Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Richmond—Arthabaska for his wise words. This member has special expertise because he served in the Quebec National Assembly, where IT cost overruns are taken seriously. When there were cost overruns of $500 million for SAAQclic, an inquiry was conducted. The Quebec government took that situation seriously. Heads rolled and the Government of Quebec learned from…
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Mr. Speaker, I move that the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, presented on Monday, March 23, be concurred in. First, I want to say that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska, whose co-operation on this issue has been invaluable. The motion we are debating is as follows: That the committee report to the House to request that the government…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her very insightful remarks. It is refreshing to hear someone talk about transparency and accountability in the House. The Cúram software was known to have glitches. Five countries have adopted the Cúram system and experienced significant glitches. Australia has been dealing with Cúram glitches for 20 years. The same goes for Ontario. In 2015, a report by th…
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Madam Speaker, honestly, as I listen to what the member for Winnipeg North is saying, I get the impression that everyone is to blame except the Liberals. It is the fault of seniors that they are not receiving their benefits. It is the civil servants’ fault for not implementing the program properly, because the instructions were so clear. To me, there is a problem. I heard something interesting in …
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Madam Speaker, to be honest, I suspect that the government still thinks it can pull a fast one on us. With that in mind, I think that the parliamentary secretary is once again putting himself in the minister's shoes and saying that Cúram is worth celebrating. The problem is clear: The federal government does not have the necessary expertise. According to an article in La Presse, a public servant c…
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Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded division.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Shefford for her being so compassionate, for providing accurate information regarding the 85,000 affected seniors and for calling for answers and accountability from this government. Speaking of government accountability, this morning, at a meeting of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Dis…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean put his finger on something absolutely crucial. How was this managed internally? What instructions were public servants given? Were they given proper training in a timely manner? Were they given clear and accurate information? There were cost overruns. The deputy minister told us today that about 5% of cases had errors. What is happening with the add…
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Madam Speaker, I want to sincerely thank the member for Richmond—Arthabaska for his leadership on this issue. He has been raising it in the House for weeks and giving specific examples from his riding. Let us talk numbers. The government is bragging about the fact that there were 85,000 cases but now there are 69,000 or even 63,000. That is the number we were given this morning. Should we be comme…
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Madam Speaker, I did so right off the top. Once again, the member for Winnipeg North is being selective about what parts of this debate he listens to. The issue is the federal government's ongoing difficulty determining up-front costs. There are cost overruns. I could point to other software systems, such as the Canada Border Services Agency's assessment and revenue management system, or CARM. The…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is important for me to rise in the House and speak about the Cúram software because there have been outrageous cost overruns. I will remind members of the facts. In the beginning, the project was expected to cost $1.75 billion, but it is now costing $6.6 billion. That is a cost overrun of more than $5 billion, which is almost ten times the cost of SAAQclic. In that case, Quebec too…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the parliamentary secretary for her tone of voice. It makes a refreshing change from a lot of ministers, including the Prime Minister. Obviously, we forgot to mention during this debate that errors have occurred in 85,000 cases, that some seniors have not received their benefits on time, and that many people are still waiting a year later. That is irresponsible on the …
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Mr. Speaker, for decades, summer in Quebec had a soundtrack: the subtle buzz of lights, the crack of a bat, the snapping of a leather glove and Rodger Brulotte's unique voice. He brought the melody of baseball to the soul of Quebeckers. Rodger Brulotte, a proud ambassador for our Expos, has passed away. Starting out on radio, then moving on to TV, Rodger was the voice of baseball in Quebec for mor…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there has been a dramatic turn of events in the Cúram software saga. For weeks now, the Liberals have been insisting that there are no cost overruns even though costs have jumped from $1.75 billion to $6.6 billion. On Friday, the federal government admitted to the media that the $6.6-billion figure was far from a grand total. The Liberals admitted that they forgot to include operating…
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Mr. Speaker, I hear the Conservatives’ rhetoric. I also see it circulating on social media. The Conservatives are spreading misinformation about the Bloc’s position, and I find that quite unfortunate. The only thing the Bloc wants is for it to be illegal to use religion to promote hatred. Ultimately, we want to prevent crime from being committed in the name of religion, crimes that could have cata…
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Mr. Speaker, admitting that there is a problem is part of the solution. Every time Ottawa gets involved with IT, it is a disaster. Today the Auditor General showed us in her report that this is not over yet and that, by replacing the disastrous Phoenix software with a new system called Dayforce, the Liberals are repeating the same mistakes all over again. The Auditor General revealed that they wan…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech. We obviously wish him a speedy recovery from his cold. I would like to hear his thoughts on the situation. My colleague said that it is not up to the state to determine which religion is the right one. However, when people use religion as a pretext to commit violent, serious or deadly crimes, or when they incite hatred by hiding behin…
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Mr. Speaker, 85,000 pensioners are victims of errors in their old age pensions because of the Cúram software. Taxpayers are on the hook for $5 billion in cost overruns, and that does not even include the Canada pension plan. According to the Liberals, that is okay because “this is good news for Canada”. Pensioners having financial problems is a success story. The Liberals do not think that we shou…
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Mr. Speaker, there is already less celebrating going on. Pensioners who have not received their old age pensions for nine months would like to celebrate with the Liberals, but they cannot because they do not have one red cent. Taxpayers would like to celebrate too, but when they think about all of the better ways to spend $5 billion than on software cost overruns, they lose their childlike joy. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to say something in connection with Build Canada Homes. The program's implementation was somewhat chaotic. The government wanted to simply sweep away what was there, but in my home region of Abitibi—Témiscamingue, that could have had serious consequences. A women's shelter with confirmed funding was put on hold for months. The very survival of this project was hanging in the ba…
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Mr. Speaker, 85,000 pensioners are having problems with their OAS pension because of the Cúram software, which has chalked up $5 billion in cost overruns to date. What are the people responsible doing? They are paying themselves bonuses. In 2024‑25, senior officials at Employment and Social Development Canada received bonuses amounting to more than $15 million. When 85,000 pensioners are having pr…
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Mr. Speaker, I would first like to take a moment to congratulate the Citadelles de Rouyn‑Noranda on making it to the finals of the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. It was a remarkable achievement. Indeed, my nephew Renaud was among those who participated in the tournament. I want to tell everyone that I am very proud. It was a heartbreaking overtime loss, just like Team Canada. Stil…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Saskatoon West for his intervention and for understanding the power that should be exercised at the level closest to the people, that is to say, at the municipal level. Municipalities are the ones that know the reality in our regions. I would like to point out that back home in Rouyn‑Noranda, the housing shortage has been going on for more than 20 years, and …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by expressing my support, as many other members have done, for the communities affected by the events of this week, specifically Tumbler Ridge and Kitigan Zibi. Bill S-211 provides for the development of a national framework to regulate sports betting advertising by establishing national standards. No one will be surprised to hear me say once again that Canada is…
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Mr. Speaker, I believe I used unparliamentary language and I ask you to use your discretion to withdraw it, please.
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Mr. Speaker, since we are in a debate about cars, I will ask a question about mechanics. Then, since we are discussing subsidies for electric vehicles, I will ask a question about money. I would like to know if the member for Halifax thinks that the fact that the Conservative Party receives a lot of money from donors who are heavily involved in the oil and gas industry could have anything to do wi…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses. The Cúram software was supposed to cost $1.75 billion. We are now at $6.6 billion. That is a cost overrun of nearly $5 billion. However, according to the Liberals, that is not a cost overrun. No, those were just initial contracts with a below-cost starting value. They seem to think we are stupid. Oh, that is not a cost o…
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Mr. Speaker, it is never easy to take up a bill from the Senate in the House, especially when there are imperfections. I would like to note my colleague's desire to start a public debate about an issue that affects people's health and that has significant financial implications. Obviously, this encroaches on the provincial jurisdictions and that of Quebec. I would like her to tell us about that. H…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's intervention on modern treaties was heartfelt and sincere. This commissioner will indeed play a role vital to us as parliamentarians. We will be able to take responsibility and ask the right questions. In short, we support this bill. I had the opportunity to speak at first reading. Here is my question. After my speech, I received a lot of feedback, especially from the L…
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Mr. Speaker, it is quite a privilege to hear a speech from the member for Winnipeg North. We were lucky today. What are the chances? That being said, I would like to hear his comments on the mechanics of his government. Why did his government choose to cut a cheque instead of permanently increasing OAS and therefore seniors' incomes? Is it because the OAS delivery system is failing and more and mo…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my esteemed colleague for her speech. It was clear that she carefully weighed every word. That being said, one thing I feel the government has not weighed is the impact this will have on national debt, because we know that everything this government does only adds to the debt. According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, we are talking about an additional $12.4…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his initiative to promote transparency and bring prices down in the agri-food sector. I have a question for him. Just today, at the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Canadian Pork Council and Les Éleveurs de porcs du Québec demanded more transparency in pork-related transactions, particularly for processors. We know that consumers are paying…
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Madam Speaker, naturally, I will not congratulate my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk on his French, but I will nevertheless address the issue of sovereignty, a theme I like to hear him talk about. I will not talk to him about the Prime Minister's speech in Quebec City, because I know he cares a lot about historical accuracy, but I want to talk to him about electric vehicles, which …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his extremely moralizing speech, although this House sometimes needs it. Let us apply the same arguments used in support of the rigour shown by the Prime Minister recently. As a member for Quebec, does my colleague agree with the Prime Minister's historical accuracy when he rewrote the facts of the battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City and its impac…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to this bill as the new Bloc Québécois critic for agriculture, agri-food and supply management. What is better than talking about food transparency? I applaud the member for Fleetwood—Port Kells for his initiative. As he said earlier in response to my question, Quebec is already way ahead of the rest of Canada on this issue. In fact, just last year, the Governmen…
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Mr. Speaker, I obviously cannot give the first speech of 2026 without wishing you a happy new year. This will be a very promising year, particularly for Quebec. I think that this will be a very important year in terms of the fate of the Quebec nation. Many of us have just returned from the Parti Québécois's policy convention and we can feel a change in the air. There was also a palpable buzz at th…
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Mr. Speaker, would the Prime Minister have us believe that we need to ally ourselves with Europe for a war? Who are we at war with, the United States? We could very well lose everything. The sense of security we enjoy in Canada is clearly directly linked to the United States and our continental approach. That needs to be reflected in our trade relations. A partnership with China risks provoking th…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to acknowledge the induction of Jennifer Abel, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Diane Roy, Henri Sassine and the legendary Paul Houde and Michel Bergeron into the Quebec sports hall of fame. I am especially delighted to note the induction of two people from Abitibi—Témiscamingue, weightlifter Christine Girard and cyclist Marc Lemay. Christine Girard, a gold medalli…
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Madam Speaker, I enjoyed the part of my colleague's speech when he talked about the member for Battle River—Crowfoot. He spoke in particular about this member's empathy, which I find rather surprising, since that is not necessarily the first thing that we notice about him in the House. At the same time, my colleague made me realize that the confidence vote in the Conservative leader is a bit of an…
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Madam Speaker, it is difficult for me to rise in the House this morning, but I do so with dignity. I think that what we have experienced this morning is one of the finest moments in the House in recent years. I commend my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière for his courage. As a parent of teenagers, I have to say that what he went through is my worst nightmare. I also commend my colleague'…
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Beauce for his speech, which he ended by saying that he would fight for his constituents. We know that there are statistics that prove this, when we look at his profile on the HockeyDB website. I am very confident that the people of Beauce will be well represented. My colleague talked about an important issue that is not part of Bill C‑15 and barely…
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Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague from Windsor West for his impassioned speech. We know that the riding of Windsor West includes the Ambassador Bridge and is affected by this situation of exports to the United States. I understand the concern about that and the impact that the economic slowdown and the crisis with the United States is having. If Canada produced only electric cars, but there was stil…
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Mr. Chair, in his remarks, my colleague talked about contracts, and that reminds me of the battle that took place at the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology two years ago, specifically regarding the Stellantis, Honda and Volkswagen contracts. The Conservatives were fighting what I thought was an irresponsible battle to release the contracts. We had access to them. Although I thought it w…
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Mr. Chair, I would like to thank my colleague, the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Industry, for his remarks. I particularly appreciated his sensitivity toward workers affected by a conflict that seems to have been created entirely by the government. The government could have resolved this conflict with the United States with a snap of its fingers. Furthermore, for the past 10 years, th…
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Mr. Chair, I would like to congratulate my colleague, who is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. He made a point of mentioning that because he has the audacity to stand up in the House to defend the government's environmental vision for the automotive industry. That is so ironic, because the government signed an agreement to build a new pipeline to produc…
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Mr. Chair, I would like to thank my colleague from Essex for his comments and his concern for the industry. However, my response to him is that we actually do have a choice right now. Do we want to manufacture cars with parts that make dozens of trips back and forth to the United States? It ultimately costs a a lot, with the taxes, surcharges and so on. Would it not be better to develop a product …
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Mr. Chair, rarely do I get the feeling that my speeches in the House are so clear that they do not prompt any questions. I think that this may mean that what I am saying is resonating. One point that really resonates is the one made by my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton. I am thinking in particular of the forestry industry. What does the forestry industry get compared to the tens of bil…
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Mr. Chair, I, for one, applaud the incentives that were offered. We are doing this for the planet, from an environmental perspective. The break-even point in the pollution emitted by an electric vehicle versus a gas-powered vehicle is 20,000 kilometres. After 20,000 kilometres, an electric vehicle is good for the planet. My electric vehicle has over 200,000 kilometres on it, and I am very proud of…
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Mr. Chair, my colleague says that she might like to have an electric car one day. That is a little shocking because the Conservatives' policies in the House over the past two, three or four years smack of the oil lobby. The Conservatives wanted to eliminate just about every possible subsidy that was being given for innovation in the energy transition and for innovation in SMEs to improve the effic…
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Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague from Guelph. I enjoyed learning about her riding this evening. I think she is a good advocate for her riding and for auto industry innovation. She talked about a critical minerals strategy. The problem is that there is no such strategy. If there were, it would be focused on processing. What is happening right now? Right now, we are dependent on China, which controls…
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