Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, it is both. I was particularly surprised in this case. Call me naive, but I was expecting more funding for the Forges du Saint-Maurice given that the first cannonballs for the War of 1812 were made there. I thought that great things would be happening this year. Instead, the government eliminated 26 jobs and cut the season down to two months, July and August, which is ridiculous.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, the short answer would be to use the word “abject” to describe this bill. I totally agree with my colleague. A lot changed in the last election and this government does not seem to want to take that into account. It is muzzling those who have not taken part in the debates.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, it is with ever-increasing sadness that I rise in the House today, because every time I do so, I am left with the impression that the reasons my constituents elected me are being scorned. That said, I have 10 precious minutes to try to give an informed judgment on a document that is over 400 pages long, and this is only because I am one of the rare, lucky ones who is able to speak in this shortened debate.

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, ever since the announcement was made with great fanfare that a committee would be set up to look into the issue of French in federally regulated workplaces, there has been nothing but silence. An access to information request submitted by the QMI Agency showed that there is not much in the file apart from one press release.

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, I agree with the minister that these things should not be rushed, but at some point, they are going to have to start the process. There was another document in the file. In fact, it was an email from a senior policy advisor in Industry Canada, who was asking, “Are you aware of this?”

Transport  Madam Speaker, the difference is that we in the NDP know how to fulfill our responsibilities. Lands owned by CN and CP are under federal jurisdiction. The government has the power and the responsibility to take action to help the parties reach an agreement. A direct shuttle from the airport to the downtown core would help reduce congestion and greenhouse gases.

Transport  Madam Speaker, 15 years have passed since the Mirabel airport was closed and airport traffic was reassigned to Dorval, yet there is still no fast shuttle between Dorval and the airport. Yesterday we learned that negotiations with Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, which own the route that the shuttle would use, appear to be stalled.

Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act  Madam Speaker, I listened closely to the hon. member's speech. Obviously I understand that he chose, among the innumerable pages of this bill, the passages that seemed most appropriate to him. However, unfortunately, I am going to have to ask him a question about some of the elements that he did not cover, including the appointment of a unilingual anglophone Auditor General, something we have been disagreeing about for weeks.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise this afternoon to present to the House a petition that was signed by dozens of constituents in my riding. They want to do more than just criticize. They are engaging in tangible political involvement by signing a petition and calling on this government to reverse its policy on funding old age security and the guaranteed income supplement.

Air Canada  Mr. Speaker, this evening, thousands of Aveos workers and supporters are going to march in the streets of Montreal. They will not be asking the government for special treatment or money. They will simply be asking Ottawa to apply the law and stop offering phony excuses not to do so.

Air Canada  Mr. Speaker, we are sitting across from a heartless government that refuses to enforce the law while Canadian workers are having trouble making ends meet. While the highly skilled employees of Aveos are on forced leave, Air Canada is relocating jobs to Germany, Italy, Ireland, Hong Kong, and the list goes on.

Language of Work in Quebec  Mr. Speaker, the NDP came up with a solution to protect francophones working in federally regulated businesses in Quebec. The Conservatives voted against it. What is their solution? To create a puppet advisory committee, which we have yet to hear from five months later. Can the minister of conflict of interest tell the House what mandate he gave the committee, how frequently it will meet and when we can expect a report?

Financial System Review Act  Mr. Speaker, I listened very carefully to the hon. member's speech, since his knowledge in this area far surpasses my own. I agree with his criticism about the minimal amount of public consultation—the Conservatives could have easily done better than making a few telephone calls—and, after reading various documents, I would like to get his opinion.

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, there was one. Now there are two: two unilingual anglophone immigration board members in Montreal. Do I have to point out that Montreal is in Quebec, and that the Quebec nation is francophone? This situation is unacceptable not only on the surface, but at the core, because it makes the board members' work inefficient, questionable and perilous.

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, the member says there is no problem in Montreal. So why did the Supreme Court quash one decision? Bilingualism is considered merely an asset when people are applying for the job. It should be an essential requirement for the Montreal office. In this kind of environment, language skills are extremely important.