Charlie Angus

[Pensions, December 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, Canwest executives paid themselves $10 million in bonuses while cutting off severance to laid-off workers.

The Nortel fat cats skimmed off $45 million this past March, and then hoovered down another $7.8 million in bonuses as a Christmas gift to themselves. Meanwhile, Nortel pensioners have been left out in the cold.

Abitibi pensioners are crying for help.

Where are the Tories? They are nowhere. Of course, we will hear Tory MPs attacking and insulting the homeless, but when it comes to standing up to executive privilege, it is the old boys' club. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Say no more.

The New Democrats say it is time that we put pensioners, not executives, at the front of the line when companies go bankrupt. We are calling on all parties to work with New Democrats to protect pensions, to get rid of these fat cat bonuses, protect pensions, protect disability pensions, and pay severance to laid-off workers.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, December 3rd, 2009]

I rise on a point of order, Madam Speaker. I was not able to hear it all. I am not sure if Question No. 537 was on that list. It is an important issue, so could we go through the list again? I did not hear Question No. 537, but I was sure that it would have been one of the questions answered.

[Petitions, December 3rd, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I am very honoured to rise to bring forward this petition today on the need for a strategy to help those in sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the third world who suffer from HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

I had the great honour of sitting with the member for Winnipeg North at the meetings to establish all parliamentary support to fight maternal mortality rates in Africa, and we made such great progress. I see the great progress the member for Winnipeg North has made in terms of fighting to access generic drugs, so that they can be used in situations where there is dire poverty in Africa.

The Chair will remember last night's vote, when we were able to vote on this as a Parliament. It was a very proud moment for me. This is exactly in the spirit of this petition and what the petitioners are asking for. They are asking for leadership from the Parliament of Canada, from the legislators of Canada, to understand the dire situation facing people in sub-Saharan Africa, who are dying from diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, who are suffering from HIV, and who do not have access to simple drugs that we take for granted in Canada.

The petitioners are calling on some very straightforward and simple steps to be taken by Canada to show leadership, that we set a timetable to meet by 2015 the 40-year-old promise to contribute 0.7% of our gross national income to development assistance; to contribute a fair share to the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria; and to make the legislative changes necessary for Canada's access to medicines regime to facilitate the immediate and sustainable flow of lower cost generic medicines to developing countries. I think all members in this House would support such a motion.

[Fairness for the Self-Employed Act, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to my--

[Fairness for the Self-Employed Act, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have often commented that the Conservative Party has not arrived in the 20th century let alone the 19th century.

However, with this bill, I think there is a recognition that the realities of work have changed fundamentally. So many people I know, and people who are younger than me, have never paid into EI because they are self-employed. Nowhere is this more noticed than in the artistic sector, where we have organizations like ACTRA that have been pushing for this for years.

To me, the need to address this massive discrepancy is so obvious, particularly for people who are working in the artistic sector who have been self-employed, who have been asking for action. They asked for action from Liberal government and they got nowhere. They are asking for action from the current government, and we have been pushing for this.

I think this is a bill that everybody should be supporting. What surprised me when I spoke with people from the artistic community was that they were telling me that the Liberal Party seemed to be very offside on this and did not think it was a good idea. I was certainly surprised there would be people within the Liberal Party who were not supporting a motion on extending benefits to the self-employed.

I would like to ask my hon. colleague, has the government been speaking with the artistic community and groups like ACTRA to ensure that their views are heard so that we can move forward with some very progressive legislation?

[Petitions, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it is always a great honour to stand in the House and represent the wonderful people of my riding. Today, I am speaking on behalf of people in the Timiskaming regions of Englehart, Earleton, Belle Vallée and Thornloe, which just happened to have been the site of the recent international plowing match. It shows the great spirit of the people in the rural region of Timiskaming.

They are asking parliamentarians of all parties to come together for the protection of children. We in the House are all agreed on the threat posed by child pornography and the need to ensure that there are clear penalties in place to deal with child pornography. They want us to show leadership on this file to ensure that children are protected from sexual exploitation.

I am very proud of the efforts of the people in my region. I am proud to stand here and deliver this petition on their behalf.

[Copyright Act, December 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the ACTA provisions read like a wish list for the U.S. corporate lobby because it will override any flexibility for WIPO, it will gut our domestic copyright policies and it will criminalize thousands of Internet users through the three strikes provision.

Canada needs a minister who is willing to stand up for the innovation agenda, not a minister who is acting like a hand puppet for the U.S. embassy.

Why will the minister not table the ACTA negotiations so we can open it to public scrutiny?

[Copyright Act, December 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the European Union has leaked details of the secret ACTA negotiations in Korea and guess what? It has exposed the industry minister's so-called public consultations on copyright as a total sham, because ACTA will deep six Canada's ability to establish copyright policy. Further, it will strip thousands of citizens from the right to even use the Internet under the idiotic “three strikes and you are out“ policy.

The government has no right to negotiate away our domestic copyright laws. Will the minister table in the House the mandate letter that was given to the negotiators to start the ACTA talks?

[Broadcasting Industry, November 18th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, if the CRTC were doing its job, the minister would not be floating trial balloons about using an order in council to override the CRTC.

When he does override, will it be to help his buddies in the cable industry or will he force the cable giants to put some money into local television, stop consumers from being gouged and ensure that the broadcasters meet minimal requirements so that Canadian stories are once again heard on Canada's prime time airwaves?

[Broadcasting Industry, November 18th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are fed up with the ridiculous media war between the broadcasters and the cable giants.

On the one hand, the cable giants have racked up $2.1 billion in profits while jacking up cable rates year after year and, on the other hand, the broadcasters are crying destitution after blowing $740 million on U.S. programs.

Meanwhile, Canadian consumers are getting gouged, local television is being held hostage and Canada's amazingly versatile film and television industry is being hung out to dry.

What steps will the minister take to put an end to this corporate circus?