- Member of Parliament
- Member of the panel of chairs for the legislative committees
Member of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians
- Liberal
- Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel
- Quebec
- Voting Attendance: 65%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $104,850.21
- Government Page
- Nov/22/23 3:14:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in yesterday's economic statement, the government announced measures to support housing co-operatives. There are 1,130 co-ops in Quebec, representing more than 22,000 housing units. The Leader of the Opposition referred to co-ops as Soviet-style housing. That shows his contempt for this type of housing.
Can the minister explain to Canadians the impact that yesterday's measures will have on housing co-ops across the country?
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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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- Sep/18/23 2:14:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I wish to acknowledge the loss of a great woman in Canadian politics, the Hon. Monique Bégin.
She was member of Parliament for Saint-Michel in 1972, and for Saint-Léonard—Anjou in 1974, 1979 and 1980. Not only was she a pioneer, becoming one of the first three Quebec women elected to the Canadian Parliament, but she also defended her progressive family values with conviction and success.
As Minister of National Health and Welfare, she was instrumental in securing unanimous support for legislative reforms that strengthened and broadened the universality and accessibility of our public health care system.
I invite all my colleagues to pay tribute to her. Let us continue to honour the women who, like the Hon. Monique Bégin, have broken down barriers so that women parliamentarians can be here in the House and occupy their rightful place in our government and in our society.
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Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, Quebec has served as a model in terms of not targeting marketing to kids.
However, this bill goes a lot further and is much broader. We want to put more measures in place to ensure that foods that are unhealthy for kids are not marketed to them. Obviously, there have been industries that have tried, in various forms and through various attempts, to still market to young children.
Having a law across the land would make this equal for everyone and would ensure that Quebec would abide by the same restrictions as all other provinces across the land.
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- Feb/16/23 2:15:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this Black History Month, let us continue to honour the legacy and contributions of Black communities in Canada.
I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable work done by the various Black-led organizations in Saint‑Léonard—Saint‑Michel, including the Association haïtiano-canado-québécoise d'aide aux démunis, the Centre Lasallien, Compagnie Théâtre créole, and Maison d'Haïti, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary. All of these organizations devote their heart and soul to welcoming, educating and integrating immigrant families to Quebec and helping them prosper.
I also want to recognize Maison d'Haïti for its community-based initiatives, which allow participants to have a say and actively participate in the community. This unique approach encourages the empowerment and growth of every individual affected by their work.
Long live Maison d'Haïti, and happy Black History Month to everyone.
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- Jun/20/22 2:50:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, an investment in recreational and sports infrastructure is an investment in the health and well-being of our constituents.
Could the minister update us on what he is doing to give Quebeckers access to safe, sustainable facilities that promote recreational and sports activities in our communities?
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her very relevant question.
This bill was indeed inspired by Quebec's Consumer Protection Act, which I think has been very successful. In the past, we saw this kind of advertising at amusement parks, like La Ronde, and at water parks. We need to have a system in place to determine what kinds of advertising break the law, so that we can manage and regulate them.
With regard to resources, this was done in Quebec, and we already have the evidence. Notices are sent out immediately. Then, if the advertising agencies do not take prompt action, they are taken to court. We know that rather hefty fines have been imposed in the past.
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- Mar/22/22 3:07:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on Friday, the Government of Quebec, the City of Montreal, and the Government of Canada announced the new version and reconfiguration of the Montreal metro blue line extension project. This project has been highly anticipated by the metropolitan community for several decades.
Can the hon. Minister of Canadian Heritage and Quebec lieutenant explain to the House how the federal government is supporting Quebeckers in a meaningful way in this initiative?
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