44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 14, 2022 02:00PM
- Dec/14/22 2:20:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that this is our last sitting in the House in 2022. I would like to say that a bit of fresh air will be good for our spirits. At the same time, not much was accomplished by all the shouting, which often owed more to showmanship than sincerity.
As we extend holiday greetings to our constituents, it is both my duty and my desire to tell them to take care of themselves. A faltering health care facility is no place to spend the holidays. A pair of handcuffs is no way to greet the desperate people finding their way to Roxham Road. A lack of support for new Quebeckers to learn the French language, a fundamental tool they will need to function in a French-speaking society, is no kind of gift.
If we are the wiser for sleeping on a problem, imagine what several weeks off could do. I sincerely wish all my colleagues in the House a very merry Christmas and a happy 2023.
My last word is for you, Mr. Speaker, along with the parliamentary staff, from the cooks to the pages, the security staff and yourself. Your patience and smiling faces remind us that we are here for the common good. Happy holidays to all of you and to Quebeckers.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount commented on Bill C-13 and the French language and said, “It would be a big mistake for us, as federal MPs...to give Quebec free rein to do whatever it might want to do with respect to language in that province”.
He clearly said that Quebec's hands should be tied when it comes to protecting French, and indeed, what Bill C‑13 does is prevent Quebec from imposing the Charter of the French Language on federally regulated businesses.
Why is the Prime Minister protecting English in Quebec when French is the language that is at risk?
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Mr. Speaker, we are the first federal government to recognize that we have a responsibility to protect French across Canada, including Quebec. Protecting French across Canada is also one of our responsibilities. That is why we introduced measures through Bill C-13 that will ensure that federally regulated businesses in Quebec and across the country promote the use of French. That is a way of ensuring that we remain a country where French is spoken proudly from coast to coast to coast.
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Mr. Speaker, let us recap. First, Quebec introduces its Bill 96, which imposes the Charter of the French Language on federally regulated businesses. Then, suddenly, Ottawa just happens to introduce its own reform of the Official Languages Act with Bill C‑13. This is neither a coincidence nor something that came out of thin air, judging by what the Liberals said in committee yesterday. Bill C‑13 is a response intended to prevent Quebec from making French the only language of work.
Why is the Prime Minister refusing to accept a Quebec where everyone works in French, the only common language of Quebec?
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Mr. Speaker, for several years now we have recognized that the federal government has a role to play in protecting the French language in Quebec. Yes, the Government of Quebec has its own responsibility, but the federal government does too. We will always respect the areas of jurisdiction.
That is why we are ensuring that federally regulated businesses respect the principle of French first in Quebec, as well as in all the french-speaking communities across the country.
That is one way to protect French from coast to coast to coast and we are proud of that.
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- Dec/14/22 3:03:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister says he wants Quebec to welcome 112,000 newcomers every year, what he really means is 112,000 plus the 40,000 from Roxham Road. He expects Quebec to welcome a total of 152,000 people every year, but is he also providing more money for French language instruction? We just got our answer, and it is no. Is he increasing health transfers in response to demographic changes? The answer is no. What about the full-blown housing crisis? Is he providing more money to keep pace with the growing population? Again, the answer is no.
Does the Prime Minister realize that immigration is about real people, not just a number to be bandied about?
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- Dec/14/22 3:03:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we send the Government of Quebec more than $700 million every year for French-language learning programs. If Quebec wants more, it need only ask because we believe in helping newcomers learn French, and we are happy to help.
What I want to make crystal clear is that Quebec can set its own immigration thresholds. If it wants more immigrants, it can accept more. We will gladly rise to the challenge so we can address the labour shortage.
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