Mr. Speaker, during the Bloc Québécois annual general meeting in Joliette, Chief Paul-Émile Ottawa of the Conseil des Atikamekw de Manawan was elected vice-chair of our executive committee.
I am extremely pleased with Mr. Ottawa's decision to join our team because his knowledge will be extremely helpful to our Joliette executive committee and to the entire Bloc Québécois.
As chief of the Conseil des Atikamekw de Manawan, Paul-Émile Ottawa is extremely well placed to understand the needs and concerns of the people of Manawan, and is also very familiar with all the Quebec first nations claims. Furthermore, his past experience as director of social services in Manawan has also made him familiar with the daily problems of the people in his community.
To Chief Ottawa, the sovereignty of Quebec is inevitable, and the best way to represent the interests of the Atikamekw is to deal directly with Quebeckers, equal to equal, nation to nation. Congratulations to Mr. Ottawa.