Marcel Gagnon

[Guaranteed Income Supplement, April 18th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, after having denied that the problem exists, Liberal members are now joining the Bloc Quebecois in inviting seniors to apply for the guaranteed income supplement for which they are eligible.

If the government really wishes to treat seniors fairly, what is it waiting for to grant full retroactivity for what they were denied through the government's error?

[Agricultural Co-operatives, March 22nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it is time for the government to show its support. The financial tools that would ensure the development of agricultural co-operatives exist. It is not as if they did not exist.

What is the minister waiting for to act?

[Agricultural Co-operatives, March 22nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the Coopérative fédérée du Québec announced its intention to invest close to $1 billion over the next 10 years.

In response to the Coopérative's request for assistance, the Quebec government announced on February 21 a tax deferral on patronage dividends.

Since the federal government is collecting two thirds of the taxes paid by co-operatives, will the Minister of Agriculture pledge to ask his colleague, the Minister of Finance—

[Guaranteed Income Supplement, February 27th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister, who is a man of my age, and whose riding is adjacent to mine, knows the sacrifices that these elderly people have made. Now, these seniors are trusting that we will help them.

Can the Prime Minister accept that these elderly, who are among society's poorest and who were treated unjustly, are not receiving their due? How can he accept to refuse to give them full retroactivity?

[Guaranteed Income Supplement, February 27th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, during my recent tour of Quebec, I met hundreds of elderly people who are alone, poor and needy, and for whom the guaranteed income supplement is really not a luxury, but a necessity.

I am asking the Minister of Human Resources Development to give up her technical explanations and to answer a simple question: Do these people not deserve our compassion? The Bloc Québécois wants to help them. Does the minister want to help them too?

[Guaranteed Income Supplement, February 26th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, when a citizen owes the government money, or when the government wants to save rich families money on trusts right before Christmas, it is amazing how creative this government can be.

Does the Prime Minister, who is the member for Saint-Maurice, the riding next door to mine, plan on demonstrating as much creativity to ensure that seniors receive the money owing them as he did in coming to the assistance of billionaire family trusts?

[Guaranteed Income Supplement, February 26th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Human Resources Development has admitted her responsibility for the injustice that the amended application form did to seniors who qualify for the guaranteed income supplement

Does the minister intend to take her responsibility all the way and give back to Quebec's and Canada's seniors the $3.2 billion she owes them?

[National Horse of Canada Act, February 8th, 2002]

And we have not finished fighting. This breed is now protected by the Government of Quebec. I hope that it will not have to fight so hard in the future.

It is protected by the Government of Quebec. It is a proud breed that has helped us break the land, and till the soil. It has worked hard. It even adapted its size to the difficulties in Quebec. It managed to ensure the survival of the fittest. It is with pride, with great pride, today that I state that the Canadian horse is recognized as part of Quebec's heritage.

I have no objection to its praises being sung all across Canada, but I will certainly not share it. As a symbol of a people marching towards victory, the Canadian horse fought hard for this victory.

Earlier speakers mentioned that we even almost lost it. The Government of Quebec had to step in, with the help of schools of agriculture, and give it a hand. At one point, it was used for everything, and was even the forerunner of several American breeds, such as the famous Morgan horse, which is a direct descendant of the Canadian horse.

I will be asked “But why should the Canadian horse be the emblem of Quebec? Why is Quebec so interested in the Canadian horse?” Because of the name. I will read from a speech given by Ms Alarie about the Canadian horse. Ms. Alarie is the former member for the riding of Louis-Hébert, a member who left her mark, who spoke with conviction and competence. I think that she was the first female agronomist in Quebec, and maybe even in Canada.

“When we talk about the Canadian horse, the word Canadian, according to the Glossaire du parler français au Canada , refers to a colony of French origin established in New France or to an inhabitant of French Canada, as opposed to the word English, which refers to those inhabitants of English origin”.

So the Canadian in Canadian horse is used to mean of French origin, from New France, and it was given by France to New France.

I will not give a long speech to say how proud I am of the tribute being paid this breed, and how very much I want it to remain a part of our history. It is part of Quebec's animal heritage, along with the Canadian cow and the Chanteclair hen. In fact, Chanteclair the rooster probably did a lot of crowing, and we are crowing too as we see Quebec's sovereignty coming into view.

So we are not about to share this horse, which is part of our proud heritage.

[National Horse of Canada Act, February 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, at this time on a Friday afternoon, with the benches filled by a raging throng of MPs, we are addressing a very important bill.

This discussion of the Canadian horse brings back memories. In 1976, I was a newly elected member of the Quebec National Assembly. Of my nine years there, eight of them were spent as the chair of the agricultural caucus.

At that time, I met with the Syndicat national des éleveurs de chevaux in connection with the Canadian horse. Their purpose in coming to us was to call for recognition of this animal as the emblem of Quebec.

At that time, we had just begun in government, replacing the Bourassa government after a lengthy Liberal presence in Quebec, and the agricultural caucus had a huge job to do. When we were asked to support the Canadian horse issue, it was not exactly pigeonholed, but it was somewhat set aside.

Hon. members will recall that, in 1976, Quebec agriculture had not yet set the parameters on the protection of agricultural land. This was one of our top priorities at that time. We were also addressing the parameters for farm income security, and the plans relating to this, and were in fact very much occupied with setting the parameters for agriculture in a modern Quebec.

It is safe to say that in the nine years I served in the National Assembly, the agricultural sector changed a great deal. Issues that were not necessarily secondary, but that may have seemed less urgent than others we were working on, were put on the back burner.

However, to my great pleasure, in 1999, through the MNA for Rimouski, Solange Charest—and I thank her and all those who are interested in the Canadian horse—the Landry government managed to pass a bill at the National Assembly recognizing this breed, which many people spoke of with great eloquence and truth, as part of Quebec's animal heritage.

This is a source of great pride for me. Indeed, the Canadian horse goes back to the beginning of our colony. It was around in the early days of New France. Quebecers have known the Canadian horse since the 1600s. It was given to the Chevalier de Montmagny, then Governor of New France, as a gift by the King. The Canadian horse became established among us. It is a breed we are proud of.

We are proud of it. It fought for its own survival, just like Quebecers. It had to fight, and so did we. We too had to fight.

[Guaranteed Income Supplement, February 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the Fédération de l'âge du Québec has reported some troubling facts about HRDC officials' treatment of seniors trying to obtain information about how the guaranteed income supplement program works.

Will the minister tell us what measures she intends to take to end this situation, which has seniors who are entitled to the guaranteed income supplement complaining?