Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I heard my colleague say in his speech that, with the Bloc Québécois's support, the government was preventing or stifling the debate on that. The Conservatives filibustered nine meetings of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, thereby preventing constructive debate on this sensitive issue. It is true that the Conservatives have been spreading somewhat distorted informat…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it very strange to hear my colleague say that there was only one request. We had a number of amendments, and we would have had more if the Conservatives had stopped filibustering and if we had been able to discuss a serious and sensitive bill like grown-ups. That said, the Conservative member, in his speech, and even in his answer to my colleague from Winnipeg North, talked abo…
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Mr. Speaker, I am glad I was here for my colleague's speech. It was surreal. The fact is, we were treated to some name calling and all sorts of veiled insults. My colleague across the aisle listed some of them. It was very entertaining. The member talked about radical secularists, radical separatists and radical socialists. One would think we were listening to Donald Trump or one of his buffoons t…
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Mr. Speaker, there are so many issues we could have discussed in committee, so many concerns we could have addressed, had we been able to properly debate Bill C‑9, which, as we all agree, deals with some very sensitive issues. Unfortunately, the Conservatives engaged in extensive filibustering. Nevertheless, we can still ask the government some questions, including, for instance, on subjects that …
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Mr. Speaker, imagine the quality of the debates we could have had if the Conservatives had not filibustered during nine meetings of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. We could have discussed a great many matters as interesting as this one. I want to go back to the issue of disinformation and the misrepresentation of facts in which the Conservative Party engaged in order to incite …
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Mr. Speaker, since the start of this debate, I have been wondering whether there are any concrete examples of religious discourse by a pastor, a minister or a rabbi, or any texts or contexts that might cause issues. For example, I recall a Conservative MP questioning me about a previous Bloc proposal to remove this religious exemption. He told me that his pastor would no longer be allowed to speak…
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Mr. Speaker, the Drummondville symphonic orchestra has just scored a major coup. It has won another Opus award, this time in the regional impact category, for Mes mers intérieures, presented in 2025. It is safe to say that Drummond cannot help itself from standing out. This award is no small feat. It is presented by the Conseil québécois de la musique to outstanding projects in Quebec. The Drummon…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by saying that I will be sharing my time with my distinguished colleague from Mirabel. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that I will be delivering a preview of, or a preamble to, my colleague from Mirabel's speech, which I am sure will be particularly entertaining. I will not say any more, but I hope my colleagues enjoy this teaser. Before I begin, I wo…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to highlight the passion of my colleague from Abitibi—Témiscamingue and his command of the file. People are indeed feeling the effects of these bureaucratic decisions or these kinds of big bureaucratic machines that come to do the work or impose conditions in the regions of Quebec, when the organizations already in place, the municipalities, the regional county municipalities, …
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Mr. Speaker, we have seen situations where the federal government decided to implement programs that are none of its business, that fall under the jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces. The federal government's task is simply to transfer the funds. However, the Liberals always want to add conditions. In the latest situation involving housing, it took nearly a year and a half before an agreement…
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Madam Speaker, I do not have the minister's exact words in front of me, but I would be extremely surprised if a minister had said in committee that a pastor who quotes a passage from the Bible could be tried or prosecuted. I cannot imagine in what kind of medieval world something like that could have been said. I will refrain from answering the question because I do not have all the facts. What I …
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Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers have a rich, diverse and unique culture. Our creators have produced music, movies, literature and performing arts unlike any others. All these extraordinary works are the fruit of wonderful and visionary pioneers who have captured the spirit of our people. We should thank them every day and celebrate their creations every chance we get. Unfortunately, it is often when they …
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Madam Speaker, I have the great privilege of serving as a Bloc Québécois member, so I am not faced with that dilemma. However, if I belonged to a party that had members across Canada and that had to cater to all Canadians on an issue like this one, I would likely also be hiding behind the curtains.
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Mr. Speaker, we have been saying it all day and since the debate began: The Bloc Québécois thinks that the government is making things a lot more complicated than they have to be and that it is preventing the municipalities and the Quebec and provincial governments from doing their work effectively in their own jurisdictions. I want to know whether my colleague agrees with the Bloc Québécois, whic…
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Madam Speaker, I would say that, in any bill, there is an opportunity for parliamentarians to debate, discuss, clarify and amend. However, this could not be done as effectively because of Conservative filibustering in committee. There are always protections in a bill. There are always safeguards that are put in place. What is more, there are always remedies available afterwards if a bill is found …
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Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague from Mirabel on his speech, which was as principled and relevant as it was entertaining. The Conservatives talk a lot about Adil Charkaoui and the fact that no charges have been laid against him. Picking up on that, I would like my colleague from Mirabel to tell me whether, as far as he knows, the Attorney General of Quebec or Quebec's director of crimina…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his speech. The Conservatives are known for trimming the fat, so to speak, wanting to reduce the size of government and make it more agile. However, we in the Bloc Québécois believe that Build Canada Homes and the Liberal government in general tend to encumber and complicate the system and its processes rather than simply respect the jurisdictions of Que…
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Madam Speaker, this is not the first time we have seen this kind of behaviour from the Conservatives. They also misrepresented the facts regarding Bill C-11, which they described as an attack on Canadians' freedom of expression, when that was not at all the case. That was not part of the bill's substance or intent. I will respond to one aspect of my colleague's question. What this does is fuel Que…
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Mr. Speaker, it is easy to invest, and that is the federal government's job. It is wonderful to talk about the high-speed rail project. My colleague from Mirabel has been talking about it for weeks. People in his riding and in other ridings that the high-speed train will traverse are concerned, very worried, afraid and angry, and we understand why. I think this is a good example of how the federal…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's question, even though we have heard the same damn arguments from the start. The Liberals do not seem to have very many other examples with which to counter the Bloc Québécois's arguments, but that is all right. I respect my colleague's points. I just want to say that, because the federal government was dragging its feet, it took two years to negotiate the h…
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Mr. Speaker, I think that the word may have been borderline in terms of acceptable language, but regardless, it was unnecessary and my colleague was right to bring it up. I apologize. I would like to withdraw that word from my response, because it was not at all necessary given the context.
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Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague from Lac‑Saint‑Jean really hit the nail on the head. I emphasized this point in my speech, but it bears repeating. It is important to stand up for what we believe in, defend our position and back up our words with action. The speech at Davos was inspiring. However, that speech is over, the government is not standing up in the face of adversity and we are no furthe…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have this opportunity to participate in the debate and discussions on Bill C-15. I would like to focus briefly on the issue of the digital services tax, which I feel is very important, particularly for the cultural and media sectors. We have discussed it at length. I think it is important to highlight the significant consequences of abolishing this tax. First and …
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Mr. Speaker, another great actor has left us. Raymond Bouchard was a shining star in Quebec's cultural firmament. We will miss him more than words can say for his voice, his gift of the gab, and his generosity as an actor and as a person. These extraordinary artists are irreplaceable. Every time we lose one of them, a wonderful era in Quebec's social and cultural history fades away little by littl…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Winnipeg North for yet another brief, but interesting, speech. Earlier, my colleague from La Pointe-de-l'Île mentioned that it took the federal government two years to negotiate agreements with the Quebec government under the Canada housing infrastructure fund. By the time the agreement was finally signed, there was not enough money left in the fund to meet Queb…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my entertaining friend from St. Catharines for his speech and his enthusiasm. It is always enjoyable to listen to what he has to say and to ask him questions. I look forward to hearing his answer to my question. At the beginning of his speech he talked about the holistic approach of Build Canada Homes. However, the words “holistic” and “Liberal government” do not go to…
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Mr. Speaker, when the federal government, and especially this Liberal government, sticks its nose into something that is working relatively well, usually something managed by municipalities in Quebec and in the provinces or by the provincial governments or the Quebec government, it always creates a terrible disaster involving mismanagement, cost overruns and money not getting where it needs to go.…
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Mr. Speaker, next Tuesday, Quebec will once again put pressure on UNESCO to protect the diversity of cultural expressions in the from the hegemony of the web giants. Quebec will join forces with European countries to ensure that the 2005 UNESCO convention, which protects different cultures from globalization, also applies to the digital world. However, this is not a done deal. Since Quebec is not …
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Mr. Speaker, that is music to my ears. Canada is voting on Quebec's behalf at UNESCO. Last June, it did not vote in favour of a binding protocol that would protect our cultural sovereignty from the web giants. Worse still, it later scrapped the digital services tax, which would have forced web giants to pay a modest levy that could have been used to support our culture and media. Next week, Canada…
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Mr. Speaker, Franco Nuovo just passed away unexpectedly, without warning, almost brazenly. We thought he was away for what, a week? Now, we are left wondering who will brighten our Sunday mornings, who will join us for a coffee. As Leonard Cohen put it, “Hey, that's no way to say goodbye”. As a commentator, critic and host, Nuovo picked up where Le Bigot left off as our weekend companion. He was a…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to celebrate the retirement of an Alouette who refuses to have his feathers ruffled. Marc‑Antoine Dequoy is retiring after leaving his mark on the Montreal Alouettes. Although he was a defensive back in the team that won the 2023 Grey Cup against all odds, the broader public recently got to know him better through his appearances on television. The charismatic Marc‑Antoin…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent among the parties for the following motion: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, the member for Drummond be permitted to give the five-minute right of reply to close the debate on Bill C-245 on behalf of the member for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères.
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Mr. Speaker, Bill C-245, which was introduced by the Bloc Québécois, seeks to exclude Quebec from Canadian multiculturalism so that it can implement its own model for integrating immigrants. It is simple. The bill has just one provision, but the other parties are having a hard time understanding it. First, what is multiculturalism? We are hearing all sorts of things in the House, including a lot o…
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Mr. Speaker, this government has perfected the art of devising band-aid solutions. Putting big band-aids on big problems is a good look for the government, since it creates the appearance of coming to people's aid. A measure is being introduced to assist people for five years. After that, these people will probably feel some anxiety, especially seniors, the most vulnerable in society, whose number…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague's speech and I think we are more or less on the same page when it comes to supporting Bill C‑19. We consider it necessary because of the imperative need to support Quebeckers and Canadians through the extremely harsh financial circumstances facing families. Once again, however, I get a sense that we are good at extending support programs to help people in ne…
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Mr. Speaker, I love when you speak French and when you say the word “multiculturalism” in French. I know it is hard to say, and I commend you for it, which is why we are requesting a recorded division.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to clarify something, because I find the point of order raised by the government whip interesting. In your decision, I understand that the situation applied to the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley, but the point raised here is nevertheless very interesting. In the case of a member who votes in person from their seat, then leaves the House befor…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague from Shefford on her speech and on her commitment to seniors. When the measure proposed by the government in Bill C‑19 ends in five years, seniors especially but also families will be faced with the prospect of losing it. There is also a growing number of seniors, particularly those between 65 and 74 years of age, for whom my colleague has been advo…
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Mr. Speaker, on January, 29, 2017, at approximately 7:45 p.m., we lost six Quebeckers in the tragic events that took place at the Quebec City mosque. Six Muslims were murdered for the sole reason that they were Muslims, for the sole reason that they had gone to pray that evening with their fellow believers. Quebec lost six of its own. Today, our thoughts are with the loved ones, families and frien…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his speech. The collaboration between the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois on improving Bill C-12 has been mentioned several times since the beginning of today's debate. In fact, the original version of the bill was unacceptable or at least, as my colleague said, parts of it were extremely hard to swallow. The government had made commitments, includi…
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Mr. Speaker, Bill C‑12 is the new version of Bill C‑2. The Bloc Québécois believes that the government is taking a step in the right direction with this new iteration, but there is still a major problem. In their platform, the Liberals proposed hiring 1,000 additional RCMP officers and 1,000 additional CBSA officers. The RCMP will be fine; it was in the throne speech. However, that is not the case…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Vancouver East made her disdain for Bill C-12 clear. It goes without saying that I respect her opinion. There are groups that claim this bill will not stand up in court. I would like to know what my colleague thinks of the possibility of certain parts of the bill being challenged in court. I would like to hear her opinion. Does she think that is the case? Which parts…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I feel compelled to comment on the remark just made by the Conservative member. I understand that he is new to the House. He will have opportunities to experience other moments like the one before us this evening, with a bill intended to establish a heritage month. Other heritage months have been instituted in the past. More will be proposed and debated in the future. Usually, this is…
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Mr. Speaker, it takes a lot of humility on my part to speak to this topic, especially after the Conservative member for Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake and after my colleague from Etobicoke North, who have family roots in Ukraine and ties to the Ukrainian community. It takes a lot of humility for me, a little Quebecker with no official or family ties to Ukraine, to take the floor and defend B…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by congratulating my colleague from Rivière‑du‑Nord for his brilliant speech and for his thorough work on this file, which he has been adeptly looking after for years. The Bloc Québécois has been calling for this religious exemption in section 319 of the Criminal Code to be repealed for quite some time, long before this year and long before this Parliament. Earli…
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Madam Speaker, I wonder what is in the Kool-Aid that the religious right is giving to the Conservatives. It must be pretty strong, because it is effective. The Conservatives seem to really believe what they are saying. They are claiming that this measure is directed at freedom of religious expression or freedom of religion. It is unbelievable. My question is for the member for Winnipeg North, who …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons should visit Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. He would find out that people certainly are talking about building a country, the country of Quebec. I have even more suggestions for the “no” side. The federal government could respect Quebec laws, such as state secularism and the Charter of the French Language. It could fight the decli…
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Mr. Speaker, I made a passing reference to that in my speech, but it was not really the main point of my speech. That said, I will reserve my comments and response for later, once we have completed the study that is currently being conducted. With each new meeting during this study, we are learning some extremely interesting things. The report on this study will be published at some point. At that…
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Mr. Speaker, earlier, in my speech, I spoke at length about how facts are being distorted and twisted in order to make people who are sincerely concerned accept the position of a political party. I find that unacceptable. I believe we have a duty to be honest. We have a duty to speak responsibly to voters and tell them the truth, the real facts. In this case, I get the impression that a message of…
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Mr. Speaker, much has been said about decorum in the House. How many warnings do you have to give, how many times do you have to yell “order” before you dish out consequences? It is starting to get embarrassing, quite frankly. Mr. Speaker, thank you for bringing some order and for enforcing your authority in the House.
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