Jean-Pierre Blackburn

[Quebec City Summer Festival, June 5th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, my fellow minister and member for Quebec City never made any such recommendation. This flatly contradicts what the hon. member just said. Second, I would like to say that the Festival d'été de Québec is currently getting $907,890 over three years. The Economic Development Agency of Canada does a tremendous amount for the various people who organize festivals all across Quebec. We help with the marketing as well as the renewal of the product. We are going to continue supporting these festivals. Currently we are giving them about $7 million a year.

[Rail Transportation, June 1st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, we know the importance of these two railway operators, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, CP Rail. Once again, I can only encourage the parties to come to the table with the support of our mediator, who is trained to truly help the parties reach an agreement. It is at the table that the solution will be found.

[Rail Transportation, June 1st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the right to strike is recognized by the Canada Labour Code. However, I believe that all members will agree that settlements are reached when both parties come to the table to agree on the renewal of the work contract. Our mediator continues to support both parties in this endeavour.

[Wage Earner Protection Program Act, June 1st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, what are we talking about here? We are talking about a bill to protect wage earners in the event of their employers' bankruptcy. This bill was unanimously passed by Parliament. It was even passed in the Senate. But the Senate had asked to see technical changes before the law came into force. As Minister of Labour , I worked with my colleagues to prepare these technical changes. This is what we must send to the Senate for consideration, but the Bloc Québécois does not want to support workers. They are letting us down. They say one thing one day, and the next day they change their mind. This bill simply has to be fast tracked to the Senate.

[Festivals and Special Events, June 1st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec is very close to the festivals. We have an annual budget of about $7 million to support festivals, including, among others, those of Montreal, the Quebec City major festivals, and those of the various regions of Quebec. In recent days and weeks, I have had the opportunity to meet Gilbert Rozon, and also Alain Simard. We told these gentlemen that Canada Economic Development would maintain their current envelope, that is about $700,000 for each of these two festivals, in addition to $300,000 in repayable loans, to support the 25^th anniversary of the Just for Laughs Festival

[Wage Earner Protection Program Act, May 31st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind hon. members that the bill, the notice of motion we have tabled, is in keeping with what had been decided by the previous Parliament.

The Bloc Québécois needs to respect the way the Canadian system operates. There are two chambers here. The changes being made to the legislation are technical ones. The Senate is in a position to carry out an in-depth analysis of it in order to save some time, so that workers losing their wages as the result of a bankruptcy can have up to $3,000 in protection. But the Bloc Québécois is doing everything it can to delay things and to prevent progress from being made in this situation.

[Wage Earner Protection Program Act, May 31st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the various labour organizations and the workers have been asking us for this legislation for months and months now. They are asking all parliamentarians to respect the wishes of the previous Parliament. This legislation is ready. We have tabled a notice of motion, but the only problem is that the Bloc Québécois is anti-worker. It is doing everything possible to impede progress.

If we went to the Senate, there would be nothing to prevent it from proposing amendments. If there were anything in it they felt could be improved, it could be returned to the House. But the Bloc Québécois does not want this legislation. It is anti-worker.

[Wage Earner Protection Program Act, May 31st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, even the unions want this legislation to go forward and are pressuring the Bloc Québécois to stop.

Do you know what the Bloc Québécois wants? It wants someone who goes bankrupt to have the right to put money in his RRSP a week before the bankruptcy and for this to be considered normal, even though this money does not belong to him.

We are staying the course. If the Bloc Québécois wants this legislation and if it really wants to protect and get behind workers, it needs to support us so that we can send the bill to the Senate.

[Wage Earner Protection Program Act, May 31st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, before Christmas, we gave a notice of motion to introduce this bill and fast-track it to the Senate by adopting it at first, second and third reading, because it proposes technical changes to the legislation.

Unfortunately, even though the Bloc Québécois initially told us that it was prepared to cooperate, it changed its tune.

You did not ask for one amendment, but two amendments. These amendments do not reflect the will of all parliamentarians. You must therefore suffer the consequences. You do not want the legislation, so too bad for you.

[Festivals and Special Events, May 30th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the Economic Development Agency of Canada is a partner of the festivals not just in the greater Montreal area, but throughout Quebec. Furthermore, we have maintained our criteria both for marketing and for product renewal. Last year, the festival the hon. member is referring to received a $180,000 contribution for renewing their product.

However, this year, since it is a matter of marketing, we are maintaining our level of funding for marketing their festival.