House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 32% of the vote.
The Economy November 16th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, over the past few months, we have witnessed a protest movement on a scale never seen before. The occupy movement is denouncing economic disparity. People are fed up and they decided to act.
The parks might be cleaned up, people may have to go home, but the economic problems will not go away. Unemployment is too high, especially for youth. The income gap is growing.
Has the Prime Minister heard the cry for help?
International Trade November 15th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister should simply say that supply management is off the table. That is what he should say, but supply management is on the table. That is why Canada was allowed in, is it not?
No wonder dairy and poultry farmers are worried. First, the government attacked wheat farmers. Next, dairy and poultry farmers will be out of luck.
Is supply management on the table, yes or no?
International Trade November 15th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, we do not have anything against the idea of developing new markets and we understand the importance of the Asia-Pacific zone. That is not the issue. Dairy, egg and poultry farmers are worried. They have seen the Conservatives' contempt for their colleagues in western Canada and the Canadian Wheat Board.
What guarantees is the Prime Minister willing to give that the supply management system will not, under any circumstances, and I mean any circumstances, be sacrificed for the sake of the trans-Pacific partnership?
International Trade November 15th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's about-face on the trans-Pacific partnership took many by surprise. Yesterday, the government said that it was entering these trade negotiations with the intention of protecting our interests, including the supply management system. We now know that Canada was not welcome at the talks precisely because of our supply management system. Something is not quite right.
What changed?
International Trade November 14th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, in this time of economic crisis, improving trade with the APEC countries must be a priority, but the Conservatives must not repeat the mistakes of the past. Canada must insist that strict environmental standards, respect for human rights—which is a priority—and respect for workers' rights be central to any new trade agreement.
Given the Conservatives' track record in this regard, what assurance can the government give that the trans-Pacific partnership will make these rights a top priority?
International Trade November 14th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, any trade agreement must first and foremost help to develop our communities, particularly communities that depend on agriculture. In June, the government was very clear: it was going to defend the supply management program.
The question now is: will the Conservatives take the same approach that they used with the Canadian Wheat Board and try to do away with the supply management program for poultry, eggs and dairy products?
International Trade November 14th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, until now Canada has been excluded from the trans-Pacific partnership trade talks largely because of our insistence on protecting our dairy and poultry industries.
The Prime Minister has a poor record as a negotiator, but now he says that the United States wants us in the talks.
I would like to know, what has changed? What will Canada give up in order to be allowed into the trans-Pacific partnership trade talks?
Justice November 2nd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, another province, British Columbia, is also unhappy and has raised concerns.
With the Conservatives playing hide and seek on the costs, provinces like British Columbia do not even know how big the final bill will be.
British Columbia's solicitor general, Shirley Bond, said:
Any time you impose minimum sentences there are going to be downstream impacts for us just in terms of capacity and cost....
How much will British Columbia have to pay to implement the Conservatives' prisons agenda?
Justice November 2nd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, it is not only Quebec that is unhappy, but Ontario is unhappy as well with the Conservatives' plan to download the costs of its wrong-on-crime agenda to the provinces.
To quote Premier McGuinty:
[I]f, for example, you want us to build new prisons in Ontario and staff those prisons with highly trained personnel, that's an additional cost to us and it is incumbent upon you, as the creator of those costs, to come up with the money.
Will the Conservatives come up with the money, or just download the costs of its prisons agenda onto the provinces?
Justice November 2nd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, this is what the Quebec justice minister had to say about the Conservatives' approach to justice: “The solutions proposed by Bill C-10 do not meet the stated objective of public safety, nor do they address the actual needs of punishing offenders and preventing crime and recidivism.” The Government of Quebec has said that it will not pay for the Conservatives' regressive strategy.
Are the Conservatives going to make Quebec pay against its will?