Brigitte Sansoucy

[Canada Labour Code, February 16th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his presentation. People in my riding are also thinking about the repercussions of employees' working conditions. On January 29, 2016, a group called SOS Pauvreté presented a brief on this issue.

According to the brief, having a job does not guarantee that one will not experience poverty. Introducing bills on working conditions is great, but in the context of the labour policy reforms promised by the Liberals, is the government prepared to commit to restoring a fair federal minimum wage, in order to ensure that, in all regions, working is never synonymous with poverty?

[Canada Labour Code, February 16th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I support what my colleague has to say in favour of workers' rights and improving their working conditions.

Before becoming a member of Parliament, I was a proud provincial public servant. I have a great deal of respect for all public servants, who work daily for the common good. I think the best way to send a clear message is to lead by example.

Accordingly, in the current negotiations with public servants, will my colleague ask the government to restore public service sick leave and adopt the provisions with regard to health and better working conditions?

[Canada Labour Code, February 16th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, we support the government's proposed changes in response to the Conservatives' anti-union bills.

I represent a riding that has seen its share of companies close their doors. Workers now have increasingly precarious, part-time jobs through no fault of their own.

Does my colleague realize that to introduce a bill against unions is to be against workers?

[International Trade, February 4th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, an American giant bought Rona, a Canadian company with 23,000 employees and many suppliers.

At the same time, the government is signing the trans-Pacific partnership, an agreement that will cost us 60,000 good jobs, weaken family farms, and accelerate foreign control of our businesses.

Why is the minister signing an agreement that is clearly bad for our jobs and our dairy farms?

[Canada Border Services Agency, February 2nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General also highlighted some troubling practices at the Canada Border Services Agency. Because the agency is understaffed, high risk parcels are leaving the country without even being examined. Canada does not want to become a sieve for illegal goods. We have international commitments and we must honour them. The Conservatives gutted the agency, and now we are seeing the consequences of those cuts.

Will the government reinvest in the agency so that it can fulfill its mandate properly?

[Social Development, February 2nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, now that the Auditor General's report has been released, we expect the government to be clear about the concrete actions it plans to take. The backlog at the Social Security Tribunal of Canada has more than doubled. It is a long and complicated process that takes almost 900 days. That kind of management has a direct impact on people going through a hard time.

Can the minister share his plan to end the interminable waiting?

[Health, January 27th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we need more than just discussions; we need action to protect access to health care across the country. Thousands of Quebeckers have denounced the legalization of ancillary fees in Quebec: $300 for eye drops, $500 for a colonoscopy, and so on. It is unacceptable that people's finances should determine their access to health care.

What action—I repeat, action—does the minister plan to take to ensure that all Quebeckers have the same access to health care, regardless of their income?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, December 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on her election and on her speech. I completely agree with the health care needs she talked about. However, as we know, the provinces need money to provide good-quality health care services. The first step to improving health care is to cancel the Conservatives' cuts, so that we can work with the provinces to improve health care.

Will my colleague urge the government to cancel the $36 billion in cuts to health care imposed on the provinces?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, December 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, we are here in the House to make decisions. Obviously, when we make certain things a priority, other things have to be set aside. I think that the priorities pertaining to the fight against poverty are important. Canadians decided to elect a Liberal government that announced that it was willing to incur a deficit. The minute the Liberals made big infrastructure promises, they created a lot of expectation in our communities. The two RCMs that I represent invited me to meet with them in the coming weeks, because they have their lists ready. The government created a lot of expectation in our communities. Obviously, we will have difficult choices to make. It is important to always keep that in mind.

Since the member who asked me the question also worked at the municipal level, he knows how difficult it is to set a budget and make choices. Obviously, we hope that the budget will be as balanced as possible. The government announced that there will in fact be a deficit, but it is important to make budgetary choices that will fight poverty and help the municipalities achieve their priorities. We are here to make decisions. The questions that I asked this week have to do with where I think the government's priorities should lie.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, December 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, that is precisely the problem. Those remain just promises. All week I was told that they had some good ideas and that they were going to implement them. Why did they not talk about these various items in their throne speech?

First, with regard to infrastructure, municipalities must set their own priorities. With respect to federal-provincial agreements, the Quebec government establishes its own priorities. However, it is important that our government stop telling us what it is going to do, that we have to wait and that we should not worry because it will happen. I cannot be patient for too long. Instead of all the talk about promises, I would like to hear when and how the government is going to follow through on them.