Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am going to repeat the question. When newcomers are asked why they would not recommend Canada as a destination to other potential immigrants, 43% blame current government leadership and 35% blame the cost of living. Will the NDP-Liberal Minister of Finance commit to cleaning up her suffocating and inflationary tax policy, which is such a mess that many Canadians, even newcomers, are…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, he could at least have the decency to answer the question. The NDP-Liberal party has no idea of what our constituents are going through. We meet with them every weekend. What do they talk to us about? They talk about groceries, which now cost an additional $1,000, and houses, which cost an average of $868,000. When will the government do something? The budget is coming, so it is time …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has announced that she will table a NDP-Liberal budget on April 7. We are very worried. We have serious concerns. We moved a motion, which I will read, because that is what we are debating today. That, given that, (i) excessive government spending has increased the deficit, the national debt, and fuelled inflation to its highest level in 31 years, (ii) taxes on…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am not saying that we should not work with all other parliamentarians and other parties. Having been a parliamentarian and a minister, I know what it means to negotiate with other parliamentarians and reach a compromise. That is very normal and that is why we are here. That is why we have committees: to improve bills and arrive at the best possible solution. However, what we are tal…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, let us leave former prime ministers and the leadership race out of this debate. The Conservatives have moved a clear and simple motion calling on the current NDP‑Liberal alliance to present a credible, reasonable plan to balance the budget with well-defined measures for government spending. Every expenditure must correspond to revenue. That is what we are saying today.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, Canadians, including my constituents, are under a lot of pressure. They are in the clutches of skyrocketing inflation, which is currently at 5.7%. Our fathers, mothers, sisters and children are struggling to make ends meet. Young people cannot buy a home. Seniors are unsure of what they can afford and why they have to choose between food and medications. That is what we are talking ab…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, nobody wants to hear the government's same old tune about how inflation is a global phenomenon. Right now, inflation is at 1.5% in Switzerland, 1.7% in Japan, and 3.7% in Norway. Those rates are all lower than Canada's 5.7%. Can the government compare itself to the top performers and tell us how it plans to slow inflation, which is currently eroding our fellow citizens' buying power?
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, founded in 1892 by Father Joseph‑Onésime Brousseau and Virginie Fournier, who became Mother Saint‑Bernard. This community settled in Saint‑Damien‑de‑Buckland. These women performed many tasks and devoted their talents to the service of the most vulnerable and to teaching the residents of rural parishes. It is thanks t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, young people cannot afford to buy a house and are being forced to camp out in their parents' basement. Seniors are having a hard time buying food and paying for their medications. Gas is now $1.85 a litre in my riding. Meanwhile, the Liberal government is signing agreements with the NDP, which also wants to spend recklessly. The government has done nothing for the past few months. Now…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian provinces and our international allies have eliminated many of their restrictions. The NDP-Liberal government is faster at signing secret agreements than at lifting restrictions on domestic flights. It does not realize that Canadians have had enough. When will the NDP-Liberal government look at what is happening in other G7 countries and eliminate the federal restrictions…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am here and I know what is happening. Science has not been the NDP-Liberal government's main concern for a long time. It used the pandemic for political gain, and Canadians are not fools. They realize it and even the member for Louis-Hébert has condemned it. Will the Minister of Health finally stop playing political games and immediately lift the federal restrictions?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is so caught up in its new secret alliance with the NDP that it is forgetting to lift public health measures, as the other G7 countries are doing. Being vigilant does not mean being stubborn and inflexible. When will the NDP‑Liberal government reassess the measures still in place at the federal level?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, today the province of Ontario is lifting a whole raft of temporary measures to fight COVID‑19. People can finally have faith in the future and get back to normal. I think it is about time. Given that the provinces and other G7 countries have reached the same conclusion, when will the Liberal government announce the end of mandatory measures at the federal level?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canada has been home to a Ukrainian community for decades. In fact, we have some Ukrainians right here in the House. The United Nations estimates that a million Ukrainians have already fled to neighbouring countries to escape the atrocities of war. Can the government show some empathy and flexibility, as we have been calling for since January 27, and immediately allow Ukrainians to co…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Quebec and other provinces have the situation under control without using the Emergencies Act. In fact, they do not want it. The Prime Minister has been warned. Will this Prime Minister, who listens only to himself and is introducing emergency legislation without consulting anyone, respect the wishes of the provinces not to have this legislation enforced in their jurisdiction, as is t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot justify the invocation of the Emergencies Act. He cannot tell us what tools he used and what steps he took before deciding to use this extraordinary piece of legislation. He can hardly criticize us for seeing this as a ploy to cover up his failure to act, his lack of leadership and his negligence. I want to give him another chance to enlighten us. What steps …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Premier Legault has the situation under control in Quebec, and other provinces do not want the Emergencies Act to apply to them either. All the Prime Minister is doing is adding fuel to the fire and playing partisan games. Will the Prime Minister explain why the whole country must suffer the consequences of a specific situation that is only happening in Ottawa?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, on Friday, February 11, the Prime Minister said that the Ottawa police had all the resources they needed to end the impasse. On Monday, February 14, he suddenly invoked the Emergencies Act. What happened between February 11 and 14 to justify this decision? What legal principles is this decision based on? Is this an attempt to deflect attention from his serious lack of leadership?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, to govern is to make decisions. This government's lack of vision has caused division within its own caucus. After two years of efforts and sacrifices, it is time, as Dr. Theresa Tam says, to re-evaluate the public health measures. Will the government choose to move forward or will it keep spinning its wheels by dividing and stigmatizing people?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, many people in my riding approached me this weekend wanting to talk about this government's lack of leadership. I want to remind the Prime Minister that Canadians are 90% vaccinated, and Canada is the most vaccinated country in the G7. We will be voting on a motion this afternoon that calls on the government to come up with a plan by February 28 for getting life in Canada back to norm…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it does not seem like it. Those efforts are not having an impact. People are unable to buy food, are struggling to buy homes and are having difficulty paying their rent. Can we go from leading with the head to leading with the heart and respond to Canadians who are struggling today?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Frigos Pleins and L'essentiel des Etchemins, two food banks in my riding, are starting to see families they have never seen before. Requests for food hampers have actually doubled. These organizations are now helping not only people who are unemployed, but also people who have jobs and earn money but cannot make ends meet. Does the Prime Minister realize that Canadians are having a ha…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to programs which provided money or financing to businesses, sectors, or communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, broken down by program: (a) for each program, what is the total amount distributed to date in the riding of Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis; (b) what was the total number of applications received from the riding of Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis; and (c) of the applicatio…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as the leader of the official opposition rightly said, inflation hurts. It is well documented. Young families who want to buy a house cannot afford it because of runaway inflation. The dream of owning a home has become out of reach for those aged 40 and under, who are now seeing prices rise every month. We know that the Prime Minister is out of touch with our young people's concerns. …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am not the one saying it. The Canadian Real Estate Association put out some disturbing figures today, showing that for 2021, house prices increased by 25%. How can a young middle-class family ever hope to get on the property ladder when the average price for a home in Canada is now $720,000, and $445,000 in Quebec? The Prime Minister keeps telling us it is a global problem, but it i…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister visited the United States. After his Minister of International Trade visited Washington and after the Minister of Finance talked about imposing retaliatory measures, nothing has been done to eliminate the U.S. countervailing duties. It has been one failure after another. I call on the Prime Minister to rise and tell the House what the next steps will be in resolving…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, facts are facts. The countervailing duties that the United States is imposing on Canadian softwood lumber are a slap in the face to our industry; they have doubled. The money is being collected at the border rather than being invested in our businesses. As is the case with inflation and the labour shortage, the government is not interested in this issue because it is not interested in…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, this warm welcome and my colleagues' friendliness towards me and the entire caucus is what I was trying to convey earlier, and I thank him. I am someone who bounces back. I like to stand up for my constituents and everyone else for just causes. I want to assure my colleague that I will always defend our people, our constituents and everyone in our riding. I have no shortage of ideas…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I take exception to the fact that this government is not addressing Canadians' needs, is not addressing the labour shortage, is not addressing inflation and has no plan to balance the budget. This affects Canadians' wallets. That is what we will be debating here in the House.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, obviously, I think that we should have the freedom to take exception to things. That is part of raising awareness of the issues that affect us. If we take exception to something, it means that we are aware of what is happening around us and to us. I think that the throne speech is sterile, uninspired and insipid. It does not have any impact on Canadians and does not give any answers…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure and an honour for me to rise to speak in response to the Speech from the Throne, which was delivered over two weeks ago. As one might expect, I would like to take a moment to thank a number of people and to recognize the work, commitment and dedication of the huge team I had behind me during the last election. First of all, I must highlight the invaluable contributi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, runaway inflation is driving up prices. Canadians are feeling the pinch. Many are struggling to pay for groceries, while others are giving up on their dream of buying a home because prices have gone up 33%. The Liberal government's attitude feels like a frontal assault. Can the Liberal government have a heart and see how fed up Canadian consumers are? It is a simple question.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's answer is in no way reassuring. The cost of everything is going up, and Canadians are seeing their purchasing power go down. Just talk to food banks, mothers and seniors to get a sense of how bad things are right now. Will the Prime Minister guarantee that the Bank of Canada will maintain inflation at 2%? A yes or no will do.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition summed up the situation very well. Inflation is hitting Canadians hard, and the Liberal government can no longer deny it. One of the Bank of Canada's mandates is to keep inflation to 2%. Inflation is currently almost 5%, and everyone is affected. If the Prime Minister does not maintain the 2% target, Canadian consumers will once again pay for his mismanage…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, on December 6, 1989, a horrific event took place at Montreal's École Polytechnique. On that day, 32 years ago, 14 women were murdered because they were women. The victims of the tragedy were Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne‑Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik‑Widajewicz, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne‑Marie Lemay, Sonia …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, yesterday, U.S. countervailing duties on softwood lumber doubled. Yesterday evening, I spoke with representatives from the Quebec Forest Industry Council, and they are extremely concerned for these companies, which create 140,000 jobs in Quebec. These companies' money is being gobbled up by duties instead of being invested in our economy. Many of them are local family businesses, su…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, Canadians are being hit hard by inflation. Owning a home is out of reach for many Canadians. The U.S. countervailing duties on softwood lumber will only make matters worse. If interest rates rise, which is entirely possible, we will have a perfect storm. It will be brutal. The Prime Minister needs to get his act together, take leadership on this issue and get that decision reversed.…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we do not want speeches and words; we want action. With respect to immigration, last week I told the House about Rotobec, a company in my riding that is currently trying to fill 30 jobs, including a dozen through immigration. It was confirmed to me today that, once again, Rotobec will have to wait months and months before it can fill these job vacancies and bring in these newcomers. W…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, while the Government of Quebec is pulling out all the stops and launching Opération main-d’oeuvre, a game plan to address the labour shortage, this government is just sitting on the sidelines and does not appear to understand the situation. Our companies are slowing down production, and that is because they do not have enough workers to fill the 280,000 jobs currently vacant in Quebec…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will help the government understand how serious the labour shortage is by giving the example of Rotobec, a business in Sainte-Justine in my riding that manufactures material handling equipment. It does business in 40 countries and is currently trying to fill 30 positions. As a result, the company's growth is limited; it has to turn down contracts, and its employees are running out o…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, while the government is serving up a tasteless, colourless and sterile throne speech, businesses in my riding and in Quebec are at the end of their rope. Why? Because they cannot find anyone to fill their vacant positions. No one. There are 280,000 job openings in the province right now. Yesterday, the Government of Quebec announced $3.4 billion to address the labour shortage. Here, t…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I first want to say hello to you and to everyone. I am very pleased to be here today. Before I begin, I must give a special thanks to the people of Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis for putting their trust in me. I am honoured. This is the fifth time I have been elected in this riding. The throne speech makes no mention of the labour shortage, and yet Canada is under a lot of pressure. …
Read full speech →