44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 25, 2023 02:00PM
- Oct/25/23 2:18:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of Liberal government, a growing number of Quebeckers are realizing how costly it is to vote for the Bloc Québécois. Twice, the Bloc has voted to keep the two carbon taxes. The first tax has direct impacts in Quebec and the second is going to cost up to 20¢ more a litre at the gas pumps.
That is not all. Last Monday, the RCMP commissioner appeared before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. He came to testify in the SNC-Lavalin case. Before he could utter a word, Liberal members asked to adjourn the meeting. Who voted for that adjournment with the Liberals? That was the Bloc Québécois. The Bloc member for Trois-Rivières prevented the RCMP boss from testifying when he was right there in the committee room.
How can the Bloc Québécois side with the Liberals when ethics are at stake? How can the Bloc Québécois side with the Liberals to protect the Liberal Prime Minister? Whether in terms of money or ethics, voting for the Bloc Québécois is costly.
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- Oct/25/23 2:35:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday the National Assembly of Quebec unanimously passed a motion asserting the economic viability of a possible sovereign Quebec, another in a series of unanimous motions that speak for all of Quebec.
Regardless of his personal preference, does the Prime Minister recognize Quebec's ability to succeed economically as an independent country?
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- Oct/25/23 2:36:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois's attempts to reignite a debate on federal-provincial bickering continue to boggle my mind. The reality is that, of course, Quebeckers are a proud people from a proud nation ready to build a better future, but they know very well that their brightest future is within Canada.
That is why, as the Canadian government, we are here to invest in things like the Réseau express métropolitain de Montréal, Northvolt, Davie and the lithium mines, all hand in hand with the Quebec government to build a better future for all Quebeckers and all Canadians.
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- Oct/25/23 2:37:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec has heard the “we want change” rhetoric before. However, I would remind the Prime Minister, who claims to speak for the masses, that everyone, including the Premier of Quebec, voted in favour of the motion saying that Quebec is capable.
I am not asking if that is what he wants. I am not asking if he knows how to count. I am asking him if he agrees with the statement that Quebec is capable of being an economically sovereign country. That is all.
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- Oct/25/23 2:38:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the past few years, I have been very pleased to make announcements alongside Premier Legault, during which we have talked a lot about the importance of reducing the wealth gap between Quebec and the other provinces. That is because we know that Quebec is capable of doing more, and we know that Quebec is poised for economic growth.
We are here to help and support people. Canada is here to capitalize on the economic growth and leadership that Quebeckers are capable of and that they demonstrate every day. We will continue to work hand in hand with Quebeckers to build a prosperous future for all.
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- Oct/25/23 2:51:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister proudly makes funding announcements in Quebec with the member to his right, he is actually talking about money that belongs to Quebeckers. Those are our tax dollars. With respect to the motion, if he says he agrees, he is in trouble. If he says he does not agree, he is in trouble. Since he is in trouble either way, and because he will be asked about it the next time he is next to the Premier of Quebec, why will he not simply tell us what he really thinks for once?
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- Oct/25/23 2:52:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when I spend time in my riding in Montreal, when I spend time across Quebec, and speak with people about their concerns, whether it is about climate change, affordability, the cost of housing or the extremely difficult and unstable international situation, they no longer want to talk about sovereignty. They no longer talk to me about wanting Quebec to be its own country. What they want to talk about is how we can work together to really make their lives better.
I understand that the raison d'être of the Bloc Québécois is to pick fights and keep raising the issue of sovereignty, but we, as proud Quebeckers and proud Canadians, will continue to work hard every day for all Quebeckers and all Canadians.
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- Oct/25/23 2:53:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am bit like those people. I am reluctant to talk to him about things he does not necessarily understand, but I have no choice. He does not want to provide an answer so I will answer for him. Quebec can and should become independent as soon as possible. He may agree or disagree, but he cannot deny that there are 125 members of the National Assembly of Quebec who have said that Quebec can be a viable country economically. The Prime Minister of Canada is too spineless to say anything.
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- Oct/25/23 2:54:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, according to the Bloc Québécois, sovereignty is urgent. They have been here in Ottawa for 30 years, and it has been urgent for 30 years. They keep trying to bring this up.
The reality is that we all have to work together to deliver for Quebeckers, to deliver housing, to deliver affordable groceries, to deliver a safer, cleaner planet. That is what we are working on. I work very well with the Government of Quebec and we will continue to do so. We will focus on Quebeckers' desire to build a better world, not the Bloc Québécois's desire to bicker.
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- Oct/25/23 3:10:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says he will continue to try to consider the priorities of Quebeckers. I will tell him about one priority that Quebeckers have and it is the subject of a motion in the National Assembly of Quebec. I am talking about extending the deadline for the repayment of emergency loans that were issued during the pandemic that, at this point, are threatening the survival of tens of thousands of businesses in Quebec and Canada.
Does the Prime Minister agree that these businesses, in the interest of the economy both in Canada and Quebec, need an extended deadline or more flexible terms of payment?
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- Oct/25/23 3:12:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what all the businesses, all the provinces and Quebec are saying is that it is not enough time and there is a risk of closures. If the government does not do it, it stands to lose more money than it will save.
There are two options: Will the Prime Minister agree that businesses need more help or will he agree that it turns out Quebec should take its own money and manage its own economy independently?
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- Oct/25/23 3:12:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the House that, during the pandemic, in Quebec and everywhere else in Canada, $8 out of $10 of assistance to Canadians came from the federal government. SMEs are the backbone of our economy.
We were there for businesses during the pandemic and we will continue to be there for them as they recover. We have a fiscally responsible approach, but we also provide some leeway to those who wish to avail themselves of our loan forgiveness option.
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Madam Speaker, for those who do not know, two weeks ago, I ran 10 kilometres to raise funds for the Centre d'aide et de lutte contre les agressions à caractère sexuel de Longueuil, or CALACS. It is a Longueuil-based support centre that is doing very good work helping victims of sexual assault. Its members want to run a campaign in high schools in the spring to prepare young students for their prom, and they want to talk about the concept of consent. They really are doing extraordinary work. I wanted to mention it because we are sort of talking about that.
I was looking at some statistics, which were actually provided to me by the CALACS people, and I can say that the work is far from done. The bill before us is important, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Only 5% of victims of sexual violence file a complaint in Quebec. What is more, when they do, only three out of every 1,000 complaints result in charges being laid. That falls very short. Clearly, the justice system still scares victims.
Does my colleague have any suggestions about other measures that could be implemented to ensure that the system no longer scares victims of sexual offences in this country?
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