Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I agree, it is absolutely critical. I will take this opportunity to come back to the urgent need to pass this bill. Earlier today, debate was shut down on the pretext that it was urgent to pass the bill. However, someone pointed out earlier that the 10 days of paid leave were proposed a long time ago. The COVID‑19 crisis began a long time ago, …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. Since this morning, much has been said about this motion, whose purpose seems to be to score political points, rather than quickly producing tangible results to help the people of Afghanistan. This morning, we heard several times that some people are now—just as we are talking together or going for a snack in the lobby—in so-called safe houses, or …
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Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for his speech. The Bloc Québécois, on the whole, supports this bill. I would like to point out to the House that, once again, Quebec has taken the lead on introducing this kind of legislation, including banning demonstrations in front of facilities that provide medical treatment. Still, I am glad the federal government is following Quebec's lead. I do, however,…
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Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech and I more or less agree with what he said about committee work, for example. This morning is a bit unusual compared to most days in the House, in that everyone seems to be happy to work together. It is nice, and everything feels rosy this morning. I am very happy and this should be how it always is. I agree with my colleague that this i…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague for his excellent speech. A little earlier, other parliamentarians alluded to how slow the federal government is to act. The election was held 62 days ago, and parliamentary committees will not sit before the end of January 2022. We support the bill, and we hope it will move forward quickly, but Quebec has already passed legislation on this. I…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. I want to stick to the same topic, because I am concerned about the Liberals' strategy of capping emissions from the oil industry instead of capping production and gradually eliminating total emissions. As a former member of the Green Party, what are my colleague's thoughts on this, and what will she do within her new party? It is all well and go…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I would like to hear my colleague's perspective and find out whether his party would support the Bloc Québécois proposal to hold a summit on health care funding, rather than allow the federal government to dictate conditions to the provinces, which have jurisdiction over health care under the Constitution. This summit would provide an opportunity to discuss restoring adequate, perma…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I have a few questions for him. First of all, we have heard a lot today about self-employed workers who are not getting support, particularly in the cultural sector, but there are also other self-employed people whose businesses have not recovered. Is the government open to the possibility of helping those individuals? In addition, under the hardes…
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Mr. Speaker, this is my first intervention in the 44th Parliament, so I would like to thank the people of Berthier—Maskinongé for their renewed trust. I would also like to congratulate you on your reappointment. With respect to the matter before us, our hon. colleague said the Bloc Québécois has demonstrated goodwill and a willingness to collaborate from the start. Hybrid sittings were actually ou…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, on November 16, we learned that Martin Caron, a dairy farmer from Louiseville who has been involved in the union for 35 years, will officially become the new president of the Union des producteurs agricoles on December 2. I am therefore extremely proud to tell you today that the next president of the UPA is a resident of Berthier—Maskinongé and that his land is very close to my riding…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, you made several calls to order during question period and I thank you for that. However, as this Parliament begins, I would like to point out a situation that already occurred in the last Parliament, that I hope will not become a tradition: heckling during members' statements under Standing Order 31. Members are elected by the people, and each of them has as much right as anyone else…
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Madam Speaker, it is because this man's name is etched on my heart. The name of his riding is Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel. I was saying that members need to remind themselves of their commitment. I invite them to think of the people who call their riding office to tell them how they are struggling to put food on the table. I have been helping some of those people this year. Let us remember the older …
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Madam Speaker, I thank all my colleagues for giving me their consent; it was very nice of them. This morning, it seems to me that I will be repeating things we have been saying for a while now. Evidently, it takes a lot of repetition for the message to sink in. I will start by talking about health transfers. Of course, it is important to pass Bill C-30 swiftly, that is to say, before the session e…
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Madam Speaker, before I start my speech, I seek unanimous consent to split my time with the hon. member for Shefford.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, we can certainly reconcile the two. I thank my colleague, who I dare not name, for his good question. Sometimes what the opposition parties and often the government seem to fail to grasp is that we are a party of propositions. There are two ways to be the opposition in life. We can stand up and say that the government is rotten or we can stand up and say that it did not get it quite…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague from Drummond for his question. My answer will be mixed. There have indeed been actions taken to support farmers, but often they are inadequate one-offs, involving meagre amounts that, I just said earlier, are used to make “mini-announcements” rather than bring in anything permanent. There are requests, and I will give three examples. If the House feels…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question. It is all in how these things are handled. The important thing is making sure support measures incentivize people to work. We have hammered that point home constantly over the past year. Let us help people. Rather than reducing benefit amounts, let us create an incentive for people to get jobs. At the same time, it makes sense to star…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for New Westminster—Burnaby for his speech. As with the previous speaker, we agree with the NDP on many things. Quite honestly, I have to tell my esteemed colleague that I am disappointed we have not been on the same page more often. I would like to talk about health transfers. In his speech, the member went to the trouble of pointing out that national standards are…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, when the minister announced $1,500 to help cover the cost of worker quarantines, she gave farmers her word. She said, “This program will be available as long as the Quarantine Act is in force.” Quarantine is still mandatory. There is no logical reason for her to cut this financial assistance in half. Will the minister keep her promise to farmers and put an end to the cuts as long as…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, the federal assistance that farmers are receiving to cover the costs of quarantine for their temporary foreign workers was cut in half. Ottawa was giving farmers a reimbursement of up to $1,500 to apologize for forcing them to cover the costs of quarantine. Now, the federal government has cut that amount to $750, but farmers still need to bring in workers, and quaranti…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech and for speaking at length about agriculture. I understand that he wants us to turn our attention to what comes after COVID-19, but I would like him to speak to what happened during the pandemic. In question period today, I asked why support for mandatory quarantines was cut in half a few days ago when the war on COVID-19 is not over and our farme…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. We do not often agree, but it is a pleasure to work with him, especially in committee. I really like the part of the Conservatives' discourse on effective spending and the need to target the right people. My colleague spoke of big companies that sought out financial aid, while small businesses, especially travel agencies, did not receive adequate…
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Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the minister, and I will get right to the point. I understand that he might be feeling bitter about being the subject of a Conservative motion, since the Conservatives are the ones who made all kinds of cuts to defence and veterans affairs. However, the point of today's motion does not seem to be a partisan one. The point seems to be to restore trust in the in…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague from Shefford on her speech. I would like her to tell me what she thinks about the fact that the minister is holding on to his position. What message does that send to women who want to pursue a career in the Canadian Armed Forces? Personally, I feel that the message being sent is that women who want to pursue a military career must be willing…
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Mr. Speaker, even though I always run out of time, I will allow myself the luxury of taking a few seconds to extend a personal greeting to you. I will take advantage of the fact that I am delivering a speech in your presence to say that, during the brief time that we have worked together, you have been very pleasant and very efficient. I really enjoy your creative way with the French language. Now…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his laudable efforts in the language of Molière. It is much appreciated, bravo. I could talk about this all day. What measures has the government taken to encourage people to work, for example, in the agri-food sector? Labour shortages are nothing new. They have been around for years. What measures have been taken, if only to get the information out or h…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his questions and his knowledge of my neck of the woods. I am touched. He misunderstood part of my speech. I did not say that it was too much. I said that it was mismanaged. There is a big difference. He asked whether I can look my constituents in the eye, and the answer is of course. I mentioned the municipalities. When I meet with them, people tell me that C…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today I want to congratulate the graduates of the various high schools across Quebec. The very important last years of their journey, when people build bonds and friendships that often last a lifetime, did not go as planned, but humans are resilient. I am sure these students found a way to make the most of the situation. Now they are even better equipped to deal with the struggles of …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. The question has been asked before, but we did not get a clear answer. Of course, some spending is hardly useful, but there is other spending that is fundamental and very important and that must be maintained, like the support for farmers who have to pay the quarantine costs of their temporary foreign workers. Currently, Ontario's vegetable produce…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, the government's management of the temporary foreign workers file is a disaster, and the pandemic has just made things worse. After making farmers responsible for ensuring that their workers quarantine, the government ended up offering them $1,500 in compensation, but that amount will be slashed in half as of June 16. Our farmers, who are still bringing in workers, will get half of th…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I have two quick questions for him. Based on the information we have, the armed forces have already been instructed to do this, so what is the point of this motion? I would like my colleague to clarify his thoughts on this. In addition, do they have any technical evidence? Again, based on the information we have, there is no evidence that this sy…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, “[e]very year, the demand for temporary foreign workers grows.” “Every year, the government apologizes for not being ready.” Summer comes at the same time every year, and the crops do too. Those are criticisms that the Bloc Québécois made in February 2019, well before the pandemic started. It makes me angry that I have to ask the same question again. What will the minister do today to…
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Mr. Speaker, our farmers pay a lot of money for foreign workers. They pay for the market studies required by the federal government and they pay for the quarantine facilities. Canada's border management is a mess, and this means that farms are not getting their workers but are still paying. We have a serious problem when farmers are resorting to paying immigration consultants so that they can harv…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I commend my colleague from Northumberland—Peterborough South for his speech, for his passion and for his bill. I would like to give him a chance to respond to the concerns raised at committee by people who thought that reducing the impact of the price on pollution might send a bad message. Could he say a few words about the amendment that was adopted in committee?
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I will pick up on some of the points he raised and perhaps make some slight corrections. I would like to begin my statement by commending farmers. I have the greatest respect for these people who work on the land week in and week out, all year long, in the cold and the heat, come rain, snow or drought. Their priority is to ensure that their child…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today, Tuesday, June 1, is World Milk Day. It is an opportunity to recognize the contribution of dairy farmers, who work hard to bring to our tables safe, high-quality milk, as well as other much-needed milk products, such as butter, yogourt and cheese. Dairy farmers represent a driving economic force in rural municipalities and contribute to the dynamic use of our land. Let us show d…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech and for the open-mindedness he demonstrated earlier. I have another suggestion for him. Will the members of his government also be open to sitting down and defining which firearms should be prohibited, as a first step? As the bill currently stands, we see that some assault weapons are banned while others are not, and there is no real reason for th…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I understand his opposition to Bill C-21. I would like to know if he is open to working on a technical and scientific definition of the type of firearms that should be prohibited rather than including firearms such as the airsoft guns that are in there now but should not be. There are a lot of options there. Would the Conservatives be interested …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for that well-laid-out speech. We agree that nobody is satisfied with this bill. People who are against all forms of gun control are not happy, and neither are those who want gun control, because the bill is full of half-measures. For one thing, it does not contain an adequate definition of an assault weapon. Would my colleague be open to the idea of having disc…
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Madam Speaker, I sincerely thank the member for Vancouver East for her heartfelt speech in which she really emphasized the need for action. Everyone's thoughts are with the families of the 215 children today, as well as all the other victims, whose names are often unknown. Aside from this day becoming symbolic and being an annual reminder, I wonder if the member could identify possible solutions f…
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Madam Speaker, I really thank our Green Party colleague for her moving and poignant speech. I do not know if this can comfort her, but we share and feel some of her emotions today. I will go back to the question I asked a little earlier. I would like her to talk about the way forward. There is unanimous support in the House for passing the bill to introduce this day. However, we cannot continue to…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to know what my colleague thinks about the fact that the increase to old age security will apply only to seniors aged 75 and over and will not take effect until 2022, when a need is already being felt right now. I would like to know what he thinks about this harmful decision to create two classes of seniors.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I would like to know what he thinks of the idea of creating a Canadian securities regulator that would be based in Toronto, as proposed in the bill, especially given that Quebec has had its own securities regulator, the Autorité des marchés financiers, for a long time, and it is working extremely well. Does my colleague believe that the existing …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. He raised several very pertinent elements: support for housing; forestry, an area in which we could have invested; seniors who are being left behind; and the knowledge economy. That is all great. He also rightly pointed out that the wage subsidy was sometimes improperly used to pay bonuses. If that is true, I completely agree with him that the si…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to be speaking this morning about Bill C-30, budget implementation act, 2021, no. 1. My colleagues will recall that the Bloc Québécois voted against the budget because some of our important conditions were not included. However, we will be voting in favour of the budget implementation bill, which contains plenty of promising measures. All the same, that does not mean th…
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Madam Speaker, I will begin my answer by warmly thanking my colleague for his easy question. It is true, the Bloc criticizes this every day. The federal government should not meddle in all sorts of areas the way it does, on the pretext that it controls the budget. The problem with this Confederation is that half of Quebeckers’ taxes end up in Ottawa, but Ottawa does not take on half of the respons…
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for St. John's East for his question. We are not against the initiative in principle. I myself spent many years paying back my student loans, so I would love to give this gift to young people. I agree with the idea, but we cannot forget that this issue falls under Quebec's jurisdiction. As I always say, the government can do it, but it must transfer the equivalent…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I do not understand that. It makes absolutely no sense. Considering the $500 one-time payment promised to people 75 and over, and the fact that the government is creating two classes of seniors by offering a pension increase only to seniors in that age group and only starting in 2022, the only explanation that comes to mind is that an election …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, while Quebec is introducing a bill to protect French, French language services in Ottawa continue to decline. Ottawa gave Switch Health the task of testing travellers for COVID-19, but the company is unable to provide services in French and is forcing Quebeckers to quarantine for up to a month before giving them their results. We already knew this spring that Switch Health had faile…
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Madam Speaker, does my colleague not think we should strive for collaboration? From his speech, it sounds as though he thinks the United Nations is an adversary. Personally, I believe in a model that enables us to work closely together. If my colleague does not support this bill, what are his thoughts on how we can make progress?
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