Steven Blaney

[Points of Order, March 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to go back to the point of order that was raised after question period.

My honourable colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, mentioned Mr. Latulippe's appointment to a high-profile position. Mr. Latulippe was solicitor general in Robert Bourassa's Liberal government. Mr. Latulippe's thinking has changed over time. He was once a sovereignist.

During question period, I said that he understood that one could be both a Quebecker and a Canadian. Now he is going to head up an organization. Mr. Latulippe's appointment as president of Rights & Democracy is an excellent choice for Quebec and for Canada. He understands that one can be a Quebecker and a Canadian, and I wish him well in his new post.

[Economic Action Plan, March 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, while the Bloc MPs are shamefully abandoning Quebec workers at the height of the worst economic crisis in decades by voting against thousands of infrastructure projects and hundreds of millions of essential infrastructure dollars for Quebec, all the Conservative MPs are standing up for Quebec and working hard to keep their promises and support our economy.

Can my colleague, the hon. member for Roberval and minister of state for economic development, talk about what our government intends to do in the second year of the economic action plan, which is good for Quebec and for Canada?

[Economic Action Plan, December 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government's implementation of our remarkable economic action plan proves to what extent we continue to take initiative and listen to the concerns of the people of Quebec.

Again yesterday, we saw the Bloc members express their indignation. Yet the Bloc leader and Bloc members stayed seated in this House throughout the fall, instead of standing up for Quebeckers, which is what the Conservative members have been doing.

All Canadians are calling for action. That is why we are working for the communities, businesses and workers affected by the global economic downturn. The effects are positive and encouraging. Canada's economy is stabilizing and has started to recover. We will forge ahead. Our economic action plan is helping many sectors, and ensuring that Quebec and Canada emerge from the current crisis stronger than ever.

[Committees of the House, December 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you happy holidays.

I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, which decided to adopt a motion on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, regarding the publication assistance program and the new Canada periodical fund.

[Petitions, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present the attached petition, which has been certified correct as to form and content, on behalf of the citizens of Sainte-Sabine-de-Bellechasse, a beautiful community in Etchemins.

Of course, the petitioners' concern has to do with keeping rural post offices open, considering the vital role they play within their communities. I am presenting this petition here today on their behalf.

[Committees of the House, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages entitled: Impact of Approval and Payment Delays on Department of Canadian Heritage Recipient Organizations.

[Quebec Bridge, December 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take part in this evening's debate, not only as the MP for the communities of Lévis, Bellechasse and Les Etchemins, but also as a civil engineer. It is often said that engineers in Canada wear a ring made from pieces of the bridge that fell during the tragic accidents that took place while the Quebec bridge was being constructed, to remind us that to err is human and that engineers must always be very careful in their design.

A clear consensus is emerging here this evening, which is to recognize the historical importance of the Quebec bridge as well as the importance of this vital link connecting Lévis to Quebec City, as well as the Chaudière-Appalaches region—which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year—to the Quebec City area. However, not everyone agrees on how to go about preserving the integrity and sustainability of the Quebec bridge. We saw the Liberals really improvising here this evening, with erroneous facts in their speeches, particularly about the agreement signed by the Quebec government and the use of the Quebec bridge. Of course we saw the NDP wanting to squander public funds without any guarantees, and we saw the Bloc dithering.

Before entering into the political debate as such, I would like to commend the remarkable work of a person who has contributed to keeping the importance of the Quebec bridge alive in the collective consciousness. Author Michel Lébreux has written two remarkable books on the history of the Quebec bridge, books that serve as benchmarks on the subject. He gives lectures on a regular basis. It is people like him who contribute to keeping the importance and vitality of the Quebec bridge on everyone's minds. I encourage him to keep it up because there is still a great deal of work to do to preserve the memory and future of the Quebec bridge.

I can say this evening that I am convinced the Quebec bridge will play a fundamental role in clearing up the problems of traffic congestion. I am talking about the problems encountered daily by thousands of my constituents. I was talking to one of my constituents this evening. It took him an hour and a quarter to cross from Quebec City to Lévis. The connection between the two shores needs to be improved and I think the railroad is the answer and the Quebec bridge is the key to it all.

Getting back to the matter at hand, I want to point out that the Bloc Québécois' recent change of heart on this issue is somewhat disconcerting. Allow me to explain. A little less than a year ago, the Bloc leader stated that the solution was to have Ottawa take charge of the work, pay for it, and send the bill to CN. If Ottawa lost, it would have to take responsibility and cover the costs. In other words, the Bloc Québécois leader was brazenly asking taxpayers and the federal government to do two contradictory things, while completely ignoring the serious and complex issues that are currently the subject of a court case.

On the one hand, they wanted the federal government to unilaterally take charge of work on a bridge that does not belong to it, and to cover the cost of that work, while on the other, they wanted the federal government to take CN to court for reimbursement. That is not logical, and it is damaging to the federal government's position in the current approach to achieving long-term resolution to the problem.

A year later, the Bloc Québécois has changed its mind and now—as we can see from the motion brought forward by the member for Louis-Hébert—it thinks that the government should buy the Quebec bridge for $1 and commit to completing the work as soon as possible.

In view of the incoherent change in the Bloc Québécois position on the Quebec City bridge, can we really take this motion seriously given that the Bloc may change its mind in six months? We even wonder if it is going to support its own motion when the time comes to vote. We will always support long-term solutions to the problem.

We realize that the Bloc Québécois will never be in power and therefore that this political party could change its mind depending on which way the wind is blowing. While the Bloc has been altering its position, changing its mind and tossing out ideas, our government has already taken tangible and responsible action to ensure that the bridge is repaired and remains safe. In this regard, our government recognizes the importance of maintaining the bridge in good repair and it is taking steps to ensure that this objective is attained.

It is not—

[Agriculture, November 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we all know that Quebec agricultural producers can count on the Conservative government when it is time to take action for agriculture.

Unlike the Bloc members, Ottawa's very own armchair quarterbacks and sideline observers, can the Minister of State for Agriculture explain the government's policy on supply management? How is our government going to defend supply management internationally?

[Child Pornography, November 24th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in a world where technology is evolving every day, our government is taking action to protect Canadians, and more specifically, our children, against computer crimes.

Child pornography is a crime that should not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Today, our Minister of Justice announced a bill that would require suppliers of Internet services to report any information they receive concerning Internet child pornography cases. This bill will help us better protect our children from sexual exploitation.

Everyone knows that, on justice issues, Liberal and Bloc members too often defend the rights of criminals over the rights of victims. What will they do about the child pornography bill?

Fortunately, Quebeckers know that they can count on our Prime Minister, our government and the Conservative members from Quebec to defend the rights of victims and honest citizens.

[Economic Recovery Act (Stimulus), November 16th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I was listening to the speech by my colleague, who spoke about the public's lack of trust in politicians. He was speaking rather sarcastically about politicians. And yet he had the opportunity to rise in this House to support the economic action plan, which helps workers, provides home renovation tax credits and tangible measures to help Quebeckers make it through this global downturn. He says that his party defends the interests of Quebec but when the time comes to rise and to vote, he remains seated.

I would like him to explain why he will not vote for Canada's economic action plan, a real measure to help the people of Quebec in these tough economic times.