Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Official Languages and I are extremely proud to be starting our study on the modernization of the Official Languages Act, which is turning 50 this year. This act has helped Canadians make great strides in linguistic development and identit

Holiday Season in Madawaska—Restigouche  Mr. Speaker, as we go into the holiday season, I want to take this opportunity to thank the people of Madawaska—Restigouche for placing their trust in me every day. This historic building is about to close its doors for renovations, so let me say that it has been an honour and a

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I have a question for my colleague from Richmond—Arthabaska. He extolled none of the virtues of the current government, and yet he could have talked about the Canada child benefit, for example, or the incredible gains made through our multilateral international agree

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, with a certain pettiness and mean-spiritedness that he has perfected, my hon. colleague from Cariboo—Prince George insinuated earlier that my colleague from Central Nova is incapable of understanding the needs of his constituents because he left his region for a time

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, due to the current crisis facing the francophone community of Ontario, official languages minority groups have reason to wonder if their rights will be questioned every time a new government comes to power. As our Canadian society evolved, our predecessors rightly a

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, today, Franco-Ontarians are rallying in response to the Ontario Conservative government's decision to abolish the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner and cancel the project to build a French-language university in Toronto. In the meantime, here in Par

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, in September, the government released a report, saying that Canada's economy was strong and growing and that by this time next year, the typical middle-class Canadian family would be $2,000 better off as a result of our plan. Nevertheless, there is still work to be

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to know what my colleague from Alfred-Pellan thinks about the Conservative opposition's chest thumping, as it claims to be protecting Canada's borders from the terrorists that return here. The Harper Conservatives cut the budget of our security agencies

National Defence Act  Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Acadie—Bathurst asked our colleague from Edmonton West an excellent question earlier, but we have not had an answer. In case he did not understand the question, I will repeat it: does he agree with the provisions of Bill C-77?

Firearms Act  Madam Speaker, I have a question for my colleague from Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles. We saw the previous government's antics with respect to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and there is also the fact that they were forced to reverse course a few times by the Supr

Madawaska—Restigouche  Mr. Speaker, with summer fast approaching, communities all across my riding will be hosting festivals, activities, and powwows. There will be something for everyone. However, the strength of my riding resides in its open spaces, and in the beauty of its lakes, forests, and river

Workplace Safety  Mr. Speaker, this is North American Occupational Safety and Health Week. It is an opportunity to raise awareness among employers, employees, stakeholders, and the general public about the importance of preventing workplace injuries and illnesses. Every day, in my riding and acros

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I have a question for my colleague. First of all, I can assure her that I am every bit as anxious as she is to have our environmental footprints reduced to a minimum, if not to zero, which would be ideal in my country. I would like to hear her comments or thought

Les Éloizes Gala and the Edmunston Blizzard  Mr. Speaker, there is a lot going on in my riding, Madawaska—Restigouche. The 20th edition of the Les Éloizes gala will take place in the beautiful city of Edmundston, New Brunswick, this week from May 2 to 6. Since 1998, this multidisciplinary gala has awarded prizes for every a

Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's Report  Mr. Speaker, in answer to my colleague, I might be more tempted to get behind team Machiavelli than team Pinocchio.