Bernard Patry

[Electric Vehicle Project, February 10th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, on January 25 was announced an innovative and ambitious project for the acquisition of electric vehicles in the Montreal area.

The purpose of this Montreal 2000 project is to form a network of between 15 and 20 organizations interested in buying 40 electric vehicles that will become part of their fleet and be used on a regular basis.

This two-year project, estimated at more than $3 million, was made possible through concerted efforts by industry and government partners. The $500,000 in federal assistance will come in part from the climate change action fund, which was established to assist Canada in meeting its Kyoto commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This is the kind of action the Canadian government encourages in the Montreal area.

[La Francophonie, December 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, at the biannual ministerial conference of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, held at Bucharest on December 4 and 5, the Minister of International Co-operation and Minister responsible for Francophonie was made president of that organization.

I would like to congratulate the minister, not only on her appointment, but also on what has been accomplished to date in preparation for the upcoming summit of heads of state and heads of government of countries using French as a common language, to be held at Moncton in September 1999, as well as on the work that has been accomplished on the reform of the Agence de la Francophonie.

This latest ministerial conference adopted a plan for in-depth structural reform of the Agence de la Francophonie. This ought to result in greater transparency and greater efficiency in the administration of multilateral programs of co-operation.

I am sure that this summit will offer an opportunity to stimulate and consolidate the foundations of a true Canada-wide Francophonie.

[1999 Francophone Summit, December 7th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, in September 1999, Canada will host the eighth Francophone Summit in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Could the Minister responsible for Francophonie give us an overview of the preparations for the summit?

[World Aids Day, December 1st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, today, December 1 marks World AIDS Day. This year's theme is “Youth, a Force for Change”.

The UN joint program on AIDS reveals that five new young people are infected every minute worldwide.

In Canada, the rate of infection among young people, who are particularly vulnerable, is a concern too.

We must therefore work with our government and non-government partners to respond to this concern.

Our young people are our future. They warrant our urgent attention, because they may be a driving force in changing the course of the epidemic.

I encourage all my colleagues to wear a red ribbon to draw attention to World AIDS Day. Let us as well give some thought to all those who have died from this disease.

[Information Conferences/Fairs, November 19th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to use my allotted time to highlight an excellent government initiative designed to help present and future entrepreneurs in Quebec regions do business.

This fall, Canada Economic Development organized a series of information conferences/fairs. The first one, which was held in Shawinigan on September 24, attracted almost 1,200 business people.

On November 13, it was the Hull region's turn to host an information fair. Two more of these events are scheduled, for November 21 in Saint-Hyacinthe and December 4 in Chicoutimi.

With this one stop approach to promoting government programs and services, we are hoping to help build tomorrow's businesses and provide them with the best opportunities for the future.

This is an unequivocal commitment our government is making to our follow citizens.

[Points Of Order, November 18th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to intervene on this point of order, but not to reiterate the excellent arguments of my colleague from St. Paul's.

I will focus on two very specific points. The first is the matter of the ways and means motion as it pertains to a tax rather than a levy. The second point concerns the criteria associated with the levy.

Today, Mr. Speaker, you will have to decide whether a levy or a tax is involved. When a bill proposes a levy and not a tax it is exempt from certain prerequisites. A ways and means motion must be concurred in before a bill imposing a tax on the public can be introduced. There is no such requirement for a bill proposing a levy.

It serves no purpose to repeat that a ways and means motion may be moved in the House only by a minister of the crown. According to the traditions in this House, a levy must meet three very specific criteria.

The first one is that the levy is imposed on the industry. The second one is to serve an industry purpose. The third one is that the funds from the levy never form any part of the government's revenue.

Mr. Speaker, yours is the role of judge. As you said earlier, you want our opinion. Other opinions, including legal ones, have been or will be submitted to you, no doubt. You yourself will also seek other opinions, I am sure.

I close on the comparison, which was used earlier by the government House leader, between Bill C-32 on copyright and Bill S-13 before us. Unlike the government leader, I see a lot of similarities between the two bills. Bill C-32, which includes the levy on blank cassettes, did not require a ways and means motion and royal assent, because it essentially involved a levy.

This bill must be passed and debated by this Parliament, which will judge it on its merits. I believe this bill meets all the criteria necessary to proceed.

With your permission, I would like to table in this House legal opinions to this effect, which I hope will help you in your consideration of the matter.

[Interparliamentary Delegations, November 18th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, two reports by the Canadian section of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie and the accompanying financial report.

The first report is of the office meeting held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on July 4, 1998 and the second, the 24th ordinary session held from July 7 to 9, 1998 in Abidjan as well.

[Harris Canada Inc., November 17th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that, on November 9, 1998, Harris Canada Inc. and the Government of Canada announced a $133 million investment in the Montreal and Calgary divisions.

The Montreal project entails a $9,861,900 investment by Technology Partnerships Canada, as part of a global investment of $72 million over four years. This is a project to develop wireless point-to-multipoint broadband access systems, which will make functions like high-speed Internet access and video access accessible without wired components. This investment is expected to generate 320 jobs in Montreal by the year 2005.

I should point out that, since 1996, Technology Partnerships Canada has invested more than $300 million, which helped maintain or create 3,875 jobs in the greater Montreal area.

[Technological Development, November 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the secretary of state responsible for the economic development of Quebec.

We are all aware that technological innovation is essential to this country's economy. Among the sectors of technological development that are located in the Montreal region, the Biotechnology Research Institute and the Space Agency play an important role.

What then is the government doing, not just to assist technological development in this region, but also to continue to enhance it?

[First Job Fair, November 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today in this House to report on the first job fair, held in the West Island area of Montreal on October 30 and 31, 1998.

This job fair, with its 32 stands and 1,400 job offers, attracted more than 7,000 job seekers. I am also proud to say that 75% of the available positions were filled during the fair.

This shows the vitality of this part of the greater Montreal area and its significant and sustained economic growth. With more than 7,800 new jobs created in 1997, paying on average $32,000 a year, and the injection of $250 million in wages, there was an urgent need to bring together companies looking for workers and workers looking for jobs.

At this first job fair, our local youth employment centre rose to the challenge. I want to congratulate Gilles VanChesteing and his team at Trait d'Union for the excellent work they have done.