House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2011, with 35% of the vote.
Employment Insurance December 2nd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, how can the member ask us to improve the employment insurance system, when in the past few months, we have implemented five different measures to help the unemployed? Every Bloc Québécois member of Parliament voted against every one of these measures to help the unemployed.
I do not understand the member's question. We offered help five times, and they voted against it five times.
Agriculture November 30th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, everyone knows that if any government has been on the farmers' side, ours has. We defend supply management nationally and internationally, including at WTO negotiations.
We believe that it is important to maintain supply management. It is important to help everyone working in the dairy, poultry and egg sector. These sectors are protected by supply management, and we will stay the course.
Employment Insurance November 30th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I can understand that our newly elected colleague may be a little baffled that there is a political party in this House, the Bloc Québécois, that systematically attacks the unemployed and self-employed workers. I will tell my colleague that he is in the right party, and we are helping the unemployed. We have implemented four different measures. We have also established another measure to help self-employed workers by offering them sickness and compassionate care benefits, in the event that one of their loved ones becomes sick. We support the unemployed. They are against them.
Employment Insurance November 30th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I want to inform that political party that we have taken the differences into account since Quebec already has its own maternity and parental leave plans, which did not exist in the rest of the country for self-employed workers. We have taken that difference into account. Instead of charging $1.73 for every $100 of income earned, we are asking for just $1.36 for self-employed workers in Quebec who want to benefit from health insurance and compassionate care insurance. This is on a voluntary basis and the cost is quite affordable.
Employment Insurance November 30th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, this government stands behind self-employed workers and is implementing measures to allow those who become sick or those who need to take care of a sick child or loved one to be able to do so and continue to receive an income during these trying times in life. I can understand why the Bloc Québécois appealed to intellectuals yesterday. Can intellectuals follow a party that attacks the unemployed and also attacks self-employed workers?
Agriculture and Agri-Food November 27th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, we are concerned about any measure that interferes with the export of any agricultural product, including canola. We are doubly concerned when the health of the export is not at issue.
In this case, we are talking and working with Chinese authorities as well as American authorities, which have had some problems with canola, to find a solution that will be good for our country.
Employment Insurance November 27th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, people know that group insurance costs less than private insurance.
As a government, we made a commitment to provide special benefits for self-employed workers, and we took the situation in Quebec into account. The contribution rate for workers there will be $1.36 instead of $1.73, which is affordable. Self-employed workers had been asking us for special benefits for a long time, and they will receive those benefits thanks to us, the Conservatives.
Employment Insurance November 27th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, on the subject of employment insurance for self-employed workers, I want to remind the House that we wanted to extend EI benefits by five weeks. The Bloc voted against that.
We wanted to relax the work sharing rules; they also voted against that. We increased the amounts for workforce training; they also voted against that.
We wanted to add 5 to 20 weeks for long-tenured workers; they also voted against that. And they are getting ready once again to vote against what we want to do to help self-employed workers.
Employment Insurance November 26th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, as hon. members know, this is the fourth measure our government has introduced to support workers who lose their jobs in these tough economic times. In addition, it represents the fulfilment of an election promise. We had said that we would introduce benefits for self-employed workers. From what we are hearing in the field, I believe that self-employed workers are very happy that our government is bringing in measures to help them.
Employment Insurance November 26th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I am glad to see that the Bloc Québécois finally believes we have done something positive by introducing measures to support self-employed workers and provide them with additional benefits.
Of course, we have looked at the costs. We know that the benefits must be self-funding, and our system was designed to reflect the fact that Quebec already provided certain benefits for self-employed workers. There is a difference between the rest of Canada and Quebec in this case, but what we have done is perfectly proper.