Parliamentary Speeches
1,014 speeches by François-Philippe Champagne — Page 13 of 21
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. …
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Mr. Speaker, I hope the Conservatives will listen. On January 16, we banned research work in sensitive areas with approximately 100 entities around the world. We have worked with our allies to protect science, intellectual property and the work done by our universities. We will always be there to defend national security.
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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…
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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…
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Mr. Speaker, people watching at home must be wondering where the Conservatives were on January 16. I am sure people are wondering. On January 16, we announced that, as a government, we would stop funding research—
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Mr. Speaker, what Canadians watching at home are seeing today is deplorable. National security should not be a partisan issue. We have no lessons to learn from the Conservatives when it comes to protecting national security in research and science in Canada. Our government has done more than any other to protect science, to protect intellectual property, to help our universities and our research c…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind members of what Canadians know: On this side of the House, we believe we can fight climate change and have a prosperous future for our children. We brought Stellantis into this country. We brought Volkswagen into this country. We brought Northvolt into this country. We have created jobs for the next generation, fought climate change and ensured that Canada will …
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to fighting for Canadians, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives. Today, I just appeared in front of the agriculture committee. It was shocking to see that one of the members was defending the profit margin of a foreign food processor, at a time when we should all be fighting for Canadians in this House. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to do something for …
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Mr. Speaker, one thing Canadians know is that the Leader of the Opposition's preferred verb is “cut”. We all know he would be cutting. When we look at the record on both sides, let me tell the House what we have done in the last few months to fight for Canadians. We have launched the largest reform on competition in this nation's history. We have made sure that we have a functioning consumer affai…
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we will be standing up for Canadians. Every single member on this side of the House is wanting to stand up. While the Conservatives would like to make up a story, they can just look at our record. We have led the industrial revolution in electric cars. We have brought more investment—
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Mr. Speaker, what Canadians are seeing on television is a Conservative Party that opposes all of the measures. They have consistently voted against every measure we have introduced to help Canadians. What did the Conservatives do? They voted against competition reform, one of the most important reforms in the country. I want to ask them a question. People are watching them at home. Will they vote …
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Mr. Speaker, when Quebeckers and Canadians across the country watch us on television, they surely realize what the Conservatives are up to. The Conservative attitude is to dismiss the investments that this government has delivered to make Canada the envy of the world. Just last Friday, I was at the opening of Moderna's first plant in Canada. This plant will manufacture 100 million vaccines to ensu…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out to my colleague that if Quebec is a leader in social matters, so much the better. Yes, we draw inspiration from Quebec when it comes to day care. Yes, we draw inspiration from Quebec when it comes to dental care. Yes, we draw inspiration from Quebec every time we implement initiatives that will push Canada to offer more services for Canadians. What has surpri…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Laval—Les Îles and all my colleagues from Laval. On Friday, I joined my colleagues to celebrate the completion of construction on Moderna's state-of-the-art plant. It is located here in Canada and will be able to manufacture 100 million vaccines to protect the health and safety of Canadians. I was joined there by the Minister of Health and the M…
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moved: That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House: (a) the Standing Committee on Health be instructed to consider the subject matter of Bill C-62, An Act to amend An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), No. 2, upon the adoption of this order, provided that, as part of this study, (i) a minister be ordered to appear before the committee for one …
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Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. Yes, there are concerns, but there are also great economic developments that are very encouraging for Canadians. Last month, the Canadian economy added 37,000 jobs. Unemployment is going down. Women's participation in the workforce is at an all-time high. What is more, we are attracting generational investments in the automotive, biomanufacturing and nat…
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Mr. Speaker, actually, I am very happy the member asked that question because it helps me remind Canadians that the Conservatives are not only against climate change, but now they are against the institution of Parliament, and they are against helping our small and medium-sized businesses. On this side of the House, Canadians should know we believe that we need to fight climate change, we believe …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for raising an important question. This is good for the people of Beauce who are watching us today because, for once, they have a government that takes housing seriously. The agreement that we are negotiating with the provinces will make it possible to build more housing. However, as my colleague said today, we have good economic news that is going t…
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Mr. Speaker, I am a bit confused by the question because, in fact, we are the ones pushing the grocery industry to do more for Canadians, and I welcome the help of the NDP. Not only did we do that in our last reform of the competition legislation but we also included amendments proposed by the NDP. We want to do more. We, as well as all the experts, understand that the best way to have more option…
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Mr. Speaker, it is obvious to us, and I hope it is obvious to Canadians, that what they are talking about is nonsense. Sylvain Charlebois is working with us in order to make sure we take the right steps to bring stability to prices of food in Canada. The first thing that was asked from us was to reform competition. That is what we have done through a landmark bill we passed in December, and we are…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, the member for Saint-Laurent, for her leadership regarding the aerospace industry. Not only is the aerospace industry one of the most innovative sectors in our country, it is also one of the most important. It employs nearly 210,000 Canadians across the country. Members will recall that, last year, our government announced an historic investment of …
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians who are watching this morning, and I am sure there are many, should be really worried about the Conservatives; they are attacking anyone who is going to fight against climate change. Even more, what we are seeing in this place, and Canadians watching at home will see it, is that they are going to attack the institution of Parliament. The entity they are talking about was cre…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question, but I do not understand exactly where he is going with it. He should be proud and happy. We included many of the NDP leader's recommendations in our three-pronged approach to competition reform. He should be happy that we are working together to increase competition in this country. All the experts say that more choice and more competition will h…
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Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing the Conservatives are champions at, it is insulting mayors. The last time we heard from the Conservative leader, he was insulting the mayors of Quebec City and Montreal, who are working with us to create more affordable housing. On this side of the House, we believe in having programs, building affordable housing, as well as working with the provinces and with Ca…
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Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives who have no plan. I guess their plan is to ask Jenni. However, on this side of the House, we have a plan to stabilize prices in this country. It is called “competition”. Canadians at home understand that. The Conservatives are the only ones who are blocking further reforms that we want to put. Canadians understand that we want to stabiliz…
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Mr. Speaker, I will abide by your words. When the member talks about superstores, he is right, and I am happy to talk about that, because that is actually what we are trying to bring. We are trying to bring more competition. I have been in touch with foreign grocers to bring more competition, to bring more options for Canadians. People who are watching at home understand that on this side of the H…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a tremendous amount of respect for my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent, but I do not think he has any lessons to give on videos. In the last video we saw of the Conservative leader, he was in front of the port of Montreal. He thought a video would solve the issue of auto theft. Today, we were gathered with leaders from across country to tackle this issue. We talked about inte…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague should be happy, because we have listened to what the NDP have to propose. A lot of what has been proposed by the leader of the NDP has already been included in our bill to reform competition in the country. One thing we should do is work together. The bill that was presented yesterday will go to committee. We will listen to experts. We will listen to recommendations. One…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak to my friend, amico mio, over there. There are so many things I would like to say to a colleague who has served with such distinction. I heard the minister thank us all, but on behalf of my colleagues here today, I think it is our turn to express our gratitude. I am going to make a prediction: He will go down in history as a great minister of justice and attorney…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his important question. I think the price of groceries is an issue that affects all Canadians. That is why Canadians understand that the best way to stabilize prices in the medium and long term is to have more competition in this country. That is exactly why we amended the Competition Act in December to give the commissioner of competition more power. Yesterda…
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Mr. Speaker, in processing parliamentary returns, the government applies the Privacy Act and the principles set out in the Access to Information Act. The requested information is being withheld because it constitutes personal information.
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Mr. Speaker, between February 1, 2006, and October 1, 2015, no meetings were held with Canada’s major grocery companies, Loblaws, Metro, Walmart, Sobeys and Costco, to request federal funding.
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Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, the total government expenditure related to the Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, or RCGT, report to date is $300,500, or $339,565 with tax. With respect to part (b)(i), the contract is dated March 17, 2023; part (ii), the initial contract value is $97,400, or $110,062 with tax; part (iii), the vendor is Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton; part (iv), t…
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Mr. Speaker, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, or NSERC, incurred $4,796.85 in expenses for the November 1, 2023, reception titled “Celebrating Excellence: Honouring Canada’s Top Natural Sciences and Engineering Researchers”, including $4,231.85 for hospitality and $565 for the professional services of a photographer.
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Mr. Speaker, with respect to the current allegations against Sustainable Development Technology Canada, or SDTC, there are no current or former employees of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, or ISED, under a non-disclosure agreement, including the minister’s office. Public servants are governed by Treasury Board’s policy on people management and the directive on conflict of inte…
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry has met with the leaders of Canada’s five largest grocery chains, which make up over three-quarters of the grocery market share in Canada. Affordability is an issue that affects all Canadians. The minister has engaged with his provincial and territorial counterparts to discuss efforts to stabilize food prices across the country. The gro…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), the Government of Canada is closely monitoring the change in the “food purchased from stores” category in the monthly consumer price index published by Statistics Canada. With regard to part (b), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada maintains close and frequent communication with major grocery retailers in order to monitor commitments.
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to federal support for Canada’s grocery sector, between February 1, 2006, and October 1, 2015, no federal funding or subsidies were provided to Canada’s major grocery companies, namely Loblaws, Metro, Walmart, Sobeys and Costco, to support business development.
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to federal support to Canada’s grocery sector, between November 1, 2015, and January 1, 2024, no federal funding or subsidies were provided to Canada’s major grocery companies, which are Loblaws, Metro, Walmart, Sobeys and Costco, to support business development.
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, SSHRC, does not systematically track intellectual property resulting from the grants it awards and does not maintain records on intellectual property ownership resulting from funded research. With regard to part (b), SSHRC claims no rights of ownership to intellectual property associated with an aw…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, or NSERC, does not systematically track intellectual property resulting from the grants it awards and does not maintain records on intellectual property ownership resulting from funded research. With regard to part (b), NSERC claims no rights of ownership to intellectual property associated with …
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Mr. Speaker, the grocery task force is currently operational. The grocery task force’s mandate and responsibilities include engaging governments and consumer advocacy stakeholders to help ensure coordination of activities; engaging external partners, experts and industry representatives in undertaking analysis; working with consumer groups undertaking research and advocacy work to report back find…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada’s top five major grocery chains committed to support efforts aimed at stabilizing food prices through actions such as aggressive discounts, price freezes and price-matching campaigns. The Government of Canada continues to explore all measures and tools to address affordability. The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri Food engage…
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Mr. Speaker, with respect to part (a) of the question, the government did not use any consultants or external advisors to assist with negotiations or the drafting of the contribution agreements with the Stellantis-LG Energy Solutions joint venture, NextStar. With respect to part (b) of the question, no bonuses or performance awards were provided to any individuals exclusively for their work on the…
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Mr. Speaker, I wish the member had been in the meeting. She would have said that we were the first government in history to stand up to the CEOs of the grocery sector in this country. For the first time in history—
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Leader of the Opposition. However, for Canadians watching at home, one number the Leader of the Opposition forgot to mention is that, in 2023, Canada ranked third in the world for attracting foreign investment, behind the U.S. and Brazil. We are talking about record investments such as Northvolt in Quebec, Volkswagen in St. Thomas, Stellantis in Windsor, BHP in Sas…
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Mr. Speaker, they can yell as much as they want. One thing we have done is that we called them to Ottawa and expressed the frustration of millions of Canadians. We asked them to do their part. We talked to the large manufacturers. With the reform of competition, with the grocery code of conduct and with more information for the consumer, we are going to help stabilize prices in this country.
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