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Mr. Speaker, I would also like my vote to be counted as a “no”.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Gaspésie—Les Îles‑de‑la‑Madeleine—Listuguj, who always asks thoughtful questions. Working with him is always a pleasure. Obtaining the prior consent of the Attorney General is important to avoid misuse and abuse. Bill C‑9 endeavours to avoid certain hate-related abuses. The goal is to avoid excessive prosecutions or pitting one group against another. …
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Mr. Speaker, it seems pretty clear. No one can tell me that it is possible to spread hate in good faith or to interpreting a religious text to read that hate is a good thing. The same goes for hating Jewish people, Muslim people, Christians, Catholics, Black people, white people or God knows who else. It may be possible, but can we agree that all of it is done in bad faith? Spreading hate in good …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. In his speech, and in the speech by his Liberal colleague before him, I could hear a certain commitment to freedom of religion, which I share. We in the Bloc Québécois are committed to it as well. I would like to know his thoughts on that matter. Does he think we should keep protecting freedom of religion and ensure that the state does not meddle i…
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Mr. Speaker, everything has been said about this bill, including with regard to the religious exemption. Committee proceedings began last October, and in the end, it took time allocation to get it passed. I find that truly deplorable because this is an important bill. Hate is a societal cancer at every level. I support Bill C-9, the Bloc Québécois supports Bill C-9 and we will vote in favour of Bi…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. He raises a good point. The Adil Charkaoui case shocked everyone in Quebec at the time, and probably everyone across Canada. I do not have the text in front of me, but this individual used biblical texts to say something along the lines of “Lord, eliminate all of Allah's enemies, spare no one”. It was clearly an incitement to hatred against Jews.…
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Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank my colleague for her question and for the important work she does here, particularly regarding the status of women and seniors. Her work is invaluable. I am hopeful that Bill C-9 will help us combat the scourge, the cancer, as I said earlier, of hatred in our society.
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Mr. Speaker, this is not my first time speaking in the House to Bill C‑9. My position, or the position of the Bloc Québécois, is already well known. Obviously, it will come as no surprise to hear that we have no intention of changing our position. That said, I think it is worth reiterating a number of points regarding Bill C‑9, because I would say that too much misinformation has been spread about…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the House what the religious exemption that is eliminated by Bill C‑9 refers to, because I am hearing things from our Conservative colleagues and I cannot believe what I am hearing. There was never any question of prohibiting people from reading the Bible, the Torah, the Quran or any other religious text. What is prohibited is spreading hate based on a religious text.…
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Mr. Speaker, I just said this, and I do not want to repeat myself, but I think it is important to have guidelines. We are dealing with explosive issues. Hate is fuelling outbursts of anger online, on the streets, in schools, and just about everywhere. We want to try to tackle hate. For heaven's sake, let us approach this with some wisdom and keep this guideline of entrusting general oversight to a…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to know whether a distinction should be drawn between immediate spending, such as groceries, and long-term spending on measures such as those recommended by the Bloc Québécois. On example I am thinking of is reinstating the benefit to help keep workers in their jobs during difficult times, as well as all those measures that help us weather the crisis—
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Mr. Speaker, I share my colleague's hope. I wish a bill like this one could pass unanimously. I have said it before and I will say it again: This fall, I will be marking 11 years in the House, and I have never met a member who was acting in bad faith. I profoundly disagree with many of them on many issues, but I think that they all defend their points of view in good faith because they truly belie…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my Conservative colleague. I cannot recall the name of his riding, but thanks to him, I have an attentive audience. I think this is the first time I have been in the middle of a speech and seen everyone rush into the House to listen to it. I thank my colleague. I was talking about the offence of intimidation in order to obstruct or interfere with access to a place of w…
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Mr. Speaker, rehabilitation and social reintegration are foundational features of the Canadian correctional system. People commit various crimes, some more serious than others. The goal is always to put these individuals behind bars. Part of the reason for that is punishment, but there is also considerable emphasis on rehabilitation to ensure that, when they are released from prison, they are less…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Jonquière for his speech, which was as engaging and passionate as he is. I must say that I was surprised as I listened to him speak. In my view, building a house starts with wood. Ask any six-year-old kid in school what is needed to build a house, and the first thing the child would say is wood. My colleague tells us that in the budget, wood is mentioned only…
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Mr. Speaker, the Build Canada Homes bill is not a bad bill because we are in the midst of a housing crisis and any attempt to correct the situation is more than welcome. However, the way the bill is worded, the federal government is encroaching on the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces, which always makes me feel a bit uneasy. Quebec and Ottawa made an agreement on a number of things, which…
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Mr. Speaker, I fully agree with what our colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk was saying. Our colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean has not won the lottery. He is lucky, it is true, because he comes from a fine riding, but the people of Lac-Saint-Jean are truly lucky to be able to count on him. I can see that he knows the issues very well. To his credit, he spoke about them with passion. I find…
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Mr. Speaker, what I see when it comes to these investments is that there is a significant gap. The Liberals constantly claim that they are there for Canadians. It reached a point where it was comical. I remember the former prime minister saying that the government was there to help and would continue to help in order to help. He seemed to be talking in circles. Quebec has made certain demands. Dur…
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Mr. Speaker, listening to my colleague, I can hear how enthusiastic he is about his government's budget measures. I am listening to him tell us how great things are going and how wonderful life is. However, there is one thing I do not understand, so maybe my colleague can explain it to me. If his government is having so much success with the economy, why is it happening at our seniors' expense? Wh…
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Mr. Speaker, here is what I think of his government. I admit that the current Minister of Justice is someone I have a cordial relationship with. I consider him to be effective, and I have a certain amount of confidence in him. However, I do not want anyone to ask me to approve everything the current government has done. It has done a lot more objectionable things than good things, in my opinion, a…
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Mr. Speaker, as I was just saying, I would not be prepared to say that Bill C‑16 is a cure-all and that everything will be fine from now on, but I would say that things will certainly be better than they used to be. I am quite pleased with the work that was done on Bill C‑16 before it was referred to committee and when the committee was studying it. This bill improves quite a number of things. Fir…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not want to repeat myself unnecessarily, but my colleague is right to raise this issue. I do not think it would be appropriate to return to mandatory minimum sentences that leave no room for discretion. For one, this would run counter to the ruling the Supreme Court has already handed down on this matter. I have no objection to going back to the Supreme Court several times if nec…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to sit alongside my colleague on the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. We do not always see eye to eye, but I believe he does a thorough job and I congratulate him on that. I understand that he disagrees on a number of points relating to Bill C‑16, but can we agree that Canadian society is better off with Bill C‑16 than without it?
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me as well to work with my colleague. First of all, I want to say how much I appreciate his efforts to speak French. His French is becoming exceptional. I tip my hat to him. I actually think his French is better than my English. To answer the question more specifically, as I said earlier, I think the recruitment of minors is a scourge. I cannot stress this enough.…
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Mr. Speaker, no matter what the Liberals may think, the Clarity Act is a tool designed to disregard democracy if the outcome of a vote does not suit the federal government. Its sole purpose is to suppress the will of the people. It is a law that undermines democracy and the right of peoples to self-determination. It also undermines justice by disregarding the Supreme Court's opinion, which holds t…
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Mr. Speaker, there is no place in a democracy for a law that does not respect the will of the people as expressed by a majority of 50% plus one vote. There is no place in a democracy for a law that overturns the will of the people by claiming, after the fact, that the question or the result was not clear enough. There is no place in a democracy for a law that flouts the rules of the ballot box whe…
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Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I do not entirely agree with my colleague. In fact, I have the same concern about budgetary matters. It is true that people are struggling to make ends meet. However, the problem is that cutting gas taxes and increasing oil production are counterproductive. This is simply putting things off. The planet will eventually have to be cleaned up because it will no longer be l…
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Mr. Speaker, I think that my colleague and I are pretty much on the same wavelength when it comes to a number of things. However, as far as decisions by the government are concerned, we saw that the former Liberal government was steering us toward a green transition. There were investments in the auto industry. Then the government announced that it would be scrapping all of that. Instead, it will …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to know what my colleague thinks about the Bloc Québécois motion that called on the federal government to pay back the $814 million it owes Quebeckers. His colleagues voted against that motion. That seems rather strange to me. If they really want to help Canadians save money and they really want to be fair, then why have they forgotten about Quebeckers? I do not understan…
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Mr. Speaker, not only does the Clarity Act give the federal government some kind of veto over the wording of the question, as though people are too thick to understand the question, but this undemocratic law also calls into question the principle of majority rule in a democracy. The Liberals want clarity. That is fine, let us be clear then. First, the government that initiates a referendum determi…
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Mr. Speaker, what my colleague has just said is a comment, not a question. I will take note of his comment and say the same to him. I am not going to repeat what I said, but, since he is part of this government, is he capable of persuading his leader, the Prime Minister of Canada, to take action? It is all well and good to talk and announce measures, but is he capable of taking action around benef…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton's speech on this motion, which was entirely relevant and appropriate under the circumstances. The situation that the Bloc Québécois is speaking out against is one that is long-standing and extremely problematic. The government is always playing catch-up. That is what is happening with health care. In the beginning, …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. Does she believe that building Canada strong and the “nationalism” advocated by the Prime Minister includes respect for provincial jurisdictions? Is a strong Canada not necessarily a Canada that respects the jurisdictions of the various provinces? In this regard, can we count on the current government to consult the provinces, to really consult the…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Lévis—Lotbinière was right in saying that it is easy to see that the member for Mirabel used to be a university professor. He has a knack for putting things simply. I, on the other hand, am even simpler than that. I am not exactly an expert when it comes to economics and finance. When I am not an expert in a particular field, I tend to stay on the path forged by othe…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to Bill C‑225 for the second time in this Parliament. However, this topic is nothing new. I had already spoken to this bill a few times. In 2020 and 2021, our colleague from Victoria and members for several other ridings had already introduced similar bills, and the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights is currently completing its study of the government's Bil…
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Mr. Speaker, we are talking about a bill that seeks to ensure that the federal government honours the treaties it has signed. I wonder if we should apply this concept to more federal government matters. The first thing that springs to mind is the famous notwithstanding clause in the Constitution that was adopted by Pierre Elliott Trudeau's government, because the current government seems intent on…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech, which was interesting, important and relevant, as usual. I also note that there seems to be a fundamental problem with this bill. We should not need to make legislation to tell the government to do its job, to monitor it and to make sure it is doing it. At the same time, I see that the commissioner will have no teeth. There will be no penalties. Do…
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice texted an apology to the Premier of Quebec for his comments about wanting to limit the use of the notwithstanding clause. However, that is exactly what he is doing with his Supreme Court challenge of Bill 21. His brief and his oral arguments make it clear that Ottawa wants to limit the use of the notwithstanding clause by restricting its pre-emptive use. Now th…
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Mr. Speaker, the government may not have the power, but we know the federal government's position on the notwithstanding clause. There is no misunderstanding. In fact, the government has spent at least $2 million fighting something in the Supreme Court over which it supposedly has no power. The government wants to limit Quebec's ability to pre-emptively use the notwithstanding clause. What it is d…
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Mr. Speaker, I did not have the pleasure or honour of knowing David, but I do have the pleasure of knowing his father. We do not always see eye to eye, but I have a great deal of respect and a deep affection for him. I am pleased to speak to this bill on behalf of the Bloc Québécois. I can say straight away that we will be supporting Bill C-231. Having read it, I would say that this is part of the…
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Mr. Speaker, earlier, my colleague from Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj asked a government representative a question. He wanted to know who had been consulted on the decision regarding the timelines for responding to a request and the timelines for companies subject to this type of request to challenge the decision. The answer was that a consultation was carried out with police represen…
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Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, I must say that I have doubts about the premise. I share his concern. Bill C‑22 should not be used to embark on a witch hunt and make false claims. However, I do not agree that Bill C‑22 could not ultimately be used to allow individuals or organizations to gain access to our bank accounts. I think that that is already a reality, with or without Bill C‑22. That is…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Shefford, who always has excellent questions, although they are often tricky. I am not entirely sure if I am answering correctly, but yes, this has to do with the so-called Five Eyes. Canada must not rely solely on information obtained from other countries. We also need to produce information. We also need to take the lead and be able to take action on variou…
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Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague for his question. I agree with my colleague from Drummond about the importance of these debates. We know that there have been tough debates on certain bills in the past. Does my colleague think that we would be able to reach an agreement on Bill C-22, if it were to be studied in committee, and come up with a version that would protect everyone's rights and freed…
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Mr. Speaker, I was rather pleased when I reviewed Bill C-22, because I think it is better than what was proposed in Bill C-2 last year. However, I am not sure that it meets all of the necessary conditions for it to come into force. It will come as no surprise that the Bloc Québécois is also not sure whether this bill should come into force. Honestly, I cannot tell my colleagues this morning what p…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question gives me the opportunity to say that we are pleased that, with Bill C‑22, the government has proposed a piece of legislation that is better than Bill C‑2. I acknowledge that and am grateful for it. However, as I said earlier, just because it is better does not mean it is perfect. That does not even mean that we should spend time studying it in committee. Maybe …
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance and National Revenue introduced Bill C-15, the budget bill, which contains measures to help Alto expropriate land from the people of Terrebonne for the high-speed rail line. People might ask what the connection is between the Minister of Finance, a budget bill and expropriations. It is true that there is no connection, except that the Minister of Finance has cl…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, that issue is debatable. The government wants to change the threshold from reasonable grounds to fear to reasonable grounds to suspect. The threshold is being lowered to such an extent that, ultimately, there is hardly any threshold at all. It is important to think about that. We need to be careful. It has been said that the perfect is often the enemy of the good. W…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank our colleague for his speech. He is always very interesting. As I mentioned earlier, this bill really deserves our attention because it is important and could change the lives of many Quebeckers and Canadians. I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on the trend we have been seeing over the past year or so with the new Liberal government. In various ways, bo…
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Mr. Speaker, we are not that far apart on this issue. We really need to give law enforcement and government agencies the tools they need to adapt to the realities of 2026, 2027 and so on. I agree on that point. However, does that mean that we agree to pass Bill C-22? I do not know. As I said at the outset, we are still considering it. There are arguments in favour that are being countered by argum…
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