Sébastien Lemire

“The Parliamentary Budget Officer says the deficit will be $6.5 billion higher than the government claimed a month ago. The government spent far too much money and acted like saving a tiny bit was a success. I want to know where the deficit is actually headed.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rather like my colleague from Mississauga—Lakeshore. We should hear from him more often in the House. I would like him to talk about the budgetary projections and fiscal anchors the Parliamentary Budget Officer mentioned. She projects that the deficit will be $6.5 billion higher, reaching a total of $71.8 billion, compared to the economic update released just a month ago. I found that interesting. The Liberals were telling us how much smaller the deficit was than expected and that the situation was better. It is a bit like me giving my teenager $100 to go buy pizza and him being proud to hand me back $5 afterwards. We do not know what he did with the rest, but that is not good management. I would like to hear my colleague’s thoughts on that. Given the current circumstances, where is the deficit headed?”

“This bill takes guns away from people who lose their licences, and it bans people suspected of domestic violence or stalking from having a gun licence. Does the member think these gun control rules are reasonable?”

“Madam Speaker, Bill C‑16 makes certain amendments to the Firearms Act. The bill “amends the Firearms Act to clarify that an individual whose firearms licence or registration certificate has been revoked is required to deliver their firearm”. Furthermore, no individual is eligible to hold a licence if it is suspected that they “may have engaged in an act of domestic violence or stalking.” We know that the Conservatives are generally opposed to the idea of any form of gun control. Does my colleague think this amendment to the bill is reasonable?”

“This bill has good parts. But the Liberals voted against our changes that would add strict rules, like no-contact orders and gun bans, for any crime against a partner. Why did the Liberals reject these protections for victims?”

“Mr. Speaker, there is clearly something important in this bill. However, in committee, the Liberals decided to vote against a Bloc Québécois amendment that would have applied mandatory conditions to any offence against an intimate partner, including purely financial disputes, such as fraud. These included a no-contact order, a ban on cross-examination, house arrest and a ban on possessing firearms. Evidence that a female victim could legally rely on to strengthen her defence is being rejected by the Liberals. Why is that?”

“I am worried about the part of this budget bill about government contracts. It lets the government use Crown corporations to get around normal spending rules. Crown corporations do not have the same rules for accountability as government departments.”

“Madam Speaker, I feel like I am unrecognizable today. In summary, I have concerns when I look at Bill C‑31, especially the part about public contracts. The bill says that this division amends the financial administration to authorize the government to make regulations with respect to the conditions under which contracts may be entered into, despite any other act of Parliament. Essentially, the main amendment seems to be adding Crown corporations. Are federal Crown corporations becoming the new way to get around the Financial Administration Act? We just finished studying this at the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Clearly, Crown corporations are like black holes: Accountability is not the same as within a department. Is it still a democracy when the government skirts the law and uses Crown corporations for expenses that the government should be incurring itself? I would like to ask my colleague that question.”

“It is World Milk Day, and I am thanking dairy farmers. We must keep protecting supply management to support family farms and stable incomes. We must also think about how Alto could take away land from 50 farms, including dairy farms.”

“Mr. Speaker, let us all raise a glass today in honour of World Milk Day. Today is a reminder of how important dairy farmers and processors are. Lucky for us, we have dairy farmers in almost every region of Quebec. The dairy sector is a major driver of rural development, employment and the vitality of our regions and local economies. Consequently, continuing to protect supply management is essential to ensuring stable incomes, supporting the next generation of farmers, preserving family farms and offering high-quality products that are among the best in the world. On this World Milk Day, I want to sincerely thank those who feed us with passion and make us proud. As I conclude, I want to point out that we need to think about Alto. We need to consider how it will impact agricultural land and the fact that it is putting nearly 1,700 properties at risk of expropriation. We are talking about 50 farms, many of which are dairy farms. This must be taken seriously if we want to protect our production capacity, our food security and the mental health of our farmers.”

“The NHL and the Ottawa Senators are blocking an arena in Gatineau from showing Montreal Canadiens playoff games. This stops fans from gathering to watch, and it costs a local mental health group money from ticket sales. The league and the Senators should let the arena show the games.”

“Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of Ottawa Senators fans in the Outaouais region, and we salute them. However, there are also a lot of fans who love truly great hockey, and they want to watch the Montreal Canadiens’ playoff games at the Slush Puppie Centre. However, the National Hockey League and the Senators are standing in their way. They invoked territorial rights to prevent Habs games from being broadcast in the arena. If the Senators want their games to be broadcast, all they have to do is not get eliminated after just four games. As a result, the people of Gatineau are missing out on a great event. Worse still, a local mental health organization is missing out on tens of thousands of dollars, because proceeds from ticket sales were supposed to go to it. Yesterday, the Quebec National Assembly unanimously joined the City of Gatineau and 7,700 petitioners in calling on the league and the Senators to back down. Quebec is Habs country, and that includes the home region of “Le Démon Blond”. Fans should be able to get together to cheer the Canadiens on all the way to the cup, because the people of Gatineau are chanting “Go, Habs, go”.”

“The government's budget fails to address housing and living conditions for First Nations. It missed a chance to let First Nations make their own housing decisions and manage their own housing funds. I want to know if my colleague is also disappointed by this.”

“Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleague from Vancouver East has two issues she is passionate about: the living conditions and housing conditions of first nations. In the budget statement, the government clearly fails to address two major concerns affecting many Canadians. In the current context, the government has missed an opportunity, particularly to implement initiatives such as the Yänonhchia’ initiative, which provided powers by and for first nations and empowered them to make decisions regarding housing. It also included an investment fund that would have made it possible to reinvest funds. Is my colleague disappointed by the government’s lack of solutions regarding indigenous housing and the increasingly urgent needs in this area?”

“I want to congratulate the Montreal Victoire on winning the Walter Cup. They are the first Canadian team to win the women's professional hockey championship, and they are great role models for young girls.”

“Mr. Speaker, I can hardly contain my excitement over the Montreal Victoire winning their very first Walter Cup. Our champions defeated the Ottawa Charge by a score of 4 to 0. This is the first time in the short history of the Professional Women’s Hockey League that the cup has been won by a team north of the U.S. border. All Quebeckers are celebrating alongside our captain, the GOAT and playoff MVP Marie‑Philip Poulin, and Laura Stacey. All Quebeckers were on the edge of their seats, cheering on Ann-Renée Desbiens for her shutout and Catherine Dubois, Alexandra Labelle and Erin Ambrose for their hard work. All Quebeckers jumped for joy when Abby Roque scored two goals. Fortunately, the story does not end here. We will have another chance to applaud Danièle Sauvageau’s team during Saturday’s victory parade for the Victoire in Montreal. The victorious Victoire. Is there a finer or more natural role model for all those young girls who dream of taking to the ice themselves? I want to thank the team for their dedication to their sport. Well done. Long live the Victoire.”

“The government spent $300 million on a health care software that cost eight times more than planned. Nobody uses it, and now the government is canceling it. I want to know why this money was wasted.”

“Mr. Speaker, cost overruns are a Liberal hallmark. First there was Cúram, which is now costing taxpayers $7 billion following yet another cost overrun according the economic update. Everyone has heard about ArriveCAN and Phoenix, and now there is PrescribeIT, a software designed by the federal government to meddle in health care and prescribe medication. It cost $300 million, almost eight times more than expected, and that $300 million is a complete waste because nobody is using this software and the Liberals are pulling the plug. Why is our money going up in smoke yet again?”

“A new high-speed train route between Montreal and Ottawa will cut through 1,700 properties and ruin 500 farms. The company is taking this land without really listening to farmers. I want the Prime Minister to make them get the farmers' permission first.”

“Mr. Speaker, Alto has confirmed that the section of high-speed rail between Montreal and Ottawa will go through 1,700 properties. With no input from the owners, 500 of our best pieces of farmland will be cut in half. When the Alto people tell us that they are consulting towns and farmers, it is all for show, because they already know exactly where they want to go and what land they want to expropriate. Alto is steamrolling our farmers. Will the Prime Minister finally ask it to get the farmers’ consent, instead of running roughshod over them?”

“Rouyn-Noranda is 100 years old today. I am celebrating its history, its hockey team, and its hard-working people. I invite everyone to join our celebration.”

“Mr. Speaker, perhaps this is nothing more than a tall tale that started in Rouyn, but in the early part of the last century, two Anishinabe hunters, the Mackimoot brothers, returned to their community with a glittering stone from Conia Asini. Then, a prospector from Nova Scotia, Edmund Horne, took his canoe to the township of Rouyn. Once there, potentially as a result of contact with the Anishinabe, he discovered a huge copper deposit. Shortly thereafter buildings began to spring up, including Jos Dumulon’s famous general store, the Osisko Hotel, the Horne mine and smelter, and the house that belonged to my great-grandfather Eugène Lemire. On May 5, exactly 100 years ago today, Rouyn became a town, a few weeks after Norcanda, which is what we would still be calling it today had it not been for a distracted printer. Rouyn-Noranda is the copper capital and self-proclaimed cultural capital of Quebec. It is also the capital of endless possibilities. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the incredible journey of our hockey team, the Huskies, who truly reflect who we are: often overlooked but hard-working, proud people with heart and soul who never give up. I would like to welcome everyone to join us in the celebrations.”

“The committee listened to injured veterans, but the government ignored their voices and rejected our proposals. What message does that send to people who served our country? Will the government face consequences for this?”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Cambridge for her concern because she began and ended her speech by talking about those who served, those who came away with trauma or physical effects, those who need help. We heard from some of these individuals in committee. I would like my colleague to tell me whether she thinks that there will be political repercussions for the government because the Liberals have ignored the voices of those who were represented in committee by members of the opposition. Some of the opposition members’ proposals were even adopted by the government only to be rejected in the end. What message does this send to the people who have served the country?”

“The Liberals are using their committee majority to shut down investigations into government spending and services. They are hiding things. I want the Prime Minister to step in and stop this.”

“Mr. Speaker, that is why the program has gone over budget five times already. The Liberals have had a majority in committee for seven days now. Already, they have killed an investigation into the Cúram cost overruns, which now total $7 billion. They decided that the investigation into Driver Inc. should be in camera, as though they care more about protecting dangerous truckers than the lives of Quebeckers. They have also shut down investigations into health care, veterans’ services, the aerospace sector, and more. A culture of secrecy has taken hold in Ottawa. When will the Prime Minister step in and stop this abuse of power?”