Monique Guay

[Intergovernmental Affairs, November 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has just announced a number of federal government interventions, in the areas of education and skills training in particular.

How can the federal government justify taking advantage of a reinvestment in education to meddle so obviously in areas of responsibility that belong wholly to the Government of Quebec?

[Canadian Products Promotion Act, November 14th, 2005]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-440, An Act respecting the use of government contracts to promote economic development.

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government buys goods and services worth somewhere between $40 billion and $50 billion a year. It is therefore the largest buyer in Canada.

This bill calls on the government to give preference to Canada. Over $3 billion in contracts and purchases are awarded and made abroad. In this bill, we are calling on the government to favour Quebec and Canadian companies over foreign companies. This would also ensure the survival of many companies that had to close their doors after losing their government contracts—there are many small companies in Quebec.

This bill promotes greater equity in the purchases made in the different provinces. The federal government currently makes two thirds of its purchases in Ontario. That said, we would reduce that to 50% and divide the other 50% among the western provinces and Quebec.

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

[Sponsorship Program, November 4th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, in his report, Justice Gomery commented that those who took the dirty money they were offered brought disgrace on the Liberal Party.

Does the Minister of Transport not understand that, by refusing as he has been doing for the past two days to produce the list of those who received dirty money, he is acting as accomplice, and all his efforts to whitewash only confirm that he is not prepared to go through with the promised cleanup and would rather just sweep the dirt under the rug?

[Sponsorship Program, November 4th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Gomery report does not list the Liberal Party candidates who had dealings with Marc-Yvan Côté. The Minister of Transport refuses to provide this list of candidates who received dirty money in 1997, even though this is information he could very easily obtain.

In spite of the major cleanup announced by the Prime Minister, does the Minister of Transport not realize that his actions are bringing all candidates into disrepute because, instead of clearing those who have done nothing wrong, he is undermining the reputation and credibility of all of them, nothing less?

[Sponsorship Program, November 1st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of the sponsorship scandal on February 12, 2004, the current Prime Minister said, “There had to be political direction”.

Today the Gomery report confirms this comment. There was indeed political direction. Despite the fact that he was at the reins of the powerful Department of Finance, and vice-chair of the Treasury Board, the current Prime Minister claims he knew nothing.

Yet in his address to the nation on April 21, he said the following, “Knowing what I've learned this past year, I am sorry that we were not more vigilant—that I was not more vigilant.”

It is all very well to keep on saying he knew nothing, but the people of Quebec and of Canada are well aware he was an extremely active crew member of the Liberal ship of state during one of the biggest scandals in Canadian political history.

[Intergovernmental Affairs, October 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, she ought to have a word with the Minister of Transport so that he will be on the same page.

Jean Charest also criticized the concept of national interest, that new federal invention used to justify its interference. He said “the national interest is not a concept that governs the division of powers”.

Does the government not realize that the introduction of this new concept will turn the concept of areas of jurisdiction into nothing more than meaningless words?

[Intergovernmental Affairs, October 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, first it was Quebec's minister of intergovernmental affairs and now it is the Quebec premier who is speaking out in defence of Quebec's jurisdiction. He has said that “If we must work with the federal government, our jurisdiction must be respected. Otherwise, no agreement is possible.”

Is this not proof that things are not going all that well, when a federalist Liberal government in Quebec feels obliged to publicly defend its areas of jurisdiction, in response to repeated threats of federal government interference?

[Budget Surplus, October 7th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, no matter what the Minister of Finance says, the lion's share will still go to paying down the debt, because $3 billion has been hidden in the contingency reserve which, in both good times and bad, goes directly toward paying down the debt. Once again, why is the minister refusing to attack the fiscal imbalance since his surpluses prove year after year that taxes are too high compared to the federal government's obligations?

[Budget Surplus, October 7th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the government is preparing to introduce a bill setting out how surpluses will be used. Although we agree with this principle, which the Bloc Québécois itself had proposed on numerous occasions, we have questions about the way this bill will allocate the surplus.

Would it not have been more logical for the Minister of Finance to allocate, in the bill, the majority of his surplus to resolving the fiscal imbalance, by giving Quebec and the provinces access to the surplus funds so they can determine their own priorities and their own needs in their own areas of jurisdiction?

[150th Anniversary of Sainte-Sophie, October 7th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, Sainte-Sophie was founded in 1855, at the foot of the Laurentians, in what is now the riding of Rivière-du-Nord. Settled by the Scots, Irish and French Canadians, Sainte-Sophie became home to many immigrants from eastern and southern Europe in the early 20th century. A community enriched by its cultural diversity, its 10,000 inhabitants have forged exemplary ties of solidarity while respecting their origins. Plains and mountains have joined their destinies to produce a blend of generous and productive land and water bodies which are an invitation to dream.

Events took place throughout the year, culminating on October 15 with a dinner at which the book by Normand Champagne entitled Le temps que j'm'en souviens , which is a wonderful account of times gone by, will be launched. The Bloc Québécois salutes the work of the organizers, the mayor of Sainte-Sophie and the members of the municipal council to ensure the success of these events. To everyone in Sainte-Sophie, happy 150th anniversary.