Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I fully support what my colleague is saying, even though that is not what we are talking about today. She has my full support and the support of all my colleagues here. Let us come back to today's topic, which is high-speed rail. Like my colleague, I, too, am an engineer and, as such, I can say that a project like this one is complex. It takes time to get everything in order. We are b…
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Mr. Speaker, I noted my dear colleague from Hull—Aylmer's enthusiasm for this project. Can you tell me whether, in your riding, the people of Hull—Aylmer are as interested and just as excited about this project as you are?
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Mr. Speaker, like several of our colleagues have already done, I would like to take this opportunity to mention that yesterday, one of my employees celebrated five years of service. I would like to thank India La Haye for her work and congratulate her on this recognition. Now let me return to the motion and the subject at hand. Ultimately, what we are discussing here is the Alto high-speed rail pr…
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Mr. Speaker, there are many things I could talk about, but I do not have much time. I do note the reality of food banks. There is a very important one in my riding, Moisson Laval. During the Christmas holiday period, I visited them. I worked with them. They, with other food banks in the Montreal area, were among the first to suggest to us that we should find ways to increase the incomes of everyda…
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Mr. Speaker, obviously supply and demand is the name of the game. Indeed, competition is key in food processing and in food distribution. In any one industry, competition is key. There are many different ways we can stimulate competition. One of the things that I agree with the previous speaker on is that we have to find enough space for locally owned, smaller grocery stores to be able to operate.…
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, I agree entirely with what my colleague just mentioned. When we want to change a behaviour, when we want individuals or corporations to behave in a different way, we use policy tools. We use incentives. We use market-based incentives to achieve that goal. That is what we think should happen. Just like the consumer carbon tax had no impact on food prices, removing the indust…
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Mr. Speaker, it might not surprise the House that I agree entirely with what my colleague is saying. When I visited Moisson Laval, the food bank in my riding, one of the things it is doing is not just distributing food to people in need but also creating groups or classes, for lack of a better word, to pass on information to the users of the food banks on how they could best maximize their meagre …
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Mr. Speaker, am I being sarcastic? Of course I am. Of course I am. It worked. Market-based mechanisms worked, and acid rain stopped being the problem it was. The industrial carbon tax is in the same vein of mechanisms. It will be with a robust industrial carbon tax that we will accelerate our transition to a less carbon-intensive economy. It does not mean we will all of a sudden stop producing oil…
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Mr. Speaker, one of the problems that we have in Canada is that our food distribution industry is highly concentrated. There are a few suppliers, a few businesses that operate in that sector. These businesses are also large conglomerates that have other much more profitable activities. However, we have found that grocery stores' operating margins do not seem to be out of the ordinary compared to w…
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Mr. Speaker, I must say that I agree overall with what our colleague just said. Climate change has a very significant impact on the price of food. We have no intention of removing industrial carbon pricing. Could my colleague talk a bit about the connection, if there even is one, between industrial carbon pricing and food prices?
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Mr. Speaker, yes, greenhouse fruit and vegetable production will be included in our bill, which we will be discussing this afternoon in committee. We are including measures in that bill to promote greenhouse cultivation, vertical farming and urban agriculture. I think all of that is very important. As for the research centres, I think there was some consolidation going on. The work will continue t…
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition just said that the government and government policies are responsible for causing inflation in Canada. How does he account for the fact that inflation is 2.4% in Canada when Canada was one of the first G7 countries to get its inflation rate under control?
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Mr. Speaker, it is my turn to say a few words on this issue. I will try to stick to four topics, and I count on your assistance to keep me on track. It will not surprise anyone if I say that I do not agree with the motion of the opposition, because it is way off base. Let us talk about one of the four points I want to talk about. Let us talk about inflation, because that is a theme that keeps comi…
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Precisely. This is getting a little out of hand, and—
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Mr. Speaker, I apologize for leaving my phone on the desk. I was using it to keep an eye on the time, but I understand. I will also try to be more measured with my remarks because I see that it is causing some commotion. I was talking about deflation and saying that we do not want to trigger deflation. At the same time, we recognize that the cost of living is very high and that this is affecting d…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank our colleague for the good work she does and for her excellent question. The Government of Canada is focused on building a stronger economy to make life more affordable for Canadians. The new grocery and essentials benefit will provide up to $805 in additional support, on top of the GST rebate, which will go directly into the pockets of Canadian families. In addi…
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Mr. Speaker, after a few weeks away in our ridings and after a break from the parliamentary session, we are back in the House of Commons ready for a new year of work. I wish all my colleagues in the House a happy new year. In 2025, we delivered concrete results: a more resilient economy, strategic investments to strengthen our industries and clear measures to protect Canada's interests. We made a …
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Mr. Chair, that is indeed a very important question. I would say that there are two parallel components to the government's strategy, and both are important. On the one hand, we need to support the industry, which is affected by these tariffs. It needs liquidity and emergency support. We are doing this with the programs available at the Department of Industry. At the same time, we also need to con…
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Mr. Chair, the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario have been working with the automotive industry for decades. My colleagues from Ontario have mentioned that. We have been working with this industry for decades. We are quite surprised. We will not forget the companies that are now turning their backs on Canada and fleeing to the United States. We will not forget that. We will not fo…
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Mr. Chair, as I said earlier, there are five automobile assembly operations in Canada and hundreds of parts manufacturers. We are in constant contact with the industry. We know where they stand. We know what they require. Yes, we are engaging in that process of revising and reviewing CUSMA. It is very important. We will not negotiate in public, and we will not cave in. We will not panic, and we wi…
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Mr. Chair, I have one simple question for my colleague. On the fact that the auto industry is severely affected by those unjustifiable U.S. tariffs, what is the Conservative plan? I still cannot visualize how the industrial carbon tax will address the issue of U.S. tariffs.
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Mr. Chair, there are several things. Perhaps we should start with the fact that 90% of automobiles made in Canada are sold in the United States. Therefore, the key to this whole thing is to continue to have access to the U.S. market. There are other issues, but the fundamental issue is access to the United States market. That access is threatened by U.S. tariffs and the U.S. desire to block the en…
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Mr. Chair, there are many issues that we share. If we discussed things, we could possibly get to some understanding. I do not agree, obviously, with everything that was said, but I do thank my colleague for mentioning that, for example, the tariffs on steel and aluminum are one of the largest contributors to the recent increase in the cost of production of automobiles in the United States and Cana…
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Mr. Chair, I think we all agree that the Canadian automobile industry is undergoing a serious crisis. I would just like to know from our colleagues across the aisle if they could tell us the source of that crisis. Is it the U.S. tariffs, which are unjust and unjustifiable, or is it the EV mandates?
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Mr. Chair, I would like to ask my colleague a very simple question. Does she think that Canada should sign any agreement with the Americans at any cost just for the sake of having an agreement? Would it not be better to negotiate an agreement that benefits all Canadians, while taking the necessary time to come up with something that makes sense, rather than rushing headlong into an agreement that …
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Mr. Chair, the automotive industry is a key sector of the Canadian economy and, as several of my colleagues have already mentioned, it generates billions of dollars in economic activity. It accounts for 8% of Canada's manufacturing GDP. It is important to note that the sector includes five world-class automakers that are supported by a network of 700 parts suppliers. Automotive companies directly …
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Mr. Speaker, it is now my turn to speak to Bill C-4. I want to mention that my colleagues across the way spoke of minuscule savings. While it may seem minuscule to them, in my riding, in Laval, every dollar counts. I will not presume to know what constitutes minuscule savings for someone in serious need. I am going to talk a little about Bill C-4, but I also want to talk about my riding of Marc-Au…
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Mr. Speaker, I would simply like to say that it depends on many factors. The situation is not uniform across the country. As I said at the beginning of my speech, back home in Laval, it is quite the opposite. The new homes currently being built are affordable for middle-class families.
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Madam Speaker, I am not quite sure I fully understand the question from my colleague because I never said “clever austerity”. I just said that this is not the time to impose toxic austerity. This is not the time to cut government spending blindly and hope that the invisible hand will somehow address the structural issues we are facing, which are very serious. The invisible hand does not always wor…
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Madam Speaker, it is my turn to speak to Bill C-15 and, of course, the budget. The budget tabled on November 4 is about building a stronger and more prosperous Canada. It essentially boils down to three themes: building, protecting and empowering Canada. I will discuss these three broad themes in greater detail in a moment, but before I do, I would like to put the budget into context. The context …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Windsor West for his speech. Windsor is being hit especially hard by the economic uncertainty we are currently facing. However, I would like to remind my colleague that the United States is the one causing that uncertainty. I am sure he is aware of that. The trade war started by our neighbours is affecting the Canadian economy, particularly in the Windsor a…
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Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I do not think I have enough time, as this is a very important issue. However, no and no, in the sense that this is not an austerity budget, but what the Conservatives are proposing would be a toxic austerity budget, and a deficit of this magnitude at this time does not lead to inflation.
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Madam Speaker, there are many measures in the budget, several of which are particularly good for Quebec. I am talking about our ongoing unwavering support for culture, for Radio-Canada, for example. We are also supporting the social programs that make Canada what it is. We are not like other countries. We believe that we have a duty to help one another and to stand together. Programs like the Cana…
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Mr. Speaker, our Conservative friends keep saying that the budget spends too much, and whatnot, and that if they were driving the bus, they would have probably taken about $50 billion to $60 billion out of the budget. What impact does the hon. member think an austerity budget like that would have on youth?
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Madam Speaker, our interpretation differs from that of the Parliamentary Budget Officer. We disagree with him, but I would also like to point out that we are not hiding anything in the budget. The deficit is there. The $68 billion is there. There is nothing hidden, but we believe that measures such as tax credits that support and accelerate investment should be considered an investment measure.
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Mr. Speaker, every time the Prime Minister leaves the country it is to drum up contracts with other allies and to find new markets and new clients for our products. Canada has what the world wants and we will have partners to work with. The Conservatives pretend to not understand that, but they do understand. I am very sad to see the petty games they are playing. They understand full well, but the…
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Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister makes a decision, it is in the interest of all Canadians. That is why we have made several trips abroad, which the Conservatives are not big fans of, to secure investments. That is why there will be a very important announcement this afternoon. I advise my colleagues to pay attention, because there will be announcements regarding lumber and steel, to support ou…
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Mr. Speaker, budget 2025, which will be tabled tomorrow, will address these issues. We are going to invest massively in our economy to make sure that we are able to overcome the shocks we are currently suffering. We are going to do that by triggering a wave of private investment, the likes of which the country has never seen. We are going to create the appropriate conditions to lead the private se…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to my colleague's comments on the Canadian automotive industry. This industry plays an essential role in the Canadian economy and generated roughly $16 billion in economic activity in 2024. It directly employs more than 125,000 Canadians and supports hundreds of thousands of supplementary jobs across the country, especially in southern Ontario. The auto industr…
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Mr. Speaker, I highlight the fact that this was started by the United States. The position the industry finds itself in is a direct result of the trade war triggered by the United States. We have said time and time again that we are ready and willing to negotiate an agreement with the United States, and we are still waiting for the United States to come to the table so we can negotiate. We will no…
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, the very high cost of living is a real issue. We understand very well that it has a direct impact on the lives of average Canadians. However, one needs to know where that high cost of living is coming from. The members opposite may not have realized that we had a COVID crisis in the country and around the world. In the recovery period following COVID, there was a very sharp…
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Mr. Speaker, yes. There was a global rise in inflation and food prices, and countries around the world reacted to them. Canada's reaction brought about positive results. Inflation is now within the 1% to 3% range. The Bank of Canada, which the members opposite do not appear to like, has been one of the most successful central banks in the G7 in bringing inflation back under control. For the cost o…
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Madam Speaker, the budget we will be tabling on November 4 is a responsible and ambitious one. The time is now. Now is the time to act to support Canada's economy so that our children's future is well protected. Now is the time to take action. We will take action, and we will take strong action.
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Madam Speaker, I would remind our colleagues that the U.S. is the one that triggered this trade war. We are going to come up with an arrangement with the Americans, but not at any price. We will not make just any arrangement. A bad agreement is worse than no agreement at all. Our main interest is to defend Canadian workers and maintain access to the U.S. market. We will wait as long as it takes fo…
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Madam Speaker, I have to say that I am very surprised at the tone of my colleague's question. He knows very well that our government is there to support forestry workers. We have been supporting them for a long time and we will continue to do so because we know very well that this industry is vital to many rural, remote communities in Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick. It is impo…
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Madam Speaker, we will all see this government's budget on November 4. It is a 21st-century budget that will address the very serious problems we are facing right now because of what is happening in the United States. I would like the Conservatives and the Bloc members to vote in favour of the budget so that we do not have to have an economically harmful election at Christmas.
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Madam Speaker, yes, the Canadian federal government is here and will always be here to support the softwood lumber industry and the forestry industry. We are acutely aware that this is a crucial industry in many regions of Quebec and Canada. We will continue to work collaboratively with the provincial governments, including the Quebec government. We are here, and we will continue to be here.
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Mr. Speaker, October is Women's History Month in Canada. It is a time to recognize the outstanding achievements of women who, over generations, have helped build a stronger and fairer country. To the many women in positions of leadership, I want to say that their courage and determination have opened doors for future generations. Behind every major development, there are also everyday heroines: mo…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague just gave the example of the Paccar company. I would just like to point out that the U.S. administration's decision to impose tariffs on trucks, especially those made by Paccar, is completely incomprehensible and abusive. This was done just a few days ago. It gives you an idea of how unpredictable this administration is. Cooler heads will prevail, and that is what Canada …
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Mr. Speaker, we all understand and we all know that the automotive industry in Canada, in Ontario, is one of the most important industries in the country. We want to keep it that way. We are doing everything we can to help workers in those industries. In fact, I think it was yesterday that the president of Unifor said that the Minister of Industry was doing a fantastic job on this file. He said so…
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