Louise Thibault

[Port Facilities, May 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the port facilities in Rimouski East are still the property of Transport Canada. Unfortunately—and the department knows it—they are not able to withstand the devastating impact of high tides on the boats that are moored there. What is more, last Tuesday evening the CNM Évolution ferry, which provides a link between Rimouski and Forestville, suffered several thousands of dollars in damages.

Does the minister intend to take action, to assume his responsibilities and meet the ongoing needs of the many users of this wharf by ensuring that the necessary work is done as soon as possible?

[Budget Implementation Act, May 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, during his speech, the member talked about a very important issue: agriculture and the financial crisis facing this sensitive economic sector.

There is also another serious crisis going on, this one among the unemployed, particularly among older workers. They need a new assistance program. Such a program once existed, but the former government cut it.

Can the member tell the House what he thinks of the Conservative government's inaction on this matter?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2006, May 15th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, we just heard a member say, “We have always kept our commitments”.

My question is very short and simple. Why did you not keep your commitment when a unanimous resolution was reached in this House concerning the creation of a POWA?

[Pierre Harvey, May 15th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, passion, perseverance and versatility are a few words that perfectly describe cross-country skier Pierre Harvey.

Pierre Harvey was one of the first athletes from Quebec to make his mark on the international circuit. During his career, he won three cross-country skiing world cups, an unimaginable feat for a Canadian in the 1980s.

A member of the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Order of Canada, Pierre Harvey showed that anything was possible with effort, in his case, in both cycling and cross-country skiing.

On April 29, the Canadian Olympic Committee inducted this great athlete from Quebec into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding achievements.

The Bloc Québécois members join me in congratulating Pierre Harvey on his prestigious career.

[Infrastructure, May 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the federal ports divestiture program has just ended, but the Trois-Pistoles wharf still has not been transferred or restored.

Given the importance to the regional economy of restoring this wharf and reinstating the Trois-Pistoles—Les Escoumins ferry service, can the Minister of Transport guarantee the continuation of the port transfer program as soon as possible?

[Federal Accountability Act, April 25th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, you will forgive me for being flabbergasted. I imagine that many of my Bloc colleagues are as well. I am going to question the member for Mégantic—L'Érable on this point.

It is caused, in part, by the terminology he has chosen. He has obviously used his party’s slogan and said that his government would keep its promises, that it would solve the problem of cynicism and that it would restore trust.

My question is about the transparency and accountability the government talks about. One of the first things the Conservative Prime Minister did was to appoint a minister who had not been elected. That person cannot, therefore, be accountable for his department in this House. This seems to me to be the height of inconsistency.

With respect to the terminology he used, I would very much like the member to explain to me how that is consistent. To the majority of people who heard that decision, this is total inconsistency coming from a government that calls itself transparent and that wants to hold people accountable.

I am the Bloc Québécois critic for public works and government services. I will never see the minister in this House. How can you explain this, from a government that advocates transparency and accountability?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, April 24th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the voters in Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques for placing their trust in me for the second time. I want to assure them that I will do everything I can to represent them effectively.

I thank my colleague for his remarks. He touched on something that is dear to my heart and an important issue to the vast majority of voters in my riding: port infrastructure. As my colleague knows, there are several ports in the beautiful lower St. Lawrence region. We also have a pressing need for investment.

I would appreciate knowing the hon. member's opinion on the port infrastructure divestiture program and the urgent need to renew that program. In his speech, he gave one example. I will give another. People on both sides of the St. Lawrence, in both Les Escoumins and Trois-Pistoles, need an immediate response from the government. They are waiting for an answer. It is disappointing that the throne speech says nothing about transportation infrastructure, particularly ports.

I would like to know the member's opinion about the urgent need to renew the program. When municipalities or corporations so choose, when intermunicipal boards are created, they should be able to take advantage of divestiture programs in future in order to help the regional economy recover, in my region as in his.

[Marc Thibault, April 11th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, it is with heartfelt emotion that I pay tribute today to Marc Thibault, who passed away on March 13.

For nearly four decades, Marc Thibault was a strong and vocal defender of the journalistic independence of Radio-Canada's news service.

He ran the educational and public affairs broadcast service from 1957 to 1964, and the news service from 1968 to 1981. He served as policy director for French network programming until his retirement in 1985 and he chaired the Conseil de presse du Québec from 1987 to 1991.

My Bloc Québécois colleagues join me in extending our best wishes to Monique, Sophie and Luc following the loss of a man who was exceptional in many ways.

[Supply, November 24th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it is like listening to the members of a mutual admiration society.

I would like to ask the member who just spoke a question about the democratic deficit. He obviously sung its praises and described it in the most glowing terms. But I would like to hear him speak about the democratic deficit in light of the following.

It is this government that undemocratically deprived the House of opposition days and postponed them so that they would become less and less relevant. It is also this government that utterly refuses to recognize a motion passed by a majority of the House this week, that is to say, a decision made democratically by all the legally elected representatives of the people of Canada, and insofar as I am concerned, the people of Quebec.

[Pointe-au-Père Wharf, November 23rd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, Transport Canada is responsible for the wharves it still owns. When human safety is at risk, work must be done as promptly as possible because any delay constitutes a real danger, even when a wharf has been declared out of service. That is the case with the Pointe-au-Père wharf, which is a threat to the community. Any delay is unacceptable and if the minister does not believe me, I have pictures that clearly illustrate my concerns.

Can the Minister of Transport tell us when the Pointe-au-Père wharf will be filled in with rock and made safe?