Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we have been having an interesting conversation this week in this very forum. The Conservatives pretend to stand up for and care for vulnerable people in this country, yet every time we propose a program, a tax reduction or a hand-up to people, they vote against it. When we talk about the unjustified trade war being perpetrated on this country, what do they do? They say that we are ha…
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Mr. Speaker, we are at the end of a session, and I wish the Leader of the Opposition, his colleagues and obviously his family a restful summer, as I wish for all my colleagues on this side of the House. I want to point out that we are finishing one of the most productive legislative sessions in recent history. Twenty-one bills have become law through this chamber. We have passed the largest crimin…
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Mr. Speaker, as we prepare to adjourn for the summer, I would like to express my gratitude to a few people. I want to extend my personal thanks to everyone here on Parliament Hill. Let me start with the amazing House leadership team who work with me every day on the multitude of details that must be addressed hour by hour to make this place work: the deputy House leader, the parliamentary secretar…
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk about generations and generational investments. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Quebec's and Canada's French-speaking culture. That is something that the Bloc Québécois did not even ask for in its budget requests. We, in the Liberal Party of Canada, are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in francophone culture and in the survival of the French la…
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Mr. Speaker, the member mentions housing, and what I want to say is congratulations to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, who will be announcing today in British Columbia, with the Prime Minister, a historic agreement with the Government of British Columbia. That follows agreements with provinces across this country. We are going to keep building homes. Rents are coming down. Housing has …
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Mr. Speaker, since we are wrapping up a very productive session, I would like to wish the Leader of the Opposition and his entire family a wonderful summer. May he enjoy it just as we will all enjoy the time we spend with our families. We introduced 21 bills during this 15-week parliamentary session. We carried out the most extensive criminal justice reform in Canadian history. We have helped lowe…
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Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion: That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House: (a) the motion respecting the Senate Amendment to Bill C-11, An Act to amend the National Defence Act and other Acts, standing on the Notice Paper in the name of the Minister o…
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Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the number six just came up, because when that member was the minister responsible for the CMHC, do members know how many units of affordable housing he built during his entire tenure? One, two, three, four, five, six units of housing were built under this person's tenure. We are going to build hundreds of thousands of homes for young Canadians. We are going to …
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Mr. Speaker, I know Theatre New Brunswick is probably auditioning for some key roles. I think the member should sign up. He has missed his calling. Let me give him some results. We have put forward 21 pieces of legislation, every single one of them to help Canada move ahead, which helps us become the number one growing country in the G7, makes our communities safer and gets rid of violence on our …
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Mr. Speaker, road safety is, of course, a shared responsibility. I am proud to say that the federal government has stepped up to be part of the solution. We have eliminated the possibility of special treatment from the Canada Revenue Agency. We have worked to ensure that these companies cannot operate and are deemed illegitimate. We are also deploying inspectors to ensure compliance with the Labou…
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Mr. Speaker, as that member knows and the health minister has answered as she—
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Mr. Speaker, the summer adjournment is almost here, but one mystery remains unsolved. What exactly counts as inflationary spending? Does health care count? Does dental care count? Does the Canada child benefit count? Does the national school food program count? The Conservatives keep going on and on about inflationary spending, but they cannot pinpoint which of these items constitutes inflationary…
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Mr. Speaker, I would reiterate that the government has taken action and has stepped up, as confirmed by trucking associations across the country, including in Quebec. This is a shared responsibility. We do not employ highway inspectors. The Sûreté du Québec must continue to do its job. We need inspections. We must ensure that drivers' certifications are valid and up to date. These are examples of …
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Mr. Speaker, as the G7 wraps up in France, I know Canadians are very proud to be represented by the Prime Minister on the world stage and will be very proud to learn, as he returns, that he returns with 13 new agreements that will generate over $5 billion of investments in our country, new contracts for critical minerals, new contracts for Canadian defence firms as part of the SAFE arrangement and…
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Mr. Speaker, growing up, I chose the Liberal Party for a whole host of good reasons, but when I was growing up, the Conservative Party used to stand for one very clear thing. It stood with the forces in blue. It stood for law and order and for crime prevention in this country. Right now, the other side has taken over. The conspiracy theories, the rabbit holes and the tinfoil hats are all out. Wher…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois should know that Quebeckers are just as concerned about crime, especially crimes involving coercion and child pornography. For a long time now, law enforcement agencies, police officers and municipal police forces in Quebec have been asking us to provide them with the tools they need to apprehend criminals and prevent this type of crime. The Bloc Québécois opposes t…
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Mr. Speaker, the health minister has answered that question several dozen times over the course of this session. This is a perfect example for the Canadians watching at home, as the Conservatives yell at me from across the aisle, of the obstruction and the waiting and the pointless talking. Anything they can possibly do to halt the work of Canadians that gets done in this place is what Conservativ…
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Mr. Speaker, we intend to continue working with the Premier of Manitoba, with whom we have an extremely productive relationship. Indeed, the port of Churchill holds much promise. We will be studying all the options and will be working very hard to complete that and many other nation-building projects in western Canada and right across this country.
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Mr. Speaker, we make no apology for working tirelessly on Canadians' priorities, on affordability, on delivering major projects and, yes, on major, unifying projects of national interest such as high-speed rail, which the Bloc MPs oppose, despite having supported it prior to the last election. What are they telling their constituents? The Bloc members made a solemn promise to support high-speed ra…
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Mr. Speaker, well, it is pretty obvious that the Leader of the Opposition has an issue on his backbench. After all, the colleague sat down at a small desk in a cabin somewhere and wrote out the biography of the leader of the opposition, longhand, and look where he got. I can tell the House that the Prime Minister, from the G7, from representing us proudly on the world stage, has confidence in the …
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Mr. Speaker, Garaga is an iconic brand in Canada. I have Garaga garage doors myself. I will continue to support this Quebec-based company, just as I do all Quebec-based companies. If Garaga has an issue it needs to raise with the government, then it should do so, and I can assure the hon. member that we will act very quickly.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians watching are somewhat confused, because every time we propose a measure to help vulnerable Canadians, like the groceries and essentials benefit, dental care or the Canada child benefit, the Conservatives vote against it. When we are attacked with an unjustified, illegal trade war, what do Conservatives say? They say we are throwing a hissy fit. When we put more measures in p…
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Mr. Speaker, I know the Bloc Québécois needs to change the subject, but unfortunately, we have to talk about the Bloc Québécois leader's decision to obey his political masters in Quebec City and oppose Alto, oppose its 51,000 jobs and oppose the largest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from a single infrastructure project in Canadian history. The Bloc Québécois is reneging on its election pro…
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Mr. Speaker, Europe has something else that is trendy: high-speed rail. It has been adopted by just about every country in Europe, and now by the Kingdom of Morocco as well. Canada wants to develop this technology. It is an environmentally responsible solution, a transportation revolution and a piece of infrastructure capable of moving millions of Quebeckers and Canadians every year and making a d…
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Mr. Speaker, why is the Bloc Québécois attacking the Quebec factories, Quebec SMEs and Quebec workers that would be involved in building this vast infrastructure project, the high-speed train? I am talking about SMEs in Louiseville, workshops in Old Montreal, businesses in Gatineau and marketing companies in Quebec City. This is a revolutionary project that will create 51,000 jobs and add $35 bill…
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Mr. Speaker, when we propose programs like dental care or the groceries and essentials benefit, anything that could help vulnerable Canadians, these Conservatives are against. When our closest ally launches an unjustified trade war, what do Conservatives do? They say we are having a “hissy fit”. When the Prime Minister goes and brings back tens of billions of dollars of jobs and investment to this…
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Mr. Speaker, let me tell the member and her entire bench what success looks like. Success looks like creating twice as many jobs per capita as the United States. Success looks like diversifying our trade. Success looks like Contrecœur. Success looks like high‑speed rail in Ontario and Quebec, which her party is against. Success looks like an MOU with the Province of Alberta. Success looks like eco…
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Mr. Speaker, every time we propose something to help the very people the member speaks of, she rises on her leader's orders and votes against it, such as the groceries and essentials benefit, the Canada child benefit, aid for seniors and aid for dental care. We will not apologize for the Prime Minister's going to other countries, signing trade deals, bringing back billions in investment and creati…
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Mr. Speaker, l first want to say to my hon. friend, in the spirit of the season, that I can well understand why anyone with the very evocative riding name of Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies would be very anxious and excited to return to that place. It sounds like an amazing place, and I hope to visit the member someday. However, in the meantime, we are here to work. The member, perhaps, did not h…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to repeat to the member for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj that he too must be looking forward to returning to his riding. He does indeed represent a very large riding. I admire all members, all elected officials, who drive long distances, often very late, and in all kinds of conditions, including winter conditions. It is obviously very challenging to represent peop…
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moved: That in relation to Bill C-25, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and to enact An Act to change the names of certain electoral districts, 2026, not more than five further hours shall be allotted to the consideration at third reading stage of the said bill; and That, at the expiry of the five hours provided consideration at third reading stage of the said Bill, any proceedings before t…
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Mr. Speaker, the answer is no, and it will always be no.
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Mr. Speaker, ship recycling is a multi-billion-dollar, worldwide industry and also an opportunity. Indeed, as the member points out, there are many derelict vessels, including many owned by the people of Canada. We will continue to work very hard on this file. I am very well aware of the interest in the Port Alberni area in engaging in this industry. We are extremely interested in it, and I will b…
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Mr. Speaker, we are clearly entering the home stretch before we head back to our ridings to spend a little more time with our constituents. When Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day rolls around, I think people, especially those from la belle province, want to go home and be with their loved ones. I hope that will be the case, both for the deputy House leader of the official opposition and for myself. In the m…
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Mr. Speaker, as Canadians know all too well, we are in the midst of a trade war. We are in the midst of negotiating some of the most signal world events that we have seen in a generation, including two wars, one in the Middle East and one in Europe. Our Prime Minister is representing our country proudly on the international stage. When he goes there, he comes home with agreements, with deals and w…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, will respond in a moment, but we should reflect on how the Bloc Québécois has lost its way. Two weeks ago, OUI Québec—the “yes” camp, not the “no” camp—basically accused the sovereignist movement of being intolerant. Mr. de Belleval, who is a former PQ transport minister, put it nicely when he said that the Bloc Québécois is…
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Mr. Speaker, I can only imagine how beautiful the panorama of the Bow River is this time of year. The member has only been here for a year. I have been here 11 years and have witnessed the very imaginative ways the Conservatives conceive of to delay, stall and otherwise obstruct the passage of legislation, even, as the member points out, legislation as non-controversial and consensual as this bill…
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Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, after every election, the Chief Electoral Officer, the commissioner of Canada elections and, in this instance, the inquiry into foreign interference all presented recommendations, as our election officials do after every election. They present their views. Because of the last Parliament's minority status, we are actually catching up on the recommendations from the…
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Mr. Speaker, perhaps my hon. friend did not hear my earlier answer to his colleague when I spoke of the great collaboration. I want to end where I began, by thanking colleagues from all corners of the House of Commons for coming together on this very important bill, which I am sure will get a very important number of votes as we go through third reading.
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Mr. Speaker, that is a very important principle, particularly for those of us who like to be close to our constituents. It is clear that the Supreme Court of Canada ruling that I mentioned allows for some variation in the populations of ridings, as well as in terms of distances and riding size. However, in a democracy, we need to ensure that one vote carries roughly the same weight as another vote…
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Mr. Speaker, people wonder why people look down on the antics in the House of Commons—
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Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, we voted during the last Parliament to protect the number of seats in Quebec and keep the number of Quebec electoral ridings at 78. Parliament has therefore taken concrete measures to ensure Quebec's representation. Unless I am mistaken, the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act contains a formula that provides for increasing the number of seats after each census …
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Mr. Speaker, that is a great question, and I am not claiming we have solved everything, but I can say one thing. We held a public inquiry into foreign interference, and although some instances of interference were identified and named, the commissioner concluded that, on the whole, Canadian democracy is in good shape and that it is Canadians who determine the outcomes of elections. That said, when…
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Mr. Speaker, we are working. In fact, we are trying, in the face of Conservative obstruction, to pass a very sweeping set of criminal justice measures and affordability measures. The Conservatives are filibustering two of them right now, the spring economic statement bill and the lawful access bill, that we are very much hoping to accomplish for Canadians. I do want to suggest that the member's qu…
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Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question, but first I want to come back to my colleague's previous question about music. I want to recommend that he listen to Le Diable à Cinq, a group that has done La Petite Nation proud. This band just released a new album and I would invite my colleague to get a copy and listen to it all summer long. As for the issue of proportional representation or democrat…
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Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to invite Mr. Branchaud to come to Gatineau to entertain us at one of our many festivals this summer, including the hot air balloon festival. I want to wish Mr. Branchaud a happy anniversary. I would love to hear him play someday. Music is an essential part of my life. Whether we are talking about Québécois music, francophone music or music in general, I am a big f…
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Mr. Speaker, the member is perhaps unaware of the very constructive, long hours, and Canadians should know that in this place, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes. Sometimes parties do not find it to their interest to let on that they are co-operating with other parties. I would put to the member that in the case of Bill C-25, we have worked very hard, the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives.…
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Mr. Speaker, as you know, we have a very ambitious agenda. You have been in the chair for much of it. We have a very wide-ranging series of crime bills, including the bill that my hon. friend just mentioned on protecting victims, protecting children and warning against child pornography. These are very important measures. To go back to the question from my friend from Bow River, all this work culm…
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Mr. Speaker, as the member may know, there is a law in place that establishes the number of seats, how they are distributed and so on. I think he said there are about 115,000 people in his riding, which is about the same number as in my own riding of Gatineau. For the most part, I think that with respect to ridings, other than the constitutional obligations we have at the founding of the country, …
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Mr. Speaker, on a day when we are mourning the loss of a first responder, people should really wonder, as they look on the House of Commons, why folks look down on some of the antics here, when we follow up such a constructive exchange with something penned quite obviously from the desk of the Leader of the Opposition. I expect 30 more of those today. Let us just hope they can up their game a bit.
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