Parliamentary Speeches

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I was saying that the interpreter is telling us that she cannot do her job because the minister's equipment does not seem to be working properly.

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of the pandemic, the Chair has repeatedly reminded members of the importance of respecting decorum and the dress code. I think we broke a record today, because during question period, we saw a member in his birthday suit. Naked. It might be worth reminding members, especially the men, that a jacket and tie are mandatory, but so are a shirt, underwear and pants. It …

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, this week Quebec is recognizing the vital contribution of social workers. We are talking about 15,000 professionals who protect young people, help seniors, bring comfort and propose solutions for people in all sorts of situations, and that is important. Social workers want to understand our reality, listen to us and guide us, and that is important. Social workers focus on our strength…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I do not know if the member has had the privilege, as I have, of working in a long-term care home. I was a social worker and case manager in CHSLDs, the long-term care facilities in Quebec. I can tell her that national standards are not going to improve care. That is not what we need. I do not know who she consulted in Quebec, but I can tell her that that is not going to change thin…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, the member surely knows that the three or four long-term care homes in Quebec that experienced serious problems have now been placed in trusteeship. Analyses have been conducted and investigations are under way, by the coroner, among others. Does the member not think that the Government of Quebec is in the best position to find solutions and fix the serious mistakes that were made i…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I want to sincerely congratulate my colleague from Shefford for the professionalism she showed in her speech. She is a wonderful critic for seniors, and it is clear that she is well equipped to represent and reflect the needs of Quebec's seniors. Can she reiterate for the members opposite and for the NDP how important it is that the government respect Quebec and its decisions in the…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity today to express my sympathy and condolences to all those who have lost loved ones during this pandemic. Today is a national day of remembrance in Quebec, and we are carrying a white rose in their honour. Let me remind members what Bill C-24 is about. It extends the maximum number of weeks of EI benefits to 50 weeks for people who apply by September 25,…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. It is true that this cause is very important to me because it is about equity and correcting an injustice. We are talking about workers who left their jobs not for the fun of it, but because of a serious illness. We must give them the assurance and the financial means to make rent, buy food and medications, and fight the illness so they can retur…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite Patrie, who I know cares a lot about this issue. That is a very good question. Perhaps the government is listening to the employers' lobby, which is concerned. It is important to point out that the EI program is not a subsidy and is not funded by the government. It is funded by employers and workers. It is also possible that insurance compa…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. He is right. Right now, they are in crisis management mode, but with vaccines coming online fast, it is important to plan and prepare for recovery. The Bloc Québécois has given that a lot of thought. We are hoping for a truly green, feminist and eco-friendly recovery that takes Quebec's interests into account. My colleague can count on the Bloc Q…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, the pandemic officially started one year ago today. Since then, more than 10,500 Quebeckers have died, spending their last moments suffering in our care centres. Far too many of them died alone, away from their families. Today is a day to honour their memory and comfort their loved ones, but it is also a day to take stock of what happened. For example, it is quite clear that the crisi…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, more than 10,500 Quebeckers died, but more than 20,000 of us were hospitalized and recovered, thanks to our dedicated health care workers, the vast majority of whom are women who have been making a lot of sacrifices and working tons of overtime this past year. The government can see they are giving their all to save lives. These women are bearing the brunt of the federal government's …

Private Members' Business

Madam Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege following a point of order raised on Thursday, February 25 regarding the use of masks during speeches in the House. We are dealing with a fundamental issue here, and we ask that the Speaker rule on it. The House of Commons interpreters must be allowed to do their jobs in compliance with the Official Languages Act and out of respect for both official…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity on International Women's Day to thank our health care workers and to remind the self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister that 82% of health care workers are women. When the Prime Minister refuses to increase health transfers in the midst of a health crisis, it is more than just Quebec and the provinces that he is turning his back on. It is not Fran…

Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleagues. I think that the rules of decorum in the House dictate that we listen when someone is speaking. If we want to rise on a point of order, we can do so afterward. It is disrespectful to continually interrupt a colleague when they are speaking. I would ask you to remind the member of the rules of decorum in the House.

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today in the House to speak to this motion from the Bloc Québécois. I am proud that my party is using one of its opposition days to talk about seniors and the precarious financial situations they live in. By putting this issue on today's agenda, we are giving all parliamentarians a chance to wake up to this issue, since some do not seem to be aware of it, and…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, what I understood from my colleague's speech is that his government wants to create two classes of seniors: those aged 65 to 75 and those aged 75 and over. I can tell him that the cost of rent stays the same whether a senior is 65 or 75 years old. The increase in the cost of drugs is also the same for seniors whether they are 65 or 75 years old. I do not know whether my colleague is t…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very interesting question. Whether one is younger, older or elderly, being single is more expensive because fixed costs are the same. That is a very important concept. Like my colleague, I received dozens of letters from seniors criticizing the one-time payment. They saw it as an attempt to shut them up and tell them they would be getting $300, whether the…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. I completely agree. Housing is a major expense for any household, whether it is a single person or a whole family. The hon. member correctly pointed out that housing costs have increased in Quebec and in his riding. That is a problem for seniors who have only the OAS and the GIS to make ends meet. In my opinion, transfers have to be dramatically …

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, as whip, I sit on the Board of Internal Economy, and I am quite familiar with the rules. They state that masks are mandatory in certain places, but that when we rise at our seats, we are free to remove them or keep them on. I would point out that the blue masks that are available at the entrance to each lobby might allow for better interpretation. I agree that all members who want to …

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, a farming family in Sainte-Agnès-de-Dundee is using its expertise to put the riding of Salaberry—Suroît on the map. Today, I am pleased to inform members that the Estermann farm ranked first in Lactanet Canada's top 25 dairy herds. The Estermanns are no strangers to top honours, since this is the third year in a row that they have received this award. This attests to the excellent car…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I would like to add a few words about the question of privilege that was just raised by my counterpart, the whip of the official opposition party. Members of the Standing Committee on Health are all clearly aware that the committee chair made a ruling on a question of privilege raised by the member for Calgary Nose Hill last Friday, February 12. The decision resulted in the suspension…

Routine Proceedings

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-265, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (illness, injury or quarantine). Mr. Speaker, introducing this bill to amend the Employment Insurance Act with respect to illness, injury or quarantine on behalf of the Bloc Québécois is a poignant moment for me. This bill will be known as the Émilie Sansfaçon act. Émilie was a young mother who left us much too s…

Private Members' Business

Madam Speaker, the voting process is long. The least members who are voting by Zoom can do is keep their cameras on. There are two members, one from the government side and another from the Conservative side, who have their cameras off. Could you remind everyone?

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today in the debate on Bill C-14. As the House knows, the Bloc Québécois has already stated that it will vote in favour of the bill because on the whole it will provide long-awaited support to our SMEs and our families. I could have talked about a pile of programs that did not meet certain needs because, again, families and SMEs do not have access to assistance. …

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. He is quite right to say that there are hard-working people in the beautiful region of Salaberry—Suroît. Unfortunately, economic development, access to distance education and telework are all more challenging because of poor Internet coverage. This is a fundamental problem. One large corporation has a monopoly and is making a profit. It complies …

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, my colleague has identified a very important problem. High-speed Internet will not reach rural areas without giving the CRTC the proper tools and introducing policies with some teeth. The government must have greater political will and rein in the major companies that own the infrastructure. This would make it possible for smaller cable companies to move to fibre optic and provide acc…

Statements By Members

Mr. Speaker, as we mark the beginning of National Suicide Prevention Week, I invite everyone to demonstrate empathy and solidarity. Anyone can be in distress, especially during a pandemic that forces all of us to make sacrifices. Our young people are going through a very turbulent time. This is tough on boys and men as well as girls, women and seniors. Distress does not care how old we are. It cou…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, the interpreter is telling me that she cannot do her job because she cannot hear properly.

Emergency Debate

Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois stands in solidarity with Alberta's communities, workers and families who are now paying the price for the Alberta premier's decision to ignore the obvious risks of the Keystone XL project and invest $1.5 billion of Albertan taxpayers' money in the project. Does the Leader of the Opposition not think it would be better, especially during a pandemic, to support Alb…