Mario Beaulieu
La Pointe-de-l'Île, Quebec · Bloc Québécois · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague said that the laws already exist and that they need to be enforced. At least one area does require a legislative amendment, specifically the religious exemption for incitement to hatred.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to know what my colleague thinks about the repeal of the religious exemption in the Criminal Code for cases of incitement of hatred.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois tabled an amendment that has been adopted. It seeks to abolish the religious exemption in the Criminal Code regarding incitement to hatred. I would like to know what my colleague thinks of this.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois's supplementary opinion seeks to address the issues raised by all of the witnesses and stakeholders who participated in this study. It seeks to resolve the underlying problem behind the current crisis facing Quebec broadcasters, which is driving their calls to reduce the quota.”
“Mr. Speaker, the money for health transfers comes from the taxes paid by Quebec and the provinces. Initially, the federal government committed to covering 50% of the provinces' health care costs. It is now covering just 22%. The provinces protested. They wanted the government to raise that amount to 35%.”
“Recently, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, took a step in the right direction by requiring online streaming companies, such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime, to invest 15% of the revenues they generated in Canada in Canadian content, with a view to easing the burden on traditional broadcasters.…”
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“Mr. Speaker, we know that approximately 40% of asylum seekers have settled in Quebec, even though Quebec accounts for only about 22% of Canada's population. Does my colleague think that we should find a way to spread asylum seekers more evenly across the country and that Quebec and the provinces should be compensated? Right now, we know that, for 2024 alone, Quebec has a shortfall of $700 million because it has not received proper compensation from the federal government. What does my colleague think about that?”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague just said that he would speak in English to make sure that everyone understands. I find that unacceptable. He can speak in English or in French. Everyone should be able to understand with the help of the interpretation service.”
“Mr. Speaker, essentially, the motion is trying to address an issue that was largely created by the sudden surge in asylum claims and the lack of resources to process them. In some countries, like France, it takes less than six months to process an asylum claim. In Germany, it takes eight months. Here, it can take up to three or four years. Does my colleague agree that we must press as hard as we can to improve the processing of asylum claims?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Conservative motion seems to suggest that, as soon as an asylum seeker is convicted of a serious crime, they should be deported. First, that is already the law. Second, does that mean that somebody who is convicted of a serious crime should not serve their sentence and should instead be deported to a country where it is not certain that they will serve their sentence?”
“Mr. Speaker, we know that 40% of asylum seekers have settled in Quebec, while Quebec makes up only 22% of the population. Does my colleague not think that we should try to find a way to better way to distribute asylum seekers across the country or at least properly compensate Quebec? We know that, in 2024, Quebec had a $700-million shortfall for which it did not receive compensation. What does my colleague think of this?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to know what my colleague thinks about the fact that 40% of asylum seekers have settled in Quebec, while our province represents just 22% of the population. Does he not think that we should find a way to better distribute asylum seekers across the country or at least financially compensate Quebec? We know that, in 2024 alone, Quebec had a $700-million shortfall for which it has not received compensation from the federal government.”
“Madam Speaker, the problem we are facing is largely caused by the skyrocketing number of asylum seekers and the unacceptable processing times for asylum claims. There are countries that have managed to reduce processing times, like France, where a claim takes less than six months to process, and Germany, where it takes less than eight months. Should we not start by really focusing our efforts on putting as much pressure as possible on the government to reduce processing times for asylum claims?”
“Mr. Speaker, I think things would move faster if the government acted like a minority government instead of always trying to impose its solutions. I would like to know something. All of this is going to result in a very centralized entity that impedes on Quebec's area of jurisdiction. However, not everyone shares the same vision. Quebec and the municipalities are the ones who are most up to speed on housing needs. The federal government's idea of affordability differs wildly from Quebec's. I went to a building inauguration a few years ago. I was very pleased because we need more housing. However, it was deemed affordable housing when it was not affordable at all. Members can imagine the reactions I got when I posted it on social media. Why not create a program that would allow Quebec to, first of all, have an envelope allocated—”
“There is nothing in this bill about social housing or co-operatives. At the very least, I think that warrants a “Quebec clause” so that Quebec—”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like my colleague to tell me in what way this is not going to be a new entity that centralizes power and overrides Quebec's jurisdictions. It is always the same old story. Whenever a federal entity is involved, the government always tries to impose its requirements, which only draws out the process. Instead of speeding up housing construction, the government announces it. We saw this before with the Canada housing infrastructure fund. An agreement was reached last January, after a two-year delay. Even the Fédération québécoise des municipalités called out the federal government for its determination to interfere and impose its will. Quebec and the municipalities are the levels of government that know the population's real needs. The government had a different vision. Quebec is much more inclined toward the collective.”
“Mr. Speaker, housing is under Quebec's jurisdiction. Local governments, like the Quebec National Assembly or the municipalities, are in the best position to know the housing needs of their population. Now, the government is going to create a new, centralizing entity that will complicate new agreements. This was apparent in the last one that we received in January. There were delays of two to three years. In the end, Quebec received less than its share, a situation that was condemned by the municipalities. Would my colleague be willing to allow at least one exemption for Quebec, to respect its jurisdictions, such as a right to opt out with full compensation?”
“Mr. Speaker, in several European countries, the standard is to process asylum claims within three or four months. Here, it takes four or five years, sometimes longer. In my colleague's opinion, what are the consequences of such long wait times? It is also a humanitarian issue. Should we not try to reduce these wait times?”
“Mr. Speaker, not long ago, the House voted on a bill dealing with applications for citizenship by descent. In committee, an amendment was moved to require that applicants for this kind of citizenship undergo the same citizenship screening as any other applicant, particularly the criminal record check. Why did the Liberals, along with the NDP, vote against this amendment, ensuring it would be defeated?”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to know what my colleague thinks about the fact that the motion is devoid of nuance. For example, the Conservatives are saying that they want to bar refugee claimants with criminal records, something that is already provided for in the law. Without further nuance, this means that refugee claimants who are political prisoners or prisoners of conscience would automatically be barred. Would my colleague not agree that this motion should have included a role for the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada?”
“Madam Speaker, as we have already said, the Bloc Québécois is going to vote against this motion, mainly because we think that refugee claimants or permanent residents with an actual criminal record are already barred under existing legislation. Enforcing the law is all it takes. However, I have a question for my colleague. The processing times for refugee claims are already very long. This could be a risk factor, allowing people with criminal records to fall through the cracks. Will the Conservatives commit to reducing processing times for refugee claims?”
“Madam Speaker, I want to commend my colleague on his excellent speech, which was very eloquent, as usual. There was a bill on citizenship by descent. In committee, we adopted an amendment that would have required such citizenship applications to be subject to the same criteria as all citizenship applications, including a criminal record check. The Liberals and the NDP voted down that part of the bill. What does my colleague think about that?”
“Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act already stipulates that, if a refugee claimant has committed an offence, whether in Canada or abroad, they may be deemed inadmissible to Canada. However, if everyone with a criminal record abroad is systematically banned from entering the country, what would happen to prisoners of conscience, like Raif Badawi?”
“Madam Speaker, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act already includes provisions for offences. Refugee claimants who have committed offences, whether in Canada or abroad, are deemed inadmissible to Canada. Are my colleague's demands not redundant?”
“Mr. Speaker, we have seen overwhelming support for this bill from first nations. I believe that the commissioner will be a watchdog who will conduct research and provide us with information so that we can enforce the treaties if the government fails to do so. That said, I think the commissioner should also have coercive powers. What does my colleague think?”
“Mr. Speaker, I think the new office will be useful because it can provide us with information on treaty compliance. However, I wonder whether it should also have coercive powers to ensure treaty compliance. Does my colleague think that is a good idea?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to know what the Leader of the Opposition thinks about the fact that the government opposite's scrapping of the carbon tax has had no impact on food prices. I would also like to know whether he believes that rising food prices can be attributed to the industrial carbon tax and environmental laws alone. Do any other factors come into play?”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, who is also a member of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. First, I would like to know how he explains the fact that the Liberals eliminated the carbon tax and yet there has been no impact on the cost of food. Second, does he see a link between climate change and the effects of pollution, like floods and wildfires, which are having an impact on farmers and the cost of food?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to pass on my regards to my colleague. I would like to know whether he has considered the impact that the proposed measures will have on pollution and climate change, or the impact that climate change, floods, forest fires and other events have on farmers and food prices.”
“Mr. Speaker, there has been talk about supply. I would like to know what my colleague thinks about the following. To improve the supply of imported fruits and vegetables, the government could promote greenhouse cultivation. It could also stop making cuts to agriculture, particularly to research centres. This would enable farmers to adapt and to develop technology to be more competitive. The government recently announced that it will be closing several research centres, including the one in Sainte‑Foy.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is far from clear that the taxes aimed at preventing pollution from everything oil-related are actually linked to food prices. However, pollution increases climate change and all its impacts, such as floods and forest fires. That creates considerable costs for farmers, and the bill is then passed on to consumers. Has my colleague taken that into account?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to know what my colleague thinks about the following point. These last two Parliaments, the Conservatives have devoted almost all of their opposition days to abolishing the carbon tax. The Conservatives said it was driving up food prices. The Liberals took a page from the Conservative playbook and abolished the carbon tax for individuals. However, it has not had any impact on food prices. Apart from oil, does my colleague see any other factors that could be influencing food prices?”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague was talking about, among other things, reducing the carbon tax. However, the more the government supports the oil industry and subsidizes oil companies, the more greenhouse gases that are emitted, which increases the effects of climate change like flooding, wildfires and so on. This is a cost that trickles down to the people. Climate change has a price. In addition, it is true that part of the increase in the cost of living comes from the government's policies. For example, the Parliamentary Budget Officer determined that poorly thought-out immigration policies and the immigration thresholds caused a 25% increase in the cost of housing. What are my colleague's thoughts on that?”
“Mr. Speaker, we at the Bloc Québécois have long been proposing an increase to the GST credit, and we think it would have been better to increase this amount regularly starting now, rather than making a single payment by June. We agree with the subsequent 25% increase, but we propose paying the credit monthly because we know that the most vulnerable are really struggling financially. Since credit cards and other bills have to be paid every month, this would give these individuals more stability, allow them to pay less interest, and, I think, make better use of that money. I would like to know my colleague's thoughts on that.”
“Mr. Speaker, this measure was not included in budget 2025. It materialized out of thin air. It is a one-time cheque, which means that it is clear it is a vote-buying scheme. It aims to address the increase in the cost of living, which was in fact created in part by the measures of this government. What are my colleague's thoughts on this?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to know what my colleague thinks about the fact that, as he said earlier, the Liberals have already adopted several of the measures set out in the Conservative motion, including doing away with environmental protection measures, providing additional support for oil companies and axing the carbon tax. Can my colleague explain why the Liberals are shifting toward favouring oil companies and away from protecting the country from climate change?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on something in the Conservative motion. The motion talks about providing free trade bonuses to remove internal trade barriers, but what are these barriers if not each province's respective language laws, environmental laws, public rules, workforce training and labour standards? This is basically a direct attack on the sovereignty of the provinces, which are supposed to be sovereign in their areas of jurisdiction.”
“In short, the Conservatives are supporting the revenues of these companies, which privatize their profits, while leaving the public to deal with the consequences. It is up to taxpayers, the public, to pay for the negative effects caused by these companies.”
“Madam Speaker, I would like to know what my colleague thinks about the polluter pays principle, which requires polluters, particularly oil companies, to bear the costs associated with managing the effects of the increase in greenhouse gases they produce. As we said earlier, these companies rake in over $130 billion in profits, 60% of which goes to the U.S. Instead of helping to ensure that these companies pay for all of the environmental disasters we are seeing, which cost taxpayers huge amounts of money, the Conservatives would rather help these companies lower their costs by doing away with the industrial carbon tax, for example. This tax enables the government get back a bit of money that it can use to cover some of the costs of climate change.”
“Madam Speaker, I want to know what my colleague thinks about the fact that the Conservatives' motion seems to imply a weakening of provincial sovereignty. The motion encourages investments that would lead them to pull away from their laws and rules in accordance with their priorities in terms of the environment, language and their specific needs.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees with Bill C‑16 as a whole. It includes several of our recommendations. We see that the Liberals want to strengthen certain laws in order to undercut the Conservatives. For example, we rose several times on the issue of the Jordan decision because prosecutions for serious crimes, like murder or sexual assault, were dropped as a result of delays. Fortunately, Bill C‑16 will help establish the conditions for going over the deadlines set out in the Jordan decision. Why did the government wait so long before taking action?”
“On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to offer my condolences to his wife, his five children and all the separatist activists who are now continuing his quest to make Quebec a country.”
“Mr. Speaker, Quebec has lost a great patriot. Jean Dorion passed away after a lifetime devoted to Quebec independence. Early on, Jean Dorion was an activist with the Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale and a founding member of the Parti Québécois. He served as chief of staff under René Lévesque and was responsible for key portfolios, such as immigration and the enforcement of the Charter of the French Language. He served as president of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal, where I had the honour of working alongside him. He represented our nation as Quebec's delegate to Japan and as a member of the Bloc Québécois here in Ottawa. Jean Dorion spent his entire life fighting for our language and culture, and for a Quebec that opens its arms to everyone.”
“Mr. Speaker, the MOU with Alberta is proof that the Liberals are abandoning the fight against climate change. It looks like they want to bring Conservative voters on side, but the Conservatives are doubling down with this motion. What does my colleague think of the Liberals' new approach? Does this threaten the Conservatives' base?”
“Madam Speaker, the Conservatives are being criticized for delaying the passage of bills. However, in the case of Bill C‑15, most of our requests were denied. Does my colleague agree that the government, which is a minority government, is behaving like a majority government? It consults very little with the opposition parties and makes very few compromises.”
“Madam Speaker, I want to know what my colleague thinks about the fact that this budget will perpetuate a deeply unfair tax situation by refusing to reinstate the digital services tax. Foreign platforms from the U.S. do not pay taxes, while Quebec and Canadian platforms like illico+, ICI TOU.TV and others are required to pay taxes and royalties. What does my colleague think about that?”
“Madam Speaker, I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on the fact that Bill C-15 will make the media crisis worse. A few months ago, the government was supposed to impose a 3% tax on foreign digital platforms. That would have generated billions of dollars in tax revenue that could have been used to help private media outlets, which are really struggling right now. Instead, the Prime Minister wanted to pander to Trump and did not impose this tax. This is a simple matter of tax fairness. American digital platforms do not have to pay taxes, but Quebec and Canadian platforms do. What does my colleague think about that?”
“Madam Speaker, my colleague was talking about seniors earlier, but one of the Bloc Québécois's very important requests for seniors is nowhere to be found in Bill C-15 . I am talking about the 10% OAS increase for seniors aged 65 to 74. As the House knows, a few years ago, we pressured the government to increase old age pensions, since seniors were losing their purchasing power. There was an increase only for seniors aged 75 and up, which created two classes of seniors. Why is the government so determined not to increase pensions for seniors aged 65 to 74, who desperately need it?”
“Indeed, an environmentalist, the former head of Equiterre, resigned from his position as minister. That is very symbolic. We will see what happens next, but if we do not get our act together, we are heading in a direction where we will see more and more environmental disasters, and bureaucracy is not going to solve the problem.”
“These numerical models simulate environmental processes, meaning the interactions between different components of the environment, such as the atmosphere, water, soil, vegetation and ecosystems, in order to predict how they will change over time. The federal government's role should be to facilitate the exchange of information, to fund advanced research and modelling and to support provinces and municipalities in their adaptation efforts. Quebeckers do not want a federal website that tells them it is raining. They want roads that do not collapse, houses that do not flood and farms that survive droughts. They want a government that takes action, not piles of reports. That is our position. I think it is shameful to see the Liberal government abandon climate action.”
“If we want to improve flood and drought forecasting, we need to focus on smart co-ordination, not the bureaucratic centralization that the Liberals are once again trying to impose. The Quebec government already provides the public with weather, hydrological and flood forecasts. For example, the Vigilance web application provides 48-hour flood forecasts for many rivers in southern Quebec. To prevent flooding, Quebec uses numerical environmental forecasting, which is based on the collection of recent meteorological and hydrological data, including temperature, precipitation and snow accumulation on the ground, as well as numerical models.”
“We see some concerning setbacks: the elimination of consumer carbon pricing proposed by the Conservatives and supported by the Liberals; the suspension of electric vehicle incentives; and the scrapping of the zero-emission vehicle strategy. The government talks about adaptation, but is turning its back on addressing the underlying causes of the problem. It makes no sense. We are proposing clear, costed demands: increase the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund by $875 million; create a co-insurance program for flood-prone areas to protect vulnerable households; invest $500 million to combat shoreline erosion; and transfer funds to municipalities, which are best positioned to manage the consequences of climate change. (1820) These are tangible measures. They respond to the real needs of communities. They would have an immediate impact.”
“Why would it be useful or necessary to create a new government organization in parallel to the Meteorological Service of Canada? There is no new funding. There are no concrete measures to support the provinces and municipalities. All the bill does is announce a strategy and schedule a report in two years' time. Meanwhile, disasters continue and costs soar. Is the bill a response to the crisis or is it a communications exercise? Is it a tool for action or a smokescreen to create the appearance of action? The answer is obvious. It is all smoke and mirrors. The Bloc Québécois is clear: We want concrete action. We want immediate investments to strengthen infrastructure resilience, support farmers, protect citizens and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. What do we see?”
“The Bloc Québécois recognizes the importance of improving forecasting and coordination, but why create a new federal structure when the Meteorological Service of Canada already exists and Quebec's environment ministry has recognized expertise, with 230 hydrometric stations that collect, analyze and disseminate data on water levels, flows and flood zones? Bill C-241 is a distraction. It does not amend any provisions of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. It does not explain at all why these services cannot be provided by the Department of Environment's current meteorological services. I am actually a little surprised that my Conservative colleagues seem to want to support this bill at second reading, because, more than anything, I see it as another layer of bureaucracy.”
“According to the Association des producteurs maraîchers du Québec, half of all vegetable growers have no insurance against drought-related losses because they cannot afford it. Meanwhile, municipalities are imposing water restrictions, and some even have to import drinking water. We have seen forest fires ravage our forests. We have seen catastrophic floods force 6,000 people to leave their homes; that is what happened with the Lac des Deux Montagnes in 2019. In the riding of La Pointe-de-l'Île, we are also feeling the effects. We have to spend millions of dollars to combat riverbank erosion, and power outages are becoming more and more frequent. These phenomena are all amplified by climate change, which the Liberal government has decided to ignore, pretending that it does not exist or making it even worse by investing in oil.”
“Madam Speaker, Bill C-241 raises the major issue of flood and drought prevention. These phenomena are no longer isolated incidents. They have become recurring realities that disrupt our communities, weaken our infrastructure, and threaten our economy. The numbers cannot be denied. Over the past 10 years, the average cost of insured disasters in Canada has been $2.5 billion a year. Last year, we reached an all-time high of $8.5 billion in insurable weather-related losses. That is the cost of climate change. In Quebec, an average of $428 million a year is spent on compensation for climate disasters. These amounts are not abstract. They are very real. They represent destroyed homes, closed businesses, displaced families. They represent lives turned upside down. That is not all. Prolonged droughts are affecting our agricultural producers.”