Nicole Demers

[Co-op Week, October 20th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the 79,000 employees, 25,000 leaders and 7.5 million members of co-ops and mutual associations in Quebec are celebrating co-op week.

In Quebec, there are some 3,200 of these businesses, generating $19 billion in sales. The cooperative movement is a driving force in Quebec and an important ally in its economic and social development.

Also, 75% of jobs in non-financial cooperatives are in the regions. Cooperatives have a survival rate twice that of other businesses. The cooperative system never ceases to amaze with its capacity to adjust to the changing needs of the populations it serves. In the current context of demographic development and globalization, this system represents a sustainable solution.

Long live the cooperative movement, particularly the Coopérative de soutien à domicile de Laval and the Coopérative de développement régional Montréal-Laval.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, October 7th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank my hon. colleague from Ahuntsic for her comment.

I would like to start by thanking the voters of Laval who have given me the opportunity to represent them here and to defend their interests. I have to say that I came here full of good faith, planning to do my job in good faith and to make room for the interests we may have in common despite that fact that we are sovereignists. We do not deny that we are, and never have. We are sovereignists and that is our agenda. I do, however, have a great deal of difficulty reconciling this desire to cooperate with this government's very arrogant and scornful attitude.

Laval is the city in Quebec where life expectancy is the longest. Women live to be 82.2 years old, and men, 78.3 years old. Laval is home to more than 40,000 citizens over 65, 38% of whom are 75 years old and over. Social economy, cooperation, that is all fine and well, and I am familiar with both. However, additional measures are needed to protect and help our seniors.

I would ask my colleague whether her government also plans, when it talks about improving the guaranteed income supplement program, to provide retroactivity for those eligible.

[Speech from the Throne, October 6th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, in anticipation of the Speech from the Throne, the Bloc Quebecois had come up with five priorities involving employment insurance, the fiscal imbalance, health, the missile defence shield, agricultural supply management, parental leave and child care.

The message sent by Canadians and Quebeckers was ignored right from the first day. Liberal arrogance and thoughtlessness are back in full force, and every Bloc recommendation has been ignored.

In case the Liberals have already forgotten that they are in a minority position, they can count on the Bloc to remind them. With such a scornful attitude to Quebec's demands, the Prime Minister might have been calling an election next week, which he would otherwise not have done.

Unless he makes some adjustments soon, he may be in for a rude awakening.