Parliamentary Speeches
598 speeches by Yves-François Blanchet — Page 3 of 12
Oral Questions
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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Mr. Speaker, every day, the House of Commons shows Quebec just why we really need to get the hell out of here. Until that time comes, we keep having to repeat ourselves, so let us repeat ourselves a bit more. All four parties in the House supported Bill C‑282 on supply management. It was one of the few points of consensus ever reached and, incidentally, was reached at an outdoor gathering. Two sen…
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Mr. Speaker, democracy has spoken. Approximately 50 Conservative MPs voted against supply management. That said, to try and clean up this mess, I will be going to the Senate this afternoon to meet with senators in person, and I will be going there again tomorrow. Clearly, this is not how we usually do business. Will the Prime Minister be meeting with these senators himself?
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Mr. Speaker, what will Quebeckers say if the government fails to protect supply management? What will they say about the Senate? What will they say about the government? What will they say about the Prime Minister's leadership and this inconsistency? While the United States is about to become more protectionist than ever, Canada is about to give up its agriculture. Are Canada and its Senate the wo…
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Mr. Speaker, we are going to protect it with legislation. It is ironic that while the Senate of Canada or certain senators of Canada want to sacrifice Quebec, it is the Bloc Québécois that is working for all farmers in Quebec and Canada. Do people understand that this is not about the Bloc Québécois? This is about the quality of the food we eat. It is about fair and predictable pricing. It is abou…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister would be well advised to double-check the nonsense he is spouting. I have never approved oil and gas exploration anywhere in the world. With that said, we will now talk about security, because tomorrow I will become the next leader in the House who has seen the report that names the MPs compromised by foreign powers. That leaves one leader who might not want to do s…
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Mr. Speaker, the difference between what the government says it is going to stand firm on and what it actually achieves is enough to worry anyone. Let us talk about the risk of inflation. Many economists are saying that the Republicans' proposed economic policies are going to drive up inflation. Is it not high time to protect the purchasing power of retirees aged 65 to 74 by restoring fairness for…
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Mr. Speaker, following Trump's election win, it seems likely, if not certain, that a number of people who currently live in the United States will want to leave and seek asylum here in Canada. Has the government already made plans to ensure regular and orderly management of our borders, including increased monitoring, given that people can claim asylum once they have been here for two weeks, like …
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Mr. Speaker, that seems like a pretty broad answer considering the fact that there could be millions of people in the U.S. wanting to leave that country, maybe even in the short term. A significant number of them may very well be setting their sights on Canada and, if they manage to enter through an irregular border crossing and stay here for two weeks, they will be allowed to stay. Will the gover…
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Mr. Speaker, even the Leader of the Opposition is worried about the economic policies of the U.S. president-elect, who is actually one of his role models. Clearly, there is a problem. I want to talk about trade. There are problems when it comes to supply management, aluminum and wood. Let us focus on supply management. Is it not high time to protect supply management by passing Bill C-282? Is it n…
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Mr. Speaker, the United States has not even finished counting the votes and the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are already arguing over who will be the most pro-oil. It is outrageous. Do I understand correctly that they are both completely abandoning any consideration for the climate and the green economy in favour of a Canadian oil economy?
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Mr. Speaker, the government has tabled draft regulations to cap greenhouse gas emissions. It is a pretty weak plan, because the timelines are too long and the costs involved are essentially going to be covered by Quebeckers and Canadians. The Quebec and Canadian economies will pay for the break that oil companies are getting from having to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and production. These regu…
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Mr. Speaker, instead of considering the proposals for green equalization, a green banking system or funding for clean energy, as the Bloc Québécois has been proposing for a long time now, the Prime Minister is making us pay for an industry whose profits have increased tenfold since the pandemic, as he himself has said. Instead of imposing standards that are not strict enough, why does he not impos…
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Mr. Speaker, on Sunday evening, the ADISQ Gala got off to a strong start with the sultry voice of Elisapie, which enthralled the audience and held them spellbound. This Inuk singer, who proudly carried the torch of Quebec song by opening our musical event, sang a Leonard Cohen cover in her own language. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to congratulate Elisapie on the outstanding success of …
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Mr. Speaker, I have not read the study, but I have heard about it. I do have some reservations, however. Over the past few days, I have heard people go so far as to say that playing catch up and returning some purchasing power to seniors will be terrible for young people. Quebec's young people—and I am very happy about this—have a standard of living, a level of prosperity and a level of wealth tha…
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Mr. Speaker, there has been too much interference, as well as some incompetence, on the part of the government. We have become so used to it that we do not always mention it. The care that he is talking about falls under Quebec's jurisdiction. It is as simple as that. I agree with my colleague that this is not enough. We have been asking for more from the start and we have not given up on that. I …
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Mr. Speaker, since I am a good boy, I will not refer to those who are absent, but I would like to point out that I have invited the Conservative leader to debate with me many times outside this chamber, but he has always been completely absent. That being said, I am pleased that the Conservative Party is still planning to support the Bloc Québécois in its efforts to help seniors, as it has done fr…
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moved: That the House call upon the government to take the necessary steps to ensure that a royal recommendation is granted as soon as possible to Bill C-319, An Act to amend the Old Age Security Act (amount of full pension). Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by inviting the House to recognize the importance of the discussions we are going to have, beyond the context in which this conversation is happe…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is not too interested in handing over $2 billion to private insurance companies. That is not our business model. I would also like to say that every time the government comes up with something moderately appealing, something we do not outright dismiss, it comes with a megadose of mismanagement, interference, disrespect, disdain for the provinces and disdain for Queb…
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Mr. Speaker, I am not sure whether I like the idea of a “young senior”. We will talk about that later. However, I did not understand the government's approach. I have never understood why the government did not move quickly on our request. On the face of things, we thought it seemed fair. There was also something extremely cynical about creating a form of discrimination. The government's intent to…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois made a reasonable proposal in good faith on subjects that already have the support of all parties in the House. I would like the Prime Minister to tell me whether he will give us his word that he will quickly consider the Bloc Québécois's proposal to help seniors and farmers.
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Mr. Speaker, that is the kind of messaging that has left the Liberal government teetering on the brink. The Liberals should try to change their approach a bit. Maybe they could dispense with the grandstanding and try to have more substance and content. The Prime Minister himself said that he agrees with helping seniors. He voted for that. He also agrees with supply management. He also voted for th…
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Mr. Speaker, that is indeed a very good opportunity to help seniors, whose purchasing power he himself reduced, as well as farmers, not only in Quebec but also in Canada. Good for them. To be more specific, beyond the vague intentions, will the Prime Minister also start reaching out to his casual partners in the NDP to ensure that these bills actually get passed on time?
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Mr. Speaker, this is not a race, but let us talk a bit about the numbers. The Bloc Québécois's proposal, its request to adjust the numbers for seniors, amounts to about $80 a month, or roughly $1,000 a year, for each year. That is not a one-time treatment. It is not interference in Quebec's exclusive jurisdictions. Dental care should be Quebec's responsibility. Federal pensions are Ottawa's respon…
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Mr. Speaker, one does not preclude the other. The two bills we are talking about, both introduced by the Bloc Québécois, are quite far along in the process. All parties in the House have supported them at various stages. The government was given plenty of time, and this should, in theory, even get the social democrats in the NDP on board. Does the Prime Minister realize that the clock is ticking? …
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Mr. Speaker, I am trying to imagine how the government could possibly fail to get this done, given that everyone has already agreed to the Bloc's bills. I imagine everyone will remain in agreement. The NDP agrees. The Conservatives agree. The Liberals have agreed. I want to know whether the Prime Minister is going to get moving, because time is running out. For the sake of seniors and farmers, esp…
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Mr. Speaker, either I was unclear, or Mr. Trudeau himself is living proof—
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to read a motion that was unanimously adopted by the Quebec National Assembly: THAT the National Assembly recall that education is under the Québec government's exclusive jurisdiction; THAT it affirm that recruitment of faculty in higher education institutions should be based on excellence and competence, and definitely not on religion; THAT it reiterate that recruiting f…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like the Prime Minister to remind me of the dates when he held a seat in the Quebec National Assembly. I was not around for that. That being said, if he and all the parties here want to fight Islamophobia and polarization, they should consider passing the bill introduced by the Bloc Québécois, which prohibits or puts an end to the religious exception and religious pretexts whe…
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Mr. Speaker, does it take nine years to learn not to answer questions? The Quebec National Assembly unanimously declared that this federal employee has insulted all of us and it wants her to resign. I am asking the Prime Minister whether he is taking Ms. Elghawaby's side against Quebec, or siding with the Quebec National Assembly. All of them are elected members of the National Assembly of Quebec,…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister appointed a special representative on combatting Islamophobia. Ms. Elghawaby felt that her mandate allowed her to accuse Quebec universities of not protecting what she called “the safety of students”. Maybe the concept of Islamophobia means different things to different people. Some people even say it is simply an instrument of liberal political activism. For our ge…
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Mr. Speaker, this is no small matter. The Prime Minister does not know the definition of Islamophobia. Without a definition, does he believe that criticizing Quebec universities is likely to reduce Islamophobia, whatever that might be, or will it instead pit Canadians against Quebeckers?
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Mr. Speaker, I withdraw the bad word. The Prime Minister is living proof that some Quebeckers need to work on their French, because he did not understand what I said. I hope Parliament studies and passes the bill that would prohibit the religious exception. He is an elected member from Quebec, but in Ottawa, so he should reflect the will of Quebec in that capacity.
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Mr. Speaker, Bill C‑319 is a Bloc Québécois bill that eliminates discrimination in the retirement benefits granted to seniors 65 to 74 and those 75 and over. It allows them to earn $6,500 instead of $5,000 without losing the guaranteed income supplement. In committee, the Liberals voted in favour of the bill, the Conservatives voted in favour of the bill and the NDP voted in favour of the bill. No…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to clarify something for the government, the entire House and everyone else, something that is not going to happen. The Bloc Québécois will not be told, “Help us interfere in areas under Quebec's jurisdiction, then give us this, then give us that, and then maybe...”. That is not going to happen. The Liberal government will have to be consistent and implement a law that it voted…
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Mr. Speaker, we will say it again. The Bloc Québécois votes against all interference against Quebec, whether it is on its own or mixed into a tasteless salad. The Liberals voted for Bill C‑319; let them take responsibility and implement the legislation so that retirees are no longer the victims of an injustice they created. I may vote a little less often, but I am voting a little more intelligentl…
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Mr. Speaker, I would have liked to answer the leader of the official opposition's questions, but I will answer them with this. His party came fourth in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, with 12% of the vote. That said, nothing has changed, except that we will have to make room for one more seat. We continue to work on the seniors file. Will the government follow through on its vote in favour of Bill C-319 and…
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Mr. Speaker, “which he voted against”, “maybe”, it is not clear. I have never voted in favour of interfering in areas under Quebec's jurisdiction. The Liberals voted in favour of a bill introduced by the Bloc Québécois, but then there was the minor matter of a royal recommendation. They figure they will just withhold the royal recommendation so the Bloc Québécois bill will never go through and sen…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by welcoming back of all my colleagues. Today is by-election day in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, and I would like the Prime Minister to explain to retirees between the ages of 65 and 74 in that riding why their pension cheques are 10% lower than those of retirees aged 75 and up. This is blatant discrimination, and they have the right to understand why this is happening.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is easily confused. He just trampled on a jurisdiction exclusive to Quebec. On Friday, he also said that Quebec anglophones were not entitled to the same health care services in English as francophones receive. That is not true. I am therefore specifically asking him, as the law requires, to acknowledge that he misled anglophones in Montreal, Quebec and LaSalle—Émar…
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Mr. Speaker, according to Canada Post, employees do not need to speak French to deliver or sort mail in Quebec. The reason given is that letter carriers do not talk to anyone, not even the dogs chasing them, not at the post office, not on the street, not at people's homes, never. Will the Prime Minister call Canada Post to order and demand that its employees in Quebec speak French?
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Mr. Speaker, if the government imposes decrees, that will lead to economic disaster for the forestry industry. If Quebec does not reach an agreement with the industry, environmentalists, indigenous peoples, unions and municipalities, the woodland caribou will disappear. The Conservatives claim to be fixing this, but in a year and a half, businesses will already be closed, the species will be more …
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Mr. Speaker, with some help from the Conservatives, the woodland caribou is at risk of extinction. That must not happen. However, thousands of forestry jobs are also at risk of extinction, with some help from the Liberals. Our forests are one of Quebec's most ecological and important assets. I cannot accept either prospect. Does the Prime Minister agree that the woodland caribou issue is a test of…
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to French, the Liberal government is a false advertiser. In public, with their grand gestures and ridiculous rhetoric, more reminiscent of Molière than Shakespeare, the Liberals love the French language, save for a few outliers in Montreal. The truth is that the government is looking on as French declines everywhere, all the time, yet it invests in protecting English. Do…
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Mr. Speaker, in a few days, Quebec will be celebrating and will be celebrated. Quebec will be proudly celebrated in song, in dance and in words, as well as in the tributes to the great Jean-Pierre Ferland and the great Karl Tremblay, who have sadly left us. Quebec will celebrate each and every person who has contributed over the past four centuries to the diversity of a francophone nation in Ameri…
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Mr. Speaker, because American companies misunderstand Bill 96 on French in Quebec, they are pressuring Joe Biden's government to impose U.S. sanctions to counter Quebec's language law. Will the Prime Minister shoulder his responsibilities when it comes to the United States? Will the Prime Minister protect a law that was legitimately passed in Quebec, or will he let our largest trading partner dict…
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Mr. Speaker, he is allergic to the simple word “yes”. We can see it: The inability to ensure that the number of immigrants Quebec so generously welcomes learn French, the decline of French in the Canadian public service, the unilingual English federally regulated employees in Quebec, the protection given a member who insults researchers duly invited to Parliament, all the money for protecting so-c…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is not really in the habit of listening to or reading the RCMP's suggestions. This time, the RCMP is saying that it does not have the tools it needs to deal with the threat that hate speech poses to security and social harmony. The RCMP does not have the tools it needs to do its job. The religious exemption in the Criminal Code enables people to engage in verbal abu…
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Mr. Speaker, that is how to waste 35 precious seconds. The streets of Montreal and other cities in Quebec and Canada are the site of demonstrations and open incitements to hatred, if not outright violence. Demonstrators are even calling for the extermination of the people of Israel. What will it take for this Prime Minister to start protecting the people he is responsible for?
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister himself said that he did not read certain reports. He ignored certain reports. He slowed down the intelligence-gathering and investigation process. Even now, there may be elected representatives subject to foreign influence in every party. He needs to tell us. He needs to give us an answer because, right now, the Prime Minister of a Parliament that includes some mem…
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