Parliamentary Speeches
722 speeches by Yves-François Blanchet — Page 5 of 15
Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, at various times and in various places, the House of Commons has voted in favour of a bill that increases the purchasing power of pensioners aged 65 to 74. The Minister of Labour and, God help us, Seniors says it is a plot that the separatists hatched with the Conservatives to take down the Liberals. Can members stop talking nonsense in the House? Will the Prime Minister call his blun…
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Mr. Speaker, not only is his minister a laughingstock in the eyes of the Quebec media, but the Prime Minister is also saying that we voted against adjusting the age of retirement from 67 to 65 and against enhancing the GIS. In both cases, however, the vote always included jurisdictional interference and other issues that are unacceptable to Quebec. The Prime Minister and his minister are misleadin…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is defending Halloween-style horror stories, when this coming Halloween may be his last as Prime Minister. Up to one million Quebeckers and up to four million Canadians are affected by the Bloc Québécois proposal. By refusing to clearly answer questions and by letting his minister insult the intelligence of people from pensioner associations, does he realize that he…
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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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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 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, 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, 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, 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, “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 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, 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 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, for the benefit of people who might be watching, the report was tabled yesterday. No one was allowed to see it beforehand. Only one Bloc Québécois member sits on the committee, and that is the member for Montarville. Revealing the names in question is strictly prohibited. I encourage the Liberal caucus in particular to look within and recognize that members of their own caucus may be …
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Mr. Speaker, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians has tabled a report indicating that the Prime Minister's Office handles national security issues—and issues of democracy in particular—in a convoluted way, with confusion, denial, complacency and inaction. Apparently, there are currently elected representatives here in the House who are willingly or naively under 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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Mr. Speaker, in mid-March, the NDP had a very balanced motion passed in support of Palestine, and the Liberals effectively struck out the part recognizing Palestinian statehood. Today, as the Prime Minister himself says he supports a two-state solution, is he prepared to join the many countries that formally recognize the state of Palestine?
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Mr. Speaker, neither wine nor vanilla yogourt is a solid foundation for international relations. Canada must plant its feet firmly on the ground and take a strong position. Is now not the best time to promote peace, starting with recognizing the Palestinian state?
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Mr. Speaker, let us not misunderstand each other. I have the utmost respect for the State of Israel, but it is time for this to stop. In that spirit, is the Prime Minister prepared to support the International Court of Justice and potentially the International Criminal Court in enforcing international law and commit to arresting anyone on Canadian soil who is named in an arrest warrant? Is he prep…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is outlining a series of principles that seem very benevolent, yet he never seems to be willing to follow through by adopting and putting forward, in co-operation with like-minded countries and allies, a set of policies that will help force Israel to end the violence in Gaza. Will he stop spouting empty words and start taking action? We have just sent him 10 proposa…
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Mr. Speaker, in order to put an end to the horrific violence that is devastating the Gaza Strip, can the government and the Prime Minister start by reiterating Canada's support for an immediate ceasefire and the free flow of medical, food and humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip, but more importantly, support the Arab League in its call for the creation of an international peacekeeping force…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is not obliged to say yes or agree with me, but I would like to ask the question nonetheless. Would he agree, and does he recognize, that establishing either short-term or sustainable peace in the Gaza Strip requires both a ceasefire and the involvement of an international peacekeeping force to intervene between the Hamas terrorists and the Israeli army?
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Mr. Speaker, a report on foreign interference that included the 2019 and 2021 elections reveals a serious lack of coordination and rigour. I would even venture to say that the Prime Minister's Office swept everything under the rug. The Prime Minister probably does not know the whole story, because he himself admits that he did not read the reports. He is just not interested, and that is not leader…
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Mr. Speaker, those were not challenges; they were monumental failures resulting from ignorance and carelessness. All parties participated in creating the Hogue commission. Naturally, the commission is calling for information in order to remedy these failures, but the Prime Minister's Office literally withheld information and documents that the commission struggled mightily to obtain. The Hogue com…
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Madam Speaker, I think it is wonderful to see the NDP recommending and hoping that the Canadian government will outsource public programs to the private sector, which will make a profit from the public program. I will repeat the fundamental principle to the unions, the NDP and the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie: There is nothing that a Canadian can do that a Quebecker cannot do, except perha…
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