Gerard Kennedy

[Ukraine, November 27th, 2008]

Madam Speaker, this past Saturday in my riding of Parkdale—High Park, thousands of people lined Bloor Street in a candlelight memorial marking the 75th anniversary of Holodomor, the famine genocide of Ukraine's rural population in 1932 and 1933.

This deliberate famine, perpetrated by the Soviet regime of Joseph Stalin, starved millions to death in an attempt to destroy the aspirations of Ukrainian nationalists for a free and independent Ukraine. These families suffered the most terrible of fates, forced to experience the particular horror of being deprived of food in a land of plenty. Even more inhumane was the quiet violence of restraining families from feeding their own children.

The brutality of this tragedy visited upon the Ukrainian people is nearly impossible for us to comprehend, but we must try. It is tempting to turn away, but the only way to show respect to the 10 million lives lost and to the survivors, many of whom live in Canada today, is to pay attention, to remember, and to tell the story. We are required to compel the memory of the famine genocide forward and to work harder to guarantee--

[Automotive Industry, November 24th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the blank cheques are the ones workers are starring at when they have been laid off, for example in General Motors, three months ahead of time because the government has done nothing about the shutdown of the auto industry. They have suffered enough in this country.

In the United States detailed studies have been produced that show the impact on families. We heard from the minister that there is no plan by the Conservatives to conserve jobs.

We at least have the right to know whether the Conservative government has done an impact study. Has it looked into how families would be affected, how other businesses would be affected and how communities would be affected? Does it know the impact so that it can at least be prepared to act as it watches the Americans go through what they are going through?

[Automotive Industry, November 24th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, as the economic situation worsens, there is the development of a plan to help the ailing auto industry in the United States. Here in this country, where the auto industry represents 70% more importance to our economy, all we have from the government is more rhetoric and inaction.

When will the Conservatives wake up and propose a plan to help our workers and their families or will the government simply be a spectator watching the U.S. Congress siphon those jobs across the border to the United States?

[Manufacturing Industry, November 20th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the workers in St. Catharines and Oakville are very happy with that answer. Canada knows that the government's past decisions have put several nails in the coffin of the forestry industry and now the government's poor fiscal management has paralyzed it in the face of the problems and the challenges facing our manufacturers.

Today the U.S. senate is putting forward concrete proposals to help auto workers in that country. Why is it, what it is about the government and what will it take to make it finally act to protect manufacturers, jobs and workers in this country where that sector is even more important?

[Manufacturing Industry, November 20th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, the government's persistent lack of urgency in coming to the aid of our manufacturers is yet another example of its poor management of our economy. Many of the 160,000 lost jobs could have been avoided if only the government were not so stubborn in its refusal to act on the workers' behalf.

What is it about the government, those members and the Prime Minister that makes them refuse to act to help families and workers when their jobs are in jeopardy?