“The government promised in the last two budgets to make stronger laws against forced labour. Now that plan is gone, and this budget does not have money for it. I want the member across the way to explain why he supports this change.”

“Mr. Speaker, my colleague on the opposite side of the House comes from a city that is home to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, which is an extraordinary museum, by the way. The problem is that, in the 2023 budget, this government announced its intention to introduce much tougher anti-forced labour legislation. That same intention was included in the 2024 budget, but, suddenly, since the new Prime Minister took office, this intention does not appear in the 2025 budget. It has been abandoned. That means that today, we are voting on appropriations that do not include funds earmarked for strengthening anti-forced labour legislation. How can my colleague, who has the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in his own city, accept such an about-face by his government?”

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“Small businesses need fast government help so they do not close down. We helped save one business, but many others are still struggling. I want to know if the member supports our plan for a wage subsidy to help them.”

“Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether my colleague was here earlier when I asked my question about businesses, but the Bloc Québécois believes that small businesses in Quebec and, of course, across the rest of Canada need direct, rapid, effective support to avoid going under. Over the past few weeks, we have seen furniture businesses closing down. I mentioned earlier that a very happy event took place this morning in Berthier—Maskinongé. The Duchesne et Fils plant in Yamachiche reopened after the company sought protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of elected officials, we succeeded in applying pressure and making sure the company that took over had favourable conditions to make it work. I want to take this opportunity to recognize them and thank them again, along with the people at the business support centre, who had a major impact on this file. We succeeded in saving one business, but we are worried about other businesses that are closing down and about businesses that have not gone under yet but that are struggling. I would like to know whether my colleague supports our proposal for a wage subsidy to keep the economic fabric of our regions from unravelling.”

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“The government avoids answering our questions in committee meetings just to waste time. The public sees this and does not understand it. I want to know why my colleague thinks the government does this.”

“Mr. Speaker, my colleague said something that resonates with me because it is something I have felt as well. According to feedback from the public, when they saw the exchange between my colleague and the Minister of Finance, they did not understand why the minister was not answering. I must admit that, over the past year, this is one of the things I have noticed that really amazes me. When we go to a committee meeting and ask questions, it seems as though the government’s primary goal is to avoid answering questions and just run out the clock. I really do not understand what the point of that is. Does my colleague have any explanation or possible theories to share?”

“The government is wasting public money by giving $14 billion to oil and gas companies that are making record profits. I want the member to agree with his leader and call this out as a scandal.”

“Mr. Speaker, some things are indeed ridiculous. Public funds are being wasted and there are financial scandals with this government. It never ends. One of the things that the leader of my colleague’s party has said is that he is against corporate welfare. This was in response to a question from my colleague from Jonquière ahout whether the government should stop subsidizing the oil and gas industry, which is getting $14 billion this year. The Conservative leader agreed and said that we need to fight corporate welfare. Will my colleague proclaim loud and clear, like his leader, that one of the current government’s worst financial scandals in the estimates we are voting on is that there is a subsidy of $14 billion that is coming out of taxpayers’ pockets and going directly into the pockets of those who are making the biggest record profits, namely oil and gas companies?”

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