Lisa Marie Barron

[Committees of the House, December 17th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not ask my colleague to consider some of the comments that have been made today by members of the Conservative Party, congratulating the newly elected, soon-to-be MP for Cloverdale—Langley City. We know that this newly elected member is another blatantly homophobic member of Parliament soon to be here among us. I am curious to know how much money has been spent through fundraising, on misinformation that was put into this campaign to make sure that we have another far-right, homophobic Conservative in this House.

We know that when Harper was in his position, there were so many positions lost. There were 1,100 to 1,200 positions lost from CBSA frontline officers. We lost 100,000 jobs in mills across Canada. Why did the Liberals not put us in a better position today so that when Trump comes in, we are not in the same position?

[Labour, December 16th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, they are not listening. The former deputy prime minister said it best today: Canadians know whether the government is working for them or for itself.

The Liberals have made it clear where their focus lies. The Minister of Labour's out-of-touch response last week to postal workers is a slap in the face. They deserve safety at work and livable wages. People are tired of the Liberals and Conservatives siding with rich CEOs at their expense.

Now Canadians want to know, will the Minister of Labour be the next to resign?

[Committees of the House, December 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure I am not the only member of Parliament in the House who has seen the Great Lakes Commission bring the sea lamprey to Parliament Hill, had the suction of the sea lamprey on their hand, felt what that is like and seen the teeth of the sea lamprey up close. It is not a good image, and I am certain I would not want to be a fish that comes across a sea lamprey.

This is the extent of the concern that we are talking about. We know the Great Lakes Commission does incredible work with sea lamprey control. The fisheries committee was very clear that we needed to change the governance to Global Affairs and that the funding stream also be held by the Great Lakes Commission, so it can do this important work that it needs to do and not have barriers in being able to do that work, which is ultimately our responsibility to do alongside our American partners.

I am not sure if the member was denying what my Conservative colleagues are saying, but perhaps he can clarify whether the funds are still flowing through DFO and if he is aware of the concerns that were brought forward through the fisheries committee of this continuing.

[Committees of the House, December 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, I want to thank the member for bringing forth this important topic. I know this is a topic that was front of mind in the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. I believe the member, alongside myself and other members in the House, received the Water Warrior award from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission for the work we have been doing around invasive species.

Something that came up quite frequently in committee was the importance of the transfer of responsibility for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to Global Affairs Canada so that money can be put into the important work of those on the front line, making sure this invasive species is being taken care of.

Have we seen the action that has been clearly stated by the fisheries and oceans committee taken to resolve this issue once and for all?

[Labour, December 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, postal workers have been left without a fair deal for too long. They deserve safe working conditions, to retire with dignity, and livable wages. Now small businesses and everyday people are being hit hard, all because the Liberals refuse to do right by workers. As for the Conservatives, well, they do not care about workers; they protect CEOs like Canada Post's Doug Ettinger, padding his pockets while workers and communities struggle.

Why is the minister refusing to protect postal workers' rights to a fair deal?

[Privilege, December 12th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I want to come back to a comment the member made at the beginning of his speech. He was talking about this privilege debate, saying it is the longest in Canadian history and he has not seen anything like this in his almost 20 years in the chamber. I have not been here as long as the member has, but it is my understanding that, as my colleague was just mentioning, the only prime minister to have been found in contempt of Parliament was Prime Minister Stephen Harper. That was, of course, as the member was mentioning how long he has been here, a government he was part of.

The current Prime Minister would perhaps be held in contempt, but we will never know, because the Conservatives are filibustering their own motion. My question is this: Why are the Conservatives letting the Prime Minister off the hook instead of getting the answers we need?

[Privilege, December 12th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his speech. I enjoy my time on the fisheries committee with the member, and I do want to first say that I am incredibly sorry for the loss of his brother.

I was looking at my surroundings as the member was speaking, thinking that I was in a gospel church. In fact, I am not. I am still in the House of Commons, so I am going to ask a question that is very important to my role as a member of Parliament.

I will bring this back to what the member was talking about. He was talking about Mary from the Bible. I was reflecting on the fact that I think what Mary would like more than a manger would be affordable housing, child care and access to health care, or GST off all home heating. These are all examples of things all of us need. The member talked about making sure that we support one another, particularly at this time of year, which I agree with.

Why are the Conservatives voting against all these essential supports that Canadians across the country need and deserve?

[Business of the House, December 12th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I am happy to rise on behalf of people, of course, in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith and on behalf of the NDP to say a big thank you to everybody here on the Hill.

As a newly elected member of Parliament in 2021, I am just astonished by the incredible amount of work that is put into allowing us to be here every day, and by all the people who make it happen: the pages, the security personnel and all the people who are making sure that we are fed and that we have what we need to be able to do our job on the Hill representing constituents. Of course I want to also thank, on behalf of the NDP, all the staff here on the Hill, as well as at home in our constituencies.

I want to wish everybody very happy holidays. Happy Hanukkah. Merry Christmas. I hope everybody enjoys time with loved ones over the holidays.

[Business of the House, December 12th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I was hoping to rise to be able to wish everybody very happy holidays. Is that something I am still able to do on behalf of the NDP?

[Nobel Peace Prize, December 10th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I believe that, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That the House:

(a) recognize that today, on the International Day for Human Rights, the Nobel Committee has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 to Nihon Hidankyo, the Japanese grassroots organization of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as Hibakusha;

(b) acknowledge that Hibakusha have worked tirelessly for decades to raise awareness of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons use;

(c) recognize the ongoing relevance of their message in a world where the threat of nuclear weapons remains a pressing concern;

(d) affirm that nuclear disarmament is a crucial step toward ensuring global peace and security; and

(e) encourage the government to take concrete steps to honor this award, including enhanced engagement with the TPNW, participation in international disarmament efforts, and collaboration with civil society to advance the cause of nuclear abolition.