Pauline Picard

[The Environment, May 12th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government has decided to abolish the EnerGuide program, which seeks to improve the energy balance of houses.

Will the minister acknowledge that until she knows where she is headed, it is completely irresponsible to axe programs such as EnerGuide?

[The Environment, May 12th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment maintains that meeting the Kyoto targets is impossible. However, finding alternatives to coal, increasing automobile efficiency and asking oil companies to make an effort costing them nothing more would allow Canada to substantially meet its target. Rather than making a fool of herself by citing catastrophic scenarios, will the minister admit that there are simple, effective and realistic means of meeting the Kyoto targets and that they only require a bit of good will?

[Business of the House, May 11th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, if you were to seek it, I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of this House, the period of time corresponding to the time taken for Royal Assent today shall be added to the time provided for government business, and the ordinary time of daily adjournment shall be delayed accordingly.

[Business of the House, May 11th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, if you were to seek it, I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That at the conclusion of today's debate on the opposition motion in the name of the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, all questions necessary to dispose of this motion be deemed put, a recorded division deemed requested and deferred to the end of government orders on Tuesday, May 16, 2006.

[The Budget, May 9th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I feel like telling my colleague that I would create sovereignty.

No time at all would be needed to put back the $48 billion that was taken from the employment insurance fund.

For years the Standing Committee on Human Resources has gone over this issue. There have been reports, witnesses, debates on this issue in this House. The human resources committee has always been unanimously in favour of improving the employment insurance program and fund. Currently 12 measures have been proposed and would easily be adapted to support those who are victims of unemployment.

A bill has just been placed on the order paper. We have been talking about this for years and we are still debating it in this House. I would vote in favour of anti-scab legislation.

[The Budget, May 9th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the only government that did not recognize the fiscal imbalance was the last government, the former Liberal government.

The fiscal imbalance, in simple terms, is that the federal government collects too much money in relation to provincial government expenses. There is too much money in the federal government's coffers while the needs are in the provinces.

An increase in new technologies for health, in the number of elderly sick people and various other factors are such that Quebec and the provinces are in need and are in crisis. Yet, the federal government has never really transferred money to meet the needs of the provinces. That is what we call the fiscal imbalance.

During the election campaign the Conservative government promised the provinces that it would eliminate the fiscal imbalance and that it would transfer the necessary funding for the provinces to meet their needs. That is only fair.

The federal government has too much money for its own jurisdictions, while the provincial governments are suffering and have a growing number of needs. That is what we call the fiscal imbalance. This government made a formal commitment during the election campaign and in its Speech from the Throne to resolve the fiscal imbalance. The deadline is February 2007. That is why we are voting in favour of this budget.

[The Budget, May 9th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert for agreeing to share her time with me, and I would also like to thank her for her excellent speech.

I would like to begin by congratulating and thanking my colleagues, the members for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot and Jeanne-Le Ber for their budget analysis, as well as all members of the Bloc Québécois who did such an admirable job of supporting them. Once again this year they have taken on this arduous task brilliantly. They have again shown how strong our organization is and why the vast majority of Quebeckers put their trust in the Bloc Québécois.

The Conservatives raised Quebeckers' expectations during the last election campaign, and we are still waiting for them to walk the walk. They promised to correct the fiscal imbalance, to give Quebec a place on the international stage, and to respect Quebec's areas of jurisdiction. They still have a lot to do to keep those promises.

I have to say that the main reason we support this budget is this government's firm commitment to correct the fiscal imbalance. That is the only reason. Without the formal commitment to address this issue by February 2007, the Bloc Québécois would have voted against the budget. The government must keep that in mind and act accordingly.

This is a transitional budget. The next one will be the real one. In the meantime, I repeat, the government must move from words to actions. Even for a transitional budget, this one is still far from perfect. It contains a number of negative aspects. For example, there is nothing for employment insurance, neither an independent fund nor improvements. We must remember that, even today, 60% of unemployed workers are denied access to the employment insurance plan. Under the Liberals, employment insurance shifted from being an assistance program to being a disguised tax. The Conservative government seems to want to move in the same direction.

The Bloc Québécois has always opposed the plunder of the employment insurance fund and demanded the creation of an independent fund. This money comes from contributions by employees and employers. The government has not contributed to the fund since 1990. It has absolutely no right to plunder this fund.

The Bloc Québécois has introduced a bill to amend the Employment Insurance Act aimed at improving the employment insurance plan and thus restoring proper respect to those this budget has forgotten. We hope that this House will support this bill and especially that the government will honour its commitments in this regard now that it is in office.

Furthermore, this budget contains no commitment for a program to help older workers who lose their jobs due to foreign competition and globalization. It is not a difficult program to understand. My colleague from the riding of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot explained it in detail to the Minister of Finance. Why is the government not acting? Action in this matter is needed urgently.

The program for older worker adjustment—known as POWA—provided for the payment of benefits to eligible workers aged 55 to 64 who had lost their jobs through a major permanent layoff, by bridging employment insurance benefits and pension benefits. Unfortunately, the program was abolished in 1997. From budget to budget, election campaign to election campaign, we have heard repeated promises to reinstate the program for older worker adjustment, but nothing has been done. The recent budget is proof.

Restoring POWA is particularly relevant to me because many victims of mass layoffs live in my riding. Last week, Teinturiers Élite, another textile business in my riding, had to close its doors. Approximately 50 people lost their jobs. Last April, Swift Galey, a jewel in our region's textile industry, also had to close its doors. Over the past five years or so, 800 jobs had been lost in that plant. Only 155 remained. The factory closed its doors last April, which led to the loss of the last 155 jobs.

In recent years, the Drummond area has seen many other plant closures in the textile industry, including Denim Swift, Celanese and Cavalier Textiles. We are talking about thousands of jobs lost in my riding. Many workers who lost their jobs had given over 20, 30 or even 40 years of service. During all of that time, these people paid into the EI fund.

What did the previous government do for these people? Nothing. What is the current government proposing to do for these people? Still nothing.

Older workers are facing hard times and the government must act immediately to help them.

The Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills Development, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities has already expressed its opinion on the terms and conditions of a program to help older workers who are victims of layoffs or plant closures. There is no need to start all over again. Instead of calling for a feasibility study, the minister must act, and quickly. There comes a time for shouldering responsibility, and that is what the Bloc Québécois is asking this government to do.

This brings me to my criticism that this budget also contains no support for manufacturing sectors affected by globalization, such as the textile, clothing, furniture and bicycle sectors.

When an industry sector is concentrated in Quebec, it would seem that the federal government drags its feet. The textile and clothing industries are good examples. Roughly half of the plants are in Quebec, where they account for nearly 100,000 direct jobs. In the Drummond area, this major economic sector is crumbling because of the federal government's inaction.

The textile and clothing industries are in crisis. They have to adapt to a business environment that has changed drastically in recent years.

The textile industry is presented as one of the most innovative manufacturing industries, but it needs a hand to get back on its feet. The federal government could take a leaf from the American government's book and put in place incentives to use Quebec and Canadian textiles by lifting the customs duty on foreign clothing made with textiles produced here.

I would like to remind the hon. members that the Bloc Québécois is determined to protect the interests of Quebeckers. I would also like to say to the people in the riding of Drummond, who elected me for the fifth time, that I will defend older workers, just as I will fight to win the embattled textile and clothing industries the help they need.

[UNESCO, May 5th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, in a statement he made last December, the Prime Minister clearly recognized the international extension of Quebec's jurisdiction.

Is the Prime Minister prepared to formally commit to making no decisions on behalf of Quebec when negotiating or signing a treaty concerning a matter that falls within the province's jurisdiction unless Quebec gives him formal authorization to do so?

[UNESCO, May 5th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, during the last election campaign, the Prime Minister made a commitment, and I quote, “to enable the provinces to extend their jurisdictions on the international scene”.

Does this mean that the government is committed to giving Quebec the power to negotiate and conclude international agreement in matters that fall within its jurisdiction?

[Swift Galey Textile Factory, May 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, a page in the industrial history of Drummondville was turned on April 6 when one of our textile flagships, the Swift Galey factory, closed its doors for good. Our region lost 155 jobs because of this closure.

These people need help now, but the Conservative government's budget did not include any help for the manufacturing sector, nor did it make any firm commitments toward older workers who lose their jobs.

The Bloc Québécois' subamendment to the Speech from the Throne stressed the government's duty to implement a strategy to assist older workers who have difficulty finding new jobs. By supporting the subamendment, the government pledged to help them quickly.

This government has an obligation to produce results. By June, it must implement a real income support program for older workers who fall victim to mass layoffs.