Pierre-Luc Dusseault

[Petitions, June 19th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by many people from Sherbrooke.

Whereas every minute, 31 people are forced to flee their homes, the petitioners are calling on the House to do more to address the underlying causes of forced migration around the world.

The petitioners are calling on us to ensure that humanitarian assistance is available to all refugees and their host communities; to support grassroots organizations that promote democracy, peace and human rights; and to invest more in diplomatic and peaceful solutions to armed conflicts.

[Canada Labour Code, June 19th, 2019]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-465, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (automated external defibrillators).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this bill, which is the result of a collaboration with one of my constituents, Claude Leblanc, who was recently honoured. Sadly, he passed away a few weeks after I met him.

We worked together on the idea of this bill. Claude Leblanc was instrumental in getting automated defibrillators installed all over the riding of Sherbrooke and even all across Quebec. He wanted to push his idea even further and make it mandatory to install defibrillators in government buildings and buildings housing federally regulated businesses.

The bill would amend the Canada Labour Code to ensure that federally regulated businesses and federal government offices with a certain number of employees, which will be prescribed by regulation, install automated defibrillators in the workplace. We estimate that this would save hundreds of lives a year. It would ensure that this kind of assistance is available in all regions of Canada when needed.

I am grateful to Claude Leblanc for his years of hard work.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, June 18th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, I am a bit disappointed in the meaningless answer the minister gave to the question from my colleague from Longueuil—Saint-Hubert. He said that we need to build Trans Mountain and triple the pipeline's capacity to export our crude oil because my colleague drives to Ottawa in a car. What a pointless thing to say.

What does the fact that my colleague drives to Ottawa have to do with exporting crude oil from the oil sands, which we buy back as refined oil to fuel our gas-powered cars?

Can he explain his twisted logic?

[Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, June 18th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, when the minister was on this side of the House, he openly criticized these kinds of closure motions and time allocation motions. The Liberals have used these methods countless times now. I wonder what happened to the democratic spirit of my colleague, who used to find these parliamentary tactics shameful.

He just said that dilbit and other types of petroleum products that do not evaporate quickly are dangerous, so why did he approve the Trans Mountain expansion project today, given that it will triple the number of oil tankers on the oceans and in the bay in southern British Columbia?

[Canada Revenue Agency, June 18th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, as a result of inaction on the part of successive Liberal and Conservative governments, we are losing out on $26 billion in taxes every year, and the minister refuses to go after it.

To put that number into context, it is enough to build eight superhospitals like Montreal's CHUM hospital, six Champlain Bridges or 650,000 affordable housing units.

When will the government and the Minister of National Revenue find an ounce of courage to finally reform our outdated tax laws, which favour the wealthiest Canadians?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, June 17th, 2019]

With regard to the Canada Infrastructure Bank, since its creation: (a) what is the number of meetings held with Canadian and foreign investors, broken down by (i) month, (ii) country, (iii) investor class; (b) what is the complete list of investors met; (c) what are the details of the contracts awarded by the Canada Infrastructure Bank, including (i) date of contract, (ii) value of contract, (iii) vendor name, (iv) file number, (v) description of services provided; (d) what are the details of all travel expenses incurred, including for each expenditure the (i) traveller’s name, (ii) purpose of the travel, (iii) travel dates, (iv) airfare, (v) other transportation costs, (vi) accommodation costs, (vii) meals and incidentals, (viii) other expenses, (ix) total amount; and (e) what are the details of all hospitality expenses incurred by the Bank, including for each expenditure the (i) guest’s name, (ii) event location, (iii) service vendor, (iv) total amount, (v) event description, (vi) date, (vii) number of attendees, (viii) number of government employees in attendance, (ix) number of guests?

[Finance, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, will we really be surprised if tomorrow they put the interests of big oil ahead of the interests of Canadians? I do not think so.

Canada has never seen such a huge inequality. The Liberals brag about having lowered taxes for the middle class, but the wealthiest middle-class Canadians are the ones who benefit.

Yesterday our leader presented an ambitious plan to finally reduce inequality that would make the richest 1% pay a 1% wealth tax on wealth over $20 million. We would reinvest these billions of dollars in the services that people truly need.

When will the Liberals make ultra-rich Canadians pay their fair share?

[Natural Resources, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, it is a former Liberal minister who is saying that there is no business case for this project.

People are right to be discouraged with this Liberal government. Even a former Liberal minister is finding it hard to believe that the Liberals are going to approve the Trans Mountain project tomorrow. His concerns are not about the environment or indigenous peoples. He is concerned about the economic viability of the project. He thinks it makes no sense to move forward with this project.

If the Liberals do not want to listen to the people living on our coasts or the many young people protesting in the streets, will they listen to a former Liberal minister and cancel this project once and for all?

[Fisheries Act, June 13th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, what we are debating right now is the procedure being used today to limit debate on Bill C-68, not the substance of the matter.

My colleague repeatedly said that there have been 39 days of debate. He feels that is enough, but his assessment strikes me as subjective because we spend much less time, 10 to 12 days, studying 500-page omnibus bills.

At what point would my colleague, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, say there has been enough debate? Is five days enough? Ten days? Thirty-nine days? Fifty days? I would like an answer to that question because the minister's assessment seems very subjective to me.

[Business of Supply, June 10th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his remarks. I have to give him credit for participating in debate in the House, unlike other ministers who cannot be bothered to show up and talk about issues that matter to Canadians.

That said, the minister seemed to be saying that everything is fine and that Canadians have nothing to worry about because they are in good hands and have access to quality, affordable services. Canadians beg to differ. They do not feel they have access to quality services at competitive prices.

Will the minister at least be honest with Canadians and tell them that prices have not gone down over the past few years? I would be surprised if he could do that, unless he can give us the numbers to prove that his plan is working and that prices really have gone down in Canada. I invite him to update Canadians on the cost of telecommunications services and whether they have gone up or down during his term and in recent years.