House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2025, with 34% of the vote.
The Economy December 9th, 2025
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals need to stop burying their heads in the sand and look at what is happening on the ground. The majority of requests now come from families where both parents work. It is not just single parents anymore. This is alarming. The annual food price report predicts every family will be paying an additional $1,000 per year for food. This is one of the largest increases ever seen.
When will the government let Canadians eat properly?
The Economy December 9th, 2025
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that we should judge him by the cost of groceries. Eight months later, grocery prices are skyrocketing and families are struggling to put food on the table. Canada's Food Price Report 2026 shows that the situation is only going to get worse.
Back home in Saguenay, the Corporation de développement communautaire du Roc, which is made up of 70 community organizations that provide food aid, says that demand is growing faster than resources.
When will the Liberals stop their inflationary spending so that Canadians can finally have enough to eat?
Softwood Lumber Industry November 25th, 2025
Mr. Chair, I would like to ask my colleague why he thinks the Liberals have not reached an agreement after governing the country for 10 years.
Softwood Lumber Industry November 25th, 2025
Mr. Chair, we know that this agreement was not renewed in the past 10 years.
I would like my colleague to tell me how important the forestry sector is to the prosperity of his community. How is the sector important to his riding?
Softwood Lumber Industry November 25th, 2025
Mr. Chair, the issue I have with this government is that, during the election campaign, the current Prime Minister told everyone that he was the right man for the job of negotiating. I remember that very well. He was proud to say so. People believed him and now they are disappointed. They are still waiting. Absolutely nothing has been accomplished since he came to power. People's disappointment is palpable.
Again, I think there is no leadership on the government side.
Softwood Lumber Industry November 25th, 2025
Mr. Chair, we can talk about the assistance measures the government is offering. First of all, they are never for the regions and they are never for our small businesses. Who gets hit the hardest in all this? It is the supply chain. It is the people who cut the wood, bring it to the sawmill, and go into debt to pay for machinery. Today, they are getting hit very hard.
The government's assistance measures are wrapped in endless red tape. It seems like the government is doing everything it can to prevent people from accessing this assistance.
Softwood Lumber Industry November 25th, 2025
Mr. Chair, what I find difficult about all this is that, in the 10 years this government has been in power, no agreement has been negotiated and three American presidents have come and gone. On top of that, Mr. Trudeau was apparently on very good terms with Mr. Obama. There is absolutely no will to address this issue, and that is what the forestry industry is criticizing. Does the government really want an agreement?
The industry needs stability and predictability. That is important for the sector. We need to eliminate the uncertainty. We need an agreement, and it seems as though there is no will to reach one.
Softwood Lumber Industry November 25th, 2025
Madam Chair, I rise today with a heavy heart for 25 families in Petit-Saguenay, a community of 600 people in my riding whose sawmill closed its doors. Twenty-five fathers and mothers are going home not knowing how they will pay for groceries and rent at the end of the month.
I am also thinking of all the other sawmills, workers and communities that have gone through this same nightmare since the agreement expired in 2015. It has been exactly 10 years since we last had a softwood lumber agreement. For 10 years, this Liberal government has allowed our workers to be crushed by American tariffs, which were just increased to 45%.
Since this Prime Minister took office, tariffs have tripled despite the fact that, during the last election campaign, he got elected by saying that he was the man who would meet the moment and the right person to negotiate with President Trump. He even said that the tariffs would be gone by July 1. Today is November 25.
In 2006, Stephen Harper managed to get the softwood lumber agreement done in just 80 days. When Trudeau arrived in 2015, he said there would be an agreement within the first 100 days. What happened? It is the same old story. Nothing happened. To make matters worse, tariffs are exploding and mills are closing.
Since 2015, mills have closed in Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and across Canada. That has meant the loss of 25,000 direct jobs and 90,000 indirect jobs. Villages that rely solely on the lumber industry are threatened with having to shut down. As a result, businesses are closing their doors, young people are leaving and those communities will never see them again.
Over 200,000 Canadian families depend on this industry. Forestry work is inextricably linked to the future of regions like Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean and many others. Our political leaders need to realize that. Our leaders need to get their heads out of their Excel spreadsheets and remember that there are real human beings behind the numbers, workers who care deeply about the forestry industry and have it in their blood. It is often passed down from father to son, from generation to generation, and for many, it is a family affair.
The situation today is no different than it was 10 years ago. The problem is that we have a government that lacks the will to reach an agreement. We know that negotiating with the Americans has never been easy. They are always protectionist, as sector experts would say. That is why the industry is pleading with Ottawa to take urgent action, not to drag its feet.
Our loggers, truckers and factory workers are not looking for handouts. They do not want photo ops. They do not want lip service and, above all, they do not want phony programs. They want an agreement that allows them to sell their lumber at a fair price and keep their dignity.
I will put the question directly to the Prime Minister. When will he follow Stephen Harper's example and do what he did in 80 days? When will he stop making promises and start living up to expectations? Is he going to keep standing by as he watches our regions perish while the Americans line their pockets?
If the Liberal government has failed to reach an agreement after 10 years, three different presidents and billions of wasted dollars, it should make room for a Conservative government that will actually fight for Canada and for our workers. Our forestry workers—
Steel and Aluminum Industry November 24th, 2025
Mr. Speaker, since this Prime Minister took office, not only are aluminum tariffs still in place, but they have doubled. He seems to forget that Quebec produces 90% of all Canadian aluminum. In my region of Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, that means 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. Those workers need that income to pay for housing and food.
How can the Prime Minister not care?
Steel and Aluminum Industry November 24th, 2025
Mr. Speaker, during the last election campaign, the Prime Minister boasted about being a great negotiator and said he would settle the tariffs by July 21. Today is November 24. Negotiations have stalled. Worse still, when asked if there had been any new discussions, he replied that he did not care and that there was no urgency. The aluminum workers, however, do care.
Will the Prime Minister be able to look them in the eyes and tell them that their jobs are not important?