Mathieu Ravignat

[Increasing Offenders' Accountability for Victims Act, October 5th, 2012]

Pontiac is easy.

[Increasing Offenders' Accountability for Victims Act, October 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to what my colleague said in this debate, which is an important one because it concerns victims and crime. I heard him talk mainly about judicial discretion. What does he think is dangerous about tampering with judicial discretion?

[The Environment, October 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of the Environment announced the new phase of the project to clean up the country's contaminated sites. In 2011, Quebec had 100 sites that were deemed to be a priority because they posed risks to public health and the environment. And yet, this government chose only 67 sites in Quebec. The government is neglecting the Valcartier military base, the Lachine Canal and the PCB-contaminated sites on the Kahnawake reserve.

Is the federal government going to come up with a more comprehensive clean-up plan, or is it going to stick Quebec with the bill?

[Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, October 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I know my hon. colleague to be a veteran in politics and I always appreciate his candour. I wish I could be as forthcoming in my opinions as he is, and in such an eloquent way.

With all due respect to my Conservative colleague on the other side, his main point was about the concentration of power. If we look at the pattern of the government over the years, it has been the concentration of power in the PMO's office or a minister's office. I would like my hon. colleague to perhaps expound on why that is a problem.

[Political Loans Accountability Act, September 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I know that my Liberal Party colleague is someone who has a great deal of experience and a balanced outlook on life.

It is completely normal for Canadians to question the relationship between economic power and political power, and the impact that financial institutions may have on the economy.

I would like to know a little more about what my colleague would do to ensure that these types of schemes never happen again.

[Political Party Financing, September 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, some troubling information was revealed by a man linked to organized crime and to the Conservatives. Businessman Lino Zambito lifted the veil on a system of collusion, kickbacks to the mafia and secret political financing. But I do not need to explain all that.

Senator Carignan, who was a Conservative candidate at the time, benefited from Zambito's generosity. Zambito and his partners put thousands of dollars into Conservative coffers.

Since they are involved, will the Conservatives co-operate with the authorities and reveal all of their ties to organized crime?

[National Defence, September 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, not only was the process to purchase F-35s a complete fiasco, but the actual decision to purchase them was made without key information. In a report presented to the government, the air force clearly mentioned that more information was needed on competing aircraft available to Canada.

If the Conservatives knew that important information was missing on other options, why did they blindly go ahead and pick the F-35s?

[Summer Drought, September 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to talk about the federal government's lack of action when it comes to the drought. In my riding, as a result of the historic drought this summer, hundreds of animals were sent to slaughter, the cornfields were transformed into dust fields and the hopes of young farmers turned into despair. The burden is heavy on farmers in the Pontiac, since they have to buy food for the coming winter and additional seed for the spring.

I stand here in solidarity with the farmers of the Pontiac.

I would like to underline the importance of the farming industry to the economy and to daily lives. I ask the government, how come farmers need to get into massive debt to ensure their livelihood? How come they have to sell part of their assets to make a living? Why is it that they cannot have access to new land at reasonable costs and interest rates? Why do they have to wait until the end of the fiscal year to get some relief from the government?

Normally, harvest season is a time of celebration and abundance, but this year, fall will be synonymous with restraint, debt and, for some families, poverty. Nevertheless, I want to thank them for putting bread on our tables.

[Helping Families in Need Act, September 27th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the assumption by the hon. member in his question is that we in the NDP live in a glass house, but we do not. Our house is solid. We have always supported social programs that are robust and help reduce income inequality in this country. We are not the party that took $57 billion out of the EI fund. The only party that did that is the Liberal Party. That is why we are $9 billion in debt.

The thing about the Liberals is, as the old saying goes, they put signal left but they turn right. There is a complete inconsistency fundamentally in their ideology because they have none. It would be nice for a Liberal on that side of the House to stand up for something for once.

[Helping Families in Need Act, September 27th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the principle here is simple: Who pays into employment insurance? Who owns that money? The reality is that the workers of this country own that money. To have governments pull workers' investment in employment insurance is tantamount to theft. The reality is that this began a long time ago with the Liberals. The two traditional parties are not blameless in this situation.

We in the NDP start with the principle that the EI fund is Canadians' money, that it is up to Canadians to draw on it when they need it and that they do draw on it most of the time when they need it, which is absolutely normal.

I would like to answer my colleague's question a bit more. The other change with regard to employment insurance that frustrates me is how it attacks the possibility for seasonal workers to make their living. Seasonal workers in my riding are essential, whether they be in the forestry industry, the food industry or the agricultural industry. Those seasonal workers need to be able to work within their expertise.