Mr. Speaker, the NDP agrees to apply the vote and we will vote yes.
House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 24% of the vote.
Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1 June 10th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the NDP agrees to apply the vote and we will vote yes.
Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1 June 10th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the NDP agrees to apply the vote, and we will vote yes.
Main Estimates 2015-16 June 8th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary is once again deviating from the topic we are discussing this evening by bringing up other situations that have nothing to do with the motion we are debating.
I would ask the Speaker to intervene, to call the parliamentary secretary to order and to ask him to stick to the motion on the Senate that we are debating this evening.
New Democratic Party of Canada June 8th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, it must be a rude awakening for all of the Conservative members who were confident that they would change the Liberals' culture of secrecy in Ottawa.
Who was the recipient of the Canadian Association of Journalists' Code of Silence Award on the weekend? The Conservative government, naturally.
I am talking about the same Conservative government that promised to clean house, manage transparently and restore Canadians' trust.
After 10 years of Conservative power, Canadians have seen the Conservatives protect their friends by altering reports before they were made public and heavily redact documents requested under the Access to Information Act.
It is no surprise that Canadians have had enough of this tired old Conservative government. In October, Canadians will no longer have to vote for secrecy under the Conservatives or the Liberals. They will finally be able to vote for an open and transparent government—a New Democrat government.
The Economy June 3rd, 2015
Mr. Speaker, clearly, the Minister of Finance keeps burying his head in the sand.
Our economy shrank by 0.6% in the first quarter, but the minister has brushed off any concerns about Canada possibly moving into recession.
This morning the OECD downgraded its forecasts for Canada's economic growth.
When will the minister pull his head out of the sand and admit that the economy is in trouble?
Saint-Lambert June 3rd, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I want to use my last member's statement of this Parliament to take the time to thank all my constituents, all the volunteers and all the organizations I have worked with for the past four years. All these people have the courage to believe that we can change the world and are generous enough to get involved to achieve that.
I commend all the organizations in my riding that work hard to improve the lives of others. On Sunday, I was witness to the remarkable dedication of the members of the south shore Alzheimer's Society. I also want to acknowledge the volunteers who work in my riding every day: Janine, Diane, Bechir, Louise, Christina, Josée and all the others who give of their time and energy to meet with people. They give freely of themselves to convince others that those who engage in politics with passion and altruism can change people's lives. I am very proud to have worked with them for the past four years.
My friends, let us be loving, engaged and hopeful, and we will change the world.
Citizenship and Immigration June 2nd, 2015
Mr. Speaker, on very short notice, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration imposed new work permit rules for foreign interns. Nearly 30% of the French interns who usually come to Quebec gave up because of these complications. That last-minute decision threatens many France-Quebec post-secondary exchange programs.
Why did the minister jeopardize relations between France and Canada on post-secondary education without consulting stakeholders?
Citizenship and Immigration June 1st, 2015
Mr. Speaker, what is really so great is that family reunification has become such a nightmare in Canada thanks to the Conservative government's incompetence, piecemeal approach and insensitivity.
It now takes four years just to be eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent, and that is if things go smoothly. Mr. Momcilovic has been waiting seven years to sponsor his mother, who is now a widow.
When will the minister show a little compassion and do something about the backlog in processing applications?
Citizenship and Immigration June 1st, 2015
Mr. Speaker, apparently no one talks to one another in this government.
Not quite a year ago, the government announced that the number of foreign students would double in the country, then nothing. The departments work in isolation and the results are more than disappointing. The processing times for study permits have increased by 30%, and wait times for visas have doubled.
Can someone explain how this government's objectives can now be met?
Employment May 29th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have no one to blame but themselves for the slow demise of the middle class.
Statistics Canada has confirmed that the Conservatives' unbalanced policies are undermining job creation and hurting our economy. Our GDP dropped 0.6% in the first three months of 2015. Canadians are working harder and harder, but they are struggling to make ends meet under the Conservatives.
Will the government get its priorities in order and create jobs for the middle class instead of trying to eliminate jobs?