Francis Drouin

[Main Estimates, 2021-22, June 17th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I grew up in a family where my father and my mother used to say that the best way to effect change is to start looking, and start with oneself.

The member talked about everybody enriching themselves, billionaires and whatnot, but on April 1 all of us in this chamber had a salary increase. Could he confirm whether he donated his salary increase to a local organization?

[Official Languages, June 15th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, as a proud Franco-Ontarian and an MP who represents a large francophone community, I am very pleased that the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages introduced a bill in the House today that seeks to achieve real equality and strengthen the Official Languages Act.

Can the minister tell us how this bill will support the minority language communities and French across the country, including in Quebec?

[Extension of Sitting Hours in June, June 10th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his speech.

He indicated that he has been here for only about a year and a half. I would remind him that, normally, in May and June, the House often sits until midnight. This has been going on since before the Liberals came to power.

I would also like to point out that the Bloc Québécois also often has a tendency to talk a lot in committee and slow down the work. Every party could accuse each other of doing that.

More importantly, we have bills that are important to certain people, including the LGBTQ+ community, several members of which have approached me about the importance of banning conversion therapy. I am not sure if my colleague is aware of what happened on Friday, but it became clear that the voting application suddenly stopped working for the Conservatives.

I would like to know what my colleague thinks about these tactics to slow down the work of the House and the importance of passing the legislation that Canadians and Quebeckers sent us here to pass.

[Attack in London, Ontario, June 9th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, like all Canadians, I was shocked, outraged and horrified by the attack in London, Ontario.

A few days ago, three generations of one family paid the price for someone else's ignorance and hate. This is one tragedy too many, one that affects not only Canada's Muslim community, but all of us. We need to send a clear message. What happened in London, Ontario was nothing short of a terrorist act, motivated by nothing but ignorance and hate.

Islamophobia and racism have no place in our society. It is important to reiterate it and to remind everyone. We have a duty to act and to intervene when we witness Islamophobia in our society, because to do nothing is tantamount to supporting that kind of behaviour.

On behalf of everyone in Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, I wish to extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family.

[Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, June 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, today is Lou Gehrig Day and June is ALS awareness month. Every year, more than 1,000 Canadians are diagnosed with ALS and 1,000 pass away from this terrible disease.

The life expectancy after diagnosis for a person with ALS is two to five years on average.

There are only two medications for ALS that have been approved in Canada.

It is important that all governments fund research to make ALS a treatable disease. There are currently 16 clinical trials in Canada. It is important all governments work together to reduce the time frame for drugs approval in Canada as patients do not have the luxury to wait.

I thank the Major League Baseball and Baseball Canada for raising ALS today through Lou Gehrig Day. I encourage all Canadians to get involved in their local ALS walks and get their neighbours to donate.

Finally, I thank my colleagues from all parties who are part of the ALS caucus and are advancing issues on behalf of the ALS patient community.

[Offshore Health and Safety Act, May 27th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I would ask that the bill be carried unanimously.

[Local Fairs, May 27th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, this week is Tourism Week.

In rural Canada, local fairs and exhibitions play an essential role as tourist attractions. I am thinking of the fairs back home, in Vankleek Hill, Maxville, Riceville, Russell and Navan.

I want to thank the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions, which plays an important role in promoting and supporting our local fairs across Canada. More than 17,000 events are hosted by fairs and contribute more than $2.9 billion to Canada's economy.

Although this year might be a bit different for some fairs, I want to thank the volunteers who are reimagining these events so that we can still enjoy them safely.

As a child, I rarely missed the Vankleek Hill Fair. We cannot say we have had the true fair experience unless we have eaten a pogo and a doughnut, followed by a ride in a spinning strawberry to aid digestion.

I invite all Canadians to visit their local fair this summer, be it in person or virtually, while staying safe, of course.

[Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, May 11th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I am happy to join my colleagues in the debate over Bill C-253, as we consider the important issues of protecting the retirement security of Canadian employees and pensioners when an employer faces insolvency.

Our government recognizes that all Canadians deserve peace of mind when it comes to their retirement security. We have taken several major steps to strengthen all aspects of Canada's retirement income system, including enhancements to old age security and the Canada pension plan. At the same time, corporate insolvencies create a challenge for workplace pension plans, as well as for the economic security for employees who may have unpaid wages and benefits. Bill C-253, while well intentioned, takes a flawed approach to these issues.

By contrast, our government has taken important and practical steps to enhance the retirement security of all Canadians and better protect the interests of Canadian employees and pensioners in cases of employer insolvency. First, in 2019, the government made changes to insolvency corporate and pension laws to strengthen the protection for workplace pensions, taking a whole-of-government, evidence-based approach. These changes were based on feedback from national consultations with labour and pensioner groups, company lenders, experts and the public at large.

After listening to Canadians, our government enacted a comprehensive package to enhance retirement security via budget 2019, which strengthened security for pensioners and workers, but also built on the internationally recognized successes of Canada's marketplace framework laws. The changes made to our insolvency laws have made corporate restructuring fair, more transparent and more accessible for pensioners and workers. Participants in insolvency proceedings are now required to act in good faith. As well, corporate directors will have to think twice before approving excessive payments to executives at the expense of pensions or benefit plans in the lead-up to a firm's insolvency, as courts will have more powers to review these payments and find directors liable where appropriate.

In proceedings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, courts have been given greater power to order the disclosure of economic interests to enhance fairness and transparency in insolvency negotiations. The relief that a large corporation can seek on the first day of a CCAA restructuring is also now limited to what is absolutely necessary to avoid immediate liquidation. This means that pensioners and employees will have greater opportunities to participate in restructuring proceedings and make representations to the court before decisions are made on issues such as changes to employee group insurance benefit plans or pension contributions during the restructuring.

In our consultations, Canadians told us that a proactive approach to retirement security is the best and most sustainable approach. We received that message loud and clear, and that is why the government also amended federal corporate law to allow for more market oversight of corporate decision-making and worked to better align corporate incentives with the interests of workers and pensioners. Moreover, we have taken measures to restrain unreasonable executive compensation by requiring federally incorporated publicly traded corporations to hold advisory shareholder votes. Taken together, these measures will further regulate corporate behaviour and instill market discipline and oversight on corporate decision-makers.

Finally, our actions in budget 2019 also improved federally regulated pension plans by clarifying that if a pension plan is terminated, it must still provide the same benefits as when it was ongoing. Moreover, federal pension plans are permitted to transfer the responsibility to provide pensions to a regulated life insurance company to better protect pensions and pensioners from the risk of employer insolvency. In addition, our government has taken strong actions to directly support workers impacted by employer insolvency. The wage earner protection program provides financial assistance to Canadian workers who have lost their jobs and are owed wages, including termination and severance by their insolvent employer.

Since 2008, the program has paid more than $337 million in wages to nearly 129,000 Canadian workers. In 2018, this government increased the amount available to workers from four to seven weeks of insurable earnings.

In budget 2021, the government committed to further strengthening the program by eliminating a 6.82% deduction that was previously in place. Quite simply, these reforms will put more money in the pockets of Canadians who have lost their jobs and are owed wages by their employers.

The best way to protect economic and pension security is by preventing employer insolvency in the first place. This is an incredible challenge in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been so hard for so many of our businesses from coast to coast to coast. That is why an essential part of Canada's fight against COVID has been unprecedented federal financial supports for Canadians and Canadian businesses, which have helped keep insolvency levels down.

While the other side has dismissed these programs and the timely support they offer to Canadian families, businesses and workers, we made a promise to Canadians to have their backs through this pandemic for as long as it takes. In budget 2021, our government committed to extending these support measures as long as the fight against this virus requires it. The actions I just described will create better outcomes for pensioners and workers affected by the insolvency of their employer.

In contrast, Bill C-253 is coming from a good place, in terms of its intention of helping pensioners, but it takes a misguided approach in trying to do so. It would prevent some companies from restructuring, which would result in unnecessary job losses; hurt pensioners; harm small business; reduce access to credit and investment; and hurt Canadian competitiveness. Many firms are already struggling due to the pandemic. This bill would worsen, not improve, the situation.

I am pleased to say, however, that our government has taken effective action. Our insolvency and corporate law changes, our wage earner protection program improvements and support for businesses during the pandemic have all served to protect pensions and workers, while also supporting the central objectives of Canada's economic recovery. These measures help to ensure that our farms remain competitive and can continue to employ hard-working Canadians throughout the country.

[National Nursing Week, May 11th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to recognize the work of all the nurses in Canada. I have been lucky because until last year, when I was sick, my grandmother always answered the call. She was not only my grandmother, but also a nurse who was driven by a desire to help her patients. In honour of National Nursing Week, I want to acknowledge all the nurses who always answer the call.

At the start of this pandemic, nurses were there caring for COVID-19 patients, despite the fact that the world knew very little about this infectious disease. They were there for those patients who had close calls but made it through. They were there to hold the hands of patients who took their last breath, and nurses are now administering vaccines so Canadians can get back to a normal life.

I personally want to thank Ms. Sherry McDonald, a registered nurse in my riding who took care of my ailing aunt until she passed last month.

I want to say a huge thank you to all the nurses who answered the call and supported their communities.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1, May 11th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the member's question is very timely. I would invite him to look at a report that was published a few days ago. On average, cellphone bills have gone down by 25%. I forget the name of the report right now, but it is online. He just has to google it, and he can read it. There has been a reduction of at least 25% on average.