Marc-André Morin

[Parliamentary Precinct Security, February 6th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, a few minutes ago, I crossed paths with one of our security guards in the stairwell. I was a little distracted. He was very tall. I did not even see his face, and yet he said to me, “Hello, Mr. Morin.” That is very reassuring.

If there were a chaotic situation, like a shooting, I am quite certain this man would not shoot me by accident. The fact that our security guards know us, our staff and often our spouses is reassuring. They are the best qualified to intervene in the event of a tragedy.

I trust them more than some new recruit, fresh out of training in Regina, or any other person who is not familiar with the building, the staff and the members.

Would my colleague like to talk a little more about that?

[The Economy, February 6th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, at a time when Canada's economy is going through some turmoil, entrepreneurs and other citizens have a right to know what direction the government plans to take.

Businesses and workers are wondering what taxation and government programs will look like. The minister is not even capable of bringing down a budget. The Conservatives are lacking brain power.

Next fall, when the Leader of the Opposition is Prime Minister, he will have an embarrassment of riches to choose from when forming his cabinet, unlike the current Prime Minister, whose choices are simply embarrassing. As for the Liberals, they have been embarrassed enough by their leader.

[Opposition Motion—Job Creation, February 5th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, listening to my colleague reading his notes might reassure the Conservative base. However, as we speak, business leaders are getting ready to launch investment programs. They have some very serious concerns and are wondering what will be in the budget.

It is the same story every year. Everyone waits for the budget to be brought down to see exactly what it contains. This year in particular, the drop in the price of oil and the lower dollar has to be taken into account. There has been some incredible upheaval.

In the member's opinion, what impact does the unknown have on investors and industry leaders? Why are the Conservatives not tabling their budget? Is it because they have no idea of what they are doing or because they do not get it any more? They seem completely lost.

[Canada Post, February 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, is there anyone responsible for Canada Post in the House?

In mid-December, the municipality of Lac-Saint-Paul lost its post office. A municipal councillor has to travel 16 kilometres back and forth every day to get the municipal mail. His neighbour gets his mail from a community mailbox located at the end of a logging road. Every time he gets out of his vehicle in his wheelchair, he is worried that a loaded truck will come by.

Does the minister believe that the mail delivers itself, just like the Liberals believe that budgets balance themselves?

[Red Tape Reduction Act, February 3rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I think the reality must be the same in my colleague's riding.

Red tape is not the only problem small businesses are facing. In my riding, what I have seen and what entrepreneurs have told me is that people have lost seasonal employees because of the cuts to employment insurance. Those entrepreneurs have had a hard time getting workers to come and fill an essential need. There are plenty of ways to hurt businesses in addition to harassing them with endless red tape.

I would like my colleague to say a few words about that.

[Petitions, December 9th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the other petition calls on the government to adopt international aid policies to support small farmers, particularly women, in recognition of their critical role in fighting hunger and poverty.

[Petitions, December 9th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present two petitions signed by my constituents in Laurentides—Labelle.

In the first, the petitioners are asking the Government of Canada to terminate federal subsidies for the fossil fuel industry and to invest in building a more sustainable economy.

[Yukon and Nunavut Regulatory Improvement Act, December 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have a special affinity for the Yukon.

I spent six years in Watson Lake. The first thing I noticed when I got there was that outside of town, it was impossible to do anything or carry out any sort of project because of the ongoing territorial disputes.

In the years that I spent there, I saw the local community and the aboriginal people come to some sort of consensus on how to communicate. When I hear the minister say that if some people do not agree with some of the amendments and there is no consensus, then there is always the courts, I wonder whether that is a step backward.

Will this bill end up bringing disputes back before the courts?

[Tougher Penalties for Child Predators Act, November 20th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I think it would be a little naive for the Conservatives to imagine that criminals are more or less normal people who do a cost-benefit analysis of their actions and consider the severity of the sentence they could face.

Obviously, when a human being gets to the point of committing such monstrous acts, he certainly is not thinking about the consequences. We could put him in prison for 100 years and he would still be just as crazy at the end of the sentence. It will change absolutely nothing.

[Veterans, November 20th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I recently met a disabled veteran who was wounded in training.

He was forced to retire two years early and is now living on a pension that has been reduced by 35%. The government promised him care and a dignified retirement. He was even offered snow-clearing and lawn-mowing services, even though he lives in a bachelor apartment on the fourth floor.

Can the minister explain why the $1 billion budget for veterans was transformed into a tax cut for the wealthy?