Julie Vignola

[Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C‑78, November 28th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, people have indeed been asking for lower consumption taxes for quite some time, but they were referring to a permanent, or at least long-term, suspension, not the two months we are getting.

As everyone knows, my family was disadvantaged for many years. For families like mine, buying new toys is often impossible. They buy toys at the thrift store. I had a $100 budget for my four kids. On that amount, a cut of 5%, which is what the federal tax is in Quebec, comes down to a savings of $5. That would not have been enough for me to even buy better food. I was not buying chips, beer or alcohol. There is no tax on groceries.

How exactly does removing GTS actually help the least fortunate?

I do not understand how that works.

[Privilege, November 27th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, people sometimes watch our debates, and some folks have a good memory for what happens in politics. They realize that no matter which party is in power, whether it is dark blue or red, and which party is in opposition, the two sides will accuse one another of having been worse. It is inevitable. It is always the same.

My question is this. Is it not time we gave more thought to ensuring that governments, regardless of political stripe, really do have the common good in mind, the welfare of ordinary folks, rather than that of the big lobbies that can impress people with their luxury receptions?

[Privilege, November 27th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, over the past few weeks, we have talked a lot about this question of privilege and these documents that we are not receiving. There have been different stories about why the government should not give them to us. One of them is that we cannot interfere. My colleague has already talked about this, and we are not interfering.

Now, law enforcement will make the decision whether to process the potential evidence that we have, but if we do not hand it over, what is that called, legally speaking? What does one call withholding potential evidence from law enforcement?

Do we really want to go there?

[Le Pavois, November 27th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, Le Pavois is celebrating its 35th anniversary.

The goal of this organization, which was founded in Limoilou, is the social, occupational and educational integration of people with mental health challenges. It provides support to enhance their quality of life through three social economy enterprises.

Over the years, many women have stood out as the heart and soul of this organization. First, there was the founder, Vesta W. Jobidon, the first women who believed in this cause. Then, Lisette Boivin served as the first executive director from 1989 to 2015. Today, Le Pavois is led by Francine Cyr, a dedicated woman who always has the well-being of her members at heart. Thanks to these remarkable women, our community is able to count on a reliable, recognized mental health resource.

I want to thank all those who have worked so hard over these past 35 years. They are all extraordinary.

[Public Services and Procurement, November 25th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, Le Journal de Montréal did not even reveal the full extent of the federal government's bureaucratic fiasco. While the public service ballooned by 43%, the use of subcontractors also surged. Not only did the government lose control internally, resulting in service disruptions for Canadians, but it also lost control externally, leading to scandals like ArriveCAN. Not once has a single minister been held responsible.

How can a fiasco of this magnitude happen without anyone being held accountable?

[Government Priorities, November 25th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, Le Journal de Montréal asked how Ottawa could hire 43% more employees and still be so bad at serving the public. Despite the government hiring 110,000 public servants, a housing crisis has broken out, immigration is a mess and things are even worse at the Canada Revenue Agency. The answer is that the Liberals spend all their time developing new programs to interfere in health care, housing and more.

Do they realize that they have interfered so much in Quebec's affairs that they have lost control of their own?

[Rouge et Or Football Team, November 25th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec City is a city of champions. Université Laval's Rouge et Or won the Vanier Cup for the 12th time. This victory makes it the most successful team in Canada.

The kicker and player of the game, Felipe Forteza, gave an extraordinary performance. His golden foot scored 18 of the 22 winning points. Then there is the work of head coach Glen Constantin, a true legend of Quebec football. His players were shut out of the league's individual awards ceremony, but they made up for it by winning, as the coach says, the only trophy that no one votes on.

Since 1995, the entire organization has had the best program in Quebec and Canada. Congratulations to the entire Rouge et Or organization, the players, the parents and the fans. They are unbeatable champions.

[Privilege, November 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, maybe if the Liberals had not wasted so much money in public funds in the SDTC scandal, we would have some heat in the chamber.

All joking aside, if the government did not delegate the management of public funds so much, would the problem we are talking about today even exist? What could be done to make the management of public assets and public funds more efficient and non-partisan?

[Privilege, November 21st, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I can well understand my colleague's indignation about the fact that veterans are not being prioritized. I was particularly moved by his story about the veteran who is missing two legs and has to prove over and over that they are still missing two legs. We are not talking about a liver, we are talking about legs. Legs do not grow back.

This story reminded me of an email I received from a doctor, who told me that doctors have to fill out 16 pages of paperwork in order for a person living with a disability to receive the benefits owed to them by the Canadian government. If we multiply the time that takes by the doctor's salary and by the number of people living with a disability, it costs Quebeckers and Canadian taxpayers approximately $1 billion a year to prove that a person is living with a disability.

We see what is happening with the red tape. In my colleague's opinion, would it be possible to cut back on the paperwork and ensure that the government, when asked, can provide paperwork that is actually useful?

[Committees of the House, November 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the vote. It will be voting in favour and adding the vote of the member for Beloeil—Chambly.