Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, with the rising threat of the omicron variant, it is absolutely crucial that Bill C-2 pass in order to bring in the supports that Canadian businesses and workers need. What we have learned over the past 12 months is that the most important and effective economic policy is one that protects the health of Canadians. I would like to remind the Conservatives and the NDP, who voted against…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is pretty obvious that I answered that question already, but to keep the debate going, maybe I can share a few important facts. Right now, Canada is already at 106% of pre-pandemic employment levels. At 5.4% in the last quarter, our economic growth leads the G7, and our perfect AAA credit rating was recently renewed. I can understand my colleague raising concerns about inflation, b…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Brantford—Brant, congratulate him on his election and welcome him to the House of Commons. I welcome this discussion, to be quite frank. I feel that the issue the member is raising is one of the most important issues facing this country and our government. I would like to assure him that it is absolutely top of mind in the work we are doing. In fac…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this year, like every year, I will be at this afternoon's vigil, surrounded by my grieving community. Thirty-two years ago to the day, 14 female students at Montreal's École Polytechnique lost their lives. I want to pay tribute to those 14 brilliant young women whose whole lives lay ahead of them and to the survivors, such as Nathalie Provost, who was shot that evening and who works w…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our economic recovery is going well thanks to our high vaccination rate and the support measures put in place by our government. I am thinking of the Canada emergency wage subsidy, the Canada emergency business account, and many more. We are seeing the effects of that today with very robust economic growth in the third quarter. Would the Prime Minister like to enlighten members of the…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a petition today signed by members of my community in Outremont and Mile End. The petitioners are calling on the government to act more quickly and decisively to reduce our emissions and make the just and green transition we all want. I am extremely honoured to be presenting this petition on behalf of For Our Kids. These are grandparents and parents who are asking the …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, in the Speech from the Throne, our government laid out measures in order to ensure a strong economic recovery. We also laid out steps in order to keep Canadians safe; safe from COVID-19, but also safe from the scourge of gun violence that has been attacking our cities. We have committed to building on the assault weapons ban, on instituting a mandatory buyback and on cracking down on …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, since I have little time left, I will be brief. I believe my colleague is talking about the importance of supporting seniors, which is something we have been working on very diligently since day one. We have increased direct payments to seniors over the course of the pandemic. We are going to continue to increase, by 10%, GIS payments, and we will always be there to support our seni…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his work during the course of the last 20 or so months for small businesses. We did indeed have that conversation. I believe it was in February 2021. Absolutely, we have increased the number of businesses that we are including in our programs. Of course, as the member opposite knows, it is important that we make sure that public money goes to bus…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to be very clear. Inflation is a very real concern and Canadians are feeling its impacts, absolutely. However, as experts have pointed out, inflation is a global phenomenon driven by rising energy prices, a global economic rebound, supply chain constraints and many other factors. Inflation is unfortunately high almost everywhere at the moment. Yes, it is 4.7% here in Ca…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill C-2, an act to provide further support in response to COVID-19. This bill will implement some significant support measures, including measures for the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic and for the workers and small businesses that have really been struggling, for example those in the tourism and hospitality sectors. There is no denying t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. From what I understand, he is working very closely with the Minister of Canadian Heritage on this program to help artists and self-employed workers in the cultural sector, and I thank him for that as well. There was one thing that bothered me. The member said that Bill C‑2 would help businesses that have been hit hard, including those in the arts…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, let me clarify if I was not clear in my speech that our theatres, our festivals and arts and culture are included in Bill C‑2. That is very important, and I am proud that the tourism sector includes the arts and culture sector in the bill that we are debating today. As my colleague heard last week, the Minister of Finance announced that the government was going to table a bill for s…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, this is the first time that I have had the opportunity to stand in the House in this new Parliament. I will therefore take a minute to thank the voters of Outremont, Côte-des-Neiges and Mile-End for their renewed trust. My constituents sent me here with a clear message. They want to see progress in the fight against climate change, and they hope that the housing crisis will be resolve…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague. I believe that he is asking a very important issue about the functioning of our hybrid system. Of course, in our last mandate, we were all in virtual mode. Personally, I hope that there will be more than 300 members, even 338, in the House. However, I would like to make one thing clear. If someone cannot be in the House because they have symptoms or were in conta…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have found common ground with my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite‑Patrie. I commend the Bloc's proposal to perhaps find more resources for the interpreters to ensure that everyone can understand and hear each other in both official languages.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, in fact, what I am arguing is that I would like to ensure that all 338 members can work all of the time. If, when I go grocery shopping, as the member pointed out, with others who are perhaps not vaccinated, and my COVID alert app tells me I have been in contact with COVID, I should be allowed to vote. However, without passing the motion that is currently before this chamber, that is …
Read full speech →