Luc Desilets

[Irish Heritage Month, December 11th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Etobicoke—Lakeshore for his speech. It will be my turn to give one in a few minutes.

There is something I am curious about. Ireland must deal with sovereignty on three fronts: first with respect to the Republic of Ireland, then with respect to the European Union, and lastly with respect to the United Kingdom. I would like to hear my colleague's view on that.

[Reduction of Recidivism Framework Act, December 10th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I, too, would like to begin my speech by acknowledging the outstanding work done by all of our colleagues, regardless of their political affiliation. This was a difficult session and one that will not quickly be forgotten.

I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill C-228, which seeks to establish a federal framework to reduce offender recidivism. I am pleased to speak to this bill mainly because I did my first undergraduate degree in criminology, an applied science that seeks to analyze criminal behaviour and the rehabilitation of offenders.

This bill responds to the horrible murder of Marylène Levesque by recidivist Eustachio Gallese. Her murder shows that there are gaps in the existing mechanisms that show that the government seems to have truly failed to protect this woman and the population in general. This is one case among many in recent years.

The October 27, 2020 report from the correctional investigator of Canada, Ivan Zinger, shows that the federal government is not doing a good job of managing the social reintegration of offenders. In fact, it is doing a very poor job of it. This is a scathing report for the government, and it brings to light a number of problems, one of which is the almost total lack of training for inmates in federal penitentiaries. The report notes that, although there are jobs in federal penitentiaries, they generally do not enable inmates to develop useful labour market skills. Inmates told the correctional investigator that they take those jobs to avoid spending time in their cells.

The report notes that there are very few opportunities for inmates to take post-secondary training in penitentiaries. It also indicates that, while there are libraries, the books available are out of date. In short, the federal government is failing miserably when it comes to the rehabilitation of offenders, because it is not giving them any useful tools to help them reintegrate into society. It is important to point out, however, that social reintegration is not easy, and it is not something that we have been dealing with for 100 years.

The Bloc Québécois supports the bill at second reading. However, we wish to warn the federal government against the temptation to impose a federal model in prisons that are provincially run. On this point, by the way, let's recall that the federal government manages sentences of two years or more, while the provincial government manages sentences of two years less a day. We must not tolerate in the slightest that a federal framework dictate to the provinces what they must do, as this government often does.

In addition, a recent study by the CIRANO research group finds that Quebec is doing much better than the rest of the world in terms of social reintegration. Of course, I am talking about advanced countries. Bill C-228 must therefore focus on reintegration in federal penitentiaries without dictating to the provinces what they should do.

In order to be constructive in the context of this bill, the Bloc Québécois believes that the framework of this legislation should take into account the following elements. First, pilot projects should be put in place and standardized programs should be developed to reduce recidivism. Second, it is necessary to promote social reintegration by ensuring that inmates have access to adequate resources and employment opportunities. In addition, the project should support faith-based and community-based initiatives aimed at reintegrating former inmates into the community.

Finally, it should study international social reintegration practices and, of course, implement only proven practices.

The Department of Justice should also work with the provinces to establish this framework because, even though we have concerns about interference, there are federal penitentiaries in all provinces, including Quebec.

Bill C-228 should also call on the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to table a report in Parliament in the year following the passage of this bill.

Again, according to a study by CIRANO, the Center for Interuniversity Research and Analysis of Organizations, social reintegration programs significantly reduce recidivism. Not only do programs that facilitate the social reintegration of inmates in facilities run by the Government of Quebec reduce recidivism, but, as I just mentioned, they do so far more effectively than all known countries with such programs.

CIRANO researchers obtained data on the programs at the prisons in Montreal, Quebec City and Saint-Jérôme. They compared these prisons to others under the authority of the Quebec justice department.

They found that over a period of five years, the recidivism rate in Montreal for inmates participating in these programs was 10%, compared to 50% for those not participating. At the two other institutions, the result was slightly lower at 6% and 35%. Implementing these programs results in extraordinary outcomes compared to not implementing them.

Researchers found that the more the inmates participated in programs during their incarceration, the less likely they were to reoffend. Given the results of this study, it is clear that the best way to reduce recidivism among offenders is to provide or expand social reintegration programs.

[Broadcasting Act, December 10th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is obviously in favour of modernizing the Broadcasting Act given the rapid and staggering evolution of information and communications technology.

Does my colleague believe that Bill C-10 is designed to really reflect and make room for the perspectives of indigenous peoples, Quebeckers, racialized communities and various other ethnocultural communities?

[Saint-Eustache, December 3rd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, 2020 marks the 175th anniversary of Saint-Eustache, a city I am proud to represent in the House.

The first settlers arrived in 1739, and in 1768, the parish of Saint-Eustache was officially established. This city was the backdrop of major battles during the patriots' rebellions in 1837 and 1838, and it was partially destroyed in a clash between the patriots, led by Jean-Olivier Chénier, and British troops on December 14, 1837. Traces of that battle can still be seen on the facade of the Saint-Eustache church, where many dying patriots took refuge. We will never forget them.

Today, this beautiful city, known for its architecture, history and culture, is home to more than 45,000 people. I urge my colleagues to come for a visit.

Happy 175th anniversary to my dear Saint-Eustache.

[Business of Supply, December 1st, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I would like my colleague to comment on something our Prime Minister said that will surely go down in history.

He said, “I fully respect provincial jurisdictions, but people's dignity, their health and, above all, their lives are not a jurisdictional matter”.

[Awards Gala Sponsored by Rivière-des-Mille-Îles MP, November 30th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, my first namesake awards gala was held on November 19.

It was a memorable evening that was carried live on Télévision des Basses-Laurentides and Facebook.

This gala honoured outstanding residents of Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. I had the privilege of handing out the education award to François Paquet. The sports awards went to Stéphane Pilon, Stéphane Proulx and Mario Lanthier, and the environment award went to Danielle Lajeunesse. The arts and culture award was won by Caroline Foley. The business award went to Éric Simard, and the community and social engagement award went to Aminata Bâ.

Finally, I gave out the MP's choice award to Zaélie Charbonneau, a talented 12-year-old classical dancer who has performed with the likes of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.

Once again, I salute all these recipients for their involvement and for showcasing our magnificent riding of Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. These people are truly inspiring.

[Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, November 26th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, it is clear that all of us, or almost all of us, agree that Bill C-12 has some interesting elements.

However, I do have one concern. I think it is insane to put off the targets until 2050 or use 2050 as a deadline. Things are changing and moving so fast, and 2050 is 30 years away. If we do the math, 30 years from now, Canada will probably have gone through 12 to 15 successive Liberal or Conservative governments. Obviously, we will be independent by then, but I am referring to them.

I would like to know what my colleague thinks about this. Climate change is the number one global priority. We talk about it constantly, and there will be more bills. How can we even consider such a long-term mission? We are talking about 30 years. I cannot buy that.

[Status of the French Language in Montreal, November 25th, 2020]

Madam Chair, first off, congratulations to our leader for what was, as always, a very inspiring speech.

The government House leader and the Leader of the Opposition made some very interesting comments, but, as we always say, they need to walk the talk.

I am astonished at the number of members in the House tonight. Judging from their comments, tonight's subject must be awfully dear to the hearts of our Liberal colleagues. Someone is pointing at the screen. How many Liberal members are on the screen? There are 18 Liberal members who are participating virtually and three or four who are physically present in the House. There are as many Bloc Québécois members here as could be allowed due to the pandemic. The Conservatives, however, turned out in great numbers, and we appreciate it.

What does my leader have to say about that?

[Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2020, November 24th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend from Vaughan—Woodbridge. I am very happy to see that his French is getting better every month.

Here is the full title of Bill C-11: an act to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act and the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other acts.

It is a long title, and I would like to ask my colleague a question. In connection with this bill, does he think his government needs to take rapid, if not immediate, action to stop fraud and identity theft?

[Broadcasting Act, November 19th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech, which was very interesting, especially the personal and professional aspects. It was nice to hear him talk about his past.

We all agree that this bill is a weak response to the Yale report. However, this legislation was long overdue. It is important to remember that 16,000 journalists have lost their jobs since 2016. In Quebec and Canada, 250 media outlets have been forced to shut down, and there has been endless restructuring everywhere, including at La Presse, CTV and TVA.

I would like my colleague to give a clear answer to the following question: Will the Conservatives be voting against the bill, or will they propose a series of amendments?