Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question and, obviously, her passion on this issue. This is not just about coming to Canada and treading water. We have asylum seekers and refugees who are members of cabinet and members of Parliament. One even crossed at Roxham Road and is now a great serving member of Parliament in Ontario. Our settlement services are the envy of the world. I just went t…
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Madam Speaker, the survey in question shows conclusively that immigrants are good for the economy. There is much left unsaid by the Bloc Québécois. They ask us to revise the targets, but I think what they mean is we should lower them without consulting the government of Quebec. I believe they should make more of an effort if they wish to have a reasoned discussion of the issue. I ask the members o…
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Madam Speaker, before I begin my speech, I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe nation. I am pleased to rise today to discuss this motion and provide members with information on the immigration targets set by the Government of Canada. In the area of immigration, we remain committed to working with our partners in the provinces, territo…
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Mr. Speaker, that is precisely what this measure is about. It is about saving lives in the face of a humanitarian catastrophe. We have said time and time again that we will be flexible about the 1,000-person cap. Right now, the challenge is actually getting an initial list of people out who are pre-approved to cross Rafah gates. I am extremely disappointed with local authorities that we have not b…
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Mr. Speaker, we see with this type of question that the Bloc Québécois is still trying to pick a fight. Obviously, as a responsible government we are at the negotiating table with the Government of Quebec. Do members know who is not? It is the Bloc Québécois. The Government of Quebec could invite Bloc members, but they are not welcome. Let them be the armchair quarterbacks that they are and let th…
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Mr. Speaker, I think it would be useful to point out that, since 2015, Quebec has received $4.4 billion under the Canada-Quebec accord. That is not an insignificant amount of money. It is earmarked for welcoming immigrants and is put towards the services Quebec uses to welcome immigrants and help them integrate under the Canada-Quebec accord. The amount was $300 million in 2015 and it is now $700 …
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois members are acting like back-seat drivers, as they often do. Quebec received $50 million, along with another $100 million to house asylum seekers, and that is this year alone. The Bloc Québécois picks any old statistic it likes and draws whatever conclusion it chooses. The Bloc Québécois is just a bunch of back-seat drivers. In the meantime, we will work with the Qu…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is the only one who thinks that $70 million, $50 million and $100 million is just small change. That money is very important to the asylum seekers who will end up in Quebec. As the member knows full well, we have a good relationship with the Government of Quebec. We are going to act the way a responsible government should and work with them. Quebec's finance ministe…
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Mr. Speaker, it is true that this affects real people. People should not be treated like cattle. They need to be treated with respect and compassion. It is true that we are making efforts to send asylum seekers to other provinces when they request it, but people need to be treated with respect. That is why I announced yesterday more than $300 million to house asylum seekers. Canada is not exempt f…
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Mr. Speaker, this is interesting. The Bloc does not want to blame immigrants, yet they are telling us to amend our plans. I would like to ask the Bloc members from rural ridings to go and visit the farmers in their ridings to see where they are finding workers. Would they want to reduce the number of temporary workers? The Bloc members need to answer the question, because it is a very important on…
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Mr. Speaker, as you well know, this kind of decision must be taken seriously. We must first take very important diplomatic steps with Mexico. We will not be making any rushed statements in the House of Commons.
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Mr. Speaker, as people heard yesterday, we are providing the money. Quebec has done more than its share, and we applaud its efforts. There is still work to be done to speed up the work permit process, and we are doing that. We are working with Quebec to speed up the process so that asylum seekers can work in the health care sector. That is very important, but the starting point is working collabor…
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Mr. Speaker, we can hear the members laughing, but yesterday in the House, the leader of the Bloc Québécois compared immigrants to heat pumps. Then, during my announcement of more than $300 million to help house refugees, he was talking about social housing. They are not taking this seriously. It is an issue that needs to be taken seriously. We are not negotiating with the federal member for Beloe…
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Mr. Speaker, the government is not saving money by giving Quebec $700 million a year under the Canada-Quebec accord, in addition to a surplus of over $700 million that we have never asked Quebec about. We never asked for an accounting, but obviously there will have to be a conversation about that with Quebec. We are ready to have that conversation. We are already having some good discussions. As I…
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Mr. Speaker, the member was here in the House. He did not learn about it in the papers, unless he did not listen. I was the one who announced that there would be good news this week. It will deal with matters under my authority, and naturally, Quebec will not be getting all that it asked for. That is very clear, but it will deal with matters under my authority. It is our responsibility to support …
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Mr. Speaker, it is nice to hear the member opposite admit that this responsibility falls to both levels of government. Last year, he was claiming that it was solely Canada's responsibility, and that all the provinces needed was money. We are clearly going to work together. We clearly need to make more effort. There are two provinces that are overburdened, Ontario and Quebec. This is something we c…
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Mr. Speaker, the member across the way seems to forget that we have a unique agreement with Quebec, the Canada-Quebec accord, which transfers more than $700 million a year to Quebec precisely to manage its levels. Quebec is almost exclusively responsible for choosing who comes to Quebec. We will work with Quebec to ensure that this is consistent with its integration capacity. I have a question for…
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Mr. Speaker, good news is coming this week. It is clear that relationships go both ways. We will continue to work with Quebec to deal with the record number of asylum seekers who have arrived this year. That is not something that is going to end any time soon. More work needs to be done by both levels of government.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, is concerned, the 2024-26 immigration levels plan, tabled November 1, 2023, was developed in close consultation with a wide variety of partners and stakeholders and took into account a range of factors. The 2024-26 levels plan aims to balance Canada’s need for population and economic growth with its capacity to welcome …
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Mr. Speaker, we are facing historic influxes, and not just from Mexico. It is clear that restrictions are needed, as I have said publicly. The member opposite has enough experience in politics and in the House to know that the details of such matters cannot be discussed in the public arena, knowing that people who do not have Canada's interests at heart could well make decisions based on what they…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by welcoming my colleague from the Bloc back to Parliament. I understand that, for the Bloc, this is about the essence of immigration. Let us just make sure we work in the interests of immigrants. I had a good conversation with Minister Fréchette on Friday. We are prepared to do more. It is clear that Quebec has done more than its fair share, but we are here to work to…
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Mr. Speaker, I will give the Bloc Québécois the time to speak. I think it has time to listen to my answer as well. First, I commend the hon. member for his superhuman effort to reinvent and rephrase his question. While I am at it, I will repeat the same answer: Canada is not an ATM for the provinces. It takes a reasoned and reasonable discussion, a good discussion like the one we are having with Q…
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Mr. Speaker, the member may be disappointed to learn that we have a good relationship with Quebec. Last week, we spoke in a reasoned and reasonable way about reasoned and reasonable immigration to Quebec within the context of the Canada-Quebec accord that gives Quebec more than $700 million to do the work that falls within its jurisdiction, which is to take in immigrants, especially French-speakin…
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Mr. Speaker, indeed, I met with my counterpart, Minister Fréchette, on Friday. We had some good conversations. It is clear that there are some things where we do not see eye to eye with Quebec. For example, we would like Quebec to make more of an effort when it comes to welcoming and reuniting Quebec families. Nevertheless, the meeting generally went well. Now, we will see. The finance ministers a…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, we will continue the conversation, but Bloc Québécois members will not be the first to know.
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Mr. Speaker, what is arrogant is to think that a relationship is a one-way street. We have a great partnership with Quebec. I hope to meet with Quebec's representative tomorrow. Hopefully everything will be settled in the House of Commons in terms of our marathon votes. That is not related, but the fact is that we are going to meet with my counterpart from Quebec. We will have a good discussion. H…
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Mr. Speaker, only the Bloc Québécois would say that $700 million a year, plus millions in social transfers in blocks with no strings attached is nothing, but let us leave it at that.
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Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress more to members of the House how difficult it is to actually get people out of Gaza, a war zone faced with a humanitarian disaster. Our priority remains permanent residents and Canadian families. We are looking at options to expand that to make sure that people connected to Canada can be afforded a safe haven, but again, it is a work in progress. It is extremely diffic…
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Mr. Speaker, it is not a damn job; it is a job that I love. It is true that there are challenges associated with the migration flows that are affecting the entire world. Roughly 100 million people have been displaced around the world. That is a record number. Canada is also dealing with a record number of migrants. In the past year, we have made progress and reduced the backlogs and delays. Some c…
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Mr. Speaker, when the Bloc Québécois is in power, it can make all the suggestions it wants. In the meantime, it will have to rely on the federal government. Obviously, we can be a Canadian and Quebecker at the same time. I am a proud example. We already give more than $700 billion to Quebec, including for integration and francization. Yes, Quebec is doing its fair share and we have a great partner…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all Quebeckers and all Canadians who are contributing their fair share. As the member opposite knows, we have a special agreement with Quebec whereby we allocate more than $700 million to Quebec for integrating newcomers into French-speaking society. I have a meeting with Minister Fréchette this Friday, and I would be happy to update her on it.
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Mr. Speaker, I very clearly said that Canada is not an ATM. We are going to hold discussions with my colleagues from Quebec to sort out all the expenses incurred. We have demands of Quebec too, but we are not going to hash them out on the floor of the House of Commons with the Bloc Québécois. I am going to discuss them with a responsible government, like Quebec.
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Mr. Speaker, I would simply say that the Bloc Québécois is not Quebec. I am treating this feigned outrage for what it is. If the Bloc Québécois ever has concrete demands, we can discuss them. I have a duty to speak with my responsible counterparts in the Government of Quebec. That is what I want to do. We will engage in two-way communication. This relationship is not a one-way street.
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear that I am not the one hurling insults. The irony in all this is that the Bloc Québécois claims that this is solely a federal jurisdiction, which is totally false. I think that the Bloc has spent too much time in Ottawa to say that this is an exclusive jurisdiction. Just look at section 95 of the Constitution, which very clearly indicates that this is a shared responsibilit…
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Mr. Speaker, I will say this in response to the same question asked in a different way: I am meeting with the minister in a week's time, and we are going to resolve this like responsible governments.
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Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious issue. This is the first time I have heard the Bloc Québécois say that it would like more immigrants. I could tell them more about it, but let us have a meaningful discussion on the issue.
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Mr. Speaker, the member across the way knows full well that Quebec controls its own immigration levels. It is a little much to presume that the higher rents are due only to the increase in population. However, it is clear that we have challenges in Canada when it comes to ensuring suitable immigration that takes into account integration capacity. That is precisely what we are working on.
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Mr. Speaker, I think people need to stop seeing the federal government as an ATM. We clearly have a relationship with Quebec. Quebec is clearly responsible for taking in asylum seekers and refugees. I have a meeting with the ministers in a week. We also have demands for Quebec. We will talk about it in private and resolve this as responsible governments.
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Mr. Speaker, instead of reading his cue card, the member should read section 95 of the Constitution. He would see that this is definitely a shared jurisdiction. I think my mistake is debating with the Bloc Québécois on the floor of the House of Commons. I have a very good relationship with my counterpart in Quebec. I will be meeting with her in a week. It will be a private meeting, and we will dea…
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Mr. Speaker, I have stated very publicly that we need to sit down with Quebec and our respective finance ministers to sort all this out and put all our cards on the table. If we included all the extra amounts that we have invested in the Canada-Quebec accord, Quebec would definitely be the one getting the bill. That is something I hesitate to discuss in public. I would rather sit down with my prov…
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Mr. Speaker, playing petty politics is to presume that this is a one-way relationship, when it is actually a two-way relationship. It takes two to tango. Obviously, both levels of government have to assume some responsibility. That is what we are trying to do. Obviously, under the Canada-Quebec accord, Quebec has all the responsibility and a duty to welcome asylum seekers. We can do this together …
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Mr. Speaker, a lesson on the Constitution from the Bloc Québécois, I will leave it at that. What I can say is that, last year, we gave $700 million to Quebec under the Canada-Quebec accord. We gave it more this year. We even gave it too much without asking for any of it back. All I am saying is let us have a reasonable discussion with our respective finance ministers. Let us sit down and lay our c…
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Mr. Speaker, I will give the same answer to the same question. Let us not forget that, in addition to the lump sum social transfer that is sent to all of the provinces, we are sending more and more money to Quebec every year under the Canada-Quebec accord, regardless of the levels in Quebec. Quebec has a role to play in welcoming asylum seekers and all immigrants. We are prepared to sit down with …
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Mr. Speaker, a relationship is a two-way street. Yes, we received the letter, but responsibility for asylum seekers is shared with Quebec. It is shared with all the provinces and territories. I could also send a bill for $450 million to Quebec. We have sent Quebec $600 million. There is also a $700-million fund under the Quebec-Canada accord that grows every year. Whatever Quebec's immigration lev…
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Mr. Speaker, not only is the member out of touch with Quebeckers, but he is out of touch with the news. Today we learned that Quebec is in need of workers. How can we address the labour shortage? Immigration. It is not the only solution, and I agree with the member that it needs to be successful immigration, but according to today's news, Quebec's GDP is lower than expected because of the worker s…
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Mr. Speaker, I find that comment strange. It keeps cropping up among Bloc Québécois members. They are so far out in left field that maybe they should take the weekend to go speak with some farmers and see if they need workers, because they do. These workers come from other countries. They should talk to Quebec businesses that need foreign workers. These workers come from other places. The Bloc sho…
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear that over the past year, Canadians have asked us to do more when it comes to integration capacity. I am also hearing that we need immigration to grow our businesses. We know that there is still a labour shortage. We need to take a more surgical approach to our targets. Let us look at what we tabled this week. I think that the Bloc Québécois will be comforted by that, unles…
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Mr. Speaker, I have never spoken to McKinsey. However, I have spoken to Canadians who want more people from abroad, who want more immigrants to come here to work in factories, to work in the fields, in areas represented by the Bloc Québécois. Clearly, we need immigration. Five hundred thousand is a reasonable target. That is for three years. It has nothing to do with what McKinsey says.
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, that is not true. We are constantly consulting with Quebec. There is direct communication between our public services every day. I would also like to point out that I have spoken directly to the Quebec minister about these targets, the integration target and sponsorship for refugees. I have asked her to make an extra effort. We are certainly consulting. We disagree somet…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Pursuant to subsection 94(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, I have the pleasure to table, in both official languages, the 2023 annual report to Parliament on immigration.
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