Mr. Speaker, this Sunday, May 9, will mark the seventh year since the Westray Mine disaster. The 26 victims of this tragedy, their families and co-workers have yet to see justice served.
These 26 men were the victims of a corporation that put profit before workers' lives. Workplace safety and health must be the first priority. The government and the law have failed the Westray victims and their families. We must ensure that those responsible for workplace injuries and deaths are held accountable.
The New Democratic Party has put legislation before this House that will hold companies and their managers accountable for crimes like those at Westray. Unless there are laws to protect workers there will always be companies that put profits before safety. Crimes like this must never go unpunished again.
This Sunday, as we spend time with our families and enjoy Mother's Day, let us mark a moment of silence and prayer for the Westray miners and their families.