Stéphane Dion

[Citizenship and Immigration, May 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the commissioner's report points out that the Liberals' objective of having 4.4% of francophone immigrants settle outside Quebec by 2008 was pushed back to 2023 by the Conservatives. The Conservatives have shut down regional offices, abolished the destination Canada and the francophone significant benefit programs, and have reallocated $120 million to purposes other than francophone immigration. In short, they have dismantled the francophone immigration promotion programs.

To fix this mess, the minister promised that he would fix the express entry system. When will he do so? Will he keep a promise for once?

[Copyright, May 1st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the budget will extend copyright for sound recordings from 50 to 70 years. That is what it is in the United States and Europe.

However, the government has done nothing for Canadian songwriters whose works will still be protected for just 50 years after their death. Americans' and Europeans' works are protected for 70 years after their death.

Why has the Conservative government neglected songwriters? Can the parliamentary secretary answer this question about songwriters and not avoid the question like the minister did yesterday?

[National Defence, May 1st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, it is sad to have to mention this, but under the law, the Minister of National Defence is responsible for the Canadian Forces. He is accountable for all matters of national defence.

Why is the minister not responding to this scathing report on sexual harassment in the armed forces? Why did he not ensure that the budget included resources to protect the victims of this despicable abuse? Will he apologize to the victims and personally ensure that the Deschamps report is implemented?

[Employment, April 30th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' inconsistent management approach has made a terrible mess of the temporary foreign worker program.

After leaving this program wide open to abuse, the Conservatives are now going to the other extreme and closing the floodgates to the point where employers are being denied workers they legitimately need to keep our economy going. The Quebec government and the Chambre de commerce du Québec are condemning this mess and have every right to seek to negotiate terms.

When will the Conservatives stop hurting the economy with their incompetence and arrogance?

[Journey to Freedom Day, April 30th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, under legislation unanimously passed by Parliament, every year on April 30, Canadians will now celebrate their fellow citizens of Vietnamese origin. Our country will commemorate the boat people and other Vietnamese refugees who came here and became a part of our country, reminding us that Canada always comes out stronger when it is welcoming, confident and generous.

All together, without excluding anyone, every year we will commemorate the Vietnamese Canadian community's personal and collective sacrifices and celebrate the promising opportunities made theirs, and ours, in a Canada made stronger by their welcome presence and outstanding contributions.

Every year, we will celebrate together the uplifting symbiosis that arose between the Canadian and Vietnamese identities. What a great opportunity to remember where we come from, to better understand where we want to go together.

[International Dance Day, April 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, today marks International Dance Day. Thus, let us express, show and tangibly demonstrate our support for dancers, choreographers and producers, who on the world's stages selflessly and spectacularly remind us that dance is a wonderful activity and an incredible art that we as legislators need to encourage and support. What else than dance better connects human beings with their bodies and souls, emotions and energy, and in some ways with the whole universe?

All of us here will take part in the upcoming election dance. We know that practising politics is like dancing on eggshells and the slightest misstep, the slightest poorly executed pirouette can result in a big mess. Let us commend our dancers and show our support and admiration for these individuals, who are far more graceful than we are.

Let us dance today and for that matter, every day.

[Christine Stewart, April 28th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate a life of service. Christine Stewart passed away last Saturday. She dedicated her life to her family and to social service, as a nurse, school board trustee, tireless volunteer involved in charities, arts bodies, international development, co-founder of NGOs whose names are, as such, a reflection of her whole life: “Horizons of Friendship” and “Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank”.

She invested her passion as a Liberal MP for the riding of Northumberland, which she proudly represented from 1988 to 2000.

As secretary of state, she improved Canadian involvement in Latin America and Africa. As minister of the environment, Christine Stewart negotiated and signed the Kyoto protocol, improved the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Species at Risk Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

After leaving politics, Christine never stopped her life of service. She will be deeply missed.

[Genocide Recognition, April 24th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech and his initiative. I am pleased to co-operate to ensure that all communities will be on board. As he knows, we should perhaps consider adding another genocide that unfortunately happened to our friends in Bosnia. I would like to hear his views on that. As we have agreed, I understand that will not be today.

My colleague from Montreal has spoken with the minister. However, it might be good to explain where we are with respect to that, to ensure Canada is willing to commemorate in the month of April all of the genocides, including the one that happened in Bosnia.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 24th, 2015]

With regard to materials prepared for past or current Parliamentary Secretaries or their staff from April 1, 2011, to March 31, 2013: for every briefing document or docket prepared, what is (i) the date, (ii) the title or the subject matter, (iii) the department's internal tracking number?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 24th, 2015]

With regard to materials prepared for past or current Assistant Deputy Ministers or their staff from April 1, 2011, to March 31, 2013: for every briefing document or docket prepared, what is (i) the date, (ii) the title or the subject matter, (iii) the department's internal tracking number?