Parliamentary Speeches
708 speeches by Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe — Page 1 of 15
Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, one Quebecker's ingenuity is bringing honour to our entire nation on the international stage. Gilles Brassard, a professor at the University of Montreal, has been given the Turing Award, the world’s highest honour in computer science. This prize, often compared to the Nobel Prize, is a crowning achievement in a long career dedicated to advancing quantum computing and cryptography, the…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I think we are debating a rather straightforward matter here today. It is not very complicated. We want to know whether we need an independent public inquiry on the Cúram fiasco. It is simple. The debate should be focused on that request. One thing we have learned is that, when problems arose, public servants were told not to tell the public that they were caused by the Cúram softwa…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am quite surprised that my colleagues are saying they are astonished by the criticism of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. My colleagues would not be so surprised if they had read and watched Radio-Canada's reporting. This time, Radio-Canada went to the trouble of publishing the same report in English as well so that my colleagues from the rest of Canada could v…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I paid close attention to my colleague's speech. He said that the opposition is sometimes too critical of the government on immigration issues and that it should maybe make more of an effort to work across party lines on some issues. Interestingly, Radio-Canada published an article in February that included a lot of criticism of the current Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citize…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, this debate exposes Parliament's limited ability to amend treaties. Amendments can be made only to the bill and not to the treaty itself. In the United States, the U.S. Congress grants negotiating mandates, making it more difficult for negotiating teams to conclude unsatisfactory agreements. In Canada, the executive branch acts alone, without any parliamentary oversight. In most ind…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, who has once again shown how well he knows his file. In his remarks, he briefly alluded to Bill C‑228, which is sponsored by the member for Jonquière and which deals with international trade treaties. I would like the member to explain to our colleagues here today how that bill would change the way Canada drafts international trade agreements. How would i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my colleague said that parliamentarians each have an important role to play when it comes to international trade agreements. However, Parliament and parliamentarians have a very limited role in examining these treaties. The amendments they propose can only relate to the legislation itself, not to the treaty. Things are different in the United States and Europe, where parliamentarians …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, recently, a Liberal colleague said that Canada was looking for reliable economic partners and that the United Kingdom was a reliable partner. I support that statement. That said, in January, the Prime Minister shook hands with Xi Jinping when he signed a trade agreement with China. I would simply like to know whether my colleague considers the regime in Beijing to be a reliable partne…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, this is an interesting debate today. We are talking about international trade treaties. There is one treaty that has already been ratified by most of the officials on both sides, the one with Taiwan. About six weeks ago, we heard the Taiwanese ambassador wonder why the Prime Minister has chosen not to sign this agreement, which has had the green light since last April. In Davos, the…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, in the previous speech, my colleague from Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton referred to an amendment he proposed at a committee that he sits on along with my colleague, the Standing Committee on International Trade. This amendment called for an agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary measures with the U.K. so that Canadian meat exports can enter the U.K. market. I thought that was a perfect…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, in a previous question, I mentioned to my Liberal colleague that when it comes time for Canada to sign international trade agreements, there is a serious democratic deficit because Parliament does not really have a say in the matter, unlike the United States, for example, and other industrialized countries. Does my colleague not think that there should be a comprehensive review of h…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, today's debate on Bill C-13 has sparked another debate regarding the impact that parliamentarians from all parties, and in Parliament as a whole, have on the international trade agreements signed by Canada. As we know, the role of parliamentarians in that regard is pretty limited at this time. Amendments may be moved only with respect to the bill. They cannot affect the agreement itse…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, what we have been saying all along is that we cannot support an American-Israeli military offensive without prior consultation. In fact, even the U.S. Congress was not consulted. We will always defend Israel's right to defend itself. Just because someone commits a crime does not mean another person has the right to commit one too. That is one thing. Now, I am not saying this is a crim…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I will be brief. How is it that when francophones contact Global Affairs Canada, they receive a reply in English from their consular services?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I will take the liberty of asking a question. I want to be very clear that I will not point out the absence or presence of anyone in the House. I just want to ask my colleague whether he thinks it is right that the leader of the Green Party asked more questions and made more comments this evening in response to speeches than any members from the Liberal Party and the NDP combined, eve…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I want to start by saying that I will be sharing my time with the member for Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton. I want to go back to what was just said. Let us remember that, in 1953, there was a gentleman in Iran, Prime Minister Mossadegh, who was overthrown so that the shah of Iran could take his place. This was done by the British and the Americans. However, what people often forget is t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I sent you a letter this morning at about 8:00 a.m. to request an emergency debate as soon as possible on the major military escalation between the United States and Iran. I realize that the circumstances surrounding the debate have changed since then, but I still wanted to inform you about the urgency of the situation. The events of the past 10 days are creating an extremely serious …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, five minutes really does fly by. We know that there will be repercussions. We are experiencing them already. What will it mean? Of course, it means that energy costs are going to spike, but it also means that that nearly every economic sector will feel the effects, possibly leading to job losses and rising inflation. What we are saying is that, first and foremost, as my leader mention…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I want to know whether my colleague finds that the consular services provided since the start of the conflict are worthy of a G7 country. Several stories have been reported in the newspapers, such as the Journal de Montréal, and in other media. I get the impression that Canadian consular services are still lagging behind the consular services of many of our allies.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, in fact, there is only one thing I want to know following my colleague's speech. When dealing with issues as complex as this one, we need to be thorough. In his answers, the Prime Minister first said one thing and then the opposite. He began by saying that he supported the American and Israeli strikes. Then he said that international law must be respected at all costs. Later, he said th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I am surprised to see that the Liberals are not really participating in the debate, even though they are the ones who requested it, but these things happen. My question for my colleague is simple. Canada is blindly supporting the offensive currently being waged by Donald Trump and the Israelis. However, according to Donald Trump, the logical next step would be for him to personally ch…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I want to thank my colleague, someone I hold in the highest regard, and ask her a fairly simple question. Earlier today, the Leader of the Opposition said that he was proud of the Prime Minister who, without consulting our allies, declared that he unequivocally supported the American and Israeli offensive. In the same breath, he also said that had he been prime minister, he would have c…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will correct the minister. The Prime Minister was very clear. He supported the American military offensive from day one of the American offensive. The government cannot say one thing and then contradict itself on a topic as complex as the one that brings us here this evening. How can the Prime Minister say that we must defend international law at all costs and, at the same time, in …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, the Bloc Québécois has always said and will always say that Israel has the right to fully defend itself, just like any other independent country or any other nation does. Israel has the right to its own security and the right to take every measure to defend itself. Now, international law comes first. Above all, there are allies with whom it is possible to work, whether diplomatically,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we can agree on that. My question for the leader of the official opposition is very simple. On day one, the Prime Minister took the same position that the Conservatives are taking today, which is that he unequivocally supported the Trump-Israel military offensive. If the leader of the official opposition had been prime minister instead of the current Prime Minister, would he not have …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, no one on the Conservative side seems to want to answer my question. However, it seems like a valid question to me. It has to do with support for a military offensive launched by Donald Trump, who said that following this offensive, he would choose the next regime in Iran, because the United States was going to win this war. That is what Donald Trump said. However, anyone who blindly …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to come back to the current position of the Conservatives, who unequivocally support the American and Israeli offensive, an offensive that, by all appearances, goes against international law and is aiming for regime change. We all hate this regime, but that does not change the fact that this is an offensive designed to change an established regime in violation of international …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, several things are interesting this evening. I completely agree with my colleague that the Liberal Party's changing positions have resulted in confusion. This is not how a party in power should behave. The New Democrats have not risen this evening. I do not think we are hearing them even though they held a press conference today calling for an emergency debate. Theirs is an unusual posi…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by acknowledging the sincere intention of my NDP colleague, the member for Vancouver East. Above all, bill C-233 is based on a completely valid concern, that of ensuring that Canadian exports do not contribute to human rights violations or armed conflicts. I think that everyone here in the House can agree on this fundamental objective of defending human rights and upho…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the opposition leader says that the Iranians should choose their own future. I could not agree with that statement more. I wish for that with all my heart. I hope that will happen someday. In the same breath, he also says that he unreservedly supports the American offensive in Iran. As such, he supports President Trump 100% in this offensive. President Trump also said that in the wake…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my leader gave a wonderful speech, as always. He mentioned Davos. Everyone remembers the Prime Minister's speech in Davos, despite the fact that he had been in the United Arab Emirates and Beijing three days earlier. In his opinion, how did the middle powers receive the Prime Minister's first speech on the American and Israeli offensive? How does he think this was perceived by our all…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, why is Canada always behind when it comes to providing consular services during international crises? The Americans had been sending ships for weeks. All the other allies were already prepared. As for Canada, we are reacting, once again, as always. I do not want to know if there is currently a contingency plan. I want to know why there was not already a contingency plan in place, just i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it can be difficult to maintain order in the House. However, we in the Bloc Québécois respect the Chair, of course. My colleague is a former finance minister. In the budget and the budget implementation bill, Bill C‑15, the government is extending carbon capture tax credits for five years to help oil and gas companies. Does my colleague, who, as I just said, is a former finance mini…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to go back to something that was said in the previous speech by the member for Richmond—Arthabaska. I want to ask my colleague from Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North a question, because what was said was rather surprising. The member for Richmond—Arthabaska criticized the Liberal government because of measures implemented in the fall of 2024 that led to drastic changes for entr…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to address the substance rather than the form, unlike some of my colleagues. I really liked my colleague's speech. Obviously, he focused on something that affects him personally: the vitality of the media and the digital services tax. He is responsible for that file. I would like my colleague to explain something related to the Prime Minister's famous speech in Davos. Eve…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, just five years ago, Ukraine was the breadbasket of Europe. Its fertile, rich and plentiful lands provided good soil that was perfect for growing crops. Large fields of sunflowers covered the landscape, their faces turned towards the sun. Barely five years ago, Ukraine was an almost peaceful European country. It is true that there were serious conflicts in Crimea. It is true that ther…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, we are all concerned about the attacks being perpetrated by a drug cartel in Puerto Vallarta and the Jalisco region. Our hearts go out to the people of Mexico, who once again find themselves caught in the crossfire. However, we are obviously concerned for the thousands of Quebeckers and Canadians who are being forced to shelter in place in their hotels or homes to escape violence. Wit…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, let us talk about questions that have never been answered. So far, no Conservative has answered a fairly simple question from the Bloc Québécois benches. In the case of this motion, Conservative logic suggests that cars manufactured in the United States should not be subsidized because we are in a tariff and trade war with Donald Trump's United States. However, we never hear the Con…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, one of the Conservatives' main arguments in their motion today is that the government is subsidizing vehicles made in foreign countries. I believe the Conservatives are referring mainly to the United States. We know that Quebec and Canadian taxpayers subsidize the oil and gas industry in Canada, and 80% of this industry is owned by American interests, so if we follow the Conservativ…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I think it is clear today that the Bloc Québécois was in favour of subsidies for electric vehicles. In fact, it is clear that the government complied with the request that we have been making for quite some time. It finally listened to reason. However, there is one area in which the government has not yet listened to reason. To me, the Conservatives and the Liberals are two peas in …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, today, we are asking ourselves one question: What does this motion have to offer Quebec? As we see it, this motion has absolutely nothing good to offer Quebec. The more electric cars on Quebec's roads, the better for Quebec's economy. Allow me to explain that to my colleague. When an electric car recharges, Hydro-Québec sells that electricity. Instead of using western oil, we use Queb…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, all day, the Liberals have been very proudly saying that they will be voting against this motion, as if they were pro-environment. Can my colleague explain to our Liberal colleagues that their environmental track record is not just about voting against this motion? Their track record is much worse than one would think. I would like my colleague to elaborate on that.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Subcommittee on International Human Rights took a clear, strong and unanimous stand. It condemned the 20-year prison sentence that the Hong Kong authorities imposed on Jimmy Lai, a defender of democracy and freedom of speech, whose only crime was to express his opinions publicly. The motion calls for his immediate release. In 2023, the House of Commons and the Senate un…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with someone who is a role model to us all, the member for Rivière-du-Nord, who will be speaking right after me. I will get straight to the point, as I think I did with the questions that I asked. I would like to start by saying that the motion moved by the member for Battle River—Crowfoot does not sit well with the Bloc Québécois. The reason is quite simpl…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to hear my colleague's opinion. In her view, do paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of the motion not run the risk of being challenged in court? That could drag on for years and years, since, in my opinion, there are many people who would want to challenge these three paragraphs.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I think I made that pretty clear in my speech. I also do not want to be too hard on my Conservative friends, because I am sure they are acting in good faith. Unfortunately, sometimes people have ideas that turn out to be not so great. I think that this motion deserves a lot more work, a lot more rigour to achieve the objective that the Conservatives have set for themselves. Unfortun…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, since my colleague did not ask me any questions about my speech, I am not going to answer the question he just asked me. I spoke at length about political prisoners. My colleague is trying to play party politics by attacking the Conservatives and talking about hypocrisy, yet the Liberals are reaching new heights of hypocrisy when it comes to human rights. I spoke about Jimmy Lai. Th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, you may not believe anything, but I believe in you. I think there is a major blind spot in the Conservatives' motion when it comes to political prisoners. There are authoritarian regimes in the world that fabricate charges and convict innocent people simply because they oppose a repressive regime. With the Conservative motion before us today, I feel that these people would not even …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, a significant, concrete and factual step backward is the decrease in funding to Canada's international development envelope, which is being cut by $2.5 billion over three years. That money is often used to fund human rights organizations in countries under authoritarian regimes. That is a fact. The Prime Minister's current vision is to link international development and internationa…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, reading this motion, I do not think a single Quebecker would be able to vote against it, except perhaps 44 of them. According to my colleague, which 44 Quebeckers would vote against this motion?
Read full speech →