André Bellavance

[Quebec Farmers' Union, December 11th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois would like to congratulate Christian Lacasse, a dairy farmer from Saint-Vallier de Bellechasse and the new president of the Union des producteurs agricoles. We also congratulate the vice presidents, Pierre Lemieux and Denis Bilodeau. I would also like to acknowledge the tremendous contribution to Quebec's agricultural community made by Laurent Pellerin, president of the UPA for 14 years, and Martine Mercier, the first female vice president.

Upon his election, the new president of the UPA said, and I quote:

We will pull together to help our fellow members, those who are having difficulty in the forestry, pork, beef and grain sectors. Government support is needed, providing emergency assistance in order to get through this crisis. If nothing is done, there will be some closures.

His message fell on deaf ears, since the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food did not announce any assistance for farmers at the UPA convention. He refused to answer their questions. He must listen to them, however, since the Bloc Québécois will continue to defend the interests of Quebec farmers.

[Hog and Beef Industries, November 28th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the rising dollar is creating a crisis in the manufacturing sector, but it is also affecting all exporters, such as hog and beef producers. The crisis highlights the shortcomings of the federal government's aid programs.

Does the government plan on doing absolutely nothing, as it has with the manufacturing sector, or will it take responsibility and implement the measures called for by hog and beef producers?

[Donkin Coal Block Development Opportunity Act, November 20th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, earlier, my colleague from Beauharnois—Salaberry—our party's natural resources critic—said that the Bloc Québécois supports the bill in principle, but that naturally, we will have to study the contentious provisions in Bill C-15, just as we do for all bills. As she said, that is the case with respect to revenue sharing and the exclusion of revenue from coal bed methane in the Canada-Nova Scotia accord on offshore oil. I would like the member to comment on offshore revenue since he is, if I am not mistaken, a member from the Maritimes.

It appears that the Conservative government is acting against Quebec's interests because the equalization formula does not take into account all non-renewable natural resource revenue, and therefore penalizes Quebeckers.

I would like to know if he thinks that the equalization formula should include offshore resources. We know that the Conservative government had some problems with this issue after the former Liberal prime minister's government made some promises and signed an agreement with provinces that have natural resources. We know that Mr. Williams, Premier of Newfoundland, was very angry when the Conservatives failed to keep their election promise. The former premier of Saskatchewan decided to sue the federal government because of that. This is a very serious problem. One Conservative member even became an independent because of it.

I would like to know what the member thinks of this, and whether he thinks that the equalization formula should include offshore revenue.

[Tom Desaulniers, November 19th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, in August 2006, cruel fate touched a family from Victoriaville when the vehicle driven by 22-year-old Tom Desaulniers was struck by another. The grief was unbearable as it took a full year to unravel the tragic events of that evening.

A corporal in the Canadian army, Tom left a tangible sign of his life among us. In a twist of irony, this young soldier, the defender of the values we hold dear, had just completed a six-month tour in Afghanistan. Proud of his heritage, Tom had even flown the Quebec flag for a few hours. He carried out his mission with zeal and generosity before his career was cut short.

Today his family and friends are visiting Parliament Hill. They can finally find peace in the memory of a man who worked to help others find the path to peace. In memory of Corporal Tom Desaulniers, his mother Louise was the silver cross mother at the recent Remembrance Day ceremony in Victoriaville. Tom is surely very proud.

[Canada Elections Act, November 15th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I understand completely. This is going to be a very important question period.

It is my pleasure to speak to Bill C-18, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (verification of residence). A few minutes ago, my colleague from Drummond discussed this and stated that the Bloc Québécois supports Bill C-18 in principle.

The purpose of the bill is to close some of the loopholes in Bill C-31. All of our colleagues who have spoken to Bill C-18 talked about problems that resulted from the adoption of Bill C-31. People did not pass it in bad faith to cause problems, but, as is frequently the case, they realized after the fact that there were some problems. That is what happened with Bill C-31, which attempted to minimize opportunities for fraud or error by strengthening requirements related to voter identification. People were asked to produce identification that included their home address. That was when a pretty serious problem surfaced.

Elections Canada revealed that at least one million Canadians do not have a proper residential address, that is, an address with a civic number and street name, as required by Bill C-31. This might seem strange or unusual to someone who lives in the city and has always had a civic address with a street name. This does not mean, however, that these other people have nowhere to live. We are familiar with the plight of the homeless. However, there are also people who live in a rural setting who do not have that kind of address. It is not the same thing. They do not have a civic number and street name. They may simply have a rural route number. For instance, in the case of first nations peoples, their address might simply be the name of the reserve and nothing else. The address is just as valid, but it is not the kind of address that city dwellers tend to have.

One million voters represent 4.4% of all eligible voters in Canada. As I was saying, in rural settings, addresses often consist of post office boxes or rural routes. On first nations reserves, residential addresses often consist only of the name of the reserve. In order to ensure a healthy democratic process, everyone must, if possible, have the right to vote, which is an inalienable right.

Those who have a rural route as their address, for instance, cannot call upon a vouching elector from the same polling division, because he or she will have a similar address. If a voter brings along their neighbour or their roommate because they do not have all the documentation required by the law, the problem is that the other person will have more or less exactly the same address. They will have the same problem, that is, no civic number or street name. Therein lies the problem in Bill C-31.

This situation affects about one million people in Canada. Fortunately, the number is much smaller in Quebec, but there are people who do have that problem. Indeed, 15,836 voters, or 0.27% of all electors in Quebec were found to have an address that can be described as incomplete. They find themselves in the situation that I described earlier, in that they do not necessarily have a civic number or a street name. So, a solution had to be found to allow the greatest possible number of people to exercise their right to vote, a right—and I am saying it again, because it is important—that is unalienable.

So, Bill C-18 was drafted. However, the democratic process must be conducted while trying to prevent fraud as much as possible. Now, we joke about the days when people used to say that political parties would sometimes make dead people vote. We laugh, but it is not funny, because it was the reality. Some people did use that ploy at one time. Whenever the possibility exists, dishonest people will try to use all sorts of schemes to win elections in a fraudulent and illegal manner. That was done in the past. People would go to the cemetery, write down the name of a dead person, find his old address, and then go and vote while using the dead person's identity. This really happened.

In more recent times—unfortunately, this may still be happening, but it definitely did in the rather recent past—some people would vote by doing nothing less than to steal another voter's identity.

I do not believe I am mistaken in saying that this happened in the borough of Anjou, in Quebec. In the very recent past, it was proven that people were engaging in this fraudulent practice. Someone was elected because people—called floating voters—had been paid to vote for that person by stealing other voters' identities. This is a serious problem that must be prevented. That is why the NDP's suggestion that people simply take an oath in order to have the right to vote is highly problematic. It is not enough.

Bill C-18 amends the Canada Elections Act to relax the rules on verifying residence for voters who live in areas where the municipal address on pieces of identification consists of a post office box, general delivery or a rural route. The bill provides that if the mailing address on the pieces of identification provided does not prove the voter's residence, but is consistent with the information related to that voter on the voters list, the voter's residence is deemed to have been proven. For example, a voter whose identification shows an address limited to a rural route can prove his residence if that mailing address matches the information on the voters list.

In the case of someone who is vouching for another voter, the bill requires that the voucher first prove his or her own identity and residence. If the address on the voucher's identification matches the information related to the voucher on the voters list, that address can be used to prove the voucher's residence.

I will conclude by saying that if there is any doubt, the deputy returning officer, poll clerk, candidate or candidate's representative can ask the voter to take the prescribed oath. This is what is proposed in Bill C-18. As I said earlier, the Bloc Québécois supports this bill in principle.

[Business of Supply, November 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, we could read in the comic magazine CROC, which is sadly no longer published, that it is not because we laugh that something is funny. Yet, the hon. member's speech caused a few laughs, even though it was not funny.

In fact, the 20 minutes during which the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and the member for Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière spoke could have been entitled “The Conservative Government's 20 'Feel-Good' Minutes”. I suggested that they take off their rose-coloured glasses and face reality, but to no avail. According to them, everything is for the best in the best of worlds. We can hear it day in and day out. What matters above all is to bash the Bloc Québécois. Voters have been electing Bloc Québécois members to this place since 1993 because they are very pleased with the work we are doing here.

I would like to know what the member has to say now to the Domtar workers who just lost their jobs here in Gatineau? We are talking about manufacturing companies in difficulty. What does he have to say to the companies on the South Shore, across from Laurierville, in the riding of my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable, where 117 people working in the furniture industry have just lost their jobs?

What will he tell the people of Beauce, the riding of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, those people from the Baronet company, another furniture company, where some 145 jobs were lost? That is to say nothing of all the problems facing the people in the bicycle industry in that same riding. What will he tell them and what will he do as a government member? I for one believe that, where there is no will, there cannot be much of a way. The member should therefore get cracking and tell us what he intends to tell these people.

[Business of Supply, November 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question that seemed more directed to the Liberal Party than to me.

However, I must say that I certainly sympathize with the businesses and workers in the softwood lumber industry who find themselves in this situation. We have experienced the same problem.

I know the NDP keeps making this point, saying that it was a mistake. I agree that we lost $1 billion in the process. However, the industry, the unions and the workers in Quebec were asking us and even pressing us to vote in favour of that agreement. It was a matter of survival. The agreement was bad but, at the same time, people in Quebec wanted it. Since our job is to represent these people, we must be attuned to their needs. Therefore, we had to put an end to this dispute with the Americans. We had no choice.

[Business of Supply, November 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of the member for Lévis—Bellechasse, I will say the following.

Where was the Bloc Québécois? Fortunately, it has been here since 1993. Not only do we regularly propose solutions, but we have a number of successes to our credit. The evidence is that in every federal election since 1993 the people of Quebec have returned Bloc Québécois members in a majority of seats. So they have done excellent work.

I also thank the member for Trois-Rivières today for raising the subject in this House, because the member for Lévis—Bellechasse would not have done it, since he is wearing his rose-coloured glasses and saying that everything is going fine.

When it comes to solutions, we are proposing a specific plan for the manufacturing industry. We are also talking about a real POWA, a program to assist older workers in the forestry industry. These solutions could be implemented easily, particularly given the surpluses this government has available to it. We are calling for loans for updating production equipment and investments in innovation. Those are tangible solutions.

I did not have time, in the mere 10 minutes I had to speak, to talk about the problems that the ridings represented by government members are experiencing. I will come back to that if the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities asks me questions. I will be happy to come back to that.

[Business of Supply, November 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to take part in this debate today and to congratulate my hon. colleague from Trois-Rivières on having raised this important matter: the crisis in the manufacturing and forestry sectors. I must also thank my colleague from Beauharnois—Salaberry for agreeing to share her speaking time with me.

In her riding, as in many others in Quebec of course,—and one might include Ontario and the Maritimes as well—many MPs are involved daily with the crisis in the manufacturing and forestry sectors. This is, therefore, an important issue for our regions. Thinking of the manufacturing sector alone, this represents 536,000 jobs. It is no trifling matter.

The situation is a paradox, given today's context. The present vitality of the Canadian dollar bears witness to Canada's overall economic health. Looked at through a distorting lens or rose coloured glasses, as is the Conservative government's wont, the Canadian economy is seen to be doing well. That is what we are constantly being told by the Minister of Finance during question period, when we raise the difficulties certain sectors are experiencing.

In fact, his response that everything is doing well is because of the Alberta oil boom. That is all very fine for them, anyway, and far be it from us to say that the people of Alberta are not entitled to a healthy economy. On the contrary, we are very happy for them. Other sectors, however, are experiencing hard times. Unfortunately for other sectors, the oil boom has the effect of strengthening the Canadian dollar, thereby creating the difficulties we are discussing. The vitality of the dollar is therefore linked to the oil boom in Alberta. It has gone up some 60% in relation to the American dollar in four years, thus depriving businesses of their competitive edge in foreign markets.

They either lose sales, or they see less profits, or they lay people off. Unfortunately, in many instances, businesses do all three because the hurdles are too great and they are trying to survive. Restructuring then takes place and the restructuring plans include the elements I have referred to. So the bottom line is that jobs are lost.

It is also catastrophic to realize that, for every cent that the Canadian dollar goes up in relation to the American dollar, at least 19,000 manufacturing jobs are threatened. As we know, the dollar has shot up in recent weeks, and every time that it went up 1¢, 19,000 jobs were in jeopardy.

The strengthening Canadian dollar has also meant more manufacturing business failures in the first six months of 2007 than in all of 2004. We are now in a situation where those rose coloured glasses I referred to a few minutes ago really must be set aside. The government must not only wake up to the situation but also start taking action, particularly given its much vaunted and huge surplus. This surplus is a complete reality and all manner of measures have been put in place to please this sector and that, while oddly enough totally forgetting those sectors that have been hit the most from the economic point of view: manufacturing and forestry.

The Quebec manufacturing sector as a whole did not make a profit in 2006. We have to exclude the pharmaceutical industry, but for the rest everything was bad. At least, if we did manage to get anywhere, we just made it, without making a profit. Quebec exports have fallen steadily over the last three years. If these statistics cannot wake the government up, I do not know what will.

We are talking about a loss of 135,000 manufacturing jobs since 2002, including 65,000 since the Conservative government came to power. This too should have told these people something. They pride themselves on being in power, on being able to do anything, on being the only ones in a position to take action. And yet, since the Conservatives have been in power, 65,000 jobs have disappeared in the manufacturing sector. Might there be someone, somewhere in this government, who will decide to roll up his sleeves and do something to ease these problems?

I want to talk about the clothing industry because, in my constituency of Richmond—Arthabaska there are many clothing, textile and furniture businesses. These are businesses that have suffered huge losses for many years. It is a glaring problem.

In the clothing industry, for example, there were 30,000 jobs in 2006. In 1988 there were 90,000. The decline has been steady since 1988.

In textiles, there were 17,500 jobs in Quebec last year. There were 36,000 in 1988.

In the furniture industry, there has been a 22% reduction in the workforce.

There are also the paper mills and sawmills. Again, in my riding there are Domtar and Cascades, for example. These are job-creating companies that are pulling out all the stops to preserve these jobs. And I must point out that these are quality jobs. They say that the economy is doing well. They are proud of the unemployment rate. I have heard a number of members here today telling us to pay attention: the unemployment rate may be about the same, but what kinds of jobs are these now? High-tech jobs and jobs with excellent conditions and salaries are being replaced by much more precarious jobs, part-time jobs, less well-paying jobs. This is not included in the unemployment statistics and percentages. So this is a reality which we also have to face up to.

As I was saying, for the paper mills and sawmills, we are talking about a reduction of 10,000 jobs between 2002 and 2005. And since April 2005, if we add the jobs lost in the forestry industry, 21,000 more jobs have been lost.

The rising dollar, combined with Chinese competition in these sectors, has resulted in our traditional sectors being even harder hit. Here again, the Conservative government has not taken the necessary action to mitigate the consequences of this competition. I mention China, but there are many other countries that are exporting more and more to Canada and Quebec. China is the most significant: between 2001 and 2006, Chinese clothing and textile imports have increased by a factor of eight, furniture imports by six, and bicycle imports by five. There are certain measures under World Trade Organization rules that can be taken, but which Canada is refusing to take. Whether the government is Liberal or Conservative, the end result is the same.

Let us look now at some examples of that damage in a riding such as my own. There are many factory closings in the clothing industry—I spoke about them earlier—and in the textile industry. In the furniture industry, Shermag, which operated for years in Victoriaville, has closed its doors. Shermag is doing more and more business with China. Shermag products and furniture, unfortunately, are now made in China. This is happening not only in our area. In the Eastern Townships generally, where Shermag was located, regrettably, many factories have been closed.

In the lumber sector, Placages St-Raymond, Flexart division, has just closed its plant in Victoriaville in my riding. There were about 30 jobs left. In the paper sector, I just visited Domtar in Windsor, where they began a restructuring plan in 2005. They were forced to reduce the workforce. At one time, Domtar employed more than 1,100 people in Windsor; now there are just under 900. There has been attrition, and retirements to try to minimize the damage. In short, they used all available resources so that people would not be too badly affected. Once again, these were excellent jobs with excellent salaries. I do not have to tell you what a disaster it would be if ever we lost those jobs in our region.

There was also Cascades at Kingsey Falls. This company has been highly praised all around the world. Just recently, Cascade said it might be forced to increase its investments in the United States in order to move its production base to where it sells its products, which is the United States. So, this is a serious concern for the people in my riding.

In closing, I do not want to forget to mention some important quotations:

The Conservative laissez-faire policy is not a solution.

Here is a very recent quotation from Denis Dufresne at La tribune, dated November 11, 2007:

—the laissez-faire attitude of Prime Minister Harper toward the manufacturing sector is incomprehensible and raises fears of new plant closings in the regions.

The Quebec Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Exports, Raymond Bachand, said he was “very disappointed that the Government of Canada had done nothing to help that sector.” He was referring to the absence of any measures supporting the manufacturing sector in the recent mini-budget.

If that does not get the point across, I wonder what it will take to make the Conservative government listen to reason.

[Agriculture, November 1st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the agricultural sector was also left hanging. Yesterday, Laurent Pellerin, president of the Union des producteurs agricoles, said, “Producers in the agricultural and forestry sectors are very frustrated that the Minister of Finance completely ignored agriculture and private forestry in his economic statement even though people in those sectors are grappling with some of the worst crises their industries have ever experienced.”

How can the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food say that he is helping farmers when there is nothing in the economic statement for them? Are he and his finance colleague ganging up on farmers?