Government Orders
Madam Speaker, as a proud resident of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, I can say that microbreweries are at the heart of our identity. Whether we choose the Foublonne or Brother John from Trèfle Noir in Rouyn‑Noranda, the stout from Pierre de fée in La Sarre, the Blonde du Frère Moffett from Barbe Broue, in Ville‑Marie, and in Témiscamingue, the Tête de Pioche from the Prospecteur in Val‑d'Or, or simply a b…
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Madam Speaker, this also affects the survival of our microbreweries. It is important to people living in Quebec as it affects the prosperity of our towns and villages. What are the members' thoughts on the survival of these microbreweries? In the context of inflation, providing direct assistance might be more impactful than cutting the excise tax, which would do very little.
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Mr. Speaker, the Alouettes have finally found a new owner. Montreal's team has been purchased by none other than Pierre Karl Péladeau, making him the first francophone owner since Léo Dandurand, the man who founded the team in 1946. This well-known sovereignist said that buying the team was not a business transaction, but a matter of national pride. His words were deeply moving. I bet that some wi…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to know what my colleague from Winnipeg North thinks of the lobbying of interest groups that want to limit alcohol consumption to two drinks per week as recommended by their research. This could have consequences for the profitability of many of the regional microbreweries and craft distilleries in our regions. I want to salute Éduc'alcool, which conducted studies and has…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Cariboo—Prince George for the question. I am pleased to see him here in person in the House. Indeed, these discussions are under way. It is not easy for businesses to survive, especially SMEs and especially because of COVID‑19. That is what the owner of the Trèfle Noir microbrewery said. My colleague from Joliette managed to get the excise tax on spirits re…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan for his speech and I thank the member for Dufferin—Caledon for his leadership on this issue. Obviously this raises a number of questions. Which companies and which type of products will be targeted? Will consumers be prepared to pay more? I think that goes without saying when it comes to human rights, but at the end of the da…
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Mr. Speaker, at the prestigious 2023 Bocuse d'Or culinary competition in Lyon, Signé Caméline's roasted camelina oil won first prize in the Bocuse d'Or SIRHA Innovation Awards, the highest international honour in the field of culinary products. It is the first time a product from Quebec has won this prize. I am proud to congratulate Oliméga, a family business that uses sustainable, environmentally…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my excellent colleague from Windsor West for his intervention. I was not surprised by his point of view on this topic. I would like him to take it a bit further. What can we do to be less dependent on the Chinese market? What can we do to make our supply chain more domestic? How can we do this without passing on costs to consumers? That is the big issue. How can we be more r…
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Madam Speaker, it will be very refreshing to have our own national government in Quebec. Our economy will be based on the needs of Quebec and Quebec alone. It is clear that Ottawa is hurting Quebec's development in all sectors. They are focusing their energies and centralizing, concentrating, health expenditures without taking into account what Quebeckers need. I find that problematic. Ottawa is a…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Terrebonne for her excellent speech. I also thank the members of the Conservative Party for giving me the opportunity to speak in the House about the difficult conditions in which thousands of people find themselves and to examine some possible solutions that ultimately do not seem to fix much. Inflation is real, galloping and impacts the cost of everything…
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Absolutely, Madam Speaker. I look forward to no longer being treated like a poor province because of equalization. Quebec systematically receives less than its fair share because of the way the federal government works. Rather than constantly trampling all over the provinces, the federal government should be making real health transfers to them, like the ones that should have been made through an …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from New Westminster—Burnaby for his speech and his humanism. We are talking about the cost of living and inflation. In my opinion, the most vulnerable people are seniors who do not necessarily have the means to re-enter the workforce and earn a higher income. Would my colleague agree that OAS should be increased by at least 110% for seniors aged 65 and over?
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Madam Speaker, that is food for thought. Competition will absolutely need to be fostered, and I think that the Competition Act may permit that. I believe that the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology would like to examine this issue next. That is my answer, given the time at my disposal.
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Mr. Speaker, when inflation and the cost of living go up, housing becomes a key issue. Does my colleague see boosting funding to buy properties and support affordable and community housing as a solution? If the number of units goes up, would that not bring prices down because of supply and demand?
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question and the strength of his values and convictions. In the current context, I think that we need to make realistic suggestions, but there are some things that we cannot compromise on, such as helping those in need. Not everyone is in need right now. In that sense, the next budget should set out robust measures to support economic developme…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Kings—Hants for raising constructive points on a day of debate where it still feels like all we do is discuss negative things. In the context of climate change, I think that the carbon tax is important, but we also need other measures. On Parliament Hill, there are people who are working in the area of energy efficiency to bring technologies to the table. Thi…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. Obviously, I find this whole debate on the carbon tax a bit tiresome and I look forward to moving on to other things. One of the other things we could talk about is what we can do to really encourage industries to go green. I am thinking of the mining industry in particular. How can we help the industry build green mines? What we are seeing more an…
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Mr. Speaker, this morning, I attended a meeting with representatives of trade unions from across Quebec. They raised a number of issues. They asked us to introduce measures that should have been passed a long time ago, including anti-scab legislation, higher health transfers and concrete measures to ensure a fair transition. In the context of this debate, can the member tell me what measures shoul…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Simcoe North, a rising star in the Conservative Party. I am always interested in seeing his progress. What is happening with China is worrisome. We know that China controls 80% of the lithium market. If we want a strong domestic economy, since globalization is basically over, we have to be able to protect our domestic economy and ensure that our…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Saint-Jean for delivering such an accurate analysis. Once again, I would like to highlight the work that is being done at the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. As a result of the Neo Lithium study, we have undertaken a study on strategic critical minerals. Even before the last election was called, I criticized the fact that Canada had no national…
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Mr. Speaker, I will tell him again, even though I know that he has heard it before. The member for Windsor West is sort of a mentor to me on these issues. He has been a member of the committee for such a long time. It was very shocking for us, as a very collaborative and productive committee, to see half a dozen studies die on the Order Paper. However, with the help of my colleague, I moved severa…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my fellow Quebecker, and I feel I can call him that because his presence at the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology means that we talk even more about Quebec. I really want to highlight his always relevant contribution on issues related to economic development. He is an entrepreneur, as he likes to remind us. I would like to remind him that my region is…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Winnipeg North for the question. I want to reiterate that the Bloc Québécois supports the bill, but it is also proposing some improvements, including to ensure that we can keep head offices in Quebec. The issue surrounding thresholds is simple: What happens in the case of devaluation? We may be entering a recession, and that worries me. COVID‑19 was especiall…
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured that you recognized me. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge your colleagues from Joliette. I will not be sharing my time today, but I would like to take a brief moment to recognize the work of parliamentary interns. I was privileged to have Sonja Tilro on my team for several weeks. She has done an incredible job, and this speech will be one of her final …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from South Shore—St. Margarets for his speech and for the work that he does on the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. His colleague from Calgary Nose Hill got us thinking about the Investment Canada Act two years ago. My colleague from Windsor West remembers it well. One of the recommendations that was made, which was mainly ignored by …
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Madam Speaker, I want to commend the minister for his leadership. I say that because this was a request that the Bloc Québécois made in a supplementary report for the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, which looked at the Investment Canada Act. It is nice to see that the government wants to better protect our businesses. However, in my opinion, national security goes hand in hand with …
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Madam Speaker, I realize that the events mentioned by the Conservatives today are deplorable. I wonder if my colleague could speak about young offenders. What should we do with our youth? It seems to me that rehabilitation, which helps young people understand the consequences of their actions, always yields better results than punishment and imprisonment, especially in the case of youth. I would l…
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Madam Speaker, I listened to my colleague from Kingston and the Islands, and I have been listening to the debate all morning. We heard his suggestion that this might be a Conservative fundraising tactic. It is also worth noting that it may behoove his government to act fast while there is still a majority of more moderate people in the House. At this point, rather than lob criticism at legislation…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to speak again about the multilateral early learning and child care framework, which states that the systems will “recognize the unique needs of French and English linguistic minority communities”. Would this be a way for the Liberal government to circumvent Bill 101? The Liberals are already interfering by investing in a provincial jurisdiction, and now they also want …
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Madam Speaker, the 2021 federal budget included $30 billion in new spending over five years to fund this new national child care system. It also projected an additional $9.2 billion ongoing. That is a lot of money. At the same time, predictability is the key issue. As much as we want to get this system in place, we also want it to be robust and reliable. What kind of impact do we think this will a…
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Madam Speaker, Bill C-35 is being introduced at a time when many family day cares have recently closed their doors and there are concerns about the labour shortage. Under such circumstances, I do not find that the Conservatives' solution to just give a tax credit is very helpful. We need to take action at some point. A tax credit benefits those who pay taxes; however, not all parents earn enough i…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with several points in my colleague's analysis of the Conservative position. At the same time, I would like to point out that perhaps the federal government should mind its own business, respect provincial jurisdictions, lower its own taxes and let the provinces raise theirs. It is not the federal government's place to dictate a national framework of principles or values to be…
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Mr. Speaker, to me, this is one of the most important points. The solution is very simple: Set up a robust public system. The private sector is incapable of offering solutions that are accessible to everyone. One of the big dangers right now, one of the big challenges, is access to child care spaces. That holds true just about anywhere. With a robust public system, resources will be available with…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Windsor West for his kind words. Naturally, I return the compliment. One interesting aspect to the labour shortage is that, when young parents are forced to stay home with their kids because they cannot find a child care spot, they become workers who are not working anymore. The lack of child care spaces therefore has the side effect of impeding…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Repentigny for her excellent speech. I am pleased to rise to speak to Bill C‑35, which enacts development funding, maintenance and strengthening of child care services throughout Canada. Quebec has its own way of building the services it delivers to the public and organizing its commitment to responding to the realities facing young families. It was the Parti…
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Mr. Speaker, I would just like to begin by wishing you a happy new year. In response to my colleague's speech, I think it is important to emphasize that child care is not just a business. It is not just about tax credits. It is also a place where children learn. I would like my colleague to tell us more about the provinces' role and that of indigenous peoples in delivering early learning programs …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Drummond for his excellent intervention. I would like to say that, this weekend, I was pro-gas. My Conservative colleagues are shocked, but I am referring to Pro‑Gaz R‑N Abitibi—Témiscamingue and the Studio rythme et danse team. The Pro-Gaz team won the peewee hockey tournament hosted by the Conquérants de La Sarre. I wish our local media had been there to re…
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—that should appear in our local media, and more importantly, how we can ensure that we hear about the achievements of our players, like Anthony, who was recognized as the top forward of the tournament.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to point out that I am very uneasy about the gag order that is being imposed. It is a little late to propose amendments to Bill C‑32, but a budget will be tabled soon enough. Can my colleague commit to making sure that there is real EI reform? I think it is time. We must use the months ahead to take appropriate action to rebuild our social safety net. Six out of 10 peop…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague's speech with interest, and the issue of energy certainly came up a lot. I have before me a statistic that shows that since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, Canada's big five banks have invested $694 billion in fossil fuels. Although much of it was in the form of loans, that does not change matters. Should we be doing something about the banks? I have…
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure and an honour to be able to speak to this bill, but I also do so with great humility. The principle of Bill C-235 was interesting in the sense that the Government of Canada can act specifically in a regional development fund and that there can be a contribution from regions and territories that take matters into their own hands and provide some sort of support for i…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague mentioned critical and strategic minerals several times, especially in relation to the automotive industry, which might just be saved in southern Ontario. However, I am concerned about one situation because there has been no change in what happens in mining: Resources are taken from our resource regions and sent all around the world. Can we benefit from the emergence of c…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Calgary Nose Hill for her foresight. Speaking of artificial intelligence, one of the concerns has to do with what will happen to people. If there was one thing that justified a budget statement, it is the fact that the Liberals should have moved forward with a major EI reform because the temporary measures expired in September. No action has been taken since …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Kitchener Centre and I agree that this bill is unsatisfactory, but that there is nothing particularly harmful in it. Therefore, there is no real need for it. This could have waited until the budget. There is a minority government in power. Perhaps an election will be called as a result of that budget and, who knows, perhaps the Green Party will be in power. We know t…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak to Bill C-26, which will strengthen the security of critical infrastructure and Canada's telecommunications system. Since June, many experts have been working to learn more about the provisions of this act and assess the value of what the government is proposing. First, this bill is not structured in the usual way. I see that the urgent need to manage c…
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Madam Speaker, I will simply say that I agree with my colleague.
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Madam Speaker, the bill before us seeks to reinforce our security systems and may affect critical infrastructure in Quebec such as Hydro-Québec. I always think about the Conservatives and their famous great energy corridor. That is the type of project in which the federal government could appropriate provincial responsibilities and critical infrastructure in the name of national security. This set…
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Madam Speaker, that is indeed essential, and it is also essential that the act have more teeth. In my opinion, it is vital that the act provide for a mechanism for issuing sanctions or fines in order to enforce compliance with orders and regulations aimed at securing telecommunications. Let me give an example. We have learned that China maybe funding elections, meaning that there must be a network…
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Sorry for the delay, Madam Speaker. I was waiting for the interpreter to finish. In passing, I want to thank the interpretation team. The fact that we can count on excellent interpreters when we are working on complex bills like this one is a strength of our democracy. I want to thank them. Ultimately, we are here to protect the people we represent. I am very concerned about this, but I do not pro…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his remarks and his sensitivity around this issue. I would like him to comment further on the notion of representativeness because that may be the most important part of this. Symbolic gestures are one thing, but representativeness determines who comes to the table. Effective representativeness is key to achieving real dialogue that will lead to reconciliati…
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