Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there is something I can certainly explain to my colleague, whose friendship I rather enjoy, and that is the fact that the tariffs that are currently in place against the manufacturing sector are affecting our industrial base. This certainly has an impact on investment. In the meantime, the government has not just been sitting around twiddling its thumbs. What have we done? We have be…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is making a very serious allegation when he says that the government is no good at math. Sure, if he challenged the Prime Minister to a singing contest, then he might win, but if he challenged the Prime Minister to a math contest, then I am certain the Prime Minister would come out the winner.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect and affection for my colleague, but I am sure that not even he believes what he is saying. The reality is that our government was able to create more than 80,000 jobs in the past six months. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy, which is 11 times bigger than ours, lost 6,000 jobs over the same time period. According to the Bank of Canada, inflation is under control. Sal…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am listening to my colleague. I have a lot of respect for him and we work on a number of issues together, yet I fail to understand why he refuses to acknowledge that, as a result of this government's decisions that prioritize Canadian procurement, suddenly new jobs are being created in his riding in La Pocatière at Alstom. Why does he not ask us about that? I am sure that the people…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our government's plan is working. Our plan is to maintain control over immigration, with the knowledge that Canadians trust us to do so. We were able to reduce immigration levels. For the first time in nearly 50 years, we have managed to slow population growth in Canada. We will also ensure that we reach an understanding with the Government of Quebec. In fact, the lieutenant reached a…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, whatever that was, what the Conservatives forgot when thinking of our auto industry is actually 200,000 workers. Why? It is because they forgot about auto parts. Canada has been leading when it comes to auto parts. We have the three biggest companies in the world: Linamar, Martinrea and Magna. They forgot to protect the GM engine and transmission workers in Cambridge. They forgot the …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about facts. The proposal by the Conservatives is too little, too late. Why? They did not even consult workers when doing it. They have no measures for workers in their auto proposals, and actually, Unifor, which represents workers, is against it. Our auto proposal is actually supported by the Conservative Premier of Ontario. Premier—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will also have the opportunity to meet the same people my colleague will be meeting later today. I had the opportunity to work with him last week. Why? It is because we want to help workers in the aluminum industry. We know they are being hit with unjustified tariffs from the Trump administration. We are here to protect them. We are also in talks with several businesses in the regio…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, everyone is in favour of our auto strategy: the Conservative Premier of Ontario, Premier Ford, industry, unions, consumers, everyone, so why do they not get with the program and get on our side?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government has gone on every production line in the auto sector, and we have the support of workers. I know the Brampton facility is really important to my colleague, but what did the head of Unifor Canada, Lana Payne, say? She said the Conservatives' auto proposal is putting the Stellantis Brampton plant in jeopardy and also GM Ingersoll's future in jeopardy. Why are they against…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my colleague referred to several cases related to sectors in Beauce that have been affected by U.S. tariffs. Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions will work with the member. That said, I would like him and his caucus to do more to condemn the U.S. tariffs, because the silence on that side speaks volumes.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct something my colleague said. It is not true that Algoma Steel is shutting down. That would be an insult to all the employees, the more than 2,000 employees who are still working at Algoma in Sault Ste. Marie. The member should do his homework. One thing is clear. We are going to bring jobs back to Algoma Steel. What I want to say to all Canadians watching us ri…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, obviously, it is a tough day for many families in Sault Ste. Marie and many workers at Algoma, but we will bring back these jobs. We are working on the plan to make sure that the workers get their jobs back. I have been to Sault Ste. Marie twice. I have met with the Algoma Steel CEO. I am meeting with him again. They have two interesting projects. The first one is on the defence front…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of things in there that do not make sense. First and foremost, every time we invest in the auto sector, the Conservatives talk about it and put it down. What I mean by that is that we have a new auto plan and they are too late. What I mean by that is that they think that we should basically wait for Washington to change its mind or go back to the 1960s with the auto pa…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that our thoughts are with the workers at Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie. I had the opportunity to meet with the workers and their union, as well as with Algoma Steel management. We are in problem-solving mode because we know that, contrary to what the Conservatives are saying, these job losses are due to the tariff war. Nevertheless, we are helping Algoma Ste…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what they have is not even a plan. It is an auto pitch, because the reality is that they did not even consult Unifor, the very workers affected by the plant closures. Unifor has said that their ideas will permanently threaten the future of Brampton and Ingersoll plants, which does not make sense. There is good news in the auto sector. The investment by Toyota and the production at Toy…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of time and respect for my colleague, but when he says we cannot blame anything happening in the world for what is happening at Algoma, I think he does not understand the 50% tariffs by Washington against Algoma workers, because that is the reality. We have been in solution mode. We have said that for the 1,000 workers at Algoma, we will be there to support them and help …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for Oshawa auto workers and my colleagues, but the reality is that she should talk to her colleague from Bowmanville—Oshawa North, who went to Washington and talked down Canadians, saying that we were having a “hissy fit” regarding the trade war and not defending the auto workers or the investment that this government is making in them. We have an auto plan. It…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, when my colleague and the Conservatives talk about the auto sector, I do not know why they are scared to talk about the auto tariffs. I do not know why they are not condemning the trade war against us. At the same time, I do not know why they are not supporting what another Conservative is saying, Premier Ford, who is supporting our new auto strategy. Notwithstanding all the headwinds…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, when we look auto workers in the eye, we know that they know they can trust us. Why is that? It is because we have a plan, notwithstanding all the headwinds against our auto workers and against the auto workers of the entire world. This morning I was in conversation with the new CEO of Audi. We are working on attracting new investment to Canada. We will use our defence procurement to …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of time and respect for my colleague. I know that the Oshawa community is going through hardship right now because of the fact that GM cut the third shift. However, she should talk to her colleague from the Oshawa region as well, who went to Washington and forgot to advocate for the auto workers in his riding. That is the first point. The second point is that we need to w…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of things we cannot control in the world, but there are many things we can control. What we definitely can control is how we build one Canadian economy. There is good news on our manufacturing PMI, which basically monitors new business activity. My colleague referred to steel, aluminum, auto, etc., and we are at a 13-month high. That means that businesses are now recei…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Orléans for her excellent question. We presented our new defence industrial strategy about two weeks ago and we are already taking action. My colleagues, the Minister of National Defence, the Secretary of State for Defence Procurement and I announced $900 million for a new drone innovation hub and for a new Bombardier aircraft built here in Cana…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government is very sensitive to what is happening in Mirabel. Of course, we will work with the mayor, the reeves, the farmers and the UPA. Our Quebec lieutenant is working on this issue, as is my colleague, the Minister of Transport. Having said that, we know that high-speed rail is a good project. However, as my colleague said, social licence is important, and we can do both.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the more I listen to my colleague, the more I think he has read our game plan, because apart from what he said at the end, he just repeated everything we say every day. If my colleague wants to join us, there is still room on our benches, and we are ready.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague. I know that she works very hard on her files. I also know that she represents a riding where marine transportation is very important. I will be happy to look into this issue with her. Of course, we are also looking for ways to move steel across the country as we develop more major infrastructure projects domestically, and we will be working on…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is also well aware that if the company in question is struggling financially, then we can work together to support it through Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, the portfolio I am responsible for. That said, I will be happy to look into this issue with the Minister of Transport to find a solution that is good for the people of Valleyfield.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, to answer my colleague directly, obviously we can. We can get to a good deal. This is exactly why the Prime Minister is engaged, but this is also exactly why our colleague, the Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, is in Washington today, meeting with the U.S. Trade Representative to do that work. That being said, we took good note of what the Leader of the Opposition said yeste…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, again, we are hearing the same rhetoric from the Conservatives blaming Canadians for the trade war. The Conservative member for Bowmanville—Oshawa North said that Canadians are having a “hissy fit” over, basically, tariffs, at a time when GM auto workers in his own riding had just lost their jobs. Why are they not able to say that the trade war is because President Trump decided to im…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there are lots of things we cannot control. Certainly we cannot control the White House, but there are lots of things we can control. What we can control is how to build one strong Canadian economy. Who said that first? It was the Prime Minister. Who copied that yesterday? That was the Leader of the Opposition. Of course, we will work on an auto pact that is tariff-free. Of course, we…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague, but I have to correct her because we created more jobs last year than the United States did. We created 189,000 jobs while the United States created 181,000 jobs, even though the U.S. economy is 10 times bigger than Canada's. What is more, our exports are growing. Exports to Europe have increased by 31%, on top of increases of 8% for La…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we have been in discussions with the company. We know that the company is facing financial difficulties. The Quebec government has decided not to move forward with supporting this company. However, we believe in the battery sector. We also believe that Lithion has significant assets that tie in with our strength in critical minerals. I have worked with the Bloc Québécois before to fin…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, indeed, at a time when we are investing 2% of our GDP in defence, going towards 5% of our GDP by 2035, as other NATO countries are, we are also creating jobs. That is why, through our new defence industrial strategy, we will build the ships, the drones, the planes, the right tech and the right AI. While doing so, we will create 125,000 jobs across the country. This is good news. This …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, of course, if the Conservatives knew a lot about the auto strategy, they would know that we are already supporting the Canadian-made auto sector and Canadian-made vehicles. That will be for the Dodge Charger and the Pacifica. We are convinced that there will be more because we will have more investment in the sector. The Conservatives have all been asking the same question. I guess th…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what the Conservatives need to understand right now is that the industry needs predictability and clarity. At a time when there is a revision of the USMCA, we were able to provide that. By providing that, we are now having conversations with German automakers, Korean automakers and Chinese automakers that want to invest in Canada and create good jobs. Why are the Conservatives fundame…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I know my colleague is fighting hard to change the narrative, but the auto strategy has already been out for a week and everybody is in favour of it, including, of course, Unifor workers who are working at GM in St. Catharines and Premier Ford, who we all know is a very strong Conservative, as well as the industry, auto parts workers, everyone. Why is that? It is because, fundamentall…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, of course we believe in affordability. We believe that Canadians can have access to EV incentives, such as up to $5,000 for a car that is up to $50,000, as well as those for Canadian EVs, because obviously, we believe that the future of the industry is electrification. Recently, there were more EV sales in Europe than those of gas combustion cars. At the same time, we know that in the…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like, first and foremost, to extend my heartfelt prayers to the victims and families in Tumbler Ridge. I know the government is there to support those affected. I would like to remind my colleague that the money that is going to be supporting EV incentives is actually for Canadians at a time when we need to make sure that affordability is at the core of everything we do as a g…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what is a good idea is our auto strategy, which has been welcomed by the industry, unions and industry workers who want to make sure that they have a job today, tomorrow and 10 years from now. The global auto industry is moving toward electrification. When modernization occurs, we need to be there. That is why we will support electrification. Why are the Conservatives ideologically ag…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of time for my colleague and a lot of respect for her, but she knows that our auto industry is obviously facing important challenges. It took months for the Conservatives to denounce the U.S. tariffs on autos. We know that the entire sector is integrated within North America with Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Now, when she is talking about EVs made in the U.S., she has to …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, finally my colleague met with the Unifor workers. It took him months to do that. We have been in contact with Unifor since the get-go, even before U.S. tariffs were imposed. We have been in contact with them to make sure that we would be working together, as one team Canada, because it took months for the Conservatives to denounce the U.S. tariffs for our auto workers. We are there wi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we are already helping the automotive sector with $3 billion, and we will continue on that path. We will support the 500,000 people who work in the auto sector in Ontario, but also in the battery industry in Quebec. We agree that we need to invest more in the electrification of transportation because it also supports jobs in our beautiful province. My colleague also needs to understan…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Mont-Saint-Bruno—L'Acadie for his excellent work. He plays a very active role in our auto caucus. He asked me a question about our auto strategy. It is an excellent strategy focused on two objectives. The first is domestic production. The second is electrification, because we believe that this is where the industry is headed. We do not want to s…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we believe in affordability and we believe in electrification. We just do not understand why the Conservatives are so against electrification at a time when, in five years, 40% of all the cars sold worldwide will be EVs. We will not hold back our auto workers. We will invest in the future of the sector. We will make sure that we leapfrog what is going on in the United States, and we w…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after being in a tariff war for almost a year, it is surprising to finally hear the Conservatives denounce the tariffs imposed on the Canadian automotive sector. In the meantime, we have presented a plan, a plan supported by the entire industry, by the unions, by the Premier of Ontario, where the industry is really established, as well as by environmentalists. We agree that we need to…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we all know that auto workers are building the best cars in the world for the world, but we all know that the auto sector is completely integrated within North America. Is my colleague saying right now to call for a boycott against American EVs, which are made with Canadian parts by Canadian auto workers? Is that what she is suggesting?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we are here for Canadians, and we are here for the long term. The program is planned for a five-year period, which will help support families throughout this time of rising grocery prices. We are also here for Canadians through other programs such as the Canada child benefit and the national school food program. The good news is that the federal government and the Quebec government ha…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, grocery prices are indeed rising; we know that, which is why we are in problem-solving mode. We have proposed a solution to Parliament—a clear solution that is also supported by the Conservative side—which aims to give $1,200 back to a family of four and $900 back to a single person. We are here to help Canadians in these times of food inflation.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, indeed, I have good news. Last week we announced our auto strategy based on two objectives. The first is making sure we support auto production here in Canada and support those who invest in us, basically the companies that produce cars in Canada. The second is making sure that we embrace where the industry is, which is electrification, and where it is going. Apart from the Conservati…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of time and respect for my colleague, but I must say I do not understand why no Conservatives will ever say that they oppose the U.S. tariffs on auto workers. I do not understand why they have not been vocal in defending the jobs in Brampton, and in Ingersoll at GM, saying that the U.S. tariffs on auto workers are unjustified and unjustifiable. Meanwhile, we will make sur…
Read full speech →