House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2011, with 35% of the vote.
Labour October 30th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, we know that today is an important day for Canada as Professor Harry Arthurs has tabled his report which contains 172 recommendations for amendments to Part III of the Canada Labour Code, specifically labour standards.
We will now examine his recommendations and consult our partners—employers, unions and employees—to determine if there is a consensus and, if there is, we will soon amend the legislation.
Ministerial Expenses October 30th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I will tell this House again that this is false. Mr. Forest worked on contract for the month of March and started as an employee in my department on April 3. The pay stubs prove this.
As for the register that so much is being made of, it is a government electronic directory; it is a register of services. It says that Mr. Forest has been employed since March 14, 2006, but it says about me, the Minister of Labour, that I have been employed by the government since November 1, 2003. Can someone explain this for me?
As well, it says that the member for Bourassa, herself, has been employed—
Ministerial Expenses October 30th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I would have thought the member had a little more class.
That is false, Mr. Speaker. I will say it again: it is false and false. Normand Forest was in fact employed by us, on contract, during the month of March. His work as an employee then began on April 3, and he was paid a salary only as of April 3.
As for this register that so much is being made of, contrary to what is being said, it is a register of government services. And I have noted that it does indeed say that Mr. Forest started on March 14, 2006. I have also noted that I have been employed by the government since the first of—
Points of Order October 26th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, during oral question period, the hon. member for Bourassa asked me a question about the Normand Forest Communication firm, which we apparently hired.
We are indeed talking about a contract that was awarded for the period from February to March, before his cabinet appointment, and was paid using cabinet's regular budget, as duly disclosed on the website. We must have been satisfied with his work if we hired—
Ministerial Expenses October 26th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, is the member for Bourassa telling me that the contract was given to this person before he was hired by my department?
Ministerial Expenses October 26th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, this is the first time I have heard about this, so I will check into it and I will give you a more specific answer at the first opportunity.
Ministerial Expenditures October 25th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, when you have new partners joining you to offer new tools designed to help businesses in regions experiencing difficulty, it is totally appropriate and even normal, from a marketing point of view, to have ParaPost display boards mentioning their names.
What the member said is wrong. These displays will be used over and over. Anytime funding is granted to a business under one of these programs, for instance, they will be used.
Ministerial Expenditures October 25th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I abide by the laws of this Parliament. My expenditures have been duly submitted in a timely manner, as required. I am not the one processing them, though.
That said, the expenditures will be made public very shortly. The member will see that I cost much less than my predecessor.
Economic Development October 25th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, our role is not to start up businesses, but to put in place tools to help entrepreneurs or people who want to start up or expand businesses.
That is why, in recent months, since I became minister, I have tried to introduce new tools. That is what we have done. There are six in all, and regions with declining populations have full access to these tools, which are designed to support employees and entrepreneurs in this sort of situation.
Economic Development October 25th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I want to remind my colleague again that my priority as Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec was to put in place new tools, easily accessible tools, that entrepreneurs would have no great difficulty using.
In the past month, we have put in place six new tools to help regions in difficulty and regions with declining populations.
Two programs come to mind in this case: the capital fund for business succession, which provides access to fairly substantial funding, because Desjardins Venture Capital is partnering with us in this sort of project, and CEDI-Vitality. There are other measures as well.