House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2011, with 27% of the vote.
Pensions October 26th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, to state that today's forum is not a serious one, is to show a lack of respect for the people, organizations and pensioners who attended the forum.
We are trying to establish a plan to protect the pensions of retired Canadians and to give all Canadians the means to retire with dignity.
If they have been working for so long on a plan, where is it?
Pensions October 26th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, today, the Liberals are organizing a forum on pensions to gather ideas on how to protect the pensions and retirement savings of Canadians. We are determined to find new ways to provide Canadians with financial security and better protection for pensioners whose employer declares bankruptcy.
We know that the Conservative government always chooses politics over Canadians. Is it now in the process of abandoning pensioners?
Nortel October 22nd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, yesterday and again today, this government dismissed the concerns of retired Nortel workers, saying that their retirement pension was a provincial matter. Yet it is federal bankruptcy laws that are jeopardizing the pensions of more than 17,000 Canadians. The Leader of the Opposition promised to do everything he can to amend that legislation to ensure that this never happens again.
How can the Conservatives turn their backs on Canadians in need?
Status of Women October 21st, 2009
Mr. Speaker, today, the Liberal Party of Canada's women's caucus released The Pink Book, Volume III. It outlines initiatives that the next Liberal government plans to introduce to make things better for women in Canada.
The book focuses on three major themes that affect all Canadian women: the economy, health and safety, and gender equality.
In Canada, women represent a disproportionate number of low-income Canadians. Our plan will help them by implementing a true pay equity system and by fighting poverty.
Under health and safety, we propose over a dozen measures, including a plan to combat violence against women and a national caregiving strategy.
Lastly, the next Liberal government will prove that it really cares about gender equality, unlike the current government, which has not done anything about this issue. We will establish a commissioner for gender equality and analyze all federal legislation and policies to ensure that women and men are treated fairly in Canada.
Official Languages October 9th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the Quebec Community Groups Network has informed us that organizations that receive official language funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage are informed upon submitting their applications that they will not receive funding for their projects before August. These applications are for the period starting in March. Ten-month projects must be compressed into five months.
What does the government plan on doing to ensure that organizations will have the funding they need to complete projects that are very important to promoting our official languages?
International Day of Older Persons October 7th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the UN General Assembly has designated October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons. This day has been celebrated worldwide since 1991.
By designating a special day for older persons, the UN wanted to recognize their contribution to development and draw attention to the demographic phenomenon of the aging population.
The LaSalle—Émard community really cares about its seniors. Once again this year, the Centre du Vieux Moulin, the seniors' round table and the LaSalle CLSC have come up with an innovative way to celebrate the International Day of Older Persons.
On October 1, 2009, they opened an information centre at the Place LaSalle mall, where seniors—people aged 50 and over—can find out more about government programs and other options available to them.
The seniors' information centre is a brilliant idea, and I would like to congratulate these organizations for their initiative and the excellent service they provide to our community.
Michèle Asselin September 28th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the Fédération des femmes du Québec has a new president, Alexa Conradi, but we would be remiss if we failed to mention the contribution of the outgoing president, Michèle Asselin.
Ms. Asselin has been at the helm of the Fédération des femmes du Québec for six years. During her tenure, she ensured that the voices of Quebec women were heard when it came to issues that mattered to them, such as poverty and violence against women.
Ms. Asselin worked very hard to reach out to first nations women, a commendable goal that should be of particular interest to this House.
She was also very sensitive to our society's ever-increasing cultural pluralism, and she worked to bring women from all of the cultures that make up our society together.
Today my colleagues and I would like to thank Ms. Asselin for her hard work.
Honoré-Mercier Secondary School September 14th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I am proud and excited to extend my congratulations to the 50 young people from École secondaire Honoré-Mercier who took part in the June launch of a CD entitled “Un chant d'espoir”.
This CD of songs that the students themselves wrote and performed, with the support of artists from Nuits d'Afrique, is the culmination of a Secondary IV French project. The songs address social issues that affect these young people, who come from various cultural communities.
Julie Patenaude, who instigated the project, also deserves recognition for the work she did on the CD. Her perseverance and creativity were vital to the success of this wonderful venture and speak volumes about the quality of the teaching staff at the school.
I wish them the best of success in the coming school year.
Business of Supply June 15th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister of Finance is as follows. If he really believes the provinces should be given free rein, why does he want this centralization?
Business of Supply June 15th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. We are not afraid to state our opinion. It is simply a matter of respecting the right to human values. As I was saying, the debate is on jurisdiction. The matter should simply be referred to the Supreme Court.