House of Commons photo

Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was quebec.

Last in Parliament May 2004, as Bloc MP for Manicouagan (Québec)

Won his last election, in 2000, with 53% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Supply May 8th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, first, my colleague referred to the BAPE. I would tell him that indeed the BAPE recommended that Quebec develop its own policy on drinking water and environment.

I would also remind him that in my riding, there is no contamination attributable to Quebec, to the government of Quebec. None whatsoever.

There is contamination in Sept-Îles and in my area, for example in the beaches area, where 1,000 people are without water, but this contamination is due to the government that my colleague is a member of.

Supply May 8th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, when I said that this changes everything, I just wanted to say that this unequivocally clarifies the amendment put forward by my hon. colleague for Anjou—Rivière-de-Prairies.

The Liberal government and the members opposite, who claim to be people concerned with clarity in issues related to acts and regulations, find some clarity in the amendment to the amendment put forward by the Bloc Quebecois. It is clear that we know where we are going.

As for the question asked by my hon. colleague, the answer is no. I think we have to trust provincial governments. As for the Quebec government, I fully trust it. Besides, if my hon. colleague has read the regulations on the environment and drinking water that will soon be adopted in Quebec, he will see that the federal government has nothing to teach the Quebec government in this regard.

Supply May 8th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, if I rise in the House today, it is first and foremost to support the amendment to the amendment moved by my colleague from Charlesbourg—Jacques-Cartier, whom I want to congratulate and thank for his excellent work.

The amendment to the amendment moved by my colleague totally changes the motion of our Conservative colleagues. I truly believe that, once again, the federal government is trying to gain public support in an area that is not its responsibility. However that is nothing new from the federal government since it does that in several areas, such as parental leave and education, to name just two.

Is there, under the Canadian constitution, an area that is more clearly under provincial jurisdiction than education? Yet, the federal government insists on interfering in that area.

When I hear this government say that it wants to establish national standards, I find it absolutely scandalous. I have here a Transport Canada document, an inventory of contaminated sites. It says that a single department has contaminated 41 sites in Quebec.

So if we take one department of the Government of Canada and we multiply that by 10 provinces, it means that about 400 sites would have been contaminated by that department throughout the country, unless it only contaminated sites in Quebec because it likes us so much.

In my riding alone, there are about five sites that are totally contaminated and for three years now the Bloc Quebecois and the member for Manicouagan have been urging the federal government to assume its responsibilities, that is to apply the polluter pays rule.

How can we trust a government that continues to pollute, that does not assume its responsibilities and that is trying to preach to the provinces by saying: “We will set national standards”? Before lecturing anyone, I think the federal government should assume its responsibilities.

This is why the amendment to the amendment put forward by my colleague from the Bloc Quebecois is very important. I am confident that all the members in this House will support this amendment to the amendment, which will make it possible for us to vote in favour of the motion.

I would say that the motion before the House is a legitimate one because what could be more legitimate than to want to provide the public with drinking water. As usual, the government has decided to infringe upon areas of exclusive provincial jurisdiction. The federal government is trying to demonstrate to Canadians that the provinces cannot handle it without its help, when we know that it was the federal government that created this problem in the first place by cutting, as it did, transfer payments to provinces and funding that would have helped provinces to provide these services to the public.

Now the federal government is getting ready to spend money in provincial areas of jurisdiction because, as we say in Quebec, it has the cash to do it. It cut the funding to the provinces in order to better control them afterwards.

Well, Quebec has news for the federal government. Water management is an area of provincial jurisdiction and the Bloc Quebecois is opposed to any federal involvement in this area.

Some may say that the Bloc sounds like a broken record, but this is the root cause of the problem we have in this country. The federal government is always trying to interfere in provincial jurisdictions.

As far as the issue at hand is concerned, it is clear, since we are talking about water, we could say as clear as spring water, that water quality and availability come under provincial jurisdiction.

Why would the federal government want to get involved? The problems in provinces like Ontario and Saskatchewan do not justify duplicating a system that is working just fine. We have seen the standards established by Quebec and Ontario, and, as my colleague indicated this afternoon, Quebec ranked first.

Quebec emphasizes prevention more. The standards on byproducts of water disinfection are stricter in Quebec than in any other province. Parasite removal requirements are also more stringent. With the standards in the new draft regulations about to be passed by the Quebec government, its water quality standards will be the highest in any province. Why would the federal government want to interfere in a situation that is so clear?

The Bloc Quebecois objects categorically to federal involvement and maintains that the only thing the federal government should do in that area is to correct the problems of its own making, when it has contaminated the water table and thus deprived people of safe drinking water.

This, as members will have guessed, is part of the numerous representations I have made, with the support of the Bloc Quebecois, to have the government solve the problem of the beaches area in Sept-Îles. Time and again, we have heard the government say “We did everything that had to be done to correct the situation”. Today, we are once again asking for a real solution.

On June 19, 2000, the Quebec department of the environment announced new draft regulations on the quality of drinking water. These regulations are being reviewed by the provincial cabinet and, as I mentioned earlier, are about to be adopted. Instead of trying to copy what was done in Quebec, the federal government must do all it can to correct the situations for which it is responsible.

Since Quebec ranks first, emphasizes prevention more and has stricter standards for water disinfection byproducts, as I said, the Bloc Quebecois supports the initiatives of the Quebec government and objects to the federal government interfering in this area in such an unacceptable fashion.

It has to correct the situations it itself caused. I mentioned these at the beginning of my speech. They include the pollution of the beaches at Sept-Îles and even at Havre-Saint-Pierre, in my riding, where the airport site was affected.

If the federal government wants to look after drinking water the way it is looking after decontaminating the beaches water, that will be just great. We have been asking the federal government to decontaminate the beaches for three years. There are other sites we are demanding they decontaminate as well. Now it tell us it is going to adopt national standards. Just because certain provinces have problems does not mean that the federal government has to charge in where it has no business. Once again, it is interfering and duplicating provincial responsibilities.

Since my time is running out, I hope that, once again, members of the House will support the amendment to the amendment of the member for Charlesbourg—Jacques-Cartier and that we will all finally be able to vote in favour of a motion which will improve the public's drinking water.

Quebec Cartier Mining Company May 1st, 2001

Mr. Speaker, on March 19, the Quebec Cartier Mining Company took its workers by surprise by announcing a lockout.

Yesterday morning, I was pleased to learn that production was gradually resuming, after more than 70% of the 1,700 employees voted in favour of the company's offer.

The new collective agreement introduces new ways of organizing the work, as well as financial improvements to earnings, pensions and employee benefits.

I know from experience that attaining such an agreement requires both parties to sit down at the same table and negotiate in good faith.

As the member for Manicouagan, I wish to congratulate all the employees, and the representatives of their union and of management. There are a number of other companies in Port-Cartier and Fermont who can take this agreement as their model.

Resource Industries April 24th, 2001

Madam Chairman, let me reassure my colleague. At my age, and being born in Quebec, I do not need a map to go anywhere in Canada. I know all regions. I am just back from Vancouver, and I was in the west recently. I spent our 15 day recess in Victoria. I do not need a map to visit the hon. member's riding. I hope he does not need one to come and visit mine, because we should all know our country.

My country is Quebec, of course. I have always said that we have really two countries here, Canada and Quebec. Canada is our neighbour. When I was in Victoria, I said I was in Canada and people found that funny. I like Canada Vancouver and my neighbours. I also like my colleague's speeches.

He seems to worry. He is showing us a map as if we did not know Canada. We know it very well. We know where we are going, and we know from where we are come. Let me reassure him. We are working very hard on mining development in the west, in Canada and in Quebec. We should look for deposits where they are. Hon. members can understand that, since I have been elected by my constituents, I work first for my riding, but also for the people of Quebec and Canada.

Resource Industries April 24th, 2001

Madam Chairman, to answer my colleague's question, tomorrow at 2.00 p.m., I will be in Schefferville to open a multipurpose sports centre. I am told that there is a swimming pool and an arena. The folks in Schefferville have hope. The mine has been closed and others have been discovered.

Diamonds have been discovered. Once diamonds have been discovered, a monopoly whose name I will not mention, but he knows who it is, bought it so as not to have any competition. The government of Quebec invested $4.5 million. That is why I am asking the federal government to match that amount.

I am an optimist by nature and I am confident, because there is great potential in northern Quebec, north of Schefferville. What the Bloc Quebecois is going to propose is a long term cut in the effective tax rate for mining companies, and I think that he will agree with that.

We will see what form it will take. In order to increase investment in the mining industry, it is essential that the tax rate be cut. According to my poll of both opposition and government members, people would be in favour of a tax cut right now for at least the next five years for investing in the mining industry.

People know that running a mine, especially with the cost of gas, the cost of energy and equipment, particularly in remote areas, is very expensive.

There must be a reduction in the effective tax rate for mining companies. The Bloc Quebecois is going to work very hard on this. With my colleague, we will be introducing a bill to this effect. I hope we will have the support of the member for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik.

Resource Industries April 24th, 2001

Madam Chairman, since it is getting late, I have decided to speak about some interesting things.

I have, for instance, decided to speak of my riding. I will not give a geographical description, as my colleague has done, but I do issue a warm invitation to visit a region that is in the forefront of the mining sector. After Baie-Comeau, you would see Franquelin, Port-Cartier and Sept-Îles. The scenery is outstanding.

As the mining critic for the Bloc Quebecois, I have taken a lot of notes. I do not want to forget anything about my riding this evening. It is not very often that there is an opportunity to talk about the mines in my region. I would like the people in my riding to know that I have praised it, that I have spoken of them and that I have placed this sector in the limelight, a sector that is very beautiful, but is also in need of government intervention.

I am the spokesperson for a mining region. Its mining production ranks the North Shore as foremost in all mining regions in Quebec and in Canada. I am delighted to be able to say that.

Everyday we make use of a lot of products that are essential to our every day lives, construction materials, household appliances, cars, coins, televisions, computers. All these products are directly or indirectly connected to the mining sector in which we are involved and the top producer.

A significant amount of the metals used to produce these products come from the mineral deposits of the beautiful North Shore region of Quebec.

The mining output of the North Shore region is essentially focused around iron ore. I do not know if members have heard of ilmenite, but it is very important. This is a very rare ore that is found in Havre-Saint-Pierre and even in Natashquan, the land of Gilles Vigneault. This ore has been found through prospecting programs. Presently, those programs are funded only by the Quebec government. This is shameful.

Whereas some boast that Quebec has a national government, we have to look at the regional level for development. All the mineral deposits in Quebec have been prospected and found thanks to money from the Quebec government.

This is very important because in our region, on the North Shore, we do not have any arable land. The weather there is not suited to agriculture or ranching. Our land is fertile for industrialization. We are rich thanks to the sea, forests and mines. We do not complain, we are happy. We are very happy that way.

However the prospectors and the mining companies first determine what they are looking for. They do research and ask themselves what exactly they are looking for: precious metals, gold, silver.

I could tell hon. members that, very recently, a diamond, nickel, zinc and copper mine was found north of Schefferville. The ore concentration, in terms of percentage, is very promising. We also have asbestos and graphite. We support the discovery of these substances. The community is very aggressive in its help to prospectors, because the development of our region is involved.

There are many matters involved and the stakes are high. The development of Quebec and its regions is a long way from revealing a huge success. A lot remains to be done. In my riding alone, the Mazeret company, I am pleased to report, will operate a mine that will create some one hundred jobs.

The Fonds régional d'exploration minière de la Côte-Nord hopes to interest one of the mining companies in getting involved in a site we call La Blache. It is the Bloc Julie, commonly known as Block 30. It is located 145 kilometres north of Baie Comeau. People found a very large ore indicator there. They also reopened the pellet plant with this money, without government intervention, by the way. In the past five years, in Sept-Îles, $1.5 billion dollars has been invested, and they are investing nearly $70 million in a power plant to be called SM-2. For those who have heard of SM-3,it is about 150 kilometres north, and the SM-2 is on highway 20. A dam already exists there and it will be used to produce about 20 kilowatt/hours of electricity, which we want to increase to 60. To do so will involve an investment of $70 million.

At 7.30 p.m., the environmental public hearings office was holding hearings on this. I am delighted and I hope everything went well, since this development is vital to the region.

The mining industry is a major contributor to the Quebec economy. Not only are many areas directly dependent on this industry, but the large urban centres are also taking advantage of its important economic spinoffs.

I do not know if people know it, but ore shipments are worth about 3.5 billion dollars a year in economic spinoffs for Quebec alone, while the number of jobs created is estimated at 17,137 person years. This is really is something.

A good number of head offices are located in Montreal and in Quebec City, including the IOC Mining Company, Québec-Cartier Mining—the only mining company from Quebec—and QIT-Fer et Titane Inc., in Havre Saint-Pierre. These companies all employ many people.

The mining industry has also been badly affected in the last years. It has gone through very hard times. The years 2001 and 2002 will be very difficult for the mining industry. I think that my friend Guy Saint-Julien knows it very well.

In this respect, we need government support, particularly from the central government. The federal government thinks it can do everything and help everybody and it claims that we are so lucky to be part of that government, that we are very lucky because otherwise we would be in peril and lost.

People therefore really rely on the federal government to help those companies. We sometimes hear that bankers are happy to lend us money on sunny days. They are happy to lend an umbrella when the sun is out. It is because when they lend money, they give an umbrella, but as soon as it rains, they take it away. With respect to the mining industry on the North Shore, in my friend's area, we are having some rough weather. We are living through hard times. We need action and assistance from the government.

I was told that my colleague, the hon. member for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik, made some promises during the election campaign. Some have talked about $300 million or $400 million, but I would be satisfied with $300 million, as long as I get $100 million for my region.

What the government needs to do is to provide a budget to help mining exploration and mining companies. Unfortunately, I do not have time to give the Bloc position and what it is proposing, because my time is up. However I will have the opportunity to bring forward a motion in the next few days to present the Bloc position, that is, what the Bloc Quebecois wants specifically.

Employment Insurance Act April 2nd, 2001

Mr. Speaker, needless to say, I am very pleased to resume today on Bill C-2, an act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and Regulations.

I would first like to congratulate the member for Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, whose great determination resulted in the passage of a motion on the employment insurance bill.

As I said in my last speech on February 13, the bill is a disgrace. This debate began in January 1997 as part of EI reform. The reform was supposed to meet the needs of the public and the realities of the workplace. The opposite effect was felt and observed, and this could have been predicted.

Through this reform, the unemployment insurance plan, which actually needed to be reviewed but not transformed nor diminished, has in fact become a plan whereby the government gets richer but the poor get poorer.

The Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities has concluded its hearings. The proposed amendments were almost all rejected, with one exception, because it was not directly related to Bill C-2. This is why the Bloc Quebecois felt it better not to move any amendments at committee stage.

However, as I said earlier, a motion moved by the member for Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques was passed, which will commit the government to consider other amendments to the Employment Insurance Act as a whole. The motion reads as follows:

That the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities report to the House of Commons all other amendments to the Employment Insurance Act and that this report be tabled to the House no later than June 1, 2001.

With the passage of this motion, the Bloc Quebecois, as the party responsible, intends to put all its long sought amendments back on the table in June 2001 when the committee tables its report.

After long refusing to abolish the intensity rule, the government has conceded that we were right. I hope that it will take the time to reflect on the other amendments which the Bloc Quebecois will be submitting with the report and admit that we are right about them as well.

In addition to deleting clause 9, on the setting of the premium rates, we are going to propose the following amendments: eliminating the qualifying period; establishing an independent employment insurance fund; increasing coverage from 55% to 60%—we have long been asking that benefits be increased to 60% of a person's income, as was the case before the reform—; extending the base period from 26 weeks to 52 weeks; allowing self-employed workers to be insured through voluntary contributions; bringing back to 300 hours the eligibility criterion for special benefits; increasing the period of benefits; setting income increases at 25% for all claimants before employment benefits are cut; indexing the insurable annual income at $41,500; changing the process under which the premium rate is set, so as to give all the powers to the commission; setting the threshold for the refund of premiums at $5,000, instead of $2,000; increasing from three to five years eligibility for active employment measures; eliminating the arm's length relationship clause—this applies primarily to seasonal workers—eliminating the divisor rule; providing special benefits for older workers; investing 0.8% of the total payroll in active employment measures.

As members can see, our position on Bill C-2 at report stage is that we are opposed to it if clause 9 is not deleted. The federal government must listen to the message that was sent to it time and again by the Auditor General of Canada, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Conseil du patronat du Québec and the central labour bodies, and it must delete this clause, which takes from the commission the right to set the premium rate under the employment insurance plan and gives it to the federal government. Removing the commission from the rate setting process means that these rates could be adjusted on the basis of the government's needs and deficit, instead of being based on the needs of the unemployed, and on the premiums received, as recommended by the chief actuary.

If clause 9 is passed, it will legalize the theft of the employment insurance fund by the government, which will have full ownership of it. The auditor general has criticized the government for its lack of transparency when it comes to rate setting, saying that despite the shortcomings and the lack of clarity of section 66 to some extent, in his opinion, it is nevertheless clearer than the system we would have under the new clause 9.

The people who gave evidence during the committee hearings were unanimous: clause 9 of Bill C-2 must be rejected. The Canadian public is expecting more than mere campaign promises. It is looking for important and concrete corrective measures.

The government is not interested in the plight of the unemployed, who will be negatively affected by this employment insurance reform. The measures proposed in this bill are not enough to correct the problems caused by the system, notably to seasonal workers, and particularly those in the regions, to young people, to women and to workers, particularly older workers.

In conclusion, I would like to remind this House that during the last six years, employment insurance has been the most important factor of poverty in Canada. If the government wants to protect children against poverty, it will first have to protect parents who are poor. If the government had not made such drastic cuts to employment insurance, there would be fewer children starving.

Liberal Party March 30th, 2001

Mr. Speaker, with a 21-seat majority, a low turnout in the last federal election, one scandal after another, and motions to gag the opposition, the Liberal majority was taken by surprise.

In their rush to get back home, leaving members of the public waiting for answers from the government, the Prime Minister and his MPs made it only too plain how they run the nation.

But what was particularly evident was that the Prime Minister lacks any leadership over his own party, and is no longer even able to convince his MPs to do their job.

It is high time that this Prime Minister bowed to the public interest and gave some thought to his future.

Contaminated Water March 22nd, 2001

Mr. Speaker, the manager of the Sept-Îles airport said on television that the people of the beaches area, which have been without drinking water for over three years, simply have to wait another seven years and the products contaminating the water will just disappear.

How can the Minister of Transport allow his representatives to treat the people of my riding this way, when he has always intimated that he wanted to resolve the problem his department created in our region?