Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my colleague touched on many of the topics and themes in the budget. However, he obviously failed to address the environmental issue, even though the Bloc Québécois was calling on the federal government to stop funding oil companies and instead use the money to fund a green, clean energy transition. Nuclear waste also has environmental consequences. I want to talk about that. As we …
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Mr. Speaker, on this beautiful Monday, December 1, it is my honour to start the week by talking about Bill C‑225 on the issue of intimate partner violence. This is a major issue for the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, which is continually having to re-examine the issue in the light of new developments. That is unfortunate. The bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code in order to create spe…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière for giving me the opportunity to explore this issue, the elephant in the room that nobody talks about enough: this Prime Minister's ethics. The more we dig into the budget today, the more we uncover. My colleague talked about Meta. I could talk about certain investments. One of the issues I talked about is nuclear energy, because …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleagues are certainly asking good questions. I thank my colleague from Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon for giving me the opportunity to address this issue. We are right in the thick of the 12 days of action to end violence against women, and we know that economic issues have a huge impact on a woman's decision about whether to stay in a cycle of domestic violence. Emp…
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Mr. Speaker, I am going to pick up on a question about seniors that the member for Guelph put to my colleague. I would like to note that I am a bit surprised by this lack of sensitivity. In the last Parliament, the bill to increase old age security for seniors aged 65 to 74 received unanimous support. Even the Liberals voted for it. Everyone acknowledged that indexing the pension was no longer eno…
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Mr. Speaker, if I understood correctly, my colleague talked about the situation facing one of her constituents, a 75-year old woman who is having trouble making ends meet and who is worried about her health. I would like to point out that the budget contains no measures to help seniors cope with the cost of living. However, these people are on a fixed income with old age security. At least her 75-…
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Mr. Speaker, I will try to be brief, but I want to make three points. By the way, we do not say “our seniors” because seniors do not belong to anyone. I invite my colleague to stop using the term “our seniors”. We say “seniors”. First, how can they boast about helping seniors by pointing to the New Horizons for Seniors program without any consideration for the fact that seniors's pockets are empty…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to speak to Bill C-15, the budget implementation bill. We have spent a lot of time this fall talking about the budget. We waited over a year and a half for it, and it was finally tabled. If we look at the nature of Bill C-15, it is an omnibus bill nearly 650 pages long. Columnist Pierre-Yves McSween likened it to a work of great literature or a sweeping novel, be…
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Mr. Speaker, the government can make the figures in the budget say whatever they want them to say. That is basically all I had left to say in my speech. The government has changed the accounting method for certain expenditures and investments, and there are now expenditures that are categorized as capital investments. This is quite worrying and it is one of the reasons why we are strongly opposed …
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Mr. Speaker, in her speech, my colleague talked about culture. I would like to come back to that point. When it comes to ensuring discoverability, particularly for Quebec's French-language culture, the web giants are not helping us much. The government could have used the budget to tax the web giants, but, unfortunately, it dropped this measure and the chance to collect revenue. This does not cont…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to pick up on the question that my Conservative colleague asked. It is true that the government is bragging about helping everyone, but it is clear that many people and businesses have been left behind. I spoke about this earlier in my questions, but my colleague raised the issue of seniors just now. The government does not seem to realize just how badly it has let them d…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague described this budget as an investment budget for the country. However, we can see that this is not the case in several important economic sectors, particularly for Quebec. I am thinking of softwood lumber. Since the government has not taken action on this file, we have no choice but to hold a take-note debate this evening so that we can discuss this economic issue that i…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech but, once again, what emerged was a desire for centralization. Know-it-all Ottawa is trying to lecture municipalities and impose its ideas on them. I have a question for my colleague. Why not simply support the Bloc's housing and infrastructure ideas? We asked the government to renew the rapid housing initiative and make it permanent. That is how Qu…
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Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague whose riding is in the Eastern Townships. I also had the opportunity to visit the Université de Sherbrooke's Quantum Institute this summer, and it is true that it is impressive. That said, here is my question. When it comes to the media, the budget made announcements about Radio-Canada, but the people at Cogeco, 107.7 FM and TVA in Sherbrooke are extremely conce…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is my turn to extend my regards to the Secretary of State for Nature, a Polytechnique survivor, and to the member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, with whom I have the pleasure of working on the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. As she mentioned, it is an extremely active committee. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I also wish to recognize the women and men who dedicat…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague spoke at length about the importance of numbers and the importance of controlling a budget that includes spending and investments. However, numbers can be made to say whatever one wants. The 2025 budget introduces a new method of calculating investments. The Bloc Québécois applied this calculation method to previous fiscal years. This revised calculation significantly cha…
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Mr. Speaker, I am torn. Yes, we need to have control over public finances, but we also need to consider the social aspect. I started my week by attending a press conference to announce a food drive being organized by SOS Dépannage in Granby. I found out that more and more seniors are requesting food hampers. My colleague used to be a journalist. I would like to hear his comments on the critical is…
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Mr. Speaker, today we are talking about the budget implementation bill, which has been voted on. The Bloc Québécois had very specific, reasonable and well-thought-out demands for this budget to address the needs of Quebec. I think we have to strike a balance between the need to control public finances and the need to help people who need help. I will come back to the request we made to ensure fair…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to speak to Bill C‑234, which seeks to establish a medal of recognition for citizens and permanent residents who have made a living organ donation in Canada. The bill is relatively straightforward. It creates and implements this medal, and leaves the details, such as the design, eligibility criteria and the awarding process, to be determined by regulations. Certain…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I would like thank my colleague from Edmonton Manning for this bill, and especially for sharing that very touching story about donating an organ to his son. The only minor issue the Bloc Québécois has with the bill is that the Canadian Organ and Tissue Donors Association already holds a ceremony to pay tribute to posthumous donors and living donors. In addition, two medals already exi…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear my colleague speak about culture in the House. In Quebec, we fully appreciate that our cultural sector contributes to our economy. While we are on the topic of culture, I would like to hear the member's thoughts on the issue of discoverability and, better yet, the connection between democracy and strong local media. Unfortunately, while the government prides …
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Mr. Speaker, just this morning, on the radio, they were talking about the new Institut Écho initiative. I will try to learn more about it. This initiative, which was launched by the organization Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale, is tackling the issue of housing and includes a prevention component, I believe, that could address these concerns. In committee, we are…
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Mr. Speaker, I will give my colleague a straightforward answer. In committee, the Conservatives raised the issue of Bill C‑75. At the moment, there is no consensus on the principle of restraint, either among the groups consulted or among the justice system stakeholders who testified before the committee. That is the answer I can give him.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Bill C‑14 on the issue of bail and justice system reform more broadly, which is something that the Standing Committee on the Status of Women is currently studying. I proposed that the committee study the use of section 810 of the Criminal Code of Canada to see whether it is appropriate in terms of ensuring the safety of women who are victims of domestic vio…
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Mr. Speaker, during the previous Parliament, the Bloc Québécois introduced a bill that sought to provide a framework for the Jordan decision. That was in response to requests from a lot of victims and groups of women who were victims of intimate partner violence. These women opposed the fact that the Jordan decision enabled some attackers to avoid going to trial. The Jordan decision exists, but we…
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Mr. Speaker, it is true that I went over that point too quickly. My colleague's question gives me an opportunity to conclude my speech by reiterating the importance of this aspect and highlighting the imbalance it creates. It is all well and good for us to pass laws here at the federal level, but then we transfer the management of criminal issues to the provinces and municipalities. Quebec is resp…
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Mr. Speaker, another major disappointment is the issue of health and health transfers, which was largely overlooked in this budget. The government boasts about having invested in hospital infrastructure. This week, I met with health care representatives after the budget was tabled. They told me that it is good to build hospitals, but if the government does not transfer the necessary funding to pay…
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Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that my colleague's speech further highlights the issue of fiscal imbalance. He said that the money is in Ottawa, but the obligations and commitments are in Quebec City. Earlier, I asked one of my colleagues a question about health transfers, which are not in there. They are putting $5 billion into hospitals, but, as health care workers told me this week, that is a hosp…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. I would like to pick up on what the Conservative member who spoke before me asked her. Frankly, it is insulting. This budget is an insult to seniors. The New Horizons for Seniors program was renewed, as is only right, but there is not a penny more. It is great that there will be activities to help seniors feel less isolated, but they will not have …
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Madam Speaker, we know that there is a deadline for passing this bill, and if it is not met, the ruling of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice will take effect. Has my colleague looked into what will happen if the bill is not passed and the court ruling takes effect?
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Madam Speaker, in his speech, my colleague addressed the rather worrisome issue of these lost Canadians. We are aware that there is a court ruling, and the amendments we proposed respond to the court's ruling. We want to determine what constitutes a substantial connection to Canada. As a matter of fact, we copied the naturalization requirements for second-generation children born abroad so that th…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The interpreters are again saying that there is a telephone ringing near a microphone.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to remind the House that some of us worked collaboratively in committee to propose obvious amendments to Bill C-3. I know that the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois worked on these amendments so that the bill would include a language requirement, so that people would have to be able express themselves in French, particularly in Quebec, or in both languages. It is imp…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech in which he talked about the complex immigration cases that are handled in constituency offices. Since Granby, in my riding, is a welcoming place, this issue keeps city staff very busy. I want to acknowledge them and thank them for their hard work. What we are asking for is a reform, a review of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which is…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Calgary Nose Hill for her speech. She and I participated in a few missions together as members of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. During those missions, we tried to explain who we are. I want to go back to the committee's work. In her speech, my colleague talked about language. The Bloc and the Conservatives supported amendments concernin…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to Bill C‑3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act, 2025, following my colleague from Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, who explained the issue well. This topic interests me because certain places in Quebec have been identified as settlement areas, and Granby is one of them. These are communities located in regions outside major urban centres. The Quebec department…
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Mr. Speaker, if I understand my colleague's question correctly, he is saying that the amendments put forward by the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives were actually crucial. All we wanted was for applicants to undergo a security test and be able to speak our language. We asked for accountability to Parliament. I think the proposed amendments absolutely respected democracy. I would like to ask my…
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Mr. Speaker, yes, it would be good to know that. Will it be 150,000 people? Will it be less or more? Evidently, the number of people affected has a financial impact. There needs to be accountability. As parliamentarians, we have the right to know and we should get an annual update. That would be critically important. There is a reason this amendment was proposed. This confirms to me that, unfortun…
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Mr. Speaker, I cannot speak for the Liberals and say why they voted against that. I would like to remind the House that naturalized citizens are subject to security screenings. Those requirements are already in place. Why should the two groups be treated differently? Why should these applicants not also have to undergo security screenings? There is a reason why these amendments were put forward. S…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order out of respect for the interpreters and to avoid a problem. They are telling us that a telephone seems to be interfering with the audio.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the bill talks about giving “primary consideration to denunciation and deterrence of repeat...offences”, particularly in the case of organized crime. Has my colleague had a chance to look into that? The Bloc Québécois has proposed measures that we think would be much more effective in addressing organized crime. They include cutting off their financial resources and creating a registr…
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Mr. Speaker, we are currently studying this issue of section 810 and minimum sentences at the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. We are conducting a study on this subject. What we are hearing, and what we heard in previous studies is that the use of the Jordan decision must also be regulated with respect to gender-based violence. Earlier, a Conservative member was talking about Cait Alexan…
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Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women is currently studying a motion that I moved because I was worried and wanted to know whether the justice system is currently responding to the concerns of victims and survivors of violence. In particular, I proposed a study to review section 810 of the Criminal Code. Working with the Conservatives, we finally managed to get another study a…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague and I are especially concerned about human trafficking. We are all on the All-Party Parliamentary Group to End Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. Bill C‑14 contains a provision to establish a reverse onus, particularly for some offences related to human trafficking or human smuggling. Will this new provision really bring about significant changes to deal with this scou…
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Mr. Speaker, there are pork producers in my riding too, and we are following their situation very closely. The riding of Shefford includes a number of supply-managed sectors. I also come from a rural area that needs additional protections. It is true that we voted on a bill in the House to ensure that supply management is fully protected. Bill C-228, which was introduced by the Bloc Québécois, see…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the Haute‑Yamaska regional business support centre, known as the CAE, recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. This festive and unifying event successfully highlighted four decades of contributing to the region's economic development. Since 1985, the CAE has been a crucial partner in promoting the local economy by vigorously supporting, financing and helping businesses in the region.…
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Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is also concerned about the fight against crime. We have a few ideas on the table. We have talked about removing the religious exemption for hate speech from the Criminal Code. We have also talked about a bill to ensure that trials for intimate partner crimes are not abandoned because of the Jordan decision. The member spoke about street gangs. My colleague from R…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to border security, the Bloc Québécois and the unions have long called for patrolling between border crossings to be allowed, not because we want to replace the RCMP, but to increase flexibility and the possible scope of action on the ground. Will the government commit to amending the regulations to allow patrolling?
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Madam Speaker, I would like to start with a comment, and then I have a question. First, I find it odd that my colleague is talking about filibustering in the House, since I have seen the Conservatives filibuster in committee on a number of occasions since I was elected in 2019, and that has delayed the committees' work. In fact, the Conservatives were often in the news last fall for their filibust…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague for speaking on Bill C-12, but unfortunately I get the feeling that both the Conservatives and the Liberals have forgotten that the public elected a minority government, in other words a government that should work diligently, with as little partisanship as possible. It should take into account the fact that there is no majority in the House and that we hav…
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