House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 33% of the vote.
Infrastructure June 22nd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the new NDP member should know that investing $680 million in Montreal's bridges takes a plan and requires working with people who have carried out studies. It means investing in the right place, as we always do.
It is common knowledge that responsibility for managing city traffic rests with the municipal authorities. We will continue to ensure the safety of federal structures and do the required work.
Infrastructure June 22nd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, like my colleague and the Leader of the Opposition, I was also in municipal politics. No government has ever put as much money into infrastructure to help municipalities across the country as this government. Our government has invested the most money to improve road networks, drinking water systems and waste water treatment. We will continue to do so.
Quebec Bridge June 21st, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his question.
He is referring to an emergency closure that happened in the Montreal region, where the federal government did its homework. The Quebec government closed that part of the bridge.
The Quebec Bridge is owned by a company called Canadian National. This case is currently before the courts so I must leave my comments at that.
Highway Infrastructure June 20th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his interest in helping us improve the highway network in the greater Montreal area.
As always, respecting our partners' jurisdictions is immensely important for our government, whether our partners are at the municipal level, or at the provincial level, as is the case for provincial highways. The Quebec government and the federal government each own 50% of the Mercier Bridge. I will be pleased to continue working with my colleague to improve things for the people of Montreal.
Transportation June 15th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the overview report of the state of Transportation in Canada 2010, in conformity with the statutory requirements of flying in Section 52 of the Canada Transportation Act.
Pulp and Paper Industry June 15th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, there was a time when all the books we read were printed on paper. Today, most are in an electronic format. There was a time when the demand for pulp and paper was 50% higher that it is today. We should all get together in 2011 and 2012 to talk about this. To find solutions, we must first identify the problem. Today, it comes down to markets. Unfortunately, we have to look at new products and new markets. Our recent budget provided $60 million to support research and development for new products, to the satisfaction of the Forest Products Association of Canada.
Transportation June 15th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has just answered her own question. If there are traffic jams, it is because there is work being done. If work is being done, it is because we have carried out 28,000 projects across the country under the Prime Minister's economic action plan.
Transportation June 15th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member likely knows, ownership of this bridge is shared 50-50 between the Government of Quebec and the federal government. Since our government took office in 2006, we have invested $135 million in repairing the federal government's share of the Mercier Bridge and in continuing the work. As with all bridges in Montreal, we will continue to ensure that the Mercier Bridge is safe, and all options are on the table to keep the area safe.
Sports Infrastructure June 14th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome the hon. member.
The Government of Canada is always very interested in every region of the country and, of course, every region of Quebec. It is a region I know very well, having played a lot of sports there myself. However, as the hon. member knows, the province of Quebec has to give priority to each infrastructure project in the province of Quebec. If the province gives priority to this specific project, then we will see what happens at the federal level. We will be pleased to help this beautiful region.
Forestry Industry June 13th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, in the preceding questions, it was interesting to hear about international trade and open markets since the forestry industry's problem is clearly a matter of markets. Unfortunately, the United States construction industry has encountered major problems, which means that our Quebec and Canadian companies are not able to export as much lumber to the United States. As long as this market is not replaced by new markets, something we have been working on, it will be difficult for our companies to prosper.