David Christopherson

[Business of Supply, June 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, we ask that the vote be deferred to Monday, June 8, 2015, at the end of the time provided for government orders.

[Respecting Families of Murdered and Brutalized Persons Act, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to join in the debate. New Democrats oppose the bill.

I was really looking forward to getting into the meat of this particular issue, because there is so much to say, but with only a couple of minutes, I guess what I will do is reiterate that New Democrats will be opposing the bill. It seems that the bill started with good intentions, but, according to an awful lot of people, for the most part it is useless, ineffective and another one of these bills that is going to be challenged in court.

Bill C-587 would amend the Criminal Code to state that a person convicted of abduction, sexual assault and murder of the same victim in respect of the same event or series of events is to be sentenced to imprisonment for life without eligibility for parole until the person has served a sentence of between 25 and 40 years, as determined by the presiding judge after considering the recommendation, if any, of the jury.

Again, this bill would affect very few offenders. If we listen to the government, if this bill is passed, everybody is going to be safe and nobody will ever need to worry again. There is a funny thing about these kinds of bills. I went through this at Queen's Park, and I see my friend over there from the former Harris government. He will recall that every one of the speeches seemed to indicate that if we just went with Mike Harris' crime bill, the attack on crime, everything would be fine and it would all be solved. That was 20 years ago.

[Employment, May 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, a little less bragging and little more action is what Canadians are looking for.

It is no wonder Conservatives are failing on the economy. The Minister of Finance thinks the answer to our shrinking economy is to weaken labour protections and make it easier to fire workers.

The Prime Minister claimed that he was just talking about Greece, but the minister's office said, no, that he was talking about France. However, mixed-up Conservative excuses are not fooling anyone.

When will Conservatives stop using attacks on workers and their rights as a smokescreen for their economic mismanagement?

[The Economy, May 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, what exactly is the government waiting for, bodies to pile up before it takes action?

Canadians are waking up today to more bad economic news. Just two months after the Conservative budget projected a first quarter GDP growth of 1.2%, our economy actually shrank. Conservative mismanagement has meant more people out of work, more families struggling with household debt, and now an economy that is shrinking instead of growing.

Will Conservatives finally admit their approach is not working and present a real plan to create jobs and kick start our economy?

[Transportation Safety, May 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been shocked by the lack of action in Canada on defective Takata airbags. Already we have seen six people killed and over 100 injured.

The Americans issued a recall last week. Over one million Canadian vehicles have the same airbags, yet the Conservative government only issued a recall notice yesterday, and Transport Canada still does not even have mandatory recall powers.

When it comes to the safety of Canadian drivers, why is Canada lagging behind the rest of the world?

[Living Wage Hamilton, May 26th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, more and more Canadians with full-time jobs are struggling to make ends meet. They make minimum wage, yet they still live under the poverty line. This is unacceptable in a country like ours, and it is fuelling the Living Wage movement that is gaining momentum in my riding of Hamilton Centre and all across North America.

Living Wage Hamilton, in partnership with the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, McMaster Community Poverty Initiative, the Social Planning and Research Council, Workforce Planning Hamilton, and the Hamilton and District Labour Council, is leading the calI for a $15-per-hour minimum wage in Hamilton. A living wage would ensure that someone who works a 35-hour workweek has enough income to live above the poverty line, and it would have significant impacts on reducing child poverty, improving health, and stimulating our local economy

The new NDP government in Alberta has pledged to raise the minimum wage in that province to $15 by 2018, and New Democrats here have committed to a $15-an-hour federal minimum wage.

I am proud to support the Living Wage Hamilton campaign. Together we can ensure that all workers earn enough to live with dignity and respect.

[Committees of the House, May 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following reports from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts: the 17th report, on Chapter 5, Support to the Automotive Sector, of the Fall 2014 report of the Auditor General of Canada, and the 18th report, on Main Estimates 2015-16, Vote 1, under Auditor General, and to report the same.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response for the 17th report.

[Employment Insurance, May 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, while disgraced Conservative Senator Mike Duffy was pocketing thousands of dollars, the Conservative government was spending $1.3 million fighting moms like Jennifer McCrea. She had the misfortune of getting seriously ill while on parental leave. More than 3,000 women paid EI premiums only to have the government deny them support just when they needed it most.

Conservatives promised to fix this situation, so why are they still denying these women the sickness benefits they paid for and that they deserve?

[Ethics, May 11th, 2015]

Well, Mr. Speaker, the fact is that this matter is not before the courts, and quite frankly, Canadians deserve answers, not antics. Instead of honest responses to written questions, we get excuses and evasions from that member.

To the Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary, how does the Prime Minister ensure that the people he appoints are actually eligible to fill their positions, and what criteria did they use to determine whether Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin, or any other appointees were actually residents of the provinces they were appointed to represent?

[Ethics, May 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's Office exists to provide the Prime Minister with advice. Nowhere in its mandate is there any mention of orchestrating cover-ups or interfering with Senate investigations, yet the RCMP found the PMO was secretly making changes to a Senate report in order to try to cover up Mike Duffy's expense and residency scandal.

Will the government cut its evasions and answer two simple questions: under whose authority did the PMO staff get hold of a confidential Senate report, and under whose authority was it whitewashed?