Sana Hassainia

[International Trade, February 23rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, in September, Canada and Europe signed a free trade agreement that had been finalized a year earlier. Dairy producers have been worried ever since the agreement was signed. A number of small producers in my region are worried they will have to close up shop if nothing is done to compensate for the massive influx of subsidized European cheese on the market.

The Conservative government said it would compensate producers. However, to this day, dairy producers still do not know how the government plans to address the supply management problem that threatens Quebec's fifth-largest industry.

My question is this: exactly how does the government plan to protect this industry from the downsides of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement?

[Health, February 6th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, since last fall, many people in my riding have shared with me their concern about the alarming number of youth suicides. Since this is suicide prevention week in Quebec, I would like to remind members of some facts.

According to Statistics Canada, suicide was the cause of death for approximately 270 young people aged 10 to 19. What is more, although it is difficult to know how many suicide attempts were made, it is thought that for every death by suicide, there are 200 suicide attempts. It is possible to prevent these deaths, particularly by ensuring that people with mental health disorders have access to all the resources they need.

I would therefore like to know whether this government intends to respond favourably to the request of Partners for Mental Health to create a national youth suicide prevention fund.

[Foreign Affairs, January 27th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, blogger Raif Badawi was convicted in Saudi Arabia for making statements deemed too liberal. His story has made headlines around the world and aroused indignation.

Mr. Badawi is not Canadian, but his family is here. Canada must condemn this appalling situation and take clear diplomatic action in the name of freedom of expression and respect for human rights. I know that this government has already stated several times that it has asked the Saudi government for clemency and to set aside this blogger's sentence, but it is clear that the gesture was not enough.

Can the government tell us what concrete action it will take to reunite Mr. Badawi with his family in Canada?

[Infrastructure, December 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, under the new wastewater systems effluent regulations, there are new national standards that will require a significant upgrade to replace nearly one-quarter of Canada's wastewater treatment systems. According to the Canadian Federation of Municipalities, this will cost more than $18 billion.

The costs to comply with this new standard are forcing many municipalities to decide between increasing taxes or setting aside infrastructure projects that are essential to economic vitality. It would be easier for communities to comply with the established standards if the federal government created a fund to which local and provincial governments could contribute. Does the government plan on honouring the FCM's request to create this fund?

[Taxation, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, it is our job to make sure that available tax benefits really help Canadians meet their children's needs. However, it seems that the regulations are flawed.

If parents are separated and one parent pays child support, the Income Tax Act does not allow that parent to claim his or her children as dependants. Among other things, that prevents parents of disabled children from claiming certain credits, thereby preventing those children from receiving the financial support they are entitled to.

Moreover, families with just one child whose two parents pay child support cannot split the credits.

When will separated parents who pay child support be treated equally in the eyes of the law?

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, October 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in March 2013, the agriInnovation program was created in order to allow farm businesses to apply for financial support for research, development and technology transfer activities.

A company in Contrecoeur, in my riding, submitted an application in June 2013 but did not receive a response for 15 months. Nevertheless, the government has indicated that responses are provided within 100 working days. Clearly, it took far longer than 100 working days.

I have already informed the minister of the situation, but he never got back to me so I am asking the question again.

How long must businesses wait to get a response?

[Public Safety, September 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in March 2012, the Conservative government increased the fees for record suspension applications from $150 to $631, with the proviso that applications would be processed in less than a year.

Oddly, the $631 applications are being processed in less than a year, but a number of applications made before this fee increase still have not been processed despite the 20 or so additional employees who were hired to clear the backlog. Some cases, including a few in my riding, have been dragging on for more than four years. That is unacceptable.

How much longer will Canadians who paid $150, the rate in effect when they filed their applications, be treated as second class?

[Summer in Verchères--Les Patriotes, June 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the summer season is already upon us, and the riding of Verchères-Les Patriotes has some wonderful local products to try.

Today I hope to encourage my constituents to buy local products. This is not some dream. We can be green and prosperous. It is not true that we have to choose between the economy and the environment.

This summer the people of my riding will be able to visit a number of public markets, including those in Sainte-Julie and Boucherville as well as a new one in Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu. Let us discover our local bounty, support our local producers, and reduce our environmental footprint, all while enjoying delicious products.

In closing, I would like to congratulate Suzanne Roy on her election to the prestigious position of president of the Union des municipalités du Québec. Knowing how effective she is and her determination to successfully complete all of the projects she undertakes, I can only commend the UMQ board of directors for putting its trust in her.

I am certain that Ms. Roy, who has been the mayor of Sainte-Julie for nearly nine years and who is also the warden of the Marguerite-D'Youville RCM, will do a wonderful job and bring the same dedication and attentiveness to this position as she does to the residents of the towns she serves.

[Canada Post, April 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, while Canada Post executives pocket $20 million in salaries, the Conservatives are imposing a 58% tax—a draconian increase that is not in line with regular inflation.

I am worried for the poorest members of our society who do not have Internet access and who are looking for jobs and sending their resumés through the mail.

How can the minister stick the bill to the least fortunate who are looking for jobs?

[Railway Safety, April 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I recently discovered that 60 tank cars containing 30,000 barrels of oil from the oil sands will probably be running on the tracks of Boucherville, Varennes, Verchères and Contrecoeur, which are all cities in my riding. This is worrisome and the government has not yet imposed a deadline for the complete elimination of DOT-111 tank cars. This issue was raised many times by the public and the mayors I met during the public consultations on rail safety that I held in Verchères together with my colleague from Brossard—La Prairie. People across the country have mobilized to condemn this government's inaction and to share their concerns with us.

Worst of all, we have learned that there are more things hiding in a new omnibus bill. The Conservatives are now dismantling safety standards for the transportation of hazardous goods. That is unacceptable and, in terms of transparency, the government could not have a worse track record. Canadians are worried. It is the government's duty to protect public safety and to ensure that rail safety is key. I hope that, for once, the Conservatives will be responsible enough to forget about partisanship and think of Canadians' safety.