Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, English- and French-speaking Canadians have built a great country, the best country in the world. We have created great prosperity through mutual respect for official languages and human rights. No one, not even the Bloc Québécois, can downplay this achievement. We will continue to work on the issues that concern Quebeckers, namely, affordability, job creation and building prosperity …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is speaking to a government House leader who is a proud descendant of Scottish immigrants, who studied French in Prince Edward Island, who did his undergraduate degree at the Acadian university, the Université de Moncton, who is living his life in French and who was elected four times in a riding that is 90% francophone. That is what is possible in Canada. Mutual respect …
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Mr. Speaker, there is a bill before this Parliament that would let investors invest, that would let builders build and that in fact would attract $1 trillion of investment in our country that will protect our workers and build our industries. It is the budget implementation act. Canadians in Conservative ridings are telling us that they want this Parliament to work and that they want to endorse th…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers are telling us loud and clear to focus on affordability, end-of-month needs, rent, housing and protecting our industries, such as softwood lumber and aluminum. They are asking us for broader protection against tariffs and other threats in a highly complex world, and to protect our culture and language. That is what the federal government and the Liberal Party are going to d…
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Mr. Speaker, forestry, mill jobs and the forestry sector in Canada are part of the very fibre of our country, the very fibre of our communities. The parliamentary secretary just outlined the many measures we are putting in place to make sure we protect those workers and those facilities against an ill-advised trade war that will only increase the cost of housing in the United States and elsewhere.…
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Mr. Speaker, no one calls the Conservative Party the “party of hope”. This holiday season, I want to wish even the grinch across the way, the Leader of the Opposition, a very merry Christmas. My wish for the entire Conservative caucus is that they will stop imagining taxes, taxes that do not exist, taxes that Canadians do not have to pay and will never have to pay. What we are actually going to do…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to not twist the facts just because it is the holiday season and everyone is feeling generous. The Conservatives spent September, October, November and December filibustering the most ambitious crime-fighting agenda in Canadian history. Now, at the eleventh hour, on the very last day, they show up and want to rearrange everything. We have bills on bail, on combatting h…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader lives in a bit of a parallel universe if he thinks we are the ones in the way of the most ambitious crime-fighting agenda that has been presented to this Parliament ever. The Conservatives are blocking progress on bail reform. They are blocking progress on immigration reform. They are blocking progress against extortion, child pornography and all manner of crim…
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Mr. Speaker, several years ago, the member earned the nickname “Death Valley well driller”. The Death Valley well driller is that lonely guy out in the desert who has gone looking for water and never finds it. Here he is once again, winding up the big pitch, and it all ends in nothing. Of course, there are talented men and women joining with the government. We are going to help build the country. …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. For the record, it is “Death Valley well driller”.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the chief opposition whip, for at least the festive part of that statement. If he wants to stand and propose that Bill C-14 be read at all stages and passed, we will absolutely support that on this side of the House. Before discussing the business of the House, I would like to join with my hon. colleague and take this opportunity to thank all members of P…
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Mr. Speaker, as we just mentioned many times in the House, the policy to which my colleague refers has never been and never will be the policy of the Government of Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, since we are on the subject, we want to send our best wishes to our ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, who has done a tremendous service for our country and continues to guide and advise us well. The policy the Leader of the Opposition is referring to has never been and will never be the policy of the Government of Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, I wish to reiterate my thanks to our outgoing ambassador to the United States of America, Kirsten Hillman, who has furnished incredible, loyal and very insightful services to the people and to the Government of Canada. I think our country owes her a debt of gratitude. Once again, the policy that the member opposite refers to has never been and will never be the policy of the Governmen…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that in the spirit of the holiday season, the Leader of the Opposition is surely not suggesting that the Prime Minister not attend as auspicious an event as the ceremony with respect to peace in the Middle East and Gaza, and join multitudes of other world leaders at that occasion, representing and making Canadians proud for his attendance at that event.
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Mr. Speaker, of course we can call this a democracy. We are here to debate it publicly. That is the very definition of democratic debate. As for Bill C-15, it contains very important tools for advancing our economy, advancing Canadian innovation and ensuring that we can achieve great things together, so that Quebec can reach its goals and Canada can reach its economic and other goals. We look forw…
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Mr. Speaker, once again, I know the hon. deputy leader of the Conservative Party is not suggesting that the Prime Minister of Canada should not have joined with dozens of his international counterparts for as auspicious an event as the commemoration of a ceasefire in the Middle East, an issue upon which, I might add, she has had a lot to say over the last little while. The Prime Minister of Canada…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague should speak to Quebec's trucking association, which has commended the work of the government, my colleague the Minister of Jobs and Families, the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and myself. We have implemented a series of measures to put an end to this relic from the Harper era, which allowed the use of Driver Inc. truckers. Now, we have put in place a seri…
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Mr. Speaker, this government has implemented far more than just one measure. We lifted the T4A moratorium. We instituted information sharing between the CRA and the Department of Employment and Social Development. We made sure that the Department of Employment and Social Development conducted inspection blitzes. Now, we expect the provinces to perform roadside checks, take charge of certification …
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Mr. Speaker, because the member wrote the biography of the member for Battle River—Crowfoot, he knows very well the tricks of the trade when it comes to obstructing legislation. Here is the problem the Conservatives have. We have systematically tabled legislation in the House to battle child pornography, extortion and intimate partner violence and to do bail reform. We have put border measures and…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. It is absolutely absurd and outrageous to suggest that Parliament would act to constrain the rights and privileges of Canadians to prayer, to choose their faith and to practise their religion in any way possible.
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Mr. Speaker, late in question period the member from Saskatchewan suggested that public servants had misled or lied to committee. I think that is something you should review.
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Mr. Speaker, I think we diverge on a very significant point above all others, which is that, over here, we believe in the future of Canada and in our ability to create our own future, to make our own decisions and to choose our own destiny. Part of choosing that destiny is the negotiations with members and the constituent parts of our vast and great land, which includes, of course, the province of…
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Mr. Speaker, for a fleeting moment there I thought we were going to get another lecture on wood. We were all bracing ourselves on this side for another one of the Leader of the Opposition's lectures on wood. I do take his point on steel. Indeed there is steel in farm equipment. Indeed Canadian farmers are the best in the world. Indeed our Minister of Agriculture and the entire government are rally…
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Mr. Speaker, every one of those 11 people and, indeed, every one of the 170 people on this side of the House were elected to put Canadians to work building major projects, building them with Canadian steel, Canadian lumber and Canadian aluminum, protecting our workers, protecting those most vulnerable and coming to the aid of families. The 170 Liberal members on this side of the House support a st…
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Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister is the one who called on the Canada Revenue Agency to crack down on Driver Inc. truckers. He is the one who ordered more inspections to ensure compliance with the Canada Labour Code and he is the one who is making sure that legitimate trucking companies can operate in Canada. This was acknowledged at a meeting I had this morning with the Association du camionnage d…
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Mr. Speaker, amidst all the action taken by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Jobs and the Minister of Transport to crack down on Driver Inc., a system created by Mr. Harper, incidentally, the Bloc Québécois is forgetting one thing. I think the member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel—Alnôbak will be chastising his party because the Bloc Québécois is asking the federal govern…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge and commend my esteemed colleague for the great job he did coaching the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. What he may not realize is that no one in Saguenay is asking the government to eliminate the school food program, support for organizations and volunteers, the Canada child benefit or support for housing. No one in Saguenay is asking for that. I would like the member to…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, asked a very important question earlier: What exactly is inflationary spending? We keep asking this question month after month, day after day, and week after week in this chamber. Is it support for aluminum workers? Is it support for school food? Is it the dental care program? Is it health transfers…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to designate Tuesday, December 9, as a day for consideration of the business of supply.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and all of us and all Conservative premiers and most people in this country support every part of that MOU. What is more, the Leader of the Opposition stands in this place and says to the people of Alberta that that little thing they said was progress for their province, that made them a leader in renewable technologies, made them a leader in nuclear energy, made th…
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Mr. Speaker, it is quite the opposite. We are the ones taking this issue seriously. That is why we are proposing concrete measures, including tax measures, information sharing measures and corrective measures under the Canada Labour Code. We are taking all of these measures. Then, to everyone's surprise, the Bloc Québécois voted against the budget, the same budget that will solve the federal Drive…
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That really takes the cake, Mr. Speaker. The member is well aware that it is the provinces that certify truck drivers, inspect trucks and hire traffic controllers. Similarly, U.S. states issue driver's licences and send drivers to Canada as well. For the first time in its history, the Bloc Québécois is asking the federal government to interfere in an area of provincial jurisdiction. They should ow…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not know if that member is saying that we should be building a pipeline without having partnerships with first nations and over the objections of the democratic and duly elected provincial Government of British Columbia. I do not know whether that is what that member is saying; it seems to be what he is saying. If he could perhaps clarify for the House and for the people of Alber…
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Mr. Speaker, this time the question is from a member of Parliament from British Columbia. The member of Parliament from British Columbia wishes to now let it be known that he would stomp all over the duly elected government of the Province of British Columbia and stomp all over indigenous and first nations' involvement in any such advances. The member wants it to be made very clear that there is o…
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk a bit about British Columbia, the single province with the most projects of national significance and the largest capital investment in the history of this country, as announced by my colleague the Minister of Natural Resources. If that is not enough, how about three straight months of job growth? How about inflation being down? How about wages being up over the rate of in…
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Mr. Speaker, as the member and all Canadians know very well, the political parties in the National Assembly and in the House of Commons are completely independent of one another. Of course, all Canadians are free to get involved in provincial politics, and doing so is a personal choice. We obviously expect all current and former government employees to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner and…
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition goes on and on about imaginary taxes, yet he consistently votes against the school food program, the Canada child benefit, dental care and pharmacare. These are measures that help people in need in Canada. We are the ones proposing them, and he is the one opposing them.
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Mr. Speaker, do you know what people are not talking about in Saguenay—Lac‑Saint‑Jean this morning? They are not talking about this obsession with referendums. They are not talking about breaking up, separation, division or bickering in society. What do they care about? They care about their jobs, they care about building a country, they care about taking care of their kids, they care about puttin…
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Mr. Speaker, once again, I challenge my colleague, or any group among his colleagues that he cares to bring, to define what he means by inflationary spending. Does he mean school nutrition? Does he mean dental care? Does he mean investments in jobs or in renewable energy? What exactly does he mean by inflationary spending? We have been asking him that forever. My colleague seems not to know, but I…
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Mr. Speaker, perhaps the verdict will be overturned. I will explain what we consider to be important expenditures. For us, an important expenditure leads to job creation. It is an expenditure that enables a single mother to send her child to day care where the child will be fed through a school food program. For us, an important expenditure is something that gives young Canadians the dignity of a …
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Mr. Speaker, there we have it. The members says “handouts” and “dependence” when talking about school food programs and about child care. He is trying to lecture my colleague from Churchill—Keewatinook Aski about not getting out enough. That member needs to talk to more single mothers. That member needs to talk to more young people, more steelworkers, more aluminum workers and more auto workers ab…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak to that point of order. The leader of the Bloc Québécois himself is saying that federal funding for culture in Quebec is being used to silence separatists. If he wants to bring those topics to the House, he has to take responsibility. The Bloc Québécois has to take responsibility so that the matter can be debated. Members of the Bloc Québécois are suffering from …
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Mr. Speaker, it will come as no surprise to anyone that I totally disagree with my esteemed colleague's version of the facts. It is precisely the outbursts of Conservative members, true to their leader's example, with their three-word slogans and determination to upend the work of the House and committees, that prompted the decision by the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore to cancel this morning's co…
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Mr. Speaker, after spending 10 years on the other side of the House, I can understand why they are fed up. They must be fed up with voting against dental care, official languages legislation and renewable energy in Quebec. They must be very fed up with losing three, soon to be four, different leaders.
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Mr. Speaker, to listen to the members of Parliament from Alberta is to get a taste of real dejection: real dejection that a prime minister of Canada and a premier of Alberta put their signatures to a solemn document that creates major possibilities in renewable power, in electricity generation, in carbon sequestration, in resource development and in making Canada a renewable and conventional energ…
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Mr. Speaker, for the record, the Prime Minister is doing his job, and now he is off to speak with the Assembly of First Nations. He is doing the job of the Prime Minister of Canada, not standing in the House doing quippy quips for Twitter—
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Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, the Prime Minister is doing his job and is off to give an address and consult with the Assembly of First Nations, not doing quippy quips for Twitter with the Leader of the Opposition, which I know the Leader of the Opposition would very much like to do as he likes to obstruct, obfuscate and, as he has shown earlier in question period, not have a single handle on a sin…
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Mr. Speaker, the lid has been blown off but the lid has been blown off the tired lines that the Leader of the Opposition has been using for two years. He has systematically stood in the way of investments in supportive, social, low-cost and low-income housing in the country throughout his exclusive 20-year career in the House of Commons. He has systematically stood in the way of supports like dent…
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Mr. Speaker, here we go again with the imaginary taxes. As my colleague just said, when presented with the opportunity to vote for a tax cut for every single income-tax payer in this country, they say no. When they get a chance to vote to remove the GST for first-time homebuyers, they say no. When they get the chance to vote for the removal of the consumer carbon tax, what do the Conservatives say…
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