House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 24% of the vote.
Petitions October 19th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to present a petition that calls on the Government of Canada to save Canada's Experimental Lakes Area and to recognize the importance of the ELA to the Government of Canada's mandate to study, preserve and protect the aquatic system, reverse the decision to close the ELA research station and continue to staff and provide financial resources to the ELA at the current or a higher level of commitment.
Workplace Safety October 19th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, as if things were not bad enough, there is more. The Conservatives are eliminating the Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission. The commission was necessary to ensure that employers and workers have all the information they need when handling hazardous materials. One of the government's primary responsibilities is to protect the public.
Why are the Conservatives putting the safety of workers at risk?
The Environment October 19th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, this is a sad day for our country. The government has decided that the vast majority of our waterways no longer require the protection of one of our oldest environmental laws. This move to emasculate the Navigable Waters Protection Act is another irresponsible measure in the Conservatives' monster bill. Our waterways are one of our greatest natural resources, underpinning future generations' quality of life. Now, only 97 of the 32,000 lakes in Canada will be protected.
Why is this government putting our waters at risk just to please its friends in the oil sector?
Homelessness Awareness Night October 19th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, this evening thousands of people across Quebec will take part in the 23rd Nuit des sans-abri. In Laval, we will gather at 7 p.m. in the Collège Montmorency parking lot. We will all spend the night together under the stars in order to break the silence and remember that, every night, one of our own sleeps in the streets.
I would like to sincerely thank the Réseau des organismes et des intervenants en itinérance de Laval, which has organized this event for the seventh consecutive year. Laval is not alone in facing the challenge of homelessness. Although perceived as a well-heeled city, Laval does have homeless people.
A number of organizations working in this field receive federal funding under the current homelessness partnering strategy, the HPS. The region receives an annual amount that is not nearly enough to meet real needs, but our main concern is ensuring that the HPS will be renewed, period.
I sincerely hope that the government will renew the budget allocation for the HPS as quickly as possible. We have an opportunity to change our world for the better and the power to do so right now.
Justice October 18th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, it is sad that I have only one minute to respond to my colleague, especially when he did not listen to a single word of my speech. All he did was reiterate the wonderful measures his party has taken.
I love hearing about this government, which claims to be tough on crime and committed to a balanced justice agenda. We all think it is a good idea to lock up child pornographers, as my colleague across the way says, and put criminals behind bars. However, the government must not close prisons or put inmates two to a cell. Most importantly, it must not put correctional officers' lives at risk, as I just said in my speech.
There are some serious inconsistencies in what my colleague is saying. It is quite a stretch to say that they have a balanced approach. What does my colleague think about that?
Justice October 18th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to rise in the House to speak about an issue that I have been working on a lot lately, particularly in my capacity as deputy critic for public safety and as a member of Parliament for a riding that houses three federal penitentiaries.
On May 15, the Minister of Justice completely rejected the calculations of Quebec authorities that said that 1,000 people are imprisoned each day in Quebec alone. Yet, these calculations are based on fact and come from a reliable source. In fact, Quebec's public safety department estimates that the government's Bill C-10 will increase the prison population by 20%. That means an additional 1,000 people in the prison system, which is already 96% full.
The current facilities already do not have enough room for inmates, and now this government has decided to close two prisons and a treatment centre, including the Leclerc medium-security facility, which is located in my riding. Once again, the Minister of Public Safety is making ill-considered, ad hoc decisions without thinking about the consequences. Then, he is telling us that it will not cost a penny more. It does not make any sense.
Prison populations are being moved, other prisons are being expanded, and employees are being moved. These things cost money. The Minister of Public Safety also said that he did not see any problem with double-bunking in prisons. Double-bunking jeopardizes the safety of both correctional officers and inmates. This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in a symposium on overcrowding in Canadian prisons organized by the John Howard Society of Canada.
Experts agree that double-bunking is not a solution. When we take the time to think it over, it is clear that putting two individuals with two completely different profiles in the same cell designed for just one inmate increases the risk of confrontation. Confrontation between inmates also puts the safety of correctional officers in danger since these men and women have to manage these prisoners and juggle their different profiles.
Members of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers are concerned about the repercussions Bill C-10 will have for the institutions. Their working environment will change completely. This will make their jobs even more stressful. It also means that they will be risking their lives every day with a significantly larger prison population. They feel that the penitentiaries are already overcrowded as a result of prison closures, budget cuts to the Correctional Service of Canada and the longer sentences imposed on new inmates.
I work with the union on a regular basis, especially regarding the closure of the Leclerc institution in my riding, and I have had the opportunity to visit the institution many times. I also had the opportunity to visit the other penitentiary that is closing its doors, the Kingston penitentiary, and Kingston's regional treatment centre.
These decisions do not make any sense. How can the government close institutions, cut CSC's budgets, impose longer sentences on inmates and think that it will not cost a penny more? How does this government plan to manage this disaster caused by its lack of judgment without compromising public safety and without spending a penny? Did the minister or the parliamentary secretary at least visit these institutions or consult experts in the field or the employees before applying these draconian measures?
Public Safety October 18th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, obviously the Conservatives are having some internal communication problems. They are contradicting each other left and right. Many foreign countries have been very clear. Huawei and certain other state-owned Chinese businesses constitute a threat to national cybersecurity. Yet the minister continues to be evasive and refuses to specify the nature of the threats.
Why not be more transparent? What threats have been identified by the Prime Minister's spokesperson?
Public Safety October 18th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister's spokesperson said the government will invoke a national security exemption for Shared Services Canada. Yesterday, when the Minister of Public Safety was asked about this exemption he said that he did not know where they got that information. They should talk to each other.
If the Minister of Public Safety does not know about this national security exemption, how can we trust that Huawei will not be getting contracts to control our critical national security infrastructure?
Business of Supply October 18th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague opposite for his speech.
People across the country have talked about the contaminated meat crisis. It has significantly affected people in my riding, who unfortunately have less and less confidence in the meat and ground beef on store shelves in Laval. As a future mother, I too am very concerned about the fact that these things are possible in our country and that this crisis has affected the entire country, in all provinces.
I am also concerned about the cuts to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The real numbers indicate that in March 2011 and March 2012, employees were let go: over 250 jobs were eliminated. That is why I fear for my family and my constituents.
Does my colleague not find it a little strange that his party is saying that these cuts will in no way affect the health of Canadians?
Business of Supply October 16th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in the House to thank my colleague for the excellent speech she just made. It was lovely. I really liked the imagery she used. It is very refreshing to hear in the House, especially when we hear all kinds of demagogic comments from the other side of the House.
Where to start? I know that my colleague works hard on democratic reform and on everything to do with our parliamentary system. It is very important to her, and I know that she wants to do the right thing here. What would happen if we did not have omnibus bills? Would it attract and encourage the next generation of MPs to come work in the House? Would they find that more democratic?