Michel Picard

Mr. Speaker, I reiterate that we are concerned about harassment and we are working with RCMP officials to ensure that the RCMP provides a workplace free from harassment and sexual violence.

Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned about fraud, especially phone scams, which are proliferating in Canada and becoming more and more sophisticated. It has gotten very hard for Canadians to tell the difference between legitimate calls and fraudulent ones. A recently aired documentary revealed that call centres in India are targeting Canadian citizens. Would the Prime Minister tell the House what the government is doing to protect them?

Mr. Speaker, this is the perfect opportunity to remind the member that we already announced, last June, a $138-million investment to upgrade immigration detention centres. In addition to the upgrades, we are going to find other alternatives, because we believe that these detention centres should be a last resort. We have begun moving forward on that.

Mr. Speaker, the government is engaged in productive talks with our partners to the south to make it easier for both Americans and Canadians to cross the border. We have discussed specific issues, such as marijuana, and those issues will be the focus of future talks to improve the situation.

Mr. Speaker, our dairy industry supports 221,000 Canadian jobs and contributes up to $20 billion to our GDP. Our government remains strongly committed to supporting our producers and their families.The Canadian Dairy Commission is vital to to the operation of our supply management system. However, the Conservatives shamefully voted against its funding, jeopardizing supply management yet again.Can the Minister of Agriculture talk about our support for the system?

Mr. Speaker, the government is very concerned about the increase in opioid abuse and the growing number of overdoses in Canada. In 2014-15, the Canada Border Services Agency carried out over 8,000 seizures for a total value of about $400 million. The agency is currently looking at ways to improve its ability to detect and intercept illegal drugs. We grieve alongside Canadians who have lost loved ones to fentanyl, and we are working very hard to put a stop to the scourge of this devastating drug.

Mr. Speaker, numerous studies have shown that internal trade represents about a fifth of Canada's GDP and close to 40% of the provinces' and territories' exports.The agreement on internal trade, which was recently scrapped, was a useless barrier to free trade between members of our federation.On Friday, we learned that our government and the provinces and territories had struck a new deal to facilitate trade. Can the minister tell us more about this new agreement?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.Harassment is a serious issue that is unacceptable within the RCMP or within any other organization.I want to inform the House that two members of the RCMP have been suspended in connection with this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.I will add to my colleague's concern and say that we are also aware of not only the growth of the indigenous inmate population, but also the growth of the population of older people in certain regions of Canada and the population of younger people in other regions of Canada. This is evidence to indicate that accepting the correctional investigator's recommendations is the first step in coming up with solutions.

Mr. Speaker, ministerial directives exist to protect Canadians' rights and freedoms. Our government is doing important work to implement more mechanisms to ensure that our national security organizations are complying with the law. We introduced the parliamentary oversight committee bill precisely to strengthen our oversight of such practices.

Mr. Speaker, summer is fast approaching, or at least we hope it is, and festival season is starting up. The calendar is already packed in Montarville, with outdoor stages, exhibitions and other activities, and they are counting on even more people to attend. Budget 2019 increased funding for festivals and various local events. Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism tell the House how the government will support festivals like the ones in my riding?

Mr. Speaker, obviously we do not agree with this type of activity. However, ministerial directives are there to protect the safety and security of Canadians as well as their rights and freedoms. Although the directives are currently being reviewed, they are part of our consultation processes. They are also the reason why we submitted the plan for a committee of parliamentarians for study: precisely to review this type of activity.

Mr. Speaker, live long and prosper. Space is the final frontier and pushes the limits of what is possible.Canada's involvement in science and space exploration benefits us all. Canadian astronauts are true modern-day explorers who inspire young Canadians who are interested in studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development tell us about Canada's participation in the International Space Station?

Mr. Speaker, the riding of Montarville knows that tourism is important to its economy. For example, an average of 750,000 people visit Mont-Saint-Bruno provincial park, and another 300,000 visit Ski Saint-Bruno.As Canadians and visitors from around the globe celebrated Canada's 150th, it is my understanding that in the province of Quebec alone we set a new record of almost 3.1 million. Can the Minister of Small Business and Tourism update this House on last year's record-setting tourism year?

Mr. Speaker, this week the international grand committee on big data, privacy and democracy is meeting in Ottawa to understand how governments around the world can tackle challenges to our democracies.We know that Canada enjoys a strong democracy that is an example to the world. However, a lot of work remains to be done to develop our model of open government.Could the President of the Treasury Board tell the House about the leadership role Canada is playing on this important topic?

Mr. Speaker, this week the international grand committee on big data, privacy and democracy is meeting in Ottawa to understand how governments around the world can tackle challenges to our democracies.We know that Canada enjoys a strong democracy that is an example to the world. However, a lot of work remains to be done to develop our model of open government.Could the President of the Treasury Board tell the House about the leadership role Canada is playing on this important topic?

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry that I missed part of the question, but generally speaking, Correctional Services is undertaking consultations with its partners to make sure that when we have someone in detention, it is mainly for security reasons and purposes. This is looked at as the last resort possible, and we are working on alternative solutions to ease it.

Mr. Speaker, residents of my riding, Montarville, especially families with young children, clearly understand the tax benefits. It is obvious that they are very interested in the changes the government plans to make. In light of our strong economic growth and proof that our plan for the middle class is working, can the Minister of Finance tell us about the current economic situation?

Mr. Speaker, there is no denying that rural communities have a significant impact on the national economy. They provide jobs to over four million Canadians and contribute nearly 30% of the GDP, which is considerable.It is important for our government to have a “made in rural” plan to address the unique infrastructure needs and economic opportunities facing rural communities.Can the Prime Minister tell us about our government's efforts to support Canada's rural communities?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We welcome the recommendations in the correctional investigator's report. We are well aware of this issue and we are working together to develop best practices, which shows that we are collaborating and working hard to make improvements for first nations peoples.

Mr. Speaker, there was good news for Canada in Washington yesterday. We reached an agreement in principle that will expand preclearance to several sites, including Montreal's Central Station, Vancouver's Rocky Mountaineer Station, and Jean Lesage International Airport, which is in the riding represented by my colleague from Louis-HébertThis agreement will facilitate the movement of goods and people and improve border security. That is what can be achieved in negotiations with a better partner in Washington.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.Harassment is a serious issue that is unacceptable within the RCMP or within any other organization.I want to inform the House that two members of the RCMP have been suspended in connection with this issue.

Mr. Speaker, the government is very concerned about the increase in opioid abuse and the growing number of overdoses in Canada. In 2014-15, the Canada Border Services Agency carried out over 8,000 seizures for a total value of about $400 million. The agency is currently looking at ways to improve its ability to detect and intercept illegal drugs. We grieve alongside Canadians who have lost loved ones to fentanyl, and we are working very hard to put a stop to the scourge of this devastating drug.

Mr. Speaker, I reiterate that we are concerned about harassment and we are working with RCMP officials to ensure that the RCMP provides a workplace free from harassment and sexual violence.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We welcome the recommendations in the correctional investigator's report. We are well aware of this issue and we are working together to develop best practices, which shows that we are collaborating and working hard to make improvements for first nations peoples.

Mr. Speaker, ministerial directives exist to protect Canadians' rights and freedoms. Our government is doing important work to implement more mechanisms to ensure that our national security organizations are complying with the law. We introduced the parliamentary oversight committee bill precisely to strengthen our oversight of such practices.

Mr. Speaker, our dairy industry supports 221,000 Canadian jobs and contributes up to $20 billion to our GDP. Our government remains strongly committed to supporting our producers and their families.The Canadian Dairy Commission is vital to to the operation of our supply management system. However, the Conservatives shamefully voted against its funding, jeopardizing supply management yet again.Can the Minister of Agriculture talk about our support for the system?

Mr. Speaker, there was good news for Canada in Washington yesterday. We reached an agreement in principle that will expand preclearance to several sites, including Montreal's Central Station, Vancouver's Rocky Mountaineer Station, and Jean Lesage International Airport, which is in the riding represented by my colleague from Louis-HébertThis agreement will facilitate the movement of goods and people and improve border security. That is what can be achieved in negotiations with a better partner in Washington.

Mr. Speaker, this week the international grand committee on big data, privacy and democracy is meeting in Ottawa to understand how governments around the world can tackle challenges to our democracies.We know that Canada enjoys a strong democracy that is an example to the world. However, a lot of work remains to be done to develop our model of open government.Could the President of the Treasury Board tell the House about the leadership role Canada is playing on this important topic?

Mr. Speaker, this week the international grand committee on big data, privacy and democracy is meeting in Ottawa to understand how governments around the world can tackle challenges to our democracies.We know that Canada enjoys a strong democracy that is an example to the world. However, a lot of work remains to be done to develop our model of open government.Could the President of the Treasury Board tell the House about the leadership role Canada is playing on this important topic?

Mr. Speaker, this is the perfect opportunity to remind the member that we already announced, last June, a $138-million investment to upgrade immigration detention centres. In addition to the upgrades, we are going to find other alternatives, because we believe that these detention centres should be a last resort. We have begun moving forward on that.

Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned about fraud, especially phone scams, which are proliferating in Canada and becoming more and more sophisticated. It has gotten very hard for Canadians to tell the difference between legitimate calls and fraudulent ones. A recently aired documentary revealed that call centres in India are targeting Canadian citizens. Would the Prime Minister tell the House what the government is doing to protect them?

Mr. Speaker, there is no denying that rural communities have a significant impact on the national economy. They provide jobs to over four million Canadians and contribute nearly 30% of the GDP, which is considerable.It is important for our government to have a “made in rural” plan to address the unique infrastructure needs and economic opportunities facing rural communities.Can the Prime Minister tell us about our government's efforts to support Canada's rural communities?

Mr. Speaker, residents of my riding, Montarville, especially families with young children, clearly understand the tax benefits. It is obvious that they are very interested in the changes the government plans to make. In light of our strong economic growth and proof that our plan for the middle class is working, can the Minister of Finance tell us about the current economic situation?

Mr. Speaker, obviously we do not agree with this type of activity. However, ministerial directives are there to protect the safety and security of Canadians as well as their rights and freedoms. Although the directives are currently being reviewed, they are part of our consultation processes. They are also the reason why we submitted the plan for a committee of parliamentarians for study: precisely to review this type of activity.

Mr. Speaker, live long and prosper. Space is the final frontier and pushes the limits of what is possible.Canada's involvement in science and space exploration benefits us all. Canadian astronauts are true modern-day explorers who inspire young Canadians who are interested in studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development tell us about Canada's participation in the International Space Station?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.I will add to my colleague's concern and say that we are also aware of not only the growth of the indigenous inmate population, but also the growth of the population of older people in certain regions of Canada and the population of younger people in other regions of Canada. This is evidence to indicate that accepting the correctional investigator's recommendations is the first step in coming up with solutions.

Mr. Speaker, the riding of Montarville knows that tourism is important to its economy. For example, an average of 750,000 people visit Mont-Saint-Bruno provincial park, and another 300,000 visit Ski Saint-Bruno.As Canadians and visitors from around the globe celebrated Canada's 150th, it is my understanding that in the province of Quebec alone we set a new record of almost 3.1 million. Can the Minister of Small Business and Tourism update this House on last year's record-setting tourism year?

Mr. Speaker, numerous studies have shown that internal trade represents about a fifth of Canada's GDP and close to 40% of the provinces' and territories' exports.The agreement on internal trade, which was recently scrapped, was a useless barrier to free trade between members of our federation.On Friday, we learned that our government and the provinces and territories had struck a new deal to facilitate trade. Can the minister tell us more about this new agreement?

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry that I missed part of the question, but generally speaking, Correctional Services is undertaking consultations with its partners to make sure that when we have someone in detention, it is mainly for security reasons and purposes. This is looked at as the last resort possible, and we are working on alternative solutions to ease it.

Mr. Speaker, summer is fast approaching, or at least we hope it is, and festival season is starting up. The calendar is already packed in Montarville, with outdoor stages, exhibitions and other activities, and they are counting on even more people to attend. Budget 2019 increased funding for festivals and various local events. Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism tell the House how the government will support festivals like the ones in my riding?