Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our government allocated $1.3 billion to culture, yet the Bloc Québécois treats that with contempt. The real betrayal is a party that shows up in Ottawa every day to destroy my country. It is ridiculous. Since they are already in vacation mode, I wish them a happy Saint‑Jean‑Baptiste Day and a happy Canada Day.
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Mr. Speaker, suffice it to say that I am aware of these allegations, but I think the member would join me in saying that it is not the place of the minister or any member of the House to dictate museum policy and what is curated and what is not.
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Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is well aware, I have ordered an investigation. It would be inappropriate to comment on this matter in the House of Commons.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the member for reading her question with such conviction. While the Bloc Québécois spends its time loafing about, we are taking action. In the last budget, we invested $772 million in arts and culture. During my last press conference, I announced $600 million for culture, including Quebec culture. I almost forgot the $100 million that was invested in …
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Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the member opposite for the quality of his French. I would also like to point out that Mr. Falardeau was funded by the National Film Board of Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, while the Bloc Québécois spends its fourth decade here in Ottawa getting absolutely nothing done, we are taking action. In the most recent budget, we invested $750 million in the National Film Board of Canada, CBC/Radio-Canada and Telefilm Canada. Now, Bloc members are turning their noses up at $600 million per year. They did not read the press release. We are taking action. We are in…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to start by wishing a happy Portuguese Heritage Month and a feliz Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas to all Luso-Canadians. Since the 1950s, generations of Portuguese immigrants have come to Canada and today nearly half a million Canadians trace their roots to Portugal. Across every sector, Luso-Canadians continue to enrich our society through their hard w…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-34, An Act to enact the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
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Mr. Speaker, only the Bloc Québécois would stand up in the House and vote against three-quarters of a billion dollars for culture, for CBC/Radio-Canada, for Telefilm Canada and for the National Film Board of Canada. Next, the Bloc Québécois members are going to turn their noses up at the $600 million offered to a cultural sector that we love and must support. While they pretend to support culture,…
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Mr. Speaker, there is nothing more disastrous than that kind of question, especially coming from someone who was once the president of the Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo, or ADISQ. Earlier, ADISQ said that it was a good investment. We Liberals will invest in culture while the Bloc Québécois members keep pretending to help while doing nothing.
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Mr. Speaker, while my colleague is spouting nonsense and talking about betrayal, we will continue to invest in Quebec and Canadian culture, not by waiting for years but by investing now. It is a bit rich for the member opposite to be talking about betrayal when he shows up in the House of Commons every day to try to destroy the country that I love.
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Mr. Speaker, it is a good thing that the leader of the Bloc Québécois is no longer the president of ADISQ, because yesterday, ADISQ said that this was immediate relief until a permanent solution is found. Of course, thanks to Bill C‑11, we certainly expect people and web giants to pay their fair share.
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Mr. Speaker, at least the Conservatives are honest enough to say they do not care about culture. Now Bloc Québécois members are standing up in the House, one after another, to vote against culture, that is, against the $750 million in the latest budget for Telefilm Canada, the National Film Board of Canada, Radio-Canada, and so on. The height of hypocrisy is that they are voting against $600 milli…
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Mr. Speaker, we always take what is happening in Canada seriously. What is not serious is the Conservatives' rhetoric. For 10 years, they have been talking about productivity. Now, in the last quarter, productivity is rising, and they are saying absolutely nothing. That is hypocrisy, plain and simple.
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Mr. Speaker, let me give him a concrete example: ensuring the long-term future of the school meals program for children. Is he for or against it? I would like to hear his answer.
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Madam Speaker, that is not true. I would encourage the member opposite to look at the journalism tax credit proposals that are going to be examined and applied in the audiovisual sector. They represent a significant investment in audiovisual newsrooms. He should just ask the news group he mentioned. They will tell him that this news has been extremely well received.
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for this relevant question. Overall, I think that today's debate should stick to what is in the budget. Some highly complex discussions are certainly under way with the United States, but I think it would be irresponsible to discuss them in the House of Commons. However, I want the member to know that we are still there to defend the forestry industry in Quebec an…
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moved: That, in relation to Bill C-31, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025, not more than one further sitting day shall be allotted to the consideration at second reading stage of the bill; and That, 15 minutes before the expiry of the time provided for Government Orders on the day allotted to the consideration at second reading stage…
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Madam Speaker, the member opposite, for years, has been championing investment in the defence industry. Now, when he gets this singular moment to support it, he gets up and rants about—
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Madam Speaker, the member has talked a lot. I think I will try to talk a little less. The member now starts ranting on about our not wanting to debate it, but it is very obvious that there has been sufficient and complete debate on this budget, which is important for getting money back into Canadians' hands and reinvesting into the economy. To the member opposite's point, it is important to invest…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to know why the members opposite do not want to reach our NATO spending targets, which they have been saying for years we need to reach. They have said time and time again they want to accelerate things.
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You have had your chance to talk. Why don't you stand up and ask a question? Madam Speaker, if the member wants to talk, they should stand up and ask a question. Members opposite have been saying for years that we need to accelerate investing in Canada homes, delivering a clean electricity investment tax, introducing a productivity superdeduction and accelerating the path in constructing Alto high…
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Absolutely, Madam Speaker.
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Madam Speaker, the members opposite have been clapping like seals for the last 10 years, so I think they have demonstrated what they believe the chamber should do. Indeed, they shut it down for an entire year, completely preventing legislation from getting through. Again—
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Madam Speaker, I think my colleague has presented the reality of the situation just as well as the minister responsible for this file. I would say that, yes, cultural communities, creators and those who shape the vision of who we are as a country have welcomed this investment, especially knowing that this budget was meant to be prudent, particularly with regard to cost-cutting. Under the Prime Min…
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Madam Speaker, again the Conservatives' actions speak louder than their words. They would not have put forward the amendment they are proposing if they wanted to continue debate on the budget. The Conservatives do not believe what we have to say, so let me quote Bloomberg as to what its people thought about the budget: “Canada’s government is taking aim at competition in the financial sector, pled…
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Madam Speaker, I do not wish to be disrespectful towards the hon. member. I note, and we all should note, that the Bloc Québécois is offering some support for the budget. However, what he says is a little odd. Members have had several weeks to read the bill, yet the member said they were waiting for the briefing. I realize that the briefing could have been given earlier, but even though I am somet…
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No, Madam Speaker.
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Madam Speaker, the Conservatives are the ones who shut down Parliament for well over a year, about a year ago.
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Madam Speaker, again, they want to hear answers, but all they do is heckle. They have been asking us to move faster and faster, but when it comes time to move fast, they start squealing. It makes no sense. One of the members talked about food banks. We have an initiative to make the school food plan permanent. The Conservatives have had no comment on that. They want to put money here and there, bu…
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I do not know which Trudeau the Conservatives are more obsessed with, Madam Speaker. Maybe it is a tie. What is clear here is that the member opposite seemed to suggest that he supported investments in the defence industry, yet his leader stands up consistently and talks about the deficit related to the spending in our defence policy. Which is it? Is it more money into the defence industry that do…
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Madam Speaker, I would say that the answer is generally yes, but everyone has to be prepared for the briefing. All I was saying is that people can read. Honestly, three weeks to read 300 pages is not asking too much.
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Madam Speaker, what I made very clear when I was appointed to this position is that I was fed up with the politicization of the language debate. It is true. The reality is that politicizing this debate makes it impossible to get to the heart of the matter to ensure that the common language in Quebec is and remains French. As a government, we support minority languages both outside and within Quebe…
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Madam Speaker, it is not arrogant to point out that this is the third time he has asked me the same question. If he is interested in the bill, now is the time for him to ask me questions about it. He will also be able to ask me questions in the coming hours. I agreed with him that, yes, as a member of Parliament—and this applies to all members—he must be able to receive a proper briefing. I also t…
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Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate the member opposite on the quality of her French and the efforts she has made to learn the language. I believe she is setting an example for many unilingual English speakers in this place and across Canada who are making the effort to learn French. I want to take this brief moment to congratulate her.
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Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I would like to wish a great Filipino Heritage Month to everyone celebrating and to all Canadians, whether they are Filipino or not. This is a community that has grown, I think, to well over a million strong over the last few years: a million and one, if we count the member for Winnipeg North, who appears to be an honorary member of the Filipino community and cer…
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Madam Speaker, not that this is an example for anyone, but I would remind the Conservatives that they shut down Parliament from 2024 to 2025.
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Madam Speaker, last time I checked, I was the guy standing. Members opposite would like to talk about the current economy, but I would note that—
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Madam Speaker, I am glad to answer it. I would note for members opposite that when they are talking about one of the strongest economies in the G7, and it is a good point what they are saying, I would ask them to look at the issue they talked about for years, which is GDP per capita, and they will note that it has jumped in the last quarter.
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Madam Speaker, if the member opposite thought he needed more time, why would he put forward an amendment to kill it?
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Mr. Speaker, indeed, last week I was in Shanghai and Beijing to speak with my counterpart, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, notably to discuss the importance of our creative industries and our cultural exports. Together, we agreed to increase our exchange of cultural exports, specifically in the creative industries. I will be following that up in the fall with a proper trade mission focusing s…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Madawaska—Restigouche for his excellent question and his excellent work. I share his appreciation for Acfas, which is carrying out critical work to promote science and research in French. That is a top priority for our government. First, on April 1, we announced $1 million in funding to promote research in French. Second, we are currently reviewing the r…
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Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister has clearly said, the embassy's invitation should have been sent out in French. It is unacceptable that this was not done. Those responsible should have known better.
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois member is well aware that the cultural sector is not on the negotiating table. However, I hope he is not accusing Jean Charest of lacking culture or, more importantly, saying that Magali Picard does not represent the cultural sector. He cannot be serious.
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Mr. Speaker, meaningful results is having lifted one million children out of poverty over the past 10 years. That is concrete evidence.
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Mr. Speaker, as the member is well aware, whether through the Canadian journalism labour tax credit, the Canada Media Fund or the community newspaper fund, we will never stop supporting a strong and independent French-language media ecosystem.
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Mr. Speaker, we will never stop supporting journalists in their efforts or backing strong, independent francophone media outlets, but I find it ironic that the Bloc Québécois is asking us to increase a $127-million fund that it voted against in the last budget.
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the draft regulations on the use of French in federally regulated private businesses.
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Mr. Speaker, the member knows full well that through measures like the journalism labour tax credit, the Canada Media Fund and the local journalism initiative, we on this side of the House will always provide strong support for the French-language media sector.
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Mr. Speaker, of course big tech must do its fair share, but if the Bloc Québécois members truly believed what they are saying, they could have supported budget 2025, which included an investment of $127 million.
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