Parliamentary Speeches
708 speeches by Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe — Page 4 of 15
Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, obviously, this is not the most urgent priority. As I mentioned earlier, over the past 10 years, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration has been the most dysfunctional department in the federal government. There have been seven immigration ministers in 10 years. When a ship is sinking, changing captains is not going to help. A new ship must be built. The problems with immigrati…
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Mr. Speaker, if there are good amendments, I will consider them and support them. If they are bad, I will consider them and not support them. That is pretty much it. This should not have dragged on since 2009, however. The Liberals were a majority from 2015 to 2019. They could have fixed this mistake promptly. Sadly, however, they made no effort whatsoever to address this injustice. Today, they ar…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said, we will seriously study all of the amendments that are tabled. I already see a few problems around these two issues, such as the fact that the government wants to make it so that people have to spend three consecutive years in Canada to get their citizenship. For one thing, this would limit their right to move. What happens if someone wants to spend a week in Cuba? They blo…
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Mr. Speaker, I would also like to welcome my colleague from Elgin—St. Thomas—London South to the House. I enjoyed his speech. Can my colleague tell me how we have gotten to this point? In his opinion, why is the government introducing a bill that I would call too radical for the current situation, a bill that will amend about 15 acts and attack legislation affecting three different departments? Ca…
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Mr. Speaker, I will begin by saying that I am very pleased to see you in the Speaker's chair. However, I must also say that I would have liked to see you take part in today's debate in your former role as immigration critic. I would have liked to see someone as thorough as you participate in the debate on a bill of this nature. The Liberals are concerned about borders. Finally. After 10 years, the…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for Eglinton—Lawrence on his election. He seems like a serious parliamentarian who wants to work constructively. That is exactly how the Bloc Québécois operates. We work constructively on bills. This bill is going to take time. It will require thorough and rigorous study. In the meantime, we have proposals that could help us now at the border. There i…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be quick. I asked the member for Winnipeg North a question earlier. It is not that complicated. The CBSA union wants this, the officers want this and the Bloc Québécois supports this demand: the ability to patrol between border crossings. It would not require new legislation. It could be done through regulations. My question is, why does the government not do this right now? Th…
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Madam Speaker, in the last Parliament, we saw the NDP vote with the Liberals to adopt one closure motion after another. Then we saw what happened in the last general election. Does my colleague think that the Liberals are playing the same game with the Conservatives as they did with the NDP, by forcing them to vote with them to adopt one closure motion after another? Are the Conservatives not shoo…
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Madam Speaker, the Liberals are saying that since it is written in their platform, they are doing it. In their election platform, in their leader's speeches, during the leaders' debates and during the election campaign, they kept talking about seniors. They said that they would help seniors financially. The Liberals are in the habit of stealing bits and pieces of every party's platform. In fact, t…
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Mr. Speaker, as world leaders gather at the G7 summit, we must speak with one voice about international human rights and freedom of expression. The G7 is happening at a critical juncture. The trial of Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong political prisoner and defender of freedom of expression, is set to resume in mid-August. He is 77 years old, diabetic and has already spent four and a half years in arbitrary an…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague just said that she has full confidence in the Government of Quebec. The Government of Quebec and all the other parties at the National Assembly, or all 125 elected members from Quebec, called for the reimbursement of $814 million. Like the Parliamentary Budget Officer, they understood that we were robbed. Since my colleague has confidence in the Government of Quebec, shou…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague said he wants to work on behalf of workers, on behalf of hard-working people. This kind of talk really hits home for me. Before I was elected, I worked in a pulp and paper mill. I am probably one of the only members in the House who never sat in a university classroom, so this kind of discourse resonates with me. I am also here to work for the workers, for my friends at t…
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Winnipeg North just told us that he was proud to represent Quebec. I have a simple question for him: Is the National Assembly of Quebec important to him? If so, does he think that when 125 elected members from Quebec call— I will stop there because this is a big moment for us right now. I am being told that the Bloc Québécois bill on supply management has been adopted i…
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Mr. Speaker, that is fantastic, because we were told that the Prime Minister is a master at managing public finances. I might be forced to admit that is true, since none of these members are following up on what the Parliamentary Budget Officer said about the rebate paid out on a carbon tax that was never collected. None of these Liberal members is repeating the Quebec National Assembly's call for…
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Mr. Speaker, what do a foreign entity involved in the killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil, a tyrant who ordered the dismemberment of a journalist at an embassy in Turkey, and a malicious leader who silences any form of opposition have in common? The answer is, of course, that they are all honoured guests of the Prime Minister at the G7. Human rights should not get in the way of a good business …
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Mr. Speaker, Justin Trudeau welcomed “those fleeing persecution, terror and war” to Canada. We remember the fiasco that this tweet caused and the impact that it had on our intake capacity. Nevertheless, Justin Trudeau wanted to welcome the persecuted. Now the new Prime Minister has chosen to welcome the persecutors. Are there any Liberals on the other side who will talk to their leader, the Prime …
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Madam Speaker, I congratulate the member for La Prairie—Atateken on his election. In his speech, he said that he and his government would protect our economic interests. Today, that same MP had the opportunity to walk the talk by protecting Quebec's economic interests and by asking the federal government to repay the $814 million that it stole from Quebec. The Bloc Québécois is not the only one sa…
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Madam Speaker, there is talk of social licence when it comes to this government's energy projects, such as running a pipeline through Quebec. Do the government's plans include giving public money to oil companies to build pipelines?
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Mr. Chair, I will drop that question. Does the minister believe that asylum claims fall under federal jurisdiction? If so, does she believe that asylum seekers are being divided evenly throughout Canada?
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Mr. Chair, I want to reassure the minister that I am not here to put on a show or to impress my leader or the House leader of the Bloc Québécois. I would like to ask the minister some questions and have a constructive debate with her. In any case, not many people are watching this evening, and I am not looking to get any sound bites from our discussion. I will begin with the following question. Wh…
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Mr. Chair, in 2022, the government invested $85 million to hire 500 officers and reduce processing times. In 2024, those times increased and the department laid off 3,300 officers. Can the minister explain the logic behind all that? Is that what we should expect in the coming years?
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Mr. Chair, in February 2022, the minister's predecessor announced an $85-million investment to improve the client experience and modernize the immigration system. That plan was in the 2021 economic and fiscal update. It would have reduced processing times and addressed difficulties encountered during the process. The plan also called for 500 new officers to be hired. In 2024, her department announ…
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Mr. Chair, the 2024-25 budget committed $4.1 billion in spending. Ultimately, $6.3 billion was spent. For 2025-26, $5.1 billion in spending is projected. The Liberals were off by $2 billion last year. How many billions of dollars does the government think it will be off by this year?
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Mr. Chair, from what I understand, the government has no target processing time. Is that right?
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Mr. Chair, when the estimates were tabled, the minister said that her government would also table the departmental plans for her department in June. Is it correct that the government was supposed to table the plans in June?
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Mr. Chair, as of today, June 9, 2025, the ministerial plans have still not been tabled. Normally, they are tabled after the estimates. My understanding is that the minister will not be tabling a departmental plan in June. Normally, there is a departmental plan, a kind of forecast that is presented after the estimates. Someone needs to get their ducks in a row.
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Mr. Chair, it is not complicated. I want a number. Are we talking about six months, a year, two years, three years, four years or two months? What is the government's target processing time for asylum claims? The government must have a target for how long it should take to process an asylum claim. What is the target?
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Mr. Chair, if they are working to reduce processing times, that must mean they have a target. Without a target, reducing processing times is absolutely meaningless. It is not complicated. It is a yes-or-no question: Is there a target? Reducing is not a target. Is there a target of six months, a year or two years for the time it takes to process an asylum claim?
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Mr. Chair, we will try again in committee. I believe the Conservative member asked the minister earlier about processing times for asylum claims. What is the government's target? I am told that the government wants to reduce processing times. By how much? Do they have a number in mind? What should the processing time be for an asylum claim in Canada?
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Mr. Chair, asylum seekers fall exclusively under federal jurisdiction, pursuant to the international conventions that Canada has signed. No province has authority over asylum seekers. Does the minister think asylum seekers are currently being distributed evenly throughout Canada? Does she not think that they are concentrated in certain provinces, such as Quebec and Ontario?
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Mr. Chair, the minister just admitted that Quebec is doing more than its share and that its intake capacity has in fact been exceeded, yet she says she supports Quebec. Quebec is asking for $500,000 to cover the social assistance cheques it sent to asylum seekers in 2024 alone. Asylum seekers are actually a federal responsibility, but the $500,000 is not included in the appropriations. Why is that…
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Mr. Chair, I am talking about social assistance. Quebec is asking for $500,000 for the social assistance it paid. This is not included in the appropriations. Will Quebec get that money? Furthermore, I do not think Quebec received $750 million for asylum seekers. If we had, we would be very happy. I think the minister meant $750,000.
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Mr. Chair, last fall, the previous government implemented measures for temporary foreign workers. Those measures are currently having an extremely negative impact on businesses in Quebec's regions. For example, in the housing sector, if a company builds roofs on site, 20% of its workers can be temporary foreign workers. If the roofs are built in a factory, only 10% of them can be temporary foreign…
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I understand now, Mr. Chair. It was $750 million. However, Quebec has not received anything in terms of social assistance. There is nothing in the estimates. Why is it not in the estimates?
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Mr. Chair, will the government amend the changes that were made in the fall, yes or no? This is very important to people, especially business owners and foreign workers in the regions, who are feeling scared and anxious right now.
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Mr. Chair, the minister says she is helping and supporting Quebec, but the Quebec government has spent $500,000 providing social assistance to asylum seekers. This is not included in the appropriations. When will the government reimburse Quebec for that social assistance?
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Madam Speaker, I do not believe that this bill is anti-refugee and anti-immigrant.
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Madam Speaker, do I have 30 minutes to answer that? I hope that the answer to my colleague's question is yes; sadly, however, I do not know exactly how that will happen. Is improving processing times really a government objective? I am not convinced that it is. The fact remains that it is not right for a G7 country to take four, five, six or seven years to process a refugee claim filed in-country.…
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Madam Speaker, this is my first speech in the House, and I am truly pleased to see you sitting in the Speaker's chair because, as you know, you are my favourite. As this is indeed my first speech in the House in this 45th Parliament, I would like to thank the citizens of Lac‑Saint‑Jean from the bottom of my heart for placing their trust in me for a third time. It is an honour to represent them in …
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Madam Speaker, my colleague is someone who is really in touch with her constituents. I think that everyone in the House and everyone in her riding knows that. I would like her to tell us how important border security is for the people in her riding. I would also like her to talk about how border security has been neglected over the past 10 years. What would a bill that secures the border mean for …
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Mr. Speaker, this bill was introduced two days ago, and we have had to analyze all 130 pages of it. At first glance, we are generally in favour of the bill in principle. However, given that it is 130 pages long, affects more than three departments and could possibly amend some 20 laws, I hope that the minister agrees with me that it will require thorough, detailed work in committee. There is no wa…
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Madam Speaker, I am clearly more focused on immigration-related issues, covered in parts 7, 8 and 9 of the bill. My colleague can correct me if I am wrong, but the bill appears useful on the issue of car theft in that it will make it easier for authorities to inspect the contents of certain containers in ports and certain shipments on trains. I think I am correct in saying that. That is already a …
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Madam Speaker, the Liberals have indeed been lax on many issues. It is abundantly clear that border security and the immigration department have been mismanaged for the past 10 years. I believe, and I am sure everyone will agree, that the most dysfunctional department in the federal government is the immigration department. Today, we will look at what the Liberals are proposing in Bill C‑2 in term…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Yukon did not answer the question from my colleague from Repentigny, but it is not that complicated. A tax was scrapped, and then a rebate cheque was sent out to offset payments that had not been made. So much for sound fiscal management. This measure is going to cost Canadian taxpayers $3.7 billion. The worst part is that Quebeckers did not get that cheque, but th…
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his excellent speech and, most of all, for the excellent answer he just gave to our Conservative colleague. Is the government doing something different in the 2024 fall economic statement when it comes to the oil and gas industry? Has it suddenly decided, in this economic statement, to give less money to the oil industry by way of subsidies and tax c…
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Mr. Speaker, on December 4, my beautiful riding of Lac-Saint-Jean celebrated the official inauguration of the Bois Francs Bio Serra's new facilities. The company will change its name to Mono Serra Group Scierie. With an investment of nearly $25 million at a time when the forestry industry is facing numerous challenges, I am both proud and optimistic to see such a project come to life in the munici…
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Mr. Speaker, three Chilean asylum seekers escaped from the Laval immigration holding centre. These are people with ties to international organized crime who were subject to a removal order. The three escapees are just the latest in a long line of nearly 750 asylum seekers in Quebec who are inadmissible for security reasons, yet the federal government is not deporting them. These people are a threa…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois has been sounding the alarm since the safe third country agreement was renegotiated in 2023. There is a loophole that enables people who cross the border illegally to claim asylum after hiding for 14 days. On Friday, a CBSA report obtained by the media confirmed that, just between April and September 2023, nearly 2,000 people took advantage of that loophole and clai…
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Mr. Speaker, it is basically the minister's job to answer questions. This is question period. The government has known for over a year that the 14-day loophole is being exploited. The Liberals have known for over a year that thousands of people are crossing the border illegally to seek asylum. They have known for over a year that criminal smugglers are abusing vulnerable people for as much as $45,…
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Mr. Speaker, it is mind-boggling. Everyone warned them. We knew that the Liberals were not good at managing the borders, so the Bloc Québécois warned them before the U.S. election that migration at the border would go up if Donald Trump won. Quebec warned them. Immigration lawyers warned them. Community organizations warned them. We warned them. Despite all those warnings, the union tells us that …
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