Bill Blaikie

[National Defence, May 30th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as the NDP defence critic I am rising today to call the attention of the Minister of National Defence and the House to the contract for making shell cases which DND has with IMT Partnership.

Formerly owned by IVACO and now owned by the former company president, this profitable company is demanding concessions, including a 12% rollback in wages, elimination of cost of living adjustments, reduction in vacation time and reduced benefits.

If the company does not change its attitude, DND should be looking to do its business with more socially responsible owners, instead of someone who is clearly out to bust the union.

In the interests of justice for the 136 workers of Steelworkers Local 2916 who are currently on strike, but who are facing the prospect of scabs, I urge the minister of defence to tell this company that this is not the kind of behaviour that DND will tolerate from its suppliers.

Decent wages and benefits are the backbone of a decent society. Governments that turn a blind eye to those who would constantly make people work harder for less are sanctioning a trend that is contrary to the common good.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 17th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister or the Minister of Indian Affairs. We in the NDP are heartened and encouraged by the progress that is being made toward a reconciliation package for survivors of the residential school system, but we also feel, along with a great many people in the aboriginal and first nations communities, that what should accompany this is an unconditional or unqualified apology by the Prime Minister for this tragic chapter in Canadian history.

I wonder if the government could tell us whether that will also be forthcoming.

[The Environment, May 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, on a number of occasions in the past I have felt that concentration in Parliament on corruption, scandals and things like that were putting a larger question at risk, and that is the long term sustainability of our environment, which, if we do not save, all these other questions become academic.

I am particularly worried now about the Devils Lake diversion. We only have until June before that water starts to flow. I am concerned that if we have an election, the government, which is already not focused enough on that issue, may become even less focused.

What is the government's plan, election or no election, to make sure that dirty water does not flow into Manitoba's ecosystem ever?

[Maher Arar Inquiry, April 22nd, 2005]

My supplementary question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

It has to do with evidence that the Government of Canada knew that Maher Arar was in Syria and instead of being concerned about whether he was being tortured, all it could do was demonstrate an interest in the information that was being gathered through torture instead of inquiring as to how that information was being obtained.

Is the government not embarrassed by this and will it at least say today that this kind of thing will never happen again?

[Government of Canada, April 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is confusing questions. I am not talking about what my leader asked yesterday about the budget. I am talking about what Parliament already told the government to do.

[Government of Canada, April 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the government.

Yesterday the Prime Minister said on national TV that he wants Parliament to work. The NDP wants Parliament to work and has made a number of suggestions. Parliament has made a number of suggestions.

I wonder if the Minister of Finance, who seems to be answering for the government today, can tell us whether there is going to be a change in attitude and whether the government can commit now to enacting those things that Parliament has passed, which as of today the government has yet to implement and in fact has ignored.

The minister knows the motions I am talking about. Will Liberals now commit to doing what Parliament has said the government should do?

[Sponsorship Program, April 20th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the right hon. Prime Minister.

One of the reasons this Parliament is not working is that the Prime Minister and his government keep thumbing their noses at things that are passed in the House: the motion on DFAIT, the motion on the Air-India inquiry, the motion on Glen Murray, and now the motion on setting up a trust fund to put aside the money.

Will the Prime Minister finally show some respect, show that he acknowledges that this is a minority Parliament and the government has a responsibility to respect the will of Parliament, and put that money aside?

[China, April 19th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, this week marks the first anniversary of the visit of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, to Parliament Hill.

As someone who met His Holiness at that time, I certainly remember being impressed with his wisdom, his humility and his sense of humour, but most of all, his commitment to non-violence as a way of solving Tibet's longstanding grievance against China.

As a member of the Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, I want to urge the Chinese government to rethink its policy toward Tibet. I also want to encourage the Canadian government to work to ensure that Beijing takes concrete measures to further the current dialogue between representatives of the Dalai Lama and China with a view to a negotiated solution.

The Dalai Lama embodies the hope that peaceful struggle is a superior alternative to terrorism and violence. We all have a responsibility to make sure that such an approach succeeds and that some day soon the Tibetan people will have meaningful autonomy.

In the meantime, China's demographic strategy in Tibet should cease, and those who may be aiding it, like Bombardier by building a railway to help such a policy, should rethink their policy as well.

[Employment Insurance Act, April 13th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order, without pointing fingers at anybody in particular, the fact of the matter is that over time the practice of people having to be in their seats before the vote is called and staying in their seats until after the result is read has fallen away. It has not been enforced by the Chair, or by parties or by whips.

The votes are getting more and more chaotic. People are getting up in the middle of votes, they are talking to other members, people are coming in after votes start and leaving after they vote themselves. All this is happening because there is no discipline in this place, either collectively or individually. There are rules and the sooner people start following them, we will not have this kind of mess.

[Sponsorship Program, April 7th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I was hoping to get something from the Deputy Prime Minister instead of the clown prince of spin over there. What we want from the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Liberals is one simple act of contrition.

This is the same government that hired an army of lawyers to hold the churches responsible collectively for everything that was done in their name. Yet, as far as they are concerned, it is only individual Liberals who can commit a wrong.

It is not the Bloc that is tarnishing federalism in Canada. It is the Liberal Party. It is about time it took credit for it.