Pascale St-Onge

[Carbon Pricing, June 20th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I am so disappointed when I hear my Conservative colleagues from Quebec still talking about cancelling the carbon tax or pollution pricing, as they say. If there is one thing Quebeckers understand, especially those currently affected by the forest fires, it is the costs that climate change will generate across the province and the country. If there is one thing the Conservatives campaigned on in 2021, it is pollution pricing. So they are going back on their word as well.

On this side of the House, we are going to continue to fight climate change.

[Housing, June 20th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians remember how Conservatives handled things before 2015. Their cure-all for tough times and economic uncertainty was always cuts. The problem is that cuts hit the most vulnerable and needy the hardest.

Members on this side of the House will always be there to help people in need with dental care, child care rebates and all the other measures we have introduced since taking office in 2015.

[Women and Gender Equality, June 14th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Sudbury for her advocacy on this important issue.

I want to reassure my colleague and all Canadians that we will not allow the Conservatives to do through the back door what they cannot do openly, in other words, chip away at a woman's right to choose.

The Conservative leader is trying to win votes by attempting to reopen the abortion debate. In Canada, in 2023, it is shameful and unacceptable. A Liberal government will always stand up for women's rights.

[Housing, June 13th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives are so sensitive to the difficulties Canadians are currently experiencing, they should prove it when they are in the House and vote in favour of the measures we are putting in place to help people who need it most, such as measures to lower the cost of child care and provide help to families to send their children and seniors to the dentist.

The Conservatives are not proposing any solutions, yet they keep voting against our measures for helping people who really need it. They are being inconsistent.

[Finance, June 12th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I know that the Conservatives would rather forget about the past few years and all that Canadians have been through in recent months and years, like the pandemic.

I know they would love to overlook the fact that the government decided to be there for Canadians in their hour of need with the necessary assistance to avert business bankruptcies and prevent people from losing their homes when they could not work.

How ironic to hear them admit today that Canadians are still struggling. Instead of helping Canadians in practical ways, they are trying to block the budget and prevent help from reaching Canadians. That is irresponsible.

[Human Rights, June 8th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, of course, our government will always stand up for human rights, especially the rights of the trans community. Incidentally, I want to point out that, unfortunately, the Conservative leader was not at the flag-raising today to support the community.

That said, I will continue to work with all sports community partners so that, together, we can find a way to respect the rights of trans people, women and all communities in local and international competitions.

[Housing, June 8th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, when we know that times are tough and the people we represent are struggling, we roll up our sleeves and work harder to provide support to these people, the same people the Conservatives want us to abandon by cutting assistance to families for child care, dental care and the low-income workers benefit.

On this side of the House, we will continue to be there for Canadians while being fiscally responsible.

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 8th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), Sport Canada, through the athlete assistance program, reviews agreements between athletes and national sport organizations to ensure they are inclusive of specific references as required by the athlete assistance program policies and procedures. Sport Canada is not monitoring which national sport organizations have non-disclosure agreements with athletes. However, in her May 11 announcement to foster a safe and sustainable culture change in sport, the Minister of Sport reiterated that non-disclosure agreements or non-disparaging clauses should never be used to prevent athletes and other sport participants from disclosing maltreatment they have experienced or witnessed. To this end, all national sport organizations shall use the text of the athlete agreement, developed by AthletesCAN with input from national sport organization leaders and legal experts, and recently revised, which states that under the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport, UCCMS, athletes’ rights cannot be restricted. Consistent with national efforts to this end, Sport Canada, through its funding agreements with national sport organizations, will prohibit any national sport organization contract, policies, procedures or actions that restrict participants’ rights under the UCCMS.

With regard to part (b), since Sport Canada does not monitor non-disclosure agreements, it is not able to confirm which national sport organizations might have them and what the details might be.

With regard to part (c), as per the answer to part b) above, these details are not available.

[Carbon Pricing, June 5th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are constantly harping on about the deficit, but let me remind them that when the Harper government came to power, after the Liberal Party, it was left a budget surplus that it burned through. The Conservatives burned through the surplus by cutting revenues, services and programs. Every time something goes wrong, the Conservatives' first instinct is to make sweeping cuts.

We, on the other hand, have decided to help Canadians. We are asking the Conservatives to get a move on so that we can pass the budget and let Canadians reap the benefits.

[Employment Insurance, June 2nd, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I am very proud that during the pandemic our government supported workers who were not covered by employment insurance. We made sure that self-employed workers, just as an example, had some money coming in, so they could continue to feed their families.

As for EI reform, we prioritized things in the budget to make life more affordable and to provide health transfers, but we have also held consultations, and the work continues.