House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 24% of the vote.
Increasing Offenders' Accountability for Victims Act December 11th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, several of my colleagues in the House have talked about how important it is for the judge to have some discretionary decision-making powers. I personally am not a legal expert, but the basis of their argument is that no two situations are identical and that therefore, the facts and the environment are not the same in every case.
Applying this premise to first nations communities, I would be interested to hear my colleague’s views.
Asbestos December 6th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois refused to support international efforts to warn importing countries of the hazards related to the use of asbestos. They also refused to guarantee that the $50 million earmarked for the industrial restructuring plan will be spent in consultation with stakeholders in the community. We have no guarantee that the money invested will give priority to creating jobs for the former asbestos miners.
Can the Minister of Industry tell us exactly how the $50 million will serve the needs of the former miners and when the Canadian government will clearly support adding asbestos to the Rotterdam Convention list?
Asbestos November 29th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, in all the times I have risen in the House, I have never hoped so much to find the right words, because I know that a number of members who do not belong to my party are pondering the motion and wondering whether they should support it. This evening, I hope I can influence them.
Fortunately, for the past several weeks or months, the debate is no longer on the danger of asbestos, or on a safe way to handle it. In my opinion, that is a major victory because over the past few weeks the debate has been on the substance of the issue. There is an international consensus. There is also a consensus in what Quebeckers have been calling for years the ROC, or the rest of Canada. There is now almost a full consensus in Quebec on the fact that asbestos is no longer socially acceptable and that it no longer has a future.
That is a hard fact, but we can no longer make abstraction of it. The asbestos industry is near the end of its life. It has been hit by the collapse of a market that will not improve in the years to come. It has been hit by the fact that it is no longer socially acceptable, even in Quebec.
The first ones hit by this reality are the people living in the asbestos regions. That is why I thought about moving this motion and why it is worded in this fashion. For too long, front-line victims have been the people who live in the asbestos regions. These people used to be able to rely on thousands of stable jobs. Now, they are barely getting by. They are stuck inside a shell, in an industry that is not running and that will never run again like it did a few decades ago. So, those are the first victims. That is why the motion is based on industrial restructuring.
I am not going to read the motion again. I will try to respond to the concerns of some of my colleagues, including members from other parties.
It is simple. Industrial restructuring is about finding jobs for a few hundred workers who still depend on a dying industry. It is simple and it is a necessity. We cannot merely look and decide to close the mine tomorrow without guaranteeing a decent future to front-line victims of the asbestos issue.
The motion then asks that they be consulted. Fifty million dollars were put on the table, because there is some movement even on the government side. We cannot guarantee that once that $50 million is spent that it will translate into jobs that will clearly and specifically go to asbestos workers without first sitting down and consulting stakeholders.
I have been told that some members fear the consultation will get out of hands and will become a broad exercise during which all Canadians from coast to coast to coast who have an opinion on the asbestos issue will spend days and months expressing their views.
That would not be case. The motion is clear on this matter. We are talking about people living in regions that are still mining asbestos. They are the ones that the motion proposes to consult.
We are also asking for a list of federal buildings that contain asbestos. The other group of people who become sick are construction workers. They are the ones who want to know, when they begin working or tearing down walls, if there is a risk to their health. That is fundamental.
There are two other issues that I want to discuss.
First, we must support the inclusion of asbestos on the Rotterdam Convention list of dangerous substances. We can no longer sit at an international negotiating table and have an untenable position. This has to stop.
Finally, we must stop financially supporting the asbestos industry. There is a consensus on asbestos in Quebec and in Canada. I am asking the House to support Canadians and the consensus on this issue.
Small Business November 28th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, entrepreneurial renewal is key to the country's economic development.
Over the next 10 years, half of Canadian entrepreneurs will sell their assets as a result of demographic changes. If we want to prevent the closure of thousands of SMEs and job losses that will harm the economy, we need entrepreneurial renewal assistance programs that are accessible across the country, such as the youth employment strategy, which was simply eliminated in Montmagny. We must take immediate action to help young people take over from these thousands of entrepreneurs.
What is the Minister of State for Small Business's plan—not scattered and improvised measures, but a plan—to effect this essential entrepreneurial renewal?
Tourism Industry November 21st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the tourism industry generates 10% of jobs in Canada and brings in billions of dollars in revenues.
However, over the past decade, Canada has dropped from 7th to 15th place when it comes to the number of international visitors. It therefore makes absolutely no sense that the Conservatives have once again reduced the Canadian Tourism Commission's budget.
The Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism knows full well that underfunding the CTC will only hurt our tourism industry.
Will he do something about this, or is he so busy recounting fictitious tales that he has no time to stand up for the tourism industry?
Financial Institutions November 5th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, small and medium-sized businesses are not protected by the code. The Conservatives’ voluntary code of conduct does not work.
In addition to a 33% increase in processing fees, the cost of foreign-card transactions would double in 2013. Moreover, Visa will be issuing ultra-premium cards for frequent users, which will cost merchants even more in fees. There is no end to it. The Conservatives must take action, at last, to protect small business and stop hiding behind their so-called code of conduct.
When will there be regulations to protect the profit margins of Canada’s small and medium-sized businesses from abuse by the credit card companies?
Restaurant Industry October 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, members of my family, like so many Canadians, maintain close ties with certain restaurateurs. My seven-year-old son thinks that a box of Timbits is a nice reward for working hard at his judo club in La Pocatière. When my wife and I have a rare evening alone, we often go out to one of the fine restaurants in Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup that offer delicious, specialized cuisines.
We have restaurant owners to thank for the many comforts and the joy of discovery that they provide. The thousands of restaurants offering Canadian, Irish, Asian, North African and many other cuisines have made our cities and towns so much richer and more attractive. And now the restaurant industry is moving fully into the 21st century. For instance, the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association just launched the “Conserve” program to help the industry improve its energy use and waste management practices.
To everyone who works hard to keep us fed, from early in the morning until late at night and on weekends, on behalf of all members of the House, please accept our sincerest gratitude.
Member for Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière October 25th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, on October 16, we invited our colleague from Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière to tell us more about his lovely riding.
Since then, he has made two statements in the House and then fallen silent. Yet, there was much to talk about: a fantastic year for the Saint-Agapit rodeo, which attracted more than 4,000 spectators; Annie-Claude Lambert and Myriam Croteau, two young women from Saint-Apollinaire, who successfully completed the Roses des sables rally; and Tourism Chaudière-Appalaches, which is also active in my riding and was awarded the bronze Azimut prize at the Journées annuelles de l'accueil touristique.
The member could not be bothered to highlight the important contributions that his constituents made to their riding. Instead, he chose to repeat the fabrications handed to him by the PMO. The people of Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière deserve more than a puppet who serves the Prime Minister; they deserve an MP who is proud of his riding and of what is happening there. The people in his riding now know that, in 2015, they can count on the NDP for that.
Health October 18th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, some important questions that go beyond partisanship have been raised in the House.
Two weeks ago, I asked the Minister of Health to help get foreign cancer drugs shipped quickly to Michèle Lajoie, as ordered by her doctor. Her life depended on it, but the only thing the minister did was read talking points in the House.
We will never know whether those drugs could have helped Ms. Lajoie beat her cancer. She passed away on Tuesday after waiting two months for drugs she never received. It was an urgent case.
Why did the Minister of Health not help in time?
Small Business Week October 18th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, small and medium-sized businesses make up more than 99% of all companies in Canada and employ over 60% of all private sector workers.
If the Canadian economy is still standing, despite a very difficult global economy, it is thanks to the amazing capacity of those businesses to adapt and innovate.
To celebrate entrepreneurs, the Business Development Bank of Canada has created the BDC Small Business Week. This week, the BDC has organized activities like conferences and trade fairs all over Canada.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has designated October 20 as the first Small Business Saturday. This initiative will allow business leaders to showcase the crucial role that small and medium-sized businesses play in our local economies.
These two initiatives truly deserve to be recognized in this Parliament.
On behalf of all members of this House, I want to thank and commend the millions of Canadians who support and develop small and medium-sized businesses, which generate 50% of our GDP.