Raymond Lavigne

[Prince Edward Island Fixed Link, February 15th, 1994]

True.

[Supply, February 10th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I find it rather ironic that the hon. member for Longueuil, who sat for years with the Conservatives who increased the debt by $340 billion, is now advocating, after all his years in Parliament, the creation of a special commission or committee to review spending, when there already is such a committee.

The party opposite favours eliminating overlap and repatriating all powers to Quebec, so I find it ironic that they are advocating the creation of a special committee to review Canadian government finances and support this government. Yet, we are giving our support to the governments of Quebec and of the other provinces.

I find it difficult to understand how the hon. member for Longueuil can defend the committee he wants to set up to study government expenditures when these expenditures were not made by us. We already have a committee. If, in four years, the hon. member for Longueuil wants to create a special committee to study government spending because of extra or excessive expenditures, we will then be able to establish a special committee. But I do not see how we can set up this committee to review government spending when our government is not even responsible for all this spending.

I would ask the hon. member for Longueuil to tell me what this special committee could do that the existing committee cannot?

[Administration Of Justice, January 26th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that we heard about the vicious murder, last weekend, of the young Sarah Dutil, a girl of 11 from my riding of Verdun-Saint-Paul.

Personally, and on behalf of my constituents and all my colleagues in this House, I offer my deepest sympathies to Mrs.

Lorraine Dutil, Mr. Frank Coculuzzi and all their relatives who must live with the consequences of such a terrible deed.

I notice with satisfaction that yesterday, when answering a question in the House of Commons asked as a result of that murder, the Minister of Justice said that he intends to amend the Criminal Code to ensure that a criminal jury trial can proceed even if the presiding judge is transferred to another court.

[Winter Games, January 20th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate you on your election as Speaker of this House, and I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the people in Verdun-Saint-Paul, including Pointe-Saint-Charles, for placing their trust in me for the next four years.

I want to thank all the people of the riding of Verdun-Saint-Paul including Pointe-Saint-Charles for the mandate they have given me for the next four years.

Today the Canadian Olympic Association announced simultaneously, in Montreal and Calgary, the membership of the Canadian team. I would like to salute these 105 athletes, the best in the country, 31 women and 74 men, with a large representation from Quebec, who will represent Canada at the Lillehammer Winter Games in Norway next February.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate our athletes and their coaches, parents and families, and all those who helped train our Olympic team.

Let us celebrate and wish them the best of luck.