Mr. Speaker, Kyle Hickey died tragically of extensive burns at his Nova Scotia workplace. His mother said quite perfectly, “You go to work and you’re supposed to come home at the end of the day”.
In 1991, the House adopted an NDP private members' bill proclaiming April 28 as a national day of mourning for workers killed or injured on the job. First we mourn the dead, and then we fight for the living.
There is no such thing as a workplace accident. Every workplace death and injury is preventable. Since 2004, the criminal prosecution of employers for workplace injuries and fatalities has been possible. I am proud of the work that Alexa McDonough did in the House to ensure that this was possible, through the passage of the Westray Bill.
However, charges have been laid only once. As politicians, we need to make sure that health and safety laws are enforced and that violations are prosecuted vigorously. Unfortunately, the same Conservatives who talk about being tough on crime are soft on corporations responsible for workplace injuries and deaths.
Enough is enough. It is time for all of us who participate in making laws to commit to doing our part in ensuring that those laws are enforced.