Parliamentary Speeches
817 speeches by Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay — Page 2 of 17
Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, on the one hand, it would ensure that parliamentarians are not being played for fools, that they are not just here to rubber-stamp agreements. It is my understanding that we were elected by the people to represent interests and values, so doing actual work on agreements should be a big part of our responsibility. What the bill would have done, for example, is set a minimum time frame …
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Mr. Speaker, I thought that my colleague's speech was very good. He demonstrated just how much of a failed negotiation this was. He explained that the government's negotiations failed with respect to meat exports from Canada and Quebec to the United Kingdom. It seems to me that when doing a favour for a country by allowing it to become party to an agreement as significant as the trans-Pacific part…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking my colleague for her kind words about the work I did on investor-state dispute settlement. I would also like to ask her about that. How does she explain the fact that the two pro-multinational parties in the House, which have been trading power back and forth in Canada since the beginning, are constantly signing agreements with these archaic provision…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak about the proposed trade agreement with Indonesia. Indeed, everyone is talking about diversifying markets and partners these days. There is a lot of talk about this. It is an idea that has become quite popular just in the past year. I wonder why that is. We are in favour of free trade, but not at any cost. I will come back to that short…
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Mr. Speaker, the beauty of 20-minute speeches is the opportunity to say that there are good things and not-so-good things. I think that is the beauty of this type of speech. There are certainly some good things for our producers and exporters, but there are some very bad things in terms of the environment, the rights of multinational corporations, and human rights. I think that sums it up.
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Mr. Speaker, this gives me an opportunity to explore this issue in greater depth, because too few people are talking about it. Civil society is fairly well informed on this topic; there were protests in the 1990s against the worst cases of misuse of this clause in agreements. However, it sounds very abstract and legal when people talk about “investor-state dispute settlements”. People think they n…
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Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. As I said, diversification is always a good idea. Could the government have done better, even in this regard? To circle back to my previous answer, there are some good and some not-so-good elements in the agreement. There are many good economic elements. There are not so many in other areas. Even though the government could have gone further, diversifica…
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Mr. Speaker, I understand that the question is about consulting businesses, entrepreneurs and so on. That probably happened to some extent. As far as the premiers are concerned, I think I did a pretty good job of explaining how the provinces had no input and no say in the matter. Just because somebody gets a call and is asked what they think about a particular topic does not mean that they have ve…
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Mr. Speaker, can you give me another 20 minutes? That question cannot be answered properly in such a short period of time. Also, I think it would likely involve repeating things that I mentioned and elaborated on in my speech. In committee, I tried to make what I thought were moderate amendments. It is unfortunate that my Liberal and Conservative colleagues did not accept them. For example, I vote…
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Madam Chair, that is indeed the case. Consular services are falling short. In fact, the newspaper was reporting on how francophones were being answered in English only. That does not measure up. That is unacceptable, but the scariest part is the lack of preparation before things started.
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Mr. Chair, I think it is pretty clear where our positions differ. Although we agree that we should not be partisan, it is also healthy to have a debate. It is healthy when not everyone is moving in the same direction. That is normal, because truth emerges from compromise and from tensions reaching equilibrium. That is how things should work in a democracy. If we all moved in the same direction, it…
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Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for her contribution to the debate, even if we disagree. I fully understand why people desperately want to see this regime relegated to the trash heap of history. However, at what time in history and in which country have we seen an armed liberator successfully impose democracy on a country in the aftermath of an attack?
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Mr. Speaker, my question will be short and clear. I would like the answer to be short and clear too, ideally a yes or no. We know that a lot of countries have been getting ready to offer proper consular services for a long time. Yes or no, does Canada have a contingency plan for providing consular services?
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Mr. Chair, I rise on a point of order. I simply want to explain to my colleague that there is a difference between hoping for regime change and hoping that the protesters succeed, and wishing for a military attack.
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Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for the question, as it will allow me to conclude my speech. What I had left to say would have taken about a minute. If she wants us to go back in history, we can go back to a fairly recent time when there was a ballistic missile agreement that limited the deployment of nuclear material. This resulted in Iran disposing of 95% of its uranium and allowed inspectors …
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Madam Chair, I will not point out the presence or absence of anyone either, but I will say that I would have really liked, given the importance of this moment, to know the Prime Minister's position. I would have liked to hear it, but I imagine that will not happen tonight.
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Mr. Chair, I would like to ask the minister a question. First, since he mentioned it in his speech, what is Canada's official position now? I understand that when a situation evolves, positions have to be adjusted, but why have there been so many contradictory messages in such a short time? Furthermore, I know that a contingency plan is now finally in place, but why is it that, while everyone else…
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Madam Chair, tonight we are holding a take-note debate, but it could have been an emergency debate. In fact, many of us requested that it be an emergency debate. This debate concerns an issue that is extremely serious and extremely worrying: the situation in the Middle East. As members of the human race, I think we all have reasons to grieve and worry about what is happening. Some Quebeckers sitti…
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Mr. Chair, I do not think anyone here in the House can be in any way accused of sympathizing with that regime. Now we are talking about threats. During Barack Obama's presidency, there was a nuclear deal. It was going well, it was working. It was ripped up during Donald Trump's first term. There was a way to make it work. What is more, that regime was becoming increasingly unpopular and was collap…
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Madam Chair, I have a simple question for my colleague. Humanitarian support absolutely has its place and must be deployed because the situation over there is extremely serious. However, does she agree that, at this point in time, not one soldier should be deployed over there for military purposes?
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Mr. Chair, I am going to ask a very simple question. Today I am hearing the Conservatives say that there is an urgent need to overthrow this regime. How is it that, prior to this American and Israeli attack, I had never heard them calling for such intervention?
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Madam Chair, my colleague is of course talking about this regime change, which is a good thing in itself. Here is my first question. When has it ever worked? In Iraq, for example, did a regime change imposed by an attacking force go well? Second, during the Obama era, an agreement was reached to limit Iran's nuclear capabilities and control its ballistic missile program. China was there, Russia wa…
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Madam Chair, I am more than happy to answer that question. The parliamentary secretary can go back and listen to my leader's speech, which he delivered at around 7 p.m. Actually, I think he could listen to my answer as well. He is asking me a question from the other side of the House. That explains why he was not aware that our leader delivered a speech earlier.
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Madam Chair, quite honestly, I say this with some reservation because I have not specifically researched the subject of the question. I will therefore be cautious with my answers. Based on the wording and the way it was phrased, and if everything is accurate, then yes, there appears to be a significant degree of laxity. What did she say? She said that only one individual had been deported. That is…
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Mr. Chair, my colleague clearly has a parliamentary secretary's file on the specific issue of Canada-U.S. relations. I know, having travelled with him before, that he has contacts with the Americans. The relationship with the Americans is important, but that does not mean that we have to take them at their word, follow their every move and repeat everything they say. Once upon a time, under the le…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for tabling this bill before the House. Does he agree that the full and active participation of organizations representing first nations is an essential condition and a fundamental prerequisite for any reform?
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Mr. Speaker, I freely admit that until very recently I was convinced that forced sterilization was already illegal, as it seems to me to be a matter of basic common sense. No one should be subjected to such an inhumane and degrading practice. Despite a legal framework that is already strict in Quebec and Canada and despite multiple safeguards that protect patient consent, this requirement can stil…
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Mr. Speaker, I am wondering about something. I have a hard time understanding the Conservatives' position on Bill C‑15. They were enthused about Bill C‑5 last June; they supported not only Bill C‑5, but the different closure motions as well, including the super closure motion imposed that week. Furthermore, what kind of official opposition would support the closure motion of a government that want…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to my colleague's speech, just as I have been listening to all of our colleagues' speeches for a while now, but there is something that I do not understand. Our motion is written in three parts. Regarding the apology to the those whose land was expropriated in Mirabel, the Liberals tell us that it has been done and that they agree with it. As for acknowl…
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Mr. Speaker, this is what fascinates me. The government has been telling us for a while now that apologies were already given, that it is unacceptable and that it must not be minimized. If true, it would not cost the Liberals much at all to vote for the motion if they think it makes no difference.
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Mr. Speaker, June 13 was the date of the closure debate. We are checking whether the member voted on it. We will give her the answer in a minute. My colleagues can whisper the answer to me. As far as Bill C-5 is concerned, it definitely does not mention Mirabel or the high-speed rail. It does not talk about the projects themselves, but it offers the ability to assume the powers to carry them out. …
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Mr. Speaker, that is an easy answer. So far, the only political games and disinformation I have seen have come from the members accusing us of doing everything we can to block high-speed rail, especially when those members are champions of oil subsidies who are now lecturing us about the environment.
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Mr. Speaker, I did not think it was my turn to give a speech. If I had known, I would not have fought to ask a question so quickly. I would have saved a few punches for my speech. In any case, I will be repeating some of what I said. I am pleased to rise in the House now to speak to the motion we are moving on our opposition day today. I will read the text, which has three parts: That the House ca…
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Thank you Mr. Speaker. Quite often, the questions we get later on come from the people who did not listen. Then they ask us about things that we repeated about 15 times during our speech. Before I continue, I should mention that I will be sharing my time with my esteemed colleague from Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj. Now let us briefly discuss a few points. We know that the proposed ro…
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Mr. Speaker, my comment is somewhat along the same lines. When we debated a motion six years ago on an apology for the victims of the October crisis, we were told that it belonged to the past. A few weeks ago, when we were talking about the Prime Minister's speech on the Plains of Abraham, we were told that we were living in the past and that what matters is jobs, the economy, public services, etc…
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Mr. Speaker, the member speaking is certainly a member who asks questions. I invite him to listen first and then ask questions. Housing is an issue that is extremely important to me because there is a major housing crisis in my region, like everywhere else. It is hitting us so hard that the city of Saint‑Hyacinthe, which is home to two-thirds of my riding's population, has long had the dubious dis…
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Mr. Speaker, I salute my colleague. Indeed, a whole series of regulations has been established over the past 60 years. However, none of them did anything to prevent the tragic events that occurred in Mirabel in the 1980s. Bill C-5 was passed last June. We have the ability to suspend laws and impose certain things. Furthermore, a proponent can sit down privately with a minister and, without consult…
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Mr. Speaker, as far as I am concerned, we are resuming debate and I an resuming my speech, because I was barely able to begin it the last time. The two minutes I had was barely enough time to say good evening. I will pick up where I left off. Housing is an issue that is—
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Mr. Speaker, I thank him for correcting me, just as I corrected him earlier. That is a very fair thing to do. I really enjoy working with him too. I would like to throw the ball back to him along with the compliment. I gave incorrect information earlier, and I apologize. It was June 16, not June 13. The member for Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville had voted in favour. Now, to get back to the …
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Is four years too long? It depends on the project. For some, it is. For example, in the Quebec City region, there is still talk of a third link. The governing party is in the midst of a leadership race. Not all projects are structured in the same way. Not all projects require the same speed or the same level of verification. Not all projects are of the same scope either. A high-speed train that wo…
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Mr. Speaker, in Davos, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of diversifying trade markets, and rightly so. However, he himself is blocking a trade agreement with Taiwan. Taiwan's representative in Canada has confirmed that all pages of the agreement have been initialled by both parties and that the document is ready and has been printed in three languages. All that is missing is the Prime …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to say hello to all my colleagues. Please excuse my hoarse voice. I seem to have caught a cold, probably from partying too hard over the holidays. My energy levels are still not back to normal, and neither is my voice. In any case, I am happy to be here. It lifts my spirits. I want to wish everyone a happy new year, although it is getting rather late to say that. Today, we are …
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Mr. Speaker, I honestly have nothing against the agreement and the fact that it includes grains. That is fine, and I am sure it will create opportunities. If the agreement comes into force, I will definitely hold training sessions with farmers, the Quebec farmers' union and local chambers of commerce to explain what they can do. We will help them to ensure that everything goes smoothly. I chose to…
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Mr. Speaker, I spoke about it for about 20 minutes already. I do not know what else I could say. Let us move away from the agreement, and I will talk in general terms about what we need. I want to come back to my bill, C‑251. Hopefully, if it does come back to the House, the Conservatives will support it. That would be much appreciated. It would also allow us to regain the trust of the Americans, …
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Mr. Speaker, the bill before us contains a number of items. First, the good news: This time, unlike the last agreement tabled here, the deadline between tabling an agreement and introducing the bill ratifying it in the House was met. That did not happen for the United Kingdom's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP. That bill is currently …
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's intervention, and I wholeheartedly agree. However, to be honest, I did not hear any specific questions. I will simply say that I thank him for his work in this area. We are also working together as part of certain interparliamentary associations, some of which specifically focus on the issue of human rights violations in China and on Chinese infl…
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Mr. Speaker, I think that, as we pursue a more stable geopolitical environment, that is a given. It would help restore ties with the United States. It is a model that has proven its worth. I am not saying that is the only reason. If the model does not work, I would not say that we need to follow it just for the sake of following it. If it works, why not draw inspiration from it? That is what I am …
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Mr. Speaker, I do not want to keep giving the same answer to these questions. His colleague just asked the same question. The positive parts are positive. I have no problem saying so. That is all.
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Mr. Chair, it is costing us dearly. It is costing us a lot to have a government that only cares about Ontario and that backs down on transportation electrification. I think my colleague can speak to that even better than I can. He gave some compelling examples. The government tells a company to go ahead, and then they abandon it. It also costs us when a supposedly brilliant negotiator gets elected…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said at the outset a few weeks ago, the Bloc Québécois will vote in favour of this bill even though it will oppose investor-state dispute settlement during clause-by-clause consideration, since we have always been against that. My question will not be on the substance of the agreement, which is good for everyone. My colleague and I once served together on the Standing Committee o…
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