Parliamentary Speeches
525 speeches by Claude DeBellefeuille — Page 10 of 11
Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I really appreciate my colleague's question. We have repeatedly heard the leader of the Bloc Québécois say loud and clear that we are in favour of providing financial support for the energy transition for workers in Alberta and western Canada, so that they can diversify, so that the economy can diversify and become greener. We were hoping to see concrete measures in the budget to su…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to indicate that, pursuant to Standing Order 43(2)(a), all of the Bloc Québécois's speaking slots for today's debate on the business of supply will be divided in two.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I do not know what is happening this morning, but there was no interpretation when the member began speaking.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, the interpreters are indicating that the sound quality is not good enough. The member's microphone seems to be positioned incorrectly.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers want French to be mandatory in workplaces. Workers can, of course, be bilingual or even trilingual, but French should be the language of work in our businesses. There is a solution, which can be found in Bill C‑238, which I introduced. This bill would make federally regulated businesses subject to the Charter of the French Language. It is as simple as that. Does the ministe…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is French that is in decline in Quebec, not English. It is French that must be protected, not bilingualism. Bill C-13 prevents Quebec from imposing the Charter of the French Language and instead lets federally regulated businesses choose between French and the Canada-wide bilingual model. That is the very model followed by Air Canada and CN, two federal businesses located in Quebec…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
moved that Bill C-238, An Act respecting the French language, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by saying that I am challenging myself. On Friday, I participated in a Mental Health Week activity. I went to the open house event at Ancres et Ailes in Ormstown. An anglophone participant come up to say hello, to thank me and to thank the Bloc Québé…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, we are members of the House here in Ottawa. As members, the best decision we can make to protect the French language and, especially, to respect the Quebec nation—Quebec has full jurisdiction over its language of integration—is to apply Bill 101 to federally regulated businesses and to accept that Quebec will soon pass Bill 96, which also requires that Bill 101 apply to federally re…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I want to respond to the question of privilege raised by the member for Simcoe—Grey on May 5, 2022. In our view, it is deeply concerning. The email discussions referred to by the member do indeed amount to interference by the executive in parliamentary work that is the sole responsibility of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. There was an email chain concerning t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I knew that this time allocation motion was coming, but I did not think it would be moved so soon. It is important for people to know that we have not yet even had five hours of debate on Bill C-19, which is a big bill with numerous measures. Many sectors have been calling us after seeing the budget. We need to debate this big, important bill, and five hours is not enough time. I am…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Camille Laurin, father of the Charter of the French Language, would have turned 100 last Friday. To mark the occasion, every minister responsible for the French language over the past 30 years, across party lines, indicated how important it is to be constantly taking action to promote French. That proves that French is in danger. Bill C-13 will reinforce institutional bilingualism and…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, as I mentioned in my speech, there are many community organizations dedicated to integrating newcomers into French society. In fact, I would like to acknowledge the work of Centre de français L'Insulaire and Centre du Nouvel-Envol, organizations in my riding. The school board also offers a complete range of francization classes. My riding, which is 85% Francophone, welcomes immigran…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Sherbrooke, a Quebec MP, for her question. Sherbrooke is a predominantly francophone city. Personally, I do not see the French test as an obstacle, but rather as support we must provide for new immigrants. Sometimes people confuse the concepts of permanent resident and political refugee. Let us be clear: For someone who is already in Canada an…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is clear to me that there is an immigration crisis. However, when the Bloc asked the Prime Minister whether it would be a good idea for Quebec to have more control, the Prime Minister did not once talk about a solution, not once. He said, “immigration will, by and large, always be under federal control.... I realize our Bloc friend is not happy about this, but Quebec is not yet its…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I believe that we do not understand one another. When Quebec asks for authority to resolve the immigration crisis, the Prime Minister slams the door in its face, saying that Quebec is not a country and that this is Canada's job. If that is so, then Canada should do its job and get to work on the 29,000 files that have been sitting in Ottawa for years. The immigrants who submitted them…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her beautiful speech. I know she cares about the most vulnerable people in our society.. I wanted to remind her that there is a large organization in Quebec called the Fédération de l'âge d'or du Québec, which brings together all people aged 55 and over, and that means 500,000 people. The FADOQ has asked the government to increase old age security payments f…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to inform you that I will be sharing my time with my colleague, the member for Terrebonne. I would like to extend my warmest thanks to all the volunteers in the riding of Salaberry—Suroît, because in Quebec we celebrate volunteerism and volunteers from April 24 to April 30. This year’s theme is “volunteering changes lives”. It is true that volunteering changes lives. It…
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Madam Speaker, I think the member knows my answer. We clearly know that the solution for supporting European countries is not to develop new pipelines to supply Europe. The war would likely be over before the pipelines could even be built. That is not a solution. Investing in carbon capture and storage is not a solution either. We really need to move into energy transition mode. We need to support…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my colleague from Joliette has proposed countless solutions to curb tax avoidance. That fact that it is legal, in a G7 country like Canada, to hide money in tax havens to avoid paying taxes is a serious problem. It is being done in plain sight, for all to see. I therefore agree with my colleague that the government must listen to the recommendations made by my colleague from Joliett…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am just as concerned as my colleague by what has been happening to seniors in long-term care facilities, but we do not have the same approach to finding solutions. In Quebec, we realized what was going on, and our ombudsperson produced a report in 2021 with a number of recommendations to prevent this kind of thing from happening again if ever another pandemic strikes. Quebec reali…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Winnipeg North for his question. My speech seems to have angered him, and I am not really sure why. I can say one thing. I have been a manager before. If I am asked to organize long-term services and ensure that seniors are well taken care of in long-term care facilities, I know that there needs to be predictability. Planning, organizing and providing servi…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I am excited to rise today to congratulate Nicole Thauvette on winning the “Don Quichotte” award, which recognizes individuals who are working hard to build a better, fairer and more humane world. Nicole Thauvette, an amazing woman from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, embodies those goals. Nicole is a smart woman with an intrinsic drive to improve our community, one heart at a time.…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am not convinced by the argument about the basic premise of this bill. For example, in Quebec, we have a law that protects freedom of conscience for all professionals. Anyone who is a member of a professional association in Quebec has the opportunity to exercise their freedom of conscience and require it be respected. I am a social worker and a member of the professional associati…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, as this is Meals on Wheels Week in Quebec, I want to take a moment to highlight the 50th anniversary of Popote roulante de Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. The organization was created on March 7, 1972, to support seniors who wish to remain at home as long as possible. The Sœurs de Notre-Dame du Bon-Conseil congregation, with the help of volunteers, was responsible for the very first home-de…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this week, Quebec is recognizing the professional contribution of social workers. Social workers put people first. They make it easier to access basic social services. They make the voices of the most vulnerable and overlooked members of our society heard. They innovate and make lasting improvements to society. They are true agents of change. We see what social work is really all abou…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, perseverance, personal achievement and commitment are precisely what Mélodie Daoust, one of the greatest hockey players of all time, inspires. Passion can carry you far when you keep giving your best. Her recent third Olympic medal, her second gold, is a testament to her tireless work. Mélodie Daoust gets involved to remind people that women's hockey deserves to be played, to be seen,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I feel like what we are currently listening to is not a debate, but rather a squabble between two parties that are unable to reach an agreement on such an important issue. The Bloc Québécois believes that it is important that the chair of this committee be as non‑partisan as possible and that both sides be represented, that is, those who voted in favour and those who voted against. We…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to listen to my colleague. He is so eloquent and intelligent and has a passion for literature, the great researchers and the great writers. My question is a little more down to earth. He also comes from a region, Jonquière, which is known as the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region. Could he explain how people living in sparsely populated, rural and remote areas stan…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois members, I would like to salute parliamentary staff for their absolutely exceptional work over the past few days during these extraordinary sittings of the House. While police forces were in the streets putting an end to the siege of Parliament Hill, men and women here worked tirelessly so we could debate confirmation of the Emergencies Act. From the ca…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, frankly, I am flabbergasted by my colleague's question. From what I understand, he is saying that the provinces did not do a damn thing and stood by while the situation got worse, and that the good old federal government had to come in to whip the troops into line and invoke special legislation to get them to do their jobs—
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I thank my whip colleague for the question. This allows me to clarify that the people who were part of the convoy or the hundreds of people who occupied the streets did not all have the same message. They were not a monolithic group, but we seem to have forgotten that when we focused our attention on one group over another. Like my colleague, I have seen testimonials and I have spok…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I am very sorry, but I think the member for Kingston and the Islands is running out of arguments. He has been here arguing for a long time. He is tired and is now taking things too far. All of the police forces came together, teamed up, joined forces and worked together. They are the ones who managed to push the protesters back, with support and coordination from their command centr…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I wish to join my colleague from Manicouagan in thanking the police. I also want to take a moment today to thank the interpreters who have been providing service to us from 7 a.m. until late into the night since Thursday morning and will continue to do so until tomorrow, Monday. I want to recognize them and sincerely thank them. I am the 22nd Bloc Québécois member to speak about the…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I was listening carefully to my colleague's speech, and I have two questions for him. I did not hear him talk much about his position on the right to demonstrate. I would like him to clearly express whether he believes the right to demonstrate is important. In addition, Wellington Street in Ottawa has been cleared by law enforcement agencies that coordinated and worked together. Does …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. I was pleasantly surprised that she did not affirmatively state that she would be supporting the governing party's use of this law and that she set out conditions for supporting it. I would like to know her opinion as a member of Parliament. Police have now removed the blockades at the border crossings. As of yesterday, Ottawa is practically free o…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am a little stunned to hear the minister admit so freely that she made a deal with the third party in opposition to adopt this closure motion on Bill C-12. In exchange, the government will move up payments to seniors who have been unfairly ripped off and had their GIS payments reduced. Is the minister now telling us that if there had been no deal, if the third party of opposition …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to inform you that I will be sharing my time with the brilliant, fantastic and magnificent member from Thérèse-De Blainville. I am happy to be able to discuss and debate the motion concerning Bill C-12 with my colleagues, because I have devoted my life to seniors since I was 23. I spent my career serving seniors, both providing home care in local community service centr…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, we now know that the Senate, whose participation in the process is required, will not be sitting this week, and that it was really not necessary to pass Bill C-12 under closure. I am convinced that the legislative process could have taken its normal course and that we could have managed to pass Bill C-12 without a closure motion this week if there had been good will and if we had wo…
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Madam Speaker, in a former life, I was the chief of staff to a minister. Every time we were asked to tighten the budget, IT infrastructure was cut because it has less of an impact in the short term. I do not know if that is why all infrastructure has been neglected. I have noticed this with EI sickness benefits and immigration. I know it is complicated, and I am not saying otherwise. However, I ca…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I believe that the member and I agree that the government must increase seniors' monthly income and give them tax concessions that will let them work to make ends meet, pay their bills and socialize without being penalized by the taxman. The Bloc Québécois has made plenty of suggestions to help seniors contribute without being penalized. I believe that the solution is to increase ol…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would have liked my colleague, who delivered a very fine speech, to remind the House that the Bloc has also made proposals to support seniors, such as increasing the earnings ceiling for the GIS from $5,000 to $6,000 in order avoid penalizing seniors who want or have to work. Can she explain why this is so important?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after eight months of pressure, the government is finally admitting that cutting the guaranteed income supplement for the poorest working seniors was heartless. Now that the government has admitted that it made a mistake and that this mistake plunged seniors into poverty, there needs to be a quick solution. The deputy minister told us that IT problems are making it impossible for the …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, congratulations to my colleague on her speech. She really underscored the urgent need to agree to the premiers' demands and properly fund the public health care system in Quebec and the provinces. Can she explain why it is so important to the Bloc Québécois that we go through the whole legislative process for Bill C‑10 even though the Bloc supports the bill?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, a fault confessed is not half redressed when it keeps people from being able to put food on the table. These seniors have been making sacrifices for eight months. What makes my colleagues think that seniors would be reassured to hear that they still have months of hardship to go through because of an IT problem? As we saw during the pandemic, the government is capable of getting its c…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I hear the minister, but it is February and what she is saying will not be done until May and June. We know that the minister will introduce her bill, and we will support it. However, we want her to stop cutting the guaranteed income supplement, the GIS, for workers and seniors today. We have been waiting eight months for this. The problem is that she is still forcing these people to …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today. I would like to thank my colleague for her speech, because we in the Bloc Québécois have a terrific team. I will try not to repeat what she said, but I agree with everything she did say, which I support. I do not know if this has been done today, but I would still like to take the time to extend my condolences and sympathies to the 35,000 families wh…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for that question. I do not get the sense that the Prime Minister understands the urgency of the situation. This gives me an opportunity to explain to him that all of the provincial premiers are calling for a 35% increase in funding because it is not Dr. Tam or her team or the Public Health Agency of Canada that provides care in hospitals, long-term care facilit…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I feel compelled to say that what has been happening on the Hill over the past two weeks shows a real lack of leadership from the Liberal government. I think that things are crystal clear. Mistakes were made. No crisis task force was put together in advance when it was known that the trucks were coming. A crisis task force should have been set up, and all the various stakeholders sh…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I think that I understand the question that was coming. I think that we sometimes cut corners in our speeches, and I think that our colleagues opposite would have us believe that the Conservatives are demanding an immediate end to all measures as of February 28. That is petty politics. I think that today there was a great opportunity to say that it is time to work together, to join …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the federal government must stop cutting the guaranteed income supplement for seniors who collected the Canada emergency response benefit. It is cruel to cut off money for those seniors who need it the most, those who have to keep working during retirement just to feed and house themselves. We know that the minister agrees with us about this, but why is she waiting until June to stop …
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