Lost his last election, in 2000, with 39% of the vote.
Broadcasting October 11th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, the minister will have to make a decision in the case of DMX and as regards the licenses obtained from the CRTC. Does the minister recognize that, if she is prepared to protect Canadian content and the interests of the Canadian and Quebec cultures, she has the power, under the CRTC act, to cancel DMX's license?
Broadcasting October 11th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, to our knowledge, only Allegro, Galaxie and Power Music Choice have written to the CRTC to refuse to use the license clause allowing for assembly. DMX never wrote to the CRTC to say that it would not use this clause.
In this context, Allegro and Galaxie are Canadian audio services companies whose programming will be done entirely in Canada. The content of their broadcast will be 30 per cent Canadian and 25 per cent French, in accordance with the rules on Canadian content in the broadcasting sector.
Does the minister recognize that Galaxie and Allegro will be the victims of unfair competition by DMX Music, and that DMX will import unauthorized American channels and, more importantly, will be subject to licensing requirements clearly less rigorous as regards Canadian and French content?
Official Languages October 4th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, clearly, the truth is hard to take. It is up to the President of the Treasury Board to stand up for himself, for it is he who clearly spoke yesterday of "serving the allophones". So he is incapable of standing up for himself.
I wish to ask him this: if it is good for Quebec anglophones to have five times as many bilingual public servants as their demographic weight justifies, would it be logical for the same rule to apply to the francophones of New Brunswick, who represent 34 per cent of the population, or those in Ontario, who form the largest francophone minority in Canada? Why do the federal government, and the President of the Treasury Board, a francophone member of Parliament from Quebec, continue to systematically disadvantage the francophones in English-speaking Canada?
Official Languages October 4th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the President of Treasury Board alleged that 54 per cent of federal public service positions in Quebec needed to be bilingual in order to serve anglophones and allophones. By thus linking the allophones with the anglophone minority, the President of the Treasury Board, a francophone minister who is an elected member for Quebec, is openly admitting that he is working to anglicize Quebec's allophones.
My question is for the President of the Treasury Board. Why is the President of the Treasury Board, a francophone, working to anglicize Quebec's allophones, in contradiction of every language policy adopted by the governments of Quebec since 1960 for the purpose of integrating them into Quebec society through their use of the French language?
Museums October 2nd, 1996
Mr. Speaker, if I may refresh the minister's memory, scarcely two years ago, in 1994, corporate services asked her to reply within four months of the mailing date on grant applications.
If this is due to a considerable lack of efficiency, I would ask the minister to explain why she is super-efficient when she hands out flags and so negligent when dealing with museums in Quebec?
Museums October 2nd, 1996
Mr. Speaker, applications for museum financing under the Museums Assistance Program were filed with the Department of Canadian Heritage as of February 15 this year. Some Canadian museums received their replies at the end of June, but most did so at the end of August. In Quebec only one museum received a reply, and it happens to be in Shawinigan, in the Prime Minister's riding.
My question is directed to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. What explanation does the minister have for the delay in responding to museums in general and those in Quebec in particular, and why does she let small museums languish for as long as seven months before bothering to answer their applications?
The Canadian Radio-Television And Telecommunications Commission September 27th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, you know quite well the Canadian content includes 25 per cent French channels. That is very important. In the case we are concerned with, Mrs. Barshefsky, the U.S. Secretary of State for Trade, has asked her Canadian counterpart to take steps so that DMX can operate in Canada under the conditions agreed to by the CRTC and thus to ensure, without saying it in so many words, that this issue does not become an irritant between the two governments.
Concerning the intervention from the U.S. Secretary of State for Trade, what weight does the minister intend to give this request?
The Canadian Radio-Television And Telecommunications Commission September 27th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, this morning, six Quebec associations of artists-composers-performers and record producers joined their Canadian colleagues to ask the Minister of Canadian Heritage to withdraw the licences granted by the CRTC to DMX Canada and Power Music Choice.
As the minister admitted herself that the terms of those licences did not comply with Canadian standards on Canadian and francophone content, will she have the courage to cancel these licences?
Anne Hébert September 27th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, on August 29, novelist and poet Anne Hébert gave to the University of Sherbrooke several manuscripts and audio material representing the greater part of her literary work in Quebec before 1960.
These documents are an invaluable part of our heritage. When the agreement was signed between Ms Hébert and the University of Sherbrooke, university Rector Pierre Reid said to the author: "Ms Hébert, the gift you are making today to the University of Sherbrooke will form the basis of research for generations of students."
In order to promote research, the University of Sherbrooke pledged to create a centre, scheduled to open in May of 1997. Michel Gosselin, a professor of literature at the Collège de Sherbrooke, a writer and a friend of the author, will chair the steering committee of this research centre.
My colleagues and I wish to extend our warm appreciation to Ms Hébert for this gift to the Province of Quebec, and particularly to the Eastern Townships.
Francophones Outside Quebec September 25th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, it is clear the minister remains insensitive to the needs of francophones outside Quebec and needs of Acadians.
By imposing new cuts at Radio-Canada, which will have the effect of restricting local broadcasting in French to a few hours a day, would the Minister of Canadian Heritage agree that this is very similar to what was done by the Government of Ontario in 1912, when it passed Regulation 17, which restricted French to one hour a day?