Patrick Bonin · TranslatePolitics.ca

Oral Questions

Official Languages

2026-06-18

“You did something wrong. A report is in English. I don't like that. I want the report in French. I complained. I want the government to change the rules.”

Oral Questions

The Environment

2026-06-18

“The Liberals' environmental record is bad. They aren't protecting the environment like they promised. The Prime Minister is not a real environmentalist and we should be upset.”

Statements by Members

Jérôme Dupras

2026-06-18

“A man from my riding is now a big science advisor for Quebec. I want people to think I'm important because I know him. I'm filling time by listing nice things about him.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, it is official: Quebec has its own Leonardo da Vinci. I am talking about Jérôme Dupras, a researcher, professor, musician, and now, Quebec's chief scientist. That is right, the bass player for the Cowboys Fringants, who is also an economic and ecological specialist and professor at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, was appointed chief scientist of Quebec. This great man, whose heart is in L'Assomption, will advise the government on scientific matters, lead the Fonds de recherche du Québec and promote science, particularly among young people. It is not just the Cowboys' music being showcased on the world stage. Jérôme Dupras's expertise has earned him two major and prestigious research chairs, including one with UNESCO. This renowned scientist and influential artist is also a remarkable environmental entrepreneur and an exceptional communicator. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, and from one environmental activist to another, I wish my friend every success. May Quebec benefit from his sound advice.

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Government Orders

2026-06-11

“I think this bill is very important. The government gave us what we wanted. I'm glad people can't use religion to incite hatred anymore. What else should we do about this?”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my hon. colleague on his speech. I would also like to congratulate the minister who introduced this bill. I would like to reiterate how important it is to the Bloc Québécois that we support this bill. We continue to support it, obviously, because a number of amendments that we considered essential have been made. We acknowledge the collaborative effort in this regard. I would also like to highlight the removal of the religious exemption from the Criminal Code for the offence of inciting hatred. This was a major issue. It is important to understand that we were obviously very concerned about the fact that people were using religion to incite hatred. It is important to understand that religion is not a free pass for violating the fundamental rights of others and that this bill in no way prevents individuals from practising the religion or religions of their choice. We are therefore very pleased with this amendment. Following my hon. colleague's presentation, I would like to know what he thinks needs to be done to raise public awareness, beyond the scope of this bill. Education is a provincial jurisdiction, but my colleague seems to have given it a lot of thought.

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Government Orders

Strong and Free Elections Act

2026-06-11

“I want to go back to the old issue of electoral reform that you mentioned. The government promised us proportional representation but didn't deliver. We need to keep demanding this so Quebec gets a bigger voice.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, as the member for Repentigny, I can only echo the previous comments made by my colleague. There are three towns in the riding of Repentigny: Charlemagne, Repentigny, and L'Assomption. Saint-Sulpice used to be part of the riding. My colleague mentioned community of interest. Saint-Sulpice is part of the L'Assomption RCM. I agree with my colleague on the importance of fully understanding what the repercussions might be for these communities if they become part of a different riding. However, I would like to come back to another point my colleague raised, namely the issue of proportionality. How might we reform the voting system while effectively maintaining regional representation? I would like to emphasize that, in the past, the government committed to implementing a more proportional system. Unfortunately, that commitment was set aside. We had an opportunity to bring this issue back to the table. I believe we must keep it on the agenda and keep it alive. I would like to know what my colleague suggests.

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“I want more public funding for political parties. Quebec does it. Canada should do it too.”

Oral Questions

Oil and Gas Industry

2026-06-09

“The last pipeline cost taxpayers $40 billion to move dirty oil. Emissions went up, not down. Quebecers paid the bill. I don't want that to happen again.”

“I don't want any new pipelines or oil projects. I think it's bad because of the environment and climate change. I say that these things are a betrayal of Canadians.”

Oral Questions

Climate Change

2026-06-04

“I want to play sides against each other and make the Prime Minister look bad. I don't want to argue my own ideas or what we should do about climate change. I want to talk about politicians fighting.”

“Do the Liberals not critique the Prime Minister's climate record because they're afraid of him?”

Oral Questions

Climate Change

2026-06-02

“The Liberals have no idea how bad their climate failures are. I want the government to prove me wrong with real numbers.”

“The government is not doing enough on climate change. I think a politician quitting says so. I want the government to do more like my preferred policies.”

Government Orders

Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2

2026-05-27

“I want to give a big compliment to the member from Laurier—Sainte-Marie for all the work he has done in the past. I have known him for a long time, and he has done a lot of good things for the environment. I want to wish him all the best going forward, even if we have not always agreed on everything. It is sad that Canada was not able to accept his big ideas on the environment.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, today I want to heartily commend the member for Laurier—Sainte‑Marie, the former minister of environment and heritage, for his public service. I am even taking the unusual liberty of addressing him by name, Steven, this one last time. He and I have known each other for 25 years. Back then, he was with Greenpeace. He had long hair and a longer beard, but with fewer grey hairs. He enjoyed climbing towers and installing solar panels on premiers' homes. Some people even called him “Jesus of Montreal”. We crossed paths for years within the Quebec, Canadian and international environmental movements, and at over 30 international climate conferences, or COPs, which he participated in and excelled at, including a number which he attended as environment minister. Without a doubt, one of his greatest achievements was the Kunming-Montreal agreement on biodiversity, a resounding success that would not have been possible without him. His accomplishments also and obviously include the climate change plan, which may not have been perfect or ambitious enough, but was by far the most ambitious in Canada's history. We have certainly had our differences when it comes to the best way to serve the environmental cause. We did not always agree on the best strategy to take. We were sometimes critical of one another, but I never doubted his commitment to fighting climate change. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois and myself, I want to wish him all the best going forward. I know that he will continue to advocate for the environment and climate in other forums and other groups, and I would be pleased to be able to work with him again one day. It is unfortunate that he is leaving, but it is a consequence and an illustration of a fundamental divide in Canada. He was by far the most ambitious environment minister in the history of this country, the one who did the most. He is, without a doubt, the best environment minister this country has ever known. However, it was too much for Canada, and yet despite always being between a rock and a hard place, he truly did everything that he could. For that, I sincerely thank you, Steven. Now that he might have more free time on his hands this summer, I heard that, if he wants to have a bit of fun and if he wants to send a clear message to the government about climate change, he can always visit the CN tower. The question that I want to ask him today and the one that is on everyone's mind is this: Will he take this opportunity to give us a sneak peek at what he plans to do next?

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Oral Questions

The Environment

2026-05-26

“I want to make the Liberals look divided over the environment. I'll talk about greenwashing, and say the Prime Minister doesn't care what 15 of his MPs think. I want those 15 unhappy MPs to quit the party.”

“I want to make trouble for the Liberals by asking about a member leaving the party. I also want them to look like they're abandoning the environment.”

Oral Questions

The Environment

2026-05-25

“That makes me sad. Even Liberals think the Prime Minister is selling out on the environment. Why don't they just quit already?”

“I want to call the Prime Minister a sellout. I don't like his pipeline plans. It's bad for the environment.”

Government Orders

Business of Supply

2026-05-07

“The Liberals got a majority. Now they shut down debate in committee. Conservatives say they wouldn't discuss this issue. Why didn't Liberals allow real debate on this issue?”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, ever since the Liberals secured a new majority, thanks in part to Conservative floor crossers, their attitude has changed in committee. They have been holding in camera meetings, shutting down debate and refusing to allow for a thorough study of the issues. This is truly the antithesis of the parliamentary co-operation that our constituents expect. Our Conservative colleagues have mentioned that the Liberals refused to even discuss this issue in committee. The two parties clearly have very different positions on this matter. I am by no means an expert, and B.C. is far from Quebec, but could my colleague explain why the Liberals did not want to bring this matter before the committee to examine it in depth, shed light on it and have a genuine debate on the matter?

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“I'm asking you to explain why you said this project won't take away anyone's property. It looks to me like it will.”

“I don't like that this was brought here. It should have been discussed in committee first.”