Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised that Canada would see the strongest growth in the G7. One year later, nothing has been done to reduce red tape and no anti-development policies have been fixed. There are more and more barriers, and investment is slowing down. According to Bloomberg, Canada's economy is on life support. Workers are feeling the pinch. Will the Prime Minister finally unveil a…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals told us that they wanted to fast-track major projects. That is why we voted in favour of Bill C-5. Today, we see that absolutely nothing has changed. No barriers have been removed. Red tape continues to slow things down, and permits are still not being issued in a timely manner. That is why the Conservatives are proposing the Canadian sovereignty act so that we can export…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals need to stop burying their heads in the sand and look at what is happening on the ground. The majority of requests now come from families where both parents work. It is not just single parents anymore. This is alarming. The annual food price report predicts every family will be paying an additional $1,000 per year for food. This is one of the largest increases ever seen. …
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that we should judge him by the cost of groceries. Eight months later, grocery prices are skyrocketing and families are struggling to put food on the table. Canada's Food Price Report 2026 shows that the situation is only going to get worse. Back home in Saguenay, the Corporation de développement communautaire du Roc, which is made up of 70 community organizati…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to negotiate a softwood lumber agreement with the Americans. Today the forestry sector is threatened with tariffs of up to 55%. In my riding of Saguenay—Lac‑Saint‑Jean, 55% tariffs mean 8,000 jobs are at risk and families who will not be able to pay their bills at the end of the month. Our workers deserve better. Since this Prime Minister took office, tarif…
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Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister took office, U.S. tariffs on lumber were 14%. Then they rose to 35%. Now they are 45%, not to mention the possible additional 10% that is coming. Back home in Saguenay—Lac‑Saint‑Jean, that represents $910 million in wages for our workers. Not only did the Prime Minister fail to negotiate an agreement, but tariffs have tripled since he took office. Why is the Pr…
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Mr. Speaker, food banks in Canada reported a record 2.2 million visits in a single month. The CEO of Food Banks Canada has said that poverty and hunger have become normalized in Canada. People are stopping at food banks on their way home from work instead of going to the grocery store. Inflationary deficits are driving up the cost of food. Why does the Prime Minister continue to spend more and mor…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's economy is weakening at the fastest rate among G7 nations. The Prime Minister promised to negotiate a win with President Trump. Ultimately, after all the compromises that were made, workers in the softwood lumber industry are the biggest losers. The Prime Minister returned empty-handed from Washington. Even worse, softwood lumber was not even on his list of priorities. The Pr…
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Mr. Speaker, tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber have doubled since this Prime Minister took office. The Forest Products Association of Canada has sounded the alarm. It said, “With over 200,000 direct jobs at stake, sector calls on the Government of Canada to bring the same urgency to lumber as it has to steel, aluminum...”. Why is the Prime Minister abandoning the 200,000 forestry sector workers …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I am incredibly proud to announce that the scientific research on Atlantic halibut in the Saguenay Fjord is now complete and we are expecting a final report by the end of October. The spectacular images that have come out of this project have sparked global enthusiasm and have been viewed millions of times around the world. This exceptional visibility has fuelled the creativity of our…
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Mr. Speaker, people from the Saguenay aluminum sector are expecting results. As everyone back home knows, the Prime Minister was elected on a promise that he was the right man for the job of negotiating with the Americans. Since his election, tariffs have doubled. Despite mounting concessions, companies are still adrift in uncertainty and Canada's in a more vulnerable position than ever. What is t…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that the deficit has doubled, that $54 billion in investments has left this country and that 86,000 workers have lost their jobs. Canada is far from being the G7 country with the best economy. It is in last place. We need to create wealth, but we are not competitive with this government in power. The Prime Minister promised to remove all tariffs on everything…
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Mr. Speaker, the aluminum sector in Saguenay has been suffering even more ever since the new Liberal Prime Minister took office. We know that there will be a meeting with President Trump tomorrow. To get elected, the Prime Minister clearly told Canadians that he was the right man for negotiating with the Americans. Today we see that the tariffs have doubled. Does the Prime Minister finally plan to…
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In 1971, after playing only six games in the NHL, Ken Dryden won the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the best players in the playoffs. That was the first of six Stanley Cups won in an eight-year career with the Montreal Canadiens. The following year, he was named rookie of the year, a feat that has never been matched. He is well known for his characteristic stance, lean…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Bloc and the Liberals voted against our motion to end the ban on gas-powered vehicles. They want to impose their way of life on everyone, but they do not understand people's reality. This ban would penalize regions like mine and many others. In Saguenay, it is cold, and public transit is less readily available than in big cities. We need our gas-powered vehicles. Why do…
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Mr. Speaker, the average price of a new car is already $66,000. The Liberals want to put a tax on gas-powered cars, which will increase the price by $20,000. The people of Saguenay should have the freedom to choose the vehicle that meets their needs at an affordable price and not be forced to drive an electric vehicle. Many people need gas-powered pickups to go into the woods and work. People want…
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Mr. Speaker, we have learned that Canadian production of critical minerals could drop by nearly 60% in 2040. It is not really surprising. Mining projects in Canada under the Liberals take forever to develop. However, Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean has exceptional geological potential, including phosphate. Since 2018, we have been working to include it on the list of critical minerals. Why are the Liberal…
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Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal rule, our fighter jets are at the end of their service life, our ships are outdated and our troops are exhausted. We are short 13,000 troops. Recruitment and morale among our military personnel have never been lower. Over the past decade, the Liberals have slashed $12 billion from defence and cut the military budget. The Liberals have turned their backs on ou…
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Mr. Speaker, the aluminum tariffs imposed by President Trump are unjustified. It is an attack on our economy and on workers in that industry. The Saguenay—Lac‑Saint‑Jean region has four aluminum smelters that account for 32% of Canadian aluminum production. The Prime Minister told us that he was the man for this situation and that he had a plan, but the reality is that the tariffs have gotten wors…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of his ministers, his MPs and Canadians, yet he still clings to power. After nine years of economic vandalism and inflationary spending, he has built up more debt than all his predecessors combined. As a result, Canadians are now paying $53.7 billion in interest charges on the debt. That is more money than the health transfers. Will the Prime…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of his ministers, his MPs and Canadians. As if the $40‑billion anchor were not enough, he hits us with a $62‑billion debt in his economic statement. Canadians are paying more in interest on the debt than for health transfers. He is desperately hanging onto power. Enough is enough. When will there be an election?
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Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister has completely lost control over spending and his ministers. He is imposing drastic increases and sacrificing his own Minister of Finance to replace her with a man by the name of Mark Carney, who is not even elected. Canadians, who are already victims of the disastrous management of this government, are suffering the consequences of the deficit. Can the Prime Minis…
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Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister has lost control of his finances and of his cabinet. We all know that he and the Minister of Finance are quarrelling. She promised Canadians that the deficit would not exceed $40 billion. That was her fiscal guardrail. When someone goes over a guardrail, they do not just stop—they fall right off the cliff. Can the Prime Minister assure us that the deficit will not …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my colleague expresses himself very well. He is a university professor. He is well-spoken, but it is clear that his party is having a hard time with the fact that it has never been in power. That much is obvious. We all know the next government will be a Conservative government. When people attack a party, it is because that party will be the next to govern. We know the Bloc Québécois…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois says it supports the motion calling on the government to provide the documents related to the $400-million scandal. The other opposition parties also support it. All the opposition parties want the government to hand over the documents to the law clerk of the House so that he can pass them on to the RCMP. The Bloc Québécois can also put an end to the filibuster, whi…
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Mr. Speaker, 23 workers are being laid off, but how many more indirect jobs are also on the chopping block in a village of 188 residents? The prospect of the village becoming a ghost town is real, all because of the Liberal government's failure to secure a softwood lumber agreement. This is the fourth Quebec sawmill in just a few months to announce its closure. Our workers need a strong leader. Wh…
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Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned of yet another sawmill that is about to close. It is Rapides-des-Joachims' turn, in Pontiac, to pay the price for the Liberal government's weakness. Ten per cent of the population of the village has just found out that they are about to lose their jobs. The economic impact will be devastating. The community could easily become a ghost town, like Sacré-Coeur aft…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's violent crime rate is 14% higher than that of the United States. Again this week, the media reported that a woman was kidnapped, beaten and strangled in Val‑d'Or, in Abitibi. This government has abandoned victims with the full support of the Bloc Québécois, which voted in favour of Bill C‑5, a bill that allows violent criminals to serve their sentence while they sit at home w…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague. He is someone I respect a lot. There is one thing I do not understand about his side, however, and that is why it supported this government's inflationary spending. The food banks are full and people are struggling to pay their mortgages at the end of the month. I remember one thing very clearly. After nine years of this government, there has been no agreement …
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Madam Speaker, I do not think my colleague's question is a bad one, but it is one thing that bugs me a little when it comes to the forestry sector. My colleague seems to have a lot of fun doing round tables and sending out press releases, but when it comes to defending the forestry sector here in Ottawa, we never see him. He has meetings in the region, but we do not see him here in Ottawa. He has …
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I wish to inform you that I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Dufferin—Caledon. I rise in the House today with great concern for the future of our economy, particularly in the key sectors of aluminum and softwood lumber, which are essential to the prosperity of Quebec and our regions. These industries support thousands of families and workers in Quebec. However, today, …
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Madam Speaker, what worries me about this government is our Prime Minister's credibility in relation to President-elect Trump. We are very concerned, and I think the credibility is not there. The way our Prime Minister negotiates is another concern. It seems to me that he is always a step behind, always reacting to events. We saw that in many files. In fact, when CUSMA was negotiated, the American…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Université Laval's Rouge et Or football team on winning the 59th Vanier Cup. Once again, after taking home the prestigious Vanier Cup for the 12th time, this team has proven to be a powerhouse of Canadian university football. The Rouge et Or has shown that success is a matter of strategy, teamwork, and unfailing resilience. Its performance was nothing short …
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Mr. Speaker, I really fear for our forestry workers, who are dedicated to their profession. Many have already lost their jobs, and now another 1,400 forestry workers in Lac‑Saint‑Jean and on the north shore are directly threatened because of a federal decree that the Minister of Environment wants to impose. What is the member for Jonquière doing about this? Nothing. He has not asked a single quest…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I think we have to be very vigilant about forced labour. We have to ensure that our actions are ethical. I would like to remind my colleague of something. I doubt he wants to talk about his government's inaction, but I want to mention the unfair practices that are being used abroad, internationally. Absolutely nothing has been done since 2023, and we are not protecting our market. I t…
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Mr. Speaker, I think it is very important to be vigilant when it comes to forced labour in our Canadian supply chain. Again, we need to protect our market from products from China. This government has not done anything about that, even though there have been calls to take action since 2023. Unfair practices are being used, and they are undermining our Canadian market.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue that is increasingly pressing, not only in terms of human rights, but also for Canada's economic future: forced labour in our supply chains. This scourge directly affects the goods that enter our market, specifically products from China, a country where forced labour practices are well documented but where efforts to end those practices remain inadequa…
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Mr. Speaker, again, we have to be very vigilant about forced labour in our Canadian supply chains. It is extremely important and I share my colleague's opinion. The fact remains that we are talking about China, which is sending us goods produced with forced labour. That is unfair to Canadian companies. We still wonder how our neighbours, the Americans, can already have intercepted thousands of shi…
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Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax is going up, and greenhouse gas emissions are going up too. The Liberals have a tax plan, not an environmental plan. Since they introduced the carbon tax, Canada has fallen to 62nd place out of 67 countries in the climate performance index. Meanwhile, the Minister of Environment is burning fuel to go and talk about climate change at COP. The Liberals care more about the…
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years under this government and three U.S. presidents, we still do not have a softwood lumber agreement with the United States. The previous Conservative prime minister resolved this issue within 80 days of being elected. This shows incompetence and a lack of leadership on the Prime Minister's part. Three sawmills in Quebec have closed in the past few months, including the …
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years and three U.S. presidents, the Prime Minister has failed to negotiate a softwood lumber agreement. He has failed where the previous Conservative prime minister succeeded 80 days after he was elected. After the closure of the Maniwaki sawmill and the one in Mauricie, now we find out that the Petit Paris sawmill in Saint‑Ludger‑de‑Milot had to close its doors a day earl…
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Mr. Speaker, I will reiterate that there have been three U.S. presidents, one after the other. Nine years later, the Liberal Prime Minister still has not managed to negotiate a softwood lumber agreement. It is pure incompetence and an obvious lack of leadership. Three sawmills have had to close their doors in a matter of months. The latest one is in Saint‑Ludger‑de‑Milot, a village of 600 people. …
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment's emergency order is an attack on forestry workers in some 30 communities. It will be a disaster. It will kill at least 1,400 jobs, destroy lives and devastate the economy of Quebec's regions. The Bloc Québécois voted once again to keep this government in power. This illustrates how out of touch they are with the realities of our regions. Is the “Liberal Bl…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec's environment minister is in Ottawa today. Like all Canadians, he is completely at a loss to explain the reason for imposing an order in council that will throw our workers out on the street. Like the Conservatives, he is calling on the government to immediately withdraw this threat and leave Quebec's jurisdictions to Quebec. On this issue, the Bloc Québécois, which claims to b…
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Mr. Speaker, this morning, we found out that the sawmill in Mauricie and the one in Maniwaki are closing. Some 280 workers are out of work once again because of the failure by an incompetent government on the softwood lumber agreement. It is not over. More sawmills will close their doors after the Minister of Environment and Climate Change imposes his order that will kill at least 1,400 jobs. Enti…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec forestry workers work hard, but they always get the short end of the stick from this Liberal government, which is backed by the Bloc Québécois. The threat of an order that will kill at least 1,400 jobs is still looms large, since the Bloc Québécois voted yet again to keep this government in power. The forestry sector is vital to our regions, and the Bloc Québécois is no longer …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the Minister of Environment that no amount of money can compensate for lost jobs, shattered lives and a social crisis. That is what the order is going to cause in my region. What the Bloc Québécois calls a gain is actually a temporary measure until Christmas. We know that the Bloc Québécois is no longer a party of the regions. It is important to understand that …
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment's order is an affront to the regions of Quebec. It is another attempt by Ottawa to interfere in Quebec's jurisdictions. At least 1,400 jobs are in jeopardy. That means entire communities are at risk. The Conservatives understand that the impact will be disastrous. Tomorrow, on behalf of all Canadians and Quebeckers, we will have the opportunity to put an en…
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has announced that he plans to wait until Christmas to impose his order. Satisfied, the Bloc Québécois quickly seized upon this announcement as a win. Let me be clear. The “Liberal Bloc” will eventually introduce an order that will kill at least 1,400 jobs, shut down businesses and possibly wipe out communities. It is only a matter of tim…
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to this job-killing order, splitting the difference does not benefit anyone. Lives will be shattered. For people in the forestry sector like Éric, Jean-Marc and Lise, the Girard family and the Tremblay family, the only possible positive outcome is to bring down this government before Christmas. The Bloc Québécois may have won in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun in Montreal, but it n…
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