House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 48% of the vote.
Carbon Pricing February 15th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, after eight years under this Prime Minister, Canadians can no longer afford to put food on the table, and this is a direct consequence of his government's policies. Canadian farmers are being crushed by the carbon tax. The government has also imposed a 35% tariff on fertilizer. Incidentally, Canada is the only G7 country doing this. This is further driving up the price of all food.
When will the government finally scrap these taxes so that farmers can feed our families?
Canada's Agriculture Day February 15th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, today we are celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day by paying tribute to our farmers' hard work, perseverance and innovation. These men and women work so hard day after day so that Canadians and the rest of the world have healthy, nutritious, high-quality food to eat.
As a fourth-generation farmer, I am very proud of the contribution that agriculture makes in my region. It is very important that future generations have the stability and predictability they need to maintain the family farms that do so much to keep our rural communities strong.
As Conservatives, we want to create prosperity and opportunities for the entire agricultural industry. Agriculture must be one of the economic drivers for getting our economy back on track. The government must adopt policies that make farming easier, not harder.
Today, on Canada's Agriculture Day, let us take a moment to thank all those who work tirelessly to provide us with excellent food.
I thank all farmers across Canada for their passion, commitment and perseverance, but, above all, I thank them for feeding our families.
Liberal Party of Canada February 9th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the Liberal government has only made life more difficult for Canadians. Its ideological policies and lack of leadership are affecting all Canadians, and things are only getting worse.
After eight years, this government still has not resolved the immigration file. People are waiting months, if not years, for an answer from IRCC. This puts a huge burden on families and businesses.
After eight years, Service Canada still cannot respond to passport and EI applications, leaving some of our most vulnerable citizens with no money to put food on the table.
After eight years, this government continues to hurt farmers with ridiculous policies that are increasing production costs and forcing Canadians to use food banks more than ever.
After eight years, inflation is at a record high. The carbon tax is making everything more expensive.
The government does not realize that this failed policy is not working. A Conservative government, with our new leader, will put Canadians back in control of their lives. Enough is enough. It is our turn now.
Questions on the Order Paper January 30th, 2023
With regard to the tariff on fertilizer originating from Russia: how much revenue has been collected as a result of the tariff on purchase orders which were made (i) prior to March 2, 2022, (ii) on or since March 2, 2022, (iii) in total?
Employment Insurance Act December 12th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure and privilege of rising today to speak to Bill C-215, which was introduced by my very good friend and colleague, the member for Lévis—Lotbinière.
I want to start by thanking him for introducing this very important bill. He has shown a lot of initiative in continuing to exert pressure to get this bill passed. This bill is completely non-partisan, and I think that all members should support it in order to improve the lives of many Canadians across the country.
We have all heard so many stories about people in our ridings and especially in our personal lives who have been diagnosed with cancer or who have been seriously injured. These people do not have it easy. They are facing some very serious challenges. That is why it is so important to pass a bill like this one to help our most vulnerable constituents.
Take, for example, a roofer who breaks his back on the job and is unable to return to work for months, only to then be diagnosed with cancer. After his surgery, he cannot return to work for a long time. According to the current wording of the act, he is entitled to only 15 weeks of EI sickness benefits. If a person in such a situation is not yet ready to go back to work after 15 weeks and has not been authorized to do so by their doctor, they can end up in a very precarious situation.
I hardly need to remind my colleagues that not everyone has family members to share their financial burden, nor can everyone live off their savings for more than 15 weeks.
According to a study, this kind of problem affects over 151,000 people in Canada every year. That works out to about 450 people in every riding in this country, so it is a big problem. That is a staggering number. These people are our neighbours, our friends, even our family members. We live in a country with a great EI system, but the government has not yet taken steps to extend benefit periods for these kinds of serious and rare cases.
In our country, many vulnerable Canadians may one day fall ill. We need a compassionate system that allows for all possible situations. We need to create a real safety net that will make Canadians feel safe and, most importantly, let them know they have the time they need to get better and will not be forced to go back to work before they are fully healed.
At some point or other, 55% of Canadians will need EI. It is unavoidable, and that is the reason we need to review legislation such as the Employment Insurance Act and try to find ways to enhance it. Experts say that this law needs to be amended to change the current maximum of 15 weeks. We must listen to the experts and work with them to make these changes correctly. All parties need to be heard, and all options need to be considered.
Some members may be concerned about the possibility of fraud or abuse if we increase the number of weeks of sickness benefits. I want to assure my colleagues that this legislation is solid and includes many protection measures to avoid these types of problems. The EI system is extremely well monitored and audited as a whole to catch potential fraudsters. A doctor's note or certificate is still needed to receive EI payments. The timeline is recommended by health care professionals.
I firmly believe that we must trust our health care providers, who do such important work day after day, to diagnose illnesses and suggest an amount of sick leave for each individual that is fair and based on science. We need to trust our health care system to do things properly.
I would like to remind all members that one of the promises the Conservatives made in 2021 was to increase the EI sickness benefit limit beyond 15 weeks, and we plan to keep that promise with this bill.
The same bill was introduced in the past, but unfortunately it never received royal assent. I clearly remember that the Bloc Québécois and the NDP both supported our bill the last time it was introduced, and I sincerely hope that we can count on that support again this time. I sincerely hope that the NDP-Liberal coalition will see that this bill is a really good law and that it will help all Canadians.
I know that some members will still have doubts or questions about the bill. Are we going too far? What about Canadians who have private insurance?
Rest assured that there is nothing to be concerned about. First, Canadians do not want to be ill or to be confined to their homes. We know that, in most cases, they return to work as soon as they can.
Also, anyone who has private insurance must use up their weeks of private sick leave before applying for the federal program. In most cases, they will be able to return to work without ever having to use Service Canada's EI system. This bill will have no impact on our SMEs' private insurance systems. The federal program will simply be there as a safety net in certain extenuating circumstances.
This measure is affordable for the government and it is an entirely reasonable thing to do. Not only is it reasonable, but it is the fairest thing to do. Many Canadians pay into EI for their entire lives and never have to use it. Other Canadians are not so lucky and have to use this safety net to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table during one of the most difficult times in their lives.
I believe that our constituents, who have paid taxes and contributed to social programs their entire lives, deserve to be looked after when a crisis hits their families. They deserve to feel protected by the government and respected for all they have done for society.
As inflation and high interest rates continue to hit Canadians hard, we need to assure them that we are there for them when they really need us.
In closing, this bill seeks to give Canadians the dignity they deserve and the help they need when they need it most. As I mentioned earlier in my speech, we are talking about our neighbours, friends and sometimes even our family members. Misfortune or illness can befall anyone at any time. Long-term illnesses and major accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. All elected officials have a duty to amend any law that they think is inadequate. I think that is what this bill does.
I want to wish all of my constituents and all Canadians good luck, health and happiness this Christmas season. If anything bad does happen in their lives, I want them to know that the Conservative Party will support them by passing Bill C-215.
I am very proud to have had the opportunity to speak to this bill today. I would like to once again thank the member for Lévis—Lotbinière for his hard work on this file and for defending the interests of vulnerable Canadians across the country.
I truly hope that we can unanimously pass this bill quickly here in the House so that it can receive a royal recommendation. It is a bill that we can all be very proud of.
Employment Insurance Act December 12th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague and thank him for introducing this very important bill.
My colleague from Lévis—Lotbinière had a life-changing experience in his day. I wonder if he could briefly share with us what this kind of support would have meant to him when he was facing a similar situation to the one that many other Canadians are currently going through.
Marie-Philip Poulin December 9th, 2022
Madam Speaker, this week, a panel of Canadian sports journalists chose the winner of the Northern Star Award, which is given annually to Canada's athlete of the year. This year, this prestigious award goes to Beauce's own Marie‑Philip Poulin, who proudly wore the letter “C” at the last Olympic Games and, along with her entire team, brought home gold for women's hockey.
She is now one of four legendary Quebec hockey players to have won this award, along with Guy Lafleur, Mario Lemieux and Maurice Richard. Also this week, Ms. Poulin became the very first member of the women's hockey team to be inducted into the hall of fame at Boston University, where she played with the Terriers for four years.
Marie-Philip Poulin continues to be an inspiration for young and old alike, not only in Beauce, but across the country. She proves day after day that passion and hard work can lead to greatness.
Congratulations once again to our beloved number 29. To Beauce, she will always be number one.
Bravo, Marie‑Philip Poulin.
Business of Supply December 8th, 2022
Madam Speaker, I think that is really unsustainable for agricultural businesses. There will be significant losses and business closures if we do not put a stop to this carbon tax on agriculture.
I want to reiterate that this morning's motion does not seek to suspend the carbon tax on everything, but only on the inputs needed to produce food and to support our ability to feed the planet, because Canada is a major food exporter.
Business of Supply December 8th, 2022
Madam Speaker, first, we are not off to a good start because, just yesterday, at the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Minister of Agriculture was not even able to differentiate between family businesses and individuals when asked a question by one of my colleagues.
We are being told that people benefit from a carbon tax rebate that is equivalent to what they paid, but that is only the case for individuals, not businesses like family farms. Even the minister did not know that, but we must not forget that 95% of farms in Canada are family farms, which are not eligible for the same tax rebate.
The government is penalizing our agricultural industry and our food supply at the same time.
Business of Supply December 8th, 2022
Madam Speaker, to hear my colleague tell it, it is like nothing happened in the past year.
As I see it, what we really need to talk about is this government's mismanagement of many of the programs that were created.
I do not dispute that the CERB was very important initially, but it should have been adjusted. We have said so repeatedly during question period and over the past year. Incorrect payments were made.
What really matters right now is not tripling this tax as of 2023, because it will jeopardize Canadians' ability to feed themselves.