Scott Duvall

[Pensions, October 23rd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, for two years, I have called on the Liberal government to keep its election promise to improve the retirement security of Canadians. Unfortunately, the government has failed to respond. Now the government wants to wage a war on secure defined benefit plans, which many Canadian workers depend on for their retirement.

Bill C-27 would make it easier for companies to convert their defined benefit plans to targeted benefit plans. Employers would benefit by facing much less risk. Employees would be given all the risk. Gone are the days when people could look forward to retiring with a pension that allowed them to live with the dignity they deserve. The finance minister's company will make millions off of Bill C-27. In fact, the value of his stock went up almost $2 million in the five days after he introduced the new legislation. That is more than most Canadians make in a lifetime.

Is this a conflict of interest? Canadians certainly think so. Do the right thing for Canadian workers and withdraw Bill C-27 immediately.

[Pensions, October 20th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, Sears Canada workers and retirees are hurting and Liberal talking points are not helping. The Liberals are misleading Canadians by saying Sears Canada pensions will not be affected because they are in a trust, but that is not true. The value of workers' pensions will be reduced by 19% due to underfunding by the company and will further be reduced when Morneau Shepell delivers its bill for administrating the windup of the pension plans.

When will the Liberals stop misleading Canadians and deliver a plan for Sears Canada workers and pensioners?

[Pensions, October 19th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the current bankruptcy process is failing to protect Canadian workers and their families. This is true for the workers and retirees of Sears Canada. Instead of doing something to protect workers, the Liberals continue to support wealthy corporations. What is worse, we learned yesterday that Morneau Shepell will be handling the administration of Sears Canada's pension plan, which means that the finance minister will personally benefit from this liquidation. Is the finance minister comfortable with the fact that, alongside Sears executives getting massive bonuses, he is making money while workers lose their benefits?

[Pensions, October 18th, 2017]

Certainly not supporting the middle class that is for sure, Mr. Speaker.

Workers at Sears Canada are very worried about whether their pensions will be protected, but guess who has been appointed to administer the Sears Canada pension plan? Morneau Shepell. This is a company that advocates transferring more risks from employer to employee.

The government promised it would fix our bankruptcy laws but it has done nothing.

Furthermore, if Bill C-27 becomes law, the finance minister will profit off workers getting stuck with weak pensions.

I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. Is this the real change he promised working Canadians?

[Request for Emergency Debate, October 16th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I am asking for this debate to allow parliamentarians to address the court-ordered liquidation of Sears Canada granted last Friday. The liquidation of Sears Canada would affect the well-being of 17,000 current and former employees and their families, which will adversely affect thousands of small businesses and other retail suppliers and affect the viability of local real estate holdings.

The social and economic effects on Canadians will be profound and will be felt from coast to coast. It is imperative that parliamentarians be granted the opportunity to discuss means to mitigate the significant impacts of this devastating decision and also help prevent similar occurrences in the future.

[Committees of the House, October 16th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order to request unanimous consent to temporarily move to the rubric request for emergency debate, so I may make my request to the Speaker for an emergency debate on the dire situation facing thousands of Sears employees and ask that the House then revert to the business currently before it.

[Pensions, October 16th, 2017]

Well, they can start by taking action.

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, Sears Canada received court authorization to liquidate its assets. Because of our inadequate bankruptcy laws, shareholders and managers like Edward Lampert will end up even richer than before, while workers and pensioners will lose jobs, benefits, and some part of their pensions. The worst part is that it is legal. It is scandalous that the Liberals continue to place the interests of wealthy and well-connected insiders above the well-being of working Canadians and retirees. When will the Liberals join the NDP to make workers and pensioners the first priority?

[Pensions, September 18th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, New Democrats launched our end pension theft campaign. We believe it is time to introduce legislation to protect the pension for workers and retirees who have worked so hard for what they have earned. Currently, there is a long list of companies that have used Canada's inadequate bankruptcy and solvency laws to cheat workers out of their pensions and benefits.

Will the Prime Minister stick to his election promise, stand in the House today, and pledge to change the laws so that workers never get cheated again?

[Sale of Stelco, June 19th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the sale of Stelco to Bedrock Industries has finally been approved. It is good news for Hamilton, and it is good news for the workers and some pensioners. The deal was not perfect. Health benefits for some pensioners will be funded at 70%, and workers' pensions depend on the sale of badly contaminated land.

Improving the deal would have required the involvement of the federal government, but the present government refused to get involved, despite repeated calls for help.

Marty Warren, Steelworkers District 6 director, summed it up by commenting on the Bedrock deal, “The federal government has not been engaged and has not offered any material support—neither in this case nor to help other communities across the country hurting from the steel crisis. Essar Steel Algoma...is operating under CCAA protection and other steelmakers have cut jobs and production, but our federal government is missing in action.”

The present government needs to stand up for the Canadian steel industry, workers, and pensioners. It needs to stop the double-talk and get to work.

[Workplace Safety, June 13th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago, on May 9, 1992, an explosion rocked the Westray mine in Nova Scotia, killing 26 workers and forever scarring the surrounding communities. The bodies of 11 men were never recovered. The inquiry that followed concluded the disaster was the result “of incompetence, of mismanagement, of bureaucratic bungling, of deceit, of ruthlessness, of cover-up...and of cynical indifference.” Despite these findings, no mine manager, CEO, or government regulator was ever held responsible.

A group of dedicated volunteers set out to change the law, resulting in the Government of Canada unanimously passing changes to the Criminal Code in 2003 in what is known as the Westray law. Still, nearly 1,000 Canadian workers are killed each year, and many of these deaths are preventable. In 14 years since the Westray law was passed, only one person has ever been convicted under the law. That is shameful.

In memory of those who were lost in the Westray mine disaster, stop the killing and enforce the law.