Parliamentary Speeches
522 speeches by Claude DeBellefeuille — Page 3 of 11
Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his speech. The House has heard all kinds of solutions for tackling rising prices, including the one proposed by my colleague from Shefford. One solution we must not forget is increasing seniors' buying power. Nowadays, seniors who receive only their old age security pension are very vulnerable. They cannot afford rent and groceries. They often have to m…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague and I share the same passion for agriculture. As she so aptly puts it, climate change is changing farming. Is it not time to tailor the support programs to individual farmers and stop implementing one-size-fits-all programs, given that each province is experiencing the effects of climate change differently?
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Mr. Speaker, we have been debating inflation and rising food prices all day. As I said to a Conservative member earlier, this is an interesting and important topic because it is true that individuals and families are having trouble making ends meet. One thing is bothering me, though. We are not talking about how seniors who receive only old age security and the guaranteed income supplement are los…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to a man who has shaped the heart and soul of Saint‑Polycarpe, a century-old municipality in my riding. Jean-Yves Poirier is wrapping up a distinguished career after 34 years of devoted service to his community, including 10 years as mayor. Mr. Poirier is passionate about his town. A hands-on man, he knows everyone in his community. He is interested in thei…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his excellent speech. The Conservative motion copies a model imported from the United States, which has proven that it does not work. My colleague started explaining the findings of a major study by the U.S. attorney general, but he did not have time to tell us exactly what those findings were.
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech, and I feel her community's pain. It has gone through very difficult times. However, I cannot help but think that the solution before us today is seen or interpreted as a silver bullet. It is as though agreeing to the “three strikes” law will solve everything. We also have to think about the fact that, after serving their sentence, the ind…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague from Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville, my riding neighbour, on her speech. We share a lot of common ground, based on what she said, and I know that she has been through some truly horrific experiences in her life, which have left their mark on her. When she talks to us today about fighting crime or the importance of tackling it, she is also dr…
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Mr. Speaker, on June 21, at the beginning of the summer break, the House lost a seasoned parliamentarian, an influential minister, an economist, a renowned academic and a diplomat, when John McCallum passed away at the age of 75. Mr. McCallum was a pillar of the Liberal Party who served under three prime ministers: Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Justin Trudeau. He left an indelible mark on the rec…
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Mr. Speaker, I highly doubt that Quebeckers voted for the Liberals so they could implement the Conservative agenda. Quebeckers voted for the Liberals because they were afraid of the Conservative leader, Mr. Poilievre, and they were afraid of Trump. They felt safe with the current Prime Minister. However, they never voted to be handed a bill that will impose a pipeline and other unwanted projects o…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her excellent and heartfelt speech. We hope that it will open the minds of some members in the House. I would like her to comment on the following. Does she think that this bill is consistent with the reconciliation movement that we have been pursuing with indigenous peoples for several years now? Does it fit in with that, or does it take us in a completely di…
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Mr. Speaker, that would deserve a long answer, but I would like to tell my colleague that we agreed on a few important amendments: removing the Canada Labour Code, the Official Languages Act and the Indian Act so that they are excluded from Bill C‑5. However, without the participation of the Bloc Québécois or the NDP, with the support of these Conservative amendments, this was not part of the orig…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the minister is well aware that the Bloc Québécois supports the first part of the bill, which the minister also supports. I have a more technical question for her. Once the bill is passed, we believe that Quebec dairy producers and slaughterhouses could quickly be federally licensed. Basically, we would no longer have to rely on the federal government and they would quickly re…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is always very thoughtful, careful and professional. I would like her, as the Bloc Québécois critic for labour, to say a few words about the fact that the government, in its original proposal, did not exempt the Canada Labour Code from the application of the bill. The work of the member for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, with the support of my colleague from Côte…
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Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciated the passionate speech from my colleague across the aisle, and I congratulate him as he is just starting out as a new member of the House. He just mentioned the “one project, one assessment” approach on environmental matters. Today, the Premier of Quebec reiterated to the Prime Minister of Canada that projects must be determined based on Quebec's recommendations…
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Mr. Speaker, as a female MP, I would like to take up the point that my colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche made. Not all colleagues elected to the House are exceptional. I think there is a petition going around against one of his colleagues that was launched by a group of women. My colleague is a scholar, he is educated and he knows what “exceptional” means. When he said that, it had an impact on…
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Mr. Speaker, obviously not. If I do so say myself, Quebeckers will never agree to a pipeline running through their territory without first being consulted and without an assessment by Quebec's Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement. Not a chance. I will say quite frankly that all members of the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and the Green Party will fight, to the death, any project of that natu…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened intently to the member. She is very critical of the Liberal government. She has a lot to say. She is highly critical of it, so what I do not understand is why she voted in favour of time allocation to pass Bill C‑5 quickly, with no debate, with no experts, with nothing. She criticizes it, but what she is not saying out loud is that she is happy with Bill C‑5. The Liberals h…
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Mr. Speaker, I am almost one of the last to speak before the final passage of this bill. Numerous questions remain unanswered, which is normal, because there has been limited debate on this bill. We have heard from almost no witnesses and we did not have the opportunity to move many amendments. This bill was tabled in a rush to respond to the tariff crisis. I will say right off the bat that I am n…
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Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That the House recognize the impressive work of the Sûreté du Québec and Ontario Provincial Police in the last few days following the disappearance of little Claire Bell. That it salute and thank the hundreds of volunteer, witnesses and groups who offered their support for the search operations and contr…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. He is always so impassioned when he believes in what he is saying. I am surprised, because the law is important to him. It seems to me that the bill before us responds to a ruling by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Is he prepared to convince his colleagues in the House of Commons not to respond to a ruling by the Ontario Superior C…
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Mr. Speaker, I recognize my colleague's thoroughness and professionalism, but I am wondering about something after listening to his speech. If he is interested in the issue and in debating it, why does he not agree that the bill should be studied in committee? Then he would have a chance to debate it and hear from experts. Why does he want to defeat Bill C-3 at this stage?
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to mention that Quebec just got some amazing news. The three-year-old girl who has been missing for three days after being abandoned by her mother has just been found in St. Albert, Ontario. I wanted to share my happiness with everyone in the House of Commons. I want to thank the police officers and everyone else who actively helped find little Cl…
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Mr. Speaker, the member knows full well that, currently, border officers have the ability and authority to inspect rail cars carrying imported goods. Bill C-2 now includes an additional power, the power to inspect rail cars carrying goods destined for export. How will officers do that, though? Currently, even though they are empowered to inspect rail cars containing imported goods, they do it rare…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech and got the impression that he has grievances against the government and that he disagrees with its actions. Did I misunderstand? Is this member preparing to vote in favour of gagging debate on the important bill C-5?
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today because it is a special day. It is June 12, “Quebec Buy Local Day”. Today is Quebec's first-ever buy local day and I am proud to take the floor and showcase my earrings. They were made by a creator in my riding, Verretuose. That was an aside to tell people to buy local. Now, I have a question for my colleague, who is a very conscientious, thorough and hard-w…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. In his opinion, did the previous government, like the current one, make every effort to recover the amounts that were wrongfully billed to it and, by extension, to taxpayers? Does my colleague believe that the government is doing everything necessary to identify the public service officials who failed to exercise vigilance and diligence i…
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Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if you were in the Speaker's chair when I told the House earlier today that June 12 is “Quebec Buy Local Day”. This is the first initiative of its kind in Quebec, and I want to encourage all my colleagues in the House, both the Bloc Québécois and the other political parties, to go buy a local Quebec product. Personally, I always keep a supply of rosemary-marinated eggs f…
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Mr. Speaker, during the 2025 election campaign, the Bloc Québécois proposed reducing spending on the public service and external consultants by $21 million over five years. The Liberal government is also proposing to cut spending on outside consultants, which is a good thing. However, what we do not understand is that the main estimates provide for an 8% increase in spending, while the supplementa…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec has lost a fierce advocate for Quebec independence, the French language, workers' rights and state secularism. Henri Laberge passed away on May 2. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to his family and loved ones. Henri Laberge fought on all fronts for our nation, from the Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale to the Bloc Québécois…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague whom I respect. I had the pleasure of sitting with her on the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, and I know that she is a disciplined and principled woman. I would like to know her opinion on the following question. On April 1, in the middle of the election, the Prime Minister abolished the carbon tax, so the tax is no more. If it had stayed, res…
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Madam Speaker, Donald Trump's attacks on our economy are escalating, and our industries are not asking for the moon. They are asking for guarantees in terms of access to liquidity when needed and access to wage subsidies to hang onto their workers and their expertise. All we are asking the Liberals to do is to plan ahead for once, rather than waiting for plants to close and for Quebeckers to lose …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his enlightening speech. Does my colleague think that Bill C‑2 will improve refugee claim processing times?
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Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech, and I would like her to comment on something she did not really say too much about. I think we can all agree that the Liberal government really is managing the entire border, including traffic and border security. Does my colleague truly believe that border officers' powers can really be increased when we know perfectly well that recrui…
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Madam Chair, could the minister be more specific and tell us what he means by “in short order”? How long will it take? Will it be in a month, two months or a year? Can he clarify what he means by “in short order”?
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Madam Chair, according to the Customs and Immigration Union, the Canada Border Services Agency needs an additional 2,000 to 3,000 border officers to carry out its duties. The Canada Border Services Agency training centre can only train 600 officers per year, which is in line with current attrition rates. During the most recent election, the Liberal Party talked about hiring 1,000 additional CBSA o…
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Madam Speaker, as the official Bloc Québécois public safety and emergency preparedness critic, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill C-2. I would remind the House that, today, we are beginning the speeches and debate on a bill and related measures aimed at securing the border between Canada and the United States. As my Conservative colleague mentioned, this 130-page bill amends some 10 laws.…
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Madam Chair, regarding foreign interference, several measures in Bill C‑70 were adopted during the last Parliament, but the regulations still have not been implemented. When are you going to adopt these measures?
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Madam Chair, does the minister have a chart to keep track of the hiring process and the start dates of these new RCMP officers? We know that recruitment is challenging and that training takes time. I would like him to explain to me how he intends to go about hiring 1,000 RCMP officers in a short period of time.
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Madam Chair, the minister is probably as concerned as I am about the situation of indigenous border communities. In my riding, that means Akwesasne. These communities are victims of geography and are being exploited by criminal groups from the big cities. For example, we know that guns are passing through indigenous reserves, but first nations police services are short on resources. Will the gover…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, with whom I will have the honour of serving on the public safety committee, which will hopefully be convened soon. He talked a lot about privacy. I agree with him. There will be a lot of discussion in committee on this issue, because there is a thin line between protecting security and protecting personal and confidential information. I would like to take him i…
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Madam Chair, I would like to ask the minister a question about gun control. We know there are a few months left in the amnesty period for guns that were banned on May 1, 2020. When will phase two of the buyback program be rolled out?
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Madam Chair, we have often seen that the government does not really know who is leaving Canada. For example, following a study by CIBC economists in 2023, the government discovered that Canada was undercounting its population by one million. Unlike some other countries, Canada has no exit immigration controls, such as biometric data checks on foreign nationals. As a result, the government is losin…
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Madam Speaker, since this is the first round of speeches on the bill, I seek the unanimous consent of the House to share my time with the member for Lac‑Saint‑Jean.
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Madam Chair, I would like the minister to clarify his thoughts on exit controls for foreign nationals. It is not right that there are foreign nationals in this country but we do not know where. We also do not know when they leave the country. What I really want the minister to clarify is what he is going to do to improve the situation. Is he satisfied with the current measures? Is he not aware tha…
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Madam Speaker, let me reassure my colleague. As the member for a riding that borders the U.S., I have many contacts at the RCMP and the CBSA, among both the employers and the unions. For that reason, I can say that some of the decisions being made now are not at all consistent with the principle of Bill C-2. Let me give an example. Two border crossings in my riding have had their hours of service …
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Madam Chair, the government promised to hire 1,000 new RCMP officers. Can the minister tell us when those officers will be hired and when they will begin their duties?
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Madam Chair, this week, we learned through media reports that the RCMP was recruiting in English only outside Quebec. We were very disheartened to learn that. I know the minister is committed to improving his French. Does he intend to bring the RCMP into line and demand that it remedy this situation?
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Madam Speaker, I think that I have one topic of conversation that might interest my colleague. I am very interested in the issue of gun trafficking. A lot of guns are being smuggled into my riding from the U.S. by water. Bill C-2 would give the Canadian Coast Guard an additional patrolling mandate. What troubles me a bit about this bill is that the government seems to be planning to assign the Coa…
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Madam Chair, to improve border security, the Customs and Immigration Union has proposed that officers be allowed to patrol outside their border crossings to intercept migrants who may be crossing the border illegally. We support this proposal to establish co‑operation between the RCMP and border services officers. Does the minister support the idea of giving patrol officers the authority to monito…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new member. He made a comment earlier that really got my attention about how opposition members do nothing but oppose and never propose anything. It is the complete opposite. The Bloc Québécois is known here for being hard-working and thorough, for proposing solutions, for improving things and for co-operating. Perhaps no one inform…
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