44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 18, 2023 02:00PM
- Oct/18/23 2:05:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste recently honoured the memory of Mike Bossy, one of the greatest hockey players in the history of Quebec, who sadly passed away too soon last year. It would be hard to find a candidate more deserving than Mike Bossy of the Maurice Richard award, which is bestowed upon Quebec's greatest athletes.
What he accomplished will unlikely be seen again. He was the first player since the Rocket to score 50 goals in 50 games, and the first rookie to score at least 50 goals in a year. His record nine consecutive seasons of scoring 50 goals or more stands unbroken. With four Stanley Cups and countless trophies to his credit, the New York Islanders right winger earned his place in the Hall of Fame.
The son of Ukrainian immigrants, Mike Bossy won a place in the hearts of all Quebeckers, both on the ice and over his long media career in French. In more ways than one, this star goal scorer has had a profound effect on Quebec.
Hats off, Mike Bossy.
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- Oct/18/23 2:07:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you on your election.
All across the country, requests for food assistance are skyrocketing. People who were donating food just a short time ago are now being forced to ask for help in turn.
Thankfully, community organizations continue to stand strong and are working miracles to help families in Quebec City and, more specifically, in my riding. I am thinking about Frigo Val Bon Coeur, Boîte à FringAL, Frigo-partage de Loretteville, Frigo Amélie et Frédéric, Société Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Rayon de soleil, Comptoir Agoshin, Wendake, Accueil Saint-Ambroise de Loretteville, Solidarité Familles de Duberger—Les saules, Piolet and Popote Multi-Services.
These organizations provide direct assistance to people in need. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the dozens, even hundreds of volunteers who help the less fortunate.
I appeal to all charitable individuals who are in a position to donate. Every dollar counts. Every canned good counts. Let us give generously.
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- Oct/18/23 2:15:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we mark Persons Day by paying tribute to the Famous Five, I would like to highlight the contribution made by Thérèse Casgrain, another great Canadian whose struggle not only gave Quebec women the right to vote in 1940, but who fought throughout her life to improve conditions for women in Quebec.
Her political work, commitment and achievements are examples that inspire many of us to this day. When she became leader of the Parti social démocratique, she also became the first female leader of a political party in Canada. In 1970, she was appointed, as a person, to the Senate.
The Famous Five, Thérèse Casgrain and the women of that era who fought for our rights opened doors for us. Let us make sure we keep them open.
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- Oct/18/23 2:21:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, the inflation rate in Quebec is the highest—
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- Oct/18/23 2:44:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight long years in power, this Prime Minister is not worth the cost, especially not in Quebec, where the inflation rate is at 4.8%. That is a lot higher than elsewhere in Canada.
After eight years of inflationary deficits, the solution that the Bloc Québécois and the Liberals are now proposing is to drastically increase costs with a tax on gas and diesel, which drives up the cost of all products that are transported.
Will the government finally reverse its inflationary policies so that Quebeckers can buy gas and groceries and put a roof over their heads?
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- Oct/18/23 2:54:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we were one of the first nations, but our nation has too little weight on the international stage to be the only voice. We need friends and we need credibility.
Since we have heard nothing about that, am I to understand that the Prime Minister of Canada, over the past 11 days, has not once talked to the President of the United States? As they say in Quebec's two neighbouring countries, “you must walk the talk”. We have a similar expression in Quebec.
To give these fine words and good intentions any substance and credibility, is it not time for the Prime Minister to start walking?
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- Oct/18/23 3:04:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do not know where she got that good news from. According to Statistics Canada, inflation in Quebec has jumped to 4.8%. Quebec has had the highest inflation rate in Canada for four consecutive months. Food price inflation stands at 6.7%. After eight years under this Prime Minister, supported by his Bloc Québécois friends, people are literally struggling to feed their families. Are these the sunny ways he promised eight years ago? This Liberal government is not worth the cost.
Does the Prime Minister acknowledge that it is shameful that, in Canada in 2023, people are having trouble feeding themselves?
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- Oct/18/23 3:08:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.
I wonder why she has nothing to say about what the government has recently done. We recently announced the largest private investment in Quebec's history, known as Northvolt, precisely to manufacture batteries and electric vehicles.
My colleague should have focused on this issue, because Quebec will not only become a champion of the auto industry, but also a champion of the green economy. This is exactly what we are doing.
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- Oct/18/23 3:13:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals could have put the bill on the agenda for yesterday or today so we could discuss it, but they did not. They are the ones holding up the bill.
After eight years, the consequences of the Liberals' policies have been disastrous. Quebec has the highest inflation rate in the country. It is close to 5% for the fourth month in a row. Like all parents in Quebec, I am worried about the future of my children, who are facing the highest interest rates in 40 years. Food is too expensive, rents are unaffordable and interest rates are skyrocketing.
When will the Prime Minister stop mortgaging our children's future?
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- Oct/18/23 3:20:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of bad policy, this government continues to fuel inflation with uncontrolled spending. Today, we learned that Quebec has won Canada's inflation game for the fourth month in a row.
Groceries, housing, gasoline, everything costs more, courtesy of the Liberals, backed by the Bloc Québécois. Experts are not expecting things to return to normal anytime soon.
Can this government finally offer Quebeckers concrete solutions, put an end to out-of-control spending and abolish the carbon tax?
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- Oct/18/23 3:21:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it always surprises me when Quebec Conservatives talk about the carbon tax because the federal carbon tax does not apply in Quebec, which is a leader in action against climate change. We do not want the Conservatives to set us back. We do not want to stop taking action to protect our environment in Quebec. The Conservatives are completely out of touch.
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Madam Speaker, I do not know if I am changing or the member for Winnipeg Centre is, but this is second time this week I completely agree with everything she has said.
I genuinely appreciate her comments today, in particular about a basic income, but also about, more generally speaking, the food sharing program we absolutely need to bring into our schools throughout the country.
I want to congratulate the member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel for introducing this very important bill. Once again, we see Quebec, which has had this legislation in place for decades now, has led the way, like it quite often does on other issues socially, or the environment, for example.
This is critically important. It is important that our children, who are in the age of developing and whose minds are still developing, are not subject to a bombardment of detrimental and unhealthy choices at such a young age. I have two children under the age of 13, and I think of how easily they are influenced by what they are seeing. The forms of media have changed so much since I was a child. Nowadays children are watching much more YouTube and more custom and tailored shows. We are seeing these advertisements come across in a way I certainly was not exposed to. When I was younger, we would sit in front of a TV on Saturday morning to watch cartoons. These ads would pop up, and our parents could be kind of looking our shoulder to see what we were watching. It is much more difficult now.
I also completely agree with the comments from the member for Winnipeg Centre about this being a preventative step. This is about helping to prepare children so they can have the best shot at life in terms of health.
I am going to keep my comments very short. It is very refreshing to see the entire chamber support this initiative. The only thing I wish I could ask is that this be extended to grandparents too, because my mother, my children's grandmother, quite often purchases unhealthy stuff. Maybe that will be tackled at a later time.
Congratulations to the member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel for bringing this forward. This is a very important initiative, and I look forward to it making its way over to the Senate next and becoming law so we can move forward on this very important initiative.
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour and a privilege for me to rise this evening in this House to bring forward once again my private member's bill, Bill C-252, which aims to prohibit the marketing of certain foods and beverages directly to children.
I would like to begin by sincerely thanking all my colleagues here for offering their opinions and contributing to the important conversation on Bill C-252, which has sparked very interesting conversations. It is abundantly clear from many of the exchanges that the issue of marketing of certain foods and beverages to kids is one that many of us care deeply about and is a practice we want to see stopped. I am grateful for the overwhelmingly positive and supportive comments made by my colleagues about Bill C-252 and remain confident that we will be able to pass this bill over to the Senate in the coming days.
I would like to take a second to acknowledge the importance of the leadership that Quebec, my home province, took on this issue in the 1980s and to acknowledge Senator Greene Raine's efforts in 2016 with a previous and different version of this bill. Simply put, we have had plenty of time to discuss the essence of Bill C-252 and its impacts. I respect all my colleagues for their work and their perspectives and enjoyed the opportunity to hear them speak to this issue at length.
Truthfully, we are past the time for debate and are very much at the time when action is necessary. In the intervening years while we have been waiting to act, things have only gotten worse. If we continue to remain idle on this issue, kids' health and the consequences of marketing foods rich in salt, sugar or saturated fats to kids will not improve.
Inaction will mean that our children will continue to be manipulated by this multi-billion dollar industry. Relying on powerful multinational companies to self-regulate and reduce their targeting of children has only been proven unsuccessful. Our children remain at risk and will continue to be unjustly influenced and led to develop poor eating habits that we scientifically know to be detrimental to their health. Rates of obesity will only continue to rise, and the burden on our health care system will only grow.
We can see plainly that we have more than passed the time for action. We must fulfill our duty as parliamentarians and, for many of us, as parents to protect our children's health. We must heed the calls of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, which have been resolute and unequivocal on the very clear harm that the marketing of certain foods and beverages to children can cause to their overall well-being.
As members may be aware, Norway's government just voted this past June to adopt very similar legislation. Norway is not alone in this endeavour, and a growing number of countries, including the United Kingdom and Spain, are also developing similar legislation after years of seeing the ineffectiveness of industries' self-regulation. The international community is moving in the right direction and taking steps and legislative measures to tackle the issue of marketing to kids. Let us draw a lesson from Norway and other countries that place the importance of children's health before the monetary interests of multi-billion dollar industries. Let us pass Bill C-252, but let us do it now.
I would like to thank the stakeholders and researchers who have advocated for the passage of Bill C-252 and to sincerely thank my colleagues in the House and at the health committee for their comments and questions. Voting in favour of Bill C-252 means supporting concerned parents across Canada who currently have to battle against the influence of a multi-billion dollar industry. It means supporting parents who are trying to teach their children to develop healthy eating habits. It means accepting the best science available on this issue and listening to the growing chorus of researchers and health care professionals who have been telling us for years that this legislation is needed. It means joining the international community in its growing efforts to improve the well-being of children across the world. In short, voting in favour of this bill means prioritizing children's health and the well-being of kids from Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel and across the country from coast to coast to coast.
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