Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would advise my Liberal colleagues from Quebec to listen to voters. The government cheated us out of $800 million by giving all Canadians a carbon tax rebate even though that tax had not been collected. I am not convinced that the people who voted for the Liberal Party are happy today. With Bill C‑5, the government is proposing to build infrastructure that will not have any impact w…
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Mr. Speaker, under the Trudeau government, there was indeed some abuse in terms of migration, and Quebec paid the heaviest price. Most of the temporary migrants who were entering the country and putting pressure on the system came to Quebec. The federal government owes Quebec a considerable debt, but we are never going to get that money back. There is a general consensus on the bill before us. We …
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Mr. Speaker, I listened attentively to my colleague. Maybe he was not here in the last Parliament, but the government's management of immigration was mediocre. The influx of migrants into Quebec placed tremendous pressure on our health care system and social services, but Quebec was not paid back in full. Would my colleague not agree that this is a gross injustice?
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Mr. Speaker, you know as well as I that the Liberals were very bad when it came to immigration. The massive arrivals of temporary migrants in Quebec put considerable pressure on public services. There was the non-repayment of fees relating to those temporary migrants and the Roxham Road psychodrama. However, we are now considering a measure for which there is consensus. We discussed the bill durin…
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Mr. Speaker, a Quebecker who decides to plug their car into Hydro-Québec's electrical grid takes the money they would have given in the past to the large oil companies and their shareholders outside the country and gives it directly to Quebeckers. This money can then be reinvested in our health care and education systems. I do not see why we would not take advantage of the exceptional opportunity …
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Mr. Speaker, I will not address Mr. Zappa's comments, which were grossly exaggerated. Once, when I had a gas-powered car, I spilled gas on my shoes. I did not go around saying that my car smelled of gas for four or five weeks. His remarks were exaggerated and do not represent the reality of electric vehicles. That being said, what really annoys me is to see elected members of Quebec's National Ass…
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Mr. Speaker, the answer is probably simple enough. It is because they offered incentives. It is because they built a network to serve EV owners. The Conservatives' proposals do not align with that vision. What they want to do is not develop the EV sector. The last thing I heard the Conservatives say is that they want to maintain the plastic industry. They said that during the election campaign. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec has already passed legislation on zero-emission vehicles. We did not wait for the federal government. When it comes to the energy transition, Quebec very rarely waits for the federal government. What I find offensive, however, is the billions of Quebec dollars being funnelled to the oil and gas industry. We paid $34 billion for a pipeline. Between 2024 and 2030—
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Mr. Speaker, I find it rather surprising that my colleague is saying that a policy that encourages people to buy electric vehicles would have a disproportionate effect on Canadians. He spent his time demonizing electric vehicles. I live 660 kilometres from Ottawa, and I drive here in an electric car. I have to wait 15 to 20 minutes to recharge my vehicle, so it is one of the best alternatives. The…
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Madam Speaker, since it is rare that I agree with my colleague, I wanted to rise to speak. This resonates with me. Like him, I have an electric vehicle. I live in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, in northern Quebec. I can confirm that the winters are cold in northern Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. However, I am still able to get here with an electric vehicle. We have heard members try to demonize and vilify ele…
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Mr. Speaker, my apologies to the interpreters. I was saying that, with today's motion, what the Conservatives are proposing is to hold Quebec back from its transition to a low-carbon economy and have our investments go to waste. It is simple: The Manichaean view would be that the Conservatives want us in an oil and gas stranglehold. We saw that in the previous Parliament, and they are doing it aga…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Repentigny. To put it mildly, the honeymoon between the Conservatives and the Liberals was short-lived. The new couple, united by Bill C-5, is breaking up this morning over electric vehicles. It seems the Liberals may not be willing to buy into all kinds of nonsense when it comes to the energy transition and carbon pricing. Perhaps they ar…
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Mr. Chair, I am prepared to support the economies of all the provinces. Our goal is not to make anyone poorer, but we need to keep in mind that the government bought a pipeline for $34 billion. If we look at previous budget years, there are $82 billion in projected tax breaks for 2024-35. Does the minister not think that is a bit much for a single industry?
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Mr. Chair, is the government prepared to ensure that wood will be the preferred material?
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Mr. Chair, I have been here since 2019. We have been hearing for many years about a grand program to plant two billion trees. I have yet to see those two billion trees. It seems to me that there were discussions between Quebec City and Ottawa about using the two billion tree program to carry out silviculture in Quebec. Is this a solution that the minister would be willing to consider?
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Mr. Chair, the Liberal government paid $34 billion to expand an existing pipeline because there were no proponents. Now they are telling us that they want to build new oil and gas infrastructure. Does the minister know if there are any developers for this new oil and gas infrastructure?
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Mr. Chair, is the government going to invest in the Pathways Alliance?
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Mr. Chair, there is appalling inequity. People in the forestry sector are so afraid of the Americans that a forestry company whose main market is Quebec or Canada cannot access funding from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, or CED. My question for the minister is very simple. Does he think that is normal? Does he think it is normal that an industry cannot receive CED funding?
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Mr. Chair, the “build Canada homes” program has been mentioned a number of times. What we are asking the government to do is include the carbon footprint in the tendering process to prioritize wood as a material, since it has a lower carbon footprint. Is this a solution that the minister is prepared to consider as part of the “build Canada homes” program?
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Mr. Chair, there was a whole imbroglio involving the woodland caribou issue. The Liberal government threatened to shut down entire villages back home in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. Does the minister agree with me that the woodland caribou issue falls specifically under provincial jurisdiction and not Ottawa's?
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Mr. Chair, we want to send a strong signal to the oil and gas sector. I find it hard to understand why no proponent wanted to get involved in the Trans Mountain expansion. It took a $34-billion investment. I do not see why, today, someone would be prepared to invest in “pipeline” infrastructure. Perhaps the minister can explain that to me. We know that demand for oil will drop in the coming years.…
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Mr. Chair, Rich Kruger, the CEO of Suncor, came before the committee to say that, in his opinion, his company was putting too much emphasis on the energy transition. I do not think that was a clear indication by people in the oil and gas industry that they want to champion carbon capture and storage strategies. To the minister's knowledge, are any oil and gas companies interested in those technolo…
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Mr. Chair, I think the government clearly announced its intent to invest in carbon capture and storage. In the past, as part of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, I had many discussions with oil and gas executives. They told us that, without public investment, those projects were not profitable. I have a very simple question for the minister. Does he believe that low-carbon oil is profit…
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Mr. Chair, I agree with the minister that we need to look forward. For me, though, as I look forward, what I see is climate change. Looking forward, I see the government being complacent toward the industry, which raked in record profits in 2022. In 2022, big oil made record profits of $200 billion. However, from 2024 to 2035, Canada plans to give them $82 billion in tax benefits. Can the minister…
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Mr. Chair, I have a hard time grasping the logic of ending carbon pricing while asking sectors like the natural gas industry to reduce their carbon footprint. If a given industry's carbon footprint is reduced, then we can be sure it has to do with carbon pricing. Is there not a disconnect there?
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Mr. Chair, in the last Parliament, we talked a lot about a Canadian strategy for the production of green hydrogen, broadly based on carbon capture and storage technologies. However, Siemens Energy experts candidly admitted to us that it was too technologically risky to go in that direction. Does the minister believe that green hydrogen from gas still has potential?
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Mr. Speaker, it is quite surprising to hear my colleague say that we in the Bloc Québécois do not respect Quebec's autonomy because we are asking for money that was wrongfully taken from Quebec. Let us be clear: Quebec was robbed of $800 million. It is not true that this tax was paid by Canadians through the carbon pricing system. We have demonstrated this extensively. Quebec was robbed. I think i…
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Mr. Speaker, as I see it, one thing is perfectly easy to understand. My colleague said that Quebeckers did not participate in the federal carbon pricing system because Quebec has its own carbon exchange and so Quebeckers were not entitled to the rebate. While they may not have been entitled to the rebate, neither were other Canadians, since they did not pay the much-talked-about carbon tax for the…
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Mr. Speaker, when we defend the interests of our regions and our nation, we are told that we are sowing division. I find that rather surprising. I do not know whether the member for Winnipeg North was listening to me, but I listed all the appalling injustices that the federal government has imposed on Quebec, and today he tells me that I am sowing division. According to the vision of the member fo…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to inform you that I am sharing my time with the member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton. I have been listening to my Liberal colleagues respond to our motion since early this morning. I will not repeat what has already been said. We know where that $800 million comes from. All my colleagues made themselves hoarse trying to make the government understand that it gave out rebates…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec has its own carbon pricing system. It is completely illogical for my Liberal colleagues to say that the Canadians who participated in the federal carbon pricing system are entitled to a rebate for a tax that they did not pay. That is like saying there is no need to pay taxes to receive a tax refund. It is totally illogical. The Liberals' only justification for this is to say th…
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Mr. Speaker, the answer is right there in the question. It was indeed a vote-buying handout. I can hardly believe it. During question period, the Prime Minister even said he was proud to have put an end to the carbon tax. He said that the Government of Quebec had its own carbon tax. The Prime Minister himself does not understand the differences between the carbon pricing mechanisms in Canada. Queb…
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Mr. Speaker, there is one question that they have been trying to avoid since the day began. Perhaps my colleague can help me answer it. Someone who does not pay taxes does not get a tax refund. I want to know by what magic trick do Canadians who did not pay the carbon tax get a carbon tax rebate. I would like him to explain the magic formula that makes this possible.
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Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague. The bill contains a slight ambiguity regarding the minister's ability to suspend visas or refuse to consider applications. Of course this bill will be studied in committee, but as my colleague surely knows, immigration is an area of shared jurisdiction with Quebec. Denying visas when people have received a Quebec acceptance certificate might be …
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Mr. Speaker, Rémabec in my region announced that it is laying off 2,000 workers indefinitely. The Bloc Québécois would first like to express its solidarity with the families affected. For years, we have been saying that the forestry industry needs a liquidity program. For years, we have been saying that we need to support secondary and tertiary processing to create more added value in the forestry…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague from Thérèse-De Blainville is absolutely right. She asked the question and actually gave the answer too. The Liberal government is adding conditions to most of these issues, without taking into account the jurisdictions of the provinces and cities. The Conservatives are trying to starve the provinces and Quebec by passing on part of the cost and calling mayors—
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Madam Speaker, I rarely agree with the member for Winnipeg North. I am not trying to be unkind, but for once he said something that made sense, and I completely agree with him. It is not by calling the mayors of Quebec's biggest municipalities incompetent that we are going to generate more housing construction. As I was saying earlier, I call this the member for Carleton's method: He either recite…
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Madam Speaker, I think the most sustainable solution for Quebec in the long term is independence, but I will not play partisan politics. We definitely need more autonomy. Who knows about housing needs? I will be frank, it is not the federal government. It is the municipalities and the Quebec government that know what they need in terms of infrastructure to build more housing units. Yet that is com…
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Madam Speaker, I am surprised that the motion the House is taking up today is not a motion of non-confidence. I thought the Conservatives had said they were going to take advantage of every opposition day to try and topple the government. I do not know what is going on, but it does seem like part of a pattern, because today's motion strikes me as typical of the tactics employed by the member for C…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member on the quality of her French. The Conservative Party's record speaks for itself. It is the party that created two categories of unemployed workers. It is the party that tried to weaken the laws that protect unions. The Conservative Party supports workers when it is the opposition, but generally, when it comes to power, it soon shows its true colours. …
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Mr. Speaker, I am a very respectful person, so everything I said about the leader of the official opposition are quotations of his own words. I do not want to put words in his mouth. I do not know why he decided not to go through the process to get his security clearance. One thing I do know is that the Liberal Party has decided to abandon seniors. I know that the Liberal Party has made a proposal…
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Mr. Speaker, I would just like to point out to my friend from Chicoutimi—Le Fjord that the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development had a meeting on the caribou issue, because I moved a motion on the subject and I did that because the Conservatives were trying to play a futile game. The issue of the caribou order has now been set aside, and the federal government is in the pro…
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Mr. Speaker, I will not hide the fact that I sometimes have a hard time following what the Leader of the Opposition is saying. To demonstrate inflation and the carbon tax, he has often said that teachers are quitting because there is no heating in the schools, and that nurses are quitting because there is no heating in hospitals. However, he never proposed a solution to his concerns. Not too long …
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Mr. Speaker, I can absolutely talk about that. It would be great if we were able to increase the purchasing power of seniors 65 to 74. It would be really great if we could ensure that supply management is protected, especially with the arrival of the Trump administration. It would really great if we could eradicate hate speech based on religious exemption. I invite the Conservatives to end their s…
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy. I almost feel like I am among family. The member for Lac-Saint-Jean is here. My friend from Chicoutimi—Le Fjord is here, also. It is like being back in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. I feel good and confident. As far as the motion of non-confidence in the government is concerned, I think that the Bloc Québécois's course of action is fairly clear and understandable: We say what w…
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Mr. Speaker, we did not hear one word of what my colleague read because there are people talking to one another. I have no idea what the petition is about. I would maybe invite the member to start over.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a great suggestion for my colleague from Chicoutimi—Le Fjord. I am confident that I can convince my leader to end this filibuster. The member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord and I could propose a liquidity program for the forestry sector to the government. If he is interested, we could do that together. We could work something out. The government already succeeded in suspending the que…
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Madam Speaker, I do not think that the Conservatives will put all their eggs in one basket. I think that they are simply going to do away with any and all measures intended to support the implementation of clean energies. As I see it, Conservatives are Liberals with very few scruples. They know full well that oil pollutes, but are they prepared to put measures such as emissions caps in place? They…
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Madam Speaker, I come right out and tell these people to be patient, because transportation electrification is making rapid progress. I am seeing more and more electric F-150 trucks in my region. The best part is that when we plug in our EVs at home, our money does not go to Alberta but to Hydro‑Québec. That will, in turn, enable us to develop these upcoming technologies. What I tell these people …
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Madam Speaker, I too want to take a few seconds as well to salute my colleague from Repentigny who, unfortunately, will not be with us for the next election. In our caucus, we affectionately call her our eco-warrior, or Momo, which is shorter and simpler. I salute her because she is an inspiration to many colleagues. Today, we are talking about support for clean technologies. An article published …
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