Jean-Claude D'Amours

[Committees of the House, February 15th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her speech.

She said how important education was at all stages for the advancement and improvement of our youth. However, the education opportunities are not always there for French language minority communities in Canada. It is one thing to make nice speeches on the importance of education, but the reality is that our communities do not always have access to education in their language. Because they are in minority situation, they have to fight to assert their rights and to be able to give their children an education in the language of their choice, which is often French.

I will ask the member to mention just one way, not 25 but just one, that French language communities outside Quebec can have their right to an education and to schools in their language enforced.

[Committees of the House, February 15th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, first I want to congratulate my colleague from Ottawa—Vanier on his excellent speech and on the work he does to ensure that minorities across this country have their rightful place in our society.

My colleague talked about the court challenges program. Clearly the Conservative government has absolutely no understanding of the needs of minority communities. Sometimes we think that it will finally understand, reason and see the light at the end of the tunnel. But it is not happening. It even seems to be getting worse.

Let us look at the situation. The government cancelled the court challenges program. Those most affected by this decision are francophone communities outside Quebec, francophone minorities. We wanted to believe that maybe it would end there, but it does not. It makes us wonder whether the Conservative government despises francophones.

In fact, we just learned that no mention is made of the national holiday of Quebeckers on June 24 on the Treasury Board and finance department calendars. The government does not even have enough respect to ensure that this holiday appears on its calendars, as well as Acadian Day, August 15, which is even worse. Yet other holidays appear on its calendars. The government does not even respect these communities. It despises them.

In examining the situation, we realize that maybe what we are seeing here is just the Conservative philosophy. Imagine if this government had a majority: a Conservative philosophy that favours eliminating the rights of francophone minority communities, a Conservative philosophy that breeds contempt for francophones.

I wonder if the member for Ottawa—Vanier agrees with that. It is not only one thing, but several things that have been happening one after the other. The Conservatives keep blaming others, but they alone are responsible for the contempt they feel for francophones outside Quebec.

[Acadian Day, February 15th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' attitude has gone from contemptuous to insulting. The calendars of the Treasury Board and the Department of Finance have left no stone unturned in insulting francophone employees. Not only did they omit Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, but they also completely ignored Acadians. This government did not highlight June 24 or Acadian Day, August 15. This is yet more proof of the Conservatives' lack of respect for francophones.

Do the Conservatives think that Acadians do not deserve to be celebrated or acknowledged? Is that the Conservative philosophy?

[Livestock Industry, February 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I do not have much time. I thank my colleague for his question. In my opinion, generally speaking, it would be good for Canadians to know that they are buying Canadian products and, when it is a Canadian product, that they know exactly where it came from.

We do not need to keep repeating ourselves all the time in the House of Commons. My colleague from Malpeque mentioned this very clearly and presented eight recommendations earlier this evening. I believe those recommendations were presented in committee, therefore—

[Livestock Industry, February 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, first, if I understood correctly, in his question the member opposite just said there are too many animals. Does that mean—perhaps he will have the chance to respond—that he or his government would like there to be fewer farms and that farmers should give up their livelihood? Is that what that means?

That is what the Conservatives are saying: the industry must manage itself and resolve its little problems itself. He just said there are too many animals right now. That is almost like saying that some farms have to disappear. It is disgraceful to try to insinuate such things.

The Conservatives have been in power for over two years now and they are presenting a program that gives my producers 26¢ per head of cattle. That is the government's program. The government is bragging that everything is going well and that it is giving a lot. Can the government tell me this: is 26¢ per head of cattle a lot?

[Livestock Industry, February 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise this evening to take part in this emergency debate on the cattle industry. My remarks will focus on the beef industry.

Even in this technological age, agriculture remains the backbone of this country's economy. Our country was born when farming started. The farming sector and our farmers are facing many challenges, and not only in the beef industry. Let us be clear on that.

This industry which so desperately needs help is faced with an insensitive government that is showing absolutely no willingness to help our farmers. Worse yet, and I will get into it later, it is laughing in their face when it says it will try to give them extraordinary assistance. The Conservatives had said that farmers would be seeing help and that it would save them.

The reality is quite different. I will get into some very embarrassing tidbits about the Conservatives later on.

Earlier, I said that agriculture and agricultural producers are facing numerous challenges, and have been for several years. I think everyone agrees on that. However, their income has not been increasing. There has not been much improvement since before the BSE crisis. Before the crisis, people were making good money, or at least, more than they are making now. All of the Conservatives' promises and pretty words do not put more money in farmer's pockets when they sell their livestock. It would not be truthful to pretend otherwise. Incomes have dropped by 60% to 70%. There has been no improvement since then. The Conservatives claim that the crisis is over, that everything is fine, and that they are handing out cheques to boot. However, incomes have not gone up; they have gone down, and as surely as incomes have gone down, expenses have gone up.

I will give a few examples of rising costs. There are many examples to choose from. Think of the incredible increase in the price of fuel, of diesel. The government is not doing anything to help our agricultural producers. The cost of cattle feed is rising. The cost of electricity is rising. We do not live in the south, so we have to heat our barns and buildings to make sure our animals do not have any problems. And there is so much more.

One of the worst problems Canadian agricultural producers, particularly those in my riding, are facing is foreign competition. That is probably one of the worst problems. It is hard to compete on a level playing field when people are not being treated fairly.

I heard the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board say earlier that the quality in Canada is superior to that found south of the border. If it is superior in Canada—and I agree it is—why is it that we allow meat and animals to enter Canada from elsewhere, from the south, where the quality is inferior? This means that our farmers cannot play on a level playing field. Who is allowing this? The government opposite is. They boast that the Canadian product is better, yet they allow animals of inferior quality to enter the country. Who will pay? The consumer will pay, but that is not a problem. Who will pay the price in the end? Our farmers will.

If I were a Conservative member listening here this evening, I would be embarrassed, simply because the government is spouting rhetoric.

The government tells farmers that it is there for them. It announces funding. It asks farmers to vote for them, telling them they will see how the government plans to help them. Yet we have seen proof of the opposite. I hope the members across the floor will be embarrassed here this evening.

I would like to give the example of a farmer in my riding, Madawaska—Restigouche. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with him. He feels he is being made a fool of. I challenge any Conservative member, minister or parliamentary secretary to tell me that they are doing anything positive.

On March 9, 2007, with great fanfare, the Prime Minister announced $1 billion for Canadian farmers. The government's press release talked about a national agricultural income stabilization program, and I quote the Prime Minister of Canada:

Our government is taking another step forward towards replacing the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization Program with programming that is more predictable, bankable and better enables farmers to better respond to rising costs.

I spoke earlier about rising costs. Consider the example of that farmer in my riding: he own approximately 225 head of cattle and he recently received a cheque for $55.04. The Conservative government should be ashamed of itself for trying to say that it wants to help farmers.

The Conservatives are boasting to farmers about the $1 billion program they have introduced. But what are people in my riding getting? They are getting 26¢ a head. The government should be ashamed to send a cheque like that to that farmer. It is shameful to pay someone 26¢ a head.

How do you think our farmers are going to survive? The Conservatives can keep on telling us that everything is fine. The parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources even dared to say earlier that his government was proud to announce that program. I wonder whether, in his response, he will tell me that he is still just as proud of that program, when farmers with 225 head of livestock are getting 26¢—not $26, $260 or $2,600, but 26¢—a head to help them get through the crisis.

As I said earlier, if I were a Conservative member, I would be ashamed to hear that tonight. I would talk to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and I would talk to the Prime Minister about the announcement he made on March 9, 2007 in Saskatoon. If the Prime Minister's announcement is not his way of thumbing his nose at our farmers, at the people who are the backbone of one of the largest economies in the country, then I do not know what it is.

I can assure you that this is just one example. Some people have decided not even to register for government programs any more, because they get absolutely nothing out of them. Filling out the paperwork costs more than the paltry cheque for $55.04 that they get.

I am anxious to hear what the government members will ask me. When we talk about an emergency debate, it is because there is an emergency. Our farmers need help. Where is the government? Nowhere. Does the government want to take positive steps? No. It is finding excuses and not coming up with solutions for our farmers. Despite all the fine speeches and lovely promises, the government is offering no real solutions and absolutely nothing to help our farmers get through the crisis.

[Infrastructure, February 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the minister should be forthcoming with Canadians and admit that the new money for infrastructure represents only a fraction of the program.

The water and sewer systems are not the only things that need help; Canada's bridges and roads do as well. According to Statistics Canada, more than 55% of Canadian bridges have exceeded their useful life, but the government still does not allocate any funding for infrastructure.

When will the government provide funding so that work can start on road construction? We do not want talk. We want tangible and visible action.

[Infrastructure, February 13th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the government is playing hide and seek with its Building Canada Fund, but Canada's infrastructures are falling apart. This morning, Statistics Canada said that our water and sewer systems are in desperate need of repair. Municipalities need stable, long-term funding to maintain our water and sewer systems and to guarantee that they will work properly in the long term.

When will our communities receive long-term funding for their infrastructures?

[Manufacturing and Forestry Industries, February 6th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' plan to help industry is not designed to provide direct assistance to those who lost their jobs. The Conservatives do not believe in government assistance to industry, as proposed in the Liberal plan announced in November 2005. Instead, the Conservative government wants to redirect affected communities toward different industries. It is all fine and well to retrain workers, but how are they expected to find a job if the main industry in their community is gone?

Will the Prime Minister announce once and for all funding not only to retrain workers but also to create jobs, as part as a plan that takes into consideration the needs of the regions?

[Kedgwick Regional Chamber of Commerce, February 5th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, it was a great pleasure for me to attend, on January 26, the businessperson of the year gala organized by the Kedgwick Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce paid tribute also to the exceptional work of a volunteer, Mr. Marcel Paquet, who is involved in many projects in his community, including Puits de Jacob, Ami de Jacob, the forestry museum and much more.

The organization of the year award was given to Jeanne Boulay, president of Puits de Jacob. This organization has a team of 20 volunteers who provide support for persons with drug or alcohol addictions.

Garage Gaëtan St-Laurent received the business of the year award. This family business was established in 1960. The current owner, Mr. St-Laurent bought the business when he was 30 years old after working for 19 years as a mechanic.

The businesswoman of the year award went to Diane Couturier, a chartered accountant who works for Roland Couturier Gérance Ltée of Kedgwick.

These individuals deserve our recognition.