Parliamentary Speeches
172 speeches by Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault — Page 2 of 4
Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I represent Madawaska—Restigouche, a rural riding. I am also a member of our rural caucus, and I can attest to the fact that our colleague, who is the chair of that caucus, is a strong advocate for regional interests. I would like to ask her what our budget says about temporary foreign workers. This is an important issue for our caucus.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to present a petition from a group of citizens from Madawaska—Restigouche regarding malnutrition. They are calling on the government to convene a Canada-wide summit on malnutrition to begin discussing a framework for action on malnutrition care in Canada, expand Canada's healthy eating strategy and mandate the collection and reporting of malnutrition data by the Canadian …
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Mr. Speaker, I was very surprised to hear my colleague say that he voted against the budget, especially given that there are several projects that will have a direct and significant impact on Quebec's economy, which is the province he represents in the House. I am specifically thinking about the Contrecoeur container terminal project, the eastern energy partnership and the Alto high-frequency rail…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out to my colleague that the fight against climate change is both a moral and economic imperative. It is important to have a variety of measures in place to reduce our carbon footprint. As for consumer carbon pricing, it is important to note that there was a rebate system. Yes, people paid a little more at the pump, but there was a rebate. As I mentioned in my sp…
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Mr. Speaker, I gather from his speech that my colleague from Mirabel believes it is important to be there for the people who need it the most. Budget 2025 includes several measures such as automatic benefits to ensure that everyone who really needs federal benefits receives them. We made the national school food program and a tax credit for personal support workers permanent. However, when it came…
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Mr. Speaker, I am a first-time MP and I have only been in the House for a few short months, but let me tell the House what I have observed. On this side of the House, when we talk about helping Canadians cope with the cost of living, we are introducing concrete measures, and when the time comes to vote, we are voting in favour of these measures. As for members of the official opposition, they had …
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Québec Centre. Our new government was elected in the spring with a mandate to build a stronger, more resilient economy. We got straight to work from day one. I am thinking of all the investments we have made in housing and infrastructure that are going to stimulate the economy, the creation of the Major Projects Office or even the removal …
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Mr. Speaker, the various items will be carefully considered. We are definitely facing challenges right now. We had to invest in infrastructure, housing and all sorts of things. We have allowed ourselves some flexibility. We are going to spend less so that we can invest more. We are going to invest over $300 million in the new youth employment strategy.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Canada summer jobs program is essential for our young people and for our small businesses and community organizations. Last summer, I visited day cares, summer camps, museums and festivals. I met people in public works and people who performed a variety of tasks. Without this program, their employers simply might not have been able to afford to hire them for the summer. This provi…
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Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis is real. There is a shortage of housing across the country, including in my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche. When faced with a situation of this magnitude, the government must take action. Through the Build Canada Homes program, we will invest more than $13 billion to stimulate housing construction across the country. Evidently, significantly increasing the number o…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased that my colleague mentioned the $5 billion in federal investments in health care infrastructure. It is important to understand that this is complementary to all our other health care investments. The budget allocates $54.7 billion to the Canada health transfer for 2025-26 alone. This amount will increase to $65 billion in 2029-30. This represents a $300-billion investme…
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Madam Speaker, a healthy democracy requires a strong and independent press, especially in this era of disinformation, which spreads online. This additional $150-million investment in our public broadcaster is an investment in a credible, high-quality source of information for local, regional and national news. Back home in Madawaska—Restigouche, I listen to La matinale, or Information Morning on C…
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Madam Speaker, I wish to inform you that I will be sharing my time with the member for Trois-Rivières. The ambitious budget that we presented to the House on November 4 contains a lot of good news for my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche. With the build communities strong fund, we are going to make significant investments in infrastructure. More specifically, the community stream, the former gas tax…
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Madam Speaker, at a time of economic turmoil due to the tariff war with the United States, the responsible thing to do is to be there for Canadians, to invest in our infrastructure and housing so we can boost and strengthen the Canadian economy, to be there for businesses and workers in the sectors that have been hit the hardest by the tariff war, to be there to build our economy's resilience and …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, improving safety in our communities is a mainstay of our Liberal platform. Six months into the new government's mandate, we have clearly backed up our commitments with a series of concrete actions, as the budget tabled earlier this week shows. During the election campaign, we promised Canadians that this new government would make bail reform and tougher sentences a priority. That is e…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, when people propose amendments to the Criminal Code, they must approach the matter seriously and check that each of the proposed amendments is constitutionally sound. If a bill containing unconstitutional measures passes, it will be struck down in court. This wastes time and resources, and it disheartens Canadians. On this side of the House, we have introduced Bill C‑14, which address…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, whom I hold in high regard, for his excellent speech. Before entering federal politics, the member for Beauport—Limoilou was the president and CEO of the Quebec City chamber of commerce and industry, so he has serious credibility when it comes to assessing the positive effects that our budget will have on entrepreneurs and our businesses. I would like him to shar…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, just last week, the member for Gaspésie—Les Îles‑de‑la‑Madeleine—Listuguj created a working group to extend the Magdalen Islands airport runway. In an interview with Radio-Canada, he said that the runway's current condition is hindering economic development. There is some good news in the budget this week. We will fund the extension of the requested runway. Another piece of good news …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the budget contains a lot of good news for Quebeckers, especially those in the riding of our colleague from Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, with the extension of the Magdalen Islands airport runway. The Bloc Québécois has championed this project a number of times. There are also investments for the Forillon shipyards in Gaspé. Montreal's Biosphere is going to receive $9 mi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as a proud Acadian who represents the riding of Madawaska—Restigouche in the House, I care about the development of our francophone communities. Since 2022, we have seen a major increase in francophone immigration outside Quebec. It is crucial that we maintain that trend to support the vitality of our communities. Since we are celebrating National Francophone Immigration Week, I would…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as a proud Acadian who represents the riding of Madawaska—Restigouche—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I hear my colleague across the way criticizing the budget. However, in this budget, we are making generational investments to strengthen our economy while protecting our social programs. I would like to ask my colleague the following question. If the budget had been tabled by a Conservative government, which social program would my colleague have wanted to eliminate? Would it have bee…
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Mr. Speaker, I believe that my colleague was a municipal councillor before becoming a federal MP, so he understands the importance of infrastructure funding. The budget renews the Canada community-building fund with $27.8 billion over 10 years. There are investments of over $22 billion, including $6 billion for regionally significant projects and $17 billion for a provincial and territorial stream…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from New Brunswick for his speech. I am sure he cares as much as I do about economic development in our beautiful province. New Brunswick has 21 of the 34 minerals that Canada has identified as critical. Budget 2025 provides for a $2-billion investment over five years to set up the critical minerals infrastructure fund, which will make it possible to…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, like me, my colleague represents one of the ridings with the highest proportion of francophones outside Quebec. As she mentioned, our budget includes a number of interesting measures, including ambitious immigration targets that could put the demographic weight of francophone communities back on a path to growth. It also includes support for arts and culture and increased funding for …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, coastal communities across Canada see the impact of pollution and the dangers of wrecked and abandoned vessels all too often. The legislation would have a positive impact from my coast in Atlantic Canada to his on the west coast. I would like to know how coastal communities, especially in his province of British Columbia, have responded to the measures proposed in the bill.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, a strong Canada means strong protections to keep our communities safe. Our new Liberal government is taking a rigorous approach to fighting crime, as evidenced by our many bills, our investments to support law enforcement and our Bill C-14. That legislation proposes more than 80 amendments to the Criminal Code to bring in tougher sentences and stricter bail conditions for repeat and v…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to congratulate my colleague for his excellent speech and most of all for the important project he is proposing to this House. Housing is a key issue for our government. It is an important issue for my own riding, Madawaska—Restigouche, as it is for many other ridings across the country. I would like to hear his view on how this bill would ensure that young …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, last week, Réfam, a network of women entrepreneurs, managers and professionals in the Madawaska region, presented the prestigious 2025 women entrepreneur award to an inspiring mother-daughter duo: Nicole Deschênes and Josée Levesque, co-owners of Buffet Nicole et Josée. They founded their company in 2004 in Saint‑Joseph‑de‑Madawaska, and it quickly grew into a well-known catering serv…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, since day one, our new government has been laser-focused on defending and diversifying Canadian trade. We have signed new agreements with countries like Ecuador and Indonesia. We have an ongoing dialogue with many of our international partners. I would like to ask my colleague why this work is important for strengthening the Canadian economy. I would like him to tell me how this will …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, the member for Terrebonne, for her excellent speech and her excellent bill, which I am pleased to endorse. This is a critical step in our efforts to protect Canadians from the risks posed by climate change. It is a major issue for my riding, Madawaska—Restigouche, which has been affected by rising water levels in recent years, and it is a major issu…
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Mr. Speaker, acquiring citizenship by descent and acquiring citizenship by naturalization are two completely different things. People are given access to citizenship by naturalization at the end of an immigration process that includes various requirements, including knowledge of the official languages. Those requirements are justified by the fact that it is an immigration process. Once the require…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, as an Acadian, I am proud to support the objectives of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. Our policies supporting multiculturalism and others promoting our two official languages can be mutually reinforcing. Consider all the work our government has done to promote francophone immigration. In fact, the first week of next month will be National Francophone Immigration Week, which brings…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the bill seeks to correct an historic injustice by allowing people to pass on their citizenship to their children in the future. One of the amendments made by my committee colleagues concerns the length of residence: Instead of the three non-consecutive years that were initially required, it would now be three consecutive years out of five. However, I would like to understand why, for…
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Mr. Speaker, today, we are addressing a very important issue with our study of Bill C-3. Canadian citizenship is more than just an administrative status. It is a powerful symbol of belonging to a country. It confers certain fundamental rights, such as the right to vote and the right to travel with a Canadian passport, and it also embodies a civic responsibility, a shared identity and a deep connec…
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Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. In fact, Bill C-3 seeks to correct a historic injustice. People with genuine ties to Canada have been stripped of their Canadian citizenship. Bill C-3 responds to those injustices. The amendments our Conservative colleagues brought forward in committee would create new injustices and could create new generations of lost Canadians. There are people with s…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question puzzles me a little. A lot of information seems to be mixed up. We are not discussing an immigration program here. We are discussing access to citizenship by descent, meaning by birthright, when a parent is a Canadian citizen or has maintained substantial ties to Canada. The two are not the same by any stretch. When we mix everything together, we end up mislead…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that naturalization is the result of an immigration process in Canada, while citizenship by descent applies when a person is the child of a Canadian citizen and that parent has maintained a substantial connection with Canada. Citizenship by descent is not an immigration program. It is completely false to claim otherwise. I would like to know why my colleague …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, we have a number of important bills before the House. As my colleague mentioned, this afternoon, we were supposed to be debating Bill C-3, which seeks to correct a historic injustice regarding access to citizenship. We also have a bill on ambitious bail reform, as well as a bill on border security. Can my colleague tell me why the opposition insists on using debate time in the House…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I wonder. In the House of Commons, there are standing committees that cover diverse topics ranging from defence to official languages and natural resources. In each of these committees, members discuss important matters. There may be discussions on reports. Why was this debate reopened in the House of Commons today when we should be discussing Bill C‑3? What is more, the opposition …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this week is child care worker and early childhood educator appreciation week in francophone minority communities. It is a time to celebrate professionals dedicated to helping our little ones learn, grow, and thrive. Early childhood is a crucial period for learning French and building identity. I would like to ask the minister to speak to us about the measures our government is taking…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague says, we campaigned on a promise to make our communities safer. This requires a series of measures, including legislation such as Bill C‑12 on border security and Bill C‑9 on hate crimes. It also includes our upcoming bail reform, investments to hire more RCMP officers, and strategies, including the one announced yesterday about combatting online fraud. When we talk ab…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, Bill C‑12 addresses some long-standing requests from law enforcement for the necessary resources to crack down on auto theft, drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. Does my colleague recognize the importance of taking action to keep Canadians safe? If so, will he commit to working with us to quickly pass Bill C‑12?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, during the last election campaign, Canadians across the country asked us to take concrete measures to build a safer Canada. They elected a new Liberal government with the clear and legitimate expectation that we would reform our bail system, improve public safety and make sure that our communities are safe. We also made a commitment to secure our borders and preserve the integrity of …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the truth is that we have a plan with an investment of over $1 billion, the largest amount ever dedicated to border security in Canadian history. I mentioned that there are five border crossings in my riding, Madawaska—Restigouche, and our officers are doing an amazing job on the ground. They work hard to protect our borders. I wanted to congratulate them in my speech. Bill C‑12 intro…
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleague mentioned, Bill C‑12 includes several measures to strengthen the integrity of our immigration system. We made a commitment to do so during the election campaign. We are delivering on our commitment through Bill C‑12. In doing so, we will take steps to protect the integrity of our system while respecting fundamental humanitarian principles. There will be enhanced measur…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my colleague spoke about the cost of living. I would like to know why she voted against affordable child care, a concrete measure that allows parents to participate fully in the labour market. What do the people of Lethbridge think about their MP opposing affordable child care?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, no, I do not agree. Our record shows that we are there for Canadian workers. We have put in place measures to help with the cost of living. I am thinking of the Canada child benefit, the Canadian dental care plan and the programs to create child care spaces. We have also adjusted the employment insurance system to help people who sadly lose their jobs. On this side of the House, we ar…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as I said, Bill C‑5, which we passed last June, removed federal barriers to internal trade. As a member from New Brunswick, I have regular discussions with my colleagues in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, including a number of provincial ministers who are in my riding. We talk about how the work we do here in Ottawa can have a positive impact on New Brunswick's economy.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleagues that Canada is in an enviable position. We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. We have a government that is focused on building an even stronger economy through strategic investments that will benefit Canadians for generations to come. Our investments in housing, defence and critical infrastructure, along with our plan to catalyze major pr…
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