Parliamentary Speeches
625 speeches by Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay — Page 4 of 13
Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, when we speak of borders, that includes the ports. I am not that familiar with my colleague's riding, but auto theft has long been a major issue at the port of Montreal. Clearly, the lack of surveillance is a problem. We have the same problem at the border, which is probably related to the problem at the ports.
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Madam Speaker, I am very honoured to rise today in the parliament of America's 51st state, albeit in the absence of its governor. All kidding aside, I think we are dealing here with a very important, troubling situation. Let us be clear: We must not bury our heads in the sand, but neither should we engage in fearmongering. We are still talking about the threat of tariffs, but our discussions centr…
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Madam Speaker, I do not think so, but I would say that there is definitely a difference. I would say that I agree with both sides. I think it is better to have a deal than no deal, but it is often better to have no deal than a bad deal. That is clear. We agree with that. I also think there may be a way out of this. Stakeholders in the U.S. do not seem to be unanimous on the softwood lumber issue. …
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Madam Speaker, I think it goes without saying that we are always better off going into negotiations ourselves, 100% focused on our own interests. We should not have to fight tooth and nail to promote and protect little bits of our interests here and there. I gave a few examples. It is a good thing we were there to fight for aluminum, although a concrete change in the status of aluminum in the agre…
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Madam Speaker, the fact that the provincial premiers are doing all the work may be a sign. First, it is certainly not making me reconsider my political viewpoint. Second, I think that the fact that the agreement inappropriately called “Confederation” states that international relations are the purview of the federal government says something. That being said, the only time Quebec and Ontario were …
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Mr. Speaker, there is no longer any doubt about it: The CARM app is a fiasco. There was already talk of a 50% cost overrun and a $556-million price tag. However, by last March, maintenance costs had already pushed that price tag up to $625 million. At this rate, we could well be over the $800-million mark. Not to mention that CARM must also have been costly ever since it was rolled out, because it…
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Mr. Speaker, it is expensive when the Liberals go digital. There is the Phoenix payroll system, which is still giving public servants nightmares after nearly nine years. There was ArriveCAN, which was supposed to cost $80,000 and ended up costing $60 million, benefiting shady companies that did not even deliver any services. Now there is CARM, which cost at least $625 million, and quite likely mor…
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Mr. Speaker, first it was the ArriveCAN fiasco, and now the CBSA assessment and revenue management, or CARM, fiasco is taking down the Canada Border Services Agency. This app for clearing goods at the border crashed 22 times in its first 30 days, paralyzing imports. It is a complete failure with a 50% cost overrun, inconclusive testing and documentation being hidden from parliamentarians. Clearly …
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Mr. Speaker, the minister responded yesterday by praising the work of border officers. We too salute their work. It is their bosses in the offices we are not so sure about. The CBSA was already in the hot seat because of ArriveCAN. Now the CARM app is creating another fiasco, with its irregularities and cost overruns. At least ArriveCAN worked. CARM does not even work. If Ottawa fixes this as quic…
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Mr. Speaker, there is a real cost to the CBSA's fiasco with CARM. The cost to taxpayers is $556 million, but there is a cost to business people as well. Their imports are stuck at the border. They have to cope with billing mistakes, automatic withdrawals made twice and endless delays. There is no client service when CARM crashes. It takes weeks for the CBSA to fix these mistakes. What is the gover…
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Mr. Speaker, the fiasco with the CARM app is not a first for the Canada Border Services Agency. The CBSA was also responsible for the ArriveCAN app, which was supposed to cost $80,000 and ended up costing $60 million. Clearly, there is a fundamental problem at CBSA when it comes to being transparent, tracking expenses and staying on budget. The Bloc Québécois and the Standing Committee on Internat…
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Mr. Speaker, the problems with the CARM app is yet another fiasco for the CBSA. The app, which took 14 years to develop and cost taxpayers $556 million, crashed 22 times in one month. We are talking about half a million dollars, which was a 50% cost overrun, not to mention the fact that the CBSA hid important documents from parliamentarians. Today, the Standing Committee on International Trade vot…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I apologize. I did not want to interrupt the speech, but is there a party going on in the House that I have not been invited to and am not aware of? There seems to be a lot of jabbering going on.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I think that when a government is in free fall as the government is now, its first instinct is to panic. It starts improvising out of necessity. What could it possibly come up with next? We are being invited to take part in a complete sham, a real PR stunt that does not even help the people who are struggling the most. Right now, the most vulnerable people are those who are more lik…
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Madam Speaker, what is a government that is sinking in the polls faster than the Titanic after hitting an iceberg to do? It can try to get people talking over Christmas dinner. It can come up with some sort of a measure, a PR stunt, a half-baked measure that gives the impression of putting more money in people's pockets. This measure takes the form of a cheque, for workers to be exact, and not for…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister needs to announce that he is finally taking responsibility at the borders. He needs to announce how he is going to plug the holes in the border by January. That is the bare minimum that he needs to do after shirking his responsibilities, despite repeated warnings from Quebeckers. Smugglers and organized crime bosses have been running the show at the border for years…
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Mr. Speaker, Trump's tariffs are meant to force Canada to tighten its borders against illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Quebec has been calling on Ottawa for years to fix the border, which is like a sieve. It has even deployed members of the Quebec provincial police force to patrol the border. The Bloc Québécois has been hounding Ottawa to do something about smugglers and organized crime f…
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Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump wants to impose a 25% tariff on all Quebec and Canadian products. That would be a disaster for us and for Americans. First, we appreciate the fact that the Prime Minister has agreed to meet with his Quebec and provincial counterparts tomorrow. However, he will have to present a clear plan. He needs to take immediate action to protect supply management with Bill C-282. Ott…
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Mr. Speaker, I would need a good two or three hours because there is so much to say about that. I have just been asked a question by a colleague from my own party, and I am tempted to pretend that I am reading from notes and to say that I thank him for his hard work and his very relevant question. However, I did not know the question in advance and I do not have an answer written down. There are s…
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Mr. Speaker, I am puzzled by my colleague's question, because I did address that point. I devoted several minutes to talking about Bill S-211. That bill that does not cover all human rights. I would remind my colleagues that the UN recognizes human rights as a whole, whereas that bill addresses only forced labour by adults and children, which I obviously agree with, but which is not enough, and on…
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Mr. Speaker, I move that the 21st report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, presented on Wednesday, October 30, be concurred in. The number of shipments seized at Canadian customs, all regions combined, for use of forced labour is zero. That does not include the one shipment that was seized in 2021 and then released following an appeal by the importer. In comparison, Washington seiz…
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Mr. Speaker, I need to start by clarifying something for my colleague. The Liberal chair did not vote in favour of the motion. She was absent that day. His Conservative colleague, the committee's vice-chair, was presiding that day. The vote came down to a tie, and it was his colleague who voted in favour of the motion. I thank him for that. I thank the Conservatives for supporting our motion. I ho…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague touched on a number of areas. We support Bill C‑262. I am a supporter and co-sponsor of the bill, and I thank the NDP for bringing it forward. We support this legislation and, as co-sponsor, I fully and freely endorse it. It is a perfect example of genuine due diligence legislation. The Conservatives and the Liberals voted for Bill S‑211. As I said at the end of my speech…
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Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, we have said it a number of times: We agree that we want to have the documents and that what has been done is unacceptable. Now, why are we not voting? Are my colleagues in the Conservative Party aware that they are making the Liberals happy and helping them because, as long as the House is paralyzed, the Liberals are doing what they like to do best, which is nothing?
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Madam Speaker, my question is very straightforward. Right now, in Parliament, absolutely nothing is happening and everything is at a standstill. In my colleague's opinion, who has something to gain from the current situation? Who is benefiting from it?
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Madam Speaker, let us look at this. First we heard about WE Charity, and then we heard about the $237 million that was given to a couple of guys who started a business just 10 days before they were awarded the contract and who were unable to deliver even half of what they were asked for. Next, we heard about non-indigenous companies passing themselves off as indigenous in order to get contracts. T…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today, we are saddened to learn of the passing of rocker-poet Lucien Francœur at the age of 76. A passionate bearer of Quebec idiom and the first local poet to explore rap with Rap-à-Billy, Lucien Francœur was a leader in Quebec counter-culture in the 1970s and 1980s. He and his band, Aut'Chose, released three defining albums: Prends une chance avec moé, Une nuit comme une autre and L…
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Madam Speaker, let us return to the topic at hand, namely Canada's record in the fight against climate change. Oil companies are swimming in surpluses after enjoying record profits in recent years. What is more, they are being subsidized to the tune of billions of dollars. On one side we have the Conservatives wanting to make cuts everywhere, except in this area. On the other, we have the Liberals…
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With regard to the information revealed in the “Blood Gold Report,” which indicates that the Russian economy benefits from mining in Africa to the tune of $3.4 billion dollars Canadian, thanks in particular to the involvement of the Wagner Group, a private military company financed by the Russian state, as well as the activities of Canadian mining companies in Africa: (a) what information has the …
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With regard to federal spending in the riding of Papineau, for each fiscal year since 2020–21, inclusively: what are the details of grants and contributions and of all loans made to any organization, group, company or municipality, broken down by the (i) name of the recipient, (ii) municipality of the recipient, (iii) date on which the funding was received, (iv) amount received, (v) department or …
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With regard to destroyed goods for which a “drawback” (i.e., refund) was obtained for the duties and excise taxes paid, under the Obsolete or Surplus Goods Program of the Canada Border Services Agency, broken down by year since the program was created: (a) how many refunds have been granted for goods deemed obsolete or surplus by importers, producers, manufacturers and owners, respectively; and (b…
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With regard to federal spending in the riding of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, for each fiscal year since 2020–21, inclusively: what are the details of grants and contributions and of all loans made to any organization, group, company or municipality, broken down by the (i) name of the recipient, (ii) municipality of the recipient, (iii) date on which the funding was received, (iv) amount received, (v) d…
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Madam Speaker, foreign interference is an extremely important issue. I am just trying to understand how it is connected to the CBC.
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Madam Speaker, major cuts are affecting a large number of workers, and I should point out that these cuts are mainly targeting the francophone component, which will have serious cultural implications. However, we learned that, in spite of everything that has been happening, bonuses are still being paid out. In fact, I heard my colleague cite a figure that I find quite absurd. I am not even sure I …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, there is something I do not understand. All the opposition parties agree that we need the documents, but there is one question we always ask Conservative members, and they never answer it: Why do we not vote on it? I get the impression that the Conservative Party is working very hard to get a prorogation. Here is my question for my colleague: What does she think about the rumours of…
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Madam Speaker, I want to pick up on the answer the member gave to my colleague from Longueuil—Saint-Hubert. My colleague asked whether he agreed with the legitimacy of Quebec's independence. The member across the way said he was worried about what we would do without oil from Labrador. Is he telling us that he agrees that Labrador should never have been taken from Quebec and that Quebec is entitle…
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Madam Speaker, I have a very simple question for my colleague. I will repeat it again. We tried hard to get an answer out of the Conservative members, but they never gave one. When is this all going to end? We agree that we need the documents. We do not need to be convinced. When are we going to vote? Can the Conservatives give us a date?
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Mr. Speaker, what is happening right now is an absolutely fruitless debate. The two sides of the House are talking about completely different things. One side is talking about documents not being submitted. The other side is talking about security clearances. I do want to point out that both things are important, but we need to get to the substance of the matter, and that is not what we are doing …
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Mr. Speaker, I invite you to remind members that there are child care services available on Parliament Hill.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There has been a really tiresome background noise for a while now. If I wanted to hear white noise, something that sounds like a river, I would be in the woods right now. However, I am in Parliament, so I would prefer to hear the speech—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Peter Boehm and Peter Harder are two senators who want to undo the elected members' vote on Bill C‑282, which would protect supply management in trade agreements. These two Liberal appointees say they fear that this will take power away from negotiators. News flash: that is the point. That is the whole point of Bill C‑282. It stops negotiators from sacrificing supply management again,…
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Mr. Speaker, our two Peters were once negotiators themselves. That is why, instead of protecting farmers, they are protecting negotiators. Our kinglets are putting the privileges of people like them ahead of the common good, ahead of democracy and ahead of farmers. That is what the Senate is all about. It is an archaic, monarchist and arrogant institution. This is what happens when unelected offic…
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Mr. Speaker, an information has been laid, and we agree that we have a right to these documents and that parliamentary privilege has indeed been breached. Although we can go on discussing whether we are using the time of the House wisely, the fact remains that the question is substantively important. That being said, apart from the proven or suspected corruption he talked to us about, is my collea…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague mentioned several past Liberal scandals, including the sponsorship scandal, a well-known corruption case. However, he conveniently neglected to say that it was also scandalous not only because some people lined their pockets, but also because it involved a massive propaganda campaign to try to sell Quebeckers on a country that was never theirs. That was also part of the s…
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Madam Speaker, we have made our position clear. We agree with the Conservatives on the question of privilege. That is not the issue. I listened to my colleague's speech. It seems to me that giving loans or subsidies to big or small businesses is nothing new. However, my colleague listed off the names of businesses that were supported by the net-zero accelerator fund as though that were some kind o…
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Madam Speaker, I am currently wrapping up a report that we will soon be submitting to the government because there is a problem in my riding. Along both the Yamaska River and the Rivière Noire, shoreline erosion is problematic. The people of Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Pie and Saint-Damase have been telling me about this for years. Obviously, that has all kinds of impacts on the environment, but people…
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Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. Does he think it is an issue that Quebec and the other provinces have no authority over river, sea, air and rail routes that are not located entirely within their borders? For example, in 2014, riverside municipalities were distraught when the Harper government changed the allowable breadth for supertankers from 32 to 44 metres, if I am…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague knows our position. We agree that there has been a breach of privilege. That said, is there not a broader problem around the fact that there are a bunch of governments within the government, sub-governments, sub-sub-governments and so on? I am talking about the fact that funding is sometimes given to private companies that subcontract and do a number of things. However,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we will always support any plan that respects our jurisdictions. In all kinds of situations in the House, we have voted in favour of creating a plan. That does not mean we will agree to it, but a plan is necessary because governing is planning. We need to be able to see the plan. Then we will debate its contents. We will look at what is good or less good, and then reach a decision. Th…
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