Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Quebec asked us to invest more to build hospitals. What did we say? We said, “That is a great idea. Let us put it in our budget.” All my colleague has to do is read the budget and he will see that in there. Quebeckers told us that they wanted us to protect their language and culture, to make investments in that area, because that is important to them. The Minister of Finance and Natio…
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Mr. Speaker, just because my colleague keeps asking the same question does not mean that he expects to keep getting the same answer. Our point is that he is not only talking about imaginary taxes, but he is also failing to mention that we have lowered taxes. We have lowered taxes for the middle class. What is more, the budget being tabled later today in the House will help protect our jobs, our ec…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague. We need to make sure that we work together on making the lives of Canadians more affordable, and that is why we believe in competition. That is why we also took a bold decision when it comes to telecommunications fees and upheld the CRTC's decision to make sure there is more competition and therefore lower fees for Canadians, but we will do more. The member …
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Mr. Speaker, the answer is simple. I could just say yes and sit down. However, since my colleague also made reference to the fact that we are still in talks with the U.S. government, I would like to reassure him. Yes, we are at the negotiating table. Of course we expect the Americans to meet us there. Until then, we will continue to help the industry. I know that, in his riding, the forestry indus…
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Mr. Speaker, the budget will be about protecting jobs and making sure that we protect our communities. The budget will be about building, building Canada and creating new jobs across the country as we have never seen before. The budget will be about empowering Canadians, making sure they have trust and confidence in their future and in the prosperity of this country. That is why the Conservatives …
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Mr. Speaker, what I call ideology is when people come up with new imaginary taxes in an attempt to spread falsehoods in the public sphere. As my colleague is well aware, there are no taxes on groceries. One thing is clear: We in the government are working on affordability. That is what we are here for, to protect the Canadian social safety net. What does that mean? It means child care, support for…
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Mr. Speaker, we know there are trade tensions right now. We know that some tariff industries are particularly affected. It would be my pleasure to work with my colleague to make sure we are able to bring support to his community, particularly Holsag and Holsag workers. That being said, the budget will be doing just that, making sure we protect jobs, making sure we build the country and making sure…
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Mr. Speaker, one thing is clear: Our government will fight for jobs in the softwood lumber industry, period. That is why we are working with people in the sector every day. I had several meetings last week. Just yesterday, I spoke with Christine Fréchette, Quebec's minister of the economy. I have also spoken with Premier Eby. The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and I, as well as the Minis…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome those representatives to Parliament Hill. I look forward to meeting with them. I already know many of them well. We work with Unifor on other issues. We know that the current situation in the softwood lumber industry is linked to the White House's completely unjustified and unjustifiable tariffs. We will be there for the lumber industry. We will work with them.…
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Mr. Speaker, indeed, my colleague is fighting for the Canadian softwood lumber workers, as we are, as a government. We will stand strong against these unjustified tariffs. We will make sure that we get a good deal, but meanwhile, we are there to give support for them to have access to funding to support their workers, to adapt and pivot, and to eventually make sure that the world knows that Canadi…
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Mr. Speaker, I understand my colleague's anger and I share it, because 55% tariffs on our lumber industry is completely unacceptable. That is why our government is there to stand up for our workers. We are there for the industry. We know that people in the industry are in crisis right now. We will take them by the hand, we will help them through this difficult time, and we will be there to support…
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Mr. Speaker, the answer is simple: Absolutely. Yes, yes, yes, we will be there for the forestry sector because we believe in it. However, that is not all. We know there are things we cannot control. We cannot control the U.S. administration, but there are things that we can control, and we are going to focus on helping our workers and our businesses. We are going to make sure we are there to help …
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the auto workers, they know that we have their backs and that we will fight for every single job in this country in the auto sector. Do colleagues know why? It is because Canadian auto makers and Canadian auto workers are the best in the world. Therefore, we will make sure that Stellantis is held to account. We are meeting with GM tomorrow in Ottawa about bringing bac…
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Mr. Speaker, I understand the frustration on the part of my colleague, who is from the region. That being said, I think we have to set the facts extremely straight. Support to the sector was linked to the fact that there would be the production of batteries. As production has only started, obviously $15 billion in federal taxpayers' money has not been invested. We negotiated very well the contract…
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Mr. Speaker, of course we will be there to protect jobs, create jobs and attract talent and investment. When it comes to creating jobs, particularly in the manufacturing sector, we are doing this through our new defence industrial strategy, which will be about buy, build and partner. We will do that through major projects across the country. We have already announced five major projects, worth $60…
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Mr. Speaker, let me be clear: What is happening to the auto sector is actually linked to American tariffs. When it comes to the EV mandates, the Minister of Environment and I, of course with the Prime Minister, have been working with industries to find solutions. By the way, right now they have been paused. When it comes to the workers themselves, we will be there to support them and we will make …
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is working with Doug Ford, I am working with Vic Fedeli and we are also working with Unifor to bring a new model to Ingersoll. We will make sure to put pressure on GM, as it needs to honour its contracts. Meanwhile, we will make sure that, indeed, the workers we look in the eyes have confidence that we are fighting for their jobs.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his hard work, and I would also like to thank the minister for jobs and the minister for natural resources, because we worked together to lay down the groundwork for Kap Paper to continue its operations in the months ahead. Through the conversation we had with Kap Paper, one thing became clear: It is the heartbeat of Kapuskasing and a vital …
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Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague, and I am very familiar with the Paccar plant, which I recently visited with the new member for Thérèse-De Blainville. I was in touch with the plant manager, Steve Anctil, again yesterday. This is bad news, news that we do not accept. We will continue to fight to support our workers because the plant in Saint‑Thérèse is a Quebec flagship…
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Mr. Speaker, I will tell the House how the Prime Minister will deal with the auto sector. He will look the auto workers in the eyes, and he will say that we will fight for their jobs. This is exactly what we are doing every single day. We are negotiating back in Washington, but it is also important to say that I met this morning with the Canadian CEO of GM. I was in conversation with the head of t…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleague is trying to spook Canadians, but I would like to remind him that the support that was given to the company was linked to the production of batteries. Therefore, no money is spent—
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Mr. Speaker, we will fight for these jobs, and we will hold the companies to account. That being said, let me talk about important jobs. There are 150 new jobs in Saint-Bruno at Alstom, 700 new jobs at AstraZeneca, 500 new jobs at Ferrero in Ontario, 50 new jobs at K+S Potash, 500 new jobs at Hitachi Energy. This government is building a strong Canadian economy.
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Mr. Speaker, I know my colleague comes from the region, and I look forward to working with him in finding solutions. Obviously, we will fight for these jobs. Not only will we do that, but also, this morning, we were already on the phone with the company to be in solution mode. We were with the GM CEO, Unifor labour, Doug Ford and Vic Fedeli. Our goal is to bring back a new model to Ingersoll, and …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is right in saying that there is real anxiety there. I agree, because I have been in contact with workers, and I feel it as well. Our goal is to make sure that we are able to bring back jobs to Ingersoll, to work with the company, to work with the Government of Ontario and to work with the labour unions. Meanwhile, we will make sure that we continue to engage with the Uni…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that the Conservatives have been wanting to see the contracts that are linked to the Stellantis plant, and we have said yes. The opposition on the committee will have access to the contracts, and they will discover that indeed we negotiated well and indeed Stellantis is on the hook.
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Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleague is trying to spook Canadians right now, but what is really important to remember is that any support from the government was linked to the production of batteries. In that sense, our support would be linked to the moment production started happening. The production has not necessarily happened yet. That being said, we will make sure that we hold Stellantis to …
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Mr. Speaker, of course it is not lost on this government that these unjustified tariffs are having real impacts at home and real impacts at the Stellantis plant. That being said, I will of course work with my colleague, work with the NDP and work with Unifor to push back against the decision of the company, to make sure that we ultimately hold Stellantis to account. We need to put pressure on. Let…
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Mr. Speaker, of course what Stellantis announced for the Brampton plant last week was completely unacceptable. Stellantis has made solemn commitments to the government and to their workers, and it needs to honour those commitments. That is why we will hold it to account.
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While my colleagues are just, right now, talking, we already know that, in committee, we said that we would agree to the production of documents.
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Mr. Speaker, when the government negotiates contracts, they are good ones, and my colleague will have the chance to see the contracts. That being said, we will make sure to put full pressure on the company. The jobs need to stay in Brampton. The jobs need to stay in Canada. Ultimately the future of the auto sector is bright, and we will continue to fight for it.
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Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleague is very interested in this issue, which is normal. Of course, this is my number one priority right now. She already knows the answer, which is that documents will be presented and produced before the committee. Of course, I gave access to the information. My goal is to make sure that we work together, because we need to fight as one Canada strong on this issue…
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Mr. Speaker, the decision by Stellantis to move its production from the Brampton plant is completely unacceptable, and that is why, this morning, we were with the Conservative government from Ontario, with Unifor and with Stellantis, to make sure that we would be one strong team Canada. We need to make sure that the 3,000 jobs in Brampton come back. I hope that I can work with my colleagues and wi…
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Mr. Speaker, let me be extremely clear: The auto sector in Canada is the victim of unjustifiable and unjustified 25% tariffs by the American administration, period. Meanwhile, the auto workers are trying every day to make sure that they develop the best product on the face of the earth. That is what we will continue to help them do while we are facing trade tensions with the American government. W…
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Mr. Speaker, the decision by Stellantis is completely unacceptable, but we will make sure to hold it to account. That is why we will be sure to use the full force of the law should the company not bring production back to Brampton. Meanwhile, the documents will be produced before committee. My colleagues will have access to them, and we will also make sure, obviously, that all forms of support for…
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Mr. Speaker, let me be extremely clear. We will fight for these jobs, because Canadian auto workers are the best auto workers in the world, and we will make sure that Stellantis faces all consequences, including legal ones. That being said, an hour ago I met here in Ottawa with the head of Canadian Stellantis, with the head of Unifor and also with the minister of economic development of Ontario. W…
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Mr. Speaker, of course we are taking note of the new tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration. At the same time, we completely disagree with these tariffs. This is why we are here to help the furniture industry. We are also here to help the softwood lumber industry. Today, we launched a program to support our SMEs through Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, or CED. I hope that I can …
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Mr. Speaker, our government stands up for Quebec's economy every day. In fact, there was some good news in Saint‑Bruno‑de‑Montarville, because 150 new jobs were announced at Alstom. That is just one example. I hope my colleague will be here tomorrow, as there will be good news from Boeing and CAE: more jobs in the aerospace sector. That said, the tariffs are unjustified. We are here for the indust…
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Mr. Speaker, this government never talks down our workers, never talks down our economy and never talks down our industries. We are there to create jobs while we are protecting a lot of jobs. Of course, I hear everything that is happening in the auto sector. That is why we have been there for Honda, for Toyota, for Stellantis, for Ford and for GM. We have put a remission system in place to make su…
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Mr. Speaker, let us just debate on facts. This is what the House of Commons is about. Indeed, there is no GST on food at the grocery store. That being said, we also cut taxes for the middle class for 22 million people across the country. We also cut taxes for first-time homebuyers across the country, and we cut the carbon tax. We know that things are sometimes difficult across the country. We will…
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Mr. Speaker, this government has a true plan to build one Canadian economy, and when it comes to building one economy, we have made sure that we will have important major national projects. We have announced them in the energy sector, including in LNG. Of course, the member should ask the Premier of Alberta what she thinks about that. The other thing I would like to say is that GDP is actually gro…
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Mr. Speaker, interest rates are down, and as we speak, wages are growing higher than inflation. Meanwhile, the CPPIB CEO says that the world's largest investors are focusing on Canada. What are we doing? We are building national major projects. We are making sure also to launch a new defence industrial strategy that will create jobs in this country. The opposition needs to come on board to make su…
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Mr. Speaker, actually, economists would disagree with what my colleague is saying because interest rates are falling and wages are rising faster than inflation. What we are doing right now is attracting capital from around the world. Our goal is to do that through projects of national interest, such as the Port of Montreal at Contrecoeur or the major rail line everyone has been talking about that …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague has clearly chosen to translate a question that was given to him by his leader. Our answer is clear. Interest rates are falling. We are attracting foreign capital through our major national projects and our international defence strategy, and we will create more jobs across the country.
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Mr. Speaker, the closure of Kap Paper is a gut punch to workers, their families and, of course, their communities. The federal government is at the table and willing to help. The province needs to come back to the table. That being said, along with the Minister of Jobs, I am meeting with the executives from Kap Paper this afternoon, and we are in solution mode.
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Madam Speaker, the economy is growing and we saw the last numbers. The GDP grew in July. Meanwhile, interest rates are being lowered. This is good news. My colleagues should know, because many Conservative voters agree with it, that we cut taxes on the middle class. We were also able to cut taxes on first-time homebuyers, and we cut the carbon tax. Since so many Conservative voters are in favour, …
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Madam Speaker, one thing is clear. The government understands that we need to cut taxes for middle-class Canadians so they can afford proper nutrition, as my colleague said. That was why, in the circumstances, we cut the taxes of 22 million Canadians. We also managed to lower taxes for first-time homebuyers and remove the consumer carbon tax. All of these measures are good news for anyone wishing …
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Madam Speaker, my colleague asked what the government plans to do. The government's plan is clear: It seeks to protect and create jobs and invest in major national projects that will have economic benefits across the country, including my colleague's riding. At a time when trade tensions are running high around the world, Canadians want their government to have a plan and to follow it. They also w…
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Madam Speaker, we know that trade tensions with the United States are affecting our businesses and workers. I met with them throughout the summer in places like Sault‑Sainte‑Marie, Hamilton, Saguenay and Bécancour. Together, we came up with solutions, such as the $5-billion strategic response fund and $1 billion in support for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and…
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Mr. Speaker, we are all gathered here together in the House of Commons to make life better for Canadians, and the goal is, of course, to be able to work together to respond to Canadians' needs. I would like to tell my colleague that, last week, the Bank of Canada cut its key interest rate, which means that many people in Canada, including homeowners and business owners, will finally be able to get…
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Mr. Speaker, what is shocking about the Leader of the Opposition's comments is that he is always talking down Canadian workers, Canadian businesses and the Canadian economy. The good news is the Bank of Canada reduced rates yesterday. We should all be celebrating. This is good news. Liberals will be there for businesses in the tariffed sectors, including aluminum, steel, autos, copper and all the …
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