Julie Vignola

[Canada Labour Code, February 26th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, as my colleague mentioned, civilian employees of the armed forces are currently locked out and scab workers are replacing them.

The government does not seem to be acting, despite the bill that is on the table. Port of Québec workers have also been locked out for many months. It will soon be two years, if that is not already the case.

However, the bill does not include people who are currently locked out or on strike. Does my colleague agree that this is a loophole that needs to be addressed as soon as possible?

[Public Services and Procurement, February 26th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals seem intent on pointing fingers at public servants, but it is inconceivable that a cost overrun of this magnitude was not flagged. It is inconceivable that no one warned the government of the potential embarrassment. The Prime Minister and cabinet must have been alerted to this situation, yet they continued to spend Quebeckers' and Canadians' money like compulsive shoppers.

Was there no reasonable person in this government who said, “Wait a minute, enough already”, or were they all hoping that no one would notice?

[Public Services and Procurement, February 26th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, let us go back to ArriveCAN. The government developed an app worth a few thousand dollars to make it easier for travellers returning home. There was nothing to alert the Prime Minister or cabinet to. It was a small, inconsequential expense that could be summarized in the department's actions. Then it went up to $10 million, $30 million and $59 million. It seems to me that the Prime Minister and cabinet should have been told at that point.

When exactly were the Prime Minister and cabinet informed of the cost overruns associated with ArriveCAN?

[Government Business No. 34—Proceedings on Bill C-62, February 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, may I remind my esteemed colleagues that when they ask a question, they should want to hear the answer? At the moment, members seem to be talking to each other across the aisle and not listening to the person who was asked the question.

Respect needs to be shown not only at school, but in everyday life.

[Government Business No. 34—Proceedings on Bill C-62, February 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about a bill that is very sensitive for many different reasons. This bill affects us all for one reason or another. There is a motion calling for a distinction between neurodegenerative disease and mental illness.

I wonder if my colleague could tell us what he thinks about the possibility of moving faster on legislation that covers neurodegenerative disease so that people with Alzheimer's can decide, while they are still lucid, if and when they want to end things, because it is still a choice.

[Public Services and Procurement, February 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers do not understand how it is possible to overspend by 75,000% without a minister noticing. All the rules were broken, and a handful of people pocketed $60 million of taxpayers' money.

People try to pin everything on the pandemic, but it is not responsible for such utter incompetence with respect to basic project management rules. If the government could throw away $60 million just like that, how many more contracts is it turning a blind eye to?

[Public Services and Procurement, February 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are not going to get out from under the ArriveCAN scandal that quickly. For a simple application that was supposed to cost $80,000, the Liberals spent $60 million, $20 million of which was paid to GC Strategies, a company that ultimately did not provide any services.

Worse yet, the Auditor General reported that this scheme was done with the complicity of government employees. Yesterday, the three ministers involved passed the buck, but Quebeckers deserve to know who is responsible. When will there be accountability for ArriveCAN?

[Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, February 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, in hockey, there is an event that shines so brightly, a tournament where young hopefuls take to the ice with all their hopes and dreams: the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament.

Every year, this emblematic competition brings together teams from around the world, offering young players a unique opportunity to see how they measure up to elite players in their age group.

Behind every pass and every shot are the unsung heroes: volunteers, parents and organizers. Their invaluable dedication is what drives this tournament year after year. Let us thank them for their invaluable contribution.

I would also like to thank the organizing committee and its general manager, Patrick Dom, and I hope the players will have fun and create friendships and lifelong memories.

[National Council for Reconciliation Act, February 12th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, reconciliation is essential. When I read the bill, I see the mission, but there is something that is still not clear. The most racist legislation in Canada is the Indian Act.

Can my colleague tell me if this bill will allow the council to suggest changes to the most racist legislation in Canada, or even abolish it?

[Public Services and Procurement, February 12th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, ArriveCAN cost $60 million, but even that is not all that clear.

This is what the Auditor General said: “The Canada Border Services Agency’s documentation, financial records, and controls were so poor that we were unable to determine the precise cost”. She does know that 18% of invoices submitted by contractors did not provide any details. In short, we do not know who did what. She also knows that four of the five resources tasked with security assessments were unable to prove that some actual work was done.

How is it possible that no one in the government sounded the alarm before this became public?