Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet

[Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2, November 28th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague talked a lot about environmental protection. The question I would like to ask him is related to the environment, but it is about housing, which is my portfolio since I am the housing critic.

I would like to know why there is nothing in the budget about renovation and energy-efficient construction. The government recently released a strategy that talks about housing construction. If the government were to include the principles of energy-efficient renovation and construction in its strategy, that would help protect the environment and lower building maintenance costs for social housing, for example. I think it would be very beneficial to consider such options.

Given his way of thinking, which comes from his indigenous culture, is he not disappointed that his government does not share his environmental perspective when it comes to housing?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2, November 28th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I want to ask the Minister of Finance if he knows whether his government plans to use time allocation every time the Minister of Finance introduces a bill.

Perhaps the Liberals do not want us to discuss them for too long, in case we find additional conflicts of interest involving the finance minister.

[Human Rights, November 27th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, in response to our questions, the Prime Minister's special LGBTQ adviser said that the apology to the community would keep remedies separate from regret.

However, since last Thursday, the government has been saying that it might introduce a bill to expunge the criminal records of Canadians previously convicted of consensual sexual activity with same-sex partners.

Can the government confirm that the apology that will be given to the LGBTQ community tomorrow will include the necessary remedies?

[Housing, November 23rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the government did things backwards yet again with this new dog and pony show. The Government of Quebec is not too happy about it either.

When you cannot come to an agreement with partners as important as the provinces when you only shell out a quarter of the money that was announced, you do not go around bragging about how you invested $40 billion in housing. What a load of hooey.

Will the government listen and respect the concept of asymmetry, or will it just impose its own decision yet again?

[Intergovernmental Relations, November 22nd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a nasty habit of imposing their vision on the provinces and municipalities. We saw this with the legalization of cannabis and the health accords. We have every reason to believe that they will do the same thing with the housing strategy. Some 1.7 million Canadian families are having a hard time finding places to live.

Will the government create a true partnership with the provinces and municipalities in order to tailor the strategy to local realities?

[Housing, November 6th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, in her victory speech last night, Montreal's new mayor, Valérie Plante, said she intends to ask the federal government for help increasing the supply of social housing units.

In Montreal, 25,000 families are waiting for social housing. The mayor is adding her voice to that of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' big city mayors' caucus, which recently called on the government to ensure that the national housing strategy includes funding to maintain and expand the social housing stock.

Has the minister heard her call?

[Valérie Plante, November 6th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today to congratulate the new mayor of Montreal, my friend Valérie Plante.

As her son pointed out to her, Valérie's name will go down in history. To quote Valérie herself, “375 years after Jeanne Mance, Montreal finally has its first woman mayor”.

Most importantly, Valérie is a progressive and positive woman with the ability to bring people together. She puts people first and has a vision for the future of Montreal that makes the economy a priority while also focusing on public transit and social and affordable housing. Members know how important those things are to me.

A fresh wind is blowing across Montreal this morning, and I really look forward to working with Valérie.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new mayor of Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Pierre Lessard-Blais, and everyone on the borough council. They can count on me to bring the priorities of Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve to Ottawa's attention.

[Housing, November 2nd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's big city mayors have sounded the alarm. One in five renters spend more than half their income on housing, and 1.5 million families cannot find affordable housing.

In Montreal, 25,000 families are on the waiting list for social housing, and in Toronto, 58,000 community housing units are in need of immediate repair.

As the minister prepares to announce the details of his housing strategy, will he commit to investing the funding necessary to maintain and expand social housing stock?

[Ethics, November 1st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister once said, “Canadians asked for open and honest government; instead they have been saddled with secrecy, cynicism and rampant ethical scandals.” He was talking about the Duffy scandal, but I understand your confusion, Mr. Speaker, because he could have said the exact same thing about his own government.

When exactly does the Prime Minister think his sunny ways are going to clean up the government's secrecy, cynicism, and scandals?

[Ethics, November 1st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, it is hard to believe but, just four years ago, this Prime Minister did not hesitate to criticize the Conservative government for its ethical lapses, particularly in the case of the Senate expense scandal.

We know that the Liberals like using the hashtags #realchange and #raisethebar, but we are less certain about whether they really believe in those things.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and really raise the bar on accountability?