44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 7, 2023 10:00AM
moved that Bill S-11, A fourth Act to harmonize federal law with the civil law of Quebec and to amend certain Acts in order to ensure that each language version takes into account the common law and the civil law, be read the first time.
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- Feb/7/23 10:34:10 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, first of all, I would like to give my colleague a bit of advice. I have a few years of experience in marketing, and it is common knowledge that when a slogan is no good, it does nothing for the cause.
For francophones in Quebec, “triple, triple, triple” is kind of the equivalent of “Oui, papa” or “Pop-Sac-À-Vie-Sau-Sec-Fi-Co-Pin”, or even “Je n'aurais jamais assez de Sugar-Crisp”. At some point, if the slogan is not working, it is time to get a new one.
The motion the Conservatives are moving today is against the carbon tax. In Quebec, we do not have the carbon tax, it does not apply. Instead we take part in the carbon exchange. Quebeckers, however, are currently under the same economic pressure. Inflation is hurting Quebec families as well. Clearly, the problem is not just the carbon tax.
What I see in the Conservative motion today is the cancellation of the carbon tax, but I am not seeing any solutions to help Quebec and Canadian families.
I would like my colleague's thoughts on that.
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- Feb/7/23 10:35:11 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member actually highlights how effective the slogan is. He repeated it twice, so I thank him for doing that.
When it comes to what the Conservatives are proposing, which is to cut the carbon tax, not only would it help Quebec, Quebeckers, Quebec businesses, the people of Quebec and the farmers, but it would help everyone. It would help all Canadians across this country to lower their costs. It is just too bad that the Bloc continuously helps to prop up the government and make things more expensive in this country. The Bloc members need to stand with Conservatives and with Canadians, cut the tax, axe the carbon tax and help Canadians keep more in their pockets.
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- Feb/7/23 11:18:02 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I find many of the conversations around the carbon tax interesting, especially those coming from the Bloc Québécois. They have a cap-and-trade system in the province of Quebec that is quite different from that in the rest of the country.
How does that member feel about a federal government that is imposing its will and its specific requirements? It seems as though the Liberals and other left-leaning parties within Canada's Parliament talk about this somehow being a market mechanism, yet it seems to me more like a bureaucratic heavy hand from the nation's capital.
How does the member, who is in a party that talks often about standing up for its province's interest, reconcile a government that is imposing on, rather than collaborating with, provinces?
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- Feb/7/23 11:31:48 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her remarks here today. She and I have had contrasting views regarding the importance of the Canadian oil and gas sector and overall prosperity, including in her home province, where the revenues of that industry help contribute to a lot of social good, not only in Quebec, but also in Nova Scotia.
My question for her is about Quebec's energy future. Estimates suggest that we have to double our electricity generation across the country. That would also be the case for Quebec in the energy future she is talking about. I am curious what her view is, specific to Quebec, on what she would like to see her province do to generate and double electricity in her province, whether that would be through more hydroelectricity, or whether she is open to the idea of nuclear energy. I am curious where that might fit into what her view for Quebec is so it can position itself, as a province, in the days ahead.
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- Feb/7/23 11:32:43 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, what my colleague is saying is very interesting. Those kinds of decisions are made by the Quebec National Assembly. However, when it comes to what we do here, I invite the federal government to look to Quebec for inspiration. Quebec has been relying on green and renewable energy for a long time. Obviously, we need to do our part like every other nation in the world, but I think that Canada has better things to do.
I heard my colleague say that some of the profits contribute to the social good in other areas. Wait a minute. Do we want to start looking at all of the negative effects of climate change and how they affect people's health? We are going to have to pay an increasingly higher price in the coming years. I would invite my colleague to pay attention to that.
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- Feb/7/23 11:50:17 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech and for the NDP's consistent attempts to establish a baseline for policies in Canada.
I would like him to share his thoughts on the federal government's attitude toward everything Quebec has been doing for decades to make its energy supply almost 100% clean, even though past premiers and ministers had to turn to Wall Street for funding because the Canadian government did not want to help them.
What does my colleague think of that attitude toward Quebec, considering we are leading the environmental charge in Canada? I would like him to comment on that.
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- Feb/7/23 11:50:59 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I think there is a point on which we can agree: Whenever we see innovative attempts to move forward in the attack on climate change, like many of those we have seen in Quebec, the federal government needs to get on board and support them as quickly as it can.
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- Feb/7/23 12:35:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are disadvantaging the province of Quebec. It is not receiving the rebate, as my colleague referred to in the previous question, but it is paying the carbon tax indirectly on goods that are being shipped into Quebec and being sold. It is paying for the cost of the carbon tax, yet it is not realizing the rebate that the Liberals are saying is going to make this whole entire program revenue-neutral.
I am just wondering if my colleague would like to talk a little more about some of his constituents who are having to absorb these costs but are being disadvantaged by the Liberal government.
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- Feb/7/23 12:36:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to say that Quebec taxpayers are being put at a disadvantage. There is no rebate in Quebec because it has a carbon exchange.
Now, the carbon exchange must be harmonized. Recall that when the carbon tax was imposed—yes, I said imposed—on all provinces and territories, those with models that could match outcomes were exempted.
Forward-thinking Quebec had taken the initiative and implemented a carbon exchange. Sadly, this exchange does not give credits to Quebec taxpayers, and that is very unfortunate. It was a Liberal government that put it in place.
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- Feb/7/23 2:03:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec's gastronomy community is in mourning. Marcel Kretz, a monumental figure in that community, passed away on January 31 at the age of 91.
He was a member of the Order of Canada and the Ordre national du Québec whose expertise and talent paved the way for Normand Laprise, Martin Picard and Colombe St-Pierre.
Today I want to highlight the important role and influence he had in making Quebec a gastronomy capital of North America. He was born in Alsace and graduated from the Strasbourg school of hospitality, but he chose to settle in Val‑David.
For 30 years, Marcel Kretz was the chef at La Sapinière, the first property in Canada to make the Relais et Châteaux list. He was also one of the founders of the École hôtelière des Laurentides, a school of hospitality in the Laurentians.
I am grateful to Marcel Kretz for making us so proud of our local cuisine.
We in the Bloc Québécois extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is dividing Canada's people. His anti-Islamophobia advisor is an example of that. He set out to divide Quebeckers and Canadians by sanctioning Quebec bashing yet again. Another example is how he made his West Island MPs on the official languages committee attack the protection of the French language. He wants to drive a wedge between Quebeckers by spreading misinformation about the Charter of the French Language. Prime ministers should not divide their people.
Will his government reprimand its federal MPs who say things that are not true and tell them enough is enough?
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois's raison d'être is to divide. That is its goal.
This bill would enable workers to work in French, yet the Bloc is voting against it. This bill would guarantee services in French, yet the Bloc is voting against it. This bill would do more for French both inside and outside Quebec, yet the Bloc is voting against it.
When it comes to defending the French language, the Bloc is speaking out of both sides of its mouth.
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Mr. Speaker, the dispute is not within the Bloc Québécois, it is within his caucus. He needs to wake up.
This morning, the Liberal member for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell said, “The smoke show led by some of my colleagues is shameful. The Island of Montreal does not have a monopoly on linguistic policy in Canada. Disinformation has no place in this debate.” It was someone from his caucus who said that. He is right.
Why does it take someone from Ontario to say that? Why have none of the Liberals from Quebec spoken out against this? Where are the Prime Minister and his Quebec lieutenant when their colleagues are literally wiping their feet on the Charter of the French Language?
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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Mr. Speaker, we are the first government to acknowledge the decline of French across the country, including in Quebec. That is why the federal government is assuming its responsibilities. We introduced a bill to create more robust legislation that has teeth and to ensure that we can do what is needed to protect and promote French across the country, including in Quebec.
Our government wants to do its part and I hope the bill will pass as soon as possible.
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- Feb/7/23 2:39:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleagues on the other side, the Conservative Party, of a few facts.
First of all, carbon pricing was implemented in 2019. It has not been eight years; it has only been three years since this pricing was put in place. Second, it does not apply in Quebec, because the Quebec government's cap-and-trade system applies in Quebec. My colleague from Quebec is completely wrong on this issue. Third, we give more money back to eight out of 10 Canadians than we take in through carbon pricing.
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- Feb/7/23 2:40:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is no laughing matter. Debates in the House of Commons should be taken seriously.
Our government collaborated with the Province of Quebec. It participated in talks to modernize the agreement with the United States and come up with a permanent solution.
My friend is trying to pick a fight, but what I have to offer is a solution.
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- Feb/7/23 2:40:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us be serious, then.
It is our moral duty to take in asylum seekers. It is a matter of human decency. If the life of a man or a woman is in danger in their country of origin, we need to answer their call for help.
However, the situation at Roxham Road verges on the absurd. Now the Americans are using this irregular point of entry to wash their hands of their own responsibilities and are inviting refugees to leave for Quebec for reasons that are, sometimes, anything but humanitarian.
When will the government suspend the safe third country agreement?
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- Feb/7/23 2:41:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the solution my friend is proposing would only shift the problem elsewhere. There is no magic solution here.
Serious solutions are needed. Last week, I met with my Quebec counterpart to discuss both a solution and the federal government's role in supporting the Quebec government's efforts.
Meanwhile, our government is continuing its work to modernize the agreement with the United States.
This is a serious situation. We are going to continue to treat it seriously, no matter how big a joke the members of the Bloc seem to think it may be.
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- Feb/7/23 3:00:17 p.m.
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What is the minister waiting for, Mr. Speaker?
Quebec has had anti-scab legislation since 1977. This government is 50 years behind the times. It is consulting, thinking and putting things off. As a result, the Océan Remorquage labour dispute is still dragging on because of the use of replacement workers. Real workers with real needs are here today because the minister's inaction is harming their families and the free right to collective bargaining.
What is he waiting for to introduce—
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