Pierre Paul-Hus

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in the House today to table a petition on behalf of Éric Sauvé. It has been signed by 3,451 Canadians from across the country. They are calling on the Minister of National Defence to withdraw a directive that is undermining bilingualism in the Canadian Forces, particularly for francophones. I am tabling this petition and await the minister's response.

Mr. Speaker, the violent robbery committed on September 21, 2026, at the Ricci jewellery store in Place Rosemère shows just how unchecked crime has become in Quebec as a result of Liberal policies. In just 80 seconds, a group armed with axes and pepper spray terrorized the helpless employees before fleeing. Our business owners live in constant fear of this senseless violence, while the government refuses to act. When it comes to crime, the Liberals are out of touch with reality. The Conservative action plan will keep Canadians safe by strengthening the Criminal Code. Will they finally listen to us and follow our plan?

Mr. Speaker, the previous Liberal government undid everything that had been done to advance the fight against crime. Over the past year and a half, the new government has not fixed anything. It would be easy to restore what was in place before. I myself introduced a bill last year that could have easily been passed to repeal the laws enacted by Justin Trudeau and the same team that is still in power. On Monday, a street gang member once again opened fire on people in Montreal. Such criminals could not care less about the law because laws to prevent this type of crime no longer exist. Will the minister stop talking nonsense and act fast? Will he take up the Conservative bills to fight crime in this country?

Mr. Speaker, in June, a 19-year-old woman in Sainte-Foy was shot after being mistaken for someone else. Two suspects were arrested and released on a promise to appear. They were recently rearrested, and a third suspect was apprehended earlier today. Will the Prime Minister tighten bail rules and keep people accused of violent crimes in jail when the safety of Canadians is at risk?

Talk, talk and more talk, Mr. Speaker. Before 2015, public safety in Canada was fine. Since 2015, the Liberals have made a complete mess of the criminal justice system. Since 2015, they have been saying that they are going to fix it, but absolutely nothing has been done. Conservatives have introduced a number of private members' bills to address public safety issues in Canada. The Liberals always say no. When will the Liberals stop wasting time on empty talk and start taking real action to protect public safety?

Mr. Speaker, while the Liberals are spending billions of dollars on consultations, corporate subsidies and costly projects, we Conservatives have identified over $150 billion in savings. That is nearly $10,000 per family to help shrink the debt, reduce taxes and save Canadians money. Will the government cut spending on consultants and corporate subsidies, eliminate the industrial carbon tax and adopt the Conservative economic action plan?

Mr. Speaker, when I hear the Minister of Finance rhyme off numbers like that, I see how completely disconnected they are from reality. The everyday reality for Canadians is that, after years of Liberal spending, they are paying more for housing, food and transportation. The Conservative plan will save them money on housing, gas, groceries and Canadian-made cars. Why do the Liberals insist on defending their taxes and spending instead of helping Canadians save money?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister claimed that the cost of living is the best it has been in decades, but I have some news for him: We are in a recession. Along with my Conservative colleagues, I travelled across Quebec last week to hear from entrepreneurs. In Beauce, Bellechasse, the Lower St. Lawrence, Saguenay and Quebec City, the conclusion is always the same: Investments are being postponed, planned expansions are on hold and some companies are moving their operations outside of Canada. Does the Prime Minister understand that his greatest failure has been creating a climate in which businesses prefer to produce elsewhere?

Mr. Speaker, I think that the Minister of Finance is out of touch with reality. What we see on the ground, what we have observed, is that this is not working at all. What is more, a poll shows that 60% of Canadians are anxious because they do not have enough money and do not know how things will turn out. Then there are our entrepreneurs. As I said when I asked the first question: they have stopped investing. Those who are already in the United States are sending all their business there. That means job losses in Canada. Where is the good news in all this? Everything has come to a standstill. Nothing is moving forward. Does the Prime Minister realize that?

Mr. Speaker, Lac Saint-Charles provides drinking water to nearly 300,000 residents of the Quebec City region. Between 2019 and 2021, I proposed a $200-million federal investment to protect this resource, and that proposal was supported by the former minister, the current member for Québec Centre. Seven years on, nothing has been done. Can the Secretary of State for Nature explain why the Liberals have scrapped this crucial investment in protecting Lac Saint-Charles and Quebec City's drinking water?

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister left his job as the chair of Brookfield in New York to come to Canada, he forgot that he was no longer working for a private company but for Canadian taxpayers. Right now, Canadians are going through a recession. They are paying more for everything, and millions are struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile, government documents show that the Prime Minister spent nearly $1 million on inflight catering for just 14 trips. While families have to watch every penny they spend at the grocery store, does the Prime Minister really think that spending $1 million on inflight meals is a responsible use of taxpayers' money?

Mr. Speaker, I think the tone I used was appropriate, considering how wasteful the party across the way has been all these years. I know that it must be hard for the Prime Minister to get used to life in the public service after having enjoyed the perks of working for a private company like Brookfield. However, it is important to understand that each trip costs an average of $70,000 in food and drink. That is not the cost of the plane, nor is it the cost of fuel; it is just the bill for food and drink. At a time when food banks are seeing greater demand than ever, how can the Prime Minister justify this to Canadian taxpayers?

Mr. Speaker, a United Way report released today reveals that Canadians are increasingly concerned about their financial situations. According to the report, 60% of Canadians are anxious about their finances, and 38% of Canadians are experiencing food insecurity. While families are struggling to build a future for themselves, the government wants them to foot the bill for a high-speed rail project that could cost more than $100 billion. Just this morning, the Liberals admitted that they have no idea how much it is going to cost. If Canadians can no longer afford to put food on the table, why do the Liberals think they can afford to spend over $100 billion on a train?

Mr. Speaker, I think the Secretary of State for Nature did not understand what I said in my first question. Sixty per cent of Canadians are feeling anxious, and 38% of Canadians are experiencing food insecurity. The government wants to embark on a high-speed rail project costing over $100 billion while people are going hungry. How can anyone think that these people can afford a ticket to ride the high-speed train when they cannot even afford groceries? Can she answer that?

Mr. Speaker, last week we met with businesses across Quebec. The picture is the same everywhere: The uncertainties surrounding CUSMA and the U.S. tariffs under section 232 are increasing the financial pressure on our manufacturers and hampering investment. Business owners tell us they are putting expansion plans on hold, delaying equipment purchases and hesitating to invest in their growth. That is the reality on the ground, while Canada is the only G7 country in recession. Does the Prime Minister understand that Quebeckers are the ones now paying the price for his inability to restore confidence in our economy?

Mr. Speaker, what the government has to understand is that businesses have told us that they are waiting. They are waiting to invest, they are waiting to expand their facilities and they are waiting to take risks. Is that the government's idea of good economic conditions: a climate of uncertainty that is paralyzing private investment at a time when Canada is in a recession? Is the Prime Minister proud of having created an economic climate where business owners are choosing to wait or to invest outside Canada?

Mr. Speaker, I love hearing my colleague accuse the Conservatives of being people who just want sound bites for social media. The point is that we are not making things up when we present the facts, when we talk about the loss of 113,400 jobs in Canada and when we talk about how people are struggling to put food on the table. We have the statistics to back up what we are saying. Statistics Canada has said that two consecutive quarters of negative growth mean we are headed for a recession. We are not making that up. I would like the member to provide further clarification on his way of thinking rather than attacking us in such a strange way.

Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only G7 country that is in a recession. However, just a few days ago, the Prime Minister was bragging that Canada is the second-strongest economy in the G7. It is clear that he misled Canadians. Meanwhile, 112,300 jobs have been lost since the beginning of the year. Canada now has the second-highest unemployment rate in the G7. Other countries are facing the same tariffs and the same international crises. Why is the Prime Minister the only G7 leader to have led his country into a Liberal recession?

Mr. Speaker, the minister is right: The Liberals received a mandate, but they are not fulfilling their mandate. The proof is that we are currently in a recession. Furthermore, the Prime Minister swore he was the only one capable of resolving the problem with Donald Trump. A year and a half later, absolutely nothing has been resolved. Meanwhile, 87,000 jobs were lost in Quebec during the first four months of 2026. Nearly half of those were lost in the construction and manufacturing sectors. The Conservatives are requesting an emergency debate because we want to know what the plan is. Instead of listening to all sorts of nonsense, can we have an emergency debate to find out what the government's plan really is and see if we can help?

Mr. Speaker, after weeks of pressure from the Conservative Party, the Liberals have finally come to their senses and eliminated the excise tax on gasoline, but that is not enough. The Liberals continue to maintain the so-called clean fuel standard, another hidden tax that currently adds 7¢ per litre and could rise to 17¢ per litre by 2030. Canadians need real relief now, not a half-measure from the Liberals. Will the Prime Minister finally abolish the clean fuel standard, yes or no?