Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the shipment of 1.2 million doses from Moderna that was scheduled to arrive next week has been delayed until early May. The Prime Minister said yesterday that there could be delays of a few days, but now we are talking about weeks. Quebec has gone back into lockdown, and Ontario has had to shut down vaccination clinics because of supply issues. Will the Prime Minister admit that his p…
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Mr. Speaker, this is the same question asked by our colleague from Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. We are open to this idea. As I mentioned, we accept that users are for the most part victims of their drug use. We therefore must tackle the source of these drugs, many of which are imported. For example, we know that opioids, substances that are very difficult to detect because they are so small, come fr…
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Mr. Speaker, I understand my colleague's question. I agree with him in part. The government and Parliament have a responsibility to enact laws and make decisions about how justice should be administered. It bothers me a bit when the justice system makes decisions that contradict the will of the House of Commons. If there is a problem with a law or if a court decides for some reason that there is a…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. This provision does indeed reflect the inconsistencies we see with this new Liberal government, which has been in place since 2015 and which we are struggling to understand. There was a time when Liberal governments had more logical positions that were more grounded in reality. However, the current Liberal government is very ideological and consi…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. As I have already mentioned in this place during our study of other bills, the Conservatives are willing to look at this with some degree of openness. In the case of simple possession, these individuals are often going through problems or have developed an addiction. They are not the source of this social problem. Rather, we need to focus on thos…
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Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I should let you know that I will be sharing my time with the member for Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry. I am pleased to rise virtually in the House to talk about Bill C-22, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The Liberals want to amend the Criminal Code to repeal certain mandatory minimum penalties, allow for a greater use o…
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With regard to government purchases of personal protective equipment: how many syringes has the government purchased, broken down by month and by type of syringe, since March 2020?
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Mr. Speaker, I would now like to come back to the vaccines. For months, the Prime Minister stood in this House and told Canadians over and over that we had the largest vaccine portfolio in the world. The truth is that the Prime Minister has failed. Yesterday the Globe and Mail reported that Canada had surpassed the United States for the first time in the number of cases per one million people. The…
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With regard to meetings between Public Services and Procurement Canada and either Health Canada or the Public Health Agency of Canada concerning the procurement or production of vaccines since January 1, 2020: what are the details of all such meetings involving officials at the associate deputy minister level or higher or ministers or their exempt staff, including the (i) date, (ii) title of perso…
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With regard to communications between the government and Honeywell related to procurement of surveillance technologies: (a) what are the details of all such communications with any department, agency, Crown corporation or other government entity since November 4, 2015, including the (i) date, (ii) type of communications (email, in-person meetings, etc.), (iii) subject matter discussed, (iv) title …
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Mr. Speaker, I will put this question to the government again because my colleague did not get an answer earlier. Over the weekend, it was reported that funding for the Halifax International Security Forum would be cut because the forum wanted to award the John McCain Prize to Taiwan's president, a woman who is fighting for democracy around the world. I would like to know if the government has cha…
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Mr. Speaker, that is a great question. The last thing the Conservative Party wants is to interfere in provincial jurisdictions. Unlike the Liberal Party, decentralization is what we are pushing for. However, in a health emergency like the one we are currently experiencing, we expect the Public Health Agency of Canada to issue clear guidelines so that the provinces can do their job. When the guidel…
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Mr. Speaker, we are used to the Prime Minister always passing the buck and saying that it is not his responsibility and that others are dealing with it. I would ask the Minister of National Defence to go back in time and to remember his days in uniform. Would he say the same thing to his female colleagues if he was still serving today? Would he give them the same answer, yes or no?
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-277, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and An Act to amend the Criminal Code (exploitation and trafficking in persons). Mr. Speaker, I am introducing this bill that seeks to combat the scourge of sexual exploitation of minors. The bill implements some of the recommendations of the Select Committee on the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, whose report was unanimousl…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, this morning, at the opening of the sitting of the House, I did something important in Parliament. I acted as a legislator, but also as the father of two children. I introduced Bill C-277, which seeks to combat the sexual exploitation of minors. This bill implements the recommendations set out in the report of the Select Committee on the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, which was unanim…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister approved a salary increase and a $50,000 bonus for the former chief of the defence staff, even though he knew in 2018 about the allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Women serving in our military must be frustrated with the Prime Minister's decision. My question is simple. What message does this send to the women serving our country?
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. We want clarity, and we want the plan to be public or clearly laid out, because it has to cover all parts of Canada. Provincial jurisdiction notwithstanding, the federal government is the one making the decisions, and these decisions have a direct impact on the provinces. The provinces do not all have the same vaccine distribution infrastructure …
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Mr. Speaker, there is a simple answer to that question. The pandemic has been going on for so long that the government should not even need the full 20 days because it should already have a plan. On November 12, 2020, workers in the airline industry on forced leave called for a plan. On February 19, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business called for a plan. On March 16, Unifor-Québec calle…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to our motion. A plan is basically very simple. When you have a plan, you give guidance and you know where you are headed. This situation is not an easy one. It is an extremely complex situation to manage. This has been the case around the world from the outset. However, when someone is in a position of leadership and managing a government, they mus…
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence; Michael Wernick, the former clerk of the Privy Council; Janine Sherman, assistant secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office; and Elder Marques, a former senior adviser to the Prime Minister were aware of the serious allegations against General Vance. The Prime Minister confirmed yesterday that his office was aware of this, but now he would like u…
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Mr. Speaker, my question is actually quite simple. It is important to understand the context. The Prime Minister initially said that he was not aware of any allegations. Then, in a press conference last Friday, he said that he was not aware of any specific allegation. Was the Prime Minister aware in March 2018 that there was an allegation against the chief of the defence staff, General Vance, yes …
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister lost all credibility long ago. Now we have even more proof. First, he said he was unaware of the specific allegation against General Vance, but now we know that the Clerk of the Privy Council was aware of it and that the former defence ombudsman also informed the minister. The Prime Minister promised that his government would be a feminist government, and now it is …
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals like saying that they are always there for the advancement and protection of women. We have a flagrant case that was brought to the attention of the Minister of National Defence. The defence minister says that some of the former ombudsman's assertions are erroneous. Why is the minister unable to tell us here in the House what statements he disagrees with?
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Mr. Speaker, on March 1, 2018, the former ombudsman of the Canadian Forces, Gary Walbourne, met with the Minister of National Defence to inform him of allegations of sexual misconduct involving General Vance. Mr. Walbourne wanted to share evidence with the minister, but the minister refused. In response, the minister said that he disagrees with parts of Mr. Walbourne's testimony, without specifyin…
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Madam Speaker, I am glad to be adding my perspective to today's debate on Bill C-14. I am doing so virtually, but I am really looking forward to being back in the House of Commons in person. It works so much better for us. I will be talking about Bill C-14, an act to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2020 and other measures. Specifically, I…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I want to start by saying that I hope the minister in question, the President of the Treasury Board, who is off on sick leave, gets well soon. That does not excuse what happened with the WE Charity. Quebec was completely ignored. The impact of the contract on the Francophonie and the French language were deemed irrelevant and not even considere…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I agree that health transfers must be stable. These days, however, the government is setting conditions. The Liberal Party prefers providing health transfers with strings attached and allocating money to specific sectors. We have always taken the position that the money is to be transferred with no strings attached. However, we first have to be…
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Mr. Speaker, our technical problems make me think of the technical problems we are having managing the vaccines, since Canada still ranks 53rd for the total number of doses administered to our citizens. Canadians are tired and fed up with living with uncertainty, a situation that could have been avoided. They do not want to hear any more platitudes. Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he has a …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out to the Prime Minister that Canada is still ranked 53rd in terms of the total number of doses administered. All of the other G7 countries are doing far better than us. The problem is that we need a plan. If the Prime Minister is so confident about the vaccines, can he tell us when we will be able to end the lockdown and get back to normal life?
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Mr. Speaker, the best way to get back to something close to normal in Canada is to vaccinate people. Great Britain has come up with a four-step plan to lift its lockdown restrictions. It is vaccinating 400,000 people a day. Canadians are realizing that we are really behind, and it is the Prime Minister's fault. What is the Prime Minister's plan to make up for lost time?
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Mr. Speaker, I have a hard time believing the government, because from the beginning, every time we have asked questions about the border, some new problem has come up. In the beginning, we called for the government to stop flights from China, and we were called racist. We then asked for rapid testing, but we were told that it was pointless. Border services officers were even asked to simply provi…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the media reported on a couple who had spent 14 hours waiting on hold trying to reserve a hotel room. They could not reach anyone. Another person stated that they had called repeatedly over three days. Another couple moving from Bangladesh to Regina was forced to cancel their flight because they could not book a hotel room. What are the government and the Prime Minister doi…
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Mr. Speaker, we understand that that is the plan. We also understand that, according to that plan, only 8% of Canadians will be vaccinated by the end of March, regardless of what is announced every day. The other problem we face has to do with travellers. Travellers are spending 20 to 30 hours trying to book an approved hotel where they can quarantine when they return to Canada. They cannot get in…
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Mr. Speaker, this government keeps repeating the same talking points and will likely brag about the number of vaccine doses that we will receive this week. However, the quantity of vaccines that we are going to receive is still lower than the number of people getting vaccinated per day in some countries. Canada is now ranked 58th in the world in total vaccine doses administered, and only 8% of our…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. As the saying goes, that is the million-dollar question. Why do the Prime Minister and his government refuse to admit the facts and acknowledge that China is committing acts of genocide? That is the question that needs to be answered. From what I understand, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois will be supporting our motion. At least we will win this…
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Madam Speaker, it is not only a great pleasure for me to rise in the House today to speak to this motion, it is also a duty. All parliamentarians in the House of Commons should feel that sense of duty. I will reread the motion for everyone tuning in. It says the following: That, (a) in the opinion of the House, the People's Republic of China has engaged in actions consistent with the United Nation…
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Mr. Speaker, I request that the division be deferred. I am talking about the vote on the main motion, not the amendment.
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Madam Speaker, when I spoke to our motion this morning, some Liberal members indicated that of the Five Eyes countries, the United States was alone in recognizing a problem with the Uighur people. My response was that Canada could show some leadership and be the second. What does my colleague think?
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Mr. Speaker, I too can be clear with the minister. Currently, if we receive six million doses by the end of March, then three million Canadians will be vaccinated. That means 8% of Canadians will be vaccinated by the end of March. Right now, we rank 54th worldwide in terms of vaccinations. By the end of March, we will have dropped even lower. My question is simple: does the Prime Minister have a p…
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Mr. Speaker, for months now, we have been clearly stating that the Liberal government has failed miserably at protecting Canadians. In addition to COVID-19-related deaths, which now exceed 20,000, and the shutdown of the economy, the lockdown has us all stuck at home with no end in sight. The decision to make a deal with the Chinese Communist Party was a disaster. In addition to being duped by Can…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I believe that we have all the information and that it is all clear. Canada must now act and take a position against China.
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Madam Speaker, I am very pleased that my Liberal colleague is asking this question. At present, four of the Five Eyes countries have said no to Huawei. Only Canada has not yet taken a position. With regard to the Uighur genocide, the United States was the first country to take a position, and Canada could be the second. The other countries will follow our lead. That is what it means to be a leader…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I recently moved Motion No. 63 in the House of Commons. The motion calls on the government to recognize the urgent need to pass legislation to combat the sexual exploitation of minors in order to better protect our children. In my previous role as shadow minister for public safety and emergency preparedness, I worked closely with the elected members of the Quebec National Assembly to …
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Mr. Speaker, there is another issue that raises some questions. Dr. Gary Kobinger walked away from the COVID-19 vaccine task force in response to comments by the Liberal government. Let me point out that the Minister of Public Services and Procurement publicly stated that Canada did not have the brainpower or the expertise to develop its own COVID-19 vaccines or to get a plant up and running. In r…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to speak to the second report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. In its report, the committee issues three recommendations for the House: encourage Canadians to hear from victims and survivors of human trafficking; encourage Canadians to raise awareness of the magnitude of modern day slavery in Canada and abroad and to take steps to c…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his excellent question. Yes, I fully agree with him and I would be prepared to support the proposal. Nothing in life is more precious than our children. These young people and future adults are the ones who will move our country forward. Allowing them to be treated like this by unscrupulous individuals is beneath a country like Canada.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his tireless work on the issue of human trafficking. It is an important issue for him, and I thank him for all his efforts. The Palermo protocol makes it possible for countries to work together. It is a transnational agreement. Any issue involving investigations and charges is complex in our society. Many countries are concerned about the same issue, and for…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. This subject is addressed every year, but no action is ever taken. This motion stems from the very comprehensive report of a select committee of the Quebec National Assembly, which conducted consultations for nearly two years. The committee made four very important recommendations, which are included in Motion No. 63. These recommendations are …
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Mr. Speaker, the CEO of Solstar Pharma wrote the innovation minister to say, “As far as Canada is concerned, we tried to move things forward, but to no avail. We were unable to secure the funding or key strategic partners in Canada that we needed to gain access to the labs.” Canadian businesses are willing and able to get the job done. The fact that TriLink Bio Technologies, from San Diego, partne…
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Mr. Speaker, I am not proud to be forced to put my hand in the COVAX cookie jar to solve Canada's problems. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been approved, but every week, we are told that fewer doses are going to be delivered and that is why we are dipping into COVAX. It is not right. Can the Prime Minister cut the rhetoric and tell us the truth. If there is a problem with the vaccines and we…
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