Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his speech. It goes without saying that the Bloc Québécois will support his bill. I just want to say that something jumped out at me when I was reading the bill. It is safe to say that there are various Arab identities. It is not only one community. An intermingling has taken place in the Canadian context that also implies a plurality of identities. In m…
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Madam Speaker, as my colleague pointed out, there was excellent collaboration at committee on Bill C-12. It is unfortunate that the government has decided to set aside certain amendments. What is interesting about this bill is that the government now explicitly recognizes that there was a problem with asylum seekers. For a long time, harm was being done to the reputation of the Bloc Québécois and …
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Madam Speaker, I have a lot of respect for the Minister of Environment. I know she is in a difficult position today, but I would just like to point out to her that some things are irreconcilable. Sometimes we take positions in politics, guided by our ideas and our intentions, and there comes a point when we reach a breaking point. I think that is what happened to the member for Laurier—Sainte-Mari…
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Madam Speaker, I find it rather surprising to hear the government say that all of its efforts in Alberta will ultimately enable it to free itself from the trade dispute with the Americans, or at least mitigate the effects of that dispute, when we know that 60% of all profits made by big oil go to the United States. Does my colleague not find it a bit counterproductive to put money into unproven ca…
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As I was saying, the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie has publicly stated many times that the agreement is a very bad one and that removing the emissions cap and stepping back from clean electricity were harming the environment. In all sincerity, I want to ask my colleague how he can support such a measure. Earlier, I asked the Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature to explain to me…
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Repentigny. The agreement between Alberta and the federal government is a perfect example of what I believe is wrong with Canadian politics, and frankly, today's debate is only contributing to that. It is clear that our political processes are powerless before the almighty oil and gas industry, and that is the only lens through which t…
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Madam Speaker, the leader of the official opposition repeatedly called it a pipe dream during question period. The federal government announced a fantasy pipeline. This rarely happens, but I agree with what the leader of the official opposition is saying. This pipeline is indeed a pipe dream, a fantasy, because most serious investors know full well that it has no long-term profitability unless it …
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Madam Speaker, I am having a very hard time understanding the following. It cost $34 billion to expand a pipeline infrastructure project. What is more, not a single private proponent wanted to get involved, and not a single private proponent wants to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline. We also know that it will take more than 40 years for Trans Mountain's infrastructure to be profitable. However, som…
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Madam Speaker, earlier, I asked the leader of the official opposition whether he was aware that no proponents are interested in this project right now. He referred many times to the government's imaginary pipeline. His answer was to tell me that if the government gets out of the way, then a proponent will come forward. We know that this project is not viable. In order to be viable, the pipeline wo…
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Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary is shouting himself hoarse trying to pull the wool over our eyes. This might even be affecting his health. He needs to take a breath between his shrieks. I am really concerned about his personal health. He can try to pull the wool over our eyes, but what the government is doing right now is providing indecent levels of support to the greedy oil and gas sect…
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Madam Speaker, a number of first nations have indicated that they want the tanker moratorium to remain intact. Even if they are consulted, they can ultimately decide to maintain the tanker moratorium. Would my colleague support the government forcing them to set aside the moratorium? How do we resolve this situation?
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Mr. Speaker, the last pipeline infrastructure built in Canada was the Trans Mountain expansion. It cost taxpayers $34 billion. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has said in numerous analyses that this infrastructure is not profitable. It would have to operate at full capacity over the next 40 years just to break even. My Conservative friends like to talk about the Liberals' pipe dream, but I think …
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Absolutely, Madam Speaker. More co-operation and consultation are needed. That is why the first thing that the government should have done when negotiating its agreement was to go and see the people of British Columbia to tell them what it was doing. Unfortunately, the government did not do that. The government negotiated behind British Columbia's back regarding infrastructure that may pass throug…
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would have liked to hear the amendment put forward by the leader of the official opposition, but I do not know what happened. There were some strange noises. I do not know if the leader of the official opposition had a digestive issue, but it was so disruptive that the interpretation stopped.
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Madam Speaker, the member for Winnipeg North just realized that we are a separatist party. Well done, it is about time. As for the rest of his question, we are not at all the kind of people who seek out conflict. All we are doing is defending Quebec's interests, which are very poorly served here. Forty-four Liberal Party members were elected in Quebec. I do not see any of them standing up for the …
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Mr. Speaker, aside from the fact that the government has obviously completely abandoned the fight against climate change, the big question that we will have to ask ourselves today is this: Is there really a proponent that is interested in building a pipeline? There do not seem to be very many people lining up to do that. The Liberals and the Conservatives are going back and forth about who has the…
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Madam Speaker, I find it hard to believe that 60% of Quebeckers support a pipeline. The question should be asked again more clearly, with specifics on the number of waterways that the pipeline is going to cross. I should also point out that we are not just a corridor for moving western energy. Quebec needs structural investments. The forestry sector is in the throes of an unprecedented crisis. Eve…
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Madam Speaker, the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie recently made a public statement on the television program Tout le monde en parle. He also published an open letter saying that the agreement was very bad—
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Mr. Speaker, Radio-Canada is reporting that the “no” side is getting organized. Indeed, the Liberals are wondering how to handle a potential third referendum. I have some ideas for them. They can start by not doing the following: betraying Quebeckers by abandoning climate action, threatening a province with pipelines, dismissing all of Quebec's demands in the budget and turning the Quebec Liberal …
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Mr. Speaker, that is not very generous, but it will be enough. I would like to congratulate my colleague from Brome—Missisquoi on his motion. When it comes to the environment and protecting biodiversity, every little bit counts. It is essential. However, I only have two minutes to point out the irony of the situation. Last week, the former environment minister stepped down. This minister, who I be…
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Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague, who spoke at length about the government's mismanagement, especially when it comes to softwood lumber. However, there is a proposal that has been going around for some time that would give the forestry sector some much-needed relief. It would involve buying back up to 50% of the countervailing and anti-dumping duties at the end of each month. Ho…
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Mr. Speaker, I asked my colleague from Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong a question earlier about carbon capture and storage and the outrageous amounts of tax credits that will be handed out to the greedy oil industry in the budget. She told me that she was personally against that. I wonder if that is the official position of my Conservative colleagues. I respectfully submit the following question to my c…
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Madam Speaker, in her speech, my colleague talked about the government's frivolous budget spending at a time when Canadians are paying a lot more for food and other consumer goods because of inflation. One of those frivolous expenses is the carbon capture, utilization and storage investment tax credit. Alberta's major oil companies made record profits from 2022 to 2024, and 60% of those profits we…
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Mr. Speaker, he is calling oil a renewable energy source. Quebeckers did not vote for a climate betrayal. Many of them even voted Liberal out of fear of the Conservatives. Today, the Liberals are betraying them with a conservative oil deal with Alberta. Quebeckers elected 44 Liberal MPs and got betrayed. Alberta elected two, and all its wildest oil dreams are coming true. What is the point of elec…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise this evening to speak to Bill C-15. This bill is part of the government's efforts to respond to the current tariff crisis with the Americans. I would say that it is a very weak, very lukewarm response. The negotiations with the Americans are currently on hold, and I do not believe anything in the budget will help meet the needs of Quebec. I do not think that it wi…
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Mr. Speaker, in his speech, my colleague talked a bit about the forestry industry. We saw the Prime Minister's announcement today. Unfortunately, although there is a program that provides liquidity support, it is struggling to get up and running. People in the forestry sector do not want more debt. What they want is a program that would allow the countervailing and anti-dumping duties to be bought…
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Madam Speaker, I assume there will be a committee study of Bill C‑15. The Bloc Québécois believes that it gives ministers far too much power. Now, there is a lot of hype in this bill. What I expect from the government is not to announce its intentions that will only have an impact 10, 15 or 20 years down the road. I expect it to do for the forestry industry what it is doing for the oil and gas ind…
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Madam Speaker, the first part of my colleague's question had to do with the death of one of his constituents. I offer my sympathies even though I do not know what this has to do with my speech. For the rest, I will simply say that I was criticizing the government, but I can also criticize the leader of the official opposition. In his speech yesterday, the leader of the official opposition was unwi…
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Madam Speaker, that is an interesting question. We have been getting ripped off since 2017. The American government uses every trick in the book to avoid the outcomes of the rulings from trade tribunals. No one in the Canadian government has the courage to stand up to it. That is what is disappointing. I would really like to see this change in the future.
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Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his bill and his very interesting speech, and I am pleased to know that he is willing to work together to improve his bill. I know that one aspect was particularly important to my colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean, namely the fact that the bill introduces the concept of transnational repression. The Bloc Québécois had been calling for this. However, we do …
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Madam Chair, people in the forestry industry are not interested in listening to nasty remarks and verbal game playing tonight. People in the forestry sector are not interested in hearing about who cares about the situation and who does not. They want to hear that people are ready to commit and that they are considering the solutions that have been put in place. A proposal was made and it has been …
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Mr. Chair, my colleague is always an ally when it comes to the forestry sector. We have seen many initiatives here before, including a bill on the use of wood. Unfortunately, even though this bill was passed, it has no teeth since it is not binding. The government is being advised to use wood as though it has never been advised to use it before. I find that a little odd. Does my colleague agree th…
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Madam Chair, to be very clear, there is a proposal that has been under consideration for a long time, which is that the government could buy back the entire $11 billion that is tied up in the United States. That is a massive sum. What we are presenting today is not that. At the end of each month, the government would buy back 50% of the countervailing and anti-dumping duties levied on every transa…
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Madam Chair, in everything I have heard the government say about the trade dispute with the United States, it keeps saying time and again that it is looking for an agreement on steel, aluminum and energy. It is important to understand the sectors involved. Aluminum is produced in Quebec. I know that aluminum processors are struggling, but primary aluminum producers are able to pass on the tariffs.…
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Mr. Chair, we are not content with empty slogans like “elbows up” and “who cares”. We need proposals. There is a proposal on the table. Unfortunately, my Conservative colleagues have not taken a position on it. This proposal calls for the government to buy back 50% of the countervailing and anti-dumping duties at the end of each month. Does my colleague agree?
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Madam Chair, there is a very simple principle: Quebec's elected officials should defend the interests of Quebec, and Ontario's elected officials should defend the interests of Ontario. This government's top priority right now is to build a pipeline and develop a carbon capture and sequestration strategy. The Liberals are all in agreement about that, but that does us absolutely no good in Quebec. T…
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Madam Chair, I will manage to finish this debate, I promise. I do not share the enthusiasm of my colleague from Trois-Rivières and my friend the parliamentary secretary. As for the announcements made on August 5 regarding the $700 million in access to liquidity and the $500 million earmarked for improving production chains, unfortunately I am hearing on the ground that the $700 million will be use…
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Madam Chair, initially, I was not supposed to share my time. I was supposed to speak for 10 minutes, but I was cut off after 5 minutes. The mistake was not ours.
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Mr. Chair, I will do the same thing to my colleague as I have been doing all evening. I am going to ask him a very simple question. The proposal that is currently circulating, and what people in the forestry sector are asking the House to do, is to set up a program that would buy back 50% of the countervailing duties. Unfortunately, when I asked the Leader of the Opposition about this tonight, he …
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Mr. Chair, I congratulate my colleague, the parliamentary secretary, on his speech. It is a pleasure to work with him. I know that he is a sensible, non-partisan guy. I also know that, at committee, he heard about the solution I mentioned earlier, which was proposed by Chantiers Chibougamau, Remabec, Domtar and union representatives. I would like to get a clear answer from my colleague this evenin…
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Madam Chair, I talk to a lot of business owners and workers in the forestry sector, and they all agree that what they are going through is the perfect storm. It is important to explain the context so that people really understand what is happening in the forestry sector. Not that long ago, we experienced unprecedented forest fires that kept small forestry operations out of the forest even though t…
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Mr. Speaker, in his speech, my colleague spoke at length about inflation. The very high cost of energy is one of the causes of inflation. High energy costs are often caused by the huge profits that folks in the oil sector are making, not by carbon pricing. For example, from 2021 to 2024, they raked in a record-setting $131 billion. During that same period, those people, most of whom are connected …
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Madam Chair, I completely forgot to say that I would be sharing my time. I may speak again a little later. I will just quickly respond to my colleague. I do not know how that can be arranged. There are already predatory hedge funds that are buying up between 30% and 70% of certain companies' countervailing duties. These hedge funds buy countervailing duties as though they were financial products, …
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Mr. Speaker, I understand my colleague's concerns about safety. However, there is an aspect of the government's bill that is also concerning, and that is the hidden expansion, so to speak, of Bill C‑5. On page 300 of this bill, part 2 is entitled “Exemptions to encourage innovation, competitiveness or economic growth”. These exemptions give the government broad powers, similar to those set out in …
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Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague's glowing speech on the budget, and I understand why it was so glowing, because she is in government, but she should also be somewhat concerned. As a member from British Columbia, she will see her Prime Minister announce a pipeline from Alberta on Thursday without the consent of Premier Eby, and even in the face of a lot of harsh criticism. What we see in th…
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Mr. Speaker, it is all well and good for the Liberals to brag about Canada's credit rating, but they also need to listen to what the experts are saying. Last week, the Parliamentary Budget Officer indicated that too many of the expenditures in the budget are being labelled or categorized as investments. My colleague from Mirabel has repeatedly spoken out about this creative accounting on the part …
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Mr. Chair, earlier this evening, in response to the Leader of the Opposition, I said that tonight we cannot settle for mere slogans. Saying “elbows up”, “who cares” or “we care” four times is not good enough for people in the forestry sector. A proposal is on the table. Unfortunately, no one in the Conservative Party has been able to tell us whether they support it or are not interested. No one wi…
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Mr. Speaker, I hope my question does not upset my colleague, because I do not want to be known as the loudmouth from Saguenay. I hope he will not be too offended. In the budget, there is a line that specifically mentions Pathways Plus, a carbon capture and sequestration project. The federal government is going to give the greedy oil and gas sector tax credits so that it can reduce the carbon footp…
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Madam Chair, this evening, we will have plenty of opportunity to demonstrate the government's incompetence. I just want to start with a little update, for the benefit of the parliamentary secretary. Usually, when we talk about a subject, we should try to understand it first. The issues for the forestry industry are the countervailing and anti-dumping duties. Tariffs are also an issue, and these ar…
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Mr. Speaker, I have been listening carefully to my Conservative colleagues' speeches today, and what I am hearing is actually quite surprising. I get the feeling that, rather than wanting to move this legislation forward, the Conservatives are trying to stir up discontent among the public by giving examples that, although deserving of discussion, should not be overblown. I do not know what their o…
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