Guy St-Julien

[Quebec Minister Of Municipal Affairs, April 21st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, there are still story tellers in the Quebec government.

After having accumulated a deficit in excess of $1.5 million as dean of the university in Rouyn-Noranda, running for the New Democratic Party of Canada in the 1988 election, having failed to deliver on promises made by Jacques Parizeau in the last provincial election campaign, Quebec municipal affairs minister Rémy Trudel soon found himself stuck, on April 7, in a meeting at his office in Rouyn-Noranda with people who had come to ask him for an explanation for his government's plans for social assistance reform.

In front of the cameras, Minister Trudel said there were thieves. If Minister Trudel has theft charges to lay against some individuals, Quebec has judges to hear his case. Otherwise, the citizens of his region are likely to think that his statement was off the mark.

Mr. Trudel, next time you find yourself in front of cameras, tell us a story about the Quebec mining fund promised by your government.

[Member For Beauharnois—Salaberry, March 31st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Beauharnois—Salaberry is telling the whole world the truth about Canada. In fact, he seems torn between promoting the separation of Quebec and recognizing that Canada is not such a bad country.

What he said recently to an American audience left no doubt at all:

“Quebec wants out, not because Canada is a bad country, or federalism as a system cannot work”.

Coming from a member of the Bloc, such a statement deserves to be mentioned. He readily recognizes not only that Canada is not such a bad country, but also that federalism as a system works. Members of the Bloc are doing everything they can to make it go wrong, but to no avail, because the system keeps working.

Canadian federalism must be on very firm ground, since it ensures that Quebeckers can profit from a system which their government adamantly rejects. Yes, we keep working for Quebec and for Canada, despite the guided tours the hon. member for Beauharnois—Salaberry is making throughout the world.

[Member For Sherbrooke, March 27th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the member for Sherbrooke, who officially announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Quebec.

The man from Sherbrooke can do it. He can bring people together. He is brave, honest and a diplomat.

We are proud of his decision. Today is a great day for the people of Quebec and for the province's economic future.

Thanks Michèle, thanks to the people in the riding of Sherbrooke, and thanks Jean. See you soon.

[Member For Sherbrooke, March 27th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the member for Sherbrooke, the hon. Jean Charest, who officially announced his—

[Road Transport, March 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, for several weeks, since before Minister Brassard made his decision known, people from the regions of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Haut-Saint-Maurice and Abitibi-Témiscamingue and myself have been calling for a public debate on the impact of increased tractor trailer loads on secondary roads in these regions.

Jacques Brassard refused to provide CRD stakeholders in these regions with a 1991 study on a basic rail network for Quebec.

The stakeholders in these regions are concerned after we learned last week that Raymond Bréard, a former vice-president of l'Association du camionnage du Québec and current executive assistant to Quebec finance minister Bernard Landry, had spoken to Minister Brassard himself and to political officials in his department in support of large trucking companies in Quebec and Ontario, at the expense of Quebec rail workers.

That is a major conflict of interest.

[Questions On The Order Paper, March 16th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, in early December 1997, I tabled my questions about an RCMP detachment that was being built to the tune of several million dollars just to accommodate one secretary in Rouyn-Noranda, but the 45-day period has long gone by.

Will I be receiving answers to Questions Nos. 53, 63 and 64 anytime soon?

[Rail Transport, March 16th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the employees of northern Quebec's short line railways and trucking companies are wondering about the good faith of the Government of Quebec. It has made the study of the impact of the tractor trailer load limit increase, from 59,000 to 62,500 kilograms, available solely for consultation, and only in the offices of the CRD, or regional development council, and the Quebec ministry of transport in the regions of Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, Haut-Saint-Maurice and Abitibi.

This decision deprives people living at a distance from these offices of access to this document, which is of great importance to them. Quebec's minister of transport, Mr. Brassard, and the mayor, Mr. Munger, of the CRD are afraid to discuss highway safety and the environment with the public, or to provide mayors and elected members for these regions with copies of their study, which was kept confidential for a very long time.

It is time to get up and do something about this.

[Rail Transport, March 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, in yesterday's edition of La Presse , an article by journalist Camille Beaulieu of Rouyn-Noranda appeared under the following headline: “Study predicts the end of regional rail services”.

The profitability of the railway system, the environment, road safety, competition, and even the survival of several plants and the development of new businesses will be compromised in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, Haute-Mauricie and Abitibi regions if Quebec extends to these regions the changes in load limits for road trains, or tractors towing two trailers, implemented elsewhere in Quebec in June 1997.

The study showed that increasing the limit from 59 to 62.5 metric tonnes may jeopardize the viability of railway lines in areas where traffic volumes will drop below the critical level. The remaining customers, those for whom railway service is clearly valuable, may be hard hit.

Quebec transport minister Jacques Brassard should be advised that the people of Quebec want a public debate on his road train load reform as it applies to these regions.

[The Budget, February 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the budget tabled by the Minister of Finance is the best I have seen in a long time in this Parliament.

I have no hesitation in saying that it is better than all those that were tabled when I was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. Indeed, I made a good choice when I joined the Liberal Party of Canada. I could see that the Liberal Party was committed to improving the quality of life of Canadians.

The finance minister's budget introduces and implements various measures designed to create a climate for continued economic growth.

The budget also provides for the elimination of the deficit, something we have not seen in 30 years. The Liberals' rigorous management, combined with the co-operation of all Canadians, has made it possible to resolve this serious problem affecting the future of our country.

I want to congratulate the Minister of Finance, and especially our Prime Minister, who leads his troops in an efficient and humane fashion, in the best interest of Canada. Our Prime Minister has set Canada on the road to prosperity and I wanted to underscore that.

[Canada Labour Code, February 24th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a comment and ask the hon. member a question on strikebreakers.

Before she spoke, I listened to the Bloc member for Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans speak about strikebreakers in Canada. He said: “I remember”. He mentioned a number of strikes in Canada involving the use of strikebreakers.

He forgot the latest strike in Canada, the one at Canada Post. The Minister of Labour refused to use strikebreakers. Now that is an example of leadership by a Canadian minister who listens to workers.

Can the hon. member tell us whether she agrees that, during a work stoppage, the union or management will have to maintain essential services in order to avoid immediate and serious risks to the health and safety of the public and whether the legislation should contain anti-scab provisions, which is the case in Quebec at the moment, because good relations must be maintained between employers and unions?