Alexandre Boulerice

[Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement Implementation Act, January 28th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I would like to say that his last comment made me laugh.

In my opinion, the free trade agreement with the United Kingdom demonstrates that instead of learning from their mistakes, the Liberals are repeating them. The NDP shares the concerns about protecting supply management, which we defended tooth and nail. Former MPs Brigitte Sansoucy and Ruth Ellen Brosseau, in particular, vigorously defended it.

I would like to talk about two other things.

Our dispute resolution mechanism allows investors and large corporations to take advantage of us. It undermines our democracy and the representation of our citizens. Under the free trade agreement with the European Union, Quebeckers and Canadians will pay more for prescription drugs. In my opinion, in a health crisis, it is truly ridiculous to make the same mistake and accept an agreement that will increase the cost of drugs that sick people need.

I would like to hear what he has to say about that.

[COVID-19 Emergency Response, January 27th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, Air Canada flight attendants have been the victims of a serious injustice.

The Liberals could not care less about workers and are allowing large corporations like Air Canada to manipulate the Canada emergency wage subsidy with impunity and for their own benefit. Rather than maintaining the employment relationship with thousands of its employees, Air Canada is pocketing as much it can and laying off four out of five flight attendants, ignoring the subsidy's primary purpose.

Will the Liberals ever stop catering to the interests of large corporations and rich people? Will they ever put workers first?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 25th, 2021]

With regard to the design and implementation of programs and spending measures relating to COVID-19, broken down by program and spending measure: (a) have contracts been awarded to private-sector suppliers and, if so, how many; and (b) what are the details for each contract in (a), including the (i) date the contract was awarded, (ii) description of goods or services, (iii) volume, (iv) final contract amount, (v) supplier, (vi) country of the supplier?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 25th, 2021]

With regard to investments in Canada Revenue Agency tax compliance measures to crack down on international tax evasion, since the 2016–17 fiscal year, broken down by fiscal year: (a) how many auditors specializing in foreign accounts have been hired; (b) how many audits have been conducted; (c) how many notices of assessment have been sent; (d) what was the amount recovered; (e) how many cases were referred to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada; and (f) how many criminal charges have been laid?

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 25th, 2021]

With regard to the Canada Revenue Agency and spending related to the “Panama Papers” and “Paradise Papers”: (a) were contracts awarded to private-sector suppliers, and, if so, how many; and (b) what are the details for each of the contracts in (a), including the (i) contract award date, (ii) description of the goods or services, (iii) volume, (iv) final amount of the contract, (v) supplier, (vi) country of the supplier?

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 25th, 2021]

With regard to the design and implementation of the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s $10 billion growth plan announced on October 1, 2020: (a) were contracts awarded to private suppliers and, if so, how many; (b) what are the details of each of the contracts awarded in (a), including the (i) date the contract was awarded, (ii) description of goods or services, (iii) volume, (iv) final contract amount, (v) supplier, (vi) country of the supplier?

[COVID-19 Emergency Response, January 25th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals claim to want to help workers, but that is not the case.

Because of the Liberals' gross incompetence, thousands of people were told that they were entitled to the CERB. The truth is that the government changed the rules halfway through the game. Today, the government is asking those people to pay back the money they received, money that they have already spent on groceries or rent. The Liberals could not care less about that because they are completely out of touch with reality.

Honest workers have been misled by the Liberals. Rather than supporting these workers in this time of crisis, the Liberals are bleeding them dry. If there is one thing that we have come to expect from the Liberals, it is their lack of courage. In this case, the courageous thing to do would be for the Liberals to tax the wealthiest Canadians to fix their mistake and restore some semblance of tax fairness in this country.

The courageous thing to do would be for the Liberals to admit their mistakes and fix them but not at the expense of the most vulnerable. The courageous thing to do would be for the Liberals to focus on people's real priorities, namely, the pandemic, vaccines, and our health care system and public services, rather than on plans to build billion-dollar pipelines.

[Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020, January 25th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech.

What is happening now is that the Liberals are handing out millions of dollars to big businesses, which pass on this money to their shareholders in the form of dividends. Because of confusion over the Canada recovery benefit, workers are now being forced to repay significant amounts of money, tens of thousands of dollars in some cases. These workers were earning about $5,000 a year, so we are talking about the poorest Canadians and Quebeckers. Sadly, the Liberals have decided to target them.

Will my colleague join the NDP in calling on the government to stop going after these workers?

[Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's Report, December 11th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking our colleague and acknowledging his courage in being here in the House to face the music. That is not easy. These are difficult situations.

As far as statements to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner are concerned, I must be one of those who do not get them in on time, and I am not usually the one to get them in first. However, many reminders are sent, and we are given many opportunities to provide all the documents that are requested.

I admit that it is no fun, but is it not true that the hon. member got a bit huffy and confrontational with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner by refusing to respond to his letters and questions, which is how he ended up in the situation we are discussing today? I think he could have answered the questions and the requests of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and had more than enough time to do so.

[Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's Report, December 11th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Saint-Jean for her speech.

I think we are on the same page. She gave clear direction, despite the somewhat confusing comments made by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

I want to come back to the sanctions. Take, for example, former finance minister Bill Morneau. When he was found guilty of violating the Canada Elections Act, he was fined $300. When he violated the Conflict of Interest Act, he was fined $200.

That is about how much a multi-millionaire Bay Street banker spends on coffee every morning. It is not very dissuasive.

I would like the member from Saint-Jean to talk to us about these completely ridiculous fines.