Bev Shipley

[Labour, October 21st, 2016]

Madam Speaker, for 197 years the Arva Flour Mill has had a perfect safety record. This week is Small Business Week, but this small business will not have anything to celebrate if the labour minister does not grant an exemption from the federal labour code. It has been months since I asked the minister for action, and there has still been no contact with the mill from her or her office.

Is it the plan of the minister to let the small mill die a slow death? The minister has the authority to exempt it. Will the minister do her job and keep—

[Petitions, October 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, not surprisingly I have approximately 1,000 signatures with respect to the the Arva Flour Mill, which is 197 years old.

The petitioners recognize that the flour mill workplace, which has been put into question following a labour code inspection, is important to all Canadians but they also recognize the Arva Flour Mill as an important historical tourism destination. They ask that it be exempt from the Canada Labour Code.

[Petitions, October 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition with respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran and an Iran-sponsored terrorist group that has murdered many Canadian citizens and kidnapped, tortured, and murdered foreign diplomats.

Iran has been designated a foreign state supporter of terrorism by Canada. Terror victims and their supporters across Canada seek a commitment from the Government of Canada that Iran will remain listed as a state supporter of terrorism.

The petitioners therefore call upon Canada to maintain the listing of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a state supporter of terrorism pursuant to section 6.1 of the State Immunity Act for as long as the Iranian regime continues to support terrorism.

[Business of Supply, October 17th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the members who have spoken to this motion for their understanding of this issue. This is a huge issue in front of us. As my colleague mentioned, this was not included in the throne speech and was not in the minister's mandate letter. What is out there is the Liberals' claim that they are going to get it done in 100 days.

Similar to the $10 billion deficit, which is now three times that at $30 billion, and similar to their position of taking a little off the top from the rich and giving it to the bottom, which is now about $2 billion short per year, how can we trust them, given their lack of credibility, when they say they are going to get it done?

[Labour, October 5th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Arva Flour Mill is a small family business without a workplace accident in 197 years. The minister said she was working with the community and the owner. There has been no contact with the owner or the community. The minister said small business has the right to compete and do well. However, it cannot compete and do well if she shuts it down. Will the minister do her job, grant an exemption from the federal labour code, and save the mill?

[Petitions, September 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we now have 7,000 or better petitions regarding the Arva Flour Mill. Every province in our great country has taken the side of small business and this family and giving it an opportunity to stay viable.

The petitioners ask that the Arva Flour Mill be exempt from the Canada Labour Code.

[Labour, September 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Arva Flour Mill is in my riding. It is a small business run by a middle-income family. It is 197 years old. It is the only one like it operating in Canada and it has never had a workplace accident. It is basically a working museum. It cannot meet the federal labour code and it is about to be shut down.

The Minister of Labour knows the Arva Flour Mill can be exempted from the federal labour code. She has the authority to save it. Will the minister please do her job?

[CANADA LABOUR CODE, September 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague raises another significant point. I have a lot of respect for my colleague across the way, but he forgets that the union organization already has all the information that is needed. With an organization that garners a benefit of $500 million from taxpayers in a year, does the member not believe that they should be accountable for that? I am wondering if he could comment.

[CANADA LABOUR CODE, September 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the Liberal government continues to talk about the middle class, transparency, and accountability while it talks about big business and the elite in big government and large unions. The Liberals talk to the CEOs and the union leaders, but who are the middle class? The middle class are the folks who get up every day and go to work. They put in their hours, buy the food, come home, and look after their families.

We talk about big government. In fact, it just gave $1.1 million to its elite people in government to move. Therefore, I am wondering what this has to do with creating jobs and preserving democracy in our country, which we seem to be jeopardizing right now.

[Petitions, September 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the petitioners in the second petition believe that the current impaired driving laws are too lenient and ask for the implementation of a new mandatory minimum sentencing for those persons convicted of impaired driving causing death. They also want the Criminal Code of Canada to be changed to redefine the offence of impaired driving causing death as vehicular manslaughter.