Richard Lehoux

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, December 16th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture entered into an agreement with Quebec this past August to increase the percentage of temporary foreign workers in the agri-food industry from 10% to 20%. Unfortunately, nothing has been done since.

Exceldor, Quebec's largest chicken slaughter plant, is still short more than 300 workers. These delays are forcing them to euthanize chickens. Animals are being sacrificed, and so is producers' revenue. I have a simple question for the minister: When will the 20% rate be applied in Quebec?

[Volunteer Home Care, December 14th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to thank voters in Beauce for re-electing me to serve a second mandate and be their voice here in the House. I would also like to thank my family for their invaluable support, and my team, who worked so hard during my campaign and are still working hard to this day.

I would like to tell everyone about an organization in my riding called Lien Partage. For the past 45 years, its mission has been to provide volunteer home support services to people who need assistance and to make health promotion services available to those over the age of 50.

It is so easy to forget how lucky we are to be healthy and independent. Anyone can lose their independence, and not everyone is lucky enough to have loved ones to look after them.

I am grateful to all the organization's volunteers, past and present, for their dedication to serving our communities. I thank them for focusing on others for a few hours a week, making sure they get food to eat and helping them feel less lonely. Their actions make all the difference, and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.

[Seniors, December 10th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, more and more seniors in my riding are experiencing financial difficulties because of the pandemic.

The current government has created two classes of seniors. It is time for the government to review the indexation of benefits for seniors over 65, because $1 a month is not enough. Furthermore, the spike in prices due to inflation is getting out of control.

Our seniors deserve better. The Minister of Seniors keeps saying that she has an ambitious agenda for seniors. When will she introduce it?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, December 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Employment is seriously behind in processing labour market impact assessments.

Yes, it has hired more staff, but why has it not informed the Department of Immigration about these delays? There is a severe labour shortage, yet the Department of Immigration is sending out notices to workers telling them that they must leave Canada within 90 days because they have not received LMIAs on time.

What do these two ministers have to say? I am asking them here in the House, because neither of them has had the decency to reply to my emails.

[Pensions, June 22nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government promised seniors an increase in their pensions, and rightly so, since many of them struggled during the pandemic.

However, to everyone’s surprise, it decided to give it only to those 75 years of age and older. Through its lack of logic, the government is creating two classes of seniors.

What does the government have to say to Colette in Saint-Georges, who is 68, and to many other Beauce residents who are struggling financially?

When will the Liberals do the right thing and make 65-year-olds eligible for the same increase?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, June 7th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, it has now been over a month since I sent the immigration minister an open letter, co-signed by 14 businesses in my region, to speak out about the endless delays and unnecessary red tape involved in processing applications from foreign workers. These businesses are waiting for landscapers, welders, mechanics and machinists, and they no longer know where to turn to get their files moving.

Santa Claus is basically their last chance. At least he answers all the letters he receives.

Will the minister finally take action for the good of these businesses?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, June 3rd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, summer is right around the corner, and with it come seasonal jobs.

Two businesses in my riding, Groupe Ferti and Émondage Pouliot, are already on the verge of losing valuable contracts because of a labour shortage. Their files have been gathering dust at the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada office for quite a while. Time is running out and the deadlines are getting tighter.

The immigration minister has announced that the processing of files will be improved in the coming years, but what is being done for right now?

Are we telling those businesses to cancel the contracts, to go back on their word? Is that really the message the minister wants to send?

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, June 1st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, today being World Milk Day, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Over the past year, the government has finally made some announcements for dairy farmers, but our dairy processors are still waiting. Negotiations on compensation under CUSMA have stalled. Meanwhile, our American counterparts are already disputing the tariff rate quotas.

What will the minister do to better protect the Canadian dairy sector and the products that cross our borders? When will we see real help for processors?

[Health, May 13th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, after the sole-source contract debacle, the blunders keep on coming with the Liberal plan for processing foreign workers' tests. Many tests that were entrusted to Switch Health are still incomplete or have been lost, and nobody seems to have any answers.

Now Dynacare, the new supplier in Quebec, is asking businesses to bring quarantining workers to Montreal for in-person tests.

Has the government come up with a new mobile quarantine I am not aware of, or is this some kind of joke? When will the government clean up this mess?

[Business of Supply, May 13th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I have a very simple question for my colleague.

Does he think the current government does not want to negotiate with the opposition parties? This appears to be the case on a number of issues. I would like to hear his thoughts. Why does he think the government does not want to negotiate in good faith with the opposition parties?