Parliamentary Speeches
432 speeches by Maxime Blanchette-Joncas — Page 2 of 9
Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the illustrious career of Quebec's chief scientist, Rémi Quirion, who will be retiring in the spring. He was appointed in 2011 when this role was initially created. As Quebec's first chief scientist, he laid the foundations for the role, defined its areas of focus and built its credibility both in Quebec and abroad. Thanks to his vision and his gift for …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to engage with my colleague on a matter of great concern to me, specifically science, research and innovation. As the Bloc Québécois critic for this file, I always make it my duty to express the concerns and demands of the scientific community. This budget does not include any increase in funding for the three granting agencies or anything to boost student scholarships. T…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives pride themselves on being champions of fiscal restraint. I would like to remind my colleague that, under the Harper government in 2009, the deficit was $55 billion. Taking that data and adjusting it for today's inflation puts us pretty much in the same ball park. The Conservatives are saying that the deficit in this budget is too big and that they would have limited …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Mississauga—Lakeshore is being very inconsistent. Today he is saying that debt helps create wealth. When he was Ontario's finance minister, however, he said he was determined to balance the budgets to get the government's house in order. Today he is defending a budget that creates a deficit of $78 billion, $45 billion of which was artificially reclassified as investm…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. To hear her talk, unicorns are descending on Ottawa, and this budget will solve all of our problems. What I particularly liked about my colleague's speech was that she really highlighted who this budget is intended to help, namely the economic elite, the Prime Minister's friends. In her speech, she talked about numerous meetings. The peop…
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Madam Speaker, today being October 30, 2025, allow me to acknowledge a historic moment in Quebec's history. Thirty years ago today, the Lower St. Lawrence said yes: yes to the country of Quebec, yes to liberty, yes to pride. It very courageously said yes. That same conviction is still very much alive today among the people in my region. We want to be masters of our own destiny because Quebec's ind…
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Madam Speaker, the Conservatives would love to import the so-called three strikes law. In the United States, a third conviction means life in prison. It is causing the prison population to explode, and it is not reducing crime. Experts tell us that crime stems from the housing crisis, addictions and inadequate services. Why are the Conservatives so focused on a policy that does not work and does n…
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Mr. Speaker, what is happening today in the House is quite bizarre. The government has decided to completely disregard all of the committee's work. However, they claim to be transparent and to be working democratically by respecting the opposition parties. This is not how that works. Members used House resources, which are paid for with public money, to carry out their work, but since it did not l…
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Mr. Speaker, I just want to remind my colleague from Winnipeg North of something. Perhaps he does not spend enough time in the House to realize that it was his government that, with the support of the Conservative Party, imposed a gag order on the House last June regarding Bill C‑5, a bill on projects of national interest. After several months, we still do not know what the projects of national in…
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Mr. Speaker, I share many of my colleague's concerns. In Quebec, we have suffered and continue to suffer from a lack of border security due to the Liberal government's lax attitude and abdication of responsibility. Not to name names, but Roxham Road is where 150,000 people over five years have crossed irregularly through fields with the help of smuggling rings. When we pointed this out and raised …
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Madam Speaker, I would like my colleague to share his opinion on something a bit ridiculous that is happening in the House today and that goes well beyond Bill C‑12. The government added an extra day to the orders of the day to discuss Bill C-12, which was tabled by the Liberals themselves. However, there are no additional speakers on the Liberal side. That makes me wonder. Are they embarrassed to…
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Madam Speaker, I will give my colleague a chance to put on his earpiece so that he can understand one of the two official languages of the House. My question is about the number of officers the government promised to hire. In April, during the election campaign, the Prime Minister promised to hire 2,000 more officers: 1,000 CBSA officers and 1,000 RCMP officers. Last week, six months later, he rep…
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Mr. Speaker, I really enjoyed my colleague's speech. We agree on many things. I would like her to talk about a subject that has not really been broached today, and that is the issue of foreign students trying to exploit loopholes to apply for asylum. In Quebec, there were 340 such cases in 2020. How many were there in 2024? There were 5,535, an increase of over 1,500%. When we questioned the Minis…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened closely to my colleague's speech. This bill discusses security at the border, as well as security in our communities. Recent media reports indicate that young people are increasingly turning to guns to protect themselves against criminal groups. That is concerning. As usual, we come back to the issue of prevention and education. When criminal groups cross our borders and tr…
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Mr. Speaker, we are witnessing quite a spectacle today. The member for Kingston and the Islands and his Liberal colleagues have just woken up. There is no one to speak to Bill C-12. The member just arrived, though the House has been in session since 10 a.m. Where were his colleagues? I am asking them to take this more seriously, to be a little more diligent. The government put Bill C‑12 on the age…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the minister's speech, including the part where she said that her bill would solve problems that her own department had created. For months now, the government has been asking universities to act like the police. It wants them to investigate the problem surrounding international students trying to use loopholes in the system to apply for student visas and then …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague was obviously speaking of the reality on the ground. I would like him to tell us where the Conservative Party was when people were entering Canada through the irregular border crossing at Roxham Road. In five years, more than 150,000 people made that journey. That is the reality on the ground. The Conservative Party said not a word; it had no plan and no solutions. I woul…
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Mr. Speaker, I need my colleague to explain something to us. In April, through the Prime Minister, the government promised to hire 1,000 new CBSA officers and 1,000 new RCMP members. Six months later, just last week, the government repeated its April announcement to us. Can my colleague tell us how many officers have been hired since April? If none have been hired, what is the plan? How many offic…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the residents of Rimouski—La Matapédia, whom I proudly represent. I would also like to acknowledge the residents of La Mitis, Les Basques and Neigette. The government seems to be recycling announcements all the time, not just some of the time. Last week, it recycled a major press conference where it announced that it would secure ou…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. He said that the borders are strong and secure. One does not introduce a bill to strengthen borders that are already strong and secure. What my colleague is saying is illogical. I would like to share with him some findings from independent observers. The Office of the Auditor General has pointed out that delays, a shortage of officers and…
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Mr. Speaker, it is pretty easy to understand. What we want is to restore public trust in the security of our borders. I will say it again: Trust is built with actions, not intentions. Right now, we are constantly being fed recycled statements. As I said in my speech, the Prime Minister repeated what he had said six months ago. Now we are being told that there will be money in the next budget on No…
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Mr. Speaker, we can see the consequences. I gave the example of Roxham Road. I would have liked the Conservative Party to get more involved in this issue. When 150,000 people use a loophole to enter irregularly, I think that is a problem, but the Conservatives only get involved when it suits them. To answer my colleague's question, the consequences are already apparent: Organized crime is becoming…
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Mr. Speaker, a border is not just a line on a map. It is a symbol of our security, our sovereignty and our ability to make our own decisions. For 10 years, the federal government has been turning a blind eye while stolen vehicles leave our ports, fentanyl crosses our borders and Quebec alone bears the brunt of unprecedented migratory pressure. Today Ottawa is taking action, but only because it no …
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Mr. Speaker, 35 seconds is not enough time to explain this government's bungling over the past 10 years. Again, Roxham Road is a monumental disaster. To return to my colleague's question, last April the government promised us 2,000 officers: 1,000 for the RCMP and 1,000 for the CBSA. Last week, the Liberals held another press conference and repeated what they said in April. They told us that we ha…
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Mr. Speaker, Via Rail receives $1.3 billion from Ottawa to provide regional connectivity, yet nothing has been spent on improving services in eastern Quebec. In Rimouski, the train comes barely three times a week, at about 2 a.m. This is completely disconnected from the reality of a regional capital and especially the reality of residents who need to travel for medical treatment, school or to see …
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the speech by my colleague from Winnipeg North. He mentioned that true reconciliation is not limited to apologies. I would like him to explain to us today why his government is not repealing the Indian Act, a discriminatory, colonial and paternalistic law imposed on first nations. That piece of legislation embodies everything that stands in the way of true reco…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. He said the Conservative Party is a reconciliation champion because, during the Harper era, it was the first official party to apologize for residential schools. I find that interesting, but I would like him to explain the disconnect between that statement and what his party did a few months ago when Bill C‑5 was introduced. There was no …
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. I will wait until he puts his earpiece in so that he can understand one of the two official languages in the House. Here is my question for my colleague. We know full well that the Conservative Party is the champion of accountability. In this bill, the new commissioner only has the power to observe. They have no power to enforce and to ac…
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Mr. Speaker, Conservatives often talk about accountability, but only when it suits them, it seems. For them, reconciliation seems to be nothing more than a slogan, used only when it suits their vision. They are telling us that Bill C-10 creates too much bureaucracy. Real bureaucracy is when the federal government announces, promises and repeats things without ever delivering results. That is real …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's speech suggests that he has experience in this area. However, I would like him to clarify something for me. There is a contradiction between the Conservative Party's intentions and actions today and what we saw in June. The government introduced Bill C-5 in June. The Conservatives supported this bill concerning projects of national interest, but not just any old way. A …
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. She referred to a key word, namely “accountability”. There is something I would like her to clarify for me: Where is the accountability in this bill? The new commissioner will have the power to analyze but not the power to compel action. This means that the commissioner would be able to paint a picture of the government's shortcomings but…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like my colleague to clarify something for me in terms of words and actions. She speaks of reconciliation and transparency and yet, in June, this government tabled Bill C‑5 without first consulting indigenous communities, for which it was criticized. How can we trust a government that completely ignored indigenous communities only a few months ago but is now saying that it wan…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals keep saying that they want to advance reconciliation. However, four months ago, not four years ago, they passed Bill C‑5, which deals with nation-building projects, without consulting first nations. This was criticized by the Assembly of First Nations and by Inuit and Métis communities. Today, the Liberals are proposing Bill C‑10. They would create the position of a commi…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives boast about being the best at reconciliation. This is what we have heard today. However, four months ago, they supported the Liberals' Bill C‑5, a bill dealing with nation-building projects that went against consultations with first nations. Today, they are telling us that, in the Harper era, they signed more treaties than the Liberals, so they are the best. Today, t…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like my colleague to explain how we can possibly trust the Liberal government and take it seriously right now. This is the same government that totally betrayed first nations four months ago when it failed to consult them on a project in the national interest. Members will recall Bill C‑5, which was passed on closure with the support of the official opposition, the Conservativ…
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Mr. Speaker, Ottawa talks about national unity when it is convenient, but becomes divisive and paternalistic as soon as Quebec asserts its uniqueness and its choices. When faced with Washington's tariffs or the threat of American annexation, we are called upon to join forces. However, as soon as the external threat is averted, Ottawa turns against Quebec to challenge its democratic choices and und…
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Mr. Speaker, that was certainly a sanctimonious speech by our colleague from Winnipeg North. It was definitely not his first time lecturing us, nor is it likely to be his last. His argument does not hold water. He says we need to ask the Supreme Court for an opinion because the role of the Attorney General, through the government, is to defend the Charter. The notwithstanding clause has been aroun…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé on his speech. Today, we hear the Liberals repeating over and over that they want to defend the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but the one who inherited the charter, the Canadian Constitution and its 1982 repatriation was Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Obviously, I would be happy to remind the House of Quebec's motto: Je me souvi…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question and for that softball question. Here is another example. In Diefenbaker's charter, Canada had a notwithstanding clause. That was in the 1960s. He was the one who implemented the charter that included the notwithstanding clause. That was the deal. Today, the Liberals do not agree with the Quebec model's vision of its language, interculturalism and …
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the speech by my colleague from Québec Centre, who understandably refuses to take a position on the deplorable statement made by the member for Bourassa. However, let us return to the subject at hand. My colleague spoke about balance, so let us talk about balance. The notwithstanding clause has been used more than 100 times in the last 43 years. Never in those …
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Mr. Speaker, of course, my colleague's speech and the Liberals' central argument today is around the charter. They want to defend the charter. They want the charter to be front and centre. The charter is not a smorgasbord where people can just pick what they want. The charter includes section 33, the notwithstanding clause. That is what enabled the repatriation of the Constitution and the implemen…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is on the wrong track. In my speech, I mentioned that this also has to do with other provinces. Other provinces have used the notwithstanding clause throughout history. I invite him to read the Ford decision, which states that there is no danger in using the notwithstanding clause. I would also remind him that, historically, the notwithstanding clause has been used for mo…
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Mr. Speaker, I gather that my colleague from Bourassa is openly against the laicity law. I will read him my prepared answer. Laicity is not a threat to religious minorities; it protects them all equally. The notwithstanding clause is not an aberration; it is a tool provided in the Constitution to enable elected officials, not judges appointed by Ottawa, to rule on matters of societal debate. The r…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to sincerely congratulate Yves Gingras, a professor of history and the sociology of knowledge at the Université du Québec à Montréal, who was awarded the 2024 Prix science et laïcité, or science and secularism award, in Paris at the 18th annual ceremony of the Comité Laïcité République. This award recognizes Professor Gingras' commitment to distinguishing between scientif…
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Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Conservative Party's guiding principle is law and order. However, law and order also happens at our borders. It was the Conservative government, under Harper, that planned cuts to the Canada Border Services Agency. Now that the Conservatives are in opposition, they are telling us they want more staff. There should not be such a contradiction between what they are…
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Mr. Speaker, I like facts, and there is one fact that I will certainly be able to remind my colleague about. As we know, Quebec's motto is “Je me souviens”, or “I remember”. The Harper Conservative government planned to cut CBSA staff at the border. That is mentioned in the 2015 report on plans and priorities. I invite my colleague to check that report and simply send me a brief email saying wheth…
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Mr. Speaker, we said that we were not going to give the government carte blanche. Once again, we are going to work hard in committee. We want to get some answers from the government. I repeat that, when promises are made during an election campaign, both the opposition parties and the public want to see results. However, right now, they seem to be mostly empty promises. On the ground, we are being…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to say hello to the people of Rimouski—La Matapédia, whom I am proud and honoured to represent. The riding name has changed, but I am not forgetting the people of La Mitis, Les Basques and Neigette, and I want to say hello to them too. My question for my Conservative colleague is quite simple. The bill gives extraordinary powers to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague. I really like the part in his speech when he said that French is not a secondary language in Canada. Quebec's motto is Je me souviens, or I remember. I would like to remind my colleague that it was the Conservative Party, under Stephen Harper, that appointed a unilingual anglophone auditor general, unilingual anglophone Supreme Court justices and a unilingual ang…
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Mr. Speaker, securing our borders is not a luxury. It is a matter of urgency. For a long time now, the Bloc Québécois has been calling for strong measures to combat the export of stolen vehicles, the increase in asylum claims, the fentanyl crisis and money laundering. However, the situation had to become critical before the government would think about taking any action. After nearly 10 years of c…
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