Julie Vignola

[Government Business No. 7—Proceedings on Bill C-12, February 15th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, we all agree that we need to make things right for seniors and get them their money.

My colleague spoke about how the government has struggled to plan and manage its calendar. However, the situation we are in right now is urgent and it has been going on for months. All of the opposition parties have been sounding the alarm since June and July 2021, before the election.

What does that tell us about the government's real motivation for doing the right thing for Quebeckers and Canadians before the election?

[Old Age Security Act, February 15th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, no one is disputing the urgency of passing Bill C-12. Everyone across party lines has been warning the government about the plight of seniors since 2021, so the need for the bill is well known.

Two weeks ago, we were told that the bill could not be pushed forward and that its measures could not be implemented before July because of IT problems. Now we are hearing that some people may be reimbursed, or at least get some help, as early as April.

Nevertheless, the use of this closure motion hurts. We all would have agreed to proceed quickly, without the gag order, and the bill would have passed quickly.

Why shut down the democratic process and discussions that were going very well?

[An Act Respecting Certain Measures Related to COVID-19, February 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge everything my colleague said. Yes, we need rapid tests. That being said, the Senate is not sitting until next week.

We are not talking about having endless debates and studies, but simply giving ourselves the rest of the week to discuss and ensure that we are able to propose amendments that would guarantee that the money goes to the tests and the right companies, not to the Liberals' friends.

Why this rush to pass this bill on a Monday instead of on Thursday or Friday, or not at all according to the studies—

[An Act Respecting Certain Measures Related to COVID-19, February 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, we are in the final hours of Valentine's Day, and Valentine's Day is all about love.

Who else but my colleague, who speaks French with such passion, energy and love, can teach the Liberals the difference between “recurring” and “sporadic”?

[An Act Respecting Certain Measures Related to COVID-19, February 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I too heard our colleague from Kingston and the Islands answer a question earlier about why the government did not include the amounts for rapid tests in Bill C-8.

He said that it was because there was no omicron variant when Bill C-8 was drafted in December, at the time the update was done. However, we did have the delta variant and a pandemic, and we knew it was not going to be over any time soon.

Does my colleague think that there is a certain lack of predictability, a lack of vision and, in this case, a lack of medium-term perspective from the government, which is rushing us to pass a bill that will not even be looked at by the Senate until next week since the Senate is not sitting this week?

[Business of Supply, February 10th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I will come back to my colleague’s conclusion that things can change and that the plan could be adjusted.

A well-crafted plan does provide for adjustments and for explanations that are clearly communicated to the public.

What does my colleague think about that?

[Business of Supply, February 10th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I would like to get back to the reopening plan. Right now, Quebec and most of the Canadian provinces are making decisions based on the fragility of their health care systems. That fragility is caused by 30 years of health cuts.

In the reopening plan, would it not be wise to increase health transfers to 35%, which is still less than what is set out in our constitutional agreements?

[Business of Supply, February 10th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I like today's motion because it is leading to collaboration, active participation, and the implementation of a plan to reopen—without necessarily setting a date, but by setting the public health conditions that need to be fulfilled, which could still change.

There have been words and accusations on what has been done about last week. Nevertheless, I think we need to look toward the future.

Does my colleague think that, for the sake of the future, this plan will allow us to get past any recriminations and really work together?

[Business of Supply, February 10th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I never, and I mean never, said that I agree with what is happening outside.

Protesting, yes; blockading, no; putting people's lives at risk, never. Let the member withdraw his comments.

[Business of Supply, February 10th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I am a constructive person and always ready to help.

Politics, partisanship and political games are not my strong suit. I will reiterate what I proposed this morning, noting that there is no timeline in what I am suggesting for preparing a plan of action. The approach I am proposing is very flexible.

There will need to be a clearly defined status update, qualifiable and quantifiable objectives and questions to be asked now, during and after. There will also need to be an outline of the steps and tangible actions to take, as well as the conditions to meet to go from one step to the next. It will have to be clear who is responsible for achieving and validating these actions, including the experts and people who are accountable. The communications, evaluation and validation tools will need to be specified, and an overview of potential obstacles and solutions for overcoming them will need to be provided. None of these suggestions has a deadline.

Is it possible to implement such a plan?