Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague that Hamas has been keeping the Palestinian people hostage. I agree that the Hamas terrorists must be stopped and destroyed. I am not here to speculate on how we do that. I am certainly open to suggestions. However, as I said in my speech, and if my colleague was listening, this is a conflict halfway around the world. I am not sure that, right at this moment,…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about Alexandre Look, a 33-year-old from Montreal. His mother told RDI that her son had called, over video, at about 11:15 p.m., Quebec time. He said, “Mommy, we're in the middle of a terrorist attack.” His father added, “We witnessed our son's murder.” Young Alexandre took refuge in a shelter with about 30 other people. According to reports, survivors who were wi…
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Mr. Speaker, I have worked with my colleague on several occasions toward a common cause. He is touching upon a very important point, which is that October 7 and the horrific attack by Hamas mark the day when the most Jews were killed since the Shoah and the Second World War. That has served to retraumatize survivors of the Holocaust, and all Jewish people, here in Canada and around the world. I th…
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Mr. Speaker, as I was saying earlier, we have presented tangible measures in the House. I do not understand how the Conservatives can claim to be sincere in their concern for Canadians while using procedural tactics to prevent us from helping Canadians. I just cannot understand it. If the Conservatives want to be there, then they should pull up their socks, take action and help us help Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, if the Conservative member wants to see grocery prices lowered, I hope that she asks her leader why it is that the Conservatives continue to delay the legislation that is before the House. Just this morning, I was so pleased to see the member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon say that he supports Bill C-56. I wonder if other Conservatives can convince their leader to support this bill…
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Mr. Speaker, there are important measures that can be immediately implemented to help Canadians, but the problem is that, we hear from Conservatives very sincere concerns in question period, but when it comes time to vote and debate legislation, we see procedural delay tactics and Conservatives voting against the interests of Canadians. I would urge everybody in the House to act to support Canadia…
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Mr. Speaker, there are a number of measures that we have put on the table that will stabilize grocery prices and that will build more homes in this country. Consistently, what we have seen from the Conservatives are delay tactics. Thankfully, this morning, we had a Conservative member stand up in the House and say that he was supportive of the government's legislation and that he would be voting f…
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Mr. Speaker, perhaps the Conservatives can explain in debate what it is about cutting GST on the construction of new homes that they disagree with. What is it about strengthening competition laws to stabilize grocery prices here in Canada that they disagree with? I ask because I have not heard a single argument in debate that has convinced any Canadian in this country that we should not proceed wi…
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Mr. Speaker, the government is focused on lowering grocery prices, and we have legislation on the table that would do that. However, what are the Conservatives focused on? In Alberta, they are trying to pull out of the Canada pension plan. Canadians who have contributed for their whole lives to the CPP, seniors who have contributed for their whole lives to their pensions, are having the rug pulled…
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleague from the finance committee well knows, all of the rating agencies have reconfirmed our AAA credit rating. What I would like to address is the fact that the Conservative members are oddly silent when it comes to investments that our government has made in order to attract companies like Northvolt, which just announced today that it is coming to Canada. It could have gon…
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Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to let the Bloc Québécois respond. I want to say that 35 Liberal MPs are from Quebec, and we fought, with our minister from Shawinigan and our Prime Minister, to ensure that foreign investments come to Canada. We announced today that a new company, Northvolt, is going to set up shop in Saint‑Boniface, Quebec. That means thousands of jobs are being created in Quebec th…
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Mr. Speaker, I spoke with a mother in my riding who is wondering how much a Conservative government would cost her. Our government has been supporting families through this difficult time—
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Mr. Speaker, obviously I hit a nerve with the Conservatives, because when I spoke to a member of my constituency, when I spoke to this mother, she was concerned about how much the Conservatives' plan would cost her. She is relying on the Canada child benefit, which continues to go up because it is indexed to inflation. She is relying on the supports of our government. She is relying on the constru…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague opposite that Canadians are hurting, and that is exactly why I do not understand why the Conservatives do not want to help Canadians. The legislation that we tabled today will help build more homes for Canadians right across the country, and that will lower rents and mortgages for all Canadians. The legislation that we tabled today will also strengthen Canada…
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Mr. Speaker, I know why the Conservatives are having a hard time connecting with Quebeckers. Quebeckers simply do not buy their policy of fiscal restraint. The Conservatives want to cut employment insurance, cut seniors' pensions and cut child care subsidies. We sent $6 billion to the Quebec government for child care, and the Conservatives want to cut that too.
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Mr. Speaker, what I heard from Canadians, what every member of our government heard from Canadians, is that they want lower rent and lower grocery and food prices. Today we introduced legislation that will help do just that. The affordable housing and groceries act will remove the GST from the construction of rental housing in order to build more homes in this country faster. It also strengthens C…
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Mr. Speaker, I hope this feigned compassion on behalf of the Conservatives is not fooling Canadians, because on two previous occasions, the Conservatives voted against lowering taxes for the middle class in this country. We have been criss-crossing the country over the course of the summer. Not a single Canadian has told us they would like us to cut our programs. Canadians are relying on the suppo…
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Mr. Speaker, once again, just a few weeks ago, rating agencies confirmed Canada's AAA credit rating. That is because what we are doing is spending in order to support Canadians, but doing so in a responsible way. We have just announced the next step in our plan to build more homes faster. What we will do is create more apartment buildings for more Canadian families right across the country. The re…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, we are seeing an increase in hate speech against the LGBTQ community in Canada. This is happening in a global context that has authoritarian regimes targeting LGBTQ communities with cruel and draconian laws. We are fortunate to have many organizations in Canada that are standing up to fight hate and discrimination. I would especially like to highlight the work of the Centre de solidar…
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Madam Speaker, the Minister of Finance has instructed the department to conduct a comprehensive review of Canada's involvement, and our government has halted all government-led activity at the bank.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the development of this funding is still under way by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and, as such, funds have not yet been distributed to recipients. The development of the fund is being informed by engagements, ongoing since April 2022, involving indigenous tourism partners. These engagements are providing information on key challenges and opportunities facing in…
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Madam Speaker, as I was saying, the Government of Canada has effectively halted all government-led activity at the bank. The Minister of Finance has instructed the Department of Finance to lead a review of Canada's involvement. The Canadian government is also discussing this issue with our allies and partners who are members of the bank.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question. The forest fires raging in Quebec right now are certainly having an impact on the national caribou population, which is already in decline. This situation makes it all the more urgent to take action. Just yesterday, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change set out a timetable for the plans to protect Quebec's caribou.
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Madam Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the Government of Canada has halted all government-led activity at the bank, and the Minister of Finance has instructed the Department of Finance to lead an immediate review of Canada's involvement. The Canadian government is currently discussing this issue with allies and partners that are also members of the bank.
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague referred to what happened yesterday evening. While those difficult conversations were happening at the supper table, the Conservative leader was in the House, where I heard him rambling on and on for four hours. He talked about King Henry VIII and the difference between copper coins, silver coins and IPads, but I did not hear him talk about an economic plan for Canad…
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk about balance. We have struck a balance between fiscal responsibility and compassion. What the Conservatives are proposing is austerity and cuts. Our government is offering a new grocery rebate. Our government is offering subsidies for dental care. Our government is proposing a low-income workers benefit in Canada to support and help workers. The Conservatives are just not…
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Mr. Speaker, at a time when wildfires are raging across Quebec and Canada, the Conservatives' priority is to filibuster a bill for implementing the measures set out in our budget. Clearly, the Conservative's plan centres on austerity. We have made it very clear that our government will never give up our fight against climate change. We will never abandon the environment. We are here for future gen…
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Mr. Speaker, the reality is that families in Quebec are going to receive $1,400 with the doubling of the GST tax credit. Unfortunately, with the Conservatives' austerity plan, those families would not get that money. I would also like to point out that inflation in Canada peaked at 8.1% and has now fallen to 4.4%. Yesterday, the Bank of Canada said that it expected inflation to drop to 3% this sum…
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Madam Speaker, I find it ironic that the Conservatives are talking about answering questions. Several times, we have asked the Conservatives what they are proposing by way of economic policy or what they are proposing by way of climate policy, and the answer has been silence. It has been silence on the other side. They have no plan for the economy. They have no plan for our planet. They have no pl…
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Madam Speaker, I also deplore what is happening in the House. I would have liked to have a debate on the issues, including how we could help our seniors. We have already done a lot to support our seniors. We have increased old age security. There are other policies we could put in place, but we spend our time dealing with the Conservatives' partisan games, which is unfortunate.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague opposite. I know him to be a learned member of the House. The simple fact is that a majority of Conservative Party members voted against climate action in the House. We know that the global environment has changed. There are challenges at the moment, but what the Conservatives are proposing are simply cuts. What the Conservatives are proposing are austerity…
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Madam Speaker, I do agree that this is a not a partisan issue and I regret very much that it has become one in the House. There was a time when Brian Mulroney, a friend of mine, was a leader, the then-prime minister of Canada, a Conservative prime minister. He brought forward important life-changing reforms in order to make our planet greener, in order to fight climate change. The Conservatives ha…
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Madam Speaker, I am extremely pleased to participate in this evening's debate on Bill C‑47, which implements our government's 2023 budget. The budget sets out a host of measures for supporting Canadians and growing the Canadian economy of the future. That is our government's priority. This week, the Conservative leader let us know what his priority is. On Monday, he said his priority is to use all…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Bloc Québécois. Our government is proposing to give an organization the mandate to create the clean economy of tomorrow. This mandate will have very clear instructions attached. We are in government and we have the power to do it. We will do this not only in Quebec, but across Canada. This will benefit all Quebeckers.
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Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. I believe, if I understood it correctly, he is talking about getting serious. I could not agree more. It is time to get serious. The member pretends that he does not know who is to blame for these wildfires. I will tell him. It is climate change. Climate change is to blame for these wildfires. What we have done is put forward a concrete plan…
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Madam Speaker, indeed, here in this House we can also smell the smoke from the wildfires. It comes right into this chamber. I hear my colleague when he says he can smell it where he is in northern Ontario. I, too, found it deplorable that not a single Conservative participated in the emergency debate on wildfires. Communities right across the country are being evacuated. Seven thousand Quebeckers …
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Madam Speaker, my colleague put a lot of emphasis on thanking those people who have helped get our government to this point. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that Paul Martin had proposed a national day care strategy. Unfortunately, that Parliament was dissolved by the opposition, and an election was called, which prevented us from moving ahead with it. However, it was in our platform an…
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Mr. Chair, picking up on my last question with respect to Canada's electricity grid, I will say it is one of the cleanest in the world. We have been hard at work as a government. In the past year, we have seen many companies bringing historic investments to our shores like Honda, GM, Stellantis, Rio Tinto, Volkswagen and I could go on. These are huge opportunities for our country. Can the Minister…
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Madam Chair, I am sorry to have interrupted my colleague. My colleague has already directly asked the minister a number of questions, even though we know very well that, in committee of the whole, we have to ask the question through the Chair.
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Mr. Chair, I have another question. Quebec is a leader in fighting climate change and producing clean energy. Quebec's per capita CO2 emissions are 50% lower than the Canadian average. In fact, Quebec is the province with the lowest emissions per capita in all of North America. We are very proud of that. One of the main reasons for Quebec's success is our abundant hydroelectric power, which covers…
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Mr. Chair, in response to some of the Conservative leader's questions, the Minister of Finance spoke about the importance of tackling the climate crisis, particularly for Quebeckers. I would like the minister to tell us more about this priority in Quebec and for her to tell us how the acceleration of the green transition, as set out in our 2023 budget, will meet the needs of Quebeckers.
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Mr. Chair, I am pleased to participate in this committee of the whole very late this evening. I would like to start by saying that, over the past year, Canada has had the strongest economic growth in the G7 and that the growth of our economy in the first two months of this year exceeded experts' expectations. Today, some 900,000 more Canadians are working than at the beginning of the pandemic. Tha…
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Mr. Speaker, just this week, the Parliamentary Budget Officer stated that the effects of climate change bit a $20-billion-sized hole out of Canada's economy in 2021 alone. I understand that the Conservative Party of Canada does not believe in climate change, but it pretends to believe in economic responsibility. Why is it that the Conservative Party wants to cancel a market-based mechanism that is…
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Mr. Speaker, we are here at this late hour to debate Bill C-21 and, more broadly, gun control in Canada. There is no doubt that if this bill passes, it will be the most significant reform of our gun control laws in over a generation. I would like to take a few moments now to explain why the fight against gun violence and in favour of stricter gun control is so important to me. It was in my communi…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that my Conservative colleague opposite has very clearly stated that gun ownership is not a right in this country, but a privilege. What we have done in Bill C-21 is increase sentencing for violent crimes that use handguns. What we have done in Bill C-21 is reinforce our borders with additional funding in order to ensure that our security personnel can intercept gun traff…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my Bloc Québécois colleague for the work that she did on the committee responsible for this bill. The committee worked hard so that the House could debate Bill C‑21. As she is well aware, I work very closely with PolyRemembers. I know that it is important to PolyRemembers that we provide a definition of assault weapons. What we are doing in Bill C‑21 is a first step in that di…
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Mr. Speaker, I must admit I have been deeply disappointed in the position the NDP, the supposed progressive party, has taken on gun control in this country. I understand that my colleague would like to have seen an exception for IPSC, which is a sport shooters association. The reality is that the president of IPSC indicated that he would very much welcome an exception because it would allow his me…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart to honour the passing of a great man, a great Canadian and a titan in federal politics. As the member for Outremont, Marc Lalonde dedicated himself to serving our community. During his time as principal secretary to Pierre Elliott Trudeau and later as a key member of his cabinet, Marc Lalonde played a pivotal role in shaping our society. His unfailing commitm…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, this bill appears to be designed to serve as a stepping stone towards reopening the abortion debate in Canada, with the goal of conferring rights on the fetus. Let me be clear. Our government firmly believes that the right to abortion is protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We will never compromise on that right. Second, this bill contains errors that render it …
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Madam Speaker, today I rise to speak to Bill C‑311, which was introduced by the Conservative member for Yorkton—Melville. The bill amends the Criminal Code to specify that knowingly assaulting a pregnant woman and that causing physical or emotional harm to a pregnant woman are to be considered aggravating circumstances for sentencing purposes. At first glance, this bill seems like a well-intention…
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