House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 24% of the vote.
Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act October 23rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague on his speech.
He talked about flaws and limitations related to summary trials. I wonder if he could elaborate on the importance of natural justice and on the right to appeal. Could he also talk about the possibility for an offender to be represented by counsel?
Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act October 23rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my hon. colleague on her remarks. She mentioned that the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and other countries have decided to change their summary trial process.
That begs the question. We are debating Bill C-15. Why did the government wait so long before coming back to these issues?
Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act October 23rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I commend my hon. colleague on his speech. He talked about improving military justice and how important that issue is to the NDP, and he mentioned that we need to reduce the differences in how military and civilian courts handle cases.
Could my hon. colleague tell us more about the need to reform the sentencing process for summary trials?
Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act October 23rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking my colleague for his speech.
As he pointed out, the NDP will be voting against the bill at second reading because of its many flaws. He specifically referenced the summary trial system.
I would like him to tell us a little more about the harmful consequences for individuals who wind up with a criminal record because of a minimum sentence.
Budget Implementation October 18th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives obviously do not care about the economic reality of Canadians. Their biggest change focuses on the economic reality of 308 members of Parliament. Today they introduced a massive 443-page bill that amends more than 40 acts. There are changes to the Navigable Waters Protection Act that will give more powers to the minister.
This bill is flawed and amendments will be necessary. Will they agree to them?
Women’s Forum October 18th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, on this Persons Day, I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge the women's forum being held today at the Government of Canada Conference Centre in Ottawa.
The forum was put together by our NDP colleague from Churchill. Women from across the country have come together to have a dialogue on women's equality. Throughout the day there will be speeches by women's rights advocates, academics and leaders on the subject of economic equality, social equality and equality in our communities.
Today we have an opportunity to set a course for the future. Inspired by the women attending the forum, the women who were at the heart of the “Persons Case” and women from across Canada, we have made a conscious decision to come together in this way.
The first step is to gather together to have this discussion. It is crucial to be aware of the challenges facing women and to realize that working together is the answer.
Together we can make progress in the fight for women's equality.
Citizenship and Immigration October 16th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, let us look at the facts instead of changing the subject.
In the householder sent to her constituents, the hon. member for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar welcomed the cuts to health services provided to the most vulnerable. What she fails to mention is that health clinics are overcrowded and the cost borne by the provinces is going up. There is absolutely nothing noble about any of that.
When will the government put an end to its devastating cuts to programs for the most vulnerable in our society?
Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act October 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I would first like to commend my colleague on his speech.
He reminded us of the importance of focusing on improving the immigration system to make it faster and more efficient with regard to family reunification, foreign credential recognition, and the situation of temporary foreign workers.
This bill redefines the notion of permanent resident in a fairly specific manner. In my opinion, we need to pay close attention to these profound changes. There has already been Bill C-31, and now there is Bill C-43. I think that the fact that the minister could potentially be given even more discretionary power is clearly a danger that we really need to pay close attention to.
Some stakeholders have pointed out something important about first-time offenders: that they could be deported even though they are not at all familiar with their country of origin.
What can my colleague tell us about this?
Petitions September 26th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to present a petition signed by over 1,000 people in my riding who oppose VIA Rail's plans to close three customer service counters at the Saint-Lambert train station and replace them with automated kiosks. This will seriously reduce the quality of service at the station.
The petitioners are calling on this House to intervene with VIA Rail and convince that organization to reverse its decision to eliminate three customer service counters at the Saint-Lambert train station.
Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act September 24th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.
Obviously, attempting to stigmatize people, immigrant communities in this case, is dangerous and uncalled for. People who hear those kinds of messages quickly begin stereotyping others. They forget how critically important it is to our country, a land of immigrants, to bring in skilled people who want to settle in Canada. They want to bring their skills and their ingenuity and participate in our country's economic development.
In a way, this approach covers up that aspect and emphasizes only divisive issues, focusing only on stories that play up the dark side of the situation. We would do better to put more effort into family reunification and reducing the length of time that takes. Economically, we would be better off doing more to support the integration of skilled people who end up spending a year or two or even more looking for work in our society.