Parliamentary Speeches
722 speeches by Yves-François Blanchet — Page 14 of 15
Government Orders
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, 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, 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, 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 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, 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, 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, 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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Mr. Speaker, “we must work together”. The last time I checked, the government House leader is not the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister needs to take responsibility. The Liberals seem to be having fun. Have they started to think about how they will respond on Monday after a third weekend of siege and blockades affecting airport traffic and emergency communications? Have they thought about this or…
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Mr. Speaker, it all comes back to leadership in this crisis. Criticism in the media has been harsh and internal issues in the Liberal Party of Canada are compromising the government's ability to take action. Will the Prime Minister acknowledge that he needs to communicate better, perhaps with a little more humility and a more conciliatory tone without changing the fundamental objective, and acknow…
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Mr. Speaker, he is not a political commentator. He is the Prime Minister. The international press is making fun of Canada. More protest groups like the one in Ottawa are popping up in other cities around the world. How is that for leadership? Congratulations. Canada is back. Canada's image has been tarnished and unfortunately Quebec's as well. Quebec City managed the city and the government proper…
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Mr. Speaker, the situation is far from perfect, but we are making progress. Order has not yet been restored, but an injunction has reduced the number of honking horns. Quebec City worked together with the Government of Quebec to set the course for dealing with the protests. The Prime Minister reappeared in the House, which is good. A crisis task force was created. A crisis task force is a means, n…
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Mr. Speaker, let us hope that this Friday is not going to kick off another weekend like the previous ones. Another voice has been added to those of Quebec and the provinces. According to the member for Louis-Hébert, the government's position on health transfers is nothing less than untenable. Increasingly, we are realizing that a more robust health system would have reduced the need for restrictio…
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Mr. Speaker, we are seeing a significant deterioration of the situation in the streets of Ottawa and in front of Parliament, and I believe this warrants a very peaceful and very reasonable call for calm on the part of all parties involved. The media is talking about a permanent encampment. They are talking about an occupation that could last until spring, which is a major concern for many people. …
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Mr. Speaker, from what I understand, everything that is happening is happening without or in spite of the government, which is quite worrisome in and of itself. The extremists are waiting for reinforcements, many of them from outside the region. The truckers are expecting reinforcements. There are plans for a counterprotest, which would quite likely devolve into a confrontation. In light of this, …
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Mr. Speaker, the mayor of Ottawa has requested additional human resources to counter this occupation, which is clearly illegal. Ottawa police officers definitely need a break, and the rising tension has the potential to become quite dangerous. If the Prime Minister ever returns to the House once he recovers from COVID, he will be in for a big surprise. Does the government realize that the message …
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk about obeying the law when, on the contrary, the number of trucks could increase. The protest is illegal, not because of the ideas it espouses—ideas that I disagree with, but they have the right to have different ideas and express them—but because trucks are parked on the white line in the middle of the street. That is illegal. There are fines for doing that. Normally, whe…
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Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take a moment to recognize my hon. colleague from Durham and commend him on his sincerity and unwavering commitment. This does not happen often, but I actually agree with the Prime Minister on several points. Protesting is a right that must be regulated. It is reckless to do so in the midst of a pandemic. The current protest has gone on long enough. The possibilit…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I suggested to the Prime Minister some possible courses of action that fall under the federal government's responsibility and purview. One of them was to simply urge those who are occupying Parliament Hill to leave. Every suggestion we make is one more than the Prime Minister has made. He has still not suggested anything at all. Meanwhile, protesters seem to be settling in …
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Mr. Speaker, the money always comes out of taxpayers' pockets. I hope that the Prime Minister will not do the same thing he did with the indigenous crisis at the beginning of 2020 and download the problem onto the provinces and municipalities. Ottawa residents are being forced to live with incessant honking. The people of Gatineau and Ottawa are having a hard time getting around town. Journalists …
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister takes responsibility for things when it suits him but refuses to take responsibility for things he does not have the courage to deal with. It is that simple. Yesterday, we made clear suggestions that fall under his responsibility, including providing direction, such as distributing information and talking to the truckers' real representatives, who support vaccinatio…
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Mr. Speaker, allow me to belatedly wish you and all our colleagues a happy new year. In the meantime, parts of Ottawa and Gatineau are paralyzed. It is okay to protest, but it is not okay to occupy the city. It is important for people to know that the real trucking associations are in favour of vaccination. Can the Deputy Prime Minister tell us whether the Prime Minister has considered making an a…
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Mr. Speaker, that is quite interesting. It just has absolutely nothing to do with my question. The leader of a country has a role to play. It is okay to condemn, but he has a responsibility to find solutions. We cannot allow a protest to become an occupation. Can the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister assure the House that the authorities will make it possible for Parliament Hill to open …
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, stated that Bill 21 on secularism in Quebec was profoundly discriminatory. This legislation, however, was legitimately voted upon in a parliament that, like all others, is sovereign, and there is broad support for the law in Quebec. Bob Rae failed in his fundamental duty to show restraint. Will the Prime Minister recall Ambassador Ra…
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Mr. Speaker, there are two little things I want to point out. The Prime Minister seems fine with the fact that I do not have the right to sit in the House with a mask bearing the Bloc Québécois logo. Is that a restriction of my fundamental freedom? I also want to set the record straight. This teacher did not lose her job. If the Prime Minister could stop repeating lies, that would be great. I am l…
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Mr. Speaker, I wonder why I am tempted to again tell the Prime Minister to grow a spine. Should Quebec hold a referendum on Bill 21? What happens then? Would the Prime Minister have the courage of confronting Bill 21, after shying away from it in the federal election, and of saying that he will not have the courage to confront Bill 21 in the Quebec election? Does he have the courage to admit that …
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants to position a teacher as a victim, but she herself said that she did not consider it a religious symbol but a political symbol of opposition to Bill 101. She was hired and assigned to a classroom after Bill 21 was passed, but the Prime Minister is commending the Liberal Party's ambassador to the UN for insulting Quebec. Is the Prime Minister planning to fund c…
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Mr. Speaker, I have seen people who do not deserve to be in their jobs, but there they are. I will not name names. The Prime Minister is condoning a smear campaign against a law and a nation that are just as legitimate as his own pretensions. He is condoning an ambassador's decision to insult the Quebec nation as a whole. Am I to understand that he was consulted and agreed with his ambassador's st…
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Mr. Speaker, trouble, trouble, toil and trouble. For goodness' sake, get thee behind me, Jean Charest. While Bob Rae insults Quebec, the Quebec nation, the National Assembly of Quebec and attacks his own people, the Prime Minister is working so hard here to come off as a nice guy. What does the Prime Minister have to say to the Uighur nation? Do the same values of humanity apply? What does the Pri…
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Mr. Speaker, we will clarify by imagining an example. Let us say the Prime Minister travels to Egypt. On his way back, he goes through Paris to say hi to his pal Macron. He then hops over to Burlington before returning to Canada by road, ideally not by Roxham Road. What with quarantines, tests at the airport, trips lasting more than 72 hours and subcontractors making house calls, can the Prime Min…
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Mr. Speaker, the new travel rules are different for everyone, depending on whether one travels by land or by air, in Europe, in the U.S. or, worse, in designated countries in Africa, and on whether one is entering or leaving the U.S. Upon their return, travellers are facing public health restrictions that are reminiscent of “the place that sends you mad”, which even Asterix had trouble navigating.…
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Mr. Speaker, under the rules of the House, a member may not be identified by anything other than the name of their riding. You even grace us by referring to members as “honourable”. However, today we have with us one of the most honourable of all, a member who made all of Quebec his riding, to the point of wanting to make it a country. At first feeling intimidated—and God knows that he was intimid…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a clear measure for him: the ban that is currently in place. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change must be having a rough time these days, because not only is the government funding the oil and gas industry, it is making up false emissions caps and removing regulations. It never ends. This government is so pro-oil that the Conservatives are going to have an identity cr…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that our Liberal friends have discovered the virtues of physical attendance in the House. I am really happy about that. However, I am concerned, and I want to tell all of them that I am concerned, because, according to the CBC, Ottawa is preparing to make changes to an extremely important regulation that prohibits releasing water from oil sands tailings ponds direc…
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