Madam Speaker, before I begin to speak to Bill C-28, I would ask your permission to pay special tribute to the people of my riding of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot who, with courage and determination and always a smile, endured—and some of them are still enduring— the hardships of the ice storm in the past month.
I would say to them that I and my colleagues in the Bloc Quebecois—I see the member for Drummond is here—will support them to the end. We will support them in their difficulties, as we have since the start of this disaster, and we will continue to ensure that they are treated properly. I refer, among other things, to the promise made by the Minister of Human Resources Development to eliminate the qualifying period and to not collect overpayments from the victims of the storm. I am talking as well about the various programs for small and medium size businesses, the very small businesses and the self-employed.
I can assure you that my colleagues in the Bloc Quebecois and I will work tirelessly to ensure that these people and companies obtain satisfaction when they need the full support and all the efforts of the members of the Bloc Quebecois.
A famous Quebec legislator has always said that, when an omnibus bill is presented in Parliament—