SoVote

Jun/6/22 11:43:14 a.m.
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Re: Bill C-246 Bill C-14

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot for his eloquence and his knowledge, which he always very generously shares with us. I would have liked to listen to him for a few more minutes, but the time has come to close the debate on this bill, which I had the honour of introducing on behalf of the Bloc Québécois. Throughout the debates, we saw that there were two different understandings of Bill C-246. In good or bad faith, and I would tend to say more often in bad faith, people have pretended they do not understand what is at stake. They ignore or dismiss the fact that what Quebec is asking for is not a whim or anything outlandish; it is also not intended to pick a fight, but rather to ensure appropriate representation in the House of Commons based on recognition of the Quebec nation. I would remind you that this recognition comes with obligations on both sides. It comes with obligations for Quebec, and it comes with obligations for the federal government. I heard many of my colleagues cite the maritime provinces or Saskatchewan in the discussion on fair representation in the House of Commons. It is true, appropriate and correct. There are mechanisms in place to maintain a minimum number of MPs in parts of Canada that would otherwise be inadequately represented. I am thinking for example of Prince Edward Island and the territories. What differs from the measures in place for some Canadian provinces and territories is that Quebec is a nation. I am not making this up: It was unanimously recognized by the House of Commons more than once and in more than one way. The federal government recognized the Quebec nation in 2006. It was a motion introduced by Stephen Harper, not the Bloc Québécois. In 1995, Jean Chrétien, the most Liberal of prime ministers, recognized the concept of distinct society. In particular, and this is a very important difference, he said that the House of Commons must take this fact into account in all of its decisions. That is important. In June 2021, in response to a Bloc Québécois motion, the House of Commons recognized French as the only official language and the common language of the Quebec nation. My point is that recognizing Quebec's status as a nation comes with political obligations, and others as well. For example, Quebec's autonomy must be respected when it comes to development-related decisions. The government must also respect the fact that, on occasion, asymmetrical agreements must be signed based on Quebec's specificity. Quebec's distinctiveness and Quebec society's interests must also be taken into account by the federal government when developing legislation. This is somewhat related to what I was saying earlier with regard to the idea put forward by the Liberal Prime Minister at the time, Jean Chrétien. It is quite understandable that, this year, the Bloc Québécois is determined to defend Quebec's interests. I repeat, Quebec must have appropriate representation, in keeping with its status as a nation. Last fall, when the Chief Electoral Officer announced that the new distribution of seats for the House of Commons would result in Quebec losing a seat and falling to 77 seats instead of 78, the Bloc Québécois swiftly opposed that outcome. I will acknowledge that the other parties also recognized that it did not make sense. On March 2, on our opposition day, we moved a motion calling not only for the number of seats not to be reduced, but also for the protection of Quebec's political weight with a 25% threshold. With 266 members of the House voting in favour, the motion was adopted with a very strong majority. Then the Liberals show up with Bill C‑14, which is a half measure that only protects the number of seats. That is not enough. To protect the Quebec nation, its uniqueness, its identity and francophone culture, which is in decline in North America, not just in Canada and not just in Quebec, we need something stronger, and we need to protect Quebec's political weight. That is why I invite all of my colleagues to vote in favour of Bill C‑246.

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Context: House Hansard - 82 - Jun/6/22

Mr. Martin Champoux

Jun/6/22 11:49:03 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we request a recorded division.

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Context: House Hansard - 82 - Jun/6/22

Mr. Martin Champoux (Drummond, BQ)

Jun/6/22 2:16:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the 24th Québec Cinéma gala was held yesterday. A host of Iris trophies were awarded to the most deserving artists and artisans who worked in Quebec film this past year. Let us begin by congratulating the big winner, Les oiseaux ivres, on receiving 10 awards, including the Iris for best film for producers Kim McGraw and my old friend Luc Déry, the best screenplay award for Ivan Grbovic and Sara Mishara, who also triumphed respectively for directing and for director of photography, as well as the best actor awards for the magnificent Hélène Florent and Claude Legault. Other films also stood out, including Maria Chapdelaine by Sébatien Pilote, L'Arracheuse de temps by Francis Leclerc and the documentary Comme une vague by Marie‑Julie Dallaire. Beyond recognizing the winning artists and artisans, we are also celebrating the very existence of Quebec film. This entire industry that is dedicated to telling us stories, both to us and to the entire world, keeps growing and continues to reflect who we are, as well as being a source of inspiration for the future. Congratulations to the winners and sincere thanks to the entire Quebec film family.

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