SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 243

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 31, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 243 - Oct/31/23
Mr. Mario Simard
  • Oct/31/23 11:28:49 a.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, unless my colleague can explain the connection between immigration and the carbon tax, I think he is totally off topic. If he is able to make that connection, I am ready to listen. However, what I understand from his intervention is that he is trying to pollute an opposition day, which is being held in good faith, by giving a speech that suits his agenda. That is not how things work here. I would ask him to show a modicum of respect for his colleagues and talk about the issue we are discussing today.
96 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 243 - Oct/31/23
Mr. Mario Simard (Jonquière, BQ)
  • Oct/31/23 11:40:53 a.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, earlier in their speeches, my colleagues from Saint-Jean and from Mirabel each indicated how important it is to put immigrants at the centre of this process. Unfortunately, given the wait times and difficulties we are currently facing with the housing crisis, it is getting harder to focus on immigrants. I wonder whether my colleague agrees that, if we want to welcome immigrants in a more substantive way in the coming years, we need to really think things through.
81 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 243 - Oct/31/23
Mr. Mario Simard (Jonquière, BQ)
  • Oct/31/23 12:51:33 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I enjoyed my colleague's speech. Earlier, several members of my party mentioned that perhaps the best solution to our immigration woes would be gaining independence or the possibility of having more power, but here we are, still part of the Canadian federation. I would like to pick up on an observation made by my colleague, the member for Lac‑Saint‑Jean, who recently said that there is no continuity at the Department of Citizenship and Immigration. Ministers are replaced faster than the Conservatives can work the carbon tax into a debate, which makes it difficult to implement the necessary reforms. I am certain that my colleague, like me, is grappling with a steady stream of files from people who come to her because they are not getting answers from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration. Does she think her government should make more of an effort on this front?
154 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 243 - Oct/31/23
Mr. Mario Simard (Jonquière, BQ)
  • Oct/31/23 1:07:10 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, in case a consultation is requested with Quebec, I would point out to my colleague that the fiscal imbalance is a fundamental problem in the Canadian federation. Ottawa has the means to fund big expenditures such as health and education, while the provinces have the jurisdiction. Welcoming more migrants requires a more robust health care system, education system and access to housing. The federal government has the capacity to pay, but it tends to be cheap. Based on the latest negotiation on health care, we can see that the federal government is often cheap. This is the same federal government that just set immigration targets, putting unsustainable pressure on the provinces. Is my colleague aware of that?
119 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border