Parliamentary Speeches
722 speeches by Yves-François Blanchet — Page 11 of 15
Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today, when Quebec parents heard what had happened in Laval, their hearts stopped. Children are what we, as mothers and fathers, but also as a society, hold most dear. We now know that a bus drove into a day care, taking the lives of two children and injuring six others. We know that the driver has been arrested, but now is not the time to speculate. Whatever the explanation may be, n…
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Mr. Speaker, this is progress. He is no longer pretending it is $20 billion a year; it is $4.6 billion a year. The provinces were asking for $28 billion. This is a far cry from what is needed to care for people. This requires a proper assessment of what it takes to care for people. Now we see that the government is indexing underfunding. It is publicly announcing that a problem that is real today …
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Mr. Speaker, I cannot do it here, so let us imagine that I am speaking to someone from outside. I would ask him what he knows about this as someone who has never operated a health care system. That kind of rhetoric pops up in every election campaign, but let us tell it like it is. Imagine if the NDP took an actual stand, which I believe is possible. Does the Prime Minister really think this kind o…
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Mr. Speaker, far be it from me to stick my nose in other people's business, but media reports suggest all is not well in the Liberal caucus. The Prime Minister is adding to an already long list of major problems. Quebec and the provinces calculated they need $300 billion in new money for health care. The government ponied up $46 billion over 10 years, which nobody thinks is nearly enough. Let us s…
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Mr. Speaker, it is nice to see that the Prime Minister thinks it convenient that there was a pandemic to make phone calls. The reality is that, if there were any discussions, they did not go well because there is nothing to show for them so far. It better not be the same thing tomorrow. Emergency rooms are packed, people are waiting for surgeries, there are mental health problems and the number of…
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Mr. Speaker, it took almost two years for the Prime Minister to meet with the Quebec and provincial premiers. The meeting will be held tomorrow and will address the issue of health transfers, which we have been talking about since my first day in this Parliament. This is an urgent matter. People are suffering, people are worried, people are afraid and people are waiting. Does the Prime Minister ag…
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Mr. Speaker, since it is a question of building bridges, since some of his MPs are going to the front lines in Quebec to defend the most indefensible decisions, and since some MPs, specifically the member for Honoré-Mercier and the member for Saint-Maurice—Champlain, have expressed concerns, I would like to know what the Prime Minister said to his members from Quebec, other than that he supported …
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Mr. Speaker, in light of recent events and the tensions surrounding the arrival of the representative chosen by the Prime Minister, whom I met today at noon, in light of past and perhaps regrettable comments—it is not for me to judge—and in light of the polarizing effect this is having on Quebec and Canada, if the Prime Minister's objective is mutual understanding between communities, will he reco…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree that that is important, but it does not have to be this difficult. To reduce polarization, to really work on getting to know each other and mitigate the serious impact of these recent decisions, will the Prime Minister smooth things over and stand in the House and admit that Bill 21 is not Islamophobic?
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Mr. Speaker, if we make a distinction between secularism and racism, and because what he proposed or announced falls somewhere between “not very good” and “really bad”, and without judging what anyone has to say since that is not really up to us, given that public opinion will take care of that, and without impugning anyone, I have a tough conversation to propose to the Prime Minister. Why not mee…
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Mr. Speaker, ironically, the notwithstanding clause is a legacy that was strongly endorsed by Pierre Elliott Trudeau at the time. The rooster is about to crow for the third time. According to what the minister said yesterday, he has nothing against the notwithstanding clause, he is against its pre-emptive use. The thing is, it can only be used pre-emptively. It is like a vaccine. We do not get vac…
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Mr. Speaker, the representative appointed by the Prime Minister has a rather unflattering view of Quebec. A discussion about Quebec's history and secularism would do Ms. Elghawaby some good. The Prime Minister knew what he was doing. He and the Liberal Party will stop at nothing to strip the Quebec National Assembly of its authority, particularly when it comes to language and secularism, which mus…
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Mr. Speaker, Ms. Elghawaby, who has described Bill 21 as Islamophobic, was unfortunately there, too. Her presence was commendable; her remarks, not so much. Rather than simply condemn her remarks out of hand, I asked to meet with Ms. Elghawaby so that we could try to understand, as parliamentarians, as elected officials, as those responsible for passing the budget that will fund her position. Can …
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy to be back here with you and all my colleagues. As my colleagues know, the Prime Minister made an appointment of his own, choosing Amira Elghawaby. He surely looked into her statements and positions prior to her appointment, which many perceive as very insulting to Quebec. Nevertheless, he went ahead with the appointment. Here is my question for the Prime Minister: Does he …
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Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that this is our last sitting in the House in 2022. I would like to say that a bit of fresh air will be good for our spirits. At the same time, not much was accomplished by all the shouting, which often owed more to showmanship than sincerity. As we extend holiday greetings to our constituents, it is both my duty and my desire to tell them to take care of themselve…
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Mr. Speaker, how about a little holiday spirit? The Prime Minister got a generous invitation from the provincial premiers. It is like a family gathering. Maybe they will talk to him about an old aunt who is sick. They will talk about how expensive it is. He will find it tedious, but one does not turn down that kind of invitation. It is simply not done. In the spirit of the holidays, will the Prime…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is confusing a party with a face-to-face meeting, and I am not sure which would be more difficult. I am certain he is more gracious than that. Premiers have a lot to say when they talk amongst themselves. They have cousins on stretchers in hospital hallways, an uncle waiting for kidney surgery, a friend named Guy who has pneumonia and is afraid of catching COVID-19,…
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Mr. Speaker, if I may, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would also like to offer our condolences to the family and friends of the former minister and member Jim Carr. The Prime Minister has skilfully calculated that Quebec should take in 112,000 immigrants based on Ottawa's goal of welcoming 500,000. In doing so, he ignored the fact that there are about eight million francophones in the country …
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Mr. Speaker, in the past 24 hours, the Prime Minister said that Quebec must take in 112,000 immigrants. He says that he is not imposing that number. However, all the other times, he said that he would like to impose it. He sent a former minister and now sitting member to say that Bill 96 should be blocked, because the federal government obviously must not recognize Quebec's jurisdictions. He is fo…
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Mr. Speaker, I salute the Quebec National Assembly, which is the only national parliament of Quebeckers and which unanimously chose to renounce or, better yet, condemn the oath of allegiance to the king. I salute the courage and determination of the three Parti Québécois MNAs and the government's swift action, at the very time when the Conseil de presse du Québec was condemning the moderator of th…
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Mr. Speaker, on this day, December 6, we commemorate the terrible femicide that took place at École Polytechnique. Compassion must guide all of our efforts, including the study of the bill to control assault weapons. The government has tabled an amendment that is unusual, huge and complex, so much so that the minister and the Prime Minister admit that it is an issue that should be dealt with by ex…
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Mr. Speaker, that is precisely what I am trying to get at with my question. Obviously, I share the concern that sport hunters may be used as pawns in this matter, but this does not in any way help ensure the safety and sense of security of the victims' families, of women in general, or of civil society as a whole. We want to truly understand, because clarity is at the heart of the matter, and we a…
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Mr. Speaker, the government seemingly does not realize that it has put Canada in a very precarious situation by provoking the Chinese government. China is more powerful economically, demographically and geopolitically speaking, yet Canada, instead of aligning itself with the United States, even if it means hiding behind it, is showing just how weak it is. Worse, it is showing how vulnerable it is.…
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Mr. Speaker, that may be why the Prime Minister put on a show in front of the Chinese president. It is because nothing happened. Quebeckers and Canadians must stop accepting superficial answers. The government needs to be held accountable. It claims to be protecting institutions, but it is actually protecting the Prime Minister, the Liberal Party and Chinese interests by remaining silent. It is on…
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Mr. Speaker, assuming I will not get a more specific answer than that, let me be perfectly clear. I am taking that as a “yes”. In 2016, the riding of Papineau received $70,000 from Chinese interests in 48 hours. Basically, I have two questions. Was the Prime Minister briefed on funding in his riding? Here is the second thing I am curious about. Was there an investigation into funding in his riding…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister denies Chinese interference in and influence over the Canadian government. He said in English that there was little or no significant influence over the 2019 election. I wonder at what point interference is considered to be little, medium, a lot, dangerous or too much. In 2016, within 48 hours of a Chinese bank being granted the right to operate in Canada, $70,000 f…
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Mr. Speaker, let me make better use of my 35 seconds. In 2016, the Liberal coffers in Papineau, the Prime Minister's riding, got a $70,000 boost from the Chinese communities of Toronto and Vancouver. Around that same time, a new bank was created specifically to serve Chinese communities in Canada. Looking back, was that interference or influence?
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Let us continue, Mr. Speaker. We are not talking about the integrity of institutions. We are talking about the integrity of the Liberal Party of Canada. I would like to remind the House that this Prime Minister refused to denounce China's genocide of the Uighurs and he refused to impose sanctions on China in the Uighur file. Can the Prime Minister tell us whether any of our institutions have looke…
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Mr. Speaker, if I were to guess, I would say that there has never been a sovereignist who funded the Prime Minister's campaign. That being said, if the Prime Minister is saying that there was no interference in the Canadian election, then why did he fall over himself in front of the Chinese President? It is odd. If the Prime Minister thinks there was no interference, I have another question for hi…
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Mr. Speaker, when questioned a little more closely, the Prime Minister talks about everything, but not once did he mention the riding of Papineau. He is responsible for protecting our democracy, but he seems to care more about funding by Chinese interests and the British Crown than about democracy. I will try again. Does the Prime Minister recognize that in 2016, in 48 hours, his riding received $…
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Mr. Speaker, my fear is that it will be even more confusing in French. The head of the RCMP says that they did not investigate then, but that they are investigating now. In addition, the security agencies say that they informed the Prime Minister. I hope there are no members in the House who benefited from illegal financing. There could be as many as 11. No one wants that to be the case. In order …
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Mr. Speaker, whether the Prime Minister says that he does not know or that he is getting his information about the allegations from the media, it is not reassuring either way. This Prime Minister who wants to act tough, who jumps ahead of the Chinese president without even bothering to rally allies around him, could he tell us whether, when it comes to interference, trade, containment of China, he…
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Mr. Speaker, the government wanted to add China to the trans-Pacific partnership. It wanted to negotiate a free trade agreement with China. It seems to be ignoring the advice of its very own security services. What kind of credibility do this government and this Prime Minister have if that is their policy on China, which may very well want to keep doing these things? The government is hiding the f…
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Mr. Speaker, the shortfall in health care funding for Quebec is around $6 billion. Stretchers are piling up in emergency rooms. Surgery waiting lists are suffering a similar effect, with all the anguish that goes along with that. There is also a national mental health crisis, with its prescriptions and fears of suicide attempts. At this rate, we will not be sending help abroad; we will be receivin…
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Mr. Speaker, rather than talking about what the government is giving, let us talk about what is missing. In general, the government has begun to treat Quebeckers and health system managers as though they are no good. The Prime Minister and his ministers think they are better than everyone. The only thing the federal government has that the Quebec government does not is money. No one in the federal…
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Mr. Speaker, with a huge population and a ruthless apparatus of repression, the Chinese regime is deploying absolutely shocking policies: spying, intimidation, and interference in the electoral process, including illegal financing in 11 ridings here in Canada. More importantly, the Chinese Communist Party is literally wiping out an entire people, a thousand-year-old culture in a conquered province…
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Mr. Speaker, I am wearing the signature bow tie that reminds us of the importance of fighting prostate cancer and losing weight. The Prime Minister wants to increase immigration levels to 500,000 in 2025. For Quebec, that means something like 120,000 immigrants, in addition to the majority of the people who arrive via Roxham Road. Most of these people do not speak French. Quebec does not have the …
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Mr. Speaker, the government and the Prime Minister want to bring in something like 150,000 immigrants a year. Those individuals will not have the services they need in areas like French language learning, child care, education and health care, nor will there even be enough good jobs. If we do not welcome them, Quebec's weight within the federation will shrink drastically, and if we do welcome them…
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—time. Meanwhile, doctors are waiting, nurses are waiting, patients are waiting, parents are waiting, young people in distress are waiting. What does the government have to say to people who are waiting for their own money, for health care, just because the Prime Minister thinks he is better?
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Mr. Speaker, we recently debated the government's policy priorities. Besides the fact that we can certainly address more than one subject at a time, can we agree that there may not be a more important subject and priority than health? In Quebec, the health care system is falling apart for lack of funding. Those who are ill languish on waiting lists, emergency rooms are overflowing, mental health i…
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Mr. Speaker, as my old man would have said: What would you know about that? Quebec is already administering a health care system that is bursting at the seams. That is true of all provinces. The pandemic has added to the already considerable pressure, and there is absolutely nothing to prove that a manager in Canada is better than a manager in Quebec or Alberta. There is nothing to prove that. Cre…
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Mr. Speaker, I am taken aback by the government's pretentious attitude. We in Ottawa are better than those people in Quebec. We know better than they do. However, the government is finally organizing a meeting with health ministers. Despite how important this is, the health ministers will be there but not the Prime Minister. Furthermore, there is an economic update this Thursday and the health min…
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Mr. Speaker, his collaborative approach is just a way of stalling so that he can impose conditions. I appeal to the Prime Minister's heart. Even the hallways of emergency rooms in Quebec are full. Imagine how distressing that is. The waiting lists for surgery are endless. We are talking about real people, people who are really sick. I know parents, and I hope the Prime Minister knows parents, who …
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Mr. Speaker, I wonder why the Prime Minister thinks he is smarter and more competent than Quebec. Is it because of the 1982 Constitution? Is it because of the fiscal imbalance? Is it because of spending power? I am getting the impression that he is telling Quebeckers that they are no good and that he and his buddies are better. I think he is confusing collaboration with taking sick people hostage.…
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Mr. Speaker, for me, being Canadian is like swearing an oath to the King. I do not have a choice. Negotiating, talking, centralizing, that all takes—
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Mr. Speaker, some laws and initiatives with budget implications require a royal recommendation before they can be adopted in the House. It is a symbolic gesture, but it is in the rules. My question relates to the budget. Inflation makes seniors very vulnerable, especially those the government discriminates against, the ones aged 65 to 75, particularly if they depend on government assistance. As su…
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Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the Prime Minister to go back and listen to his answer later. This question also has a budgetary dimension, so perhaps we need to pretend to have the assent of our friend Charles, who does not need any assistance, although he is quite old. As the Prime Minister knows, hospital emergency rooms are overflowing. The most dreaded season in terms of health care challenges…
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moved: That, given that, (i) Canada is a democratic state, (ii) this House believes in the principle of equality for all, the House express its desire to sever ties between the Canadian State and the British monarchy, and call on the government to take the actions necessary to do so. Mr. Speaker, I must admit, reluctantly, that I am disappointed. I hope no one informs Charles III that his subjects…
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Madam Speaker, I forgot to acknowledge the absolutely amazing role the Queen played during the pandemic. She helped us so much. How could we possibly have gotten through the pandemic without Her Majesty? If we really need to set priorities, the member could have chosen to stand with the Bloc tomorrow rather than ask me a question that does not really have any bearing on the issue. It would have be…
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Madam Speaker, I have no qualms about recognizing that, when the Conservative Party has priorities, they are clear: The Conservative Party talks about inflation and oil, and that is all. However, there are parliamentary committees discussing many different subjects simultaneously. During question period, we ask questions about many different subjects on the same day. It is a big challenge, and the…
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