Parliamentary Speeches

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech, although he did not really relate it back to the motion at hand, except at one point when he felt compelled to do so. I would like to summarize in a few words what our opposition day motion is about. My colleague said that Quebec did not pay a carbon tax and so it is only natural that it did not receive anything. That is his understanding of the …

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate once again that while Quebeckers did not pay the carbon tax in April, May and June, neither did any Canadians. However, Quebeckers and British Columbians were the only ones who did not get a cheque for those three months. It is simple. That is the only thing we want. That money was not taken from the carbon tax. It was given to everyone but Quebeckers. We just want…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. Is the member talking about today's Bloc Québécois opposition day motion?

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the government that, typically, when voters go to the polls, they want to elect a government that is accountable. The Prime Minister promised that the government would be accountable, that the economy would perform well and that Canada would be in a strong position to deal with the United States. As someone who has worked in finance for many years, I know what I…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I think we could talk some more about the fiscal imbalance, for example. We are always on the losing end in this situation. Until we have full power to decide what is right for Quebec, using our own money, I think this is going to keep happening. This is a prime example. Another example is the fight against Quebec's secularism law. Once again, the federal government is using Quebecker…

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, an employment relationship is not employment insurance. The Liberals are abandoning our regions. We can see it. There is another example: softwood lumber. Groupe Remabec, among others, is laying off people throughout Quebec, and Arbec is doing the same in my community. Our industry has been in a trade war with the Americans, not since Donald Trump was elected, but since his first te…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I would like to seek the unanimous consent of the House to share my time with the member for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères.

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, as I have not had a chance to do so yet, I would like to thank my constituents in Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan for electing me just over a month ago. They have given me their support for a fourth time, and I must say that I was deeply humbled and touched by this renewed trust. I thank my constituents. I also want to thank my team, because an MP is nothing without their team.…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I would like to go back to what I was saying earlier. Right off the bat, I addressed the responsibilities of the government, which was elected with a mandate that I would call economic. The tariffs imposed by the U.S. government are threatening the economy, especially where I live on the north shore. I am talking about responsibilities because we expect a government elected on the i…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, the simplest answer I can give my colleague is no. Productivity is not discussed at all here, even though the Bloc Québécois is asking that businesses receive assistance precisely to improve their productivity. Talking about productivity also means talking about competition. No, this bill does not in any way accomplish what it should as far as things like productivity are concerned.

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, our aluminum and steel industries have been paying the price for Donald Trump's tariffs for three months without any help from Ottawa. This week, the tariffs doubled. Employers like Alouette and Alcoa are the backbone of the economy in a region like the north shore, not to mention all the businesses that depend on steel. We need to provide liquidity for our industries. The money fro…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, since we started this morning, we have heard, for example, the Minister of Finance talk about relief, young people and the government's plan. He has been a member of the House for about 12 years now, even if he has not always been finance minister. I would expect a plan after 10 years. When it comes to housing, we agree with the GST exemption. It helps, even though it does solve the w…

Speech from the Throne

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. I have a question for her about the budget. She talked about plans, spending and the future. Meanwhile, we have no clue whatsoever about the budget or what it will include. The government is making plans and spending money without even knowing how much it has at its disposal. In my personal life, it does not work like that. I imagine that it does n…

Speech from the Throne

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague on his fourth election to the House. I am sure that he has observed over the years, as I have, that if we are not moving forward, we are moving backward. He mentioned a few things in his speech, and earlier I talked about employment insurance. What does he think of the government's broken promises, if not its wilful blindness, especially when it com…

Speech from the Throne

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation for his speech, and I congratulate him on his re-election. I, too, would like to ask him a question about housing. In the throne speech, the government said it was going to double the rate of home building. Considering the current shortage of 100,000 housing units in Quebec, not to mention the housing shortage for first nations, I …

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, there is not one word about EI reform in the throne speech. Stepping back from EI reform in the midst of a tariff crisis is tantamount to betraying workers, period. The Liberals have been promising reform for 10 years. Every possible study has been done, every consultation held. The Liberals have talked enough. It is time to act. Will the government tell us exactly when it plans to in…

Speech from the Throne

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj. He is actually my neighbour. There is only the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence between us. Our two ridings have a lot in common. He talked about fisheries and forestry. I would add that we also have tourism in common. He mentioned the glaring oversight in the throne speech regarding infrastructure and the e…

Speech from the Throne

Mr. Speaker, my question will be very brief. We are at the beginning of a new Parliament. I would like to know what my colleague thinks of a government that was elected on an economic platform, but is proposing rather extraordinary and exponential spending without presenting a budget. Does my colleague think that is responsible?

Speech from the Throne

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech and welcome him to the House. Earlier, we talked about EI. That was a key promise made by the Liberal Party in 2015. It is 2025, and still nothing is happening. I would like to know why the government is not keeping its promises about EI. Why is it that, in regions like mine, many people find themselves in the spring gap, with no income for a huge p…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, when the Liberals came to power 10 years ago, they promised to reform the employment insurance system. Year after year, they assured workers that they were almost ready to go, that they would be doing something in a couple of months at most. Ten years later, EI reform is conspicuously absent from the throne speech, despite the fact that we are in the middle of a trade dispute with the…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I appeal to all the party leaders. Every one of them voted to protect supply management in trade agreements. Today, they have a duty to ask senators to respect the will of elected members. They must tell the senators, who are not elected, that they are not being paid to take a break, that they have a job to do no matter how superfluous it may be. The Senate overlords are sitting again…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, again yesterday, senators conspired to delay a crucial vote on Bill C-282, which would protect supply management. They have been working against our farmers for 18 months by putting off passing this one-clause bill. Rather than respecting the will of elected members of all parties, unelected senators are filibustering. Ironically, the delay tactics that senators used yesterday consist…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, with regard to what you just said, I would also like to remind the House that there is a delay before the francophones can hear the simultaneous interpretation. You asked members not to speak when you have the floor, because you cannot hear what is being said. On our side, when people talk over you, we cannot hear what you are saying, nor can we hear what the interpreter is saying. …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I have been hearing insults since I entered the House. I would like—

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I would just like to ask you to remind members to simply respect each other. We are trying to have direction on how to handle the relationship we have with all of our colleagues and our employees here. What I am hearing right now is insults and even threats against our political party. I find that deplorable, and I would like things to calm down. I am not responsible for the fact th…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, briefly, a threat to disrupt the Bloc Québécois's next opposition day was made against us. I heard, “Just you wait and see when your next opposition day comes around”. Really, that is what I heard. I consider that to be intimidation.

Statements by Members

Madam Speaker, the north shore is a land of extremes. It is a place of great beauty and riches, but where Mother Nature can also be merciless. That is why it produces souls worthy of those extremes. Before winter turned our forests white, 80-year-old Jean-Guy Carrier was paddling on one of our thousands of lakes with his son-in-law when their boat capsized. The two men tried to get back to shore, …

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, the National Assembly of Quebec wants to abolish the religious exemption that allows for hate speech. In Ottawa, some want to protect the religious exemption and protect hate speech. In Quebec, we defend communal harmony and social peace. In Ottawa, some defend division and violence. In Quebec, we defend secularism. In Ottawa, some defend the right to commit crimes in the name of re…

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, the Quebec National Assembly has unanimously called on the federal government to repeal the religious exemption in the Criminal Code that permits hate speech under the guise of religious belief. Religion is not an excuse for inciting hatred. One would think that everyone would agree on that, but on Wednesday, the Liberals blocked a motion defending this simple principle, even though…

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, today, I am proud to present two petitions in support of my colleague from Shefford's Bill C‑319. These petitions seek to put an end to the injustice, unfairness and discrimination towards people aged 65 to 74. One of these petitions was signed by 403 people and the other was signed by 91 people who support this bill, which I hope will pass because we owe it to seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I witnessed the situation. It was not just the member for London—Fanshawe who tried to take the floor. Another member from the same party also wanted to do so. Obviously, everyone knows that it is not over until it is over. Nothing was finished. Everyone had already risen. The House leader wanted to speak. However, I would like to talk about the fact t…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I saw that my colleague had the bill in front of him and was reading out the various products covered by the bill. The government keeps saying that these are essential products, truly essential. They keep repeating the word “essential”. I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on the list he read. When champagne is included in the list of tax-free products, are we really talking…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I would like to ask a question about businesses. I wonder whether businesses were also consulted before this measure was adopted. It will be expensive for small businesses to change how they do things for two months. We are talking about businesses and people in our ridings and, at some point, some may decide to close their doors because they will not be able to manage. Consider Chr…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, clearly it can be hard to discuss this in a way that is constructive for society. The fact that this bill will not go to committee is problematic. Everyone is accusing everyone else of hypocrisy. Personally, I think that is unfortunate. People are having trouble defending this bill, and the choice of goods on the list seems somewhat arbitrary. Even regular people think this is a vote-…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by addressing some of the people in my riding. I want to acknowledge the people who are still fighting for employment insurance reform, because they are already in the spring gap. They will not make it to Christmas. Never mind Christmas trees and all that; they will not even be able to put food on the table, not until April. They know all about vulnerability. Ear…

Emergency Debate

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but you can see why it is sometimes difficult for francophones in the House. I think everyone would agree. We try to listen to the interpretation even when there is heckling or someone is singing Y.M.C.A. in the House. It is just that there is a lot of noise. It has been a bit difficult for us since the beginning of the sitting. Out of respect for the interpreters too, I w…

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, Donald Trump's deportation threats are dangerous. The federal government needs to wake up when it comes to the border. We keep telling it that. Today, we are not the only ones saying so. Fen Hampson, president of the World Refugee and Migration Council, was quoted in today's Le Devoir as saying, “The government needs to get ready to deal with a potential humanitarian crisis”. He is …

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, if the federal government stays asleep at the switch when it comes to our borders, then there are dark days ahead for both asylum seekers and Quebeckers. There could be a wave of people crossing the border illegally, and they may be exploited by criminal organizations. These people may have to hide out, possibly under dangerous circumstances, for two weeks before they are able to cl…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are refusing to increase pensions for seniors aged 65 to 74 on the pretext that they are too wealthy. It is despicable. According to the Institut de la statistique du Québec, of the supposedly wealthy seniors the Liberals are talking about, one in five lives in housing they cannot afford. They have a median after-tax income of $28,000 a year, based on 2020 data. That is b…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, seniors are not asking for a handout, they are asking for fair treatment after breaking their backs to build Quebec. They are asking for an end to Liberal discrimination, which deprives seniors aged 65 to 74 of a 10% increase in their pension. In a Quebec where the price of rent for available housing has risen by 50% since 2020 in cities like Trois-Rivières or Rimouski, a 10% pension …

Statements by Members

Madam Speaker, I am immensely pleased to rise today to mark the 70 years of the original chamber of commerce of the north shore, the Manicouagan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The chamber of commerce is a true link between businesses from Pessamit to Godbout, indigenous and non-indigenous communities and the industry, and it has become essential to the socio-economic fabric of Manicouagan. It b…

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, the two demands that the Bloc Québécois has made a priority are already the subject of two bills that are currently being studied and that will soon be completed. We want to speed up the passage of these two bills because this government could fall at any time. We have other priorities as well, but we cannot get them all addressed as fast as we would like.

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I did not really hear an answer to the question my colleague asked earlier. We heard about the grants to women's rights groups that were cut under the Harper government. I could also talk about employment insurance. Today we are talking about benefits for people with disabilities. If the Conservatives come to power, will they commit to maintaining these gains for people who are in a m…

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, first of all, I believe my colleague answered my Liberal Party colleague's question earlier when she simply told him that if he has a question for Quebec, he should ask Quebec directly. I think that is his government's responsibility. Secondly, Quebec will not be told what to do, as I am sure his government knows. Therefore, if his government has questions to ask Quebec or if it wan…

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, I am going to approach this debate from a different angle. As everyone knows, I come from a remote, so-called rural riding, which is vast and where residents face a higher cost of living. This includes the cost of food, clothing, and basic needs like housing, even though the region has no big cities like Toronto or Vancouver. People with disabilities have significant financial needs…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to talk about a subject that affects every one of us as elected members of the House. We speak for all our constituents, but sometimes we realize that certain issues affect us personally, because we have first-hand experience. I would like to thank the NDP for tabling this committee report and allowing us to discuss it today. I also want to thank my colleagu…

Oral Questions

The Bloc Québécois has issued an ultimatum on behalf of seniors. October 29 is the deadline to stop depriving seniors aged 74 and under of 10% of their OAS. That is the deadline for finally treating all seniors fairly and ending age discrimination. That will mark the end of two classes of seniors, or it may mark the end of the Liberal government. Will the government finally correct this injustice …

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I rise today to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is about truth, because there can be no trusting, strong, lasting relationship between people, between indigenous and non-indigenous people, between nations, without shining a light on history in order to banish the shadows from every dark corner, to ensure that no one experiences t…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals should know that retirees do not consider their pensions a laughing matter. To engage in partisanship with old age security is to play politics with seniors' standard of living. The Liberals are wrong if they think they are going to win support from seniors with attacks in the House. If they want to bring seniors onside, they need to restore fairness to pension amounts. T…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I am glad my colleague mentioned the Bloc Québécois, noting that we want to be the voice of all Quebeckers, of the National Assembly, of any consensus in the National Assembly. In that same vein, I would like to ask a collegial question. One of our colleagues from the official opposition, the member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, said that it does not matter that the Conservatives did not…