Mr. Speaker, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.
House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2019, with 30% of the vote.
Questions Passed as Orders for Returns November 27th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.
Questions Passed as Orders for Returns November 27th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 18 and 76 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women November 23rd, 2007
Mr. Speaker, November 25 has been declared International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Violence against women affects every one of us. It destroys families and communities and weakens our social fabric. It knows no bounds: age, race, income, geographic location or social status. Who among us has never been affected by violence against women in some way?
On the eve of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, let our thoughts go out to these girls and women, too many to count, who throughout history and still today, in Canada and in the rest of the world, are victims of this terrible sickness plaguing our society.
Let us vow to take tangible action, in our personal lives and in our communities, to put and end to all forms of violence against women, girls, and young girls in particular, once and for all.
Economic Update October 31st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, Bloc Québécois members should be ashamed of themselves for having opposed the economic update, thereby refusing to invest in our families and our future.
For the past 20 months, we have been providing families with strong leadership for a better Canada, and our record speaks for itself. One and a half million families and 2 million young children are now benefiting from the monthly $100 child tax benefit. A permanent cut to the GST, reducing it to just 5%, will take effect in January 2008, in addition to lower personal income tax rates for all Quebeckers, thereby reducing the burden on families. And what about the registered disability savings plan, which helps parents save money to ensure the long-term financial security of their severely disabled children? It is the first program of its kind in Canada.
Talking for the sake of talking is not part of the Conservative way. We leave that to the Bloc. In contrast to the perpetual impotence of their empty rhetoric, we offer strong leadership and we keep our word.
Andrée Boucher October 19th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, when Mayor Boucher passed away in August, the Quebec City region lost a great woman. Today, I would like to pay tribute to her.
She was a wife, mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, cousin, friend, schoolteacher, city councillor and mayor. She left an indelible mark on the Quebec City region. She went beyond politics to become a model for women who, like her, want to change things. She chose a path that, until recently, has been trodden mostly by men.
Today, we should pay tribute to this woman who was a pioneer in municipal politics. By turns funny and severe, she navigated challenging waters with great dignity. I will remember this captivating woman for her respect for the citizens of Quebec City and for being who she was with integrity and without apology. Farewell, Andrée Boucher.
Governor General's Awards October 17th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the Governor General's Awards in commemoration of the “persons” case pay tribute to the determination and dedication of the famous five. These national awards salute women who are working to promote women's full participation in building our country.
Today, six Canadian women who are upholding the tradition of courage and determination started by the Famous Five received the 2007 Governor General's Award. These outstanding women are Mildred Burns of Montreal, Shari Graydon of Kingston, Élaine Hémond of Quebec City, Wendy Robbins of Fredericton, Muriel Smith of Winnipeg and Viviana Clavijo of Toronto.
On behalf of our government, I would like to express our recognition and admiration for these inspiring women, who are working steadfastly and with conviction to promote women's full participation in all facets of Canadian society.
Speaking of justice, I would like to point out that all the work the Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages has done makes me proud of our government's commitment in this area. I find that our government has shown a strong commitment toward linguistic duality and minority official language communities.
The Minister of Finance, showing his unequivocal support, increased funding for linguistic duality and minority official language communities for the next two years by $30 million. This new funding comes in addition to the envelopes already budgeted for the official languages support programs.
This additional funding has been allocated for after school and cultural activities and for community centres, and will help enhance the benefits related to linguistic duality for children, through exchanges and programs. This good news was received warmly by our partners in the minority official language communities.
Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to respond to the question from the member for Gatineau about the court challenges program and the responsibilities of the Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages with respect to official language minority communities.
As he knows very well, a case concerning the court challenges program is presently before the courts. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for me to comment at this time.
However, I would like to make a few comments about what our government has accomplished for official language minority communities throughout our country. I am convinced that this will be of great interest to the member for Gatineau.
Since taking office, the Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages has made a point of meeting official language minority communities in all regions of the country.
For example, in April, she participated in a round table in New Brunswick with young Acadians discussing the concerns of and matters of interest to young people. These youths were very engaged and she was quite impressed by their enthusiasm. We firmly believe that it is important to strengthen relationships with young people in order to ensure the future of the official languages.
She also had the opportunity to meet with many members of the network of associations in New Brunswick, including the Société nationale des Acadiens, the Société des Acadiens et and the Fédération de la jeunesse francophone du Nouveau-Brunswick.
Because we believe that young people are important, the Government of Canada has signed improved four-year agreements with the 13 provinces and territories for minority language education and second language learning. These agreements reflect our desire to invest in the future of Canada's youth.
In addition, our government is continuing to support new school and community centres. Two examples come to mind.
First, our government and the Government of Saskatchewan have signed an agreement to build and renovate school and community centres for the École canadienne-française in Saskatoon. This two-year agreement, worth over $3 million, will help francophone youth get a good education in their own language.
Second, the Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages recently signed a special agreement with New Brunswick to set up two school and community centres, one in Fredericton and one in St. John.
The concept of the school and community centre dates back to the late 1970s. There are currently about 20 such centres in the four Atlantic provinces, Ontario and the Prairies. These centres provide minority official language communities with a variety of activities and services in their language, which helps them preserve that language.
The Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages also recently announced funding to set up an institute to support the development of second language learning across Canada. The institute is based at the University of New Brunswick, which makes perfect sense, considering how important linguistic duality is to that province.
The federal government is also partnering with the Government of New Brunswick to implement its—
Mr. Speaker, I will not get into a debate about court challenges at this time, because, as we all know, that matter is currently before the courts. Furthermore, I am fully aware of the fact that we will be debating a motion calling for that program to be re-instated next week. To enter into such a debate now would therefore be a waste of precious time at taxpayers' expense. We will be pleased to debate this next week.
I would like to remind my hon. Bloc colleague that everyone is entitled to their opinion. Whether they are for or against it, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and no one who testified before the Standing Committee on Official Languages should have their reputation tarnished.
We are working in cooperation with all members, and all members are entitled to their opinion. As for—
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to the comments made by my Bloc colleague in the House on May 16.
The Government of Canada has not trampled on the equality rights of any Canadian. Our government is committed to ensuring that its laws respect human rights. It is the rightful responsibility of the government to do so. Our government is accountable to the Canadian public for establishing priorities and ensuring that every tax dollar is used as effectively as possible and in the interests of all Canadians.
As you know, the court challenges program was instituted in 1978. Its initial objective was to help minority language groups or individuals to assert their linguistic rights under the Constitution. In 1985, the mandate of the CCP was broadened to include groups asking for equality, or in other words, members of our society faced with any form of discrimination.
The purpose of the program was to clarify the scope of equality rights and language rights by making it possible to launch test cases dealing with these issues, thus establishing the case law in this area. Given that the program was in existence for some 30 years, those supporting its reinstatement must recognize that we now have a fair body of case law in language and equality rights.
We have stated many times that it is the government's responsibility to ensure that legislation and policies respect the constitutional standards set out in the Charter. We will continue to do so. It is also important to recognize that since the program was created, Canadian society has made significant progress with respect to language rights and equality.
For example, in 1988, the government of the day strengthened the Official Languages Act by stating that federal institutions were committed to supporting the growth and development of official language minority communities.
Also in 1988, the government passed the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, making Canada the first country in the world to enact such legislation. The act confirms that multiculturalism is a fundamental value for Canadian society and the Government of Canada. Through the multiculturalism program, the Government of Canada finances projects that recognize the value of our diversity and address issues facing cultural communities.
For example, consider the foreign credentials recognition issue. Access to the job market is crucial to the integration of ethnocultural communities. Our government recognizes that people with foreign credentials often encounter major obstacles. We are committed to doing everything in our power to help them overcome those obstacles.
That is why we are funding projects to support professionals as they take the necessary look at job market access. This will enable new Canadians to begin the qualification process and search for a job that matches their talents, abilities, and above all, their experience.
Furthermore, our government has cut the permanent residence fee in half and has allocated over $300 million to additional settlement measures.
With respect to official language minority communities—