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Results: 1 - 15 of 60
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, first I would like to congratulate my colleague on his fine speech. It covered the main concerns of the Bloc Québécois. I would like him to provide me with some clarification on the situation in the regions.
I myself have a number of farms in my riding. I actually live in an area where there is a lot of agriculture. The farming community has seen some rough times over the last few years. There was the mad cow crisis, which resulted in major financial losses for farmers after the embargo was imposed on the export of beef, and so forth.
The farmers in the region even met with leaders of this government who will be at the negotiating table. There are a number of signs that supply management might be dropped.
I would like my colleague to provide me with some information that might exist, either in his region or in Quebec, about this loss or at least this government back-down from protecting supply management.
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise in the House to speak to the motion brought forward by the Bloc Québécois, which reads as follows:
That, in the opinion of the House, the government should give its negotiators a mandate during the negotiations at the World Trade Organization so that, at the end of the current round of negotiations, Canada obtains results that ensure that the supply management sectors are subject to no reduction in over-quota tariffs and no increase in tariff quotas, so that these sectors can continue to provide producers with a fair and equitable income.
As I was saying, it is with great pleasure that I rise to speak to this motion because it shows once again how much we, the members of the Bloc Québécois, care about agricultural producers and about the regions of Quebec. Indeed, one of our priorities is to defend full use of the land in Quebec so that our regions cease to disintegrate. This can be done through various means, including by addressing major issues such as this one and by protecting certain industries.
Allow me first of all to salute the work of the men and women who, day after day, by their work on the farm or in businesses, provide us with this produce, this high quality food that adorns our tables every day. These people work very hard. Farming is not an easy profession, because it keeps people busy on the job 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
I know what I am talking about, as I had the good fortune—and I do say the good fortune—to work for six years on a farm in my home town of Métabetchouan.
I would also like to take this opportunity of congratulating these farmers who work on their farms every day, in addition to making us, as members and parliamentarians, aware of these major issues through their representations.
I would like to mention by name in this House the people whom I have had the good fortune to meet recently, who have once again made us aware of this issue of protecting supply management: Daniel Côté, Réjean Maltais and Yves Lapointe. Mr. Lapointe is a young man around the same age as myself. He is not naive. He has chosen to work, day after day, at this noble calling, even though he has grasped all its inherent demands in terms of work and commitment, particularly in the current context, despite the major crises of recent weeks and years.
The aim of their representation was to raise our awareness of this supply management protection system. Allow me, for the benefit of our listeners, to remind us what supply management consists of.
The lion’s share of farm incomes in Quebec are generated by supply managed sectors, especially the dairy industry. This system offers the dual advantage of generating decent incomes for our producers and not causing distortion in world markets. In fact, it deserves to be better known abroad and could even constitute one element of a response to the world farm crisis.
Here again it is essential that Ottawa believe in it, as Ottawa is the player that is responsible for the negotiations. It is basic.
I will also address the concern that exists on the part of these producers. Why? First of all, because my own region, and probably several regions in Quebec, have experienced ups and downs related to the declining economy.
Let me explain. In Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, the softwood lumber industry has experienced serious problems. As we know, the Americans are imposing export duties which prevent us from exporting to our full potential to the United States: the countervailing duties. This region, which derives its living from three major sectors, lumber, aluminum and agriculture, has seen two of these industries hit hard: softwood lumber and specifically agriculture. As a result, people are right to worry about the problems to which they are exposed.
Let us look at the importance of agriculture in our region: there are 3,000 indirect jobs that depend on agriculture, meaning about 16,000 indirect jobs in this sector of activity. This is important for Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean: it represents some 12% of jobs.
It is interesting to see the producers who want to do more and who opt for other market openings, such as the cheese dairies and other agri-food sectors. We see a lot of vitality there. Yet this is not easy. These people need help in developing their farms. It is precisely through strong stands taken here, in this House, that these farmers can be given the confidence to engage in this industry and to pursue their activities with peace of mind.
But at present, that is not the case; they are worried, for all sorts of reasons. There are certain signs that are keeping them worried, and forcing them to take up this fight and intervene.
I cite the example of butter oils. The Ontario chemical ice cream industry wanted to stop using cream to make its ice cream, to reduce its production costs. It wanted to be able to buy an American blend of milk by-products and sugar, known as butter oil, as a raw material. Bowing to the industry lobby but abandoning Quebec dairy producers, the federal government decreed that these butter oils were not dairy products, thereby opening the border to these imports. The result was that in five years, between 1997 and 2002, imports soared 557%, representing a loss of a half billion dollars for Quebec’s dairy producers. That is a substantial loss of revenue.
A similar fiasco has also occurred with the importing of cheese sticks.
These are not our only concerns, concerns which the government has left hanging. I am referring here to a memorandum to cabinet which has galvanized the fears of producers, who felt betrayed. According to this memorandum, which dealt with the mandate for the WTO negotiations, Canada was prepared to get rid of supply management. That was the drift of certain of its comments. The secret document, made public by the Council of Canadians in September 2002, raised the ire of 10,000 Quebec producers of milk, poultry, hatching eggs and table eggs, four supply managed sectors.
Another concern has been raised by Mr. Steve Verheul, director of the International Trade Policy Directorate at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Mr. Verheul spoke at a special general meeting of the UPA for Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. His presentation was in no way reassuring to the diary and farm producers of that region, even though he seemed to be softening the blow of the coming WTO negotiations in saying that they would try to minimize the losses that Canada might incur in that forum.
What this government has to do is to stand up once and for all and make sure that in no case does it give in to any compromise on the supply management issue. It has the chance to do this, and this is crucial. In fact, in this sort of negotiation, when you lose something, it is lost for a long time. The government therefore has the opportunity to report for the negotiations, be firm in its demands and positions, and show leadership. That is what we in the Bloc Québécois want for the farmers, and what they themselves want.
Today, in this House, I ask this government not only to support the motion of the Bloc Québécois, but to move from words to action and ensure that the protection of supply management is maintained.
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to salute my colleague and to thank him for his support for this motion.
First, in his question, he raised some concerns. I found an excerpt from a cabinet document that, at the time, confirmed farmers' fears that they were being betrayed.
Allow me to quote briefly from this document:
Negotiations involve compromise. Sectors of the economy benefiting from protection which shelters them from foreign competition will object to any change in the status quo, particularly if it comes during an economic downturn. Supply managed producers of eggs, poultry and dairy products, the textile and clothing industry, and certain service sectors will probably object to any changes that would lead to increased competition.
Here is what the government strategy was:
The government will recognize that multilateral trade negotiations require Canada to consent to certain measures to open up markets to its trading partners. The government is working in close collaboration with the sectors most likely to be affected in order to define the priorities and objectives for negotiations. A more thorough examination is also required of how to manage the ongoing transition to a more globally integrated economy and the related costs of adaptation. At the same time, we will emphasize the overall gains the new negotiations will bring for Canada's economy, businesses and consumers.
What this means is that the government is prepared to compromise, but it will try to make us pay the price in other ways.
My colleague asked what solutions we could ask the government to put in place. At least this motion reinforces Canada's position in this House. We are also asking the government to ensure that the supply managed sectors can continue to provide producers with a fair and equitable income. To this end, the motion says that supply managed products must be included on Canada's list of sensitive products and that Canada will accept no increase in tariff quotas. This means that there can be no increase in the percentage of supply managed products subject to free trade, which is about 5%. The motion furthers asks that Canada refuse to negotiate a reduction in tariffs imposed at the border for foreign supply managed agricultural products. These over-quota tariffs are those tariffs imposed on imports that exceed the 5% quotas.
Those were three ways of showing a certain degree of assertiveness. However, this system is way too fragile for us to start negotiating it and taking it apart. Therefore Canada's position must be firm.
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's softwood lumber strategy merely consists in criticizing the Americans' attitude abroad, while neglecting the plight of our domestic industry. Yet, Tembec's CEO underlined his company's difficulties in borrowing money from the banks because of the government's refusal to provide loan guarantees, as it could, through Export Development Canada, for example.
Will the minister continue to ignore this plea by the softwood industry, which is fighting for its survival? What is he waiting for to provide loan guarantees, as the industry has been asking for?
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, for Tembec alone, we are talking about $320 million in countervailing and anti-dumping duties that are lying dormant in the United States.
Can the government assure us that the plan it has been announcing for the past three years, which, incidentally, does not require any legislation to take effect, will include enough loan guarantees to compensate companies for all the duties that are unfairly being kept by Washington?
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I come from a sparsely populated and beautiful region of which I am extremely proud. One day, I decided to settle there, to try to improve its economy and contribute to that region. However, this beautiful region is grappling with serious economic problems, due to the softwood lumber dispute, in particular, but also agricultural problems and cull cows, not to mention plant closures.
This government has a number of means at its disposal, but over the past three years, no measures proved effective or at least were taken, particularly to resolve the softwood lumber crisis.
When people pay 50% of their income taxes to Ottawa, they have the right to expect that the government will assume its responsibilities. However, over the past year, they have witnessed one of the worst scandals in Canadian history.
When I take part in activities or meetings, and when I talk to people on the street, I realize that they are disgusted with what is happening here. They believe that this government should no longer be in power, because it no longer has the moral authority to govern.
I want my colleague to tell me what people in her part of the country are feeling with regard to this scandal. How is this party, whose motion we are supporting today, justified in asking the government to call an election? In my opinion, the NDP's offer is a way out for this government. Why not seize this opportunity?
I want to know what the people in her riding think about the sponsorship scandal.
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, the government does not realize that the softwood lumber crisis has, in the past three years, cost the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region 3,000 jobs. The equivalent in Montreal would be 30,000.
What is the government waiting for before creating a real assistance program to support the businesses and workers in our region affected by the softwood lumber crisis?
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, the government's recent actions have no connection whatsoever with the softwood lumber crisis, as the minister has said. It is all very well to create support programs for secondary and tertiary processing, and there is nothing bad about these in themselves, but the urgency right now is to save the companies and workers affected by the softwood lumber crisis.
What is the government waiting for before at last making available the loan guarantees the industry has been calling for?
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Coalition to protect fuel consumers organized a protest in Saguenay. This coalition is demanding the immediate adoption of measures to stop subjecting fuel consumers to the spiralling costs of retail gas prices.
Does the minister intend to develop a plan that would, among other things, extend the $3.75 daily tax credit, up to 10% of total earnings, to the residents of regions such as mine? Very remote regions already benefit from this tax credit.
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Madam Speaker, firstly, I would like to commend my colleague, the member for Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, for her speech and explanations concerning the plan proposed by the Bloc Québécois.
Let me also commend another colleague who has worked very hard during the summer and who has invited the Standing Committee on Industry, Natural Resources, Science and Technology to sit even before the beginning of this session. I am talking about the member for Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup.
Let me also explain or participate in this debate from an angle corresponding to the file in which I represent the Bloc Québécois interests, that is regional development.
In the past five years, certainly for the past three years that I have been in this House, major crisis have directly affected the economy of the regions of Quebec.
There was the softwood lumber crisis which is still on right now. In my region, between 3,000 and 5,000 jobs were affected, which is enormous for a region like mine.
There was also the mad cow crisis. We are still feeling its consequences all over, especially the farmers and dairy producers. They are still waiting for the money from Ottawa.
We also had plant closures, and this is important. As we know, in the context of globalization, many businesses will produce twice as much while providing only half as many jobs. They will often choose to export their expertise to other major international centres, which will result in plant closures and job losses.
I think we all agree that we do not need other labour disputes in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region or, at least, other catastrophes. Yet, our region was dealt another blow in recent months with the gasoline price increase.
I could go on and on. If I may though, I would like to mention a few concrete examples to show how my community is affected. The fact that my region is located far from the large urban centres means that this gasoline price increase has a negative impact on all consumer products.
I would like to mention a personal example. In addition to the gasoline that I buy for my car, I purchased a consumer product not long ago, because I wanted to switch from oil to wood to heat my house. What really took the cake is that I had to shell out an additional $200 in transportation costs compared to what people living in large urban centres have to pay. So, it is costing me $200 more to switch from one heating technology to another, but this is because of the gasoline price and transportation costs.
If I, as a member of Parliament, experienced this, so do all Quebeckers.
Some solutions are being proposed here by my Bloc Québécois colleagues and myself, and I am urging the government to listen carefully. It must pay attention to these solutions. We did our homework this summer and, contrary to the government, we did propose an action plan with concrete measures. If the government does not have the courage to come up with something, then it should listen to our plan, it should recognize our needs and then it should take appropriate action.
Of course, we are proposing, in the case of those who are directly affected—these are often low income earners, but they also include all consumers—refundable tax credits of $250 per person to alleviate the impact of the price increase for oil products.
Measures could be proposed—that is what we are doing—to compensate car owners. Although some individuals cannot consider alternative means of transportation—as is the case in small villages in my community where there is no public transit—there needs to be measures to encourage them to decrease their dependence on oil, and to consider using hybrid cars, for example, or other technologies. We must encourage the purchase of less energy consuming vehicles.
Earlier, I mentioned consumers who have been affected when it comes to fuel oil. This point is important. We know that regions in Quebec that are somewhat remote record very drastic temperatures. The thermometer can dip to 30 and 35 degrees below zero. It can get even colder if you factor in wind chill.
We cannot hesitate. We need effective measures because there is a risk. I want all hon. members to be aware of this situation. For example, when individuals who heat with oil are faced with astronomical costs, they still have to heat their homes, even if they do not have the means to do so.
My fear is that they will use alternative makeshift means. This is not rocket science. We saw this happen during the ice storm in Montreal a few years ago. People used makeshift propane systems and other alternative means. That is why we need an aid plan and ways to help these people and protect their health and safety.
I also want to draw your attention to a case. It is the case of a nice family business. My own father worked there a number of years ago. I have the utmost respect for this company. Recently, it had to stop some of its fruit and vegetable delivery service in the community because it could no longer compete with the larger centres. Why? Because of the increase in the price of gas.
We cannot ignore these situations, especially since they lead to the loss of jobs. For small communities like Métabetchouan with its 4,000 inhabitants, the loss of four or five jobs is a big deal.
There is also a way to help the remote areas. The government is already doing it with the very remote areas where it provides a tax deduction of $3.75 a day, up to 10% of income. What I am proposing to the government today is to extend this measure to all the regions, the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, the Abitibi or the North Shore. These regions are directly affected by transportation costs.
Other economic sectors have also been affected. I was talking earlier about the softwood lumber crisis. And let's not forget the mad cow crisis. The farmers are already having a difficult time. Can we try to give them tangible help? They must use their farm machinery to extract resources and their income from the land. They need our help now.
The softwood lumber crisis affected the forest industries and cost some 3,500 jobs in my region. Close to 5,000 jobs were affected. The EI gap creates major havoc in my region. Can we try to find ways to help the forest industries?
In closing, I would like to congratulate some people back home, of whom I am very proud. They have been manning the stockade and demonstrating against the rise in gas prices for quite some time now. The man leading this group is Mr. Claude Girard, an accomplished volunteer. In fact, along with his executive board, he is preparing a demonstration for this Thursday. The event will take place in front of the Jonquière Tax Data Centre in order to send a clear message to this government, which has not lifted a finger yet. What Mr. Girard wants is to motivate the government to take action. For regions like ours and all across Quebec, this crisis has had major and profound impacts.
This is a national movement. We know that national union representatives will be demonstrating at our side. There will be people from UPA and independent truckers. I am inviting the public to take part in this peaceful demonstration in order to send a clear message to this government, which did not do anything but which has a duty and a responsibility to act. The only thing the government lacks is political will and courage.
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, let me start by pointing out to my colleague the concerns of the Association pour la protection des consommateurs de carburant, which is responsible for this movement in Saguenay—Lac-St-Jean.
At the Standing Committee on Industry, Natural Resources, Science and Technology, the Bloc Québécois recommended the creation of a petroleum monitoring agency among other things. The members of the committee totally support that.
Earlier, my colleague was asked how this could be done and what our vision was. Perhaps I could enlighten the hon. member by summarizing the role that this office could play.
It could collect and release data on refined petroleum product prices in the American black market; publish an annual report to inform the public about the competitive aspects; assign witnesses and ensure their confidentiality; study every aspect of the petroleum industry; suggest solutions to put the petroleum product sector in order. The consumer protection coalition brings an interesting dimension that the Bloc Québécois has also explored.
Currently, concrete measures are needed, because there is a crisis. People feel its immediate impact. We have no choice but to react. However, we ought not always to be in reaction mode. Instead, we must look to the future. We need to try and sever dependency links or, at the very least, to stop having our hands tied when it comes to the oil sector. We have to propose alternative solutions, which would allow us, for example, to switch from fuel oil to other energy sources for heating, and to vehicles that only use fuel.
I was mentioning earlier that I am from a remote region. A lot of people there use utility vehicles, large pickups and big trucks. We should develop incentives for those people to move away from their 4 x 4s and try and find other solutions, taking into account the characteristics of the area.
The coalition hopes for long-term measures. I think it is up to all parliamentarians to ponder those issues, in particular in the Standing Committee on Industry, Natural Resources, Science and Technology, and to propose solutions in cooperation with all parliamentarians. At the present time, the need is urgent, hence the idea to propose certain measures so as to mitigate immediate effects.
We want to see a tax credit going directly to the consumer, as that seeks to offset the effects of higher oil prices for households, particularly in relation to heating and to the food basket, which result from the rise in transportation costs. Indeed, as I was mentioning earlier, even though some people may not be driving in the regions, the impacts are felt nonetheless. I gave an example about the consumption of a given good, but it is the whole food basket which is getting hit, as well as public transit. The community as a whole is suffering the effects.
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
I am sorry, I do not know if I understood the question correctly. It is important to understand the nature of the credits that are proposed for households, for example. All moderate income households, no matter what source of energy they use, could receive a $250 refundable tax credit. That is important for 2005-06 because there is an urgent need. We are only reacting to the crisis and we must find short-term solutions. Of course, the maximum eligible revenue for the tax credit would be determined by Revenue Canada so as to include about 6 million households having a moderate income.
I will finish by pointing out that the credit would apply to households earning less than $30,000.
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, first I would like to congratulate my colleague, the member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, for his speech as well as for the work he has done in the last months and in the last year.
It is not easy for my colleague. Indeed, he had to deal with factory closures in his own riding. It is not easy either for his colleagues, the members from the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. They have experienced major disputes in the last years, particularly the softwood lumber dispute and the mad cow crisis. Today, these disputes are threatening all the industries in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region because of the whole context of globalization, which means producing more with less employees.
As you know, this government manages the employment insurance program. This program has generated surpluses of about $50 billion in the last 10 years. This is absurd, because we are not using these $50 billion to help those who really need it.
I would like to ask my colleague about this, because he met Port-Alfred workers who are affected by this situation. Entire families have found themselves without an income. Yet, in small communities such as La Baie, God knows how it is important to have a family income to ensure that these people can earn a living from their work. These people are not seeking handouts. They just want some assistance, for which Canadians pay every day by going to work and for which employers pay as well. The role of this government is simply to manage this money, and it does not do so appropriately.
I would like my colleague to tell us what really happened in Port-Alfred and how the motion tabled by the Bloc Québécois today will make a difference in helping those who really need it.
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, first I want to congratulate my colleague from Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou on his explanations and remarks.
Like me, my colleague is from Abitibi-Témiscamingue, a region that has had its share of crises in various industries. It was hard hit by the mad cow crisis and the softwood lumber dispute.
In his remarks, he drew my attention to an important point. I am talking about the cornerstone of regional development. What is it? I am talking about young people, who are leaving the regions to train in the major centres because the governments are not putting adequate levers at their disposal so they can return or, at least, have an incentive to return. Finding a job in these regions is extremely difficult.
I can mention dozens of examples of people I met in the cities, such as Marc Therrien, an old friend, and Gino East, who is also from Abitibi. They want the government to stand up for once and provide real aid—particularly important levers such as EI—to the regions of Quebec.
There is $50 billion in this fund. Why not take this money and try to find pilot projects and ways to develop the regions?
Today, the government has an opportunity to help another category of workers, older workers, who have lost their jobs and whom we want to help re-enter the labour force.
My question for my colleague is as follows. Since he lives on a daily basis in the Abitibi region, I want him to explain just how important such levers are to this region and its development, and not just to older workers but to young Quebeckers as well.
View Sébastien Gagnon Profile
BQ (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague a question. I come from a region that faces a variety of challenges, including the softwood lumber dispute and the mad cow crisis in agriculture. Numerous plants have also shut down due to the restructuring of economic activities.
Would my colleague agree that the Liberal Party could have taken advantage of this golden opportunity? That bill offered an excellent opportunity to meet the people involved and to consult the economic leaders of Lac-Saint-Jean—Saguenay.
I have been a member of Parliament for three years and I have been involved with the economic development of my region for 10 years. There has never been any such consultation in the region. The economic development models of the past no longer work and must be revised, including principles as fundamental as decentralization. The bill only puts forward a new structure. Even if we do not pass this bill, judging from comments issued by Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, nothing will change.
Why has this government failed to meet with regional leaders to come up with a bill that would reflect the current trends in economic development?
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