SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 332 - Jun/14/24

Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

Jun/14/24 11:19:32 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, this minister may not be lost in space, but he is definitely way out in left field. There is a reason he kept trying to cover up the secret report. It is because the report reveals the true cost of the carbon tax for Quebeckers. According to that report, Quebeckers will pay $5 billion a year in economic damage because of his carbon tax. The worst part is that the Liberal Bloc wants to go even further and radically increase the tax on gas and diesel. The minister hid the truth. Quebeckers are paying the price. When will he resign?

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Context: House Hansard - 332 - Jun/14/24

Hon. Steven MacKinnon (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Jun/14/24 11:21:33 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, that is quite the question. I am not sure who first wrote it, but the member added quite the word salad. What Quebeckers understand is that tax fairness is what counts. What we are doing is sparing everyone who earns a paycheque. Imagine: Everyone who earns a paycheque is not affected. Those who earn over $250,000 in one year will be required to pay a little bit more.

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Context: House Hansard - 332 - Jun/14/24

Ms. Monique Pauzé (Repentigny, BQ)

Jun/14/24 12:44:57 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, our party can think of no reason not to vote in favour of the motion moved by the member for Malpeque, in Prince Edward Island. The Bloc Québécois would especially like to acknowledge the demanding and difficult work that our fish harvesters take on every time they go to sea to serve our communities and provide Quebeckers with products that make us proud. In many ways, these men and women embody the resilience, solidarity, and mutual support at the very core of the fish harvesting trade. We also want to acknowledge the outstanding contribution made by the temporary foreign workers who sustain the commercial activities of many independent fish harvesters and processors in Quebec. Without them, the challenges facing the industry would be all the greater, even to the point of forcing many businesses to close or go bankrupt. As for the commitment of our many communities, the reeves of RCMs and the processing companies in these areas are vital allies and partners in spreading the word about this coastal economic reality. People here confront multiple challenges, including climate disturbances that are dramatically disrupting our marine ecosystems. Historically, the Bloc Québécois has always vigorously defended workers in the primary sectors of our economy, because they are the very first link in the chain, but unfortunately, they are often the last to be recognized. From the boat to the dock, from the factory to our plates, our hard-working local fishers provide us with world-class products. Establishing a national Canadian seafood day would not only be a gesture of recognition, but also an opportunity to bring to the forefront the important issues that affect this industry. I want to discuss a reality that needs to be clarified and that shows why the importance of further decentralizing fisheries management. The reality is that successive governments have always neglected Quebec's marine fisheries. Ottawa constantly uses the division of powers and its exclusive jurisdiction over the protection of stocks as an excuse to impose arbitrary decisions. I could name many other areas where this is the case. This situation is hindering the development of Quebec's fisheries. Let us not forget that the sector faces unique realities dictated by geopolitical events. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is not being transparent, and that is hurting this sector. The Bloc Québécois will ensure that fishers' concerns are heard in Ottawa and will always be there to stand up for their interests. Whether it is about the wharf in Cap‑aux‑Meules or the wintering yard in Grande‑Rivière, the federal government's conspicuous indifference is getting in the way of the fisheries sector's ability to reach its full regional development potential. I will paraphrase Jean Garon, a former minister of agriculture under the René Lévesque government who summed up the situation like this: no other aspect of Quebec's economic and social life has been or continues to be as mistreated by our belonging to Canada than the fisheries. I can say that nothing has changed since then. Let us talk about the cod and shrimp that are at risk or the way the department sped up their disappearance. These species have many natural predators, such as seals and redfish, not to mention exposure to the warming and oxygenation of the waters. The government does not even know in what proportion each of these factors contributed to the disappearance or mortality of these species. However, we can identify decisions the department made that have harmed these species, starting with its determination to maintain the redfish moratorium that was imposed in 1995. This moratorium was put in place to discourage the use of factory trawlers in the gulf and because redfish was particularly endangered at that time. However, it should have been lifted long before now. It was in place for a long time. The government took far too long to see the obvious. The other reality is the complete lack of a strategy to promote seal products, which are still being boycotted by the United States and the European Union. It is really outdated to support what could be called the “Bardot effect”, but unfortunately, people still have a negative image in their minds. Let us be clear. The killing of baby seals has been banned since 1987, and methods have obviously changed a lot since then. The Bloc Québécois recently organized a seafood event in New Richmond. Our party's participation in the Salon Fourchette bleue trade show and in the working groups held in La Malbaie also shows the Bloc Québécois's firm commitment to fishers and coastal communities. Let us talk about shrimp again for a moment. The federal government is telling shrimp and cod harvesters to transition to redfish, since there is an abundance of them. Just to remind everyone, this is just one small consequence of the poorly managed 1995 moratorium. Fishers will make do with it, but the equipment and processing plants still have to be adapted. The minister, however, is not considering any financial assistance or licence buyouts for the shrimp industry. Daniel Côté, the mayor of Gaspé, and Patrice Element, the director of the Office des pêcheurs de crevettes du Québec, a shrimp non-profit, believe that for this decision to be truly meaningful, shrimp harvesters would have to be able to catch 60,000 tonnes or 80,000 tonnes of redfish or else change their licence. Obviously no one has thought about that. The member has moved a motion to celebrate the fisheries sector, its artisans and processors. That is all well and good. However, his party's mismanagement of the sector is partly responsible for the problems these workers and their families are currently facing. Yes, this government did increase shrimp quotas for redfish by 10%, but what it does not want to talk about is the fact that it granted more than 60% of the quotas to offshore trawlers, those out on the high seas. As the environment critic, I have to talk about this, because their impact on the marine environment is significant. Offshore trawlers are huge vessels that scrape the seabed to catch groundfish, along with many other species, plants and fish that get swept up in their nets. Moreover, this industrial fishing gear creates bycatch, which is a problem. It is good that fishers were offered compensation when the cod fishery closed, but offshore fishers are still allowed to fish cod, in addition to all the bycatch. All other fishers have to return the fish to the water. To show how offshore fishers think and how little they care about bycatch, consider this statistic: Redfish sells for about 35¢ a pound, whereas halibut sells for $5.50. Obviously, bycatch is profitable. These big vessels are masters of bycatch. The government allowed the Atlantic Groundfish Council, which is mostly made up of offshore fishers from eastern Canada, to get a mapping contract. The ship that is being used is 60 metres long and it is sailing in the Canadian zone of the Atlantic Ocean. Given how big the ship is, there is a good chance that it will damage the sea floor and destroy some ecosystems. Why was that contract granted? Let us ask ourselves that question. The Canadian Coast Guard has the experience and expertise. The government could have asked the Coast Guard do that work, but it cannot because the Coast Guard's vessel was built in 1982 and it is undergoing repairs. The Bloc Québécois wants the maritime regions of Quebec to be better developed with a focus on food sovereignty. The Bloc Québécois regularly meets with stakeholders from maritime Quebec, and we will not waver in our support for them.

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