Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I listened attentively to my colleague. Maybe he was not here in the last Parliament, but the government's management of immigration was mediocre. The influx of migrants into Quebec placed tremendous pressure on our health care system and social services, but Quebec was not paid back in full. Would my colleague not agree that this is a gross injustice?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, you know as well as I that the Liberals were very bad when it came to immigration. The massive arrivals of temporary migrants in Quebec put considerable pressure on public services. There was the non-repayment of fees relating to those temporary migrants and the Roxham Road psychodrama. However, we are now considering a measure for which there is consensus. We discussed the bill durin…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, under the Trudeau government, there was indeed some abuse in terms of migration, and Quebec paid the heaviest price. Most of the temporary migrants who were entering the country and putting pressure on the system came to Quebec. The federal government owes Quebec a considerable debt, but we are never going to get that money back. There is a general consensus on the bill before us. We …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my apologies to the interpreters. I was saying that, with today's motion, what the Conservatives are proposing is to hold Quebec back from its transition to a low-carbon economy and have our investments go to waste. It is simple: The Manichaean view would be that the Conservatives want us in an oil and gas stranglehold. We saw that in the previous Parliament, and they are doing it aga…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, Quebec has already passed legislation on zero-emission vehicles. We did not wait for the federal government. When it comes to the energy transition, Quebec very rarely waits for the federal government. What I find offensive, however, is the billions of Quebec dollars being funnelled to the oil and gas industry. We paid $34 billion for a pipeline. Between 2024 and 2030—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Repentigny. To put it mildly, the honeymoon between the Conservatives and the Liberals was short-lived. The new couple, united by Bill C-5, is breaking up this morning over electric vehicles. It seems the Liberals may not be willing to buy into all kinds of nonsense when it comes to the energy transition and carbon pricing. Perhaps they ar…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will not address Mr. Zappa's comments, which were grossly exaggerated. Once, when I had a gas-powered car, I spilled gas on my shoes. I did not go around saying that my car smelled of gas for four or five weeks. His remarks were exaggerated and do not represent the reality of electric vehicles. That being said, what really annoys me is to see elected members of Quebec's National Ass…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, a Quebecker who decides to plug their car into Hydro-Québec's electrical grid takes the money they would have given in the past to the large oil companies and their shareholders outside the country and gives it directly to Quebeckers. This money can then be reinvested in our health care and education systems. I do not see why we would not take advantage of the exceptional opportunity …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the answer is probably simple enough. It is because they offered incentives. It is because they built a network to serve EV owners. The Conservatives' proposals do not align with that vision. What they want to do is not develop the EV sector. The last thing I heard the Conservatives say is that they want to maintain the plastic industry. They said that during the election campaign. Th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I find it rather surprising that my colleague is saying that a policy that encourages people to buy electric vehicles would have a disproportionate effect on Canadians. He spent his time demonizing electric vehicles. I live 660 kilometres from Ottawa, and I drive here in an electric car. I have to wait 15 to 20 minutes to recharge my vehicle, so it is one of the best alternatives. The…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, since it is rare that I agree with my colleague, I wanted to rise to speak. This resonates with me. Like him, I have an electric vehicle. I live in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, in northern Quebec. I can confirm that the winters are cold in northern Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. However, I am still able to get here with an electric vehicle. We have heard members try to demonize and vilify ele…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, with Bill C-5, the government is not only muzzling the House, it is also muzzling all forms of opposition outside the House in the name of the so-called national interest. It is silencing all those who think that our clean drinking water could be threatened by dirty oil pipelines crossing our lakes and rivers, including the St. Lawrence. It is silencing all those who are concerned abo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am always impressed by the member for Winnipeg North's ability to warp reality. He is so darn good at it. Earlier, he was talking about what people heard while they were going door to door. I can assure him that, at the doors I knocked on, people were outraged about the government paying $34 billion to expand a pipeline. If anyone were to talk to Quebeckers today and tell them abo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, one thing is for sure: The Liberals' national interest is not in the interest of the planet or future generations. In less than three weeks, they have gone from transport electrification to “Drill, baby, drill”. The Prime Minister has gone from Canada standing strong against Donald Trump to sidelining Quebec and forcing pipelines on it without debate, serious study or expert witnesses…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I must admit, my favourite part was about the meatballs. It went downhill from there. It is quite simple. I would just like to help my colleague understand that Quebec's interests differ from the interests of the oil and gas companies in Alberta. In the past, we saw that Canada was quick to invest in infrastructure related to the pipelines and th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I get the impression that the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons dreams of the same Canada as Pierre Poilievre. If the past is any indication, it is all fine and good to say that regulations are what slows projects down, but the truth is that no proponent wants to pay for oil and gas infrastructure. The last oil sector project was the Trans Mountain expans…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I listened attentively to my colleague from Lakeland, who has been a fellow member of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources for some time. We are like an old married couple. She talked about the Liberals' mismanagement of oil and gas projects. It reminded me of the last Parliament, when my Conservative friends used to talk openly about the costly Liberal-NDP coalition and the “L…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, there has been a crisis in the forestry sector since 2017. We have never seen the government undertake serious negotiations. The U.S. government is threatening to increase countervailing duties to 34% next year. The only natural resource sector with the potential to reduce Canada's carbon footprint is the forestry sector. I have the following question for the minister: Would he agree to…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, the Liberal government paid $34 billion to expand an existing pipeline because there were no proponents. Now they are telling us that they want to build new oil and gas infrastructure. Does the minister know if there are any developers for this new oil and gas infrastructure?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, the correct answer is $10 billion. Does the minister know how much in countervailing duties paid by Quebec is currently sitting in the United States?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I do not doubt the minister's capabilities and qualifications. Currently, $2 billion in countervailing duties paid by Quebec is sitting in the United States. That is beyond compare. This industry is not getting any support from the federal government. For Quebec alone, $2 billion is sitting in the United States. Does the minister have a strategy to provide people in the forestry sector …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I have been here since 2019. We have been hearing for many years about a grand program to plant two billion trees. I have yet to see those two billion trees. It seems to me that there were discussions between Quebec City and Ottawa about using the two billion tree program to carry out silviculture in Quebec. Is this a solution that the minister would be willing to consider?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I wonder whether the minister knows how much in countervailing duties from the forestry industry is currently sitting on deposit in the United States. Does the minister know how much money is currently in the United States?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, there is appalling inequity. People in the forestry sector are so afraid of the Americans that a forestry company whose main market is Quebec or Canada cannot access funding from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, or CED. My question for the minister is very simple. Does he think that is normal? Does he think it is normal that an industry cannot receive CED funding?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, there was a whole imbroglio involving the woodland caribou issue. The Liberal government threatened to shut down entire villages back home in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. Does the minister agree with me that the woodland caribou issue falls specifically under provincial jurisdiction and not Ottawa's?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, the “build Canada homes” program has been mentioned a number of times. What we are asking the government to do is include the carbon footprint in the tendering process to prioritize wood as a material, since it has a lower carbon footprint. Is this a solution that the minister is prepared to consider as part of the “build Canada homes” program?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I am prepared to support the economies of all the provinces. Our goal is not to make anyone poorer, but we need to keep in mind that the government bought a pipeline for $34 billion. If we look at previous budget years, there are $82 billion in projected tax breaks for 2024-35. Does the minister not think that is a bit much for a single industry?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we want to send a strong signal to the oil and gas sector. I find it hard to understand why no proponent wanted to get involved in the Trans Mountain expansion. It took a $34-billion investment. I do not see why, today, someone would be prepared to invest in “pipeline” infrastructure. Perhaps the minister can explain that to me. We know that demand for oil will drop in the coming years.…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, is the government prepared to ensure that wood will be the preferred material?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, in the last Parliament, we talked a lot about a Canadian strategy for the production of green hydrogen, broadly based on carbon capture and storage technologies. However, Siemens Energy experts candidly admitted to us that it was too technologically risky to go in that direction. Does the minister believe that green hydrogen from gas still has potential?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I think the government clearly announced its intent to invest in carbon capture and storage. In the past, as part of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, I had many discussions with oil and gas executives. They told us that, without public investment, those projects were not profitable. I have a very simple question for the minister. Does he believe that low-carbon oil is profit…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, Rich Kruger, the CEO of Suncor, came before the committee to say that, in his opinion, his company was putting too much emphasis on the energy transition. I do not think that was a clear indication by people in the oil and gas industry that they want to champion carbon capture and storage strategies. To the minister's knowledge, are any oil and gas companies interested in those technolo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, is the government going to invest in the Pathways Alliance?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I have a hard time grasping the logic of ending carbon pricing while asking sectors like the natural gas industry to reduce their carbon footprint. If a given industry's carbon footprint is reduced, then we can be sure it has to do with carbon pricing. Is there not a disconnect there?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I agree with the minister that we need to look forward. For me, though, as I look forward, what I see is climate change. Looking forward, I see the government being complacent toward the industry, which raked in record profits in 2022. In 2022, big oil made record profits of $200 billion. However, from 2024 to 2035, Canada plans to give them $82 billion in tax benefits. Can the minister…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the answer is right there in the question. It was indeed a vote-buying handout. I can hardly believe it. During question period, the Prime Minister even said he was proud to have put an end to the carbon tax. He said that the Government of Quebec had its own carbon tax. The Prime Minister himself does not understand the differences between the carbon pricing mechanisms in Canada. Queb…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, there is one question that they have been trying to avoid since the day began. Perhaps my colleague can help me answer it. Someone who does not pay taxes does not get a tax refund. I want to know by what magic trick do Canadians who did not pay the carbon tax get a carbon tax rebate. I would like him to explain the magic formula that makes this possible.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, when we defend the interests of our regions and our nation, we are told that we are sowing division. I find that rather surprising. I do not know whether the member for Winnipeg North was listening to me, but I listed all the appalling injustices that the federal government has imposed on Quebec, and today he tells me that I am sowing division. According to the vision of the member fo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to inform you that I am sharing my time with the member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton. I have been listening to my Liberal colleagues respond to our motion since early this morning. I will not repeat what has already been said. We know where that $800 million comes from. All my colleagues made themselves hoarse trying to make the government understand that it gave out rebates…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, Quebec has its own carbon pricing system. It is completely illogical for my Liberal colleagues to say that the Canadians who participated in the federal carbon pricing system are entitled to a rebate for a tax that they did not pay. That is like saying there is no need to pay taxes to receive a tax refund. It is totally illogical. The Liberals' only justification for this is to say th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is quite surprising to hear my colleague say that we in the Bloc Québécois do not respect Quebec's autonomy because we are asking for money that was wrongfully taken from Quebec. Let us be clear: Quebec was robbed of $800 million. It is not true that this tax was paid by Canadians through the carbon pricing system. We have demonstrated this extensively. Quebec was robbed. I think i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as I see it, one thing is perfectly easy to understand. My colleague said that Quebeckers did not participate in the federal carbon pricing system because Quebec has its own carbon exchange and so Quebeckers were not entitled to the rebate. While they may not have been entitled to the rebate, neither were other Canadians, since they did not pay the much-talked-about carbon tax for the…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Rémabec in my region announced that it is laying off 2,000 workers indefinitely. The Bloc Québécois would first like to express its solidarity with the families affected. For years, we have been saying that the forestry industry needs a liquidity program. For years, we have been saying that we need to support secondary and tertiary processing to create more added value in the forestry…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague. The bill contains a slight ambiguity regarding the minister's ability to suspend visas or refuse to consider applications. Of course this bill will be studied in committee, but as my colleague surely knows, immigration is an area of shared jurisdiction with Quebec. Denying visas when people have received a Quebec acceptance certificate might be …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, my colleague just gave a very interesting answer. He has probably noted, as I have, the government's desire to table legislation defining projects of national significance. Those projects might not be subject to an environmental impact assessment. Does my colleague agree with that approach? Does my colleague believe that an environmental impact assessment is not required when it com…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, instead of talking about pipeline projects that belong in the last century, the Prime Minister would have been better off discussing aluminum with his counterparts. Tomorrow, we will find out whether Donald Trump is going to follow through on his threat to double tariffs. However, support for our industry was not on the agenda at the first ministers' meeting. There was not …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to see you again. I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. He emphasized the ability to worship freely. I fully agree with him on that point. There are, however, some nuances to consider. My colleague may be aware that the Québécois nation has decided to pass legislation regarding religion in the public sphere in Quebec. I would like to know whether he believe…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, while the Prairies burn, the first ministers are in Saskatoon talking about dirty oil pipelines and scrapping environmental assessments. That is the Canadian identity today: A Liberal Prime Minister who sits down with oil companies before discussing matters with his counterparts, and provinces that isolate Quebec in order to force it into accepting a pipeline. All these people keep te…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment. I look forward to working with you. I am also pleased to see the member for Winnipeg North being his usual animated self. Even though we rarely agree, I look forward to working with him as well. Earlier, in his remarks, he emphasized the phrase that the Prime Minister has repeated many times: “Canada is not…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague. I really love his region. He spoke about some of the tourist attractions in his riding. I would invite him to visit Isle‑aux‑Coudres, which is home to the Hôtel du Capitaine, a fantastic hotel in his region. It is really lovely. Our colleague talked about French earlier. I have a rather simple question for him. Does he agree that judges should hav…
Read full speech →