Lost his last election, in 2004, with 30% of the vote.
Employment Insurance Act March 29th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, as you know, I was interrupted for question period. This bill is so important that I have to carry on with the debate.
However, I would like to propose a motion. Whereas the integrity of the Prime Minister is of the utmost importance and whereas we have been unable to obtain any answer from the government, I move:
That the House do now adjourn.
Prime Minister March 29th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of article 3.6 of the 1999 agreement is to protect the buyer, Mr. Michaud, against any future legal proceedings. This clause exists because, even for Mr. Michaud, there is a limit to helping out one's friends.
Will the Prime Minister admit that the reason he does not want an inquiry is that he will have to foot the bill, which puts him in a second conflict of interest situation?
Employment Insurance Act March 29th, 2001
Madam Speaker, I rise to express my opposition to Bill C-2.
My colleagues presented many aspects of the legislation that show that the government has no respect for employees as well as employers by not addressing their problems.
This legislation is hurting workers by refusing to address urgent situations and to correct the deficiencies of the current act.
What the Bloc Quebecois is asking for is clear. The measures the Bloc Quebecois is asking for are meant to correct flaws in the plan by taking into account the day to day condition of workers and a labour market that keeps changing, with students who have to combine a job and studying and an increasing number of independent workers. These two groups are not taken into account in the bill, but they will have to be soon.
It is the duty of the federal government to address the issue right away so that these two groups of workers are included just like other workers already covered by the plan.
The Bloc Quebecois is asking the federal government to respond to the hopes of workers, to further improve the EI plan and to eliminate discrimination in EI requirements.
We have to abolish the definition of labour force, because it penalizes directly the young and women in that they have to work a total of 910 hours in 52 weeks to qualify.
A women who re-enters the labour market after two years is considered a new entrant and not a member of the labour market. What a shame.
The same is true of young people who are also considered new entrants, because they are in their first job. This same definition allows certain workers to be eligible for the same plan with no more than 420 hours accumulated.
The self-employed have been completely forgotten. It might even be said that this segment does not exist at all, or worse, is not worth the bother to the government. Self-employed workers represented 12% of the total workforce in 1976. They represented 18% in 1999. The government cannot deny this segment of the population which now represents one worker in five. The figure is huge.
We must absolutely not forget that this sector of workers is growing. The federal government must, right now, include these workers fully in the employment insurance plan.
Another group penalized by this bill is that of young people. It creates a dichotomy in that students must go to school as well as work in order to survive and in the hopes of finding well paid work. However the standards in this bill give them no help at all.
The latest census in 1996 reported over 2.8 million full time students. According to the monitoring and assessment report one million individuals earned less than $2,000 and were therefore entitled to a refund.
However, only 40% of these people applied for a refund and 42% of them were under 25 years of age. In short, 2.6 million students are being taxed to study. Young people—
Petitions March 26th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, the people in my riding would like to table this petition to put an end to sanctions against Iraq.
Of course, since Operation Desert Fox, in December 1998, over 10,000 air strikes have taken place against Iraq, producing an incalculable number of victims.
Whereas the continued UN sanctions against Iraq, considered to be the heaviest ever imposed, have devastated the Iraqi economy and resulted in the death of over 5,000 children a month, the people of my riding want the bombing to stop and serious peace negotiations to take place between Canada and the United Nations in order to increase efforts to provide food, medicines and infrastructure funding for the reconstruction of Iraq.
University Hockey March 26th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Patriotes of the Université du Québec at Trois-Rivières have become the new Interuniversity Athletic Union champions. This is also the third time in their history they have won the championship. They beat the X-men of St. Francis Xavier 5 to 4 in the second overtime period.
I would like to congratulate the players and the coach, Jacques Laporte, and all who in one way or another helped these young people achieve their dream and share it with us. I congratulate them on their courage and their determination.
This is a fine example of courage and determination these young people have given us. It is an example that will inspire the young and not so young to go the extra bit and do it. This is the importance of sports.
Hats off to the Patriotes, to the UQTR and to Trois-Rivières.
Figure Skating March 22nd, 2001
Mr. Speaker, last evening, Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, who is from Sayabec in the riding of Matapédia—Matane, won the pairs gold medal at the world figure skating championships in Vancouver.
It was a stunning victory, which held us spellbound right to the end. After so many years of training and sacrifice, our two champions may now reap the glory they so deserve.
Well done, you two. You have proven that amateur sport is exciting, heart stopping and high calibre.
On behalf of all of us in the Bloc Quebecois, and more specifically, my colleague from Matapédia—Matane, I wish you the best of luck in your upcoming challenges, the ultimate being the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
Your dreams have become reality. Well done, and keep on dazzling us.
Drug Use In Amateur Sport March 21st, 2001
Mr. Speaker, the conference on the use of drugs in amateur sport was held recently in Montreal. The aim of this event was to make the public aware of the very serious problems of drug use in amateur sport and to define ways to reduce the incidence.
The conclusions and recommendations of the conference were unanimous. We must start fighting this devastating epidemic now. All the participants, including the government of Quebec and the federal government, agreed on a partnership project focusing on education, information and prevention and receiving proper funding to ensure these objectives are achieved.
The Bloc Quebecois congratulates the organization on the success of this forum and more specifically Dr. Christiane Ayotte, the honourary chair of the conference and a world renowned expert in drug use in sports, of whom we are very proud.
Supply March 13th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on the clarity of her remarks regarding this motion.
I would like to ask her how it would be decided that those in the registry present a high risk of recidivism.
Judges Act March 12th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I do not want to prolong the debate needlessly, but I just realized that what the member was saying could be very interesting.
I understand his wanting to speak at the appropriate time, which happens only very infrequently. However I do not think it appropriate for him to use his right to speak today to put our justice system on trial. He could talk about salary and about how the justice system could be improved. How does the government expect to attract qualified people if it does not make enough money available to pay judges well?
I agree with what the member is saying, but we must also remember that while improvements are necessary, we must let ability find expression as well. I believe that a salary must befit a judge of the supreme court, all judges of the supreme court, not only the chief justice, and all the judges of the federal court and the judges of the court of appeal.
The Bloc Quebecois supports this argument, because it follows from the ability of our judicial system. Yes, partisan appointments are made. Yes, it is good to bring this sort of thing out, but today we should concentrate on this particular fact. I think judges' ability is related to salary, and the member should answer this question.
Richard Legendre March 12th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois congratulates Richard Legendre, the former director of Tennis Canada in Montreal and of the Montreal international tennis championships, on his appointment as minister for tourism, recreation and sport.
As an outstanding organizer and key player in Quebec's amateur and professional sports scene, his appointment will be a big plus for Quebec. All sports stakeholders in Quebec will be fortunate to have at the helm a man of action and ideas whose reputation is well known.
The Bloc Quebecois was delighted by Mr. Legendre's statement that sport was of the utmost importance to him, that “Sport brings together families, parents and children. It is a uniting force for all of us in our daily lives”.
Instead of getting upset at seeing Mr. Legendre go over to the sovereignist forces, the Secretary of State for Amateur Sport should be glad to be able to work with an energetic man whose track record is solid and who wants to devote his energy to sports in Quebec.
For its part, the Bloc Quebecois is anxious to start working with Mr. Legendre.