House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2011, with 27% of the vote.
Transport March 24th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, my question concerns the circumstances under which Patrice Pelletier left his position as CEO of the Port of Montreal. Media reports indicate that he really was dismissed. We also know that, even if theoretically the port is independent of the government, the Conservatives indicated their preference for another candidate back when Mr. Pelletier started there 18 months ago.
Will the minister tell us why Mr. Pelletier was really dismissed?
Employment March 13th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the minister's answers are still very theoretical and abstract. Good intentions will not put bread on peoples' tables.
For the 250 Cascades workers in East Angus who will not be going to work next week, the situation is much more concrete.
It is also concrete for the workers in the Consoltex factories in Cowansville who took a salary cut of 15% in order to keep their jobs, leaving them with $100 less each week.
Is the minister sure that he understands that?
Employment March 13th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the job loss figures published today are so high that it is hard to take them in.
With 18,500 jobs lost in Quebec, it is as though two cities the size of Coaticook lost every job in one month.
What will the Conservatives do to get these people working again?
The Conservative Government March 10th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' partisan appointments are raising eyebrows among immigration lawyers and the Haitian diaspora.
The Privy Council, the Prime Minister's own department, approved the appointment of Pharès Pierre as a member of the Immigration and Refugee Board.
This appointment already smacks of cronyism because Mr. Pierre worked in the Conservative Party executive in the Saint-Jean riding. He was also vice-president of the Quebec wing of the Conservative Party. However, it gets worse. Mr. Pierre was the cabinet leader for Prime Minister Yvon Neptune in the regime of President Aristide, who can hardly be said to have enjoyed unanimous support.
This is clearly a new attempt by the Conservatives to influence the policy for welcoming new Canadians in order to select those likely to support the government politically.
How can we believe for even one second that Mr. Pierre's political involvement will not affect his judgment as a board member? The Prime Minister has some explaining to do.
Arts and Culture March 6th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the numbers belie what the Conservatives would have us believe. The NFB's budget has shrunk by $14 million over the years. As filmmaker Jacques Godbout put it, it was once an extraordinary institution; now, it is an endangered one.
Will the Conservatives help the NFB retain its status as a relevant institution in the digital media era?
Arts and Culture March 6th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, filmmaker Jacques Godbout has criticized the Conservatives' under-funding of the National Film Board. As usual, the office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages says that everything is fine and that the NFB does not need additional funding.
When will the Conservatives let the NFB regain the prestigious reputation it once enjoyed?
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation March 2nd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, while the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is facing its worst financial crisis, the crown corporation may be obliged to implement major economic measures that, according to its president, Hubert Lacroix, would change the very nature of its service to Canadians.
We are talking about an increase in advertising, more American programming, selling off certain television and radio services and more.
This scenario seriously endangers the crown corporation's mission to safeguard, enrich and strengthen Canada's cultural, political, social and economic structure. Some analysts predict that this catastrophic financial situation could lead to the crown corporation's demise.
What does the Conservative government plan on doing to protect the CBC from this economic disaster? Will the Conservatives' record now have to include the death of an institution that ensures that Canada has a voice?
Arts and Culture February 13th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian prizes for the arts were created on page 175 of the budget, which reads:
The Canada Prizes for the Arts...will bring the world’s best new artists...to Canada....
Nowhere is it mentioned that these prizes will be awarded to Canadian artists. Did the minister change his mind? Will those prizes reward Canadian artists or foreign artists, or has the minister misled the House?
Arts and Culture February 13th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, when asked yesterday about the Canada Prizes for the Arts and Creativity, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages said, “in this budget we will create prizes for Canadian artists”.
That is quite a flip-flop. We had understood that these prizes were meant for foreign artists. Just to be perfectly clear, are the Conservatives saying that the Canada Prizes for the Arts and Creativity will be awarded to Canadian artists?
Infrastructure February 12th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, a new report has confirmed that the Prime Minister was not able to provide the money promised for infrastructure, calling into question the promises made in his new budget.
We have it on good authority that since the start of the new fiscal measures, Quebec's municipalities have not received any news or details about the Conservative government's infrastructure projects. The government is proposing to finance 50% of the work, leaving the rest of the bill to the provinces and municipalities, which have already approved their 2009 budgets.
What is more, even though the infamous Building Canada plan was implemented in September 2008, eligibility criteria have yet to be outlined. Canadian municipalities are still in the dark concerning this government's intentions. The government's attempts to shed light on the subject have been deplorable. Meetings between federal ministers and municipal authorities are being cancelled at the last minute without any explanation.
We must continue to hold this government accountable.