House of Commons photo

Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was colleague.

Last in Parliament March 2011, as Conservative MP for Pontiac (Québec)

Lost his last election, in 2011, with 30% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Canada-U.S. Relations February 7th, 2011

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, the Prime Minister and the President of the United States made a joint statement.

First and foremost, I want to assure the Bloc that this side of the House defends the interests of Canada and Canadians, even though the Bloc has no interest in that.

We must protect the sovereignty of our country and also move forward by developing new ways to increase trade, create jobs and protect our borders.

Canada-U.S. Relations February 7th, 2011

Mr. Speaker, we are all reminded of the very poor record the previous government had in terms of its relations with the American government.

I understand it hurts that the Prime Minister and the President of the United States get along and want to work together.

Canada-U.S. Relations February 7th, 2011

Mr. Speaker, we have indicated that the declaration signed by both the Prime Minister and the President is an excellent starting point for co-operation between both our governments.

We are looking forward, in the weeks and months ahead, to be able to turn the corner and go forward and to ensure that we protect the jobs we have, that we continue to increase our trade, our growth and, indeed, as I mentioned before, protect our borders.

Canada-U.S. Relations February 7th, 2011

Mr. Speaker, it was an excellent Friday. The Prime Minister and the President were able to sign a joint declaration in which we both acknowledged our countries' sovereignty. We engaged to be able to work together for both our economic prosperity, job creation and at the same time ensure that we would be capable of putting in place the tools that would thwart any challenges from terrorism.

Quite honestly, I know it hurts the Liberal opposition when there is agreement between—

Canada-U.S. Relations February 3rd, 2011

Mr. Speaker, we have always indicated that our first priority is to be able to defend Canada's interests. The Prime Minister has been very clear on that.

We have also indicated that it was extremely important to be able to maintain our levels of economic growth, to maintain our open borders and to make sure as well that those borders are closed to those who would wish harm upon both the United States and Canada.

We are working very closely with our American counterparts and we expect to be able to defend Canada's interests once again.

Canada-U.S. Border February 3rd, 2011

Mr. Speaker, ever since we came to power on this side of the House, our top priority has always been to defend the interests of Canada and Canadians and also, as everyone knows, to promote our exports and trade with the United States.

In that respect, I remind hon. members that nearly $1.6 billion worth of Canadian goods and services are traded across the U.S. border daily. This provides jobs in Canada. It obviously provides jobs in the United States. We are going to continue in that vein.

Foreign Affairs February 3rd, 2011

Mr. Speaker, not at all. That is not how it works. I repeat that we are in the process of looking at all the options. We want to be able to respond positively to the demands being made by the Tunisian government. With the help of my colleague, the Minister of Justice, we will ensure that we have the tools we need to get this done.

Foreign Affairs February 3rd, 2011

Mr. Speaker, yesterday and the day before, I had the opportunity to reassure members in this House and anyone interested in this case. The government is currently working closely with the Tunisian government authorities. We are developing every tool needed to freeze these assets. This process is in the hands of the government and we will do what we can to make it happen.

Foreign Affairs February 3rd, 2011

Mr. Speaker, the opposite is true. The Bloc members are the ones who are out of step with the debate and not keeping up with this issue. They glance at the newspapers and perhaps take their cue from the headlines, but this is a very serious matter that requires an orderly transition. I understand that the Bloc member and his leader are impatient and would like there to be a complete change tomorrow morning, but it has to be done in an orderly fashion.

Foreign Affairs February 3rd, 2011

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear since this conflict and the widespread protests began. It is extremely important to be able to proceed with an orderly transition that will result in democratic institutional reforms as well as free elections under the supervision of international observers.