44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 3, 2023 10:00AM
- Oct/3/23 3:09:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, the Gaspé region lost one of its most stalwart advocates. Former member of Parliament Raynald Blais passed away at the age of 69.
Elected three times as the member for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Raynald Blais represented his region in the House of Commons from 2004 to 2011.
I had the honour to work alongside him in the Bloc Québécois. He truly distinguished himself when advocating for eastern Quebec fishers in their dealings with a federal government that was very out of touch with their realities.
The Bloc Québécois remembers him as a real boots-on-the-ground kind of guy, a proud regionalist with deep roots in his beloved Gaspé, a man who stood up for his people, whether here in Ottawa or back home as a radio journalist or union leader. He might have left the House in 2011, but he never truly left politics behind. He was still working as a political adviser up until recently.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I offer my deepest condolences to his loved ones and to the whole region he loved so much.
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- Oct/3/23 3:24:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are listening to Canadians' concerns, and that is why we are taking action. Here is what we are doing.
We are making sure that thousands more homes are built by getting rid of the GST on the construction of new apartments. We are creating thousands of good, middle-class jobs. We are taking care of the environment with projects like Northvolt in Quebec. We are making life more affordable for Canadians by working to stabilize the cost of groceries through the grocery rebate. We will continue to work every day to make life more affordable for Canadians.
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- Oct/3/23 3:26:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Conservatives were telling us that we should not be investing to have Canadians' backs through the pandemic and that we should not be there for families. They continue to say we should not be sending low- and middle-income Canadians support to send their kids to the dentist.
We are going to continue to be there for Canadians because we know people are facing challenging times because of the global context. That is why we are building thousands more homes by cutting the GST on the construction of new apartments. We are creating thousands of good, middle-class jobs and cleaning our environment with projects like Northvolt in Quebec. We are making life more affordable for Canadians by working to stabilize grocery prices and by having delivered the grocery rebate.
We have lots more to do, and we are going to keep doing it for Canadians.
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- Oct/3/23 3:30:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week Statistics Canada reported that there were almost half a million non-permanent residents in Quebec in July. That is 150,000 more than last year, and it is all because of Ottawa.
Quebeckers may well be the most welcoming people in the world and the most open to immigration, but we will have to wake up and smell the coffee at some point. There are half a million non-permanent residents here, and we just cannot handle them all. Public services cannot keep up.
Will the government be reasonable and adjust its targets so they are in line with our capacity to accommodate people?
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- Oct/3/23 3:31:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know full well that immigration is crucial to helping businesses find the workers they need and also to growing our economy.
Our plan will continue to strengthen the system and extend the benefits of immigration to communities across the country, including francophone immigration outside Quebec.
That is because immigration is not only good for our economy, but also essential to the future of our communities. We will keep working with the Government of Quebec to ensure we can welcome people, put them to work and build a more prosperous future for everyone.
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- Oct/3/23 3:31:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Quebec immigration minister, Christine Fréchette, is asking the federal government to wake up. She said that these figures “change the game” in terms of the “state of the situation”.
Quebec controls its permanent immigration, but not its temporary immigration; that falls to the federal government.
With half a million non-permanent residents in Quebec alone, the pressure on our education system, our ability to teach people French, our housing supply and, in short, our ability to integrate people is becoming too great.
Will the government lower its targets?
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- Oct/3/23 3:32:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would recommend that my esteemed colleague spend a little more time listening to Quebec businesses, Quebec universities and communities across Quebec who need workers, who want to welcome people from all over the world and who want to help integrate them into French society and succeed in Quebec.
We will be there to continue to work hand in hand with the Government of Quebec to create a more prosperous future for all Quebeckers and Canadians.
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- Oct/3/23 3:41:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, according to a recent National Payroll Institute survey, almost two out of three workers spend all of their net pay and 30% spend more than their pay. We can help them by rejecting the second carbon tax. That tax applies in Quebec, and the Bloc Québécois supports it.
People are suffering. They are having a hard time putting food on the table. This is a serious issue; it should not be a partisan one.
The Bloc Québécois wants the Prime Minister to radically increase the carbon tax. Will he walk back his pledge to do so?
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- Oct/3/23 4:01:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal Prime Minister, here is the sad reality.
The executive director of a food bank had this to say today: “It is an absolute disaster. Six families could not get a food hamper last month...it is the first time in 37 years that we have had to limit our resources.”
Nevertheless, this situation does not seem to bother the Bloc Québécois, which supports saddling Quebec families with a second carbon tax. Yes, the Bloc Québécois voted in favour. It had a chance to oppose it on June 5. Instead, the Bloc chose to applaud the new tax. It is costly to vote for the Bloc Québécois.
Are the Prime Minister and his partner proud of wanting to drastically impoverish Quebeckers?
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- Oct/3/23 4:02:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, I am neither a francophone nor a Quebecker, but I have enormous respect for the Quebec nation, which was the first in our entire country to have a climate plan and to understand the importance of climate action for our environment. That is the reality in Quebec.
Our government is here to support the most vulnerable people across the country. We are working with our colleague, the Minister of Industry.
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- Oct/3/23 4:03:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my hon. colleague that Quebec is not only the first province in Canada to have put a price on pollution, but it is the first state in North America to have done so. This happened under a succession of governments of all stripes, except for the Conservatives who disagree with this. Why? According to their party's official position, they do not even believe that climate change is an issue.
The difference between them and us is that we believe in climate change and we also believe that we must support Canadians during these tough times.
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- Oct/3/23 4:04:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives are standing up for oil companies, we are going to speak on Quebec's behalf.
Federally regulated businesses continue to disregard French. According to the union, CN wants to relocate some 50 customer service jobs in Quebec to western Canada.
That is very bad news for the 50 Quebec workers who could lose their jobs. It is also very bad news for service in French if CN relocates those jobs to unilingual western provinces.
Does the Minister of Transport think it is acceptable and safe for CN to reduce its ability to serve francophones?
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- Oct/3/23 4:05:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport can laugh it up all he wants, but Quebeckers are worried.
Every time CN is mentioned in the same breath as official languages, it is because it is going off the rails. In 2020, CN moved about 60 rail traffic controller jobs out west. Last year, it did not have a single francophone on its board. Today, CN wants to move 50 customer service jobs from Quebec to western Canada. Matters of language are also matters of safety.
Does the Minister of Transport agree with these CN cuts, yes or no? Does he think that CN has to offer services in French, yes or no?
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Madam Speaker, throughout this debate, I will try to bring us back to the matter at hand today, Bill C‑56.
Yesterday, at a meeting with entrepreneurs, I was asked what happened to the $900 million for housing. What does my colleague think of that?
It might be important to release that money as soon as possible. In Quebec, that money is eagerly awaited. It is time to try to stop this procedural wrangling.
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