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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 271

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
January 30, 2024 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 271 - Jan/30/24
Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ)
  • Jan/30/24 11:43:36 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-59 
Madam Speaker, every Conservative MP is claiming that their party will be forming the next government. Sooner or later, they are going to have to take a position and offer up some clear proposals. Considering all the shouting back and forth lately, the Bloc Québécois is pretty much only the adult in the room. We therefore intend to keep our feet on the ground. The Government of Quebec is asking the Liberal government for $470 million to pay the costs associated with taking in asylum seekers. The Government of Quebec requested this $470 million quite a while ago now. No one on the Conservative side has told me what they would do in the Liberals' place. If Conservative MPs are a government-in-waiting, they should have an opinion on the matter. What is it? Would they give the Government of Quebec $470 million to cover this cost? I want to know what they would do, because, so far, they have not put any proposals on the table. All they do is engage in partisan attacks.
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Context: House Hansard - 271 - Jan/30/24
Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ)
  • Jan/30/24 2:39:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since 2021, the federal government has been withholding the money it owes Quebec for taking in asylum seekers. It has been so long that the bill has reached $470 million. Yesterday, at last, the government announced in the newspapers that there would be some good news today. It is 2:40 p.m., and there is still nothing. Yesterday, in his first question of 2024, the minister talked about playing politics at the expense of immigrants. Do they know what it means to play politics at the expense of immigrants? It means withholding for years the money needed to provide them with services. Where is the money?
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Context: House Hansard - 271 - Jan/30/24
Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ)
  • Jan/30/24 2:40:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec does not play politics on the backs of immigrants. These people need services, and Quebec is scrambling to provide them at Quebeckers' expense. People come first and money matters come later. It is only here, in Ottawa, where the policies are not up to snuff. It is only here that the government has been trying for years to save money at the expense of asylum seekers and Quebec. Today, I would invite the federal government to take the high road and face up to its responsibilities. Where is the $470 million?
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Context: House Hansard - 271 - Jan/30/24
Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ)
  • Jan/30/24 2:41:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, the heart of the matter is the quality of services offered to asylum seekers. Money is essential, but there is much more to it than that. Last year alone, Quebeckers welcomed more than 65,000 asylum seekers. That is almost half the total for all of Canada. Our public services and community organizations are overwhelmed. We lack resources. Quebec has exceeded its integration capacity. In the interest of fairness—but, more importantly, to guarantee adequate services for asylum seekers—will the minister finally organize how integration is shared among the provinces?
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