Denis Lebel

[Firearms Registry, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the tragedy at École Polytechnique will be forever etched in the memories of all Canadians. The Bloc is once again using this tragedy as a political ploy to put pressure on the government. Our government supports the abolition of the firearms registry because it does not think that being tough on crime means being tough on farmers and hunters. Everyone knows that criminals do not register their firearms.

[Firearms Registry, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to report that just a little while ago, someone said that the problem was that we are using the registry too often, because there have been other mass killings since École Polytechnique, and the registry cannot stop someone with a mental illness from deciding to get a gun and killing someone.

That was said by Jean-Pierre Charbonneau, the former speaker of the Quebec National Assembly and a former minister in the head office of the party opposite.

[Firearms Registry, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, we will always remember the Polytechnique tragedy. However, I would like to correct my colleague's comments about a Quebec consensus. I travel to all regions where there are forests, and where there are forests there are hunters. All of Quebec's hunting associations have asked us to abolish this registry, which is too cumbersome for them. We are fighting criminals, not hunters.

[Forestry Industry, May 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is very satisfied with this news. We are also pleased to learn from Renaud Gagné, the Quebec vice president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, that work is resuming. We concur with the reasons he has given. People are again starting to purchase forestry products at a good price.

From the beginning, the crisis has been about the market, not loan guarantees, and this proves it. 1,500 workers have returned to work in recent days, including 1,000 in my riding in Lac-Saint-Jean. This government is acting in a clear and prompt manner, unlike the Bloc, which excels in the art of politicizing issues when the time comes to react and take action.

[Regional Development, May 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, like several other departments and agencies, our agency is currently undergoing a strategic review of its programs. So it is normal that we are looking at the sound management of Canadians' money. We have committed to paying down the deficit, and must ensure that government programs are efficient and effective, and that they produce the desired results for Canadians.

Last week, I had the pleasure of announcing a $100 million program to support communities. We are doing our job.

[Maternal and Child Health, May 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, needless to say, what the senator said was unacceptable. Senator Ruth does not speak for the government. No one wants to revisit this issue, and we will not reopen the abortion debate.

[Forestry Industry, May 3rd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, as we stated last week, previous governments ignored the forestry industry for years, but we signed a trade agreement with our major softwood lumber industry partners. Fifty per cent of Quebec's softwood lumber is exported, and 96% of that goes to the United States. That is why we had to do it. We invested money in our programs in accordance with the agreement. We will continue to support the forestry industry.

[Economic Development, April 30th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague, the minister responsible for this economic sector, said recently, our government has invested a lot of money in all regions in New Brunswick and the Atlantic provinces. The forestry industry has received more support than ever, and we will continue to support it.

These people do not seem to have any clue about the crises in the market. We will continue to show them the way.

[Government Appointments, April 30th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, all judicial nominees are referred to the Minister of Justice by one of the 17 judicial advisory committees across the country, and each of these committees are made up of eight members. All judicial nominee are subject to a very serious and in-depth investigation by the RCMP. We are abiding by these rules very well.

[Forestry Industry, April 29th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be a token Quebecker, because at least I serve a purpose. Some members have been here for 20 years and serve no purpose whatsoever. That is not true of us.

We will keep on working to support the industry. In 2008, EDC reported $8.9 billion, and in 2009, $11.9 billion. The Bloc Québécois would never be able to do that.