Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2013-12-06 12:30:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Kevin Lamoureux",
        "fr": "M. Kevin Lamoureux"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"3520588\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I suspect that the time for the points of order will be deducted so that I will still get my full 20 minutes, because there is so much that I want to get on the record.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520589\" data-originallang=\"en\">When we look at representing our constituents, one of the tools that I often use to allow my constituents the opportunity to have direct input here on the floor of the House of Commons is petitions. Through the petitions, members will know that I have had the opportunity to introduce a number of petitions on a wide variety of issues.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520590\" data-originallang=\"en\">I would like to take a look at some of those petitions and how the government's budgetary decisions have had, I would say, a very poor performance in terms of priorities. Let me give a few examples. I am referring only to petitions that constituents of mine in Winnipeg North have taken the time to sign. I very much appreciate it. I will take those petitions here to the floor and provide some comment.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520591\" data-originallang=\"en\">Example number one is one of the more popular petitions that I have. It deals with pensions and calls upon the government to recognize that people should continue to have the right to be able to retire at age 65, as opposed to the budgetary decision of the government to increase the age when one can qualify for the old age pension from 65 to 67. This is something that the government has now committed to do and that we believe is wrong.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520592\" data-originallang=\"en\">I can tell the members opposite, and particularly the <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">Prime Minister</a>, that the residents of Winnipeg North believe that Canada is a wealthy enough country that we can allow people to retire at the age of 65 if that is what they choose. We have the riches available as a nation to continue that. That has been independently approved beyond a shadow of a doubt by individuals such as the Parliamentary Budget Officer.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520593\" data-originallang=\"en\">Another very popular petition that I get back deals with the House itself. When I do my questionnaires, there is a resounding response on this issue. At a time when the government is cutting back on its civil service, what is it also doing? It is increasing the number of politicians here in Canada. I have an overwhelming majority of constituents in Winnipeg North who disagree with the government's decision to increase the size of the House of Commons. We do not need to increase the size of the House of Commons. That has been an issue on which I have received an overwhelming response from constituents, with an overwhelming majority of them saying no. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520594\" data-originallang=\"en\">Some, including myself, would estimate the cost at $30 million or more to accommodate that increase on an annual basis, not to mention the millions that would be involved in creating those positions. My constituents would rather see the millions and millions of dollars that it would cost spent on a wide variety of other types of social programs.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520595\" data-originallang=\"en\">We have petitions regarding crime prevention. As the government talks tough about crime and getting tough on criminal activity, what it fails to recognize is the importance of dealing with some of the causes of crime and becoming more aggressive and progressive in dealing with issues that would prevent crimes from being committed in the first place. This is something that the constituents that I represent want me to express to the <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">Prime Minister</a> and to the government. They want me to say that we need to start doing what we can to prevent crimes from being committed in the first place. The best way to do that is to come up with activities and programs that would prevent, for example, gang activities from growing. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520596\" data-originallang=\"en\">We can say to young people it is better to get involved in programs such as Katimavik, even though the government has cut that program, which provided thousands of Canadians from coast to coast to coast with wonderful opportunities, and fantastic lives have followed out of those opportunities. However, we should be looking for programs and ideas that would allow our young people to say \u201cyes, I would rather be doing that as opposed to getting engaged in gangs\u201d.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520597\" data-originallang=\"en\">I was at the McGregor Armoury for the Remembrance Day service and it was so encouraging to see so many young people involved in Air Cadets and other cadet programs. This again provides opportunities for young people.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520598\" data-originallang=\"en\">I only have another minute but there are so many other issues. I could talk about the housing co-ops. I could spend at least 20 minutes just on health care. The issue is that there is so much encompassed in the bill that we could and should be talking about. The bill is going to be forced to a vote. Why? Because of time allocation. The government does not allow MPs to express themselves and that is indeed unfortunate because there is so much to talk about.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520599\" data-originallang=\"en\"> I did not even get the opportunity to say that the government inherited billions in surplus and converted it into billions in debt. I did not say anything about the billions in trade surplus, which were converted into trade deficits. The government has not done what it should be doing and that is the reason that we cannot support Bill <a data-HoCid=\"6258538\" href=\"/bills/41-2/C-4/\" title=\"A second act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 21, 2013 and other measures\">C-4</a>.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"3520588\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, j'ose croire que le temps accapar\u00e9 par ces rappels au R\u00e8glement ne sera pas d\u00e9duit de mon temps de parole afin que je puisse b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier de mes 20 minutes en entier, car j'ai beaucoup \u00e0 dire sur le sujet.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520589\" data-originallang=\"en\">Parlons de la repr\u00e9sentation des \u00e9lecteurs. L'un des outils que j'utilise souvent pour permettre aux gens de ma circonscription d'exprimer leur opinion directement \u00e0 la Chambre des communes est la pr\u00e9sentation de p\u00e9titions. Les d\u00e9put\u00e9s sauront que j'ai eu l'honneur de pr\u00e9senter de nombreuses p\u00e9titions portant sur des sujets fort vari\u00e9s.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520590\" data-originallang=\"en\">Lorsque l'on compare certaines de ces p\u00e9titions aux d\u00e9cisions budg\u00e9taires du gouvernement, on constate que les priorit\u00e9s du gouvernement ne sont vraiment pas les bonnes. Prenons par exemple certaines p\u00e9titions que les citoyens de Winnipeg-Nord ont pris le temps de signer, ce pour quoi je leur suis tr\u00e8s reconnaissant. Permettez-moi de formuler quelques observations \u00e0 propos de ces p\u00e9titions.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520591\" data-originallang=\"en\">L'une des p\u00e9titions qui re\u00e7oivent le plus d'appui dans ma circonscription porte sur les pensions et demande au gouvernement de laisser aux Canadiens le droit de prendre leur retraite \u00e0 65 ans. Par opposition, le gouvernement a pris dans son budget la d\u00e9cision de porter \u00e0 67 ans l'\u00e2ge d'admissibilit\u00e9 \u00e0 la pension de vieillesse. Il s'y est engag\u00e9 et nous croyons que c'est une erreur.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520592\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je peux dire aux d\u00e9put\u00e9s d'en face, et particuli\u00e8rement au <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">premier ministre</a>, que les citoyens de Winnipeg-Nord estiment que le Canada est un pays suffisamment riche pour permettre aux gens qui le d\u00e9sirent de prendre leur retraite \u00e0 65 ans. Notre nation poss\u00e8de les richesses voulues, comme l'ont prouv\u00e9 sans l'ombre d'un doute des sp\u00e9cialistes ind\u00e9pendants tels que le directeur parlementaire du budget.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520593\" data-originallang=\"en\">Une autre p\u00e9tition que je re\u00e7ois souvent traite de la Chambre elle-m\u00eame. Lorsque je fais remplir mes questionnaires, les gens r\u00e9agissent haut et fort \u00e0 ce sujet. \u00c0 part effectuer des compressions dans la fonction publique, que fait le gouvernement? Il augmente le nombre de politiciens ici \u00e0 Ottawa. Dans Winnipeg-Nord, une majorit\u00e9 \u00e9crasante d'\u00e9lecteurs d\u00e9sapprouvent la d\u00e9cision du gouvernement d'augmenter la taille de la Chambre des communes. Nous n'avons pas besoin d'un plus grand nombre de d\u00e9put\u00e9s. Les \u00e9lecteurs se sont exprim\u00e9s en tr\u00e8s grand nombre sur cette question et la grande majorit\u00e9 d'entre eux disent non.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520594\" data-originallang=\"en\">Certains, moi y compris, estiment que ces nouveaux si\u00e8ges feraient grimper les d\u00e9penses de 30 millions de dollars ou plus annuellement, sans compter les millions que co\u00fbterait \u00e0 l'origine la cr\u00e9ation de ces postes. Mes \u00e9lecteurs pr\u00e9f\u00e9reraient voir ces millions de dollars investis dans divers programmes sociaux.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520595\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous recevons \u00e9galement des p\u00e9titions concernant la pr\u00e9vention de la criminalit\u00e9. Le gouvernement a beau jouer au dur et vouloir s\u00e9vir contre la criminalit\u00e9, il oublie l'importance de s'attaquer aux causes de celle-ci et d'adopter des mesures \u00e9nergiques et progressistes pour \u00e9viter que les crimes soient commis en premier lieu. Voil\u00e0 ce que mes \u00e9lecteurs souhaitent que je transmette au <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">premier ministre</a> et au gouvernement: il faut prendre des mesures pour \u00e9viter que les crimes soient commis. La meilleure fa\u00e7on de proc\u00e9der serait de concevoir des activit\u00e9s et des programmes qui pr\u00e9viendraient, par exemple, le d\u00e9veloppement du gangst\u00e9risme.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520596\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous pourrions dire aux jeunes qu'il est pr\u00e9f\u00e9rable de participer \u00e0 des programmes comme Katimavik, m\u00eame si le gouvernement a supprim\u00e9 ce programme qui a offert \u00e0 des milliers de Canadiens de partout au pays de merveilleuses possibilit\u00e9s, ce qui leur a permis d'avoir une vie fantastique. Quoi qu'il en soit, nous devrions tenter de mettre en place des programmes et de trouver des id\u00e9es qui int\u00e9resseraient les jeunes et leur feraient perdre l'envie de se joindre \u00e0 des gangs.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520597\" data-originallang=\"en\">J'ai assist\u00e9 \u00e0 la c\u00e9r\u00e9monie du jour du Souvenir au man\u00e8ge militaire McGregor, et il \u00e9tait tellement encourageant de voir un si grand nombre de jeunes inscrits dans le programme des Cadets de l'air et d'autres programmes de cadets. Ce sont d'autres programmes qui fournissent des d\u00e9bouch\u00e9s aux jeunes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520598\" data-originallang=\"en\">Il ne me reste plus qu'une minute, mais il y a tellement d'autres enjeux. Je pourrais parler des coop\u00e9ratives d'habitation, et je pourrais consacrer au moins 20 minutes au seul sujet des soins de sant\u00e9. Le projet de loi englobe un tr\u00e8s grand nombre de questions dont nous pourrions et nous devrions parler. Cependant, nous serons forc\u00e9s \u00e0 voter. Pourquoi? \u00c0 cause de l'attribution de temps. Le gouvernement ne permet pas aux d\u00e9put\u00e9s de s'exprimer, et c'est vraiment regrettable parce qu'il y a tant \u00e0 dire.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"3520599\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je n'ai m\u00eame pas pu parler du fait que le gouvernement a h\u00e9rit\u00e9 d'un exc\u00e9dent de plusieurs milliards de dollars et qu'il l'a converti en un d\u00e9ficit de plusieurs milliards de dollars. Je n'ai rien dit sur le fait qu'il a transform\u00e9 un exc\u00e9dent commercial de plusieurs milliards de dollars en d\u00e9ficit commercial. Le gouvernement n'a pas fait ce qui s'impose, et c'est pour cette raison que nous ne pouvons pas appuyer le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"6258538\" href=\"/bills/41-2/C-4/\" title=\"A second act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 21, 2013 and other measures\">C-4</a>.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2013/12/6/kevin-lamoureux-8/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/kevin-lamoureux/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4032/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "8187495",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": "Initiatives minist\u00e9rielles"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Economic Action Plan 2013 Act No. 2",
        "fr": "Loi no 2 sur le plan d'action \u00e9conomique de 2013"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2013/12/6/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2013%2F12%2F6%2F"
    }
}