Alain Therrien

[Seniors, October 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, who is flying the Liberal plane?

It is October 21. There are eight days left to pass Bill C‑319 and increase OAS for seniors; otherwise, the Liberals are risking an election. The idea of increasing pensions is supported by the Conservatives, the NDP and 79% of the population. Even the Liberals in committee agree.

There is clearly no one flying the Liberal plane. Everyone supports this initiative, but nothing is being done about it. The deadline is eight days away.

Is that why the Liberals want their leader out?

[International Trade, October 8th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, all parties voted in favour of Bill C‑282.

This is the second time we have introduced this bill, which all parties voted for. It has been analyzed six ways from Sunday since 2020. It has one single clause. Not even the Bible has been analyzed that thoroughly.

Two senators, who must think we are a bunch of chumps, say they want to overrule how 338 elected representatives voted. Unacceptable.

Will the Liberals ask their two friends to stop thwarting democracy?

[International Trade, October 8th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, enough with dragging things out at the expense of our farmers.

Every party voted in favour of Bill C‑282 on June 21, 2023. It was sent to the Senate over a year ago. The bill has one clause. The Senate has been studying one clause for over a year. How can that be? It is because two senators who are not elected by the people, Peter Boehm and Peter Harder, disagree, so they are dragging their feet. Two unelected senators want to undo the vote of elected members from all parties. They were appointed by the Liberals.

Who in the Liberal Party is going to explain to the cronies in the Senate how democracy works?

[Government Priorities, October 7th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, seniors are coming together to improve their pensions. Some 79% of the population agrees. All parties voted in favour of this in committee. However, the Liberals refuse and only want to talk about procedure.

The same is true when it comes to supply management. Farmers are coming together in support of Bill C‑282. All parties support it, but it is being held up in the Senate. The Liberals refuse to get involved. They talk about procedure. There are two procedural problems.

At the end of the day, is the real problem not this Liberal government's lack of political will?

[Seniors, October 7th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, last week, seniors came to Parliament Hill to ask for a 10% increase to their pension plan. One poll tells us that 79% of the population agrees with that increase. Elected members voted in favour of it. The government just needs to give the royal recommendation to Bill C‑319, but it does not want to. Why? Because it says that this is not how things usually work.

We are talking about the plight of seniors and the government is talking about procedure. When will it stop messing around and give the royal recommendation?

[Seniors, October 3rd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the minister surely knows that in his riding alone, in Gatineau, 30,000 seniors 65 and up are being denied access to the 10% increase in old age security. He is responsible for all that. He is the Minister of Seniors. He and his pals are the ones who created two classes of seniors and who are now fighting to maintain this injustice, contrary to the will of the House.

Can he explain to these 30,000 seniors that he would rather not give them a penny more and end up in an election?

[Seniors, October 3rd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the will of the House is clear. Yesterday, it demanded that the government grant a royal recommendation for Bill C‑319, which increases old age security by 10% for people aged 65 to 74. This would permanently end the two separate classes of seniors.

The Liberals have a choice. They can respect the will of elected representatives, or they can learn the hard way that voters will side with seniors.

Will they grant a royal recommendation for Bill C‑319, or are they going to start brushing up their résumés?

[Seniors, October 1st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, today is National Seniors Day. Let us just say that it is not the best day to avoid answering questions about old age security, especially when seniors' representatives are watching us. We will give the Liberals another chance. Time is of the essence. They have until October 29 to stop depriving seniors 74 and under of a 10% OAS increase. It seems to me that National Seniors Day would be a heck of a good day for the Liberals to finally be able to say yes to seniors.

Will they grant a royal recommendation for Bill C‑319, yes or no?

[Seniors, October 1st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals do not want an election, they need to support seniors fairly. That is why seniors' groups are here on the Hill today. FADOQ is here with its Mauricie branch, as well as the Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées, or AQDR, the Association québécoise des retraité(e)s des secteurs public et parapublic, or AQRP, the Outaouais branch of AREQ and the Table de concertation régionale des aîné-e-s des Laurentides. They are here to make sure the federal government puts an end to the two classes of seniors. They are here to demand a 10% increase in old age security for seniors aged 74 and under.

Will the government finally listen to them?

[Government Priorities, September 26th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, if he keeps that up, he will be asking a lot of questions next year.

Those who live by partisanship, die by partisanship. October 29 is fast approaching. Instead of playing partisan games, maybe this government should get to work. The Bloc Québécois's demands are clear, positive and have a consensus. The Liberals have a very simple choice. They can choose to permanently help seniors and farmers or to give answers like that and scuttle their own government.

Will they survive by helping Quebeckers or perish from their partisanship?