Pierre Lemieux

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, November 29th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, since the implementation of the agrirecovery program by the government, producers know that when a disaster strikes, we will be there for them.

Agrirecovery is jointly administered by both the federal government and the provinces, and requires agreement by all levels of government to respond to disasters in a timely fashion.

The member should recognize that two-thirds of producers surveyed by the Auditor General said that agrirecovery was delivered in a timely fashion. Under growing forward 2, the agrirecovery program continues to be an effective tool to help farmers during times of unforeseen market volatility or natural disaster.

[Veterans, November 20th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, on Remembrance Day, I had the honour of being in Hong Kong to commemorate the hundreds of Canadians who gave their lives in the defence of freedom.

As a veteran myself, having served in our Canadian Armed Forces for 20 years, I have reflected upon the service that we provide to our veterans. As a member of government, I am glad that we as Conservatives have provided our veterans with an increase of nearly $5 billion in funding since 2006. That is more money and services in the hands of our veterans. Our military personnel are well trained and hard-working. They serve our country and they deserve our support.

Recently the Minister of Veterans Affairs announced that our veterans can receive up to $75,000 for college, university, or skilled trades certification programs. Our most seriously injured veterans receive a minimum of $62,000 per year in total financial compensation to assist their recovery.

We will not stop there. Our veterans defended us and we will offer our support to them when they need it.

[Petitions, November 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from petitioners calling on Parliament to impose a moratorium on the release of genetically modified alfalfa.

[Employment Insurance, June 13th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the changes to the employment insurance program were made to help EI claimants return to work as quickly as possible.

We understand that people who want to work sometimes lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Employment insurance will be there for them to provide them with temporary income support while they look for a job or upgrade their skills.

Our government recognizes that some Canadians are going through trying times. As I have said many times before in the House, for those who are unable to find work, EI will continue to be there for them, as it has always been.

I would also like to add that our government is focused on job creation, economic growth and long-term prosperity. Those remain our biggest priorities.

[Employment Insurance, June 13th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, changes were made to employment insurance to help unemployed workers find suitable employment. They help them, their family and the local economy. Everyone wins.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear. A claimant would not be required to take a job unless it puts them in a better financial position than being on employment insurance.

What we are doing is helping employment insurance claimants re-enter the workforce, not penalizing them.

We are ensuring that EI is there for people who paid into the system who are without work and who need it.

We also know that not everyone lives the same reality. Personal circumstances are different for everyone. For that very reason, the changes recognize that personal circumstances must be taken into consideration when assessing whether an employment opportunity is suitable.

We take into account the commute, the working conditions, the type of work, the salary, the hours of work and the personal situation. Not one of those factors is more important than the others.

We know Canadians want to work, but some face challenges in finding suitable jobs. They may not know where or how to find available jobs. They may not be aware that their skills match needs in another industry or occupation. Others still may not know about the supports available to help them in their job search.

The changes we made to employment insurance encourage and help unemployed workers find jobs in their region and in their field.

We have enhanced support measures, such as job alerts, to help EI claimants with their job search. With the enhanced job alert system, individuals can receive daily notices regarding new job postings that match their profile.

We are helping EI claimants get back into the job market, as they are always better off working than receiving EI.

We are taking measures to connect employers with job seekers and to keep Canadians in the workforce.

Full-time jobs have been increasing across occupations and in many industries. In fact, since July 2009, employment has grown by over one million jobs. This represents the strongest growth by far among the G7 countries. Of these million jobs, most of them are full-time positions.

Helping Canadians remain active participants in the labour force is important to ensure the economy's continued growth.

Job creation, economic growth and long-term prosperity remain our top priorities.

[Supreme Court, June 13th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we are focusing on the real needs of Canadians, namely strengthening our economy, creating jobs and taking the necessary action to balance the budget.

The member opposite continues to attempt to reopen these debates, but Canadians can rest assured that our government will be focusing on the real priorities.

[Supreme Court, June 13th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as this government has stated before, we have no interest in reopening old constitutional debate.

Our government continues to focus its efforts on the real needs of Canadians: a stronger economy, job creation and the initiatives needed to balance the budget.

While the member opposite continues to attempt to reopen these debates, Canadians can rest assured that our government's focus will be on their real priorities.

[University of Guelph Regional Campus, June 12th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in the House to highlight the important work of Campus d'Alfred, a University of Guelph regional campus in my riding of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell.

The campus is the only francophone agricultural college in Ontario, and a leader in its field. It offers high-quality education, and makes an important contribution to agricultural and environmental research.

I recently had the honour of announcing over $1 million in funding from CIDA. The campus will use this money towards its project to reduce poverty and increase food self-sufficiency in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This a fine, tangible example of excellence in the field of French-language education, agriculture and international co-operation.

I would like to congratulate the campus on its success and wish it the best of luck on its new projects abroad.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, June 7th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to identify that the department is committed to research, and as programs sunset other priority areas, such as innovation, markets and competitiveness continue to be supported in our agricultural policy framework called Growing Forward 2.

Growing Forward 2 has announced a $3 billion investment, over five years, in science and innovation, markets and competitiveness. The department will continue to perform research in areas where it is needed and of higher risk, and the department will collaborate with its partners in industry and academia to leverage priority research.

[Canadian Food Inspection Agency, June 7th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian families trust our food safety system. Following the XL Foods recall, the government launched an independent review to get to the bottom of what happened. We accept all of the recommendations made by the review panel.