Lisa Marie Barron

[Business of Supply, May 9th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his never-ending advocacy and support, and bringing forward the voices of experts in field and families.

Prior to becoming a member of Parliament, I worked in mental health and addictions, working directly with youth, families and those who supported them to provide wraparound supports. It was not good enough to offer a youth-only treatment, or only housing or only mental health support. It was essential that they were provided with the wraparound, person-centred supports people require to work through what was going on with them. The other piece was culture, tradition and connections to families. We need to be looking at wraparound, person-centred supports.

Could the member please share with us the importance of having a multi-tiered approach in supporting people who are struggling with substance misuse and how that is the path forward in preventing more deaths?

[Business of Supply, May 9th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to acknowledge and offer my condolences to all those who have lost loved ones to the toxic substance crisis. In particular, I lost my own cousin Peter in his twenties as a result of the toxic substance crisis. I really would like for us to be talking about solutions on how we can help people.

I am wondering whether the member can share why he is taking the approach he is, when we know that in British Columbia, which has a person-centred, multi-faceted approach, the death rates have been reduced in the last 12 months by 11%. When we compare that to Alberta, which has a treatment-only model, and treatment is an important pillar of course, instead we are seeing that Alberta has the leading death rate per capita of all the provinces, with Lethbridge having three times B.C.'s death rate.

Does the number of people who are so tragically dying in B.C. versus Alberta contradict what the member is saying in his speech?

[The Economy, May 8th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, as the cost of living continues to soar, more people in Nanaimo—Ladysmith are barely scraping by. Rent is up. Groceries are up. The number of households living below the poverty line continues to rise.

Instead of helping those who need it, the Liberals are handing $60 billion to the ultrawealthy. What about the Conservatives? They will always choose the side of lobbyists and rich CEOs.

When will the Prime Minister stop propping up rich CEOs at the expense of people in Nanaimo—Ladysmith and across Canada?

[Fisheries and Oceans, May 7th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, despite Liberal promises to get open-net fish farms full of Atlantic salmon out of west coast waters, the minister sits idly by. To make matters worse, consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments have been muzzling scientists, whose findings show the extent of the damages. It is not surprising to learn that the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner is now investigating more gross allegations.

Will the Liberals co-operate, publish the findings of scientists and finally put coastal communities ahead of corporate profits?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1, May 7th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, one thing I was reflecting on while we were talking about the budget today is the national school food program that is being implemented in the budget. I was a school board trustee and also worked in the school district. I am a single parent with two children. An issue that came up over and over again was that schools need the support to be able to ensure that all children who arrive at school have the nutritious healthy foods they need to learn and grow.

There are many wins in the budget. There are also areas like the national disability benefit that need to see an increase in the amount.

If the member were in the position of power that he is saying the Liberals are striving to maintain, what would he cut that Canadians need so desperately, at a time when people are struggling to make ends meet?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1, May 7th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, because of the work of the NDP and the collective voices of so many advocating across Canada, we are seeing some real solutions being implemented, many of them mentioned by the member, including dental care, free birth control, diabetes medication, a national school food program, a rental protection fund. There are some real and positive solutions as a result of the work of the NDP.

One thing I need to bring up, which is vitally important, is the national disability benefit. The member did say that it was not as much as he would have liked. People living with disabilities are legislated into poverty. Two hundred dollars a month in additional funds will not lift people out of poverty.

When will the Liberal government finally put in place the legislation and funding to lift people living with disabilities out of poverty?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1, May 7th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I have respect for my colleague in my day to day.

The narrative I am hearing from the Conservatives throughout this debate is around the concerns of the impacts on private interests and any loss that may occur for them in moving forward with a national health care plan, national pharmacare, dental care. Could the member share why that might be and why we are not seeing instead an emphasis on people who need access to insulin, birth control or dental care?

[Grocery Industry, May 2nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, while rich CEOs make record profits, families in Nanaimo—Ladysmith can barely put food on the table.

What is the Conservative leader doing about it? He is hosting a fundraiser with Canada's richest elites where it costs thousands just to step through the door. It is no wonder, when he was in power, the biggest corporations got $60 billion in handouts while services to British Columbians were gutted. The Liberals maintain these handouts.

Will the government end these corporate giveaways?

[National Council for Reconciliation Act, April 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, that was a very important speech. I wonder whether the member could share a little bit more about why she feels that the Liberals, despite being in government for seven years, have made repeated promises to indigenous peoples and broken so many of them.

Could the member share why she feels it has taken us so long to get to where we are now, and where the gaps are that she was talking about? Perhaps she could provide us with her thoughts on the implications and impacts on indigenous people across the country.

[Petitions, April 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to present a petition.

I want to first thank the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners, in particular Ian Andexser, who is a constituent in my riding.

Over 113,000 British pensioners living in Canada are currently receiving a frozen U.K. pension. In the last two years, the U.K. state pension has increased 18.6% to keep up with inflation, yet British pensioners in Canada are receiving a 0% increase. Canada annually indexes the CPP for Canadians who live in the U.K., so there is no reciprocity. Recently, the U.K. sought the support of Canada to join the CPTPP, which was willing given, yet Canada has requested an end to this one-sided arrangement five times in the last 10 years.

Overall, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada who receive a U.K. pension, or who will be eligible to draw a U.K. pension in the future, call upon the Government of Canada to seek a meeting with officials in the U.K. government to negotiate a stand-alone social security agreement to include the upgrading of U.K. pensions.