SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

  • Member of Parliament
  • Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
  • Liberal
  • Saint-Maurice—Champlain
  • Quebec
  • Voting Attendance: 62%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $108,626.98

  • Government Page
  • Dec/1/23 11:24:04 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, talking about Christmas presents, I have an idea for the Conservative Party of Canada: It could give Canadians a Christmas gift for once. Third reading of the affordability bill is just around the corner. If the Conservatives mean what they say, why not prove it to Canadians and vote in favour of competition reform? The best gift that Canadians could get is help in stabilizing prices across the country. People tuned in are wondering what, after eight years, the Conservatives are going to do for them. In the lead-up to Christmas, they have a chance to do something for everyone. Will they?
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  • Dec/1/23 11:22:49 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. When it comes to helping Canadians, the Conservatives need to understand that that is exactly what we are doing by introducing the affordability bill. I know my colleague; he is a man of influence in this party. He is a man people listen to. He must convince his colleagues to vote in favour of the bill. If he wants to give Canadians a gift between now and Christmas, he can help us overhaul competition, because he knows, and Canadians who are watching us know too, that the best way to stabilize prices in Canada is to have more competition. Will he use his influence once and for all to help Canadians?
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  • Oct/19/23 2:36:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we all feel for what she has said. Instead of having words, why do we not talk about action? There is one thing the opposition can do, not many, I agree, but one thing. It can vote for the affordability bill. If she really cares about the lady she refers to, why does she not convince her caucus to vote for the affordability bill, so they can do something for once for Canadians?
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  • Oct/18/23 2:45:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will not take lessons from the Conservatives. What the Conservatives are proposing to the Canadians who are watching today is to make cuts to services, investments and Canada's future. Canadians know that we have a plan to help them prosper in the 21st century economy. More importantly, Canadians realize that the Conservatives are too dangerous for this country, and they trust us to move forward.
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  • Oct/17/23 3:11:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the colleague for the question, but I am really surprised that she is not talking about the historic investment announced in her riding yesterday. Umicore invested $3 billion in her riding, creating 600 jobs for young people to stay in her riding. We are building the economy of the future. We are investing in electrical vehicles. The member should be rejoicing that we are making smart investments to create growth in this country.
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  • Oct/17/23 2:54:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent, but does he know what is really causing anxiety among young people? It is the idea of having the Conservatives in power, which means cuts, cuts and more cuts. That is what young people are afraid of. That is what my colleague does not understand. We on this side of the House understand that we had to invest in Canadians, invest in the economy and invest to fight climate change. That is what Canadians expect from a responsible government. The last thing they want is a Conservative government.
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  • Oct/17/23 2:41:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it seems the Conservatives once again failed to look at what we presented. We presented an action plan to stabilize prices in Canada. The first thing the plan will do is ensure that Canada's grocers are accountable to Canadians, something that the Conservatives would never have considered. We also helped consumer groups, another thing that the Conservatives would never have considered. Will the do-nothing Conservatives at least vote for Bill C-56 to help Canadians for once?
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  • Sep/21/23 3:04:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank my colleague for her question, because she spoke from the heart and shared what all Canadians are feeling. That is exactly what we have done. Today, after convening the CEOs of the major grocery chains to Ottawa to express the frustration of millions of Canadians, we, the Liberal government, introduced an historic bill to tackle inflation and affordability. We will reform the Competition Act, something that has been needed for decades. We will give new powers to the commissioner of competition. We will eliminate mergers that go against the rules of competition, we will tackle deals that prevent small grocery stores from setting up shop—
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  • Sep/21/23 3:02:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it surprises me to hear my colleague present the facts that way. Instead, he should be focusing on the fact that today, the government is presenting legislation to reform Canada's Competition Act. We want less consolidation and more competition to lower prices. That is the way to make things right. I am disappointed to hear my colleague ask this kind of question rather than inform Canadians at home that today, the Liberal government and the Liberal caucus tabled an historic bill to help Canadians in times like these.
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  • Sep/21/23 2:39:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague from Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles. He was talking about today's news. I am sure that he saw the news that we introduced the act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act, which will do three things for people in his riding. First, we will deal with the issue of competition in Canada, the first reform in decades, which will bring about less consolidation and more competition at lower prices. Second, we will reduce the GST on housing. Third, we will extend loans for small businesses. When my colleague reads the news, he should read all of it because that will help the people of Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles and Quebec.
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  • Sep/21/23 2:22:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I may give the Leader of the Opposition an A for making jokes, but when it comes to the economy, it is something different. Canadians know that. What the Conservatives should look at is what we did today. We talked and introduced a bill that would make a difference in the lives of Canadians. That is what Canadians expect, not for us to make fun of each other in this chamber. They expect us to work for Canadians. Today, we introduced a bill that would make a difference in the lives of Canadians. I enjoin all the members of this House to work with us and make meaningful measures for Canadians, so we can help people in their time of need.
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  • Sep/21/23 2:19:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives. Last time the Conservative leader gave advice to Canadians, he advised them to buy crypto. The last piece of advice that Canadians will take is from the leader who talks about interest rates. Today, we introduced a bill to tackle the cost of living in this country and issues with respect to housing. Canadians know we have their backs. We will fight for them every step of the way.
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  • Sep/19/23 3:04:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for that important question, which is informed by empathy. This is about understanding Canadians who are having a hard time paying for groceries. That is why, at the Prime Minister's behest, we invited food executives to come and explain themselves here in Ottawa. On behalf of the entire House and millions of Canadians, I expressed people's frustration with the rising cost of food. What I can tell members is that this is a step in the right direction. The executives committed to working with us on a concrete plan to stabilize prices. We will continue to fight for all Canadians.
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  • Sep/19/23 2:40:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is not a stunt when we are fighting to stand up for Canadians. What happened was unprecedented: We called together the five major grocery players in Canada so that we could convey to them the frustration that millions of Canadians experience every week. We told them to table specific, concrete plans to stabilize prices in Canada. That is exactly what Canadians asked us to do, and that is exactly what we are going to do. We will continue to fight for Canadians, no matter what the Bloc Québécois may think.
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  • Sep/18/23 2:55:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague, but maybe he missed part of the morning. That is exactly what we are doing. Last week, we announced that we are carrying out the country's most comprehensive competition law reform to give the head of the Competition Bureau the power to compel the production of information and file court applications. Second, we want to remove the notorious efficiencies defence for mergers that are not in the interest of Canadians. Lastly, we want to tackle collaborations that stifle competition. What we are offering Canadians is a plan for more competition, less consolidation and lower prices.
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  • Sep/18/23 2:54:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am sure that Canadians watching at home are feeling insulted by what they are hearing from that side. At a time when Canadians are hurting, at a time when this nation needs to come together to fight food price inflation and at a time when we have called CEOs to come to Ottawa with concrete solutions to stabilize prices, the Conservatives are choosing to be on the sidelines. We are acting on behalf of Canadians. I invite every member of this House to work with us, stabilize prices and help Canadians at this time of need.
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  • Sep/18/23 2:45:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, instead of talking and talking, they should look at what we have done today. This is the first time in Canadian history that the grocers have come to Ottawa. We had difficult discussions, but at the end of the day, those were discussions we needed to have in order to stabilize the price of food in Canada. We have been very clear with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance. We are going to work with them to stabilize prices in Canada. That is what Canadians expect at home. That is what we are going to deliver.
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  • Sep/18/23 2:41:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is coming from someone who advocated for crypto as advice to Canadians. I think Canadians watching at home understand not to follow his advice when it comes to groceries. The answer of Canadians is “thanks, but no thanks.” We are going to continue to do the tough work on this side and fight for Canadians at every step of the way.
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  • Jun/6/23 2:39:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Louis‑Saint‑Laurent for his question. I hope that the Canadians watching today will realize that the Conservative Party is delaying the adoption of a tax credit for clean electricity, a tax credit for the manufacture of clean technologies and a tax credit for clean hydrogen. Do the Conservatives actually listen to Canadians once in a while? We are building the economy of tomorrow and seizing generational opportunities, while the Conservative Party is preventing Canada from advancing the economy of the 21st century. That is shameful.
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  • Feb/7/23 2:22:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the leader of the official opposition because we are going to do just that and take responsibility for all the investments we have attracted to Canada. I think that the Conservative leader has forgotten the investments in science and biopharma across the country. We attracted Moderna to Canada for the first time. I believe that the opposition leader is forgetting about the investments in the auto industry and green energy. We will continue to invest in Canada to create the jobs of today and tomorrow.
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