Mr. Speaker, I would simply like to remind the House that, normally, the Speaker must ensure that a member is in his or her seat before he recognizes the member.
House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 33% of the vote.
Petitions March 8th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I would simply like to remind the House that, normally, the Speaker must ensure that a member is in his or her seat before he recognizes the member.
Points of Order March 8th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, saying “the minister responsible for butchering employment insurance” can hardly be considered hurtful here in the House.
The government is butchering the employment insurance program to the point where women working in the fishing industry will not have enough money to stay in their homes.
Points of Order March 8th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate what the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment is saying. However, since when is the word “butchering” an insult? We are talking about—
The environment March 8th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, employment insurance is not the Conservatives' only failure. Far from it.
They also fail when it comes to consulting the public. We recently learned that consultations on the environment and the Old Harry project were quietly abandoned.
For two years, the Minister of the Environment has refused to take responsibility and get the federal government involved in the issue, in response to unprecedented demands from coastal communities in five provinces.
Why does the minister refuse to take responsibility for this?
Employment Insurance March 6th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, the minister responsible for butchering employment insurance says, when she deigns to respond, that her reform will give the unemployed an opportunity to learn a new trade. As she said so well, “That is false; that is completely false.”
Her reform is an attack on the regions, on the productivity of our seasonal industries, on tourism, agriculture and the list goes on.
The Conservatives committed $2 billion to the provinces to train job seekers five years ago. Can they now guarantee the integrity of this fund?
Employment Insurance March 5th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, no one can trust the Conservatives. They want to centralize training programs at the same time they are scrapping employment insurance.
The Conservatives say that the regions are the government's priority and that they will continue to introduce promising economic measures. However, while the Conservatives are drinking their Kool-Aid, people are mobilizing. Yesterday a new alliance appeared, repeating the same message as the coalition from eastern Quebec. These workers are saying no to the destruction of the employment insurance system.
Why are the Conservatives abandoning the regions? Why do they not listen to the real world?
Northern Jobs and Growth Act March 4th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my hon. colleague's speech and I wish to congratulate him, because I learned a lot.
I have a question for him regarding consultation. During the committee meetings, we pointed out that the bill would have been improved if it had been divided into two, with one part dealing with Nunavut and the other with the Northwest Territories. The bill before us reminds me of this government's mammoth budget implementation bills.
Could the member speak to us about parliamentary consultation and the fact that the bill would have been better if it were spilt into two?
Regional Economic Development March 4th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, either the minister is talking nonsense or she does not understand her own reform.
People all over eastern Quebec are angry about the uncertainty created by the Conservative government's policy of abandoning the regions.
We have lost count of this government's underhanded attacks on the regions: gutting employment insurance, abandoning the forestry industry, closing regional post offices and slashing VIA Rail's budget.
Why does the government keep attacking our regional economies? Why do the Conservatives want to suck the life out of the regions?
Employment Insurance February 28th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, a delegation from the Coalition de l'Est sur l'assurance-emploi, which includes representatives from all sectors in the five regions of eastern Quebec, came to Ottawa yesterday to meet with the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. This delegation was representing hundreds of thousands of Quebeckers.
That same day, demonstrations were held in Pointe-à-la-Croix, Chandler, Rivière-au-Renard, the Magdalen Islands, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts and elsewhere in show of support for the delegation. All these people are saying no to the minister's reform.
The delegation met with the minister to explain the very devastating effects of her reform, and the fact that she is not considering the situation in their area. Unfortunately, the delegation left empty-handed, and the minister insinuated that they were spreading lies. The delegation now feels that this government is incapable of listening.
I am proud of the work done so far by the Coalition de l'Est, and I know that it will continue to mobilize against the reform. Employment insurance belongs to workers and employers. The minister must put her reform on hold.
Employment Insurance February 27th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, the question was on employment insurance impact studies. The Minister of Veterans Affairs confirmed that they did not conduct a study. They did not do their job.
The Conservatives' ideological attack on employment insurance is not just hypocritical; it is also bad public policy. Experts agree. A poll of economists shows that most of them think that employment insurance reform will not reduce unemployment, and three-quarters of them are against the Conservatives' aggressive measures.
Why do the Conservatives not listen to the experts instead of attacking seasonal workers?