François Choquette

[Port State Measures Agreement Implementation Act, May 28th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his excellent speech and for the work he does to protect our fishery resources.

A 2008 study estimated that the economic loss, worldwide, due to pirate fishing ranges from $10 billion U.S. to $23 billion U.S. This pirate fishing has some serious repercussions. We need to focus on protecting our fishery resources. Illegal fishing undermines conservation and management efforts by Canada and other countries.

I would like to ask my colleague whether he thinks that the Conservative government is doing enough in Canada to put an end to illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.

[Petitions, May 25th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House on behalf of hundreds of people from Drummond who signed a petition calling on the government to respect the rights of small family farms to store, trade and use seed.

The petitioners are calling on the House of Commons to adopt international aid policies that support small farmers, and especially women, and recognize their vital role in the struggle against hunger and poverty, to ensure that Canada's policies and programs are developed in consultation with small farmers and that those policies protect the rights of small farmers in the global south to save, use and freely trade their seed.

[Regional Economic Development, May 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague was absolutely right when he said that the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec is very important. It is vital to the development of our regions and to job creation.

However, it is scandalous that $131 million from the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec's budget was returned to the consolidated revenue fund. That $131 million could have been used to support the regions of Quebec, including Drummond, and to create jobs there. However, since the Conservatives did a poor job of managing the economy and their finances, they had to put that money back into the consolidated revenue fund to pay down their deficit.

We think that the Conservatives' strategy to pay down their deficit and hide their poor performance on the economy and job creation is unacceptable. As my colleague said, it was important for that money to be put to good use for job creation and our regions. That is not what happened.

In Drummond, supporting economic players is important. For example, we have great plans to expand and modernize the Drummondville airport, and all of the economic stakeholders are ready to participate. We want respect for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, and we want that money to be channelled into our regions.

[Regional Economic Development, May 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to remind the House that on March 9, I asked the Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec why the Conservative government hijacked the mission of the Economic Development Agency of Canada, which is to promote job creation in our regions.

Currently, nearly 99% of the money that goes unspent is returned to the consolidated revenue fund. Instead of using that money for subsequent years, the government returns it to the consolidated revenue fund. The money is diverted from its purpose, which is to support economic development in the regions, such as the region of Drummond, which I represent.

That would encourage job creation in our regions. The money could have been used to improve facilities, such as the Drummondville airport, a place that could do with some improvement. The Drummond region is lucky to have some exciting economic organizations that work very hard and are very dynamic. For example, we have the Société de développement économique de Drummondville, the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Drummond, and Commerce Drummond, all of which are doing amazing work in our region and support the Drummondville airport expansion.

The runway has to be lengthened from 4,000 feet to 6,000 feet so that we can continue to attract investments and simulate job creation in Drummond. The people of Drummond are waiting for a response from the federal government and from the Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec regarding their request to lengthen the Drummond airport runway and to improve the facilities there, which have aged over time. We expect a response from the minister, and we hope that he will not wait until the election campaign to make an announcement with a big photo op in Drummond. I hope the minister will do his job and make this announcement soon, before the election.

The City of Drummondville and the Drummondville economic development authority should be very proud of themselves. They have worked very hard to make the Drummondville airport more democratic and more accessible to everyone. Last year they organized an event called “Passion Avion” that opened up the airport's facilities to everyone for an entire day. People could take tours of the aircraft and go skydiving. There was an exhibit on vintage planes. The Drummondville air cadets, Drummond tourism and the City of Drummondville all had kiosks set up, and so on.

We were very proud of the “Passion Avion” event, which is being put on again this year as part of the many activities organized to celebrate Drummondville's 200th anniversary. It will be a magnificent event again this year. This time it will be held over two days, on August 29 and 30. I invite all aviation enthusiasts to attend. There will be two days of air shows at the Drummondville airport. I invite all aviation enthusiasts to come visit our beautiful city, Drummondville, during its 200th anniversary.

Of course, I hope that in 2015, the Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec will announce that he is going to stop reducing and diverting money from the Economic Development Agency and will instead invest it in Drummond's facilities, such as the Drummondville airport. I hope to get an answer from my colleague here today.

[Pipeline Safety Act, May 6th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, naturally, the NDP completely agrees with the polluter pays principle and with sustainable development. That is why we support the notion of liability for the pipelines.

This bill could have been even better. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the three NDP MPs who did an excellent job in committee: the member for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, the member for Hamilton Mountain, and the excellent member for Edmonton—Strathcona. We proposed some 20 amendments in committee, but unfortunately they were not well received.

Committees play a very important role in improving bills. The committee is not a place for partisan politics. Why did the Conservatives not consider these amendments, which had the support of most stakeholders?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 2nd, 2015]

With regard to the Old Age Security program: (a) how do government policies define someone who “makes his home and ordinarily lives”; (b) what criteria are used to calculate the number of years of Canadian residence; (c) what is the process for calculating the number of years of Canadian residence; (d) what instructions do public servants have for calculating the number of years of Canadian residence; and (e) how is the duration of travel outside the country estimated in cases where proof of travel is not available?

[200th Anniversary of Drummondville, March 31st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as we know, Ottawa is the capital of our beautiful country, and Quebec City is the capital of Quebec.

I am pleased to tell the House that the city of Drummondville, the uncontested home of poutine, will be the celebration capital of Canada in 2015, as it celebrates its 200th anniversary.

Drummondville was founded on June 29, 1815, by Lieutenant Colonel Frederick George Heriot, and the city is currently experiencing an economic, cultural and social boom. Its rich history is a reflection of the spirit of the people of Drummondville. I want to take this opportunity to commend the Corporation des fêtes du 200^e de Drummondville for doing an excellent job of organizing the festivities.

This year will be a busy one for Drummondville, which will host a number of activities and events. The city has already played host to the 50th finals of the Quebec Winter Games. Still to come are the Mondial des cultures cultural festival, the Festival de la poutine, and the Drummondville sur son 31 celebration on December 31.

In 2015, Drummondville will be the celebration capital. We hope everyone will join us.

[Business of Supply, March 24th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am always pleased to work with my colleagues from Compton—Stanstead and Sherbrooke. I was with them yesterday in their respective ridings. I met with their constituents, who told me how much they appreciate the work that their MPs do.

We need to think about future generations. I am a father and I know that the member for Compton—Stanstead is too. We are not working for ourselves but for our constituents and our children. That is what is important. That is why we are thinking about sustainable development. We are thinking about what we are going to leave for future generations.

We have to protect the environment while developing the economy. It can be done. It is possible to find a balance between the economy and sustainable development. We can have a low-carbon economy that is focused on researching and developing renewable resources. That is what we must do. In this regard, I would like to once again thank the member for Compton—Stanstead for his excellent work. That is what an NDP government will do beginning in October 2015. That is what Canadians deserve and that is what they will get in 2015.

[Business of Supply, March 24th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Beauharnois—Salaberry. She put her finger on the problem and on the reality of the Conservatives' attitude.

I am a member of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, and even the Minister of the Environment said that we should perhaps study the melting of the Arctic ice.

As we said earlier, we requested an emergency debate to discuss this problem. We have to deal with climate change, but the Conservatives have done anything but. The Conservatives made Canada the only country to withdraw from the Kyoto protocol. It is unimaginable, but they did it.

This is indicative of the Conservatives' attitude toward the environment. They think that protecting the environment will hurt the economy, but the opposite is true. Refusing to protect the environment will hurt the economy. Investing in renewable energy is good for a sustainable economy, and that is what will give Canada a bright future. That is what Canadians want. They deserve better. They deserve an NDP government that will work on developing a sustainable economy.

[Business of Supply, March 24th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, before beginning my speech, I would like to say that I will be sharing my time with the excellent member for Beauharnois—Salaberry, who is doing impressive work in her riding. I am sure that she will be re-elected in the next election in 2015, as will many New Democrats. In fact, we will be the next government come October.

In December 2014, an article in La Presse stated that some 270,000 tonnes of plastic are floating around in our planet's oceans. There are even such things as floating islands. This shows how big the plastic problem is, and we need to tackle it. That is not even counting what has sunk to the bottom of our rivers, the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes. Recent studies have shown that the problem is getting worse and that we have to do something about it.

Once again, I thank and congratulate my colleague from Halifax, the environment critic, who is doing excellent work. This week, she asked for an emergency debate on the rapidly melting Arctic glaciers, which is a very serious phenomenon. They are melting at record rates. This is a huge concern in terms of global warming, which is hard to control. We have to do something about it; we cannot wait for the Conservatives to act. That is why New Democrats are leading the charge and coming up with constructive solutions and proposals. That is what we will continue to do once we form the government in October 2015.

Plastics are contaminating every ocean. The small pieces of manufactured plastic called microbeads are used in consumer goods such as face wash, shower gel and toothpaste. As a result, they are found in our waste water, and because our water treatment plants cannot filter them effectively, they then end up in the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.

These plastic microbeads attract other pollutants, such as PCBs, which are even more dangerous. Because aquatic species that live in our ecosystem swallow them, they enter the food chain. That is very worrisome. What is more, they do not just float. They are also found in sediment, as I mentioned earlier. This is a problem that is getting worse, and we need to do something about it as quickly as possible.

Microbeads were first patented for use in cleaning products in 1972, but it was not until the 1990s that they began to be used on a much broader scale. It did not take long to see that this was becoming a problem. Some companies even voluntarily stopped using microbeads, which shows that the industry took action even before the Conservatives. The Conservatives are once again lagging behind on this issue.

Right now, waste water treatment plants cannot filter out the microbeads. It would be much too costly to have plants that could stop these microbeads from entering our marine ecosystem. That is why I am pleased to support the motion by my colleague from Halifax, who does an excellent job. The motion says:

That, in the opinion of the House, microbeads in consumer products entering the environment could have serious harmful effects, and therefore the government should take immediate measures to add microbeads to the list of toxic substances managed by the government under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

We are very pleased to support this motion. We are also happy to see that the other parties will follow the leadership that the NDP is once again showing here today. This example serves to demonstrate, once again, how we plan to govern beginning in October 2015.

In other words, we will take constructive action, and our proposals will improve both the economy and our environment in the context of sustainable development projects. We in the NDP are the only ones who can pride ourselves on being champions of sustainable development.

At the end of 2014, another article explained that recent studies had shown that plastic was posing a threat to the St. Lawrence. A team of researchers from McGill University discovered a new source of pollution in the St. Lawrence: plastic microbeads. The researchers found a high concentration of them in the sediments of the St. Lawrence.

As I was saying, microbeads are a real problem, not only in the Great Lakes, but also in the St. Lawrence. It is therefore crucial that we take action, and the NDP has moved this motion in order to help solve the problem, which has become a real scourge.

Microbeads can be mistaken for food by organisms living on the bottom of the St. Lawrence River, which are then eaten by fish. Biologist Philippe Archambault, of the Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski, pointed that out in the Radio-Canada report “Le fleuve menacé par le plastique”, on the threat that plastic poses to the river.

As I mentioned, and as Philippe Archambault did as well, the problem is made worse by the fact that these microbeads attract other chemical pollutants such as PCBs. This further pollutes our entire marine ecosystem and becomes part of our whole food chain. This is a concern for human consumption. As we know, and we have already talked about this, the scientific community believes that we must take action. This study shows how urgently action is needed. Other studies were conducted in the past. Consequently, we are pleased to support this motion, which demonstrates the NDP's leadership.

Companies such as Unilever, L'Oréal, Colgate-Palmolive and Johnson & Johnson are already leading the way. These manufacturers have begun tackling this problem either by stopping the manufacture of new products that contain microbeads or by altogether stopping the manufacture of such products.

This shows that action by the Canadian government is even more urgently needed. Companies that are acting of their own accord end up penalized in a way, compared to other companies that continue to harm the environment by using microbeads. When most of the industry wants to take action, all that is left is for the government to take action, and that is what is missing from the Conservatives. It is very disappointing.

In conclusion, I remind members how important it is to the New Democrats to consider future generations. We must not only think about today; we must also think about the future and what we will leave for our families.

I am thinking about my nephews, including Zacharie and Michaël, and my daughters, Ariane and Oriana. It is important to leave them a planet with a strong, sustainable economy, as well as a healthy, sustainable environment.

That is why it is important to take actions such as the one we are discussing today. I once again congratulate the member for Halifax for her excellent work and I thank the House for listening.

I hope that all members in the House will support this motion, as well as the other motions the NDP constructively presents in the House of Commons. I am very proud of them.