Yvan Loubier

[Health, November 29th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, all observers question the government's true intentions and fear potential squabbles. The minister knows this, because she also stirred things up over the young offender issue. This is the concern of Louise Chabot of the Central des syndicats du Québec. She asks “Why stir up squabbles by dictating to the provinces the priorities and conditions tied to federal funding?”

Could the minister tell us just how the patient's best interests can be served if there is one squabble after another between the provinces and the federal government, when it would be so much simpler to hand the money over to the provinces, period?

Does she have a fondness for squabbles?

[Health, November 29th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the government must realize that there will be no positive outcome whatsoever in Quebec for patients who have been waiting years for funding to be restored, if it decides to set conditions. As Jennie Skeene of the Fédération des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec pointed out “—one of the problems we foresee involves the targeted funds, which are liable to cause petty squabbles and delay payment”.

If the minister has the patient's best interests at heart, as she claims, why does she not try to convince the Prime Minister to set aside the conditions on the transfer payments and pay the money directly to the provinces?

[École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, November 22nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the government's attitude on this issue shows that, as far as it is concerned, there is one too many veterinary schools in Canada and that the three with no problems, that is the University of Prince Edward Island for the Maritimes, the University of Guelph for central Canada, and Western College for the west, are all that is needed.

Is the government sabotaging once again a francophone institution in Canada, as it did with the military college in Saint-Jean?

[École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, November 22nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food confirmed that he has given up the fight for federal funding for the École vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe. This is an investment that is necessary for this veterinary college to get its accreditation back. The college in Saint-Hyacinthe is the only one of four Canadian university colleges to have lost its full accreditation.

Since the litmus test for the veterinary college in Saint-Hyacinthe is coming in a few short weeks, I call on the Prime Minister to make funds available quickly to ensure the survival of the only French language veterinary school in North America. Will he make that commitment?

[Privilege, November 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I understand you are not there to administer the day to day affairs of committees. You are there, however, and we are very grateful that you are, to protect members' privileges.

The way this committee operates is trampling on our privileges. This morning was not the first instance. We have met three times and the same thing has happened each time. As members of the House of Commons, we are calling upon you, Mr. Speaker, as guardian of our privileges, to intervene and remedy the situation for the future, in order to restore to the committee an atmosphere that will be more propitious to committee work. Without everyone's cooperation, nothing will be accomplished.

[Privilege, November 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I was present when the Chair of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, Northern Development and Natural Resources acted in the fashion we are complaining about today.

I can tell you that, in the nine years I have been sitting on committees—I was a member of the Standing Committee on Finance before—I have never seen such a dictatorial way of running a committee meeting. We are not given the privilege of speaking. This is contrary to the procedures in the Standing Orders.

This is the first time that I experience working in a committee almost under a reign of terror, being careful not to draw attention to ourselves and being stripped of all our privileges. That is to ensure the proper operation of the committee, according to the Chair.

This has to stop. I agree with my hon. colleagues. You need to intervene to put an end to this dictatorial way of running the committee.

[École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, November 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, by abandoning the veterinary college in Saint-Hyacinthe, the federal government is preparing to pull another Saint-Jean military college on us. They have closed down the only French language military college and are about to do the same with the only French language veterinary college in North America.

Are they not preparing to play the same trick again on the francophones of North America?

[École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, November 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the veterinary college at Guelph University , in Ontario, recently received accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association, after receiving millions of dollars from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Could the Minister of Agriculture tell us why the veterinary college in Saint-Hyacinthe cannot rely on the same level of support from the federal government, at a time when it is struggling to stay alive?

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, during a trip to Europe accompanied by Quebec's minister for aboriginal affairs, Michel Létourneau, the Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees, Ted Moses, praised the peace of the braves. Hardly words that European journalists are used to hearing.

This is testimony to the Government of Quebec and Premier Bernard Landry, who managed to conclude an historic agreement with a great people, an agreement that will guarantee harmonious economic, social and environmental development.

This also sets an example for other great nations of the world to follow, foremost Canada, by looking to Quebec, which is “something akin to a great people”, as René Lévesque said. By slamming the door on such an agreement with the Crees, the federal government does not measure up well in comparison.

[Budget Surplus, November 20th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, what we want is for the federal government to mind its own business and respect the provinces. The fact of the matter is that the upcoming initiatives fall under provincial jurisdiction, a few examples being urban affairs, training, pharmacare, home care, early childhood support.

Can the government deny that it is interfering in areas of provincial jurisdiction because it no longer knows what to do with the surplus taken from the pockets of taxpayers?