Jean-Yves Laforest

[Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, June 9th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, earlier, in his speech defending and promoting this agreement, the member opposite said that the Government of Colombia had demonstrated that it wants peace and that it is able to respect human rights.

Has it demonstrated that by the fact that 39 trade unionists were murdered in Colombia in 2007, and 46 were murdered in 2008? Is that the kind of absurd proof he is talking about?

I would like to know what the member was talking about when he said that the government had demonstrated that it was committed to finding peace.

[Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, June 9th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, I have a few questions I would like to ask the minister. What is the ranking of Canada-Colombia trade compared to all trade between Canada and other countries?

Is it ranked 30 or 40? If so, why insist so much on entering into a free trade agreement with this country?

Is this agreement not really more about protecting the investments of Canadian mining and oil companies that exploit natural resources outside Canada? Is that not the real objective?

[Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, June 9th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all Bloc Québécois members, I would like to point out to the minister and to the Conservative government that they have once again hamstrung us, just as they did in committee. They hamstrung us to prevent us from carrying out an in-depth study of this bill, which would implement a trade agreement with one of the world's worst human rights offenders. Colombia's record on this issue is so bad that even the United States, which had already opened free trade negotiations with it, has not pursued the matter because it knows that the human rights issues have not been resolved.

At least the Unites States is using its proposed agreement to exert pressure on Colombia, but Canada, which is one of the world's most highly industrialized countries, is about to sign an agreement with an outlaw nation. That will not benefit Canada or Quebec at all. We will be doing business with one of the world's biggest pariahs.

[Forest Fires, June 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the response of the parliamentary secretary proves that the Assembly of First Nations is right: this is a bureaucratic attitude.

The unexpected costs of these forest fires are adding up for local authorities. The band chiefs of Manawan and Obedjiwan have asked the federal government for help as they face this crisis. The Manawan band council, for example, is stuck with an unexpected $80,000 bill.

Can the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development assure the Atikamekw authorities that it will cover the unexpected expenses?

[Forest Fires, June 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec has criticized the Conservative government's bureaucratic attitude and is calling on the government to acknowledge that the Atikamekw communities of Manawan, Obedjiwan and Wemotaci are facing an extraordinary situation with these forest fires.

The assembly chief, Gislain Picard, is calling on the government to take action to respond to this situation, which is considered a humanitarian crisis.

Does the government realize that during a humanitarian crisis, the government must take appropriate action?

[First Nations, June 2nd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the victims need the support of the federal authorities. The community has been displaced and everyone is nervous and unsettled, and the minister is not talking. He must act quickly and support the band chief. That is what they want.

Will the minister promise to support the Wemotaci community and its chief as they move forward, especially by declaring their territory a disaster area?

[First Nations, June 2nd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, because of the threat of forest fires, 1,300 Atikamekw from Wemotaci are still displaced. It will be difficult for them to return to their reserve as there are serious problems with respect to the safety and supply of food and drinking water, access to electricity and social and psychological resources. It is unacceptable that no senior Indian and Northern Affairs official is yet on site to support this hard-hit community.

What is the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development waiting for to send a senior official to the scene, rather than passively waiting for requests, as he has done so far?

[Forest Fires, May 28th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the Attikamek from Wemotaci, Obedjiwan and Manawan are going through some harrowing hours right now because unusually intense forest fires are threatening their communities and have even made it necessary for many of them to be evacuated. We already know that the losses will be heavy.

Can the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development tell us what measures he intends to take to provide help quickly to these thousands of people in distress?

[Foreign Affairs, May 14th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, experts remind us that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects Canadian nationals abroad because Canadian authorities are required to ensure that these rights are respected. Julius Grey stated that in this case, “the Canadian government has failed to carry out its fundamental duty to assist its citizens abroad.”

When will this government understand that it must abide by Canadian laws and that it is time to bring Nathalie Morin and her children home?

[Foreign Affairs, May 14th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Foreign Affairs met with the Saudi interior minister. They discussed the case of Nathalie Morin, a young Quebecker and her children being held abroad by an abusive spouse.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs refuses to say if he demanded that she be repatriated and would only confirm that it is a “family conflict” that should be resolved according to Saudi laws.

Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us if he at least asked for the repatriation of Nathalie Morin and her children?