House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2011, with 26% of the vote.
Employment Insurance September 29th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, a number of pilot projects to help unemployed people deal with the infamous “spring gap” are coming to an end this fall, notably the initiative that provides five supplementary weeks of benefits.
How can the government claim to not have any money to help workers who lose their jobs when it is ready to pilfer $20 billion from the employment insurance fund?
Infrastructure September 22nd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the deadline, artificially set by the government, is having other negative effects. For example, in order to complete projects by March 31, municipalities are having to pay overtime. That is the case for the recreation centre in Saint-Lambert. The federal government's lack of flexibility means that we are paying more than is necessary for our public infrastructure.
Why is the government insisting on maintaining the March 31 deadline?
Summit on the Millennium Development Goals September 21st, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the summit on the millennium development goals is currently under way at the UN, and I would like to add my voice to those of NGOs that recently slammed this Conservative government for its weak commitments.
Not happy with sabotaging the talks on adopting a global tax on financial transactions, which would represent a significant source of income, the Conservatives are still falling far short of the shared target of 0.7% of GNP for development aid that Canada set for itself by signing on to the millennium goals.
No, the Prime Minister will not fool anyone with the speech he is giving tonight in New York. After choosing to give a speech at Tim Horton's last year instead of the UN—which shows how interested the Conservatives are in the UN and international co-operation—this government needs to stop with the rhetoric and opportunistic speeches and start truly acting on behalf of the poorest people on the planet.
Employment Insurance September 20th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, when they were in opposition, the Conservatives criticized the Liberals for taking money from the employment insurance fund. Now they are doing the exact same thing.
They are about to pillage nearly $20 billion from the EI fund, when the employment crisis is not over and there is a desperate need for help.
How can the government claim not to have money to help the workers who are losing their jobs, when it is about to pillage $20 billion from the employment insurance fund?
Petitions June 16th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition signed by nearly 2,000 citizens who live in my riding in particular or in the greater metropolitan area, calling on the government to make the bike lane on the Jacques Cartier Bridge, which connects Longueuil and Montreal, accessible year round for pedestrians as well as cyclists.
At a time when citizens are being asked to pitch in to help reduce our carbon footprint, this would give the citizens of Montreal and the South Shore an extremely effective means of doing their part.
In closing, I would like to congratulate the Collectif vélo 365 cycling group, which initiated this petition, and particularly Francis Casaubon and Reynald Desharnais for their determination and their desire to improve the accessibility and safety of bike lanes.
Aid Agency June 16th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, today I want to pay tribute to an organization in my riding, La Mosaïque.
La Mosaïque, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, is an aid agency that currently has 400 volunteers and offers more than 30 very diverse services and activities to a wide-ranging client base in the greater Longueuil community.
Support services, community kitchen, assistance with food, education and clothing are a few of the services offered by this community volunteer centre, whose mission is to strengthen the social fabric of greater Longueuil.
I want to congratulate the founder and now municipal councillor, Monique Brisson, the director general, Danielle Lavigne, and, of course, the entire team and the many volunteers. I also want to recognize the winners of the poetry contest, “Des mots en partage”, organized as part of the 25th anniversary events for La Mosaïque to acknowledge the volunteers.
I wish this organization 25 more years of success.
Cycling Tragedy in Rougemont May 27th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, on May 14, a tragic accident on Highway 112 in Rougemont shattered the lives of several families in an instant. Six members of the Saint-Lambert triathlon team were on their way to Sherbrooke for a training session when they were hit by a truck.
Christine Deschamps, Lyn Duhamel and Sandra De La Garza Aguilar were killed. All three were experienced members of the Saint-Lambert triathlon club, where they were training for Ironman events coming up this summer.
On behalf of my Bloc Québécois colleagues and myself, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the families of the victims. Our thoughts are with them in this terrible time.
In closing, I would encourage motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to be careful and vigilant on our roads.
Quebec Family Week May 11th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize Quebec Family Week and honour the extraordinary dedication of parents.
With the theme “Pour un Québec Famille”, which means “for a family oriented Quebec”, this week highlights the importance and support we must give families. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate us, Quebeckers, for having the best family policies in North America.
The family is at the heart of our lives. It is our wealth and our future. To all organizations, teachers, educators, doctors, as well as all other professionals and volunteers who support and promote our families, thank you.
I encourage all the people of the riding of Saint-Lambert to participate in the activities related to the International Day of Families, on May 15, especially by participating in the activity “Attention! Family in Action!” in Longueuil, an activity meant to recognize and promote precious family time.
Fairness for Military Families (Employment Insurance) Act May 6th, 2010
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I think he is correct. This is another example of the Conservative government's short-sightedness. It is true that, from time to time, it would be good to have a long-term vision and to do a comprehensive review of the programs that affect everyone.
Fairness for Military Families (Employment Insurance) Act May 6th, 2010
Madam Speaker, yes, this bill could be detrimental to reservists. That is why I want to be able to discuss this bill in committee. There, we could look at all the possibilities and consider all the soldiers who would be entitled to parental benefits through employment insurance.
We must also take into account the reservists who are entitled to these benefits. I would like to talk about this in committee, because we have not had the chance to do so yet. I hope we will be able to examine the bill more closely and ensure that all workers will have access to parental benefits.