Pablo Rodriguez

[Canadian Heritage, February 14th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, once again, we have a very good working relationship with Quebec. We maintain an ongoing dialogue. In fact, I am meeting with my counterpart, Quebec's minister of culture, on the weekend, and I am very pleased to do so. The Conservatives are saying that culture is important? Come on.

As far as dog-and-pony shows go, this is the biggest one of the year. It is even bigger than the one put on by the Bloc Québécois. The Conservatives have been filibustering since the beginning of the year. They do not give a damn about supporting culture.

Despite all of that, we are going to move forward. We are going to help our creators, our producers and the cultural community.

[Canadian Heritage, February 14th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, again, we have a good working relationship with Quebec and have had a number of collaborations in the cultural industry.

The Conservatives just want to filibuster. They have gone on at great length about everything under the sun—very eloquently, I will give them that—but at the end of the day, we need this bill.

We are competing with global giants. We need to keep putting our very best out there. We need Bill C‑11. We will keep working with Quebec regardless of what the Conservatives do.

[Canadian Heritage, February 14th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, it is true that the Bloc likes to pick fights a lot of the time, but sometimes it wants to collaborate, and that is the case for Bill C‑11.

I wonder how a member from Quebec and the other colleagues from Quebec can come here to debate and say that we do not need this bill when everyone in Quebec is calling for it. We need C‑11 for every industry, including the music, television and film sectors, so we can continue being the best in the world in what we do, despite the Conservatives.

[Canadian Heritage, February 14th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we co-operate extremely well with the Government of Quebec on culture and on many other files too.

The Bloc Québécois, the NDP and the Liberal Party understand the importance of culture. They understand the importance of asking various streaming platforms, like Netflix and Disney, which are very popular, to contribute to Canadian culture.

There is a party that decided to abandon the cultural industry, as well as our actors, our creators, our producers and our directors. It decided to abandon all those who produce the very best in the world. That party is the Conservative Party.

[Justice, February 14th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I will talk about the Bloc Québécois's problem.

The Bloc Québécois had an entire opposition day to talk about an issue of their choice. We could have spent a whole day talking about the fight against poverty, how to help our seniors, the environment or the cost of living.

However, they chose to talk about the Constitution. That was their choice. That does not put food on the table. It does not help seniors and it does not help families. They must be really out of touch with reality to do what they did.

[Health, February 14th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know where my colleague was this morning when the headlines were touting the federal-provincial health care deal. Newspapers across the country are reporting on this agreement. It is a good agreement that will improve access to family doctors.

I think it is worth it. It means having front-line physicians, investing in our health care workforce—the heroes, the men and women who make a difference every day in health care—investing in mental health, and ensuring the sustainability of the health care system.

This is a good deal. The Bloc Québécois might not like it, but it is a good deal.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, February 13th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the real scandal is the Bloc Québécois ad comparing the migrants' journey to an all-inclusive vacation. It is truly sad. These folks are fleeing countries under extremely difficult situations, with their children, and trying to rebuild their lives to the best of their ability. The least we can do is to welcome them with dignity, not with insults.

[Official Languages, February 13th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I advise my colleague to worry about his own caucus. He has enough to worry about. The Bloc Québécois is not the least bit interested in Bill C‑13. It has been stalling the bill from day one. It does not support the bill and will vote against it. I will say one thing: The members from Quebec will stand up and defend French in Quebec and across Canada, regardless what the Bloc does.

[The Economy, February 13th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives seem to need a lesson in economics. First of all, money does not grow on trees. It is not like cryptocurrency, which multiplies endlessly. If they believe we have spent too much, they need to say where they would make cuts. What are they going to cut? Will they cut assistance to students, to seniors or to families? Will it be in the child care program or the wage subsidy? Where will they cut?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, February 7th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is right in what he said, but I am puzzled by his first question. I know my colleague from the Bloc Québécois, and I have a great deal of respect for him. I know how seriously he takes all this, but it was inappropriate to make jokes with his first question.

Now is not the time for jokes, not when we are talking about children crossing alone, as well as men, women and children being uprooted and leaving their countries under extremely difficult conditions. Any time we are talking about migrants who are suffering is certainly not the time to make jokes. We must be there to support them.