Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999  Mr. Speaker, I am sorry to hear that the member opposite is confused. I think my presentation was quite clear. I think the purpose was just as clear. Decisions have been made in Quebec. Perhaps the member is not aware of the Government of Quebec's decision to build only one ethanol producing facility as part of its energy strategy.

Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to speak today on Bill C-33, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. Let us make it clear right at the start that the purpose of this government bill, which in itself contains no standards whatsoever, is to authorize the government to enact regulations governing the Canadian production of biofuels.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, apparently the parliamentary secretary does not know what a priority intervention zone committee is. They are also known as ZIPs. The upper St. Lawrence ZIP will exhaust its line of credit on May 30. After that, the employees will be dismissed. Will the minister take this situation seriously and make sure that these employees, who are dedicated to protecting the St.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, last week, I asked the Minister of the Environment about the precarious financial position of the upper St. Lawrence and southern estuary priority intervention zone committees. Their previous contribution agreements with Environment Canada expired on March 31, and they are still waiting for the department to sign new ones.

Official Development Assistance Accountability Act  Mr. Speaker, I too want to join with the hon. members who spoke before me in congratulating the hon. member for Scarborough—Guildwood on his excellent work, perseverance and tenacity. He knows he can count on the Bloc Québécois to support the Senate amendments. This motion gives us an opportunity to debate them.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, we are precisely talking about the ZIP committees for areas of prime concern. The minister's refusal to confirm funding for these groups directly affects tangible environmental initiatives. For example, the upper St. Lawrence and southern estuary ZIP committees had to fire over 50% of their staff, because the minister refuses to sign the funding agreement.

Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member opposite for his explanation. I would like to understand whether the proposed amendment in fact removes the compensation under subsection 30(1). In the current bill, a victim of a nuclear incident who applies for compensation has 30 years to do so.

Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act  Mr. Speaker, it is hard to comment on such projections. The debate is not over. We know that the government is currently conducting a study on Atomic Energy of Canada. This morning the Minister of Natural Resources appeared before our committee. He told us that the study was not finished and that privatizing Atomic Energy of Canada is still a possibility.

Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak about Bill C-5 and debate the amendments proposed. Perhaps we should remind the people who are watching why we are debating this bill today. As it happens, this bill was introduced by the government in October 2007. It is now May 2008. Many months passed before this bill was put back on the agenda.

Agriculture and Agri-Food  Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois presented a motion that would force the government to ensure that if Bill C-33 passes, the implementation of the regulations would not increase the proportion of Canada's corn production currently dedicated to ethanol production. Will the government act responsibly on the issue of the current food crisis and support this motion?

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to this debate on Bill S-3. I will start by saying that the Bloc Québécois is opposed in principle to Bill S-3. The Bloc Québécois has a responsible approach to analyzing such bills, because we believe that any anti-terrorism legislation must strike a balance between maintaining safety, which is very important, and respecting the other fundamental rights.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague from across the way on her speech. She defends her arguments and her party's position passionately and with conviction. Further, she knows very well that the Bloc Québécois and the NDP will vote against Bill S-3 This makes me think about how each time I see a woman rise in this House, I am reminded of how few of us there are.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague from Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel on his excellent presentation. I have a quick question for him. I have been listening to the debates all morning, and I am hoping that he can explain what is between the lines in this bill.

International Aid  Mr. Speaker, speaking of the food crisis taking hold in many countries, we were told in this House that the government planned to discuss it during major conferences to be held in the coming months. Will the minister responsible for the Sommet de la Francophonie take the initiative and suggest putting this very important matter on the agenda for the Sommet de la Francophonie?

International Aid  Mr. Speaker, the World Bank is calling on all governments for emergency action to prevent the food crisis from plunging 100 million people in poor countries further into poverty. The president, Robert Zoellick, is calling on the international community to give the UN world food program the $500 million in emergency aid it needs by the end of the month.