Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, yesterday's insults send a very clear message to Quebeckers. As far as the Liberals are concerned, anyone who cares about the future of French in Quebec is an extremist who deserves to have the worst insults hurled at them. However, yesterday's discussion was about Statistics Canada data. Those folks are not extremists, but their numbers are extremely worrisome for the future of our n…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, a leopard cannot change its spots. Yesterday, in committee, the Liberals revealed what they really think about protecting French. According to the Liberals, people who are worried about the anglicization of Montreal are extremists who deserve to be disparaged with vulgar insults, which I will not repeat. That is how the Liberals treated witnesses yesterday because they were talking ab…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, for three years now, the Liberals have been saying that they recognize the decline of French in Quebec, that they will take steps to promote French in Quebec. However, we have yet to see them take any action. There were no measures in the latest budget either. What does my colleague think? Do they want to protect French in Quebec or do they want it to continue to decline?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, since the Official Languages Act was first enacted, the Canadian government has been saying that it wants to protect the French language in Canada. However, in Quebec, home to 90% of francophones, it has used its official languages legislation to support only English. For two years, the Liberals have been saying that they now want to protect French, even in Quebec. However, we see not…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, in this budget, we see a lot of interference in the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces. Take, for example, pharmacare and dental insurance. Quebec already has such programs, but the government refuses to provide the right to compensation. What does my colleague think about that?
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, Bill C-347 seeks to give members of Parliament and senators a choice regarding the oath they take. They can choose to swear allegiance to a foreign monarch, take the new oath of office or both. I want to commend the member for Madawaska—Restigouche for this bill. He is also the chair of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, of which I am one of the co-chairs. Of course, the …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, my colleague from Montarville was wondering earlier about the government's strategy. The government is fearmongering and constantly hinting at the possibility of a Russian invasion. It has also removed all non-essential staff from its embassy in Ukraine, while the majority of European countries have maintained their staff on site as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. I would like to hea…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois will be supporting the motion. I would like the member to give us more information on the last part, which aims to recognize Palestine as a state, as several other countries have done. We tabled a motion to that effect a few years ago, but we did not have enough support. I would also like the member to tell us about her proposal to try and put an end to the occupati…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, perhaps French is in decline at the federal level because never before have the Liberals appointed so few francophones to decision-making positions. Francophones were appointed to only 21% of the key departmental positions that are supposed to be bilingual. That is the worst record since 2015. When Liberal ministers make political appointments, they appoint only unilingual anglophones…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to congratulate my colleague from Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques for his excellent speech and his dedication to the French language. He mentioned a lot of figures, including the percentage of funding allocated to French-language research funds compared to English-language research funds. I think it was something like 95% for English. It reminds me of of…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, after the English-only Grey Cup controversy, and the hockey game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where Punjabi was used in place of French, Louis Riel must have turned over in his grave. This Saturday, francophones had to endure more disrespect, this time at the NHL all-star game in Toronto, where the national anthem was performed in English only. Need we remind people that Canada is supposed …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what we are seeing is a marked tendency to extinguish the francophone presence in Canada. It is happening in the justice system, as my colleague demonstrated. It is also happening with appointments, such as that of Governor General Mary Simon, and in major events, such as the all-star hockey game and the Grey Cup. I am appealing to my colleagues in the national parties. If they choose…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees with the principle of the motion. We spoke out against rising auto theft at the port of Montreal before the Conservatives. We think they are taking liberties with the logic underpinning today's motion. They are taking shortcuts that distort reality. For example, claiming that Bill C‑5 is responsible for the increase in auto theft since 2015 is clearly false…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, Bill C‑59 mentions the creation of a federal department of municipal affairs, to be known as the department of housing, infrastructure and communities. This could open the door to more interference, more disputes and more delays, despite the urgency of the housing crisis. My colleague also talked about removing the bureaucracy. What are his thoughts on the creation of a federal depa…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, anyone who has experienced a major fire knows how vital firefighters' expertise and specialized equipment are in situations where, often, every second counts. That is why it is not surprising to learn that, according to a 2021 Leger poll, firefighter is the most trustworthy profession, trusted by 95% of respondents. Politicians are trusted by only 31% of the population. All of the m…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, there is a lot of talk these days about the need to regulate the Internet and digital platforms. I agree with my colleague that this is of prime importance. There is a bill on the way, and apparently a deal has been struck with Google. It is not exactly what we wanted. Regarding the CRTC, I think it absolutely has to consult Quebec as it works to regulate digital platforms. This is …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, just how independent is the CRTC? We want it to be as independent as possible, but in the case of Quebec's culture and Quebec's telecommunications, it is clear that there is no authority other than the Government of Quebec that can really understand Quebec's telecommunications and broadcasting needs. We are not necessarily saying that the CRTC never consults Quebec, but I think that…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
moved that Bill C‑354, An Act to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act (Quebec's cultural distinctiveness and French-speaking communities), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois's Bill C‑354 seeks to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act so that the CRTC must consult with the Go…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, it is indeed deplorable. We see it in many different files. The Liberal government says that it consults Quebec, when in fact it does not listen to Quebec or consult Quebec, despite its claims. In an area like culture, it should be a given. That is why we are introducing this bill to establish a mandatory consultation mechanism for Quebec and the provincial governments in cases wher…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, if you seek it I hope that you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: that this House reaffirm that English and French are the two official languages of this Parliament, that it reaffirm that the witnesses invited to committee can use the official language of their choice, that it denounce the comments of the member for Lethbridge, who called into question a witness' ri…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, how many times do we need to say it? English is not a minority language. We are surrounded by 360 million anglophones in North America. Even Quebeckers speak English because bilingualism in Canada is a francophone thing. In Quebec, we are fighting tooth and nail to protect the French language and indigenous languages. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is undoing everything we have done by…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, $2 billion to boost English in Quebec since 1995: That is what the federal government has done for official languages in Quebec. That is not all, however; the Prime Minister is investing another $800 million in his action plan for official languages, and English is again reaping the benefits. How many times do we need to say it? French is the language in decline in Quebec. The anglici…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, to put the court challenges program into context, I will start by providing a bit of history of the linguistic dynamic in Canada and Quebec because a people unaware of its history is like an individual having amnesia. We become easily manipulated. If we do not know our history, if we have amnesia and we are cheated, we can be cheated again. We never remember what happened. There are…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, these are troubled times for Quebec culture, but yesterday's ADISQ gala showed just how vibrant and diverse French-language music is in Quebec. Among the winners were greats like Ginette Reno and Michel Rivard, who won an award for his show Le tour du bloc. What a great name. Félix awards were also handed out to well-versed artists such as Daniel Bélanger, Les Cowboys Fringants and Al…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent speech. There seems to be a rather cavalier attitude here when we talk about being responsible. The government does not talk about the decline of French in Quebec. A number of Liberals gave speeches, but we did not hear a word from them about that, even though it is a reality. The federal government's official languages program is essentially fun…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to know what my colleague thinks. First, does he consider it legitimate that Quebec, the only francophone state in North America, wants to ensure the future of French? The federal government seems unwilling to take account of our capacity to integrate and provide French instruction to newcomers. To sustain the demographic weight of French in Quebec, we have to provide F…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my colleague mentioned organizations that advocate for French outside Quebec. In Quebec, however, there are no organizations or groups dedicated to protecting or promoting French that receive funding under the action plan for official languages. Could he tell me what he thinks about that?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his presentation. The purpose of all federal language policy includes providing support for English in Quebec and ensuring that at least a third of newcomers have access to services in English. Quebec is expected to integrate and provide French language training to 90% of newcomers to maintain its demographic weight. I would like to know whether the governme…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her presentation. I wanted to raise one point. From 1960 to 1994, the federal government supported social and community housing in Quebec. Then it withdrew, leaving it up to the Government of Quebec to manage this file. This is typical of many files. The federal government imposes its conditions without necessarily respecting what is being done in Quebec. Then…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on two points. First, as with other free trade agreements, it is the executive branch that acts alone. Elected representatives and opposition members do not have direct access to the chapters or any direct influence on the content of the agreement. What does my colleague think? Would she agree with the idea of coming up with another mechani…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we know that Parliament and elected representatives have a very limited ability to modify the agreement. All we can do is vote for the bill or propose amendments, but we cannot change the agreement itself. In most industrialized countries, however, elected representatives can participate in and directly influence free trade agreements and treaties. I would like to hear my colleague's …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, once again, the Liberals refused to acknowledge the decline of French in Quebec and Canada. However, Canada's census provides the relevant figures. From 2016 to 2021, the percentage of francophones in Canada, based on the first official language spoken, dropped from 22.2% to 21.4%. The percentage of Quebeckers who speak mainly French at home dropped from 79% to 77.5%. In …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and I believe that if you seek it you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House recognize that, according to the 2021 census data, the proportion of Quebec residents whose mother tongue is French dropped from 77.1% in 2016 to 74.8% in 2021; the proportion of Quebec residents who primarily speak French at home d…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the RCMP is hiring unilingual anglophone executives to fill high-ranking bilingual positions. Not only do these people not speak French, but they are also not taking French lessons. The RCMP is blatantly violating the Official Languages Act. When even the police break the law, there is a problem high up in the ranks. Despite the reform of the Official Languages Act, there is still a c…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, that is not very convincing. This situation with the RCMP is a perfect example of the federal government's culture of contempt for French. The RCMP hiring unilingual anglophones is one thing. That these people are not taking French classes is another thing. The worst part is that no one even thought about requiring them to take classes. No one even thought about the optics and making …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, a report by Radio-Canada reveals that the RCMP hires unilingual anglophone executives for high-ranking bilingual positions. They do not speak a word of French. They are not taking French lessons. In no way, shape or form are these people qualified for their positions, not today and not any other day. It is a blatant violation of the Official Languages Act, a violation that is so commo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this new law was supposed to put an end to these cases of contempt for French at the federal level. Every single francophone will be paying close attention to what the new minister does. This is the first blatant case of a federal agency thinking it is still okay to undermine French since the new Official Languages Act came into effect. Will the minister demonstrate to the entire publ…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, September 25 is Franco-Ontarian Day, which commemorates the first time the Franco-Ontarian flag was raised in Sudbury in 1975. Creating a flag means defining an identity. On their flag, Franco-Ontarians put the white trillium, the floral symbol of Ontario, and the fleur-de-lys, the symbol of the francophone community of America, similar to our own fleur-de-lys flag. When a kinship is …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to know what my colleague thinks about the fact that the bill contains no specifics on the type of buildings, the type of housing or any affordability requirements to qualify for the rebate.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-354, An Act to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act (Quebec’s cultural distinctiveness and French-speaking communities). Mr. Speaker, we in the Bloc Québécois like to stress that a nation must not leave its own culture in the hands of its neighbour. That is exactly why I am tabling this bill today. This bill provides that the…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, if I understand my colleague correctly, the Conservatives are against the idea of CBC/Radio-Canada and other public media outlets benefiting from this because they are publicly funded businesses. They also said that smaller media outlets would not benefit. The legislation could be amended to provide more support to smaller media outlets. Would my colleague agree that multinationals …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, of course we will be monitoring the impact of Bill C‑13 on companies like Air Canada. However, in the case of the federal public service, the employer responsible is every single minister here in the House. They do not need Bill C‑13 to ensure that French is respected. All they have to do is stop treating their francophone employees like second-class citizens. Will the Liberals send…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages has once again been flooded with complaints. Air Canada is on the podium once again, with 276 complaints about its inability to serve customers in French. Let us talk about this year's gold medalist, the federal government. Some 714 complaints were filed against Ottawa for ignoring French in its bilingual public service job postings. That is mo…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to recognize the 25th anniversary of the Maison des familles de Mercier‑Est. The family unit is the foundation of society and the future of Quebec. The Maison des familles de Mercier‑Est is a vital organization that was established in La Pointe-de-l'Île in 1998. I would like to thank its director, Véronique Coulombe, as well as the entire team and the participat…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to recognize the 25th anniversary of the Maison des familles de Mercier-Est. The family unit is the foundation of society and the future of Quebec. The Maison des familles de Mercier-Est has been anchored in La Pointe-de-l'Île since 1998. It is a vital organization. I would like to thank its director, Véronique Coulombe, as well as the entire team and the partic…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I hope that Bill C-13 marks the beginning of a change in the Official Languages Act and in federal language policy, arguably the main driver of anglicization in Quebec, which is home to 90% of Canada's francophones. Quebec is also called the heart of the francophonie in North America. I hope that this is a sign that awareness is growing in English Canada and that it reinvigorates a mo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, let me set the record straight: The Bloc Québécois is not saying that this is a good bill. The Bloc is going to support it because we feel that it will move things somewhat forward for now, but there are still a lot of unsatisfactory aspects. The Government of Quebec asked to be in control of language planning within its territory. It also asked for recognition that French is the only…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my colleague for supporting several of the Bloc Québécois's proposed amendments to Bill C-13. We know that the Government of Quebec made some demands, and we tried to get as many of them adopted as possible. Things were going well at the start, but later there was some manoeuvring on the part of some Liberals, who even voted against the bill yesterday. We c…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his work on the Standing Committee on Official Languages and his support for a number of proposals. I would like to hear his opinion. We know that the House of Commons recognized Quebec as a nation with one official and common language, French. We know that, in the beginning, language was supposed to fall under Quebec's jurisdiction. What does my colle…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank our good friend, the Minister for Official Languages. I hope she will be as co-operative, so that the action plan for official languages supports this asymmetry that is recognized in the law on the use of French in federally regulated private businesses. Even Quebec's minister of the French language was surprised that there were no measures for French in this bill. We were t…
Read full speech →