Eric Lefebvre
Richmond—Arthabaska, Quebec · Conservative · Canada
“I hope the Liberals will be the eyes, ears and voice of their constituents this summer, because they are probably going to be surprised by what they hear. Canadians are not happy that their public finances are being mismanaged. They do not like that.”
“I am asking the minister to let me go meet with these employees so that they can explain what is going wrong, because that is our role. The minister refuses to meet with them. This is no joke. People working for the government want to help us, but the government refuses to meet with them.”
“I offered to meet with her and with the employees who use the Cúram system so that they can tell us what is not working so that she could fix it. She turned down my offer. Employees are willing to help us and to help the Liberal government fix this fiasco, but what did the Liberals do? They turned a deaf ear.”
“Actually, it is more accurately described as flagrant, persistent, calculated and insulting disrespect on the part of the Liberal government, day after day, toward Parliament, toward our democratic institutions, and toward all Canadians. The Parliament of Canada is a sacred place.”
“They shut down debate on Bill C‑26 . They shut down debate on Bill C‑20 . They shut down debate on Bill C‑9 . Finally, they shut down debate on Bill C‑30 . Elected officials did not have the time to study the legislation, question experts in committee or amend the clauses, which needed quite a bit of work.”
“Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to deviate slightly from protocol, as I would like to speak about a colleague who is held in high regard by all. His zest for life is unmatched. I am, of course, referring to our colleague from Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata , who suffered a serious medical emergency last week.”
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“Out of respect for the institution of the House of Commons, out of respect for Canadians, who budget, but who unfortunately are struggling to make ends meet after 10 years of an inflationary Liberal government, out of respect for our children who are currently learning abut the importance of budgeting at school and out of respect for all business owners who budget in order to be good managers, I want to say, loud and clear, this morning that it is important that the government table a budget this spring, not in the fall. The Liberals will go a year without a budget. They will manage our country without tabling a budget. It is unbelievable. What a lack of rigour. The government announced half a trillion dollars in spending without tabling a budget.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Calgary East for his inspiring speech. As a business owner, he understands the importance of budgeting and tracking expenses to know how to direct a company. Why did I choose to rise in the House today? The reason is that the Prime Minister and his minority government—let us not forget—are refusing to comply with the demand of the majority of the House and table a budget in the spring. I would like to remind the government of this.”
“Madam Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal inflationary deficits, here is the result. Last night, I received the heartbreaking testimony of a Victoriaville resident who wrote to me saying she lives alone and struggles to make ends meet. After rent, bills and various payments, she barely has enough money for food. She said she can only afford to buy food if she has any money left. That is happening here in Canada. My question is simple. Will the Liberals finally table a budget so that no one has to cut back on food?”
“Mr. Chair, with all due respect to the minister, I am not talking about a promise made by her. I am talking about the promise made by her former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, in 2018. Had a timeline been set? What was the cost in 2018?”
“Mr. Chair, I also appreciate the minister's tone, but members will understand that I only have five minutes, so I would like short answers to my short questions. What was the timeline in 2018 when the government promised a rail bypass?”
“Mr. Chair, I will be sharing my time with the member for Kildonan—St. Paul . On July 6, 2013, which was 4,352 days ago, 47 people died, 65 buildings were destroyed, a town centre was completely destroyed, and a community was forever scarred by a terrible tragedy. I am talking about the Lac‑Mégantic tragedy. Faced with these facts, I am thinking of the victims, their families and the community of Lac‑Mégantic this evening. It is with the utmost respect for them that I will be holding the minister accountable this evening. In 2018, Justin Trudeau promised to build the Lac‑Mégantic rail bypass. What was the timeline back then?”
“Mr. Speaker, the cost of groceries has skyrocketed. Unfortunately, 10 years of Liberal inflationary deficits have forced a record number of Canadians to use food banks. Unfortunately, I ran into a friend of mine from high school, François, there. He works, and he makes a budget, but he is unable to make ends meet. Children from my riding, in Victoriaville, go to school with an empty lunch box. There is nothing inside. Thank goodness we have organizations that take care of them. Will the Liberals finally table a budget to reduce inflation, lower taxes and put food on the table for our children?”
“Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump's tariffs are an unjustified attack on our Canadian workers. The Prime Minister said during the campaign that he would collect $20 billion from U.S. countertariffs, but he secretly abandoned those countermeasures. This morning was a rude awakening. Aluminum and steel workers and their families are extremely worried. Can the Prime Minister look workers and their families in the eye and tell them how much money he has collected and how they can receive that money?”
“Mr. Speaker, I do not think that we have to take any management lessons from the Liberal government. Total spending will grow almost three times faster than inflation and population growth combined. This is a half-trillion-dollar spending plan with no budget. How can Liberal colleagues who go in their ridings to meet with single mothers, families, seniors, and business owners, people who are struggling to make ends meet, accept this kind of spending without a budget?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister presented his first estimates last week. After 10 years of a Liberal government, I thought no one could do worse than Justin Trudeau. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The Prime Minister inherited a bloated Liberal government. Although he promised to spend less, he is now spending 8% more than Justin Trudeau spent in his last year, all without a budget. How will the Prime Minister of Canada explain to his colleague, Quebec's former finance minister, that Canada can be managed without a budget?”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière, with whom I had the privilege of sharing a riding when I was its MNA and he was its MP. As others have said, Quebec is lucky to have a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Quebec is home to some top-notch entrepreneurs. All these entrepreneurs prepare budgets. They use budgets to find out what their revenues are, what their expenses are, what investments will be made and what they must plan for in the short, medium and long terms, on a three-year and a five-year basis. That is what an entrepreneur does. Here, we have a Government of Canada that does not have a budget. We apologize to Canadians. We will do everything we can to get the government to present a budget as quickly as possible.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Drummond for his kind words, especially his praise for some of the small businesses in my riding. As the member said, we have a number of microbreweries, some wonderful cheese factories and many exceptional entrepreneurs in the riding of Richmond—Arthabaska. Once again, I invite everyone to visit my beautiful riding. To answer the member for Drummond's question, supply management is definitely one of our priorities. We will take the time to read the Bloc Québécois bill.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear that supply management will not be just for the people of the Eastern Townships. We will defend supply management for all farmers. We will ensure that supply management is not part of the negotiations with the United States.”
“Today, my promise to them and to all Canadian children is that I will work tirelessly with my colleagues from all parties in the House to give them a country that lives up to their dreams and ambitions, a country they will be proud of.”
“We have a duty toward the founders of our society, the men and women who built our country and contributed to its development. However, we have an obligation to look ahead and be agents of change, to give our children and grandchildren a prosperous, safe and ambitious country to live in, a country that lives up to their dreams, a country that will make them proud. Young people deserve a chance to dream of owning a home and having a job they love that makes them proud and happy. They deserve a chance to dream of living in a safe city where they can raise a family if they so desire. They deserve a chance to dream of simply being happy. My biggest dream is to be a grandpa. I truly hope I have the opportunity and privilege to get to know my future grandchildren and to spend time with them.”
“I was the team's trainer in the late 1990s, and the new member for Beauce , Jason Groleau, was a star player. There are, of course, many other attractions in my riding. I hope to have a chance to talk about them. The riding of Richmond—Arthabaska is home to caring, committed, determined and passionate people spread across 39 municipalities. These people are our farmers, our health care workers, our construction workers, our teachers, our police officers, firefighters, paramedics and all other workers. These people are the lifeblood of our municipalities, the driving force behind our regions, our province and our country. I sincerely believe that together, we can make change happen. As MPs, we must work together to help our young people achieve their dreams.”
“They might even want to climb 713 metres above sea level to the top of Mont-Ham, hiking along 18 kilometres of trails, surrounded by spectacular views. Why not stop by Place de la Traversée in Val‑des‑Sources, which has an incomparable lookout point over a mine? It is one of the largest open-pit mines in the world. In the summer, there is also a farmers' market there. Speaking of local products, I would be remiss if I did not mention the Balade gourmande, an October event that promotes food trails with stops at farms, vineyards, cheese factories, microbreweries and apiaries. It offers a chance to taste and buy local Quebec products. I invite my colleagues to come watch the Victoriaville Tigres play in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.”
“Kingsey Falls is also where the Lemaire brothers and their family founded Cascades, a company that is a point of pride for Quebec, Canada and my riding. I also invite members to come visit the Ulverton Wool Mill and stay for a cup of tea. There, they can learn all about Quebec's industrial past. Built in 1840, the wool mill has since been given a new lease on life as a window to a bygone manufacturing era. The historic Windsor Powder Mill is another star attraction. A former black powder manufacturing plant, it now serves as an interpretation centre focused on explaining the history of black powder production at the plant and offering up interesting facts. For instance, back then, the more dangerous the occupation, the higher the wage. It is a little like the job of Speaker of the House. Visitors can also go for a hike any time of year.”
“What is the real projected deficit? Canadians have the right to know. It is their money, it is their country. I expect the Liberal government to defend supply management tooth and nail. I expect the Liberal government to be there for our business people affected by the tariff crisis. I hope that the Liberal government will continue to steal good Conservative ideas and put them to work for Canadians. Now I would like to highlight a few of the attractions in my magnificent riding. Mont Gleason, in Tingwick, has a lot to offer winter sports enthusiasts, like downhill skiing, snowboarding, hiking and tubing, all at top-rated facilities on a magical site. (1310) Marie-Victorin Park in Kingsey Falls is a garden bursting with 60,000 annuals and rare conifers, giant mosaicultures and seven themed gardens.”
“I would like to sincerely thank my leader, Pierre Poilievre, for believing in me and for asking me to join the great Conservative family, which is committed to putting money back in the pockets of Canadians by cutting taxes, creating an energy corridor, developing our natural resources, reducing bureaucracy and shrinking the size of government. Over the past 10 years, the Liberals have maxed out our credit card. They have maxed out our children's credit cards, and we will be there to make sure that they do not max out our great-grandchildren's credit cards. How are we going to do that? We are going to start by expecting a budget from the Liberal government. How can the Liberals govern rigorously and responsibly if they run our country blind? What are the real planned expenditures? What are the real projected revenues?”
“I want to thank my children, Laurence, Rosalie, Amora and Marie-Éden, who are experiencing both the downsides and the upsides of politics. Lastly, I want to thank my wife, Geneviève, who was by my side for the nine years I served as a member of the National Assembly and who will continue to be by my side while I serve as the federal member for the magnificent riding of Richmond—Arthabaska. I would also like to acknowledge the political commitment of Alain Rayes, my predecessor. Alain served as mayor of Victoriaville for six years and was the member of Parliament for Richmond—Arthabaska for nearly 10 years. He has had a full political career serving his constituents. I thank Alain and wish him all the best in the future.”
“I took on this mandate with humility and determination. I would like to remind the House that I have been the member of Parliament for all the people of the riding of Richmond—Arthabaska since the day after the election. I won the election on April 28 because of my team, and I want to thank the key players. I am grateful to Pierre-Luc, Denis, Francis, Yannick, Isabelle, Richard, Pierre, Martin, Brigitte and Brian. I am grateful to all of the ambassadors who agreed to get out there in support of my candidacy. I am grateful to all of the volunteers. Over 100 of them went out and put up signs in the rain, wind and hail. Mother Nature was raging, but people were out there putting up signs in 39 municipalities. I am also grateful to all of the other volunteers who got involved.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a few seconds to appreciate this moment, which I will remember for the rest of my life. I rise in the House today because I have the immense privilege of being one of the 343 people chosen to represent 41 million Canadians. Ours is a weighty responsibility; we have a big job to do, and it is up to us to deliver results. This is a privilege we must earn every day. For the past nine years, I had the privilege of serving as the member for Arthabaska-L'Érable in the Quebec National Assembly. I always said that it was a privilege to be my constituents' eyes, voice and ears in Quebec City. Today, I am making that same commitment to the people of Richmond—Arthabaska here in the House of Commons. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank them for their trust.”