Denis Coderre

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 31st, 2011]

With regard to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, what are the exact, line-by-line details of all travel and hospitality expenses incurred by the Minister and all exempt staff since January 1, 2009?

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 31st, 2011]

With regard to the Minister of Natural Resources, what are the exact, line-by-line details of all travel and hospitality expenses incurred by the Minister and all exempt staff since January 1, 2009?

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity, as the debate is drawing to a close, to thank all members on both sides of the House. This debate has been very useful and constructive. It has given everyone the opportunity to propose some concrete solutions that will allow the government and Canada to speak with a single, united voice. I personally thought it was important to send a message to the people of Haiti to let them know that we have not forgotten them and we are here for them. It was important to have this kind of debate.

I have a question for my colleague, who once again, with his great depth and expertise, has demonstrated just how important these debates are. I wonder if he could comment on two things. First of all, how important is it for Canada to appoint a special envoy who could work full time to liaise with the international community and Haitian authorities. Second, in the context of the current election crisis, how could the international community become involved in the process while still respecting the sovereignty of a country and not interfering, all in an effort to create a positive environment in order to introduce democracy in Haiti?

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the member for Honoré-Mercier on all his work and especially on his sensitivity not only to the Haitian community, but also to his whole community. I want him to share his expertise from the world of co-operation.

Like me, he travelled to Haiti, where that resilience could still be felt. When we saw a Haitian smile, we said he would make it, but since the events of January 12, the people seem to have been suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. They are very fragile, but they are also experiencing a crisis of confidence where their institutions are concerned.

I would like to hear what the member has to say about how we can find a solution to the current electoral situation.

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to have the minister's point of view on the report from the doctor in France regarding the sources of cholera.

Does the minister believe it is accurate? What is Canada's position on that report?

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to believe the minister, and I do not have a problem with her statistics. The problem is that I am still receiving calls from Port-au-Prince, and it seems that the actual situation on the ground is not entirely consistent with what we want to be happening. This is one of the major problems.

I have been told, for example, that in Port-au-Prince, only representatives from Doctors Without Borders have vehicles because the others cannot not leave their homes as a result of the violence. I was also told that two UN helicopters had brought 3,000 tons of medication to two regions of the country but that there are still major problems.

My questions are for the minister. There are many things that we would like to do, but how can she be sure that these things are actually going to be done on the ground? How can we, as Canadians, help with the significant health crisis currently being experienced in Haiti? Does she think that her point of view is a bit optimistic and perhaps not entirely realistic? How does she conduct her checks and balances?

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I also find it unfortunate that the parliamentary secretary is altering the tone a little. In the beginning, things were going well. We are not here to say that things are coming along and a solution has been proposed; rather, we are here to ask what we can do immediately to resolve the situation. One of the problems is the ongoing sanitation crisis in Haiti. There are open latrines. That is a fact. Basic needs are not even being met. In addition, there is an atmosphere of violence.

I asked the member from Ottawa Centre about this, and now perhaps the member for Outremont could tell us about his own solutions. We have a decision to make now to stabilize the situation. At the moment, MINUSTAH is having problems. We have to help the NGOs do their job.

In concrete terms, how would he guarantee security so the NGOs can do their job?

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Ottawa Centre for his speech. We are on the same side, which is important.

Canada and Haiti do not have any historic differences. Not only is Canada a full partner, but the Government of Quebec is as well, given that Haiti and Quebec have French in common through la Francophonie. Clearly, we are working with them. We agree with the diagnosis: we must save lives. Unfortunately, more deaths have occurred as a result of the violence and instability.

I would like us to look at possible solutions to this problem together, since that is the purpose of this debate. I believe that the Canadian military left Haiti too soon. The DART should have remained in Haiti longer. Should we send the DART back to Haiti? Does he think that additional soldiers should be sent to help resolve the safety issues and bring about the desired peace? What does he propose we do to help resolve the current election problem? Should we get involved? Should the election be done over? What does he want to do?

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, like the minister just said, Haiti is like big, simmering coals right now. Stability is the name of the game, but we have to do better. It is a sovereign country, but because of the violent situation, what are we going to do to help the vulnerable among the population, the children and displaced families?

Because the trust link has been damaged between MINUSTAH and the population, I would like to hear from the minister whether he considered the fact that maybe we should send more Canadian troops there for security since we have a lot of French-speaking soldiers and that would be more helpful. Maybe he could also give a heads-up on DART because given the cholera it may be a good solution if DART goes back to Haiti.

[Situation in Haiti, December 13th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the minister for his words. We have many points in common. However, I would not want to talk about disbursements. The government can say it gave a certain amount of money, but this may not have arrived yet, and so forth. Apart from that, we should focus our efforts on helping the Haitian people, who are starting to feel they have been had. We are not there to choose one of the candidates but to ensure that the process works. That is why the international community has invested $30 million, including $5.6 million from the Government of Canada. But things are happening in Haiti. People are starting to lose confidence in MINUSTAH. They have already lost most of their confidence in the president. Our role is to help establish a decent environment so that a real future government can emerge.

It may be that the recount will not work. If Mr. Martelly, Ms. Manigat and the 12 other candidates, including Jacques-Édouard Alexis and Jean-Henry Céant, do not want a recount, they cannot be forced. We can lead a horse to water but we cannot make it drink. Instead of a second round on January 16, maybe the election could be held all over again with all the candidates, both for the legislature and the presidency. That would probably be the only way to ensure the Haitian people’s confidence in their institutions.