Marie-Claude Morin

[Housing, November 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, next April the Conservatives will have to explain to the UN why they are unable to honour their housing commitments in this country. They have been stalled on this issue for four years now, and in the meantime, thousands of Canadians are having to choose between paying their rent and buying groceries.

Experts agree that Canada needs a national housing strategy. That is exactly what is proposed in my bill.

Will the Conservatives face the facts, honour their commitment and vote in favour of my bill?

[Petitions, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present another petition signed by people from across Canada, people of all ages and social classes, who want the government to take action and create a national housing strategy. These people also support my bill, Bill C-400.

[Petitions, November 8th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to present a petition signed by people from across Canada, from all social classes and of all ages, who are urging the government to take action and adopt Bill C-400, which would establish a national housing strategy.

[Employment, November 7th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am extremely disappointed. While I have a great deal of respect for my colleague, the parliamentary secretary, I would have liked to hear a clear answer from the minister responsible for this file. I cannot hide the fact that I am disappointed.

I am also very disappointed by the kind of empty answers we are hearing in this House, empty answers to pertinent questions dealing with the quality of life enjoyed by Canadians. While we are asking pertinent questions on the programs available and on what this government intends to do to preserve high-quality jobs in Canada, all we get in response are talking points. I am sure that they did not even bother to consult the file I suggested regarding the plant in my riding that is about to shut down.

That is all I have to say. I am extremely disappointed by the response I heard here this evening.

[Employment, November 7th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, a few months ago, I informed the House that 360 workers at the Camoplast factory in Roxton Falls in my riding will lose their jobs in July 2013. That means nearly one-quarter of the people in the town will have to find new jobs.

In the current economic context, it is hard for people to find jobs. There are many factors that make it even more difficult for the Camoplast workers. Many of them are close to retirement, which will make it much more difficult to find a new job.

In reaction to the announcement of the almost complete closure of the factory and the loss of jobs in the industrial sector in general, the Acton local development centre noted that it is becoming increasingly difficult to contain the relocation phenomenon. The number of industrial sector jobs in Canada has plummetted in the past few years because they are being relocated to emerging countries. It is even more difficult when a company that grew and prospered in a region moves so that it can hire workers at lower wages. This phenomenon is affecting many regions of Quebec and Canada.

Obviously, it will be hard for these 360 Camoplast workers to find new jobs, not to mention the 500 employees in the greater area who will be affected by the outsourcing of the BRP assembly plants in Valcourt and Sherbrooke.

I talked to the mayor of Roxton Falls this week to get an update on the plant and the employees. He told me that he was working with the local development centre on finding new contracts for the plant. For now, they do not have any good news to share with the employees.

Ironically, the plant is also struggling with a labour shortage since the employees are leaving their jobs to find other work before the plant closes. I understand why they are doing that. I would do the same if I were them.

In June, I asked the government to explain its plan to protect manufacturing jobs. The Minister of Industry answered with the same talking points we have been hearing for some time now: the government has an economic action plan to create jobs; it encourages investment by lowering taxes and fees; it offers hiring credits for recruitment.

There is nothing in the minister's answer to reassure one-quarter of the people of Roxton Falls, not to mention the families that will be affected by the plant's closure.

Perhaps by asking clearer questions we might get clearer answers. Can the minister tell us which of the Quebec economic development and Canada Economic Development programs the municipality of Roxton Falls can use to attract other contracts to the region and create jobs? Do any programs exist that could meet the needs of this municipality and others that are in a similar situation?

[Petitions, November 7th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to present a petition signed by people in my riding calling on the House of Commons to pass Bill C-400 to adopt a national housing strategy.

[Service Canada, November 7th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, believing that irresponsible cuts can be made without affecting services is wishful thinking.

The Conservatives clearly said that services to the public would not be affected, but in reality, it is impossible to cut departmental budgets without cutting public services. Either the Conservatives do not realize just how far-reaching the effects of their budget cuts are or they just do not care.

Did the minister read the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report? Does she realize that there has been a serious impact on services across the country?

[Sexual Harassment, November 7th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have here two articles from iPolitics that indicate that there are high levels of harassment in the public service. We are talking here about all types of harassment. Nearly one in three employees claims to be a victim.

These articles make particular reference to cases of sexual harassment reported by female RCMP officers—the allegations that led the Standing Committee on the Status of Women to undertake a study of sexual harassment in federal workplaces. As chair of this committee, I am particularly concerned about the statistics reported by iPolitics.

The mandate of Status of Women Canada is to coordinate policy with respect to the status of women and administer related programs. As part of its role, the agency advises other federal departments and agencies on certain issues in order to achieve change where needed. Given this clear mandate, this study on sexual harassment is of the utmost importance.

[Petitions, November 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour today to again present a petition signed by people of all ages and social classes from across Canada. They want a national housing strategy and they support my private member's Bill C-400. I am pleased to present this petition today.

[National Philanthropy Day Act, November 5th, 2012]

I think that the bill from the member for Repentigny is worthy of applause. Although he is not here right now, he knows that I strongly support his bill.

This bill would provide a tangible way to recognize that volunteers are pillars of civil society. I think that Bill C-399 and Bill S-201 are two good starts to recognize the work being done by our volunteers. Obviously, during times of fiscal restraint, Bill C-399 will also be necessary to support ongoing volunteering in the country.

A number of organizations in my riding could benefit from official recognition of their philanthropy and a tax credit for the volunteers who give of their time to help those in need.

I worked for a long time in community services. I often talk about it in the House because this is something that is very important to me. I assure the House that communities benefit a great deal from this giving of time and money.

I salute my former colleagues in the Saint-Hyacinthe community services sector. I stand here today on behalf of them. Without volunteering and donations from the people of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, my riding, a number of community organizations would unfortunately have to shut down, and it is the public that would ultimately suffer.

I am thinking in particular of Comptoir-Partage la mie, a food bank that serves the needy in Saint-Hyacinthe. This organization has a minuscule budget and not one employee. It is run entirely by volunteers. Without donations and volunteers, this organization could not provide food aid to the growing number of people in Saint-Hyacinthe who cannot make ends meet. That was highlighted last week by the Food Banks Canada report. That is the reality; people have do not have a choice.

I am also thinking of Parrainage civique--MRC d'Acton et des Maskoutains, an organization that matches volunteers with people with intellectual disabilities. The services provided by this organization are key to ensuring that people with an intellectual disability are appropriately integrated into the community. It is run almost entirely by volunteers. Without these volunteers, without access to these services, people with intellectual disabilities would have a great deal of difficulty or more obstacles in their lives.

The bill will highlight the work of volunteers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers and community organizations in my riding for their work.

In closing, I would like to raise a small concern about this bill. It is a fine proposal but, as I was saying, it is not an end in itself. Not only should we be acknowledging the work of volunteers by thanking them, but we must do more. We must remember that the government has a certain responsibility to help organizations that are helping the most disadvantaged. Furthermore, the government has a role to play when it comes to housing and the fight against poverty and homelessness, for example.