Oral Questions
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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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, 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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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, this is quite the spectacle. People are talking over everybody else. It sounds like a kindergarten class. We are taking action. We are improving services at the Canada Revenue Agency.
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Mr. Speaker, we are taking action. The Minister of Finance and National Revenue has already ordered the Canada Revenue Agency to review its procedures, and we are going to give the agency the financial resources it needs to hire staff and get the equipment needed to address these very important issues.
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Mr. Speaker, we did not wait for the Auditor General's report to take action. We have already given the Canada Revenue Agency rather clear instructions about changing its processes and hiring more people.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to share the following information with the House. First, inflation in Canada is under control. It is at 2.4% and the Bank of Canada target is between 1% and 3%. We have been meeting the inflation-control target for 21 months. Second, there is no link between the government's deficits and inflation. Inflation is a global phenomenon. Do COVID-19, the war in Ukraine and ris…
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Mr. Speaker, I am so surprised. I think we should use this clip. The Conservatives want the government to overtax excess profits. Is that really what you want?
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Mr. Speaker, indeed, softwood lumber is an industry that is going through a challenging period, and not for the first time. This industry has regularly been under attack from our southern neighbour. That is why we must negotiate a comprehensive agreement that is in the interests of all Canadians. The Prime Minister rightly pointed out that we would not be signing just any agreement. We will sign a…
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Mr. Speaker, we know the lumber industry very well. I know the lumber industry in Quebec very well. This is not our first go at this with our American neighbours. We will be able to negotiate an agreement with them. That is why we are not going to sign just anything. We will make sure that the agreement we sign will benefit all Canadians and every sector.
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Mr. Speaker, that is exactly the question that was asked on April 28, and Canadians overwhelmingly answered that this Prime Minister would be the one responsible for governing Canada and doing his best to ensure its rapid and diversified economic growth.
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Mr. Speaker, I must admit that I am surprised to see that our friends across the way do not understand the concept of capital flow. The Canadian economy is an open economy. Capital comes in and capital goes out. We have a great tradition of investing abroad and accepting foreign investment. That is what we will do and that is how we will grow the Canadian economy.
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Mr. Speaker, I will repeat what I announced in the House: Eighty-five per cent of our exports enter the United States tariff-free. What is more, the Canadian economy is an open economy. Capital moves across the border in both directions, and we will do everything we can to continue to attract capital to Canada so that we can invest and grow faster.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a very brief question for my colleague. Does he really believe that the Conservative Party would agree with everything he said, particularly with regard to tax policy and employment insurance? Does he really think his new partners would agree with him?
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Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of talk of fiscal irresponsibility from the last two speakers. However, I would like our colleagues to explain this. If Canada is such a basket case, how do we still have a AAA credit rating?
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Mr. Speaker, there were many things in the member's question. Modern Canadian governments, like all governments in the OECD these days, do not print money. Let us get that clear. Governments do not print money. Credit is a way for governments to address their situation. When private investment is faltering because of great uncertainty, the government has a very important role to play to assist pri…
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Mr. Speaker, I am bit surprised that our Bloc Québécois colleagues are criticizing us because we have a budget that will have a deficit, a very large deficit, and yet they are also asking us to spend more. I find this rather contradictory. The oil sector is a key sector for Canada's economy. It generates significant wealth. It also generates significant tax revenues, so we will be staying the cour…
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Mr. Speaker, it is now my turn to speak, and I want to say that I am a bit surprised to learn that our Bloc Québécois colleagues will vote in favour of the motion, but so be it. The global economy has changed and Canada must change too. We need to build more housing and infrastructure and support industries that are essential to our economic growth. This spring, Canadians called for a serious and …
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Mr. Speaker, indeed, the reason why the Government of Canada will be able to announce major investments in its budget is because the nation's finances are under control. Our debt-to-GDP ratio is among the lowest in the OECD. Our debt is not excessive. We can control and manage the situation.
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Mr. Speaker, I just want to come back to the issue of printing money. I would like to remind my colleague that it is called quantitative easing, and it is a policy central banks implemented. The U.S. Federal Reserve also adopted this policy, as did many European countries. Does my hon. colleague believe that quantitative easing measures are harmful?
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Mr. Speaker, as the old saying goes, it takes two to tango. In other words, to remove the tariffs, we have to be able to negotiate with our counterparts. Until now, that has not necessarily been possible. We are not going to rush into trying just anything. We will get the best deal possible under the circumstances.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind everyone that this trade war was started by the United States. It was the United States that started it. How are we responding? We are helping our businesses. Two weeks ago, I was at Hitachi in Varennes: 500 jobs. Before that, I was in Sorel: 300 jobs. We are hard at work.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians can expect a government that is going to negotiate the best possible deal for all Canadians in every region and in every sector. Right now, 85% of our exports enter the United States tariff-free. We are not going to rush into negotiating a bad deal. We are going to get the best possible deal in due time.
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Mr. Speaker, we are dealing with a very complex situation. Our best course of action is to not make a bad deal. We are not going to be hasty about anything with President Trump, who is unpredictable. As of now, we still have the free trade agreement with the United States. Eighty-five per cent of our exports enter the United States tariff-free and tax-free. We will negotiate the best deal in the i…
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Mr. Speaker, we visited Saguenay and spoke to business owners there. The aluminum sector is indeed in a worrisome situation. We have measures and programs to help companies. In the meantime, I would remind the House that 85% of Canadian exports enter the United States tariff-free.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind everyone in the House that 85% of Canada's exports to the United States enter the U.S. tariff- and duty-free. As for the other exports that are affected by specific tariffs, we are working on this. We are protecting businesses and supporting them during this transition process. We will always be there to support businesses, particularly in the regions.
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Madam Speaker, I was not a member of Parliament when this bill was debated before, but I am here now. It is 2025, and this issue is of the utmost importance for our economy and our country. I would like to ask my colleague to talk about how urgent it is that we begin studying this bill in committee.
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his speech. I am very pleased to see him looking so well. So much the better, because we need him here. I have a very simple question. As a farmer who is very familiar with the agri-food sector in Quebec and Canada, does the member think that the Conservative Party policy of ending the temporary foreign worker program immediately, without replacing it wi…
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Mr. Speaker, the colleague from the other side talked a lot about fiscal mismanagement. I wonder if he could inform the House, if he knows, what Canada's net debt-to-GDP ratio is.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a quick question for the member opposite. I would ask him if he agrees with his leader, who just said the Bank of Canada has removed from its website any reference to its goal of containing inflation. I am looking at the Bank of Canada website, and it is still right there on page 1: “low, stable and predictable” inflation, which is at 1.9%, the lowest in the OECD. What gives?
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, our economy is under attack from what we thought was a trusted neighbour. It is that fact that has led to the economic difficulties we have had this year. It is not government spending that is leading to inflation. It is the reckless politics and the reckless actions of our neighbours to the south. The deficit will be known on November 4. I will end with this, and I think many Canadia…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, the rate of inflation in the month of August was 1.9%. However, I agree with the member opposite. Statistics do not tell the whole story. Our government is focused on building a stronger economy and delivering for Canadians. We are continuing to move forward with a plan to bring down costs so Canadians can keep more of their paycheques to spend where it matters most…
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Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada strengthened the Competition Bureau's ability to prevent anti-competitive mergers and to address the anti-competitive practices of dominant firms in all sectors, including the grocery sector. We will take action to improve competition, and we will hold companies accountable throughout this process. We will also continue to ensure that Canadians have enough inf…
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Mr. Speaker, we had an election in April, and this motion was a main component of the electoral platform of the Conservative Party. The people spoke, and the Conservatives were not elected. “Three strikes and you're out” was first tried in the United States, in California, some years ago, which has now come to the conclusion that it does not work. Therefore, why would it work in Canada?
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to the comments the hon. member made earlier. We recognize that affordable groceries continues to be an important issue and that many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. Food inflation at the grocery store fell from a peak of 11.4% in January 2023 to 3.4% in August 2025. It is not hard. Anyone can go to the Statistics Canada website and see the report o…
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Mr. Speaker, I would remind the House that these tariffs were imposed by the United States. These are U.S. tariffs that have been put on our products. Our government will be there to help workers and businesses get through this difficult period. We need everyone's co-operation to get through this crisis.
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Mr. Speaker, that is another good question. Indeed, it was not an obsession. It is an obligation. However, these things take time. Balancing a budget cannot and should not happen overnight. We are not going to do that in the midst of an economic crisis or trade war. We will take the time to get it right.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues who have been waiting for my impassioned speech. I will begin by saying that I will be sharing my time with the member for Kings—Hants. We are talking about carbon pricing and the Bloc Québécois motion. I would like to begin by saying that what has been eliminated is carbon pricing at the consumer level. One might wonder why this was done. I think t…
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Mr. Speaker, my opinion has not changed in the slightest. A cap-and-trade system is a very good system. Quebec chose that. At the time, we were able to convince our neighbours in Ontario to participate as well. It is, therefore, an excellent system. What we have now, with industrial carbon pricing, is very similar to that system.
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Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. I completely agree with the approach being taken now, which will come as no surprise. The context is completely different. We are in the midst of a trade war with the United States. We need to present a carefully considered budget and take the time to implement the necessary measures. We are taking the right approach.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, on June 10, people around the world celebrate Portugal Day, the day of Portuguese communities. It is a very special time for us to celebrate the soul of our country and the indomitable spirit of the Portuguese people. This celebration means a great deal to me, as a Portuguese immigrant to Canada and a proud member of this House. Canadians of Portuguese descent have enriched this count…
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Mr. Speaker, the riding I represent is about 70% francophone, and in my door-to-door activities during the campaign, a lot of people told me they would not usually vote Liberal but would this time because we needed someone like the Prime Minister to lead us through this period of incredible uncertainty. That is what they did, and that is why I am here. I am very happy to be here.
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