Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech, which I think complemented mine well. Today's discussion covers a very broad topic. We see the consequences of inflation, price increases. I thank him for pointing out that creating false taxes or waving a magic wand for solutions does not work. It takes real action. Right now, farmers are the first to see the effects of climate chang…
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Mr. Speaker, on October 1, International Seniors Day, I want everyone to take a moment to think about those who built Quebec. We need to find solutions to the issues that affect them most, such as isolation and abuse. More importantly, we need to take action to support them in dealing with the skyrocketing cost of living. That is why the Bloc Québécois is taking this opportunity to announce that w…
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Madam Speaker, I too come from a rural riding. Shefford has many rural areas. One economic factor that has not been discussed much here today, but which may have an impact on inflation, is labour. This summer, in July, business owners from the Eastern Townships invited me to lunch to talk about their situation and the financial pressure caused by the issue of foreign workers and its impact. They n…
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Mr. Speaker, the tax cut was just a scheme to get more votes, and it was temporary. Cutting the carbon tax was the same thing. What seniors want is a long-term increase in their income. If my colleague opposite were listening to seniors' groups, he would know that they need long-term assistance. The government needs to increase pensions by 10% for seniors aged 65 to 74, who were left out last time…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé, whom I call the super whip and who is also the agriculture, agri-food and supply management critic. That is, of course, what the agricultural community is asking us for right now. I must applaud my colleagues for passing the Bloc Québécois's bill because, this summer, people were thanking me for getting that bill passed. We need to contin…
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Mr. Speaker, a school food program is all well and good, but when we are talking about what we can do to help people in our ridings cope with this inflation, I find it somewhat unfortunate that the Liberals keep reminding us that they are helping students in schools. It is like when they told us that they were helping seniors because they were giving more money to food banks. The Liberal governmen…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. He spoke about a community that is particularly important to me, since I come from the riding of Shefford, which is home to fantastic rural communities that support Quebec agriculture. We have heard from people in the farming community about what is really causing prices to go up, which we have seen over the years. Input prices are up, with fertili…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member, who is a new colleague of mine at the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. I welcome her to the committee. Right now, I am genuinely deeply concerned about the federal government's attempts to interfere in Quebec's jurisdiction once again, instead of taking concrete action to lift women out of poverty. Here is an example. Some women stay in violent situations…
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Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to work with my colleague on sensitive issues such as women experiencing violence and the need to empower women economically so they can break the cycle of poverty. Like me, she is her party's critic for seniors. I remember going to her office to discuss the importance of increasing seniors' income in order to improve their financial situation. That is cruci…
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Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing my colleague and I agree on, it is the mismanagement of public finances. That is clear. The government is being led by someone who presented himself as the great banker-in-chief during the last election campaign. He boasted about being able to control public finances. What we saw, however, was someone who deprived the government of revenue by lowering taxes and f…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by stating that I will be sharing my time with our chief whip, who is first and foremost the member for Berthier—Maskinongé. I think that he himself would say that his role as a member of Parliament is the more important one. We Bloc Québécois members are, above all, here to represent our constituents. It is in the rather unusual context of the return of Parliame…
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Mr. Speaker, in fact, I would like to hear what my colleague has to say about the Liberals' hypocrisy in this debate. The Liberal spin they tried to pass off is that they did not want to touch the issue of secularism, boasting about being the great defenders of Quebec. They hide behind this pretense to challenge the notwithstanding clause, implying, for example, that it could even be invoked to su…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. She mentioned taking a look back at a bill previously introduced by the government. The question of the notwithstanding clause was previously brought forward by Mr. Lametti, who was recently rewarded for being a good, useful Liberal. However, I want to draw my colleague's attention to some research done, and I have figures. In 2016—this research wa…
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Madam Speaker, I will bring my colleague back to today's debate. Since this morning, it has been difficult for the Conservatives to speak to this issue. As my colleague, the member for Saint-Jean, said this morning, I think that we are perfectly able to walk and chew gum at the same time. We agree that we need to address the cost of living. However, I think that it is entirely legitimate to defend…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. I would like to pick up on what the member for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères said in his question. The parliamentary secretary responded that there was a a risk of violations based on what is happening in the United States, but that is precisely the crux of the issue. We are currently seeing a rise in religious influence on the governmen…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is also very concerned about rising crime. We will therefore be partners when it comes time to discuss this issue. However, I would like to draw my colleague's attention to another very troubling statistic. In 2024 alone, 274 cases were dropped in Quebec because of the Jordan decision. If we want to restore the confidence of victims and the public, would it not be b…
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Mr. Speaker, I look forward to seeing the bill that the government will be introducing this fall. The Standing Committee on the Status of Women briefly discussed the fact that this bill would be introduced. It looks like we will have another opportunity to talk about it. In the meantime, I would like to address another issue. In her speech, my colleague spoke at length about the justice system, an…
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Mr. Speaker, I consider my colleague from Rivière‑du‑Nord an ally. As the Bloc Québécois critic for the status of women, I have had discussions with him on the issues of violence against women. My colleague talked about the possibility of occasional exceptions, and bringing back certain mandatory minimum sentences. We talked about that during debate on Bill C‑5. We will come back to it because in …
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Mr. Speaker, there is one thing on which the Bloc Québécois is in agreement with the Conservative Party. We are partners in that we also view rising crime as a major concern. We will therefore be partners when it comes time to discuss this issue. However, I would like to draw my colleague's attention to another statistic. In 2024 alone, 274 criminal cases were dropped in Quebec because of the Jord…
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Madam Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, this issue of rising crime is deeply troubling, and women in particular are being targeted. At the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, we will be resuming the studies we started in the previous Parliament that were interrupted by the election. We will be resuming one study on gender-based violence and another on coercive behaviour and the criminalizati…
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Madam Speaker, I will ask my question in a non-partisan spirit. The issue of rising crime is worries the Bloc Québécois. On a more personal level, as the status of women critic, I have seen the numbers showing the rise in crime and particularly crimes against women. This is what drove me to move a motion, which will be the first motion before the Standing Committee on the Status of Women this fall…
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Mr. Speaker, we are debating a 130-page bill to strengthen border security, but the government is still refusing to act on something that the Canada Border Services Agency union is demanding, namely the right to act between ports of entry. The customs union has been clear about this demand, which does not even require a legislative change. A simple regulatory change is all it would take. Why is th…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a quick question. We are getting into the details, which is why the Bloc Québécois supports further study of this bill in committee. We are talking about security, and the concept of security includes the notion of theft. If it is not feasible to search every container, how can we be sure that these new measures will actually tackle the root causes of theft and will not just be…
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Mr. Speaker, as the Bloc Québécois's status of women critic, I was obviously paying close attention to the part of my colleague's speech where she talked about violence against women. We have been hearing about this since this morning. We are talking about it, but the reality is solving this issue will require multiple solutions, including shelters that can help women escape the cycle of violence.…
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Madam Speaker, in his speech, my colleague touched on border security. I live in an area not far from the border with the United States, and I have had the opportunity to look into the issue of border crossings. The major issue is that there were job cuts at the border crossings under the Conservatives. The Liberal government boasts about being a new government and having a fresh vision. It is now…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague talked about confidence. She referred to foreign interference and confidence in the democratic system. Many articles have been published on the issue of how to restore public confidence. The government is currently a minority government. This is what the voters have chosen. The government members should act accordingly. They should try to listen to the opposition partie…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech addressing the issue of criminal gangs and border security. I would like to point out that the Bloc Québécois has already raised this issue, particularly through the bill introduced by my colleague from Rivière-du-Nord, which sought to cut off funding to criminal organizations. I should point out that one of the purposes of the bill was to make it e…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the interpretation cut out, but it magically came back just as I rose, so everything is fine now.
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Mr. Speaker, I will make a brief comment and then ask a question. My colleague spoke about border security. I would like to remind everyone that a little over 10 years ago, when I was an assistant, the Conservatives made cuts to border posts. That had an impact on border security. I, too, did a lot of work on the ground this summer. While people are indeed concerned about security, they are also w…
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Mr. Speaker, much has been said about the impact of the immigration system on constituency offices, so before I ask my question, I would like to commend the invaluable Christiane Dupuis, who has helped constituents navigate the immigration process. Now she is now retiring. I want to extend my best wishes to dear Christiane on her retirement. I look forward to celebrating with her as the summer hol…
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Mr. Speaker, I note that the Conservatives are using this debate on Bill C-3 to criticize the problems at the Department of Citizenship and Immigration. Wait times are very long. I see these problems in my constituency office as well. These are some of the most serious cases. In fact, cases are getting worse. It is a very outdated department. We agree on that, and we share the Conservatives' criti…
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Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to meet my colleague through the organization À voix égales, which promotes the place of women in politics. In fact, I am sorry to see that there are fewer women in the new Parliament. That is what I wanted to say. She may answer if she wishes. I have a more specific question for her. During her remarks, my colleague talked about her family's arrival in Canada. D…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to remind the House that the automotive industry is very important to the Shefford region. There are many dealerships in Granby. I would like to give a shout-out to Annie Chagnon of Chagnon Honda, who was named person of the year at the Haute-Yamaska chamber of commerce and industry's recent 2025 Desjardins distinction gala. I would like to commend Annie for her communi…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague talks about the importance of vehicle electrification and technology development. I get the feeling that she is talking out of both sides of her mouth. I just found an email that Annie Chagnon from Chagnon Honda sent me during the election campaign. In the email, she criticizes the end of, or cuts to, the incentives for zero-emission vehicles that goes completely agains…
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Madam Speaker, I also represent a rural riding. I have family members working in construction, and there are agricultural producers all over my riding. I am very involved in this issue of the rural reality and land use. There are three points I would like to raise. First, I think it is shameful that we are debating a motion today that seems to completely ignore the issue of climate change. In fact…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a question for my colleague. First, once again, today's debate shows that Quebec clearly has a much greener and transition-centred vision to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ultimately, that will save us billions of dollars in public health costs and investments in insurance and infrastructure that are affected by climate change events. Now, in Canada, we have Electric Mobility…
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Mr. Speaker, since this morning, much of the discussion has focused on the economic aspect of the issue. I am keeping a close eye on this issue, particularly with regard to the automotive industry. The riding of Shefford, including the city of Granby, is known for its many car dealerships. This industry is very strong in Shefford, so I keep abreast of the situation and meet with dealerships on a r…
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Mr. Speaker, as I listen to the back and forth today, it feels like I caught my daughter with her hands in the cookie jar and I am hearing her trying to make excuses for emptying it. It feels like that is what the government is doing right now. They are trying to clear their conscience while those who were in the former government are still here. I will pick up on the question that my Conservative…
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Mr. Speaker, point of order. The interpretation is not working.
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Mr. Speaker, when we looked at the GC Strategies issue during the last Parliament, I remember us coming to the realization that these firms could easily change names to win other contracts. This is what happened with GC Strategies, which was initially called Coredal Systems Consulting. We realized that it had been hired by the Department of Transport between 2010 and 2015 under the Conservative go…
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Mr. Speaker, something one of my colleagues said reminded me of one of the first requests I received from a constituent after I was elected in 2019. This poor mother came to my office with her little one in a car seat. She was no longer getting paid and was in distress. I realized then just how incompetent the federal apparatus is. Other examples include ArriveCAN and the CBSA assessment and reven…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I am a bit disturbed by everything I am hearing in the House today. The NDP had an opportunity to help people who really needed it by continuing to support us on Bill C‑319 to increase pensions. Instead, the New Democrats have continued to support this spendthrift government with measures that do not really help people. Our leader even said that, at some point, someone would get tir…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, in his speech, my colleague spoke about the fact that seniors on a pension are on a fixed income that has not kept up with the rise in inflation over the years. We should review how pensions are indexed. That might be a solution. The Bloc Québécois also introduced the bill because this is not right. There is something unfair in the fact that a 68-year-old senior does not receive the…
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Madam Speaker, what an extremely interesting exchange we are having. Since I am critic for the status of women, I have heard about this issue, this injustice. The question asked by the Conservative member who spoke previously is interesting. It reopens the debate on how unpaid labour can be better recognized. Caregivers who have to care for someone else when they retire is indeed one example of un…
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Madam Speaker, it is true that many women have contacted me with regard to this clause as it relates to veterans. What I also understand from my colleague's speech is the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder and its lifelong repercussions. I discussed this with the ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. PTSD can indeed have dire consequences. These peopl…
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Madam Speaker, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women has just completed a study on the rise in femicides. Sadly, women are being murdered because they cannot escape the cycle of violence. We studied the issue of inadequate housing for indigenous women and girls which, unfortunately, means that they make up a disproportionate number of homicide and human trafficking cases. We just marked th…
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Madam Speaker, we learned today that there will be an economic statement on December 16. I would like to ask my colleague if he is aware that a letter was sent to the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister about the Yänonhchia' project. It is a really wonderful project, and all this group is asking for is a $150‑million investment to facilitate access to affordable capital and expand the mo…
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Madam Speaker, this is an interesting debate. Housing in indigenous communities is a real problem. Several of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women's reports on housing mention it, particularly how housing issues disproportionately affect indigenous women and girls and prevent them from escaping the cycle of violence. That said, I would like to talk to my colleague about a very simple solu…
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Madam Speaker, when it comes to housing for indigenous communities, the important thing, the thing they are really looking for, is to for the power to finally be given back to them. They already have projects in place. I recently met people at my office who have projects in their community that are working. It is important to not impose anything on them, but to truly engage in dialogue and collabo…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague and I are fortunate enough to work together on the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. I would like to point her toward solutions to this issue. Last week, the House debated a report from the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. It discussed Canada's feminist policy. A Liberal member asked me what we were proposing. I mentioned a few…
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