Irene Mathyssen

[Petitions, October 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is in support of protection for the Thames River system.

The petitioners want to draw the attention of the House to the fact that the Conservative government stripped away environmental regulations covered in the navigable waters act, leaving rivers vulnerable and at risk, including the Thames. As well, the Liberal government has failed to keep its promise to reinstate environmental protections.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to support my bill, Bill C-355, which commits government to prioritizing the protection of the Thames by amending the Navigation Protection Act.

[Petitions, October 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from Canadians who support postal banking.

As the House knows, nearly two million Canadians desperately need an alternative to payday lenders, whose crippling lending rates affect the poor, marginalized, rural and indigenous communities the most. We have 3,800 Canada Post outlets that already exist in rural Canada, where there are few or no banks at all. Canada Post has the infrastructure to make a rapid transition to include postal banking.

The petitioners are calling on Parliament to enact my Motion No. 166 to create a committee to study and then propose a plan to have postal banking under the Canada Post Corporation in Canada.

[Canada Post Corporation, October 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers gave a strike notice to Canada Post this week. After falling behind because of the Harper-mandated agreement, postal workers have been negotiating for almost a year to improve working conditions and improve services for Canadians. Canadian workers deserve better.

Will the Liberal government continue the Harper ways that undermined workers' fundamental rights or will it ensure that the Canada Post management negotiate in good faith for sustainable community-based jobs that best serve Canadians?

[International Trade, October 18th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the government has agreed to discriminatory provisions under its new trade agreement, the USMCA. Private couriers delivering goods across the border receive a duty exemption that our Crown corporation, Canada Post, does not. This provision punishes rural areas, where Canada Post is the only game in town for delivering goods. Why did the government agree to this, and why are the Liberals undermining our Crown corporation and public services?

[Persons Day, October 18th, 2018]

Today, Persons Day marks the 89th anniversary of women's inclusion as persons under the law in Canada. The landmark decision paved the way for women to participate as fully as men in all aspects of professional and personal life. We stand in deep gratitude to the Famous Five for their perseverance and gumption as pioneers of women's equality in Canada: Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards.

Today's sad reality is that women have yet to achieve full and equal partnership in the governance of this land, their careers and even control over their own bodies. We live in a world where Cindy Gladue's horrific murder and the subsequent mishandling of justice is our shameful reality.

Time is more than up. Women must participate fully and completely in every aspect of life in Canada, without being devalued, without fear and without limits. We are putting men of power on notice.

[Global Warming, October 15th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am a little concerned that we are losing the focus of the concern that was expressed by the emergency debate tonight. The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is an urgent call to action and it is about a very serious threat facing the planet. That is, of course, global climate change.

Thousands of scientists and experts from around the world warn that if major and unprecedented action is not taken immediately, it will no longer be possible to limit global warming to 1.5° C and the consequences will be devastating for people and ecosystems across the globe. I would like to remind the House that without people and ecosystems, there is no economy.

If what we are doing is so good, so efficient and sufficient, why did the IPCC issue such a dire warning?

[Petitions, October 15th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is in support of protecting the Thames River system. The former Conservative government stripped environmental regulations covered in the navigable waters act, leaving hundreds of rivers vulnerable, including the Thames, and the Liberal government failed to keep its promise to reinstate environmental protections gutted from that original act.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to support my bill, Bill C-355, which commits government to prioritizing the protection of the Thames by amending the Navigation Protection Act.

[Petitions, October 15th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions today.

The first is in support of postal banking. Nearly two million Canadians desperately need an alternative to payday lenders, whose crippling lending rates affect poor, marginalized, rural and indigenous communities most.

We have 3,800 Canada Post outlets already in rural areas where there are few or no banks. Canada Post has the infrastructure and the ability to make a rapid transition to include postal banking. These petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to enact my motion, Motion No. 166, to create a committee to study and propose a plan for postal banking under the Canada Post Corporation.

[Transport, October 15th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, a 2010 Transport Canada report revealed that school buses not only failed safety tests but not enough was done to prevent serious injuries to our children. This information was kept from Canadians for almost 10 years. That means both Conservatives and Liberals failed to protect and inform families. In the meantime, Canadians put their kids on school buses to go to class, on field trips and day camps.

This problem needs to be fixed now. What are the Liberals doing to ensure safety on our school buses?

[Petitions, October 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is in regard to the Thames River. The petitioners are concerned that the Conservative government stripped away environmental regulations covered in the Navigable Waters Protection Act, leaving hundreds of rivers vulnerable, rivers like the Thames, which is a heritage river. The Liberal government has failed to keep its promise to reinstate environmental protections gutted from the original act.

Therefore, the petitioners ask the Government of Canada to support my bill, Bill C-355, which would commit the government to prioritizing the protection of the Thames River by amending the Navigation Protection Act.