Yves Rocheleau

[Social Union, February 4th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Section 7 of the agreement on social union provides for review within three years.

Can the minister tell us whether he is preparing to renew this agreement, once again without Quebec's consent?

[Older Workers, December 6th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, are we to understand from what the minister says that she is telling the workers here today she does not intend helping them because the surplus in the employment insurance fund has already been spent?

Is that what she is telling them?

[Older Workers, December 6th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, employees in their fifties who have been laid off by three companies in the Mauricie region came to Ottawa to meet a representative of the Department of Human Resources Development and demand the establishment of an assistance program for older workers.

Does the Minister of Human Resources Development intend to act on the requests of these workers and does she plan to help them?

[Middle East, December 3rd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the situation in the Middle East grows more and more alarming. This weekend, 25 Israeli citizens died following Palestinian Hamas attacks. Today, Israel launched missiles near the Palestinian authority offices.

The international community cannot remain indifferent to this latest escalation of violence in the Middle East.

Will the government inform the House of the position that Canada plans on taking in response to the latest intensification of the conflict in the region?

[Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, November 19th, 2001]

Madam Speaker, first I would like to salute and congratulate my colleague from Jonquière for her excellent speech which was right on the mark and probably very convincing for those who are listening to us.

I would like to ask her what, in her opinion, is behind the federal government's action, something which is not new as we know. This is the second or third time, I believe, that Bloc Quebecois members have to speak up on this matter, quite efficiently I might add. This is the second or third time we are preventing the government from going ahead, and rightly so.

This is part of the federal government strategy—let us not be afraid to call it that—to be firmly entrenched in Canada. We are aware of its recent intervention on young offenders, and prior to that its intervention in the area of privacy, its intervention through the millennium scholarships, in fact in every area where the Quebec government in its wisdom and efficiency happened to have programs which were and are working well.

They might not be working as well today because the federal government imposes its own vision, even if it's not an area under its jurisdiction, with money if it takes money or through its legislative power if it's what it takes.

I would like to know if my colleague from Jonquière sees things the same way I do. What is to happen to us as a people knowing that the social union, probably the cornerstone of the federal strategy, does not recognize in any way the special status of the Quebec people and where Quebec is recognized as a province just like any other?

I invite my colleague to comment on the direction this process is taking us and if the Quebec people really does exist and if it has a say in those different areas?

[Prebudget Consultations, November 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the hon. member for York West if she endorses the unanimous recommendation of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development regarding older workers who cannot benefit from a special program under the employment insurance program.

As we know, the employment insurance fund is getting richer every year. We also know that there is a good reason for this: before the reform, 84% of those who were unemployed could collect EI benefits, compared to only 40% now.

One does not have to be a rocket scientist to realize that surpluses in the EI fund are increasing rapidly every year. Therefore, will the hon. member make representations to the Minister of Finance and ask him to improve the situation?

As we said earlier, it is fine to talk about security, but the government should improve the situation of older workers, including women. As I said before, I have two files relating to this issue. First, there are the 650 women who work for Fruit of the Loom, including 150 who are aged 50 and over and whose situation is dramatic. Then, there is the case of the dozens of men working for the Tripap company.

Will the hon. member make representations to the minister and ask him to improve the situation?

[Prebudget Consultations, November 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I was leading up to the problems being experienced by our city with the closing of the Fruit of the Loom plant. This has meant lost jobs for 650 women, on top of the hundreds of workers who lost theirs with the closing of Tripap a few years ago.

Today, these workers are suffering because a decision by Human Resources Development Canada, through its minister, was upheld, which is contrary to a unanimous recommendation by the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development relating to older workers and the return of POWA.

I would ask my hon. colleague from Vancouver East what she thinks of the minister's attitude and the potential power of the Minister of Finance to remedy the situation by ensuring that his coming budget contains special allocations for dealing with this dramatic situation.

It is all very well to be concerned about security at our borders, but people are experiencing systematic insecurity. There is no longer any bridge between employment insurance and social assistance. There is a very noticeable gap, and workers aged 55 and over are totally overwhelmed and forced to dig into their own financial resources.

[Prebudget Consultations, November 7th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, before putting a question to the member for Vancouver East, I wish to offer my sincerest congratulations to the new mayor of the new city of Trois-Rivières, which will now have some 130,000 inhabitants.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Yves Lévesque better in recent months. I can say that he is a very dynamic individual who will undoubtedly be up to—

[Supply, October 29th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to take part in this debate because last Friday I experienced a particular situation in my riding.

I had the pleasure of meeting with four students from the Les Pionniers high school. Two are first year students and the other two are enrolled in the IEP, the International Education Program. Their names are Cynthia Lacourcière, Kate Denis, Mathilde Bélanger and Mathieu Hubert, the latter being the president of his class. They were accompanied by Mr. Gérard Garceau, with the campus ministry.

They wanted me to know that 450 students had gathered on Wednesday, October 24, and marched in the streets around the school to demonstrate under the theme “Let's Cultivate Peace”.

That meeting was not only very moving but also very instructive for me. All the more so since first year students wrote some 160 letters, half of them addressed to your humble servant, the member for Trois-Rivières, and the other half addressed to my colleague for Saint-Maurice and Prime Minister of Canada.

These letters show that not only are those students very much aware of and sensitive to the situation, but they are also, like the rest of the people in Quebec and around the world, traumatized and concerned, particularly by Canada's participation in the war. That is especially obvious in the letters addressed to the Prime Minister.

The key themes are “no to war”, “no to armament”, “no to vengeance”, “no to violence”, and “yes to peace and humanitarian aid”, as can be seen in the letters I will quote in the time I have available.

While all of course focus on the same themes, they are all different at the same time.

I will start with this one, a poem in which the student expresses an opinion.

Over there in Afghanistan, the sky lowers darkly. Bombs rain down on the houses. Scarcely a breath of wind Stirs the smoke that billows through the smoldering streets. The Americans smolder still with hatred While people are dying, Even children, innocent children. They cannot go to bed and dream sweet dreams, Dreams that the winds of hope may be blowing when they awake.

Another letter:

Dear Mr. Rocheleau:

I am writing to share my opinion with you. I feel we ought not to join in the war; instead we should be sending people to help the children who are dying of hunger, to care for all those in need of care, and provide them with drinking water and other necessities to build peace between us.

My friends and I are not in favour of this war. Let us say no to violence and war.

Another letter reads as follows:

Dear Mr. Rocheleau:

This is to express my point of view on what is taking place in Afghanistan. I do not want Canada to participate in an offensive, but rather to help people suffering from the consequences of war. I think we should, amongst other things, send medicine and food to help those who are suffering.

Thank you for your patience.

The following letter clearly has a philosophical tone:

Dear Mr. Rocheleau:

Human beings often brag about what they do or what they invent. They describe themselves as the most intelligent living creatures on our planet Earth. However, seeing all that is going on right now, I think that they are slightly off, because when I look at the way animals and plants behave, I find they are more caring for their own kind than humans.

If we gave more thought to our unique planet, we would realize that we are turning it upside down.

I think that man was not created to fight individuals of neighbouring continents but to pursue good deeds.

This is why, in the wake of the events of September 11, I ask you, as a human being, to get involved for the sake of humanity rather than for its suffering, because I tell myself that war can make more innocent victims than guilty victims.

I thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Another letter reads:

I am writing to you, Mr. Rocheleau, to express my disagreement with Canada's participation in the war against Afghanistan. We can send troops, but they should go not to kill but to take humanitarian assistance to the Afghanis, who are dying of starvation, or to protect them from the American bombing.

This does not mean hurting the United States, but helping them to hit their targets and not civilians. And even if they destroy Osama bin Laden's training camps, bin Laden will retaliate with other terrorist attacks and the army will counter-attack and on and on it will go.

In any case, I hope that you understand why I do not like the war. I also hope that this will change your mind on this decision.

Here again, the letter is in poem form:

In Afghanistan far away, The war gets worse every day. Some are dying Others crying.

Send in soldiers But not to fight. Send them to help, Do what is right, And never regret.

For if you send us The losses would stagger. Think of the death And all who would suffer.

The greatest dream can hardly come true Is peace in the world for me and for you. But all of us must do what we can To bring about this noble plan.

I would remind the House that these are grade eight pupils.

Here, I have a letter that sums up the whole issue perfectly.

I am sending you this short note, Mr. Rocheleau, to tell you this : no to war, no to arms build-up, no to violence.

I am in favor of humanitarian aid for Afghanistan. War has never benefited anyone. Our neighbours to the South should learn tolerance, that if we disagree with them, it does not mean we are against them.

War always brings misery and starvation, and children are the ones who pay the price. I was not put on this Earth to see such misery, but to live an active and peaceful life in harmony with God and my fellow human beings, to respect the other races and religions, not to kill or interfere with other people's liberties, trying to make it work the American way.

What is good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander. We are put on this Earth to be different from one another; life would be boring if we were all alike.

It goes without saying that I am truly happy to read these testimonies in the House of Commons. Many of them, 160 letters in all, remind us, by the candor of their authors, that children hit it right on the head. I believe these letters speak for themselves. I was really impressed by their quality, sensitivity and interest. When we have doubts about the next generation, about the meaning of collective life and about the responsibilities of citizens, reactions to such an event give me hope for the future.

I will read one last testimony that is more blunt. The writer expresses his ideas in a more straightforward manner. He says:

The attack where a plane crashed into the World Trade Center was masterminded by bin Laden who was trying to provoke us and show us he wants war. But we are stupid enough to wage war against a third world country.

I think this sums up quite well what the government, cabinet and the Prime Minister should consider. I am very proud to see that our youth is in sync with the people of Quebec when it comes to sensitivity.

The latest polls show it: the concerns of Quebecers are quite different from those of the rest of Canada. Again that shows that a sovereign Quebec would have a different voice in the community of nations at the United Nations and humanity would benefit from it.

[Supply, October 29th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read a letter sent to me by a student in secondary I at the École secondaire des Pionniers, in my riding. The letter was about the conflict that is going on right now. I will then ask my Liberal colleague what she thinks of it. The letter reads as follows:

I am writing you this letter to suggest to you not to go to war but rather to give money to help people instead of hurting them.

You could give money to provide food, shelter, education, medical care and clothing to those poor Afghan refugees who had nothing to do with the events that occurred in the United States.

The other day, I saw a report about Afghan refugees. They have practically nothing to eat but bread. Winter is coming and many of them do not even have shelter. They do not have warm blankets. Two or three children die of hunger or of disease every day.

You could help them by giving them good food, water, medicine and a roof over their heads.

I hope this letter will make you think.

I wanted to read this letter to my colleague opposite. What does she intend to do? Does she think that her government's attitude, in terms of humanitarian aid, is satisfactory? And, finally, will she support our motion?