House of Commons photo

Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was chairman.

Last in Parliament March 2011, as Liberal MP for Madawaska—Restigouche (New Brunswick)

Lost his last election, in 2011, with 35% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Health November 23rd, 2006

Mr. Speaker, this Conservative minority government has abandoned Canadians. It promised to solve the emergency room wait times problem, but it did not keep its promise. The government has done nothing at all to help Canadians who are sick and waiting for operations. All they did was pass the buck to the provinces without giving them the money they need.

Will the Minister of Health stop spouting rhetoric and finally admit that he has done nothing to help sick Canadians?

Fisheries and Oceans November 3rd, 2006

Mr. Speaker, consultations have gone on long enough. We must act now if we want to save the industry. The Worm and Myers report was very clear. Fish and shellfish stocks are declining daily. These stocks are the Atlantic region's bread and butter. The only way to protect the fishery is to act immediately, which is what the rest of the international community is doing.

Will the minister finally recognize that we have to ban bottom trawling once and for all?

Fisheries and Oceans November 3rd, 2006

Mr. Speaker, despite the fact that fish and shellfish stocks are declining all over the world, the minority Conservative government is refusing to take the measures necessary to protect the Atlantic coast fishery. Last month, the federal government decided not to support an international moratorium on bottom trawling.

Now that we have irrefutable proof that the planet's marine life is in serious danger, will the government change its mind and ban bottom trawling?

Youth November 3rd, 2006

Mr. Speaker, during the recent parliamentary break, I had the opportunity to meet a group of students from the Edmunston campus of the Université de Moncton, and to discuss Canadian democracy with them.

I also met with two groups from the Cité des Jeunes A.-M.-Sormany in Edmunston to talk about my role as a member of Parliament and the role of government.

I can attest to the interest these young people have in Canadian politics. The questions asked by these students were surprisingly relevant, and I am convinced that such meetings should take place more frequently to stimulate the interest of young Canadians in Canadian politics.

These young students are our leaders of tomorrow. This is why I welcome every opportunity to meet with such groups in our schools and universities.

Because the future is being shaped today, it is important to provide our young people with every opportunity to learn more about the workings of our system of government and to ask any questions they may have.

Before this House here today, I would like to thank Ms. Mazouz and Mr. Nadeau and their students for inviting me into their classrooms. I hope the experience was as valuable for them as it was for me.

Business of Supply November 1st, 2006

Mr. Chair, I will ask a short question regarding employment insurance.

If it is true that the minister wants to help seasonal workers, is she prepared to support my bill to eliminate the two-week waiting period in order to give seasonal workers a sense of pride and a chance to survive?

Business of Supply November 1st, 2006

Mr. Chair, I would just like to keep talking about employment insurance, because it is a very important issue.

Some members, namely those representing Kitchener—Conestoga or Fort McMurray—Athabasca, came up with an idea. They are asking the department to have a plan, a system to transfer people from a high unemployment area to other regions of the country.

Does the minister have the same vision for people in the Atlantic region? Does she want to take people from the Atlantic provinces, who are able to live at home, and make them work elsewhere in our country? Does she want to more or less deport people from the Atlantic region to other regions of the country, yes or no?

Business of Supply November 1st, 2006

Mr. Chair, if it is an exception, then I invite the minister to actually come to my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche, to come to New Brunswick, where the average waiting period is eight weeks. It is not 28 days, it is eight weeks.

People have to wait up to eight weeks to get their first cheque.

My question will be brief. Does it take so long because this minister and her department are waiting and are going to centralize services and people in specific regions, and leave the rural areas of our country and of our province without the necessary resources?

Business of Supply November 1st, 2006

Mr. Chair, given that the minister does not know, perhaps this explains why there were more departments and ministers in the past. It meant that ministers were more likely to know what was going on in their department.

For the minister's information, it takes eight weeks for an unemployed worker to receive the first EI cheque.

Since it takes eight weeks, I have another question for the minister. How would she feel about having absolutely no income to pay for her rent, her heating, her groceries and to be able to feed her children? Could the minister accept this in her day-to-day life?

Business of Supply November 1st, 2006

Mr. Chair, I would first like to mention that I will be sharing my time with some of my colleagues, namely, the hon. members for Churchill, Richmond and Labrador.

Yesterday, during the most recent meeting of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, the minister came to answer some questions. It was certainly very difficult to get any answers.

I will therefore start today by asking some relatively simple questions and I need only simple answers.

I would like the minister to tell me the following. Does she know the number of weeks it takes for workers who are eligible for employment insurance to receive their first cheque?

The Environment October 19th, 2006

Mr. Speaker, it is difficult to believe the claims made by the Conservative minority government. The Prime Minister has said that he is the first prime minister to take steps to fight atmospheric pollution. Pierre Elliott Trudeau did this in the 1970s. The Conservative government has said that the former Liberal government bought $100 million in credits under the Kyoto protocol, but no credits were purchased.

The Conservatives are claiming that Canada's Clean Air Act represents the first integrated approach to the environment, but the Canadian Environmental Protection Act can address all environmental issues. The environment commissioner said that the EnerGuide program was working well. The Conservatives said that 50% of the program costs were waste.

The Conservatives claim that their Canada's Clean Air Act will give results. Canadians know that this is just hot air.