44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 25, 2022 10:00AM
Mr. Speaker, I have a comment for the parliamentary secretary. I would like him to ask himself some questions. Why does the Bloc Québécois feel it has to filibuster the Standing Committee on Official Languages to slow the passage of the official languages bill? Because the Liberal Party, this government, with the support of the third opposition party, opposes amendments put forward by Quebec to protect French and stop its decline in Quebec.
Ever since Confederation, the number of French speakers outside Quebec has declined so precipitously that they are practically the stuff of legend. Nothing in Bill C‑13 would change that reality. The use of French will continue to decline in Quebec. Fewer than 50% of the people on the Island of Montreal—one in two—speak French. The main reason for that is the Official Languages Act and its policies that support English in Quebec at the expense of French.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question and his comments.
However, I disagree with him completely. We are the first government in Canadian history to recognize the decline of French in the province of Quebec. That is a good start. We want to bring in positive measures that will yield results.
Quebec also shares some responsibility, since it is partially responsible for immigration. It is up to the province to ensure that more people from around the world who speak French come to Quebec in order to increase its francophone population. That is what we are doing in the area of immigration, in places where French is a minority language in Canada.
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- Nov/25/22 11:26:53 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me be perfectly clear. The carbon tax will not be tripling next year. That is simply not true.
As everyone also knows, the price on pollution does not apply to Quebec through federal taxation. It is Quebec's system that applies. Hurricane Fiona in Atlantic Canada was the worst environmental crisis in our country. The best way to combat climate change is to put a price on pollution, and that is what we have done.
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- Nov/25/22 11:40:51 a.m.
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Laser beams are not what they used to be, Mr. Speaker.
The federal government is bringing the deadline to submit infrastructure projects forward by two years. If Quebec fails to meet the deadline, the federal government will keep $2.7 billion that is owed to our cities. It is bullying our municipalities and threatening to keep every cent that is not spent by March 31.
Meanwhile, yesterday, the federal government announced a new $1.6‑billion infrastructure project to fight climate change.
Is that program being funded with the same money it plans to steal from municipalities at the end of March?
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- Nov/25/22 11:41:30 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are concerned because this is not the first time this government has stolen money that belongs to our municipalities.
That is exactly what it did last June with $342 million in another infrastructure program, so, yes, we are concerned when this government threatens to keep every penny that has not been spent by March 31 of next year. When it comes to stealing money from our cities, this government has always kept its word.
Why not collaborate instead and announce that any money remaining in the fund will simply be transferred to Quebec?
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- Nov/25/22 11:42:05 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it worries me that my colleagues from Quebec seems to disagree with the idea of helping all Canadians, including Quebeckers, adapt their infrastructure to handle climate change.
After hurricane Fiona hit the Magdalen Islands, my colleague, the Minister of National Revenue, witnessed the resulting difficulties first-hand.
We will set up programs to help Quebec's municipalities, Quebeckers and the Government of Quebec prepare for such events in the future. I am surprised that my colleague seems to be against that.
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- Nov/25/22 11:44:37 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on a Quebec radio show this week, former CSIS director and national security adviser to the Prime Minister, Richard Fadden, questioned the Prime Minister's denial that he was briefed on Chinese government interference in the 2019 election.
He said, “I would have a hard time believing that no one would have spoken to [the Prime Minister] about it.”
If the former CSIS director and national security adviser does not believe the Prime Minister's story, why should Canadians? After all, he has denied things in the past that have been proven to be true.
Did the Prime Minister receive any briefings, verbal or written, on foreign election interference, yes or no?
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- Nov/25/22 11:54:44 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the number of homicides is on the rise in Canada. In 2021, it reached 788; that is two per day. In Quebec there were 88 homicides, and that number is also on the rise. It is the highest national rate since this Liberal government came into power. The Liberals have failed in their duty to ensure that Canada is a country where citizens feel safe.
Will the government finally do its job and protect Canadians?
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- Nov/25/22 11:58:21 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the wait times for EI benefits are endless, but it gets worse, specifically for seasonal workers. They already know that they will be living in poverty this winter because they no longer qualify for EI after the rules suddenly changed. Seasonal work is one of the main economic levers for the regions of Quebec. Obviously, if these workers are unable to collect benefits this winter, it will threaten worker retention in our industries and threaten the entire economies of regions like mine.
When will the government move forward with the EI reform it has been promising for ages? When will the government understand that this is urgent?
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- Nov/25/22 12:03:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we recover from the pandemic, we must address existing challenges that were made worse for many people in Canada over the past two years.
This week, I was happy to learn that the Minister of Health and the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions announced an agreement with Quebec that will continue to support improved access to home care as well as mental health and addiction services.
Can the minister tell us more about this agreement?
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