Lisa Marie Barron

[The Economy, December 9th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, families in Nanaimo—Ladysmith are trying to get by, but times are tough, with more and more people relying on food banks.

Loaves and Fishes and its many volunteers have gone above and beyond, but they require funding to expand and meet the growing need. Despite ample attempts, the Liberals have not delivered.

I will ask again, will the government finally provide Loaves and Fishes with the funding required so people on Vancouver Island are not left to go hungry?

[Taxation, December 6th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, everyone should be able to afford a good home and to save for a rainy day. However, people in Nanaimo—Ladysmith are struggling. They need permanent, not temporary, relief.

The Conservatives are a threat to this relief for those who need it most. They only want to give tax breaks to billionaires while everyday Canadians pay the price. Meanwhile, the Liberals have clearly let Canadians down.

Will the Liberals give people in Nanaimo—Ladysmith the break they need by permanently removing the GST from essentials, yes or no?

[Gender-Based Violence, December 6th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, more than three decades have passed since the tragic murder of 14 women at Montreal's École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989. This abhorrent act of violent misogyny prompted Parliament to declare this day as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Today, we honour the lives of Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte and Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz.

As we grieve this tragic loss, we renew our dedication to combat the hate that fuelled this dreadful event. Women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals across Canada and globally still face unacceptable violence and discrimination. We must unite to end gender-based violence, today and every day.

[Privilege, December 5th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, my colleague is not wanting me to stand up, but I would like to point out that the member said a word that is unparliamentary. I would like to ask him to please apologize for the comment he just made toward our colleague.

[Privilege, December 5th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I have had the honour of being able to work, in some instances, with the member. I was able to participate in a committee that she chaired, and I will say that she showed us an example of how to do work across party lines and how important that is.

I am sorry if this is a little bit aside from the speech that the member was giving, but I would love for her to share, following my colleague's question as well, a little more on some of the work that she was doing around how important it is that we see more women entering federal politics. There was an entire report that talked about the barriers to women entering politics in general, which was done through the committee that she worked on.

Can she please share a couple of the things that should be done so that we can see a more representative Parliament?

[Business of Supply, December 5th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we keep hearing the Conservatives say they are there for workers, but every time workers have problems, when I am on the picket lines, there are no Conservatives around. When problems crop up, all the Conservatives do is tell workers that they have to go back to work without getting what they need. That is a big problem, yet they keep saying they are there for workers.

What does my colleague think about that?

[Committees of the House, December 2nd, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I am happy that I have a chance to stand up today, because I do have some questions that I am hoping the member can shed some light on.

We know that the Conservatives have been calling for an election for about six months now. On Friday, there was a non-confidence vote that was put forward by the Conservatives, which was attacking the leader of the NDP. When the Conservatives were asked to suspend the question of privilege by the government House leader to get unanimous consent to be able to debate this exact non-confidence motion that they put forward, they said no.

Perhaps the member could clarify, as I think Canadians are curious. What is going on? Where is the logic behind saying “no” to the exact motion that the Conservatives put forward to see an outcome that they are pushing for?

[Nuclear Disarmament, November 29th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, we hear the Liberal government time and again expressing concern about the escalating dangers of nuclear weapons, but where are the necessary actions?

Things are only getting worse. In the past week alone, Russia expanded its nuclear doctrine and tested a new missile against Ukraine. North Korea advanced its missile program with outside support, and Belarus became a nuclear host state. What was Canada's response? There were vague statements of concern while it clung to outdated deterrence policies.

However, there is a solution, which the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This treaty has 98 nations already on board. It addresses the humanitarian devastation of nuclear weapons.

It is time for Canada to engage. At minimum, we need to send an official observer delegation to the meeting of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in March 2025. Many NATO allies have already done so. Why has Canada not? New Democrats have always advocated for urgent nuclear disarmament and will continue to work towards a safe and peaceful future.

[Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C‑78, November 28th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, my NDP colleagues and I understand full well that people are struggling to make ends meet right now. Anything we can do to help them make ends meet and add a bit to their pockets is a positive thing.

Something that has come up over and over again today is the impact on businesses regarding the items being chosen to have the GST removed from, and I agree there are some problems with that. I wonder if the member could share why she and the Liberal Party did not follow through with what the NDP was asking for, which was to have the GST removed from all essentials permanently, including home heating, cellphones, Internet and groceries. None of these problems that are being expressed by the Conservatives right now would even be at issue if they had just followed through with removing GST from all essential products for Canadians. Why did the Liberals not do that?

[Electoral Reform, November 27th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised Canadians would see real change to our electoral system. It has been nine years, and in true Liberal fashion, he broke this promise and let Canadians down. Clearly, this was an election-year tactic and the result is increased division, partisan games and a lack of representation in Canada's Parliament. The Conservatives sure do not want to make it better because they only care about the profits of their rich corporate friends.

Will the Prime Minister tell Canadians why he dropped the ball on electoral reform?