Parliamentary Speeches
692 speeches by Yves-François Blanchet — Page 13 of 14
Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is showing a lack of respect for Quebeckers, Canadians and especially Ukrainians. When Syrian refugees came to Canada, he chartered flights and brought them coats. Everyone took a selfie, even the airport security officers. I am not asking the Prime Minister whether there will be an airlift for displaced Ukrainians, but when there will be an airlift.
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Mr. Speaker, we are finding out that the Bay du Nord project is going to be or is in the process of being approved. This comes as no surprise to anyone. We are talking about one billion barrels. The IPCC harshly criticized those countries that are shirking their responsibilities. It did not name names, but we understood that it was talking about Canada. There is a major inconsistency between the g…
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Mr. Speaker, on April 21, I will be one of the nearly two million Quebeckers who will be left feeling empty. There is a whole slew of us who will be facing a huge void every Monday through Thursday at 7 p.m., because District 31 is going off the air. We have lost Nadine and Poupou, but losing Chiasson, Gagné, Bissonnette and the rest of the team is a major blow. It is unimaginable to think that we…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Environment and Climate Change served up a contradiction, first saying that he is waiting for environmental assessments on Bay du Nord and then talking about provincial jurisdiction. A Liberal talking about provincial jurisdiction is interesting, to say the least. For the sake of consistency and clarity, and to give a smidgen of credibility to the plan for re…
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Mr. Speaker, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, is the highest authority on the issue. I am not sure what the Prime Minister found that would call the IPCC's expertise into question, but if we take a good look at the announcement made at four o'clock this afternoon, the approval of the Bay du Nord project is a global disaster waiting to happen. In this context, does anyone rea…
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Mr. Speaker, no one believes in the Liberal government's emissions reduction plan. In fact, everyone is united in their dislike of the plan. It is not as though the minister did not try. I sincerely think he did, but his own government got in the way. What we need, though, are results. The IPCC has been clear that it is impossible to meet the targets by increasing production. Will the Prime Minist…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not need to applaud his plan, because I am not asking him for a cheque. Not only is the plan scientifically unacceptable, but the government is not even trying to meet the targets. The proof is that he is subsidizing the oil industry, which, with its increased production, will ensure that levels of greenhouse gas emissions remain the same. Could he at least commit to saying no to…
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Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government encourages inclusion in all matters, and I fully support this. However, there are positive ways of doing so. Examples include making applications anonymous at the beginning of the application process or reserving scholarships for certain types of applicants. Exclusion, on the other hand, is unhealthy and eminently divisive. Does the Prime Minister agree that ex…
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Mr. Speaker, the government has agreed to ease visa requirements for Ukrainian refugees coming to Quebec or Canada. Now, being rich should not be a criterion for refugees. It is about being equitable. We do not want to run the risk of making some very vulnerable people even more vulnerable. The only solution appears to be a humanitarian airlift. Does the Prime Minister agree that an airlift needs …
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Mr. Speaker, the NDP is staunchly opposed to Quebec's state secularism law. The Liberal Party is staunchly opposed to Quebec's state secularism law. There is even a Conservative Party leadership candidate who has become staunchly opposed to Quebec's state secularism law. Will this marriage also involve attacking Quebec's state secularism law once and for all using the money and resources at the Ca…
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Mr. Speaker, now that the NDP and the Liberals have gotten hitched, could the Prime Minister send the Green members over to this side of the House and put all the Liberals on the correct side so they can all sit together? I gather that the basis for this agreement is interference in the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces in the areas of health, dental and drug insurance. Is it not true that…
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Mr. Speaker, esteemed colleagues, and, especially, Mr. President, it is difficult for me today to express myself in simple words, which cannot convey or express all the sadness, indignation and anger roused by the dirty war inflicted on your great nation and your great people. It is also difficult for me to admit to a certain powerlessness to do much more than express our compassion and our desire…
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Mr. Speaker, allow me to ask for a little more clarity, because as soon as Russian boots hit the ground in Kyiv, the Conservatives wanted to use it as an excuse to send oil. The Conservatives also want a leader who was against energy east, but in favour of the carbon exchange. I am a little confused. I get the impression that the Conservatives want a Liberal leader. Now, I ask the Liberal leader w…
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Mr. Speaker, there are some matters on which we agree, such as co-operation with major international institutions and humanitarian assistance, which must be generous, and which is ultimately more important that military assistance. There are, however, some matters on which we do not quite agree. I refuse to believe that the government would endorse the idea that we need to send western oil to help…
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Mr. Speaker, the argument we hear in connection with fossil fuel issues is “energy security”, but Canada's energy security is not at risk because Canada can meet its own fossil fuel needs. We do not need Russian oil. This sanction is meaningless. Europe's energy security does not seem to be in jeopardy either because OPEC can boost production as needed and the United States can supply natural gas …
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Mr. Speaker, things are moving faster and faster, if not backwards, and Europe is no longer dependent on Russian energy. Ukraine's IPCC representative says that oil is not the solution. The UN says that oil is not the solution. I wonder what the Minister of Environment says about oil being the solution. If the Prime Minister wants to switch to blue, can he choose the right blue?
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moved: That, in the opinion of the House: (a) any scenario for redrawing the federal electoral map that would result in Quebec losing one or more electoral districts or that would reduce Quebec’s political weight in the House of Commons must be rejected; and (b) the formula for apportioning seats in the House must be amended and the House call on the government to act accordingly. Mr. Speaker, I w…
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Madam Speaker, they have a leadership race to sort out. They need a bit of a break. Back to more serious things. I simply want to say that we will be introducing a bill that would protect Quebec's weight within Canadian institutions. This does not mean that we, as good neighbours, no longer wish to work together. We want to continue working together with the Canadian entity, no matter how it is de…
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Madam Speaker, despite the temptation to do otherwise, I will try to maintain what little positive atmosphere we have here. I understand that the member's question was written before he rose and before he even heard the opening of my brief speech. Of course members will say that now is not the right time. It is never the right time. It will never be the right time for the Quebec nation to have mor…
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Madam Speaker, I stand corrected. Obviously, my colleague was not talking about Jean Charest's campaign. Mr. Charest is opposed to pipelines and he is behind the carbon tax. My colleague must have been talking about someone else. That is to his credit because the Conservatives are entitled to their own leadership race. There is another race, the race for the planet's survival. Some people say that…
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Madam Speaker, despite the temptation, I always avoid rewriting history. I will avoid rewriting history by going back to 2011, and I will say instead that I understand that the NDP will support the Bloc Québécois today, and that I imagine the NDP will also support my party's bill when we introduce it.
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I appreciate that answer, Mr. Speaker. There is another issue. Does the Prime Minister agree that, in any circumstance, especially given what we are witnessing in Ukraine, it would be irresponsible to use the war and its humanitarian consequences as an opportunity to promote oil exports from western Canada?
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Mr. Speaker, it seems the Russian tyrant's pride has been wounded and now he is waging a brutal, extremely violent attack on a peaceful people. The international community, including Canada, has imposed very strong sanctions, which I applaud. However, those sanctions must not be temporary measures that, after a quick victory, enable the Russian tyrant to save face. Do we agree that the sanctions m…
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Mr. Speaker, merit comes with intent. What is the intention here? Is the intention of my colleague's remarks to generously and compassionately ensure Europe's energy security? Or is this just another attempt to find new markets to increase trade in western Canadian oil? There is no scenario in which western Canada would be able to get oil to Europe in a timely manner using the infrastructure proje…
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Mr. Speaker, the ribbon I am wearing is a little different from my colleagues' because I got it yesterday during the march in support of the people of Ukraine in Montreal. People in Montreal, in Quebec, probably in Canada, as well as in major cities and capitals around the globe, stand united in their condemnation of these serious, indefensible acts of aggression, which are driven by the vilest pr…
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Mr. Speaker, I welcome the general convergence of ideas in the House in the face of shared adversity. This has not happened often. I understand that the government is working with major international organizations like the G7 and NATO, among others. This is what the Bloc Québécois and likely many others were hoping to see, and it was definitely the only way forward. However, certain decisions stil…
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Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate. For a long time, many of us, including me, said we needed to be careful about sending weapons, because weapons never foster peace. However, the situation forced upon Ukrainians by the Russian president is so desperate that it seems necessary to offer these men, women, soldiers and civilians a way to try to preserve their safety and dignity. In this context, we also …
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Mr. Speaker, I think that more money is in fact needed and that there is nothing foolish about saying so. I get the impression that there will be more money. I cannot criticize the government for that. However, it might be easier to send supplies directly, considering how the situation might change with each passing day in terms of money, the ability to use money, the channels for sending money, t…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not want to derail this debate entirely, but that report is alarming. It really made me question whether the people who hold the political and economic power are prepared to deal with or mitigate the fallout of climate change. Are they just insulating themselves from the impact of climate change by accumulating more wealth and selling more oil? Climate change will hurt many other…
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Mr. Speaker, I would hope that it will be just a matter of hours before the government adopts an approach similar to that of the rest of the world. A growing number of governments across Europe are imposing on Belarus sanctions comparable to those imposed on Russia. That one dictator is serving as an accomplice to another dictator does not make the first dictator less guilty than the second. The p…
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Mr. Speaker, more than two weeks ago, the City of Ottawa requested 1,800 RCMP officers to ensure an adequate police response to the crisis. The events of last weekend proved that was indeed the solution. I would hope the Prime Minister was not even contemplating invoking the Emergencies Act two weeks ago. He will not invoke the act every time there is a protest—I hope he will resist that temptatio…
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Mr. Speaker, I challenge the Prime Minister to name a single place in Canada or in Quebec where this law is warranted at this time. He spoke about tow trucks; that is about money. He spoke about freezing bank accounts. We should not be doing that for just two weeks. We should pass legislation and consider a permanent way to deal with criminal activities funded with the proceeds of crime. Given tha…
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Mr. Speaker, I believe that just about everyone agrees with the intention of putting an end to the siege of Ottawa. It is just about the only hostile protest still going on in Canada. Although the intention is a good one, the means being used may not be. Quebec dealt with protests in Quebec City without the Emergencies Act. In Coutts, not only did the border reopen without the Emergencies Act, but…
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Mr. Speaker, I would begin by reminding our friends across the aisle that we are in the middle of a pandemic and our friends to our right that I would like to hear myself speak. The pandemic has claimed victims. Some have died, while others are struggling with very serious health problems. Some people are living in a state of anxiety. Some people saw their purchasing power markedly decline because…
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Mr. Speaker, what has happened in the past few years has taught us one thing: What is said in general terms is less likely to be implemented than what is written. Based on recent experience, I am not really interested in what the Prime Minister says. I am looking at what is written. The texts says it applies across Canada. There is no nuance or restriction. The Prime Minister said that he would co…
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Mr. Speaker, there is a big difference between offering additional powers to other police forces and taking powers away from other levels of government so they can be handed over to one's own police force. Once again, the government is performing some gymnastic manoeuvres with a few extra twists, which would outdo any figure skating routine in Beijing. When measures are necessary, are appropriate,…
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Mr. Speaker, it is illegal to stop a heavy truck on the white line in the middle of the street, except for about a minute and a half when the light is red. These protesters gave notice in advance that this was their intention, and they were allowed to come anyway. The Ottawa police got a little worried and requested assistance, which they were not given. They were told that 275 RCMP officers were …
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Mr. Speaker, there is nothing more traumatizing than rising to speak after the member for Longueuil—Saint-Hubert. Yesterday I asked government members to show some sensitivity. I understand that does not come easily to them, because when we asked them to apologize for the Canadian abuses a few months ago, they practically laughed in our faces and denied our history. We were the last, along with th…
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Mr. Speaker, there is certainly no lack of humility in Rosemont. I would invite the member for Rosemont—La Petite‑Patrie to look at the views of the Quebec National Assembly, which should matter to him at least a little. His Québec Solidaire friends are against this, as are the Liberals, the Parti Québécois and the CAQ. The only person in Quebec who is right is the member for Rosemont—La Petite‑Pa…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's job is to serve Canadians, and he is not supposed to achieve that by doing Quebeckers a disservice. Canada's current Prime Minister, of all people, should be aware that Quebeckers are particularly sensitive to any reference to this thinly disguised spawn of the War Measures Act.
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Mr. Speaker, in hindsight, and after reading the documents pertaining to the use and invocation of the Emergencies Act, this feels more and more like an exercise in covering up the failures of the government and the Prime Minister above all else. I look forward to debating this matter in the House with all of my colleagues, because the National Assembly of Quebec unanimously opposes it. The Govern…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, I invite the Prime Minister to read his own order before reading out his answers to questions in the House. It does not say that the provinces have a choice. It says that the federal government chooses where it will or will not take action. Second, I invite members of the NDP to seriously reflect on this given the history of their party, which courageously opposed the Wa…
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Mr. Speaker, I am not sure the Prime Minister actually understands how truly difficult things are for ordinary people. Does he realize that health care falls under the jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces? Does he realize how little he had to do in that regard? Does he realize how much he has messed things up? Does he realize that the energy that should be put towards combatting the pandemic i…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister referred to the investments made by the federal government during the pandemic. I would remind him that these investments are being made with borrowed money, money that belongs to Quebeckers and Canadians. He is leaving a debt to Quebeckers and Canadians, and he should have incurred it without trying to impose conditions before making much larger health transfers an…
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Mr. Speaker, that summary the Prime Minister just delivered is, in a way, a summary of his own failure. Is he aware that an act as important as the Emergencies Act requires some consensus in the House? The official opposition is against it. The Bloc Québécois is against it. Once again, I urge the NDP to give this matter some careful thought. Does the Prime Minister realize there are other ways to …
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Mr. Speaker, the parties at the Quebec National Assembly do not want it. The Government of Quebec does not want it. The Bloc Québécois does not want it. I am hearing from the neighbouring benches that the people of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba do not want it. Is the Prime Minister shopping around his “just watch me” moment by imposing a law in Quebec against Quebec?
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Mr. Speaker, Ottawa has lost control over Ottawa. Interestingly, the situation at the Ambassador Bridge was resolved without the Emergencies Act. The situation in Coutts and the weapons seizure happened without the Emergencies Act. The situation in Quebec was managed just fine without the Emergencies Act. Yesterday the Prime Minister pledged that the measures would be geographically targeted, but …
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Mr. Speaker, let us elevate the debate a little bit. I asked the Prime Minister for a meeting. The leader of the official opposition asked for a meeting with all the party leaders. There may be extremely troubling developments in Ottawa and elsewhere in Canada right now, and they may have a significant impact in terms of the economy, public health and, increasingly, public safety. Will the Prime M…
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Mr. Speaker, I am calling for a briefing that would bring together the leader of the official opposition, the leader of the third opposition party, myself and the Prime Minister. Emergency call services in Ottawa are being jammed. Traffic around the Ottawa airport is being obstructed. A movement is taking root, and it is going to be extremely difficult to pull it out. A friend of my father's used …
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Mr. Speaker, we are in the midst of a crisis, but I unfortunately cannot ask the Prime Minister a question. Based on his behaviour and the government's answers, one would think they are campaigning against the Conservatives. That is not what this crisis is about. Every single one of us here was elected by our constituents. We have the right to receive real, serious answers to our questions about t…
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