Alain Therrien

[Business of the House, December 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I have made a little list so that I do not forget anyone. When I am saying thank you to people and forget someone, I feel like I look a little crazy. I do not want to end the parliamentary proceedings looking crazy.

First, I would like to thank the House leader of the official opposition, who is new here. I am slowly getting to know him and I must say that the future is bright. We get along well and I am certain that, despite the fact that we are at the beginning of our friendship, I have a lot of hope that we will develop something very solid, much like I have developed with the other leaders who came before him. I am very happy to work with this gentleman, and I know that we will develop a great relationship. I am convinced of that.

I would like to thank the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. I have been getting to know him for a year. We are getting to know each other, a bit like in The Little Prince. I see great things in his future. I feel that our relationship is improving, and we are developing a genuine friendship. I think he is an amazing guy, and so I salute the member for Ajax for the work he has done.

Finally, I want to thank a veteran of this place, the member for New Westminster—Burnaby. He is the NDP member with whom I have always worked. He teaches me a lot because he really has a great deal of experience. I have to say that we have a good relationship. We work well together, and I am certain that we will continue to do so.

The House leader of the official opposition mentioned that we have extraordinary staff, and I believe that everyone here recognizes that. I salute all the employees who help us do our jobs, be better people and, above all, do our work properly for our constituents.

As politicians, we work hard and often forget the people who make it possible for us to do our jobs properly. I have a list with me. It is very important.

I thank the House of Commons clerks, law clerks and analysts. I thank the team of interpreters, who are so important to our party, which insists on keeping French alive in the House.

I thank the pages, who have bright futures ahead of them. I imagine that this work is of great benefit to them. They learn much about what to do and what not to do. No matter, this experience will serve them well in the future. I salute them. Perhaps we will meet one day in another place. I will then reflect on the success of these young people who, quite frankly, are extraordinary.

I thank the maintenance and food service teams. I thank the IT technicians. Less capable people like me often call on them for help. I know first-hand how extraordinarily patient they are with dinosaurs.

I thank the shuttle drivers. We must not forget them. They are always there for us. I thank the Hill reporters, whose daily reports on the goings-on here are good for our democracy. Let us not forget that.

Lastly, I want to thank you, Madam Speaker, and your team, the Speaker and Deputy Speakers, who put us at ease. When I rise in the House and look at you, I feel that at least one person here is listening to me, and that is wonderful. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

I wish everyone a lovely holiday, a happy new year and a merry Christmas, and may 2023 bring us all that we desire.

[Public Services and Procurement, December 8th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about those measures. The federal government has a Crown corporation whose mandate is to monitor communications security. It is called the CSE, the Communications Security Establishment. Nobody in government thought to ask CSE experts to assess the national security risk associated with this contract, which gave a company accused of espionage in the U.S. access to the RCMP's secret frequencies.

Nobody in government thought to ask the CSE to look into this. What is the Prime Minister's explanation for that?

[Public Services and Procurement, December 8th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the contract the government awarded to Sinclair Technologies, which is partly owned by Chinese interests accused of espionage, is extremely troubling. We know that the contract was just cancelled, but the government still gave a Chinese government-owned company access to the RCMP's classified frequencies. The contract was for a filtering system that ensures the confidentiality of the communications of the Prime Minister and foreign heads of state visiting Canada.

No one thought any security checks were in order. Can the Prime Minister explain this?

[Health, December 7th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Medical Association asked for an increase in federal health care funding, but that has not happened. This is typical and has been going on for years.

Ottawa says it is co-operating, but that is not true. There is no co-operation. Everyone knows that the federal government is underfunding Quebec's health care system, but Ottawa is still withholding funding. Everyone knows that Ottawa knows nothing about delivering health care, but it still wants to impose standards.

Patients do not need lectures. Patients need health care.

Will the government increase health transfers, yes or no?

[Health, December 7th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, is there anyone who has not heard the story of the man listening to the radio in his car who hears on the news that a dangerous driver is driving against traffic? He yells at the radio, “there isn't just one, there are a hundred”, because he does not realize that he is the dangerous driver. The Government of Canada is behaving in the exact same way, and it is not that funny.

Quebec, the provinces and, today, the Canadian Medical Association are asking the federal government to increase health care funding.

When will the government stop going the wrong way, start heading in the right direction and increase health transfers?

[Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2022, December 6th, 2022]

Clown.

[Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2022, December 6th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, when I was a child, there were stories on TV. They all used to end with “they got married and had many children”. The NDP and the Liberals got married and had many closure motions. They impose closure on themselves. They impose closure on the House of Commons. We have never seen an opposition party so eager to keep quiet. Sometimes, when we hear them talk, we can understand them.

Seriously, the government has negotiated 20 closure motions with the NDP. There was a motion that said the government could extend sittings until midnight up to June 23, if it so desired.

Let us look at the legislative agenda: Today we are studying Bill C-32; tomorrow, Bill C-32; Thursday, Bill C-32; Friday, Bill C-32. That is what is on the agenda.

They can extend the sittings until midnight, but that is not enough for them. They are in a hurry. Their bill is urgent. What do they do? They decide. My colleague, the Minister of Tourism, said that they are fed up. I would like to remind them that they are in Parliament. This is a democracy. I know that the Prime Minister once said he admired China and China’s dictatorship, but at some point he will have to learn to listen to the opposition, because the opposition parties often have important and relevant things to say. It might inspire them not to introduce bills like Bill C-31. That is why the NDP is on its knees licking the Liberals’ shoes; it is all for Bill C-31.

I have been a member of the House for 10 years, and I have never seen such a rotten bill. It is not me saying that, it is Mario Dumont, when he wrote about dental insurance and Bill C-31 in his column. The bill was so badly put together that they must have been hanging their heads in shame as they drafted it. That is why the NDP supported 20 gag orders. It is a little embarrassing.

My question is for the NDP. Are members of the NDP not ashamed of having supported 20 gag orders and not saying anything?

[Democratic Institutions, November 24th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe the answer I just heard. The Prime Minister should be ashamed.

Political parties' dependence on donations creates unhealthy conditions that invite undue influence. This is already a problem when it comes to major donors. The Prime Minister knows this because he spent a whole term in trouble for charging business people $1,500 each to join him at private cocktail parties.

The Global News report revealed that this weakness can be exploited by foreign powers seeking to influence democracy. China is probably already doing it. The Prime Minister should employ the precautionary principle. I realize he may not be familiar with that idea, but he needs to wake up sooner or later.

Will he restore public funding for political parties—

[Democratic Institutions, November 24th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, here in the House, the Prime Minister has not been taking Chinese interference in funding election candidates seriously, to say the least.

However, he thought it was serious enough to ask his intelligence services to get to the bottom of it. He is right about that: China has been increasing its efforts to interfere with democracy. He even talked to the Chinese President about it at the G20.

What the Global News report has revealed is, at the bare minimum, a glaring weakness in the political financing system. There is a very simple way for the Prime Minister to immediately correct this.

Will he bring back public funding of political parties?

[Françoise Poulin, November 24th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to acknowledge the 100th birthday of Françoise Poulin. Originally from the small village of Saint-Prosper-de-Dorchester, she moved at 18 to Quebec City, where she met the father of her seven children.

Someone should make a movie of her life. When she had an appendectomy at the Hôtel-Dieu hospital, she fell in love with her nurse and future husband, Joseph Dutil, and moved to their home in Saint-Hyacinthe where she still lives today.

Living in that house is a way of keeping her husband's memory alive and honour the life they shared for 32 years.

A widow at 55, she redefined herself from a wife and mother to a strong, independent, caring and loving woman devoted to her family and loved ones. She passed down her determination and courage to the next generations. These are generous, honest, hard-working, good people.

I could go on and on because her sons Richard, Alain and Dany are three of my good friends. They are great guys.

I wish Mrs. Poulin a very happy birthday. She has earned it, and it is her turn to enjoy the love.