Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I also had the opportunity to sit with my colleague at the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs. I would like him to speak in a little more depth about nutrition north Canada, which was studied in committee. We hear that it cannot resolve the whole situation of food sovereignty or food security in the north. Does my colleague see other possible solutions or arrangem…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, today, I am very pleased to welcome a delegation from my riding on the north shore. I would like to acknowledge the following local ambassadors: Denis Miousse, the mayor of Sept‑Îles; Paul Lavoie, Chantal Pitt and Pascal Langlois from Développement économique Sept‑Îles; and John‑James Blanchette, the director of the Sept‑Îles Uashat mak Mani‑Utenam chamber of commerce. Today, I will n…
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Madam Speaker, my mother was a nurse, my father was a volunteer firefighter, and I have a son who wants to be a police officer. I have been personally aware of the violence that we are talking about my entire life, so the bill introduced by my colleague from Cariboo—Prince George is very important to me. Bill C‑321 seeks to amend the Criminal Code to consider the fact that the victim of an assault…
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Madam Speaker, last February, the federal government promised to increase health transfers. After a lot of political jousting, it forced Quebec and the provinces to accept six times less money than they needed. A year later, Quebec has not received a cent. There is already a $1-billion gap in health care funding this year because Ottawa is withholding the money. Why is Ottawa withholding it? Becau…
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Madam Speaker, that is not the point. Let me remind members once again that the federal government does not run one single hospital. It has no expertise in health care, but it is withholding the money needed to care for people, because it thinks it can tell health care workers how to do their jobs. Let me also remind members once again that the federal government is withholding nearly $5 billion i…
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Madam Speaker, we have been debating this bill for several days, or several years, even. Sometimes, I get the impression that people are not seeking out the most up-to-date information so we can have an enlightened debate. Earlier, I heard some stereotypes, perceptions and impressions that have no place in this debate. I would like to ask if my hon. colleague is aware that this is not about giving…
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Madam Speaker, obviously, the Bloc Québécois agrees there is a serious auto theft problem. However, this is not the only problem right now. There is an argument behind the Conservative motion, but it lacks a certain intellectual rigour. For example, it says the law arising from Bill C-5 is largely responsible for the surge in auto thefts, yet Bill C‑5 only received royal assent on November 17, 202…
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Mr. Speaker, the former director of Le Devoir, Bernard Descôteaux, passed away on January 13, and people's reactions to this sad news say a lot about the kind of man he was. Mr. Descôteaux, who worked in just about every job there is at Le Devoir, including that of parliamentary correspondent here in Ottawa, was a boss who was well-loved by everyone. He deserves much of the credit for the survival…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today on behalf of the Bloc Québécois to applaud Bill C‑58, the anti-scab legislation. People have been waiting decades for this bill. I am a Quebecker, and our anti-scab legislation was already in place when I was born. Now, a bill has been introduced. I would not go so far as to say that I was hoping for this back when I was two, but I will say that I have been …
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Mr. Speaker, 2023 was not at all restful at Parliament. However, we made it to the end thanks to the dedicated staff; our own, of course, in other words each of our own teams to whom we owe so much, but also the exceptional House of Commons staff. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to thank each of these individuals from the bottom of my heart. We thank the clerks, the law clerks, the analyst…
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Madam Speaker, I have to go through my notes. I always have a plethora of ideas. Of course, I agree with my colleague from Abitibi—Témiscamingue on the timeline. It does not hold water. We are ready. We have been for 50 years, likely. We are voting for the bill and then we are off to the races. Any questions on that 18‑month delay can be asked when the bill is in committee. This could come into fo…
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Madam Speaker, allow me to repeat it for my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite‑Patrie: We want it to be fair, we want there to be a balance of power. In my mind, there are no exceptions. We are talking about a bill. In the end, it is really what we want. I am focusing on the principle: We want a balance of power, fairness. That is what the Bloc Québécois wants, and we will be prepared to support th…
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Madam Speaker, I have a few things to say to the member for Winnipeg North about his comment. First, there is a difference between words and actions. Yes, that was part of the Liberal Party's election platform. However, it is important to consider the number of years that the Liberals were in power over the past 40 years and the number of years that they formed a majority government, when they cou…
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Mr. Speaker, goaltender Marc‑André Fleury has won the Stanley Cup and the Vezina trophy, but he has just given us another reason to be proud of him. It was first nations heritage night at Friday's game in Minnesota. Since his wife Véronique is indigenous, this goalie from Sorel was planning to wear a special mask designed by Dakota artist Cole Redhorse Taylor. It was covered in a traditional Dakot…
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Mr. Speaker, it is with great appreciation that I rise today to mark the 20th anniversary of Action‑Chômage Côte‑Nord. I want to thank Line Sirois, the board of directors and all those who supported this organization over the past two decades. Their work is essential, not only because they help people in need on the north shore, but also because, through their actions and representations, they kee…
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Madam Speaker, the first step would be to show some basic respect for the concerns of first nations. Chief Haymond of the Kebaowek First Nation wrote to the Prime Minister to share the concerns of his people. He never got a response. The federal government must at the very least put the Chalk River project on hold and ensure that first nations are heard. Could Ottawa start by showing the bare mini…
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Madam Speaker, let us talk about Chalk River and the proposal to build a radioactive waste disposal facility on the shores of the Ottawa River. The chiefs of the Kebaowek, Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg and Mitchikanibikok Inik First Nations are adding their voices to the widespread grassroots opposition campaign in Quebec. They are obviously worried about the impact on the river. They are worried about…
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Madam Speaker, September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a first nations initiative to commemorate the painful history of residential schools. It is an opportunity to remember all those who suffered trauma that then followed them throughout their lives. It also gives us an opportunity to think of all those children who never returned home, as well as their families. On this oc…
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Mr. Speaker, during the night of Sunday to Monday, the unspeakable happened in my community, off the coast of La Tabatière on the Lower North Shore. The Silver Condor sank in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, taking the lives of three fishermen. Dean Lavallée, Yves Jones and Damon Etheridge worked in one of the most noble, but also the most dangerous, professions. The sea gives, but it can also take away,…
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Mr. Speaker, finally. After the Manicouagan-Uapishka Biosphere Reserve in my riding of Manicouagan, our fabled Anticosti Island has now become a UNESCO world heritage site. This recognition is first and foremost the result of the hard work and dedication of the people of the municipality of Anticosti, the Minganie, the Innu nation and the Côte-Nord. Thanks to their vision, pride and generosity, ou…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C‑321 introduced by my colleague from Cariboo—Prince George. This bill seeks to ensure that for the purposes of sentencing, the court considers the fact that the victim of an assault is a health care professional or a first responder to be an aggravating circumstance. Before I go on, I would like to thank the health care workers…
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Madam Speaker, I am immensely pleased today to extend a warm invitation to my colleagues and to all Quebeckers and Canadians to come visit my riding, Manicouagan, this summer. To the people back home, Manicouagan really means the north shore, a true country within a country, its 350,000 square kilometres teeming with so many wonders that the north shore tourism bureau aptly describes it as “nature…
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Madam Speaker, I was saying that I wanted to take a moment, before I began my speech, to thank all the health care workers and first responders who supported the people in my riding and, of course, across Quebec and Canada during COVID-19. They certainly experienced this crisis more intensely than many of us. In a crisis, people are justifiably afraid. Unfortunately, fear can make people behave di…
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Mr. Speaker, as the member for Manicouagan and on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, it is with great sadness that I rise to extend my sincere condolences to all those who were touched by the tragedy in Portneuf-sur-Mer. On June 3, a few adults and children were fishing on the edge of the St. Lawrence River when they were surprised by the rising tide that surrounded and trapped them. Six of them were s…
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Madam Speaker, when I was newly elected, I met a great man from Minganie who inspired me. His name is Luc Noël and, in fact, he has made a mark on the entire north shore. Today, as he steps down from his duties as an elected reeve, a position he held for more than 10 years, I want to ensure he understands just how grateful I and the people of the north shore are. His Anticostian, Acadian and Innu …
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Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for the question. Certainly, we all have stories to tell. I cannot say that everyone I have spent time with has wanted to tell these stories. Sometimes it is so painful. We need to respect each person's choice. They might not be able to tell their stories. I have several, but I have one in particular I heard from a woman. In 2015, I organized a march for missing and…
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Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for her commitment to the cause of indigenous women and girls. I have a question for her. She mentioned something that I said myself earlier. Last year, we were here talking about the same subject. Despite the fact that we likely think about this every day, I still feel we are not making any progress. Where would my colleague like us to be at this time next year? …
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Mr. Chair, when people are experiencing violence, not having a home and not being able to leave keeps them in that cycle of violence. Obviously there has to be more funding and solutions to provide housing for women. We are talking about women, but I believe my colleague from Winnipeg Centre would agree that this affects the whole community. Children are also affected when they are in crowded livi…
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Mr. Chair, I will quite simply say yes. The Indian Act is the epitome of systemic racism. We are talking about segregation. We are talking about denying human rights. This exists, of course, and we need to eliminate it. The first nations, indigenous peoples, the Inuit and the Métis peoples will show us how to do this.
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Madam Chair, it is with great solidarity with my female colleagues that I rise to speak this evening. Of course I am thinking of my colleague from Winnipeg Centre, my colleague from Nunavut and also my colleague from Edmonton Griesbach. Today I was thinking about this speaking opportunity, and there are some topics that truly speak to us as human beings. Certainly we are elected members first and …
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Mr. Chair, I feel like saying that we have already put all the ideas out there. We have the recommendations that resulted from the consultations. We listened to all the witnesses who told their stories and gave ideas to the commission. We already have all that information. Of course, we may run into difficulties, but I think that this is more a matter of will than a matter of means.
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Mr. Chair, obviously, it is unacceptable when the amounts allocated to resolve these situations are not spent. This is not the only area where we see that happening. It also happened with the indigenous languages commissioner. Money was available, but it was not used. When I spoke about mechanisms to measure and track progress, that is one example. I know that there are mechanisms here in the Hous…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. He is always smart and sensible. I would like to come back to the issue of employment insurance. The government is extending a pilot project that is not working at all and does not cover everyone. How much does my colleague think it would cost the government to provide this help to people working in the seasonal industry so that there is no longer …
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Mr. Speaker, Air Canada is abandoning Quebec's regions and it is high time the federal government got involved. Even the Alouette aluminum smelter back home, the largest in America, has written to Air Canada because its lax attitude is threatening the company's operations. Air Canada is currently cancelling one out of five flights to Sept‑Îles and not a single flight leaves Baie‑Comeau anymore. Ai…
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Mr. Speaker, commitments also require action. For competition to exist, there must be more than one player. The federal government needs to guarantee accessible and reliable air transportation in the regions, but it is doing exactly the opposite with this budget. It is raising airport taxes to cover security. In other words, not only is it doing absolutely nothing to ensure the reliability of Air …
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Mr. Speaker, pension plans are finally protected. The Senate has just passed Bill C‑228. After tabling this bill three times, every time I was elected, and after seven years of raising awareness, providing information, collaborating, coordinating, rallying public opinion and negotiating, I can finally say, to everyone who helped ensure pension plans would be protected in the event of bankruptcy or…
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Madam Speaker, I have a little boy who wakes up before sun-up, who would eat nothing but shepherd's pie, cereal and ketchup if he could, and who likes to dunk his toys in my coffee cup, to the point where I have nearly swallowed several dinosaurs. My little boy will run the equivalent of several miles through the house, just for the sheer joy of it. My little boy knows neither fear nor danger and …
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Madam Speaker, not only does this budget not decrease fossil fuel production, but it relies on climate change for future fossil fuel extraction in the Arctic. Equiterre stated, “We are deeply concerned about planned investments in future Arctic offshore oil and gas development.” Greenpeace said, “We are concerned to see new subsidies for oil and gas companies making record profits.” When will Cana…
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Madam Speaker, the IPCC has just tabled its synthesis report on climate change, which it called a “survival guide for humanity”. Greenpeace said, “This is the final warning...for this decade [which] will have impacts for thousands of years”. However, the federal budget still provides at least $37 billion in fossil fuel subsidies. Ottawa is still trying to greenwash pollution from dirty energy. Whe…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. Of course, the content of the question is not directly related to the bill currently before us. However, everything can change in a bill. This one is more or less symbolic. Yes, it grants certain powers to the ministers, but it does not really provide the spending powers it refers to. Like my colleague, I completely agree with the fact that the…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague from Sarnia—Lambton. It is very easy to work with her because, as we just heard, her questions are very clear and simple. Obviously, as a democrat, I always hope for as much representation as possible and for power to be shared among as many people as possible. We ourselves are representatives and we speak for others. Obviously, I am always interested i…
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Madam Speaker, if my colleague had listened to me carefully, he would know that that was the whole point of my 10-minute speech on the bill. I stated that we were in favour of this bill and also that improvements could be made in committee after this second reading stage. That is exactly what I talked about for 10 minutes.
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today as the Bloc Québécois critic on indigenous affairs to shed some light on the bill currently before us, namely Bill C‑23, an act respecting places, persons and events of national historic significance or national interest, archaeological resources and cultural and natural heritage. I will not talk about everything in the bill. It is an update and a reworkin…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, this morning, we learned that the Liberal member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount is resigning effective today. Obviously, we listened to his farewell speech and we saw that it is with great emotion and after thoughtful reflection that he is leaving political life today. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to thank the member for his nearly 15 years of public service on behalf of…
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Mr. Speaker, another one of the Prime Minister's solutions is to appoint a special rapporteur, who will be happy to do his bidding, kind of like our leader's golden retriever. We do not need a special report. What we need is a commissioner that all parties in the House agree on to head up an independent public commission on foreign interference in elections. Why is the Prime Minister stubbornly re…
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Mr. Speaker, according to Global News, the Prime Minister's Office was informed in 2019 and 2022 about Chinese authorities interfering in our elections. Nothing was ever revealed; the information was hidden. Either the Prime Minister ignored it, which is dangerously negligent, or he was not informed directly, which means someone on his team was dangerously irresponsible. Now the Prime Minister's s…
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to health, this government is unbelievably arrogant. Ten days after forcing Quebec and the provinces to accept an offer that covers one-sixth of the needs in our hospitals, the government is demanding accountability and forcing the provinces to commit in writing to accepting conditions and submitting action plans, failing which it will cut the pitiful amount of money tha…
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Mr. Speaker, the federal government continues to play petty politics with its conditions on health. While it plays sorcerer's apprentice, Quebeckers are waiting. I am talking about people unable to see a family doctor. I am talking about people waitlisted for surgery. I am talking about exhausted nurses. The federal government's promised transfers are insufficient, but can it at least provide them…
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Mr. Speaker, today is International Epilepsy Day, which is observed by more than 140 nations around the world, including Quebec. I rise to speak to this issue as an MP, of course, but also because this day has special meaning for me, like others here, because my youngest son Ulysse was born with epilepsy. Although epilepsy affects 50 million people around the world and is one of the most widesprea…
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Madam Speaker, I imagine that the use of the notwithstanding clause would be entrusted to legislatures and my national assembly. I have to say that I have full confidence in the National Assembly of Quebec when it comes to the use of the notwithstanding clause. That decision belongs to elected officials, who are also my representatives in my legislature, and I trust them to know how they use it or…
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