Michel Gauthier

[Social Union, February 2nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the Prime Minister to tell us whether he considers the members of the Liberal Party across Canada to be the only ones that count.

Does he hold discussions only with leaders of opposition who are Liberals, or does that apply only to Quebec?

[Health, December 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health's spirit of partnership was somewhat lacking when the time came to unilaterally take $6 billion from the provinces.

What I am asking him, and what is of concern to us, what is of concern to the premiers, is not whether funds are short in the health field. Everyone in Canada admits this. What I am asking is this. Does the minister intend to ride roughshod over health, bringing in new programs that will keep his employees busy, or does he intend to return the money he took from the provinces which has led to the problem now facing us? That is what we want to know.

[Health, December 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, we have just been greatly astounded by the Minister of Health's admission that the health system needs reinforcing.

I have a question for the minister. Does he not understand that the best way of doing so is not to add programs on top of what is already there, thus creating duplication, but rather to hand back to the provinces the money cut from them?

[Social Union, December 8th, 1998]

How can the minister and the Prime Minister question the good faith of the Premier of Quebec when the Prime Minister of Canada just showed his bad faith on the issue by announcing on his own, unilaterally and without any consultation, a youth strategy that really concerns the provinces?

[Social Union, December 8th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, is all this finger pointing how constitutional negotiations are conducted in Canada?

[Social Union, December 8th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just started a Canada-wide tour and already it does not bode well for the Canadian social union agreement.

The Prime Minister is speculating right and left about the good faith of the Premier of Quebec.

Does the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs not agree that the Prime Minister's remarks reflect an attitude of contempt not only for the Premier of Quebec but also for all Quebec premiers whom, at one time or another, took the same stand?

[2010 Olympic Games, December 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, what is at issue here is the behaviour of the government, which should be neutral. That is what we are questioning, that is what it is our job to do and that is what we will do, whether or not the Prime Minister likes it.

Does he think that, when one of his ministers starts to promote Vancouver, his government has been neutral?

[2010 Olympic Games, December 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I am not trying to make political capital out of this issue. What I want—

[2010 Olympic Games, December 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the decisions of the Canadian Olympic Association should be made without political interference. They should not be used for political purposes.

Yet this was the excuse the Minister of Canadian Heritage gave for delaying the announcement about the 2010 Games.

Will the Prime Minister admit that, whatever the role played by his two ministers, the mere fact that they were announced as participants in Winnipeg's candidacy represented an advantage that Quebec unfortunately did not—

[Fire At Hôtel-Dieu Hospital In Roberval, December 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, a major fire destroyed part of the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Roberval.

I want to express to all the residents of Roberval and the surrounding region my admiration for the community spirit and the sense of organization they displayed to prevent this fire from being even more devastating.

Thanks to the exceptional work of firemen from Roberval and the neighbouring municipalities, the fire was very quickly brought under control and did not spread to the institution's second wing. The staff of Roberval's Hôtel-Dieu hospital acted calmly and countless individual acts helped save lives.

In the next few days, great efforts will have to be deployed to temporarily reorganize the hospital, during the clean up and reconstruction phases.

I want the residents of Roberval to know that I will spare no effort to help those who face the difficult task of rebuilding and of ensuring that all services are back in operation.