Parliamentary Speeches
522 speeches by Claude DeBellefeuille — Page 1 of 11
Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, who always asks very relevant questions. Indeed, that is what motivated us throughout our work in committee. In other words, when we analyzed Bill C‑8, we wondered how we could both ensure security and protect privacy and personal information. I think we achieved that. It is not perfect, but I think we achieved that by incorporating the amendments proposed by t…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her kind words and her question. As a mother and grandmother, I welcome any measure that can really rein in attacks on individuals and their integrity in the digital realm. I wish she had asked me a question about Bill C‑22, which is another bill that was introduced before the break. In my opinion, it will require the same rigorous study and the same amount …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by congratulating my colleague. I enjoyed debating Bill C‑8 with her at the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. I really appreciated the questions she asked the witnesses and experts with a view to improving Bill C‑8 based on their testimony. Can she honestly state that all members debated Bill C‑8 rigorously and professionally and that the…
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Madam Speaker, I understand my colleague's frustration because, at the end of the day, she has just as much right to be here in the House as I do. Her voice carries just as much weight as mine and those of all our colleagues in the House. However, it is true that the rules in committee are such that unrecognized parties are not represented around the table during committee deliberations. My collea…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise at third reading of Bill C-8, a very important bill. We agree with the government and with all members of the House that we needed a bill on cybersecurity. We took the necessary time to debate this bill over a number of sittings. We heard from a number of witnesses and experts, and there was no filibustering by the Conservatives, the Bloc or the Liberals. No one f…
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for being a paragon of collaboration. He is one of my colleagues on the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, and when I tabled my amendment, he came to see me and said that if we added what he just mentioned to the amendment, the government would be subject to more oversight and would have less time to present the analysis and repor…
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Mr. Speaker, as the critic for public safety and emergency preparedness, I debated Bill C‑12 in committee, and I can say that we put in a lot of hours. We worked until midnight to get through the clause-by-clause consideration of this important bill, which makes rather significant amendments in the realm of refugees and immigration. Even after such an eloquent speech, does my colleague have anythi…
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Madam Speaker, that is indeed a problem, considering the work and analysis that goes into amendments. These amendments had been thoroughly debated by the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, and though they were deemed inadmissible by the committee chair, we had strong arguments to show that the chair was mistaken. Democracy prevailed, and we overturned the chair's decision. …
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Mr. Speaker, in a split second, tragedy struck. Two pilots lost their lives on Sunday in a collision involving their aircraft on a runway at LaGuardia airport in New York. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I wish to offer my condolences to the loved ones of Mackenzie Gunther. I also extend my condolences and full support to all the members of Antoine Forest's family. Antoine was barely 30 years old…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I understand my colleague who is affected and who is using his privilege to introduce a bill that affects him and his constituents. However, when a member introduces a bill, it cannot be tailored to one specific case. It has to be designed with society as a whole in mind, and it must apply to a broad group. Unless I missed something, I did not hear my colleague mention the possibility…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise this evening to take part in the study of this bill. This is a rather delicate matter, since this bill was introduced to respond to a very specific case. I think it is dangerous to draft a bill that targets a single case. As legislators, we have to think about how our bill will apply to all sorts of criminals who are incarcerated if it is passed, and we need to co…
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Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague. The matter before us today, what we are debating, is not necessarily the substance of Bill C‑9, but the process for getting it passed. I know that my colleague is newly elected, and I was able to admire his skill as a speaker in the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, where he was able to fill a lot of time by filibusterin…
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Madam Speaker, I would like our colleague opposite to clearly explain why we are debating Government Business No. 6 today. What purpose will that serve? How has it come to this? Why are we being forced to debate a time allocation motion? Is it because the Conservatives are filibustering in committee? Can my colleague tell us more about that?
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Madam Speaker, today we are debating a motion to curtail debate on Bill C‑9 in its entirety. That strikes me as odd. This is happening because the religious right wing of the Conservative Party has been filibustering the committee. They do not like that the Liberals and Bloc Québécois passed an amendment to remove the religious exemption from the Criminal Code. I must say, this is right-wing obstr…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government has announced a subsidy program for Canadian steel transportation that applies only to rail, not to marine transportation. There was a time, however, when our shipowners moved hundreds of thousands of tons of steel every year. The lack of equivalent support poses a direct threat to these shipments. Nevertheless, interprovincial marine transportation plays a vital role i…
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Mr. Speaker, at the Port of Valleyfield in my riding, Desgagnés Logistik Valport stands to lose customers because Transport Canada decided to create unfair competition between rail transportation and marine transportation. The federal government is jeopardizing ports, jobs and entire logistics corridors. Since the Minister of Transport claims to understand the importance of marine transportation a…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague and tell him that the House is fairly unanimous in supporting Bill S‑2. However, I am curious to know whether he thinks it might be time to go a little further and carry out a more in-depth overhaul of the Indian Act. My Bloc colleague said that the name of the act itself is repulsive. Is it not time to take things to the next level and go even furt…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciated the speech by my colleague, who is the leader of the Green Party and the only Green Party member in the House. Her voice is very important. Bill C‑15 gives a lot of power to ministers and the executive branch to suspend all laws, aside from the Criminal Code. Does my colleague think that is a clear signal that anything to do with environmental legislation or the protecti…
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Mr. Speaker, you are absolutely right. It must be the late hour. I am tired. Does my colleague think that, through Bill C‑15, the current Liberal government is signalling a lack of interest in the environment and in environmental protection?
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague on her speech. We often hear that the opposition is here to oppose and obstruct bills. On the contrary, we are here to provide constructive criticism, to improve and enhance the bills under consideration. Bill C‑15 was studied at breakneck speed since it is a 600-page bill containing many, many clauses. There are some good aspects to the bill,…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question and for his empathy for the trauma that Alain Therrien and I experienced in the House when we were called racists by the former NDP leader. My colleague is absolutely right. In our debates, we often talk about files and cases, but behind the refugee claims are human beings, families and children. Basically, the vast majority of these people want…
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Madam Speaker, as my colleague who spoke before me mentioned, we will be voting against this Conservative motion for several reasons. I am quite proud of my riding's position. When I read the motion, I felt somewhat uncomfortable because it seems to paint all refugees with the same brush. I will explain why we are opposed to the motion. The Bloc Québécois has given this a lot of thought. This is s…
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Madam Speaker, Bill C-12 was the subject of vigorous debate at the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. We proposed amendments and improved the bill. However, a bill does not solve all of the problems. There is often a tendency to forget about and abandon the people who have to deal with things like organized crime and organized smuggling groups in their small communities. Th…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is Valentine's Day, a holiday for lovers. We know that some people think Valentine's Day is too commercial or too corny, and some say that lovers do not need a holiday. Others who are single simply do not care. As for me, I think that we need a holiday that celebrates love now more than ever. When times are uncertain, when tragedy strikes, when people are wondering what the w…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague on the thoroughness of her presentation. She has done her research and knows what she is talking about. She studied law herself, so it is interesting to hear from someone who knows the subject so well. My question is perhaps more for her in her capacity as the Bloc Québécois House leader. I understand that currently, in the House, the government is …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we need an independent public inquiry into Cúram because the Liberals are out of touch with reality. Imagine causing financial problems for 85,000 retirees and thinking that it is no big deal. Imagine letting 85,000 people fall through the cracks thanks to a computer system and responding by just asking us to pass on their names and saying the government will look into the issues. The…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-261, An Act to amend the Old Age Security Act (amount of full pension). Mr. Speaker, introducing a bill that directly affects the daily lives of our constituents is always an important moment in a parliamentarian's life. In my riding, as in many regions, a large proportion of the population is 65 years of age or older. In Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingd…
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Madam Speaker, public servants have been telling the government since June that the Cúram software is causing problems with people's OAS benefits. Obviously, no one on the Liberal side did anything about it because, just 10 days ago, they were saying that there was no problem and that this was just fearmongering. Suddenly, yesterday, they realized that 85,000 pensioners were affected by the malfun…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, some of my colleague's suggestions make a lot of sense, including the one to reinstate standing orders that were amended on an exceptional basis during the last Parliament by a majority of members. A tradition once existed here in Parliament whereby changes to key standing orders were to be made by consensus. That consensus ended when the New Democrats and the Liberals agreed to ame…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Bloc Québécois to pay tribute to Kirsty Duncan. I am also rising on behalf of two colleagues who also knew her, the member for Rimouski—La Matapédia and the member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue, and who both wanted to say a few words. Today, I pay tribute to an exceptional woman, a woman whose career, commitment and humanity left a lasting mark on the House a…
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Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech, and I think he knows full well that the Bloc Québécois will support Bill C-19. We heard from a lot of members of my party who have indicated that we will be supporting this bill. There is one issue that keeps coming up that I am really concerned about. We get a lot of calls in our riding offices from people who say that they need more i…
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Madam Speaker, as always, I greatly appreciated the speech by my colleague across the floor. It is a pleasure to hear him speak. He is a new MP, and I honestly think that he has learned a lot, very quickly. I know that my colleague is a thorough and hard-working member of Parliament who knows his files. In his speech, he said that budget measures had been announced to help people. I wonder why, th…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to rise to speak to Bill S-233. However, before I begin my speech, I want to draw attention to this tartan I am wearing, which is is certified and registered in Scotland. It was made by two weavers in my riding who are members of the Guilde des Tisserands du Suroît. They wove this tartan and gifted it to me in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the City of Sal…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciated my colleague's speech. Yes, the agreement allows for market diversification, but it seems to me that it is not modern enough. There is no assurance that the supply chains will be free of forced labour or human rights violations. That issue is not taken into account at all. I think Canada has proven to be a slightly more progressive country in this regard in the past. I…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best for 2026. I also wish all my colleagues a happy new year filled with happiness, health, serenity, a bit of calm and, above all, kindness for everyone around us. If I may, I would like to point out that I am proudly wearing a purple flower on my lapel to signify recognition and awareness of Alzheimer's disease, hence my men…
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Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise in the House, particularly with you in the chair. You and I founded the all-party maritime caucus. That is proof that we can work together even if we are of different political persuasions. I also want to sincerely thank the member for Winnipeg North and the member for Calgary Nose Hill for very generously allowing me to move up my speaking spot. Team…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question, which I find particularly interesting as a former whip. We have studied the rules and procedures extensively and are always looking for ways to improve participation in debates in a constructive manner. I do not know whether we will manage to present any suggestions this time around to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to mo…
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Madam Speaker, Bill C-12 is full of intentions for border security, but I believe that the government does not have the means to achieve its ambitions and that 1,000 officers will not be enough to fulfill all of the ambitions that the government has set out in Bill C-12.
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Madam Speaker, that is a good question. The idea is that committees are masters of their own proceedings. When we study a bill and we come to an agreement on amendments, even if they do not please the government, it is strange, not to say unacceptable, that the Speaker of the House can then rule amendments that were duly debated and adopted out of order. That means that they disappear completely f…
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Madam Speaker, if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the member for Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon be allowed to use the speaking slot allocated to the member for Winnipeg North for this debate. That the member for Winnipeg North not be deemed to have spoken, that he retain his right to speak, and that this right be used in the first o…
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Mr. Speaker, I greatly appreciated my colleague's speech. The two of us had the opportunity to sit together on the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. I know that a shooting range in her riding, in the city of Penticton, is threatening to close because the government may be making a decision that clashes with this community's needs. Perhaps my colleague would have liked to s…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, you will not be surprised to learn that the Bloc Québécois will not be supporting Bill C-218. Although we do not support this bill, it is not because we are unconcerned with the issue of medical assistance in dying for people with mental disorders. It is because it is not up to a political party to decide whether to implement a medical assistance in dying procedure for people with men…
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Mr. Speaker, it seems odd to me that two government representatives are causing disorder in the House this morning. I do not think that they are setting a good example. I find it rather odd that two government representatives are causing disorder by talking and preventing us from speaking. My question for my colleague is this. All along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, many smaller port…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that one of my colleague's values involves opposing the federal government's centralization of health and social services. Does he agree that money could have been found in the budget to increase health and social service transfers? Every province in Canada is struggling to provide quality services because they have to do more with less. Does my colleague agree with me that the…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I am stunned by what I just heard. I agree with the member that there needs to be more mental health services. Obviously it falls under the jurisdiction of the provinces and Quebec to provide the whole range of services needed to support people experiencing mental health issues. However, in her speech, my colleague misled the public somewhat by claiming that the law allows for medical…
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Madam Speaker, like my colleague, I am very concerned about the fact that more and more seniors are asking for food assistance and going to food banks for help. We have seen the 2025 Hunger Count for Quebec, produced by the members of Food Banks of Quebec. In my riding, I have seen an increase in food aid in general, but particularly for seniors, and I am sure my colleague has seen something simil…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciated my colleague's speech. I know she is an expert on immigration. I would like to ask her about the budget allocated to border protection. Does she think that hiring 1,000 border services officers over three years will be enough to keep our borders secure? Will Canada have all the resources it needs to properly manage immigration?
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciated my colleague's speech. I have several questions for him, but here is the one I am dying to ask. Like me, he is a member from Quebec, so he knows that our health and social services are really struggling because of a lack of resources. They are forced to do more with less. One of the Bloc Québécois's demands was an increase in health transfers to the provinces. Unfortunat…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, what we are hearing is frightening. This same minister also called his worried Liberal colleagues boy scouts and naive, according to the Toronto Star. In Canada today, it is normal for a natural resources minister to think that worrying about the expansion of dirty oil pipelines is simply nostalgia, magical thinking, naïveté and behaving like boy scouts. Even the Conservative leader…
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Madam Speaker, the new Minister of Energy and Natural Resources seriously crossed the line yesterday. When commenting on the resignation of the former environment minister, he said that people who are concerned about the Liberal shift towards more oil are nostalgic for the past and are looking for magical solutions. It seems that nowadays, caring about the environment is considered nostalgia and w…
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