Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are so excited by our housing policy in this budget that they cannot help themselves. We are investing a historic amount in the creation of housing in this country, and it is going to help each and every Canadian purchase a home. We have incentives for first-time homebuyers. We have plans to create co-op housing. We have plans to ensure that affordable housing is the…
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Mr. Speaker, we are also concerned about the increased cost of living for our vulnerable seniors. That is why all of our programs for vulnerable seniors are indexed to inflation. That means that any amounts they receive from the federal government increase with the cost of living. I would also invite my colleague to refer to page 189 of our budget, where we talk about expanding and investing more …
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Mr. Speaker, no government in Canadian history has invested more in the creation of housing than our government through this budget. We are there in order to ensure that more homes would be created—
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Mr. Speaker, we are lowering the debt. Our net debt-to-GDP ratio is consistently declining, as evidenced by this budget. We continue to have the best fiscal balance sheet among countries right across the G7. I would remind my colleague, when she talks about growth, that she is actually downplaying the incredible growth Canadians are creating in our country. There was 6.7% growth in Q4. I would lik…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, as a woman from Quebec, I have to say that, frankly, my colleague's comment about child care was very surprising and disappointing. Our government made it a priority to bring in a Canada-wide child care program so that women can decide whether they want to have a career, which is the decision that I, my colleague and all women with both a family and a career have made. I would also …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I must admit that it was quite interesting. I would have to agree with my colleague from Calgary Midnapore. Canadians are not stupid, absolutely not. That is why Canadians understand that the inflation we are seeing here at home, while concerning, is not a made-in-Canada problem. It just is not. Anybody who reads the newspaper or knows the fact…
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Madam Speaker, Niagara is a beautiful part of this country and we are absolutely looking forward to welcoming tourists to Niagara and to tourism destinations right across Canada. In fact, just recently, Destination Canada was thrilled by our announcement to change our border measures. We are opening up to the world. Tourists are coming back and Destination Canada is going to play a key role in tha…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I will not engage the member's insulting comments at the end of his address. I would say, however, that we have put in place a number of other programs that I would draw his attention to, including for food security in the north. There is $163 million to expand the nutrition north Canada program and there are additional programs for food policy in Canada. I believe he did address fo…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I and our entire government are fully aware that many Canadians are feeling the effects of inflation, including higher prices for groceries and heating. The response that the minister gave was simply to put it into context. Of course, Canadians are seeing price increases at the grocery store, but this is due to circumstances entirely out of our control. We are actually, at the momen…
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Madam Speaker, I was very interested by my colleague's earlier question on this same topic. I would like to remind the member, as well as all members in the House, that the price on pollution that he likes to refer to as a gas tax, which I am fine with, is actually completely compensated, for Canadians and all members of the middle class, through our climate action incentive. Canadians do not pay …
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Madam Speaker, it is important for us to continue to work with the entire private sector and particularly with our banks. As I mentioned in my speech, it was an important platform commitment to raise the income tax for the most profitable and largest banks in the country.
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Madam Speaker, as a proud Quebecker, I would not dare speak for Albertans, and I think that my colleague would agree with me.
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Madam Speaker, one of the measures that I am very much in favour of is to increase taxes on those who are speculating in our markets here in Canada. We have proposed a tax on foreign buyers who wish to scoop up Canadian homes for the purpose of either flipping them or leaving them vacant in order to have a property sold at a later date. I think we absolutely need to attack speculation, and I thank…
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Madam Speaker, of course I agree. For me and for many of my constituents, raising taxes on the largest and most profitable banks was an essential part of our election platform. However, that is not the only thing included in the motion we are debating today, and that is why we are discussing it.
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Whitby. We are fully aware that the effects of high inflation are being felt across the country. As the member for Burnaby South surely knows, it is a global phenomenon, and the price of goods has increased around the world. This is due to a number of factors. First, during the pandemic, millions of people reallocated money they usually …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we know that there is inflationary pressure everywhere in the world right now. Our government is there to support vulnerable Canadians. We are there with programs to help everyone, including seniors and families. My colleague across the way, a member from Quebec, should know very well that we are also dealing with a global climate crisis, and we have to make sure we protect the enviro…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. I would, however, remind the House that our economy grew by 6.7% in the last quarter. Our economy is rebounding significantly, and we are there to deal with the challenges of inflation. I also want to note that other countries around the world, including the United States, have much higher inflation rates than Canada. Our government knows how to …
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Mr. Speaker, our government's record is clear. We are there for the most vulnerable Canadians, we are there to support them. During the pandemic, the Conservatives were proposing austerity measures, but that is not what Canadians wanted. We will ensure that our economy continues to grow. As I said earlier, the economy is doing well, and we will continue to do our job.
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Mr. Speaker, we are here to support Canadians. We are here to support our seniors. We are here to support our families. We created the Canada child benefit and then increased it. Bill C‑12 received royal assent this week, which will allow us to get more money out to seniors. We are here for Canadians. The austerity that the Conservatives are proposing is the wrong approach.
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the suggestion from my colleague in terms of procedure. It is my understanding that Bill S-216 did recently pass the Senate, and it is now in our legislative process in the House of Commons. Our government, as I mentioned earlier, is in the process of analyzing it, and we will come to a decision. I look forward to working with my colleague opposite and all colleagues i…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to exchange with my hon. colleague from Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, with whom I also sit on the foreign affairs committee. As members can imagine, over the last number of weeks we have been very busy addressing the developing situation in Ukraine and now, of course, the illegal invasion. I believe my colleague wished earlier to refer to the hon. member of …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I really enjoyed it. I want to point out that the Bloc talked about the Constitution a number of times and about how Quebec did not sign it. However, it is interesting to note that members also pointed out in this debate just how important the Canadian Constitution is. My question is about the philosophical point my colleague made about “the righ…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, who did a great job explaining certain points, even though I disagree with her. She said that Quebec should be a country, or at least I think that is what I heard. We are in the House of Commons, in Ottawa, and we are talking about Quebec's representation within Canadian democracy. I will be an ally to my colleague in ensuring that Quebec is well represented in t…
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my friend and colleague from Alfred-Pellan, who is also a member of our Quebec caucus's leadership team. I am very happy to have the chance to speak to an issue as important as redrawing Canada's federal electoral map. This is an important topic, one that lies at the heart of our democratic life from coast to coast to coast. In Canada, our democratic i…
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Madam Speaker, Elections Canada's proposal has nothing to do with partisanship or politics. What the Bloc Québécois is doing today, however, is certainly political. I remind members once again that we are here in the House to represent all Canadians, including Quebeckers. That is what I do, and that is what the 35 government members who represent Quebec do every day.
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Madam Speaker, my colleague raised some very important and complex points in her question. I would have to say that it is obviously our democracy that is at stake. I think this is something we will have to debate in the House and we will have to hear from members across all parties to find a more comprehensive solution than the one proposed in the motion before us, moved by the Bloc Québécois.
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Madam Speaker, I am very open to the idea of discussing the way Canada's democracy works, but I think that all systems around the world have problems. It will ultimately be up to members of Parliament and Canadians to decide how they want to proceed with our democracy. I think the situation in Ukraine and Russia has us thinking about the importance of democracy here, in Canada, and around the worl…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, effective today, we are easing our measures at the border and preparing to once again welcome tourists in large numbers. I am proud of our tourism sector and we look forward to a strong and swift recovery. As of today, the travel advisory is no longer in effect. Speaking as somebody working closely with our tourism industry, I can only rejoice, rejoice that we have collectively made i…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech and mention that I, too, have had several conversations with several protesters. I think it is important to have those conversations. My question stems from the member's comment regarding the fact that our government did not proceed with any actions prior to the invocation of the emergency measures act, which is completely incorrect.…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her speech. However, I want to point out that her comparison with the War Measures Act is inaccurate because we are talking about another act here. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that, for the Bloc Québécois, respecting areas of jurisdiction is only important from time to time. The member is asking us to act when she knows full well that, without the Eme…
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Madam Speaker, why is the member from Alberta denying the people of Alberta the protections that the government of his province had requested from the federal government?
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Madam Speaker, today's debate is crucial. I would like to address my remarks to all members of the House, of course, but also to Canadians right across the country. The Canadian government declared a state of emergency this week. This decision was not made lightly, and for good reason. Invoking the Emergencies Act is not the first thing the Government of Canada should do, or even the second. It mu…
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Madam Speaker, I am sure it will come as no surprise that I entirely disagree. Canadians have lost confidence in many different institutions as a result of what has been happening over the course of the last three weeks. Top of mind are the police. I believe many Canadians across the country question whether law enforcement was there, and this Emergencies Act provides more tools to our police forc…
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Madam Speaker, the Canadian flag is the flag of all Canadians, including all Quebeckers, and I wear it proudly every day. In reply to my colleague, because I did not really understand his very bizarre question, I would like to point out that I have just seen that Quebeckers agree with the use of the Emergencies Act. More than 70% of Quebeckers approve of the invocation of this act, and I am proud …
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Madam Speaker, I completely agree with my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite‑Patrie. This is a completely different act. The Emergencies Act is not the same as the act invoked in 1970. Soldiers are not being deployed on Canadian soil or Quebec soil. I agree that there is transparency and that parliamentarians in this House all have the power to revoke the application of the Emergencies Act at any t…
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Madam Speaker, I think I will address this question in French, with the permission of my colleague. I agree, as I mentioned earlier, that the vast majority of Quebeckers support the use of this act. I will also point out that the approval rating is even higher in Quebec than in the rest of Canada. I think that the members of the Bloc Québécois should be careful when they speak on behalf of Quebeck…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand that inflation is a global phenomenon. Here are some numbers that prove it: Canada's latest inflation rate was about 4.8%. In the U.S., it was 7%. In Germany, it is over 5%. I would note that our inflation rate is lower than the G7 average, the G20 average and the OECD average.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I was in Quebec City last Saturday to take part in a ceremony commemorating the fifth anniversary of the tragic attack on the great mosque. I rise today to once again pay tribute to the six men who were taken from us on January 29, 2017: Ibrahima, Mamadou, Khaled, Abdelkrim, Azzedine, and Aboubaker. They were all Quebeckers and were all shot by a murderer who entered their mosque carr…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, honestly, I know sometimes we like to speak in long parables in this House. I will answer very simply: exploration tax credits.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I know my colleague has done good work on the firearms file, but I disagree with her on this. I personally attended a solemn ceremony in Quebec City commemorating the Quebeckers we lost five years ago. With respect to our political battle over the firearms file, I would note that we have banned over 1,500 assault weapons. We have strengthened border security and added more resources…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, as I mentioned in my speech, I am working on the ground now to create affordable housing in my riding, as are 338 MPs in this room. It is through our efforts and funding from our government, as I mentioned, that we will build 100,000 new affordable housing units by 2025. That is a record number of units in a record amount of time. I encourage the member to work with us in order to i…
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Mr. Chair, I would like to highlight, as many have, the important contribution of the Ukrainian Canadian community to building the Prairies in Alberta. That community continues to add so much to the vibrancy of the Prairies. Could the minister comment on what he is hearing on the ground? We know that in Alberta there are 370,000 Ukrainian Canadians living in the province. I am sure that the minist…
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Mr. Speaker, I was pleased and relieved to hear the leader of the NDP say that he stands in solidarity with Ukraine. However, the NDP member for Winnipeg Centre described the Ukrainian government as “an anti-Semitic, neo-nazi & fascist militia”. The NDP member for Churchill—Keewatinook Aski retweeted a suggestion that our Deputy Prime Minister's “Nazi past” is the reason that Canada is supporting …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Mississauga East—Cooksville. First, I want to say just how grateful I am to be here again in the House, in person, despite the protests being held in downtown Ottawa. I am especially grateful to the Parliamentary Protective Service and the Ottawa Police Service, who are working tirelessly to keep everyone safe, including protesters, MPs,…
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Mr. Speaker, I feel quite strongly about this. I was the parliamentary secretary for international trade and worked first-hand on this issue. Canada was a leader at the WTO when we were discussing the TRIPS waiver. Many countries in the WTO did not want to have that discussion. We were actually a convening power to bring everybody to the table. Many other issues are causing countries around the wo…
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Mr. Speaker, we came forward with Bill C-2 in response to what we heard on the ground. I have been speaking to businesses and workers. The tourism industry needs the support that is found in Bill C-2. I have been speaking to caregivers, as I am sure others in the House have, and they need the supports that are also found in Bill C-2. We are also extending sick leave benefits through this bill. I d…
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Mr. Speaker, what I support is everybody in this world getting vaccinated. How we get there is very complex. It involves working with pharmaceutical companies. It involves educating populations as to the importance of vaccines. It also involves ensuring that the manufacturing capacity of these developing countries is going to produce vaccines that are safe for our populations. I fully support the …
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Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question, but I want to correct something my colleague said. We will continue to make health transfers to the provinces and territories. That is what we have always done and that is what we will continue to do. That is how Canada's health care system works. We procured all of the vaccines, we bought the tools and equipment required to administer these vaccines…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the sentiment from which the question comes, but, very respectfully, I would point out that three months ago we had never heard of omicron. Therefore, to ask what our plan is with respect to vaccine mandates for federal workers over a period of the next three years is fooling ourselves into thinking we can plan three years in advance. What the government is doing, and I b…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his concern and his dedication to the tourism sector and to independent travel agents and advisers. As I mentioned in my speech, Bill C-2 will be open and they will be eligible to apply for supports. I also note that we did extraordinary work to support Canadians when they had to cancel their travel plans last year at the height of the pandemic. …
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