Mauril Bélanger

[Auditor General's Report, February 10th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank my colleagues for their consent yesterday in approving the membership of the public accounts committee.

The government would like the committee to meet as soon as possible. We on this side and in that corner of the House are prepared to give our consent for the committee to meet as early as possible, even this afternoon, should it so wish.

[Committees of the House, February 9th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, discussions have taken place between all parties concerning the striking committee report expected later this week pursuant to Standing Order 104.

Members from all sides of the House have expressed an interest in having the membership of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts adopted as soon as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that you will find consent for the following motion to be adopted without debate:

That notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of this House, the membership of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts be as follows:

Maurizio Bevilacqua, Odina Desrochers, Paul Forseth, Roger Gaudet, Peter Goldring, Marlene Jennings, Joe Jordan, Walt Lastewka, Dominic LeBlanc, Steve Mahoney, Philip Mayfield, Val Meredith, Shawn Murphy, Beth Phinney, Alan Tonks, Judy Wasylycia-Leis, John Williams.

[Points of Order, February 6th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that my name was read out on this list and that I do not give my consent.

[Radiocommunication Act, February 5th, 2004]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-2, an act to amend the Radiocommunication Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Address in Reply, February 2nd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I move:

That this House do now adjourn.

(Motion agreed to)

(The House adjourned at 5:55 p.m.)

[100th Anniversary of Aviation, November 7th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, 60 seconds are what we are given to make statements before question period. Some people may think this is too short a time to say or do anything significant. I offer the following as proof to the contrary.

On December 17, 1903 Orville Wright got into the motorized plane he had built with his brother Wilbur and flew for 12 seconds over a distance of 36.5 metres, or about 120 feet. The Wright brothers manned another three flights that morning, the longest one lasting 59 seconds. I dare say that those initial 12 seconds changed the world.

On the offchance that we may not be sitting beyond today and the certainty that we will not be sitting on December 17, I want to take this occasion to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' amazing achievement.

On the100th anniversary of aviation, I hope that the world will underline it as an achievement that has changed the course of human history.

[Official Languages, November 6th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. Last week, the Standing Committee on Official Languages tabled its ninth report on the lack of access by minority linguistic communities to health care services in the language of their choice.

One of the committee's fourteen recommendations asks the Government of Canada to make this important issue the focus of the next federal-provincial-territorial conference. Is the minister favourable to this recommendation?

[Committees of the House, October 31st, 2003]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

Pursuant to reference order made by the House of Commons on March 20, 2003, your committee has considered Bill C-202 and agreed, on Wednesday, October 29, 2003, to report its observations and recommendations to the House.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

This is a very important report for official language minority communities. The committee makes fourteen recommendations to improve access to health care for these communities.

For several years, we have found that, all too often, these communities lacked access to health care in the official language of their choice. Our recommendations seek to provide them with permanent and improved access to health care so that they too can benefit from the Canada health system, which is one of the best in the world. We realized that these communities have not always had such access. It is extremely important, if not essential, that the government provide a positive response to these recommendations.

[Official Languages, October 31st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

I have the honour to report that the committee did indeed address this matter last spring and finished its work this past week. With leave of the House, I will have the honour to table its report during routine proceedings.

I realize it is inappropriate to discuss its content in reply to a question in the House, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who came before the committee or sent in comments, the experts who shared their knowledge with us, our clerk, and most particularly our researcher. Naturally I also thank the committee members for their serious and constant hard work, which we hope will prove productive.

[La Francophonie, October 29th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, last week three Canadians were honoured by France for their dedication to French language and culture.

On behalf of all francophones in Canada, I congratulate Andrée Lortie, President of la Cité collégiale, the first francophone college in Ontario and Pat Webster, founder of Canadian Parents for French, who each received France's National Order of Merit, and Alain Landry, chair of the boards of Lycée Claudel and the Alliance française, who was named an Officer of the Legion of Honour.

Unfortunately, I will not have enough time to do full justice to the projects these three individuals have carried out on behalf of and for the benefit of Canada's francophonie. Nevertheless, I can tell the House that Ms. Lortie, Ms. Webster and Mr. Landry are examples for us all: they care about their community's development; they participate in its growth; and they do so in exemplary fashion.

We offer them our congratulations and our thanks.