House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 27% of the vote.
Citizenship and Immigration March 30th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, New Democrats have long pushed for fast and fair refugee reform, but fairness means that all refugees should have the right to appeal.
Instead, the minister is asking this House to give him total and absolute power to deny refugee claimants equal rights. That is dangerous and arrogant.
Does the minister honestly believe he has the right to pick and choose which groups should become second-class refugees?
Immigration March 23rd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, newly-filed court documents revealed that the minister was active in stopping Mr. Galloway from crossing the border. CBSA was told that Galloway could not be admitted under any circumstances.
For this government, a pro-peace British MP is a threat, but a pro-war conservative, who said that Jews needed to be perfected and called Muslims insane savages, is fine.
Will the minister admit he supports free speech only if he agrees with the speaker, or is this more Conservative hypocrisy?
Immigration March 23rd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, once again the government is showing its hypocrisy. A year after banning anti-war MP George Galloway from entering Canada, the minister of censorship has no problem with letting a pro-war conservative come and preach hate.
Ann Coulter said:
--the government should be spying on all Arabs, engaging in torture as a televised spectator sport, dropping daisy cutters wantonly throughout the Middle East--
I am all for freedom of speech, but why the double standard?
Petitions March 19th, 2010
Madam Speaker, I present petitions calling upon the Government of Canada to extend the funding for healing programs under the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.
An organization called the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre does extensive work to help aboriginal people. We know residential schools caused extensive physical and mental trauma to the survivors, which has passed on to future generations.
The Aboriginal Healing Foundation is aimed at encouraging and supporting aboriginal people in building and reinforcing sustainable healing processes that address the legacy of physical and sexual abuse in the residential school system, including intergenerational impacts. The funding is finished on March 31 of this year.
The petitioners therefore call upon the Government of Canada to leave a true legacy of action to residential school survivors and support the process of healing through an extension of funding for this foundation.
Child Care March 17th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, actually there is a new OECD report.
The fact is that parents have not been given any choice because there were no new child care spaces in this budget, not one.
Every dollar invested in child care puts $2.30 back into the economy. That is over 10 times more than the Conservatives' tax breaks to their buddies in the big oil companies.
No more talking points. Does the minister have the courage to admit her family policies are failing hard-working families and their children?
Child Care March 17th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, last night on YouTube, the Prime Minister was reminded that his failed Conservative child care policy is “an insult to any family that actually relies on it”.
The government's failure is so noticeable that international organizations such as the OECD and UNICEF rank Canada dead last in the provision of early learning and child care.
When will the government stop insulting working parents with bogus talking points and actually create new child care services for families?
Resumption of debate on Address in Reply March 11th, 2010
Madam Speaker, the minister came to Toronto a few weeks ago and announced that the G20 would be at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in my riding. Unfortunately, the government made no effort to consult with the local member of Parliament.
Will the minister ensure that there will be quick and fair compensation to small businesses downtown and to organizers of various tourism events that will be impacted, whether it is the Tall Ships Festival, the Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival or Gay Pride Week?
The budget mentioned there would be financial support on the security side, but there is not really much with respect to local residents and local businesses to assure them that there will be fair, quick and effective compensation so they will not suffer through the G20 meetings.
The Budget March 10th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, public transit is the backbone of our urban economies, but the Conservative government once again refuses to provide dedicated funding for public transit. Without funding for public transit, projects like Toronto's transit city will end up being put on the shoulders of the property taxpayers. It is the same thing when it comes to buying new streetcars.
Potential green jobs are thrown out the window and commuters waste time and energy idling in their cars on clogged highways or waiting for streetcars that take a long time to come.
I want to ask my Conservative colleague why the budget provides no new dedicated funding to operate public transit, given that Canada is the only G8 country that does not provide such funding for public transit--
The Budget March 10th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, citizens in my riding and across Ontario, including in the member's riding, are united and vocal in their opposition to the harmonized sales tax. This budget provides billions to implement this much hated HST. Starting this summer, people will have to pay more taxes on funerals, Internet fees, home sales and medical fees for dogs and cats. We know that times are tough already without the tax burden being shifted from the big oil companies to ordinary Canadians.
In the past, we have seen the Liberals and Conservatives work together to push this HST through the House of Commons. We have a new session now. Could my Liberal colleague please tell me why she voted against the NDP motion last night to strike out the HST in this budget?
Citizenship and Immigration March 4th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, newcomers need to know that gay-bashing is illegal. They need to know that gay marriage is to be celebrated. Is the minister saying that those important elements of Canadian law should not be made known to new Canadians? Why is it missing? Why is it censored away from the new citizenship guide?
Canadians are tolerant, peace-loving and we value our freedom. Let us ensure that newcomers are welcomed in this spirit.
Will the minister immediately restore this reference to gay rights and gay history to the citizenship guide right now?