Parliamentary Speeches
598 speeches by Yves-François Blanchet — Page 2 of 12
Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, has my esteemed colleague fallen into the multiculturalist trap that will kill Quebeckers' freedoms?
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Mr. Speaker, Liberal governments tend to have the attitude where they presume and claim to be irrevocably morally superior from the outset: “I am a Liberal Canadian, you are worth less, and I control the federal Parliament, obviously, because the provinces are ethically and morally inferior to a federal Liberal”. We have been living with that for such a long time and we are sick of it. We apply th…
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Mr. Speaker, it is because they had not thought of it yet. Basically, for some years now, the government has been trying to pit two visions against each other on the assumption that its own would win. It is not as silly as it sounds, because political games can pay off in Canada if they involve attacking Quebec's unique values. However, that will not work. The next government of Quebec is very lik…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by asking “what is up with them?”, or, to put it more informally, “have they lost the plot?” The factums submitted by the government's lawyers include statements that would shock even the most radical people across the border. I will elaborate on that later. In more polite terms, the government has made a fool of itself, but in doing so, it has highlighted the …
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Mr. Speaker, the federal government is wearing a black and white striped jersey. It is sort of playing the referee. It figures that it is the one that upholds the Constitution, funds opponents, participates in the exercise of having prosecutors present arguments and engages in political propaganda. In fact, I can provide an example of that. The factum does not talk about pre-emptive use, but a hec…
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Mr. Speaker, I feel like telling them, with all due respect, to get a clue. It is the job of judges, or the government, which will pay to hire lawyers to draft a document, which they should be very ashamed of, given the statements it contains about summary execution, freedom of the press and so on. There are some crazy things in it. However, if various bodies in Quebec and Canadian society want to…
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Mr. Speaker, the notwithstanding clause is enshrined in the 1982 Canadian Constitution, which Quebec never signed. René Lévesque included the notwithstanding clause in every one of his bills after the Constitution was signed by all of the provinces except Quebec. The Prime Minister is attacking the legacy of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Is he asking judges to come down harder on Quebec and do more dama…
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Mr. Speaker, this is an opportunity for collaboration. In the last few hours, there has been much speculation that the government might table what will essentially be an attack on the notwithstanding clause in the Constitution, but we do not really know yet what it will contain. That said, a poll shows there is a very broad consensus in Quebec about the importance of state secularism. Is the Prime…
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Mr. Speaker, in 43 years, no Quebec government has ever signed the Canadian Constitution. At this point in time, the Constitution does not allow the government to attack the French language and the Quebec value of secularism the way it wants to, so it appears to be trying to hide behind the court and a government by judges. It is asking the justices to change the Canadian Constitution on its behal…
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Mr. Speaker, what I heard in Washington was that people were disappointed that the Prime Minister did not show up, even though the minister was there. There are people who feel that the government's attitude is somewhat disrespectful, particularly since it said that the special relationship with the United States is over. I asked the Prime Minister to address that yesterday. Is the government not …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to put something into context. I went to Washington, not to speak against the government or Canada, but to help establish favourable conditions for what should be our real priority: trade and tariffs. However, yesterday, when I asked the Prime Minister a serious question, he told me that Canada's negotiations and relationship with Mr. Trump were going well. By way of evid…
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Mr. Speaker, allow me to remind the minister and the government that 80% of our exports go to the world's leading economy and leading military power and none of that is going to change anytime soon. Whether we disagree with this administration's philosophy or not, we have to treat it with respect. The Prime Minister will soon be travelling to Mexico, Malaysia, South Korea and maybe even Brazil. Am…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's rare appearances or absences in Washington have been widely noted in Washington, both by the political apparatus of the administration and by economic associations which often share our views. When did the Prime Minister last travel there and when does he intend to start spending some serious time in the capital of our primary trading partner? Will he make it a pr…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was elected based on claims that he would be hands-down the best person to handle the tariff crisis and the trade crisis. Four months later, Canada is failing miserably. The best we can say is that it has not been a success and that the results are falling short of expectations. Will he commit today to making it a real priority to end the tariffs and sign a trade tr…
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Mr. Speaker, the choice of topic for my first intervention this fall was clear. I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude, affection, recognition and admiration for the timeless Guy Rocher, a man, a sociologist, a nation builder and an educator, at once so kind and so clear, who left us on September 3 at the age of 101. Guy Rocher was the founder of Quebec's education system, the father of seculari…
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Mr. Speaker, I flat-out reject those statements, as they do not stand up to economic analysis. Other forums will be necessary, considering the format. The Prime Minister said that the once close and trusting relationship we had with the United States is over. That statement was not well received in Washington. Can he say whether he is now confident that the once special and trusting relationship b…
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Mr. Speaker, the government considers it a feat to hypothetically reduce the assessment period to two years. No shovels have been put in the ground yet. There are still a great many years before projects are built. Take Trans Mountain, for example. That took 12 years. The tariff crisis was an emergency. The Prime Minister is talking about a solution that will not require a pound of aluminum for 10…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, when talking about the connection between tariffs and bulldozer Bill C-5, two of the Prime Minister's colleagues responded by spewing nonsense, trying to come across as charming and funny, which they are not. I do not believe that there is any connection between the tariff crisis and the time needed for Bill C-5 to eventually take effect. I would like the economist and Prim…
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to managing the tariffs file, let us remember that, after making a bunch of compromises on borders, on defence, and on the abandoned countermeasures that may now be back on the table—and I am curious to see the details, as they have already done more harm than good—the Prime Minister's strategy was supposed involve reaching an agreement with Donald Trump before the G7, b…
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Mr. Speaker, the main issue during the election campaign was a serious crisis, a tariff and trade crisis. The day after the election campaign, poof, it disappeared. The Prime Minister went to Washington to meet with President Trump and came back with nothing to show for it. That said, the Prime Minister has since made significant concessions on tariffs, borders and defence. He said that all of the…
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Mr. Speaker, if the G7 is considered progress, then we are not out of the woods yet. The government is muzzling Parliament, suspending the rule of law, and preventing elected members who are not siding with the Liberals and the Conservatives from speaking, but meanwhile nothing is happening on trade and tariffs. There is talk about oil. However, Bill C-5 has nothing to do with trade and nothing to…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals need to stop regurgitating stock answers. Bill C‑5 will not have any impact on the Canadian economy, but it will have a huge negative impact on the public purse for many years to come. Bill C‑5 will have no impact on the tariff war and no foreseeable impact on production-related trade or on the Canadian economy. Will the Liberals stop taking people for fools and admit tha…
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Mr. Speaker, in five days, Quebec will celebrate its national holiday. It will be a celebration of summer filled with song, reflecting our history and our stories. I would like to remind members that, 45 years ago, René Lévesque proposed a way to coexist with our neighbours, with our neighbour, as equals. Being united and partnering with our neighbour is a noble pursuit as long as it is freely con…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the new Minister of Finance, but we cannot overlook the fact that there have been a series of crises that have been plaguing this government for a long time. Now, we have a bad economic update and a ridiculous deficit. There is also the $5 billion that the government never should have given away and that, by its own admission, will be impossible to recoup. In sh…
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Mr. Speaker, the government does not enjoy the confidence of the House, it enjoys the weakness of the NDP. That being said, if the government claims to have the legitimacy to negotiate on the country's behalf through a potentially serious crisis, why would it not seek a mandate from the people, either now or in January, with this leader or another one? Then, we will see if it gets a new mandate, a…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a bit of a strange question for the Prime Minister. The Conservative leader is taking advantage of his position to say all kinds of things about the Bloc Québécois, Quebec and me. He is doing this while cravenly refusing the many invitations I have issued again and again for over a year to debate me publicly. Today, he has gone a step further. Is the Prime Minister not concerne…
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Mr. Speaker, a House of Commons committee is attacking Quebec. The Minister of Immigration is attacking Quebec's premier. The Conservatives' question box is clearly empty, since they have repeated the same thing eight times. The government has not had any answers for a long time, and we are no longer dealing with the challenges that we should be dealing with in this Parliament. Is it not time for …
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Mr. Speaker, examples of courage are few and far between in this Parliament. I want to remind everyone that there is a provision in the Criminal Code that allows people to spread hate and incite violence under the guise of religion. If he does not have the courage to do anything else, will he at least put an end to the religious exemption and stop allowing hate propaganda and incitement to violenc…
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Mr. Speaker, I really want to put this in clear, concrete terms. Does the Prime Minister side with the people who are imposing the presence of religion in secular schools in Quebec, or does he side with those who are being literally attacked for wanting to uphold the principle of secularism in Quebec schools? It has to be one or the other.
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Mr. Speaker, are higher education institutions free like the Prime Minister says? That is a good question. What we do know is that education falls under Quebec's jurisdiction, and it is up to Quebec to decide what happens in Quebec schools. As in the previous question, what I want to know is whether the Prime Minister is siding with the students and teachers of sex education in Quebec schools, or …
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Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights has tabled a report that literally puts Quebec's values on trial. Why is that? It is because Quebec, like most western nations, supports the separation of church and state. I wonder what the Prime Minister has to say to the hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Quebec who are happy and welcome, in French, in a host society that knows ex…
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Mr. Speaker, just to clarify, we are not talking about secularism with regard to a single religion, but all religions. The vast majority of Quebec Muslims are perfectly happy, integrated and welcome in Quebec. Furthermore, the secularism of government institutions, and, to a certain extent, the public sphere, is necessary for all forms of equality, including gender equality. Could the Prime Minist…
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Mr. Speaker, against a backdrop of religious practices, bullying in Quebec schools and people literally being asked to move to make space for people to pray, the Minister of Immigration says that Quebec's premier is always picking on Muslims. He talks about freedom of religion, but it looks like the minister has a hard time telling a cathedral in Paris from a park in Montreal. Does the Prime Minis…
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Mr. Speaker, what a clear answer. In war, there are only victims, and they are often civilians. Here, however, anti-Semitic speech is seen as perfectly acceptable. Fixing this would be easy, and 75% of Quebeckers and 66% of Canadians support the idea. Is the government willing to remove two sections of the Criminal Code that recognize the religious exception? Will it put its money where its mouth …
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Mr. Speaker, I do not think he liked that. It is a matter of consistency, leadership and courage. We in the Bloc, we have the courage. I can replicate his own proposal. He did it for a GST holiday. He can do it to protect the lives of Canadians and Quebeckers. The government could unblock Parliament for 24 hours, get the bill passed and make everyone feel safer. After that we can see if there are …
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Mr. Speaker, I get the impression that the Prime Minister does not appreciate how serious the situation is. The Quebec National Assembly voted unanimously to end the religious exception. The Jewish community in Canada and Quebec is afraid. Here and in Quebec, because of the federal government, people can incite violence against Jews with impunity. If he takes this seriously, we will too. If he com…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister talked about seniors, so let us talk about them. The Prime Minister admitted that there is discrimination in increasing old age security for seniors 75 and up, while his party is in favour of our bill to end the discrimination. He says he is in favour of supply management, and yet he is not doing what he needs to do to ensure the passage of our bill protecting suppl…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec's National Assembly has unanimously adopted a motion calling on the federal Parliament to end the religious exception for hate propaganda. At one time or another, everyone here has voted in favour of eliminating the religious exception. Obviously, everyone has already voted for this, which is both the right and necessary thing to do. Is the Prime Minister now ready to go ahead …
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Mr. Speaker, it is possible to not squabble and show some so-called common sense at the same time. We are freeing up Parliament, maybe even by unanimous consent, but one by one, I want to see every member here who will not stand up and vote in favour of a law that puts an end to hate propaganda and violence under the guise of religion. I want to see those members who are going to oppose this legis…
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Mr. Speaker, the sooner we get a real plan for the future, not for the past, the sooner we will be able to do something about the fact that the discussions are not focusing on real trade issues. In addition to the threatened 25% tariffs, there are issues related to supply management, the cultural exemption, softwood lumber and aluminum. Can the Prime Minister confirm that there have been discussio…
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Mr. Speaker, with every passing day, we gain a better understanding of how the turbulent relationship with the Americans is evolving. It seems there was some confusion about the president's threats. Is this about trade or border security or drugs? Now, after a long-delayed change of heart on immigration, the government is promising a detailed plan, which I hope will also be costed. When will we ge…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians who are struggling are the ones who will not be getting a cheque. However, we can see that the Liberals themselves are struggling. The Conservatives do not seem to support the Liberals' proposal and neither do the NDP or the Bloc Québécois. No one in the House seems to support this proposal. If the Prime Minister is so sure of himself, why not make this a confidence vote?
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Mr. Speaker, imagine all the smart things we could do with $6 billion. Everyone in the House voted for a measure that would pay $3 billion to pensioners aged 65 to 74. We could put $3 billion into housing to address a major crisis that is affecting many young families. We could think about that. My problem is this: Does the Prime Minister realize that he may no longer have the confidence of a majo…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is turning the entire country against him and his Santa's sack of goodies. The people do not want it. Retailers do not want it. Pensioners do not want it. Students do not want it. Economists do not want it. Even the wealthy with common sense do not want it. Nobody wants their sack of goodies. Does the Prime Minister realize that votes cannot be bought?
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Mr. Speaker, no doubt retirees and young people are asking themselves some serious questions right now. Clearly, nobody wants these Christmas goodies. Everyone in the House, including the Liberal Party of Canada, voted in favour of the bill that would make retirees equal. I think people, on the whole, are willing to pay a certain amount of taxes, as long as the government does not just fritter tha…
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Mr. Speaker, as the past few days and hours have shown, we are about to go through a time of major insecurity in Parliament over issues related to trade, protectionism and a rather aggressive diatribe of words. This should be a time to reassure and unite people and to project a sense of security, especially economic security. This effort should begin with the most fragile and vulnerable members of…
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Mr. Speaker, other workers came before today's workers. I am talking about people who worked their whole lives, who have paid taxes all their lives, who have nowhere else to turn. The government is handing out cheques to people who do not need them and denying cheques to those who need them most. Does he not think that if he lowers the amount for the cheques he gives out, and gives that money to t…
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Mr. Speaker, in regard to the Bloc Québécois's useless measures on supply management and pensioners, let me remind the House that the young man who leads the official opposition voted in favour of those measures. That being said, the government wants to implement measures to support the purchasing power of Quebeckers and Canadians. The government must realize that these measures will be more benef…
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Mr. Speaker, the math required is the same math that people are doing at home. I am talking about people between the ages of 65 and 74 in particular, whose purchasing power has not changed in years and who are being singled out for discrimination. They are not going to get the Liberal government's vote-buying cheque. I do not get it. Can someone tell me how the Liberals managed to convince the NDP…
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Mr. Speaker, I was going to ask the finance minister what the Liberals were thinking when they decided to give tax breaks to people who could theoretically be millionaires or give cheques for $250 to people who earn $150,000. However, I wonder, were we led down the garden path? Does the government not have the support of the NDP?
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