Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, that is an excellent question. That is probably also a big part of the problem. During the last election campaign, the Bloc Québécois called for cutbacks in the use of outside consultants, because it leads to both money being wasted and contracts being awarded under questionable circumstances. Furthermore, it leads to a loss of expertise within the public service. Modernization is c…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, as I said, there has been a loss of expertise within the government. It has been shifted to external consultants. Perhaps the government should have listened more closely to the public servants who raised concerns about the Phoenix system. It is clear that their comments were not taken into account. I would also like to address the fact that the government tried to downp…
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Madam Speaker, I want to address this issue with a great deal of compassion today. I will start with a bit of history. After I was first elected in 2019, I was deeply affected by one of the first cases I dealt with in my office. It was the case of a young woman who came to my office in tears, carrying her infant in a car seat. I handed her a tissue box and invited her in. This mother, who had just…
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Madam Speaker, of course, we have to modernize our systems. The problem is that this modernization was poorly planned and poorly executed. In my speech, I raised a lot of questions that could have been asked beforehand, questions that we still do not have answers to. The reason we are calling for an independent public inquiry is so that we can find out what was not done properly in the planning st…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to make a comment before asking my question. I have been listening to this debate, and clearly, the federal government is out of touch with Quebec's unique circumstances. In Quebec, we understand that secularism is a progressive value that is deeply rooted in Quebec's values since the time of the Quiet Revolution, given our history. It is a very modern and very current principl…
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Mr. Speaker, this is being proposed despite the fact that the committee had demonstrated its good faith by proposing an interpretive clause. The committee even set aside Bill C-9 to study Bill C-14 at the Conservatives' request. The committee studied Bill C-14 and then went back to Bill C-9, thinking everything would be fine, but no, even though their request was granted, the Conservatives continu…
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Mr. Speaker, I am trying to understand how it is acceptable, in a secular society like Quebec, to argue that someone should not be criminally prosecuted under a religious exemption even if there is a hateful intent behind it all. That is unacceptable. Quebec has chosen secularism. It is unacceptable, but that is our current reality. This is not misinformation. The Criminal Code allows someone to d…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister criticized us for not attending a briefing on Cúram. However, that briefing session was held today, and we were in attendance. The bottom line is that Cúram is still causing problems. Tens of thousands of seniors are still without their old age security benefits. The bills keep coming. Cúram continues to cause the same problems, and thousands of people ar…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I already had an opportunity to speak about this bill for four minutes. It was at the end of the last hour. I was given four minutes to begin the debate on Bill C‑246, which deals with consecutive sentences for sexual offences. The bill aims to acknowledge the seriousness of sexual violence. Some sexual offences are among the most serious crimes in our society. They leave deep and las…
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Mr. Speaker, I would have liked to ask my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton that question, but I will ask this colleague instead. I am a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group to End Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, and we are very interested in finding ways to strengthen laws to ensure that the products we buy are not tainted with blood. Working groups have pointed out the exis…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to start with a comment and then move on to my question. Just because no one in Shefford is talking to me about the agreement with Indonesia does not mean that we should not diversify our markets and seek to reduce our dependence on the United States. As I said earlier, my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton succeeded in getting various amendments adopted in commit…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about the process. The Bloc Québécois is proud to have gotten an amendment adopted that will require the minister to ensure that a review is carried out every three years and a report submitted to the House. That is a good thing. However, we would rather have debated the agreement itself. Instead, we are being forced to debate its application. On behalf of the Blo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, while answering a question from the Bloc Québécois, the minister accused us of fearmongering over Cúram. Apparently, pointing out that 85,000 seniors are experiencing problems with their OAS is fearmongering. People are not worried about the Bloc Québécois's questions, but about the costly failures of a malfunctioning computer system. Radio-Canada wrote, “The failures of th…
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Mr. Speaker, thousands of seniors are worried and anxious because of the minister's computer system. To be honest, she does not seem to be taking the situation very seriously. The government is more willing to defend Cúram than stand up for seniors. Seniors may not be getting their OAS payments because of the issues in Cúram, but bills are still coming in. They still have to buy groceries to put f…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, Quebec students have been coming together to make a real and lasting difference in the living and academic conditions of thousands of Quebeckers through the Quebec Student Union, a national association representing 15 university member associations. Its commitment to supporting the next generation of researchers and improving the living conditions of academics is commend…
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Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for her speech, in which she spoke in particular about these courageous Iranian women and their “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. She expressed her hope that, in the future, these women will have a state that respects their rights. Does my colleague really believe that, by leaving the choice of Iran's next leader to the U.S. president at this time, she can truly guar…
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Madam Chair, my colleague talks a lot about this coming war and their support for it. However, one of the aspects my leader mentioned in his speech earlier is the impact this conflict would have here, such as inflation, when the economic situation is already unstable. Is my colleague aware that this conflict is escalating? Earlier, I attended a meeting with farmers who fear this conflict will cont…
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Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for his speech. I know he is very interested in the United Nations, of course. We have actually travelled there together on a couple of occasions. I would like him to comment on the fact that the majority of members of the United Nations Security Council expressed serious concerns and immediately called for de-escalation and a return to diplomatic negotiations. UN S…
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Madam Chair, my colleague has clearly outlined the solutions proposed by the Bloc Québécois. He talked about consulting with allies while acknowledging that Iranians must be the only ones to choose their leaders. Then he talked about preparing a contingency plan beforehand, of course. It has to be prepared. I would like his thoughts on a point that I think has been overlooked: preparing measures t…
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Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for his speech. He opened the door: Yesterday, March 8, was International Women's Day. My colleague talked about the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. It is more of a comment than a question, but I want to commend that movement. What does my colleague think of the fact that, as my leader said earlier, sadly, women are often the first victims of these religious regime…
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Madam Chair, my colleague did not answer the question from my colleague from Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton. Does she know of a country where forced nation-building has worked, and does she believe that forced nation-building, like what Donald Trump is doing right now, will really meet the expectations of the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement?
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague that veterans deserve our utmost respect and much better treatment, as do many other people in our society, including people with disabilities and seniors. It is hard to invest properly to help them. Let me explain. My colleague talked about cost overruns and the Liberals' tendency to mismanage things. Phoenix and ArriveCAN were mentioned today as examples. N…
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Mr. Speaker, Bill C-15 continues a trend we have been seeing with this government. I have been trying to form an opinion on this omnibus bill, on all the laws that amend other laws, particularly with regard to the high-speed rail issue. My colleague mentioned that in his speech, and I will come back to it. It is a bit absurd that we are talking about this when the Bloc Québécois proposed simple am…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to ask my colleague a question about Bill C-15 and the message it sends for democracy. Let me explain. My colleague, the member for Mirabel, spoke out about the tax on digital giants that was withdrawn to please the U.S. president. In the end, it achieved nothing except to exacerbate the media crisis, because there were no announcements to provide further assistance to local or…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, according to the government, 85,000 seniors have been having problems getting their old age security benefits because of issues with the Cúram software. Some of them have been waiting for nine months. Yesterday, we saw why it is taking so long. The government House leader said that the errors would be corrected. He said, and I quote, “If there are cases...[we] would have heard about t…
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Mr. Speaker, according to the government's own estimates, 85,000 pensioners have been affected by the issues with Cúram. That is 85,000 people who have been affected by a software with cost overruns of close to $5 billion. If this were happening in Quebec, there would have been a public inquiry a long time ago. However, the government House leader thinks that everything is fine and dandy. He is ba…
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Mr. Speaker, the minister said that 85,000 retirees are having problems with their old age security payments because of the federal government. When 85,000 people are affected, it is time for the Liberals to stop treating them as isolated cases. The government needs to pour resources into resolving these cases, which are piling up in Ottawa. The problems with the Cúram software need to be fixed. C…
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Madam Speaker, we are talking about creating this position through Bill C-10, which we are debating today. We can only commend the creation of this position as an important step. I am a member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. For genuine reconciliation with indigenous peoples to occur, we must ensure that action is taken for indigenous women and girls. How many reports show that t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we frankly have to wonder whether the ministers read the francophone media. If they did, then they would stop downplaying the problems faced by pensioners who are not receiving their OAS pension. If they did, then they would also know that public servants have been forced to become whistle-blowers because they are fed up with being silenced instead of supported. Enough is enough. Ther…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech and for her excellent work. She raised a number of important points, and I want to pick up on a few of them. Of course we agree that this GST credit was necessary. However, I think we need more meaningful measures, which are being discussed in our ridings. I would like to give my colleague the opportunity to talk more about the issues the Liberals…
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Mr. Speaker, there are seniors who have been waiting for their OAS pension for nine months. Meanwhile, we have learned that the government is not only pretending that everything is fine, but it is also not telling the truth to the media or to us when we ask questions. The government is asking public servants to lie to people and tell them that their problems have nothing to do with the Cúram softw…
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Mr. Speaker, at first, the Liberals did not think there was any problem with pensions. They called it fearmongering. The following week, there were about 30 cases, or 0.2% of the files. Yesterday, that rose to 2% of claimants, which could mean up to 10,000 cases. The Liberals are still treating this like it is no big deal. This government is so accustomed to providing poor services to the public t…
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Mr. Speaker, some retirees are being deprived of their old age security benefits because of errors in the Cúram software. The minister is telling us to give her their names and that they will help them. There are 500,000 new applicants every year. If we are to believe the minister's figures from yesterday, figures that are constantly changing, and if it is true that only about 2% of files are prob…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I think I more than covered that in my speech. The Bloc Québécois made a proposal, and we believe it is one way to help people who are truly in need. We were told that there was no money to increase OAS for people aged 65 to 74 who did not receive anything, yet money was found for this benefit. I would point out, however, that the cost is the same, or nearly the same. The government t…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my colleague on his speech. He spoke at length about his criticisms and what is missing from the bill. I would like to return to certain important aspects that a number of victims' groups have called for and that even his female Conservative colleagues are calling for. For example, in Bill C‑16, there is an openness to criminalizing coercive control, which is somethi…
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Mr. Speaker, we are debating a lot of issues related to the Criminal Code. However, I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on this because it once again raises the issue of the fiscal imbalance. We can pass all the bills we want, but the bottom line is that Quebec and the provinces are the ones responsible for the administration of justice. It is important for the House to pass legislation, …
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Mr. Speaker, we are speaking to the bill introduced today, Bill C-19, on the GST credit. It is a start, in that it provides some necessary relief, but it does not go far enough. Bill C-19 seeks to provide financial relief to millions of Canadians against a backdrop of the persistently rising cost of living. My colleague from Mirabel just explained the Bloc Québécois's position on the bill in detai…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, it is somewhat unusual for me to be rising this morning to speak to Bill C-245, which was introduced by my colleague from Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères and which seeks to amend the Canadian Multiculturalism Act so that it does not apply in Quebec. This is something that the Bloc Québécois has taken a strong stance on, something that we are calling for. In a way, multicultural…
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Mr. Speaker, imagine retiring and then not receiving your pension for nine months. Imagine how much that would affect your financial planning. Some people need their pension to pay their rent. Some people need it to pay for groceries. Imagine being in their shoes and watching this government behave as though everything were going smoothly. The Bloc Québécois is calling for an investigation into th…
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Mr. Speaker, I addressed that a little in my speech. It breeds political cynicism. The government did not act until it sensed it was in hot water, or once it saw an electoral opening or opportunity. As I said earlier, my electoral crystal ball is no more accurate than any other. This government is presenting measures that might look extremely appealing at first glance. In the past, the Liberals we…
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Mr. Speaker, in five years, people will still need to pay for groceries and rent. Where will we be economically? No one can predict that. One thing is for sure: It is time we thought about solutions that will help people and give them some predictability. This measure will make people think they have a little more money now, but that they have to be careful because they do not know what will happe…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by noting that Quebec's fourth femicide tragically took place in the riding of Shefford. My thoughts are with Véronic Champagne's family and loved ones. A vigil was held in Rougemont. I was really struck by what one of her friends said in an interview. She said that femicide is one of the most easily preventable crimes, because there are often warning signs. This bring…
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Mr. Speaker, seniors aged 65 and up deserve real answers before this turns into another Phoenix scandal. No one should have to wait nine months to get their pension, but there are cases where that is happening. No one should have to spend hours on the phone trying to get through to someone who can help fix the federal government's mistakes. The first step in solving a problem is admitting that the…
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Mr. Speaker, it is true that there are a lot of measures in Bill C-16. That is why it will be important to carefully study the bill in committee. Earlier, I spoke about the work that I did to spearhead a study in committee. I have been advocating for years about the importance of revisiting the issue of coercive control and criminalizing it. I have been waging this battle at the request of the Que…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague just mentioned that much of what is in the bill was requested a long time ago. I agree with her. She addressed the issue of mandatory minimum sentences for serious crimes and that is something the Bloc Québécois had asked to be reinstated. From what I understand, to ensure that the bill is consistent with the charter and the many Supreme Court decisions that struck down…
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Mr. Speaker, emotions are running high in this debate. We are thinking about all the women who have been victims of femicide and the fact that femicides are on the rise. The bill does contain one measure that women's groups have long been calling for. On their behalf, I spearheaded a study on the criminalization of coercive control at the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. Bill C-16 paves …
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Madam Speaker, let me begin by saying that I will be sharing my time with the member for St. Albert—Sturgeon River. Today we are debating Bill C-16, which means we are talking about court delays, sexual violence and protecting victims. I am speaking today on behalf of the Bloc Québécois. First of all, my party and I would like to extend our deepest condolences to those affected by what is already …
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Madam Speaker, I noted some of our concerns and some of the progress made, which we will support. However, in terms of prevention, I would like to remind members that Bill C-16 will not fix everything. Criminalizing coercive control is really something that groups on the ground are calling for. I had a conversation with people from the shelter in my riding, Maison Alice Desmarais, who shared some …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean. However, this bill was a team effort. Bloc Québécois members prefer to work as a team. I want to reiterate the active involvement of our colleague and fantastic critic from Rivière-du-Nord, who sits on the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. He worked very hard on the issue of the Jordan decision, in collaboration w…
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Madam Speaker, I am running out of time. First, on the issue of deepfakes, as I mentioned earlier, I hope that the Standing Committee on the Status of Women can conduct a study on this issue. We now know that AI and deepfake images disproportionately affect women. The consequences of that are huge. Second, with respect to elevating femicide to first-degree murder, I know that some stakeholders cal…
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