Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois campaigned in my riding by introducing a bill affecting Quebec and its regions that concerned the entire Canadian and Quebec forestry program. While we campaigned to represent our fellow citizens, they introduced a bill. To date, as far as I know,

Bloc Québécois  Mr. Speaker, with the Conservatives in power, the Bloc is trying in every way possible to justify its presence in Ottawa. Today the leader of the Bloc and his current heir apparent are accusing the Conservative government of reducing Quebec's weight in this House. Is it not iron

Storytelling Festival  Mr. Speaker, on November 10, 2007, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a wonderful festival in Dolbeau-Mistassini, the Festival de contes et légendes du Saguenay--Lac-Saint-Jean. At the festival, we had the opportunity to see and hear a number of amateur and professional sto

Bloc Québécois  Mr. Speaker, as its name implies, the “Bloc” is powerless to implement any measures in Quebec's interest. As you can see, all it can do is talk, criticize and block. As for the ideas it comes up with, André Boisclair said it best: “when one does not have the responsibility that

Member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord  Mr. Speaker, the member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, a member of the perpetual opposition party, the Bloc Québécois, will celebrate the second anniversary of his re-election to Parliament on January 23. For several years now, he has been trying to move into the limelight, knowing tha

Forestry and Manufacturing Sectors  Mr. Speaker, the electioneering hypocrisy of the Bloc Québécois is very cynical and must be denounced. These elected members are rejecting the government's offer to help manage the forestry and manufacturing crises by repeating that the fate of the workers cannot be dependent on

Manufacturing and Forestry Industries  Mr. Speaker, this month, the Prime Minister announced a $1 billion community development trust fund so that the provinces and territories can help communities and laid-off workers. Among other things, it will support community transition plans and job training in sectors facing l

Bill C-2  Mr. Speaker, if stall tactics could kill, not many Liberals would be left in the Senate. Indeed, while Canadians are calling for action and our government is doing its best to act quickly and responsibly, they are unnecessarily blocking the legislative process that would allow Bi

Official Languages Act  Mr. Speaker, Bill C-482 proposes to amend the Official Languages Act, among other legislation. This bill seems to assume that the Official Languages Act is a barrier to the promotion and use of French in Quebec. And yet the last census, in 2006, disclosed a number of positive dev

The Bloc Québécois  Mr. Speaker, I am very grateful to Denis Gauthier, a constituent of mine from Saint-Félicien, for the clear-eyed description he gave yesterday of the ineffectiveness of the Bloc's political actions. He said: If the members of the Bloc Québécois truly wanted to do something, the

Kraft Hockeyville 2008 Contest  Mr. Speaker, the city of Roberval and the whole riding of Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean are bursting with excitement. Roberval has been named as the first finalist in the Canadian Kraft Hockeyville 2008 contest. This weekend, Roberval will be pleased to welcome a team from CBC, which

Cruise Ship Industry  Mr. Speaker, the development of the Quebec market as a stop for international cruises could turn into an interesting prospect for several of Quebec's coastal regions. Given the current situation in the international cruise ship industry, it is likely that the industry will grow

Mathieu Émond and André Manseau  Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to two Quebec firefighters who died in the line of duty: Mathieu Émond and André Manseau. In paying tribute to her husband, Mrs. Émond reminded us of just how dangerous the profession can be. Firefighters do not just simply look aft

Magdalen Islands Tragedy  Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada offers its most sincere condolences and sympathy to the families and friends of the crewmembers of L'Acadien II. On Friday afternoon, L'Acadien II broke down in the ice northeast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. In the early hours of Saturday, th

The Bloc Québécois  Mr. Speaker, a few months shy of their 18th anniversary, the Bloc members are hoping to dispel the unprecedented existential crisis they are experiencing as the perpetual opposition party. We often hear the Bloc leader say that democracy should not be reduced to just exercising p