Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, at the risk of repeating myself, there was an election at the end of the summer. There was certainly no need for that election. We wondered why the election was called, what purpose it served, what were the priorities, what should be asked and what should be changed. Today, we are right back where we started: The Liberals have a minority government. Again, the people did not have enou…
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Madam Chair, I want to inform the government members that my questions will be primarily for the President of the Treasury Board and the Deputy Minister of Finance, who is also the Minister of Tourism. I also want to say that I do not need the timing of questions and answers to be precise but that I hope that the government will try to respond within a reasonable amount of time. My first question …
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Madam Chair, I thank the minister for his response. We obviously expect the government to take quick action to rectify the inequity associated with CERB and the GIS. This is essentially a humanitarian issue. Some seniors in my riding say they are no longer able to pay for medication, even though Quebec has pharmacare. They are therefore choosing to go to the hospital, since that is the only place …
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Madam Chair, I thank the minister for her answers. Once again, we in the Bloc Québécois expect a formal commitment from the government to be prepared to step in and amend by regulation the parameters of the upcoming bills passed to support the sectors most affected. As a society we cannot afford to turn our backs on them. The purpose of assistance programs is to collectively support these strategi…
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Madam Chair, I thank the minister for his answer. I would like to point out that the Bloc Québécois is calling on the government to make a public and formal commitment to support self-employed workers in the cultural sector and to not leave them behind. A few years ago, we asked the government to distinguish between employed and self-employed workers. In Quebec, this is what we see in most cases. …
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Madam Chair, my next question could be handled by the Associate Minister of Finance. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the House has passed a number of bills to provide income support to workers, including the self-employed, and to businesses affected by the pandemic. The House is currently considering legislation that would extend the Canada emergency wage subsidy and the Canada emergency rent…
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Madam Speaker, today the world is marking the International Day of Disabled Persons. The theme for this day is always equity, accessibility and inclusion. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to commend the many contributions of persons with disabilities to Quebec society, despite the very real obstacles in their way. The World Health Organization estimates that more than one billion people in …
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Madam Speaker, my regards to my colleague, and congratulations on his election, his commitments and his speech. I have two quick questions for him. First, in his opinion, should the government have convened the House shortly after the election rather than waiting two months? That would have given us time to take a closer look at bills like this one and do a more effective job. Second, as he pointe…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my NDP colleague for his question and comments. I would like to correct one main fact. The Bloc leader did not say that he would support Bill C‑2. We are debating it. We actually have some serious concerns, in particular with respect to self-employed workers in the cultural sector. When we read the bill, we do not see anything about that. The government is telling us that ther…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said, we are not yet free from the economic consequences of the pandemic. We need to work together to help those sectors still struggling get through the crisis. We will need these women, men and businesses when the pandemic ends. The bill includes targeted measures and provides for predictability. That is good. However, it disregards the whole issue of self-employed workers, inc…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to express the Bloc Québécois's concern about what was just said here. There is a rule that members are not allowed to use telephones in the House. However, we were just told that because this is a virtual proceeding, members can use a phone. I would ask the Chair to share its opinion with the House on this matter, because the other parties have just changed the rules in …
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Mr. Speaker, I first want to say that I agree with my colleague from Carleton that trickle-down economics does not work. I am seeking the unanimous consent of the House to share my speaking time with my newly elected colleague from Terrebonne.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you on your appointment. I also want to congratulate the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance on his re-election. It is a pleasure to see him in the House, for he is always cheerful and makes himself available to opposition members. We in the Bloc Québécois believe that targeted and predictable measures are needed, as the minister said, and that…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to remind everyone in the House that the health measures are important. I want to start by humbly thanking the people of my riding of Joliette for putting their faith in me once again. I also thank all the volunteers and campaigners who pitched in during this election campaign. I am truly honoured to speak on behalf of the people I represent in Joliette. I will be talk…
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Mr. Speaker, I assure everyone in the House that they will not be disappointed by the important speech my colleague from Terrebonne will give. Also, I congratulate her on her election and on being here in the House.
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Mr. Speaker, the labour shortage is a serious matter. The government has to do something about it and come up with solutions. In the long term, there will obviously be the issue of business productivity. There needs to be a major cleanup at the department of immigration and that is something the government has to tackle. There is also the issue of seniors. Can we put tax measures in place to give …
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