House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2011, with 27% of the vote.
Natural Resources October 7th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the federal government has signed agreements with Newfoundland and Nova Scotia on the St. Lawrence seabed. Quebec is trying to get a similar agreement, but nothing is happening. The Government of Quebec would like to have an agreement in place this fall.
How can the Minister of Natural Resources account for the fact that it was so easy to reach agreement with Newfoundland and Nova Scotia 25 years ago and it is so difficult to do justice to Quebec?
Oil and Gas Industry October 6th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, an independent Quebec would have the tools to resolve its differences with other nations, such as the International Joint Commission, the United Nations and the International Court of Justice in The Hague. But since Quebec is inside Canada, unfortunately, it is at the mercy of the whims of the federal government and cannot access these tools.
How can the government refuse Quebec what it has granted Newfoundland and Nova Scotia? How can it justify such a double standard?
Oil and Gas Industry October 6th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the federal government has signed agreements with Newfoundland and Nova Scotia to pursue oil exploitation on the continental shelf, which will allow Newfoundland to begin exploration activities on the Old Harry site. Quebec has been trying to reach a similar agreement for the past 12 years, but Ottawa is dragging its feet and no progress has been made.
How can the federal government justify its refusal to sign a similar agreement with Quebec, after doing just that with Newfoundland and Nova Scotia?
Foreign Affairs October 1st, 2010
Mr. Speaker, excavators have started work again on housing in Israeli settlements on the West Bank, which is weakening the peace process even more. The Palestinian president is even considering leaving the negotiating table if the moratorium is not extended.
The United States and France have taken a stance against the renewed colonization. Does the Conservative government not realize that by remaining silent, it is sanctioning an action that violates international law?
Iran September 29th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, Iran has just sentenced an Iranian-Canadian blogger to 19 years in prison. He was accused of propaganda against the Islamic Republic for critical comments he made on the Internet. In addition, the Iranian government is refusing to allow officials from Ottawa to visit him in the same prison where Montreal resident Zahra Kazemi was killed in 2003.
What does the government plan on doing to get Iran to release this Canadian blogger?
United Nations September 24th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, Canada is in the midst of negotiating a free-trade agreement with the European Union but is refusing to vote in favour of a motion allowing a representative from the Council of Europe to speak at the UN General Assembly.
Does the government realize that its attitude seriously damages Canada's chance at a seat on the Security Council?
United Nations September 24th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister went to the United Nations to lobby for a seat for Canada on the Security Council. Given this government's positions on child soldiers and the declaration on indigenous peoples and its sabotage of the Kyoto protocol, we wonder how he can have any hope of being successful.
Does the Prime Minister realize that with this track record, Canada does not deserve a seat on the UN Security Council?
Eliminating Entitlements for Prisoners Act September 23rd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by congratulating my colleague on his speech about the problems this bill could cause. We are not completely opposed to the underlying principle of this bill. However, we are concerned that the bill as written contains the element of revenge that often motivates this government when it comes to cracking down on crime.
My colleague raised the issue of families being affected. I would like him to expand on that, even if it means being somewhat repetitive, because this is a very important bill. I would like him to talk about what we can do to protect the standard of living of spouses and family members and about how we can make sure that this bill does not punish families. We must remember that family members are not necessarily criminals—far from it. In fact, I would even suggest that they are, indirectly, victims of the father's or spouse's criminal lifestyle.
I would like him to talk about what he thinks we should do to make sure that this bill, which is well-intentioned overall, is not just a way to exact vengeance on a person, but rather a way to ensure that crime does not pay.
Quebec's Priorities September 21st, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he was open to helping fund an underwater cable between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. After allocating more than $70 billion outside Quebec to nuclear energy and the oil industry, now he is willing to help them distribute hydro-electricity.
Will the Prime Minister acknowledge that Newfoundland and Nova Scotia have to fund their own power systems the way Hydro-Québec always has?
Quebec's Priorities September 21st, 2010
Mr. Speaker, during the 2008 election campaign, the Premier of Quebec released a list of Quebec's top 10 priorities. Two years later, nothing has been settled. Nothing has been done about the so-called federal spending power. Nothing has been done about control over cultural programs. Nothing has been settled with regard to the gun registry.
How does the Prime Minister explain that two years later Quebec's calls are still unanswered?