Pascale St-Onge

[Canadian Heritage, November 6th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by saying that my thoughts are with the workers and their families who are affected by this terrible news as the holiday season approaches.

We know that the media has been in crisis for over a decade. Unfortunately, the world of telecommunications and the world of journalism in general have been undergoing major changes since the advent of digital platforms. Obviously, we will continue to work with our Bloc Québécois and NDP colleagues to do everything we can to address this issue because journalism is our cultural industry. It is essential for our democracy and our society.

[Finance, October 30th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the Governor General does important work on behalf of Canada, here at home and around the world. Obviously, we expect all public office holders to spend every dollar respectfully, carefully and conscientiously with due regard for all Canadians.

[Canadian Heritage, October 18th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I must say that my colleagues worked extremely hard leading up to today's announcement, and I thank them for their collaboration. Today's announcement is a reaffirmation of the Government of Canada's support for Acadian culture and history.

Today's announcement completes the funding package of $500,000, which is the amount required to celebrate National Acadian Day. The $250,000 announced today will make celebrations possible in every community.

This is excellent news. Together with the $2.8 million set aside for the Congrès mondial acadien, Acadia will be celebrating in style.

[The Economy, October 18th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, the Conservatives always claim to have the strongest economic record and want to lecture us on the economy. The reality is that the last time they were in power, not only did they burn through the budgets left behind by the Liberals, but they also managed to never balance the budget, despite all their cuts to pensions, employment insurance, border security, the army, federal prisons, science and research.

On this side of the House, we support economic growth. The Conservatives may be good with an axe, but they are not so good with a calculator.

[Finance, October 16th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the Governor General has done important work for Canada. Obviously, we expect every dollar to be spent conscientiously and rigorously.

[Canadian Heritage, October 5th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, let us hear what an expert has to say.

Professor Pierre Trudel calls the Conservative argument “a complete disconnect with reality”. He says that it is clear it was not intended to control what users see or post online. He calls the CRTC process a “mere formality”. He said, “As a teacher, if a student writes this” in an exam, “I put a big zero” on his exam. He said, “You really don’t have to know how to read to say something as pathetic as that.”

[The Economy, October 5th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I think today's debate calls for a little more gravitas from the Conservatives.

We are talking about the challenges facing Quebeckers and Canadians. The cost of living has been rising. Today, we presented measures to help Canadians, stabilize grocery costs and fight climate change at the same time. The Conservatives are still voting against these measures.

If they really want to help Canadians, they should vote in favour of Bill C-56 so that we can move forward and stabilize the cost of groceries.

[The Economy, October 5th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives like to cherry-pick the facts they want to cling to, even when their facts are not facts.

Something they never talk about is the fact that climate change is also increasing the cost of groceries. This year saw the worst harvests in almost every region of Quebec and Canada. More than anyone, our farmers across the country know how important it is to keep putting a price on pollution and fighting climate change.

If the Conservatives really want to help farmers and Canadians, they should support our efforts to fight climate change.

[Canadian Heritage, October 3rd, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, that is simply not true.

The act does not regulate users or people who produce podcasts. The act does, however, make sure that tech giants like Apple, Spotify or Netflix pay their fair share here in Canada. It also ensures that we are properly supporting our Canadian creators, and that our creators have a voice online. Instead of bowing down to the billionaire tech giants, the Conservative leader should stand up for our creative industries and for Canadians.

[Canadian Heritage, October 3rd, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, that is simply false. The bill does not regulate users or people who produce podcasts.

What the bill does is make sure that tech giants, such as Apple, Spotify and Netflix, pay their fair share. It supports our Canadian creators and makes sure that Canadian stories are heard and that our creators have a voice online.

Instead of kneeling in front of tech billionaires, the Leader of the Opposition should stand up for our artists and our creative sector.