Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I ask that Bill C‑319 be carried unanimously at report stage. (Motion agreed to)
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Madam Speaker, one thing is certain: As we have always said, at this point, it is a political choice. Some funds could be found elsewhere, and some funds could be better invested. I am just throwing that out there because I have to keep my answer short. I would also like to know the Liberals' idea of retirement age. Is it 65 or 75? I asked them that in committee. What is your idea of retirement ag…
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moved that the bill be concurred in.
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Madam Speaker, that is an interesting question. I would like to address two things. Some say that the GIS is welfare for seniors. Personally, I do not like that, but it is a fact. Increasing the GIS helps only a few people. Those are not my words. Experts at the conference said that. We can make numbers say what we want, but there are some people who are just above the poverty line, who are not en…
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moved that the bill be now read a third time and do pass.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question, which allows me to reiterate two points. First, our request for a 10% increase for people aged 65 to 74 is not new. As the leader of the Bloc Québécois made clear, there is no room for compromise on this issue. We are going to hammer home the message. We do not want half-measures. We want 10% for people aged 65 to 74. That is our specific reque…
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Madam Speaker, we have reached a crucial stage for this bill. Here is what I was thinking. Given everything that we are hearing, how should I discuss Bill C‑319 at third reading stage? I will begin with a brief introduction and a little background. I want to make it clear that, when I talk about Bill C-319 and age discrimination, this is something that I care a lot about. Perhaps there are people …
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Madam Speaker, this is another issue that should not be hijacked by partisanship. I rise today to speak to a bill that is important for women who are victims of domestic violence. The Bloc Québécois is in favour of Bill S‑205. This is bill is consistent with the initiatives that have strengthened the justice and policing systems to address domestic violence. Gender-based violence is a scourge, and…
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Madam Speaker, I talked about that in my speech as well. We are asking the Liberals to be logical. They cannot have a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while they continue to fund oil companies. Come on. The Bloc Québécois is logical. We want oil company funding and subsidies to end because climate change and the environment are crucial issues. That said, since this is probably my last oppor…
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Madam Speaker, that comes back to what I was saying in my speech about how we have to wonder whether we would really be better served by the Liberals or the Conservatives. Our leader said that it is a bit like being bitten by a snake or a tarantula. When it comes to foreign affairs, neither the Conservatives nor the Liberals, who said that Canada was back, have proven that they are truly capable o…
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Madam Speaker, I already answered this question in my speech. I spoke of the motions unanimously adopted in Quebec's National Assembly. As far as I know, there has not been a motion in the National Assembly to trigger an election. Our demand is clear: When a motion is adopted unanimously in the National Assembly, we represent and defend the interests of Quebeckers. That, however, is not the case w…
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Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is thrilled to see that the NDP-Liberal coalition appears to have come to an end. The people elected a minority government in 2019 and did not give anyone a blank cheque in 2021. The Bloc Québécois has a lot of weight when it comes to promoting Quebec's priorities and interests. With the NDP-Liberal alliance, we again found ourselves with a government that complet…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, my colleague talked about a number of things in his speech. However, he did not mention a recommendation that many farmers regularly bring up with me. Some Canadian processors in the riding of Shefford have their office in Granby. I am referring to the following recommendation: The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada increase staffing and the regularity of inspections…
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Madam Speaker, I know my colleague is very interested in agricultural issues. However, I would like to come back to a fairly major issue for the farming community in my riding of Shefford. There was a question earlier about the Liberals, but it could have easily applied to the Conservatives at other times. It is about supply management. We have been waiting for this bill for over a year now. At on…
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Madam Speaker, I will end with a simple question to calm things down a bit. I have had the opportunity to meet regularly with Canadian processors located in the riding of Shefford, more precisely in Granby. I have met them alongside my colleague, the member for Berthier—Maskinongé, on more than one occasion. I would like to invite my colleague to speak to recommendation 7, the one about the code o…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech, but after hearing what he had to say, I have some questions. I would like to know what the Conservatives plan to do about housing, other than the Conservative leader 's bill, which would basically impose conditions on cities and punish them. It completely ignores cities' existing development and environmental protection plans. That is not product…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my always eloquent colleague for her speech on a topic that is of the utmost importance in the riding of Shefford, for two reasons. I am talking about housing. Granby has one of the lowest vacancy rates of all cities. That is the reality. The city took steps to address that. Now it needs help from the federal government. The problem affects seniors in particular.…
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Madam Speaker, we in the Bloc Québécois completely agree with the expression used by my colleague from New Westminster—Burnaby. In fact, it was my colleague, the member for Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, who talked about a sort of Marshall plan, a wartime-style effort to invest in housing. My colleague spoke at length about investments in housing. I think it is important to recognize that, when it comes …
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Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that seniors are watching us. They have had it with evasive answers. It is time for decisions. All year, I have been meeting with seniors throughout Quebec, and they are unanimous. The Liberals have to increase old age security for people aged 65 to 74, just like they did for people 75 and older. It is urgent. There is no justification for creating two classes of sen…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from London—Fanshawe, with whom I have worked on this file, notably as part of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. What strikes me about her speech—what strikes me again today—is that we are still talking about this in 2024, when in 2015, before the Liberals even came to power, the Conservatives knew things about the general. The things …
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a choice: Either they put an end to the two classes of seniors that they created or they go to the polls to keep those two classes of seniors. The Bloc Québécois has made its choice. We choose the side of all seniors, the side of equity and justice. It is time for the Liberals to make a choice. They can choose to do away with age discrimination or they can choose to …
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, this is an important debate we are holding on the day the chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women has tabled our report, the fruit of the committee's work, to implement the red dress alert. The report contains a total of 17 recommendations. Obviously, tonight's debate is not only about missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Young men are also disappearing. T…
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Madam Speaker, we recognize that this bill is a step in the right direction. That being said, I would like my colleague to talk to us about the fact that, like many laws in this federal system, it is often a real headache. Although this is a first step in the right direction, should we not instead overhaul the Citizenship Act, which is so complex and such a headache? I would like my colleague to s…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois's demand is simple: We want the House to pass our Bill C-319, which would increase the old age security pension for seniors aged 64 to 74 by 10%. It is so simple and it makes so much sense that all of the parties supported our bill in committee. All that is missing is the will of the government. Since all the parties agree that we should increase the old age securit…
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Mr. Speaker, I went all over Quebec again this summer to talk about Bill C-319. Everyone agrees that it is unfair that seniors aged 74 and under receive 10% less than other seniors. Everyone except the Liberals agrees that grocery bills do not discriminate based on age. That is why this is a key issue for the Bloc Québécois. Quebeckers understand the problem. Quebeckers understand what we are doin…
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Mr. Speaker, these days there is a lot of talk about elections. Some people are doing with all sorts of calculations. For the Bloc Québécois it is simple: We put our trust in Quebeckers, not the Liberals, not the Conservatives, but Quebeckers. Quebeckers tell us that they are worried about the cost of living and living conditions for seniors. That is why our priority is to increase old age securit…
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Mr. Speaker, the age well at home initiative is a perfect example of the federal government's heartlessness. Since 2022, the Government of Quebec has been asking Ottawa to send it the funds, given that the initiative concerns a Quebec jurisdiction, while Ottawa keeps trying to impose conditions. Today, the federal government would rather stop sending cheques to seniors than reach an agreement with…
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Mr. Speaker, there is definitely a problem. This government had already created two classes of seniors. The government refuses to increase old age security for seniors aged 65 to 74, but seniors aged 75 and over are getting an increase. With its age well at home program, Ottawa is again creating two new classes of seniors, specifically seniors in Quebec and those in Canada. Seniors in Quebec will …
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Madam Speaker, in his speech, my colleague talked about the cost of living and touched on the issue of housing. At the moment, there is a trend on both the Liberal and Conservative sides. There is a coalition trying to interfere in Quebec's areas of jurisdiction when it comes to housing. Both the Leader of the Opposition's bill and the latest budget from the party opposite attempt to get tough wit…
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Madam Speaker, honestly, I have lost count of how many attempts this government has made to impoverish people, to make them feel insignificant. It is interfering in our most fundamental jurisdictions, in the areas that are the most important to us. In 2021, I realized just how important securities are to Quebec and how symbolic they are. I would like my colleague to expand on that. When it comes t…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for his speech. I listened to it carefully. I have two questions and observations for him. First, we saw in the last budget that his government is continuing to invest in the oil industry. Does he really believe that these industries are in genuine need of help, when other people have much more need for government support than they do? Second, he t…
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Madam Speaker, at the end of his speech, my colleague asked us to give him an opportunity to address the Leader of the Opposition's comments on the Liberal-paid lobbyist who was invited to a Conservative event. I would like to hear more about that.
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Madam Speaker, speaking of people who need help, my colleague just mentioned families. However, another group that needs help is seniors, and something that they are calling for is the passage of Bill C-319, which his party supported both in the House and in committee. There are people who need extra help, and that includes seniors. Of course, families need help, but seniors are also asking to be …
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Madam Speaker, in his speech, my colleague talked a lot about the importance of the sound management of public money. Obviously, we agree with that. We are trying to make sure that the money is invested wisely. We saw the scandals involving McKinsey. The government uses outside firms a lot. Recently, in committee, I asked the government a question. Given that the government hired more public serva…
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Mr. Speaker, in his speech, my colleague talked a lot about housing. I cannot help but think about the people at the Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées, or AQDR. It is an association in my home town of Granby. This week it organized a protest against the commodification and financialization of housing. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend. They …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for this debate that we are having. This debate is important and essential. It is on a bill that essentially seeks to restore trust in the system and restore independence as well. Through several studies conducted at the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, we saw that this issue of rebuilding trust and loss of trust in the system, especially among indigenou…
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Mr. Speaker, that is why we want to divide the bill in two. This is yet another example, in addition to the matter of algorithms that my colleague from Victoria raised. My esteemed colleague from Drummond, with whom I worked on this file, is right. Increasing minimum sentences is an issue of major concern. In fact, that is why we want to examine it in committee. Is that the best solution, or shoul…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, on May 17 we marked International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. For the occasion, I received a very special report with a reminder that every day in the world, acts of hate are committed against the 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities. We are never free from brutal regressions. We are now in June, which is Pride Month. Beyond the festive side of things, let us not forget that we need to…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that the Bloc Québécois would have preferred to split the bill in two. Right now, it is far too problematic to get a proper perspective. We certainly want to study this bill in committee, including parts two, three and four. The leader of the Bloc Québécois, the member for Beloeil—Chambly, introduced a bill to deal with hate speech. There are two cl…
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Mr. Speaker, it is not easy to speak in front of the member for Salaberry—Suroît, who does outstanding work and who just gave a wonderful speech. I will see what I can add to it. I may get a little more technical than she did. She spoke from the heart, as usual, and I commend her for that. I also want to thank her for her shout-out to Bill C-319. People are still talking to me about Bill C‑319, be…
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Mr. Speaker, one thing is certain: When we talk about algorithms, it is not so simple. In my presentation, I explained the issue of hate speech. When it comes to parts 2, 3 and 4 of the bill, we have questions that we want to work on. It was in fact to deal with anti-Semitism and hate speech against the Jewish community that the Bloc Québécois introduced the member for Beloeil—Chambly's bill. Then…
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Madam Speaker, I know my colleague is working very hard at the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. I would like him to talk about the fact that, as my colleagues from Terrebonne and Saint-Jean explained in their speeches, we are talking about the damning reports of the Auditor General. We are talking about poor management, and this is not the first scandal involving poor management in t…
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Madam Speaker, we are in 2024, 19 years after the Auditor General's 2005 report that covered the 10 years of the Conservative government. Despite that, Sustainable Development Technology Canada still exists. There is a certain loss of control over public funds. That has never been resolved. The Conservatives are trying to create a Liberal scandal with today's motion. I would like to make a scandal…
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Mr. Speaker, one aspect we can talk about in relation to the bill is the issue of transparency, which is a problem right now with the CBSA. We keep hearing about it. There is the ArriveCAN app, but there is also the lack of surveillance at the port of Montreal, which is a hub for vehicle theft. Canadians are asking questions about these files and really demanding answers. Many whistle-blowers have…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague and acknowledge his passionate advocacy for indigenous issues. This issue has been raised in many studies by the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. It came up often during a study on the impact of resource development on indigenous women and during the red dress alert study. In short, we see the matter of trust in authorities, the CBSA and the RCMP crop …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech in French. I know he chairs the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. Today's motion is about the cost of food. I represent a rural riding, where the economy depends heavily on agriculture. Every year—every day—I, like my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé, invite my colleague to talk to farmers. Climate change and rising input costs have…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Victoria for her speech. We share the same concern about coercive control. Today, I am thinking about Myrabelle who, during the pandemic, made me aware of this issue. The number of women sharing their experiences on her blog skyrocketed during the pandemic. On March 8, as part of International Women's Day, Quebec's National Assembly called on the federal go…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to start my speech with a sad statistic. As of May 28, 2024, in Quebec, there have been as many femicides as in all of 2023. My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. I rise today to speak to Bill C‑332, which would amend “the Criminal Code to create an offence of engaging in controlling or coercive conduct that has a significant impact on the person toward…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, certain symbols resonate strongly with a people and a nation. Joseph-Armand Bombardier launched his business in Quebec, in Valcourt, to be precise. It was in a garage in this municipality in the Eastern Townships that he came up with his inventions, in a building that has since been turned into a very popular museum. On May 9, over 60 years after the first snowmobile model came out, i…
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Mr. Speaker, seniors are still waiting for dental care. It is not a simple matter. They are still waiting but, meanwhile, it is not as though they have extra money in their pockets. The government is still stubbornly refusing to increase the old age security pension. That said, I get the impression that the Conservatives' populism is rubbing off on the NDP a bit. The NDP thinks that one wave of a …
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