Pablo Rodriguez

[Business of the House, May 27th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my kind colleague for his important question.

This afternoon, we will begin report stage and third reading of Bill S-3, regarding offshore health and safety. Tomorrow, we will resume second reading debate of Bill C-21, on the Firearms Act.

On Monday, we will resume third reading stage of Bill C-6, on conversion therapy. That evening, we will consider in committee of the whole the main estimates for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

On Wednesday, we will consider Bill C-22, on criminal justice reforms, at second reading.

Tuesday and Thursday will be allotted days.

Once again, I thank my colleague for his very important question and wish him a great afternoon.

[Canadian Heritage, May 27th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-10 is a top priority for the government and the cultural industry.

We have brought it forward more than once and debated it in the House. We have done everything in our power to send it to committee as quickly as possible, but the Conservatives are holding things up. For their own reasons, the Conservatives are going against the consensus in the cultural industry in Quebec and elsewhere.

The cultural industry needs Bill C-10. My colleague, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, has done an extraordinary job in that regard, and I am asking the Conservatives to stop blocking this bill.

[Elections Canada, May 25th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague in the Bloc Québécois should talk to his leader. In the fall, the Bloc Québécois tried to trigger an election by voting against the throne speech. It really wanted an election.

The Bloc Québécois leader even said, and I quote:

If this Parliament has any courage, the days of the current government are numbered. If some of us had courage, the hours of this government would be numbered.

He even went as far as to say that anyone who did not want an election was afraid. Who is telling the truth here, today's Bloc Québécois or yesterday's Bloc Québécois?

[Natural Resources, May 14th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, my colleague knows full well that the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is completely independent. I hope that he is not telling us that politicians should be deciding how to invest Canadians' pensions, because that is not our job.

Hydro-Québec's project in Maine is a very good project for the environment, for Quebec and for all of New England. Everyone here is in favour of that project.

I want to reassure my colleague that we are on the same team.

[Business of the House, May 13th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend for his good question, which gives me the opportunity to inform members of the House about what to expect over the next few days.

This afternoon, we will continue debate on the Bloc Québécois opposition motion.

Tomorrow, we will resume debate at third reading stage of Bill C-15 on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), I would like to designate Wednesday, May 26 for consideration in a committee of the whole of the main estimates for the Department of Finance.

Monday, May 31 will be for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

As my dear colleague mentioned, next week we will be in our constituencies so I wish everyone an excellent week. I look forward to seeing everyone for the last period of five consecutive weeks.

[Ethics, May 13th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the commissioner investigated this matter, and the report released today clears the Prime Minister of all allegations.

I will quote directly from the report released today. On page 3, we read that the Prime Minister “did not contravene subsection 6(1), section 7 or section 21 of the Act”.

Also on page 3, the commissioner states that, “there is no evidence of impropriety in relation to [the Prime Minister]'s decision making in relation to” this matter. On page 40, the commissioner states, “I cannot conclude that a contravention has occurred”.

[Public Services and Procurement, May 7th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, we have always been there for the Davie shipyard. We have always believed in the Davie shipyard. We gave Davie over $2 billion in contracts.

We invited Davie to qualify to become the third shipyard, and it is in the process of doing that. Things are going well. It should quickly achieve the status of third shipyard.

I do not understand why the Bloc Québécois is unable to recognize good news when it sees it. Perhaps they are refusing to see it because it is in fact good news.

Once again, the Conservatives did nothing for Davie and the Bloc Québécois cannot do anything for Davie, but we are doing the right thing for Davie.

[Public Services and Procurement, May 7th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I am not asking the Bloc Québécois to celebrate, but at least to acknowledge that this is good news for Quebec. It is good news for Davie, it is good news for all Davie suppliers, it is good news for Quebec City, Lévis and all the regions.

The Bloc Québécois does not like it when things are going well. I have said more than once that in Davie's case, the Conservatives did not want to help, the Bloc cannot help and we kept our promise.

[Business of the House, May 6th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend.

This gives me an opportunity to share with the House what we have planned for the coming days.

This afternoon, we will continue debate on Bill C-30, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 19, 2021 and other measures.

On Friday morning, we will begin by debating Bill C-19, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act, COVID-19 response, and then resume debate on the budget bill.

On Monday of next week, we will continue second reading debate of Bill C-19. In the evening, we will resume the concurrence debate on the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.

On Tuesday, we will continue with second reading debate of Bill C-30, the budget legislation.

On Wednesday, we will deal with report stage and third reading of Bill C-15, an act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Finally, next Thursday shall be an opposition day.

I thank my colleague for his question.

[Public Services and Procurement, May 6th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the only party talking about an election right now is the Bloc Québécois. No one on this side has uttered the word “election”, that is for sure.

Today we are announcing excellent news for the people of Lévis, for the Davie shipyard and for the entire supply chain. It means thousands of jobs in hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses across Quebec. I would expect the Bloc to be happy about this.

What is clear is that the Conservatives never wanted to help Davie, the Bloc cannot help Davie, but we are keeping our promises to Davie.