Monique Guay

[L'Écho du Nord's 2010 People of the Year, February 2nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce you to the 2010 people of the year, as chosen by the newspaper L'Écho du Nord: Joanna Comtois, the woman of the year, and Danny Berger, the man of the year.

Joanna, who is 14 years old, found out when she was 8 that she had Ewing's sarcoma. She now knows that she will never recover. Nevertheless, she established Fondation Espoir or the foundation of hope, which supports pediatric cancer research that, it is hoped, will help other children. This endearing girl has captured everyone's heart through her courage and determination.

Danny Berger, the man of the year, is the co-owner of Vieux Shack, a well-known and popular bar and restaurant in Saint-Jérôme. He is also a popular radio host and DJ. Using his extraordinary communication skills, he led the Leucan Shaved Head Challenge in the Laurentian region. Danny says that talking to people brings him joy, and we can attest that sharing this joy is what guides him and what led him to receive this honour.

Congratulations Joanna and Danny.

[Michel Drucker, November 26th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, Michel Drucker, an iconic French television personality and a long-time admirer of Quebec, was made an officer of the Ordre national du Québec.

Michel Drucker has done a lot for Quebec in France, and has done even more for our artists. He has helped launch many of their careers in Europe. As he has said himself, “Quebec artists have always amazed me; they are unique.”

A knight since 2001, Quebec has now made Michel Drucker an officer. He considers Quebec to be his second country. Few individuals from outside the country have received such honours.

Mr. Drucker, my Bloc Québécois colleagues and I are proud to offer you our sincere congratulations on these huge honours, and we, along with all Quebeckers, are proud to share this great friendship.

[Laurence Paquette, November 19th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, Laurence Paquette, a young cyclist in my riding, is the new Canadian champion and Quebec runner-up in track cycling in the under-17 category. Laurence is 16 and attends the École polyvalente Saint-Jérôme and trains with the hope of being selected to compete in the junior Pan-American track cycling championships, which will take place in Argentina in June 2011.

Every summer, Laurence competes in many races to gain as much experience as possible. This rigorous training regimen and her tenacity recently helped her win the track cycling championship in the under-17 category in Bromont, and we hope they will take her to Argentina next June.

I commend Laurence on her championship performance, and I am proud to say that this young student does an admirable job of balancing her studies and her training.

My Bloc Québécois colleagues join me in wishing her every success in the future.

[Air Canada, November 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, in his last report, the Commissioner of Official Languages recommended that the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities “table a new bill as quickly as possible to protect and uphold the language rights of the travelling public and Air Canada employees, and make Jazz directly subject to the Official Languages Act.”

With another minister in this role, does the government intend to introduce a bill that would subject Air Canada, its subsidiaries and its partners to the Official Languages Act, as is being called for by the Commissioner of Official Languages and the committee?

[International Co-operation, October 22nd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the loss of the seat at the UN Security Council was a huge snub to the Prime Minister. This snub is not unrelated to the fact that this government cut funding for African countries, many of which are francophone. This purely ideological choice to no longer make Africa a priority for CIDA's bilateral development assistance was the main reason Canada was rejected by the international community.

Does the Prime Minister plan on reinstating funding for African countries, in particular the francophone African countries that have been hard hit by his ideological choices?

[Saint-Jérôme CEGEP, October 19th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, for 40 years, the Saint-Jérôme CEGEP has been the knowledge showcase of the Laurentian region. This institution opened its doors in 1970, with 900 students. It now has 4,200. Beyond being an educational institution, the CEGEP is a living environment that reflects the dynamic, committed and forward-thinking young people who go there. Their vision for the future is evident in the thousands of graduates who are now citizens making their contribution to advancing society.

Its success over the years can be attributed to the hard work and passion of the school's management and support staff and its professors and instructors who are able to share their knowledge both competently and passionately.

Many activities are being held to celebrate this 40th anniversary. I invite the public to take part in these activities. And I say to the staff of the Saint-Jérôme CEGEP: may you always feel this passion.

[Employment Insurance, October 8th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois's Bill C-395 was adopted at second reading by a majority in this House. It aims to correct an aberration in the Employment Insurance Act in order to ensure that the weeks of a labour dispute are not used to calculate benefits. The workers at Lebel-sur-Quévillon would have benefited from this bill.

Does the government intend to grant a royal recommendation to this bill so that it continues on to the Senate?

[Granby International Song Festival, October 1st, 2010]

Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, the Festival international de la chanson de Granby was awarded the Prix du 3-juillet-1608 for its exemplary work defending and promoting French language and culture in America. This prize is awarded by the Conseil supérieur de la langue française and commemorates Samuel de Champlain's founding of Quebec City.

The Festival international de la chanson de Granby has been one of the largest promoters of francophone artists over the past 42 years. Through this festival, our artists and their songs are able to get wide exposure abroad because they receive the resources they need while seeking the goal of preserving the beauty of our language. This prize rewards the efforts put forth by the festival's organizers and participants.

On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to offer our congratulations on this prize and our best wishes for a futures as rich as the past.

[Interparliamentary Delegations, September 30th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to table in the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, respecting its participation in the APF's Commission de la coopération et du développement, held in Rome, Italy, on June 8 and 9, 2010.

[Cultural Products, September 24th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the cultural exemption, which excludes cultural products from trade, was hard won at the NAFTA negotiations. Yet in the current negotiations for a free trade agreement between Canada and the European Union, the EU is finding the cultural exemption clause too broad and is attempting to dilute it.

Does the government realize that any weakening of its position would send a very bad signal to the United States, which could be tempted to challenge this provision of NAFTA?