Wayne Marston

[International Development, May 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the worst floods in a century have inundated large sections of the Balkans, leading to at least 40 deaths and more than 80,000 people evacuated. Many thousands of people have lost their homes and much of what they worked for all their lives. Early estimates put the cost of recovery at three billion euros.

Although Canada has the capacity to help those suffering, to date the Canadians government has offered a meagre $60,000. This is clearly insufficient.

Will the government commit to providing substantially more support to the victims of this flood?

[Business of Supply, May 15th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I was kind of surprised earlier today to hear some responses from the government side. About 25 years ago, I was part of Bell bargaining, for the union side. Before we sat down to start discussing bargaining with Bell, we looked at its budget and what the opportunities were for us to gain from the productivity of the company.

When we do that, we look at a total revenue pie. In this place, we had the members from the other side talking about the fact that when the CEO of CBC looked down at his revenue pie, and there was a reduction in his revenue that caused him to have to make cuts to CBC, of course it was not the government's cut to the revenue. That is kind of ludicrous. I would say that it borders on mismanagement.

[Lynn Williams, May 13th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great Canadian labour leader, Lynn Williams, who passed away on May 4, just a few months short of his 90th birthday.

Lynn started his union career in the late 1940s as a member of United Steelworkers Local 2900 at the John Inglis plant. His links with the industrial and manufacturing core of the city of Toronto would later result in a street being named after him.

Lynn also became the first Canadian to lead an international labour union when he was elected president of the steelworkers' union in 1983, and in that role he skilfully led the steelworkers until his retirement in 1994.

He was a man devoted to his family, which he believed was the reason for everything that he did on behalf of other working families.

Lynn was known to many as a labour intellectual who considered all the consequences of his actions and those of the union he led. He understood politics, the nature of capitalism, and the need for social justice at every level.

This made Lynn a much sought-after media commentator long after his so-called retirement.

His wisdom, his strength, and his love for Canada led to his being invested as an Officer in the Order of Canada in 2005.

Yes, Lynn Williams was a labour giant and a great Canadian. He was well loved and he will be missed.

[Foreign Affairs, April 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, during his trip to Egypt, the Minister of Foreign Affairs promised to raise a number of consular affairs cases. One case of growing interest to Canadians is that of Canadian Sarah Attia's husband, Khaled Al-Qazzaz.

Will the minister update the House on the status of this case, and will the Minister of Foreign Affairs agree to meet with Sarah Attia, who is here in Ottawa this week?

[Armenia, April 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, today we commemorate and honour those Armenians who perished in one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. We recall the horror, 99 years ago, when 1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their deaths in the final days of the Ottoman Empire. We grieve for the lives lost and the suffering endured by those men, women, and children. We are joined in solemn commemoration by thousands here in Canada, and millions across the world.

The New Democratic Party has been consistent regarding the history of what occurred in 1915, and a full, frank, and just acknowledgment of the facts is vital for nations to heal going forward. Peoples and nations are stronger and build a foundation for a more just and tolerant future by acknowledging and reckoning the painful elements of the past.

As we recall the horror of Meds Yeghern, in doing so we remind ourselves of our shared commitment to ensuring that such dark chapters of human history are never repeated.

[Petitions, April 10th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in my nine years in this House, I have never before had a petition of this nature with this volume of signatures. Thousands upon thousands of people are concerned with the 41st general election campaign and the accusations of fraud. As well, they are concerned about Bill C-23 and they are petitioning this House to put in electoral reform that takes into account the recommendations of Elections Canada to establish enforceable standards. In my time here, I have not before seen anything like this.

[Industry, April 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, recently the member for Hamilton Mountain and I questioned the Conservatives regarding the situation facing retirees and current steelworkers caused by the uncertainty surrounding U.S. Steel Canada in Hamilton. Following the court settlement between the government and U.S. Steel, the Conservatives promised Hamilton that there would be an investment creating the next generation of quality, decent-paying jobs in our community of Hamilton.

Last month, when invited to a special City of Hamilton Steel Committee meeting to discuss the situation, representatives of U.S. Steel did not attend and, as well, they said they were “mindful” of their promises. I cannot imagine how the Conservative government can be satisfied with that U.S. Steel response, but it appears to be.

In the House, we have called for the minister to hold U.S. Steel accountable, in clear, unequivocal terms, for the promises it made to the current government and to Hamilton. To date, the minister has failed to do so.

[Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1, April 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard of shortfalls in social housing and of infrastructure that has been delayed for decades, particularly in Quebec. We have been seeing the news reports of the problems in infrastructure there. We can take it back to the government's obsession with corporate tax cuts. It took $30 billion out of our country's annual budget in its first couple of years in government. Over the last four to five years, if we had had that revenue and had it going forward, social housing would be something we could address.

The question I have is about the relationship between the municipalities, the provincial governments and the federal government. It seems to me to be toxic. When they try to come together on various issues, it does not seem to be working. What is the member's experience, relative to opinions in her area, with regard to how the federal government does not work properly with other levels of government?

[Business of Supply, April 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, listening to the member, it is very interesting to hear the focus where he feels he has to generate his so-called attack.

Every member knows full well that the work the NDP is doing through its Montreal office is using the same dollars that are being brought together to deal with the constituents there, in the same fashion as for the constituency offices that have just been merged, because we have a new caucus down there, to make things work more efficiently. It is to use the dollars as they should be used.

I know there is a history in the Liberal Party of the entitlements and the sponsorship scandal, where millions of dollars drifted off to who knows where. However, today we are talking about the government use of jets and who has access to the Prime Minister through travel.

It is very important and, truthfully, I think the Liberals should spend a little more time shooting at the government side, rather than shooting at the NDP.

[Business of Supply, April 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in listening to the member, I understand that if he looks, it is possible to find a fare to $200 and some—I think the figure that is used for the repayment is $260—but the seats on those airplanes will not provide access to the Prime Minister.

People travelling on the Challenger jet are travelling as part of an inner circle. We can look at Mr. Kihn and his association with the Conservative Party, the fundraising and all of the things he has done. I am not impugning the work he has done on behalf of the party, but it is understandable that Canadians would question this and wonder about it. It is obvious that people would question why this individual is entitled to spend that kind of personal time with the Prime Minister.