Denis Trudel

[Housing, October 5th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I have good news: Quebec will match the federal government's $900‑million investment in housing. Woo-hoo! There is just one small problem: The money cannot flow because the federal government is still trying to impose conditions on Quebec instead of reaching an agreement.

This morning, the Premier of Quebec reiterated that this is urgent. He needs an agreement by next Friday so he can include the $900 million in his November 7 economic update. Will the government stop quibbling and immediately announce that it is giving Quebec its $900‑million share? This is urgent.

[Affordable Housing and Groceries Act, October 5th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's speech and his plea for off-market housing. I think that is the direction we need to take.

I would like to ask him a question that is a bit more specific. We have a structural problem. Quebec alone needs 1.1 million housing units by 2030. If we mobilized all of the resources in Quebec, the maximum number of units that construction workers could build per year is 80,000, and that is if all home builders participate. We would need to build 200,000 units in Quebec alone. I do not have the numbers for Canada, but I am sure they must be similar.

I agree with my NDP friends that we need an acquisition fund so that we can acquire existing housing, but we also need to find other solutions.

Does my colleague have any other solutions to suggest?

[Affordable Housing and Groceries Act, October 5th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his election and his first speech in the House. I think that he spoke with remarkable aplomb. I congratulate him.

He talked about Conservative solutions to the housing crisis. The Conservatives want to talk to cities. That does not work. That entire strategy does not work at all. In Quebec, the federal government cannot talk directly to cities. That is done through Quebec. Housing is a provincial jurisdiction. Moreover, the crisis is not quite as serious in Quebec as it is in the rest of Canada—for example, in Toronto and Vancouver—because Quebec stepped in when the federal government withdrew from housing for 30 years. For 30 years, Quebec created programs that actually provided for social housing while nothing was happening in Ottawa.

Does my colleague not agree that, if the federal government wants to develop strategies, it must talk directly to the Government of Quebec and send in the money?

The federal government has fiscal capacities that Quebec and the municipalities do not have. It must reach an agreement with Quebec to ensure that the money to build housing will be released as soon as possible.

[Affordable Housing and Groceries Act, October 5th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, we passed a bill in the House that allocates $4 billion to a housing accelerator fund for municipalities. The federal government cannot talk to Quebec municipalities; it has to come to an agreement with the Quebec government. Negotiations are under way, and the share due to Quebec comes to $900 million. I would like to remind everyone that housing is a provincial jurisdiction.

According to what we learned this morning, the federal government is nitpicking and dawdling. It is having a hard time choosing a colour for the tiles and the carpet. Then it questions whether a given apartment should have 8 or 14 lights. What a waste of time. Again, this is a provincial jurisdiction. There are currently 10,000 people in Quebec who do not have a roof over their heads.

What will it take to get Ottawa to send that $900-million cheque?

We need it now.

[Criminal Code, October 4th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his wonderful, researched and thoughtful speech. It is nice to see that he has also heard from people who are very concerned by this issue.

I spoke earlier about something that affects me. I will ask my colleague a question because, clearly, women are still afraid of the justice system.

In Quebec, sexual assault help centres have published figures showing that only 5% of victims of sex crimes file complaints. Of the cases that go before the courts, only 3 of 1,000 lead to charges.

The justice system still scares people. Charges are not laid. Clearly, people are not paying for their crimes.

Does my colleague have any possible solutions that could be proposed to address this problem?

[Criminal Code, October 4th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to make a brief announcement. The help centre for victims of sexual assault, or CALACS, in Longueuil helps women move forward following a sexual assault. The centre also works on prevention.

On October 15, I will be running 10 kilometres to raise money for CALACS, to help fund a prevention campaign in schools. CALACS staff want to go into high schools and CEGEPs to talk to young women and explain how to prevent this. I just wanted to make that brief announcement. I think it is important.

I have a question for my colleague. Unfortunately, women are still afraid of the justice system. In Quebec, it is estimated that only 5% of women who are victims of assault file a complaint. Even worse, out of 1,000 cases that do go to court, only three result in a conviction. That is appalling. The justice system is scaring women away. Even when cases do go to court, people are not convicted.

Does my colleague have any solutions to put forward?

[Housing, October 4th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not seem to understand that the housing crisis is also about some people having no other choice but to live in unsanitary conditions.

Others simply do not have a roof over their heads. They do not have the luxury of waiting for federal jurisdiction disputes to be resolved. They see no valid excuse for withholding the $900 million earmarked for housing. They are right because there is truly no valid excuse.

When will the Prime Minister stop looking for excuses and finally give us our $900 million?

[Housing, October 4th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, a group of 25 doctors from the Montérégie region and the Eastern Townships gave a clear diagnosis: The housing crisis is jeopardizing Quebeckers' health.

The Prime Minister continues to deny Quebec the $900 million allocated for housing construction even as the housing crisis turns into a public health crisis. The guiding principle of medicine is “first, do no harm”.

When will the Prime Minister stop obstructing housing construction and give the $900 million to Quebec?

[Latin American Heritage Month, October 4th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, since we are celebrating Latin American Heritage Month this month, I want to acknowledge the contributions that several members of Longueuil's Latin American community have made in vital sectors for our region.

I am talking about people like Natalia Mejia, the president of Couture Porte-Bonheur, a manufacturer that is participating in the development of Quebec's textile industry by helping Quebec creators make their designs a reality.

I am also talking about Carolina Campos, a former constituency assistant, who has worked hard to promote integration and cultural sharing between Latin American and Quebec communities.

Then, there is Alvaro Cueto, Saint‑Hubert borough president. He has been involved in Longueuil's community and civic life for many years through the organization of sporting events and citizen initiatives.

Today, I am proud to rise in the House to pay tribute to these individuals and to all members of the Latin American community in my riding whose presence and involvement make a real difference for everyone in Longueuil.

[Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act, September 29th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, in the House, I keep hearing the indignant pleas of my NDP friends, who are very committed to the fight against climate change, as they push the Liberal government to stop investing in fossil fuels and affirm that we must absolutely do more to fight against greenhouse gas emissions.

Unfortunately, when the time comes to take action, one of the few things we can do in the House to act against the government is to vote against it. In the last budget, budget 2023, there were still billions of dollars handed out to the oil industry, including for carbon capture, which we know does not work at all. My friends at the NDP voted in favour of that.

I would like my colleague to explain that to me.