Claude Gravelle

[Technical Tax Amendments Act, 2012, March 8th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, we can talk about bizarre. There is something that is bizarre right there. The member should stand up and apologize to every member in this House and to every Canadian for misleading them.

She said that we have been debating this bill for 100 days. I just checked with the table officers, and we have been debating this bill for nine hours. That is a long way from 100 days. In my community of Nickel Belt, miners work longer than nine hours a day. We have not even been debating this bill for a day, let alone 100 days. What a ridiculous statement.

Then the member went on to talk about the NDP cap and trade. I have in my hand a copy of the Conservative platform. Lo and behold, on page 32 of the platform, we see “Developing a cap and trade system”.

What a shame. What a bizarre thing to say on the member's part. She should stand up and apologize.

[Response to the Supreme Court of Canada Decision in R. v. Tse Act, February 25th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague from British Columbia on his awesome speech. He talked about all the promises the Conservatives made to the police officers and firefighters six years ago. We could hear them yip-yapping in the background. We can still hear them.

Now they have a chance to stand and ask questions, but they are not. What is happening on the other side? Are they maybe ashamed of having promised these firefighters and police officers that they would do something to help their families, and now that it is time to do it, they are not doing anything?

Would the member give his opinion on that, please?

[Business of Supply, February 14th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech.

In Canada, the disappearance and murder of aboriginal women and girls was already a known problem when the Liberals were in power.

In 1996, official statistics indicated that aboriginal women were five times more likely to die as a result of violence than any other group of Canadian women.

What does the member have to say about the Liberal government's failure to take action?

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, February 12th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I would gladly move to the question, if the Conservatives would only listen.

Expert after expert said that our amendments were good amendments, except for the Conservatives. Could the member tell me why the Conservatives are against the good amendments supported by witnesses?

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, February 12th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, will the member for Saint Boniface let me speak?

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, February 12th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the member for Saint Boniface just said, witness after witness agreed with our amendments, except of course for the Conservative members.

[Health, February 11th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, too many Canadian families will have to deal with Alzheimer's. I know it only too well. My mother suffered from it before she died.

We are ill-prepared to deal with this debilitating diseases that puts pressure on caregivers and our health care system. There will be 1.5 million affected within a generation.

Dementia costs over $33 billion a year. These costs could escalate to $293 billion a year.

Will the Conservatives agree with the NDP and act now?

[Health, February 11th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, if the Conservative government continues to drag its heels, Alzheimer's will become a major public heath problem in the not too distant future.

According to a recent U.S. study, the number of people suffering from Alzheimer's will triple by the year 2050, which means that approximately three million Canadians will be suffering from dementia. Treating dementia is no easy feat. A pan-Canadian strategy needs to be put in place to battle dementia.

Will this government work with the NDP to devise such a strategy?

[Business of Supply, February 7th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I have a two-part question.

First, I would like to know if the hon. member believes that there should be a crossover between this Parliamentary Budget Officer and the new one. Should there be a period when they work together? I want to know if that would be a good idea.

Also, I want to know if she, as a former accountant, would recommend to her former customers going without accountability for months at a time. Is that something that is advisable? I would like to know the answer from the accountant.

[Petitions, February 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I too have some petitions concerning the water level of the Great Lakes. This particularly affects my communities of Killarney and French River. As my colleagues have said already, there are solutions to this problem.

I would like to inform the House that there has been work planned for almost 100 years. The first work order for compensating structures goes back to 1917, but was never acted on by successive Liberal and Conservative governments. If action was taken as soon as possible, it would have economic considerations, ecological advantages and would help the local communities.