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Alexandre Boulerice

Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
NDP

Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie
Quebec
Voting Attendance: 64%
Expenses Last Quarter: $114,314.06

Government Page

Context: House Hansard - 281 - Feb/13/24

Mr. Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, NDP)

Feb/13/24 4:44:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her plea from the heart, her speech. She mentioned me at one point. I hope I do not receive that diagnosis anytime soon. I generally agree with her on this issue. I did not follow all the formalities and procedures surrounding this matter. That said, I agree that there is consensus in Quebec concerning advance requests with defined criteria, loved ones who can care for the patient and health professionals who can provide support. I quite agree with my colleague that the federal government should show some openness, sit down and talk with Quebec to find a solution, maybe even a reasonable accommodation, so we can respect the consensus of Quebec society, which seems to be heading in the same direction in this matter.

134 words

Context: House Hansard - 76 - May/20/22

Mr. Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, NDP)

May/20/22 2:38:21 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-216

Madam Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise in the House to talk about the important bill introduced by my NDP colleague from Courtenay—Alberni, Bill C-216. COVID-19 took the lives of thousands of Canadians over the past two years, and we have devoted a lot of time and energy to helping those affected by the virus and preventing the loss of even more lives. Meanwhile, another crisis has been happening for years that has not received nearly as much attention. Today, it is claiming the lives of hundreds of people every month. Thousands of people have died over the past five years because of the opioid crisis and addiction and substance abuse problems. It has been a literal carnage. We need to act quickly and do something about this. We have here a solution based on science, studies, reports and the opinions of experts. In the House, members who say that they follow the science when they vote and take action must support Bill C-216 because everyone who has been following this issue over the years is telling us that this is the way to go, that this is the first step in saving people's lives. We must absolutely send this bill to committee. I hear everyone here saying that drug addiction is not a police issue or a legal issue, but a health issue. If members truly believe that, they must support the bill at second reading to send it to parliamentary committee. The committee will improve, enhance and study its clauses as needed and will bring in witnesses and other experts. I think this is the right thing to do. If members are sincere in saying that this is, above all, a health problem and a public health problem, then we must decriminalize simple possession of drugs. Two or three weeks ago, my colleague from Courtenay—Alberni came to Montreal. We had the opportunity to visit groups that help people who are in crisis, who have drug problems or who are at risk of dying. We visited the organizations Dopamine and Cactus, and everyone told us that the members of the House need to vote in favour of Bill C‑216. It is the right thing to do. The bill is not perfect, but it is definitely a good step forward. We need this. My NDP colleague and I came out of the Cactus office and a woman in crisis was lying on the sidewalk with a worker. She looked at us. I guess we must have looked somewhat official. She told us that we need to help these organizations, because they saved her life and do the same for dozens of other people, every day, every week. We need to help organizations like Dopamine and Cactus. Next, we went to see doctors, social workers and researchers at CHUM who specialize in addiction and substance abuse, all of them women. They told us that this is exactly what they had been asking for for years, that it just makes sense to decriminalize simple possession of drugs and not to use the police or prisons for these people, which deprives them of the help they need. It is true—a prison is not a hospital. It serves other needs, other functions in life. Maybe social workers should already be prepared, funding should be increased and outreach services should be available, but I think that, as federal lawmakers, our responsibility is to take action where possible right now. If we determine that amending the Criminal Code is the thing to do, those amendments are our responsibility. In this case, it is the right thing to do. All the international evidence proves it. Everyone on the front lines in Quebec and Canada is asking us to do it. Even if people are unsure or have doubts, they should at least vote for Bill C‑216 in principle so it can go to a parliamentary committee. The committee members can amend it, fix it and improve it as necessary. However, if members refuse and kill Bill C‑216 right away, that is a sign that they are not listening to people on the front lines and that more people will lose their lives. We will end up back at square one and nothing will happen. More people will die in the streets of Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. I think it is our responsibility to be courageous, take that step and vote in favour of Bill C‑216 so it can at least go to committee.

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Context: House Hansard - 35 - Feb/20/22

Mr. Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, NDP)

Feb/20/22 11:38:01 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I want to clarify one thing. No one’s rights and freedoms have been suspended. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms continues to apply while the Emergencies Act is in force. That said, I would like to know the state of mind of the members of his political party. There is a convoy that came from far away, that announced that it wants to disturb and disrupt our democratic institutions, and that is funded by supporters of Donald Trump. At the same time, his party’s interim leader and his party’s former finance critic are openly supporting these people organized by the far right. They give these people coffee and pizza while they make life miserable for the residents of Ottawa. How can my colleague explain the actions of some of the key figures in his caucus?

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Member of Parliament

Alexandre Boulerice