Jamie Nicholls

[Transportation, June 15th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the partial closure of the Mercier Bridge announced yesterday is yet another blow to the people of the south shore. Wait times will be interminable. During the 2008 election, Montreal was promised bridges. In 2011, more promises were made. What has been done? Nothing. Where is the plan? When will the bridge be repaired?

[The Budget, June 9th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Senator Smith said during the last election campaign and before his appointment to the other place, “it is "normal" that more of Ottawa's money should go to Conservative ridings”.

Will the hon. member tell Canadians who elected opposition MPs that they will receive less federal funds because they did not vote for the Conservative Party?

Is this why the government will not commit to replacing the Champlain Bridge?

Is this why the township of Georgian Bay got $1 million, and it was 86 kilometres away from Huntsville, for a linear park, but Rivière-Beaudette gets told that it will have to buy back its iconic historic lighthouse and assume costs for decontaminating the land that it is on?

That is the government for all Canadians? It presents itself as the government of all Canadians. Why was the equivalent of 4% of all funds directed toward infrastructure spending for the whole country spent in this small part of Ontario?

[The Budget, June 9th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the budget speaks of a plan for responsible spending to deliver programs and services more efficiently. Does this mean the hon. member will guarantee that the government will stop its own wasteful spending, such as the quarter million dollars in speech writing services spent by the previous minister of transport? Will the member guarantee it will cut its own pork before it cuts essential services of Canadians?

Why does the government insist on telling Canadians that we need to cut services when it will not cut its own wasteful spending?

[The Budget, June 9th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the member talks about the creation of jobs and other things in the budget.

As we know, young people in Canada depend on the Canada summer jobs program to find high-quality jobs during the summer to support their education financially. For too long the funds dedicated to this program have been too low to meet the demands of employers in our country's communities.

These funds prepare our youth for their integration into the workforce.

A number of organizations in my riding that want to hire students are not able to do so, because of a lack of funding. The Canada summer jobs program does more than just provide financial support for young people; it provides support for families. When young people are unable to find high-quality jobs, they are forced to ask their parents for money.

Her parents are then stuck with supporting both their own elderly parents and their young children. This does not help families as the Conservatives promised to do--

[The Budget, June 7th, 2011]

Madam Speaker, I want to start by thanking the voters of Vaudreuil-Soulanges who sent me here to the House of Commons.

Today, I want to focus on the gas tax and infrastructure. We applaud the government for wanting to make the gas tax permanent. Nonetheless, our party feels that this tax should be indexed to inflation. I also want to ask the government what it is waiting for to address the $123 billion infrastructure deficit. This is an urgent matter. Immediate action is required and this matter should be addressed in the budget.

[Infrastructure, June 6th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, both our rural and urban communities need help to revitalize their infrastructure. Take, for example, the Champlain Bridge.

The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities says that a permanent infrastructure development program will be implemented, but it is time to take action.

Will this development be sustainable? Will public transit be part of the plan?