Parliamentary Speeches
708 speeches by Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe — Page 7 of 15
Government Orders
Madam Speaker, obviously, the Bloc Québécois is not against federal-provincial discussions to establish policies that meet everyone's needs. However, the motion before us today calls for the meeting to establish “plans for provinces to opt-out of the federal carbon tax to pursue other responsible ideas to lower emissions”. Such plans already exist. The federal carbon pricing system contains an opt…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, imposing visas on Mexicans was necessary, but the federal government promised that it would not affect workers. Eastern Quebec is reeling from delays in the arrival of temporary foreign workers for fisheries and processing. Fortunately, after the leader of the Bloc Québécois wrote to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and the Prime Minister on March 25, the situatio…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I enjoy debating with my colleagues. We may not always share the same opinions, but I enjoy a debate based on facts. Since 2015, the Bloc Québécois has voted against every Trudeau government budget and every Trudeau government economic statement. Knowing this, when the Conservatives say that the Bloc Québécois supports all of the Trudeau government's spending, would my colleague, hypo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the asylum seekers file, the Minister of Immigration has some nerve. It has been since 2021 that Quebec has been calling on the federal government to reimburse the costs and ensure that asylum seekers are spread out among the provinces. It has been three years. Today, the minister has the nerve to say that the Government of Quebec did not seem serious about sitting do…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the bill would not be as high if the federal government dealt with asylum claims in a timely fashion. Former Liberal minister David Heurtel reminded us of that in the Journal de Montréal. Quebec experienced the same problems in 2018 under Philippe Couillard. Even then, Quebec was already asking the federal government to reduce wait times. Something that is supposed to take a maximum o…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I apologize. The Bloc Québécois has not supported any of this government's budgets or economic statements. I would like to ask a question of my colleague, who is a respectable man. If a politician—and I am not naming names—were to say that the Bloc Québécois supports all of this government's spending, would he not be shamelessly lying to the public?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative members are all worked up. I get it. Today is their opposition day. I am going to try to ask the Conservative leader a direct question, but I have no illusions. I do not expect an answer because he plays exactly the same political games as the Prime Minister: He refuses to answer difficult questions and tosses around political slogans. Still, I will give it a try. Whe…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government already owed Quebec $470 million for services rendered to asylum seekers. Its debt has just climbed to $1 billion. These are not projections, these are the bills incurred for guaranteeing the asylum seekers quick access to social assistance, temporary housing, health care and schooling. Ottawa's refusal to pay Quebec what it owes is sabotaging our capacity to not only i…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
It is a great relationship, Mr. Speaker. For months, the minister has been repeating that he is at the negotiating table with Quebec, but there are no negotiations going on. The Quebec immigration minister confirmed that on Thursday, when she said that the federal government has been wasting Quebec's time for two years. Fortunately, we know that the premiers will be meeting in the coming weeks. I …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, that just goes to show that just because a person is six foot, three inches tall does not mean they are able to take the high road. The federal government also needs to ensure that asylum seekers are spread out among the provinces. Everyone has to put in their share of the efforts. The federal government finally started spreading out the influx last year. However, the last time we ask…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, these answers are no longer credible, but that is okay. I will continue. Quebec's French language commissioner goes further. He proposes that the federal government ensure that asylum seekers are spread out among the provinces, taking language into account. Ottawa could encourage people who have knowledge of French to stay in Quebec or, as the Bloc Québécois proposes, go to franco-Can…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Quebec's French language commissioner released a report that may shock the immigration minister, but does not surprise anyone in Quebec. Temporary immigration is setting French back in Quebec. According to the commissioner, it would cost between $10.5 billion and $13 billion to teach French to all newcomers. Needless to say, that is unsustainable. One of the commissioner's recommendat…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my leader will correct me if I am wrong, but I think that when it comes to immigration, the substance is almost as important as the form. Let me explain. The tone we take when we discuss this sensitive issue of immigration is almost as important as when we talk about things in depth. Recently, the Minister of Immigration talked to us about heat pumps, but he also told us, when we as…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Salaberry—Suroît, who is also my treasured whip. One must always be kind to one's whip. The federal government needs to revise its immigration targets if it wants to build a successful immigration model and make sure that newcomers find favourable living conditions here. On its opposition day on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, the Bloc Québécoi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Vancouver East for her speech. I think that she is not only a person who is easy to work with on the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, but one who also knows everything there is to know about Canada's immigration system and all of its programs. She truly has a sound knowledge of the subject, and I wanted to say so today in the H…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I very much appreciate my colleague from Calgary Shepard. He delivered a pointed speech, and he clearly has sound knowledge of the issue. He is also pleasant to work with in committee. Once again, I congratulate him on his speech. I completely agree with him that the management of the immigration portfolio is unacceptable. The government has appointed three different ministers of im…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will answer by repeating what the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship said. If the Quebec government wants to grow the labour pool or totally control economic immigration, it first has to have all immigration powers. Let us take the example of temporary foreign worker program. People say that Quebec has complete control of this type of immigration and its labour force,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. There is a management problem at the immigration department and it starts at the top. It actually starts with the Minister of Immigration, whose scathing, abrasive and disrespectful tone is unbecoming of his position. Consequently, the debate on immigration, which should be sensitive, responsible and impartial, sometimes winds up going downhill. Things m…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. We had this debate in the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, and I do not agree 100% with the NDP's proposal. However, there are things we can look at. Recently, the Union des producteurs agricoles proposed facilitating access to permanent resident status for temporary foreign workers in the agriculture sector. As people can see, I agree …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my plan is for Quebec to have full authority over immigration. It is not complicated. I have never heard a Conservative member tell me whether they agree with Quebec's immigration minister, so the next time a Conservative member rises to ask me a question, I would like them to answer the following question. Do the Conservatives agree that Quebec should have full authority over immigra…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in November, Radio-Canada revealed that Mexican criminals are using the lack of visa requirement to come to Canada to conduct their smuggling operations. Yesterday, in committee, the Minister of Immigration, the RCMP and the CBSA denied any link between waiving visas and crime. They are burying their heads in the sand, yet all three have access to internal reports that say just that, …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister must also ensure that there are not too many asylum seekers entering the country at the same place. Quebec has exceeded its intake capacity. There are 289,000 asylum seekers in Canada, and Quebec has shown that it has taken in 160,000, or 55% of the total number. Quebec's immigration minister even announced yesterday that she is considering holding a referendum on t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the federal government still owes Quebeckers $470 million for taking in asylum seekers, who are actually Ottawa's responsibility. The funding announced for housing future asylum seekers is good, but it will not cover the federal government's debt, which has been accumulating since 2021. Every time we raise the issue, the Minister of Immigration ratchets up the rhetoric and insults. To…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, they claim we are picking fights whenever they do not feel like debating. We have the member for Honoré-Mercier to thank for that. The federal government also needs to make it so that every province welcomes asylum seekers. Every time we raise the issue, the Minister of Immigration accuses Quebec of wanting to treat immigrants like cattle. That kind of rhetoric does not help anyone, e…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers have spent $470 million welcoming asylum seekers who are the federal government's responsibility. The federal government may feel that is a lot of money to have to pay back, but that is because we took in far more than our fair share of people. Now it is the Liberals' turn to do their bit. So far, all they have offered is an inadequate amount for accommodation, one that see…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is obviously concerned about the situation. My colleague from Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia wants to ensure that the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security conducts a study. Strangely enough, the Conservatives do not seem to want that study to happen. They would rather have an opposition day about it, which, by the way, will not do much to cha…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C‑373, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (promotion of hatred or antisemitism). Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me today to introduce this bill to amend the Criminal Code so that religious beliefs can never again be used as a justification for hate speech or words meant to incite violence under the Criminal Code. It is very unfortunate that people in positions of…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, if he cannot bring himself to answer questions in the House of Commons, he might as well stop coming. There is nothing there to reimburse Quebeckers for taking in asylum seekers over the past two years; there is nothing for education, nothing for francization, nothing for health, nothing for last resort assistance, nothing for sharing intake among the provinces, nothing for reinstatin…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers have spent $470 million on asylum seekers. Rather than reimbursing them, the minister is instead announcing $100 million for temporary accommodation for future claimants. That is fine if it means lower accommodation costs in the future, but he has yet to reimburse the costs that have been piling up since 2021. It is as though the minister has not paid his rent for two years…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about math. Quebec takes in 45% of all asylum seekers in Canada but receives just under 28% of new investments in temporary housing. Quebec continues to contribute far more than its share of the effort and continues to receive far less than the financial share it deserves. This is one more injustice on top of a bunch of others. Frankly, at this point, does the minister …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, every Conservative MP is claiming that their party will be forming the next government. Sooner or later, they are going to have to take a position and offer up some clear proposals. Considering all the shouting back and forth lately, the Bloc Québécois is pretty much only the adult in the room. We therefore intend to keep our feet on the ground. The Government of Quebec is asking th…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, since 2021, the federal government has been withholding the money it owes Quebec for taking in asylum seekers. It has been so long that the bill has reached $470 million. Yesterday, at last, the government announced in the newspapers that there would be some good news today. It is 2:40 p.m., and there is still nothing. Yesterday, in his first question of 2024, the minister talked abou…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Quebec does not play politics on the backs of immigrants. These people need services, and Quebec is scrambling to provide them at Quebeckers' expense. People come first and money matters come later. It is only here, in Ottawa, where the policies are not up to snuff. It is only here that the government has been trying for years to save money at the expense of asylum seekers and Quebec.…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, obviously, the heart of the matter is the quality of services offered to asylum seekers. Money is essential, but there is much more to it than that. Last year alone, Quebeckers welcomed more than 65,000 asylum seekers. That is almost half the total for all of Canada. Our public services and community organizations are overwhelmed. We lack resources. Quebec has exceeded its integration…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Canada–Philippines Enhanced Defence Agreement: (a) what progress has been made on the agreement, and has it been signed by both countries; (b) what assessment of the state of human rights in the Philippines was carried out before the agreement was negotiated; (c) does the agreement include conditions for human rights monitoring and, if so, what are these conditions, and are they…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is a new year, but the same problems remain at the federal level. Quebec is overwhelmed from welcoming asylum seekers. We welcomed more than 65,000 people in 2023. That is 45% of the total for Canada as a whole, when we represent 22% of the population. That is a lot more than our fair share. Quebec is reaching a breaking point. Those are not our words. The Premier of Quebec said so…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would invite all of the political parties to be mindful when they talk about immigration. The immigration minister already has one strike against him. At this point, one would think that the Liberals would have learned that when they fail to address problems, they never get resolved. They only get worse. When the House recessed in December, the federal government owed Quebeckers $46…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, that is better already. Quebec is also demanding that the federal government reinstate visas for Mexicans. Since the Liberals suspended visas, the number of refugee claims by Mexicans has risen from 110 in 2015 to 24,000 last year. Most of these applications are denied, meaning that the majority of these people are not refugees. Worse still, we know that these people can be trafficked…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the federal government owes Quebeckers $460 million for welcoming asylum seekers. They are the federal government's responsibility. The federal government does not want to pay, and it even has the arrogance to keep bluntly stating that it is not an ATM. However, it is our money inside that ATM, not the federal government's. It is taxpayers' money, much of it from Quebeckers. We are en…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I think the reason some people are raising points of order is because the hon. member for Mirabel has been black-listed by the hon. member for Carleton. His Conservative Party cronies want to play games. Let us allow my colleague to finish. It is a great bill.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, asylum seekers are a federal responsibility. Instead of repeating that Ottawa is not an ATM, it is time for the federal government to stop treating Quebeckers like a credit card. The entire cost of services for asylum seekers is being foisted on us. Now the bill is due, and the Prime Minister has to pay it. True to form, however, he is running away. He does not like paying his debts. …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there are two solitudes in our approach to asylum seekers. On one side, Quebec is taking in half of Canada's asylum seekers. We do not hesitate to do so. We first deliver services at our own expense and then we ask the federal government to reimburse the $460‑million bill. We take care of the people first and then we deal with the money. On the other side, the federal government offer…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we are addressing the Minister of Finance, because right now, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is the problem. He is the one who is preventing this file from being resolved. We want a conversation between serious-minded people. Quebec takes in 48% of all asylum seekers across Canada as a whole and pays 100% of the bill. The Minister of Finance can clearly see that…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, things are happening with the $460 million the federal government has to give back to Quebeckers for asylum seekers. Yesterday, the minister confirmed that the ball is in the Minister of Finance's court. That is why we are asking her about this today, but there is information she may be unaware of. For starters, asylum seekers are a federal responsibility. Even so, Quebec takes in 48%…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, there has of course been a crystal clear consensus since the Chantal Daigle case, and I think that a woman's right to make decisions about her body is as fundamental to me as Quebec becoming a country. These are values that go together. When I look at the other side, I see people who say they are pro-choice, yet they sit with people who are pro-life. In the Bloc Québécois caucus, th…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, it is not easy because, on the one hand, the Liberals are not helping us with Bill C‑41, and on the other hand, we have people who want to cut back on international aid. Canada currently spends 0.3% of its GDP on international aid. The UN is asking for 0.7% from countries like Canada. The average for OECD countries is around 0.42% or 0.43%. Right now, under this government, our spen…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I always enjoy working with my colleague from Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan. I think a lot more needs to be done. One of the things we could do, and this has already been proposed at the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, which I am a part of, is not put a cap on the number of Afghan immigrants we welcome. The special measures program for Afghan refugees currently …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I do find that disappointing, because I have a lot of friends in the Conservative Party. They know me. I am someone who likes to work with others. I have friends in every party. I am in politics to advance issues. I think that is easier when we work together and set partisanship aside. However, there are fundamental values that push us to represent the people in our ridings, values …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, maybe I got it wrong after all. Perhaps they did not get enough sleep, if they are raising points of order like that. As I was saying, the story of Icarus is very interesting. He was so sure of himself that he thought he had come up with an excellent solution, but in the end, he found himself in trouble and landed on his head very quickly. We saw this again in the 30-odd hours we sp…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I thought this moment would never come. It may come up from time to time. I was not expecting to give a 20-minute speech about this. I had prepared a speech on another committee report, but in the end, things changed. In my opinion, the Conservatives may have slept too much. Looking back on the votes that were held during the 30-hour voting marathon, the members who voted the least …
Read full speech →