Yvan Loubier

[Request for Emergency Debate, December 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I have sent you a formal application for an emergency debate, this evening, to deal with the issue of the request for federal funding by the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe.

Today is the day the dean of this college of veterinary medicine has to start writing his report. There is precious little time left before the American Veterinary Medical Association decides either to maintain the college's accreditation, give the college an extension or simply remove the accreditation.

This is a matter of some urgency. I hope that you will grant my request for an emergency debate on this issue.

[École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, December 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, they have been doing a good job all right. They are supposed to have settled this problem two years ago, and Quebec has already done its part. It has already put in $41 million. Moreover, the minister has been misinformed on this issue, and continues to be misinformed.

How is he going to explain to the people of Saint-Hyacinthe and the rest of Quebec that, faced with an urgent situation and despite the $41 million Quebec has contributed as its share to save the accreditation of Saint-Hyacinthe, he is doing nothing and is allowing the veterinary school to die? How is he going to explain that?

[École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, December 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's attitude as far as the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe is concerned is not only inexplicable, but also absolutely regrettable. Regardless of what the minister may think, a report of that magnitude is not going to get written overnight between January 19 and 20. The process needs to start today, if the American association's deadline is to be met.

Is the minister aware that, thanks to his behaviour in this matter, Quebec will no longer be able to turn out accredited French speaking veterinarians in the very near future? It will be all over. And he will be the one responsible.

[École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, December 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, today is the day when the dean of the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe has to produce his report to meet the requirements of the American Veterinary Medical Association, confirming whether or not the funding is available to make the required improvements. The Government of Quebec did its share months ago, with a $41 million investment.

But the dean has received nothing from the federal government. He will have nothing to report because of the failure to act of this government, which is still refusing to fund the only French language veterinary college in North America.

Instead, the dean will have to announce to the college's 400 French-speaking students that the validity of their diplomas may be questioned and that this government would rather keep its billions to fund sponsorship programs exclusively designed to reward friends of the Liberal Party of Canada, or that the federal Liberal members from Quebec prefer to engage in petty partisan politics, rather than deal with issues that are fundamental to Quebec.

Ottawa has no money to spare for a jewel in the crown of education in Quebec and a vital part of our scientific heritage. Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois will not let the federal government sabotage this institution and, once again, weaken Quebec.

[Points of Order, December 6th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, one of Quebec's and the Francophonie's most important institutions will begin to lose credibility because of the inertia of the federal government, which has given preferential treatment to three other schools of veterinary medicine in Canada and tarnished the reputation of the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe. Starting Monday, the government will be sending out the signal that the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe has no future, and I find this unacceptable. The members opposite have been fibbing for months now—

[Points of Order, December 6th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I will not allow lies to justify sabotage. When it comes to the interests of Quebec, of the Francophonie and of Saint-Hyacinthe, I will not keep quiet in the House when faced with bald-faced lies that have lasted for several months, in the case of the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe.

[École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, December 6th, 2002]

Liar. You are a liar.

[École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, December 6th, 2002]

No, it's the only one. Liar.

[École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, December 6th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it is not just a date set by some people. It is a date set by the American association, and the dean must present a final report and say that the federal government is not giving one red cent to the school of veterinary medicine to modernize its equipment and to keep its accreditation.

The countdown is starting, you might say. It sends a signal to students who are thinking of enrolling in the school of veterinary sciences in Saint-Hyacinthe in the near future not to go, because the school may very well lose its accreditation in the end.

I am asking the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to stop the waffling and party politics and to make a commitment today to support the modernization of the school's equipment so that it can continue—

[École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, December 6th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food was at the UPA congress but said nothing about any progress in connection with the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe. With three days left until its deadline to report to the American association, Ottawa has all but abandoned the school and Quebec will no longer be able to train accredited veterinarians in French.

Will the federal government stop treating Quebec with contempt and immediately free up the necessary money to allow the only French language school of veterinary medicine in North America to regain its full accreditation?