House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 36% of the vote.
Fisheries and Oceans October 17th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the fisheries minister is lost at sea. He has yet to say where the $57 million in cuts will come from. Now we learn that the government is cutting the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council on both coasts. These groups work closely with fishing communities, providing much needed advice to the minister.
Why is the government gutting this department? Why is it turning its back on Canadian fishing families and our coastal communities?
Fisheries and Oceans October 5th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, why does the government have such a hard time co-operating with others? The funding agreement was supported by all levels of government and first nations, but after lobbying from its oil patch buddies, the government suddenly announced it is walking away.
Everyone else wants a strong plan to protect our oceans. When will the government come back to the table and get serious about ocean management?
Fisheries and Oceans October 5th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, Canada is falling way behind on its international commitment to establish marine-protected areas by 2012. The Pacific north coast integrated management area process brought together first nations, fishermen, environmentalists and industry to make a joint plan for stewardship of our ocean resources. The government invested in this process and then suddenly pulled the plug.
Why has the government walked away from a plan to protect the economic, social and environmental health of our oceans?
Mental Health October 4th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I stand today to recognize Mental Illness Awareness Week.
Nearly six million Canadians are likely to experience a diagnosable mental illness in their lifetime. That is one in five Canadians, and yet the federal and provincial governments have downsized institutional care while not increasing community based services.
My riding is home to British Columbia's primary mental health facility, Riverview Hospital. This nearly 100 year-old facility is home to one of Canada's best arboretums and numerous heritage buildings. Instead of investing in this facility and supporting its development as a mental health sanctuary and residential treatment and diagnostic facility for people with mental illness, the provincial and federal governments have closed many of the buildings and allowed this facility to fall into disrepair.
We know the way forward to combatting the stigma associated with mental illness is providing proper care. We have the ability to make Riverview a centre of excellence in mental health and wellness in this country.
Today, during Mental Illness Awareness Week, I call upon the federal government to commit to mental health, bridge the gap in service for those with severe mental illness and invest in Riverview.
Business of Supply September 29th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, that is a point I absolutely agree with and only touched on briefly in my speech.
That is a definite direction in which the government could be headed, if it were to make a serious commitment to job creation and our environment. The two can go hand in hand. It is time to move in that direction in the 21st century as opposed to the status quo direction in which the government seems to be heading, which is continued reliance on oil and gas.
It is clear that Canadians want to see a shift. They want to see a change. They want to be put back to work. They also want to see a clean environment. The two can go hand in hand. That is the direction in which we must go in order to provide the sustainable future all Canadians are looking for.
We can get a very good return on an investment in a green future, a green energy future, whether it is through retrofitting homes, large buildings, commercial buildings, or whether it is through moving to a sustainable energy supply. It is a good healthy direction in which we could go if we were to focus seriously on a clean energy future.
Business of Supply September 29th, 2011
Madam Speaker, it sounds as though the member is going to support this motion given the facts that he just stated. He seemed to indicate that our motion provides things he feels he can support. I absolutely welcome the support of the member. I welcome his voting in favour of the motion. We look forward to his support.
The motion calls for increased investment in this country. While the government thinks it may be doing some work in this regard, obviously we think it needs to go further.
I have outlined some of the concerns that need to be addressed in terms of small business and increased investment in public transit. This is where the federal government could play a real role in creating jobs, stimulating the economy and going further.
Business of Supply September 29th, 2011
Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Nanaimo—Cowichan.
I rise today to speak in favour of our party's opposition day motion which calls on the government to take swift action with regard to the economy. First, I would like to commend the member for Parkdale—High Park for all her hard work on this important issue.
As the Conservatives boast about their economic action plan, Canadian families know that times are still tough for them and they want the government to take meaningful action that gets them back to work. Rather than the billions of dollars in cuts to services and departments which the government is proposing, New Democrats believe that now is the time to provide targeted incentives for real job creators.
Even the Department of Finance has noted that infrastructure investment has more than five times the economic impact than corporate tax cuts. Yet, the government continues to follow unsustainable and unfair economic policies that have shown to be ineffective.
An excellent example of infrastructure investment which the government could do immediately is to work with provinces and municipalities to provide badly needed public transit systems. Communities across Canada are dealing with major shortfalls in transit funding.
New Westminster, Coquitlam and Port Moody have been waiting for the Evergreen Line for over 20 years. It has been plagued by delays since the early 1990s. My community is one of the fastest growing regions in British Columbia with a high rate of commuters who travel to work. There is a severe lack of public transit. This infrastructure project is a necessary component for our long-term regional plan. Traffic congestion is a problem for many residents in my riding.
The Evergreen Line is expected to serve 70,000 people a day by 2021. Canada needs to transition toward a low-carbon future. The Evergreen Line is critical for my neighbourhood to meet future challenges associated with climate change and rising energy costs. The Evergreen Line is projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air contaminants from cars by 4.7 million tonnes cumulatively by 2020.
One of the best things we can do for our economy is to invest in infrastructure projects that are needed to service our communities. The Evergreen Line would create approximately 9,000 construction jobs in my community. These jobs are needed now.
I call on the federal government to increase its investment in the Evergreen Line. The shortfall in funding falls on local taxpayers who are constantly being asked to pay more for vital infrastructure programs. It would be an excellent initiative for the federal government to increase its contribution to fund the gap and build the line.
The Evergreen Line is an example of why we need to adopt the New Democrats' proposed legislation that would create a national transit strategy in this country. The International Monetary Fund is predicting that unemployment will only continue to rise if swift action is not taken. Investing in public transit is an excellent way to create jobs and move us forward toward a sustainable future.
Small business is a major economic driver in Canada and in my riding of New Westminster--Coquitlam and Port Moody. In Canada, over one million small businesses employ over 50% of the workforce.
The federal government must support small businesses because it has become increasingly evident that they are the ones investing in domestic job creation. Yet, the government continues to reward large corporations with tax cuts, which tend to ship their jobs overseas, and does not do enough for small businesses.
Canada's New Democrats have called on the federal government to reduce the small business tax rate from 11% to 9%. This would help create jobs in communities right across the country. We also propose that employers who hire new employees get a tax credit.
Canada has a real opportunity to build the economy of the future by investing in vital green infrastructure. We also need to invest in research and technology.
The government continues to emphasize the expansion of oil and gas, while I believe we need to move into the 21st century and invest in a transition to cleaner technologies and energy supply. If we do not move forward with green energy and technology, I fear Canada will be left behind. Other nations are moving in this direction. If we want to compete, we must understand that our reliance on conventional oil and gas as a major driver of our economy must change.
There are many initiatives the government could pursue to assist people with retrofitting homes and buildings. When the eco-energy retrofit program was cancelled, I called on the government to reinstate it. This program helped thousands of Canadians renovate their homes, cut home heating costs and save an estimated three tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per home, or 1.5 million tonnes of emissions after four years of retrofitting.
The eco-energy retrofit program not only created jobs, but helped working families make needed improvements to their homes. I was pleased when the government brought back this excellent program. However, I believe it can be expanded and made more accessible to Canadians right across the country. We can work with industry and commercial enterprises to retrofit their buildings. We can better work with homeowners to help insulate their homes and drive down their reliance on energy. This would create jobs, would be good for the environment, and would help lower energy costs.
The primary economic problem in Canada is a slow economic recovery and a weak job market. The current job market remains weaker than before the financial crisis in October 2008. The unemployment rate is up to 7.3%. Many of the new jobs of which the government speaks are part-time positions. If we actually take into account the real unemployment rate, which includes people who have dropped out of the labour force and involuntary part-time workers, the unemployment rate in July of this year would have been 11.1%.
The youth unemployment rate is also alarming. This past summer, student unemployment hit 17.2%. This is higher than the previous summer and is up from 14% prior to the recession. Students are not earning the money they need to attend post-secondary school. They are incurring more debt than ever before.
Our most important investment is our future, and that includes ensuring our children have the ability to gain the skills needed from good-paying jobs.
There is another issue I would like to address that is having a negative impact in my riding and in the regional area of southwestern British Columbia and Vancouver. I am very concerned with the proposed changes to Service Canada, including the proposed closure of offices across the country and the reduction of staff which will have a negative impact with regard to employment insurance cases. Given the chronic staff shortage and current hiring freeze at employment insurance client services, the proposal to cut budgets, close offices and lay off workers is alarming. Levels of service are already unacceptable with wait times increasing weekly and clients often not able to make contact with an agent. There is a large backlog which is reflected in calls that we have received at my constituency office. I have been contacted by constituents who struggle to buy food and pay the rent.
This is a horrible situation for people who find themselves out of work and have to turn to government for assistance.
Service Canada, in particular EI, needs increased resources, not cuts, to ensure that it continues to be effective and responsive to the needs of Canadians especially in these difficult times.
Canadians want public investment. They want the government to take swift action to create jobs. This is critical in order to have healthy, sustainable and stable communities.
I encourage all members of this House to support his motion.
Safe Streets and Communities Act September 27th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question from my colleague. What is not addressed in this bill is a focus on prevention, a focus resources to those who need it most. That is where there are huge shortcomings in the bill and that is why I cannot support it.
Safe Streets and Communities Act September 27th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I believe that one of the biggest issues in this omnibus crime bill is the costs. There will be tremendous costs downloaded to our provincial and territorial governments. We are already hearing concerns from the provinces and territories about the bill and with the extent of the bill.
While there are some elements that are good aspects of this bill, the overwhelming majority is not something I can support. This is the wrong direction into which we need to be putting our scant resources.
Safe Streets and Communities Act September 27th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I think that building more prisons is something the government is focused on. We can easily make a connection with the United States policy where the Americans are building megaprisons. This is a trend toward that direction.
We should be focused more on prevention, putting our resources and focusing on prevention programs for individuals, especially young people, disadvantaged people and those who suffer from mental health problems and substance addictions. We should be addressing those issues and helping people who need that help in order to stay out of prison in the first place.