Parliamentary Speeches
261 speeches by Marie-France Lalonde — Page 1 of 6
Statements by members
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to pay tribute to Juliette Trudeau, who is retiring after 39 years of devoted service to Parliament. Originally from Charlo, New Brunswick, Juliette began her career as a legal secretary before moving to Ottawa in 1986. That same year, she came to work for the House of Commons, where she served as a parliamentary assistant and then a ministerial assistant. …
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Mr. Speaker, in my role as chair of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, I had the privilege of presenting the insignia of the Ordre de la Pléiade to five extraordinary Canadians at a ceremony held on September 23. These leaders of the French fact were recognized for their ongoing commitment and dedication to promoting the French language in the arts, business, co…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-248, An Act respecting the holding of a pan-Canadian conference on time change. Mr. Speaker, as the Government of Canada focuses on building one economy that works for everyone, by removing federal barriers, expediting nation-building projects and making things more affordable, we must look at all avenues that can supplement this effort. That is why today I am p…
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Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago today, our magnificent green and white flag, a symbol of Franco-Ontarians, was raised for the first time in Sudbury. This morning, together with the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages and colleagues from across Canada, we proudly raised the flag on Parliament Hill. Ontario is home to the largest francophone population…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable man and a dear friend our Orléans community has lost, Vaughan Patrick Martin. A proud Canadian and a devoted public servant, Vaughan served as director of protocol at Global Affairs Canada, a role he called the best job in government. He played a key role in organizing major international events, including G7, NATO and Commo…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. The first report is entitled “The Persian Gulf War Was a War”. The second report is entitled “Reforming Transition from Military to Civilian Life”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to e…
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Mr. Speaker, the world is becoming an increasingly dangerous and uncertain place, from rising geopolitical tension and economic instability to the impacts of climate change and conflict, yet Canadians can be confident that their government is putting their safety, security and prosperity first by working closely with our allies and defending the values that matter to us. Can the Minister of Foreig…
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Mr. Speaker, since this is National Public Service Week, I would like to begin by thanking all public servants in Orléans and across Canada for their essential work. The next two weeks mark the beginning of graduation season for grade 12 students. I want to congratulate the 1,514 graduates from the eight high schools in Orléans. I congratulate the class of 2025. They did it. I look forward to seei…
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Mr. Speaker, as 2024 comes to an end, I want to extend my warmest wishes to everyone in the House and to the people of Orléans. As the representative of the most beautiful riding in Canada, I want to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of the residents of Orléans. Their unwavering support, leadership and dedication to our community has made a profound impa…
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Mr. Speaker, it is with gratitude and admiration that I thank Robert Rainboth of the Ottawa Professional Fire Fighters Association for organizing the Orléans Parade of Lights for the past 27 years. Thanks to his vision and leadership, this event has come to symbolize real joy and magic in Orléans. Every year, he made the eyes of young and old alike sparkle and gave the community a unique opportuni…
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Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to acknowledge the excellent work done by Royal Canadian Legion Branch 632 to support our veterans. I want to take this opportunity to thank the organizers, Serge Lavoie and Jim Grant, and all the volunteers for their efforts throughout the poppy campaign, which raised just over $150,000. I want to thank the Orléans community for its continued generosity. I also wa…
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Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank our members and our veterans for their service and their sacrifice. What the member is alleging is absolutely not true, and I feel ashamed that he is proclaiming this. As we said, we have not banned prayer. We are looking to reflect the diversity of our CAF, and this is a directive that comes from the chaplain general.
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Madam Speaker, I want to once again take the opportunity to thank our members and our veterans for their service—
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Madam Speaker, first, I want to take this opportunity to thank our members and our veterans for their service and their sacrifice. However, let us be absolutely clear: The chaplain general issued this directive independently, and it does not ban prayer. Actually, the directive simply seeks to help our CAF chaplains make their public addresses more inclusive, reflecting the spiritual diversity of C…
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Madam Speaker, our government has been clear. Our CAF members and veterans deserve better than Conservative cuts and office closures. This week, I was pleased to join the Minister of Veterans Affairs and my colleagues from the national capital region in announcing more than $11 million to support the veteran well-being fund. We will always stand up for our serving members and veterans. Today and e…
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Mr. Speaker, today I join all francophones and francophiles across Ontario in celebrating Franco‑Ontarian Day. On this day we proudly celebrate our francophone heritage. We are a strong community united by our love for our language and our desire to see it thrive for generations to come. In my beautiful riding of Orléans, we are fortunate to have the MIFO community centre, a vital organization tha…
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Madam Speaker, today marks Military Family Appreciation Day, a day dedicated to recognizing and honouring the sacrifices and unwavering strength of our military families, the backbone of our Canadian Armed Forces. Their dedication and love are fundamental to the success of our service members, enabling them to carry out their vital missions. They sometimes feel overlooked, which is why, in the def…
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Madam Speaker, before I begin, I would like to say that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Scarborough—Guildwood. It is truly an honour to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C‑66 and the important work that our government is doing to modernize the military justice system and the culture of our armed forces. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces work tirelessly to defend Canadi…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague is talking about a previous government that allegedly did all sorts of great things for military justice reform. His party did nothing. It did nothing at all during the nine years it was in power, and yet my colleague comes here to criticize. We all agreed that this bill is important. A number of measures have been taken in recent years. Twenty of Ms. Arbour's 48 recomm…
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Mr. Speaker, as part of its mandate, Communications Security Establishment Canada, CSE, protects electronic information and information infrastructures that are of importance to the Government of Canada, helping to thwart criminal or state-sponsored cyber threat activity targeting our systems. Every day, CSE uses its sophisticated cyber capabilities and technical expertise to identify and defend a…
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Mr. Speaker, as to part (a), the overall cost of moving National Defence employees from the 400 Cumberland location to the Major-General George R. Pearkes Building is estimated at approximately $1 million. This amount includes approximately $20,000 for space cleaning and building preparation, and $980,000 for moving personnel and equipment. As to part (b), up to 995 National Defence personnel will…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome members back to the House, and I also want to wish all students in Orléans every success in the classroom as they kick off a new school year. Many thanks to all the teachers and staff at our schools for guiding and supporting them in their achievements. On August 29, I was extremely pleased to welcome over 600 residents of my community to my annual corn roast a…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), the North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, and the Canadian Armed Forces, CAF, have standard procedures to detect, identify and assess airborne objects. Specifically, NORAD responds to unknown radar tracks by correlating radar data with various data sources and means, including NORAD aircraft, to inspect the source. If NORAD assesses that an object d…
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Mr. Speaker, the Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, currently has a fill rate of 64% for frontline fighter pilot squadrons. Detailed information regarding pilot numbers is considered sensitive, as it can provide adversaries with information about CF-18 and broader NORAD capabilities, which could then be injurious to the defence of Canada and North America. As the RCAF transitions to a fifth generatio…
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Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 2599, 2601, 2608, 2610 to 2612 and 2016.
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Madam Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.
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Madam Speaker, furthermore, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 2600, 2602 to 2607, 2609, 2613 to 2615, 2617 and 2618 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled in an electronic format immediately.
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Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to three petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
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Madam Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of rising to acknowledge the vital role long-term care institutions hold in our communities and to recognize the incredible leaders, staff and families who support the thousands of Canadians who live in long-term care homes. I had the privilege of working in the retirement home sector for over 20 years, and I saw first-hand the remarkable work that caregivers do to…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to five petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
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Mr. Speaker, today is Air Force Day on Parliament Hill. It is an opportunity to highlight the incredible work of the Royal Canadian Air Force, or RCAF, as it celebrates its centennial year. For 100 years, members of the RCAF have served Canadians here at home and around the world. We thank them for their incredible dedication to Canada. RCAF aviators have participated in missions around the globe,…
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Mr. Speaker, I always have to wonder when our Bloc Québécois colleagues ask questions. We are making investments. I just spoke about a housing agreement between Canada and the Government of Quebec. Is he trying to say that it is not enough? Is it too much? I do not know. What I can say is that we have sat down with Quebec to negotiate our agreements from the start. In the case of housing, the agre…
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Mr. Speaker, we often borrow ideas from Quebec, because they are often very forward-thinking. For a number of years, the province of Quebec has had a price on carbon. It is a separate system that is fantastic for countering the harmful effects of climate change. My colleague spoke about child care. We drew inspiration from the Quebec system in order to benefit all Canadians. We will always work cl…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the motion moved by the member for Jonquière, the Bloc Québécois critic for intergovernmental affairs, natural resources and energy. I would like to inform the House that I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Cambridge. Our government has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to working collaborativel…
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Mr. Speaker, team Canada also includes the provincial team with the Government of Quebec. That has been the case since we took office in 2015. Personally, I entered provincial politics first, and I have been a member of Parliament since 2019. What I want to talk about is the massive investment of an additional $200 billion to improve health care in Canada. This will allow Quebeckers to have better…
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Mr. Speaker, it is with pride and a sense of accomplishment that I inform the House that on May 2, the Minister of Official Languages travelled to Orléans to announce that the federal government would be investing $36 million to build the new Mouvement d'implication francophone d'Orléans, or MIFO, community centre. Since 1979, MIFO, a pillar of the French-speaking community, has touched the lives …
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Madam Speaker, unfortunately, during a response to an oral question, I mentioned that the action plan was worth $1.4 billion. I apologize for my inattention. It was $4.1 billion over five years.
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Madam Speaker, I will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to defence spending. The Conservatives let defence spending drop below 1%. They voted against a salary increase for our members. They voted against funding for Ukraine. They voted against Operation Unifier. They voted against $40 billion for NORAD modernization. They badly mismanaged our procurement for years. Today in the …
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Madam Speaker, on this side of the House, we have always been there for francophones in Canada and Quebec. I find it very interesting to see my Bloc Québécois colleagues acting like they are the only ones who care about the French fact. They appear a little bothered by the fact that our government, which includes my colleague from Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, all Liberal members from Quebec and eve…
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Madam Speaker, let us talk about our government's investments in the action plan for official languages. We will be investing $1.4 billion over the next five years to help the French fact. Our government is the only one that has recognized the decline in French. We have modernized the Official Languages Act. We are working with the Treasury Board. We are working with the commissioner. We understan…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's question because it gives me the opportunity to talk about an announcement that was made earlier this year, in April, with the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services. A settlement was negotiated with the non-public funds workers in Petawawa, Kingston and here in Ottawa, which includes a significant wage increase of 13.75% over three years. To be clea…
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Madam Speaker, today we are welcoming the Canadian Remembrance Torch to Parliament Hill. The Canadian Remembrance Torch was created by accomplished McMaster students and now serves as an important symbol for the contribution of Canadian veterans. The founder of this torch, Karen Hunter, whose family has a long tradition of serving in our armed forces, was the visionary behind the symbol. It is a s…
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Madam Speaker, once again, I appreciate my colleague's question, because we know that it is possible to find solutions and come to an agreement at the bargaining table, as we did in Kingston, Petawawa and right here in Ottawa. Once again, I would just like to say that the agreement that was negotiated will significantly increase wages by 13.75% over three years. We hope that the three parties that…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize that May 5 is World Pulmonary Hypertension Day. The rare form of the disease is called pulmonary arterial hypertension, or PAH, which severely impacts the health and quality of life of patients who are affected. I commend the Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada and its patient ambassadors Donna Downes and Shirley Druhan from my riding of Orléans for …
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that, yesterday, the Minister of National Defence released our defence policy update entitled “Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for the Defence of Canada”. This update includes a $73‑billion investment over 20 years and a clear plan to build forces that will protect our country and our interests around the world. We know that our Canadian A…
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Mr. Speaker, the Defence Public Affairs Learning Centre, or DPALC, provides Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces, or CAF, personnel with specialized military public affairs and communications training. This directly contributes to the objectives of the defence team, including the CAF, to uphold transparency and to effectively communicate the complex work undertaken by our membe…
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Madam Speaker, it is always interesting. I have a great deal of respect for my Bloc Québécois colleague, but what the Bloc really wants is to pick a fight. Canada, our government, is working closely with Quebec on everything from health care to immigration. We have even engaged with Quebec on child care to look at what they are doing, so we can implement it nationally. We know that Quebec is there…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that this morning, the Minister of National Defence introduced Bill C-66, the military justice system modernization act. This legislation is designed to implement nine recommendations from Justice Arbour's and Justice Fish's reports. More specifically, it aims to remove the military justice system's jurisdiction over criminal sexual offences committed …
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Madam Chair, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague, but I have to smile a bit because from day one, Canada has been firmly committed to providing help to Ukraine. I mentioned the training to help Ukrainian soldiers, the new co-operation agreement and the aid for rebuilding Ukraine. We recently announced $40 million to provide Ukraine with artillery ammunition during the 20th Ukraine Defe…
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