Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this year, Autisme Québec is celebrating 50 years of service to people with autism and their families in the greater Quebec City area. In 1976, parents seeking better specialized services for people with autism launched this initiative, which is now recognized as a essential pillar of the community. Autisme Québec is part of the Fédération québécoise de l'autisme. It brings together p…
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Mr. Speaker, the CPTPP market is an incredible market for consumers. Between 2018 and 2024, beef alone saw an increase from $338 million to $750 million. This is a market that is evolving and moving quickly. There is potential to diversify markets for all sectors. We are zeroing in on a single sector, but if we consider all Canadian sectors, which is our role here, it is an incredible market. Abou…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question, which I really appreciate. I am not sure I fully understood the question. I think it contained quite a few elements and was very complex. Today we are talking about Canada and the United Kingdom, two reliable partners. The word “reliable” has come up a lot in recent months and years. It is important for our companies to do business with reli…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, whom I hold in high regard. We are talking about a market that is 99% tariff-free. When we talk about tariffs, people know exactly what we are talking about. The potential is enormous. Take, for example, Japan, one of the member countries. In 2023, we saw 60% growth in this market. In Vietnam, over the same period, growth was 110%. These are growing markets with …
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Kings—Hants. I am speaking today at the third reading of Bill C-13, which aims to implement the United Kingdom's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP. Before I start talking about international trade, I would like to say a few words about my riding, Beauport—Limoilou, because t…
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Mr. Speaker, I request the unanimous consent of the House to split my time with my colleague from Ottawa Centre.
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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about Bill C‑18 and diversifying Canada's trade. I would like to take a few minutes to talk about the economy of my riding, Beauport—Limoilou. I will start with some examples of businesses in my riding that do business internationally. Maple 3 is located on 5th Street in Limoilou. I had an opportunity to visit the company last year and meet its amazing team.…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague. I really appreciate his participation at the Standing Committee on International Trade. He is a proud representative of Beauce. We were talking about chess matches and the short, medium and long terms. We do need to look at the short term. As of tomorrow morning, we will have access to a market of almost 300 million people, and 95% of tariffs will be removed…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I really appreciate it. I will start at the end. To be very clear, Canada has always considered any amount of worker exploitation unacceptable. Canada has always asked that such clauses be included in its agreements. As for businesses in my riding that already do business abroad, I named some earlier, including one that helps businesses import an…
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Mr. Speaker, we exported $2.3-billion worth of goods in 2024. We are talking about a country with the fourth largest population in the world. As I said earlier, this country is ascendant. Now is the time to position ourselves, because we can exponentially increase that $2.3 billion. We are working on positioning ourselves. We have seen the investments that are going to be made in our infrastructur…
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Mr. Speaker, Sunday was International Women's Day, and I would like to talk about a courageous and determined woman of faith, my aunt Rose-Emma Lavoie. She was a nun by profession and she ran a school for young girls in Haiti for over 20 years. In often extremely difficult conditions, she taught them much more than the curriculum. She taught them to believe in themselves, to take their place in li…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I greatly admire him and he knows it. I have an observation to make. Some people might associate the words “unreliable”, “troublesome” or “lack of infrastructure” with EVs today. However, that is actually how the gas-powered car was described in the early 20th century. It was said to be unreliable. It was said that there was no infrastructure and t…
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Mr. Speaker, Pierrette Roy, an artist who made a significant contribution to Quebec's musical heritage, passed away on January 24. Ms. Roy is known for being the voice behind Carnaval, Mardi gras, Carnaval, the iconic theme song for a cherished symbol of our culture, the Quebec Winter Carnival. She also made history as the first artist in Quebec to record a Beatles song in French, which showed how…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to talk about a promising project, a generational project that my children and grandchildren will be able to benefit from. I will begin by talking about Quebec City and its strategic location in North America. In Quebec City, we are already transforming the way we travel. The tramway project marks an important turning point in urban transportation. Howeve…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I make this trip every week. As members may know, it takes four and a half hours by car during the summer. In the winter, it takes six and a half hours. Right now, on the train, we know what time we leave, but we never know what time we will arrive. The high-speed rail line will represent a major change for Canadians. This also applies to me and …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the riding next to mine. I am a bit disappointed to know that he just learned that the cost is going to be $13 billion, because it made headlines. As we know, the tramway is sacred in Quebec City. It is going to cost $13 billion, but the longer we wait, the more expensive it will be. We are here today to debate a motion on the high-speed rail line. Having a f…
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Mr. Speaker, I have read Bill C-15 and I am familiar with it. The idea is not to eliminate laws or regulations, but to speed up projects. Think about the major maritime corridors and how long it took to build them. Today, we are talking about a project that the government wants to build in four years instead of eight. Just look at the Quebec City tramway. In 2007, it was valued at $750 million. No…
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Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to split my time with the member for Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam.
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Mr. Speaker, the recommendation was to help Canadians. I see this in my riding. I checked recently and I found that 27,000 people in my riding are enrolled in the dental care plan. We know that just as many still need to register. That is a real need. As for food banks, I visited Entraide Agapé, which is just a few steps from my office. The people who were there need assistance. The centre itself …
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear that there is no partisanship here. This measure will be adopted for the people, for Canadians. As for the second question concerning quarterly or monthly payments, that is exactly what I was talking about earlier. Unfortunately, some people or members are out of touch with reality at times. I had children, and government benefits were paid quarterly. No one …
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Mr. Speaker, in life, we only control what we can control. What we can control is putting money back in the pockets of our constituents. That is what we are doing now in the easiest and fastest way. We trust Canadians to use that money where it is needed. The other night, at a committee, I was listening to economists discussing and questioning certain things. There were calls for the payments to b…
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Mr. Speaker, today we are debating an issue that directly affects the daily lives of millions of Canadians, specifically, the ability to feed one's family, pay for groceries and meet basic needs with dignity. Behind the numbers, the budget tables and the partisan debates, there is a very real human reality. There are parents who count every dollar at the checkout, seniors who worry about seeing th…
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Mr. Speaker, here we are in early February, and Expo habitat Québec is hosting its 40th home show at the Centre de foires d'ExpoCité in my riding of Beauport—Limoilou. For 40 years now, Expo habitat has been a must-see event for the construction and housing sector. Every year, it brings together contractors, experts and professionals from across Quebec. Given the challenging housing environment ac…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very familiar with my colleague's riding and I have a question for him. He talked about complicated, ineffective programs. However, nearly 200,000 people in his riding have registered for the Canadian dental care plan. That suggests there is a real need. Knowing that at least twice as many people in his riding could benefit from dental care and that people really need it, I would…
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Mr. Speaker, January 17 was a historic day for Canada. The Canadian government, together with the Quebec government, announced the launch of the assault-style firearms compensation program in Montreal. Quebec occupies a special place in the Canadian landscape when it comes to public safety, particularly because of its history, its collective awareness and its unique legislative frameworks. Can the…
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Mr. Speaker, over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to meet a number of extraordinary women who are making a real difference in their community. This year, we are proud to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Dominican Missionary Adorers, who are right in the heart of my riding, in Beauport—Limoilou. Founded in 1945 by Mother Julienne du Rosaire, the organization has been an essenti…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to hear my colleague say that there are good measures in Bill C-4. I am pleased to hear him say that there is a collection of good measures. That makes me really happy. I have had the opportunity to work with my colleague on several committees. What is important here are the people who are affected. In my riding, more than 50,000 people are directly affected. In the 18-…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak to Bill C‑4, the making life more affordable for Canadians act. I am pleased to rise today to proudly represent the people of Beauport—Limoilou. It is the proudest and most beautiful riding in Canada. Representing it is the greatest honour I have ever been given. Beauport—Limoilou is made up of young families, workers and seniors who believe that we need strong l…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his passion. What is important here is to highlight all the measures that are helping many segments of our society. In Beauport—Limoilou, the benefits are direct, quick and immediate. As soon as we took office, we implemented measures right away. As of July 1, people saw the rebate on their paycheques. That is concrete action.
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Madam Speaker, Bill C-4 is good for the middle class. We are lowering the tax rate for the first income bracket from 15% to 14%. This will save each family up to $840. This practical measure has been in place since July 1, with the money going straight into people's pockets. It affects them directly. It is combined with all the other measures in the budget. The entire population is therefore affec…
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Mr. Speaker, today I wish to pay tribute to Normand Lapointe, a federal Liberal member for Beauce from 1980 to 1984, who passed away in Saint-Georges on October 22. A man of conviction with deep ties to his community, Mr. Lapointe left his mark on regional politics through his sense of duty, his connection with residents, and his sincere commitment to serving the common good. A true mentor to many…
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Mr. Speaker, our government has passed an ambitious budget that includes transformative investments in our transportation system. The Minister of Transport visited both the port and the airport in Quebec City to discuss these initiatives. Prior to that, he visited the Magdalen Islands. Could the minister provide more details on the important announcement he made and what it means for the community…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very important question. The difference between an expense and an investment seems clear-cut. Some of our colleagues find this strange and say that these are not investment expenses. For a family in Beauport—Limoilou, the difference is important. It means choosing to buy a less expensive car or a used car in order to set aside enough money to fix the roof …
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Mr. Speaker, I myself am originally from the Lower St. Lawrence region. This budget sets out significant investments to help businesses modernize and retain their workers, and to enable workers to retrain if necessary. My colleague is making a heartfelt appeal, but I am certain that there are people from the Magdalen Islands who would have liked their MP to vote in favour of the budget in order to…
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Mr. Speaker, I would invite my colleague to take a look at the budget. It does talk about seniors and young people. For young people, there is the GST rebate for first-time homebuyers. That helps our young families. For seniors, there is the Canadian dental care plan. Both my parents needed that money to replace their dentures. I am sorry to mention that here in the House, but this measure really …
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Mr. Speaker, last week, the Government of Canada announced its second tranche of major projects to build Canada strong. A number of critical mineral projects have been referred to the Major Projects Office to accelerate their development. Critical minerals are key to Canada's economic development and national security. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Yukon. I am pleased to rise today to proudly represent the people of Beauport—Limoilou. It is the proudest and most beautiful riding in Canada. Representing it is the greatest honour I have ever been given. The people of Beauport—Limoilou are young families, workers and seniors who believe that we need strong leadership to build, protect a…
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Mr. Speaker, I recently went to visit the commemorative plaque at the Saint-Charles-de-Limoilou church, which was placed in memory of the soldiers from our community who fell in the First World War. These men, who were our neighbours, our family members, our schoolmates, left Limoilou to go and fight for freedom thousands of kilometres from home. Their courage, their sense of duty, and their faith…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that as soon as he gets a chance, my colleague will travel around in his riding and speak with his constituents. I have a two-part question. First, what are people saying about all the programs he talked about? Second, in his view, what does the Leader of the Opposition think about the measures that we want to bring in for Canadians?
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Mr. Speaker, those numbers are encouraging. There are more good things to come. There is the whole issue of retraining workers, which we are investing in because things are changing quickly. The job market is changing quickly, and needs are changing quickly. We will invest to help people retrain for these new, high-paying jobs.
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Mr. Speaker, I was the head of the chamber of commerce for four years, but I worked in the banking sector for 20 years. The superdeduction for the purchase of capital assets is a major measure. It will enable businesses to automate, introduce robotics and get a tax deduction. I can say that bankers are already calling businesses to help them finance their investment in order to modernize and be mo…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Davenport. I am pleased to rise today to proudly represent the people of Beauport—Limoilou. It is the proudest and most beautiful riding in Canada, and representing it is the greatest honour I have ever been given. Today, I will be giving my speech in two parts. First, I want to talk about the new economic reality. For over 20 years, I wor…
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Mr. Speaker, this is a generational budget. It is an ambitious budget. It is a budget for our businesses, our families. It is a budget that benefits every segment of society. These are major investments. Just think about the maritime corridor. Our corridor is mature, but it needs investment. Think about the corridor that the Arctic needs. We are a global energy force. We are investing in every sec…
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Mr. Speaker, these are major, historic investments in defence. My colleague is talking about upcoming targeted investments. Right now, we are meeting targets that were planned for much later. I know first-hand how important our soldiers are. My son is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and will be deploying to Latvia in the coming year. I understand the investments, I understand the needs of ou…
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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to draw the House's attention to an absolute scientific treasure located in the riding of Beauport—Limoilou: the VITAM research centre, a sustainable health centre of excellence. VITAM's vision is both simple and inspiring: Healthy minds and bodies living in healthy environments on a healthy planet. Under the leadership of professor and researcher Jean‑Pierre Despré…
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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to welcome to Ottawa a delegation of entrepreneurs and economic leaders from the greater Quebec City area, led by Québec International and its president and CEO, Carl Viel. In these times of economic uncertainty, these women and men brilliantly embody the drive, creativity and expertise that form the backbone of our regional economy. Their presence here today demons…
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Mr. Speaker, on September 23, a fire ravaged Patro Roc‑Amadour, in the heart of Limoilou. A true pillar of our community, this organization supports hundreds of families, children, seniors, and people living with disabilities every week. The losses are staggering. Over $100,000 in food has been destroyed, and essential services, such as meals on wheels, have been disrupted. The community rallied i…
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Mr. Speaker, food self-sufficiency is becoming an important solution for our families and communities. That is exactly what Urbainculteurs, a Quebec City organization, is doing: changing the way we think about urban agriculture. From rooftop gardens to the greening of schools and neighbourhoods, Urbainculteurs's innovative projects are giving people back the power to grow some of their own food wh…
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Mr. Speaker, this summer, I had the privilege of meeting, in my riding, representatives from Alliance des Ukrainiens de Québec, an organization that plays a key role for its members and for our entire community. This meeting was an opportunity to listen to their reality, their needs and their aspirations, but especially to see once again the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian community here …
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Les Pays-d'en-Haut. I rise today in response to a motion calling on the government to fully withdraw from legal challenges on Bill 21. The motion would have the House agree that the Government of Canada, the government of all Canadians from coast to coast to coast, should not participate in one of the most important constitutional appeals …
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