House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 49% of the vote.
Political Party Financing November 5th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, we have passed the toughest legislation on election financing. The law is extremely strict and tough.
We can confront the Bloc with the facts: it accepted $2,000 in 2008 from the Zambito family. What is good for the Bloc is good for the government if everyone obeys the law.
Political Party Financing November 5th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, these donations were made in accordance with the Canada Elections Act.
I hope that we can expect the same thing. The Zambito family has also donated money: $4,470 to the PQ since 2001, $2,000 to the Bloc in 2008 and $8,500 to the Liberal Party since 2004. Since 2001, the Mathers family has donated $29,600 to the PQ, the Bloc's head office, and $5,092 to the Liberal Party of Canada. We hope we can expect that these people complied with the law in donating to the other parties as well.
The Economy November 3rd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the question is, why does he not stop the fearmongering? I will say one thing. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said and I quote: “...the Canadian economy has weathered the global recession better than most economies, posting the second strongest performance among the G7”. That is action, not an election that no one wants.
I will again ask the leader of the Bloc to go and explain to the unemployed in Rivière-du-Loup why he opposes extending unemployment benefits by 5 to 20 weeks.
The Economy November 3rd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, our government made the difficult decision of incurring a deficit. Why? To look after the economy, the unemployed and the people in need. If the Bloc had its way, we would be holding an election right now. There would be no economic action plan and no assistance for the unemployed. The leader of the Bloc should explain to the unemployed in Rivière-du-Loup, for example, why he opposes Bill C-50, which would extend employment benefits by 5 to 20 weeks. That is what the unemployed are waiting for.
The Environment October 29th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, quite to the contrary, my colleagues in the opposition should soon see the practical actions that are being taken.
We are currently working with the United States on a continental harmonization of our targets. We are also working with countries on other continents to make progress in this regard. The Bloc can hardly ask us to implement a report that is just a draft carbon tax. We need a balanced, pragmatic approach that takes all the factors into account, and that is what we will do.
The Environment October 29th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, that is totally false. This report is nothing more than a draft carbon tax.
We have always said we will adopt a balanced, pragmatic approach, taking both the economic recovery and the environment into account. Those are the kinds of practical solutions we will propose, and not just fine words.
Privilege October 27th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, regarding the question of privilege raised by the member for Joliette concerning Bill C-52 and the press conference I held with my colleague, the Minister of Justice, I offer my sincerest apologies to the House.
I fully support what the Minister of Justice has said about this issue in this House. The details about Bill C-52 were disclosed when it was placed on the order paper, before being read the first time. It was a mistake that should not happen again. That is what I wanted to say about Bill C-52.
With respect to Bill C-53, I heard the comments made by the Minister of Public Safety, and I also agree with his argument that the details of this bill were not disclosed at the press conference yesterday. I am also in agreement with his comments on Bill C-53.
Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated October 27th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I want to remind my colleague that it was under this government that the toughest law ever on federal political party financing was passed. This is the first time there has been such a tough law at the federal level, and it was passed under this government. We are talking about a transparent, fair and open tendering process conducted by an independent crown corporation. If my colleague has any formal accusations to make, she should make them from the other side of the House.
Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated October 27th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I hear the Leader of the Opposition and the Bloc leader making so-called clarifications of the facts. What they are doing is muddying the waters. Quite simply, Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated is an independent corporation whose job it is to award contracts in a fair, open and transparent manner. That is what it does. The government has nothing to do with the process.
Infrastructure October 22nd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, before she makes any false accusations and talks about deception, I would like the member first to understand that we are talking about an independent crown corporation, namely, Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc., which followed a fair, open and transparent process that did not involve any cabinet ministers whatsoever. Is that clear enough?