Peggy Nash

[Budget Implementation, October 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, that is no answer, and based on the minister's Mickey Mouse briefing last night, it is clear that the Conservatives have no plan on how to explain this bill.

No wonder they want to hide the details, because they are taking money out of the pockets of Canadians. They are reducing vacation pay for new employees in federally regulated offices and are taxing group health insurance that people need in case of heart attacks or major illness.

Tell us, just how are these money-grabbing measures going to help Canadians who are just trying to make ends meet?

[Budget Implementation, October 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the facts are clear: the Conservatives had the information and refused to provide it.

They also introduced a massive bill full of surprises that will take money straight out of the pockets of workers by taxing group benefit plans. And that is not all: federal employees will now have to wait 30 days instead of 15 before receiving paid statutory holidays.

In all, how much money are they going to take from workers?

[The Environment, October 22nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising that he does not know, and it turns out Conservatives do not even know what was in their own budget. They are so used to making things up they just cannot stop themselves any more.

On Friday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that changes to the Navigable Waters Act were on page 282 of the budget. There is no mention of that on page 282 of the budget, only reckless plans to cut transportation.

Why would the Conservatives remove environmental protection for thousands of lakes and river, even though they never once mentioned it in their budget?

[Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, October 22nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the minister says “at this time”.

If the minister goes forward with his plan to privatize the CMHC, thousands of homeowners and those who dream of buying their first home will suffer disastrous consequences. We saw the same thing happen in the United States: the privatization of Fannie May and Freddie Mac was a complete fiasco.

Are the Conservatives really following in the footsteps of one of the greatest economic failures of all time?

[Budget Implementation, October 18th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know what this member did all summer. He clearly did not learn his lesson from the spring.

This is another massive budget bill jammed with non-budgetary items from overhauling the Canada Grain Act to gutting the Navigable Waters Protection Act, so only 10 heritage rivers will still be protected, and this is after exempting pipelines altogether.

Will the minister now agree to split up this monster bill and allow MPs to properly scrutinize these radical changes?

[Budget Implementation, October 18th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, today's omnibus bill offers nothing in terms of job creation.

Not only is this bill filled with non-budgetary measures, but it also does not do enough to stimulate our fragile economy. Youth unemployment is growing rapidly and our seniors' pensions are in jeopardy, as are essential services for Canadians. But the Conservatives are ignoring the public's concerns.

When will we see a meaningful employment plan?

[100th Anniversary of Revue Cinema, October 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to honour the 100th anniversary of the Revue Cinema at its Roncesvalles location in my riding of Parkdale—High Park. This year not only marks the Revue's 100th anniversary, but also five years of it operating as Toronto's only not-for-profit community-based cinema.

The Revue was briefly closed in 2006, but the residents and cinephiles of the Revue Film Society raised close to $130,000 to support a rescue effort for their much loved theatre. In 2007, the Revue reopened its doors under a new motto, “Reel Diversity, Real Community”.

Starting this Friday, the Revue will celebrate with a week-long series of great movies, from Singin' in the Rain and the The Wizard of Oz to E.T. and Saturday Night Fever.

I congratulate them and I know this week will pay fitting tribute to this important Toronto landmark.

[Food Safety, October 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' claims about their spending are simply not supported by the facts. They are denying their own financial documents, but the Conservatives like to hide the facts.

When the Parliamentary Budget Officer asked about the impact of the Conservative cuts on food safety, the CFIA said that it either did not know or could not say. Why are the Conservatives denying their own financial statements? Why are they hiding the facts from Canadians?

[Food Safety, October 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is hiding behind the agency's president in order to avoid taking responsibility.

Over the past six years, the budget for food safety has been cut by $40 million, and cuts will continue to be made until 2015. The Report on Plans and Priorities makes no mention of an increase in food safety staff, contrary to the minister's claims.

Why are the Conservatives making up stories that are contradicted by their own documents?

[Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, October 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, that question is in keeping with what I have been describing, which is that reducing the rule from two years to six months could capture far too many people in this wide net. It could include someone who might be a first-time offender, someone who has lived here all his or her life, or someone who has a mental illness.

It could be someone who just made a terrible mistake and who would benefit from rehabilitation and who would benefit from perhaps other opportunities and could then become a productive and positive member of Canada. However, one stupid mistake, and as my colleague has indicated, a crime of growing some marijuana plants, could land them in this situation.

It seems overly harsh and overly discretionary to have this kind of consequence for that crime.