Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we are growing an economy that is stronger, more resilient and more independent. The flash GDP estimate for April is 0.4% growth. I will annualize that to help out the Leader of the Opposition. That is 5% growth. A trade surplus just registered the strongest job growth in the G7 in just this last month, at 88,000 jobs, which is twice the rate of the United States', and twice the rate …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the opposition leader was at the Calgary International Airport. Yesterday, I was here with other members of Parliament at the installation of the Governor General. She said our project is a “common project”. The Premier of Alberta said, “the current Prime Minister has worked very constructively with our government to craft an Alberta...MOU”. It has already attracted tens of…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois always opposes everything. It is opposed to major investments in culture, including francophone and Quebec culture. It voted against major investment tax credits for the electricity sector in the last budget. It opposes the agreement with Quebec announced last week that includes $10 billion in investments across all sectors, particularly in health care and public tr…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers voted for a Liberal government in the last election. They elected 44 Liberal MPs in Quebec, and high-speed rail was part of the Liberal election platform in that province. High-speed rail will create over 50,000 jobs, contribute over $37 billion to GDP and bring a more prosperous and sustainable future for Quebec.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we need to support large-scale national projects. The corridor will be only 60 metres wide, but it is the largest infrastructure project in the country's history. Now is the time to build Quebec strong and build Canada strong, and we are going to do it.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we are in the midst of the biggest transformation of the Canadian economy in decades. We are building a stronger economy, a more resilient economy and a more independent economy, and our plan is taking root. Last week, we just heard that we have created over 88,000 jobs, all full-time, all private sector. This economy is creating jobs at twice the rate of the United States. More Canad…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is sad, but it seems to me that the Bloc Québécois has not read the latest budget. It includes more than $750 million for culture: Canadian culture, Quebec culture, francophone culture, including funding for Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund, the National Film Board of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, and Radio-Canada. We have also just added $600 million for culture.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what matters is that people believe in this economy and are moving forward. The Leader of the Opposition does not believe in Canada. This is what is happening. More Canadians are in the workforce than the Americans. More Canadian women are in the workforce than the Americans by seven percentage points. Investment in machinery and equipment by businesses is up 10%. We have the highest …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the real question is this: Why does the Bloc Québécois vote against investments in Quebec culture, francophone culture and Canadian culture at every opportunity? There is over $760 million for culture in the most recent budget, and we just proposed $600 million for the francophone and Canadian cultural sector.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government is starting by standing up for ordinary people. We are focusing on affordability. This decision is primarily about ensuring affordability for Quebeckers and Canadian families. At the same time, we are investing an additional $600 million in Canadian and Quebec culture.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have some news for the member for Beloeil—Chambly. Who pays for that streaming levy? Everyday Canadians do, through streaming fees. That is the truth. At a time when we are focused on purchasing power, we decided to support the cultural sector and focus on affordability for everyone.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what I will tell the House is what I hear from international investors and businesses when we travel. What I heard in New York is that Canada is the most attractive destination for foreign infrastructure investment. What I hear from major global investors, who want to invest more than $100 billion in this country, is what we are already seeing, which is foreign investment that is runn…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, first, may I wish the Leader of the Opposition a very happy birthday? Second, I will even give him his question back. It is my little gift to him. What the government is doing is putting in place the foundations of an economy that will be stronger, more resilient and more independent. In the face of U.S. tariffs, in the face of global uncertainty and in the face of higher energy price…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we are in an economy that is fundamentally being transformed by a government that has a plan to create a stronger, more independent and more resilient economy, a sustainable economy, an economy that moves from reliance to resilience. We are already seeing business investment, Canadian business investment, up 10% in machinery equipment. We are seeing our non-U.S. exports up, and they a…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, once again the official record of Parliament needs to be corrected. I made a number of promises during the election campaign. The first was to save Canadians from the horrible policies of the Leader of the Opposition. The second was to introduce policies that would create a more resilient, more prosperous, stronger, more sustainable and more independent economy. This is what we are do…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is very painful, on someone's birthday, when you give them a present and they give it back to you. I will do a little research for the Leader of the Opposition. If he would like to ask the C.D. Howe Institute, it knows the answer to that question. He could ask the OECD, which today predicts that Canada will have the second-strongest economy in the G7 this year and next. That is the…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government is investing in Canadian culture, in francophone culture and in Quebec culture. They are pillars of our identity. We are supporting Canada's cultural sector more than ever with the decisions made today and in the budget, which the member for Beloeil—Chambly voted against. We have invested $750 million in Canada's cultural sector.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish the Leader of the Opposition a happy birthday. I hope his day improves. The government is focused on building a stronger economy. We recognize the scale of the challenges that this country is facing from abroad. We are focused on that administrator. We are focused on farmers in Battle River—Crowfoot. We are focused on a future that is stronger, more durable, more …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as I rose in this House a few weeks ago and made clear, this government will always defend private property rights. That is why this government immediately appealed the decision with respect to Cowichan, on September 8. We fundamentally disagree with the B.C. Supreme Court's decision. We will use all viable legal options to address and protect private property rights, always, in this …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is sad. The person who is tossing and turning every night is the Leader of the Opposition, trying to come up with new ways to stoke fear and division in this country. We will always defend private property rights in this country. That is why we immediately appealed. That is why we are acceding with the Montrose claim. That is why we are supporting the City of Richmond and the Provi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, some things have changed since the Harper days, thankfully. One of them is refinery margins, which are up by 40¢ in Canada. Forty cents, that is a curious number. Refinery margins are up because of the loss of petrol. One other thing that has not changed is that the Leader of the Opposition is against child care. He is against dental care. He is against pharmacare. He is against every…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this government is moving forward this economy in the face of a global energy crisis, in the face of a tariff crisis and in the face of wars. This country is the second-strongest economy in the G7. We are growing strong. We have the strongest fiscal position in the G7. We have a plan. Canada has a bright future.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Liberal policies are delivering wages for Canadians that are growing faster than inflation. The government's policies are delivering inflation that is lower in Canada than in the United States. The Liberal government's policies are delivering female employment that is five percentage points above the United States. This country is working. We are moving forward. He is trying to hold i…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as Prime Minister, I have to heed the experts' advice. I have just received the experts' opinion on the applicability of the Clarity Act. It does not apply to Alberta's question. However, according to the Clarity Act, in Canada, there must be a clear expression of a will by a clear majority of the population of that province in order to have a true vote on secession.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we obey the laws of Canada. The Clarity Act is clear, but we respect the will of Quebeckers, which is to build a strong and resilient Quebec within a strong, resilient and independent Canada.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government has already cut the consumer carbon tax. That was 18¢ per litre. We suspended the federal fuel tax. Some things have changed since the time of the Harper government, such as the impact on refineries and the impact of supply shortages. However, one thing never changes. The Leader of the Opposition still opposes all measures that support Canadians.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we need to respect democracy, we need to respect the laws of Parliament and the decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada. Under the Clarity Act, the House of Commons must consider the following factors to establish the definition of a clear vote: “the size of the majority of valid votes cast in favour of the secessionist option [and] the percentage of eligible voters voting in the ref…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will inform Mr. Simard that he is not interested in Quebec's SMEs. That will come as a surprise. Julie White from Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Québec welcomes the measures that the Minister of Industry announced yesterday. They will support our businesses, they will support our workers, and they will build a stronger, more resilient and more independent Canada.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, senior officials of the IRGC are not admissible in Canada, full stop. There are several layers of protection, and they work. That is the first point. The second is this: What has the government done? We have taken back control of immigration. We have reduced the number of asylum seekers by one-third, temporary foreign workers by half and foreign students by two-thirds. We have gotten …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the amounts I just described will be available immediately for large businesses and especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Mr. Simard, president of the Aluminum Association of Canada, welcomes this injection of funds, which provides a lifeline for small and medium-sized businesses, workers and companies.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the CBSA has reviewed over 17,000 applications for inadmissibility. It has opened over 170 investigations. It has cancelled 330 visas related to the Iranian regime. Last year, Canada removed 22,000 inadmissible individuals. The government is taking control of immigration.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, private property rights are fundamental in this country. The government will always defend them. That is why we immediately appealed the Cowichan decision on September 8, along with the City of Richmond, along with other first nations and along with the Province of British Columbia. All federal agreements with first nations, with indigenous peoples and with rights holders protect priv…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, current and former senior IRGC officials and leaders are not allowed into Canada. There is no change in government policy, and we are taking steps to make sure that does not happen.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite, and thank the Minister of Industry, who has provided new programs of $1 billion and $500 million to support workers and businesses in the steel, aluminum and copper industries across Canada.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to announce that Louise Arbour will be the next Governor General of Canada. She has a deep understanding of and respect for Canadian institutions, the rule of law, democracy, freedom, and the rights of all Canadians and people around the world.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the only illusion is that this makeover is going to work any better than other makeovers. The government will always defend private property rights. We immediately appealed the Cowichan decision. We have always defended private property rights; we always will, and we will always defend the rights of indigenous peoples to build a Canada that is stronger, fairer and more independent.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his interest in this situation. The government is currently developing measures to assist workers and businesses in the steel, aluminum, copper and derivative industries. We will announce those measures in the coming days.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is always a good idea to believe the Prime Minister of Canada.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I can sort of understand why the Leader of the Opposition is obsessed with my predecessor and obsessed with the past, but our government is focused on the future of this great country. We have a plan to strengthen our economic growth, which is the second fastest in the G7, and to strengthen our fiscal position, which is the best in the G7. We are going to build Canada strong for all.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians will not forget that the member opposite voted against child care, voted against pharmacare, voted against dental care and voted against the groceries and essentials benefit, for which Canadians are going to see $500 cheques in a few weeks. Canadians will see the second-strongest growing economy in the G7. Conservatives would like to forget.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this is an important question. Private property rights are fundamental, and this government, indeed, this House, will always protect them. This government fundamentally disagrees with the B.C. Supreme Court's decision in Cowichan. We immediately appealed that decision, alongside the Government of B.C., the City of Richmond, and other first nations. We will always advance viable legal …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, he was wrong on crypto, wrong on Brexit and I could go on. However, does he know what this government is right on? It is about co-operative federalism. We are working with the great Province of Alberta to make sure that Canadian energy powers the world. It is about ensuring our competitiveness. It is about working with the Province of Ontario, and a premier who picks up my phone calls…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry, my colleagues and I can assure Canadian workers and businesses affected by the new U.S. tariff threats that our measures will be swift and sufficient.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there are no limits when it comes to what is possible for Canada. The economic update is the next step in our plan to make Canada stronger, more resilient and more independent. Half of the initiatives that we are implementing are designed to make life more affordable for Canadians, and we are strengthening Canada's fiscal position, which is the strongest in the G7.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in the face of a tariff war, and in the face of an actual war, this government has reduced the deficit by $11 billion. This government has reduced the level of debt across the entire forecast horizon. This government is on track to deliver $60 billion of savings for Canadians. This government is on track to reduce spending on consultants by 20%. This government will build Canada stron…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will not go there. This government is focused on affordability. Half of the measures in the update are to make life more affordable for Canadians. On June 5, I look forward to 12 million Canadians getting a cheque to help with groceries and essentials. There is also the lower cost of gasoline. We are building the country strong for all, including Canada's youth with the biggest inve…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, of course everyone will have to wait until the economic update is delivered. Our great Minister of Finance will deliver it on April 24, and there will be more good news for Canadians. As for the government's strategy, we are building a strong, affordable, resilient Canada that is more independent from the United States.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the opposition member for his question, which is an important one. The new U.S. section 232 tariffs are all-encompassing. Yes, the government is considering transitional measures for businesses and individuals, including the affected workers.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to have the minister on the Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations. This committee also includes the president of the FTQ, a major Quebec union; the president of the Aluminum Association of Canada, Mr. Simard; and the heads of major Quebec and Canadian companies. We already have the best trade deal with the United States, and we are just getting star…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I want to read into the record, for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition, that I work for Canadians, and only Canadians, to improve their affordability. That is why we have the groceries and essentials benefit, over $500 for 12 million Canadians on June 5. That is why we are cutting the federal tax on fuel. That is why we are providing Canada's average family with over $20,000 …
Read full speech →