The Environment  Mr. Speaker, it is sad to see that this Liberal government is taking the path of least resistance and forcing Canadians to pay even more taxes because of its lack of courage. Our party acted responsibly and reduced Canada's share of global emissions by over 15%. We did that without sticking taxpayers with the bill.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Liberal government announced in the House that it was going to make Canadians pay even more taxes. It is using the Paris agreement as an excuse to force the provinces and territories to implement a carbon tax. The Prime Minister mentioned that he did not need Parliament to ratify the agreement.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague with whom I have the pleasure of representing the greater Quebec City area. As I said at the beginning of my speech, what happened yesterday was just more smoke and mirrors. While the environment ministers were being kept busy, the Prime Minister, who makes all the decisions and flies by the seat of his pants, announced in the House that a tax would be imposed.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, they must stop imposing measures. They should be more constructive and collaborative. Let us work with the provinces to find the best way for each region to protect our planet. That is just common sense.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, what we would do is consult with the provinces in an open and co-operative manner. That is definitely not what this government is doing. Yesterday the Prime Minister of Canada said he is going to impose a carbon tax. That is not negotiating; that is pretending to co-operate.

Paris Agreement  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Thornhill, Ontario, for sharing his speaking time with me. I would like to point out to the House that my colleague was once the environment minister. He has a lot of credibility. This morning, I had the pleasure of speaking in the House and to those watching at home on the House of Commons network.

Softwood Lumber  Madam Speaker, I invite the government to live up to its responsibilities. It is holding consultations, forming committees, and working on a number of files, but nothing is getting done. The softwood lumber file is a pressing matter. In a few days, the agreement will expire. We need to know what will happen to this industry.

Softwood Lumber  Madam Speaker, I would like the negotiators to be constantly working on this. More than 400,000 jobs in Canada will be at risk if the agreement is not signed by October 12. More than 135 Quebec municipalities are relying on this agreement for some breathing room. We know that Quebec issues are of no interest to the Prime Minister.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development  Mr. Speaker, I too have an excellent question. The National Optics Institute, a global leader located in Quebec City, has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs to prosper. This institute has a plan to expand into Ontario and Alberta to create jobs. The chairman of the board called for assistance this morning and got radio silence.

Government Expenditures  Mr. Speaker, we should not be blinded by the false transparency we witnessed yesterday. If the Prime Minister's friends were not caught red-handed, they would never have repaid the expenses. Now that it is clear that they should never have made these claims, what will happen to the other questionable moving expenses?

Government Expenditures  Mr. Speaker, that is some leadership. This government has not been in office even one year and cabinet has shown a blatant lack of judgment. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, at his own discretion, approved a payment of $119,000 for a single move. Canadian taxpayers' money is not sent to Ottawa to be abused by its ministers.

Government Spending  Mr. Speaker, this is no laughing matter. The economy is sluggish. Canadians are losing their jobs and having a hard time putting money aside. What is this government's priority? Reimbursing the moving expenses of two employees of the Prime Minister, one of whom is his best friend.

Government Spending  Mr. Speaker, they do not get it. When my constituents talk to me, they speak of things like the economy, jobs, the huge Liberal deficit, and safety. That is what is important to Canadians. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is busy doling out public funds to his friends. Typical Liberal Party behaviour.

Softwood Lumber  Mr. Speaker, nothing this government touches ever gets done. To get back to what my colleague asked, the softwood lumber agreement expired in October 2015. Renewing this agreement between Canada and the United States could help the forestry industry get people in the regions back to work.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, three municipalities in my riding, namely Saint-Basile, Pont-Rouge, and Saint-Ubalde, are still waiting for their refugee family to arrive. As I mentioned yesterday, the photo of three members of the family is on the fridge in Saint-Ubalde. Clothes for the little baby who was supposed to be four months old when he arrived, will have to be replaced.