Johanne Deschamps

[Workers, May 1st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, today is International Workers Day and the Bloc Québécois would like to pay tribute to the 4 million Quebec workers and 17 million Canadian workers.

These individuals contribute daily to the well-being of their fellow citizens and to the social and economic development of our society.

Every hour of the day, the work of these individuals contributes to the advancement of our society.

The Bloc Québécois recognizes the exceptional contribution of these men and women and will introduce several bills to improve their quality of life.

Parliamentarians are responsible for ensuring that the rights of workers are respected and that they have the fairest and the best possible working conditions.

Today, let us pay tribute to the solidarity of workers around the world, to all these individuals who, day after day, help make our communities a better place. But let us not forget that we should acknowledge their contributions every day.

[Valéry Trottier, April 6th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, my first words will be for the voters in Laurentides—Labelle who elected me for the second time in January. I want to thank them for placing their trust in me.

On the occasion of Quebec Adult Learners Week, I would like to pay tribute to a young woman in my riding who has excelled in French.

Valéry Trottier, a secretarial student at the Centre de Formation Professionnelle Mont-Laurier, won the Le Mot d'or 2006 contest in business French. This contest, which is organized by the Conseil pédagogique interdisciplinaire du Québec, is designed to promote the use of French in business.

In August, Valéry will travel to Provence with the support of the Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse.

Congratulations, Valéry. The French language is the cornerstone of our culture, and we need to recognize what the younger generation is doing to further our dream.

[Cassandra Poudrier and Sébastien Bisaillon, November 25th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, there is no denying, the young people of Laurentides—Labelle are making names for themselves in the sports world. This time, it is our hockey players.

Cassandra Poudrier, a female player only 12 years of age from Rivière-Rouge, has been chosen to play on the Europe 2006 team in the Christmas Cup tournament in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Then, on the male side, we have Sébastien Bisaillon, a young man from Mont-Laurier, who plays defence for the Val-d'Or Foreurs. He was invited to the Montreal Canadien pre-season training camp, and recently played two games against the Russian national team as a member of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League all-stars.

Congratulations to you both. May your hard work continue to bring great results both now and later on in life.

[Diabetes Month, November 24th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, November is diabetes month and more than 550,000 Quebeckers live with this disease.

Diabetes is of concern to me because I have a son who is a type 1, insulin-dependent diabetic.

There is no cure for this disease and it has a very high economic cost, estimated at $2 billion a year in Quebec and $13 billion in Canada.

The socio-economic impact of diabetes is also a harsh reality for diabetics. They are denied access to certain professions or often lose their jobs. Their families are more often in crisis as a result.

Canada has one of the highest incidences of juvenile diabetes in the world. Conversely, it is significantly behind in terms of government support for research into this disease.

In handing out billions of pre-election dollars, did the Prime Minister perhaps forget a gift for people with diabetes?

[Liberia, November 18th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to draw to the House's attention one more victory for democracy and a return to peace for the millions of citizens of Liberia.

Last week marked the second round of balloting in the first democratic election held in over 15 years in Liberia. The turnout was 74%.

This poor west African country has endured more than 14 years of civil war, which left more than 300,000 dead and forced many thousands more into exile.

Not only was this democratic election a historical event, but it was also proof that things are changing for the better in that part of the world, as evidenced by the victory of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first black woman to be elected to such a position in Africa.

The Bloc Québécois salutes the women and men of Liberia for their determination to open the door to democracy, and extends its best wishes to the new president as she assumes her duties.

[Gabrielle Deschamps, October 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the success of Gabrielle Deschamps, of L'Ascension, a municipality in my riding.

Ms. Deschamps distinguished herself by getting the top marks in Quebec on the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations national exam.

This young woman earned a bachelor's degree at the Montreal School of Higher Commercial Studies in 2004 and won the human resources award of excellence from the international firm of Hewitt and Associates.

Since graduation, Gabrielle Deschamps has been a recruiting officer at Adecco Saint-Laurent in Montreal.

Congratulations, Gabrielle. The Bloc Québécois wishes you much success in all your future endeavours.

[Jean-Philippe Paiement and Anouk Charbonneau, October 7th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the future of Quebec rests on its youth and, in Laurentides—Labelle, I can certainly say that we have much to be proud of.

Last summer, Jean-Philippe Paiement, a 16-year old golfer from Mont-Laurier, was crowned juvenile champion and junior champion for Quebec. This proud representative of the Nominingue Golf Club has become a model of pride and determination for young Quebeckers.

Young women were not outdone, as their proud representative, Anouk Charbonneau, who is only 14 years old, from the Vallée de la Lièvre golf club in Beaux-Rivages, came first overall at the Quebec final at the Lachute MAXIgolf.

The Bloc Québécois wishes you every success in your present and future endeavours. May each victory and each upset be a rewarding experience for you.

[Liberal Government, September 30th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government and its leader the Prime Minister are not being honest with the public and are not hesitating to leave them in the lurch.

As if it were not enough to ignore the regions' calls for help in the softwood lumber issue, or to abandon Quebec's farmers, whose plight is the result of this government's insensitivity to the realities faced by Quebeckers, the Prime Minister is now refusing to do anything to mitigate the effects of the oil industry crisis on the most vulnerable.

Remote regions do not have public transit systems and are therefore at the mercy of the oil companies' hunger for profits.

What is the Prime Minister doing in the meantime? He is squandering public funds to benefit Liberal Party cronies and protect Gagliano and his gang.

In the words of singer Zachary Richard, “Working is too hard and stealing is not nice”. The decline of federalism continues.

[150th Anniversary of the Town of Saint-Sauveur, June 13th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity recently to take part in an evening launching the festivities marking the 150th anniversary of Saint-Sauveur, a town known for its exceptional quality of life and joie de vivre.

At this event, the organizing committee paid tribute to six women who have made a remarkable contribution to their community in recent years. As architects of economic and social development, these six women make Saint-Sauveur the dynamic town it is.

These committed women are Annick Cazin, Huguette Chartier, Lise Foisy, Micheline Barbe, Johanne Martel and Annie Dagenais. They have the well-being of the community of Saint-Sauveur at heart.

The Bloc Québécois pays tribute to these six women. I am convinced that their efforts will produce results. More committed women can only be good for our society. I congratulate and thank them.

[Festival international de théâtre de Mont-Laurier, June 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it was with great pride that I attended the official launch of the second Festival international de théâtre de Mont-Laurier on May 16, in my riding.

This cultural event, unique in North America, will run from September 4 to 10, 2005. A big multi-purpose stage will host 17 troupes from various countries around the world. Over seven days, the people of the Upper Laurentians will have an opportunity to come in contact with vibrant and moving cultures.

A tip of the hat to all those working flat out to make this festival an international success. I offer special thanks to my colleague from Saint-Lambert, who has agreed to be the honorary chair of the event.

I invite one and all not to miss the double rendez-vous my region is offering with nature and culture.