Gérard Asselin

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, October 24th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, thousands of jobs have been lost on the North Shore because of the crisis in the forestry industry. Kruger has closed its doors. Instead of producing lumber, the Outardes mill is making wood chips for its paper mill. In Baie-Trinité, Bowater is limping along, and the sawmills along the Rivière Pentecôte and the Rivière-Saint-Jean have closed.

Given that the government, which is controlled by the Conservative Party, will have a surplus amounting to $14 billion or $15 billion in the next fiscal year, including $4 billion or $5 billion from the employment insurance fund, can the member for Joliette tell me whether the government could have helped the forestry industry become more competitive and prosperous? Could it also have helped forestry workers by improving the employment insurance system?

These workers are now being forced to resort to social assistance. The government could help them by offering them employment insurance benefits and by creating a program to help older workers.

[Petitions, May 9th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, today, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am tabling a petition in this House signed by residents of the riding of Manicouagan.

This petition is the latest in a string of petitions tabled in the House in response to the federal government's decision to replace the summer career placement program. Many people have expressed their displeasure at this decision.

Petitioners, voters, NPOs, students, and public and private organizations are asking Parliament and the House to maintain and improve the summer career placement program.

[Petitions, April 18th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am tabling in the House a petition signed by over 1000 residents of my riding of Manicouagan. Following the Conservative government's decision to replace the summer career placement program, many people wanted to express their dissatisfaction. Over $11 million were cut from a $97 million budget. Also, the decentralized system tends to eliminate contacts between NPOs, private businesses and public corporations. I support the people of the North Shore and of the great riding of Manicouagan who signed this petition. There are asking the federal government to bring back the summer career placement program as it was.

[Criminal Code, February 6th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, it is good to debate a bill in order to try and find arguments that will allow the legislation to be implemented.

People must be qualified and competent. We need screening devices such as the breathalyzers used to measure blood alcohol level some time after alcohol is consumed.

As the member for Brome—Missisquoi said about drugs, there could be a problem if passengers in the same vehicle have used drugs and inhaled the smoke. The driver could be affected by the passengers' drug use, even if he or she did not use drugs.

Take the example of someone hospitalized for surgery. The morphine prescribed for pain relief by the doctor could stay in the patient's blood after he or she is discharged. If the patient drives after leaving hospital, his or her blood could contain traces of morphine. Remember that this is a drug the doctor prescribed. What would happen in this case?

[Petitions, November 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(6), today I am tabling in this House a petition containing several signatures by constituents of the riding of Manicouagan.

This petition is in addition to the numerous petitions already tabled in the House in support of Bill C-257, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (replacement workers). The prohibition against using replacement workers—or strikebreakers, to use the petitioners’ term—contributes to the establishment and maintenance of civilized negotiations during labour disputes. This is the reason why the petitioners are asking Parliament to support Bill C-257, so as to prohibit employers covered by the Canada Labour Code from using replacement workers or fulfilling the functions of employees on strike or lockout.

[The Budget, May 9th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I listened attentively to the member's speech. He gave a long list of what is in the budget. He is a Conservative minister in the government in power and he extolled the virtues of his budget. However, I will speak of what is not in the budget.

Of course there are several irritants. The excise tax on gasoline could have helped develop the tourism industry. However, there is not a word about this subject, even though the tax was imposed by the Liberals. This tax is hidden in the price of gasoline. There is talk of an oil crisis with the price of gasoline increasing to $1.50 per litre. The Conservatives have done nothing to reduce the excise tax on gasoline.

Furthermore, in the Speech from the Throne and the budget there is nothing about employment insurance. Yet, when in opposition, the Conservative Party voted with the Bloc Québécois to make certain recommendations, and this in a unanimous report by the parliamentary committee.

Today, the Conservatives are in power and there is no mention of employment insurance in the Speech from the Throne or the budget. However, according to the Auditor General's figures, the employment insurance fund has accumulated a surplus of over $50 billion. This money comes from employees and employers. Not one cent is government money.

Will my colleague, who is a member of Cabinet, commit this morning to the unemployed, the seasonal workers, the Sans-chemise groups, the committees for access to employment insurance, to recommend to the Prime Minister the true reform of employment insurance and the establishment of an independent fund?

At present, it is theft by government and a hidden tax on the backs of the unemployed and seasonal workers. I believe that if the Conservatives are serious and capable of some logic, they will stop taking money from the fund at the expense of the unemployed and will give them a truly improved fund and an independent fund.

[The Budget, May 9th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of irritants in the budget. It must be recognized that the economy of a number of regions in Quebec is based on tourism.

In my opinion, the Conservative Party missed the opportunity to eliminate the excise tax on gasoline. Gasoline prices for July are forecast to be $1.50 a litre. That will reduce tourist traffic in many Quebec regions.

This is the appropriate time for the Conservative Party to eliminate this tax, which the Liberals had applied. It will be remembered that Joe Clark's government fell because he wanted to impose a tax on gasoline. Mr. Trudeau incorporated it into an escalating tax. However, when the Conservatives took office, they never thought to reduce the cost of a litre of gasoline by a few cents or at least to eliminate the excise tax on gasoline. This would have helped tourist traffic, and many regions in Quebec and Canada would have benefited.

Could the member put this problem to her caucus and ask the Conservatives to abolish the excise tax on gasoline and give a boost to the tourism industry in the regions?

[The Budget, May 9th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, this budget is one of transition. The government's true budget will likely be that of February 2007. Quebeckers and Canadians are ready to give this government a chance, since they voted for change. Let us give this government a chance to prove itself.

The hon. member spoke earlier about highway infrastructure problems. Quebec roads are in a serious state of disrepair. Projects have been proposed, including one in the riding of Manicouagan on the North Shore, to build a bridge between Baie-Sainte-Catherine and Tadoussac, and to improve highway 389, which is needed to open up the region between Kegaska and Blanc-Sablon, on the Lower North Shore. The only winter access route as of 2006 is by snowmobile. However, during all of the previous Liberal government's terms, these people proposed improvement and construction projects for that highway, which is part of the national highway system. Highways 389 and 138 link Quebec and Labrador.

However, the former transport minister did nothing. He said that no road would be built because there were no people. However, people do live there at this time and they deserve the same services and quality of life as everyone else.

We heard that it takes half an hour to get from highway 401 and 407. Consider the problem of the Lower North Shore, where they have no road. And the Liberals did nothing. We are waiting to see what the Conservatives will do.

[The Budget, May 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, you will understand that I did not compare him to an animal. I was referring to the tone of his speech.

During the last election campaign, the hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst had some problems in his own riding. In fact, Bill C-48 was negotiated in a hotel room, behind closed doors, with the member for LaSalle—Émard, to amend the finance minister's Bill C-43. Negotiations involved putting money into social housing.

In this budget, there is indeed money for social housing. There is money for students in the form of tax deductions for books. Apprentices who have to buy tools will also benefit from deductions. There is money for post-secondary education. The government acknowledges the fiscal imbalance.

The Bloc Québécois is being asked why it will vote to support this bill, given that there is nothing for employment insurance? The NDP's Bill C-48 contained nothing with respect to employment insurance. That bill was initiated by the NDP.

At least this budget bill was not introduced by the Bloc Québécois, unlike Bill C-48, which was initiated by the leader of the NDP behind closed doors, and it did not mention employment insurance. The hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst can expand on this. Voting against this budget would therefore be hypocrisy. Three-quarters of the points raised in Bill C-48 can be found in this budget.

[The Budget, May 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst reminds me of a little chihuahua whose bark is worse than his bite. I would also remind the House that, during the last election, he had some problems in his riding. He caught some heat from the Conservatives because the citizens of Acadie—Bathurst were saying that the NDP--