Gilles Duceppe

[Foreign Affairs, February 3rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the Obama administration and the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, were very clear: a transition of power in Egypt is necessary and must take place immediately. The violence of recent days shows the extent to which the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak is hindering all democratic efforts and, consequently, is detrimental to peace.

What is the government waiting for before it toughens its stance, like the U.S., and formally demands that President Mubarak step down as a condition for restoring peace in Egypt?

[Harmonization of Sales Taxes, February 2nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, there can be some differences, as there are in the agreements with Ontario, and the Prime Minister knows that as well as I do. What is causing problems right now is the stubbornness of the Minister of Finance—from Ontario—who gave $4.3 billion to Ontario but who refuses to do so for Quebec, even though Quebec did this back in 1992.

I am urging the Prime Minister, as is Mr. Bachand, Quebec's finance minister, to intervene in this issue, to take it over and to resolve it once and for all.

[Harmonization of Sales Taxes, February 2nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, according to tax specialist Luc Godbout, Quebec's and Ottawa's sales taxes are essentially harmonized, which means that both taxes are applied to the same goods, with a few exception, such as books, diapers and nursing products. These goods are not taxed by the Government of Quebec.

My question for the Prime Minister is this: is the problem with the negotiations between the two parties a result of the fact that Ottawa is determined to impose a tax on certain goods, such as books and diapers, which calls into question Quebec's policy on culture and families?

[Harmonization of Sales Taxes, February 1st, 2011]

Diapers and nursing products are other examples of products that are taxed by Ottawa but not by Quebec. Is the problem with the harmonization agreement a result of the fact that Ottawa wants to make Quebec apply sales tax to diapers and nursing products? Does the Conservative government not want to help Quebec families?

[Harmonization of Sales Taxes, February 1st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I questioned the Prime Minister as to why Quebec has still not received compensation for the harmonization of its sales tax. The response received was not very enlightening. Nevertheless, it seems that almost everything has been resolved with regard to this issue: Quebec is collecting a single tax and tax on tax has been eliminated.

Are products that are taxed by Ottawa but not by Quebec, for example, books, the problem here? Can the Prime Minister provide us with a clear answer?

[Sales Tax Harmonization, January 31st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec's Minister of Finance, Raymond Bachand, recently stated that compensating Quebec for harmonizing its sales tax requires the political will of Ottawa. What is the Prime Minister waiting for to put an end to this unfairness and use the next budget to provide fair compensation to Quebec?

[Sales Tax Harmonization, January 31st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Ontario, British Columbia and the Maritimes have been compensated for sales tax harmonization, but Quebec is still waiting. And yet, everything seems to have been resolved: Ottawa recently declared that it does not have a problem with Quebec collecting the sales tax, a contentious issue just a few months ago.

Since all these details have been worked out, that is, there will be no tax on the tax and a single tax will be collected by Quebec, can the Prime Minister tell us what is holding up this file and depriving Quebec of $2.2 billion?

[Points of Order, December 16th, 2010]

I will explain. They always yell when we are talking, and then they act innocent and try to play Pontius Pilate. That will not work. What I said was that not knowing that showed ignorance. And if someone shows ignorance, it means they are ignorant. Attacking and mocking someone shows ignorance. It is being ignorant. That is what I said. If I am not allowed to say that, then let me know.

[Points of Order, December 16th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, what I said was that the Bloc was the first party to call for a free trade agreement in 2000.

[St. Lawrence Shoreline Protection, December 16th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand or is pretending he does not understand. Over and above the Canada-Quebec agreement, there are programs the federal government has used in the past to help people in situations like this one. People do not need condolences; they need action. For example, the government could restore the shoreline protection program that was abolished in 1997. The problem people are experiencing is affecting the shorelines. The government should restore this program instead of pretending not to understand.