Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, this is the first time this act has been used since 1988, since it came into force. Despite this, in response to the friend from the NDP—
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Madam Speaker, the Liberal member who just spoke criticized the opposition by saying that if everyone had worked together, we would not find ourselves in this position today. I am astonished. I would like my colleague to tell us how many proposals and suggestions have been made in the past three weeks by the opposition parties, including the Bloc Québécois, so we would not find ourselves in this p…
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Madam Speaker, we are told that some demonstrators were planning to overthrow the government. I just had a look around outside and was able to see the state of things. I would like the member to tell me one thing: Of the zero trucks parked outside, how many are planning to overthrow the government?
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Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois has never sanctioned what has been happening in the streets of Ottawa. These are reprehensible acts. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to commend the law enforcement officers who have done excellent work and who finally got the resources they needed today to respond adequately. The problem is that this should have been done a long time ago. The problem is th…
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Madam Speaker, I had the honour of having the member for Kingston and the Islands as my municipal councillor and mayor when I was doing my Ph.D. at Queen's University. Every year, Kingston's Homecoming event attracts thousands of people who overturn police cars, commit crimes and turn the city upside down. Police from Toronto, Brockville, Kingston and Cornwall and mounted police are on duty. From …
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Madam Speaker, I hope you will allow me to forgo my colleague's little lesson on logic. Security experts are telling us that communication is the most important tool in such operations. For two to three weeks, we asked that a crisis task force be set up and that the minister conduct briefings. The Liberals did not make a decision about that. They do not make decisions. The Ottawa police chief told…
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Madam Speaker, we were just talking about logic. According to the convoluted logic of the member's question, when there is a protest or when someone does not like the government, regardless of the threat level, the organization involved or the government's inaction, the solution is the worst, most radical option, the very last resort. We never supported the things that went on in the street. We ne…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague spoke about the consequences of the blockades. In the world I live in, the real word, we have the Criminal Code, municipal bylaws, the highway safety code and the ability to call in other police forces. There are provisions in the Criminal Code to combat hate crimes. Is my colleague aware that all of these laws applied before the emergency declaration was made? I would …
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Madam Speaker, I will give her a chance to respond. This is the first time that this legislation has been used since it came into force in 1988. In answer to his NDP buddies earlier, the parliamentary secretary to the minister said that this did not set a precedent. My question for the member is this: How is it possible not to set a precedent when this is the first time that such draconian legisla…
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Madam Speaker, my colleagues just talked about foreign financing and made many references to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, or FINTRAC. There are two scenarios being advanced. The first is that FINTRAC can get the job done and that there was no need to declare a state of emergency. The second is that FINTRAC is underfunded and understaffed and that this governmen…
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Mr. Speaker, we do not see eye to eye with the Conservative Party on a lot of things, but the Bloc Québécois believes that the fundamental role of the opposition is to monitor what the government does. Slips of the tongue can be quite revealing. Earlier today, the NDP member for Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke said something like, this act “gives us the power as a government” to take action. I would like …
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Madam Speaker, my colleague did say that her government would not let these events tarnish Canada's reputation. The flag that she holds so dear has now become a global symbol of the far right movement and chaos. I would like to know, given that her speech seems to have been written three weeks ago, if my hon. colleague is getting help with her agenda.
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Madam Speaker, we agree the situation is serious. The problem is, for over two weeks, only the opposition parties recognized it as an emergency. The Prime Minister failed in his duty to use tools that were available to him before. Quebeckers and Canadians deserve better. I would like to know if the hon. minister is proud to be seated next to a last-resort Prime Minister.
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Mr. Speaker, earlier, in criticizing the bill, the member for Perth—Wellington compared it to Groundhog Day. If memory serves, when the groundhog woke up on September 21, the composition of Parliament was the same, or almost the same, as it is today. I would like the member for Trois-Rivières, an expert in ethics issues and legitimacy, to tell us how legitimate this bill still is and whether this …
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois recognizes the merits of Bill C‑12. We know that it is an error that will be corrected. Nevertheless, we also would have liked to propose amendments to this bill. I know that the parliamentary secretary mentioned that the bill is only five lines long. I would like to know if the parliamentary secretary is aware that the word “March” is only five letters long and cou…
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Mr. Speaker, when we suggested some improvements to the short Bill C‑12, I heard some Liberal Party members talk about how making improvements is partisan. That explains a lot. I am starting to understand them more. I can be slow to catch on, so I would appreciate it if my colleague could explain why, after seniors have endured 21 months of reduced benefits, it is partisan to ask for the payment t…
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Mr. Speaker, if I understand correctly what the minister said, the payment will be made only in July because the calculation is updated in July. If I were to accept this explanation, I would have to ask the minister why the correction was not made last July given that the Bloc Québécois finance critic pointed out the problem to the government in April 2020. Why did the government decide to trigger…
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Madam Speaker, I believe you have the wrong riding and you meant to recognize the hon. member for Trois-Rivières.
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Madam Speaker, if the member was a sovereignist like me, he would know that I commented extensively on the Quebec pension plan at the Caisse de dépôt et placement. I think he is getting mixed up. If he would like to cross over to this side of the House and support sovereignty, I invite him to do so. In 2015, the members opposite boasted about reducing the retirement age from 67 to 65 years of age.…
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Madam Speaker, a society is judged by the way it treats those who built it. If the motion as moved is adopted, low-income seniors will have gone an entire year without their most significant source of income. The Liberal government deserves to be harshly judged for that. To receive the guaranteed income supplement, a person needs to have worked and to be retired. The people whose GIS payments have…
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Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, we met with the minister about 21 months ago to fix the guaranteed income supplement problem. Then the Liberal government decided to call an election. After the election, it decided not to recall Parliament, not to sit, essentially. Can my colleague explain that problem? Why would the government have done that? I am having a hard time understanding.
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Madam Speaker, we are talking about people with limited access to the Internet, but in general, I would say that it is important to take care of all seniors. As I said before, these people gave their all. They built our communities. They are active members of society. They are still involved. They deserve all the help they can get.
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Madam Speaker, the answer is yes, absolutely. Another member made that point earlier. It is always hard to get money from Ottawa, except for the banks. Certain government offices need to be more available to seniors and vulnerable people, rather than to Bay Street.
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Madam Speaker, generally speaking, the policy is problematic in terms of transparency and understanding. It is very difficult for seniors and many other people to understand certain rules. We need to recognize that. As I said in my speech, when many intelligent people have a hard time understanding a rule, it could mean that the policy is not properly designed and needs more work. I think we shoul…
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Mr. Speaker, this debate is about Bill C-8. I am wondering if my colleague from Carleton is off topic.
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Madam Speaker, I feel like I am dealing in antiques today. The motion we are debating would amend a Constitution that was ill-conceived and that has aged poorly. The Constitution has so many holes, it looks like moths got at it. The holes in this Constitution are costing the provinces, Quebec and taxpayers a lot of money and preventing the provinces from properly and independently funding their pu…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague from Winnipeg North is so disconnected that I think I will ask a page to take him an adapter. There are 10 provincial premiers, all of whom are asking for an unconditional increase in health transfers and for Ottawa to mind its own business. Would my colleague say they do not represent anyone? Do those people not matter? This is the attitude I am talking about, the Libe…
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Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois has always been an ally of the taxpayer in the fight against tax evasion. When it comes to funding health care, I would like to point out that we heard the Minister of Health across the way tell us about the pandemic and say that suddenly there was money and commitment, but only when the solution was temporary. For a permanent solution there is never one cent. It …
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Madam Speaker, as my colleague knows, if it were up to me, there would be an international border along the Ottawa River. Of course, that would not stop me from inviting my colleague for the weekend. I would say that the first thing would be to recognize Quebec as a distinct society and the legal implications that entails.
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I would like to go back to the first part of my colleague's speech. I, too, support the right to protest and freedom. However, people who believe freedom means financing illegal activities with foreign money, throwing rocks at an ambulance, preventing a child from receiving cancer treatment, setting off fireworks in densely populated areas, or setting fire to the home of someone who h…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, to me it looks like this crisis has everyone going around in circles. People are going around in circles because, on the one hand, we have a government that has decided not to govern, not to assume its responsibilities, and now it is getting too late. On the other hand, we have an official opposition, the Conservatives, that has suddenly abandoned its traditional passion for law and o…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his engaging and moving speech and appreciated the focus on his constituents. We cannot help but empathize. Mr. Speaker, if you had not told me, I would never have guessed that my colleague was a member of the party in power. I started counting the number of concrete solutions he proposed, but I did not get past zero. Where is the crisis table with the police …
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Madam Speaker, the theme of my colleague's speech today was responsible leadership. However, in order for the leadership to be responsible, there has to be some leadership in the first place. Today, I would like us to talk about perceptions. In a country that is greatly divided, people seem to be unanimous in agreeing that the government was irresponsible, did not show leadership and did not do it…
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Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of things that I disagree with my colleague about, but we agree on one thing. It is important to get out and talk to our constituents. I have talked to many of my constituents in many municipalities in my riding. Initially, these people supported the convoy enthusiastically. When I talk to them today, however, they realize that this might not have been the right soluti…
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Madam Speaker, I agree with my colleague from Brandon—Souris that it is our role as opposition members to criticize the government's policies. We must do that. It is also our role to convey the suffering of our constituents, who have paid a high price during this crisis. I commend the fact that my colleague is openly saying today that protests have to be peaceful and legal. However, we are here th…
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her compassionate speech. It is important to represent the voice of these people who are suffering because of what is happening right now. It is true that some extremely inappropriate and unacceptable symbols have been brandished in this protest. No member of the House has inadvertently or unwittingly taken a photo next to these symbols. It is unacce…
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Mr. Speaker, my Conservative colleagues spend a fair amount of time describing the impact inflation is having on the budgets of families and the middle class. However, it is important to note that inflation will also impact the provincial governments, particularly health care systems, which have to hire people and buy equipment and supplies. Can my colleague tell me why he thinks that the Liberal …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Jean Bouchard, a former mayor of Mirabel, passed away surrounded by loved ones on December 9 at the Pallia-Vie hospice. For the past 30 years, Jean Bouchard dedicated his life to the city he loved so much, first as a firefighter, then as a building inspector, a city councillor, and finally as mayor, from 2013 to 2021. Without question, Jean Bouchard was a fighter. As he said himself r…
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Madam Speaker, I knew my colleague was a gentleman, but he surprised me today with his magnanimity. I thank him for his question to which I will respond that of course he has a role to play. I wish that Quebeckers had 100% of their income and that we did not have to beg Ottawa for that money. I am sorry we have to ask for it. Quebec has its own housing priorities. The Quebec government knows its s…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue, whose mother is here with us today. When I found out that we would be talking about housing today, the first thing that came to mind was a number since I am an economist. That number was 100,000, which is the number of additional housing units we would need in Canada today for our housing per capita ratio to be …
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois made a very simple proposal during the last election campaign. It proposed that, year after year and without exception, the government dedicate 1% of the spending budget to housing, not only to affordable housing, but also to social housing. I have not heard much about tenants. In Quebec, however, there are over 400,000 tenants who spend more than 30% of their incom…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague clearly has a lot of empathy for her constituents in Elgin—Middlesex—London. I want to point out that, between 2011 and 2016, during the Harper era, Canada lost more than 320,000 housing units for the least fortunate Canadians. I would like to know how my colleague defines a housing bubble. Once prices stabilize, will the Conservative Party lose interest in the housing sh…
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Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois never said that this motion would fix every problem and address all concerns related to housing, in particular for the most vulnerable. I repeat, and I will say it as often as I need to: The Government of Quebec, which is responsible for municipalities, knows its people and its communities the best and is therefore in the best position to develop a strategy. Unfor…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. He talked about how long it takes to build a building. As we know, when the government introduced the national housing strategy, we expected it to solve all of the problems in the world in five years, when most of those problems originated under Chrétien in particular and have been around since the nineties, so we need to be patient. We al…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Parkdale—High Park from the bottom of my heart for his speech. I can see that he is quite familiar with the health care system and its funding, as well as mental health. I must make a confession today. The only time I read the Canadian Constitution was the French version, in which health is an exclusive jurisdiction of the provinces. Could my colleague tell me…
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Madam Speaker, we are interested in finance that generates long-term investments. Long-term growth is generated by investments that are sustainable. Likewise, long-term pollution is generated by sustained investments in the most polluting markets. We want to increase the banks' transparency because we believe that consumers will respond in an informed way. We also believe that greater use should b…
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Madam Speaker, this is a very emotional issue for us, and I thank the former leader of the Green Party for raising it. At this time, it is difficult to know how much of the area in question is polluted. We expect that the Quebec and federal governments will team up and look into this situation and that by working together, they will stop playing ping-pong on this issue. This is a critical issue fo…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for raising this issue. We have been very clear about our proposal over the past several days. We are asking the minister to create a joint task force immediately, because it is within his authority to do so. The fact that we have to keep asking for this clearly shows that the federal government is not doing its job and that there is a lot more to do. For o…
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Madam Speaker, I could answer him with the words of Gilles Vigneault: One world ends, another beginsYou can take back your romanceI think I finally understandWe are no longer from the same land
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Shefford. I would like to take a moment to thank the volunteers at the Centre d'entraide Saint‑Colomban, the parish of Saint Francis of Assisi in Oka, and the Carrefour d'entraide Saint-Placide for organizing their charity drive. This was a tremendous act of selflessness, and I commend them. In passing, I would also like to commend one o…
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