Parliamentary Speeches
380 speeches by Xavier Barsalou-Duval — Page 3 of 8
Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if the member is aware, but there is a very strong transport electrification hub in Quebec. An entire industry has developed there. There are a lot of people who are excited about working on the energy of the future and clean technologies. Is my colleague trying to attack a strong industry in Quebec that generates thousands of jobs by declaring war on electric vehicles?
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Mr. Speaker, I am relieved to see that my Liberal colleague intends to vote against the Conservative motion, but I would still like to ask him about something else related to this motion. Fewer electric vehicles are currently being sold than in the past. This is specifically due to the sabotage by his government, which, in a completely unexpected and unannounced manner, decided to cut subsidies fo…
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Madam Speaker, it is clear today that the Conservatives are on a crusade against electric vehicles. Looking back a few years, during the pandemic and even more recently, people could be waiting a year or two, maybe even three, to get the vehicle they wanted to buy. Does my colleague agree that if we go back to saying that there is no need to force dealerships to sell electric vehicles, we risk end…
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Madam Speaker, listening to the Conservative member, one would think that we are on the brink of apocalypse because of electric cars. He seems to believe that these cars would never sell and would be left on the lots. That is a surprise to me, because we know that Quebec's figures show that EV sales targets are surpassed every year. More EVs are sold each year than is required by the government. T…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague from Repentigny on his speech. We know that the transportation electrification strategy is essential for reaching greenhouse gas reduction targets and that the Liberal government suddenly stopped funding electric vehicles. What does my colleague think about the fact that we are still waiting and that the government has stopped helping to elect…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that he would never impose energy projects on Quebec or any province without its consent. Unfortunately, Bill C-5 states the opposite. This bill allows Ottawa to make a unilateral decision by order in council and then hold bogus consultations once the project has already been approved. The Bloc Québécois thought this must be a mistake, because that is not what …
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to see that my Liberal colleague intends to vote against the Conservative motion. I would have been very concerned if she had decided to vote with the Conservatives. While she seems to be saying that we need to transition to electric vehicles, which is a great, her government is introducing more and more pro-oil industry policies. I am thinking in particular of Bill C‑5…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his speech in the House. I have not seen him often in the past, so I assume that he is a newly elected member. The member told us that he wants to get moving and that he is part of a government that is taking action. I find that interesting to hear. It is basically true, and we can see that. The government has introduced a few bills so far. These are fai…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to the Conservative member's speech. I have to say that this does not happen every day, but I agree with much of what he said today. I would like to ask him about one thing in particular. Throughout the election, the Liberals sold us the new Prime Minister as a magician. He was going to solve our problems, he was extraordinarily talented, he could do anything, and…
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Madam Speaker, I have spent a lot of time listening to speeches from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons since the beginning of this Parliament, and it is just getting started. I should also point out that we heard from him a lot in the previous Parliament, as well. What fascinates me is how he always speaks with such conviction. He truly believes wh…
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Madam Speaker, like many Conservative Party members, my colleague has a great deal to say about the infamous carbon tax. The subject is clearly inevitable in the context of the bill, since it contains a section on eliminating the carbon tax for individuals. In fact, the government eliminated the carbon tax for individuals, but it still sent cheques giving Canadians refunds for taxes they never pai…
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Madam Speaker, my Conservative colleague is asking an excellent question. I cannot say that I have a clear answer to that question. The problem is that, if we get rid of the GST on new homes and for everyone, for first-time homebuyers and for other buyers, it might lead to higher prices. Often, people will offer the maximum amount they can afford in order to purchase a home, particularly in a cont…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague from Mont-Saint-Bruno—L'Acadie said that he met a woman named Manon who was having trouble making ends meet. I thought that was interesting. We have a government that decided to request new funding for new spending. However, it does not have a budget. I am pretty sure that if Manon wants to be able to pay her rent and buy groceries, she has no choice but to make a budge…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague is surely among the people who voted to ask the government to present a budget before the summer, because that is one of the things both the Bloc Québécois and the Conservative Party were calling for. I know that the member has been in office for quite a few years. Does he think that when the House votes in favour of something, it has any value? Is that something the go…
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Mr. Speaker, in her speech, my colleague from Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan talked about the infamous cheques related to the government scrapping the carbon tax, which were sent out even though no money was collected elsewhere in Canada. These cheques were sent everywhere in Canada except Quebec, even though the government did not collect anything from the rest of Canada. This means that, i…
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Madam Speaker, that is also a very good question. We specifically mentioned a target in our election platform. If I am not mistaken, that target was approximately 20% of non-market housing. If this goal were reached, it would lead to a significant number of non-market homes, which could greatly improve the situation and help many people who do not have the same financial means as others. At the mo…
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Madam Speaker, during the election, no one promised a government whose first priority would be to rub shoulders with oil and gas companies, to work on creating new pipelines and to invite the King. It seems to me that this government has strange priorities. No one told us the government would take the Conservative Party's platform and implement it. That is what Quebeckers voted against. I also thi…
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Mr. Speaker, I am rising today in the House to speak to Bill C‑4. It is interesting because we are still in the early days of this Parliament, which is often the time when we assess a government's priorities, by observing the first steps that it takes. Usually, after an election, a government seeks to implement its priorities. Our first disappointment in looking at this government's priorities, Bi…
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Madam Speaker, I listened to the speech by my Liberal colleague, the parliamentary secretary to the government House leader and I was a bit shocked. In listening to him talk about virtually everything and nothing, I really got the impression that he is living in a parallel universe. Between the chaotic circus we saw yesterday in Parliament and the calls for the Prime Minister's resignation by near…
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Mr. Speaker, time is running out for Lion Electric, and the federal government must play its part. Lion Electric has until December 16 to reach an agreement with its creditors. That is this coming Monday. Today, the federal government must send a clear message to investors that all the conditions are in place to restart Lion Electric's orders. It must immediately announce to potential buyers of el…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear a yes. The employees at Lion Electric deserve better than that from the federal government. There are three days left to save the Quebec flagship of electric transportation. The investors, the cities involved, the Government of Quebec; everyone is fighting to save Lion Electric in Quebec. In the meantime, there is just Ottawa who is asleep at the switch. The feder…
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Madam Speaker, if I were to summarize the parliamentary secretary's speech, I would simply say that we should not be talking about this today. We should not be talking about the report that recommends that survivor's pensions should be available to people who married later in life. We should not be talking about this because, in his opinion, the report should have remained on the shelf. It was col…
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Mr. Speaker, the survivor's benefit cannot be transferred if someone decides to get married after they turn 60. This rule is practically antediluvian. I was not even born when it came into effect. My father was not even born then. My grandfather was not even born then. I am not even sure if my great-grandfather was born then. It is important to understand that, in 1930, a man's life expectancy was…
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Madam Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I would like to be assured that the parliamentary secretary will talk about the content of the report, because thousands of people are affected by this situation. I am sure that they would like to hear the government's response and find out why their spouses will not be able to benefit from the survivor's pension in the future.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the Boucherville rowing club is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024. From its inception in 1974, the club has taken full advantage of its outstanding geographic location across from the majestic St. Lawrence River in Boucherville. Over the years, many of the club's athletes have been selected to join our national teams. Some have even made it to the Olympics. The Club d'aviron de…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada will make the green transition in transportation. It is inevitable. Canada will go green for school busing and everything else. The question is, will we be buying electric school buses made in Quebec by Quebeckers, or will we be buying American buses made by Americans because Ottawa, lacking vision as usual, failed one of our flagship companies? Will this government finally wak…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I was listening to my colleague's speech, which is really quite interesting. He went over the whole history of different Conservative leaders over the years, but I do not see the connection between that and the subject we are discussing right now.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to present a petition on the Verchères wharf. I have presented an electronic petition on this same subject before, but now I am showing that we have real signatures on paper. I hope that the response to both of these petitions will be positive.
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Madam Speaker, I want to comment on what my Conservative colleague said, because he quoted the British North America Act in the speech he just gave. To strengthen his argument, he read excerpts from that act as though it were truth or fact. There is one point in particular that I would like to raise. He mentioned that the British North America Act was created by mutual agreement and that it was bo…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the convenience store La Ressource. Founded in 1974 by André Desroches, who also founded the Association des gens d’affaires de Boucherville, this family business has become a true institution in Boucherville. La Ressource is much more than a simple corner store where people go to buy a quart of milk, a bag of chips or a case of beer…
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Madam Speaker, senators Peter Boehm and Peter Harder just stabbed our farmers in the back. They just amended Bill C‑282 to prevent it from protecting supply management in trade renegotiations. At the very moment that Donald Trump is saying that he wants to renegotiate CUSMA, these two senators are guaranteeing that supply management will be back on the table. The Prime Minister appointed these two…
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Madam Speaker, they are so independent that it was this Prime Minister who appointed them and, apparently, they are all good buddies. These two unelected individuals, Peter Boehm and Peter Harder, are working against the interests of our farmers. They are working against the will of elected officials from all parties who supported Bill C-282. They are working against our constituents. They are wor…
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to ask if there is quorum in the House.
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Mr. Speaker, although my colleague's speech was definitely interesting, it had nothing to do with what we are debating. I will therefore ask him a question about the positions taken by his colleagues who actually talked about the subject we are debating. I am concerned to hear members of the government say that it is ridiculous, that there is filibustering in the House and that it prevents them fr…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois would also like to have the opportunity to carefully review the member's concerns before speaking to the matter.
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Madam Speaker, I have trouble understanding why my colleague opposite is so indignant. I have witnessed him expressing his indignation again and again, day after day, for nearly a month now. The Bloc Québécois offered the government a way out so that we could move forward and end the standoff. We sent it a proposal that would benefit Quebeckers and maybe even Canadians. We asked it to boost retire…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to comment on my Liberal colleague's speech on today's motion. We could draw a similar parallel with the other Conservative motion that was moved earlier this week. I would like to know what my colleague opposite thinks about the Bloc's demands. The reason we have decided not to vote with the Conservatives is essentially because we think we can make gains, gains that we c…
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis looks really mad right now. Based on what she is saying, one might think the Bloc Québécois is in power. Maybe she is mad because she can see that we have a bit of power and that we are trying to use that balance of power to do good things for Quebec. In her speech, she talked about housing. She also said that they would be less centraliz…
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Madam Speaker, I commend my Green Party colleague for her very interesting speech. It is clear that she knows a lot about this file, even though she is not a member of the committee. I tip my hat to her. I would like to ask her a quick question about the amendment she is defending, because that is why she rose to speak. Why is the amendment stipulating that we will stop exporting coal as of 2025 i…
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Mr. Speaker, since I did not have the opportunity to do so earlier during questions and comments, I want to begin by commenting on the speech that the member for Winnipeg North just gave. I was extremely surprised. Right now, we are talking about the homelessness crisis, which is closely related to the housing crisis, but to hear the member for Winnipeg North talk, it sounds like he does not think…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Conservatives for starting this debate, because I think it is timely. We are in the midst of a housing crisis, so I think it only makes sense to talk about housing. That said, my question has to do with the Conservatives' strategy for solving the housing crisis. Not too long ago, I had a conversation with people from the UMQ, the Union des municipalités du Québec. T…
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Mr. Speaker, what I find interesting about my colleague's question is that it has nothing to do with cities in Quebec. Cities in Quebec would totally disagree. In fact, representatives from Quebec cities told me that they are already working with the federal government. Money is already being directed into housing-related infrastructure through the TECQ program, and that money comes from the gas t…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question is extremely interesting. It brings the Conservatives' hypocrisy to light. In fact, my colleague's question is not about the motion or the report on the housing crisis we are discussing today, despite the fact that the Conservatives are the ones who started the debate. If they really wanted to resolve the housing problem, I think they would ask questions about …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to applaud the statement made by my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. I totally agree with him. That is similar to the solution the Bloc Québécois is promoting. Oftentimes, there are already agreements and arrangements, whether we are talking about the TECQ, the gas tax and Quebec's contribution program, or infrastructure agreements. Why can they not just extend t…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are taking up this report on the housing crisis by the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. We have not really talked about this yet. Yes, Parliament is only just back in session, but we have not yet talked about it, despite it being such a major issue. Everyone is affected by this situat…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague on her speech, which was very clear, very interesting and very well structured. She has made a significant contribution to the study of this bill. I am wondering about something in her speech that caught my attention. She mentioned that the member for Rivière-du-Nord wanted to bring forward an amendment to ensure that the judges on the judic…
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Madam Speaker, I commend my colleague on her speech. I would like to ask her a question that I had the chance to ask my colleague from Salaberry—Suroît a bit earlier. As we know, the member for Rivière-du-Nord would like to ensure that the judges sitting on the review commission are bilingual. According to Canada's official bilingualism policy, both languages should have equal status. Can my colle…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. To be perfectly honest, I did not really examine the effect the carbon tax has on all Canadians, and I did not calculate how much money does or does not end up back in their pockets, because it simply does not apply in Quebec. The Conservatives do not seem to understand that, because they insist on discussing the carbon tax on every one of thei…
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Madam Speaker, what I find sad is the Conservatives' total lack of intellectual integrity. That is what I find sad. All day, they have been saying that the tax will have a $5‑billion impact on Quebec, but that is utterly false. That $5 billion does not exist. It will never exist. It is a number in an Excel spreadsheet, and they know perfectly well that it does not apply to Quebec. All they wanted …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by saying that I will be sharing my time with the member for Berthier—Maskinongé. We are here today to discuss the Conservatives' opposition day motion. It is not hard to guess what today's topic of discussion will be. For at least a year, I cannot recall a single Conservative opposition day that addressed anything but the carbon tax. Generally, when another pa…
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