Élaine Michaud

[Business of Supply, January 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I find my colleague's comments interesting. He stands there and defends our public services. He says all the right things, and the NDP agrees with most of what has been said. However, in spite of all this goodwill, I find it a little hard to believe him. We have not heard the Liberal Party comment on Canada Post's decisions in the media.

I was here in Ottawa on Sunday at the demonstration in support of our postal workers and all the Canadians who were there. We numbered in the thousands, and yet not one representative of the Liberal Party was there. I understand that it was -30^oC. It was a little cold and quite windy. It was not easy, but when you truly believe that you have to stand up and fight for public services, particularly Canada Post, you have to make the effort to stand alongside Canadians who are out there demanding that the Prime Minister and his government give them the services they are entitled to.

I have to ask, how can Canadians really believe that the Liberal Party is sincere about defending Canada Post, when the Liberals are not even willing to face the cold and fight alongside Canadians as they demand the services they are entitled to from Canada Post?

[Business of Supply, January 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking my colleague for his eloquent speech on the imminent demise of Canada Post and for presenting all of the facts.

This situation defies comprehension. The Conservatives boast of being businessmen and sound managers of the economy. However, here they are abandoning Canada Post and the people who depend on this service without seeking out any solutions other than making cuts until selling off the corporation is the only option. They could try to come up with some innovative solutions that would enable Canada Post to take in more revenue.

I was especially aghast earlier during question period. The NDP put a question to the government about Canada Post’s plan. The NDP outlined the concerns of seniors and persons with disabilities who will be forced to navigate icy sidewalks and brave weather conditions that are potentially hazardous to their health. The Conservatives laughed and said that this was Canada and cold weather was a fact of life.

As I see it, these are considerations that the government must take into account when making decisions that affect so many Canadians. I would like my colleague to elaborate further on the possible negative impact that ending home mail delivery will have on Canada’s seniors and persons living with a disability.

[Intergovernmental Relations, January 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Conservatives unveiled their new plan to reconquer Quebec.

What is their strategy? A blue arrow. They think it will just be a minor hassle; that it is no big deal. They need a dose of reality.

Let us take a look at the Conservatives' track record in the regions targeted by their arrow: they made cuts to employment insurance; they said no to bilingual judges; they tried to close the Quebec City marine rescue sub-centre; they let red dust poison the people of Limoilou; they ignored rail safety recommendations; they cut VIA Rail services in eastern Quebec; they centralized Economic Development Agency offices; they closed regional post offices; and they failed to protect waterways for our fishermen.

As a result of their irresponsible policies, the number of Quebeckers who support the Conservatives is about the same as those who think Elvis is still alive.

People remember the Conservatives' last slogan and they know what happened. Their region was abandoned by the Conservatives.

Quebeckers deserve better than a slogan that misses the mark.

[National Defence, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, it is a matter of respecting our troops.

With the current crisis in the Canadian Forces, it is extremely urgent to take concrete measures to address mental health. Our requests are clear, namely to make hiring mental health professionals a priority and to speed up the work of the 50 or so commissions of inquiry into the suicides of Canadian Forces members. We have to give the families the answers they are looking for to help them in their grieving process.

What is the minister's response to this?

[National Defence, December 10th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the question is not whether Communications Security Establishment Canada is supposed to obey the law, but whether CSEC actually did obey the law. The documents uncovered by Snowden indicate that the Americans operated in Canadian facilities here and abroad. It therefore seems that the Conservative government was complicit in spying on some of our trade partners.

Can the government confirm whether that is indeed true? If so, who approved this operation?

[Air Transportation, December 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport is trying to justify her inaction by claiming that the City signed a memorandum of understanding with the Neuville airport developer. However, there are two major problems with her logic. First, the minister cannot escape her obligation to hold public consultations and produce an environmental assessment. Second, the airport proposal violates municipal and provincial regulations.

The Conservatives set a precedent with the Parkland County airport in Alberta. Why not do the same thing with the airport in Neuville?

[National Defence, December 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the government asks Canadians to fight for their country, but when they return they have to fight for adequate health care.

The closure of Veterans Affairs offices, the lack of mental health resources and the decrease in support for military families clearly show that the Conservatives have missed the mark.

Can the Minister of National Defence promise to increase the number of mental health professionals and set up clinics to diagnose post-traumatic stress syndrome?

[Corporal Alexandre Beaudin-D'Anjou, December 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to pay tribute to the courage and determination of Corporal Alexandre Beaudin-D'Anjou from Pont-Rouge, which is in my riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier.

Corporal Beaudin-D'Anjou proudly served in Afghanistan, where he was seriously injured by an improvised explosive device on December 6, 2009.

That tragic experience left him suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, but now he is overcoming his difficulties and taking on a major challenge.

Currently en route to the South Pole, Corporal Beaudin-D'Anjou is one of two Canadians on Team Soldier On who are taking part in the UK's South Pole Allied Challenge. He and his team, made up of other injured veterans, will cross-country ski 335 km over a period of more than two weeks, braving temperatures as low as -50^oC.

His bravery merits our respect. He is a role model for each and every one of us.

Good luck on your journey, Corporal Beaudin-D'Anjou, and thank you for your exemplary service.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, November 29th, 2013]

With regard to the Translation Bureau: (a) what was the total number of translator, interpreter and editor positions at the Bureau, per year, since 2005-2006; (b) what is the Bureau's total number of client institutions; (c) what was the total number of client institutions, per year, since 2005-2006; and (d) what is the total amount invoiced to these institutions for (i) translation or editing services, (ii) interpretation services?

[National Defense, November 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in the middle of the night, there was another tragic suicide in the Canadian Armed Forces. It happened in Petawawa this time.

There have now been three suicides in the past 48 hours. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.

There are currently 50 boards of inquiry under way into this type of death, some dating back to five years ago.

What is the government doing to prevent further tragedies if it is still investigating what happened five years ago?