Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we learned today from the member for Beauport—Limoilou that the cost of the Quebec City tramway has risen to $13 billion, whereas it was estimated at about $750 million several years ago. Now, it is going to cost $13 billion and construction has not even begun. Obviously, we are all in favour of public transit. Nevertheless, we are currently talking about 20 kilometres of tracks costi…
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Mr. Speaker, today, buying groceries in Quebec has become a luxury. Food inflation is 6.2% higher than last year. It is the worst in the G7. In 2026, feeding a family of four will cost an extra $1,000. That is mind-boggling. Grocery prices are rising twice as fast in Canada as they are in the United States, and 2.2 million people are visiting food banks every month. Why is everything more expensiv…
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Mr. Speaker, we are seeing evidence of the housing crisis on the streets and in the homes of Quebeckers. Families are being forced to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table. Young people are putting their plans on hold because they cannot find affordable apartments. According to a Leger poll, one in five renters in Quebec had trouble paying their rent last year. In Montreal, it i…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that we should judge him by the prices at the grocery store. Well, Canadians have judged him. Groceries now cost twice as much as they did 10 years ago, and the latest food price report says that the cost will go up another $1,000 next year for a family of four. Today, families are telling us that they have to choose between milk and fruit or even skip the occa…
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Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak honestly about the budget tabled by the Liberal government. It is a budget that lets down families, workers, businesses and, above all, strategic economic sectors such as softwood lumber. The Prime Minister's recent budget talks about a generational investment plan. It is more like generational debt. It is 404 pages of promises. In our communities, it rings hol…
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Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I cannot swear in the House of Commons. I can assure everyone that it is not for lack of desire. If I could, he would be getting an earful. The reality is that the Liberals have been in power for 10 years. They have been running deficits for 10 years. They are bringing up Harper again. Harper was prime minister in 2008, during the worst global crisis since the 1930s. …
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Madam Speaker, my Bloc Québécois colleague is right about seniors. There is nothing in this budget for them. It is extremely disappointing. She is absolutely right. As for the softwood lumber issue, people do not want government assistance or a handout. They want to make a decent living from their jobs. Business owners want to make a profit from their sales. The problem is that they can no longer …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his kind words. My colleague said 35%, but it is actually up to 45%. That last 10% the U.S. President tacked on was really a death knell for every softwood lumber industry in my riding. It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Let us remember how the Prime Minister danced when he said “elbows up”. I honestly cannot wait to see if he will be dancing elbo…
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Mr. Speaker, people in our regions are fed up with seeing one set of rules for ordinary people and another set of rules for the Prime Minister's buddies. While families are cutting back on groceries and 2.2 million people are visiting food banks, the Liberal government found a way to help Brookfield, the Prime Minister's former company. This giant company hid profits in tax havens and dodged $6.5 …
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Mr. Speaker, December is shaping up to be the toughest month in decades. Back home, the director of Moisson Kamouraska told me that demand is literally exploding. Across Quebec, we are talking about 3.1 million requests in 2025. That is 37% more than in 2022. The demand for Christmas hampers is going to be off the charts. With the price of food going up, eating is becoming almost a luxury. The Lib…
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Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to negotiate a favourable agreement with the United States on softwood lumber. Unfortunately, he failed to do so. When he took office, U.S. tariffs were at 14%. Now they are at 45%. Under this Prime Minister, tariffs have tripled, and our workers are the ones paying the price. In communities like Saint‑Pamphile, Daaquam, Lots‑Renversés and Saint‑Juste‑du‑…
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Mr. Speaker, rent in Quebec has jumped by almost 10%, which is double the national average over the past year. After 10 years of Liberal deficits, everything costs more; I have seen it with my own eyes and I am seeing it on the ground. Last week, at a gas station in La Pocatière, one of my constituents asked me why the Liberals are spending billions on things that do nothing to help her family, wh…
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Mr. Speaker, last week in Montmagny, Rivière‑du‑Loup and Témiscouata‑sur‑le‑Lac, I met families who are struggling to make ends meet. This should not be the case in a country like ours. However, Quebec is seeing inflation rise to 3.3% because of this inflationary Liberal government. As a result, gas prices are out of control, rents have gone up 10% in the past year, and the cost of groceries has s…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada still has the slowest economic growth of the G7 and the second-highest unemployment rate. Worse still, things are not getting any better today. The unemployment rate remains stuck at 7% and, despite all the Liberal promises, only 22,000 net new jobs were created since January. The cherry on top is that the Prime Minister wants to send $1 trillion to the United States. Why is th…
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Mr. Speaker, they can applaud themselves all they want, but the reality is that we are shedding jobs in Canada, in our regions. The reality is that factories are closing and small and medium-sized businesses are struggling. Not everyone is making ends meet. What is the Prime Minister doing? He is investing $1 trillion in the United States instead of helping workers here in Canada. Why is the Prime…
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Mr. Speaker, since this Liberal Prime Minister took office, federal spending has skyrocketed. Spending on consultant contracts went from $19 billion to $26 billion. Since Mr. Trudeau left, and despite this Liberal government's promises, the deficit has increased from $42 billion to $62 billion. The result is more inflation, fewer jobs and a downturn in the economy. It is not surprising that the pe…
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Mr. Speaker, this is my first time rising in the House this fall. Unfortunately, in the spring, I did not have the opportunity to thank my constituents, who re-elected me on April 28 with a very clear majority. I am extremely proud to represent them and to be here in the House of Commons for them. I thank them for their trust. Food inflation has become one of the most painful realities for familie…
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Mr. Speaker, every political party makes its own choices about which policies it wants to put forward. The Conservative Party's priority is to put more money in Canadians' pockets by cutting taxes. My colleague can choose to disagree with that. He can tell his constituents why they are paying more and more for the food on their plates, because he is going to hear about it. People in Lac-Saint-Jean…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are deliberately turning a blind eye if they think that everything is going well for the people of Canada. Clearly, that is not the case. More people are being forced to steal in grocery stores. That is nothing new. Shoplifting has been around for a long time, but due to the pressure on all Canadians, some families have to shoplift in grocery stores if they want to eat. I…
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Mr. Speaker, I have been to Lac-Saint-Jean many times. People have F-150s and big GM and Dodge trucks parked in their driveways. That town probably has the highest concentration of trucks in Quebec. There are hunters and fishers. It is a beautiful region for hunting and fishing. Yes, I can guarantee that these people would like to see a drop in gas prices. It is just that no one has ever talked to…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised to protect Canadians, but instead they are weakening our laws, paving the way for repeat offenders and blocking meaningful solutions proposed by the opposition. Our motion today is very clear: Three serious offences and game over. No bail, no house arrest, no probation. They get 10 years behind bars to protect Canadian families. When will this government finally …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague talks of past mistakes made by the Conservatives. I have to tell him, in all honesty, that what the Liberals have done over the past 10 years is make one mistake after nother. They welcomed so many people to Canada that now they are forced to send some back, like the temporary foreign workers. We are hearing heart-wrenching horror stories about families being separated, a…
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Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, the Liberals have been pursing soft-on-crime policies with lenient sentences and a catch-and-release approach that puts dangerous repeat offenders back on our streets, often within hours of being arrested. As a result, violent crime has increased by 55%, while dangerous repeat offenders roam our streets freely instead of serving their sentences behind bars. Why does this…
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Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to proudly recognize several organizations in my riding that are celebrating important anniversaries and that, each in their own way, contribute to the vitality of our communities. Cercle de fermières de Kamouraska is celebrating its 70th anniversary of sharing knowledge and solidarity. Club des 50 ans et plus de Squatec is celebrating its 50th anniversary, as is M…
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Mr. Speaker, it has been six months and the Prime Minister has still not presented a budget. As a result, the projected deficit is more than double what the Liberals themselves predicted. The Bank of Canada just announced that core inflation is 50% higher than what it had targeted. These deficits are driving inflation, and Canadian families are paying the price at the grocery store every week. The…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Prime Minister is full of broken promises: taxes, spending, consultants, U.S. relations. The list goes on. Meanwhile, Canadians are paying more and more at the grocery store. The price of beef is up 34%, oranges are up 26%, apples are up 18%, and infant formula is up almost 9%. Enough with the rhetoric and the broken promises. Will the Prime Minister finally table a real b…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised Canadians $825 a year in tax cuts. As the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed, this was another broken promise. The average Canadian will save $90 this year. That amounts to about $7 a month. For low-income seniors, the situation is even worse. They get $50 a year, or about $4 to $5 a month. It is crazy. That is not enough to buy a cup of coffee. Did the P…
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Mr. Speaker, the German ambassador said again yesterday that he still wants to import our natural gas. With Bill C‑69 and Bill C‑48, the production cap and the industrial carbon tax, this Liberal government is stifling our economic growth with its anti-energy measures. When will the Liberal Prime Minister finally allow Canadians to build pipelines, help our allies and benefit from Canada's resourc…
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Mr. Speaker, we were deeply saddened yesterday to learn of the passing of a former Conservative MP and minister. Monique Vézina was an exceptional woman who left a lasting mark on Quebec and all of Canada. Elected in 1984 as the member for Rimouski—Témiscouata, Mrs. Vézina became a vital player in Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative government. She held key roles, including Minister for Exte…
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Mr. Speaker, still today, after nine years under this Prime Minister, Canadians once again have to suffer the consequences of this Liberal government's lack of leadership. The Prime Minister is having a fiscal spat with his Minister of Finance over the budget, which will certainly exceed the $40-billion deficit mark, a limit she herself promised. Endless broken Liberal promises are becoming the ha…
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Madam Speaker, the inflationary Liberal policies of this Prime Minister, supported by the Bloc Québécois, have crushed Canadians. Today, children in Quebec are turning to Santa Claus in the hope of having their basic needs met. There are 114 children asking for mittens and another 500 asking for winter coats. It is unbelievable. This kind of heartbreaking request should not exist in a country like…
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Madam Speaker, after nine years of this Liberal government, the cost of living has become unsustainable. Canadians are experiencing an unprecedented crisis. What is the Bloc Québécois doing? It is betraying Quebeckers by voting in favour of $500 billion in spending. This year, more than 33,000 Quebec children are asking Santa for heartbreaking gifts: a winter coat, a lunch box or, even worse, hous…
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Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois betrayed the interests of Quebeckers by blindly supporting this Liberal government's $500 billion in inflationary spending. Quebeckers are reeling from this crushing inflation. The cost of groceries, housing and heating has skyrocketed. Our families and businesses are in crisis. Meanwhile, rather than defending Quebeckers' interests, the Bloc Québécois is supporti…
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Mr. Speaker, nine years of this Liberal government means nine years of financial irresponsibility. Yesterday, the Auditor General of Canada revealed that 77,000 ineligible businesses managed to get $3.5 billion from the Canada Emergency Business Account. This program was in part managed in Brazil. Why does this Liberal government prefer to enrich foreign businesses and costly consultants instead o…
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Madam Speaker, after nine years of this Liberal government, we find that the mess it has made at our borders is alarming. The Liberals are creating chaos, and Canadians are paying the price. The Liberal Prime Minister decided to fling Canada's doors wide open in 2016, with no controls whatsoever. This has resulted in a broken immigration system, growing tensions at the border, and now threats from…
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Madam Speaker, for nine years, this Liberal government has been imposing inflationary taxes, creating bureaucracy that stifles business. Because of the unfair application of the harmonized sales tax, or HST, recreational vehicle dealers in Quebec are being forced to pay an Ontario tax on products sold in Quebec. The result is that thousands of jobs are in jeopardy and businesses are under financia…
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years of this Liberal government, life has become unbearable for Canadians. Rents have doubled, mortgage payments and down payments are out of reach, and food banks are serving record numbers of people every month. Who is enabling this catastrophic management of the economy? The Bloc Québécois. Instead of being there for Quebeckers, it is being there to serve the Liberal Pr…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, my NDP colleague must be extremely confused these days. He has to vote with his leader to prop up a party the New Democrats cannot stand. They say so everyday here in the House of Commons, and now my colleague is trying to lecture us. This is truly nuts. The NDP members must be so confused.
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Madam Speaker, just a week ago, the leader of the Bloc Québécois wondered what he was doing here. I imagine my colleague is asking himself the same question. The reality is that the Bloc Québécois is in it just for Quebec and does not care in the slightest about the rest of Canada. Nevertheless, the Bloc is delighted to be here and to reap the benefits. This is clear in everything its members do. …
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Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak to a topic that makes me very indignant. My indignation is shared by millions of Quebeckers and Canadians. Let me explain. Once again, CBC/Radio-Canada, an institution funded with taxpayer money, is betraying the values, culture and trust of the people who pay for it to exist, the people it is supposed to serve and represent. The CBC chose to record a podcast i…
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Madam Speaker, it is first and foremost a question of management of public funds. Obviously, we all agree about Canadian culture, be it anglophone or francophone, but when we look at how public funds are being managed within CBC/Radio-Canada, we see it makes no sense at all. If this were a private company, it would have gone bankrupt long ago. Obviously, though, this is no public company. It is an…
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Madam Speaker, I will continue in the same vein. We know that the Auditor General looked at a portion of the documents. She stopped because it was a repetition of the amounts that had been allocated to people who were in conflict of interest. I have the following question for my colleague. I think that the Auditor General felt that she had evaluated nearly 40% or 60% of all the data. Inevitably, t…
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Mr. Speaker, nine years with this Liberal government in power is nine years of housing failure. The “Liberal Bloc” has doubled rents, mortgage payments and down payments. A recent Habitat for Humanity survey revealed that 88% of Canadian renters believe that home ownership is out of reach, and 75% of them are sacrificing basic needs like food and education to pay the rent. All this is happening in…
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Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his speech. The member for Lévis—Lotbinière has been here for almost 18 years, if not more. He has seen a lot, I am sure. He mentioned the Harper government, which, at the time, brought back a balanced budget after a very dark period in history. Both 2008 and 2009 were very difficult years. In spite of everything and after making considerable efforts, …
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With regard to the list of over 300 meetings held on Bill C-27, An Act to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts, submitted to the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology on November 21, 2023: what are the details of each me…
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Madam Speaker, last weekend, nearly 200 people gathered for a fundraiser for the golf club that is now called the Club de golf de Saint‑Pamphile Matériaux Blanchet. This is a first here in Canada: Four elected officials from various levels of government, namely, the mayor of Saint‑Pamphile, Mario Leblanc, the reeve of the L'Islet RCM and mayor of Saint‑Jean‑Port‑Joli, Normand Caron, the MNA for th…
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With regard to the list of over 300 meetings held on Bill C-27, An Act to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts, submitted to the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology on November 21, 2023: what are the details of each me…
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With regard to individual expense receipts submitted by a board of director, chair, or CEO, at Export Development Canada, since 2018: what are the details of all items expensed, including the (i) dollar value of each expense, (ii) product or service expensed, (iii) name of the venue for the product or service expensed, (iv) name of the city in which it was expensed, (v) reason for the expense, (vi…
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Mr. Speaker, nine years of this Liberal government equals nine years of inflationary spending, nine long years where the Liberals, with the support of the Bloc Québécois, have cost Quebeckers dearly. We might even say that there is no Bloc Québécois in Parliament, just a “Liberal Bloc”. This “Liberal Bloc” voted for the largest-ever expansion of the federal government. The “Liberal Bloc” voted to …
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With regard to the funding provided by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to the MaRS Discovery District (MaRS): what are the details of all agreements between ISED and MaRS since November 4, 2015, including, for each, the (i) value of any funding received, (ii) form of funding received, (iii) date that the agreement was agreed to by both parties, (iv) details on the purpos…
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