Anne-Marie Day

[The Budget, June 13th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot of talk about job creation from the government lately. But I must point out in this House that the government has announced huge job cuts within the Government of Canada. This seems to be a bit of a “not in my backyard” policy.

The government also seems to be allergic to a certain type of economic development. Take, for example, the co-operative model in Quebec. Desjardins has been a huge economic success and is a great economic model. This model has not lost its place in terms of economic development. Economic development can take different forms.

Canada seems to have become much richer as a country, but in reality, it is 20% of our richest citizens who have increased their revenues and, therefore, their wealth. I have a quote from the National Council of Welfare:

Canada has posted the strongest employment growth in the G7, but it is also one of the G7 countries in which there are the greatest income disparities among families. Poverty in a rich country is not inevitable; it is the result of bad policies.

Does the government plan on introducing a real program to eliminate poverty?

[The Budget, June 13th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, bad weather is often one of the main problems facing farmers. The second problem is the stress caused by bad weather. That is what we are dealing with right now in Montérégie and what we have faced in the past. Farmers in Montérégie were not able to sow their fields in time this year. These farmers have lost some of the grain that could have been used to feed animals, which translates into a huge financial loss.

Since the hon. member and the government want to do so much for farmers, can the government tell us what it plans to do to help our farmers in the Montérégie region?

[The Budget, June 13th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to describe a typical family in Lac-Saint-Charles. This family has just had its fifth child, the father is unemployed and they do not have the means to send the children to private classes or schools or to sign them up for extra-curricular activities, in order to be eligible for the child tax breaks.

Could the hon. member tell us how these children will benefit from the new budget? The $100 the government wants to add will be taxable. Even the $100 that the government will give to families for one child will be taxable come income tax time. What will be left for our poor families?

[Poverty, June 6th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, again, congratulations to all hon. members on being elected. I will start by thanking the voters of my riding of Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.

In 1989, 23 years ago, the House of Commons unanimously passed a resolution to eliminate child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. Canada currently ranks in the unenviable position of 25th out of the 33 OECD countries in terms of the percentage of gross domestic product devoted to social programs. We cannot turn a blind eye: poverty exists in Canada.

The voters in my riding and the rest of Canada expect the government to take concrete action to eliminate poverty in Canada.