Dominique Vien
Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, Quebec · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, entitled “Confronting Antifeminist Ideologies in Canada”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.”
“Mr. Speaker, as we mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day today, the Liberal government is standing in the way of organizations that support seniors. The new rules for the New Horizons for Seniors program are forcing volunteer groups to get a business number from the Canada Revenue Agency.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are totally out of touch, but I want to raise a different topic. Last week, the President of the Treasury Board was unable to answer a simple question from my colleague. That embarrassed his government and, according to La Presse, angered his fellow Liberal MPs.”
“Mr. Speaker, as my colleague said, a United Way survey confirms that this government is a disaster, as 60% of Canadians are feeling financial anxiety and 22% of Canadians have personally experienced poverty, compared to 19% last year.”
“Mr. Speaker, under this Prime Minister , Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. This comes as no surprise. We have experienced three out of four quarters of negative growth. We are seeing a record decline in productivity.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise, as we were not sure I would have enough time. I would like to thank my two colleagues from the Bloc Québécois, who spoke so eloquently, as well as my colleague from King—Vaughan , who gave a really poignant speech about seniors. She is able to do so because she travels around many ridings.”
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“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to double housing starts, but instead, they are actually down 16%. This should come as no surprise. The Prime Minister's entourage includes the former mayor of Vancouver, who saw housing prices increase by 150%, and a former Toronto city councillor, who raised taxes on residential construction by 700%. Does the Prime Minister realize that it is not surprising that construction is down and costs are up, considering the so-called leaders in his closest circle?”
“Mr. Speaker, it still seems to me that he is calling the Parliamentary Budget Officer a liar, but facts are facts. This Prime Minister 's first few weeks in Parliament have been full of broken promises, particularly when it comes to spending, taxes, outside consultants, defence and even our relationship with the United States. Meanwhile, Canadians are paying 14% more for rice, 18% more for apples and 34% more for beef. Will the Prime Minister finally table the budget that everyone is waiting for, one that will truly cut taxes and reverse this government's inflationary policies?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who is an officer of the House of Commons and our financial watchdog, has confirmed another broken Liberal promise, this one having to do with their so-called tax cut. During the election, the Prime Minister promised people $850, but it turns out that the average Canadian will save only $90 this year. For seniors, it is $4 a month. My question is very simple. Did the Prime Minister lie during the campaign? Is he lying now? Is it both at the same time?”
“Mr. Speaker, facts are stubborn things. Under the Liberals, violence against women has continued to rise. By maintaining Bill C‑5 and Bill C‑75 , which were passed by Justin Trudeau, this government is protecting criminals rather than victims. That is a well-known fact. Meanwhile, women are living in fear. The government needs to take a good hard look in the mirror and admit that it is responsible for the problem. When will the Prime Minister take action and change these laws to keep all women in Canada safe?”
“Mr. Speaker, there have been 10 femicides in Quebec since the beginning of the year. At one point, there were five in five weeks. Yesterday, a woman was killed in Vaudreuil-Dorion. She was in a toxic and violent relationship. Did the system let her down, as it has many other women before her? When will the Prime Minister correct the mistakes made by his predecessor, Mr. Trudeau, which contributed to leaving these women unprotected?”
“Mr. Speaker, I will tell this House what is scandalous here. We have a minister who is forcing Quebeckers, young Quebeckers, to move back into their parents' basements because they do not have a penny to pay for housing. That is what is scandalous. He needs to stand up and tell us how he is going to solve the housing crisis, not as a millionaire, but as a member of Parliament.”
“Mr. Speaker, as July 1 approaches, Quebeckers who are still looking for a place to live are becoming increasingly concerned. Why? Housing is too expensive. Meanwhile, the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure sees no need for prices to come down. He, of course, is a wealthy property owner, so perhaps it is in his interest to keep housing costs high. His refusal to answer the question is stirring up mistrust. Why is the Prime Minister letting a real estate millionaire decide the future of struggling Quebec tenants?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report is damning. Contracts were awarded without tender, without oversight and without justification. While Canadians are getting poorer, certain companies are getting richer. Some of the ministers responsible for this fiasco have even been promoted. Can the Prime Minister explain why he is choosing to reward those who allowed such a mess to happen, rather than holding them to account?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General has confirmed what the Conservatives feared. The Liberal government paid $60 million for a project that was originally expected to cost $80,000. The outcome is waste, uncertainty and incompetence. However, not a single minister lost their job. Worse still, they were rewarded in the new cabinet. Will the Prime Minister do the honourable thing and vote in favour of our motion to return this money to taxpayers?”
“Mr. Speaker, in 2017, the government estimated that 50% of federal offices were vacant or underused. The Liberals said they would cut that number in half and create housing. Eight years later, the Auditor General of Canada has confirmed that there has been less than a 2% reduction, that none of the 10 properties promised in the NCR have been disposed of and that only 309 of the 4,000 promised housing units have been built. They talk a good game but have yet to deliver. Why does the Liberal government fail to keep its promises, even when there is a dire need and the money has already been budgeted?”
“Madam Speaker, the Liberals broke their promise by increasing spending by 8% when they promised to reduce spending to 2%. The result is out-of-control food inflation. Since January, the cost of beef is up 34%, apples are up 18%, rice is up 14% and infant formula is up 9%. Food banks are overwhelmed. Canadian families are hungry. When will this government table a budget this spring? There are fewer than 10 days left.”
“Madam Speaker, the House is demanding that a budget be tabled this spring, but the Liberals are asking for the approval of more than $500 billion in spending without submitting a single figure or a single budget. Meanwhile, unemployment is rising, mortgage payments are late and even full-time workers are being forced to turn to food banks. Even though all Canadians have to make a budget for their spending, this government refuses to table one. When can we expect to receive the beginnings of budget?”
“Mr. Chair, it is 140 kilometres there and 140 kilometres back. That is an hour and a half each way, which adds up to an additional three hours. In 2016 and 2017, 94% of the 800 incidents that occurred in and around the Pierre Laporte Bridge caused the bridge to close. Does the minister know how many days those interruptions added up to?”
“Mr. Chair, I will answer the question. They have to cross the Pierre Laporte Bridge because the Quebec Bridge cannot handle heavy vehicles. The minister should know that now that she is the owner of the Quebec Bridge. Does she know where heavy trucks go if the Pierre Laporte Bridge has to be closed?”
“Mr. Chair, earlier, the minister was worried about whether truckers would be able to cross interprovincial borders. Personally, I am only going to worry about whether they can cross the St. Lawrence. Does the minister know where heavy traffic has to go to cross the river in Quebec City?”
“Mr. Chair, I look forward to hearing the beginning of an answer. In February, the current Prime Minister of Canada described the idea of a third link as interesting, particularly in the context of economic tensions with the United States. Does the minister agree with him, yes or no?”
“Mr. Chair, has the minister been in contact with Quebec's minister of transport and sustainable mobility, Ms. Guilbault, who has reiterated her intention to build the third link? Has the minister spoken to her? Has she had any contact with her?”
“Mr. Chair, I am pleased to see the minister again and to speak with her. Tonight, we will be discussing the third link between Quebec City and Lévis. Could the minister tell me why 70% of residents of the greater Quebec City area and 83% of residents on Quebec City's south shore are calling for a third link?”
“Mr. Speaker, prices are skyrocketing. It now costs 34% more for beef strip loin, 26% more for oranges and 14% more for rice. Even the price of infant formula has risen by 9%. After 10 years under the Liberals, families are eating less and less well. They are being forced to turn to food banks more and more. Now the Liberals want to spend another half a trillion dollars without a budget, without a plan. Will the Liberals finally table a budget this spring that lowers inflation and cuts taxes so that Canadians can finally afford decent food?”
“Mr. Speaker, the House is demanding that this Liberal government table a budget, but instead the Liberals are asking Parliament to approve half a trillion dollars in new inflationary spending without tabling a budget. They are breaking their promise to limit spending by increasing expenditures by 8%. Meanwhile, the number of missed mortgage payments has reached record highs, and food banks are overwhelmed. Will the Liberals comply with the order of the House and table a budget now, this spring?”
“The Prime Minister appears to be continuing in the same direction as Justin Trudeau. Canadians deserve better. The House deserves answers. Above all, it deserves a budget this spring.”
“Mr. Speaker, after a throne speech that seemed to draw inspiration from the fiscal prudence advocated by the Conservative Party, the actions taken by the new Prime Minister quickly dashed any hopes. He promised restraint in the morning and went on a spending spree in the afternoon. They are handing out another $6 billion for consultants while families in Lévis have to line up for food hampers. For a moment, we thought the Prime Minister had finally understood the Conservative logic: Reduce the tax burden by reducing the size of government. He only partially understood. The government cannot cut taxes while increasing spending. That is not responsibility, that is inflation. Uncontrolled Liberal inflation has doubled the number of food bank users in some organizations in my riding in just three years.”
“Mr. Speaker, those who are profiting right now are the consulting firms. They are getting a 36% increase, $6 billion more. There are 10,000 people in my riding using food banks. Can the government at least have the decency to table a budget this spring?”
“Mr. Speaker, 10,000 people in Lévis recently applied for food aid. That is twice as many as in 2021. People working full time can no longer put food on the table. Meanwhile, the Liberals promise to cut spending in the morning and then increase it in the afternoon by 8%. The Prime Minister has a new face but the same bad habits. Does the Prime Minister realize that his out-of-control spending is fuelling inflation and driving Canadians to food banks?”