House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2006, with 50% of the vote.
Aerospace Industry February 9th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Quebec aerospace association denounces the fact that nothing was set aside for Quebec and feels that this is unacceptable. She laments the fact that the government did not even protect the Quebec aerospace industry, which represents nearly 60% of the Canadian aerospace industry.
How can a Quebec minister have been party to such a decision?
Aerospace Industry February 9th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, with the Boeing contract, the Minister of Industry stated that he could not impose any conditions because he had to respect the rules of the free market. Today we learned that the minister negotiated a clause favouring SMEs and ensuring that they will obtain 15% of the spinoffs. The fact that this clause is in the contract is proof that the government had the ability to set conditions.
Why did they not demand that Quebec be given its fair share, which comes to nearly 60%?
Aerospace Industry February 2nd, 2007
Mr. Speaker, everything old is new again. When we are talking about Ontario's automobile industry, concentration is seen as a positive thing, but when it comes to concentrating the aerospace industry in Quebec, oddly enough, the same reasoning no longer applies.
Will the Conservative ministers from Quebec tell us why that is?
Aerospace Industry February 2nd, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative ministers from Quebec have nothing to be proud of today. Signing the contract with Boeing is a pathetic display of just how little influence they have with this government. They are just a small part in a big machine that is weakening Quebec's aerospace industry. For people who claim to be defending Quebec, this spectacle is not only disappointing, it is appalling.
Did the Minister of Industry calculate how many jobs he sacrificed in Quebec in order to keep his limousine?
Rural Health February 1st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, a conference is being held in Drummondville today on rural health. Its objective is to build bridges between the farming community and the health and social services network.
It has been organized by the group Au Coeur des familles agricoles, a non-profit organization that works to prevent psychological distress among agricultural workers, under the theme "Getting to know farming better, to know farmers and their families better".
The connection between the general public and the farming community has grown increasingly tenuous. There is a clear lack of understanding of the challenges and issues facing the farming community on a daily basis. This conference will allow health services workers and community organizations to become better informed about those problems.
With greater knowledge they will be able to target their services more accurately and better meet the expectations of agricultural producers.
I am sure that this conference will be a success.
Canada Elections Act January 31st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the NDP for her comments. I will answer her questions.
The NDP claims that disclosing the date of birth of voters infringes on privacy rights. We in the Bloc Québécois regard the date of birth as an important tool allowing political parties to control the identity of voters who want to exercise their franchise, especially if a would-be voter shows up at a polling station without the required ID. With respect to the NDP's concerns about privacy, the Bloc Québécois suggests that, in Quebec, political parties have access to such information, and democracy in Quebec is no worse off. Consequently, the Bloc Québécois opposes Motion No. 2. The NDP thinks that this provision might restrict the ability to vote of those who do not have ID or forgot their ID at home on voting day. The Bloc Québécois thinks that it is necessary, in order to prevent fraud, that ID be required. Sufficient amendments have been made to the bill to enable sensitive groups such as aboriginal people to exercise their franchise. Note that a homeless person who does not have ID could still vote provided a qualified elector was able to vouch for them. Earlier, the parliamentary secretary described to our colleague from the NDP what was added to the Canada Elections Act for those who may not be able to get ID.
Regarding Motion No. 4, clause 22 provides that, in the event that a name is crossed off in error from the list of electors, the elector in question may vote, provided that the elector takes an oath and that the returning officer verifies that there was indeed an error made. Bill C-31 added to these two requirements the need for electors to identify themselves with ID. The NDP amendment proposes to remove the latter requirement. The Bloc Québécois thinks that it is necessary, in order to prevent fraud, that ID be required.
Canada Elections Act January 31st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to discuss Bill C-31 at the report stage.
Before stating our position on the motions in amendment, I would like to provide an overview of Bill C-31 and the work that has been done.
The purpose of this bill is to improve the integrity of the electoral process by reducing the opportunity for fraud or error. As a member of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, I participated in the work leading up to the introduction of this bill in the House of Commons, so I can say that a lot of work went into it.
The committee includes representatives of each political party, all of whom cooperated effectively, thus enabling us to achieve our goal of improving the electoral process and strengthening the public's faith in it.
This bill will reduce the opportunity for fraud or error and will improve the accuracy of the list of electors. It will also make it easier for people to exercise their right to vote and will improve communication among election officials, candidates, political parties and voters.
I would suggest that the Conservative government approach other files with the same attitude and the same level of respect for other parties' ideas. The Conservatives' ideological agenda did not dominate our work, which probably explains why we were able to cooperate so well.
I would like to discuss in detail some of the provisions designed to reduce the opportunity for electoral fraud and error.
Electors must now present government-issued photo identification showing their name and address. In Quebec, a driver's licence is an excellent example of acceptable identification.
An elector who cannot produce such identification must present two pieces of identification authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer showing both name and address.
Potential electors who cannot produce two acceptable pieces of identification may swear under oath that they are who they say they are. They must also be vouched for by another qualified elector.
The bill also provides that in case of reasonable doubt concerning whether a person qualifies as an elector—for example, if the person's age or citizenship are in doubt—that person must sign an affidavit. Only citizens over age 18 qualify to vote; currently, no proof of age is required, not even if there is reasonable doubt that the person qualifies.
We think that such a simple and clearly defined procedure will improve the electoral process by preventing more fraud.
The elector's date of birth will be added to the list of electors. This will help better identify the person wishing to exercise their right to vote.
In Quebec, the lists of electors include date of birth. This system works and fosters the objectives we want to achieve with this bill.
The bill also limits vouching so that an elector may vouch for only one person. This measure will help prevent a practice referred to as “serial vouching”, which could result in fraud.
What is serial vouching? Serial vouching is when an individual who was not originally registered to vote is vouched for by someone—whose name is on the list of electors—in order to be added to the voters’ list, and then vouches for someone else who was not registered, and so on.
The bill also contains another change that the Bloc Québécois has been calling for for a very long time and that is assigning a unique identification number to every elector. This unique identifier will be included on the list of electors and will improve the quality of the lists by ensuring that duplications are eliminated.
It is important to point out that this unique identifier will be randomly generated and assigned by the Chief Electoral Officer.
Bill C-31 also proposes measures to facilitate the right to vote. The time limit within which an elector with physical limitations can request a transfer certificate to vote at a polling station with level access has been removed. There will no longer be a deadline for disabled electors to apply for a transfer. I want to emphasize that this amendment does not give licence to avoid making polling stations accessible.
Bill C-31 permits an advance polling station to serve a single polling division rather than two or more polling divisions, in order to improve accessibility to advance polling stations for voters, particularly in remote regions.
It can be difficult for voters in these regions to get to advance polling stations. Year after year, a growing number of people choose to go to an advance poll to exercise their right to vote. It is therefore necessary to enhance accessibility.
The bill also seeks to improve communications between election officials, candidates, political parties and voters. It gives candidates a right of access to common areas of public places for election campaign purposes.
It is important to be able to meet people where they are. An election campaign is a unique opportunity to call attention to ideas and to talk about our record as members of Parliament. We must promote this, while also respecting the public.
Bill C-31 also improves access for parties and candidates to up-to-date lists of electors, which they can use to communicate with voters and encourage them to vote. In order to do so, it is important that they have access to accurate and up-to-date lists.
Various motions were presented to amend this bill. The Bloc Québécois reviewed all them and has taken a stand.
The Bloc Québécois opposes Motion No. 1, because it would imply not indicating the date of birth on voters lists, thus reducing the chances of properly identifying a potential voter.
The Bloc Québécois is also opposed to Motion No. 2, because it increases the risks of electoral fraud by opposing the simple and clearly established procedure of identifying potential voters by requiring appropriate pieces of identification and having them take an oath.
In conclusion, I want to mention the successful cooperation that led to this bill. I hope the Conservative government will follow this example in the future.
The Bloc Québécois supports this legislation. However, we oppose the motions presented at report stage.
My Bloc Québécois colleagues and I are proud to have proposed some elements of the Quebec electoral system to help the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs in its work. The Quebec electoral system has proven its effectiveness. The elements found in Bill C-31 that are patterned on the Quebec model will help improve the federal electoral system.
The objective of this bill is to improve the integrity of the electoral process. I believe that, in this sense, the bill is a step in the right direction.
The Environment December 8th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, does the approach used by the Minister of the Environment not illustrate yet again that she intends to once again favour her friends, the big oil companies, when a fair approach based on the polluter pays principle would require industries to fully assume the costs of the pollution that they create?
The Environment December 8th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of the Environment said that industries will not be the only ones to make efforts in the fight against climate change, and that consumers will also have to do their share. In its economic statement, the government said we must ensure that no industry has to bear excessive costs.
Is the minister quietly preparing the ground before announcing to consumers that they will have to pay the share that she will not have the courage to demand from oil companies?
World Volunteer Day December 5th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, today is World Volunteer Day. Over two million volunteers in Quebec work for the well being of their fellow citizens. Every year they put in over 308 million hours for causes that are important to them.
We do not speak enough about the people who donate their time to organizations involved in recreational, health, safety, political, charitable and other activities.
The Conservative government did not understand the impact of volunteer work in our society when it cut the Canada volunteerism initiative on September 25.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to thank all the volunteers in Quebec for their dedication to their community. I am calling on this government to reinvest this money for the well being of our volunteers.