Gérard Binet

[Quebec/New York, A Show for Life, October 1st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of this House to a benefit show given Friday. It was entitled “Quebec/New York, a show for life”. The aim of the show was give to raise money for the victims of the attacks in the United States.

Before an audience of 12,000, Quebec artists such as Lara Fabian, Jean-Pierre Ferland, Éric Lapointe, Claude Dubois and Kevin Parent gave excellent performances.

The evening was a very emotional one. It gave artists and a large number of Quebecers an opportunity to express their solidarity with our American friends.

[Chrysotile Asbestos, September 27th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 125th anniversary of the discovery of chrysotile asbestos.

Today a four-day cycling challenge will end here on Parliament Hill. Mine workers, all of them over the age of 50 and with at least 25 years of service in our chrysotile mines in Thetford Mines and Asbestos, have ridden more than 500 kilometres to get here.

The objective of this challenge is to contribute to raising awareness of the safe use of chrysotile asbestos.

All along the way, therefore, a team was distributing relevant information about this natural fibre and its exceptional properties, in order to foster positive attitudes toward chrysotile asbestos, first of all in the areas where it is produced, and then in Quebec and in Canada.

The safe and responsible use of chrysotile by Canada is absolutely necessary if jobs are to be maintained in these mines and if the manufacturing industry is to be developed.

[Science and Research and Development, September 25th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development.

Federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for science, research and development met last week in Quebec City to discuss matters of common interest.

Could the secretary of state tell us what came out of this meeting?

[Pan-American Taekwondo Championships, September 20th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the consequences of last week's tragic events are huge and they require us to do some serious thinking. These attacks have shaken and even changed our daily lives.

The situation that has been affecting us since these events is of an international, national, regional and even individual magnitude.

On August 4 and 5, eight athletes from the Tae Kwon Do club of the Thetford Mines region, in Quebec, won four gold and three bronze medals at the Canadian junior championships held in Toronto.

Marie-Christine, Élizabeth, David and Marie-Ève, our four gold medal winners and Canadian champions, were scheduled to travel to Chile this week to enter the Pan-American Taekwondo Championships.

It goes without saying that because the whole world has been standing still for over a week now, they had to cancel their participation in this competition.

They are very disappointed, but given that their sport is based on the respect of oneself and one's opponent, our young athletes were able to find comfort in the show of humanitarian assistance, the spirit of co-operation of Canadians, which we are all witnessing in these difficult times.

[Canadian Forces, June 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, today, most of the members of the Canadian forces deployed within UNMEE, the United Nations' peacekeeping mission at the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea, are preparing to come home.

For nearly six months, over 450 of our soldiers have been making a significant contribution to the process of establishing peace between the two neighbouring countries. By helping to establish a temporary safe zone, the Canadian force has enabled two countries formerly in conflict to withdraw their troops from territories that are in dispute.

This operation makes clear Canada's commitment to peace and stability in Africa. Moreover, it represents the first deployment of the United Nations standby forces high-readiness brigade. Canada enthusiastically joined this initiative, which was launched by Denmark and the Netherlands in 1995.

We may be proud of our soldiers' professionalism. We wish them a good trip home and we wish continued success to the six officers who are continuing Canada's commitment in the Horn of Africa.

[Tourism Industry, June 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, in 1999, tourism generated $54 billion in Canada. This is a 7.9% increase over the previous year.

Allow me to point out the determination and enthusiasm of residents and stakeholders in the Lac-Mégantic region to successfully help promote Quebec's tourism industry.

In the past year, eight new businesses in the hospitality industry opened their doors. This resulted in three new country inns in our region. Moreover, four other new attractions, including the AstroLab, the wildlife observation park and the Maison du Granit, all have new features this summer to showcase the tourist attractions of this beautiful region.

These initiatives truly reflect the vitality of the tourism industry in the Lac-Mégantic region. The region has been in the limelight since the beginning of the year, including in Le Devoir , Le Soleil , on the Évasion channel and in the newspaper La Tribune .

Again, I want to tell all these women and men who devote time and energy to their community, to ensure that a stay in that beautiful region is a memorable experience, that I admire them.

[Chrysotile Asbestos, May 10th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, over 1,000 people who care about my beautiful region of Frontenac—Mégantic, which is the cradle of the chrysotile industry, went to the national assembly to express their discontent over the unjustified ban on asbestos.

Chrysotile asbestos is a natural, recyclable fibre that is inexpensive but, more important, safe. Yet it is constantly discredited, even though many scientific studies confirm that it can be safely used in a controlled environment.

Canada supports the principle of safe use by making regular and constant representations at the international level. Unqualified support for the safe use of chrysotile is necessary so that this product can get its reputation back.

Let us all work together, at the federal, provincial and municipal levels, to achieve that goal, because we have everything to gain from protecting the future of this resource.

[Information Technology, May 8th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I inform the House of Canada's first Information Technology Week.

This initiative is the result of a partnership between the Department of Industry and the Information Technology Association of Canada. Canada is advanced in this field, in terms of both Internet connectivity and innovation in the use of information technologies.

In 50 years, this sector has become the fastest growing in Canada, which has a positive impact on other industries and encourages the development of Canadian communities.

This week will be a celebration of Canadian skills and achievements in information technology. All Canadian communities are invited to participate in the various activities: symposiums, workshops, exhibits, contests and more.

Long live Canada's Information Technology Week.

[Huntingdon's Disease, May 3rd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House and all the people of Canada that the month of May has been proclaimed Huntingdon's Disease Awareness Month by the Huntingdon Society of Canada.

Huntingdon's Disease is an inherited brain disorder with devastating effects on the body and the mind.

One Canadian in 10,000 has this disease, which leads to disability and eventually death. There is still no cure for Huntingdon's Disease, nor is there any treatment to prevent it or slow down the progression.

The Huntingdon Society of Canada is a national network of volunteers and professionals working together against the disease. It is busy seeking new treatments and working toward one day finding a cure for Huntingdon's Disease.

Let us all wish the Huntingdon Society of Canada and all of its many volunteers throughout the country an excellent month of increased public awareness.

[International Workers Day, May 1st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, today is an important day since we are celebrating the contribution of workers all over the world.

There are over 15 million workers in Canada, and each one of them makes a very important contribution to our country. We should never underestimate the role played by workers in the building of our society.

Workers are well treated in Canada, but we must be vigilant and continue to improve their working conditions.

Over two million jobs have been created in Canada since our government took office. This means that today we are celebrating the contribution of an even larger number of workers.

Workers have a special place in our society. Today, we celebrate their contribution to our economic and social growth.