Sadia Groguhé

[Employment, May 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have a nasty habit of attacking the middle class in international forums. In Davos in 2012, the Prime Minister announced that Canadians will have to work an additional two years before they can retire. At a G7 meeting on Wednesday, the Minister of Finance announced that employers need to be able to lay off employees more easily to create jobs. Unbelievable.

Do the Conservatives not understand that in order to have a strong economy we need to create jobs for the middle class?

[Employment, May 14th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, 102,000 jobs have been lost in Quebec's manufacturing sector since 2006. I did say 102,000. That is the Conservative record. In Dorval, 850 workers at Bombardier's aircraft finishing plant will have to look for work along with 150 workers in the borough of Saint-Laurent who will be laid off. They support hundreds of businesses, boutiques and restaurants in the Montreal area.

Do the Conservatives have a plan for these workers or do they only have more presents for the most wealthy?

[Child Care, May 13th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives hide their heads in the sand, a million children still do not have access to regulated child care spaces.

Spring into Action for Child Care is in full swing. Across the country, parents are organizing gatherings, stroller brigades and forums. They are asking for quality, affordable public child care.

Will the Conservatives finally get on board with the NDP's plan to create a million child care spaces for $15 or less per day?

[Business of Supply, May 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, we request that the division be deferred until tomorrow, May 12, 2015, at the expiry of the time provided for government orders.

[Employment Insurance, May 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, 3,000 women are not one specific case. The Conservative government has done nothing about most of the claims that were unfairly denied between 2002 and 2011. It handed out payments arbitrarily and left thousands of other women without compensation. In 2011, however, following Natalya Rougas' appeal, the umpire ruled that women can claim sickness benefits during parental leave.

When will the minister fix this unfair situation for young mothers who became ill?

[Employment Insurance, May 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, between 2002 and 2011, the federal government systematically refused women who were on parental leave access to sickness benefits. Over 4,000 women were denied benefits because they had the misfortune of becoming seriously ill right after giving birth.

The Conservative government promised to fix this problem, but its solution failed 3,000 women like Jennifer McCrea. What is the minister going to do to right this wrong?

[Employment, May 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' achievement is the nearly 15% youth unemployment rate, and that is not a success story.

Parliament approved $100 million to help Canadians find jobs. That money would have improved the lives of immigrants who need help getting their credentials recognized, people with disabilities, young people who need a first work experience and adults who need to learn to read and write. However, the Conservatives chose to send the money back to the treasury.

Why did the Conservatives fail all these Canadians?

[Employment, May 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' promises are no better than their empty policies.

With the youth unemployment rate at twice the national average, young Canadians need that first job more than ever. Instead of helping them, the Conservatives sent almost $100 million back to the treasury, and $30 million of that was earmarked for youth desperately looking for a first job.

Why abandon young people when they really need us?

[Petitions, May 7th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to add my voice to those of my colleagues and present a petition to eliminate the sales tax on feminine hygiene products.

[Anti-Terrorism Act, 2015, May 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. I truly believe that fearmongering does not make us stronger and certainly does not make us come out on top. There is no question that when we live in a democratic society like ours, we must preserve our rights and freedoms and make them our hallmark. As my colleague pointed out, letting security measures get out of control is dangerous, and that is what Bill C-51 does. The Conservatives do not care. They do not listen. They do not accept any amendments, not from the opposition or any other party.

This is the Conservative government's trademark. Like so many of my colleagues, I have risen to debate Bill C-51 to reiterate that rights and freedoms can truly go hand in hand with security.

I will close by saying that the fight against radicalization is critically important. It begins with work on the ground. It begins in the communities and with the communities. Bringing civil society together around this issue is the best defence against radicalization.