Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, here we are in early February, and Expo habitat Québec is hosting its 40th home show at the Centre de foires d'ExpoCité in my riding of Beauport—Limoilou. For 40 years now, Expo habitat has been a must-see event for the construction and housing sector. Every year, it brings together contractors, experts and professionals from across Quebec. Given the challenging housing environment ac…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very familiar with my colleague's riding and I have a question for him. He talked about complicated, ineffective programs. However, nearly 200,000 people in his riding have registered for the Canadian dental care plan. That suggests there is a real need. Knowing that at least twice as many people in his riding could benefit from dental care and that people really need it, I would…
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Mr. Speaker, January 17 was a historic day for Canada. The Canadian government, together with the Quebec government, announced the launch of the assault-style firearms compensation program in Montreal. Quebec occupies a special place in the Canadian landscape when it comes to public safety, particularly because of its history, its collective awareness and its unique legislative frameworks. Can the…
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Mr. Speaker, in Beauport—Limoilou and across the country, the cost of living is still too high for many families. Our government has already taken concrete action by eliminating the consumer carbon tax, cutting taxes for nearly 22 million middle-class Canadians and eliminating the GST for first-time homebuyers. However, we know that we need to do more and that we can do more to help Canadians keep…
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Mr. Speaker, over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to meet a number of extraordinary women who are making a real difference in their community. This year, we are proud to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Dominican Missionary Adorers, who are right in the heart of my riding, in Beauport—Limoilou. Founded in 1945 by Mother Julienne du Rosaire, the organization has been an essenti…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his passion. What is important here is to highlight all the measures that are helping many segments of our society. In Beauport—Limoilou, the benefits are direct, quick and immediate. As soon as we took office, we implemented measures right away. As of July 1, people saw the rebate on their paycheques. That is concrete action.
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak to Bill C‑4, the making life more affordable for Canadians act. I am pleased to rise today to proudly represent the people of Beauport—Limoilou. It is the proudest and most beautiful riding in Canada. Representing it is the greatest honour I have ever been given. Beauport—Limoilou is made up of young families, workers and seniors who believe that we need strong l…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to hear my colleague say that there are good measures in Bill C-4. I am pleased to hear him say that there is a collection of good measures. That makes me really happy. I have had the opportunity to work with my colleague on several committees. What is important here are the people who are affected. In my riding, more than 50,000 people are directly affected. In the 18-…
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Madam Speaker, Bill C-4 is good for the middle class. We are lowering the tax rate for the first income bracket from 15% to 14%. This will save each family up to $840. This practical measure has been in place since July 1, with the money going straight into people's pockets. It affects them directly. It is combined with all the other measures in the budget. The entire population is therefore affec…
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Mr. Speaker, today I wish to pay tribute to Normand Lapointe, a federal Liberal member for Beauce from 1980 to 1984, who passed away in Saint-Georges on October 22. A man of conviction with deep ties to his community, Mr. Lapointe left his mark on regional politics through his sense of duty, his connection with residents, and his sincere commitment to serving the common good. A true mentor to many…
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Mr. Speaker, our government has passed an ambitious budget that includes transformative investments in our transportation system. The Minister of Transport visited both the port and the airport in Quebec City to discuss these initiatives. Prior to that, he visited the Magdalen Islands. Could the minister provide more details on the important announcement he made and what it means for the community…
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Mr. Speaker, I myself am originally from the Lower St. Lawrence region. This budget sets out significant investments to help businesses modernize and retain their workers, and to enable workers to retrain if necessary. My colleague is making a heartfelt appeal, but I am certain that there are people from the Magdalen Islands who would have liked their MP to vote in favour of the budget in order to…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Yukon. I am pleased to rise today to proudly represent the people of Beauport—Limoilou. It is the proudest and most beautiful riding in Canada. Representing it is the greatest honour I have ever been given. The people of Beauport—Limoilou are young families, workers and seniors who believe that we need strong leadership to build, protect a…
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Mr. Speaker, last week, the Government of Canada announced its second tranche of major projects to build Canada strong. A number of critical mineral projects have been referred to the Major Projects Office to accelerate their development. Critical minerals are key to Canada's economic development and national security. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very important question. The difference between an expense and an investment seems clear-cut. Some of our colleagues find this strange and say that these are not investment expenses. For a family in Beauport—Limoilou, the difference is important. It means choosing to buy a less expensive car or a used car in order to set aside enough money to fix the roof …
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Mr. Speaker, I would invite my colleague to take a look at the budget. It does talk about seniors and young people. For young people, there is the GST rebate for first-time homebuyers. That helps our young families. For seniors, there is the Canadian dental care plan. Both my parents needed that money to replace their dentures. I am sorry to mention that here in the House, but this measure really …
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Mr. Speaker, I know that as soon as he gets a chance, my colleague will travel around in his riding and speak with his constituents. I have a two-part question. First, what are people saying about all the programs he talked about? Second, in his view, what does the Leader of the Opposition think about the measures that we want to bring in for Canadians?
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Mr. Speaker, I recently went to visit the commemorative plaque at the Saint-Charles-de-Limoilou church, which was placed in memory of the soldiers from our community who fell in the First World War. These men, who were our neighbours, our family members, our schoolmates, left Limoilou to go and fight for freedom thousands of kilometres from home. Their courage, their sense of duty, and their faith…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Davenport. I am pleased to rise today to proudly represent the people of Beauport—Limoilou. It is the proudest and most beautiful riding in Canada, and representing it is the greatest honour I have ever been given. Today, I will be giving my speech in two parts. First, I want to talk about the new economic reality. For over 20 years, I wor…
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Mr. Speaker, this is a generational budget. It is an ambitious budget. It is a budget for our businesses, our families. It is a budget that benefits every segment of society. These are major investments. Just think about the maritime corridor. Our corridor is mature, but it needs investment. Think about the corridor that the Arctic needs. We are a global energy force. We are investing in every sec…
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Mr. Speaker, I was the head of the chamber of commerce for four years, but I worked in the banking sector for 20 years. The superdeduction for the purchase of capital assets is a major measure. It will enable businesses to automate, introduce robotics and get a tax deduction. I can say that bankers are already calling businesses to help them finance their investment in order to modernize and be mo…
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Mr. Speaker, these are major, historic investments in defence. My colleague is talking about upcoming targeted investments. Right now, we are meeting targets that were planned for much later. I know first-hand how important our soldiers are. My son is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and will be deploying to Latvia in the coming year. I understand the investments, I understand the needs of ou…
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Mr. Speaker, those numbers are encouraging. There are more good things to come. There is the whole issue of retraining workers, which we are investing in because things are changing quickly. The job market is changing quickly, and needs are changing quickly. We will invest to help people retrain for these new, high-paying jobs.
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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to draw the House's attention to an absolute scientific treasure located in the riding of Beauport—Limoilou: the VITAM research centre, a sustainable health centre of excellence. VITAM's vision is both simple and inspiring: Healthy minds and bodies living in healthy environments on a healthy planet. Under the leadership of professor and researcher Jean‑Pierre Despré…
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Madam Speaker, we know that we can no longer count on the market predictability that we once had. Businesses need this predictability to be able to invest, but we no longer have it. We have two choices. We either sit back and wait for it to return, or we go out and find new markets. There is actually a good book on this subject that I often recommend called Who Moved my Cheese?. We are going to op…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to hear that my colleague supports this agreement, that he supports its evolution and that he welcomes the United Kingdom's accession to it. It is good for Canadians and good for our businesses. I want to emphasize that the new government did not wait before taking action. We have only been in power for six months, and we have already rolled up our sleeves to get to wor…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the bill to enable the accession of the United Kingdom to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. This is an important step in advancing Canada's trade diversification strategy and in strengthening one of the most ambitious trade agreements in the world. Before I get into the details of what this means for Quebec and my ridin…
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Madam Speaker, I had the opportunity to work at banks for over 20 years, in business for over 10 years and at the Quebec City chamber of commerce and industry for four years. To ensure the growth of our businesses, we need to open up the global market. We know this, and we have seen it. We need reliable partners, and we must diversify our markets. As I said earlier, putting all our eggs in one bas…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague. I hold him in high regard and I enjoy serving with him on the Standing Committee on International Trade. We recognize the concerns of the beef and pork industries. We are committed to working with them to get rid of certain barriers. It is a fact that, currently, nearly one in five companies in the market does business abroad and relies on exports for its livel…
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Madam Speaker, during the last election, Quebeckers and Canadians were clear: They want action from us and they are tired of waiting. From its first days in office, this government has shown that it has heard their plea. We have rolled up our sleeves, put on our work boots and already started making agreements. That is what Canadians expect from us. That is what businesses expect from us. With eve…
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Madam Speaker, a trade agreement like this one is not the right framework for negotiating those kinds of things. Right now, people need diversified markets because of what is going on south of the border. That is what we intend to focus on.
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Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Women's History Month, I want to pay tribute to the outstanding and often unnoticed contribution of one exceptional woman. Born during World War II, she raised seven children while working alongside her husband day after day on the family farm in the Lower St. Lawrence. Despite her demanding and exhausting days, she found the strength and courage to sit as a board memb…
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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to welcome to Ottawa a delegation of entrepreneurs and economic leaders from the greater Quebec City area, led by Québec International and its president and CEO, Carl Viel. In these times of economic uncertainty, these women and men brilliantly embody the drive, creativity and expertise that form the backbone of our regional economy. Their presence here today demons…
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Mr. Speaker, on September 23, a fire ravaged Patro Roc‑Amadour, in the heart of Limoilou. A true pillar of our community, this organization supports hundreds of families, children, seniors, and people living with disabilities every week. The losses are staggering. Over $100,000 in food has been destroyed, and essential services, such as meals on wheels, have been disrupted. The community rallied i…
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Mr. Speaker, food self-sufficiency is becoming an important solution for our families and communities. That is exactly what Urbainculteurs, a Quebec City organization, is doing: changing the way we think about urban agriculture. From rooftop gardens to the greening of schools and neighbourhoods, Urbainculteurs's innovative projects are giving people back the power to grow some of their own food wh…
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Mr. Speaker, we are not trying to create a crisis. Quite the opposite, in fact. We are not trying to create controversy, as I said earlier. The people who elected us with a clear mandate want us to protect them. That is what we are doing right now. We are stepping up and standing up to defend our constituents from coast to coast to coast, right across the country. Yes, I am a Quebecker, but I am a…
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Mr. Speaker, this summer, I had the privilege of meeting, in my riding, representatives from Alliance des Ukrainiens de Québec, an organization that plays a key role for its members and for our entire community. This meeting was an opportunity to listen to their reality, their needs and their aspirations, but especially to see once again the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian community here …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify a few points for my colleague. The Bloc Québécois is trying to bring the debate back to Bill 21 and religious freedoms. When I was a child, we went to church every Sunday. I was raised in the church. I have aunts who are nuns. Now, I am before the House to talk about protecting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Bloc Québécois would love to reopen the deba…
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Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, I am a proud Quebecker. I come from a family in the Lower St. Lawrence and was raised by proud parents on a dairy farm, but that does not make me any less Canadian. Today, we are talking about prejudice that could cause harm in the future. I come from the world of finance, and I can tell members that the past is no indication of the future. The actions we are taking…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Les Pays-d'en-Haut. I rise today in response to a motion calling on the government to fully withdraw from legal challenges on Bill 21. The motion would have the House agree that the Government of Canada, the government of all Canadians from coast to coast to coast, should not participate in one of the most important constitutional appeals …
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Madam Speaker, I listened to my colleague talk about cash transactions. As we know, cash facilitates money laundering and anonymity. Canadian banks abide by the Basel accords, which is why Canada's banking system is one of the best in the world. Does my colleague want us to continue letting people use cash, which increases the number of crimes committed by the very criminals we want to lock up by …
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Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about an inspiring woman who is having an extremely positive impact on her community. Marie‑Hélène Ross has devoted her energy to the social, cultural and economic development of Beauport for many years. A lawyer by profession, she has always combined her expertise with a sincere desire to build a stronger and more supportive community. Through her involvement as …
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. I would like to read a few words from a document I have before me. It talks about something “expensive, unreliable and limited in its performance”. I was sure it was talking about electric vehicles but no, that is not it. It is talking about the internal combustion engine, when it made its debut on the market. It was expensive, unreliable…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join the debate today on Bill C‑5, the one Canadian economy act. This bill will enable us to remove federal barriers to the internal flow of goods and services and to labour mobility, while continuing to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians, their social and economic well-being and the environment. It will also help advance nation-building projects to p…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question. I worked in banking for over 20 years and at the chamber of commerce for four years. Business people often asked us why the government would pit projects against each other. Why are environmental projects and economic development projects being pitted against each other? Why not combine them? Surveys have been conducted over the years a…
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Mr. Speaker, what stands out for me in Bill C‑5 is two numbers. I used to be an accountant and a banker, so I really speak numbers. We are looking at a 7% increase in productivity. I have been in business for over 25 years, and there has always been a productivity problem. By making decisions right here in our own country, with our provinces and with indigenous peoples, we can do things better. We…
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Mr. Speaker, what our Prime Minister promised during the election campaign was to make fast decisions and act quickly. That is what people expect. There is a time for talk, and a time for action. We need to be able to get past this crisis with the Americans and provide businesses with predictability. The difficulty facing businesses right now is that nothing is predictable when it comes to investm…
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Mr. Speaker, I took part in last Saturday's launch of G3E's summer season with a fishing for all event on the Beauport River. For over 30 years, the water education and eco-monitoring group G3E has exemplified civic engagement in protecting Quebec's aquatic environments. This innovative organization has developed an extensive network and impactful programs. G3E uses science and passion to provide …
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Mr. Speaker, I have a question for my colleague. We are talking about trade corridors within Canada, we are talking about 13 provinces and we are talking about indigenous peoples. How will the government be able to do all that while ensuring that it respects the laws of each of the provinces and, above all, the rights of indigenous peoples?
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Mr. Speaker, this motion is indeed causing division. However, the federal government respected the will of the provincial government to have its own carbon exchange. Today, the families who were counting on that April 22 cheque have received it and they were compensated. It is not favouritism. It is a question of fairness for these families. We are not sowing division. We are acting out of respect…
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