Xavier Barsalou-Duval

[Taxation, February 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, the Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec, a public and parapublic service union, launched a website promoting a single tax return in Quebec.

As tax season approaches, the federal government might want to think about whether it is really necessary to maintain the status quo. Using a single tax return would result in savings of half a billion dollars a year. This approach is already being used for collecting consumption taxes in Quebec.

What good does it do Quebeckers to have to fill out two returns, finance two bureaucracies, and fight with two difficult tax systems? It does not do them any good.

Levying taxes is one of the most important powers a country has, and this could be the first step toward Quebec's independence.

[Aerospace Industry, February 25th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, 1,800 Aveos jobs, 2,400 Bombardier jobs, 1,000 Bell Helicopter jobs, and 300 CAE jobs are gone, not to mention all of the suppliers that are coping with uncertainty about their own survival.

The government rushed to support Ontario's auto industry a few years ago. This week it is leaping to Alberta's rescue.

How can the government justify its indifference toward Quebec's aerospace industry?

[Aerospace Industry, February 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, after first threatening Quebec with cutting equalization payments and transfers, the Premier of Saskatchewan is at it again, now saying that help for Bombardier should be conditional on Quebec allowing the energy east pipeline project to go ahead.

Instead of aiding and abetting such a distasteful swap, will the government immediately provide some assistance to Bombardier, as it did for Ontario's automotive sector?

[Naming of Federal Institutions, February 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister commemorated Louis Riel Day this week, calling Riel a key contributor to Canadian Confederation. It was that same Confederation that nearly wiped out the Métis people. Meanwhile, the Minister of Canadian Heritage had no shortage of praise for the culprit, John A. Macdonald, a Canadian prime minister and father of Confederation.

John A. Macdonald was also the one who ordered Louis Riel to be hanged, despite the huge outcry from the people of Quebec. He was the one who took away the right to vote from people of Chinese origin, who worked for slavers during the American Civil War, and who deliberately caused the aboriginal people in the Prairies to starve to death.

Yesterday the Minister of Canadian Heritage promised to withdraw Claude Jutra's name from all federal institutions. I would like to suggest that she also remove the Macdonald name from all federal institutions.

[Business of Supply, February 18th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, anyone who looks at the territorial changes that have been made since 1967 will see that Israel is invading the territory of Palestine, against which it is literally waging war. The fact that Israel is a Canadian ally is no reason to turn a blind eye to the atrocities that are happening in that region.

What else does my colleague propose? What does he think we need to do to resolve the conflict in that region, if not impose economic sanctions? Everything Canada has tried so far has failed.

[Business of Supply, February 4th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I am a little confused about why the Conservatives would want to pass self-congratulatory motions for the work they claim to have done.

When we look at what Liberal and Conservative governments have done to try to balance their books, it is clear that they have always begun by cutting provincial transfers. So much so that the parliamentary budget officer said that, in 30 years, Ottawa will have paid off all of its debts while the provinces will be on the verge of bankruptcy.

That being the case, how can my colleague be proud of the Conservatives' record?

[Foreign Investment, February 4th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the media in English Canada are getting involved in the debate on the sale of Rona and telling the government not to take action.

Rona employs 23,000 people in Quebec, including 1,000 at the head office in Boucherville, in my riding. Rona makes two billion dollars' worth of purchases from Quebec suppliers.

Former Liberal minister Monique Jérôme-Forget, from the Task Force on the Protection of Québec Businesses, has said that head offices are economic drivers.

Will the minister commit to protecting our jobs?

[Foreign Investment, February 3rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, Lowe's, the giant American hardware chain, wants to purchase RONA for $3.2 billion.

As we know, RONA buys from a huge number of suppliers in Quebec, including Garant shovels and many lumber manufacturers. Under the Investment Canada Act, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development can choose to authorize or refuse the transaction or impose conditions.

We know that the minister is going to follow the process, but we want to know what concrete action he plans to take to protect the suppliers and the head office in Boucherville.

[Business of Supply, February 2nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the last response from my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, who was saying he wanted to work with the government. I am in complete agreement on working with the government, but we must also work with the opposition.

Looking at the composition of the parliamentary committee, we note that the Bloc Québécois is not included.

I would like to know if the hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie is prepared to work with the members of the Bloc Québécois.

[Income Tax Act, February 1st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I want to tell my colleague opposite that, with respect to Quebec's independence, not a single Quebec premier has signed the Constitution since it was forced on Quebeckers in 1982. No one has accepted the situation that Quebec is in. We are in a kind of no man's land. Ottawa continues to impose things on us that we never agreed to. The best example is the pipeline.

A number of studies, which were swept under the rug, have shown that the federal government went well beyond its allowed spending for the 1980 and 1995 referendums. It cheated and did not follow the rules.