House of Commons photo

Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was money.

Last in Parliament October 2015, as Independent MP for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel (Québec)

Won his last election, in 2011, with 42% of the vote.

Statements in the House

Ethics June 21st, 2012

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the chair of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

Today, at the last minute, the chair cancelled the committee meeting, despite the Liberal motion that was on the orders of the day, despite the fact that witnesses had been called.

Did spending the night with the Conservatives in this House during last week's votes make the NDP want to keep sleeping with the Conservatives in order to defend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister?

Why did the chair cancel the meeting and why protect the parliamentary secretary? Did his leader—

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act June 14th, 2012

Mr. Speaker, I was just wondering if the member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke was here from the beginning of the vote until the end of the vote?

Privilege June 13th, 2012

Mr. Speaker, maybe I misspoke in offering five minutes. It was just a gesture of compromise. The member for Winnipeg North spoke for five minutes and was interrupted on two occasions. I would like it if the members opposite would not interrupt, because once a member has the flow going it does not make sense to start over again.

Privilege June 13th, 2012

Mr. Speaker, my interventions usually do not last very long, so I will make it quick. On the point of order by the member opposite from B.C., I am not sure if he understands what the question of privilege is. The member for Winnipeg North is responding on behalf of the Liberal Party.

As the member for Bourassa mentioned, just because the member does not speak from prepared notes and has a time limit of 5, 10, 15 minutes or half an hour, he is going to make a point.

I have the question of privilege by the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley. He has easily made four or five points and spoken about two acts. To make a comment on each and every one of those points is going to take over two or three hours. The member, I think, is going to speak for another five minutes. I think we should allow him to make his point. We are talking about something that is timely. We are about to vote on a budget bill that is over 500 pages long and which affects over 70 acts. We do not have all the proper information. Parties on this side of the House are asking for information. The points have been relevant and I think it has to be put on the record.

With all due respect, I think the member for Winnipeg North should be given the time--

Petitions June 13th, 2012

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by voters. It reads as follows:

We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:

WHEREAS the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), as the national public broadcaster, plays an important role in reflecting Canada and its regions to national and regional audiences, while serving the special needs of those regions

WHEREAS, in our current media environment, public broadcasting is an essential promoter and defender of Canadian culture, in both French and English

WHEREAS Canadians should continue to have access to Canadian stories and Canadian content and media should provide vibrant and rewarding new avenues for expression by Canadian artists

WHEREAS Canada requires a broadcaster that reflects the different needs and circumstances of each official language community, including the particular needs and circumstances of English and French linguistic minorities

WHEREAS Canadians can benefit from a shared national consciousness and identity

WHEREAS the public broadcasters, Radio Canada and CBC, have a crucial role to play in achieving these objectives

WHEREAS the CBC requires steady funding to maintain national, regional and local programming, including news coverage and services to linguistic minorities throughout Canada—

I will leave it at that, but there is more.

Committees of the House June 13th, 2012

Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member is an economist and knows a bit about finance. He sits on the finance committee and is the former finance critic.

The government always boasts about being able to introduce certain tax reductions. All it has done to boost productivity, as the member's speech was focused on productivity, was to extend the accelerated capital cost allowance. However, companies have been asking for it to be extended it for longer periods of time, because the purchase of large machinery and equipment requires a four- or five-year commitment down the line. I wonder if the member is in agreement with this.

As well, the government is boastful about reducing taxes, but what we have actually seen is an increase in unemployment premiums, an increase in income tax rates in the first years of this government and increases in all kinds of other hidden taxes. I am wondering if that adds anything to productivity.

Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act June 12th, 2012

Mr. Speaker, the members of the Liberal Party will be voting in favour of the motion.

Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act June 8th, 2012

Mr. Speaker, I remind the member that I am a member of the Liberal Party. We do not need our leader to tell us what to do. We are free to do what we like. In these cases, it is normally our critic who has a big voice. I think there is general consensus that we feel the bill is just not acceptable. We have presented our amendments. If the member is willing to put forward amendments, it is not too late. It has been done before. The government can send them to our Liberal senators. We can amend it in the other place. It is not too late. We are almost there. The parliamentary secretary has been reasonable on other bills. We still have a chance in the other place, because I know that at this third reading stage, we are not going to be able to amend the bill.

Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act June 8th, 2012

We're almost there, Rick. Come on.

Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act June 8th, 2012

Mr. Speaker, the member across is a parliamentary secretary. He was at the committee meetings, I just read some of the minutes, and heard from experts. I am not sure what he actually listened to. Sometimes he is a pretty good listener so I give him the benefit of the doubt.

I never said that a thousand days, on average, for refugees to get processed was acceptable. I think a refugee is actually lucky if he or she is able to get his or her papers in order in 1,000 days and get acknowledged. My office is seeing people who have been here five, six, even seven years, and there is still no progress.

There is no question that the system needs to be improved. However, the problem is this bill, in particular, would give too much power to the minister and putting these refugees in detention for years on end is going to cost Canadian taxpayers thousands and millions and billions of dollars, as the Conservatives would say.

The parliamentary secretary just said some of these refugees would be processed within 45 days. If some of them do get processed in 45 days, more power to them. That is exactly what we want. That is how we want this system--