Raymonde Folco

[Education, April 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to be able to answer the member's question. We are pleased to announce that we are expanding the Canada study grants which will provide better post-secondary access for those with disabilities, women in non-traditional doctoral studies, part time students and students with dependants.

In its most recent budget, our government announced investments of $10 million for two measures which will help disabled students pay for the costs of their education. We will be increasing the Canada study grants now awarded to these students from $5,000 to $8,000, and there will be other improvements as well.

[Softwood Lumber, April 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I want to underline the fact that, as the hon. member is well aware, the employment insurance program can adjust to variations in local unemployment rates. As unemployment rates go up, eligibility criteria become less strict and benefit periods get longer.

I should also point out that 88% of wage earners would qualify for employment insurance benefits. The opposition is well aware of this and these measures have already been taken by the government to help workers.

[Softwood Lumber, April 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I should tell the hon. member opposite that the employment insurance program is already in place to help workers who are laid off. The Council of Forest Industries was informed by the Department of Human Resources Development that the department is prepared to provide to the council the information it needs to support its members all across Canada.

[Denyse Beaudry-Leduc, April 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, recently, the great water colourist from Sainte-Dorothée, Denyse Beaudry-Leduc, showed a large number of her paintings at the Galerie Georges Darvill in Paris.

Ms. Beaudry-Leduc also represented Canada at the biennial in Florence, Italy, a large event at which over 600 professional artists representing 52 countries showed their work.

Marcel Barbeau and Denyse Beaudry-Leduc won the prestigious Lorenzo il Magnifico award at the Biennale Internazionale Dell'Arte Contemporanea. Ms. Beaudry-Leduc is the first Canadian to win this award.

I join with the inhabitants of Laval in congratulating this highly talented woman and wishing her many more years of success in the exercise of her art.

[Question No. 108—, March 19th, 2002]

Human Resources Development Canada, HRDC, is committed to being open and transparent in providing information to Canadians about the management of grants and contributions.

HRDC has been asked to provide the complete list of grants and contributions by federal constituency for 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Information regarding grants and contributions from HRDC is not normally tracked by federal constituency. Considerable effort has been expended in developing a new database to ensure complete and accurate information that can be compiled and made available to Canadians. The new database will be the source of information for future releases of information about HRDC’s grants and contributions by fiscal year.

Information is being compiled for fiscal year 2000-01 and will be posted on HRDC’s Internet site by June 2002.

The information for fiscal year 2001-02 is not yet available as the fiscal year ends on March 31, 2002. Once the information is available for 2001-02, it will be compiled and posted on HRDC’s Internet site shortly thereafter.

[Employment Insurance, March 15th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, again, the minister said this week that, with very few exceptions, people who made mistakes while acting in good faith are not required to pay back an amount greater than the unreported income.

Also, administrative penalties are not imposed on claimants who made a mistake while acting in good faith when they reported their income.

[Employment Insurance, March 15th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is imputing us statements that we never ever made.

The minister was very clear. We were always referring to people who worked while collecting benefits and did not report their income, as required by law.

Throughout this week, we also made it very clear that we are only requiring the payment of additional charges when frauds have been proven.

[Leo Young, March 15th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, a few days ago, the community of Laval lost one of its most prominent figures. After spending many years helping out people in need, Leo Young died at the age of 85.

Mr. Young, who was the co-founder, with his wife Cliffelene Horne, of the non-profit organization called Agape, spent time and energy helping out the poor.

Since 1976, Agape, which, in Hebrew and Greek means “love and sharing within a community”, has been working with poor families of Laval's anglophone and multicultural communities.

Through his work and dedication, Mr. Young succeeded in setting up an organization which has constantly expanded over the years, and which has shown the true meaning of the term agape.

On behalf of the citizens of Laval, I wish to offer my most sincere condolences to his family, his friends and his associates.

[Intellectual Disability, March 12th, 2002]

Madam Speaker, I wish to draw hon. members' attention to the fact that March 1 to 16 is the Semaine québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle.

The theme of this year's week is “Believe... and grow together”. It focuses on the importance of integrating the intellectually disabled into the community. In Quebec, there are more than 224,000 people of all ages who are intellectually challenged. A number of events during the special week will draw attention to this issue.

Recently, a Laval group called Option Travail received funding from Human Resources Development Canada to assist it in helping 24 Laval young people who are intellectually disabled to acquire some work experience. With it, we hope they will be able to take their rightful places in the workforce and in society.

I invite all Quebecers to take time to participate in the activities planned in their community to celebrate the week, because integration is a collective opportunity for us all.

[2002 Winter Olympics, February 27th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, the Olympic flame went out, marking the end of the Salt Lake City winter games and the return of our Canadian athletes.

Among them, Tania Vincent and Amélie Goulet-Nadon, two young athletes from Laval, proudly came home with the bronze medal they won in the 3,000 metre short track speed skating relay. Tania Vincent had already won a bronze medal at the Nagano games, in Japan, in the same event.

Pascal Richard, who grew up in Laval, finished 15th in the skeleton event.

I join my fellow citizens of Laval in congratulating our Canadian athletes who, throughout the Salt Lake City games, made us share their Olympic dream.