Alain Rayes

[Canadian Heritage, May 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we got some very bad news in my riding this year.

For several years now, Victoriaville, the centre of 39 municipalities in my riding, has been hosting Canada Day celebrations. For some unknown reason, and despite the work of the heritage minister's office, no funding will be allocated to help organize Canada Day. Despite the fact that the municipality and business people are involved, there will be no Canada Day celebrations in my riding on July 1.

What does the Prime Minister think about that?

[Canada Border Services Agency, May 1st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, more than 20 economic organizations across the country have raised red flags about the major risks involved in the upcoming deployment of the new Canada Border Services Agency assessment and revenue management software on May 13.

After the financial and human disasters surrounding the implementation of Phoenix and the ArriveCAN app, a third failure would be catastrophic and would once again cost millions in taxpayer dollars.

Can the Prime Minister tell us whether his government intends to postpone the implementation date? What does he plan to do to avert another multi-million dollar IT fiasco?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, April 18th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the government has reinstated the requirement that most Mexicans must obtain a visa to enter Canada. People with valid work permits can come to Canada with a simple electronic authorization. Their family members and children, however, cannot be included in the same application.

They have to apply for a visitor visa for their children, which is a much longer process. A mother in my riding lost her job because she could not return to Canada unless she abandoned her child in Mexico. The worker loses, the family loses and the business gets left in the lurch.

Is the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship planning to fix this situation right away?

[Seniors, April 8th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, ever since I have been an MP, we have received the list of proposals that have been granted or denied New Horizons funding every February. New Horizons is a program that helps improve the lives of our seniors.

Unfortunately, for some reason, we did not get that information this year, which makes it impossible for us to help organizations in our ridings. My office has sent three emails, made five phone calls and even sent a fax to the office of the Minister of Labour and Seniors. We have received no response, not even an acknowledgement.

This is discouraging for members of Parliament trying to do our job. Can the minister explain why we are not getting this information? What is he going to do to fix this?

[Inclusive Diagonale des Fous, April 8th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a group of athletes from my region who have huge hearts. These individuals will form the first team from the Americas to take part in the “Diagonale des Fous”, a trail running ultra marathon, with a person with a disability. This wild adventure will play out in October 2024 on Réunion Island, following several months of training.

During this legendary race, the captain, Samuel Saucier, who has Louis-Bar syndrome, will lead a team of runners who will have to overcome a number of technical and human challenges. Imagine a person with a disability, determined to live life to the fullest, competing in one of the toughest races in the world in an all-terrain wheelchair called a Joëlette. Imagine 20 or so runners covering a 100‑kilometre trail with an altitude difference of more than 5,000 metres. By tackling this monumental challenge, the participants hope to demonstrate that, together, we can ensure that our society offers equal opportunities to all, regardless of their physical status.

Congratulations to the entire Réseau Autonomie Santé team, who serve as an example to us all. They are so inspiring.

[Finance, March 18th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, since the Liberal government took office in 2015, we have been running deficits every year.

The country's debt has been skyrocketing since then, and more and more people are concerned. The cost of living continues to rise, federal spending seems to be out of control, and then there are the various financial scandals, with ArriveCAN being the most recent.

My question for the Minister of Finance is very simple. Will she finally introduce a plan to balance the budget when she tables her next budget on April 16?

[Justice, February 14th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, after question period, every member will have the opportunity to rise to vote on the NDP's Bill C‑273 to repeal section 43 of the Criminal Code, which allows an adult to use corporal punishment on a child for so-called educational purposes.

More than 65 countries in the world have done this and 27 others have initiated the process. It is what the UN committee on the protection of children has called for. Call to action 6 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada is calling for it, as is the Canadian Medical Association.

Can the Prime Minister confirm that his government will support this initiative to protect our children?

[The Environment, February 8th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, on October 23, I asked the Minister of Environment a question about why the federal government was taking an unreasonably long time to reimburse people under the Canada greener homes grant. I was told that the government was aware of the problem and that the situation was going to improve.

However, some people in my riding received a letter in December that said that their grant application had been approved and that they would get their cheque in the next 30 days. What they actually ended up getting, 30 days later, was a letter saying that their grant application had been denied. It takes two months to be reimbursed by the Government of Quebec, but it takes more than 18 months to be reimbursed by the federal government.

Is there anyone responsible in this government who could make sure that this program, which is so important, actually works?

[Taxation, February 2nd, 2024]

Madam Speaker, on December 2, 2022, and on February 15, March 23 and March 25, 2023, I asked the government a question concerning a 30-year old tax law that penalizes Canadian businesses, despite the fact that they use only local products that are good for our health.

Life is getting more and more expensive, and eating healthy is becoming harder and harder for families. By addressing this situation, the government would be helping people to buy healthy food that is less expensive while putting an end to an injustice that forces SMEs to compete unfairly with multinationals.

Will the Minister of Finance take action on this file?

[François Tardif, February 1st, 2024]

Madam Speaker, today, I would like to pay tribute to a great man, a great soccer coach in my region, but above all an exceptional human being with a huge heart who left us far too soon.

Everyone called him Frank. He was a man with a zest for life, a loving husband, an exceptional father, a generous friend and an outstanding soccer coach who devoted more than 40 years of his life to teaching others and sharing his passion for soccer and life. He was a pioneer and a model to us all. His passion, joie de vivre and sense of humour left a positive mark on the careers and lives of many a young athlete.

In a book on the history of soccer, François Tardif was quoted as saying, “Soccer, what a great sport! You chase after a ball, but it is so much more than that. This sport is also about living together, respecting others, learning to put your shoulder to the wheel; it is a way of socializing. Without teamwork, we would just be kicking a ball!”

My condolences go to his wife, Micheline, his children, Audrey and Alex, his grandchildren, his friends, and all the players he coached. Thank you, Frank.