Jean-Pierre Blackburn

[Taxation, September 14th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as we know, the issue of tax havens is a concern of our government. We are working on the matter. Recently, we have seen the UBS file resurface. For the information of the hon. member, I point out that, since we have been making progress in this direction, 12 people of 38 who use tax havens abroad have made a voluntary disclosure, which means revenue of $4.5 million for the government. People know already that we are headed in the right direction. We want to make progress in the matter of tax havens and ensure that people who evade taxes know we will catch up with them.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, June 19th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, once again, these people are not familiar with this issue. We have signed an agreement with the United States so that we can have greater access to the U.S. market. American producers must meet Canadian standards for organic products. For example, to sell their products here, American producers cannot use sodium nitrate and similar compounds. There are three variants covered by our standards.

We export $60 million worth of products to the United States, and its exports to Canada are worth $700 million. Our efforts are opening up a huge market.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, June 19th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in its 18 years in this House, the Bloc Québécois has never delivered the goods. It could have met with processors, but it never has.

I have been Minister of State for Agriculture for just a few months, but last week, I met with about 30 representatives of various food processors. They talked about product labelling, and we are going to continue to move ahead.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, June 19th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois has been present in this House for 18 years. During that time, it could have met with food processors in Canada, but it has never held such a meeting—

[Employment Insurance, June 19th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we have already announced that a panel will study ways to improve the employment insurance system. We also announced that, as of this fall, self-employed workers will be able to benefit from the employment insurance system if they wish to contribute to it. Those are two of the measures we have put in place to support workers.

With respect to forestry, we have implemented four different measures in the space of a month and a half to support the forestry sector, but of course they are always against everything we do.

[Quebec, June 19th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we must support the people who are struggling because of the international economic crisis. We have put measures in place to support the unemployed. We have prolonged employment insurance benefit periods by an additional five weeks. If a person receives $400 a week, that means that this person will receive an extra $2,000.

Furthermore, we extended the job-sharing period by 14 weeks. In Canada, 3,200 companies are taking advantage of the change we made to employment insurance. We will continue to stimulate the economy.

[The Economy, June 19th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, naturally, this is another black day for the Leader of the Bloc Québécois and his party because, today, they wanted to leave the Hill on a bus with their leader's picture on the side and start off on the election campaign. They were prepared to squander half a billion dollars of taxpayers' money. We stopped them. We defended the interests of Quebeckers because they do not want to go to the polls.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, June 18th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the answer to the question is no. We are in fact in contact with officials concerning the golden nematode crisis in Saint Amable.

We are trying to find a date on which everyone—including myself, the Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and local officials—can all meet to discuss the situation. Theoretically, we are looking at the end of June.

[Employment Insurance, June 18th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, once again, we are dealing with a party that wants to create a crisis in this country rather than have it work well. That is important. Even before we begin our reform of employment insurance, they are telling us they will oppose it.

Is this defending the interests of Quebec? The interests of Quebec lie, rather, in being within a country, a more prosperous country, where its people can grow as Quebeckers, as a nation. That is what we are working toward. We have initiated reforms and will continue to do so.

[Employment Insurance, June 18th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, even before the working group begins its meetings to try to reform employment insurance, the Bloc tells us it opposes it. Even before the work gets started, as we prepare to allow self employed persons to enjoy the benefits of employment insurance, it is telling us it will vote against it.

The Bloc is confusing its own interests with those of Quebec. We want a prosperous country. We want to help workers and are heading in that direction.