House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 44% of the vote.
Canadian Museum of History Act June 17th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that this is only the beginning, because if we want to explain history to Canadians, it first must be written. We will have to remember what happened in a country where a war of conquest took place, where slavery once existed, where aboriginal populations were repressed and where colonial laws have reigned for the past 150 years.
Who will write it and whose version of history will we be able to agree on?
Telecommunications June 13th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, at a time when the Conservatives are making cuts to our public services, the people of Laurentides—Labelle are too often forced to rely on poor-quality online services. For example, completing an application for employment insurance is becoming increasingly difficult.
The lack of reliable access to high-speed Internet is hampering social and economic development in my area, and it is the people who are suffering the consequences.
Will the government enact legislation to ensure that all citizens have access to high-quality Internet services, regardless of where they live?
First Nations Elections Act June 11th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the minister that it is MPs who are elected by the people, not senators.
What is done there does not count for most people. Canadians will not stand for people wallowing in their tax dollars.
Earlier members were talking about what was ridiculous, and I would like to continue along the same lines. What is truly ridiculous is that 44 gag orders mean 44 30-minute debates and 44 30-minute bells for votes. That is the equivalent of two days lost. The Conservatives tried to make us vote until midnight, until the end of the session, and they gave all kinds of absurd reasons to justify the gag orders, which is completely ridiculous. They spent weeks doing absolutely nothing this spring, while we on this side of the House did all the talking.
Water Management June 7th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, like thousands of my Laurentides—Labelle constituents and hundreds of thousands of Canadians, I live close to a lake and I have boats that I use for fishing and recreation.
At the moment, there are practically no rules governing these vessels. Nothing is off limits, including boats with 300-horsepower engines on a 1 km2 lake. The lakes here and there that do have legal restrictions were affected by amendments to the regulations made under section 4 of the Canada Shipping Act, which set out a complex and costly procedure that can take years.
Small communities cannot afford this. That is why I moved Motion No. 441, which calls on the government to simplify the procedure that allows local communities to create their own rules that are right for them.
This motion is in response to a request from a large number of citizens and elected municipal officials in Laurentides—Labelle who want to resolve the conflicts related to the use of these waterways, preserve their tranquility and maintain peace in society. I hope that all of the members here in the House will support my efforts.
Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act June 6th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the minister that, in French, the party's name is NPD, not NDP.
They do not understand some very simple things. I spent two years on a reserve providing services to the community. For example, I drove the tanker truck to deliver water to all the homes. One well would have been enough to provide water to the entire reserve. The only thing the community was missing was the money to buy pipes. It had an excavator to do the work and everything else that was needed. The community was trying to get funding to pipe water to homes on the reserve, but it never got it. I lived there in the 1980s, and I am still not sure the situation has been resolved.
There are many other similar cases. The people of Kitigan Zibi, a neighbouring reserve, solved 90% of their supply problems. Last I heard, they needed a half a kilometre of pipe to connect one neighbourhood to the water system.
These communities do not need a law. They need resources. That is what the Conservatives do not understand. Proposing this at the last minute, one week before the end of the session, and imposing a gag order is not the proper attitude for a government that claims to act in the interests of first nations.
Canadian Museum of History Act May 28th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, what concerns me is the Conservatives' judgment. They put a lot of effort into celebrating the War of 1812, yet this war should not be celebrated. It was a catastrophe in which Canada lost approximately 30% of its territory to the Americans. The great hero of this war disobeyed orders and abandoned our aboriginal allies from the other side of the Detroit River, leaving them to be massacred by the Americans. There is nothing about this war that should be celebrated. I am concerned that these people are able to decide how history is interpreted. I would like my colleague to comment on that.
Technical Tax Amendments Act, 2012 May 28th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I am sure that if anyone is watching, they are wondering why it has taken so long for this to happen. The fact that this bill is 1,000 pages long proves just how negligent this government is and how negligent previous governments were.
That brings me to two other questions. Who benefits from this being so complicated and that we need experts to figure it out? Who would benefit from it being simple and clear? Obviously, their negligence was not an accident.
This government, and perhaps the one before it, wanted this to remain complex and wanted to foster confusion for as long as possible, so that those who can afford to make use of tax experts would have an advantage.
What does my colleague think?
Incorporation by Reference in Regulations Act May 23rd, 2013
Mr. Speaker, without regulations, a law is worth about as much as yesterday's newspaper.
It takes a lot of brain power and many of our best public servants to draft coherent regulations that will pass legal and other tests.
When the government starts taking resources away from its departments, would it not be tempted to look for shortcuts? For example, it may be tempted to borrow existing regulations from neighbouring or foreign jurisdictions, private interest groups or associations.
One day we could have ocean carriers providing regulations for naval safety. What does my colleague think about that?
Committees of the House May 9th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, the New Democratic Party is in favour of broadening and deepening economic relations between Canada and India. We believe that a well-structured comprehensive economic partnership agreement between Canada and India could lead to worthwhile business opportunities for both countries.
The NDP generally supports the report's findings and recommendations. However, we think they are incomplete. We think Canada's economic agreements can and must be improved. Our supplemental report contains findings and recommendations that we think will make it possible to truly create stronger, lasting trade relations with India.
Without going into detail, we have concerns about workers' rights, the environment, public service and any abuse of labour mobility clauses. The NDP believes that Canadian treaties must protect Canadian exporters, increase exports of value-added products and create truly lasting employment for all Canadians.
Therefore, we encourage continued dialogue with India for a CEPA, but we want the government to consider the important elements in our report.
Business of Supply April 25th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I asked how my colleague could come up with the same diagnosis as us and dispute the entire medical file.