Paule Brunelle

[Fairness at the Pumps Act, October 25th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I am very disappointed to see a bill that effectively does so little.

Just a few years ago, I was a critic on the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, and the gas issue was very serious. Prices were fluctuating so wildly that an emergency debate was held in this House. I was in Vancouver with the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, and we had to come back for that debate. In the end, an election came, everything was dropped, and we never resolved the issue. The purpose of the bill that was introduced at the time was to give teeth to the Competition Act. I see that that is not the case here. It is all well and good to suspect that there could be collusion, but it has to be proven. I think my colleague demonstrated that. Could he tell us a bit more about that?

[Claire Sauvageau-Chartier, October 25th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we celebrated Claire Sauvageau-Chartier's 100th birthday on August 22 in Champlain, Quebec.

A caring, dedicated woman, Ms. Sauvageau-Chartier, a mother of seven, always helped and assisted others.

A nurse by profession, this remarkable lady attended to everyone in distress who came to ask for her help, and she did so free of charge. In times when health care was often too expensive for most people in this farming region, she helped numerous women during childbirth.

For decades, she bandaged the countless cuts and stitched the many wounds of unruly children.

Her hospitality is legendary, and her sharp mind has not diminished, even at the age of 100. This amazing lady still lives in her own home, by herself.

I would like to wish Ms. Sauvageau-Chartier, my mother-in-law, all the best on her 100th birthday. May you continue to enjoy good health and the love of family and friends.

[Oil and Gas Exploration, October 21st, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the safety of gas development in the St. Lawrence is uncertain. While Quebec has imposed a moratorium, Newfoundland is going full steam ahead.

Will the government admit that federalism is bad for Quebeckers, because if Quebec were a sovereign nation, it could take legal action in international court to require that Newfoundland comply with a moratorium so that the environmental risks associated with gas exploration could be assessed?

[Oil and Gas Exploration, October 21st, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the National Assembly of Quebec has adopted a motion calling for a moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of St. Lawrence until 2012 so that the environmental and safety risks can be assessed. The best way for Quebec to protect itself is to have an agreement on the St. Lawrence seabed.

Will the Minister of Natural Resources promise to enter into such an agreement this fall, which is what the Government of Quebec has been calling for?

[Radioactive Waste, September 29th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is holding public consultations on the request by an Ontario company to use the St. Lawrence to ship radioactive waste. Officials at the commission have already come out in favour of the plan.

How can people have any confidence in these public consultations when the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission already seems prepared to authorize the use of the St. Lawrence to ship radioactive waste?

[Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act, September 27th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, this bill is the former Bill C-27. What strikes me is that it took four long years to come up with a bill, and the work is not over. We can see that technology is evolving at an alarming rate and that the legislative framework often lags behind. How can we counter this?

I would like to ask the member a question. When we talk about the web or the Internet, we cannot ignore its international aspect. How can we ensure that international agreements will be signed to make sure this bill remains useful?

[National Forest Week, September 21st, 2010]

Madam Speaker, since this is National Forest Week, as the natural resources critic for the Bloc Québécois, I would like to make my colleagues aware of how vital these resources are to the planet.

As we know, trees purify the air. The forests in Quebec and Canada capture close to 40 megatonnes of CO₂ every year, and this is absolutely free. Forests, which cover more than 760,000 square km in Quebec, are a renewable resource that we must develop responsibly. Forests ask for nothing in return for everything that they do, other than to be treated with respect.

Furthermore, forests account for many jobs in Quebec. The forestry industry plays an important role in Quebec and it deserves financial support.

I am calling on the government to do everything it can to protect this resource for the future and to help the forestry industry make it through this unprecedented crisis.

[Shale Gas, September 20th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Natural Resources and Prime Minister's political lieutenant has in his possession notes concerning the exploitation of shale gas. The minister is not being asked to get involved in this issue, which falls under Quebec's jurisdiction.

However, does the minister plan on making public and transmitting to the BAPE the information he has on the potential effects of shale gas exploitation?

[The Environment, June 17th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has signed an agreement with Newfoundland and Nova Scotia regarding mining the seabed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Government of Quebec has been calling for a similar agreement for 12 years. The government's stubbornness is preventing Quebec from making decisions under its own environmental assessment system, which is one of the best in the world.

Why is the government refusing to give Quebec the same advantages it is giving to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia?

[Offshore Drilling, June 16th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, although I am aware that Newfoundland is responsible for regulating drilling off the province's coast, I want to ask the Minister of Natural Resources whether he plans to follow the lead of the Government of Quebec and call on Newfoundland to impose a moratorium on offshore drilling.