Parliamentary Speeches
290 speeches by Marie-Hélène Gaudreau — Page 3 of 6
Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I just want to say that before becoming an MP, I used to help people who had all sorts of problems. They were vulnerable. The most fundamental thing is to know that they are safe and have a roof over their head. Then, it is time to set about ensuring that they are ready and able to become a member of the workforce. Until it becomes a priority to say that every individual has the rig…
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Madam Speaker, the answer is quite simple. Can we be humble enough to look at what is being done in other countries, where having a roof over one's head is a basic right and where social housing is everywhere? How many years has it been since the government abandoned the community organizations here? The government cannot make up for that with the snap of its fingers. Today, we need to work togeth…
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Madam Speaker, a year ago, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, of which I am a member, began a study on foreign election interference. We received more than 70 witnesses and sat in committee for more than 100 hours. I personally questioned the government more than 30 times. I spoke with ministers, experts, academics, specialists, intelligence officers. This ended in a public, in…
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Mr. Speaker, my question for my colleague is very simple. We sat on the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs together for several months, and in light of everything we learned about ineffective measures for countering foreign interference, when we talk about industrial looting in this case, we want to ensure the viability of our industry. Based on the conclusions we have drawn in rece…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, for 40 years, Société Alzheimer Laurentides, based in Sainte‑Agathe‑des‑Monts, has worked tirelessly to support people with all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's. It also provides support to caregivers and families in the vast Laurentian region. I would like to highlight the invaluable contribution that this organization makes within the community. All workers and volunteers ar…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, there is an important celebration happening tonight. It is the 40th anniversary of the Centre collégial de Mont-Laurier, where I graduated from in 1997. I want to say hello to everyone there. I cannot be with them, but they will see that the work we are doing in the House of Commons is important. I want to congratulate the member for Humber River—Black Creek for her initiative. Hats…
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Madam Speaker, thank you for enforcing respect in the House. I will share a story about a constituent. His name is Sylvain. His story will illustrate why Bill C-284 is important. His situation is a bit like mine. Sylvain is a man in his fifties. He works at a big bank. He is a very busy man. He has been wearing glasses for a number of years. Over time, he notices that his vision is not as keen as …
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Madam Speaker, this is my first speech since the resumption of Parliament. I wish everyone a good session. I thank my colleague, whom I hold in high regard. We met this summer. People say that this bill lacks substance and does not go far enough. Given our experience and that in committee, and considering what I heard from my colleague, I think some suggestions should be made in committee before w…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, everything is already in place so that we can move on to other things. The Bloc Québécois is collaborating. The Prime Minister knows that he can count on the NDP to do whatever he wants. We have the public's support. The Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs is having constructive discussions with the opposition parties, which we commend. If the Prime Minister really intends to launch…
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Mr. Speaker, for almost four months now, the government has been schooling us on how to stall for time on the Chinese interference issue. The four-month mark is approaching, and we are right back at square one. We have no time left. If the inquiry is to shed light on this interference before the next election, considering the upcoming summer recess, it has to get off the ground now. Time is runnin…
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Mr. Speaker, commissions of inquiry are not held to deal with simple issues. They are held to deal with sensitive issues where the information is not accessible, because those with the information are afraid or do not want to collaborate. Cleary, it is a delicate matter. Clearly, there will be times when proceedings are in camera. Commissions of inquiry provide for that. If it were not a sensitive…
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Madam Speaker, the situation is alarming. We are very worried. I would like to thank all those who are showing such solidarity. When a fire travels 15 metres a minute, it is frightening.
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Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague from Abitibi—Témiscamingue. What he said was really touching. I will approach the issue from a different perspective. One of my daughters is in Spain right now. The images she is seeing from the sky above my home in Lac‑des‑Écorces worry her, and her sister is also very worried. My daughters are 16 and 18 years old. I do not know what to say to th…
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Madam Speaker, it is 2023. Earlier in my speech, I mentioned that in 2002 Jacques Chirac said that our house is burning, that the earth is burning. This government will soon have been in power for eight years. All of a sudden, they are thinking about changing course. Meanwhile, we should already be seeing the positive effects of the shift that should have started in 2015.
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Madam Speaker, I am not a fan of looking back to the past, but I would like it if people took responsibility. There needs to be a shift, starting today. Enough is enough. All parliamentarians need to take action and take responsibility. That is what I want to see. If the Conservatives ever form government, what will they do? That worries me. I have no idea what to say to my children who are living…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government is constantly accusing the opposition parties of partisanship on the foreign interference file. Actually, we are asking for an independent public inquiry so as to be as far from partisanship as possible. The Liberals responded with a rapporteur who was appointed by the Prime Minister and only reports to the Prime Minister. The Conservative Party, the Bloc Québécois, the…
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Madam Speaker, I will be very brief. This whole charade is impressive. Everything that has happened since Friday has been things I did not want to see or hear, and I can say that because the Bloc is not looking to form government. It has been about partisanship, foreign interference, climate change and forest fires come early. However, when I go back to my riding, I see that seniors are being aban…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, we lost interpretation a few moments ago.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is difficult to find out the truth about interference because the Prime Minister refuses to reveal it. He is trying to lure the opposition leaders into keeping his forced secrets. In a dramatic turn of events, David Johnston admitted that he also did not have access to the whole truth before he determined that a public inquiry was not needed. The Prime Minister has two choices. He …
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Mr. Speaker, David Johnston has yet to answer what is actually a simple question, and the same goes for the government. If the federal government was able to hold a public and independent inquiry in the Maher Arar affair, which implicated the secret services of foreign countries, if the federal government was able to hold a public and independent inquiry into the Air India bombing, which implicate…
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Mr. Speaker, this government talks about opposition leaders but says nothing about China's interference. That is what we need to address, and yet, as a result of the Johnston report, there will be no inquiry into the Chinese police stations, no inquiry into the electoral candidates backed by China, no inquiry into the intimidation of the Chinese diaspora, and no inquiry into the threats against ou…
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Mr. Speaker, an NDP member, a Conservative member, and the former leader of the official opposition have all been the target of threats, and I am sure that others have been too. However, the Prime Minister is telling us that the opposition is creating a toxic climate. Come on. The toxic climate stems from the fact that our electoral system is under threat and that the government only wants to talk…
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Mr. Speaker, we have been calling for an independent commission of public inquiry for months. From threats against MPs to funding for the Trudeau Foundation, everything we are hearing justifies a serious inquiry. The government is telling us that it is taking action. How? With these new directives, CSIS will seek, whenever possible, to ensure, in a timely manner, that parliamentarians are perhaps …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to mention that I will be sharing my time with my hon. colleague, the member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue. I rise today to speak to Bill C-21, an act to amend certain acts and to make certain consequential amendments with respect to firearms. To begin, I would like to say that, as everyone knows, I will be voting in favour of Bill C‑21. The reason is that, thanks to the ef…
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Madam Speaker, this is a very specific example of the importance of listening to our constituents and representing them. When we consult people, when we listen to them and understand them, then we need to act on what they say. That is exactly what the Bloc Québécois did with the red flag provision.
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Madam Speaker, someone mentioned political strategy earlier. What I said earlier in my remarks was that this needs to be addressed, because it is serious. With my colleague leading the way, the Bloc Québécois has put pressure on the government to stop. People are being shot down in the street. At some point, the government needs to wake up and take action. Yes, certain measures can be taken, but i…
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Madam Speaker, that is an excellent question. With what is happening with the different parties, I believe that there is always more we can do. The Bloc Québécois acts according to its conscience, intellect and solely in the interest of our people. I believe that answers the question that the opposition parties, especially the Bloc, which keeps the interests of Quebeckers in the forefront, are not…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are still waiting to hear back from their rapporteur, but what alternative does he have except to recommend an independent public inquiry? There is no other option. China targeted three members with threats. One Liberal was alleged to have been involved in the Chinese interference somehow. Interference is making headlines every day. The matter obviously warrants an inquir…
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Madam Speaker, how can they say that they listened to the proposals, took action, accepted the changes to the legislation, when they ignored the individuals themselves, for example from the forestry industry, who were consulted and who provided recommendations? The proposals presented by the Bloc Québécois came from the forestry industry. I am having a hard time understanding why the recommendatio…
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Madam Speaker, when the government implements small measures, it often does so to ease its conscience. Had it had the courage to act, it would have overhauled the environmental law. We are among the laggards. It is embarrassing when we go abroad and are told about the state of our law. I believe that answers my colleague's question
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Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the people of Laurentides—Labelle to speak to Bill S-5, the strengthening environmental protection for a healthier Canada act. I want to begin by saying that the Bloc Québécois is in favour in principle of the bill. However, a word of caution: Agreeing in principle does not mean signing a blank cheque. As my colleagues know, our party is highly allergic to …
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Madam Speaker, I told the people of Laurentides—Labelle that we had an example in the promise to plant two billion trees by 2030. People are wondering. Are they really going to change the law to try to have a healthy environment when they are so behind in everything I just outlined in the past few minutes? People need to have more confidence and to hear from all parliamentarians. This is not about…
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Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister was notified by CSIS that candidates in his party might be getting support from Chinese authorities, he did nothing and said nothing. When he was notified by CSIS that members of Parliament and their families were victims of threats and intimidation, he did nothing and said nothing. Can the Prime Minister tell the House with a straight face that if the threats …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, that was the very essence of what we recommended. When I speak to my children, I tell them that if they want impartiality, they must agree to choose a person who will get to the bottom of things. Otherwise, if one person chooses someone, there is something fishy going on. It is possible that everything will be fine in the end, but there is too much ambiguity. Had we in the House cho…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's remarks, and there is a lot to worry about. That is what I said earlier today. Although we still have several hours of debate ahead of us, I have a question. Holding an independent public inquiry is an essential condition. Will the NDP stance be aligned with its core values when there are votes in the House? Will the NDP stand behind democracy an…
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Madam Speaker, given what is happening here tonight, the situation is critical. I have been here since 2019. Unfortunately, every time this government has taken real action to ensure that Canadians continue to have confidence in our institutions, it was because we made every effort to keep the issue in the spotlight and make sure that the government could not avoid it. Unfortunately, I feel like I…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, in my opinion, and I believe in the opinion of many leaders who have walked this earth, humility is about saying what is going on, presenting the facts and indicating what needs to be done, while respecting the wishes of the House of Commons. Each party has made proposals. As I have said several times in question period, I look forward to getting another registry because I am very c…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, there are many worthwhile suggestions, but if the government wants to instill confidence, then it needs to be more neutral. If the government wants to show that what it is doing is not partisan, then it needs to be as neutral and impartial as possible for the sake of democracy and for the sake of all Quebeckers and Canadians. In order to do that, the first step is for the House to c…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, from what I understood, they are trying to buy time. If there was any real desire to shed light on this and confidence in what has been done, they would act quickly so as to set the record straight for our constituents. Only those who are not sure whether they are sure and who now know what they did not know before need to buy time. That is why the government delegated all this to a…
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Madam Speaker, exactly 182 days have passed since November 7, the date on which Global News reporter Sam Cooper informed the public that China's united front work department had attempted to influence the 2019 election. Then, we learned from other media outlets that China had also attempted to influence the 2021 election. I cannot emphasize enough how serious these allegations are. The cornerstone…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was informed, as early as 2021, that a member of the opposition was being targeted by threats from China. He did nothing. Today, he is refusing to either confirm or deny the information obtained by The Globe and Mail that China could be targeting other members of Parliament. We are simply asking him to tell us whether there are others and whether they are aware of t…
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Mr. Speaker, why are we still talking about this today? It is because the Liberals have chosen their culture of secrecy over full transparency. It is their culture of secrecy that increases foreign interference: secrecy about China's connections through the Trudeau Foundation; secrecy about China interfering in democracy; secrecy about Chinese threats towards the family of an elected official. Fro…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, are we surprised? No, because there are two classes of seniors. Accordingly, it is clear the government will continue using a system that isolates people instead of looking at the broader community. The Bloc Québécois is very sensitive when it comes to this; we do not believe in stigmatizing people.
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Madam Speaker, the energy transition has been under way for quite some time. When I explain to my constituents that the government is going to help companies like Muskrat Falls, it is shocking. With all the taxes paid by Quebec taxpayers, we managed to get Hydro-Québec. On top of that, the Liberals are creating obstacles for the energy transition by helping the oil companies. It is very difficult …
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Madam Speaker, when we say that there is nothing, there is nothing with respect to the recommendations made, there is nothing to meet seniors' specific needs. What should we say to a 66-year-old worker who returns to work and wants to contribute to society? After earning a few thousand dollars, there are no tax measures to help him out. He is told he will receive a little help to pay for groceries…
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Mr. Speaker, now that question period is over, my text is truly up to date. Earlier, we were talking about employment insurance, and we are extremely disappointed that it is not part of the budget. The Bloc Québécois members are the ones that can actually stand up for Quebeckers. I often hope that the Liberals from Quebec will bring the government to its senses. If they did, we might not have the …
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Mr. Speaker, let me begin on a high note by talking about the riding of Laurentides—Labelle, which I am honoured to represent. Three concerns keep coming up every time I speak with my constituents: the housing shortage, support for seniors and, above all, employment insurance. The Deputy Prime Minister's budget makes no mention of any of those concerns. One would think that these were not serious …
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Mr. Speaker, my question is very simple. Can my colleague across the way explain to the people watching what time allocation is, and can he explain why his government moved this time allocation motion that we will be voting on in a few minutes?
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Mr. Speaker, I am astounded by what I am hearing. I am not the one responsible for this file. Speaking of which, I want to acknowledge my colleague from Drummond. This is the second version of this bill. It is not about changing everything. It is about ensuring the promotion, protection and development of our artists and creators. I myself come from the cultural community. If we are talking about …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Motion No. 59, which was moved in the House by my Liberal colleague from London West. I commend my colleague for her idea and her compassion because Motion No. 59 addresses an issue that strikes home with me. We are debating the federal framework on housing for individuals with non-visible disabilities. As members know, the Bloc Québécois is always prepared to…
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