Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of informing you that I will share my time today with the member for Okanagan—Shuswap. This member from British Columbia comes from a riding where the forestry industry is equally important. In fact, the head office of Tolko, the fifth-largest forestry company, is in his riding.

Justice  Mr. Speaker, unlike Bloc members, who vote against anti-child-trafficking and exploitation measures, and unlike Liberal senators, who vote against the will of this House, against the will of Canadians, and who oppose putting an end to the two-for-one credit for criminals who are serving time, our government is taking concrete measures to fight crime.

Right Hon. Brian Mulroney  Mr. Speaker, in 1984, Canadians set a new course. With its ambitious tax policies and free trade, the Conservative government of the Right Hon. Brian Mulroney opened wide the doors to the economic prosperity of our country. Through his commitment to fight apartheid and promote rights and freedoms throughout the world, he put his personal mark on essential Canadian values.

Action Plan for the National Capital Commission  Mr. Speaker, I meant the chairperson of the board of directors, not the chief executive officer. I stand corrected.

Action Plan for the National Capital Commission  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Hull—Aylmer for his question. Indeed, the bill provides for a reduction in the number of members of the board of directors from 15 to 14. And 14 is an even number. So, when there is a vote, what will happen in the event of a tie vote? I want to reassure my colleague opposite.

Action Plan for the National Capital Commission  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his question. As I mentioned in my speech, the National Capital Commission stands out from other federal institutions because of its respect for the application and the spirit of the Official Languages Act. For this, as a parliamentarian, I think we can give the commission a tip of the hat.

Action Plan for the National Capital Commission  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to talk about the action plan for the National Capital Commission this afternoon. I am very proud of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities for taking action on this issue. He helped us all recognize the strategic importance of the National Capital Commission.

Action Plan for the National Capital Commission  Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate the member for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell on his defence of a bill to modernize the legislation governing the National Capital Commission. Listening to the opposition, the thought crossed my mind that we have not had an opportunity like this in a long time to finally pass legislation that will modernize the NCC and bring it up to date.

Education  Mr. Speaker, for 13 long years, the Liberals abandoned Quebec's colleges, universities and CEGEPs. During that time, as is their habit and as they are doing this morning, the Bloc members complained but did nothing for Quebec. Once again, they will sit on their hands today while Conservative members from Quebec stand up for Quebec.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. This report is entitled “5,000 Bilingual Positions To Be Filled Every Year: The Role Of Postsecondary Institutions In Promoting Canada's Linguistic Duality”.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, in one country, there are 13 different jurisdictions, that is, 13 sets of laws and 13 legal authorities. Is it normal that a business in his riding of Sherbrooke should be faced with more administrative barriers and tariffs within one country than there are in a group of countries like the European Union for example?

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, my colleague often speaks to me about Quebec. Perhaps one day he will want to make a career there. At present, we have chosen to make a career here, in Ottawa, to defend and act in the interest of the people we represent, in my case, the people of Lévis, Bellechasse and Les Etchemins.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I share my colleague's point of view: respecting provincial jurisdictions is important. One of our government's commitments is to practice open federalism and to work in partnership with the provinces to give our businesses the very best we have to offer. This will help each of our provinces' economies, his and mine, to have access to capital, to develop and to shine on the world stage.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint-Maurice—Champlain for his question. First, it is important to remind my colleague that, according to the International Monetary Fund, the flaw in our financial industry lies within the securities regulation system. If the member had listened to my speech, he would have realized that.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, what a fine lead-in to my speech. I want to tell you at the outset that I am going to vigorously oppose this motion, which is against Quebec’s best interests. I want to tell you that I have listened to some of the speeches by my colleagues who spoke before me. I invite them to do the same, to listen to me, if they wish.