House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 64% of the vote.
The Environment February 7th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, this government is clear: our system will be based on the principle that the polluter will pay.
So why is the leader of the Bloc attacking both an industry in Alberta and an industry in Ontario? This is not really an environmental question.
The Bloc Québécois' only goal is to separate Quebec from Canada. We support a strong Quebec nation within a strong, united Canada.
The Environment February 7th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting. The leader of the Bloc is still talking about oil industry subsidies. The fact is that this government put an end to income trusts for the oil industry, a special status for some companies. And now the Bloc Québécois is trying to reconsider its position in committee.
Our government's position is clear; the Bloc's position and contradictions are clear.
Government Policies February 7th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the programs the government has been delivering to Canadian families are very clear.
The government's philosophy of federalism is very clear, which is why we have a country that is more united and why we are not talking about waste, about scandal, about corruption and about the bad old days of the centralizing Liberal Party.
Government Policies February 7th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, as the Leader of the Opposition knows, the government has been investing in areas of core federal responsibility like national defence, international trade, security and direct assistance for Canadian families.
On the other hand, it is interesting to note what the Leader of the Opposition wants to do. He wants to kill pension income splitting for seniors. He wants to repeal our tax cuts, including the GST cut. He votes against anti-crime legislation. He wants to take away the child care benefit from seniors, to scrap the softwood lumber agreement, to rip up military contracts and all the benefits to Canadian firms in all regions. We do not want to go back.
Government Policies February 7th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I know that the leader of the Liberal Party is very proud of his centralist philosophy: such is the nature of the Liberal Party.
We have a very different philosophy. That is why, for example, we reached an historic agreement with Quebec on its representation at UNESCO. Furthermore, we will continue to provide direct benefits to the people of Quebec, benefits such as our family allowance that the opposition leader wants to cut.
Child Care February 5th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, this party has delivered a universal child care benefit that Code Blue and the NDP may want to take away, but this party will make sure they cannot take it away.
Once again, as for health care, I know the way the NDP leader wants to shorten wait times: he wants to go to the private clinics himself. I am not going to do that. I am going to keep using the public health care system.
Health February 5th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, this government has every intention of keeping its promise on health care. The fact of the matter is that the government has introduced, with the provinces and on its own, a number of pilot projects on wait times, and we see data out today indicating that wait times are beginning to come down across the country.
This is a long term objective. This government did not promise a quick fix for a generation. That was tried a while back. It did not work out. We are making a serious long term effort and we will have results.
The Environment February 5th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, this government is clear. We intend to have short-term, medium-term and long-term targets.
As for the government's approach, I note that the chair of the Liberal caucus's sustainable environment committee agrees that we can have intensity targets with reductions later. This is necessary in order to control emissions, then reduce them.
The Environment February 5th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, it was this government that put an end to energy trusts, yet the Bloc leader and his party want to revisit that decision.
If the Bloc Québécois is opposed to the oil industry, why is it not criticizing André Boisclair's plans? According to the October 20, 2006, issue of Cyberpresse, Mr. Boisclair wants to explore and develop oil and gas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The Environment February 5th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the audacity of the Liberal leader is incredible. He says that he could not make the targets from 1997 to 2006 and he will not be able to meet them from 2008 to 2012. It turns out the only year he can meet them actually happens to be this year, when he does not have the responsibility.
We finally have a government that is prepared to take realistic action to actually deal with this problem in the long term. Rather than being a naysayer, he should get on board and support these efforts.