Parliamentary Speeches
680 speeches by Claude DeBellefeuille — Page 5 of 14
Government Orders
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 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 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 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 Speaker, I represent a southern Quebec riding where smugglers and criminal organizations exploit and abuse migrants hoping to cross the border illegally. It cannot be said that the previous government did much to limit, control or reduce this activity. As a member of Parliament, I have worked extensively with the RCMP to document and support residents dealing with this issue. I can also say …
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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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Mr. Speaker, I am sure that my colleague shares my concern about the government's current lax approach to controlling gun trafficking. We know that guns are being smuggled illegally from the United States into our country, mainly in my riding, by waterway. Does my colleague agree that the Coast Guard should be given greater authority to monitor, document and report to authorities on certain crossi…
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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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Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleague is deeply concerned about the issue of firearms. Bill C-2 talks about giving more power to the Coast Guard to document and observe situations and share that information with the authorities. Does my colleague think this is a good tool for combatting illegal gun trafficking?
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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, 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 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 government intends to hire 1,000 additional officers, but only 600 border services officers can be trained each year because of a lack of training centres. Does the government intend to create another training centre for border services officers?
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Madam Chair, I will ask the minister to be more specific. Given that some officers are retiring, does the minister believe that training 600 officers per year will be enough to meet current and future requirements following the passage of Bill C‑2?
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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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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, I am concerned about illegal border crossings in both directions because I represent a border region. Some farmers have even paid out of their own pockets, using their own money, to install barriers, to place rocks or vehicles, to prevent vehicles from illegally crossing their farmland. Will the government invest funds to install more physical barriers to prevent smugglers from using …
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Madam Chair, people in my riding are very aware of the presence of helicopters. We are talking about farmers. We are talking about people whose land is being used by smugglers' vehicles and illegal migrants. People feel as though they have to set up barriers themselves. Does the minister intend to support people who are constantly grappling with this phenomenon and help them cover the cost of inst…
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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 Chair, I would now like to talk about the issue of gender transitions for prisoners and inmates who have assaulted women. There was a deplorable case in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. A pedophile was released and was now identifying as a woman with a different first name, but the information was not shared with the victim he had raped. According to Radio-Canada reports, the victim's family only le…
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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, 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 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, 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, 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 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…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I agree with my colleague that there is nothing better than collaboration among all levels of government to find solutions to what indigenous communities may be experiencing. I know the current situation in Manitoba is hitting them the hardest. They are literally surrounded by flames. I know some indigenous leaders have complained that they do not have everything they need to stop t…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by saying that I will be sharing my time with the member for Repentigny. Although it is a sad occasion, I feel privileged to speak this evening in this emergency debate as the Bloc Québécois critic for public safety and emergency preparedness. I want to begin by saying that the Bloc Québécois stands in solidarity with the people currently grappling with the conse…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for very moving speech, since he hails from the province that has declared a state of emergency. He said that the provinces and Canada may not have enough equipment to deal with the increasing number of natural disasters. He said that Manitoba will even need international aid. There is talk of getting reinforcements from Mexico, Australia and even Costa Ri…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, we are seeing more and more of these disasters. Quebec went through something similar in 2023. We must think about what public policy makers can do to put preventive measures in place. It is clear that we will have to adapt to climate change. It is not enough to fix the damage; preventive action needs to be taken. It appears that the government still has a lot of work to do to put p…
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Madam Speaker, I am not a forestry expert. I do know that forest management is a provincial responsibility, which puts it within the jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces, and that each province manages its own forestry sector. I am not all that familiar with my colleague's claims that improper forest management could be the cause of some fires. I am therefore unable to answer my colleague's qu…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, like my colleague, we stand in solidarity with the evacuees and everyone affected by the disaster. We have offered our condolences to the families who have lost loved ones in these tragic circumstances. My question is this. What more could my colleague's government be doing to fight climate change? What measures can it put in place to limit climate change? Could it be doing more?
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, as a member of Parliament representing a riding that borders the United States, I have an interest in border security. The throne speech mentions the hiring of additional RCMP officers, but there is not a word about the government's intention to add human resources to the Canada Border Services Agency. Does my colleague not find it odd, even abnormal, that the previous government's co…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, during the previous Parliament, parliamentarians passed Bill C-21, legislation aimed at increasing gun control. However, since the bill passed, we have been waiting for the regulations that the government was supposed to introduce. Does my colleague, who is concerned about safety, find it unusual that the regulations for such an important bill have not yet been introduced?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have a reminder for the Liberals. Quebeckers elected a minority government, and so they expect the parties to co-operate. They expect transparency. Most of all, they expect restraint. Tabling over $200 billion in new spending without a budget explaining where the funds are coming from is a blatant violation of the Liberals' mandate in every sense. We asked the government to co-opera…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your new position. I listened carefully to my colleague's speech, in which he emphasized the importance of public safety and border security. The throne speech makes no mention of the promised hiring of 1,000 additional border officers to ensure border security. I would remind my colleague that the real number of officers needed is closer to 3,000, as documented. Ho…
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Mr. Speaker, in her speech, the member talked a lot about hope. Apparently one constituent voted for her in the hope that things would change. I am the mother of three young women who have young children, babies. They need hope too. They wonder what kind of world their children are going to live in. They wonder what kind of planet we are going to leave them. I gather from the member's speech that …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the wonderful member for Shefford. Before I begin my reply to the Speech from the Throne, I would like to warmly and sincerely thank the voters of Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon for their renewed trust. I am beginning my fifth term with the same enthusiasm, the same desire to serve my constituents and, I would say, the same strength to defend…
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Mr. Speaker, I just want to remind my colleague that this is my fifth term. I think there is a lesson to be learned from that about being careful when asking questions. Arrogance is never welcome. That said, I am in touch with the people of my riding. Seniors aged 65 to 74 did not get an increase. True, they might have access to dental care now, but that does not pay the rent or buy groceries. In …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, that is a good question. Personally, I truly believe in co-operation, but who we are must be respected. Co-operation does not mean saying that I have a good idea and that anyone who disagrees is not co-operating. Co-operation is about discussion, negotiation and respect. When I look at the throne speech, I do not get the impression or the sense that a wave of co-operation is on the ho…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, yes, seniors in Quebec and other Canadian provinces are increasingly falling victim to financial scams, as well as romance scams. It should be noted that there seems to be a bit of a vacuum, in that no one feels responsible for going after those who are scamming seniors. Like my colleague, I believe that we need to talk about this and do more to address it. I think the government has …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Canadian Dental Care Plan: what is the number of beneficiaries enrolled in the program, broken down by (i) province or territory, (ii) federal electoral district, (iii) Quebec municipality, if available?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, important votes usually take place here in the House but, today, that work is being done in the Senate. Senators are voting on an amendment that would kneecap Bill C‑282 and prevent it from protecting supply management. Unelected representatives will vote on whether or not they should respect the will of elected officials from all parties to protect our farmers in trade agreements. Di…
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Mr. Speaker, I am appealing to the party leaders. Each one of them voted to protect supply management in trade agreements by passing Bill C‑282. Today, senators will either vote to respect our will or they will vote to reverse our collective decision, in a complete break from the basic principles of democracy. The party leaders must know that the farmers in their ridings are watching them. Will al…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the vote and will be voting in favour.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the vote and will be voting in favour.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the vote, and we will be voting in favour, along with the member for Manicouagan.
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Mr. Speaker, the Université du Québec à Montréal, or UQAM for short, has just scored a major coup by appointing Pauline Marois chancellor. This is another first for the woman who was elected Quebec's first female premier. Throughout her impressive career serving Quebec, it was her role as education minister that Ms. Marois says she enjoyed the most, because that is where she was able to make the b…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the vote and votes no.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the vote and votes no.
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