Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, may I continue my speech without being interrupted every five seconds? The situation is that someone has taken a dislike to me for no good reason. As I was saying, EI allows people to work in jobs that match their qualifications. If someone is an engineer or a dentist, they will be more productive for society if they work in that field. However, during the buffer period between two jo…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Bourassa for his kind words and his intelligent question. We are always willing to collaborate when it comes to implementing good programs. Right now we are talking about training, and this is an area where nuance is important, because it is a matter of provincial jurisdiction. A good way to achieve this is by increasing transfers, not impo…
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Mr. Speaker, I am getting some very good questions. I have been asked to explain something. If the government wants to take concrete action in response to what young people are calling for, it can increase the budgets for Canada summer jobs. This program is a great opportunity for young people to get that first work experience. Then they have something to write on their resumé that will get them h…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the vote and will be voting against the motion.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague and I thank him for his question. I have indeed noticed the same thing, and yet there is a certain logic to it; it is something to be expected. The job market is not great for everyone. If a unionized company with too many workers operates according to seniority, young workers with less permanent ties to their jobs will leave. There are solutions. For one thi…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree that statements like the ones made by the Leader of the Opposition can be dangerous when members of the public who are not fully informed take them for the truth, leading to a polarized society. Unfortunately, too many politicians use polarization to score points. However, I want to tell my colleague that I also consider it dangerous to radically and suddenly change a policy t…
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Mr. Speaker, the reality in downtown Oshawa may not be the same as in Berthier—Maskinongé. That could be a true story; it is quite possible. I am not saying that things are perfect. It is like when we talk about agricultural producers who take on foreign workers. There was one example of abuse. The following week, they were all being called villains. Generally, temporary foreign workers cost emplo…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to this important issue of youth unemployment. To begin, I would like to say to my Conservative colleague who just finished his speech that I agree with him on one of the major points he mentioned: changing leaders obviously does not mean that we have a new government. We agree on that. This is my nod to him in response to his remarks. We have to be careful when …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague. I find her point of order a little strange, since I am talking about myself. I try to be a statesman. I am willing to try to be a stateswoman, but I think that would be difficult. I want to reassure my colleague that I am one of the most feminist members of this Parliament, I assure her, and I always defend women in politics. I will even share a bit of…
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Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I would like to follow up on yesterday's government intervention. As my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton said, we reserved the right to respond to the arguments regarding the amendments to Bill C-4. I would like to talk about what happened at the Standing Committee on Finance on Monday with regard to the amendments that the Bloc Québécois pro…
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons says that if the budget does not pass, it will be the opposition parties' fault. The Minister of Finance and National Revenue is accusing us of playing politics. However, our demands have been a matter of public record for a long time. It was their Prime Minister who chose to ignore all of them in his pre-budget speech last night. T…
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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to acknowledge a victory that thrilled all of Quebec. Saint‑Boniface's volunteer committee, known as the Irréductibles, has been working overtime to win us a historic opportunity. On April 5, everyone held their breath as Saint‑Boniface was crowned the winner of Kraft Hockeyville 2025, a feat that was highlighted on October 7 with an award from the Association québé…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support my colleague from Courtenay—Alberni this morning by tabling a paper petition along the same lines. The petitioners are very concerned about the changes to the plant breeders' rights regulations. The proposals put forward by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency aim to prevent farmers from exercising their age-old right to use the products of their land to reseed …
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Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleague is very knowledgeable about the economy and about austerity measures, considering his background. I would like him to reassure us about the future budget, if he knows what is in it, and tell me what he thinks about the subsidies and tax exemptions being given to western oil companies, to the tune of $83 billion over five years. Could this money not be used to …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin. No, I did not say that, so allow me to correct him. However, I would like him to answer me at a future opportunity and explain why statutory appropriations and transfers to individuals and provinces have increased by only 2.6%, while budgetary appropriations for the bureaucracy have increased by 16% and procurement spending, inc…
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Mr. Speaker, this is going to make my colleague happy. My answer is no. If his government could present us with a budget that sounds reasonable, that provides decent health care transfers to the provinces, that respects the people who built our society by increasing OAS and that provides for common-sense EI reform, we would vote for that budget in a heartbeat. If the Liberals have questions, we ca…
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Mr. Speaker, what a great question. It is practically poetry. I am stammering with emotion. The government needs to get serious about climate change. As the agriculture critic, I can confirm that we are seeing these impacts. At the same time that the government is subsidizing oil companies to the tune of $83 billion over five years, it is neglecting to support farmers so they can adapt to climate …
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Mr. Speaker, October 10 is World Egg Day, so I would like to salute producers in Berthier—Maskinongé, across Quebec and around the world. Let us all acknowledge the importance of this top-quality, healthy, nutritious food. Eggs are so versatile that it is almost impossible to imagine a recipe in which they cannot be used. Best of all, eggs are produced here. Let us recognize our farmers' extraordi…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak to today's Conservative motion. This is kind of an emotional moment for me, because, for once, we will finally be able to vote in favour of a Conservative motion. It is not too populist and it contains pretty accurate information. It also contains some very important statements. I will not reread the entire motion because that has been done several times …
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Mr. Speaker, let me begin by sincerely thanking the member for asking a relevant question that also allows me to continue my explanation. The debt-to-GDP ratio is used to determine whether we are capable of paying our debt. Someone who earns $150,000 a year and owes $50,000 is in a much better position than someone who earns $65,000 a year and owes $50,000. Right now, the government is using doubl…
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Mr. Speaker, all the parties voted to protect supply management in future trade agreements, but the Liberals seem to want to go back on their word. The media has reported that they are discussing new concessions with Washington on the allocation of American milk import quotas. This is all the more worrying given that Donald Trump has just stated that an agreement with Canada would include dairy pr…
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Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to acknowledge three anniversaries that mark the collective history of Berthier—Maskinongé. First, there is the 200th anniversary of Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, which sits on the shores of Lake Maskinongé, the jewel of the Lanaudière region. Then there is the 175th anniversary of Saint-Paulin, a magnificent municipality that shines bright in the …
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today. I would like to begin by acknowledging that today is the anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian flag. We salute our neighbours who share our language. I turn now to the item on our agenda. As I mentioned in my questions, I am deeply disappointed. Many of my Conservative colleagues are extremely intelligent, and I really enjoy working with them in committee.…
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Mr. Speaker, one of our Liberal colleagues mentioned earlier that he worked in the school system for 10 years. I was a teacher for 25 years. I think it is good that the government is helping food banks, but I do not think that any government should ever boast about having to give money to feed children at school because their parents cannot afford to feed them at home. That really bothers me. The …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Foothills for his speech this morning. I have a great deal of respect for my colleague, and I quite enjoy working with him. He is an intelligent and eloquent man with whom one can hold a discussion and work constructively in committee. However, I am a bit disappointed in the motion moved this morning. Once again, the Conservatives raised a real problem. About 95…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. member and I miss having her on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. I mentioned that the other day. My question is along the same lines as the first one I asked, which I did not get an answer to. I asked for an explanation as to why the cancellation of the infamous evil carbon tax did not lead to lower grocery prices. Let me rephrase my question.…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry for his speech. I think he has a lot of work to do in his portfolio. I know he is a new member. His government can count on our co-operation if it wants to take action. Earlier, my colleague from Drummond mentioned the work that has been done with grocery CEOs and major grocery chains. We know that Canada has a concentrat…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her excellent speech. I would like her to expand on how we can support the agricultural sector. We hear a lot about the climate crisis and climate change. We need to adapt to it, but we also need to support the agricultural sector. I always advocate the following solution: Any income collected should be returned to the agricultural sector to encourage innovati…
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Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague from Guelph, and I wish our neighbours a happy anniversary. I am interested in university research and development. We have an R&D sector at the Université du Québec à Trois‑Rivières and throughout Quebec, and it is essential. This is another area where the federal government is absent. In terms of predictability and long-term vision, there is currently a shorta…
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Mr. Speaker, that is a great question. I will give a very clear example. In my region, we are currently working with farmers on preserving the Lac Saint-Pierre biosphere to better protect and expand the shoreline. There are even projects that help re-meander certain waterways because that will have a significant impact. We cannot just tell farmers that they are going to lose money every year with …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to rise on the same point of order. Props are not allowed in the House. You just reminded the members of that.
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Madam Speaker, first, I would like to thank my colleague for his initiative. On September 16, the members for Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, York Centre, Brampton West and Elgin—St. Thomas—London South made a video in a House of Commons room when the committee had not been convened. We had had discussions about it among the parties. Although the committee had not been convened, the video could…
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Mr. Speaker, I will answer the member directly. I am against the Attorney General of Canada assuming that Quebec could abolish individual rights, allow summary executions and do away with all class action rights. I object to that. I object to the fact that this government is trying to go through the courts instead of having the courage to stand up, reopen the Constitution and change what it does n…
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Mr. Speaker, indeed, he talked a lot about the charter. It is true that he reiterated his desire to protect it. The only problem is that they did it without us. They forgot to ask our opinion when they implemented it, when they passed it. They avoided asking us because they knew we would make too many demands. However, if we had been there, we might have been able to point out that there was a cha…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. What does this have to do with the federal government, and why does it want to get involved? If my colleague chose Quebec because he liked the secularism model, he could have come to Quebec City and told me the same thing. Why is this so upsetting? The government must be neutral. I will make a quick comparison. I was a high school teacher before …
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Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate my hon. colleague on his excellent speech. It was clear and straightforward. Everyone knows that the reason for this legal challenge is the Act respecting the laicity of the State that was passed in Quebec. Could my colleague share his comments on the government's hypocrisy in taking a blanket approach to limiting the notwithstanding clause?
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my esteemed colleague from La Pointe‑de‑l'Île, who is sure to speak truth to power, as he does so well. I thank everyone here and I thank everyone seated in the House who is listening to the arguments we are making here today. Not everyone listens. Some people have their lines prepared and have the nerve to tell us they work for the interests of Quebec s…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased because I love asking the member for Winnipeg North questions. First, I am going to ask him about his reaction. I was in the hall near the lobby earlier, and I heard him say that a separatist party was proposing this. He is right. I would encourage him to continue. Later on in his speech, he asked what the Bloc was doing here. We defend Quebec's interests because Canada d…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Last week, we raised a point of order because the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship said that she would speak in another language because she had not been understood. The point we raised last week was not an attack. We did not ask for an apology. We asked that members not make such comments. We asked that that comment be withdrawn. That did …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to get my colleague's opinion. The Bloc Québécois has a proposal. Today, we are talking about law and order, and public safety too, but we know the Bloc Québécois moved a motion to repeal the religious exemption for hate speech. It is a very slippery slope that can lead to unfortunate situations. I would like my colleague to tell me whether he agrees with that proposal. I…
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Mr. Speaker, I understand the intention to strengthen law and order and I understand how noble the goal is. However, we must always be careful not to replace the courts. As legislators, we can propose measures, but we must always allow for flexibility. Perhaps we could allow for discretion on mandatory minimum sentences. The Bloc Québécois would be willing to increase them for serious crimes, part…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Rivière-du-Nord asked a simple question. However, it seems that the Liberals are afraid to talk about this. Right now, there are exemptions in the Criminal Code that allow someone to stand on the street and call for violence without facing consequences as long as they are speaking in a religious context. The Bloc Québécois has an important bill on this, and we are go…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In response to a Conservative member, the Minister of Immigration said that she would answer her in English to be sure she was understood. I would just like to remind my colleagues, and perhaps the minister as well, that we are free to speak in the official language of our choice in the House, and perhaps that underestimated the very high quality of our int…
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Mr. Speaker, as the chief whip of the Bloc Québécois, I too would like to take this opportunity to thank the other members of the House. Although we do not always agree, we still manage to get things done. We have also been much better at moving issues forward over the past month than in previous months. I would also like to thank you, Mr. Speaker, and your team of Deputy Speakers, who learned the…
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Madam Speaker, it will be very short, so I will choose the best part of my response for the parliamentary secretary. He is right to say that the Prime Minister is progressive. The parliamentary secretary said "aggressive". I, too, find it a bit aggressive to force a vote on a bill in one week without giving the opposition parties the power to properly study and amend the bill to improve it for cit…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean for his question. He is absolutely right to raise this point. That is basically what I was trying to highlight in my response to the first question. The Liberals are very good at making generic speeches. They say they are going to help seniors but, in their minds, that might mean a small increase to the GIS for the poorest senio…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague. I found it interesting when he spoke about reflections in the mirror because, in fact, we are still trying to make sense of what we are seeing from the new Prime Minister. My colleague also criticized the subsidies being handed out. He talked about the green slush fund. I would rather talk about the oil slush fund. Does he agree with the idea of s…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the vote and will be voting in favour of the motion.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that you are giving me the floor right now because we have a lot to say about this speech. The parliamentary secretary said many things. He said that the government was in a minority and that it could not adopt its motions alone. That was raised earlier and it is very sad. We have come to the same conclusion as him, unfortunately. The other thing we share with him is his …
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the vote and will be voting in favour of the motion.
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