Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Kitchener—Conestoga for his question. Following our discussion this afternoon, I thought he might ask his question in French, but maybe next time. Amendments were debated and voted on last year when the House was studying Bill C‑10. I was pleasantly surprised to see those amendments as clauses here in Bill C‑11. There are indeed provisions designed to promo…
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Madam Speaker, as an aside, I would first like to point out to the House that, like many of my colleagues, I am wearing the colours of Ukraine today. I was in Montreal yesterday, along with several of my Bloc Québécois colleagues, to take part in the rally in support of Ukraine. A number of rallies were held across Canada and Quebec. I saw yesterday why the people of Ukraine will emerge victorious…
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Madam Speaker, with respect to discoverability and unique Quebec or Canadian content, it is indeed our duty and responsibility to protect that content. Big American and foreign digital broadcasters do not care about that because they swim in a big ocean and can go everywhere. Things are going great for them. In our case, however, we are distinct—if I may use that word—and we have to protect oursel…
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Madam Speaker, I think my colleague raises an excellent point. There are cultural gems and treasures just waiting to be discovered in Quebec and all over Canada. We have to give opportunities to these small communities, to these unique and distinct cultural groups, to the entire spectrum that makes up this wonderful country and this wonderful nation of Quebec—until it becomes a wonderful country i…
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Madam Speaker, I would like us to be able to rely on the goodwill of digital companies. I would like them to show us that they do indeed care about the cultural specificity and the specific characteristics of Quebec and Canadian content. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I think the government has to establish some ground rules and enforce them so that artists can express themselves. As my coll…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech, which I found to be very interesting at times. Obviously, for different reasons, the Bloc Québécois is also against the application of the Emergencies Act, which we have been debating since Thursday, but that is not exactly the issue I wanted to address with my colleague. As my other colleague said in her question, he mentioned the War Measures A…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, I have to say that I have a great deal of regard for my colleague, who did not disappoint with this speech. He is always calm and thoughtful, and he always provides an independent analysis. I admire that about him and think that it is very honourable. He answered my question to some extent in his earlier remarks, but I would nevertheless like to make a comment and ask him my questio…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I recognize the member's intelligence and common sense. We now know that invoking the Emergencies Act, as the government is trying to do tonight, is no longer necessary, if it ever was. Would the member not agree that it would be more appropriate to use this time to gather in a committee to determine which tools could prevent crises like the one we have experienced, instead of resor…
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Madam Speaker, I heard my colleague from Yukon say that the occupation of Ottawa was over. Indeed, we saw excellent work on the part of the police on the weekend. However, if the occupation is over, what is the point of invoking the Emergencies Act? I would also add that, if the government still thinks it needs to be invoked when a crisis like this one is on the verge of being over, I hope that th…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from La Pointe‑de‑l'Île for his excellent speech and pertinent answers. I also thank him for agreeing to share his time with me, which he did reluctantly but in a spirit of fairness. I would like to start by joining other colleagues before me in applauding the outstanding work of all the police services, which demonstrated extraordinary professionalism in thi…
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Mr. Speaker, obviously an excessive law will provide effective tools, but does that mean they are justified? Does it take a baseball bat to smash a mosquito, or would a fly swatter or even a hand do the trick? This calls for a measured, predictable, proactive response. It is best to let people do their jobs and give them the tools they need when they need them. We saw this crisis coming. It took w…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Calgary Shepard for his question. I must say that I completely agree. There are things that may take longer, but they lead to the same outcome. Bank accounts can also be frozen by applying for a court order if there is good reason to do so. I spoke earlier about predictability and about having a little bit of foresight on events that are going to happen. This…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I must thank my colleague from Edmonton Strathcona and tell her that I am extremely impressed by her question in French. I congratulate her. Yes, I think that we are currently reaching what I would dare call an end to the crisis. It is not the time to turn the page and close the books. I think that tools need to be put in place in order to deal more effectively with future situations …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I do not know where he heard me say that the use of the Emergencies Act is being trivialized. That is not what I said, but I do think that it is excessive. The act is far too powerful a tool for what we needed at the time. I am not saying that the use of the Act is being trivialized, but I do condemn it for the overreach that it represents.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. The Emergencies Act is only meant to be applied in the event of an existing or imminent crisis. The situation taking place on Parliament Hill for the past three weeks appears to have been cleared or is well on the way to being cleared. Does my colleague still think it is necessary to enforce the Emergencies Act?
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, in his speech, my colleague from Vancouver Kingsway was a bit impertinent towards Quebec. In fact, he stated that Quebec invoked the notwithstanding clause to violate the rights of its own citizens. My colleague has shown either his ignorance or his contempt. Either way, that is unacceptable. I will nevertheless ask him a question. What is happening at this time could create a dange…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, we are hearing a lot of discussion about the Emergencies Act, which I hope will rally enough opponents to overturn its invocation by tomorrow night’s vote. There is obviously a lot of criticism, and I believe that people are divided as to what the government should have done. These differences of opinion are quite normal. What does my colleague think would have been the ideal course…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, it is clear that the Bloc Québécois and the Conservative Party intend to oppose the use of the Emergencies Act, but our reasons for doing so are very different. The Bloc is against it because both the National Assembly of Quebec and the current Government of Quebec have unanimously stated they do not want the feds to interfere in their business yet again by imposing the Emergencies …
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Madam Speaker, I never thought I would do this, but I am going to pick up on what the member for Timmins—James Bay just said. When will the Conservatives acknowledge that there is an actual threat that the police clearly do not have the means to contain? When will they admit that the evidence is right in front of them, what with the weapons seizure in Coutts and the threats made right out in the o…
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Mr. Speaker, earlier, my colleague from Winnipeg North talked about the money his government has invested in health care in recent years. I would like to remind him that the bulk of the money invested in recent years was for COVID-19 programs. If the roof is leaking, the shingles can be changed from time to time, but eventually, the whole roof needs redoing. That takes ongoing funding and long-ter…
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Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague from Abbotsford for his speech. I think it is wonderful that the Conservatives are stepping up for seniors. Finally. The Bloc Québécois was starting to feel a bit lonely in calling on the government to do something for seniors. The member for Abbotsford was a member of the government in 2012 when Prime Minister Harper decided that only seniors aged 67 and older …
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on her passionate speech. She is very eloquent. Bravo. However, I do have some nagging doubts about my Conservative colleagues' true intentions. On the one hand, they are proposing, indeed, demanding that the government present a plan to remove public health measures. On the other hand, they oppose Bill C‑10, whose purpose is to provide rapid tests to Quebe…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague from Calgary Nose Hill for her speech. I found some of the points she raised very interesting, particularly when she said that we should have the humility to acknowledge that we cannot know everything and that we will continue to learn a great deal during a pandemic. There is a young medical student in Quebec known as the doctor from TikTok. He frequently p…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting that the member for Winnipeg North says that his government is listening to the public. Here in the House, we are in fact the representatives of the people. I think that it is perfectly legitimate, to get back to the request of the motion before us today, for Quebeckers and Canadians to know what to expect and to be provided with a plan to lift restrictions fully…
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Madam Speaker, I made a note of that for later. I echo what the member for Winnipeg North said a few minutes ago. There seems to be a consensus on this motion, and yet the Conservatives still thought it was a good idea to make this the subject of an opposition day. My question is mainly one of curiosity. After the motion is adopted by the House of Commons, what other obstacles are our colleagues c…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to recognize the absolutely outstanding work of Denis Villeneuve, an extraordinary filmmaker whose most recent film received no less than 10 Oscar nominations. Dune: Part 1 is nominated for best picture, best adapted screenplay and best production design, overseen by Patrice Vermette. We are once again amazed at the extent of Villeneuve's genius, and we wish him an…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-246, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (representation in the House of Commons). Mr. Speaker, in 1995, the House of Commons recognized Quebec as a distinct society and encouraged the government to be guided accordingly in its conduct. In 2006, the House recognized that Quebeckers form a nation. In June 2021, the House reiterated that recognition by addi…
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Madam Speaker, with all due respect to my colleague from Ottawa Centre, he has risen several times now to comment on the occupation of downtown Ottawa. We are all aware of the situation. I am well aware. However, we are having a debate and we would like the questions and comments to relate to the matter at hand. It might be a good time to point that out to my colleague.
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Madam Speaker, I congratulate my hon. colleague from Kenora on his speech. He speaks softly, but he is eloquent. I believe he is doing a great job representing his constituents. His speech echoes the same concerns I hear from the businesses and residents of my riding, Drummond, particularly regarding some of the measures brought in to help businesses and merchants get through the crisis we are cur…
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Madam Speaker, I commend my colleague on his speech. I understand that he and his party have criticisms about Bill C‑8. I also understand that he and his party feel that businesses, retailers, the business sector need a helping hand to get back up and running. Barring these assistance programs, what solutions does my colleague propose? What assistance measures does he think should be brought in fo…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to say hello to the member for Toronto—Danforth. I had the great pleasure of serving with her on the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in the previous Parliament when she was the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. We worked together constructively. The committee undertook studies, including one on the impacts of …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, today is the 40th anniversary of Parrainage civique Drummond, a citizen advocacy group that provides services for adults living with an intellectual disability, a physical disability or other disorders that may affect functional autonomy. Parrainage civique Drummond was the initiative of a group of individuals looking for ways to provide specific, tailored support to this clientele. N…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House reaffirm the primordial and essential role of journalists in a democracy and deplore the attempts to intimidate them in recent days as part of their coverage of the events in Ottawa.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, in his speech, my colleague talked about the frustration being displayed on Parliament Hill since the weekend and as this session began. Many Canadians and Quebeckers are equally frustrated with the public health measures, which are affecting our daily lives and our activities. I am well aware that many people are anxious for these measures to be lifted. However, I would like to ask m…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, to listen to my colleague, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, one would think that everything is fine and that the Liberal government is doing a perfect job. In fact, things seem to be going so well that I have to wonder why the Nobel Foundation has not yet considered awarding all of this year's Nobel prizes to the Liberal government…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, today is the first day of Black History Month, and the theme, “Honor the past, inspire the future”, is well chosen. The best way to honour the past is to raise awareness and salute Black communities for the indisputable contributions they have made to the history, culture, and social, economic and political life of Quebec, Canada, North America and the world. This is always a good opp…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague opposite for his two-part speech. I was present for the first part, and we just heard the follow-up. I commend him for his patience and congratulate him on his speech in general. Since the subject of slavery and forced labour came up, I would like to hear his thoughts on the Olympic Games set to begin in Beijing this weekend and on the fact that genocide …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Trois-Rivières for agreeing to share his time with me. I would have listened to him for another half hour because of his eloquence and rich vocabulary, as my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé mentioned. I would like to begin this first speech of 2022 by acknowledging the members of my constituency team, who are listening right now because I asked them to p…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to federal public servants who have been placed on unpaid leave due to their vaccination status: (a) how many are there in total; (b) of the total in (a), what is the breakdown by federal department and agency; and (c) for each federal department and agency in (b), what percentage of total employees do the employees who have been placed on unpaid leave account for?
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Madam Speaker, at 8:30 this morning, a resident of my riding who was a victim of violent sexual assault 11 years ago, was going to testify before the Parole Board of Canada to prevent her attacker, a multiple offender, from being released. Every time this man has been released since the early 2000s, he has re-offended. In cases like this, or in sexual assault cases like those raised earlier by my …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago, we lost Gaston Miron, the poet who captured the soul of the Quebec nation with his words. Unfairly imprisoned during the October crisis, Miron never sank into bitterness and violence. He knew that it is love that sets us free. In his works, Miron shows us that no one should be ashamed to evoke their past and their culture to give meaning to their condition. At a time whe…
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Madam Speaker, I have to just shake my head when I hear my colleague talk about finding solutions to help regions experiencing a shortage of health care workers. There is a very simple solution. Health falls under provincial and Quebec jurisdiction. We therefore reiterate the unanimous request of Quebec and the provinces to increase health transfers, without conditions. That is the best way for Qu…
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Madam Speaker, unless I missed something, it is hard to determine whether our Conservative colleagues are going to vote for or against Bill C-3. After all, there are a few contradictions. The English-language media has been reporting that the Conservatives consider it unnecessary to amend the Criminal Code. In the French-language media, however, we sometimes heard the member for Mégantic—L'Érable …
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Madam Speaker, I am also confused by my colleague's comments, especially on what we should do with people who are still hesitating. I am in favour of dialogue, and I think that we must have discussions and educate people. There are scientifically proven methods for dealing with the COVID-19 virus, including mask wearing, vaccination and ventilation systems. The COVID-19 vaccine is the most tested …
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Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague from Bow River. I had the pleasure of serving with him on the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage last year, and I have a great deal of respect for him, even though we differ on some issues. My colleague from Bow River mentioned that he trusts the health care system, health professionals and his doctor and is opposed to protests against health…
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Madam Speaker, I want to start by congratulating my colleague opposite on being appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages. He can count on the Bloc Québécois to keep him busy with work. Bill C-3 does not really change things, since the offences that the government claims are being added to the Criminal Code already exist. They are not being added. What this bill does …
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Madam Speaker, there is no interpretation, and I wonder if that might be because my colleague is not wearing the headset required by the House of Commons, which may be a problem for the interpreters.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I commend my NDP colleague who did a great job on her inaugural speech. The throne speech was rather vague about what the government is actually proposing to do on the indigenous file, despite the minister’s claims. For example, it did not set out any proposed investments for first nations housing in Quebec. My colleague will learn that the Bloc Québécois is not necessarily the trou…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I thought for a moment that you did not want me to congratulate you on your return to the Chair. I promise that we will have very pleasant afternoons, just like we did in the last Parliament. Congratulations. I am happy to see you. I would also like to congratulate my colleague across the aisle. Her first speech was very good. She pointed out, with some emotion in her voice, how she…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to congratulate you on your appointment. You have a voice that carries, and everyone can hear you all the way at the back of the House. I think that, even without a microphone, you could make yourself heard and maintain order in the House. Congratulations. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance stated her firm intention to help the sectors most…
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