Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, in the midst of the housing crisis, Quebeckers are literally out on the street. Rents are too expensive, and there is a housing shortage. Again today, in Le Journal de Montréal, we learn that delays in obtaining a building permit have more than doubled in downtown Montreal and the boroughs. It can take up to 20 months to obtain a building permit downtown. What citizens need is housing…
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years under the government of this Prime Minister, a growing number of Quebeckers are hungry and living in the street. The inflation crisis hitting Canadians is the result of this government's centralist spending backed 100% by the Bloc Québécois. It makes me laugh a bit because the Bloc claims to defend the interests of Quebeckers, but it voted for $500 billion in inflatio…
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years of this government, young Quebeckers and young Canadians can no longer make ends meet. The cost of living crisis is making it almost impossible to rent an apartment and buy groceries. Yesterday, a young couple from Quebec had to move back in with their parents because it is impossible for them to save to buy a house while paying their rent. That is where things stand …
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years under this government, the housing crisis has become so severe that Quebeckers are having trouble choosing between putting a roof over their heads and putting food on the table. The Journal de Montréal reported that someone is living in their minivan while the government continues to waste money. Meanwhile, the Bloc Québécois, which claims to defend Quebec's interests…
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years under this government, it is clear that the Bloc Québécois and the Prime Minister are not worth the cost. The housing shortage and high cost of rent have forced one 42-year-old to live in her minivan, and she is not the only one. While Quebeckers are trying to survive, the Bloc Québécois has decided to vote in favour of $500 billion in Liberal spending. That means the…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague for her remarks. For nine years, the government has been pumping money into programs and constantly driving up the debt. Moreover, productivity is in free fall in Canada. The government spends, spends, spends, but we see that people are lining up at food banks, that grocery costs have doubled, and that people are unable to put a roof over their head or …
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Mr. Speaker, we have only to think of ArriveCAN, the borders, passports, EI, the deficit. The list is a long one. Everything is broken. After eight years, the Prime Minister has failed on every level. Everything the Prime Minister touches fails, and now he is adding insult to injury by encroaching on Quebec's jurisdictions. Can the Prime Minister please mind his own business and let Quebec make it…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight long years, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. Food banks can no longer keep up with demand. The cost of rent and mortgages has doubled. The dream of buying a first home is almost unattainable for young Canadians. After eight years of federal encroachment on provincial jurisdictions, Quebeckers' quality of life has declined. Can the Prime Minister please stop imposi…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of deficits, people are no longer able to put a roof over their heads. There is still more red tape than common-sense solutions, like giving bonuses to cities that build more housing. As we have said before, this Prime Minister is not worth the cost. The demand for housing is skyrocketing. A landlord in Saguenay received over 200 applications for his rental unit in j…
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Mr. Speaker, while the common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, after eight years, this Prime Minister is not worth the cost, the crime or the corruption. The failed ArriveCAN app was initially supposed to cost $80,000, but we have learned that this Prime Minister ended up wasting at least $60 million on it. The Prime Minister shamelessly dip…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, the cost of rent has doubled in Canada and tripled in Montreal, which means that Canada has the worst record in the G7. Meanwhile, we are the ones with the most land on which to build. This sad record shows that, in 2022, Canada built less housing than in 1972. It is time to implement incentives to increase the construction of housing across Canad…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wasted $60 million on his corrupt ArriveCAN app. Now he is asking Canadians for even more money through the carbon tax, which the Bloc wants to radically increase. After eight years under this government, everything is more expensive. Worse still, the Bloc is supporting Liberal policies. Can the Prime Minister confirm that he will scrap the carbon tax in order to gi…
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Mr. Speaker, today, I am rising to pay tribute to Marina Larouche, who passed away in January at the age of 88. This woman led a very impressive life. As the mother of nine children, she was balancing work and family well before that concept became popular. After being involved in minor hockey for many years, she worked as a city councillor for 28 years. One of the highlights of her career was hea…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, people are running out of money. Food banks were emptied over the holidays. We have found out that the Bloc Québécois fully supports the Liberals' policies and wants to hike the infamous carbon tax yet again. Voting for the Bloc Québécois is costly for people in the regions, because the Bloc Québécois has lost touch with regional realities, as we …
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Prime Minister, the rents that Canadians are paying have reached an all-time high. Rent costs have doubled, and the housing shortage is only making matters worse. We are now learning that hundreds of homeless encampments are popping up in the regions, including my region, the Saguenay. Welcome to Canada under this government. Canadians are living on the stree…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister should be encouraging the ingenuity of mayors who have managed to accelerate housing construction in places like Victoriaville, Trois-Rivières and Saguenay. Montreal has seen a 37% drop in housing starts compared to last year, and Quebec City has seen a 40% drop. Once elected, our leader will give federal bonuses to cities that accelerate housing construction. Once …
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, Canadians cannot pay their bills. Everything costs more. The Bloc Québécois is no longer a party of the regions. Bloc members support the Prime Minister in imposing the second carbon tax, which applies to Quebec and adds 20¢ per litre of gas. They really do not understand the reality of the people in my region who need their cars and trucks to get…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the costly Bloc-Liberal coalition proved once again that it is not worth the cost. As usual, the Bloc members joined forces with the Liberals to defeat our motion calling on the Senate to pass our common-sense bill, Bill C‑234, to remove the carbon tax on farmers. Eight years in, our food banks are overwhelmed, yet those two parties want to increase the tax even more radica…
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Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, I attended the 36th annual toy drive organized by Caserne de jouets Saguenay. This organization is run entirely by volunteers, and some have been there since 1988. On the weekend, I saw generous donors line up to bring toys that will be handed out for free to families who are struggling financially. I do not have to tell members that this outpouring of generosity moves me…
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, food banks can no longer keep up with demand, it is hard to pay mortgages, and groceries are getting more and more expensive. Now, the Bloc Québécois is rescuing the Liberals in order to maintain the carbon tax on the backs of Quebeckers and Canadians. Voting for the Bloc is costly. I am wondering if the Liberals are forming the expensive …
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, one in 10 Quebeckers turns to food banks every month. Usage at a food bank in my riding, Moisson Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, is 58% higher than it was a year ago. Our people can no longer feed themselves because of inflation and excessively high taxes, yet the Bloc Québécois is supporting the Liberals' carbon tax 2, which applies in Quebec. Voting fo…
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Mr. Speaker, I think that the missed opportunity was not to have supported liquefied natural gas projects, which would now be better for the environment. We are in a transition and I think that, on the other side of the Atlantic, in Europe, countries like Ukraine are still wondering why Canada will not allow natural gas exports. We can do it. We are a nation of natural resources, and we are the be…
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Mr. Speaker, I think this is going to require some meaningful discussion, because we need to come up with one of the best agreements, one that benefits both Canada and Ukraine. I noticed something. I know that our liquefied natural gas would fill a need for Europeans and Ukrainians. However, the government is preventing it from being exported. Seeing the unfortunate situation the Ukrainians are in…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C‑57, which seeks to ratify the free trade agreement between Canada and Ukraine. I would like to share some thoughts on this agreement and why it deserves our attention and our careful review. First, it is important to remind the House that Canada has traditionally been a defender of democratic values, human rights and the rule of law internationally. Sin…
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Mr. Speaker, I think that the Bloc Québécois should be a little more realistic and realize what is going on in Canada and Quebec, especially with the carbon tax. I think that people in my riding are pretty unhappy about inflation, and the carbon tax is part of it. I think that party has some serious soul-searching to do. I am not sure it is the party of the regions anymore.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, the cost of living just keeps going up. Massive spending and endless deficits are causing record rates of inflation. Quebeckers are getting poorer by the day. While our people are unable to make ends meet, the Liberals find that this is the perfect time to add to Quebeckers' burden by imposing the carbon tax 2, which applies in Quebec and …
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, Quebeckers are getting poorer. Those are the facts. According to Statistics Canada, inflation is rising faster than Quebec wages. What is more, the second carbon tax to be applied in Quebec will increase the price of gasoline by 17¢ per litre. Then there is the Bloc, which claims to defend Quebec, yet is further harming Quebeckers by deman…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers are at the end of their rope. Inflation is at an all-time high, and people are struggling to make ends meet. In my riding, food bank visits have increased by 40% to 50%. People are suffering. Quebeckers are having to find a second job to get by. Meanwhile, what does the government decide to do? It adds a carbon tax that increases everyone's cost of living. What is more, it …
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, mortgage rates have jumped by 151% to $3,560 a month. Back in 2020, the Prime Minister said, “We took on debt so Canadians wouldn't have to”. Today, however, Canadians and Quebeckers are finding it harder than ever to make ends meet. When will the Prime Minister stop his wasteful spending and eliminate the inflationary deficit so that Canadians ca…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C-282, which is fairly simple and fairly short. It provides an obligation to fully respect the supply management model. Every time that free trade agreements are negotiated, supply-managed producers lose market share and other sectors do not benefit. I come from Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, a region of Quebec that is a pillar of the agricultural industry beca…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Lac‑Saint‑Jean. I think now is the time for solidarity. We have to be very careful, we have to make sure that people are safe, but also, and this is what we will be looking at later, whether the resources and equipment are adequate when situations like the one we are experiencing now arise, and whether the staff and firefighters have all the necessary resourc…
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Mr. Speaker, It is always a pleasure for me to speak. I consider myself truly lucky, and even honoured, to be in the House and to be able to represent my fellow Canadians. We have the power, as members of Parliament, to propose solutions and make decisions to improve our country, Canada, and to help it prosper. I am often called on to speak on hot topics in the news, but I am always thankful for e…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague because that is a very good question. We know assessments will also be carried out after these events. Since I do not think this will be the last time we will face these kinds of forest fires, sadly, we will really have to make sure the equipment is up to par and that we have the proper airplanes and trained personnel, but we also need to know what the Can…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. We can definitely always do more. The federal government must have a good relationship with Quebec, serve Quebec and ask what it needs. I say that because these forest fires are also happening in Quebec. The federal government must listen and do everything it can to provide what Quebec needs. I think that is a very good question, and that we agai…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for South Shore—St. Margarets. I am usually pleased and honoured to rise in the House to speak. Often, I am called upon to speak to issues of the day. I am always grateful for the opportunity I have to speak out against things that I find unfair and to debate important issues. However, that is not the case tonight. I am not at all happy to g…
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Madam Speaker, I think it is very important to listen, to be present on the ground if the situation becomes more urgent, to talk to the mayors across our ridings and to be aware of everything that is happening. It is also important to know where the SOPFEU is at with its operations and so on. I think those are very important things, but we also have to stay connected with the people and stakeholde…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the very good question. We see the importance of having adequate equipment when certain disasters happen or situations arise. The problem is that often the situation has not been anticipated, and we do not think about what equipment is needed when a disaster occurs. Of course, we must be very vigilant. My colleague is right. We must also be aware of the fact…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Of course we need to reduce CO2 emissions, but we can do that with new technologies, not with a carbon tax. It is important to keep one other thing in mind. I would like to know what target the Liberals have met since coming to power. We often get fingers pointed at us, but it is important to look at what the Liberals have done. Canada ranks 58…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to paint a picture of what Canada looks like after eight years under this Prime Minister. It is not pretty, even though the Prime Minister thinks that everything is fine. Canada is experiencing the worst inflation in 40 years. Housing is unaffordable and food banks cannot keep up with demand. The Liberals have been hurting the Canadian economy for the past eight years. The leas…
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Mr. Speaker, Liberal inflation has made it so that Canadians' paycheques are no longer stretching far enough to make ends meet. The Liberals already have a carbon tax that has raised the cost of gas by 41¢ a litre. Now we find out that they are going to add another tax on top of the first. The two taxes combined will add up to an extra 61¢ per litre of gas, driving up the cost of food and transpor…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague for her speech. That called to me when she said that they listened to people, hunters and so on. I remember very well that from the beginning, they were in complete agreement on Bill C-21. One of her colleagues was even in favour of amendment G-4 and was very comfortable tabling it. All of a sudden, they turned right around. What happened for them to, first…
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Madam Speaker, many hunters in my riding are very nervous about Bill C-21. Their concerns are not unfounded. Bill C-21 is the biggest attack on hunting rifles in the history of Canada. Hunting is part of Quebec's ancestral traditions. In our province, hunting is an important cultural and economic activity. During the 2021-22 hunting season, 563,228 hunting licences were sold in Quebec. That is ove…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that, at first, she fully supported Bill C-21. She even felt that Bill C-21 did not go far enough. Then, at some point, she saw people everywhere on social media saying that the bill had missed the mark and that it would be dangerous for hunters. That struck fear in the hearts of the Bloc Québécois, and because of pressure from the Conservatives, th…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for a very good question. I can tell him one thing. We heard an Olympian testify at committee. She is involved in sport shooting. She said that she would no longer be able to play the sport she loves so much because the exemptions are very limited. I would like to tell my colleague that, right now, Olympic athletes are allowed to play their sport. However, befor…
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Madam Speaker, the member for Lac-Saint-Jean is clearly a team player. He is defending his colleague on this. However, I want to make one thing clear. The Bloc Québécois went and did its job because it knew it was going to lose votes in the regions and it would not get re-elected. That is why the Bloc members ended up doing their work. In reality, they thought that Bill C-21 did not go far enough,…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague wants to know why the Liberals rejected this option, which was a very good option. They rejected an option that would have significantly improved things because they were not interested. We never know what truly goes on in their heads. We never got the sense that they wanted to move this bill forward.
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Mr. Speaker, I find it rather odd that the Liberals are always looking back at the past. We had an opportunity here. The Liberals had the opportunity to move this bill forward, but they did everything they could to delay it. The bill was not ready, but they were saying that it was ready to be introduced and voted on. Now we find out that there are 10 motions that we need to debate. What is more, t…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to speak on a subject that is near and dear to my heart, namely, official languages, and the French language in particular. First of all, I hope everyone can hear my Saguenay accent, because I am very proud of it. There are many types of linguistic variations: morphological, syntactic, diachronic. Speakers choose a certain word and not another, and th…
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleague well knows, we are currently at report stage. It is not yet time to vote. The next step will be to debate the amendments and then, further down the road, we will vote. I remember noticing when I was in committee that there were a lot of contradictions among the Liberal caucus members who were there. It seemed like the West Island contingent had one version and everyone…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague. That is a good question. First of all, the Liberals are out in left field because English is not in decline. I completely agree with my colleague. We are missing three things that the Liberals failed to pay attention to. We need a central agency. We need to give the commissioner more powers, particularly for part VII, and we need to give the commissioner the powe…
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