Christian Paradis

[Questions on the Order Paper, December 7th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, Question No. 490 is similar to 34 other questions.

The information requested in these questions was previously requested in Question No. 395, tabled on September 14, 2009, Debates, Volume 144, No. 080, page 4940. Breaking up that larger question into smaller questions does not alter the government’s response to the original question.

The data required to adequately respond to these questions is contained on more than 27,000 pages of raw data. To answer these questions as posed would require a second level of sorting and a manual search through a combination of electronic and paper archives to attribute each purchase to a particular campaign. In addition, the data is available in the original language only and it is not possible to produce and translate this information in the time period required.

The Government of Canada produces an advertising annual report which provides information on the process used to manage government advertising, annual expenditures, and the major campaigns undertaken to support government priorities.

These annual reports are available at the following link: http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/pub-adv/annuel-annual-fra.html.

[The Environment, December 7th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it is not up to the leader of a sovereignist party to tell us how to make the Canadian federation work. That does not make sense.

Having said that, I will remind the House that we are working with targets. At present, the American targets, those of the Obama administration, are comparable to ours. They should stop trying to divide the country. We are taking an industry-by-industry approach and not trying to pit one province against another. That is something the sovereignist leader will never say because Quebec does play an active role, Quebec has taken action and Quebec will be compensated.

[The Environment, December 7th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, today is the first day of the Copenhagen summit. We want an agreement and Canada will participate actively. Canada will assume its fair share of the responsibility for reaching an agreement. We are delighted that Quebec is part of the delegation. It is unprecedented. Quebec will be participating proactively as part of the Canadian delegation.

[Public Works and Government Services, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, no.

[The Environment, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it is ironic to see the leader of the Bloc Québécois talk about a federalism that works, when we know his goal is to destroy that federalism. We have a solution. The representatives of the Government of Quebec are an integral part of the Canadian delegation. In addition, in 2007, the federal government transferred $350 million to Quebec, which Premier Charest himself said would help the province meet its targets. We do not need to be lectured. We have shown that we have solutions that work, such as our solution in the case of UNESCO.

[The Environment, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment held intensive consultations last summer, and one of the first provinces that was consulted was Quebec, through Premier Jean Charest. We now know that the people appointed by the Government of Quebec will form an integral part of the Canadian delegation.

Quebec is making a significant contribution. We recognize Quebec's support, and I can say that our provincial counterparts are very happy to be an integral part of the Canadian delegation.

[The Environment, December 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that is completely false and we are pleased that the Obama administration's approach is similar to ours. Our two economies are integrated. There will be a North American approach.

I would remind the member opposite that, in 2007, the federal government transferred $350 million to the Quebec government. Premier Charest himself stated that this would help Quebec achieve its goals.

That is what I call results.

[Public Works and Government Services, November 30th, 2009]

Once again, Mr. Speaker, there is a legal framework that we have to follow. We do not comment on internal departmental staffing matters but we do ensure that federal departments have the tools they need to address them.

We brought in the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act with the express purpose of protecting whistleblowers, an act that was passed by members of the House.

Under our government and our new laws, the lines of accountability are clear. The act has a clear reporting clause that all federal departments must strictly follow and the information is readily provided through a proactive disclosure. That is the law.

[Public Works and Government Services, November 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is well aware that we cannot comment on internal departmental staffing matters but we can say that federal departments have the tools they need to address them. We brought in the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act for the very purpose of protecting whistleblowers. That act was passed by this House.

Under our government, and in our new act, the lines of accountability are clear. The act has a clear reporting clause governing all departments. In addition, information is provided regularly and proactively.

[Official Languages, November 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate my colleague on his election and for his fine win against the Bloc.

As a francophone and Quebec nationalist, I am worried about the fact that the Bloc did not allow a unilingual francophone member to obtain documents in his own language in the parliamentary committee. That is unacceptable.

Is that how the Bloc intends to protect the French language?

For our part, we will always fight for the provision of services in French by all federal institutions for francophones. That is a fundamental right. Quebeckers and francophones can count on us, and not the Bloc Québécois, to deliver what they want.