Alexis Deschênes

Mr. Speaker, Reasoning · 34 wordsone of the major challenges of the fast pace of modern life is to avoid living in a bubble.Partly on point It is important to understand what happens before consuming a product and what happens after. Anecdote · 13 wordsThe lemon in my glass grew somewhere, and it will end up somewhere.Anecdote Claims · 27 wordsIn the case of my phone, people had to work in mines to extract the material needed to produce it, and it will eventually end up somewhere. Reasoning · 23 wordsSometimes we forget that, but we must not forget it. We need to be aware of that, for the sake of the planet. Anecdote · 61 wordsLast weekend, I was in the Magdalen Islands. We were hauling lobster traps. For six hours, we were at sea off Havre-aux-Maisons, catching lobster after lobster. Later when I sat down to a lobster dinner, I knew where it came from and what it took to put it on the plate. I think that gave me a broader perspective on things.AnecdotePartly on point Procedure · 15 wordsThe image that I want to start my speech with is that of a mine.Procedure Claims · 45 wordsMy riding is rich in resources. The Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine region is often referred to as a resource region. On Sunday morning, I visited Quebec’s only salt mine, which is located in the Magdalen Islands. Last summer, I was in Murdochville, where I visited the copper mine. Reasoning · 7 wordsWe cannot forget what a mine entails. Claims · 28 wordsOf course, we need minerals to function. We need them, but when mines are opened, it scars the environment. It creates a hole, and there will be tailings. Reasoning · 5 wordsIt is a necessary evil, Claims · 19 wordsbut even when done according to best practices, the fact remains that it has an impact on the environment. Reasoning · 24 wordsWe need to keep that in mind when talking about an iPhone or a Samsung, or when talking about a washer or a dryer. Claims · 18 wordsWe need to remember that mines were opened to provide us with the materials to make these products. Procedure · 11 wordsThe other image I want to illustrate is that of landfills.Procedure Claims · 31 wordsMy colleagues may have already seen pictures. These days, landfills are enormous, with birds flying overhead and machinery piling up the waste. Every time we fill a landfill, we destroy habitats. Positioning · 7 wordsNo one would want to live there.Positioning Reasoning · 48 wordsAgain, it is a necessary evil. Anyone living in a modern society has to consume goods. Yes, mines are necessary, and we have no choice but to have landfills. What we are saying today is that the time between the two needs to be as long as possible. Claims · 9 wordsEventually, the mine in Murdochville will start up again. Reasoning · 55 wordsBetween the moment a piece of copper comes out of it and ends up in my phone, and the moment I throw it in the landfill, that time needs to be as long as possible. If I can extend the lifespan of a product, that allows me to open fewer mines and fill fewer landfills. Claims · 15 wordsThat is our challenge. It is about extending the lifespan of the goods we consume. Procedure · 4 wordsWhy is this important?Procedure Claims · 13 wordsIn 2019, there were 53 million tonnes of electronic and household appliance waste.¹ Procedure · 9 wordsWhat does 53 million tonnes of electronic waste represent?Procedure Claims · 40 wordsIt represents 350 Queen Mary 2 cruise ships. That is 53 million tonnes per year. Every year, 53 million tonnes of ore are mined. Mines have been opened for this purpose, and all of it will end up in landfills. Positioning · 5 wordsThat is a huge amount.Positioning Claims · 41 wordsFurthermore, waste from electronic devices and household appliances generates carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Globally, by 2030, these emissions will total 852 million metric tonnes.² There is no denying that we live in a society that engages in economic activity. Reasoning · 27 wordsWe need goods to generate growth and provide a decent standard of living for everyone. Nevertheless, we must be aware of the impact of our economic activity. Claims · 20 wordsAccording to a 2019 UN report, only 17% of all the electronic waste we produce is recycled at this point.³ Reasoning · 26 wordsThat means we have a big problem and we need to do something about it. What we are seeing is that consumers need a little help. Claims · 44 wordsIn a Canada-wide survey, Equiterre found that only 19% of respondents chose to have their household appliances repaired.⁴ The remaining 80% of respondents throw them out as soon as there is a problem. As for electronic devices, only 26% of respondents get them repaired.⁵ Positioning · 5 wordsThat is still not enough.Positioning Reasoning · 32 wordsConsumers have a role to play in this. We need to make sure that we develop the instinct to keep things that are old. However, businesses also have a role to play. Claims · 16 wordsMy colleague gave a speech earlier that focused mainly on a laissez-faire approach to the economy. Positioning · 12 wordsPersonally, I do not subscribe to that school of thought at all.Positioning Claims · 50 wordsIn Quebec, we passed the Consumer Protection Act, which was a major innovation in the 1970s under the René Lévesque government.⁶ It is working. As a consumer, we can take action against a company when it fails to provide a product covered by a warranty of proper functioning and quality. Reasoning · 20 wordsIt is therefore possible to act and we must do so. We cannot just wait for companies to regulate themselves. Claims · 53 wordsOf course, businesses want to make products at the lowest cost. The point of obsolescence is to generate economic growth. A company that manufactures a dryer that lasts seven years instead of 25 would likely sell many more over the life of a single consumer, so there is a clear economic benefit there. Reasoning · 8 wordsThis is where the government must step in. Procedure · 22 wordsI want to return to the image I have created for my colleagues: that of mines being opened and landfills being filled.Procedure Reasoning · 10 wordsThe government must act as an arbiter to guide businesses. Claims · 34 wordsCurrently, repairing an item like a vacuum cleaner or a dryer often costs more than buying a new one. Then there are cases where items simply cannot be repaired, which is even more frustrating. Reasoning · 45 wordsThis tactic on the part of a business is understandable in a capitalist society, but the government must step in to ensure that as few mines as possible are opened and as few landfills as possible are filled. We must act to protect the environment, Claims · 24 wordsbecause we sometimes seem to forget that not all of the planet’s resources are renewable. At some point, there will be no more minerals, Reasoning · 25 wordsand that point must be delayed as long as possible. Indigenous people often remind us of the need to think of the next seven generations. Claims · 8 wordsThat is the very least we can do. Reasoning · 15 wordsWe must therefore find a way to use our resources. We must also respect consumers. Claims · 31 wordsWhen someone buys a product that constantly breaks, even if the initial price is lower, they are not better off if they have to replace it every five or six years. Procedure · 8 wordsThat is what we are talking about today: ProcedureReasoning · 13 wordsfinding a way to protect the planet, respect consumers and support repair shops. Anecdote · 64 wordsBack home in Saint-Siméon de Bonaventure, there is a little shoe repair shop called Le Petit Cordonnier, run by Guillaume Poirier, whom I really like. Whenever I have old leather shoes that are a bit worn out, I take them to him. He also patches up my Blundstones. He has even repaired a sail for my sailboat and re-upholstered the seat on my motorcycle.AnecdotePartly on point Claims · 10 wordsThere is a real cost-saving aspect to all of this. Reasoning · 19 wordsHowever, we must encourage companies to act more responsibly and ensure that our products last as long as possible. Claims · 34 wordsIn 2023, Quebec demonstrated strong leadership by passing a law that amended the Consumer Protection Act, ⁷which, among other things, strengthened the legal warranty of proper functioning and ensured the availability of replacement parts.⁸ Positioning · 4 wordsBill C-267 is interesting.Positioning Claims · 31 wordsIt would give the Minister of Industry the mandate to develop a plan to establish a framework with the provinces to promote product sustainability, foster transparency, ⁹and better inform the public. Positioning · 13 wordsThis is nothing revolutionary, but it is a step in the right direction.Positioning Promise · 45 wordsAs long as this is done in a way that respects Quebec’s jurisdiction over consumer protection, the Bloc Québécois will support this bill. That is why we will vote in favour of the bill at this stage so that it can be studied in committee.¹⁰