Pierre Nantel

[Global Warming, October 15th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very interesting and clearly very sincere speech. However, he did not answer my Conservative colleague's question, which was about why big polluters get a break on the carbon tax. That is an excellent question.

People often describe the NDP as Parliament's conscience, and I can see that the member is the government's conscience. Everything he said sounds great, but the fact is that hardly any of those words are being put into action. About two years ago, a specific portfolio was created for transportation electrification with the generous collaboration of my party's transportation critic. I have been keeping an eye on what has been going on over there for the past two years, but that has not kept me very busy because there is nothing going on.

The Minister of Transport spent a year consulting a bunch of people at Electric Mobility Canada, but nothing came of it. It would have been so easy to promote the only Canadian-made plug-in hybrid vehicle, the Chrysler Pacifica, but that did not happen. We make the nicest electric vehicle, but the government did not even bother to buy any to show off at Canada 150.

With respect to what happened at the G7, my friend is absolutely right. Very little was said about this issue, and much more could have been. The government bought at least 150 police vehicles: Toyota Sienna four-wheel drives and Dodge Chargers. The Toyota Siennas were sold at a loss. If the government had bought plug-in Chrysler Pacificas, it would have had no problem reselling them to the Government of Quebec, which is definitely in the market.

[Multilateral Instrument in Respect of Tax Conventions Act, October 15th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech. I think that his input is important. He seems to have a lot of experience in business and finance. I found his explanations of the issues interesting, particularly what he just said about the free trade agreement with the United States, which was clearly signed at the expense of Quebec and Ontario dairy farmers.

I would like to ask him a question. I think he is very articulate. He was saying earlier that it is problematic when businesses break the law. However, he did not find it problematic that our laws establish certain tax havens. It may be a bit candid of me to say this, since I have no training in that regard, but I cannot understand why big business is allowed to get away with so much.

When it comes to free trade, is it possible that the Conservatives' approach is depleting the skills in our revenue collection agencies, while the private sector is busy snapping up the best and brightest, those who know the most about tax evasion?

[Multilateral Instrument in Respect of Tax Conventions Act, October 15th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, it is rare for us to all agree in the House because we have views unique to our own very different parties. Although we often see the same problem from different angles, it is quite clear that each party has its own stereotypes and ways of doing things. We are used to Liberal spin, as they want to manipulate what we think.

We in the NDP have not had the chance to form government, so of course we cannot be blamed for the serious problems that have been affecting Canadians for a long time. The blame lies more with the Liberals or the Conservatives.

I hold my colleague in high regard, but I am sorry to hear him constantly saying that we did not vote for this or that bill they brought before us. I am not a tax expert, but that is disappointing. I do not see what your point is. The point here is to show that these people are not really doing the work necessary to fight tax avoidance and tax havens. That is clearly the point. So why are you coming after us? I do not understand.

[Canadian Heritage, October 15th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, a new radio station called QUB Radio launched today and is broadcasting only on the Internet. It will therefore be exempt from the Broadcasting Act and from the quotas that protect Canadian content.

Quebecor has been investing in Quebec culture for years, so we are not worried about QUB Radio. However, what will happen if the Broadcasting Act no longer applies to music stations in Montreal, Toronto or Winnipeg?

The Liberals have put off all of these issues to 2024, or even 2025, just like they did with Netflix. Canadian culture is disappearing a little more every day online. We need to act now to protect it.

When will the government stop these losses?

[Multilateral Instrument in Respect of Tax Conventions Act, October 15th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague a question, particularly since he is a members of those committees.

Ordinary Canadians who work hard and pay their taxes find it unacceptable that the government is introducing bills that merely fiddle with minor details. Will the government review the tax system? The NDP has asked it to do so many times.

The government is encouraging cynicism among Canadians by failing to make major changes, such as establishing a public registry of those who benefit from the tax exemptions given to the wealthiest Canadians and big business. When people hear that a company did not pay taxes one year or that it was taxed at only 1% when they were taxed at 33% or 34%, it makes them very angry.

I am sorry, but I must remind the House that a Liberal prime minister registered his Great Lakes ships in Panama.

Would my colleague care to comment on that?

[Canadian Heritage, October 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Netflix just announced it is opening a permanent office in France. The company will double its investment in French productions. Netflix will be paying taxes in France. It will even collect sales tax. It will invest 2% of its revenue in producing films and will have to guarantee that 30% of its content is European.

What a crazy revolutionary concept. The French asked Netflix to respect their culture and pay its fair share of taxes.

Will the new Minister of Heritage do his job, immediately put a stop to preferential treatment, and get the same commitments from Netflix here in Canada?

[Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation Act, October 3rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. It is easy to see why she is focusing on a specific amendment that she feels is valuable and worth defending. Of course, the royal Liberal bulldozer paid her no heed.

I would like to know the member's reaction. I am not an expert in international trade, but I hear that in the U.S., both major parties in the legislature get to participate, since they get updates on the proceedings and discussions on admittedly complex treaties. By contrast, we here in Canada are dependent on the members across the aisle.

I would like to hear the member's thoughts on that.

[Points of Order, October 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I will take down the picture, but I have no regrets about drawing attention to the fact that dairy farmers in Quebec—

[Canadian Heritage, September 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, 42 creators and artisans of our culture signed an open letter calling on the government to defend the cultural exemption in NAFTA and to ensure that it applies to online platforms, so that we can compel these platforms to contribute to our culture.

This means that signing agreements where Netflix does not have to pay any taxes or contribute anything or produce anything in French no longer flies.

Will the Liberals guarantee that Quebec and every government in Canada will be able to keep their right to protect our culture? We are not just going to give up our cultural policies as chump change in the NAFTA negotiations, are we?

[The Planet Joins the Campaign, September 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I have had the honour of representing the people of Longueuil—Saint-Hubert for seven years now. That has meant standing up for my constituents and everything that comes with the challenges facing our underprivileged families, with our transportation issues and access to the shores of the river. It has also meant developing our expertise in aerospace, agri-food, and the electrification of transportation.

Two other issues have become important to me since I was first elected to the House: reconciliation with indigenous peoples and the fact that quiet nationalism is reaching consensus in Quebec.

Every day I work on correcting this situation. These two issues have been added to the two priorities that first got me into politics in 2011, namely the fight against global warming and protecting our cultural industries. I am pleased to see that Quebec is celebrating culture days at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde in Montreal, and at the Philippe Allard exhibit at the Maison de la culture in Longueuil. There is something for everyone.

All that culture will be for naught if the planet burns up because of global warming.

I invite everyone from the greater Montreal area to come march in the Planet Joins the Campaign rally being held this Saturday at 2 p.m. The starting point is Place Émilie-Gamelin at the Berri metro station.