Richard Martel

[The Economy, February 3rd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can say whatever they want, but the fact is, Canada's inflation rate is among the worst in the G7. The government is putting off dealing with the problem, apparently hoping that inflation will sort itself out. Unfortunately, we are going to need a course correction to stop inflation.

The Bank of Canada has to rethink its interest rates, contract monetary policy and regain control over spending. When will the Liberals stop selling Canadians a dream and give them the straight goods?

[The Economy, February 3rd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the price of gas is at an all-time high since the Liberal government first came to power. In most parts of the country, it is over $1.50 per litre, and it shows no sign of stopping.

The Liberal government's war on Canadian energy combined with out-of-control spending has created an inflationary spiral. The government is printing money to finance unnecessary deficits, which is just making matters worse.

Will the government admit that its policies are directly responsible for Canadians' misery?

[Jimmy Desbiens, December 16th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, meteorologists are forecasting a cold and unpredictable winter. Will this be the winter that snowmobilers have been waiting for? We will see.

One thing is certain: We need to plan our trips according to the weather. Jimmy Desbiens, better known as Météo Chicoutimi, knows a thing or two about this.

Since 2008, his hobby has become a business, so he has stepped up efforts to provide citizens with quick access to local conditions. He has become the local weather expert for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. By sharing his forecasts gradually over time, he has built a reliable service and an excellent reputation.

Mr. Desbiens's hard work finally paid off recently. Météo Chicoutimi now has a major contract with the City of Saguenay.

Mr. Desbiens is a great example of how we can achieve our dreams with determination, hard work and perseverance. Being an entrepreneur is a way of life, and it is often only after thousands of hours of work that we see the results.

I offer my congratulations on his 13 years of hard work and his well-deserved success.

[The Economy, December 9th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government may well wash its hands of the situation. That is not exactly surprising, since it has never assumed its responsibilities.

The Liberals have been accumulating deficits since 2015 and are increasing our debt. The government is keeping the prime rate artificially low and printing more and more money, and we have the second-biggest housing bubble in the world. This Prime Minister has told us that he does not think about monetary policy.

When will he take responsibility and do what is necessary to reduce inflation?

[The Economy, December 9th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, according to the latest Canada Food Price Report, families will pay nearly $1,000 more to feed themselves in 2022. The cost of groceries is going up, the cost of gas is going up, the cost of energy is going up and rents are going up. In the meantime, Canadians' purchasing power is going down. Inflation is squeezing the majority of Quebec households. The Liberal government is responsible for this situation.

When will it take meaningful action to stop the impoverishment of Quebec families?

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the relationship between the United States and Canada is one-sided. The further increase in softwood lumber tariffs will have a serious impact on Canadian jobs. Businesses are already struggling due to inflation and the pandemic. We get results or we get excuses.

When will the Prime Minister stop coming back empty-handed every time he meets with the U.S. President?

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 25th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, relations with the United States are getting worse every year, even with a new president. It is time to realize that the problem is not on the other side of the border. It is here.

These new tariffs are another brick on the back of Quebec and Canadian business owners. On top of that, Canadians are seeing prices rise everywhere. The additional tariffs are making the situation worse.

What excuse does the government intend to give Canadians and Quebeckers now to justify its failure with the Americans?

[Canada-U.S. Relations, November 25th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's softwood lumber crisis has not yet been resolved. The Liberal government has gotten into the habit of offloading responsibility. Its excuse was that it was hard to negotiate with the former president, which is funny because we on this side of the House knew it was going to be very hard with the new president.

Now that the Americans are doubling duties on Canadian softwood lumber, what excuse will the federal government come up with this time?

[The Economy, June 23rd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the inflation rate is 3.6%, the highest level in the past decade.

The Liberals also promised to create one million jobs, but the only thing going up is the size of the debt.

The Liberals' 2019 slogan was “choose forward”. Today, it might be more apt to say “choose backward”, because we are currently heading back to the inflation rates and recession of the 1970s.

When will the Liberals realize that something must be done?

[The Economy, June 23rd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is neglecting the heart and soul of our economy.

Small businesses have been suffering for months. They have racked up hundreds of billions of dollars in dept, and thousands of them have been forced to close up shop.

Canadians can no longer wait on Liberal promises of an economic recovery that is not coming. They need help now.

Why is the government refusing to act?