Mr. Speaker, my second petition concerns the protection of Gatineau Park by adopting legislation that will provide the necessary legal protection to ensure its preservation for future generations.
House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 24% of the vote.
PETITIONS December 12th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, my second petition concerns the protection of Gatineau Park by adopting legislation that will provide the necessary legal protection to ensure its preservation for future generations.
PETITIONS December 12th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first asks the government to protect cyclists and pedestrians by installing side guards on trucks and trailers.
Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act December 11th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a comment about my colleague's speech and about the questions he was asked in this House.
The hon. member for Winnipeg North told us that it is completely ridiculous not to support this bill at second reading, when the Liberals did exactly the same thing with Bill C-42, the Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act. They said that the Conservatives would never agree to any amendments and it was foolish—that may not have been the exact term they used—to believe that they would. Yet, now, they are saying the complete opposite.
I am shocked to see that the Conservatives are not respecting the work that was done by parliamentarians during consideration of Bill C-41 in the last Parliament. Does the hon. member really believe that any work could be accomplished in committee?
If amendments are going to be accepted, why are the amendments that were agreed to in the previous Parliament not already included in this bill?
Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act December 11th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley for his speech.
I would just like to make a comment at this point. I was not here during the previous Parliament, and so I was unable to contribute to the amendments to Bill C-41, which was before the House at that time. Nevertheless, I am shocked to hear what happened to Bill C-41 when the House returned and reintroduced it as Bill C-15 without the amendments that were submitted and adopted by the committee.
Like most of my colleagues, I am quite concerned about what can happen in committee, despite the government's claim that it is open to amendments. That is what my committee was told in the case of a number of bills, unfortunately, but as we heard this morning, most bills were not passed with amendments. I am shocked to see that the government does not want to work with the opposition parties as it did before.
I just wanted to make this comment to my colleague.
Public Safety December 10th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' actions with regard to public safety are troubling.
On the one hand, they are promoting their so-called law and order agenda, and on the other, they have slashed funding for the mixed prevention squads that fight street gangs in Quebec by $92 million.
They should be ashamed of using the victims for photo ops and then turning their backs on them.
The Minister of Public Safety can provide funding for the prevention squads or he can let gangs rule the streets. What does he choose?
Public Safety December 6th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, too often, violence against women is not considered a threat to public safety when, in fact, a woman is killed by her partner every six days and, every day, an average of 3,000 women have to seek refuge in shelters for abused women.
Will the Minister of Public Safety finally make combatting violence against women a priority?
Aboriginal Affairs December 6th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, we need this inquiry, and these women must not be ignored. Violence against aboriginal women is a serious problem in Canada.
Aboriginal women are three times more likely to be victims of violence than non-aboriginal women. This is an absolute crisis situation. All women should feel safe in a country like ours.
Will the government finally work in partnership with aboriginal organizations to launch a national inquiry into the cases of murdered and missing aboriginal women?
Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism December 5th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, one would think that the Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism would have learned from his difficulties and would be more careful in the future.
After all, he already lost his job for leaving secret documents at his girlfriend's house. But no. He allowed a French camera crew to film him hiding his car keys. But now that the whole world has seen the video, his hiding place is no good anymore.
What is more, yesterday, he told us that it was just a joke. Generally speaking, people who repeatedly show a lack of judgment are not very funny.
Is this really acceptable behaviour for a minister of the Crown?
St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Fair December 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the second St. Vincent de Paul Christmas fair was held in my riding last weekend.
My partner and I took advantage of the opportunity to do some holiday shopping while sipping a delicious hot chocolate. Many artisans from my riding, Alfred-Pellan, had stalls there, including La bête de Duvernay, a jewellery maker; Dolce Pane, a bakery; and a farm called Aux vieux chênes de Saint-François.
In addition to about 30 stalls, the people of Laval were treated to holiday movies, sleigh rides, carolling and storytelling. Even Santa Claus and his elf, Shiver, showed up for the event.
The second St. Vincent de Paul Christmas fair was a success thanks to the coordinated efforts of a number of Laval organizations: the Relais du quartier de Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, the Caisse populaire Desjardins des Mille-Îles, the Laval CSSS, the Association pour les aînés résidant à Laval, the Conférence régionale des élus de Laval, and the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul parish.
Congratulations to everyone. We are already looking forward to next year's third Christmas fair.
Jobs and Growth Act, 2012 December 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Compton—Stanstead for sharing his totally legitimate concerns and comments with us.
What does this bill have to offer future generations in terms of environmental standards? Unfortunately, it contains no environmental standards to protect future generations. As I mentioned, the official opposition and my Liberal colleagues are not the only ones worried about this problem. Many of the people of Laval, who care deeply about their environment, are worried too.
People at the eastern end of Laval are strongly attached to their bodies of water. Two navigable rivers cross the riding: the Rivière des Mille Îles and the Rivière des Prairies. People in that lovely part of the country really want all of their bodies of water, which they are constantly trying to raise awareness of, to remain protected and to be in better shape for future generations.
I was talking about this to the Conseil régional de l'environnement de Laval, with which the four Laval MPs work very hard. The organization is shocked at the extent to which the government is abandoning future generations and at how little attention Bill C-45 pays to sustainable development and the environment.