Hoang Mai

[Keeping Canada's Economy and Jobs Growing Act, October 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her speech.

She spoke about the importance of small businesses, as it is Small Business Week, and she said that there were measures for small businesses in this budget. If we really analyze these measures, we can see that they are not enough, in my opinion. There are tax credits that are available only to some businesses. Instead, we propose lowering the tax rate for small businesses.

Could my colleague confirm that the best way to help all businesses is to lower the tax rate?

[Keeping Canada's Economy and Jobs Growing Act, October 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member from the other side for his speech. The government is saying that everything is good and that its economic action plan is working. But we still have 1.4 million people unemployed. If we include those who are underemployed or who have given up, we are talking about 2 million people. What is worse is that the youth unemployment rate has nearly doubled. Last summer, it reached 17.4%.

Could my colleague tell us why the government is saying that everything is good and that it will continue in the same direction?

[Keeping Canada's Economy and Jobs Growing Act, October 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech.

I have a question for her about the government's lack of vision. She said that the government's budget was lacking vision. What suggestions does my colleague have for turning our economy into a green economy, as she said?

[Champlain Bridge, October 7th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the Champlain Bridge is a vital route for south shore and Montreal families. The bridge is free to cross but the Conservatives want to make people pay to use it.

When will this government pay attention to all Canadians instead of just to those who have the means to be heard?

[Champlain Bridge, October 7th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, two days after the announcement of the construction of a new Champlain Bridge, south shore and Montreal families are still in the dark. They do not know exactly when they will have a safe bridge or how much it will cost. All they know is that they are going to have to bear the financial burden of the bridge.

Why does this government want to penalize families and workers who have no choice but to use the Champlain Bridge?

[Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act, September 30th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her presentation. I have a couple of questions.

Basically, the bill says it is preventing human smugglers from abusing Canada's immigration system act. We have a member of the government saying that this will make streets safer. What is the member's opinion regarding whether the bill will make streets safer and who will be affected by it? Is it the smugglers or the refugees?

[Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act, September 30th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his response.

Could he also explain the impact this bill might have on Canada's reputation? He spoke about the fact that this bill is an attack on children's rights. The government says that this bill targets smugglers—that is what is written in the title—but the hon. member raised the point that it will also attack the rights of refugees. Could the hon. member speak about the impact this bill will have on the rights of refugees and on Canada's international reputation?

[Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act, September 30th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his speech on the problems that exist in Bill C-4. He said that certain aspects of the bill are contrary to the law. This bill flies in the face of international conventions and the rights guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I would like to hear my colleague's comments on this, and I would also like him to explain the consequences this bill would have on Canada's international reputation.

[Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act, September 30th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot for her very passionate and clear speech on the issues in this bill.

My colleague mentioned that a number of organizations are opposed to the bill because it infringes on the rights of refugees. It is well known that my parents came from Vietnam, and many Vietnamese people have arrived by boat. Could my colleague talk about the repercussions of this bill for refugees who seek asylum in Canada?

[Taxation, September 29th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the United States Internal Revenue Service is going after innocent Canadians The IRS is now going after Canadian citizens who have been playing by the rules, living and paying their taxes in Canada, in some cases for decades. It is going after them for thousands of dollars. These are not tax cheats.

Why is the government not doing more to protect these law-abiding citizens?