Denis Trudel

[Business of Supply, February 10th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague's comment just now put a bit of a damper on what I was about to say. I was going to congratulate my Conservative friends on the surprisingly nuanced tone of the discussions we have been having since this morning, but partisanship once again reared its ugly head during that last remark. That is kind of a shame.

I want to comment on statements by the opposition leader and some of our other Conservative friends this morning about how it is time to follow the science. At what point in the last two years did we not follow the science?

Vaccines? That is science. Social distancing? Science. Masks? Also science. Border controls? That is science too.

Canada has very high vaccination rates, almost 90%, but most countries around the world do not have that. We talked about that earlier. A friend was telling me about Uganda, where just 1% of the population is vaccinated. The government's border measures make sense.

I would like to know at what point in the last two years we did not follow the science.

[Business of Supply, February 10th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech.

There is something a little odd about what we are going through. Obviously, like my colleague and all members, this morning, I cannot help but notice how frustrated people are. People are frustrated, fed up and tired of all the health rules and everything else.

What is especially odd is that Canada is one of the most highly vaccinated countries in the world, with the most stringent health regulations, and yet the number of cases was quite high until recently. Many countries are lifting health measures.

Quebec's health system is about to implode, despite all the measures brought in and the high vaccination rates. Clearly, increasing health transfers is crucial.

Does my colleague agree that it is time to hold a summit on health and health care, considering their importance, and increase health transfers to the provinces accordingly—

[Opioid Crisis in Canada, February 8th, 2022]

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

We have talked about a lot of things this evening. For me, there are four takeaways: diversion; increased health transfers because health care is under provincial jurisdiction; increased investment in social housing because the federal government has neglected it for 30 years; and long-term investments to fight homelessness.

Which of those four ideas does my colleague think we should prioritize in tackling this crisis?

[Opioid Crisis in Canada, February 8th, 2022]

Mr. Chair, a homelessness initiative was started in my riding during the pandemic. A whole lot of these resources have emerged in Quebec and across the country. The pandemic has taken a toll.

What we are hearing tonight is that the pandemic has had major consequences in terms of mental health and opioid use. I think that cases have doubled in all provinces across the country. Some people have succumbed. They lost their job and started using.

There is a homelessness initiative in my riding. Although there was a little funding during the pandemic to support these people and these kinds of resources, that well has dried up. The government has not made any announcements about what will happen at the end of March. Organizations are waiting to pay people and keep the resource open.

Does my colleague agree that the government should extend funding for homelessness beyond March 31?

[Opioid Crisis in Canada, February 8th, 2022]

Mr. Chair, this has been a very moving evening, but I am worried that those feelings will not translate into solutions.

Earlier we talked about health. In my opinion, this is clearly a mental health problem. It calls for an increase in health transfers to the provinces. Every solution starts there. Earlier we talked about housing. Investments in social housing have been lacking for 30 years.

The link between opioids and homelessness is quite clear, but bricks and mortar are not enough. For 30 years, Quebec has been developing a social and community approach to homelessness that has proven to be effective and that is even envied across Canada. It takes money to pay stakeholders to support people who might be having drug problems. Once these individuals find housing, they need support so that they do not end up back in the drug trade two or three months later. It takes psychological support, but someone has to pay for it.

It takes investments in health and housing, as well as comprehensive and community support to combat homelessness. I think these are good solutions.

[Opioid Crisis in Canada, February 8th, 2022]

Madam Chair, I am pleased to participate in this evening's debate. My colleague is right. We are currently in the midst of a terrible crisis.

However, I do not agree with her that it is a federal responsibility. The opioid crisis is a mental health issue. Mental health to me means health, and health is a provincial jurisdiction.

Every day, young people, people on the streets of Longueuil, would like to see psychologists, but they cannot because psychologists are underfunded and there are none.

Does my colleague agree that health transfers should be increased? That would make it possible to increase mental health services for those who want them, to provide better working conditions for nurses, to foster hiring, and to provide support for people struggling with addiction. Health transfers must be increased. That is an inescapable fact. Ottawa has the money, and health is a provincial jurisdiction. The federal government must transfer the money.

[Business of Supply, February 8th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the debate, and something is bothering me, specifically the rather jovial unanimous agreement we have reached to rescue Saskatchewan, which wants to keep the $341 million.

I cannot help but compare this to more acrimonious debates. When it comes time to help Saskatchewan, to amend the Constitution to help a western Canadian province, everyone is on board, everyone is pleased, everyone is happy. When it comes time to help Quebec, however, which would like to amend the part of the Constitution that concerns it, things get more complicated. We saw this in the spring, when the Bloc Québécois introduced a motion seeking recognition for Quebec as a nation with only one official language, French. Nine Liberal members abstained; they had better things to do. They went for a walk or a smoke, but they did not vote.

Does my colleague not think that we have a double standard?

[Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021, February 7th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I would like my colleague to talk a bit about my Liberal friends' optimism. I have been here for the past few days as we have debated Bill C-8 and the government's record, and the Liberals continue to rise to say how good things are, how great the government is and that things are fantastic.

Let us look at a few facts. The nation's capital is completely paralyzed right now, and we do not know when the government will take action. In Quebec, because Service Canada is so bogged down, 90,000 households have been waiting for months for the EI cheques they are owed and that they need to pay their rent and buy food. We are the worst G7 country in the fight against climate change. Canada needs an additional 1.8 million homes to achieve the G7 average. Quebec's health care system is on the brink of imploding because of 30 years of underfunding by federal governments of all stripes.

Even so, my Liberal friends are having fun and saying that all is well. Could my colleague comment on that?

[Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021, February 7th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, the more we hear from our Conservative friends, the more we see that they are still obsessed with inflation.

Of course inflation is important, but let us talk about the housing crisis specifically. As I said earlier, Canada is 1.8 million housing units short of the G7 average, according to Scotiabank. Moreover, 500,000 households in Quebec have urgent housing needs, and the federal government stepped away from social housing 30 years ago.

What we are seeing now is that the government is investing in the private sector to create affordable housing units in Montreal priced at $2,200. That makes absolutely no sense. To tackle this crisis, the government will have to invest money one way or another, even if that could make inflation go up.

Does my colleague think the housing crisis is serious and important enough for the government to invest money, even if that means a little bump in inflation? Would the Conservatives be okay with that?

[Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021, February 7th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I really enjoyed my colleague's speech. I think she understands that the housing crisis is one of the most serious crises in Canada right now, because she sees it in her riding, just as I see it in Longueuil and throughout Quebec. We are facing a health crisis and a climate crisis, but we also have a housing crisis.

A Scotiabank study released two weeks ago reported that there is a shortage of 1.8 million housing units in Canada right now, relative to the G7 average, and Scotiabank is not exactly an extreme left-wing group that campaigns for the right to housing or funds the NDP.

We in the Bloc Québécois believe that it is time for the government to recognize the magnitude of this crisis and allocate 1% of its total budget to the current housing crisis.

I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on that.