Andréanne Larouche
Shefford, Quebec · Bloc Québécois · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I would also like to join my colleagues in wishing the member a happy retirement. As women in politics, she and I help make up barely 30% of Parliament. I truly wish her a wonderful retirement. Although we do not always share the same values, we live in a healthy democracy.”
“Mr. Speaker, with just two weeks to go before July 1, hundreds of people still cannot find housing and are at risk of becoming homeless. Municipalities are investing to address the unprecedented homelessness crisis, including Montreal, which has tripled its budget. Quebec has also increased funding for this issue in its latest budget.”
“Mr. Speaker, June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. At a time when fraud targeting seniors is gaining attention, let us remember the importance of staying vigilant and taking action against the various types of abuse, including financial abuse.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a quick comment and then a question for my colleague, whom I thank for her speech. I will add my thoughts on this democratic issue. While the government was busy manufacturing its majority, it did not accept any of the 11 recommendations from the Bloc Québécois.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to echo the sentiments of my colleague from Rivière-du-Nord and reiterate another point. Certain groups have written to us because there has been a great deal of disinformation coming from the Conservatives.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be brief. I listened carefully to my colleague. Does he believe that the amendments proposed in committee will really ensure that the bill effectively addresses this hate speech that should not even be happening in the first place? Does he believe we have the necessary tools to tie all this together properly?”
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“This will restart a stalled market. I was hearing from the people at BRP back home about this. The budget also introduces a personal support worker tax credit of up to $1,100. It expands critical mineral development, so there could be some significant opportunities for Quebec. There is a 15% clean electricity investment tax credit and a legislative framework for stablecoins. These are measures that are also found in the budget. I could also mention the high-speed rail project. The Bloc Québécois supports this concept, but we do have some concerns, because Ottawa is invoking its declaratory power to impose exclusive federal jurisdiction on a project that would normally fall under Quebec's jurisdiction.”
“We all know that poverty and illness do not wait for people to turn 75 before they strike. In the area of health, we still do not have the unconditional Canada health transfer top-up of $11.6 billion over five years that the Bloc Québécois had requested, and yet the need only continues to grow. The government is patting itself on the back for committing funding for hospitals in the last budget, but there is no guarantee that there will be sufficient health transfers to ensure good working conditions for the health care workers who would staff those hospitals. These unconditional health transfers are important, and they are something that Quebec and the other provinces are asking for. Secondly, there are a few additional measures we can highlight that are not too bad, such as the elimination of the luxury tax on aircraft and ships.”
“(1525) With regard to seniors, there is no increase in old age security for seniors aged 65 to 74. However, according to the Hunger Count reports and SOS Dépannage in Granby, whose food drive kick-off I attended, the number of retirees and seniors needing food assistance is steadily rising. Despite these needs, there is still no additional help for those aged 65 to 74, who continue to be completely left out and who still do not have access to the 10% increase for those 75 and over. This inequity is creating a gap and leading to two classes of seniors. It is extremely concerning. Food bank workers, such as the worker in Montreal who recently talked to Radio-Canada, also recommend increasing old age security starting at age 65 in order to relieve the pressure on food banks.”
“The Bloc Québécois had asked for this initiative to be renewed and made permanent. It is the only thing that was working well. We asked for this, but it is not in the budget, and that is a bit of a shame. In terms of infrastructure, our local municipalities are asking for more resources to respond to new challenges, given the needs around climate adaptation and water supply. Recently, a local mayor was telling me about his municipality's water needs. He said he had managed to get some funding from the Quebec government, but the federal government had not chipped in. The Bloc Québécois asked the government to create a new unconditional infrastructure transfer program for Quebec and the other provinces using a block funding approach. This does not appear in the budget.”
“With regard to Build Canada Homes, seniors are also wondering how many social and community housing units will be allocated to meet the needs of seniors who are currently losing their homes. As the Bloc Québécois critic for seniors, I have been hearing from people about this. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 620,000 homes will need to be built in Quebec by 2030. Federal assistance has accounted for only 14% of housing funding in Quebec since 2018. Rents increased by an average of more than 7% in Quebec in 2024, while in Montreal, they increased by more than 18% for new tenants. The budget did not renew and make permanent the rapid housing initiative, which in Quebec takes the form of a transfer intended for social and community housing.”
“Granby had one of the lowest vacancy rates for a long time, and the needs are still significant. I commend the efforts of the municipality, which is tackling the problem head-on and is working very hard, but the federal government is also going to have to do its part. There is no distribution plan, no criteria and no allocation mechanisms for Build Canada Homes. Here is another request from the Bloc Québécois that was not addressed. Aside from housing, we wanted first-time homebuyers to be able to access interest-free loans to help them with their down payments. Young people who want to buy their first home need that assistance. The Bloc Québécois asked for this ahead of the budget.”
“This is a power hidden in clause 208 of the bill. For all these reasons, we have many concerns. However, I will be speaking about the budget more from the perspective of housing and assistance for people who really need help, which is not addressed anywhere in the budget. I will also highlight some additional measures. Lastly, I will speak about media and culture. We will come back to this. Let us start with Build Canada Homes, an empty shell of an agency with a budget of $11.5 billion but no detailed program. There is no guarantee regarding Quebec's share, which is causing worry for a lot of housing stakeholders. How much will Quebec get? People are asking me that question, because in the riding of Shefford, social and community housing is a major issue.”
“It extends the investment tax credit for carbon capture, utilization and storage until 2041. Small nuclear power plants, which are used by the oil and gas industry, are now included in the tax credits. The word “greenwashing” comes to mind. Expenditures relating to liquefied natural gas conversion are also categorized as eligible expenditures. I will try to get back to the environmental issue later in my speech. Even more worryingly, Bill C‑15 is simply a dangerous piece of legislation. Bill C‑15 is like Bill C-5 on steroids. It allows the minister to exempt any company from the application of any federal law, except the Criminal Code, for a period of three years that is, in practice, renewable. This measure would allow for any company to be placed above the law. It is a principle that we find very worrying.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to speak to Bill C-15 , the budget implementation bill. We have spent a lot of time this fall talking about the budget. We waited over a year and a half for it, and it was finally tabled. If we look at the nature of Bill C-15, it is an omnibus bill nearly 650 pages long. Columnist Pierre-Yves McSween likened it to a work of great literature or a sweeping novel, because it is so thick. This bill contains 80 legislative measures, and it amends or creates close to 49 laws. It addresses almost none of the Bloc Québécois's priorities and is a jumble of technical, fiscal and structural measures. There is a lot to unpack in it. One of the reasons the Bloc Québécois opposed it is that it includes billions of dollars in new fossil fuel subsidies.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech but, once again, what emerged was a desire for centralization. Know-it-all Ottawa is trying to lecture municipalities and impose its ideas on them. I have a question for my colleague. Why not simply support the Bloc's housing and infrastructure ideas? We asked the government to renew the rapid housing initiative and make it permanent. That is how Quebec successfully built social and community housing. We also asked for an unconditional infrastructure transfer specific to Quebec. These measures would have allowed the government to help Quebec build housing without encroaching on municipalities or Quebec and without beating them over the head.”
“Mr. Speaker, in her speech, my colleague talked about culture. I would like to come back to that point. When it comes to ensuring discoverability, particularly for Quebec's French-language culture, the web giants are not helping us much. The government could have used the budget to tax the web giants, but, unfortunately, it dropped this measure and the chance to collect revenue. This does not contribute to the discoverability of French-language content either. From the Bloc Québécois's perspective, this tax could have been used as a fund to help not only Radio-Canada, but also, in terms of culture and discoverability, community and private media that enable this discoverability. Why did my colleague completely leave out this aspect of our culture, namely community and private media?”
“I had discussions with representatives of FADOQ and the AQDR, which advocate for seniors in Quebec, and they feel that this government has completely forgotten about them. How can the government brag about helping seniors when it is not heeding their demand to increase pensions for people aged 65 to 74 as it did for those aged 75 and above? There is nothing for seniors in this budget.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to pick up on the question that my Conservative colleague asked. It is true that the government is bragging about helping everyone, but it is clear that many people and businesses have been left behind. I spoke about this earlier in my questions, but my colleague raised the issue of seniors just now. The government does not seem to realize just how badly it has let them down. People aged 65 to 74 are still not entitled to the increase in old age security that those aged 75 and above received. We talk about inflation and people who are having trouble making ends meet on a fixed income, and seniors are among them. Why is this government so obstinate about this?”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague described this budget as an investment budget for the country. However, we can see that this is not the case in several important economic sectors, particularly for Quebec. I am thinking of softwood lumber. Since the government has not taken action on this file, we have no choice but to hold a take-note debate this evening so that we can discuss this economic issue that is so important to Quebec. Why have the Liberals dragged their heels on this issue? They portrayed themselves as the people who would save the agreement and save the negotiations with the United States, but they have waited so long that industries in Quebec have started shutting down. They have waited until the eleventh hour. Now we need to hold a debate to try to save an industry that is very important for Quebec. What does my colleague think?”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague spoke at length about the importance of numbers and the importance of controlling a budget that includes spending and investments. However, numbers can be made to say whatever one wants. The 2025 budget introduces a new method of calculating investments. The Bloc Québécois applied this calculation method to previous fiscal years. This revised calculation significantly changes the results of past years, because it changes the way certain expenditures and investments are recorded. For example, by applying the new calculation method introduced by the Minister of Finance , we see that in 2015-16, there would have been a surplus of $11.2 billion. This new method therefore appears to be rather questionable. What does my Conservative colleague think?”
“Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague whose riding is in the Eastern Townships. I also had the opportunity to visit the Université de Sherbrooke's Quantum Institute this summer, and it is true that it is impressive. That said, here is my question. When it comes to the media, the budget made announcements about Radio-Canada, but the people at Cogeco, 107.7 FM and TVA in Sherbrooke are extremely concerned about the future. They are very disappointed to see that the government did not understand how important it is to have a diversity of voices and media pluralism. Given the current media situation and the loss of advertising revenue, does my colleague not think that the government should have helped not only Radio-Canada but other media outlets as well? I do not want her to talk to me about the local journalism initiative.”
“These issues need to be addressed when women are being threatened and abused, not when their lives have improved and they are doing well. The Liberals had an opportunity to send the world a message in support of women. They chose the opposite. It is a sad state of affairs and not a good way to start these days of action to end violence against women. The Liberals should be ashamed of themselves.”
“When the Prime Minister goes abroad to the G20 and says that Canada's foreign policy is not feminist, he is saying that money matters more to us than women. The Conservatives like hearing the Prime Minister make such statements. Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, in particular, was delighted by this. Abandoning feminism now, as the Prime Minister has done, establishes a value system in which women are clearly not at the top. The Prime Minister's term is off to a bad start. We all have a responsibility to work to eliminate violence against women. (1020) Every time a government waters down its discourse, every time it is tempted to sideline feminism because it might curtail business, every time it opts for neglect, silence, omission or concession when presented with a cheque for a huge amount of money, the cause of women is set back.”
“He said that Canada no longer has a feminist foreign policy. We are far from a “global call” to “eliminate violence against women”. What is more, the Prime Minister failed to appoint a minister for the status of women to his first cabinet. He is not doing anything meaningful to get rid of assault weapons, despite the willingness expressed by previous Liberal governments to do so. The Prime Minister was unaware of PolyRemembers during the last election campaign. What this tells us is that the struggle for equality, for the advancement of women's issues and for the elimination of violence are far from over. The Liberal Party is looking more and more like the Reform Party. It is oil, oil, oil and nothing to fight climate change. It is oil, oil, oil and nothing for gender equality, nothing to help eliminate violence against women.”
“The government says it is a “global call”, and yet shortly before this important date, the Prime Minister struck a deal with the United Arab Emirates and declared that Canada's foreign policy was no longer feminist. According to Human Rights Watch, the United Arab Emirates' penal code “reintroduced the criminalization of consensual nonmarital sex....Unmarried couples who have a child face no less than two years in prison....Unmarried pregnant women face difficulties accessing prenatal health care and registering their children”. In the United Arab Emirates, domestic violence is tolerated and women must submit to men in matters relating to marriage, divorce and married life. In short, Emirati women are second-class citizens. The Prime Minister knows this; the Prime Minister knew this. How did he react?”
“We are profoundly grateful to them and we unreservedly support their vital contribution to this cause. In Quebec, November 25 marks the start of the “12 Days of Action to End Violence Against Women” campaign. I encourage all Quebeckers to use this time to reflect, to take action, to talk with others, to raise awareness, and to participate in events that focus on eliminating violence against women. We must maintain constant vigilance against any sort of backsliding. We have seen some examples of that. According to the federal government, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is observed annually on November 25, is “a global call to prevent and address gender-based violence...in all its forms”.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is my turn to extend my regards to the Secretary of State for Nature , a Polytechnique survivor, and to the member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis , with whom I have the pleasure of working on the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. As she mentioned, it is an extremely active committee. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I also wish to recognize the women and men who dedicate themselves every day to combatting violence against women. It is a never-ending battle that sees both wins and losses, but it continues to be fought tirelessly, with conviction and courage, by psychologists, social workers, women's shelter workers, police officers, and many other stakeholders of both sexes. They are all working relentlessly to fight violence against women.”
“I was reminded this morning of the importance of signing an organ donor card in case something happens, as well as the importance of discussing it with one's family before such a thing happens. We must not forget that prevention is the best medicine. For proper prevention, we need health care transfers, as we have been calling for. We asked for $11.6 billion over five years in the last budget, so we could invest not only in hospitals, but also in the entire system and in all the wonderful individuals who work there, the human resources who care for us every day. I congratulate my colleague from Edmonton Manning for introducing this bill.”
“One in 10 people in Canada suffers from kidney disease. That number is probably even higher because of undiagnosed cases. This means that 4 million people are affected, compared to 3.7 million people with diabetes. More than 6.2 million people in Canada are estimated to develop chronic kidney disease. It is the 11th leading cause of death in Canada. These chronic kidney diseases cost the health care system over $40 billion annually. More than 49,000 people in Canada have advanced kidney disease, and 42% of patients are under the age of 65. Of the 4,700 people waiting for an organ donation in Canada, 71% hope to receive a kidney. I would like to make one final point.”
“According to the Quebec government's website, the oldest donor was 92 years old. As I was saying, variations do occur, depending on the province. According to the Health Canada report, the frequency that organs from donors aged 60 and over are used varies greatly depending on the province. Some provinces use them a lot, others a lot less. The report suggests that these differences are likely more a matter of clinical practice than patient needs. The number of seniors is not the only factor. The criteria that organ donation and transplantation teams use to assess and accept seniors' organs also play a role. This morning, I met with representatives of the Kidney Foundation of Canada. I also took part in the Kidney March in September back home in Granby. During the walk, I had a chance to speak with several living donors.”
“The report notes that the estimated “potential” for older donors may be overestimated because there are many deaths in this age group. However, not all of these deaths can lead to safe donations. There are medical risks and exclusion criteria. This must be taken into account when discussing organ donation. The age of donors in Quebec also comes into play. According to Transplant Québec's official statistics, the average age of deceased organ donors in Quebec between 2015 and 2024 was about 53 or 54 years. Transplant Québec's 2020 report also shows that deceased donor groups are broken down into two age groups: 61 to 70 years and 71 years and over. That is interesting, because it debunks some myths. People can donate organs at a much more advanced age. Organ donation is possible at any age in Quebec.”
“It is also worth mentioning that older women in particular may be exposed to specific risks. For example, studies outside of Canada show that older women who are victims of domestic violence may suffer from significant comorbidities in terms of mental and physical health. This may be worth noting. Statistics on seniors and organ donation show that there are potential donors aged 60 and over. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information report, from 2008 to 2012, approximately 23% of deceased donors in Canada were aged 60 and over. However, there is significant variation between provinces. For example, Quebec had more than 34% of deceased donors aged 60 and over, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.”
“Third, I would like to present some statistics about women and organ donation. According to Health Canada, 62% of living organ donors in Canada outside of Quebec are women. According to Health Canada's information on living donors, men accounted for 38% of living donors in 2009, while women accounted for 62% of living donors. Also according to Health Canada, 59% of deceased donors outside Quebec were men and 41% were women. Interestingly enough, gender inequalities are also observed in the field of health and the Standing Committee on Health even conducted a study on those gender inequalities. We can see that there is a significant gender dynamic when it comes to organ donation. Living donors tend to be women, which could reflect social roles such as caregiving or biases in the transplant system.”
“Between 1984 and 1992, there was a consolidation, funding from the ministry of health and social services, which granted it a provincial mandate, and the creation of processes for allocating and identifying donors. Finally, in 1985, the Royal Victoria Hospital performed Quebec's first heart-lung transplant, an important historical moment. Between 2001 and 2007, clinical nurses and liaison nurses were deployed. In March 2001, the ministry of health and social services allocated $1.2 million to this pilot project. (1800) Since 2005, world organ donation and transplant day has been celebrated on October 17. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the importance of this gift of life. From 2007 to 2008, the Quebec government consolidated its assets and developed Québec-Transplant. Then, in 2011, the name changed to Transplant Québec.”
“It was founded in 1983 and promotes organ donation in Quebec and Canada. Since 1987, it has involved several police services and partners in the rapid transport of organs, which is often a vital step. It is the Quebec equivalent of Canadian Blood Services, which is responsible for the rest of the country. Second, I want to go over a bit of history. I will try to present a somewhat structured timeline to explain and highlight Quebec's important role in the history of transplantation. First, in 1958, the first kidney transplant took place at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. In 1965 and 1968, the first lung and heart transplants were performed at the Montreal General Hospital. In 1970, three transplant physicians from Montreal founded Métro-Transplantation, the predecessor of Transplant Québec.”
“We would actually like to highlight the essential role of Transplant Québec, which was created by Quebec doctors and has been at the heart of the Quebec system for over 50 years now. I will also come back to that a little later. In my speech, I will talk about the roles of the various agencies, provide a historical overview and conclude with a few statistics. First, Transplant Québec is responsible for organ donation coordination, promotion, research and training. Since 1992, it has managed Quebec's single waiting list, a national feature that is unique to us. According to recent data from 2024, there were 206 donors, 556 transplants performed, and 856 people on the waiting list. The Canadian Organ and Tissue Donors Association holds an annual ceremony to honour living and deceased donors.”
“There is overlap with existing awards, such as the annual ceremony held by the Canadian Organ and Tissue Donation Association, the ambassador of health medal, and the good Samaritan medal. It is also important to hear from the Canadian Organ and Tissue Donation Association, Transplant Québec, Héma-Québec, and Canadian Blood Services in committee to avoid duplication of their work and to recognize all that they do. This will be an opportunity to hear from them in committee. We in the Bloc Québécois will be supporting this bill. We want to highlight Quebec's major historic contribution in terms of organ donation, and I will come back to that a little later. As I said, we are somewhat critical of the fact that the bill fails to explicitly recognize this contribution in its preamble, along with everything that has been done in Quebec.”
“It is a fairly straightforward bill that nevertheless exists in a political context, given that it was introduced by the member for Edmonton Manning , who is its sponsor. This is personal for him. He donated part of his liver to his son in 2003, and it should be noted that he had already introduced a previous bill, Bill C‑223 , for a national strategy for organ donation. The Bloc Québécois rejected the bill at the time for a number of reasons, but this new version is much more acceptable. As for the positions of the other parties, it is quite simple. From what we have seen so far, I think we are heading toward unanimous support at second reading. It is a fine example of humanity. However, there is a potential problem, as I mentioned to my colleague earlier.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to speak to Bill C‑234 , which seeks to establish a medal of recognition for citizens and permanent residents who have made a living organ donation in Canada. The bill is relatively straightforward. It creates and implements this medal, and leaves the details, such as the design, eligibility criteria and the awarding process, to be determined by regulations. Certain exclusions are also provided for members of Parliament, senators and other persons excluded by regulation who would not be eligible to receive the medal. Furthermore, this medal can only be awarded once. The government must submit a report on the implementation of this measure.”
“I hope the member would agree that it is imperative to invite representatives of these organizations to appear before the committee to ensure that the recognition he wants to promote is aligned with the missions of these organizations. I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on that.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like thank my colleague from Edmonton Manning for this bill, and especially for sharing that very touching story about donating an organ to his son. The only minor issue the Bloc Québécois has with the bill is that the Canadian Organ and Tissue Donors Association already holds a ceremony to pay tribute to posthumous donors and living donors. In addition, two medals already exist, namely the ambassador of health medal and the good Samaritan medal. We simply need to ensure that the law recognizes the work already being done by organizations such as the Canadian Organ and Tissue Donors Association, Transplant Québec, Héma-Québec and Canadian Blood Services.”
“Poulin of the AQDR, the Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées, a Quebec association promoting the rights of people who are retired or nearing retirement. We had a long talk. His members want fair treatment. At the start of the week, while I was on the road, someone from FADOQ called me to ask how we planned to revive this file. The Liberals downright forgot about seniors in the last budget, and people are counting on the Bloc Québécois. What does my colleague have to say about that?”
“Mr. Speaker, today we are talking about the budget implementation bill, which has been voted on. The Bloc Québécois had very specific, reasonable and well-thought-out demands for this budget to address the needs of Quebec. I think we have to strike a balance between the need to control public finances and the need to help people who need help. I will come back to the request we made to ensure fairness for all seniors aged 65 and over in terms of the pension benefits they receive. We want to end the two-tiered system where people aged 65 to 74 receive a different amount than people aged 75 and over. Last week, during the break week, I got a call from Mr.”
“This is particularly important given the advertising crisis we are currently experiencing. This has direct consequences for democracy in our regions. What does my colleague, a former journalist, think about that?”
“Mr. Speaker, I am torn. Yes, we need to have control over public finances, but we also need to consider the social aspect. I started my week by attending a press conference to announce a food drive being organized by SOS Dépannage in Granby. I found out that more and more seniors are requesting food hampers. My colleague used to be a journalist. I would like to hear his comments on the critical issue of helping regional media survive. I know he is aware of this issue. I studied journalism, so I understand the link and how important it is, in a democracy, to have local media in the regions. What are the consequences of investing in only one media outlet, namely Radio-Canada, and completely failing to support other media outlets, whether private or community-based?”
“Of course, it boasts about allocating $38 million to the local journalism initiative. In my region, La Voix de l'Est and other media outlets like Le Val-Ouest use these funds, and that is appreciated. However, that is not going to ensure the survival of community media and private media in the regions.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear my colleague speak about culture in the House. In Quebec, we fully appreciate that our cultural sector contributes to our economy. While we are on the topic of culture, I would like to hear the member's thoughts on the issue of discoverability and, better yet, the connection between democracy and strong local media. Unfortunately, while the government prides itself on supporting the cultural sector, it has completely abandoned local media. These outlets help promote local artists and get people interested in municipal politics, which upholds democracy at the local level. Unfortunately, the government has completely abandoned this diversity of viewpoints and this media diversity. It has not announced anything for community media or local media.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is true that I went over that point too quickly. My colleague's question gives me an opportunity to conclude my speech by reiterating the importance of this aspect and highlighting the imbalance it creates. It is all well and good for us to pass laws here at the federal level, but then we transfer the management of criminal issues to the provinces and municipalities. Quebec is responsible for administering justice and addressing homelessness, which involves expenses and security issues for municipalities. They find themselves having to tackle these challenges head-on. That is why we have to be careful about the legislation we pass here, because inevitably, we end up putting these responsibilities on the provinces, Quebec and the municipalities.”
“Mr. Speaker, during the previous Parliament, the Bloc Québécois introduced a bill that sought to provide a framework for the Jordan decision. That was in response to requests from a lot of victims and groups of women who were victims of intimate partner violence. These women opposed the fact that the Jordan decision enabled some attackers to avoid going to trial. The Jordan decision exists, but we would like to have a framework for it, at least for some specific crimes. That is what victims want. During the previous Parliament, the committee heard from victims while it was studying the Bloc Québécois bill to codify the framework for the Jordan decision. Many groups and many victims supported that idea and continue to support it. We will see if we can raise this very important issue once again in this Parliament.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will give my colleague a straightforward answer. In committee, the Conservatives raised the issue of Bill C‑75 . At the moment, there is no consensus on the principle of restraint, either among the groups consulted or among the justice system stakeholders who testified before the committee. That is the answer I can give him.”
“Mr. Speaker, just this morning, on the radio, they were talking about the new Institut Écho initiative. I will try to learn more about it. This initiative, which was launched by the organization Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale, is tackling the issue of housing and includes a prevention component, I believe, that could address these concerns. In committee, we are often reminded that we need to take a holistic approach to the problem. We cannot think that simply addressing the issue of the justice system will solve everything. We also need to be proactive by working on prevention. In fact, our next study will focus on the rise of the anti-feminist movement.”
“In Quebec, one in four women, or 25%, aged 15 and older reported having been sexually assaulted by someone other than an intimate partner. The rate for men is approximately 6%. In Quebec, in 2021, women accounted for 76.4% of victims of domestic violence, or offences committed by an intimate partner. Also in 2021, individuals aged 25 to 39 accounted for 48.2% of victims of offences committed in an intimate context. The rate was 725.3 per 100,000 among people aged 25 to 29. (1650) I also have a relevant example from the news in Quebec. In March 2025, the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale, a coalition of women's shelters, issued a press release calling on the government to address the inadequacy of legislative measures and resources to protect women who are victims of violence.”
“Finally, Bill C-14 is filled with good intentions, but it also includes several risks. The bill could threaten the presumption of innocence, increase the number of innocent people being detained and undermine confidence in the justice system. My colleague from Rivière-du-Nord , who is the justice critic, could explain this even better than I can. The Bloc Québécois wants to strengthen security without sacrificing fundamental rights. I will close my speech by providing a few interesting statistics. In Quebec, in 2022, women accounted for 89% of victims of sexual assault reported by the police, according to the Institut national de santé publique du Québec, or INSQ. Reported cases of women victims of sexual assault is 157.5 incidents per 100,000 women, compared to 19 incidents per 100,000 men.”
“Ultimately, the Bloc Québécois is proposing a real fight against organized crime, which includes a registry of criminal organizations. That is important. We also want to ban these criminal groups from displaying their emblems, which is also important. We want a reverse onus for the seizure of the proceeds of crime. We want it to be illegal for gangs to recruit young people, because that is a serious problem in the Montreal area. We are also proposing to regulate the use of the Jordan decision for the most serious crimes. That was mentioned in committee. It is not right that, because of delays, perpetrators of domestic violence against women get away with it. This should be regulated, at least for certain crimes such as sexual assault. We are also proposing that the religious exemption for hate speech be removed.”
“It is not great at judicial appointments. Sometimes its appointments even flout the government's own rules. The fiscal imbalance also undermines reasonable wait times and the availability of correctional and clinical services. Some aspects of Bill C‑14 are problematic, including for example the tacit withdrawal of the ladder principle. There are too many obligations imposed on judges, which creates a risk of automatic justice. Mandatory consecutive sentences can also lead to injustice. There is a problematic provision in the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Specifically, there is some confusion regarding how time served is calculated. This will have to be studied in committee. We must not throw the baby out with the bathwater. We would be curious to see how this could be improved.”