Alexandre Boulerice

[The Environment, April 2nd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, in 2015 the Liberals promised to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies. Then it was inefficient subsidies, so already we were suspicious. Imagine our surprise this morning when we heard from the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development that they do not even have a definition for the term “inefficient”. Obviously, then, the Liberals are still subsidizing oil, knowing that they are going to miss all their targets in the fight against climate change.

Would the Prime Minister not agree that the best definition of the word “inefficient” can be summarized in two words: “Liberal government”?

[The Environment, March 20th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, 1.5 million students went on strike for the future of the planet and their own future.

I attended the protest in Montreal, amid a sea of 100,000 other people. It was beautiful and moving to see all these young people standing up to demand action.

There was even a slogan that went, “Do something, for eff's sake”.

The Liberals let them down with yesterday's budget. The government is still plodding along with the same old policies, the same old subsidies for oil companies and the purchase of an old pipeline.

Our young people realize that the situation is urgent. Why do the Liberals refuse to listen to them?

[International Day of La Francophonie, March 20th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, French is often defined by its vocabulary and grammar, which can be difficult, but it is so much more than that. French may be our language, but it is also our culture, expressed through our poetry, literature and music. It is alive with expressions, regionalisms and imagery, and it is steeped in history.

Language is more than just a way to express ourselves; it also defines how we view the world. It gives us a different awareness, a unique perspective of our environment. The French language gives us incredible opportunities to access far-off places united by a rich tapestry of history and culture.

The NDP supports francophone minority communities across Canada in defending their distinctive character and their right to receive quality services in their language. All francophones share a love of this sweet, beautiful language that makes us so proud.

I rise today to wish everyone a happy International Day of La Francophonie. As Michel Rivard said, may it live forever, and may it never be forgotten.

[Justice, March 19th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, do my colleagues remember the sponsorship scandal?

People in Quebec sure do. It is really quite simple: everything is hunky-dory for friends of the Liberal Party, and all the rules can be circumvented as long as it is for the Liberal Party. The same thing is happening today.

Desperate to restore the broken trust, the Prime Minister is calling upon a Liberal who was deputy prime minister when Paul Martin was conniving with Gadhafi for his SNC-Lavalin executive friends.

What are the Liberals afraid of? Why do they refuse to hold a public inquiry to—

[Justice, March 19th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, in the past six weeks, the Prime Minister has lost his justice minister, his Treasury Board president, his top adviser, and the Clerk of the Privy Council. Wow.

Now he is hitting the panic button. He called for help, and who answered that call? It was a former Liberal minister, a minister who was in cabinet during the sponsorship scandal, a minister who was in cabinet when SNC-Lavalin was illegally funding the Liberal Party. It was a Liberal who will be doing fundraising for the Liberal Party next week.

Does the Prime Minister take Canadians for fools, yes or no?

[Committees of the House, March 19th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague. His interest in and passion for Bill C-92 are quite remarkable. He seems keen to debate it. It is great to see. We all want to address the well-being of indigenous children.

I have two questions for him. Why did it take three and a half years for his government to introduce this bill? Why not move on to government orders so that we can start discussing this seriously?

[Committees of the House, March 19th, 2019]

That was not my question.

[Committees of the House, March 19th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech.

I look forward to talking about the bill on the welfare of indigenous children. It would have been nice if this had come up for debate before the government's fourth year in office.

Today I want to talk about the construction of the new Champlain Bridge. I represent a riding in Montreal, and I have to say that we are very proud of the bridge and find it quite beautiful. For ideological reasons, the federal government chose to build it under a public-private partnership, a P3. The government believed its magic formula would provide protection against cost overruns and missed deadlines. Obviously it did not work that way, and the bridge was delayed. In October, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities said that, if there were delays, there would be consequences. The private consortium is supposed to pay penalties ranging from $100,000 to $400,000 per day for construction delays.

What I want to know today is whether penalties have been paid. If so, as of what date were they paid? Did the consortium pay the full amount set out in the contract?

[Justice, February 28th, 2019]

It is a feminist government, Mr. Speaker. I remember.

It has now been established that the Prime Minister's Office repeatedly pressured the former attorney general. At least 11 individuals, including the Prime Minister himself, engaged her on the subject at least 20 times.

Were they doing this for jobs? No. For the economy? No. The revolting answer is that they were doing it for themselves. They were doing it for the Liberal Party of Canada.

Adviser Mathieu Bouchard and the Prime Minister made it clear that they were only doing this to get re-elected.

Will the Prime Minister drop the spin and admit that the only job he wants to save in Quebec—

[Petitions, February 28th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition signed by hundreds of people. The petition is about industrially produced trans fats, which are a leading cause of death. We know that cardiovascular health is crucial.

Partially hydrogenated oils, the main source of industrial trans fats, have been prohibited since September 2018. However, the industry was given a very long grace period and can continue to use trans fats in foods until 2020.

The petitioners are concerned about this and are demanding immediate prohibition.