Anne-Marie Day

[Petitions, June 11th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition asks the government to put an end to excessive credit card rates, ATM fees, and fees to receive paper bills.

[Petitions, June 11th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I am presenting asks the Government of Canada to collaborate with provincial governments to enhance, among other things, the Quebec pension plan and the Canada pension plan, and to restore the age of eligibility for old age security to 65.

[Petitions, June 11th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present three petitions.

The first asks the federal government to put an end to legal proceedings and work with CN to make the Quebec Bridge safe.

[Committees of the House, June 11th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate the topic at hand, especially since addressing poverty is one of the ways we have identified for helping Canadians.

The member spoke about income splitting. I have considered this situation. Clearly, there are major discrepancies between the people who will receive more money and those who will receive less.

Could an amendment be made so that the income tax refund would at least be issued to the member of the couple who earns less?

[Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, June 9th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is failing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. When he says that all members have had the opportunity to speak to this bill, that is not exactly true. We give speeches here in the House as a way to connect with our constituents about bills. That is one way that we can let our constituents know what is going on.

The real reason for the debate that is happening right now is that once again, the Conservatives are limiting the time members have to explain things to their constituents in simple terms, so that they in turn can express their opinions on the subject.

A Togolese resident of my riding is facing deportation on June 19. The parliamentary process is not working. The minister received a letter in this regard. Perhaps there will be a question about this in the House, or perhaps not, but the process is not working. The bill in question is going to once again delay the process and drag it out.

This situation is a terrible shame. The last thing I want to say is that it is important that we be able to have a say and help the government make better laws. The Conservatives' habit of always limiting time for debate is shameful.

[Petitions, June 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions asking the government to put a stop to Canada Post service cuts, particularly the ones that will affect seniors and persons with disabilities. The petitioners are also wondering who will pay the bill when people fall going to get their mail in the winter. Will it be the municipality, the province or the federal government? I am presenting two petitions.

[Canada-Honduras Economic Growth and Prosperity Act, June 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I apologize. You started reading out the first vote just as I was sitting down. I would like my vote to be cancelled so that it is more fair for the other members.

[Canada Post, June 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that the member's TV does not have rabbit ears anymore and that he has probably switched to an ultra-modern flat-screen TV. It remains a TV, nonetheless. As life changes, we adapt to new technologies.

The postal service is profitable and brings in millions of dollars for Canadians. That money is paid to the government as dividends then redistributed in many ways. A number of solutions exist. Canada Post could, for example, increase its deliveries of small and medium-sized parcels, offer banking services and advertise.

We are asking the Conservative Party to sit down with Canada Post representatives, the unions and members of the public to explore potential solutions. When I took part in the “I'm walking with my letter carrier” rally, I met hundreds of people who told me, among other things, that they wanted to keep these services. Two-thirds of Canadians want to keep postal services. That is something the Conservative government should think long and hard about.

[Canada Post, June 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, during question period on April 4, I asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport about the Conservatives' position with regard to the revitalization of Canada Post, their support for job cuts, the decision to end home delivery and their support for a rate increase.

By supporting these cuts, the Conservatives are aiming to cut an essential service to Canadians and hoping for the corporation's ultimate demise.

The New Democratic Party has the interests of Canadians at heart and is determined to make our postal service more accessible, more affordable and more profitable. Our priority is people.

Canada Post is not facing a crisis, as the member suggested that day during question period. In fact, the crown corporation has been raking in profits every year since the mid-90s, with the exception of 2011, when two things happened, as we all remember thanks to our filibuster: the much talked-about lockout imposed by Canada Post and the pay equity settlement.

High-profile people and Conservatives argue that the crisis has been brought on by declining mail volumes. In fact, mail volumes are growing. Parcel delivery service is very profitable in a market economy. Service providers make good money.

Canada Post's decision to eliminate home mail delivery and install community mailboxes will affect close to 5 million homes. Community mailboxes are not safe and will not be easily accessible for people.

A report by ICI Radio-Canada noted that close to 5,000 criminal incidents, such as vandalism, fires and thefts, targeted mailboxes between 2008 and 2013.

In addition, Canada Post alone will determine the location of the mailboxes, without informing the community. The Conservative government supports these decisions, which will cause serious problems for people with reduced mobility and seniors.

As well, it is completely unjustifiable to increase rates when services are being reduced. Single stamps will now cost $1 each.

Other countries, such as Switzerland, New Zealand, Italy and France, have maintained the profitability of their postal services through the provision of banking services. Canada Post did a study on banking services, which showed that financial services would be a winning strategy and would bring money into the coffers of the crown corporation. The public would have a stable public postal service as well as improved access to banking services.

The study report draws conclusions similar to the recommendations by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. Nevertheless, Canada Post put an end to the study and hid the report before announcing its action plan.

By reducing its services and eliminating 6,000 to 8,000 jobs, the Conservative government and the management of Canada Post hope that the crown corporation will again be able to make hundreds of millions of dollars in profit, which will be paid as dividends to the government or as bonuses to Canada Post managers. Let us kill jobs and hand out bonuses. Is this a desirable vision for the future? Does the postal service not belong to the public? The priority should be service to Canadians.

[Victims Bill of Rights, June 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time that I have heard that member say such a thing. It even sounds like a broken record.

He is skipping a step. We have to have our say. If my constituents have never heard of Vanessa's law, it is because I never had the chance to speak to it in the House. It is important not to skip that step. Maybe the member has been in politics for such a long time that he does not feel like doing it anymore, but we need to express our views and our constituents need to know what we are talking about. The only way to communicate with our constituents is to be able to explain bills, whether they are Conservative bills or ours. This is totally democratic. What is undemocratic is limiting our ability to speak on a regular basis.