Sylvie Boucher

[Ethics, October 20th, 2017]

We need a yes or no answer about Bill C-27.

[Éboulements Tragedy, October 20th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago, on October 13, 1997, 43 residents of Saint-Bernard in Beauce were killed at Les Éboulements, which is in my riding, in the deadliest road accident in Canadian history.

The bus carrying members of a seniors club crashed into a ravine at the bottom of the very steep Côte des Éboulements. The 43 victims were very involved in their parish. Despite their passing, their stalwart legacy lives on in future generations.

Twenty years have passed since that tragic day, and our thoughts still turn to those who lost their lives. Two communities were hit hard by the events of that dark day, and they will never be the same again.

Les Éboulements and the rest of Quebec have not forgotten you. We will never forget you.

[Ethics, October 19th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, it is sad to see someone like the Minister of Finance think he is beyond reproach.

The Minister of Finance is responsible for the tax treaty between Canada and Barbados. We just learned that he finally decided to show some common sense thanks to our constant pressure. He finally realized that the noose was tightening around his neck and that he was in a conflict of interest.

Before he put his assets in a trust, did he bother to withdraw from any cabinet discussions related to the tax treaty with Barbados?

[Business of Supply, October 19th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, yes or no, will the party opposite vote in favour of our motion? Will the Liberals join us in defending the softwood lumber industry, for once?

[Business of Supply, October 19th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech.

The question I have for him is as straightforward as it gets: yes or no, will you be voting in favour of our motion, and will you be—

[Business of Supply, October 19th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, it took us three months. The Liberals have been in power for two years now, and so far they have not done much. Maybe today, they should stand up for our industry.

[Business of Supply, October 19th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.

Unfortunately, I may have to correct him. It was the Conservative government that negotiated an extension to the agreement in 2012 to ensure market stability until 2016. Those are the facts.

From 2016 to 2017, we heard nothing. We know negotiations are ongoing, but we hear nothing about them. What I am asking the party opposite to do is to give us the numbers that they are negotiating. We cannot abandon softwood lumber because it is vital to our regions. Every rural region has forests and the industry currently operates in most rural regions. For the sake of the forestry industry, I am calling on the Liberal Party to vote unanimously with us and stand behind the people who work in the industry.

[Business of Supply, October 19th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. He wants an answer. Well, I will give him one:

Let them stand up for the softwood lumber industry. Let them stand up for supply management. Let them stand up for the average Canadian who puts food on the table. Let them stop quoting numbers at us and start talking about people, instead.

[Business of Supply, October 19th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to take part in today's debate, which I think is critically important. Although I used to be a city girl, I am now a proud ruralist, so I really understand how much the government across the way has given in to the Americans.

Whether we are talking about supply management for our municipalities or softwood lumber, we need to be strong and stand up to the Americans. We need to have frank negotiations, as a matter of pride, to save our small towns in places like Charlevoix and Lac-Saint-Jean. Some of these small communities depend entirely on this industry. Softwood lumber is very important to our small towns. Everyone here, across party lines, knows how much those communities need us to fight for them so that the Americans understand that what we are talking about today is negotiable, but also non-negotiable.

We simply cannot jeopardize the softwood lumber trade over a few trivial details. I hope the Prime Minister, who is on the ground there right now, understands this and will send the right message to the right people, specifically, that softwood lumber is a priority. When it is a priority, it must be included in the mandate letter to the minister who is negotiating with the United States. We need to remember that 96% of U.S. softwood lumber imports come from Canada and that 69% of Canadian softwood lumber exports go to the U.S. When you have such conclusive numbers, it is important to negotiate fairly, but more importantly, in a way that is equitable for Canadians. Our citizens, Canadians, Quebeckers, and the people of Lac-Saint-Jean, must not be the ones who lose because this government is sitting on its hands. To negotiate means to speak frankly, but without kowtowing to the U.S.

Our Conservative government negotiated an agreement in late 2006, three months after we took power, in order to settle the softwood lumber dispute. It was also the Conservative Party that negotiated an extension of the agreement in 2012 to ensure market stability until October 2016. It is now 2017. What has been done? What are we debating? What figures can the Liberal Party provide? What has it negotiated? I hope that it has not been at the expense of forestry workers.

Sawmills are closing everywhere. We are not talking just one or two; many sawmills have closed. I am referring to Quebec because that is where I come from. Many of our sawmills have closed and it is unacceptable today to listen to the Liberal Party proclaim that it is the champion of the middle class. Standing up for the softwood lumber industry is a good way to defend the middle class because forestry workers are part of the middle class. They are the ones who work hard for us.

Today, we have no figures and we have no idea where negotiations stand.

There is no mention of the new softwood lumber agreement in any of the mandate letters of the ministers involved in the negotiations. That leaves us with the impression that they could not care less. I hope that we, on this side of the House, are wrong. I hope that we can drop the partisanship and that all members will work together to save supply management and our sawmills.

Today, my comments are directed especially to the people of Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. They must stand up to the Prime Minister. They must be passionate, and even cry if they must, so that their message is heard: today, we want the government to stand tall and be frank in the negotiations in order to save the softwood lumber industry.

It is becoming increasingly obvious that, on issues as important to our small communities as softwood lumber and supply management, the Liberals are happy just to get some good photo ops. People need to eat and they want some reassurance about their future. We do not know what is being negotiated by the other side of the House. We are in the dark. The Liberals are not telling us anything. We do not even know what has been done on this file since 2016, and we probably never will because the Liberals themselves do not even know what direction they are taking with the American administration. That is rather frightening for ordinary Canadians who struggle every day to put food on the table.

We on this side of the House have always stood behind the softwood lumber industry. A number of our ministers have defended the industry, including the hon. Denis Lebel, who fought for his community of Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. He is still fighting for the forestry industry today. I hope that the motion that we moved today will send the clear message that we all stand behind the people who make a living from working in sawmills and the lumber industry. We must not play politics at the expense of workers in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, Charlevoix, and across Quebec and Canada who make a living from this industry. I hope that the government party will understand that this is a heartfelt plea and that we must work together to strengthen our future. We must all stand behind forestry workers.

In my riding, representatives of Greenpeace came to see me to lecture me about the forestry industry, which is unfortunate. I have nothing against the environment. On the contrary, I do everything I can to protect the environment in my riding, but when groups like this attempt to destroy an industry, it is because they do not know enough about it. They do not have all the facts.

It is up to us, the members of Parliament, to listen to industry representatives. Today I am asking the members of the party opposite to join us and vote unanimously in favour of this important motion for workers in the forestry industry, so that we may negotiate honestly and with head held high.

Let us not bend to the United States.

[International Trade, October 16th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, there are reports that the parliamentary secretary announced the government's true position at an event in Washington when he mentioned there would be “room to negotiate” on supply management. This government keeps selling out the farmers in my riding, Lac Saint-Jean, and Quebec as a whole to accommodate Washington. It is plain to see that this government is all too willing to bow and scrape to the United States.

Will the Prime Minister confirm for our farmers that he plans to use them as a bargaining chip, despite claims that supply management is not on the table?