Parliamentary Speeches
998 speeches by François-Philippe Champagne — Page 12 of 20
Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are so allergic to good news that they go to old news. The big news today is 4.75. That is the number that all Canadians will remember, because we have good economic news, but I am happy to answer the same question again. What is a responsible government? It is about launching an inquiry. That is what we did, and on the basis of the findings we suspended funding to t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague that food prices are difficult for many families across this country, but they got a bit of good news today, and 4.75 is the number that Canadians will remember. However, if the member really wants to help, she should ask all the members, especially on the opposition, to support us in pushing Walmart and Costco to adopt the grocery code of conduct. On this si…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are just waking up. It must be the sun. As I said in English: the moment we heard of allegations, we launched the investigation. While the Conservatives were sleeping, we launched investigations with Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton and McCarthy Tétrault. We worked with the Auditor General because we wanted to get to the bottom of things. The governance model we are put…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, here we go with the Conservatives again, against our small and medium-sized business owners in this country who are fighting climate change. As I have said before, once we received allegations, we initiated the investigation because we wanted to get to the bottom of this. The CEO of the organization has resigned. The chair of the board has resigned. We demanded an action plan by manag…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr Speaker, I think Canadians are seeing how far the Conservatives will go when we are talking about climate change. We have been very clear from the moment that we received the allegations. We launched two investigations, one by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton and one by the law firm McCarthy Tétrault, and now the Auditor General. We have been clear that we wanted to get to the bottom of this. That…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we can see, again, where the Conservatives are going. The Auditor General's report was very clear. Parliament decided 20 years ago to have an arm's-length organization to manage that. We investigated the allegations. Now we are proposing a new governance model, which will be under the rules of the federal public service, so that we can have more rules around HR and more rules around f…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, again, let me tell Canadians that the Conservatives at the time, 20 years ago, wanted that to be an independent organization, arm's length from government. That was the delivery model that was chosen. From the moment we had allegations, we investigated because we want to get to the bottom of this. We have seen the reports that have come up. We have proactively worked with the Auditor …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I actually welcome the question from the member, because it seems that the Conservatives have not really listened. The moment we heard of allegations, when they were asleep, we launched the investigation. We launched the investigations by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton and McCarthy Tétreault. Once we had done so, we suspended funding to the organization. The chair of the board and the …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it seems that there were a lot of people on their side sleeping at the switch. What I have said is very clear. We received allegations and we investigated. We investigated. We made sure that we would get to the bottom of this. We suspended the funding to the organization. The chair of the board and the CO resigned. We made sure that there would be a management plan in place. We want t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, now the member for Lévis—Lotbinière is waking up. As I said, we received allegations in February 2023. In March 2023, we launched an investigation with an arm's-length organization that was created by Parliament 20 years ago. Following the report submitted to us by an accounting and law firm, we took appropriate action and suspended funding. The board chair resigned. The head of the o…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, everyone in the House can recognize the member for Lévis—Lotbinière's theatrical talents, but the reality is simple. I have said it before, and I will say it again so that everyone on that side of the House and the Canadians watching us can hear it: The most important thing is integrity. That is why, when we received allegations, we launched an investigation. We made sure to suspend t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I find it a bit odd to hear my Conservative colleagues talk about transparency. That is not really a concept that we have seen them apply in the past. I would like the minister to tell us about important measures. This bill talks about transparency and accountability. I think it is important to hear what the minister, who is very eloquent and obviously very familiar with the sector,…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we all recognize in this country that families are having a hard time when it comes to groceries. That is why we have acted, with the Minister of Finance, to present to this nation the largest revamp of our competition law in the country. Guess who voted against it? The Conservatives did. They are the ones who are standing and saying they want to help families. If they want to do some…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we obviously expect the highest level of governance from corporations that are operating in Canada. However, this gives me the opportunity to remind Canadians of the investments we have seen in the green supply chain in this country. As we said before, this country has received a record number of investments in the green industry. Even Bloomberg ranked Canada first in the world for th…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as members well know, from the moment we received the allegation, we started an investigation in order to make sure that we would uncover the truth and that we would restore governance. We suspended funding for the organization. We got a report. The chairwoman resigned. The CEO of the organization resigned. We welcome the findings of the Auditor General. We proactively work with the A…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is amazing to hear the Conservatives talking down Canadians, Canada and our prospects. Around the world, people are talking about Canada. Do we know what? As my colleague said before, we have received the largest level of investment in our economy. Do members know why? It is because we have the best workers in the world, because we have renewable energy, because we have trade agree…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I can tell you one thing that the people watching us at home understand. They know that on this side of the House, we are prepared to invest in Canadians. People know that the Conservative Party's plan is to make cuts to every program. They had the nerve to rise today. Anyone who watched question period knows it. Every Conservative who rose today voted against the Canada child benefit…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am sure that the Quebeckers who are watching at home right now are tearing out their hair. The Bloc Québécois is now trying to pick fights about science. Imagine that. I think that the Bloc members have come to the end of their playbook. They got to the last page and realized that they have not picked a fight about science in a long time. On this side of the House, we are serious. W…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, now I have seen it all. The Bloc Québécois is trying to pick a fight about science. We thought they had tried it in every field, but now they want a fight about science. In the last budget, we invested $3.5 billion in science across the country. This will help our researchers, professors and universities. The Bloc Québécois should be thrilled that we are investing in science and resea…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, now we are seeing the Conservative Party of Canada going after any company that works against climate change in our country. That is what those Conservatives are about. Behind these questions they are against new technologies to help fight climate change. Those members know very well, and I have said it many times in the House, that the moment we heard about the allegation we launched…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I think all members of the House can applaud the excellent work of Canada's public servants. They are among the best in the world. Not only did the last budget present a plan for growth, investing in families and in the future of the country, but the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance also presented a plan to cut spending. We will alwa…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the people watching us at home must be feeling their blood pressure rise. Now they are talking about a liberal bloc. Canadians understand full well that we, on this side of the House, do not build housing with slogans. We are not growing an economy with ads, like we see on the other side of the House. We are not building the future by asking questions. We are building a country by inv…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what a great question from a great member. This is a colleague who has been advocating for research and science in this country. Canada's research students are our greatest resource in this country. Researchers at Dalhousie University are pushing the boundaries of brain health, big data and ocean research. In budget 2024, we invested $3.4 billion in our world-leading talent. Students …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians listening to us today understand that they have a choice to make. On one side of the House, they hear the voice of a party that has no ambition, no vision and no plan for the future. On this side of the House, they know they have a Liberal government, a government that has a vision for the future, a government that has a plan for future generations, a government that has amb…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would agree with my colleague that it is disturbing to see the Leader of the Opposition siding with big corporate at a time when all Canadians should be united to put pressure on big grocery in this country. If, on the other side, they are really honest about caring for Canadians, let them speak up. Let them tell Loblaw and Walmart to adopt the grocery code of conduct in this countr…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, Statistics Canada is responsible for collecting data through the uniform crime reporting, or UCR, survey. With respect to police-reported data, new categories have been created to allow police to report transphobic hate crimes. As of October 2021, the UCR was updated with new hate crime motivation categories. Within the category of sexual orien…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we have no lessons to learn from the Conservatives. We have a plan to create more housing in the country. We have a plan to create more jobs in the country. We have a plan to create prosperity in the country. What they have across the way are slogans. People at home know that slogans do not create housing. Slogans do not create jobs. Slogans do not create prosperity. On this side of t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians who are tuning in, and we here on this side of the House, hear the voice of inaction. What the people at home understand is that inaction does not a strategy make. Inaction is not a plan, nor is it an option. On this side of the House, we have proposed a plan for Canadians: invest in more housing, invest in day care, invest in jobs, invest in growth. We will let the Conserva…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague must have had amnesia for a while. It was our government that arranged the largest private investment in the history of Quebec. Let us not forget Northvolt, an investment that will support economic development for this and future generations. While we are doing that, we are also investing in child care. We are investing in housing. We are investing in mental healt…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to expertise. One thing is clear. Every time we have been there for Canadians, the Conservatives have voted against our measures. They are against investments in child care, housing and seniors. If we were to listen to the Conservatives, we would be saying no to pretty much everything. No, in today's world, confident countri…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what we are hearing is the party of inaction. According to the Conservatives, doing nothing is the answer. Well, no, the people watching us at home know we need to invest in housing, we need to invest in day care, we need to invest in workers. If my colleague from Quebec wants to talk about success, let us look at the biggest private investment in Quebec's history. We attracted Northv…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my colleague will admit that we are investing precisely to help the most vulnerable Canadians across the country. We are also investing in child care and in housing. Moreover, my colleague knows full well that the best way to stabilize grocery prices in this country is to have more competition. That is exactly what we have done with the biggest competition reform since the law was pas…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I hope that the Conservatives will listen this time, because Canadians are watching at home. We will take no lessons from the Conservatives. On this side of the House, we have a plan to build more houses. We have a plan to build more prosperity in this country. We have a plan to create more jobs. On the other side, they have slogans. Canadians are smart. They understand that slogans d…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians will see today is one thing they will not hear from the Conservatives: the cost of inaction, the cost of forest fires, the cost of flooding in our country, the cost of drought. When each of the Conservatives is standing up, they are telling Canadians they have no plan to fight climate change. On this side of the House, we recognize, like all Canadians, that we need to a…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am sure people at home laugh when they hear a Conservative member talk about working with municipalities. The last time the Conservative leader spoke to the mayors of Quebec City and Montreal, he insulted them. Does anyone at home think working together means insulting others? In 2024, working together is the way to go. That is why we came up with a plan that will build more homes, …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we really do not need any lessons from the Conservatives. We are presenting a plan for Canadians, a plan to build more housing, a plan to create more jobs and a plan to increase prosperity in this country. Canadians watching at home understand that slogans do not create jobs; slogans do not build homes; and slogans do not create economic prosperity. We will let the Conservatives work …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives. What we are presenting to Canadians is a plan to build more homes. What we are presenting to Canadians is a plan to create more jobs. What we are presenting to Canadians is a plan for prosperity. On the other side of the House, it is slogans. Canadians at home understand that slogans do not create jobs, slogans do not build homes and slo…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, the status of each commitment is to be determined by Innovation, Science and Economic Development, or ISED, when it receives the first annual reports from Rogers, due on April 3, 2024. and Videotron, due by July 3, 2024. The parties have also committed to publish their annual reports online. The deadline for fulfillment of each commitment is se…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the grocery task force was established within the office of consumer affairs of the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, with the main mandate to provide the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry with advice tied to his efforts to stabilize food prices in Canada. As the task force has no mandate to take enforcement actions, it has not conducted any invest…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to federal investments in Canada’s grocery sector since January 1, 2006, no federal funding has been provided to Loblaws, Metro, Walmart, Sobeys or Costco.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers watching at home just do not understand. This is not the first time they fail to understand the Conservative Party. What the member just said does not apply to Quebec. They are the party of inaction; that is what we are hearing today. What Quebeckers want is action against climate change, action to grow the economy, action to promote green jobs. While those members on the o…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is clear to the thousands of Canadians watching us on television today that that is the party of inaction. Inaction is the Conservatives' approach to fighting climate change, to economic growth and to creating the jobs of tomorrow. The thousands of Canadians watching at home believe in climate action. They want action to create the jobs of tomorrow. They want economic growth. That …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Conservative Party has become the CEO of Canada, the chief electoral officer. What he is advocating on that side of the House is inaction on climate change. It is inaction on clean growth. It is inaction on green jobs. On this side of the House, along with millions of Canadians, we believe in action: action against climate change, action to build the economy of tomor…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives are playing with semantics, we have just learned that the UN has just declared that 2024 could be the hottest year in history. What we are hearing from the Conservatives is do nothing. The planet is sounding the alarm. That is why, on this side of the House, we will continue to invest in fighting climate change. We will continue to invest in Canadian families. …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to parts (a) and (b) of the question, the government introduced the legislative changes referred to in page 37 of the Fall Economic Statement through Bill C-59, the fall economic statement implementation act, 2023. The relevant amendments to the Competition Act can be found in clause 244. They broaden the existing “refusal to deal” provision in section 75 of the act to inc…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, a search was conducted in Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s, or ISED’s, departmental financial coding system with regard to audits conducted by or on behalf of the Department of Industry of Crown corporations and government agencies since January 1, 2016. ISED has not conducted any audits of Crown corporations or government agencies since January 1, 2016. Crown cor…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, instead of talking about the facts, what the opposition Conservatives are trying to do today is politicize national security. I think Canadians' health and safety is the primary responsibility of every MP here. As I said in January, we have published a list of entities that Canadian research centres should avoid doing business with in the interest of protecting national security and i…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to answer my colleague. Canada shows leadership when it comes to national security. That is something the Conservatives will not do. Let me refresh their memory, because they tend to be selective when it comes to the facts. On January 16, we announced that we would ban funding for research in sensitive areas. There are 100 entities around the world. We work with our Fi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the people watching at home must be truly appalled. We just explained to the Conservatives yet again that the Prime Minister and all government members on this side of the House take national security seriously. On January 16, we banned not one but 100 entities from working with Canadian research centres, universities and colleges on sensitive research. That is exactly the type of mea…
Read full speech →