Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Windsor West, who is probably one of the people I respect the most in the House. I would simply say that there are many victims we never hear about, including those with mental health issues. The pandemic has probably claimed more victims among people who were ignored, who gave up their freedom, who were locked in rooms, who gave up their health and their liv…
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Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank my hon. colleague from Simcoe North for his remarks. We may have just heard the most constructive and balanced speech we will hear in this debate. I find this very comforting, and it gives me confidence for the future. I offer my sincere congratulations to my hon. colleague. I would like to hear more from my colleague. Basically, this is about our democracy and the m…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Egmont for his speech, which I would describe as quite constructive. His speech was much more constructive than those of many of his colleagues, who seem to want to spread propaganda. I can also say that one other member has been constructive, and that is the member for Hull—Aylmer. I encourage all Liberal government members to adopt that same attitude. I would …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his remarks and the ideas he shared with Parliament. At this point in the debate, I am thinking about potential crisis exit strategies that might work. Sending the army and the police, including mounted police, into crowds of protesters is not going to calm people down. Eventually, we have to figure out how to end this crisis. Parliament will have to make co…
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Madam Speaker, something rather ironic is happening in the House right now: An NDP member is sitting on a Liberal back bench. I hope that he is at least negotiating a seat closer to the front. Having said that, I hear members on the government side talking about a Maru poll that says all kinds of nonsense. According to this poll, 72% of Quebeckers have a favourable opinion of the Emergencies Act. …
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Mr. Speaker, while my colleague was speaking, we got a notification about a perimeter being erected around Ottawa's downtown just a few metres from here. Apparently the police are preparing to intervene. Things are getting more and more serious now. All of this could have been avoided. Here is my question for my colleague. What happens next? Is there any way to avoid chaos, physical confrontation …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague from La Prairie spoke about trilogies, but I for one am interested in the fourth instalment, something like Police Academy. The member also used the term “atomic bomb”. I think the use of this new Emergencies Act is historic. I have never seen anything like it. The act is unique, and there is nothing more powerful. The situation needs to be absolutely critical. The situat…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech and the references she made to democracy. Today, my democracy is suffering. I am concerned about my democracy. It seems to me that the Emergencies Act or the War Measures Act is the final weapon in a democracy. This week, we heard protesters say that they would keep going and would not stand down. That is usually a left-wing slogan, but now we are…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Fundy Royal for his speech and for rising to oppose the Emergencies Act. I am doing so as well. I remember that, in question period either last week or the week before, because this situation has been going on for three weeks, the government was asked why it was not taking action, why it was not moving, why it was not doing anything about the protesters. Th…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands for her speech. I know she is a great democrat, perhaps one of the best in this House. She gave a detailed, nuanced and constructive analysis. We have not heard a lot of constructive comments or a focus on dialogue from the government these days. My democracy is suffering too, under the circumstances. I am very concerned about the fact …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for sharing that he is finding this difficult, that he is troubled about it and that it is not easy for him to approve this measure. I appreciate his honesty. However, he also said that he was not giving the Liberals and the government a blank cheque by supporting this measure, which I do not understand. How is the NDP's support not a blank cheque? What kind of …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his speech and his willingness to quickly reintroduce this bill that is so important to Quebec's industry. In Quebec, there is a high demand for French-language made-in-Quebec that is tailored to Quebeckers' tastes. However, industry players are deeply concerned about the intense pressure of the rising cost of local production and the ability to pay the produc…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened to the speech by my colleague from Hastings—Lennox and Addington, and I took notes, especially when she was talking about recognizing the dignity of workers. The Bloc Québécois made its position very clear during the election campaign: We want old age security to be increased by $110 a month starting at 65. We will not create two classes of seniors. We want to be sure to in…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Terrebonne and, who knows, perhaps little Hadrien as well. In my time as the member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue, I have heard from many seniors in my riding who are very frustrated about their financial insecurity. They can no longer pay their bills. Seniors have been the primary victims of COVID‑19. They are the ones more likely to die…
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Madam Speaker, I am always on the lookout for any opportunity to increase seniors' purchasing power. There are always measures and traps in what the NDP presents, so I will remain vigilant. Let us put ourselves in the shoes of a senior. We have all visited seniors' homes in our ridings, and we have all received phone calls from seniors who are sure there has been an error because the amount on the…
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Madam Speaker, I can see how you could get the member for Mirabel and the member for Trois-Rivières mixed up. I must admit that I confuse the two as well sometimes. I thank my colleague from Trois-Rivières for his excellent question. Obviously, it is duly noted. I would remind members of what may be the most egregious part of the bill. It does not fix the entire issue of seniors, as it is only a s…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Nunavut, whom I am getting to know this evening. I thank her for being here. If there is one thing in this file for which we should turn to the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and the Inuit, it is their relationship with our seniors. We have a lot to learn in that regard. The decade from 2022 to 2032 is the Decade of Indigenous Languages. We mus…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. Her compassion shines through. My question for her is very simple. How does she explain that the bill says June 2022 instead of March 2022? Would it have been possible to simply change the date and stop the benefit reductions sooner? Would that not show more compassion? Why did the Liberal government not do that?
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Nunavut for her eloquent speech. I would like to hear what she has to say about the services that the Canada Revenue Agency and Service Canada provide to the Inuit and indigenous peoples. I understand that there is a serious lack of communication from these departments and that many errors could otherwise have been avoided. How does she propose that the gov…
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Madam Speaker, people are bitter about this winter's lockdowns, and I am not talking about the truckers. I am talking about the people who are following the rules and were proud to make sacrifices to protect the most vulnerable. This winter, we feel like we are paying the price for decades of federal underfunding in the health care system. The chronic underfunding in health is almost as much to bl…
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Madam Speaker, that is precisely the elephant in the room. The health care system has become fragile because it is underfunded by the federal government, which bears a huge share of the responsibility in this. We now have a duty to rebuild the health care system to ensure this never happens again. That is the provinces' responsibility. This is essential if we are to provide citizens with the care …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague a question. She obviously cannot ignore what is going on outside or what happened in question period. This is about managing a public health crisis, but it is also about public health measures. There are people protesting right now. Every party has made it clear that this calls for a party leaders' summit to enable meaningful dialogue, even if it is be…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Cumberland—Colchester for his thoughtful speech, which gave examples of what people are going through. I would like him to elaborate on that. We agree that there are people who are going through difficult times and are afraid of this pandemic. There are people who are more vulnerable, including children, parents, the immunocompromised and seniors. In the curr…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague made an interesting allusion at the end of her speech when she talked about the country and about the advantages proper border management would afford in providing more consistent health care. It probably would have been a very good thing for Quebec to be independent during the pandemic, particularly during the previous waves. My colleague also ended her speech by talki…
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Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to see you in that chair. I thank my hon. colleague from Calgary Nose Hill for her speech. She was extremely critical of the government's lack of leadership and vision when it comes to health. I wonder if she could comment on what proposals she would make if she were sitting on the government side. Is it not time to provide funding to the provinces? There is …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, the opening ceremony for the 24th Winter Olympic Games took place this morning in Beijing. We have a duty to remember that these Olympics never should have been held in China, whose government is guilty of committing genocide against its own people, the Uighurs. However, we also need to remember that this is not our athletes' decision and it is not their fault. Quebec's athletes are a…
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Madam Speaker, I was touched by your statement this week and I want to offer my condolences. I have a question for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government on the other side of the House. I would like to know who ultimately makes health care expenditures. Do the provinces spend the money or is it the federal government? Is it not an indication of some kind of structural problem …
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Madam Speaker, since we are talking about agriculture, a subject that really matters to me, how can we help in the current context? We all agree that this government has not introduced very many measures. What concrete action can we take to help our farmers make ends meet? At the same time, how can we help them make the transition to a greener economy?
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Madam Speaker, I own an electric vehicle and I find these issues to be rather interesting. Clearly, I am not interested in funding Elon Musk. I am interested in owning an electric vehicle. The United States has developed a strategy to ensure that Americans can buy vehicles designed in the United States. That has repercussions for us. How can we ensure that every Canadian and every Quebecker can ha…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to tell my colleague from Manicouagan that I support her vision for land occupancy. The House should more clearly define its position on this issue and act accordingly. Having people settle all over Quebec and Canada is fundamental. She also mentioned that she had many ideas about how to help SMEs. I would love for her to present them.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by saying hello to my new team members: Meili Faille, who is a former Bloc Québécois MP, Anaïs Thibodeau and Mishka Caldwell‑Pichette, who are probably watching right now. A warm welcome to them all. I listened closely to members' speeches on this bill to implement the federal government's priority measures. I found the speech given by the member for Joliette to …
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Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to my colleague, if there is one thing I will never bother to whine about here, it is equalization. Quebec never gets its fair share of budgets. Meanwhile, billions pour in for southern Ontario's automotive industry and for oil and gas. The issues raised by the automotive industry include the processing of the critical minerals required for electric vehicles. Wher…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology for the question. Regarding the health transfer, I want to note that when we talk about the fiscal imbalance on the one hand and the absence of $6 billion in health transfers to Quebec on the other, to me that amounts to the same thing. Quebec is being taken for a ride, and I will never allow that. On the issu…
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Mr. Speaker, I share my colleague's concern. We absolutely need to focus on building social housing. We will have to find ways to fund it. I dream of seeing a new plan for figuring out how to maximize land use and build new housing across Canada. It is the challenge of the century. We must ensure that everyone has access to affordable housing. One of the solutions for finding money is the fight ag…
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Mr. Speaker, I was part of the delegation that went to Washington, but the minister did not mention that in her answer just now. I went to Washington to defend our softwood lumber industry. I reminded the minister that it is important to stand up for Quebec's forestry industry. I did not get the impression that she really did her best to get the softwood lumber tariffs eliminated. The proof is tha…
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Madam Speaker, I am immensely honoured to acknowledge Marc‑André Fleury's 500th career win. From Sorel‑Tracy to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas and now Chicago, Marc‑André has dominated his sport. This passionate athlete known by the nickname “Flower” is an extraordinarily talented goalie with quick reflexes. He is a gentle man who is always smiling and is well …
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Madam Speaker, my colleague from Mirabel kind of gave it away, but I would like to recognize the presence of my mother in the House. It is quite moving to be able to—
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Shefford for her eloquence. This shows how important it is to take action on this issue. It is truly appalling that the last strategy has sat on a shelf for three years. Of course, no one could have foreseen the COVID-19 crisis or the skyrocketing prices, especially for basic building materials. However, the government bears some responsibility in this. I w…
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Madam Speaker, in answer to my colleague from Winnipeg North, what I would have liked to vote in favour of is a throne speech that made access to social and affordable housing a priority. The government has a responsibility to take action on that file. The Bloc Québécois's approach is constructive. We put forward proposals, such as allocating 1% of the government's annual revenue to housing constr…
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Madam Speaker, I obviously agree. In that sense, I support the motion. However, we will have to take it further. At the time of colonization, and this was a defining moment in Abitibi, there was what we call the “plan Vautrin”. I am not saying that the federal government has to do this, but at some point, it has to give it some thought. We have to drastically speed up housing construction. If we w…
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Madam Speaker, I apologize. Instead, I will say that I thank a woman present in the House, who really inspired me, especially with respect to the issue of social housing. My mother was a source of political inspiration for me. When I was young, she participated in the bread and roses march. All these calls to action became part of my young activist DNA, and I salute her. The reality is that famili…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his excellent speech and for the inspired leadership he is providing in the situation we are dealing with in the House of Commons. I would like him to tell us what he thinks about the current geopolitical situation in Afghanistan and about the actions of the Americans, the Europeans and the various powers in the world so that we can see what lessons Can…
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Madam Speaker, it seems to me that there is currently a lack of leadership from the government on the Afghanistan issue. I would like my colleague to comment on that.
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Madam Speaker, as a result of this debate, my thoughts are also with our veterans and our troops who served in Afghanistan. Several years later, I find that the message being sent gives them the impression that their mission was futile. What message should we be sending these military members who, in many cases, sacrificed their lives or put their mental health at risk? How can we help them and en…
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to see you in the chair. It is a nice surprise for me this afternoon. With respect to Afghanistan, there is one issue of particular concern to me, and that is what people think of the sacrifice that our veterans have made in going to the front lines, as well as the plight of the Afghans. We must ensure transparency, and it is a good idea to establish a committee to …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate you on your reappointment. I would also like to congratulate the member opposite on his re‑election. When I heard him talk about the labour shortage, I thought he was a Conservative member of Parliament who was sarcastically saying that there sure were nice measures in the Speech from the Throne concerning the labour shortage. I was wrong. He is a Libera…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw a parallel between the management of Canada and the management of the Montreal Canadiens. The summer is normally a time to rest, but they both chose to play the game, and they both ultimately got very close to their goal but never reached it. Yesterday, the Montreal Canadiens management decided to do something and finally clean house. Is there still a parallel to …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to follow up on the answer given by my Conservative colleague. What should be done under the circumstances? What is happening in the U.S. is scandalous and very worrisome. What solutions does the Conservative Party propose? After an election campaign and a throne speech as empty as the Liberals' campaign speeches, what are the Conservatives proposing?
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Mr. Speaker, the worst part is that the Prime Minister met with President Biden just last week. Apparently they talked about softwood lumber. Even worse than the Prime Minister's failure to convince Mr. Biden to eliminate the duty is the fact that Biden doubled it, and his first target is Quebec's forestry industry. Not only is the duty hike a threat to Quebec jobs, but it will also increase the c…
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Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your appointment. I would also like to take a moment to thank the people of the riding of Abitibi—Témiscamingue for putting their trust in me once again. I am very honoured. I would also like to thank my wife, Émilie, and my children, Léon and Jules, for all the sacrifices they make so that I can represent the people of my riding. I also want to thank my team and th…
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