Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay

[Public Services and Procurement, December 9th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the problems with the CARM app is yet another fiasco for the CBSA. The app, which took 14 years to develop and cost taxpayers $556 million, crashed 22 times in one month. We are talking about half a million dollars, which was a 50% cost overrun, not to mention the fact that the CBSA hid important documents from parliamentarians.

Today, the Standing Committee on International Trade voted unanimously to ask the Auditor General to investigate this latest Liberal fiasco. Will the government support our audit request?

[Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C‑78, November 27th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I apologize. I did not want to interrupt the speech, but is there a party going on in the House that I have not been invited to and am not aware of?

There seems to be a lot of jabbering going on.

[Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C‑78, November 27th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I think that when a government is in free fall as the government is now, its first instinct is to panic. It starts improvising out of necessity. What could it possibly come up with next?

We are being invited to take part in a complete sham, a real PR stunt that does not even help the people who are struggling the most. Right now, the most vulnerable people are those who are more likely to buy products that are not taxed anyway.

Does my colleague agree with me when I say that we are really just contributing to the pervasive cynicism? Even if the measure will essentially only help the wealthiest, those with money, the government can pat itself on the back by telling itself that people will be talking about it around the dinner table at Christmas.

[Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C‑78, November 27th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, what is a government that is sinking in the polls faster than the Titanic after hitting an iceberg to do? It can try to get people talking over Christmas dinner. It can come up with some sort of a measure, a PR stunt, a half-baked measure that gives the impression of putting more money in people's pockets. This measure takes the form of a cheque, for workers to be exact, and not for those who are struggling the most.

We are not against giving gifts to workers, but they paid for these gifts themselves with their own taxes. After saying no to increasing health transfers, after saying no to improving the old age pension, in the name of budgetary considerations that have not exactly been the hallmark of this government since it got here, the government comes up with this $4.7-billion half-measure that excludes people like the unemployed, people on welfare, pensioners and even stay-at-home parents.

Does the government not realize that this is only fuelling?

[Public Safety, November 26th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister needs to announce that he is finally taking responsibility at the borders. He needs to announce how he is going to plug the holes in the border by January.

That is the bare minimum that he needs to do after shirking his responsibilities, despite repeated warnings from Quebeckers. Smugglers and organized crime bosses have been running the show at the border for years. Today, the consequence of the Prime Minister's inaction is the 25% tariffs that threaten Quebec's economy.

Will the Prime Minister finally announce that he is deploying sufficient resources to the border?

[Public Safety, November 26th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, Trump's tariffs are meant to force Canada to tighten its borders against illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Quebec has been calling on Ottawa for years to fix the border, which is like a sieve. It has even deployed members of the Quebec provincial police force to patrol the border.

The Bloc Québécois has been hounding Ottawa to do something about smugglers and organized crime for years. Even before Trump was elected, we were already calling for more resources at the border. Despite all of these warnings, Ottawa did nothing. Now, our economy is being threatened by Trump's tariffs.

Do the Liberals now understand that they need to take action at the border?

[International Trade, November 26th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump wants to impose a 25% tariff on all Quebec and Canadian products. That would be a disaster for us and for Americans.

First, we appreciate the fact that the Prime Minister has agreed to meet with his Quebec and provincial counterparts tomorrow. However, he will have to present a clear plan. He needs to take immediate action to protect supply management with Bill C-282. Ottawa needs to show that it will not give in when it comes to our softwood lumber, aluminum and aerospace industries or the Quebec economy as a whole.

Does the Prime Minister have a plan to present to his counterparts?

[Committees of the House, November 19th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division.

[Committees of the House, November 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I would need a good two or three hours because there is so much to say about that. I have just been asked a question by a colleague from my own party, and I am tempted to pretend that I am reading from notes and to say that I thank him for his hard work and his very relevant question.

However, I did not know the question in advance and I do not have an answer written down. There are so many things to say about that issue and about so many similar issues. I can link back to a question that one of my Conservative colleagues asked me earlier.

Setting aside the moral and common sense aspects, this country is allergic to the concept of having a strategy, to the idea of using levers and having a government that can provide policy direction regarding forced labour, foreign investments and many other issues. All of that is interrelated. Washington must think we are complete bozos. Actually, I should not have said “we”, because “we” includes the person who is speaking, and I do not consider myself a Canadian. Anyway, Canada is seen as a weak country and a laggard in all of these areas when it comes to policy. The issue that we are talking about is a matter of North American geopolitical security.

[Committees of the House, November 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague touched on a number of areas.

We support Bill C‑262. I am a supporter and co-sponsor of the bill, and I thank the NDP for bringing it forward. We support this legislation and, as co-sponsor, I fully and freely endorse it. It is a perfect example of genuine due diligence legislation.

The Conservatives and the Liberals voted for Bill S‑211. As I said at the end of my speech, we are unlikely to see eye to eye on what elements should be included in legislation on importing goods produced using forced labour or on eliminating forced labour from supply chains. I respect that. That is democracy. We will have a chance to debate the issue in due course.

Today, we need to refocus the debate around a simple reminder. The House has to send a clear message to the government that it broke its promise and that it has to bring us something. We keep hearing that governing is all about planning. The government needs to bring us a bill so that we can debate it. Our opinions will probably differ, but we should at least remind it that the promise it made has not been kept.

Regarding Ecuador, my colleague was there, too. A lot of promises were made and a lot of things were said. As I said in my speech, when the Canadian ambassador appeared before the committee, he could not explain or justify the violence there. He could not explain why he went to meet with mining companies, but not with indigenous communities. This situation does need to be monitored very closely. I even had some women from Ecuador come and speak at a press conference a few weeks ago, and they urged us to pay closer attention to what is happening there.