House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 50% of the vote.
Address in Reply March 3rd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, it is written in black and white in the throne speech that we will further strengthen Canada’s retirement income system. I do not know why the NDP member asked that question. We are doing the work. I sincerely believe that our government's work is achieving the desired results and that Canadians have no reason to doubt that we will achieve our goals.
Address in Reply March 3rd, 2010
I do not know how they can tell us today that we are not working extra hard to lead Canada out of the recession.
There is no doubt that we are doing the work.
Address in Reply March 3rd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, as far as I know, the members of the Bloc voted against the Government of Canada's action plan.
Address in Reply March 3rd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member feels we have produced next to nothing. I, on the other hand, believe we have accomplished a great deal. Really, we just delivered an excellent Speech from the Throne, and everything she just pointed out is what we are going to be doing. So there is no problem.
Address in Reply March 3rd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege to speak today in reply to the Speech from the Throne delivered by the Governor General. I want to thank the Prime Minister for giving me this opportunity.
Before talking about my constituency and the actions of my government, I would be remiss if I did not say a word about the truly exceptional performance of our athletes at the Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler that ended on Sunday.
I would like to acknowledge in particular the performance, courage and determination of figure skater Joannie Rochette, who, despite the sudden passing of her mother, delivered a brilliant performance that won her a well deserved bronze medal. Congratulations to Joannie.
Congratulations to skier Alexandre Bilodeau, who was the first to win a gold medal on Canadian soil. Congratulations to Jasey-Jay Anderson for his fine gold medal in snowboarding.
Congratulations as well to our short track and long track speed skaters, more specifically to Guillaume Bastille from my riding, who thrilled the crowds with his lightning-fast performance.
And of course, congratulations to the men's and women's hockey teams who, once again, proved that Canada is a hockey superpower.
Unfortunately, I cannot mention all the athletes who distinguished themselves at these games because there are too many. However, I would like to congratulate and thank the entire Canadian Olympic team for giving us some unforgettable moments. Fourteen gold medals—that is a record we can be proud of.
When the Paralympic Games open, I am certain that the paralympic athletes will sustain the momentum and, once again, make us proud to be Canadians.
I would now like to talk about my riding and the people who live in my part of the country.
I was elected on November 9 by the voters in my riding of Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, which was held for 16 long years by other parties. I can say that the voters in my riding are as pleased as I am to have chosen a party and a Prime Minister that are taking action to grow our country, particularly our province and our riding.
I would like to take a few moments to describe my beloved corner of the country. There is no hiding the joy and pleasure it brings me to represent my riding.
I come from Kamouraska—the centre of my riding—where the people, like me, are proud and hard-working and love life. The scenery all along the magnificent St. Lawrence River, the paths that wind through the woods in their autumn splendour, all are part of the reason we are happy to live there.
The Rivière-du-Loup region is famous for the most beautiful sunsets in the world, according to the renowned magazine National Geographic.
There is no lack of inspiration for charting our future in an even better living space. Our quality of life is decidedly one of the best in the world and those who live in the region are proud Canadians contributing to the emancipation of our beautiful country.
The many islands across from the Montmagny and L'Islet RCMs are extraordinarily beautiful. One of them, Grosse-Île, an historic site that is a tourist destination, was the gateway to Canada for the Irish and other immigrants. Just like snow geese, these overseas refugees broke their journey on this island. These immigrants helped shape our country and we are very proud of them.
Many small and medium-sized businesses have been set up on the south shore, alongside world-class companies like Bombardier.
Our workers are well trained and aware of their impact on our quality of life. They do an outstanding job of creating, producing and processing products.
Our educational institutions, technology transfer centres and research establishments are among the best in the country. We are proud, once again, to contribute to Canada's quality of life. This is a good country to live in, and we help make it so every day.
My constituents talk to me. In addition to meeting with them regularly, I obviously consulted them about the upcoming budget. The people in my riding were able to express their opinions by answering a survey I sent them, and a great many of them did.
What my constituents and probably my colleagues' constituents want most is for us to strike a balance between continuing to spend in order to emerge completely from the recession and finding solutions to wipe out the deficit.
We must find that balance in order to make life easier for many Canadians hit hard by the recession. That is what came out of our survey.
Moreover, the people in my riding were happy that their member of Parliament took an interest in what they had to say. It was the first time in a very long time that a member from the region had asked them for their opinion on the next federal budget. It is very interesting to see that our constituents are much more interested in politics than we might think. These are the people who elect us, and they deserve our respect. It is important to consult them. That is what I did, and that is what I will continue to do.
The main role of every member of Parliament is to give his or her constituents a voice. I will keep on defending my constituents' interests in the House of Commons. One of my most important tasks is to improve the quality of life of the people around me by creating high-quality permanent jobs. Canada's economic action plan is so effective that, despite Canada's economic difficulties, the regional unemployment rate has remained relatively low and roughly 135,000 jobs have been created across the country since last July.
For the great benefit of our constituents, the effects of the economic action plan in terms of job creation will continue to be felt in 2010, as the government will stay the course and pursue the implementation of the economic stimulus measures. Much remains to be done. We on this side intend to work twice as hard to ensure that Canada comes out of the current recession stronger than ever. I sincerely believe that the role of elected representatives is to represent their constituents well. That is why I am always anxious to hear from, listen to, read or meet with all those who talk to me, write to me or come to see me. I tell them about my commitment to our great country of which I am so proud. I also tell them about my colleagues who are working so hard to ensure that Canada becomes stronger and more vibrant.
I would like to take the last few minutes I have left to talk about our economic action plan, which was tabled in this House in January 2009, just over one year ago. This plan was developed by our government in response to the deepest global recession since World War II. Our plan is working very well. All in all, almost 16,000 projects are currently putting people to work across the country. Thanks to that plan, I was able to secure funding for the construction of a bio-methanization plant in my riding, allowing me to help businesses that were experiencing difficulties. Together with our provincial and municipal partners, I was able to announce improvements to our local infrastructure. With the home renovation tax credit, families in my riding have been able to make improvements to their homes at a lower cost. EI benefits have also been enhanced to help laid-off workers. In addition, we are investing in training. In a word, our economic action plan is working as intended.
It is important to stay the course and to complete the second year of this plan. The time has come to ensure that the recovery has indeed started. We must concentrate on job creation and economic growth. During the coming months, our government will continue to put in place measures that will create jobs for Canadians. Job creation is our priority. We will do that through various means, including by developing new markets for Canadian products, by creating a greener economy and by maintaining our tax reduction measures for businesses.
We must also think about the challenges that we will be facing in the next few years. That is why we must also plan to return to a balanced budget to ensure the long term prosperity of our country. We will also continue to support Canadian families. Since we came into office, we have given $100 a month to Canadian families to help them pay for child care. We reduced taxes, thereby allowing the average family of four to save thousands of dollars. We also created the tax-free savings account, and the list goes on.
Each time the opposition asked us to raise taxes, we refused, and we will continue to do so because Canadian families deserve to keep their hard earned money. They can count on us to defend their interests. Our government will pursue its efforts to strengthen the food safety system. We will also work in partnership with non-governmental organizations to launch a national strategy on childhood injury prevention. Other measures will also be implemented to support Canadian families who helped build our country.
I would like to draw my colleagues' attention to other important measures in the throne speech: measures related to justice. Our government will introduce legislation to increase the penalties for sexual offences against children. Our government will also crack down on white-collar criminals who destroy the lives of honest investors. We will also give families of murder victims access to special benefits under employment insurance. In short, Canadians can count on us to tackle crime, which is still taking far too great a toll on our society.
In closing, I want to say how proud I am to be part of a team that is making the right decisions for Canadians. A year ago, Canada was dealing with a serious recession. One year later, we are on the right track toward economic recovery. Our economy weathered the global recession much better than that of other developed countries.
Just a few weeks ago, our brothers and sisters in Haiti needed our help. We did not waste any time answering the call. Within hours of the earthquake, our troops landed on the island to help the people there deal with the massive natural disaster that struck the country.
Later this year, Canada will once again play a key role in international affairs when it hosts the North American Leaders’ Summit and the G8 and G20 summits.
I predict that 2010 will be Canada's year. We will build on the momentum of the Olympic Games by focusing on job creation and growth, and Canada will own the podium yet again.
To that end, it is my honour to move the following motion, seconded by the hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley. I move:
That the following Address be presented to Her Excellency the Governor General of Canada:
To Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada.
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY:
We, Her Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subjects, the House of Commons of Canada in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Excellency for the gracious Speech which Your Excellency has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.
Economic Action Plan December 8th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, our economy relies on the success of our businesses.
Canada's economic action plan helps these businesses by providing the necessary tools to consolidate, innovate and increase their prosperity.
That is why our government has invested in the Tandem Expansion Fund. Announced yesterday, this investment will support the growth and expansion of technology companies by helping them conquer new markets, increase production capacity and generate additional working capital.
Canadian firms will be able to obtain funding from the Tandem Expansion Fund, which will help them grow and also create jobs for Quebeckers and Canadians.
Our government is determined to implement its economic action plan and ensure that Canada emerges from this economic slowdown stronger than ever and positioned to become the leader of the future global economy.
Economic Action Plan December 2nd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of Finance presented our government's fourth report on the implementation of Canada's economic action plan.
Faced with this unprecedented crisis, Quebeckers and Canadians wanted a government that takes action. That is what we have done.
We have helped boost the economy, create jobs and protect Quebeckers and Canadians affected by the crisis.
Unlike the Bloc Québécois members who sit on their hands when Quebeckers are in need, we are taking action. Our government is determined to see this through. We will continue to work hard to ensure a lasting economic recovery for all Canadians.
Employment Insurance November 30th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government has improved the employment insurance system for all workers and their families. We introduced Bill C-56, which would offer compassionate care and sickness benefits to self-employed workers in Quebec at an affordable and reasonable rate. That is a first.
As it stands, Quebeckers have access only to a private insurance program that can be very expensive. I invite the Minister of National Revenue to give the House an update on Bill C-56
Official Languages November 25th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent the people of the riding of Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, one of the most francophone ridings in Canada.
As elsewhere in Quebec, my fellow citizens expect their member of Parliament to defend and protect our French language.
Yesterday, Bloc members sitting on the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates denied a Conservative member the right to obtain documents in French.
I just wrapped up an election campaign and I can tell you that the people of my riding would never accept that.
The actions of the Bloc are totally unacceptable.
Can the Minister of Public Works —