Parliamentary Speeches
364 speeches by Marie-Hélène Gaudreau — Page 5 of 8
Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was informed, as early as 2021, that a member of the opposition was being targeted by threats from China. He did nothing. Today, he is refusing to either confirm or deny the information obtained by The Globe and Mail that China could be targeting other members of Parliament. We are simply asking him to tell us whether there are others and whether they are aware of t…
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Mr. Speaker, why are we still talking about this today? It is because the Liberals have chosen their culture of secrecy over full transparency. It is their culture of secrecy that increases foreign interference: secrecy about China's connections through the Trudeau Foundation; secrecy about China interfering in democracy; secrecy about Chinese threats towards the family of an elected official. Fro…
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Madam Speaker, the energy transition has been under way for quite some time. When I explain to my constituents that the government is going to help companies like Muskrat Falls, it is shocking. With all the taxes paid by Quebec taxpayers, we managed to get Hydro-Québec. On top of that, the Liberals are creating obstacles for the energy transition by helping the oil companies. It is very difficult …
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Madam Speaker, when we say that there is nothing, there is nothing with respect to the recommendations made, there is nothing to meet seniors' specific needs. What should we say to a 66-year-old worker who returns to work and wants to contribute to society? After earning a few thousand dollars, there are no tax measures to help him out. He is told he will receive a little help to pay for groceries…
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Mr. Speaker, now that question period is over, my text is truly up to date. Earlier, we were talking about employment insurance, and we are extremely disappointed that it is not part of the budget. The Bloc Québécois members are the ones that can actually stand up for Quebeckers. I often hope that the Liberals from Quebec will bring the government to its senses. If they did, we might not have the …
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Mr. Speaker, let me begin on a high note by talking about the riding of Laurentides—Labelle, which I am honoured to represent. Three concerns keep coming up every time I speak with my constituents: the housing shortage, support for seniors and, above all, employment insurance. The Deputy Prime Minister's budget makes no mention of any of those concerns. One would think that these were not serious …
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Mr. Speaker, my question is very simple. Can my colleague across the way explain to the people watching what time allocation is, and can he explain why his government moved this time allocation motion that we will be voting on in a few minutes?
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Madam Speaker, are we surprised? No, because there are two classes of seniors. Accordingly, it is clear the government will continue using a system that isolates people instead of looking at the broader community. The Bloc Québécois is very sensitive when it comes to this; we do not believe in stigmatizing people.
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Mr. Speaker, according to La Presse, 30 people have fled the Trudeau Foundation over the past two weeks. The newspaper quotes one such individual who said, “I feel like someone pulled a fast one on me, because, ultimately, it is not true that it is non-partisan”. The Trudeau Foundation is a nest of Liberals, and that is exactly why China has been trying to get closer to them since the election of …
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Mr. Speaker, this morning the Auditor General announced that she would not be investigating the Chinese regime's donation to the Trudeau Foundation. This means that the only ongoing, supposedly neutral, investigation into Chinese interference is the one the Prime Minister personally asked David Johnston to conduct. He is a friend and a former member of the Trudeau Foundation who will report direct…
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Madam Speaker, I commend my colleague from Beauce, who raised a lot of issues that have a direct impact on Laurentides—Labelle. I am taking time to talk about agriculture and agri-food. After all these years and all the challenges related to maintaining supply management and keeping the industry as it is, one in 10 farmers are being forced to shut down. That is happening in my colleague's riding o…
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Mr. Speaker, Morris Rosenberg, the author of the independent report on foreign interference in the elections, wants an independent public inquiry. Jean-Pierre Kingsley, a former chief electoral officer of Canada, wants an inquiry. Gerald Butts, the former adviser to the Prime Minister, wants an inquiry. The House of Commons wants an inquiry. Canadians want an inquiry. Now, Michael Wernick, a forme…
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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to congratulate the Centre Promo Santé, an organization located in Ferme-Neuve. For nearly 20 years, its mission has been to promote fitness and physical activity through two programs that focus on risk factors and rehabilitation. Target groups can access the organization's equipment and professional services free of charge. Thanks to the vision of Dr. Luc Laurin, t…
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Mr. Speaker, the problem is that people get lost in all these distractions. The Trudeau Foundation is problematic. What is even more problematic is foreign interference in our elections. A foreign power, China, is interfering in our democratic process. This undermines public confidence. That is the crux of the issue. We absolutely need an independent public commission of inquiry to ensure the inte…
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Madam Speaker, I am going to reserve my comments about some of the remarks made by my colleague on this side of the House. When it comes to medically assisted dying, if there is one person who has personal experience, who was at the bedside of a loved one who qualified for medically assisted dying for eight years, that person is me. There is a lot I could say about it. My question for my colleague…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec and its towns are still adding up the cost and compiling a list of the damage caused by the ice storm. There is no need to wait, because Ottawa already owes $484 million from the last crisis. At the time, Ottawa refused to compensate Hydro‑Québec, claiming that Crown corporations were not eligible for disaster relief. That has become an embarrassing excuse, since the federal go…
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Mr. Speaker, we spent two weeks in our ridings, and now we are back in the House for a long stretch together. When I met with the people of Laurentides—Labelle, I saw that they are worried about access to affordable housing. I would like to hear my colleague's views on that because, in my riding at least, people have been talking about the housing crisis for years. For more than 10 years, communit…
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Madam Speaker, I have a very simple question for my colleague about employment insurance reform. As we have already said and as we have often heard, the government first promised EI reform in 2015. It made that promise for the second time in 2019 and for the third time in 2021. Last summer, the government said that it was coming. Just before Christmas, the Liberals promised it was going to happen.…
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Mr. Speaker, the ice storm ruined Easter for many Quebeckers, either because they had no power or they were working around the clock to restore it. The Bloc Québécois stands in solidarity with all those who have suffered loss and damage. The Prime Minister has offered federal assistance and we thank him for that. However, we must point out that Ottawa made the same commitments during the ice storm…
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Madam Speaker, with all due respect for my colleague, it is important to be vigilant when talking about money. We often see bills in the House whose purpose is precisely to help the economy. Bill C-11, the online streaming act, and the bill on supply management come to mind. I would like my colleague to explain why the Conservative government will agree with something here in the House, but then c…
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Mr. Speaker, I am astounded by what I am hearing. I am not the one responsible for this file. Speaking of which, I want to acknowledge my colleague from Drummond. This is the second version of this bill. It is not about changing everything. It is about ensuring the promotion, protection and development of our artists and creators. I myself come from the cultural community. If we are talking about …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Motion No. 59, which was moved in the House by my Liberal colleague from London West. I commend my colleague for her idea and her compassion because Motion No. 59 addresses an issue that strikes home with me. We are debating the federal framework on housing for individuals with non-visible disabilities. As members know, the Bloc Québécois is always prepared to…
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Mr. Speaker, it is the wrong person and the wrong job. Irrespective of Mr. Johnston, the Prime Minister is the one who came up with the idea of a special rapporteur, which is the wrong job. The Prime Minister is the one holding up the investigation into the Chinese police stations. He is the one holding up the investigation into the intimidation of the Chinese community. He is the one holding up t…
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Mr. Speaker, during a press conference on Monday, the Prime Minister listed his protection measures against foreign interference: in 2017, he formed the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians; in 2018, he created election financing legislation to fend off foreign financing and, in 2019, he came up with a plan to protect democracy and set up a working group on the threats …
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Mr. Speaker, it is understandable that the Prime Minister prefers to sweep the issue of interference under the rug. It is understandable that he does not want to hear it mentioned ever again and that he wants to move on. However, it is not that simple, and it will take more than a secret committee and a rapporteur doing the Prime Minister's bidding. The Prime Minister is playing with public confid…
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Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs voted in favour of an independent public inquiry chaired by a commission member chosen with the agreement of all the parties represented in the House. The Bloc Québécois, the NDP and the Conservatives were able to set partisanship aside. What is important here is public confidence in our electoral system, not partisanship. Does the…
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Mr. Speaker, in a democracy, candidates are not guaranteed to win an election, but they must be assured that the election is conducted by the book, without cheating, without money received on the sly, without people being bullied into voting, and without foreign interference. That is democracy. These conditions make it possible to accept the results of elections. If the public loses confidence in …
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Madam Speaker, that is a very interesting question. Here is what I would say in response. If my colleague and I were to switch places, I would say that one of the truly urgent and useful things we could do would be to fine-tune and improve the bill to show that the government really cares about cybersecurity and wants to make sure it protects Canadians from all cyber-attacks and any potential inte…
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Madam Speaker, that is exactly one of the questions we need to ask the experts. We must listen to them and accept their recommendations. We must take action based on the analyses of scientists, particularly those who may have had to reconsider some mechanisms. Obviously, it is important to be ready to act. The answer might be very different depending on the situation. We are hearing a lot about fo…
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Madam Speaker, in my opinion, a government that knows where it is headed and has the competence to get there does not stumble around and try to clear its conscience or improve its own image. On the contrary, a leader who is in a really good position does not wait for the opposition's proposals to figure out what to do. My colleague asked a good question. I will let people come to their own conclus…
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Madam Speaker, today I will be talking about the bill we have been discussing for the past few hours, Bill C‑26, an act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other acts. From the outset, I would like to mention that in 2019, when I arrived in the House of Commons, the topic on everyone's lips was the data breach at Desjardins. To put …
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Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs passed a motion calling for the creation of an independent commission of public inquiry on foreign interference in our elections. The committee agreed with the Bloc Québécois proposal that the commission chair be appointed with the consent of all parties represented in the House. Why is that important? Because it must transcend par…
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Madam Speaker, unfortunately, we have seen that, when it comes to everything that affects all citizens, the government is ignoring security issues and the threats that foreign interference can pose. We are seeing partisanship everywhere. We are talking here about cybersecurity. We want our electoral system to be airtight. We also do not want democracy to be affected. Is this the right time for thi…
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Madam Speaker, I heard loud and clear what the bill is missing. It lacks teeth and, of course, accountability mechanisms. I heard my colleague opposite talk about the purpose of this bill, which could restore some degree of public trust. It is safe to say that trust is being undermined at the moment. My colleague is concerned not only about the fact that people's safety must not be compromised, bu…
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Madam Speaker, we have been hearing details about the impact this bill could have. I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on the following question. Why are we always in reaction mode? In 2019, the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics was looking at how to separate information pertaining to social insurance numbers in order to protect citizens' privacy. What messag…
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Mr. Speaker, I am really upset this morning. Let me explain. In 2017, my father passed away after a very difficult life. Many people here know his story. He struggled with ALS for 20 years. I was there with him during the five years he was in palliative care. At the time, he told me, “Don't worry. I have a respirator. I had an extra eight years of life and now I know that I can choose what to do w…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec's gastronomy community is in mourning. Marcel Kretz, a monumental figure in that community, passed away on January 31 at the age of 91. He was a member of the Order of Canada and the Ordre national du Québec whose expertise and talent paved the way for Normand Laprise, Martin Picard and Colombe St-Pierre. Today I want to highlight the important role and influence he had in maki…
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Madam Speaker, for most of us, March 12, 2020, marked the official start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a major impact on the life of our communities and the organization of our societies and our work. It had an especially big impact on our social interactions. Three years later, we have the right, as citizens, to know what really happened so that we can learn from this unprecedented public h…
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Thank you for the reminder, Madam Speaker. We will have to make changes in 2023. I will resume my speech. I have to say that in Laurentides-Labelle my team and I worked tirelessly to bring home our constituents. More than 50 families were stranded abroad and abandoned by the government. It was an urgent situation. I remember that it happened during the school break, a time when thousands of Quebec…
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Madam Speaker, anything is possible after 25 years. As I said, I worked in the forestry industry for seven years. For 44 hours a week, there were three shifts, including a night shift, so day care centres that are open non-standard hours do exist. I would ask members not to get hung up on the wording, but instead to look at how we can seize this moment to create opportunities for those who work ni…
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That is a very good question, Madam Speaker. Studies have indeed shown that, when education is at the heart of a community, then health care prevention is possible. When individuals are fortunate enough to be informed, to feel safe and to be educated, it has a direct impact on health care. As I said at the outset, for every dollar we invest in health and social services, we save nine dollars. Ofte…
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Madam Speaker, in Quebec, we call them centres de la petite enfance, or CPEs. This has allowed parents, like me for that matter, to not have to make the agonizing choice of deciding which parent should stay home to educate and prepare children for school based on family income. Twenty-five years ago, many women often earned less than their spouses. The child care system has not only provided equal…
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Madam Speaker, my wish for my colleagues is that 2023 is a bit different than these past few years. A few minutes ago, I heard my colleague ask if we could encourage people to get into politics and set aside partisan rhetoric on the thousands of files before us. Today I have the great pleasure of speaking to Bill C‑35. I say bravo because we are entirely in favour in principle. I am very proud of …
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Madam Speaker, that is a good question. I thank the minister for asking it. Here is my answer. How do we judge whether parents, who are acting out of love for their children, have everything they need based on their situation? It seems to me that we should give everyone the opportunity to get an education in a safe setting in order to prepare children for the future. It is odd to be talking about …
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Mr. Speaker, only 57% of the Commissioner of Official Languages' recommendations were implemented this year. That is only half. The worst offender with respect to the French language is not Air Canada, it is the federal government itself. How many recommendations has Transport Canada followed? Zero. How many recommendations has Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada followed? Zero. How many recommendati…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees. We also want to ensure that we have everything in our possession to guarantee that our refugees are protected. Earlier I heard my colleague talk about the fact that the government is behind the curve. That is true not just in defence, but also in foreign affairs. It is no secret that the government is also behind the curve on the environment and privacy prot…
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Mr. Speaker, earlier, I asked my colleague a question. I wanted to know why the government had waited so long, given the importance of this bill not only for identifying terrorist groups, but also for ensuring the safety of refugees. I will ask my other colleague the same question. Why has it taken so long, and why are we starting the study of this bill just a few days before we rise for the holid…
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Mr. Speaker, we are happy that the holiday season is approaching. There are a few days left before we rise. My colleague opposite will have enough time to ask a question because I will be brief. I appreciate my colleague's speech. I am sad to hear that she did not get an answer to her Order Paper question. I cannot believe it. My question concerns the possibility of recourse to ensure that there a…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I am not a tax expert or an economist, but what I do know is that we need to listen to scientists, to those who are recommending measures to offset this inflation. We saw it with the key rate, which continues to rise, even though inflation is still very high. Nevertheless, I rely on science and everything that will be proven to help us deal wit…
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Madam Speaker, I will begin my remarks with a short aside about Sainte‑Adèle, a municipality in my riding. On Friday, a terrible fire destroyed the Hôtel Mont Gabriel, which is a Laurentides—Labelle institution. The hotel has been perched on the summit of Mont Gabriel since 1936. I have a personal attachment to it because, in the 1960s, my father worked at Mont Gabriel to pay for his education. I …
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