Guy St-Julien

[Canadian Economy, October 21st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Statistics Canada reported that Canada's balance of trade is continuing its momentum. In January, it was at the $22.1 billion level, and had already exceeded the total for 1998, which was $18.9 billion for the same month.

A performance like this shows that our government's economic choices are good ones. They show that the climate is encouraging the economic agents in key sectors of activity to invest in this country.

News like this is certainly not pleasing to the opposition parties, but they will have to accept it. The economic decision makers feel that the conditions are right to ensure sustained and sustainable economic growth for Canada.

[Child Tax Benefit, October 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, according to Michel Girard, a journalist for La Presse , the Government of Canada increased the child tax benefit by $15 a month effective last July 1.

This represents an additional $60 million in assistance to families in Quebec. But only $10 million of it actually made its way into their pockets.

The government of Lucien Bouchard decided to cut its provincial allowance by $50 million. Of the 660,000 families in Quebec that receive the family allowance and the federal benefit, only 103,800 saw their income go up following the federal increase.

What did Quebec City do with the $50 million it netted by cutting its provincial allowance by the same amount as the federal increase? It put it into day care services.

Today, the government of Lucien Bouchard is cashing in on children's benefits.

[Gasoline Pricing, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, in recent months, the people of Abitibi—Témiscamingue and I find the price of gasoline too high in Abitibi compared with other regions of Quebec.

Except in a national emergency, the federal government does not have jurisdiction to directly regulate the price of gasoline.

The Canadian Constitution gives the provinces the authority to regulate prices. Only Prince Edward Island and Quebec have taken any action in this regard, although Newfoundland announced recently that it would look at the statute provisions that would permit it to regulate the price of gas.

Other provinces preferred to rely on market forces as the most effective means of determining the appropriate prices, while retaining the incentives that contribute to innovation and cost reduction.

The Government of Quebec has no choice: it will have to rely on the market forces and provide incentives for the people of Abitibi—Témiscamingue.

The time for study is past. It is time to get down to business, Mr. Bouchard.

[The Late Sarah Ningiuruvik, June 11th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, today we are mourning Sarah Ningiuruvik of Kangiqsujuaq in Nunavik. She was well known and very involved in her community.

In an accident on June 1 at a fishing camp, she received third degree burns from head to toe. She suffered for more than 20 hours before receiving proper care for serious burns because of transportation regulations. Six airlines were unable to get to Kangiqsujuaq because of these regulations.

The Nunavik leaders, Pita Aatami, Johnny Adams and Jean Dupuis, are asking the governments of Canada and Quebec to establish new regulations for flight times and an emergency medical intervention service on a 24-hour-a-day basis for remote and northern regions in Quebec and Canada.

In the name of Sarah Ningiuruvik and her family and the people of the northern regions, we must find a solution to this very serious problem in the far North.

[Education Savings Grant Program, June 9th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, for months now financial institutions have been sitting on education savings grants from the federal government. In so doing they have deprived children of several months of investment income, no deadline having been set for the Canada education savings grants program.

Financial institutions are keeping children's money in their vaults and dragging their feet. They do not face any penalties, so it is all the same to them.

The Government of Canada should give financial institutions a maximum of five days to transfer the money from federal grants into the education savings accounts of the children of Canada and impose a penalty on those institutions that do not comply.

[Quebec Nurses, June 7th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, this week there will be two one-hour strikes by hospital nurses in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Quebec City regions, respectively.

The purpose of this pressure tactic is to show their dissatisfaction with the slowness of negotiations with the Parti Quebecois government of Lucien Bouchard.

In 1982-83 that same Lucien Bouchard was the chief negotiator for the Parti Quebecois government with the nurses of Quebec.

In addition to the fee paid to his Chicoutimi law practice, Lucien Bouchard received a $250,000 bonus from the Parti Quebecois government for cutting the salaries of Quebec nurses by 20%.

The nurses of Quebec deserve an increase of more than 15% for their loyal services to the people of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, particularly since they have not had a raise for some years.

Despite their mistreatment at the hands of the Parti Quebecois government, we are very well looked after by the nurses in our hospitals, who provide excellent patient care.

[Télébec Mobilité, June 2nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, continuous cell phone service has been available in La Vérendrye wildlife refuge since May 19, thanks to the perseverance of the President of Télébec Mobilité, Richard Hélie, and his employees.

Under this $2 million project, five cellular sites were installed along the nearly 200 kilometers of Trans-Canada Highway 117.

This service is an important safety factor for car and truck drivers, as well as for fishers and hunters. It provides technological, economic and tourist advantages to the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region and the wildlife operations of the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec.

We thank the Télébec and Télébec Mobilité team in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

[Petitions, June 1st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I table a petition from the Inuit community of Kuujjuaraapik, in Nunavik.

The petitioners state that there are 16 to 20 people in three bedroom dwellings in Kuujjuaraapik. The Inuit find the housing conditions at Nunavik extremely distressing. They consider the situation totally intolerable. It contributes to the high incidence of tuberculosis, infectious diseases and social problems.

The federal government must assume its obligations under the James Bay and Northern Quebec agreement as far as housing in Nunavik is concerned.

[Petitions, May 31st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I table a petition from the Inuit community of Tasiujaq, in Nunavik.

The petitioners say that in winter from 16 to 20 people may share the same three-bedroom house. They find the housing conditions in Nunavik extremely troubling. The situation is considered intolerable; it contributes to the high incidence of tuberculosis, infectious diseases and social problems.

The federal government must meet its obligations under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement on housing in Nunavik.

[Canada Post, May 31st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post has just provided us with its performance report for the fiscal year that ended in March 1999.

Canada Post is the first postal administration in the world to have the quality of its service checked by a third party and to make the results public.

The service performance objectives set for the 1998-99 fiscal year were higher than those for the previous year. For the first time, the auditors were able to measure the performance of Canada Post in rural areas as well.

Despite the higher standards it had set for itself, Canada Post delivered 97% of local mail, 97% of regional mail, and 96% of national mail in a timely manner.

Congratulations to Canada Post, the Hon. André Ouellet and all the employees who have put so much effort into improving the service. Keep up the good work serving the people of Canada.