Jean Guy Carignan

[Canadian Rangers, May 17th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity, as Aboriginal Awareness Week will be held from May 21 to 25, to draw attention to the singular, and too often ignored, contribution made by aboriginal people through the Canadian Rangers program.

Under the Rangers Program, which was established in 1942, there are currently close to 3,000 aboriginal people maintaining a military presence in this country's remote regions.

In addition to affirming Canadian sovereignty, the Rangers are always available to provide invaluable assistance in the event of a disaster.

As active and involved members of their community, program participants, moreover, often serve as role models for aboriginal youth.

The Canadian Forces have a long and proud history of accomplishments in the Canadian far north. Without the Rangers, it would be difficult for our military personnel to provide humanitarian assistance to the people who live in our sparsely populated northern regions.

Not only are the Rangers the eyes and ears of the community; they are also vital members of the Canadian Forces.

[Riding Of Québec East, May 15th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, in my maiden speech in this House I referred to the historical nature of my riding and to the fact that it had been represented by Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Ernest Lapointe, Louis St-Laurent and Gérard Duquet.

I also pledged to do my best to follow in the footsteps of these great builders in representing my constituents in a worthy manner.

Today I would like to inform the House that a hundred or so of those same Quebecers, these same Canadian men and women, have travelled to their national capital to salute their Prime Minister and to show support for their government and their MP.

In so doing, they are demonstrating their profound attachment to their country and to their fellow citizens, and to the Canadian values of tolerance, personal freedom, equality, justice and the institutions that symbolize our democracy.

I wish all those who have come here from the beautiful riding of Québec East a wonderful day in the national capital.

[Right Hon. Pierre Elliott Trudeau, May 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, on July 1, Canada Post will be issuing a stamp commemorating the former Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

It is no mere accident that the date of July 1 was chosen, it being the national day of this country, Canada, to which Mr. Trudeau has left such a great legacy.

It would be hard to list all of his accomplishments, but among them are the Official Languages Act, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and patriation of the Canadian Constitution, not forgetting his contribution to our foreign policy, to improving the status of women and native people, and to promoting the French fact in Canada.

I congratulate Canada Post on this initiative to commemorate the contribution to this country by a great man, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, recently selected as the Canadian personality of the century.

[Marie Cardinal, May 10th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great regret that we learned of the death of writer Marie Cardinal.

Madame Cardinal's philosophical and feminist works, which were translated into 26 languages, left their mark on us. These works included: Écoutez la mer , Autrement dit , Une vie pour deux and, more recently, Amours...amours .

In addition to reading what she wrote, we could hear it as well, because La clé sur la porte and Les mots pour le dire were made into movies.

On behalf of my party and myself, I wish to convey heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Marie Cardinal. They can rest assured that this great woman will live on in our collective memory.

[Summit Of The Americas, April 23rd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague and I seem not to have attended the same summit.

I followed the summit of the Americas this past weekend in Quebec City with extreme pride.

Our Prime Minister and his government did a remarkable job. During this summit, the heads of state and of government reached consensus on a significant number of questions.

First of all, they reached consensus on a democracy clause. As a result, human rights, freedom and stability will be assured.

Discussions were also held on the benefits of economic growth for the population of the hemisphere and the available means for fostering social development and reducing inequalities as well as the involvement of civil society.

As this summit has come to an end, we must acknowledge the commitment of our heads of state and of government to a better future for the Americas.

[Summit Of The Americas, March 27th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the present government was elected on a platform based primarily on the promotion of Canadian values. For our government, the promotion of democracy, the rule of law and economic and political liberalism must not stop at our borders.

With this in mind, the Liberal Party of Canada last March passed a resolution to tie our globalization efforts to the promotion of certain key values of our society.

Our party promised to maintain the fundamental right of citizens to take part in the building and development of our society. We could take a moment here to mention the contribution our government is making to the holding of the peoples' summit, in which the key players in civil society will be able to meet to discuss the impact of globalization.

Through its international commitment, Canada has become one of the principal promoters of an approach which balances social and economic needs in the context of the new, increasingly interdependent economy.

Too often, it is forgotten that the summit of the Americas will not be just a forum for the promotion of free trade, but a place where heads of state will get together to try to give—

[Supreme Court, March 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court of Canada is setting an example internationally.

Many of the decisions handed down by our supreme court are influencing cases in other countries, such as England, the United States, India and Israel.

Our criminal law is being held up as an example in such important areas as presumption of innocence, administrative law, native law and civil responsibility. Even more important in my view is the impact of our jurisprudence on rights and freedoms.

The Canadian values of freedom, responsibility, transparency and equality are transmitted through our institutions. This is one more reason why I am proud to be a Canadian.

[Canadian Men's University Volleyball Championship, March 1st, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the beginning of the Canadian men's university volleyball championship at the PEPS complex at Université Laval.

This event will be a wonderful opportunity for young athletes from across the county to compete with the best in their category.

The event will also be an excellent opportunity for the players of Laval University's volleyball team, the Rouge et Or, to measure up to eight of the best teams in the country, including the defending national champions and number one ranking team, the Manitoba Bisons.

Since I represent the greater Quebec City area, I would be remiss if I did not mention the exceptional performances of Laval's team, the Rouge et Or.

Three times national champions during the past decade, this team has maintained a perfect record during the regular season—12 wins and no losses.

The Rouge et Or also won the provincial championship, beating out the Montreal Carabins on February 25.

On behalf of all members of the House, I wish to extend best of luck to all teams participating in this championship and to say especially “Go, Rouge et Or, go”.

[Regional Economic Development, February 16th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, on January 26, the Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State for Economic Development Agency of Canada announced a contribution of $10 million for the establishment of a national downhill ski training and competition centre at Le Massif de Petite-Rivière-Saint-François.

Completion of this project should in fact lead to the creation of 75 seasonal jobs with the resort corporation, as well as to additional economic spinoffs of more than $16 million over four years.

We feel it is important to point out that this initiative by the Government of Canada is part of its strategy to provide all regions of Quebec with the opportunity to fully develop their economic potential.

The government is proud to associate itself with this project which will enhance the ski area's international reputation.

[Quebec East, February 5th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the beautiful riding of Québec East is part of history in more ways than one. First, it has been in existence since the beginning of Confederation.

Over the course of time, the riding of Québec East has been represented by two great Liberal Prime Ministers who left their mark in our country's history, namely Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Louis Saint-Laurent.

Québec East was also represented by Ernest Lapointe, a prominent Quebec Lieutenant Governor under Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Minister of Defence during World War II. Finally, my Liberal predecessor, Gérard Duquet, held this seat for over 30 years.

I therefore thank the constituents of Québec East for putting their confidence in me at the last general election. They can rest assured that I will do my utmost to be a worthy successor to my predecessors and to serve their interests to the best of my ability.