House of Commons photo

Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was however.

Last in Parliament October 2019, as NDP MP for Trois-Rivières (Québec)

Lost his last election, in 2019, with 17% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Oil Tanker Moratorium Act June 18th, 2019

Madam Speaker, the environment is the NDP's priority. We do not have a top priority. We have just one priority.

What the NDP knows, but the Liberals are slow to understand, is that in order to balance the economy and the environment, we also need to transform the economy. If we truly want to talk about a transition, we will eventually have to stop investing in fossil fuels and invest elsewhere.

Does the minister agree that it is time to transform the economy so that we can meet our environmental targets?

Petitions June 14th, 2019

Mr. Speaker, I am running out of new words and novel ways to present the many petitions on the high-frequency train, but I do want to point out that the people of Trois-Rivières are tenacious. They are working, not just for themselves, but for all Canadians living in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor who support this high-frequency train. This train would significantly help reduce greenhouse gases and would stimulate economic and tourism development. I obviously support their position.

The Environment June 14th, 2019

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives and Liberals prepare for a war of words on the carbon tax, young people are marching in the streets to demand climate action. Political will and leadership are necessary to combat climate change. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals have shown that they have neither.

We in the NDP have the courage to act as well as an ambitious plan to start transitioning to green energy.

Will the government commit to stop subsidizing the oil sector and start transitioning to sustainable energy?

Pharmacare June 14th, 2019

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Hoskins' report is crystal clear: we need a universal public pharmacare program. In fact, that is something the NPD is firmly committed to bringing in.

People should not have to cut up their pills to make their prescription last longer. Instead of listening to what people need, the successive Liberal and Conservative governments have consistently sided with large insurance companies.

Can the Liberal government commit, as we have, to implementing a universal pharmacare program as early as next year?

Trois-Rivières June 14th, 2019

Mr. Speaker, a few days from now, I will have completed my second term as a member of Parliament thanks to the support of the people of Trois-Rivières.

Naturally, I want to thank them, but I also want to take this opportunity to explain why the work of an opposition MP matters. No, we are never photographed holding oversized cheques, but without my entire team's tireless work combined with the active engagement of individuals and various regional economic players, we would not have obtained $30 million to support pyrrhotite victims or resurrected the concrete quality study to help grey zone victims recover. We would not be awaiting a high-frequency train announcement that I expect will happen soon. We would not have seen an overhaul of compensation for victims of thalidomide, federal investments in Trois-Rivières that would make a Liberal backbencher go red, enhanced international visibility for Trois-Rivières because of the Francophonie, and so many more things that I do not have enough time to list.

I was given a mandate to hold the government accountable, to serve Trois-Rivières and to put forward alternatives to the measures proposed by a majority government elected by a minority of voters.

Mission accomplished, I say, and until next time, if that is what the people want.

Rail Transportation June 13th, 2019

Mr. Speaker, a recent response from the government suggests that I was wrong to believe that the Minister of Transport was the one responsible for the high-frequency train. Instead, it appears that the Minister of Finance is leading the project. Nearly 10 meetings on the subject were held last fall between officials from his department and Infrastructure Bank representatives.

While the Minister of Transport goes on and on about his studies, the Minister of Finance is deciding which lucky friend will benefit from the ample profits.

How can the government take any approach other than offering users the best service at the lowest possible cost?

Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1 June 5th, 2019

Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to the speech of my colleague from Sherbrooke. He mentioned a few of the measures in the budget that made some sense, but I mostly heard him provide a rather long list of things that did not make sense at all. Since he had only 20 minutes, I am sure he did not get to everything.

During the 2015 election campaign, many analysts told us that the Liberals were not unlike the NDP, in that they campaigned to the left and were in touch with the grassroots. However, when I look at the way they govern and how they deliver their budgets and the measures therein, I have a hard time seeing the difference between a Liberal government and a Conservative government.

Would it then be correct to say that the Liberals campaign to the left but govern to the right?

The Environment June 5th, 2019

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, under the pretext of giving us an update, the Liberal government proudly stated that the Canada Infrastructure Bank would be involved in the high-frequency train project.

That means that if the Liberal Party ever moves forward one day, it will guarantee lucrative profits for its friends instead of providing affordable services to the public. Through its public climate bank, the NDP will ensure the best value for money.

Can the Liberals try to imagine a day where they fight the climate emergency without lining the pockets of their friends?

Family Caregivers June 4th, 2019

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that you will find the unanimous consent of the House for the following motion:

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should: (a) recognize the contribution that family caregivers make to the well-being of seniors, people who are sick, and people with reduced mobility, as well as the crucial role they play in the context of an aging population; and (b) advocate for a world family caregivers' day at the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Business of Supply June 3rd, 2019

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable for his speech. I support part (a) of his motion, with which I fully agree. Unfortunately, when we get to part (b) things start to sour. I would like to draw attention to some of the terms used in the wording of the motion, which make it totally impossible for me to understand the purpose and to support it. It states:

...express its belief that...partisan political actors.

They would have us believe that being politically engaged is wrong. In my 25 years of teaching, I used every platform I had to tell the young people I talked to about the need for political engagement. Of course, political engagement means taking a stand on an ideology. “Enlightenment comes when ideas collide”, as the saying goes. If we have all political stripes in committee then we can settle on a course of action. To me that is definition of engaging in politics. Worse yet, the motion says:

...it is inappropriate...to pick winners and losers in the media in an election year;

Does that mean that if this were not an election year, then it would be appropriate to get the friends of the party, either Conservative or Liberal, to pick and choose?