Gilles Duceppe

[Status of Women, March 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it is not just the Bloc. All women's groups are opposed to this change.

Quebec's pay equity legislation is proactive, whereas the federal legislation turns back the clock. For example, the federal legislation makes pay equity a right that has to be negotiated as part of the collective bargaining process, which is not the case in Quebec's legislation.

Should the Prime Minister not take advantage of International Women's Day to do his homework again and introduce a real pay equity law?

[Status of Women, March 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, women's groups are at the United Nations today, protesting against the government's record on the status of women. They are there to call attention to the fact that the government's pay equity bill, which the Liberals supported, restricts women's right to receive the same pay as men for the same work.

Instead of sending his Minister of State for the Status of Women to boast about a bill everyone condemns, would the Prime Minister not do better to take a step back and introduce real pay equity legislation, modelled on Quebec's legislation?

[Afghanistan, March 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs stated that it was the responsibility of the Afghan authorities to ensure the safety of transferred detainees. However, transferring a prisoner who may face torture contravenes the Geneva Convention.

Does the Prime Minister realize that his government is responsible for ensuring the safety of detainees transferred to the Afghan army?

[Afghanistan, March 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we honour their sacrifices as well. However, I find that, once again, the Prime Minister is using the death of these soldiers for purely political purposes. It is shameful. He should answer the question.

[Afghanistan, March 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to extend my condolences to the families of the three soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

According to an American report on human rights obtained by the media, detainees transferred by Canadian authorities to Afghans were tortured. The Department of Foreign Affairs has refused to confirm this information.

Given that he is answering questions from the American media on the Afghanistan mission, can the Prime Minister tell us whether or not his government has received complaints about torture from prisoners transferred to Afghan authorities?

[Forestry Industry, March 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister should know that loan guarantees are not subsidies. Canada’s export assistance is based on loan guarantees. He did not cite the article because he knows it does not exist.

Still regarding the softwood lumber agreement, the London tribunal has ruled that eastern Canada—including Quebec and Ontario—exported too much wood in the first six months of 2007. It turns out that Ontario was mostly responsible for exceeding the quotas during this period, with 60% of the excess. Ontario should therefore assume 60% of the penalties.

Will the Prime Minister promise to make Ontario pay its fair share of the penalties so that Quebec is not unfairly disadvantaged?

[Forestry Industry, March 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the economic crisis is deepening but the government still refuses to help the forestry industry, which is in serious difficulty. The government has given billions of dollars to the automobile industry but only $170 million to forestry. This is only enough to continue funding programs that already exist. There are no loan guarantees for the companies on the pretext that they are illegal. But that is not true.

Could the Prime Minister tell us which article in the softwood lumber agreement forbids him to provide loan guarantees to industries?

[Afghanistan, March 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in the interview, the Prime Minister suggested that the mission in Afghanistan could be extended beyond 2011 if President Obama gives him good reason to do so.

Can the Prime Minister clearly tell us if he intends to ask the House to extend the mission in Afghanistan beyond 2011, yes or no?

[Afghanistan, March 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in an interview that aired on CNN, the Prime Minister said: “We're not going to win this war just by staying.” And he went on: “My own judgment is quite frankly we are not going to ever defeat the insurgency.” Yet when the Bloc Québécois questioned the mission's direction, the Prime Minister accused us of being the terrorists' allies.

Can the Prime Minister explain his about-face?

[The Environment, February 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have seen better stand-up comics.

That said, homework will reveal that Quebec has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 2.8%, while Alberta has raised its by 36.6% and Saskatchewan has raised its by 63%. That is what doing homework is about, rather than acting as a lobbyist for the oil companies. If he is serious, let him make 1990 the reference year and set absolute targets. Otherwise, we will conclude that he is not the environment minister, but a lobbyist for the oil companies—period.