House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 36% of the vote.
Ethics June 9th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, trying to cover up Senate scandals has become routine for the Prime Minister's Office: watering down an internal Senate report and a $90,000 cheque for Senator Duffy. The Auditor General's report on the Senate scandal is even more distressing.
Was the Prime Minister's Office in contact with the senators before the report was released?
Aboriginal Affairs June 3rd, 2015
Mr. Speaker, reconciliation is not just about what happened in the past, it is about what is still happening today.
Twenty years after the last residential school closed, the state of first nations education in Canada is a disgrace. There are too many first nations children who do not have a safe, quality school to attend in their local community. First nations students still receive an average of $8,000 less than students in the rest of Canada.
Will the government act now to close the gap before another generation suffers from these discriminatory education policies?
Aboriginal Affairs June 3rd, 2015
Mr. Speaker, it is too bad the government lacks the courage and strength to act.
It said no to an inquiry on missing and murdered indigenous women. It passed legislation affecting aboriginal rights without any consultation. It voted against implementing the UN declaration. It has underfunded first nations education and social services. It has spent hundreds of millions of dollars fighting aboriginal and treaty rights.
As Justice Murray Sinclair has said, “Words are not enough”.
Will the Prime Minister commit to real change and real reconciliation?
Aboriginal Affairs June 3rd, 2015
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we heard a clear message from the survivors and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: words are not enough. There also needs to be concrete action.
However, the Prime Minister is once again refusing to implement key recommendations, such as the recommendation to apply the principles set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Why is he refusing to take this opportunity to move toward reconciliation?
Aboriginal Affairs June 2nd, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge that we are on an unceded Algonquin territory.
Today, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Canada's Indian residential schools issued its final report. The documentation is of a tragedy, a cultural policy of assimilation carried out by the Canadian government and institutions that stole children and childhoods, devastated communities and destroyed lives. Over 6,000 students died while in residential schools.
More than 150,000 aboriginal children were sent to residential schools, and the intergenerational traumas persist: poverty, health problems and addiction.
It is time for the government to be part of the solution.
As Commissioner Sinclair said, “Reconciliation is not an Aboriginal problem — it is a Canadian problem”.
This is a tragedy that spans generations. We must honour it through action. It is time for true reconciliation.
Aboriginal Affairs June 1st, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that since the 2008 apology, little has changed for indigenous people. The legacy of residential schools is still present today in high rates of poverty and unemployment, in the high number of children in foster care, and the unacceptably high number of missing and murdered indigenous women.
If the government is serious about reconciliation, it will have to do a lot more to show it.
Will the government commit to honouring the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission?
Aboriginal Affairs June 1st, 2015
Mr. Speaker, Commissioner Murray Sinclair was clear: “...it takes more than words. In addition to the apology, there has to be atonement and there has to be action”.
First nations have been dismayed by the government's failure to embrace reconciliation. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission had to go to court to get key documents released. Victims have been denied compensation or treated with suspicion and hostility.
Will the government change its attitude and work with first nations to achieve reconciliation?
Aboriginal Affairs June 1st, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada on the Indian residential school system will be released tomorrow.
The testimony of more than 7,000 people was heard. There are thousands of stories about children being taken from their families and forced to deny their culture and language. Many of them were physically and sexually abused. This is a veritable tragedy and a blot on Canada's history.
Will the Prime Minister seize this opportunity and finally answer the call of our first nations?
Port State Measures Agreement Implementation Act May 28th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.
Indeed, this is a global and international challenge and all countries around the world must work together, much like the NDP, on climate change and fishing.
We need to take action with our international partners if we are to achieve this, and the time to act is now. This is not pie-in-the-sky hopefulness. We really can do this if we look at the economic benefits that could come if we decide to tackle climate change. The fact is that there are real economic opportunities for us in the green energy economy.
The issue of international illegal fishing is about the environment, the ecosystems and the damage that kind of illegal fishing does, but it is also about the economic damage. IUU fishing is illegal, unregulated and unreported, so the regulation is really key. We need to work internationally and work with other countries.
Port State Measures Agreement Implementation Act May 28th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for raising the fact that the leader of my party was a cabinet minister in a federalist party. That is really important to underline.
I agree with the member that we have not seen any kind of leadership. It is not just on this issue, though. The Conservatives are very good about saying, internationally, that they are going to talk the big talk and sign onto this and onto that, but it is the actual implementation. That is really important.
A very good example of that is this. My colleague from New Westminster—Coquitlam brought forward a bill that would ban shark finning in Canadian waters. We have a ban, but it is not legislated. We also have no law to prevent the importation of shark fins. Therefore, my colleague thought we should take action. As legislators, that is what we should do. He brought forward this bill and it was defeated, 143 to 38. How can we tell the world that we do not agree with shark finning, yet not have legislation to enforce that ban or prevent the importation of shark fins? They do not exactly come into Canada with labels on them to say where they come from.
It is all about putting our money where our mouths are or, as we heard in the House the other day, putting our mouths where our money is. I am confused on that one. No, we have not seen any action.