Lucienne Robillard

[College Mother House, April 25th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased, on administrative professionals day, to congratulate a historic Montreal educational institution, College Mother House, on its 100th anniversary.

Founded in 1907, the Notre-Dame Secretarial School, later renamed College Mother House, was the first secretarial college in Montreal. Established by the sisters of the Notre-Dame congregation, where education was the primary mission, the college was located for most of its history on the current site of Dawson College.

The college accepts about 35 women annually in the 10 month program. They study business and computer skills plus languages and receive a provincially recognized certificate. The college's mission is the theme of its anniversary: “100 years of women helping women”.

I invite all members to join me in wishing College Mother House a happy centennial anniversary and many more anniversaries to come.

[Afghanistan, April 24th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister remains true to form. He has never been able to take responsibility for his own actions. He is being asked some very simple questions here today. Since the Conservative government signed the new agreement, what has been happening to detainees and prisoners? Has anyone visited them? In what conditions are they being held?

If the Minister of National Defence is incapable of answering some simple questions, why does the Prime Minister continue to place his trust in that minister?

[Afghanistan, April 24th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker—

[Afghanistan, April 24th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the government cannot skate around this question. It is the government's duty to inform Canadians immediately.

What is the status of Afghan prisoners? How many have been transferred? What is their current situation? Have they been tortured, yes or no, and is there any risk of torture? Canada's reputation is at stake. It is time the minister answered the questions Canadians are asking.

[Afghanistan, April 23rd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives continue to be completely inconsistent when it comes to Afghanistan.

The minister says one day that we are not at war and then says the exact opposite the next. One day, he says we are in Afghanistan to exact revenge, and the next day, he says we are there to beat the Taliban. In the past, he has said that we would not beat them with military force.

Given that the equipment recently purchased will not arrive in Afghanistan until a few months before 2009, will the Minister of National Defence finally admit his secret intention to extend the mission in Afghanistan?

[Afghanistan, April 23rd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, this minority Conservative government has never been clear about the mission in Afghanistan and has never bothered to think about when or how this mission will end.

The Minister of National Defence now says that the Canadian Forces could pull out on the condition that the Afghan forces double their size, which seems very unlikely to occur by 2009.

Will the minister finally admit that he has no intention of pulling the Canadian Forces out of Afghanistan in 2009?

[Royal Canadian Mounted Police, March 30th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the cover-up started in November under the Conservative government. Let us be clear here.

The allegations we are now hearing were detailed in a report by the Auditor General. Traditionally, the Auditor General meets with the Minister of Public Safety to provide him with the details. At the time, she stated that she did not have all the facts to substantiate all the allegations made.

Why is it that, when the minister was told directly—

[Royal Canadian Mounted Police, March 30th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. It was the Auditor General who raised the alarm about the situation within the RCMP in her November 2006 report.

As is always the case, the minister would have received a briefing by the Auditor General before the release of her report. That means the public safety minister has known since November.

Why the cover-up? Why did the public safety minister do nothing until he was forced to finally act?

[Royal Canadian Mounted Police, March 30th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, when asked about the serious allegations concerning the RCMP pension fund, the Minister of Public Safety simply stated that he will appoint an investigator, and this comes after having done nothing for four months. There is nothing, absolutely nothing in yesterday's comments by the minister to reassure Canadians that he is finally taking the accusations seriously. He said nothing about the legal framework for the investigation or about the powers of the investigator to question witnesses.

Faced with such a serious situation, why is the minister improvising? The process he has put in place lacks credibility.

[Budget, March 28th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, once again he gives us slogans instead of answers.

The Conservative budget has divided the country. At least five provinces are angry. The finance minister said that this would be the end of discord between the provinces, but he has split them right down the middle, with provinces launching full page ads and court cases as a result of the budget.

How does the finance minister dare say that the bickering between the provincial and federal governments is over? Is he dreaming?