Luc Desilets

[Business of Supply, April 29th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I thank our colleague, who once again made some very eloquent remarks. I agree with he said at the end of his speech. Indeed, all we can do is encourage people to get vaccinated. I got mine about ten days ago.

However, I would like to remind my colleague that his party, the Conservative Party, moved a motion on March 23, 2021, asking the government for a reopening plan.

Does he think that was a mistake or would he do the same thing again today?

[Business of Supply, April 29th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague for his passionate speech. Listening to him, I almost thought we were in the middle of an election period.

Canada is not doing that poorly, and I think almost all of us agree on that. Nevertheless, it could have done much better. This is not just about the number of vaccine doses coming into the country, even though that was a problem.

Does my colleague agree that Canada could have stepped up a little earlier and that it was three or four months behind everyone else?

[The Budget, April 20th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent speech.

No doubt there are a lot of fine things in this budget. Everyone has had good things to say, including the Bloc Québécois and the other parties.

The Bloc has made suggestions about the aerospace sector, the electrification of transportation, forestry, social housing and day care. On this last point, we are truly pleased that Quebec is a model for the rest of Canada, and it is a credit to us.

However, what are the Liberals telling seniors? They will receive $500 just before an election is called, plus a 10% increase, but not for another year. What are we to say to the seniors, parents and grandparents we know? Even though the Liberals still have a lot of fiscal room, there is nothing in this budget for seniors.

[Taxation, April 19th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, to make life simpler for Quebeckers, the Government of Quebec has announced that it is extending by a month the deadline for filing tax returns. Last year, the federal government did the same thing, but this year it is hesitating.

Quebeckers will have a reprieve from filing their provincial tax return with Quebec, but not their federal tax return. It is nice to get a bit of help, but if the help is lopsided then we are no further ahead.

Will the federal government follow Quebec's lead and give taxpayers and accountants another break during these extremely trying times?

[Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020, April 13th, 2021]

Yes, Madam Speaker. By CHSLD we mean the long-term care centres for seniors.

The Liberal government plans to impose national standards on senior care homes when that is a provincial jurisdiction—

[Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020, April 13th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I would like to say that none of our colleagues in the House agree with what our Conservative colleague said in her speech.

I know full well, my esteemed New Democrat colleague, that paid sick leave and pharmacare are very important. These topics were discussed at your convention this past weekend. These issues are fundamental to your party, and we respect that.

My question is the following. What does the member think about the Liberal government's desire to impose national standards on CHSLDs?

[Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 13th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the participation of Quebeckers in one of the most famous military operations of the First World War, the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which took place from April 9 to 12, 1917. It was a resounding victory, but it came at a very high human cost as we lost 3,598 of our own.

I wanted to highlight the outstanding contributions of the French Canadians of the 22nd Battalion. According to historian Carl Pépin, as the only French-speaking unit in the entire British army, the 22nd Battalion had two wars to fight. On the one hand, they were fighting the German enemy, and on the other, they were fighting for recognition of their valour and for everyone's respect. That is a credit to Quebeckers.

We thank the French Canadians and English Canadians who fought at Vimy for their service.

[Canada Revenue Agency Act, April 12th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I want to say hello to all of my colleagues. I am very pleased to see them again after the two weeks that we spent in our ridings.

The debate on Bill C-210 is timely because National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week is set to take place from April 18 to 24. This bill seeks to amend the Canada Revenue Agency Act.

First, the bill would authorize the Canada Revenue Agency, or CRA, to enter into agreements with the provinces and territories to collect, via the income tax return, the information required to establish or maintain an organ donor registry. Second, the bill would authorize the CRA to disclose that information to the provinces and territories that have entered into such an agreement.

Just as a reminder, this bill was first introduced in 2016 by our colleague from Calgary Confederation as Bill C-316. Unfortunately, it did not get past first reading in the Senate. This iteration of the bill has a new number, but the contents are the same. As such, the Bloc Québécois's position on this bill remains unchanged. Quebec is just fine with Bill C-210, and the Bloc Québécois fully supports it.

However, as I have already told my House colleagues, it is highly unlikely that Quebec would sign an agreement with the CRA because it already has its own tax return. It is also no secret that the Bloc Québécois is fighting for a single tax return managed solely by Revenu Québec, so why delegate to the CRA a health matter that Quebec is perfectly capable of handling and that is under its exclusive jurisdiction?

Basically, the Bloc Québécois supports this bill because we believe it will benefit the inhabitants of other provinces and territories where the CRA administers the tax system.

We have absolutely no issue with allowing the CRA to collect and share information related to organ and tissue donation. If the Quebec National Assembly were to sign an agreement with the CRA, we would fully respect that decision. Quebec is free to sign or not sign an agreement, and my tone would be completely different if we were to assume otherwise.

According to the most recent data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, in 2019, 3,084 whole organs were transplanted into 3,014 recipients. This includes 1,789 kidneys, 610 livers, 212 hearts, 404 lungs and 68 pancreases. This might seem like an odd list, but it demonstrates the magnitude of the situation. Furthermore, although the total number of transplants has risen quite dramatically compared to ten years ago, I would remind the House that there is still a significant gap between the number of transplants performed and the number of people on waiting lists. In 2019, of the 4,352 people waiting for a transplant, 249 unfortunately died before getting their surgery. This is appalling, and it could be described as a deadly wait. The governments of Canada, Quebec and the other provinces must do better, and everyone needs to do their part.

The COVID-19 pandemic certainly has not made things easier in that regard. In 2020, Transplant Quebec recorded a 20% drop in organ donation and transplantation activity, both in terms of referrals and actual donors and transplant recipients. Quebec is not alone. Other provinces and other countries have seen a similar decline. The pandemic is hitting us hard, but thanks to the tenacity and remarkable adaptability of our medical community in Quebec, things have returned to a semblance of normality in the past few months.

Before I go any further, I would like to take a minute to sincerely thank all the donors who have signed their card and consented to organ or tissue donation. I know that it is not an easy decision for everyone to make.

I also want to take this time to commend the work of doctors who specialize in organ procurement and those who perform the transplants. They do remarkable work. We can never say it enough. Thanks to them, 13,000 people in Quebec and Canada are living with a transplanted organ. It is amazing. However, we cannot rest on our laurels. We must do more, and Bill C-210 will help us do that.

As I mentioned before, this bill will probably not affect Quebec in any way because Quebeckers have their own tax return, and Quebec could collect the required information for its own registry if it wanted to. So much the better if Quebec does not have to do it and Ottawa manages this matter. However, the last time I checked, health is almost exclusively a provincial jurisdiction. In this great and beautiful Canada, geographical distance is a significant problem for the successful completion of transplants. In light of the fact that a transplant must be completed within 12 hours for a liver and eight hours for a lung, for example, it is obvious that the proper administration of registries is crucial. In my opinion, the provincial centralization of data collection and registry maintenance is a win-win proposition.

That said, I would like to share some more thoughts about this bill. This amendment to the Canada Revenue Agency Act is truly a step in the right direction, but there is no evidence to show that it will have a direct, noticeable impact on the number of deceased donors, so long as we do not do more to promote awareness and education of organ and tissue donation. I remind the House that there is still a significant gap between the number of people who say they are in favour of organ donation and those who explicitly consent to it. I signed these papers when I turned 18 because I had a teacher at the end of high school who told us about the importance of organ donation.

I do want to commend the Government of Nova Scotia, which officially adopted an opt-out system in January. This system is the complete opposite of the opt-in system that exists in the rest of North America. Quebec has been considering this issue for some time now. I would be interested in seeing how this system unfolds with our maritime neighbours. I think it could be very worthwhile. I remind members that there is no data to establish a clear link between the implementation of an opt-in system and an increase in the number of transplants.

That has been demonstrated by Spain, which is a leader in this medical field. The opt-in system expands the pool of deceased organ donors, but that is only useful if we have the appropriate and necessary infrastructure. One of the keys to reducing the gap is to increase investments in medical infrastructure related to organ donation and transplants. There is no point in having more donors if there is a lack of trained staff or if the registry is not administered properly.

Another key is awareness, and I have a special interest in that. In addition to family refusal, there is also a widespread belief that minimal effort will be made to save the lives of those who agree to be organ donors. We need to counter this type of misconception through education and awareness.

I want to take this opportunity to recognize the work of an organization in my riding in Quebec called Chaîne de vie. Chaîne de vie's team of health and education professionals have been visiting high schools across Quebec since 2007 to educate young people between the ages of 15 and 17 about organ and tissue donation. This tremendous work does not just raise awareness among youth. It also encourages family discussion—

[Business of Supply, March 23rd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I think our colleague's take on the motion is pretty harsh and his statements pretty inflammatory.

That said, I would just like to remind him that Canada is the only G7 country that cannot make its own vaccines, that its lack of leadership on border management was disgraceful, that the government was dishonest and hid all kinds of information from non-Liberal MPs and citizens during the pandemic and that this government's failure to act put us four or five months behind in the fight against COVID-19.

I will now ask a question. I know I will not get an answer, but I will ask it anyway.

What does my colleague think about upping transfers to the provinces from 22% to 35%?

[Christie Innomed, March 12th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I wanted to rise today to highlight the extraordinary initiative of a business in my riding. Indeed, Christie Innomed and its president, Martin Roy, have generously donated 16 refurbished laptop computers to community organizations in Rivière-des-Mille-Îles.

I am proud that my team and I acted as facilitators between these organizations and Christie Innomed. Thanks to these technological tools, seniors, disabled persons and the homeless will have greater access to the world. In addition, the company has suggested that they might be making further donations in the coming months.

Better still, the employees are following this example of generosity and have expressed their desire to volunteer in our community. This remarkable collaboration is strengthening the social fabric in our riding, giving the most vulnerable people a sense of belonging. This initiative is making a difference and is a wonderful example for everyone to follow.

I would like to thank Mr. Roy.