis is not happening only in Canada. It is happening everywhere. This is a global challenge. I know my colleague is well aware of that; I am convinced of that. Now more than ever, we must continue to work with our international partners, with the provinces and territories. Our government has committed to updating this agreement. That is what we a…
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Mr. Speaker, on Monday a gas leak caused a major explosion in my community that destroyed four houses in construction and affected more than 45 families. Sadly, 12 people were injured. I visited the emergency command centre, where I touched base with our local city councillor, Catherine Kitts. The Salvation Army and Red Cross teams were there on site, coordinating temporary accommodation and provi…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his passion and his work on this file. I know he works very hard at committee. Certainly, our government is working to modernize the agreement. That is exactly what we are committed to doing. I thank my colleague for the question. Our government will continue to take appropriate action and modernize the agreement.
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Mr. Speaker, I think that, as Canadians, we all have a duty to do our part to protect our borders and ensure the safety of people who are fleeing for humanitarian reasons, because they are suffering abuse. The safe third country agreement is an important bilateral tool. We will continue to work with our counterparts in the United States to modernize this agreement.
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Madam Speaker, again I want to thank the hon. member for his service to Canada. I represent the community of Orléans, where we have a lot of active military members and veterans. It is always extraordinary for me to be a part of that. As I have said on a few occasions, if it was a matter of will, there would be 40,000 Afghans here in Canada. The current situation in Afghanistan is complex, and the…
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Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely unacceptable to say that asylum seekers are taking advantage of the system. The reality is that these people are fleeing violence and looking for a safe haven. Our government will always work for vulnerable people and we are proud of the work we have accomplished. We hope that the Bloc Québécois is on board.
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Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, the Bloc Québécois has lost all credibility, because it believes that asylum seekers cross that border for an all-inclusive vacation package and that the situation asylum seekers must face is a joke. This is no joke to us. It is serious. We are working on it. We are speaking with our American counterparts, and we will modernize this agreement.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his passion and service. He is very engaged and, as I understand, has a very personal commitment to vulnerable Afghans. We do not always align in our ideology, but I think it is important for Canadians everywhere to see that when it comes to unwavering support for Afghanistan, we are on the same side. Canada's commitment to Afghanistan repre…
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Mr. Speaker, I am going to be very candid this morning, because in my opinion, the Bloc Québécois has lost all credibility if it believes that asylum seekers are crossing the border for an all-inclusive vacation package or feels that the situation asylum seekers are facing is a joke. This is not a joke to us. We take this situation very seriously. On this side of the House, we continue to protect …
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Mr. Speaker, before I answer the question, I would first like to say a few words about the incident that occurred in my community of Orléans this morning. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who are affected, and I want to sincerely thank the first responders and simply tell them that I am here and that I can help them. To answer the question, the closure of Roxham Road is not a short-term …
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Madam Speaker, I think we can all agree in the chamber that no person with a disability should live in poverty. That is why we are committed to creating the Canada disability benefit, a thoughtfully designed income supplement with the potential to seriously reduce poverty and improve financial security for hundreds of thousands of working-age people with disabilities from coast to coast to coast. …
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Mr. Speaker, February is internationally known and recognized as Black History Month. It gives us an opportunity to recognize the remarkable contributions of Black Canadians to the community of Orléans and to all of Canada. This year's theme, “Ours to tell”, invites us to engage in open dialogue and commit to learning more about the stories Black communities in Canada have to tell about their triu…
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Mr. Speaker, today, this is the first time that I will answer a question concerning francophone immigration and its importance for Quebec and the rest of Canada. I would like to point out to the House, because I do not know if I will have another opportunity, that this is the first time ever that we have met the target of 4.4% of francophone immigrants outside Quebec in Canada. This is a success s…
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Mr. Speaker, we are taking every step to address the backlog in the short term while making Canada's immigration system more sustainable in the long term. Allow me to be very candid. We have processed approximately 4.8 million applications in total, nearly double the number of the year before. We tripled the number of work permits issued, and we returned to a 60-day service standard for new study …
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec continues to be one of the government's valued partners, and we recognize that the province is working hard to support asylum seekers. Our government has provided $534.5 million in assistance to the provinces, including $374 million to Quebec to alleviate the pressure of housing asylum seekers. We have also invested $740 million to guarantee that they continue to have access to…
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Mr. Speaker, I have to say that if it was a matter of will, there would be 40,000 Afghan refugees here already, but there are obstacles that are beyond certain control. As the member just said, the minister did meet him, but let me remind this House of the last numbers we have. We have so far welcomed 26,700 Afghans who can now call Canada home. We will continue to work with our Afghan community.
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is well aware that the Canada-Quebec accord gives the province the exclusive authority to select the majority of its immigrants. As I said, we have always respected and will always respect Quebec's jurisdiction over immigration. I know that our government is working very closely with Quebec to improve that framework. Let me reiterate that we met our 4.4% francophon…
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Mr. Speaker, francophone immigration plays a key role in promoting the French language across Canada and Quebec. I would remind my colleagues that Quebec determines its selection criteria for the majority of immigrants in Quebec, including language skills. We will always respect the jurisdictions of Quebec and we will continue to work with them.
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Mr. Speaker, today I am going to dedicate my first statement of 2023 to recognizing someone special from my constituency who has served us all for many years. Lise Séguin, a resident of Orléans, is a nurse counsellor with the House of Commons occupational health and safety department. Throughout her career, she has served members of Parliament, senators, employees of the Parliamentary Protective S…
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Mr. Speaker, with respect to parts (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), as well as to the establishment of immigration levels in Canada and their effect on the francophone presence in Canada, IRCC has not conducted the type of impact studies referenced in the inquiry. The immigration levels plan is developed following extensive consultations with the provinces and territories, stakeholders and the general …
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Mr. Speaker, insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, is concerned, the answer is as follows. With respect to part (a), bilateral engagement with Quebec on immigration matters is governed by the Canada-Quebec Accord relating to Immigration and Temporary Admission of Aliens, or the Canada-Quebec Accord. IRCC exchanged two formal pieces of correspondence with the Government …
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Mr. Speaker, insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is concerned, the 2021 post-graduation work permit, or PGWP, public policy facilitated access to 18-month open work permits, or OWP, to foreign nationals who had a PGWP expiring between January 20, 2020, and November 27, 2021. Its objective was to provide PGWP holders with additional time to gain Canadian work experience, given t…
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On November 26, my team and I participated in the 25th Santa Claus parade in Orléans along St. Joseph Boulevard. A huge crowd of over 100,000 people attended this year. I want to thank the organizing committee, Bob Rainboth and our Ottawa firefighters for their outstanding work. They collected toy and cash donations all along the parade route to help families in need. This year, over $25,000 was c…
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Madam Speaker, on December 7, which also marks 101 years of women MPs in Canada, I had the honour to attend the Equal Voice fundraising gala. People gathered from across the country to recognize and celebrate women who have made a significant impact in politics. Since 2001, Equal Voice has been advocating for equal representation of women in Canada's Parliament, focusing on equity, diversity, incl…
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Madam Speaker, the member opposite needs to understand that the migrant crisis is a challenge not only in Canada, but also around the world. That is why we have to work with the international community to find long-term solutions. That is why we have to uphold our international obligations with respect to refugees. We on this side of the House will continue to work with all our partners instead of…
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Madam Speaker, let me be very clear. Closing Roxham Road or suspending the safe third country agreement will not solve the main problem. As the member opposite knows, Canada shares the longest demilitarized border in the world. Roxham Road enables public servants to collect ID from asylum seekers and prevent dangerous crossings. What we need to do is modernize the agreement. That is what we are do…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question. Let us be clear, Canada benefits when diverse, engaged and independent young people are able to come from abroad to gain enriching work and life experience in this country. Yesterday, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced a 20% increase in the number of people who can apply to the international experience…
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Madam Speaker, as the member knows, Canada has faced a number of events that let to IRCC having a large volume of files that are being treated in timelines outside of processing standards. The global pandemic led to the closure of borders and offices around the world. As Canada is among the top destinations in the world for immigrants and refugees seeking a new life, demand continued to grow durin…
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Madam Speaker, as the hon. member knows, each and every case is different, and immigration officials are working hard to address the delays while ensuring the safety of Canadians. Immigration has faced significant global challenges, including the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and Ukraine, a pandemic-generated backlog and a surge in demand for people wanting to come to Canada. We did not creat…
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Mr. Speaker, this morning, I had the pleasure to co-host with Karen Hunter the Canadian Remembrance Torch meet-and-greet event with students Anna, Sebastian and Raj from McMaster University. These accomplished students were involved in engineering and constructing the torch, which serves as an important symbol for the contributions of Canadian veterans. During this morning’s event, the students sh…
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Madam Speaker, this is an attitude of all hands on deck to make sure that individuals who do not deserve a passport do not get one. Canada's passport program is working hand in hand with partners such as Correctional Services Canada, the RCMP, police services and partnering agencies to make sure that sex offenders do not get a passport. We are doing so while making sure that all other Canadians wh…
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Mr. Speaker, on October 28, I had the honour to attend the official launch of the poppy campaign conducted by the Orléans Royal Canadian Legion Branch 632. I want to thank Canadian Tire owner Claude L'Heureux for his welcome and for partnering with our legion. Today, I am pleased to announce that our local Orléans poppy campaign has collected more than $120,000. I would like to thank everyone who …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his questions, but before starting to answer the questions, let me give a bit of background information to make sure everyone understands the process. The passport entitlement and investigations division, known as PEID, renders entitlement decisions. Those decisions include approvals, cancellations, refusals and revocations. It can also impose …
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Mr. Speaker, insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, is concerned, IRCC undertook an extensive preliminary search in order to determine the amount of information that would fall within the scope of the question and the amount of time that would be required to prepare a comprehensive response. While IRCC engages regularly with the United States on a variety of issues relat…
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Mr. Speaker, November 14 marks World Diabetes Day. Throughout 2021 to 2023, the theme of World Diabetes Day is “Access to Diabetes Care”. More than 95% of the time, people living with diabetes are looking after themselves. To ensure that people with diabetes have access to the medical resources they need on a daily basis, there must be better access to quality education about diabetes for health c…
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Madam Speaker, as the member opposite knows very well, the Canada-Quebec accord gives Quebec the exclusive authority to select the majority of its immigrants. We have always respected Quebec's jurisdiction with respect to immigration, and we will always work closely with Quebec to support its objective of welcoming the immigrants it needs to ensure business development and the vitality of the Fren…
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Madam Speaker, if Quebec wants to welcome francophone immigrants, we are there to help them. If Quebec wants to resolve the labour shortage, we are there to support it. If Quebec wants more, we are always there to help. Quebec has all the tools it needs to welcome francophone immigrants, to help communities grow and to protect French. We will continue to be there to ensure that more people immigra…
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Madam Speaker, November 6 to 12 is National Francophone Immigration Week, now in its 10th year. This year's theme is our traditions and our future. There will be a wide range of activities designed to bring people together so they can appreciate various francophone traditions and reflect on a better future for all. From cultural soirees and cooking workshops to job market training, sharing circles…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to subsection 94(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2022 annual report to Parliament on immigration. Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), the report is deemed referred to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to spotlight a constituent of Orléans and recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, Kevin Frost. Kevin is a multisport world champion who has competed against able-bodied persons in all disciplines, and he has the gold medals and world records to prove it. Kevin has competed in rowing, track, cycling and golf. As we can all see, Kevin is quite the athlete. I w…
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Mr. Speaker, we have a duty to protect Canadians and Quebeckers, to ensure that our borders are secure. At the same time, asylum seekers must be treated with compassion and be afforded due process. The safe third country agreement is an important bilateral tool for managing claims. We are in constant communication with the U.S. government on issues related to our shared border, including the safe …
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Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Closing the road or suspending the agreement will not solve the main problem. As the member opposite knows, Canada shares the longest demilitarized border in the world. Roxham Road enables public servants to collect ID from asylum seekers and prevent dangerous crossings. What we need to do is modernize the agreement. That is what we are doing.
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Mr. Speaker, our system for asylum seekers must be robust and humane. There is no magic solution. Asking to close Roxham Road or suspend the agreement is not the answer. What the government needs to do, and what we are doing, is to modernize the agreement.
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Mr. Speaker, first, on behalf of all members of the House, I would like to welcome U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, who is meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs here in Canada. Second, as we have said many times, we are committed to modernizing the agreement between our two countries. We are heading in that direction, and I am proud to welcome the Secretary of State to Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, I commend the member for Kitchener Centre for his advocacy. We are taking measures to reduce wait times and we will be doing more to tackle the backlog in the short term, while making our system more sustainable in the long term. We are doing that by hiring up to 1,250 new employees to increase our processing capacity by the end of fall. We are aiming to process 80% of all new applica…
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