Guy St-Julien

[Petitions, April 27th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I would like to table a petition from the Inuit community of Quaqtaq, in Nunavik.

The petitioners state that, at the present time, there are 16 to 20 people in three bedroom dwellings. The Inuit find the housing conditions in 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.

[Regional Development, April 20th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, on April 13 in this House, a member of the Bloc Quebecois stated the following in response to my question “The member knows well that the CLDs are replacing or complementing, with a broader mandate, the existing economic councils, even those that existed 15 years ago”.

Resolution CE-022-09 at a meeting of the Abitibi—Témiscamingue CRDAT on March 18 in Val d'Or provided “It is moved by Michel Cliché and seconded by André Brunet that the CRDAT's discontent with the Quebec government's handling of the distribution of the additional funds to the CLDs be expressed to the Minister, Jean-Pierre Jolivet, and that he be told the fact the regions were not consulted is unacceptable”.

The Bloc Quebecois member should read the minutes of this meeting, where it was said “the Government of Quebec ignored the regions' approach and failed to ask the opinion of the CRD”.

That is blockage Quebecois of the CRD, 15 years later.

[Petitions, April 20th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition from the Inuit community of Aupaluk, in Nunavik.

The petitioners state that there have been no housing starts by either federal or provincial governments in Nunavik in the past three years. At the present time, there are 16 to 20 people living in three bedroom dwellings.

The Inuit find the housing conditions at Nunavik extremely distressing. They consider the situation totally intolerable, because it contributes to the high incidence of tuberculosis, infectious diseases and social problems. At the end of October 1998, there was a shortage of 425 houses in Nunavik.

[Petitions, April 15th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a petition from the Inuit communities of Ivujivik and Inukjuak, in Nunavik.

According to the petitioners, neither the federal nor the provincial government has put up any housing in the past three years. At the moment, 16 to 20 people are living in three room houses. The Inuit are extremely upset by the housing conditions in Nunavik. They consider the situation intolerable. It contributes to the high incidence of tuberculosis, infectious diseases and social problems.

The federal government must honour its housing obligations under the James Bay and Northern Quebec agreement.

At the end of October 1998, there was a shortage of 425 houses in Nunavik.

[Petitions, April 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I would like to table a petition from the Inuit community of Puvirnituk, in Nunavik.

The petitioners state that there have been no housing starts by either federal or provincial governments in Nunavik in the past three years. At the present time, there are 16 to 20 people in three bedroom dwellings.

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 is concerned. At the end of October 1998, there was a shortage of 425 houses in Nunavik.

[Supply, April 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I have listened to the member opposite's references to the CFDCs.

There is one thing he neglected to mention. These were created with the key companies in Abitibi—Témiscamingue in 1983 and put in place by the government in 1984. Quebec turns up 15 years later with the CLDs. Are there volunteers?

Quebec Minister of Agriculture Rémi Trudel described the CFDCs a number of years ago as “he finest forum in the regions for concerted efforts; it comes from the federal government”.

Today, I have a question and this is what I want to ask the hon. member: After 15 years of efforts by the CFDCs using federal funding and the money of Quebeckers, this is the finest forum for concerted efforts and yet the member speaks of duplication. They are the ones who want to duplicate. Quebec wants to duplicate what the federal government is doing.

The member referred to the CLDs, which have just been created. They have virtually no funds, while the CFDCs are well established throughout the province of Quebec, Abitibi in particular.

I ask the member whether all this has to be done away with?

[The Late Senator Paul David, April 12th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it is with sadness that we learned, on April 5, that senator Paul David, who founded the Montreal Heart Institute in the fifties, had passed away.

Dr. David was a world renowned cardiologist, who was also firmly committed to social action. He was the founder of the heart and stroke foundations of Canada and Quebec, of which he was also a president.

Dr. David received an impressive number of honours and awards throughout his brilliant career, both here and abroad.

A true pioneer in his field, he was only 35 when he founded, in 1954, in Montreal's east end, the famous heart institute that he ran in various capacities until his retirement, in 1984. It was under his direction that the first heart transplant ever performed in Canada was carried out at the institute, in 1968.

We offer our sincere condolences to his wife, Dr. Yvette Lemire, and his children, François, Pierre, Charles-Philippe, Thérèse, Anne-Marie and Hélène.

[Committees Of The House, March 24th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

Pursuant to its order of reference of Thursday, November 26, 1998, our committee has considered Bill C-56, an act respecting an agreement with the Norway House Cree Nation for the settlement of matters arising from the flooding of land, and respecting the establishment of certain reserves in the province of Manitoba, and has agreed to report it without amendment.

[Social Programs, March 24th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government cares about the plight of our poor.

By maintaining a network of accessible and universal health and social services, the government shows that it cares about Canadians' quality of social life.

Moreover, the Prime Minister asked the federal Minister of Labour to co-ordinate government involvement in improving the plight of the homeless, who have not been as lucky as others in life.

Everyone applauded this initiative on the government's part, and this is to the credit of the Prime Minister, who was acting on behalf of all Canadians when he made the decision.

The Liberal government is fulfilling its social commitments and it strives every day to improve the plight of those who have had some misfortunes in life.

[Nunavik Rangers, March 22nd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the Nunavik Rangers are a subgroup of the Canadian armed forces that has existed for at least 50 years and that was a strong presence at the New Year's avalanche in Kangiqsualujjuaq.

In 1994, the Junior Rangers, for boys and girls aged 12 to 18, was established in northern Quebec.

The 14 communities in Nunavik now have their Junior Rangers patrols. They are supported by the Canadian armed forces and by the senior Rangers. In the Rangers, young Inuit learn such skills as navigation, weapons safety, ancestral traditions and hunting.

The Canadian armed forces and Major Claude Archambault last week visited the village of Kangiqsualujjuaq with its mayor Maggie Emudluk to offer praise to the Rangers who participated in the rescue operations on January 1, 1999.

Nakuqmiik to the Nunavik Rangers.